As adults, friends from high school or college can find it harder to catch up. Even though Kitada still regularly contacts his friends from high school, it takes a lot of organizing to see each other. “When we see each other—maybe twice a year, because we’re all married and have kids—it takes a lot of organizing,” he said.

However, it’s different when it comes to Holdener. Their classrooms are nearly right across from each other’s, so after a long day of teaching, seeing each other just takes a few steps across the hallway. “There pretty much (isn’t) a day when we wouldn’t see each other,” Kitada said. Holdener agrees, crediting the strength of their friendship to seeing each other daily. “It only helps that you see each other every single day,” she said. “When you’re an adult, you have to put that effort in. You have to contact each other and make plans.”

When they’re not talking face-to-face, like most friends, the two text each other often. “It’ll be midnight, late into the night when we’re trying to grade, and we’ll be like, ‘Time for a meme break,’” Holdener said.

Seeing each other regularly helps, but it is far from the only thing that has formed the foundation of their friendship. Holdener and Kitada share several similar interests. For one, they share similar professions and tastes in entertainment, which they often talk about. “We tend to talk a lot about work just because that’s what we share in common,” Kitada said. “But in addition, (we) have shared interests in general. I think that’s part of the reason why we’re friends: We both have the same sense of humor or things that we both like, like manga, books or the same type of movies and TV shows.”

Additionally, they both enjoy video games, which they bond over outside of school. “When Final Fantasy 15 came out, we played it at the same time in our own houses, but we’d text each other about it, like, ‘How far did you get?’”Holdener said. After being friends for so long, Holdener and Kitada often think similarly. “Even if we don’t say anything in the moment, afterwards, if we talk, we go, ‘Are you thinking what I was thinking’? and then we end up thinking the same exact thing,’” Holdener said. “Even though there are differences, the way we are as humans, the way we are as teachers, there’s a lot of overlap there.” Their similar personalities have even coined them the nickname, “the Steptwins,” given to them by office secretary Martha Elderon. The “step” part comes from where they met and how close they are despite not being biologically related, like stepsiblings.

Because they have been friends for so long, the duo have built a lot of trust. Holdener feels as though she can confide in Kitada whenever she needs someone to listen. “I can trust Mr. Kitada and go to him and say anything,” she said. “I know he’s not going to judge me for it or think I’m weird. And then he’ll hear me out. In reverse too, he can say whatever to me, and I’ll hear it out and give him thoughts if he wants it, or just sit and be someone to say something to.”

Anchor Jack Poon believes that TNU can fill a similar role as the morning announcements that were produced by the Titan Broadcast Network. “It’s been a couple of years since TBN has been a thing, and we were the last class to really remember it,” he said. “We wanted to bring it back, especially since now we’re back in person and PA announcements have been used a couple of times.”

Although TNU currently makes one video a week, SEC hopes to eventually produce daily video announcements. “Right now we only do weekly (announcements) because SEC doesn’t have the time to do daily broadcasts,” Poon said. “But in the future, perhaps that might be something we can bring back—(it) probably would have to be run through Mr. Corpuz’s broadcast class.”

Senior Daniel Carlstrom prefers receiving the weekly announcements through TNU, rather than the typical Schoology update or Instagram post. “It feels more approachable,” he said. “There are people talking to me instead of just a Schoology update.”

Students or clubs who want to announce upcoming events or news on TNU can email Student Activities Director Lisa Hall.

The example with Ye is hardly a first occurrence of a popular celebrity expressing problematic views. Back in July 2020, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling posted transphobic tweets which disrespected and ignored the lived identities of transgender women. Like Ye’s music, Rowling’s books share a special place in the hearts of many. Rowling’s comments hurt thousands of people and are especially harmful because Harry Potter is popular among kids. J.K. Rowling is able to use her fame to potentially spread anti-trans views to young, impressionable minds who look up to her as their favorite author and do not know better. In the wake of Rowling’s transphobic comments, many transgender Harry Potter fans had to question if being a fan of the series was worth supporting the author. Many feel that they can no longer support the series given Rowling’s comments about transgender women. Fans of Ye’s and Rowling’s work alike must evaluate whether the artist’s actions are too extreme to continue supporting. The decision to stop consuming content is made by each individual person.

