Volume 15, Issue 2 by The Roundtable

The student-run publication of Stuart Hall High School | 1715 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Volume 15, Issue 2 | Thursday, September 24, 2020

Colleges change testing policies

Leaders build community virtually

Nik Chupkin | Photo illustration

TESTING TIME? As an increasing number of colleges go test-optional for the 2020 admissions cycle due to test day cancellations because of COVID-19, students must decide whether or not taking standardized tests will help their applications. Some universities said they will adopt test-optional policies permanently, while others say they will require tests again once the pandemic has ended.

Universities go test-optional due to pandemic; some schools to keep new requirements

Sartaj Rajpal

Editor-in-Chief

any universities across the United States and around the world have altered their requirements for standardized testing in college applications due to unequal access to testing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The change has students questioning the importance of testing in the college admissions process. “Many colleges were already test-optional, and many of the colleges who have adopted this policy, some permanently, some for one or two years, were already considering this before the pandemic,” College Counseling Director Rebecca Munda said. “Admissions leaders are concerned about the trends in test scores by race and ethnicity, and extensive research shows that standardized test scores are most strong-

ly correlated to a student’s life circumstances.” While most colleges and universities are not requiring the ACT and SAT for admission in 2020, the term “optional” has many applicants worried. “I’m just concerned about the seeming lack of transparency and long-term planning,” senior Vincent Behnke said. “‘Test-optional’ can mean a lot of things, and with testing policies constantly changing, it really adds uncertainty to an already stressful situation.” The National Association for College Admission Counseling has put together a document to assuage applicants’ fears about the meaning of “optional.” “Due to the cancellation of these test dates, over 500 colleges have signed a pledge with the National Association for College Admission Counseling that affirms that test-optional truly means ‘optional,’” Munda said.

The colleges’ policy changes have many seniors choosing not to take the test if it is not readily available to them. “It’s not worth it,” senior Peter Wolfe said about trying to take standardized tests. “I have friends who have obsessed over cancellations, and some have even driven out of state to take their test. When schools go ‘test-optional,’ this is exactly what they don’t want you to do.” College counselors are stressing the importance of seniors meeting with them to make a decision on whether or not to test. “They should be having a conversation with their college counselor about testing,” Munda said. “As a department, we do not want students putting themselves and their health at risk. Getting on a plane, driving to another state, that’s putting yourself at risk. We don’t believe

NewsBriefs REOPENING PLAN

Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco is preparing to reopen campus for in-person instruction after an inspection from the San Francisco Department of Public Health. While the lower form will open first, President Ann Marie Krejcarek provided an optimistic high school reopening date of Oct. 24. Those who choose to return to campus will have to undergo COVID-19 testing every 1-2 weeks.

you should do that, but families are going to make their own choice.” For now, future applicants have multiple options when it comes to standardized testing. “I personally think standardized testing is stressful and exhausting,” junior AP Pang said. “I think it is a poor way to reflect actual learning of a subject, and it also tends to be fairly biased. People who come from a wealthier background can get test prep classes, test books and practice tests. The College Counseling Department says it is unsure about how colleges going test-optional will affect the college admissions landscape in the future. “I don’t want to say this is the end of testing, but this could be the beginning of the end,” Munda said. “We’re at a huge moment in time right now, and the College Board and ACT are struggling.”

COMMUNITY HEALTH Convent & Stuart Hall has hired a full-time counselor and a school nurse for the 2020-21 school year. Wellness counselor Roberto Parris's message to students is to not hesitate to reach out to him if they need help handling life's challenges. Head of School Tony Farrell says the decision to hire registered nurse Katie Coleman is "critical for organizational alignment and community well-being."

Henry Murray

Sports Editor

ith classes continuing virtually due to the current closure of high schools by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, student government is working to build community during times of separation by leading the first allschool virtual social event on Aug. 28. “Our goal was to create a platform for our student body to have fun,” Vice President Noah Cross said about the “Community Reunite” event. “We especially wanted the freshmen to get to know each other, as we know how difficult it is for them to socialize right now.” Although the year began with Student Council only having four members in its four executive positions, community representative elections took place Sept. 18. New members of student government include Arts Rep David Louie-Grover, Athletics Rep Bo Darwin, Equity and Inclusion Rep Eric Lee, LIFE Rep Owen Akel and Spirit Rep Zeke Noveshen. “The community representatives are really helpful to address specific community needs,” Student Body President Mattheus Tellini said. “Having them run individual assemblies, events or other student council-led activities is really important for strengthening community.” Last year’s upperclassmen expressed concerns about losing the sense of Stuart Hall tradition by distributing “Stay True to Our Roots” stickers. This year's executive committee looks towards carrying on that conversation. “Maintaining brotherhood through our school’s traditions means everything at Stuart Hall,” Tellini said. “Whether you’re a freshman learning from the guys above you or a senior enjoying your last year in the community, making sure we have each other’s backs and strengthening our brotherhood is what defines our community.”

