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The Parker Weekly, Page 1
The Parker Weekly Volume CX, Issue 10
Election Season Is Here!
WOCA SYMPOSIUM
CONNECTIONS THROUGH SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
WOCA Holds its First City Wide Symposium
Sociologist Professor Eric Klinenberg ‘89 Speaks on “Palaces for the People”
By Arjun Kalra The Women of Color Affinity group (WOCA) has aimed to provide a space for women of color at Parker, and through their WOCA symposium, they brought together women of color from high schools around Chicago. WOCA was created in response to the creation of MOCHA at Parker, to create a space for women of color to feel comfortable. “I felt that there wasn’t a space where women of color could speak collectively about being a woman of color in the Parker community,” senior Leila Griffin, one of the founders of WOCA, said. Being a predominately white institution, women of color are in the minority at the school, something that can be demoralizing. “For me it was the feeling of not belonging somewhere, always feeling like an other,” senior Aziza Mabrey-Wakefield, another WOCA head said. “As Leila said, it was important to make sure that no other girl has to feel that way because I’ve felt that way since I was five years old.” “Looking at the Parker Anonymous page, there are so many comments about microaggressions that people aren’t aware of. Those comments just feel alienating which can make it really hard to feel like part of the group,” Asha Wright, another WOCA head, said. WOCA became an affinity club; however, the heads wanted to expand it. “We thought it was not only important to create this space not only at Parker but in the Chicago community in general which led us to create the symposium,” MabreyWakefield said. In January of 2020, the WOCA heads, in collaboration with their former faculty sponsor Ruth Jurgensen, created the idea of a symposium as there wasn’t one previously. After Jurgensen left the school, they started working with Alexis Pantoja, College Counseling Coordinator, and Rolanda Shepard, Upper School Coordinator, to make this symposium a reality. Soon after starting to plan the symposium, they learned Loyola Academy was hosting a similar symposium set to
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May 14, 2021
By Sofia Brown
Students return for class 5 days a week. Photo by Arjun Kalra
ALL DAY, EVERYDAY Parker Upper School Returns to Campus Five Days A Week By Eden Stranahan
On Monday, April 19, Parker’s Upper School began gathering on campus to attend classes all day, five days a week for the first time since March 13, 2020. The various schedule changes up until this point have included hybrid classes, half day classes, and six online classes per day, making this switch back to a “normal” school day long anticipated. Whether this anticipated change is met with enthusiasm or disdain depends on the student and must take into account whether they are returning back to school or staying remote. Fernando Degante is a sophomore who will continue to learn remotely while many of his classmates are returning to campus five days a week. “Personally, I feel like I am at a disadvantage because of how I remain online,” Degante said. “The schedule is something we all need to get used to, but I think it is manageable.” Degante acknowledges that continuing to learn online while other students go back is proving to be difficult. “Honestly I can feel kind of left out because I am not in person,” Degante said. “I will see other people in class and just be left to watch them talk and even can sometimes not hear what people are saying which leads to not gathering much from some discussions.” When talking about remote learning challenges, Degante said he believes that these issues mostly stem from technological problems rather than things teachers could be fixing, with the exception of certain scenarios. “I think teachers do a good job in including people who are online, however in
some instances, teachers forgot to include online students in discussion,” Degante said. “When the teachers are talking,it is not always clear and sometimes the audio starts lagging.” “I feel awkward when I am asked to talk because I know my voice is being projected all throughout the classroom,” Degante said. “Also, we don’t get to participate in activities that require us to be in the room such as labs and group work.” Danni Kaplan is a new Parker freshman who opted to return in person to school. “I think the transition at first was a little challenging just because I didn’t know where anything was,” Kaplan said. “It was nice to see everyone in the building, and everyone was really nice and showed me where my classes were.” Quite different from Kaplan, Emma Jung is a Parker senior who has returned to campus for the final months of her last year attending Parker. “As a senior, it’s definitely a crazy experience knowing that my whole senior year practically was online,” Jung said. “I didn’t really have that feeling of being a senior.” Jung attended the hybrid learning schedule, used before the switch to fully on-campus classes, but said that it felt weird only seeing her grade. The hybrid schedule included two half days per week in person, with classes alongside only half of your grade. “I’ve definitely enjoyed my time back in school,” Jung said. “During the hybrid schedule, I didn’t get to see all of my friends or even anyone in my grade really
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Imagine if someone came up with the idea to build huge public buildings in every neighborhood, open every day, fully staffed, with free wifi and books for anyone regardless of age or social class to use and take home as well as areas for communal discussion. According to Parker alumnus and sociologist Eric Klinenberg ‘89, the idea of a library without its modern-day title would be considered radical by many people. This is the thought he posed to Parker parents and alumni midway through the Parker Parents Association’s Community Connects event on April 21. As the attendees trickled into the evening Zoom event, they were joining not just a formal event, but a reunion of friends as well. Being a long-time member of the Parker community, Klinenberg took part in swapping pandemic stories and reminiscing about high school experiences at Parker with the attendees, who ranged from old buddies to other well-known sociologist professors. Parents Association (PA) Co-Chair and Parker parent Cat Adami ‘89 helped organize the event. According to Adami, this year’s PA members have had to “be very creative in finding more opportunities for engagement.” The potlucks and social get-togethers that they held in the past were no longer possible with the current social distancing guidelines. “I think we’ve had great results because of these new events that we’ve offered,” Adami said in reference to the higher turnout of parents at Zoom events. Around 40 to 50 adults attended the most recent Community Connects Zoom centered around Klinenberg’s most recent book, “Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.” Moderated by Parker parent and Sociology Department Chair at DePaul University Tracy Ellison, the discussion covered a wide range of topics. In a time of extreme polarization in American society, “Palaces for the People” offers suggestions on how to move forward and rebuild through strengthening social infrastructure:
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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 May and return to in-person school! We still can’t believe how amazing it is to be back with all of you!! Whether you are staying remote or meeting in-person, we know that school will still look different to what we love and miss, and we hope that this issue of “The Weekly” helps brighten your day and strengthen the feeling of community we aspire to create. We are always proud of our staff who works on these issues, so please be sure to congratulate our writers! We have some great pieces to check out. Be sure to read Samantha Graines’ piece on the Cullen J. Davis Young Men of Color Symposium and Arjun Kalra’s piece on returning club life. And, of course, we cannot sign off before mentioning our wonderful website, parkerweekly.org, which we continue to update with exclusive and exciting content!! Let’s make the most of this last month and a half at Parker! Love, Zach, Julia, and Nick
writers Zach Joseph ‘21 Rosey Limmer ‘21 Julia Marks ‘21 Spencer O’Brien ‘21 Denise Román ‘21 Alex Schapiro ‘21 Nick Skok ‘21 Jake Boxerman ‘22 Sofia Brown ‘22 Emma Manley ‘22
Tess Wayland ‘22 Ana Franco ‘23 Samantha Graines ‘23 Max Keller ‘23 Ben Rachel ‘23 Sophia Rosenkranz ‘23 Eden Stranahan ‘23 Arjun Kalra ‘24 Harry Lowitz ‘24
contributing faculty Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor
Kate Tabor Eric Rampson
Quote of “The Weekly”
Emma: “Can I quote Dr. Fauci without checking with him?” Zach: “Absolutely but if you can manage to quote check with Dr. Fauci please get me his email” — Emma Manley ‘22 and Zach Joseph ‘21 when discussing quote checks for the Joke Issue
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Mission Statement
The Parker Weekly, Page 3
“THE PARKER WEEKLY” MISSION STATEMENT By The Parker Weekly
Dear readers, Behind the scenes, there have been changes to the article process in regard to administrative intervention, and we wanted to take a moment to clarify a few details about the way that The Parker Weekly operates. The Parker Weekly is an entirely student-led operation. Apart from a review process during final drafts, the faculty advisors are largely separate from the operation of writing, organizing, designing, and printing a monthly paper. Members of the administration are not involved in said review process and therefore are not responsible for any of the content printed in each issue. Articles and editorials published in this print edition do not reflect the views of the Francis W. Parker School. Despite the paper sharing a name with the school, our opinions do not represent those of the administration or any of the students and teachers. All articles undergo a thorough publication process and are edited and reviewed by the editors-in-chief of The Parker Weekly and our faculty advisors. We seek to report on the goings-on of the school with an unbiased lens and educate the public. If there are any errors, no matter how small, we encourage you to send these concerns to the Editors-In-Chief, the faculty advisors, or weekly@ fwparker.org. Your comments will be heard and addressed to the best of our ability. Please contact weekly@fwparker.org with any questions.
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!
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News
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“A NEW WORLD”
Upper School Spring Musical Premieres Virtually With no backstage and no live audience, the call for actors to take their places comes from a computer speaker moments before senior Bella Charfoos appears on the screen to sing about “a new world.” Charfoos and her 15 castmates faced this new world together as they recorded audio and visuals for a Broadway review, Virtually Yours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this virtual version of the Upper School Spring Musical streamed via Vimeo from Wednesday, April 14 to May 6 and was sent to Parker inboxes with a Kudoboard in lieu of in-person standing ovations. The cast performed 10 different numbers and two scenes from musicals and plays that ranged from classics like “Les Mis” and “Rent” to Fosse-favorite “Sweet Charity,” and from former-Parker shows “The Wiz” and “Shrek” to the contemporary “The Greatest Showman.” Director John Hildreth, Production Manager Tom Moster, and Choreographer Flo Walker-Harris, along with Lower and Intermediate School Drama Teacher and Department Chair Leslie Pryor, Middle and Upper School Music Teacher Emma Castaldi, and her maternity sub Christie Chiles Twillie, led the students in rehearsing and performing these selections as the production team.
By Tess Wayland
Two members from the upper school musical pose during their in person production. Photo courtesy of Rania Jones.
