The Oracle Senior Issue 2025

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Meet the Staff

Letter from the Editors Dear Class of 2025, It’s been a wild ride! We started high school guessing what the bottom halves of each other’s faces looked like underneath our COVID masks, then constructed a pineapple mini golf windmill out of paint and paper in sophomore year, made it through junior year (which, at least from the way we all talked about it, was the biggest achievement in and of itself) and counted down the days from 180 until graduation this year. After a four-year crucible of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and triumphs and losses, here we are: We finally reached the end of our high school journey.

Although this year was the last chapter of our high school story, it did not stop us from forming new friendships, creating meaningful discussions and reaching out to people who we might not have gotten to know otherwise. This year’s senior issue is not only a reflection of our past year, but also a display of the

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achievements and talents of us all.

For this issue, The Oracle’s seniors have teamed up with the seniors in SEC to create a team of diverse writers, artists and graphic designers to come together and form the very best content to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025.

It has been a tremendous joy and honor to capture your successes and passions within the pages of The Oracle the past few years. The end is simply a beginning for the next chapter of our lives.

And for the record, in our journalistic opinion, the Class of 2025 has much more in store for the world.

We can’t wait to see all the great things we will do in the future!

— Charlotte Qian and Violet Tivol Senior Editors

The Oracle ft. SEC ACROSS 1. Washington newspaper 5. Priest’s robes 9. Angel hair, for example 14. Congresswoman Eshoo 15. Ball-balancing animal 16. Big brand in pest control 17. “...One giant ___ for mankind.”

18. October event we’ve won twice 20. Parts of hearts 22. Black and blue, for example 23. Class of ___ ___ 26. Police officer 29. Goddess of the dawn 30. Little piggy 31. Sushi appetizer 34. Helpers 36. Red Mediterranean spice 37. Way to go!

42. In the loop 43. Wisdom tooth, or chemistry concentration 44. Mythological winged horse 47. CBS forensic franchise 48. Parrot 51. Double curve 52. It’s almost over 55. Supplement 57. Bald ___ 58. June 5th 63. Tilt 64. Opposite of neo-, “caveman” diet 65. Norway’s capital 66. ___ Tuesday 67. Featured on pages 14, 15 68. Tournament ranking 69. “Star Wars: ___ ___ Hope”

DOWN 1. Soft or hard roof 2. Pair of socks?

3. Traps 4. Really close golf putt 5. Pokémon protagonist 6. July - August zodiac 7. Disney deer 8. Record holder 9. “Alas, ___ Yorick” 10. Private employer?

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11. Tahoe hobby with jump or lift 12. Sn, like Dorothy’s woodsman friend 13. Oscar winning director Lee 19. Street ___ 21. Outfits, potentially black tie 24. “Do or do not. There is no try” speaker 25. Stocking stuffers 26. Thursday dress up for 18A 27. Middle Eastern sultanate 28. Bench presser’s target, briefly 32. Ginger Rogers’s partner Fred 33. ___ Woods in Marin County 34. Taj Mahal city 35. Dim ___ 37. Superman’s flowy accessory 38. In the red 39. Badgers 40. Focal points 41. Too 45. Food safety org.

46. Squabbles 48. Sea between Turkey and Greece

49. San Francisco’s Cow ___ 50. Hitherto 53. White ___ 54. 1945 conference site 55. Port of Yemen 56. Two and two?

58. Chat ___ 59. Uncooked 60. Boxer Muhammad 61. ___ Miss 62. Doze (off) —Crossword by Violet Tivol

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Staff Features

Meet the

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Staff Columns

Charlotte Qian On determining right and wrong

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“The mean is 57.” “Force equals mass times acceleration.” “The Civil War began in 1861.”

Throughout our educational journey, we’ve had our brains rewired to accept that there is always a definitive right answer.

From our early preschool days, we’ve been indoctrinated with the countless fables, like the “Three Little Pigs” or the “Boy Who Cried Wolf,” teaching us the importance of distinguishing between the good and the bad. Now, whether it’s a humanities or STEM class, the system rewards the production of a seemingly universally correct answer.

Naturally, I brought this mentality into my work in high school, and it served me well. I learned about the objective rights and wrongs of math, science and history, memorizing what I perceived to be the whole truth. It was only after a more in-depth dive into topics of philosophy that I discovered the different layers of perspectives behind each story, beyond what we were initially taught.

For example, I always thought that George Washington, the first president, was a relatively good historical figure. It was only in APUSH that I learned that even he did things that were in the moral gray area. Not only was he a part of the passage of Jay’s Treaty, which was seen as a betrayal of America’s loyalty to France, but he also passed myriad other acts that had long-term detrimental effects on the both the U.S. and international relations.

As it turns out, things get a little more complicated. I realized that I needed to start over and redefine

what it means to be “good.” After observing various interactions both in and out of school, I realized that there is no black-and-white definition of a good or bad person. Instead, a person’s worth is shaped by the perspective of others on their actions and values.

Once in golf, I shanked a drive so deep into the bushes that I had no choice but to take the penalty and drop a new ball. Clearly, my team was upset, not only because I had automatically added two strokes to my score, but I had also held up the rest of my tee group. This mistake made me feel like a “bad golfer.” Two holes later, I helped my teammate find their ball in the thick bushes. Did that necessarily help my score? No. So I still had the “bad golfer” label, according to my scorecard. However, my “good team player” attitude helped my teammate shave off an extra two strokes, ultimately helping our team win the match.

