The Oracle (Dec. 2005)

No more movies in Spangenberg Conflict between administration and Focus Cinema brings down the curtain. PAGE 3

Volume 42

The crackdown on junk food Student clubs struggling with health policy PAGE 4 banning fatty and sugary foods

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Permit #44 Palo Alto, Calif.

http://gunn.pausd.org/oracle

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Issue 3

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

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Seniors in the red

Forum

Cloning: the debate rages on Is cloning ethical?

Is it right?

Is it legal?

Is it profitable?

Debt could affect Grad Night costs

PAGE 5

Sree Kode News Editor

Taking a bite into slavery

PAGE 7 Jonathan Cheung

Features

Gunn through the ages Teachers tell tales of what Gunn used to be like.

Seniors Danielle Negrin and Noa Bruhis rave during Interact Club’s benefit concert. The event raised over $900 for the club’s upcoming trip to Tijuana.

Friday Night Lights Concert raises funds for tomorrow’s trip

PAGE 9 Brennan Bird Reporter

Centerfold

What’s stress gotta do with it?

The Oracle investigates the effects of stress.

PAGES 10-11

A dazzling array of performances ranging from rapping to the more traditional singing with acoustic guitar accompaniment graced the stage at the Interact Clubʼs Tijuana benefit concert Dec. 2 and 3. The

concert helped raise funds for the clubʼs trip to Tijuana.

Senior Tijuana leaders Jin-Kyung Kim, Avery Naar and Danielle Negrin are helping to lead the group of 16 students. On Dec. 15 the group will fly down to San Diego and TIJUANA—p. 2

Bulletin to make TV debut Video announcements set to start January Tony Liu

Winter fashion Student styles with a twist for winter.

PAGE 14 Sports

PAGE 18

Robotics team back on its feet Resurrected GRT fully student-run Shiv Kachru Centerfold Editor

Managing Editor

Entertainment

Ice and water Two Gunn athletes slice ice and brave waves.

The senior class is $1200 in debt due to homecoming, first day of school and grad night expenses.

“The senior class started out with $1100, so they had quite a bit set up towards homecoming,” Student Activities Director Lisa Hall said.

Homecoming payments usually come out to be $1100, but this year, another $200 was needed to build a permanent float base. In addition, although first day activities are usually not in the budget, the senior class spent $410 on them, in addition to another $2000 on its first down payment for grad night.

Every year, each class has its own account set up and classes fundraise to get money. “The account is under the general fund of the student body,” Hall said. “The student body could choose to help the senior class, which depends entirely on how much money it makes from dances and such, and transfer DEBT—p. 2

Jonathan Cheung

The stage is set for recording video announcements, which are planned to begin in January next semester.

Get ready to say good-bye to audio announcements and good morning to video announcements.

Starting next semester, a new broadcast announcement team will deliver the bulletin. In the future, segments of school events, club activities and athletic competitions will also be shown.

Teachers Sam Picture and Lettie Weinmann are supervising the project, along with Principal Noreen Likins.

“We can use it as a very powerful communication tool,” Weinmann said.

The project calls for a group BULLETIN—p. 3

After being shut down for almost a year, the Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) has reformed under the new leadership of seniors Daniela Buchman and Marianne Kvitko.

Having received official approval to restart from Principal Noreen Likins and former GRT advisor Bill Dunbar on Nov. 29, the team is beginning to prepare for the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) competition.

The joint efforts of Buchman and Kvitko resulted in Likins and Dunbar allowing the team to restart. “Marianne and I spent a lot of time in meetings with Ms. Likins and Mr. Dunbar,” Buchman said. “After many meetings and lots of planning we finally got approval to start ROBOTICS—p. 3

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

EWS◆

Interact show for ‘hope’ Vending in SAC handed over The school handed over jurisdiction of the vending machine in the Student Activities Center (SAC) on Nov. 17 to the Student Nutritional Services (SNS) at the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD).

All the revenue from the vending machine in the SAC will now go to SNS, not the student body. However, anticipating the predicted move, and to make up for the loss, former Student Activities Director Nik Kaestner raised the student body fees by $5 before he left.

When the student body owned the vending machine, they needed to have it on a timer so students could only use it when the snack bar was closed, so the SAC was not in competition with the food service.

Now, the vending machine can stay open all day. “Itʼs good because we donʼt have to do something silly like unplug [the vending machines] in the middle of the day,” Student Activities director Lisa Hall said. “They can be on for the students whenever they want the food.”

However, the vending machines in the Physical Education (PE) department remain under their own jurisdiction. “They do not need to be on timers if they contain items that follow the PAUSD Nutrition Policy [adopted in Jan 2005],” SNS Consultant Jean Aitken said.

Revenue from this vending machine belongs to the PE department and is used to buy sports equipment directly beneficial to the students. “The money goes towards supporting athletics,” PE Instructional Supervisor Steve Ames said. “Weʼve used it to buy balls for intramurals at lunch, CPR equipment, wrestling headgear and track uniforms.”

Although Pepsi still provides the food and drinks for the vending machines, the PE department or SNS is the purchaser and the seller of the contents.

Pilot program to take off ’06 Next year, students at both Gunn and Palo Alto High Schools can sign up for Mandarin classes.

The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) plans to offer Chinese 1 courses at both schools as a pilot program. The course is for students with no prior experience to the language. With sufficient enrollment, more advanced Chinese courses will be offered as time progresses.

The world languages department is also planning on introducing a Spanish Culture and Civilization course that can be taken after Spanish 3, says world languages Instructional Supervisor Carole Stroud. The class will be aimed at Spanish immersion students and freshmen who have extensive experience in the language, but are not ready to take the advanced placement course.

Despite growing interest in Chinese and Spanish, German and Japanese have experienced a lack of interest in recent years. Since the opening of Terman Middle School, enrollment has not been sufficient to sustain some introductory language classes in middle schools. Currently, German classes are not offered at district middle schools and Japanese is not offered at Terman.

Several activities help promote interest in languages, including International Week and honor societies. Stroud wants to increase awareness through video announcements and a portfolio night for all world language students.

Turkey Feast a big success The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Student Executive Council (SEC) held a feast for students at lunch in the Bat Cave on Nov. 17 to raise funds and food for the Ecumenical Hunger Project and the Palo Alto Unified School District Hurricane Katrina relief program. For a cost of three donated items and $1, or $4 without items, students bought entrées of turkey or vegetarian lasagna with sides of stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, bread rolls with butter and tossed salad. Dessert included a variety of fresh baked pie with whipped cream.

The event was organized and staffed by many parent volunteers, organized by Turkey Feast Chairperson Mary Ellen Bena and the SEC members. “Ms. Likins also helped serve along with Dana Tom, the newly elected school board member,” senior Student Body President Channing Hancock said.

According to Student Activities Director Lisa Hall and Hancock, the event raised 4.5 barrels of donated goods and over $2000, which totals $1498.64 in earnings. Last yearʼs donations included four barrels of goods and about $1200 in revenue.

Students say that this yearʼs Turkey Feast was a success. “The lines were more efficient this year because of the presale tickets and a cash-only line,” Hancock said. “The only hitch was when we ran out of pie, but we remedied it by giving people free drinks and other baked goods instead.”

—Compiled by Sree Kode, Tony Liu and Anthony Wang

■ TIJUANA, from page 1 then drive across the border into Tijuana to begin working with the program Esperanza, or “hope” in Spanish. The program works together with college and high school volunteers to help build houses for families in Tijuana.

Negrin explained that the concert is one of the best ways that the group raises money. This is the fourth year a Tijuana group has done a fund-raising concert and this year the group decided to extend the concert to two nights.

“We want to raise as much money as we can so we donʼt have to pay out of our own pockets,” Negrin said. “Hopefully this concert will get the money rolling.”

The group will have to pay over $12,000 in travel expenses. The amount of money each Tijuana group member has to pay decreases in proportion to how much money the group is able to raise.

The group was able to raise over $1500 through a combination of fund-raising activities including selling food at a football game, a car wash and this concert.

Along with the variety of performances both nights, there was a dance competition between the Tijuana group boys and girls. Kim said that the idea developed as a way to get the group to participate in the concert. “We wanted people in [the Tijuana group] to get involved in the actual performance,” Kim said. “So we said, ʻLetʼs have a dance-off between the girls and boysʼ.”

The boys, dressed in white shirts and black leather jackets, performed as teen idols, dancing to music by Michael Jackson and NʼSync. They faced off against the girls, who were dressed in colorful ʼ80s clothing and danced to a mix of music, including a coordinated dance in the dark with glow sticks.

Senior Tijuana volunteer Suhail Shaikh helped organize the boysʼ dance. He said that both the girls and boys teams had good elements, and the dance competition ended in a tie.

“I would say [the boysʼ] dance was funnier and cooler, but [the

Top: Seniors Avery Naar, Suhail Shaikh and AJ Giaccia taunt seniors Katja Davis, Jennifer Li and Danielle Negrin during the dance competition. Right: Senior Madeline Adamo-Coons belly dances.

This was the first year the benefit concert was held over two nights. girls] were more organized and were really together,” Shaikh said.

“Iʼd give it a tie in the spirit of us all being on the same team.”

Interact club advisor Dave Deggeller closed the concert on Friday night. Deggellerʼs band, Secret Primper, played songs from his soon to be released CD, “Damaged Art.” Deggeller will not be going with this yearʼs Tijuana trip in order to take care of his newly born son Charlie. Deggeller has been involved with the trip for the past eight years and has gone five times before.

Although he will not be going, he is excited for this yearʼs group.

Photos by Jonathan Cheung

“The students seem really tight, excited,” Deggeller said. “A lot of group bonding has already occurred.”

In the absence of Deggeller, business law teacher Patricia Bruegger will chaperone the trip along with science teacher Joshua Bloom and math teacher Daisy Renazco, who is a Tijuana veteran.

Friday night, Deggeller played a song he wrote last year about how he has been inspired by the students who help build houses in Tijuana. In the song Deggeller asks, “Can you change a life by building a roof?”

This winter break the group of 19 students and three chaperones will find out.

Perks indebt senior class ■ DEBT, from page 1 money or the seniors could have a few fundraisers.”

The senior debt has also increased due to the senior shirts that havenʼt all been sold yet. “We have 50 percent of those,” Hall said.

“Once those are sold, weʼll have another $1500.”

Most of the senior classʼs money is going to come from the parking at Palo Alto High School during Stanfordʼs home games. Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) mandates that the schools split the revenue from selling parking tickets at Palo Alto High School (Paly) for Stanford home games.

For each of Stanfordʼs home games, Paly and Gunn split the revenue in half. “Gunn and Paly both work every game,” Student Body Presi-

dent Channing Hancock said. “So out of the six games, freshmen, sophomores and juniors each got a game and then the seniors worked three.”

Last year, the Stanford games raised about $4000 after paying adult supervisors for helping out.

This money would be just enough to cover the grad night expenses according to Hall. “With candy grams and a couple of other fundraisers here and there, itʼs not as dire as it looks,” Hall said.

The extra fundraisers are for the total of $6000 that goes towards paying for grad night. “What [the debt] means is that there will be less money to put towards grad night to defer the costs for the seniors,” Hall said.

Among other fundraisers, the

seniors will have a senior week in January which will include shirt sales for lower prices. “We wonʼt make any profit,” Senior Class President Orlie Kapiltulnik said.

“But hopefully we can pay back the debt for the shirts.” They also have a movie night planned for January.

Senior debt

by the numbers

Current debt: $1200 Future expenditures: $4000 more for grad night

Expected Revenue: $1500 from shirt sales, $4000 from Stanford games

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

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The Oracle ◆ 3

EWS◆

Saturday school program launches Effectiveness yet to be evaluated Alexander Lee Reporter

G

unn administrators have adopted a new measure to combat the constant problem of cutting—Saturday school.

Jonathan Cheung

The blinds on Spangenberg Theater’s ticket booth close after Focus Cinema’s movie program shut down after four years of operation.

Spangenberg movie program exits stage Disagreement shuts down movie house Brennan Bird Reporter

Warmth greeted those who braved the cold winter night and approached the door of the Spangenberg lobby. The smell of hot apple cider spiked the air, and a cheerful chatter filled the room. Movie posters lined the walls, representing the diverse range of movies that had once illuminated the theaterʼs large screen.

The crowd was waiting for a complimentary showing of “Gone with the Wind.” The famous movie held special significance on this brisk Saturday night because, since its premier in 1939, the original showing of the movie has never been changed.

This is in contrast to the Spangenberg Theater, where some major changes are about to occur. Focus Cinema, which has been showcasing movies at the theater for the past four years, is leaving.

The reason for Focus Cinemaʼs departure appears to be a conflict between the Cinema and the Gunn administration.

Principal Noreen Likins disagreed with the way the Cinema handled the use of the Spangenberg lobby, and became concerned over how its appearance reflected upon the Gunn community. “[The theater] is a home for the visual performing arts, for the school, for the district

and the community,” Likins said. “Itʼs not just a movie theater.”

Likins offered a compromise to the Cinema that would have cleaned up the lobbyʼs appearance. She wanted the microwave, popcorn machine and other concession items to be stored in the lobbyʼs side office. She also did not want any movie posters up on the lobby walls, which usually display studentʼs artwork.

“There was the possibility to make it work had there been a willingness to do so,” Likins said.

Spangenberg Theater manager Jørgen Wedseltoft said that the departure of the film program is unfortunate because it directly benefited the theater. It was a non-profit organization created specifically for the Spangenberg Theater.

“The film program was set up to give all profits to the theater,” Wedseltoft said. “The theater would benefit from the revenue.”

Spangenberg Theater will continue to be used as a theater for performing arts. But for now its days as a movie theater are over.

In Forum Departure of movie program a significant loss of revenue—p. 7

Due to the ever-increasing numbers of students who cut class, the administrative team has reinstated the eight-year-old policy with the support of the Instructional Council.

