The Oracle October 2019

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

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THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School

http://gunnoracle.com/

Tuesday, October 4, 2019 Volume 57, Issue 2

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

California cracks down on teenage e-cigarette use Calvin Cai Centerfold Editor

Photo illustration by Melissa Ding and Grace Liu

Proposed national cuts to school meals may affect low-income students, families Kate Mallery and Angela Wong Lifestyle Editor and News Editor Under a recent Trump administration proposal in July to cut the number of food stamp recipients, low-income students may no longer qualify for free and reducedprice school meals. The proposed cuts are designed to save money by eliminating the “loopholes” found in a flexible qualification system, which states had often used to bypass important eligibility guidelines, according to statements made by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. The misuse of this safety net system allows for unqualified households to receive benefits reserved only for low-income students. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) experts believe that roughly seven percent of children that will be affected by this change do not currently qualify for reduced-price meals.

The proposed cut could leave 3.1 million people nationwide without food stamp benefits, which will then deny around 500,000 children automatic eligibility for free school meals, according to the USDA. The USDA also predicts that the cut will impact 10% of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) students, 111,000 Santa Clara County students and two million Californian students.

While the cuts may pose a threat to low-income students, PAUSD has already taken certain measures to guarantee that no student goes hungry during the school day. The District Charge policy, for example, makes it possible for all students, regardless of eligibility status, to receive daily school meals, even when they have no money on them.

Roughly 3.1 million recipients under the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would no longer receive benefits. “PAUSD currently has 48 students that qualified for free or reduced priced meals based on the families qualifying for SNAP food stamps in California,” PAUSD Nutrition Services director Alva Spence said. Even so, these students could still receive daily meals under the District Charge policy.

Families who are eligible for free and reduced school meals will need gross incomes below 130% of the federal

poverty level, or about $33,000 for a family of four. In California, a family of four earning about $50,000 can enroll in a food stamp program, given that 50 percent or more of their income is spent on child care and housing expenses. Families not receiving food stamps may still qualify for free school meals, but they would have to submit paperwork to apply, even though notices are not automatically sent. Families are also not informed of how to access these forms or what they may entail.

Spence became aware of the potential cuts to student eligibility for these meals and the potential changes to families’ access to SNAP and the California Food Stamp program in August. According to Spence, 6.5% of PAUSD students qualify for free meals and 2.5% qualify for reduced priced meals.

If these cuts were to pass, PAUSD’s current 779 students that qualify for free meals and 296 students that qualify for reduced-priced meals will be affected.

PAUSD, though, must follow the USDA eligibility guidelines in order to grant free breakfasts and lunches to its students. “The USDA guidelines are updated annually and are based on the federal income poverty guidelines and stated by household size,” Spence said. “The guidelines are to determine eligibility for free and reducedprice meals and free milk, in accordance with applicable program rules.” So, Spence believes that these proposed cuts will not significantly impact or limit the food service budget allotted to PAUSD for school meals.

Palo Alto Parent-Teacher Association member and Gunn parent Nancy Krop expresses her concern over the recent proposed cuts. “I assume [the federal government] is looking to save money by making these cuts, but my response is that our budgets are a statement of our priorities. Yet, at the same time, the government is simultaneously increasing tax write-offs for yachts,” Krop said.

“Why are we proposing to cut school meals for children?

You can’t have a good answer to that question.”

In a past attempt to raise awareness of these cuts, Krop hoped that students, no matter their individual stances, would use social media to their advantage to bring about change. “We need everybody to speak up,” Krop said.

This past month, over 500 people across the country, including several teenagers, have been hospitalized due to vaping-related illnesses. Of these patients, eight have died, while many others have been diagnosed with severe, permanent lung diseases. As a result, California Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed for a bill to end the use of electronic cigarettes, specifically flavored ones that allegedly target teenagers. “I would like to sign a bill to eliminate the legal use of flavored e-cigarettes,” Newsom said in a press conference on Sept. 16. One of the main producers of these flavored e-cigarettes is Juul, a San Francisco-based company infamous for its flavors, like mango, mint and grape. Amid the controversy surrounding vaping, Juul CEO Kevin Burns stepped down on Sept. 25.

Principal Kathleen Laurence sees this ban as a step in the right direction. “I think it’s a really good idea [to ban flavored e-cigarettes],” she said.

“As much as companies deny that they’re targeting teenagers and children, when you have flavors like that, that’s what it looks like.” Additionally, Laurence sees the companies having these creative flavors for long-term profit. “The reality is that, in order to sell your product, you have to hook the next generation,”she said.

Laurence has seen reasons to worry about the widespread use of e-cigarettes. “We have to be aware of what we’re putting in our bodies,” she said. “It’s the unpredictability that you have when you put anything in your body that you don’t know what it’s going to do.”

Gunn has been largely affected by the issue of vaping. According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, four % of freshmen and 18% of juniors have tried e-cigarettes. On a national scale, the National Youth Tobacco Survey found that between 2017 and 2018, the percentage of high schoolers who currently use e-cigarettes has increased from 11.7 to 20.8%, a 78 % increase.

Many vapers at Gunn have been introduced to e-cigarettes by older students. “My sister was vaping,” a current student said, “and I borrowed it. It was fun and it tasted good.”

Another student who has quit vaping was also influenced by an older student. Although they have quit vaping, they say that they have no regrets. “It’s just part of being a kid and doing [stuff],” they said.

However, they can understand why there is such a high number of people hospitalized for vaping-related illnesses. “None of us knew what was going to happen. No generation before us was smoking this,” they said.

Nonetheless, neither of the students believed that Gunn was doing very much to spread awareness of the dangers and consequences of vaping.

“They don’t do anything,” the former vaper said.

Although both of these students vape or have vaped consistently in the past, they agree that other students should not do it. “Don’t do it,” the first student said.

In addition to the health consequences, there are also severe repercussions for being caught. “It’s the same for alcohol and tobacco on campus,” Laurence said. “You get a referral for alcohol or substance abuse.” Students caught vaping must also make a presentation on the dangers of such substances as a form of community service, and to understand the consequences that e-cigarettes can bring if they were to vape again in the future.

Background by Grace Liu

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News

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS: Gunn Sidelands “People really enjoyed spikeball and bean bag toss, which helped bring up the attendance at Sidelands.”

“The overall event was very accepting, and had such good vibes throughout. I loved seeing different acts perform, and I’m positive others did too!”

—Andrew Kim (11)

—Charlize Chu (11)

Senior Julio Henriquez DJs for students by the N-building steps.

Senior Meredith Yee sings and plays an electric guitar.

Seniors Robbie Nichols and Reid Devereaux perform a song together.

“It’s a really chill environment where people can feel free to be creative.”

—Angela Cheong (12)

“It was an opportunity for people to go out and show off their talents and passions, and that’s pretty cool.”

Seniors Ashley Chen and Avery Chen sing a duet in front of their peers.

—Jerome Wu (9)

Senior Livia Bednardz hands out prizes to fellow students at a booth.

Photos by Melissa Ding and Elisa Moraes-Liu

—Compiled by Charlie Bush

News THEORACLE 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Liza Kolbasov Managing Editors Jennifer Gao Ryan Li News Elisa Moraes-Liu Angela Wong Forum Jessica Wang Joshua Yang Features Madison Nguyen Nikki Suzani Centerfold Annika Bereny Calvin Cai Sports Devon Li Ryan Manesh Lifestyle Charlie Bush Kate Mallery Online Sophia Stern Photo Editor Melissa Ding Graphics Editor Grace Liu

Staff Business/Circulation Ryan Manesh Assistant Business Manager Genna Bishop Graphics Artists Shannon Lin Audrey Tseng Jamie Wang Jocelyn Wang Photographers Mia Knezevic Sophia Lu Wendy Xiong Reporter Shannon Lin Adviser Kristy Blackburn

Friday, October 4, 2019

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Alumna releases memoir after sexual assault case Madison Nguyen and Joshua Yang Features Editor and Forum Editor

fun loving and silly,” she said. “Everybody loved to be around her. She was always smiling.”

Much of that enthusiasm and optimism was channeled into activities such as helping to coach a volley-ball team, according to Owens.

“We were coaching these 13-year-old girls,” she said. “We would get to practice and they would just be huddled around [Miller] asking her a million questions about boys, dances and homework. They just wanted to know every single detail about her life. I think probably a lot of seniors in high school would get annoyed, but she totally indulged them. She answered all of

said. “When he passed away his senior year, it hit me really hard. His mom sent me some money and said, ‘I want you to spend this on On Sept. 2, Chanel Miller—Gunn graduate the Focus on Success Program.’ Chanel and I and sexual assault survivor—came forward out had remained in contact, so I texted her. And I of anonymity with her new book, “Know My said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in painting Name,” a memoir detailing her life both before a mural for my Focus on Success classroom?’ and after she was raped by former Stanford She was totally down to do it. She didn't know student Brock Turner in Jan. 2015. [the student], but she looked through all of his As a member of the Gunn class of 2010, pictures and everything from the memorial.

Miller is still in the minds of many teachers; After talking to me and some of his friends, she English teacher Paul Dunlap vividly rememcame up with what she thought really personibers the shock and pain he felt upon learning fied [him].” his former student was the survivor Miller painted the mural—which of assault. “It hurt a lot,” he said. “I still stands at Gunn to this day—in did feel like, how did we fail her?

2017, even after her ordeal, accordWhat could I have done to protect ing to Owens. her? I know, intellectually, that After her assault, Miller continthat’s not necessarily right. But ued to spread a message of resilthat's how deep it hurt.” ience and strength. As part of her English teacher Kristen Owens, legal process, Miller penned and Miller’s former volleyball coach, read aloud a victim statement that was also emotional. “My heart broke later spread virally in the wake of for her,” she said. “She’s just so inthe #MeToo movement. Her opennocent and you just want to keep her ing words—“You don’t know me, but protected in a little bubble, because you’ve been inside me, and that’s she’s so special and sweet. She’s just why we’re here today”—were read one of those people who sees only aloud by celebrities and shared on the good. And then for something social media, sparking outrage and so bad to happen to her.” discussion.

