The Oracle February 2024

FEATURES

IN-DEPTH

Students break down their concealed health struggles, roads to recovery

Exploring Gunn’s Food Program: Diving into meal preparation and dietary concerns

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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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Permit #44 Palo Alto, Calif.

THEOracle Henry M. Gunn High School

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Friday, February 9, 2024 Volume 61, Issue 4

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

See Something, Say Something initiative aims to combat campus discrimination Victor Dang News Editor In December 2023, the Gunn administration adopted the See Something, Say Something initiative, designed to streamline the process of reporting discrimination and harassment cases and reassure the community of Gunn’s stance against all forms of hate. Students can now report experiences or observations of discrimination and harassment through scanning the QR codes on See Something, Say Something posters around campus.

Administrators adopted this measure after noticing an upward trend in discriminatory behavior. According to PAUSD’s Uniform Complaint Procedures logs, there was a 21.6% increase in logged reports and complaints of discrimination at Gunn last year, from 37 reports in fall 2022 to 45 reports in fall 2023.

Assistant Principal of Student Equity

Vin Bhat and Irene Hong

Courtney Carlomagno, who helped create the initiative, noted that the new reporting method will allow administrators to respond to incidents more quickly and effectively, as well as gauge the true number of cases on campus.

“We (wanted to) take away the obstacle of having to come to the office and speak to an administrator right away,” she said. “Instead you can access this form at any time of day, and you could access it whether you were the one who was impacted by something that occurred or you just observed it.”

This approach also addresses students’ and community members’ dissatisfaction with the administration’s apparent lack of response to discriminatory behavior, according to Principal Dr. Wendy Stratton.

“The perception I think within our

community is like, ‘Oh, nothing really happens,” she said. “You hear something, and there’s no visible evidence that we stand against that and that we don’t tolerate that.

We need to do more on this to make it really clear that behavior along the lines of hate speech or something like that is really not acceptable here.”

Cases reported to the form through the QR code are submitted to PAUSD Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer Robert Andrade, who reviews the report and determines whether it should be further pursued as a district investigation or if the case should be handled at the site level.

The consequences for those who are reported to the form vary, depending on the context. They range from suspension to restorative meetings, in which offenders can learn how to repair relationships with those they have mistreated. As part of the initiative, corrective action focuses less on punishment and more on education and growth.

“The growth is so rich if you can turn around and have a conversation and really get something out of it,” Stratton said.

As of Feb. 6, the form has not yet been used to document any cases of harassment or discrimination. Still, CoDiversity Commissioner junior Nia Porter anticipates that the form can improve student experiences at Gunn.

“I was pretty happy to see that they had something, because I’ve heard a lot of people sharing their experience and talking to me about how it wasn’t handled well by admin,” she said.

“They don’t really know how to ask for help, but I think the form is going to help with that a lot.”

Stratton noted that the initiative emphasizes the importance of educating students at Gunn outside the realm of academics.

“A really important part of being an educated person is to recognize that you can have free speech, … but you need to be respectful of people around you, and that’s part of being a community member,” she said.

Report cases of hate and discrimination at tinyurl.com/ GunnSeeSomethingSaySomething

2

News

THEORACLE

Monthly Highlights: Game of Throws

BY THE NUMBERS •

• • •

Participants from 6 countries: Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Mexico, New Zealand and U.S. 470 attendees 600 Gala Show tickets sold 12 states represented Chinyoung Shao

Source: Juggling Club Advisor Matt Hall

Top left: Performer Fernanda (Fer) Sumano dances to music using hula hoops during her performance. Top middle: Performer Rhys Thomas juggles kitchenware, including plates and cups.

Top right: Performer Lisa Komatsubara juggles several balls. Bottom left: Performer Bri Crabtree spins a roll of tape, jokingly named “my hamster,” over the top of a parasol. Bottom right: Performer Mark Wilder bounces a ball on the top of a pole balance on his head while lowering himself to the ground.

Asian American Lit, AP Physics 2 courses planned for 2024-25 Fiona Xiong Online Editor

Two new courses are being added to the course catalog for the 2024-25 school year: Asian American Literature, in which students will analyze Asian American experiences through novels, biographies and more, and Advanced Placement Physics 2, in which students will learn algebrabased physics focused on electricity and magnetism.

Asian American Literature, a semesterlong English elective offered for juniors and seniors after successful completion of English 9 or 9A and English 10 or 10A, will focus on Asian American experiences ranging from immigration to discrimination. English teacher Diane Ichikawa, who proposed and is leading the implementation of Asian American Literature, says that the English department lacks books about Asian Americans, although Gunn’s student population is 46.4% Asian, according to the Gunn 2023-24 school profile.

“We don’t really treat Asians as people of color on this campus, so I think it’s important that we see that Asians actually are people of color,” she said. “We need to find a space for those discussions, and this could be a class where you could have those conversations.”

The curriculum will draw from texts such as Thi Bui’s memoir “The Best We Could Do” and essays from Eric Liu’s “The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker.”

Students will practice writing memoirs and understanding the use of figurative language in non-English languages.

Sophomore Joyce Wong, who is interested in taking Asian American Literature, considers it an opportunity to gain insight into issues that Asian Americans face.

“Reading literature written by Asian Americans (can) offer a really refreshing perspective on controversial or historical events,” she said.

In addition to Asian American Literature, Gunn will also be offering AP Physics 2, a yearlong algebra-based physics course for juniors and seniors who have successfully completed AP Physics 1. The course provides a nonvisual approach to electricity and magnetism, in contrast to its mechanics-focused prerequisite, AP Physics 1.

According to physics teacher Christina Norberg, the

science department decided to add the course for students who wish to continue learning physics after AP Physics 1, but may not want the rapid pace of calculus-based AP Physics C. The yearlong mechanics course will no longer be offered, but students can still take AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism as semesterlong classes.

The curriculum, based on the College Board’s AP Physics 2 Unit Guides, features units on thermodynamics, electricity, geometric optics and atomic physics, which are not covered in AP Physics C: E & M. According to Norberg, students will use skills such as scientific argumentation, collection of evidence and experimental design to build a mathematically rigorous perspective.

“

Asian American Lit Books • Thi Bui’s “The Best We Could Do” • Eric Liu’s “The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker”

Reading literature by Asian Americans (can) offer a really refreshing perspective on controversial or historical events.

—Sophomore Joyce Wong

”

“When you talk about electricity and magnetism, a lot of those different topics you need to be able to model effectively in a way that you can’t actually see,” Norberg said.

Junior Daniel Zhang, who is currently in AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, is considering taking AP Physics 2 next year.

“I’m thinking of taking AP Physics 2 because it covers the sound unit, which seems really interesting,” he said.

With the addition of AP Physics 2, Gunn will now offer all of the College Board’s AP Physics courses. Students who are in or have taken regular, college-preparatory physics may take AP Physics 2 with approval from the science department.

Asian American Literature and AP Physics 2 will only run if there is enough enrollment. Students can learn more about these courses by reading the 2024-25 course catalog or contacting Ichikawa or Norberg.

AP Physics 2 Topics • • • • •

Fluids Thermodynamics Electric forces Electric circuits Magnetism and electromagnetic induction • Geometric and physical optics • Quantum physics Sources: College Board AP Physics 2 official course outline and Asian American Literature course description

News

Friday, February 9, 2024

THEORACLE

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

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Amann Mahajan Managing Editors Chris Lee Irene Tsen News Victor Dang Michelle Koo Charlotte Qian Forum Anne Dong Annabel Honigstein Jeffrey Kang Features Diya Bose-Malakar Kaylee Cheng Safina Syed Centerfold Maddie Cheung Lise Desveaux In-Depth Dan Honigstein Becca Wu Sports Yueun Hong Katie LaWer Vivian Studdert Lifestyle Kaitlyn Chen Vivien Chen Bryan Xiao Online Sophia Hwangbo Fiona Xiong Social Media Zoe Leontis Ya-An Xue Ellie Yuan Graphics Editor Irene Hong Photos Editor Chinyoung Shao

Staff Business/Circulation Sylvie Nguyen Bryan Xiao Oracle-SEC Liaison Safina Syed Graphics Artists Vin Bhat Emma Cao Natalie Lam Karis Lau Chaewon Lee Jesse Li Aeron Man Sarah Xie Photographers Vin Bhat Evelyn Chow Grace Gao Victor Peng Benjamin Qian Naomi Wang Chloe Wu Reporters Gwen Domine Yael Gottesman Claire Jittipun Roy Lao Yu-Ming Liu Eanam Maor Violet Tivol Vanisha Vig Fenton Zarlengo Adviser Kristy Blackburn

Left: from

Courtesy of Millie Tobar Campos

Two students hold their plushies above elimination. Right: Sophomore Griffin Wu

Evelyn Chow

their shoulders as they walk to the Village, protecting themselves eliminates sophomore Ryan Tse with his plushie in the N-building.

2024 Elimination brings new rules, increased participation

“

role of detective, using available resources to sleuth out targets’ identities.

Jeffrey Kang Forum Editor On Jan. 29, 691 Gunn students flocked to a website created by Web/Tech Commissioner senior Dylan Lu to learn the identity of their targets, marking the beginning of the seventh annual Elimination game.

Hosted by the Student Executive Council from Jan. 29 to Feb. 20, Elimination has players tag their assigned “targets” with stuffed animals or rubber ducks to eliminate them. Students who choose to play follow rules that vary by day, such as “players must be under a roof or overhang,” to stay safe from elimination. At the end of the event, the contestant who has the most eliminations without being eliminated wins. Players can find their assigned targets, numbers of eliminations, the leaderboard and the rules document at gunn.elimination.one, run by Lu. This year’s game also saw the addition of a few new rules. For instance, eliminating targets on Valentine’s Day requires giving them a flower, and players with zero eliminations on the first weekend and fewer than two eliminations on the second weekend are automatically eliminated, ensuring that players actively participate in the game.

Lu competed in last year’s Elimination, which inspired him to help run it this year.

“I enjoyed how competitive it was — everyone was really trying to win,” he said. “That’s kind of why I ran for tech commissioner.”

Many participants, including two-time victor alumna Kyra Xue, enjoy playing the

Over time, each elimination gave me more momentum and I had lots of fun finding my targets. I couldn’t just stop being invested in the game.

—Alumna Kyra Xue

”

“I remember looking forward to brunch and lunch so that my friends and I could carry out our plans and keep our eyes open for any new leads,” she said. “Over time, each elimination gave me more momentum, and I had lots of fun finding my targets. I couldn’t just stop being invested in the game.”

This year is no different, according to sophomore Aman Solanki, who topped the

leaderboard at nine eliminations for a few days.

“I like asking my friends and peers about my elimination target and collecting pieces of their schedule,” he said. “I spent 30 minutes tagging Asian kids and asking if their name was Eddie Guo or if they knew him.”

Indeed, the competition this year is fierce, with about more 300 players than last year. Unfortunately, there have also been a few complications: For example, some contestants have hidden their plushies from view or entered in all possibilities of their targets’ elimination codes through brute force to eliminate them. When it comes to these cases, Lu encourages participants to remember the spirit of the game.

“At the end of the day, it’s just a game,” he said. “Don’t take it too seriously, and try to have fun.”

Tips from two-time Elimination champion Kyra Xue 1. “Never let your guard down. Always be on the watch for someone who may be targeting you, or your target.”

2. “Prioritize defense. No matter how silly the safety measure for the day seems, just keep doing it.”

3. “Use your resources to find people. I consulted the yearbook many times.

Try expanding your search, especially if your target is someone who you don’t know.”

INBOX The Oracle strongly encourages and publishes 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.

“The story about the ongoing A- and B-building construction was quite interesting, because when I graduated all that remained of that area were some concrete pillars and a pile of rubble. Really glad they’ve started work on the new building!”

