By SYDNEY GAW Staff Writer
Since the start of the 2020-2021 school year, IUSD and the staff at UHS have implemented new COVID-19 safety measures to ensure the health of students and teachers participating in hybrid learning. With the pressure to keep schools open, IUSD has worked to limit student and staff exposure to the virus.
Author: Features
Students Protest the Reopening of IUSD Schools
By SYDNEY GAW Staff Writer
After IUSD released a statement on January 6, 2021 voicing the district’s intention to continue in-person instruction following the end of winter break, concerned community members were quick to protest, fearing that a return to hybrid learning immediately after the break would lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Despite thousands of requests to reconsider the decision, IUSD did not release further information on the subject. IUSD’s disregard for community concerns catalyzed a series of district-wide efforts to prioritize student and staff safety, including a student strike campaign.
Keep Calm…and Repeat
By MEERA HATANGADI Staff Writer
The Pandemic. The elections. Schools opening. The fires. 2020 has been a year like no other, filled with changes, challenges, and uncertainties about the future. With these obstacles obstructing the path of students at University High School, the usual stress levels that UHS is widely credited for have seen an increase among some students.
Memories in Quarantine
By MEERA HATANGADI Staff Writer
For a lot of individuals around the world, quarantine has contained some of the worst memories of their lives. Loved ones have been put in danger, racial tension has risen, political polarization has led to further hate, workers have been laid off, and there is not a single person who knows when it will all be over.
Prowledge, Where Protests Go Virtual
By YASNA RAHMANI Staff Writer
The death of George Floyd in May galvanized a wave of social unrest. Protests took place in many cities across the country and around the world, starting in Floyd’s home city of Minneapolis and spreading as far as Europe and South America. Although he was not the first victim of police brutality, his death highlighted the flaws of the current criminal justice system. UHS juniors Nathaneo Johnson and Raiyan Rizwan, inspired by these events, decided to use their time in quarantine to create an app called Prowledge. The name “Prowledge” comes from the two main purposes of the app, protest and knowledge.
A Month of Writing Novels
By SYDNEY GAW Staff Writer
What does it take to write a novel? This is the question many writers considered throughout the month of November, as over 300,000 people worldwide took part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an online writing challenge that encourages writers to complete a 50,000 word project in the span of 30 days.
Reinventing Black Friday
By YASNA RAHMANI Staff Writer
When you think of Black Friday, you might think of hectic crowds, lines that stretch around stores, or that great deal you got one cold November night. So how did this day come to be? And why name it “Black Friday”?
Trojan Outlook: Election Edition
By ERIN JEON, KRISHNA KHAWANI, CLAIRE CHOI Features Editors
On October 9, 2020, the Sword & Shield opened up the Trojan Outlook: Election Edition survey to UHS students in anticipation of the 2020 presidential election. This survey serves to create a more comprehensive understanding of the student body. 169 students participated in the anonymous survey covering questions about their political leanings, candidates of choice, and news sources.
When Politics and Social Media Collide: Twitter Fact Check
By YASNA RAHMANI Staff Writer
Are you wondering if you have read any misleading information on Twitter? Now you can find out.
Behind the Scenes of a Political Campaign
By SYDNEY GAW Staff Writer
As the voting period for the 2020 election continues, you may have seen advertisements for a particular candidate or state proposition. We can get a glimpse of what a candidate stands for through the political ads that run in between our favorite shows or YouTube videos. However, a thirty second advertisement does not convey the hours spent drafting the campaign and working behind the scenes to make these ads effective. Many people often forget that a political campaign team—much like any sports team—relies on the contribution of multiple people and departments to be successful. From volunteers to political consultants, each individual plays an important part in moving the campaign forward.