[News] Senior Molly Kawahata was nominated to become a delegate to represent Congressional District 14 at the National Democratic Convention in Denver, where she will cast a vote for Obama.—
[News] The Student Executive Council (SEC) held a carnival on May 23 on campus from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. “We were expecting close to 800 people because we’re inviting the whole PAUSD,” Student Body President senior Max Keeler said. This estimate proved slightly low, the current estimate is 500-600. —
[News] On April 23, staff members of The Oracle, Gunn’s student newspaper, traveled to Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont to receive multiple awards in the Peninsula Press Club’s local high school newspaper competition. —
[News] According to the American Petroleum Institute, gas prices have risen steadily by an average of 27.1 percent over the past five years. Statistics from the Energy Information Administration show that gas prices have recently leapt to a national average of $3.66 for all grades of gasoline. —Sarah-Jean Zubair
[News] When Foreign Language Instructional Supervisor (IS) Anne Jensen opened her e-mail account on Wednesday, April 3, she was in for an unexpected surprise. Teachers from all over the country had flooded her inbox with concerns regarding the elimination of several Advanced Placement (AP) courses including French Literature, Latin Literature, Italian Language and Culture and Computer Science AB by College Board, the administrator and creator of all AP tests. —Jocelyn Ma
[News] Differences in achievement pose problems—Jon Proctor & Tenny Zhang
[News] The Oracle staff interviews social studies teacher Deborah Sanderson. —Veronica Polivanaya
[News] On April 22, students gathered in Spangenberg Theater for a different kind of Drug and Alcohol Assembly in which they entered data about their drug and alcohol usage using keypads and saw it analyzed live.—Niki Mata
[News] Sober Graduation is an annual community-based program that targets seniors around Prom, graduation and other end-of-the-year school activities. Sober Graduation hosted “Reality Check,” a student journalism press conference on April 30, to publicize its cause.—Amarelle Hanyecz & Tenny Zhang
[News] The Oracle staff interviews incoming Student Body President Jeffrey Wang. —Mari Ju
[News] Coaches, administration, student body have differing opinions on school’s upcoming turf fields—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Forum] May is over, and various students have just gotten their results from that fateful test: SATs. Some may celebrate while others sigh and gear themselves for another painful round of test-taking. But before students try to find meaning behind their scores, they should ask themselves—do the SATs say anything about skill? Studies, statistics and the experiences of millions of students say otherwise. The SATs are meant to make the college admissions process fairer, but they utterly fail to serve as the great equalizer that the College Board claims them to be. —
[Forum] Palo Alto High PTSA president threatens First Amendment rights—Sophie Cheng
[Forum] Parents across the nation are rushing their children to language immersion schools, hoping that their child will someday become fluent in another language. For those of us not in language immersion, however, a foreign language Advanced Placement (AP) course is the next best thing. Therefore, it is strange that the College Board is deciding to eliminate three AP language courses after the 2008-2009 academic year. Latin Literature, French Literature and Italian Language and Culture will all be discontinued. The elimination of French Literature, the only aforementioned course that Gunn has, will affect almost 200 students who would be eligible to take the class. The College Board should not discontinue AP Language or Literature courses because doing so undermines the purpose of learning a new language: gaining a deeper understanding of a particular language and culture.—Joyce Liu
[Forum] In a school where academic competition is widespread, every grade that a student receives matters. Grades, which are meant to reflect a student’s work and intelligence, are not always comparable due to differences between classes of the same course. How are students supposed to portray their knowledge equally when their classes are moving at different paces, and are graded at different standards? In order to ensure that grades are equally reflective of students’ work, teachers should collaborate their courses by establishing the exact same curriculum and grading system.—Niki Mata
[Forum] The race for the Democratic nomination has dragged on without a meaningful conclusion. With Barack Obama ahead by 2 percent, it may seem that the best course of action would simply be for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, to drop out of the race and allow Obama to begin campaigning for the presidency immediately. However, even though deciding on a candidate quickly may have some short-term advantages, in the end, it will prove to be a political blunder. —Emily Glider