—Alumnus Kevin Yu “I liked how it talks about current school topics such as construction update and middle college. I thought it was really ineresting.”

—Junior Iris Ding “I really enjoyed the graphics & interactive minigames (including the crossword!!)”

—Junior Stella Su “I loved how innovative it was. A lot of the articles were extremely unique and well-written.”

—Sophomore Natalie Chan

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. These letters do not need to be from current students.

Go to gunnoracle.com to read our online exclusives!

Fill out our feedback form at tinyurl.com/ OracleFeb2024

News 4 California voters prepare for primary elections THEORACLE

Lise Desveaux Centerfold Editor

During California’s Presidential Primary Election on March 5, Santa Clara County voters will select candidates for president, U.S. Congress and California State Assembly, as well as vote on Proposition 1.

Registered voters can submit their ballots by mail until March 5, or in-person at a vote center or Official Ballot Drop Box from Feb. 24 to March 5. Gunn students who are U.S. citizens and 18 and older must register for the primaries by Feb. 20.

“

The biggest cancer to our democracy is apathy, and so young people have to get involved in being part of democracy.

—U.S. Government teacher Patricia Holmes

”

California residents registered with a political party will be able to vote for a presidential candidate affiliated with their party, helping determine who will appear on the nationwide ballot in November. California’s primary takes place on Super Tuesday, in which 14 other states and territories also hold their primary elections.

There are 23 people running across all political parties, including former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Statewide, voters are also electing U.S. senators. Four candidates are running to serve out the rest of former Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term ending in January 2025, and 14 candidates are running for a full six-year term.

More locally, Palo Alto residents are among those voting for U.S. House representative for California’s 16th Congressional District. Current Rep. Anna Eshoo’s retirement has led to an 11-way race, with Palo Alto City Council members Julie Lythcott-Haims and Greg Tanaka running. Both candidates, alongside seven others, participated in a forum sponsored by the Embarcadero Media Foundation and City of Palo Alto on Jan. 31.

Voters will also be considering Proposition 1, which concerns behavioral health services. If passed, the

proposition would allow California to sell $6.4 billion that we should be aware of that.” in bonds to fund housing for unhoused people with Eligible students can visit registertovote. behavioral health challenges. Up to $4.4 billion of ca.gov to register, or pre-register if they that money will be allocated to mental health care are 16 or 17. Students who are interested and substance abuse treatment facilities. It will also in getting involved with voter registration require ​​30% of the Behavioral Health Services Fund to efforts can visit CEEP, a voter-registration be allocated to housing intervention programs, and the and education effort, on Mondays at size of the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and lunch in C-8.

Accountability Commission would increase from 16 to 27 voting members.

Civic Engagement and Education Project Club President senior Lizzy Jackson highlighted the main effects that the proposition would have on Californians: namely, decreasing homelessness and drug addiction.

“It is really important, not just voters, to be educated on it,” she said. “If approved, (it) may directly affect local mental health services, since about $140 million will be Register to vote taken from counties and given to the state,” registertovote.ca.gov she said.

Senior Amrit Joshi has researched and discussed the candidates with his friends, since he is considering voting in this Review the official voter election. information guide “​​ I think voting is a really important tinyurl.com/2024votingguide part of American autonomy and becoming an adult,” he said. “We definitely learn to take responsibility for our actions as American citizens.”

Around 50% of eligible voters who are 18 to 29 plan to vote in the November general elections, according to a December 2023 poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School. U.S. Government teacher Patricia Holmes urges teenagers to perform their civic duty once they are eligible.

“The biggest cancer to our democracy is apathy, and so young people have to get involved in being part of democracy,” she said.

“Democracy is a beautiful, fragile thing Jesse Li that is not guaranteed to us, and I think

FORUM

Forum Discover interest in music

Pursue math in high school

Friday, February 9, 2024

Choose a high school: general, technical or professional

Take the baccalauréat

American public school system offers more opportunities, freedom compared to others Anne Dong and Ellie Yuan Forum Editor and Social Media Editor Double major in different interests

Take internship in record industry

Change college major

In the U.S. and many other countries, the goal of secondary education is to enable students to navigate the world as adults through expanding their knowledge and improving their critical-thinking skills.

The precise method of achieving this goal, however, varies: The French high school system requires students to choose a specialty before they graduate, while South Korean high school students’ academic futures depend almost solely on a single exam. While the American public school system is often criticized for its lack of rigor, its advantages are indisputable: By allowing students to explore their interests throughout high school and emphasizing personal development, American public schools provide valuable opportunities for pupils to grow.

The U.S. school system gives students time to develop their academic interests before deciding a career path. Some European countries’ education systems, on the other hand, emphasize specialization and career preparation in high school. For instance, students in France attend three years of high school, which culminates in the “baccalauréat” exam. Students can take the technology or general exam to attend university, or take the professional exam to begin working. This exam forces students to choose a field of study to focus on during high school, restricting options further down the line: Once

Go to law school

they choose their concentration, choices of possible college majors and careers become limited. Students who lose interest in their chosen subject have their futures strongly impacted, and they may face stress and regret as they make the difficult choice of changing career paths.

On the other hand, the U.S. school system allows students to change their interests and areas of focus in high school — and even college. High schoolers aren’t expected to choose a concentration, and instead take classes across disciplines all four years of high school: Gunn, for example, requires students to take Visual/Performing Arts and Career Technical Education courses to graduate. Beyond high school, many U.S. colleges allow students to switch majors.

According to 2017 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the Department of Education, around a third of college students switch their majors within three years of enrollment. Young adults are often uncertain about their futures, and U.S. schools allow space for that.

The American education system also strongly encourages students to explore their interests through non-academic avenues. Extracurricular activities help develop existing interests and spark new ones. Activities like sports, clubs or volunteering help students apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Students under the U.S. school system are thus more likely to pursue career options they enjoy because they have a stronger sense of their interests.

By stressing non-academic learning, the U.S. school system avoids the pitfalls of focusing solely on academic performance.

Take the South Korean education system, which determines students’ capabilities

Become a lawyer

Choose out of the limited courses after the “licence”

and qualifications for further education by their performance on a single eighthour-long intensive exam, the “Suneung.”

The difficulty and importance of the exam creates a competitive, toxic environment for students. Pressured by the goal of academic excellence, students neglect their personal development throughout high school.

According to a 2020 study published in the General Psychiatry journal by University of Melbourne researcher Jiacheng Liu, 12% of adolescent suicides in South Korea were due to academic stress.

“

Choose a career out of even fewer choices

Young adults are often uncertain about their futures, and U.S. schools allow space for that.

”

The paths each student decides to pursue should be tailored to what they are comfortable with, not what society expects them to do. Many other countries fail to address the external factors that may cause students to decide against enrolling in a four-year college, while the flexibility of the American school system enables holistic evaluations.

Ultimately, the American school system best prepares students for life. Although some may believe it isn’t rigorous enough, it allows students to make important decisions for their futures at a time when they are ready. While it may not be perfect, its academic flexibility and extracurricular options create the best environment for students to flourish.

Choose a high school: special-purpose, vocational or general

5

Take the “Suneung” exam

Struggle to switch majors in college

Go to college based on your “Suneung” score

Sarah Xie

What are significant differences between the American public school system and that of a different country?

“Schools in America have more spirit and activities. Not having spirit in (other) countries makes students less invested in school.”

“In the United States, they look at your GPA, your grades from sophomore to senior year and your comprehensive ability, but in China, they only care about the scores from the test you take.”

“At this school, students are encouraged to bring creativity to the school itself, which is not as noticeable back in my old school. I noticed the many projects students have created across campus.”

“In America, there’s more individualism and independence.

It’s also more free. You can choose what classes you want to take, while in Japan, you have to take what the teachers want you to take.”

—Hannes Zimmermann, 9

—Alex Gan, 10

—Marie Lozada, 11

—Lily Ogawa, 12

Flag graphics by Sarah Xie

—Compiled by Gwendolyn Domine

6

Forum

THEORACLE

PAUSD must better prepare teachers to educate, support students in wake of israel-hamas war Annabel Honigstein Forum Editor On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas’ attack on Israel — which prompted the Israel-Hamas war — had a profound impact on students and staff in PAUSD, necessitating a thoughtful and nuanced response from the district. Instead, as tests were delayed and assignments postponed per Superintendent Dr. Don Austin’s mandate, responses from teachers ranged from annoyance at schedule disruptions to disjointed acknowledgments of the war’s impact on students. Meanwhile, those directly affected by the war endured a day marked by confusion, isolation and pain, highlighting a pressing need for a more coordinated, sensitive and informed approach from Gunn’s staff in educational settings. Thus, it is imperative that PAUSD teachers are adequately prepared to guide students through discussions on complex geopolitical conflicts, including dealing with hate speech in classroom settings.

Recent statistics from the Anti-Defamation League and the Council on American-Islamic Relations highlight the urgency of addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools.

According to the ADL, U.S. antisemitic incidents reached their peak after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, a 337% increase from the year before. Similarly, in the four weeks following Oct. 7, CAIR received over 1,000 reports of anti-Arab and Islamophobic behavior, a 216% increase from the previous year.

Teachers play a crucial role in fostering analytical and critical-thinking skills as students try to grapple with complex geopolitical conflicts. Acknowledging this, PAUSD Board Policy 6144 mandates that instruction be presented in a balanced manner, addressing all sides of an issue without bias or promoting a particular point of view. While total objectivity may not always be possible, through presenting facts from a variety of reputable sources and holding space for informed discussions, teachers can allow students to form their own opinions while respecting others’.

The challenge, however, lies not in the absence of resources — materials were provided to teachers post-Oct. 7 to guide discussions on the war — but in the confidence and preparedness of teachers to engage with these topics openly and effectively, according to social studies teacher Tara Firenzi.

Alongside being able to understand the conflicts themselves, teachers must be able to appropriately confront hate in the classroom. PAUSD has already implemented several equity and wellness trainings for teachers, including the New Hire

Equity Training, which explores race, diversity and tolerance.

However, the training fails to explicitly cover Islamophobia and antisemitism in the context of events in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war — an incredibly complex subject that cannot be navigated simply with knowledge from general equity trainings. The complexity arises not from the conflict being more important than others, but from its deeply rooted history and the multifaceted political, religious and cultural tensions unique to the Middle East. This omission can lead to scenarios in which educators find themselves illequipped to navigate such a sensitive subject in the classroom.

As a result, students may feel uncomfortable, unsafe or unsupported in their learning spaces. A staffwide antisemitism and Islamophobia education training that teaches staff how to identify microaggressions and biased learning materials will equip teachers with the necessary tools to discuss current events with students who are both deeply impacted by them and those who may just be curious.

“

Oct. 7 Hamas launches an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 240 hostages.

Oct. 9

By equipping educators with the necessary tools to address sensitive issues like Islamophobia and antisemitism thoughtfully, PAUSD can foster a more empathetic and informed student body.

“As we witness a nationwide rise in reports of hate crimes and harassment, including an alarming rise in disturbing antisemitic incidents and threats to Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students on college campuses and in P-12 schools, the fulfillment of school communities’ federal legal obligations to ensure nondiscriminatory environments have renewed urgency.”

Source: US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights — Nov. 7, 2023

In retaliation, Israel begins “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip.

Over 27,000 Palestinians have been killed to date.

”

This doesn’t mean that educators have to deviate from their planned curriculum to address current events. While all teachers should have the resources and training to discuss global events if they choose to, it is equally important for those who may not feel it is within their purview — including non-humanities teachers — to communicate their support to students. It is most essential to create an atmosphere of understanding, in which students know they have supporters among faculty who are prepared to assist them in navigating complex discussions and emotions.

