In April 2014, gymnast Amanda Thomashow, a Michigan State University graduate, filed a Title IX complaint against team physician Larry Nassar, alleging inappropriate behavior during a medical examination. However, the university’s inquiry dismissed Thomashow’s complaint and ruled Nassar’s behavior as “medically appropriate.” Nassar was allowed to continue working at MSU for two more years until Sept. 20, 2016, when he was finally fired. It took until 2018 for Nassar to be convicted and sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, after 18 victims filed a federal lawsuit against Nassar, MSU, USA Gymnastics and Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, alleging sexual assault, battery, molestation and harassment between 1996 and 2016.

Negligence in addressing these complaints causes repercussions extending beyond individual cases, eroding trust in entire organizations. Although the resignation of the USA Gymnastics board in 2018 was a step in the right direction, it came years too late for those who had suffered Nassar’s abuse. In 2021, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared in an interview that she wouldn’t be comfortable with her daughter’s training with USA Gymnastics, given the organization’s lack of accountability. This sentiment is just one example from the many gymnasts who felt the sport’s governing body had failed to protect and listen to them. USA Gymnastics’ failure to take complaints seriously and act swiftly exacerbates survivors’ trauma and perpetuates a culture of impunity for perpetrators.

While Nassar’s abuse may be the most prominent example of sexual misconduct in sports, it is not an isolated phenomenon. Similar patterns of abuse have emerged in other high-level sports organizations, including USA Taekwondo, where coaches like Jean Lopez have been accused of exploiting their positions of power to prey on female athletes. Lopez was accused of abuse by multiple female athletes and banned from coaching for life by the organization, after a 2018 U.S. Center for Safesport investigation concluded that Lopez had “a decade-long pattern of sexual misconduct” and used his power to “groom, manipulate, and ultimately sexually abuse younger female athletes.” However, in December 2022, the International Court of Arbitration lifted the lifetime ban, as it had been based on the 2011 Code of Ethics, which was only instituted after the incidents had occurred.

The lifting of this “lifetime” ban raises serious concerns about the efficacy of disciplinary measures and the prioritization of justice for survivors.

Moreover, misconduct in the sporting world extends beyond staff and coaches to the executive personnel of sporting organizations. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup award ceremony, Luis Rubiales, former Royal Spanish Football Federation president, kissed Spanish national soccer player Jenni Hermoso without consent.

In an emergency meeting called by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales denied any wrongdoing and claimed the kiss was consensual. Later that year, at the Federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly, Rubiales claimed that he had been the target of “social assassination” and continually restated that he would not resign. The Royal Spanish Football Federation sided with Rubiales, accusing Hermoso of lying about the kiss and threatening to take legal action against her. Rubiales’ resignation came only after more than 80 other Spanish soccer players put their names on a statement supporting Hermoso, saying they would not return to the national team if the case were not resolved fairly.

Nassar’s exploitation of female gymnasts, Lopez’s predatory behavior toward female taekwondo athletes and Rubiales’ refusal to accept accountability highlight systematic failures that require meaningful reforms. The delayed responses, inadequate actions and sometimes even complicity of sporting institutions erode the trust of female athletes, fans and staff members. A commitment to accountability at all levels of sports governance is crucial, as female athletes should not have to publicly fight for their complaints to be taken seriously.

Moving forward, sports organizations must prioritize the well-being and safety of all involved parties. They should implement robust safeguarding measures and ensure swift and decisive action in response to misconduct. Abuse should not have to escalate into yearslong patterns before accusations are taken seriously — every complaint should be thoroughly investigated.

If misconduct isn’t addressed at the professional level, it sets a precedent of impunity, meaning that abuse at the high- school level may also go unpunished. By actively listening to survivors, addressing systemic flaws and holding perpetrators accountable, organizations can create sporting environments in which everyone can thrive without fear of exploitation, fostering a culture of integrity in the sports community.

Traditions like these add flavor to the virtual world of fantasy football, in which participants draft real NFL athletes for their teams beginning at the start of the season in September. The game is played on the NFL Fantasy website or app, and players earn points based on the outcomes of actual NFL matchups. After an initial draft, players have the flexibility to change their team lineups by trading with fellow participants. In each league, the player with the most overall victories in a weekly matchups wins the game.

