The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

The news site of Glenbrook South High School.

The Oracle

Gwyn Skiles

Gwyn Skiles, co-editor-in-chief

Hello! My name is Gwyn Skiles and I am a co-editor-in-chief of The Oracle. I edit the articles published for our paper and our website, write editorials, columns, and features stories, and I design pages. I also am a lab aide for the Intro to Journalism course, where I help new members of The Oracle develop interview skills and writing techniques. Outside of my involvement with The Oracle, I am Vice President of Drama Club, a member of Chambers Singers, and a Soprano Section Leader for the Junior Titan A Capella ensemble.

All content by Gwyn Skiles
Skilled Skiles: Writing radio scripts on election night at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, former co-editor-and-chief Gwyn Skiles has found a home in journalism organizations. Skiles emphasized applying yourself in college through extracurricular activities and looking for new friends. Photo courtesy of Gwyn Skiles

Live your life in bold.

Gwyn Skiles, former co-editor-in-chief
May 21, 2021

My first week of college was tough with a capital ‘T’.  I met nobody. I didn’t have a roommate to talk to throughout the day. Half of my neighbors decided not to come to campus. All social events...

A letter to eighth grade self: high school proves to be time of identity formation

Gwyn Skiles, co-editor-in-chief
June 12, 2020

Dear Gwyn, Right now, you’re frantically trying to find a graduation dress that passes your knees and has straps thicker than three fingers to satisfy Attea’s dress code. You’re walking across...

A letter to the class of 2020

A letter to the class of 2020

Gwyn Skiles, co-editor-in-chief
April 10, 2020

Dear fellow seniors,   This sucks.  While scrolling through our parent’s Facebook and Instagram posts littered with messages directed to the Class of 2020, the phrase “we’re all in...

Marijuana’s first month legal: South students, staff reflect on impacts of new Illinois law

Gwyn Skiles and Maggie Baumstark
February 14, 2020

From political campaign stages to casual sidewalk conversations, the question of the legalization of marijuana has long been a hotly debated topic. Illinois recently took a powerful stride in the debate,...

Oracle After Hours: ‘Thank you for your service’ falls short

Gwyn Skiles, co-editor-in-chief
December 6, 2019

I rarely ever feel short.  While standing in front of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. recently, an umbrella of emotion surrounded me. When I ran my hands across the marble, slick with water...

Head in the clouds: Students question vaping habits after reported deaths

Head in the clouds: Students question vaping habits after reported deaths

Gwyn Skiles and Anne Ribordy
November 15, 2019

On 1823 Waukegan Rd. sits a small shop brightly lit with red and blue lights. The shelves are lined with shiny delicate hookahs and memorabilia patterned with cannabis leaves. This stimulating atmosphere...

Solemn singing: Singing on Ravinia’s stage, Conspirare performs the song “The Fence (That Night)” about the night Matthew Shepard spent the last hours of his life tied to a fence. South’s Chambers Singers performed soon after. Photo courtesy of Ravinia

Chambers Singers performs at Ravinia

Lexi Babich, Julia Marriott, and Gwyn Skiles
October 4, 2019

On Thursday Sept. 12, many audience members from the Chicagoland area excitedly held their tickets in the seats of Ravinia’s pavilion, as they awaited the performance of Conspirare, a professional choir...

Fagel perserveres, defies cancer diagnosis

While most people spend their birthday celebrating the life they’ve lived, Principal Dr. Lauren Fagel feared for her own life when her doctor said her mammogram results were “more suspicious than not.”...

Valiant Voices:  Delivering a passionate speech, a young woman stands in front of an enthusiastic crowd while students around her silently protest with impactful signs. Students from across the Chicagoland area gather to partake in Evanston’s climate strike, which took place on Friday, September 20. Photos by Gwyn Skiles

[Photo] School leniency proves essential for youth activism

The Editorial Board
October 4, 2019

Valiant Voices: Delivering a passionate speech, a young woman stands in front of an enthusiastic crowd while students around her silently protest with impactful signs. Students from across the Chicagoland...