This dual approach — equipping teachers with the necessary tools to address sensitive issues directly when possible, and fostering an environment of support regardless of the curriculum — ensures that all students feel seen, heard and valued in their educational journey at PAUSD. In many ways, teachers are on the front lines of combating discrimination in classrooms, including tackling subtler microaggressions. PAUSD’s messy response serves as a call for a change in how its schools should approach the teaching of global conflicts as they arise. By equipping educators with the necessary tools to address sensitive issues like Islamophobia and antisemitism thoughtfully, PAUSD can foster a more empathetic and informed student body.

National Guideline

23%

Timeline of events in PAUSD post-Oct. 7

Oct. 10 Principal Dr. Wendy Stratton sends out “Current Events with the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict” message with an acknowledgment of the war and resources on how to support students.

16%

Oct. 13

of GUNN ninth and eleventh graders surveyed said that teachers do not check in on students about how they are feeling

Superintendent Dr. Don Austin reinforces district’s emphasis on student safety and requests that teachers refrain from giving tests and assignments.

Source: 2022 Gunn California Healthy Kids Survey

State education policy Section 60044: “A governing board shall not adopt any instructional materials for use in the schools that, in its determination, contain (a) any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality...”

of GUNN eleventh graders surveyed Strongly agree that students in the school respect each other’s differences

Section 233.5: “Each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils ... the promotion of harmonious relations…”

Source: 2022 Gunn California Healthy Kids Survey

Source: California Education Code — School Boards; Teachers

local education policy “The Board of Education believes that students should have opportunities to discuss controversial issues which have political, social or economic significance... The study of a controversial issue should help students learn how to gather and organize pertinent facts, discriminate between fact and fiction, draw intelligent conclusions and respect the opinions of others.”

Source: PAUSD Board Policy 6144

30% of PAUSD ninth graders surveyed said that they are unsure if they would report being bullied to a Teacher or staff member Source: PAUSD Secondary CHKS Main Report

Oct. 27 The school board passes a resolution condemning Hamas’ attack and rising antisemitism and a resolution denouncing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Middle Eastern North African hate.

Karis Lau

FEATURES

7 More than skin-deep: Students share journeys with concealed health conditions

Features

Friday, February 9, 2024

Sophomore Stella Xue: Os Trigonum As a sixth grader, sophomore Stella Xue winced each time she took a step — sharp pain traveled through her foot at every pace. After a visit to the doctor, she discovered the culprit: a small, extra bone in her foot, known as the os trigonum.

The os trigonum, present in around 15 to 30% of people, sits behind the ankle bone. Those who have it are born with it, and while some never experience discomfort because of the bone, others can develop great pain after injury or heavy use of their ankle.

Xue had been extremely active as a basketball player, swimmer and dancer, which strained her ankle. After her diagnosis, she temporarily stepped back from sports to recover, spending six months in physical therapy.

During these sessions, she was able to rest her foot and recover from the worst of her pains. She also learned how to take better care of her foot while easing it back into normal use.

“I (would walk) really weirdly, kind of with a limp where I didn’t put that much pressure on it,” she said.

“It helps in the moment, but when you do it for such a long time, you gain bad habits while you’re walking.

The physical therapy was getting me back to walking normally — putting pressure back on my foot while also trying to work out the pains in it.”

In eighth grade, Xue returned to sports through taking up tennis. However, her ankle still made her more injury-prone, causing her to sprain it while playing tennis and hurt it two more times during her P.E. class.

“My first tennis class, I sprained my ankle,” she said. “But I thought it was just another one of my ankle scares. I didn’t think it was serious. I thought I could just walk it off. … (After hurting it again), we went to a doctor, and the doctor was like, ‘You sprained it three times. What are you doing?’”

Though Xue wore a brace for several months to help support her ankle, she now mostly only wears it when she does long or highly intensive activities.

“It’s not good to get dependent on the brace,” she said. “So after a while, when I did actually get back into tennis, I started taking it off more and more to get more acclimated. Now, I can go for a two- or three-hour session without it, which is pretty good.”

Xue has learned to work with her ankle and hasn’t let it stop her from continuing tennis and also beginning running this season.

“Sometimes if I run for too much — especially if we do a mile during P.E. or something — it will start aching again,” she said. “But it’s not that painful anymore.”

—Written by Vivien Chen

according to footcaremd, 15 to 30% of people have os trigonum.

10.1% of people in the U.S. have some form of eczema, according to the national eczema association un he C e di Mad

Junior Charlie Ott: Eczema After visiting the doctor in November 2022 for what he thought was just an allergic reaction, junior Charlie Ott discovered that his regular skin inflammation were a symptom of a condition that he had unknowingly dealt with his whole life.

Atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, weakens the skin’s protective barrier function, causing it to become dry, itchy and bumpy.

While the exact cause of eczema is unknown, according to the National Eczema Association, it often develops due to genetic or environmental triggers.

Ott’s eczema is mostly the result of an overactive immune system, as various foreign substances tend to irritate his skin. There have been times — ranging from a few days to a couple of months — when Ott’s skin would flare up unexpectedly.

“It was extremely painful to do simple things like put on clothes or rest my arm on my desk,” he said. “I never found out what caused it, so many things flared up my eczema that it was difficult to find out exactly what might have caused it.”

When Ott was young, rashes and itches seemed normal: His immune system was still developing. As he grew older, however, they persisted and worsened, resulting in uncomfortable interactions with peers.

“A lot of people thought that if they touched me or something, they’d get flare-ups or a rash from me, which is not true,” he said. “Eczema is just something you’re born with — it’s in your body and won’t spread to anyone else.”

While Ott’s eczema lessened in severity during middle school and early high school, it reemerged in his sophomore year, spurring anxiety.

“Having all those noticeable rashes on my arm, I was always worried people would want to be away from me or that they would think of me differently just because of how my arms look,” he said.

His November diagnosis that year provided clarity and helped him begin to manage his symptoms.

“My doctor told me I had an autoimmune condition, and I got a little scared because it meant that my body was attacking itself, and I didn’t like that idea,” he said. “So I was worried for my future, but it’s a pretty treatable condition.”

Throughout Ott’s medical journey, he has been

g

prescribed various creams and steroids. After exploring many short-term soluntions, he was eventually prescribed Dupixent, a monoclonal antibody drug, at the end of last year.

“Being on Dupixent has been peaceful,” he said.

“Although once every two weeks I have to take a pretty painful injection, it’s totally worth it to be able to put my arm on a table without it stinging or put on my shirt without my arms getting itchy again. I haven’t had to worry about eczema in a long time, and that’s just been a real blessing.”

As a wrestler, eczema didn’t directly impact Ott’s performance, but it left a persistent worry as he started back up again the season after getting diagnosed.

“When I was getting my athletic clearance for wrestling, they took quite a while to clear it because they were worried that since I have sensitive skin, I might worsen my eczema or contract some skin disease really easily,” Ott said.

Ott’s experience with eczema has profoundly changed from the confusion of his earlier years: Now, with the proper diagnosis and medication, he is able to better understand and feel comfortable in his own skin.

“Growing up, I didn’t really know what it was,” he said. “I just knew that my parents would always have to take some extra time to take care of it. Now that I know it’s a genetic thing and started treating it with medicine, I don’t worry as much about what I wear or eat, and I don’t even have to worry as much about getting flare-ups anymore.”

—Written by Safina Syed

Photo illustrations by Chinyoung Shao and Chloe Wu

8

Features

THEORACLE

MEANINGS BEYOND DEFINITIONS: STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH MISUSED PHRASES, SLURS, LABELS ON CAMPUS “I’m going to kill myself”

Stress

Mental Illness Depressed

KYS Cope

The R-slur

Versions of the phrases “I’m going to kill myself” and “go kill yourself” are everywhere at Gunn: They might slip out after a difficult test or during playful bickering.

The phrases, however, belittle the struggles of Gunn community members who are facing issues with their mental health, causing them further pain.

Junior Jennifer Li, president of the Reach Out, Care, Know Club, which focuses on mental health awareness, shared that although students might not be trying to offend others, using these phrases shows insensitivity — and the harm is real.

“You genuinely don’t know the severity of what someone’s going through, and if you haven’t experienced it yourself, then you’re not going to know that it takes (a certain type of) sensitivity to understand these issues,” she said. “I just think people need to be more aware that there are actually people who do want to kill themselves at this school, and it’s not just funny.”

Li said these phrases cause those who are experiencing severe problems with mental health to think their struggles are normal, which discourages them from reaching out for help.

“In reality, not everyone is experiencing these mentalhealth problems, and it is important for you to get help,” she said. “(Just because) other people are depressed at this school doesn’t make (depression) normal.”

Beyond hallways and classrooms, the typed-up

Gunn continues to see uses of the R-slur – a slur that targets individuals with intellectual disabilities – on campus, despite its derogatory nature. Though many students refrain from using the R-word itself, they may instead use other pejoratives aimed at students with learning differences: Some use “SpEd” and “autistic” as synonyms for “stupid.”

Sophomore Naomi Naveh has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. According to Naveh, using “SpEd” as a synonym for “stupid” directly targets students in Special Education programs.

“It’s just explicitly using ‘Special Education’ as an insult,” she said. “I’d never seen it used like that before (Gunn), and it was really jarring to me how it was used all the time and very casually.”

Naveh noted that even aside from explicit insults, misusing language relating to disabilities invalidates the experiences of students who have them.

“When people say, ‘Oh, I’m so ADHD’ when they get a little bit distracted on one thing, or when people say, ‘Oh, I’m so OCD’ when they talk about how they like to keep things tidy, it both minimizes the effect of the disorder itself, and it also feels like (students) don’t know what (they’re) talking about,” she said.

In anticipation of this invalidation, English teacher

fruity

Zesty

F-slur Queer

Chinyoung Shao

—Written by Eanam Maor

Danielle Whichard tries to prevent the use of offensive language in her classroom.

“I’m very sensitive to and intentional about language that’s used with intellectual disabilities,” she said. “Every once in a while there is a time that someone uses some language that crosses the boundary, and I would address that with them individually.”

Some students who use offensive language such as the R-word may simply be unaware that their words are hurtful. Naveh suggests giving students the benefit of the doubt — educating them rather than accusing them — to prevent them from becoming defensive.

“I think it’s probably best to go with the assumption that they’re just ignorant and not malicious,” she said.

“Whether or not that’s true, they’re less likely to get defensive.”

Whichard employs a similar strategy in her class.

“One of my first tactics is usually just to sort of repeat back to them, not saying those words, but just asking (the students), ‘Is that really what you intended to say?

Was that the intention that you’ve had?’” Whichard said.

“A lot of times, students were not thinking about it and realize that that was problematic or hurtful, and usually are apologetic.”

SpEd R-slur

Slow

Spaz Stupid

—Written by Fenton Zarlengo

“That’s so gay”

Feminine

letters “KMS,” short for “kill myself,” fill social media platforms. According to sophomore Dolly Wu, founder of mental-health nonprofit Solis Mental Health, posts like these portray suicidal thoughts as not only normal but appealing.

“Trends of glorifying and romanticizing mental health (can be) really harmful because if teens are being constantly exposed to depression as a beautiful thing — for example, the aesthetics of crying or self-harming — then they will start making that part of their identity instead of trying to seek help,” she said.

As these phrases are so common, students can find it difficult to know when someone is actually struggling with severe mental health or simply exaggerating.

Wu shared that one friend, for example, says “I’m going to kill myself” frequently. Because of how normalized the saying is, however, their struggle or cries for help can be easily disregarded.

“A lot of people around him just wave it off, but I think these are kind of the instances where we should really try to reach out to them,” Wu said. “These are specific examples where we have to draw the line between people just saying and joking about (suicidal thoughts) versus people having those thoughts actually.”

“That’s so gay” originated as a pejorative phrase in the late 1970s, with the word “gay” implying stupidity or unpleasantness. According to junior Noah Murase, who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, while students may attempt to divorce the phrase’s meaning from its origins, it still reinforces the harmful stereotypes against LGBTQ+ students.

