September 27, 2024 Volume 8, Issue 1 @thenuevacurrent
The Student Newspaper of The Nueva School San Mateo, California
Engaging in Dialogue Nueva students gather for a discussion. PHOTO BY KAYLA L.
Braving the Gray Zone: Where Discourse Begins Navigating the complexities of civil discourse, community members debate challenges of student activism, political polarization, and the value of civic engagement By Josie B. Editor in Chief & Ellie L. Culture Editor
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Inside this Issue:
wo years ago, Design Thinking teacher and 12th Grade Dean Morgan Snyder taught a course on service learning in the I-Lab. The class was small, and at the start of the year, students set agreements for group discussion. Snyder’s students spent months debating divisive topics, including the Bay Area housing crisis and homelessness. Midway through the course, Snyder had her students discuss whether they would let an unhoused person stay in their home if it was vacant or had a spare room available. She then posed another question to her students: “How do your answers support or contradict your political beliefs?” Caltrain Electrification New Caltrain electrification changes bring excitement for the future but criticism about spending are voiced by students.
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“We had built enough of a rapport that there were shared values and trust,” Snyder said. “I felt comfortable posing the question about students’ political views, knowing that no one would be ostracized for their answer.” She was unsure whether or not she would have felt comfortable posing the question to students in a different course. She said her class’s unique environment made respectful discourse possible. “It took so much scaffolding to get to where I could have that kind of conversation with my class,” Snyder said. “It could only have happened in a place where trust was established and in person.” Not every course can provide the same Nueva Dance Class The introduction of a new dance class with three new units and a classroom repurposed to become a dance room.
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level of intimacy and mutual trust as Snyder’s. However, in light of recent student activism and an upcoming presidential election (that has already shaped up to be contentious), Upper School teachers and administrators have identified a need for spaces that foster open, respectful discourse. In response to this need, faculty, administrators, and other community members have begun to discuss new policies that, like Snyder’s course, will strive to help students bravely express their opinions more broadly throughout the Nueva community. These new guidelines are intended to foster a climate that encourages students’
Back in the Phillipines English Teacher Pearl Bauer returns to her home for the first time since 1995.
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Student Standoff: Teacher politics in the classroom Should teachers be allowed to voice political opinions within a class setting?
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participation in partisan discussions without fear of offending or alienating their teacher. In discussions about the new policy, Nueva administrators have focused on differentiating between partisan activity and civic engagement. “The school is a place where we can encourage civic engagement and civil discourse, but not necessarily partisan activity,” said Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal. “It’s not because we believe partisan activity is bad. If we, as a school, say we are for this candidate, we lose our 501(c) status as a non-profit.”
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Nueva Fantasy Football Creation of leagues diverse in skill levels, funny team names, and punishments for season losers.
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