1. “Our primary objective for this academic year is to bring our whole class together while being physically separated. And we really just want to have fun with our friends, especially since this is our last year at UHS.”

2. “Our first class event was on October 30th when we held a class inspired Halloween Kahoot and played some fun games together after, such as Brawlhalla and Skribbl.io. Then, on November 24th, we hosted an Among Us tournament which was a little tricky to organize but it turned out to be very fun. We even gave out prizes which some people were extremely excited about. Finally, on January 15th of this year, we hosted a Class Jeopardy! To be completely honest there were a lot of technical difficulties with this event and the beginning was extremely rocky, but as we got in the hang of it it turned out to be a very nice moment in this weird and difficult year!”

3. “We would collectively grade our performance as officers an 8 out of 10 in the first semester. We honestly tried very hard but it has been a big learning experience trying to plan online events that people enjoy and want to be a part of as well as knowing the best ways to reach out to as many people as we can while we are physically apart.  We have been doing a great job for the amount of responsibility bestowed upon us because most of the council members are council members for the first time. Also, we are not really familiar with each other in terms of working together as a team because we come from different groups.”

4. “We would like to find ways to do the senior events such as Senior Sunrise and such without having to be in person. We also are looking forward to creating our class merch and making out class baccalaureate video! Most importantly, we want to make beautiful memories that will hopefully make this horrible situation a little less horrible.”

5. “We communicate with our class through a combination of Instagram, Discord, and Remind.  But throughout the last semester we have found that it is difficult because not many people pay attention to the messages we send out.  This makes it hard to fulfill our goal to bring the class together because of how hard it is to communicate primarily through different forms of social media where not everyone has at least one of the mediums.  Many of our classmates are just tired of not being able to see our friends in person, which is very understandable and essentially how everyone is feeling right now.”

1. “Overall, we would like to keep class morale and spirits high during online learning.  Also, we would like to unite and keep everyone sane while spreading positivity during these difficult times.  We all know that this whole COVID situation could be a lot better, but the Junior Council would just like to bring light to the dark times we're currently facing—whether it be through a motivational video or simple class Zoom.”

2. “The biggest event that we hosted this school year was our "Junior Night" (November 19).  We watched a Christmas movie and even played some online games together.  The best part was seeing everyone having so much fun and having a little break from school to just hang out with as many other people!  We had a great turnout of students, so the night was a great success.  Also, we've filmed a few videos for the students throughout the fall semester to bring some more sense of normalcy to online school.”

3. “We’ve done pretty well as class officers, considering the nature of this school year.  It's been pretty hard to figure out new ways to bring our class closer, but we've been pretty consistent in and dedicated to our jobs as the Junior Council. From the inspirational videos we've filmed to the events, we rank ourselves a 10 for effort and execution.”

4. "Our biggest goal would be to plan an in-person prom this spring semester; we would LOVE to plan an in-person prom, so fingers crossed.  Also, we would just like to continue our path to spreading positivity and boosting class morale for our Junior year.”

5. "We've been very active on our Class Remind and Instagram page.  It’s our junior year, so everyone is nervous about testing and college apps soon.  There’s a lot of anxiety about the future, but there have been some good moments— Junior night, which brought us closer together.”

1. “Our primary objective is to help more students achieve a higher grade threshold through an increase in study sessions or communication.  We are hoping we can streamline our teacher's work too, as they work exceptionally hard to teach us during an unprecedented time like this.  Moreover, escalating motivation and joyfulness in a deprecating time is what we hope to accomplish through our social events.”

2. “This past semester, us sophomore officers held various study sessions and social events.  Our study sessions ranged from studying for History 20 tests, to Chemistry tests, to Latin exams.  Our social events encompassed of a Game Night & Halloween Fest in October, and a Thanksgiving Bash in late November.”

3. “Our council did a fantastic job in virtually every category; therefore, we would give ourselves a score of 9 out of 10.  We deducted a point for minor miscommunications and low attendance in our events.  On the bright side, however, our resources and events were overall successful and useful.”

4. “Our two most vital goals for this semester is to create an event schedule to increase attendance and prepare sophomores for junior year.  Increasing comfort of the sophomores in general for History 20 & 21 is also on our to-do list since junior year will have more college courses.  Minor goals consist of study sets for Quizlet, inputting/asking for more suggestions from peers, and trying to offer assistance/streamline the lives of our teachers as well.”

5. “The sophomore council makes use of the class-wide Remind, our Instagram stories/posts, and Discord.  The most prominent form of communication was Remind, which informed them of study sessions, social events, and new resources, closely followed by Instagram stories and Discord announcements. The overall sense from the sophomore class is exhaustion.  The jump from freshman to sophomore year, paired with the rigor that History 20, Latin II, and chemistry primarily are is why exhaustion seems to be profound.”

1. “Our primary objective of this academic year is to bring people together and create a community among our class, since we can't be together in real life. We know that this year is going to be rough considering we can't be together or have fun in-person events, but we want to make the most of our current abilities so that when we do get back to normal school, most people will already have a few people that they know!”

