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“13 Reasons Why” starts progressive conversations

May 21, 2017

Written by Grace Ding “13 Reasons Why,” a Netflix original series adapted from Jay Asher’s novel, has quickly garnered attention—from adults and teens, critics and fans alike—after its release on March 31. The 13 episodes follow 13 tapes that high schooler Hannah Baker made to detail reasons why she committed suicide. Through its [...]

Knowledge is powerful: Second languages provide endless tools

May 19, 2017

Written by Yael Livneh There are many diffculties when it comes to foreign travel: currency exchange rate, new environments and even culture shock. But the most difficult barrier of all is language. Being bilingual enhances travel experiences, allowing travelers to connect and network together. Many languages stem from a common ancient language, [...]

Bilinguality enriches cultural perspectives

May 19, 2017

Written by Liza Kolbasov Throughout my whole life, I’ve found myself straddling two continents. Being bilingual, I speak Russian at home and English at school. But having these two languages to juggle comes with more than just more words—it comes with two cultures, two distinct sets of etiquette rules and two constantly changing sets of [...]

13 Reasons Why dangerously glamorizes suicide

May 19, 2017

Written by Stephanie Jackson In late March, the show “13 Reasons Why” was released on Netflix. It is about a high school girl named Hannah Baker who kills herself and the 13 reasons why she did. The producers have stated that this show is attempting to raise suicide awareness. However, the show not only fails to advocate for suicide awareness, [...]

PAUSD and Gunn take steps to narrow achievement gap

March 31, 2017

Written by Cassandra Bond and Caroline Ro In a report released in 2015 from the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee (MATD) to Palo Alto Uni ed School District (PAUSD), historically underrepresented (HUR) students were identified as needing support due to a noticeable achievement gap between them and their peers. PAUSD [...]

Climate change ignorance is irresponsible

March 31, 2017

Written Anyi Cheng and Maya Rapoport Hand-in-hand with a rapid rise in consumerism are elements that perpetuate the deterioration of the planet’s environments at a rate far faster than many voters are aware of. What follows is a dangerously ignorant and passive approach to a global issue—one that will almost certainly result in catastrophic [...]

Ethical Consumerism Does Not Fulfill it’s Promise

March 31, 2017

Written by: Akansha Gupta Ostensibly, conscious consumerism encourages people to only purchase items that are produced ethically and in a sustainable manner. Catchy phrases like “vote with your dollar” and “put your money where your heart is” are thrown around, and they make it sound like reducing child labor or ensuring the air remains [...]

Lack of self-care should be deglamorized

March 31, 2017

Written by Liza Kolbasov Most Gunn students are familiar with the statement, “I stayed up so late studying for my math test, I only slept three hours last night!” If they haven’t used it themselves, they’ve almost certainly heard it from a friend. This isn’t surprising, as glamorizing lack of self-care is now the norm at Gunn. This [...]

Tips to reduce carbon footprint

March 31, 2017

Written by Paulo Frank Eat fewer cow products: Cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest—80 percent of deforested land in Brazil is converted for raising livestock. Additionally, cows produce a large amount of methane which they release in their farts. Methane is extremely harmful as a greenhouse gas, and [...]

PRO: Does ethical consumerism fulfill its promise?

March 31, 2017

Written by Mikaela Wayne Whether it is food or any other product, consumption is generally a part of one’s everyday life. With recent political changes, many are putting more thought into this everyday act, using what they purchase as a platform for change. Mindful consumption is defined as being constantly aware that the decisions on what [...]