The Oracle May 2021

7 | the learning gap Distance learning exacerbates issues with distracting at-home situations, limited resources and social isolation.

The Gunn Oracle volume 58, issue 6

15 | antitransgender legislation Recent state bills place physical, mental health of transgender youth at risk.

the oracle 2020-2021 editorial board Editor-in-chief Jessica Wang managing editors Julianna Chang Catherine Chu news editors Haley Pflasterer Raphael Semeria forum editors Lise Desveaux Mia Knezevic features editors Carly Liao Jessica Zang

Letter from the Editor

Dear Gunn community, This past year, after 57 volumes of newspapers, The Oracle produced five full-color 8.25 inch by 10.75 inch newsmagazines. The coverage we brought you during this strange year has been immensely diverse, from rapid COVID-19 developments to holidays from home. We pushed ourselves with 1000+ word longform stories on more serious subjects: our democracy, the nuances of language, our foreign policy. These distinctive stories weren’t random; they were a result of circumstance. Isolated from campus, we became more introspective. We looked to the world for our stories.

Behind the scenes on The Oracle staff, we have adapted considerably. The way we are built and organized has been optimized over the years for a newspaper, and we’ve had to be flexible with the stories we’re writing, the articles we’re editing and the pages we’re designing. Centerfold Editors never designed

a true newspaper “centerfold.” News Editors never designed a news front page. Journalists that joined staff these past two semesters were introduced to a highly experimental environment, and some never set foot in the newsroom. In a nutshell, this whole year was a special circumstance.

So, as our 58th volume comes to an end, we face the question of who we are as a publication. This past year, we did what made sense. However, after several solemn conversations—I’ll joke that The Oracle was having an identity crisis—we have decided to return to our newspaper format for next year.

You hold in your hands our last newsmagazine issue, and if you have the other four, congrats.

You officially have the collector’s set.

It all comes down to our purpose. There is only one The Oracle, and our job is not only to inform but also to provoke conversation, entertain and represent Gunn. As we gradually return to campus and reconnect with our community, we want to tell your stories—the ones that come from everyday conversations and small victories. On behalf of our new staff, I look forward to sharing those moments with you.

Sincerely, Jessica Wang, EIC 2021-2022

centerfold editors katie shih Rebecca Wu sports editors Hila Livneh Safina Syed lifestyle editors Annika Bereny Arjun Shah online editors Paul Garofalo Sophia Stern photo editor mia knezevic graphics editor sophie fan staff business/circulation Sophia Stern Jessica Zang copy editor Sophia Stern oracle/sec liaison Mia Knezevic graphics artists madeleine chen clair koo mihika sane chinyoung shao reporter vandana ravi adviser kristy blackburn

contact us (650) 354-8238 gunnoracle.com in this issue cover photo: mia knezevic

Table of contents 7 | the learning gap

Distance learning exacerbates issues with distracting at-home situations, limited resources and social isolation.

10 | gender equality in sports

After decades of fighting for equality in sports, women continue to face obstacles in the field

15 | Anti-transgender legislation Recent state bills place physical, mental health of transgender youth at risk.

04

05

12

are we out of

Foothill park’s newly

gunn’s retiring

the woods:

implemented entry fee

staff members

vaccination

discriminates against

finish their

and the future

disadvantaged

careers strong

of the pandemic

families

14

18

19

turning the

humor: do’s

get some sun!

page: writing

and don’ts of

projects that

interacting

break the mold

in person

4 | in-depth

Are we out of the Woods: vaccination and the future of the pandemic U.S., the number of cases significantly decreased, leading to relaxed restrictions. California, for example, is pushing for a full reopening of its economy by June 15. “If California is able to fully reopen, then schools are slated to open as well,” Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo said.

Reopening has further enabled flexibility when it comes to traveling over the summer; in a survey conducted by The Oracle, 36% of Gunn students surveyed plan on traveling within the country, and 12% plan on traveling internationally.

“This summer, traveling is a possibility,” junior Ella Koehler, who is traveling internationally this summer, said. “Like so many others, we have been confined to our houses for most of the year. The thirst for travel is greater than usual.”

Since international travel is one of the primary ways COVID-19 spreads and case numbers remain elevated in many countries, doctors have strongly encouraged Americans to take precautions while traveling. The Health Officer and Director for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Dr. Sara Cody, explained the county’s current stance on traveling. “International travel remains particularly risky, and we strongly urge anyone returning from an area with high COVID-19 case levels to quarantine upon return and get tested,” she wrote in an email.

The Santa Clara Public Health website has reported the presence of several variants throughout the county. Although current vaccines have provided some protection against these variants, their increasing presence in many communities adds to the concerns many have for the future.

Currently, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s reaction has been to closely monitor variant appearances and continue under the current safety protocols. “The county and other providers do sequence select specimens for variants and conduct contract tracing to determine whether they derive from What are your Travel plans for summer break? community spread or from travel,” Cody wrote Source: Survey sent out to Gunn 57 in an email. students with 157 responses.

As we inch closer towards a new normal, we are reminded that COVID-19 will still be present—although hopefully less widespread—for 42 39 years to come. While no one can predict the future of this pandemic, Winslow reminds us that we can still work together as a society and take the proper measures to help de-escalate it. “We are going to get closer to normal, but we 19 really can’t let our guard down,” he said.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

On March 11, during his first Prime-Time address, President Biden announced his intentions to bring the nation closer to normal by July 4. Despite that goal, many doctors believe that we are far from seeing the last of COVID-19. With this in mind, are we really out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic?

