Palo Alto Unified School District

Henry M. Gunn High School

780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306

The Oracle explores ways to stay healthy during the summer

PG. 14-15CENTERFOLD

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

P A I DPermit #44

Local restaurants offer delicious eats

PG. 25ENTERTAINMENT

Special Ed students run school café

PG. 13 FEATURES

Lawrence Chen & Nabeel ChollampatNews Editors

As a part of beauty product company Dove’s new “Real Beauty” campaign, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund released vari-ous statistics pertaining to girls and their body image. One, for example, stated that seven in ten girls believe that “they are not good enough, or do not measure up in some way.” Recently, comments made by clothing company Abercrom-bie and Fitch’s CEO Mike Jeffries in 2006 have resurfaced, in which he summed up the retail store’s sales strategies as “exclusionary.” In response to these facts, The Oracle decided to investigate the prevalence of body image issues at Gunn.

Mental ImpactAccording to school nurse Bill Palacio, many students

who have body image issues perceive their bodies to be very

different than what they really are. “Even though they’re at a really healthy weight, a lot of them still have that image; they look in the mirror and see something bigger than they actu-ally are,” he said. “So, of course they want to get skinnier, tinier and even though some of them are really small, they still just can’t get that out of their heads.”

Advanced Placement Psychol-ogy teacher John Hébert believes the body image issue is becoming increasingly widespread, largely due to western cultural practices. “In our country and many west-ern-influenced countries, body images that are sort of perfect and ideal are projected all the time,” he said. “Women, and to a lesser degree, men develop this idea that when they look

in the mirror, they start focusing on what they see as flaws and what others may not even see as flaws.”

Hébert also recounts psychological studies that suggest that many women do not accurately perceive what men find attractive. In one such study, a group of men were shown a series of body figures of varying sizes and asked to choose the most attractive one. A group of fe-males were then posed the same ques-tion with the same figures, but they tended to choose figures much skin-nier than what the men had chosen.

Yet, according to Palacio, females aren’t the only ones affected. “I see a lot of males who want get muscles and this bigger, stronger look,” he said. “A lot of

BODY IMAGE—p.1

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eat-ing disorder, you can reach out to these sources for help: » 1-(800)-931-2237 1-(847)-831-3438

National Eating Disorder Association

Help Now Hotline:

1-(314)-588-1683

Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders

1-(800)-435-7609Bulimia and Self-Help Hotline:

1-(858)-481-1515National Eating Disorder Referral and Informational Center

“A lot of people tend to hear body image and think, ‘fe-male students’, but there are a lot of male students who are affected by it too.”

—School Nurse Bill Palacio

Dave Zhu

The Oracle looks beneath the surface of body image issues

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Volume 50, Issue 8 Monday, May 20, 2013

http://gunnoracle.com/

Henry M. Gunn High School

THEORACLE

NEWS BITES

In early April, the library received news that its video, titled “Voices from the Idea Lab” and created by Librarian Meg Omain-sky, had won $60,000 in the Follett Challenge, a competition designed to recognize innovation and promote programs that teach the 21st century skills students need in order to be prepared for life after high school.

This year, over 100 schools participated and Gunn won one of two available grand prizes. In order to participate, schools had to send in both a video and a written explanation of one of the school’s programs.

The video that Omainsky submitted highlighted how the Gunn library promoted collaboration and creativity within the community and showcased several student activities as well as events like TedX.

Omainsky attributed Gunn’s victory to both the hard work and effort of the students and the fact that Gunn offers a very unique set of conditions to the competition. “I think we won because I feel our program is very creative and promotes coop-eration,” Omainsky said.

As a result of the contest results, the entire district, including the middle and elementary schools, will receive $60,000 worth of books and other educational materials from the Follett Chal-lenge sponsors.

Omainsky noted that although she will not be participating in the challenge in future years, she still wants to improve the Gunn library and encourages students to bring their ideas and feedback to her.

Tim Wang

The Gunn VEX Robotics Team attended and competed in the VEX Robotics High School World Championships in Anaheim, California on Apr. 17. After starting off in the competition with two wins and one loss on the first day, the team ultimately placed 70th out of 600 teams after competing in a grand total of 10 matches.

In the “Sack Attack” challenge, robots scored by putting sacks in a trough. The challenge, which had competitors put as many sacks in the trough as possible in a given time limit, tested the efficiency and speed of the robots.

According to junior club president Margaret Qian, the team engineered a specific, three-component design in order to com-plete the task. “There is an intake system to ‘eat’ the sacks, an arm that lifts the sacks into the trough, and a drive base so the robot can move around,” Qian said.

The competition saw a high international attendance. High schools came from many different countries to compete in the World Championships.

Among the several teams that competed against Gunn’s VEX team were schools that flew in from Singapore and Puerto Rico. “We saw many really amazing robots,” Qian said. “It was a good learning experience.”

Leon Cheong

On Apr. 21, in response to the Gunn Confessions Facebook page, Principal Katya Villalobos sent an email to parents and students alerting them about the page as well as sharing a new LibGuide developed by Librarian Meg Omainsky about cyber-bullying. Gunn Confessions received hundreds of “likes” from students and alumni before it was taken down. The page offered a link to a form through which one could submit an anonymous confession about anything or anyone. Al-though the page’s administrators initially claimed they would not post any negative confessions about specific individuals, a num-ber of posts attacking a Gunn staff member drew sharp criticism. Gunn’s administration was made aware of the situation, but since the Gunn Confessions ad-ministrators had not technically violated any school rules, the school’s response was limited to requesting that the students take it down.

Unlike most features on Facebook, the Gunn Confessions page allowed stu-dents to write anything they wanted with complete ano-nymity. Initially, posts were generally light-hearted but, according to Villalobos, as the page’s popularity grew, posts became much more sensational and offensive. Within a week of Villalobos being informed, the page was removed from Facebook. “There is a certain power that people get from a sense of anonymity and they feel they can write things to an individual that they would never say to their face,” Villalobos said. “Even though I didn’t have a real jurisdiction over Gunn Confessions, I was very disappointed because it didn’t match what I know our students to be.”

Many students agreed that taking the page down was the right move. “I didn’t really care about it personally because I wasn’t on it but a lot of people were hurt by the posts and it caused unnecessary drama,” junior Avery Sredanovich said. “Some of the posts were funny but some went too far.”

Some students, however, felt the school administra-tion’s response was too strong. Junior Thomas Rasmus-sen, who himself used the page a couple of times, agreed that the posts about the specific staff member were out of line but did not think that the entire page should have been taken down. “I still think that if the admin had simply said the specific quotes had to be taken

down or that they need to express a disclaimer that the page was not affiliated with Gunn, as opposed to asking that the page be taken down, that would have been more appropriate,” Rasmussen said. “Gunn can’t control what kids say to each other outside of school so it doesn’t make sense for them to control what we say on Facebook outside of school.”

Despite this, many students enjoyed Gunn Confes-sions, as evidenced by the hundreds of “likes” some posts received at the peak of the page’s popularity. Sup-porters believe the page was not only protected by the First Amendment right to free speech, but it was also a useful outlet for students who wanted to have fun. “I thought it provided a forum for students to say things that they were thinking online in a way that didn’t threaten anyone personally,” Rasmussen said. “I felt like it was completely ridiculous that people were angry over the concept of the page, when most of the things on the page were jokes or things that people found funny, or maybe a relatable confession.”

Teachers in the Palo Alto Uni-f ied School District (PAUSD) will get a 3 percent pay raise and a 1.5 percent bonus retroactive for the 2012-2013 school year in an agreement that the Palo Alto Educator’s Association (PAEA) recently ratified.

A pay raise has been issued for numerous reasons, according to Principal Katya Villalobos. “[Our district] has not seen a pay raise in quite awhile—since 2007,” she said. “In addition, our district historically has had a practice of making sure that we keep up within the top range of salaries to make sure we are compet it ive in at-tracting teachers.”

A c c o r d i n g t o Villalobos, the eco-nomic decline of pre-vious years slowed the district’s hiring of teachers. Recent stability at the local level, however, has allowed the district to become competi-tive once again in the teachers’ market.

This recovering local economy has allowed the district to begin compensation for PAUSD teach-ers. “In the economic decline, [the district] was essentially tightening belts and making sure that [the teachers] have sustainability for a long period of time,” PAEA rep-resentative Jordan Huizing said.

“With this sense of recovery, we don’t have to plan for a disaster or endless rainy days, and the district can begin to take care of us as a community.”

Accord i ng to Vi l la lobos , neighboring districts such as Mountain View, Los Altos and Sequoia recently have had sal-ary scales larger than that of PAUSD because they are solely high school districts and have fewer employees. These reasons all contributed to the feeling that the salaries of PAUSD teachers were “falling behind” compared to rival districts, according to Villalobos.

PAUSD considers it se l f a “lighthouse district”—one that

is always innovating on the fore-front of education and that other districts look to for guidance, ac-cording to Huizing. “We can only be a lighthouse district when we have the highest quality people working here,” she said.

Included in the contract for a 3 percent pay raise is a provision stating that teachers are expected to update their students’ grades

once at least every three weeks. According to Superintendent Kevin Skelly, this part of the agreement was the most debated. “We don’t want [the students or parents/guardians] to treat their grades like bank accounts, where they know what’s in them every second, every minute,” he said.

While most teachers do regu-larly update grades within a three-week period, the biggest question in the agreement is the philosophical reasoning of post-ing them so frequently. “It’s not so much that people don’t think [the agreement] is good; some will vote to support and others will not,” Villalobos said. “But is it really necessary to have kids check their

grades every single day?”Furthermore, teachers

must also participate in 18 hours of professional development over two years. Teachers can earn these hours by taking ad-ditional classes or attend-ing workshops approved by the district.

Skel ly believes that the contract showcases the hard work PAUSD

teachers put in. “I hope that the community recognizes this as an attempt to recognize our teachers’ perseverance through a difficult economic downturn,” he said.

According to Huizing, the con-tract has been met with generally positive response with regards to the teachers. “Personally, I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she said.

Library wins Follett Challenge

VEX Robotics team takes part in World Championships event

Gunn Confessions page removed

Teachers receive 3 percent pay raiseMitch Donat

Managing Editor

Lucy OyerManaging Editor

“I still think that if the admin had simply said the specific quotes had to be taken down or that they need to express a disclaimer that the page was not affiliated with Gunn, as op-posed to asking that the page be taken down, that would have been more appropriate.”

—Junior Thomas Rasmussen

“I hope that the community rec-ognizes this as an attempt to rec-ognize our teachers’ perseverance through a difficult economic down-turn.”

—Superintendent Kevin Skelly

News2 Monday, May 20, 2013

News 3 Monday, May 20, 2013

The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor and Comments. Comments are generally shorter responses, while

Letters are longer pieces of writing.

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

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 and Comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to oraclegunn@gmail.com or posted on our Facebook page.

These letters need not be from current students.

INBOX

April 8, 2013

Editor-in-ChiefCatalina Zhao

Managing EditorsMitch Donat

Lucy Oyer

NewsCooper Aspegren

Nabeel ChollampatLawrence Chen

ForumBen Atlas

Leon CheongKlaire Tan

FeaturesRebecca AlgerChaewon Lee

Danielle Yacobson

CenterfoldRachel Lew

Stephanie Zhang

SportsLena Campbell

Alvin WangErica Watkins

EntertainmentSamantha AckerMisheel Enkhbat

Noa Livneh

PhotoAudey Shen

GraphicsJasmine Garnett

THEORACLE780 Arastradero Rd.Palo Alto, CA 94306

(650) 354-8238www.gunnoracle.com

Editorial Board

Staff

CopyAnuva Ganapathi

Kavya PadmanabhanTim Wang

TechPooja Belur

Roy Shadmon

Business/CirculationErica Lee

Shireen Ahsan (Asst.)Matt Niksa (Asst.)Regina Tran (Asst.)

PhotographersStephanie KimAnthony Tran

Graphics ArtistsPaige AndersonAlexandra Gong

Anton OyungCarolyn Zhou

Dave Zhu

ReportersShawna Chen, Aayush Dubey, Kush Dubey,

Lisa Hao, Emily Kvitko, Christine Lin, Alex Man, Henry Siu,

Andy Zhou

AdviserKristy Blackburn

The quality of the articles improved. I feel more interested in this issue because it covers a wide range of news on campus. My favorite article was the one about prom tickets being overly pricey. It’s an important issue that a lot of people have been talking about.

Sadaf Rizvi, 12

I liked the two pages on gardening be-cause it’s a change from all of the wordiness on the other articles.

Kirsten Wei, 11

Sometimes I feel The Oracle puts in unnec-esary articles just to fill space. Perhaps a comic or cartoon section or sudoku puzzle would be an interesting change.

Patricia Lin, 10

I like the front page and the coverage on the Guidance Advisory Committee. I would like to see coverage of more student involvement on campus, like what they would think about life on the campus or what obstacles they face.

Ramji Digumarthi, Parent Volunteer

My favorite section covered the block vs. rotating schedule of Gunn and Paly. The supporting and opposing viewpoints tend to interest me the most.

Wyatt Eberspocher, 12

I thought this issue was interesting as usual, and acceptance on campus related to NIOS week, and the figures were interesting as well.

Emily Cao, 9

I would like to see more public opinion, and enjoyed reading the article about teachers’ salaries changing.

Danny Golovinsky, 10

My favorite segments were the Prom-related articles, especially since Prom was the same week. The astrology chart was also really in-teresting, and it was fun reading them for my friends and “predicting their futures.”

Sara Ameri, 11

I would want to see more entertainment articles and graphics. There were great fashion articles, cool gardening tips, as well as funny horoscopes.

Kastania Dahlen, 10

I would like to see more sports in The Oracle, like updates on the standings of the professional sports teams. This issue, I thought the teacher and student “Final Four” predic-tions was enjoyable to read.

Shai Mohan, 10

I think the new issue of The Oracle was good. It was interesting reading the articles in it, but would want to see more student opinion.

Deeksha Kumar, 10

There were a lot of interesting articles rel-evant to both the school and Palo Alto.

Nicole Cahlander, 11

On May 9, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) hosted the annual Staff Appreciation Lunch in the staff lounge. It treated Gunn administrators and teachers to a restaurant-style lunch, which distinguished this year’s lunch from that of previous years.

According to Staff and Teach-ers Appreciation Lunch Chairman Rami Madan, the most significant goal of the lunch served to recog-nize and celebrate the hard work of staff members. “This is an effort to show [teachers and staff] that we truly appreciate their work and influence on the students of Palo Alto,” he said. “My main goal is to put a smile on every face. When the teachers leave the lunch with a positive mindset, it will reflect on their students in the classroom, so

everyone benefits.”The luncheon event was spon-

sored by La Boulange Bakery, Paris Baguette, Four Seasons Hotel, The Menu Restaurant and, for the first time, Pinkberry, as well as many other local businesses. According to Madan, the Pinkberry manager Esther Chun came on board after meeting him when she answered a concern about paper wrap sticking to an ice cream cone.

After consulting Madan, Chun recognized the full magnitude of the lunch and expressed her desire to become the main sponsor. “Es-ther Chun was busy with work, but realized how much commitment was going in the lunch that she decided to dedicate some of her time to make the lunch an even better experience,” he said. “When it comes down to our teachers being appreciated, almost all restaurants and even franchises volunteer.”

Guests, including Gunn teach-ers and faculty, Terman staff and Palo Alto Unified School District construction workers, were served freshly cooked fish, chicken or vegetarian dishes. Smoothies and lemonade also complemented the spring theme.

According to Madan, lunches from previous years were bought and served from restaurants, so he wanted to serve staff members homemade recipes to make the experience more appreciative. “We designed the menu to create a spe-cial luxury six course, five-star meal with full table service, restaurant style,” he said.

Kitchen supervisor Veronica Arias and 60 parent volunteers worked for over seven hours the day before the lunch to set up the event. Math teacher Cristina Florea believes the diligence and dedica-tion of the volunteers caused the

lunch to be an extremely memo-rable overall experience for the staff members. “The sit-down, restaurant catering contributed to making the whole staff feeling greatly ap-preciated, and many teachers and I believe this has been one of the best staff lunches ever,” she said. “The atmosphere was very friendly, welcoming and warm because of all of the wonderful volunteers and teachers.”