Students with four cuts in a single subject must spend four hours on a Saturday morning working on educational activities, and a failure to attend would result in suspension the following week.

The first Saturday school session this year took place on Nov. 19. Special education teacher and administrator Kim Cowell and science teacher Claudia Winkler supervised the detention. “People used it as a study hall, and they did homework or work that they missed,” Cowell said.

Nine out of the 10 people required to show up for Saturday school did. “I think that this session was a good use of time,” Cowell said. “The kids got stuff done and only one person didnʼt show up.”

Students, however, are skeptical that the

new policy will have any impact on cutting.

“I donʼt think cutting has gone down in the least,” sophomore Alex Esber said.

Senior Ken Su agrees with Esberʼs view.

“I think that most of the people that will be supposed to go to Saturday school will begin ignoring it and take suspensions instead of going,” Su said.

However, it is still too early to tell if Saturday school had any impact on cutting.

“Like any new venture, I think it will take some time to see whether or not Saturday School is effective,” Assistant Principal Anne-Marie Balzano said. “I believe we will have better data by the end of the first semester.”

Other administrators agree. “If Saturday school is an effective deterrant to cutting classes, then yes, it is a good idea,” Principal Noreen Likins said. “If we see that the number of cuts has diminished, we will continue with this pilot project.”

Saturday school will occur every available Saturday after Nov. 19. The next Saturday school session will occur on Jan. 7. There will be no Saturday school over winter break.

After the Dec. 10 session, the administration has begun evaluating the effectiveness of Saturday school.

“I think itʼs worth a try, and itʼs definitely an important intervention to attempt to assist students to catch up with their work,” Cowell said. “We really value attendance here.”

Robotics team revived, prepares for competition ■ ROBOTICS, from page 1

the team again.”

GRT members are looking forward to rebuilding the team and anticipating the FIRST competition. “We have a really good team this year,” junior Zak Weiler said. “I think that if we pull together we can finish strong at FIRST and at nationals.”

As part of the FIRST competition, the team will be competing in Regionals in San Jose and Nationals in Atlanta.

A few members are apprehensive about the future, as the team was hit by several problems last year, including two members filing restraining orders against two other

members. “Restarting the team probably feels a little bit weird for them,” said junior former GRT member Kamran Munshie, “but after they get started I think things will go back to normal.”

Dunbar, who was in the middle of last yearʼs fiasco, is optimistic about this yearʼs team. “I look forward to rebuilding and doing well this year,” Dunbar said. “I just want all these kids to learn and have a good time.”

Due to the conflicts of last year, however, Dunbar will not be playing an active role in GRT this year, and will instead let it be student-run.

Audio announcements to upgrade to television ■ BULLETIN, from page 1

of 12 to 15 students comprising scriptwriters, announcers and technicians. Several students have expressed interest in joining the team, including senior Igor Hiller, who currently reads the audio announcements.

“I have a Sam Picture duty to fulfill for my school,” Hiller said. “Now Iʼll actually have to start taking care of myself in the morning.”

The team will meet daily be-

fore school to produce the morning announcements.

“My goal is that after a couple of weeks [the announcements] will be completely student-run,” Picture said. “The kids that sign up for the class are speaking for the entire student body. They should take ownership of the announcements.”

According to Likins, parts of the campus that are not connected to the closed-circuit television system, including the Village, will not receive video announcements at first. Instead, a paper version of the daily bulletin will be provided to teachers to be read to students.

The school district has promised funding to extend the cable feed

throughout campus.

Originally slated to air at the beginning of this school year, the video announcements were delayed due to security and equipment problems.

The plan to transform a library classroom into a studio fell through due to the cost of constructing a sound-proof booth. An old geology classroom, which has a glass partition, was transformed into the studio.

To join the video broadcasting team, contact Sam Picture, Lettie Weinmann or Noreen Likins.

Jonathan Cheung

Computers in the control room have been set up for broadcast announcements, which will replace the audio bulletin.

4 ◆ The Oracle ◆

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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Publication distribution moved from classrooms Vivien Tsao Reporter

Jonathan Cheung

Junior Ben Matzke and the Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) sells pizza in front of the batcave. The GRT is one of many student organizations affected by the new food policy, which promotes healthy food.

Food policy hurts clubs

Student sales limited by health concern Vivien Tsao Reporter

As a new school year began, so did a new health policy.

Many student organizationsʼ coffers, whose main source of income comes from selling candy, baked goods and other foods, have emerged hard hit by the new health food policy.

Dreamed up by concerned community members and parents five years ago, a new health policy regarding elementary, middle and high schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District was passed Aug. 24, 2004. This new law, banning sales of junk food and sodas during school hours, gave schools one year to comply with the new policy, affecting sale of junk food on campus this school year.

Though this policy seems to be providing students with healthier food, it has also been hurting club revenues. Clubs, which are now banned from selling foods with more than 35 percent sugar by weight, 35 percent calories from fat or more than 10 percent saturated fat, or that contain transfat, are hard pressed to come up with new ways to support themselves.

“Gunn Key Club has always relied on the sales of food, such as candy grams and bake sales, to make money,” senior Key Club president Priscilla Jang said. “Looking at the profits from last yearʼs bake sales, we lost around $100 in revenue because we were not allowed to sell baked foods this year.”

Students Activities Director Lisa Hall has also acknowledged this issue. “[Banned foods are] not so much based on type, but whatʼs in [the food],” Hall said. “If students can find a candy bar with less than 35 percent sugar in it, they can sell it. However, candy bars that meet the restriction are difficult to find.”

Many clubs, however, have not been so respectful of the new nutrition policy and instead opt to continue selling the same foods as last year.

“I donʼt think this new health policy is going to work at all,” sophomore Michelle Lee said. “Clubs depend on food sales for revenue, and theyʼre going to continue selling what they want to sell, because thatʼs what makes money.”

So far, the administration has chosen not to punish student run organizations for their choices, but has warned them of future consequences. “Because itʼs been unclear as to what can not be sold, we have not been enforcing the policy as strictly,” Hall said. “However, we have warned them not to sell the same items in the future. Starting from next year, we will implement a harsher policy.”

Clubs will be left to find new ways to make money. “I believe there will be a drop in club revenues if clubs continue to rely on bake sales to raise money.” Hall said. “As there is a new health policy, clubs will have to come up with different and more creative ways to make money.”

This year, Gunnʼs student political newspaper, the Partisan Review, began the school year with a controversial start—distribution was moved from classrooms to the quad because of school policy.

According to senior Editor-In-Chief Ilan Wurman, the problem of free expression limitations spans beyond this year. “This problem actually occurred both this year and last year,” Wurman said. “Essentially, some teachers chose to attack [Partisan Review] articles and their authors in class. When teachers attack studentsʼ opinions as such, it stifles the free expression of opinions.”

Last year, the administration chose to answer direct attacks on articles of the Partisan Review by sending emails to teachers discussing the limits on a teacherʼs political expression during class.

“While there is nothing wrong with having political discussions in class that are conducive to the sharing of ideas—with teachers often playing the devilʼs advocate—that has not happened,” Wurman said. “Teachers instead choose to preach their viewpoints and ʻedifyʼ their students to their way of thinking.”

This year, the same situation occurred again, causing the paper to turn to the administration for help.

“Some writers on the Partisan Review complained, and while we (the Partisan Review) hoped the administration would have sent out another email to its staff to facilitate the situation, the administration instead banned the paper from classrooms,” Wurman said.

The administration, however, contends that its policy toward the Partisan Review is not specific to the student paper. “[Student papers] are not allowed to be distributed during class time as students should receive information from their teachers and having newspapers passed out during class is disruptive,” Dean of students Tom Jacoubowsky said.

Also, some faculty admit to hesitation in accepting information from student papers. “[Both the Partisan Review and The Oracle] frequently lack the veracity of curriculum that we use in our content area,” social studies Instructional Supervisor John Fredrich said.

Freshman Partisan Review writer Avery Lewis believes this problem lies not in arguments regarding facts but in the freedom of belief and expression. “I donʼt think the Partisan Review will cause that much discontent in class. Students should be able to express their own political views as adults do in the real world,” Lewis said.

Bicycle theft rate decreasing, but problem persists Administration takes action to reduce theft problem Adrienne Nguyen Features Editor

Dan Li

The bicycle racks have been a frequent target of theft this year and last year.

Thefts this year have decreased greatly compared to the number of thefts last year.

However, the occasional report of a theft still remains and the administration has set out to stop this problem.

According to Dean of Students Tom Jacoubowsky, the addition of a third campus aide is the most likely reason for the decline of thefts. David Burgee works as the new campus aide for an additional four hours a day.

The number of theft reports filed for both iPods and cell phones has decreased dramatically. The reason for theft this year seems to be the occasional backpack left unattended on campus.

However, the bike thefts occurring at Gunn still remains a problem. The bike

cage is only unlocked at brunch, lunch and after school.

Most bikes are stolen after school and when the bike cage is abandoned, or when students are busy with after-school activities such as sports and clubs.

According to Jacoubowsky, many times the bike owner is at fault. Usually, the bikes are not properly locked, or they are also sometimes faulty. “It is certain ULocks and the cable locks that are usually easy to pick,” Jacoubowsky said. Also, the thieves sometimes are not students at Gunn but strangers who enter campus after school.

Also, this year, there have been no reports of car thefts or smashed windows.

However, there have been a couple of complaints of missing or stolen parking permits. Locker room thefts have also been reduced greatly, according to Ja-

coubowsky.

However, to some, the administration is not taking enough measures to stop the theft. Sophomore Shounak Dharapʼs locked bike was stolen from the bike cage last year, when he was attending swim practice.

Luckily, he and his friends recovered the bike 12 days later.

“I reported the theft, but I feel that Jacoubowsky didnʼt take any action,” Dharap said. “Instead, I went to search myself using any means.” Although Dharap encountered the thief, he says the thief was not reprimanded and hopes the theft problem is taken more seriously.

Because of the administrationʼs persistence to reduce the once-growing theft problem, three students this year have been caught and suspended or relocated to alternative education.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

F

ORUM◆

Unlimited potential in stem cell research

To each his own

Stem cell research has unlimited positive potential. Human embryonic stem cells can develop into any different type of cell in the body, thus giving them the potential to repair any organ or muscles. These can assist millions of people with potentially life threatening conditions.

Some argue the ethics of removing stem cells from embryos. However, these are cells taken when the embryo is only five to six days old. It is ridiculous to think that the life of an unborn, barely developed embryo is of more value then many disease-stricken humans.

Cloning, stem cell use unethical Research cloning deliberately creates and destroys human life. It is the process of making a genetically identical organism through nonsexual means, then using their parts for experiments. Catholic teachings state that a “human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception and therefore from that same moment his rights as a person much be recognized.”

Thus, a being, whether cloned or natural, should progress through all stages of life—embryonic, fetal, infant and adult— without interruption. Cloning doesnʼt give an embryo, and thus a possible adult, that chance or choice to live.

The Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal.

But cloning threatens that principle by unnaturally creating and using human beings. Cloning would make the human race disposable, by making human lives replaceable.

Everyone should have a choice in what they do.

This is a country built on free will and free speech, but when it comes to cloning and stem cell research it seems like everyone has an opinion on what everyone else should do. If someone is against cloning or stem cell research, they should not do it. It is that simple.

The government, or companies, can conduct these activities without any adverse effects.

behind cloning

Manʼs steadfast fascination with the idea of creating another being has driven scientists to search for the secret to cloning for more than a century.

Cloning is defined as the process of non-sexually reproducing a genetically identical organism. Recently scientists have been making great strides in this controversial field.

To clone animals, scientists transplant the genetic information from a specialized cell into an unfertilized egg cell whose genetic information has been destroyed or physically removed. This process forms an embryo, which is then implanted into the womb of a surrogate mother.

Here, the embryo continues to develop normally and be born in the usual manner. For stem cell research, a patientʼs cell nucleus replaces a donor egg, which is then stimulated to divide.

The debate over cloning focuses largely on whether using a fertilized egg for research amounts to destroying a human being.

Recent advances in cloning have sparked fierce debates among scientists, politicians and the general public about whether or not cloning research is safe, or more pressingly, morally right.

—Alex Lee

Cloning industry better off privatized

Few people are thinking of who will regulate cloning if it does happen. Due to its sensitivity, some say it should be government-run. However, cloning would be better off if privatized. The government has been under scrutiny for mishandling projects that should be privatized, such as Medicare and Social Security.

Privatization would allow competition a—good thing for any new field. It just makes more sense.

The Oracle ◆ 5

Clone animals, not people As long as scientists do not go so far as to create new human beings, who, restricted by their genetics could be degraded to second class in the human population, cloning can be justified.

Animal cloning would provide humans with the ability to mass-produce necessary pharmaceuticals that are bioengineered from human proteins. Scientists would be able to use genetic enginieering in animals to help cure diseases like cystic fibrosis and hemophilia.

The cloning of animals might also help save endangered species that can be born of surrogate mothers.

For example, the cow named Bessie gave birth to a rare breed of Asian ox. Progress like cloning, which could lead to so much good, should not be suppressed.

No playing God We may not be destroying life. But what we are doing, in every instance of cloning, is playing God. Thatʼs right—who are we to decide who to replicate, and who is not worthy? I fear not for the present, cloningʼs early stages, but for the future when we are faced with the question–is there such thing as an individual?

Why not?

There is no valid reason to outlaw cloning or stem cell research. Stem cells have incredible potential benefits to human health, and using unliving embryos. A human clone would be nothing more than an identical twin born years later.

To not allow such research due only to an irrational fear is incredibly detrimental not only to science, but also society.