Since the beginning of 2021, COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. have become increasingly available; soon, virtually anyone over the age of 12 will be able to receive a dose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of May, 46% of the U.S. population has received one dose, and 35% is fully vaccinated.

However, since mid-April, these vaccination rates have been on the decline. Dr. Dean Winslow, a Stanford professor of medicine, infectious disease specialist and CDC senior advisor, commented on the current vaccine rollout. “It’s going to take at least 75% to maybe even 85% of our population to be immune from COVID-19, either by natural infection or by vaccination, in order for the transmission to significantly die down,” he said. “[Since] something like 30% or more of the population in the U.S. is going to refuse the vaccine, it’s going to be somewhat problematic to get there.”

Even if the U.S. reaches over 85% immunization, many countries still lack the proper medical infrastructure to control COVID-19 cases and vaccinate populations. As a result, the virus is projected to remain in circulation for many years to come. “COVID-19 may end up being like the flu,” Winslow said. “Since the virus does mutate somewhat and adapts itself to become more transmissible, we may have to have a booster shot just like the flu shot each year.”

Despite that, the vaccine has provided significant aid in combating COVID-19. Following its implementation in the

­­—Written by Raphael Semeria

going abroad

In the U.S.

Staying home

Unsure Chinyoung Shao

­Chinyoung Shao

forum | 5

Foothill park’s newly implemented entry fee discriminates against disadvantaged families Foothill Park, one of Palo Alto’s most beloved spots, opened its gates in late Dec. 2020 for the general public, changing its previous rule that only Palo Alto residents could enter. Upon reopening, there were 33,000 visitors within the first month, a dramatic increase from 5,000 visitors the year before, according to Palo Alto Online. In response to the surge of visitors, the Palo Alto City Council decided to implement an entrance fee of $6 per vehicle on the weekend, or $60 for a year-round pass.

The park is an incredibly popular, monumental place that people from all over the Bay Area visit. Making park access free for everyone is instrumental to keeping it an inclusive, open space. Thus, a daily entrance fee should not be required.

Granted, the entry fee has its uses. It decreases the number of visitors during the weekend; during the week, there normally aren’t as many visitors due to daily activities like school or work. This helps because when more visitors come, the risks of littering or damage to the park are much higher, and the entrance fee could go to helping the park stay clean.

Because other cities aren’t paying taxes for park maintenance like Palo Alto residents are, this could be a way for visitors to contribute to the park.

On the other hand, placing a fee on everyday entrance is insensitive and unfair to surrounding low-income neighborhoods. It costs $6 to enjoy the outdoors. For some families, that money doesn’t seem like a lot; for families that are struggling with money, it is an unwarranted expense. Although there is an option for low-income families to apply for a fee reduction, not all families have the access to technology to apply for it.

Since when did parks become a luxury? They are open public spaces to be enjoyed by everyone. While Palo Alto opened the park with the intention of including residents from different areas, the fee discriminates against many low-income families. Placing an everyday fee is gatekeeping the park from citizens who deserve the right to enter the park just as much as anyone else.

The spread of COVID-19 is another concern. Visitors come from different cities, potentially spreading the virus. Placing a fee for everyday entry would certainly help lower the risk of virus transmission. However, now that the vaccine is available to all California residents over the age of 12, infection rates

have decreased to just 60 cases weekly in Santa Clara County and 1,592 cases in all of California, according to the New York Times COVID-19 case statistics. Because the infection rate has decreased, it is now safer to make the park open for more people to interact again. Nonetheless, park visitors should still take precautions.

While the Palo Alto Cit y Council changed t heir r u le to include non-Palo Alto residents, they then proceeded to exclude disadvantaged families with an entrance fee. Though COVID-19 is a big concern, the park is huge; there is a lot of space for families to enter and still remain at a safe distance from others. Implementing a fee isn’t fair and only benefits those who have high incomes and can afford to enter the park.

Placing an everyday fee is gatekeeping the park from citizens who deserve the right to enter the park just as much as anyone else.

­—Written by Hila Livneh

Madeleine Chen Chinyoung Shao

6 | ad

Cover story | 7

the Learning Gap

Title goes here

D i s ta n c e l e a r n i n g e x ac e r b at e s i s s u e s w i t h d i s t r ac t i n g at- h o m e s i t uat i o n s , limited resources and social isol ation

By Mia Knezevic

Graphic by Katie Shih Photos by Mia Knezevic

8 | cover story

I

n a physical classroom, senior Anika Lakhani is always engaged. Yet on Zoom meetings, she struggles to find the same connections. “I think the biggest thing that students are missing is meaningful collaboration,” she said. “Some of the best moments and the richest learning at school happens when you’re working on a challenge problem with someone in class, or even if you’re just explaining something to a friend who’s confused.

Breakout rooms just don’t replace that. It’s a lot harder for people to be warm and genuine and collaborative online because it’s just so much easier to tune out and not put in an effort.”

Many students share Lakhani’s feelings of disconnection in the online setting, including junior Joseph Abadi, who moved to Gunn from Panama fewer than two months ago to escape his online learning environment. “At home, I had my cellular and my family distracting me,” Abadi said. “It’s much different being in school, in class, with a professor in front of me.” For Abadi, the promise of in-person learning at Gunn motivated him to leave his high school in Panama, which still held classes remotely, and move to Palo Alto, where his older sister lives. Despite the complications of adjusting to a new town, language and environment, Abadi felt that the difference between an engaging in-person education and the Zoom meetings offered at his former high school was reason enough to move.

Lakhani and Abadi’s situations reflect a recent phenomenon: online learning has created a lack of engagement and has isolated both students and teachers, especially those who rely on social interactions to succeed.