Like my golf story, a person can be both kind and inconsiderate and have both good days and bad. In the moment, their actions may unintentionally create harm, making them look like a terrible person. In the end, there are no purely “good” or “bad” people. The hungry wolf in the “Three Little Pigs” was simply following its genetic code to catch game, potentially to feed his family. Perhaps, the boy who kept calling wolf was just lonely.

As I leave the high school setting with clear-cut rights and wrongs and set foot in the real world, I recognize that the seemingly objective perceptions of right and wrong aren’t the whole story. The truth, if it even exists, has always been blurred into a lovely shade of gray.

The Oracle ft. SEC

Sera Singal On reclaiming identity When I was young, I promised myself to get rid of all opinions and remain a blank slate. I was terrified of ruining relationships at the hands of my strong ideas and unshakable stances. I internalized my opinionated personality as a recipe for social ostracization and was terrified of bitter, smug and ridiculing responses that would cut through my heart, making it bleed as if they were stabbing shards of glass.

Even now, I fear judgment. Every time a sliver of judgment surfaces, my heart pounds — unauthorized, incessant, uncontrollable.

Talking to teachers about not understanding seemingly basic information or problems in class, I am in constant fear that I will appear less intelligent. When I express gratitude, admiration or apologeticness for others, I constantly worry about oversharing, overstepping boundaries, or appearing insincere. Displaying a firm, serious attitude towards widespread trends publicly, I dread people responding with, “It’s not that deep.”

It feels like walking on a never-ending tightrope.

A friend labeled me a people-pleaser a few years ago. Back then, I truculently repudiated her statement, avoiding her for a few days afterwards.

Now, I wholeheartedly agree that her description reflected my past personality. I tended to approach life with a rigorously analytical eye and expected myself to shine at every moment.

I inveterately strived to optimize decisions at the expense of unnecessary temporal sacrifice. These all blended together to create the perfect hail storm of crippling judgments that drove me to sacrifice parts of myself to appease others.

Halfway through my high school years I reached a turning point, a moment where I disposed of my complaisance. I carved processes out of my perfectionism to solve

problems in my life with more desired results, embarking upon a journey of meticulous yet rewarding self-improvement, both physically and emotionally. I stopped eating foods with processed sugar, began journaling consistently, terminated television-watching and significantly curbed social media use, effectively ceasing to use my precious energy to radiate a persona that clashed with my true inner self in front of others, approaching the world more deeply and authentically.

I’ve become softer and quieter, reverting back to the bookish, semi-pop-cultureilliterate version of myself who is serious, ambitious and liberated. Free to voice my judgments and make decisions that others might find questionable, I no longer attempt to radiate the life-of-the-party character for the sake of making others’ lives more interesting. I now appreciate the power of judgment in protecting my identity and creating change when under pressure.

So, when someone calls me weird for eating pizza without cheese, foolish for not attending prom or unnecessarily austere for pointing out racist or sexist undertones, I won’t switch my stance or repeal my decision.

I will not change who I am for others.

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Staff Columns

Violet Tivol On overcoming the fear of failure

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My three greatest fears in life are being alone, failure and seagulls. At this point, it’s a well-rehearsed, canned response that is tailored to contain the right balance of veracity and levity, generated in that COVID phase of my life where I tried to define everything by favorites and factoids to better present myself to the world. But there is more truth to it than I was initially ready to admit when I started writing this column.

To be fair, seagulls do actually terrify me, with their tilted stares and chaotic legions waiting to steal some poor kid’s hot lunch grilled cheese sandwich and, maybe, an eyeball in the process. Aside from seagulls, the truth is that I only have two real, earth-shattering, “keep me up at night, cry after a hard day when everything feels hopeless” fears.

Combining them — that I could fail at something and that failing would cause me to lose everyone — became more than I could handle thinking about. But nothing could stop me from thinking about it, rather, catastrophizing and spiraling over it. If I stumbled, in my mind, I leapt to labeling it as a disaster immediately, without regard to scale or reason. Everything was a failure: I was a failure, and I let it stop me. Stop me from signing up for math competitions, applying to programs and trying anything in which I could possibly “fail.” Failure was unacceptable, and so was risk.

By embracing this “flawlessnessor-failure” mindset, I missed out on so many potentially enjoyable experiences. For example, instead

of splashing away in summer fun time, I clung to the edge of the pool out of fear of embarrassing myself with less-than-perfect aerobic floundering. Mistakes, missteps, imperfect attempts are all moments, not failures. Opening myself up to unknown outcomes makes me vulnerable, which is scary but good. I can allow other people to watch me flail around or fall on my face. And even when I do something imperfectly, the people who care about me will support me, not abandon me.

And, yeah, I can’t hold a tune to save my life, I’m the epitome of “American-accented Spanish speaker” and I’m laughably bad at any video game newer than my 2010 Nintendo Wii. But no more do I want to let that stop me from belting along to late-night-drive Disney singalongs with my best friend or speaking to locals on trips to Spanish-speaking countries or having a good time playing newer video games all night with my brother. Once I got over the initial embarrassment and insecurity, I have so much fun just doing what I want with whom I want, despite my level of competency in it. I may never get over my aversion toward seagulls, and I’m still terrified at the thought of being alone, but slowly and surely, I’m working on dismantling my fear of failure, stopping it from restricting the joy I can get from doing things I’m not perfect at.

Failure doesn’t define you, and not everything you’ll proclaim a failure is actually a failure. You don’t have to be good at everything you do, but more than that, whether you’re good or bad or in between at it, that shouldn’t be the factor that inspires or inhibits you from enjoying it.

The Oracle ft. SEC

Melinda Huang On gaining perspective I hate clichés.

I’m talking about the oversaturated 2015 Pinterest quotes, the well-meaning reassurances that ring hollow the tenth time you hear them.

