In April 2014, gymnast Amanda Thomashow, a Michigan State University graduate, filed a Title IX complaint against team physician Larry Nassar, alleging inappropriate behavior during a medical examination. However, the university’s inquiry dismissed Thomashow’s complaint and ruled Nassar’s behavior as “medically appropriate.” Nassar was allowed to continue working at MSU for two more years until Sept. 20, 2016, when he was finally fired. It took until 2018 for Nassar to be convicted and sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, after 18 victims filed a federal lawsuit against Nassar, MSU, USA Gymnastics and Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, alleging sexual assault, battery, molestation and harassment between 1996 and 2016.

Negligence in addressing these complaints causes repercussions extending beyond individual cases, eroding trust in entire organizations. Although the resignation of the USA Gymnastics board in 2018 was a step in the right direction, it came years too late for those who had suffered Nassar’s abuse. In 2021, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared in an interview that she wouldn’t be comfortable with her daughter’s training with USA Gymnastics, given the organization’s lack of accountability. This sentiment is just one example from the many gymnasts who felt the sport’s governing body had failed to protect and listen to them. USA Gymnastics’ failure to take complaints seriously and act swiftly exacerbates survivors’ trauma and perpetuates a culture of impunity for perpetrators.

While Nassar’s abuse may be the most prominent example of sexual misconduct in sports, it is not an isolated phenomenon. Similar patterns of abuse have emerged in other high-level sports organizations, including USA Taekwondo, where coaches like Jean Lopez have been accused of exploiting their positions of power to prey on female athletes. Lopez was accused of abuse by multiple female athletes and banned from coaching for life by the organization, after a 2018 U.S. Center for Safesport investigation concluded that Lopez had “a decade-long pattern of sexual misconduct” and used his power to “groom, manipulate, and ultimately sexually abuse younger female athletes.” However, in December 2022, the International Court of Arbitration lifted the lifetime ban, as it had been based on the 2011 Code of Ethics, which was only instituted after the incidents had occurred.

The lifting of this “lifetime” ban raises serious concerns about the efficacy of disciplinary measures and the prioritization of justice for survivors.

Moreover, misconduct in the sporting world extends beyond staff and coaches to the executive personnel of sporting organizations. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup award ceremony, Luis Rubiales, former Royal Spanish Football Federation president, kissed Spanish national soccer player Jenni Hermoso without consent.

In an emergency meeting called by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales denied any wrongdoing and claimed the kiss was consensual. Later that year, at the Federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly, Rubiales claimed that he had been the target of “social assassination” and continually restated that he would not resign. The Royal Spanish Football Federation sided with Rubiales, accusing Hermoso of lying about the kiss and threatening to take legal action against her. Rubiales’ resignation came only after more than 80 other Spanish soccer players put their names on a statement supporting Hermoso, saying they would not return to the national team if the case were not resolved fairly.

Nassar’s exploitation of female gymnasts, Lopez’s predatory behavior toward female taekwondo athletes and Rubiales’ refusal to accept accountability highlight systematic failures that require meaningful reforms. The delayed responses, inadequate actions and sometimes even complicity of sporting institutions erode the trust of female athletes, fans and staff members. A commitment to accountability at all levels of sports governance is crucial, as female athletes should not have to publicly fight for their complaints to be taken seriously.

Moving forward, sports organizations must prioritize the well-being and safety of all involved parties. They should implement robust safeguarding measures and ensure swift and decisive action in response to misconduct. Abuse should not have to escalate into yearslong patterns before accusations are taken seriously — every complaint should be thoroughly investigated.

If misconduct isn’t addressed at the professional level, it sets a precedent of impunity, meaning that abuse at the high- school level may also go unpunished. By actively listening to survivors, addressing systemic flaws and holding perpetrators accountable, organizations can create sporting environments in which everyone can thrive without fear of exploitation, fostering a culture of integrity in the sports community.

Check out the video above for the fourth installment of �鶹��ӳ���‘s “Inside Practice” series, in which Gunn athletes give behind-the-scenes tours of their daily training. Click here to see the first installment.