“This word, specifically, has not evolved,” he said. “(When it is used,) we know that you want to associate ‘gay’ with femininity.”

According to Gender-Sexuality Alliance President senior Chania Rene-Corail, expressions like these also stigmatize the LGBTQ+ community.

“Saying the phrase, ‘That’s so gay,’ can make members of the (LGBTQ+) community feel ashamed of being queer, and it makes (Gunn) much more of a hostile environment,” she said.

These words also make students who are discovering their identity feel ashamed of themselves and afraid to openly join the LGBTQ+ community.

“When you are a young person trying to come out and you see that people around you aren’t that supportive of it, that makes you not want to come out of the closet,” Rene-Corail said. “You just stay stuck in that situation where you can’t openly be who you are.”

Rene-Corail said this phenomenon affected her personally in middle school.

“People at my old middle school used the word ‘gay’ a lot, which made it hard for me to come out,” she said.

Students who use these phrases also prevent the formation of meaningful relationships, alienating potential friends.

“I’ve had a lot of people in my life who were like, ‘Oh, that’s a red flag about (him),’ and I should be on alert,” Murase said.

According to Murase, the phrase also reflects badly upon the user, making them seem childish for attempting to represent something “girly” or silly as “gay.”

“If you want to say something is stupid, don’t relate it to sexuality,” Murase said.

According to Rene-Corail, many students are simply ignorant of the phrase’s connotations. Thus, raising awareness is the first step in changing the conventional image of the LGBTQ+ community.

“A lot of the time, it’s used to not actively be mean, but as an ignorant statement,” Rene-Corail said. “What I’ve gotten from listening (to others’ experiences) is that it’s not about people being mean, it’s about not knowing of the negative effect on others and not knowing that it might make others feel embarrassed.”

—Written by Yu-Ming Liu

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10

Cente

THEORACLE

Presidential resignations ma

The past six months have seen a spate of presidential resigna sities across the U.S. On Aug. 31, Stanford University Presiden Lavigne stepped down; on Dec. 9, University of Pennsylvania P beth Magill resigned; and on Jan. 2, Harvard University Pres Gay left her post.

These resignations reflect increasing turmoil in higher educa controversy on college campuses is nothing new, the Israel-H the Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action have pre wave of battles for institutions. As accusations, controversies a play out, the future of free speech, inclusion and academic inte

The Limits of Free Speech

On Dec. 5, three elite U.S. university presidents — Gay, Ma chusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth — the U.S. Congress on the topic of campus antisemitism followi the Israel-Hamas war. While the presidents recognized the rise and Islamophobia on their campuses and said they were taki dress the issue, their answers were widely condemned. When calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools’ co the presidents failed to provide clear answers, saying that it dep text and whether the speech was reflected in conduct.

Politicians, alumni and university donors alike attacked thei biguous responses, leading to calls for the presidents’ resignat and Magill resigned within a month, with Gay’s resignation mar est presidential tenure in Harvard’s history. Currently, Kornbl position as MIT’s president.

The congressional hearing had implications extending be university campuses, fueling debates over which forms of speec by the First Amendment — especially at educational institutio diversity of thought and perspective. Social studies teacher highlighted the difficulties in navigating conversations about g flicts like the Israel-Hamas war.

“We used to say when you’re talking about these polarized i to have both sides represented,” she said. “But as these kinds o up, when you say you support one side, people immediately assu you want the death of another group. We jump to these extreme and that makes it a really dangerous thing to have these open even though they’re so important to be having.”

She explained that even with legal guidelines, there is not alw answer for what constitutes free speech.

“We do have guidance in our constitution and in the Supre about free speech that say if it’s speech that immediately lead is not protected,” she said. “So that’s what I come back to per speech trying to incite violence against another group? If s should not be protecting it. The larger conversation is, when ar that point? At what point does my language lead directly to vio do we determine that collectively?”

Gunn alumna and current UPenn sophomore Sage Lelan there’s an important distinction between legally sanctioned an missible speech.

“I think that distinction is something that the university shou

stanford’s proximity influenc Debates over free speech, inclusion and academic integrity have wracked university campuses over the past few months. This turbulence provides a space to examine the complex interplay between secondary and higher education: Stanford University, one of the institutions embroiled in these conflicts, has maintained strong ties with PAUSD since the district’s founding in 1893. In fact, many PAUSD schools — including Gunn and Paly — are built on land that was previously Stanford’s.

This longstanding relationship has fostered educational and cultural exchanges. Stanford professors pilot curricula in PAUSD schools, PAUSD students attend Stanford summer programs and many Stanford faculty members double as PAUSD parents.

According to Social Studies Instructional Lead Jeff Patrick, however, Stanford’s influence is strongest in the realm of teacher education. Many PAUSD teachers are trained through Stanford’s 12-month, full-time Stanford Teacher Education Program.

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Mapping current events shaping higher education June 29, 2023 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that race cannot be used as a factor in the college admissions process. The court overturns precedent in a 6-3 decision in the Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina cases.

Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne resigns following investigations into his research. An independent review found several flaws — including work that “fell below customary standards of scientific rigor” — in studies he had worked on.

Aug. 31, 2023

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Friday, February 9, 2024

agnify DEBATES in Higher education

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Gay was Harvard’s first Black president, and her resignation fueled the ongoing conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion — or DEI — in higher education. Since early last year, conservative lawmakers and academics have sought to undermine colleges’ DEI efforts, with anti-DEI legislation being introduced in at least 21 states since 2021, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The bills aim to ban diversity training, employment and funding for DEI offices, and the use of diversity statements and identity-based preferences in admissions and employment.

As white men continue to constitute the majority of U.S. college presidents, Howard noted the intense pressure on university officials such as Gay who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

“Nobody wants to be reduced to just their racial identity or just their gender identity,” she said. “It shows that the bar is so high, and there’s so much scrutiny on people who are thought to have received those positions because of their identity.”

Debates over systemic DEI are not new, but recent events have resulted in further polarization. According to social studies teacher Tara Firenzi, DEI should come naturally, and conflicts can easily be avoided.

“This question of diversity, equity and inclusion really should be a no-brainer for everybody,” she said. “It’s been manipulated in order to inspire passionate responses that often end up falling along political lines to benefit certain political actors. It goes back to a lot of the ideals of our country. We should make amends for injustices of the past in ways that are fair and equitable.

These are things that most of us can agree on.”

Although Leland recognizes UPenn’s efforts to support DEI, she doesn’t always feel or see the effects as a student.

“I think meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion work that addresses all marginalized communities — not just focusing on one — and that reaches more individual students is something that is super important, instead of just pledging to do something and not actually doing it,” she said.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY In addition to the controversy from the congressional hearing, Gay’s resignation resulted from an investigation of plagiarism during her academic career. The fallout was similar to that of Tessier-Lavigne’s resignation in August 2023 after he was accused of academic misconduct in and mismanagement of his past studies. More recently, former MIT professor Neri Oxman was found to have plagiarized sources such as Wikipedia in her dissertation. Oxman’s husband, billionaire and hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman, was one of Gay’s most notable critics and had tried to remove Gay from Harvard’s board, according to the New York Times.

This recent pattern of events brings an underlying crisis of academic integrity to light. Yet situations like Oxman’s and Gay’s make it clear that plagiarism accusations are not entirely apolitical: They have become entangled with debates over free speech and DEI. In an interview with Politico, published on Jan.

g

agill and Massatestified before ing the onset of in antisemitism ing steps to adn asked whether odes of conduct, pended on con-

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

3, conservative activist Christopher Rufo acknowledged that the plagiarism allegations against Gay were “We jump to these made by specific figures extremes really quickly, and news outlets to disand that makes it a really mantle her legitimacy, especially regarding dangerous thing to have new DEI programs. these open conversations Many of these ateven though they’re so tacks stemmed from not blatant plagiarism important to be having.” but subtle replication of ­—Social Studies teacher ideas with a lack of citaLaurel Howard tion. Because the line between plagiarism and origiad nality can be murky, Howard M urges all of her students to be safe rather than sorry.

“It’s really common if you’re doing a lot of research to accidentally replicate something,” Howard said. “Obviously, if you’re pulling from another person’s work and if your thoughts directly match their progression, even if you use your own words, it’s really important to cite that kind of thing.”

Firenzi believes that intentionality is the key distinguisher of plagiarism.

“I think plagiarism is when you knowingly and intentionally are taking someone else’s work and representing it as your own,” Firenzi said. “And that can be verbatim or it can be in substance. I think it’s not as black-and-white as it may seem to a lot of people.”

These attacks on university leadership have brought along another wave of skepticism toward educational institutions: The percentage of young adults believing in the importance of a college degree has fallen from 74% in the early 2010s to about 40% in recent years, according to the New York Times. Still, some have questioned whether these resignations were necessary and if the backlash was too harsh.

“In all of these cases, the question of degree has been at the heart of the debate,” Firenzi said. “It really behooves everyone to be extremely careful about any time you’re using someone else’s work, and making absolutely sure that you’re giving all the credit that you can for it and not cutting corners.”

Furthermore, Firenzi highlighted the importance of understanding the nuances of these issues — from academic integrity to free speech — in Palo Alto, a highly educated community.

“These things are probably felt more prominently here than they are in a lot of other places,” she said. “That brings with it an awareness that ultimately benefits our students — that you do have to do these things in a way that puts both integrity, equity and inclusion front and center and ensures that proper credit is given for ideas and words to the authors that created them.” he un

ation. Although Hamas war and ecipitated a new and resignations egrity.

where it’s not so much restricting speech but drawing the line of communityminded speech,” she said. “Even if legally you could say something, is it the right thing to say? Should you be saying it?”

di eC

ations at univernt Marc TessierPresident Elizasident Claudine

11

—Written by Kaitlyn Chen and Roy Lao

ces gunn educational landscape

“The program exposes them to some of the resources hat Stanford has, as well as some other approaches to aching,” Patrick said.

Gunn departments also draw on Stanford’s resources r lesson plans. Originally founded at Stanford, the igital Inquiry Group — previously known as the Stanford istory Education Group — provides supplemental sson plans for Gunn social studies classes. YouCubed, n organization founded by Stanford’s Dr. Jo Boaler, rovides the curriculum for Gunn’s Introduction to Data cience course.

According to Gunn alumna and current Stanford eshman Olivia Pham, Stanford’s and Gunn’s educational pproaches share striking similarities beyond curricula.

“There’s a strong emphasis on not just understanding oncepts, but being able to apply them in slightly different ays you’ve never seen before,” she said. “While friends ere have told me that math here at Stanford is much ore rigorous than at their high schools, I’ve experienced

a pretty smooth transition between Gunn and Stanford.”

In that way, Stanford influences Palo Alto’s culture of — and value for — educational excellence. Gunn alumnus and current Stanford freshman Jules Lustig noted that Gunn and Stanford have the same “grind culture”: an atmosphere of constant drive, strict discipline and high standards.

During Gunn alumnus and current Stanford sophomore Alex Gu’s time with Gunn Math Circle, he took part in the Stanford Math Tournament, a nationwide high-school competition hosted by the Stanford University Math Organization. Student involvement extends beyond STEM, however: Current Gunn sophomore Emerson Chang took part in the Stanford Humanities Circle and found herself interested by the discussion-based, grade-free nature of the program.

“Stanford provides Gunn students with many educational opportunities outside of high school, which allows them to explore their personal interests in unique

The presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology answer questions at a congressional hearing about their schools’ policies regarding antisemitism on campus. This hearing eventually leads to the resignations of Harvard President Claudine Gay and UPenn President Elizabeth Magill.

Oct. 2, 2023

ways,” Chang said.

Gunn alumnus and current Stanford freshman Jude Hardan hopes for further cooperation between Gunn and Stanford.