Hildreth and the team decided on the review style so they could highlight individual cast members and have a better chance of making a show work through the challenges presented by the pandemic. “At the beginning of the school year, we had no idea if a show is even going to happen, period,” Moster said. Parker’s Fall Play, “Art” by Yasmina Reza, was performed live via Zoom Webinar, a format the leadership team decided would not work for the spring. “Being able to do more polished things with recordings would
give us a better process and better outcome with a larger group,” Moster said. Senior Will Ehrlich has performed in the spring musical since freshman year and was initially disappointed that his last show at Parker wouldn’t be a traditional one. “The second I found out it wasn’t gonna be like a real musical I was like, ‘well, I’m not a fan of that,’” Ehrlich said. Hildreth recognized that Ehrlich was not the only cast member or only senior who felt this way. “There was a difficult sell to get students interested enough to participate,
but I feel like I feel that’s the same thing for all the shows,” Hildreth said. “I’m just so grateful to all the students who put in all that extra time and effort and worked so hard.” Students recorded audio and video footage at home each week, spending the first minutes of rehearsal reviewing together on Zoom before being released to work, record, and upload their files to Google Drive. Moster noted one perk of digital rehearsals was that they could be recorded and posted online with other practice resources for those who were unable to attend. As the positivity rate for coronavirus improved in Chicago and Parker began allowing more groups on campus, the performers started spit-testing so they could record clips at the school. Though singing was not allowed and actors had to remain distanced and follow other safety protocols, they were able to film videos while lipsyncing and dancing. Sophomore Phoebe Friedman was encouraged to join Parker’s musical for the first time by her dance teacher Walker Harris. “This year out of all years wouldn’t
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SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER
Parker Hosts the Cullen J. Davis Young Men of Color Symposium Four years ago, Head of Upper School Justin Brandon and Middle and Upper School Director of Studies Sven Carlsson boarded an airplane and traveled to New York City to attend the Young Men of Color Symposium led and created by Dwight Vidale. On Saturday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Parker hosted their third Cullen J. Davis Young Men of Color Symposium. When Brandon and Carlsson went to the conference, they believed it to be a great opportunity for the young men of color at Parker. “With the leadership of [Ruth] Jurgensen who really made all of this happen,” Brandon said, “we were able to work with Mr. Vidale, and have him bring the young men of color symposium to Chicago.” Vidale first had the idea for the young men of color symposium when he was working at the Riverdale Country School in Bronx, N.Y.. What started as a peermentoring program at Riverdale Country School, expanded to a Symposium for schools in the one mile radius, and then expanded to the state of New York with close to 300 students participating, when in-person. The conference has now made its way to Parker and many other schools. The conference is open to students from sixth grade to twelfth grade. “It is a
By Samantha Graines
leadership conference for students to explore masculinity, racial identity, and other different identifiers that we have in a safe space where we can think about that together in an affinity space,” Vidale said. “We bring together people from all different schools which adds to the heft of the conversation and makes it that much more real and vibrant.” Most of the students who attend the young men of color symposiums are students at predominantly white independent schools all over the country. “When they come into this space and they all identify as young men of color, it creates this opportunity for them to see themselves reflected in other students,” Vidale said, “They often make awesome connections with peers from the same school that may be in different grades, but usually with people from different school environments and institutions.”
Vidale believes that although they come from different schools, many of the conflicts they are encountering are similar. In past years, the Symposium was a day long event, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a slightly abbreviated program done over Zoom. In years past, there have been 100 young adults in attendance, but this year there were only 35 students who attended from around the Chicagoland area. Brandon is hopeful that next year will be back in person. Parker’s young men of color symposium began with the keynote speaker, Phuc Tran, who is a writer, teacher, activist, and tattoo artist. “I learned from Phuc Tran to keep going even when the odds are stacked against you,” junior Othel Owens who attended the event said. “It is easy to get distracted and to let other’s negativity bring
“When they come into this space and they all identify as young men of color, it creates this opportunity for them to see themselves reflected in other students”
you down, but you have to continue to stay motivated and do you.” After the opening ceremony, students went into different discussion break-out rooms which Owens’ saidwas his favorite part of the event. “It was a great way to hear and connect to one another,” Owens said. Each breakout room is facilitated by a man of color. “They [the students] get a chance to see their future selves in positions of leadership as well,” Vidale said. “It is intentionally curated in that way so they feel seen, heard, valued and provide them the opportunity to know that they are not alone in the feelings that they have.” Brandon believes that the conference has always been meaningful but may be more meaningful now due to recent events. “The last calendar year has been pretty intense in terms of race relations. amongst other things, and to think that we are going to have this conference during a pandemic when we just had this verdict regarding Derek Chauvin’s trial,” Brandon said. “Also, other protests and other social injustices happening and anti-Asian hate. So much is going on that this is a heavier time, which is the reason we need to continue to do this conference and offer this space for our
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News
The Parker Weekly, Page 5
WINDOW PAINTING: SPRING EDITION Ninth Graders Paint Windows in the Spring By Sophia Rosenkranz In the snowy and cold month of December, windows across the Parker campus are coated with freshly painted layers depicting a vast array of images and words. This year, however, there was a twist: windows were painted in April. On April 24th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., freshmen entering the building were greeted with a blue paper bag. Inside the bag were paint brushes and tools they might need for the event, and individual materials were also a safety measure. Unlike years in the past, the window painting event was not holiday themed, it instead had four themes, which freshmen could choose from: faculty and staff appreciation, senior celebration, frontline workers appreciation, and the Parker community. Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno attended the entire event. “The highlight was that we were able to recreate the event, in a safe, fun, thought out way, and most importantly, in celebration of our community,” Bruno said. Bruno also described where each themed window can
be located throughout the school. “Parker Community windows are displayed in the cafeteria, [windows] celebrating the class of 2021 are displayed on the third and fourth floors, [windows celebrating] frontline workers are the main l o b b y, a n d faculty and staff appreciation are down the admin hallway,” Bruno said. T h e organization of the event w a s d i ff e r e n t from years past. First, there were COVID-19
protocols that were practiced, such as mask wearing, temperature checks, and social distancing, to ensure the safety of the event. There were five different time slots during the day where students could sign up and bring two guests during those shifts and decorate a w i n d o w. Students were assigned a designated spot to paint a window. “Not only was it spread out for safety reasons
Freshman window painting took place in the spring this year. Photo by Caroline Skok.
over five shifts, but it was also then spread out again over four floors, so at most we had maybe two to three people on each floor painting,” Bruno said. Because each family had their own bag with brushes, they were able to keep them after the event was over, a change to the window painting event from the past. “We told families you could take the brushes and all of the supplies home, so we weren’t having a lot of waste,” Bruno said. Cory Zeller, Upper School English Teacher, explained the preparation process which took several days. “It was certainly more time intensive this year, but I do think everyone felt safe, which allowed people to then relax, which allowed people to then have fun,” Zeller said. Usually, food and treats are provided for the people participating in the event. However, as the coronavirus safety measures were a priority, no food was served. Instead,
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ADMINISTRATION MORPHS
The Intermediate and Middle School Leadership Prepares for Significant Changes By Harry Lowitz
On Monday, April 12, a message from Principal Dan Frank was sent to the Parker community, titled “Congratulations to Colleagues and Transition Planning in the Intermediate and Middle Schools.” The email carried four sections beginning with the announcement of Intermediate and Middle School Dean of Student Life Tray White taking the position of Assistant Head of Middle School at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., which he will start in July. The email outlined the current state of the administration changes and transitions that will be happening in the Intermediate and Middle Schools for next year. The announcement of White moving on adds to the already significant turnover happening at Parker this year, including Head of Upper School Justin Brandon leaving Parker. Head of Intermediate and Middle Schools John Novick will be leaving Parker to be the Head of School at North Park Elementary School. As the Assistant Head of the Middle School at Sidwell Friends School, White will work with faculty on the academics of the division. “I’m able to draw on some of my teacher muscles,” White said. He will be evaluating teachers and reviewing the curriculum. White will also have some work pertaining to what is usually called “student discipline.” White hopes to make the process of dealing with those issues much more culturally aware and conducive for a community.
White thought that his new job at Sidwell Friends School would allow him to “expand and extend on” his various experiences. He determined that the “personal and professional direction” he wanted to go in would be compatible with this new opportunity. For White, one of the most exciting factors of the new job would be the opportunity to live in D.C.. He described the experience of acclimating to Chicago from his previous job in Atlanta, Georgia and said that he was interested in going through that again in a new place. Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker school, meaning it practices education that aligns with the religious denomination of Quakerism. White thought that Quaker education and Progressive education, as is featured at Parker, have many similarities, which made the transition easier for him to get his head around. He also is excited about the new aspects that Quaker education presents, which will offer him new challenges and new experiences. White will be moving on after three years of working as the Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life. When asked about his effect at Parker,
White first noted that he hoped to bring his “full authentic self” to Parker. White had recognized the great things that were happening in the Intermediate and Middle schools, and his goal was to make sure that “that speeding train didn’t slow down.” The message from Frank included many of White’s other accomplishments. It mentioned his approach to Intermediate and Middle School activities and affinity groups, his work pertaining to student travel and the summer bridge program, as well as his help onboarding new advisors, figuring out how to have school during the coronavirus, and helping to bring other programs to students. Sixth Grade Science Teacher and Team Leader Peg Zerega described White’s effect in the Intermediate and Middle Schools. “No matter who you were,” Zerega said, “if you had something to say to him, he listened and he made you feel like whatever you had to say was important to him.” Zerega noted that as an advisor in the seventh and eighth grades, White was able to connect with students and teachers which informed his advisement on many matters of planning and policy changes. White also assisted Middle School Counselor Reyna
“No matter who you were... if you had something to say to him, he listened and he made you feel like whatever you had to say was important to him.”
Smith in putting together eighth grade programming dealing with various topics in health. Intermediate and Middle Schools coordinator Tierra Moore called White a thought leader. She noted that he has been an “amazing coach” for Parker athletics in both the Middle and Upper Schools. “He comes into the building with great energy,” Moore said, “We’ll miss his humanity.” Seventh grade Math Teacher and team Leader Chris Stader noted that White had done a nice job of giving chances for students to shape their Middle School lives by creating clubs and giving input when they wanted to. The third section of the message from Frank was titled, “New Role for Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life.” According to the message from Frank, the position of Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life will be posting immediately. The position will have more responsibilities pertaining to disciplinary issues and will work more closely with the faculty and the new Head Intermediate and Middle Schools, Vahn Phayprasert. The new Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life responsibilities will be more like that of the Upper School Dean of Student Life, Joe Bruno. The exception to this is that the Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life will no longer be in charge of student activities.
