Andrea YungAssociate Forum Editor

On Oct. 13, the original Gunn Titans of 1966, ’67 and ’68 held a reunion at Gunn, participating in a student-led tour of the campus as well as meeting current students in a small panel.

“We decided to have a reunion because our class graduated from Gunn 40 years ago, a nice round number,” alumna Zoe Lofgren said.

The alumni began planning the reunion in November last year. Principal Noreen Likins and Assistant Principal Tom Jacoubowsky helped set up student-led tours and were also responsible for opening Spangenberg for the “interactive panel” between the graduates and current students. “We were contacted around eight months ago by the two women in charge about the possibilities of doing something special,” Likins said.

Although the class of 1966 has had four previ-ous reunions, this is the first time that a Gunn component was included.

Alumni Bil Barber and Bonny Chappa hope to develop a bridge program with Gunn to al-low mentorship and sharing of resources. “As an alumnus, I can say that we are committed to

developing positive programs that would allow students to tap into the wealth of knowledge, resources and contacts that many alumni pos-sess,” Barber said.

The new bench in front of the old Academic Center is the product of the Events Committee, which is comprised of two co-chairs from each graduated class. “We believe that the bench would be a fitting gift to honor all of those who have inspired us—faculty, students and staff—during our years at Gunn,” Barber said.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006Volume 43

Issue 3 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

http://gunn.pausd.org/oracle

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

P A I DPermit #44

Palo Alto, Calif.

Henry M. Gunn High School780 Arastradero RoadPalo Alto, CA 94306

Palo Alto Unified School District

Community service program fails to fulfill purpose

Current system based on numbers, needs reform

PAGE 5

PiE—p. 2

Kicking off to a new season

Winter sports teams hope to excel

PAGE 19

The search for the best taco

The Oracle finds the best places to get a Mexican meal PAGE 15

Chr

isto

pher

Wu

Congressional elections Find out what you need to know about the propositions, candidates for the upcoming elections

PAGES 10-11

PiE survey rates PAUSD

The new bench is a gift to Gunn from the classes of 1966, 1967 and 1968.

Jennifer Lim

Alumni reunite after 40 years

‘Good morning,Gunn’

Vivien TsaoAssociate News Editor

In a benchmarking study evaluating Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) against other districts conducted by Partners in Edu-cation (PiE), volunteers discovered PAUSD’s performance rated with mixed results.

The six-month-long effort compared PAUSD with five other leading schools dis-tricts throughout the nation (Scarsdale in New York, New Trier/Wilmette in Illinois, Chapel Hill-Carrboro in North Carolina and Edina in Minnesota) chosen on the basis of school dis-trict demographics, community demograph-ics and school district performance. Among the achievements of the school districts, all six boasted more than 50 percent adults with at least bachelor’s degrees, a 25 percentile SAT score of 1030 or higher and a total K-12 enrollment between 4,000 and 15,000.

The benchmarking study proved the PAUSD’s ability to overcome a low bud-

Alex TomCirculation Manager

The Titan Broadcast Network (TBN) hit the air-waves mid-September with their first professionally made episode of the Early Morning Update (EMU).

The morning announcement team has made great changes since last year under the guidance of Edward Corpuz, the new video production teacher who has specialized training in video production. The EMU team hopes to better captivate the interest of the Gunn community with its more professional look and style.

Last school year, the news of the morning an-nouncement team’s decision to bring the morning announcements up to speed with current technology spread quickly caught the attention of Sam Picture, the previous video production teacher. With Picture’s help, the EMU team made great steps in converting the morning announcements from the Public Announce-ment system to the classroom televisions.

The morning announcement team has made tre-mendous progress since last year’s release of the video announcements. Last year, the reporters would sign up for different shifts throughout the week and read the announcements with volunteers from video production class producing the video announcements. However, all of that has changed since Corpuz picked up the morn-ing announcement mantel. Corpuz has changed the morning announcements into a class in which students are expected to arrive at school at 7 a.m. everyday and

v November 8: Band concert 9-11, 15-18: Fall Show 16: Turkey Feast 10: Veteran’s Day (No school) 22-24: Thanksgiving break 28: Fall sports awards

v December 1: Jazz/Orchestra concerts 2: SAT I & II 11: Band concert 14: Choir concert 15: Minimum Day 18-Jan. 2: Winter break

EMU—p. 2 Sophomore Ari Kaye and junior Jaya Wen prepare the morn-ing announcements to inform students of upcoming events.

Forum

Centerfold

Entertainment

Sports

Mandarin has also found its place among the collec-tion of languages offered at Gunn. The PAUSD circu-lated a survey in all high schools and middle schools of the district. “It was a language survey to see what languages were spoken by our students at home and what kind of interest there was in which languages,” Language Instructional Supervisor and Palo Alto High School teacher Norman Masuda said.

Following the District Office’s ideas, Gunn has incorporated two new sections of the Mandarin class into the school curriculum. The class is taught by Sarah Du to expose students to Mandarin and to broaden their knowledge of the language so students can com-municate fairly fluently.

In addition, each class also incorporates a cultural aspect of China. “We celebrated Chinese Moon Fes-tival in both classes,” Du said. “My students learned about the traditions and background information of the Chinese Moon festival.”

For students, the class offers many enjoyable aspects. “Ms. Du prepares games and fun activities everyday,” junior Ashley Hsaw said. “This helps the students learn and have fun at the same time.”

The future of the Mandarin class is unknown. “I cer-tainly hope the program will grow and more and more advanced classes like AP Chinese or Chinese for native speakers will be offered in the future,” Du said.

—Compiled by Ana Kostioukova, Moses Lai and Adrienne Nguyen

News2 The Oracle

Ten heat sensors installed during the first week of October have replaced the smoke detector system in the science building.

One sensor has been installed in each science classroom. However, the smoke detectors in the middle corridor between the classrooms have not been replaced due to the higher ceilings and improved ventilation.

The administration and science department realized the problem caused by the sensitive smoke detectors and weak ventilation fans would pose after the building was built four years ago. By then, because the building was no longer under warranty, the school had to find the money to have them replaced.

Science Instructional Supervisor Lettie Weinmann is confident that this change will improve the effectiveness of the sensor system. The administration hopes that the heat sensors will work in conjunc-tion with the ventilation system to effectively reduce the number of false fire alarms due to science labs.

Other fire detector systems include a laser system in the gym, heat sensors in the foods classes and standard smoke detectors throughout the rest of the campus.

Sensors to reduce false fire alarms

Turkey Feast returns to GunnThe Turkey Feast is coming back to the bat cave on Nov. 19. The

food will consist of traditional Thanksgiving treats such as turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. One can partake in the festivities by purchasing a ticket for $4, or bringing $1 along with three canned goods, or other necessities such as toothbrushes. All proceeds will go to the Ecumenical Hunger Program, a Palo Alto group that sup-ports families in need. This event has been organized since 1980 by the SAC and PTA in order to give back to the community. “I think it is a really good way to give back to the community during the holiday,” Student Activities Director Lisa Hall said.

Students are looking forward to the well-known event. “I like participating because you get a ton of food for the money and it’s really delicious,” senior Daniel Moss said. The food is not the only reason students are drawn to this activity. “I enjoy the occasional whip cream fight,” senior Zach Feinberg said.

The Pink Ribbon Club held a fundraiser on the quad during lunch on Oct. 30, to raise awareness for breast cancer. Two tables were set up at the event selling balloons and breast cancer goodie bags. The balloons were for people to write down memories they had of a breast cancer survivor. Originally, the balloons were supposed to be released at the same time, but because it posed an environ-mental hazard, they were popped instead. “During this week, we will hopefully let everyone know that breast cancer exists,” senior Jennifer Lien said. “In our goodie bags, we want to add little facts about breast cancer so everyone can learn something new.”

The club has already held and participated in a variety of events such as the Race for the Cure and San Francisco Komen Race for the Cure. They are planning to raise more money and awareness in Gunn and Palo Alto and host bigger events such as a fundraising dinner or concert.

PAUSD grants 5 percent raise

New classes offer wider selection

PiE project shows district disparitiesget—PAUSD’s funding is a full $1030 lower than that of the other compared school districts—and succeed. Of the districts compared, PAUSD high schools had greater numbers of alternative programs and support program options than the other five school districts, and were among the upper tier in math and English course options. “The benchmarking study shows that we as a district compared to like-districts, in terms of socio-economic factors, have the most limited budget,” Principal Noreen Likins said. “However, we are cer-tainly on par and managing to keep up with the other districts.”

In other areas, though, PAUSD two high schools rated worse than the other school districts, with greater ratios of librarians and counselors to students, bigger class sizes and fewer numbers of social studies course options, sci-ence course options, music course options and vocational education course options.

Garland hopes that the study will inform the district of areas in which PAUSD lags behind other educational institutions of similar environments to help schools al-locate future funding. “If and when public and private funds become available, PAUSD staff and the school board will need to set pri-

orities for the use of these funds,” Garland said. “We hope that the benchmarking study will be helpful in this regard by highlighting those areas where PAUSD programs and staffing are below the norm of a set of our peers.”

Garland hopes that the study will also stress the importance of private funding for schools. “Without existing generous private support for PAUSD, our district’s spending per student would be ap-proximately $1,700 less than the median,” Garland said.

Gunn will host a presentation of the PiE study on Dec. 14 at 2:15 p.m. in the library. All parents and students are welcome to attend.

n PiE, from page 1

Stroud helps a student complete her project during Spanish Culture and Civilization class.

Jennifer Lim

Gunn supports cancer cause

A tentative contract passed on Oct. 30 ensured Palo Alto Edu-cators Association (PAEA) administrators and teachers of a five percent raise from the Palo Alto School District (PAUSD).

The contract goes in effect in December with retroactive pay to the beginning of the school year. The district will also continue to supply the current health plan with no additional costs to teach-ers.

The raise is due to an expected 8.5 percent increase in property tax revenue as PAUSD is funded by the property tax revenues instead of funding from the state. New homeowners will have to pay more as will commercial properties. “We rank about sixth or fifth place from the top for pay scales for comparable districts on the Peninsula and Santa Clara County,” Gunn Representative of the negotiating team, John Hebert said. PAEA has a negotiating team to revise their contract every year. There is a representative from each of the public schools in PAUSD, California Teacher Administration liaison and the PAEA president on the team to ensure that each school’s issues will be mentioned and represented. The support staff will also most likely receive the raise, though they have their own separate union they usually also receive the PAEA’s contracts.

Morning announcements get new lookeveryone has to try everything. The anchormen and women learn how to work the teleprompters and the cameramen learns how to work in audio. ”There are more concrete goals this year to actually make the broadcast a show, which is what formed the Titan Broadcast Network (TBN) and the Early Morning Update,” senior EMU anchor Elijah Guo said.

The EMU’s hope of making the video announcements look more professional is now in the making. Through work and dedication, the EMU team now has a new studio, graphics team, music team, tech team, and anchors. The EMU

team’s technology has been brought up to date with the addition of new cameras, teleprompters and many new Macintosh computers. “It definitely involves a lot of work, but the quality of the announcements has gone up, so it’s a trade off that I think is worth it,” EMU anchor junior Jaya Wen said.

The EMU team has made prog-ress with the professional introduc-tions, credits, music and ticker. While they have accomplished many of their goals in creating a professional broadcast, they are still working on revising the announce-ments into an actual early morning show. “This may include, in the five minutes we have, a periodic traffic

or weather report, footage/coverage of events that happened in the week and interviews with people around campus relevant to the things going on,” said Guo.

Corpuz and his students’ work has created a functioning television network that works to cover break-ing stories around campus. TBN had cameramen out on the field during the Homecoming game and night rally and plan to release these videotaped stories via the web.

Their work has been noticed by students. “It looks fancier and it takes less time because the people don’t talk to each other,” junior Alex Lopatin said. “They’re less funny than they used to be though.”

n EMU, from page 1

MIchelle FangFeatures Editor

The Spanish Civilization and Culture class became part of the classes offered at Gunn this year. Created by Spanish teacher Carol Stroud and other language teachers, the class offers students a chance to learn about traditions and unique aspects of different Span-ish-speaking countries and acts as a middle ground between the Advanced Placement and lower classes.

“Throughout my years at Gunn, I have come to real-ize the need for a culture class appropriate for students at Gunn with different backgrounds in Spanish,” Stroud said. “I took into consideration that the younger stu-dents, such as the freshman or sophomores, may have already completed the basic Spanish classes and yet are not ready for the Advanced Placement classes.

The class is an alternative for student interested in Spanish culture. Students attending this class study topics such as the history of Spanish civilization, geog-raphy, art and entertainment. Stroud also plans to bring her students to Spanish plays and restaurants.

The class’ size provides for a good learning envi-ronment. “It’s nice to have a small class because we are all comfortable with each other and it’s an easy environment to work in,” Scrivner said.

Du leads her class through a daily warm-up.Christopher Wu

Monday, November 7, 20063News

Alex Lee News Editor

Despite the wave of violence sweeping in schools across the country, the administration will keep Gunn security at the status quo. In other words, students and teachers will continue to follow Code Yellow lock-down procedures in any violent situation or emergency.

Code Yellow lock-down procedure is trig-gered by the signal “code yellow” over the intercom system. Teachers are to lock and close classroom doors, while students are to stay away from windows, turn of the lights and remain quiet. Yellow alert cards will then be placed on door knobs.

Students outside a classroom should immedi-ately get into the nearest building or classroom and get under a desk or table. Students close to the area of emergency should move away from danger and take cover inside.

Students in the fields or away from the center of the campus will go to designated safe loca-tions. In the event of communication failure, the administration has three alternative plans for communication.

Over the last four years, Gunn has gone into a Code Yellow on three occasions. Last spring, when a patient broke out of the Veterans’ Hos-pital, students who remained after school were required to follow basic procedure. “It didn’t seem really necessary, but I guess they just weren’t taking any chances,” sophomore Wesley

Koo said. Two years ago, a Russian group

renting Spangenberg Theater left props and equipment, including prop guns. The school immediately responded by ordering a Code Yellow lock-down. “We realized what hap-pened later, but the procedure worked well,” Principal Noreen Likins said.