According to Decorations Man-ager Nilofer Mukkaram, volunteers were creative even with a limited budget. “Despite a minimum bud-get for decorations we could make the teachers and counselors feel the appreciation they deserved,” she said. “There was a lot of care and love put into the decorations and food, and teachers even sent us emails explaining their happi-ness and acknowledgement of our efforts.”

PTSA hosts Staff Appreciation LunchKush DubeyReporter

Left: Teachers gather in staff lounge to partake in the Staff Appreciation Week lunch. Top middle: Lemonade is available to teachers. Bottom middle: A cake by Paris Baguette was customized for the occasion. Right: Teachers pick from raspberries, blackberries and other fruit.

Audey Shen

ASB election results: get to know your officers for next year

Justice Tention

President

Vice President

Michael Chen

Special Events Commissioner

Dillon Hu

Justin Yoo

Sports Commissioner

What is one change that you hope to make next year?

What personal quali-ties will help you the most next year?

What do you think the hardest part of your job will be?

What is your fa-vorite thing about Gunn?

Special Events Commissioner

Michelle Zhang

Calvin Wang

Spirit Commissioner

I hope to have more com-munication between Stu-dent Executive Council (SEC) and the student body.

Roles in Youth Community Service (YCS) and Link Crew have allowed me to build strong leadership skills.

Doing as good a job as [Har-rison Waschura] has will be an accomplishment. He did an incredible job.

My favorite part of Gunn is the first day of Homecom-ing. I love to see all the class-es dressed in their colors.

My goals are to make in-coming freshmen feel wel-come and Titan 101 more enjoyable.

I’m nice, funny and weird. I think that I am also easily approachable.

The hardest part is going to be the speaking. I’m not great at talking on the fly and I sometimes stumble.

I like walking around and seeing the ladies.

My biggest change would have to do with Spring Fling. I want it to be almost like a second Homecoming.

I am very enthusiastic and approachable.

Getting people enthused will probably be the hardest part of my job.

I love spending time with my friends and talking to people.

I really want to make Spring Fling as com-petitive and exciting as Homecoming.

I am very comfortable with public speaking, which is always important. I am [also] organized.

I think that getting every-thing done will be hard. Homecoming is a huge group effort.

I love the spirit and atmo-sphere at Gunn. You can be whatever and whoever you want.

I hope to bring more awareness to lesser known sports.

I’m pretty hard working. I’m also easygoing and be-lieve that a team comes first.

The hardest part is definite-ly going to be getting people to attend games.

I love hanging out with friends. We do a lot of YCS events.

I want to increase the spirit overall. I’m planning on making Spring Fling a com-petition like Homecoming.

Being a new student helps me bring perspective, but I know the system since I went to middle school here.

I think the hardest part will be getting people to follow through with what I ask them to do.

I just like hanging around with everyone I know. Everyone at Gunn is very friendly and welcoming.

Officer

Dance Commissioner

Anna Cabot

I would like to get a lot of feedback from students so we know what they like.

I am really organized and can talk to people easily.

The hardest part will be getting students to help clean up after dances.

I get really excited about Homecoming week be-cause everyone has non-stop fun.

Classes take part in disability-based anti-bullying lesson

On May 3, Gunn teachers led a school-wide lesson on disability-based bullying during an extended E period in their respective classes. The prepared lesson highlighted three principal points: the definition of disability-based harassment, how to prevent bullying and how to report it as a witness.

The Office of Civil Rights required the entire Palo Alto Unified School District to conduct this lesson after the par-ents of a bullied, disabled student filed a lawsuit.

The staff hopes that the lesson raised awareness and taught Gunn’s campus to be more conscious in their actions. “As simple as it sounds, we all want to create a world that is nice and kind,” English teacher Kathryn Pomilia said. “A lot of bullying is invisible and the lesson made it visible by raising awareness and promoting kindness.”

For some students, the lesson did succeed in its goal. “I thought it was informative and good for people to be aware of [disability-based harassment],” senior Ben Sampson said.

Since the focus of the lesson was specifi-cally about disability-based harassment, it was different from other lessons. “I think raising awareness about any underrated community is imperative,” Pomilia said. “It raised aware-ness about a problem that is persistent but also invisible.”

The extended period started with distribu-tion of a paper guide listing how to report bul-

lying, the consequences of harassment and California law regarding bullying. Teachers presented PowerPoint slides about the reasons for having the lesson, as well as the defi-nitions of disability and disability-based harassment. The lesson included videos from the Department of Education and six discussion questions, ending with the difference between an upstander and a bystander and how the law deals with bullies.

Although bullying can result in expulsion depending on the severity, freshman Andre Augustin believes that the district does not enforce discipline harshly enough. “The most surprising part was that it took someone to be crying for the policy to be changed,” Augustin said. “I thought that the school policy would be stricter.”

Regardless of the policy, the adminstration believes that Gunn already harbors a safe, inviting environment. “[Stu-dents] feel safe, they want to be here and they’re welcomed and that’s the culture we want to keep,” Villalobos said.

The lesson should help foster an inclusive atmosphere. “[Gunn] feels like a very supportive community,” Pomilia said. “Hopefully this lesson helped students learn to be even kinder.”

News4 Monday, May 20, 2013

Lisa HaoReporter

Compiled by Pooja Belur

News 5 Monday, May 20, 2013

Kush DubeyReporter

250 houses will be built in mid-2014 along El Camino Real and California Avenue for Stanford University faculty and low-income residents. This construction will result in an influx of students in Nixon and Escondido elementary schools for the 2016-2017 school year, according to Chief Technology Officer Ann Dunkin. In addition, the Palo Alto Uni-fied School District (PAUSD) will receive additional revenue from more homeowners paying property taxes, which Dunkin says will supplement possible state funding losses. The PAUSD administration is also discussing plans to develop another elementary school to balance school populations for the K-5 students planning to enroll in the district.

Demographers for the PAUSD estimate a total of 98 students entering the district be-tween 2015 and 2016, a 5.5 percent increase. PAUSD is divided into clusters, with Barron Park, Briones, Nixon and Escondido elemen-tary comprising the west cluster where the developments will be constructed. Despite the increases in enrollment, the district does not anticipate that the maximum capacity of Palo Alto schools will be exceeded before the next elementary school opens. Additional rooms will be available at Fairmeadow in the fall of 2013 and Duveneck in the fall of 2014. “[The construction of houses in Stanford] won’t have a tremendous impact relative to the overall size and growth of elementary, middle and high school enrollment district wide,” Dunkin said.

Dunkin also says additional classrooms will be constructed in middle schools to maintain a leveled class size. According to Principal Katya Villalobos, PAUSD will also

hire more faculty including an administrative staff and teachers to make up for the influx of students from the Stanford houses. The district will also expand resources for specific courses, especially in elementary schools. Villalobos believes these components will contribute to introducing a new school environment for PAUSD. “Overall there is a positive impact because a different group of teachers and students will offer talents and a whole new culture to the district,” she said. “Increases in enrollment also say something about us as a district because we offer great education and extracurricular programs which benefit a variety of students.”

Villalobos says another elementary school will have a fiscal influence on the district. “In this case, we’re looking at a new elementary school, which is a financial commitment, in addition to the staff,” she said. “It is necessary for the district to implement a monetary investment in the coming years when the 13th elementary school is built.”

According to PAUSD Fiscal Services Manager Yancy Hawkins, if a new school is needed for these students, a mix of developer fees, state bond support and local bond fund-ing would likely be the source for construc-tion costs. For subsequent years, year-to-year allocations will be given on the same basis as all other elementary schools. A definitive amount for the incoming revenue, however, cannot be determined at this point.

In addition, because PAUSD is a basic-aid district, state funding to public schools will depend on California’s economic status in 2016. “The increases in enrollment and property taxes do not necessarily mean an increase in profit for the PAUSD, but revenue will increase in accordance with property taxes and state funding,” Villalobos said.

BODY IMAGE—p.1people tend to hear body image and think, ‘female students,’ but there are a lot of male students who are affected by it too.”

The pressures of one’s own perception of body image do not come alone and can have an adverse impact on one’s mental health. According to Palacio, students’ academic performances can be severely hampered by such issues. “They’re so fixated on that mental health issue,” he said. “It stems from their perception of their body, and then from that they can’t con-centrate in school.”

F e e l i n g i n a d -equate with one’s body is of ten the precursor to more serious health issues, such as mental dis-orders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People who suffer from the former have an abnormal fear of gaining weight, and consequently severely limit their eating habits. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by consuming large amounts of food and subsequently trying to purge it. Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S., accord-ing to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

A female student at Gunn, who had suffered an eating disorder earlier in high school, recounts her story. “At the beginning, there were just a lot of negative feelings, and they all had to be directed somewhere,” she said. “I thought that being skinny and los-ing weight would solve all my problems and ultimately make me happy.”

Four months af-ter the start of her disorder, a check-up revealed that she had an extremely l ow e l e c t r o l y t e count and hear t rate. The student was subsequently hospitalized for ten days.

The Gunn community has taken steps to address the topic. Student Executive Coun-cil Secretary junior Hope Schroeder helped implement the nationwide event, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, during Not in Our Schools Week this year. Titan Broadcast Network for the first time ran a public service announcement about the dangers of body image perception during that week. In addition, Communications, a freshman-year English class which will be offered next year, spends time in the curriculum to detail the impact the media has on body image.

The anonymous student wants people to understand that eating disorders are solely illnesses of the mind. “The way I think of it is that life is a box, and when you have an eating disorder, it kind of closes in on you and traps you,” she said. “It really is an illness of the mind, and it can happen to anyone.”

English teacher Diane Ichikawa, who also teaches Communications, believes the most important step for Gunn to take is to simply bring it out into the open. “Opening the doors to conversation is the first step, just because so many students are not given the opportunity to talk about their body image,” she said.

Feeling InsecureWith media and society constantly

setting new highs for one’s body image, insecurity is a prominent issue for those with distorted body image perceptions. “There’s a perception problem created by media and film, and you also have

the experience of models who become ridiculously thin and not particularly attractive,” Hébert said. “But because we have made modeling some sort of glam-orous profession, there are even young women who are not satisfied with what most young men would consider a nice young figure, and they are convinced that they’re too fat.”

Over time, with the advancements of photoshop and related computer gen-

erated effects, the media has developed certain body images that have had im-pacts on those with body image problems, and has also caused much insecurity in people. “If you go

back forty to fifty years and look at films, you can look at the romantic leads and see that they had pretty thick waists, they didn’t have six packs,” Hébert said. Ac-cording to him, the ideal of attractiveness has shifted toward a skinnier physique, and those with leaner bodies are consid-ered the model these days.

According to Schroeder, the pressures do not discriminate by gender. “Every teenager, not just girls, encounters pres-sures to be a certain way, and that can be hard regardless of how good your sense of yourself or your self-esteem is,” she said.

The anonymous student says her sup-port system was strong throughout her struggles, which was really helpful. “You kind of find out who your friends really

are,” she said. “It’s also really im-portant to have a good relationship with your parents, because they have to care for you and understand why you’re struggling.”

Pa lacio agrees that helping those who suffer these issues depends on making them feel appreciated. “We need to let them know that they’re not alone, that there is help out there,” he said.

Another anonymous Gunn student who had suffered from an eating disorder agreed that support from friends stands as the most important aspect for situations like this; for her, the greatest source of strength came from a friend who quietly made herself available for her. “She didn’t stick her hand in my life, and she didn’t force her support,” she said. “Nothing changed with our friend-ship because she treated me like a normal person.” According to her, when people have problems, if others keep focusing on them, they will not help solve the issue at all.

Body image issues are much more prevalent than many people imagine. Ac-cording to Palacio, the topic needs to have more coverage at Gunn. “These issues don’t come up too often, but often enough where it needs to be addresses,” he said.

Schroeder a lso agrees t hat body i m a ge c on s e que nc e s a re ve r y f a r-reaching.“Usual ly when you think of eating disorders, you think of starving models, actresses, ballerinas, things like that,” Schroeder said. “But the truth is, it’s not only skinny people, girls, teenagers, white girls; it’s much more far-reaching than we think. You only have to scratch the surface to realize all the people whose lives have been impacted, whether it be people that have dealt with eating disorders themselves, have family members who have dealt with them, or who don’t have strong body image in general.”

—Additional reporting by Utkash Dubey

California Ave. housing project scheduledBody image issues affect Gunn community

“The way I think of it is that life is a box, and when you have an eating disorder, it kind of closes in on you and traps you.”

—Anonymous Gunn student

“But the truth is, it’s not only skinny people, girls, teenag-ers, white girls; it’s much more far-reaching than we think.”

—junior Hope Schroeder

It is common to hear freshmen complain about Titan 101 after a long school day—common to the point of becoming routine. It has been two years since Titan 101 was first implemented, and the sentiment surrounding the pro-gram remains highly negative. Titan 101 was created to help freshmen transition smoothly between middle school and high school, but the program has be-come ineffective and unproduc-tive due to inexperienced student leadership, poor planning and uninteresting lessons that create a boring atmosphere. Despite these flaws, the concept of Titan 101 is a good one, albeit one in need of improvement. 67.4 percent of this year’s freshmen still dis-agreed with the statement, “Titan 101 helped me with my transition to high school,” in the program’s end-of-the-year survey. For Titan 101 to succeed, it is imperative that administrators address its flaws.

Link Crew members and Titan

101 teachers make up the team be-hind each session, but they gener-ally accomplish far less than they aim to. A survey taken at the end of this year showed that 52.2 per-cent of freshmen disagreed with the statement, “having Link Crew leaders in my Titan 101 sessions was helpful to me.” Because Link Crew is comprised largely of up-perclassmen uninterested in les-sons targeted for freshmen, Titan 101 is often taken less seriously than it should be by both Link Crew lead-ers and freshmen. Further-more, Link Crew leaders of-ten pay less attention to the lesson than do the freshmen because lessons are aimed at freshmen. As a result, side conversations often emerge. Although interac-tion between leaders and students are encouraged, too much inter-action can encourage freshmen to stray from the lesson completely. Ultimately, Link Crew leaders will need more extensive training as well as emphatic reminders to stay focused on lessons at hand.

Unfortunately, sessions lack more than just strong student leadership; they lack organiza-tion, structure and the ambition to accomplish set goals. Out of

eight sessions, the “4-year Plan-ning/Course Select” was the only lesson voted “very beneficial” by the majority. Four other sessions, “Freshman Survival Skills,” “In-tro to Guidance,” “Homecom-ing Bootcamp” and “Not In Our Schools” (NIOS), were selected as “somewhat beneficial”, and the remaining three, “How is Gunn Going For You?”, “Time

Management” and “Making In-formed Decisions,” were deter-mined “not beneficial at all.” For students, time is precious and should not be wasted on ac-tivities that are “not beneficial at all.” Rather, the program should execute lessons that appeal to freshmen. For example, the level of interest in guidance indicates that more guidance-based les-sons should be included for ses-sions to become “very beneficial”.

Furthermore, Titan 101 ses-sions themselves can be dull and uninteresting. If Titan 101 wants to help students connect with the Gunn community, then Stu-dent Executive Council (SEC) must implement more interac-tive events aimed specifically at the freshmen. The current system forces freshmen to sit through yet another hour of lectures and

talks, which feels like too much of a chore for many students. Titan 101 also shapes lessons more around the indi-vidual rather than the community. These les-sons, such as “Time Man-agement” and “Making Informed Decisions,” fail to create a closer fresh-men community. 60.5

percent of the freshmen sur-veyed did not feel connected to other freshmen within their Ti-tan 101 group. If the program is to be successful, students’ desires for interaction need to be taken into consideration. An exchange event for freshmen to meet new classmates will always be more enjoyable than watching a Pow-erPoint presentation. Although Homecoming Boot Camp and NIOS were voted “somewhat

beneficial,” a more systematic ap-proach to the Gunn culture can encourage active participation in Titan 101. By incorporating Gunn’s traditions and diverse background into the lessons, freshmen can feel more familiar with Gunn’s annual events and even engage in these activities.