For the teachers who know MillTo Dunlap, Miller’s experience er, the Stanford sexual assault case isn’t an isolated incident. “I think became deeply personal. “I was we have a cultural problem,” he angry and hurt and went home and said. “Like most hard things, it hugged my daughters a little bit doesn’t get better by ignoring it. closer,” Dunlap said.

We can’t just turn away from the Yet anger was soon replaced painful or ugly, and then hope it by a bittersweet sense of pride for gets better.”

Miller’s decision to speak up. “I Miller remained under the sent her a text and I was like, ‘I’m pseudonym of Emily Doe for three so proud of you,’” Owens said. “‘You years; in publishing her memoir in are speaking for millions of women September, Miller seeks to reclaim right now by coming forward and her own identity as a survivor, not showing your strength and your victim, of sexual assault. “Know Melissa Ding My Name,” just like Miller’s victim vulnerability.’”

Dunlap is similarly proud of “Know My Name, ” Miller's memoir about her statement, has since attracted naMiller’s courage. “I admire that so life after the case, was published on Sept. 24. tional attention; publications such much,” he said. “She says, I’m not his as the Washington Post and the victim. I’m not his anything.’ That’s amazing.” their questions. She took them under her wing.” Atlantic have reviewed, analyzed and dissected Art teacher Mark Gleason, who taught Miller Dunlap pointed to Miller’s involvement in Miller’s words. in his graphic design class, echoed Dunlap’s the then-fledgling Sources of Strength club.

In a short video released in conjunction with words. “I admire her sense of ownership,” he “The club was just starting and there was a re- “Know My Name,” Miller expressed her continsaid. “She’s not his victim. She’s not his any- ally big group the first time because it was new ued belief in a more accepting, hopeful future thing. All [of] that was very brave.” and interesting,” he said. “It was close enough and urged her fellow survivors to stay strong.

The teachers who interacted with Miller can to the first suicide cluster that people really “Survivors will not be limited, labeled, boxed-in all attest to her spirit and personality. “Even were looking for tangible things to do. People [nor] oppressed,” she said in the video. “We will from the first time I met her, she was open, wanted to help. [Miller] was that type of person. not be isolated. We have had enough. Enough sensitive, positive and looking for the best in If she could think of a way to help other people, of the shame, diminishment, the disbelief, the people,” Dunlap said. “She had one of those she would do it.” loneliness. Look at all this togetherness. Look kinds of expressions and smiles that brought One of Owens’s favorite memories of Miller out for one another. Seek whatever you wish out the best in people.” is the backstory of a mural in Gunn’s room K-14. to be in life. Speak up when they try to silence Owens also remembered Miller’s cheerful- “I had a [Focus on Success] student about three you, stand up when they shove you down. No ness when she was on campus. “She was just years ago who passed away from leukemia,” she one gets to define you.”

INBOX The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor and Comments. Comments are generally shorter responses, while Letters are longer pieces of writing.

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

—Sept. 13, 2019—

I liked the article on having ethnic studies as a graduation requirement. I had debated the subject as in class before, making it particularly interesting. I also enjoyed the letter from the editor because it made me feel more connected to The Oracle creators. I would like to here more about clubs on campus. Reading about the clubs at Gunn is a great way to promote them and showcase the students in the club. I actually joined a club after reading about it in a previous issue.

—Abby Gray (12)

Letters and Comments may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Letters to the Editor, Comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to oraclegunn@gmail.com or posted on our Facebook page. These letters need not be from current students.

I loved the graphics, and the book review. The latter prompted me to check some of the titles out at the library.

—Ines Garcia (10)

The Oracle won sixth place in Best of Show at the 2018 National Scholastic Press Association Conference on Nov. 1-3.

Forum

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Madison Nguyen For high school students, exposure to alcohol and other illicit substances is inevitable throughout daily life. Modern society is past the point of trying to get teenagers to stop rebelling due to the fact that it’s an expected, unavoiadable part of teenage life. From an early age, students have been plainly told not to try alcohol under any circumstances because doing so can harm their development. However, trying illicit drugs and substances, including alcohol, should not be stigmatized due to the fact that students often have a tendency to rebel against adults. Thus, it is safer for students to consume these substances responsibly in a secure environment.

When students attempt to rebel against adults, their safety is oftentimes not something they keep in mind. As teenagers grow into their autonomy, they often mistakenly believe that the more they communicate with their parents, the more dependent they become. This lack of communication not only motivates students to try alcohol in dangerous situations, but also leaves them with no trusted adult to ensure their safety. On the other hand, when parents attempt to bridge the communication gap between them and their children, more trust can build between both parties. If adolescents were to first try alcohol in the presence of their parents, they wouldn’t feel the need to go out and drink heavily with their friends because they would know their limits. Defiance in teenagers is inevitable and is something that no person can truly change.

However, the ways in which adolescents rebel can be mitigated in order to ensure their safety.

In addition to accessiblit y, stress and a desire for independence, peer pressure is another reason why teenagers might want to try alcohol, according to the National Insitute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. While consuming alcohol is illegal in the United States until the age of 21, the media has continuously portrayed the idea of a hypothetical “cool” and “popular” teenager as one who drinks and parties with their friends each weekend. Whether people see it or not, this has led many to try alcohol at parties they attend. Consuming alcohol is a personal choice—there’s no true way to stop an adolescent from mingling with these substances.

Teenagers should try alcohol to know what it’s like, instead of only being idly curious about it; after all, idle curiosity can often lead to dangerous situations.

In many schools, adults teach students that abstinence is the only way teenagers will avoid getting into problematic situations with these substances, such as addiction. However, adults fail to recognize that they can’t keep teenagers hidden from the world forever. Eventually, adolescents will grow into adults who will be put into situations they feel uncomfortable with, often involving alcohol. Thus, adults shouldn’t be teaching students how to avoid these situations, but rather how to act when facing them, so a smart and educated choice will be made when they arise. Without this education and experience, students will get themselves into uncomfortable situations with harmful substances. While students shouldn’t drink and party every weekend, they should at least be exposed to alcohol in some type of way, improving their knowledge of the substances under the guidance of adult figures in their lives.

Consuming alcohol, especially as a teenager, is a personal choice that deserves careful, concious thought. As peer pressure and teenage drinking become the norm, teenagers should expose themselves to alcohol in a safe environment in order to ensure their overall safety and knowledge of these substances.

–Nguyen, a junior, is a Features editor.

Grace Liu

CON

PRO

Should teenagers responsibly experiment with illicit substances to become aware of, familiar with limits?

Charlie Bush Substance use—and illegal activity in general—has been made taboo by our generation and the ones preceding. This stigma causes people to think it is “cool” to use drugs or other substances. In addition to peer pressure, teenagers will indulge in these substances to impress others or “just for fun.” In reality, however, substance abuse promoted by party culture causes immense dangers, both in the short- and long-term effects.

When teenagers drink or do drugs, they often do so out of the aforementioned peer pressure or spontaneity. Thus, they are often uneducated on how to properly use the substances.

Without proper knowledge on how to safely use whichever substance, it is extremely easy to mishandle it. This can lead to a variety of side effects and mental problems. One must know exactly how to properly use a drug in order to ensure their safety and to decrease the risks involved, as the possibilities and dangers that come from the misuse of drugs can be permanent and sometimes fatal. In high school, parties are one of the biggest contributors to peer pressure, which can cause teenagers to impulsively misuse these substances.

While education is extremely important when it comes to drug use, doing drugs at a young age is still very dangerous, even if an individual is educated on the matter. There are still negative short- and long-term effects these activities may have on physical and mental health. Brain development is at a critical stage throughout high school, so using substances during this phase can be extremely detrimental to lasting health. According to the Addiction Center’s article regarding teen substance abuse, drug use at a younger age impacts the brain’s ability to function in the short-term and prevents proper growth and development in the long-term. Other sources, such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), discuss how heavy drug use, especially at a young age, can cause permanent brain damage. Party culture poses the same physical and psychological threats to all teenagers, educated or uneducated. Either way, using illegal substances creates great risks that are not worth taking.

Using substances as a teenager has other negative consequences as well. For example, substance use can have a very detrimental effect on one’s memory, especially when it comes to alcohol, a substance that is known to “help people forget.” It is also extremely easy to become addicted to both alcohol and drugs during youth; those who start drinking earlier are significantly more likely to develop dependence than those who start later in life. Additionally, teenagers experimenting with substances are at a greater risk of causing car accidents, dying from unintentional injuries, killing others and dying by suicide than adults are in similar conditions, according to the NCBI. With risks of brain damage and more, teenagers should avoid risking their lifelong health for shortterm benefits.

Adults, on the other hand, have mostly completed their growth, so substance use isn’t as harmful. In terms of drinking, adults can typically get away with fewer consequences, while teenagers easily experience negative effects.

Finally, one shouldn’t do anything illicit just to brag. This is another area where youth party culture comes into play. At parties, people tend to act thoughtlessly, turning something meaningless into a bad habit.

There are always better options than premature substance use; the slight benefits are greatly outweighed by potential dangers. Simply put, it’s not worth it.

–Bush, a senior, is a Lifestyle editor.

Forum

Friday, October 4, 2019

Faces in the crowd: What are your thoughts on Gunn's party culture?

gunn cliques, environment prevent true party culture

Ryan Manesh

“I think students know what to prioritize and can still have fun, which contributes to a healthy party culture.”

Dori Filppu, 11 “I feel like the party culture at Gunn is not as big as at other schools, which is good, because students can choose not to participate.”

James Lambert, 10

“Party culture at Gunn is relatively tame compared to other high schools because a vast portion of the student body is focused on academics.”

Devan Singh, 12 “I haven’t really experienced a party culture yet, so I don’t know.”

Kenza Ashworth, 9

From a young age, every movie I saw that had a high school portrayed it with the same stereotypes.