[Forum] Every four years, the United States undergoes a remarkable transformation from a fairly stable political dipole to a political mess. In the midst of change, a person must not only choose a party, but also a favorite party candidate. The primaries are a unique and valuable time in politics, when both fresh and veteran voters alike can get excited about the election process and express their political views beyond general party loyalty. However, this excitement fades soon after Super Tuesday, and many people find themselves impatient for the selection of a candidate. Moving the primaries closer to the conventions would eliminate the loss of enthusiasm, wasted money and intra-party divisions that are products of the current election process.—Danielle Edelman
[Forum] I’m probably going to get a barrage of hate mail from all the Barack Obama fans after this expose. Still, I hereby declare myself a loyal supporter of Hillary Clinton.—Tenny Zhang
[Forum] By the time you finish reading this sentence, hundreds of pigs will have been killed in slaughterhouses to be put on dinner tables nationwide. Sure, we’ve all been notified of this calamity countless times, but, in reality, no one ever gives animal cruelty a second thought. And contrary to popular belief, posters and stickers won’t get this anti-animal cruelty movement on its feet. Test tube meat, on the other hand, holds promising possibilities. —Veronica Polivanaya
[Forum] In April 2008, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced that it would offer $1 million to anyone who could create test tube meat by 2012. Through test tube meat, PETA is hoping to reduce the number of animals raised and killed for meat to help the environment by decreasing deforestation. Although the organization’s intentions are good, test tube meat is simply not a feasible option for the future.—Amy Yu
[Forum] When shoppers enter a supermarket, they often do not know where the produce they buy originates. They could be spending money on a clove of garlic laced with poisonous pesticides or week-old fruit gleaming beneath wax and artificial hormones. Why take such health risks when there are reputable farms adhering to California agricultural regulations within one’s own community?—Sarah-Jean Zubair
[Features] On May 23, the gym doors promptly opened at 7 p.m. as over a hundred students, who had been fasting since 6 a.m., milled about, anticipating a night of fun and games at Fast For Awareness (FFA) to last until noon the next day. Only a few hours later, however, they filed back out, because several students were smoking marijuana at the event. —Alicia Zhao
[Features] Instead of attending or counseling at a camp this summer, sophomore Julia Reichelstein will stay busy by opening her own innovative summer camp for kids.—Anna Luise Zott
[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] If your life depended on it, could you instantly name the pitch of a car horn, or sing a middle C on cue? Odds are you could not, but there are a few students at Gunn who can.—Jon Proctor
[Features] Invented in the 1970s, the Rubik’s cube is becoming a popular hobby around campus. While some still label the solving process as tedious and tiresome, participants of a recent cube contest demonstrated just how quickly a Rubik’s cube could be solved with the right skills and persistent practice.—Alicia Zhao
[Features] While many students hold aspirations for doing medical research later on in life, the Neuroscience Club aims to make those distant aspirations closer to becoming a reality by collecting and analyzing data on the student population. —Emily Glider
[Features] Pregnancy. That one word can bring forth the feeling of the end of the world or the beginning of a new life. In either case, change is bound to happen, and for math teacher Angel Lavery, a new life is beginning.—Anne Hsiao
[Features] Social studies teacher Faith Hilal will be creating her own history this July. Hilal’s baby girl will be her first child and is due July 14, Bastille Day. The baby girl’s name has been chosen but will remain a secret until her birth.—Beth Holtzman
[Features] Food cravings, mood swings, swollen feet and more–most women do not enjoy going through these side effects of pregnancy even once, but 5-months-pregnant English teacher Ginny Moyer is expecting her second child in September, two years after her first son Matthew was born. —Sophie Cheng
[Features] Math teacher Voula Stathopolous took maternity leave on May 2 to prepare for the birth of her first child.—Anna Luise Zott
[Centerfold] For those of you staying in Palo Alto this summer, do not despair; fun awaits you around every corner. Productivity and determination is the key to making your summer interesting right at home. The Oracle staff presents some ideas you can use for this summer. —Bauer Wann