Disadvantaged students

U

pon first glance, it may appear that privilege exists across all communities at Gunn. Most students do “very well,” according to Assistant Principal Pier Angeli La Place; they have the support and resources they need to succeed in

Gunn’s environment. “It’s easy to adopt a narrative of ‘that’s good enough,’” La Place said. “But 15% to 20% [of students] don’t survive under our system, because the system wasn’t designed to work for them.” This minority of students faces more obstacles to success—whether it be an English language barrier or lack of familial support with academics. Online learning, which relies on stable internet access and a quiet learning environment for success, has only perpetuated the pre-existing learning gap between students with resources and those without.

For students who have technological issues or disruptive home environments, the pandemic has made it even harder to learn productively, if they can attend class at all. In English teacher Danielle Whichard’s Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) classes, a good portion of her students have issues with connectivity and access to technology on any given day. In addition, many students have familial obligations that they must attend to, which distract from class. “I have a lot of students who are the primary caretakers for younger siblings especially earlier on in the pandemic before childcare became more open or accessible to families,” Whichard said. “They had to balance either overseeing their siblings in their classes, or, if their siblings were younger than [school age], helping actually watch the little kids while trying to do their own schooling.”

At Ravenswood Middle School in East Palo Alto, eighth grade math teacher Harriete Huang has noticed similar distractions for her students, many of whom live in crowded households.

“Their families usually have multiple kids, and if their parents have to go to work, my students become babysitters,” Huang said. “Their siblings are running around in the house.” As a result of their crowded living situations, Huang’s students often turn off their cameras, creating a less engaging classroom environment. Other difficulties for Huang include the language barrier with her primarily Spanish-speaking students and other familial responsibilities.

How many devices do you use for school?

54.1%

of students surveyed have WiFi or connection issues once or twice a month.

93.1%

of students surveyed use a personal device for school.

Madeleine Chen and Clair Koo

Source: Survey sent out to Gunn students with 157 responses.

cover story | 9

district response

L

a Place, who has worked in the district for over 30 years, acknowledges that our educational system is oftentimes too rigid for adaptations. However, the pandemic has forced the district to change learning requirements to better meet the needs of all students and families. “The silver lining in the pandemic is that nobody has been able to ignore the inequities of our system,” La Place said.

To combat the prevalent issue of lack of engagement, the district has reopened in-person school, which is now available for all students four days a week. Although a low percentage of students have returned to campus full-time, the district has been able to support students like Abadi, who has a home environment that makes it difficult to focus, and students who need social engageChinyoung Shao ment. Together, La Place refers to this group of individuals as the “school-reliant” population. period to assess their performance and provide support. She emTo avoid students becoming trapped in a metaphorical “hole”— phasizes flexibility and taking the time to learn about students’ the hole of missing assignments, sinking grades and the over- situations and why they may or may not be able to engage with whelming feeling of falling behind—administrators also monitor the class to their fullest potential. In cases where students live attendance. If they notice patterns of absence, administrators reach with immunocompromised family members or are unable to out to teachers, who then reach out to students to provide support. obtain resources such as school supplies on their own, Whichard “ The teachers’ has dropped of f role is to create resources at stua ladder so students’ houses, the pandemic has exposed inequality issues, dents can climb resulting in lonmade mental health resources harder to out [of the hole],” ger workdays.

La Place said. “The Hu a n g h a s attain, and impacted students’ learning first rung is commualso noticed a experiences. nication: asking what steep increase in teachers can do to suphours helping stuport students.” Then, dents; on any given a group of administrators, counselors and parents meet with day, she can spend up to three hours in office hours tutoring students to discuss future accommodations, which often include students. “When we were in person, kids could help each other,” letting go of nonessential assignments or providing extended Huang said. “They could peer tutor and chat about homework, time on tests. and that really, really helped many kids.” In an online learning environment, however, students—especially those who do not turn on their camera for personal reasons—have difficulty conincreased teacher support necting with one another, leaving the teacher responsible to help every student individually. hroughout the pandemic, teachers have had to intervene with students on numerous occasions, even more than in looking forward non-COVID years. After realizing the difficulty of online learning, math teacher Kathy Hawes always assumes the best intentions. “I ask [my students], ‘Are you okay, how can I help you?’” verall, the district and teachers have taken steps to Hawes said. “I don’t say in an angry voice, ‘Why didn’t you take accommodate students during the pandemic. Still, the quiz? You’re in deep trouble. I’m mad at you.’” With recomfor some, it hasn’t felt like enough. The pandemic has mendation from the administration, Hawes offers what she calls exposed inequality issues, made mental health resources less “special deals” to help students who are struggling in her classes. accessible and impacted students’ learning experiences. “For me, These “special deals” typically consist of a reduced number of it feels like COVID-19 pointed out that we have a communication assignments to alleviate the stress of passing the class. “I look issue,” Whichard said. at the core work that needs to be done to show me that students La Place emphasized the importance of including student understand [the material],” Hawes said. Otherwise, Hawes, like voice in decisions related to student needs. “Often, adults will every other teacher, runs the risk of no longer being able to help sit in a room and decide what the problem is,” La Place said. “In her students who become stuck in the metaphorical “hole.” the future, we need to work to amplify the voices of students Whichard also meets with students individually every class who are being impacted.”