The messages that say everything happens for a reason, that high school is supposed to be the best years of your life (it was, but I’d like to think I haven’t peaked yet). Those pithy phrases could never possibly contain my messy and unruly life.

All through high school, I have endured doses of loss, powerlessness, joy and clarity, and I still cannot resolve the incongruity of grieving what I thought I outgrew. I lost friends forever. I burned out badly, multiple times. But I’m starting to accept the sense of disorder in my life.

As much as I have dreamed of leaving the “bubble” of Palo Alto, I’ll always be grateful to Gunn for giving me the space to exist, despair and dream. Here, we are afforded the privilege of having the space to wholeheartedly pursue our interests, no matter how whimsical. While I am captivated by the brilliance of my peers, part of me still feels empty.

For so long, I wished to be someone so unabashedly themselves, the type whose eyes lit up just talking about what they loved. I longed for the teenage love in “10 Things I Hate About You,” which did not happen. I wanted the cinematic high school experience of “High School Musical,” yet I found myself at Mitchell Park Library on a Friday night. I will never be “good enough” for the version of myself I once idealized.

But I am okay. I’m not owed anything, whether it is the college I dreamed of or the comfort of closure I yearn for in my relationships. Even when I’m grumbling over physics homework or a 10-hour SEC day, I’m lucky that these are my biggest stressors. So maybe I should lean into the spontaneous, send the risky text and ditch

studying to get Taco Bell with my friends.

Don’t get me wrong: My life now largely consists of doom-scrolling through Instagram reels and consuming an exorbitant amount of iced matcha lattes.

I’m not proud of these habits by any means, and I sometimes wonder if I’m wasting my life away. But then I remind myself that the time I seemingly “wasted” wasn’t wasted at all. Slowly, I have fallen in love with the magic and mundanity of high school.

I cherish the way the string lights at Spangenberg Theater quietly flicker to life. I treasure the small exchanges with customers at my job, as I tell them — sheepishly — that, no, I haven’t read a single page of “Crime and Punishment” sitting next to the register. I adore my friends, who make me laugh until I can’t breathe (to be fair, I have asthma).

My life may not be a great example of a coming-of-age story. But, when I spend hours puzzling over the inconsequential and the irreconcilable, I remember that my parents have given me the privilege to live my life without regrets. Loving loudly, satiating my own cravings and growing painfully — maybe that is what life is really about.

And when I forget, I look to the copy of Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” on my wall — a class gift from Ms. Weymouth: “the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting…” and I feel that I can breathe again.

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Senior Features

Elle Davisson For Elle Davisson, playing the guitar is more than just a family tradition — it’s an outlet through which she explores freedom within the structures of classical music.

Davisson began learning alongside her mother and brother, who had already picked up the instrument. However, what began as a shared family activity has turned into something uniquely her own.

“There’s something very comforting about having sheet music and just playing it,” she said. “You don’t have to choose the notes, but you get to choose the way the notes sound.”

For Davisson, the allure of playing classical guitar is in its power for self-expression. She finds interpreting how to deliver each note a liberating process.

“The thing about playing an instrument is that you can play purely for yourself,” she said. “I feel like so

much of what we do is governed by others.”

That feeling is something she hopes to share. She plays classical and modern pieces with her brother on their YouTube channel, Davisson Duo — a space where the siblings bond and refine their techniques together.

Beyond performing, Davisson also began teaching young students. Sharing her expertise has brought her a sense of fulfillment — helping others grow in their craft and growing confidence in building personal connections with others with a shared passion.

Now, she plans to delve into new components of classical guitar as she enters college. She plans to major in biology and English at Yale University this fall, but she is excited to take classical guitar lessons at the School of Music to continue improving. For Davisson, this is just the beginning of a new chapter in her music career.

“I’m really looking forward to concerto competitions and large ensembles,” she said. “I’ll get to have more freedom with my music, not having to play the same pieces for a really long time.” ­—Written by Yoonseo Lee

Matthew Delgado For Matthew Delgado, volleyball has been a longstanding passion since his freshman year. As he wraps up his final season, he remains determined to continue playing, even if the path isn’t traditional. Delgado had hoped to be recruited to a college team, but a shoulder injury during the recruiting season made that difficult.

“I was kind of off of it for a little bit, so I had to get back into it,” Delgado said. “But this also helped me grow and prepare to play at the next level.”

Despite the setback, he remained active with the team and focused on recovery. Working through his injury, he also rebuilt his perspective on the sport.

Now, Delgado is excited to take a gap year to try to play internationally and hopes to join a club team to boost his chances of getting recruited

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later on.

“I’m going to take a gap year overseas in the Philippines and Europe,” he said. “Probably in Italy for volleyball, so I can work on my skills and play at a higher level.”

In preparation for the move, Delgado has been reaching out to coaches and researching club systems abroad. He’s optimistic about the opportunity to play internationally while gaining cultural experience and time to reflect before college.

“I’ve talked to teams out there just to see my options,” he said. “I also want to see what else is out there for me beyond the states.”

This decision comes not only from his athletic ambitions, but also from a desire to recharge after four demanding years and experience life beyond the U.S. “These four years got me kind of burnt out, and I realized that not only do I want to go to school, but I also do want to play volleyball in the future,” Delgado said. “I really just want to take that break and take that whole gap year.”

—Written by Carmen Ruiz Fernandez

The Oracle ft. SEC

Arturo Garrido Gomez It all started with the “Stinky Cheese Man” show.

Back in fifth grade, acting wasn’t on Arturo Garrido Gomez’s radar. That was until his friends decided to audition for the school play, sparking a spontaneous “why not?” moment. That decision has kept Garrido Gomez in the theater scene ever since, growing his love for performance, storytelling and the world of theater.