Four years ago, a student brought a BB gun on campus, which caused yet another lock-down.

At a meeting in February, administra-tors and district officials will be deciding whether or not to add a “Code Red” procedure. “I can’t say that it is because of that recent violence that we are think-ing about enacting a Code Red,” Likins said. “We have been planning this for a while now.”

Differences between Code Red and Code Yellow are basic. Code Red is only announced if an active shooter is on campus. Students will also build barriers around the doors to prevent entry.

Administrators know that the threat of school violence is pos-sible, even at Gunn. “It could happen here, but it is highly unlikely,” Likins said. “Still, we have to be prepared for it.”

Code Yellow turns red

Alex LeeNews Editor

Despite the recent spread of school violence around the nation, Gunn students, faculty and administration still believe the school is secure.

Although a few cases of school violence occurred in competitive schools similar to Gunn, administra-tors do not feel a need to increase security. “For most people coming to Gunn, I believe security is not a major concern,” Principal Noreen Likins said. “That’s why I don’t think we need metal detectors or devices and systems other schools use.”

Most teachers agree with Likins and believe that Gunn remains a safe haven for students. “As a teacher I think Gunn is a very safe campus,” French teacher Marcel Losier said. “I have never witnessed any fights or acts of violence between students.”

Losier believes that the administration is doing a good job with keeping students and teachers safe. “The administration is making sure that Gunn is a safe campus, and I hope every student and staff member feels the same way,” he said.

Although students are most heavily affected by any shooter on campus, most are not worried. “The security at this school could be better, but only a little better,” sophomore Wesley Koo said.

But not all students agree. “I bet that the adminis-tration at Columbine High School thought that their campus was secure too,” junior Alex Esber said. “Look at what happened to students there.”

2% of students do not know what a Code Yellow Emergency is

71% of students do not know the first step of a Code Yellow Emergency

15% of students think security still needs to be improved

30 freshmen, 32 sophomores,55 juniors and 54 seniors surveyed

Nathaniel EisenFeatures Editor

On April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and teachers and wounded 24 others before killing themselves. On March 21, 2005 in Red Lake, MN, Jeff Weise killed his grand-father and his grandfather’s girlfriend and then killed seven and wounded six at Red Lake High School before killing himself. The shooters all had their own reasons for committing their violent acts, but perhaps they were influ-enced by outside factors.

According online maga-zine Slate.com the FBI inves-tigator and other psychiatrists concluded after the shooting that Klebold was depressed, while Harris was psycho-pathic. The analysts also think that Harris had a huge superiority complex.

One entry in his journal was “YOU KNOW WHAT I HATE!!!? People who use the same word over and over again!” Psy-chiatrists

said that Har-ris wanted to punish people for being in-ferior, which he did with much plan-n i n g a n d without re-morse.

Weise wrote, “There isn’t an open sky or endless field to be found where I reside, nor is there light or sal-vation to be discovered,” On January 27, he wrote, “I’ve seen mothers choose their man over their own flesh and blood, I’ve seen others choose alcohol over friendship.”

JeffWeise.com, the memo-rial web-site for the victims at Red Lake, lists several pos-sible explanations for Weise’s rampage. He was living with-out either parent, was taking Prozac and was estranged from the other students.

Gunn safe for students

Violence: Why does it happen at school?

May 26, 2000—Lake Worth, FLOne teacher was shot and killed at Lake

Worth Middle School by Nate Brazill, 13.

Feb. 2, 1996—Moses Lake, WATwo students and one teacher were killed,

one other wounded when Barry Loukaitis, 14, opened fire on his algebra class.

Oct. 3, 2006—Nickel Mines, PACarl Roberts IV, 32, entered West Nickel

Mines Amish School and shot ten students. Five of the girls and Roberts died.

March 21, 2005—Red Lake, MNJeff Weise, 16, killed his grandfa-

ther and companion at home and a teacher, security guard, five students and finally himself.

Graphics by Thomas Bao, Brian Phan and Julius Tarng

School

News4 The Oracle

Blood drive draws wide scope of students to help hospitalCSF, Stanford Blood Center create donation opportunity

Senior Laura Jefferson is one of the many students to donate blood in the Student Activities Center at Stanford Blood Center’s biannual blood drive.

Jennifer Lim

Boris BurkovReporter

On Oct. 20, the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) club hosted a blood drive in the Student Activities Center (SAC). The SAC was closed to students for the day to make room for the blood drive.

Stanford Blood Center provided the equipment and nurses for the blood drive. “Giving blood becomes a life-time habit for high school students,” registered nurse Cindy Boone said. “They’re scared the first time, but we have a sticker so we take care of them.”

In order to participate in the blood drive students signed up with the CSF and had to meet several requirements.

Donors had to weigh at least 110 pounds and not have any tattoos for the safety of the donor and receiver. Donors also had to be

age sixteen or above. Sixteen-year-olds had to have a special waiver signed as well.

According to senior CSF club president Grace Wu, 100 donors volunteered for this year’s event, which is about average for this bi-annual event. “We advertise the event, find donors and get student volunteers to help,” Wu said. The drive is free for Gunn and the club, and is almost always a suc-cessful event.

Senior donor Hank Ouyang was happy with his choice to donate blood. “I think it’s great, and I would definitely do it again,” Ouyang said. “It’s not painful—the most painful part is when she uses a needle on your finger.”

The next Stanford Blood Center drive will happen on March 23, 2007. “I hope that just as many, if not more students come,” Wu said.

The Olympian wins spot in Taylor Publishing annual yearbookShiv Kachru

Forum Editor

After a year of hard work, the yearbook staff has been rewarded for its effort. In early October the yearbook staff received recogni-tion for their work in the 2006 yearbook from Taylor Publishing, making them semifinalists in Taylor’s “Yearbook Yearbook” annual yearbook. On Oct. 31, the yearbook staff sent in their request for their materials to be published in the yearbook.

Taylor’s “Yearbook Yearbook” is a book compiling the best pages from yearbooks

around the coun-try. Only the top 15 percent of year-books that are put out each year by Taylor Publishing are semifinalists in this award. “It’s re-ally a great feeling to be nominated as semifinalists,” former yearbook Editor In Chief Jonathan Toung said. “We completely changed the style of the yearbook from previous years at Gunn, and we are proud that our work was noticed.”

Staff members are pleased that the new yearbook style has been recog-nized. The award gives recognition to the staff amid much skepticism about the new yearbook.

“A lot of people were not happy with last year’s book,” senior Judy Sol said. “They liked that it was all in color, but a lot of people hated how wordy it was. They gave me a hard time about it, but now I feel that yearbook has

been redeemed.”The yearbook staff plans to continue its

hard work to produce an even better year-book for 2007. “All the yearbooks from other schools I’ve seen have been really good, so when you think about it, top 15 percent is really something great,” Toung said.

Yearbook adviser Mark Gleason agrees. “Last year’s book was good, but it was the first time they took a journalistic approach to the yearbook,” Gleason said. “Some pages were very wordy and busy, so we will try to simplify it and make it more cutting edge this year.”

Fi KaziReporter

Palo Alto will begin its first Student Police Academy in February 2007. The program is 13 weeks long and meets every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. There are 24 available spaces for high school students. In order to apply, students must have a 2.0 GPA, a letter of recommendation, parental ap-proval and no previous misdemeanors or felonies. The Palo Alto Police Department is hoping to run the academy for free, but aid at any cost will be provided.

The academy will teach students various skills

such as finger printing, forensics and traffic control and will also hold K-9 demonstrations. Students will take the same tests that police officers take: the written test, the oral interview and the physical test. Classes will be held at numerous locations in Palo Alto and five to ten officers will teach some-thing new every week. A graduation ceremony will conclude the course.

PAPD hopes to use graduates in possible decoy situations or to monitor small events.

Students can get exploratory experience credit for this course by contacting Meri Gyves at mgyves@pausd.org. For more info, email:

Marianna.villaescusa@cityofpaloalto.org.

Student police academy debuts

Nina NielepkoBusiness Manager

This year, Homecoming was about more than class rivalry and school spirit—it was about giving back to the community.

With every Homecoming, the money raised from Jar Wars is donated by the Youth Community Service organization (YCS). To encourage student participation, the Student Executive Council and Student Activities Director Lisa Hall decided that Jars Wars should be worth more points than it had in previous years.

The tactic worked. “It was a re-ally big success this year,” junior Community Service Chair Leah Rosengaus said. “I assume we will do it the same way next year.”

Jar Wars raised approximately $4,000 this year, and including the

money raised from selling night rally tickets, Gunn donated approx-imately $7,000 to charity. “I sug-gested organizations such as Doc-tors without Borders or the World Water Organization,” Rosengaus said. “But I think [YCS] wanted to do something more local.”

YCS advisor Diane Ichikawa agrees. “We will be donating the money raised through Jar Wars to InnVision,” Ichikawa said.

According to its website, innvi-sion.org, InnVision is “dedicated to empowering homeless and at-risk families and individuals in finding the way home.”

The San Jose based non-profit provides inn-like shelters, transi-tional housing and multi-service centers for these individuals.

InnVision consists of four main programs. The Mental Health Di-vision “provides the mentally ill

homeless with the only dedicated facility in Northern California” (innvision.org).

The Men’s Division provides sober housing for homeless men. The Women and Families Division provides a variety of programs such as abuse counseling, childcare and job training to homeless and at risk women and their families.

The last program is the Ur-ban Ministry in Palo Alto, which merged with InnVision in March of 2002. The Urban Ministry provides food, shelter, clothing and many other resources to the homeless of Palo Alto.

Many students donated to Jar Wars simply to help their class win points for Homecoming, but by do-ing so, theu were unwittingly help-ing change the lives of homeless and at risk individuals in Silicon Valley.

Jar Wars raises money for local charity

It’s really a great feeling to be nominated as semifinalists.”—Former yearbook Editor In Chief Jonathan Toung

Monday, November 7, 20065Forum

The goal of a high school community service pro-

gram should be to encourage students to move beyond their comfort zones and make last-ing contributions. But commu-nity service at Gunn currently amounts to little more than a frenetic race to rack up as many hours as possible, often for the sole purpose of getting an “edge” in the colleges admis-sions process.

While this system is effective in tracking hours and encouraging students to volunteer, it is badly in need of reform. Spe-cifically, Gunn needs to redesign the system to incorporate what should be two key ele-ments of community service—commitment and reflection.

Gunn’s current sys-tem is based upon pure numbers. To get credit for an ac-tivity, students only have to record the date, type of activity, site of service and number of hours they volunteered for and get a super-visor’s signature. Voilà—they’re well on their way to obtaining their prize, the miniscule lettering at the bottom of their transcripts stating how many hours of com-munity service they completed during their high school career. This fill-in-the-blank form inher-ently implies that community service is nothing more than a check-box kind of affair whose primary purpose is to help stu-dents get in to college.

The current community service tracking form is designed to ac-commodate sporadic, one-time volunteer activities. Consequently, it is no surprise that students’ vol-unteer hours often take the form of many one-time stints at multiple agencies. This lack of commit-ment minimizes the impact of the experience on both the organiza-tion and the student.

In addition, the current system is prone to abuse by both indi-vidual students and community service clubs. Besides making it easy for students to get credit for

hours they never completed by forging signatures, this system al-lows service clubs to unfairly give out excessive number of hours for events that are lengthy but do not necessarily make a significant impact on the community. Key Club’s Fast for Awareness and Youth Community Service’s Relay for Life are events during which students raise money, but do not actively work to improve the com-munity. Students should therefore not receive such a large number of volunteer hours.

The current system could be justified if it did one thing—help students get in to college. But

unfortunately, this is not the case. Sean Logan, the Associate Direc-tor of Admissions at Williams College in Massachusetts, ex-plains that having community ser-vice hours on a transcript does not automatically increase a student’s chance of gaining admission.

“We try to get a sense of wheth-er [applicants] are doing [commu-nity service] because they think they have to or if it’s something that’s meaningful to them,” Lo-gan said.

Logan also emphasizes that students need not spend time per-

forming huge amounts of community service unless they are passion-ate about it and have actively sought to learn from the experience. “Students can’t do ev-erything,” Logan said. “We’d rather see two or three activities where they’ve put their time. We’re not going to say, ‘this student didn’t do

any community service, they’re not a good kid.’”

To redress these problems, Gunn should add two elements to its community service program—commitment and reflection. The community service system should require students to complete a significant portion of each 100-hour block with one organization. Such experiences will be infinitely more meaningful to students than one-time volunteer stints. Equally importantly, students will be able to enact more change at the par-ticular organization.

However, finding meaningful community service activities isn’t

easy. To help students find agen-cies that match their interests, Gunn should create a database of volunteer opportunities for students, which would not only list organizations but also include students’ comments about the sites. While community services have made a noble effort to alert students about volunteer oppor-tunities, the administration needs to step in. The College and Career Center could even be expanded to become the College, Career and Community Service Center.

Gunn should also place more

emphasis on what students learned as a result of the experience, rather than how many hours they put in. To do this, the administration should require students to answer a series of reflection questions ei-ther orally or in writing to receive credit for each 100-hour block.

Community service has the potential to be a very a reward-ing experience for high school students. However, Gunn needs to take the initiative to steer students towards volunteer experiences that are meaningful for the student and beneficial to the organization.

Volunteering evolving into superficialityCommunity service system lacks commitment, reflection

Standardized tests’ reign should end

Both students and parents alike dread the SATs and ACTs, mainly because they play a large role in the college admis-sions process. However, not only are standardized tests a huge money drainer and a source of stress, they are an inad-equate measure of a student’s academic capabilities. Colleges therefore need to eliminate standardized tests scores as a requirement on their applications.

