Adorning the walls of MAC 105 are over 100 covers of previous Verde issues. Each with vibrant colors and eye-catching covers, containing a snapshot of the issues that shaped our community at the time of publication. Since its creation in 1999, Verde hasn’t been afraid to raise awareness about controversial topics. Our predecessors have done stories about Bay Area marijuana dispensaries, underage drinking and sex education, and not to mention, entire issues focused on rape culture, abortion and gun violence.
Now, in 2025, not much has changed about how we approach content and coverage — we continue to write about hard-hitting topics that often center around the same critical issues.
However, much has changed in the world around us. In just the past few months, President Donald Trump and his administration have enacted sweeping policies that include many measures that amount to censorship. According to NBC, in January, Trump issued an executive order including a call for agencies to “remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology.” As a result, large federal agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and the HHS Office for Civil Rights have removed troves of data about healthcare for LGBTQ+ Americans, according to NPR. In addition, federal organizations like the National Park Service have erased numerous web pages about LGBTQ+ history and activism, according to the National Park Conservation Association.
But the censorship doesn’t stop there. The Trump administration’s actions have also contributed to the corrosion of free press rights. Notably, the Associated Press was banned indefinitely from the White House press pool after they referred to Trump’s newly designated “Gulf of America” by its original name, the Gulf of Mexico, according to the New York Times.
While we have a sense of security as student journalists in a state with some of the most robust shield laws and a very protective state education code, there is a sense of unease as we acknowledge that national publications are being penalized for upholding journalistic standards. In our editorial, “Trump’s policies restrict freedom of the press,” we express our collective opinion that the White House should not limit the freedom of the press.
Additionally, reporting by news editor Niaz Alasti and statistician Jaron Leung shows Paly students reactions to the Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to cut down the Diversity Equity and Inclusion movement. In “Immigration situation,” Perspectives editor Zachary Crystal and staff writer Ryan Saket explore how the Bay Area has been dealing with recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
As we explore these topics, it becomes clear that mass censorship is no longer a concept confined to books like “1984” by George Orwell. It is seeping into the policies that govern our daily lives. Volume 26 issue 4 is a call to examine what is at stake.
This is also our final edition as a leadership team. Though our departure from Verde is marked by this tumultuous era, we are passing the torch to the next generation of journalists, confident that they will uphold Verde’s standards of honest and critical re-porting. To our staff members: Thank you for working with us over the past five editions and making our time on Verde memorable.
And to our readers: We urge you to stay informed, stay engaged and never underestimate the power of your voice.
On the cover
On the cover of Volume 26 Issue 4, a gloved hand crumples a news reporters’ notepad in a photo taken by Managing Editor Cate Graney.
This cover is a representation of the pressure and indirect censorship that has afflicted journalists nationwide as a result of the Trump administration’s recent rhetoric and policies, such as limiting the Associated Press’ access to the presidential press pool.