news Students adapt to grading changes
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he Palo Alto Unified School District’s shift to a credit/ no-credit grading system has provoked varied responses from the Palo Alto High School community. Paly students and parents have mixed feelings over the grading switch, and question whether the change was the right decision. Nonetheless, some juniors like Karlene Salas find solace in the relaxed atmosphere of the credit/no-credit system. “For me, it [credit/no-credit grading] was a relief because I was stressed out about everything,” Salas said. Additional sources of anxiety for Salas and for others include concern about college applications, as Verde profiles editor Andie Tetzlaff discusses in her perspective “Halt to a hard year” on page 44. During their junior year, students are expected to take standardized tests and finish with solid grades going into the college applications. “It’s slightly discouraging because some people either want to raise their overall GPA or just worked hard at the beginning of this semester so it could feel like that all went to waste,” junior Trisha Razdan said. In addition to grades, the cancellations of standardized tests like the SAT and ACT as well as the reimagined AP tests have further complicated the admissions process and frustrated students. According to an update from the College Board, 91% of respondents indicated they wanted their hard work to pay off by taking AP tests online. by MILES BREEN
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JUNE 2020
NEW ASB, NEW DIRECTOR — Greer Stone (right) will take the position of Palo Alto High School’s student activities director, replacing Matt Hall (left), starting next year. “The student activities director position speaks to my passions, because it provides me an opportunity to work with students in creating a school environment that promotes community and celebrates diversity,” Stone said. Photos: Palo Alto Unified School District
Gunn teacher announced as new student activities director
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REER STONE WILL replace Matt Hall as Palo Alto High School’s student activities director at the start of the 2020-2021 school year, according to an announcement made by the Palo Alto Unified School District on May 13. Stone is a Paly alumnus and worked as a World and U.S. History teacher at Henry M. Gunn High School and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School. Stone is a former practicing attorney and is actively involved in the local community through the Santa Clara County Humans Rights Commission, the Santa Clara County Justice Review Committee and the Palo Alto Midtown Residents Association. “I believe this eclectic mix of experiences will have prepared me for the multifaceted responsibilities of the student activities director position,” Stone said. “I have so many fond memories of student activities when I was a student here, and I’m eager to continue Paly’s greatest traditions while further developing their potential.” Hall is leaving the position of student activities director after nine years of teaching and advising at Paly. He will be taking
the position of Japanese teacher at Gunn due to the retirement of Yuki Hikada, the current Gunn Japanese teacher. “Throughout those nine years of Paly, I’ve always had my eye on returning to what I enjoy most, which is being a Japanese teacher,” Hall said. As the Palo Alto Board of Education is discussing changes to next year’s schedule, Stone noted the importance of acknowledging the pandemic when dealing with student activities next year. “It goes without saying that the greatest challenge for next year will be creating a sense of normalcy for students while dealing with the reality of a COVID-19 world,” Stone said. While the change may seem significant, Hall explained that the role of student activities director is one of a mentor to ASB rather than the leader. “You’ve ultimately got to decide together with the students what the best way forward is because it’s not ‘Matt Hall’ government, it’s not ‘Greer Stone’ government, it’s student government,” Hall said. by GIAN-PAOLO VON RUDEN