The school was always ruled by a jock—generally, a football player—and anyone who prioritized schoolwork was always depicted as a nerd with little to no social life. However, the biggest thing I seemed to notice throughout all these movies was the large emphasis on the high school party culture.

These stereotypes definitely did not apply to my high school experiences. When I came to Gunn, I knew that it would in no way represent the traditional stereotypes of high school. Even before I started my time here, it was rarely advertised as a fun school or a party school. Instead, telling people I was going to Gunn generally elicited a worried face or a reminder of what a high-pressured environment the school would be. I would always hear people rave about the school’s academics rather than its social activities.

The difference in our school’s party culture compared to other schools, such as Menlo-Atherton High School, became obvious to me at the beginning of my sophomore year. While talking to one of my friends who had transferred to Menlo-Atherton, they could not stop boasting about the “elite” parties that people at their school would throw. To be fair, our demographic definitely does not match the party school theme; our school has been dubbed the type of school to flex SAT scores at a basketball game.

However, despite our affiliation with academics, our school certainly has a party culture. I have experienced plenty of kickbacks thrown by all sorts of different people. Kickbacks are generally more toned-down, laid back parties predominantly made up of smaller groups of friends. These kickbacks also tend to be invite-only between close friend groups, causing fewer people to find out about them and come.

This feeds into Gunn’s “clique-like” culture.

From my own and many of my friends’ personal experiences, we have witnessed the disunity within classes and disparity with people in other grades. Petty quarrels and unnecessary “beef” have prevented any true unity between groups, which in turn doesn’t allow for big parties. Due to this disparity, it is unlikely that a true “party culture” will develop at Gunn in the foreseeable future.

From what I saw in my freshman year, the upperclassmen always seemed to throw relatively big parties and social gatherings. These parties got less and less common as time went on. The last grade to throw these large social functions was last year’s class of 2019. Again, I noticed that the similarity that all these grades had, at least from an outsider’s perspective, was the unity found within the class. It doesn’t mean that everyone loved each other, like some weird hippie cult, but everyone seemed to be accepting of who was there. No one would let someone they didn’t like get in the way of their having a good time and no one wanted to ruin someone else’s good time.

But division in a grade can't be the only barrier to unleashing Gunn’s inner party culture. Over time, students could have become less attracted to the illicit behaviors that go with party culture.

Maybe parents have become smarter about allowing people to have big groups of friends over. There are endless possible explanations for why the party culture at Gunn isn’t as extravagant as it could be, but for the underclassmen’s sakes, I am excited to see what happens to it.

—Manesh, a senior, is a Sports Editor.

Jocelyn Wang

Photos by Mia Knezevic

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Forum 6 More students should run for SEC to increase representation, broaden impact ments someone wants to see in the Gunn community, they can make them happen.

People often make excuses against running, however, and say that all of SEC is just a popularity contest. This is simply untrue.

Charlie Bush While some of the larger, more mainstream On Sept. 6, the Student Executive Coun- positions may be incil (SEC) revealed the homecoming theme fluenced by popularto the student body in a FlexTime/SELF ity, only 14 of the 30 assembly. The theme—“A Trip to Cost- positions on SEC are co”—received large amounts of student open to public vote. backlash and response. However, it is un- This means most of fair to be so critical toward the hard work the positions are apand effort SEC puts into their decision- pointed. Applying for making each year. Indeed, to enact the these positions inchange they wish to see, more people need volves presenting your case in to run for SEC in order to actually get their front of a small group of class officers and other past members of SEC who voices heard and to shift policy. weigh the choices carefully and talk Of course, complaints through their decision. Moreover, about SEC can often many of the appointed positions be seen as contraare relatively open, as certain dictory: there are We have to SEC roles receive fewer applithose who comrecognize the cants than others. Because of plain about the this, applying for one of the homecoming efforts made by lesser-known positions is an themes being SEC members to often-overlooked opportunithe same every ty to make your voice heard. year and those make the majority Another who complain happy. issue when the themes students ofare different. We ten complain have to recognize about is the lack of the efforts made by SEC diversity in SEC, saying members to make the majority happy; when you are constantly be- that most of the meming pulled in two opposite directions, bers of SEC come from you have to give way to both sides and one homogenous social make compromises in the best interest of circle. While this may be the student body as a whole. By running true, this situation can for SEC, students can more effectively be easily remedied: if embody the changes they wish to see in anyone wants to see imschool culture. While there is some de- provements in this area, gree of stigma surrounding running for a they can run and bring “popularity contest,” if there are improve- greater representation.

Even just by voting, students can make one of those topics interests you, you can their voices count. Last year, roughly 70 make your case to the interviewers and percent of Gunn students voted in the advocate your position. If you think our elections. The other 30 percent need money can be handled more efficiently, to realize that their votes actu- run for Treasurer; if you have a great ally matter and can greatly idea for a school event, run for Special impact the outcome Events. Blaming others does not achieve of each election, com- anything; it’s wise to take advantage of pletely changing who the several opportunities given throughactually takes office. out the year to bring change to Gunn.

More people need In SEC meetings, a lot of different to run for SEC topics are brought up and thorand vote in oughly discussed from all elections sides, weighing the pros in order and cons of every acto help tion and taking time to In the end, the diversify think all the decisions outcome always the representhrough. In the end, the comes down to a tatives and officers. outcome always comes All of the appointed podown to a vote. Instead vote. sitions are very specific to of complaining about certain aspects of SEC and the failures they see in the student body: Secretary, SEC’s decisions, students Treasurer, Human Relations, Wellshould enact the change they ness, Site Council Representative, Spedesire. More people need to run cial Events, Publicity, Visual Media and for SEC to get a seat in the room and to Diversity, half of which consist of two or vote for the opinion of the student body. three commissioners per role. This al—Bush, a senior, is a Lifestyle lows for a variety of people from differEditor and former SEC Visual Media ent social groups to run and join SEC. If Commissioner.

Even just by voting, students can make their voices count.

Shannon Lin and Audrey Tseng

Sports

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Friday, October 4, 2019

Sports Clubs offer students place to foster passions Sports Basement Club Although Gunn doesn’t have a basement, it has a Sports Basement club. Every Wednesday at lunch, the club meets in room N-115 on the first floor of the N-building to discuss sports updates, play trivia games and watch highlights. The club has been chartered for four years, according Jessica Hexsel.

Depending on the season, club members track the latest events in professional sports, especially football and basketball. This year, club president senior Tyler Hodson has incorporated more interactive games. “We played Jeopardy for sports questions, and that’s been one of our biggest hits,” he said. “We have a few people who are smart enough in sports to answer the $500 questions.” The club also plays Kahoots and true/false games about sports trivia.

In early spring, the Sports Basement club revs into high gear to watch the college basketball sea-

son in full swing. “During March Madness, we open the club to everybody,” Hexsel said. “We have more meetings than just once a week so that people can come in, eat snacks together and watch basketball. It gets really crowded and really loud.

It’s fun.”

The Sports Basement club is still growing its membership, especially in terms of representation. “This is my fourth year, and I am the only girl in the club,” Hexsel said. “I would love for more girls to come to the club who are also sports fans.”

As such, the club is looking for more fellow sports fans to join in the camaraderie. Anyone who is into sports and would like to discuss sports updates while meeting new people is welcome to stop by with a few friends. “Even if you’re not that into sports or new to sports, you’re still welcome,” vice president Anshul Shah said.

—Written by Jessica Wang

Sports Nutrition and Fitness Club Fitness Club’s president junior Ryan Tabrizi and vice president junior Connor Missett are motivated to improve the overall mental and physical strength of their club members this coming year. Both play for the basketball team, where they met and developed a growing interest in exercise and nutrition.

After actively spending roughly 25 hours each week at basketball practice and the gym, Tabrizi found that more and more people began to ask him for workout and health advice, which eventually prompted him to start the club. “I just want to share my knowledge, where I got it from, and just educate the student body a little on health tips for anyone who wants some,” he said. Through this forum of health education, Tabrizi hopes to not only see mental and physical changes in the club members, but also connect with other people who are invested in the same things he is. “At the end of the day, we just want everyone to be in a better place than they were when they first joined the club, both mentally and physically,” he said.

Sports nutrition not only carried Tabrizi through

some difficult times, but also impacted other areas of his daily life. “After joining this whole world of fitness and health, I’ve definitely seen a transformation which has affected many aspects of my life,” he said.

While Missett originally didn’t get into exercise and health for mental health reasons, he did start out with a mindset that many can relate to. “I wanted to look good, but the more I started to work out and eat better, I started to realize how good it made me feel,” he said.”

During the meetings every first and third Monday of the month, the focus will mainly be on sharing stories, tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy body and mind. While many often think of exercise and health to be solely physical, Missett stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy mindset along with that. “Mental fitness is such a big and important part of anything,” Missett said. “Whether an athlete or just in day-to-day life, just making sure that your head’s on straight and you’re able to function is super important.”

—Written by Madison Nguyen

12th Man Club New this year is the Twelfth Man club, a club focusing on soccer and all things related. It meets in C-8 every Tuesday and promises students an experience where they can learn and enjoy the game of soccer.

“This club is here to shed more light on soccer because I feel like in the US and in our area, it’s not like they’re not represented that much,” club president Preston Dankwah said.

“Also, I know that a lot of people in the school like soccer, but I don’t think there was ever a club where they could just come together and watch soccer.”

One of the three club founders, Senior Will Markevitch, says the club will mainly be focused on watching soccer. “We’re going to be watching professional games and learning from what people are doing and also appreciating passionaround the sport,” he said. “So it’s just a good way to watch games and feel some camaraderie and make friends.”

It’s the club’s first official year, but third club founder, senior Colin Macpherson says that its activities are far from being new occurrences. “We’ve been coming to [social studies teacher Jeffrey] Patrick for the last three years and watching games at lunch,” MacPherson said. “And this year he was like, ‘you guys should make a club.’” Dankwah doubled down on that. “We just decided to make the club this year so if anyone else wanted to come and watch with us, they know that they have a place here.”