Check out the video above for the third installment of �鶹��ӳ���‘s “Inside Practice” series, in which Gunn athletes give behind-the-scenes tours of their daily training.

Check out the video above for the second installment of �鶹��ӳ���‘s “Inside Practice” series, in which Gunn athletes give behind-the-scenes tours of their daily training. Click here to see the first installment.

Check out the first installment of �鶹��ӳ���‘s “Inside Practice” series, in which Gunn athletes give behind-the-scenes tours of their daily training.

Manning started taking hip-hop classes in middle school at the
Menlo Park Academy of Dance. Inspired by her older brother’s performance at TEDx, she joined Hip-Hop Club as a freshman,
and has been the club’s co-president since sophomore year. Over the past few years, she has choreographed routines, mentored new dancers and elevated her freestyling skills.

Manning was first introduced to dance through ballet in elementary school. Today, hip-hop dance represents a kinesthetic freedom to Manning, enabling her to create her own rules.

“I really liked the contrast between ballet and hip-hop,” she
said. “Ballet was very strict and rule-oriented. Hip-hop felt like
sort of breaking those rules.”

Informed by her ballet background, Manning prefers moving slowly and focusing on individual body movements, instead of
freestyling or breakdancing.

“I try to pick certain isolated movements to perfect and then
link them together,” she said.

Working on performances for the Hip-Hop Club has taught Manning how to choreograph a routine.

“It definitely can be challenging,” she said. “It’s easier to take inspiration from other pieces of choreography and sort of incorporate it into your own, but it’s difficult starting from a clean slate. It can be difficult to make the next move. It’s easy for things to get static.’’

For the TEDxGunnHighSchool conference in Februrary 2022, Manning and other members of the club worked to choreograph
a routine to “family ties.” For this performance, Manning tried freestyling for the first time and appreciated its versatility.

“We started by freestyling to the song,” she said. “Once we ran through it a few times, that’s when we started to decide what moves we wanted to use (in the performance).”

Through working together on routines and learning new skills with club members, Manning has found a supportive community of friends to create and dance with.

Besides continuing to take classes in the Bay Area, Manning also workshopped her hip-hop skills and met other talented young dancers at a hip-hop intensive program in New York in 2018.

“New York had a very different vibe,” she said. “It’s fun to reflect back on. There are certain songs that remind me of the program. I remember ‘Nice For What,’ by Drake, was the song that we choreographed a dance to.”

Aside from joining Hip-Hop Club, Manning suggests that those interested in learning hip-hop use online resources to learn more.

“I would recommend starting by just watching other people dance,’’ she said. “Watching choreo or freestyle is a good first step, and then even starting to dance on your own in your house or your room is valuable.”

Traditions like these add flavor to the virtual world of fantasy football, in which participants draft real NFL athletes for their teams beginning at the start of the season in September. The game is played on the NFL Fantasy website or app, and players earn points based on the outcomes of actual NFL matchups. After an initial draft, players have the flexibility to change their team lineups by trading with fellow participants. In each league, the player with the most overall victories in a weekly matchups wins the game.

Senior Ryan Kim’s dad introduced him to the game when he was 7, and he’s played ever since. “When I was little, my dad used to play with his friends,” he said. “That was always interesting to me.”

Typically, fantasy football is played in leagues of around 12 participants. English teacher Jordan Wells plays in a league with her family, using the game to stay connected with them. “I started (playing) six years ago when my brother put together a family team,” she said. “It keeps us just kind of talking, whether it’s actually talking or congratulating each other. It’s a fun activity to do with my family.”

Each week, a team’s starting-lineup players earn points in NFL games, which contribute to the team’s total weekly score. Teams are randomly paired in weekly matchups, and the team with the higher weekly score wins. In Wells’ family league, the weekly matchups usually prompt a healthy dose of competition. “There’s a group chat going on, of course, and (there’s) a lot of smack talk, mainly my brother,” she said. “He’s like the commissioner of the league, and he’ll talk a lot of nuts. There was one year where he renamed his team every week based on who he was playing, to have a name that was kind of anti-them.”

