Issue 4 Volume CX

The Parker Weekly, Page 1

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The Parker Weekly Happy Thanksgiving!

Volume CX, Issue 4

ACIS CONFERENCE ENTERS ITS THIRD YEAR

OPEN (ZOOM) HOUSE

Parker’s Upper School Open House Went Virtual

The ACIS Administrators of Color Conference Goes Online

By Samantha Graines

By Arjun Kalra

I

n the past, the Administrators of Color Conference has been held at Parker. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference has moved online.

Administrators of Color make up around eight percent of administrators in independent schools, according to the National Association of Independent Schools, something hosted by former Associate Principal Ruth Jurgenson and Head of the Upper School Justin Brandon.

“A little over three years ago now, Ms. Jurgenson and I had a conversation about conferences in our professional development,” Brandon said. “Both of us had attended conferences where amongst a thousand administrators you’d see very few of color, so we wanted to create a space where administrators of color could come together.”

The conference was first held at Parker in 2018, had around 70 attendees, and lasted a day and a half. On the first day, the keynote speaker Dr. Ibram Kendi opened the conference, and there were two workshops on the second day, each led by different speakers. The following year, the conference grew to about 90 people from 23 states and the Virgin Islands.

While the structure of the conference remained largely the same from the first year to the second, Brandon had to rework the conference to allow it to work in an online format.

“We had to truncate it to a one day format from about 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Brandon said. “We kept the one keynote speaker and the two workshop leaders as well as a lunch conversation in between. We wanted it to be less of a time commitment in light of all the other things administrators are dealing with right now.”

The conference took place on October 23 and far exceeded its expected attendance with 140 administrators from twenty-two states and the Virgin Islands in attendance.

“The great thing about it being virtual was it was convenient,” Director of

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November 24, 2020

Parker’s 2019 Thanksgiving MX is usually held in person. Photo courtesy of Francis W. Parker.

3RD GRADE SAYS GOODBYE

Thanksgiving MX Is Replaced with Spring MX

T

By Benjamin Kagan

his Fall will mark the first year since the founding of the Thanksgiving Morning Exercise, that it will not take place. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s restriction on gathering sizes, the entire Parker community will not be crowding into the auditorium in late November to sing “Simple Gifts” at the top of their lungs. Instead, classes are canceled the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, no students will be at 330 W. Webster, and the auditorium will be silent.

Not only is the third grade not going to lead Parker through the traditional Turkey Day MX this year, but the change is also more permanent than many members of the Parker community had expected.

“The third graders aren’t going to host the Thanksgiving MX anymore anyway. So this was already going to be the first year that we didn’t host it,” said Third Grade Teacher Amy Przygoda.

The third grade team has decided, based on input from their indigenous people’s consultant, that the role of the third grade in the Thanksgiving MX will no longer exist. Instead, the third graders will present their learning about Indigenous people at an MX in the spring. “I think it’s going to be a lot more meaningful for the third graders,” Przygoda said.

There has been no public information shared about whether next year the Thanksgiving MX will be canceled or if only the third grade’s part of the MX will be gone.

“I think that the lower school should have

an active role in the Thanksgiving Morning Ex,” said Molly Donahue ‘60, a former long-time third grade teacher, Parker parent emeritus, and founder of the Thanksgiving MX. “The reason that the third grade took over was because by the time Thanksgiving came around, we were studying the native tribes in Chicago,” said Donahue. Many current students are also quite fond of the November highlight. “I think that the Thanksgiving MX is an essential part of the holiday celebrations at Parker,” said ninth grade student Jack Charfoos.

The Thanksgiving Morning Ex has always been one of the cornerstone events during the school year, when the entire community comes together to share an experience. “The Parker idea of being an entire school is vitally important and is one of the things that I valued the most about being a student there and being a teacher there and being a parent there,” said Donahue.

The third grade made its first appearance in the Thanksgiving Morning Ex in 1979, according to Donahue. “We tried to find a topic that was not just pilgrims. Tt was the earth or...we tried to come up with something each year that was more universal than just pilgrims.”

Donahue also shared that prior to the third grade’s involvement in the Morning Ex, the traditional presentation was overseen

by Bart Wolgamot in the music department.

As society has progressed, many Parker traditions have been reshaped to fit the current social climate. The Thanksgiving

Continued on page 7

“I

t is an honor and a pleasure to be speaking with you here today,” senior Olivia Hanley said. “Four years ago, I was more or less exactly where you are.

While I may have been seated in Parker’s auditorium and not staring at a Zoom screen, I am guessing you are experiencing the same range of emotions I once felt.” Hanely was this year’s senior keynote speaker at Parker’s Upper School Open House.

Every year, the Parker Upper School welcomes 20 new students to the community.

One of the events that the admissions office puts on to advertise Parker is an Upper School Open House. The Open House is usually a way to see the school and hear from members of the community. This year, due to COVID-19, the admissions office held a virtual Open House on November 14.

The Open House this year was conducted through a webinar on Zoom.

Despite being online, it still included much of the same content as an in-person Open House. The Open House included remarks from Principal Daniel Frank, Head of Upper School Justin Brandon, The Joan Feitler ‘49 Director of College Counseling Susan Weingartner, Athletic Director Bobby Starks, Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno, and a performance from Grape Jam, the Advanced Choral Ensemble. It also featured a student and faculty to add perspective to the event. The Open House also had a question and answer session.

One of the parts of the Open House that usually excites people most about Parker is the community. Translating a communal vibe is a difficult task on Zoom, but the Parker admissions office was hopeful that it would translate well online. “We have got feedback from the first two Open House’s that everyone being together on Zoom, felt like in person because our students are so articulate, authentic, and energetic even on screens, so we hope that comes through to prospective families,”Assistant Director of Admissions Paige Walus said.

B r u n o a g r e e s t h a t t h e e v e n t ’s

Continued on page 15

The Parker Weekly, Page 2

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T he P arker W eekly

“The Weekly” is supported by an endowment created in memory of Brad Davis ‘98 “Weekly” Staff ‘96-’98, “Weekly” Editor-in-Chief ‘97-’98

In this issue:

staff

Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Online Editor News Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor Photo Editor Political Liaison Culture Critic Culture Critic Columnist Columnist Columnist Columnist Cartoonist Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor

Zach Joseph Julia Marks Nick Skok Tess Wayland Jacob Boxerman Emma Manley Sofia Brown Gabe Wrubel Grace Conrad Leila Sheridan Scarlett Pencak Lilly Satterfield Rosey Limmer Spencer O’Brien Denise Román Grayson Schementi Maddy Leja Samantha Graines Max Keller Alya Satchu Eden Stranahan

The Editorial Board of “The Parker Weekly” consists of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editor, News Editor, Features Editor, Opinions Editor, and Online Editor.

Letter From The Editors

Hi Parker!

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s crazy that it’s already November! We have been in remote learning for a while now, but we are always striving to find ways to connect with another. We hope that “The Weekly” remains one of these opportunities, and as you flip through these digital pages, we hope to bring forth the sense of community that we miss experiencing every day in the halls.

We have lots of amazing content this issue, so please make sure to congratulate our staff! Make sure to take a look at Sophia Rosenkranz’s article on Zoo Lights and Eden Stranahan’s article on In-Person events.

As always, please be sure to check out our website, parkerweekly.org, for even more content, all organized by our Online Editor, Jake Boxerman.

We hope you all stay safe and healthy, and we miss you tons.

Love,

Zach, Julia, and Nick

writers Zach Joseph ‘21 Julia Marks ‘21 Spencer O’Brien ‘21 Scarlett Pencak ‘21 Denise Román ‘21 Alex Schapiro ‘21 Grayson Schementi ‘21 Leila Sheridan ‘21 Nick Skok ‘21 Sofia Brown ‘22 Emma Manley ‘22

Tess Wayland ‘22 Sadie Gallagher ‘23 Samantha Graines ‘23 Eli Greenwald ‘23 Max Keller ‘23 Sophia Rosenkranz ‘23 Alya Satchu ‘23 Owen Stepan ‘23 Eden Stranahan ‘23 Benjamin Kagan ‘24 Arjun Kalra ‘24

contributing faculty Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor

Kate Tabor Eric Rampson

Quote of “The Weekly” “SPENCER: “Let’s count down from twelve instead of three!” WILL: “Okay! Twelve, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen!”

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Letter to the Editors

The Parker Weekly, Page 3

IN RESPONSE TO “THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION” BY SOPHIA JONES

By Eli Moog Dear fellow readers, This election was not a “bad situation,” and to portray it as one simply shows a lack of understanding of America’s electorate and of President-Elect Biden’s policies.

But let’s start with politics. There is a reason that an overwhelming majority of incumbent Presidents win reelection (only 11, including Trump, have lost). After all, they have the Presidential seal, Air Force One, an uncompetitive primary, and the ability to control the 24/7 news cycle. So, when it came time for the primary, Democratic voters understood this. But look, I am not writing this to relive the primary, but to address a line from Sophia Jones’s article, “The Best of a Bad Situation.”. That line is: “Biden’s America won’t be a great America.”

I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I say this because America is hurting right now.

Thousands of Americans are dying every day from a deadly disease. America’s economy has been knocked to its knees. And America is facing a reckoning with systemic racism. Arguably, these crises were made for one man and one man only: President-Elect Joe Biden. Raised in Wilmington, DE, his career has included a stint as a public defender and two terms as Vice President to America’s first black President. This unique experience has prepared President-Elect Biden to lead our nation on the topic of race and to continue America’s attempt to finally live up to an equal and just nation.

Let’s not forget though, that by his side will be a history-making Veep, who is the embodiment of the American dream. When it comes to our economic recovery, President-Elect Biden approaches the issue thinking about working Americans, like his childhood friends in Scranton, not about Wall Street. And that’s important because for the past four years, President Trump has been solely focused on one demographic-–occupants of Mar-a-Lago. When it comes to COVID-19, Joe Biden is going to listen to the scientists and make informed public health decisions. But unlike any other politician in American history, he is defined by loss, giving him unbounded empathy, which he will use to reach out to every family that has lost a loved one. He will restore the president’s position as a moral leader. Under his leadership, I am confident more American’s lives will be saved, a vaccine will effectively be distributed, and we will return to a fairer America once this pandemic ends.

But most importantly, I think President-Elect Biden has a chance to restore America’s place in the world, and restore America’s confidence in our government. I understand this may be a long shot, and partisan politics will always exist, but it’s time that Washington returns to regular order. If we continue on our current path of destroying our institutions when they don’t fit us, or making bogus rules so you can flip a court, then we won’t succeed. The moment Democrats start playing dirty, we become no better than Sen. McConnell or President Trump. President-Elect Biden understands that. He campaigned on the promise to restore the soul of America.

Finally, in my opinion, President Obama was a really good president. But Joe Biden will be a generation-defining President, one who will use his mandate to get things done and restore America’s soul. He will be our FDR, Washington, or Lincoln. Under a Biden-Harris administration, America won’t be perfect, but every day we’ll become a little more perfect.

Have something to say about what was published in this issue of “The Weekly”? Email our Managing Editor at twayland@fwparker.org and write a Letter to the Editors to be published in our next issue!

The Parker Weekly, Page 4

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Playlist of “The Weekly” HAPPY THANKSGIVING

By Alex Schapiro

The full mix can be accessed at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QO83l5vD5cTZhZk4n9fYT or by scanning the code below.

