OPINION

Feminine hygiene products should be free in all public and private school restrooms, including here at NDB

by Genevieve Klein Opinion Co-Editor

The Menstrual Equity for All Act, signed on October 8, 2021, requires all California public schools to supply free menstrual products starting in the 2022-2023 school year. This new legislation greatly improves the level of equity and convenience for girls at public schools. As an allgirls school, NDB should implement the same level of access. NDB students have limited options when it comes to accessing menstrual products on campus. The main resource provided is a large dispenser located in both the upstairs and downstairs restrooms, which holds tampons and “napkins.” To purchase either of these items, students must pay 25 cents. While this is a low price, it is a price that should not have to be paid at all. Menstrual products are undeniable necessities and payment should not be required in order to get them. The dispensers are simply not serving their purpose as an accessible source of menstrual products for NDB students. For many students, 25 cents can be a difficult price, due to either a simple lack of on-hand quarters or larger financial hardships. Rather than paying the 25 cents, most students resort to asking their friends for the products they need. If students are getting the necessary materials from their friends rather than the restroom, why is the dispenser even there? Students clearly do not want to or are unable to purchase the period products supplied by the dispenser. So, what good is it doing? Luckily, we do have one free option on campus, which is Student Services Coordinator Barbara Tauskey’s office. Tauskey thoughtfully provides all of the necessary supplies for students with a kind smile and comforting impression. However, many students, especially underclassmen, are not aware that they can go to her for this need. Furthermore, some students may not feel comfortable addressing their period with a staff member, and it is understandable if they want to maintain a certain level of privacy. Providing these products for free in the restrooms is the best way to ensure personal privacy and easy accessibility in emergency situations. When a student suddenly realizes that they have started their period, they are filled with a certain level of panic and anxiety and they frantically rush to take care of it. They do not need to add to this panic by realizing that they are not prepared with the necessary materials and cannot get any conveniently, all because they do not have a quarter. This anxiety is fixable. Replacing the dispensers that are currently in the restrooms with a free option is an easy way to help the girls at NDB feel calm, composed and prepared when they get their period.

As an all-girls school, NDB has the opportunity to cater to the unique needs of a female student body. Through curriculum, uniforms, and campus activities, NDB considers femininity and the experiences that come with it. Menstruation is an issue that should not be treated any differently, as it

GENEVIEVE KLEIN / THE CATALYST

Feminine products cost 25 cents in NDB restrooms.

is a specific case in which the privileges of attending an all-girls school can be highlighted. There is no preventing the distracting monthly burden that is menstruation, but the school can make it easier to handle through free, accessible menstrual products.

Viewpoint: College Board’s pledge to make the SAT more accessible is too late and unfair to past test-takers

by Ava Marinos Opinion Co-Editor

Earlier this year, College Board announced that the SAT will undergo several changes that will take effect in the U.S. in 2024. In a press release, Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments at College Board states, “the digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give and more relevant.” A student’s desire to achieve perfection and earn the highest possible SAT score persists. But with College Board’s recent SAT change, has that bar been lowered? Even with certain colleges advertising their “test-optional” or “test-blind” policies, this test still highlights a student’s readiness for college. Nevertheless, the value of test-taking has changed for the worse. Students used to be forced to take the SAT in its regular three-hour format. But now, future students will experience the luxury of an easier, digital, two-hour long counterpart. Where has this leeway been for the past generations of SAT test-takers? While I chose to not take the SAT due to applying to test-blind schools within California, I vaguely remember signing up to take one in San Francisco. Just a week before I was due to take it, the testing center closed. Making the test easier both in content and in accessibility feels considerably unfair to all those who stressed over those hard reading passages or out to Turlock, California. It was the closest I could find a seat, even though it was still a 3 hour drive because of Bay Area traffic,” shared senior Ella Ebert. It was a more expensive experience than it would’ve been if I had taken the test locally. I had to pay for dinner the evening before, a hotel room so that

I could maximize my rest the night before, and breakfast before the test. This is ignoring the financial and environmental cost of gas,” Ebert continued. “The SAT going digital would save so many families the cost of travel for a relatively short event, make accommodations easier to access for students who need them, and allow a comfortable, familiar testing environment for all students.” I agree that digitalizing the SAT would be far more convenient for students, but I also feel that because of years of complications, this new digital format should have always been administered. A stu-

dent’s SAT score when taking the digitalized test could be way higher than someone who had to deal with the complications of taking its previous format, which could greatly affect the trends of college admissions. called disadvantage of past students.” says English Department Chair Robert Rojas. “Things change in reaction to certain events and decisions. Making the SAT digital will only help provide access to all.” While this is a valid argument, the college that a student attends is a crucial part of their life. The SAT is a mandatory part of admissions into selective colleges such as Georgetown University. The SAT being so difficult for all of the past years could have been the difference between one’s rejection or acceptance to their desired college. I understand that as time progresses, improvements are made, but I still feel frustrated for those who relied on the SAT as a significant part of their application before its digital format.

