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NEWS
PAUSD early literacy rates improve. A2
SPOTLIGHT
LIFESTYLE
New quarter features Asian American. B2
Special Ed teachers confront communication gap. A4-5
Monday, Nov. 14, 2022
The Campanile
Vol. CV, No. 3
Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
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NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44
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n this year’s midterm elections, some students like senior Yash Shetty voted for the first time. “I think I’ve grown up my entire life hearing my parents discuss different propositions in primary elections or in general elections, and it’s very surreal to finally be on the other side and for my voice to count,” Shetty said. Shetty said while many young people think their vote won’t count, teens should vote because a large number of people can affect an election. “Obviously, my vote isn't going to be the swing vote in any election,” Shetty said. “But I do think that it’s important that young people do vote, because if every person has the mindset that ‘Oh, my vote doesn't count,’ then that accumulates and then eventually you reach a number that would have counted.” Senior Bella Daly said she found ways to be involved in politics before being old enough to vote for the first time in this election. “I have a postcard writing club (Postcards for Change), so that’s one way I’ve gotten involved with politics without being able to vote,” Daly said. Working with the nonpartisan organization Reclaim Our Vote, Daly and her club sent postcards to historically underrepresented voters with information on how and where to vote, but not who to vote for. While her club presents her with an opportunity to engage citizens across the country, Daly said voting this year feels particularly significant. “Now that I can vote, I actually feel like you have a say in who’s controlling you and the propositions, and what’s going on around you in your city and your state,” Daly said. Senior Morgan Greenlaw also voted for the first time this year. Greenlaw said she encourages students to vote to meaningfully contribute to their communities. “Everybody should vote because you get to, and the decisions that are made are supposed to reflect the opinions of the people,” Greenlaw said. “So if you want your opinion heard, then you should voice it.”
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301
Staff Writer
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Margot Blanco Editor-in-Chief
ART BY NIDHI THUMMALAPALLI
Introduction to Analysis & Calculus teachers announced the administrative decision to collapse a fourth period IAC class and replace it with a precalculus class to make more room for existing precalculus students on Oct. 17. After the teachers announced the decision, 16 students in the fourth period IAC class were transferred into different IAC periods. IAC teacher Zachary Barnes said the precalculus classes became too large and students couldn’t receive proper attention as a result. “In order to be successful, the student to teacher ratio is vital,” Barnes said. “For the precalc classes in particular, it had gotten to a point where the teachers could not be effective with all the students.” Administrators declined to comment. Barnes said some students were understandably upset over the sudden change, especially since it took place well into the school year. “Any change in classes is disruptive,” Barnes said. “This is telling 16 people that their schedules are going to be changed.” Junior Felicia Bulchhoz said the unexpected schedule change prevented her from downlaning in the IAC class she was struggling in. “The only period I could drop into would be into a class which I cannot switch,” Bulchhoz said. “So, I am stuck in the lane I am currently in, and they’re forcing me to not drop.” Guidance counselors declined to comment. Junior Kaitlyn Abassi said she felt the relationships she built with her teachers became cut short, even though her schedule did not significantly change. “For one of my classes that got changed, I was hoping to get a letter of recommendation from the teacher,” Abassi said. “But then the teacher changed, so I couldn’t do that anymore.” Barnes said he trusts that the kids in his class will succeed despite the disruptions in their schedules. “That fourth period class is an amazing group of kids,” Barnes said. “We all want to do what’s best for them and make that a continuous path of success.”
Art programs lack funding as student enrollment climbs
!"#$%&'(")*+$",'"-*+./*01)(/'12#3*4/.+(##'."12*'"#)/$&)./#*&1$#(#*&$//'&$2$0*#5'+)#3*16(&)#*17'2')8*).*4/.,$&(*4'(&(#3*1,91"&(*#:'22#* As enrollment in glassblowing and ceramics classes has risen from around 70 students to 90 students, funding from the state and district for these classes has remained flat. Ceramics teacher Steven Ferrera said he has had to rely more on volunteer help, encourage students to save their materials and have students do fewer projects. Ferrera said part of the issue his classes face this year is that consumables, such as clay and glaze, have skyrocketed in price due to the pandemic and inflation. “Most of the stuff we use are raw materials that are now harder to get,” Ferrera said. “It makes it more difficult to do a lot of the cooler advanced stuff.” Ferrera said the state of California gives him about $40 per student for the entire year, along with financial support from the school in the form of block grants. Block grants are grants given from the federal government to the state and local governments which can then decide where to use the money. This money is used to directly purchase materials. “(The funding) is never enough,” Ferrera said. “If you look at it just in terms of clay for the entire year, each student would get four bags of clay and one pint of glaze. My Advanced (Ceramics) kids could go through that in the first quarter.”
Ferrera also said he mostly relies on glass sales and workshops to fundraise, including the Fiery Arts program where people pay to create glass pieces with glassblowing instructors. Jeremy Rosenbaum, a Fiery Arts instructor, said instructional hours are often the first cuts to happen in elective programs. “(The Fiery Arts program) has to use their funding for both instructional hours and for production and for supplies,” Rosenbaum said. “And the production for the glass sale creates funding for everything else.” To compensate for the lack of funding, Ferrera said he has altered his lesson plans and encouraged students to save materials. Now, projects are less complicated and don’t require as many resources. However, junior Ash Batory said the amount of funding has definitely affected the number of projects they would have liked to do. The most recent project, bead making, was canceled due to lack of materials. “There was no way to replace it without the funds,” Batory said. “We were going to make glass beads, but we need oxygen tanks for that, and it’s around $200 for an oxygen tank.” Batory said their class is making their next project out of paper instead of other supplies like clay. The paper project, initially planned for later in the year, was moved up so Ferrera
could figure out how to make due with the lack of materials. “This is not what I signed up for,” Batory said. “It’s definitely not the teacher’s fault — he’s doing his best. It’s just the lack of funding.” Batory said the glass studio manager, Chris Lewellyn, still visits in his free time to help with glassblowing but he’s not getting paid anymore. Also, they said while students are still allowed to blow glass, they are left on their own, and it’s really difficult to learn glassblowing by themselves. Ferrera said he has been having Advanced Ceramics students help teach beginner students basic glassblowing techniques. “They totally help me manage the class, and there’s always a group of students that like helping out, which is great,” Ferrera said. “I buy them lunch sometimes and boba.” Rosenbaum said there is one advanced student helping with instruction in each of the beginner classes, and while they’re good at glassblowing, it’s a lot to ask of them. “I think you really need instructors there who have many years of experience both for the beginners to get their skills up and going and for the advanced students to learn some things that they’re not able to teach themselves,” Rosenbaum said.
ANNIKA CHU/THE CAMPANILE
Fiery Arts instructor Jeremy Rosenbaum helps a glassblowing workshop participant use a block.
Despite these problems, Ferrera said there has been a strong support structure for the arts from the school, parents, the community, Partners in Education and Career Technical Education. “It’s nice being in an educated community because parents have an appreciation for the arts and they know how important it is,” Ferrera said. “There’s always ways to find money, you just kind of have to be resourceful.”
Annika Chu Staff Writer