THANK YOU

ALL THAT MEAT AND NO POTATOES

by JAY-Z

by Louis Armstrong

I WANT TO THANK YOU

BE THANKFUL

by Natalie Cole

by Alicia Myers

THANKFUL

by Céline Dion

THANKSGIVING

BLESSINGS

by Cordae

by Chance the Rapper, Ty Dolla $ing, & Anderson .Paak

MASHED POTATOES U.S.A

by James Brown & The Famous Flames

I’VE GOT PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR

SWEET POTATO PIE

by James Taylor

by Bing Crosby

STUFFY TURKEY

THANK YOU

by Thelonious Monk

by Boyz II Men

HOME COOKIN’

by Jr. Walker & The All Stars

COOKING UP THANK YOU SOMETHING GOOD 1990 REMASTER

by Mac DeMarco

by Led Zeppelin

WHERE YOU LEAD

I WANT TO THANK YOU

by Carole King

by Otis Redding

THANKSGIVING THEME

PECAN PIE

GRATITUDE

by Vince Guaraldi Trio

by Golden Smog

by Earth, Wind & Fire

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Virtual Events

12 DAYS GOES VIRTUAL

Seniors Prepare For The First Virtual 12 Days Show Twelve Days, a Parker tradition where seniors perform the gifts that accompany the English Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” usually has the Morning Exercise slot on the Friday before Winter Break reserved. After a morning of classes, students fill the auditorium to watch the senior class perform their unique rendition of the carol. It has been this way for years, and 12 Days is a staple of senior year.

While the tradition may not go away, it will definitely look different from previous years. Senior grade heads Middle and Upper School music teacher Emma Castaldi and Upper School Spanish teacher Yadiner Sabir have made the decision that 12 Days this year will be a feature film with no live components.

“We were really excited last year to start this new tradition of ‘it’s going to be mostly live performances.’ Because it’s on stage, we want to see you live. We don’t want to watch a video,” Castaldi said. “So it’s funny this year we are reverting back to that. It’s all videos.”

Preparation for 12 Days begins with the grade heads sending a survey out to the seniors asking for people they’d like to be in an act with. There are 12 total acts, beginning with a Partridge in a Pear

By Nick Skok

Tree and ending with Twelve Drummers Drumming. The grade heads sift through survey responses and make groups based on the responses. The process of making groups is layered, according to Castaldi, because they have to do their best to keep groups together and assign everyone an act that aligns with their number requests.

Additionally, there is an option for seniors to take on extra production roles.

These include Director, Stage Manager, Choreographer, and new this year, Video Editor. The role of Video Editor entails helping edit each act’s video as well as assembling the entire film at the end. An added challenge for the role is the necessity of deadlines because if the seniors don’t get their acts in on time, they won’t be in the film.

One of the Video Editors, senior Emily Simon, is excited to have been selected for the role. “It’s scary but exciting! Our entire class is super creative, and I know the production team will work really hard to make 12 Days feel as normal as possible,” Simon said. “Although it’s challenging, having the ability to do everything digitally will work to our advantage in creating a seamless production.”

Castaldi and Sabir are working closely with Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno to try and secure each 12 Days group a time to film part of their act in the building, whether that be in the auditorium or even just hallways. According to Bruno, there is a classroom currently set up on the stage that cannot be moved, so recording on the stage would be difficult.

If the grade heads and Bruno got approval to use the building, all students would have to be masked the entire time. “If we are not able to take masks off, then for me, what is the point? ‘Do you want to film with masks on?’” Bruno said. “I think the answer would probably be no, but I could be wrong. We would not want to make that decision for seniors.”

If the seniors were allowed to film at school, it would likely be on a Friday afternoon through the evening, and would resume again on Saturday morning. If it is nice outside, the field or other outdoor spaces would be used. “This is all pending on what we get permission to do. So that is where we are right now,” Bruno said.

It would be completely optional for seniors to film in the building. The grade heads and Bruno just want to provide the

seniors with the best opportunities possible to make the performance special. “For me, and I know for them [grade heads] it’s important that everything is done through the lens of the seniors. This is about you [seniors],” Bruno said. “This is not about the three of us, so we want to make sure it’s what you [seniors] want.”

Once each group finishes filming their video, they send it to the Video Editors who assemble the acts into one movie. “Even the in-betweens with the characters like Santa Claus and Hanukkah Harry and what not, that will all be filmed,” Castaldi said. “So in the end, the performance is actually a feature film from start to finish. That’s the major difference.”

Unlike how MXs have been sent out this year, Castaldi wants there to be a scheduled advisory or MX time on the Friday that the 12 Days MX would usually happen. She thinks sending the video out in a link is less effective than having a scheduled time to view it, making sure the entire Parker community watches it.

“We envision it to be exciting, different, extremely creative, and unlike any other 12 Days we have ever seen…” Bruno said.

“We expect it to be special and meaningful, it will just look different.”

PARKER ATTENDS SIMUN ONLINE Saint Ignatius Model UN Goes Virtual

On November 7, delegates from Parker’s Model UN dressed up in their western business attire and prepared their position papers, but instead of walking into Saint Ignatius College Prep for the Saint Ignatius Model UN conference, they opened their computers and logged in to Zoom.

SIMUN XIX, Saint Ignatius’s 19th annual conference, welcomed around 800 students from around 45 schools. “SIMUN is the go-to. We would never skip one,” Upper School Model UN Captain and senior Grace Conrad said.

The conference ran from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a lunch break. In the morning, there was an opening ceremony with speeches by the Secretary-General, Secretariat, and faculty advisor. At 9:30, delegates split into their assigned committees for the first committee session, which ended at noon for lunch. At 1:00, delegates returned from lunch for the second committee session. The conference ended with a closing ceremony at 3:30.

There were 38 committees this year, ranging from more traditional topics such as the World Health Organization and UN Women to Lorax: Thneedville Urban Planning Board and Marvel’s Avengers: Rebuilding After the Endgame.

Parker’s assigned positions included

By Emma Manley

“The Office” virtual committee in SIMUN. Photo courtesy of Ivy Jacobs.

Megan Thee Stallion for the Rap in 2020 committee and Pam Beesly for The Office: Crises in the American Workplace. “We did get really really really good positions this year from SIMUN,” Conrad said. “It is one of the better years for us in terms of the positions we’re getting, and I think that it’s different because on Zoom there’s less competition.”

The preparation process was similar to in-person conferences, the only change was that prep meetings were online. Delegates met over Zoom to choose positions on October 13. By October 21, they turned in

and peer-edited each other’s position papers for their first topic. Position papers are page long essays analyzing their country or person’s opinion on the assigned topic. The position papers for the second topic were due a week later and were also peer-edited.

Final papers were due the following week and there was another meeting to go over final logistics the day before the conference.

Students at Saint Ignatius running the conference wanted to do the conference in-person and in the Spring, but eventually decided to do the conference online due to the pandemic. “COVID-19 happened, and

we went to quarantine for two weeks, and I was like ‘oh whatever we’ll be back by April’ then ‘we’ll be back by May,’ and that just kept happening,” Secretary-General of SIMUN and Saint Ignatius College Prep senior Aidan Evans said. “By June, our proctor Ms. Haleas was like ‘we’re not going to be going back and the school’s not going to let us do the conference. Let’s start planning to do it over Zoom,’ and that was the moment we were like ‘oh shoot we have to change a lot of stuff, and we have to change how we’ve been doing it for 15 years.’”

During Parker Model UN symposia, there has been less participation. “We just want people to want to come up without an incentive for a trip, but I think that the incentive for SIMUN is to win the award,” Conrad said. “We’re still able to compete and people love doing that.”

Eight Parker students won awards at SIMUN. Juniors Jacob Boxerman and Alex Carlin as well as sophomore Rania Jones received the Best Delegate award.

Senior Alex Schapiro received Outstanding Delegate. Seniors Julia Marks and Carter Wagner as well as junior Tess Wayland and sophomore Drew Klauber received

Continued on page 16

The Parker Weekly, Page 6

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Polls and Surveys

JOE BIDEN’S ELECTION VICTORY Exploration Through a Parker Lens

By Max Keller

President-elect Joe Biden at a rally in Norfolk, Virginia in March. Photo courtesy of NSPA Flickr Archives.

As most Americans went to bed on Election Day, November 3, 2020, there were few key pieces of information to indicate the outcome of the most contested Presidential election in modern history. The facts that were known included a record number of early votes across the country, a record breaking 14 billion dollars in campaign spending, and record breaking turnout across the country.

Despite these facts, the Presidential race remained undecided on Election Day. Given the early distribution of the electoral map on Election Day, victory depended on the outcome of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. These three states, known as both the “Rust Belt” and, prior to 2016, the “Blue Wall,” could not be called by election officials until the massive number of mail-in and absentee votes were counted.

This process was further complicated by seemingly contradictory U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the days leading up to the election. While Wisconsin was only permitted to count those ballots received by Election Day, Pennsylvania was permitted to count ballots postmarked by Election Day but received by no later than Friday, November 6, 2020.

While most Americans went to bed on Election Day looking at a mostly red map, by the early morning hours of November 4, 2020, the map began to change. Despite President Trump’s attempt to declare victory at 2:30 a.m. on November 4, the counting of mail in and early cast ballots began to show their impact, and the map started to turn blue. By the time Parker History Teachers Anthony Shaker and Andrew Bigelow hosted their “teach-in” during lunch on November 4, Michigan and Wisconsin had turned blue. Certain news outlets, but not all, had also called Arizona for Vice President Biden and Senator Harris. At this point, the Biden ticket needed 17 more electoral votes to declare victory. The Trump

ticket, however, needed to capture all four remaining states - Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania - to achieve the magic 270 electoral college votes. Topics in advisory meetings and the lunch teach-in focused on the current status of the election and the potential court disputes, as students continued to grapple with an unresolved election.

The presidential election remained uncalled for either President Trump or Vice President Biden until November 7, 2020 at 11:30 a.m.. With Pennsylvania reporting another small batch of results, news outlets across the world declared that former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris had won Pennsylvania and, consequently, the race for the White House.

For the first time since 1992, the United States would have a one term president.

The state of Nevada was also called for the Biden-Harris ticket, with Georgia and Arizona remaining outstanding but appearing to be leaning for former Vice President Biden. Although the Trump campaign staged a press conference in front of Four Seasons Landscaping --surrounded by a crematorium and an adult toy store -to vow to dispute the results in court, there was an immediate change in titles for the Biden-Harris ticket. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris won the 2020 Election. They spoke to the nation on November 7 to begin a new era of governance in the United States.

With the election results finally determined, President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris addressed the nation on November 7 from Biden’s home state of Delaware. Despite President-elect Biden’s attempt to unify the nation, President Trump and other key Republican figures refuse to acknowledge the election results. Despite this state of denial, cities across the country

Continued on page 17

SURVEY SAYS…

What Changes Have Come From the Bi-Weekly Feedback Surveys?

By Sofia Brown Every two weeks, nearly two-thirds of the Upper School student body and just over half of the K-12 faculty select buttons answering questions from what can be improved in the online classroom setting to how many hours of homework they get per day. What happens to the Google-form after they click the big purple submit button is less known among respondents.

The Upper School administrative team created the surveys in the spring of 2020 when remote learning first commenced in order to gain feedback and assess the Parker community’s educational experience. They were split into three categories: online learning, the schedule, and community connection. While they aren’t required, it’s strongly encouraged that both students and faculty respond. “[The surveys] are to have the ability for the student voice and teacher voice to actually be factored into the decisions that the administration is making that affect all of our lives,” Middle and Upper School Director of Studies Sven Carlsson said.

Carlsson and Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno read through each survey response multiple times, first in the Google Forms summary and again on a master spreadsheet where it’s analyzed and discussed.

While during this past spring changes to the schedule and class material were seen almost weekly, now that most of the major kinks have been worked out, many of the resulting adjustments are happening behind the scenes. Some students feel like no change is happening at all.

“I feel like there needs to be more ways to help the students with their mental health,” junior Minnie Dennis said. “That doesn’t mean that they should continue to let the students get to the point where their mental health is failing then try and host an activity to help with stress, but they should be working to minimize stress from the very start.”

According to the CDC, 70 percent of adolescents aren’t getting enough sleep.

According to Parker’s surveys, 90 percent of the Upper School Student Body is getting under the recommended amount. Carlsson and Bruno have also noticed that more and more responses are reporting headaches and Zoom-fatigue.

Another Upper School student, who wishes to remain anonymous, agreed that

the administration should direct more of their focus towards mental well-being and how to respond to the survey results in a substantial manner. The faculty heading the surveys see the lack of major change differently.

“This year, the fact that we haven’t changed the schedule came from the students as weird as that sounds,” Carlsson said. “We actually thought we needed to change the schedule, and the students were like overwhelmingly don’t touch it.”