All three of them urge students to join the club. “It’s just a great way to make friends because everyone’s really calm, like it’s not a big deal,” said Markevitch. “And you can be a fan of any team. So it’s a really cool way to meet people of different backgrounds.” MacPherson agreed with the sentiment. “Just come and try it out, its free TV at lunch time,” he said. “And I’d say we’re pretty entertaining.” Dankwah concluded the argument for joining. “If you like soccer or you’re interested, it’s a great place to just come and talk about it and learn about it,” he said.

—Written by Annika Bereny Photos by Mia Knezevic

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School community explore alternative plant-based die ta s , s t

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How do you do it?” “I can’t believe you can live without bacon!” These are questions that sophomore Pablo Brunet is used to hearing from new acquaintances. Reportedly, he only misses fish sticks.

It’s been seven years since Brunet’s parents decided to switch from vegetarianism to veganism. So long as he shares a fridge with them, it’s likely that he’ll share the same diet. “They buy the food in my house,” he said. “I just eat what they eat.”

For Brunet, being vegan means avoiding all foods that include animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs. To compensate for nutritional deficiencies, he finds alternative sources, such as tofu.

While vegan dietar y restrictions may be dif f icult to adjust to, some vegans, like Brunet’s parents, make the change from being vegetar ian. English teacher Paulette Sato was a vegetarian for 15 years before finally deciding to go vegan. “Being a vegetarian first really helped, because that’s the biggest distinction: going from meat to non-meat,” she said. “Becoming a vegan is just fine tuning.”

Sato chose to adopt veganism for humane reasons. After learning how companies obtain animal products, she decided not to support animal abuse or mistreatment in any way. “I started to realize that factory farming—how they got eggs and the way they treated the cows to get milk—was just not humane,” Sato said. “It wasn’t something that I wanted to engage in.”

Not only does Sato steer clear of animal-related food products, she also makes an effort not to buy any products with connections to animal mistreatment or testing. For example, she is careful to buy from makeup companies that do not participate in animal testing.

Despite maintaining strong personal values, Sato refrains from imposing her lifes t yle up on ot her s. “S ome t i me s, p e ople p erc eive you a s b ei ng some one who’s t r y i ng to sc ho ol e ver yone else,” she said. “I gave that up a long time ago. I think that everybody has to make his or her own choice in life.”

That said, being vegan is not a lways easy. Br unet sometimes f inds it dif f icult to f ind food options, especia lly when eating out. “If you’re w ith your friends and you have to order a salad, it’s prett y depressing,” he said.

Still, in the modern world, there are many new vegan alternatives, from the meatless “Beyond Burger” by the company Beyond Meat to plant-based dairy products of Miyoko’s Creamery. Sophomore Reva Shah, who became vegan as a lactose intolerant vegetarian, has explored many of the available vegan products. “They haven’t really found a good way to make vegan cheese,” she said. “But they’ve come a long way with vegan ice cream. It tastes like actual ice cream, which is really good. And Oreos are vegan, and I love Oreos now.”

Of course, it’s a lways possible to ex per iment and come up w it h new vegan recipes. Junior Lila Sanchez broug ht her creat iv it y w it h ba k ing into her vega n lifest yle. “W henever I ma ke ba ked good s, I a lways f ind some way to ma ke t hem vega n, a nd for t he most pa r t, people enjoy t hem,” she sa id.

Sanchez, who has not eaten meat in five years, is satisfied by the health and environmental benefits of being vegan. While she’s never liked eating meat, she’s glad to avoid the potential carcinogens while feeling healthier and more energetic.

For those contemplating veganism, she suggests taking an optimistic, step-by-step approach. “Some people can get discouraged if they’re like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t eat this. I can’t eat that. What can I eat?’” she said. “Getting to know all of the foods that you can eat can be a lot more encouraging than just focusing on what you can’t.”

Thus, while a lifetime without bacon, fish sticks or cheese might seem daunting, the hope is to make a positive impact. “I think it’s my way of giving back, trying to minimi ze bad t reat ment towa rd s a nima ls,” Sato sa id. “ There a re a few things in life that I couldn’t live w ithout. A nimals would be one.”

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Reviewers Taste Test V

— Written by Jessica Wang

Shannon Lin

Many people share the same fears about alt they can be too pricey, too bland or taste nothing why The Oracle staff tasted and critiqued four for overall taste, imitation of their non-vegan in comparison to non-vegan products. We then taste, imitation and price from one to 10 to dete are worth your while.

Gardein’s Crispy Tenders On the surface, Gardein’s Crispy Tenders parallel chicken nuggets well. However, while the breading imitates the usual eggs and breadcrumbs perfectly, the meat has a recognizable taste of soy. Still, at around $4.19 for a 9 oz. bag, the price is a good bang for your buck. In fact, compared to some non-vegan brands Gardein’s products can be an even better deal.

Rather than using chicken, Gardein’s vegan alternative breads soy, wheat and pea proteins with grains such as quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut. Their products can be commonly found at local grocery stores. We rate this a 8.0.

Speculoos Cookie Butter This brand creation is the epitome of a caloric bomb: binge-worthy and containing the sublime taste of gingerbread. It’s typically added to ice cream, s’mores and other desserts, and it may possibly be the greatest gift mankind has to offer.

Warning: this is ridiculously addictive. It tastes exactly like gingerbread as a spread, making it ideal for desserts and midnight cravings. Even better, Speculoos Cookie Butter costs no more than a peanut butter jar. Ignore the fact that consuming the entire jar of cookie butter may spike your blood sugar to astronomical levels— it’s one hundred percent worth it. We rate this a 10.

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Friday, October 4, 2019

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Vegetarianism Provides challenges, rewards

Madison Nguyen

Vegan food

ternative food products; g like the original. That’s r popular vegan options counterparts and price n ranked them based on ermine what vegan foods

Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry’s took one of their most popular flavors and now offers their almond milk substitute for vegan ice cream fans. Other vegan flavors include Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Cherry Garcia, Peanut Butter Half-Baked and many more.

Overall, this non-dairy option remains true to Ben and Jerry’s reputation. One noticeable contribution was the large chunks of cookie dough, which many people greatly appreciated. However, it melts quickly and tasters have commented that the almond milk is clearly distinguishable. But if you’re a fan of almond milk, then that’s probably a double win. Still, their non-dairy pints are all a dollar more expensive than their original counterparts. We rate this a 8.7.

Daiya’s Mac and Cheese Preparation-wise, Daiya’s Mac and Cheese is similar to non-vegan boxed mac and cheese. However, Daiya’s pasta is made with brown rice, and the cheese is made with cassava and arrowroot. The cheese is also provided in a squeezable pouch rather than a powder, convenient for the laziest of chefs. Vegan college students, take notes.

If you performed a double-blind test with boxed mac and cheese and non-vegan mac and cheese, none of the tasters would be able to tell the difference. Although it tastes lighter and slightly less cheesy, it essentially resembles an order from a restaurant’s low-calorie menu section. Sadly, at $3.69 a box, Daiya’s Mac and Cheese is pricier than the typical Kraft Mac and Cheese boxes. We rate this a 8.3.

My path to vegetarianism has had plenty of twists and turns over the past four years. When I first attempted vegetarianism in seventh grade, my resolve lasted eleven days. The summer before ninth grade, it lasted three weeks. Though I’ve failed many times, at my current streak of one year and a little over four months, I’ve yet to cave into my desire for fried chicken.

When I first started, my true intentions were really just to challenge myself to do something I never pictured myself doing. I was an avid eater of fried chicken and a strong hater of tofu; in addition, a lot of traditional Vietnamese dishes contained some sort of meat product. Meat really was the center of my diet, especially when I needed some protein after water polo and swim practices. Nevertheless, restricting my dietary regime was, in a way, something I had always considered doing, but never really had the guts to do. One day, out-of-the-blue, I first began to completely cut out all meats except for seafood.

Since that moment, there have been many ups and downs. Towards the beginning, as the only non-meat eater in my family, I was constantly surrounded by the aroma of chicken, beef and other meats that I desperately wanted to try. My mom spent weeks attempting to convince me to start eating meat again so she wouldn’t have to cook food with meat and food without meat. Coming home at the end of each school day, I would open the refrigerator door only to find nothing, close it, then open it up again, somehow hoping for something to magically pop up. I then resorted to eating chips and other junk food to satisfy my hunger because of my lack of cooking knowledge and my general laziness. It really was an endless cycle of searching for any kind of vegetarian option and only finding junk food. To ignite some motivation in myself, I bought countless nonmeat cook books, hoping to find healthier food options and learn how to cook. However, to this day, I have yet to even try to make one of these recipes or simply open the books. Instead, I began going to the grocery store more often and instead of bringing a list and sticking to it, I went in blindly. Roaming the aisles and produce section, my cart was filled with foods that I wanted to try, snacks I could still indulge in and my personal favorite, the meat-free Gardein chick’n nuggets.

As the weeks and months have gone by, not only have I somehow become unaffected by the smell of meat, but my vegetarianism has allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and try new foods. Never would I have thought that someday, I would actually enjoy eating tofu, veggie wraps or even any kind of vegetable, to be honest. I’ve incorporated so many different kinds of foods into my diet and have found alternatives to every dish that is usually made with meat. It’s definitely become more of a slippery slope for me, as well. I began with giving up non-seafood meat, and it wasn’t until just recently that I thought to myself, “Why don’t I just give up all kinds of meat?” It no longer has a huge effect on the way I live or the way I feel. Yes, I definitely feel like I eat much healthier and I feel lighter after I do; however, that really is the only aspect of my life that has changed. At first, I thought that doing this would bring some kind of huge change to my life that would open my eyes and cause me to be a completely different person. It hasn’t, but it’s simply taught me the importance of determination, ambition and believing in yourself.