SAILING PRACTICE Members of the Stuart Hall sailing team have resumed in-person practices while adhering to COVID-19 transmission guidelines at St. Francis Yacht Club, which is not associated with the school. Each person is given their own single-handed boat and must wear a mask at all times except when on the water. Sailors from other San Francisco schools are also participating in these practices.

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Election

The Roundtable | September 24, 2020

Presidential debates to take place Sept. 29, Oct. 15, 22 Studies suggest debates have small impact on swaying voters

Owen Akel

Senior Reporter

he Presidential debates are scheduled to take place on Sept. 29 and Oct. 15, 22 despite a request by the Trump campaign to change the moderators and dates of the debates to take into account early voting, which the Presidential Debate Commission rejected Aug. 6. Many recent studies, however, question whether debates even make an impact on voters, suggesting the Trump campaign should not worry about the significance of them. “I think they should move the debates earlier because people should be informed on the candidate's views before the election,” junior Greg Kosmowski said.

Eight million Americans will have started voting by Sept. 16. The letter characterized those who would vote before the debates as “disenfranchised.” Research suggests that debates are not as important in swaying voters as some people believe. Despite the large viewership that debates attract, voters say they find debates useful but not “determinative” for selecting a candidate in an election, according to Pew Research Center. “I will have made up my mind before then,” history teacher Bruno Vetter said about deciding which candidate to vote for before watching the debate. Each of the 2016 presidential debates between candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clin-

ton had a mean of 74 million Americans, but only about 10% of voters said they were swayed. “I think the debates will be important, as several swing states don’t send mail ballots until after the first debate,” senior Vincent Behnke said, “and polling consistently shows that undecided voters say the debates will be a big factor in their decision making.” Many voters, however, do not remain undecided as late in the election as the debates. Nearly 70% of Americans said they made up their minds before or just after the party conventions in 2016, according to Pew Research Center. “If you have been paying almost no attention to politics, then the debates might be mean-

ingful,” Vetter said. “I haven’t seen a debate format that really gives people enough time to go over the issues in any important detail.” Seven in 10 Americans are “politically active,” according to Pew Research Center. While being “politically active” does not necessarily mean someone is up-to-date with the political landscape, it does include generally showing support for a specific presidential candidate or political party. “Absolutely,” senior Monty Buesnel said when asked if he will watch the debates. “Generally, I am pretty dead set on one candidate. A big part of my decision to watch it is for entertainment, but I want to hear if anything changes, too.”

Officials divided over mail-in voting

California to send ballots to all registered voters, offer in-person polling places

Nik Chupkin

Editor-in-Chief

hile President Donald Trump continues to raise the idea of voter fraud through mail voting, Gov. Gavin Newsom is making sure all registered voters receive ballots in the mail for the 2020 presidential election. “The right to vote is foundational to our democracy,” Newsom said in a Twitter post on May 8. “No one should be forced to risk their health to exercise that right.” Some members of the Convent & Stuart Hall community say they are not worried about voter fraud and plan to vote by mail this election in order to stay safe from COVID-19. “My family usually votes by mail,” senior David Louie-Grover, who recently turned 18, said. “I am perfectly fine with mailing in my vote to keep myself and those around me safe.”

Others say they are hesitant to vote by mail due to worries about President Trump attempting to invalidate ballots counted after Nov. 3, as California will count all ballots received up to 17 days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before Nov. 3. “I am concerned about how our current president might use the chaos of mail-in ballots to sow confusion about their legitimacy,” English teacher Mark Botti said. “If I don’t mail my ballot in, then I know I’m getting counted on Election Day.” San Francisco will mail ballot packets 29 days prior to the Nov. 3 election and provide 589 in-person polling places throughout the city, as well as a number of locations where voters will be able to drop off their ballots. The State of California Elections Division has released a guidance document “directed

toward California county elections officials and their workers as they prepare safe, clean environments to ensure the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election can be conducted during the current COVID-19 pandemic without creating new health risks,” according to Elections Division Chief Jana M. Lean. The state requires counties to provide face coverings to election workers and voters who arrive without them. Staff may not, however, turn away voters who do not wear face coverings. “The right to vote takes precedence,” according to the Elections Division guidance document. “In such circumstances, election workers should consider additional physical distancing.” With a larger portion of citizens indicating they will cast their votes by mail this election cycle, some government officials have raised questions about the