2. “Freshman Game Day (Oct. 22, 14-16 people) — We hosted a Zoom with breakout rooms and people had the option of playing Among Us, Roblox, or Skribbl.io, and they were put into their respective breakout rooms. They also had the option of spectating!

Among Us Hide and Seek (Nov. 1, 9-10 people) —We held a Zoom and played a  version of Among Us where you modify the visibility settings and play Hide and Seek.

Skribbl.io Game Night (Nov. 20, 17 people) — We made a Zoom where we played Skribbl.io as a group. This had our biggest turnout because it was well-advertised and it's the easiest to play.”

3. "We would grade it as a 7.5; we did great with coming up with events, but we could have done better with advertising and planning. We needed better communication, but we know how to fix that now. Other than that, we had outstanding ideas that the class loved and we're very proud of that!"

4. “We would like to plan more events and try to further accomplish our primary objective. We've reflected back on our shortcomings and what we excelled at, so we have a good understanding of what we should do in this coming semester. Now that we have this knowledge, we'll be able to make this an outstanding academic year.”

5. “We are communicating with our class through Remind, Discord, and Instagram. In regards to this academic year, we're sensing that they're tired of being online (virtual school is really exhausting) and would love to be at in-person school to meet up with people. We've heard that it feels almost like we've missed out because we haven't been able to socialize as much with distanced learning.”

It’s a new semester, and as a school we have officially been online for an entire semester! That is an amazing accomplishment, and since we’re beginning another semester, I decided to ask a few of the teachers about how their experience was last semester and what they were looking forward to for the next one. These were their responses.

Question 1: How much have you learned about yourself as a teacher/counselor/administrator?

[Mr. Morgan]

• When I decided to go into the field of education, I did it because I absolutely love working with students.  Working last semester remotely, with no students on campus, only confirmed that the job I have is all about the students for me and without them here on campus it's just not the same.  Without students around, the role of an administrator can easily feel more like a management position with documentation, forms, and paperwork unending and that's just not a bit motivator. 

[Mrs. Rudolph]

• I have learned a lot about myself.  I have learned that I have got to continue to grow as an educator and create new avenues for students to engage in the online platform we are currently using in our classrooms.

[Mr. Johnson]

• I have found the process of turning my lessons into YouTube videos more easily than I expected, and I have found myself - a Gen X'er who is very "selective" with technology - to be better at doing that sort of thing than I thought I would be.  Maybe I should now try to become a YouTube star.

[Mr. Benslay]

• I have learned I can be much more flexible than I ever thought I would need to be.  This has made it necessary to change our whole thought process on what can and can not be done from home/ a chair.  (Never thought I would teach PE in an office.)  I have learned to not sweat the small stuff, things will either happen or they won't.  If they don't, then cross that river when it doesn't go according to plan.

[Mr. Mondragon]

• One of the things that I learned about myself last semester is the joy I still get from teaching. I really enjoy hearing from students how much they are learning even though we are not inside a classroom. I also learned the benefits of flipped classroom learning, I really find it valuable to get feedback from every student on every lesson and I can address them in a timely manner, instead of waiting for a quiz or test to tell me how everyone is feeling on each topic.

Question 2: How much easier do you think this semester will be for you considering that you’ve already completed almost a year of online teaching?

[Mr. Morgan]

• Since my role is to support teachers by providing them with the resources and tools they need to be successful, this semester will be much easier.  Many of the online applications and programs we used were effective and the teachers were pleased with the options available for them.  This semester we won't be buying new programs or learning how to use new applications, so that will be nice for everyone.  I also feel that now there is a more certain "flow" for each day and week with online learning.  I'm aware of when teachers are available and how to best connect with them.  I also feel a bit more connected to the students as a whole because of the days we have seen students on campus and the messaging and social media I'm responsible for.

[Mrs. Rudolph]

• Since it is my first year of teaching at UHS, I think I will face many of the same challenges I did last semester because I am still learning and creating the curriculum for this semester.

[Mrs. Fernandez]

• This semester I feel a little more prepared in regards to addressing zoom fatigue. I realized that it is easy for me to get caught up with work and to skip meals and breaks. I have implemented little reminders in my day to keep me moving and not stuck in front of the screen all day. I make sure to make  time to eat and also to go outside- even if it is for a quick minute or two. It definitely helps! There are a couple of free mobile apps out there that can help you stay on track and I would encourage students to find one that works for them.

The year 2020 was one like no other, to say the least.  Over a span of twelve months, a plethora of events, for better or worse, have made headlines here and abroad.  With so many life-changing moments, the year almost seems like a blur.  Here is an overview of how those tumultuous times unfolded.

• In the early months of 2020, the year started with high hopes for the new decade and what was to come.  However, soon after, foreign tensions with Iran escalated due to the assassination of Quasam Soleimani, sparking anxiety about a possible “World War III”.  Additionally, bushfires in Australia ravaged the country as millions of acres fell victim to the flames.  In the background, the emerging COVID-19 virus creeped up as cases slowly increased.