As I approached the one-year vegetarian mark, I realized that my intentions for not eating meat have completely changed. It’s no longer a challenge for me because I’ve become so used to not having it be a part of my diet. During this entire time frame, I started to become more aware of how animals were being treated on farms, both on land and in water.

I educated myself with articles, factual and opinionated, as well as a myriad of documentaries that demonstrate the truth of animal cruelty.

While not all farms treat animals this way, there’s enough out there for organizations to be established and documentaries to be made, each pushing for some kind of change. You can choose not to care or believe what they’re presenting to you, but the fact that so many people have put in days and weeks to inform the public about the reality of animal cruelty must spark some curiosity in your mind. For me, even if there was a one percent chance of it happening, it motivated me to really care about what I’m putting into my body and how that affects the world and other living organisms.

There is a myriad of people in the world who will attack others for what foods they eat, and specifically whether they eat meat or not. There’s also a large community of vegetarians and vegans who attack meat eaters for their dietary regime, blaming them for the many problems we see in our Earth’s climate today. A huge misconception a lot of people have about those with fixed diets is that we are all out to attack meat eaters based on what they eat. I think it goes the other way as well. Countless people have told me about their newfound hatred for vegans, and much of the discontent between the two groups comes from a lack of information on both parts. Instead of attacking other people for something as simple as what they eat, there needs to be a discussion between both parties about the benefits of both. This is why I advocate for everybody to stay knowledgeable about not just how what we’re putting in our bodies can affect it, but also about how our eating habits can affect the environment.

My goal here is not to convince or pressure any of you into becoming vegetarian or vegan, but to demonstrate that anything, even completely revamping your diet after 14 years, is possible with a little bit of effort and self confidence.

—Nguyen, a junior, is a Features Editor

—Lin, a senior, is a reporter Photo illustration by Melissa Ding and Jamie Wang

9

10

Sports

Football Team makes improvements, starts off season 4-1 1.

In past years, the football team has gone seasons without winning, with the junior varsity division barely scoring points in the entire season. But this year, something changed: the Titans are off to a great start to the season, currently 4-1 overall, the best they have done since 2002.

Last year, the Titans began making minor strides towards improvement. In 2017, the team went 1-5 in the league. During varsity coach Jason Miller’s first year, 2018, the team went 2-4 in league play and 4-6 overall, a major improvement from past years. Miller came from Compton High School, which bred his competitive spirit. “[Coach Miller] shows that he actually cares about the team and the program, which is another thing that coaches in the past haven’t expressed,” senior Aiden Everett said.

“He’s also told us that he’s done this exact same thing with four different high schools in his career where they went like 1-9 the year before and the next year they go undefeated. He knows how to turn around programs.”

2.

3.

“The kids are more comfortable with the system, putting a lot of hard work in the offseason and becoming students of the game.”

4.

5.

Photos courtesy of Butch Garcia

1. Senior Jack Dellenbach hypes up teammate senior Eitan Smolyar after scoring a touchdown.

2. Senior and quarterback Aidan Everett drops back and looks for a receiver. 3. The offense sets into motion, looking to run the football. 4. The Gunn football team walks onto the field ready to square off against Yerba Buena. 5. Senior Philip Doan stiff arms an opponent as he runs the football.

Miller attributes their recent winning streak to the team’s hardworking attitude. “The kids are more comfortable with the system, putting a lot of hard work in the offseason and becoming students of the game. Their hard work drove the improvement,” he said. Senior Leo Ye believes their success is due to increased attendance to summer workouts. “Everyone has a championship mentality and we work like a champion every day. It’s all about the offseason workouts,” Ye said. “Everyone’s been showing up, and they’re hungry and want us to win every game.”

The attitude at the practices has also shifted. “It’s been a quick turnaround in the numbers of people that were coming out to play football and the commitment level,” Everett said. The Titans have seen dramatic strides from many players. “Jack Delleanbach has improved in his ability to tackle,” Miller said. “Cory Hellada has come out and made a ton of strides. Everyone has really improved a lot.” Hellada is second in the league in rushing yards with 124 yards per game. Senior Eitan Smolyar, who averages 132 yards per game, is first.

Right now, the Titans are playing in the El Camino League and have yet to face tough opponents like Saratoga.“The strongest team in our league is considered to be Saratoga,” Miller said. “They scored more points than us, they are a passing team and they are very sophisticated,” Miller said. According to Miller, the team’s goal is to put themselves in a position to play Paly. However, in order for that to happen, the Titans need to win in the El Camino League. “We want to show the school and the city that there is another football team in Palo Alto,” Everett said.

—Written by Kate Mallery

Athletes share insights into recruitment process As college application deadlines roll around, seniors at Gunn are frantically working on their essays, sending their transcripts out and doing everything they can to get into the school of their choice. For recruited athletes, however, they’ve been training for years to guarantee that spot in their top college choice.

Swimmer Jerry Yang is in the process of going on recruiting trips and deciding on schools to spend his next four years at. “I’ve been swimming for a long time; swimming takes up a lot of my day, and I just felt like it would really give me a boost into getting into the college of my choice,” he said. “It’s my best way to contribute to the college.” Yang has been swimming for 11 years, and has dedicated a significant portion of his life in order to be good enough to be recruited.

Soccer player Jimmy Hahn also emphasized the hard work that is required to finally get to the point of being recruited. “I’ve played soccer all my life,” he said. “I put a lot of my free time into soccer.”

Hahn is getting recruited by Macalester College, a private liberal arts school in Minnesota, and a Division 3 soccer school.

11 years is a long time to play a sport, and for Yang, it hasn’t all been fun—he’s experienced burnout and times where he didn’t feel like swimming, but he has always perservered, picking himself back up. “I like swimming a lot, but there’s been a couple years where I’ve kind of felt burned out and I didn’t enjoy it as much,” he said. “Taking breaks definitely helped get back into things.”

Especially at a competitive level, sports can become dangerous and Hahn stresses the necessity for future athletes to always put themselves first. “Be smart about your body,” he said. “If you’re starting to get injured or something is hurting, rest, because a lot of people get injured and just miss the entire recruitment process.”

Sometimes, if the team goes to more competitive tournaments, coaches might come to watch the players to decide who they think is good enough for the college team. “You either have to contact them and ask them to come watch you, and go to a camp or they will watch you in a tournament or something, which happened with both of mine, and then they’ll contact you,” Hahn said.

Even after the years he put into the sport, a few coaches still turned Yang down, but he was able to get through it and keep pushing through the process. “A coach has never told me in person that I’m not fast enough, but they have over email,” he said. “That’s kind of the hard part. At that point, you just train harder and look at other schools.”

When it comes to juggling both academics and sports, it can be a struggle, especially for Yang, who missed a lot of school to go on recruiting trips. “Recruited athletes have to work twice as hard because they have to maintain their grades and go to practice,” he said. “At this level, you’re training three hours a day and morning practices are devoted to swimming so you have less time to study, which makes academics harder. Another hard part is with recruiting trips, since they want to get you a taste of the swim team and school life, so you’ll be missing a lot of school, meaning you’ll have to make it all up. Last week, I missed five days of school because of recruiting trips, so Audrey Tseng I had to make that all up.”

At the end of the day, even with the challenges As for the process itself, it requires initiative to reach of playing a sport competitively, Yang finds joy out to coaches that athletes believe might accept them. in swimming and plans to continue through college for “You need to definitely start early, because with new rule all four years. “Nowadays, swimming is relaxing for me, changes, they’ve started recruiting a lot earlier,” Yang said. and everytime I get into the pool it feels good to be in the “If a coach doesn’t respond to you, just keep on sending water, and super relaxing to be there,” he said. “It’s fun them emails, updating them and sometimes they aren’t when you destroy everyone.” really good at returning emails, so keep on emailing them.

Make sure you respond to emails as soon as possible.”

—Written by Nikki Suzani

11

Lifestyle

Friday, October 4, 2019

Stevens Creek Trail:

Bike

Four miles away from Gunn, the Stevens Creek trail is a bike spot where you can get in touch with nature while being among communities of bikers. The trail is not designed for long-distance bikers as it is only five miles long, but it runs along the marshlands. There also tends to be a lot of people on the trail, and the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail community group helps to maintain it to be usable for both bikers and pedestrians. The trail is also fairly shady, which makes it great for a hot day. Finally, it is very close to bus routes so if you’re too tired after biking, you can take your bike with you on the bus to go home.

Shoreline:

With challenging terrain, the Silicon Valley Shoreline Mountain trail can be difficult for bikers who are just starting out. It’s also the longest, with a 16.6 mile loop, and is surrounded by water. Unfortunately, the ground is mostly gravel, so it can be difficult to bike through. The bike ride involves going across bridges, enjoying scenic views of the water and going from open areas to shady expanses covered by trees. It also has many scenic routes and can be good for a day outing. The surrounding water makes for great Instagram posts.

Palo Alto Baylands Trail:

The Palo Alto Baylands Trail is known as a great spot for birdwatching and getting in touch with nature. It is a migratory spot for many birds flying over the Pacific. The marshiest of the trails, the Baylands Trail, is a little harder to bike through, as it can be very windy. In fact, it isn’t just one trail but 15 miles of different types of paths. The city also offers many ecology programs along the trails, so you can join a few and bike through destinations.

Mitchell Park: One of the most notable spots in Palo Alto,

Mitchell Park is a beautiful expanse of greenery with a nearby library and eatery. The park has a lot of open space for soccer games and even has a playground. Even after you bike through the park you can sit and enjoy its beauty. Beyond that, there’s even a dog park where you can go hang out with people and their dogs. Finally, Mitchell Park is very close to Gunn, only a few miles away, so it’s not very difficult to get there.

—Written by Nikki Suzani

Hik in

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Ridin

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EXPLORE BEST LOCAL SPOTS FOR UNIQUE FORMS OF RECREATION

Planet Granite: Located

Foothills Park: It is only

natural that the number one hiking spot in our area is reserved solely for Palo Alto residents and guests.

