The student-run publication of Stuart Hall High School | 1715 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Volume 15, Issue 1 | Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Year begins with remote learning Administration implements new schedule to prepare for return to campus
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Sartaj Rajpal
Editor-in-Chief
tuart Hall High School has begun the 2020-2021 school year remotely, implementing a new schedule to reduce person-to-person contact if the county permits in-person learning on campus. The new schedule consists of four blocks of 4.5 weeks in length, during which students attend the same two classes each day and have the same peers in both classes. If in-person classes resume, groups will also have lunch together in order to provide better contact tracing if a member of the cohort contracts COVID-19. “The block is designed to offer the least amount of contact, both student-to-student and teacher-to-student,” Head of School Tony Farrell said. Some students say the new schedule is unnecessary due to the continuation of online learning. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to be online for the whole semester,” senior Nicholas Schiller said. “The plan that we could come back in 4.5 or nine weeks seems overly optimistic. I think the system our school instituted in March worked really well.” Farrell said the administration would like students to return to campus as soon as possible, provided all regulations preventing in-person learning are lifted. “We’re operating from a fun-
damental principle that we think our type of education is best delivered in person,” he said. “Where we’ve really tried to work from is that we believe in having kids at schools, so let’s make it safe.” The school has exceeded all safety regulations implemented by the County of San Francisco in order to prepare for the start of the school year, including furnishing both campuses with MERV filters (which trap small particles) and airflow regulators. Students say they are appreciative of the effort the school is putting into making online school more manageable. “The situation is really difficult to manage, and trying to find the best solution to education in the age of COVID-19 can be quite challenging,” senior David Louie-Grover said. “Generally, I feel a little odd coming into school with a completely new schedule, but I know we’re in a much crazier place now and have to adapt.” The Back to School page of Convent & Stuart Hall's website lists guidelines and strategies in order to help students and parents gain a clearer understanding of the school’s actions to combat the spread of COVID-19. Every person entering school premises must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms every day and cannot exhibit any of the listed symptoms detailed by the San Francisco Health Order. Additio-
Learning plan Students will stay together in groups FOR BOTH CLASSES THAT CHANGE EVERY SESSION a semester will be condensed into 4.5 weeks of instruction
Semester 1 SCHEDULE AUG
8/18-9/15
10/16-11/13
9/16-10/15
11/16-12/18
sessions
LUNCH, Co9-11:30 a.m. curriculars 11:30 a.m.1-3:30 P.m. 1 p.m.
Block classes
Co-Curriculars MonDAY
WEDNESDAY
TuesDAY
12:25-12:45 p.m. 12:25-12:45 p.m. Grade 9-10 Meetings Advisory
12-12:50 p.m. Clubs
thursday
Friday
12-12:50 p.m. Clubs
12:25-12:45 p.m. Chapel/Assembly
Sources: Sacredsf.org, Michael Buckley
Return continues on 2
Nik Chupkin | The Roundtable
Fall sports to begin in winter
Athletes stay active in preparation for regional, state championships in March
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Will Burns
Senior Reporter
he California Interscholastic Federation has modified the 2020-21 athletics calendar and pushed back dates for sectional, regional and state championships until March at the earliest, with games and meets beginning in January. The CIF left each section to determine what the exact dates will be, with the North Coast Section Fall athletics season now poised to officially begin on Dec. 14. “I agree with their choice to postpone the season,” senior Eamonn Kenny said. “It's more important to keep people healthy and safe.” The CIF will continue “monitoring directives and guidelines” with “student health and safety at the forefront,” according to its website. Despite practices being
officially postponed until December, however, student-athletes have found ways to keep active and prepare for their respective upcoming seasons. “I’ve been lifting weights and getting stronger,” Zeppa said. “I have access to a home gym, and the combination of that and dieting has seriously improved my size, strength and speed.” To help athletes train and stay in shape, coaches from various teams have been reaching out to students with workouts and information on how to best improve over the extended offseason. “I’ve been communicating and working heavily with Coach Joe, a coach for the football team,” Zeppa said. “With his help, I’ve made serious improvements to my game.” For athletes who don’t play on any school teams, Dana Kuwaha-
Leo Casinelli | With permission
WORKING OUT Senior Vasco Travis holds a plank in his backyard during the summer in preparation for football. Although fall sports were postponed until January, athletes are staying in shape by either working out by themselves or following an Athletics Department program.
ra, Head of Athletics and Physical Education, has added a multitude of scheduled virtual workouts and workout plans to the weekly athletics updates. “We find ourselves in a non-traditional start of our athletics seasons,” Kuwahara wrote in an email to the student body. “The athletic department will still provide opportunities for all students to keep up their physical fitness, stay engaged with teams and have some fun, even in a virtual setting.”