From its inception, Titan 101’s goal was to introduce freshmen to Gunn and aid in the transition from eighth to ninth grade. If the program continues for next year’s freshmen, reforms will be neces-sary. Link Crew leaders will need to prepare themselves for stricter codes of conduct during lessons with freshmen. Titan 101 sessions will need to be thoroughly writ-ten out and consistently imple-mented so that the topic really hits home. Program planners will need to create a more interac-tive scene rather than classroom-designated lectures. The ideal program would help freshmen get to know Gunn while reduc-ing stress. Titan 101 can become this ideal program, it just needs that final push to integrate it-self in the Gunn community.

—Chen, a freshman, is a Reporter.

In August 2010, the California Depart-ment of Education (CDE) replaced the original standards for English Language Arts and mathematics with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). However, the CDE has continued to assess schools using the same Standardized Testing and Report-ing (STAR) tests for the last three years. This January, State Superintendent Tom Torlakson called for California to finally adopt a new statewide testing system more aligned with CCSS, to be rolled out in the 2014-2015 school year. Only with the adop-tion of a CCSS-aligned assessment system can the state accurately comprehend how California is measuring up to its new stan-dards. These new tests will eventually help California achieve CCSS’s original goal of producing more college-and-career-ready student and ensure that California is pro-viding quality education.

Along with 45 other states, California adopted the Common Core Standards as part of the CCSS initiative to unite the en-tire U.S. education system under new stan-dards and increase student-readiness for colleges and careers. However, after adopt-ing CCSS in a well-intended move, the state failed to follow up with this decision by effectively assessing the efficacy of these standards. California’s transition from the STAR program to a CCSS-aligned testing system will finally allow CDE to do so. De-laying this change in standardized assess-ments will simply stall California’s efforts toward achieving CCSS’s goal of preparing students for the real world.

According to Torlakson, the new com-puterized assessments to be designed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consor-tium (SBAC) will also measure school and student performances more precisely than the current STAR tests do. Consisting of

only multiple-choice questions, the STAR test allows generous room to guess a ques-tion correctly. Consequently, students can earn higher scores, which inaccurately re-flect their actual level of academic knowl-edge. In return, the CDE, which receives these results and writes reviews accord-ingly, sends improvement tips to schools which fail to address the true gaps in their students’ knowledge. The negative impact of this failure is apparent in California’s poor education grade of 75.5 percent, ac-cording to “Education Week.” This cor-responds to a state education ranking of 35th in the entire nation.

The new computerized assessment de-signed by the SBAC will address the fail-ures of the STAR test with its unique com-puter adaptive testing (CAT) program. According to the SBAC website, the com-puter program adjusts the level of diffi-culty according to a student’s capabilities. When a student answers a question cor-rectly, CAT, which is designed to identify a student’s skill level, will respond accord-ingly by giving a more challenging ques-tion. Furthermore, the new assessment test will include more free-response por-tions that will require testtakers to actual-ly display their knowledge rather than fill-ing in a bubble. For example, the English Language Arts test will include an essay portion that requires students to analyze a passage of text. With the inclusion of the CAT program, the open response sections and a reduced reliance on multiple-choice questions, SBAC tests will measure a stu-dent’s performance more precisely than the traditional STAR tests, ultimately al-lowing the state to provide more helpful and accurate feedback to schools. With reviews that truly pinpoint their weak-nesses, schools will finally be able to make

the long-awaited improvements to student education.

Despite the pressing need for improve-ments to the education system, the nec-essary transition in assessments may be halted by the daunting $483 million price tag, an obvious burden for California in its times of financial woe. Currently, schools do not have the funding or computerized resources to allow each student to take the digitally-administered CCSS test. In addition, the state’s education system has long been a victim of chronic underfund-ing, further aggravated by the nation’s and California’s struggling economic state. According to Torlakson, more than two million students attended a school in fi-nancial jeopardy during the height of the financial crisis. That accounts to one out of every three children. However, with the passing of Prop 30, intended to provide $6 billion to the education budget by raising state sales tax and taxes on the wealthy, the state has managed to overcome the worst of its school funding crisis. Even more so, the approval of Prop. 30 proves that Californians are willing to invest in education at the cost of personal sacrifice. Furthermore, 45 other states have already adopted the same CCSS California has. 24 of these states have also joined the SBAC, which has been entrusted with designing a new assessment system for California. This unity in state standards and test sys-tem means that while the costs of adopt-ing a new test may hinder the state now, California will be able to reap the financial benefits of lowering costs by sharing as-sessments with fellow states later.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 36; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 6)

Forum

Titan 101 needs reform to become an effective program

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The OracleNew state standardized tests are necessary and will be superior to STAR tests

THEORACLE6

Shawna Chen

Titan 101 was created to help freshmen transition smoothly between middle school and high school, but the program has become ineffective and unproduc-tive due to inexperienced student lead-ership, poor planning and uninteresting lessons that create a boring atmosphere.

During the month of January, the Gunn library participated in a competition known as the Follett Challenge. Gunn, along with nearly 100 other schools, submitted a video detailing the innovative features of each library. Gunn’s video placed first, winning a $60,000 gift certificate with which the library can buy materials from the company Follett, such as electronic books. The certificate will be shared between various different schools of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD).

Gunn’s victory in the Follett challenge sparked a great deal of online controversy. Critics asserted that it was wrong for Gunn to participate in the Follett challenge be-cause it denied other, less well-off schools the opportunity to improve their libraries. These critics rely on flawed and hypocritical reasoning. The Gunn library should be lauded for winning the competition because it uses a well-earned reward to better the school’s academic resources.

Modern economic thought is rooted in capitalism and competition. If everyone com-petes against one another for the same job, or to create the best-selling product, everyone works as hard as they can. The job is done in the best way possible, and the best possible product is created as each individual strives to outdo the other.

Gunn won the Follett challenge for a reason. Gunn’s library was judged to be the most innovative library competing. Thus, the hardworking library staff was rewarded for their efforts to raise money and put it to good use. The intention of the Follett challenge was not to aid the needy or to help failing schools. It was to spur innovation and new ways to teach and learn. Gunn’s library demonstrated

the ability to do just that—and was justly re-warded for its skill and hard work. It is only fair that—as in any competition—the best man should win.

Furthermore, it seems odd that this spe-cific competition should be scapegoated as the single instance in which Gunn is obligated to sacrifice its own well-being for another school’s. Gunn maintains a high standard of academic and athletic excellence—but Gunn continues to look for grants for sports teams and academic institutions. There is no obliga-tion for the school to give up these goals to allow other schools to pursue the undoubtedly limited supply of donations and grants.

Critics respond to these points by point-ing out that the library does not “need” the money from the Follett challenge. Gunn does not “need” a high-achieving basketball team, any sort of robotics organization or even a school newspaper. However, Gunn’s excellence in these areas should be and is in-centivized and pursued, not stunted by citing other schools who “need” donations and funding more. The Follett Challenge is simply one more case of Gunn—like all other schools—working to further its own interests.

The idea that Gunn should not par-ticipate in the Follett Challenge because other schools need the funding more is ridiculous. Gunn won fairly and was rewarded for pre-senting the most innovative library. Just as Gunn would not sacrifice its basketball team to give extra dollars to a poorer school, or forego grants for the Gunn Robotics Team, the library should work to further the interests of its own students.

Ultimately, the culture of the school and the country involves competition and meri-tocracy. The best students get to go to the best schools. The best workers are the ones who get the most pay. The best library should be awarded the prize funding—it is hypocritical to suggest otherwise.

—Atlas, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

There is no question that Gunn—as a community of students, parents and staff members—can do much more to support its campus library, in terms of care and es-pecially with regards to finances. However,

engaging in the Follett Challenge proves a less than desirable course of action with regards toward ful-filling that goal. The Follett Chal-

lenge is a program that grants $60,000 to the li-brary that proves most effective in

“preparing students for the demands of the 21st Century.” Without a doubt, the Gunn library deserves the top prize that it won. However, alternative efforts would have proved far more beneficial and far more commendable in providing the support of which the library proves worthy.

There are hundreds, possibly thousands of school libraries that require the assis-tance of $60,000 in the form of goods to a more significant extent than the Gunn library does. With Palo Alto ranking as one of the most affluent centers of living in the nation and quite possibly the world, it is understandable to assume that a high school library in East Palo Alto or Oakland, among other schools, prove far more needful of monetary support in the form of a grant

from a company like Follett. PAUSD has the means of supporting its libraries to a more significant degree; many other school districts lack these means. Even though the Gunn library’s annual funds of $6,500 could and should be augmented, it is safe to assume that libraries in many other school districts have a much steeper hill to climb in terms of finances.

It is true that many of the books, includ-ing several focused on scientific inquiry, on the Gunn library shelves are currently outdated, published in the 1990s or even earlier. While resources from Follett can help alleviate this concern, they are hardly necessary. The Gunn library’s substantive arsenal of high-tech computer technology more than makes up for that kind of defi-ciency. With its wide assortment of laptop and desktop computers, Gunn can already provide as much information, if not more, to

the student than would any addition of books to the library catalog.

While the effort towards compil-ing enough votes

to win a Follett Challenge prize proved a ben-

eficial means of achieving unity within the com-munity, other efforts would have proven more effective in achieving that goal. Setting up a fundraiser or series of fundraisers could have brought the community together to a greater degree. Even setting up a film screen-ing or series of film screenings could have proven useful. By pursuing this course of action, Gunn would also garner a far greater level of appreciation for its library within the community.

The library’s efforts to win a well-deserved grant from Follett should be acclaimed as much as they have been rewarded. However, alternative courses of action would have been far more beneficial to pursue.

—Aspegren, a junior, is a News Editor.

PRO

the gunn library was right to participate in the follett challenge

Ben Atlas Cooper Aspegren

The challenge is an opportunity for educators to help pro-mote their programs that teach the 21st century skills stu-dents need in order to be prepared for life after high school – no matter whether they go to college or enter the job market. Educators who are designing programs that develop critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration be-tween students and among educators are invited to apply.~Description of Follett Challenge according to website

CON

7Monday, May 20, 2013

“Gunn has enough money, and I think that the prize money from the contest

could have gone to a school that needed it more.” Emma Kearney (10)

Should Gunn have participated in the Follett Challenge?Faces in the Crowd

—Compiled by Stephanie Zhang

“It made sense for the Gunn to participate in the Follett chal-lenge because we are a library,

and it makes sense to try to get funds to get more projects

done.”Thomas Rasmussen (11)

“There’s nothing wrong with entering in the Follett Chal-lenge. Even though Gunn is

very affluent, the library is only allocated a certain amount, and

that might not be enough.”Paymahn Mofidi (12)

“No, I think that the money from the Follet Challenge

should have gone to a school that was struggling with

finances and could greatly benefit from the money. ”

Brian Hill (9)

Courtesy of the Follett Corporation

The recent increase in the severity and number of threats put forth by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) has given media site-users ample material for jokes. For example, in a political cartoon from the Los Angeles Times, a comically fat baby-version of Kim Jong Un dressed in a diaper bangs a nuclear missile against the ground. “Give me attention or I’ll blow up Los Ange-les!” reads the speech bubble above Kim’s head. However, the military and political tension between North Korea and the countries it has threatened, including the United States, must be considered a legiti-mate issue.

It may seem to some people that dis-cussion of this issue is simply a formal gesture that does not imply importance. But what this assumption fails to ac-knowledge is that discussion of North Korea’s nuclear testing is what brought the information to the public in the first place. As part of the United Nations (UN), the U.S. has a responsibility, if not a moral obligation, to defend its allies. Even if North Korea does not have the ability to attack the continental U.S., it is capable of landing missiles in closer areas, such as Japan, South Korea and U.S. military bas-es in Hawaii and Guam. According to an article from CNN, written in 2013, “since 2005, two former Defense Intelligence Agency chiefs have raised the possibility” of North Korea “being able to deliver a

nuclear weapon on a ballistic missile.” A desire to lessen international hos-

tilities may play a part in the federal gov-ernment’s decision to tread lightly about the situation. If the federal government was to openly mock the young dictator’s threats as openly as the majority of the American public has, Kim Jong Un might be angered enough to actually carry out an attack that his country’s re-sources can sustain. Given the relative nascence of North Ko-rea’s nucle-ar missile technology, this would likely not be a nuclear strike on the U.S., but a raid on South Korea or other neighboring coun-tries. In the past few decades, North Korea has attacked other coun-tries multiple times by bombing buildings, hijack-ing a South Korean plane, assassinating the wife of the South Korean president and shelling the South Korean island Yeonpyeong, an at-tack that killed 45 South Koreans. Clearly, the situa-tion and its potential for loss of lives is not a laughing matter.

Stating or implying that North Korea poses no threat at all to any country is ridiculous. The fact that North Korea is incapable of launching intercontinental ballistic missiles does not imply that is incapable of perpetrating other acts of

violence. If the country had no power whatsoever, this situation would not be considered an issue. In fact, according to CNN, “the top U.S. commander in the Pacific called repeated North Ko-rean violations...resolutions forbidding the ‘building and testing’ of...missiles

and nuclear weapons ‘a clear and direct

threat to U.S. na-tional security

and regional peace.’”

Current-ly, the U.S.

aims to lessen tensions with

North Korea after Kim Jong

Un’s threats intensified in response to a UN Security Council vote

to tighten sanc-tions on North Korea. The situ-ation remains

a matter of national secu-rity and thus should not be mocked. This is not to say that

every American should treat Kim Jong Un’s possibly empty words as an extreme threat. However, by poking fun at North Korea, we deride the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure the security of America and other countries.

—Lew, a junior, is a Centerfold Editor.

Back off, Piers Morgan

Forum8 THEORACLE

Dear Mr. Morgan,Any viewer of Piers Morgan Live on CNN knows

that you love to talk gun control–background checks, limitation of fully and semi-automatic weapons, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine, the elusive rhetoric of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Your statistics comparing gun-related deaths inside and outside of the U.S. are endless. Boy, firearm opposition sure is your bread and butter.

As an avid supporter of gun control, I agree with all of your arguments, and will go so far as to say that I might call for even more radical measures to prevent gun violence. However, your argument is not the problem. You are the problem, Piers.

I am a patriot, but I am not a nationalist—and I am by no means a jingoist. I have the utmost respect for England and its culture, and for any culture in the world, for that matter. But the areas of our country with large constituencies of Republicans and gun control opposition happen to believe that the U.S. is the greatest thing that ever happened to the world. In their eyes, we’re destined to step over every inferior country (every country, really) and rule Planet Earth. So do you really think they’re going to listen to a chirpy little Brit in a blue tie?

No, they aren’t, no matter how many statistics you throw at them, no matter how many guests you bring on to your show, no matter how passionate you are about the issue. It is a sad fact biased individuals will often judge the speaker more than and before the content of his speech. But these are the people that you’re trying to reach. The gun control support-ers are already on your side. The hardcore gun nuts will never be on your side. But let’s assume there is a middle ground—say, an educated Republican family in Missouri that owns only two or three guns. If you want to reach them directly, you, Piers, have to drop gun control and let an American spokesperson take the mic.

I can imagine it right now. Our Missourian fam-ily reclines around their tube TV on a Sunday night. An American flag blows in the wind outside. They’re watching CNN—not improbable, as one-fifth of CNN viewers are Republican. And then you prance on, with your hoity-toity accent and your comments about how “Our lives in Britain are so much more carefree without the fear of a gunman hiding around every corner.” The Republican family either changes the channel, or points at the screen and breaks into uproarious laughter. You’re an eccentricity to them, a psycho, a cavalier alien. You are to American liberals what Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly are to conserva-tives. You aren’t helping us. You are hurting our cause.

Many of the Americans that oppose gun control, and I might argue all Americans at some level, don’t want to hear how other countries are better than ours. They want to hear that our country is the best in the world, and that it should remain the best by enforcing stricter firearm policies. And they want to hear all of this from an American.

So back off, Mr. Morgan. End your editorial chat-ter and retreat to unbiased journalism. If you actually cared about gun control and the price of human lives, and didn’t just want to glorify yourself as America’s small screen savior, you would make the move. An anti-gun control spokesperson from a demographic that typically opposes gun control might garner more sympathy. Maybe even an American from a typically pro-gun control population group would do the trick. Any demographic representation would be more ef-fective than a foreigner’s.

So back off, Mr. Morgan. Step down and take a big bow. Don’t worry: you’re welcome to stay in America. Just please don’t divide it any further.

—Steinberg, a senior, is a guest columnist.

