The Oracle April 2024

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Students forge parking permits due to shortage

Vivien Chen and Roy Lao Lifestyle Editor and Reporter

Since December, administrators have discovered forged parking permits in cars parked in the Gunn parking lot, raising questions about student integrity and the efficacy of the school’s parking system.

At the beginning of each school year, the Student Activities Center sells parking permits, which are required for students to park their cars in the parking lot. Only juniors and seniors with driver’s licenses are able to purchase one, and those living beyond El Camino Real, Foothill Expressway, Page Mill Road or Adobe Creek are eligible to purchase permits a week earlier than other students. Students must provide their name, parents’ names, grade, driver’s license number, license plate number and car model. This identifying information is then linked to each pass. According to Assistant Principal of Facilities Dr. Mycal Hixon, as of April 8, all of the passes are sold out, but there is a waiting list for interested students.

The Palo Alto Police Department is responsible for ticketing cars without permits in the parking lot, which they try to do on a daily basis. Administrators first discovered a fake pass when ticketing officers called a student to move their car from a handicapped parking spot and found that the person who answered the phone was not the person whose information was linked to the parking pass.

One senior, who requested anonymity to protect themselves from disciplinary action, was unable to purchase a parking pass and decided to create a counterfeit.

“I was willing to buy one, and I even went and talked with them multiple times to try to get one,” they said. “(The school said they needed) to count the number of available spaces. I was like, okay, and that took them like three months to figure out. In the meantime, I figured out how to trace one to make a copy.”

The anonymous senior made a few passes for other students, and is also aware of other students who are making replicas. At first, the senior made the fake passes with polyvinyl chloride sublimation, before starting to order directly from the company that manufactures Gunn’s permits.

Administrators believe that there are currently 20 or more fake permits in circulation. Each legitimate pass has a unique ID number. Most counterfeit passes are identifiable because they repeat ID numbers, but most times they go unnoticed because ticketing officers aren’t able to closely check each pass’s ID.

I know that the construction takes up a lot of the parking lot spaces, and there have been fake parking passes some of the students have been getting, so it’s been super difficult for the admin to give enough spaces for the students.

According to Hixon, administrators have started looking into harder-to-fake permits for next school year, such as ones that use more laser-perforated holes or ultraviolet images for identification. Those with counterfeit permits this year may receive a parking citation or a ban from purchasing a permit in the future.

“(The security) started checking a bit, and there’s some people who had poorly made replicas,” the anonymous senior said. “For the people who I’ve seen get their fakes taken, the campus supervisor came up to them while they were in their car and asked to see it up close. Then they would ask for your name, and if the name didn’t match the one that was on the list, they would take it and not give it back.”

Senior Indira Raja, who has been on the parking pass waitlist for nine months, resorted to parking without a permit because driving is her only way to get to school.

“I know that the construction takes up a lot of the parking lot spaces, and there have been fake parking passes some of the students have been getting, so it’s been super difficult for the admin to give enough spaces for the students,” she said. “But I also just don’t want to be scared to get a parking ticket while I’m sitting in my sixth-period class.”

Chinyoung Shao

Vin Bhat

Senior Indira Raja “ ”

Monthly Highlights: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

BY THE NUMBERS

540 tickets sold

79 stage tech participants

31 actor participants

2024 SEC elections utilize new ranked-choice voting system

Ya-An Xue Social Media Editor

On March 21, freshmen, sophomores and juniors elected next year’s Student Executive Council members in Spangenberg Theater, following candidate introductions and question-and-answer sessions. Election results were posted on Schoology and the SEC website and Instagram page on March 22.

This year’s election marked a shift from approval voting, in which students can select multiple candidates, to ranked-choice voting, in which students can still select multiple choices, but ranked in order of preference. SEC also implemented a new vote-tallying system, changed the location and time of the assembly and altered the candidate speech format.

In some ways, it’s good that there’s more choice, but (the old system is) a lot easier and takes less time to just choose one candidate.

Sophomore Asha Iyer-Schulz

Six current SEC officers, all seniors, planned and coordinated the elections process: Associated Student Body President Nathan Levy, ASB Vice President Jazmin Rodrigo, School Board Representative Chris Lee (who is also a managing editor for The Oracle), ASB Treasurer Leo Yao, Green Commissioner Angelina Rosh and Wellness Commissioner Daniel van Schewick.

According to Levy, the ranked-choice voting system is more representative because it selects the most universally liked candidate. When tabulating votes for contests with more than two candidates, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their second-choice votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the ballot rankings until one candidate reaches a majority. As such, the election winner may be most people’s second choice if no candidate has a majority of first-choice votes. Levy noted that this voting method encourages candidates to reach out to more people: They can still benefit from convincing students to place them in a higher position, even if it is not first.

Sophomore Asha Iyer-Schulz, however, pointed out some flaws of the new system.

“In some ways, it’s good that there’s more choice, but it’s a lot easier and takes less time to just choose one candidate,” she said. “I don’t think it mattered much on the results because there weren’t many candidates for each race and it

felt like it was just popularity.”

Alongside the new voting system was a new vote-tallying system. In the past, SEC paid for TallySpace, an online vote-tallying service. This year, however, they began using Google Forms and a free online tally counter. According to Student Activities Director Lisa Hall, Schewick and Web/ Tech Commissioner senior Dylan Lu also wrote code to eliminate those who voted multiple times or voted for a different class’s officers.

Unlike last year, in which the assembly was held during study hall/SELF in Titan Gym, this year’s election was held twice during a double second period in Spangenberg Theater. Seniors, who were not eligible to vote, had study hall.

During the assembly, rather than giving a speech, each candidate introduced themselves briefly before SEC officers asked them one to three questions specific to the position they were running for. Candidates running unopposed only gave speeches.

According to Levy, all answers were timed strictly so that the assembly would not run over time. Candidates rotated the order that they answered in order to ensure fairness.

Current Freshman Class Vice President and Sophomore Class Vice President-elect Sara Su appreciated this year’s friendly competition.

“It was a lot smaller and there were less materials last year,” she said. “It’s cool to see everyone go all out this year like making posters, giving out handouts or making silly campaign videos.”

Your vote does count, and sometimes these races do come down to just a few votes. Even though we don’t reveal those exact counts, I can assure you that they do matter.

Student Activities Director Lisa Hall

According to Hall, around 50% of eligible students participate in schoolwide elections every year. She encourages students to exercise their right to vote, especially for classwide elections, which have lower voter participation rates.

“These people put themselves forward, and it’s important for the student body to get to know the candidates, find out what they really stand for and what they think that they can accomplish in the role — understanding that it’s a job,” she said. “Your vote does count, and sometimes these races do come down to just a few votes. Even though we don’t reveal those exact counts, I can assure you that they do matter.”

Top left: Senior Sofia Hussain and junior Zander Rosenzweig dance the Charleston together in the fifth act. Top middle: Junior Arturo Garrido Gomez casts a spell on junior Owen Humphreys, turning him into a donkey. Top right: Senior Rohit Divekar and senior Chania Rene-Corail dance in the fourth act. Bottom left: Senior Sofia Hussain prepares to fall asleep upon a tree stump. Bottom right: Senior Rohit Divekar applies a love potion to junior Connor Engstrom’s eyes.

Source: Gunn Theater Publicity Coordinator Connor Engstrom Chinyoung Shao

Student teams take on nationwide competitions

Gunn Robotics Team

In recent weeks, members of Gunn Speech and Debate have competed in a slew of local and national tournaments. Among these competitions are local Coast Forensic League tournaments, which include a state qualifier and a national qualifier, and higher-level national circuit tournaments, according to Logistics Director junior Chinmay Khaladkar.

“Me and my partner have gone to a couple of national circuit tournaments,” he said. “The most recent national circuit tournament we went to was at Berkeley, one of if not the biggest tournament of the season in the whole country.”

The club consists of four branches: speech and three forms of debate (parliamentary, policy and public forum).

Sophomore Aman Solanki, a public forum debater who competed at Berkeley, sought the

Gunn DECA

On March 23, Gunn Robotics Team won the For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology Robotics Competition Idaho Regional in Nampa, Idaho. GRT’s robot climbed the leaderboards and joined the winning alliance of three teams in the finals, despite challenging mechanical and software failures.

The Idaho regional competition comprised practice matches, qualifications and playoffs. During the qualifications, robots accrued ranking points for a chance to compete in the playoffs, which determined the event winners.

After the first round of qualifications, GRT — registered under the team number 192 — was in 43rd place of 43 teams due to repeated control failures. After all rounds of qualifications, however, GRT was in 20th place, and was selected to join Alliance 7 by

help of fellow accomplished debaters at other schools.

“For me, it’s become a forum for me to bond with other students at tournaments and connect with other local schools, like with Paly or a local Bay Area School, in preparation for national tournaments,” Solanki said. “Putting in a lot of work and time makes it rewarding.”

On March 1, two teams and two individuals — including Parlimentary Debate Captain junior Karen Tang — advanced from the state qualifiers tournament to the state championships.

“(California State Qualifiers) is a really prestigious, long, high-endurance tournament,” Tang said. “And that tournament was really great for (Parliamentary).”

—Written by Victor Dang

From March 7-10, the 64-member Gunn DECA team competed in the State Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. Two members qualified for the International Career Development Conference, seven were medalists and 13 were finalists.

Previously, the team also competed in the regional Silicon Valley District Career Development Conference from Jan. 5-7.

DECA Inc. is a national organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in business management and administration, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality and tourism, marketing, and finance literacy. To prepare for conferences, the Gunn DECA team holds online and inperson study sessions and has a mentoring system.

the alliance captain, team 2122.

In the final best-of-three rounds, GRT’s alliance and the opposing alliance each won one match, leading to a final tiebreaker that ended with a score of 103 for Alliance 7 and 97 for Alliance 1.

Learning from past mistakes allowed the team to be successful this year, according to Safety Captain junior Amelia Perry.

“We have a system to pass information to future years, which is why we have lasted so long as a team,” she said.

As the regional winners, GRT and their alliance captain team 2122 from Boise, Idaho, will continue to the April 17 to 20 FIRST world championship in Houston, Texas.

—Written by Fenton Zarlengo

Gunn Speech and Debate

SCDC team finalist junior Jennifer Bukchin competed in the Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making event, taking a business-administration exam and participating in a partner case study at SCDC. To prepare, she completed practice tests, studied key terms and used flashcards to learn vocabulary. Her partner read books and articles to keep up with business trends. Bukchin enjoys bonding with the DECA community during competitions.

“My favorite memory is definitely DoorDashing food at night,” she said. “For States, I also liked going to Disneyland. I was there with friends (and) I got to see fireworks, do all the rides (and) get some good food.”

—Written by Sophia Hwangbo

“I like the games on the back cause they’re stimulating.”

—Esher McIver, 10

to see) sports that have not yet been covered and other clubs like GRT or even the auto class.” —Alumnus Giordano Rischmoller

Photo courtesy of Craig Chang

The Gunn Robotics Team poses with their robot after their first-place victory at the Idaho FIRST competition.

The policy debate branch smiles at the Coast Forensic League Super Debate 2 Tournament at Milpitas High School.

Gunn DECA members take a group photo after the Grand Awards Ceremony in Anaheim.

Vivien Chen

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Qian

March 26 school-board meeting includes ethnic studies course update, report from Technology/AI committees

might feel less interested in to the finished course.

At the March 26 school-board meeting, the Board received updates from the Ethnic Studies Committee and the district’s three Technology/AI committees. After both presentations, community members voiced their opinions on the committees’ reports.

The Ethnic Studies Committee includes Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. Gulliermo Lopez, Gunn Social Studies Instructional Lead Jeff Patrick, Paly Social Studies Instructional Lead Mary Sano and other Gunn and Paly teachers. The group was founded during the 2022-23 school year in response to A.B. 101, which mandates that all California high schools make ethnic studies a graduation requirement for the Class of 2030 — current sixth graders — or earlier.

During the meeting, Lopez, Patrick and Sano presented on the course’s new curriculum. Ethnic studies at PAUSD will be segmented into five units, starting with unit zero, Why Ethnic Studies, and continuing with Identity; Power, Privilege and Systems of Opression; Resilience and Resistance; and Action and Civic Engagement, a capstone project. Units one through three will include case studies centered around different primary sources from four ethnic groups: African Americans, Chicanx and Latinx Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“It is entirely pointless to have an ethnic studies course that is designed for adults and by adults if students don’t know and don’t care what’s being taught,” he said during the meeting.

Gunn Student School Board Representative senior Chris Lee (who is also managing editor for The Oracle) also emphasized the importance of considering the intended recipients of the new course.

I think (AI will) be a positive change because it’s really a really powerful technology. And I hope the district can use this to get rid of busy work.

Gunn AI committee member sophomore Sujay Dorai

”

“The (students) who I talked to felt like the conversation surrounding ethnic studies — especially at these Board meetings — was getting further and further away from them and their priorities,” he said during the meeting. “It’s important for parents and other community members to understand that the course is ultimately for students.”

PAUSD generative AI guidance summary

Principles

• Academic integrity

• Innovation and learning enhancement

• Support teacher decision-making

• Transparency and accountability

Objectives

• Integration of AI into skills and curriculum

• AI tools to enhance learning

• Open communication about usage

• Increase accessibility and inclusivity

• Continuous feedback

It is entirely pointless to have an ethnic studies course that is designed for adults and by adults if students don’t know and don’t care about what’s being taught.