Despite the seasons being condensed together with significant overlaps between both the new Fall and Winter seasons and the new Winter and Spring seasons, there is still hope that athletes may be able to participate in all sports they’re involved in. “Almost every season since my freshman year I have been participating in two sports,” Kenny said.” Thankfully, the coaches have always been very accommodating with my situation and have helped me schedule my time.
Columbus Hall awaits final approval New space includes kitchen, auditorium
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Henry Murray
Senior Reporter
fter 13 months of renovation, including several months of set-backs, the fully completed Columbus Hall is awaiting the final sign off from the city department of inspections before the community can finally use the space again shortly after returning to campus. The renovation has drastically changed the previously open layout into a room with multiple facets and varying uses. “There is now a fully functional commercial kitchen which is something the campus has never had before,” Geoff De Santis, Director of Physical Plant, said. “This will provide for SAGE to execute their full lunch experience to mirror what takes place on the Broadway Campus.” In addition to a new eating space and cafeteria, students will have the opportunity to share projects and art in a larger space. “The auditorium is equipped with state of the art audiovisual equipment for presentations, classes, webinars or fun,” De Santis said. “New seating has been installed which will create both a sense of community and ability for solo work to take place,” De Santis said. For upperclassmen, The Columbus Room was a frequently-used space during the beginning of their high school careers but has been absent for over a year. “I am truly excited to see how the Columbus Room has changed from the room we once knew as freshmen,” Student Body President Mattheus Tellini said. “It has been a while since we have been able to step foot into that space, and I am excited for the underclassmen to encounter it for the first time.” De Santis says that the lunch program at the Pine-Octavia campus will be identical to the service at the Broadway campus with the addition of a full commercial kitchen “The disconnect in lunch programming between the two campuses no longer exists which is great for the whole community,” De Santis said. Those who experienced the old Columbus Room seem ready to embrace the new differences. “Considering all of the funny and memorable moments we had in the Columbus Room, I think it’s definitely a little sad to see the old and original room go,” Tellini said, “but at the same time, it’s exciting for the community to get a new and improved space.”
The Roundtable | August 26, 2020
Community examines racism amid protests Engagement in anti-racist movements sparks discussion on exclusion at school
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Owen Akel
Senior Reporter
he rekindling of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the death of George Floyd in late May, has some students engaging directly in the movement beyond the inclusion programs Convent & Stuart Hall has implemented over the past several years. “I went to see these protests because it’s a very important cause, and you could help participate in ending racism in the United States,” junior Jean-Luc Desnoyers-Pina said. “George Floyd’s killing really opened my eyes, and I felt there has to be a change.” Desnoyers-Pina participated in the Golden Gate Bridge, South San Francisco and Ocean Beach protests, and also attended a memorial for Floyd. “The current BLM protests are about setting right a historical legacy of injustice, but it’s also about cherishing my friends and advocating on their behalf,” Michael Buckley, Chair of Community LIFE, said. “I am in wholehearted support of the Black Lives Matter movement, for the sake of our country, our school and — personally — for many people about whom I care a great deal.” The Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 after George Zimmerman fatally shot an unarmed Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old high schooler, and was acquitted by a jury. “We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people,” according to a statement on the Black Lives Matter website. “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another.” These “villages,” sparked by Floyd’s death, have prompted nationwide protests. “People protest that Black Lives Matter because of the racial injustice we witness,” junior Daniel Hawkins-Collins said. “Throughout the whole civil rights movement, we African Americans have mostly sought peaceful protests. The riots that went on do not represent BLM.” Some Convent & Stuart Hall students say they are not satisfied with the school’s attitude towards BLM and incidents of racism, and an Instagram account called “sacredsfspeaksout” surfaced after Floyd’s death, posting anonymous claims of racism within the school. “I think that ‘sacredsfspeaksout’ is a byproduct of our school not being able to communicate and have a dialogue with students who desperately want it,” senior Eon Kounalakis said. “After hearing from teachers and faculty about this issue, it seems like some faculty care more about the image of the school, rather than the students who attend it.” Some students, however, say they are satisfied with the school’s
Return plan exceeds city guidelines to reduce transmission Year from 1
Alliza Manayan | With permission
Gabriela Piña | With permission
