The Oracle October 2023

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Friday, October 27, 2023 Volume 61, Issue 2

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Required ethnic studies course to be implemented beginning fall 2025 Violet Tivol Reporter On Sept. 12 , t he PAUSD school boa rd recommended that district staff implement the soon-to-be-required ethnic studies course in fall 2025 as a graduation requirement for the Class of 2029. Although this recommendation extends the district’s initial time frame by a year, PAUSD will implement the course one year before it is legally required by Assembly Bill 101, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2021 and mandates an ethnic studies course in all public high schools.

“

The only thing worse than not talking about stuff is talking about stuff in a way that does more damage than being silent. I would like to take the time and make sure we do it safely.

—PAUSD Board Vice President Jesse Ladomirak

”

Ethnic studies at Gunn will be a sociology course examining the societal landscape of different ethnicities’ experiences and the historical context behind current events.

The current plan for the course, officially adopted during the Oct. 9 staff-development day, replaces the first semester of ninth-grade world history with the ethnic studies course.

The content of the removed semester will be distributed across two semesters of ninth- and

tent h-g rade world histor y. Distr ic t staf f are preparing the curriculum to be presented to the school board this December.

The timeline — which was also recommended by the Ethnic Studies Committee, comprising social studies teachers at Gunn and Paly — allows the district to implement the course as soon as possible while still granting time to collect student and community input, according to Board Vice President Jesse Ladomirak. “The only thing worse than not talking about stuff is talking about stuff in a way that does more damage than being silent,” she said. “I would like to take the time and make sure we do it safely.”

With a date set, a student focus group led by Social Studies Instructional Lead Jeff Patrick met during PRIME on Oct. 18 to discuss what the skills, takeaways and content of the ethnic studies course should look like. The meeting served as a precursor to larger community meetings that will happen during the rest of the school year.

In preparation for the changes, world history teacher Christopher Johnson plans to start condensing his curriculum and incorporating more skill-based learning next school year.

“Part of the push is to focus more on various skills such as sourcing, recognizing bias and opinion, and observational skills, but maybe one of the losses (is that) the content won’t be quite as rich as (before),” Johnson said.

The course’s placement aligns with that of many other districts in the state and is backed by a 2021 peer-reviewed Stanford University

“

Sa r

ah

X ie

Part of the push is to focus more on various skills such as sourcing, recognizing bias and opinion, and observational skills, but maybe one of the losses (is that) the content won’t be quite as rich as (before).

”

—World history teacher Christopher Johnson

study on the San Francisco Unified School District. The study found that implementing the class during ninth grade most benefited student engagement, involvement in school cultural activities and academic performance.

Patrick, who taught the ethnic studies elective last year, said the new, required class will be altered to better suit freshman needs.

It will center around four new Essential Learning Outcomes — historical thinking, writing, conversing and citizenship — in five units: identity, race and ethnicity, history and migration, language culture and learning, and action and civic engagement.

Gunn alumna Madison Yue, who took the elective last year and is a former features editor for The Oracle, emphasized the importance of engaging with diverse narratives early on. “I wish I had the option to take ethnic studies as a freshman,” she said. “I think it is important for Ethnic studies—p.2

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Monthly Highlights: Homecoming Week “(Homecoming) helps people work and come together as a community. I thought (the week) was interactive.”

—Isaiah Dai, 9

Owen Koehler

Chloe Wu

On Friday of Homecoming Week, class volunteers participate in the Hungry Hippos lunch game, trying to collect as many balls as possible.

On Monday at lunch, students compete in a round of tug-of-war against the other classes.

“The games were really fun to watch, especially Night Rally and Airbands.”

—Jaanvi Tadipatri, 10

Evelyn Chow On Friday night, the Homecoming Court makes an appearance at halftime during Gunn’s football game against Cupertino High School.

BY THE NUMBERS • • • •

723 spirit shirts distributed 1,170 Night Rally tickets sold 1,100 Homecoming Dance tickets sold 330 Airbands participants across all grades

Victor Peng Senior Miguel Lopez crosses the pool in a flamingo floatie as part of the pool games on Thursday.

Vin Bhat Ninth-grade students participate in Airbands on Thursday at Night Rally.

—Quotations compiled by Sylvie Nguyen

District plans ethnic studies class for 2025-26 school year Ethnic studies—p.1 freshmen to take this class because (they) can learn about these different narratives and perspectives at an earlier point in high school (to) help unify our community.”

The course, however, does not come without controversy: Community members have noted that a single semester might not be not enough time for both content breadth and nuance, while others have concerns that the new class could provide an excuse to exclude material on underrepresented groups from other social studies classes.

These concerns were brought up during the Oct. 18 focus group. Some countered these arguments by saying that ethnic studies would equip students with the mindset and skills necessary to further explore diverse narratives in their future social studies classes. Patrick also noted that the course will focus on local demographics, with opportunities for students to learn about specific ethnic topics that interest them, such as through the final unit’s action project.

At the Sept. 12 school-board meeting, PAUSD Superintendent Don Austin addressed other concerns. Instead of adopting the state’s model curriculum, he said that PAUSD is creating its own curriculum, which will be built around topics brought up by the Ethnic Studies Committee and in future community focus groups. “The controversy is around some elements of the model curriculum,” he said. “We’re not adopting that, so we need to be super clear about that.”

The current plan is for district staff to present a curriculum to the school board this December.

“If we go with this timeline, we might have some revision time, both from students who are in that class and as we continue to look at it,” Austin said.

According to Patrick, the ethnic studies elective will remain on the course catalog so that Gunn students graduating before 2029 can still take it.

Yue also highlighted other opportunities to get involved for students who are interested in the ethnic studies material. “I would take advantage of the resources at Gunn — for example, getting involved in affinity groups or the student equity committee,” she said. “Even if you’re not of a specific culture, check out those different cultural clubs and participate in the cultural events that SEC hosts.”

Vin Bhat

Gunn AI ad hoc committee members listen to educational AI policy proposals made by the district staff AI committee.

AI ad hoc committee discusses technology norms Victor Dang News Editor On Oct. 12 during lunch, Gunn’s student Technology/ Artificial Intelligence ad hoc committee held its first meeting to discuss technologies that could potentially impact education at PAUSD schools.

Following the development of ChatGPT and other generative AI, the district formed the short-term committee to not only address issues posed by AI, but also brainstorm ways to help students use it responsibly. According to English teacher Dr. Jennifer Cassel, the purpose of the ad hoc committee is to gather input and relay an action plan to the school board. The committee was open to all students, and some students were recommended by their teachers.

At the first meeting, the committee discussed appropriate academic uses of generative AI, including generating questions for test review and self-assessing grammar in world-language assignments.

Members also received the staff AI ad hoc committee’s rough policy guidelines. The guidelines define principles such as academic integrity and teacher autonomy, and list objectives such as encouraging responsible use of generative AI to enhance learning and fostering open communication between students and teachers. The guidelines also detail inappropriate uses of generative AI, such as on exams.

Committee members expressed interested in bolstering students’ comfort with making mistakes so that they won’t turn to generative AI. “We can’t ever lose sight of academic integrity,” Cassel said. “At the end of the day, especially in an English class, we want students to be able to write the AP exams without ChatGPT. You want students to be able to write independently of this tool, and also manage the tool and be in charge of the tool, and not (be) just at the

mercy of the tool.”

At the next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 30, the committee plans to continue exploring productive educational-use cases and best practices of generative AI. The committee will also review the staff-drafted policies again to suggest potential improvements.

The end product of the committee will be a recommendation to the PAUSD school board, according to senior Dylan Huber. “Through communication with parents and teachers and staff, as well as the committee at Paly, our committee at Gunn will make a recommendation to the district board, and they’ll use that recommendation however they want to,” he said.

Although the committee is short term, sophomore Sam Laxman anticipates that the district will continue to adapt to AI use in education. “I think (the policies) are going to have to be revised pretty frequently because AI’s capability and the things it’s able to do are going to change very fast,” she said. “If the set of guidelines is really broad, then maybe that can stick for longer. But if they’re more specific, I think it could be a more long-term thing that’s meeting more frequently.”

Huber looks forward to further exploring the intersection of education and AI with the committee.

“We’re trying to find a harmony between students and AI and teachers, and find a place where everyone’s happy with what the policy at Gunn is,” he said.

Cassel highlighted the value of collaborating with students to find a happy medium. “Every time the students help inform the committee, it’s golden because the students are ahead of a lot of teachers in terms of understanding the technology and how to use it,” she said. “Nobody is interested in prohibiting this, but we want to get a handle on how it can be used responsibly, and how teachers might be in a position to help students learn how to manage this new tool better.”

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

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

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Friday, October 27, 2023

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Math controversies spark debate at PAUSD Board meeting Kaylee Cheng Features Editor Accelerated math lanes, part of the Reimagining Middle School Mathematics program, were a prominent topic in this week’s board meeting. Continuing ongoing discussion about multivariable calculus offerings by PAUSD, students also voiced concerns about current options and requested changes.

During Open Forum, in which student and parent speakers were each allocated one minute to make a statement, 19 students in a “speaker chain” and two others shared their opinions regarding multivariable calculus and lane acceleration. Comments centered on the district’s handling of multivariable calculus offerings at the high school level.

The conversation expanded, however, into scrutiny of the district’s inclusion of student voices in curriculum debates.

Students advocated greater data transparency within the district, more lenient and less opaque lane-acceleration policies, increased student voice and visibility, and greater administrator willingness to work with students on future math-related issues.

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Students are genuinely interested in having a multivariable calculus class and having opportunities to accelerate, (which) the Board hasn’t been addressing effectively.

—Senior Ezra Furtado-Tiwari

”

During the meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. Guillermo Lopez reaffirmed that Advanced Placement Calculus BC is, and will remain, the highest-level math class taught by PAUSD teachers on high school campuses.

According to senior Ezra FurtadoTiwari, the student advocates’ goal was to improve student-district relations to lay the groundwork for more concrete changes to the course next year. “Students are genuinely interested in having a multivariable calculus class and having opportunities to accelerate, (which) the Board hasn’t been addressing effectively,” he said. “(We’re looking for) at least a concerted attempt (from the district) to see if multivariable calculus could be offered as a class through Gunn or Paly (next year).”

Students continued to discuss multivariable calculus and acceleration policies during the public-comment portion of the Reimagining Middle School Mathematics update. This resumption prompted Board President

Kaylee Cheng

Ellen Fletcher Middle School Math Instructional Lead Becky Rea presents student data regarding the Reimagining Middle School Mathematics program to the school board.

Jennifer DiBrienza to redirect the comments toward middle school math. “That series of comments was not about middle school math, and I should have cut it off,” she said during the school-board meeting.

The discussion item itself referred to the 2019 district decision to “delane” middle school math, making Algebra I the standard course for eighth-grade students and Geometry the standard for ninth-grade students. Board members discussed data from the first Reimagining Math cohort, which has just entered ninth grade. Rather than determining whether Reimagining Math would continue to be the math standard, board members aimed to analyze the cohort’s performance for the first time, according to Fletcher Middle School Math Instructional Lead Becky Rea. “I think it’s too early to declare it an actual success or failure, but it’s good to look back on what we’re doing,” she said. “I do think we’re going to have to make the decision to look at it repeatedly as kids move through high school.”

During the comment portion of this discussion item, a parent brought up concerns about the lane reductions in the middle schools as a result of the Reimagining Mathematics program. “My eighth-grader now could use a slower math and is really struggling,” she said. “And there isn’t enough support for him. Also, (he) hears so many comments in class of kids going, ‘Oh, this is so easy’ … (This) really affects him, and there’s really just no other options at this school.”

Overall trends for the Class of 2027 from school board records show increased enrollment in Geometry or higher-level courses for Hispanic/Latino students, Black students and students with disabilities in

ninth grade. Board Vice President Jesse Ladomirak, however, cautioned against using enrollment rates as the sole barometer for success. “No one in this room, and certainly not in this Board, thinks that just getting kids into Geometry is sufficient,” she said.