Paly Student School Board Representative junior Karthi Gottipatti “ ”

Next year, Gunn and Paly will each pilot one ethnic studies class of 20 ninth graders, who will be selected through lottery at each site. According to Sano, one of the main goals of these classes is to garner feedback from students and teachers.

In response to the presentation, Paly Student School Board Representative junior Karthi Gottipati said that students should play a bigger role in the course design process, and warned that if unable to give input, students

After the ethnic studies presentation, the AI ad hoc committees from Gunn, Paly and PAUSD — composed of mostly high school students, staff and technology experts at the district level — shared generative AI goals for the district. These goals included furthering equity and inclusion by using generative AI to summarize texts for English Language Learners and neurodiverse students, as well as developing alternate lesson plans that prevent — or render ineffective — the use of AI by covering topics that software such as ChatGPT hasn’t learned about.

Gunn committee member sophomore Sujay Dorai presented his hopes for AI’s future in the district.

“I think it’ll be a positive change because it’s really a really powerful technology,” he said. “I hope that the district can use this to get rid of busy work.”

Board member Shounak Dharap was appreciative of the AI committee’s work and saw it as an important focus point for the district.

“(The AI committee) is the most important thing the district is doing,” Dharap said during the meeting. “It touches every single other thing we’re doing. I’m really interested in what we’re doing and really supportive of everything.”

• Integrate AI eduation for evolving job market

For more information about AI resources, visit the PAUSD webpage at: tinyurl.com/techAIresources

Source: PAUSD technology/AI guidelines and Board meeting presentation

New evidence-based grading system in planning stages

Roy Lao Reporter

PAUSD is currently reformatting the district’s grading system, beginning a pilot program to transition toward an evidence-based approach for all classes. The program is set to roll out gradually over the coming years, in an attempt to make grades more accurately match students’ understanding.

According to Principal Dr. Wendy Stratton, the new evidence-based grading system will be based on that of Adlai Stevenson High School in Illinois, which focuses on students’ ability to improve skills over time. In the new four-point grading system, a student’s teacher determines a final course grade by reviewing the student’s assessments and considering any clear patterns of growth. Getting a score of four means that a student has exceeded mastery. Three is mastery, two is approaching mastery and one is having a fundamental understanding.

possible to make the transition seamless. Catalano’s conservative projection is that, after a transition period, the final form will be launched in the next seven years. Specifics of the plan have yet to be discussed within the planning team.

What we want to do is identify the essential learning of the class — the fundamental standards that exist for this course.

Adlai Stevenson High School Principal Troy Gobble

and teaching is the focus on helping to develop student agency and spending time developing skills that are going to be meaningful and transcend just the high school experience. (It’s about) moving away from content retention and memorization and more towards actual skills applications.”

Computer science teacher Joshua Paley, who gave a TEDx talk in 2023 about the flaws of the current grading system, sees potential in the plan but also has some worries.

“I worry about class sizes being an issue because the teachers will have to get to know the students better, and it’s hard to do that with the class sizes as large as they are,” he said. “With that said, the concept is as promising as anything related to grades that I’ve seen in a long time ... But, as long as the word ‘grades’ is involved, I’ll always be skeptical.”

Still, Catalano added that the adjustment will be a collaborative process.

One of the big things with evidence-based grading and teaching is the focus on helping to develop student agency and spending time developing skills that are going to be meaningful and transcend just the high school experience.

— Planning Team Lead Kathryn Catalano “ ”

“It’s (about whether you can do) the skills to the level that we are asking,” Stratton said. “I think it’s a more transparent and straightforward system.”

The Gunn administration has formed an ad hoc committee with staff from various subjects to discuss the upcoming changes, which will occur over multiple years.

According to Planning Team Lead Kathryn Catalano, Gunn will prioritize quality over speed and do everything

For a smooth transition, Catalano says that support resources will be available for both teachers and students. Currently, multiple teachers are participating in a pilot program involving a few teachers from all departments to analyze the practicality of this new system.

“We’re encouraging teachers to jump into this with a teaching team rather than doing this by themselves because having a team anytime you’re trying to learn something new helps a lot,” she said.

According to Adlai Stevenson High School Principal Troy Gobble, the shift to evidence-based grading is necessary due to fundamental flaws in the status quo.

“There’s a problem with the way that we have graded for 100 years,” Gobble said in a video published by the school. “What we’ve done is forced students into a conversation that’s around collecting points. What we want to do is identify the essential learnings of the class — the fundamental standards that exist for the course.”

Catalano noted that the change at Gunn will place an emphasis on developing student autonomy and competence.

“It’s more of a philosophy shift,” Catalano said. “One of the big things with evidence-based grading

With that said, the concept is as promising as anything related to grades that I’ve seen in a long time ... But, as long as the word ‘grades’ is involved, I’ll always be skeptical.

Computer science teacher Joshua Paley

“We don’t want anybody to jump into this without feeling ready to do it,” Catalano said. “(Administrators) want to make sure that we are supporting both teachers and students so that we have a transition that feels smooth and that everybody feels supported.”

Does extensive phone photography hinder appreciation for crucial moments, impede personal connections?

Michelle Koo News Editor

Birthday party? Snap. Vacation in Italy? Snap. Taylor Swift concert? Snap. College campus tour? Snap.

For generations, photography focused on singular images’ potential to spark imagination and encourage interpretation. With the rise of smartphones, however, it has become a way to document every aspect of one’s daily life and curate a public image. Everyone is able to share specific pictures and snippets of their lives with a larger audience, creating a public persona that conceals less appealing aspects of their lives. Like false information, curated images of people’s “perfect” lives spread quickly on the internet. Therefore, to the wider community, excessive photography can lead to harmful self-comparison and inhibit one’s ability to create memories. People should take photos carefully and artfully to truly treasure and capture moments.

Some argue that frequent photos provide visuals for people to reminiscence on. For example, parents often take pictures to record their children’s early years. However, if they focus solely on filming everything, they cannot fully absorb the moment. Pulling out one’s phone entails pulling away from reality,

and thus missing out on the experience.

Researchers have also found that taking too many pictures affects a person’s ability to create and store memories. University of California, Irvine psychological science professor Elizabeth Loftus has conducted studies showing that excessive photograpy undermines people’s memory.

At Fairfield University, psychology professor Linda Henkel found similar results in a 2014 experiment involving undergraduate college students. Henkel took the students to the university’s Bellarmine Museum of Art and asked them to take photos of certain objects while solely observing others. The next day, students were asked to recall attributes of the objects that they had seen. The study found that taking pictures decreased a person’s ability to remember details because they became reliant on their cameras. This lack of elaborate and emotional processing hurt their memory retention.

Rather than relying on a picture to capture memories, students should take in their surroundings and absorb the details of emotion and sensation. Yes, perhaps take a few pictures with friends from camp whom you’ll never see again, but don’t forget that every second passed is a second lost. Take pictures with special meaning to reclaim the intimate art of photography.

85.7% of surveyed students believe that photos help them remember events

What are you doing right now?

I’m eating dinner with a friend

Hey, pics or it didn’t happen!

85.6% of surveyed students take photos to commemorate events

Images are one of the first things children learn to recognize. According to a 2019 study led by psychologist Dr. Joel Pearson from the National Institutes of Health, many individuals form pictorial representations in their brain to recreate something from memory. Because imagery is integral to human function, it’s more beneficial to take photos than to avoid it.

People use photography to document crucial moments and share their memories with others. Taking photos encourages engagement among individuals and can strengthen relationships by providing an access point for human connection and creating shared knowledge. For instance, many people use photos to update distant friends or relatives about their lives.

When posing for a picture, it’s customary to smile or put on a cheerful expression, and according to Stanford University research scientist Dr. Nicholas Coles, even faking a smile can improve a person’s mood: The brain links the action of smiling with optimism, triggering a sense of happiness.

Alongside posing in photos, viewing

photos can also boost people’s moods. Behavioral psychologist Jo Hemmings led a 2020 study for photo company CEWE to learn how viewing photos impacts individuals’ mood. The study showed that these pictures triggered emotions such as delight and happiness, promoting a sense of well-being and providing increased personal welfare.

While many feel that taking pictures distracts from being in the moment, in reality, it simply provides the photographer with a greater appreciation for detail. Many things go unnoticed in a typical setting, but when a camera is out, people often analyze the smaller things, which contributes to an enhanced understanding of their environment.

Although some associate taking photos with a toxic sense of comparison to others, this isn’t always the case. Social media promotes those ideals and negative mindsets, not the photos themselves, which can be used to appreciate the beauty of a subject. Instead of viewing photos as a distraction or detriment, individuals should value them for their ability to help connect family and friends and make both photographers and viewers happy. Photography provides opportunities for interaction, bringing people together with a simple click.

Gwen Domine Reporter

Sarah Xie

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from March 23 to April 9 with 97 responses

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from March 23 to April 9 with 98 responses

Sarah Xie

politics on a global scale: take

Boycotts succeed in creating meaningful change

Kaylee Cheng Features Editor

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, sitting in the “colored” section of the public bus, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Park’s recalcitrant behavior resulted in her arrest and a $10 fine. This event catalyzed the Montgomery bus boycott, a 13-month mass protest involving roughly 40,000 Black Americans that resulted in the landmark Browder v. Gayle U.S. Supreme Court decision which legally ended racial segregation on public transportation in Alabama. Effectively ending the segregation of buses in Montgomery and across the nation, this protest would become one of the most famous historical examples of a successful boycott.

According to Merriam-Webster, to boycott is to “engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions.” This form of peaceful protest originates from the Ireland Land War of the 1880s, when Irish tenant farmers protested against English landlord Charles Stewart Parnell’s unfair treatment and high rent prices. Over time, however, it has evolved to become one of the most powerful protest strategies for local, national and global issues. Especially in a digital age in which protests are widely advertised, students need to be more aware of the potential impacts of boycotting and avoid performative or ineffective protests.

Differences between company and consumer values have made boycotts against consumer goods companies prevalent today. This manner of protest is successful because it leverages both economic and social influence against an organization. By inflicting reductions in revenue, boycotts force businesses to reconsider company policies to mitigate further financial damage. However, not all of these boycotts impact a company’s sales revenue, since people may publicly denounce an institution but still purchase its products out of habit. Take the recent boycott efforts with Amazon, for instance. The company has been accused of tax avoidance, poor working conditions and unethical labor practices, and as a result of the “vote with your dollar” philosophy, many people have encouraged boycotting Amazon goods. But due to the near-monopoly Amazon has on the online marketplace and society’s dependence on their unparalleled fast delivery, reliability and variety, its stocks and overall market value faced little impact from this movement.

On the other hand, companies with many competitors are most impacted by boycotts, since customers can buy substitute goods more easily. Take beer brand Bud Light: According to the Associated Press, following the April 2023 controversy regarding transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, its year-overyear sales declined 25% to 30% for several months.

Boycotts may also be ineffective if the participants aren’t the company’s target consumer. For example, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ boycotting fast-food chain KFC has had little to no financial impact to the chain since PETA is not the main consumer demographic that restaurants like KFC cater to.

Nevertheless, boycotts can wield significant damage through negative media attention and reputational damages. In the digital age, social media figures with large platforms have the power to persuade millions of people. According to LendingTree, an online marketplace nonprofit, a poll that was sent out to company consumers in 2022 reported that friends and family influence 47% of boycott decisions, politicians impact 20%, and celebrities or influencers impact 19%. 34% of Generation Z boycotters said celebrities or influencers impacted their decision to participate in a boycott. One example of this media-driven phenomenon is the boycott on Starbucks: In the early stages of the Israel-Hamas war, Starbucks Workers United, unaffiliated with the official Starbucks corporation, posted the message, “Solidarity with Palestine” on their Twitter account. Unwilling to be associated with the workers union’s stance, Starbucks released a clarifying statement and filed a lawsuit against the workers for trademark infringement of the Starbucks logo. Even though Starbucks has stated that it doesn’t

directly fund the State of Israel, many people believe this boycott is a way for people to align themselves with Palestine, support an anti-violence ideology and uphold a union’s ability to express themselves politically.

According to The Economic Times, Starbucks has seen a loss of $11 billion due to the recent boycotts.

Generally, successful boycotts are those that generate the most social media attention because it spurs larger collective action and allows for activists to garner more support globally. In recent years, for example, collective criticism surrounding the unethical labor practices and negative environmental impacts of Shein — a large fast-fashion clothing company — has led many to stop purchasing from the vendor. Eventually, Shein even released a statement of investigation into unsafe work conditions in some of their supplier facilities. According to data analysis company Statista, Shein saw a sales growth decrease of 2.8% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to a 341.9% increase in the first quarter of 2021. According to media analytics company Commetric, 25% of boycotts receiving national media attention won concessions from the target company.

Even though boycotts through media advocacy can be effective, they should not be relied upon as the sole tool for advocacy. As polarization increases and media becomes more saturated with campaigns, the boycotts’ effect can become diluted and less effective. Instead, this method should be used in moderation and in conjunction with other forms of protest. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, for example, went beyond boycotts to economically pressure institutions that practiced segregation: mass demonstrations such as the Selma to Montgomery march, legal struggles like Brown v. Board of Education, grassroot organizations that mobilized local leaders and individuals, media campaigns, and coalition-building with groups from diverse backgrounds to garner support. It is not any of these events in singularity that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the power and conviction of millions of people who persisted in their beliefs.