T

O

10 | sports

After decades of fighting for equality in sports, women continue to face obstacles on the field

I

n the late 1900s, female athletes athletes—and women in general—from fought for the opportunity to become being discriminated against in educaathletes. Decades later, the fight has tion, the change stops there. According extended to advocating for equal treat- to junior Ana Schremp, former hockey ment as athletes. player and current soccer player, women The second wave of feminism, com- still face micro aggressions at school. monly known as the women’s liberation “In P.E., when I used to play hockey, movement, took place in 1960s to the I’d always be like, ‘Oh yeah, like I play 1980s and brought attention to the sig- hockey,’ and guys would always be like, nificant inequalities and discrimination ‘Oh, I bet I’m better than you,’” she said. women face in all aspects of their lives. “And then I would feel this need to prove Like the first wave, which gave women myself to them, because they automatisuffrage, the second wave also had a cally assumed that they would be better major accomplishment: the Title IX law. than me because I was a girl.”

Title IX, an education amendment, was Interactions like this show how cula major breakthrough for female athletes tural factors, societal teachings and stebecause it made sex-based discrimina- reotypes still create an inaccurate belief tion in education illegal. that women cannot be athletes, which, As a result, girls’ and boys’ teams according to Schremp, is reflected in the were required by law to receive equal words and actions of young men. “I’ve resources, social studies teacher Phil- had so many guys openly say that womlip Lyons explained. “If schools did en’s soccer isn’t a real sport,” she said. not treat women “As a female soccer equally as men, player, that pissed they were in legal “I’ve had so many guys openly me off. When they jeopardy with the say th at wo m e n ’ s s o cce r say that, they infederal governisn’t a real sport. As a female va lidate ever yment,” he said. soccer player, that pissed me thing that I work “So they didn’t off. When they say that, they towards.” h ave a c hoic e . invalidate everything that I B oy s doubtEven if they did work towards.” ing girls’ athletic not want to offer —Junior ANA schremp abilities isn’t the something, they only reason girls had to. Title IX are discouraged to made it a matter of law, so they could not pursue athletic careers. It’s also hard for deny equal rights to women in schools.” women to see themselves as professional But Title IX’s accomplishments didn’t athletes when they’re older, making just stop at the secondary school level; it them more reluctant to participate in also opened up opportunities for women sports beyond their high school and colathletes to play college-level sports and lege years. “If you can see yourself with receive scholarships. a paying career for after college doing Although Title IX prevents women this game, then you’re more likely to do

it when you’re young,” Lyons said. “For men, you can see yourself with a career in baseball or football or basketball. But, if you’re looking at [sports] careers for women when they get out of college, there just isn’t that same level of opportunity.”

One of the most significant events in college sports is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCA A) March Madness Tournament, which generates millions of dollars for the NCAA. In past years, the main focus of this tournament was the players and the games; this year, however, it was on the women’s weight room and how it drastically differed from that of the men.

A women’s basketball player at the University of Oregon was the first to point out this inequality on TikTok. Her viral video showed how women were only provided with a few dumbbells and some yoga mats, while the men were supplied with a warehouse full of world-class gym products.

Within 48 hours, the NCAA vice president quickly released a public statement and upgraded the women’s weight room to an actual gym. However, many argued that the fact that it took a viral social media post to create tangible change reveals serious flaws in the NCAA’s system.

Despite the outrage in the media, the weight room contrasts were no surprise to Stanford women’s basketball assistant coach Katy Steding. “The discrepancies were more obvious this year because of the prevalence of social media, but I’m sure it’s been happening all along,” she said. “There are deeper issues of how money is divided up and how much the NCAA actively promotes a women’s tournament versus a men’s tournament.”

Sports | 11 where Have you witnessed gender inequalities? Check all that apply.

Number of students

Although some are hopeful that what all other young women athletes: their happened to the female collegiate basket- bodies are valued more than their pasball players will not happen again, Stan- sion or dedication for their sport. ford women’s basketball coach Kate Paye According to Schremp, that type of believes that these issues will continue to coverage harms female athletes’ views occur with the same NCAA leadership. of themselves, which is why it’s time for “An issue like this starts at the top,” she the content to change. “[Focusing on] said. “What happened, and what has what your body can accomplish is what been happening, is unacceptable and we should aim towards,” she said. “With sexist. We all dethat, female athserve better.” letes will feel more A t t he s a me “These are deep-seated sysc on f ident ab out time, the attention temic issues that have been their bodies. They’ll that the problem going on for a long, long know that the value received shows time, and changing them is placed on what optimism for is going to be extremely you’re able to do women athletes challenging. But hopefully, with your body and gaining equality we’re on the path to doing what you’re able to w ith their male the work.” per for m w ith it, counter par ts.

—STANFORD WOMEN’S instead of what it “Hopefully, stuBASKETBALL COACH KATE PAYE looks like in a bident-athletes and kini.” coaches fight for Paye also hopes change, and it’s going to be an uphill bat- that a new type of reporting on women’s tle,” Paye said. “These are deep-seated, sports will soon take hold. “There should systemic issues that have been going on be more coverage of our incredible female for a long, long time, and changing them athletes in so many different sports,” she is going to be extremely challenging. But said. “Their stories are incredible, and hopefully, we’re on the path to doing the their accomplishments are incredible.” work.”