“We obviously have to make sure that they succeed when they’re there, … (but) we don’t have enough data to know that right now. We can’t solve that problem tonight — we can’t even identify if we have a problem to solve right now.”

“

I think it’s too early to declare (the Reimagining Middle School Mathematics program) an actual success or failure, but it’s good to look back on what we’re doing.

—Fletcher Middle School Math Instructional Lead Becky Rea

”

Moving forward, the future of Reimagining Math will depend on conclusions drawn from review of student data. Aiming to be proactive on this front, board member Shounak Dharap proposed forming an ad hoc committee in January after the release of first-semester data for the ninth-graders, a proposal supported by board member Todd Collins. “(We would plan) to talk about the data, to dig into it, to really see, ‘Is this working? Is it not working? What are the tweaks?’” Dharap said. “And have check-ins, … making sure we are always being true to the purpose, which was keeping high expectations for all of our students.”

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

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

“I enjoyed reading about enrollment gaps in STEM because it’s a problem that was previously unknown to me, until it was made clear in this issue. I also liked the story in the ‘Features’ section because it was unique and inspiring.”

—Grace Seo, 9 “I liked reading about Milcah. I thought her story was really moving and it was interesting to learn these facts about her that I never knew before.”

—Pernille Macskassy, 10 “I liked the issue about different genders in STEM because it is very relevant to Gunn while also being relevant outside of Gunn.”

—Amelia Perry, 11 “Make the front page story more eye catching and a controversial topic instead of putting the most mundane ones (construction, schedules) at the front.”

—Angelina Rosh, 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. These letters do not need to be from current students.

Go to gunnoracle.com to read our online exclusives!

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Recent accidents highlight need for bike safety initiatives Charlotte Qian News Editor

Following recent bike accidents involving PAUSD elementary schoolers, city officials and community members have worked to strengthen traffic safety initiatives. These events have also underscored the importance of existing initiatives, such as increasing the number of crossing guards and improving infrastructure.

The two bike accidents, which occurred on Sept. 8 and Sept. 14, caused parents and bike advocates to call for increased transportation safety. In response to the accidents, Chief of Police Andrew Binder and Mayor Lydia Kou said in a Sept. 15 statement that the city is implementing new safety initiatives, which include reassessing traffic controls and assigning 30 new crossing guards near schools.

These incidents, however, aren’t isolated cases: According to the Santa Clara County Public Health website, Palo Alto has the highest rate of bicycle collisions in the county, with 133.5 bicycle collisions per 100,000 people. According to released police reports, a total of 23 vehicle accidents and four accidents involving either cyclists or pedestrians occurred in September and October. Nine

of these 27 accidents resulted in injuries.

Although the City of Palo Alto had plans to improve roadway infrastructure before the accidents, according to City of Palo Alto Transportation Planning Manager Sylvia Star-Lack, a planned data-driven system for proactive safety measures will recommend solutions based on collision histories.

The City is also working on three other construction projects to improve bicycle safety in Palo Alto. The projects will create bike lanes on El Camino Real, connect the bike path near Paly to the Stanford trail near Churchill Avenue and El Camino Real, and improve the safety of the Alma Street-Churchill Avenue crossing. The improvements will be completed in this order, according to Star-Lack.

The City authorized a contract with Kittelson & Associates, a transportation consulting firm, on July 19, 2023, to assist with the developments. According to the City’s website, the updates have a budget of $340,000 and are projected to be completed in fall 2025.

To get Palo Alto residents’ input on future infrastructure projects improving bike safety on Palo Alto roads, the City is surveying Palo Alto residents for the Active Palo Alto: Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update.

Students are also taking action: Junior Nara Cammack is working on a bike garden — a “playground” for beginning bikers to practice safe biking skills — for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. She hopes to provide safe spaces for young bikers to make and learn from mistakes.

“We should be safe coming to school and going back, and the fact that it isn’t safe to go to school and there’s a (high) risk of collisions is not good,” she said. “It should not be (happening) every year. The responsibility is on everyone, both the students and the drivers.”

Currently, the City of Palo Alto has 11 student bike-safety education programs that fall under Safe Routes to School — a partnership between the city, PAUSD and the Parent-Teacher Association — on their website. The initiatives aim to educate PAUSD students in grades K-5 about traffic safety and provide maps of the safest routes to school.

Students in grades K-2 learn basic pedestrian safety, including how to cross busy streets and read traffic signals, while students in third to fifth grade receive education on bike safety, including lessons on proper helmet fitting and the rules of the road. At the middle and high school level, though, events are limited.

Cammack, who was in a minor bike

accident in 2021, noted the importance of improving existing educational programs.

“Increasing the frequency of our bikesafety education that Palo Alto offers is one of the most important things we can do, (because) frequency of exposure helps people retain information,” she said.

Junior Sera Singal, who was involved in a bike accident last year, also pointed to poor bike-safety practices among students, as well as the challenges of biking to school with construction blocking off certain parts of the road. “Students often aren’t paying attention (and aren’t) wearing helmets — especially the underclassmen — and do stupid things on the road such as crossing when the light is red,” she said. “I know (that) the district doesn’t have much control over (road conditions) besides telling students what they can do to stay safe.”

Star-Lack also emphasized that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings. “When you have a lot of drivers in one place in a very short amount of time, people are not very patient and bad behavior tends to happen,” she said. “Speed is a major factor in collisions that cause severe injuries and deaths. Drivers (should) follow the rules of the road and be on the lookout for bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Bicycle Safety Tips •

Wear a helmet: Students under 18 years old are legally required to wear a helmet

•

Don’t use earbuds or headphones when biking: Cyclists are not allowed to wear both earbuds at once

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Stay in the bike lanes or along the right side of the road: This step is especially important when riding to school along high-traffic routes Source: Schoology announcement on Oct. 23 by Assistant Principal Rebecca Shen-Lorenson

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Friday, October 27, 2023

Preserving historical sites yields educational, economic advantages to visit in Palo Alto Dan Honigstein In-Depth Editor In 1897, 8-year-old Thomas Foon Chew immigrated to a California ridden with anti-Chinese discrimination and violence. Yet, amid this adversity, Chew became one of the wealthiest Chinese Americans in the state, expanding his father’s canning business into the thirdlargest in the nation. The Palo Alto location of Chew’s Bayside Canning Company — a building on Portage Avenue right off of El Camino Real — was cast back into the local spotlight in late 2020 when its owner, the Sobrato Corporation, announced its plans to redevelop the site and demolish 40% of the cannery in the process. Despite heavy petitioning from local residents and even Chew’s grandchildren, the city approved the plan on Sept. 12.

This story, exemplifying the struggle between efforts for commercial development and cultural preservation, is not unique to Palo Alto — it is happening all around the world because of rapid economic growth and commercialization. Yet it is in citizens’ and policymakers’ best interests to prioritize preserving historical and cultural sites, which hold educational and economic value.

“

Yet it is in citizens’ and policymakers’ best interests to prioritize preserving historical and cultural sites, which hold educational and economic value.

”

According to Palo Alto Online, as part of the agreement, Sobrato will donate $1 million to city park improvements and $4 million to the city’s affordable housing fund, repurpose a portion of the land along Matadero Creek into a public park, and create 74 affordable townhouses, all while keeping the iconic monitor roofs of the cannery. Still, most of the cannery will be gone as a result of this redevelopment.

Much of history is lost over time. There undoubtedly once existed people and civilizations of which current generations have no awareness. Yet, in addition to records and documents, physical structures provide a significant piece of historical knowledge: According to research by Greene et al. in the Education Next Journal, students who participate in field trips improve their critical thinking and increase their cultural exposure. Sites that have managed to stand the test of time, therefore, are extremely valuable — they furnish opportunities for historical and

archaeological study and for society to see and touch history. While the Bayside Canning Company’s Palo Alto site seems insignificantly old when compared to sites such as the Jamestown Colony ruins or the New Mexico pueblos, it too is important: Chew’s success story as an early Asian American immigrant is unique, and it provides a valuable example of persistence in the face of adversity.

Preserving cultural sites also carries economic merits through stimulating tourism. Hearst Castle, a famous mansion built in 1919 in San Simeon, California, typifies this trend: After its owner’s death, the castle and its surrounding property were passed on to the State of California, and since 1958, it has been one of the most-visited parks in the state. According to a 2022 report by the Los Angeles Times, the park’s revenues amounted to $16.2 million in 2019 alone.

While Hearst Castle may be an outlier in terms of its popularity and resulting revenue, many examples of smaller profit-operating cultural sites exist. Especially in smaller, mainly residential cities, these sites can draw in vital economic traffic: For example, thousands of tourists travel to small Charlottesville, Virginia, each year to tour Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s former home and plantation.

Some who favor development over preservation of cultural and historical sites argue that the desired replacements — usually housing or retail spaces — provide access to far more lucrative markets. According to TeamCalifornia, a nonprofit promoting business development, the California retail market pulls in nearly $573 billion annually. This, when compared to the $90 million annual revenue of California historical sites per Statista, presents development as the obvious economic choice.

Others may also claim that these sites are not necessities. Indeed, development paves way for commercial space such as supermarkets or clothing companies, whose products play a more prominent role in everyday life than, say, museums. Replacing these sites with housing renders an even more essential service — according to California’s Department of Housing and Community website, California residents face a significant housing shortage. Still, though preserving cultural sites like the Palo Alto Bayside Cannery may stand in the way of some development projects, the remaining cultural sites only make up a small portion of potential commercial spaces.

While it is now inevitable that a significant portion of Chew’s cannery will be lost, there are still hundreds, if not thousands, of buildings, nature spaces and districts that require community support to guarantee preservation. In 2021 alone, the U.S. National Register registered over 900 new protected sites. Stories like Chew’s are worth saving for future generations to experience — it will be up to everyday people to give them a voice, through lobbying, donating, visiting or simply advocating.

Bell’s Books

Fiona Xiong

Situated at 536 Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto, Bell’s Books is a family business selling new and used books, ranging from popular novels and recipe books to rare, vintage collections. The store has been through several relocations and name changes since Herbert Bell founded it in 1935 in hopes of selling textbooks to Stanford students. In 1950, the business purchased its current building: a storefront with two floors, original pressed-tin ceilings and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

According to Bell’s Books owner Faith Bell, the daughter of Herbert Bell, the City of Palo Alto attempted twice to tear down the building to build a parking lot, once in the 1950s and another time in the 1970s. However, the efforts were unsuccessful, and in 1988, the building was designated as Category 2 on the National Register of Historic Places, defined as a historical building with “regional importance” to be preserved, according to the City of Palo Alto website.

Now, visitors stream in Monday through Sunday to flip through books and chat with friends.

Barron Park Market & Florist

Fiona Xiong

Barron Park Market & Florist, at 3876 El Camino Real, provides products such as plants, groceries, liquor and household products. Its low prices and accessible location offer a convenient option for local shoppers.

After moving from Iran in 1979, owner Haas Bordbari and his family purchased the property and started an auto body shop. In 1986, however, the City of Palo Alto forced the shop to close due to zoning restrictions prohibiting car shops.

Seeking a solution, the family decided to open Barron Park Florist, which was later followed by Barron Park Market.

According to Bordbari, his children are uninterested in continuing the family business, so he is uncertain of the market’s future. Nevertheless, he will continue to run the family business, which he sees as a neighborhood staple, for as long as he can.

—Written by Fiona Xiong

California has

3,012

registered historic sites, including houses, libraries, museums and other spaces Source: National Park Service

Vin Bhat

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Biden’s delay in revising Title IX policies vexes student activists

Ravina Nath Guest Columnist This opinion piece on national Title IX policies is written by senior Ravina Nath, Title IX Club co-president.