Ben Steinberg

North Korean threats must be taken more seriously

Given recent events, the gun control argument has become a warzone in itself. Members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) con-tinue to vehemently defend their self-proclaimed duty as “diligent protectors of the Second Amendment.” Legis-lators, journalists and protest-ers, in the meanwhile, are cry-ing out for a ban on “assault weapons.” They reprimand the NRA for promoting their own pro-gun agenda at the risk of innocent lives being more vulnerable at the hands of deranged gunmen. How-ever, their proposal to issue an assault weapons ban is ir-rationally unfounded.

Granted, it may seem like common sense that the most straightforward solution to the gun crime problem is to ban civilian ownership of guns. However, the issue is in reality much more com-plicated than that. Gun con-trol cannot be seen in such a black-and-white manner. Never mind the violation of the Second Amendment, making firearms illegal will not just magically elimi-

nate gun crime. In a country where, according to a Jan. 28 issue of Time magazine, 49 percent of the population has a gun readily available in their household, reacquisition of civilian firearms would not only be costly and inconve-nient, but would most likely be impossible. Even if such a program were put into effect, the only people who would comply with such a law would be law-abiding citizens. Guns are righteously used in self-defense over 180,000 times a year, according to Time. Clichés are true for a reason: gun control takes away guns primarily from good people who would otherwise be able to potentially protect others from those who would keep them. Criminals and gang members would have no rea-son to turn in their weapons, rendering innocents more vulnerable and less prepared in terms of self-defense.

Of course, members of Congress are not currently advocating for this action. As aforementioned, many in-stead call for an assault weap-ons ban, which they believe would effectively reduce the number of mass shootings. There are several problems with this line of thinking. For one, what determines an “assault weapon” is not even clearly defined. This ambigu-ous term could potentially

encompass any weapon that could be used to “assault” someone. If gun control ad-vocates were trying to push for an assault rifle ban, the parameters would be much more clear. But as it is, the legislation they are attempt-ing to enact would label as-sault weapons very broadly and could potentially give more power to the govern-ment than needed.

Politicians are also taking the wrong approach when it comes to trying to quell gun violence. The argument is a classic example of people trying to regulate what they know little about. Still, the perception is understandable; it would make sense to try to restrict weapons engineered for the very purpose of harm-ing someone. But the logistics of weapons tell a different sto-ry. On the issue of purely fire-arms, people are deceived as to which ones have more po-tential to cause harm. Right now, legislators are trying to ban primarily assault rifles, guns with high-capacity, au-tomatic-fire capabilities. For the most part, they are leav-ing firearms like pistols and hunting rifles, which do not have the selective-fire option, alone. The trouble with this logic is that the latter is actu-ally much more dangerous than the former. Hunting ri-fles such as the popular Rem-

ington 700, unlike automatic rifles, are designed to take down big game such as deer or elk, which are much heavi-er than humans. Many pistols are designed for similar pur-poses, such as the high-cali-ber Israeli Military Industries Mark I Desert Eagle. These guns can carry ammunition as heavy as 40 grams, which has the potential to tear a human being in half. On the other hand, the most com-mon civilian rifle, the AR-15 M16 variant, carries 5.56mm NATO rounds that weigh in at about only four grams, ten times less than that of the Remington 700; if a human being were to be hit by this kind of bullet, survival would be much more likely.

Of course, this is not to say that the solution is for the government to start tak-ing away every gun in sight. Rather, this demonstrates that many who advocate for heavy gun control are currently too uneducated about guns to make an appropriately cal-culated decision as to which types of firearms they should be restricting. Congress will not be ready to take another large step in gun reform until they consider all of the fac-tors and come up with a well thought-out plan of action.

—Cheong, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

Gun control advocates fail to consider key factors

Leon Cheong

Rachel Lew

Dave Zhu

9 Monday, May 20, 2013Features

Just because Macklemore can get away with “poppin tags” at the thrift store doesn’t mean that the rest of America can get away with ripping price tags off the food at their local grocery store. Instead, 15 percent of Americans depend on food stamps to help maintain their family’s livelihood.

As of March this year, 47.8 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—one out of every seven people. California has the second highest number of monthly participants, a total of 3.96 million adults and children. Enrollment in SNAP has surged 70 percent since 2008, mostly due to the recession. Unfortunately, just because the unemployment rate is slowly but surely shrinking, the number of people living below the poverty line isn’t de-creasing at the same rate. Despite the number of people who rely on SNAP, the House Agriculture Committee may cut $2.5 billion a year from the $80 billion program.

In honor of California’s Hunger Action Day on May 17, I took part in the food stamp challenge for five days. The average American on food stamps only receives $4 per day for their three meals so people across the country take the challenge to spend the same amount of money on food that people on food stamps have. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have taken part in order to educate themselves and their communities about poverty and hunger in our own backyard.

The day before the challenge I headed over to Safeway, where I figured I would be able to find better deals compared to Palo Alto’s popular Whole Food Market and Piazza’s. The trip took a lot longer than I was expecting it to because I was forced to calculate exactly how much each item would take out of my budget. Typically when I go shopping, I have the luxury to be more spontane-ous and lax with my money, particularly when it comes to foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, my math was off by about three dollars once I got to the check-out, so I had to take items out of my bags when the cashier told me my total. Not only was I embarrassed that I couldn’t pay, but the faces of the tired, exasperated cashier and line of people behind me sure didn’t help my comfort level either. I can only imagine the kind of shame families who go through this situation on a regular basis feel.

Throughout the week, I got much more tired and irritable than normal due to the fact that I was eating the same bland foods everyday. And despite my best intentions, I most certainly didn’t get the daily recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables. Normally I eat a lot of fruit, but it seemed more important to buy foods like peanut butter and eggs that would keep me full longer.

Near the end of the challenge, I started thinking about what I would get to eat once I finished the challenge. It wasn’t until then that I realized that the end had always been in sight for me—it’s easy to get through tough days when you know next week will be different. That’s not possible for those who are actually on food stamps.

I’m positive that living on four dollars a day for less than a week cannot even begin to compare to what real people working for minimum wage and living below the poverty line actually go through, but it certainly made me much more grateful for all that I have. You can read about people in the news, but it’s hard to make a personal connection to a situation until you’ve at least attempted to walk in that person’s shoes.

—Alger, a junior, is a Features editor.

Rebecca Alger

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Faces in the Crowd

“Taco Bell’s Burrito Supreme without onions or lettuce.”

Jyotin Hayes (9)

—Compiled by Pooja Belur

“Potatoes.”

Maran Palaniappan (10)

“Steak.”

Alicia Cardell (11)

“Miso soup with rice.”

Marissa Kanemoto (12)

The Hunger Games: editor volunteers as tribute

Monday—Entering the ArenaI was excited to try something new and challenging that I didn’t have any prior experi-

ence with. I started with a bowl of plain oatmeal with half a banana for breakfast, which kept me full all the way until lunch. Lunch was a peanut butter sandwich and baby carrots. I got hungry in the afternoon so I ate one of the hard-boiled eggs I made on Sunday evening after I came home from my trip to the grocery store. Dinner consisted of plain brown rice with some more baby carrots and another egg for protein.

Tuesday —Making CampDay Two was a lot harder than I had expected. I live off caffeine—particularly coffee—so

after staying up a good part of the night to study for my Art History exam, I wasn’t feeling too great. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all ended up being the same for simple lack of resources. I did cheat right before my exam though with a granola bar from the vending machines, but I think I can chalk that up to nothing more than a sacrifice for my future.

Wednesday—Fighting for My LifeI ended up sleeping about ten hours Tuesday night, which if you ask any second semester

junior, is quite a bit. I could have been tired from staying up late the night before, but I think part of my lethargy was due to not getting the same amount of fruits and vegetables that I nor-mally get. I had oatmeal once again because that was the only food that I specifically allocated for my five days over the challenge. I got a break from my peanut butter sandwich with a hot cup of creamy soup. Dinner was—you guessed it—brown rice and carrots.

Friday—Light at the End of the TunnelI woke up excited for the last day of the challenge, hoping to maybe try and make some-

thing exciting for breakfast with the rest of my food. After I looked in my basket of food for the week though, that plan went completely out the window. There really isn’t much you can make with some peanut butter, eggs, bread, and rice—at least not anything even slightly scrumptious. Despite my inability to cook up something new, I made it through the rest of the day without a problem.

Thursday—Struggling for SurvivalThe fourth day of the challenge was probably the hardest. My oatmeal spilled and made

a mess in the microwave and my third peanut butter sandwich of the week got smashed to smithereens in my bag, so I didn’t end up eating much. After school a few of my friends were going out for lunch, but of course since I was on the challenge, I went home instead of sitting there and watching them eat. The majority of us at Gunn don’t have to worry about going out for lunch every once in a while because we have the money, but it is a real problem for a lot of people that can make them feel even more isolated.

Junior Rebecca Alger challenges herself to five days living off $4 a day, the same amount 15 percent of Americans receive for food.

Jasmine Garnett

10 THEORACLE

Changing-course:

Carole StroudSpanish Teacher

Klaire TanForum Editor

For Athletic Director, Physical Education (P.E.) teacher and varsity girls’ basketball coach Sarah Stapp, the 2012-2013 school year at Gunn has definitely been a memorable one. Most importantly, she led her basketball team all the way to NorCal semifinals. However, this year will also be Stapp’s last at Gunn. After this summer, she will be moving back to the Sacramento area to turn over a new leaf.

According to Stapp, Sacramento has long been her home. For thirteen years, Stapp lived in California’s capital, first as a Sacramento State University student, then as a basketball coach and eventually as a P.E. teacher. Now, when she returns, Stapp will be assuming a full time P.E. teaching position at Ponderosa High School in the El Dorado Union School District. In addition, she intends to continue coaching high school girls’ basketball to some capacity.

This transition will mark a new chapter of her life. “This is a chance to get back home, buy a house and be closer to family,” Stapp said.

However, for Stapp, the eight years she has spent at Gunn are unforgettable. “Thinking about all my kids, my basketball players, just makes me cry,” she said. “I know how special this place is. This has been a good experi-ence for me. I’ll never forget it.”

Mitch DonatManaging Editor

One hour here and one hour back: that’s how long it takes math teacher Amelia Lombard to commute to Gunn each day from her home in San Francisco. After four years of making this daily commute, she has decided to take a temporary leave for the upcoming school year and look for teaching jobs closer to home.

“My first years of teaching were in L.A.,” Lombard said. “I miss the urban population and urban teaching, so I’m excited to get back into that.” If she lands a new teaching job in San Francisco, Lombard is qualified to teach any mathematical class because of her credentials, but undoubtedly prefers geometry. “[It’s] a love of mine—isn’t geometry the best?” she chuckled. “But I’m open to teaching whatever.”

After spending the majority of her teaching years at Gunn, Lombard has a few worries involving the adjust-ment to urban teaching. “My expectations have been set so high from teaching at Gunn,” she said. “It’s always scary starting something new.”

Lombard has always recognized the great Palo Alto neighborhood and will miss many of its distinguishing features such as the education system. “It’s almost too much to ask for to find a school in San Francisco with the same community of teachers and students [you can find] here,” she said. “However, I’m ready for a change.”

Danielle YacobsonFeatures Editor

After twenty five years at Gunn, Spanish teacher Carole Stroud is retiring. Now that she won’t have to spend her weekends grading papers and correcting homework, Stroud is looking forward to being able to pursue some of her other passions. “It’s strange to be thinking of quitting after all these years, but it’s time to start traveling during the off-season,” she said.

Stroud has always loved to travel and believes that now is the time to take the opportunity while she still can. Some of the voyages on her list include hiking across El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, visiting national parks in South America, and re-discovering her Scottish roots by walking across West Highland Way.

As a non-native Spanish speaker, Stroud understands what it feels like to be most of her students. “I think I’m a good model for students to show that I started [learning Spanish] in ninth grade and became fluent, and they can do that as well,” she said.

“I will miss being around so many delightful, funny, smart and wonderful young people, but I’m hoping a few will stay in touch with me through Facebook,” Stroud said.

“Teaching geometry to sophomore and freshmen boys is always entertaining, especially during the unit on compass constructions. There’s something about the word ‘circum-

scribed’ that gives the immature ones a fit of giggles.”

Sarah StappAthletics Director

Amelia LombardMath Teacher

Courtesy of Sarah Stapp

“My most memorable moment at Gunn was winning our first CCS title in school history for girls’ basketball. In that game, we beat Paly which made it that much sweeter.”

“I had a student who was writing an essay about dance, and right from the get-go, I could tell she was using a translating machine. So I read the first paragraph, second paragraph... and all of a sudden, the third paragraph was all in Portuguese! She had pushed the wrong

language button!”

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Audey Shen

Anthony Tran

11Monday, May 20, 2013

Regina TranAssistant Business manager

School psychologist George Green will be retiring at the end of this school year after working full time at Gunn since 1995. Green did not originally plan to work in schools. “I didn’t intend to stay [in school psychology] that long,” Green said. “[I was] probably thinking more in terms of going into private practice. However, I liked working with high school aged students, and so I’ve worked mainly in a high school setting for 20-plus years.”

Green finds that the best part of his job is being able to help students get the guidance that they need. “It’s never been a boring job—let’s put it that way,” Green said. “Every day is a little different, I like that. There is always something new that I need to understand, and I like that challenge.”

Green had a few words of advice to students before his departure. “Whatever vocation or work experience they go into, I think that it is important to go into a field that you have an interest in,” Green said. “Money is also important. I think everyone understands that. It is a balance of whether you can find a field that offers you the kind of living standard that you want as well.”

Tim WangCopy Editor

At the end of this school year, English Language Learners (ELL) teacher Rick Jacobs will be retiring after a forty-year-long teaching career and 20 years of service at Gunn.

Jacobs did his best to keep his students engaged by using surprises, making funny noises and asking silly questions, making his classroom into a sort of a stage. “If you don’t capture [students’] attention you can’t teach anything,” he said.

Jacobs plans on retiring without any regrets but with a lot of great memories. He recalls his most memorable experiences as simply working with the students each day. He recalls thousands of funny moments in his class, especially when he tried to impersonate different animals.

Jacobs loved every moment of his work and even though he is retiring from the academic schedule, he still plans on living an active life. After retiring, Jacobs plans on devoting more time to his family, exercising, learning new languages and diving into music.

As a final word of wisdom to his students and fellow teachers, Jacobs said, “Whether you are a teacher or a student, you need to always focus on family and be engaged. Always find something productive to do.”

Christine LinReporter

After eight years at Gunn, AP Biology teacher Katherine Moser is retiring from her third and favorite career after working as both a research biologist and a senior manager of a medical group. According to Moser, she had been planning her retirement for a while. “You have to consider the economic prospect, pensions, part-time work,” Moser said. “This was just the right time.” She chose teaching as her career path because it allowed her to continue her passion in science while managing a family at home. “I love science, I love teaching and I love being able to inspire young people,” Moser said.

Moser says that Gunn holds too many good memories to count while she reminisces about the highlights of her career. “Two years ago, I sponsored the Science Olympiad group when they went to States,” she said. “That was a really life-changing experience, and I was glad to have been a part of something so big. The other memory would probably be when I brought a group of students to Costa Rica for research. Being able to approach biology hands-on is a completely different experience from what you do in the classroom.”

After retirement, Moser plans to work part time, continuing her passion for biology as a tutor while simulta-neously satisfying her enthusiasm for exploring the world as a travel agent.

“When we read The Raven and I felt we needed to create the scene in [Poe’s] dingy room so I moved around the room and I read the poem and impersonated the blackbird perched

above the door. It was pretty funny. The students enjoyed it.”

Katherine MoserAP Biology Teacher

Rick JacobsELL Teacher

George GreenSchool Psychologist

teachers-bid-adieu

“When we were studying animal behavior, Mrs. Moser would pretend to be a bee perform-ing its dance. It just made the topic so much more fun.”

-Katherine Berry, junior

“I really like the times that a student who is very distressed would come in to talk to me on their own. I also like it when a friend brings in their friend who is very distressed to talk to

me or a counselor.”

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

Courtesy of Katherine Moser

+ - = ≤ π ≥ √ x + - = ≤ π ≥ √ x + - = ≤ π

Stephanie Kim

12 THEORACLE Features

Artist of the Month: junior Mark Ling

Audey Shen

freshman charms with jewelry

The Oracle: What led you to pursue orches-tra music?Mark Ling: I was introduced to music when I was five, and I didn’t really have that many other interests. I love music because it makes me feel more relaxed when I’m stressed out and helps me focus on just playing. Overall, it really helps my stress.