Ultimately, a boycott alone, however effective, will not define a social movement or result in substantial, legislative change — even if it achieves considerable media attraction. It is important to remember, especially in a world that increasingly prioritizes speed and efficiency, that affecting true change is difficult: It requires tremendous effort, time, patience and faith in one’s beliefs despite setbacks, and most importantly, a willingness to fight.

Felton Davis/Creative

Protestors in New York City tape posters on an Amazon Books store due to Amazon’s support of anti-immigration laws in 2020.

Montgomery Bus Boycott: Rosa Parks gets fingerprinted at the Montgomery, Alabama Police Department in 1956 after refusing to give up her seat.

Source: Public Domain

action to promote social change

2024 presidential election serves as climate change battleground

Zoe Leontis Social Media Editor

“Remember this: Gasoline, fuel, oil, natural gas went up to a level that it was impossible. … That’s what caused inflation, and we’re going to bring it down because we’re going to go drill, baby, drill,” 2024 Presidential

down on unsustainable energy practices to stop climate change from degrading Earth’s plant and animal species, while others believe it is crucial to support the oil and gas industries due to energy independence and job creation. Voters’ views on climate change will help decide the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, especially given that climate change has significantly intensified in recent years. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Serive — a European Union Earth Observation Program — 2023 was the warmest year in global records going back to 1850. Moreover, according to 2023 research conducted by the World Health

A 2022 U.S. survey conducted by the Pew Research Center on climate change showed that amongst the respondents, 78% of self-identified Democrats and 23% of self-identified Republicans view climate change as a major threat to the nation’s well-being.

Jesse

52.4% of surveyed students agree that climate change is the most important proBlem that society faces right now

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from March 23 to April 9 with 104 responses

Organization, 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. As Gunn students approach voting age, their understanding of current debates will help them establish their opinions on the matter.

Concern about climate change has increased rapidly for decades. In 1970, former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to raise awareness about environmental issues. In 1988, ozone-layer depletion became an increasingly prominent issue in politics. The ozone layer protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation, and its depletion contributes significantly to global warming. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that currently, the rate of warming is more than three times as fast as it was in 1980.

Beyond the ozone layer, Earth’s average temperatures are increasing, sea levels are rising, glaciers and ice sheets are melting and severe weather is becoming more frequent, according to the Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit. Indeed, scientists estimate that the “safe threshold” for global warming could be passed in less than a decade. Nevertheless, Democratic and Republican views differ significantly when it comes to climate change.

31% of surveyed students Believe that climate change will play a major role in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election

Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from March 23 to April 9 with 104 responses

Many Democrats believe that tackling climate change is important because of the threat it poses to humanity. During his time in office, President Joe Biden — who is running for reelection this year — passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest piece of federal legislation to address climate change thus far. Aiming to reduce carbon pollution, this act includes $8.8 billion in subsidies for home energy efficiency and electrification projects, which are estimated to save American homeowners up to $1 billion per year.

On the other hand, many Republicans don’t see a strong connection between human activity and climate change. In 2017, former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, which slowed international efforts to reduce emissions. Additionally, in 2020, Trump finalized plans that allowed mining and drilling in nearly 1 million acres of land in Utah, which were formerly off-limits. More recently, ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, Trump supporters showed their enthusiasm for oil and gas drilling. Along with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump promised surging levels of oil and gas drilling and the removal of President Biden’s climate change policies.

These differences could prove significant in November. According to 2024 research conducted by Matthew Burgess, an associate professor at Brooklyn College, views on climate change played a significant role in whom people voted for in 2020. Burgess and his team of researchers from Vanderbilt University and the University of California, Santa Barbara used logistic regression, a machine learning model and a simulation of the Electoral College, adjusting the importance of climate change in their study. They concluded that Republicans could have gained at least a 3% swing in the popular vote if climate change was not a top priority for voters, which would have almost guaranteed them the White House in 2020. Burgess’ team also found that one-quarter of Republicans who find climate change to be an important issue voted for Biden in the 2020 election.

In 2023, the Pew Research Center found that around three-fourths of Democrats approve of Biden’s actions against climate change. A large portion of the electorate views climate change as an important issue and want to see a future where it is taken into account. These beliefs will lead people to vote for the candidate that supports their views — most likely Biden.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Biden’s policies have universal support. Some climate advocates feel that he isn’t meeting expectations. On Sept. 18, 2023, climate activists gathered in Midtown Manhattan to protest Biden’s insufficient progress in addressing climate change. Young voters in particular used the protest to show frustration with the slow pace of political action on green issues.

The ongoing debate surrounding climate change extends beyond presidential debates — it is something that will be discussed among students, clubs, families and communities. As Gunn students observe the effects of climate change around them, they should take care to understand candidates’ positions on the issue before deciding who they support.

Q&A with AP Environmental Science teacher Mark Brassey

The Oracle: What is the relationship between government and the environment?

Mark Brassey: Government is supposed to manage the environment for everyone, but sometimes they will manage towards the loudest voices or the most economically powerful voices.

TO: How does the government go about protecting the environment?

MB: They write regulations that have minimal impact. They will be much better off providing incentives for the behaviors that we want, instead of punishing the behaviors we don’t want.

TO: What can we do as voters to protect the environment?

MB: Vote for the people that you think are going to be the best at protecting the environment. Protecting the environment is not an individual thing — it’s a collective (effort).

TO: What is the biggest environmental issue we face in California?

MB: We’re facing increased temperatures, drought, fire risk and rising sea levels.

TO: Why should students care?

MB: It’s your world.

FEATURES

Advanced Authentic Research nurtures student interests

What is the impact of screen time on children’s social-emotional abilities? How have regulatory changes in the food industry affected small businesses? Are Bay Area teachers receiving enough mentalhealth support?

These are just a few of the questions that arise in Advanced Authentic Research, a yearlong course in which students pursue research on a topic of interest. From posing a research question to writing a literature review to collecting and analyzing data, the course takes students through all steps of the research process, culminating in a final research paper and presentation at Foothill College. Students in Gunn’s three-year Social Justice Pathway, which requires AAR as a part of its curriculum, conduct research with a social-action focus.

A key component of the course is mentorship: Each AAR class is assigned two to three mentors — ranging from district parents to local professors to business owners — who regularly check in on students’ progress. According to AAR teacher Rachael Kaci, this model of mentorship has evolved since the course’s development nine years ago.

“Most students, prior to Covid, were assigned to a mentor oneon-one, but we saw such a variance in how the students relied upon the mentors,” she said. “Now that the mentors come into the classroom, they have the opportunity to watch the progress throughout the year and the student growth.”

Under these mentors, students learn critical research skills, such as professionalism and writing. Kaci appreciates how the course challenges students to strengthen their soft skills of time management, communication and adaptability.

“Every single year, every student runs into a hiccup,” she said. “It could be a major one — like last year, I had two students who completely pivoted second semester and redid their project. Or, it could be a minor one, like not having enough respondents on a survey.”

Despite these challenges, AAR students finish the school year with newfound answers to their research questions or having made an impact on an aspect of their community.

For instance, while walking around campus, students might notice green and blue posters with “Don’t Trash Your Planet” in bolded text plastered on any empty wall.

These posters are part of the Sustainability Campaign to Raise Awareness of Plastic Pollution initiative, begun by Social Justice Pathway juniors Phoebe Mota-Judges, Floyd Neesen and Talya Schube this year. SCRAPP’s goal is to motivate Gunn students to clean up trash from school lunches.

“We just saw the problem was so bad,” Neesen said. “If you take a look at the senior and sophomore (quads after lunch), there’s so much (trash). If you’re walking by, you can’t not notice it.”

The group hopes to combat littering by raising awareness. As part of the sensibility campaign, they have created an Instagram account to post videos and infographics about the detriments of non-reusable plastic and the impact of trash on campus.

Although existing posters in each classroom highlight the different materials that go in compost, landfill and recycling, they don’t include all of the wrappings used by the school cafeteria.

“There are reminders to throw away your trash and waste sorting guides that include the (packaging) that is used in the cafeteria,” Neesen said. “The (existing posters) don’t have the things that they use to wrap sandwiches and burgers. We have those.”

Fueled by their determination to improve Gunn’s sustainability, the SCRAPP team has learned valuable skills, such as networking, adaptability and teamwork. According to Schube, there were challenges when working with a lot of people.

“Trying to work on other people’s time, as well as going through a lot of people, was difficult,” she said.

BuddyBonds

AAR projects also extend beyond Gunn’s boundaries. For instance, juniors Namya Kasturi, Samhita Krishnan and Lia O’Donovan have worked to combat elders’ loneliness in Palo Alto through pen pal assignments this year. In collaboration with Palo Alto Commons, a retirement community, they sent a sign-up form

to the home’s residents and are currently waiting to hear back.

From the beginning of the brainstorming process, O’Donovan and her team knew their main goal was to build community.

(This project) taught me a lot about moving on and how to make a change in a community that isn’t sheltered by a class, because this is something we could have done outside of AAR.

Junior Lia O’Donovan

“We wanted to create intergenerational events between the elderly population and teenagers, and we were hoping to branch out to other schools and care homes to work with,” she said.

For O’Donovan, this project stemmed from her desire to become closer to elderly family members.

“I live far away from my grandparents, so when I get to talk to them, it’s very special,” she said. “I know that I have older neighbors on my street and I feel very connected to them when I get to talk to them a lot. I wanted to form that bond for others.”

Although BuddyBonds originally wanted to organize student groups to go to retirement homes, they had to adapt their idea, as finding a retirement home willing to partner with them was much harder than expected.

“It’s taught me a lot about moving on and how to make a change in a community that isn’t sheltered by a class, because this is something we could have done outside of AAR,” she said. “I learned that it’s the real world.”

AAR is more than hands-on work, however: Students must also write up their findings in a formal paper. As sophomore Alisa Sonehara begins drafting her research paper, she needs to cite information from other sources while still integrating her own ideas.

Luckily, she has the support of experienced mentors to help analyze and organize her data. She also uses generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, which help check that her writing is clear, concise and, most importantly, accurate. With these resources, Sonehara has been able to delve into staff mentalhealth supports in PAUSD.

While Sonehara originally planned to research students’ mental health, she ultimately shifted her focus to staff, in light of district staffing shortages and new support initiatives following the pandemic.

“I wanted to see the type of support they are getting because I think there’s a lot of awareness and support for students right now, and there’s a lot more talk about it compared to educators,” she said. “I feel like educators deserve the same attention for mental health, because they matter a lot too.”

Sonehara was surprised to find that improving certain areas of mental health isn’t within the county specialist’s purview.

“For example, in the Healthy Kids Survey, if a teacher’s respondents are saying how they don’t have a good work environment, the mental health specialist isn’t really directed from the district to help improve that — she’s kind of just working on the overall view of the support for mental health,” she said. “That kind of surprised me because I feel like she could do a lot to help (those particular areas) as well.”

According to Kaci, this long-term, hands-on investigation makes AAR unique. With the wealth of professional resources and guidance, she recommends the course to anyone passionate about something and unable to find a class on campus that caters to their interests.

“You’re placed with a mentor or a manager and in a field that’s different from the traditional classroom and still get credits to put on your transcript, so that’s why I like (AAR),” she said. “Don’t shy away if you’re nervous about research — we can help anyone.”

—Written by Kaitlyn Chen and Lise Desveaux

Timeline of AAR project milestones

Students work individually or in small groups to thoughtfully brainstorm and gather background research

Students test out the projects and initiatives outlined in their proposal to gather data for further revisions

Research paper

Students capture their entire project in a final paper

Left: Juniors Phoebe Mota-Judges and Floyd Neesen hang up educational posters as a part of their SCRAPP project. Middle: Students provide feedback on research presentation posters on sticky notes. Right: SCRAPP members work together to place posters on the N-building steps.

Chinyoung Shao

Floyd Neesen

Floyd Neesen

contrasting aesthetics cultivate individuality, habits

Maximalist sophomore Helios Zepka

Safety pins on jackets, doodles on jeans and everchanging hair colors: Sophomore Helios Zepka’s style is bold, eccentric and completely their own. Over the years, they have embraced maximalism through their style, hair and makeup, using their aesthetic to express and accept themselves.

“The way I like to dress is more out of comfort, and I just like looking good,” Zepka said. “It’s also a mix of my gender identity and music, and definitely things I get from my friends that I like to include.”

personality to be dramatic and intense. These attributes influence their aesthetic — for instance, they use stars and thick eyeliner to accentuate their eyes.

minimalist sophomore Hannah Baum

From her tidy beige and white room adorned with twinkling fairy lights to her planned-out, simple and enjoyable lunches, sophomore Hannah Baum enjoys her minimalist lifestyle.

“I’m an organized person, and I like everything straightforward and simple,” she said. “I started by doing small things, such as tidying up my room every night or making my lunch the night before.”

Color-coded calendar events and apps also bring order to Baum’s life, as do simple room decorations.

“I like working with a few pieces that work well together and cohesively,” she said. “I try to match elements together — I have some gold pieces scattered throughout my room and wood

erything routinely.”

To balance her minimalistic organization, Baum expresses herself in other places such as food and clothing. For instance, she likes to use her creativity to experiment with new salad recipes.

Baum also incorporates minimalism into her running routine. As part of the Gunn track and field team, Baum goes to practice with a plan of when and how much to run. This organized schedule allows Baum to focus on her running rather than worry about creating a new plan every day.