It has been 1,000 days. Despite the many slogans, messaging campaigns and empty promises of a new Title IX rule in his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden has failed to pass one. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in all federally funded institutions, including Gunn. To me, it is a promise from those with power that we, as students, deserve a safe educational environment, because feeling unsafe means we cannot learn. In September, I had the privilege of going to Washington, D.C., with Know Your IX, a youth-led nonprofit working to end gender-based harassment and violence in schools. There, I lobbied senior officials at the U.S. Department of Education to finalize the Biden Administration’s new Title IX rules and asked about the necessary pressures to get the rules passed.

Ensuring a fair and supportive environment for survivors of sexual violence is a fundamental matter of justice and equity.

While due-process rights are essential, they must be balanced with the imperative to protect survivors. Every president sets their own Title IX rules, which determine how the courts interpret Title IX during their term. By stating that evidence in a Title IX case must be “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive,” the Trump administration significantly shifted the burden of proof in a way that harms survivors. This change discourages students from seeking justice and hinders educational institutions from providing it.

I decided to go to Washington because of the inadequacy of this status quo. Try to imagine a situation where your perpetrator or abuser could select anyone — a frat brother, their mother, their girlfriend, your professor — to interrogate you during the cross-examination of the evidence in their trial. Such an approach could re-traumatize a survivor, forcing them to relive an extremely painful experience. The Biden administration is unlikely to meet its October deadline for revising policies like these because the Department of Education has not yet submitted the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review. It is appalling that they are not prioritizing this deadline, as the implementation of the rules could be postponed for another school year, leaving all students vulnerable.

I push for national change because I believe it is my job as a student advocate to tell our decision-makers that it is not their right to tell us how to feel. Rather, it is their responsibility to listen when we have the courage to speak up about what happened to us. As a national student-engagement organizer of Know Your IX, I empower student organizers across the country to champion issues related to consent, safety and justice on their campuses. This work is vital in ensuring that students have the tools and support they need to create safer and more equitable educational environments in their communities across the U.S. With every additional day that the Trump Administration’s rules remain, student survivors are left without the justice and support they so desperately need. Current high school and college students are learning in a world where an effective Title IX does not exist. As a senior, I have witnessed a generation of student survivors failed by the institutions intended to protect them.

By taking a stand, we can ensure that Gunn protects its students, survivors and all those suffering in silence. Join the Title IX Club in our fight not just for a better future, but for a better now.

PAUSD FAILS TO GIVE EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINED CONSENT EDUCATION Zoe Leontis Social Media Editor Zoe Leontis is vice president of the Title IX Club.

“If you’re still struggling with consent, just imagine instead of initiating sex, you’re making them a cup of tea.”

This sentence starts the popular consenteducation video “Tea and Consent.” The video, which was used in PAUSD student consent education in 2021, likens consent to the acceptance or refusal of a cup of tea. While this metaphor may be clever, it fails to identify the major factors of consent — that it must be freely given, reversible, informed, specific and enthusiastic.

More importantly, it masks the severity of sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape. Although PAUSD and Gunn have the resources, they fail to provide students with proper, consistent education on consent.

The PAUSD Policy and Regulations book states that consent is not silence or passivity. “Consent is communicating permission,” it reads. “It is voluntary approval that can be withdrawn at any time without coercion.” Even if someone shows initial interest, they can change their mind at any point, and it is crucial to ask before doing anything that could make someone uncomfortable.

Moreover, consent one time does not mean consent every time. Additionally, even if minors are willing to have sex, they cannot legally give consent.

Sexual harassment involves repeated requests to engage in physical conduct such as dancing, kissing, touching or sex. Additionally, sexual harassment includes negative comments directed at a person’s sex, gender identity or sexuality, such as body shaming. Sexual assault includes nonconsensual touching of any nature, such as grabbing, groping, grinding, fondling, kissing or sex. Since consent isn’t covered well enough throughout the year, students often do not realize that they have been sexually assaulted or harassed.

Even if they do know, they sometimes aren’t sure how to file a report of a Title IX violation or find support from administrators.

The district’s educational programs fail to impart this information and address these nuances. Last year, the district did not provide any education on consent. The Title IX Club and Support for Survivors Project provided the only consent education, a video about consent at Prom shown during SELF. The video defined consent, explained that sexual misconduct acts as an umbrella term that covers any inappropriate sexual

66.3% of surveyed students do not know how to report a Title IX violation

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Oct. 14 to Oct. 23 with 101 responses

act, including sexual harassment and assault, and detailed how to report sexual-harassment incidents and resources on campus. Rather than leave the onus on the Title IX Club to provide consent education, the district should be proactive in consistently providing resources before large school events.

PAUSD’s slow progress on implementing consent education further precludes necessary, proper consent education for students. Despite first meeting over a year ago, from Sept. 26, 2022, to March 23, the Consent Education district committee has failed to plan and implement consent education lessons. Instead, at the April 18 school-board meeting, the committee shared its key takeaways and recommendations as an information item, meaning no action was required.

The district committee also failed to provide any actionable conclusions that would have allowed the Title IX Club to move forward with consent education in the 2023-24 school year.

In light of PAUSD’s inaction, Gunn should address this issue head on and come up with solutions as a community. For example, an Oct. 11 meeting between the Title IX Club co-presidents and Principal Wendy Stratton jumpstarted conversation about implementing outside consenteducation curriculum and involving students in the Consent Education committee’s discussions.

Beyond these growing conversations, SELF lessons — which currently contain no consent education, according to Assistant Principal Courtney Carlomagno — could teach consent through videos and realistic examples of different forms of sexual misconduct. It cannot be up to a small group of dedicated students to coordinate consent education, as in past years — it takes collective perseverance and action to truly create change.

PAUSD currently fails to consistently make resources and information accessible to students.

If education is provided throughout the year, students will be much more likely to remember and act on this information. The district can also turn to curricula from national consenteducation organizations to provide students with comprehensive, effective consent education.

Equipped with this information, students will know how to file a report if incidents happen, leading to a stronger sense of safety on campus.

If an incident of sexual discrimination and/ or harassment occurs, reports can be made to any PAUSD employee or filed online through the “Title IX - Report an Incident” page on the district website. Title IX Coordinator Robert Andrade can be contacted for support. Call Andrade at 650-833-4248 or email him at titleixcoordinator@pausd.org.

Report Title IX violations:

Chinyoung Shao

FEATURES

Features

Friday, October 27, 2023

7

Soaring high: Students pursue aviation Senior Emma Kochenderfer

of a male figure. According to the Centre The word “pilot” typically conjures images .

5% of the total pilot population worldwide for Aviation, women constitute only about a Emm r senio red deter industry has not However, the gender imbalance in the dream of becoming a pilot. Kochenderfer’s hood child her ing Kochenderfer from pursu ing effort to increase female representation passion for aviation reflects her role in a grow in the field. grew up hearing stories of her grandpa’s As a fourth-generation pilot, Kochenderfer ning ground school the summer before her flight school and her father’s training. Begin ing traffic patterns and aircraft systems sophomore year, she devoted hours to study inistration written exam. That summer, in preparation for the Federal Aviation Adm “I remember going onto the runway and Kochenderfer also flew a plane for the first time. time, realizing that I was fully in control,” pushing in the throttle all the way for the first it was incredible.”

— she said. “I don’t have words to describe that train at the Palo Alto Airport one to to nued Since then, Kochenderfer has conti on flying at night, which requires a greater three times a week. She is currently working it because of the darkness outside. dependence on instruments inside the cockp the process, the in-flight and oral exam, While she is qualified for the next step in have made it difficult for Kochenderfer to aviation policies regarding mental health hopes to initiate conversations about mental receive the required medical certificate. She standards more realistic and accessible. health between pilots and the FAA to make these is seeing the world from a different Kochenderfer’s favorite part about aviation has formed with other pilots. “Especially perspective and the tight-knit community she able to find other women and other young because it’s a very male-dominated field, being to me,” she said. “There are so many people women who want to do this is really special get there.” within the industry that have worked hard to skills that she can apply to other aspects Her aviation experience also helps her hone s in my classes a lot better, like physics, of her life. “It’s helped me understand thing said. “But I would say the most important environmental science and even math,” she you don’t know. When you’re flying, you’re skill I’ve learned is being able to admit what le that you’re flying and anything that responsible for your life, the lives of the peop ol and being able to follow through with happens. Communicating with air traffic contr able to say ‘I don’t understand what I’m procedures is the most important thing, so being passengers’ lives.” supposed to do here’ can save you and your s to major in aerospace engineering and hope Beyond high school, Kochenderfer try aerobatics, in which planes perform continue flying. She also hopes to someday drops and formation flying. acrobatic maneuvers such as intense spins, —Written by Kaitlyn Chen

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Emma Kochenderfe

Junior Jonah Weinstein

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For junior Jonah Weinstein, flying is a famil y affair. With his grandfather already a licensed pilot and his uncle on the way to becoming one, soaring in the air doesn’t sound too scary to him. Weinstein is currently preparing to take the free solo written exam, and if he passes, the solo flying exam next semester.

Influenced by his family, Weinstein showed an interest in airplanes from an early age, playing with Playmobil airplanes and dressing up as a pilot for Halloween — but only in the past year did he decide to take the step of making his childhood dream come true. Last year, while scrolling on YouTube, Weinstein came across a flying video that jumpstarted his determina tion to become an officially licensed pilot.

The feeling of freedom Weinstein gets from flying makes all the hard work needed to obtain a license worth it. “Looking out the window, the world looks so big,” he said. “And it’s kind of calming, just passing over everyone on the ground.”

The machine itself is also an innovation Wein stein finds fascinating. “I’m in awe that we built a machine that can fly,” he said.

Admiring planes, however, is entirely differ ent from flying them. As he works toward obtaining his pilot’s license, Weinstein has found that during flights, a fun plane ride can sometimes turn into a difficult maneuvering situation.

A few weeks ago, he encountered a 350-knot crosswind, which made it harder to land the plane. “I hadn’t had that much experience landing with a crosswind,” he said. “We started turning off the runway a bit and it was a narrow runway.”

Thankfully, he was able to straighten the plane in time with the help of his coach.

“That was a bit scary in the moment,” he said.

Mentorship has been key in Weinstein’s pursuits. As a student pilot, he is obligated to fly with a licensed pilot, whic h lowers his stress. “If I do anything wrong — which is bound to happen because everyone makes mistakes — he’s there to correct it,” he said.

Weinstein hopes to one day make use of his pilot license. “I don’t know if I want to be a commercial pilot yet, but that’s some thing that, (once I) have my license, it’ll be a much easier process,” he said.

He encourages others to pursue aviation if it’s something they’re interested in, even just as hobby. “It is something you shou ld explore because it’s just such a rewarding experience, and I’ve had a lot of fun so far,” he said. “Not that many people have the license, so it makes it pretty special.”

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Photo illustration by Jon

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—Written by Lise Desveaux

Graphics by Irene Hong and Karis Lau

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Features

THEORACLE

Living in america: Immigrants reflect on Freshman Artun Gunturkun: Turkey Four years ago, freshman Artun Gunturkun was stepping onto a plane, his excitement unfolding underneath a pile of fear. He was immigrating to the U.S. after living his entire life in Ankara, Turkey. Along with his mother, father and sister, Gunturkun faced the challenge of constructing a whole new life in an unfamiliar country.

Gunturkun and his family first moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and after living there for three years, they moved to Palo Alto. When he first moved to the U.S., Gunturkun’s biggest challenge was learning a new language. “When I first came, I had zero knowledge of English,” he said. “I couldn’t speak or understand (it). That was a really big challenge I had to face when I came (because) when I went to school, I couldn’t understand anything.”

Although Gunturkun’s move was challenging, it was also rewarding: The U.S. promised immigrants like Gunturkun and his family stronger educational opportunities and higher standards of living than those accessible to them in Turkey. In recent years, the Turkish government’s policies have caused

extensive growth in the manufacturing sector, according to the World Bank, which has led to inflation. “Here it is not really like that,” Gunturkun said. “We can afford a lot of things that we wouldn’t be able to get back in Turkey, and (those things) could be essential for life. For example, because of hyperinflation, everything from food to houses are much more expensive.”