Spanning 1,400 acres and bordering Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, Los Trancos Open Space Preserve and Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, Foothills park houses an impressive number of trails and an expansive lake. It sports a number of natural, scenic features such as rolling green hills, lush meadows, wooded creeks and an overlook onto the sparkling Bay Area skyline. There are multiple bathrooms, water fountains and parking spots scattered throughout the park, and trail maps are provided at the entrance. A great deal of hikes run throughout shady wooded areas and open meadows, so there is a high chance of encountering diverse Peak of Fremont: Located in Fre- species of flora, as well as various wild animals such as mont, the Peak of Fremont features more deer, rabbits and mountain lions. What’s more, your than 135 top and lead rope routes, and taxes are funding this gem of a park, so take advantage over 120 boulder problems. They offer of its bountiful trails and picturesque scenery. a variety of classes for people of all ages and levels. Without membership, the Monte Bello Preserve: Wildflowers and brush daily cost is $20 plus extra equipment are scattered throughout the meadows of the Monte Bello to rent.

Preserve. Monte Bello, meaning “beautiful mountain,” perfectly describes the jewel that is Black Mountain, the The Studio: Located in San Jose, tallest peak in the preserve. Harboring spectacular views, with over 11,000 feet of climbing tervaried trails and a peaceful atmosphere, this preserve is rain, The Studio offers a wide variety perfect for a weekend hike. There are services that make of routes for top climbers. The Studio a hiker’s life easier, such as parking, bathrooms and trail features a range of different fitness maps. Popular hikes in the preserve include the Canyon classes including yoga, conditionTrail, Stevens Creek Nature Trail, White Oak Trail and the ing, TRX, bootcamps and more. trek to the top of Black Mountain. Each season brings out They offer multiple climbing a different feature of the park, with spring highlighting its classes as well. Without memwildflower bonanza and autumn displaying foliage of orangbership, the daily cost is $25. es and golds. Monte Bello Preserve is chock-full of different environments and trails to explore, and will be a great new place to add to your hiking bucket list.

Castle Rock State in Sunnyvale, Planet Granite is the most popular indoor rock climbing gym in the area.

The gym features a large number of climbing walls for people of all ages and levels. They also include a gym and even host yoga classes with friendly staff.

Junior Jordan Cheng, an avid customer of Planet Granite, elaborates on why he likes to climb, “It’s really really fun, and it’s also very good for you,” he said. “It’s very physically challenging, but it’s also very physically rewarding.” Without membership, the daily cost is $28 plus extra depending on what equipment you need to rent.

Park:

Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos is located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and is the perfect spot to test your outdoor climbing skills.

The park is known for its many great hiking and climbing spots and views.

—Written by Genna Bishop

Stanford Dish: The Stanford Dish is a frequent hiking

spot for students and community members, and is named after the large satellite dish present on the trail. With challenging, steep hills and an open landscape, the hike begins at Foothill Expressway and Stanford Ave. There are a few shortcomings to this location: the lack of bathrooms, limited parking and no shaded areas. Make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat and water. The hike is a paved 3.5 mile loop, which makes it more convenient for running.

Some animals that you might encounter on your hike include birds, lizards, squirrels, wild turkeys or deer. In addition, the trail offers some gorgeous views of Palo Alto. This location is the closest out of all the best-rated hikes near Gunn, and can serve as a place to clear your head and get a good workout in.

—Written by Jennifer Gao

Graphics by Jocelyn Wang

12

Lifestyle

APPLE vs.

ANDROID PHONES: WHICH tech COMPANY PRODUCES THE BETTER SMARTPHONE? Since smartphones were first introduced, the competition to be the foremost product has been fierce. But time and time again, Apple always seems to come out on top. Due to its superb user interface (UI), importance in pop culture and compatibility with other Apple products, the iPhone remains the supreme smartphone on the market.

One of the best aspects of iPhones is its nearly perfect UI. Its intuitive design and beginner-friendly software makes its UI effortless to use. The layout and design of the apps and features in an iPhone are perfectly tailored to accommodate the user experience. Some of the iPhone’s best features include Touch and Face ID, Siri, FaceTime and an efficient maneuverability of apps. Unlike Android products, the iOS software for the iPhone is exclusive. Apple prefers quality of experience over practicalities, which largely contributes to its popularity among consumers who value ease of use over pure performance.

Another perk of owning an iPhone is its compatibility with other devices. Since a large portion of technology operates on Apple’s iOS and most people own personal Apple system devices, owning an iPhone makes connecting with other de-

vices seamless. Applications such as FaceTime and Messages run most smoothly when functioning between Apple products. Even small components like AirDrop and the color of text messages give Apple an advantage in user experience.

Lastly, iPhones are superior because they are simply more prominent in pop culture. Although iPhones are more expensive, it is often beneficial to possess an iPhone in the presence of other iPhone users, especially in the Silicon Valley, where the iPhone dominates the market. A major source of the iPhone’s popularity in pop culture is its appearance—its simplistic yet modern design trumps the Android in all categories. Many people prefer iPhones based on their aesthetic. Additionally, in pop culture, Android products are often mocked for having poor camera quality and generally looking like discounted iPhones.

For its simple user interface, ability to connect with other apple products and popularity, the iPhone still stands as the premier smartphone device.

—Written by Devon Lee

While everyone has been posting about the new features of the iPhone 11, the Samsung S10e has possessed these elements for months. The new iPhone promoted aspects such as a wide-angle camera and night mode, which have been signature to Samsung phones for a while, and Apple has only now begun adopting them.

Androids have a wider variety of features than iPhones.

With Android, you can customize your phone’s theme and the icons for apps.

For example, to celebrate the upcoming Halloween season, you can download a theme that transforms your app icons into pumpkin shapes.

This theme can also change the text color to orange, allowing you to get in the Halloween mood every time you look down at your phone. iPhones have the default iOS icons and a setup that is not alterable.

Android phones are also much more adaptable in terms of ports and cables.

The USB-C cable can be used to charge an Android in addition to a laptop and many other devices that use the universal port, so an extra cable is not necessary. Apple cords can only be used with Apple products, making them a much

less convenient option. Additionally, the Android has a headphone jack, so it’s viable to switch between different earbuds and headphones at your will, while Apple has gotten rid of this universal port.

Furthermore, a Samsung phone is much more durable than an iPhone.

There have been many reported cases where slippery iPhones have been dropped and shattered, to the point where the phone can no longer be used. There is a reason why Apple Care exists, after all.

Finally, Samsung Pay is accepted universally on credit card machines, while a special software is required for Apple Pay. Samsung Pay works with all card machines, regardless of whether they accept Apple Pay or not. It is the most universally accepted mobile payment system.

While Android users are often subject to unfair harassment on Twitter, Android phones have superior software and features. Instead of spending your life savings on that new iPhone 11, buy yourself a durable, practical and versatile Samsung S10e.

—Written by Elisa Moraes-Liu

IPHONE 11 OFFERS NEW FEAtURES The iPhone 11 Pro, Apple’s newest flagship device, is now in stores, and New camera many complaints have improvealready arisen: the three ments in0.5x zoom is invaluJoshua Yang camera setup is deeply clude a new able to capturing a controversial. Yes, I’ve ultra wide broader scene. On seen the numerous mitosis memes flooding lens and the the other end of the social media after the keynote, and, indeed, ability to zoom spectrum, a there’s plenty to be discussed about Apple’s film in 4k at maximum of 10x design choice. We’ll save that part of the re60 fps. zoom is possible; at view for last. that zoom, remarkThe iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max serve as the ably sharp image successors to 2018’s iPhone XS and XS Max, quality is still preserved. respectively, with slightly improved screen brightness Portrait mode is similarly and processing speed under the excellent; for the most part, hood.

The iPhone However, these upgrades aren’t 11 is more very noticeable; outwardly—exwater-recluding the cameras—the iPhone sistant and 11 Pro is nearly indistinguishable the camera has has tougher from the iPhone XS. The two bigno problem finding the foreglass, makgest improvements that Apple has ground and background. What ing the chosen to focus on—battery life I find especially appealing, phone more and camera quality—are what will though, is that it is possible to durable. determine whether the iPhone 11 manually adjust the level of blurPro is worth its $1000+ price tag. riness in the background while edApple itself claims the iPhone iting the image, a feature that has been improved from 11 Pro Max has an extra five hours of battery life com- previous iPhone models. Apple also claims a night mode pared to the iPhone XS Max due to a more efficient pro- has been added to vastly increase the lighting quality of cessor and display. I could not test this, though initial nighttime shots, but I wasn’t able to test the feature out reports from reviewers certainly suggest that’s the case. myself.

The more contentious issue remains: the cameras. As To me, the most appealing improvement to the cama disclaimer, the design is not as aesthetically unpleasing era is its ability to shoot 4K video at 60 frames per secas some might think; in person, the cameras are comple- ond. Even from my quick test in the Apple store, the video mented by a gorgeous matte finish that draws attention came out incredibly crisp with great image stabilization. away from the camera setup.

That’s not to say the iPhone 11 Pro does not have flaws: The cameras are some of the best I’ve seen. The third some apps still crashed (the FaceID demonstration app added camera serves as an ultra wide camera, which refused to open and froze for a few seconds) and FaceID allows for a much wider field of vision when shooting itself, while taking less than a second, is still slower than pictures. While it’s not perfect—the edges of the image a traditional fingerprint reader. are inevitably subject to a fisheye effect—simply having The iPhone 11 Pro is an incredible phone with possibly

the best smartphone camera system ever. However, it comes at a hefty price tag: around $1000.

To me, that price tag isn’t wholly justified just on the basis of superior cameras and battery capacity.

The iPhone 11 Pro is exactly what its name entails: an extravagant, luxurious phone made for the professionals who require the highest specifications and are willing to pay a premium for it.

The phone also allows for a brighter screen and a much longer battery life (an increase by five hours).

—Yang, a junior, is a Forum Editor Graphics by Audrey Tseng

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Lifestyle

Friday, October 4, 2019

THE bATTLE OF THE HEADPHONES

which is superior: airpods, WIRELESS HEADPHONES or earbuds?

