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State to phase out ultraprocessed food from schools

On June 3, the California State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 1264, mandating the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to define and gradually eliminate “particularly harmful ultra-processed foods” from public school meals within the next ten years. With co-authors from both the Democratic and Republican parties and strong bipartisan support, this measure is among the few California bills this year to achieve such cross-party collaboration, according to CalMatters.

AB 1264 had unanimous approval by the Senate Education Committee and is currently under review in the Appropriations Committee. The bill is part of a resurgence of national health awareness, particularly for children. This idea also aligns with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January executive order directing the state to limit harm from UPFs.

UPFs qualified as “particularly harmful” will be identified based on scientific evidence linking them to long-term adverse health effects or addiction potential. The NOVA system is a classification system which categorizes food into four groups on a scale of “unprocessed” to “ultra-processed.”

According to the Global Food Research Program, UPFs are a food class composed of substances not found in home kitchens, and whose formulaic structures have been heavily modified to be convenient, cheap and flavourful. As well as lacking fiber, important nutrients and protein, these products typically contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar and salt. They also include artificial colors, flavours, emulsifiers and additives in order to enhance their taste and longevity.

Food safety—p.2

Santa Clara County gears up for FIFA World Cup 2026 kickoff, prepares youth watch parties and clinics

Sylvie Nguyen Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in over 30 years, the United States will host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, naming Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara among the selected 16 venues. The Bay Area Host Committee launched the one-year countdown on June 11 at the city’s Youth Soccer Park with a plaque dedication, a commemoration ceremony and a youth soccer clinic, according to a committee press release.

According to Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who spoke at the event, a lineup of soccer players — from the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams and the San Jose Earthquakes — was featured to inspire the next generation of players.

“It’s all about the youth and empowering them to let them know that these are people whom they can look up to, be their mentors and talk to one-on-one through opportunities that we need to give them,” she said.

Stanford Stadium was the Bay Area’s first FIFA World Cup site in 1994. With Levi’s Stadium now set to become the second, Gillmor anticipates an arrangement that has teams training in Palo Alto and competing in Santa Clara, but the plans are up in the air.

With this year’s tournament marking the first 48team World Cup, the Santa Clara City Council approved a financial assignment agreement on Feb. 12, in which the BAHC will cover funds for public safety preplanning, event

security, training and equipment to ensure “a seamless and financially responsible event,” according to a committee press release. With the sheer scale of this sporting event, Gillmor emphasizes that it will require coordination across the region.

“We have to rely on all of our sister agencies in the county and even as far as San Francisco to help us police and make sure that everybody who comes to Santa Clara is safe,” she said.

the largest ethnic group, Asian residents.

Santa Clara plans to look for cultural programming tied to the countries whose teams will play at Levi’s Stadium once FIFA announces group stage teams expected on Dec. 5. For Palo Alto American Youth Soccer Organization Regional Commissioner Peter Chen, these kinds of approaches reflect the city’s diversity.

“It’s very meaningful for us to actually be a host because we are such a diverse community, and soccer itself has been a very diverse sport, so we can bring opportunities for children...and the international youth fans to see players from all around the world who they relate to,” he said.

It’s all about the youth and empowering them to let them know that these are people whom they can look up to, be their mentors and talk to oneon-one through opportunities that we need to give them.

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor “

Inclusivity has been central to the city’s communitydriven event planning. Namely, officials hosted a session in July to hear pitches for ideas and partnerships leading up to the World Cup. According to Gillmor, community members suggested mural installations, night markets, music festivals and Lunar New Year festivities to engage the city’s largest age group, the millennial generation, and

Senior Oiva Suviala explains that developments have already come into place as the Bay Area prepares for the tournament. He references San Francisco’s Major League Soccer NEXT Pro team set to launch in 2026 or 2027 and planned upgrades for Kezar Stadium — which, according to a city press release, were secured by a $10 million investment, the largest to the facility in over a generation.

“I think they are trying to capitalize on the momentum of the World Cup here in the U.S. and try to drive that further, especially here in the Bay Area,” he wrote in a text.

For the avid soccer player, this year will bring soccer’s local culture and accessibility to new heights.