Illustration by Erin Zhou

Worldwide events unveil the need for empathy

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
May 24, 2019

Humanity. To me, humanity is not defined by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political identification, or ability. Instead it captures love. Whether it be greeting someone in passing, picking...

Heavy school workload results in poor student habits

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
April 19, 2019

How many more times do we have to say it? We need more sleep and less homework. As a junior, I find myself drowning in the work I have to do, the amount of notes I have to take, and the amount of tests...

Outside adventures prove beneficial for mental health

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
March 15, 2019

Adventure. When I lived in Sammamish, Washington, weekends were spent hiking, swimming in lakes and building forts out of fallen tree branches. Now, my time is consumed with school work and extracurricular...

Illustration by Ella Prillaman

Teens in hospitals lack representation and entertainment

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
February 8, 2019

I often look back on my earliest memories when I was living in Mount Prospect. One in particular has always stood out. I was about four years old, peering out of a window in my yellow room, five sparkly...

Smiling with Santa Claus (left), the Easter Bunny (center) and her younger sister (right), Gwyn Skiles celebrates Christmas and Easter as a young child. Much of Skiles’s fun and festivity during the holidays came from her belief in these mythological characters, which she maintained through the age of eight.

Mythological characters inspire magical moments

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
December 14, 2018

I work at a café with a single mother named Maria* and I often ask her about her three-year-old son, Chester*. This upcoming holiday season, Maria was telling me how Chester is starting to comprehend...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoying Christmas Day in 2017. The royal couple were wed on May 19, 2018.

Oracle After Hours: Gwyn Skiles on letting love win

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
December 7, 2018

My favorite fantasy when I was about five or six, was to be a princess in a castle with a handsome prince. I lived in my blue sparkly Cinderella costume, dancing to sing-along Disney princess DVDs in my...

Jolly Ginger:   Sheeran performs onstage in Chicago on Oct.4 at Soldier Field. www.billboard.com

Ed Sheeran incorporates authenticity and honesty in onstage performance, live-show

Gwyn Skiles, asst. opinions editor
November 16, 2018

When I walked up the ramp of Soldier Field surrounded by a sea of blue t-shirts resembling the cover of Ed Sheeran’s most recent album, Divide, I couldn’t help but grin with anticipation. With my family...

South’s students discover identity through transfer from private to public school

Gwyn Skiles, staff reporter
March 16, 2018

The age of adolescence tends to be a time where life is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, mostly experienced during the five days a week spent at school, according to junior Jack Taylor. He...

South students utilize various outlets of stress relief

South students utilize various outlets of stress relief

Gwyn Skiles, staff reporter
February 9, 2018

Mindlessness, relaxation, leisureliness. According to sophomore Ella Prillaman, these words don’t come to mind when describing high school. She says whether it’s homework, deadlines, presentations...

MOTIVATED MCGRATH: Junior Maddy McGrath gives a pep talk to other students at a Model UN conference. McGrath is on the board of Model UN, and is enrolled in AP Government, and AP U.S. History, in hopes of pursuing a career in government in the future.

Students take multiple classes within departments

Gwyn Skiles, staff reporter
January 15, 2018

As students structure their schedule for the upcoming year, almost every student will hear the strict words, “eight classes maximum.” Not many students decide to take multiple classes in the same department,...

STRIDES FOR A CURE:   Cheering at a Cure Club event (left), sophomores Lina Pedrelli, Sammy Tvaroh and Erin Nukk smile for the camera. Gathering for a group photo (right),  Cure Club members huddle together after their Stride for a Cure event. Last year, Cure Club raised approximately $50,000 for cancer research, a number they hope to surpass this year.

Cure Club offers support for those affected by cancer

Gwyn Skiles, staff reporter
November 10, 2017

Grief. According to senior Amanda Swanson, grief is powerful and can sometimes motivate people to make an impactful change in their community. This is something Swanson experienced after having lost her...

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