Although some students are natural test-takers, other students need more help. Some parents of such teenagers pour huge amounts of money into tutor-ing and preparation classes that can cost upwards of $1,500. However, students who come from poorer families may not have the extra money to spend on prepa-ration classes. Such students are put at unfair disadvantage and are not as likely to have high test scores, therefore jeopar-dizing their chances of getting in to the colleges they want to attend. If colleges

eliminated their standardized test scores application requirement, parents would be able to use the money they saved on other factors of their child’s education, such as college tuition.

Although standardized test scores are representative of a student’s test-taking ability, they do not necessarily show whether or not a student is a consistent hard worker. Th is is why colleges should put more em-phasis on a student’s grade point average (GPA), which is representative a student’s worth ethic for all four years of high school, rather than one three-hour test.

A few schools, like Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, focus on a student’s GPA in relation to the school’s national ranking, rather than his or her standardized test scores. More colleges should follow John Hopkins’ lead, and even consider making standardized test scores an optional part of their applica-tion, as high standardized test scores do not even necessarily correlate to academic success in college.

In fact, in 2004, Bates College, which

does not require applicants to submit standardized test scores, followed the progress of a group of admitted students through their college career, some of whom had submitted SAT scores and some of whom had not. The results showed that among the students ex-

amined, there was very little difference in their GPAs in their college careers.

Amidst all of the stress and pressure from rigorous classes, clubs and sports, stu-dents do not need any

more anxiety from standardized tests that widen the disparity between rich and poor applicants and are not even a fair test of students’ abilities.

Instead of having to study for a three- hour-long examination, students should be able to focus on doing well in school and discovering who they are. If colleges emphasize the fact that they do not want numbers but interesting faces with stories behind them, they need to eliminate the one number that supposedly sums up a student’s academic capabilities.

—Kostioukova, a senior, is an Enter-tainment editor.

Correction: October issue (Vol. 43, issue 2)

n In “SEC in need of drastic reforms” (p. 4), the graphic published does not match the editorial’s written content.

The Oracle regrets past errors and invites readers to correct any in the future by contacting a staff member or by sending an e-mail to gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

Many thanks to our ...n Patrons ($75+)Martha Amram, Richard & Angela Craig, Carla Wray & Caleb Hauser, Robert Keller, Chisoon Lee, Bill & Cindy Ruehl, Bryan Ziebelmann Production dinner sponsors:Marina Brodskaya, Milan Chen, Fandango Pizza, Teresa Johnston, Chisoon Lee, Terner Lee, Bon-nie Maldonado, Lieu Nguyen, Ursula Nielepko, Nadja Victor, Elizabeth Weal, Xiaodan Zhang.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff, and the content is discussed and voted on in a monthly Editorial Board Meeting. Signed opinion pieces presented with the writer’s photo—both in Forum and in other sections throughout the paper—represent solely that writer’s point of view and in no way reflect the opinion of the staff.

Thank you for reading The Oracle!

A note from the Editor ...

Graphic by Julius Tarng

The Opinion ofThe Oracle

Ana Kostioukova

Colleges place too much emphasis on SAT, ACT

High standardized test scores do not even necessarily cor-relate to academic success in college.”

We greatly appreciate your support!

Forum6 The Oracle

North Korea threatens to upset nuclear balanceU.N. should work for cooperation between nations, not isolation

Electronic voting easily tampered with Raising minimum wage detrimental to economy

Today, more than 90 percent of the 80 million Americans vot-ers will either cast their vote on a computer or have it tabulated elec-tronically. While electronic voting is more efficient than traditional paper tallying, it jeopardizes fair election results. These machines can be easily manipulated by party officials and do not ensure that votes are tabulated in accordance with a voter’s intent.

Direct recording electronic (DRE) machines were first used during the 1996 presidential elec-tion and are now common in U.S. elections.

The primary disadvantage of DREs is that they that cannot recount votes because there is no

physical piece of paper involved in the process. However, some states are beginning to make progress. More than 27 states, including California, require DRE machines to release a voter-verified paper ticket, which allows a voter to en-sure that his or her vote is cast as recorded. Although having voter verification is a step in reforming

the electronic voting progress, this is a band aid-size solution for a problem in need of a bandage.

Even with this method of voter verification, electronic voting machines greatly jeopardize fair elections. These machines are computers run on software, mean-ing that can be easily manipulated by corrupt party officials.

In addition, according to a study at Johns Hopkins University, voters can easily replicate and alter

the “smart card” or DRE computer chip so they can cast multiple votes for the same candidate.

Furthermore, these machines malfunction constantly. In 2003, 100 votes were mysteriously “lost” for a candidate. In Boone, Iowa, DRE machines calculated 140,000 votes when there were only 50,000 registered voters in that area. Some DREs have shortened the names of candidates or omitted candidates’ last names altogether, greatly con-fusing voters.

As if DREs were not danger-ous enough, Alaska, Arizona and Washington have begun to experi-ment with online voting.

The fact that our government is taking very little action against this is extremely disturbing. The drama that followed the 2000 Florida election is just going to repeat itself if electronic voting continues. While technology can be helpful in some situations, it does not belong in this one.

—Guttentag, a sophomore, is the associate Centerfold editor.

With the announcement of a successful under-

ground nuclear test on Oct. 9, North Korea has dangerously tipped the balance of nuclear power in the world. The Korean Central News Agency affirmed the completion of a secured and complete nuclear test in the Hwaderi province near Kilju City. The nuclear test affirma-tion has caused a storm of protest among the global powers. North Korea’s recent actions threaten to destroy nuclear stability and international relations.

China, a longtime ally of North Korea, has protested vehemently against such rash government ac-tions and demanded that North Ko-rea immediately cease such activity. The United Nations (U.N.) has done nothing to resolve this crisis except to establish sanctions against the country. By doing this, the U.N. is building a wall of isolation around North Korea, and cooperation does not seem imminent in the near future. Furthermore, the United Na-

tions has increased tension against North Korea by appointing South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the successor of the United Nations’ Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Such an act will only fur-ther isolate North Korea from the tight-knit clique of other powerful nations, and if cooperation is not made a priority between the na-tions and North Korea, then North Korea may make rash decisions in the future.

Although the U.N. has applied a considerable amount of pressure towards North Korea, it is not ap-plying the right pressure. Power nations such as China, Japan and the United States are trying to sup-press North Korea in the wake of the nuclear test.

Such pressuring is the last thing the U.N. should worry about. They should worry about not isolating North Korea but allowing the country to know that they are open for cooperation. With a well-estab-lished relationship with the other countries, North Korea will not turn to rash decisions. The U.N. sanc-tions will merely force North Korea to be convinced by its own beliefs and to create nuclear weapons for the sake of its own protection. The country’s people will be further immersed in their socialist views, which will solidify the wall of isolation from other countries, and cooperation will be impossible.

Even if the U.N. Security Council

did establish sanc-tions, that is the maximum amount of power they pos-sess. In this com-plicated situation, the U.N. can do nothing more than to pressure North Korea. World su-perpowers such as the United States are relentless try-ing to enforce the U.N. sanc-tions established against North Ko-rea. In essence, the U.N. is merely establishing an empty order that can any nation can choose to ignore. In this case, it is the individual nations themselves that have to act to en-force such sanctions.

This is not the first time the U.N. has done nothing more than assert some pressure on devastat-ing events. After the terrorist group called the Janjaweed announced in 2005 that it would be targeting foreign and humanitarian convoys, the United Nations decided to with-draw its entire staff from western Sudan and leave millions of women and children to be victimized and raped by inhumane terrorists. Al-though the U.N. is by far leading

the biggest humanitarian operation in Darfur, it can do only so much. The U.N. has no real power to step in and intervene to prevent the millions of killings going on even today.

The United Nations was estab-lished to bring all the world’s na-tions together to work for the well-being of the people. Instead, we see clashes and arguments among the nations about what and what not to do. And even if the delegates do come to a decision, the U.N. has no real power to assert in world affairs except to pressure and observe. In the North Korea situation, the U.N.

should not be isolating the nation and slamming down all possibilities of cooperation. And if the U.N. is applying sanctions against North Korea, the U.N. should do it right by actually enforcing the sanctions and not relying on other countries to involve themselves individu-ally. In this case, the world nations should come together, and with the leadership of the U.N. delegates, they should confront this conflict together but not by suppressing North Korea’s voice in the world.

—Fang, a junior, is a Features editor.

One of Howard Dean’s pri-mary goals in Congress is to raise the national minimum wage so it is easier for the least skilled workers to feed their families. While the idea sounds appealing, increasing the minimum wage to reduce poverty is an ineffective response. A rise in the minimum wage would only exacerbate the nation’s problems with illegal im-migration and outsourcing.

While raising minimum wage may give more money to docu-mented workers, it is important to remember who many of these lowly paid workers are illegal workers. An estimated 11 mil-lion people in the United States are violating U.S. law by even being here.

With so many undocumented workers looking for a job, more employers of minimum wage workers will decide they cannot afford to spend so much money on the new higher wages and hire illegal immigrants instead. As a result, this increase would en-courage more illegal immigrants

to enter the United States with more jobs open to them. After all, if workers from Mexico hear that jobs for them are flowing here, they are more likely to come to the United States. Also, employers may pay illegal immigrants less than minimum wage because they can get away with it. With unbear-ably low salaries, these workers will rely on government support them, and the minimum wage would fail to meet its purpose.

Employers also have other ways to counteract the rising minimum wage. Factory jobs can be replaced by people who actu-ally live in developing countries. Outsourcing will continue to drive money outside the US. If employ-ers decide to continue hiring legal workers, they will simply pass the cost of higher wages onto consum-ers. These consumers will choose to buy the cheaper product, forc-ing companies that are abiding by U.S. law and not hiring illegal workers to go out of business.

Every American wants to reduce poverty, but we must rethink whether or not raising minimum wage will combat this issue. Minimum wage is a neces-sity in our economy, but it so far is unsuccessful in giving workers livable wages. But now is not the time to raise it.

—Johnston, a junior, is a Sports editor.

Julius Tarng

Eric Johnston

Michelle Fang

Sasha Guttentag

Direct recording electronic machines problematic

Write us with your thoughts on The Oracle’s cover-age or any other issues you care about. We’d love to

hear from you. E-mail us at gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

We want you!LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR!

In Centerfold ... (p. 10-11): More info on today’s election.

Monday, November 7, 20067Forum

I recently attended a com-munity service event. There were too many volunteers for the organization to accom-modate, so I had nothing to do. However, I couldn’t get a ride home earlier and ended up staying for the entire two hours. Can I still get credit for the event?

—Anonymous

Despite the fact that you spent a full two hours at the event, if you did not complete any community service, you do not deserve credit for the activity. No matter how entitled you feel to them, ac-cepting a reward when you didn’t meet the requirements would be wrong. Ideally, every time we put effort into doing something, we would be rewarded. However, this is not the case.

I recently found an aban-doned wallet in the bush-es behind Jamba Juice. I thought about taking it so I could return it to the owner, but I decided to leave it there, thinking the owner could be on her way to pick it up. Your opinion?

—Jaya Wen (11)

You did not do the right thing. Leaving the wallet might have saved the owner time if she had been right around the corner, but your action also jeopardized her chances of getting the wallet back. Someone else might have come along the second you left and taken the wallet with no intention of return-ing it. By safeguarding it, you would have guaranteed its return.

I often tell racist jokes with my friends, but only when there’s no one around who is a member of the race we are referring to. Did I do the right thing?

—Anonymous

Thought racist jokes seem harmless, their negative mes-sages invariably will weasel their way into your subcon-scious. While you may laugh at the jokes now, every time you hear one, you are moving one step closer to believing its implied stereotypes. Fur-thermore, you may offend a friend even if he or she is not a member of the race you are mocking.

Send your queries and comments to campusquan-daries@gmail.com.

—Hodge, a junior, is a Forum editor.

Given Gunn’s academic rigor, it is understandable

that many tests in Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes are extremely time-pres-sured. These upper-level classes are designed to challenge stu-dents by cramming enormous amounts of material into limited class time and moving at a very rapid pace. Consequently, it is no surprise that the exams in these classes also cover a large amount of material and are often quite lengthy.

However, when tests are so long that the majority of students do not finish them in the given class pe-riod, they are no longer a fair test of a student’s knowledge of the subject matter and do not reward those who take the time to study and learn the material. While curves ensure that students receive passing grades on these tests, they do not remedy the problem at hand.

Traditionally, exams are de-signed to assess how well a student has learned a given section of material. If a student studies hard and knows the subject matter covered in class, she should

score well on the test. However, when teachers give tests that are exceptionally long, they can no longer reward students who study to learn the material. Instead, teachers inadvertently reward those students who may not study, but are in-nately able to work quickly under high pressure.

At this point, exams are no longer an as-sessment of students’ knowl-edge o f

the material, but rather an aptitude test of their natural abilities.

While students who know the material better will undoubtedly be able to work faster, there comes a point at which no matter how much

a student stud-ies, she will not be able to complete a

test, caus-ing her unnec-essary stress a n d o f -

tentimes discouraging her from studying at all. AP and SAT tests are often highly time pressured as well, but they are cumulative, standardized tests and thus serve a different purpose than unit exams written by teachers.

Furthermore, while there are definitely situations in the real world in which being able to work quickly is essential, there are rarely times in which a person would be under so much pressure that she would not be able to complete the majority of work assigned to her.

Also, in the real world, hard work usually pays off. However, by giving students extremely time-pressured tests, teachers are de-priving them of the opportunity to learn this lesson and are essentially teaching them the opposite.

Instead, teachers should design tests so they are a fair assessment of a student’s knowledge of the subject matter. Tests need to be challeng-

ing, yet of a reasonable length. This way, students who study

hard will be rewarded for their efforts and learn a life

lesson in the process.

—Hodge, a junior, is a Forum editor.

Time crunch creates testing toil

Caroline Hodge

Plan B an effective backup contraceptive

Excessively long tests not fair assessment of knowledge

Graphics by Lucy Li

On Aug. 24, the Food and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) approved emergency contraception (EC) as an over-the-counter medication. The drug is currently available to those 18 years of age and older. The FDA should be praised for its decision which is predicted to greatly reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in the United States. However, EC should be available for all people, regardless of their age.