response. “Our school has been really aware of what’s going on,” Hawkins-Collins said about the school’s response to BLM. “Everyone has their opinions, and that’s fine, but I haven’t seen anything that needs improvement with the school about this subject.” Convent & Stuart Hall has been offering special programming for the student body for the past several years as well as extracurricular opportunities promoting diversity and inclusion that interested students may engage in. “We do have plans, some that already existed, others that came into being in late May, and still more for the future,” Buckley said. “Before the current BLM protests began, the school was making a variety of efforts to address systemic racism and to promote equity and inclusion in our own community.” Past events include the Next Chapter and Manovill Fellowship genocide education programs, as well as the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. “One of the biggest things I learned from SDLC is that diversity makes us strong, but love and compassion make us a community,” junior Andre Pang said. “It’s our job as people to appreciate each other’s differences, listen
to their stories and understand where their opinions come from.” Pang said he would like to implement what he learned into everyday student life. “We have Chapel and other community events that make space for people to speak,” Pang said. “Including community member testimonials and stories could help us get to know each other better. These stories could be from people of color or people who don’t experience the same privileges as we do.” Hawkins-Collins said he would enjoy community time to discuss BLM, racism and related topics. Due to COVID-19 and online learning, however, such meetings were significantly less frequent at the end of the 201920 school year. “We’ll need to engage with these initial, possibly stilted or awkward conversations over Zoom now,” Buckley said. “In my experience over the last week, I believe that my colleagues want to make space for these discussions in their classrooms.” In the midst of distance learning, Convent & Stuart Hall hosted a dialogue training presented with Generation Global during Cor Unum, April 27–May 1. “We received procedures to prevent debating and rather foster a place for the flowing of
FIGHTING HATE Seniors Halsey Williamson, Raphi Laluyaux, Tabitha Parent, Audrey Gaddis, Eon Kounalakis, Harriet Ritchie and Kate Baker prepare to march from Mission Dolores Park to the Mission Police Station at a Black Lives Matter protest on June 3. A group of students from Mission High School organized the protest of thousands, demonstrating the substantial involvement of young people in the movement. MARCHING ON Junior Jean-Luc Desnoyers-Piña marches in the Golden Gate Bridge Blak Lives Matter protest on June 6. The movement against police brutality experienced a nationwide revitalization following the police killings of unarmed African Americans George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
ideas,” junior Joseph Shea said about the dialogue training. “It taught us how to come into a discussion looking for a comprehensive understanding of another person’s views.” Also during Cor Unum Week, Jerry Kang, a professor of law and Asian American Studies at UCLA, conducted an implicit bias workshop for the entire community that preceded a discussion about race within all students’ English classes. “I believe that Dr. Kang’s implicit bias training was very effective in helping me learn how we all have certain biases, and we can’t see it,” freshman Dashiell Lin said about Kang’s training. “I learned I had biases when it came to politics because I treat those who have my views much better than those who don’t.” Implicit biases often cause confrontations such as Floyd’s death and result in the racist groups that BLM seeks to eradicate from society. “When America was first being built, many people felt like they were treated unfairly, and yet, history repeats itself,” Hawkins-Collins said. “If this is the land of the free, then this land should be equal for not just Black Americans, but to all people looking to escape oppression of any shape.”
nally, everyone on campus must follow the distancing plans created by the school and an architectural firm. Farrell says President Ann Marie Krejcarek’s leadership during has proven instrumental in facilitating updates to the school in order to prioritize safety. “She engaged with an infectious disease consultant and brought in a team of designers and architects,” Farrell said. “Now we have windows that open, a good forced air system, and we’ve built a schedule so that we could see class sizes that could safely be in rooms at 6 feet of distance.” Teachers say the administration is making sure they are informed and understand the new procedures. “The school has provided opportunities to learn about the safety measures they have put in place in order to protect the students and faculty,” math teacher Lindsay MacGarva said. “We met as a faculty on Zoom with Dr. [Fareed] Asfour to answer questions we might have had.” Asfour is the infectious disease consultant hired by the school to educate and inform faculty about the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once San Francisco is off the state’s watch list for 14 consecutive days, schools may obtain a permit to reopen, provided they follow the guidelines outlined in the San Francisco Department of Health Preliminary Guidance Document. “We have made it safe,” Farrell said. “We have met and/or exceeded all elements of the health care order in order to have school.”
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Staff
Sartaj Rajpal | Editor-in-Chief Nik Chupkin | Editor-in-Chief Owen Akel | Senior Reporter Will Burns | Senior Reporter Henry Murray | Senior Reporter Robin Tsai | Cartoonist Avery Kruger | Reporter 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