Elisa Moraes-Liu – The Oracle

Seasoned teachers reflect on their changes, experiences throughout time spent at gunn

Elisa Moraes Liu, News Editor — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 20:05:07 +0000

Still active, Steve Ames shows off Yoga pose

Yoga and Physical Education (P.E) teacher Steve Ames has been at Gunn since 1994. His journey, however, did notbegin with P.E.: initially, Ames was a mathteacher, teaching courses such as geometry and algebra. Ames transitioned to the P.E. department when he saw an opportunity to become the Athletic Director in 1997. “The athletic director at the time was moving on,” Ames said. “I applied for that position and the principal at the time, Chris Rich, said that if you want to take that position, you have to be a P.E. teacher. That’s when I started working on my P.E. credentials, and eventually tested in and that’s why I ended up here.”

Ames has witnessed many changes in the community. “There’s a lot more concern about student health now,” Ames said. “Students feel a lot more stress so theatmosphere feels different.”

The school has also physically changed since Ames first began teaching at Gunn. “The whole village didn’t even exist when I started,” Ames said. “We only had one gym.” Ames also noted the expansion of other athletic facilities, includingthe pool, tennis courts and baseball fields.

Ames enjoys forming relationships with students. “I like it when they get something they haven’t learned before,” Ames said. “It’s a lot of fun when kids write a thank you note because I didn’t know the impact I’d had. That’s why I like to teach ultimate frisbee because most kids haven’t played frisbee and they become awesome usually by the end of the unit.”

For new teachers, Ames recommends taking it slow. “The best thing is to learn your students and learn thepeople around you,” he said. “A lot of times in the firstyear, you feel like you’re trying to do so much [and] you feel like you have to grade everything, but you don’t. Often, you’re so worried about the curriculum, you don’t worry about the students and the biggest thing is connecting with your students, connecting with the ad- ministration and connecting with your teaching style, because that’s going to be the support that you’re going to need.”

Winter sports look to finish season strong: Boy’s Basketball

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 20:01:21 +0000

The Gunn boys basketball team has had a season of triumphs and defeats, but they hope to finish the campaign strong. Junior Connor Missett viewed the first games as a highlight.“The opening of our league play was pretty good,” he said. “We won two games to start off the season and we were looking pretty strong. We tried to ride that momentum really from that point on.”

Missett notes that the following games could have been better. “We’ve lost a lot of close games that we could have picked up,” Missett said. “I really think that if we could go back and change one or two things in those games we could have won them pretty easily.”

Undiscouraged, however, the team has been working to improve their skills. Missett’s goal for the season is to qualify for Central Coast Section (CSS), beat Palo Alto High School and have a good league run. “We’re put- ting a lot of work in the gym,” he said. “A lot of extra hours in the mornings, after practices just to make sure that individually, we’re playing at the best of our ability. We’re playing at the best of our ability and controlling all of those things that are hard to control during the games.”

Junior Gavin Kitch stares down his defender and locks up.

Junior Gavin Kitch also remains optimistic for the rest of the season. “We beat out Lynbrook in a close match at their gym,” he said. “We’re looking to ride the momentum in our last three games to get at a CCS Bid”

Math lane bridge program presents benefits for students of all skill levels

Elisa Moraes Liu, News Editor — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 20:16:45 +0000

Starting in freshman year, students are given a certain math-course pathway to follow for the rest of their high school careers. This pathway, however, mightnot be the right fit for every student. Different factorsmight contribute to a student’s desire for a challenge or further exploration of a subject. Skipping math lanes allows students to academically challenge themselves by learning at a pace that suits them while giving them academic freedom to explore their passions.

I began high school in Algebra 1. Since I had spent middle school in Brazil, I was placed into the lower math lane upon my arrival. The summer after freshman year, I took the Geometry Advanced summerbridge at Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)summer school, which allowed me to move into Algebra 2/Trigonometry Advanced during my sophomore year. I decided to take this course in order to challenge myself and end up with calculus during my senior year. Several other students in this class had decided to take the class for similar reasons. We hoped to challenge ourselves to a faster-paced math course than the one we had experienced in the previous years.