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t was Christmas morning in 2018 and the air was a crisp 62 deith the spread of Bluetooth and wireless devices over the grees. I was curious, not knowing what could be contained past couple years, a great debate has risen: what type in the plentiful boxes of presents laying under the plastic of headphones are the best? Of the many options, the Christmas tree. The time finally came when my parents told me Beats Solo3 Wireless stand out over the competition. Released in to pick out a present and open it. I chose a small rectangular 2016, they are the newest model of their line. Though they may one, not knowing that the gift laying in front of me would seem pricey at $200, they can be found for a more affordable become one of my most essential possessions. The gift was price of $150 on some retail websites. These headphones conthe first edition of the Apple AirPods, and they instantly betain a powerful combination of convenience, sound quality came a must-have. Anywhere I would go, they would either and battery life. be in my pocket, in my bag or in my ears.

The headphones are the “on-ear” model, which allows for The only downside that comes to mind is the constant smaller cushions and takes up less space while still provid“oh, somebody’s rich” or “wow, way to flex on us,” coming great sound quality. Moreover, these headphones have apments that are inevitable when you take them out. proximately 40 hours of battery life, as opposed to AirPods’ five.

Now that we have covered all the negatives, time to start The Solo3s also have the Beats “Fast Fuel” feature, which gives listing some of the endless positives. AirPods allow you to stay it three hours worth of battery from a five-minute charge. Adconnected and listening to your device within a 40-foot radius. ditionally, the added Apple W1 chip allows for easy pairing They also connect to any Bluetooth device, which helps solve with Apple devices and the ability to automatically connect issues that come with different types of headphone inputs. to devices on the same iCloud account.

The AirPod case and individual earbuds also have a very The appearance is also superior to all competition. sleek design. The battery life on the AirPods is also suWith a simple design and an iconic logo on the outside, perb; I once went through an entire day of school with my they look stylish for any occasion. The headphones also AirPods in and not once was I worried that they would come in dozens of colors and styles—some designs die. AirPods have also proved to be very helpful when ired eareven come from collaborations with companies such bored in class, since the earbuds are extremely concealbuds are as Disney. able and the customizable tap features allow you to held to a high standard Their most important feature, though, is their switch songs and pause without using a phone. due to their durability, audio quality. Unlike AirPods and most other In the end, if you can get past the hefty price cheap prices and overall conbrands, these have Beats’s trademark powerful tag, the AirPods are a wonderful purchase and venience. bass and sound, an addition that suits many an everyday necessity.

For the average high-schooler, popular genres of music. earbuds are an everyday tool. How Compared to other devices, Beats So—Written by Ryan Manesh ever, they should not be weighed down lo3s are by far the best option, with its with the hefty price tag of wireless devices. convenience, appearance and topWhile wired earphones are certainly the notch audio. “older” choice, they still provide users with plenty of —Written by Calvin Cai unique features. The Apple wired earphones, for example,

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only cost $29 but allow listeners to control the camera, talk to Siri and answer incoming phone calls, alongside a variety of other shortcuts. Wireless earbuds, however, are far more expensive and can only play, pause and skip to another song. Thus, opting for the cheaper but more versatile option is a win-win situation.

Lastly, there is a certain inexplicable comfort that comes with using wired earbuds. Maybe it’s the wires’ ability to “catch” our phone when it accidentally slips from our hands, or its pleasant capacity to provide users with audio 24/7. Charging wireless earbuds is especially inconvenient to those who rely on headphones throughout the day and can’t waste time waiting for them to completely charge.

New wireless gadgets are certainly intriguing, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best option. The headphone market is stocked with endless options in all shapes and sizes to attract consumers. However, flashy colors and an innovative new look does not equate to quality and comfort. The search for the best headphones is not supposed to be a maze: after all, the “perfect” option has been in front of your eyes for years.

—Written by Angela Wong

Photos by Melissa Ding Graphics by Grace Liu

Jocelyn Wang

WHAT dO STUDENTS USE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC?

“I use Apple earbuds because they are the only ones I have that fit my phone.”

Georgia Gersh (9)

“I use Beats earbuds because they’re noise cancelling, so I can put them in when I want to study in a loud place.”

Rachel Sun (11)

“I have AirPods and I prefer them because they allow me to be farther away from my phone since they’re not physically attached to my phone.”

Ethan Yuen (12)

“I use my bright pink Beats because the sound quality is great and the noise cancelation is amazing.”

Hanna Suh (12) Photo illustrations by Shannon Lin and Sophia Lu

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Features

Gunn alumni pause to reflect on their high school experiences Playwr i

ght Hol ly

There is enthusiasm in Holly Wright’s voice as she describes one of her latest projects, an adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play “Titus Andronicus” from the perspective of the character Lavinia. Wright, who graduated from Gunn in 2014, isn’t new to such an endeavor: as a New York-based theater director and playwright, she’s had experience working on a variety of different projects.

Indeed, much of Wright’s works have a common theme running throughout. “My personal passion is giving a voice to women,” she said.

In pursuit of that goal, Wright has written plays stemming from her research in the area of social media anxiety for young women, which she first conducted as a junior at Gunn. “I created a survey asking [Gunn] students and alumni between the ages of 18 and 26 to give me some examples of how they felt going through a highly rated, high-intensity public school district and how it affected not only their time in school, but their time after school,” she said.

Afterwards, Wright went on to write “TRIGGER WARNING: A Play about Youth and Stress / Or, Seeking Perfection: The Story of a Young Girl,” which incorporated the results of the study. “I created a 20-minute play that was very abstract and designed to be performed with a cast of five young adults,” she said. “[The play was] to be followed by a talkback that the young adults in the cast would lead with the community to facilitate a conversation on how pressures to succeed affect their day-to-day ability to function.”

As a senior at Pace University, Wright sent out a second round of surveys to continue in the same area of study, subsequently penning a second play. “I created a movement piece called ‘MASKS: An Ode to Young Women,’ that was presented at the Dyson Fellows Conference in the spring of 2018 and wrote an accompanying 30 page research paper,” she said.

Much of Wright’s passion for theater can be attributed to her time at Gunn, as she fondly recalls.

“My junior year, I auditioned for the fall play with [theater teacher James] Shelby, which was ‘Arabian Nights’ by Mary Zimmerman,” she said. “He called me that afternoon and asked me if I would be interested in being his student director. The play was a series of vignettes, and he even offered to let me direct one or two of the vignettes. That was the launching point for who I am today, because it was my first experience directing theater and I really fell in love with it.”

Since then, at university and beyond, Wright has only solidified her passion and further developed her voice. “I’m such a different person from when I went to Gunn,” she said.

“I definitely feel like I’ve found my voice a little bit more than when I was in high school. I’m not afraid to speak up for what I believe in.” y Wright stressed seeing the broader perspective. “It’s important to oll H of know that no matter where you end up immediately after high esy ight t r u Wr school, there are amazing things coming,” she said. “I felt o C like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

There’s always something brighter just ahead.”

Lucas Mosing, a 2014 graduate, is known as FaZe Blaze, a YouTuber who is part of the esports organization “FaZe Clan.” Since starting his channel in 2013, he has amassed over 3.2 million subscribers by playing video games and recording his daily life.

Mosing’s time at Gunn helped him develop many real-world skills. “In general, people-skills-wise, Gunn taught me how to just be a good human,” he said.

His experience at Gunn was overall a positive one, and he was able to juggle gaming with his schoolwork. “Life at Gunn was fire and it was just really laid-back for me,” he said.

“I didn’t really feel that competitive atmosphere that a lot of kids talk about.”

YouTube began as a hobby for Mosing, who started his channel while he was at school, but his channel quickly grew as a result of his success in gaming. “[The channel] kind of popped off for me while I was in high school,” he said. “Money was a big factor; I was making good money in high school, so there was already a path for me to continue making money [after graduating].”

After uploading hundreds of videos and spending hours on his channel, Mosing eventually made the decision to attempt to join FaZe Clan, an organization that competes in video game competitions around the world. “I did this recruitment challenge called the FaZe Five for two years and I didn’t get in [the first year],” Mosing said. “The second year I put myself on the radar of some of the leaders, who started to know who I was.” He got in during the second year and is now is part of the group, living at the FaZe house and getting to run his channel as his professional career.

Mosing catapulted to fame after joining FaZe Clan, and is now a YouTube star, with his life broadcasted on social media. “My life is an open book,” he said. “I don’t care what people know about me.”

Beyond forcing him to have a greater social media presence, Mosing’s new career has given him the freedom to pursue what he wants and explore different passions. “I’m just a super happy person,” Mosing said.

“It’s just exactly what I want to be doing and everything I do is with positivity and enthusiasm.”

His favorite part of his job is the people he has been able to meet. “I’ve developed some friendships with some lit people that I’ve been with for years,” he said. One of the people he has become friends with is the rapper Schoolboy Q, who used to be his neighbor.

While gaming is a large part of Mosing’s life, another passion of his is music, and his success Courtesy of online has given him the opportunity to pursue this. “My biggest goal for the longest time Lucas Mosing has been to tour the world with my music and travel,” he said.

If Mosing could give any advice to his high school self, he would tell himself not to stress as much. “If you really want something and you’re actually 100% about it, you will find a way of getting it and making it happen,” he said.

Overall, Mosing is happy where he is in his life and career.

“It’s pretty lit 24/7 and every day is kind of just like a Saturday,” he said.

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Features

Friday, October 4, 2019

cher Laurel Ho a e t s die Social studies teacher Laurel ward u t l s Howard, a 2011 Gunn graduate, returned

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ia to Palo Alto in 2017 to teach at Gunn after graduating c Occidental College.

So When deciding herfrom next move after college, Howard considered

many options, but she ultimately decided to return and give back to the community in which she grew up, applying to work at Gunn. “When I was finishing up my degrees and figuring out where I wanted to go next, Gunn had just hit the second wave of suicides, and there was a lot of discussion amongst my alumni friends about what we could do to support people as people who’ve been through similar experiences,” she said. “I [wanted to] go back because I really relate to the student body. It’s what I can give back to this community.”

