COVID Safety Procedures at SM: Can They Get Better?

Sunny Li ‘22

Getting tested every Monday or Tuesday has become a weekly routine we live by. In a time when we have to endure the difficulties of COVID as we connect with others in a close-knit community, we dismiss weekly testing and required indoor mask-wearing as just another price we have to pay. As much as St. Mark’s is currently doing a great job of keeping everyone in check, especially as more and more school members have become fully vaccinated, certain precautionary methods at the beginning of the school year could have been carried out more effectively.

Speaking from my personal experience, I would not say living in quarantine for seven days was a fun way to start the school year. While I was only a few hundred yards away from my friends, it felt just like being back in Zoom school. This problem I dealt with in my first week of school was partly due to my prior difficulties of getting vaccinated as an international student back in China, but I would go so far as to say that it reflected on the safety procedures that St.m Mark’s could have been more effective about. Before school started, all returning students came back on campus on Friday, September 10, and received their PCR testing on that same day. Just a day after the arrival of returning students, the convocation took place in the Class of ‘45 Hall. At that time, when all school members gathered at the convocation, the results of the PCR test had not come out yet. Although all school events like that do require mask-wearing from all students—whether they are fully vaccinated or not—convening the entire school in-door without first receiving the results of PCR testing risks endangering the unfully vaccinated school members. Fortunately, in the case of the convocation, no other students have contracted COVID, but some did endure the seven-day quarantine as a result. The school could have waited for the PCR testing results and quarantined those who had COVID instead of risking exposing all school members, including those not fully vaccinated, to the disease. 

Another question to consider is how effective the mask guidelines are, given that students can take off their makes in houses and outside buildings. We saw a wide spread of cold going around just in the past few weeks— at one point, half of the school was coughing and talking with evidently sore throats. If the cold is able to spread this easily, how would things look like if we had a student with a COVID case instead of the cold? These are questions to consider as we move into the school year with numerous updates from the safety protocol and state that we will be adjusting our procedures to. 

Certainly, we should be appreciative of the efforts of our health services facilities and all the safety protocols that St. Mark’s has been created. At the same time, since we all know how tough it is for everyone to keep up with these protocols, could we have been more effective and saved several students of their fun at the beginning of the year, of facilities members that had to help out in the Annex for days? Certainly yes, had we requested for PCR testing results in advance of time, just as many other boarding schools around us, such as Fay school, did.

NA or YA: Graduation Requirements

Yuslis Ramirez Roche ‘24

When a student says “I am taking this class because it is a requirement,” the tone and message sounds more of a student ‘needing’ to take that class rather than a student ‘wanting’ to take it which, I don't know about you but to me, it sounds forceful and distressful. While reading this article, keep in mind these questions: should some requirements be re-evaluated? What are the pros and cons of requirements? Do you lean closer to the approval of the current requirements or disapproval of the current requirements?

Like many other schools, before graduating everyone must complete the requirements their school obligates students to do. St. Mark’s requirements involve sports (all four years), academic classes (three years of math, two science labs, and US history), language classes (three years of one language), art courses (at least two semesters), and religion courses (two semesters). The reasoning behind requirements is for students to be exposed to trying new things and expanding their knowledge. No contradiction on the reason for requirements, however, I believe some requirements should be given as a student’s optional such as religion and art courses. As it may be assumed, requirements have its negative and positive aspects, let’s go over them and then by the end, you may or may not come to a conclusion of whether requirements should be re-adjusted or left as it is now.    

Starting with the unfavorable side of requirements, based on responses from some St. Marks students, the average rate of how beneficial requirements are is 7.1 out of 10 which is fairly nice. However, as some of the responses stated, requirements for many students is still a dreadful and unpleasant experience. When students take a required class and do not find it pleasing or amusing, then it takes away the fun out of their learning, and limits a student's independence of learning what they are interested in learning. Take for example a current St. Mark fourth former who made an excellent point of  making requirements “more customizable” like having students take “4 electives of [their] choice” and/or doing an “independent study of [their] choice” for your junior or senior year (anonymous fourth former). Some students already have an interest in certain areas, while others do not. However, those who have an interest should be given the opportunity to go after their interest and invest their time and energy on learning and growing on it. Having students do requirements they do not wish or find meaning in learning about, only restricts them from finding their inspiration and learning opportunities. 

