APRIL 2, 2026
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5
Taking the floor
Review Roundup
A landscape of fear
Students serve up speeches and diplomacy during the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference.
We review the latest albums from Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, and RAYE.
As ICE deportations continue nationwide, three Bay Area teens share their experiences living with undocumented parents.
Culture // Page 6
Features // Page 15
Student Standoff: Does individual climate action matter? Kayla L. '26 and Jackson H. '26 weigh in on the issue Opinion // Page 18
Shooting hoops Inside the Nueva Community Basketball League, a group of diverse Nueva community members united by their love of pickup basketball. Sports // Page 21
News // Page 4
ILLUSTRATION: Anwen C. / The Nueva Current
PART I. “WE DON’T DATE AT NUEVA” In the hallways on campus, few students hold hands. At school dances, hardly anyone seeks or is sought to be a date. Ask a friend about their love life, and expect a laugh. The story that many Nueva students tell themselves is simple: we just don't date. As it turns out, love isn’t entirely dead among students at Nueva. According to a survey by The Nueva Current of 231 Upper School students, 39% of students have been in a relationship during high school, whether with someone inside or outside Nueva. Meanwhile, national trends show declining high school relationships: while 76% of Gen X and 69% of Millennials reported having a high school relationship, just 56% of Gen Z have had one, THE NUEVA SCHOOL
according to a 2023 American Enterprise Institute study. Not all Nueva students are chronically single, nor do their dating habits necessarily drastically lag behind other high schoolers’ today. Yet, a perception persists of Nueva’s complete lack of romance, community members raise some very realistic barriers to engaging in relationships within the school, and just 9% of survey respondents reported dating within the school. PART II. A COUPLE PROBLEMS At many high schools, exploring a crush—sliding into someone’s DMs, asking someone to a dance, or merely getting to know each other within the school walls—is between just two people. At Nueva, that exploration can sometimes
feel like a school-wide event. With a student body of 451—around 110 students per grade—some students feel that gossip about crushes, dating, or breakups can spread quickly. Given the potential social consequences of pursuing romantic relationships at Nueva, sex education teacher Kate Bedford finds it “deeply reasonable” for students to feel hesitant about dating a fellow Nueva student. “Everybody’s watching in a way that doesn't feel great. You can feel a little fishbowled,” Bedford said. Bedford, who’s taught at Nueva for 20 years, has observed that students lacking relationship experience can often pass the most judgment onto others—a trend that several interviewed students named, too. Bedford explained that judgment can
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often stem from fear or insecurity. “It's so much easier to be like, ‘Nope, ew. Those people over there, gross,’ than to be like, ‘Actually, I want to be desired. I want to be liked. I want someone to find me special. I'm willing to put myself out there,’” Bedford said. While Bedford acknowledged that students’ insecurities are valid, they can also lead to a culture of quick judgment. That small-school culture manifested for Ava J. ’26 as classmates randomly approaching and asking her to explain a recent breakup. “I love tea just as much as anyone else,” Ava said. “I think it's fun, but I don't know you. I think it's just crazy to blatantly ask someone you're not really friends with [about a breakup].” CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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