Returning to Gunn in 2017, Howard compares her experiences as a student and as a teacher.

“It’s a very similar culture. I remember a lot of the same; everyone was involved in everything and everyone was really challenging themselves,” she said. “It’s a culture that really celebrates a lot of student accomplishments in a way that a lot of other schools don’t, especially academic accomplishments. I have noticed that it has intensified a bit.”

Upon entering college, Howard felt Gunn prepared her well. “It prepared me super well for college and I found a lot of pressure lifted when I left here,” she said.

In addition to teaching at her old school, Howard also gets to teach alongside When most students gradher previous Advanced Placement United States History teacher Chris Johnson. uate from their respective high schools, When looking back at her times at Gunn, Howard recognizes the differences. they don’t think they’ll ever find themselves return“One thing I noticed coming back was that there is a significantly lighter ing. Yet, Gunn graduate and social studies teacher Haley workload,” she said. “We use a lot more discussion-based focus, and Perkins got the chance to bring her unique perspective as a former this year, we are [implementing] a lot more changes into the grading student back by becoming a teacher here. structure. I’m really excited about our revision policy.”

Since she was already familiar with the culture at Gunn, Perkins’ tran Howard advises students to know that it is okay to not sition to teaching was relatively smooth. However, she did encounter many know exactly what they want to do in the future. “I know changes in her former high school, from the physical layout of the campus to the inwe’ve created this game where we tell you that your value troduction of the wellness center and new conversations around mental health. “It was is how well you do and we tell you that you have to good for me to hear that it was something that was really important to teachers, and that try really hard to get into college, but it’s really not teachers were aware of how much work they were assigning and making a concerted effort make it or break it like the way we portray it to along with the administration and other student groups to focus on student needs,” she said. you,” she said. “So take a deep breath and Perkins also had to reshape her relationships with her former teachers, many of whom are know that there are always other opnow her colleagues. “I had to get used to former teachers being colleagues of mine, and [to] look at tions for you if the path you initially them in a different role and look at myself in a different role,” she said. take doesn’t work out for you.”

Perkins’ primary motivations for coming back to Gunn stemmed from her desire to teach in a

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high-pressure environment similar to the one she experienced growing up. “[I wanted] to start to uncover what’s going on within these communities and be a part of the many solutions that are being produced as a result of that,” she said.

While her experience differed from students today, she still has a unique connection to them.

“I don’t have to try and imagine what it’s like being a Gunn student. I know,” Perkins said. “I think it’s valuable in having empathy for the many pressures that we all might be feeling.”

Her experiences outside of Gunn have shown Perkins that the school can sometimes be a bubble, creating unhealthy and unfounded feelings of inadequacy in students. “When I left that environment, I was like, wow, I have something to offer here in this new place,” she said. “It made me much more comfortable being myself and expressing my thoughts and opinions, because I wasn’t as worried about not being the smartest, not having the best comments or not sharing the most insightful thing.”

Yet, Perkins thinks back fondly to her time as a Gunn student, particularly to the connections she made here. “Gunn, more than most high schools I’ve seen, does an amazing job fostering lifelong friendships,” she said. “It’s great to see people you grew up with growing up even more.” From homecoming to weddings, the friendships Perkins built in high school have grown with As a Gunn her throughout her life. teacher for thirteen years, English teacher Justin Brown is more than familiar with Gunn’s campus and student life. Yet, his familiarity stems not only from his years of teaching, but also from the experience of being a Gunn graduate himself.

After graduating from Gunn in 1995, Brown attended University of California Santa Cruz and received a master’s degree in creative writing at San Francisco State University. He then tried out multiple occupations, working as a criminal law paralegal, freelance writer, website music reviewer and advertising copywriter, before returning to Palo Alto as a teacher in 2006.

According to Brown, the physical campus looks very different. Other than the locations of key places, noticeable changes have been made on campus. Many of Brown’s teachers have retired, leading to a different faculty. He also noted that the academic culture at Gunn has become more competitive. According to Brown, the bar for college used to be lower, and there were fewer Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered at Gunn. “I think you could probably count the APs that you could take on two hands,” he said.

Brown feels that his own perspectives on Gunn have changed. Growing up in an artistic family, Brown commented on his overall passiveness as a high schooler. “When I look back, I definitely have regrets about insecurities and not taking advantage of my high school education as much as I could have,” Brown said. “[Now,] I often feel like, ‘oh, man, as a student, I would just love these classes.’”

Brown said his prime motivation for returning was his personal connection to Palo Alto. Both his mother and father were teachers in the area, with his father also working as a muralist. As a result, Brown already felt integrated into the community.

This connection allows him to engage with his students. “There’s just a little extra motivation and personal connection,” Brown said. Brown hopes that with his prior experiences, he can share his passion for film and literature with his students and spark their passions as well. “It’s not necessarily my subject matter that is going to connect, but hopefully I can still make some sort of difference or influence through [my] personality,” he said.

Brown advises current Gunn students to focus less on college and more on developing themselves. He comments that many of his friends who became successful didn’t necessarily need to attend a four-year university, and either attended a community college or simply pursued their interests. “College is a complete nonfactor in their story,” Brown said. “If you just focus on developing two things—your mind and your personality—everything else falls into place.”

Photos by Mia Knezevic Brown’s experiences since graduation have allowed him to Graphics by Shannon Lin and Audrey Tseng appreciate Gunn.“Despite flaws that people can find when they want to look for them, I really think this is a —Written by Genna Bishop, Liza Kolbasov, great place,” he said.

Shannon Lin, Sophia Stern and Joshua Yang

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Features

Shannon Lin

Married Teachers from opposing schools embrace their relationships Kristy and Grant Blackburn Two high schools, both alike in dignity; at the fair Palo Alto Unified School District Office on a sunny April afternoon in 2004 is where we lay our scene. It was just a normal day for Palo Alto (Paly) High School economics teacher Grant Blackburn, until English teacher and The Oracle adviser Kristy Garcia made a beeline toward him and said, “Let’s go out for those beers.” To this day, Grant Blackburn is certain that it was fate that brought them together.

The two first fatefully met in September at a beginning teachers’ support program being held at the District Office that year. At one meeting in particular, Kristy Blackburn invited Grant Blackburn to sit at her table with an offer no one can resist: “Join us. We have snacks!”

For Kristy Blackburn, it only took one “zero date”—her term for testing the waters with Grant—to realize how well she and Grant Blackburn get along. “We just had a lot of fun and were both like, ‘Wow, you’re really easy to talk to,’” she said.

As two halves of a whole, Grant Blackburn and Kristy Blackburn soon experienced the myriad benefits that come with an inter-district relationship once they started dating in 2004. “I actually like the balance we have,” Grant Blackburn said. “It’s great because we understand what we go through on a daily basis.”

Furthermore, the two share vacation days, can ‘substitute’ for their partner’s class when they’re busy at a meeting, and have extended their social circus to a district-wide radius.

The couple has seen quite a few astonished faces when they mention to their students that they married someone from a rival school. “When I told my students in the past, they were like, ‘What? How could you do that?’ It’s like Romeo and Juliet,” Kristy Blackburn said. The two do enjoy participating in this friendly rivalry. “We would go to football and basketball games together wearing green and red,” Grant Blackburn said.

“We’d sit on one side of the stadium, and then halfway through the game switch to the other side.”

Grant Blackburn agrees that their relationship is unique and their love for one another is as large as, say, an entire school district. “We’re proof that love can persist and cross town boundaries,” he said.

—Written by Angela Wong

Lisa and Matt Hall

Melissa Ding and Grace Liu

Gunn and Paly. Archnemeses until the end. Many students have friends at the rival school, Paly, however for Student Activities Director Lisa Hall, the connection goes further—her spouse works there.

The two met through a community outreach organization known as Youth and Government when they were both advising the program. “I was doing YMCA stuff and was an advisor and so was he,” Lisa Hall said.

Her husband, Paly Student Activities Director Matt Hall backed her up. “I think it was Bakersfield. Yeah, the advisor development conference for YMCA Youth and Government delegation advisors in 1996,” he said.

“Specifically, she was the advisor of the Palo Alto family YMCA delegation, and I was the advisor for the South Coast delegation.”

Being married to your counterpart at another school has its perks. “We both have the same health benefits plan, we both get the same days off, so in terms of holidays, that’s really great,” Matt Hall said. “In terms of more kind of spiritual or philosophical benefits, it’s nice to have somebody who understands what you go through on a day-to-day basis.” Lisa Hall doubled down on that, saying that what has been really helpful is being able to collaborate on ideas, especially since they do have the same job. “We can really share ideas and the schools are different enough that something they’ve tried that works might be a novelty here and vice versa,” she said.

Spirit Dances–Paly’s version of Airbands–have also drastically changed because of the couple’s marriage.

“At Paly before my arrival, spirit dances were essentially the same four to five boys and girls,” Matt Hall said.

“So 10 students out of 500 students got to have that experience and got to have the glory. But when I became the next director, and I saw what Lisa was doing at Gunn with incentivization and inclusion, we came around to the same system. And now if you look at our spirit dances, you’re talking 144 seniors last year and 50 freshmen.”

Lisa Hall says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I think it’s great to be able to work with my husband in the same district,” she said. “I know that some people like more separation but it works really well for us.”

Matt Hall puts emphasis on just how much he has learned from his wife. “Lisa was my mentor. She’s been doing this for 15 years,” he said. “There’s nobody in the district at either school who has been on the admin teams of either high school for that long. Let me say that again. No one else. There’s only one person in the district who has lasted that long. And that’s her. And there’s a reason for that. Because her systems are strong.

She treats her students well, she’s a quality teacher. She’s a quality educator, and she’s a quality woman.”

—Written by Annika Bereny

Photos by Melissa Ding Background by Jamie Wang