At the high school level, students are offered a variety of pathways to advance their math standing. Oneway is to skip Algebra 2/Trigonometry since the knowledge of the subject can be reinforced in future courses, such as calculus. Students are not able to skip geometry since it is a graduation requirement. Another way in which students can skip courses is through a summer bridge program through PAUSD, which is what I completed. Students can also simultaneously enroll in Intro to Calculus and Analysis and AP Calculus during their senior year. While there are a variety of options, only a handful of students chose to skip each year.

The variety of pathways allows students to make the most of their education and figure out what works for them. Since math lanes are created early on during middle school, many students have not figured out if they are passionate about the subject yet. If they decide they are interested in math, and had chosen a lower lane during seventh grade, they should be given the opportunity to advance.

Reducing the opportunity to skip math courses prevents students from pursuing what they are passionate about. If a student wants to study math in college, complete calculus, or complete a math elective such as AP Statistics earlier in their high school career, advanced math lanes allow them to do so.

High school serves to help prepare students for college. It is important that students have academicfreedom and flexibility to pursue what they are passionate about. Students who wish to advance their math skills should be able to do so. Schools should not be the ones dictating what is too much pressure for a student, and students should be given independence and trust to balance their own course load.

Teachers reminisce over collegiate sports history: Mark Weisman

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 20:13:13 +0000

History teacher and former football coach Mark Weisman found his love for football
early on during his life. Weisman played tackle football throughout high school and college and has filled a variety of roles throughout his athletic career “In high school I played multiple positions,” he said. “When I got to the University of California, Los Angeles, I walked on as a linebacker, and then from there, I learned how to snap a ball and became a special teams player.”

Weisman reflects positively on his experience. “It was beneficial in more ways than one,” he said. “Besides athletic benefits of [playing a sport] at that level, you also you also have the academic support. So like at UCLA, you have access to things like athletic tutors and stuff like that. Or it can help you through the process of the academics at the institution, which can be fairly useful.”

His favorite part, however, was the experience of being with his teammates. “One of the aspects of sports is being able to interact with others right on your side,” Weisman said. “The best part of UCLA was being with my teammates, whether it workouts, in class or on the playing field.” Through football, Weisman was also able to meet his wife. “My wife was a student trainer at UCLA,” he said. “So that’s how we met.”

Weisman was able to give back to football after graduation by coaching. “I coached for 19 years,” said Weisman. “I coached for seven years at my old high school in Long Beach and then I came up here in 2006.” Weisman no longer coaches high school sports in order to help with his kids’ teams. “My schedule is basically revolving around their schedule,” he said. “ I have a six-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old. So usually most days are from practice to practice or game to practice. I coach my oldest son in baseball and flag football, coach my daughter in softball and I coach my youngest son in baseball.”

Coaching has been a rewarding experience for Weisman. His favorite part is watching his athletes constantly improve. “Kids getting bigger, faster, stronger and doing well on the field and off the field,” Weisman said. “I had a former football player fly over the Bay Area, he’s in the Navy now as a pilot, you know, to fly see these positive contributors in society is probably the best thing about it.”

Titan Tales: Students share their life stories, experiences, Robin Lee

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:10:38 +0000

Sports play a central role in the lives of many students. Spending several hours a week practicing these activities can create lasting friendships and memories with other team members. Senior Robin Lee first joined the badminton team as a freshman and now plays on the varsity team. “My brother introduced me to badminton,” he said. “I started straight into tryouts. It was a rough week.”

Lee believes badminton helped him grow and challenge himself. “To me, it’s not just a sport,” he said. “It’s more of a part of me. I’m a different person because of it.”

One practice Lee will never forget was a summer training that pushed him to the limit and opened his eyes to the value of teamwork. “One day, it was really hard,” he said. “They made us do three push-ups after a lot of repetitive exercises, and I couldn’t do three push-ups so we had to run a mile. This was a group of people, so they all hated me for it.” Practices like these, while rough, are what make badminton such a valuable and memorable part of Lee’s life.

Badminton has taught Lee important lessons in perseverance. Through hard work, he has been able to improve his skills. “My freshman year I was weak,” he said. “I was kind of bad. Over time, little by little, as I learned more and more, I got stronger and more fit. If you believe in what you can do, then you can do it.” Through his hard work, Lee was able to become team captain in his sophomore year and an integral part of the team junior year, but is no longer a captain since last year the badminton team abolished the position.