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Singing and Dancing
DANCING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC Latin Dance MX Tradition Continues Despite COVID-19 Pandemic By Emma Manley In the past month, seventh grade students have danced on the field, in the gym, on the stage, and even in their own homes to put together this year’s Latin Dance MX. They have been wearing the outfits Parker students have passed down from Latin Dance MX to Latin Dance MX each year, but with an addition: a mask. On May 7, the Latin Dance Morning Ex was sent out to the school. Seventh grade students both learning remotely and at school as well as Seventh Grade Spanish teacher Edinson López Flores and assistant teacher Jasmine Hart put together the MX. The MX tradition began 14 years ago. Last year, however, students were not able to do the Latin Dance MX due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is López Flores’ first year doing the Latin Dance MX. “I’m excited that this tradition is not getting forgotten and I’m excited to see my students and see how they react to their presentations since they worked really hard,” López Flores said. Students began working on the MX in March and finished the week before April break. During the first and second week, students learned the basic steps and added different rhythms and orders to the steps. Students worked on choreography and other
Students dancing on the field in the pre-recorded 7th Grade Latin Dance Project. Photo courtesy of Edinson López Flores and Jasmine Hart.
changes during the third week. The final week, students worked on clothing for the video. The drama department also provided costumes. López Flores created videos teaching the basic steps using videos from students. These videos were available for students to rewatch. There were two quarantines for the seventh grade while working on the MX. One was while they were learning the steps,
and one was right after they finished. “The funny thing is that on Thursday we finished recording and the next day we went into quarantine,” López Flores said. The classes were still able to work on the project while working remotely during quarantine. “We spent some time in class, and Sr. López would go over certain steps, and then he would also spend other classes not doing the Latin dancing,” seventh grader Spencer Koh said.
López Flores was originally hesitant to do the MX since some students were at home and others were at school. Students at school practiced on the field, in the library, and in the auditorium with masks on. Those at home were able to learn the dances through the videos created by López Flores and during class. In order to practice the dances, the students at home recorded two to three videos of themselves to send to López Flores for feedback on background, setup, and steps. Each student submitted a final video which was edited into the MX. “They learned fast, really fast,” López Flores said. “A lot of my students do dancing so that was really helpful.” Students created a presentation where they explained the history of each dance in both Spanish and English. They also explained the background of the songs used for each dance and presented a poem. At the end of each section’s presentation, students explained and demonstrated the steps of each dance. Section A did the Merengue to the song Visa para un Sue by Juan Luis Guerra. López
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ALL TOGETHER NOW! Band and Choir Back In-Person By Jacob Boxerman For the first time in more than a year, Parker music classes are back in swing. But instead of hearing the swell of voices emanating from the auditorium, or the beat of a drum from the band room, music at Parker has a new home: the great outdoors. Under strict distancing guidelines and COVID-19 precautions, Parker’s choir and band has begun whole-class weekly rehearsals as was normal pre-pandemic. Upper School Choir Director Emma Castaldi, who left on maternity leave in December and returned for full in-person learning on April 19, has had the task of both safely and effectively organizing Parker’s choir program while she adjusts to the new schedule and the end of her leave. According to Castaldi, being on maternity leave was the first time she has truly felt away from her job. “When you love your job, you’re always thinking about it. And you’re always coming up with new ideas and planning,” Castaldi said. “It was the first time that I didn’t really have time to think, I was so focused on this new baby and figuring out how to be a parent … it’s a wild experience. I’ll tell you that.” With Castaldi back and nearly all students in-person full-time, both band and choir have begun semi-normal rehearsals in the afternoon G and H periods.
Due to social distancing guidelines and instruction from the medical subcommittee, the choir is not allowed to sing indoors except in limited groups with sufficient distance. “Singing is like the super spreader of COVID. If you think about it, when you take a deep breath to sing or play a wind instrument, when you’re using your breath, you’re using way more breath than you do if you just are talking to somebody,” Castaldi said. As such, Parker’s music programs have moved to rehearsing primarily outdoors. The choir has been meeting in the Courtyard, spread out around the fountain. Students in Grape Jam were issued a special singing mask with an extended front to prevent sucking in the mask fabric while breathing. Despite these technical changes and logistical difficulties, Castaldi feels that her choir is excited to be back. “We spread out. We still have masks on. It’s hard to hear. But we’re doing our best,” Castaldi said. “It truly is the first time that we get to sing together in person in over a year.” The choir is also permitted to use the auditorium for rehearsals but is limited to humming rather than singing. Concert Choir meets Monday and Thursday afternoons, and Grape Jam meets Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons. In addition to the Concert Choir and Grape Jam group is Crescendo, a studentled female acapella group. Junior Sammi Coleman is one of the heads of the group, as well as a member of the Concert Choir and Grape Jam. The group stopped meeting at the beginning of the pandemic. As of now, Coleman said, there are no concrete plans to begin meeting again this year. Despite the challenges, Coleman is glad to be singing in person and to have Castaldi back as well. “It was hard to pay attention online, and we could never hear each other — you’re just listening to yourself, which is not what a lot of people signed up for,” Coleman said. Now that Castaldi is back, her ultimate goal for the rest of this school year is to broaden that connection and sense of community, which she hopes can materialize as an outdoor performance. “I’m excited for hopefully a performance opportunity that will be just a really special moment for both parents, family members to see their kids perform again. But also for us to kind of have that feeling of sharing music with an audience,” Castaldi said. The performance would be what Castaldi describes as a “music in the park”
event, with attendees distanced outdoors, enjoying Grape Jam’s 24 vocalists. But performance or not, both Castaldi and Coleman are just happy to be back. “Performing is never the biggest motivator for me … It’s just exciting to get something so community-based back to normal,” Coleman said. “A lot of what people have been missing out is that connection with other people, and music is a really good way to connect with others.” Choir students are not the only ones glad to return to their music in-person— the Concert band and Advanced Wind Ensemble, taught by Music Teacher and Middle and Upper School Band Director Alec Synakowski, have also returned to a semi-normal schedule. Logistically, Synakowski faces many of the same challenges Castaldi does, as well as many different ones—for example, space requirements are much greater for wind instruments than singing. But like Castaldi, he is excited to be back. “Just as a teacher, it is just great to have everyone back, because I get a lot of energy from interacting with students,” Synakowski said. “And so to be back in person … man, it was fantastic.” But returning to campus was not a walk
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The Parker Weekly, Page 7
Return to School
THE UPPER SCHOOL’S RETURN
Middle and Lower School Teachers Give their Thoughts on the US Being Back By Ana Franco The Lower and Middle School have been in-person since the beginning of the school year with small questions of the Lower School and Middle School quarantining due to COVID-19 cases. Starting on April 19, the high school fully returned to the Parker campus, all day, five days a week. Prior to April 19, the high school was hybrid. Now the building has 400 more occupants, including faculty and students. This uptick in people has resulted in the majority of classrooms being filled to maximum coronavirus capacity. Eighth grade English Teacher and Parker parent David Fuder has conflicted feelings about the Upper School’s return. “Honestly, I have mixed feelings,” Fuder said. “It’s been wonderful to see former students and advisees after more than a year apart, and seeing my Upper School colleagues has been equally great.” Mr. Fuder is also a Parker parent to a high schooler, so he has multiple perspectives about the situation, “Speaking as a parent, I know how much students have missed the normalcy of school and the need for face-to-face, or mask-to-mask interaction with peers and adults. Yet, I’m well aware of the risk this places on the community, as we have a much larger presence of bodies in the building.”
When the Upper School returned, it caused the Lower and Middle school students to shift back to the traditional learning spaces used before the pandemic. “It’s been great to be teaching in my classroom again -- and the other eighth grade classrooms -- as it’s allowed me to see and hear my students more effectively and to feel that intimacy in learning that was lacking for most of this school year,” Fuder said. “For the Lower and Intermediate students, they are now learning as full classes rather than split. So yes, the impact is real, but with potential for positive outcomes.” Fourth grade teacher Mirium Pickus, in regards to her general feelings about the High School being back, said, “I am so happy for them! It’s been a whole year for most of them and I am glad they could make it work for the last couple months.” With planning the return of the Upper School, the Administration and Medical Subcommittee had to consider the impact it would have on the Lower and Middle School, and how classrooms and space in the building would have to change. These decision makers also had to consider arrival and departure times for the students. Lower and Intermediate school grades have been affected by this. “Because of the Upper School return, we have been impacted by
combining two pods into one class, so that’s a structural change,” Pickus said. Before the Upper School returned to Parker, the Lower and Intermediate School classes were split up into pods, meaning each class was split into two different classrooms in order to keep the numbers low in each classroom due to CDC guidelines that required six feet of social distancing. After February break, this rule was changed by the CDC to only three feet of social distancing. When talking about day-to-day impacts, Pickus said she doesn’t “expect many day-to-day impacts as I think the school is attempting to minimize any interactions.” According to Fuder, when the administration and the medical subcommittee were planning to bring back the Upper School, they did not ask for the opinion or perspective of the Lower, Intermediate, or Middle School teachers. Since the Lower School classes aren’t impacted by the return of the Upper School, their teachers didn’t need to prepare them for it other than informing the students of combining the two pods into one class. When asked whether or not the Upper School will stay in person for the rest of the year, Pickus said she “hope(s) they stay in school. I know some are able to get
vaccinated. I think it would be great for Upper School students to be as mindful as possible about their responsibilities around social distancing. I also suspect some impact may be a matter of good or bad luck, too.” Eighth grade history teacher Stephane Nishimoto-Lorenzo shared a similar view as Pickus. “It has been so good to see the high schoolers in person. I’ve enjoyed being back in room 345.” According to NishimotoLorenzo the return of the Upper School hasn’t dramatically affected the Middle School. One of the things that has changed, however, is the schedules to accommodate cross-divisional teachers. Regarding the unknown of whether or not the Upper School will stay in school for the rest of the year, Nishimoto-Lorenzo said, “I do think the high school will stay in-person, especially with JK-eight having made it through the school year...I know teachers supported the return of the Upper School through all the work they did to move their classrooms. Shout out to the maintenance crew for making it all happen with their hardwork and dedication.” Teachers are thrilled to have the Upper School back but they are aware of the risk factor it brings to the community.