—Compiled by (clockwise from top left) Natalie Kirkish, Shoshana Leeder, Sree Kode, Misha Guttentag, John Greely, Amar Ghose, Stephanie Wu

Graphics by Stephen Chao, Julius Tarng, Johnny Chang

6 ◆ The Oracle ◆

780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 http://charlotte.pausd.org/oracle

Editorial Board

Diversify upper classes Racial mix-up of Gunn not represented

Editor-in-Chief Andrea Wong Managing Lauren Krensky, Tony Liu News Sree Kode, Dan Li Forum Misha Guttentag, Gea Kang, John Greely (associate) Features Janice Kwong, Anthony Wang, Adrienne Nguyen (associate) Centerfold Shiv Kachru, Marianne Kvitko, Emily Wang Entertainment Howard Chen, Stephanie Wu, Maya Tanaka (associate) Sports Amar Ghose, Ana Kostioukova, Alex Shau Photography Jonathan Cheung Graphics Johnny Chang

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Anthony Wang Features Editor

are 54.0 percent Asian (a full 24 percentage points higher than the schoolʼs percentage), 42.1 percent white, .9 percent Hispanic, .2 percent black and 2.8 percent other.

The registration process was developed to accommodate the studentsʼ abilities. Generally, students with ʻAʼs in science are placed into accelerated science lanes and students

ing segregation in classrooms. The best course of action is to provide more academic motivation to all by preaching the importance of education in terms of opening up job opportunities.

There we have the issue of how, exactly, we can move minorities up to higher level classes. Currently, if they are already in lower classes

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he Civil Rights movement failed to fully diversify and equalize our school—segregation is still heavily prevalent.

Although our school itself has no lack in ethnic diversity, upper division classes are a different story. Gunnʼs student population is two percent African American, five percent Hispanic, 28 percent Asian (including Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese or other Asian), 59 percent Caucasian and six percent other, but not so in Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses.

Students of all AP and Honors classes combined are 49.52 percent Asian, 45.37 percent white, 1.37 percent Hispanic, .27 percent black and 3.55 percent other. A ChiSquared test for significance shows that chance alone could not have produced such results. The proportions simply do not add up.

AP and Honors Math classes

Julius Tarng

The Oracle

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with ʻAʼs in math are placed into the accelerated math lanes.

One problem—scoring well in a lower-laned class does not bump you up—only scoring poorly in a top class gets you demoted. This makes it difficult for minorities in lower division classes to transfer up into the upper division courses.

Despite the lack of diversity, changing the current system by integrating minorities into upper-level classes in an affirmative-action fashion would devastate Gunnʼs academic success. There is no logical, immediate solution to eliminat-

there are few, if any, ways to put themselves in more challenging classes.

Gunn should offer more summer or after school bridge courses, which allow students in lower division courses to catch up and join more advanced courses. Minorities in lower division classes should be encouraged to join these classes, and could then transfer to the upper lanes.

We must work to keep minorities in the top lanes, and have all of our classes match our school wide proportions.

Technical Jonathan Cheung, Dan Li Staff

Business Shoshana Leeder, Darryl Liu Circulation Ellen Holtzman, Natalie Kirkish Reporters Brennan Bird, Moses Lai, Alex Lee, Vivien Tsao Graphic Artists Stephen Chao, Brett Labash, Khen Shomron, Julius Tarng Photographers Ellen Holtzman, Jennifer Lim Adviser Kristy Garcia The Oracle is published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn Senior High School. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff and The Oracle's commitment to promoting students' rights. The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor. Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one. Letters may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Letters to the editor and ideas for coverage may be sent to gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

These letters and ideas need not be from current students. The Oracle publishes 10 issues annually. Subscriptions are $40/year.

Marianne Kvitko Centerfold Editor In todayʼs ultra-competitive, demanding world, prestigious colleges seek the perfect package in their student bodies—top scores, great grades, countless extracurriculars and, of course, diversity. While an eclectic class is favorable, applicant race should not be considered in the college admission process.

Affirmative action is supposed to ensure equal opportunity for minorities who may have experienced poverty, racial discrimination or similar setbacks in the past. Generalizing for large groups of people, however, is inaccurate and unjust. These principles may have been appropriate decades ago, but we cannot make generalizations about someoneʼs relative wealth or upbringing by race alone.

Affirmative action does help two historically oppressed groups, blacks and Hispanics.

However, Jews and Asians, making up one and four percent, respectively, of the United States population, receive no such benefits. Blacks, on the other hand, make up thirteen percent. Who is the minority here? A 2005 Princeton study found that certain groups actually are given the equivalent of extra points on an SAT just for belonging to a certain race. According to the study, while blacks receive a 230-point bonus, and Hispanics 180, Asian

students gain negative 50 points in the college admission process. Asians are actually being punished for scoring highly.

Nowhere is the discrepancy more apparent than in PBSʼs report that UC Berkeleyʼs white and Asian students score, on average, 300 points higher on the SAT than blacks and Hispanics there. Affirmative action risks denying a number of well-qualified white and Asian students in favor of less-qualified minority applicants.

According to UCLA professor Richard Sander, studies show that half of all black law students rank near the bottom of their class and are more likely to drop out or fail the bar exam. One explanation is that many minority students simply were not given the same level of high school education as their white and Asian counterparts.

Sander contends that the number of new black lawyers in the U.S. would actually grow if affirmative action programs at law schools were ended. That ending affirmative action at top schools would greatly reduce diversity is a serious problem, yet one that must be addressed on the high school level—four years at an elite college will not rectify 13 years of poor public education.

It is time to face the fact that Affirmative action hinders, not helps.

Get a room, or some courtesy

Maya Tanaka Assoc. Entertainment Editor When students go to the quad at lunch, they are most likely looking for friends, crushes or some sort of pleasant interaction accompanied by a snack. What they are greeted with instead are Public Displays of Affection (PDA) so intense and passionate that they are forced to hide their face in distress to try and regain their composure.

PDA creates an uncomfortable spectacle that causes countless collisions between students too preoccupied with the scene to notice each other on their way to class.

Students are not only offended by the displays but are also concerned with the potential message that PDA sends to the public. “Clearly they are getting deprived of love at home,” senior Student Body President Channing Hancock said.

Their peers also question the motives of the students who so blatantly flaunt their attraction for one another.

“Itʼs pretty impressive,” junior Frances Kao said. “I mean thatʼs what theyʼre trying to do, right? Impress people?”

But some students not only condone PDA—they are strong advocates of it. Many students see their right to grope as a freedom of expression and do not care about the repercussions their actions have on their peers. “As long as they arenʼt actually making out, I donʼt see it as a big deal,” senior Katherine Chen said. But whoʼs to say what defines “making out?”

Cannot sly hand holding and constant vocalizations of “No, I love you more!” be just as unsightly for spectators?

Although Gunn has no official policy set with PDA, Likins sometimes walks around nonchalantly, breaking apart couples she feels “push the limit of what is acceptable at school.”

Itʼs true that it is possible to turn oneʼs head at a distressing angle to avoid witnessing love in action, but the fact is that itʼs a lot easier to stare, like a witness to televised surgery. If the members of these couples want to be respected later in life and maybe even make friends after their mate leaves them, they should tone it down.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

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Brett Labash, Julius Tarng

Bittersweet treats adorn holidays Consumer action to fight slave chocolate imperative

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ach year, Americans spend $13 billion on chocolate.

From advent calendars to chocolate roses to solid chocolate Santas, chocolate has become a staple of the holiday season. If people only knew from where their chocolate came from, however, they would realize that the people t hey support, in the “spirit of giving,” are slave owners.

the chocolate slavery industry keeps growing—Free the Slaves reports that there are more slaves worldwide now than ever before.

This begs the obvious question— why are some 200,000 children, according to a recent UNICEF report, still being trafficked yearly in West

between five and 14 years old are in the workforce there. Something must be done to curb this.

However, reforming a country producing nearly one-half of the worldʼs chocolate is a daunting task.

Nonetheless, for starters, we can exercise our consumer buying power—we must stop supporting the big three companies buying chocolate sacks straight off the back of slaves (easier said than done, considering that the owners of all three are worth at least $10.4 billion—each).

How, then, can one satiate the sweet tooth without supporting modern slavery? By supporting companies with no child slavery used in their production (see fact box). That the United States is the worldʼs biggest importer of cocoa beans only speaks to the amount of sway that its citizens can hold over the production in the cocoa industry.

But as long as the average American continues to consume 10 to 12 pounds of chocolate each year, largely produced by slaves, the cocoa bean industry will continue to export slave-harvested chocolate at low prices for American consumers. We as consumers hold not only the power, but the responsibility, to end the human trafficking that, according to United Nations estimates, can reach profits of $7 billion yearly. We must not only watch what we eat—but where what we eat comes from.

The Opinion of

All of your favorite chocolate candy made by the three major manufacturers M&M/Mars (M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Three Musketeers, Kudos, Dove, Mars), Nestle (PowerBar, Häagen Dazs, TollHouse, Crunch, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger) and Hershey (Kit Kat, Kisses, Reeses, Krackle, Almond Joy) use cocoa harvested by enslaved children. Save the Children Canada estimates that the children forced to work as slaves on farms in Cote dʼIvoire, which exports 43 percent of the worldʼs cocoa beans, may number as high as 15,000.

Most startlingly, however, is that no one seems to care.

In 2001, sympathetic U.S. senators attempted to add an amendment to an agricultural appropriations bill that would require chocolate products to label whether or not slaves were used in harvesting, but the chocolate industry lobby protested and the amendment never reached the floor. And all the while,

The Oracle

and Central Africa? The easy answer: poverty. Each year African countries are forced to repay debts of $14.6 billion, which they simply cannot afford. But a more pressing obstacle to the eradication of the

Chocolates not made with slave labor S S S S S S S S

Clif Bar Cloud Nine

Chocolove Divine and Dubble Dagoba Organic zChocolate Chaine Confiseur Gardners Candies

use of child slaves is child laborʼs integration into Cote dʼIvoireʼs culture—40 to 50 percent of children

The Oracle ◆ 7

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Call for student initiative Certainly, generous fee waivers donʼt take care of the cost of test prep books. However, SAT books can be bought used or even found at a library. It matters not if they are old and used—the last time anyone made any drastic changes to classical physics was probably in the 1920s.

Test prep may not even help as much as some think it does.

According to Michele Hernandez, a former assistant dean of admissions to Dartmouth, “[i]t is not uncommon...to raise a verbal score from 450 to 600...What is almost impossible is to jump into the 720 to 800 range, even if you are starting in the high 600s. With a few exceptions, the students who score over 740 or so are simply voracious readers.” So you want test prep? Itʼs free, right at your local school or library—if you can tear yourself away from your TV or iPod. I do agree that socioeconomic status should not bar one from going to college, but most places arenʼt as competitive as Stanford.

The ETS will gladly tell you that 90 percent of Americaʼs students go on to their first choice colleges. It is only a minority of a minority that must worry about “the top colleges.”

I wonder exactly what you mean when you say that nobody should be barred from the college that he or she “deserves” to go to and then mention “the top colleges” in the same breath.

I am sorry and amused that students and parents are so obsessed with these “top colleges” that they seem to have forgotten the hundreds of other colleges in America, and moreover, forgotten that true intellectual achievment is born out of a love for learning, not a lust for prestige.

—Jane Huang, Gunn alumna Ways around costly test prep I agree that “socio-economic status should never force a student out of a college he or she deserves to go to.” However, last monthʼs editorial glosses over valuable resources available to the cost-conscious student.

The Oracle cited expensive test prep businesses “that prey off [studentsʼ] test-taking insecurities.” Test prep, however, is not always expensive, as frugal students have a wealth of free

Corrections:

Write us with your thoughts on The Oracle’s coverage or any other issues you care about. We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

LET T THE ERS TO EDIT OR!

service options. For example, Learning Express offers excellent online SAT courses available to anyone with a Palo Alto library card. One may also borrow test prep books through the College and Career Center.

I used both of these services to prepare for my SAT I & IIs without spending a dime.

In addition, Gunn offers Basic College Skills, a UC-approved English course that (and this is straight from the Course Catalog) “is designed to help students achieve higher scores on the PSAT, SAT I, SAT II and ACT college entrance examinations.” What a deal! A semesterʼs worth of free test tutoring and English credit.

One should not attack the companies that have sprung up around the college admissions process. They only exist because there is a demand for these services—a demand that comes from students.

Therefore, change in the admissions process must come from us. Students should use the free services available to them and save their money for college.

—Senior Erik Petigura Inappropriate performance I feel that the rap performance at the Dec. 3 Tijuana benefit concert was ridiculous and distasteful. The three boys not only made utter fools of themselves but were also completely insulting in the process.

By using offensive language, they had no sensitivity for students, parents or other listeners. In my opinion, the severe line is not only the stupidest thing I have ever heard, but it is also very insulting to me and probably to everybody else who might come across it.

“The Majestic” also said many other insulting things in the “song,” and probably just for laughs. I happen to know a student on the Portola Valley soccer team, an innocent one at that, and I was very insulted by the comments about the team.

I think that “The Majestic” is a group of naive and insensitive kids who take pleasure in insulting those around them. I only hope they learn soon how truly immature they are.

—Senior David DeFrenza

November issue—Vol. 42, issue 2

n Senior Emanuelle Benkoski attends Menlo High School, not Menlo-Atherton, as stated in “Startup company employs Gunn students” (p. 9). n Repeterʼs address—334 State Street, Suite 105 in downtown Los Altos—was not printed in “Specialty stores” (p. 16). n In the picture for “Fast times at Crystal Springs” (p. 17), freshman Joanne Reid is actually to the left of freshman Allie Mayer.

The Oracle regrets past errors and invites readers to correct any in the future by contacting a staff member or by sending an email to gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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Riots in France unveil tense race relations

Uprising hits closer to our borders than many may think

mages of dark figures in front of burning cars and buildings glare across the television screen. Sirens wail as policemen in riot gear charge across the barren streets in search of the perpetrators of the explosive destruction. News commentators argue over what is to blame for the ensuing violence.