TO: In your opinion, why do you think orchestra is an important class at Gunn?ML: Orchestra is one of those classes where freshmen and seniors can both take it to-gether. Two seniors are assigned to a number of freshmen, helping the whole group really connect with each other. Everyone works together in orchestra, something that is im-portant and something I like.

TO: What is your favorite genre of music? ML: My favorite genre of music is classical music and pop, but nowadays whenever there is a “hot” song on the radio I listen to it. In general, I listen to mostly classical music.

TO: What is your advice for novice musi-cians or those who feel like quitting music?ML: My advice is to never quit playing an instrument because it’s really hard to pick it [music] up again. Do not try to limit yourself to one instrument early on, and never give up your dream of becoming a musician. I also advise you not to play a single genre of music, but to play different styles like jazz, classical, dance, etc. It is also a lot more fun if you play with friends.

TO: What are your parents’ opinions on you going into music?ML: My parents have definitely been my biggest supporters and have supported me every step of the way. They don’t pressure me to practice or force me to play, and they just want me to try my best. My parents have always encouraged me to keep playing, have watched my concerts and have seen me perform. If it wasn’t for my parents, I would probably stop playing music.

TO: How many hours do you spend on orchestra?ML: I usually dedicate four to five hours a week, all after school. To me, it has become kind of a routine.

TO: What instrument do you play? Why is it your favorite instrument to play?ML: I play the violin because it was my very first instrument. The violin is easy to carry-around, stylish, and I can play a variety of genres of music with it.

TO: When you graduate from high school, will you pursue orchestra as a career?ML: (Laughs) Definitely not as a career, no. However, I do not want to give up on music altogether. Maybe I will call my friends and start a band with them or join an adult music group. It will be very hard to find time to play music after high school, and if I do have time I will try new styles and continue to practice.

–Compiled by Matt Niksa

Unlike the majority of teens who are on the consumer side of jewelry retail, freshman Emma

Waldspurger is on the producer end of the deal. She makes and sells her own jewelry on Etsy, an online website where handmade goods exchange hands from

creator directly to buyer. Waldspurger was introduced to jewelry crafting four

years ago at Camp Galileo, a summer camp for kids. She later turned to teaching herself more complex techniques such as bead weaving, where multiple strands are used. Soon after her first class, she participated in her middle

school’s craft fair, where students sold hand-made items. After a few years of contributing to

her school’s annual fair, Waldspurger decided to turn her entrepreneurship into a full-time affair in by selling her jewelry online. Last year, she opened up a store called EmmaMini Jewelry Designs on Etsy at

the recommendation of her friend. “At first business was kind of slow, but now it’s picked up,” Waldspurger said.

An important aspect in jewelry-making is the limit-less possibilities. Rather than shopping for the perfect

necklace, Waldspurger can string together her own. “I have a lot more control over the pat-

terns,” Waldspurger said. “If I have an outfit that I like, I can make a bracelet to go with

it. By making my own jewelry, I’m not limited to other people’s

ideas.”

While designing a piece of jewelry, Wald-spurger pays close attention to a few specific aspects of the process. “Colors and textures are the most important, but I also like having sym-metry in my jewelry,” Waldspurger said. She also takes apart vintage jewelry in order to reuse its beads and transform the original piece of jewelry into something

of her own. Although on the surface crafting jewelry

may seem easy, there is much more to it than just stringing beads onto a chain. “The most challenging aspect I’d say is balanc-ing out the sizes and colors of the beads,” Waldspurger said. “You need to have the right sized beads and I am really picky about the color. If the bead is not the

right color, I won’t use it.” Waldspurger receives the most satisfaction when

someone purchases her work. “It feels great knowing that people like my stuff enough to buy it,” she said. “It feels amazing that someone would care about it enough to buy from a ninth grader.”

Through the process of designing, creating and selling jewelry, Waldspurger has learned that hard work really does pay off. “Taking your time is really worth it,” she said. “I just know when something comes out right, and I’ve learned to be proud of what I do.”

Katherine ZhuReporter

Emma Waldspurger

Courtesy of Paige K. Parsons

Alex ManReporter

On May 11, many students participated in the annual Relay for Life event sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to raise awareness for cancer, remember those who lost to cancer and honor many who fought the disease. Each year the Youth Community Service (YCS) club brings members to participate in the event.

During the event, there were many ceremonies that honor those who have fought and survived cancer. The event began with the celebration of survivors and their caregivers, where cancer survi-vors spoke about fighting cancer. The survivors then walked a lap around the track as participants cheered them on. Many activities occurred between each ceremony. The “Jeopardy” activity tested the participants’ knowledge of cancer. Whoever answered the questions correctly earned some sort of prize. Another annual activity was the Stanford band playing a variety of songs. Food companies such as Hobees, Yogurtland and Coupa Cafe catered to the participants throughout the event. Participants with friends and relatives who suf-fered from cancer also created bags and placed candles along the track lanes during the Luminaria Ceremony which commemorated all those who have fought against cancer or are still battling it. At the end of the event, the Fight Back Ceremony informed participants of measures they can take to prevent cancer.

According to YCS advisor Mark Her-nandez, the experience was an emotional one for many participants who have been affected by cancer in some way.

Junior Stephanie Do felt that being able to support such a cause was a touching and inspirational experience. “I felt truly com-passionate about the cause because I lost my grandma to cancer,” Do said. “The silent lap

after the Luminaria ceremony really lets you reflect how deeply cancer affects the world.”

Junior Dillon Hu, who lost both his grandfather and aunt to cancer, also felt it was a touching and inspirational experi-ence. Having gone to last year’s Relay for Life, Hu felt that this year’s event was more

fun with more friends around. “My friends and I had cookies and milk past midnight and we played tons of knockout on these inflatable basketball courts,” Hu said.

Hernandez recounts that Relay for Life served as a cathartic experience for him after the death of his mother a few years ago. “It had been a year since my mother had died, so it was a chance for me to take some

time for myself and walk a few miles and think about a lot of things,” Hernandez said.

Despite the emotional aspect of the charity event, many students felt that this year’s fundraiser was fun. Many activities such as a talent show, yoga lesson and Super Smash Bros. tournament were available for

entertainment. “We could play volleyball and badminton,” Do said. “It’s just a great way to spend time with your friends.”

Some of the events also included a variety of entertainment groups. Junior Maytal Abramson believed that these groups were very intriguing. “They had belly dancers and music groups that had a Jamaican feel to it,” Abramson said.

According to Hernandez, each event in previous years has had some sort of bad occurrence. “The running joke is that every other year, something bad happens,” Hernandez said. “This year was nice since nothing of the sort hap-pened.”

Hernandez is quick to stress that the event was as encouraging as it is commemorative. “It is not a totally somber event,” he said. “There are certainly powerful moments but also good chances to have fun and time to reflect. This year was very mellow which was something that I liked. It gave me time to just reflect on myself.”

Junior Nicolas Diken felt that the schedule of activities had fair organization. “It seemed like there were a few fun events there,” Diken said. “Kickball and ‘Jeopardy’ had to be the most fun out of the rest.”

General advice for all partici-pants may be to pace themselves

throughout the event and enjoy having a fun time doing fun activities with friends. “Sometimes people get frenetic and forget to enjoy themselves with all their friends around,” Hernandez said. “It is always good to see friends get together and have a fun time.”

Anuva Ganapathi

Copy Editor

Every day of the week, from 10:20 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Titan Café offers breakfast and brunch items that the students in the Futures program make and sell. The Futures program consists of students who require special assistance and who work on improving their communication skills with other students and adults. Titan Café is a student-run enterprise that benefits the students by enabling social interaction in a work type en-vironment. “The students have responsibilities to prepare, serve and then clean up,” student aide Nicholas Parry said. “It simu-lates a work environment, while at the same time promoting so-cial interaction in a familiar and friendly school setting.” Among other responsibilities, students also maintain inventory and keep track of weekly sales, with the help of student aides in the classroom.

The students work together to prepare different snacks and interact with their customers in an effort to establish new relationships. Senior Donald Mui, who has been working at Titan Café for the past two years, says that he enjoys making sandwiches and that Titan Café has become easy for him over the past two years. With the help of his aides and classmates, Mui has become a prominent member of Titan Café. “I’ve met a lot of new staff members and teachers,” Mui said. “We have

people who come very regularly and I have made new friend-ships with them.” In addition to working at Titan Café, Mui also works at local restaurant Tommy Thai as a waiter and helps to clean up afterwards. “Working at Tommy Thai has helped me at Titan Café,” he said. “It’s easy now.”

Though Titan Café does make an effort to reach out to as many students as possible and serve as large a client base as they can, Gunn’s rotating schedule often proves to be a hindrance to this goal. The changing times makes it difficult to have a fixed

schedule for Titan Café. “The hardest part is time management, given the rotation schedule,” Parry said. “Not all of our café menu items require the same amount of preparation, time and effort, and it is difficult to balance the different menu items. If all the students had the same sched-ule every day, Titan Café could be run more efficiently with focus on further development of each of the students’ individual skills.”

The program has been around for five years, and the students and staff who run it have been making steady changes to improve its func-tionality each year. Right now, their

main focus is to expand their program and make it available to more people.

This year, the Titan Café members are hoping to form a more solid client base, and attract new customers. “We have our regulars, but we could reach out to more,” Parry said. “We could even set up a mobile coffee delivery and sale system, or sell small food and drink items in the quad during brunch.”

13Features Monday, May 20, 2013

Futures program students sell food at Titan Café at brunch

Stephanie Kim

Top: Futures program student Ryan Russ-Navarro and student aid Jessie Laurence make pancakes.Bottom: Russ-Navarro sits at the cash register.

Stephanie Kim

Top left: Students sit outside on the field listening to a cancer survivor. Top right: Informational posters are spread out across the field. Bottom: Cancer survivors walk laps around the track to symbolize their struggle.

Stephanie Kim

Stephanie KimThe sign welcomes customers into the Titan Café.

14 Centerfold

For those summer daytime snack cravings, try this nutritious alternative to fat-heavy, unhealthy ice cream. Watermelon popsicles are rich in vitamin C and potassium and contain lots of water, which can help you stay hydrated and

healthy during the summer.

Ingredients:Small cups (Dixie cups)

Popsicle sticks1/3 of a regular sized watermelon

2/3 cups water3 tbs honeyDirections:

1. Remove the seeds from the watermelon, cut it into smaller pieces, and blend the pieces.2. Combine the water and the honey, and microwave until syrupy. 3. Mix the watermelon and honey-water thoroughly. 4. Fill cups 1/2 of the way and place a popsicle stick into each cup.5. Put the cups in the freezer and Wait for your popsicles to freeze.

Healthy Substitute: Watermelon popsicle

Graphics and Photos by Jasmine Garnett and Anthony Tran —Compiled by Alex Man

Quick ways to stay fit over summer

Polymeric exercises are great for cardio and increasing strength and endurance. Burpees specifically target the lower body and help increase your heart rate to burn off extra summer fat.

1. To start, stand straight then quickly drop down into the push-up position.

2. Slowly bend your elbows, lowering your body until your chin is five inches from the ground.

3. Pump your knees into your chest and go into a frog position with bent knees.

4. Jump as high as you can and land with your feet shoulder width apart.

—Compiled by Erica Watkins

For this summer, The Oracle Recommends...

Ray-Ban sunglasses are an expensive option for sunglasses, but they are worth it for their polarized lenses. Polarized lenses most effectively protect your eyes from the sun, but having anything that darkens the sun’s luminous light can have an effect as well. For a cheaper option, most clothing stores sell sun-glasses at a fair price.

Neutrogena UltraSheer sunblock is the number one der-matologist approved sunscreen. It is waterproof, leaves your skin dry and goes on sheer. Sunscreen will prevent the sun’s rays from mutating your skin and prevents cancer. Regarding sun protection factor (SPF), anything above 15 will do a good job.

New Era snap backs are the hats to flash this summer. If you are not looking for a sports cap, look at clothing stores’ hats; both will do the same job of shading your face from the sun.

The Jewish Community Center features both an out-door pool for laps and an indoor pool with a water slide. Member-ship costs 50 dollars per month, but it also includes a basketball court, weight room and showers.

Burt 's Bee's chapstick is a fantastic chapstick to balm your lips with. It comes in a vari-ety of flavors, while providing a smooth moisturized feel. It has sunflower oil which will keep your lips hydrated and ready for a fun summer.

Speedo sells racing swimsuits for both genders, bikinis and nor-mal board shorts. The only thing you should make sure of is that it fits and will not fall off when you jump off the diving board.

McDonald's McCafe sells smoothies that high in nutrition and give you a great frosty brain freeze. For two to five dollars, you can buy a fruit smoothie or iced coffee. That type of bargain will surely quench your thirst during the blazing summer days.

Crocs, are great ventilating shoes that keep your feet free from athletes foot during humid days. They can be bought online and in most shoe stores. They range from as little as ten dollars on the clearance rack to thirty dollars for the newest design. Crocs feature a closed back, but will still keep your feet cool.

This summer's

Must-Have's and Top Brands

Roy ShadmonTech Editor

Stay Healthy under the summer sun

The Oracle compiles a set of tips and tricks that can help you maintain your health as well as have fun throughout the summer.

15Monday, May 20, 2013Centerfold

—Compiled by Samantha Acker

Healthy Substitute: Avocado shake

For those who want to build some muscle mass over the summer, and for those who wish to go “all natty, bruh,” this all-natural protein milk shake will help put on that extra bulk. Avocados are high in fifiber, which is beneficial to the digestive system. Milk is high in protein and calcium, which together help repair muscles and strengthen bones. The milk and ice will keep you hydrated, your joints lubricated and your muscles elastic and relaxed, while honey is a natural sweetener. Overall, the shake is a great, healthy

substitute for artifificial, sugary protein bars.

Ingredients::: 1 large avocado 2 cups milk 1 cup ice

2.5 tbsp honey

Directions: Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy.

Easy tricks to get and stay toned

Glute exercises are great for toning and firming your derrière. This exercise is perfect for achieving the perfect bum this summer.

1. Lie on your side on a towel or mat and place your feet at the edge of the mat.

2. Lift your upper leg at an angle that is 45 degrees from your other leg and turn it so that it faces out.

3. Slowly lower your leg so that it is in front of you.

4. Continuously raise and lower your leg 20 times, then repeat the same process on your other leg.

Speedo sells racing swimsuits for both genders, bikinis and nor-mal board shorts. The only thing you should make sure of is that it fits and will not fall off when you jump off the diving board.

McDonald's McCafe sells smoothies that high in nutrition and give you a great frosty brain freeze. For two to five dollars, you can buy a fruit smoothie or iced coffee. That type of bargain will surely quench your thirst during the blazing summer days.

Crocs, are great ventilating shoes that keep your feet free from athletes foot during humid days. They can be bought online and in most shoe stores. They range from as little as ten dollars on the clearance rack to thirty dollars for the newest design. Crocs feature a closed back, but will still keep your feet cool.

This summer's

Must-Have's and Top Brands—Compiled by Henry Siu

Stay Healthy under the summer sun

The Oracle compiles a set of tips and tricks that can help you maintain your health as well as have fun throughout the summer.

16 THEORACLE Features

The Oracle: Did you grow up with a musical background? Chris Hart: I was heavily involved in the music programs throughout school. My family is all singers, so I never sang in front of them because it was embarrassing. I had some Japanese friends here that supported me with music. From 19 on, I began doing rock bands here, singing in Japanese.

TO: What songs are on your CD?CH: There are three cover songs, generally about family. Appreciation is a very big theme in Japan. The first song is about home from a father’s perspective. The second song is about expressing your love for some-one. The third one makes me cry the most. It’s a song about a father who passes away and before he dies. He’s thinking about if his family is happy and expresses his gratefulness for spending time with them.

TO: What is it like being a profes-sional singer? CH: I was semipro for a long time, but to become a full-time pro musi-cian is quite a bit of work, especially in a different language. It’s a lot of interviews.

TO: How did you become fluent in Japanese? CH: I studied Japanese for five years in school, but I was not the ideal student. When I moved to Japan I got a job, buckled down and spoke Japanese everyday.