“Having such a prestigious academic institution close to Gunn and not using it for collaborations to enhance the educational experience is not the best use of resources for students,” he said.

Lustig echoed this sentiment, adding that he’d like to see a Stanford-Gunn course centered around eliminating students’ fear of failure and instead inculcating love for a subject or field.

“It would be really cool to facilitate some sort of program out of class,” Lustig said. “Something that involves getting away from the numerical grade that is not a measure of intelligence and not a measure of how successful you are in any way.”

—Written by Vanisha Vig

Jan. 18, 2024

Princeton University President Christopher Ludwig Eisgruber publishes the annual “State of the University” letter, stating that Princeton will provide as many opportunities as possible for engagement with different ideas.

—Compiled by Lise Desveaux Tower and background graphic by Elise Hu, timeline graphic by Natalie Lam, headline graphic by Chinyoung Shao

nd Pro-Israeli protests happen olumbia University’s Manhattan rotests are mostly peaceful, Columbia e public as a result and investigates assault from both sides.

Dec. 5, 2023

12

In-Depth

THEORACLE

exploring gunn’s food program school community raises concerns over current offerings

Kaylee Cheng and Charlotte Qian Features Editor and News Editor In August 2023, students contracted food poisoning in four PAUSD elementary schools after consuming the school lunch provided through the California Universal Meals Program. Parents reported foodborne illnesses from the spaghetti served at Duveneck, Fairmeadow, Herbert Hoover and Palo Verde Elementary Schools.

District Communications Coordinator George Pinckney told NBC Bay Area that the spaghetti had contained moldy, burnt bell peppers. According to Pinckney, a new oven in the central kitchen — where all elementary school meals are prepared — alongside temperature increases from malfunctioning refrigerator fans caused the problem.

Since then, PAUSD has worked to prevent further meal spoilage. According to Pinckney, the district has been measuring the temperatures of all foods and closely monitoring expiration dates to mitigate future incidents.

“We will definitely continue to improve our protocols and make sure that our kitchens are safe and the food we serve is also safe,” Pinckney said.

“

We will definitely continue to improve our protocols and make sure that our kitchens are safe and the food we serve is also safe.

—District Communications Coordinator George Pinckney

”

The district’s spoiled-food situation, alongside its adjustments to post-pandemic regulations and mandated nutritional guidelines, raises questions about whether its current food programs fully serve its students.

FREE MEALS To ease families’ burdens after the COVID-19 lockdown, on July 9, 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom included the Universal Meals Program as part of Assembly Bill 130. The program requires all public schools to provide students with two free meals each school day, without consideration of their financial background or eligibility for federally funded free or reduced-price meals. According to PAUSD Student Nutrition Director Alva Spence, the district currently offers free breakfast and lunch to students.

The bill also authorizes the California Department of Education to reimburse schools for the cost of the meals.

PAUSD logs expenses for monthly reimbursements from the federal government, and the state government covers remaining costs.

Currently, the contract between PAUSD and Sodexo USA, a consulting and food-services company, has PAUSD paying $1.37 and $1.89 for breakfast and lunch supplies per meal, respectively. PAUSD has contracted with Sodexo for over a decade to help maintain adherence to local and federal food laws and ensure that students receive the correct portion sizes and nutritional components, per the California Department of Education’s guidelines.

Sodexo provides training for PAUSD’s 39 Student Nutrition Services employees, who learn knifehandling skills, from-scratch cooking and procedures for providing new vegetarian options. All meals are reheated or cooked in PAUSD facilities, according to Gunn Kitchen Lead Melanie Gomez.

DIETARY CONCERNS The PAUSD food program has followed the Biden Administration’s guidelines on added sodium and sugar levels in meals. Still, many parents and students remain displeased with the current quality, quantity and portion sizes of school-provided meals.

Sophomore Jules Nagayama noticed a decline in quality since the switch from paid brunch and lunch at the middle schools to free meals at Gunn.

“I liked lunch a lot better when it was before COVID, and we still had to pay,” Nagayama said. “The quality and portions were way better — you could even get two lunches if you wanted to. Now, I don’t feel like the food is enough for me.”

However, according to Assistant Principal of Wellness Courtney Carlomagno, PAUSD is restricted by the state program’s guidelines for caloric values per meal: School breakfast must remain within 450 to 600 calories and lunches between 750 and 800 calories.

The number of meal choices has also dropped postCOVID. According to Carlomagno, there are currently only three lunch options per day, down from four or five before the pandemic.

“We were able to charge for lunches (pre-pandemic), which meant we had a surplus of money, and that meant we were able to put that back into the food we were serving,” she said. “We were able to offer more options.”

Despite the decrease in overall entree options, Spence stated that the number of vegetarian options has remained constant since pre-pandemic times.

Under the current program, students with dietary restrictions can struggle to find suitable lunch options.

Sophomore Hannah Baum, an athlete and vegan, has

In-Depth

Friday, February 9, 2024

always chosen to not eat school lunch, both pre- and post-pandemic times, and instead chooses to bring her own lunch every day.

“I don’t think they give enough food, and the food they do give isn’t necessarily healthy and also vegan,” Baum said. “(I’ve seen) vegetarian options, but they’re all like cheese and crackers, so I don’t think that’ll give me enough food.”

13

CREATING SOLUTIONS In response to these concerns, PAUSD has enabled students with dietary needs to submit requests on the Gunn website for special meals, according to Carlomagno.

“Not all of them are approved, but it’s definitely a way to put it in and have the district review it,” she said.

PAUSD is also working with Sodexo to add more food options in the 2024 spring semester, including chana masala over rice, vegetarian chili with cornbread, smoothies, parfaits with granola, General Tso’s chicken and tofu, teriyaki burgers, and quinoa salads.

“

They should do a better job of making (lunch) healthier and tastier, because otherwise the kids don’t even eat it — they throw it away and it’s a big waste of money.

”

—Parent Kanda Ishihara

In addition to expanded options, Spence anticipates fresher meals in the coming months: The district has bought three more trucks to minimize delivery times, and construction on the new kitchen facilities in the A- and B-buildings is expected to be completed in fall 2024, resulting in warmer, fresher meals.

To provide more locally grown food, PAUSD is partnering with Ag Link, an organization that helps PAUSD access organic produce from farms in Merced, Fresno, Salinas, Stanislaus, Butte, Yuma and Kern.

Students have also taken initiative to address the inconveniences of the government-implemented program. According to Principal Wendy Stratton, a

student helped facilitate the addition of vending machines to campus. Located near the K-building, Main Office and Bow Gym, these vending machines provide additional options to students seeking food on campus, such as chips and beverages. Their items have undergone a review process — certain items, such as soda and candy, cannot be served.

Community members can provide feedback on the Gunn food program at the monthly menu advisory meetings, usually held on Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. via Google Meet.

Parent Kanda Ishihara noted the connection between subpar lunches and the overall culture of food waste on campus.

“They should do a better job of making (lunch) healthier and tastier, because otherwise the kids don’t even eat it — they throw it away and it’s a big waste of money,” Ishihara said. “It’s convenient, it’s a great resource, but it’s just such a waste.”

64.7% of surveyed students eat school lunch one or more times per week Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5 with 153 responses

School breakfasts must remain within 450 to 600 calories and lunches between 750 and 800 calories Source: California Department of Education Meal Pattern Requirements

81.8% of surveyed students who eat school lunch reported not feeling sufficiently full Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5 with 99 responses Graphics by Karis Lau

14

THEORACLE

SPORTS

Athletes of the Month: Senior Ethan Kitch and Junior Beverly Lamis

Photo courtesy of Beverly Lamis

Benjamin Qian

Senior Ethan Kitch: Basketball

Junior Beverly Lamis: Basketball

The Oracle: How has your last season on the Gunn varsity basketball team been?

Ethan Kitch: There’s not a lot of things in life basketball-wise that can replicate high school basketball. So I’m just trying to make the most of it, and as a senior, I try to do the same things I did the other three years: work hard and play as well as I can, and be the best teammate that I can be, and always learn from where I am falling short.

TO: Who or what inspires you in basketball?

EK: My family, for sure. Everyone in my family is a really good basketball player — my little sister is really good too. Just being around a bunch of people who love basketball so much has been great. I will continue playing basketball until my body can’t handle it because I just really enjoy playing. There’s something unique about when you have a lot on your mind and then just being able to play basketball for an hour or go to a pickup run. (Basketball) is like a separate path you can always get better at and connect with the people you’re with.

TO: What highlights or challenges have there been?

EK: Getting to be out there playing competitive basketball is always fun, and (I’m) just trying to cherish that as a senior. Just being on the court with my teammates and working hard together is what I love about basketball.

The Oracle: What has it been like, being one of the team captains for the first time?

Beverly Lamis: This season, I’ve really been able to fall into my point-guard leadership and really lead the team on and off the court, which has been a great opportunity.

TO: What has been the most memorable moment this season?

BL: It definitely has to be the Paly game. I was on varsity my freshman year when we played Paly at Paly, and we lost by 20 or 25 (points). I played okay in that game, but then this year, we got to play Paly at Gunn, and we knew we could win and we ended up winning by like 20 (points). It was just great to see such a good student section come to our game and actually support us, which we don’t really get often. It’s always been my dream to beat Paly at Gunn.

TO: What have been some personal accomplishments for you this season?

BL: This season, I really focused on being a court manager and manage how we are playing as a team, as the point guard. I was able to accomplish getting people the ball and being able to adapt to different defenses and on offense. One of my personal goals this season was to average more than 15 points (per game), and I’m averaging 17, which has been pretty good.

—Compiled by Safina Syed

Pregame music primes student-athletes for peak performance Freshman Kaila Chen: Cheerleading

Sophomore Hannah Casale: Soccer

Cheerleading’s complex choreographies can stir worries about stumbles, memory blanks and potential errors. Freshman Kaila Chen calms her pregame nerves by listening to her favorite songs.

“It can get stressful at times, and everyone has nerves,” Chen said. “So (music) is a good way to take one’s mind off of worries.”

Chen noted that music has helped the cheer team change the way they approach their performances. “(Music) brings us together by basically taking our minds off of what may happen in the future and promotes communication,” she said. “Usually our minds are clouded with thoughts about what may go wrong or what if one of us makes an error, so by playing music, it kind of shifts our mindsets. Instead of being worried, we become excited to promote our school spirit.”

The team also relies upon music when choreographing.

According to Chen, these tunes keep the cheerleaders united in their goals.

“It definitely brings everyone together and prepares us for what’s ahead,” she said. “Without music to motivate us, it’s quite difficult to find something to push us forward.”

Although Chen does not create a specific playlist for pregame listening, she shuffles her liked songs: 21 Savage’s “Runnin,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and other rap songs that energize her.

Sophomore Hannah Casale enjoys listening to music while warming up for soccer matches. As she jogs, stretches and does various passing drills with her teammates, she listens to songs like Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.” “I really (only listen to music) during soccer season,” she said. “It just pumps me up, in case I’m tired, or (I listen) to have more fun.”

Casale prefers songs that are easy to run to, and she has a pregame music playlist that she shares with her team. These shared songs have allowed for moments of team bonding “We argue over music that we like and dislike,” Casale said. “The arguing (was) a good way to break the ice for me (because) when I just joined the team, it was mainly upperclassmen.”

Senior James Ford: Basketball “One thousand on my feet, stacks spreaded on my seat / Ten thousand on my eyes.” With Travis Scott’s “MY EYES” playing through his earbuds, senior James Ford enters the basketball court to warm up for the game, ball in hand as he begins dribbling exercises.

Music helps Ford enter his “game mindset,” and he chooses from an array of upbeat tunes that energize him for the game — specifically rap and hip-hop songs.

“I don’t have a particular song I listen to, pregame,” he said. “(Instead), I usually listen to a playlist.”