These images and events of the riots in France are eerily similar to the violence that exploded in South Central Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict on Apr. 29, 1992, when four police officers were acquitted on the charge of beating up Rodney King, an African-American. King had been pulled over for speeding and, according to the officers, stepped from his car in an aggressive manner. The officers, claiming they were acting in self-defense, delivered blows and kicks as well as a number of shocks from a stun gun to King as he lay on the ground. In response to the officerʼs acquittal by a predominately white jury, riots enveloped L.A. for three days. The same anger felt in the streets of inner city L.A. was felt across poverty-stricken French housing projects throughout the first weeks of November.

This anger erupted on Oct. 27 when two teenagers of African descent were fatally electrocuted while hiding from the police

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riots, the violence in France was not solely derived from anger over this one incident.

Instead it was a match that sparked anger deeply rooted in the lives of these foreign-descended French youth. In ways that resemble the American riots, the anger stems from the racism of neglect that has relegated Franceʼs people of color to second-class citizenship without the benefits and hope enjoyed by other French citizens.

But whereas Rodney King was discriminated against for being black, these marginalized French youth bear an additional stigma—they are of direct African or Arab descent and predominately Muslim, a population that has been demonized since the 9/11 attacks and the War on Terrorism. The recent terrorist attacks in Europe, both the train bombings in London and Madrid, have

Bret t

Brennan Bird Reporter

in an electrical substation in Clichy-sousBois, one of the poorest Paris suburbs.

No official report was filed on the incident, and rumors spread quickly around the suburbs about police involvement in the youthsʼ deaths.

That night when teenagers and young adults gathered in protest, a minor run-in with the police led to the burning of 15 cars.

This was the start of the riots that would

span across France for weeks and end up in the destruction of several buildings and over 8,000 vehicles.

Just as in the L.A.

heightened secu r it y i n public areas across Europe a nd sub sequently increased the discrimination against these ethnic groups. Anyone

Movies removed from Spangenberg Administration’s decision a disappointment

Alex Lee Reporter Gunn administrators seem to have forgotten the old idioms that they learned as children. Or maybe they have completely overlooked the morals of those idioms.

The phrase “Donʼt look a gift horse in the mouth” quickly comes to mind. The gift horse in question is Focus Cinema, the non-profit organization responsible for Gunnʼs Spangenberg movie program.

Despite its old, independent and often original films, school administrators made the unfortunate decision to shut down the program and completely remove it from the school.

Spangenbergʼs movie program should not have to leave the school and seek a home elsewhere. The contract between Gunn and Focus

Cinema rewards the school with many benefits. The program itself was designed to raise money for the theater, and the money the program earned was used to maintain and upgrade the theater. After the costs for posters and fees for renting movies, the remaining money was used for high-end theater equipment and carpeting Spangenberg. After four years with Focus Cinema, Gunn has ended up with an improved theater that adds to both the schoolʼs atmosphere and reputation.

In addition to the benefits of new equipment, the movie program was also a source of revenue for Gunn.

Focus Cinema paid rent costs of $1000 a month, amounting to a total of $12,000 a year. Over four years, the cinema has earned Gunn $41,000 in additional income. Although the cinema only produced $6500 of revenue last year, it was due to increased school use, not a decrease in attendance. With a school district supposedly awash in debt, canceling any source of income—no matter how small—is not a wise decision.

The reason school administrators gave for getting rid of the program is especially of concern.

The official excuse is because of a

dispute over the theaterʼs general appearance and usage. Although Spangenberg had movie posters, they did not detract from its appearance—they only made it look more authentic.

Another major reason the administration provided was that the posters covered up student work.

However, Spangenberg is not even the best place for student work display. When students go into the building, they do not pause to examine the walls for pictures.

Rather, they tend to try to get inside the actual theater as fast as possible.

A much better place for displaying student art would be the library and the Student Activities Center, where students actually go and spend time on a regular basis.

Gunn has become accustomed to seeing Spangenberg Theater as a well-maintained and high-standard place of entertainment. Without revenue and upgrades from Focus Cinema, the quality of the theater will start declining. Although there is sometimes trash in the theater as a result of the movies shown, cleanliness and sanitation are not Spangenbergʼs real goals.

Theaters are traditionally centers for entertainment, and Spangenberg

with a foreign sounding name or appearance that resembles the terrorists who committed these brutal acts is automatically suspect.

This stigma has made it difficult for these youth to find jobs. And since many of the suburbs lack their own train stations, inhabitants are isolated from working in other places, leading to restlessness and immobility that come from a lack of economic opportunity around the housing projects where these youth live. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, youth unemployment in France is staggeringly high—23 percent of youth between the ages of 16 and 24—the third highest in Europe. But in the housing projects, up to 40 percent of young adults are unemployed. This has created a sense of restlessness that fosters the sort of anger seen in the destruction of property across France, most of which belonged to members within the youthʼs community.

In an effort to smother the fires of youthful frustration, French Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy deployed over 10,000 police officers in cities across France. Thousands have been arrested, and Sarkozy threatens to deport without delay any immigrant who partakes in the violence—whether or not they have a residency visa. The enormity of the response resembles President George Bush Sr.ʼs call for 4,500 U.S. Army troops to quell the L.A. riots.

Although both acts of power and authority were able to bring the violence to an end, they are far from a solution to a population growing exceedingly fed up with little economic opportunity and rampant discrimination by the police who govern over them. Only when the root of these problems are resolved will there be a ceasing of the violent eruptions of anger and frustration seen in L.A. and Paris.

In both these instances the fire might have been extinguished but the coals continue to burn.

Holiday gifts too excessive

Shiv Kachru Centerfold Editor Itʼs that time of year again— the winter holidays, supposedly marked by giving and caring.

But these days, it seems to be just about the “giving.”

In fact, with a record $220 billion spent in the U.S. during 2004ʼs holiday season—$700 per person, according to the National Retail Federation—it seems that we have forgotten the true meaning of the holidays.

Americans have been driven into a shopping frenzy that knows no cap to spending. It doesnʼt help that all major corporations take advantage of this season by marketing their goods under false pretenses of love and family. When was the last time you saw a holiday-related commercial that wasnʼt trying to sell you something? Or the last time you flipped through a

December issue magazine that wasnʼt loaded with ads about holiday sales? The holidays have become more materialistic than ever, and itʼs nothing to be proud of.

The winter holidays exist because of the religious events placed around that time—events that are supposed to be about family. But the season has lost much spirituality to become little more than a commercial spending spree. People must reflect and think about what they are really celebrating. Spending every penny you have is no way to celebrate religious holidays.

Buying presents themselves is reasonable, as giving brings people together. But we must draw a line on how much needs to be spent. Is it reasonable to spend $700 on holiday presents?

A more meaningful way to give would be donating to those who truly need it. With over 12 percent of Americans living beneath the poverty line, many people need mere essentials such as food and housing.

Buying gifts for friends and family is fine, but remember who really needs the “giving.”

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 �

Teachers share past experiences Geri Horsma Havi ng t aught at Gunn for 21 years, Geri Horsma has witnessed Gunn at its ups and downs. Over time, departments, classes and students have changed fo r t h e b et t e r a nd worse.

When Horsma first began teaching at Gunn, the enrollment rate was at 1150 students as opposed to the staggering 1850 students today.

Class sizes have changed incredibly, making it harder to give individual attention to students.

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The Oracle ◆ 9

You are standing in the middle of the quad.

Beside you are the large benches, and across is a big cement fountain. It’s the start of grunge, and people around you are listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Students are wearing baggy sweatshirts and acid washed jeans, with socks over the bottoms of the tapered legs. It is the ‘90s, of course!

Ex-Gunn students recall unforgettable high school traditions Josh Bloom Welcome to the early nineties—when neon clothing was still cool and bands like “Faith No More” were popular. It may sound like a long time ago, but for science teacher Josh Bloom this was part of regular high school life. Bloom first came to Gunn in 1990, the same year as math teacher Sarah Kastelic. Bloom recalls his former high school self as studious, but a prankster as well.

Bloom considered himself an overachiever and hard worker when he was in high school. Although Bloom took difficult classes, he stipulates that the Gunn environment has become more stressed than it was when he attended Gunn. “I took five AP classes my junior and senior years,” Bloom said. “But I donʼt think Gunn was as competitive as it is today.”

Though a diligent student, Bloom remembers his attempted senior prank as a standout moment of his high school career. “The night before the first day of our senior year we went on top of the Batcave and filled tarps with water balloons to drop on freshmen the next day,” Bloom said, “We had just finished filling up the balloons when the cops showed up. I made a run for it, but ended up going back because I felt bad for leaving my friends behind.” Even though the cops themselves thought the prank was funny, they made Bloom and his friends take the water balloons down.

Bloom recalls life in the early ʻ90s without the personal electronics that students now take advantage of, such as cell phones and mp3 players.

“The biggest change I have seen since attending Gunn is technology,” said Bloom. “We had a modem and email, but no one had a cell phone and there was no digital music other than CDs.” Bloom has noticed the change in Homecoming from year to year. “Homecoming was nothing like what it is today,” Bloom said. “During my senior year Mr. Nik and I did our senior airbands alone. People used to have a good time, and we didnʼt have people crying when they lost.”

Bloom admits that there has been a lot of positive changes on campus, but feels like homecoming has turned into a far too competitive event.

Sarah Kastelic Sarah Kastelic recalls many differences between the style of our school when she attended 16 years ago and today.

Besides the popularity various older musicians, fashion was certainly unlike that of modern Gunn. “Girls used to wear Te c h boysʼ boxer shorts to school, sometimes over leggings,” Kastelic remembers. Flannel shirts were also a trendy item nology has back in the day. allowed for She also remembers that Homecoming was similar to today, besides having no airbands. “I donʼt think people better comcared quite as much about winning,” Kastelic recalls. Nevertheless she was involved in the competition and munication and actually hosted float building at her house during all four years of high school. hands on learning, Some things never change. “Gunn has always had a strong athletics program, but it hasnʼt especially for classes always been the biggest priority,” Kastelic said. While the football like BioTech. “Students team has never been exceptionally strong, Gunn today are much more comfortable and familiar gymnastics took first place at CCS with the computer compared to a few years back,” during Kastelicʼs junior and Horsma said. However, growing ethical issues have raised questions about senior years. Boysʼ water curriculum to be covered in Biology courses “Itʼs difficult to teach topics that could make some students uncomfortable,” polo was also very sucHorsma said.= cessful in the ʻ90s.

She also notices that now more than ever has stress been a problem with a need to overachieve. Students today feel the need to take as many AP While many stuand Honors classes as possible. However, according to Horsma, the studentsʼ perspective on learning has not changed, and the culture still remains. dents enjoyed playing sports at Gunn, a Jim Shelby group of others preTheater teacher Jim Shelby has been teaching at Gunn since 1983. He remembers the old light switchboards at Spangenberg and has witnessed ferred to play pranks. the ever changing waves of fashion.

Kastelic recalls two seTechnology has had the biggest impact upon the theater program at Gunn. The large manual switches have become obliviniors who constructed a ous to the computerized music and light systems in the Little Theater. “Nowadays, everything is digital,” Shelby said. “The smoke bomb for the forlights, sound, and music can all be changed using a keyboard.” However, although technology makes life simpler, “we mer water fountain on the still need intelligence and a sense of design.” quad. “The pressure from the The music has also changed over time. Shelby remembers the different phases of fashion and music: the “punk” smoke bomb essentially blew era, “pop” period, “hip-hop” phase. “I remember pants becoming lower and lower,” Shelby said. up the [cement] fountain,” KasteAccording to Shelby, the stress levels at Gunn has been increasing over the last few years. Students are now lic said. “Flames shot out in two busier; they are occupied with jobs, sports, extracurricular activities and classes. “They seem to be running on directions as far as about 40 feet.” hyperschedulel,” Shelby said.

Unfortunately the perpetrators faced some serious consequences—exclusion from prom and graduation and possibly a Paul Dunlap scholarship revoke.

Having taught English for 12 years at Gunn, Paul Dunlap has observed the vicissitudes of campus culture. One of the Believe it or not, Kastelic took just one AP things he has noticed throughout his years has been the sports. Surprisingly, the most popular extracurricular activity at Gunn class—calculus—during her upperclassman has changed very little in the last decade. “Gymnastics and cross-country have always been just as good years at Gunn. “It is possible to survive in the as they are now,” Dunlap said. “Swimming also used to be quite strong, but it has improved a lot in the real world without taking a ton of APʼs,” Kastelic time that I have been at Gunn.” said. While today many seniors at Gunn apply to As the years past, Gunn has also changed from a competitive school to a very competitive school. as many as 17 colleges, Kastelic applied to five UCʼs Due to the schoolʼs expansion over time, competition for college spots has increased. “There seem and two state schools, and happily ended up at CSU to be fewer spots for more applicants; that pressure has increased,” Dunlap said. “But pressure from San Luis Obispo. parents and other students to do well has always been there.”

Luckily for the Gunn administration, the senior pranks have been toned down over the years. Senior pranks used to be much more severe, and over the years have thankfully become less destructive.

“I remember one year students took the desks out of all the classrooms and piled them on the quad,” —Compiled by Shiv Kachru, Marianne Kvitko, Dunlap recalls. “It was funny, but there were always a couple students who did more destructive things like putting nails Adrienne Ngyuen and Emily Wang in the benches. I think thatʼs why there are fewer pranks now than in previous years.”

10 ◆ The Oracle

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E ig ht y-t h ree p e rc e nt of st u d e nts at Gunn, acc ording to th Stressed O e ut Students survey, say (SOS) everything they do in high school is c percent belie rucial for getting into colleg ve it is all ri ght to suffer college of th in order eir choice. Y et a is a bad grad e at Gunn. W nother 49 pe rce ith these nu so many Gu mbers, i nn students are stressed But lost in o ut. all of the p arent panic intervention a , daring to fi ght off stress nd ad invader tryin as if it w g to set foot on school so tion. What is il, is the g stress, is it a s bad as it is how can we cracked u reduce it at Gunn? (Or, What is stre do we even ss? (And I donʼt mean For the ave emphasis rage reader, tionary defi the A meric nition of stre a n He r ss as “a men disruptive o tally or em r upsetting condition o adverse exte ccurr rnal influen ces” goes in ing in re other. In sim one ear an pler terms, stress is the to what it se reaction of es as immin o ent two groups: acute and ch danger. Stress can be ronic.

