The Oracle: What was the origin of the Gunn Food Drive since there wasn’t one last year?

Christina Norberg: There is always a food drive on campus related to Second Harvest in conjunction with the Harvest Feast… Because that is run by SEC, any food that is donated goes to Second Harvest directly. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a Gunn-specific — meaning to get (food) to Gunn families — food drive before. I, personally, (think) about parents who can’t feed their young children because they’re not receiving the benefits that they normally rely on — which are also  insufficient in the first place. It’s something deeply unsettling to me (as a parent myself).

TO: Can you explain the motivation behind having a SNAP-centered food drive?

CN: SNAP benefits weren’t initially paid to families in November. They continued to be so up in the air and going back and forth. Something that I think we’ve seen, and I think  going forward, is that we don’t really know what’s going to happen. Clearly not just in our community because we as a  community are very affluent. But across the country, there are many people that are experiencing food scarcity, and it’s something that — back to (me) having a 10-month old at home and imagining not being able to feed him — is gonna make me start crying. That was the motivation behind making (the food drive) happen.

TO: How have SNAP benefit-related cuts affected Gunn students?

CN: It’s one aspect of growing up. Potentially being in an environment where you don’t have access to resources that are just basic human rights — a safe place to lie down your head at night, food that you can eat and nourish your body, the essentials that we all need just to be able to survive. That’s my own personal opinion, and for students who are experiencing that, I know often parents will go hungry for days so that their kids can eat. They will try to shield their children from that fact, because the kids are the priority. In some cases, that’s not even an option because there’s no food to give.

The Oracle: What do you think of the recent victory for Yes on Proposition 50?

Max Zipperstein: Before Proposition 50, the state of California and their electorate voted to have an independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Voters favored this in 2008 on the Voters First Act. Although California is largely a blue state, the independent commission allows its electorate to have faith that congressional lines are being drawn in a non-partisan way. California voters overwhelmingly decided to bypass the Independent Commission, at least temporarily. Republicans are currently contesting the constitutionality of Proposition 50 in the courts.

TO: CA-District 16 stays the same under Proposition 50. How is Gunn affected?

MZ: In our democratic-republic, Palo Altans seem to be pretty politically engaged from my observation. Whether or not CA-16 is directly impacted, people will always have an emotional reaction to what is going on in other parts of the country. Eligible voters need to decide for themselves what is best for them and their families. For this reason, it’s important for all voters to educate themselves and pay attention to what is going on in the country, so that they can make informed decisions when they head to the ballot boxes. So, yes, from an emotional standpoint, CA-16 and Gunn families are impacted.

TO: How has the increase in political polarization affected our state and nation?

MZ: I think there is a lot of anxiety and fear around the political state of our country right now, felt on both sides of the political aisle. There has always been division in politics, but it’s pretty extreme right now. Part of this is due to the rhetoric we see in our elected officials when they give public speeches or when they address the media. It has led to families breaking  up, abandoned friendships, and in some cases, political violence. If we want to change the political landscape, we have to be willing to have difficult conversations with people who hold political beliefs different to our own.