“I hope that (Santa Clara) partners with local clubs because that’ll help a lot of kids who might not normally get a chance to feel a part of a growing sport community,” Suviala said.

First Day of School Issue

THEO RACLE State Assembly Bill 1264 establishes additional nutritional guidelines school districts must follow

780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306

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www.gunnoracle.com

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Sylvie Nguyen

Ma naging Editors

Yu-Ming Liu

Ya-An Xue

News

Vin Bhat

Sarah Grupenhoff

Vanisha Vig

Forum

Kaylee Cheng

Claire Jittipun

Melody Song

Features

Gwen Domine

Lena Duggan

Eanam Maor

In-Depth

Roy Lao

Melody Na

Sports

Yael Gottesman

Olivia Lee

Lifestyle

Anne Dong

Ezra Rosenberg

Vaani Saxena

Social Media

Vaani Saxena

Photo Editor

Mars Ezakadan

Graphics Editor

Azuki Radhakrishnan

Staff

Business/Circulation

Eanam Maor

Graphics

Artists

Vin Bhat

Hannah Jung

Sophie Kou

Michael Lu

Photographers

Vin Bhat

Evelyn Chow

Victor Peng

Chloe Wu

Albert Zhang

Reporters

Annabel Brown

Mayher Dulani

Athena Gao

Yuji Song

Adviser

Kristy Blackburn

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Food safety—p.1

While these foods — such as mayonnaise, packaged snacks and processed meats — may be heavily anticipated items in a cafeteria, a 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health found excessive UPF intake linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, adolescent asthma and depression. The study also determined that UPF consumption constituted 80% of the total caloric intake in the U.S. and Canada, with the most consumed items being confectionery and sugarsweetened beverages.

The bill is not without its opponents.

On June 10, a coalition of 22 economic, agricultural and civil justice groups — including the California League of Producers and the California Farm Bureau — submitted a letter to the Senate Education Committee opposing AB 1264 unless it is amended. In the letter, the coalition argues that the bill’s “unscientific and arbitrary categorization and stigmatization” of UPFs is overly broad, an oversight which could lead to the removal of numerous safe, affordable and nutritious foods such as almond butters, citrus-based snacks and fruit blends.

Concern has arisen about the unintended economic consequences of the bill on small businesses and rural economies. Several organizations in California’s agricultural sector

could be threatened, especially those that depend on food processing and distribution contracts from schools. In a Capitol Weekly article published in June, President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Julian Canete criticized the bill for giving broad authority to the Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment.

“This responsibility should fall under the Department of Public Health’s Food and Drug Branch, not the agency best known for managing chemical warning labels like Prop 65,” he wrote.

With co-authors from both the Democratic and Republican parties and strong bipartisan support, AB 1264 is among the few California bills this year to achieve such cross-party collaboration, according to CalMatters.

In the Gunn student community, improving nutrition has been a focus. Senior Chloe MotaJudges, who co-led an Advanced Authentic Research project about nutrition costs and accessibility, noted the bill’s potential to benefit students who rely on school meals as a consistent food source.

“(AB 1264) is a really important step forward in making school meals healthier and

more focused on real, whole foods especially because cost is a huge barrier to healthy eating,” she said. “For a lot of students, I know school meals may be their only reliable sources of food, so making those meals nutritious really matters.”

However, Mota-Judges also recognizes that instead of ensuring nutritional health, some of the guidelines suggested by the bill may have a counterproductive effect on students’ relationship with food.

“While I understand the need for standards, I think that some of the calorie-focused limits like ‘not more than 400 calories per entrée’ could unintentionally encourage diet culture or disordered eating, especially since kids are really impressionable,” she said.

Bill 1264

Construction crews renovate K- and E-buildings to house classrooms shifting out of V-building

Mayher Dulani Reporter

During the summer, construction crews remodeled the E-building and expanded the K-building to accommodate classrooms relocating from the first row of the V-building portables — which will be removed in late November, according to Assistant Principal of Facilities Dr. Mycal Hixon.

The K-building underwent construction starting in January and is projected to be finished for the first day of school on Aug. 14.

The E-building started construction on June 9 and is expected to finish ahead of schedule by Thanksgiving break.

The portables served as temporary classrooms for teachers who relocated from the A- and B-building construction project during the 2022-23 school year. Now that the building renovations are completed, these teachers will move back into the E-building, which is being remodeled to accommodate their new classrooms as it had served as a temporary main office during the 2022-23 construction.

According to Senior Construction Manager Mohammed Sedqi, the move will be extremely beneficial for the staff, as moving teachers closer to the rest of campus will significantly improve the learning environment and increase their teaching efficiency.

“The portables were only a temporary solution for the classrooms,” he said. “The permanent space contains new teaching materials and a better learning environment, being more beneficial for students and teachers.”

Hixon echoed this sentiment, stating that moving teachers closer to the rest of staff on main campus will help foster interdepartmental communication.

“By moving the teachers back into the main campus, it gives them more opportunities for collaboration with their colleagues and less isolation,” he said.

The construction crew also remodeled the interior for the vacant E-building to be suitable for classrooms again by demolishing the interior walls while constructing new partition walls to provide better internal structure and to help divide the classrooms up. The crew also redid the ceiling and lights and

demolished the floors to install new rubber flooring, according to Sedqi. The remodeling work in the E-building was mainly interior, but the crew also refinished the exterior walls with a paint job.

Two social studies teachers will move into two newly created classrooms in the E-building as soon as they are finished. In the meantime, they will continue to teach in the portables. Another room in the E-building was established in addition to those two, meant for the Information Technology crew who will also relocate from the village into the E-building once finished.

The K-building has also been interiorly remodeled and restructured to create two new science classrooms with higher ceilings and lab stations to accommodate the two science teachers who were originally relocated to the village as well. During the construction process in the K-building, the crew ran into a significant amount of challenges — mainly unforeseen conditions occurred throughout the construction process in the K-building such as having to demo walls to be more suitable for the structure.

Principal Dr. Wendy Stratton expressed her excitement on the move and reuniting the social studies department.

“The idea of them having more opportunities to cultivate collegial relationships while collaborating is very exciting,” she said.

According to Sedqi, the E-building project is nearly complete with plans for final touches, including installing floor tiles, finishing all of the data lines, outlets and cables and securing a strong internet connection.

To keep students updated about these campus changes and other construction, Hixon plans to release maps and more information to help guide the community.

With the removal of the first row of portables, Sedqi explains that parking spaces are projected to be added. Still, Hixon hopes to involve students in the process and gather their input for other ways of use.

“We’re looking forward to moving our teachers back into their original spaces and what the future may entail for a space like this once it opens back up,” Hixon said. “I do think it would be a great opportunity to get feedback from students on that as well.”

Chew on this: Staffers offer advice for each class

Dear Class of 2029,

I’ll admit, walking onto the Gunn campus for the first time as a freshman last year was more than just intimidating. There were several changes that I needed to get accustomed to, such as a larger campus, increased academic stress and new classmates from different middle schools. Chances are, you’re feeling similarly – maybe you find yourself rewatching scenes from your favorite TV shows or listening to stories from older siblings, trying to picture what high school is like. But let’s be real, freshman year is not as scary as it’s made out to be. In fact, it’s that very feeling of uncertainty that guides you to build a community, find balance and fuel personal growth.

Looking back, if I had asked an upperclassman for advice, the first thing they would have mentioned is to build connections with both students and teachers. Signing up to play a sport or joining a club is a great first step. Whether it’s the Speech and Debate Club or the basketball team, being part of a group of peers who share similar interests to you helps foster a sense of belonging. At the same time, establishing healthy relationships with teachers, even as a freshman, is very important. Not only can they be a great resource for letters of recommendation but they are also a wealth of knowledge, whether it’s about school or life.

It’s also essential to find a healthy balance between three core scenes: academic, extracurricular and social. The best ways to tackle this are to stay organized, create a personal schedule and avoid overextending which can lead to burnout. Being a victim of procrastination is something a lot of people experience, so make sure to carve out time to focus on schoolwork. Committing to seven different clubs and three sports is not reasonable. Instead, find a few that you’re truly passionate about.

Lastly — and most significantly — to recognize your growth personally and as a student by making mistakes and learning from them. By the time you’re a senior, you will be amazed by how much you’ve developed from when you first set foot at Gunn. Freshman year is full of discovery, not just in the classroom, but also in discovering yourself and the world around you.

Wishing you all good luck, I’m excited to see what you’ll accomplish during your first year as a Titan.

Sincerely, Annabel Brown

Dear Class of 2027,

Maybe you’ve been dreading this. Or maybe you haven’t let the horror stories get to you yet. Whatever the case may be, welcome to your junior year!

I know what you’ve heard about junior year: the heavy academic workload, the effort to rack up your extracurriculars, exploring your interests to pinpoint your niche and find your passion — not to mention navigating friendships, family and relationships throughout the entire process.

While I think it’s important to mentally prepare yourself for a busy year, pre-emptively deciding that this will be your worst year of high school is neither productive nor will it be true. Don’t let the stress of high school take away the joy from your first year of being an upperclassmen. For many of you, this will be the year you get your driver’s license, won’t have P.E. and dive deeper on the academic subjects you are interested in — remember to take advantage of that!

One of the biggest mindset shifts that transformed my junior year was mastering the art of compartmentalization. Let’s say you’re hanging out with your friends but the entire time, you are stressed about all the homework due tomorrow: You are not getting work done and you’re not having fun. What’s the point in that? As cliche as this sounds, live in the moment and try to separate the different spheres of your life that are threatening to collide and provide unnecessary chaos. Accept the things that are out of your control, like your grade on a test after you’ve already tried your best on it, and always focus on the next step, the next class and the next day.

Dear Class of 2028,

Congratulations on surviving the challenging transitions of freshman year! Starting your second year of high school won’t be nearly as daunting an adjustment — classes will get tougher, especially now that you’re able to take AP courses, but not to the point where you’ll be juggling too many obligations at once. The beginning of 10th grade presents an opportunity to delve deeper into your extracurriculars, strengthen friendships and practice greater accountability. Sophomore year is the prime period to be more adventurous in trying new extracurricular activities, as you’re probably fairly well-adjusted to Gunn by now. If you already have a general sense of what piques your interest, use that to your advantage and keep an eye out for activities that will help you explore your passion (but don’t be afraid to try something completely different, too). At the Fall Club Fair, if you have even an inkling of interest in a club, sign up for membership and attend the next meeting. It’s undoubtedly better to try something out and drop it than to never try at all.

This year is also a time for crafting connections with your fellow peers. Strong friendships can help you get through the toughest of times, whether that means preparing for finals with a study buddy or just hanging out on the weekends as a mental health break. Due to Gunn’s particularly high-pressure academic environment, it is important to find channels to recharge from time to time. Do remember, though, that comparison is the thief of joy, so it’s better to build friendships that induce collaboration and motivation, not competitiveness. Throughout the ups and downs of the upcoming school year, a final important thing to keep in mind is that the “sophomore slump” is only as real as you make it out to be. Instead of leaning on excuses, hold yourself accountable. If, for instance, one night you procrastinate for hours and are unable to finish your work because you run out of time, recognize that mistake and try to limit distractions moving forward. However, that’s not to say you should beat yourself up every time you mess up — move on with the intention to do better next time.

The bottom line is: Always put your best effort into school, but don’t forget to take care of your mental well-being, too. Wishing you

Sincerely, Sarah Grupenhoff

Dear Class of 2026,

Wow. Senior year. Finally regaining the crowns you’ve lost as the big kids four years ago in eighth grade. You’ve made it a long way, guys: take that in.

This advice isn’t here to repeat the usual college application tips your counselors have already spouted — or remind you about condensing your life story into 650 words within the next four months. That part goes by in a blur, anyway. What really stuck with me last year was everything that came after.

To me, the majority of senior year felt like Disneyland. Not because it was the year of “discovery” or “adventure,” no. Senior year is the “Guardians of the Galaxy” ride as soon as the gates open: a mad dash to the front full of adrenaline, only to be welcomed with a really long wait.

This year, you’ll be waiting — for your college admissions results, in line at the DMV, to earn adulthood privileges and, of course, to graduate. Bottom line, there’s a lot of waiting. So, my greatest advice to you, believe it or not, is to stop.

Waiting creates this illusion that life starts after something big happens, but in truth, all that waiting just starts a never-ending loop of hypothetical suffering: What if this happens? Why didn’t I do that instead? What will become of this?

So break the loop and fill that time. Distract yourself, yes — but also live in that space, because waiting doesn’t mean you have to stand still. This is your time to build, explore, and create the experiences you always told yourself you’d do when you “had more time.” The line might be long, but what you do with it is entirely up to you.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to cultivate good relationships with peers and teachers while still being genuine in your interactions. This means participating in class discussions, updating them on your passions beyond your class subject and demonstrating clear effort in everything you do. Beyond good recommendation letters, these relationships are places where you can find support and create bonds that far outlast your time at Gunn.

You may not believe me now, and you certainly won’t believe me when you are in the middle of a stressful finals week, but time is stealthy and before you know it, the year will be over. Cherish the changes and challenges that will slap new sense into you, cherish the unexpected friendships forged through shared struggle and cherish the strength I know lives within each and every one of you.

Good luck and enjoy!

Sincerely, Kaylee Cheng

And when I say live, I don’t just mean scroll on Instagram in bed. Do something past your comfort zone. Bike to San Francisco. Call your teacher by their first name. Bake a wedding cake for absolutely no reason.

Instead of worrying about what’s ahead, do what you can control with the time you have now, and let everything else just fall into place. Here’s the thing: That wait in line, whether at Disneyland or during senior year, will fly by when you’re having fun. The magic was never in the ride. It was in the waiting — in how you waited and who you waited with.

When the ride finally begins — the award, the acceptance, the new chapter — they will seem just as magical as the time you’ve spent anticipating it. So, Class of ‘26, take care of yourselves and each other during this final stretch. Make the final intermission before adulthood truly worth it. You’ve got this, seniors.

Sincerely, Naomi Wang

Week of School Issue

Whether it’s sweet, light melodies or sour, intense chords, music from a slew of genres will draw you towards the Spangenberg Theater. This auditorium houses the orchestra, band and choir classes. Spangenberg will be under renovation first semester, but look for performances there starting second semester.

Set your sights on Gunn’s very own chocolate factory! Although our Food Services staff cannot create magical treats that whisk you up into the air or inflate you into an enormous blueberry, their magic works in other ways: cooking up high-quality food for students to enjoy. Just make sure you have your golden ticket (student ID barcode) ready to scan.

The library truly serves as a “sweet” escape from the chaos of campus. Reach into the many shelves lining the library, and you are sure to find something delectable (to read). Come to the Testing Resource Center to make up missed exams or use the Academic Center to study.

First Week of School Issue

Summer splashes: Students, staff travel to the Freshman Bryan Wang: SWIMMING Training IN CHINA

For many athletes, climbing five flights of stairs when the elevator is out of service isn’t a major challenge. However, for freshman Bryan Wang — with legs sore after an intense strength-training practice — the climb proved to be unexpectedly difficult. For three weeks and four days, Wang trained intensively under the guidance of professional swimmers in China after He began his summer training regimen with the 2016 national Chinese swimming champion in Beijing, then traveled to Shanghai to receive coaching by a former member of the Shanghai swim team. There, his coaches helped improve his technique through critique and repetitive

“(My training in) Shanghai was really similar to Beijing,” he said. “I didn’t really do anything other than just (swim laps with a focus on) my technique. I would swim a lap, (they’d say), ‘Fix this, this and this,’ and then I would swim 10 more of the same thing. If I didn’t fix it, they would make me swim 20 more.”

Before his trip, Wang had been practicing at Palo Alto’s Alto Swim Club for over two years. Despite his background in competitive swimming, he struggled to keep up with the other

“Usually, (in America), I’m not too far ahead, but I’m definitely

not below average,” he said. “I’m faster than most of my friends (in America), (but then) I go (to China) and I’m getting beaten by eightyear-olds. It’s a very humbling experience.”

However, he was impressed by the amount of dedication the Chinese swimmers had to their sport at such a young age.

“They’re very competitive,” he said. “If you say that (you’re a competitive swimmer) in China at my age, (you) would be going abroad to compete in big championships, (but) I’m over here and can’t get in the pool because it’s too cold.”

The last stint of Wang’s training was a week of strength training in Hangzhou, where his practices consisted of both swimming and exercising in the weight room.

“(My coach in Hangzhou) made me do strength training for two hours until I couldn’t walk upstairs or downstairs,” he said. “It was all really well-structured, because he also trains with Olympic teams.”

Although Wang had an overall positive experience swimming in China, he wishes that he began with a better attitude to take full advantage of the training he underwent.

“I definitely (shouldn’t have gone) in with very low expectations for myself, because with the low expectations came my mindset (of), ‘Oh, it’s okay (if I don’t do well), since I’m so bad compared to these guys,’” he said. “So I just didn’t try as hard. It took me a week and a half to actually put in my 100%. At first, I was just coasting and going along with (the training), so I completely wasted the patronage of the first coach. Go in with (higher) expectations of yourself, (but) of

SOPHOMORE ELLEN KIM: River tubing Along Deschutes River

While most students spent their summer on land, sophomore Ellen Kim enjoyed her time by the water, river tubing in Oregon’s Deschutes River.

Originally, Kim tried the water sport because it was the most popular tourist attraction in Bend, Oregon, the town she stayed in.

“It’s really popular there (because) the Deschutes River is literally inside the town, so basically anyone who goes for vacation or visits there goes to the river and tubes down it,” she said.

While river tubing, Kim also experienced the local marine ecosystems and their wildlife.

“I saw things like the marshes around me and a lot, a lot of ducks all around us,” she said. “It was pretty.”

she’s participating in aquatic activities, extending this passion to river tubing for the first time.

“River tubing relates to some of my interests because I love anything to do with water,” she said. “I grew up swimming a lot competitively, so I enjoy a lot of things to do with water. My whole family does, which is what encouraged us to try tubing for the first time.”

Kim recommends others try it as well. She notes that while there are slower moments that may seem dull, an unpredictable, thrilling part always accompanies.

For Kim, the excitement from navigating the rapids amplified her experience.

“I think you can really enjoy your time and relax at the same time,” she said. “It was a super fun summer activity because it takes up some time of your day, (so) if you’re kind of bored, it’s a different type of activity (to try) since you are partly in the water.”

Life vest straps? Secured. Boat revving? Loud and clear. Laughter erupting? Heard from miles away. Blue skies? Shining like no other. For junior Katelyn Bibo, there is no better way to cool off in the summer than carving through the waves on her wakeboard, an annual tradition with her loved ones. Every year, her friends and family gather to spend time with each other and enjoy the summer.

your heart racing, it is important to have a solid balance of fun and relaxation. The balance of a laid-back and lively atmosphere made this trip one to remember for Bibo.

Bibo went to the town of Discovery Bay with her friends and family, where they wakeboarded, wakesurfed and rode jet skis: classic, well-loved activities she does every summer.

“My favorite memory was going out with my friend on the jet ski and asking random people to race us (on jet skis),” she said.

When a trip is filled with lively activities that get

“I felt very happy in the moment to be at the water with my friends and family,” she said.

Despite going to Discovery Bay every year, Bibo felt that this year’s trip was special. She was able to emphasize living in the moment and enjoy the presence of everyone who was with her.

“This trip was more memorable compared to previous years, because I was able to sit down and appreciate it more,” she said. “I was able to put my phone down and genuinely take in the moment (of being there) with everyone.”

First Week of School Issue

water, enjoy aquatic activities around the world

Social Studies teacher BEn Beresford: Lakeside Cabin

Over the summer, pristine blue waters and dense green foliage greeted social studies teacher Ben Beresford as he returned to his family’s lakeside cabin in Moose Lake Provincial Park. Located in Manitoba, Canada, the cabin has held much significance to Beresford since his childhood.

“It’s really cool because our cabin was built by my grandparents,” he said. “My mom started going there when she was eight or nine, and the cabin next door was built by their next door neighbors. So, there’s a community aspect to it.”

Beresford drove with his wife and two children across the Canada-United States border — stopping in Minnesota to visit Lake Itasca and wade across the headwater of the Mississippi River — before introducing them to the cabin for the first time.

“Being able to give that experience to my wife and my kids was great,” he said. “By the second day, my daughter was like, ‘Can we come back every year?’ It was exactly what I had hoped it would

The lake provided the perfect place to engage in a variety of water activities for the family, including fishing, swimming, canoeing,

wakeboarding and sightseeing on boat rides.

“One of my favorite things to do is just observe the wildlife,” he said. “This was the first year that I’d ever seen an otter at the lake. I’ve seen beaver and foxes and bears before, but I’d never seen an otter before.”

Beresford also participated in a family tradition of picking wild blueberries and chokecherries in the forest.

“My mom always did it growing up, and there’s a lot of oral tradition related to it since the older generations pass on all the best spots to go,” he said.

During the one-week cabin trip, Beresford appreciated the relaxed and tranquil environment, enhanced by the local community and memories associated with the lake.

“It’s almost like a state of being,” he said. “Life just has a unique rhythm there and there’s a flow to the day.”

Secretary Janet Owen: Swimming, paddle boarding

—Written by Ya-An Xue

Making the most of her summer break, Secretary Janet Owen embarked on two California waterfront getaways with open arms and a peaceful mind: the coastal shores of Aptos and the clear waters of Lake Tahoe — both offering warm, sunny

“I went to two lakes and a beach,” she said. “I did a lot of swimming, reading and relaxing.”

Owen first gathered with fellow students’ moms at a friend’s beach house in Aptos. During seaside walks, the group spent time sharing heartfelt conversations and life updates.

For the Fourth of July, Owen visited the beautiful scenery and vast, cool waters of Lake Tahoe, her second stop. There, she found moments to unwind through swimming, paddle boarding, reading and sunbathing.

Aside from the adventures on the water, Owen’s holiday plans to watch the fireworks at the lake took an unexpected

“Out on the lake, they had a barge set up with all the fireworks that were going to be set up on the Fourth of July,” she said. “It was so windy and the waves were so big that the barge sank, so they weren’t able to set off the fireworks the next day.”

unpredictable the bodies of water can be, her trip ended up deepening her insights about swimming safety.

“Always remembering water is very powerful, never turning your back on the ocean, making sure you’re practicing good water safety and being safe is definitely what I learned from the water,” she said.

For Owen, beach and lake trips like these stir a deep, reminiscing love for the waters. Paddling across a quiet lake or turning pages under the hot sun, her summer was reminder of the simple joys found in nature, the peace found in a swim and the breath of a salty breeze.

“For me personally, my happy place is near the water,” she said. “Whether it is a river, lake or ocean, if I can be near the water, that’s my calming, centering place.”

—Written by Yuji Song

Just as the changes of plans reminded Owen of how

Every morning this summer, senior Dilipp Stauffer followed one routine: test the pool’s chlorine levels, unfurl umbrellas, fish out drifting leaves and scrub sun-bleached tiles. Armed with plenty of sunblock and a sharp whistle, Stauffer spent the past two months as a lifeguard at the Stanford Campus Recreation Association, after serving the same role last summer at the Fremont Hills Country Club.

“It was the first job I had, so I didn’t really have expectations (and) came in with an open mind,” he said.

For Stauffer, a competitive swimmer, becoming a lifeguard was a natural move when a recruiter at FHCC announced the opportunity to his team.

“A lot of people on my swim team eventually became lifeguards, so it kind of felt like my turn,” he said.

Stauffer transitioned to working at SCRA for better pay after he reached out to one of his swim coaches, who was a supervisor of the pool grounds.

Stauffer completed American Red Cross requirements to become a certified lifeguard, which was an online course and two days of in-person instruction. Ranging from theory tests and physical skill evaluations to CPR and emergency rescue drills, these simulations strengthened Stauffer’s professionalism and vigilance, necessary skills

senior Dilipp Stauffer: Lifeguard AT Stanford

used in real-world situations.

“I liked the spinal rescue drills (where) you put someone on a backboard, pull them out as a team, secure them and start CPR on a dummy,” he said. “It was the most fun, because it’s complex and realistic.”

That sense of teamwork carried over into Stauffer’s biggest lesson on the job: collaboration to help others.

“You’re not just working with other lifeguards,” he said. “You’re working with supervisors and even regular patrons because they can call ambulances and help in emergencies. You just have to communicate and work as a team (because) that’s how things get taken care of.”

In the near future, Stauffer hopes to pursue his lifeguarding career further and encourage others to give it a try.

“You don’t need to be a great swimmer,” he said. “You might expect everyone to be awesome at swimming, but you can be very useful as a lifeguard if you just do the training and take it seriously.”

—Written by Yael Gottesman

THE ORACLE’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL CROSSWORD

ACROSS DOWN

1. Diesel found in cars?

2. Spanish bear

3. Bean and Cool J

4. Fails to make the roster (2)

5. Fundamentally

6. Worn by a police officer

7. Neighbor of Yemen

8. Measurement of newspaper’s circulation

9. Long Beach or East Bay, for instance

10. “You’re on!” (3)

11. Everyday

12. “Oh, I see __” (2)

13. Nickels and dimes

18. Points at

22. Done with a smile by Bruno Mars?

23. Light bulb units

24. Of glue fame

25. Original residents of Delaware

26. __ Nublar: dinosaur home

28. Lots of land

29. Oracle

31. Memo abbr.

33. Goldman’s partner

34. Seizes

36. Modern medium for jotting things down (2)

37. French affirmitives

41. Wailing Irish spirit, possibly of Inisherin

43. Ginger __

44. Swindle

45. Musical ineptitude (2)

46. Hamper

47. Shinto temple gateway

48.Response to “Who’s there?” (3)

Take it easy

50. Abbr. before a summary

51. Gaye’s “How Sweet __” (2)

54. Meadow

55. Not online, online?

56. America’s first supermodel __ Carangi

57. Curse, potentially six-fold?

Finished the crossword? Come to P-115 during lunch or 5th period with your completed puzzle to collect a prize!

HUMOR: How to safely navigate parking lot chaos, pandemonium-filled mornings, search for

As we all return from summer break, it’s important to remember that many chaotic situations will undoubtedly happen in the Gunn parking lot throughout the school year. Luckily, you’ve avoided these hazards simply by avoiding the campus. Now, in the spirit of survival, here’s a refresher on the most perilous parking lot problems you may encounter in the first weeks back.

Beware of Bikers

You’ve most definitely heard the saying “Watch where you’re going” at some point in your life, unlike some of the students who bike to school. Try to get out of a car anywhere in the Gunn parking lot right before school starts or after it ends without having a close call with a peer speeding to class or off campus — it’s harder than you might think. Chances are, you or someone you know has opened a car door a little too

Hunting for a Spot Passenger Princess and Pedestrians

Arriving late to the parking lot guarantees one thing: a hunt for an available spot. The stakes get higher when you run into someone from your first period class and realize only one of you will have a chance to save your attendance in this parking lot showdown. Take your time going through the lot — you don’t want to get in an accident and you definitely don’t want to miss a spot ripe for the taking.

The hardest time to hunt for spots, unfortunately, is in the first weeks of school, before parking permits are released. That’s the fall free-for-all, right there. The autumn altercation. If there’s any time to keep your eyes peeled in the lot, both for an elusive parking spot and any dangerous situations to avoid, it’s now until then.

Prepare for a passenger princess when walking back to your car with a friend. You try to pull out of your spot, only to receive a constant slew of unhelpful or even incorrect driving tips. Be sure to remind them which friend has their license and which friend failed their driving test.

The parking lot is clearly not just a place for cars these days. Is it too much to ask not to have to slam on the brakes for a group of students obnoxiously sipping on their most recent boba run? You might also run into a popular pedestrian, one who is chronically online, can’t go a minute without reloading Schoology to check their test grade or go a second without being in the way of oncoming traffic or standing in the middle of a parking spot.

—Written by Ezra Rosenberg