[Centerfold] The first step in getting an internship is deciding what kind of internship you are looking for. Are you looking for an internship dealing with medicine, law or business? Do you prefer a paid internship or a non-paid internship? How many hours do you plan to work? These are just a few of the questions you should be asking before you start your search. —Ryan Tan
[Centerfold] The Oracle staff takes a look at some of the local beaches. —Amarelle Hanyecz
[Entertainment] Trends this summer are wavering between conservative and bold. For one, full swimsuits are back. However, these new one-pieces are far from the traditional unflattering swimsuits of the past; full suits with pieces missing from the sides and the back, mini-skirts on the bottoms and tankinis, while more modest, are all big hits this summer. —Danielle Aspitz
[Entertainment] J.K. Rowling and the world of Harry Potter are usually associated with magic, wizards and Quidditch. However, Rowling and her wizards are now intertwined in legal issues and lawsuits.—Beth Holtzman
[Entertainment] To accurately describe The Learners by Chip Kidd, only one word is needed: unique. From the book jacket to the characters, the novel is filled with random references, crazy personalities and, within light and dark humor, the facts of reality. —Amy Yu
[Entertainment] What would it be like to write the music, choreography or script of a play? Students normally act in school productions, but in the annual One Acts, they also directed and wrote the plays, including the student-written plays Español 3…the MUSICAL! and Mood Indigo. —Sophie Cheng
[Entertainment] Gunn’s Jazz Band will be presenting the premiere of Steven Bernstein’s commissioned piece, “Evolution 101,” at the Montalvo Arts Center on June 18. Bernstein, a renowned jazz musician and composer, has been working with Gunn students and faculty since April to prepare them for the piece. The Jazz Band will open the concert for Jason Moran, another legendary composer and musician, and his own show “In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall.”—Ann Abraham
[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
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff takes a look at some of the new movies coming out, including The Incredible Hulk, WALL-E, The Dark Knight and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. —Bauer Wann
[Entertainment] High school movies generally exaggerate high school issues in order to send powerful messages about how students should be well-rounded and unaffected by others’ opinions. While this is great advice, the teenage years can be extremely challenging to those who are still struggling to find their place. Some movie creators have realized that these students need to know there is really more to life than getting everyone to like you and scoring well on certain exams.—Danielle Aspitz
[Entertainment] The Oracle super-chefs Jon Proctor and Mari Ju bring you the best in summer barbeque cuisine.—Jon Proctor & Mari Ju
[Entertainment] Summertime Melon Smoothie & Banana Berry Smoothie recipes—Veronica Polivanaya
[Sports] At the Palo Alto (Paly) – Gunn basketball game on January 26 the Gunn Sixth Man Club displayed a sign arguing that Gunn was greater than Paly according to a US News’ academic poll. This sign was one example that contributed to the common myth that Gunn has poor sports teams. As an athlete and a devoted Titan fan, I am sick of hearing “how bad our sports are,” and especially that they are worse than Paly’s. In reality, Gunn has an outstanding sports program and it is time to put those negative rumors to rest once and for all.—Mari Ju
[Sports] The Oracle gets to know two teachers with extreme passions.—Anne Hsiao
[Sports] A common misconception about high school sports is that students simply join for the sake of having a prep and do not try their best. But for sophomore track member Sunny Margerum, who holds Gunn’s records in the long jump, triple jump, hurdles and sprints, however, that is not the case. “I don’t hold back,” she said. “I put all I have in each meet, each practice.”—Alicia Zhao
[Sports] While most students put on a sweatshirt when the wind blows, members of the Gunn sailing team rejoice at the opportunity, and are immediately out in their boats zipping up a different kind of outerwear: a lifejacket. —Wen Yi Chin
[Sports] Students usually play by the rules when it comes to sports like basketball and football, but in the Underground Sports Association (USA), a club dedicated to non-conventional sports, members make up rules to their own original games.—Niki Mata
[Sports] Coaches emphasize strategies and leadership in weekly meetings—Bauer Wann
[Sports] The last bell of the school year rings and the doors swing open as students pour out of their classrooms, making it into the first few minutes of the much anticipated summer holiday. The season of relaxation is about to begin. —Wen Yi Chin
[Sports] The Oracle staff looks at some ways to stay fit over the summer.—Danielle Aspitz & Sarah-Jean Zubair