Because the data received from the surveys is never completely unanimous, Carlsson noted that the entire Student Body won’t always be happy with the decisions being made.

The Head of Upper School Justin Brandon agreed that nothing major has had to shift so far. “At this point, I guess I think it’s fair to say that we were still kind of absorbing the information from the surveys,” he said. “We haven’t made any major significant changes to the schedule.”

N o t only does the Upper School leadership look at the surveys to discuss possible changes, but they also factor in information gathered from feedback sessions run by the student body such as Senate, Small Groups, and Plenary. Student feedback regarding specific teachers is best received in ok response to the question, “Anything else you’d like to share with us, about anything at all?”

Surveys sent out to the faculty cover a similar range of topics regarding overall mood but also focus more on what they’re doing in class to improve the student learning experience. Last year, faculty were able to view student responses to the surveys on a website created by Carlsson and Bruno. Common themes were brought up and discussed in meetings. This year, however, the data hasn’t been made public yet. Carlsson has been working to fill in the website, saying that “the intent is there,” and he “just needs to upload it.”

As of now, the survey system will continue to run in the same fashion and be sent out once every other week. More significant changes are soon to come as new feedback rolls in.

“The survey means a lot to us,” Carlsson said. “All of our inboxes are on fire all the time, but I think the surveys are how most of it gets communicated and they’re just one of the most reliable ways.”

“The survey means a lot to us...All of our inboxes are on fire all the time, but I think the surveys are how most of it gets communicated and they’re just one of the most reliable ways.”

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Staying Connected!

The Parker Weekly, Page 7

IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS Student Programming Board Plans Upper School In-Person Events

By Eden Stranahan

activities for any age or type of high school student. “For me, it’s very important that these opportunities are created through the lens of the student,” Bruno said. “These social gatherings are not about me, they are not about any other teacher, they are about students. I wanted to make sure they are exactly what students want and not what I think they want.”

The committee is open for any student of any Upper School grade level to join. “I joined the committee because I really wanted to get more involved in the school,” said freshman Alesandra Ozbek. “I also wanted students to be able to get to know each other The in-person events committee is looking to plan more in-person events similar to the class gatherings in the while acknowledging COVID-19.” beginning of the year. Here, the junior class is gathered in the courtyard. Photo courtesy of Marcy Zoller.

“I don’t love being at home by myself all day everyday,” junior Sophia Rogers This school year, Parker Upper together, as close as COVID-19 guidelines said. “I wanted an opportunity to share my Schooler’s sole way of seeing classmates permit. thoughts on events I know I myself would who are outside of their school groups Bruno has called upon students to join want to be a or friend groups is through Parker his newly created Student Programming part of.” sponsored in-person events. This is why Board. Now more than ever, students are Bruno Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno took the separated from each other while all across f o r m e d a responsibility of forming an in-person the city they learn from their homes. “With similar board events committee, with the official title of the announcement that we will be remote last spring, “Student Programming Board.” until the end of the first semester, I know that w h e n t h e In Bruno’s email announcing the students are looking for a way to socially class of 2020 committee, he described the group’s intent connect with their peers as we are remote seniors was as being able to “help lead planning efforts learning,” Bruno said. “They are looking for forced online. for on campus events and social activities that way to connect in person.”

“There are over the next few months.” This group The board is run by students, for s e v e r a l will lead efforts to bring the Upper School students. Its intent is to cultivate engaging e n d o f t h e year senior traditions,” Bruno said. “I wanted to make sure that we were planning them with the seniors in complete focus, so I created a task force for those seniors.”

“I am doing something similar to the senior task force, now with the whole Upper School, to make sure these events are exactly what students want,” Bruno said.

Henry Weil, a sophomore at Parker is also on the Student Programming Board. “I

joined the committee because I think now it’s even more important to have some sort of social interaction,” Weil said. “Being with other people, even if it’s masked or socially distanced, is still really important social interaction, especially being teenagers.”

Weil describes his ideal in person event to be a movie night. “It’s probably the easiest to do with COVID-19,” Weil said.

Weil sees room for improvement from the in-person grade events and in-person advisory that occured in the early fall. “It was just a little boring,” Weil said. “I think they lost a lot of time doing not a lot of things.”

“I would like to make the events less intimidating and more exciting, so people actually want to show up,” Ozbek said.

The board is planning mixed grade events that any Upper Schooler can sign up for. The events will not be separated by advisory or group and are open to anyone who signs up while there is still space available.

A potential incentive for students to attend relies on food. “We can’t force people to attend,” Weil said. “But I think maybe offering food after, not to eat there, but to get and go.” Another idea Weil would consider is a food raffle with gift cards, similar to Student Government Senate’s Postmates food raffle.

The committee met together on Zoom for the first time on November 2 and is already planning events for the year. “Before anything gets confirmed, Mr. Bruno has to get the ideas cleared by the medical committee,” Weil said. “Ideas we have are a movie night, a Christmas walk or Zoo Lights, a club night for different clubs to meet, and then some sort of 12 Days for Seniors or other grades to meet separately.”

“I think the goal is to think like the rest of the student body,” Rogers said. “We want to think about if you were on the other side of this process what events you would want to like proposed and be thrilled to go to.”

“Students are looking for a way to socially connect with their peers as we are remote learning,” Bruno said. “They are looking for that way to connect in person.”

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THANKSGIVING MX Continued from page 1

MX, just like many other unique Parker experiences, will undergo some changes.

“I believe that the job is to do the best where you are at your moment in history and move forward,” said Donahue. While change can cause a variety of emotions from joy to dismay, particularly for an activity that has been a core thread of Parker for many students, it is important to remember the words of Joseph Brackett, “To turn, turn will be our delight, till by turning, turning we come ‘round right.”

The Parker Weekly, Page 8

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Zoolights & Zoom Class

FESTIVITIES, FOOD, AND FACEMASKS? Twinkling lights embellish the Lincoln Park Zoo. Each corner of the Zoo is brought to life with experiences featuring the festive glowing lights. The annual ZooLights are a much awaited event throughout the year.

The celebration of the holidays is welcomed by the ZooLights every year starting midNovember. However, with COVID-19 present, the celebration will look different, while still delivering, “a merry, familyoriented tradition in the heart of the city,” as stated in the Lincoln Park Zoo website.

Under the “Calendar & Events” section on The Lincoln Park Zoo website, a page is filled with information regarding the event.

Projected to take place starting November 21 through January 3, the celebration will have five free nights and will happen from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on days when the Zoo will be open.

The website also included more information about the changes the ZooLights will experience due to pandemic regulations.

The changes followed by City and State guidelines include tickets, all outdoor activities, and allowing space for social distancing. The website also included further information such as FAQ’s and more details and logistics for the beloved Chicago tradition.

ZooLights 2020 Opens With COVID-19 Regulations

By Sophia Rosenkranz

Middle and Upper School Music accommodating,” Castaldi said, after Teacher Emma reaching out to Castaldi brings the ZooLights Parker’s organizers singing group in August, Grape Jam, the first year to perform at setting up the the ZooLights performance. every year.

T h e “ I t h o l i d a y actually was celebration kind of the first includes a new tradition variety of that I added music that to the choir is present program the at different The entrance to Zoo Lights at the front of the first year that I was locations within the Lincoln Park Zoo. Photo by Sophia Rosenkranz. at Parker,” Castaldi zoo. “If you walk said. “I wanted to find through ZooLights, some new kind of performance opportunity there’s always some sort of music playing, for Grape Jam that was outdoors and more whether it’s pumped through the speakers, or caroling kind of setting.” if it’s live. It’s just a way to add more to the After a successful first year performing evening,” Castaldi said while describing the at the ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo, role that music plays during the celebration.

Castaldi decided to return every year as a However, due to the COVID-19 new addition to the Grape Jam curriculum. regulations put in place, as well as the “It was so easy to set up, they’re very precautions being taken, the live music that

SINGING ON MUTE

the ZooLights often have, like Parker’s own Grape Jam, might be limited or not present due to medical concerns it may bring.

“Singing is actually one of the biggest spreaders of COVID. It’s even worse than talking because you are using extra air and breath, and so, there is all this research and these articles just saying you can’t sing around others during this pandemic,” Castaldi said.

Public Relations & Content Coordinator for the Lincoln Park Zoo Sabrina Cynova mentions the challenges the Zoo faced while planning for ZooLights.

“The most challenging part of the planning process this year was making the decision to charge for ZooLights. For the first time in 152 years, the zoo was closed for an extended period of time” Cynova said.

“By charging a nominal admission, Lincoln Park Zoo is still able to bring this beloved holiday tradition to the zoo and community, while also breaking even financially.”

Cynova describes how while there will be charge for admissions there will still be five free nights. Additionally the charged admission decreases the amount of people present each night which favors COVID-19

Continued on page 13

A Look Into Upper School Virtual Choir Class

By Sadie Gallagher

Choir class is known for its support and socialization in a full classroom. Since March of last year, COVID-19 has stepped in the way of normal, forcing Francis Parker to learn how to teach online, making a number of adjustments. Teachers had to work out agendas and curricula for the new way of learning. The adjustments for choir are seeing classmates through mini screens and singing on mute. Although the experience is new, choir teachers are attempting to make the online environment just as special as in school.

The Upper School choir is run by Emma Castaldi. Castaldi was nervous going into this year because she felt responsible for giving her students the choir experience that motivated them to sign up. “Since this is an elective class, my students choose to be in the room for various reasons,” Castaldi said.

“I felt the pressure of giving the students the same choir experience despite the circumstances, and I didn’t want my students to lose their love of singing and being in a choir.” Castaldi made drastic changes from last year’s online choir, attempting to bring the group back together for social reasons.

“Last year students submitted various things to me for a website, but this year we join a zoom, warm-up, sing, stretch, learn music, connect with each other, learn about vocal anatomy and music literacy.”

Sophomore Ryan Kershner is enjoying choir not only because of the singing but

because choir is that the students maintaining the feel comfortable community it has with one another had in years prior. is how they then “We spend half grow as singers.” the class singing To maintain this and half catching comfortable up,” Kershner environment Ms. said. “I am talking Castaldi created to people I would “Choir Families.” not be talking to These are groups if choir was not of about ten a thing or I had people led by a not signed up.” few seniors who Kershner later are the “Parents.” explained how The seniors the online singing get a chance Before the pandemic hit, students in choir class is working better would often perform songs for the whole school. to be leaders of the Photo courtesy of Parker. than he expected, younger singers, just especially compared as they would in the to last year online. “Ms. Castaldi says there classroom, and the younger singers get a won’t be concerts this year, but we are still chance to get to know each other and the group singing. Of course, it is very different seniors in the choir. In the beginning of singing online, but each student recorded class a game is played where students are themselves singing, to be put together in put in random breakout rooms and answer a video.” Kershner thinks the difference questions to get to know another student. in last year’s online choir and this years is “These little interactions build a better and impressive, inching its way toward a more more comfortable atmosphere for our choir, realistic in-person choir. online or in person.”

“Singing and creating and sharing Junior Ivy Jacobs sees the bright side music is a very vulnerable activity, so to of online choir. “It is a great opportunity me, the bonding and social experience of for cross-grade socialization, even online,” a choir is one of the most important parts Jacobs said. “While we can’t hear each of the class.” Castaldi said. “Ensuring other when we sing on Zoom, we warm up

together and record our voices outside of class.” Being online, Jacobs still thinks it’s a good opportunity for people to control how much time they want to spend singing, while other people can devote their time to other choir related projects.

Although many agree with Ms Castaldi who said, “I miss hearing everyone sing together and the energy in the choir room,” everyone is proud of how they have adapted and embraced the new challenges. “There is nothing that compares or could ever live up to what we do in-person at school,” Castaldi said, but she knows online choir is working to get near the magical normal experience.

While music-making is strange and not the same, the class is finding creative ways to continue feeding the students souls with singing.

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The Parker Weekly, Page 9

Election Outcomes

PROGRESSIVE INCOME, PROGRESSIVE ED Before they were asked to choose their President or their Senator, first time and more experienced Parker voters alike were asked to weigh in on a contentious, local issue – a progressive income tax in Illinois.