EC is necessary when rape occurs or when contraception methods fail or are not used. Ac-cording to Planned Parenthood, Plan B, one type of EC manufactured by Barr Pharmaceuticals, should cut the abortion rate in half. It could, should the original contraceptives fail, prevent 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and the 800,000 abortions, some resulting in death, that happen each year in the United States. Plan B reduces the chance of pregnancy by 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of intercourse. The drug contains similar hormones found in birth control pills, but in larger doses.

Before the recent FDA ruling, women needed a prescription to acquire the drug. Now, females

under 18 still need a prescription, but men and women 18 years of age and older can obtain Plan B over the counter.

The drug is seven times more effective if taken within the first 24 hours, but the success rate of Plan B decreases each hour. It is therefore vital that a patient have the pill easily available to her after unprotected intercourse.

Opponents of the decision believe that allowing EC over-the-counter would promote abortions and hurt an embryo. However, EC is not a form of abortion. The drug prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation, but does not terminate a developing fetus. The pill is ineffec-tive against a growing embryo.

Others believe that the FDA’s decision will increase careless unprotected intercourse and promiscuity. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that having EC available does not increase sexual activity among ado-lescents. Those who did engage in intercourse took the drug in addition to other contraceptives and did not rely on it solely as a form of birth control.

EC is not to be used in place of regular birth control. The drug is only intended as a last resort if the original form of protection should fail. Those who use EC should not be having unprotected sex intentionally.

Using EC is a woman’s personal decision and should not be determined by others’ beliefs, especially those whose job it is to protect us, like doctors and politicians. This is why it is so critical that EC be available as an over-the-counter medication to all women, no matter what their age.

—Nguyen, a junior, is a Sports editor.

Julius Tarng

Adrienne Nguyen

Birth control pill should be available to women of all ages

Forum8 The Oracle

Editorial Board

The Oracle

Staff

Editor-in-ChiefGea Kang

Senior ManagingLauren Krensky, Dan Li

NewsStéphanie Keller-Busque,

Alex Lee,Vivien Tsao (associate)

ForumCaroline Hodge, Shiv Kachru, Andrea Yung

(associate)

FeaturesNathaniel Eisen, Michelle

Fang, Jonathan Gu (associate)

CenterfoldThomas Bao, Sasha

Guttentag (associate)

EntertainmentAna Kostioukova, Stephen

Salazar, Alex Rasgon (associate)

SportsEric Johnston, Adrienne

Nguyen, Libby Craig (associate)

PhotographyJennifer Lim,

Christopher Wu

GraphicsJulius Tarng

TechnicalAlex Lee, Dan Li

BusinessNina Nielepko

CirculationMeilin Luh, Alex Tom

ReportersBoris Burkov,

Dezmon Hunter, Fi Kazi, Moses Lai

Graphics ArtistsDezmon Hunter,

Lucy Li, Brian Phan

PhotographerBrian Phan

Adviser Kristy Garcia

780 Arastradero RdPalo Alto, CA 94306

(650) 354-8238http://gunn.pausd.org/oracle

The Oracle is published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn Senior High School. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff and The Oracle's commitment to promoting students' rights. The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor. Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one. Letters may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content. Letters to the editor and ideas for coverage may be sent to gunnoracle@yahoo.com. These letters and ideas need not be from current students. The Oracle publishes 10 issues annually. Subscriptions are $40/year.

For most students, homework is

at best a nuisance, and at worst,

another time investment shoved

into an already busy schedule.

Though it can be peeving at times,

homework is a critical part of the

learning process and must be re-

tained at all costs.

However, amidst a rising tide of

anti-homework sentiment, we must

grudgingly rise to its defense. Perhaps,

through compromise and tinkering,

schools can find a reasonable middle

ground between overworked, stressed

students and students who don’t know

the material.Homework is necessary because it

helps the student cement the knowledge

learned in class. Without homework,

students would lose methods for solv-

ing problems in mathematics and sci-

ence courses within a matter of days.

If teachers allotted more time during

class for such practice, then the class

would move at a much slower pace and

the teacher would be unable to cover as

much material or field as many ques-

tions during class time. Difficult AP

classes would be impossible without

homework, as there is simply too much

material to learn and perfect during

limited class time.

In English and social studies classes,

homework is just as important, though

in a different way. Students take notes

out of the social studies book to learn

details, which though sometimes unin-

teresting, are critical if one is to have a

real understanding of the time period

in question. Reading and response as-

signments are designed so that students

get necessary reading and preliminary

consideration of the topic done at home

and can come to class prepared to discuss

at a higher level and learn more about

the text. If not for homework, English and his-

tory classes would be bogged down, as

class time would be spent going over the

basics every student should know, instead

of delving deeper and learning something

aside from what is clearly in the text.

If students never had any homework,

then class time in every class would be

spent addressing simple topics or review

to make sure every student knows what is

important. With a mere four hours a week

of class time, there is simply not enough

time for students to learn the curriculum

during class.

Ultimately, the problem of homework

is time. Students hate it because it takes

up time from a day already significantly

shortened by school,

and teachers

have to assign

it because there

isn’t enough time to

practice problems or

do the basics during

class. To remedy this

problem, but retain

homework’s manifold

advantages, teach-

ers should continue

to assign homework,

only less of it. Many

assignments can be

shortened without los-

ing their value. Instead of

requiring reading logs to

be a whole page, a teacher

can ask the students to fill

half of a page with interesting

observations.

Length never ensures qual-

ity of thought, so lazier students

will continue to write disinterested

papers regardless of the length. In-

stead of assigning 40 math problems

to reinforce topics covered in class,

teachers can assign ten to pose the

most interesting, instructive prob-

lems, without consuming the students’

entire evening. With such a minimal

approach, the problem of homework

can be resolved, and it can resume its

role as a necessary step in the learning

process.

—Burkov, a junior, is a reporter.

The last time I checked, there were

still only 24 hours in a high school

student’s day. Into this amount of

time must be crammed school,

homework, piano lessons, talking

on the phone, tennis practice,

a volunteer job and a bare

minimum of sleep. Some

would insist that homework

should get first priority,

and that extra-curricular

activities and everything

else should fill any gaps

in the day. Those people

are dead wrong.The number one prob-

lem with increasing the

amount of homework

is simple—there is ab-

solutely no proof that

it works. Over the

years, homework

has been subject-

ed to a series

of controlled tr ials. The conclusions showed ex-traordinary variability. Even in re-gard to spe-cific areas of appl icat ion such as within

different sub-jects, grades o r s t ud en t ability levels, the reviews directly con-

tradict one another.

I f a p o s i -

t i v e c o r -rela-t i o n is es-t ab -

lished, it is not clear whether homework

makes motivated students or if it is the

privileged and motivated students that

do their homework. Many countries with

the highest scoring students, such as

Japan and Denmark, have teachers who

give little homework. At the other end of

the spectrum, countries with very low

average scores—Thailand, Greece and

Iran—have teachers who assign a great

deal of homework.

Over the last decade and half, chil-

dren as young as nine to 11 have seen

a nearly 40 percent increase in home-

work. Duke University’s Harris Cooper

concluded that homework does not mea-

surably improve academic achievement

for young students. That’s right—all the

sweat and tears do not make Johnny a

better reader or mathematician.

Homework also comes with many

negative side effects. Ethnographic

research shows that extensive home-

work has played a major role in school

dropouts. In interviews with high

school dropouts as part of a study for

the Maine Department of Education,

students were asked if there was a

moment when they knew they were

going to drop out. They vividly de-

scribed situations with incomplete

homework and parent-child conflict

exacerbated by homework demands

that “seemed to grow as fast as

the time parents have available

shrinks.”Most teachers are not making

efficient use of homework. While

drills and exercises have their

place in schooling, homework is

clearly not that place. But that

doesn’t even include the amount

of time it cuts off from other

activities, like free time. Free

time plays a key role in fostering

both creativity and emotional

development, factors just as

basic to long term success as

an academic gains.

A modest amount of in-

dependent work, around two

hours a day, is more appropri-

ate for high school students.

Instead, teachers or other

adults with appropriate skills

should also be paid to assist

students in more independent

projects that would advance

their learning. Punishing students with

work is clearly not the way

to go. If schools can’t mend

their ways and reduce their

students’ homework, then

the only option is to let a

no-homework policy to be-

come the default. Students

shouldn’t be forced to la-

bor more than 40 hours a

week. After all, that’s the

standard the adults set for

themselves.

—Lee, a junior, is a News editor.

Should homework Stay?

PRO

Boris Burkov

CO

N

Alex Lee

CO

N

“No. Homework is a way to test what you’ve learned in class. Without homework,

society would be dismantled.”—Nevin Hakim (9)

“Homework is beneficial, but we don’t have enough time to work and learn in a

creative way because we have so much of it.”—Taylor McAdam (10)

No. It’s important to do your homework because that’s how you learn.”

—Andrea Barboriakova (11)

“Definitely. People need more time to enjoy their life rather than slaving

away.”—Lynn Niu (12)

tudent opinions:“Should homework be abolished?”{ }S

Graphic by Lucy Li

Monday, November 7, 20069Features

Chandara Vinoukkun fought against, lost family to Khmer Rouge in CambodiaLibby Craig

Associate Sports Editor

People may know Chandara Vinoukkun as the master-

mind behind the colorful gardens appearing around campus.

What they do not know is the astonishing tale of Vinoukkun’s life and the hardships he endured while battling against the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, or what a surprising optimist he is today.

Vinoukkun has worked in the Palo Alto Unified School District for 26 years and enjoys his job here at Gunn. “I love the Gunn students and staff,” Vinoukkun said. “I feel like Gunn is my home, and I want to change the school because I feel it deserves to have a beautiful campus.”

The small oriental garden, com-plete with rocks and a small wood-en bridge outside of the Academic Center, is the latest installment Vi-noukkun has added to beautify the campus. Others include flower beds around the Student Activities Cen-ter and hibiscus flowers lining the entrance of the school. “I wanted to bring color to the school,” Vinouk-kun said. “I think it makes the mind work better. It’s easier to learn when you are relaxed, and I think [the garden] is very relaxing.”

Academic Center Coordinator Albert Hopkins appreciates his latest work. “It’s a beautiful design and it adds to the atmosphere,” Hopkins said. “I think it’s small but significant.”

However, Vinoukkun’s everyday

life was not always so pleasant. At 20 years old, living in the city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, he and his older brother joined a group protesting the Khmer Rouge, an extreme Communist organization that had recently come into power, and whose leader, Pol Pot, would order the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodian people. When two city guards started shooting at the pro-testors, Vinoukkun and his brother ran and eventually split off into two separate directions. That was the last time he saw his brother.

Vinoukkun spent the next four years fighting in the Cambodian Paratrooper Special Force against both the Khmer Rouge and Viet-cong, a communist group in Viet-

nam. Like most soldiers, his ex-periences fighting in the war were haunting and bleak. “When you go on a mission you see people dying left and right, and you don’t know if you’ll go home,” Vinoukkun said. He has a battle wound from trying to run from behind a tree to a bomb hole in the ground—a bullet entered through his neck and exited through his lower back. However, a fellow soldier literally saved his life, car-rying him to safety.

Not only did Vinoukkun suffer during the period of the Khmer Rouge, but his family did as well. Malnutrition, starvation and the at-tacks of the Khmer Rouge killed his father, mother and three siblings.

Yesterday marked the 30th an-

niversary of Vinoukkun’s immigra-tion to the United States. When the Presbyterian Church of San Diego sponsored him to come, he went to San Diego. He then moved Wash-ington and finally to the Bay Area. “The experience I went through makes me feel like I can change my life,” Vinoukkun said. “The United States has opportunities that I have to take advantage of.” Since his arrival, Vinoukkun picked up English in only three months as well as various hobbies, such as playing guitar in a rock band and doing garden work.

Despite all of the suffering Vi-noukkun has experienced, he has an extremely positive outlook on life. “You cannot feel sorry for yourself,

and you have to be strong—other-wise you will not go anywhere,” Vi-noukkun said. “Being positive and patient is the solution to everything. If I was not positive and patient, I would not be here today.”

Vinoukkun spoke to social studies teacher Nora Browne’s Con-temporary World class about his experiences in Cambodia. “It was really inspirational and moving to hear him speak,” sophomore Kelsey Teramoto said.

Vinoukkun yearns for a better world. “I wish people of the world could understand each other instead of fighting each other,” Vinouk-kun said. “I enjoy life because I really don’t think anything is impossible.”

Left: Chandara Vinoukkun plants flowers behind the science wing. Right: Vinoukkun poses with his only surviving friend from the army, Rivann Khem. The two met up again over the summer at Khem’s house in Long Beach.

Christopher Wu Photo illustration courtesy of Chandara Vinoukkun

Gardener brightens campus, remembers past hardships

Sasha GuttentagAssociate Centerfold Editor

Junior Andrew Post always strives to do his best, and his unrelenting dedication was made apparent in his scholarship win.

Post was one of two recipients of the 2006 Chris Zider Scholar-ship, a $15,000 scholarship for educational use only. The schol-arship, founded by the family of Chris Zider, targets students with a similar work ethic as their deceased son, Chris Zider: some-one who works hard and learns from every experience, no matter what obstacles he or she faces. Zider passed away in a snowboarding accident during his sophomore year of high school at Woodside High, and he had a love of sports as well as character and potential—more qualities the board looks for in sophomore applicants.

Post heard about the scholarship through a Gunn newsletter and decided to take a chance. “I decided to apply because I thought it sounded like me,” Post said. In the first part of the competition he had to fill out college application-like packets that contained a

variety of questions and essays.The selection process was extensive and Post com-

peted against many Bay Area students, with a total of 63 sophomores selected in the beginning.

The next element of the competition was another edition of essays. After reviewing the compositions, six board members narrowed the competition down to 23 individuals. The third part of the candidacy was a formal interview with two of the board members, after which only seven students were left.

From there, Post had two more interviews, each with two different board members and finally the decisions were made. He and six other finalists were invited to a brunch during which the two winners were announced. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something [now],” Post said.