Acute stress is a pressing ceives as an reaction to w immediate hat the b threat to its known as th well-being. e “fight or fl Co igh the release of adrenalin t” response, acute stres e (epinephrin a sudden in e, in fancy crea ta intake. Sinc se in heart rate, blood pressure, an e acute stre d ss heightened o levels of resp perates in the short-t e o nse go back perceived da to normal o nger has pas sed. Acute st n academic en ress will hap vironment— p en it is for. But chro chronic stre nic anxiety, ss we must lo in which stre over the bo ss piles up a dy for month nd pre s at a time, really need is what Gun to look out n stu for. Long-ter up from ho m chronic st mew ress general press ork, extracurriculars a nd other so ure can hav urce e dangerous Is stress re side effects. ally that ba T d hus fo r students?

T he short a n swer: ye s. T he lon rea lly bad g a n swer: for a nyone, st ress h igh schoo ment-home l st udents a seniors alik nd reti e. Studies b School and y the Harva Massachuse rd Me tts Medical that stress o Hospital hav di f any sort ca e fou n ca gain, diabet use extreme es (since ch weight loss ro an nic stress h help the bo as been fou dy increase nd insulin resi stance), sk in dis

ke, tro ot s , cer is n t can tress en s e us ion, s bardm far a c m m at ve ly alis ted reput ant bo achie u n r p t to ns ou t re bad ess u. I te its s a co ow us Str ot rcia ced J . o a t y l i a o G an sp is n ict ch t al is n v affl ea. De ss, su ls tha , it stress from r Ad d e l v his id stre eve ou uld we at c et the ls of ist—l Ho , and t u wo ssure. al h . t e g e r ple ls ou s yo pre ysic lev ss ex ssu y evi pre d peo ard a rry or se ph ondirst well, y high f stre d o n s an w wo nl ver gc or ew — ya na so orr ation ing a sion, ude ad orkin ction g f th nction rm. O level o w fe fa cl ne rw fu situ inn ten hin on, ate nsi ings, om w nder ons in e poo like in omet ith ly o al dys uy the oder e d t e i l s w o fee s fr ut u dit , lik ons not pos exu or b ly m ed nt t ale cially f stres uld p al con ments onditi in is ssign sup gue, s cket n, on . v i s i k a o ern u lac r e a d.

–p fati e b Gun ces equ spe nt o e w ron al c t ess Str stion, ick th l. At orman ress is nge, e amou peopl ss. Ex l envi hysic stress they a pecte ude a stufu ex incl n, ica of p ate g, t re f erf t st ige to k ng cha me ind ason s harm our p ve tha cts to he sa methi ause s cholog nsist ld cre lengin stress tress t Gun tead o , t o t l c i e e s s f A u a y o s i t c r s a o s o n e e as in h s re el a ests, boo ps e. y b body ould g is not ons ca ssful dition that w are c levels xtrem manc uses t in cl fter t l d b f n o re a oba eʼs nn ests ate m i n gh da diti stre con of e for u w a rd r mo ou p ow on le, yo n aw al con nt, or rnal s at Gu and t oder signs ol per ve A re tau behin attend Y y h mp a m e o n l y y rn ga nte rk ter cei all r exa innin d inte nishm ads. I nditio ewo g only norma in sch ey re t they ey sta s. The nd af es e r a m u o h s is . Fo —w l an al p rklo al c th s. T ho rop en th cla ch a ctur idin ute, a bad g sick xtern orpor vy wo physic hough s prov Instit nd a d n wh iculum r peer ght in g lun ore le n t n c e a a n ir bei Both s like ly he re no ol. Al d, thu ontrol tudy a d gro e curr h thei as tau , duri nd ig the d t e a n n a w b i s h n i n o i C t e t s m er o h t w ha lu las o Bs a rb h s an , si diti xtre t sc in m ress ty t o c cts w sC ers dline riate con s or e tion. T feel a dents tic St abili scorn y abs proje tand ircle ep in n r s n C e s o dea rop t co tion amma only he stu holi ess, i They re th k and under ath ll asle ree be no r app ith to , t r a u t M m n W t . s f fl s l o f e o o t e e u n f in com es o e w v a d W n f h h e i o l e t ly . et th u ak rt id tit me ot nge re wo in tim ances rtuna e at you abiliti ing t , forg ompe nts m on ho hey d lub o dents u o t n d e u Fo nc he rm ed dl the ccor tratio ely c stud cores ons if piad C of st oul ugh t finish perfo sleep. forma hieve w A cen trem nn d s i c t o n r e r i u re es lym opl . Alth ver be t thei ck of eir pe it to a e con are ex As. G ompa rs qu ce O e the k P a f y e e o ts da dl us ld ay. t th bou ien li k che et yc tod ep all g wou are a ork an abou s and den r targ ssivel eir tea the Sc seem s. s i c t n e i le se e the aggr ask th , like donʼt f stres e as i ven s nothi rk or overw ly car d clas o b , e s l d s o t n s t o r a m w n b t e a ool fro actu ork a clu uden vels d no ks, o oye ome sch emic unn st me le woul ir des empl lete h dead ents mew d d e o p d e aca ool. G f extr ss, lif on the orke comp d dro s. Stu heir h l w t o s r t e h r u r e e e o sc ause ut st ir fe , ove nev tr from nw fs bec itho th the tired ould latio unt o y get hool. w W wi o sc pu he no es ently dents ire po ht am ress t int of c fi t u g of sequ e. St nt e ri ver s e po ee r h con lic us ss, th just t whate e enti e b pu h str vides take is th h c y mu n pro d the , whic n , an e u r G ool mo sch learn and

l e v e L s s e tr S n n Gu

“Stressed O 67%

of students say that the estimated homework hours in the course catalog are unrealistic.

55%

of students instant message, email, chat on the phone or have the TV on while doing homework.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆ 11

ERFOLD◆

ge. Another 74 r to get into the orders and self-me dication (th ent believe e phrase “dri a B away” was not in nk my sorro v ented for th itʼs no wond ws e unstressed er not bothered by diab ). And for m etes or skin them later in en disorders w life, stress h hich may aff dministratio as been fou e ct n male sexual perform nd to reduc ance. Wom were a foreig e hinder en may be n know that the same interested to Harvard stu greater ques dy found th - lead to diminished se at stress can xual desire, up to be, an and even an d achieve orgasm. in ability to n need to?)

The fact of th s…) and just beca e matter is that stress is bad for your use an amou health., ritage Dic- not mean nt of stress is it is right. It the status qu is not worth o does motionally staying stre it stay sse esponse to college if y d your entire junior yea ing up late and ou will com r to get into e to your hig a top nd out the obese diab h school reu etic alcoholi nion an c with perfo oneʼs body What can rmance pro we do to fig blems. ht stress? e put into The first step in fi g h ting stre its existence.

If stress is le ss, of course, is recogniz in ft unattende body per- or she runs the risk of it d in a studen g Garcia turning to d t, he ommonly isolation fro epression o m society. If A dvance r further Gunn wants ss causes it needs to d Jour to combat st ta ke an act nalism ive approach ress, alk) and coherent sch and build a ool environ more ment. If we d breath of stress in th reduce the e school, in Alex Sh amount theory we re er m, all stress in the st au, New duce the am udent. But w o s Editor unt of ith more Ad nce the (AP) classes b v a n eing added ev ced Placem Period ent ery year and n in any Average decile F the Grade P system as un 12/14/ 0 oint forgiving as ook out look like stress 5 ev er, it does no at Gunn is going to de t esides soon. If one wa Too o c re a n se any time ts st u d ents to activ gious c ften does a G udents stress, he or sh el y w o unn stu ol e must mak rk to combat e the studen dent fa and pa lege admissi built have some sort o ts feel like ce the o r e n n f ticket. p t er s so t they nal gain fro o ext p t o e O es of try the scared-str r a f n c o e m h r m i d f e o requen reme stress o ing so. Thu ve that well in aight approac tly fi s, f work students that a e h s l l : u s c s… te o supe ll all male a ing if they do no rfluous sive piece of hool, both ac nds himself nd female t reduce thei will see seri pressur for the presti p . a a d Of cou per. Th emical r own stress ous ramifica ed l is prev , they tions when life. Th rse, it is tr ue alent st y and extracu by his peers s is looks like only th th ey e t are older. It ress is r en we will se no dou road to becom hat hard wor not onl ricularly, jus e active stud ire- ment in curbing p k and c bt, req t y ing a d en u t re in nhealth ss v u o re u lv ommit e. Gunn must octor, l ire unw into th y ical the strain put on it b m a u e w a e w t o v n t rk s stu to reduce one sta op-notch uni ering diligen yer or CEO h t are necessa und it is not that extrem dents if it wants any alu ve r ts ce as coun r m e, n i b (o u t the possib tless ob y to succeed k, willing to work his b rsities that th . But too oft nd until we threaten st il in e it s e y n u t t y is acl o , t to there). But st a live in rain sacrific a const ff, he should re stressed ou udents work es and does, to impotency, however ed students in AP class e t a s a h t and o har sk hi nt sta es with , it looks li perform e fun of yo ke stress at s- problem that w uth? Yo te of sleep d mself, is it rea sleep depriv d to get a l l t h is Gunn is a ill go unansw ed. Be e l u p l y ri o dr udge The ph fore ered for a lo ry just nly have so m vation for hi wor th it? Is o y s n i c g ti a m s ne real t l t any ye o T he P o regre e. h toll on —Misha G i g h ly sch ar t s r uttentag, F a sourc escription fo tress present it later on in s to be young ool years? O orum Edito life. s yet a . e of fat r Nutri r r O n e shoul no ti ig system d not . It is d ue, ir ritabilit onal Healing ther reason t etr ot y, b nearly imposs imental not o headaches, m y Phyllis and ake it easy. A n i Jam b ccor e l m l y e to oneʼs ory los Instea to lear s and d es F. Balch, s ding health one sh d of taking A n in a consta tress is a but als mage ou P and h n onors c t state of sle o oneʼs learn to the immu would ld only sign ep d ing lass ne no up ment. S t only preven for those ad es for the sak eprivation an process as it is t stress vanced e of im d tudents memor , bu pro cl w they do nʼt care ould be happ t also foster asses that in ving a colleg y loss. terest h a bette e resum ier to le about. they al r, m im arn e, so Al ones th want high-sc though colleg about a subj ore genuine l . This solutio ect of t hoolers e n at are fi es enco a rning e he l t u studen ts to ha led with regre o create mem rage student ir interest tha nvirons na o v t. to ra e fill one ʼs trans fun in high s Stanford Uni ble secondar challenge th subject v em y c c er hool, w ript wi s Teache th A P hile sta sityʼs website chool experie selves, r s , p a a n nc ti as hard s rents a d hono nd rs class ng that it is b pecifically en es, not a y no m courag es in o may be s he can han peers who a eans ne rder to es re dle and t ga ce to live bothered by chance hrowing awa a stude in admission ssary to a stress y the s s to b e ntʼs . tudentʼs -fr young.

It is u health, ee life should decision to w high sc ork onl his hig p to the stude keep in h y hool y nt and ears an mind that th the stu oneʼs h school exper dent al d one e ience s appine y of his on hould b ss. only e. Rem e to decide h ow stre ember, ssful o the mo r st valu able th stress-free ing in life is

Stress hinder s succ ess

Out Students” Key Findings 22% 49%

of students get less than six hours of sleep on weeknights.

62%

of students feel pressure from friends or family to take AP and Honors classes.

of students say a “B” is a bad grade.

29%

of students donʼt know where to go for help when school work is too hard.

Photo and graphic by Julius Tarng Survey conducted by Stressed Out Students (SOS). 1300 students surveyed.

12 ◆ The Oracle ◆

F

EATURES◆

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Olympian receives makeover Revamped yearbook features journalistic style Sree Kode News editor

Despite many seniors fearing the demise of the yearbook because of the new adopted style, many on the yearbook staff anticipate its acceptance in Gunn.

To produce a yearbook of a new style was senior Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Toungʼs idea.

“It was just my decision,” Toung said. “For me, ever since I looked at Gunn yearbooks, I thought, ʻWe are one of the best schools in the nation and if you just picked up our yearbook, you wouldnʼt know that we were any good.ʼ” Toung is trying to make the yearbook a more journalistic publication. “Most schools have a journalistic yearbook,” Toung said.

“So the real change is that weʼre making it more like a traditional yearbook.”

He got inspiration and ideas from looking at other schoolsʼ yearbooks. “When I talked to publishing companies last year, they brought award winning yearbooks,” Toung said. “Also, [a few editors and I] went down to Malibu over the summer for a yearbook convention and we looked at various layouts there.”

A traditional yearbook includes a lot of text. “In most of the pages, thereʼs what we call ʻcopy,ʼ” junior assistant editor Jessica Starr said. “Itʼs written about the stuff on the page but itʼs not just our perspective. It has many quotes and it is informative. One of our main goals is to have many people quoted in the yearbook.”

Many people have spoken against the yearbook, but Toung feels they will value it when they see it. “There has been lots of controversy over some of the changes in yearbook,” Toung said. “But 10 years from now, when they read the book, I think people will appreciate it.”

Along with the yearbook, Toung also changed the class structure to improve the quality of the yearbook. “Last year we were divided into sections,” Toung said. “But this year itʼs just editors, reporters and photographers, so the reporters could be doing sports for one deadline but they could also be doing activities for another deadline. Reporters didnʼt really require too much skill last year,

but this year we have a whole chunk of reporters just writing stories.”