TO: How did your singing career start?CH: Since I was young, I loved doing music. I was a shy kid, so I didn’t anticipate becoming a singer. When I was doing rock it was all about making people head bang, but now, the lyrics are very key to the performances, so a lot of people cry to these songs. That takes a little getting used to because I never per-ceived myself as the kind of singer that would or could do that.

TO: Why did you decide to go to Japan? CH: When I was 12, I started study-ing Japanese. Japan was a pretty prominent influence at the time, and it just kind of stuck with me. I went for a two-week homestead to Japan in 1999, and when I came home, I wanted to go back to Japan. Eventually I was like, if I’m going to be serious about this, I better just go.

TO: Do you want to stay in Japan?CH: I would like to stay in Japan for the rest of my life, but that depends on my wife. She’s Japanese, but she loves singing in English. She kind of wants to live abroad.

TO: Are you recognized on the street?CH: As much as possible I like to pretend that I’m not well-known, but when I walk down the street, it’s just like, “I saw you, I know you,” people asking for my autograph.

TO: How difficult is it to sing in another language? CH: It’s very hard singing in Japa-nese. Before, it was easy because I was freestyling and the lyrics weren’t important. But when I got to Japan, seeing their culture and how they view their music, it became much more difficult to do because just singing doesn’t matter. You could be the greatest singer in the world, but if it doesn’t hit them or connect with them heart to heart, it doesn’t go well. Until I could understand the culture and sing from the Japanese perspective, I wasn’t as well received.

—Compiled by Catalina Zhao

Gunn alumnus and Japanese-pop singer Louise Christian Hart-Banks, better known as Chris Hart, visited the school on May 8 to catch up with his former Japanese teacher Yuki Hikida and perform for her students.

After graduating from Gunn in 2002, Hart moved to Japan in 2009. There, he uploaded covers of popular Japanese songs and original lyrics to YouTube. Over time, Hart gained many followers who helped him get onto and win the popular Japa-nese show “Nodo Jiman Za! World!”, on which amateur singers from around the world sing before a nationwide audience.

After winning the competition, Hart was introduced to a producer at the label Universal Management. His first album, “Home,” debuted on May 1 at No. 8 on the daily charts and No. 13 on the weekly charts.

Chris Har t

Japanese teacher Yuki Hikida and Gunn alumnus and Japanese-pop star Chris Hart reunite after eleven years. Hart visited for a day before performing in New York’s Japan Day.

Courtesy of Yuki Hikida

17

5Steps ToCatching

with seniorAlex Beroza

Look for a swell (large wave) coming towards you. When it arrives, turn the nose of your board around and paddle with the swell.

—Compiled by Tim WangMichael Wu

When you feel the wave pushing up, then you pop up quickly and don’t hesitate.

Look down the face of the wave towards where you want to go. This will lead you as well as warn you of any-thing that might cause you to fall off.

A Wave

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Sports

Know before you go. Be sure to check out the surf report— you don’t want to arrive to a flat ocean with no waves.

Before you go out, watch the waves and learn how often the big ones come.

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Girls’ Lacrosse:The girls’ varsity lacrosse team has always been strong, and

it has proven its consistency this season. The Lady Titans fin-ished third overall in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) after losing to St. Francis on Wednesday, May 8.

According to varsity player junior Anna Cabot, the team’s strength comes from their cohesion on and off the field. “We all get along really well, which makes it easier for us to communicate on the field and dur-ing practice,” Cabot said. This effortless teamwork is evident in their records: 11-6-2 overall and 9-5 in league.

The team finished last year’s season in relatively the same place and hopes to improve even more for next year. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make it as far as we could in SCVAL, and we accomplished that goal,” Cabot said. According to Cabot, the team shows extreme promise and will continue to improve during the off-season and throughout next year. Although they may have indi-vidual goals, as a team their main goal for next year is very simple. “As next year will be my senior year, I can sum up our desire in two words: beat Paly,” Cabot said. With their excellent communication skills and fluid plays on the field, accomplishing their goal for next season is more than likely.

Boys’ Lacrosse:The boys’ lacrosse team has a very talented group of

players, but has had a hard time with getting the members to work together efficiently. Ending the season with a record of 3-7-1 overall and 3-6-1 league, the team looks to regroup and come back stronger next year.

The team has several things it wishes to improve on, but, according to junior Sammy Nio, its main focus for next season is communication. “Our weakness is not being able to cooperate with each other on the field,” Nio said. The basic skills and techniques come easily to the players, but teamwork on the field is key to doing well in leagues and advancing to CCS.

The team’s goal for next year is to work harder during practice. While the loss of seniors may set the team back, it is optimistic about a new team and a new season. The team plans to work on improving over the break. “Hope-fully next year we will have new and fresh talent, and players will have practiced over the summer,” Nio said.

Swimming:After competing at both the De Anza League and Cen-

tral Coast Section (CCS) competitions, the swimming teams returned home with varying levels of success.

For the first time since 1985, the girls’ swimming team took first place in league. “I think [they did so well because] they were used to success,” coach Mark Hernandez said. “Breaking through CCS last year made a big difference. They really started holding themselves to higher standards and worked hard to get want they wanted.”

According to senior Richard Wang, the entire team made sure to show its support for the girls’ team as it competed for the league title. “We really cheered on the girls a lot, because we all really wanted them to win and we knew they had a shot at it,” he said. After winning leagues, the girls went on to place fifth in CCS.

On the other hand, the boys’ swimming team placed third in league and sixth at CCS. According to sophomore Jeffrey Leu, the team is happy with its league result as it moved up eleven places from last year, but it feels that it could have performed better at CCS. “We wanted to be in the top scoring spots, but some people who were hoping to make finals [for CCS] just missed the cutoff and some of us didn’t swim to our full potential,” he said.

According to Hernandez, both teams did considerably well in light of the many talented seniors who left last year. “We could always use more depth,” he said. “In many ways, this was a rebuilding year for us. But we’re moving forward, and we’re in pretty good shape for next year.”

Boys’ Golf:The golf team finished second in SCVAL. It placed third

in its league tournament and is looking forward to new challenges. “We are hopeful to qualify for CCS through a so-called wild card spot,” senior Curran Sinha said.

According the Sinha, the team’s main problem is its consistency. “Our problem tends to be that we do not all play well at one time,” Sinha said. “During some matches, a few people will shoot very well and some others will do badly.” The team hopes to prove themselves at CCS.

Looking back at the whole season, Sinha feels that the team hasn’t reached its top level of performance. “Overall, we are a very strong team,” Sinha said. “We just haven’t lived up to our full potential.”

Gymnastics:The gymnastics team has had a good season overall in

the northern league. “The season has been going great,” head coach Michaela Guillory said. “Every meet the girls achieve a personal best in at least one event.”

However, even with the good season, the team still needs improvement in particular areas in order to become a stronger team for next year. “Our technical weakness would be that we do not have four gymnasts to qualify as a real team,” Guillory said. “We also don’t have the stron-gest all-around team.” Despite these setbacks, the team has its spirits up and team members’ effort is definitely present during practice and at meets. “We care, we train our hardest, and we strive for personal bests and perfec-tion of our abilities,” Guillory said.

The gymnastics team has high hopes looking forward to the end of the season. “Overall, I think our team has gained a ton of power,” Guillory said. “Our goal is for everyone to qualify for CCS.”

Track and Field:The track and field team finished its spring season well

with its outstanding performance in SCVAL. Many of the runners will be moving on to CCS to compete.

“I’m really proud of how everyone competed,” junior Justice Tention said. “We all just tried our best and it turned out great. A lot of people set new personal records this season and it always feels like a great accomplishment when you do.”

Although the team is very proud of their season, it is still looking for ways to improve next year. “I want to see more participants in the events,” Tention said. “We have a very great and talented team but if some of the people don’t participate in events, then we are not using the team’s full potential.”

While some think of track and field as a race against opponents, Tention believes track and field is a race against oneself. “My goal was to just improve myself,” Tention said. “I wanted to set a new personal record for myself by the end of the year and I did. I improved my 800 meter time to 2:05.”

According to sprints coach Curtis Liang, the team per-formed very well despite the leaving of ten seniors. Liang believes the team has a lot of potential for next year.

Sports18 THEORACLE

Spring sports wrap up seasons and look forward

1

1. Junior Rachel Mock swings on the parallel bars. 2. Freshman Brian Lei takes a breath during breaststroke. 3. Junior Lena Bacon prepares to score against the goalie. 4. Freshman Robin Peter takes a leap over a hurdle during practice. 5. Junior Anson Cheng follows through with his shot.

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Stephanie Kim

Stephanie Kim

Stephanie Kim Stephanie Kim Stephanie Kim

Boys’ Tennis:The boys’ tennis team is ready to move on to CCS

championships after an outstanding, near-perfect per-formance. “The team has been doing extremely well,” junior singles player Mario Khosla said. It is looking forward to its first CCS match even though it knows it will be facing some tough opposition.

Over the season, the team has acquired some new skills. “Some strengths of the team are that we never give up and train hard at practice,” Khosla said. Ac-cording to head coach Jim Gorman, the singles team this year is very strong and has had time to improve.

Despite working diligently at practice, the team still has a major f law. “We’ve had days when only four of 15 people showed up to practice,” Khosla said. “Despite practices being great, we could use some more com-mitment.”

Gorman has high hopes for his team’s future perfor-mance. “I hope we win our first CCS match,” Gorman said. Khosla hopes to go even further and win the CCS division champion title. “It will be hard, but I think we can pull it off,” Khosla said.

Diving:With double the number of members from last year,

the diving team made a solid contribution to the swim-ming and diving teams’ combined point total.

Four divers—freshmen Jason Steinberg and Vivian Zhou and seniors Miko Mallari and Emma Wiszowaty—qualified for CCS competition, with Zhou placing third out of 48 contestants.

According to coach Brien Arakaki, the team did very well against most teams, except for Palo Alto High School (Paly).

Many of the team’s members were underclassmen completely new to diving. According to Arakaki, these new divers’ greatest accomplishment was simply being able to compete each week. “[Being able to] dive itself is an improvement,” Arakaki said. “You need to learn new dives all the time, and you have to be able to keep those dives consistent.”

Now that the newer divers have gained experience, Arakaki has greater aspirations for next year. “The team has a basic understanding of diving now,” he said.

Baseball:The baseball team has had a rough season; it lost a

few players due to grades, injuries and sickness. The record this season was 1-13 in the De Anza league, and 8-22 overall.

Apr. 17 was the first league win, against Santa Clara with a 10-2 victory. Head coach John Harney reports that senior Kevin Sharp pitched excellently and batted three hits. On Apr. 26 the Titans lost 5-8 against Los Altos. Despite tremendous efforts by seniors Dante Sweat and Sharp, the team lost 5-9 in the playoff game against Los Altos which took place on Apr. 30. Senior Chris Rea batted three hits that game. On May 2, the Titans lost to Los Altos 9-3, with Rea again batting three hits.

Harney is hopeful that next year the sophomores who are already on varsity this year will be stronger players next year because they have a year of experience already. “The team definitely needs some work, with the seniors gone next year,” sophomore Ravi Levens said. “We are going to need some JV players to step up, but [improvement] is definitely possible.”

Softball:The softball team’s season has come to an end, with a

record of 8-4 in the El Camino Division and an overall record of 12-11. According to head coach Matt Maltz, it was a young team this year but it pushed through.

The season’s had some tough competition and memo-rable wins. On Apr. 26, the team took on Lynbrook and won 6-3. Senior Claire Klausner had 15 strikeouts, and senior Casey Maltz batted in three runs and hit two doubles. The most anticipated game of the season was held on Apr. 11 against Paly, whom the Titans beat for the first time in four years, in extra innings, 3-2. “It was a really exciting game, we were a lot more pumped up them we usually are,” freshman Katie Garvey said. On senior day, May 3, the team played Mountain View and had a 10-0 mercy rule victory in the fifth inning.

Coach Maltz is excited for next year, as he feels he has a strongly bonded team, “Next year I’m anticipating a good team, they’ve learned a lot of things, [including] my expectations, and they are really starting to build confidence,” Maltz said.

Badminton:Although the badminton team has had a slow start

this season, it has started to gain its momentum. “We’ve won all of our scrimmages and beaten Paly —I think overall we started off a little bit slow but I think it’s been starting to pick up a little bit,” head coach Marc Tsukakoshi said. Powerful plays by sophomore Angela Lin and seniors Koji Habu and Martin Hung have con-tributed to the team’s success. “They’re playing in the number one spot, so they’ve been doing pretty well,” Tsukakoshi said.

The team has developed numerous strengths over the season. “There’s a lot of cohesion,” junior Michael Xiong said. “Badminton is an individual sport but we’re still a team.” Despite badminton being an individual sport, practices are very integrated and coordinated. Some junior varsity athletes stay back for varsity practice to receive additional help. According to Tsukakoshi, Gunn’s players are far more fit than those from most schools, which provides a good starting point to work off of.

Despite its many strengths, the badminton team still has some f laws. “I think confidence and game ex-perience may be a bit of a weakness,” Tsukakoshi said. Tsukakoshi believes that the players get too creative on the court and would like to see them apply what they practice directly in their games. Most of the team are freshmen who have not had very much, if any, experi-ence playing badminton. “We’re very fresh still,” Xiong said. “We haven’t had lot of time to hammer out the skills.”

Because the team is mostly comprised of freshmen, Tsukakoshi’s goal for the season is to help the players improve. He wants to give them good exposure to the game this year in hopes of them leaving with a posi-tive outlook. “I’d like to see them improve to be able to compete in some of these local tournaments, league finals,” Tsukakoshi said.

Monday, May 20, 2013 19THEORACLE

to future competition in Central Coast Section

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—Compiled by Shireen Ahsan, Lena Campbell, Lawrence Chen, Chaewon Lee, Henry Siu,

Alvin Wang

6. Senior Kevin Sharp readies his bat for an incoming baseball. 7. Junior Michael Xiong flicks a backhand smash on the birdie. 8. Freshman Jason Steinberg performs a backflip into a reverse dive. 9. Senior Claire Klausner pitches a fastball during a home game. 10. Junior Alberto Leale powerfully swings to return the tennis ball.

Anthony Tran

Stephanie Kim

Anthony Tran

Stephanie Kim Stephanie Kim

Anthony Tran

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2012 marked the second World Series championship for the San Francisco Gi-ants within three years, and Gunn students evidently took notice. The day after closer Sergio Romo landed the strike fastball that ended the game, the series and the season, a storm of orange and black seemed to de-vour the Senior Quad and the surround-ing corridors. As a long-time fan of the Oakland Athletics, the Giants’ rival by proximity, history and annual interleague play, I received taunts and derision for my team’s failure to win a World Series Cham-pionship within the past 22 years. Some quietly expressed their condolences, out of sympathy for the A’s inability to overcome the Detroit Tigers in a five-game Division Series.

I have no axe to grind with Giants fans, and I’d never be one to equate rooting for my Bay Bridge rival with rooting for Paly. However, I express no shame in profess-ing and asserting my allegiance for the A’s, and I’m far from alone. Contrary to what the staunchest Giants devotees believe, the A’s fan does not stand as an extinct spe-cies within Gunn’s campus. However, the Oakland Athletics rank far underappreci-ated in comparison to the San Francisco Giants. The average Giants fan believes his or her team stands superior to the A’s for

a number of reasons—a “better” history, a “better” stadium and “better” players. However, the A’s actually surpass the Gi-ants in those three areas.

While it is true t h a t the Gi-ants have won two W o r l d S e r i e s Champi-o n s h i p s within the past three years, their domi-nance in this regard is almost unprec-edented in their 140—year history. While the Giants did win two in a row in the early 1920s when they were in New York, the A’s boast a longer World Championship win-ning streak, as recent as the early 1970s. The A’s—in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland—have won two more World Championships in their history than the Giants have in their history in New York and San Francisco. In the last World Series the A’s won, the team that emerged the los-er was—you guessed it—the San Francisco Giants.

