[News] Beginning this fall, Gunn will begin the accreditation process by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The procedure will continue through the spring of 2009, involving effort from parents, teachers and students. Accreditation is a validation of a school’s classes and institutions by a third party, in addition to a method of improving the school. “We take a look at what we’ve been doing and how well we’ve been doing it,” Principal Noreen Likins said. —Aurelle Amram
[Entertainment] It’s no surprise to see a line of people going out to the sidewalk right around lunchtime at Mediterranean Wraps. With a reputation of serving the best Mediterranean food in Palo Alto, this small restaurant is worth checking out for anyone who enjoys falafel, pita, hummus and other traditional dishes.—Stéphanie Keller-Busque
[News] Gunn student Lindsay Castner, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, has to be careful when making friends. “Certain people that I’m close with, I know they won’t tell,” she said. “But my situation really gets in the way of making friends. You really don’t know if you can trust them enough to become really close with them.”—Aurelle Amram & Tenny Zhang
[News] On Jan. 10, The Palo Alto Weekly published an article (“College counselors hurtful, Gunn grads say”) that included two graduates’ criticisms of Gunn’s counselor system, fueling conversation about whether or not the school should adopt a teacher advisory program like that of Palo Alto High School (Paly). —Bauer Wann & Amy Yu
[News] Every four years, Americans vote in the presidential elections. But even before November’s presidential election, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) must first choose which respective candidates to run. This process, which occurs in each state, is called the primaries.—Tenny Zhang
[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
[News] A small group of Gunn parents recently collaborated with Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) adviser Daisy Renazco to form the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ) parent network. “Because it’s all relatively new, the beginning stages are to figure out what our focus should be, while creating a safe space for parents and students,” Renazco said.—Susan Lee
[Forum] When the bell rings at 7:55 a.m., there are not many students prepared to learn. While the system of starting class early and ending early has been institutionalized as the correct and common format for schools, many schools across the country are switching to more liberal schedules, primarily in altering their start times. Gunn should follow suit and stagger its schedule so the start time fits a typical teenager's biological clock.—Noah Johnson
[News] Gunn recently purchased 132 new computers for student and teacher use, which are being distributed throughout the campus.—
[News] From Jan. 4 to 18, the Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) conducted Operation Safe Passage. Sponsored by the California Highway Patrol, the program strives to encourage safe travel to school. “Operation Safe Passage is an operation that involves the police providing a heavy presence on our school corridors to ensure that students have a safe environment to go to and from school,” Traffic Supervisor and Sergeant Steve Herrera, who manages the program, said. “We enforce the applicable laws by citing both vehicles and bicyclists who are not providing a safe passage.” —
[News] On Jan. 29, the Student Executive Council (SEC) held an assembly about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The assembly began with an introduction to Dr. King’s life and a presentation of his achievements by Junior Class President Ahmad Fayad. The SEC also showed a video of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.—
[News] On Feb. 6, the Student Executive Council (SEC) held a second Club Day on the quad with newly chartered second semester clubs. —
[News] College of the Month: Lafayette College—Michelle Fang
[News] On Jan. 26, the Gunn boys’ basketball teams faced cross-town rival Palo Alto High School (Paly), and the administration faced the worst Sixth Man Club scheme ever, Assistant Principal Tom Jacoubowsky said.—Sasha Guttentag & Tenny Zhang
[News] Over winter break, most of the West Coast, including the Bay Area, was hit by a storm that dumped eight inches of rain and 11 feet of snow.—Jon Proctor
[Forum] With the race for the White House heating up, political issues are fresh in everybody’s minds, and tongues. Charged political discussions are inevitable, and even though the classroom is an excellent place to exchange ideas, teachers should avoid revealing their own politics. Whether or not partisan political discussions have a place in the classroom is debatable, but it is certain that teachers should not be taking sides.—
[Forum] Students have a right to relieve themselves when needed. Students should be allowed to take bathroom breaks during class when desired.—Adrienne Nguyen
[Forum] It’s the last period of the day, and your English teacher has just assigned an in-class quick write. You’re tired and writing is the last thing on your mind. You have to escape the stuffy prison that they call a classroom, so you raise your hand and ask to be excused to go to the bathroom, disturbing the class’s concentration and turning others’ attention to the outside as well. This classroom escape act, although seemingly innocent, is both unfair to your classmates and teachers.—Jon Proctor
[Forum] For students, teachers and administrators alike, the start of finals marks the start of organized chaos. New schedules, classes and curricula loom in the distance. But with it brings the inevitable last-minute planning. One problem tends to emerge from the deadline set by finals week. In many classrooms, students have little time to review.—Emily Glider
[Forum] This year, like recent years before, not many people will be watching the Oscars. No, it is not because of the writers’ strike, which threatens to turn the Oscars into a one-hour press conference fiasco. Even if the strikers do not interfere, there still will not be as many people tuning in to the Academy Awards as there should, because it has some problems of its own that need reform first. —Tenny Zhang
[Forum] While President Bush preaches abstinence and schools are funded to teach minimal sexual education, high school and middle school students are being deprived of critical information that could prevent anything from an unwanted newborn child to disease.—Danielle Aspitz