He also increased the number of editors to divide the work more equally. “Last year there were five editors, but this year we have many more with more specific jobs,” Toung said. “This is better because they are not overwhelmed. This year itʼs more specialized.”

Many seniors recognize that this new yearbook, about 100 pages thicker, is worth the extra $10 from last year. “Iʼm actually really happy about it,” senior Danielle Sainanee said. “Theyʼre trying to make it a lot more accurate instead of saying random things about like Pokémon. And I donʼt think it costs that much more considering that itʼs all going to be in color. I think itʼs worth it.”

Starr plans to use the journalistic style next year as well when she is editor. “So far the people who have seen it who are not in yearbook have had positive things to say about it,” she said. “So, Iʼm definitely planning on continuing the style for next year especially if the response for this yearʼs yearbook is positive.”

Buy a yearbook for $65 before Jan. 13 when the price goes up to $85.

New Yearbook Features • Full color • 100 pages thicker than old book • Focused on the whole school • Articles on every single page • Factual captions • All sports games reported on with scoreboard • Larger, higher quality photos • New yearbook theme • Book divided into six sections (student life, sports, academics, student activities, people, ads/index)

Photos by Andrea Wong

Top: Senior Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Toung converses with his fellow staff members during yearbook class. This year’s book features multiple new additions such as full color and increased book thickness. Below: Senior Kimberly Wu designs and lays out a yearbook page on a computer. Many pages include journalistic articles in addition to dominant photos.

Safe Ride transports inebriated people Program offers a reliable alternative to drunk driving Moses Lai Reporter

Safe Ride offers an alternative to driving under the influence. The program was started in 1984 by Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly) students because of the alcohol-related accident in which Paly senior Scott Sanfreed died when his car was hit by an inebriated sophomore. Safe Ride can be reached at 877-753-RIDE every Friday and Saturday.

After receiving a call volunteers respond in two person teams. To get a ride all the information required is the name of your school. Most volunteers are from Paly, Gunn, Los Altos High School, St. Francis High School, Mountain View High School, Castilleja School and Menlo School. Safe Drive now offers rides to and from the following locations: Atherton, Woodside, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills and Moffett Field.

Safe Ride was in a slump in the number of callers. However, after Anna Gail Caunca took over three years ago as Safe Ride Director, there has been an incredible increase in the number of calls.

Last yearʼs November Safe Ride only received six calls and gave six rides but this year they received 38 calls and gave 43 individuals rides. “In the past years, rather than reforms it is more about Safe Ride having a solid foundation

Shoshana Leeder

Left: Seniors Noa Bruhis and Willie Salzman go out on duty as part of the Safe Ride program to drive inebriated people. Above: Bruhis and Salzman answer the phone in case of students in need of rides. of student volunteers,” Caunca said. “They work very hard to get volunteers and to keep everything running.”

Although underage drinking is illegal, it is reassuring to parents and students, knowing that there is a safe alternative to riding in a car whose driver is under the influence.

“I think that underage drinking is going to happen anyways whether the state allows it or not,” senior Safe Ride coordinator for Gunn James Muscarella said. “We are giving the kids that choose to drink the option of not driving under the influence.”

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

The Oracle ◆ 13

F

EATURES◆

Student revives Model UN club Senior tackles myriad of extracurriculars Alex Lee Reporter

D

espite having the same amount of time as everybody else, senior Tanmay Kumar somehow manages to devote himself to countless extracurricular activities while maintaining a near perfect academic record.

Among one of Kumarʼs most notable school achievements is his work at Gunnʼs Model United Nations ( M U N ) club.

Although MUN has a long his- Tanmay tory at Gunn, Kumar (12) it has never had st rong membership. “No one was following through on what the organization was meant to do,” Kumar said.

When he arrived at Gunn his sophomore year, he discovered that the president of the club had given up on the organization. Seizing the opportunity, he took control of MUN and revamped it to suit its purpose.

“Model UN was a class-based honors program at my old school in Los Angeles,” Kumar said. “When I moved and found out that Gunn was a dead end of sorts for MUN, I decided to make my own way with it. Now there are 24 active members in the Model UN program.”

Active members attend conferences at various universities

throughout the nation, including Stanford, Berkeley and UC Davis.

They also attend lectures and discussion sessions, led by Kumar, after school.

“Usually I am in V1 about three days a week after school for two or three hours with the club members,” Kumar said.

Although Kumar does not currently have a job, he has helped set up a start-up company called Artificial Evolution Systems, whose goal is to overhaul communications software and hardware integration for small businesses and individuals. Their first product is AECS, a full fledged project management suite that will be released as an open-source and free product within eight months.

He also helps manage Passionfruit, a small private enterprise based in Sacramento. It is a small independent record-label that Kumar helped set-up. Passionfruit currently has four artists, and he helps manage the groups and produce their work.

Despite his workload, he still finds time for other interests, mainly music and writing. “Iʼm part of The Name of a Book, a duo project that Iʼm working with the lead singer in Passionfruit,” Kumar said. “Music has been an engrossing activity for me for the past few months.”

Kumar is also the editor-in-chief of the Ideological Journal, a magazine he founded with friends from his old school.

He has written for other publications, including the Partisan Review, the Independent Student Monthly and the Elysian Press. He

Photos by Jennifer Lim

Top: Model UN club President senior Tanmay Kumar leads a club lecture session. Left: Senior William Young and sophomore Jonathan Cho particpate in a Model UN discussion. Meetings occur biweekly in V-1. also has plans to set up a Writerʼs Circle as part of the Humanities Co-op Club.

Indeed, it seems his many talents

Writing Got You Reeling?

I can help.

Writing for SAT essay, high school, college—life!

Planning & refining college application essays Understanding literature

will produce endless opportunities in the future. Certainly a capable leader, Kumar will go on to achieve greatness. It would come as no sur-

prise to see Kumarʼs future beginning with a flurry of motions filed and passed in front of the United Nations itself.

She plays guitar and the piano, and also composes her own songs.

Musically talented junior Laura Gill first picked up the guitar two and a halfName: years ago andGill started piano four years ago.

Laura “My11 mom first heard me play around on the piano making up Grade: random tunes, soFacts: she suggested for me to start taking lessons,” Gill said.

Interesting “And I needed over an after-school activity so I picked up the guitar.”

-Collected 100 Snapple “I just enjoy being able to compose music, or play music on my bottle caps featuring animal instruments by ear,” Gill said. “I mostly compose music about whatever is trivia on my mind—mostly like corny love stuff.”

-Composed over 40 songs on been running on the school track team Other than music, Gill has piano and guitar for two years.

Stephanie Wu

Anne Knight 2 degrees in English from Harvard 7 yrs. teaching; 5 at Harvard 17 yrs. marketing communications 2 yrs. magazine journalist (Horizon, Look) 2 sons recent college grads Reasonable Rates • Flexible Hours

(650) 852-0810 knightwrite@comcast.net

If you need a smile or a hug, junior Laura Gill never fails to comply. Certainly one of the bubbliest girls on campus, Gill explained that her smiles are because she believes that “thereʼs no remedy for love but to love more.”

Gill loves music and she plays guitar and the piano. In her free time, she also composes her own songs. She first picked up the guitar two-and-a-half years ago and started piano four years ago.

“My mom first heard me play around on the piano making up random tunes, so she suggested for me to start taking lessons,” Gill said. “And I needed an after-school activity to de-stress so I picked up the guitar.”

Gill most enjoys being able to compose music on her instruments. She also loves being able to play music by ear after just listening to a song.

“I usually compose music about whatever is on my mind—mostly like corny love stuff,” Gill said.

Other than music, Gill has been running on the school track team for two years.

She also lifeguards over the summer and the weekends, always energetic and, of course, happy with the kids.

So if you ever need a hug, or a friendly smile, say a quick “hi” to Gill and you will not regret it.

—Compiled by Stephanie Wu

◆

E

fur jackets

rainboots

layers & scarves

—John Greely

cowboy boots

10. I will spend more time on homework and less time on AIM. 9. I will stop eating fast food for every lunch.

8. I will get some sleep at home, not during class.

7. I will finally get a start on those pesky college apps.

6. I will actually try to get a social life.

5. 1024x768.

4. I will finally turn in those first quarter assignments.

3. I will not lie to my parents... much.

2. I will get some exercise (typing doesnʼt count).

1. I will follow through on my resolutions for once.

puffy vests

newyear’s resolutions

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

NTERTAINMENT◆

topten

soft boots

��������������������� gean yip,

sandra roorda, junior “I follow European styles,

senior

“I don’t coordinate, but I like tight pants.

My style’s comfortable but good-looking.”

not Abercrombie. I admire Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw’s style.”

chrisbrown white scarf

ucsc beanie

“It’s a rag my dad uses to clean around the house.”

UC Santa Cruz, $10.

watch “I got this at Pacific Wave in Santa Cruz.”

turquoise necklace “I bought them off the street in Amsterdam for $18.”

brown sweater RW & Co., in Canada, $25.

red sweater H&M, $26.

ruffled shirt H&M, $21.

jeans Levi’s, $30.

faded jeans Vero Moda, $44.

red sandals

black sneaks

“I found these at the flea market in Holland for $3.”

Etnies, $40.

fanny&alexander’s

restaurant review Fanny and Alexanderʼs offers a cozy Irish bar setting but rather empty atmosphere. We walked in and were greeted by a waitress, but seating took a few minutes too long. Not only did seating take too long, but menus were not given promptly.

We were disappointed that desserts were not offered. We ordered seared ahi tuna ($8.95) as an appetizer. Two bite-sized chunks of raw tuna, with spicy wasabi sauce drizzled over them. A small pool of cucumber salad sat in the middle of the plate. But before diving into the tuna, remember to have a glass of water prepared.

The entrees ordered shortly after, an an-

gus burger ($8.95) and coconut curry chicken ($13.95). The burger came with the bun and meat separate from the lettuce and tomatoes. The meat was generous in size, though the burger wasnʼt worth the price. The coconut chicken is an entirely different story. The colorful dish made us hungry just looking at it. The sauce was perfect with coconut sweetness, while the curry added some tangyness. A helping of rice and vegetables were added to the plate as well.

F&Aʼs offers a variety of foods, from Thai to American. On Friday and weekend nights, the restaurant has live music hosted by deejays.

F&Aʼs is located at 512 Emerson St. —Janice Kwong and Stephanie Wu

T’is the season to be giving.....15 Don’t know what to give to your family or friends? Here’s a quirky gift guide to help make it easier.

Aeon Flux film review..........16 Two thumbs down from The Oracle staff.

Ways to give back ..................16 This winter season, give back to the community with holiday cheer.

long-sleeved polo

e

ind x

argyle sweaters

track jackets

—Maya Tanaka

Compiled by Ellen Holtzman, Natalie Kirkish, Ana Kostioukova and Maya Tanaka

corduroy pants

It has been three weeks and Chris Brownʼs single “Run It” is still number one on the Top 100 Billboard. Personally, Iʼm terribly upset. With a new brand of “R&B,” 16-year-old Chris Brown has brought us one of the most annoyingly catchy dance singles ever—“Run It,” and has secured his status as the first male artist ever to get a #1 single out of a debut single.

Even complete haters can sing to “Is your man/On the floor/If he ainʼt/Then let me know,” without needing to remember where they heard it. Brownʼs baby face and soulful voice are both annoying and perplexing.

With songs like “Your Man Ainʼt Me,” Brown declares that “I know your man ainʼt been treating you right/but...your man ainʼt me”. Well thanks for that one, Chris Brown. Then thereʼs “Whatʼs my name?” where he even spells it out for confused listeners, “C to the H to the R-I-S.” As if that isnʼt enough to really get us interested, songs like “Poppin” and “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” try again for the club-like feel but instead both bore listeners and make them uncomfortable when he hits those strangely high notes. The rest of the album fails to deliver what “Run It” promises—undeniably catchy music with an extremely easy-to-pick-up chorus. The rest of these beats are not fly-even avid Enya fans could tell you that this is no R&B.

moccasins

cdreview

thermal shirts

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concertcalender 12/8 Dredg @ the Fillmore 12/17 Keith Urban @ HP Pavilion 12/21 Kelly Clarkson @ HP Pavilion 1/15 Reel Big Fish/Goldfinger/Zebra head @ the Warfield 1/31 Coldplay @ Oakland Arena 2/1 Cake @ the Warfield 2/3 Aerosmith/Lenny Kravitz @ HP Pavilion —Anthony Wang

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

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mom

teache r

brother Take the time to create a personalized Lego kit at lego.com you can create your own designs and order all the pieces.

From $10 for a dinosaur to $130 for a skyline. Or bond with your bro by getting tickets to his favorite sports team.

$10

sister

d ad

Say “gimme an ‘A’” with a tray of homemade cookies with a thoughtful card.

Or be practical and get your teacher what he or she really needs white board markers and Kleenex.

Give your mom homemade coupons for favors you know she will appreciate, like one free massage, one room cleaning or three loads of laundry.

Or search around and find tickets to a play or show that you and your mom would both be able to do-itenjoy together.

yourself

The Oracle ◆ 15

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$5$35

Start Dad’s day off right with a nice warm towel by getting him an electric heated towel rack.

Nothing says bonding like a pair of tickets to a basketball game, from $30 to see the Warriors to $5 to see the Gunn Titans.

$5$10

girl ds frien Pamper your gal pal with the garden collection handbag from Victoria’s Secret, Bodypampering formulas in a contraststitched handbag with heart keychain.

Includes 8 oz. Skin-Silkening Body Lotion, and Luxurious Shower Gel and Silkening Body Splash, 4 oz. each, $19.50.

With the cold winter months approaching, save your sista from chapped lips with style. Perfect for the girl who can’t make up her mind, Lorac limited edition lip-gloss set comes with 8 different lip-gloss shades. Only $25 at Sephora.

$20$25

g frieunyds Buy your guy friend a personalized window decal.