Called the “Fair Tax” by its supporters, this ballot initiative attempted to amend the Illinois constitution and remove the flat tax rate, needing 60% to pass. However, it failed to gain more than 47% of the vote according to totals reported by the Associated Press, making Illinois one of only eight states with a flat tax rate.

Upper School History Teacher Andrew Bigelow taught his students in the Elections 2020 course about the proposed progressive income tax, bringing in representatives of the grassroots organization ‘Vote Yes for Fairness,’ a liberal-leaning group based primarily in the North Shore. Their opposition group, The Coalition to Stop The Tax Hike Amendment, did not return Bigelow’s numerous invites to speak to his students, though some reached out to the group separately.

Bigelow compared the flat rate to the progressive income tax. “If you make $100,000, you pay 4.96%,” Bigelow

Income Tax Ballot Initiative Fails in Illinois

By Tess Wayland

said. “If you make $10,000 a year, you pay 4.96%, or 10 million a year. Unlike the federal government where we have a graduated income tax: the more you make, the more you can afford, the more you pay.”

The constitutional amendment on the ballot would remove the mandate in Illinois that all personal income is taxed at a “flat rate.” Once this was removed, a previouslypassed 2019 law (Public Act 101-008) would have gone into effect in January, taxing the income of millionaires at a rate of 7.99%. Those with incomes of $250,000 or lower, on the other hand, would be taxed either at or below the current 4.95% flat rate.

With this increase, about 0.3% of tax filers in Illinois would pay a collective $2.8 billion to the state over time, according to reporting from WTTW. Senior Grace Conrad is a first-time voter in Bigelow’s class who’s in favor of the tax. “I think it’s really disappointing that it didn’t pass. I think it’s 100% good. and it’s a step in the right direction for income inequality.”

Bigelow found the wording on the ballot cryptic and difficult to understand.

“This doesn’t sound at all like what the folks were talking about when they came to talk to our kids,” Bigelow said. “I was actually kind of worried about my few kids who could vote, whether they were thinking the same thing I did.”

“I’m convinced that a huge reason it did not pass, was because of the way it was worded on the ballot,” Conrad said. “Even though I was extremely knowledgeable on the fair tax bill, when I got my ballot, I didn’t even understand that it was asking about the constitution in order to have a tax amendment.”

Now that the ballot initiative has failed, Illinois still has to balance its budget.

According to the “Chicago Tribune,” Governor and Parker parent J.B Pritzker has prepared for cuts to discretionary spending such as education and social services, an increase on the current flat-rate income tax, or a combination of the two strategies.

“If you live in a property-rich tax town

like Winnetka, you’re going to get fierce money for your teachers and your school,” Bigelow said. “If you live in a rural part of Illinois where property is not that expensive, they don’t have that tax base to build a really fierce police station or fire station.

The anti-fair tax folks said, ‘True, all right, valid points. But why do you have to put it on the backs of the people who are making the most? Why should we be hit harder than others?’”

According to the “Chicago Tribune,” Pritzker, who is worth about $3.4 billion, spent $58 million of his own fortune to try and get the amendment passed. During his gubernatorial campaign, the so-called “Fair Tax” was a centerpiece of Pritzker’s platform.

Pritzker’s opposition was also wellfunded by Illinois billionaires, including his own cousin. Colonel Jennifer Pritzker ‘68, who spoke at Parker last year during a Morning Exercise, is one of the billionaire donors in opposition to the progressive income tax. Jennifer Pritzker contributed $500,000 to the Coalition to Stop The Tax

Continued on page 16

YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST TIME...VOTING First-Time Voters Reflect On Their Experience In This Election

By Zach Joseph

Lines stretched around the block, sometimes wrapping around twice or three times to accommodate the mass of those wishing to cast their ballots on Election Day. Masks adorned the faces of every line attendee, each a different color, texture, and shape, allowing a passerby to see only the eyes of determined voters. Despite a worldwide pandemic, Americans still came together to uphold their civic duty and cast their ballots for their elected officials, some opting to do it via mail, and others choosing to do so in person.

Among the experienced citizens who cast their ballots on Election Day were newly-registered first-time voters, some of whom were as young as 18 years old. In fact, several news outlets reported an increase of as much as 10% in voter turnout among ages 18-29, an extreme contrast to the previous presidential election in 2016. PresidentElect Joe Biden had the support of 61% of these voters, which may have been the key to propel his win for the presidency.

Several of these first-time voters were members of the Parker senior class, like senior Aziza Mabrey-Wakefield, who had mixed feelings about voting in her first presidential election. “It was exciting, yet very stressful to receive a mail-in ballot,” Mabrey-Wakefield said. “There are a lot of things you have to fill out and a lot of hoops to go through. But I think, especially this election, it was worth it to go through all of that.”

Others, like senior Yildis Rihter, used

this opportunity to be informed about who election because I wanted to know the issues they thought would make a difference in the before I voted.”

U.S. “When I got my mail-in ballot, I opened Unlike Mabrey-Wakefield, senior it, I went into my room, I had my computer Oscar Fardon did not intentionally next to me, increase his news just because consumption I like to prior to voting do my for the first time. research,” “I wasn’t going Rihter said. out and seeking “This is the it,” Fardon said. first year “But just by being that I’ve surrounded by actually people that can p a i d vote and being attention surrounded by to politics, people who are w h i c h increasingly sounds interested An ‘I Voted’ sticker for those who cast their ballot on Election Day. Photo i n bad, but the courtesy of NSPA Flickr Archives I’ve never political been one world, I’ve that is super interested in politics, just generally got exposed to more of that and because I don’t know. I don’t know how to took a slight interest in myself just because explain it. But it’s uncomfortable at times.” it’s so concerning for people I’m close For Mabrey-Wakefield, the ability to with.” vote influenced her consumption of political Social media was a huge component in news and information leading up to the incentivizing voters’ awareness of political election. “I was definitely more in tune topics and issues, but with this knowledge with the news than I was before,” Mabrey- came plenty of misinformation for readers to Wakefield said. “I don’t know if that was consume as well. Facebook took measures because I am in the Elections class too, two days after Election Day to combat this, but I definitely wanted to be notified about by adding additional temporary steps to more policies and anything that changed, curb the spread of incorrect news posts, what both candidates were up to, so I will and Twitter flagged any tweets containing say I was definitely more informed with this false information with alerts indicating the

misleading wording and facts.

As someone who consumed a lot of political information on social media platforms, Rihter made sure to take the time to double check information she found online. “I don’t like it when people just feedback what they’ve heard. I’m an evidence person, I like to look at data and stuff like that. If I see it on social media, there’s a good chance I’m a little skeptical in a way just because it is Instagram at the end of the day,” Rihter said. “So I personally like to go on Google. And then based on what I see on like, Instagram and stuff, so I look it up and I kind of like fact check to check it in a way just because I want to see it for myself.

I don’t want to just be someone who’s just absorbing whatever Instagram is telling me because who knows what those posts are, if they’re accurate. I don’t want to be misinformed. That is my biggest fear ever.”

Aside from voting, students could also register to be a poll worker, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to get a chance to participate in the election without being able to vote.

In addition to voting, Fardon also signed up to be a poll worker, and helped register and handle incoming votes on November 3. “This year, especially, I think my first experience was probably a little bit negative.

It was fine, but it was a little bit negative just because this election is so polarized, and people are freaking out,” Fardon said.

“Most people, I think this is true of most

Continued on page 15

The Parker Weekly, Page 10

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Learning Online 101

STRUGGLES OF ONLINE SCHOOL Five-hour online school days consume the week, as the second Thursday in a row is spent solely on a computer. “When will the vaccine come out?” students wonder while paying attention to a pixelated screen that is composed of teachers and fellow classmates. This is the new life of online interactions during the coronavirus. This is school during COVID-19.

With human connection being reduced to exclusively online interactions, long days spent on computer s c r e e n s have taken a significant toll on the mental health of students, according to “The NewsLetter,” “The Daily Orange,” “BBC,” “Washington Post,” “New York Times,” and many more.

This new phenomenon is known as “Zoom fatigue.” Zoom fatigue is the distasteful sensation that arouses when staring at a screen for too long and staying in the same

Students React To the New Way of Learning

By Owen Stepan

place. Zoom fatigue is a reminder for the body that viewing a screen in the same place is detrimental for eyesight and activity levels. According to the “Washington Post,” the feelings of isolation associated with Zoom fatigue have resulted in spiked levels of depression and anxiety levels among teenagers.

After dealing with online school since S e p t e m b e r, students have an understanding of life online. “ O n l i n e learning is the better alternative than in-person learning if we have to wear masks and social distance,” sophomore Caleb David said, “It’s simply impossible for school to be done while maintaining COVID-19 guidelines.”

Other students believe that Parker

“Online learning is the better alternative than inperson learning if we have to wear masks and social distance.”

The place that we call the “model home” is different this year. The Upper School is learning from home, while middle, intermediate, and lower schools learn at 330 W Webster. With this comes increased stress levels from parents, teachers and staff members. This stress stems from both being stuck at home and the threat of COVID-19. This year has been difficult for the majority of the world, Parker included.

The Parker community shared their opinions on the decisions put in place by the Parker administration.

Senior Veronica Rodriguez shared she would “love to be at school to converse with friends in the halls, b u t because of the

““It’s very exhausting to have no social interaction and no motivation during class. We need to find a way to have school during the pandemic.”

MODEL REMOTE HOME Opinions of Students and Teachers Online

By Eli Greenwald

interests of mine.”

“I would love to be in school with my friends, but I value the safety of the student body even if it means to sacrifice some of the physical and daily interactions with students, teachers, staff, administration, etc.,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has a sense of hope and optimism in remote learning and eventually being back to school in person. “Remote learning comes with negatives and positives, and the only thing I hope for is for things to get better and lead to more future physical interaction with others.”

“Online teaching has gone so much better than I had anticipated,” said Upper S c h o o l H i s t o r y Teacher A n d r e w Bigelow.

Bigelow said that his students have adjusted well and have risen to the occasion.

However, “I do miss seeing my students in person. I also miss my colleagues because so many of us have been friends for some time,” he said.

“I would love to be in school with my friends, but I value the safety of the student body even if it means to sacrifice some of the physical and daily interactions with students, teachers, staff, administration, etc.”

coronavirus I have put that aside and feel like remote learning for now is the best option.” Rodriguez also shared she believed, “remote learning has given me space and time to think about the future, work on college applications, and pursue some

should be doing more to adapt to the circumstances o f t h e pandemic.

Junior Othel Owens talked about the future of online school.

Although he notices the teachers’ efforts to do their best to simulate a normal learning environment, the task is easier said than done. “Online learning has progressively become harder to deal with,” Owens said. “It’s very exhausting to have no social interaction and no motivation during class. We need to find a way to have school during the pandemic.”

Senior Mathew Garchik has seen major improvements in Parker’s online learning programming. “My online experience has been substantially better compared to the

spring of last year. All teachers had an entire summer to prepare,” Garchik said. Garchik shares this opinion with Owens.

A s of right n o w, t h e pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down, and the struggle has only begun.

Even though Bigelow would love to be in school right now with all of his students and colleagues, he also said that “I do

and middle school students, she still thinks that the Upper School should be remote.

Nurse Anne believes this because “high schoolers are at a time in their lives where it is very important for them to have social interactions with their friends, and they can’t do that right now in an in-school environment.”

She also believed that we would have a better experience online than the in-person alternative. “If high schoolers were in school, they would not be in classes with different people from different grades, as everybody would be split up into groups that they take all of their classes with.”

In high school, everybody takes different classes at different levels and with different groups of people, and that wouldn’t work if they were in school right now. She hopes very much that the upper school will be able to be back in the building very soon.

With a glimpse of optimism in an otherwise unfortunate situation, Nurse Anne added she has “hope spring will be a time where we can all be together.”

“If high schoolers were in school, they would not be in classes with different people from different grades, as everybody would be split up into groups that they take all of their classes with.”

believe that it is the safer way to be, and as much as it hurts, we have to stay home to protect our kids and families.”