Despite some of the discrimination Media coverage is one of the biggest women athletes still face in the media, ways athletes and teams gain attention there have been some valuable advancefor their accomplishments, making it ments. “From a marketing standpoint, no surprise that women athletes do not if you look at Venus Williams, she’s a get the same recognition male athletes draw as much as any male tennis player,” receive. According to a study conducted Lyons said. “If they want to sell out a in 2019 by the International Association tournament and they get her to go, it’s for Communication and Sport, in 2019, the same as getting [male tennis player] women’s sports only accounted for 5% of Roger Federer to go. She’s going to get airtime on televised news shows. Even the same attention from female and male then, when women’s sports do receive fans. I don’t think that would have been media attention, the attention is not the case a long time ago.” angled at women playing sports, accordDevelopments like these are only the ing to Paye. “A lot of times, when they beginning of gender equality in sports, cover men’s basketball, they talk about and Schremp hopes that progress will the game or the coaches or the player; continue in the coming years. “It’s the they talk about basketball,” she said. responsibility of all athletes, men and “If they cover women’s basketball, they women of all ages, to support each don’t talk about basketball. They’re going other,” she said. “Obviously, there’s to talk about what a coach is wearing or a women’s soccer team, and there’s a something cute that a player does.” men’s soccer team, but we’re all socWhen television networks comment cer players. We all want to play at the on a woman’s outfit or body rather than highest level. If we keep talking like men their athletic talent, they drive the focus versus women, that’s never going to get away from her athletic abilities and ac- us anywhere.” complishments. On the national stage, these comments can send a message to —Written by Haley Pflasterer

at GUNN

in my

on a

SPORTS

personal

national

life

level

58%

Of students believe that there are sports exclusively MEANT FOR girls or boys.

Do you watch women’s or men’s sports teams?

78% men 22% women

Source: Survey sent out to Gunn students with 157 responses.

Sophie Fan and Clair Koo

12 | FEATURES

RETIRING STAFF FINISH THEIR CAREERS STRONG Deanna Messinger Years at Gunn: 22 Posit ion: Ar t Teacher

Career highlight: “Every other year, we’d tak e an artists’ trip abroad to Europe. Those were rea lly fun, and we would pai nt en plein air [outside] in Ita ly and other countries .

Just being able to be in the studio with them and han g out together is something I am going to miss. It’s jus t been so hard to leave thi s year when we don’t get to rea lly be together.”

Pier Angeli La Place Years at Gunn: 6 Position: Asst. Principa l

Career highlight: ht, remembered “One of our coaches, Chris Gumbrec JLS. ‘I’ll never me as his sixth-grade teacher from said.] Because forget the impact she had on me,’ [he self more. him I’d believed in him, he believed in educator an that This spea ks to the positive impact s with end and can make in students’ lives. It begins that ws kno ent the relationships we create. If a stud e striv ’ll they , you care about and believe in them is g min beco are for more. Who students .” as important as what they are learning

Kerstin Helbing Years at Gunn: 23 Posit ion: ELL Coordinator

Career highlight: cr, I worked as an instru “Before I became a teache I nt. me al Education depart tiona l aide in the Speci in rs che assist different tea had the opportunit y to al tes for students in Speci no their subjects and take d an ms it so many classroo Ed. It was rea lly cool to vis ir the t and the impacts tha experience the teachers ts.” den behavior had on the stu

Diane Gleason Years at Gunn: 21 Position: Math Teacher

Career highlight: “When I used to teach AP Calculus, we had tutorial at the end of the day, and I had too many students.

I had everybody come Monday after school, and I’d have 30 kids come every week. We would sit in the room and do calculus for an hour. There were a couple of years when that happened, when all these students would come in after school for an hour of just practicing calculus. This was one of the few moments that stood out to me and that I am going to remember.”

FEATURES | 13

Linda Kirsch Years at Gunn: 25 Position: College Counselor

Career highlight: k they were “I had somebody come in, and I thin e for two cam y The i. sour Mis from the University of listening I’m sm. nali jour in d kids who were intereste and the r, doo my ide outs t to this presentation righ her she tells he and e ther guy turns to the one girl to the ed talk later I . eyes my got in. I couldn’t believe and stuff her over read he that person, and he told me was It her. tell to ing com of t purposely made a poin ce.” rien expe a really thrilling

Peg gy Syvertson Years at Gunn: 8 Position: Speech Therapist

Career highlight: “One of my favorite memories that I have ever y year at Gunn is usua lly in May. Special Olym pics has its track and field open day for all Spec ial Ed students in the district. It’s always here at Gun n, and it’s my favorite memory to go out there and to spend the day with all the kids in the district. The kids all run as much as they can and throw and play games. So that’s my favorite memory of Gunn—b eing able to go out there and help the kids.”

James Shelby Years at Gunn: 38 Position: Theater Teacher

Career highlight: “March 13, 2020 was t he openin g night for ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ We were shut down the morning of opening night and we didn’t know when we would be able to open a play again, and the tears just sprang forth from kids’ eyes. I still remember vividly that there was so much sadness and hugging, and we did a final senior circle of celebrating people and saying goodbye. That was a moment of joy and triumph. It was such a great play, but we never got to open it. That’s a very powerfu l memory for me.”

—Compiled by Lise Desveaux, Arjun Shah and Safina Syed To read the full stories for these retiring staff and the rest of the quotes from non-retiring departing staff, visit gunnoracle.com.

Madeleine Chen and Chinyoung Shao Staff photos courtesy of “The Olympian.”

14 | FEATURES

TURNING THE PAGE: WRITING PROJECTS THAT BREAK THE MOLD THE PROSE TRAIN turned to a new medium to spark Over quarantine, students have Freshman Irene Tsen founded the connection and creativit y: writing.

Prose Train to help students improve collaborative writing project The env ironment. their writing in a non-competitive ve writing lies in the connections rati abo coll in e To Tsen, the core valu ut ideas. “It makes [the project] abo made while building off of others’ . said she so,” g doin fun ing and hav actually improving your writing ant in The Prose Train’s first project, ticip par a , etec Km sa Nes Senior than writing independently. “It defi felt that it was a different process , ple’s peo r othe grate my writing with nitely made me think of ways to inte y.” tivit crea of side said. “It was a new which I hadn’t done before,” she ject par ticipant, noted that the pro ther ano Li, a Freshman Fion develop ed a par t of her writing skills that her classes don’t usu ting wri ] hen “[W . ress ally add creatively, there are just so many options, and I like that because you can take the stor y in a lot of directions,” she said.