“When I go on a run, minimalism has made me not worry about timing and pacing,” she said. “I can just run and relax.”

Dressing this way has not always been easy for Zepka, and they have been ridiculed for their stylistic choices in the past. Over time, however, they have become increasingly immune to insults.

“(Thinking back), that was so dumb of me to take that personally because (the people who made comments) were strangers,” Zepka said. “Why should I care about their opinion if they don’t even

That said, Baum does sometimes find herself losing motivation to “It’s hard to (be organized) all the time,” she said. “Sometimes, I just want to relax and not think about having -

With a clean and organized mindset, Baum enjoys using her minimalism in her daily life.

“I experience less stress,” she said. “The things that I can control I’ve made relatively stress-free by staying organized.”

—Written by Yael Gottesman

This mindset shift allowed Zepka to develop new ways of displaying their individuality.

“(Cutting and dyeing my hair) is like a coping mechanism,” they said. “A lot of the time, you can’t control change, but this is just one small change you can control, and sometimes I (end up)

—Written by Eanam Maor

Aeron Man Chloe Wu

Victor Peng

Freshman

Alina Fleischmann

explores

world through language

Fleischmann finds power in global connections, enhanced communication skills

On her first day of seventh-grade summer school in Germany, freshman Alina Fleischmann introduced herself to her teachers and received the expected reactions from all but one: her health teacher. It wasn’t until she tapped her teacher’s shoulder that she found out that she was deaf. This interaction elevated Fleischmann’s interest in language through showing her the importance of communication.

Fleischmann’s journey with languages began early. Born into a multilingual family in California, her parents introduced her to German and Danish when she was a baby. Alongside these two languages, Fleischmann’s mom spoke Italian and her dad spoke French, further diversifying her language exposure.

“For me, language is a form of self-expression,” she said. “Knowing more languages makes our house a lot more expressive and a lot more vibrant.”

Although Fleischmann was born in the U.S., she moved to Germany when she was a few months old. There, she attended a British international school, where she learned English.

“I say words such as ‘hoover’ instead of ‘vacuum,’ or ‘queue’ instead of ‘line,’” she said. “Because I learned British English, it’s always a really funny conversation to have because (people ask), ‘You were born in California, German’s your first language and you learned British English?’”

By the age of 5, Fleischmann had moved back to the U.S. and begun attending Ohlone Elementary School, where she participated in the Mandarin immersion program for four years.

“It’s a thing in my household where everyone knows a special language that no one else in the household speaks, so (my parents) wanted me to have my special language as Mandarin,” she said.

Although Fleischmann became mostly fluent in Mandarin, she lost her proficiency after leaving Ohlone when she was 9 and started German Saturday school instead.

“If I don’t use (a language) regularly, I will simply forget it,” she said. “It’s harder for (me to forget) languages like Spanish, English and German because I am (completely) fluent in them, but definitely for upcoming languages, if I don’t practice or use it, I’m

going to lose it — and it’s scary.”

Even when Fleischmann lived in Palo Alto, she occasionally visited Europe during the summers. She learned two more languages during these trips: French and Spanish. She began learning French at around 8 years old after an interaction she had at a party with a businessman her dad knew.

“He and my dad were talking about (me), so this guy said, ‘Introduce me to her,’” she said. “I walk up to him, he goes full-blown French on me and I (could not respond).”

After this exchange, Fleischmann’s parents urged her to learn French. Her lack of genuine interest in the language caused her to dislike it, however, and when she was required to choose either French or Spanish in fifth grade at her school in Germany, she opted for Spanish.

“I knew (French) and hated it,” she said. “My parents thought I should have done French. ... In hindsight, that was probably the smart move because I’m now ‘bad fluent’ in both French and Spanish. I should have just stuck to one.”

That said, learning Spanish has allowed Fleischmann to better understand her mother when she speaks Italian, as the two languages share important linguistic similarities. For example, the word for a male cat is “gato” in Spanish and “gatto” in Italian.

When Fleischmann was 9 years old, she began classes to help her with her dyslexia. Fleischmann’s teacher taught her Latin word bases, which led her to fully learn the language.

“I am dyslexic, which makes learning this many languages even more freaky because learning languages is really hard for dyslexic people,” she said. “Learning Latin bases actually helps you a lot to decode (a) word. I was also really interested in Latin and kept learning it because I’m interested in medicine, and everything in

In eighth grade, Fleischmann’s family moved back to Germany for a year. Hearing people speak a familiar language in a new setting allowed her to begin understanding and gain appreciation for the culture.

“(Living) in Palo Alto was quite the bubble,” she said. “It’s crazy. People don’t realize that there’s a world out there. I didn’t realize that either, and then I went and lived in Germany. I felt like I put glasses on for the first time because there was so much out there.”

Fleischmann quickly noticed that culture shapes language, and vice versa: Some words encapsulate ideas that simply don’t exist in other languages’ lexicons. These words are often adopted into other languages because they capture such a specific sentiment. For example, the word “schadenfreude” in German means finding pleasure in others’ misfortunes.

During her time in German school last year and the two summers prior, Fleischmann learned American Sign Language from her deaf teacher.

“For the first few weeks of school, I was completely fascinated,” she said. “Every time she said something, I asked, ‘What’s that in ASL?’ Eventually, she got so annoyed with me constantly asking her what things meant that she just offered to teach me after school.”

ASL opened Fleischmann’s eyes to both the possibilities and limitations of language. Before, she had not recognized the significance of the languages she knew because they were such a quotidian element of her life.

“The main reason I learned (ASL) was to try to connect with someone who wouldn’t normally be able to connect,” she said. “Most of (my background) of languages was that I just grew up speaking them, but this one specifically had a reason and impact.”

Overall, however, Fleischmann has found that each language she has learned — verbal or not — has improved her ability to communicate.

“It’s so much more powerful for me to say ‘I’m feeling exuberant’ instead of ‘I’m happy,’” she said. “Through the ability to manipulate and understand language, you’re able to connect with people because it evokes this emotion that all forms of self-expression do.”

—Written by Anne Dong

Victor Peng

The sun had already set before sophomore Toby Wong was even halfway done cutting his first client’s hair, and it still wasn’t looking quite right. Nevertheless, after three tedious hours, Wong finally completed the cut, marking the start of his business as a barber.

“I gave (my client) the hair he has today — a taper,” he said. “That gave me my nickname: Toby Taper.”

Wong picked up his hair-cutting hobby through maintaining his own. Unsatisfied with how his hair looked, he decided to shape it himself rather than go to a salon.

“One morning when I woke up, (a piece of hair) was sticking out,” he said. “I just cut it off and then that turned into cutting more of it. I didn’t know anything — I just did it for fun and it didn’t look that bad after.”

Although Wong initially cut his hair with kitchen scissors, he eventually began practicing using his

working on other people’s without being taught or watching tutorials.

“I cut my hair for so long that I didn’t (need to) watch tutorials on how to cut hair,” he said. “I already had a basic knowledge of how to cut — the rest was learning as I cut. Over time, I’ve tried new things and it works, and I get faster and more consistent.”

After gaining more practice by cutting his friends’ hair for free, Wong created a clientele by advertising to others in person. His name and services spread by word of mouth.

“I didn’t need to promote anything (online) because it was just my friends that were just letting me cut their hair,” he said. “(When) I finished their cuts, more people started coming.”

As his business grew, Wong faced the decision of pricing. Haircuts he practiced on friends were free, but as he became more skilled, he set the price for a men’s haircut at $12. Feedback from his clients, however, showed him that his cuts were more valuable, causing him to increase the

Wang

“A lot of people that sat in my chair told me they would pay more for the cut,” he said. “I later raised (the price) to $16.”

Wong only offers men’s haircuts, and prices vary depending on the type of haircut. His most well known cut is a taper, a cut in which the hair fades from short to long. He has also cut straight and curly hair mullets, buzz cuts and undercuts.

got cut by me.”

Wong also builds personal connections with new clients, motivating him to continue cutting hair.

“My parents are always really confused because they wonder why I cut hair all day in the garage, but it’s fun for me,” he said. “I get to meet new people. I’ll cut people I’ve never talked to and they come sit in my garage and we get one hour of good conversation. I’ve made friends because I cut their hair.”

—Written by Claire Jittipun

Sophomore Toby Wong creates buzz as barber Junior Kamran Khan stitches up tailored garments styling hobbies inspire entrepeneurship

Sitting on the hardwood floor, surrounded by scissors, denim cloth, pins and the whirring sound of the sewing machine, junior Kamran Khan has one goal: making every stitch on his jeans perfect. He sews the last stitch and tries on his newly fitted denim for the first time. The end product is worth every minute.

Khan began making clothing alterations five months ago to expand his wardrobe options and improve his style. For Khan, tailoring old garments like pants or sweaters is a cheaper alternative to constantly buying new clothes.

Khan started stitching with his mom’s old sewing machine, using tutorials on Instagram and YouTube to learn the necessary skills. Initially, he often made mistakes and had to start over — performing alterations on a pair of pants could take over five hours.

“(The hardest part was) the amount of time that it took me, because at first, I didn’t really know what I was doing and just jumped into alterations blindly,” he said. “I didn’t really know how to plan things out properly, and then (it would) take up hours and hours just to get some things done, but I’ve gotten a lot better now.”

Over time, Khan has learned to plan out alterations in advance to avoid pitfalls. Sometimes, the outlining stage is more arduous than the

“(The process) starts with getting an idea or some inspiration and then second, you have to map it out,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of measurements and marking of chalking and planning out, like

where the cuts are going to go and how big stuff needs to be. Then after that, you have to cut everything out, and (then) you get to the actual sewing part.”

Khan has worked on over 20 pieces, and he now offers his friends clothing customization services. Currently, he primarily works on altering pants, and charges $30 for resizing two pairs.

“In the past two months, I feel like I’ve gotten to a point where I’m happy with what I’m able to create, and enough to start doing it for my friends too and (not just myself),” he said. “I don’t want to push out something that I don’t even think is good.”

Through his clothing alterations journey, Khan has also learned to hold himself accountable and avoid procrastination.

“I’ve learned a lot about not procrastinating because just starting a project can seem really scary at first, especially knowing that you’re hours into it,” he said. “But I think with time, I realized the work is worth it. I should just sit down and start working rather than putting it off.”

While Khan sees the value in expanding his practice to an official clothingalterations business, he also wants to maintain a balance between work and enjoyment.

“At this point where I am right now, I feel like I could start trying to start something,” he said. “I’m also worried that if I do start something and I have that commitment, then my hobby for it will go away.”

Ultimately, as Khan continues to develop his passion for clothing alterations, his goal is to create innovative and high-quality pieces.

“I hope to continue to keep

on improving and making stuff that I can be proud of,” he said. “(I don’t want to just do it for money like that. (I hope to) keep improving and making (even more alterations).”

—Written by Ellie Yuan

Khan

Naomi

PhotocourtesyofKamran

Cosmic Queries: Pondering the Puzzle

Scrolling through their Instagram feed on any given day, one is bound to encounter a post justifying their own rebellious, impulsive nature with their being an Aries or their two-faced tendencies with their Gemini sign. This casual, meme-driven astrology inundating social media platforms has morphed millennia-old traditions into something almost unrecognizable. Astrology, once a revered practice offering profound insights into human behavior and celestial events, has been repackaged into bitesized stereotypes that belittle and diminish its rich complexity. This evolution — or perhaps devolution — of astrology into pop culture’s latest accessory undermines the credibility, historical significance and purpose of the ancient practice.

At the heart of this dilemma is the

While astrology is not truly scientific, authentic practice demands detailed calculations, profound understandings of celestial movements and nuanced interpretations of their potential impact on human life. However, this depth is often reduced to mere caricature on social media. Such a simplistic approach not only misleads viewers but neglects the discipline’s historical importance.

Astrology has been a pivotal cultural and scientific endeavor across civilizations, influencing everything from agricultural cycles to political strategies. Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, astrology played a crucial role in agriculture, guiding farmers on when to plant and harvest — essential for food security in their unpredictable climate. Astrology was also deeply connected to medicine, with practitioners using celestial charts to diagnose and treat illnesses, believing the stars at one’s birth impacted their health.

July23-Aug.22

Astrology also has ties to other intellectual fields. For instance, Galileo Galilei, a key figure in the Scientific Revolution known for his advocacy of heliocentrism, engaged in astrological practices. He conducted astrological readings for wealthy clients and even incorporated astrology into his teachings, illustrating the discipline’s prevalence in the academic and intellectual circles of his time.

To grasp the essence of the current astrological revival, it’s essential to delve into the broader societal trends fueling its resurgence. The confluence of digital culture with the ancient art of astrology presents a compelling modern paradox: A practice rooted in detailed charts and celestial observations now intersects with the immediacy of the digital age. Alongside increased accessibility, this

Zodiac signs provide snapshots of character

Aries, “ram” in Latin, is the first of the zodiac signs. People with Aries signs are typicallycompetitivecourageous, and energetic. Aries share a sign with actor Jim Parsons.