CLUBS RETURN
After Over a Year Being Online, Some Clubs Return In-Person By Arjun Kalra Students started trickling into the auditorium at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday May 6, the penultimate Model United Nations (MUN) symposium and the first symposium in person since the school shut down over a year ago. People sat with two seats between them, but still talking and laughing, a stark difference from the silence which preceded every online MUN symposium. This is one of the first in-person club meetings this year, after clubs have been forced to adapt to new schedules, new schedules, and changes from platform to platform. Since in-person learning restarted, club life has begun its return as well. While clubs would usually be winding down, some clubs have decided to continue after they usually would end so they can have an in-person meeting before the school year ends. Despite the Scholastic Bowl season having ended a while ago, they met for an in-person match last week. In that meeting things looked almost normal, people talking, joking, interacting in ways that had been made impossible by the pandemic. “Inperson this past year wasn’t really much different than any other year. There would occasionally be a problem hearing someone with their mask on, but besides that, the flow of the games stayed pretty normal,” Jonah
Delegates participating at the first in-person symposium of the 2020-2021 school year. Photo courtesy of Ivy Jacobs.
Gross, the head of Team A of Scholastic Bowl, said. This return of in-person meetings is the culmination of a year of work for many clubs, a year of adaptation and while some clubs are starting to come back, many aren’t. “It’s a continuation of what’s been going on now with clubs just having the option to meet in person, if they so choose. Zoom still works, and I think that’s probably the most convenient and inclusive because not all students are in the building, and so that’s
remained the way most club meetings have taken place,” Joe Bruno, Dean of Student life for the Upper School said. While these meetings have been filled mostly with masked students sitting separate from one another, there still remains the question of how to integrate the students who chose to remain remote. “We had a practice last week and I said, ‘You’re welcome to Zoom in, just let me know in advance.’ One student did that and basically we did what I did for class, where we set
up the mic and the Zoom so everyone can see each other,” Ethan Levine, faculty sponsor to Scholastic Bowl, said, “It was very similar to just how I do class, so while definitely not perfect, better than nothing.” There are other differences between how meetings would usually be conducted and how they are now. “What I would say is different is the ability to clump together. I think it reduces some of the fun when we’re not able to shout and banter and jump around, but overall it’s very similar,” Grace Conrad, one of the four MUN captains, said. To get approved to start back in-person is very simple if the club is less than 18 people. All that has to be done is get the faculty sponsor on board and email Mr. Bruno to find space. If the club is larger, a proposal has to be submitted to the medical subcommittee. “We wrote a proposal and we sent it to the medical subcommittee, who were very helpful,” Alex Carlin, another of the MUN captains, said. “They worked with us to redo the proposal because we proposed the Harris Center and they were like ‘no no no, that’s not enough space, use the auditorium.’ We then reached out to Mr.
Continued on page 11
The Parker Weekly, Page 8
Election Season!
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT PROFILES Getting to Know the Candidates By Max Keller Editor’s Note: The order that candidates are introduced and discussed is purely based on the alphabetical order of their last names. “The Weekly” does not endorse any specific candidate for any Student Government position. All photos are courtesy of candidates. Not even a global pandemic can stop Parker’s student democracy, a tradition in the Upper School, from undertaking a full election season. In just a few short weeks, it will be time for the annual passing of the Student Government torch. Students must first, however, receive the majority of student votes to signal the proper holders of the 2021-22 torch. Prior to May 19 elections, “The Weekly” offered every cabinet candidate a chance to share their proposed policies and personalities with the entire Student Body.
PRESIDENT In this unprecedented school year, the Student Government presidential race has two candidates. For numerous years prior, the race for President was often a four or more way race. This year, only two juniors, Nsaia Pettis and Eli Moog, entered the fray. Moog is not a stranger to the Student Government stage. Moog has held a number of positions during his time in the Upper School. “My past involvement in SG has shown I’ll be up for this massive challenge,” Moog said. Moog’s prior experiences in Student Government inspired his presidential run. “The reason I’m running for this position is because Student Government really matters. Normally you think of Student Government as just going to Plenary, and you see a proposal, and it doesn’t really affect your life. But, if you look at the work we’ve done this year, and in past years, it clearly has the ability, when utilized correctly, to have a broad impact,” Moog said. Moog’s ideas go beyond Plenary sessions that pertain to the entire Student Body. “We did these Small Groups this year where you could choose your own breakout room and I think that’s an amazing concept. Small Groups used to
suck, where there would really only be one or two people who wanted to be involved. We need to let students decide what their small groups want to be, even if that’s a break from Student Government to go outside and play basketball. If you don’t care, you shouldn’t have to,” Moog said. “Student Government works best when the Student Body is successful, and however Student Government can support the student body is a big win.” Finally, Moog shared some of his other ideas to improve Student Government. “It’s 2021, there’s no reason to have a secretary slamming on a k e y b o a r d . We can use voice dictation.” Further, Moog sees an opportunity for cooperations between the student publications. The ‘Student Voice’ and Weekly should work together in some way to promote each other’s work,” Moog said. “I think I’m passionate, engaged, and I think that my knowledge and work in the institution has made it better and that if I was elected to this I could continue the work Carter and Ava did to make Student Government so successful,” Moog said. P e t t i s , M o o g ’s opponent, takes a different approach. Pettis sees her high school experience outside Parker as providing a new perspective to Student Government. “As someone who has transferred into Parker this school year, I have an immense amount of experience throughout the City and with people of all walks of life,” Pettis said. “From going to a public school in the South East side of Chicago, to volunteering at a daycare in South Loop, to doing an internship in Auburn Gresham, to tutoring in Avondale, I have mastered patience, active listening skills, and open-mindedness. Although these seem like simplistic skills to have; they have shaped my perspective to step into any room and be able to evaluate
and tackle any situation.” In order to address concerns of student apathy in Student Government, Pettis has a plan. When asked how to combat this issue that infects the Upper School, Pettis plans on “including students in Student Government as president by prioritizing the underclassmen.” As a new student to Parker, Pettis brings a different lens to examining areas for improvement in Student Government. “This year has been rough and new to everyone, but it is especially hard for those who don’t have any guidance on how to navigate and get included in school. I also plan on engaging students by finding a similar interest within the group,” Pettis said. “This could be by talking about something that’s in the news, current events within the school, or doing check-ins to read the room and to make sure everyone’s well.” When discussing her goals for Student Government, Pettis aims “to create a fun, engaging, motivating, and empathetic environment for every student to enjoy themselves [and] make student government more lively so students won’t dread coming. I have high hopes and I’m setting high standards for myself so I can excel as your 2021-2022 president.”
“ M y p a s t involvement in SG has shown I’ll be up for this massive challenge”
SENATE HEADS
In a repeat of the 2020-21 election cycle, the Senate Heads are running unopposed. Four sophomores, Gray Joseph, Charles Fardon, Rania Jones, and Samantha Graines, will be the only names for the Senate on the May 19 ballot. One of the focuses of these four Senate Candidates is ensuring a smooth transition between virtual Senate and in-person Senate. “As Senate heads, our main goal is to continue the interesting and productive conversations of Senate, whether it is in person or online. We know Senate next year is going to look different than it does this year, we just do not know how yet. Our goal is to make the transition from online Senate this year to hopefully in-person Senate next year as smooth as possible” said Senate Candidate Gray Joseph. In setting out their goals,
“I have an immense amount of experience throughout the City and with people of all walks of life”
Joseph said they plan on “ensuring that relationships between the Administration are maintained, creat[ing] an environment where every student wants to come and all voices are heard through, and mak[ing] the Senate an environment that not only fosters important conversations, but also a good time.” Joseph’s passion for the Senate began when he found he “loved the ability to speak his mind, but also know that our voice was being heard.” Joseph wants this feeling of acknowledgement to be felt throughout the student body. “We ran for Senate this year because we wanted to ensure that the opinions of the student body are being properly communicated to the Administration.” Joseph, Fardon, Jones, and Graines, look forward to leading the lunchtime Senate during the 2021-22 school year.
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Election Season!