Tsen hoped that the project Time at home has allowed many students to discover interests wou ld bring out a new side of that they love. For those who enjoy doin long “As g deep dives into topics that y. bod ent stud n’s Gun excite them, the Titan Journal of High School Research is the peras you’re interested, you should fect place to publish well-researche d papers on academic subjects. definitely join,” she said. “Gunn The research journal, a newly-c ol, scho har tered club that meets on ic is a really STEM-centr Mondays, is a place where students in Tra can se have their research papers Pro The and I hope that edited and published by a dedicated lot a grou has n p of students. One of these Gun that helps show students is club president junior Clai r ” Koo too. . “When I looked into nt, tale ing of writ a bunch of opportunities to share my work, I realized that there weren’t many platforms oriented towards high school students,” —Written by Vandana Ravi she said. Koo also noted that with other research publishers, there is a competitive dynamic between high schoolers and older college students who have access to more resources and higher education.

Club logistics director junior Alb ert Dong agreed that the club is a welcome respite from all of the publications oriented toward older students. “It’s a good way for Gunn students with research experience or students who want to do research to be able to publish it and get it out there,” he said . “It’s more accessible.”

Dong also encouraged students to submit papers to the journal.

“Doing research is a really good idea for high schoolers because it’s a good way to get experience writ ing in ways that you’re going to be doing in higher education,” he said. “Wr iting classic fiveparagraph essays is great right now , but in the future you’re going to be writing longer papers and mor e analytical things, so doing research is a good way to get exp erience with that.”

TITAN Journal of high school research

—Written by Annika Bereny Madeleine Chen and Mihika Sane

This bill would prohibit the performance of a medical procedure or the prescription or issuance of medication, upon or to a minor child, that is intended to alter the ap earance of the minor child’s gender or delay puberty, with certain exceptions” news | 15// “AN ACT TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS SAVE ADOLESCENTS FROM EXPERIMENTATION (SAFE) ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” // “[A bill] to provide civil immunity for interscholastic athletic organi zations and the sanctioning bodies of private youth organizations when such entitie adopt policies that require an athletic participant to compete on a team that matche he gender identity on his or her birth certificate” // “No healthcare professional shal ngage in any of the following practices upon a minor or cause such practices to e performed for the purpose of attempting to affirm the minor’s perception of such minor’s sex, if that perception is inconsistent with such minor’s sex: Any healthcar rofessional who violates this chapter shall be guilty of a felony and, upon convic ion thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than en years” // “An act relating to youth gender and sexual identity; providing a shor itle defining the term “sex”; providing criminal penalties for health care practitioner who perform or cause specified practices to be performed on a minor under certain conditions; providing applicability; providing an exception to participation in intramu ral athletics; prohibiting certain students from participating on specified high schoo athletic teams; providing an effective date” // “A health care practitioner who perform any of the following practices upon a minor, or who causes such practices to be per ormed upon a minor, for the purpose of attempting to change the minor’s sex or for he purpose of affirming the minor’s perception of the minor’s sex if that perception i nconsistent with the minor’s sex, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree” // “Only tudents of the female sex are eligible to participate on athletic teams designated for girls only” // “Prohibited services relating to care of minors. Prohibits specified health care professionals from: (1) performing certain medical procedures on a minor; or 2) subjecting a minor to certain activities; that purposely attempt to change, rein orce, or affirm a minor’s perception of the minor’s own sexual attraction or sexua ehavior, or attempt to change, reinforce, or affirm a minor’s gender identity when he identity is inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex” // “Health care professiona may not purposely attempt to change,reinforce, or affirm a minor’s perception of th Madeleine Chen minor’s own sexual attraction or sexual behavior, or attempt to change, reinforce or affirm a minor’s gender identity when that identity is inconsistent with the minor’ iological sex” // “Unlawful gender reassignment service is knowingly performing or causing to be performed, any of the following upon a child under 18 years of ag or the purpose of attempting to change or affirm the child’s perception of the child’ ex, if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s sex” // “If the school designates a eam in an interscholastic athletic activity offered to pupils enrolled at the schoo as a girls’, women’s, or female team, a requirement that each pupil who competes for a position on that team or who is selected to compete on that team must be femal ased on biological sex” // “An act entitled: An act providing forRebecca youth health protec By Wu ion; Providing 4 definitions; Prohibiting certain medications and medical procedure or the 5 treatment of gender dysphoria in minors; And establishing a civil penalty for

Anti-Transgender Legislation

REcent state bills place physical, mental health of transgender youth at risk.

16 | news

“I

spend my free time [playing] with my cats and chickens, FaceTiming my friends and dreaming of when I will finally meet Dolly Parton,” Kai Shappley, a transgender 10-year-old, said in her testimony before the Texas Senate Committee of State Affairs. “I do not like spending my free time asking adults to make good choices.”

On Monday, April 12, Shappley testified against two Texas bills, SB 1311 and SB 1646. SB 1311 would criminalize both medical workers and parents applying for medically approved treatments for either physically transitioning into their identified gender or delaying puberty.

SB 1646 redefines child abuse to include aiding a minor with their physical transition. Regardless, both bills have failed to advance out of the House, a potential sign of progress towards transgender healthcare rights in Texas state legislature.