March 21-April 19

Virgo is the second largest zodiac constellation in the sky. Virgos are usually intelligent and hardworking. They share a sign with actor Jack Black

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Taurus, the bull, is a more noticeable constellation. Tauruses are often patient, diligent and resourceful. They share a sign with the late Queen Elizabeth II

April 20-May 20

The weighing scales, Libra, is the only constellation in the night sky to be named after an object. As the name suggests, Libras are usually honest and fair. They share a sign with dancer Isabella Boylston

Sept. 23-Oct. 23

Capricornus, the sea-goat, is one of the fainter constellation in the night sky. Capricorns tend to be hardworking and responsible. They share a sign with former First Lady Michelle Obama

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

One of the oldest constellations, Aquarius is Latin for “water-carrier.” Aquariuses tend to be open-minded and independent. They share a sign with soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

The twin constellation, Gemini, is defined by two key stars: Castor and Pollux. Geminis are usually sweet, outgoing and affectionate. They share a sign with actors Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen

Astrology from ancient the screens of testament to its

May 21-June 21

According to Greek mythology, Zeus put Scorpius, the scorpion, in the sky to pursue Orion, the hunter. Scorpios are often intuitive and brave. They share a sign with actor Ryan Gosling

Oct. 24-Nov. 21

Those born between June 22 and 22 have arehoroscope.theCancers typically nurturing, loyal people with great sense of humor. They share a sign violinistMutterAnne-Sophie

June 22-July 22

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

archer,Sagittarius,theissaidtohave turned himself into aconstellationtoescape Titan.Sagittariusesare humorous,adventurous andoptimistic.They scientistshareasignwith BillNye

Pisces,thefish,isthe lastofthesigns.The butconstellationisfaint, makesitsdistinctV-shape Piscesiteasiertospot. aretypically artistic,forgivingand sharecompassionate.They asignwithwriterLoisLowry Feb.19-March20 —Compiled by Charlotte Qian

Annabel Honigstein

Karis Lau

Puzzle of Astrology in a Digital Age

people are naturally drawn to methodologies that provide a semblance of control or comprehension over their predicaments. The global pandemic’s profound impact on mental health and societal norms has notably increased astrology’s appeal as a beacon of certainty amidst uncertainty, offering many a personalized narrative of solace.

Moreover, platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have repackaged astrology as a mainstream, shareable element of online personas. The repercussions of this shift are significant, altering both the public’s perception of astrology and comprehension by newer generations. As content creators vie for attention in the digital expanse, the intricate details that define astrological practice are often obscured, supplanted by broadstroke generalizations and sensational interpretations. In the quest for digital visibility, content creators often distill complex astrological concepts into simplified, engaging content. For instance, intricate personality analyses are reduced to sun sign attributes, neglecting the depth provided by moon and rising signs. This approach not only generalizes personalities based on a singular aspect of an astrological chart but overlooks nuanced insights into individual behavior and compatibility. Such broad, sensational interpretations risk diluting the detailed nature of traditional astrological practices. Astrology’s migration from ancient archives to the screens of millions is a testament to its lasting appeal. The spread of superficial astrological content across social media platforms dilutes the core of the practice and promotes a misleading portrayal of astrology as a tool for amusement or a self-indulgent gimmick. This phenomenon is indicative of a broader trend of digital misinformation, where the quest for social media engagement often

The Oracle staffer illuminates significance of solar eclipse

Violet Tivol Reporter

Human records of watching eclipses date back thousands of years — many cultures had myths and legends to explain the astronomical phenomenon. It was a sight to behold: the sun being replaced by a dark circle, the sky darkening, animals freaking out and the temperature dropping. Today, many study eclipses for scientific purposes, but some eclipse watchers find a spiritual, astrological connection characteristic of the celestial event’s earliest sightings.

My decision to watch the April 8 solar eclipse at the center of the path of totality stems from a family tradition: After traveling to Missouri to see the 2017 solar eclipse, my family followed this year’s eclipse to the beautiful beaches of Mazatlan, Mexico, where we saw all four minutes and 26 seconds of totality as the moon’s shadow came in over the western coast.

If you are in the path of totality like I was, after second contact — when the leading edge of the moon hits the leading edge of the sun — the moon directly overlaps with the sun and you can take off your protective eyewear to stare directly at the sun. It truly is a moment that a camera cannot do justice — the split-second transition from watching the tiny, orange sliver of sun wane away to observing the breathtaking faux sunset over the ocean, the sun a brilliant halo encompassing the pure black circle of the moon.

While I don’t believe in astrology, I can see how some would want feel a spiritual connection to totality. Astrology, in its original form, is an attempt to find personal meaning in the cosmos — a way to use the stars to explain what seems inexplicable. And even though we now have scientific explanations for why it looks like “the sun has been eaten” (according to some of the earliest carvings of eclipses), it can be fun — and for some, meaningful — to attach personal significance to the event.

Across the U.S., astrology believers have connected this event to

overshadows a commitment to thoroughness and substance.

The challenge, therefore, extends beyond merely addressing rampant misinformation on social media. It involves fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of this age-old practice. Students must differentiate between the oversimplified, often inaccurate astrological content aimed at quick consumption and the thoughtful, comprehensive analysis that, while recognizing astrology’s lack of scientific rigor, respects its complexity and historical roots. Engaging critically with astrological content — questioning its origins, recognizing its limitations and valuing the insights beyond the memes — can help reinstate a level of respect for a discipline that, in many respects, has been coopted by the relentless demand for digital content.

moments for them.

At the same time, our fascination with eclipses has also led to advances in astronomy, as they are key moments to study the moon, the sun, light and orbits. A 1919 eclipse confirmed Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity three years after its publication. During this year’s eclipse, NASA sent out more scientific instruments by rocket to collect data on the eclipse’s effect on Earth.

Whether people look up at the skies to study the sun, find an astrological connection or take in the beauty of an infrequent natural occurrence, they gain appreciation for and curiosity about our world. While rare, eclipses are worthwhile and a reminder to reach for the sky. See you in Spain for the next one in 2026!

Karis Lau

Throwing Shade:

Colorism tints beauty standards, confidence

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

When senior Mahadev Tapaskar attended a summer camp with other Indian kids, he didn’t expect to be faced with insults about his skin color.

“The other kids saw how dark I was and would belittle me,” he said. “I even got called a monkey. Being so dark-skinned made me feel like an outlier. Because of that, I just kept to myself and didn’t really hang out with any of the other kids for the rest of the camp.”

Instances like these highlight a form of prejudice closely tied to racism: colorism. Merriam-Webster defines colorism as “prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.” While racism involves discrimination against people based on their racial group, colorism can occur within a single ethnic group.

From the “brown paper bag test” denying darkskinned Black people entrance into establishments to the development of skin bleaching, colorism has strong historical roots. Its ramifications extend into the present day, perpetuating discrimination and inequality based on skin tone in communities around the world.

Over centuries of enslavement or colonial rule, lighter-skinned individuals were often elevated and granted privileges compared to their darker-skinned counterparts, reinforcing the notion that fair skin equates to beauty and superiority.

In the Black communities in the U.S., the origins of colorism date back to slavery, when enslaved people with fairer complexions — sometimes children of the enslaving man and an enslaved woman — were assigned to work in the house, while enslaved people with darker complexions worked in the fields. Those working in the house were more likely to receive an education, nutritious food and less physically harsh working conditions — though they were often sexually assaulted or raped by enslavers.

“Being so dark-skinned made me feel like an outlier. Because of that, I just kept to myself and didn’t really hang out with any of the other kids for the rest of the camp.”

Colorism persisted post-emancipation, manifesting in the workplace and social hierarchies. Fairer-skinned Black individuals were more likely to secure better jobs and ascend the socioeconomic ladder, perpetuating the notion that lighter skin meant higher status. The infamous “brown paper bag test,” comparing one’s skin tone to the color of a paper bag, emerged as a discriminatory practice used to determine eligibility for membership in elite social circles in the Black community.

Senior Mahadev Tapaskar

In other nations of the Americas, Africa and Asia, colonial powers’ imposition of Eurocentric beauty standards reinforced hierarchies based on skin color, with lighter-skinned individuals often afforded preferential treatment. Over time, colonized peoples internalized these colorist standards, holding onto them even after imperial powers withdrew.

Now, individuals in these communities compete for opportunities and resources based on their perceived “proximity to whiteness.” In a 2002 American Sociological Association paper, Pennsylvania State University sociology and demographics researcher Mark E. Hill explains how “whiteness became identified with all that is civilized, virtuous and beautiful” due to European colonization, bringing those with fairer skin “closer to the opportunities that were only afforded to white people.”

Lighter-skinned individuals may therefore benefit from systemic advantages, further widening the economic gap. In a 2021 study led by the Pew Research Center, 62% of Hispanic adults said that having a darker complexion negatively impacted their chances of getting ahead in the U.S. Additionally, Vanderbilt University economist Joni Hersch led a 2008 study that found that darker-skinned immigrants faced a wage gap of up to 25% compared to their lighter-skinned counterparts. Hersch found that “on average, being one shade lighter has about the same effect as having an additional year of education.” Not all colorist ideals stem from colonization, however. In some uncolonized communities, laborers got more tan from working in the sun, while upper-class citizens stayed indoors and maintained a fairer complexion. Lighterskinned people were thus the ones who had a higher socioeconomic status.

Colonialism’s legacy and socioeconomic assumptions contribute to colorism in countries such as India, which senior Aarushi Kumar has noticed during trips there.

“One of my cousins living in India is a lot paler than me,” she said. “There’s this running joke where people say that they would’ve assumed my cousin was the one from America if I never said anything. Since Americans are assumed to have more money, then that means they must be paler.”

RACIAL PASSING

Racial passing occurs when an individual of one racial group is accepted or perceived as a member of another racial group. Non-white individuals who are “white-passing” are perceived as or able to pass as white due to their physical appearance. Because of racist and colorist ideals, this perception can afford them certain advantages in society, including access to better opportunities and less discrimination.

Diya Bose-Malakar and Safina Syed features editors

Sophomore Airealana Williams, whose mom’s side is Italian and Mexican and dad’s side is Black and Asian, has navigated these skin color biases.

“I feel like there’s a stigma about specifically African Americans that I’ve noticed,” she said. “When I’m with my dad, I noticed we do get looked at differently than when I go out with my mom because my mom has a lighter complexion.”

In the Latino community, white-passing individuals navigate the world with less scrutiny and experience fewer barriers than individuals with darker skin tones.

“Yet, somehow, they always end up picking the lightest one. I notice the same pattern is there with successful Black, Hispanic and other Asian actors in Hollywood too. And the few darker-skinned actors are almost always cast in

“I know that some people like to say to (people who ‘pass’) that they’re very privileged to be able to look ‘passing,’ but I also know that they also have their hardships as well.”

According to “Passing vs Non-Passing: Latina/ o/x Experiences and Understandings of Being Presumed White,” a research paper by Francisco Rodriguez at California State University, San Bernardino, Latinos do not associate themselves with a specific race, causing them to be classified into groups and associated with stereotypes that do not accurately represent the diverse individuals in the community.

Sophomore Megumi Estrada

Sophomore Megumi Estrada Nakamatsu, who identifies as Peruvian Japanese, has observed the different behaviors toward white-passing individuals in her community.

“I know that some people like to say to them that they’re very privileged to be able to look ‘passing,’ but I also know that they also have their hardships as well,” she said.

Processes such as skin-bleaching grew in prevalence during the 19th and 20th centuries in many nations, and many remain in use today. A study led by Allied Market Research showed that the global market for skin lightening was valued at $7.05 billion in 2021.

REPRESENTATION & BELONGING

As an Indian person with a darker-than-average complexion, Tapaskar hasn’t always been able to find people who looked like him on the screen. Even in the Indian film industry, movies are filled with fair-skinned actors.

“There are a lot of light-skinned actors in Bollywood, and it just isn’t proportionate to the billions of people in India,” he said. “And it just gets reinforced because having fair-skinned actors is the easiest way to produce stars and is a way of making money and selling beauty items.”

Preference for lighter-skinned minorities shows up in other major film industries as well. Research done by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that 81% of Black leading actresses from 200919 have a lighter skin tone. Such lack of representation perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces societal ideals of beauty, hurting individuals with darker complexions.

“In Hollywood movies, casting directors have access to a very wide range of skin colors when choosing an Indian actor,” Kumar said.

foundation, I’d put the foundation on myself because I was like, ‘Oh, I guess that’s the beauty standard.’”

EMBRACING DARKER SKIN

Nevertheless, many in comunities with colorist ideals have learned to embrace their darker skin.

Kumar notes that changing society’s equivalence of beauty standards with skin tone is the best way to reduce skin tone-based discrimination. Understanding that a dark skin tone does not indicate unattractiveness can improve people’s perception of self-worth.

“Growing up in California, I have learned to embrace being tan, and I’m happy in my skin,” she said. “I try my hardest to share this same belief with my relatives in India because colorism is very closely tied with beauty standards in East and South Asian cultures. But it’s gonna take a lot more work to spread that same message in Western cultures because there are a lot of misconceptions, so colorism is generally very closely tied with racism here.”

Other students have looked to notable figures who share the same deep complexion they have. Lopez has found this reflection helpful.

“One day, I was crying because a girl said to me, ‘Oh, you’re so brown, like the dirt,’ and I was telling my dad in Spanish, ‘Oh, I wish I was white,’” she said. “He (said,) ‘Don’t say that, your skin color is pretty — it’s just like (Our Lady of Guadalupe’s).’ I really liked her story and idolized her, so I realized I shouldn’t feel bad because I’m the color of her and she’s pretty, so I should feel proud of myself.”

