The Hawkeye September 2020

FROM THE EDITOR: WELCOME TO A SCHOOL YEAR UNLIKE ANY EVER

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MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL | 21801 44TH AVE. W MOUNTLAKE TERRACE WA 98043

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SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 1

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DISTRICT PLANS FOR CL 2.0 TO LAST AT LEAST THROUGH FIRST QUARTER

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SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

FROM COVID-19 TO SCHOOL CLOSURES TO WILDFIRES, WE CAN’T CATCH A BREAK WELCOME TO THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR Smoke from West Coast wildfires smothered the Puget Sound region with unhealthy air quality conditions for almost a week

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2 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Letter from the Editors

OP/ED

A MOST UNUSUAL START N

ormally, the start of a school year would be a flurry of activity, with freshmen figuring out how to navigate the transition between middle and high school, and others learning their new schedules, room Ritika Khanal C0-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF numbers, faces and routines. However, nothing about 2020 has been “normal.”

Ever since schools closed due to COVID-19 in March, our community has undergone many adjustments.

Suddenly, simple things like socializing with friends have become difficult, and many of us feel alone and overwhelmed.

With little in-person interaction, it has become difficult to separate ourselves from the craziness that is the world.

Most of all, the places that were once consistently there for us are no longer accessible. No more visits to the library for a good book in a secluded corner, no hallways to roam around in with friends every day, no assemblies to grow spirited in and no school dances to socialize.

However, as the months have gone by, we’ve become more and more creative individuals. We’re finding ways to be there for one another, even if it isn’t in person. We have developed new routines.

Now, here we are, beginning a new school year in the most untraditional way possible. After many sleepless nights and days of planning, our teachers and staff have come back strong, determined to give their students the best remote learning experience that they can.

Although staff are trying their absolute best, there are still families struggling.

Some don’t have meals, many are without internet and others still feel alone and overwhelmed by their situations.

A couple months before the start of this unusual school year, I, along with fellow journalist Nico Francois, were honored with the position of Co-EditorsIn-Chief of the Hawkeye. For those who don’t know, the Hawkeye is the student

newspaper at Mountlake Terrace High School, and “our mission as a designated open public forum is to provide the MTHS community with quality, thought-provoking, student produced publications.”

While I am honored to be given the responsibility of leading our publication, I know we have a lot of work to do. There are people in our communities who don’t have what they need, and as long as that is a reality, we have a duty to tell their stories and ensure their voices are heard.

In a time when we are all hunkered down in our homes trying to figure out how to learn, teach and stay positive, those stories are more important than ever. As an organization, we have the responsibility to ask the tough questions, identify inequities, tell the stories that make all of us feel less alone and bring the community together.

I know that this is a big task, and I know how important having all voices at the table is. Whether you’re a teacher, student, parent, grandparent or caregiver, your stories matter. Your voices matter, and the Hawkeye intends to do everything in its power to serve you and tell your stories.

There are three main ways we plan to do this. First, our website, www.thehawkeye.org is the fastest way to access our latest news, and more importantly, it allows our readers to contact us. Second, we can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @MTHSHawkeye.

Finally, we plan to publish a physical newspaper on a consistent schedule this school year. Although most of our society has switched to an entirely online platform, it’s nice to flip through a physical paper. As a result of current limitation, we are not yet sure exactly how our readers will be able to get a physical paper, but those details will be available through our website and on our social media accounts as soon as they are available.

I know these are tough times, but remember that we are a community, and we will get through this together. Please reach out to us through our website and our social media accounts. We’d love to hear from you, and we look forward to working with you this year.

Hawkeye

The HAWKEYE

The Hawkeye’s mission is to provide the MTHS community with quality, thought-provoking student produced publications. Since 1960, we have faithfully served our audience and community as an open, public forum where student editors make all decisions. In policy and in practice, the Hawkeye is a designated open forum publication.