Although it took him time to adjust to his new surroundings, Gunturkun was able to surround himself with people with shared interests and to access educational resources that granted him unique opportunities. After the changes he’s adapted to and the challenges he’s overcome, he reflects on his growth and looks forward to his life in the U.S. “I made new friends and I went to a new school, but I’m still the same person as I was in Turkey,” he said. “But (after moving to the U.S.) it’s helped me get more opportunities in comparison to Turkey.”

—Written by Eanam Maor

Immigration year: 2019 Reason for immigration: Rising inflation in Turkey and job opportunities in the U.S. Photo illustration by Grace Gao and Chaewon Lee

Sophomore Alex Efermova: Russia For sophomore Alex Efermova, immigrating to the U.S. from his small town — Krasnoyarsk, Russia — seemed like an impossible privilege because it provided a fresh start.

Because Efermova didn’t have the resources to learn about the LGBTQ+ community in his primarily conservative town, he felt alone in and confused about his identity. “I am a queer person,” Efermova said. “I didn’t know (being queer) existed (until) I was 10 or 11.

Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who was queer. It’s so hard to find queer (representation) in Russia, especially in not-that-big of a town.”

The size of his school only made the atmosphere more oppressive. With only twenty rooms in his school, Efermova spent 11 years with the same class of 30 students. “(My classmates were) very homophobic — (they made) fun of gays,” he said. “I was called slurs. It was not very pleasant, but I assumed that there wasn’t anything different.” Even though living in a safe and accepting environment was a dream for Efermova, he doubted it would ever materialize. “I didn’t think it would ever come true in a way that I (could) experience it myself,” he said.

In February 2022, Efermova faced the prospect of something different: life in the U.S. Efermova’s dad, who owned

a software company, wanted the family to relocate to Silicon Valley, where he would have more clients. Efermova wasn’t completely on board. “(Moving) to the U.S. was more of my dad’s dream than mine,” he said. “I was not entirely happy about coming here. I’m a person that likes (stability).”

It wasn’t until after becoming accustomed to his new life that Efermova finally found people he could connect with: allies both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community. “I connected (with) a bunch of other people, and now we have (a) friend group,” he said. “As a person who never had many friends, and never was very accepted anywhere, I feel really grateful to (have) my friends. They chose me to be in a friendship with. I feel like this is the best my life has ever got.”

Although Efermova was initially opposed to immigrating to the U.S., he now appreciates his dad’s decision. “I am really grateful (to) my parents for bringing me here,” Efermova said. “Even though it’s not something that I explicitly was dreaming of, America brought me the dream of freedom to be able to be myself.”

—Written by Claire Jittipun

Immigration year: 2022 Reason for immigration: Father’s job opportunity Photo illustration by Evelyn Chow and Chaewon Lee

Features

Friday, October 27, 2023

9

life in different countries, share stories Junior Marie Lozada: Venezuela Excited for a fresh start, junior Marie Lozada immigrated to Palo Alto from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2021 with her father and brother in pursuit of a safer living environment and educational opportunities.

According to Lozada, Venezuela experienced a social and humanitarian collapse due to a struggling economy and inaccessible necessities for many citizens.

Although Lozada lived in a wealthy neighborhood, her living environment became unsafe due to thieves and gangs.

“I heard disturbing stories about people being attacked at night, robbed in broad daylight, taken by the police and found dead,” she said.

Initially, Lozada thought that the “American Dream” meant getting married, having kids and working a decent job. However, she soon learned that it meant citizens had the equal opportunity to become successful through hard work and determination. “I wake up every morning to go to school, go to water polo or swimming practice — even if I am tired or have other things to do — and I want to learn more and more about new things by being curious in my classes,” she said.

Lozada said these activities and classes make her proud because they challenge her to stay motivated and improve. “I don’t see them as a hardship,” she said. “I see it as a challenge to myself.”

While Lozada did expect stricter laws and societal norms in the U.S., she was surprised by Americans’ culture of following them. “(In Venezuela,) most people break all the existing rules — legal, social and ethical,” she said.

Lozada’s high school in Caracas was about the size of Gunn’s football field and only offered five classes, with no option for students to change their schedules.

With Gunn’s larger campus and plentiful resources, Lozada has been able to make more of her education. “Joining clubs and taking AP (Advanced Placement) classes are challenges for me,” she said. “I’ve never done something like that, and I’m really happy with the results.”

—Written by Yueun Hong

Immigration year: 2021 Reason for immigration: Safety and educational opportunities in the U.S. Photo illustration by Evelyn Chow and Chaewon Lee

Senior Jenny Lee: South Korea Five years ago, senior Jenny Lee landed in the U.S. after a 10-hour flight from Seoul, South Korea. She anticipated a land of limitless opportunity, famed for gifting its citizens success according to their efforts.

Lee moved to the U.S. primarily for its educational and job opportunities. “(We decided to move so that) I could have more diverse experiences compared to a strict academic environment back in Korea,” she said. In Korea, high school and college admissions are focused on students’ GPAs and scores on the College Scholastic Ability Test, an annual collegeentrance exam. In the U.S., however, many colleges employ a “holistic review” process in which they evaluate students’ extracurriculars and life experiences in addition to their academic performance.

Thus, Lee’s family hoped to provide Lee with a broader range of activities and experiences through moving.

Since her perception of the U.S. was largely shaped by short summer trips and movies such as “Mean Girls,” “High School Musical” and “Glee,” Lee didn’t expect the competitive environment at Gunn. She had previously envisioned a “free” lifestyle where students pursued their passions and had more freedom.

“I was surprised to see that many were actually living similarly to what I’ve seen

in my own country,” she said.

After living in Palo Alto for five years, though, Lee has also seen that not everyone can succeed through hard work — contrary to the ideals of the American Dream. “I’ve seen so many cases where economic/financial status, social status, race and heritage predetermines you as a person,” she said. “Depending on relations, family, background, the opportunities that everyone could have vary.”

Still, Lee’s wish to diversify her experiences has been fulfilled, and she is enjoying the wide range of extracurriculars and subjects that she has been able to pursue. “There are significantly (more) majors or interests that you can explore, both in terms of career and schools,” she said.

—Written by Michelle Koo

Immigration year: 2018 Reason for immigration: Educational and extracurricular opportunities Photo illustration by Chloe Wu and Chaewon Lee Stamp graphics by Irene Hong

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Cente

THEORACLE

Farm to table:PaloA

Crates piled high with colorful seasonal produce, the aroma of fresh doesn’t happen here,” Ginger Gibson said. fruits interwoven with the spices of baked goods, friendly chattering as the years, and the tempo of this market is vendors hand out samples — these are the sights, scents and sounds of the parking lot, it almost looks like a county fa three Palo Alto farmers markets. The 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday Gilman Along with rotating vendors to ens Street market, the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday California Avenue market and Gilman Street market has adapted to the c the 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday Veterans Affairs Hospital market from a seasonal to year-round m have similar aims. They all provide accessible organic community that it would foods, support local businesses and foster community, have access to the market but each offers a distinctive experience. couple years ago, we open Every Saturday, a parking lot on Gilman Street round market,” Board “It’s nice to know what transforms into a bustling market, with over 30 Warner said. “We stil goes into your body California vendors selling items from produce to have some vendors in t and know the people seafood to pastries. While all three farmers markets of our stone-fruit vendors that raised everything in the city are nonprofits, Gilman Street is the only sell in January — but we market run by an all-volunteer board of directors, prepared-food vendors, a (and) cared for it.” with profits donated to Avenidas, a local nonprofit produce vendors bring that supports seniors. throughout the winter.” ­—Market manager Scott According to Board Vice President Sheryl The Urban Village Fa Martin Klein, community members founded the Gilman Association established Street farmers market in 1981 to make fresh, organic second farmers market on produce more accessible to seniors, as clothing stores 2007. The California Avenu and restaurants replaced grocery stores in downtown Palo Alto. the most vendors of the three in Palo Alto an The Gibson family has sold dried apricots and walnuts from its family craft stalls. Both the California Avenue an farm, Gibson Farms, at the Gilman Street market since its inception. also feature a rotating cast of live music pe Vendors and siblings Ginger and Gilbert Gibson make the one-hour drive For those unable to attend the weekend from Hollister to Palo Alto each weekend. “At some of the other markets Hospital market — founded by the Pacific we’ve been to, people will try to get a lower price for the product, but that in 2010 — hosts a variety of stalls in fron

Harvesting Autumn Flavors: Fall Ingredients Guide

Many people have envisioned themselves as professional chefs, tossing their wok above a wildly burning fire. Yet some are still fighting with hot oil while trying to cook a sunnyside-up egg. Fall is the perfect time to try out new recipes that one has saved on Instagram but never been looked back on. The fall season highlights a variety of ingredients perfect for new recipes, including pumpkin, winter squash, cauliflower, cranberries and apple.

These ingredients can be found at local farmers markets and grocery stores.

Pumpkin Spice

Everyone has heard of pumpkin-spice lattes, but what exactly goes in them? Pumpkin spice is a spice mix comprising ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. Though pumpkin spice does not contain pumpkin, it is commonly found in pumpkin pies because it adds warmth and depth of flavor.

Apples

Although apples are picked all year long, they are ripest during fall. Of the thousands of apple varieties, Fuji apples are most commonly used in baking due to their lemony, honeylike flavor and crisp, firm texture. Golden Delicious apples are also known for their mellow but sweet flavor. Many chefs use a variety of apples to enrich taste and texture.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are seen year round but best for harvesting during the fall season. For those who enjoy eating brussels sprouts, they can be sauteed, roasted or baked with garlic and butter. Not only are they delicious, they are a good source of vitamins K and C.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are seen everywhere during fall, in front of porches and doorways or as dessert after big Thanksgiving meals.

Pumpkins are commonly used in pies, bread loaves, soups and tarts. While some like to use whole pumpkins for freshness, many prefer to use pumpkin puree for a sweeter and creamier result. ­­—­Compiled by Yueun Hong

Th

erfold

Friday, October 27, 2023

AltoFarmers Markets

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. “We’ve made a lot of friends over While the market is open to the public, market manager Rebecca Barner notes s really welcoming. Although it’s a that the majority of clients are veterans and hospital workers. “We have a air.” couple of produce and bakery vendors (here), but we find that for this market, sure a diverse array of products, the it’s more popular when it comes to hot food because a lot of the people that community’s needs by transitioning work here or live here come to get lunch,” she said. market. “We heard from folks in the While the city determines the markets’ overall layout, each d be really nice to market chooses its own vendors and stall setups, according t year-round, so a to California Avenue market manager Scott Martin. Stall ned for a full yearplacement is based on California agricultural laws, and “Although it’s d President Annie there are specific locations for each type of produce. ll obviously don’t California Avenue market manager Scott Martin a parking lot, it the winter — none explained that the health and sustainability benefits of s have anything to shopping at farmers markets often make the higher price almost looks like e do take on more worth it. “Here, you can actually meet the people that a county fair.” and some of our grow (produce) or pick it, or the ones that milk the cows,” root vegetables he said. “If you buy meat here, you’re gonna know the day ­—Vendor Ginger Gibson they ended the animal’s life and it’s only coming from a armers Market few miles away. It’s nice to know what goes into your body Palo Alto’s and know the people that raised everything (and) cared n California Ave in for it.” ue market features Ginger Gibson recommends coming to the market as a nd boasts textile and fun weekend activity for everyone, regardless of whether they plan to buy nd Gilman Street farmers markets food. “I’d recommend this market to anybody, even just to walk around during erformers. different seasons because the products will change, the smells will change,” d farmers markets, the seasonal VA she said.

