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Students adjust to distance learning By Gabriela Gomez day starts at 9 a.m., one hour later than

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, normal and ends earlier, at 2:15 p.m. Stuclassrooms look diferent this dents are also given an hour-long lunch year at Daniel Pearl Magnet High break every day, twice as long as when School as teachers teach from their living they’re on campus. rooms and students learn from their Other changes this school year inbedrooms. cludes the loss of a Spanish teacher due The 2020-21 school year began to low enrollment. Math teacher Lori Seo completely online because of the is also teaching a new Intro to Data Scicoronavirus pandemic. Students have to ence class. It is a UCLA math class which virtually attend three class periods a day focuses on the analysis of data as well as and they alternate daily. This semester, a how the data can be used. new class was incorporated into students’ Although online learning is the schedule called advisory to provide stu- safest way for students and teachers to dents with social-emotional support in a interact without coming into contact, smaller and less formal setting. distance learning is still a struggle. “I feel like advisory is a time for me “I feel overwhelmed with distance to interact with students I’ve never met education,” junior Derek Calderon said before and have time to wind down just “I was using a Chrome provided by the a little bit,” senior Ashley Pedraza said. school but then it started giving me trouMondays are instructional support ble so I started to use my own laptop.” days that allows students to get extra Students are also struggling with help from their teachers or gives them remote learning because they are staring time to catch up on work. Mondays end at a screen for a long period of time. earlier than the rest of the week, at 12:10 “I get distracted so easily and I end p.m. and students don’t meet with their up being on my phone a lot more or just advisory teacher. not paying attention,” senior Petra Vass During distance learning, the school said.

In September, 81 DPMHS students responded to an online survey about distance learning.

Evan Gleason and Antonio Bedon contributed to this report. Advisory kicks off during online learning By Delilah Brumer sory period H, which is before lunch, or teacher, allowing for more communica-

Distance learning has afected many advisory period L, which is after lunch. tion. aspects of student life, such as “It’s still school but it feels kind of “I like how small the (advisory) the transition to diferent class like a place to just be calm and relax a classes are and how everyone just kind of schedules. One of the biggest changes little bit. Like today we were doing origa- knows each other,” sophomore has been the district-wide addition of mi,” freshman Robert Wolfe said. Sabrina Robertson said. advisory periods. While some students fnd advisory Instagram: @BrumerDelilah “I think it was a combination of the helpful, others feel like their time could district and the (Los Angeles Unifed be better spent working on more acaSchool District Teachers) Union wantdemic-focused work. ing the schools to be able to give the “I just feel like advisory is a little bit students more social-emotional support,” of a waste of time because I could be usDaniel Pearl Magnet High School Magnet ing it to do homework for other classes,” Coordinator Leah Pevar said. junior Nadia Montiel said. “At the same Advisory periods are graded on time, I do like that you get to talk things a pass-fail basis and students receive through and I have improved on things.” 2.5 units of credit toward graduation if Advisory periods allow for students they pass. Students have these 30-min- to learn real-world skills, aside from ute-long periods every school day except academic subjects. Additionally, advisory for Mondays. Students either have advi- class sizes are capped at 20 students per 4 Te Pearl Post | October 2020

As teachers’ WiFi cuts out, so

does connection with students By Jessica Melkonyan

With his wife and two children also online, English teacher Ron Baer has had internet issues during distance learning. His alternative has been to return to campus and teach from his classroom.

“It’s weird being here because I’m all the way in that back room,” said Baer, who feels odd being on campus with barely any appearances from staf. “I’m like a ghost here. . . If anything were to happen, no one would know.”