Some fans might argue that it is better to always separate the art from the artist in any case, because oftentimes the art does not reflect the artist’s views, and we should appreciate art for what it is. Yes, sometimes it is important to appreciate masterpieces when they occur and not judge them entirely on who was behind that work, but that does not excuse fans from ignoring what their favorite artist stands for or does with their fame. Take Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is not a name many students will recognize, but in the Art of Visual Storytelling class, students read his world renowned manga, “Rurouni Kenshin.” Students read “Rurouni Kenshin” because it is considered a classic in the shounen manga world, with several video game, anime and live action movies adaptation. However, Watsuki faced controversy when he was discovered in 2017 to be in possession of child pornography, which Watsuki purchased with the revenue he received from his successful series. His fine was also paid off with that money. Many fans were devastated by this news because, while indirectly, fans contributed a small percentage to his actions with every copy of “Rurouni Kenshin purchased or anime episode watched. Unfortunately though, many of those who choose to read “Kenshin” are not aware of the author’s crimes. For fans who decide to continue to support their favorite artists, the appreciation for the artist’s work means they are responsible for researching more about the people behind the art they consume. Otherwise, students run the risk of harming groups targeted by these creators through their ignorance.

If a cereal company were to be discovered practicing illegal business practices, it is easy for people to simply switch over to a different brand of cereal in order to not support that business. So why shouldn’t it be similar for fans of public figures like Ye, Watsuki and Rowling to stop consuming their work? Unlike cereal, art is unique and there are few substitutes for people who are huge fans of Ye’s music or Harry Potter. For this reason, many are hesitant to immediately drop their favorite artist. It is all right for students to continue to support their favorite artist’s works, as long as they are aware of the kind of people they are praising and looking up to. In most cases, one of the best ways for people to learn is to research more. Find out the facts and figures, then make the final call whether to decide to support something or not. This will give people a clearer understanding of what they are supporting. While choosing to boycott an artist is a personal choice, everyone is obligated to research the harm in the creator’s views in order to weigh them against their own values. It should also be established that being a fan of an artist does not automatically equate to sympathizing with their views.

By exposing students to resources like Alcove, Real hopes that more students will reach out for help when they need it. Mental health is a spectrum and we’re all in it,” she said.

SEC Wellness Commissioner Kirsten Real worked with the Wellness Center to plan a health fair which was held on Sep. 21 on the senior quad during lunch. During the fair, students had the opportunity to learn about the resources available to them at Gunn. “Hopefully this fair answered some of those questions, and throughout the year, we will double down on them,” Real said. 

The health fair also provided information on local resources outside of Gunn that are available to students. One resource that was included in the fair’s presentations was Allcove, a mental health center located on Middlefield Road, which is only a short bike ride from Gunn. “You can get anything from a psychiatrist to birth control, any health services as well as peer support or therapists,” Real said. “It’s really cool because you don’t have to pay at all. It’s just a waiver that you have to sign and it’s all taken care of.” By exposing students to resources like Alcove, Real hopes that more students will reach out for help when they need it. “Mental health is a spectrum and we’re all in it,” she said. “Even if you’re struggling or not struggling, it’s good to know that these services do exist.”

The diversity commissioners are planning a mental health panel on Sept. 28 during Prime centered on Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC). Students can sign up for the panel through Flexisched. Diversity Commissioner Chania Rene-Corail explained how the panel will run. “We’re going to be asking them questions about how your race, ethnicity or how your culture might affect how you choose to access mental health resources,” Rene-Corail said. Several of the panelists work on mental health initiatives around campus, including Gunn Mental Health and Wellness Specialist Michelle Ramos. Rene-Corail hopes that by having panelists from Gunn, students will know who these people are and who they can reach out to if they ever need to.