At malls like the Great Mall or Valley Fair, you can find booths vending window decals supporting your guy’s favorite team, school or brand logo. You can even design them to say his name or a funny saying. We suggest the norcal star, or the 49ers SF logo.

Does he have a notoriously dirty car?

The perfect gift would be a Lozono’s car wash gift certificate, or if you don’t want to shell out the cash, give him a certificate for one free car wash, courtesy of yourself.

Free$10

$10

Want to give your sister the gift that keeps on giving?

Give her a “learning how to knit kit” it comes with yarn, needles, and a knitting book.

You will get to spend time with your sister knitting and maybe she’ll even make you a scarf next year.

boyfrie nd girlfrien d

$22$28

Ke e p y o ur girl cozy with a pair of fuzzy slippers and pj pants from Victoria’s Secret ($22-28), and then build her a fire in your fireplace. Pop in your favorite movie, warm up some hot cocoa and cuddle away.

A l t hough he complains about how much money you spend on your nails, your man will surprisingly appreciate a relaxing massage manicure. He won’t get over how good his nails look with cleaned up cuticles and clear polish.

Switch things up and take your boyfriend out to dinner at his favorite restaurant (one you can’t drive through). I suggest Los Altos Grill’s cozy atmosphere and delicious food. Afterwards, you can take a romantic walk down Christmas Tree Lane.

$30

Compiled by Ellen Holtzman and Natalie Kirkish, graphics by Ken Shomron

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Community service events and participation at seasonal high Spanish. Depending on community needs, the specific building projects vary, ranging from houses to mediAmidst all the noisy commer- cal clinics. cialism surrounding the winter Math teacher Dave Deggeller, season, many students have not for- who went on the trip five times but gotten that sharing and giving are who will not be able to do so this the true meaning of the holidays. year, described Tijuana as a gratiThis season, various Gunn clubs fying experience. “Its eye-opening are offering students a wide range because Iʼve never seen poverty like of community service opportuni- that,” he said. “Thereʼs such a stark ties. For example, on Nov. 30, difference between here and what Youth Community Service (YCS) lies just south of the border. The hosted Family Giving Tree, an an- humanistic aspects are the most nual project in which students buy rewarding—meeting the family gifts requested by underprivileged and seeing how grateful they are, children. Senior Megan Lucas, who experiencing the culture and pracis participating for the first time ticing the language. Its also great this year, is giving Disney toys. “I to see how the group of American just wanted to help out the com- students bond.” munity,” Lucas said.

Bruegger, a first-time particiAt the annual Veterans Hospital pant, expressed excitement about Craft Fair on Dec. 7, student volun- the upcoming event. “Iʼm looking teers helped seniors make wreaths, forward to a safe, fun trip—somewhile a group of Key Club students thing thatʼs a win-win situation sang Christmas carols to seniors at for everyone involved,” she said, Casa Olga on Dec. 10. “Usually, the stressing that it is student-run. “Itʼs seniors donʼt have families there the students that are really doing with them,” junior Jerry Tsao said. it,” Bruegger said. “Iʼm in the back“It feels nice to sing to [the seniors] ground.” The three student leaders, and see them get really who picked the rest of the student happy to h a v e u s team in September, are sethere.” niors Jin-Kyung Kim, Avery Naar and Danielle NeFor more info on grin. upcoming projects: For those students who missed Key Club: gunnkeyclub@yahoo.com past volunteering YCS Fellows: sara.rose. opportunities but tannenbaum@gmail.com still want to help out, there are nuUrban Ministry: www.umpa.org/ m er ous Lytton Gardens: other Gea Kang

Forum Editor

cha nc es t o show and spread the spirit of goodwill. For instance, YCS Fellows will hold the 14th Annual Winter Service Day on Dec. 17. Lasting from morning to afternoon, it invites family participation consists of four programs—Hunger and Homeless, Healthcare, Childcare

and Environment. Plans include going to San Franciscoʼs Tenderloin district as part of the Hunger and Homeless program.

Sophomore Naomi Shachter, a Fellow who is in charge of the Childcare activities, encouraged students and families to participate.

“Iʼm looking forward to practicing leadership and just being able to help people,” she said.

On Dec. 17, Key Club will host Ice Skating Under the Stars from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Palo Alto Winterlodge. As part of Key Clubʼs project Target: Eradicate, a portion of the proceeds ($7 entrance and $3 skate rental fee) will go to Measles Initiative, which vaccinates African children. Senior Key Club president Priscilla Jang considered the activity a chance to have fun and help at the same time. “Itʼll be great just being with your friends while skating for a cause,” Jang said. “Youʼll know that the money is going to a place where it will really matter to the people.”

Key Clubʼs January projects

include Toiletries for the Homeless on Jan. 22. Volunteers will obtain toiletries via donations and purchases and will pay for their own transportation to San Francisco to hand them out to the homeless around City Hall. Junior Jill Fu, who is running the activity, is excited about the project. “Youʼll actually be able to be around the homeless, and you can learn about them,” Fu said. “Iʼve heard that they like to talk to you, which is good because personally, Iʼve always been a little uncomfortable about the homeless—[who] have drug- or alcohol-related problems and [who] are actually unlucky” For those students looking for alternatives to clubs, off-campus volunteering is always an option.

Urban Ministryʼs Breaking Bread Hot Meals program provides free hot meals every day for the needy— six in Palo Alto churches and one in Menlo Park—and welcomes volunteers to prepare the meal, serve and clean up. According to Urban Ministry, food supplies run lowest

in January and February. As a result, it will hold a food drive on Jan. 23 to support its Downtown Food Closet. Those interested can drop off non-perishable food items from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Congregation Emek Beracha (4102 El Camino in Palo Alto).

On top of donations for the needy, studentsʼ time is appreciated, especially at Lytton Gardens—home to over 500 seniors.

“We would love to get Gunn students involved with visiting lonely seniors, such as friendly students who want to put a smile on someoneʼs face,” Director of Volunteers Alisa Tantraphol said.

Particularly wanted are students who can visit with a pet, who speak Russian, Mandarin or Cantonese and who can entertain seniors with music.

Whether it be spending quality time with seniors, donating money to help the unfortunate or physically helping those in need, winter is full of opportunities for students to warm up the chill this year.

movie. Oh, how the mighty have fallen—Chung would be appalled to see what has happened to his once-celebrated series.

The setup is promising: in the year 2001, a virus killed almost all of the worldʼs population, leaving the rest to live in the walled city of Bregna for the next 400 years, when our story takes place. Our protagonist is assassin Aeon Flux, played by Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron (The Italian Job, Monster), in a sad combination of a good actress with a bad, bad script. The city is ruled by two men, Trevor and Oren Goodchild (Martin Csokas and Johnny

Lee Miller, respectively), who keep the city in a Big-Brotherlike state of constant surveillance.

To keep an ever-more-complicated plot simple, Flux fights for the Monicas, a group of iconoclasts seeking to take down the Goodchilds.

As you can probably guess, a lot of meaningless violence, tight outfits (after all, Theron is extremely attractive, and costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor certainly knows it), and some pretty amazing visual effects entail. As a matter of fact, that the movie is so visually stunning may be its only redeeming quality. The movie is chock full of stone dialogue (one of the movieʼs

most memorable lines, said by Flux to her target of assassination, “you killed my family, so I came here to kill you”) is pretty representative of the pieceʼs writing as a whole.

The movie touches upon issues like cloning, surveillance and death, yet they are often glossed over in favor of explosions and gunfire.

Aeon Fluxʼs major problem is not the movieʼs premise, or even its questionable dialogue. The problem is that, for a movie that tries so hard to be futuristic, deep and most importantly, original, it all ends up looking more or less the same as any action movie this past decade.

The trailers do Aeon Flux a favor

Charlize Theron slinks across the big screen.

www.lyttongardens.org

From Dec. 15 to 19, a team of 19 students and three staff members—law teacher Patricia Bruegger, science teacher Josh Bloom and math teacher Daisy Renazco—will build houses for the needy in Tijuana, Mexico, in conjunction with Interact and an organization called Esperanza, which means “hope” in

Misha Guttentag Forum Editor

Originally released as a series of animated shorts on MTVʼs Liquid Television in 1991, Aeon Flux, the brainchild of KoreanAmerican animator Peter Chung, featured stunning visuals and rare dialogue. Aeon Flux quickly drew a cult following and as a result MTV released a season of ten half-hour episodes in 1995. Keeping in tune with Hollywoodʼs trend of recycling old ideas instead of creating original material, Paramount decided to stick with the formula and rerelease Aeon Flux as a full-length

Photo by Jonathan Cheung

Junior Alex Chang records which cards people take from the line, as senior Adria Arko peruses Family Giving Tree on the Quad at lunch.

www.boreders.com

by getting the audience excited for a cutting-edge action-filled film to break the mundane, but as Flux states early on the movie, “everything is not what it seems”. This is the case with Flux, a misguided attempt at something new.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 ◆

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The Oracle ◆ 17

Boys’ soccer opens season Season opener sets standard for future games Shoshana Leeder Business Manager

1971 was the

year in which Gunn football had its last undefeated season.

20,000 dol-

lars was the approximate amount of money raised

by Gunn Sports Boosters during dinner fundraiser.

2000 was the

year in which Gunn established its first girl’s lacrosse team.

Despite a rough first half, the varsity boysʼ soccer team defeated the Los Altos Eagles 2-0 in Gunnʼs opening game Dec. 3 played at Lincoln High School in San Jose.

“The first half didnʼt go well,” senior Doug Simpson said. “It was all chaotic and we needed to control the mid-field.”

Gunn started the game in a new formation, but due to lack of succes, the team switched the formation at half time. After the adjustments in field players, Gunnʼs scoring opportunities increased.

The first goal of the season was scored early in the second half when Simpson scored off of a corner kick with an assist by Shoshana Leeder senior Amar Ghose.

Seniors Ian Barnett and Brandon Der (wearing #7) move the ball and dodge the The Titan defense halted the Eagles from scoring and created Eagles up the field. Gunn went on to defeat Los Altos during a improved second half. quick counter attacks that led to a stronger offensive side. Gunn does Games include the completion of the the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) and going not plan to rely on a counter attack strategy to Homestead Christmas Cup, where the Titans undefeated. “Weʼd also like for the defense carry them through the rest of the season, ac- played in the semi-finals last year and placed to set the record for least number of goals alcording to Head Coach David Burgee. third. The team will also compete for the first lowed,” senior John Barley said. The current “We just really need to stay focused,” senior time in the Irvine College showcase held over starting defenders all played for the 2003 JV Russell Wynne said. “We have a lot of impor- winter break. soccer team, which set the JV league record tant games coming up.”

Some goals for the season include winning for least number of goals allowed.

Baseball in action during offseason Club baseball keeping varsity players in shape Alex Lee

55 is the re-

cent record for the number of wrestlers at Gunn.

29 years since

Gunn Volleyball was as successful in league competition as they were this year.

800

number of wrestlers representing the Stanford Cardinal this season.

Reporter

With the chilly months here and baseball season still far from near, Gunn baseball players must find another outlet of keeping their eyes on the ball. These dedicated players maintain their skills from getting rusty with non-Gunn teams, also known as club teams.

Club teams vary from sport to sport. However the baseball program is split into different leagues according to the participants ages.

Little league consists of players from nine to 12 years old, Babe Ruth includes players 13 to 15 and American Legion has players 16 to 19. All the varsity baseball players on Gunnʼs team are involved on varying teams around the Bay Area. “There is no one team for everyone, just a bunch of different leagues,” junior Jay Perlman said.

Club baseball allows players to maintain the skills necessary for a favorable baseball season. “We have not so much drills, but practices where we hit the ball and go on our infield and outfield positions,” senior Matt Sheppard said.

The off-season teams allow for players to compete against teams of varying skill levels across California. “I play games every Saturday and Sunday,” Sheppard said. “We play two games each day with 10 minutes in between each game, and some teams are traveling teams that are really good,” Sheppard said.

All this practice really pays off for varsity players by polishing skills and improving their performance at Jonathen Cheung Gunn games. “It helps refine your skill and gives you more Senior Brent Gardiner tees fellow teammate segame experience,” junior Chris nior Geoff Holman up for another home run Gumbrecht said. It also keeps players in shape for their upcoming season. same as varsity baseball,” Perlman said. He “Without club baseball, we would not even is not the only varsity player who enjoys the pick up the baseball glove,” Sheppard said. “It chance to play when the season is over. “This is the most fun opportunity to practice and keeps me wound up.”

Players are not the only ones who appreci- play outside of school that we have,” Shepate the extra practice. “After the high-school pard said. season, players play on summer teams, and Participating in different tiers of various they play the same numbers of games,” Gunnʼs out-of-school baseball club teams lets the playbaseball coach Tim Thompson said. “They also ers keep their game up and makes the transition will play about 20 to 30 games in the fall, so between pre-season to season much easier. they wonʼt get rusty.”

“People take baseball as a one season sport Even with all of its benefits, players do not and they donʼt appreciate the need to improve,” join baseball clubs just for school. “The best senior Geoff Holman said. “You need to keep part about club baseball is that it is almost the your skills in shape during the off season.”

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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Figures of success:

Students conquer the elements, one at a time

Skater qualifies for Nationals Gea Kang Forum Editor

W

ith winter finally here, some may be excited that the ice skating rinks are reopening for the season. But for junior Princeton Kwong, this is nothing new.

An internationally recognized champion who is part of the United States team, Kwong has made his mark numerous times. Most recently, in November, he placed second at the 2006 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships, the qualifying competition to Nationals. Kwong, who won the same competition before, expressed slight disappointment about his performance. “I could have done better,” he said.

Still, thanks to his second place rank, Kwong will compete at Nationals in January 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri. As for international competitions, last year, he won first at the North American Challenge in Canada, silver at the Garden Trophy in Italy and bronze at the Junior Grand Prix Germany to become the highest-ranked American athlete there. On average, Kwong has participated in five competitions a year since he was 13 years old.