In addition to limiting a student’s learning experience, I believe that requirements also push students to want to only “pass” and not necessarily want to “learn” from the requirement course. According to another current St. Mark fourth former, some requirements such as religion are courses that she is indifferent and apathetic about, and even though it brings lots of advantages, it is a course she is not particularly interested in. Sometimes, students do not find a requirement enjoyable, so they lose interest and they are left with the feeling of only finishing the requirement and getting over with it rather than being fully devoted to learning. 

The fourth former continued and suggested that some requirements such as religion and art should be a pass or fail class. To many, this plan for some requirements may be an option to encourage students to ‘want’ to learn. In general, I also believe that some requirements should be optional or a ‘pass or fail’ class considering some students find requirements pococurante.

On the other hand, requirements also have its conveniences as well. As mentioned before, the purpose of requirements is to encourage students to try and learn new things. Most of the students interviewed agreed that requirements have taught them personal and educational things. For instance, a fourth former who is taking World History and JCI (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) learned that religion and history has similarity in stories and dates, and she has made many connections between both which helped her a lot with understanding World History. 

Furthermore, I think that requirements introduce students to courses and activities that may inspire them to continue to pursue and benefit those who have a desire to continue studying it. For instance, a third former, who is taking geometry has aspired to work in the STEM field, if the three years of math were not a requirement and she were not required to Geometry, then would she ever have the aspiration of being an engineer or exposed to Geometry? Truthfully, I may never know, but what I do know is that it proves that requirements can have a positive impact on students.  

Nonetheless, requirements are a student’s obligation that students must do, but what are your thoughts on requirements? Do you believe that requirements should be re-evaluated? Should some requirements be optional or an option student-based? Are you na or ya for requirements?  

Attending to Our Mental Health Needs This Summer

BY MADISON HOANG ‘23

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about mental health and well-being have skyrocketed, as individuals find themselves struggling to cope with the challenges of social distancing, or are anxious for the course of the pandemic itself. Paradoxically, the alarming need to protect our physical health has inadvertently placed our mental health at an even greater risk. For the St. Mark's community, the unexpected shifts between remote and hybrid learning have certainly imposed a heavy burden upon the internal workings of many students. Since spring of 2020, we have been compelled to forfeit various aspects of our pre-pandemic lives which were once deemed as ‘normal,’ and replaced them with the ‘new normal’ of the pandemic: working from home, attending classes at midnight, living in a single dorm, wearing masks 24/7, severing face-to-face interactions with our peers, etc. Frankly, these were sacrifices that many of us were not ready to make, or did not expect to be relinquished for as long as they have. As a result of these pandemic losses, the overall mental well-being of learners across the nation has taken a considerable plunge ever since, as demonstrated in a fall 2020 survey conducted by the Active Minds organization: nearly 75% of college students report that their mental health has worsened over the course of the pandemic, with 89% experiencing stress or anxiety, 78.06% experiencing sadness or disappointment, and 77.47% experiencing loneliness or isolation. This almost-ubiquitous pattern of negative thoughts and feelings associated with pandemic-learning simply begs the question: How can students at St. Mark's, who also find themselves in a state of mental distress, address their internal needs during this post-pandemic world? With summer break coming just around the corner, it seems more important - than ever before - that students utilize this time to mentally recover from the  past year, and eventually, prepare themselves for the coming future.

