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Green Zone comes to Gunn This year, the library has set up a new resource for students known as the Green Zone, which is an area in the corner of the library with a green screen available to students. The Green Zone is a resource that librarian Meg Omainsky has provided for green screening images and movies. “The green screen is a creative tool,” video production teacher Edward Corpuz said. Since iMovie is installed on all Apple computers, everyone can take advantage of using the green screen feature for special effects.” A tutorial on how to use the green screen is on the library’s YouTube channel, Gunnlibrary. The idea for the Green Zone came from Omainsky’s philosophy on the world of information. “Students consume information but they also create information,” Omainsky said. “The world of information is not only about consumption anymore, but just as much about creation.” Junior Ishan Sharma is one of the many students excited about the Green Zone. “I think the Green Zone is great, it’s going to be a great tool for me when I want to do a cool backdrop,” Sharma said. Wonhee Park
Library introduces Schmoop The library has introduced a new test preparation program known as Schmoop, which provides students with free PSAT, SAT and ACT tests and offers practice problems, flashcards and timed tests. One of the important factors in the library’s decision to try Shmoop was its affordability and accessibility to students. “There are features with a digital tool that you just won’t find in a textbook,” librarian Meg Omainsky said. Some teachers have already incorporated Shmoop into their curriculum. English teacher Nicole Menache uses it for her Basic College Skills class. “[Shmoop] provides me with more direction to help my class and I can see where the students are struggling,” Menache said. She also added that her students have responded well to Shmoop. “Many of them say that it is written for them, unlike the big texts you can buy at the bookstore,” Menache said. Song Park
Seniors win writing award Three seniors have been honored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) with the 2011 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing, recognizing them as some of the best student writers in the nation. Seniors Melia Dunbar, Hannah Katznelson and Ashley Ngu were three of the 520 high school seniors chosen from 1,649 students nominated in their junior year by teachers from the around the nation. Schools were allotted nominations based on their respective student populations, with Gunn nominating three juniors last year. The nominated students submitted samples of their best writing and completed an impromptu writing sample on one of two themes, under timed supervision. Their writing samples were then judged by a team of English teachers for imaginative and effective use of language to inform and move an audience. The honorees were notified of their award this past September. Jean Wang
SEC SCOOP
Wendy Qiu
Village classrooms are among the rooms impacted by new energy policies which aim to reduce energy costs.
District implements new energy program Lydia Zhang
Steps have been taken to ensure that no energy is wasted in heating or cooling. “We’re asking that when heating or cooling is in place, the doors and windows are kept To decrease heating and cooling costs and increase shut to help keep the temperatures stable,” Navarro said. energy efficiency, the Palo Alto Unified School District According to Cowell, the only thing that could become (PAUSD) has partnered with Energy Education to imple- a problem is heating in the portables, as they are not as ment an energy conservation program. The program’s well-insulated as the permanent classrooms, and thus will changes are expected to affect students and teachers alike. lose heat faster and require more heating. “That is going to Energy Education is a consultant group that has helped be in issue, as you end up having the heat on all the time,” more than 1,000 other school districts, many of which Cowell said. “It could get a little problematic.” are similar to PAUSD. “Energy Education are the ones Teachers in the portables have been noticing the who have the plans,” PAUSD’s Energy Specialist Rebecca changes. “I feel like I can cool and heat enough, though Navarro said. “They know our local climate and they have the classroom does take a while to heat and is really cold lots of ideas about where we should trim the fat.” PAUSD in the morning,” social studies teacher Ronin Habib said. has adopted a policy supporting the program proposed by Habib’s classroom is a portable in the Village. However, Energy Education, as well as a specific set of guidelines for some teachers have concerns about the program. “The electricity, natural gas and water use in schools. thing I’m most concerned about is I don’t know how accuThrough these changes, PAUSD rate or how quick-to-adjust the therhopes to avoid spending $600,000 in mostats are in here,” English teacher utility bills, which is a significant porMark Hernandez said. “It seems very One of the most tion of the $2.4 million energy budget. dangerous to have a firm policy on a important parts in Energy Education charges a fee for their small window of temperatures when the program is that consultation services; however, the fee you have system that can’t guarantee comes out of the first year’s savings. inclusion in that window.” there is no capital “The great thing about this is that if However, according to Navarro, improvement. PAUSD doesn’t make the projected savthough the portables are less energyRebecca Navarro efficient than the classrooms, the new ings, Energy Education doesn’t charge us and they cover my salary,” Navarro policy cannot do much about the poor said. “We’re not adding a position to the district. They’ll insulation or about the portables’ separate heating and cover it or the savings will cover it, so it’s really nice in cooling systems. “One of the most important parts in the that regard.” program is that there is no capital improvement,” Navarro As outlined by the district, Gunn’s heating, air-con- said. “So, I cannot recommend or advocate that anybody ditioning (AC) and ventilation systems are now being spend money to save money.” Instead, Navarro is working regulated. In cold temperatures, classrooms can only be with the district and Energy Education to make all school heated to a maximum of 69 degrees. In sweltering condi- building components as conservative as possible. As well tions, rooms can be cooled down to a maximum of 74 as reducing heating and cooling costs, Gunn is also finddegrees. “There wasn’t a district-wide baseline for heating ing new ways to cut electricity usage. “We direct all of our and cooling before this,” Navarro said. “It was mostly left staff to turn off their computers when they leave for the to individual taste, preference and discretion.” evening,” Cowell said. According to Assistant Principal Kim Cowell, the adAs Gunn is the second-biggest energy consumer after ministration has not received any recent complaints from Palo Alto High School (Paly), the school plays a large role teachers about the new classroom temperature regula- in this program’s success. “Gunn has to be good stewards tions. Though the temperatures are set to a specific range for the new AC system,” Navarro said. “At Paly, the AC systhe teachers still have some control over the heating and tem has been in operation for long enough that people have cooling in their rooms. “The heat is scheduled to come their good and bad AC habits already established, while on before school starts,” Cowell said. “If you are a teacher there’s a clean slate at Gunn to get everybody started with who arrives significantly earlier, then [you] can actually only good habits.” The policy guidelines also stipulate that override [it] and turn the heat on.” the entire district get on board with energy conservation. Features Editor
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GUNN ENERGY STATISTICS Gunn Total Cost: $475,060.97
PAUSD total cost: $2,581,230.43
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*Percentages show how much of the total utility cost is being spent on specific utilities from June 2010 - June 2011