THE HARKER SCHOOL Nonprofit Org. US Postage 500 SARATOGA AVE. COMING SOON! PAID SIMREN GUPTA KATHY FANG KAIDI DAI TIFFANY ZHAO ALLISON YEN “The lotus flower grows in mud.” -Buddhist proverb “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” “Where’s my phone?” “I am large, I contain multitudes.” “Whoop-di-scoop-di-poop.” -Kanye West - Oscar Wilde -Walt Whitman SAN JOSE, CA 95129 San Jose, CA Permit No. 2296

nina gee amruta dharmapurikar shinjan ghosh With the pace that the world is changing, I don’t know what kinds of I enjoy creating things. It’s really beautiful to see stories it’s going to need; I don’t know what kind of truth it’s going tina xu & shinjan ghosh What people don’t realize is there are a what you’ve visualized come to life, especially when to need. If I can contribute even a little bit to that for someone, lot more similarities between cultures than others enjoy it too. someone out in the crowd, then that’s enough for me. If I see one person giving out a lot of people may think, and getting to access compliments one day, I might be like, “I those similarities and getting other people should do that too, like if it makes other to see those similarities for themselves is my people happy, might as well.” personal mission. ADITI KHANNA CHRISTINE TANG “Just do what you want to do and what you think you should do, and you can never go wrong.” ZARA VAKATH “You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.” –Jay-Z

varsha rammohan

I really just live. I love to the fullest. I do everything, and I enjoy everything olivia guo because you never really know what’s going to happen. helen zhu I just live how I think I should rather than thinking that I have an identity that I should fit or thinking that I don’t have an identity. I just I’m not one to do a fancy speech or touch people keep going. If I act a certain way, I act that way no matter what other with my words; I don’t have the confidence yet, but I people think. hope to one day. If I can change somebody’s attitude NAVIYA KAPADIA or the way they [think] about something, that’s how I want to make an impact. VISHNU JAISIM ANJALI SHETH “Shark bait, ooh ha ha!” -Finding Nemo

anika mani & lakshmi mulgund tessa muhle ritika rajamani You see everyone around you excelling so much, and then you don’t really want I don’t need to be the person that everyone knows to put yourself out there. I didn’t share my research, I didn’t share my photography, esha gohil Art is a vehicle for positive change in some way. It’s an easy way to spark conversation about [or] the most important person in the room. It doesn’t I didn’t share anything. Recently, I’ve started being more open about [my work]. interviewers: athreya daniel & saahil thoppay topics that are too difficult to maybe address or talk about otherwise. I think that’s something matter to me what other people think about the I realized that if I keep comparing myself to other people, I will never be able to I’ve really endeavored to do. I do my art especially because I’m inspired by other artists who do mark I make, I just want to know that I am helping take pride in my own work, and I think that is really important Rather than finding solutions, analyze the outcome. the same thing and use their art to confront controversies and incite discussion. make things happen.

YOUR BOOK WILL TRIM WHERE THE WHITE LINES INTERSECT 7 Job # 14409 School Harker Upper School HJ HJ Job # 14409 School Harker Upper School 7 Special Instructions Special Instructions 2 Template Template 3 &ICSC140L& &ICSC140R& ©&YY& Herff Jones, Inc., ©&YY& Herff Jones, Inc., Class ofEven 2020 HumansAll Rights Reserved ofAll Rights Reserved Harker magazineOdd will Page Page Black Ink Includes Spot Color(s) X Process 4-Color (CMYK) Black Ink Includes Spot Color(s) X Process 4-Color (CMYK) be mailed to upper school homes early June

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF HARKER’S UPPER SCHOOL

W500 SARATOGA AVENUE,INGED SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95129 VOL. 21 NO. 5 POSTWEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

HELEN ZHU HELEN

LUCY GE LUCY

SARAH MOHAMMED SARAH

ISHA MOORJANI ISHA

LUCY GE LUCY

ARELY SUN ARELY

MUTHU PANCHANATHAM MUTHU

HELEN ZHU HELEN

JIN TUAN JIN

VARSHA RAMMOHAN VARSHA

KATIE WANG KATIE HELEN ZHU HELEN WHEN WE LOST ‘NORMAL’ It’s been 17 weeks since the global coronavirus eric fang, One year ago, spirit week in full swing, classes and talk to friends over Zoom—a gloria zhang students decked in white, green, black constellation of faces blinking on our pandemic hit Santa Clara County with its first & nina gee and gold packed the stands of the Zhang screens. The future, including whether gymnasium as they cheered, danced and school will reopen in the fall, remains un- laughed with their class. Groups of friends certain COVID-19 cases and 10 weeks since California instituted editors-in-chief & managing walked by the newly ripe cherry trees in Due to the pandemic, the upper editor front of the Rothschild performing arts school has been closed for 69 days; San- shelter-in-place orders, confining residents to their homes. center. Teachers and staff lined rows of ta Clara County has sheltered in place for plastic chairs and wooden tables by Nich- 64 days. People rarely leave their houses. Since March 12, Harker has adjusted to the new reality of ols Atrium and auxiliary gym for AP ex- When they do, they wear masks and prac- ams. The senior class donned their black tice social distancing, maintaining an in- Zoom classes, physical isolation and an uncertain future. and green gowns, in preparation for that visible 6-foot barrier of isolation. Instead long-awaited cap-tossing moment. of sitting in a rush hour traffic jam on 280, Now, in May 2020, the COVID-19 people stand in lines for hand sanitizer Yet despite the hardships, the community has come pandemic has brought on a new reality. and toilet paper at the grocery store. Our usual schedules—going to school, This is our new normal. This is life un- together in new (virtual) ways to get through this crisis. speaking with teachers and meeting der a persisting global pandemic. friends—have vanished. Instead, we have Continued on page 2

DESIGN BY EMILY TAN & NINA GEE VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 2 WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 NEWS SALLY ZHU SALLY KEEPING DISTANCE Sally Zhu’s (9) family

LUCY GE washes and dries masks on a clothes line in CAUTION The playgrounds at Garden Gate elementary school in Cupertino are covered with yellow caution tape to prevent their use. the backyard to reuse them. Graduation postponed, fall return to campus uncertain Continued from front page. dents in grades 9-11 will also take finals advisors honored the senior class in a vid- Harker Journalism. virtually from June 2 to June 4. The Athletic eo tribute called Lights on for 2020. Head However, in many ways the upper Beginning May 28, construction, out- Banquet will be held virtually on May 26. of School Brian Yager also recorded a vid- school community has come together to door businesses and some outdoor activi- While the senior trip to Laguna eo message for the senior class. support one another. ties in the Bay Area can resume with social Beach was canceled and graduation was The pandemic has created hardships Harker guidance counselors wrote distancing guidelines. Governor Gavin moved to Dec. 19, the upper school found for many members of the community. wellness letters to the student body via Newsom authorized California to begin other ways of honoring the class of 2020. People remain isolated in their homes Schoology. Harker Spirit Leadership Team Phase 2 of a four-stage plan to reopen. Baccalaureate and Senior Showcase will and worry about their loved ones’ health. (HSLT) organized spirit activities over the While many states have lifted some or all take place virtually on May 27 and May 29, Unemployment in the state has reached week of April 13 that students could par- lockdown orders, the California State Uni- respectively. A Senior Pick-Up Day, when nearly 25 percent, according to the Em- ticipate in remotely. Students and teach- versity system and several other colleges seniors can pick up graduation items on ployment Development Department. ers made face masks and organized dona- are planning for remote fall classes. campus without leaving their cars, has “We see unprecedented lines, some- tion drives to help those in need. Friends Though it remains uncertain when been scheduled for May 28. times a mile or two miles long [at food reached out to check on one another. students can return on campus, the upper Senior Class Dean Karl Kuehn, Head banks] — people that have never shown “I’m setting up Zoom dates with my school has adapted classes, events and ac- of Upper School Butch Keller, Director up before are showing up at food banks. friends or groups of people I really care tivities to our new reality. of Alumni Relations Kristina Alaniz, ASB This kind of stress that people are under about,” Amla Rashingkar (12) said. “Social Students have been taking 45-minute President Avi Gulati (12), Senior Class takes a toll on them,” U.S. Rep. Anna Es- contact is really important for making me online AP exams this and last week. Stu- President Roma Gandhi (12) and several hoo (D-Calif.) said in an interview with feel like I’m not alone.” Road to 2020: COVID-19 impacts voting, Democratic field narrows In its first ruling in a pandemic-relat- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. eric fang ed case, the Supreme Court decided on Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended their editor-in-chief April 6 that the deadline for absentee bal- campaigns on March 5 and April 8, re- Over the past two months, Former lot for Wisconsin’s presidential primary spectively, making Biden the presumptive Vice President Joe Biden pulled ahead as election would not be extended. Democratic nominee. the presumptive Democratic nominee for The Democratic National Committee “I could not in good conscience con- the 2020 presidential election, and many announced on April 2 that it would post- tinue to mount a campaign that cannot