It is undeniable that AT&T Park is a state-of-the-art baseball field. The stadium boasts 68 luxury suites, a Cove, a giant base-ball mitt and a giant Coke bottle, for crying out loud. In contrast, O.co Coliseum—yes, that’s actually what they call it now—is a dump. But it is the quintessential baseball fan’s dump; if one looks past the dirty stair steps, ridiculously unnecessary upper deck seats and unreasonably expansive foul ter-

ritory, one can see the true heart and soul of baseball in the Coliseum. The true heart and soul of baseball does not rely on fancy perks and amusement features that dis-

tract from the over-all game, much like the ones at AT&T Park.

The no-tion that the 2012

Giants were better than the 2012 A’s and, by extension, the 2013 Giants are better than the 2013 A’s is ludicrous. Both teams finished with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses, not to mention the fact that the A’s

faced greater competition in their division with World Series favorites Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The A’s overcame much more than the Giants in their quest for their first division title since 2006, with a myriad of injuries and a group of untested players. This effort stands as one that all fans of baseball, and even all Gunn students, can fully appreciate.

20 THEORACLE Sports

A’s achievements overshadowed by those of the Giants

Cooper AspegrenContrary to what the staunchest Giants devo-tees believe, the A’s fan does not stand as an extinct species within Gunn’s campus. However, the Oakland Athletics rank far under appreci-ated in comparison to the San Francisco Giants.

Jasm

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21Monday, May 20, 2013

Junior Varsity game:Swimming vs. HomesteadVarsity game:

Softball vs. Mountain View

Varsity athlete: Will Catlin

Junior VarsityAthlete: Grace RobinsonMONTHLY

AWARDS

Sports

Contributing greatly to the junior varsity lacrosse team’s wins, sophomore Grace Robinson plays a tre-mendously important role in the team. In the team’s last match against Los Gatos High School, she scored over half the team’s goals, leading them to victory with a final score of 11-5.

According to Robinson, the first time she held and used a lacrosse stick was during freshman year. As she continued to improve her skills, Robinson felt determined to master the sport. “I loved playing on those teams especially at moments where I felt my technique and skills improve every day,” she said. Robinson is a strong believer in perseverance. “I’ve loved being a part of the team this year and of course I’ll be playing next year,” she said. “Lacrosse is some-thing I am passionate about and playing on this team has only reminded me of that on a daily basis.”

This season, the junior varsity (JV) girls’ swim team went undefeated, powering through with a total of six wins. The girls smashed Homestead High School 131-55, more than doubling their score. After a long week of intense training, the team was fired up and ready to compete. “The meet against Homestead High School was in the same week as our meet against Paly, so we were practicing all the right techniques and getting in the right mindset to go after both teams,” sophomore Aditi Gupta said.

According to JV coach James Nusse, the girls put sweat and tears into working together as a team. “We routinely see athletes achieve beyond their expecta-tions because their teammates are depending on them and encouraging them,” Nusse said. “This is the mentality we have tried to create, and the junior varsity team has really bought in.”

Senior Will Catlin has been an avid athlete for the lacrosse team ever since his freshman year in high school. This year, Catlin was the defensive team cap-tain and led his team to many victories. Throughout the season, Catlin picked up a total of 75 ground balls, forced 20 turnovers, scored one goal and most importantly, kept the team motivated and energized.

Catlin believes that teamwork is one of the most important factors to his success this year. “Teamwork is huge in lacrosse, if you don’t have teamwork, every-thing is a mess,” Catlin said. Over the summer, Catlin attended a variety of different lacrosse camps in which he was able to perfect his footwork and stick skills. “I just try to be the best lacrosse player I can be,” Catlin said. “If the other guy is better than me, then I just have to work harder.”

In their senior game this season, the Gunn softball team crushed the Mountain View High School Spar-tans 10-0. The game was dedicated to the seniors on the team as appreciation. During the game, senior Claire Klausner scored three hits and freshman Katie Garvey, sophomore Natalie Ota and senior Roya Huang each made two hits. Throughout the whole game, Klausner pitched a no-hitter except for one error. The game ended in a mercy rule because the Titans were ten runs ahead of the Spartans by the fifth inning.

Teamwork was especially evident throughout the game and everyone worked together to finish the sea-son strong. “I don’t think that there was one specific play that turned the game around,” senior Laura Tao said. “We just came out in the first inning strong and everyone consistently got hits.” Michael WuAudey Shen

Mitch Donat

—Compiled by Emily Kvitko and Stephanie Zhang

22 THEORACLE Sports

Karate: Luma HamadeKarate is more than just a fast paced stadium game.

Instead, according to freshman Luma Hamade, it requires patience and strength.

Hamade has been practicing karate for four years at Prodigy Martial Arts in Los Altos. She is a brown second belt, one test away from a brown first belt and two tests away from a black belt.

Hamade became interested in the sport because her brother, senior Nabil Hamade, practices it himself. “I started because my brother was doing it and it looked like a lot of fun,” she said. According to Luma Hamade, Nabil Hamade has ceased to continue with karate after gaining his black belt. Growing up with a brother in karate has made Luma Hamade strive to continue with the sport. “It motivates me to go all the way to the end and not quit until I’ve reached my goal,” she said.

Hamade’s love for karate stems from many reasons. According to Hamade, it is useful because it is a great workout and always a good time. “I think the best part is the workout you get,” she said. “You become

physically stronger and you get more endurance.”

Hamade’s coach Raul Fabela has known Hamade since a young age. “I have seen her have a good time laughing with her training partners, and then when it comes time to spar, she goes at it while staying focused,” Fabela said. Fabela’s admiration for Hamade’s commitment has only grown stronger. “The fact that she has continued with her training, even when she feels frustrated is something that I admire,” Fabela said. “This is a journey that many begin, but not everyone finishes.”

A typical practice varies for Hamade. During a private lesson, she will spend more time perfecting her form, while in kickboxing she practices drilling and punching. Ac-cording to Hamade, steady commitment is a requirement in order to get a black belt. “There’s a lot of stuff you have to remember because you need to learn a lot of techniques for your black belt,” she said. “But it’s worth it.”

Although she does not plan to do it in college, Hamade is thinking about doing the sport later in life because it has changed her throughout the years. “It’s made me stronger and I’ve made new friends,” she said. “I’m less afraid of stuff too.”

— Kavya Padmanabhan

Taekwondo: Maila KuelkerTaekwondo started out as a hobby but soon grew into a

serious commitment for freshman Maila Kuelker. Ranked nationally since the age of 10, Kuelker won the U.S. Open for taekwondo in 2009.

Kuelker took taekwondo classes and learned the basics at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) on her sev-enth birthday as a birthday gift. “It was something I wanted to learn, but my parents only wanted it to be an afternoon activity,” Kuelker said. However, the sport became more serious when Kuelker switched taekwondo schools a year later and started entering competitions. Kuelker wanted to do taekwondo for various reasons. “I just thought that it would be really different, and I wanted to learn how to prepare myself if I ever needed to,” Kuelker said. Although she initially began the sport with self-defense in mind, she hasn’t had to use it so far. “I’ve never had to fight anyone, but it definitely played a part in others not wanting to mess with me, which I think has been beneficial,” Kuelker said.

One of the most challenging aspects of the sport for Kuelker is concentration. “The hardest things are discipline and trying to stay motivated, because there are a lot of times where you can just get bored,” Kuelker said. “It’s a lot

of repetition, a lot of drills and mostly just fighting all the other teammates and helping them.” The weeks before the competition season, Kuelker trains four to seven hours a day.

The discipline she learns from taekwondo translates into the other sports that Kuelker plays, including the junior varsity basketball team. She also trains in other martial arts like jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts. “It’s really played a part in building a high stamina and just strength-wise,” Kuelker said. “It’s helped me discipline myself so I’m not slacking and I can stay focused.”

The time and effort she put into taekwondo has paid off through the friendships she has formed. “Becoming a family with all these people on the team, but ultimately just improving, getting results, and winning makes it really enjoyable,” Kuelker said. “I think it’s a great feeling to wear a gold medal around your neck, and have all the experience you can get.”

In the future, Kuelker plans to continue improving and achieving a few goals that she has in mind. “I hope that I could get another chance to make the U.S. team, travel for competition, and maybe even make it to the Olympic games one day,” Kuelker said.

— Katherine Zu

Freshmen Showcase Self-Defense

Fencing: Samuel KwongHis nimble feet dazzle the audience with complicated

footwork, as his mind calculates his next move. He lunges and his saber flashes. The crowd roars as he snatches another win.

Freshman Samuel Kwong is a nationally ranked saber fencer. He is number one in the men’s youth-14 age group and second in under-17. Of the three types of fencing, saber centers largely on agility. “Saber is a lot quicker paced, and you have to be very good at sprinting and capable of taking big boosts of energy,” Kwong said.

After starting the sport at the age of seven as a result of his love for sword-fighting, Kwong eventually competed at national tournaments, the first of which he won when he was thirteen.

Kwong was recently awarded the gold medal in the youth-14 category at the North American Cup, held from Mar. 15 to 18. In February at the Junior Olympics, Kwong won bronze in the under-17 category. Last fall, Kwong competed at his first international tournament, the European Cadet World Cup, in Poland, also in the under-17 age group. Twenty fencers were selected to represent the United States, of which Kwong was the youngest. There, Kwong received the bronze medal. “At the World Cup, I just tried to make good use of it,” he said. “That day, I was in a really good mood, and everything went according to what I wanted. I fought hard and I got results.”

Kwong fences at the Cardinal Fencing Club at Stanford University under the tutelage of Olympic gold-medalist George Pogosov. “Samuel deserves the best words and praises as student,” Pogosov wrote in an email. “He is willing to work for hours to learn all coach’s tasks.”

Three times a week at the fencing gym, Kwong practices footwork, does regular bouting and has private lessons with his coach. On the other days, he cross-trains at home. “Samuel trains a lot and he works very hard,” freshman Kenny Chui said. “[Fencing at Samuel’s level] is very tough and you have to work very hard to be able to do that.”

The aspects of fencing that attract Kwong are that it is quick-paced, intense and less mainstream. “Fencing is like physical chess,” Kwong said. “You’ve got to plan ahead, and be a step ahead of your opponent. It’s 50 percent mind game, 50 percent physical game. There’s a lot of techniques and tricks you’ve got to learn to set up your game.” Kwong finds the hardest part to be maintaining the balance between the physical and mental parts. Kwong’s role models, such as his coach, push him to work harder. In addition, he looks up to his teammates, especially the ones older than him. “The way they persevere and the way they’re always ready are very inspiring,” Kwong said.

Fencing has greatly shaped Kwong’s character. “The most useful thing I’ve learned is that you always have to have a fire

in your heart,” he said. “When your opponent is in front of you, you have to be 100 percent ready.”

Kwong hopes to fence in college and the Olympic Games. “Samuel is very perspective fencer,” Pogosov wrote. “He should get into Cadets’ National Team next year and our goal is National Olympic Team 2020.”

Whenever he fences in a bout, Kwong always tells himself to focus and have fun. “I tell myself to enjoy the moment,” Kwong said. “Focus on the moment.”

— Catalina Zhao

Courtesy of Luma Hamade

Courtesy of Maila Kuelker

Courtesy of Samuel Kwong

Freshman Luma Hamade shows off her brown belt.

The judge raises his hand to signal the start of freshman Maila Kuelker’s taekwondo round.

Top: Nationally ranked freshman Samuel Kwong (on the top right) receives an award for his fencing skills.Bottom: Kwong (on the left) strikes his opponent with a fierce parry to win a point for the round.

E O

23

Swim coach Mark Hernandez has a hefty schedule: aside from being a mar-ried father of two, he teaches Advanced Placement English and coaches water polo and swimming. Over the years, Hernandez has led his teams to mul-tiple league titles and a Central Coast Section (CCS) championship, but now he has some personal hardware to add to his trophy case: the 2013 CCS Honor Coach award for swimming.

The award is given out once a year to one coach for his contribution to that sport at the interscholastic level, ac-cording to the CCS website. Hernandez acknowledges the award to numerous people. “I’d credit it to the swim-mers in our program, the club coaches in the area who consis-tently deliver us excel-lent swim-mers, the elite coach-ing staff I work with and the par-ents who help create a nice culture,” he said. “In addition, my wife Melinda helps with a lot of the organization of the team and administrative work.”

Many times when an individual wins

an award, the standard notion is that it makes them less competitive. However, this is not the case for Hernandez. “It’s made me more mo-t i v a t e d ,” he said. “Now I’m w a l k i n g a r o u n d with a target on my back. I have to show that I de-serve it, and I have to work even harder.”

Not only does Hernandez have to de-fend the honor coach award, but he

must also defend the girls’ CCS title from last year. Despite the challenges, he has to-tal faith in the team and its ability to come out on as victorious. “The last couple of years we’ve been the big dogs,” Hernandez said. “But now, there are teams that are projected to win CCS above us. As the under-dogs, we’re more com-

fortable and it’s more fun for us.” Athletes trained by Hernandez feel

honored to swim with him and his coaching staff on the sideline. “He makes it a point to have a personal con-nection with every single person on the

team,” junior Rachel Wong said. “He definitely deserved this award be-cause he puts all of his effort into it.”

Junior Fiona Hon admires his coaching style in which he in-cludes everyone on the team. “He treats ev-eryone the same, whether they’re a star swimmer or just out there for fun,” she said.

This year, Hernandez’s swimming team placed fifth in CCS and hopes to do even bet-

ter next year. “We all came out, tried our hardest and competed really well,” Hon said. “Next year, we’re all going to train a lot harder to regain our place as number one on the podium.”

Look forward to see-ing Hernandez and the water polo team this upcoming fall.

Swim coach receives recognition for exceptional season Mitch Donat

Managing Editor

Monday, May 20, 2013

The marquee congratulates Mark Hernan-dez for winning the Honor Coach award.

Courtesy of Mark Hernandez

Juniors/sophomores won 3-2

Key Stats:-Junior Zoe Zwerling scored 2 points-Junior Camille Steger scored 1 point-Senior Sarah Klem scored 2 points

“He makes it a point to have a personal connection with every single person on the team. He definitely de-served this award because he puts all of his effort into it.”

JuniorRachel Wong

Swim Coach Mark Hernandez

“It’s made me more motivated. Now I’m walking around with a target on my back. I have to show that I deserve it, and I have to work even harder.”

Swim CoachMark Hernandez

Freshmen/seniors vs juniors/sophomores

PowderPuff Results: May 2

24 THEORACLE Sports

25Entertainment Monday, May 20, 2013

On the corner of Rengstorff and Central sits a small Chinese restaurant called Bamboo Garden, which serves delicious Mandarin and Shanghai cuisine. A group of fish tanks facing the door eagerly welcome you in when you enter the restaurant. The atmosphere is quiet and calming. I have been to Bamboo Garden many times, and each time I have had a wonderful experience. This time around it wasn’t too crowded, but the place often fills up quickly. I recommend go-ing earlier rather than later in order to beat the crowd.

I brought a group of friends with me who have never experienced the wonders and joys of Bamboo Garden. Although the surrounding area and the de-cor inside does not look particularly remarkable, the food completely makes up for it. After some heavy contemplation, we ordered the house special smoked duck, glutinous rice with pork in bamboo, green onion pancakes and Mongolian chicken. The smoked duck was the clear winner. It was chewy and moist with a crisp skin. We expected the Mongolian chicken to be covered in spice, yet somehow it ended up not being spicy at all. The green onion pancakes were delicious and we craved for more after they were gone.

Because we went late, some of the food we wanted to order ran out, so we had to order something else. It worked out because all the food was delicious. If you do decide to give Bamboo Garden a try, remember to go there early.

Sitting on a corner in the hustle and bustle of down-town Mountain View, Casa Lupe is an easily overlooked yet sensational restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food at an affordable price. When my friends and I arrived, the restaurant was moderately busy but our server, a sweet middle-aged woman, swiftly rushed to guide us. Although we were initially seated indoors, she was more than happy to oblige when we opted for outdoor seating instead. Once the initial excitement bubbled down, we ordered our drinks After indecisively bouncing ideas back and forth, I settled on a Mexican rice drink named Horchata, which was shockingly refreshing and sweet.

I decided to order the grilled chicken burrito because I was ravenous, while my friends decided to order the enchiladas entomatadas and the plato de tres colores. Just as we had ordered, the restaurant started to flood with people. To our surprise, our food came out promptly. My dinner, the grilled chicken burrito, turned out to be a gargantuan burrito far bigger than I’d anticipated. I’m never one to leave food on the plate, but this burrito truly had me beat. Likewise, the enchiladas entomatadas were enormous, they consisted of chicken enchiladas topped with hefty amounts of salsa, sour cream and parmesan cheese.