I believe that College Board should have made the call to digitalize the SAT earlier. What about taking those who had suffered with the original SAT into consideration? With digitalizing the SAT, future generations of students will not be able to understand the struggles that past generations endured for the sake of a test score.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

College Board has made the SAT “easier” and will be available in 2024.

desperately tried to find a location to take the test. Proximity to testing centers is another notable issue. As test centers fill up quickly, it is difficult to find a test center available close by. NDB seniors have definitely experienced these hardships. “I made the trek

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWS EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR IN CHIEF Molly Phan

MANAGING EDITOR Mia Muzzi

NEWS CO-EDITORS Eva Nichter Kate Davidson

OPINION CO-EDITORS Ava Marinos Genevieve Klein

ARTS & LIFE CO-EDITORS Francesca Arbelaez Hannah Nebres

SPORTS EDITOR Ashley Strain

PHOTO EDITOR Megan Worry

STAFF WRITERS Lauren Fitzgerald Annette Henderson Kayla Hollister Dayna Sockol Ashley Turner

FACULTY ADVISOR Robert Rojas

ABOUT THE CATALYST

The Catalyst is a student-run newspaper that is published seven times a year in print and 24/7 online at www.TheNDBCatalyst.com for the Notre Dame High School community.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Catalyst accepts unsolicited letters from students, faculty, staff, and alumni as well as press releases from on and off-campus organizations, but cannot guarantee publication.

It reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The views expressed in the Opinion section do not reflect the views of The Catalyst, NDB, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, or the Archdiocese of San Francisco, but are solely the views of the writer. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of The Catalyst.

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by Molly Phan Editor in Chief

As these last three years were significantly impacted by the pandemic, the Class of 2023 has endured quite the high school journey so far. Completing part of their freshman year and all of their sophomore year behind Zoom screens and masks blurred their transition from underclassmen to upperclassmen and deprived them of traditional high school experiences. However, the Class of 2023 returns to campus this year as seniors, and hopes to make the best of the events and privileges that come with the title. During the first month of the school year, the Wildcats have already had several opportunities to come together and kick off their senior year. On Monday, August 15, they gathered in the Father Downey Garden for the Senior Sunrise before the first day of school. Later in the week on August 19, the Wildcats won the first rally because of their intense spirit and competitiveness. Finally, the Senior Splash was held on Friday, August 26, where students had the chance to swim, eat shaved

EDITORIAL STAFF / THE CATALYST

Wildcats participate in bonding events to kick off their senior year.

ice and take their class photo. All class events that will take place this year are planned and executed by the senior class council. They work to ensure that the class has opportunities to bond and is properly represented among the rest of the student body. “To plan class activities, we talk about ideas within student council, and then ask other students their opinion on those ideas before getting them approved by our class coordinator and [Director of Student Life and Leadership] Mrs. Bergholm,” said Senior Class President Monique “My overall goal for the senior class Samson. The senior class this year is to give them their best year coordinator, Kate Mayet at NDB.” - Kate Mahoney honey, also plays an important role in the experience of the senior class. Senior Class Coordinator “My overall goal for the senior class this year is to give them their best year yet at NDB,” Mahoney said. “With the guidance of the senior class council, we hope to provide bonding activities that will create lifelong memories for the senior class.” Although there is a lot in store this year for the Wildcats to look forward to, the next few months will certainly be some of the most challenging. For the majority of the fall semester, seniors will be working on college applications, which can be stressful and time consuming. Soon after, they will have to open college decision letters and eventually decide where to spend the next chapter of their lives, and, with that, comes a great deal of pressure. However, the end-ofthe-year events, such as Aquacades and graduation will surely be worth the stress and anxiety. Senior year is not only important in preparing students for the next period of their lives, but is also a time where the class can truly come together and bond before parting ways in June. Together, the Class of 2023 has the ability to make their senior year memorable despite the unprecedented challenges they have faced during their time at NDB.

A day in the life of an NDB Tiger

Big/Little Sister Day

The freshmen and the juniors paired together as sister classes for the first time on August 26. Each freshman was given a big sister from the junior class to guide them through their beginning years at NDB. Freshman class coordinator and junior class co-coordinator, Jonathan Tomczack, paired each sister together based on their interests and hobbies. Held during collaboration, the sisters introduced themselves and spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other.

