Gunn High School's Student Newspaper
Search results: articles by "Maya Itah"
[Features] Although most students associate the green movement with organic gardens and Al Gore, a number of Gunn kids have taken a different approach—think lights, camera, action. —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] The relationship between teenagers and technology is a funny one. Baby boomers, who were fortunate enough to watch the Internet emerge, fully appreciate its worth as an exciting new frontier. As for me? I could be on Mount Kilimanjaro, and I’d probably still whine about the lack of instant messaging. In most aspects of my life, I embody the sociologist’s conception of a typical Generation Y kid. I read blogs. I stream music on YouTube. I know the distinct difference between a “lol” and a “LOLZ!11.” Outwardly, I am totally comfortable in a world of flashing buttons and whirring machines.—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] This past winter break, my parents decided to leave the house at my mercy for three weeks. I’m sure they worried about various things—at least, I kind of hope they did—but they voiced one concern above all others:—Maya Itah
[Forum] Senioritis: technically, the word means “inflammation of the senior,” but high school students know it better as the term for that second semester state of brain-dead apathy. Some students start early, but seniors usually experience it after finishing their college applications; with essays written and transcripts sent, the goal often becomes keeping C’s to a minimum. That goal may serve a student who simply wants to enter college, but in the big picture, senioritis just doesn’t make any sense—and I’m not just talking about the literal definition. —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] In light of the current economic crisis, America has collectively changed the way it views so-called inferior products. Fashionistas are learning to make generic brands work. Time Magazine recently featured spam—as a trendy ingredient for upscale chefs. Ramen isn’t just for college students anymore. —Maya Itah
[Forum] Selling your organs? It sounds sinister, like something out of a morbid science fiction novel. But it could likely save countless lives.—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] This month, I want to talk about hurtful stereotypes. Forget about ethnicity, religion and nationality. Forget about high school labels. Fellow students: I may listen to electronica, but that doesn’t mean I have no soul. I don’t spend my weekends tripping on Ecstasy, I don’t have neon green hair and I most certainly do not dream of a world ruled by cyborgs. In fact, I wish I could say I’m that interesting, but I’m really not. I’m just an ordinary high school kid with a deep love of Daft Punk. —Maya Itah
[Features] The Oracle staff interviews senior Sasha Guttentag, SEC Community Service Chair—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] Last year, I bought my prom dress at a thrift store for $16. My parents didn’t cut my budget, and what’s more, I wasn’t making some kind of statement about the futility of spending hundreds of dollars for one night. In fact, I was fully prepared to go where few teenage girls have hesitated to tread: I was prepared to splurge. But after scouring the racks of countless high-end stores, I realized that I found the prettiest dress at Buffalo Exchange. —Maya Itah
[Features] Senior Lincoln Scott has been paying close attention to Barack Obama and John McCain’s specific policies—but he claims this election is all about attitude.—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] You’re in a dark movie theater. The screen is pitch black, save for a waif-like cheerleader trembling in fear. Each little noise prompts you to clutch your popcorn for dear life. Your breath hitches in anticipation of The Moment: that fateful split second where the cheerleader will turn around, only to find—oh no! He’s stabbing her with a rake! There’s blood everywhere! And more blood. And… more blood… —Maya Itah
[Forum] Accounting for doctors’ morals rather than for patients’ lives—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] These popular online destinations are attracting users worldwide. From epic dance battles to fun fashion blogs, these Web sites are where it’s at.—Maya Itah
[Entertainment] “I stole your duck and took him to San Francisco.” —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] I like to think I have good taste. I appreciate theater. I thrive on artsy indie movies. I watch upstanding shows like “CSI”, “Weeds” and…“A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.”—Maya Itah
[Features] There are two common misconceptions about Gunn’s Black Student Union (BSU). One: the club’s main focus is assembly performances. Two: only African-Americans can join. —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] "Your great-uncle was a hero." That's what I grew up hearing. Almost every little kid wants to be associated with bravery and valor, and I–fully prepared to brag about this important piece of information–was no exception. I was taught to tell the truth, though. So I told people that I was the 'great-niece of a counterfeiter.'—Maya Itah
[News] The race for the presidency is heating up, and youth campaign organization Students For Barack Obama is determined to make Senator Barack Obama the Democratic presidential nominee. —Maya Itah
[Centerfold] In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced that the typical American teenager views nearly 14,000 sexual references every year. Think that’s a lot? The number might have increased by now.—Maya Itah
[News] Of the countless students who use Facebook, many may not know that several teachers share the site with them. —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] When the holidays roll in and our wallets threaten to roll over in agony, we all confront a crucial moral dilemma: to re-gift, or not to re-gift? Many people consider the practice of re-gifting to be an underhanded cop-out for bad gift givers, but before you condemn it, consider what happens to gifts that aren’t re-gifted. —Maya Itah
[Forum] Teen drinking has long been a touchy issue in the United States. On one hand, it is part of popular culture; on the other hand, it is illegal, and its consequences result in countless tragic accidents. Keeping these opposing norms in mind, it would be logical to have a drinking law that takes the middle ground. Yet Palo Alto recently passed a harsh law that holds property owners responsible if four or more teenagers drink on their property. In other words, if minors drink while their parents are home, parents could pay up to $1000 and even serve jail time. The law is intended to lessen the drinking issue, but this unimaginative, old-line piece of legislation will only make the existing problem worse. —Maya Itah
[Forum] Although global warming is a major issue, its importance often gets lost in minor facts. Combating global warming requires immediate action, but people still dispute its nuances to the point of forgetting about the larger picture. Unfortunately, such trivial arguments often arise when Al Gore’s notorious film comes up. An Inconvenient Truth may have some errors, but none are serious enough to merit endless bickering. People who really care about the planet’s future should stop debating petty trivia and start taking action. —Maya Itah
[Features] The Oracle interviews Annie Fox, junior. —Maya Itah
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff takes a look at different movie genres. —Maya Itah
[Forum] Is Halloween a time to call a shred of red fabric a devil costume? For some, revealing costumes are the holiday—and that’s okay. Costumes are personal choices. However, when you’re in public, the rules change. In the names of decency and my eyes, please keep the lingerie in private gatherings. —Maya Itah
[Forum] Competition is a fact of human life. We've all had moments of anger, resentment and even malice towards another group or team. Such emotions can be dangerous when suppressed: bottled-up rage, for example, can lead to some particularly nasty outbursts. This same logic applies to Gunn, where many students start their year with excess energy left over from the summer. —Maya Itah
[Centerfold] Dreaming is an activity shrouded in mystery, filled with seemingly meaningless events. Methods of unlocking dreams are often branded as unreasonable, but one approach is accessible to anyone with pen and paper: keeping a dream journal. It may seem simple, but to many, including creative writing teacher Tarn Wilson, the results are priceless. "Keeping track of my dreams, I have been able to watch how my dreams have changed over the years," she said. "And they only get more specific and exciting."—Maya Itah
[Centerfold] Imagine this: you're forced to stand upright for what seems like ages while baking from a brutal combination of heat and heavy military garb. You struggle to keep your back pin-straight as a member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shouts at you in Hebrew. Oh, and it's your summer vacation. —Maya Itah