[Forum] Still hoping that your favorite TV shows are coming back soon? You may want to let out that big breath you have been holding in, because the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike is into its third month and still going strong. Although the tentative deal the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) made with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) gives hope to the situation, the strike has gone on far too long and there is still no end in sight. It is time for both the writers and the producers to shelve their pride and come to a fair agreement that compensates the writers for their work. —Danielle Edelman
[Features] Prayer usually brings to mind the image of a bowed head, closed eyes and clasped hands, and can be easily dismissed as a passive religious act by an outsider. However, members of In The Light, Gunn’s Christian club, have chosen to redefine the preconceived notions of prayer by giving it literal direction. Every other Thursday after school, members of In The Light walk the Gunn campus and pray for the school as a whole as well as the individual needs. —Ann Abraham
[Features] Last year, senior Stephanie Goldman enrolled in Fiber Arts, a course in embroidery, quilt-making and other sewing techniques. Just a semester later, she found herself in a paying career that she hopes to continue into adulthood. She came by such a rare opportunity in an unusual field: Goldman makes and sells stuffed animals. —Emily Glider
[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
[Features] While most students spend their time online going on Facebook, senior Phillip Wu spends his time working on the two web sites he created: one for his webcomics and the other for a non-profit organization called the Lynck Foundation.—Amy Yu
[Entertainment] Gunn’s upcoming choir show, “Alice Down the Healthcare Hole: A Musical Coma,” marks the twelfth collaboration between writer Nancy Gilsenan Hersage and Choir Director William Liberatore. The musical comedy is a remixed, satirical version of “Alice in Wonderland” which pokes fun at the American health care system. —Bauer Wann
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff explains your favorite part of Valentine’s Day—Amy Yu
[Entertainment] Recipe for Caramel Flan with Raspberry Sauce by Jon Proctor, reporter. —Jon Proctor
[Entertainment] Taking a weekend getaway to one of these nearby hotspots in the city will make it seem as though summer never ended.—Stéphanie Keller-Busque
[Entertainment] Cheesy cards, stale candy hearts and stuffed animals—you know the drill. Feb. 14 is, for many, as much about hate as it is about love. I could not disagree more with the anti-Valentine trend that seems to gain popularity each year. For all Valentine’s Day haters, I challenge you change your perspective this year. Rather than whine about loneliness or commercialization, take it for what it’s meant to be—a day devoted to love. —Amarelle Hanyecz
[Centerfold] This is a class where, at any given moment, students might burst out in fits of giggles or blurt out some of the most awkward questions ever. No surprises here—this is sex ed we’re talking about. —Andrea Yung
[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
[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
[Centerfold] The Oracle staff interviewed science and former sex ed teacher Lisa Wu to find out about Gunn’s own sex ed program.—Libby Craig
[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
[Sports] Senior Nic Giaccia was not always fond of wrestling.—Libby Craig
[Sports] The varsity boys’ basketball team squeezed out a six-point win over the Cupertino Pioneers on Feb. 5, with the Titans going on a 7-1 run late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The Titans’ defense was the highlight of the game according to senior Richard Wiley. “Although we had some missteps, our defense stayed strong and we came through for a win against a key opponent,” he said. —Aviel Chang
[Sports] On Feb. 1 at Mayfield, the Gunn varsity girls’ soccer team gathered confidence and stood up against the Palo Alto High School (Paly) team, currently ranked number one in the Central Coast Section (CCS), but ended up with a 0-6 loss. “Paly is a really good team, so we didn’t really expect to win, but we still tried our best,” junior Megan Clendenin said.—Jeffrey Wang
[Sports] Though Gunn has had a girls’ lacrosse team for seven years, Palo Alto High School (Paly) established its first-ever girls’ lacrosse team this season. As the interest level increased during the past several years, Paly students began to join clubs because an official lacrosse team was unavailable.—Susan Lee
[Sports] Every Friday at lunch, members of the Hockey Club meet together in T-1 to discuss the San Jose Sharks. “This year a lot of students from every grade level joined the club,” junior Club President Rachael Fleischmann said. Fleischmann has been a Sharks fan ever since she could remember; her favorite player is ex-Sharks captain Scott Hannan. She started the club her sophomore year so all the school’s Sharks’ fans could meet together and talk about the team.—Aviel Chang
[Sports] For the typical teenager, going to the gym and hitting the bicycle for an hour at a 9.4 mile per hour pace burns about 330 calories. Playing pick-up basketball with some buddies down the street burns around 450. But squash, a sport which is slowly but surely gaining popularity for numerous reasons, burns almost 700 calories per hour. You’re probably thinking, “Okay it’s a good workout, but I prefer the treadmill, why squash?” Squash is an enjoyable, interactive and extremely rigorous sport and can provide what people of all ages desire in a pastime. —Sasha Guttentag
[Sports] The Oracle explores various indoor sports. —Noah Johnson, Bauer Wann, Aurelle Amram, & Emily Glider
[Features] While most of us were still recovering from our large Christmas dinners, the Emergency Medical Response (EMR) explorers were getting ready to go on a four-day trek to Camp Cutter, also known as EMR Academy. EMR is a program where students learn all about the medical field. "If you want to be a doctor this is the right thing for you because of all the medical training you get," junior EMR ex-explorer Kanika Khanna said. —Jocelyn Ma
[Features] School spirit. It may be hard to define but you can certainly feel it, hear it and see it–but unfortunately, not enough at Gunn. Many students have lost their school pride and spirit without realizing that they are missing out on a major factor of high school life.—Amarelle Hanyecz
[Entertainment] What happened to the new episodes of of Grey's Anatomy? Or Gossip Girl? The answer is the current Writers Guild of America strike, which has dramatically altered the television and film industries. Since Nov. 5, more than 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) labor unions have been on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). AMPTP is a trade organization that represents the interests of almost 400 film and television producers, including GE, Disney, Viacom, News Corp and Time Warner. —Beth Holtzman