Chinyoung Shao

Nakamatsu

Japanese exchange students visit Gunn in Terakoya Program’s second year

From March 16 to March 24, Gunn students hosted 10 students from Japan as part of World Terakoya Program, a Japanese cultural exchange program. The exchange students shadowed their Gunn hosts during their school day, as well as visited local attractions such as San Francisco and Stanford University.

World Terakoya Program, based in Tokyo, was founded by Stanford post-graduate student Masaki Nakamura in 2022. This year’s program was the second exchange they organized.

Japanese teacher Matt Hall invited all students in his Japanese classes to host exchange students at their homes, but prioritized his Japanese 3 and AP Japanese classes due to students’ higher proficiency with Japanese and the time commitment of hosting. In the end, 10 families in the Japanese courses who volunteered to be hosts were connected with their exchange students’ families in Japan.

“It’s a tough ask,” Hall said. “You’re asking for a week of the family’s time and all of this week at school. (They have to) bring a Japanese homestay with them to everywhere, every class. So it’s a lot of work because everybody’s busy.”

Many of the Japanese exchange students came to the U.S. to research one topic of their choice through creating various surveys and questionnaires. For example, junior Mitsuki Hamasaki, who attends Osaka Business Frontier High School, was most interested in entrepreneurship. Beyond gauging Gunn students’ interest in business and learning more about the American economy, Hamasaki also wanted to use this opportunity to improve his English.

“When they’re teaching English in Japan, they mainly teach reading and writing, but they don’t really teach speaking and listening that much,” Hamasaki said in a conversation translated from Japanese by his host, senior Yahya Mirza. “So (I) can do perfectly well on an English test, but when it comes to an actual conversation, it’s a lot more difficult.”

Hall shares this goal of mutual language integration for his students.

“My goals were twofold: one certainly was for my students to help the Japanese guests,” Hall said. “It’s up to us to be good ambassadors of our culture, and anthropologists of their culture. The secondary goal

is of course for my students to also get some practice with our Japanese.”

Host junior Nikki DeVincentis found it rewarding to both help his exchange student learn more about Japanese culture, as well as practice Japanese in a more casual context.

“I’d say my favorite experience so far is probably just learning the colloquial language,” he said. “I can always learn more grammar patterns and learn more vocab, but (what I’ve learned from this experience) isn’t exactly something that can be taught, like all the slang and casual language. It’s just been really exciting to be able to converse with them in a natural tone, different from the Japanese that I’ve been taught in class.”

Exchange student sophomore Minori Ohishi, who is interested in studying animal welfare, expressed gratitude for her host’s — and Gunn’s — welcoming attitude.

“I can’t speak English well and I am only here for a week, but everyone accepted me warmly, talked and ate with me as a member of their family or their friend,” Ohishi said. “I (just) want to say thank you.” Ohishi found the Palo Alto community’s inclusivity pleasantly surprising.

“I’m surprised the most at the warmth of people,” she said. “People from many different countries live here, and everyone accepts each other without denying everyone else. I think this is a wonderful thing.”

Those involved in the exchange — students and staff alike — appreciated the Gunn community’s flexibility and openness. According to Hall, teachers from every department were cooperative with the extra students and Japanese staff members coming in to observe their classes.

“People talk a lot about teachers being very solo or very, ‘I just want to teach my classes and nobody bother me,’ but that’s certainly not been the case,” Hall said. “I’ve received tremendous support from the overall staff and their willingness to show what they’re all about. And these Japanese staff members, they’ve never seen Americans teach, (but) they’re seeing the best of the best here at Gunn.”

—Written by Kaylee Cheng

Top: Ten students from the Terakoya Japanese cultural exchange program stayed with Gunn hosts for a week in March.

Middle: Exchange students and hosts wave from the P-building steps. Bottom: Gunn hosts and exchange students prepare for a group trip to Apple and Google.

Chinyoung Shao

Chinyoung Shao

Photo courtesy of Matt Hall

Athletes of the Month: Seniors Sean Li and Lauryn Selvaraj

Senior Sean Li: Baseball

Sean Li: I just played from a young age, and I think the teamwork that comes with baseball has really made me stick with it throughout the years. Pretty much all of my closest friends throughout my life have played baseball, and it’s really helped me grow close with them. The roller coaster of emotions that comes with baseball, all the ups and downs — especially the downs, they make the ups a lot better. It’s a very mental sport, so I feel like I’ve grown a lot with it.

TO: How has this season been for you individually and as a whole team?

SL: Individually, I’m playing the best I’ve ever played. I have a really good mindset, and I’m really confident in my skills. I’m having the most fun out of any of the years so far. Team-wise, we went through a little rough patch before spring break. But our last two games before spring break, we were definitely improving, and we’re definitely on the right track to winning more games. So I’m just excited for what’s to come.

TO: Now that you’re a senior, how are you feeling with this being your last season on the Gunn team?

SL: The four years definitely went by really fast for me. It’s pretty crazy seeing how — because I’ve been on varsity for all four years — the team has changed in those four years. (When) we started off in freshman year, we weren’t that good, and now we’ve proven that we get to compete with some of the top teams in the area. I’m satisfied with how the four years have gone.

Lauryn Selvaraj: My dad has been putting in a lot of time since I was 10. He’s gone to every game, driven me to every practice, so that really inspires me to do my best. Then, a lot of my teammates, especially at Gunn — like Ruth (Jaquette) and I have been playing together for so long, I feel like she inspires me to do my best and she’s always there to support me when I’m playing.

TO: What has been the most memorable moment this season?

LS: We were at Cupertino (High School), and we didn’t think we were going to win. Then in the first inning, we did really well and scored five runs. My freshman year, our game was recorded on Cal-Hi Sports against Cupertino, and that game was really close. I didn’t do too well that game, but then this year — it was like four years later — it was cool to see how we improved. At the end of the game Ruth and I did a little handshake that got on camera, so it was pretty cool.

TO: How has your last season on the Gunn team been?

LS: It’s kind of sad. My co-captain Ruth and I, we’ve been here for four years and we’ve known the coach for a long time. So just knowing that it’s our last time we’re ever going to be playing on this field and with each other — because we played together for I think 10 years now — and knowing that it’s about to end is something sad we’re both thinking about. We’re trying to really live in the moment and have a good season.

—Compiled by Safina Syed

Sexual misconduct in sports necessitates greater accountability

Katie LaWer Sports Editor

Beyond thrilling spectacles that unite fans, major sporting events like the Olympics and the soccer World Cup provide platforms for athletes to showcase their talent and dedication. These monumental events, however, are often tainted by the dark realities female athletes and employees face. A 2018 report conducted by the U.K. charity Women in Sport found that 40% of women in the sports industry say they have faced gender discrimination. This reality undermines the integrity of the sports industry, and it is imperative that the institutions overseeing these events uphold the highest standards of accountability when addressing cases of inappropriate behavior.

In April 2014, gymnast Amanda Thomashow, a Michigan State University graduate, filed a Title IX complaint against team physician Larry Nassar, alleging inappropriate behavior during a medical examination. However, the university’s inquiry dismissed Thomashow’s complaint and ruled Nassar’s behavior as “medically appropriate.” Nassar was allowed to continue working at MSU for two more years until Sept. 20, 2016, when he was finally fired. It took until 2018 for Nassar to be convicted and sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, after 18 victims filed a federal lawsuit against Nassar, MSU, USA Gymnastics and Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, alleging sexual assault, battery, molestation and harassment between 1996 and 2016.

Negligence in addressing these complaints causes repercussions extending beyond individual cases, eroding trust in entire organizations. Although the resignation of the USA Gymnastics board in 2018 was a step in the right direction, it came

years too late for those who had suffered Nassar’s abuse. In 2021, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared in an interview that she wouldn’t be comfortable with her daughter’s training with USA Gymnastics, given the organization’s lack of accountability. This sentiment is just one example from the many gymnasts who felt the sport’s governing body had failed to protect and listen to them. USA Gymnastics’ failure to take complaints seriously and act swiftly exacerbates survivors’ trauma and perpetuates a culture of impunity for perpetrators.

While Nassar’s abuse may be the most prominent example of sexual misconduct in sports, it is not an isolated phenomenon. Similar patterns of abuse have emerged in other high-level sports organizations, including USA Taekwondo, where coaches like Jean Lopez have been accused of exploiting their positions of power to prey on female athletes. Lopez was accused of abuse by multiple female athletes and banned from coaching for life by the organization, after a 2018 U.S. Center for Safesport investigation concluded that Lopez had “a decade-long pattern of sexual misconduct” and used his power to “groom, manipulate, and ultimately sexually abuse younger female athletes.” However, in December 2022, the International Court of Arbitration lifted the lifetime ban, as it had been based on the 2011 Code of Ethics, which was only instituted after the incidents had occurred.

The lifting of this “lifetime” ban raises serious concerns about the efficacy of disciplinary measures and the prioritization of justice for survivors.

Moreover, misconduct in the sporting world extends beyond staff and coaches to the executive personnel of sporting organizations. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup award ceremony, Luis Rubiales, former Royal Spanish Football Federation president, kissed Spanish national soccer player Jenni Hermoso without consent.

In an emergency meeting called by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales denied any wrongdoing and claimed the

kiss was consensual. Later that year, at the Federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly, Rubiales claimed that he had been the target of “social assassination” and continually restated that he would not resign.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation sided with Rubiales, accusing Hermoso of lying about the kiss and threatening to take legal action against her. Rubiales’ resignation came only after more than 80 other Spanish soccer players put their names on a statement supporting Hermoso, saying they would not return to the national team if the case were not resolved fairly.

Nassar’s exploitation of female gymnasts, Lopez’s predatory behavior toward female taekwondo athletes and Rubiales’ refusal to accept accountability highlight systematic failures that require meaningful reforms. The delayed responses, inadequate actions and sometimes even complicity of sporting institutions erode the trust of female athletes, fans and staff members. A commitment to accountability at all levels of sports governance is crucial, as female athletes should not have to publicly fight for their complaints to be taken seriously. Moving forward, sports organizations must prioritize the well-being and safety of all involved parties. They should implement robust safeguarding measures and ensure swift and decisive action in response to misconduct. Abuse should not have to escalate into yearslong patterns before accusations are taken seriously — every complaint should be thoroughly investigated.

If misconduct isn’t addressed at the professional level, it sets a precedent of impunity, meaning that abuse at the highschool level may also go unpunished. By actively listening to survivors, addressing systemic flaws and holding perpetrators accountable, organizations can create sporting environments in which everyone can thrive without fear of exploitation, fostering a culture of integrity in the sports community.

Timeline of sexual misconduct in sports

Sept. 20, 2016

Former USA Team physician Larry Nassar is fired from USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University after multiple allegations of sexual abuse.

Aug. 20, 2023

Royal Spanish Football Federation

President Luis Rubiales kisses

Spanish national soccer player Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the women’s World Cup awards ceremony.

Dec. 7, 2022

Former USA Takewondo coach Jean Lopez’s lifetime ban from the sport due to sexual misconduct is lifted.

Icons courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Oracle: What made you want to start playing?

The Oracle: Who inspires you to play?

Photo courtesy of Sean Li

Photo courtesy of Lauryn Selvaraj Senior Lauryn Selvaraj: Softball

Superstar players lead Women’s basketball into new era

Vivian Studdert Sports Editor

Every other weekend for most of my childhood, you could catch my dad and me at the Stanford women’s basketball game, sitting somewhere on the upper levels with a frozen pink lemonade between us. My household names of the 2010s included Kiana Williams, Haley Jones, Alanna Smith and the Hull twins. I never really wondered about the men’s team — for a time, I assumed Stanford didn’t have one. Then I simply decided that they obviously weren’t as fun to watch as the women, and didn’t give the idea too much more thought.

Although this was the way I was brought into the world of collegiate basketball, the reality is quite the opposite. Much to the surprise of my 12-year-old self, women’s basketball at all levels has significantly fewer followers compared to men’s.

Since 2021, however, this narrative has begun to change. Over the past couple years, there has been an influx of new talent among collegiate women. Some of the biggest recent names — University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers, Stanford University forward Cameron

ated Press First Team All-American and a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s 2023-24 Women’s All-America Team.

Also on this All-American team is Stanford’s Brink. The 6-foot-4 senior is an absolute powerhouse inside the paint, her unmatched skill bringing her national attention. Selected as the 2023-24 Pacific-12 Conference women’s player of the year and defensive player of the year, Brink is just as decorated as Bueckers and Clark, and has led her team to many victories.

A new player on the scene, USC’s Watkins is carving her own path, showing endless potential in her freshman season. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging an insane 27.1 points per game (in their freshman seasons, Brink, Bueckers and Clark averaged 9.9, 20.0 and 26.6 points per game, respectively). Although the Trojans did take a dive out of the March Madness Elite Eight to Bueckers and the Huskies, basketball fans can’t wait to see Watkins’ next season.

Whether it’s stewing over the next All-Star 3-point contest (possibly involving Caitlin Clark), or keeping an eye out for courtside Warriors guard Stephen Curry (who is the son of Dell Curry, Brink’s godfather) at the Maples Pavilion, collegiate women’s basketball is catching fire and no one can look away. However, this ground-breaking talent isn’t the only thing raising the audience numbers.

