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[Sports] Gunn has school rivalries in various sports, including lacrosse (Menlo and Paly), badminton (Lynbrook and Monta Vista) and boys' tennis (Paly). —Anne Hsiao & Adrienne Nguyen

[Forum] Students have a right to relieve themselves when needed. Students should be allowed to take bathroom breaks during class when desired.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Features] Some athletes train for hours each day, sometimes twice a day to prepare for a competition. The Gunn Robotics Team (GRT), however, spends more than 60 hours each week preparing and building one robot. In preparation for the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) national competition, the team has spent six weeks building a robot (G-Force) that can complete tasks around a track with a 40-inch diameter ball.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] After winning its first game, the boys’ team hopes to live up to last year’s 20-9 record. Although still in preseason, the team has already attended tournaments in Burlingame and Aptos. The girls’ basketball team continues its recent undefeated streak, running on a 12-0 record as of Dec. 14. —Adrienne Nguyen & Jeffrey Wang

[News] Students this year are following a general trend of becoming increasingly late to school as the year progresses. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Forum] Every morning, students stumble into first period classes late. It is frustrating for teachers and disruptive to peers. A trend of students arriving to morning classes considerably late and skipping the required morning announcements broadcast is emerging. The morning announcements should be made optional, since the information can be acquired elsewhere. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] The Oracle staff interviews Tom Jacoubowsky, Assistant Principal, about the Sixth Man Club. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] The Oracle staff researches the history behind skateboarding and recommends local skate parks and stores. —Aviel Chang & Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] Q&A: featuring Ray Sterling with the Colorado Rockies, Gunn Alumnus Class of '89—Adrienne Nguyen

[Forum] I would expect that a short stroll around campus during my prep period would ease my school-related anxieties and help me unwind. Instead, I face the awful reality of the grimy state of the campus. Underclassmen await the day they are able to bask in the sun on the quad, untroubled and carefree. However, the filth on campus is enough to cure the senioritis epidemic. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] The Oracle reviews the top three sports drinks available, and of course, bottled water. —Boris Burkov & Adrienne Nguyen

[News] A new modification in the schedule pick up process this year allowed students the option to obtain their schedules the week before school started and make changes. Seniors could pick up their schedules on Aug. 20, juniors on Aug. 21 and sophomores on Aug. 22. Freshmen received theirs at Freshman Orientation. Previously, students could only do so on the first day of school. The administration made the change in an effort to reduce the chaos and stress often associated with the schedule-changing process.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] The Oracle's guide to common sports injuries—Priya Ghose, Susan Lee & Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] I’m afraid of heights. As I nervously inched my way across the catwalk, I glanced at the ice over 100 feet below. Nevertheless, the bouts of fear that overcame me in the rafters of the Shark Tank were worth the experience that night.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] Captains lead the way in basketball and soccer teams. —Libby Craig, Sasha Guttentag & Adrienne Nguyen

[Forum] On Aug. 24, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency contraception (EC) as an over-the-counter medication. The drug is currently available to those 18 years of age and older. The FDA should be praised for its decision which is predicted to greatly reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in the United States. However, EC should be available for all people, regardless of their age. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Centerfold] The Oracle staff takes a look at some of the current debate topics for the upcoming election. —Adrienne Nguyen & Andrea Yung

[Sports] Put me in, coach! Students mentor, guide middle school athletes—Adrienne Nguyen & Stéphanie Keller-Busque

[Centerfold] Friday the 13th of any month has always been considered to be a day of bad luck. Both the Greeks and Spaniards also share the same belief that Tuesday the 13th is a day of bad omens. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Sports] This year, the cross country team will leave for five days to participate in one of its first out-of-state invitationals in New York. From Oct. 11 to 15, 24 members of the team will attend the Manhattan High School Cross Country Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Centerfold] Diet pills, supplements, anorectic drugs and other weight loss medications will not melt away fat and solve weight problems. Anti-obesity drugs operate through suppressing one’s appetite, increasing the body’s metabolism or a combination of the two.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Features] English teacher Mark Hernandez is now engaged to his girlfriend of four years, Palo Alto High School social studies teacher Melinda Mattes. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Features] From April 6 to 15, 14 Gunn art students and three chaperones, including art instructor Deanna Messinger, traveled to Italy for an in depth look at the culture, history and art. —Adrienne Nguyen

[Forum] Desperate for their students to be accepted into prestigious colleges, parents are taking extreme measures to uproot their families to move into districts noted for top high schools.—Adrienne Nguyen

[News] Thefts this year have decreased greatly compared to the number of thefts last year. However, the occasional report of a theft still remains and the administration has set out to stop this problem.—Adrienne Nguyen

[News] At the beginning of the year, Melinda McGee, mother of a freshman at Palo Alto High School (Paly), started a campaign to delay the start of the Paly school day until 8:45 a.m. To achieve this goal, the Everyday 8:45 a.m. campaign is informing the community about the importance of sleep.—Adrienne Nguyen

[Features] The addition of 16 new teachers have brought in more diversity than before. Now a month into school, the teachers have meshed well into the Gunn environment.—Marianne Kvitko, Adrienne Nguyen & Emily Wang

[Features] So you thought those airbands were amazing, but ever wonder what happens behind the scenes? Airband performers share their stories. —Janice Kwong & Adrienne Nguyen