The money Post received will go strictly to his edu-cation after high school, although he remains vague about where he plans on going for college. “Everyone has a dream of getting into Ivy league, but I just want to go to a school I know I’ll enjoy.”

His mother, Lisa Post, was ecstatic about his win. “[Winning] gave him a chance to see how he comes across to other people in the world and that he is really an outstanding person,” she said. “He is comfortable being himself and I think this really came through in his interviews.”

Junior’s dedication wins big scholarship

Andrew Post(11)

Dan Shepperson

With

Q:Where did you come from?A: Broadstairs, Kent, England.

Q: How is living in England? Is it a different atmosphere from California?A: [England] is very different from living here. You drive on the wrong side of the road! Everyone in England is in a rush compared to in California. English weather is really crap!

Q: Have you met Prince Wil-liam?A: Yes, my brother went to officer training (army) with him.

Q: How is your other school different from Gunn? A: It is a lot bigger, we have a uniform and it was a lot easier.

Q: How do you like Palo Alto so far?A: It’s pretty good, I guess. Better weather. People are a lot more chilled out and easy going.

Q: Did you participate in Home-coming?A: Yeah, it was good fun—we don’t have anything like it in England.

Q: Why did you come here?A: My dad got a job over here.

Q: What are your future plans? Will you move back to Eng-land?A: I am moving back to Eng-land for college. I hope to teach sports. —Compiled by Lucy Li

Vote for Senator Dianne Feinstein and reelect an experienced moderate who works for global safety and govern-ment involvement in improving lives.

Feinstein has worked in the Senate since 1992. She is the ranking member of both the Military Construction Subcom-mittee of the Appropriations Committee and the Terrorism and Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Judicial Committee.

Feinstein also has a compassionate global view. The Genocide Intervention network gave Feinstein an “A” for her efforts to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Furthermore, Feinstein offers a realistic plan for withdrawal from Iraq, “We should transition the mission and begin a structured downsiz-ing of the American troop presence,” Feinstein said on her campaign website (http://www.dianne2006.com). “We should reduce the number of American troops in Iraq from 130,000 to approxi-mately 60,000 by the end of 2006 and to virtually zero by the end of 2007.” Such a plan will save more American and Iraqi lives than a long occupation or an immediate withdrawal.

Feinstein will also work to make our own country safer. She wrote the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, which prohibited the production and sales of 19 types of assault weapons for 10 years. According to an editorial published on Oct. 14 in The San Francisco Examiner, “Feinstein has not disappointed those who look to her for balance and for philosophical liberalism tempered by the hard realities of recent history.” This was seen in April 2005 when she introduced a bill to ban cloning but gave approval to stem-cell research, realizing both the medical benefits and ethical considerations of stem-cell research.

This balance was seen again in her May 2006 “yes” vote on the Compre-hensive Immigration Reform Act that increased security on the Mexican bor-der and created a naturalization program for illegal immigrants already living in the United States.

In contrast, her leading opponent, Richard Mountjoy, is an extremist. In his statement in the “Easy Voter Guide” for this election, he states, “Stop the illegal invasion—no amnesty for illegal aliens.” Calling the illegal immigration of civil-ians an “invasion” shows a disregard for the plight of these immigrants.

Moderation may not sound exciting, but it is necessary to save and improve lives of both our country and the world. Dianne Feinstein has done this and will continue to provide the same high qual-ity work that she has given the state of California for the past 14 years.

Centerfold

Nathaniel Eisen

Despite Proposition 83’s title —the Sex Offenders, Sexually Violent Predators, Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring Initiative Statute—it would do nothing to protect children. Proposition 83 is costly and counterproductive. It bans sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any school or park; this means that most urban areas in California will be placed off limits to sex offenders. They will instead be forced into living in rural areas—an unfair burden to those communities and a barrier for those ex-offenders who are making an effort to find employment and straighten out their lives.

Proposition 84 is the only ballot mea-sure that can do its job. It would authorize $5.3 billion in bonds to clean up beaches

and drinking supplies, fund water conser-vation programs and improve state and local parks, while providing an extra $1 billion for flood control. Proposition 84 is also a major source of funding to restore the San Joaquin River.

A year ago, California voters defeated an initiative requiring parental notifica-tion when those under age 18 seek to end a pregnancy. Now it’s back, with minor changes, as Proposition 85. A constitu-tional amendment cannot impose trusting, supportive parent-teen relationships and communication.

Precedent from other states shows what happens with forced parental notification. For one, teens go out of state. But more importantly, teens delay their decisions with great consequences—later abortions

and unwanted childbearing. No one should want that.

Proposition 86 would raise the cigarette tax by $2.60 per pack, making a pack’s total price somewhere around $6.55. If the new tax money went directly to reducing tobacco use and treated related illnesses, Proposition 86 would be understand-able. But its focus is on hospitals, not on cancer.

The proposition would nearly triple the excise tax on tobacco products in Califor-nia. Although it could potentially raise an estimated $2.1 billion toward a long list of health programs, everyone should pay for them—not just the least popular 14 percent who happen to smoke. Californians should urge legislators to make that $2.1 billion available from the general fund.

Proposition 87 seems to be one of the more tempting initiatives on the ballot: tax the oil companies, spend the money on alternative fuels and don’t worry about paying a penny more at the pump. It also comes with a law that the oil companies can’t pass on the tax to consumers. Even better, the tax expires in 10 years, after it will have raised $4 billion and primed the development of alternative fuels.

The initiative would also set up a new state authority to oversee the spending of this money, which would be dedicated for alternative fuels, no matter how many other pressing priorities or long-term needs exist in this state. The most serious flaw in the initiative is its attempt to exempt this new authority from existing state contracting laws and certain conflict-of-interest rules.

Proposition 88, the initiative calling for a statewide $50 parcel tax to provide new funding for education, should clearly be re-jected by the voters. Proposition 88 raises very little new money for schools—$450 million a year. That is less than half of what schools get from the California State Lottery and would increase school fund-ing by less than 1 percent. Under terms of the proposition, this pot of money would provide funding for four things: class-size reduction, textbooks, safety improvements and facilities. But the amounts are small. For example, the class-size reduction piece would provide only about $27 per student, not enough to hire new teachers or acquire classroom space.

Although Proposition 89 attempts to

level California’s political playing field, the proposition’s reliance on increased cor-porate taxes to fund political campaigns, is. If public financing is touted as a way to help all Californians by cleaning up the political system, then all Californians should help pay for it.

Supporters pitch Proposition 90 as fixing eminent domain abuses. But under existing California law, eminent domain for redevelopment can be used only to eliminate blight, and courts have made it clear that property can’t be declared blighted just because there’s potentially a more profitable use for it. Proposition 90 is really a sweeping agenda to freeze land use and other regulations.

California’s propositions 83 through 90: one reporter’s opinion

—Eisen, a senior, is a Features editor.

In the 2004 presidential election, the Republican Party placed a vote banning gay marriage on its ballot, spurring a high voter turnout for President George W. Bush.

As the 2006 National Elections approach, this controversy is taking front page again.

On June 7, the Senate rejected a resolution to ban gay marriage and on July 18, the House rejected a constitutional amendment that defined a marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

So far, Massachusetts has been the only state to approve gay marriage. However, Vermont has approved civil unions that give same-sex couples many of the same benefits of marriage.

Gay Marriage

Advanced Cell Technology, a biotechnology company based in Alameda, has found a way to harvest stem cells without destroying the embryo.

However, this research has not com-pletely ended the heated debate regard-ing stem cells. The long-term effects of removing a cell from an embryo have not yet been observed, though at least 1,000 babies have been born without notable defects.

In 2005 and 2006, the House and Senate allowed research on both existing and new stem cells but President Bush vetoed the bill on July 19. The veto has not yet been overridden.

Stem Cells

Immigration reduction advocates perceive immigration as a contributor of overpopulation. They also argue that because continued population growth drives up demand for housing and land costs, illegal immigration would hinder “affordable housing” goals. These reductionists want to limit current immigration by 75 percent.

Proponents of open immigration, the belief that all people should be free to migrate to any country of their choice with no limiting obstacles, criticize the reductionists as being tied to white separatists. These supporters also claim that immigration is a crucial part of the labor force and would weaken the economy and drive America into a recession.

Immigration

Congressional eleCtions:the big issues

10 The Oracle

Current Debate

Centerfold

Republican Dick Mountjoy will positively affect California students’ everyday lives if he is elected to the Senate. High school students who work after-school jobs, are active in their community or want to avoid terrorist attacks will all benefit from the reforms Mountjoy has in mind. His focus on immigration and government spending make him a powerful candidate.

Mountjoy believes that securing our borders should be a top priority. Undocumented immigrants illegally crossing the Mexican border pose a major threat to both the economy and security of California. While workers are needed for farms, construction sites and factories, undocumented workers do not provide a valid solution. These workers choose not to follow United States laws and instead sneak over, while others must wait to be able to enter le-gally. Apart from the unfairness of this, these workers often do not even get paid minimum wage because they are not legally allowed to work in the United States. As a result, the families of these workers must rely on social programs for health-care and food at the cost of other legal taxpaying Americans.

In addition to the economic strains of illegal immigration, any terrorist looking to enter the United States would see that hundreds of people cross the U.S.-Mexican border every day il-legally. The same pathway that brings workers into California can also carry in terrorists, and Mountjoy is the only candidate that can stand up to deal with this problem. Mountjoy plans to tighten border security immediately with both a wall and the implementation of more immigration police.

One of the most helpless feelings in life felt by high school students is paying hard-earned money to the government. However, much of the money given to the government becomes tied up in programs that don’t produce results. Presently, Mountjoy vows to cut un-necessary programs, so that the govern-ment uses the most of every dollar you give it. These reforms would all benefit taxpayers.

If elected, Mountjoy will work to maintain the core values that so many Americans seem to have forgotten. Be-cause of this, both the California Senate and Assembly republican leaders have endorsed Mountjoy. “Dick Mountjoy has been a true and steady defender of the Constitution and the freedom it pro-tects. He believes it is the duty of those elected to office to protect the Liberty of the people,” California Senator Tom McClintock said.

Eric Johnston

Despite Proposition 83’s title —the Sex Offenders, Sexually Violent Predators, Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring Initiative Statute—it would do nothing to protect children. Proposition 83 is costly and counterproductive. It bans sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any school or park; this means that most urban areas in California will be placed off limits to sex offenders. They will instead be forced into living in rural areas—an unfair burden to those communities and a barrier for those ex-offenders who are making an effort to find employment and straighten out their lives.

Proposition 84 is the only ballot mea-sure that can do its job. It would authorize $5.3 billion in bonds to clean up beaches

and drinking supplies, fund water conser-vation programs and improve state and local parks, while providing an extra $1 billion for flood control. Proposition 84 is also a major source of funding to restore the San Joaquin River.

A year ago, California voters defeated an initiative requiring parental notifica-tion when those under age 18 seek to end a pregnancy. Now it’s back, with minor changes, as Proposition 85. A constitu-tional amendment cannot impose trusting, supportive parent-teen relationships and communication.

Precedent from other states shows what happens with forced parental notification. For one, teens go out of state. But more importantly, teens delay their decisions with great consequences—later abortions

and unwanted childbearing. No one should want that.

Proposition 86 would raise the cigarette tax by $2.60 per pack, making a pack’s total price somewhere around $6.55. If the new tax money went directly to reducing tobacco use and treated related illnesses, Proposition 86 would be understand-able. But its focus is on hospitals, not on cancer.

The proposition would nearly triple the excise tax on tobacco products in Califor-nia. Although it could potentially raise an estimated $2.1 billion toward a long list of health programs, everyone should pay for them—not just the least popular 14 percent who happen to smoke. Californians should urge legislators to make that $2.1 billion available from the general fund.

Proposition 87 seems to be one of the more tempting initiatives on the ballot: tax the oil companies, spend the money on alternative fuels and don’t worry about paying a penny more at the pump. It also comes with a law that the oil companies can’t pass on the tax to consumers. Even better, the tax expires in 10 years, after it will have raised $4 billion and primed the development of alternative fuels.

The initiative would also set up a new state authority to oversee the spending of this money, which would be dedicated for alternative fuels, no matter how many other pressing priorities or long-term needs exist in this state. The most serious flaw in the initiative is its attempt to exempt this new authority from existing state contracting laws and certain conflict-of-interest rules.

Proposition 88, the initiative calling for a statewide $50 parcel tax to provide new funding for education, should clearly be re-jected by the voters. Proposition 88 raises very little new money for schools—$450 million a year. That is less than half of what schools get from the California State Lottery and would increase school fund-ing by less than 1 percent. Under terms of the proposition, this pot of money would provide funding for four things: class-size reduction, textbooks, safety improvements and facilities. But the amounts are small. For example, the class-size reduction piece would provide only about $27 per student, not enough to hire new teachers or acquire classroom space.

Although Proposition 89 attempts to

level California’s political playing field, the proposition’s reliance on increased cor-porate taxes to fund political campaigns, is. If public financing is touted as a way to help all Californians by cleaning up the political system, then all Californians should help pay for it.

Supporters pitch Proposition 90 as fixing eminent domain abuses. But under existing California law, eminent domain for redevelopment can be used only to eliminate blight, and courts have made it clear that property can’t be declared blighted just because there’s potentially a more profitable use for it. Proposition 90 is really a sweeping agenda to freeze land use and other regulations.

—Compiled by Alex Lee

California’s propositions 83 through 90: one reporter’s opinion

—Johnston, a junior, is a Sports editor.

Graphics by Thomas Bao, Brian Phan and Julius Tarng

So far, with respect to North Korea, the United

States has taken a stance on economic sanc-tions and negotiations. Since its last nuclear

test, the United States has been relying on meetings with China. However, North

Korea has since said that it will not carry out a second test—unless it

faces pressure—and is willing to return to the six-nation talks.

For the war in Iraq, sectarian violence has increased since

the Iraqi elections, hinder-ing any plans for the Iraqi

military to secure the country by themselves

and any plans for the United States to

withdraw.