Coast Farmers Market Association ­­—­Written by Ya-An Xue nt of the hospital’s main entrance.

Photo collage by Sylvie Nguyen and Benjamin Qian

TheOracle staffer tries fall recipes It’s that time of year again: Filling my tote bag with seasonal fruits from the local Palo Alto Farmers Market, on California Avenue, to conjure up all the classic fall flavors. Whipping up the Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp, my kitchen filled with the sweet and comforting aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. The blended spices and fruits of the nearby Creamy Roasted Tomato Pumpkin soup bubbled aromatically from the stove. To all fall-food lovers, these simple, savory and sweet recipes are the perfect way to celebrate the season and can be added to everyone’s cookbook.

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pumpkin Soup

Courtesy of Food Network

* * * * * * * *

5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples Grated zest of one orange and one lemon 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 ½ cups flour

* * * * *

¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup oatmeal ½ pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Scan for full recipe:

Courtesy of Simply Scratch

* * * * * * * * * *

6 tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup diced onion 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon minced thyme 1 teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

* * * *

⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree 4 cups vegetable broth

Scan for full recipe:

­­—­Written by Sylvie Nguyen Graphics by Irene Hong

Sophia Hwangbo and Benjamin Qian

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THEORACLE

In-Depth

Stories of Substance: UNDERSTANDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER HUMANIZES ADDICTION, EASES RECOVERY

Annabel Honigstein and Becca Wu Forum Editor and In-Depth Editor “The odds of recovery are against you,” said a former Gunn student, who wished to remain anonymous. “It kills you and everything around you. It’s such a black hole, and it’s hard to find any way out of that. Most people don’t make it to the decision of recovery before they’re in jail or dead.”

The former student was diagnosed with substance use disorder — specifically alcohol use disorder — as a sophomore at Gunn. After they completed a rehabilitative inpatient program, they transferred out of Gunn and are currently in early sustained remission. According to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision,” a patient is in early sustained remission if, within a year, they have not had symptoms of alcohol use disorder other than the urge to drink alcohol.

Throughout their years at Gunn, the former student struggled with the early stages of their addiction, which gave way to active addiction, or active substance use disorder, defined by the DSM-5-TR as “patterns of symptoms caused by using a substance that an individual continues taking despite its negative effects.” “People who aren’t affected by substance use disorder — people who aren’t addicts — are going to break their heads trying to understand what it’s like,” they said.

To many, “Don’t do drugs” sounds simple enough — it’s as easy as just saying no. Students are often taught the street names and psychological and physiological effects of various substances in middle school so they know exactly what to avoid and why. They encounter YouTube thumbnails with jarring before-and-after images of heroin addicts. These scare tactics should discourage young adults from future drug use, but ultimately don’t: An anonymous Paly senior who also struggled with alcohol use disorder emphasizes that addiction is often unexpected, and not a conscious choice. “People think it’s the life someone wanted to live, but it’s not,” they said.

The stakes of substance abuse disorder have become especially clear in recent years. According to the California Department of Education, fentanyl deaths accounted for more than 80% of all drug-related deaths among California’s youth in 2021, and the annual crude mortality rate for opioid overdoses in Santa Clara County in 2021 increased by 73% from 2019. In response, PAUSD has implemented staff opioid trainings and fentanyl overdose prevention and harm reduction strategies.

Although the district doesn’t condone substance use, its response reflects knowledge of student use, according to Assistant Principal Harvey Newland. “It’s naïve to assume that students do not engage in any substance use over the course of their time at Gunn,” he said.

The American Addiction Centers cite “proximity to substances” as a risk factor for addiction, alongside

aggressive behavior in childhood, parental neglect, poverty and peer pressure. However, the Paly senior says it’s not that simple. “A lot of people who use substances never become addicted,” they said. “You don’t know you’re going to be an addict until you are an addict.”

After completing a recovery program in an inpatient treatment center this past summer, the Paly senior is now five months sober. “I have a good set of therapists, my parents have been supportive and my friends have been supportive,” they said. “But at the end of the day, sobriety is one of those things where it has to come from within. Nobody can force anyone else to get sober.”

MENTAL HEALTH COMPLEXITIES Many explanations of addiction fail to address it with appropriate complexity or confuse addiction with misuse.

“Substance misuse and irresponsible use of substances is common and well-understood, but treatment for actual substance use disorders is completely misunderstood,” the former Gunn student said. “A lot of high school students misuse substances, but not a lot have substance use disorders, which is why people don’t understand them fully.”

Often, addiction is framed as a result of bad choices.

Although the former Gunn student acknowledges the detrimental choices they made while struggling with alcohol use disorder, they explained that such choices were a result of the addiction, not the other way around.

“On one hand, I put myself into a spot where I was severely addicted to alcohol, and I could’ve chosen to stop and put actual effort into recovery earlier on,” they said. “It was my fault, but when I was in a state of active addiction, I had no control over myself. I didn’t even know myself. I was barely a person.”

Psychology teacher Warren Collier explains that addiction at its most fundamental level is a product of repeated and regular drug use. “Usually, a person is using some kind of drug to achieve some kind of high or some pleasurable experience, and they enjoy it,” he said. “They go back and try it again because they want more of that experience, and if that happens over a short period of time, they will start to develop a tolerance and use more.”

Many substances, such as opioids, cocaine and nicotine, cause dopamine to flood the brain’s reward pathway. The brain remembers this flood and associates it with the substance. According to Collier, after a significant period of consistent drug use, students’ brains are no longer able to achieve the emotions or high without external assistance — the drug.

The Paly senior’s experiences with alcohol use disorder reflect this phenomenon. “I started drinking because it was a good time,” they said. “It was something to make the bad thoughts go away. Then, it ramped up, and I would think to myself, ‘I can make it more fun if I drink more.’ And that’s when I became dependent on it, so I couldn’t stop having fun, even if I wanted to. And then it stopped being fun.”

The Paly senior also began using cocaine at the end of their sophomore year. What began as an experiment with some friends turned into addiction. “I was spending a couple hundred dollars a week on it,” they said. “I accidentally detoxed at work one

time because I miscalculated how much coke I had that day. I was throwing up in the bathroom at work. And after that day, I said, ‘Screw this. I can’t do it anymore.’

So I told my friends, ‘You need to keep me in check, I’m not doing this anymore.’”

“WHEN I WAS IN A STATE OF ACTIVE ADDICTION, I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MYSELF. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW MYSELF. I WAS BARELY A PERSON.” —ANONYMOUS FORMER GUNN STUDENT Individuals are sometimes able to pull themselves out of addiction on their first try. Sometimes, they aren’t. The former Gunn student went to an inpatient rehabilitation center twice before exiting active addiction.

Either way, both the Paly senior and the former Gunn student were supported by empathetic people around them who encouraged them on their distinctive paths to recovery.

Sometimes, mental-health struggles can lead to substance abuse. The Paly senior explains that their addiction developed partially due to depression. “I didn’t think I was going to have a future,” they said. “If you want to have the best year of your life and nothing past that, you should do a whole bunch of drugs. But if you want more than a year — you want a life — then drugs aren’t an option.”

The former Gunn student used substances as a coping mechanism for mental-health struggles as well. “I was at the worst point in my life with my mental health, and I found that being intoxicated distracted me from the reality of my situation,” they said.

A 2005 research paper published in the National Library of Medicine explored the comorbidity of substance use disorder and mood disorders. The researchers ultimately pointed to psychiatric treatment, which tackles both substance use disorder alongside the mental health issues that commonly occur simultaneously or are the root cause of addiction. “Nobody says they’re going to be an addict for fun,” the former Gunn student said. “Usually, they have an outside problem that they want to cover up. A lot of people’s way of coping is with drugs.”

24%

of Gunn juniors reported using alcohol or drugs in their lifetime Source: 2021-22 California Healthy Kids Survey

J

i

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s es

In-Depth

Friday, October 27, 2023

categories of substance use disorder symptoms Impaired Control

social problems

Using more of a substance or using a substance more often than intended

Neglecting responsibilities and relationships

Wanting to cut down or stop using but being unable to

Giving up once-enjoyable activities due to substance use

risky use

dependency

Using in risky settings e.g. work or school

Needing larger doses of the substance to get the same effect (increased tolerance)

Continued use despite known physical and social detriments

Inability to complete tasks at home, school or work

supporting students According to Newland, the Gunn administration has no standardized protocol for supporting students with substance use disorder. In general, administrators first try to holistically assess the student’s situation and the factors contributing to their substance use through a Student Success Team meeting involving families, counselors, administrators and teachers. “It’s really up to them in terms of what they want to share with us,” Newland said. “We need to work with whatever we are given and come up with support and resources that we can provide.”

He explained, however, that situations which place students in urgent harm must be dealt with immediately under mandated-reporting rules for staff. “If something comes up that falls under the guidelines set for Gunn teachers and administrators, we have to report it and follow that exact protocol,” he said. “Administrators are not required to intervene beyond the protocol.”

The former Gunn student noted that, in their case, these protocols were not always helpful. “I appreciate that (Gunn administration) has been understanding and tried to see it as a mental health condition,” they said.

“But aside from one counselor, I have not received any support or outreach from them — not when I was in active addiction, nor when I came back from rehab.”

“I was lucky to have that one counselor who empathized with me. ” —ANONYMOUS former gunn student Regardless of the level of severity of a student’s substance use, both the Paly senior and the former Gunn student believe that schools should intervene with empathy. “I was lucky to have that one counselor who really empathized with me,” the former Gunn student said. “He was in contact with my (parents) a lot and understood the mental health aspect of (addiction). But if he wasn’t there and the Gunn administration didn’t have

allcove allcove.org Integrated youth mental health center

community health awareness council

chacmv.org Offers virtual substance support groups, inhouse counseling, family resource centers and school-based on-site counseling services

county Behavioral Health Services Department 800-704-0900 Youth substance use treatment services call center

National Institute on Drug Abuse nida.nih.gov Substance addiction education and prevention

Having symptoms of withdrawal when not using the substance Source: “Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, Text Revision”

The severity of addiction also informs staff response.

“Are you calling paramedics?” Newland said. “How immediate is the situation? Those types of questions guide us in how we provide resources and move forward in supporting the student.”

local resources

13

his input, I think the administration would’ve thought I was just a lost cause.”

Sometimes, this means repeated check-ins with students. “If someone was caught with a (wax) pen in their hand, the administration would confiscate it, send a letter home and maybe enforce disciplinary action,” the former Gunn student said. “But also make them meet with the counselor. Make them meet with one of the school therapists. (Students) should be able to see that it’s not normal to feel the need to be intoxicated at 11 a.m. More times than not, substance use is about mental health.”

According to the Wellness Outreach Worker Rossana Castillo, the Wellness Team’s first step when supporting a student suffering from addiction is to identify the origin of their substance abuse, whether it’s emotional or mental. While Gunn Wellness can provide immediate and short-term support, in situations where students require specialized treatment, the team works to connect the student and their family to long-term specialized resources.

The Wellness Team also highly encourages students to notify the wellness staff or any trusted adult when a friend may be struggling with substance abuse disorder.

They will connect the struggling student to resources as well as connect with their friend to ensure that they don’t carry the load of supporting their friend on their own.

student perspectives from the oracle’s survey “You truly don’t know what it’s like until you’ve been in it. Since the majority of society hasn’t been in it, they tend to judge and think people are lazy or don’t try hard enough to pull themselves out, or they think it’s a choice. None of these things are true.”

“There’s a stigma towards drug users that dehumanizes them. Addicts are often viewed as someone to be (ignored) rather than someone to be helped with the rehabilitation and healthcare they require.”

“This disease thrives through making people feel isolated and alone in their struggle — regardless of whether they’re an addict themselves or a loved one of an addict. My biggest fear is that my father’s alcoholism will continue to affect me going down the road despite my best attempts to leave that chapter of my life behind.”