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL ERIC FANG states revised voting procedures in light of pone the Democratic National Conven- win and which would interfere with the OUT OF THE RACE Sen. Bernie Sanders the pandemic. tion, which was scheduled for July 13-16 important work required by all of us in (I-Vt.) (left) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren Sixteen states postponed their prima- in Milwaukee, to August 17-20. this difficult hour,” Sanders said in a video (D-Mass.) (right) suspended their The Democractic presidential field announcement. presidential campaigns on April 8 and ry elections, and many others expanded March 5, respectively. vote-by-mail options. has narrowed as presidential candidates Attendance Upper school Anna Eshoo, Link Crew Doctor speaks Harker Adjusted End-of-Year Schedule coordinator students elect Bing Liu, Cathy greets incoming to Harker Journalism Monday, May 25 Scott ASB for 2020- Kuhlmeier class of 2024 at about working receives Memorial Day – No School Engelhardt 2021 school visit journalism virtual Welcome on front lines national Tuesday, May 26 leaves Harker year classes Night of pandemic awards 3:30 p.m. Virtual Athletic Banquet lucy ge irene yuan arushi saxena sara yen lucy ge jessie wang 6:30 p.m. Virtual Awards Ceremony asst. news editor asst. photo editor news editor features editor asst. news editor copy editor Wednesday, May 27 Upper school Upper school Free press Link Crew Family medi- Winged Post 6:00 pm Virtual Baccalaureate attendance students elected advocate Cathy greeted the class of cine physician Dr. won First Place Thursday, May 28 coordinator Jason Lin (11) as Kuhlmeier, of the 2024 at Welcome Akanksha Kumar Best of Show at the Senior Pick-Up Day Scott Engelhardt 2020-21 Associat- 1983 Supreme Night via Zoom on spoke to 63 Harker National Scholastic departed from his ed Student Body Court case Hazel- April 20 with over students and facul- Press Association’s Friday, May 29 role before spring (ASB) president, wood v. Kuhlmeier, 200 participants. ty via Zoom during (NSPA) annual 6:00 pm Virtual DECA Banquet break and moved Arusha Patil (11) as spoke to second The size of the long lunch on May spring conference 7:00 pm Virtual Senior Showcase out of state for ASB vice president, period journalism class of 2024 is still 8 about her expe- in April. Harker familial reasons. Andrew Lu (11) on May 5 about being finalized as rience working on Aquila won a Gold Monday, June 1 Assistant to the as ASB treasurer, First Amend- students commit to a COVID-19 team Crown from the Special schedule / Finals review day (All Dean of Student Helen Li (11) as ment rights. U.S. high schools. at the Robert Wood Columbia Scholas- periods – 40-minute classes) Affairs Amy ASB secretary and Rep. Anna Eshoo “We won’t Johnson University tic Press Associa- Tuesday, June 2 – Thursday, June 4 Hauck will fill in Calais Poirson (11) (D-Calif.) dis- be surprised if Hospital in New tion (CSPA) for its Finals exams for grades 9-11 as the attendance as ASB spirit coor- cussed federal and there is a little Jersey. work in 2018-19. coordinator for dinator on April 14. local responses to more volatility in Invited by Eric Fang Monday, June 8 the remainder of Speeches COVID-19 with final enrollment Riyaa Randhawa (12) became the Pick-Up Day for juniors only the school year. and voting took third period jour- in June,” Director (10), Dr. Kumar 2020 California Tuesday, June 9 Engelhardt joined place online nalism on May 7. of Admissions shared challenges Journalist of the Pick-Up Day for sophomores only Harker in the fall this year due to Oscar-nominated Jennifer Hargreaves that many mem- Year and National of 2019. A decision the transition to director Bing Liu, wrote in an email bers of the medical Runner-Up in the Wednesday, June 10 has not yet been virtual learning. spoke to second interview. “How- industry are endur- annual Journalist Harker Blood Drive at Blackford Gym made over who There were 11 period journalism ever, we have a vert ing right now and of the Year compe- Report cards posted for grades 9-12 will be the atten- candidates: seven on May 11 about deep wait pool of spread a message tition held by the dance coordinator juniors and four his experience as a highly qualified of hope to the up- Journalism Educa- Thursday, June 11 next year. sophomores. filmmaker. applicants.” per school. tion Association. Pick-Up Day for freshmen only

CORRECTIONS FROM ISSUE 4 Page 3, “Senate acquits Trump”: President Donald J. Trump’s rally took place on Oct. 10, 2019. The year was not shown in the caption text. HELEN ZHU SRINATH SOMASUNDARAM SRINATH PROVIDED BY MARK KOCINA SUN ARELY SULEIMAN ALYSA LUCY GE Former Attendance This year’s junior class Cathy Kuhlmeier visits A freshman walks at the Dr. Akanksha Kumar Eric Fang (12) presents Page 4, “Impacts of coronavirus”: Anita Chetty was Coordinator Scott council officers were second period matriculation ceremony talked to upper school on political reporting at a Engelhardt smiles in his elected to the 2020-21 journalism over Zoom. for this school year. students about working national journalism con- credited as “upper school biology teacher.” Her official Main building office. ASB. on a COVID-19 team. vention in D.C. last fall. title is Science Department Chair.

DESIGN BY JIN TUAN VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 OPINION MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST 3

Editors-in-Chief Eric Fang EDITORIAL: Gloria Zhang THE OFFICIAL eart of Harker Managing Editor Nina Gee OPINION OF THE counseling team News Editor WINGED POST guest writers Arushi Saxena Assistant News Editor We hope you are all doing well and Lucy Ge wanted to remind you that we are still Features Editor here and available to help support you Sara Yen however we can both through email and Assistant Features Editor & zoom. Graphic Designer We all recognize what a difficult and Emily Tan challenging situation we are in. We have Lifestyle Editors & Graphic Designers been sharing some tips with you each Arely Sun week and hope to highlight them for you

Nicole Tian TAN BY EMILY ILLUSTRATION here: Opinion Editor It is important to find a routine and Srinath Somasundaram Our actions matter keep to a schedule, both for your daily STEM Editor Be brave: more than ever now school routine and your sleep sched- Mark Hu On Jan. 24, Harker journalism ran its nect our community. Students enjoyed ule. To practice good sleep hygiene, it’s Sports Editor first story on the coronavirus outbreak, Spirit Week dress-up days with virtual important to go to sleep and wake up Vishnu Kannan reporting 1,287 worldwide cases. Over the backgrounds. Head of School Brian Yager at about the same time everyday and to stay out of your bed throughout the day. Senior Copy Editor few months, we watched — and con- sent weekly letters home to parents with Jessie Wang tinued reporting — as the virus traveled updates on school-wide changes. During the weekdays you can follow the around the world, creeping closer and Yet even as uncertainty swirled, we school day schedule by taking move- Photo Editor ment breaks during passing periods as Irina Malyugina closer to home in what felt like a hyperre- slowly adjusted to Zoom classes, learning al sci-fi movie. how to stay in contact with our teachers well as lunch time connections with Assistant Photo Editor friends. And even though you may not Irene Yuan It still seemed distant, but we took and peers in new ways. We’ve adjusted precautions as the headlines morphed to waking up right before the 8 a.m. bell have after school activities at this time, Designer Editor you can still take a break, grab a healthy Jin Tuan around us. Then, nearly two months ago, (and we take long naps after school). snack and get creative by doing some- Columnists everything turned upside down. But as the temperatures heat up and Kushal Shah On March 12, as seventh period summer beckons, we feel concern about thing that brings a smile to your face. Jin Tuan wound down, we found out that school summer internships and fall college Staying connected with our friends Adviser would be canceled and that we would apps. As our 2020 seniors graduate into through FaceTime, Zoom Text or any Ellen Austin, MJE be learning remotely until at least spring uncertainty, they face their own nagging other way is another important way to support ourselves through these times. Aquila Editor-in-Chief break. That date has since been moved question: “Will we meet our new college Kathy Fang to the end of the school year. With Gov. peers in front of a screen?” Hopefully you have managed to find even more creative ways to connect like Aquila Managing Editors Gavin Newsom laying out guidelines, we The rest of us contemplate whether Arya Maheshwari wait in expectation for Phase 2 of reopen- we’ll be allowed to return to the Saratoga virtual yoga, baking together through Varsha Rammohan ing as we move into June. campus in the fall. We want someone to zoom and then sharing the baked goods We’re on the wrong side of the movie tell us that it’s all going to be over soon, by dropping them off at your friends’ Aquila Sports Editors door. Ever thought of trying a DoorDash Aditya Singhvi screen now, and we’re scared. that by June, the world will, at the snap pizza party! How about combining time Anna Vazhaeparambil Fear is natural in such uncertain of a finger, return to normalcy — but it outside while connecting with friends Aquila Sports Team times. The United States COVID case won’t. by doing a talk and walk down the block. Vishnu Kannan Alysa Suleiman count has ballooned to 1.47 million as of So, we have to be brave in our Tap into that creativity again! Kushal Shah Saurav Tewari May 17, with 2418 of those within Santa own way: waking up every day, getting Muthu Panchanatham Clara County. California, the fifth-larg- dressed, attending classes on Zoom. In Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief est economy in the world, has come a nationally broadcast graduation event Deliberately schedule some Saloni Shah to a grinding halt with Gov. Newsom’s on Saturday, former President Barack time out of your day to do Humans of Harker Team shelter-in-place directive, now extended Obama said, “America’s gone through Erica Cai until the end of May. The fear of a second tough times before — slavery, civil war, something you enjoy and Esha Gohil wave in the fall looms over us, along with famine, disease, the Great Depression Reporters uncertainties about the possibility of an and 9/11. And each time we came out care for your body and soul. Sriya Batchu Michelle Liu effective vaccine. stronger, usually because a new genera- Concrete pillars we’ve always leaned tion, young people like you, learned from Brian Chen Isha Moorjani It is also important to stay connect- Saahil Thoppay on are flexing: prom canceled, AP exams past mistakes and figured out how to Athreya Daniel ed with our family. Since sheltering in Michael Eng Nicholas Wei held online, graduation moved to Decem- make things better.” place is truly out of our control, we can Catherine Feng Sabrina Zhu ber 2020. With our daily lives disrupted, With courage, we will get through all use this as an opportunity to connect Lauren Liu Sally Zhu Harker has emphasized efforts to con- this together. Amruta Dharmapurikar or reconnect with our family by spend- Sarah Mohammed ing some quality time together. We are Anmol Velagapudi Not the way we wanted to say goodbye blessed to have more time for sit-down dinners so try to have fun by cooking a Visit The Winged Post online family meal together or support a local at www.harkeraquila.com business by enjoying some take-out. But Follow us on instagram don’t stop with dinner. After dinner you with the handle @harkeraquila can dust off those board games or watch The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks except during vacations by the Journalism: Newspaper Concentration a comedy series on Netflix. and Advanced Journalism: Newspaper Concentration courses at Practicing self-care throughout your Harker’s upper school, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, California week is of the utmost importance. Try 95129. ELLEN AUSTIN incorporating something new each day The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, eric fang, gloria zhang & Instead of creating our paper in our or each week. Self-care can be some- news, sports and STEM articles in an unbiased and professional home base of Manzanita 70, we planned manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The nina gee thing different for everyone. What is im- Harker School. Editorials represent the official opinions of pages and coordinated coverage from portant is to deliberately schedule some The Winged Post editors-in-chief . Opinions and letters represent the personal our homes. We had Zoom staff meetings, time out of your day to do something viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the & managing editor using screen shares and group texts to opinions of The Winged Post. All content decisions are made by Eight months ago, we became the you enjoy and care for your body and student editors, and the content of The Winged Post in no way build pages. new editors of the Winged Post, excited soul. Exercise and meditation are great reflects the official policy of The Harker School. The opinions This pandemic has shaped and re- ways to go about self-care, but it can also expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers for a year filled with community-driven defined our lives, from learning new hob- be listening to music, playing an instru- and not the Harker board, administration, faculty or adviser. content and visual-heavy design. Over bies to joining COVID-19 relief efforts. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 the next several months, our Winged Post ment, dancing it out, journaling, reading or emailed to [email protected] and must be signed, But even though coronavirus is and Aquila staffs continued to strengthen a book, doing some deep breathing, bak- legible and concise. The staff reserves the right to edit letters omnipresent right now, we do not want ing and getting creative in the kitchen, to conform to Post style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous our coverage, with a special focus on cov- COVID-19 to be the only point of cover- going for a bike ride, watching a comedy, statements, obscenities and letters that call for a disruption of ering the 2020 presidential campaign. age. That’s why this issue also includes a the school day will not be considered for publication. Letters A pandemic was never on our radar. going for a run, cuddling with a pet or sent to The Winged Post will be published at the discretion of the special section on the Bay Area’s housing watching some puppy videos on You- editorial staff. As editors of the Winged Post, we crisis — a story our staff has been investi- Tube. The possibilities are endless! The Winged Post is the official student newspaper of grappled with the question, “What place gating and working on since October. Harker’s upper school and is distributed free of cost to students. do we as the upper school’s newspaper Most importantly, do not hesi- First Place Best-of-show While we can no longer hand stu- 2019-2020 NSPA publication have in this pandemic?” tate to reach out for support. Although 2018-2019 NSPA Pacemaker dents and teachers freshly printed papers not there physically, remember there 2017-2018 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist Sheltering in place means that the in person, we can still reach the Harker 2017-2018 NSPA Best-in-show publication Winged Post, like many other organiza- are supports all around you. If you are 2017-2018 Gold Crown-winning publication community through our hard-working tions, hasn’t operated as it did before. But finding yourself having a hard time with 2016-2017 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist USPS, who will deliver Issue 5 right to the adjustment to remote learning and 2016-2017 Silver Crown-winning publication at its core our obligation to the Harker your doors. 2015-2016 Gold Crown-winning publication community remains the same: to spot- sheltering at home, your teachers, your This is not the way we wanted to say advisor and your counselor here at Har- light every corner of our community and “Goodbye” to you, our readers — or to lend a microphone to diverse voices. ker are ready to support you when you our staff. As our 2020-21 editors are being reach out! To produce this issue under shelter- selected, we want to express our gratitude in-place orders, we transformed how we Access the counseling team’s wellness in this last issue to our journalism family. letters on Schoology. organize, create and distribute Winged Thank you, and we couldn’t have wished Post. for a better team and community. DESIGN BY GLORIA ZHANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 4 WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 COVID-19 GOING VIRTUAL Teachers adapt hands-on activities to online format