“I thought it was just a fun process,” Garrido Gomez said. “I got to hang out with my friends, and I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to do this again.’”

And he did — again and again — at JLS, Gunn, and soon, Pace University in New York City.

Garrido Gomez has participated in 12 productions, playing characters like a firework-creating grandpa or prankish fairy in a corset. His presence on stage reflects his acting inspirations, Jim Carrey and Mark Hamill.

“I love their physicality,” he said. “They put so much into every role. I try to channel that same energy.”

What keeps him coming back, however, beyond the spotlight, is the community and the energy of a cast and crew coming together for a single goal.

“Each rehearsal is sort of like a separate hangout,” he said. “The performance — while it’s stressful — is the best feeling. You’re all in this project together, and you get to express it in such a flamboyant way.”

Garrido Gomez’s final Gunn production was “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” where he was both a co-director and step-in actor. As a first time director, it was the “perfect end” to his Gunn theatre career — thankful for being able to teach the younger students and for how the show came together.

Of course, every show has its curtain call. One of the hardest parts, he admits, is the fleeting nature of it all.

“We call it the post-show blues,” he says. “All those times of practicing and collaborating are gone now. But you learn to look forward to the next project.”

—Written by Naomi Wang

Parker Harrington Parker Harrington was no stranger to catching air.

When he was 10, he hit his first dirt jump on his bike, inspired by YouTube videos and a lifelong love of skiing — a similar sport according to Harrington. As a freshman, he got his first real bike and took on his first trail — Mailboxes in Santa Cruz. Soon after, he joined MTBX Biking and began racing competitively in crosscountry, which mixes climbs, descents and enduro, where only the downhill runs are timed.

“When I’m riding, I get in this flow state where it’s the only thing that’s on my mind now,” Harrington said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

For Harrington, mountain biking is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. There’s often no clear path on advanced trails and the ride is just a mess of rocks, roots and split-second decisions. Bikers have to scan the terrain on the fly, picking out the fastest, most rideable line as they go.

Harrington’s favorite part of mountain biking is the nature he gets to witness along his trails.

“I love the exploration of it,” Harrington said. “It’s almost like a creepy-fun feeling where you’re going

somewhere that you can tell other people have been.

It’s just kind of cool that no one else was there.”

As president of Gunn’s BikeX Club, Harrington also fixes bikes for students and community members. He believes that fixing equipment is better than fueling the consumer culture of constantly replacing bikes.

“I enjoy learning new fixes for all kinds of things on the bike,” Harrington said. “Mountain bikes have a lot of cool systems.”

Harrington plans to study mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines this fall, where the nearby mountain trails offer endless recreational riding opportunities.

“There, I’ll always have the chance to (mountain bike),” he said. “It’s great knowing I can just hop on my bike whenever I want.”

—Written by Melinda Huang

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Senior Features

Ethan Hong Ethan Hong wasn’t always a band kid.

His first true passion was orchestra. Only after seeing a Christmas performance in elementary school did Hong make the transition to saxophone. However, he could not switch completely until middle school. Since his high school journey, Hong has been a part of many musical groups.

“My favorite part about playing the saxophone is playing in chamber groups,” he said. “It’s a unique blend of sound, and the saxophone is really good at encapsulating that.”

One of Hong’s main performance groups is the Triquetra Quartet, which he started two years ago.

“Coming out of COVID, we were just trying to have fun,” he said. “So our band director, Mr. Summers, suggested that we do a saxophone quartet, and there

used to be saxophone quartets in the past. We started learning music, and it progressed a lot.”

Their first notable performance was for a recital in Washington D.C., held by the United States Navy Band’s saxophone symposium.

This year, the quartet set some new goals for themselves. Hong and his group were able to compete in “Fish Off,” one of the biggest chamber competitions.

Hong credits Summers for his support throughout this journey.

“He gave me many opportunities to grow,” he said.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without Mr. Summers.”

Hong will be attending Stanford University, majoring in Human Biology. Although he is not majoring in anything music related, he won’t be stopping his musical pursuits any time soon.

“I met a lot of friends at summer camps so we’re planning on creating a chamber group during college,” he said. “On top of that, I’ll be a part of the music ensembles and the saxophone studios.”

—Written by Namya Kasturi

Ronnie Horowitz Ever since she could talk, Ronnie Horowitz has been singing — from private concerts for her parents at the age of three to joining a youth choir in first grade.

For Horowitz, moving from Israel to California in sixth grade meant starting over. Music — whether singing in choirs, recording covers or writing songs — helped her feel at home. Horowitz has sung with the Gunn choir and recently starred as Annette in the school’s annual Staff-Student musical.

“Singing with other people in parts and harmonies is something that I love,” she said.

Horowitz has been writing songs since childhood. It wasn’t until the summer before junior year, when her dad built a home studio in their backyard, that Horowitz began seriously producing music.

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‫“( רתוי וא תוחפ‬More or less”) was Horowitz’s first song.

Released last April, the song is in Hebrew and features a jazzy, upbeat sound and depicts love as a “game, kind of cat and mouse.”

Horowitz’s second song, “Clueless,” took shape after she attended a songwriting class at BBYO, a Jewish teen organization, during a summer program in Pennsylvania.

“We wrote about both inanimate objects and bigger themes like friendship, love and heartbreak,” Horowitz said. “I looked at all of the little songs that I wrote, and the sketch for the song that I ended up releasing was the one that I remember liking the most.”

Horowitz will attend Cal Poly SLO in the fall, where she plans to major in communications and minor in music.

