[News] Construction changes classes’ workspaces and procedures—Joyce Liu
[News] Palo Alto has been named one of the top ten most educated small towns in the nation in a recent Forbes report. Other cities that made the top ten list include Wellesley, MA; McLean, VA; Los Altos, CA; Lexington, MA; Potomac, MD and West Lafayette, IN.—
[News] On Jan. 21, the Instruction Counsel (IC) met with Superintendent Kevin Skelly and Principal Noreen Likins to discuss a note added to the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 district calendars stating that homework would not be assigned during winter break. The IC addressed concerns by staff members over whether the note overstepped the power of the school board.—
[News] This year, Gunn will undergo assessment by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an organization dedicated to judging the education schools give to their students. In order to assess, WASC must prepare evaluations and set goals for Gunn. “The teachers, other students and I use evidence from other classes to prove that Gunn is a high school worthy of accreditation for the next six years,” senior Monica Datta said. —
[News] Greed, lack of regulation spur financial crisis—Jocelyn Ma & Tenny Zhang
[News] Currently, there are 29 countries officially in economic recessions worldwide. A substantial number of other countries have been affected as well by the ongoing economic crisis. A recession is marked by two continuous quarters of negative growth in a country’s gross domestic product (GDP). A country’s GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced in a country during a specified year.—Ryan Tan
[News] To begin solving the current economic crisis, President Barack Obama’s economic plan has taken the center stage of his growing agenda. His stimulus package for immediate economic relief includes tax cuts for workers, relief for homeowners hit by the housing crisis and expansion of unemployment insurance. —Sarah-Jean Zubair
[News] Pop-ups and Facebook applications acting like viruses frustrate students—Eugenah Chou
[News] English teacher organizes first National Eating Disorder Awareness week on campus, Feb. 23 to 27—Libby Craig
[News] In other parts of the country, fears of natural disasters generally circulate around hurricanes, tornados and landslides. In California, the natural disaster most feared is earthquakes. Though earthquakes may not be the most popular topic, students should be aware of the danger.—Melissa Chan
[News] The Oracle staff compiles a list of essential items to have in case of an emergency. —Joseph Lin
[News] The Oracle staff describes some earthquakes from the past. —Ann Abraham
[Forum] Environmental organization employs questionable methods to achieve aims—
[Forum] Every year, five million lives are lost to cigarettes—the only known product that kills you even when “used as directed.” Last month, however, the city of Belmont took a laudable step towards ending this silent massacre. On Jan. 1, this Bay Area community passed one of the strictest set of anti-smoking laws in the United States, banning the use of tobacco anywhere within the city limits except for in private, detached residences. Belmont’s legislators have shown that it is possible to gain ground against the tobacco company giants whose intensive lobbying clips on many new laws in the bud. Palo Alto should follow Belmont’s lead and ban the sale and use of tobacco within its city limits as well. A tobacco-free Palo Alto would save lives, reduce our carbon footprint and make our city a more pleasant place to live.—Jon Proctor
[Forum] It’s a typical Monday and you’re sitting in class, struggling to pay attention to the lecture at hand, when the sound of a leaf blower crushes the remains of your concentration. Gasoline-powered leaf blowers should not be used on school grounds. They harm air quality and disrupt classes.—Veronica Polivanaya
[Forum] Every year it seems that Advanced Placement (AP) class acceptance lists grow longer. This higher rate of acceptance is reassuring for many students, but it does not actually benefit anyone. Larger AP class sizes make both learning and teaching more difficult in already challenging classes. —Danielle Edelman
[Forum] Come holidays, teachers receive a variety of presents. Most are given from the heart, but even if they are well-intentioned, they give the student a subconscious advantage over students who cannot afford gifts. —Melissa Chan
[Forum] The idea behind giving students prep periods is to provide them with sufficient time to balance academic and athletic commitments. Denying preps to certain student-athletes simply because they do not represent school sports teams is biased and unjustified.—Sophie Cheng
[Forum] After facing many years of hostility and violence, Israel is finally fighting back. On Dec. 27, 2008, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) launched Operation Cast Lead, the largest Israeli operation in the Gaza strip since the Six-Day War in 1967. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Bakar stated that the three basic goals precipitating the Israel government’s decision for Operation Cast Lead are to deal Hamas a large blow, to transform the situation in Gaza and to terminate the rocket attacks against Israeli citizens. Overall, Israeli’s military tactic is purely out of necessary self-defense from the terrorist organization Hamas.—Beth Holtzman
[Forum] Since the declaration of cease-fire on Jan. 18, the recent Israeli-Gaza conflict has claimed more than 1,300 Palestinian and 13 Israeli lives. Israel’s proclaimed objective was to strengthen its defenses and weaken Hamas, but the war has done neither. After the invasion, the rockets will likely continue to fire from Gaza, Hamas’ rule in Gaza remains steady and neither Israelis nor Gazans have gained any sustainable peace. Ultimately, the operation failed because it was rashly decided upon. Israel’s invasion of Gaza cannot be justified because it did not benefit either side in the end. —Tenny Zhang
[Forum] In Gunn’s halls you’re likely to hear someone say they just “pwned” a test, or hear someone who is inexperienced referred to as a “n00b.” Slang is society’s method of personalizing a universal language.—Niki Mata
[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
[Forum] We see them all over campus, in cardinal reds and royal blues, inscribed in letters of glaring, self-righteous gold and white. College sweatshirts are worn for many purposes: to express pride in a sibling, convey hope for the future and sometimes, advertise a legacy. In an era of rising college competition and national scrutiny, this last issue is inciting new debate. —Dana Li
[Forum] According to the Center of Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut, only 19 percent of surveyed students believe colleges should provide general education. This rock-bottom figure begs the question—why are students ignoring the liberal arts? Beyond preparation for a specific career, college education doubles as an opportunity for self-actualization, where students can learn for the sake of learning. —Eugenah Chou
[Features] Barack Obama's presidential inauguration in the eyes of an Oracle reporter.—Shaya Christensen
[Features] Gunn community represented at Barack Obama’s historical ceremony—Carissa Ratanaphanyarat
[Features] Jar Wars, Family Giving Tree and the Tijuana trip are just a few of the events that Gunn’s Youth Community Service/Interact club (YCS/Interact), have organized this year. Recently, YCS/Interact has been a part of two events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Jan. 17, YCS/Interact joined Public Allies, a nonprofit organization that focuses on community service based in East Palo Alto. On Jan. 19, YCS/Interact was also involved in a celebration dedicated to both King and then President-elect Barack Obama, at Palo Alto City Hall.—Amy Yu
[Features] The Oracle staff suggests creative ways to celebrate this Valentine's Day. —Jeffrey Wang
[Features] The Oracle staff explains the different art classes that are offered at Gunn. —Sarah-Jean Zubair
[Features] Traditional pen and paper journals replaced by Internet blogs—Wen Yi Chin
[Features] Training pet dogs and cats to perform tricks like shaking hands or rolling over is quite common among students and adults alike. The thought of goats crawling underneath objects on command is rare, but that is just what junior Lisa Fawcett does in her spare time—she trains goats.—Anne Hsiao
[Centerfold] You wake up feeling dizzy and sneezing. You can’t quite breathe and suddenly you’re coughing uncontrollably. If you were still in third grade you might get excited by this excuse to miss school—but you’re not. You attend an academically demanding school and have AP classes that you simply cannot miss. So instead of staying in bed to recover, you drag yourself to class. —Amarelle Hanyecz
[Centerfold] The Oracle explores different ways to prevent sickness.—Joyce Liu
[Centerfold] Certain people are able to heal from wounds rapidly and endure painful experiences, like surgery without anesthesia, without so much as a flinch. They must be superheroes, right? Wrong. Any human can do it, including you. Our perceptions of certain situations can affect our health both positively or negatively.—Anne Hsiao
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff gets the scoop on what guys really want for Valentine’s Day. —Joseph Lin
[Entertainment] My first impression of Uwink, which is located on 401 Castro St, Mountain View, was how cozy the restaurant seemed. The constant chatter and spaciousness created a low-key atmosphere that helped in satisfying the one requirement for a good night out: comfort. Bar stools and tables are available to those seeking an informal excursion, and cushions to those looking for even more relaxation. Only one thing seemed out of place: the set of flat screen computers at every table. After ogling the restaurant’s niceties, I approached the hostess, who greeted me warmly. —Eugenah Chou
[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
[Entertainment] Biggie Smalls’ biopic reveals life and culture in the music industry—Eugenah Chou
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff shows how to cook raspberry duck. —Jon Proctor
[Entertainment] On July 17, thousands of fans will converge to San Francisco to celebrate the worldwide Harry Potter phenomenon. With one of the largest and most diverse fan followings, Harry Potter has had a profound effect on fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. The Harry Potter Education Fanon’s (HPEF) sixth event, Azkatraz, will be hosted in the Parc 55 San Francisco Hotel. Its name is a combination of the Wizard prison Azkaban and the former San Francisco prison Alcatraz.—Melissa Chan
[Entertainment] Students usually can only daydream of their teachers singing and dancing around in silly costumes, but they will get to experience it firsthand on Wednesday evening when And Then There Were Nuns, the choir-staff musical, opens. —Sophie Cheng
[Entertainment] If you want the benefits of a social life in the comfort of your home, then try online games. Though multiplayer games may seem somewhat dorky at first, the variety of genres provides appealing games for everyone. The most popular categories of online games among Gunn students include massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), strategy games, shooter games and old-school party games.—Jeffrey Wang
[Entertainment] The Oracle staff gives an overview of the most widely used Internet browsers available for download today.—Bauer Wann
[Sports] Changes in proposed football program cause conflict—Alvin Man & Niki Mata
[Sports] With the fluid play of soccer, the team mentality of football and a unique aerodynamic projectile, Ultimate Frisbee is a mélange of a few of the most popular aspects of athletics. Accordingly, Gunn’s Ultimate Frisbee team has become one of the most popular clubs on campus, with 40 active players and over 80 members of the club’s Facebook group. However, the Ultimate Frisbee club is not only unique for its body count, but for its wholly student-run system.—Dana Li
[Sports] Initially starting out as a team struggling to even compete in matches, the wrestling team has improved almost beyond recognition. In recent years, the team has consistently ranked highly and individual wrestlers have continually pushed themselves to the limit, making an even stronger team for the future.—Anne Hsiao & Joseph Lin
[Sports] The Gunn wrestling team came closer to beating Los Gatos than they have in past years. The final score came out to 30-35, but captain senior Phil Park felt that the outcome could have gone either way. “We could have beaten them,” Park said.—Danielle Aspitz
[Sports] The Oracle staff interviews 6th Man Club President Rachael Fleischmann.—Jeffrey Wang
[Sports] Season Recap & The Big Game—Aviel Chang