Opinion: Grades must go

Nisha Marino and Emma Romanowsky

April 7, 2020

Superintendent Mary Streshly said it best; COVID-19 is not a hurricane. In the school board meeting held on Zoom on April 6, the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic was described as a different kind of natural disaster — a silent one. Perhaps it is the noiselessness that has caught us off guard. Th...

Opinion: ‘Anne with an E’ didn’t deserve to be canceled

Kaylene Lin, Staff Writer

April 4, 2020

At the beginning of 2020, Netflix released the third and final season of "Anne with an E." Although I was several months late, when I finally sat down to watch it, I was nothing short of blown away. After bingeing the entirety of "Anne with an E" in two weeks, it has become my all-time favorite show....

Dear Class of 2020

Anna Feng, Managing Editor

April 3, 2020

Dear Class of 2020, Hi. You might know me from a class we've taken over the years, a club we attended together, or you may not know me at all. Regardless of whether or not we experienced high school together, I know one thing: because of a virus that is out of our control, the final few months of...

Opinion: Climate change needs more recognition in school

Camille Kay, Staff Writer

March 27, 2020

Climate change is referred to as the fluctuating temperatures on the Earth’s surface and otherwise known as global warming, which doesn’t sound super harmful, but can have catastrophic effects.  The science classes that I have participated in have not formally addressed the topic of climate chan...

Opinion: The DARE program has failed Gen Z

Khalid Kishawi, Staff Writer

March 27, 2020

I vividly remember sitting in the Tierra Linda Middle School gymnasium, crammed between 500 students. I was in eighth grade, and I knew exactly who the presenters were and what they would say over the next hour, almost word for word. My 13-year-old mind was bored as I watched a middle-aged white m...

Opinion: The pandemic creates a new generation of germaphobes

Anna Wilkinson, Staff Writer

March 26, 2020

"Stay inside and wash your hands." I am sure you have heard this from various figures of authority throughout the past month. While washing your hands is very important, buying all the hand sanitizer in the store because you are terrified of germs is absurd. When you return home from the stor...

Opinion: Grades must stay

Samantha Chu, Managing Editor

March 26, 2020

I've always been good about doing my schoolwork and staying on top of my academics. For four years, I have maintained A's in all of my classes, and I was hoping that I would be able to finish my last semester as a high schooler with another all-A report card. However, the recent actions of the Palo A...

Opinion: School closure is a short-sighted decision

Allison Raisner, Staff Writer

March 25, 2020

Throughout all the communication received, one thing is clear from the school district: they have the best interest of the students and families in mind. But with the best interest for students and families in mind, the most suitable actions to take would be to reopen schools before the end of the semes...

Minorities are more at risk from COVID-19

Katerina Gaines, Staff Writer

March 24, 2020

In a short period, COVID-19 has shifted from an epidemic to a pandemic. With the spread of this virus, many are experiencing federal and local government restrictions on activities due to health precautions and in the hopes of slowing down the spread of the virus. The past few weeks have made way for a shopp...

Opinion: Without music, life would ‘B-flat’

Sophia Deynega, Staff Writer

March 23, 2020

As Beethoven, a famous composer, once said, "Music can change the world." I started playing the piano when I was 6 years old. Looking back, I now realize how invested my piano teacher was in her passion for music. She was already in her 90’s and suffered through Alzheimer's, a disease that refle...

Opinion: Online learning is not advantageous in the long run

Brayden Young, Staff Writer

March 23, 2020

I always heard that online school was so much better than having to go to school, outside of the comfort of your own home.  According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, there are 1.7 million homeschooled students and counting, who are either studying online or with the hel...

Opinion: There are upsides to living and learning at a distance

March 22, 2020

Although the transition from on-campus to at-home learning has been difficult for many, there are also many positive aspects of the new system.