There, she hopes to join a choir or an a cappella group and continue songwriting.

“Music is the universal language,” Horowitz said. “No matter the language I write in, I find that it is always something that people can relate to much more easily than if I were to just speak the words.”

—Written by Melinda Huang

The Oracle ft. SEC

Asad Hussain Since elementary school, Asad Hussain has been captivated by the endless possibilities of music. His interest in the radio and compiling playlists on Pandora led him down the path of creating his own music mixes.

Gifted his first DJ controller on his 10th birthday, Hussain used YouTube as a guide and explored combining his favorite songs into fun mashups.

While he started as a bedroom DJ, Hussain didn’t have many events in elementary school to showcase his skill, so he eventually grew out of DJing for basketball.

It wasn’t until his senior year of high school, when he injured his ankle, that he remembered this childhood hobby. Stuck on bedrest, Hussain dusted off his DJ deck and picked up where he had left off so many years ago.

“I pride myself on gaining the ability to mix a diverse variety of music, transitioning between different genres such as hip hop, R&B, pop, house and Bollywood for some events,” Hussain said.

The freedom of creativity is Hussain’s favorite aspect of his hobby. Whenever a new idea comes up, Hussain is able to run straight to his laptop and deck to try to make

it happen. The rewarding feeling after creating a good mix makes it worthwhile for him.

“Sharing all of my creations, live mixes and transitions during a set and getting excited crowd reactions is a great feeling,” Hussain said.

In only a few months, his hobby has already caught a lot of attention.

Hussain’s requests to DJ have snowballed to the point of getting offers for paid events. His experiences of DJing a wedding, prom and house parties in local cities have led him to explore his interest professionally.

“College will offer many opportunities to keep DJing and continue improving my craft,” Hussain said. “I also hope to grow my name enough to maybe book more official gigs at college-town bars or clubs.”

—Written by Shina Eron

Abhivir Iyer Every time he opens a history book, Abhivir Iyer can vividly experience the battles and conquests of ancient civilizations from centuries ago. His passion began as a child when his parents began traveling with him to India to visit his grandparents, who told him stories about Indian mythology.

“Sitting in my grandfather’s lap, he would tell me about Indian mythology,” he said. “That’s when I started getting interested.”

During high school, Iyer co-founded a history club where he and other members discussed history and other cultures. His main goal was to spread awareness and knowledge about it to others.

“We talk about any history, and we try to spread this love for history to all students of Gunn,” Iyer said. “That’s why I co-founded it. I hope to make people more aware of their past, in addition to the history of other cultures.”

His interest soon turned into personal research, especially on a topic close to his family’s story: the partition of India. His mother’s family migrated to India during the partition.

“This research really got me to learn more about

the partition and my mother’s roots, as well as how my mother’s family migrated and adapted to the new life in India,” he said.

After getting his work published in “The Concord Review”, he decided to major in history and refugee studies in college. His interest and passion extends beyond books, and he intends to research topics that have not been explored.

“There is not much information about partition migrants,” he said. “In college, I want to major in history and learn about how trauma affects marginalized populations. I want to be a historian who is committed to serving other people and educating them about lost history.”

—Written by Carmen Ruiz Fernandez

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Senior Features

David Kim From laser cutting to 3D modeling, David Kim loses track of time as he dives into hands-on creativity at MakeX, a student-run makerspace at Cubberley Community Center that he has come to call his haven.

Kim’s MakeX journey began in elementary school, thanks to his sister Hannah, who was a student mentor at the time. Guided by high school students, Kim found himself hooked on the art of building. Kim eventually stumbled upon the Gunn Aeronautics competition team, which built rocket prototypes at MakeX. Kim eagerly joined the team in high school, where he found an amazing community for four years.

Leading Astra, a team composed of Gunn students interested in rocketry, Kim has brought the team to the American Rocketry Challenge twice. Now, the

club president and a mentor at MakeX, he strives to help younger students develop their own passions in engineering. As he heads to UC Santa Cruz to study astrophysics and electrical engineering in the fall, Kim looks forward to continuing his pursuits in rocketry.

His most memorable experiences are not always rooted in the successes, but instead in the humorous moments he shares with his teammates.

“The rocket team just (felt) like a small group of friends who enjoy building things together,” he said.

Despite the repeated process of failure and redesign, he persists through problem-solving with the support and collaboration of his team members. Kim recognizes that, although building rockets has become an integral part of his past four years, it is important to immerse himself into new communities.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be rockets. It could be music, art, or building racing cars at UCSC,” he said. “I always (want) to learn and make something new.”

—Written by Yoonseo Lee

Mei Knutson At the age of seven, Mei Knutson’s pen first began as a sword to fight away her irrational childhood fears — anything from cheese to caterpillars. For Knutson, what started as writing horror fiction to conquer these enemies has now evolved into a meditative practice for emotional healing.

Knutson’s journey in creative writing has come a long way, starting with fantasy novels and evolving to contemporary short stories.

“The art of creating something from a blank Google Doc is such a magical experience,” she said.

Yet, this isn’t the only reason why Mei Knutson continues to write.

“Writing has also helped me process difficult emotions, especially the ones that can’t easily be conveyed through talking about it with

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other people,” she said.

Knutson finds herself in the process of healing by reflecting on emotions through the characters she creates.

Despite dreading the feeling of being stuck between multiple story drafts that fail to progress, Knutson continues to find motivation with ideas that feel right to her.

“I’m always on the lookout for inspiration, so I keep a running list of ideas on my phone’s note app to reference in the future,” she said.

As she enters college, Knutson is determined to embrace her love for this craft as a lifelong practice.