Focusing on Recovery

In spite of all the trials and tribulations that students have endured this past year, psychiatric studies have shown that the human resilience is much more capable of mental self-healing than we may believe. This summer, instead of immediately shifting back into rigorous academic work, take some time to answer to your internal needs, and to practice self-care. First, accept the fact that perhaps things did not go according to all the expectations you set for yourselves and your surroundings. The needs of social distancing, quarantining, and hybrid learning have certainly sold everyone short of their hopes and desires this year, and that's totally okay! By learning to accept your shortcomings, you can avoid further digging itself into a negative state of self-blame, regret, or disappointment. It allows you to move forward with an open mind, and set yourself up for future growth. Furthermore, deal with negative thoughts and emotions by practicing self-care: building habits like mindful meditation, healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate sleep, can greatly encourage the development of positive emotions.

Equally as important in the recovery process is social inclusion, which allows you to regain a sense of social participation, and re-establish a strong support network of loved ones and peers. This summer, reach out to your family members, friends, and local community - not only to rekindle previously-severed bonds, but also, to reintroduce yourself back to the ‘outside world.’ If the self-recovery process remains difficult, then don't be afraid to seek help from your loved ones, or from medical professionals; it is just as important to realize that this battle does not have to be an entirely internal effort, but also, an external one. This will help ease the mental recovery process, as you won't feel compelled to place further pressure on yourself to yield full results.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, the principal indicators of a successful mental recovery process may include: good relationships, satisfying work, personal growth, and the right living environment. Once you rediscover this balance in your daily life, you will have essentially set yourself up for a healthier mindset as you approach the post-pandemic world.

Looking Ahead…

With plans to shift back to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year, students should expect to see further adjustments to their weekly schedules and lifestyle arrangements. The most drastic changes? Most boarders will be expected to live with a roommate, classes will run for nearly twice as long, there will be fewer periods of ‘free time,’ athletic practices will become more rigorous, and students will be required to attend all-school events and commitments in-person. Particularly for this year's new students and remote learners, it will certainly be a challenge to cope with the decreased flexibility of the in-person schedule - but fear not, as it is entirely possible to prepare beforehand!

Once mental recovery has proceeded, use the rest of this summer to re-adjust back to next year's schedule. If not already part of your summer routine, then practicing habits like going to bed earlier, exercising in the afternoons, working in the evenings, and skill-building for independent living, will gradually allow your body’s natural rhythms to adapt to newer changes. This way, you can avoid an abrupt and challenging shift back into St. Marks’ rigorous schedule this fall - especially after having been used to the modified schedule for so long. If possible, continue practicing self-care habits throughout this summer in order to keep your mental health at bay, and to form a positive mindset going into the next school year. 

For many students of St. Mark's, this summer unexpectedly marks a crucial period of time to focus on the necessary mental recovery and preparatory tasks left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though anxieties centered around the pandemic have been well-relaxed with the rise of vaccinations in the United States, it has left behind much unspoken, yet crucial work to be dealt with. Therefore, it is incumbent upon affected students of the St. Mark's community, not only to acknowledge, but also to address these mental health needs. Use this summer to resolve the remnants of pandemic-induced stress and loneliness, and prepare for immense growth and success this following academic year, as St. Mark’s (hopefully) returns to ‘normal', in-person learning.

2021 AP Exams

By Amber Lee ‘24

This year’s AP exams are taking place in a slightly different way. Normally, the exams would have only been accessible in schools; however, this year, they were available both on paper and online. This was in consideration of the remote students who would not be able to take the tests on campus. The paper exams can be taken throughout May, and June and will be a combination of paper and online versions. I interviewed a fourth former, Inselbag Lee, about her experience.

Inselbag Lee
“I took the Calculus BC exam on paper last week. I thought of taking it online in June, but I wanted to get it done as soon as possible. I am also glad that the AP exams were able to happen safely in midst of the pandemic. In such an abnormal year, I was worried that these kinds of important events would be affected in a bad way, but I think the situation was handled appropriately. This opportunity also made me realize that we are now becoming more and more in control of the whole pandemic. In the beginning we were all confused and disoriented, not knowing how to adapt to the new situation, but now we are able to do things that would have happened even in normal years, although the methods are a little different.”