Senior Ryan Kim’s dad introduced him to the game when he was 7, and he’s played ever since. “When I was little, my dad used to play with his friends,” he said. “That was always interesting to me.”

Typically, fantasy football is played in leagues of around 12 participants. English teacher Jordan Wells plays in a league with her family, using the game to stay connected with them. “I started (playing) six years ago when my brother put together a family team,” she said. “It keeps us just kind of talking, whether it’s actually talking or congratulating each other. It’s a fun activity to do with my family.”

Each week, a team’s starting-lineup players earn points in NFL games, which contribute to the team’s total weekly score. Teams are randomly paired in weekly matchups, and the team with the higher weekly score wins. In Wells’ family league, the weekly matchups usually prompt a healthy dose of competition. “There’s a group chat going on, of course, and (there’s) a lot of smack talk, mainly my brother,” she said. “He’s like the commissioner of the league, and he’ll talk a lot of nuts. There was one year where he renamed his team every week based on who he was playing, to have a name that was kind of anti-them.”

Fantasy football also helps Wells connect with her students. “Sometimes I’ll ask students for advice if I’m torn between who should I bench that week,” she said. “As a player, it’s fun to hear who’s performing on their teams. Also, even if your team kind of sucks, it’s fun to commiserate.”

Senior Marcello Chang also appreciates the social aspect of fantasy football, as playing in a league with his friends at school ensures they always have something to discuss. “It’s fun to be able to talk to people about it,” he said. “There’s a lot going on with matchups and trading and people’s standings (in the league).”

At the start of each season, league members draft teams in 14 rounds of player selection, with each league member picking one player per turn. In most leagues, the draft order is randomized.

To prepare for draft day, many people conduct research by reading articles or partaking in mock drafts. Wells participates in many common types of drafting preparation. “I have to like them as a person,” she said. “I look at stats, I try to read a couple of articles ahead of time, look at how other people have drafted, (and) I do mock drafts.”

Fantasy football isn’t solely a game of knowledge — it’s also one of strategy, and many players begin a season with a specific tactic. For Wells, putting key players in certain positions early during draft day is crucial. “I do it differently than a lot of other people,” she said. “I draft my quarterback early. I like to have essentially one of each (position) before I start going for doubles on running backs and wide receivers.”

Sophomore Sanjan Joshi, on the other hand, looks to diversify his players’ teams of origin. “I look (to draft) players from a variety of teams,” he said. “I also look at their situation with their team and competitors on their team, not just what the fantasy football app predicts will happen.”

Player lineups in fantasy football are far from static. As the season progresses, participants can trade NFL players within their leagues to enhance and diversify their teams, according to Kim. “Let’s say you need a quarterback and someone else needs a running back,” he said. “You could trade so that you both have what you need — it’s like (a) mutualism.”

Trades are a way to get rid of unwanted players in a participant’s lineup. Joshi finds this aspect critical to improving his roster. “I try to offer trades to other people in my league to improve my team and to claim unknown and upcoming players on the ‘waiver wire,’ which is essentially the market for players who are not on a fantasy roster,” he said.

For Joshi, watching his team progress is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. “The best part of playing fantasy football is the thrill each week and the work you put in to craft the perfect roster,” he said. “It is my favorite part of the week, sitting down on Sundays and watching football for my team — the Green Bay Packers — and my fantasy football team.”

To show support for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, the Title IX Club hosted a lunch event called “Chalk Flowers for Survivors.” Junior Annabel Honigstein, co-president of the Title IX Club and a Forum editor for The Oracle, emphasized the importance of commemorating the day. “Every year we draw flowers and positive, kind messages on concrete surfaces to show our support for survivors,” she said.

The Title IX Club also organized an informational session with district Title IX Coordinator Robert Andrade. According to Honigstein, the event aimed to educate students about district policies and reach a wider audience through advertising.