Teammates are one of the most valuable aspects of sports, and Lee believes that friendships from badminton will stick with him for the rest of his life. “Your friends can really motivate you to do stuff,” he said. “That’s one of my biggest inspirations for continuing.”

Our extracurriculars help us shape our identities, and Lee views badminton as having transformed him, both physically and spiritually. “I used to be weak and a chub-chub when I was a freshman,” he said. “Over time, I gained confidence and became a leader.” Without badminton, he does not believe he would be who he is today. “I learned many life skills such as sympathy, humility and having grit,” he said.

Tips, Tricks to fake sports expertise

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:08:02 +0000

As a former The Oracle Sports Editor, one may expect that I am knowledgeable about athletics. The truth is, however, I’m still not sure what sport is being played in the World Series or what month March Madness starts in.

Last year, after seeing the disappointment in former Sports Editor Eric Epstein’s face when I asked for the third time, “What is the Super Bowl?” I realized that inorder to fit in, I must embrace the culture of “sports-loving.”

The best trick technique to use when pretending to like sports is simply nodding along and smiling. If you’re not an actual sports fan, you probably have no idea what your teacher is saying when they lead the class discussion in the direction of how “Kwame Brown was the worst draft pick.” The best strategy in these situations is to laugh along with the rest of the class, pretending you understand what’s going on. If you simply go along with the crowd, no one will stop and question if you even know what sport is played in the “National Basketball Association.”

Another thing to remember when pretending to like sports is to be casual about it. If you don’t actually know anything about baseball, you should not show up to school wearing San Francisco Giants merchandise. This is a novice mistake. While to an outside observer it may look like you are an avid baseball fan, the risks are far too great. If you are wearing sports merchandise, there is a high probability that somebody will ask you what you thought of the “game last night.” In this situation, it is likely you will be exposed as a fraud. If you want to pretend you like baseball, the best strategy is quickly googling “World Series” and skimming the headlines to give yourself fast conversation starters.

Sports culture dominates conversations and Snapchat stories, and it can be difficult to embrace if you are not an avid sports fan. While pretending to like sports is easy on a small scale, it is important to not get too wrapped up in it. You risk endingup watching a three-hour baseball game without knowing what’s going on when youcould be at home catching up on “Cake Boss.” The majority of people won’t actually care if you do not know anything about the World Series or the Tour-de-France.Oftentimes the best strategy is simply saying, “I do not follow sports.”

Santa Clara County takes next steps with teacher housing project

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 18:58:51 +0000

The proposed Santa Clara County teacher housing project was given a funding boost after a $25 million donation from Facebook on Oct. 17. The project was proposed in Jan. 2018 by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Joe Simitian and aims to provide workforce housing for teachers in the five North County school districts, including Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). The development will be conducted by the non-profit Mercy Housing and Management group.

The planned site for construction is 231 Grant Ave, Palo Alto, Calif., an acre and a half of county-owned property. “The county is going to put the property into the deal and retain ownership,” Simitian said.
“We don’t have the land costs that would typically make a project like this much more expensive.” The current plan estimates 60 to 120 units of housing through this project. “We have refined the planning for the project and it looks more and more like somewhere in the vicinity of 90,” Simitian said. “I am hoping the school districts will weigh in on which employees they would like to see helped by the project.”

The Facebook grant provides a beneficial boost that allows the project to move forward. “It’s a big, big help,” Simitian said. “It’s a $25 million grant and I should underscore that it’s a grant. It’s a gift, not a loan and what that means is that we have an anchor funder, or somebody that really helps ensure that we can move forward with the projects.”

According to Palo Alto Vice Mayor Andrew Fine, the project requires collaboration from a variety of entities. “This is a multi-jurisdiction project,” Fine said. “The county has the land, the city has the zoning and building approvals and the school districts are involved in terms of providing some funding for it. So that’s somewhat more complicated than a normal project.” In June 2018, the Palo Alto City Council set aside $3 million for the project.

Fine, who has a master’s degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania, points out that affordable housing is a widespread issue. “I’m totally supportive of almost any housing project but it’s worth noting that the housing crisis is really affecting everyone in the Bay Area,” Fine said. “We are never going to be able to subsidize our way out of the problem. We simply just have to build more housing. While it’s great to build housing for teachers, I really wish we lived in a community where there was enough housing for people and we didn’t have to go picking and choosing winners and losers.”