It is insightful that the remote students are acknowledged in this circumstance. If there was only an option to take the exams on paper, it would have been a struggle for them to get on campus just for the exams, especially for international students who have not had the opportunity to get their visas yet. Also, it would have been dangerous for those who are on campus considering Covid. It is a relief that the AP exams are happening safely and smoothly.

Remote vs. In-Person Learning

By Sophie Chiang ‘23

An entire year of hybrid learning is finally coming to an end. Some people have been on campus since September, some have not returned at all, and some have been going back and forth. Regardless of which category you fall into, it has been a strange year with too many unpredictable turns. As a person who has experienced both hybrid and in-person learning since returning to campus in February, I have insight into the experience of both types of learning and their differences. 

When I was remote, I found that it was incredibly difficult to converse casually with peers during class because it was over zoom. This exacerbated the problem since the only time that I could interact with them was during class time. Zoom also made it difficult for me to offer my insight or answer questions. However, quite a few upsides came with being remote. I noticed that I had much more time than before to work on schoolwork, and I was able to learn on my own time. I had all day at home, without any distractions, to pursue what I wanted to do. I was able to read more than ten times the amount of books I read last year living at school. Additionally, I got much more sleep living at home. Being remote also allowed me the freedom to venture outside and meet up with friends and family, instead of being stranded at an island of a school. All in all, there were both positives and negatives that came with being remote, and some people may receive it better than others. 

Here are some things that fully remote students have said about their experience:
“Remote learning makes things that felt natural back at SM much more challenging, like to keep working out, monitoring my sleep schedule etc. On the positive side, I had the chance to shift more of my focus to academics to improve on subjects I needed extra work on.”
“I think remote learning has let me learn at my own pace with less distractions. However, I’ve been isolated from lots of my friends and unable to participate in physical group activities.”

Even though remote learning offered more freedom and time, it felt like a wave of relief had hit me when I returned to in-person learning. I was finally able to wave to people in the hallways and chit chat with friends in class without the burden of having to unmute myself. Being able to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at school allowed me to branch out to new people and develop lasting friendships. I was also finally able to participate in sports. In my opinion, nothing beats the bond that a sports team holds. Even though I was ecstatic about returning to campus, there were some downsides. I had to be stuck on campus for months without being able to leave anywhere or see family. This made weekends less exciting than last year. There was less time to do work, as my day was now filled with sports, meetings, friends, and other activities. 

Here are some things that students who have been both remote and in-person say about their experience:
“Remote learning oddly wasn’t too bad. I felt like I had a lot more control over my day-to-day schedule and I found it easier to focus than in-person. However, seeing my friends in person was a great experience as well.” 
“Remote learning was extremely hard– I found it difficult to adjust from in-person learning to online learning, especially being in a completely different timezone and environment. Being at home was not an ideal workspace for me, making school a struggle.” 
“Being remote, for me, was draining. Every day was repetitive and monotonous, as I had nothing to do but to do work and play video games. I gradually became more and more burnt out. But when I came on campus, I was able to finally see my friends and had much more things to fill my days with. I’m so glad to have come back on campus.” 

In conclusion, although both in-person and remote learning come with downsides, I think the general consensus is that being back on campus is preferred. Look forward to next year, when all of us will be back on campus for an amazing year!

Image link: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalreview.com%2F2020%2F07%2Fhow-much-will-remote-education-actually-cost%2F&psig=AOvVaw1VL1E-zv9tCMmY1HTb2coc&ust=1621083988384000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOivnNGeyfACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Class of 2020 and 2021 Graduation Ceremony

By Mandy Hui ‘23

The class of 2020 will be returning to St. Marks at the end of May, both remotely and in-person, for the prize day and ceremonies they deserve but didn’t receive the previous year. Being in the senior class in 2020 was arguably the most difficult grade to be in amidst the Covid-19 pandemic as senior year is generally the high point of a high school student’s career. They missed out on opportunities and the usual social interactions between friends and teachers. Not only that, but because of the pandemic, last year’s class was also unable to experience the perennial end of year traditions in person, including the highly anticipated Prize Day Ceremony at St. Mark’s. 