Talk around campus: Zoom edition

isha moorjani reporter ISHA MOORJANI SHRAY ALAG (11) I feel like I’m sleeping later “because I actually feel like I have more work to do. I don’t know if that’s a byproduct of the online learning system, or if that’s just maybe more time management or something like that.” PROVIDED BY PILAR AGUERO-ESPARZA KEEPING CREATIVE Students work on a watercolor project in upper school visual arts teacher Pilar Aguero-Esparza’s Study of Visual Arts class. She made and mailed packages of art supplies to each student to help them continue their art at home.

Dance teacher Karl Kuehn moved auditions year shortened by the pandemic.

ISHA MOORJANI brian chen for next year’s dance teams online, a format “We’re doing a group recording remotely. UMA IYER (10) reporter popular within the dance community even It’s a lot of work, but we’re going to do a click With campus closed and a shelter-in- I would say screen time [has been before the pandemic. track, and they’re recording a piece that “the biggest challenge]. I have three place order throughout California, teachers “I’ve gone to campus and led warm-ups Spencer Cha [(10)] wrote, featuring all of our classes each day, so it’s quite a while, have adapted to online learning, inventing that the students have followed on Zoom. seniors,” Dr. Hart said. and then homework after school.” replacements for hands-on activities and labs. We’ve recorded choreography that we’ve sent out to the dancers for them to learn, and then Science Art for them to send back to us so that we can Lab-heavy courses like chemistry teacher Visual arts teacher Pilar Aguero-Esparza assess our progress,” Kuehn said. Andrew Irvine’s classes are unable to continue worried that certain assignments would be certain assignments as planned. In his class, impossible to complete if her students didn’t Orchestra Irvine assigned labs that didn’t use chemicals. have specific tools at home, such as markers While music groups have had to adjust “We did a half-life activity where kids or even rulers. She created packets of basic to virtual rehearsals, the pandemic has had were away from their computer, they had to materials that she mailed to each of her surprising benefits for student musicians, find 100 pennies to do this activity and collect ISHA MOORJANI students. according to instrumental music teacher Dr. data. So it was a lot of experience without the JULIE TURCHIN In addition, Aguero-Esparza has David Hart. Dr. Hart assigned students to record chemistry,” he said. PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER experimented with video tutorials as a means themselves playing, allowing for increased He plans to use online simulations to help I’m trying to learn the ukulele. So to give students a visual lesson that differs from individual feedback than in a traditional group teach upcoming units, recognizing that the “I have a friend who plays the ukulele the usual lecture. setting. Many online resources such as live new format will require on-the-spot changes. who’s teaching me, and then he’s trying performances are also now free for students. “Sometimes, something I do in class to learn the piano, which I know how to Dance Currently, Dr. Hart is working with doesn’t make a connection, or my kids need play, so we swap lessons.” Dance classes, such as Kinetic Krew and orchestra students to record a final piece as a more time on it,” Irvine said. “It’s flexible, but Harker Dance Company have moved online. parting gift to the seniors, who had their final we have a plan.” Flattening the curve: COVID-19’s impact over time

eric fang, mark hu, arya maheshwari, Jan. 30 Feb. 28 March 4 March 9 March 10 sarah mohammed & aditya singhvi World Health A Santa Clara County Governor Gavin Newsom The first death from Santa Clara County editor-in-chief, stem editor, aquila managing Organization (WHO) woman became the declared a state of COVID-19 in Santa Clara banned gatherings of editor, reporter & aquila sports editor declared a “public second person in emergency in California. County was a woman 1,000 people health emergency of the U.S. to contract Harker started taking in her 60s. She was the or more. international concern.” COVID-19 without precautionary measures. third case in the county. Jan. 21 Jan. 25 traveling to other Administration asked First case of First case of countries or being in all employees to take COVID-19 in the U.S. COVID-19 in California Jan. 31 contact with a known 15 to 20 minutes at U.S. Health and Human sick person. A resident the end of each day to Jan. 27 Services Secretary Alex of Solano County sanitize workspaces. Azar declared a national became the first case in International school First case of public health emergency. the U.S. on Feb. 26. trips were canceled, and COVID-19 in Santa Clara self-serve stations in the County, as determined cafeteria closed. by later studies. The first case was originally thought to be on Jan. 31. March 16 The Santa Clara March 12 County Public Health All four of Harker’s Department announced campuses closed for a “shelter-in-place” students after a parent directive in place until of a non-teaching staff April 7, joining five other member in the upper Bay Area counties. school, with whom that The Dow Jones had its staff member lives, largest point drop in SOURCES: SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPART- tested positive for history, losing 2997.10 MENT, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC HEATH DEPARTMENT, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COVID-19. in a day.

DESIGN BY ERIC FANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 COVID-19 MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST 5 PROVIDED BY LAURI VAUGHAN PROVIDED BY CINDY LIU PROVIDED BY WILL YASHAR PROVIDED BY ANDREW LU HOMEMADE Campus librarian Lauri DONATION DRIVE San Jose Mayor Sam MEAL WITH LOVE Medical staff from High- PRINT TO PROTECT Will Yashar’s (10) Vaughan sews a mask from fabric scraps. Liccardo commends the upper school’s land Hospital in Oakland hold up thank you 3D printing machine churns out a mask She and a friend have donated over 1,000 Come Together Against COVID Donation signs after receiving a delivery from Meal structure for health care workers treating masks to food banks and Harker’s drive. Drive in a video address. with Love, started by parent Cindy Liu. COVID-19 patients in local hospitals. Harker community donates money, meals and masks to combat COVID-19

eric fang, nicholas wei & sally zhu videos made by members of the Harker Students could drop off masks in a community when certain donation milestones donation bin in front of the upper school editor-in-chief and reporters Ways to Help were hit. from May 4 to May 11, and masks were sent to To help combat COVID-19, members of Student council also partnered with shelters like Life Moves, WeHope shelter and • Donate to the Silicon Valley Strong Fund the Harker community are coming together Medical Club and Key Club to organize a West Valley Services. at bit.ly/sanjosestrong to organize donations of money toward relief donation drive of homemade face masks In addition to members of the Harker funds, masks to homeless shelters and meals for homeless individuals, who are unable to community who are sewing homemade masks, • Learn to make homemade masks at to health care workers. socially distance. students are 3D printing plastic parts for face tinyurl.com/yb744tva The upper school collectively raised shields for health care workers. Will Yashar (10) $11,030 in a drive called Come Together and Bennett Liu (12) send the parts they make • Donate to a charitable organization Against COVID, organized by the Associated “We realized that a lot of to Maker Nexus, a company that assembles the providing direct relief to the COVID-19 Student Body (ASB) council and class councils people want to actively help face shields and delivers them to hospitals. pandemic at tinyurl.com/ubecefe for each grade. All proceeds went to the Silicon “Everyone’s helping in their own way. Valley Strong Fund, a relief fund for residents, out with fighting coronavirus [This] was just the way I could help,” Will said. • Make plastic parts for face shields for businesses and nonprofit organizations beyond staying at home.” Upper school parent Cindy Liu noticed health care workers and donate them to severely impacted by the pandemic. another problem facing health care workers – Maker Nexus at makernexus.com/covid1 “Our goal in organizing Come Together many are so busy treating COVID-19 patients Against Covid was two-fold: to provide relief ALICIA XU (12) that they have no time to cook. Liu worked with • Donate to Meal with Love at bit.ly/ KEY CLUB VICE PRESIDENT for those in our broader community who are two other Bay Area women to create Meals with dono2MWL struggling, and to bring together the Harker OLIVIA GUO Love, which partners with local restaurants to community during these difficult times,” ASB bring meals to staff at local hospitals. • Check in on neighbors and friends Treasurer Evan Cheng (12) said. “It was difficult for us [Key Club] to figure “We reached out to whomever we could Student council launched the fundraiser out how we would continue working on the find and told them we were trying to [bring] • Donate to food banks like those on page on May 6 with a video in advisory featuring club’s goals when we can’t meet or hold any support at least twice a week to those ICU H in the housing package a personalized message from San Jose fundraisers really, and we realized that a lot of [intensive care unit] or ER [emergency room] mayor Sam Liccardo encouraging Harker people want to actively help out with fighting doctors. We started fundraising over the phone • Check handsonbayarea.org/covid19 for students to participate. To incentivize student coronavirus beyond staying at home,” Alicia Xu on April 5, and within three days we already more volunteer and donation options participation, student council released fun (12), vice president of Key Club, said. received over $8,000. It was amazing,” Liu said.

