Gunn High School's Student Newspaper
Search results: articles by "Carissa Ratanaphanyarat"
[News] The Student Executive Council (SEC) started the year with a bang after receiving positive feedback for their organization of this year’s first assembly held on Sept. 1. “I thought it was awesome,” senior Priya Ghose said. “I think that it’s probably one of the best assemblies I’ve seen.”—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Suicide has a blurred history when it comes to the question, “Why?” “People who commit suicided are generally depressed or experiencing a distressing personal response to stressors in their life to an extreme degree, or a combination of the two,” school psychologist George Green said. “Not everyone responds the same to personal stressors and some individuals are at risk for suicide when responding to traumatic events or personal stressors whereas others may be at no risk at all.”—Rupali Raju & Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Cyberbullying, according to several students and staff members, hurts more than a physical fight. “Cyberbullying affects [you] throughout your daily life,” junior Sarah Simonetti said. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] Racism? Sexism? Prejudice against those who are not of heterosexual orientation? Most have heard of these ideas before at one time or another, but Not in Our Schools (NIOS) Week, a five-day event that will be held April 13 to 17, brings these prevalent issues into the spotlight. “It’s a district-wide event dedicated to teaching acceptance,” senior Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) President Jessie Belfer said. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] Gunn community represented at Barack Obama’s historical ceremony—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Recent and past incidents of academic dishonesty bring issue to light, question students’ integrity and call for proper punishment—Emily Glider & Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Specifically for first offenses and repeated acts of cheating—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Queries concerning procedures, safety and student participation arise after latest disaster drill —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Sports] With an increase in the number of steroid abuse cases and extreme diets, many weight loss methods are now considered unhealthy.—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] New courses may be added to school catalogue that benefit students, school —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Forum] A closer look into three of the California general election’s most compelling propositions —Eugenah Chou, Beth Holtzman, Joseph Lin, Joyce Liu, Carissa Ratanaphanyarat & Tenny Zhang
[Sports] Female frosh-soph fullback/linebacker to return to field after nagging injury has healed—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Coaches, administration, student body have differing opinions on school’s upcoming turf fields—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] People often notice the food and the line in the crowded Student Activities Center during lunch, but they often overlook the actual busybodies that make sure that food is always served. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] “It’s scary. There’s no scarier word in the English language than cancer. I’m a mother, and he’s my little boy. I just want him to have a normal life.” —Lettie Weinmann, mother of sophomore diagnosed with cancer —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Entertainment] Though no awards will be given, the Gunndance Film Festival, Gunn’s version of the Oscars, will take place this year in the Little Theater May 29 and 30. “It’s a chance for any Gunn students to show their work,” senior videographer and historian Kaitie Macknick who described herself as the “executive producer” of the event, said. “The whole point of making movies is for people to see them.”—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] When most students think about drug arrests, they picture police stake-outs, flashing sirens and handcuffs straight out of a Hollywood movie. When students are caught abusing substances in reality, however, the punishment is more often meted out at home than behind bars. —Aurelle Amram & Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Centerfold] The condoms, the awkward questions, the detailed pictures of STDs—most students probably feel that sex ed covers more than enough. But while Gunn’s Living Skills class has a unit on sexual orientation, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community is not included in many sex ed programs throughout the nation. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Sports] It is no accident that this year’s wrestling team’s sweatshirts have the words “getting stronger” on them. “Well, each year we’ve gotten better,” head coach Chris Horpel said. “I’m hoping that we’ll improve this year. [The team is] getting better everyday.” —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] People bade farewell and watched as staff and students boarded the buses that took them to Silicon Valley Conference for Community and Justice (SVCCJ) Camp Everytown, which is dedicated to reducing stereotypes and eliminating biases. Sixty-nine selected students, along with nine faculty members, attended the four-day retreat, on Nov. 28 to 31. Camp attendees become more aware of biases through activities and discussions. “It’s a camp that helps kids address issues that center around stereotypes,” Camp Everytown coordinator Roni Habib said. “It’s one of the most important academic programs that we have.” —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Sports] If you have been to the fitness room recently, you have probably noticed its popularity among students, staff and after school sports coaches. But you also may have noticed, as Athletic Director Chris Horpel said, “It needs a facelift.” —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] Censorship of ‘09’s potentially offensive sign brings mixed reactions from students—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Entertainment] Catching a drug dealer who can disguise himself while leaving no trail behind, has power above the mafia and ships heroin overseas in the coffins of soldiers is no biggie, right? In “American Gangster,” Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is assigned the hard task of tracking down Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), the tricky drug dealer responsible for the man in charge of getting people hooked onto heroin. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) filters certain Web sites, and can track which Web sites students visit on school computers. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Forum] Many use the U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges list to compare universities with each other and determine which school is best. However, students and parents should not rely on such a faulty system to judge the quality of different colleges and universities. Not only is the method of collecting data about schools flawed, but the factors the U.S. News & World Report use to determine a college's ranking do not reveal much about the institutions themselves. Instead of judging colleges based on these rankings, students and parents should visit colleges' campuses and Web sites to form their opinions. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[News] With a maximum of 1,950 students on campus, Gunn is nearly bursting at the seams with 1,900 students currently enrolled at the school. The increasing student population to Palo Alto's high schools has forced the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to start looking for solutions to the over-crowded campuses. "It squeezes the learning facility," senior Student Body President Max Keeler said. Principal Noreen Likins agreed. "It's not the same learning experience," she said. Possible plans include expanding Gunn and Palo Alto High School campuses or building a specialty school. Alternative or virtual programs may also be offered. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] The Oracle staff sends out reporters to interview new teachers at Gunn. —Libby Craig, Jocelyn Ma, Carissa Ratanaphanyarat, Ann Abraham, & Amy Yu
[Entertainment] Senior sisters Jennifer and Teresa Lee are employed on Nordstrom Brass Plum Fashion Board (NBPFB). NBPFB members plan events at Nordstrom's and give advice to other teens about clothing and fashion. In addition, the board educates members about the fashion industry. —Carissa Ratanaphanyarat