security of mail-in voting. “The ballot is cast outside the public eye, and thus the opportunities for coercion and voter impersonation are greater,” according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Election Lab. “The transmission path for [mail] ballots is not as secure as traditional in-person ballots.” Although some studies hypothesize that voting by mail may be less secure than at a polling place, “universal voteby-mail does not affect either party’s share of turnout or either party’s vote share,” according to a study conducted by Stanford University. Even though voting will look different this year, new voters say they are excited to cast their ballots for the first time. “I want my first time voting to go as well as possible,” Louie-Grover said. “I just want to encourage everyone who’s 18 to get up and vote.”

Presidential Debates Sept. 29, 6 p.m. PDT Candidates discuss 6 major topics

Chris Wallace Moderator: Fox News Sunday

Oct. 7, time TBD Citizens pose questions

Steve Scully Moderator: C-SPAN Networks

Oct. 22, time TBD Identical to Sept. 29

Welker Moderator: Kristen NBC News Sources: Debates.org, C-SPAN Nik Chupkin | The Roundtable

California Voting-By-Mail Timeline Oct. 15

Ballots mailed to all registered voters

Oct. 19

Deadline to register to vote in the 2020 election

Nov. 3

Deadline to send mail-in ballots

Nov. 20

County elections office must receive all mail-in ballots Sources: Sos.ca.gov, Vote.org Nik Chupkin | The Roundtable

Op-Ed

The Roundtable | September 24, 2020 Staff Editorial

Teens need to start socializing cautiously High schoolers must find balance between mental health, COVID-19 safety

he current strict social isolation that San Francisco mandates of closing schools and restricting group gatherings could pose significant risks to teenagers' mental health, some of which could be dangerous. Students must continue to socialize while staying conscious of their physical health and that of those around them. “High school students transmit similar to adults, so we are being more cautious as we approach their reopening,” Mayor London Breed said about the city's decision to reopen high schools at a later date, no earlier than November. The city also shut down nearly every public park, closed all athletic fields and even took down the rims of basketball hoops, thereby city officials like Breed by directly and indirectly preventing teenage social interaction are opening the door for mental health problems. There is a strong correlation between perceived social isolation and depression, according to a study conducted by The Royal Society. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents ages 10-24” in the US, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. Ninety percent of adolescents who commit suicide have a mental illness, of which depression is the most prevalent. Twenty-four percent of people surveyed said they exhibited signs of depressive disorder in May 2020, almost three months into shelter in place, as opposed to 6.4% in Jan–June 2019, ac-

How often do you attend group social gatherings?

Robin Tsai & Nik Chupkin | The Roundtable

cording to Statista. It is a no-brainer for government officials to encourage, or at least consider, the possibility of allowing some form of teenage socialization, given that COVID-19 has not affected that age group as much as other subsets of the population. Sixty-eight out of a total 189,000 people aged 5–18 have died from COVID-19. This subset of the U.S. population is responsible for 0.035% of all COVID-19 deaths, according to the CDC. These statistics, however, fail to address the possibility of adolescents who contract the virus infecting more vulnerable age groups such as parents, grandparents or anyone they come into contact with who has an underlying health condition. In contrast to the 300 deaths from the adolescent age group, the average age group of parents,

45–54, represents 9,047 total deaths, so high schoolers could pose a significant risk to their family if they bring the virus home. Despite COVID-19’s low mortality rate in adolescents, lasting impacts of COVID-induced illnesses can manifest after patients recover. To teens, these illnesses can often be more dangerous than COVID-19. After recovering from COVID-19, some children developed Kawasaki disease-like symptoms, which include irregular blotches and rashes on the skin colloquially referred to as ‘COVID toes,' problems with the gastrointestinal tract and high fever, according to Medpage Today. In contrast to conventional Kawasaki disease, COVID-19induced Kawasaki patients experience inflammation of the

heart. Some doctors say these persisting conditions could be a result of the damage COVID-19 causes to the organs and vascular system, according to CNN. COVID-19 is certainly a dangerous health crisis that poses different but valid threats to nearly everyone. That said, government officials should permit teenage socialization both in the form of reopening high schools and in gatherings outside of school. Anyone participating in social gatherings, however, needs to demonstrate caution and limit group size and inter-group interaction by staying in fixed social distancing “bubbles.” As a society, we must all reexamine the various physical and mental health risks of COVID-19 because the current situation is unbearable.