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Oct. 14 to Oct. 23 with 27 responses

14

SPORTS

THEORACLE

Athletic trainer Gagan Cheema keeps athletes in peak condition Athletic trainer Gagan “Gee” Cheema helps student athletes with injuries related to muscles, ligaments, joints and tendons, as well as organ injuries and concussions. Her work extends past the physical — she also helps athletes confront the mental stress of dealing with injuries. “There’s a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “(There’s) sometimes sadness, sometimes fear, sometimes anger from the individual experiencing the injury. It’s nice because I get to help, but trying to console is sometimes a little hard because you don’t want someone to be in that situation.”

“

It’s nice because I get to help, but trying to console is sometimes a little hard because you don’t want someone to be in that situation.

”

— Athletic trainer Gagan Cheema

Cheema started working at Gunn six years ago after learning about a job opportunity from the Paly athletic trainer, a friend of hers. After taking a sports-medicine class at San Jose State University, Cheema realized that she enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of athletic training. “I could combine my passion for healthcare and all things biology- and health-related, and also be a practitioner where sports are involved, so I can see more of the orthopedic-type injuries,” she said. “(Athletic training) just combined it perfectly.”

Cheema works both short- and long-term with students until they are healed. She sends athletes with muscle injuries to a stretch program, which teaches them how to stretch injured muscle groups. Cheema also uses hot and cold therapy (relaxing muscles and joints through heat packs and reducing inflammation using ice packs) and taping when needed.

Although she can diagnose students, she sometimes refers athletes to other doctors to ensure the best treatment for them. “I may refer a student to an orthopedic doctor if I think that student needs X-rays, MRIs and some diagnostic testing to find out what’s going on,” Cheema said. “The (doctor) will come back to me and say, ‘This is a plan of care. Let’s go ahead and do this. You can take them from Step A through Step B, and then we’ll follow up.’”

Since different sports teams play at similar times, Cheema prioritizes visiting high-contact sports, such as water polo or wrestling. On days with many games, she tries to stay in an accessible location so that other sports’ players can easily find her.

Aside from taking care of student athletes, Cheema enjoys celebrating with them. “We have senior students who get acknowledged during those senior days,” she said. “They bring their parents out. They get to bring extended family members and friends. It’s fun all around because we get to celebrate them for all the work that they put into (their sport).”

—Written by Sophia Hwangbo

Sophia Hwangbo

Athletic trainer Gagan Cheema bandages an injured student’s finger.

Football frenzy: NFL fantasy league engages student, teacher fans Eating a Wendy’s four-by-four burger and fries and then running a mile around the track. Getting a dubious haircut.

Doing TikTok dances every day for a month. In some fantasyfootball leagues, losing comes at a great cost.

Traditions like these add flavor to the virtual world of fantasy football, in which participants draft real NFL athletes for their teams beginning at the start of the season in September. The game is played on the NFL Fantasy website or app, and players earn points based on the outcomes of actual NFL matchups. After an initial draft, players have the flexibility to change their team lineups by trading with fellow participants. In each league, the player with the most overall victories in a weekly matchups wins the game.

Senior Ryan Kim’s dad introduced him to the game when he was 7, and he’s played ever since. “When I was little, my dad used to play with his friends,” he said. “That was always interesting to me.”

Typically, fantasy football is played in leagues of around 12 participants. English teacher Jordan Wells plays in a league with her family, using the game to stay connected with them. “I started (playing) six years ago when my brother put together a family team,” she said. “It keeps us just kind of talking, ­­whether it’s actually talking or congratulating each other. It’s a fun activity to do with my family.”

Each week, a team’s starting-lineup players earn points in NFL games, which contribute to the team’s total weekly score. Teams are randomly paired in weekly matchups, and the team with the higher weekly score wins.

In Wells’ family league, the weekly matchups usually prompt a healthy dose of competition. “There’s a group chat going on, of course, and (there’s) a lot of smack talk,

mainly my brother,” she said. “He’s like the commissioner of the league, and he’ll talk a lot of nuts. There was one year where he renamed his team every week based on who he was playing, to have a name that was kind of anti-them.”

Fantasy football also helps Wells connect with her students. “Sometimes I’ll ask students for advice if I’m torn between who should I bench that week,” she said. “As a player, it’s fun to hear who’s performing on their teams. Also, even if your team kind of sucks, it’s fun to commiserate.”

“

It keeps us just kind of talking, whether it’s actually talking or congratulating each other. It’s a fun activity to do with my family.

”

—English teacher Jordan Wells

Senior Marcello Chang also appreciates the social aspect of fantasy football, as playing in a league with his friends at school ensures they always have something to discuss. “It’s fun to be able to talk to people about it,” he said. “There’s a lot going on with matchups and trading and people’s standings (in the league).”

At the start of each season, league members draft teams in 14 rounds of player selection, with each league member picking one player per turn. In most leagues, the draft order is randomized.

To prepare for draft day, many people conduct research by reading articles or partaking in mock drafts. Wells participates in many common types of drafting preparation.

“I have to like them as a person,” she said. “I look at stats, I try to read a couple of articles ahead of time, look at how other people have drafted, (and) I do mock drafts.”

Fantasy football isn’t solely a game of knowledge — it’s also one of strategy, and many players begin a season with a specific tactic. For Wells, putting key players in certain positions early during draft day is crucial. “I do it differently

than a lot of other people,” she said. “I draft my quarterback early. I like to have essentially one of each (position) before I start going for doubles on running backs and wide receivers.”

Sophomore Sanjan Joshi, on the other hand, looks to diversify his players’ teams of origin. “I look (to draft) players from a variety of teams,” he said. “I also look at their situation with their team and competitors on their team, not just what the fantasy football app predicts will happen.”

Player lineups in fantasy football are far from static. As the season progresses, participants can trade NFL players within their leagues to enhance and diversify their teams, according to Kim. “Let’s say you need a quarterback and someone else needs a running back,” he said. “You could trade so that you both have what you need — it’s like (a) mutualism.”

Trades are a way to get rid of unwanted players in a participant’s lineup. Joshi finds this aspect critical to improving his roster. “I try to offer trades to other people in my league to improve my team and to claim unknown and upcoming players on the ‘waiver wire,’ which is essentially the market for players who are not on a fantasy roster,” he said.

For Joshi, watching his team progress is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. “The best part of playing fantasy football is the thrill each week and the work you put in to craft the perfect roster,” he said. “It is my favorite part of the week, sitting down on Sundays and watching football for my team — the Green Bay Packers — and my fantasy football team.”

—Written by Katie LaWer

Karis Lau and Irene Hong

15 ATHLETES OF THE MONTH: SENIORS NADAV EFRAT AND CELINE SAFA

Sports

Friday, October 27, 2023

Athletes of the Month are chosen by Sports Commissioner junior Beverly Lamis, Athletic Director Curt Johansen and Assistant Athletic Director Kevin Johnson based on each athlete’s player statistics. They will be displayed every month on The Oracle’s website and once per season in The Oracle’s print issue.

Photo courtesy of Nadav Efrat

Water Polo: Senior Nadav Efrat

Photo courtesy of Celine Safa

Volleyball: Senior Celine Safa

Chris Lee

The Oracle: How has this season been so far?

The Oracle: What have been some highlights and challenges this season?

Nadav Efrat: Since last year, we lost a lot of our seniors, who were a key part of the team. A really challenging part of this year has been rebuilding the team, and finding and building new connections and new bonds between the teammates. Both in and out of the water, (this) has been super important and helpful for our performance. I feel like slowly we are learning to work together more and find our rhythm together. (We’re) pushing ourselves in swim sets and conditioning or working together dynamically in games. I have had to assume the role of a captain along with Ron (Zamir), and we work together to really help our teammates and the younger guys develop as players through mentoring and acceptance of mistakes. Also, as a captain, I’ve had to learn the best ways to teach and mentor these guys by both being a friend and giving constructive feedback.

Celine Safa: A challenge has been taking on a larger role on the court and off the court — the leadership has been really new to me. It’s not an easy thing to always have to be loud on the court and sidelines, keep people focused during practice, and give pep talks.

I feel like a lot is expected from me from that role, so that’s been kind of challenging, to try to live up to that and do the most for my team.

The Oracle: What has becoming captain been like?

Nadav Efrat: It’s been really cool, as I’ve been on varsity for all four years. Throughout my years, I’ve seen a lot of guys come and go, and see what they bring to the table as leaders. I’ve really been able to apply all that, and pick and choose the best aspects of each past captain, and work to perfect my position on the team. One thing that has been really crucial for development is the acceptance of mistakes. As I remember, past captains have tried to build a major persona of “Oh, look at me — I’m a perfect player who doesn’t make any mistakes,” and one thing I’ve been working on is showing the guys that yes, even though I’m the experienced guy, I still make mistakes, and that’s okay because we work as a team to fix these. One big aspect of water polo, especially on the defensive end, is working together and everyone helping each other.

The Oracle: How has the transition to captain been?

Celine Safa: I’ve been on varsity all four years, and I remember (Coach) Baiba telling me when I was a freshman how important leadership is and for somebody to step up on the court. I’ve always had my role models — girls that are older than me that graduated — and I’ve kind of shaped the way I take the role after them. It comes with a lot of responsibility. It takes a lot of integrity to be the role model for others as well. I want to be the person that the underclassmen will look up to for help and as an example.

The Oracle: What has been the most memorable moment from this season?

Celine Safa: We had our home game against Paly, which is a big rivalry game. The whole week, we tried to hype it up as much as we could and advertise it to get as many people to come, and I have never seen that big of a crowd for one of our own games. The game was really close and super intense, but the support that we got from the student section was amazing. It was really fun to play with them, as I hadn’t experienced anything like that before. That was one of the most fun games that we played.

—Compiled by Safina Syed

ARTISTIC SWIMMER OLIVIA ZHU’S JOURNEY TO WORLDS When sophomore Olivia Zhu first began to compete in artistic swimming, her aunt gave her a keychain to distinguish her bag from her teammates’. This keychain, however, has become much more than a name tag for Zhu — it serves as a marker of hope and success as she transfers it from bag to bag when traveling to artistic-swimming competitions around the world.

Most recently, this keychain has accompanied Zhu to Athens, Greece, for the World Aquatics Youth Artistic Swimming Championships, where she competed as a part of the U.S. national team from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3.

Zhu did not immediately fall in love with artistic swimming. She began her journey with the Santa Clara Aquamaids when she was 7 years old, after her mom signed her up to keep her occupied for a week of summer break. “I really hated it at first because it was really cold in the pool,” she said.

“But, because I was a weird kid, I was like, ‘This is kind of interesting. I’m gonna do this.’”

After she officially joined the team, she began to appreciate the sport for its artistry and variety of events.

From the start, it was clear she was ahead of the game, given her prior experience in ballet, ice Photo illustrations by Chaewon Lee and Olivia Zhu

skating, gymnastics and competitive swimming. “Once I transferred over to artistic swimming completely, having that gymnastics and ballet background helped me get noticed by the coaches,” she said.

Zhu has since put in years of hard work to perform well in the U.S. Youth National Championships, securing her an opportunity to attend the national-team tryouts. After placing in the top five in the first phase and top 10 in the second, she became one of the 12 artistic swimmers to represent the U.S. during the world championships.

There, she competed in two of the team’s six routines: free team and combo.

Prior to their performance, the team practiced together, choreographing and cleaning up its routines. The teammates stayed in Las Vegas, Nevada, for seven weeks in preparation for the competition, which Zhu believes helped them develop team camaraderie and refine their artistic-swimming skills. “Over the summer, we trained every day for around eight hours,” she said. “It was pretty tough. But living in the same house was team-building.”

However, her preparation time in Las Vegas was not all sunshine and rainbows: On the second day of training, while practicing a lift with two other team members, Zhu’s knee popped out and was almost dislocated, preventing her from participating for a week. “Before, I kind of assumed I would have a set spot on the team because I was there last year,” she said.

