News

Science building to open in January

The construction of the new science building at Palo Alto High School will be completed prior to the start of next semester, according to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson.

The building, which started construction in July 2019, boasts spacious classrooms. With the expansion of PAUSD+ next semester, the Paly administration is expecting that the rooms will be used to come extent, according to Berkson.

Construction was originally scheduled to finish over the summer, but many obstacles unrelated to COVID-19 caused the date to be pushed back, Berkson said.

Classes that used to be held in the portables will move into the new building when school reopens. The portables will not be removed for many years due to other construction on campus. The Tower Building will be starting renovations in about a year, Berkson said.

by MERWA MAROF

CONSTANT CONSTRUCTION — The new science building is almost complete after over a year of construction. “It’s always exciting when there is a new building on campus, and hopefully when we go back to school I will be able to check it out,” junior Chloe Racliffe said. Photo: Merwa Marof AUSTIN ANNOUNCES — Superintendent Don Austin discusses plans for Class of 2021’s graduation in a Dec. 1 interview with Verde. Austin is prioritizing an in-person ceremony for seniors. “If we don’t have a graduation ceremony of some kind, not virtual, then it is because we were told it is prohibited by the county, and that it would be violating the law,” Austin said. Photo: Ishani Raha

Austin prioritizes in-person grad

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL for you that is nice and meaningful,” AusDistrict Superintendent Don Austin tin said. vows, if COVID circumstances al- In April, former Palo Alto High low, to do what he can to give the Class of School Principal Adam Paulson announced 2021 an in-person graduation. that graduation ceremonies for the Class

Due to the pandemic, Class of 2021 of 2020 would be held in December, after has been forced to complete their last year students voiced opposition to a virtual June of high school online. As a result of dis- ceremony. tance learning, the seniors are not able to Currently, no public gatherings othparticipate in many events such as Spirit er than explicitly stated exceptions are alWeek and both proms. lowed, meaning the postponed graduation

“It just makes me sick to my stomach will not be able to occur. that you guys are missing, essentially half Austin is unsure if the Paly graduates your junior year, an entire senior year,” Aus- are still interested in a graduation ceremotin said. “If we can do anything for you, we ny, and is waiting for the high school prinare going to do it.” cipals to report back.

According to Austin, the only reason “I knew in the moment, there was a the Class of 2021 would not be given some strong desire to come back in December kind of graduation ceremony would be due and have that ceremony,” Austin said. “But to Santa Clara County health guidelines my gut told me that strong desire would that prohibit any gatherings. fade in time.”

“Anything short of that [guidelines Marina Brogley (Class of `20) no lonprohibiting gatherings], we will have a cere- ger feels the need to have a December gradmony,” Austin said. “It is a top, top priority uation. to me to give you guys an experience.” “At this point, I don’t care about hav-

Although the graduation may not re- ing a graduation that much because it’s so semble ceremonies held in the past, Austin late and won’t be special,” Brogley said. hopes for the best.

“Our intention is to have something by PAISLEY ANNES

Restaurants prepare for winter outdoor dining

AS COVID-19 CASES rise, restau- “It will be challenging, but ... we are [of contracting COVID-19],” Rabello said. rants are preparing for colder tem- luckier than other areas,” Campilongo said. Restaurants understand this reluctance peratures this winter by focusing on If Santa Clara County remains in the in the community, and will be relying on improving outdoor dining options. purple tier, indoor seating will not be per- their outdoor dining this winter.

Terún is looking into installing a big- mitted. However, indoor dining could po- “People are not comfortable yet to be ger tent and buying more heaters, accord- tentially be avaliable if cases decline, and indoor even in those conditions,” Campiing to Franco Campilongo, Terún’s Chief the county returns to the orange tier. longo said. “We are very lucky in Palo Alto Financial Officer. The restaurant is located Even if indoor dining becomes an op- as we have amazing weather all year around. on California Avenue, which has opened its tion again, junior Bia Rabello has her hes- It will be very popular to dine outdoors, streets for restaurants, and their plans re- itations. just like in Europe.” flect a need to maintain socially-distanced, “I am not willing to eat inside during outdoor dining. the pandemic because I still feel the danger by ANYA MONDRAGON

UNPRECEDENTED PERFORMANCE — Cast members of Palo Alto High School Theatre’s “Clue” appear shocked when there is a mysterious death of a character in the Nov. 6 performance. According to cast member Charlotte Kim, performing live over Zoom has its pros and cons. “It’s been fun to explore doing theater in the virtual space,” Kim said. “It’s sad that we don’t get to see and hear the audience react when we perform.” Photo: Katherine Cheng Paly Theatre adapts to virtual plays

THE PALO ALTO HIGH School in the virtual space,” cast member of “Clue” Theatre Department is adapting Charlotte Kim said. “We get to experiment to the virtual enviroment as it pre- with camera depth and the arrangement of pares for the virtual Play-in-a-Day series on the Zoom boxes and virtual backgrounds.” Dec.19. Performing over Zoom has called for

Play-in-a-Day is an annual Paly perfor- drastic adaptations and flexibility from mance in which students write, direct and both the cast and crew of the shows, but perform an entire show in one day. the students were glad that they were able

After the successful virtual perfor- to make it work. mances in November of the trilogy of plays “It took some getting used to, but I “Mystery, Murder & Monsters” directed by think everyone in the cast and crew had a Paly Theatre teacher Sarah Thermond, stu- lot of fun and was proud of what we acdents are excited for the upcoming virtual complished,” Kim said. play.