Kwong started ice skating when he was seven years old. “It was just for fun,” he said. “My parents brought me to a rink, and I was pretty good.” Although Kwongʼs skating career started merely as a hobby, people around him discovered his potential early on. At

eight years old, he won his first competition, albeit “one of those baby competitions,” according to Kwong. Then, at 14 years old, he won Nationals at the Novice Level in Atlanta, Georgia, achieving his childhood dream that came soon after he started skating. As a result, Atlanta Nationals was his most memorable competition. “Youʼre just on top of the nation,” Kwong said.

Such competitions are Kwongʼs favorite part about ice skating. “Being able to travel around the world is amazing,” he said. “Also, when they announce you as representing the United States, you feel really special.”

Nearly a decade into his career, Kwong still maintains passion for his sport. “I have the urge to do it, and although Iʼm using ice skating as an extracurricular activity, itʼs more for joy than for anything else,” Kwong said.

This must be the case, as Kwong continues to skate even after injuries that include two shoulder dislocations and a deep cut on his right leg. Other physically demanding aspects of skating include learning difficult jumps. “The routines are pretty hard to get through, especially when youʼre doing high altitude training,” Kwong said. “You just have to keep practicing.”

On top of physical challenges, Kwong finds it at times difficult to deal with fame. “Sometimes [people] mistake that you win [a competition] once and suddenly you make the Olympics, which isnʼt

Courtesey of Kwong family

Junior Princeton Kwong, second from the right, placed first at the recent 2005 Regional Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has been competing seriously since age 13. true,” Kwong said. “Itʼd be my great honor to represent the United States at the Olympics, but right now, itʼs a little too early to determine. Also, it can be pretty tough to deal with publicity, such as regarding what to say in front of the press.”

To make life easier for himself, Kwong has devised his own methods to cope with pressure and stress brought on by skating. “Friends talk with me a lot, and I just walk around and remember to breathe,” he said.

Junior Ming-Yun Tang, a close friend of Kwong for the past four years, cited Kwongʼs modesty as

It’d be my great honor to represent the United States at the Olympics.”

— junior Princeton Kwong one of the most endearing qualities about him. “Heʼs on top of the world, but heʼs not arrogant about it,” Tang said. “[Kwong] is humble, he doesnʼt brag and heʼs openminded about what other people have to say.”

At home, Kwong trains individually with his coach, Sergei Ponomarenko, a Russian Olympic champion of ice skating. Kwongʼs mother, Emmy, believes Kwong and his coach are an excellent team.

“Princeton has to endure the nerves of the competitive environment,” Emmy Kwong said “but his coach calms him down.”

He practices one and a half to two hours a day, five days a week on weekdays in San Jose. “As soon as I get home, I have to start my homework, and sometimes I finish pretty late,” Kwong said.

KWONG—page 19

Soccer star rides high on the field and at sea Shoshana Leeder Business Manager

Senior Douglas Simpson is not your typical student. Perhaps itʼs his laid back attitude that makes him unique, or the fact that he goes surfing before school, or maybe itʼs both.

“Iʼm up at three in the morning to check the waves,” Simpson said. “If the waves are good and the moon is bright, I am out of bed and in the ocean before most people eat breakfast.” Even with his morning routine Simpson still manages to get to his first class on time.

Simpson learned to surf from his stepfather Jack McGraff, who also taught his older brothers. Simpson didnʼt start because it was the “cool” sport to do, but rather because he had a passion for the outdoors, and especially the ocean.

According to Simpson there is a common stereotype that the better and warmer waves are in southern rather than northern California. Simpson corrects the myth. “The winter in northern California gets all the storms from the north, which brings the superior waves,” Simpson said.

Despite cold waters, Simpson heads out no matter what the conditions may be. “I have a pretty good wet suit so I donʼt really worry about how cold it is going to be,” Simpson said. “Besides, I can handle it.”

Not only is Simpson a surfer but he is also on the varsity boysʼ soccer team. Prioritizing soccer over surfing isnʼt a hard decision for Simpson. “When youʼre on a team, you have people that rely on you to be at practice every day regardless of whether you want to be there or not,” Simpson said. “I surf on my own time, not on my teamʼs time. On a team, we expect each other to be there.”

Surfing offers Simpson an outlet from all the stress surrounding him. “It calms him down and he comes back to soccer more relaxed and focused to play,” senior Avery Naar said. According to Simpson, the feeling of riding a wave allows him relax and take a time out from reality.

Although Simpson would like to play soccer in college and beyond, if that does not happen, he plans to move to Hawaii and surf. He has not competed yet, but aspires to in the future.

Simpson also enjoys taking his friends and sharing the ocean with them. “I like to

Courtesy of Simpson Family

Senior Doug Simpson catches a nice wave on a weekend morning.

Simpson often goes surfing at nearby beaches before school. go surfing by myself and just experience what is out there,” Simpson said. “It also happens that when I take friends surfing, I find myself wanting to go out farther then them.”

Senior Russell Wynne recalls one time when he and Simpson went surfing around midnight. “I would always bring glow sticks for our night excursions,” Wynne said.

“Apparently that night some dolphins were

attracted to the light and popped up next to Doug and me. Doug turned to the dolphins and with a completely straight face says ʻOh look, sharks.ʼ As you can imagine it scared me quite a lot.”

Thatʼs exactly the way Simpson approaches surfing and problems in everyday life. “Sharks are out there, you just have to deal with them,” Simpson said.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The skinny on Timmy Howard Chen Entertainment editor

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The Oracle ◆ 19

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week with the cheerleaders, and for special events such as rallies he practices four times a week. “He knows most of the dances the cheerleaders know and he has a few of his own to memorize too.” Thomas said.

All this work has definitely paid off. This summer Timmy won the United Spirit Association (USA) Mascot award at the USA camp he attended with the cheerleading squad.

The USA c a m p was a valuable experience for

For as far back as anyone can remember, Timmy the Titan has been the mascot and goodwill ambassador for Gunn High School. But behind the bulging biceps, washboard abs, and gorgeous eyes, there lies something much deeper than just a school mascot. Timmy embodies the spirit of the Titans, and he stands as one of the most recognizable figures in Palo Alto.

It is difficult to imagine a time when there was no Timmy, due to his many public appearances. “Heʼs at football Timmy,giving games, basketball games and rallies,” him the opportusocial studies teacher and cheerleading coach Anne Thomas explained, nity to finally min“pretty much any event that there gle and share secrets are cheerleaders.” Indeed, the of the trade with his ever-silent Timmy is often seen fellow school masinteracting with younger kids or cots. starting the wave to get people At the end of more involved. the day, Timmy The question remains, why is much more than just a would anyone want to be the mascot. He does things Gunn mascot? “I get to dance that other members of around in front of a bunch of the spirit squad canʼt do. people,” replied Timmy. But “Heʼs the comic factor,” donʼt think that being a said junior cheerleader mascot is easy. “I have to Teresa Lee, “Timmy is memorize a lot of dancan icon that everyone es,” explains Timmy. adores.” And with luck, Jonathan Cheung Indeed, Timmy has quite a everybodyʼs favorite Titan hectic schedule, practicing once a will stay at Gunn for years to come.

Junior represents US team ■ KWONG, from page 18

Nonetheless, the hard work has paid off, and Kwong reminds himself of the necessity for dedication. “No one ever became good at something by quitting,” he said. “You just canʼt quit.” According to Kwong, his coachʼs and parentsʼ positive attitude help him focus.

“Even after a bad practice, they tell me that you canʼt be perfect everyday,” Kwong said.

Between ice skating and school, Kwongʼs days are usually full. Still, whenever possible, he likes to spend time with his little brother, a second grader, or with the piano and flute. “After all the tough schoolwork, harsh training and traveling, once in a while, I hang out with my friends and sometimes have gatherings at my house,” he said. “After all, Iʼm not a robot doing hard, repetitive work.

Iʼm a kid.”

In his freshman and sophomore years, Kwong also used his free time to give back to the community, spending two hours a week to teach physically challenged children ice skating. “It was nice being able to help special kids and to see that my teaching actually paid off in the end,” Kwong said. “I was reminded of how lucky I am not to have such disabilities, and it made me feel sorry.”

In addition, ice skating has shed light on other various valuable life lessons for Kwong. “[Skating] taught me to have a strong work ethic, persistence and time management,” Kwong said. His mother agrees. “Itʼs good training for the mind to face the challenge,” she said. “Itʼs nice to be at the top but itʼs very short-lived. You donʼt win all the time, and you have to learn to pick yourself up again when you reach those valleys. Itʼs a process—hopefully [Kwongʼs] character can grow stronger to gain more endurance to tackle the sport.”

However, for Kwong, school still takes precedence over skating. “I just happened

Courtesy of Kwong Family

Junior Princeton Kwong sets off for a double axel during his performance at the 2005 Regional Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. to be good at [skating], but school is my top priority,” Kwong said. As a result, the most difficult part for him is balancing school and skating. “I have to miss school, but it helps that the teachers are pretty flexible and understanding,” Kwong said.

“Itʼs a juggling act and a continual struggle with switching gears—skating hard and hitting the books hard,” Emmy Kwong said.

“But he tries to do his best in everything.”

According to Emmy Kwong, Kwongʼs ice skating success is due to a combination of many factors. “Itʼs really a coordinated effort of a lot of people—his coach, choreographers, trainer and [his parents], but a lot of it is Princeton himself,” she said.

“Ultimately, when it comes down to it, itʼs the skater facing the ice.”

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The Oracle examines international sports that have captured the hearts of their nations.

Johnny Chang

Baseball, USA

Ski Jump, Norway

The United States has four major sports—basketball, baseball, football and hockey. While other sports are growing fast, only one sport has earned the right to be the official sport of the United States of America: baseball, the national pastime.

Baseball developed from “rounders,” a game popular in sixteenth century England. The official rules of baseball were finalized in 1845 and its first contest took place one year later in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Since 1846, the sport has taken off. In addition, the game of softball is popular as the female version.

Baseball is also the national sport of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Panama.

Ski jumping started in Norway in 1866. The famous Holmenkollen ski jumping originated when competition moved to a hill called Holmenkollen for its prime snow conditions. The original ski jump has been rebuilt more than 15 times.

Ski Jumping is about getting airborne and using the lift of your skis to jump as far as possible in a smooth flight. It is actually more like flying than jumping as the distances traveled cannot realistically be called jumping.The longest jump recorded at the site is 110.5 meters.

Norway is also the center of other snow sports, such as crosscountry skiing, dog driving and parallel sxlalom.

Lacrosse, Canada The roots of lacrosse grow back to the days of the Native Americans. The Cherokee Indians considered the sport as another form of military training. Instead of carrying one stick the Indians were armed with two, one in each hand. A game usually consisted of thousands of players. The goals were placed miles apart and the games could last three days. Most of the players never came near the ball, and instead sought to injure opponents with their sticks. The sport traveled upstream in the 1840s when Canadian townsfolk began playing against the Native People.

Today, the Canadian Lacrosse Association recognizes four separate disciplines of the game: Box, Menʼs Field, Womenʼs Field and Inter-Lacrosse.

Soccer, Brazil

Charles Miller introduced futeball, or more commonly known as soccer, to Brazil. Born in Brazil in 1874, he was educated in England. He brought the sport when he returned 20 years later. The first official club was formed in 1898, soon spreading the sport all over the country. The San Paulo league was formed in 1901 and international games organized soon after. At first futebol was a sport only played by the higher-class citizens. After decades of discrimination, did the sport become popular among the working class.

Brazil has won five World Cups, which is the leading number in the world.

Cricket, England

Graphics by Bret Labash

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Cricket has its roots deeply embedded into European history. The sport originated from the south eastern part of England as a young boyʼs game. In 1611 it was cited that two men in Sussex were accused of playing Cricket instead of going to church. The Puritan government began cracking down on the sport and people began to stop playing the game. However, Cricket began to pick up the pace again in the 18th century because of the gambling money involved.

The sport is a widely known, played in countries from Pakistan to Australia. An annual Cricket Word Cup is held and the most recent winner was South Africa in 2003. Australia leads in the ICC Championship. Today, cricket betting is very common all over the world.

Field Hockey, India Field hockey was extremely popular in England in the 1800s, and the British army spread the sport to India. It quickly became a national favorite. India soon developed into a field hockey powerhouse, winning six straight Olympic gold medals. Players of the game are armed with a stick and are only permitted to play the ball with the flat side or edges of the stick. The game can very quickly become extremely brutal, so many rules are necessary to ensure the safety of the participants.

Rugby, Australia As the granddaddy of football, rugby has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Legend has it that the sport dates back to 1823, from the Rugby School in England, when a student caught a soccer ball and ran with it.

In the game players try to advance the ball by running with it or kicking it. During the “scrum,” the two teams are locked in a head-on struggle for possession of the ball. Points are received by either kicking the ball across the opponentʼs goalpost or over the opponentʼs goal line.

Rules are enforced strictly, and not just because rugbyʼs “a ruffianʼs game played by gentlemen.” Due to intense physical contact and relatively little protective equipment, serious injury or death is a real risk.

Sumo Wrestling, Japan The national sport of Japan, Sumo wrestling, is one of Japanʼs oldest martial arts, dating back to written records in the eight century AD. As a part of Shinto religion, early matches were dedicated to gods to encourage a bountiful harvest. It has since evolved to a main stream wrestling style in Japan.

The rules of sumo wrestling are simple. Two wrestlers face off, each trying to make the other fall down or move out of ring. Unlike other forms of wrestling, sumo has no weight classes, so athletes try to gain as much weight as possible. Athletes are typically 25 to 30 years old, and train by eating lots of food and then sleeping right after to gain weight. Wrestling matches typically last only a few seconds.

—Compiled by Amar Ghose, Lauren Krensky, Janice Kwong, Tony Liu, Anthony Wang and Andrea Wong