School Nurse Anne Nelson has been coordinating the health response. “We’re doing a lot better than I expected,” Nelson said.

She believes that Parker has done an incredible job with in-person school. She said that when school first started, “I thought we would be remote by now.” She said that the students in grades JK-8 that are in person are doing a great job following the coronavirus rules and regulations, as people are doing a great job social distancing and always wearing their masks. Even though in-person school is working for the most part for the lower, intermediate

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Parades & Teachers

The Parker Weekly, Page 11

MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE IN COVID-19 A Thanksgiving tradition spanning just shy of 100 years is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The annual event is the world’s largest parade and has taken place in New York every Thanksgiving Day since 1924.

The parade features Broadway acts, floats, dance numbers, performances by popular music artists, and most notably, giant character and novelty balloons. The parade made its television debut in 1953 and has been watched by millions every year since.

Due to COVID-19, traditions and events have had to make adaptations in order to keep people safe. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is no exception.

Typically, the in-person audience is over 250,000 people. This year the parade will look different with no in-person audience for the first time. In addition to an absent in-person audience, according to NBC New York, “This year the procession will [also] forgo marching down the traditional 2.5 mile route in Manhattan in order to avoid gathering large crowds.” The parade is taking necessary precautions in order to keep the coronavirus cases from rising.

Although the parade will certainly look different, the event will still be filled

How the Annual Event Occurred During a Pandemic

By Scarlett Pencak

with star studded performances. The lineup includes numbers from the Broadway shows Jagged Little Pill, Mean Girls, Hamilton, and more.

While the performance will still be amazing, they will all be pre-recorded performances in efforts to not bring too many people together and be cautious of the coronavirus guidelines. Some celebrity appearances and performances include Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, the Muppets from Sesame Street, and Noah Cyrus. Even Stana Claus will make a special appearance all the way from the North Pole!

Macy’s and the parade production team have been strict about the coronavirus measures they are setting to ensure that the

parade is as safe as possible. Susan Tercero is the event’s executive producer. “We still wanted to deliver what people expect on a Thanksgiving morning,” Tercero said.

“But it’s going to look like a parade during Covid times.

We’re going to have people in masks and we’re going to be socially distanced.”

The Macy’s website serves as a great place to get more information on their coronavirus protocols and has an interactive feature where you can learn more about the famous balloons. Some balloons to look out for are the new Red Titan balloon from Ryan’s World and the new Boss Baby balloon, both are as wide as six taxi cabs.

Balloons that everyone will be able to

“But it’s going to look like a parade during COVID times.

We’re going to have people in masks and we’re going to be socially distanced.”

recognize include a 45 foot tall nutcracker, a Pillsbury Doughboy, a six story tall Ronald McDonald, and an Elf on the Shelf. Along with the 18 featured balloons are 35 amazing floats, including the fan favorite Sesame Street float.

The parade has such great importance to so many families across the country, which is why Macy’s was determined to find a way to make the parade happen in this uncertain year. Stated on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade website, “Macy’s believes in celebration and the joy of marking milestone moments with family and friends.” The parade will air from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central Time on NBC, Thanksgiving Day.

COVID-19 CURRICULUM CHANGES How Remote Learning Has Shaped Parker Teachers’ Curricula

By Alya Satchu

Over recent months, faculty have had to maneuver their in-person curriculum to fit the parameters of remote learning. It has been challenging for many teachers to adjust the ways in which some of them have been teaching for years and become accustomed to unfamiliar technology.

Many Upper School teachers across Parker have had to cut out crucial parts of their curriculum due to teaching on a virtual platform. Upper School History Teacher Dan Greenstone had to remove the “Trial of Socrates” project from his ninth grade world history curriculum. This project requires preparation with difficult reading that has been proven to be more challenging for students working from home.

During the 2019-20 school year, Upper School Spanish Teacher and Co-Chair of the Language and Cultural Studies Department Liz Villagomez taught one section of Spanish II. Due to the sudden switch to remote learning in March, this resulted in crucial areas of the curriculum needing to be skipped. “This meant that when students were entering their third year of Spanish, I needed to start where we had essentially left off in our level two,” Villagomez said.

Students currently enrolled in Spanish III have needed to spend time learning the topics of Spanish II they had missed from the previous year.

The Rocket Lab was an activity that students enrolled in physics have done annually until the 2020-21 school year. The lab requires students to be present in a large

open area, usually the turf field, and launch rockets they created in class. This lab had to be cut from the physics curriculum due to virtual learning. “Each class has something that I really do miss and cannot recreate,” Upper School S c i e n c e Teacher G e o r g e Austin said.

Teachers have found the components of virtual education restrict their everyday a s p e c t s of class.

Regular conversations and discussions were described as being successful, although Upper School English Teacher Mike Mahany feels a need to bring new virtual experiences to the classroom space regularly. “The discussions I’ve had with my class have been fruitful and profitable, but if all we’re doing is looking at each other and talking about a text, I think that gets old,” Mahany said. “I have to continue to find different ways to approach my class every day.”

Villagomez finds it difficult to identify the students who need help in her classes.

“It’s just a very different way of teaching, and from a teacher perspective one feels helpless at times because there are probably students that I need to give more support to and it’s really hard doing it virtually.”

Zoom fatigue has also been a recurring i s s u e brought up by the Parker

“It’s just a very different way of teaching, and from a teacher perspective one feels helpless at times because there are probably students that I need to give more support to and it’s really hard doing it virtually.”

community due to the hours per day that one spends looking at their screen. “I think Zoom is quite tiring,” Greenstone said. “I feel Zoomed out by the end of the day while teaching in-person kind of energizes me.”

Upper School Science Teacher Kara Schupp mention that one of her biggest challenges with remote learning is, “the connection. It’s hard when we are having to try to connect through a screen, versus that in-person natural connection.”

Teachers have also found there are benefits of remote learning. One of these benefits is breakout rooms, a Zoom feature

in which the virtual meeting host can assign separate calls for students to work in groups rather than to work together as a class. Greenstone explained that personally reviewing a student’s work has been easier working in breakout rooms. He expressed that this could be “harder in a classroom space.”

“In some ways, Zoom may be easier to work with a kid on their essay,” Greenstone said. “It’s a chance to meet with a kid quietly during class time. I have a copy of their paper on my computer, they have a copy, and I can really give them feedback that’s live, and in a way that’s private.”

Schupp has noticed that a lot of her students seem more energized for class, “I think my students are far more well-rested,” Schupp said. “I feel like my students have given me direct feedback but also said explicitly and implicitly that they’re more rested and better able to stay on top of their work.”

Austin described how the small details of a Zoom application helped him get to know his students. “Something that made my life really easy at the beginning of school was all of the names shown in the Zoom meetings.”

Some elective courses have not demanded major modification during the pandemic while others are not as compatible with Zoom learning. Art teacher Caroline Gardner teaches painting within the upper

Continued on page 15

The Parker Weekly, Page 12

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Colonel Columns

LET’S GET REAL

THE JOYS OF LIFE

By Denise Román

By Grayson Schementi

A Glimpse at Parker Traditions

In the Northern hemisphere, the fall equinox begins on September 23 and lasts for 12 hours. Fall lasts approximately three months. If I could choose to have one season year-long, it would be autumn. The crisp air, the burgundy and amber leaves, they all bring me immense joy. My favorite drinks at Starbucks, the pumpkin spiced latte and salted caramel brew, are released. I look forward to eating seasonal desserts like pumpkin pie, caramel apples, and apple cider pound cake.

M o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, Spotify has hundreds of fall playlists that I can’t stop listening to. The wonders of fall are beautiful and worth appreciating. In some cultures, fall marks new beginnings and is celebrated with family. Many traditions that take place in the fall around the world include Chuseok, Festival of the Yams, Oktoberfest, Diwali, Day of the Dead, and the Moon Festival. One of the traditions that I’ve heard of the most is the Moon Festival that takes place in China.

In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to study abroad in China. My host parents would often talk about the Moon festival because it was their favorite Chinese tradition. The festival takes place between September and October.

More than anything, the celebration focuses on three important concepts: gathering with family, thanksgiving, and praying.

It’s believed that flowers will fall from the sky on the night of the moon’s birthday, and those who see them fall will be blessed with great abundance. In my culture, one of the traditions that we celebrate in the fall is Day of the Dead, which is a Mexican holiday celebrated at the beginning of November.

The holiday originated thousands of years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and Nahua people, and it’s an ode to the afterlife. Altars are decorated with flowers, food, and objects that celebrate the life of a loved one who has passed away. Many traditional dances take place in plazas across Mexico. It’s such a meaningful holiday to many Mexican families, and if you want to learn more about the holiday, I recommend watching Coco on Netflix.

As a Parker senior, I find myself missing many Parker traditions that take place during

the fall such as the Halloween Parade, the Thanksgiving MX, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and County Fair. All these traditions make Parker a unique and special place because they remind us of how important it is to come together as a community. The aspect of community is a value that Parker has held dearly and continues to strive for.

I miss the root beer floats from the eight-grade booth, seeing the lower schools’ creative costumes, and singing Simple Gifts. Just like many seniors, I’ve found it difficult to grasp the fact that I won’t be able to fully participate in these traditions. The Big Brothers and Big Sister’s tradition is something that I’ve looked forward to since freshman year, and knowing that I won’t have the opportunity to visit my little sisters/brothers in-person makes me sad.

Despite feeling this way, I’ve come to realize that staying positive during the pandemic is really important. If you find yourself missing your Parker community and traditions, I encourage you to reminisce about them and stay hopeful! Parker faculty and students have done an amazing job of trying to keep the sense of community and traditions alive during online school.

I encourage you to watch the virtual MX’s and share your ideas with Mr. Bruno about how we can make these traditions feel special. Mr. Bruno has been working hard to ensure that the upperclassmen, especially the seniors, feel like they are participating in these traditions, and I am very thankful. The sense of the Parker community isn’t gone because we are online, nor the traditions.

The traditions are still taking place, and the sense of community is stronger than it has ever been before!

“All these traditions make Parker a unique and special place because they remind us of how important it is to come together as a community.”

“If you find yourself missing your Parker community and traditions, I encourage you to reminisce about them and stay hopeful!”

Colors

And now on this edition of “It is two days past the deadline and Grayson needs to write a column” comes a phenomena like no other. It is, as Aladdin says (have you seen his ABS!) “an indescribable feeling.” It is what colorblind people can’t see and what white people wish they couldn’t. That’s right, I’m talking about: Colors.

Colors are magical. They are the voice of our eyes and the whiff of our retina.

I don’t think we actually spend enough time thinking about how wonderful colors are.

One of the most joyous things about colors is just how many there are.

According to howmanythereare.com, which, by the way, is the perfect website if you ever want to know how many there are, there are 10 million colors that humans can see with our eye. The way they find this number is by taking the 1000 levels of light and dark that we can see, multiplying it by the 100 levels of red and green we can see, and the 100 levels of yellow and blue we can see, and, VOILA! 10,000,000 colors.

The website also says that computers use 16.8 million colors to show us color images. I find this really weird because that means that computers can compute at least 6.8 million more colors than our brains. And our brains are incredible. How, you might ask? WE NEED A NEW PARAGRAPH! I don’t understand the drive for us to create robots smarter than we are. We have a SUPER COMPUTER in our brains. A carbon-based, glucose-fueled supercomputer that can store 2.5 PETABYTES of memory.

The largest internet database, run by Yahoo!

(Fun fact: Yahoo! has the best company name), holds 2.0 petabytes of data and processes 24 billion events a day, whether searches, emails, or texts. That is 20% less powerful THAN ONE HUMAN BRAIN! You are the result of a massive carbonintelligence that you have no control over that has NATURALLY FORMED over four billion years of existence, 13.8 billion years if you count the entire universe. Always be grateful that your brains are so incredible.

Back to colors, do you know how many there are in the whole world? 18 decillion. That’s 18,000,000,000,000,000,0 00,000,000,000,000,000. That is INSANE! Insane, ridiculous, out-of-this-world, unconventional. That last one just isn’t a synonym. According to estimates by space. com, there are only 1,000,000,000,000,000,

000,000,000 stars in the ENTIRE universe.

