Boisterous students file into the once-empty classroom, newspapers and magazines covering the walls and plastic dividers situated on each of the 16 desks inside. The sound of teen voices fills the air, singing “Happy birthday” in shaky unison while celebrating the newest issue of Verde.
Reduced COVID-19 cases and the rollout of vaccines have made the dream of a lively Media Arts Center, something we never thought we would see this year, a reality. In this issue, we attempt to capture this moment of transition as we approach a sense of normalcy once again.
With California set to remove almost all COVID-19 restrictions on June 15 and schools planning to fully reopen in the fall, members of the Palo Alto High School community have developed strong views about what a new normal should look like — opinions captured by Perspectives Editor Meena Narayanaswami and News Editor Jonas Pao in “What comes next?”
Looking ahead to a time after the pandemic forces us to reconcile the lasting effects of social isolation, as investigated by staff writer Allison Chang and Profiles Editor Sasha Boudtchenko in “Virtual growing pains,” an in-depth analysis of the psychological impacts of lockdown.
The relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions has also given us opportunities to enjoy newly available activities. Following the reopening of museums, we take an in-depth look into two recent art exhibits in “Artfully abstract” and “Goghing digital.” Staff writers Antonia Mou and Laura Malagrino analyze the de Young’s juxtaposition of Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso in the former, while staff writers Katherine Cheng and Zander Leong explore a digital installation of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings in the latter.
While we happily say goodbye to the worst days of the pandemic, we are also forced to grapple with some more difficult farewells. For the Class of 2021, their high school journey comes to an end after a year riddled with uncertainty. Staff writer Myra Xu attempts to find closure amid this confusion for herself and her classmates in “Dear Class of 2021.”
Volume 22 will always be defined by the pandemic. Masks appear on all of our covers thus far, shielding the faces of student protestors, a teacher and a healthcare professional. But on the cover of this final issue of the volume — a period punctuating the V22 sentence if you will — significantly, the all-important mask begins to come off.
The world has undergone immense changes in the past months, and so has Verde, with an all-new team of leaders taking the helm. Similar to the volatile world surrounding us, our brief time as editors has been filled with uncertainty. Failures have been frequent, and successes, surprising. But as the world boldly moves forward into a new era, without knowledge of what is in store, so have we — filled with gratitude for the opportunity to continue the legacy of this publication.
To the outgoing editors: we are so thankful for your impressive leadership during the most difficult times, and hope the final installment of your volume does your hard work justice. To our readers: we are beyond proud of this final episode in the Volume 22 pentalogy, and hope you enjoy the truthful, hard-hitting journalism pursued time and time again by our staff as much as we do.
On the cover
Junior Agnes Mar stands in front of the Palo Alto High School Tower Building, mask in hand and face uncovered. This striking image, captured by photographer Anushe Irani, is a reminder of the relaxation of regulations that has come with the recent surge in COVID-19 vaccinations, and symbolizes the return to normalcy that could be in our near future.