The project has a variety of goals. By reducing commute times, Simitian hopes this project will allow teachers to dedicate more time to their craft. “We will also be in a position where local school teachers can spend the time that would otherwise be on the road on campus with students playing an even more integral role in working with their students and helping with extracurriculars,” he said. “That’s so tough now for people who are driving long distances from other parts of the Bay Area and beyond.”

The project also plans to improve teacher retention and recruitment in local school districts.“A project like this can help attract and retain top quality staff,” Simitian said. “It’s so expensive now to live in our area that a lot of folks who would like to teach in our area just can’t make it work because of the high cost of housing. If we can help local school districts provide this additional benefit, we can help make sure that our local school districts continue to retain top talent.”

English teacher Marjorie Paronable agrees with this sentiment. “How will Palo Alto get more teachers if they don’t give options to younger teachers on where they can live?” she said. “Newer teachers are constantly being pushed out of the community. I think that [housing] is a great way for the district to think about the future because in the future, I don’t think a lot of new teachers are going to come over here and stay in Palo Alto if they cannot live in the area.”

Paronable is one of the many teachers who have been affected by the steep prices of Palo Alto housing. “I live in San Jose and I’ve been thinking of moving here for the longest time, but I haven’t gotten any opportunities,” she said. “I can’t by myself sustain that and try to live here as a teacher.” While happy with her current housing situation in San Jose, Paronable believes closer housing would allow her to play a more active role in the school and community. “I would be more willing to do more things if I lived close by because I constantly know it will take me an hour to get home,” she said.

English teacher Tarn Wilson expresses excitement regarding the project. “More and more teachers are moving farther and farther away,”Wilson said. “It’s much harder to understand the community.”

Wilson has faced trouble with houing in the past. “I have been teaching at Gunn for a long time,” she said.“When I started teaching here I lived in Mountain View. It was a 10 to 15 minute drive so it was really easy for me to go to evening events, stay after school to tutor, do clubs [and] all that kind of stuff.” As Wilson’s rent continued to rise, she began having to move farther from Gunn. “I went to Sunnyvale and that was okay. Then my rent went up [by] $500 a month, so than I had to move to San Jose. We were able to buy a place, I was really happy about that.”

The long commute from San Jose has made it hard for Wilson to stay after school.“The longer I stay after school, the worse the traffic gets,” she said. “I teach after schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can’t leave at five because it’s really bad traffic, so I just stay until seven on those days. A lot of times when there are evening events that I used to come toI do not come just because it’s hard navigating traffic and the distance.”

While the Facebook grant gives the project a solid funding base, there are still many steps left to go. “What we need to do now is design the project, cost it out and then get a mortgage for the remaining project costs,” Simitian said.“There’s still a lot of work to do but we are very well positioned now.”

Palo Alto Educators Association President Teri Baldwin believes that more needs to be done to address the problem of affordable housing.“Educator housing is a starting point to help some teachers stay in the Palo Alto area and remain at PAUSD,” Baldwin wrote in an email to The Oracle. “Other remedies are needed, such as middle-income rental rates and home buying assistance programs. This problem is not just affecting teachers; it affects our classified staff and many other middle-income professionals.”

Which tech company produces the better smartphone? Android

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 19:00:01 +0000

While everyone has been posting about the new features of the iPhone 11, the Samsung S10e has possessed these elements for months. The new iPhone promoted aspects such as a wide-angle camera and night mode, which have been signature to Samsung phones for a while, and Apple has only now begun adopting them.

Androids have a wider variety of features than iPhones. With Android, you can customize your phone’s theme and the icons for apps.For example, to celebrate the upcoming Halloween season, you can download
a theme that transforms your app icons into pumpkin shapes. This theme can also change the text color to orange, allowing you to get in the Halloween mood every time you look down at your phone. iPhones have the default iOS icons and a setup that is not alterable.

Android phones are also much more adaptable in terms of ports and cables. The USB-C cable can be used to charge an Android in addition to a laptop and many other devices that use the universal port, so an extra cable is not necessary. Apple cords can only be used with Apple products, making them a much less convenient option. Additionally, the Android has a headphone jack, so it’s viable to switch between different earbuds and headphones at your will, while Apple has gotten rid of this universal port.