Sartaj's Stance

Social media users need to be more skeptical of what they read Sartaj Rajpal Editor-in-Chief

’ve been getting a lot of Trump and Biden ads on YouTube lately. Either Trump tries to disparage his opponent, or Biden asks “for a favor.” Being forced to shelter in place during a global pandemic has made us even more reliant on social media, which already plays a crucial role in elections and political campaigns. Whoever wins the social media game has a very good chance of winning the election. The 2020 election is becoming less about who the better candidate is and more about who’s not as bad. Trump’s disapproval rating is 52%, while 48% of voters said that the Democratic presidential

Campaign ads from candidates, supporters can spread misinformation leading up to election candidates put forward in July of 2019 were “generally bad,” according to a Marist College poll. When faced with two mediocre-at-best choices, a voter must choose “the lesser of two evils.” Right now, the lesser of two evils is Biden. Even though one candidate is clearly better than the other, both of them are playing the social media game, and it’s warping the political landscape leading up to the election. Russia’s blatant attempts to disparage Hillary Clinton’s candidacy and boost Donald Trump’s chances in the 2016 election have made me more skeptical about what I read online. Sadly, this may not be the

case for everyone. Approximately 72% of American adults use at least one social media site, according to the Pew Research Center. Whether that be Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, each app has its fair share of problems. With most of the general population using social media, the amount of misinformation people consume is rising, especially because we are in a time when teens solely rely on platforms like Snapchat for news. It’s a lot harder nowadays to grab a newspaper at a local coffee shop during a global pandemic. With the abundant amount of information available at our fingertips, it’s becoming increas-

ingly difficult to determine if the information we see is actually correct. For example, there’s a great deal of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. NewsGuard published a list of about 325 sites suspected of distributing incorrect information about the coronavirus. At the end of the day, an election is a competition. Each candidate and his supporters will do anything to gain an advantage, including spreading misinformation on social media. I’m going to be extra careful when listening to YouTube ads or reading social media posts about current events going forward.

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Staff Sartaj Rajpal | Editor-in-Chief Nik Chupkin | Editor-in-Chief Henry Murray | Sports Editor Owen Akel | Senior Reporter Will Burns | Senior Reporter Robin Tsai | Cartoonist Ansh Ghayalod | Reporter Tracy Anne Sena, CJE | Adviser Stuart Hall High School Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco School Address 1715 Octavia St. San Francisco, CA 94109 Mailing Address 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115 Contact the Staff roundtable@sacredsf.org 415.292.3161 Unsigned pieces are the opinion of the editorial staff. Reviews and personal columns are the opinions of the individual author and are not necessarily those of Stuart Hall High School or Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco. Corrections and letters may be addressed to the editors at roundtable@sacredsf.org.

Sports

The Roundtable | September 24, 2020

Pandemic changes college recruitment for current, possibly future years Athletics faculty expect adjustments to schools' eligibility requirements

Will Burns

Senior Reporter

he COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a variety of new factors that will affect recruitment of high school athletes, causing uncertainty about continuing sports at the collegiate level to both student-athletes and the coaches and trainers who work to support them. “Since the cancelation of the spring 2020 season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has had to make decisions around their continuing eligibility requirement for students who essentially lost the year of competition due to the pandemic,” Dana Kuwahara, Head of Athletics & Physical Education, said. Various rules regarding roster management, student-athlete eligibility and scholarship dollars have to be reconsidered to accommodate the larger pool of athletes who are allowed to and wish to participate, according to Kuwahara. “I think that there will be adjustments made to still give high school seniors the opportunities to get recruited,” Kuwahara said. “They will just be a little different than what has typically occurred.” College coaches will now have to scout for prospective recruits without meeting them in-person. Student-athletes are also unable to access recruiters as easily. “The NCAA has put in new rules limiting in-person con-

Nik Chupkin | Zoom screen capture

VIRTUAL EXERCISE Athletics, strength and conditioning coach Barclay Spring hosts an upper body workout via Zoom on Sept. 18. The Athletics Department began organizing a variety of daily workouts and sport-specific team meetings after the North Coast Section postponed Fall sports until Dec. 14.