There are more colors than stars and that definitely puts colors in the big leagues.

To ground this in our wonderful school, what are some of the colors of Parker? Well, when I think about Parker, I obviously think about blue and white, as those are the colors of our school, as shown on the Wikipedia page. I’m pretty sure we have these colors because of the colonel’s uniform, but maybe it’s based on the flag?

I don’t know.

Grape Jam’s color is purple. At Lorado Taft, my color was pink, which explains a lot. But, for some reason, when I think about color at Parker, I mainly think of the tiles. The Parker tiles that each student gets to hang on the walls of the school.

For those who don’t know, every kid at Parker, starting in 4th grade, and then all new kids after that, get to paint a tile that then gets plastered on the walls of the school. Kids get to paint whatever they wish and their expression through color and picture is shown for all to see, for all time. These tiles represent so much of what Parker stands for; the students literally get to build a piece of the house.

This endeavor into colors got me thinking: what is happening with the tiles now that COVID is going on? And I truly don’t know the answer. Because high school is virtual, are the new freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors getting to paint their tiles? If yes, great! No problems here. If no, WHY? That’s one of the best things and it is what makes Parker so colorful (luckily). SO! Everybody, if the tiles are being taken care of, then we are all set. But if the tiles are NOT being taken care of, SOMEBODY get on that! Right away.

Maybe even right now. Deal?

But, for some reason, when I think about color at Parker, I mainly think of the tiles. The Parker tiles that each student gets to hang on the walls of the school.

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Columns and More!

PRISON GERRYMANDERING IN ILLINOIS How Incarcerated People’s Population Gives Power to Downstate Residents

By Leila Sheridan The complications of the electoral college have become a pertinent issue, leaving many Americans wondering how we can consider a system democratic if an entire nation’s presidential election resides in the hands of just 20 counties. A vote for a Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania is much more influential than a vote for a Democratic candidate in Illinois, as Illinois has historically voted “blue.”

S k e w e d voting is not just apparent in presidential elections though. This concept of votes holding more power in varying locations manifests itself in local elections, too -especially in Illinois.

A person’s vote for a state representative in Cook County is far less influential than a person’s vote for a state representative in Lasalle County. The disparity in votes’ influence essentially comes down to the fact that sixty percent of incarcerated Illinoisians are from Chicago, but 90 percent of them are counted as residents of downstate counties. There’s a term for this improper counting of incarcerated people as residents of their correctional facilities: prison gerrymandering.

Illinois state law makes it difficult for incarcerated people to vote. Although not all people in correctional facilities can vote, those who can are often deprived of the necessary tools to do so, including proper technological devices to communicate with the “outside world” where people can help facilitate such voting. However, these exact people who are disenfranchised from voting are still counted towards the population of that county, creating an unjust shift in political power to counties with correctional facilities.

The counties near correctional facilities are predominantly rural, white communities, an intentional government decision. Beginning in 1941, all correctional facilities in Illinois were built more than one hundred miles outside of Chicago, but most correctional facilities are located around two hundred miles outside city limits.

Incarcerated people’s prominent presence

in the U.S. Census gives more power to voters of downstate districts who in turn elect legislators who are in favor of prison expansion, fueling the inequitable voting system and propelling their political control.

Lawrence County Correctional Facility has most recently reported a population of 1,938 people.

Research shares that only 49 people in the neighboring communities can vote. Here’s the catch: those 49 people are voting for not only themselves but the 1,938 incarcerated people as well since they’re counted as citizens of that county in the Census. This means that people living near Lawrence County Correctional Facility have influential voting power in determining state representatives in comparison to people in Cook County where the population is much more reflective of the actual voting population.

Furthermore, in LaSalle County’s Sixth district following the 2010 Census, it was determined that 34 percent of the population was incarcerated which gave every 66 residents the voting power of a group of one hundred residents in any other district.

It’s inconceivable to call a society democratic when inequitable voting systems continue to prevail throughout the nation.

There are clearly people who benefit from these systems or else they wouldn’t be in place.

But it’s time to change the way Americans vote for their elected officials -- both in terms of the electoral college and Illinois Censusbased voting.

A movement for the “No Representation Without Population Act” has been underway since it was first filed by Representative La Shawn K. Ford on February 5, 2015. After moving through the State House, it came to a halt on January 10, 2017 when it was left as “Session Sine Die” which essentially means there is no scheduled day for further hearing of the act. Almost three years later, there’s yet to be significant traction on the act. It’s time to count incarcerated people in the population of their original home, not their correctional facility.

“ T h e r e ’s a t e r m f o r this improper counting of incarcerated people as residents of their correctional facilities: prison gerrymandering”

“It’s inconceivable to call a society democratic when inequitable voting systems continue to prevail throughout the nation.”

The Parker Weekly, Page 13

I’M PRETENDING YOU ASKED Beauty and Stuff

By Spencer O’Brien I got to be a part of a very interesting discussion in English class the other day.

We had just finished reading the book “Heart of Darkness,” and some way or another, the idea was brought up that if writing is beautiful, it should be taught regardless of its subject matter. I had a bit of a problem with this. Some other people in the class did too, and while they pontificated on it for the rest of the 30 minute discussion, I thought about a play I’d recently finished performing in: “Art,” by Yasmina Reza. The basic premise, for those who didn’t read it in ninth grade English, is that a man named Serge buys a $200,000 painting that’s white - completely white - and his friend named Mark calls him ridiculous because the painting is plain white and therefore not worth $200,000. They argue, yadah yadah, conflict ensues. Both of these things I’ve just written can boil down to one thing - what you consider beautiful.

That poses me to ask the question: Who gets to decide what is beautiful and what isn’t?

Let’s just say it’s our English teachers. Or our math teachers. Or whoever teaches you about things. That makes sense - right? A teacher is a person you’ve agreed to learn from, so why can’t they also impose their standards of beauty on you? This may sound like I’m making fun of someone but honestly, I’m not. If you trust someone enough to teach you how to not only read but to instill in you a general competence, then you must trust them enough to tell you what art to like and what books to read. As students, we trust our educators to introduce us to a wide variety of subject matter so that we can open our eyes to the WHOLE world around us, not just the world that we go home to every day.

Should it not be a teacher’s job to properly show their students everything they find beautiful in the world, big or small, and in doing that, instill visions of what their students see as beautiful.

Wow. I really leaned into the ‘people are sheep and that’s ok’ POV for a moment there. I don’t know if you, the reader, know this but every single person including yourself is completely unique and literally has never existed before. You are the only person who ever has and ever will be you. Feel special? Good. Now, since you are the only person who has ever been you, you are the only person who REALLY knows you. Just like in the play “Art,” what one person finds beautiful, another person finds ugly! Like my dad always says, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Because every single person is different, there is no possible way to ‘teach’ or ‘impose’ beauty on a person.

Beauty is individual.

Well, this is the paragraph that I usually use as a synthesis paragraph. The problem is, I literally have no idea which side I side with. That’s like 78% of the reason why I wrote the column in the first place. Sure, I exaggerated a little bit but the point still stands: I have literally no idea what side I agree with. But honestly, I think that’s ok.

FESTIVITIES, FOOD, AND FACEMASKS? Continued from page 8

regulations.

“Safety has been a top priority, and there are strict guidelines in place,” Cynova said. “ZooLights is a ticketed holiday happening this year to reduce capacity and promote social distancing,” Cynova said.

The ZooLights will also include new additions to the celebration this year.

“New this year, Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo transforms into an Enchanted Forest, made complete by music, smoke machines, twinkle lights, and mirrors,” Cynova said.

Popular experiences within the ZooLights from last year return to the celebration as well such as, “Snowy’s Spirits & S’more pop-up and Light Maze Presented

by Invesco QQQ,” Cynova said.

The festive experience will host many Chicagoans this year to welcome the holiday season. Laura Neiman Rifkin, a Parker parent, Alum, and frequent ZooLights attendee, describes the importance of the ZooLights even during a pandemic.

“It is just a lively holiday experience, and especially when its cold over a weekend in particular, in the fall and as we head into winter, it’s just a great activity for our kids and we want to support the Lincoln Park Zoo, and we want to expose the kids to as many different holiday opportunities as possible,” Neiman Rifkin said.

The ZooLights will also have virtual events present this year. “I think it’s the perfect alternative, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate.”

Although there have been obstacles the Zoo has faced due to the pandemic, the ZooLights will have their annual holiday festivities and continue to bring light to the city.

“We wouldn’t miss it,” Neiman Rifkin said.

The Parker Weekly, Page 14

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EICs & Editorials ZOOMSGIVING

It’s no secret that Americans love Thanksgiving. Every year, many families have large gatherings, eating together at one table. Like the majority of annual traditions, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it almost unimaginable to hold in its usual form.

Not only are cases at an all-time high, but we are still months away from a vaccine.

I love being with my family as much as the next person, but please, have a virtual Thanksgiving.

Personally, I have been lucky to always have Thanksgiving with my extended family, including my grandparents. During the pandemic,we have stuck to weekly FaceTimes and only distanced and outdoor gatherings to protect everyone’s safety. As the temperature drops, outdoor gatherings become more and more difficult, but still, we do not plan to move inside.

According to the CDC, the chances of the spread of COVID-19 indoor versus outdoor is higher, and, if you have a gathering with older relatives or relatives with preexisting conditions, the risk of them getting dangerously sick is also increased. Although I would think that I wouldn’t even need to say this, I have been shockingly surprised

Please Have a Virtual Thanksgiving

By Julia Marks

by the number of indoor gatherings I have seen as Chicago takes on its chilly winters.

Additionally, with the return of many college kids, the risk of spreading the virus is even higher, since cases have skyrocketed at many universities around the country.

Instead, I encourage each and every person to gather virtually -- there are ways to still maintain the feeling of being together while apart. If there is a shocking change in weather, or you are celebrating in a warmer climate, go for a distanced and outside event, but if you are from Chicago, it’s pretty likely that mid-November will bring the usual cold.

One option is to prepare food separately then eat together on Zoom. If that’s not

possible, see if one member of a family or a friend can deliver food and then eat together.

Hopefully, eating together can simulate the feeling of being at one table. So now, if you plan on hosting your Thanksgiving virtually, here are a few tips to keep it running smooth and fun.

Designate a host. Zoom can be temperamental, so make sure one attendee has double checked the tech, makes sure it’s working properly, and is able to offer support to any attendee who needs it. There are also many other free video-chat platforms that you can use if that works better for you than Zoom. Further, oftentimes there can be semi-awkward video-chat silences, so use this person to lead the conversation and keep it going.

“I encourage each and every person to gather virtually -- there are ways to still maintain the feeling of being together while apart.”

On that same note, be prepared for potential silences. Speaking through a screen can create a disconnect, so you can prepare games, activities, or topics for discussions. Consider going around and saying what you are grateful for or share family memories.

Keep it short, but meaningful. Everyone faces “Zoom fatigue,” so don’t keep people online for longer than necessary. If needed, set a designated end time so there is no awkwardness or miscommunication when trying to log off.

Dress up or decorate. Take advantage of the fun Zoom features such as virtual backgrounds or filters, and find ways to make the gathering exciting.

This year is different, and it will continue to be for some time. But, the safety of everyone is the most important aspect of any event, and with so much technology at our fingertips, we must take advantage of it.

WHY THIS ELECTION MATTERED

By The Parker Weekly

The 2020 election was different for a number of reasons: taking place during a pandemic, having a much larger number of votes that were not cast on election-day, and even having a few new battleground states that came into play for the ultimate result. However, this election also sparked the attention of the country like it never has before. This year’s voter turnout was the largest it has been since 1900, with over 160 million votes cast.

Regardless of your political affiliation, this is an achievement to be excited about.

Our country has a dark h i s t o r y of voter suppression, dating back to the early days of the very first elections.

And while voter access is still not perfect in this country -there are still many issues including voter intimidation, gerrymandering, and inaccessibility for incarcerated individuals -- the record turnout that we saw this year was a huge step forward in the right direction.

