The Aquilian
October 2021 Volume 83 Number 1
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
A Return to Eye Street By: John Ferrara ‘22 Editor Gonzaga students, who are just mere weeks away from returning to Eye Street in a hybrid model after having been stuck learning over Zoom for the past few months, have endured an interesting and unique start to the school year. Traditionally, the first day of a school year entails finding a seat in a new classroom and talking with the friends you haven’t seen in three months before the bell rings. However, this year, students had to kick off the academic season stuck behind their computer screens, sitting at a desk in their quiet, boring bedroom or kitchen. To say the least, the past month-
and-a-half has been difficult for both students and teachers. Luckily, after an email announcing students would return to campus the week of October 12 was distributed to the Gonzaga community, we are beginning to return to a sense of normalcy. While this “normalcy” is far from what we would have called normal this time last year, it’s a step in the right direction towards a post-COVID world. The plan laid out by Gonzaga administration was a detailed one, and students will face many complexities when they return to campus. The most notable point in Gonzaga’s new hybrid plan revolves around the implementation of cohorts, another word for groups that has seemingly grown in use
exponentially over the last month or so. The cohortmodel will allow for onethird of the student body, or approximately 320 students, to be on campus each school day. These students will finally have the opportunity to learn in a physical classroom while the other two-thirds of the school will have to continue watching lessons over Zoom. The plan is far from ideal, but it achieves the primary goal of letting some portion of students see each other in-person while also giving them the chance to interact with their teachers and ask questions without dealing with the awkwardness of a Zoom call. Students’ cohorts were assigned using the first initial of their last names. Many are frustrated that they
won’t see their friends on campus due to a difference in their initials. Others have suggested that cohort assortments are determined using zip codes, so carpool groups aren’t broken up. Despite these disputes, the cohort plan has been relatively popular among students, many of whom have been isolated from seeing classmates since March. Outlined in Gonzaga’s “Return to Campus” initiative is a policy relating to after-school athletics. According to this plan, only students on campus may attend a sports practice, which must be held outside from 4-6 p.m. on weekdays. Once again, much remains desired for athletes and coaches, who are unsure if they will even
What to Do in the Q, 3
Virtual KINO Border In, 4
The Dingell Corner, 6
Hail to the...WFT, 7
have the chance to play in competition this year, but no one is too critical, considering there haven’t been any large group sports practices up to this point. Obviously, Gonzaga is one of the most dominant athletic schools in the WCAC and District of Columbia region, so it’s crucial that students can practice in some capacity so that they’re prepared for a potential spring season. The final point to make a note of is Gonzaga’s plan for first-semester exams. Teachers will be able to give standard cumulative exams at the end of the semester as per usual; however, they will also be allowed to assign projects, packets, or essays in place of Continued on p. 2