Women’s basketball has shown it has a flair that men’s basketball just can’t match, whether that be the unbelievable outfits Louisiana State head coach Kim

ruffled sleeves of her jacket shake and her pump heels click against the court. A true icon of women’s collegiate basketball, Mulkey is just one non-player aspect that keeps viewers wanting more.

As for the increased intensity of play, there’s been an uptick in physical altercations in women’s ball over the past couple years — and the publicity surrounding them. Not uncommon in men’s games, fights between players are a rarity in women’s games. As to be expected, the NCAA has a zero-tolerance policy toward unnecessary violence, but that doesn’t stop the fact that an explosion of emotion can sometimes be one of the most interesting parts of a game. Viewers (including myself) go wild for a good, juicy fight and love seeing passion and emotions running high on the court.

While March Madness may be over, with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks coming off an undefeated season to take the tournament win over Clark and the Hawkeyes, the fame of women’s basketball will continue growing. All eyes may be looking at the collegiate competition right now, but fans will follow these idols past graduation — Clark, Brink and countless other collegiate firecrackers have already declared for the WNBA draft on April 15, with Clark projected as the top pick.

My 12-year-old perception of the popularity of women’s basketball was plainly incorrect, but the tables are turning. A new era of basketball is upon us — one that brings women’s sports one step closer to the recognition that they deserve. One that lets little girls stand at the three-point line and not dream of being the next Stephen Curry, but the next Caitlin Clark.

knee injury for most of her sophomore year, returning just in time to lead her team to a national champion ship. There, Bueckers tore her ACL, leading her to miss her entire junior season. In her senior year, Bueckers has beaten the odds, proving she is still an elite player as the 2023-24 Big East scholar-athlete of the year, an Associ

female basketball player Sabrina Ionescu makes history in nba all-star tournament

Some sports players manage to become cultural forces whose popularity extends beyond the court. In February, NBA player Stephen Curry and WNBA player Sabrina Ionescu’s top-tier three-point shooting led to a showdown at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. In the “Steph versus Sabrina 3-Point Challenge,” Curry managed to beat Ionescu 29-26.

According to varsity boys basketball player sophomore Rylan See, this event was the first coeducational professional basketball competition hosted by the NBA and WNBA.

“Even though Sabrina lost, it was exciting to watch, as we got to see the best shooters from both the NBA and WNBA duel it out for the first time,” he said.

According to See, Ionescu’s ability to score at a similar level to contestants from the men-only 3-point contest is encouraging.

“(Ionescu) actually tied Damian Lillard’s score, who was the (men’s) 3-point champion this year,” he said. “(She) showed that she was able to shoot the ball just as well as the best shooter in the world, which will encourage more girls to play.”

The showdown drew 5.4 million viewers, making it the most-

viewed competition during

“People love to see Steph Curry, so seeing him associated with a WNBA player will likely bring more attention to the WNBA,” she said.

Boys junior varsity basketball coach Matt Passell hopes that Ionescu’s performance will help audiences better recognize WNBA players’ skills.

“Hopefully, other events like this — where you have good competition between men and women — (will make it) so that the people who wouldn’t tune into a women’s basketball contest get to see how talented they are,” he said.

Duggan echoed how the contest garners not only more attention but more regard for women’s basketball.

“It shows that the WNBA should be respected more because the best shooter in the NBA was competing against one of the best WNBA shooters,” she said. “This brings more attention to the talent that the WNBA has.”

Yu-Ming Liu

All-Star Saturday Night. According to varsity girls basketball player sophomore Lena Duggan, the contest’s popularity — combined with Curry’s — improves the WNBA’s outreach.

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons. Collage by Vivian Studdert

Sophie Rong —Written by

Meteoric growth of women’s wrestling affords new opportunities

This year, Louisiana joined the 45 states that certify girls wrestling at the high school level. Of these states, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania hosted their first state-sanctioned girls wrestling tournaments.

In the broader scope of women’s wrestling, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced plans to add the sport as the 91st NCAA championship sport in winter 2026, with the vote set for next January. These recent developments mark the progress of girls wrestling as the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

It’s honestly a lot easier to compete with girls after drilling with these heavier, stronger guys. It just toughens you up.

Junior Angelina Jiang

Despite the uptick, wrestling remains a coeducational sport at Gunn due to a matter of numbers, according to head coach Jorge Barajas.

“Financially, we would have to figure out the number to grant another coach for a girls team and recruit more female wrestlers,” he said. “But (a girls wrestling team is) definitely the goal.”

Aspects of the coed practices, in which both genders drill against each other and compete with their respective gender brackets, have been ideal for junior Angelina Jiang.

“For me, (the routine is) mostly drill with the guys during practice and then go out and compete with girls,” she said. “It’s honestly a lot easier to compete with girls after drilling with these heavier, stronger guys. It just toughens you up.”

Wrestler sophomore Aurora Woodley embraces the opportunity to grapple with her teammates’ different styles.

“Being coed is being able to wrestle with a bunch of different people, which is more important than just wrestling with people who are stronger than you,” she said.

This season, the number of female wrestlers on the team has doubled. Alongside the returning members — senior Isabella Lee, Jiang and Woodley — the team welcomed five freshman girls: Mei Elgierari, Thea

Kissiov, Avni Lochan, Zara Vivekanand and Mina Van Roy.

While these girls are the minority in the maledominated team, this imbalance is the very thing that creates camaraderie, according to Elgierari.

“During the SCVAL (Santa Clara Valley Athletic League) sectionals tournament, (the girls) each went to one another’s matches when we could, and although some of us didn’t qualify, we still stayed together and supported one another,” she said. “It really helped, especially for those who weren’t done and were really nervous.”

Emerging players may shy away from the sport because they don’t know what the wrestling experience is like for girls.

“Wrestling is super intense, but people don’t understand that it’s not something that you should fear while being a female because the team is supportive of you,” Woodley said.

At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is still something of a niche sport, as only four NCAA Division I institutions have varsity women’s wrestling teams: South Carolina’s Presbyterian College, Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University, and Missouri’s University of Iowa and Lindenwood University.

“Right now, there are only four colleges that have DI women’s wrestling, and a lot of colleges only have clubs or they don’t have women’s wrestling at all,” Jiang said. “So it’s really hard to get a scholarship. I know a lot of really good wrestlers, some who got into Stanford, (and) couldn’t wrestle anymore because there wasn’t a women’s wrestling team up until now.”

This limited opportunity does not deter Jiang from further pursuing the sport. Rather, fellow female wrestlers — such as 18-year-old Audrey Jimenez, who became the first girl to win an Arizona state high school wrestling title while competing against boys on Feb. 18 — have become role models for Jiang.

“There have been a couple of times where I’ve considered challenging one of the boys for a varsity spot for duels, because at duels, in all technicalities, a girl (is allowed to) challenge and wrestle guys, like in a lot of other states like Arizona,” Jiang said. “It’s not allowed the other way, just because of physiological differences. It brings up the whole thing of women in men’s sports and how women can bring themselves up to the challenge if they want to.”

Barajas recalls how 2014 Gunn alumna female

world-level wrestler Cadence Lee, known for pinning down boys during her high school wrestling career, paved the way for girls in the absence of sanctioned girls’ wrestling. Because of women like Lee, along with women’s wrestling advocate Lori Ayres, who cofounded the organization D1 Women’s Wrestling and helped start the Stanford University women’s wrestling club, Barajas’ wrestling perspective has experienced a full-circle moment.

“I’m able to see where (wrestling) was to where it is now,” he said. “I think (local female forefront wrestlers) help our community of wrestlers. We have a good support system for girls’ wrestling just down the road at Stanford, where Lori Ayres is that voice (saying) that girls wrestling is something that needs to be going.”

For Barajas, coaching Jiang and Lee at the Feb. 22-24 California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships came against an important cultural backdrop: larger girls wrestling tournaments in the future. Girls state tournaments are now held at the same level as the boys’ and have full brackets. According to Barajas, brackets were around 20 girls, but now they reach 32-40 girls.

“If (this growth) continues, I could see the girls, within next year, at a 64-person bracket as well,” he said. “It’s just that fast-growing.”

I think it’s so important that wrestling teaches women how to deal with pain and loss and how to fight for yourself in the real world.

Sophomore Aurora Woodley

Woodley has found that wrestling entails more than mere physical prowess, requiring intellectual and mental strength.

“I think it’s so important that wrestling teaches women how to deal with pain and loss and how to fight for yourself in the real world,” she said. “I’ve learned to just have the fearlessness to stand up for myself.”

—Written by Sylvie Nguyen

Faces in the Crowd: Who is your favorite female athlete?

“My favorite female athlete is Sun Yingsha because she is one of the best ping-pong players in the world and she is really talented.”

—Esther Li, 9

“My favorite female athlete is Sabrina Williams because she works very hard and it inspires me to work hard as well.”

—Frank Zhang, 10

“My

—Cameron Ennis, 11

“My

favorite female athlete is Ai Mori. She’s one of the best rock climbers in the world. She’s a particularly short climber but she’s known for making the most of her limitations.”

favorite female athlete is my water polo teammate Nina Albers because she is so dedicated to her sport and very hardworking — it’s a great quality.”

Photo courtesy of Isabella Lee

Photo courtesy of Angelina Jiang Left: Junior Angelina Jiang is declared the winner by the referee in the California Interscholastic Federation tournament at Bakersfield. Middle: Sophomore Aurora Woodley faces off against her opponent. Right: Senior Isabella Lee tackles her opponent during a match for the Gunn wrestling team’s 2023-24 season.

Photo courtesy of Aurora Woodley

‘Culture

and language are intertwined inextricably’: Phrases lose cultural meanings, nuance in English translations

The French expression “avoir du pain sur la planche” translates literally to “having bread on a board” and can be equated to the English phrase “to have a lot on one’s plate.” French teacher Laura Lizundia, however, finds that the English analogue doesn’t do the original expression justice.

“There’s something lost in translation of the choices of using the comparison of bread and the board because bread-making is a difficult task,” she said. “You have a larger appreciation for the derivation of the expression if you know the literal meaning as well as what the expression figuratively means.”

Another example of a phrase that loses its richness when translated is the Vietnamese saying “lá lành đùm lá rách,” which translates to “good leaf shelters torn leaf.” The expression has become a re sounding message of empathy and solidarity among Viet namese people, accord ing to Vietnamese Culture Club Vice President sopho more Chilton Chau.

“The actual meaning of this is that good people will support and protect those who are vulner able or in need,” he said. “The more fortunate people should try to help ev erybody else out, especially those less fortunate.”

Vietnam’s largely agricultural and rice-dependent culture imbues this saying with additional meaning, since popular rice dishes consumed during holidays like Tết are wrapped in tree leaves and steamed. When torn leaves are reinforced with whole leaves, the rice cakes inside will not crack. This imagery advises people to lend a compassionate helping hand, an aspect those unfamiliar with Vietnamese culture may not catch.

Chau also believes that a reliance on nature most distinguishes Vietnamese sayings from English ones.

“If you see Vietnam, there’s a lot of trees, and it’s tropical and warm,” Chau said. “Because Vietnamese people have always been surrounded by nature and trees, I think that’s where these phrases come from — living as one with the environment.”

Meanings lost in translation also pose an issue when it comes to internationally best-selling novels that have found their way into the Western market, including Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.” Cultural differences can sometimes be muddled in pursuit of a “pure” translation, challenging not only translators of these texts but also their readers.

For instance, when English teacher Diane Ichikawa

tried to describe protagonist Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov’s giddy nature to a Russian-speaking friend, she found that a one-word characterization in Russian took at least a sentence or two in English.

“Culture and language are intertwined inextricably,” Ichikawa said. “There’s no way to be able to translate from one very different culture to another different culture with ease and facility.”

g

That said, Ichikawa believes that technological advancements have weakened, if not removed, the barrier of

“In the 1970s and 80s, there was this explosion of multicultural literature,” she said. “You had people who were trying to write about their cultural experiences in English but they would do this thing where they would say something in, for example, Chinese and then in parentheses next to it, translate it into English. Now, I think the trend is that — especially because we have search engines at the tips of our fingers — if we read something in another language and we don’t quite get it, if we are that invested in it, we have the ability to look it up.”

Written by Maddie Cheung

LGBTQ+ representation in media remains superficial, stereotypical

Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sees the untimely death of supporting protagonist Tara Maclay by bullet wound, shortly after the lesbian character reconciles with her love interest, Willow Rosenberg. Similarly, in the popular fantasy-drama show “Game of Thrones,” fan favorite and openly bisexual character Oberyn Martell suffered a gruesome and unexpected end after his skull was crushed by the bare hands of a lesser skilled opponent.

Premature deaths of LGBTQ+ characters aren’t isolated incidents. Fans have observed that shows with LGBTQ+ representation tend to rely on harmful tropes and unvaried or inaccurate characterization.

Junior Olivia Souter said this pattern originates from the Hays Code, self-enforced industry guidelines that restricted what content could be shown onscreen between 1930 and 1968. While adherence was not legally required, studios that violated the code could face consequences such as boycotts and loss of their production seal.

“One of those (rules) was that your characters must be straight,” Souter said. “If there are any kisses on screen, they have to be between a man and (a woman).”

In a cinematic world where “good” always triumphed, characters who presented against the straight, white, cisgender ideal were condemned for even existing. Queer characters were often subjected to brutal, gruesome deaths, especially in horror movies such as the “Scream” franchise, “Final Destination” and “The Children’s Hour.”