Since the start of 2021, 28 states have introduced anti-trans legislation.

The most recent bill is Montana’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” passed on April 23, which bans transgender students from participating in girls’ or women’s sports. Additionally, Florida recently legalized the inspection of student genitals in competitive sports if the student was suspected to be transgender. In the context of present-day America, this

concerning trend towards anti-trans legislation threatens not only the physical safety but also the mental health of transgender youth across the country. past administrations

O

bama-era policies protected people from discrimination based on sex. However, Trump era legislation began to challenge such policies, especially concerning trans youth. In February 2017, Trump removed guidelines that placed trans individuals under the protection of Title IX, which prevents sex-based discrimination. This provoked a heated discussion about trans people’s bathroom rights.

“In 2015, my high school banned me from using the boys’ bathroom because I’m trans,” activist and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) board member Gavin Grimm said. “My case was the first trans bathroom case that the Supreme Court accepted. But when the Trump administration rolled in, one of the first things they did was get rid of the Obamaera Executive Order.”

From 2016 to 2020, the Trump administration allowed such anti-trans bills to pose more restrictions on gender expression, compounding America’s history of discriminatory legislation against the LGBTQ+ community. The political

Number of anti-trans bills passed in states

rhetoric that Trump brought into popularity directly impacted minorities and widened the divide between Democrats and Republicans. “They have this agenda,” Grimm said. “[And] the reality is that there’s a culture of distrust, as well as a specific framework of language, that the Trump administration and Trump himself built around Joe Biden and the Democrats.”

Palo Alto City Council member Greer Stone, an ally of the trans community who has worked on policies directed towards inclusive language in legal settings, sees the deterioration of politicians’ integrity towards transgender rights as a direct result of the previous administration. “Unfortunately, I think it’s just kind of the Trump effect—causing certain conservative politicians to recognize that they can gain more politically with their base by passing these ignorant legislations rather than supporting greater civil rights for all people,” Stone said.

In January, following his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order to combat discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in housing, education and healthcare. While this worked to return rights to the targeted community, Biden’s action seemingly catalyzed a cascade of anti-trans bills passed or introduced in state legislatures. “The executive order was really scary to conservative Republicans,” Grimm said. “This kind of behavior from Biden fits perfectly in line with what Trump warned them about. It’s pretty inflammatory—‘Oh no, Biden’s getting in here, and he’s been one-hundredth as progressive as your average leftist would like him to be; this is really scary’—so they’re going to be scared, regardless of what he did. It has provoked some direct responses without a doubt.”

Support in California

S

Madeleine Chen

ophomore Stella Keating, a high school student from Washington and the first transgender teenager to testify before the U.S. Senate, lives in a community similar to California.

“Right now, I live in a state where I have equal protection under the law,” Keating

news | 17 said during her testimony to Congress on March 16. “As a sophomore, I’m starting to look at colleges. All I can think about is this: less than half of the states in our country provide equal protection for me under the law.”

Historically, California has not passed anti-trans policies—if anything, California is a leader in legal inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights, with the exception of a few social anti-trans protests.

Southern California has dealt with a variety of anti-trans movements, though all ultimately failed at setting anything into law.

Nonetheless, California’s local history of eugenics continues to harm the trans community. “There have been a lot of examples of systemic discrimination and racism and hate against all underrepresented groups in California,” Stone said.

“We just don’t focus on it. We don’t teach it, and we don’t study it. We really need to understand our past—the good and the bad—to be able to better understand the problems that we’re facing today and how we can prevent them in the future.”

Stone explains that raising more awareness among students is the first step. He also suggests commissioning a study on the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in California, and he hopes the state will recognize its own history and teach it in schools.

Currently, there are programs within the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) included in the Gunn curriculum that are intended to support LGBTQ+ students. “Each of the five secondary schools has a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA),” GSA advisor Daisy Renazco said. “Ours is referred to as a Gender and Sexuality Alliance. They’re all there to support students. There is also a districtwide LGBTQ+ committee for adults that meets regularly, and that’s where a lot of the conversations are had about more districtwide policies and districtwide implementation.”

Despite all of the talk of inclusivity in the Bay Area, it ultimately comes down to how much can actually be translated into equal treatment of minorities. “I was Vice Chair at the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission,” Stone said.

“One of the things that we were pursuing there was to change all language within

“watching a bill move through the courts to potentially impact your life in a negative way is absolutely terrifying. It turns an aspect of who you are into negative public discourse.”

—Gavin Grimm, aclu board member county policies and ordinances and laws and documents to be gender neutral, because most laws are written with the male or female pronouns.”

In the meantime, California’s progressive ideals are widely recognized.

“We are grateful, and we understand that the state of California is oftentimes a leader in terms of more accepting laws,” Renazco said. “The students within our GSA and within our district feel like there are a lot of policies and a lot of adults that advocate for their own safety and their well being, so they feel cared for.”

Mental Health Effects

W

hile transgender identities are not legally at risk under California law, the mental health impact of threats elsewhere can still have strong repercussions on individuals. In 2015, a Veale statistic from the American Association of Suicidology reported that 1 in 3 transgender youths have attempted suicide in California.

According to Grimm, bills threatening trans safety and rights only add to the struggles of a trans individual, which already include dysphoria and social stigma. “Watching a bill [being] debated publicly and watching a bill move through the courts to potentially impact your life in a negative way is absolutely terrifying,” Grimm said. “It turns an aspect of who you are into negative public discourse.”