“But then, I started stressing out because everyone else

was going through these eight-hour days and improving so fast, and I was just sitting there on deck like an idiot with my knee taped and my leg elevated.”

Zhu was fortunately able to recover in time to learn the routines and take part in the competition, which consisted of two rounds of judging. World Aquatics implemented major changes in the artistic swimming scoring system beginning with the international competitions this season.

The uncertainty around how the team would be judged added a layer of stress during preliminaries. “Because the way (the judges) control and decide things change (at every competition), a day before we were supposed to compete, we found out one of the skills we’ve been training for was not at the right angle,” Zhu said. “We had to change it right before, so (preliminaries were) pretty nerve wracking.”

Ultimately, the U.S. team performed well at the artistic-swimming world championships, medaling in all but one event. “We did the best we could in the two months that we had,” Zhu said. “If we had longer, we could have definitely done better, but I feel like we did a good job.”

Zhu found this experience to be formative not only for her artistic-swimming skills, but also her motivation to strive for the best. “(It’s nice to) have teammates around me who are working hard,” she said. “We’re all technically competing against each other to get that spot on the national team or get a spot in the duet.

Everyone’s trying hard, and it’s a group mentality for you to keep on working.”

—Written by Anne Dong Wave graphic by Vin Bhat

16

THEORACLE

LIFESTYLE

Nature’s Titans: Guide to trees on campus GINKGO

Redwood

Palm

Located in front of the J-building, Gunn’s ginkgo tree sports fan-shaped leaves that will soon cascade down beautifully from their branches. Native to China, ginkgo trees have been around for an eternity — around 350 million years — and they can live for over a millennium. Their name originates from the Mandarin word “yin guo,” which means silver fruit.

During fall, all of the leaves on the ginkgo shift from green to a brilliant yellow color. The other famous, or rather infamous, quality of the gingko tree is its fruit, which carries a putrid odor. Fortunately, only female trees bear these fruits, and Gunn’s male ginkgo only produces pollen. To witness the spectacle of our ginkgo tree’s leaves, be sure to relax on one of the three red benches surrounding it sometime next month.

Believe it or not, we aren’t the only Titans at Gunn.

Scattered around campus, coast redwood trees can be found near the tennis courts and parking lot. These titans can grow to be the tallest organisms on Earth, reaching heights of 300 feet, about the length of a football field. Their bark, similarly scaled, measures up to 12 inches thick. These long-lived trees — they can survive for over 2,000 years — are so iconic and widespread in California that they were designated as the official state tree in 1937. The trees on Gunn’s campus, however, are relatively young. In due time, they will grow to towering heights, just like our school spirit.

Extending high into the sky, a palm tree adorns the periphery of the quad. Palm trees owe their name to the shape of their leaves, which resemble the palm of a hand. Despite palm trees’ shorter lifespans — around a century, compared to an average of four centuries for trees — they grow relatively fast, which explains their impressive sizes. Over the years, palm trees have become synonymous with tropical climates and paradises, though they can thrive in many climates, as demonstrated by our very own palm tree persisting through the occasional dreary weather. The wide foliage of Gunn’s palm tree provides a shady spot for students to cool off on hot days.

—Written by Jeffrey Kang

Natalie Lam

Communities find roots in fall celebrations Amid the vibrant hues of autumn, fall holidays like Oktoberfest beckon with lively music, festive costuming and spirited celebrations of the season. The transitional period between the end of summer and beginning of winter marks the end of a growing season, giving rise to fall traditions and holidays with agricultural roots, including the Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot. Whether it’s through mooncakes and lanterns, sukkahs and harvest rituals, or beer and bratwurst, these festivals bring people together to cherish the richness of autumn and the joy of communal festivities.

Mid-Autumn Festival Held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, on Sept. 29 this year, is celebrated across Asia in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. First established as an official holiday around 750 years ago during the Song Dynasty in imperial China, the roots of the Mid-Autumn Festival can be traced to the Shang Dynasty, 640 years prior.

Traditional Chinese folklore explains the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival in many ways, but the most popular variation tells how the archer Hou Yi lost his wife, Chang’e. After shooting down nine suns that had brought drought and famine, Hou Yi was rewarded with an immortality elixir that his apprentice coveted. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, Chang’e drank the elixir herself, immediately becoming immortal and floating to the moon. In the years that followed, a heartbroken Hou Yi prepared a feast of his wife’s favorite delicacies and gazed at the moon on its fullest day in hopes of glimpsing her.

The historical ceremony the royal family conducted to thank the moon for guiding a successful harvest year has since evolved into a time of family gathering and reunion.

According to Chinese Culture Club President senior Xiangxiang Bai, admiring the full moon during the festival ties in with its symbolism of reunion and harmony. “In the ancient times, the transportation system was not well maintained, so people would not be able to make it back home for the Mid-Autumn Festival,” she said. “Looking up at a common round moon was their way of spending time with family and friends.”

Sukkot

Sukkot (“booths” or “huts”), the weeklong Jewish holiday that gives thanks for the fall harvest, honors the temporary dwellings of Jewish people during their 40year sojourn out of Egypt and through the Sinai desert, as told in the Torah.

Senior Emmi Ben Tovim remembers building a “sukkah,” a hut-like structure for sleep, eating and communion, while celebrating Sukkot in Israel. “Every year, my family and I would make a sukkah, which traditionally has three walls, and you leave the other side completely open so that people are welcomed in,” she said.

“It has a roof that would be made with tree branches, and we’d have dinner in (the sukkah) throughout the week of Sukkot and invite family and friends over.”

Another important practice during Sukkot is shaking the “four species” — palm, myrtle and willow branches, collectively known as the “lulav,” and a citrus with a sweet, floral scent, known as “etrog” — in the four cardinal directions to bless the sukkah and the rainy season.

get food, get little souvenirs, and everybody (is) in their traditional clothing, and there’s the other side of people who just go to watch the horse races and drink beer,” Schroeppel said.

Gunn held its own Oktoberfest celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The event included games, food samples and German music, allowing students to learn more about German culture and history.

—Written by Maddie Cheung

Oktoberfest Oktoberfest, an annual two-week festival held from mid-September to the first Sunday of October, originated in 1810 to celebrate the marriage between Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Ending right before German Reunification Day, it toasts to Bavarian culture with feasts, horse races, and of course, flowing pints of beer.

While the main festival is held in Munich, Germany, large Oktoberfest celebrations also take place in Australia, Brazil, Canada and the U.S. According to German teacher Claudia Schroeppel, Oktoberfest’s festivities and attractions appeal to many visitors. “There’s some traditional rides like the old carousel that have been refurbished to be able to run these days,” she said. “Now we even have carnival rides with roller coasters. It’s just grown and changed a bit over the years, but it’s still held at the same location.”

Oktoberfest also features restaurants and food tents that can hold up to 1,000 people, alongside bountiful beer gardens and breweries. “(Oktoberfest) has the family aspect where families will just go with their kids to

Photo courtesy of Xiangxiang Bai

Vin Bhat

Top: Students enjoy mooncakes at Chinese Culture Club’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

Bottom: Students play games such as pantomime at Gunn’s Oktoberfest celebration.

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Friday, October 27, 2023

17

Lifestyle 18 new albums strike chords With THE ORACLE STAFFERS THEORACLE

Travis Scott: ‘UTOPIA’

Olivia Rodrigo: ‘GUTS’

Rapper Travis Scott released his highly anticipated fourth studio album, “UTOPIA,” on July 28. Over the album’s 19 tracks, Scott guides listeners through a musical journey exploring the subjectiveness of a perfect world. With impeccable production and a star-studded feature list, this album is a strong contender for the Album of the Year award.

The album’s rollout was lengthy and sporadic, partially due to legal controversy following Scott’s Astroworld Festival, which resulted in numerous attendee deaths and injuries. Additionally, his legendary “ASTROWORLD,” released five years ago, set a high bar for “UTOPIA.” Scott brought back fan-favorite hidden features, rewarding listeners with thrilling surprises such as Drake’s appearance on “MELTDOWN,” an experience comparable to the shock of hearing his iconic verse on “SICKO MODE” five years ago. Although Scott’s recent features on albums like Metro Boomin’s “HEROES & VILLAINS” and Don Toliver’s “Love Sick” were impressive, he missed the mark with his verses when it came to his own album. Scott was simply outperformed by collaborators — especially SZA, with her levitation-inducing vocals on “TELEKINESIS,” and 21 Savage on “TOPIA TWINS.” Scott likely prioritized having a well-produced album over focusing on his own rapping. His production conforms to his usual psychedelic style, combined with dark, atmospheric synth.

Listeners may also notice the influence of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West): Aside from the tracks he helped produce, like “GOD’S Courtesy of Travis Scott COUNTRY,” the album shares a similar overall sound to Ye’s 2013 album, “Yeezus,” which Scott collaborated on. Although Scott’s rapping wasn’t in its usual upper echelon, he has mastered the skill of curation, as seen by his guest collaborators and the variety of different sounds. Topped with seamless transitions and artful beat switches, the production of “UTOPIA” sets it at a level above many other recent albums in the genre.

On Sept. 8, Olivia Rodrigo released her second studio album, “GUTS.” The album’s 12 songs offer a blend of anger, melancholy, confusion and excitement, and examine selfperception, growing up and relationships. Though “GUTS” has a messier vibe than Rodrigo’s debut album, “SOUR,” Rodrigo’s lyrics continue to hit close to home for many teenage girls.

The opening track, “all-american b----,” is an angsty punk rock song that reflects on the disconnect Rodrigo feels with American culture. Lyrics like “I’m grateful all the time” and “I’m sexy when I cry” highlight American society’s overemphasis on positivity and beauty standards. A single released in June, “vampire” has become an instant classic with a breathtaking bridge and powerful one-word lyrics like “bloodsucker / famef---er.” The last rendition of the bridge has the perfect dramatic buildup, making “vampire” a go-to belting song. In “making the bed,” Rodrigo deploys a masterful metaphor of her “making the bed” with her responsibility for her bad decisions after becoming famous.

The song’s relatable lyrics send a message to listeners that self-doubt and negative emotions are normal. “ballad of a homeschooled girl” is another garage rock song that comments on Rodrigo’s homeschooled adolescence and the overwhelming expectations of socializing and fitting in. Rodrigo’s “Mean Girls” reference of “social suicide” brilliantly sums up the socially awkward situations teenagers encounter.

Rodrigo once again delivers an intense and lyrical album that captures the hectic and often overwhelming lives of teenage girls. “GUTS” is certainly worth a listen, delving into many relatable aspects of adolescence.

­—Written by Diya Bose-Malakar

—Written by Ellie Yuan

Doja Cat: ‘Scarlet’ On Sept. 22, Doja Cat released her fourth studio album, “Scarlet.” Doja Cat has left her upbeat, light-hearted rap behind to embrace a deeper, angstier sound.

In songs like “F--- the Girls,” Doja Cat takes jabs at haters with lines like “I focus most on my craft / I stay on top of my s--- but y’all done got me convinced / That I’m the popularist / That’s why you watchin’ my moves.”

In her most popular song from the album, “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat plays with the idea of being “the devil” after backlash to her outfit at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show: Her head-to-toe red look — complete with red crystals from the chest up, covering all visible skin — prompted fans to label her as demonic. In “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat sings, “Mm, she the devil / she a bad lil’ b---- she a rebel,” referring to herself as “the devil.”

From front to back, the no-features “Scarlet” is a sharp and fiery listen. The album showcases Doja Cat’s growth as an artist, moving past her more corny songs, such as her debut hit, “I’m a Cow” (the core lyrics repeating “B----, I’m a cow / I go ‘Mooooo’”), to a complex and personal sound. The closing line of “Paint the Town Red” perfectly captures the core of “Scarlet,” in which she reminds the world that she’s ready to take on the hate, and that she is no longer working to satisfy fans: “It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle.”