Junior Anika Jayanth participated in the session and found it to be informative. “I learned how the district goes about (handling) sexual assault complaints,” she said. “I learned how there are varying degrees of intensity when it comes to sexual assault and how each of them is dealt with differently.”

During the activity, I found out that a photogram is an image created without a camera by placing objects onto photogenic paper and exposing it to light. We began by choosing small objects to display on print, from strings of colorful ribbons to 3D-printed animals. Rummaging through the boxes, I picked out a pink ribbon, a chess piece, two dice and a string of purple beads. I then arranged my objects under the enlarger, a specialized projector used to produce photographic prints. Once everyone was ready, a quick flash lit the dark room. After taking out my photograph-to-be, the last steps were to soak the paper in the developer for one minute and then in water for 15 seconds before leaving it for one minute in a photographic fixer to stabilize the image. After my paper had been thoroughly soaked, I left the dark room and gazed, surprised, at the print. The once-white paper was completely black, with the objects I had chosen visible in bright silhouettes. The print had turned out better than I expected, and I felt a sense of accomplishment at having learned something new. At the end of lunch, I felt regretful that I had not been to earlier meetings in the school year that included other hands-on activities such as using pinhole cameras and making cyanotypes; even though I came as a spy, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Photography Club meeting.

British indie-rock singer and songwriter Beatrice Kristi Laus—known by her stage name, Beabadoobee—has so far released two acclaimed studio albums: 2020’s “Fake it Flowers” and 2022’s “Beatopia.” Born in the Philippines, Laus moved to London at the age of three and quickly became involved in music. She took inspiration from original Pinoy music as well as indie-rock artists Alex G and Florist. She spent seven years playing the violin, before teaching herself to play guitar at 17. Laus released her first song “Coffee” in September of 2017 on YouTube, catching the attention of Dirty Hit Records, who signed her to the label in April 2018. Beabadoobee found further success later in 2020 when the release of “Fake it Flowers” helped her become Billboard’s top new rock artist of the year. She will be touring with Taylor Swift in Nevada, Texas,Georgia and Florida.

Gracie Abrams

Daughter of famous director J.J. Abrams, American singer and songwriter Gracie Abrams recently broke into pop music in 2020 with the release of her debut Extended Play (EP), “Minor.” Born in 1999, Abrams discovered her passion for music at age eight when learning how to play the drums. Rather than pursuing a career in music immediately after graduating high school, Abrams began a short-lived college career at Barnard. At the end of her first year, Abrams took a break from school to focus on music, which was when she amassed over six million listeners on Spotify. Abrams has cultivated a unique sound that is more moody than traditional pop music. Abrams will be opening for Swift in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Kansas, Colorado, Washington and California, including the shows in Santa Clara.

HAIM

HAIM is an American rock band consisting of sisters Este, Danielle and Alana Haim who started out mostly playing at local venues. In February of 2012, they released their EP “Forever,” and upon positive reviews from critics, the band was subsequently signed to Polydor Records. The group released their first studio album “Days Are Gone” in 2013, which reached number one in the U.K. They then released their second studio album,“Something to Tell You,” in 2017 and its third, “Women in Music Pt. III,” in 2020. The 2020 album was nominated for two Grammys: Album of the Year and Best Rock performance. The band has previously collaborated with Taylor Swift on the song “No Body, No Crime,” a track from Swift’s album “Evermore.” For the Eras Tour, HAIM will open for Swift at her Seattle, Santa Clara and Los Angeles shows.

OWENN

Christian Owens—better known by his stage name, OWENN—previously toured with Swift as a backup dancer on her “Reputation World Tour” in 2018, and has also worked with prominent artists Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

In 2019, he starred alongside Swift in the music video for “Lover,” the title track of her seventh studio album. In 2021, Owens began making his own music and signed to Republic Records with the help and encouragement of Swift. He then released his first single, “Baby Girl,” which currently has upwards of 500 thousand streams on Spotify. He draws inspiration from artists such as David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Usher, making music that is a mix of R&B (rhythm and blues) and pop. Owens will be opening for Swift at her Chicago,Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and Los Angeles shows.