OF MAY 18 ONFIRMED AS * Cases are plotted on a 80,349 C 1000000 logarithmic scale, which better S: 1,4 -19 CASE shows rates of growth. COVID Steeper curves indicate U.S. higher rates of April 24 infection. President Donald Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program, a $484 billion COVID-19 100000 relief bill, into law. F MAY 18 FIRMED AS O 8,839 CON CASES: 7 OVID-19 May 12 ORNIA C Newsom allowed some March 19 CALIF California malls, outlet Newsom announced centers and offices a statewide shelter- where remote work isn’t 10000 in-place order, possible to reopen with restricting non- safety changes. essential travel and activities. RMED AS OF MAY 18 9 CASES: 2,453 CONFI COUNTY COVID-1 SANTA CLARA 1000

March 25 March 31 April 13 April 22 April 27 May 11 May 18 Newsom issued a Bay Area shelter- Upper school students To decrease screen The six Bay Area Upper school students Bay Area health officers NUMBER OF CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES COVID-19 NUMBER OF CONFIRMED 90-day waiver of in-place orders participated in a virtual time for students and counties who originally began taking AP exams, allowed construction, 100 mortgage payments extended to May 3. spirit week for the first teachers, all upper announced shelter-in- which were modified to outdoor businesses and for Californians by Essential businesses time, with various events school online classes place orders extended an online, 45-minute, certain outdoor activities over 200 banks were required to and dress-up days were canceled in restrictions through open note and open book to resume operations and credit unions, implement social organized by the Harker observance of the May. Beginning May 4, format in light of the starting May 22. Retail including Wells Fargo, distancing, and most Spirit Leadership Team 50th annual Earth Day the restrictions allowed pandemic. stores can offer curbside U.S. Bank, Citigroup construction and use (HSLT). Monday was following a webinar at construction to resume pick-up, and businesses and JPMorgan of shared outdoor Pajama Day, Tuesday was 9:30 a.m. Members and some outdoor must follow social Chase. Newsom recreation areas were Fandom Day, Wednesday of the community businesses, outdoor distancing guidelines. also announced a banned. was Neon Day, Thursday were encouraged to recreation areas and These amendments were 10 60-day moratorium was Throwback Day and unplug and spend time childcare facilities to announced after the on foreclosures and Friday was Class Day. outdoors. The webinar reopen. region made “sustained evictions. The week’s score results lasted 45 minutes progress” in slowing were announced Friday, and featured speaker the infection rate and with juniors in fourth Michael Doshi, who hospitalization rate of place, seniors in third, addressed plastic COVID-19 and gained freshmen in second and pollution in oceans. capacity for testing and sophomores in first. contact tracing. 1 DESIGN BY ERIC FANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 6 WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 AT HOME PROVIDED BY ADITI KHANNA, SHOUNAK GHOSH, GABRIEL YANG & ARISA HUDA PROVIDED BY ADITI KHANNA, SHOUNAK GHOSH, GABRIEL YANG

Students have found creative FIND YOUR FUN outlets to spend their extra time stuck inside during quarantine, ranging from playing an instrument to LIFE UNDER L CKDOWNBMX biking.

listen to the music.” out spring break. over spring break by occupying him with Aditi Khanna (12) has recently dis- “I was really bored over the break, and tasks and by bringing him some delicious sabrina zhu covered a new activity, as well: knitting. my sister came back from college,” Gabriel food. She began by following YouTube tutori- said. “She just really wanted to teach me a For some, like Shounak Ghosh (10), reporter als from the internet, and she’s quickly lot of the recipes that she’s learned.” physical activities have quickly become As she gently presses on the strings learned to make her own pieces. Current- Gabriel and his sister look together new parts of their daily lives. with one hand, Arissa Huda (9) strums ly, she’s working on a scarf, designed with online for YouTube tutorials and videos Shounak recently started BMX biking, her acoustic Hohner guitar with the other, the colors of her friend’s college. with recipes, exploring the foods they en- a style of biking that specializes in jumps playing a version of Selena Gomez and Ky- “During the quarantine, I got bored joy. Most of their creations have been suc- and tricks. He learns by watching online go’s “It Ain’t Me.” She smiles and nods her of doing the normal things I was doing, cesses, with only a few bumps along the tutorials and by building small ramps head to the music, which has quickly be- like watching TV,” Aditi said. “I was look- road. with cardboard boxes and wooden planks. come her new hobby and form of escape ing at the screen all day, so I decided to do Ten, he moves onto real-life courses, in during this period of isolation. something new that was creative and that “A lot of my classes are the streets of his neighborhood. When spring break started, Arissa’s could also take my mind of of things.” “When you’re just walking down the mother encouraged her to begin playing After fnding some old string and being let out early, so if it’s street, there are a variety of obstacles that the guitar again, something she hadn’t needles, Aditi dove into this new hobby, 11:45 [pm]... I can go out most people don’t notice,” Shounak said. done in over seven months. She chooses asking her sister for help when she needs “But when you have a bike, you start to no- her favorite songs and learns them online, it. She’s found that it’s been really simple biking. I’ll go around my tice that you can hop onto and of of this where she can fnd sheet music written in and something you can do without think- curb, and hop onto and of of this bench “tab.” ing, which has been especially helpful and neighborhood...and just … little things you can play with and just “I’m playing a lot of Ed Sheeran, like soothing during the past few weeks. enjoy being ourdoors.” have fun with it.” ‘Photograph’ and ‘Happier.’ His guitar “I feel like it really enhances my focus Although he falls frequently and fac- songs are just really great,” Arissa said. on my main tasks,” Aditi said. “It’s a great es difculties when learning new tricks, “I learn online, and they tell you which stress-relieving mechanism for me – one SHOUNAK GHOSH Shounak still thinks that BMX biking is string, which fret, and which fnger to use.” that I wouldn’t have started if there wasn’t SOPHOMORE worth it. And now that school has moved In these stressful times, returning to this quarantine. But I think I’ll defnitely online, he has a lot of time to practice. her old hobby has brought a lot of comfort continue [even past quarantine].” “A lot of my classes are being let out to Arissa. Gabriel Yang (10), on the other hand, “We made some pretty easy and sim- early, so if it’s 11:45 [pm] on a B/D day, I “I think music in general provides a has recently gotten into cooking. With his ple desserts, like soufés, pancakes and can go out biking until 1,” he said. “I’ll go really good solace and escape. Because older sister home and ready to share her peanut butter cookies, things like that.” around my neighborhood and bike and my hands have this muscle memory, I favorite recipes, he had been improving Cooking has helped to relieve the just enjoy being outdoors.” don’t have to think when I play: I can just his skills and making dishes all through- boredom Gabriel has been experiencing Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. Harker Journalism’s quarantine essentials: Eric Fang Eric Jin Tuan Jin Kathy Fang Kathy Shinjan Ghosh Sara Yen Sara Emily Tan Emily Zhu Sabrina Michael Eng VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 AT HOME MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST 7

The following memoirs were submitted by TALON yearbook reporters. Each story refects an aspect of quarantine that the reporter has encountered.

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE LIU

So I used my time in isolation to see if I could do it all: be both model and photog- Euphoria rapher. By wrapping my desk lamp with colored tissue paper, I was able to create golden lighting, and I even used a stack anoushka buch of old AP and SAT prep books to create a TALON Student Life & makeshift tripod. Using the self-timer fea- Conservatory Editor ture on my camera, I was able to create a Right now, in Advanced Graphic Arts, photoshoot using only myself. each member of our class of six is creating I ended up doing three shoots to rep- a promptless, self-assigned project; the di- resent three emotions: determination, rection each of us goes in is completely up melancholy and euphoria. Each one took to the artist. Originally, I’d planned to do a me close to three hours, but I learned that photoshoot with a friend for the work, but I didn’t really need anything besides my- the shelter-in-place order destroyed any self — I could do my own makeup, create hopes I’d had of procuring either a model my own setting and pose for myself. or a setting. Forcing myself to adapt to this sit- My photography usually centers on uation broke down a barrier I’d always the presence of other people: my port- subconsciously held. On my own, I could folio is chock-full of faces that aren’t my make tiny changes until I had it the way I own. Tat’s true for a lot of photography wanted. Knowing now that I can create all — street, environmental, and traditional, on my own in just a couple of hours is a ANOUSHKA BUCH ANOUSHKA among others — you’ll rarely see the art- good feeling to have, like I have art just sit- “In quarantine, we just have ourselves. So I used my time in isolation ist’s face in their own work. ting in the corner of my room, waiting to In quarantine, we just have ourselves. be brought to life. to see if I could do it all: be both model and photographer.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Hiking in the woods anika mani TALON reporter I see more creatures than I ever have be- fore. Small critters scurry across the dusty Surrounded by the tall, lush green path, while birds chirp loudly. redwood trees, I stroll through the empty My father suggested that we go on a woods. Te sun peeks out of one of few hike in the nearby hills one day to occupy clouds in the sky and warms the crisp air. ourselves during the shelter-in-place or- Swarms of bees buzz, and a soft breeze der. Since our spring break plans to travel rustles the leaves producing the familiar to Florida were canceled and I was stuck sound of spring that I have not heard in a inside my house watching Netfix, a small while. It’s the perfect day to take a break hike seemed like a huge opportunity. from electronics and enjoy the natural at- Hiking is a family tradition: whether mosphere. Time seems to fy as we contin- we are away on vacation or right outside ue exploring the vulnerable wilderness. my house, my family and I frequently ex- Barely anyone leaves their house due plore our surroundings. Due to our busy to the outbreak of COVID-19 across the lives, we do not spend much time togeth- Bay Area and the U.S. at large, so, there- ANIKA MANI ANIKA er and we like to spend the rare occasions fore my brother, father and I have the where we are all together with nature. “Hiking is a family traditon: whether we are away on vacation or right out- whole nature preserve to ourselves. Wild- Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. side my house, my family and I frequently explore our surroundings.” life takes the opportunity to come out, and

A game to remember way, it was exactly that. lavanya subramanian What I didn’t expect was to be com- TALON reporter pletely invested by the second night. As Being quarantined during spring the last days of spring break approached, break prohibited me from doing my usu- I found myself wishing for more game al vacation activities, such as hanging out nights, and not just because of how much with friends and going out to eat at my fa- fun the games were. Even though I spent vorite restaurants. So instead, my family every day at home with them, the only suggested we start a game night tradition. time my family congregated, if ever, was Along with Milbourne, a family-favorite for short dinners. Tese game nights made card game that involves players attempt- me appreciate my family more and realize ing to reach the goal of 1000 miles, we also that a 15 minute dinner is not a sufcient played Pictionary, Codenames and com- amount of time with them. pleted two puzzles. Although I’ll be overjoyed that I can Originally, the idea of a game night see my friends or go to my favorite restau- didn’t entice me. I had never been a huge rants again once shelter in place is over, fan of board games, preferring to curl up I’m defnitely going to miss the side efect in a blanket reading a good book or hav- of forced family bonding. Being stuck at

LAVANYA SUBRAMANIAN LAVANYA ing a movie marathon. To me, game nights home has taught me that spending quality seemed like a futile attempt by my parents time with my family is important, and that “As the last days of spring break approached, I found myself wishing for to force family bonding and prevent my won’t change after quarantine ends. more game nighs, and not just because of how much fun the games were.” incessant Netfix binge-watching. And in a Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

DESIGN BY NINA GEE VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 8 WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 SENIORS

With the class of 2020 on its way out the door, let’s take a look at some memorable moments from these last four years, starting from August of 2016 all the way to May of 2020.

the 1 NICOLE CHEN Celebrating

gloria zhang & nina gee SENIORSeditor-in-chief & managing editor The class of 2020 is on our way out the door, and with us goes a cacophony of memories from the last four years. Let’s NICOLE CHEN 2 take a look back at the last four years: In terms of national news, Donald Trump was officially elected president on Dec. 19, 2016. By graduation, our class will have had not one, but two presiden-