Around the country, some voters waited in line for hours in long lines to vote, not

letting heat, cold, hunger, or exhaustion prevent them from casting their ballot.

Some voters brought water and food to motivate those in line. People have begun to recognize, as they should have all along, that voting is their civic duty, and is the one opportunity they have to express their voice.

At Parker, a very small percentage of students are of age to vote, but this year, students took initiatives to impact the election in other ways. Many students volunteered in local and national campaigns, participated as election judges on election day, shared news and information about polling locations and registration on social m e d i a platforms, and those who could vote did.

A s students, we must continue to take advantage of our education and do what we can, whether we could vote, couldn’t vote by a matter of days, or even couldn’t vote by a matter of years. It is important, beyond the 2020 election, to continue to educate ourselves and to not be confined by root thinking: allow yourself to develop new opinions and

“As students, we must continue to take advantage of our education and do what we can, whether we could vote, couldn’t vote by a matter of days, or even couldn’t vote by a matter of years.”

expand on old ones.

This year also proved that the power to impact an election does not only lie in the hands of eligible voters. The cause of many new voters, especially in battleground regions, was largely due to the impact of field organizers a n d volunteers, many of which were students. In the same way that every vote matters, so does every field organizer or volunteer. It can be difficult to imagine a single person’s impact in a country with a population of hundreds of millions, but this election proved it to be true. Without each and every call, meeting, and organizer, the country would not have achieved the record turnout that it did.

Although it seems that “election season” is behind us, we must not let our political momentum be lost. In the meantime, find a local or national campaign to get involved in, or volunteer at an organization that stands for something you believe it. Or, just continue to educate yourself by keeping up with the news and current events.

But if there is one thing we prioritize more than anything, it is this -- please do not wait until 2024 to regain your political motivation. Big or small, your contributions

will make a difference. As both Americans and students, we must remember the importance of our voices and continue to push for voter turnout. While this year was a groundbreaking achievement, we must continue to educate ourselves, educate others, and use our voices for what they were made for: making a difference and standing for what we believe in.

“Although it seems that “election season” is behind us, we must not let our political momentum be lost.”

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OPEN (ZOOM) HOUSE Continued from page 1

genuineness will make it a successful event.

“One of my mantras in life is being authentic and getting across why I love working at Parker and being a part of this community and why it is so special,” Bruno said.

Bruno also likes this event as it gives him an opportunity to see the work that others are doing to better the Parker community which he loves. “The chance to see what other offices are doing and how they represent the bigger piece that is Parker, is really fun and exciting,” Bruno said.

One aspect of the previous Open Houses that has been successful is the student panels, and there was one implemented into the Upper School Open House. The admissions office took the positive feedback they received from the Middle School Open House and applied it to the Upper School event, encouraging student panelists to be themselves and bring energy to the event.

Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid Karen Fisher believes that the students’ insight and personalities bring a lot to the table. “I am always incredibly impressed with our students and our faculty when they talk about Parker. They do so with so much love and enthusiasm that it even makes me tear up a little, even though I have been around the school for a long time,” Fisher said. “I hope our visitors feel that as well.”

Bruno believes that his role for the Open House is to be of use to the admissions office and give insight on Parker. “Typically, I am there to speak about the student experience: clubs, organizations, affinity groups, student support, student services, advocacy, what makes Parker special, what makes Parker shine,” Bruno said.

The Open House usually also serves as an opportunity for prospective families to see Parker’s campus, but that is not the case this year. “We know that when we bring people on campus and when they see our light filled campus and all of our amazing resources, that is a big pull for them, so we try to describe not only what the building looks like, but what it feels like,” Fisher said. “That is what comes through with the people.”

In addition, Walus and Fisher created a video which they call the Three Pillars Video. The Three pillars are that the school should be a model home, a complete community, and an embryonic democracy.

The video incorporates archival video-tape and photos, so prospective families can see what inside Parker looks like. “We pieced that together to give that look and feel of the facilities, but really the most important thing is what it feels like,” Fisher said.

This year is filled with many differences and Bruno believes that prospective families will recognize these differences when logging on to the Open House. “I think people will approach the virtual Open House for what it is knowing we are only operating within our capacity

and although it might be great, it is not the experience we would be giving in person,” Bruno said. Despite the fact that there will be aspects of the Open House missing, due to the coronavirus, he believes it will be a “smashing success.”

Leading up to November 14, Walus was also excited for the students to be in the spotlight and share their opinions.

“They always give nice advice to the applicants, too. I am always excited for the opportunity for prospective families to hear from the Parker people so to speak: the administration, the faculty, and the students,” Walus said.

Going into the Zoom event, Walus was scared about the technology, as Zoom malfunctions are not outside of the norm. In spite of that concern, on the day of the event there were no technological difficulties, which was a relief to Walus as well as the rest of the admissions team.

The Open House began with a Grape Jam performance. Prospective families’ screens lit up with pink boxes, smiling faces, and delightful voices. Walus loved this performance, as well as many different aspects of the event including, but not limited to, the student and faculty panels. “The students themselves are always a highlight, so families at home can learn what Parker students are involved in and what they love about Parker,” Walus said.

The attendance was not as high as the in-person event usually is, but the admissions team still felt that they had good attendance. Also, the majority of the attendees stayed for the whole duration of the event.

Walus was also happy with the number of participants who took time out of their weekends to help showcase Parker.

Walus liked to hear all of the different voices and perspectives that were brought to the Open House. She also believes that all of different perspectives helped to represent Parker accurately. “We felt as it represented Parker very authentically. It was informative, hopefully entertaining, and hopefully showcased the joy that lives at Parker and makes it so special,” Walus said.

Prospective Parker student Asher Friedman thought the Open House was filled with a lot of useful information.

Specifically, Friedman appreciated the student panel.“It was nice hearing what the students themselves think about Parker, and it gave me a good idea on what my experience would be like if I were going there now,” Friedman said.

The Open House served as a place for prospective families to assess if they think Parker is a good first for their child and their family. Fisher and Walus also hope that Open House lured people in and increased their interest in Parker. “We want to keep them curious and interested in Parker and

The Parker Weekly, Page 15

COVID-19 YOU NEVER CURRICULUM FORGET CHANGES YOUR FIRST Continued from page 11 TIME...

VOTING school and describes the class as not a difficult process to transition into remote learning. Gardner sent students painting kits for them to use at home that included materials such as acrylic paints, canvases, and brushes. Gardner uses a document camera to broadcast her paintings during class.

“Actually, there are some benefits to doing it digitally,” Gardner said. “I think that my students can see my demonstrations a lot better because it’s on Zoom instead of having people gather around my table. So that’s been really nice.”

Other electives such as the brand new Science and Fiction elective have been more difficult to translate to a virtual platform. This elective primarily focuses on climate change and artificial intelligence and is taught by Mahany and Upper School Science Teacher Xiao Zhang. Since this is an elective that is new to the Upper School, it has been more difficult to teach remotely. “In my other classes where I kind of know what I’m going to cover, I can get to the main things I want to get to,” Mahany said. “This is harder because we’re just trying everything out for the first time.”

Austin describes that what he misses the most about in-person learning is the face to face connections with the Parker community.

“There is nothing that comes close to the human to human interaction that happens live and in-person,” Austin said. “The one thing I miss is the one thing we can’t do.”

Although despite the challenges of remote learning, Upper School French Teacher Lorin Pritikin is impressed with the way her students are approaching virtual learning during the 2020-21 school year. “I’m amazed at the resilience of my students and how well they are handling this curveball,” Pritikin said. “I’m amazed at how they’re handling this extraordinary time in their life with positive energy, and I’m amazed with their engagement.”

our community events and come to some of our smaller events that we have created this year to drop the breadcrumbs to lead them to the application,” Fisher said, “and through the application process to their decision making process of having a preference for Parker.”

The Open House was only the beginning of the admissions process for Parker. The admissions office will also be following up with other virtual events. One of these is a series of events called Lunch and Learn which will teach parents about various topics including financial assistance, diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Those small events will help to fully complement the few things

Continued from page 9

“Most people, I think this is true of most places in Chicago and Illinois, but especially for my ward and precinct, most people voted mail-in or early voting. I was pretty much just sitting there waiting for like, the occasional voter the whole day. So it was a little bit boring, but it was nice. I felt like I made a difference.”

While the legal voting age is 18 in the U.S, plenty of young adults still wanted opportunities to make their voices heard and help out in future elections. “Even if you can’t vote, getting involved in a campaign is a great idea, I’ve done that before.” Mabrey-Wakefield said. “You can also listen to presentations and also be informed, watching the news. But also be careful about what news outlets you’re getting your information from. I think the best thing you can do is find what is most important to you, and then find a candidate who represents that.”

Rihter agrees, as she too thought of several ways those who cannot vote can still make a difference in a democracy. “Just like raising awareness of ways people can register to vote, ways that they can see if their vote has been counted,” Rihter said.

“But I mean, there are a lot of ways to make your voice heard. Even if you can’t vote, a lot of the people that weren’t able to vote, but still were really active on Instagram, those people did also have an impact on me and the things I was Googling. I think as long as you want to be active in the political realm, you can.”

the virtual Open House doesn’t have time to touch on,” Fisher said.

The admissions office will also be hosting smaller events with student and parent panels. These events are taking place so prospective families can feel more involved in the community. “Students can connect more one-on-one in small group settings, and parents can also connect,” Walus said.

The Parker Weekly, Page 16

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ACIS CONFERENCE ENTERS ITS THIRD YEAR

PARKER ATTENDS SIMUN ONLINE

Continued from page 1

Admissions at the International School of Brooklyn Torsie Judkins said. “I have a long commute on a commuter train, then a subway, and I was able to stay on the Zoom the whole time which was nice.”

In the past, the in-person conference has prohibited many from coming due to conflicts or the cost of coming to Chicago.

“One thing that was great about Zoom is people could come who couldn’t because travel was too expensive, or because they can’t miss a meeting,” Music Department Chair Kingsley Tang said. “I don’t know how many people are restricted by that, but there are merits to doing conferences like these online.”

When the conference was created, one of the goals was for people in similar positions to meet one another, something that is harder over Zoom. In response to this, multiple breakout room discussions were added to create space for people to meet one another.

“I was in a breakout room with one person who I’ve known for a long time, who was talking about her role as a Head of Lower School, as a person of color who’s a Head of Lower School,” Brandon said, “but then there was also a person who was also a Head of Lower School in our breakout room just by happenstance. The moment they realized they weren’t alone and made that connection reminded me about the importance of the conference and why it exists.

Fostering a feeling of community has been a focus of this conference. Creating a space where administrators of color can see one another and work together, and where people can feel open has been among the most important aspects of the conference.

“I got a community of support, so I got connected to others who are in similar leadership roles in independent schools which kind of created a collective knowledge I could tap into, and I also received a renewed energy for the work I am doing,” Middle and Upper School Director of Studies Sven Carlsson said.

While administrators came from all parts of the nation, there was a sense of unity throughout the conference.

“I think there’s a unique challenge to being an administrator in an independent school when you’re a person of color,” Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Ten Acre Day School and first-time attendee

PROGRESSIVE INCOME, PROGRESSIVE ED

Jaleesa Anselm said. “So it was really nice to be in a forum with other administrators from independent schools who understand what that situation is like.”

Over the past eight months, many events have had a profound impact on everyone but have impacted people of color more than others. As this is a gathering for people of color, much of the conference was geared towards these issues.

“They didn’t try and pretend like anything was anything else. What’s happening today, the pandemic, the social justice movement, it was the heart of the conference,” Judkins said on Election Day. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Joy DeGruy an author and educator who focuses on the intersection of trauma, race, and American Chattel slavery. One of the topics she spoke on self-care.

“A lot of us are tired,” Judkins said.

“We have been working continuously since March and as a person of color, I’ve had to contend with a lot of anxiety, so having someone speak about self-care and the importance of making sure you’re holding up okay was welcome and something I loved to hear.”

Over the years, the conference has focused on different aspects of what it means to be an administrator of color, and many have taken different things they’ve learned back into the classroom.