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT PROFILES Getting to Know the Candidates
DIRECTOR OF COMMITTEE AFFAIRS (DCA)
The race for Director of Committee Affairs (DCA) is a hotly contested three person race. Junior Jaydra Hamid, sophomore Jack Kahan, and junior Tess Wayland are all vying for the DCA role. Hamid, the current Inclusion Coordinator, is making her bid for Director of Committee Affairs. Hamid’s desire to hold the position of DCA stems from her belief that “th e co mmittee system is one of the most integral parts of student government.” While functional, Hamid sees much room for improvement in this “integral” committee system. “I want to lead in improving it [the committee system] and having people be excited about committee meetings and events,” Hamid said, “I want committee meetings and events to be approached with enthusiasm from all parties.” For each of these changes, Hamid believes she has the skills to get the job done. In considering what it takes to succeed as DCA, Hamid sees one essential skill. “The most important quality in a DCA is organization. I am very organized and communicate well with others,” Hamid said. During her summer internship, which continued into the school year, Hamid was able to successfully balance her school work and put her “creativity and organizational skills to use.” In addition to her summer internship, Hamid was selected to attend a Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Hamid draws on the values of Inclusion Coordinator in her DCA goals of “getting everyone involved and fully participating in Student Government.” For Hamid, “the core of the committee system is inclusion.” With this perspective, Hamid’s time as Inclusion Coordinator “motivates [her] to want to improve it. I can follow through on inclusion in how committees construct their events, run their meetings, and interact with their members.” Kahan, the current Parliamentarian of
By Max Keller the student body and only underclassman in the DCA race, has a series of goals for the 2021-22 school year. “My goals as DCA for the ‘21-’22 school year are to create a more informative and supportive atmosphere for committee heads, re-energize the concept of committee meetings, and empower students to participate more within their assigned committees.” Kahan’s platform sets out his plan to meet these goals for DCA. “I’ll accomplish these goals by, in brief, holding a fall seminar for new committee heads, help committee heads and members amend their bylaws, establish monthly committee meetings that don’t impede on Student Government time (wherein committee heads are strongly encouraged to provide snacks), and sending out an anonymous committee feedback form after every meeting to the entire Student Body,” Kahan said. Kahan sees both short term and long term results. “These changes, if implemented, will set the committee system on a track to become a program for the entire student body to enjoy and make good use of, as opposed to its current state, where both accountability and enjoyment are low for committee members and heads.” As a Sophomore, Kahan believes he “can look into both the worlds of Student Government/ Cabinet and the committee system. Both of these aspects are vital to the understanding and proper management of the role of DCA.” Using this perspective, Kahan says he is “absolutely equipped to transform the committee system into something beneficial for everyone.” Kahan has also been actively involved in activities throughout his Parker career. “I’ve always been passionate about leadership, whether that has been in Robotics, Model UN, Tennis, or Student Government.” While Kahan stated that Student Government has improved since the beginning of his Freshman year, he “recognizes that there’s still much work to be done.” Kahan sees himself as the “perfect candidate to set the committee system on the track for success.” Wayland, in her second year as an elected Cabinet official, the current Senate and MX Head, former Performing Arts Committee Head, and former Social Justice Representative is making her bid for
the position of DCA “because my experience in and outside the committee system has prepared me to connect committee heads to resources, build institution, and create purpose and connection.” According to her platform, Wayland wants to make connecting the various “committee heads to resources by making access to Cabinet easy...building institution so no one has to reinvent the wheel (so) freshmen can feel welcomed to the Upper School...and creat(ing) purpose and connection by using our committee time better, supporting committees with outside meeting time, increasing collaboration, and keeping committee life fun.” The theme of connection continues as Wayland looks upon her Cabinet time as the final building block to a successful term as DCA. “Being a Senate Head has been one of the best parts of my time in high school,” Wayland said, “it only reinforced what I learned as a committee head, that people make Student Government worth it… Senate is made by the people who show up, and our job is to simply make sure we’re bringing out the best in those people, just as I plan to do as DCA.” Wayland also stated that during her time as Secretary, she was able to learn about the procedure of Student Government through taking minutes. “To me that was very important,” Wayland said, “Not only did it make me detail oriented, but also a good listener and synthesiser.” What many students around the Upper School see as a basic, entry level position, Wayland sees as an opportunity to “learn about the culture of Cabinet” in ways she “later used this year as Senate Head.” As a past committee head, Wayland has worked with “really great DCA’s in the past.” If elected, Wayland says she plans to loosely model her time as DCA off of the other successful DCA’s in the past. “They all brought what I hope to bring to the position: a lot of energy, their own ideas, and supportive leadership,” Wayland said. These former DCA’s have inspired Wayland to run in 2021. “I want to be that person for other people, because I know how much of an impact they’ve had on me.” Between inspiration from former DCA’s and “hoping to provide a quality experience” for other members of the Student Body, as well as helping people “believe in the committee system so students can believe in themselves,” Wayland hopes to earn over 50 percent of the vote from the Parker student body on May 19.
TREASURER
For the first time in recent years, the position of Treasurer is a one person race, with junior Alex Carlin running for the position unopposed. As a current Senate head, Carlin knows the intricacies of Student Government. During her time as a Senate head, Carlin “witnessed firsthand the importance of providing Senate with a sufficient budget.” With those qualifications in both handling money and in the important role of Student Government, Carlin’s primary 2021-22 goal as Treasurer is focused on improving Participatory Budgeting. In order to improve Participatory Budgeting, Carlin thinks more time should be allocated t o w a r d Participatory Budgeting during Plenary. “Participatory Budgeting is one of my favorite parts of Student Government, and I wish we did it more this past year. Although it runs well now, I think we can make it even better. I think it would better suit the student body if we did Participatory Budgeting on a rolling basis,” Carlin said. In addition to increasing time for Participatory Budgeting, Carlin sees room for improvement in funding the various student-led committees a t P a r k e r. “I’ve been a committee head, so I can understand t h e importance of funding committees. Before the school year starts, I want to meet with the DCA, so I can understand their expectations for the year and start preliminary budgeting accordingly,” Carlin said. Lastly, Carlin hopes to increase the centralization of the student experience. In her platform, Carlin proposed using excess funds to continue Parker traditions such as Oreo Friday, a new possible cash prize for sporting events such as March Madness, and even to begin Parker Palooza, which was proposed by Alex Schapiro during the 2020-21 election season.
“I think it would better suit the student body if we did Participatory Budgeting on a rolling basis.”
“I’ve been a committee head, so I can understand the importance of funding committees.”
The Parker Weekly, Page 10
Colonel Columns
LET’S GET REAL Choose Active Happiness By Denise Román A couple of days ago, I was scrolling through my 15 college supplements housed inside a Google Drive folder. With a pencil in hand, I started to write possible column ideas for this issue inspired by my supplements. Unlike past issues, I was struggling to find a topic to write about. After re-reading each one, the idea of happiness came to mind. Is happiness a feeling or state of mind? Why is it hard sometimes to articulate the people, places, things that make us happy? Is happiness an active choice? If you practice happiness often, can that lead to reaching a state of bliss? Despite having all of these thoughts, I don’t have complete answers to these questions. I find the answers to these questions conflicting when pondering them. More than anything, I find the answers to these questions murky, messy, and ambiguous. What I do know is that being happy and making people around you happy is an active choice, a choice that isn’t as easy as following your pasta Pomodoro recipe. I believe that it’s important to follow other people’s pasta Pomodoro recipe to perfect our own recipes. In terms of happiness, I think it’s important to recognize the people, places, and things that make other people happy to truly realize what makes u s h a p p y. Other people’s happiness shouldn’t define our happiness. For example, we sometimes tend to base our happiness on how society perceives it. As teenagers, that means traveling, partying, having a good following on social media, going to a “prestigious” university, and it occurs at certain moments in our lives when people are supposed to be happy. But what if I reached a state of happiness while eating strawberry ice cream with my sister? Or while drinking cranberry juice while listening to Deja Vu by Olivia
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A MICROSCOPE OF THE MODEL HOME Election Season
Rodrigo? This comes to my next point. I think it’s essential to find happiness in small events and details. When we find ourselves trapped in an overcast or dry season, our list of finding things to be happy about should be infinite. We can look forward to seeing our friends at school, eating our favorite dessert during dinner, or listening to our favorite artists. This may sound silly, but finding happiness in small details has helped me when feeling down. As a human, I’m not immune to feeling sad, but I can actively choose to be happy. If finding happiness in small details isn’t for you, then try finding happiness in gratitude. According to psychological studies, people who practice gratitude are more likely to be happy. Let’s not save our gratitude when sitting around the Thanksgiving table. When feeling ungrateful, practice gratitude. When feeling grateful, drench yourself in gratitude. For example, we can be grateful for the simple things (waking up, feeling energized, having amazing friends, having food on the table, etc...). Parker family, I encourage you to choose to be actively happy. Happiness is a choice that is sometimes hard to make, but I assure you that it changes the way you view the world around you. Continue finding the people, places, and things that make you happy because the list is never-ending. Most importantly, step away from the things that rob you of your happiness. Find your happiness, and illuminate others to find theirs.
“I think it’s essential to find happiness in small events and details. When we find ourselves trapped in an overcast or dry season, our list of finding things to be happy about should be infinite.”
By Rosey Limmer As Parker’s election season is upon us, hallways are filled with chatter on potential candidates, lunches are spent watching debates, tears are shed as we mourn the five pounds we didn’t gain eating sweets at Democrafest, and the high school waits anxiously to see who will take the leadership positions within Student Government for the next year. However, the excitement of election season always leads me to question the way we choose our leaders. Anyone can, theoretically, run for any position, given they are able to obtain twenty-five signatures, but the reality is quite different. Traditionally upperclassmen run for offices held by an individual -- Cabinet positions, Social Justice Committee head, Community Committee head -- listing off their many leadership positions and experiences that have prepared them for the role they wish to have. Everyone else has the option of putting together an often cross-grade group to run to be the head of a committee. This is arguably the easiest way to get involved in student government and is often needed on your resume if you want to land a solo position. However, groups are not formed based on who is most passionate about the work a committee does, or who has the best ideas for events or ways to better Parker through the work of their committee. Instead, they are often purely social. Choosing the committee they think would be the easiest, most fun, look best on their transcript, or even just the one where they would run unopposed. Committee heads are often a group of friends, cross-grade friendships exploited, and little siblings of friends found to have representation from more grades. But, more often than not, you cannot find such a group if you do not have good relationships with your peers. With a student body that wouldn’t be particularly accepting of the person they don’t know well who emailed them saying they are passionate about the committee’s work, social standing often determines one’s ability
to hold office. When it comes to voting, most students aren’t particularly concerned with platforms and ideas: many haven’t seen the work different committees do or simply don’t care. Voting for committee heads often comes down to who you are friends with because often the student body doesn’t care if committee heads are qualified. However, when it comes to bigger, often individually held positions, prior experience in student government is often what indicates a candidate’s qualifications. But for students who don’t have good relationships within Parker, or are too scared to reach out to find people to run with for committees, it is often hard to get involved in student government at a later point. While appointed positions are always a good alternative, it is not uncommon to apply and be rejected for appointed positions year after year, especially if you don’t have prior experience in student government. While our election process is not entirely a popularity contest, social standing is crucial for success. Student government mirrors the problem we see every day in our halls: socially isolated students -- who are often that way due to the bullying that occurs within our building without repercussions -- are also isolated from extra-curricular opportunities.
“Committee heads are often a group of friends, cross-grade friendships exploited, and little siblings of friends found to have representation from more grades.”
“Voting for committee heads often comes down to who you are friends with because often the student body doesn’t care if committee heads are qualified.”