Ford updates his pregame playlist often, adding new music that he knows will keep him focused.

Ford also listens to Future, Kanye West and Young Thug, whose songs’ uplifting beats mentally prepare him for basketball games. His favorite tracks include Young Thug’s “Check” and Future’s “Solo.”

Junior Sidhant Lochan: Wrestling Lightly jogging around the wrestling room, junior Sidhant Lochan stretches with headphones on. Tapping his phone, he sees the screen light up with the album cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees.”

By listening to music, Lochan mentally prepares himself for his matches.

“Pregame songs are either to get you really hyped up, or to get you relaxed and cancel out the nerves,” he said. “I think a lot of sports need that crazy hype in their head to get the adrenaline pumping, but for wrestling, it’s more about keeping a cool head and controlling the match in all the ways that you can.”

Lochan specifically listens to “Money Trees” because the song’s mellower and softer tones, compared to Lamar’s other works, calms him.

“While I’m listening, I try to block out all my inner distractions and just visualize the match in my mind,” he said. “It gets me in the zone because for me, it gets me calm but also ready for the upcoming match.”

Other than “Money Trees,” Lochan switches things up by listening to Benson Boone’s “GHOST TOWN,” David Kushner’s “Daylight” and Bastille’s “Oblivion.”

—Compiled by Michelle Koo

Yueun Hong

15 Fans should holistically evaluate athlete role models

Sports

Friday, February 9, 2024

Bryan Xiao Lifestyle Editor “I am not a role model,” NBA Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley deadpanned to the camera. After a rapidfire montage of Barkley dribbling, grabbing a rebound and dunking, he paused to deliver a line that sparked controversy across the American sports community: “Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

While Barkley was correct that professional sportspeople are not substitutes for parental figures, he neglected to note the value of the motivation that they impart to younger athletes. Whether they like it or not, professional athletes are in the national spotlight and must therefore use their platform conscientiously. That being said, younger fans also should observe their athletic role models with a critical eye, learning from their professional and character strengths and taking facts into consideration when controversy arises.

Barkley’s infamous 1993 Nike Air commercial sent shockwaves across the U.S. in an era when children truly saw athletes as heroes to emulate: Air Jordan sneakers were flying off the shelves and Wayne Gretzky was driving the NHL’s increase in popularity. In the decades since Barkley’s declaration, the rise of social media has allowed young players to see more of professional athletes’ lives: Every courageous play or charitable act is magnified tenfold — but so is each mistake and blemish in an athlete’s personal and professional life. This magnification makes it essential that athletes understand their influence on young fans.

Above all else, professional athletes inspire youth through their athletic prowess. Fans are awestruck by their favorite players’ performances on the grandest stages: They seek to mimic their heroes’ signature skills and even their mannerisms. Many young athletes have pretended to be their role models, rewinding highlight tapes on YouTube and then rushing outside to recreate each minute detail.

Beyond technique, professional athletes can also teach younger athletes important life skills. It takes poise, concentration and courage to play in front of tens of thousands of fans (and millions more on television). The stress that athletes face during games is second to none, and overcoming that pressure is an

important skill for younger athletes to learn.

Professionals can show young fans how to have fortitude in the face of adversity. In the 2020 European Soccer Championship final between Italy and England, English national team winger Bukayo Saka — only 19 years old at the time — stepped up to take a must-score penalty kick and keep England’s hopes alive. Italy saved the shot, winning the tournament, and Saka faced a slew of racial abuse from angry fans online in the following days. Although the hateful comments affected him, Saka remained positive, posting a letter on social media signed, “love always wins.” Since that Euro final, he has blossomed into one of the world’s best wingers, starting for England in the 2022 World Cup and becoming the face of Premier League club Arsenal. His self-control and mental strength make him an admirable role model, reminding younger fans that athletes are far more than just pixels on a television screen.

While athletes’ positive influences are undeniable, fans must nevertheless recognize that their role models are media-trained individuals in the public eye and adjust their perceptions accordingly.

Collage elements by Vivian Studdert and Becca Wu

When professional athletes’ actions become topics of debate, younger athletes should evaluate the facts of the matter and make their own decisions. For instance, U.S. track and field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, known for her colorful nails and loud, confident personality, finished first in the 100-meter dash at the 2020 Olympic trials. However, she subsequently tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, a Olympics-banned substance. After she received a monthlong suspension that prevented her from participating in the Olympic event, Richardson stated that she smoked cannabis to deal with the emotional stress of her mother’s death. She protested her suspension on grounds of racism, citing a white Russian figure skater who was allowed to compete despite testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Following her suspension, however, she was not selected to run in the Olympic 4x100 relay, an event that she would be eligible for since it was scheduled to take place after her ban ended.

Many turned against Richardson after this sequence of events, accusing her of failing to back up her bold behavior with fast times because she wasn’t able to compete. Whether or not younger athletes support Richardson’s attitude and her protests against the ban, they must consult a variety of sources before putting her on a pedestal or condemning her.

Ultimately, younger fans must remember that professional athletes are humans too. Rather than expecting perfection from their role models, they should admire athletes who face adversity or personal struggles and grow from them. When Barkley reflected upon his contentious Nike advertisement in 2019, he revealed that his true intent was to encourage Black children to aspire for success outside of athletics and entertainment. When visiting schools, he noticed that most Black youth he talked to wanted to become professional athletes, and Barkley wished for them to dream of becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers. In his own way, then, Barkley was a role model ahead of his time. By using his platform to deliver a message to youth across the nation, encouraging them to choose meaningful careers where they were underrepresented, he embodied a role model in almost every sense of the word. He just didn’t consider himself to be one.

specialized sports technologies improve safety, performance Nike’s carbon-plated shoes Prevent’s head-impact monitoring mouthguard Concussions, ever plaguing athletes in contact sports, are especially dangerous because it is unclear precisely which types of impacts cause them.

For professional athletes, concussion-prevention solutions mostly involve being sidelined for extended periods. One organization tackling this issue is Prevent, crafting a mouthguard able to record a collision’s impact and determine its severity.

The Impact Monitoring Mouthguard, a wearable device that still functions as a mouthguard, sends information about head trauma to devices. It records everything from the force to the location of the hit, which aids medical professionals in making informed decisions about athletes’ health.

After the mouthguard underwent a thorough testing process, Prevent created partnerships with several college athletic programs and even some major sports tournaments, such as the World Rugby Cup, in which a majority of players in the league wear IMMs. Rugby is a contact-heavy sport, with frequent concussions and other injuries, so many are hopeful that the IMM will improve treatment for players. In collegiate partnerships, IMMs are mostly worn by football players and wrestlers.

In 2017, Nike released its first carbon-plated shoe, the Nike Vaporfly 4% Flyknit. Introduced to the market shortly after the 2016 Rio Olympics, the shoes were heavily rumored to “make you faster.”

These Vaporfly models have proven effective, helping athletes break countless records in long-distance running. The three athletes in the 2021 games who wore the Vaporfly prototype — Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) and Galen Rupp (U.S.) — all medaled in the marathon event.

Following the Vaporfly models’ success, Nike continued experimenting, releasing the first version of its Alphafly shoes to the market shortly after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The current world-record holder for the marathon, Kelvin Kiptum, wore them when he made history at the 2023 Chicago marathon, breaking the world record by 34 seconds.

While Vaporflys and Alphaflys may be the heroes of distance, Nike has also proved to be the frontrunner in shoes for sprinters.

Dubbed the “super spikes,” Nike’s high-tech carbon-plated spikes dominated at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

—Compiled by Vivian Studdert

Graphic by Vivian Studdert

16

Sports

THEORACLE

Student-athletes sacrifice time, money to recruitment process Most high school students active on social media platforms can recall, at one point, having seen a congratulatory college athletic-recruitment post. Some show athletes dressed in the merchandise of their new college or university, while others share personalized video announcements or posters. These students have been recruited to play sports at the collegiate level — the ultimate and often difficult target for many high school athletes.

The recruitment process relies primarily on one individual’s work: the athlete’s. Athletes seeking recruitment hope to gain colleges’ attention through attending showcase events, sharing statistics and highlights on recruiting sites, and conducting outreach to coaches through networking services like Next College Student Athlete (NCSA). Then, they may enter into direct contact with coaches who are specifically tasked with advocating their recruitment to the school’s admissions committee. Ultimately, however, there is no guarantee that these efforts will come to fruition.

Indeed, according to NCAA data, nearly 520,000 students participated in Division I, II and III sports in the 2022-23 season. This figure also includes walk-on athletes — students who join college athletic programs without prior recruitment — and students recruited from abroad, though these cases are usually far less common.

That, compared with the almost eight million high school student-athletes, means only a mere 7% of studentathletes are recruited to play at the collegiate level.

While not all eight million high school student-athletes seek recruitment, those that do face a highly competitive and complex process. Unsurprisingly, then, many also fall short of this goal. Whether these students are denied on the basis of their college application, do not find an ideal match or voluntarily stop their search altogether, each has a nuanced journey and resulting perspective.

“

According to Zippia, a job-search platform that includes company revenues in its database, NCSA made around $130 million dollars in revenue in 2022. While NCSA services aim to help players with recruitment outreach, they do not include other expenses such as for equipment, training, exercise regimens and showcase attendance. Some of these costs may be covered by athletes’ club teams, but players usually still pay for lodging, transportation and meals. That, combined with the average club membership price — usually in the low thousands, according to the NCSA — means a player may spend thousands of dollars attending showcases throughout high school. These showcases exist for practically all major high school sports.

”

“

When we see our friends on Instagram posting that they ‘signed’ to a college for a sport, we are happy and excited for them, but we may not realize all that they gave up prior to their signing.

—Senior Ashley Sarkosh

”

Jesse Li

A lot of the time, players get recruited through these events, and if you don’t have the money for them, you’re less likely to be recruited.

—Senior Marcello Chang

Until last semester, senior Marcello Chang had been seeking recruitment. A competitive soccer player since childhood, he — like many of his teammates and school peers — had hoped to be recruited to a top collegiate program. To that end, he followed the basic but strenuous procedure: He sent initial emails directly to programs in his freshman year, attended dozens of showcases and ID camps (showcase-like events organized by specific colleges) during sophomore and junior year, and communicated directly with coaches starting junior year.

Catching the eye of program scouts and coaches is fundamental to recruitment. Chang noted this task is both difficult and financially inequitable.

“ID camps are actually very expensive,” he said.

“A lot of the time, players get recruited through these events, and if you don’t have the money for them, you’re less likely to be recruited.”

Senior Ashley Sarkosh, who until recently was actively seeking recruitment for soccer, echoed the importance of player-to-program contact.

“There is a small (and specific) demand for collegiate athletes but a great supply to choose from,” she said. “Anyone can therefore imagine that the required work to get noticed is tremendous, and you have to give it your all.”

applying?’ and with recruitment they ask, ‘Oh, which programs are you talking to?’”

Sarkosh noticed similar patterns, fueled by the tendency of both college applicants and recruitmentseekers to maximize their outreach.

“Similar to college applications, athletes know that applying or speaking to one college isn’t enough,” she said. “They must reach out to as wide a variety of colleges as possible.”

Seeking recruitment often necessitates an even greater sacrifice: time. Between playing, recovering and communicating, athletes are often left with less time for academic and social commitments, and limited opportunities to explore other sports.

“Unfortunately, if you are trying to get recruited, you may miss time with friends and family,” Sarkosh said.

“Some argue that athletes should explore more high school sports, become more well rounded and therefore save money for college.”

Indeed, what high school students may find on their social media feeds — celebratory recruitment announcements — show merely one fragment of the collegiate recruitment process. For every athlete, no matter the final recruitment destination (or lack thereof), their individual journey consists of great physical, financial and time sacrifices.