A common issue in classroom or legal settings is minority lives being discussed as talking points or educational topics

rather than human experiences. Transgender people are discriminated against both by law and by their environment, based on their gender identity and not their humanity. “It’s really just a crime across the entire world for young people to recognize that there are elected leaders who believe that they are less than others simply because they’re transgender,” Stone said.

Future Of Trans Rights

M

oving forward, the main goals are to ensure that anti-transgender legislation is not made into law and that there are laws passed to reverse such bills in the future. However, placing all of the responsibility in the hands of politicians may not be the best option. “I think trans activists and other civil rights leaders are going to lead us to our salvation,” Grimm said.

“I do not think it’s going to be moderate Democrats or prior prosecutors.”

Grimm’s Title IX case, currently moving to the Supreme Court, will be one to look out for, in addition to individual laws aimed to prevent discrimination on the state level. There’s still hope that the anti-trans bills passed in recent months may be nullified, perhaps even in higher courts. “The Supreme Court doesn’t take many cases, [but] these might end up being cases that the Supreme Court would want to take because they would impact dozens of states,” Stone said.

“I would imagine litigation happening immediately, and we’ll have a decision by the court that could reverse the antitrans bills.”

18 | humor

Do’s and don’ts of interacting in person 1. Do: Have an exit strategy

2. Don’t: Talk for too long

Remember the three p’s of ending a social interac-

After 10 minutes of talking, the casual

tion: parents, practice and pets. If these fail, give

chat starts to become more of an actual

the most dramatic excuse you can think of.

conversation, which is exactly what you want to avoid.

C a r l y Liao

3. Do: Use small talk

4. Don’t: Ask for clarification

If you can’t avoid the unfortunate incident of having

There is nothing more embarrassing than having to say “what?” mul-

to talk to another person, have some conversation

tiple times because you weren’t paying attention. If this ever happens

starters on hand to make the interaction as painless

to you, rather than subjecting yourself to the humiliation of asking

as possible. Classics include school, the weather and

someone to repeat themselves, try responding with nervous laughter,

if all else fails, “I’m tired.”

awkward nodding or a poignant “mhmm” to fill the silence.

5. Do: Avoid interaction if possible

6. Don’t: Talk about yourself

All of the pitfalls that come with social interaction

The second someone asks you about yourself, every fun fact suddenly

can be avoided by refusing to talk to other people.

flies out the window. The best way to avoid this selective amnesia is to

If asked to hang out outside of school, use one of

redirect the conversation to the other person. What grade did they get

these two excuses to politely say no: you have to go to

on their math test? Did they change their hair? How is their day going?

practice (even if you don’t play a sport), or you have to take your pet to the vet (even if you don’t have a pet).

Chinyoung Shao

—Liao, a sophomore, is a Features Editor.

19 | LIFESTYLE

Get Some Sun! Sunscreen proves beneficial as summer approaches May is the last full month of school before students will get to bask in the sunlight and freedom of summer. Less famously, it’s also Skin Cancer Awareness Month. For both reasons, there’s something you’ll need to remember—in addition to a mask—if you decide to venture outside: sunscreen. It may not be the most glamorous of accessories, but it signifies the beginning of our return to normal.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, life with sunscreen is far better than life without. In fact, daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce the risk of developing a type of cell carcinoma by about 40% and melanoma by about 50%. This also applies to those who don’t burn easily, as skin damage occurs whether or not you get sunburned.

When it comes to purchasing sunscreen, there are two types: physical sunscreen, which blocks and scatters rays, and chemi-

cal sunscreen, which absorbs rays before they can cause damage.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, although physical sunscreen is less likely to cause irritation, both are equally effective. However, make sure to purchase broad-spectrum sunscreen, which blocks both UVA and UVB rays, with SPF 15 or higher. Aveeno’s Protect + Hydrate Sunscreen ($9), Supergoop’s Matte Screen ($38) and Kinship’s Self Reflect ($25) are all examples of sunscreens that fulfill these conditions.

Regardless, the best sunscreen is one that you will use regularly. According to Stanford Healthcare, the most common mistake people make with sunscreen is actually insufficient application. So, although the past year has been primarily spent inside, consider making 2021 the year you start wearing sunscreen as you begin to venture out into the summer sun.

–Written by Vandana Ravi

houseplants provide comfort, learning experiences I can’t grow plants. Whenever I receive a plant, either from school or as a gift, they never seem to last long, no matter what I do. After giving up on traditional plants, I tried growing succulents, which come in all varieties, colors and sizes. Some even have flowers! They are super easy to grow; in fact, some succulents can even reproduce too much, leaving you with enough plants that you can give some away to friends.

For me, the best part about having a succulent for a houseplant is that they’re virtually impossible to kill.

Succulents have adapted to survive in harsh conditions, since they c ome f r om t he desert. I bet that I could forget to water them for a whole year, and they would probably st ill survive.

–Written by Katie Shih

Photos courtesy of Katie Shih and Jessica Zang

Taking care of a houseplant reminds me of taking care of a child.

You have to remember to feed it, water it and occasionally help it get some sun. If it’s feeling under the weather, you have to gently nurse it back to health; if it’s thriving, you have to make sure it stays that way.

My family has a tradition of buying orchids as presents during the holidays, and when you first walk into our house, two potted orchids adorn the shelf along the hallway. The larger one is white, with marshmallow-like petals. The smaller one boasts flowers dotted with magenta and cream. The orchids are special; I can’t remember if we’ve ever gone a day without my parents cooing over them or taking pictures of them in the sunlight.

Orchids, like all other houseplants, are not just ornaments— they are also living orga nisms that can be used as a way of practicing responsibility, bonding with your family and learning how to care for others.

–Written by Jessica Zang Sophie Fan

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

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