the verdicts
The Verdict editorial section expresses the collective opinion of the Verde Magazine staff.
Helping essential workers in our community
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HOUGH STAYING SAFE through social distancing is our primary priority, community solidarity and support is equally important during this time of crisis. The combined impact of our contributions to essential workers — even in small ways — will make a difference. Verde Magazine encourages everyone to aid the local community as much as possible with the following steps. Wear a mask According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many individuals who carry COVID-19 do not experience symptoms but can still transmit it to those around them before developing classic symptoms of illness. Thus, Palo Alto now requires by law that individuals wear cloth face coverings in public when they are within 6 feet of others — such as in grocery stores and pharmacies.
By wearing a mask and limiting close interaction, we can ensure that essential workers who risk their lives for us every day, such as doctors, store clerks and those involved in transportation, stay healthy. Support local restaurants The shelter-in-place order in California has temporarily closed all nonessential businesses. Unfortunately, local restaurants are suffering in particular from a harsh drop in orders and revenue, leaving them at risk of closing down permanently. While there is a valid concern that ordering food increases the risk of coming into contact with the novel coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom has provided guidelines for takeout and delivery regarding safe disposal and individual packaging so that consumers are protected from the virus. Both buying takeout and publicizing
Art by Michelle Kim
restaurant donation pages aids employees at risk of losing their jobs as detailed in the “Restaurant reactions” feature on page 13. Donate and volunteer Several organizations such as the Ecumenical Hunger Program and Donate Essentials take donations from local residents and distribute masks, toilet paper and disinfectant — which are crucial materials for the medical workers, families in need and the homeless who receive them. Students in the Bay Area can also pitch in by volunteering to tutor their peers online, helping make masks or organizing food drives as they shelter in place. In these challenging times, we thank everyone who has already taken initiative to help others and urge those who can to contribute their time and resources for the benefit of the Palo Alto community. v Scan the QR code on the right to be directed to the City of Palo Alto’s “Volunteer and Donation” page with a full list of programs and donation opportunities.
Despite challenges, teachers continue to support students
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N MARCH 13, the Palo Alto Unified School District announced the cancellation of school for just three weeks; days later, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order. As the district transitioned to online education over the course of a mere month, most teachers at Palo Alto High School took this sizable hurdle in stride. “They’ve been really helpful in terms of having online office hours and being ... quick to reply to any questions,” junior Trisha Razdan says. This empathy and patience, as well as flexible deadlines, have helped ease struggles as students make their way through this challenging time. Senior Ella Ball is also thankful for her teachers’ clear communication about expectations regarding student accountability
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online. are able to collaborate safely at home. “All my teachers have been ... good With no shortage of grace and effort, about laying out expectations and answer- Paly teachers and administration have ing ... questions about them,” Ball says. worked hard to provide us with an effective Other steps highlighting concern for alternative to synchronous in-person classes students’ wellbeing so that this time does not include the workload waste. All my teachers have go toWithout limit of three hours this hard per class every week been ... good about work put forth on their and the adaptation of Paly students would laying out expecta- part, certain class formats likely be struggling to to match in-class tions and answering meet their academic goals learning and cater to and further their learning ... questions about specific educational during this semester. requirements. Though the current them.” — ELLA BALL, senior system of online learning For instance, science teachers relyis not yet perfect and tening on hands-on labs are utilizing online sions still exist between members of the Paly presentations and interactive simulations community, we should remember to show to cover content, while music teachers are gratitude to the teachers who act with stutaking advantage of Zoom so that students dents’ best interests at heart. v
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