Foreign Policy

The United States only produces about 8 million barrels of oil a day, but consumes over 20 million barrels daily. Because of this, it has become the biggest oil importer of any country. This growing reliance on petroleum has led to an increase in prices of crude oil, a $30 increase per barrel since 2000.

Liberal politicians advocate limited drilling because of the fear of potential destruction of the environment and the wasting of potential resources, which they believe should be saved for an emergency. Opponents have criticized this view, as drilling would drastically decrease oil prices.

The Oil Crisis

Congressional eleCtions:the big issues

Monday, November 7, 2006 11

Approximately 46 million abortions are performed throughout the world each year. Of these, 20 million occur in areas where it is banned, while the other 26 million are legal procedures. Religious ethics, financial stability and interruption of work and education are common compo-nents of debates for and against the procedure.

Democrats have been known to approve of abortion, while conservative Republicans are usually against the pro-cedure. Arguments presented in favor of or against abortion focus on ethical permissibility of an abortion or the justifi-cation of laws restricting abortion. Debate also focuses on whether a pregnant minor should have to notify and obtain the consent of her parents. States like California, impose

a 24-hour waiting period to notify parents and allow minors to gain more information before

their decision. States such as South Dakota, ban

abortion.

Abortion

Current Debate

—Compiled by Adrienne Nguyen and Andrea Yung

Caroline HodgeForum Editor

Instead of watching TV when she needs to relax, junior Alana Murao meditates.

Murao is one of a handful of students who mediate. While med-itation is said to have originated in Eastern religions, the practice can be found in some form in almost every major religion today. How-ever, some people also meditate non-religiously.

Most people meditate in order to relax, relieve stress, focus and achieve general inner peace. In fact, researchers led by Prashant Kaul at the University of Kentucky recently proved that meditation increases alertness better than caf-feine, exercise or napping.

Murao, who has been meditat-ing since the age of five, uses this benefit to her advantage. Murao, a Buddhist, frequently meditates before she studies for tests in order to help her to focus. Although she does not meditate regularly, she estimates that she does so about twice a week. “It’s very lenient—you do it whenever you need to,” Murao said. “You don’t do it so much when you’re stressed out or mad, it’s just when you’re feeling like you need to leave the busy world for awhile and completely clear your mind of everything.”

Murao said that emptying her mind is not as easy as it sounds. “Sometimes you’ll just have so much on your mind that you’ll have to think about stuff first to let it go,” she said.

While some meditation tech-

niques focus on rid-ding your mind of other thoughts, Mu-rao thinks different-ly. “It’s not so much pushing everything else out as it is letting go of everything,” she said.

Junior Shounak Dharap, who recently learned to meditate, cited breathing as the most integral part of meditating. Dharap took a secular meditation class over the summer at the Art of Living foundation in Santa Clara and has been practicing ever since. “You’re basically just focusing on your breathing,” he said. “It’s a spe-cific pattern of deep breaths and shallow breaths that you repeat a certain amount of times.”

Dharap meditates in the morn-ing in order to help him relax and get energized before he goes to school. “ You feel really well rested after it,” he said. “It gives me more focus for school.”

Like Dharap, senior E.T. Minor, who identifies herself as Wiccan, finds that meditation helps her to be more productive. “[After I meditate] I’m just ready to do something and take on whatever I need to take on,” she said. “I feel very connected to everything.”

Sophomore Isaac Klapholz-Brown has been meditating spo-radically for the past few months. “[I meditate] whenever I need to balance my ‘qi’ (pronounced chee),” he said. Klapholz-Brown described “qi,” a Mandarin word

meaning energy, as “whatever keeps you centered.”

Klapholz-Brown defined medi-tation as relaxation. “You’re basi-cally just supposed to chill and focus on something and just forget everything else,” he said. “

Minor said that while some aspects of meditation can be learned, it is actually a deeply personal activity. “You can get tips from other people but ultimately it’s something you have to pull together,” she said.

Features12The Oracle

Teenagers find time to stay calm, centered

Lucy Li

Meditation mellows stressed minds

Andrea Yung Associate Forum Editor

Imagine a time where dancers decked in jewels and gold entertained kings in their lavish courts. Take that

vision, and move it to present day. The surroundings

have become a concert hall with many more seats for a

large expectant audience. The dance itself is the only thing that remains

unchanged—the dancers stand draped in silk, their hands and feet painted and their hair elabo-rately braided. Every single movement is perfectly coor-dinated and in harmony with the music. This is what junior

Sameera Mokkarala and se-nior Ambika Rustagi have been aspiring to since

they were young.Classical Indian

dance—a misnomer for Natya , wh ich a re

sacred styles of Hindu the-atre—is a key part of Indian cul-ture. There are eight distinct forms, each representing one region and one group of people: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipu-di, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathakali. There are also folk dances and special forms reserved

for festivals.Junior Sameera Mokkarala is a veteran of

Bharatanatyam style, a South Indian dance which emphasizes linearity and rhythm. She began danc-ing when she was seven years old and became really interested after her mother enrolled her in classes at Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose. “I have a lot of family friends who have been danc-ing for a long time,” Mokkarala said. “I used to go to many of their performances.”

Bharatanatyam style is very hard to learn, how-ever. “Since it is a classical dance form, it requires talent, intelligence, physical and mental stamina, discipline and dedication,” Mokkarala’s teacher Mythili Kumar said. “It takes many years to learn the art form along with the music, the rhythms and the mythology associated with the dance. The hardest task is to persevere in learning it over the years because the reward of being recognized as a good dancer comes only after long years of hard work and training.”

Mokkarala usually practices at class twice a week, but because the annual November show is approaching, she practices four times a week. “I try to practice on my own,” Mokkarala said. “Last year, it was one and a half hours a day.”

Every year, the November show has a specific theme—last year, the theme was friendship, or “saakyam.” This year, the theme will be the seasons and how they affect human moods and interaction.

Senior Ambika Rustagi, has been learning Kathak since she was eight or nine years old. “Initially, my mom signed me up when we moved to California because she was looking for an

way to instill some of her North In-dian culture in me,” Rustagi said. Kathak is a North Indian dance style that is derived from Persian courts. There are five different styles, each originating from different parts of North India.

Kathak focuses on both storytelling and footwork at the same time, increas-ing the difficulty in learning the dance. “It revolves around complex footwork and, at the same time, the storytelling of Hindu myths,” Rustagi said.

Like Mokkarala, Rustagi will also perform on Nov. 11—recently, she has been practicing three to six hours a week to prepare. “I would say the hardest part of learning Kathak is putting expression into the move-ments, as they become routine over time,” Rustagi said. “One has to act and become a character, often times more than one.”

Both Mokkarala’s and Rustagi’s passion for dancing stems from a love of their cultures. “It definitely brings me closer to my culture,” Rustagi said. “It’s also great because it lends a sense of community. Performing is always a group effort.” Likewise, Mokkarala hopes to continue this activity. “Danc-ing keeps you fit, but it also helps you keep in touch with your culture, so I hope to keep dancing even in college,” Mokkarala said.

Dancers connect to Indian culture through their artTwo students follow their passion by learning “Natya” in the Bay Area

Photo courtesy of

Sameera Mokkarala

Jennifer Lim

Interested in meditation?

The following organizations offer classes for beginners:

The Transcendental Meditation Center on Embarcadero RoadThe Palo Alto YMCA on Ross RoadThe Unitarian Uni-versalist Church on E. Charleston

•

•

•

Mokkarala (left) and Rustagi (right) per-form Indian dance.

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties (SHFB)SHFB seeks to provide food for needy families in the community. This private non-profit organization provides more

than 30 million pounds of food each year to low-income children, adults and seniors. It currently serves an average of 162,000 individuals each month. During the holiday season, the SHFB of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties hosts a series of events to raise money and provide Thanksgiving dinners for low-income families.

Event information:

The Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) Located in East Palo Alto, the EHP serves needy families living in the Mid-Peninsula Bay Area by supplying them

with donated food items, clothing, furniture and household items. EHP is the largest supplier of emergency food and other essential relief in the Mid-Peninsula. Every Thanksgiving, the EHP supplies food boxes to families, and wel-comes all volunteers who wish to help. Another way to help out the EHP is to participate in the SEC Turkey Feast, as all monetary proceeds will be donated to the non-profit organization.

Event information:

Monday, November 7, 200613Features

Aurelle Amram (11)“My mom burned the turkey while

she was cooking it and the fire depart-ment came to our house and all our neighbors were staring.”

Jonathan Proctor (9)“My mom put mashed potatoes on

a chair while she set the table and my grandpa sat on them.”

Tyler Knapp (10)“We had extra turkeys so [my uncles]

greased one with Crisco and played football with it.”

Alex LeeNews Editor

While most high school classes are sell-ing shirts to raise money, the junior class is breaking the trend with its third annual pie fundraiser. Made fresh in the farm kitchen of Gizdich Ranch of Watsonville, students can choose from apple, olallieberry, pumpkin and raspberry flavors.

The fundraising idea came from junior Alicia Bena’s mother, who works at Palo Alto High School (Paly). Although it was first implemented at Paly, she brought the

idea over when Alicia started going to Gunn. “My mother introduced the idea to [former Student Activities Director] Nik Kaestner when I started here as a freshman, with the idea that the class of 2008 would have rights over the sale every year until they graduated,” Bena said. Her mother continues to pick up the pies for both high schools.

For the past two years the junior class council has sold the pies, and the profit has gone directly to the class account. “The money from this account goes to class bond-ing and class unity activities, our class’s graduation, grad night, our gift to the school

when we graduate and anything else our class decides to spend on,” junior class president Max Keeler said.

Selling the pies on campus does not con-tradict school food-selling policy. “The pies are not able to served and eaten during the school day,” Student Activities Director Lisa Hall said. “The purpose is to eat them later as part of the holiday festivities.”

Fruits used in the pies are grown on the Ranch itself. “Olalieberry is a sweet black-berry that we developed and grew ourselves,” Gizdich Ranch spokeswoman Naomi Manger said. “We grow the fruits, harvest them and freeze them. Then we can use them all year long.” The pies on sale right now have been made almost completely with this year’s har-vest. “Harvest was pretty good, considering we had a bad winter,” Manger said. “So now we are already using this year’s fruit in our delicious pies.”

Although some of the recipes for the pies have been passed down from previous generations, all were also developed by the Ranch. “We’ve had the apple pie recipe for a long time, but we only created a sugar-free version two years ago,” Manger said. The ranch produces around 100 pies a day, and from 500 to 700 pies per week.

Those responsible for the fundraiser feel a strong personal affinity for pie. “I personally

love pie, and I know many other people do, too,” Keeler said. “This fundraiser is a great way for people to get a delicious holiday treat while at the same time supporting the junior class.

Hall agrees. “I think the pie fundraiser has the potential to be a huge success,” she said. “It is a unique idea and provides people with a nice dessert option for their holiday celebrations, particularly since you can save them until you are ready to bake them.”

However, the high price of each pie ($16) combined with the pre-ordering policy has kept many students from buying them. “It might be kind of discouraging to have people pre-order the pies, since they don’t get pies immediately,” Keeler said. Pre-ordered pies will come individually boxed this Thursday.

In the past two years that the pies were sold, they only raised from $200 to $300. “There is somewhat of a challenge in selling them,” Keeler said. “[Junior vice president] Tara Levens and I put up announcements all over the school and online, but we just haven’t sold as many as we have hoped to.”

Although the fundraiser did not raise sub-stantial income, students and teachers alike would like to see similar fundraisers in the future. “I think that selling food is always a good idea,” junior Kevin Yao said.

From the pumpkin patch to your table

How to help people in need this Thanksgiving

Trevor Felch (12)“My dad’s surprise 50th birthday

party was the day after Thanksgiving and he had almost cancelled our trip to Colorado because he wanted to watch my brother play in the Gunn football playoffs.”

—Compiled by Vivien Tsao—Compiled by Sasha Guttentag

Lucy Li

Event name: John FarleyTurkey DriveWhat: Help people in the community by purchasing a turkey and dropping it off at one of SHFB’s distribution sites in San Jose (750 Curtner Ave) or San Carlos (1051 Bing St.)When: Saturday, Nov. 18 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)Contact info: San Jose Branch—(408) 266-8866

1 Event name: 2nd Annual AppliedMaterials Silicon Valley Turkey TrotWhat: 5K Walk or Run & 10K RunWhen: Thursday, Nov. 23 (morning)Where: downtown San Jose near HPPavilionContact info: Kristin Sulpizio—(408) 694-0011

2

What: Food box distributionWhen: Thursday, Nov. 23 with two shifts—9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.Where: EHP Headquarters (2411 Pulgas Ave, East Palo AltoContact info: Lisa Preston (650) 323-7781San Jose Branch—(408) 266-8866; San Mateo Branch—(650) 610-0800

Event name: Turkey FeastWhat: Purchase a meal and support the SHFB and EHP by bringing $4 or $1 along with three canned food items.When: Monday, Nov. 19 @ lunchWhere: Bat caveContact info: Student Activities Center

3 4

EntErtainmEnt14 The Oracle

10. Give the spider a name and befriend it. It will die eventually.

9. Eat it. You may want to pour some chocolate on it first.

8. The good old flyswatter technique.7. Get your copy of The Oracle and squish it.6. Impale the spider with a dart.5. Get an obnoxiously huge water gun and drown it. 4. Remove the spider’s legs one by one (not for the faint

of heart). 3. Make your dog lick it.2. Screech in a high pitched tone directly into the spider’s

face.1. Hit it with a shoe.

—Nina Nielepko

toptenmost efficient ways to kill a spider

Casino RoyaleRelease Date: November 17

James Bond—Daniel CraigVesper Lynd—Eva GreenLe Chiffre—Mads Mikkelsen

In James Bond’s first mission, he must stop a banker from winning a casino tournament and using the prize money to fund terrorist activities.