—Written by Vivian Studdert

Michell

e Koo

Courtesy of Olivia Rodrigo

The National: ‘Laugh Track’

On Sept. 18, the rock band The National released their second album of 2023, “Laugh Track.” The beautiful melodies and inspirational lyrics of “Laugh Track” will leave listeners teary-eyed. Many of the songs provide advice for dilemmas, arguments and goodbyes.

The National’s previous songs have carried a gloomy, melancholy feel — akin to memories of an old friend who’s moved away. This mood remains prevalent in “Laugh Track”: Its third track, “Weird Goodbyes,” begins with the lyrics, “Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air / There’ll come a time I’ll want to know I was here.”

While maintaining a wistful tone, “Laugh Track” suggests that listeners turn on the metaphorical laugh track to lighten a situation. “All I am is Courtesy of Doja Cat shreds of doubt,” lead vocalist Matt Berninger sings. “Turn on the laugh track / We’ll see if it changes the scene.” Berninger’s ability to sing almost conversationally promotes a sense of realism, and is more effective than belting or crooning would be.

“Smoke Detector,” the last and longest song, encapsulates the album’s feel. Berninger once again displays his vocal range and control as he sings, “Make a list of your loved ones in order of height / Laugh at the black birds in the black of the night.”

The song tells the story of a crumbling relationship from the perspective of somebody who doesn’t want it to end. The lyrics warn against a common issue in relationships: focusing too much on the vices of the other person, rather than enjoying life with them. “You don’t know how much I love you / Do you?” Berninger sings. “I’ll get better, I’ll fluff the feathers / I’ll punch in the numbers and enter the letters / Why don’t you lay Courtesy of The National here and listen to distant sirens with me?”

The National’s blend of enjoyable melodies, poignant lyrics and musical variety make “Laugh Track” an album worth listening to.

—Written by Fenton Zarlengo

Lifestyle

Friday, October 27, 2023

19

The Oracle Fall Crossword autumn snacks pack 1

2

3

4

5

8

6

flavorful surprises

7

9

10

12

11 13

Best: Pumpkin Spice Blondie Duet Bites

14 15 17

16

18

20

19

Sugar Bowl Bakery’s Pumpkin Spice Blondie Duet Bites, a seasonal spin on their classic browniemadeleine combo, are miniature cakes with layers of madeleine and pumpkin-spice cake. Natural, flavorful and perfectly sweet, the bites capture the taste of pumpkin spice well. The pumpkin-spice cake’s soft, moist texture lets the flavor melt in your mouth and complements the firmer texture of the madeleine. The only problem: I ate too many, and now I’m starting to get tired of them.

21

22

23

Second Place: Miniature Ice Cream Cones Another Trader Joe’s fall item, these miniature pumpkin-ginger ice cream cones are easy to eat, without the mess of melted ice cream. They are coated with a thin shell of candy with a chocolate-like texture, which gives way to the pumpkin-ginger ice cream within. The ice cream mostly tastes of vanilla and pumpkin, with only a hint of ginger that gives the treat a bit of fall spice (a win for ginger haters like me).

The cone has an absolutely amazing crunch. While the ice cream flavor could be better, I’ve eaten almost all of the eight cones in the box.

24 Irene Hong

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Three goals in a game

16. Charlotte

1. Spanish greeting

14. Comfort

8. Eight, in Madrid

Islands

2. Got 100% on

15. Following way or sea

9. Lion’s pride

18. Era before year zero

3. Most common English

16. Cool

11. Director Spike

20. Backpack part

word

17.

12. To change

21. Mermaid’s home

4. Toward

18. Nectar collectors

13. Era after year zero

22. “Hey! Wait

5. “Gotta hurry!”

19. Former NBA #1

14. Solid, liquid and gas

23. Like some tea

6. Spiteful

Overall Draft pick

15. Two scores

24. Monograph

7. Leg joint

Cunningham

, Virgin

!”

Finished? Stop by P-115 with the puzzle during 5th period or lunch next week for a candy prize!

10. EMTs’ destinations 12. “We’re going on

21. ,

in our favorite rocket ship”

cucumber

Helens, WA (abbr.)

-fi

23. That thing

Third Place: Apple Cinnamon Rice Crisps

—Compiled by Nicholas Weng

Ollie decides to take a self-care day

Quaker’s Apple Cinnamon Rice Crisps are thin, crunchy rice crackers coated with an apple-cinnamon glaze. Though there is a discernible taste of apple and cinnamon, it’s overpowered by the glaze’s overall sweetness. But not all crackers were created equal: On some unevenly coated crisps, the plain rice cracker was too bland for my liking. The texture and taste reminded me of Frosted Flakes. Overall, these rice crisps are a good snack, but not anything special.

Fourth Place: Butternut Squash Ravioli My first bite into Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Ravioli was not what I expected. Instead of the usual savory taste, I was met with the sweet flavor of — you guessed it — butternut squash. My surprise took away the enjoyment of the first bite, but after some time, the taste began to grow on me. Although the squash’s flavor paired nicely with the rest of the ravioli, the pasta shell was fairly bland. That, however, may be attributed to my mediocre cooking skills and the lack of sauce…

—Compiled by Vivien Chen Aeron Man

Graphics by Aeron Man

20

Sports

THEORACLE

2023-24 NBA season preview: PLAYERS, TEAMS, ROOKIES TO WATCH FOR IN THE PRESEASON AND BEYOND Bryan Xiao Lifestyle Editor As someone who’s deeply invested in all things NBA — maybe a little too invested sometimes — I pride myself on my basketball knowledge. With the 2023-24 season around the corner, I’m breaking down some players and teams readers should consider and providing predictions for the season’s playoffs.

Players on new teams

Irene Hong

Point guard Damian Lillard joined the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason in a massive trade. Lillard’s range makes him a scoring threat from anywhere inside half-court — he made a league-leading 38 shots from beyond 30 feet last season. An explosive scorer and elite finisher with a polished offensive game, Lillard averaged 32.2 points

Golden State Warriors: Offseason overhaul sets stage for 2023-24

per game last season, scoring 50 or more points on three occasions.

Now that he’s playing alongside two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, the most dominant at-the-rim player in the league, opposing teams will have to choose between Lillard’s deadly three-point shot and Antetokoumnpo’s driving ability. I believe Lillard fits perfectly on the Bucks’ roster — they have plenty of players who thrive without the ball in their hands and complement the team’s superstars. After their offseason upgrades and coaching overhaul, I don’t see any teams beating Milwaukee in a playoff series this season.

The Phoenix Suns traded for shooting guard Bradley Beal, who joins All-Star duo Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Beal is an excellent ball handler who can create instant offense, but also a solid playmaker who can set up Durant and Booker, two elite catch-and-shoot snipers.

Though the Suns’ offense is undoubtedly better with Beal on the floor, my main concern is health: Durant and Beal both have a history of injuries, and the Suns’ limited depth will be exposed if either of them misses significant time. Regardless, Beal’s addition makes the Phoenix’s offense even more dynamic and fun to watch.

Many were surprised by the Boston Celtics’ acquisition of center Kristaps Porzingis, but I believe he can elevate the Celtics to a championship-level team. In past years, the Celtics were knocked out of the playoffs by teams that shut down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Porzingis frees up the Celtics’ offense because opposing big men have to respect his three-point shot, meaning they can’t help too much on Brown’s or Tatum’s drives.

Although Porzingis is an average defender at best, he’ll be playing alongside a roster full of solid defenders, and what he can bring to the Celtics’ offense far outweighs any defensive issues he creates.

Teams to Watch Vivian Studdert Sports Editor

General Manager Sam Presti’s innovative drafting strategy. Point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke out last year, averaging 31.4 points per game en route to an All-NBA First Team selection (a team of the best players in the league). He’s one of my favorite players to watch, with an arsenal of step-backs, midrange jumpers and creative finishes. Guard-forward Josh Giddey is already one of the league’s best passers and a candidate to lead the league in triple-doubles this season, and guard Luguentz Dort is a lockdown defensive player who can guard four positions. Forward Jalen Williams is a versatile offensive weapon who can play four positions and score from all three levels. Talented rookies Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace will both make an immediate impact with their three-point shooting and defense. If the Thunder can hold on to and develop their core pieces, they’ll be contending for a championship in a few years.

The Sacramento Kings were the league’s most potent offense last year thanks to head coach Mike Brown’s runand-gun style of play. All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox has one of my favorite offensive skill sets in the league: He’s lightning-fast in the open floor and has a dangerous midrange and floater game. Sacramento runs their offense through center Domantas Sabonis — he’s a brilliant passer and a force in the post but can also set screens and rebound at a high level. Complementing Fox and Sabonis are elite shooters Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter, who both shot over 40% from three last season, and all-around offensive threats Malik Monk and Harrison Barnes.

If you’re a fan of fast breaks, three-pointers and creative offense, the Kings are the team to watch.

If there were a word to describe the Oklahoma City Thunder, it would be unorthodox. The Thunder is loaded with young talent thanks to

June 16, 2015 — sitting criss cross applesauce, I stared so intensely at the TV that my eyes felt as if they were going square. Standing in front of me was the winning team of the 2015 NBA championship: the Golden State Warriors. Little did I know, I’d be in a rerun of “Groundhog Day” for the next four years, watching the ever-evolving Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — stacked with championship-ring fiend Kevin Durant for two years — take on the same Cleveland Cavaliers team, hard-carried by Lebron James.

The Warriors have seen their share of ups and downs since that glory — there’s even been talk of “the end of the dynasty,” especially after a turbulent 2022-23 season.

However, offseason changes have built the Warriors to be a sure threat for the championship once again. You heard it here first: I believe the Big Three (Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) have at least one more ring in them.

One of the biggest offseason changes was the Jordan Poole trade to the Washington Wizards. After his choke in the 2023 playoffs, Dub City could smell his trade from a mile away (respectfully), but in hindsight, there were a couple factors at play as the Poole Party moved to D.C. From early on, Poole’s firecracker spirit clashed with that of the older and more seasoned players. And when I say “older and more seasoned players,” I mean Draymond Green. After practice footage was leaked featuring Poole receiving a World Wrestling Entertainment-level punch from Green, their beef became public. Unfortunately, the video clip had no sound, so I can only speculate how the fight started — my money is on Poole’s mention of the grays in Green’s beard.

Despite his hand in Poole’s trade, Green’s future on the Warriors was also in limbo. At the end of last season, Green’s four-year contract with the Warriors expired, and though he is a Golden State staple, even I had my doubts about his re-signing. The Poole punch paired with the playoff stomp on Domantas Sabonis (the most dramatic flagrant foul ever) in a single season caused me and others to question his value to the team.

Alas, as of June 19, Green will be stomping with the Warriors for another five years, keeping the Big Three for some more time.

And yet, for some odd reason, three didn’t seem like a big enough number for Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., so he added another senior player to the mix:

Chris Paul.

It’s definitely a trade I (along with the majority of the NBA) didn’t see coming, but at the end of the day, who can’t see the value in the “Point God”? Chris Paul is surely a catch for any team, even with 18 seasons under his belt (and Emma Cao no ring…).

Adjusting to the Paul trade, the Warriors also gained several younger players, maintaining the balance: Rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce JacksonWarriors over Grizzlies Bucks over Magic Davis are sure to bring some hustle, Nuggets over Thunder Celtics over Hawks while Dub Nation’s Jonathan Kuminga Suns over Clippers Heat over Cavaliers keeps the highlight crew busy with his Kings over Lakers 76ers over Knicks poster-worthy dunks.

Though it was sad to see dependable bench players like Donte DiVincenzo go, the Nuggets over Suns; Bucks over Celtics 2023-24 roster (now so long that they make the rookies sit on the floor during games) has potential to be successful. Early season games are sure to be interesting, and the Warriors are working some great team victories (even at away Bucks over Nuggets games — shocking!).

Bryan’s playoff predictions

FIRST ROUND, WEST: First round, East:

Conference Finals:

Finals: