鈥淲hen I started BJJ, I didn鈥檛 even know what it was, but after some time, I got kind of good at it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 use my brain and strategy, and I try to see what people are going to do and to think what their next move is.鈥�

BJJ involves repeating various moves, such as the heel hook or the Americana 鈥� Nadberezhnyi鈥檚 favorite 鈥� in which the player bends their opponent鈥檚 arm at a 90-degree angle and pushes the shoulder to the ground.

鈥淚鈥檓 usually replicating the same thing, not to be perfect, but to get used to it,鈥� he said.

Other than enforcing discipline, Nadberezhnyi鈥檚 instructor, along with his fellow peers, creates a supportive and encouraging environment.

鈥淭he people who I train with are super nice,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e support each other, and we correct each other if a person knows and sees (something) the other one doesn鈥檛.鈥�

Going forward, Nadberezhnyi plans to continue improving his skill level and start participating in competitions. With his frequent training and support he receives, Nadberezhnyi has immersed himself into his BJJ community.

鈥淔or me, BJJ is a great hobby, and it鈥檚 a way for me to spend lots of time with my friends,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he mat we train on feels like a second home.鈥�

This program is the first of the wellness initiatives 麻豆放映免费 will be investigating in a continuation of its 2019 鈥淚n the Pursuit of Wellness鈥� series. 聽The objective is to better understand the efficacy of Gunn student-wellness approaches. Our question: Are these measures working, and how can we further promote student wellness?

The creation of SELF聽

Intended as a space for students to build connections with trusted adults and peers, SELF classes meet biweekly 鈥� in rotation with Study Hall 鈥� during the school year. This model, adopted during the 2022-23 school year due听迟辞 teacher compensation issues, marks a shift from the program鈥檚 original weekly structure. As before, however, cohorts remain together during all four years of high school.

SELF Coordinator Kathryn Catalano noted that the program鈥檚 goal is to promote students鈥� emotional regulation, communication and empathy.

鈥淐reating that structure where students have opportunities to practice those things is really important in terms of long-term growth,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think our school is very lucky to be able to offer a program like this.鈥�

The SELF curriculum is based on California鈥檚 Social and Emotional Learning Competencies, or the T-SEL Competencies, which include self-awareness, social-awareness and relationship skills. Gunn鈥檚 SELF curriculum also draws on sources such as private-school curricula; Project Wayfinder, an organization that provides packaged grade-specific SEL curricula to schools; Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond, a social scientist who advised the curriculum鈥檚 development in 2016; student organizations such as the Gender Sexuality Alliance and Title IX Club; and proposals from individual students.

Currently, SELF is designed to suit different grades鈥� needs. For example, ninth graders begin with lessons on 鈥淔ounding a Community,鈥� which includes identity development and community-building, while second-semester seniors focus on 鈥淟ife after Gunn.鈥�

According to Assistant Principal and former SELF Coordinator Courtney Carlomagno, the SELF curriculum constantly evolves based on feedback from feedback forms, focus groups, administrators and SELF Advisory Board students (whose names students can see on the SELF feedback form in the Schoology SELF course). For instance, the Community Circles activity 鈥� in which students take turns sharing in a circle 鈥� was implemented in response to students鈥� suggestions in feedback forms to have more discussion, and freshmen were sorted into SELF cohorts with their World History class starting in the 2022-23 school year to enable more frequent connections.

Student sentiments

Data from the Panorama surveys, which are administered every spring and fall to all secondary-school students, shows improvement in students鈥� cultural awareness and emotional regulation from 2020 (the first year the survey was administered) to 2023.

Students鈥� satisfaction with SELF, however, has roughly remained the same. In the SELF feedback form, sent to students every fall from 2020-23, students were asked to rate on a scale of 1 (鈥渘ot effective鈥�) to 5 (鈥渆ffective鈥�) the SELF program鈥檚 effectiveness at reaching five goals: 鈥渟pending time on team-building and relationship-building,鈥� 鈥渂road-ranging conversations during check-ins,鈥� 鈥渆xploring topics that matter,鈥� 鈥渉earing a variety of student perspectives鈥� and 鈥渉aving fun as a community.鈥�

For all of the goals, the most selected rating was a 鈥�3,鈥� and the second-most selected was a鈥�4.鈥� 鈥淗aving fun as a community鈥� and 鈥渂road-ranging conversations during check-ins鈥� were considered relatively more effective compared to goals such as 鈥渂uilding relationships.鈥�

Additionally, many students feel that they are not especially connected with their SELF cohort and mentor. According to the results of the SELF feedback form from fall 2020 to fall 2022, many students felt that their connectedness to their SELF cohort was the same as with their regular classes: An average of 49.3% of students felt about as connected to their SELF cohort in fall 2020, 53.0% in spring 2021, 49.6% in fall 2021, 58.4% in spring 2022 and 44.8% in fall 2022.

Similarly, over the years, many students felt that their connectedness to their mentor was the same as to their teachers in regular classes. Sophomore Elizabeth P茅rez feels that SELF has not supported her social-emotional skills. While she understands the community-building purpose of the program, she has found that the lessons often feel forced.

鈥�(SELF) feels like it forces interactions between students when most of them don鈥檛 really want to do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome think it鈥檚 kind of useless, like, 鈥榃hat are we supposed to do here, when I could be doing other stuff?鈥欌��

Similarly, senior Benjamin Vakil believes that SELF鈥檚 content is not always practical or helpful for students. Seniors, for example, watched Yale University psychology professor Laurie Santos鈥� videos about the science of well-being.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think students are interested in the theoretical things about happiness or Yale鈥檚 classes,鈥� Vakil said. 鈥淚 think that that鈥檚 not been beneficial to that vast, vast, vast majority of students, which is unfortunate because Gunn needs students to be well mentally.鈥�

However, SELF has strengthened Vakil鈥檚 relationship with his mentor.

鈥淪ELF definitely doesn鈥檛 help me content-wise, (but) what is good for me is having a connection to a teacher throughout all four years, (and) I鈥檓 lucky enough to have had the same teacher,鈥� he said.

Similarly, Freshman Class President Nathan Yoon has appreciated the peer relationships forged during SELF, although he finds the four-year format restrictive.

鈥淚 enjoy SELF and the time that I get to spend with the people in my SELF group,鈥� he said. 鈥淜nowing you鈥檙e going to be with them for the next four years encourages you to befriend them. However, I think it is also kind of rigid to be stuck with the same group for all four years.鈥�

When a self-selected survey conducted by 麻豆放映免费 in December 2023 with 133 responses asked students what the most important thing they learned in SELF was, responses varied. Some students said SELF nurtures student-mentor relationships and positive thinking, but others described SELF as ineffective.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been learning about happiness this year, but even though I think it鈥檚 interesting, I feel like most people don鈥檛 care and don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 useful,鈥� one student wrote.

Another wrote, 鈥淲hile the objects and goals of SELF are good, the implementation of SELF is poor and the curriculum is like it was written for kindergarteners.鈥�

Causes of disengagement

Freshman Class President Nathan Yoon believes that students鈥� negative responses stem from a failure to understand SELF鈥檚 purpose: to foster students鈥� social-emotional skills, such as empathy and resilience, and to provide a space to build trusting relationships. Contrary to some students鈥� beliefs, the program does not focus on providing counseling services.

鈥淚 say a lot of students don鈥檛 really recognize SELF for what it鈥檚 trying to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of antagonizing of it because people don鈥檛 see what the creators are trying to do with it.鈥�

In the fall 2022 SELF feedback form, 51% of students selected 鈥渟ort of communicated鈥� when asked about how clearly the purpose of SELF has been communicated to them.

According to Catalano, another possible reason students don鈥檛 place importance on SELF is their tendency to focus on rigorous work, causing them to place less importance on soft skills, including many elements of self-care. Some may define success by the traditional path 鈥� acquiring a prestigious job and making a lot of money 鈥� which focuses on the importance of the individual rather than the community.

鈥淪ELF (is) about our larger community and supporting each other, which I think is not really how our community usually operates,鈥� she said.

According to SELF Advisory Board member junior Julia Lee, students 鈥� hyper-focused on the present 鈥� may also fail to consider SELF鈥檚 long-term benefits. Lee believes that SELF will only be effective when students are willing to pay attention to the lessons and recognize educators鈥� intentions. 鈥淚f we are not willing to engage in this topic, then there鈥檚 really no purpose because we are the ones who have control in whether we want to engage,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hink about the perspectives of those who are making these lessons, because if we think about why they are creating these lessons for us, the only intention is for our good.鈥�

Looking forward: Improvements

Moving forward, SELF will continue to evolve, and administrators and teachers are open to student suggestions for improvements, especially in the wake of Feb. 20鈥檚 student death. Catalano says that adults on campus care deeply for students and are open to hearing any suggestions and concerns.

鈥淲e want to support everybody, and I hope that this experience leads students to feeling like there are more adults on campus who care about them instead of less,鈥� she said.聽

SELF teacher David Bisbee says his priority is to make his SELF class a comfortable environment and serve student needs.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 interested in what students want,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat I think the program has done well over the years is listen to students and have an opportunity for students to talk and share what鈥檚 working (and) what鈥檚 not.鈥�

Students have also proposed SELF lessons. Lee has been active in proposing and implementing new lesson plans for SELF, such as one on non-violent communication and positive thinking, which is expected to show up in spring 2024.聽

鈥淚 thought maybe implementing lessons on non-violent communication could be something that students relate to,鈥� she said.

Focus groups have also been hosted periodically, in which one student from each ninth- and 10th-grade SELF class volunteers to gather and give feedback to questions such as 鈥淲hat types of activities have you enjoyed most in SELF?鈥� and 鈥淲hat has worked well to build connections in your cohort?鈥澛犅�

Other students can give feedback to the SELF Advisory Board, which students can apply to join every May. The SELF Suggestion Box Google form is also available on each student鈥檚 SELF Schoology course.

SELF will continue to adapt to optimize student wellness, which is the top priority, through student feedback.聽

鈥淚t is important to get negative feedback,鈥� Catalano said. 鈥淏ecause we want it to be a program that works for everybody, not just the kids who are excited to be there.鈥�

Asian American Literature, a semesterlong English elective offered for juniors and seniors after successful completion of English 9 or 9A and English 10 or 10A, will focus on Asian American experiences ranging from immigration to discrimination. English teacher Diane Ichikawa, who proposed and is leading the implementation of Asian American Literature, says that the English department lacks books about Asian Americans, although Gunn鈥檚 student population is 46.4% Asian, according to the Gunn 2023-24 school profile.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 really treat Asians as people of color on this campus, so I think it鈥檚 important that we see that Asians actually are people of color,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to find a space for those discussions, and this could be a class where you could have those conversations.鈥�

The curriculum will draw from texts such as Thi Bui鈥檚 memoir 鈥淭he Best We Could Do鈥� and essays from Eric Liu鈥檚 鈥淭he Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker.鈥� Students will practice writing memoirs and understanding the use of figurative language in non-English languages.

Sophomore Joyce Wong, who is interested in taking Asian American Literature, considers it an opportunity to gain insight into issues that Asian Americans face.

鈥淩eading literature written by Asian Americans (can) offer a really refreshing perspective on controversial or historical events,鈥� she said.

In addition to Asian American Literature, Gunn will also be offering AP Physics 2, a yearlong algebra-based physics course for juniors and seniors who have successfully completed AP Physics 1. The course provides a nonvisual approach to electricity and magnetism, in contrast to its mechanics-focused prerequisite, AP Physics 1.

According to physics teacher Christina Norberg, the science department decided to add the course for students who wish to continue learning physics after AP Physics 1, but may not want the rapid pace of calculus-based AP Physics C. The yearlong mechanics course will no longer be offered, but students can still take AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism as semesterlong classes.

The curriculum, based on the College Board鈥檚 AP Physics 2 Unit Guides, features units on thermodynamics, electricity, geometric optics and atomic physics, which are not covered in AP Physics C: E & M. According to Norberg, students will use skills such as scientific argumentation, collection of evidence and experimental design to build a mathematically rigorous perspective.

鈥淲hen you talk about electricity and magnetism, a lot of those different topics you need to be able to model effectively in a way that you can鈥檛 actually see,鈥� Norberg said.

Junior Daniel Zhang, who is currently in AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, is considering taking AP Physics 2 next year.

鈥淚鈥檓 thinking of taking AP Physics 2 because it covers the sound unit, which seems really interesting,鈥� he said.

With the addition of AP Physics 2, Gunn will now offer all of the College Board鈥檚 AP Physics courses. Students who are in or have taken regular, college-preparatory physics may take AP Physics 2 with approval from the science department.

Asian American Literature and AP Physics 2 will only run if there is enough enrollment. Students can learn more about these courses by reading the 2024-25 course catalog or contacting Ichikawa or Norberg.

Asian American Lit Books

• Thi Bui’s “The Best We Could Do”
• Min Jin Lee’s “Pachinko”
• Kathryn Ma’s “The Chinese Groove”
• Eric Liu’s “The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker”

AP Physics 2 Topics

• Fluids
• Thermodynamics
• Electric forces
• Electric circuits
• Magnetism and electromagnetic induction
• Geometric and physical optics
• Quantum physics

Latin American and Hispanic culture has long shaped the U.S. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson 鈥� spurred by Mexican American Rep. Edward Roybal 鈥� established Hispanic Heritage Week to recognize Hispanic history and contributions, and in 1988, the week was extended to a monthlong celebration from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Although this recognition marked a step forward in acknowledging the diversity of the U.S., some, such as sophomore Megumi Estrada Nakamatsu, have pointed out that the blanket term 鈥淗ispanic鈥� groups all Spanish-speaking people together, despite their cultural and geographical differences. Estrada Nakamatsu, who is Peruvian and Japanese American, feels that Mexican culture is more prevalent than South and Central American culture at Gunn. 鈥淚 feel like while Mexican culture is represented, I can see that it鈥檚 not enough when it comes to South American and Central American countries鈥�,鈥� she said.

Countries of origin matter, especially when it comes to shared experiences, according to Spanish teacher Teresa Ni帽o-Oliva. While she bonds with other Latin Americans through a shared language 鈥� Spanish 鈥� she feels closer to her Chilean friends because of their shared experiences. 鈥淚 did not grow up here, so there are so many things that happened in my childhood that some here don鈥檛 understand,鈥� she said. 鈥�(But) I can find that (connection) with my (Chilean) friends.鈥�

Nevertheless, a significant characteristic of most Hispanic and Latin American cultures is the close-knit community among family and friends. A distinct part of Estrada Nakamatsu鈥檚 childhood was celebrating Se帽or de los Milagros with her loved ones. The Peruvian Christian celebration features a parade with a sacred image of the Purple Christ, in which purple represents devotion and royalty. 鈥淔or the whole month of October, everyone wears purple,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ver since I was born, I would dance for the celebration.鈥�

Similarly, the stories Ceniceros鈥� parents told him about their childhoods in Mexico demonstrated the community鈥檚 closeness. On one occasion, his mother told him about a neighbor鈥檚 child who died in a car crash. 鈥�(Every family) started helping financially for the funeral,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody who was their neighbor came in and helped them with what they could.鈥�

Hispanic and Latino Americans only make up 12.3% of Gunn students, according to the 2022-23 Gunn School Profile. As a result, Hispanic or Latino American students can feel alienated. Both Mexican American senior Andrea Esparza
and Estrada Nakamatsu have sometimes felt isolated because of their cultural backgrounds. 鈥淲hen I was younger, I was very embarrassed in my own culture because I was the only Peruvian in (my) whole school,鈥� Estrada Nakamatsu said.
鈥淪ometimes, American culture can badly influence you because of how judgmental people can be, (and) it can make you feel very much like an outsider.鈥�

Stereotyping only worsens this issue. Estrada Nakamatsu has heard people use offensive slang terms to describe Hispanic people. 鈥淲e鈥檙e called 鈥榬atchet,鈥� or 鈥榞hetto,鈥� since in our culture, we鈥檙e super loud, (and) we鈥檙e super honest and blunt,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he term 鈥榬atchet鈥� for us is hurtful because we鈥檙e raised to be blunt and very loud 鈥� that鈥檚 how we show our care for each other.鈥�

This stereotyping and discrimination have disheartened Esparza. 鈥淚t saddens me that people are discriminating and (have) a bunch of stereotypes on Hispanics when they鈥檙e only here to make a better life, get a good education and try to move forward in life,鈥� she said.

Despite these prejudices, Esparza is proud of her culture, where she is embraced with open arms. 鈥淲hat I love about the community is seeing how much we love our culture and that we鈥檙e not ashamed of expressing it,鈥� she said.

In South Asian cultures, food is integrated into the celebration of many festivals, including Diwali. Sophomore Aarya Bhushan sees cooking during Diwali as a time to bond with her mother. 鈥淒uring Diwali, my mom and I always make Indian sweets together, and we always have a fun time in the kitchen,鈥� she said.

Similarly, English teacher Terence Kitada, who is Japanese American, remembers how his family would relax and enjoy Japanese 聽cuisine together. 鈥淲hen I was a little kid, my dad would always grill chicken teriyaki (during) the summers,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aking food with my family is a nice break. Everybody鈥檚 so busy all the time, if you could just concentrate on making something together, it brings people together.鈥� Kitada recounted how food also fostered more intimate connections with individual family members outside of larger gatherings. When he was younger, Kitada and his sister would regularly go to a Japanese restaurant together, which provided them with a time to build their relationship. 鈥淲e鈥檇 always go after school and just eat comfort food (while) talking to each other,鈥� he said.

Nostalgic moments around food also appear in Chinese teacher Yanan Vrudny鈥檚 childhood. She and her extended family would gather at her grandparents鈥� house to make 鈥渏iaozi,鈥� or dumplings, together. 鈥淵ou have uncles and cousins who you may have never met for years,鈥� Vrudny said. 鈥淵ou realize that making dumplings is not only making food, but it鈥檚 making connections to relatives and hearing their stories from all the generations. You can鈥檛 learn all these from the textbook.鈥�

Children of immigrants may find it difficult to learn about their cultural customs. According to Vrudny, however, food provides an opportunity for them to connect with their heritage. 鈥淚 once heard that food is history 鈥� the way it鈥檚 prepared, the ingredients that are used and other factors are all chosen by our ancestors,鈥� she said. 鈥淏y cherishing the food, it鈥檚 like eating a piece of history with some twists of our own.鈥�

Similarly, when Kitada was teaching in Japan, he and his students learned about Japanese cultural values through the experience of harvesting rice. 鈥淵ou eat (rice) every day, but a lot of work goes into it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Japan, you鈥檙e not excused to go to recess until you鈥檝e eaten every grain of rice in the bowl. (There is) the idea to not waste food because somebody made that for you.鈥�

Sharing food among different groups in the AAPI community also kindles intercultural dialogue. Vrudny explained that although chopsticks are used in multiple countries 鈥� China, Japan and Korea, to name a few 鈥� they are designed differently based on the specific foods and customs each individual culture has. Having conversations among different AAPI cultures regarding food practices can create bonds between communities. 鈥�(This) can build connections when people may have nothing to talk about,鈥� Vrudny said.

Food is also significant in religious practices. In Hinduism, food called 鈥減rasada鈥� is offered to God and consumed by devotees as a way to give thanks. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the aspect of sacrificing for God,鈥� Bhushan said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also bringing us closer to our culture and heritage.鈥�

Despite the positive connotations of food in AAPI communities, many experience discrimination due to their cultural foods. AAPI foods have been considered 鈥渆xotic鈥� or 鈥渟trange鈥� in some school lunchrooms, which can cause AAPI individuals, such as sophomore Jessie Han, to feel uncomfortable with sharing their cuisines. 鈥淚n the past, I was self-conscious about the food I brought to school, mostly because I was scared that others would act negatively towards it,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut if I could time travel, I would encourage them to be curious and try some. If they like it, that鈥檚 amazing 鈥� if not, then that鈥檚 totally fine as well.鈥�

Kitada discussed this type of discrimination in his Visual Storytelling class while reading 鈥淎merican Born Chinese,鈥� a graphic novel in which the Chinese American protagonist experiences bullying because of his lunch. 鈥淲hen students in my class reflect on the text, I consistently hear people mentioning that they went through the same thing when they were younger,鈥� Kitada said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sad that students are discouraged from eating cuisine from their own culture due to harassment from classmates.

As an integral part of AAPI culture and community, food celebrates a sense of belonging and what it means to be AAPI. 鈥淔ood not only is for eating,鈥� Vrudny said. 鈥淚t is more important how we use it as a tool to connect people to the knowledge, the ingredients and the world.鈥�

Developed in the early 2000s, My Password Journal was designed by Girl Tech founder Janese Swanson. It is an interactive toy journal that uses voice recognition and requires a spoken phrase to unlock. The journal is inside a plastic case around the size of a regular notebook. The phrase spoken by the owner unlocks the cover and reveals a notebook, an invisible ink pen, a bendable glow light lamp that reveals the ink and a small compartment behind the notebook. In those sheets of papers, one could write their secrets, desires and more, knowing that they are the only one with access to this private information. The compartment behind the notebook allows one to store treasured personal possessions hidden away from outsiders. Intruders were not welcomed and were warned away by an intruder alert鈥� pre-recorded by the owner鈥攖hat played whenever the wrong keyword phrase was spoken.

Swanson鈥檚 mission was to encourage the implementation of technology (overwhelmingly found in boys鈥� toys) in girls鈥� toys and overcome gender stereotypes in the toy industry. After Girl Tech was bought by electronic game company Radica Games, a branch of toy company Mattel, My Password Journal became manufactured in more colors. My Password Journal was discontinued in 2014, but collected or used versions can still be found.

鈥淭he Mel Robbins Podcast鈥� provides solutions to address problems with procrastination, anxiety and motivation. Hosted by Mel Robbins, the podcast dives deep into practical advice on how one can improve their well-being. Episodes are updated semiweekly and are up to an hour in length. From the psychology of human nature to light-hearted suggestions on holiday fun, Robbins engages the listener in insightful discoveries. She discusses the causes and effects of common obstacles individuals may face in life, as well as potential remedies to those problems. After listening, one will hopefully gain a more comprehensive understanding of solutions for
dealing with the ups and downs of life. 鈥淭he Mel Robbins Podcast鈥� is available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

鈥淐rime Junkie鈥�

The podcast 鈥淐rime Junkie鈥� immerses listeners in bewildering, bone-chilling crime stories based on true events. The podcast presents true crime stories in episodes updated weekly. Each episode features a story laid out by engaging hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. Keeping listeners on their toes for an intense session of a storyline, this podcast is perfect for a 40-minute break. These stories are some of the darkest unsolved mysteries in the United States, ranging from complex and deeply layered murder cases to twisted instances of sudden disappearances. The chilling episodes are straight-to-the-point with no lengthy introductions or nail-biting cliffhangers. Finishing an episode will immediately prompt one to click on the next鈥攁nd soon lead into a true crime obsession. 鈥淐rime Junkie鈥� is available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify and Stitcher.

鈥淥logies With Alie Ward鈥�

鈥淥logies with Alie Ward鈥� is a podcast hosted by Alie Ward that draws attention to unique, narrow topics, or 鈥渙logies.鈥� Episodes are updated weekly and span about an hour. Perfect to listen to in the background, these topics range from 鈥渙neirology,鈥� the study of dreams, to 鈥渓ampyridology,鈥� the study of fireflies. The majority of episodes are categorized into broad subjects such as organisms, the Earth, food and culture. Expert guest speakers are invited to each episode to share expertise, talk about personal experiences and relate to the listeners鈥� daily lives. Expect to gain eye-opening insights into these geeky research topics, and be prepared to discover flora and fauna beyond the typical expectations of science. 鈥淥logies with Alie Ward鈥� is available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Podbay, Spotify and Stitcher.

Passages that use racial slurs serve to perpetuate racist ideas and stereotypes formed over the United States鈥� long history of racial oppression, including the N-word, a symbol of violence and subjugation that African Americans have endured for decades. Using the N-word, even in academic settings, spreads the false idea deeply rooted in U.S. history that Black individuals are inferior to their white counterparts.

One point of nuance, though, is the usage of offensive language by authors from marginalized groups. Instead of using racial slurs to downgrade other groups, these authors generally use the language to provide insight into their experiences as historically misrepresented individuals. Authors from marginalized groups can use this language because of their contextual awareness and lived experience.

Reading texts with racial slurs can have a significant impact on students, who could come to use these terms without understanding their repercussions. When students witness their teachers and peers reading the words aloud or seeing the language in texts without further explanation, students can easily come away with the impression that the offensive language is insignificant. For example, in 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird,鈥� racial slurs constantly appear throughout the text. The casual use of offensive language in such books can lead to jokes surrounding the N-word at Gunn. Teachers should thus refrain from saying racial slurs when they appear in academic texts and offer explanations about these words and terms when they do appear. If teachers expose students to harmful language but do not explain its impact, students may not understand how to approach such texts. Censoring offensive language indicates the magnitude of such slurs and prevents students from becoming desensitized to them.

Reading uncensored racial slurs can also make students from historically marginalized groups feel uncomfortable. This language can bring up traumatic experiences and lower self-esteem. By leaving racial slurs uncensored, instructors are being inconsiderate of students from historically underrepresented groups.

Some may argue that if offensive content is erased, the roots of systemic oppression, which are necessary to understand modern racism, will remain overlooked. However, censoring offensive content does not erase the idea of its existence and will not hinder an understanding of systemic racism. People can still understand the history of oppression by learning the context of such offensive language. Students should be educated about its historical significance through healthy, insightful discussions in an academic setting. Such conversations provide individuals with an understanding of why offensive language and racial slurs have been used and why they are censored. Without understanding the sensitive nature of racial slurs, individuals can persist in inflicting harm.

In academic settings, racial slurs should be replaced with a note indicating the previous harmful language. This way, students will continue to be aware of the existence and impact of racial slurs. Students will inevitably encounter such language in classrooms and the outside world. However, with guidance, they will be able to confront it responsibly.