EragonRelease Date: December 15Eragon—Edward Speleers Arya—Sienna Guillory Murtagh—Garrett Hedlund

In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon’s egg—a dis-covery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he’s the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

Pan’s LabyrinthRelease Date: December 29 Ofelia—Ivana Baquero The Pale Man—Doug Jones Captain Vidal—Sergi López

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is the story of a young girl who travels with her mother and adoptive father to a rural area in North-ern Spain in 1944 to face post-war Fas-cist repression at its height.

—Jonathan GuImages courtesy of http://www.imdb.com

winter movie previewGunn actors rehearse a scene in which producer Jack Warner, played by senior Trevor Felch, is placing a call to another Warner brother played by sophomore Meghan Dhola-kia. His secretaries sophomore Annie Fox and freshman Josh Kelly are busy taking notes.

Shakespeare leaves London Thomas Bao

Centerfold Editor

The Little Theatre is dimly lit. It is only four o’clock, but inside the theater time is dictated by the stage. Right now, the stage says it is nighttime, and we are at the opening of a Hollywood movie premier. Women in beautiful nightgowns and men in suits walk through the aisles to my right. One man even shakes my hand.

“Ok, stop, that’s a wrap!” the director shouts. Sud-denly I am snapped back to reality. I am not at a Hol-lywood movie premier, but rather a rehearsal for the fall play, “Shakespeare in Hollywood.”

The play, written by Tony Award winning play-wright Ken Ludwig, is set in 1930s Hollywood during the filming of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play is also the first play with new Theater Director Ej Taylor, who has replaced Jim Shelby because he is currently on sabbatical.

“It’s a light silly comedy,” Taylor said. “The thing that’s neat about it is that in 1934, Max Reindhart was actually directing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

In the play, Oberon, king of the fairies, and his trusty sidekick Puck are transported into Hollywood through an unexpected twist of events and end up being cast as themselves.

The cross between 1930s Hollywood glamour and classic Shakespearean work should be an original

and enjoyable for the fans, and has been a fascinating experience for the actors as well.

Senior Noel Carey, who plays Oberon in the play, en-joys this sudden twist. “It’s a combination of two great worlds, Shakespeare and modern comedy,” Carey said. “It’s a very well-thought-out play and what happens in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ happens to these char-acters. The playwright also uses a lot of Shakespeare’s original quotes and it mixes nicely.”

Another highlight of the play is the score of different characters, from the blonde bombshell to the famous actor Dick Powell, played by junior Gavin Morgan.

“He’s the handsome, terribly famous yet terribly nice young star,” Morgan said. “He’s described as a sweetheart.”

Another character is Max Reindhart, played by senior Michael Shomron, the director of the film in the play. “My character came from Austria to direct a Shakespearean play,” Shomron, said. “My character manages to convince Jack Warner to produce the movie by offering the lead role to his girlfriend, who is after him only because of his money.”

“This play has a ridiculous tone, but definitely not in the bad way,” Morgan said. “There’s a lot of sud-den bursts of laughter. It’s just good old funny without pretensions or fart jokes.”

So, will our anachronistic heroes stay in the 1930s or will they return to their timelines? Find out during one of the showings this week and next.

Fi KaziReporter

A lot of musicians break away from their bands and release their own singles. Paul Stanley, the song-writer for Kiss, decided to follow the trend by releasing Live to Win Oct. 24.

This is not the first time Stanley has made a solo album, as he re-corded Slashes, Thrashes & Thrills in 1989.

The CD, which sounds like a mix of Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Boston, encompasses a wide variety of styles, although many songs lack creativity and spontaneity.

Even while holding onto Kiss’s metal style in some songs, Stan-ley breaks away and experiments with more mellow compositions. Stanley is also more focused on his vocals than when he was with

Kiss. This can be seen in songs like “Everytime I See You,” a song that is similar to the stylings of bands such as Boston and The Rolling Stones, where he focuses solely on his vocal effects.

The songs “Lift” and “Wake Up Screaming,” however, sound like “Cold Gin” by Kiss. Stanley constantly switches back and forth between the two styles, which can get annoying after a few tracks because you don’t know where he stands in respect to his music. The complete randomness of some of his songs is more jarring than entertaining.

Yet, a remarkable aspect of Stan-ley is that he does not hold back any of his talents. He is incredibly open to the audience and uses his unfal-tering voice to convey his emotions. When looking at the lyrics in this CD, there isn’t a variety. It is easy to

see his frustration with lyrics such as “No more shots to take me down/ You make me bullet proof/ I feel invisible when I am next to you.”

“Live to Win” will please any Kiss fan and is not a waste of $10. However, if you lean toward artists like Norah Jones or Black Eyed Peas, you might want to skip over it at the record store.

‘Live to Win’: Paul Stanley no longer just a ‘Kiss’

Brian Phan

Image courtesy of kissonline.com

Dates: Nov. 9-11, 15 (matinee @ 3:30), 16-18 Time: 8 p.m.Place: Little Theater

Theater puts twist on classical play

L o ca t e d at the edge of Mid-town, Como Esta? offers a variety of authentic Mexican food and a welcoming atmosphere. The taqueria makes up for its small space wih indoor seating and a charming outdoor patio. Como Esta?’s $2.75 taco was generously piled with flavorful meat with a suitable amount of tasty salsa and beans. Perfectly prepared, the meat at Como Esta? gave this taqueria the title as being the definite winner in our search for the best taco. Como Esta?’s menu also offers specialties such as the popular low-carb burrito, chile relleno, breakfast burrito and catering services. Each item on the menu is prepared in front of the customer and is decently priced for the great quality and ample quantity of food given.

Located closest to Gunn, Baja Fresh’s aim is

to provide a fresh alternative to fast food in a

clean and welcoming environment. Baja Fresh

offers a kid’s menu, party packs and fundraiser

possibilities intended to attract more families

and large groups of people. Although flavorful,

the taco was not worth $2.15. There was only a

small amount of meat in the taco and the salsa

that came with it had little spice to give it a fresh

taste. The atmosphere is nice but fails to meet its “Mexican Grill” image with hardly any decorations or indication of Mexican origins. The service is quick and efficient and both indoor and outdoor seating is offered, but the food is overly priced for its unsatisfac-tory quality and small quantity, bringing Baja Fresh in last place in our ratings.

For over 17 years, Buenobueno! has been a spot to enjoy a satisfying meal. Although the menu mainly consists of ta-cos and burritos, the charming atmosphere and with friendly ser-vice made Buenobueno! worth an extra couple minutes’ drive. Just like at Como Esta?, the $2.75 taco we tasted was nicely filled with meat, salsa and beans but doesn’t rank as highly because the meat did not have the same subtle authentic crispiness to it as Como Esta?’s meat did. Buenobueno! offers many vegetarian choices on its menu and has a soft frozen yogurt counter to satisfy a sweet tooth.

El Grul lense

had the largest menu of all

the taquerias we went to with unique

offerings including breakfasts, seafood, cocktails

and soups. Although portions are smaller, the food is cheap and

creates the possibility to buy several items from the menu. The

$1.25 taco at El Grullense was tasty but overly loaded with onions,

which distracted from the meat. El Grullense offers specials that

none of the other taquerias have such as beef stew and goat soup

among the typical burrito and taco choices.

Monday, November 7, 200615EntErtainmEnt

—Compiled by Stéphanie Keller-BusquePhotos by Christopher Wu

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EntErtainmEnt16 The Oracle

Ingredients: 2cups(10ounces)all-purposeflour11/4cupwalnuts,choppedcoarse3/4cupsugar3/4teaspoonbakingsoda1/2teaspoonsalt1/4cupplainyogurt3veryripeorabitspoiledlargemashedbananas2largeeggs6tablespoonsunsaltedbutter,meltedandcooled1teaspoonvanillaextract

Instructions:1.Heatovento350degrees.greasea9by5-inchloaf pananddustitwithflour.2.Toastthewalnutsuntilfragrantthenletthemcool.whiskflour,sugar,bakingsoda,salt,andwalnutstogetherinalargebowl.3.Mixthemashedbananas,yogurt,eggs,butter,andvanillawithawoodenspooninamediumbowl.4.Lightlyfoldbananamixtureintothedryingredients.Putintopanandbakeforabout55min,makesuretoothpickcomesoutcleanwhenbreadispoked.

Ingredients:4½cupsthinlyslicedpotatoes2½cupsmilk3Tbsp,2tspmlk2tspsalt4Tbspbutter½cupflourchoppedonionstotaste(optional)

Instructions: White Sauce:1.Oneastove,meltbutter,stirinflour2.Addthesaltandmilkgradually,stirringconstantlyuntilsmoothandthick.3.Takeoff heat. Prepare potatoes as follows:1.Putslicedpotatoesinapanandaddwatertocover.2.Put1tspof saltwiththemandcoverandboilforfiveminutes.3.Drainandmixpotatoeswithwhitesauce.

The Oracle presents student suggestions for this year’s best turkey table treats

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Instructions:1.Sauteoil,butter,onions,celery,sageandpoultryseasoninguntilsoft.Addsaltandpeppertotaste.(Thiscanbedonethenightbefore).2.Mixbreadpieceswithparsleyinseparatebowl,thenaddcooledveggiemixture.Seasontotaste.

Ingredients:31/2cupssugar3/4tsp.bakingpowder3tsp.bakingsoda21/4tsp.salt11/2tsp.clovespowder11/2tsp.cinnamon11/2tsp.nutmeg5cupsflour6eggs-beaten11/2cupsoil1largecanof pumpkin

Instructions:1.Combinethefirstsevendryingredientsinalargebowl.Thenaddflourandmixwell.2.Addthelastfouringredientsandbeatwell.3.Pourintominimuffincups.Makesabout50.4.Bakeat300degreesfor20minutes.5.Topwithcreamcheesefrosting.

When the Titans lost to their rivals, the Palo Alto High School (Paly) Vikings, 55-12, it was not unexpected. The Titans knew going into the game that it would probably be their most difficult game of the season.

Paly was ranked as the top dog in the upper division with a record of 6-1. Gunn was 2-5. Paly, with 46 players, far outnumbered Gunn’s mere 27 players.

“There is a reason they’re in first place in the upper division,” junior running back Josh Lee said. “They’re bigger, stronger, more experienced.” But these odds were not enough to stop the Titans from giving it their all. “We knew it would be hard to win,” sophomore wide-receiver Patrick Osageide said. “But we were expecting to win.”

From the very start, when Paly senior running back Evan Warner ran for a touchdown within 90 seconds of the game, things did not look good for the Titans. When Paly continued to press hard on the Titan’s offense, they were forced to punt. Unfortunately, the punt was a mere 13 yards and not enough to stop the Vikings from scoring

again after Paly senior quarterback Nick Godspeed completed a pass to senior wide receiver Trenton Hart, who ran over 55 yards untouched to another touchdown. This strike was followed by another touch-down from Paly, when senior running back Will Frazier ran 71 yards, cutting past the safety.

Incomplete passes and excellent Paly defense resulted in Gunn go-ing backward and having to punt yet again. With consistent passes and big runs, Paly managed to score six touchdowns and five extra points before the end of the second half.

Time after time, the game looked hopeless for the Titans, as the Vikings played a tight defense, preventing any progress and forc-ing punts.

When Paly switched to their second string players in the second half, junior running back Efren Villanueva and junior fullback Brandon Boyd, dominated the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, making consistent drives for an easy two touchdowns.

In the fourth quarter, with only six minutes to go, the Titans man-aged an interception that led to a connected pass from senior quar-terback Chris Gumbrecht to senior running back Alex Zeglin. When

Gunn attempted an onside kick, junior running back Angelo Henry managed to recover the fumble leading to another touchdown, this time by Lee.

Gunn managed to end the game 55-12, an impressive feat against a team that managed to beat Los Gatos 35-6.

“We just kept playing hard and kept fighting,” Lee said. “We

learned today, that we never let up.” Despite the loss, for Head Coach Matt McGinn, it showed the po-tential for Gunn’s team. “I’ve been here for five years,” McGinn said. “Gunn kids have the heart needed for success. We build our team around our heart and passion.”

The Titan’s look to win their final game at Saratoga on Thurs-day, Nov. 9.

Monday, November 7, 2006 17SportS

Paly intercepts Gunn’s hopes of victoryTitans lack of depth, skill apparent against division leader

Goodbye, Brandon

Christopher W

u

Christopher WuJunior defensive end Kevin Lin tries to get past the Vikings’ offensive line, which consistently overpowered Gunn’s defense.

For most high school students, grades, homework and parents are what are on their minds. But for junior Brandon Sanders, it is a rough neighborhood where drugs and gang violence are everyday issues. Al-though he has moved away, Sanders proved to be a valuable player to the varsity football team. Sanders, who recently returned to his hometown in Los Angeles, came to Gunn six weeks ago in search of a safer place to live. “I used to be involved in drugs, gangs and fights all the time,” Sanders said. “I came here so that I could be in a safer environment.”

Before living in Palo Alto, Sand-ers lived in Frees Group Housing which is a community home.

Although Sanders’ parents did not live with him, they did not feel it was the best environment for him to be growing up in. “L.A. just wasn’t a good place for me to live, “ Sanders said. “I like it here a lot more.”

Football has helped Sanders as-similate into the Gunn way of life. Playing defensive end and fullback, Sanders has proven himself to be one of the team’s most sound play-ers. “This is my first year playing football, but I feel I have gotten a lot better,” Sanders said. “I’m really enjoying it.”

Head Coach Matt McGinn be-lieves that Sanders has a lot of po-

tential. “He helped us to strengthen our running game,” McGinn said. “He helped us with our short yard-age plays and our more physical approach.”

Players on the football team also agree that Sanders has helped the team. “He’s a big guy, so that helps a lot,” senior Andrew Hopkins said. “He was kind of shy at first, but once he came out of his shell a little bit we saw that he’s actually a pretty cool guy and a good team player.”

Sanders’ love for sports is not limited to just football—he began playing basketball at a very young age. “I’ve been playing basketball a lot longer than football,” Sanders said. “I used to play in L.A. with my friends.” Sanders had been planning on trying out for the varsity basket-ball team this year.