Through majoring in creative writing at Stanford University, she aspires to one day write and publish her own novel.

“Writing is something everyone should do, and reading a lot of different genres can help you find what you like best,” she said.

—Written by Yoonseo Lee

The Oracle ft. SEC

Chaewon Lee What started as playful doodling in kindergarten has grown into a powerful visual language for Chaewon Lee, whose passion for graphic design has reshaped her perception of both art and communication.

Growing up in South Korea, she moved to Palo Alto in 10th grade. Lee knew early on that she wanted to pursue art as a lifelong career.

Lee was planning on applying to an arts high school but realized through the application process that she would be restricted to illustration and fine arts, due to the stricter requirements for admission. It was only until she joined Gunn’s graphic design class that she discovered a newfound love for visual communication. “(Graphic design) requires the involvement from the audience, so I think about the best way to convey my message through different design techniques,” she said.

She has come to find herself stepping into the shoes of those who view her graphic design. Since arriving at Gunn, Lee has made her way through all the courses in the graphic design lane, most recently culminating

in an AP Portfolio that recreates movie posters as a sustained investigation.

“I chose one of the most common forms of graphic design we recognize in our daily lives to reinterpret,” she said.

Beyond that, Lee has explored other forms of art through being head of publicity for Gunn Theater’s stage tech crew. Now, Lee’s love for graphic design has led to the renowned Rhode Island School of Design.

Through studying at RISD, she looks forward to expanding her scope of visual communication.

“At RISD, I’m considering majoring in either graphic or industrial design,” she said.

Through studying at RISD, she looks forward to expanding her scope of visual communication.

—Written by Yoonseo Lee

Julia Lee For Julia Lee, mental health isn’t confined to brain chemistry. It’s a mosaic of experiences that are valuable, educational and unique. Approaching it like a puzzle, she layers wellness into many aspects of her life, such as policy action, dance, education and storytelling to advocate for a deeper understanding of wellness.

Her work began with a move. In sophomore year, she arrived in the U.S. from Korea, an abrupt change that offered unexpected clarity.

“I started journaling and asking myself, ‘Why do I feel more free here?’” she said. “‘What shaped my thoughts back home? Why do I behave the way I do?’”

These reflections have filled six journals so far. Turning outward, Lee joined the Student Wellness Committee and the Self Advisory Board, pushing to make lessons more applicable and actionable.

“We learn all these great things about resilience and relationships, but unless students get to practice them, they don’t stick,” she said.

Beyond the classroom, Lee rekindled her love for movement, and co-started Joy Dance club at Gunn.

“Dance helps me feel better,” she said, “It’s exercise,

yes, but it’s also expression. I looked into the science behind it and dancing does support mental health.”

This fall, she’ll be studying Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, which will help her zoom out on her studies beyond the community level.

“It’s macro lens to look at well-being not just for individuals but also for communities and systems,” she said.

In everything Lee does, she asks herself the same question: How can we be more well?

Her answer lies in bridging disciplines, sharing stories and never assuming one solution fits all.

“People see mental health as just self-care or therapy,” she said. “But really, it’s everything. It’s how we think, how we learn, how we move and how we connect.”

—Written by Naomi Wang

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Senior Features

Kwan Ming Mang For many, nice weather means a walk in the park, but for the younger Kwan Ming Mang, good weather meant going outside for another reason: Pokémon Go. Mang’s journey through the animated world of Pokémon all started in 2016, when Pokemon Go was officially launched as an app.

Instantly drawn in, he found Pokémon Go to be a great social activity.

As he grew invested into his hobby, Mang discovered another genre of Pokémon that caught his attention: Competitive Pokémon Go that can be played through online battle simulators and Nintendo Switches.

“You need in-game knowledge to understand the interactions between different Pokémon and (to) strategize how to defeat your opponent,” Mang said.

Mang found a community through his local team.

Mang and his teammates discuss meta developments

and Pokémon strategies through Discord.

Through participating in small tournaments, Mang has helped his friends place with their battles by doing practice battles and giving advice on their game play.

“Collecting Pokémon is the easy part; most Pokémon are very accessible to collect,” Mang said. “Knowing how to use those Pokémon to be better is hard.”

Mang’s favorite part of playing Pokémon competitively is the experience competing with others online who carry the same passion for the game and its characters. He mentally prepares for his battles in his free time — during lunch or while in the lunch line — and likes to help his friends prepare as well.

Mang plans to major in computer science at the University of Melbourne, which is located close to where some regional level Pokémon events are held.

Through Pokémon, he’s adopted a competition mentality where, if he loses, it’s not that big of a deal.

“That has been part of my academic journey,” Mang said. “One battle doesn’t define you as a person.”

—Written by Shina Eron

Olivia Souter Olivia Souter’s love for theater started as early as age six, watching her dad build sets for shows at her church.

Back then, it never felt like it could be a career.

However, watching “Phantom of the Opera” in San Francisco changed 11-year-old Souter’s life. Seeing the stage management’s coordination, she realized that being backstage was a real potential pursuit.

“I was too young to fully understand how the tricks happened, so it felt like magic,” she said. “But I was also old enough to understand that someone had to make that magic, and I knew that I wanted to be that person.”

Gunn Theatre’s production of “Translations” was a pivotal moment for Souter. Here, she got hands-on experience communicating with all parts of theater: actors, designers, producers and technicians.

She sent schedules and notes

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out every night, being the safety-net of the cast and crew. She adored this responsibility, falling in love with stage management.

“I love being a resource for my cast and my crew,” she said. “I love being able to create a space where all of them can do their best work.”