tacts this year,” Athletics Director Charles Johnson said. “The recruiting windows are also shorter. Athletes will really need to sell themselves if they are not obvious scholarship athletes.” As college coaches will be less likely to attend in-person athletic events, filling out online college recruitment profiles have become more important for students. These recruitment profiles, however, do not address the fact that students may not be able to demonstrate their skills directly. “In my case, the lack of sports

has changed the recruiting process because I do not have as much film to send to colleges as I would have liked,” senior Eamonn Kenny said. “I am also not able to visit colleges and coaches.” While recruited athletes are expected to participate in college athletics, the inability to visit and experience colleges has affected some athletes' decisions about continuing their sports at a high level after high school. "I want to go to the best college academically that I can," Kenny said, "and then see if I can play sports there, no matter the

level." The NCAA and California Interscholastic Federation's new safety regulations could continue into future seasons, in which case they would impact recruitment for future graduating classes. "It really will depend on how many seasons continue to be impacted by this pandemic and what new rules or policies will be made in response," Kuwahara said. "We are certainly living through unprecedented times. We are learning more every day and making adjustments as we go."

NBA must focus on players' mental well-being Sports Editor

s the NBA heads toward the end of the season in its closed off “bubble” style of competition, dialogue about athletes’ mental health is a conversation that the league continues to push to the side. While the league’s commissioner Adam Silver implemented the bubble strategy as the best means of mitigating COVID-19 cases amongst players, coaches and press, the severe closed contact nature of the bubble is unsustainable for the player’s psychological health. Athletes face numerous obstacles that make the bubble a difficult working environment, the greatest concern being isolation. Anyone working within the

Black Lives Matter movement mixes with sports

Henry's Huddle

Henry Murray

Athletes boycott games in protest

Social distancing 'bubble' keeps players from loved ones, detrimental to psychological health bubble is prohibited from seeing anyone outside of league-sanctioned COVID-19 testing. The social isolation of athletes from their families could have harmful effects on their spouses and children. While athletes are oftentimes on the road during a regular season, they still get to come home from away games and be with their loved ones. Boredom may seem like a small problem to professional athletes, but players have limited outlets for free time and remain trapped in their work environment in DisneyWorld in Orlando, Florida. Players are allowed to play golf and video games, and even go on fishing trips, according to

the NBA. While these activities could help manage stress and improve mental health, athletes practice so frequently that they have little time to actually engage in them. NBA players have roughly 60hour work weeks, according to Bleacher Report. LA Clippers forward, Paul George, came out about his mental health problems, saying he felt trapped and isolated in the bubble. “I underestimated mental health,” George said. “I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Us being locked in here. Whether I was the first to say it or not, we're all dealing with it.” The NBA employs numerous psychiatrists and other mental

health experts, but a psychiatrist cannot fix problems caused by isolation from friends and family. Multiple sports have implemented alternate methods of reducing COVID-19 transmission that allow players to continue both competing and seeing their loved ones. The strict bubble format cannot last the duration of the 20202021 season. The NBA needs to figure out a way to allow players to have more freedom and continue their work at the same time. The Disney World bubble is not as magical as it sounds. It was a money-making scheme made to trap players and make their sole focus basketball.

Ansh Ghayalod

Reporter

he shooting of James Blake in Wisconsin brought more attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, drawing outrage from professional sports teams. “Athletes in our country are celebrities,” junior Jesse Steyer said, “so when they choose to boycott, it makes people realize how serious they are about the issue.” The Milwaukee Bucks basketball team boycotted their game against the Orlando Magic on Aug. 26, and other NBA and WNBA teams followed suit. “The boycotts are a great way to put pressure on team owners and league management to get involved with Black Lives Matter,” senior Luke Moore said, “especially in leagues such as the NBA and NFL, where the majority of athletes are Black.” Professional athletes say that they cannot play sports when violence against racial minorities continues. “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus cannot be on basketball,” Bucks player Sterling Brown said in a prepared statement from the team. The first time the movement against police brutality mixed with sports was when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem on Sept. 1, 2016. “He took a lot of heat for that,” Steyer said about Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem. “He innovated the idea of taking a knee as a form of protest, which was then adopted and amplified by the players today.” Some students who say they do not experience racial discrimination also say they agree with teams standing up for social justice. “People like me, whose skin color is white, makes them have a much greater chance of benefiting from racial bias,” Desnoyers-Piña said. “If teams, who have a big influence on many people, become activists and show that this problem needs to be fixed now, then people who look up to athletes will follow them.” NFL teams are protesting in various forms, with some choosing to kneel or stay in their locker rooms during the national anthem, while others are wearing names of victims of police brutality on their helmets. “During the pandemic, since there isn’t as much to do, people really are paying attention to the televised games,” Steyer said. “These protests are drawing the attention of many people in our country whose lives have not personally been touched by racism.”