As for his future, Sanders hopes to continue playing sports in col-lege. “I think I’m going to go to a junior college, but I really want to continue playing football,” Sanders said. Whatever he does in college, Sanders knows that sports will con-tinue to be a big part of his life.

On Oct. 31, Sanders’ parents took him back to L.A. Although he is gone, many appreciate the contri-butions he brought to the football team. “He is a goodhearted person, and learned a lot about teamwork while playing football,” McGinn said. “Overall he benefited a lot from playing sports, and I hope he keeps at it.”

Thomas BaoCenterfold Editor

Shiv KachruForum Editor

A plethora of factors encom-pass the true value of a team. Whether it is a star player, an avid coaching staff or devoted fans, all of these contribute to a team’s overall spirit and morale, but they especially affect its performance.

Of course, the practical means of building a success-ful team is hard practice and vigorous workouts, but these methods can only be successful if the players enduring them have true motivation to excel. An athlete can bench press 350 pounds solely for the purpose of being able to bench press well, but not necessarily to be a better athlete.

What also hinders a team’s success is fear of the competi-tion. Respect can be taken many different ways in the world of athletics, and too much respect for a formidable team or op-ponent can mask the success of anyone who faces them. This is what can kill a program and is the wrong way to look at com-petition. Teams should be driven by the will to win and not the fear of losing.

You could say that the prin-ciples of a “good team” are open to interpretation, given that ev-eryone has his or her own idea of what success is. The tragedy of this interpretation is when one person must suffer the expecta-tions and the (dare I say) tyranny of his or her peers. When you see an 11-year-old-boy training four hours a day to be a good quarterback in a Pop Warner League, it doesn’t seem plau-sible, in most cases, that the kid is working this hard by choice. In many cases it’s an obsessive parent or an aggressive coach, among other people, that foist the expectations on kids to be star athletes, usually without true consent from the child.

It is this pressure to be great, to be “successful,” that has both made and ruined lives. The sacrifices necessary to be a star athlete, captain of the team or hometown hero are reserved for few. Every year, athletes at every level are disappointed in their individual or team per-formance either because they didn’t perform as well as the next player or didn’t satisfy their peers’ expectations.

Success has many faces, and it can be seen in several differ-ent forms. What is important is that you see these little successes and find victory in everything that you do.

Searching for success

Stephen Salazar

—Salazar, a junior, is an Entertainment editor

SportS18 The Oracle

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Monday, November 7, 200619SportSxc

In the upcoming season, boys’ basketball plan

to have an even more successful season than last year’s 20-8 record. Though some key

players graduated last year, the core of the team remains, and new additions will strengthen it further.

According to Head Coach Chris Redfield, players to watch are seniors Peter Jordan and David Riley, who both

made first team all-league last year, and look to lead a strong Gunn team to a successful season. Other key players include senior guards Michael Riley and Bernard Anthony. “We have seven seniors and three starters returning from last year which is important,” Redfield said. “We hope to build on what we did last year.” Though last year’s team lost to Palo Alto High School, this year’s team has a higher chance of winning.

“Our chances of winning are realistic, to say the least,” junior Richard Wiley said. “They really don’t have

any superstars this year, and our team has got-ten better.” Gunn will start the season Nov.

21 against Menlo School in a home game.

Boys’

Basketball

Adrienne Nguyen

Adrienne Nguyen

Christopher Wu

Girls’ basketbal l starts the season with a clean

record and a new coach. Former college basketball player and cur-

rent physical education teacher Sarah Stapp will coach the girls. She planned summer events for the

team such as a tournament in San Diego. “[Stapp] is incredible,” junior Neva Hauser said. “I can already see the improvement in our team.”

Stapp looks forward to a strong team. “We have a lot of balance and versatility,” Stapp said. “The play-ers are really athletic, and I can put [the players] in different positions.”

The team also anticipates a victorious season. “We have great cohesion and chemistry, and

I think we’re going to do better than the last four seasons,” senior

Jenica Law said.

Girls’ Basketball

This winter, girls’ soccer kicks off on Nov. 16

with a home game against Pinewood. The team wants to improve over last year’s

lackluster season, and with many of last years promising players returning to the squad, Gunn’s

future seems poised for a turnaround. The game against Palo Alto High School, who

Gunn defeated last year, is set as the team’s second game on Nov. 20 and should be a test of the team’s strength. “I’m excited for this year, and I definitely think there will be an improvement with

regards to the record,” junior Victoria van Duyne said.

With an optimistic outlook, the Titans are set to start the new

season off with a bang.

Girls’ Soccer

Titans volleyball falls to rival on senior nightBoris Burkov

Reporter

On Nov. 1, the varsity girls’ volleyball team suffered a tough Senior Night loss against Palo Alto High School (Paly). Gunn lost three games to none, but put up a stiff fight in the third set.

As part of the Senior Night festivities, both teams honored their seniors by highlighting their achievements and favorite moments in a pre-game ceremony. Gunn’s team lauded the commitment, team spirit and ability of its four seniors, Crystal Greenberg, Jenica Law, Samantha Rohman and Margaret Johnson.

In the first game, Paly emerged with an early 3-0 lead after several errors by Gunn. Paly carried this

momentum into a 18-6 lead in a commanding seven point run. Gunn almost pulled back into the game with several consecutive points, but Paly cruised to a comfortable 25-13 win.

Paly continued its dominance with a 5-0 lead to start the second game. Gunn rallied to 6-5 with five points but failed to build momen-tum. Paly extended its lead all the way to the end of the game, finish-ing at 25-12.

In the third and final game, Gunn put up a strong fight, but its best play of the evening was not enough to stop Paly. At 9-5, Gunn lost a lengthy rally when one of the players touched the net reaching for a ball. Though Gunn did not lose without a fight, Paly still secured a comfortable 25-16 victory.

Junior Tiffany Stone accepted the defeat but was satisfied with their effort. “We left it all out on the court, but made too many mis-takes,” she said.

Head Coach Matt Hoffman felt the team picked up their play to-ward the end of the game, however injuries set back the Titan lineup. “Our starting setter sprained her ankle, so they had to play with a lineup they weren’t used to,” Hoff-man said.

Senior Crystal Greenberg felt the team played well, but had some difficulties. “We lacked focus,” Greenberg said. “Maybe it was nerves.”

Despite having to swallow a defeat to its rival, Gunn is hopeful for the 2007 season, as the team has talented young players.

A f t e r a summer of condition-

ing, the wrestling team tackles a new year with new goals.Head Coach Chris Horpel expects the wres-

tlers to perform well this season. “We’re both better as a team and individually,” Horpel said. “This is the

first year we have two returning CCS placeholders since 1974.” Other members of the team agree with his sentiment

and add that their summer training foreshadows a great year. “Almost our entire lineup [has] been working out together this summer,” senior Jay Villafana said. “We should be top three [in our league] and top five CCS.”

Recently graduated seniors will not impede the team’s prog-ress. “We have enough members on the team who can fill their spots,” senior Lawrence Park said.

Horpel sets high expectations for the team. “I always hope for the best and plan for the worst,” Horpel said.

“We’ve been better each year, and I hope to bring Gunn’s wrestling program up to the level it

was in 1973 or 1974, which was third or fourth in CCS.”

Wre

stling

The boys’ soccer team kicks off its season with a

new coach and fresh roster of players. Tom Brough replaced David Burgee as

Head Coach this year and has high hopes for the team. “There’s a lot of talent and promise, and if

they want to achieve, they can,” Brough said. Team members realize they need to work hard to

succeed and fill gaps left by the departure of last year’s seniors. “ There was a core of seniors who really knew how each other played, and they were basically the defense,” junior Philippe deCorwin-Martin said.

Co-captain senior Ian Powell agreed that losing seniors would affect the team, but believes they

can overcome these obstacles. “Our goal for this year is to split with Paly or beat them twice

and win our league, get a CCS spot and just do as well as possible,”

Powell said.

Boys’ Soccer

Jennifer LimThe Titans struggle to keep the ball on Paly’s half of the court. They lost all three games to the Vikings at home.

—Compiled by Boris Burkov and Vivien Tsao

SportS20 The Oracle

Wrestling is more than just a sport for senior Philip Hsiao – it is a passion. Each day, Hsiao can be found in the wrestling room practicing with teammates and teaching techniques to middle school students. Hsiao coaches aspir-ing young wrestlers at Terman Middle School everyday after school.

Hsiao, a member of the varsity wrestling team, has been participating in the sport for three years. He has also coached the Terman wrestling team for the past three years. Hsiao commits to approximately two hours of coaching each day and acts as a mentor to the middle schoolers.

Hsiao currently coaches with soph-omore Ph i l Pa rk , a fel low member of the varsity wrestling team. In addi-tion, they accompany the middle schoolers to wrestling meets against other schools. Hsiao and Park began coaching the Terman middle schoolers under Gunn Graduate AJ Giaccia. When he graduated, they were offered pay, but declined, opting instead for community service hours.

The time commitment to practice, coach and juggle a rigorous academic schedule can be chal-lenging at times. Luckily, due to the schedule of the middle school and high school wrestling seasons, Hsiao is able to manage his time-consuming schedule. “The seasons are different,” Hsiao said. “The middle school wrestling season begins when the high school season ends. Still, the post-season practice and pre-season practice still overlap at times.”

Hsiao took the coaching position as an opportunity to help others develop their skills and ability. “It is defi-nitely rewarding to see the middle schoolers perform a technique practiced and mastered, especially when they carry it out successfully,” Hsiao said.

Park is confident in their coaching and enjoys help-ing out. “Our coaching gives the kids a sense of fun in wrestling,” Park said. “It makes me proud to be their coach when I see them succeed.” Park also looks up to Hsiao as a mentor, and hopes he can coach like Hsiao does in the future. “He definitely connects with the kids,” Park said. “He is a good teacher to them.”

Hsiao hopes he has motivated them to continue with their success through high school. “I believe since they started wrestling early, they will have an advantage over others,” Hsiao said. “With their dedication to the sport, they will hopefully be dominant when they join the Gunn Wrestling Team.”

Volleyball season was off to a new start this year for junior Aileen Smith after she started her new job coaching girls’ seventh grade vol-leyball at JLS Middle School.

Smith says that coaching has been a fun experience that has taught her a lot about being a team leader and hopes to continue next year. “My girls are so funny and we always have a blast together,” she said.

Watching her athletes improve has been the most rewarding part about coaching for Smith. “It’s really great to see girls who wouldn’t move before actually playing,” she said. “It is just amazing to watch them. One of my girls couldn’t serve at all at the beginning of the season and I didn’t know what to do but we stuck through it and now she can serve. Per-severance definitely pays off.”

Although she enjoys it, coaching did not come naturally for Smith. “Trying to be a good example and teaching the girls has been kind of hard,” she said. “We’ve been improving, though. We won our first game last week we were so excited, and we haven’t had any problems with parents since they’ve all been supportive so that’s good too.”

Smith coaches her team alone and bases the way she teaches on methods she has seen other coaches use. “I wasn’t sure at first what the right level was for the girls but after a while you find a bal-ance where it’s not too hard but not too easy either,” she said.

Smith concentrates on her responsibilities to her team and focuses on them to help the young athletes improve. “When I was on a team it was like, ‘There’s the coach and he knows everything,’” she said. “But now I’m the coach and I just have to focus on the game and have fun watching them improve.”

Seventh grader Christina Gandolfo feels that Smith’s best quality is keeping the team positive no matter what. “Having a younger coach is fun because they are more fun and way less harsh,” Gandolfo said. “We are all so lucky that we have people willing to coach a seventh grade volleyball team.”

Communication is one of the key elements Smith tells her team to remember. “Obviously, in volleyball I really want the girls to focus on teamwork and calling the ball to communicate to one another so there’s a good team effort,” she said. “I tell them to cheer each other on too so that they get excited and keep the energy high by giving a bunch of high fives.”

For senior Zack Ciesinski, football practice does not mean getting dressed in shoulder pads and a helmet. Instead, it means a trip down to Terman Middle School to coach sixth grade flag football.

Ciesinski started coaching last winter for his brother’s eighth grade basketball team. This year he is coaching football with his friend, senior Miles Osgood. “I’ve been on a bunch of teams for different sports and I got a better sense of what works and what doesn’t while coaching a team,” Ciesinski said. His favorite aspect of coaching is helping the young athletes improve. “They’re doing something they like to do and we’re doing something we like so it’s great,” he said.

Osgood agrees that seeing their athletes im-prove is one of the best parts about coaching. “It’s basically just a lot of fun,” Osgood said. “Some do it as a way to get community service hours or the pay, but I think it’s just great to go to the games and get excited for your team.”

Despite having fun, Ciesinski says there are some challenging parts to coaching. “The hard-est part about coaching is getting all the kids to be at the practices because we can’t be too strict about it,” he said. “But we don’t want to give the message that we don’t care if they don’t come to practice or else it’s harder for the rest of the team.”

Being a coach also brings more responsibilities to the team. “Leading a team is different from being part of one because [the students] look up to you and you have to lead by example,” Ciesinski said. “You can’t slack off like some people, otherwise the entire team will start slacking off.” Sixth grader David Lester en-joys having Ciesinski and Osgood as coaches. “They don’t work us too hard,” Lester said. “They always cheer us up with jokes and the things they make us do are fun.”

Ciesinski thinks having high schoolers coach is a positive experience for his athletes. He believes teenage coaches understand how the kids learn to play better than older coaches. “Some parents must have some con-cern that high school students are coaching their kids but after the first few games they realize that maybe it’s better because we can be role models that the kids can relate to better and look up to,” he said. “It’s fun to be their role models because you see how the kids respect and look up too you and it’s nice to know that that’s the way they think of you,” he said.

Locations with available coaching positions for high school athletesAYSO(650) 324-0863650 Addison Ave

Palo Alto Family YMCA(650) 856-YMCA3412 Ross Road

Palo Alto Little League(650) 494-19333672 Middlefield Road

Students mentor, guide middle school athletes

—Compiled by Adrienne Nguyen and Stéphanie Keller-Busque

Photos by Christopher Wu