Editors-in-Chief

Nico Francois & Ritika Khanal

Editorial

News Editor: Rachel Davis Sports Editor: Fateh Sial Op/Ed Editor: Casey Carpenter Lifestyle Editor: Maggie O’Hara Copy Editor: Sophina Chen

Visual

Photo Editors: Caroline Erdey & Damaris Ibrahim Design Editor: Sov Sot Data Manager: Lin Miyamoto A/V Editor: Hunter Michaelson Graphics Editor: Nico Francois

Online

Online Manager: Nathaniel Reyes

Business

General Manager: Theresa Van Distribution Manager: Trinity Alber Outreach Manager: To Be Named

Staff

Tommy Tran, Cecilia Negash, Sage Thompson, E.J. Jones, Justin Barsness, Katrina Bushman, Natalie Doty, Ben Hawkins, Jonah Paulsene, Phuong Lam, Sarvinoz Rakhmatova

Support

Adviser: Vincent F. DeMiero, CTE, CJE, CHS Journalist-in-Residence: Samantha Pak FANs Coordinators: Sandra Scherich & Cathy Fiorillo Printer: Pacific Publishing Member of: MTHS ASB, JEA/WJEA, NSPA, SPLC, ESD CTE

Policies

Editorial Policy The editorial section of the Hawkeye, including editorial cartoons, serves as a forum for well-written, thoughtful, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Hawkeye Editorial Board. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. The Hawkeye will print submitted guest editorials as space allows and requests that all contributors include their name, signature and position relative to the editorial. The Hawkeye will edit all submissions for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any submission.

Letters to the Editor Policy Readers are encouraged to voice their opinions in the Opinion section, a public forum for the expression of varying viewpoints on relevant topics. The Hawkeye will print as many letters as space allows. Letters must include the author’s name, signature and class or position relative to the letter. Typed or legible, hand written letters are acceptable, but should not exceed 200 words. The Hawkeye will edit all letters for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any letter.

Advertising Policy The Hawkeye will not accept any advertising that the Editorial Board deems to be: factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantiated attacks; offering goods and/ or services illegal for teens to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; creating imminent danger or disruption to school. The Hawkeye reserves the right to refuse any advertising, solicited or unsolicited. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board.

Complete policies are available at www.thehawkeye.org/about-2/mission-policies/

Cover photo by Fateh Sial © 2020 HAWKEYE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

• www.TheHawkeye.org • Editor@TheHawkeye.org • TEMPO@TheHawkeye.org • phone: 425.431.5058 •

Hawkeye

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2020 | 3

CL 2.0: ZOOM & THE NEW LOOK OF LEARNING FROM AFAR

By Nathaniel Reyes ONLINE EDITOR

The Edmonds School District, on July 29, reversed its initial decision to begin school in the fall with a Hybrid AA/BB learning model. Subsequently, the fully-online remote learning model, dubbed Continuous Learning 2.0 (CL2.0), was launched with a few hiccups on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The CL2.0 model requires 25 minute Zoom meetings with every teacher on all weekdays except Wednesdays, as well as large chunks of independent work time.

The district will assess the possibility of reopening schools into the Hybrid AA/BB model at the end of each quarter.

In an email sent to students and families, first-year Superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas stated that the Snohomish Health District had recommended against beginning in-person instruction in the fall due to a rise in COVID-19 case rates, similar to statistics seen

in March, before the initial closures. He then informed families that the ESD would be continuing on with its CL2.0 program throughout the fall.

The email identified three ways that the district planned to make CL2.0 better compared to the remote learning model in the spring: by having simplified digital resources, clearer expectations and a focus on a digital sense of belonging. These acts resulted in a unique school environment that began on Sept. 9 – the day regular in-person classes were scheduled to begin.

The biggest difference with the remote learning model is the required Zoom meetings. Every class, with the exception of advisory, meets for 25 minutes everyday, with the exception of Wednesdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Advisory meets for 15 minutes between second and third periods every day of the week, except for asynchronous learning days on

Update: Local impact of pandemic

By Theresa Van

Wednesdays.

These Zoom meetings differ from last spring in the way that they are less about teaching and are more meant for social and group interaction between students and teachers. Attendance is taken during the Zoom meetings, but teachers have been instructed to recognize the on time turn-in of an assignment, or an email concerning the absence from a Zoom meeting as a token of attendance.

Paraeducators, student teachers and occasionally administrators attend these Zoom meetings, similar to how they would drop in on classes during in-person learning.