“The conference has equipped me as a mentor to really be cognizant of how I fill a space, so how when I try to mentor a student, how much speaking and stating I am doing versus how much questioning, and how with mentorship again, how I can develop them into the best version of themselves, meaning how can I make them a more faithful representation of themselves rather than making them a more faithful representation of me,” Carlsson said.

Brandon wanted this to be a place where people could be themselves and be with others like them, something that even over Zoom seems to have worked.

“It’s like a warm blanket when you’re really cold when I can spend time with people who understand what I go through everyday, who understand what I go through at my school,” Judkins said.

“I live for these moments where we all can see each other and not have to put a persona up around us.”

Continued from page 5 could in person without their laptops.”

There were many benefits of being online for the students running SIMUN. “The benefit of doing it over Zoom ended up being that we didn’t have to do a lot of that in-person stuff like printing things out and the setting up chairs,” Evans said. “We really just had to focus on giving up positions and more logistical problems which I think helped us in the long run.”

Since SIMUN happens before delegates are picked for traveling conferences, many delegates who want to travel participate in it. This year there are no traveling conferences so there is no competition for those spots. “Now, it’s if you want to do SIMUN do SIMUN, so less people want to do it,” Conrad said. “The one thing that’s interesting though is it does show us who loves Model UN for the pure joy of doing well.”

Jacobs thinks there was less participation from older delegates because they had already experienced an in-person SIMUN.“I was pretty hesitant going into it just because sitting at a screen for seven consecutive hours does not seem that appealing,” Jones said. “But the conference was so organized and productive that it felt like a close attempt to how SIMUN is in-person.”

Delegates used Zoom features like virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, and the chat to talk to other delegates and enhance debate. “It was what I expected in terms of Model UN procedure online but there were so many more opportunities to chat easier with people,” Jones said. “I think the community element of SIMUN was much stronger than I expected.”

During a SIMUN debrief following the conference, many delegates expressed that they enjoyed the conference. “Model UN kids like to have fun and that was clear on Zoom still,” Jacobs said. an increased income tax rate. “There are some parents at Parker,” Bigelow said, “who would have to pay a little bit more, I’ll phrase it that way.”

He speculated that parents may have influenced the opinions of his students.

“They all thought they were kind of in favor of this, a lot of them, and then they went home and talked to their parents,” Bigelow said. “They came back the next day a little bit conflicted.”

Senior Elliot Landolt, a student in Bigelow’s Election Course, was opposed to the tax initiative and discussed it with contribution. Money from both groups both his parents. “My mom supported went towards a blitz of posters, television the fair tax and my dad didn’t,” Landolt advertisements, and flyers. Bigelow gave said via email. “This election, in general, his class equal access to materials from both has led to many hard talks between groups, which he used as the basis for this family and friends alike and I always lesson. want to keep an open mind in these, Bigelow noted that at a private school understanding that the people I speak with an Upper School tuition of $37,840, with care as much about their opinion some families would be directly affected by as I do.”

Honorable Mentions. “The delegates have been working hard for almost two months now and they have been preparing really hard,” high school Model UN captain and junior Ivy Jacobs said. “I’m not surprised a lot of the Parker delegates won awards because they are extremely talented, and they always perform well.”

“I think being online made me feel a lot more comfortable and I think that when you are standing in a room and you have to walk up and stand at the podium nerves come so much easier,” Jones said.

“But online I certainly found myself taking more opportunities and chances that I maybe would have been more resistant to in-person.”

Evans learned a lot about how to run SIMUN online based on two previous online conferences he had attended. One thing he learned was not to have a keynote speaker who usually speaks during the opening ceremony. Since the opening ceremony is first, he wanted it to be short and easy to follow. SIMUN also used Zoom rather than online event platform Gatherly due to issues that other online Model UN conferences had encountered.

For freshman Julia Peet, SIMUN was her first high school conference.

“Personally, compared to SIMUN last year, doing the conference on Zoom worked a lot better because it was really easy to pass notes and you could all work on a Google Doc to work on a resolution instead of writing it by hand,” Peet said.

During in-person conferences delegates usually do not have access to their laptops.

“It’s hard because we want our delegates to get practice in feeling uncomfortable, and we want our delegates to feel like they’re in a new space,” Conrad said. “You want them to feel like they have stage fright because all of those things make you a better delegate, and when you’re sitting in your own room with the ability to read your notes, you lose that.”

However, Jacobs believed being online improved parts of debate. “You could use as many notes as you wanted but you could also research anything that you wanted in the middle of the conference and nobody would know,” Jacobs said. “I guess it enhanced debate in the way that people knew more, and they could answer questions and they could come up with whatever responses on the spot faster and more in-depth than they

Continued from page 5 Hike Amendment, according to campaign finance disclosures.

CEO of Citadel Ken Griffin, currently the richest resident of Illinois, gave around $53.74 million to the Anti-Tax coalition, basically matching the governor’s

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JOE BIDEN’S ELECTION VICTORY Continued from page 6

erupted in celebration at the news of Biden’s victory. In Chicago, car horns and cheers of joy were heard throughout the city.

Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot, took to the streets to celebrate “Getting our Country back.” Students at Parker reacted similarly, celebrating the Biden presidency. Many Parker students posted to their Instagram and Snapchat stories to show their support for President-elect Biden. “I was really excited when I heard the news. I was biking home and saw people on the street celebrating,” sophomore Mollie Gross said.

“I had been very nervous about the outcome of the election, far before Election Day, so it (a Biden victory) was a huge relief.”

Parker teachers were also on “pins and needles all of last (Election) week -really, for the past four years!! -- regarding the outcome of the election,” said Upper School teacher Jeanne Barr. “It seemed to me a clear point of inflection -- either we would continue down the path of incivility, climate change denial, and other egregious shatterings of our political norms, or we would have a chance to reclaim the ground of decency. To me, a whole lot was at stake in this election. I really agreed with Joe Biden that ‘character was on the ballot.”

Barr’s opinions were widely endorsed by other teachers throughout the Parker community.

Middle School History teacher Anthony Shaker shared a view similar to Barr. “It was nerve-wracking to have to wait a few days to get the final result (though there are still a few states undecided), the process, overall, seemed to work. Not only did it work, but it worked pretty smoothly and with unprecedented turnout. A great deal of credit needs to go to (the) Secretary of State’s offices around the country and the people who managed and risked their health in order to count the ballots.”

The historic nature of the 2020 election will not soon be forgotten. Between Trump’s scorched-earth campaign style, the first woman to be elected on a major ticket, record turnout, and the threat of a deadly virus, there were many lessons to learn.

With the controversial nature of President Donald Trump, numerous political scholars and news media outlets questioned if this election was a vote against Trump or a vote for Biden. “I think voters were able to get a clear contrast in style, policy, experience, attitude, etc…” Shaker said. “I think the pandemic and the President [Trump’s] handling of it, particularly the manner in which he handled his office and his own health when he had COVID-19, along with the rising cases in all regions of the country, likely hurt his candidacy in a major way.”

Freshman Benjamin Kagan shared that

he supported Biden because of his “sensible policies and character, not because I hated Trump. I thought Biden did a nice job appealing to the far left wing of the party by including Kamala Harris on the ticket.”

Vice President elect Harris also made history as she was the first woman, and woman of color, to be elected on a major ticket.

While it is unknown if Harris had a major impact on the outcome of the election, Harris is a sign of change in a divided country. “I’m not sure if Kamala Harris impacted the result (VP’s generally don’t impact outcomes all that much), but I do think that she’ll be a major force in the Biden administration,” Shaker said. “She (Harris) has life experiences sharply different to Biden, and her work as a prosecutor, California Attorney General, and Senator gives her a wealth of experience to shape the Biden agenda. Biden will be 78 when he becomes President, so it’s important to consider her qualifications...it’s important to note the importance, too, of having the first woman, first African-American, and first South Asian person in the second highest position in the country,” said Shaker. Barr shared a nearly identical view to her colleague in the history department.

“Choosing her was historic and a signal that Biden will be the most inclusive and barrier-breaking leader he can be. She is a rock star,” Barr said.

While the consensus is that the Biden administration is a sign of significant change, it remains unclear how the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will behave. “I imagine there will be a series of failed lawsuits and denialism about the election -- unsubstantiated claims of fraud, etc.” Barr said. Shaker agreed with Barr when saying, “I’m totally unsure about how the President will respond. He does not strike me as someone who will concede, and if he does, then he’d do it on his own terms rather than by the precedent set by losing candidates from the past. He will no doubt try to protect his brand as a ‘winner,’ both to preserve his own legacy but looking forward to his future work as a businessman. My hope is that he can do this without encouraging violence and unrest from his supporters. The temperature in the country is very hot right now, and we all need leaders in the country to set a tone of calm and cooperation moving forward.”

While Shaker hopes for tensions to calm, many students see parallels to the 2000 election. In 2000, Al Gore declared victory on election night, yet 36 days later, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that resulted in George Bush winning the State of Florida, and consequently, the Electoral College. While

The Parker Weekly, Page 17

PROGRESSIVE INCOME, PROGRESSIVE ED Continued from page 16 Senior Olivia Hanley, another student in the class, did outside research on the tax and encouraged both of her parents to vote for it, though she cannot do so herself. “I definitely understand that people are wary of it just because if you are over a certain income bracket,” Hanley said. “There are a bunch of billionaires within our state who are heavily against it and who are pouring money into the effort to stop it.”

However, Hanley was ultimately in support of the amendment. “I’m a type of person who’s more for the good of the whole over the individual,” Hanley said. “I think that it would bring a lot of relief, in terms of infrastructure and health care and education and human services.”

Landolt disagreed. “Living in Illinois and Chicago we are overtaxed as is,” Landolt said. “One pivotal moment for this was when the rep from the Fair Tax said that the fair tax could only reduce the taxes of a person by $20 dollars in some cases. This, to me, doesn’t seem effective. It also punishes small businesses and hurts employers.

Raising taxes on family farmers and small business owners won’t help our state.”

Though not all students in the class agreed on whether the tax should be passed, Bigelow framed the ballot initiative as an important part of the democratic process. In Illinois, you need signatures equal to 8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election to get your citizen-initiated measure on the ballot.

Other significant ballot initiatives passed this election cycle included the

decriminalization of hard drugs in Oregon, a new state flag in Mississippi, and an amendment in Louisiana establishing that nothing in their constitution grants a right to abortion. “That’s how you as a common citizen can make a difference,” Bigelow said. “If you want to propose an idea, go through the process, get the initial signatures, and then work your way to getting on the ballot, you can.”

many conservative outlets believe the Supreme Court could intervene again, it remains unlikely. “In this election Biden, clearly won more states than Gore did to Bush. Due to that, I can’t see a second term of Donald Trump,” said sophomore Lucas Daskal. Both Shaker and Barr shared similar viewpoints as Daskal. “I don’t think there will be a repeat of Bush v. Gore, which was about stopping a recount of ballots cast.” Barr said.

“Now, there’s no equivalent because even if they recount Wisconsin and flip the result, Wisconsin alone isn’t enough to change the result in the Electoral College. Trump would have to overturn the results in multiple states to change the outcome, and I don’t see how he would have a legal path to do so, and I don’t see the Supreme Court getting involved in that after the blowback they received for interfering in 2000.” Shaker shared a similar viewpoint, noting “the (Supreme) Court can only intervene if a case is brought before them, and for this election there would have to be so many different cases since so many different states are involved. I don’t believe

that the Court would lump all of them together since there isn’t a similar legal issue at play in all of the different states.

From what I’ve heard so far, most of the legal challenges have been dismissed for lack of evidence, so it appears that Trump’s strategy of using the court system to overturn the results will not go very far.”

With no evidence to date, and cases dismissed in Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, credible news organizations, such as NBC, have reported that President Trump may be coming to terms with the results of the election. However, the mercurial nature of Donald Trump and the entire Trump administration leaves the nation wondering if these reports are true. Without some type of sudden and unexpected legal action, and regardless of whether Trump officially concedes, a new chapter in American history begins on January 20, 2021 with the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The Parker Weekly, Page 18

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