THE HILL NEWS VERBA VOLANT, SCRIPTA MANENT
VOLUME CXXI. NO.XII
April 28, 2021
Nearly 300 students ages 16+ receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine By PAIGE TIMBROOK ’22 STAFF WRITER
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to significantly impact our society, the administration quickly became determined to provide the Hill community with access to the vaccine. With nearly 83% of the eligible student body on pace to be fully vaccinated by May 13, the administration is hoping to create a safer and more normal environment for the last six weeks of the school year. Having developed a prior relationship with Rite Aid for the flu vaccination clinic, Hill communicated with this company for nearly two months about the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus. “I continued to reach out to them because our goal is to make it to graduation and provide the 6th formers with the most normal experience possible,” Heather Gelting, director of human resources, explained. Knowing Rite Aid was expecting supply in the beginning of April, the administration sent out an email to parents on April 1 with TBD dates. On April 2, the school found out Rite Aid healthcare workers would be able to travel to campus on April 8 and provide students with the Pfizer vaccine. The administration quickly assembled a team to begin working on the consent form, effective communication with parents and the clinic layout on campus. “We immediately stopped what we were doing to make this happen because this was a significant step toward community health,” Kristin Spencer, Hill’s medical director, said.
In the Mercer Field House on April 8, 273 students received their first dose of the vaccine. An additional 41 students have independently arranged for the vaccination. “When we learned the vaccine was becoming more widely available, we believed we were eligible because we are a residential campus. This is an honor for our school because we were the first high school in the state of Pennsylvania to have this opportunity,” Gelting said. When the students checked in, they received a card with an exit time. They were advised to drink a bottle of water before getting vaccinated and wait in the field house for 15 minutes afterward. When their time was up, they checked out at another table, and they were offered a card for the waffle truck as well as Tylenol. “I had an overall positive experience,” Chelsea Mills ’22 said. “I was really surprised that they handled the clinic so professionally, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to receive the vaccine.” With a large number of the student body obtaining the vaccine, the administration looks forward to conducting more activities within our campus bubble. “If boarding students are not having outside exposures, we have a really high level of confidence that the 6th form will be able to congregate at graduation more than they would have been able to before,” Dean of Students Ari Baum said. That being said, the school is still very mindful of the case numbers rising, and they expect students to remain cautious for the rest of the school year.
A Rite Aid clinician prepares to administer Pfizer vaccine.
PHOTO BY ERICK SUN ’24
Noah Toole ’22 and Sarah Jiang ’22 hope to aid third formers.
PHOTO BY ERICK SUN ’24
Hill elects Sarah Jiang ’22 and Noah Toole ’22 as the next SGA Co-Presidents By JENNIE KI ’23 STAFF WRITER
The 2021-22 Student Government Association election has come to an end. Newly elected SGA Co-Presidents Sarah Jiang ’22 and Noah Toole ’22 will assume their positions and lead Hill into the next school year. During the virtual co-presidential debate held on April 9, Jiang and Toole said they want to inspire the Hill community through cooperation and harmony within every Hill student member and faculty. The two will be the voice of the Hill community. A goal set forth by the two co-president-elects is to help students integrate into the community of the Hill School. “Noah and I had our fair share of struggling to be part of the community,” Jiang said. “So, we would like to reach out to students who are new or who are having a hard time fitting in. The best way is to reassure them that it takes time, but eventually, it will get better.” Through their experiences at Hill, both co-president-elects
emphasized the importance of empathy and understanding between the SGA and student body. Jiang and Toole also reaffirmed the missions and responsibilities to Hill that SGA co-presidents hold. “We emphasized that Noah and I want to lead while serving the school and not the other way around. Many people might find the SGA intimidating, especially for incoming third formers. We would like to make students comfortable. We will try to lessen ourselves as presidents and more like peers who have the voices that can talk to faculty,” Jiang said. In addition, Toole said, “Third formers are important because they are the future of the Hill School; and they are new, so they are anxious and scared. We will try to immerse them into the Hill family and show them what Hill is about. If third formers feel involved and in the culture, everyone’s morale will overall increase.” Inspired by the actions of current Co-presidents Sasjha Mayfield and Andrew Chirielieson,
Noah and I had our fair share of struggling to be part of the community. So, we would like to reach out to students who are new or who are having a hard time fitting in. The best way is to reassure them that it takes time, but eventually, it will get better. —Sarah Jiang ’22
Third formers are important because they are the future of the Hill School; and they are new, so they are anxious and scared. We will try to immerse them into the Hill family and show them what Hill is about. If third formers feel involved and in the culture, everyone’s morale with overall increase. —Noah Toole ’22 Jiang and Toole hope to create a more inclusive environment on campus regarding race, gender, and sexuality. “Noah and I want to push activities such as the DEI, HASOGI, and advisory BLM talks. We would like to bring awareness and create a natural atmosphere for talks,” Jiang said. During and after the co-presidential debate, Jiang and Toole both expressed determination to further lead the community with more unity and harmony. “We want to see the community succeed and better our school,” Toole commented. Understanding the Hill students’ various perspectives and experiences, the SGA co-president-elects are determined to create a friendly culture within the Hill School.
More news on SGA: Form debates take place on May 10, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Zoom. Hill’s female students discuss how the administration handles sexual abuse
Hill’s future is brigher without APs
Kieu Anh Hong ’21 receives her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
PHOTO BY ERICK SUN ’24
APs, with the anxiety and the limitation they bring, have increasingly become a hindrance to students’ academic pursuits. It’s time for us to reconsider the future of APs at Hill.
Live music returns in the spring For 23 years, women and girls have occupied the halls of The Hill School as students. Looking in from the outside, it is a community that flows with autonomy; but a very different picture is painted from the inside.
The lights dim as hundreds of students and parents pour into the auditorium. The air is heavy with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the lively performance.