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Columns & Editorials
EDITORIAL
Not Everyone Is Back - Stop Pretending That’s The Case By “The Parker Weekly”
The Parker Weekly, Page 11
I’M PRETENDING YOU ASKED Someone Talking about Senior Month. Again By Spencer O’Brien
For many, we can recall exactly where we were and what we were doing upon learning that school would be shut down for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was impossible to properly predict how long we would be out, so many of us grabbed our personal belongings, headed home, and prepared to see one another in two weeks once this had blown over. Flash forward to a year later, and most of us were tentatively going back into the building, albeit in groups separated by grades, getting readjusted to the rigor of physically going to class. It seemed that this was our “new normal:” seeing one another two half-days per week, taking tests and quizzes with the echoing silence of a Zoom room, and staring at our computers for a minimum of six hours per day. Yet, with as much shock and surprise as was the case when we were forced to conduct school online, all of a sudden we were given the all-clear to go back into the building, yet another unforeseen change in our academic schedule. After many months of entirely online school in the Upper School, students have finally been given the opportunity to come into school all day, five days a week. Additionally, Chicago vaccinations have now opened to everyone who is sixteen and up. These changes are excellent steps towards returning to the life we once knew; however, it does not mean that we can act without respect for others. W i t h great positive strides, we are allowed to be excited and grateful. Yes, with vaccinations comes more freedom in safe activities, but that doesn’t mean we can be reckless. There are still students with hesitations in going back, and even if you are feeling safe in the building, that does not
mean the person who is sitting next to you in English class is feeling the same. Previous editorials have emphasized the point that we must be cautious off-campus, as at the time very few of us were vaccinated and we needed to put others before our Friday night plans. Now, we are asking you to maintain that same caution, but refrain from imposing judgment on those who do not wish to return to “normalcy” as quickly as you may. We on “The Weekly” have observed a sudden rush to return to the way that Parker operated pre-pandemic, with in-person lessons, teachers walking around asking questions, and long-awaited side conversations that were virtually impossible to conduct online. And while a large portion of the student body is getting to experience these perks of returning in-person, a significant part of the Upper School is not. Whether it’s being respectful physically while at school (PLEASE keep your mask on over your nose AND mouth!), or emotionally (understanding how others may be facing this difficult time differently than you), adjusting to in-person school is a big change, and we all should be making efforts to support those who may feel less safe than we do. Gratitude is a concept that has come up a lot during this 2020-2021 school year. The senior class created a website where members of the Parker community can post messages of thanks that they want to give to others, and the bulletin board above the third floor bench has been converted into a space to write notes about who they are thankful for in this time. We ask that you take the time to think about those who you too are grateful for, regardless of if you posted it on the board or not. Be grateful for all of the teachers who
“There are still students with hesitations in going back, and even if you are feeling safe in the building, that does not mean the person who is sitting next to you in English class is feeling the same.”
“ While a large portion of the student body is getting to experience these perks of returning in-person, a significant part of the Upper School is not.”
“We ask that you take the time to think about those who you too are grateful for, regardless of if you posted it on the board or not.”
During the Crimean war, there was a siege on the Russian forces in Sevastopol. The British Cavalry and the French Infantry were preparing to attack the small Russian force on one side of the hill, but instead, the incompetent British General pointed the entire army in the wrong direction, and they ended up marching on the full force of the entire Russian Army. To make things better, to even get close to the Russians, the famed British Light Brigade (the best Cavalry in the entire world) would have to charge through a small ravine whilst being blasted with Russian gunfire and cannon fire from all directions. Having already been spotted by Russian scouts, the General decided that they should charge into battle anyways - despite almost certain death. The Light Brigade then charged into battle, guns blazing, and were utterly slaughtered. A few of them made it over the embankment and were able to trash a Russian Camp before scattering, but the entire campaign had been an utter
failure. Wanna know what they did have? Their dignity. What good it did them. Is basically committing suicide in the name of a good cause, just so that you can keep your ‘honor and dignity’ worth it? So what if there’s shame. Yo u ’ r e s t i l l alive, right? This is an extreme example, sure, but it applies to all situations. If I ran through the school naked, people might arrest me, and then say that I lost all of my dignity. Apart from getting arrested, people will say I’d lost my dignity. I believe that this is a matter of opinion and very stupid. What if I’m proud of being naked? I still have my dignity then. I think the concept of dignity is fairly stupid. All in all, if you care what other people think, then sure dignity matters. But, if you don’t care what people think, then screw it. Dignity is stupid. The end! I love you.
are putting themselves at risk and adapting their plans to educate all members of the community, regardless of their stance on going back or not. Be grateful for the administration who worked hard to put together a plan to go back, and for the maintenance staff who makes sure the school is safe and disinfected for each new day of class. If you are lucky enough to have received a vaccine, recognize that not everyone has been fortunate enough to do so and be grateful that your journey towards “normalcy” has been shortened. Additionally, take the time to be grateful for and respect your peers who are still showing up to classes online, engaging in the curriculum, even though they are not always included in every activity. Make a conscious effort to ensure that their presence is felt in the classroom, by both the students and the teacher, and do not forget to recognize your privilege to be back in person during a pandemic. It’s okay to express your gratefulness through excitement -- we are excited by these positive strides too! -- but, also be sure to express your gratefulness through respect, responsibility, and empathy for others, in order to make Parker safe in all facets.
CLUBS
“The entire campaign had been an utter failure. Wanna know what they did have? Their dignity. ”
“So what if there’s shame. You’re still alive, right? This is an extreme example, sure, but it applies to all situations.”
Continued from page 7 Bruno and he basically said yes, and so it was a really easy process.” Ultimately, clubs have lost a bit of life, something students hope is coming back. “I hope people come away with the sense of community established in our club, something I believe wasn’t present over Zoom, and something I’m so happy is back.” Ivy Jacobs, another MUN captain said.
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Election Season!
ANOTHER HYBRID ELECTION
The Somewhat Virtual 2021 Student Government Elections By Ben Rachel
As the summer nears, so does the Student Government election season. High schoolers from all across grade levels congregate and vote for the next year’s leaders of Student Government. There are committee heads, board members, and Cabinet member positions up for grab. However, P a r k e r ’ s 2021 Student Government election season is going to be different from years before due to the new hybrid schedule. Candidates will have to find different ways to market themselves to the student body and current cabinet members need to find a way to have high voter turnout. The upcoming election will be a new experience for everyone, and it will be another unprecedented event in 2021. “What is most unprecedented about this election is that it is truly hybrid,” Student Government President and senior Carter Wa g n e r s a i d . “Last year it was a challenge for the Student Government and candidates to pivot to something completely virtual. Now our challenge is bringing things back in the building, and I am confident that will result in a fantastic election.” Last year, the election season was completely online. Candidates couldn’t hang posters on bathroom stalls or hold speeches for an inperson audience. However, with Parker high schoolers being back in the building, some of those features will be returning. “From posters throughout the hallways, debates during lunch, and possible Democrafest, students will have ample time to publish themselves,” Wagner said. “We will also be integrating what we learned last year, encouraging campaign Instagrams and other strategies for virtual campaigning.” While there are many problems with the upcoming election, one foreseeable problem with being hybrid is having candidates market themselves. “We have a lot of new people that have not had a chance to get to know people because we have had distance learning for a majority of the year,” former Student Government faculty advisor Susan Elliott said. “If you are new to Parker, you are not going to have a lot of name recognition and it is difficult to campaign. Double that difficulty if you are currently online. I think the students online might feel especially disconnected by this process.” That said,
the 2021 candidates will have to navigate through the new hybrid system and have new and unique strategies to compete with other candidates. With the new schedule, candidates have to find the perfect mix of in-person and virtual marketing. “I definitely plan on using Instagram as a big conduit to get my message out to the student body this year,” sophomore and DCA candidate Jack Kahan said. “It’s obviously going to be harder to pull off a normal election this year.” Last year’s elections produced many new Instagram accounts. Since the building was empty, most candidates ran an Instagram account to hype themselves and their plans. “I’m glad that we’re returning to the building full-time, so that we can put up campaign posters, which I also anticipate will be a big thing this year,” Kahan said. Like many other candidates, this is Kahan’s first year running for a solo position in the Cabinet. “This is my first year running for a solo elected position, and I don’t want to say I’m flying completely blind, but I’m learning as I go,” Kahan said. “I don’t assume we’ll ever have an election like this again, but I’m using it as a vital learning experience for next year, and even afterward if I ever have to run for something again out of high school. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but I’m excited to hear people’s platforms and goals and see how the election will pan out.” Zoom will play a big part in this upcoming election, as it did last year. Like most of the school year, all Student Government meetings were held over Zoom. This election will be no different, even if students are back at Parker. “Every debate, speech, and student government event will be conducted, either partially or fully, through Zoom,” Wagner said. “It also helps that conducting our procedures over Zoom is going to result in the best election possible.” Wagner talked about the priority in the upcoming election of getting everyone included, whether in-
“What is most unprecedented about this election is that it is truly hybrid”
“I think the students online might feel especially disconnected by this process.”
person or virtual. Inclusion and wifi became an apparent problem during the hybrid weeks, however, Wagner is optimistic that the Student Government elections will be able to hurdle those obstacles. E v e n though speeches and debates will be virtual, Wa g n e r i s confident that Parker will have a high voter turnout. “Our government has had very few issues with voter turnout in the past or even this past year,” Wagner said. “Parker students are engaged and eager to participate in our democracy. With that said, voter turnout will remain high as a result of our fantastic events that truly bring together our community. Our voting process has become easier as well. Virtual voting will still be used which allows for a quick and effective democratic process.” The high school is split up in this new hybrid schedule. Some students have decided to stay home and take online classes, while others are back in Parker. While this is a safety precaution, it brings up some problems with the 2021 election. “The biggest problem I see for this election will be the split people online and in-person,” Student Government faculty advisor Jeanne Barr said. “Last year was just fine, with everyone online. However, this year has already been challenging with using the platform Zoom,” Barr said. “We also can’t do treasured P a r k e r traditions such as passing of the gavel or Democrafest. But we are optimistic that we can have a great election. The Cabinet is very excited, super smart, and I am confident in them.” With the 2021 election being the second online election in a row, this could lead to some changes in future elections. “Students will want to come together for Senate meetings, and full plenaries because it has
been so long since we have been able to have that sense of community,” Elliott said. “Parker elections are a wonderful time of year when students think creatively about how they can serve their school and they formulate platforms that are hopeful and optimistic. That optimism is particularly valued this year after what we have been through and I hope that continues into the future.” These past two elections have also shown the adaptability of the Student Body. “I think we have discovered as a school how capable we are,” Barr said. “We can do so much, even online and asynchronous. Things won’t be the same, however I think that we can somehow integrate Zoom into our normal classes. You can’t put toothpaste back into the tube.” With the 2021 Parker Student Government election coming soon, candidates and current Cabinet members plan and prepare. Candidates marketing themselves w i t h Instagram accounts and catchy slogans. Cabinet members working hard to engage high schoolers in upcoming debates and speeches. All of this will culminate in what Wagner believes to be “the best election possible.”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but I’m excited to hear people’s platforms and goals and see how the election will pan out.”
