What is the impact of screen time on children’s social-emotional abilities? How have regulatory changes in the food industry affected small businesses? Are Bay Area teachers receiving enough mental-health support? These are just a few of the questions that arise in Advanced Authentic Research, a yearlong...
Bryan Xiao, Lifestyle Editor, Assistant Business Manager
• September 23, 2023
On Aug. 7, PAUSD implemented a new mental health program for staff, allowing them to schedule counseling appointments with new Staff Mental Health Specialist Lisa Romero to discuss work-related or personal matters. This addition comes on the heels of a continued focus on mental health through the district’s...
Senior Arezoo Ghasemzadeh wakes up at 6 a.m. two school days a week to attend her 6:30 a.m. weightlifting class—just one of her outlets in dealing with stress. “The pressure of earning good grades, getting into a good college and meeting my parents’ expectations contributes to my stress,” she...
During PRIME on Sept. 28, the Student Executive Council (SEC) hosted a panel discussion in the library on Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) mental health. Featuring speakers like Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Mental Health and Wellness Supervisor Genavae Dixon, Gunn Mental Health...
As the youngest sibling of four Gunn graduates, sophomore Robin Jacobsen’s high school experience has been shaped by her predecessors. Robin Jacobsen’s eldest sister, Nicole Jacobsen, graduated from Gunn in 2013, and Robin Jacobsen is currently in the middle of her sophomore year, marking a 13-year...
The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) is proposing new plans to further address mental wellness on campus post-pandemic. As students regain familiarity with being fully on-campus, the district’s wellness staff is working on strengthening its services to best serve students.
In the most...
Sophomore Amrit Joshi is a dedicated baseball player, advocate for racial justice and caring friend. He has also fought a tumultuous battle with mental health since seventh grade, when he was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.
“There were times when everything became very stressful, and [it]...
Jessica Zang, Features Editor and Assistant Business Manager
• December 10, 2021
When junior Heidi Purnama began high school, she acted outgoing, silly and kind. In reality, however, she was struggling with depressive thoughts. “I projected a completely different person than who I felt like internally,” she said. “People didn’t know what I was going through, and I didn’t...
“I spend my free time [playing] with my cats and chickens, FaceTiming my friends and dreaming of when I will finally meet Dolly Parton,” Kai Shappley, a transgender 10-year-old, said in her testimony before the Texas Senate Committee of State Affairs. “I do not like spending my free time asking...
Mia Knezevic, Forum Editor, Photo Editor and Oracle-SEC Liaison
• May 25, 2021
In a physical classroom, senior Anika Lakhani is always engaged. Yet on Zoom meetings, she struggles to find the same connections. “I think the biggest thing that students are missing is meaningful collaboration,” she said. “Some of the best moments and the richest learning at school happens...
TikTok has taken over the world. The app has become so ubiquitous among younger generations that the platform, which consists of five to 60 second videos of everything from comedy sketches to dance routines, rarely bears explanation. With over 2 billion downloads and 800 million active users, the...
“You guys!”
Almost everyone—male-identifying or not—has been called “a guy” at least once in their life, whether it’s through the welcoming words of a teacher, an enthusiastic text or an obnoxious shout across the hall. To most, this word is just that: a common greeting.
It’s become...