In addition to the BIPOC panel, the Diversity Commissioners are also planning to release a podcast on Spotify later in the month, with speakers focused in certain communities. “[The podcast] would be more specific to Asian American communities…and also accessibility and injustice is in the mental health system,” Rene-Corail said. “So how people of color are treated and how inaccessible it can be to some.” Rene-Corail emphasized that it’s harder for certain communities to access mental health resources for various reasons. “There’s a lot of communities of color for one reason or another have a lot of stigma when it comes to mental health and mental health resources,” she said. “Having that stigma makes it much harder for people from these communities to take that step and go and reach out.” 

Suicide prevention awareness and protective factors at Gunn are Real’s biggest goals this year, and she hopes that by putting up these events for students, they are able to see the importance of mental health. “[Whether we’re] posting on social media or putting protective factors on campus, we’re really just making Gunn more a more positive environment,” she said.

Although school starts at 9 a.m., which is 45 minutes later than it was in previous years, sometimes a later start time is not late enough. In a 2015 study, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends teenagers get 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. A first or fifth period prep gives students an extra hour and a half to catch up on their 8 to 10 hours. For early birds like me who do not stay up until 3 a.m. finishing homework or playing video games, the extra time in the morning can be used to get work done instead of sleeping. In some cases, the best time to be productive is after being fully rested. End-of-day preps have their own benefits as well. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most brutal, with school ending at 4:10. However, for students with a fourth period prep, school ends at 2:30. With my fourth period prep, I like to visit my old middle school teachers on the way home. When biking home at 2:30, I can still reach Jane Lathrop Stanford (JLS) Middle School right before their school day ends. This also means I can go and surprise my younger brother right as he gets out of class.

Students can also utilize their preps to attend more after-school activities. A lot of activities or
events after school start around 3 p.m., since for many schools, that is when the day ends. For ex-
ample, one of my volunteering opportunities starts at 3:30 on Tuesdays. Not only is that before school ends, but the organization is also located in San Jose, a 40-minute drive away. My fourth period prep allows me to get there on time and do more for my community.

People might say that seventh period preps get the short end of the stick for end-of-day preps, with fewer days to go home earlier. However, seventh period preps allow students to go home earlier on Mondays 45 minutes before everyone else, skipping the after-school rush hour. Seventh period prep also allow students to go home earlier on Fridays. For those who do not visit past teachers or attend after school activities and events, there is still the option of staying at school and doing homework. Just like during any other prep period, students can work in the library if they require an academic setting to stay productive. Because I prefer to spend my evenings calling my friends or socializing, getting my work done right after school is perfect. That way, all my work is complete before I reach the time of the day where my motivation goes down the drain.

While midday prep periods give students an extended lunch period to go off campus and eat good food, it is important to note that seventh period on Wednesdays is after lunch, giving students the same opportunity. Given the lack of restaurants in the close vicinity of Gunn, students with a midday prep who choose to use their extended lunch to eat off campus would have to drive in order to make a timely return. This is not always a problem for students who have a license as well as access to a car, but it is for those who don’t.

All in all, beginning- or end-of-day preps are far superior to midday preps. They offer many more uses and opportunities for students, in addition to the same benefits that midday preps offer. Whether students choose to sleep in, go home early after long school days or just work, beginning- or end-of-day preps are sure to provide students with anything to fit their needs with the most flexibility.

While class presidents are responsible for organizing and playing an important role in class events, Wu describes his new responsibilities as more of a directing role, overseeing SEC as a whole. “I feel like the [Student Body President] takes a more backseat role,” he said. “It shifts a lot towards making sure SEC runs properly.” Wu is viewed as a representative of Gunn, communicating with other schools and in the district. In his position, Wu also talks with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) school board to try and represent the feelings of the student body as best as possible.

One of the things Wu wants to do as Student Body President is to host more events that reach wider groups on campus. “We should branch out a bit more, hit more demographics, have more interest groups and make [participation] more accessible to people who currently don’t feel comfortable at SEC events,” he said.

Another goal Wu has had since freshman year is to improve communication between students and SEC. “We’re going to be putting out a lot more channels of communication to make it easier,” he said. “If you want to engage more, keep an eye out on that. There should be some changes coming to school as the year goes on.”