Furthermore, a Samsung phone is much more durable than an iPhone. There have been many reported cases where slippery iPhones have been dropped and shattered, to the point where the phone can no longer be used. There is a reason why Apple Care exists, after all.

Finally, Samsung Pay is accepted universally on credit card machines, while a special software is required for Apple Pay. Samsung Pay works with all card machines, regardless of whether they accept Apple Pay or not. It is the most universally accepted mobile payment system.

While Android users are often subject to unfair harassment on Twitter, Android phones have superior software and features. Instead of spending your life savings on that new iPhone 11, buy yourself a durable, practical and versatile Samsung S10e.

Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime? Three of the biggest streaming services compete for viewership: Prime Video

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 18:23:11 +0000

By now, we all know that Amazon has essentially taken over the world. Many rely on shipments of practically everything from this multi-billion dollar company. However, when we think of Amazon, we often neglect to pay attention to their Prime Video service; it provides an easy-to-use,affordable streaming service with agreat variety of content.

Conveniently, Prime Video is located on the Amazon website, which makes it is easy to shift between shopping and streaming. You can add items to your cart while catching up on your favorite shows.

Prime Video also has a greatvariety of shows, offering a wider selection than Netflix or Hulu. WithPrime Video, you may also buy orrent additional films at your leisure.While this might seem like a turnoff to many, it gives you access to exclusive shows. With Netflix, youcan only watch shows they already provide. With Prime Video, however, you can get that new episode of “The Bachelor” as soon as it releases to keep up with English teacher Mark Hernandez’s references.

On Prime Video, you can also adjust your subscription. While Netflixonly has basic plan options, Prime Video allows you to add live television and a variety of channels like HBO to your subscription.

Unlike other services, Prime does not put as much emphasis on its own original productions. While some may see this as a sign that PrimeVideo isn’t creative, it really meansthat Amazon is too busy running theworld’s biggest online market andhas no need to create another Noah Centineo movie. On Prime Video, you can log on and watch “Suits” without being bombarded with sug- gestions to watch “Stranger Things.”

So, if you are tired of seeing yet another season of “13 Reasons Why” or “Riverdale,” it’s time you end your Netflix subscription and jointhe world of Amazon—the superior service.

“New Clothes”Facebook group requires policy reform

Elisa Moraes-Liu, News Editor — Fri, 17 May 2019 17:47:54 +0000

The New Clothes Facebook group is a forum where Gunn stu- dents are able to conveniently buy and sell used clothes. However, there are cons to the large cloth- ing platform.

Many sellers have a “no-try- on” policy, and buyers are often unaware of the quality and size of their purchase until the transaction is complete. This can result in issues such as transactions made without knowledge of stains or defects on the pieces of clothing.

Another issue that is prevalent for sellers is lack of commitment from buyers. People often say they want to purchase an item in the spur of the moment, but don’t follow up. This makes the sellers assume they have a committed buyer, only to have them change their mind at the last minute. This not only creates inconveniences for sellers, but also prevents com- mitted buyers from getting the clothes they want.

Lack of effective communication between sellers and buyers also causes inconveniences at both ends. It can be hard to find a convenient time to meet with each other to allow for the exchange to go smoothly, or some buyers and sellers may not show up at the time or place originally agreed on.

In order to fix the prevalent issues on New Clothes, both buyers and sellers must maintain close communication and transparency during the sale process. To satisfy sellers, buyers should maintain a commitment to purchasing a product once they have expressed interest in it. To play their part, sellers should give buyers the opportunity to try on clothes so that they can inform themselves of any issues the clothes might have, such as stains or rips. Additionally, prices should also remain fair regardless of a buyer’s relation with sellers.

New Clothes presents a platform for the convenient sale and purchase of cute, trendy outfits and other miscellaneous items. However, it is important to maintain a fair environment to reduce the problems buyers often face. Buyers must also be respectful in their commitment to buying from a seller. If you are interested in an item, you should make sure you are committed to buying it before reaching out to the seller, because last-minute changes of mind create inconveniences. Before selling on New Clothes, it is also important to make sure the items are in the condition advertised on the group.

If people follow moral and ethical codes while selling items, it will allow the New Clothes environment to continue to thrive and be a reliable clothing purchase platform for students.