“When we see our friends on Instagram posting that they ‘signed’ to a college for a sport, we are happy and excited for them, but we may not realize all that they gave up prior to their signing,” Sarkosh said.

—Written by Dan Honigstein In addition, the regulations and practices around recruitment can differ among sports, causing additional confusion for and inconvenience to athletes.

“Basically, coaches can’t even talk to (soccer athletes) until the summer after sophomore year, which is not the same case for other sports,” Chang said. “It almost doesn’t make sense to see prodigy football players receive offers while they are still in middle school, or even baseball players who are freshmen in high school.”

Athletes who sought recruitment also draw parallels between the competitive environments around recruitment and the college application cycle.

“Most of the time, you are talking to the same colleges as your teammates,” Chang said.

“With college applications, everyone asks, ‘Where are you

Step 5: Sign

College coaches sign athletes and ensure academic eligibility.

The college coach

Step 4: Offer Scholarship offers

Step 3: Evaluate Step 2: Contact

College coaches

conduct in-depth

Recruitment letters,

athletic, academic and

College coaches gather

invites are sent by

of chosen recruits.

athletes.

prospects.

Step 1: Research a list of prospective

Source: Next College Student Athlete

questionnaires and camp college coaches to

character evaluations

Letter of Intent,

commitments

a legally binding

are locked down.

agreement between

Athletes make a

the prospective

commitment to the college.

offer. The athlete

then signs a National

are extended and

verbal nonbinding

extends an official

student-athlete and

the selected collegiate institution.

How colleges recruit student-athletes Bar graph by Jesse Li and icons by Aeron Man

LIFESTYLE

Friday, February 9, 2024

17

Revived Gunn Style Watch continues passion for fashion

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Founded in 2017 by Gunn alumna interested in style for years, recalled Dajiana Huang, Gunn Style Watch enjoying Crane’s posts. “I remember (@gunnstylewatch on Inswhen Fae was running the revived tagram) was revived last account last year, I really year by then-senior Fae wanted to be (featured) Crane, who aimed to on it,” Fong said. “I’ve showcase the diveralways been involved sity of styles and with clothing and student identities fashion. I sew a lot.” on campus. The acFor Fong, this count features stuaffinity for sewing dents with unique and clothing outfits at Gunn, decreation runs in Sophomore Ollie Fong tailing their sources the family. and junior Beverly Lamis manage the Gunn Style of inspiration and “Both my Watch account. clothing brands. After g r a n d m o t h e rs hewere C graduating, Crane passed seamstresses e i Madd when they came to the down the account to junior Beverly Lamis and sophomore Ollie United States,” he said. “I also Fong, who have since injected new life remember that my aunt used to through revamped features. make a lot of jewelry as a hobby. Right “We ended up contacting the original before freshman year, I decided to get a Gunn Style Watch because my sister sewing machine, and my grandparents knows the person who ran it, and we really helped me learn how to do the asked for the old logins so we could revive basics and everything.” the actual original account,” Lamis said.

Beginning by altering his clothes, Fong Lamis and Fong, who have been eventually learned how to create his own

clothing, and he plans to start selling clothes of his own brand in the near future.

Lamis’ work on the costume crew for Gunn’s performance-arts program has exposed her to a variety of styles beyond streetwear. A casual thrifter, she enjoys visiting the Goodwill bins in San Francisco to find unique pieces.

Both account managers aim to showcase individuality, choosing students whose confidence shines through their styles.

“Or we’re just looking for people we think look cool,” Fong said.

—Written by Maddie Cheung

Q&A with Gunn Style Watch

The Oracle: Favorite brand?

Beverly Lamis: “I’m into the Adidas hype right now, like the Sambas — even though they’re overhyped.”

Ollie Fong: “Myself.”

TO: Fashion trend out for the year?

BL: “I’m not a super big fan of bows, like the coquette style. Also (Nike) Air Forces.”

OF: “Adidas out. I’m also sick of seeing the black leggings with the white Nike socks and the Uggs.”

TO: Favorite fashion color palette?

BL: “I like seeing different shades of monochrome, and I wish Gunn had more of that. I also like neutrals, like greens and stuff.”

TO: Future fashion prediction?

OF: “I want to see loafers.”

trend

Thrifted treasures: Students share their favorite finds

—Written by Zoe Leontis

—Written by Becca Wu

When junior JJ Racz started thrifting in his freshman year to expand his wardrobe and sense of fashion, he didn’t know that the hobby would lead him to find some of his favorite articles of clothing.

Racz’s favorite piece is a pair of vintage baggy jeans from Marithe Francois Girbaud, which were originally valued at $60 but which he snagged for $10.

“When I wear a pair of baggy jeans, I try to balance out the outfit with a smaller shirt,” he said.

Racz usually thrifts around the Bay Area, at places like the Goodwill Bins, an outlet variation of Goodwill that sells clothes by the pound. Racz also frequents the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, which sells vintage goods on the first Sunday of each month.

Racz keeps an eye out for name-brand clothing and basics.

“I usually look for pants and hoodies,” he said. “They’re the easiest to upcycle.”

By looking for ways to modify and elevate the secondhand clothes he purchases, Racz makes the most of his pieces: he can turn two pairs of pants into one, or weave a pair of denim shorts into a bag.

For people looking to get into thrifting, Racz recommends looking for a balance of staple and statement pieces.

“I would recommend looking for stuff that’s pretty flashy as well as some plain stuff, because plain stuff can look bad, but if you take a good look at it, it can often be made into something better,” he said.

“I walked into my English class, and the entire room looked like a John Galt commercial,” senior Saara Doke said. “Almost every girl was wearing the same shirt from Brandy Melville, including me.”

After noticing how similar her outfits were to her peers’, Doke began to expand her shopping tastes to curate her personal style until she discovered the secret to finding unique pieces: thrifting.

Doke draws inspiration from social media sites and has developed a passion for 1990s and 2000s trends. Most retail stores do not carry the items she wanted, so she has to purchase her clothing secondhand.

According to Doke, the best pieces to thrift are jeans, because of their durability and versatility. Naturally, her favorite thrifted item is a pair of low-rise, lightwash baggy jeans.

“I’ve been wearing those jeans all the time, ever since I thrifted them in sophomore year,” she said. “They’re the perfect level of bagginess — I’ve never been able to find anything like them.”

For those new to thrifting, Doke advises new thrifters to only buy things they are likely to wear to avoid fueling overconsumption.

“Thrifting can be really affordable, and sometimes I find myself getting carried away and I buy items that gather dust in my closet,” she said. “It’s a really bad habit because it defeats the whole sustainability aspect.”

—Written by Diya Bose-Malakar

Diya Bose-Malakar

Senior saara doke: low-rise jeans

Courtesy of JJ Racz

Junior jj racz: baggy jeans

—Written by Katie LaWer

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For sophomore Maximus Skinner, fashion is about nonconformity — and that’s probably why among all the graphic tees and oversized jeans he’s resewn himself, his favorite piece he’s thrifted is a Mao-era messenger bag.

This find, besides being a ridiculously niche item, is also historically and socially significant.

“I love history,” Skinner said. “I grabbed that bag in particular because I thought it looked hard, but now that I know the significance of it in historical context, it is even more special to me.”

The bag is only one example of Skinner’s individualistic appreciation of fashion — you’ve probably seen him in his fuzzy white lamb hat or Japanese-streetwear-inspired outfits. Skinner’s unique choices, though, come from an understanding of the role fashion serves in society.

“I feel like a lot of our modern fashion came from breaking down boundaries — whether it be with gender, race or class,” he said. “It also plays a social role, because I originally wasn’t really confident in the way I looked.”

The contributions that thrifting makes to creating a more sustainable clothing cycle aren’t lost on Skinner. He turns thrifted finds into renewed, wearable pieces to create a more sustainable clothing cycle.

“I just got a sewing machine last year, and I’ve been teaching myself how to sew — like adding a flare panel (to jeans) to make something that I would wear,” he said.

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Freshman Evelyn Rodden scans each aisle carefully, gliding hangers across the clothing racks. After stumbling upon a pair of cargo pants, she knows at once that she has found a hidden gem.

Since the beginning of eighth grade, Rodden has enjoyed the art of thrifting — her favorite spots are Goodwill, vintage stores in San Francisco and Depop, an online used-clothing marketplace.

After watching her sister thrift in various shops, Rodden decided to try it for herself.

Beyond the affordability and sustainability of thrifted clothes, Rodden likes how each item tells a story.

“I thought it was the perfect way to be sustainable — because I love the environment — while also finding cool ,unique clothes,” she said. “That’s another great thing about thrifting ­— no one else has the same thing.”

Rodden’s favorite thrift find is a pair of brown cargo pants that fit perfectly, bought on Depop. She has other golden discoveries.

“Some of my favorites are a Fair Isle sweater that I got from Goodwill and a necklace that I found at a vintage store in San Francisco,” she said.

From her thrifting experience, Rodden has developed techniques to ensure she doesn’t miss any good finds.

“Definitely look in all the sections because it’s really unorganized,” she said. “You’ll look in the women’s section, but there will end up being women’s clothes in the men’s section a lot of the time.”

Becc

SOPHOMORE MAXIMUS SKINNER: satchel

Zoe Leon tis

FRESHMAN EVELYN RODDEn: CARGO PANTS

18

Lifestyle

THEORACLE

Local theaters offer varying viewing experiences

Chaewon Lee

landmark AQUARIUS THEATRE

cinemark century mountain view 16

showplace icon theatre

Celebrating its 50-year anniversary, Landmark Aquarius Theatre is an old-fashioned theater that frequently shows independent films and foreign films such as “Le Regne animal (The Animal Kingdom).” Located in the heart of downtown Palo Alto on Emerson Street, viewers can swing by various restaurants or shops after enjoying a film. Although the concessions area and lobby is small, the golden hanging lights, movie posters and display cases filled with colorful packages of candy and drinks give the theater a distinct retro style. The staff is also friendly and converses easily with patrons.

Aquarius only has two theaters — one with reclining seats and one without. With a smaller, lower-resolution screen and speakers at only the front of the theater, the viewing quality is akin to that of a home TV. Although there is less space between seats than in other theaters, when I went, the theater was mostly empty, allowing for some privacy between parties. During humorous or suspenseful moments in the movie, I often appreciated the smaller separation, allowing me to lean over and chat with friends. That being said, for those seeking an immersive experience, larger theaters may be the way to go.

My first impression upon arriving at Cinemark Century Mountain View 16 was the theater’s sheer size.

From the outside — with a bubbling fountain and wide entryway topped with bold lettering — to the spacious main atrium, the theater brings a grandeur that athome streaming simply cannot compete with. Though the ticketing process was quick, buying food and drinks required a longer wait due to the crowded concessions area. Along with a sitting area and many life-size movie posters to take photos with, the main atrium also features a small arcade with classic games such as skeeball, claw machines and racing simulations.

With 16 theaters, Cinemark Century offers the greatest variety of movies and showing times. That said, I found that it was also the busiest location. Since most of the seats were filled — especially those in the center — I was forced to sit up front, taking away from the otherwise optimal viewing quality brought by the clean recliner seats and large screen. To guarantee the best experience, I recommend booking tickets early online.

While Cinemark Century requires a longer trip from Palo Alto, the theater has something to offer to everyone.

Opened in 2018 at the edge of Mountain View’s San Antonio Center, the Showplace ICON Theatre and Kitchen is the newest local movie theater. The three-story building features 10 theaters, a concessions area and a restaurant serving American comfort foods as well as seasonal specials. Visitors can watch a variety of newly released movies and, occasionally, older films or recorded concerts and operas.

When I began visiting movie theaters for these reviews, I thought the sound and screen quality would be similar across the board. As the lights dimmed and the opening fanfare of “The Boys in the Boat” began, however, I was enveloped in ICON’s layers of sound. Combined with the high-resolution screen that amplified suspense and brought the details to life, I was practically transported into the film. Each theater also features wide aisles and heated recliners with small tables attached to the arms.