“Our voting process has become easier as well. Virtual voting will still be used which allows for a quick and effective democratic process.”
“Students will want to come together for Senate meetings, and full plenaries because it has been so long since we have been able to have that sense of community.”
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Continuations
WINDOWS
Continued from page 5 families had the opportunity to take home a goodie bag after their spring window painting experience. Some elements of this year’s format might be used in the future. “I think the way we did it this year was great, and I love the idea of every family getting a supply bag when they come in, so I think that’s something we might keep on the table. I mean, who doesn’t love a goodie bag?” Bruno said. Zeller described a takeaway from the window painting event this year. “What I learned from this year is creative pivots, in the same way that I would say the school, as a progressive school is always adapting to the moment. What I loved about this event as an example of that, is that we pivoted to meet the needs of the year, and I think that’s what we should do going forward, that it doesn’t always have to look exactly the same, but it’s accomplishing the purpose of a community event,” Zeller said. Bruno commented on the format of the event and how it compared to the formats of previous years. “The event in its original format is probably the most community centered,
and I think that’s the goal of the event: to make friends and create community, but that happened this year just in a different way,” Bruno said. Freshman Danni Kaplan described the event. “Window painting was really fun and a great experience. It was nice to see people with their families and see the school windows covered in designs that people made with their family,” Kaplan said. Like many freshmen, Kaplan had to decide what to paint. “I painted for the essential workers section because I felt it was important to give back to them since they have been amazing during the pandemic,” Kaplan said. Zeller and Bruno reflected on the experience as a whole. Some parents have never met each other due to the pandemic, and the event allowed for more people to interact. “Moments like this I would say that I really see the community part of the school,” Zeller said. “It was not only safe, which is the most important thing, but it also allowed students to come in, and take part in a really special Parker tradition,” Bruno said.
ADMINISTRATION Continued from page 5
The second section of the message from Frank was titled, “Congratulations to Tierra Moore.” Intermediate and Middle Schools Coordinator Tierra Moore has been in her position for almost two years, and next year she will be gaining the additional title of Intermediate and Middle Schools Director of Student Activities. That position has previously been incorporated into the responsibilities of the Intermediate and Middle Schools Dean of Student Life. For Moore, this title will entail coordinating activity sponsors, communicating with students, and oversight of all other aspects of student activities in the Intermediate and Middle Schools. As coordinator, Moore has had a lot of administrative responsibilities, figuring out the logistics of many different pieces of Intermediate and Middle School programming. White said that in the past, the jobs of Intermediate and Middle School Dean of Student Life and Middle Schools Coordinator have had a lot of overlap, including student activities. He thinks that having Moore assume those responsibilities will introduce more seamlessness to student activities and planning. “I am really excited for her to take that on,” White said, “ I think she’s gonna do a great job at it.” Zerega predicts that as Intermediate and Middle Schools Director of Student Activities, Moore will listen to new ideas, and then take effective action to make them happen. Zerega thinks that Moore has cultivated a good relationship with students that has and will continue to make her a successful administrator. “Ms. Moore is fantastic,” Stader said.
He added that she “really shows a passion in caring for the kids.” He is confident that Moore will be a successful Intermediate and Middle Schools Director of Student Activities. Novick has accepted a job at North Park Elementary School as Head of School, a position he will assume in July. “He has an opportunity to really shape the future of an entire school,” Zerega said, “which is very exciting. His new colleagues will find him always ready to help, generously and without delay. That was his approach to his work from the day he arrived at Parker.” Zerega also praised the abundance of experience possessed by Novick’s replacement, Vahn Phayprasert. According to the fourth section of the message from Frank, Novick and Phayprasert will begin the transition process in “late April and early May.” According to Stader, Phayprasert will have the chance to work with the “middle school leadership team” as well as Novick to ensure that he is prepared to assume the role. Stader recognized that a transition of this sort can be initially “scary,” but he also expressed his excitement to navigate through the transition. Moore sees the upcoming administration changes as both a set of challenges and a set of opportunities. She notices the appropriate balance between nerves and excitement for the new makeup of the Intermediate and Middle Schools’ leadership. “The leadership this year was extraordinary in kind of a changing atmosphere,” Zerega said. “I think the people who are already hired and who will be hired are solid.” She was confident that
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GOING BACK Continued from page 1
because it was just half of us.” In addition to being a new student, Kaplan recognized the increase in work challenges as well. “It was challenging at first as the workload did increase, and we went from meeting with classes three days to four days a week, but it definitely got smoother,” Kaplan said. Jung focused on the tougher elements of the transition, having to do with physically returning to school, rather than the workload. “These school days have been a little more tiring,” Jung said, “just because I’m not used to waking up earlier in the morning, driving to school, and then doing a full day.” Kaplan said that many other new freshmen have been challenged with the return. “We don’t know the location of
certain classes,” Kaplan said. “Navigating through the halls is a little challenging and also kind of frightening.” Jung had little to complain about and happily noted the best part of being back on campus included seeing friends, other grades, teachers, people she hadn’t seen since March, and feeling “a part of the Parker community again.” Although Kaplan has felt intimidated in some ways with the return to campus, it has also had a positive effect. “People have been really warm and welcoming,” Kaplan said. “It’s comforting knowing people who have already been at Parker their whole life or know what they are doing, are also kind of figuring out what they are doing because of COVID-19. I feel more part of a community in person.”
WOCA SYMPOSIUM Continued from page 1
take place on the same day, so they decided to reach out and create a joint symposium. “Both schools came together to discuss our different ideas and eventually came to an agreement on how to proceed,” Shepard said. For the planning stages the group split into two, the faculty teams from Loyola and the faculty from Parker, and the student leaders from Loyola and Parker. Ideas were exchanged between the two groups, with the faculty being responsible for the logistical issues and the students with more of the structure of the day. After back and forth between the groups, an idea was presented to both administrations. “The administration was so receptive to the idea and were really willing to take on the challenge, which I was very grateful for,” Senior Olivia Hanley, another WOCA head said. The day opened at 9 a.m. with Princess Sarah Culberson, an African American actress, dancer, philanthropist, and author, who was the first of three keynote speakers. After the first keynote, students were able to choose a topic which they found interesting. Topics included colorism, racial trauma, and how to take care of yourself within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The group reconvined to hear from their second keynote speaker, May Spio, a Ghanian engineer who founded CEEK Virtual Reality, before breaking for lunch. with the guidance of experienced teachers, the new administrators would successfully help the Intermediate and Middle Schools thrive. Zerega is confident that after a year that has been heavily affected by COVID-19, next year’s changes will not present very much discoordination. When asked about the effect that these changes would have on the Intermediate and Middle Schools, Zerega said “I think that if there was going to be a tumultuous year, it just happened.”
After lunch there was another session where students could pick a topic, before there were affinity groups, where students were split up by ethnicity and age. Finally, the symposium closed with Jurgensen as the third keynote speaker. “It was a beautiful coming together,” junior Yaleigh Harris said. “When you’re at a PWI, you’ll experience culture shock. A lot of people don’t understand where I come from, maybe I don’t understand where they come from, but being in a space full of people with the same experiences just gives you a sense of community.” This sense of community is something that the faculty strove to create. “Being in a space where you’re the critical mass, where you’re in the majority, is incredibly empowering and it was incredible to see that space come to life.” Shepard said. The conference managed to bring together over 20 schools and 103 participants from across the city. “We tease Mr. Brandon because we got more numbers in our first year than the young men of color have had. We were very excited about how many people attended, especially considering Zoom,” Shepard said. The experience of being among peers is one that gave a space to be heard, one they aren’t always given. “We’re here and we’re trying to be seen, we’re trying to be heard and make ourselves visible, but were often overlooked.” Harris said, “Being in the event I felt like I was heard and that was amazing.”
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Continuations 2.0
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE Continued from page 1
the network of shared spaces to foster connection across and within different communities. Many members noted the perfect timing of this event with the Biden Administration’s announcement of a $2 trillion infrastructure plan a month earlier. Discussion around Biden’s plan has caused many to expand their thinking about what counts as infrastructure. Klinenberg’s “Palaces for the People” called for an even more expansive approach to not just improve roads and bridges, but more importantly to foster human interaction and participation in society. In recent interviews and in the Community Connect event, he also noted that American society hasn’t seen a push for public investment in infrastructure since FDR’s New Deal, which gave rise to much of the social infrastructure people now take for granted, such as libraries. In previous talks at Parker, Klinenberg has also addressed the role of equity within the realm of social infrastructure, particularly the segregation and privatization of space that comes with the system. In this most recent event, he again talked about those topics but with a timely twist. The forum of a Zoom meeting was the perfect context to mention the role that technology now plays in shaping society’s views on social life. While virtual meetings are efficient and
make it easier for many to attend evening events, “there is a thickness and messiness that comes from the inefficient nature of social interaction,” he said. “Efficiency is detrimental to our social lives.” While online communities such as Facebook encourage people to hang out in like-minded bubbles, social infrastructure helps bring together people with different viewpoints. As these conversations about the pros and cons of the new online lifestyle continued, the chat box came alive with parallel conversations. Parker Alum Matt Brown ‘89, a previous classmate of Klinenberg’s, touched on this point. “In a community, we learn more from the people we don’t choose to be with than the people we choose to be with,” he wrote. “In a world where we’re so used to custom filtered choice of everything, how do we make people more willing to engage in unintentional communities?” Klinenberg concluded the meeting with an overall sentiment that when it comes time to transition back to the pre-pandemic lifestyle, society shouldn’t resort to an allvirtual interface. “My sense is that we’re going to be anxious for a while about how to be together, but there’s an incredible longing for face to face, social interaction, and that’s not going to happen just naturally. We’re going to have to build places that make people feel comfortable.”