Monarchs’ Tie-Dye

The Monarchs got together during collaboration on August 26 to tie-dye their class t-shirts. The sophomore student council was in charge of the event, and planned out a fun-filled afternoon for their classmates. There were multiple buckets filled with purple dye for the Monarchs to dip their t–shirts in, giving them a spirited purple design. After the activity, they mingled amongst each other with ice cream sandwiches as a treat.

Dragons’ Rally Prep

The Dragons came back to school as upperclassmen, ready to jump back into their school spirit. In preparation for the Back to School rally, juniors decked out in green face paint, glitter and tutus. They supported their new sister class, the Sharks, by wearing blue as well. Amidst the sea of colors, the Dragons stayed loud and enthusiastic, bringing recognition to their class’ close friendships among one another.

Sharks join the sisterhood

From THE SHARKS| Page 1

had filled out their interests in a Google form, and Freshman Class Coordinator Jonathan Tomczak paired together students who had similar responses. During the event, Sharks and the Dragons gathered in the Father Downey Garden to get to know one another over ice cream treats. In the evening of August 26, Serra HS hosted their annual Tri-School event, the Frosh Splash. They host the pool party to give Mercy HS, Serra HS and NDB students a chance to meet one another in a non-academic setting. “It was a little awkward at first but then once I started getting to know people, it was a lot more fun,” said Loar. To further unite the Tri-School freshmen, NDB hosted the first TriSchool dance. The dance was carnival-themed with candy, snacks and decorations. ASB and Link Crew Board attended the dance and helped introduce the freshmen to one another. “I had a really good time meeting everyone,” freshman Nora Ghattas shared. “The music was also really good and so were the snacks. It was actually really fun.” The Sharks held their class council elections on September 16. There, they listened to their classmates’ speeches and voted for students who they thought reflected NDB’s school spirit and leadership.

The newly elected freshman class council, including President Nelly Hickson, Vice President Emma Downing, Secretary-Treasurer Brooke True, Activities Director Alex Davidow, Athletics Director Lizzie Johnson, Spirit Director Tali Cuneo and Historian Kate McClenahan look forward to leading their class this year. “I’m looking forward to growing closer friendships, being a part of lots of new clubs and all the sports seasons,” said Cuneo.

With a year full of many firsts, the freshmen anticipate the events that NDB has planned for the approaching months.

From ESSALAT| Page 1

Ceremony. She also remembers the excitement surrounding Aquacades and her commitment to building her class’s “Jaws” themed float for the kick off rally during her junior year. After graduating from NDB in 1998, Essalat attended Menlo College where she studied mass communications with an emphasis in print journalism. She had always envisioned herself moving to New York City and writing for Vogue magazine, but at Menlo, she quickly became involved in student life and leadership. She developed an interest in event coordination and fundraising surrounding academics, which led her to her teaching credential that she earned in 20 04. “I taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade language arts for about a decade, but it was seventh grade that was my favorite,” said Essalat. After several years of teaching, Essalat moved to Dallas, Texas with her husband for a business opportunity. Because her California teaching credential did not transfer to Texas, she channeled her passions for teaching and her love for writing into her book, “The Overly Honest Teacher.” In the book, she gives parenting advice from the teacher’s perspective because she values having a connection with not only her students, but their families as well. “In doing research, I realized that there really was not a book out there that was written from the educator’s voice, and specifically around how we can bridge the gap of communication that so often does exist between parents and teachers,” shared Essalat.

Now that she has been working on campus with students and staffulty members for nearly three months, she has been able to feel the warmth and encouragement of the NDB community. Her favorite moments so far have been her opportunities to build relationships with the new people she meets. “I love getting to impact things from 10,000 feet, but then also at the same time getting to pop into a classroom and watch a teacher teaching. I’m loving supervision at lunch, and just getting to be outside and interacting with