I’m usually someone who prefers watching movies at home — why leave the comfort of the couch, especially with the accessibility of streaming platforms? But ICON, bridging comfort and enhanced visuals, helped me understand the appeal of theatergoing.

—Written by Ya-An Xue

Onto the next chapter: students, staff discuss changes in reading habits with the digital age Growing up, many students saw books as portals into new universes and fantastical realms. Novels transported readers to new places such as the enchanting Hogwarts Castle from “Harry Potter” or the magical Camp HalfBlood from “Percy Jackson,” sparking their imagination and developing their comprehension skills.

Now, however, books are shelved for the latest iPhone, leaving Hogwarts to Harry. At Gunn, the growing pressures of academic responsibilities and extracurricular pursuits, alongside the attraction of online activities, forces many students to put reading for pleasure on the back burner.

Librarian Daljeet Gill has noticed this phenomenon.

Through book displays, “blind dates” with books, staff picks and other initiatives, he and the other librarians have been trying to spark students’ interest in reading again.

“It’s interesting,” Gill said. “When freshmen come, for them,” she said. they check out a lot (of books), and as they become more In 2014, the Gunn library introduced electronic books engrossed in academics, we see them less and less. It’s — or e-books — to reignite interest in reading for those about time management — where they find time among who prefer digital interfaces. sports, clubs and other extracurriculars.”

The library’s shared digital collection with PAUSD Sophomore Davide Illouz, who juggles track and includes reading engines such as eLibrary and Overdrive, multiple musical ensembles, pushes which provide good options for nonfiction material. most reading to the weekend.

Students can access these applications “During the week I have too through their PAUSD Rapid much going on, but on weekends ID portals.

I can relax and read before or in Although e-books the middle of studying.” Illouz are on the rise, many said.

— including Gill — According to a 2022 survey don’t see them as of surv conducted by GoodEReader, competitors for eyed st udents physica 64% of those under 17 years paper copies. prefer l book s to e-b old would rather play video “If a kid comes in ooks Source: S elf-selecte games or watch TV than read. looking for a book d survey Gunn stu sent out to dents by English teacher Katherine Ja and we only have the The Ora 27 to Feb . 5 with 14 cle from Jan. has noticed this dynamic in e-book, eight out of 3 respon ses the classroom. nine times, a student “I have observed a will wait for print,” decline in interest in Gill said. “It’s just a pleasure reading, preference of what and (I) believe it is you’re already used to.” extracurriculars and videos, as well as social That being said, media, that is causing the lack of interest,” she students are sometimes said. flexible. Illouz, who often spends his Sunday As someone who constantly checked out mornings wrapped up in a book, likes to read regardless books as a child, Ja is working on weaving of the book’s format. independent reading into her curriculum.

“Physical books are more old-fashioned and more “I still believe that if the whole-heartedly fun, while e-books are more practical right book gets into a and accessible,” Illouz said. person’s hands, they Books help Illouz take his mind off school, as well as will gobble it up, expand his vocabulary and creativity. even if it is slightly “Reading is an escape from my life,” Illouz said. “I can challenging just think about random things and imagine that I’m part of another alternate dimension.”

86.7%

—Written by Yael Gottesman

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Lifestyle

Friday, February 9, 2024

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YEAR OF THE DRAGON CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Dragon from “Mulan” 6. Sign in 11. Tavern 14. Trick or 15. Once in moon 16. Language suffix 17. However, for short 18. Dragon from “How to Train Your Dragon” 20. More corny 22. Like chemical bonds of salts 23. Pink dragon from “Dragon Tales” 25. The “S” of GPS, for short 27. Dragon from “Raya and the Last Dragon” 28. “Eureka!”

29. Director Lee 31. Mambo bandleader Tito 33. End of a dragon 35. Quaking trees 38. Colorful Dragon from Yu-Gi-Oh 43. Et 44. Show and 46. One who’s hooked 49. Body art, for short 52. Cool cucumber 53. Dragon from Peter, Paul and Mary song 54. Amer. currency 57. Dragon from Dungeons and Dragons 59. “The Wizard of Oz” composer Harold 61. Noxious 63. Fiery dragon from Pokemon 65. Sourdough, for example 68. 23-Down’s accessory in picture book by Dr. Seuss 69. Chuckle

70. Author Dahl 71. Ambulance letters 72. Goaded (on) 73. Boss dragon from Minecraft

DOWN 1. NYC subway org.

2. Web address 3. Leaves the port 4. Sounds from a 69-Across 5. Paradise 6. Between so and do 7. Double-reeded instruments 8. Rainwing dragon from “Wings of Fire” 9. Not home 10. “M*A*S*H” soft drink 11. Visited 12. Lend a hand 13. Save 19. Goes ballistic 21. Ballpoint, for example 23. Garfield, for example 24. “Moby-Dick” captain 26. Gush 30. Motown singer Marvin 32. Granite State sch. home to the Wildcats 34. Fallen angel 36. To be, in Spanish 37. Juniors’ exam from Oct. 39. 1957 Treaty of Rome org.

40. “ , Brute?”

41. Project manager 42. “Frozen” queen 45. Back muscle, for short 46. Geronimo’s tribe, or Sugarhill Gang song 47. City home to 32-Down 48. They’re just above C’s 50. @@@ 51. Tone quality in music

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9

34

33 38

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27 32

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49 54

55 61

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62

19 65

64 69

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55. Dragon from “The Hobbit” 56. Sad song 58. Vice President Burr 60. Cairo’s river 62. Ritalin target, for short 64. Zig’s partner 66. The “A” in IPA 67. Arcade game where players step on arrows, for short

45

58

68

New year, New Ollie

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53

13

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43 46

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24 29

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8

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7

66

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FINISHED WITH CROSSWORD OR MATH PUZZLES? Stop by P-115 during 5th period or lunch next week with the completed puzzle(s) for a candy prize!

2024 Math puzzle

INSTRUCTIONS Using the digits 1 through 8 once each, fill in the blanks with four two-digit numbers to equal 2024.

au

Karis L

—Games created by Violet Tivol

Aeron Man

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Features

THEORACLE

Strand by Strand: students weave new narratives around their own hair care During a family reunion in 2017, freshman Samantha Knudson was drawn to her grandmother’s beautiful mass of intricately braided purple hair. This moment marked a turning point in how she viewed her own hair.

“I was around 7 or 8 at the family reunion,” Knudson said. “I knew that protective hairstyles like braids came from the African American side of me, but I hadn’t been able to see it a lot, so seeing them on my (family) was really cool.”

Growing up in a predominantly white and Asian community, Knudson rarely saw hair like hers. Because her mom wasn’t educated on how to care for Black hair, either, Knudson didn’t have guidance on how to maintain her hair. She ended up following her peers’ routines, though they didn’t suit her hair type.

“I washed my hair every other day, which you’re not supposed to do,” she said. “That’s far too often for hair like mine. Most of the time, I put it in a singular braid because that’s what I saw a lot of other people my age doing.”

Knudson’s experience isn’t anomalous: Many students have struggled to maintain hair that doesn’t adhere to Eurocentric norms. Sophomore Elijah Williams, for example, described never having advice on how to take care of his naturally curly hair. Worried that he would be stereotyped, his grandmother urged him to keep his locks short.

“My grandma was really big on taking care of how people perceived me,” he said. “Growing up, she didn’t want me to look like a ‘thug,’ so she usually made me buzz my hair.”

Raised in an Indian community in Spain, senior Angelina Rosh’s self-image was shaped by cultural biases.

“In the Indian communities (in Spain) that I grew up in, everybody brushed out their curly hair to make it frizzy — nobody knew how to take care of their hair,” Rosh said. “The standards in Indian culture are Eurocentric, so straight hair is considered prettier. I always internalized it as (me) having really ugly hair. I hated my hair.”

When Rosh moved to the U.S., she encountered more diverse hair types but still felt restrained by the beauty standards in her Indian community.

“I go to an Indian church,” she said. “That’s where it proliferated. The Indian community I was in maintained the same values that the mainland does, which is that straight hair is prettier. All the aunties

Freshman Samantha Knudson

Grace Gao

would make passes at my hair.”

— whether it’s oiling my hair or having my mom oil my Still, students like Rosh have carved out their own hair — which is a big love language for us,” she said. methods of self-care over the years. While Knudson By the time Knudson graduated from middle school, didn’t dedicate much attention or care to her hair she had also decided to change the way she styled at first, she reevaluated her routine after seeing her her hair to better reflect her cultural background and grandmother’s hair at the reunion, experimenting artistic desires. with new hairstyles to restore her hair’s “I started to care (more) about my health. Her go-to during this time was appearance, not only because other straight down — no up-dos — because people saw me, but because I wanted pulling her hair back into tight to look the best for myself,” she said.

“Learning about ponytails and braids like her peers’ “I planned to show a different side my hair and being had damaged it. of me when I got to high school. I able to express myself Similarly, Williams experienced wanted to express and experiment through it (has) helped a perspective shift at the beginning with myself in artistic ways, and me be closer to my of eighth grade, when he got a my hair was one of them.”

Black roots.” haircut that didn’t suit his hair.

Knudson’s first protective —Freshman Samantha Wanting to be able to feel good about hairstyle entering high school was Knudson himself and look his best, he believed braids, inspired and done by her that growing out and learning more grandmother. When 2024 began, about his hair was essential. however, she tried a new style: two“I didn’t want (my hair) to be really strand twists called passion twists, which unhealthy,” he said. “I just didn’t know how she currently wears. to fix it. I resorted to social media, and then According to Knudson, getting her hair done was my brothers also helped me a lot. I just a time-intensive process: Cornrowing, looping in kind of experimented.” extensions, crocheting and twisting took two to three Rosh also gave herself time to hours. Still, it was worth it — after the passion twists explore new hairstyles during the were finished, Knudson returned to school with yet pandemic. Through TikTok and other another part of her culture that she could share with online posts, she curated a hair-care routine others at school. that restored not just her curly hair, but her self-image.

“In (Gunn), you don’t see as many people with “The pivotal point was walking into church again, and protective hairstyles,” she said. “(My hair) helped me an auntie that had made fun of my hair before (asked) expose myself and have people see different sides of me, ‘Oh my goodness, how do you do your hair?’” Rosh me.” said. “I told her, and then I told her daughter. Now, her Embracing her unique hair — alive in her daughter has healthy curly hair and she knows how to grandmother and embedded in her ancestry — has take care of it.” given Knudson a profound appreciation for her identity.

After instructing some other church members on “Learning about my hair and being able to express how to take care of their curly hair, she began to teach myself through it (has) helped me be closer to my Black her mom as well. roots,” she said. “I can see a different side of me that I “I held so much judgment against her for not knowing haven’t been able to before.” how to do my hair, but then doing my mom’s hair and Likewise, Williams expresses his pride in his Black teaching her how to do it really felt like a generational culture and carries this pride with him through his hair. breaking point,” Rosh said.

“I like to represent being Black, especially in areas Rosh has enjoyed being an educator and advocate where we’re a minority,” he said. “I feel like through my for those with curly hair. Now, both she and her mother hair, I can do this.” embrace their culture through their hair maintenance.

—Written by Claire Jittipun “Putting energy (into) and prioritizing taking care of my hair makes me feel more connected to my culture

Sophomore Elijah Williams

Naomi Wang

Senior Angelina Rosh

Sophia Hwangbo

50.6% of surveyed students with textured hair feel insecure about their hair

43.7% of surveyed students view straight hair as the conventionally preferred hair type Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Jan 27. to Feb. 5 with 155 responses

51.3% of surveyed students with textured hair agree that their hair plays an important role in the perception of their identity

Background graphic by Aarushi Kumar and salon tools by Irene Hong