YOUNG MEN OF COLOR SYMPOSIUM Continued from page 4 young men of color.” Vidale agrees with Brandon. “At one point we thought about cancelling it, but this year, possibly more than any other year, the young men of color needed a community, and needed to be with each other,” Vidale said. “ If our goal and intention is to be present, we have to name some of that, and if we can name some of that, and give people the brave spaces needed to discuss it, that is really where the opportunity for learning and growth will be present.” Owens believed the virtual event was successful. “It was still able to provide the sense of community that makes the symposium so special,” Owen said, “The format was the same as previous years and it was a great way to connect to other men of color.” One way that Vidale stated that he wanted to bridge the virtual gap was by showing love and being present. “I want people to know that I am here for them, we’re here for them, and that there are a lot of people who are here to support them, and make sure they feel that sense of belonging,” Vidale said, “Showing up can go a long way.” Brandon attributes a lot of the event’s success to the Parker community. “In order for this conference to happen, we
have to have adult mentors to facilitate the conversations and create the spaces,” Brandon said. “We are really lucky to have a great group of men of color to be a part of this group and make this effort.” Vidale believes that he is doing his small part in helping to advocate for the young men of color, but that this is a community effort. “Sometimes in some spaces, most people tend to take that sense of belonging for granted, and not everyone feels that sense of belonging,” Vidale said. “This is a callout to the entire Parker community and even the entire Chicagoland area to create school communities that allow all of our students, adult members, and families to feel like they belong and that they are not a guest. It is very different when you are a visitor. I would invite all of us to think about how we can create that space to make sure people feel that way.”
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VIRTUAL US MUSICAL Continued from page 4
necessarily be the year to start, if you were going to,” Friedman said. “But that being said, I am so glad that I did do it.” While the cast had limited time to record on-site, both Fredman and Ehrlich agreed it was one of their favorite parts of the process. “I really started bonding with everyone once we came in person,” Friedman said. “You’re new to something and you’re being introduced to it through a virtual sense, it’s gonna be hard because there’s things that you’re not gonna get, you’re not gonna fully understand.” Friedman described another initial challenge as she adjusted to the Spring Musical -- learning choreography remotely. “On Zoom, your camera’s inverted, so everyone was doing different directions at times,” Friedman said. “We progressed, and we were able to figure out these types of kinks.” Hildreth acknowledged that while some aspects of the virtual musical were difficult, he felt they worked to maintain a supportive environment. “The seniors were saying how they were still feeling those feelings that they had from previous years, of this is the group and it’s like a family,” Hildreth said. “Seasons of Love,” the finale number, was among Hildreth’s favorites and one of the first to be recorded at Parker. “Showing the shots of Parker being empty,” Hildreth said, “that just says a lot about the times that everyone was going through. And of course the song is magnificent, and everybody sounded and looked good.” Completed recordings were given to or filmed by Video Editor Dre Robinson, a contact of Walker-Harris, who was contracted by the team to edit the different clips and numbers together. “As soon as we would finish something we would let the video editor know and say like, okay, you can take this and start working on that,” Moster said Robison came to production meetings and in-person rehearsals to film before finalizing the show during a roughly onemonth editing period. “As adults on the team, we were seeing the videos, we were hearing the audio, and we realized that the cast, they weren’t seeing the products coming through and … getting a sense of accomplishing something,” Moster said. “We finished filming and it was like, ‘Okay, now we wait a month,’ as opposed to a big premiere.” The premiere date was pushed back from the typical mid-March date and further delayed during the process to accommodate the learning curve off a new format. “Where we started was very different from where we ended, and it was a lot of shifting and maneuvering to handle all of that,” Moster said. Hildreth, Friedman, Ehrlich and Moster all listed different scenes and songs that were either scaled-down or cut during the process. “Once we got into the process of rehearsing and seeing how much longer it was taking to get each number fully complete to the best of its ability,” Moster
said, “we knew that it was better to pull some things out and not try and cram in a ton of numbers just for the sake of doing a ton of numbers or scenes.” Ehrlich was featured in one of the numbers that made the final program, “Tonight” from “West Side Story” alongside junior Cece Lopez. They filmed completely over Zoom in front of green screens and using their pre-recorded tracks before inperson rehearsals were available. “A lot of the time, we were very unsure what we were doing, but it worked,” Ehrlich said. “We had a number.” In addition to selecting songs that would highlight the graduating class, as was done for Ehrlich, interviews with all the seniors titled “Senior Moments” were spliced throughout the show. “Why don’t we just get the seniors all together and have them talk about, tell stories about their years and years of doing shows in Parker,” Hildreth said. “Those stories were funny, and they were poignant a few times, and they were ridiculous.” Ehrlich has also worked on numerous other remote productions as an Executive Producer at Virtual Theater Co with Abri Berg ‘20. “Doing this show virtually in a format that I know with people that are my friends from school, I think that was an amazing experience,” Ehrlich said. Moster noted he tried to make room for those types of connections during the inperson filming. “These people have not seen their classmates in who knows how long,” Moster said. “Seeing them run through and be so excited to be just in the building in person... just letting them be teenagers and enjoy being around their friends.” With unknowns about the status of the pandemic next fall, Hildreth added that this may not be the last virtual experience of its kind at Parker. “We might have at least one more show that’s going to be affected by quarantining and that sort of social distancing and wearing a mask, and that’s the Fall Play,” Hildreth said.”I would love to see a lot of kids come out and audition.” “I’m hoping that maybe they learned that the show must go on, that’s how professional show people do it,” Hildreth said. “I know it wasn’t easy to put up a show, but we all worked hard, we worked together, and we did it anyways.”
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More Continuations?
LATIN DANCING
BAND AND CHOIR
Continued from page 6
Flores chose the song because of the lyrics. “It’s talking about how immigrants have this dream to travel to another country for a better life and what is the process that they have to go to in order to get this permit,” López Flores said. The Cumbia was done by Section B. Their song was Mi Cumbia by Jimmy Fontanez. Students explained that the Cumbia dance started in Africa and was brought to Colombia in the slave trade. They also shared that the Cumbia is a courtship dance and that it is Colombia’s national dance. Section C did the Salsa to No le Pegue a Mi Negra by Joe Arroyo, which is about the experience of slavery in Colombia. “The song is from the point of view of a husband, begging for his wife, and all of the experience that is happening to these people, and how they express it in the song to the dancing and the music,” López Flores said. “That’s why I also chose this song to reflect on the condition and experience that is life hiding in Latin America, to talk about that, because it’s something we don’t think about, or we don’t mention it. It’s given the chance for students to do the research a little bit with the lyrics and the song.” The Mambo was done by Section C to Mambo #8 by Perez Prado. López Flores chose this song because it was fast and energetic. Students talked about the different instruments in Mambo #8 and Perez Prado, the musician who popularized the Mambo. They also shared haikus about the Mambo in English and Spanish. The Latin Dance MX is traditionally done in partners, though they were not able
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Continued from page 6
to this year. Some students wanted to have partners, which surprised López Flores. Ultimately, they were able to work on some choreography in groups. Students who worked in groups recorded one final video with the group, spaced out about three feet, and one on their own. Koh, who has no background experience in dance, enjoyed the project. “At first it was pretty hard but after the first week the steps were pretty similar, so we started being able to think through it and repeat parts of it,” Koh said. “I thought it was pretty fun since it’s something I haven’t ever done before.” Seventh grader Solena Ornelas Pagnucci does ballet, jazz, hip hop, and modern dance outside of school. For Ornelas Pagnucci, learning the dances was fun and she was able to pick up the choreography quickly due to her past dance experience. “Sometimes it was a little confusing just making sure like the steps were right, but most of the time it was pretty easy,” Ornelas Pagnucci said. “I really enjoyed learning the dances, and performing it was really fun.” Ornelas Pagnucci was excited to do the MX after her older sister did it. “I always thought it was really cool, and I was really excited to be in seventh grade so I could do it,” Ornelas Pagnucci said. “In previous years they did it in front of the whole school, and we weren’t able to do that since we had to record it, but it was still fun learning the dances, learning about what the lyrics to the song meant, where salsa comes from, and that history of it.” “It’s a fun experience for our students and it’s a really enjoyable way to immerse in the culture,” López Flores said.
in the park for Synakowski. Physically, to play as a whole band—almost 40 students— requires even more space than choir, according to the medical subcommittee, as musicians need to remove their mask in order to even play. The band spreads out in the Courtyard or Webster parking lot, and in the event of bad weather, is permitted to break into small groups in indoor spaces such as the cafeteria. But, according to Synakowski, the trouble is rewarding: “It is very hard work. It takes lots of organization. It takes lots of flexibility. And it is absolutely worth it.” “Even though we’re all rusty, even though we haven’t done this together, even though we had to be outside, to get that feeling that the collective is greater than the sum of its parts, that synergy we’ve been missing so much,” Synakowski said. Like Castaldi, Syakowski’s primary goal for the remainder of the year is to make up for all the lost time since March 2020. “We do have a target down the road, and that target is almost the same target as it always is: you want a program that is self sustaining,” Synakowski said. Synakowski hopes to use these two months of in-person school as an opportunity for knowledge and experience to be passed down from grade to grade: seniors to juniors to sophomores to especially freshman, a group of students who has not until now played in the Concert Band live with their peers. “We are trying to create that cycle, to get the engine running again. What we’re trying to do in eight weeks is get that cycle
of music making happening,” Synakowski said. “It’s kind of like a good sports team. Think of like your captains on a sports team—those are the ones who really get things going.” However, Synakowski does hope to have an opportunity to showcase some of the Advanced Wind Ensemble’s work on a film scoring project: “We have been studying film, we’ve been writing our own film music. We took a little snippet from Star Wars, we’ve stripped the music away, and we have rewritten music for our band to play.” Synakowski hopes to hold a live performance of the products of his students’ hard work for a small audience in May, something he says looks to be possible “from the way the trajectory of things look right now.” Above all, performance or not, Castaldi and Synaskowki are focused on rebuilding their communities as well as the musical arts at Parker. “I want us as a community to realize that things that we value here at Parker, the arts, the performing arts, performances, theatre, drama, have been decimated by this pandemic,” Synakowski said. “I need our community to know that we need to pay extra attention and give extra support to get these things that we cherish back.”
Playlist of “The Weekly” SONGS FOR SPRINGTIME By Alex Schapiro
The full mix can be accessed at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3y6jdbGpRFK33CmqKX1tJL?si=b1ca0bec38a749ed or by scanning the code below.
Featuring songs including:
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’
PENNYROYAL by Joey Bada$$
FRESH
CELEBRATION
by Daft Punk
by Kanye West
by José Feliciano
The Parker Weekly, Page 16
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