4 FANG KATHY tial elections occur during our time as high schoolers. The class of 2020 also dis- covered the meaning of becoming social- 5 6 ly-aware citizens, attending the annual Women’s March, the March for Our Lives, the Global Climate Strike and more. On-campus, our class also achieved many milestones. 2017 marked the year where we reveled in our new post-fresh- man status, and the year when the annu-

ALYSA SULEIMAN ALYSA 3 al Homecoming Eagle painting and the IRINA MALYUGINA IRINA MALYUGINA spring rally dances became some of our strong suits. Junior year began the college 7 grind. The year was full of ups and downs 8 but ultimately prepared us to become LINE-UP The class of 2020 shows seniors. The 2019 year began with senior 1 their spirit during the 2018 spring sunrise, where more than 160 students rally on Davis Field. gathered on Davis field at 6 a.m. to watch BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL the sun rise over the Rothschild Perform- 2 FREINDSHIP On Aug. 19, 2016, the ANNA VAZHEPARAMBIL ing Arts Center and all the buildings of the FANG KATHY Class of 2020 was inducted into the upper school campus. For many, this was Harker upper school community at the beginning of new aspirations, as well 9 its annual Matriculation ceremony. as the beginning of the end (or perhaps, DRESSED DOWN Seniors Vani the end of the beginning). 3 Mohindra and Anvi Banga pose with We have had to deal with unprece- paddles, dressed jokingly as Lori dented events in our time here. Our years Loughlin and Felicity Huffman in here at Harker are probably its rockiest prison jumpsuits for Halloween. yet. Without our long-awaited end-of- WORK HARD PLAY HARDER Kate- year events, we missed the “normal” ex- 4 lyn Vo (12) and Simren Gupta (12) periences of Harker seniors. No prom. No play Operation with their 5th grade Laguna Beach. No May Graduation. While eagle buddies on Davis Field. our senior year and the usual milestones THE GIVING SPREE Griffin Crook that mark it have been taken from us, the 5 (10) announces the first of many last four years haven’t all been for naught. gifts to the student body: 500 donut We’ve grown and changed as friends, as holes he bought to celebrate the students, and as human beings. There’s holiday spirit. Adhya Hoskote nothing we cannot do. FANG KATHY RISE FOR CLIMATE 6 (12) speaks at the climate rally orga- nized by many of the current seniors on Green Team in March of 2019. Hi Harker! I’m Saloni Shah, be mailing a Humans of Har- SELFIE Prerana Acharyya (12) holds and I’m the Editor-in-Chief of ker magazine to every family 7 up her phone as she takes a selfie Harker journalism’s signature during late May that includes with a few of her friends at Senior project, Humans of Harker. The the seniors’ photos, quotes and Sunrise on the first day of school. project aims to discover the answers to some of their senior VICTORY The varsity boys’ soccer collective story of our senior survey questions. We hope that 8 team, boasting celebrates their class: their experiences, their you will take the time to know historic CCS win. The life advice, the reminiscences and appreciate the stories of our A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY Class of 2020 launches into their about the past and their hopes graduating class. 9 Note from 2018 spirit-winning dance to a Star for the future. We want to honor You can find the full pro- Wars remix. the Class of 2020 and celebrate files on our online website,

IRENE YUAN the editor together. In this spirit, we will harkeraquila.com

DESIGN BY NINA GEE on gasoline’: ‘Like pouring A WINGED POST AWINGED housing crisis by ongoing affordable response complicated Bay Area’s pandemic WHAT DOES

crisis thatcrisis was already raging.” more gasoline onanaffordable housing almost like thecoronavirus poured even Housing Dillonsaid. “It’s Liam Reporter them to pay theirrent,” Angeles Times Los their hours are cut, itmakes itharder for unaffordable housing markets inthe U.S.? likelook intheBay Area, oneofthemost leave theirhomes foressential purposes. directives, mandating that residents only six counties announced shelter-in-place “When people don’t have people “When or jobs But what inplace sheltering does MarchOn 16,Bay Area officials in eric fang,lucyge,ninagee, varsha rammohan,arushi sara yen&gloriazhang saxena, alysasuleiman, anna vazhaeparambil, UNAFFORDABLE? able housing slows. construction as theU.S. enters a recession andafford the pandemic may have effects long-term to stop andhousethe homeless, evictions ments have protections put intemporary cally staying distant from otherpeople.” folks whohavealso ahard timephysi ta Clara County. “Certainly there are working to end homelessness in San at Destination: Home, an organization rector andCommunications ofPolicy isting residents,” said David Di Low, morebe medically vulnerable than ex facing underlying health conditions or streets forawhileare more likely to be less population intheU.S. ter in,making upthethird-largest home Bay Area don’thave astable place to shel thefactthated over inthe 34,000people While federal,While state andlocal govern “Folks whohave living onthe been The shelter-in-place order highlight SHELTER IS SHELTER IS VOLUME 21•ISSUE5 ------MAY 20,2020 MEAN will absolutely exacerbatewill our issues.” check away from losing their home, thenit in our communities who may one pay be nization. those “But don’t support if we Group,Leadership orga apublic policy Associateing at Senior theSilicon Valley said Kathleen Wortham, Health andHous [onfect gentrification anddisplacement],” [COVID-19] isgoing to have little ef very that residents support through thiscrisis, to thehousing andinspire crisis changes. ful that thepandemic may call attention place requirements are fully lifted.” morely see displacement onceshelter-in- munity Innovation, said. “We may actual of California at Berkeley Center forCom Elias, Director Executive ofthe University expire inthecoming months,” Dr. Renee place right now, butmoratoria those will WHEN WHEN “If we make good policy changes make we “If policy good Still, housing are some experts hope “There areevictions moratoria in HOUSING CRISIS DESIGN BY EMILY TAN &GLORIAZHANG ------ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY TAN VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 B WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 HOUSING CRISIS

danville 90 “A teacher’s salary is nearly san minute francisco commute not a living wage from here in the Bay Area.” 56 minute WHERE STUDENTS - English teacher Beverly Manning commute from here AND TEACHERS LIVE OUT OF 43 TEACHERS AND 261 STUDENTS SURVEYED

san ‘Missing middle’ mateo redwood city menlo 36 50 minute minute park fremont commute commute from here from here in crisis half milpitas For six years, chemistry teacher moon bay Bay Area’s rising Andrew Irvine, 39, lived in a single- palo family home in Willow Glen, San Jose, atherton alto about five miles from the upper school. Last mountain rents and high year, he received a notice from his landlord 40 stanford that the rent would be increased by 22 percent, minute view santa from $2,700 a month to $3,300 a month. commute clara home prices from here los sunnyvale This was a price Irvine and his wife, who san jose works as a nurse in San Jose, could not afford. altos unsustainable for The landlord evicted Irvine and his family. hills “There’s no restriction on no-cause 25 17 los cupertino harker minute eviction on single family homes [in Willow commute teachers minute from here Glen]. We had no legal recourse,” Irvine said. commute altos Priced out of the Willow Glen rental “Things are still expensive in from here campbell market, Irvine sought the relative stability G N Santa Cruz, but not nearly saratoga A of owning a home. But with the Bay Area’s F Y H as expensive as here. housing costs, finding an affordable home T A monte K close to the upper school proved a challenge. 18 But the commute can minute sereno be an issue. And that’s Irvine looked to Boulder Creek in commute the downside.” Santa Cruz County. In addition to the more $1,170,576 from here los gatos 22 affordable home prices, the town’s woods and minute MEDIAN HOME VALUE IN BRIGID MILLER spacious mountain roads appealed to Irvine, commute ENGLISH TEACHER SANTA CLARA COUNTY from here LIVES IN SANTA CRUZ who wanted room to grow cacti and keep a SOURCE: ZILLOW 30 TO 120-MINUTE COMMUTE pet turtle. With some family support, Irvine boulder got a down payment that made his mortgage creek “I would love to be able to stay payments comparable to his previous rent. E $2,800 E here [after retirement]. I His commute time more than doubled, G A N from 20 minutes to 45-60 minutes. I love California. I don’t MEDIAN MONTHLY RENT FOR A N think I can afford to, Irvine’s experience with rising rents, TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT scotts and that saddens me.” unaffordable home prices and a long commute IN THE BAY AREA valley is shared by many teachers across the Bay Area, BRIAN LARSEN who are finding it increasingly difficult to keep 50 THAT’S OF AN AVERAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER up with the high cost of housing in the region. 22% minute LIVES IN SAN JOSE BAY AREA SOFTWARE ENGINEER’S INCOME, commute The Bay Area is one of the most expensive from here santa cruz housing markets in the U.S. and also has the OF AN EXPERIENCED “Part of the reason tuition goes up fastest-growing home prices. According to the 41% each year is to allow us to compensate Metropolitan Transportation Commission, BAY AREA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER’S INCOME our faculty more every year. We try to home prices in the Bay Area are nearly twice AND OF A FULL TIME According to Dillon, even if housing WAJ 107% AD keep pace with the rate that of New York and D.C. metro areas and AR BAY AREA STARBUCKS BARISTA’S H prices were to fall as a result of the pandemic, B increased by 143 percent from 1997 to 2018. Y of inflation in the Bay TOTAL COMPENSATION A incomes are likely to fall faster, leaving as many J I Spending more than 30 percent of V Area, which factors in or more households cost-burdened as before. household income before taxes on housing is SOURCES: RENTHOP, LINKEDIN, housing cost increases, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION “I think [the government] is working defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and extremely hard to support tenants, both at the it’s not just cost of Urban Development as being cost-burdened. to try to protect them. And a lot of people’s state and local level. What I think we’re finding bread and other stuff.” Spending more than 50 percent is defined as incomes did dry up,” Bay Area News Group is, and this kind of goes back to the fact that BRIAN YAGER being severely cost-burdened. Housing Reporter Marisa Kendall said. the rent is too d— high, it’s still not enough,” HEAD OF SCHOOL According to the latest census data, in the On March 26, 10 days after the Bay said Kathleen Wortham, Health and Housing Bay Area in 2018, 48.1 percent of people were Area’s shelter-in-place order, the Santa Policy Senior Associate at the Silicon Valley “When I moved to California, I let go of cost-burdened, and 23.9 percent of people Clara County Board of Supervisors issued Leadership Group. “We’re going to have to the idea that I would own property ever were severely cost-burdened. an eviction moratorium aimed to protect keep pushing to do more funding programs, The COVID-19 pandemic adds to the renters financially affected by COVID-19 from again. I had a good situation, I had a lot like for rental assistance.” problem. As shelter-in-place orders swept eviction, and Governor Gavin Newsom issued of luck, I had a lot of help from people While cities across the country struggle across the Bay Area, thousands of people were a similar statewide order the following day. who wanted me to come here with gentrification and housing insecurity, laid off from their jobs. Employers filed plans But these protections last only until May EE these issues are particularly acute in the Bay G and found ways to jump A over the first three weeks of April to eliminate 31. Many worry that there will not be adequate IN Area due to the abundance of high-wage jobs N over the structural around 53,500 jobs, a number almost four rent and mortgage relief measures when the in the region. In 2017, the Bay Area added 3.5 problems like helping times larger than the job cuts filed throughout shelter-in-place orders are lifted. times as many jobs as it did housing units. March. Many people are finding it increasingly “None of these plans can cancel rents to find a home at With all this competition for housing, difficult to afford already high housing costs. or defer rents or subsidize rents or pay for below-market rents.” middle-wage earners like teachers are “Because so many Bay Area renters were mortgages. So you’re going to have a scenario often the hardest hit. This “missing middle” ELLEN AUSTIN already in precarious positions even before the when all of these bills are going to come due,” population earns too much to qualify for DIRECTOR OF JOURNALISM pandemic happened. I think there was a rush Los Angeles Times Housing Reporter Liam LIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO subsidized housing units but not enough to 65 TO 120-MINUTE COMMUTE Dillon said. afford homes in more expensive Bay Area neighborhoods, preventing teachers from SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS living in the communities in which they teach,