Even though distance learning has been going on since the spring semester of the last school year, faculty and students are still struggling with technical difculties. Whether a website crashes, a student’s audio doesn’t work or Wi-Fi suddenly stops working, teachers Photo by Mayada Hatamleh and Glenda Hurtado Science teacher Mayada Hatamleh(lef) and Spanish teacher Glenda hurtado (right) showcase their teaching have no control over many situations workspace during this distance learning school year, which began on Aug. 18 and has been completely online. like these. Now half-way through the fall semester, it’s been a hassle to keep a connection with students and get into the routine of being in school virtually again. “It was a really tough time holding onto people,” Baer said. “No one really knew what to expect, so it was hard. March 13th just hit and suddenly it was just crazy.” Baer’s class is located far from the main hall, so he feels strange being at school basically alone. Without seeing faces, hearing voices, and the limited class time, it’s hard for him to fnd a balance between “getting-to-knowyou” activities and classwork. For teachers working from home, things haven’t gone smoothly, either. Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado has experienced situations with Zoom crashing and attending her own class 20 minutes late. Not only are teachers having issues with glitches in the system but teachers also struggle with the lack of colleague connection. Companionship with co-workers kept Hurtado going. She makes the efort to have short meetings to catch up and see how her colleagues are doing and how their classes are coming along. However, with the tight schedules that they possess, it’s not easy for Hurtado to keep up the communication. “Not having any feedback (from co-workers is hard),” Hurtado said. “Am I doing the right thing? Or did I miss a step?” For teachers, it may be difcult that students don’t communicate but in some cases, shy students feel comfortable verbally conversing with their teachers online according to science teacher Mayada Hatamleh. It really puts a smile on teachers’ faces to hear their students speak and be involved, especially the ones who never have. It’s a breakthrough for many students and this brings satisfaction to Hatamleh. “I have noticed, especially in advisory, that some kids are actually more confdent because I can’t see them,” Hatamleh said. “They’re actually opening up to me more and sooner.” Hurtado feels that a teacher’s connection with their students is a signifcant part of the teaching and learning experience. The fall semester has more to come and Hurtado is hoping schools will soon begin to welcome students and teachers back into the classrooms. Hatamleh believes that distance learning is the best method and everybody will eventually start growing accustomed to online schooling. She feels a better-developed connection with some of her students and has hopes for more bonds to form. “We don’t need to look at it super negatively,” Hatamleh said. “Things won’t always be exactly the way you’re used to. Hiccups will happen. There will be bumps. This is a bump.” Instagram: @sh.jeess “ Tings won’t always be exactly the way you’re used to. Tere will be bumps. Tis is a bump. Mayada Hatamleh ” News | October 2020 5

Two choices, one vote, one president

By Gabrielle Lashley

Although students like senior Sa- this position.” mantha Mills are not old enough Trump has appointed 53 conservato cast their ballots, they’re fnding tive federal judges on the 13 U.S. circuit their own ways to contribute on Election courts in his frst term. He tear-gassed Day, which is on Nov. 3. peaceful protesters after the death of

“I’m volunteering because I know George Floyd. According to NBC News, that in the past, poll workers have been he has also contradicted warnings from composed of elderly people,” senior and health ofcials about the coronavirus, poll volunteer Mills said. “I’d rather put misleading U.S citizens and contributing myself at risk than someone who has a to the deaths of over 200,000 U.S. citizens higher chance of dying.” and over ten times that amount were left

The presidential election is less than jobless. a month away and about 1 in 10 eligible “The fact that he’s still ignoring a voters will be from Generation Z (Gen global pandemic just really says that Z). In this election their focus is on two he does not care about this country,” big issues, which are climate change and frst-time voter, sports and tech editor human rights. The Democratic party’s for The Pearl Post, Casey Wanatick said. presidential nominee former Vice-Pres- “I think that if he’s in power for the next ident Joe Biden is running against the four years, it will be the worst four years Republican party’s presidential nominee America has ever faced, worse than the President Donald Trump. last four.” “I want to contribute and make In states such as California, Nevada, some kind of diference,” pre-registered Iowa and Ohio, registered voters will Sydnee Blueford said. “Voting can do automatically receive a ballot that they that.” can either mail back or drop of at their

When regarding human rights, local ballot drop box. However, there are young voters have focused on specifc local polling places where people can issues such as the Black Lives Matter cast their vote. movement, healthcare and the violation “We’ve heard about the USPS of human rights at immigration centers. being defunded right now so there will

The frst presidential debate of be voter suppression. However, voting by 2020 took place on Sept. 29, which soon mail would be best,” poll volunteer Cassia turned into a debacle of irrational inter- Ramelb said, who has also volunteered ruptions and name calling. Biden and for the Super Tuesday election. “You can Trump were supposed to get another drop it of at a polling station but I really chance to infuence voters at the next suggest voting by mail.” presidential debate on Oct. 15. However, ever since Trump has contracted COV- Instagram:@yogabbygabby_l ID-19, Biden has stated as long as Trump is infected, there shouldn’t be a debate. The debate between vice presidential nominees Mike Pence and Kamala Harris took place on Oct. 7.

“I think there was nothing presidential about this debate,” Mills said. “Biden could’ve handled each outburst from Trump a little better. All in all, despite being such a train wreck, this debate did a great job at showing those who are still undecided (on) how unft Trump is for 6 Te Pearl Post | October 2020

Graphic by Jessica Melkonyan