Coming from a film family, cinema and theatre have always been a career that she has been encouraged to explore. She finds herself pausing in shows like “Game of Thrones,” thinking out loud, “Do you know how fun it would be to decorate this set?”

Souter will be attending University of Southern California in the fall to pursue a BFA in Stage Management. She wants to familiarize herself with all aspects of production, with the goal of working in the theater industry. Being in LA, Souter hopes to get connections to the film industry as well.

“It’s part of why I chose USC,” she said. “They can get me there, and they have connections to both industries.

Their alumni network is also incredibly strong. Stage management is transferable to both facets.”

—Written by Namya Kasturi

The Oracle ft. SEC

Alan Yue For Alan Yue, people are what encapsulate the heart of poetry. Creative writing first clicked for him when he attended the California State Summer School of the Arts in junior year. There, he met his people — people who approached the world through a unique lens.

People serve as inspiration for Yue’s pieces, and, through poetry, his understanding of people burgeoned. By interacting with a cluster of people who wrote exceptional poems, his learning phase thrived.

“I (skipped the) embarrassing stage of poetry where (people) write a lot of edgy stuff — like really edgy stuff,” Yue said. “Things like, ‘Nobody loves me’ or ‘I’m gonna let the darkness overflow.’ I had a bunch of really, really, really good poets to figure (poetry) out from. Because of that, I could extrapolate and do my own thing.”

As a jazz player, Yue believes that poetry and music parallel one another in their ignition of the artist.

“The poems, at their core, are really the same (as music) because they’re just an approach to expression,” Yue said. “With music, you have to be in the flow state.

You can’t have a barrier between you and the art. It’s

the same with poetry, you have to just let what happens happen, and that state of being is something that’s very important to have.”

His bias for improvisation in music transfers over in his poetry by incorporating elements akin to chord changes.

He metaphorically symbolizes the relationship between harmonies through small, interconnected poems within a poem.

Although Yue has no intentions to pursue poetry as a career path, he intends to continue to reflect on past pieces critically and relish the process of creative writing and the gifts it has imparted upon him.

“It’s another path to expression,” Yue said. “It’s another path to people. It’s about being honest. You’re supposed to be present.”

—Written by Sera Singal

Max Zeller Max Zeller epitomizes “animal hugger.” His father served as the impetus for his fascination, raising a chameleon, gargoyle gecko, lizards and other creatures in terrariums for Zeller to play with and watch from the time he was young. Now, his house hosts fish, frogs, geckos, a horse, a dog and more across multiple terrariums, aquariums and a fish pond. “(Growing up around animals) made me really interested in nature, the outdoors and how animals behave in their environment,” Zeller said.

The whole Zeller family gravitates to animals in some way or another. Zeller’s mom, an avid horseback rider, introduced him to the art during his elementary school years, adding horses to the long list of animals he connects with. An animal whisperer of sorts, Zeller learned how to develop amicable, intimate relationships with them through continuous exposure, playful interaction and trust-building.

His experience scuba diving in Monterey Bay serves as one example.

“I swam around and took out my oxygen regulator to shoot bubbles at (some seals), and they thought it was

pretty funny,” Zeller said. “I think that they remembered me because after a bit, when we were swimming away, they came back to say bye to me, and I was like, ‘Wait, hold on, those seals seem familiar’.”

Zeller and his family remove invasive species that disrupt local ecosystems and rehabituate them within their home, ranging from invasive rockfish in Monterey, to brown wood geckos in Hawaii.

Through Zeller’s numerous animal adventures, he’s accumulated long-lasting knowledge, appreciation and love for so many creatures, from geckos to fish to horses to chameleons.

“You can tell a chameleon’s emotions based on its color,” Zeller said. “When they’re red, they may be more frightened or excited. They’re such cool reptiles.”

—Written by Sera Singal

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Recruited Athletes

Kaden Cho Soccer Swarthmore College “I knew for sure that I wanted to get recruited to college after seeing the Stanford Men’s Soccer team play in middle school.”

Noah Crane Soccer Trinity University “I just enjoy playing the sport, I love the people I meet and it just brings me joy to play it.”

Mateas Fitzwilliam Soccer Carnegie Mellon University “I think people don’t really understand that the game is a little bit more than just scoring goals.

It’s about how the game is played.”

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The Oracle ft. SEC

Jinu Hong Swimming Boston University “I am mainly a sprinter, but I also like doing all these other strokes that I am not the best at because it’s just fun to try new things and learn.”

Mateo Martinez Football Chapman University “I like the team aspect, just being able to be a part of something. I’m a pretty competitive person, so that’s the two main reasons why I like the sport.

Gracie Missett Soccer Colby College “Over the years, I have learned that in order to achieve what you want it must start from you. Only you have the power to work hard for yourself.”

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Recruited Athletes

Martin Moshfeghi Track Carleton College “Patience is super important. Results won’t come immediately, but, over months and years, they will.”

Yoonu Park Rowing Cornell University “It’s a team sport with a lot of dedication involved. There’s a lot of time and effort that goes in, but you build a strong bond with your teammates unlike other sports.”

Dominic Peterson Rugby Saint Mary’s College “I’ve learned lessons in leadership, like how to be more selfless for the team and how to be a better listener/ student of the game.”

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The Oracle ft. SEC

JJ Racz Football Oberlin College “It takes a lot of teamwork and it’s really physical, but it’s still really fun because It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

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Surveys

Biggest regrets

. . . s s i m l l ’ We

all e to m a at c k th s. c g. u r t e ber o n m c e a a t lg ang The ootbal f Sp o f s. p e row th c n to o d l s an poo gull a ple The n’t e s peo we are e, n e i v h s I ha n if Sun that are eve g n c wi lry.