“You might say, ‘Why is the queer character the one that dies first and dies the most brutally?’” Souter said. “But if you’re outside of the (LGBTQ+) community, and you don’t know the implications of that, you’re just like, ‘Oh, it’s a horror movie, everyone has brutal deaths.’”

The main purpose of these deaths was shock value, so these characters and their stories didn’t lead to meaningful representation, according to Souter.

“People have to die in television,” she said. “That’s just kind of the way it works. But it’s this way of giving queer fans just a tiny little bit of what their relationship

could be, and then immediately taking it away in such a brutal way.”

One of these tropes, “Bury Your Gays” — in which queer characters are subjected to tragic, untimely deaths in an attempt to evoke an emotional audience response — disproportionately affected lesbian characters, hurting the LGBTQ+ community.

Queer fans are tired of seeing their characters die. Because if that’s all the media is showing, then you’ll believe all you’re good for is dying for someone else’s story.

Junior Olivia Souter

“Queer fans are tired of seeing their characters die,” Souter said. “Because if that’s all the media is showing, then you’ll believe all you’re good for is dying for someone else’s story.”

Even though television shows, movies and books are moving away from these arcs, other problems have begun to arise, such as stereotypes about how LGBTQ+ characters should act, dress and behave based on their identity. Queer men are often associated with flamboyance and femininity, while queer women are portrayed as masculine or tomboyish.

According to junior Phoebe Mota-Judges, being exposed to a narrow range of perspectives limits one’s

self-expression and can skew people’s relationship with their identity.

“It’s always bothered me, when how someone looks and dresses is equated to their sexuality,” Mota-Judges said. “Because even though there can be influence, there is no right and wrong way to ‘look gay.’”

Junior Noah Murase has observed similar problems with how the media utilizes cookie-cutter plotlines for LGBTQ+ characters to avoid losing audience traction.

“Two people can say they’re bisexual and both be bisexual, but have completely different interpretations that are both completely valid,” he said. “Being queer is a unique experience to every person.”

Souter encourages creators and audiences to educate themselves on harmful queer tropes and avoid holding LGBTQ+ protagonists to different standards than their heterosexual counterparts.

“They’re just two people who are in love, or they’re just a person who’s trying to figure themselves out,” Souter said. “If you treat it like it’s this big thing that requires a joke at every turn, and they can’t hold a conversation without talking about (being queer), that’s not going to go the way it should.”

Similarly, Mota-Judges hopes that the media industry makes more space for diverse identities and experiences.

“It would be nice to see more diverse representation getting celebrated and accepted — not just stories that are about struggle,” she said. “They could be science fiction, going on crazy adventures, solving murder mysteries.”

For Souter, heartfelt, dynamic stories that don’t rely on stereotypical and harmful characterizations of queer characters can have a lasting impact.

“Representation is really, really important, especially in media that’s aimed at kids, teenagers and young adults,” Souter said. “Because being able to see someone onscreen who looks like you, acts like you, has similar disabilities or loves the same way that you do is really, really powerful.”

Written by Vanisha Vig

Irene Hon

cooking corner: spring recipes bring fruity, fresh flavors

Apricot pastry

As an avid baker since quarantine, I’ve made lemon bars, chocolate crinkle cookies, cream puffs and more. I chose an apricot pastry recipe for this spring season because apricots start ripening in the spring and through the summer. This was my first time working with a butter dough, however, so I was a bit worried about the results.

Although the list of ingredients called for puff pastry, I substituted it with Pillsbury’s Grands! Flaky Layers Original Biscuits. I was also supposed to use demerara sugar — larger sugar crystals with a brown shade from molasses — for decoration, but since few of us, including me, have it in our pantries, I omitted it.

I realized that it’s important to drain and pat down the canned apricots with a kitchen towel to prevent the extra moisture from making the pastry soggy. Shaping the dough was tricky, so I kept my dough flat and traced a square with my knife, half an inch from the edge, keeping two corners diagonal from each other still intact with the rest of the dough. I made the squares big enough to fit the apricots, and I was generous with the cream-cheese mixture, since the cream wouldn’t have been as noticeable after

Asparagus pasta

Although this was my first time cooking something besides scrambled eggs, I decided to challenge myself and cook a meal for my family. I chose to cook pasta with asparagus and lemon because the recipe seemed simple and asparagus’ peak season is in April and May.

To be honest, I ignored the stated measurements for the asparagus, opting to measure with my heart. I went with two asparagus per person and drizzled enough olive oil to coat them. To cook the asparagus, I cut off the tough root ends before halving the remaining spears. Since I didn’t have a grater to zest the lemon, I cut the outer layer of the lemon peel and diced it. After juicing the lemon and adding salt and pepper to balance out the flavors, I added two extra garlic cloves to the oil mixture to get the flavors out.

For the pasta, I also ended up going with my own measurements, measuring roughly one serving of pasta by making a circle with the tip of my index finger touching the base of my thumb. Because I was worried about over- or undercooking the pasta, I stirred it every minute or two to check its readiness.

Recipe here:

Recipe here:

Irene Hong

the Oracle’s egg hunt-eggstravaganza crOsswOrd

don’t put all yOur eggs in One basket: put them in fOur!

Instructions: Number the eggs to sort them into four themed categories. Chinyoung

Answers (left to right): Rachel Congress, Chris Redfield, Daniel Hahn, Misha Hlasek

‘THE WALT DISNEY OF JAPAN’: HAYAO

ANIMATION STYLE LEAVES AUDIENCES SPIRITED AWAY

This past December, filmgoers around the world flocked to local theaters to watch legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years. Miyazaki, co-founder of Japanese animation collective Studio Ghibli, had announced his retirement after the 2013 release of “The Wind Rises,” which he directed.

His newest film, “The Boy and The Heron,” released in theaters with little prior announcement and promotion. Now that the director, 83, has produced another structurally complex and visually striking film — in March, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature — avid fans and critics alike are reflecting on the transformative impacts he has left during his long, celebrated career.

Animated film far precedes Miyazaki: By the time he entered its complex world, the medium had found global success, especially thanks to animation giant Disney. Moreover, in his native Japan, animated content (commonly referred to as anime) was a beloved alternative to traditional live-action cinema, and its films and television series were — and often still are — adaptations of popular manga, or Japanese comics.

While Miyazaki may not have pioneered animated film, he has still influenced its course greatly. Beginning with Studio Ghibli’s first film, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (1984), Miyazaki established one of his signature storylines: following young protagonists faced with quests highlighting family, adolescence, environmentalism, war and mortality.

While “Nausicaä” is considered to be fairly graphic and violent, other Miyazaki works such as “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988) and “Ponyo” (2008) follow his classic storyline through a more

lighthearted, family-friendly lens. Art of Visual Storytelling teacher Terence Kitada noted the underlying themes in Miyazaki’s works.

“Ghibli movies are not about saving an entire world or kingdom,” he said. “Sure, some are more action-oriented, but they are still stories about family, community or friendship.”

According to Japanese teacher Matt Hall, the visual aesthetics of Miyazaki’s films are integral to his success.

“In fact, a lot of people would argue that Miyazaki is not interested in the story,” Hall said. “He’s interested in the images and aesthetics he creates.”

Art of Visual Storytelling teacher Terence Kitada “ ”

Hero Academia” (2016) have reached widespread success. Additionally, the release of Ghibli’s blockbusters like “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke” converged with the introduction of franchises like Yu-Gi-Oh and Hello Kitty, creating what Hall refers to as a major “2000s wave” in Japanese pop-culture popularity. Miyazaki’s works introduced Western viewers to Japanese and Asian cultural values, Kitada said.

Ghibli movies are not about saving an entire world or kingdom. Sure, some are more actionoriented, but they are still stories about family, community or friendship.

Miyazaki’s cultivation of a traditional hand-drawn anime style has found incredible success at home and abroad. Many of his earlier films gained acclaim in Japan, and American and other Western audiences soon became familiarized with Miyazaki after “Princess Mononoke” (1997) and “Spirited Away” (2001). In 2002, the latter even became the first foreign entry to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

“(Miyazaki’s style) doesn’t differ much from the other Japanese animation studios, but he was the first to really nail it,” Hall said. “He’s been in this industry for longer than anyone else.”

Today, Western audiences enjoy anime beyond Miyazaki and Ghibli works. Series such as “One Piece” (1999) and “My

“There’s this one five-minute scene in Ghibli’s ‘Ponyo’ where the characters make ramen together, and it’s so purposeful,” Kitada said. “It’s very logical to bring childhood memories to Japanese audiences, but I don’t know if you’d see the same thing being done in an American movie like ‘Frozen.’ In that sense, Ghibli movies expose people to Japanese values and different ways of looking at the world.”

All in all, while the popularity of anime far preceded Miyazaki’s iconic tenure with Studio Ghibli, the influence of his work is undeniable for audiences and the industry alike.

“Go around and find the best anime creators around the world and go, ‘Who is your number-one influence?’” Hall said. “I guarantee you the name that will come out is Miyazaki.”

ORACLE STAFFER REVIEWS ICONIC STUDIO GHIBLI FILMS

‘Howl’s Moving Castle’

“Howl’s Moving Castle,” a 2004 Hayao Miyazaki film, is 119 minutes of pure visual ecstasy. After watching it for the first time, I sat in front of the blank TV screen for a couple minutes, thinking I had just woken up from a dream.

If nothing else, that’s what this film is — a dreamlike romance staked by war and fantasy. Loosely based on Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 novel, the film tells the story of humble hatmaker Sophie, who is cursed by a witch and joins Howl, a handsome and elusive wizard, in his magical walking castle in hopes of reversing the curse.

All this is set against the backdrop of a war between Sophie’s homeland and a neighboring country. Several magical creatures join Sophie and Howl, including a sentient scarecrow and a fire demon who keeps Howl’s castle running. The film focuses more on the romance between Sophie and Howl than it does the war, unlike its source material, but this choice (in my opinion) fits better with the pastel imagery and innocent, bright-eyed animation style Studio Ghibli is known for.

“Howl’s Moving Castle” follows a “man vs. self” conflict structure, in which the titular character must overcome his fears. Considering the fact that there is both a war going on and a wicked witch casting spells on young women, the choice to make the main antagonist Howl’s own insecurities is a bold one, and it is executed beautifully. What seems evil at first doesn’t seem evil by the end credits. All the character evolutions are seamless, and all events have easily traceable causes.

Furthermore, the soundtrack is one of the most ethereal movie scores ever created. The composer, Joe Hisaishi, has created multiple soundtracks for Studio Ghibli’s other works, but his work for “Howl’s Moving Castle” might be his magnum opus. From whimsical to pensive, joyful to horrifying, Hisaishi reprises the main theme in different ways throughout the film to match the mood of the scene while reminding audiences of what threads the whole story together: love.

I’m a sucker for romance, and Sophie and Howl’s is one for the ages — a love that defies time, war and aging spells. The film includes multiple changes in scenery, each more fantastical than the last, and beautiful character design.

Truly, the stage makes the story. Beyond the mise-en-scene, the characters are lovable and complex in different ways, each with an agenda that complements and conflicts with other characters’ to create a fast-paced narrative. My love for “Howl’s Moving Castle” is like Sophie’s love for Howl — magical and timeless.

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 film “Princess Mononoke,” with its stunning imagery — par for the course of Miyazaki’s entire filmography — is, in my opinion, one of the best animated movies to ever come out of Studio Ghibli. What makes “Princess Mononoke” special, however, aren’t solely its luscious screencaps and painstaking worldbuilding, but its ambitious mission to cover a variety of societal issues while maintaining a childlike and whimsical visual tone.

The film follows Ashitaka, a young prince cursed by a demon, who embarks on a journey to heal the natural world and free himself from the curse. On his way, he encounters a highly industrialized village, Iron Town, where he meets Lady Eboshi and her workers — women she rescued from brothels and men suffering from leprosy.

Audiences are initially signaled that Lady Eboshi is the antagonist of the film, and when watching “Princess Mononoke” from an environmental lens, she definitely seems to be — after all, she cuts down forests to mine for iron, and the Shinto undertones of the film say that’s a big no-no. In the Shinto religion — Japan’s native belief system — gods called “kami” inhabit all things, such as mountains, forests and animals. Shinto emphasizes harmony between the kami of the natural world and humanity — the main conflict in “Princess Mononoke.”

While Lady Eboshi seems to be disrupting that harmony, she is not the villain. In fact, there is no villain. Lady Eboshi’s kindness to her workers saved their lives, but her village’s iron exports rely on the destruction of nature. There is humanity and there is nature, and while they are in conflict with each other for most of the film, the two are undeniably intertwined — as shown by Princess Mononoke herself, a human girl raised by wolves whom Ashitaka meets on his journey.

My only qualm with this film is that on the first watch, Ashitaka seems like a bland protagonist. The curse placed upon him is supposed to eventually kill him, but he seems mostly apathetic and resigned to it. His lack of loyalty to either nature or humanity comes across as flaky or morally weak, whereas Princess Mononoke’s ferocity makes her a much more apt choice for a protagonist.

However, I eventually realized that the film is not about picking sides. Ashitaka is not, in fact, indifferent to death and destruction. Rather, he knows that there is no life without death, and that all things must exist in harmony and balance.

—Written by Dan Honigstein —Compiled by

Natalie Lam and Karis Lau

Graphics by Elise Hu

Natalie Lam and Karis Lau