The plato de tres colores consisted of ground beef, cheese and chicken enchiladas topped with red sauce, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. This dish was hands down the best one. The red sauce was flavorful while the ground beef and chicken balanced perfectly with the other toppings. Finally, as our stomachs were filled, my friends and I thanked our waitress, uploaded our food pictures to Instagram and vowed to stop by again. If you’re looking for some variety to your

usual repertoire of In-N-Out or Five Guys, head on over to Casa Lupe for mam-moth portions and delicious cuisine.

Away from the bustle of downtown Palo Alto, Cafe 3 G’s, a Bolivan restaurant, is located on Cambridge Street right off El Camino. This cafe seemed perfect for an afternoon snack with friends. I started my meal with a chicken saltena, which was basically chicken pot pie filling wrapped in white dough. The taste was alright but I’ve had better. Next I ordered the ham sandwich on wheat bread and it was surprisingly satisfying. For dessert I decided to try the Mango Batidos smoothie, which was amazing. It was definitely one of the best smoothies I have had in a really long time. My friend ordered the raspberry one and it was just as delectable. The smoothies were a perfect after-school spring treat. Alongside the smoothies, we got Alfajores, which were very crumbly cookies. The cookie had a thin layer of caramel in the middle and coconut shavings on the side. For someone who doesn’t like coconut, I was surprised to find that it was one of the most delicious cookies I had ever had.

The atmosphere was peaceful at the cafe. It would not be a good place to come in a large group, how-

ever, considering the place only has about five tables in total. There is an adorable patio in the back that feels like an escape. The servers were in-credibly sweet and the place felt very home-like.

I a m comi ng back again and I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try a delicious cafe with a Latin flair.

The Oracle tests out local under-rated food spots

SongsBooks Destinations1. Just Give Me A Reason—P!nk (feat. Nate

Ruess)

2.Young and Beautiful—Lana Del Rey

3. Can’t Hold Us—(feat. Ray Dalton)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

4. I Love It—(feat. Charli XCX)

5. Cruise—(Remix) [feat. Nelly] Florida

1. The Fault in our Stars—john Green

2. Gone—Cathi Hanauer

3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Gal-

axy—Douglas Adams

4. The Kite Runner—Khaled Hosseini

5. The Outsiders—S.E. Hinton

1. Half Moon Bay

2. Shoreline Country Concert

3. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

4. Haight-Ashbury street in San

Francisco

5. Foothills Park

Erica LeeBusiness Manager

Bamboo House Casa Lupe

Misheel EnkhbatEntertainment Editor

Cafe 3 G’s

Noa LivnehEntertainment Editor

Noa LivnehErica Lee

—Compiled by Misheel Enkhbat

Best books, destinations, songs for summer 2013

Mon-Sun: 11a.m. - 3 p.m. 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Fri-Sat: 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Carolyn Zhou

Mon-Sat: 11:30 am- 2:30 pm, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Sunday: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.Sun: 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Misheel Enkhbat

THEORACLE26 Entertainment

Over summer, you could put on hundreds of pounds by participating in eating contests, become a Wii Bowling professional, do laundry, drink tea or maybe even snooze through all three months of freedom. As exciting as the above plans sound, my ideal summer consists of something a little more ambitious. Since the fetters of schoolwork and our short holiday breaks during the school year chain us students to the confines of the Bay Area, what sense does it make to not spend your summer abroad?

For me, last summer satisfied my traveling itch. My brother, a graduating senior, was moving away for college, and obviously, my parents weren’t going to have that happen without spoiling him a bit. But how? A two week-long tour of the East Coast.

As soon as we exited the airport, the clammy heat consumed me like flaming mayonnaise. Soon, I was sweating like I was in a sauna with a full-body Halloween costume on.

Baltimore was in-terest ing l ike shady neighborhoods filled to the brim with drug-influ-enced gangsters. Still, I kept

my hopes high for our next destination, Washington D.C.The heat problem was even worse in the capital and there

was a massive construction project in the middle of the National Mall. It looked like a scaled-up version of every three-year-old boy’s sandbox dream, complete with the construction trucks. However, this distraction did not affect my experience with the main attraction: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. After buzzing around for hours, my feet felt the repercussions of my curiosity, and my body temperature was, once again, within human parameters.

We made our next stop in Philadelphia, where we visited both Pat’s and Geno’s for a cheesesteak comparison. Next was Manhattan, where we visited the Guggenheim, ate genuine New York steak and pizza, posed with the Charging Bull, and, on Wall Street, were attacked by ravenous mascots who demanded we take pictures with them.

After making some stops for college visits, we finally made our way to Boston. My dad and I said our goodbyes to my brother, who was leaving for college with my mom. On the flight home, I felt a connection that I had hardly ever noticed before. Walking in that monstrous heat and brushing shoul-

ders with thousands of other Americans, I couldn’t help but feel a sort of integration into the East

Coast culture. It was an understanding that I hadn’t felt before on the habitually

empty streets of Palo Alto. When it comes to having fun during

summer, there’s no beating a trip out of the Bay Area bubble. Wher-ever you go, make it a point to breathe the air, see the sights, and eat the foods—make the most of whatever your destination has to offer. Perhaps you’ll find yourself having more fun than you would

as a Wii Bowling professional.

The summer of 2011 got off to a great start, which then fell faster than the mu-sic industry. I had just graduated from eighth grade and was looking forward to a new environment to complain about the same old academic problems: high school. First, however, I had to deal with a group of hot-headed tennis jocks dur-ing the seasonal summer tennis swing.

As a United States Tennis Associa-tion (USTA) player, I travel around the country to face other tennis players seeking to raise their ranking in the endless college recruiting race.

That summer was special because I was headed to the National Hardcourt Championships, which is equivalent to playing in the Super Bowl. Inspired, I signed up at a prestigious tennis acad-emy near the tournament and trained there for a week.

Training started with waking up at 6:30 every morning to do fitness train-ing for an hour. Afterwards, we were served a breakfast of deformed eggs that looked like mating sea cucumbers with bread so stale it tasted the same way the boy’s locker room smells (sweat and deodorant along with other unmention-ables mixed together).

We played tennis in 10 0 deg ree weather from 7:30 to 12:30, ate a lunch no better than the breakfast, and got

an hour of rest before we toiled back onto the courts for another four hours of tennis. My body began to retire to a condo in Florida. The bones in my spine became thinner and thinner and the hours I was putting in caused them to crack. I had an L5 vertebral stress fracture, an injury that, if not treated, could result in paralysis. When I started competing, however, I was unaware that I was in danger of losing my ability to walk. I was playing well until a twist I made during my third match caused a lightning bolt of pain to shoot up my back. I later succumbed in the semifinals of the tournament.

The af termath of this injury was quite disastrous for me. I was subjected to multiple MRI scans, after which I underwent three months of absolute torture: no running or jumping and physical therapy twice a week.

My company during therapy was a motley band of seniors five times my age. They gave me tips on what I should do for recovery. One elderly woman mis-understood the nature of my injury and told me that duct tape was best for warts.

It was a very tough time for me be-cause I could not be physically active and couldn’t get rid of my extra energy.

As we are all taught to look on the bright side of things I will say that I am appreciative that I didn’t fracture my back and become paralyzed, and that I am fully able to compete again. I am physically mobile and I had the oppor-tunity to compete at a level few ever get to experience.

So at the end of this complaining session (which was very therapeutic), I want to give thanks for what I still have (namely, my back).

Staffers reflect on best, worst summers

Worst: Tennis Mishap

Best: East Coast Adventure

Courtesy of Dave Zhu

Courtesy of Andy Zhou

Dave Zhu

Andy Zhou

Top: Dave Zhu poses with his brother at the Air and Space Museum in D.C. Middle: Andy Zhou serves during the National Hardcort Cham-pionships. Bottom: Zhou practices his volleys.

—Zhu, a sophomore, is a reporter.

—Zhou, a sophomore, is a reporter.

Courtesy of Andy Zhou

Ally G

ong

Entertainment 27

On Thurs., May 23, the choir will perform in the Spring Choir Concert in Spangenberg Theater at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature a range of tunes, including foreign, classic and spiritual music. “The main goal of the spring concert is to show everything we’ve learned throughout the year,” freshman Camilla Samuelsson said. “The choir is going to sound better than the first concert because we’ve been working on our voices and the quality of our tones.”

According to choir teacher Bill Liberatore, the spring concert will be a preview of the choir’s European tour program, which it will take to France and Spain from May 31 to Jun. 9. Liberatore says that the choir has been a terrific group. “It’s been a great year,” he said. “[They are] very talented, super motivated, and willing to work very hard.”

For Samuelsson, preparation for the concert has been challenging but educational. “It’s a good experience to learn how to harmonize, sing in front of audiences, a n d pronounce [words in] d i f f e r e n t languages,” she said. A Latin piece titled

“Salmo” is one reason why Samuelsson thinks students and staff should come to the concert. “[Salmo] shows off a lot of harmonies,” she said. “It’s really fast and [the result] is going to be interesting.”

Rehearsals during A and E periods are steadily progressing, according to junior Samir Ghosh. “We’re still working out the kinks and balance overall,” he said. “We’re perfecting dynamics and blending.” The concert will also serve as a farewell to graduating choir members. “We’d really like to say good-bye and appreciate our seniors,” he said.

Although the fall and winter concerts featured contemporary and original music respectively, the spring concert will consist of Latin repertoire, gospels and songs from the 1300s. “It’s a lot of music you’d hear in cathedrals, beautiful music that’s really sophisticated,” Samuelsson said. “It’s something we want to share with the community.” Ghosh also believes that the concert will show different sides of the choir with its own little flair. “It’s great music,” he said. “You’ll get to appreciate the amazing things we can pull off as a high school choir.”

Choir showcases talent in spring concert

Rejecting someone without added drama

Let me just start off by saying that there is no way to reject someone “nicely.” For someone who has been building up the courage to ask you out and suddenly has a fleeting moment of bravery, being let down is not easy to overcome. That being said, there are a few ways to avoid completely crushing your admirer’s heart and sparing him or her at least a fragment of his or her self-esteem.

The first thing to keep in mind is that he has actual feelings and emotions, so don’t forget that running away and screaming will most likely traumatize him for the rest of his lives.

Next, acknowledge that he is putting himself in an extremely vulnerable situa-tion over which he has almost no control. Rejection is a terrifying concept. Don’t be the one who is responsible for ruining his game in years to come. And, at the very least, be flattered that you have an admirer.

Although she might be completely brainwashed by your dashing looks and irresistible charm, she won’t be completely oblivious. Throwing her excuses like “my parents won’t let me date” or “I have a girlfriend in Iceland” will eventually backfire when the person whose feelings you (unsuccessfully) tried to spare discov-ers your dishonesty, which will just hurt her even more.

Instead, try to be as short and to the point as possible, while at the same time

leaving no room to think that you might reconsider her offer.

This ties into my next point: do NOT lead him on. Yes, the attention that he might be showering you with can be flat-tering, but this will only lead to tears and heartbreak. You might think that your innocent flirting is just that, but it’s hard to tell when another person’s feelings escalate to a deeper level.

In reality, some awkwardness is un-avoidable, but the situation is only as uncomfortable as you make it. Instead of finding a way to excuse yourself, try to act as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Yes, you might be freaking out on the inside, and chances are the person you rejected is completely crushed, so the more positively you can spin the situation, the better. Both of you will want to forget this exchange ever happened, so moving forward will be your best bet.

Let’s face it, at one time or another, all of us will be in neither of these posi-tions. Just remember that neither one is particularly pleasant. In the least cliché way possible, I have a dream in which the pain of the “rejection” process is nullified from a third-degree burn to a paper cut.

You can practice your “rejection speech” in the mirror as much as you want, but when that dreaded moment comes, your mind will most likely go blank. Hav-ing a nifty phrase up your sleeve can save you from blurting something stupid like, “I’m moving” or “I’m saving myself for Justin Bieber.” Your best bet might be to simply say, “I’m not looking for a relation-ship right now,” and leave it at that.

Danielle Yacobson

“The Place Beyond the Pines”Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Be-

yond the Pines” brims with the ambition of a 1970’s crime film and the refinement of the recent batch of Academy Award winners for Best Picture. The film di-verges into three narratives, involving a circus-performing motorcyclist turned bank robber (Ryan Gosling), a rookie cop turned crooked politician (Bradley Cooper) and the event that tears both of their worlds apart. The effect of this ap-proach proves too powerful to be spoiled. With brilliant acting from Gosling, Cooper and co-stars Eva Mendes and Dane DeHaan, “Pines” ranks among the top films released so far this year for its compelling, artfully crafted screenplay.

“Iron Man 3”Shane Black’s “Iron Man 3” is self-indulgent, commercialistic junk far more flawed than

the original 2008 film by Jon Favreau. Robert Downey Jr. returns once again as Tony Stark, psychologically (and bizarrely) traumatized by the events covered in “The Avengers.” As a new terrorist threat emerges, Stark must wrestle his inner demons and learn to fight bad guys effectively—without his normal arsenal of advanced technology. Black—and Marvel Studios, for that matter—wastes an intriguing premise by prioritizing awesomeness over substance. As a result, Iron Man 3 has little of worth to say and brings nothing new to the superhero genre and Marvel canon.

“Pain and Gain”While highly entertaining in its

build-up—no pun intended, given that this film that focuses on bodybuilders—Michael Bay’s “Pain and Gain” devolves into levels of tastelessness far too low. The bodybuilders in question, played by Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie, embark on a bizarre and all-too-gruesome kidnap-ping and killing spree. Like Bay’s other works, this movie seems to celebrate and romanticize stupidity rather than condemn it, and the fact that the effort is a comedy stands as an insult to the victims of the actual crime. In the end, “Pain and Gain” is a film that reflects badly on America.

1. Smell good. Make sure to brush your teeth before leaving and don't forget to bathe and spray on perfume or cologne.2. Talk to your date like they are a friend.Be casual and don't over-analyze any situation.3. Guys, don't order for your date.4. Girls , actually eat something. No one wants to waste money on a perfectly good meal.5. Have a mutual understanding of the dress code. Make sure you know if it's casual or formal.6. Guys should be gentlemen. Chivalry is key!7. Tell the truth about yourself.8. Go into the date open-minded. You don't have to get married on the first date!

Sam’s Tips:

Shawna ChenReporter

Monday, May 20, 2013

—Compiled by Sam Acker—Yacobsen, a sophomore,

is a Features Editor

—Compiled by Cooper Aspergren

First date edition

THEORACLE28 Entertainment

—Compiled by Noa Livneh

“Which outfit is more ‘runway-ready’?”Fashion Critics in the Crowd

“I like her heels. I think they would make me look taller. It looks very 50s.

YOLO right?”SooYoung Chung (12)

“I don’t like the stuff on his face and hers doesn’t look bad.

It’s spring-y and I like it.” Alex Gil (9)

“I just like feminine clothing and it looks like something a

model would wear.”Natasha Naqvi (10)

“I think the cotton balls elabo-rate the airy, creative spirit that Gunn students need to

succeed.”Trevor Nielsen (11)

Em

ily

Em

ily

Em

ily

Mat

t

EMILY KVITKO

PROJECT RUNWAY:

Students create designs based on their interpretations of runway fashion

The upside-down skirt emulates a factory plume, with the cotton balls on the head representing the smoke escaping from the factory. Covering the skirt is a gray trenchcoat, offering comfort and style. The bottom is another pencil skirt, in a similar gray color. The color is definitely at a premium for this costume.

Runway disaster

MATT NIKSAMy design portrays the wild, fun and well…the hot side of spring. Step into a garden full of gi-ant flowers, juicy limes and some fluttering but-terflies. Inspired by dear Mother Nature, I was ex-cited to create this magical garden full of secret wonders. Yup, that’s right, it’s paradise over here.

Runway ready

Capitalist BootsKiller Heels

The “Garden of Eden” Skirt

A Smoke-like Headdress

Industrial Trenchcoat

Edible Necklace Made of Limes

“You Never Know When You Might Get Thirsty” Purse

Money Belt for the Rich

Only