“It’s been fun to explore doing theatre by KATHERINE CHENG

Fall sports season delayed

All high school sports in Santa Clara County are canceled until Dec. 21, according to an order from the Santa Clara Health Officials.

Fall sports have been practicing since August in socially distanced cohorts on the Palo Alto High School campus. Now, as a result of the new health order, students are no longer allowed to participate in organized practices or games.

The new mandate is disheartening for many athletes, many of whom were practicing daily for their upcoming season. For junior and cross country runner JT Bard, training alone takes away some of the motivation to run.

“I was really hoping to have my first cross country season, so I was really disappointed to hear that it’s probably not going to happen,” Bard said. “Luckily we’re going to continue training as individuals, but I’m going to miss having the team atmosphere because it helps to have others to consult with and to work with.”

by SADIE IBBOTSON-BROWN

Foothills Park opens to non-residents

COUNCIL OVERTURNS EXCLUSIONARY POLICY

FOOTHILS PARK, SOON TO BE to Foothills Park. kind of a lawsuit, which is rather frivolous Foothills Nature Preserve, will be In response to the Sept. 15 lawsuit, to me,” Kou said. “And it is also discreditopen to all non-residents on Dec. 17 City Attorney Molly Stump and City Man- ing themselves and jeopardizing their repfor the first time since its purchase in 1965. ager Ed Shikada recommended the Council utation.”

Palo Alto City Council voted, 5–2, on open the park to all residents while main- Despite Kou’s dissent, Foothills will Nov. 2 to overturn the residents-only policy taining the 1,000-person limit, rename the open to the general public. following a lawsuit filed by the American park Foothills Nature Preserve, and have “I think we will end up being delightCivil Liberties Union on behalf of the Na- preferential access to the Oak Grove Group ed that we have a park that we can share tional Association for the Advancement of Picnic Area and Towle Campgrounds. with our neighbors, wherever our neighColored People of San Jose/Silicon Valley “This lawsuit is a bully maneuver, and bors come from,” Councilmember Liz and 10 individual plaintiffs, including resi- I feel that it’s unfortunate that the NAACP Kniss said. dents and non-residents. … is actually using their name to do this by LAURA MALAGRINO

The new policy includes opening the park to all non-residents, maintaining a 750-person limit for the first 90 days, providing preferential access to residents for park facilities — including camping grounds and picnic areas — and renaming Foothills Park to Foothills Nature Preserve.

“It is about the number of visitors, it is not about the type of visitors or their geography,” Mayor Adrian Fine said. “What we cannot do is discriminate based on residency.”

Councilmembers Greg Tanaka and Lydia Kou dissented on the motion, citing issues with potential conflicts of interest MAKING HISTORY — At the Foothills Park entrance, park-goers are greeted with a sign that reads, and an injunction, a legal process which would prevent any future council from “Palo Alto residents and accompanied guests only.” After years of contentious debates over the residents-only policy, Palo Alto City Council voted at a November meeting to overturn the policy and open the park to all visitors. “This is history in the making,” Councilmember Liz Kniss said at placing restrictions on non-resident access the meeting. Photo: Laura Malagrino

Finals schedule frustrates students and staff

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS have back,” Gabrielle Juan an Algebra 2/Trig A an easy solution. mixed feelings about the Palo Alto and Intro to Analysis and Calculus teacher “I know that teachers are going to do High School final examination sched- said. “However, I wonder if it is equitable their best to be able to watch it [cheating] ule this year, which incorporates exam peri- for some periods to have an extra asynchro- and hold kids accountable,” Principal Brent ods into the distance learning bell schedule. nous day of instruction or review than the Kline said.

Palo Alto Unified School District de- other periods.” AP Environmental Science teacher Nitermined over the summer that all mid- Freshman Roxanna Reid said she is cole Loomis is not in favor of the new finals dle and high schools’ schedules must be concerned about the integrity of finals in schedule this year. aligned, which restricted the ability to the online environment. “It makes no sense that we can’t block design a custom finals week schedule. Ac- “Taking assessments online kind of the finals as we usually do,” Loomis stated cording to the new schedule posted online, sucks because you have to put such an effort in an email. “While the middle schools folstudents will have some classes that are re- in to be honest and not cheat with notes low the same schedule, there is no reason served solely for review on days where they and the internet,” Reid said. “So that’s defi- they could not also do a finals block schedalso have finals. nitely a factor to consider and it might be ule in the last week of the semester.”

“The good thing about the schedule worth it to just postpone [finals] or call off is that students will only take up to two until the spring.” by SADIE IBBOTSON-BROWN finals per day, and they are not back-to- While cheating is a concern, there isn’t and ANYA MONDRAGON