H CHAFF creating long commutes and limiting teachers’ G RA IN AN A HARKER F S C SOPHIE RAVEL Y SARAH CHAFFIN abilities to engage with students and school I B R RENTS OUT 15 HOUSING UNITS IN 4 E BAY AREA REALTOR D FOUNDER OF SUPPORT activities. In some cases, teachers have had to E

D TEACHER HOUSING APARTMENT BUILDINGS AT SUBSIDIZED I V leave the Bay or give up teaching entirely.

RATES TO FACULTY AND STAFF O

HAS REBATED 25% OF R BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMISSION TO CLOSING P FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND COSTS ON TEACHERS’ HOMES TEACHERS LEAVING THE BAY The convenience of being that close to FOR PAST 12 YEARS school was tremendous, especially at a time in Support Teacher Housing is planning to: For many Bay Area renters, wages have “ not kept up with housing cost hikes. my life when I needed it.” • Build four units of two-bedroom two bathroom I have more appreciation for closing a deal apartments in Los Gatos that will cost no more Between 2010 and 2019, average rent in BRIAN LARSEN San Jose increased by 74 percent from $1,550 to that has more history behind it than for someone than $2,017 a month to rent PRODUCTION MANAGER, LIVED IN “ HARKER APARTMENTS FROM 1997-2002, 2004-2012 buying a property as another investment of theirs.” • Raise $1.2 million to fund this project DESIGN BY ERIC FANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 HOUSING CRISIS MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST C

90 WHERE TEACHERS LIVE “I don’t know what happens when cities become minute commute from here literally unlivable AVERAGE COMMUTE for the people they need to make the cities run.” TIME TO HARKER - upper school visual arts teacher Trish Ludovici FOR TEACHERS: Visual arts teacher Trish Ludovici lives Miller’s commute home, after picking up in Oakland with her husband, who is also an her two children from the middle school and 33 artist. Despite having rent control, Ludovici the lower school, ranges from half an hour on a minutes worries about whether it will be sustainable for good day to two hours on a bad day. them to stay in the Bay Area long-term. “On the best possible day, no accidents, With student loans and no parental no major traffic, we get home at 4:30 p.m.. assistance, Ludovici and her husband are That’s a dream day though,” Miller said. “When finding it difficult to save up for the high cost of I have a faculty meeting after school, I’m not 36 homeownership in the region. getting home until closer to 6 p.m., which minute “If our house got sold, I don’t know that makes a mess of the schedule.” commute we could afford to rent another place in the Teachers are not alone — in 2018, for the from here Bay Area and save any money towards owning first time in a decade, more people left the Bay anything,” Ludovici said. “So then you have Area than moved in, as the region experienced to do the math, right? Is it better to take a job a net loss of 3,013 people. milpitas someplace else that pays you less, but you save According to realtor and Harker parent more money and you can afford a house later Alice Xu, many people also leave the Bay for on? I don’t know.” much farther locations: Sacramento, Seattle, Texas, Florida and even Mexico. LEAVING THE BAY Larsen will be one of those people when it comes time for retirement. He and his wife According to a local loan officer who has plan to eventually leave the state. helped over 75 Bay Area teachers get mortgage “In my previous line of work when I was WHERE STUDENTS LIVE loans approved, homeownership gives producing children’s theater, I visited 42 states teachers a much better chance of being able in the U.S. There are things in other parts of 25 to continue teaching where they are. Monthly the country that I’ve enjoyed, but this is where minute mortgage payments are fixed for a number of I would prefer to stay,” Larsen said. “I don’t commute AVERAGE COMMUTE years, while rents typically increase every year. from here think I can afford to, and that saddens me.” TIME TO HARKER But owning a home in the Bay Area isn’t a Though people are leaving the Bay Area possibility for most teachers. FOR STUDENTS: now more than ever, those moving out tend to According to the senior loan officer, in be older and lower-income compared to those other parts of the nation where home prices moving in. As a result, housing prices and and wages tend to be lower, teachers may be demand for housing remain high. 22 on an equal footing with other buyers. Here, minutes teachers face competition from buyers with a lot more income and a lot more cash. THE PUSH TO BUILD minute For Harker production manager Brian With prohibitively expensive housing commute from here Larsen, 52, who has taught at Harker since costs near the upper school, administrators have to consider the housing barrier when recruiting and hiring highly-skilled teachers. “Housing might be the number one factor morgan hill $2,439 [in new teachers’ decisions to come here], and MEDIAN MONTHLY OWNER COSTS IN it didn’t used to be that way,” Keller said. “I 75 SANTA CLARA COUNTY remember my first year here [in 2007], I went minute SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 2018 to New York [for a teacher job fair], and I was commute interviewing teachers for days. It didn’t matter from here where they came from, it just wasn’t a big deal. $257,000 Five or six years ago it became a big deal.” AVERAGE DOWN PAYMENT IN SAN JOSE According to Head of School Brian Yager, FROM MARCH 2017 TO MARCH 2018 while it’s become harder to attract people SOURCE: REALTOR.COM from outside the Bay Area, Harker still recruits GRAPHIC BY ERIC FANG through a national network of consultants. $2,697, while median household income BY COMPARISON, MEDIAN MONTHLY But the school has become “cautious” increased by just 51 percent from $76,730 to OWNER COSTS IN CHICAGO IN 2019 about recruiting teachers outside of the Bay $115,862. WERE $1,276. THE AVERAGE DOWN Area, according to Keller. On Jan. 1, California enacted statewide PAYMENT WAS $52,200. While the constraints on recruitment 10% rent control. AB-1482, the Tenant Protection haven’t impacted the quality of teachers Act of 2019, limits annual rent increases to SOURCE: UNISON HOME AFFORDABILITY REPORT OF UPPER SCHOOL here, Keller said, it has limited the diversity of 5 percent but only applies to units at least 15 TEACHERS HAVE LIVED 1996, high homeowner costs mean that he and perspectives that teachers bring to the table. years old. IN HOUSING RENTED his family will continue to rent, despite the “I think Mrs. Keller and I bring something Before AB-1482, Bay Area cities differed OUT BY HARKER possibility of having to move on short notice. different to San Jose because of where we’re in the amount of rent control they had, if any. For seven years, Larsen, his wife and six from [Virginia],” Keller said. “That [diversity] OUT OF 40 TEACHERS SURVEYED Some teachers, like Irvine, faced rent hikes of of their children had lived in a four-bedroom, might not happen.” over 20 percent in a year. Many upper school three-bathroom house they rented in San Jose Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. teachers chose to live farther from school in about five miles from the upper school. areas that limited rent increases. “In October of this past year, our landlord 27.5% “Our rent when we were in San Jose was sold the house, and we had to move quickly,” Does housing cost factor into whether jumping by huge amounts whenever they Larsen said. “We have five total people at home upper school teachers will continue at wanted to raise the rent,” said theater teacher right now, so three-bedroom two-bath, but we Harker in the next 5 years? Jeffrey Draper, who moved to San Francisco rent because there’s no way we could purchase 17 years ago and started teaching at Harker 20 in the valley right now.” no, not at all not sure years ago. “I think it would be really a challenge As home values exceed affordability, 30% 10% for us to have stayed in a region without rent OF UPPER SCHOOL TEACHERS HAVE LIVED many teachers are leaving the Bay Area in prefer not control.” WITH A ROOMMATE TO SAVE ON HOUSING search of cheaper and more attractive housing to say Draper said that he “lucked into” an options. According to Irvine, several upper COSTS WHILE AT HARKER 5% apartment in San Francisco with a three school faculty and staff members have moved OUT OF 40 TEACHERS SURVEYED percent per year cap on rent increases, which to the mountains in Santa Cruz County for yes, a little yes, very has protected him from rent hikes in the city. more affordable housing that meets the needs 37.5% 17.5% Currently, he pays $2,000 per month in rent, of their families. What kind of housing while his neighbors pay $5,500. When English teacher Brigid Miller’s What impact do their commutes have do upper school One of the trade-offs is the 45-minute family needed a larger house to accommodate on upper school teachers’ overall teachers live in? commute, assuming that Draper leaves at 5 or the arrival of her second child seven years ago, 6 a.m. to beat the morning rush. they moved from a home in Santa Clara a mile satisfaction with their jobs? OUT OF 45 TEACHERS SURVEYED “It’s not an amazing apartment, there and a half from school to a home in the Santa are things we complain about, but because slight no impact teachers Cruz mountains about 20 miles away. Own we have rent control, it’s too expensive for us A house with the same acreage in Santa impact 20% 32.5% Rent to move, so we’re sort of stuck with it,” Draper Clara County would have been unattainable Percent of of Percent said. “Luckily we’re happy.” for Miller and her husband, Lester, a systems The insecurity that comes with renting engineer in Los Gatos. moderate large in the Bay Area means that many teachers “Things are still expensive in Santa Cruz, impact impact live with the anxiety of potentially having to but not nearly as expensive as here,” Miller ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILY TAN BY EMILY ALL ILLUSTRATIONS 25% 22.5% one day leave the region or give up teaching said. “But the commute can be an issue. And Condominium Townhouse/ Apartment Single family OUT OF 40 TEACHERS SURVEYED Duplex (detached) house altogether. that’s the downside.” DESIGN BY ERIC FANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 D WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 HOUSING CRISIS ‘Who belongs?’ Development and displacement change the face of Bay Area 20.1% communities OF STUDENTS ARE SEEING GENTRIFICATION IN THEIR 42.5% NEIGHBORHOODS OF TEACHERS ARE SEEING OUT OF 194 STUDENTS SURVEYED GENTRIFICATION IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OUT OF 40 TEACHERS SURVEYED

GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK EACH PROMISED $1 BILL TO BUILD 20,000 NEW HOMES EACH IN THE BAY AREA.