Kno nd who s. riva u d s ’ i n z e aro i ren e fr s. Fi clos M d an lk Gill n ta ally. e Mr. R m t to ss Nigh rcla I used o e c d un Ho ngs g to me thi n i n a e List t the s out. u o ab b a lain p ch. com run b e fre The

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Not talk ing to m ore peo striking ple or up conv ersation Sleepin g throu ! gh my A P Psych final.

Not tak ing eno u g h preps Not tak . ing mor e bathr Not tak oom br ing mor eaks. e fun cla Not goin sses in s g out of enior ye my com ar. fort zon e freshm an year.

Staff quo

tes

“Name am — Com ath teacher w ho’s no puter S t cience teache a cannibal.”

“Can yo r J oshua P u get o aley n the gr ound a nd be a — Thea co tre teac her Kris w?”

“Micha t en Lo el, I’ you’re a m gonna ema il the co tte llege gonna s nding, and m y mess tart wit a h g e is ‘Oh how have fa llen.’” — Libraria the mighty n Dalje et Gill “Okay, c lass is o ver. You beat it.

I me sho boys an an, have a nic uld e d girls.”

— Engin day, teache e erin r Kristin a Granlu g nd “I wan assignm ted to take ou ty e all over nt, write ‘senio our it r itis’ , a n d everyo ne to se display it for e ” — Sc teache r Mark B ience rassey “Would y o u guys touchin stop g — Econ each other!!!” omics t Dawna eacher Linsdell

The Oracle ft. SEC

g n i s s a r r a b m E s t n e mom

. class er in riod. ot in o f summ e le pe r o m a h o b r w f s a for a back hy I w t day a tree ing w s n r n i i fi k a l e c Exp on th d it). es stu e lap leane y sho n c o m I ( g g n a nap unnin Getti fter r aking a t p e l i u h . w ing k his PE ables shoo t Throw ore year d y n r a a r om . w me he lib soph ns sa e of t ipped o n fl y o L k . s r n ds of nd M ling o he de Droo and t undre g lot a , h n k i s k d r e n a ad ad a the p ut of f my D rb in o u Fell o t c n e ro hit th it ly in f ime I r Spir m Pa o r f ng fo r i One t e n l t n s u e . hen r y a wr ht. head ech w ted b senior nig e ol. a p n i s scho r om my u d g m o g n o i g r n v f i n i Be duri ome hen g eers walk h age w t e s my p h t n sh on shit” o y cru g “oh er. m n i f y o a t S on n fron missi bike i Com a y b it I got h When

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00 p Winn ampi and 3 they arrive ue ch n g e a k e o l r r ing got b nutes afte Winn i main r m e t 5 a d fixe he w t t n o g e ain Wh fire. ater m attery b a the w m ith ng fro tter” w l st dyi e o L t m l e A Scarl schoo g “The rary after n i t a e lib Deb s in th friend .m. l p arriva r quad until 6 g the at the n i 1. Senio w o l l d o f o d wo haos ry 2. Libra The c ite-infeste m ing lot of ter .

3. Park t in a r a e r t a d e e th Center uff Wellness ake st . f 4 a g athroom in . enberg b g Sneak backpack n a p S 5. ’s friend

ts Top 5 Spous on camp

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Surveys

Senior Hot Takes!

Pizza “AP S an E tats is nglis clas h s hard ,” and “is e AP C r than alc B C.”

“It’s the best year you will have in your entire life.”

“AP Ps yc should h b self-st e udied only.”

“Se sem cond mo ester r tha e stre is n fi sem rst ssful est er.”

“You a ously ll serineed to be n to te icer ache rs.”

Pozo le “The best part of Gunn is extracurriculars, not academics.”

Spicy n e Chick y t t a P

T cu ha rr i y do

Alfre

6% 6% 18%

7%

7% “T he en tr th anc el et sm ibr o te ells ary rri ble .”

57% Other of 72 responses voted as best lunch item

PT is “ChatG lame.”

Best Excuses: “I got pulled over by the police on my way to school. That’s why I missed class.”

“I got stabbed in the foot.”

“Mr. Brassey, I don’t agree with the answer key, so can you just give me the point?”

“My bike tire broke off completely, so I had to walk to school holding my tire and bike separately!”

12.5% 18.8% 4.5% 5.7% 4.5% of 88 responses voted as their favorite book from English

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The Oracle ft. SEC

Staff Kudos Mr. Collier, for “dealing with my absenteeism.”

Mr. Deggeller, for “always giving me a hug when he sees me” and being “willing to help.”

Mr. Gleason for “helping me develop a new irrational fear every day.”

Mr. Hall, for “teaching me the value of mindfulness, a strong work ethic, and going with the flow.”

Dr. Mellows, for “her mole cookies at the end of sophomore year Chem H.”

Mr. Gill, for “always having a positive attitude while running on minimal sleep.”

Ms. Garger, for being a “great listener,” and “managing the best SELF for all 4 years.”

Ms. Howard, for the “effort she puts into SELF.” Ms. Ichikawa, for “her weekly yoga sessions.”

Ms. Ja, for “always having an open door.”

Ms. Pennington, for “her unabashed opinions.”

Ms. Merchant, for “having strong patience and a wonderful sense of humor.”

Mr. Sheth, for “how he laughs when he says his tests are easy because he knows they’re horrendous.”

The custodial staff, for “keeping the campus nice and neat despite us trashing it constantly.”

Sophia, the chemistry lab tech, for “getting labs ready and cleaning up after all the messy students.”

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College Map

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The Oracle ft. SEC

College Map

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