Trying to advocate for children and parents is one of Campos’s main goals. Her aim is to make sure parents are aware and comfortable with what their children are learning. Campos cites an experience of having issues with her child’s middle school curriculum. “My middle schooler two years ago was assigned a book that was critical race theory based,” she said. “It was a Marxist-based book, and I was against it. I didn’t want my child reading it.”

Although Campos has created a platform on the basis of having a choice within school curriculum, she has vigorously condemned Scholastic Books for having books containing LGBTQ+ themes and characters. In her words, Scholastic Books have become “deviant publishers.” Unlike her stances on previous issues, Campos believes that there needs to be a district-wide ban of certain books. “I don’t believe that they should be brought into the school under the guise of Scholastic Books,” she said. “There are other book companies that the school district can bring in for book fairs.”

The S/CAP was created by and is continually updated by the city’s climate council. In January of 2022, students across multiple high schools in the area created the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition [PASCC], which meets with city council members on a weekly basis to keep them updated on student opinions and perspectives.

Senior Katie Rueff is one of the founding members of PASCC. The group is currently pushing to help lower emissions within residents’ homes. “Specifically, right now, we’re working on electrification,” she said. “This is the process of turning gas powered appliances into electric appliances. The goal is to get people’s homes to have electric powered AC, heating, washers, dryers and especially stove tops.”

Rueff has always taken an interest in helping fight the climate crisis. Part of her motivation to start the student coalition to try to raise more
community involvement on a local scale.“I’ve been working within different climate change organizations for a really long time and I noticed
significant barriers to entry for people to get involved in the climate crisis,” she said. “I think everyone should get involved. In the past [on the
coalition] we have had many different people involved: people in sports, Student Executive Council, theater [and] people across different
boundaries that you wouldn’t normally think of as [having] anything to do with climate change.”

So far, the city has made progress in meeting its goal; in 2020, Palo Alto emitted an estimated 385,320 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent(MT CO2e) from the residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, waste, water and municipal sectors. In comparison to the 1990 base year of 780,119 MT CO2e, this is a 50.6% decrease in total community emissions, according to the city’s utilities website. However, the city is still falling short of being on track for the 80/30 goal.

Rueff recognizes the challenges the city faces and believes that PASCC is a bridge into generating more awareness to the issues. “I know that many of the city council members are trying their hardest to get updates passed,” she said.“They’re just working on a limited budget, limited
resource allocation and also the fact that they need to be re-elected. The main issue I would say is the lack of community engagement within
these goals.”

To combat the challenge of awareness, Rueff created something separate from the city’s goals:The Cloud Project, an organization founded by
students centered around educating Palo Alto kids on current climate issues. Rueff believes that by educating a younger audience on these issues, the next generation will be better equipped to handle what’s to come in the future. “I came to believe that ignorance breeds fear,” she said.“By educating people, especially from a younger age, before they can fall into a trap of fear, [it] will help them be better and learn to take action in a reasonable manner against climate change.”

For Rueff, the most important part of working on these projects is trying to get more public support involved with the crisis. “I found that,
no matter where you come from, and what your interests are, there’s a place for you in the fight
against climate change,” she said. “There’s so many ways to weave it into whatever job you want to pursue in the future.”

Senior Anna Stine-Unchino is another member of The Cloud Project and PASCC, who focuses specifically on marketing and creating workshops. Stine-Unchino believes the goal is for kids to learn and also engage with the material being taught to them. “A lot of climate education is about how we’re harming the world, and how we’re doing so many horrible things to it,” she said. “But I think another way you could think about it is how you can inspire others to see that there is a possible way to make change, and that helps get people interested.”
Stine-Unchino would still encourage kids to have their own interests and passions—whether that be related to climate policy or be entirely
separate. “I want kids to be interested in their own passions, like soccer, tennis, painting or drawing,” she said. “But [I also want them to] be
aware [of] how our hobbies and passions relate to climate change.”

Stine-Uchino hopes that in terms of the greater community, everyone will try to fight the climate crisis in whatever way they are capable.“In terms of climate policy, we tend to think about it in a very global sense that we are exposed to the
fact that weather is going to change,” she said. “I think trying to get a localized understanding of what’s happening in your city and in your own town, can actually contribute a lot more than most people think.”