Fantasy football also helps Wells connect with her students. “Sometimes I’ll ask students for advice if I’m torn between who should I bench that week,” she said. “As a player, it’s fun to hear who’s performing on their teams. Also, even if your team kind of sucks, it’s fun to commiserate.”

Senior Marcello Chang also appreciates the social aspect of fantasy football, as playing in a league with his friends at school ensures they always have something to discuss. “It’s fun to be able to talk to people about it,” he said. “There’s a lot going on with matchups and trading and people’s standings (in the league).”

At the start of each season, league members draft teams in 14 rounds of player selection, with each league member picking one player per turn. In most leagues, the draft order is randomized.

To prepare for draft day, many people conduct research by reading articles or partaking in mock drafts. Wells participates in many common types of drafting preparation. “I have to like them as a person,” she said. “I look at stats, I try to read a couple of articles ahead of time, look at how other people have drafted, (and) I do mock drafts.”

Fantasy football isn’t solely a game of knowledge — it’s also one of strategy, and many players begin a season with a specific tactic. For Wells, putting key players in certain positions early during draft day is crucial. “I do it differently than a lot of other people,” she said. “I draft my quarterback early. I like to have essentially one of each (position) before I start going for doubles on running backs and wide receivers.”

Sophomore Sanjan Joshi, on the other hand, looks to diversify his players’ teams of origin. “I look (to draft) players from a variety of teams,” he said. “I also look at their situation with their team and competitors on their team, not just what the fantasy football app predicts will happen.”

Player lineups in fantasy football are far from static. As the season progresses, participants can trade NFL players within their leagues to enhance and diversify their teams, according to Kim. “Let’s say you need a quarterback and someone else needs a running back,” he said. “You could trade so that you both have what you need — it’s like (a) mutualism.”

Trades are a way to get rid of unwanted players in a participant’s lineup. Joshi finds this aspect critical to improving his roster. “I try to offer trades to other people in my league to improve my team and to claim unknown and upcoming players on the ‘waiver wire,’ which is essentially the market for players who are not on a fantasy roster,” he said.

For Joshi, watching his team progress is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. “The best part of playing fantasy football is the thrill each week and the work you put in to craft the perfect roster,” he said. “It is my favorite part of the week, sitting down on Sundays and watching football for my team — the Green Bay Packers — and my fantasy football team.”

To show support for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, the Title IX Club hosted a lunch event called “Chalk Flowers for Survivors.” Junior Annabel Honigstein, co-president of the Title IX Club and a Forum editor for �鶹��ӳ���, emphasized the importance of commemorating the day. “Every year we draw flowers and positive, kind messages on concrete surfaces to show our support for survivors,” she said.

The Title IX Club also organized an informational session with district Title IX Coordinator Robert Andrade. According to Honigstein, the event aimed to educate students about district policies and reach a wider audience through advertising.

Junior Anika Jayanth participated in the session and found it to be informative. “I learned how the district goes about (handling) sexual assault complaints,” she said. “I learned how there are varying degrees of intensity when it comes to sexual assault and how each of them is dealt with differently.”

During the activity, I found out that a photogram is an image created without a camera by placing objects onto photogenic paper and exposing it to light. We began by choosing small objects to display on print, from strings of colorful ribbons to 3D-printed animals. Rummaging through the boxes, I picked out a pink ribbon, a chess piece, two dice and a string of purple beads. I then arranged my objects under the enlarger, a specialized projector used to produce photographic prints. Once everyone was ready, a quick flash lit the dark room. After taking out my photograph-to-be, the last steps were to soak the paper in the developer for one minute and then in water for 15 seconds before leaving it for one minute in a photographic fixer to stabilize the image. After my paper had been thoroughly soaked, I left the dark room and gazed, surprised, at the print. The once-white paper was completely black, with the objects I had chosen visible in bright silhouettes. The print had turned out better than I expected, and I felt a sense of accomplishment at having learned something new. At the end of lunch, I felt regretful that I had not been to earlier meetings in the school year that included other hands-on activities such as using pinhole cameras and making cyanotypes; even though I came as a spy, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Photography Club meeting.