Smaller, less obvious changes have been made to the CL2.0 model. For example, teachers have been asked to move everything to Canvas, the learning management system for the 2020-2021 school year. While many teachers had already been using Canvas before school closures, this mandatory change still affected a select few.

SMOKE CHOKES NW

By Rachel Davis

BUSINESS MANAGER

NEWS EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY NICO FRANCOIS

The number of COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County has reached a total of 7,385, with 216 deaths as of Sept. 11. While cases continue to climb slowly but eminently, around 1,770 people in total have recovered from the virus.

The city of Lynnwood has announced that it has recorded 1,157 cases of COVID-19, while the city of Mountlake Terrace has reported 198 cases.

There are currently 13 testing sites available throughout the county, but according to the Snohomish Health District’s website, certain locations may be temporarily closed due to air quality concerns originating from recent wildfires on the west coast and in Eastern Washington.

Snohomish County officials have decided to continue following Gov. Jay Inslee’s instructions on how to handle the current COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 response plan in Snohomish County thus far is to continue the mandatory mask mandate, prepare for an increase in demand for medical supplies and services, minimize the impact of long-term school closures and continue to provide daily updates on COVID-19 statistics and changes.

Teachers have also pushed hard due dates far back from where they would have them during in-person learning, citing that it allows for students to be able to turn assignments in on-time despite the remote learning hardships.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been ravaging the world and closing schools across the nation for seven months now, it will end eventually.

As of Sept. 10, the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard suggests that the state may reach the point of having very few cases by early next month. The district’s plan for reopening into the Hybrid AA/BB model is to assess the situation at the end of each quarter.

If they deem at the end of one of the quarters that the threat of the virus to students and staff is no longer considerable, then officials may reopen schools for in-person instruction, initially in the Hybrid model.

Wildfires have been quickly spreading from the East Cascades into Western Washington since Sept. 7, causing unhealthy air quality levels throughout a majority of the state.

As a result of the intense wildfires ravaging the state and much of the West Coast, a giant smoke plume has traveled toward the Pacific Northwest, hitting the Puget Sound area on Friday, Sept. 11.

“Areas of smoke will continue across the Inland NW into Friday,” said an air quality alert sent out by the National Weather Service (NWS) on the afternoon of Sept.

10.

“Increasing smoke region-wide is expected Friday night through the weekend… Air quality across the region

could vary from moderate to hazardous.”

Government officials recommend going outside only if completely necessary, and doing so for short periods of time to avoid breathing in too much of the unhealthy air.

Locally, Mountlake Terrace recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 244 at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, according to several sources including AirQuality.com. According to the EPA’s website, any reading over 200 is considered “Very Unhealthy” and that people should remain indoors because “everyone may experience serious health effects.”

As of Sunday, the AQI was still above 200, but the forecast for the week indicated that air conditions would improve because of rain.

GRAPHIC BY NICO FRANCOIS

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IN THE KNOW

YEARBOOK UPDATE

Hawkeye

KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING! The TEMPO, Hawkeye, TheHawkeye.org and HBN have each created materials commemorating the 60th anniversary of Mountlake Terrace High School. Be sure to check the Hawkeye’s website for more information on how to get your copy of HBN’s video, and revisit issues of the 20192020 Hawkeye for past features. The Hawkeye will continue to honor the 60 year legacy of MTHS, and we’d appreciate it if you passed along your story suggestions, too.

GO HAWKS!

YES!

• THE 2020 TEMPO YEARBOOK IS ON ITS WAY AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION IN EARLY NOVEMBER. • THERE WILL BE A 2021 TEMPO YEARBOOK! MORE DETAILS TO COME! ON BEHALF OF THE HAWKS STUDENT MEDIA STAFF, WE ARE SORRY THAT THE 2020 TEMPO HAS BEEN DELAYED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. WE ARE PLEASED THAT THERE WILL BE A BOOK EVEN THOUGH IT’S LATE. QUESTIONS? LET US KNOW AT TEMPO@THEHAWKEYE.ORG

CONTACT US AT EDITOR@THEHAWKEYE.ORG

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• www.TheHawkeye.org • Editor@TheHawkeye.org • TEMPO@TheHawkeye.org • phone: 425.431.5058 •

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