COURTESY OF THE TORCH YEARBOOK

Then: 1998

students as they’re eating,” she said. “I want to be with people, colleagues, parents and students. I love that,” she continued. During her tenure as head of school, Essalat hopes to maintain the traditions that make the school so special. Aquacades, the Junior Ring Ceremony and the DEI speaker series, for example, are all set to continue. But above all, she emphasizes the importance of fun within the school environment. “I think coming out of COVID and coming out of remote learning and isolation, it’s so important to get back to having fun at school. You know, learning at its essence, at its core has got to be engaging and to be engaging, it’s got to have a resonance of fun to it,” said Essalat. She also holds a genuine appreciation for the all-girls student population that exists at NDB, which she feels is what makes the environment so unique. “There’s just something about being in the presence of other females, like-minded individuals’ opinions that are going to challenge you without fear of reproach, that you can really enter into conversations and dialogues and relationships and friendships, knowing that you’re kind of just accepted for who you are,” she said. “Here, everybody is motivated, right, and so driven to succeed, but there’s just a warmth that comes from Notre Dame and I do believe that to be just from the collection of like minded humans that are here.” As Essalat makes the transition into her position as head of school, she reflects on what truly drew her back to NDB, and it came down to the kind of people that exist within the community. “To be a Notre Dame Tiger, I think it means to be tenacious. I think it means to be empathetic. I think it means to be ingenuitive. I think it means to be courageous. I think that a Notre Dame Tiger is someone who is always evolving in the best possible way, wanting to make an impact in the world,” she shared.

MIA MUZZI / THE CATALYST

Now: 2022

Meet new Associate Head of School Arlene Empleo

The Catalyst (TC): What do you remember from your high school experience?

Arlene Empleo (AE): The rallies. I don’t remember what happened in the classroom, but the Managing rallies and all the extracurriculars I re-

Editor Mia Muzzi member because I sat down with Associate was so involved. Those were the

Head of School

Arlene Empleo ...

best times, like our football games and my senior year prank. Our classes were our classes but our extracurricular activities. That was what made our class, our class and that’s what keeps us together. I came from a small Catholic school but we’re all still friends. After 20 plus years, we’re still all involved in our reunions.

... to get to know her background and understand her on-campus role.

TC: How do you want to use your experiences to benefit the community?

AE: It’s the extracurriculars. It really is. I’m really trying to encourage our students as well as our staff to go to the games, to go to the TriSchool plays and events. Because we need to show support, not just within the classroom but outside of the classroom. That just shows our community we’re here, we’re back in business and we’re more than just a student inside the classroom. That’s what makes us who we are.

TC: What were some notable jobs you’ve had previous to being at NDB?

AE: Previously, I worked as a paraprofessional for a family [whose] daughter attended the Bridge School at North Elementary in Hillsborough. I was at North for a year and brought my son with me. Then we left and came back. Then, I became a teacher. Some other jobs I had when I was going to school were interesting. I worked in the ER for Alta Bates [Summit Medical Center] in Berkeley. That was my night job so I worked answering phones for them. I also used to work in Long Beach, I was campus security. During the day I did my classes, at night I worked campus security. It was totally fun to drive the golf carts and walk around with flashlights.

TC: What do you like to do outside of school?

AE: Honestly, outside school, it’s all about my boys. Whether it’s soccer and I coach their basketball and volleyball teams. My other two boys play baseball, so I’m always driving around doing that with them. Every once in a while, maybe I’ll get to dance in my kitchen with my husband. I love salsa music. But that’s about it. It’s all about my boys right now.

TC: What made you decide to come to NDB?

AE: Honestly, it was totally a leap of faith. I prayed on it. Like, I didn’t even know this existed. I just was asked and I was like, ‘I’m here to serve you.’ I always wanted the experience to be in a single-gender school. So this was a great opportunity for me to be here. I just felt like I was called to be here.

TC: What are your goals for this year as far as discipline? Goals in general?

AE: For me, it’s just the consistency and just having the regularity of certain rules that we have to follow. And just helping the students understand it’s for safety. But it’s when we don’t understand the rules and people start breaking rules, then it’s not fun. For me, I don’t feel like I’m coming to work every day with this job. If I don’t feel like I’m having fun or playing, it’s not good anymore. That’s why I want students to feel happy and safe and ready to learn.

TC: How will you be enforcing the rules and or giving consequences?

AE: I just really have been having conversations and I haven’t had to call any parents yet about it. But it’s just a conversation, you know? I feel like if there’s ever an issue that has to be discussed, I want to match the consequence with it. So, that’s why it makes sense to me. I’m just trying to make everything match the behavior, so we can change that behavior.

TC: Are you worried that students may view you as the “bad guy”?

AE: Of course. That’s part of the job. Like, I get that. I’m totally fine with that. I think that’s your initial reaction. But once you get to know me and understand me, I think it’s totally fine.

TC: What impact do you hope to leave on the community?

AE: I just feel like, obviously, I want people to love being here. I just want people to feel welcome and want to be here. And be proud to be a Tiger. I’m just saying, ‘We’re number one!’