This year, the class of 2020 Diploma Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 29th, while the class of 2021 Prize Day Ceremony will be on Sunday, May 30th. Prior to these ceremonies, St. Mark’s will host a dinner and social event on the Friday of May 28th. This casual dinner event will be for both current and returning graduate classes under a tent on Belmont Field, and it will be shortly followed by activities and socialising under the lights on Sargent Field, along with Uhlman’s ice cream truck. In addition to the combined graduation this year, St. Mark’s is also planning to hold its annual traditional events that typically occur during Prize Day week, which didn’t happen the past year; however, these events are being modified and organised to ensure they follow Covid-19 safety protocols. One example is St. Mark’s plan to host Southborough Tea and Gentlemen’s Social this year. Southborough Tea is an event for all people identifying as female, both faculty and students, to gather and hear advice from the 6th form girls while eating chocolate-covered strawberries, whereas Gentlemen Social is for those who identify as male. This year, there will also be the greatly missed Hug Line. The Hug Line is when seniors form a long single-file line, and students, not in the graduating class, form a second line, exchanging hugs and handshakes with the seniors. Because of Covid, there will be stricter restrictions to this event as social distancing guidelines will still need to be met.  

Although this year’s ceremonies will be unlike previous years, the seniors are grateful that they are still able to celebrate the milestone of completing high school after these unprecedented months. Vianey Morris ‘21 expressed her thoughts on this year’s graduation: “I think it’s really nice that the class of 2020 gets an opportunity to have something similar to graduation, and we get to have an actual goodbye for them while also having our own events. I’m fortunate enough to still be close with friends in the class of 2020 so I am happy I get another chance to see them before going off to college like them.” While graduation is up and running this year, unfortunately, a small portion of students from both classes are still unable to attend. Tommy Flathers ‘21 showed sympathy for his peers: “I’m worried about the students who aren’t able to make it to the events of that weekend from both last and this years’ graduating classes. It is their last official St. Mark’s event, and I would hate to leave a bad taste in their mouths.” Both the class of 2020 and 2021 greatly earn these ceremonies which will showcase and honour their efforts adjusting and persevering through an unusual high school experience: it will truly be an experience they will never forget.

VI Prize Day 2018-2019

Reflections on Leading a C&E Workshop

By Suha Choi ‘22

(attached above is a discussion question slide from the workshop)

This year’s C&E day centered around anti-racism. Although not all 13 student-led workshops on the C&E day may have included the word race in their titles, all of them certainly had an influence in promoting anti-racism in our community, in one way or another. This important truth especially resonated with me after I led one of the workshops on “Introducing Body Positivity and Defining Basic Feminist Terms” with the Southborough Society co-heads, Tate Frederick’21 and Louise He’22.

         As its title suggests, the workshop began with me and the other two student leaders explaining about what it means to become a more body-inclusive campus as well as defining the various feminist terms. But I dare say, it was when we moved on to the discussion questions that the workshop started flourishing and doing what it exactly was supposed to do: people started reflecting on how these issues applied to their own lives. One discussion question in particular lingered in my mind for the longest after the workshop was over: how is your body image influenced by your race? This question was important because it was a reminder that race has everything to do with our lives. In fact, the socially constructed concept of beauty standard in today’s media has much to do with race, another concept artificially constructed by society. Even as more and more institutions and individuals seek to embrace diversity, many often find themselves circling back to the same set of beauty standards applied across all races, neglecting the diverse, but all beautiful features that are inherent among us. In particular, this set of beauty standards centers “a type of white femininity that’s only accessible to a select few,” as Leah Donnella from NPR once described. 

