The Paly Voice - The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

Arohi Bhattacharya and Madison Abbassi • March 1, 2021

In the wake of recent test center closures due to the pandemic, Palo Alto High School will be hosting an SAT on April 13 for all interested juniors, scores from which will be eligible to be submitted to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Sudden athletic guidance paves way for contact sports, multi-team play

February 27, 2021

In response to mounting concerns over the possibility of losing sports seasons, Santa Clara County officials announced this week they are following the state’s recent moves to relax guidelines around outdoor youth sports competitions, kickstarting long-delayed outdoor contact sports at Palo Alto High School and allowing athletes to participate on multiple teams.

Last month, parents protested outside of the Palo Alto Unified School District office demanding reopening of schools for student education, mental health, and normalcy. After Santa Clara County gave the go-ahead for an in-person return for grades 7-12 once the county enters red tier, PAUSD secondary reopening preparations launched once again. While some students are hesitant about safety and feel online class from the classroom will not be beneficial, nearly half of students surveyed plan to return immediately for peer and student-teacher interaction. “I would like to try it out and see if it

Schoolwide survey shows students conflicted on reopening

February 25, 2021

Despite mounting parent pressure for an in-person experience, students appear to have mixed views on whether to return to in-person learning with the newly announced plan for Palo Alto Unified School District secondary schools. According to Principal Brent Kline, last week’s non-binding survey of Paly families on in-person reopening showed that...

The upcoming Tea with Teachers event offers students a virtual way to connect with Palo Alto High School teachers and discuss shared interests at lunch on Friday. According to senior Cindy Lui, the Associated Student Body treasurer and member of the Tea with Teachers planning committee, the goal of the event is to give students an opportunity to get to know both their own teachers and others that they may have in the future. “Hopefully, it will increase the sense of community at Paly, especially between underclassmen, especially freshmen, and the teacher community,” Lui said. “I hope this opportunity will be a chance for them to know each other better and spark some dialogues between the two, which I feel like rarely intersect except in a typical classroom setting.” Photo: Paly ASB

ASB to host virtual 'Tea with Teachers' event

February 24, 2021

Students and teachers will have the opportunity to connect over similar interests at the upcoming Tea with Teachers event, hosted virtually by Palo Alto High School’s Associated Student Body during lunch on Friday.

An empty Palo Alto High School quad. With over half of this year spent in virtual schooling, the Paly community lacks in-person connection. Brent Kline, Paly’s new prinicipal.
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Despite constraints, principal highlights students' need for interaction and secondary reopening

February 23, 2021

With a drop in COVID-19 cases, parent demands for in-person learning and a foreseeable return to the state’s red tier, Palo Alto High School administrators are hammering out specifics for the imminent return to in-person learning.

Culture

Honoring mother, Paly alum fundraises for Creamery

Andy Robinson and Malia Wanderer

February 20, 2021

Standing proud for over a century, the Palo Alto Creamery has united generations of local diners.

Student board representatives weigh in on secondary school reopening plan

February 17, 2021

Student Board Representatives Medha Atla and Thomas Li of Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School, say they are optimistic about the proposed reopening plan presented Feb. 9. by Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin.

Churchill Avenue project inches forward, aims to improve safety for students

February 13, 2021

The Churchill Avenue Improvement Project, which intends to protect local commuters — particularly Palo Alto High School students — is moving closer to approval after the new plan was presented at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.

Opinion: Foothills Park must restrict the number of visitors

January 21, 2021

Foothills Parks should be open to all, but balancing the needs of visitors, the environment, and the city budget poses serious challenges.

Art students set goals for virtual second semester

January 20, 2021

As another semester of full virtual learning looms at Palo Alto High School, students of advanced art classes share their accomplishments and challenges from the first semester, and draw out new goals for their future projects.

thepalyvoice

While Palo Alto Unified School District’s second

Features

Wellness Center adapts for in-person cohorts

Sofie Zalatimo and Andy Robinson

February 19, 2021

The Wellness Center team has returned to the Palo Alto High School campus, offering mental health services and a place to relax for students in in-person cohorts while continuing its robust virtual operations to support students during distance learning.

CCC provides guidance to students during uncertain times

February 13, 2021

Stacks of thick books, filled with flimsy pages of standardized test prep questions and dense descriptions of every college you could name, pile up on Nisha Mata's desk in the midst of junior year.

Theater students win big at CETA festival

January 27, 2021

The Palo Alto High School Theatre program enters the spring semester with high hopes after taking home an Outstanding Design Team award, among other awards, for “Murder by Poe” at the California Educational Theatre Association Festival earlier this month.

Suburban Bananas: local high school students share their perspective through podcast

January 12, 2021

At the start of the pandemic, two students from Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School teamed up to create a podcast focusing on their perspectives as Asian-American teenagers living in Silicon Valley. Currently, the duo is continuing to produce podcasts on a bi-weekly basis.

Opinion

Katie Causey: It’s on us, and it’s time for action

Katie Causey

February 1, 2021

Content Warning For Discussion of Sexual Violence and Harassment Editors' Note: In light of recent sexual assault allegations made against several members of the Palo Alto...

Opinion: Foothills Park must restrict the number of visitors

January 21, 2021

Foothills Parks should be open to all, but balancing the needs of visitors, the environment, and the city budget poses serious challenges.

Entertainment

Choirs to perform 18th annual Madrigal Feaste

Sofie Zalatimo and Emily Yun

December 10, 2020

The campus typically filled with monarchs and aristocrats the week of the Madrigal Feaste looks a little different this year, as Palo Alto High School Choirs are taking their talents to a virtual stage for their 18th annual performance.

Preview: City-wide virtual open mic night Saturday

November 20, 2020

Palo Alto high school students can win raffle prizes and watch their peers perform during a city-wide virtual open mic night hosted by five Palo Alto student-led organizations at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

First-generation Indian-American teens take center stage in ‘Never Have I Ever’

April 30, 2020

Her dad died dramatically at her concert, her legs were paralyzed for a year, but all Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) can think of is snagging the hottest boy in school. On top of that, tennis legend John McEnroe narrates Vishwakumar’s whole adventure. And a cameo from Adam Samberg!

‘Tartuffe’ continues despite COVID-19 concerns

March 13, 2020

The Palo Alto High School Theatre Program will carry on with its first showing of Tartuffe with an audience limit of 100 people on March 14, despite Palo Alto Unified School District’s cancellation and postponement of various school events.