SINCE 2015 SAN JOSE HAS BECOME AN “ADVANCED GENTRIFICATION AREA” WITH A DEMOGRAPHIC CONSIDERED MODERATE TO HIGH-INCOME SOURCE: URBAN DISPLACEMENT PROJECT ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY TAN BY EMILY ILLUSTRATION

DESIGN BY GLORIA ZHANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 HOUSING CRISIS MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST E In elementary and middle school, residents in danger of being displaced. Simren Gupta (12) often visited a Chi- The COVID-19 pandemic may wors- nese restaurant down the street from en the situation. As small businesses and where she lives in Sunnyvale. The lower-income households are likely to be restaurant had been around since be- hardest hit by the pandemic’s economic fore she was born. toll, more of them may be displaced in the near future. When Simren started learning Man- At the same time, less money may be darin in middle school, she practiced by available to build affordable housing. speaking with the restaurant’s owners. “In a lot of ways, the Bay Area is Three years ago, the restaurant got a very resilient. However, at the same time, notice from the landowners that it would there’s a lot of ways in which we have not be shut down to make room for a new fully recovered from the financial crash of apartment complex. 2008. One of the ways that we haven’t been The restaurant is just one example of quite as resilient is in home construction, how Bay Area neighborhoods are chang- home permitting and home entitlements,” ing. As rising real estate costs are displac- Kathleen Wortham, health and housing ing people and businesses, upper school senior associate at the Silicon Valley Lead- teachers and students have noticed differ- ership Group (SVLG), said. “It’s going to ences in their communities. take a lot of work to make sure that we’re “Even around my house, local busi- building up our workforce and political nesses have been shut down and replaced will to get housing built.” with big corporations,” Simren said. With little open space left to build Bay Area cities find themselves jug- and complications like the coronavirus, gling having more big businesses to grow development in the Bay Area walks a fine the economy, more housing for people line between helping and hurting the moving in and more protection for current communities around it. “At first I was like, why don’t we just stop landlords from charging residents too much money, but a lot of landlords aren’t that wealthy as well and they’re doing what they can... It’s because the foundations of our housing system are flawed.”

I A C A C I JAI BAHRI (12) R E WORKED IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY SUPERVISOR JOE SIMITIAN’S OFFICE

BULLDOZED Construction machinery digs up the parking lot of the former Vallco Shop- ping Mall in Cupertino. On May 7, a judge approved plans to convert Vallco into 2,402 THE PUSH TO BUILD housing units, half of which are below market-rate, and 1.8 million square feet of offices. In 2017, California Governor Gavin ing Reporter Marisa Kendall said. Newsom said 3.5 million new homes According to Wortham, some pro- needed to be built by 2025 in order to meet cesses like inspections and permitting the state’s housing needs. may take time to move online to comply According to California’s housing de- with social distancing guidelines, contrib- partment, new housing units have been uting to a slowdown in construction. built at the rate of 80,000 per year over the Other obstacles that predate the pan- last decade, and each unit of subsidized af- demic stand in the way. San Jose faces fordable housing in California costs about particular challenges as the “bedroom” of $450,000 to build, making Newsom’s goal the Silicon Valley. More people spend the ambitious if not impossible. night in San Jose than work there. The shelter-in-place order has also “We’re the biggest city in this area slowed development. From March 31 to by far, but 85 percent of our usable land May 4, six Bay Area counties prohibited is zoned for residential. That means that most types of construction. Even as re- the city has to figure out how to pay for strictions eased and construction contin- all the infrastructure, all the services, the ued on May 4, the pandemic may have parks, everything else that residents need lasting effects on development and afford- to make a city livable just from residential ALL PHOTOS BY ERIC FANG able housing construction. property taxes, and it doesn’t work,” Elisa- THE OFFICE (LEFT) A sign shows a soon-to-be-built office complex within walking dis- “The housing and real estate market beth Handler, public information manag- tance from Main Street Cupertino. The complex will take up 114,895 square feet. can change so quickly that sometimes a er of San Jose’s Office of Economic Devel- RENEWAL (RIGHT) A run-down part of Vallco mall remains standing amid construction of a new mixed-use complex. Construction had been stalled from June 2018 to early May month’s delay can cause developers to opment, said. 2020 because a community group called Friends of Cupertino sued the property devel- lose money,” Bay Area News Group Hous- Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. opers, opposing the increased traffic that development would bring. BIGGEST BUILDERS SO, WHO BELONGS? Some of the biggest contributors to corporate campus,” Handler said. “In Concerns of displacement and gen- too much money, but a lot of landlords the housing problem are also those throw- fact, we’re not even using the word cam- trification often accompany development aren’t wealthy as well and are doing what ing the most money at solving it. pus because it will be more like a down- projects like Google’s Diridon campus. they can,” Jai said. “It’s because the foun- In June, Google announced a $1 bil- town neighborhood. Their whole point According to Victor Farlie, Senior Ex- dations of our housing system are flawed.” lion housing plan, promising to build was to make it permeable, to be part of ecutive Analyst at San Jose’s Office of Eco- Upper school visual arts teachers Tr- 20,000 new homes in the Bay Area over connecting East and West and North and nomic Development, displacement can ish Ludovici and Joshua Martinez have no- the next decade. In October, Facebook South San Jose, not creating a little, round happen directly through rent increases or ticed displacement creating demographic matched that offer, dedicating $1 billion fenced-off blob in the middle of the city.” indirectly through changes to the commu- changes in their neighborhoods. Ludovici to building 20,000 homes of its own. In Local residents have protested Goo- nity or the general economy. noted that recently, many older Black and November, Apple invested $2.5 billion gle’s plans for a new campus since the Many are concerned the pandemic Latino families have moved out of North into funding affordable housing projects, company’s announcement. Protesters could worsen displacement. Oakland and younger, white couples have helping first-time homebuyers with mort- fear that the campus will lead to increased “Small businesses have been hit real- moved in. Martinez said that since 2008, gage payments and supporting vulnerable rent in the area, driving out local residents ly hard,” Kendall said. “[Many] were telling he’s seen 18 houses on his block in the San populations. and businesses. me they’re making 30 percent of their nor- Francisco Mission District be renovated “What these tech companies are do- “While I think we need more housing, mal profit. They’re not sure if they’re going and sold and several families evicted. ing is they’re filling the gap,” said Vince we know from our research that transit to be able to pay rent.” “We had a huge Central American Rocha, Senior Director of Housing and station areas are more likely to experience Due to legacies of discriminatory population in my neighborhood, and now Community Development at SVLG. “A lot gentrification and displacement,” Anna housing practices, the danger for displace- it is predominantly upper-middle-class of projects may have acquired the land, or Cash, former director of University of Cal- ment is especially high in minority-major- white Americans,” Martinez said. they just need a little bit of extra resources ifornia at Berkeley’s Urban Displacement ity neighborhoods that have historically San Jose faces similar displacement to get the project done.” Project, said. “There needs to be a lot of faced disinvestment. pressures, as limited affordable housing is In August, Google also unveiled a awareness and thoughtfulness around the As people search for cheaper housing available. plan to build a whole community of its policy strategies to mitigate that.” closer to the city core, they enter low-in- “We need South San Jose, Almaden own: a mile-long “transit village” near Di- Some say tech companies are still not come communities, and landlords realize Valley, Willow Glen to open up their ridon Station, a Caltrain stop and bus hub doing enough to address their role in the new tenants can pay more in rent than old communities to being home for ex- in downtown San Jose. housing crisis. tenants. tremely low-income families,” Camille Google’s transit village would include “A lot of these corporations don’t pay But the problem isn’t as simple as Llanes-Fontanilla, executive director of 5,000 new homes of mixed income levels their fair share of taxes,” Cash said. “I think greedy landlords, as Jai Bahri (12) learned the community organization Somos May- and 6.5 million square feet of office, retail taking that step would be a more systemic in his time as an intern in Santa Clara fair, said. “People don’t want low-income and community space. way to support the communities around County Supervisor Joe Simitian’s office. people in their communities, which rein- “Google has envisioned their devel- them.” “At first I was like, why don’t we just forces the question, ‘Who belongs?’” opment as very different from a typical Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. stop landlords from charging residents Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. DESIGN BY GLORIA ZHANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 F WINGED POST MAY 20, 2020 HOUSING CRISIS ‘An epidemic situation’ Vulnerable homeless population hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic As the Bay Area issued social distancing shelters, jails and hospitals. According to guidelines in response to COVID-19, many Carrasco, this number is far higher now, as the people experiencing homelessness found coronavirus pandemic has forced many more them impossible to follow. tenants out of their apartments. Overcrowded shelters and encampments Carrasco thinks that one way that the are breeding grounds for the virus, and research government can help is to strike out rental from the University of Pennsylvania suggests debt for those affected by the coronavirus that people experiencing homelessness are pandemic, noting that it is far cheaper to twice as likely to be hospitalized and two to prevent a family from being homeless than to three times as likely to die from COVID-19 help a family off the streets. compared to the general population. The Bay Area already faced a growing To help with the pandemic response homelessness problem prior to the pandemic. effort, Destination: Home, a Santa Clara County The latest point-in-time (PIT) count by city organization working to end homelessness, officials in 2019 estimated that over 34,000 became activated as one of the county’s people were homeless in the Bay Area, an Emergency Operations Centers, typically used increase of over 22 percent since 2017. for crisis situations like natural disasters. The actual number of people experiencing homelessness in the Bay is likely to be higher. PIT counts can underestimate these numbers “We know that folks who by two to three times due to technical have been living on the difficulties and seasonal differences in rates of homelessness. streets for a while are more As opposed to New York, which provides likely to be facing underlying shelter to 95 percent of its homeless population, health conditions or be more the Bay Area suffers from a lack of affordable or government-subsidized housing. In 2017, 67 medically vulnerable than percent of the Bay Area homeless population existing residents.” was unsheltered. Even prior to the pandemic, LOW San Francisco shelters already had all of their ID AV D beds occupied, leaving at least 5,000 people in Y B DAVID LOW the city unsheltered. D

E

D DIRECTOR OF POLICY

I What causes so many people in the

V

O & COMMUNICATIONS, R Bay Area to become homeless? Destination:

P DESTINATION: HOME Home said it’s fundamentally because of a lack of affordable housing, particularly for low- income residents. “We’ve been working to assist [the] “When folks can’t find an affordable place homeless and unsheltered because both have to live, they become severely rent-burdened, a harder time practicing social distancing or spending more than half of their income on other preventive measures,” said David Low, rent utilities, and become just one emergency the director of policy and communications at away from ending up on the street,” Low said. Destination: Home. Most people in Silicon Valley become Destination: Home has been helping to homeless after losing a job or experiencing a open mass shelters and distribute sanitation change in family composition, according to a supplies. On March 23, it also launched a 11 2019 Destination Home study. million dollar financial assistance initiative The best way for Silicon Valley residents to aid families at risk of becoming homeless to help, Low said, is to tackle the systemic as a result of the pandemic. The organization driver of homelessness by advocating for more received 4,500 applications within three days, affordable housing units to be built. with 10,000 households on the wait list. “We need people to use their voice, Compass Family Services, an organization show up to city council meetings, write the dedicated to helping homeless families in San councilors while these decisions are being Francisco achieve housing stability, has also made to make sure that these developments stepped up to house the homeless. According are getting built,” Low said. to Anthony Carrasco, the external affairs and Raising awareness helps as well. People policy manager at Company Family Services, experiencing homelessness often face the organization is currently housing around dehumanization and stigma from other people 60 families in hotel rooms. in their communities who don’t know of or “Hotel rooms are far superior to live in understand their struggles. than congregate housing shelters, because “We’re just people who have happened living in hotel rooms allows the homeless to on mishaps and stuff like that,” Rudy, who actually social distance and follow shelter-in- lives at the Interstate 280 off-ramp across the place guidelines,” Carrasco said. street from the upper school, said. “We’re no But more remains to be done. A count different than anyone.” conducted on Jan. 24, 2019 by the city of San From San Jose to Oakland to Santa Rosa, A mattress and a shopping cart full of personal belongings sit on the sidewalk on Kiely Blvd., around Francisco reported 9,784 homeless individuals these are some of their stories. AROUND THE CORNER the corner from the upper school. According to the latest counts by city officials, in 2019 there were 9,706 people experiencing in the city, including people staying in housing Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. homelessness in San Jose. Bike trail for some, home for others: Life in the 2-mile-long Santa Rosa trail encampment before it was cleared in January

This right here is Little Mama. She “saved my life, and I saved hers. A lot of This highway [State Route 12] is people don’t like us here, and I know “horrible to live by. It subliminally puts that. But where are we supposed to go? people in a place where they don’t A lot of shelters don’t even take dogs.” think they can be anywhere else. Like ERIC FANG they’re criminals.”

CINA HONE, 49 STEPHENS WILLIAMS, 59 Lived on the Joe Rodota trail from August to January 2019 with her Lives near the Joe Rodota Trail and 12-year-old chihuahua. Hone’s friend visited friends there. Between finding his had brought Little Mama to her on a current house and being evicted from night when she had planned to his home in Santa Rosa, he had been commit suicide. ERIC FANG unsheltered for six months. DESIGN BY ERIC FANG VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 HOUSING CRISIS MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST G 1 ERIC FANG

1. LIFE ON THE TRAIL A woman 2 walks along the Joe Rodota Trail, which was home to over 250 34,682 people, in Santa Rosa on Jan. 25. Over the month of January, city officials cleared the two-mile-long PEOPLE EXPERIENCING encampment, sending some people HOMELESSNESS IN THE to shelters and some to temporary BAY AREA “pallet buildings” a two-hour drive away. Others had to set up their tents elsewhere. 2. HOUSING 4 ALL Supporters of Moms4Housing, a group of 9,784 mothers protesting the lack of affordable housing in Oakland, rally on Jan. 14 outside a vacant house PEOPLE EXPERIENCING ERIC FANG that the mothers were occupying. HOMELESSNESS IN Moms4Housing drew national SAN FRANCISCO attention to the tens of thousands of 3 Bay Area homes that are bought up by developers and left empty amid growing rates of homelessness. 3. FAMILY KITCHEN Megan Chiang, 9,706 a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School, pours a cup of milk at Loaves & Fishes’ East San Jose location, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING which serves dinner to over 100 HOMELESSNESS IN people every weekday. Megan has SAN JOSE volunteered there once or twice a week since the summer of 2018. 4. FROM THE HARKER GATES SOURCE: 2019 POINT-IN-TIME Rudy lives in an orange tent by the COUNTS BY CITY OFFICIALS ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL Interstate 280 off-ramp across the street from the upper school. Rudy 5 was evicted from his apartment in 4 Santa Clara in 2015 after he lost his job as a machinist in South San Jose and his wife died from cancer. 5. CYCLING THROUGH The California Department of Transportation posted a notice by Rudy’s tent in mid-February, ordering him to vacate the site by the next week. Rudy said that he cycles between multiple locations to avoid getting in trouble with law enforcement. “I’ve been living here on and off for the last four years,” Rudy said. “I know at least 50 people that live right in this area and we all just try to make the best of it.” GLORIA ZHANG ERIC FANG

HOW IS THE HARKER COMMUNITY HELPING? STEVE MARTIN ARUSHA PATIL (11) SIMAR BAJAJ (12) HEAD CHEF INSTALLING A COMPUTER LIBRARY AND HELPING MEDICAL CLUB, KEY CLUB AND DONATES HARKER’S EXTRA A QUIET MINDFULNESS AREA IN THE STUDENT COUNCIL DONATE FACE MASKS UNCOOKED FOOD TO STAND UP FOR SUNNYVALE COUNTY WINTER SHELTER TO HOMELESS SHELTERS KIDS, A SAN JOSE ORGANIZATION

My decision has always been I work on a desk, and I still have Without a home it’s very “to have a purpose for the food “trouble focusing. Can you imagine “hard to social distance, and and not to just throw it in the working in an environment where that leaves a lot of people ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL trash. There’s a lot of people everyone is talking, where you vulnerable to COVID-19. It’s PROVIDED BY SIMAR BAJAJ in need, and it is good, NERINE UYANIK may not even feel completely important to help the healthy food.” safe? So how can we create an overlooked, so we ERIC FANG AROUND THE CORNER A mattress and a shopping cart full of personal belongings sit on the sidewalk on Kiely Blvd., around environment to allow people wanted to target the corner from the upper school. According to the latest counts by city officials, in 2019 there were 9,706 people experiencing to feel more comfortable?” [shelters].” homelessness in San Jose. Bike trail for some, home for others: Life in the 2-mile-long Santa Rosa trail encampment before it was cleared in January It was hard hit after hard hit. Rent “got really high after the [Tubbs] fire I think [social services] should [in 2017], and I lost my roommate so “come to us and talk to us because a I just wasn’t able to keep my house lot of times it’s hard for us to walk. We [in Petaluma]. I bought a motorhome don’t have money to take the bus. I’ve and moved back to a property on Stony seen a lot of people like that. Or their Point Road but that got foreclosed. health is bad or they’re disabled.” Then my car got stolen.” MARY LOPEZ, 58 JOSEPH VICINO, 37 Lived on the Joe Rodota Trail for three

ERIC FANG Lived on the trail for six months with his months. Lopez had been calling local dog, Rocky. In 2017, Santa Rosa saw a ERIC FANG shelters, which were all full, every day, 9.3 percent increase in housing prices, and was looking for a roommate who according to a county report. could share the cost of rent. DESIGN BY ERIC FANG

10% 10% VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 5 HOUSING CRISIS MAY 20, 2020 WINGED POST H Through the Helping the unsheltered in San Jose reporters’ eyes Where to volunteer or donate: writers’ note

1 CityTeam San Jose, which 2 Stand Up For Kids, which 3 LifeMoves, which provides runs a men’s shelter and another helps unaccompanied homeless interim housing and support for shelter for homeless pregnant and at risk youth through homeless families and individuals women 18 & over. CityTeam also mentoring and short-term in shelters throughout San Jose. runs a dining hall and a learning housing. standupforkids.org lifemoves.org and career center. cityteam.org/ san-jose NICOLE TIAN Despite passing by a homeless en- campment just a few yards from the up- per school gates each day, it’s been too easy for us as Harker students to avoid re- ally seeing it. Despite hearing our teach- ers say they had to rush to make their 90-minute commutes home, we weren’t really listening. And despite living in the midst of an affordable housing shortage 4 My New Red Shoes, which throughout the Bay Area, we rarely talk provides new shoes and clothing about the situation unfolding right in front of our eyes. to homeless or disadvantaged 3 students and helps increase From researching and reporting on the Bay Area housing crisis over the last overall attendance and quality of 10 months, we’ve seen how the crisis is education within underprivileged 5 Bay Area Rescue Mission, not only happening around us, but hap- communities. mynewredshoes.org a nonprofit that serves hot pening to us. meals and provides shelter and The housing crisis affects how much time we spend commuting and where vocational training to people we can afford to live, both now and in experiencing homelessness. the future. It affects whether many of us bayarearescue.org will be able to return to the Bay Area after college. It affects what our local commu- nities look like and what neighbors and businesses we interact with on a daily basis. Moreover, it affects whether our teachers can continue being our teach- ers and what they may have to sacrifice to do so. To understand the myriad ways that the housing crisis impacts us and 6 Compass Family Service’s our communities, we interviewed over 60 people across the Bay Area, starting fund to house homeless families with our teachers, administrators and in hotel rooms during shelter-in- classmates and working our way out- place wards to realtors, property developers, charity.gofundme.com/o/en/ researchers, city officials, mortgage loan 7 Silicon Valley Strong, a fund agents, nonprofit organizations, lobbying campaign/hotel-rooms-for-the- groups, activists, volunteers, people ex- homeless-sf to help residents, businesses and periencing homelessness and more. nonprofits affected by COVID-19 What we’ve learned from these siliconvalleystrong.org scores of conversations is that the situa- tion is complicated, to say the least, and ILLUSTRATIONS BY NICOLE TIAN ILLUSTRATIONS deeply personal. Just as the crisis affects many differ- ent people in many different ways, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Any prog- Where to donate food: ress will require the dedicated effort of diverse organizations and individuals across public and private sectors. 2 Sunnyvale Community But these interviews have also re- Services, which provides food minded us that we can be a part of that aid, emergency financial aid and effort, even as high school students. 1 West Valley Community We can donate our time, money and Services, which offers a weekend school food program. food to local organizations; write to our 3 a weekly food pantry to svcommunityservices.org Ecumenical Hunger Program, elected representatives to support af- families facing hunger crises. a soup kitchen that serves dinner fordable housing initiatives and public every Wednesday night at St. works programs; vote in local, state and wvcommunityservices.org national elections for candidates that Francis of Assisi Church in East support affordable housing; raise aware- Palo Alto. ehpcares.org ness through writing, advocacy and art; 4 Second Harvest of Silicon or simply become better informed about the issues impacting those around us. Valley, which provides meals to We have the ability to shape the con- over a quarter of a million children 5 JW House, versation on fair and affordable housing and families every month. shfb.org a community for everyone in the area. home that In journalism, we have a saying: ‘Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the offers shelter comfortable.’ 6 Martha’s and food to Through this package, we hope to Kitchen, a soup families who share the experiences that have made the housing crisis so real and pressing to us, kitchen and a are undergoing and to give a microphone to underrepre- central kitchen medical sented voices. that prepares problems and We hope this package provides a step in what will be a long, comprehen- meals for other need a place to sive effort to call attention to the hous- sites. marthas- stay. ing crisis and spark the dialogue that will kitchen.org jwhouse.org affect real change at Harker and schools

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARELY SUN BY ARELY ILLUSTRATIONS across the region.

DESIGN BY NICOLE TIAN & ARELY SUN