Navarro remembers a stand-out moment from her time teaching American Studies. “We got to take students on field trips to Angel Island and to see the murals in the mission district of San Francisco,’’she said. “For the final project, we had students pick a character either from history or from one of the novels and talk about how that person or that character would handle a current topic. The students just really ran with that in such amazing ways.”

Navarro will miss the amazing students and colleagues she has worked with over the years at Gunn. “I find the teachers here are really passionate about teaching their subject and about helping young people learn,” she said. “There are so many students at Gunn who feel very passionately about something, whether that’s a political cause
they’re into, robotics or theater. Students do really get very involved with things here, which is fantastic.”

After leaving Gunn, Navarro plans to move to her ranch in Gilroy. “I’m really looking forward to spending a whole lot of time by myself,”she said. “But I know that eventually I’m really going to miss the interaction of being here.”

There have been whispers about Spangenberg’s hidden pool from even before its reconstruction. Its dark shingles and flat architecture seem perfect to obscure a private oasis for teachers and staff. Determined to find the truth and uncover the secret pool,
I set off to investigate the comings and goings of Spangenberg. Was it merely another rumor, or a more intricate truth yet to be uncovered, kept hidden for a reason?

I stayed hidden in the shadows watching the entrances. To sleuth this out, I had to remain unnoticeable, just a shadow. I circled the building over the course of several days. Every time I looked up, searching, I saw nothing but the dark roof and the glare of the sun off the building. The truth still remained just outside my grasp. Still looking up, I walked around the building one more time and caught a glimpse of a blue glinting above the dark shingles.Was it the sky? Or was it a reflection of the water moving slowly in a forbidden pool?

Every great detective knows that some things will forever remain a mystery. Perhaps you can embark on your own adventure and unveil the mystery for yourself.

Prior to my investigation, I had only heard of the “Gunn Tunnels” as a system of pipes built under Bol Park along Barron and
Matadero Creeks.

To investigate, my journey began on the path down to Barron Creek. I walked past the bridge near the donkey pasture in Bol Park and headed down into the creek under the bridge. I heard the sound of cyclists traveling above. I was determined to get past the reeds, mud and brown water to find the mysteries the tunnels were hiding. I made my way precariously over a slightly rotten log and did my best to stay out of the water. I jumped with all my strength onto the concrete opening of the tunnel and slid under the sharp metal gate. At last, I was inside. It was cold, dark and perilous. I took a deep breath and held up my phone with the flashlight. Large walls covered with graffiti rose up on either side of me. I made my way down the tunnel into the dark. There was nothing but the sound of my own uneven breath, loud in my ears. My phone flashlight was barely strong enough to light up more than a few feet of the walls around me, but I persisted. I made my way down the central tunnel; light and civilization slowly faded behind me. I knew why I had come: I was in search of the truth behind the rumors. Someone or something was said to be alive, living beneath us. I was not sure if I truly wanted to find anything at all. Was I alone in this dark tunnel? Or was there someone watching me? I didn’t dare stick around long enough to find out.

For days I’ve staked out the J Building, waiting and listening for the infamous and mysterious croaking sounds I’ve heard rumors of throughout campus. As I sat and waited, all I could hear were the sounds of students talking, teachers lecturing and people walking from class to class. I knew that uncovering this mystery would require further research.

At night in the peaceful silence, I returned to make more progress and uncover the source of the mysterious sounds. I walked quietly on a deserted campus under the cover of darkness and flickering street lights. The J Building was at last deserted, and the
ground was barren except for an abandoned can of La Croix. I heard it then: a subtle but louder croaking noise coming out of the dark. I shone my flashlight toward the culprit but I could see nothing.

On the way home, I walked back past the reservoir at the far edge of Bol Park, where the
croaking sound was almost overpowering. At home, I researched the options, familiarizing myself with the many frog species that live in the Bay Area. After I listened to multiple frog sounds, I found the culprit. The mysterious croaking sounds appear to be nothing more than the innocent greetings of the Sierran treefrog.