         In this way, race and racial stereotypes encompass every aspect of our lives, whether it may seem explicit or too subtle to be noticed in our eyes. It is our job at St. Mark’s and at anywhere we will someday come across in life to notice these injustices and to help those around us notice them. Ms. Zhu, who has directed the C&E day, had announced earlier that this year will mark the end of C&E day tradition at St. Mark’s. This announcement, however, does not and shall not mark the end of truthful and engaging discussions on anti-racism at St. Mark’s. Perhaps, the most influential lesson we can all get out of this year’s C&E day is that all the discussions on this day are a continuation– we will continue to discuss, notice, and fix the many injustices that surround our lives which are based upon the mere color of our skin. 

The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

By Yoonjeong Yang ‘24

Social media has become a vital tool in modern activism and its usage has risen significantly, especially amidst the global pandemic. Powerful and accessible, social media platforms provide activists with a voice they wouldn’t have otherwise and reflects the realities of the world. Amid this unprecedented explosion in popular engagement, empowered performative activism undertaken to undermine movements has blurred the distinction between performative allyship and genuine support, with many people seeking to capitalize on the moment for social clout rather than actually supporting the movement and its demands. Therefore, while social media is an effective way for people to enter the conversation, activism should not simply end with a simple social media post. 

Social media activism includes promoting awareness through the use of hashtags, posts, and campaigns. Without tangible action, though, gestures like using a hashtag or positing a black square are seen as performative, and these minimal yet insubstantial efforts are often called  “slacktivism.” It is important to note that performative activism, while increasingly popular on social media platforms, is a hindrance to social justice movements and should not become a replacement for tangible action. Genuine social media activism should be supported by concrete action, donations, and measurable commitments to change. While it might be argued that such performative activism raises awareness of the issues in question, it is clear that it can also be self-serving. Garnering public support for a cause, online or offline, is never a bad thing, but slacktivism, when undertaken to merely grab the public’s attention is regrettable. Now is the time to attempt to draw the line between action in service of the public good and the appropriation of another’s struggle for the sake of popularity.

The St. Mark’s website states that the school’s mission is to, “promote awareness around cultural differences and provide affinity opportunities for students whose social or identity needs are not reflected in the dominant culture at St. Mark’s.” While the school stresses the importance of diversity and equality, its programs are often led by particular student leaders and do not provide opportunities for all students to actively participate and promote activism. The school should take this opportunity to effectively utilize social media and amplify the voices of a more diverse group of students. This would ensure that students from different genders, ages, and ethnicities could be heard. However, this would be ineffective if social media were the sole channel through which students speak out. Social media activism must be coupled with tangible, substantial action in order for it to be effective. The school must provide students with that opportunity. As awareness is raised, the action taken by the student body is what will lead to lasting change. 

The Issue with Performative Activism

Mandy Hui’23

The past few months were filled with tension and uprisings predominantly within the American community but also foreign nations, followed by a series of social movements in person and online. The killing of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, especially, resulted in one of the largest social movements in history: the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement focused on bolstering Black Lives and conveying detest towards police brutality. In addition, a lot of people expressed their thoughts and support on social media platforms like Instagram, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, #BLM, and #ACAB. 

However, along with this support, numerous individuals demonstrated activism on their own social media pages that were considered performative: activism that only better one’s social capital instead of genuinely supporting the cause. Groups of people began to become suspicious and concerned that a large portion of posts about the Black Lives Matter movement on social media was performative; the posts only wanted to seek attention and social clout by exploiting the movement, thinking of it as a ‘trend’. 

An example of a time when performative activism caught the attention of many during this movement was #BlackOutTuesday. On June 2nd, 2020, millions of users on Instagram posted black squares to publicly display their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Even though this day was for allies to voice their solidarity with the Black community, the bombardment of posts inadvertently filtered out vital information about the movement. Also, people suspected that others posted only out of pressure for social approval, proving to their followers that they have good intentions and are good people. 

Performative activism may be unintentional; nevertheless, it is important to realize if your own allyship is performative as some people can fall into the trap of believing your activism is just a singular post with a hashtag. Being an ally is not just about posting hashtags and images, but it also includes engaging in uncomfortable conversations, educating yourself on the roots and history of the movement, and never stop learning.