• By late February, the COVID-19 outbreak was already dangerously near pandemic classification.  Come mid-March, cases exploded as the world went into lockdown.  It seemed schools, institutions, and events were all being shut down or cancelled in a matter of weeks, even days.  Virtual conferencing became the norm, and software such as Zoom increased in popularity.  Cities seemed emptier and less busy than usual.

• The coming months brought only more spread of COVID-19.  At the end of March, the total number of cases in the U.S. was just under 200,000; at the end of April, it was 1,118,237.  In May, as cases kept on increasing, protests started nationwide, and even abroad, after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man, at the hands of police on May 25.  Many demonstrated against systemic discrimination or police brutality.  Notably, on June 1, peaceful protesters at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. were forced out using tear gas and rubber bullets, much to the anger of many.

• The summer went on with the world still in quarantine.  An unfortunate explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on August 4 left people in shock, and worsened the COVID-19 crisis and preexisting civil unrest in the area.  

With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large and quarantine still in place, it’s no surprise that families and friends have looked towards movies and brand new shows in search of something to take their minds off the world. However, the added costs of quarantine restrictions and difficulties of working have greatly delayed or even shut down many new projects or longly expected series, despite the growing accessibility of online entertainment sites and apps such as Disney+ and Netflix. Global box offices have dropped by billions of dollars with the rising popularity of streaming not yet alleviating such heavy-hitting losses. In fact, the highest-grossing film of 2020 earned less than $500 million worldwide, the first time since 2007 that a top-grossing film has earned less than $1 billion. Yet, even with these depressing statistics, one might be surprised to see success in the most unexpected sectors of entertainment. Let’s take a look at a record-setting film and its success in 2020 forward.

Anime fans might be familiar with the name “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, a Japanese manga series adapted into an anime in early 2019. A 26-episode television series about a young boy finding a cure for his demon-infected sister, fighting a secret society of demons, and hunting his family’s killer found extraordinary popularity worldwide, with the manga selling the most copies of any manga in 2020- over 82 million copies compared to second place’s mere 8 million copies- and the anime winning Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year award. Yet many fans were concerned for the series’ longevity and continuation when pandemic restrictions began restricting movie theater openings and showings. That is why the booming success of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train” has inspired both viewers and moviemakers all over the world in the midst of our COVID conundrum today.

The Tower Theatre in the Tower District of Fresno has been an iconic landmark since 1939 when it opened as Fresno’s first suburban theater.  The theater was S. Charles Lee’s only completed architect project in Fresno.  The Tower Theatre has remained an integral part of the Tower District despite having to shut down as a movie theatre in 1989 due to debt.  It was able to reopen in 1991 with rebranding as a dramatic theater that hosts concerts, film festivals, and more.  The theater stands as a symbol to the community as everything that the Tower District stands for, a safe space for expression.  Now in 2021, the owners of the theater are selling and it seems that this landmark might not be able to be the same symbol it once was.

Throughout the pandemic, Adventure Church has been holding services inside of the theater every Sunday.  When the theater was placed for sale at $6.5, the Adventure Church expressed interest in making the Tower Theatre a full-time church.  They promised that they would still allow events to be held at the theater, yet the community worries about what events would be cut.  The Tower District has been notorious for holding various LGBTQ+ events, one of which is the Fresno Reel Pride LGBTQ Film Festival that is held directly in the Tower Theatre.  While community members have not been able to find a clear answer as to what Adventure Church’s views are towards the LGBTQ+ community, they do not want to chance the loss of the Tower District as a safespace.  There are other reasons the community has been vocally opposed to the Adventure Church’s purchase.

The Tower Theatre sits as the hub of the Tower District with many businesses surrounding it selling alcohol.  While the Adventure Church moving in would not force these businesses to stop selling alcohol, future businesses moving into the buildings would not be able to obtain new liquor licenses, which lowers the resale values of all those buildings.  Not to mention, there are numerous coding issues that have to get approved for the Tower Theatre to actually be used as a church.  These coding issues are one of the few things that are keeping the sale from leaving “pending”. 

Earlier in January, there was a small peaceful protest outside of the theater from community members who did not hate the church for buying the theater, but wanted to protect the atmosphere of the Tower District.  Councilmembers noticed this and the general public’s outrage and pointed out that while the City of Fresno could not stop the purchase from being made, Adventure Church did need their approval in order for the theatre to become a church.  So, the conversion has been put on hold due to the various legal issues surrounding it.  Yet there is another development that is preventing an easy transition.

A catering business by the name of The Painted Table had recently been looking for a new venue.  They thought that they had found their location until the controversy of the Adventure Church purchase came up.  The owners attended the community meeting surrounding the purchase and decided that a better choice would be to put in an offer for the Tower Theatre in order to preserve it to the community’s liking.  Now the Tower Theatre is caught in a bidding war with no clear outcome yet.

The selling and purchase of the Tower Theatre should not come as a surprise.  All businesses have been suffering due to the pandemic, and none more so than theaters.  Just recently, the Rainbow Ballroom in Downtown Fresno has also been placed for sale.  The main concern about the Tower Theatre’s sale is what the new owners will choose to do with it and how that will affect the surrounding Tower District.  While nobody is absolutely certain about the fate of the theater, it is safe to say everyone just wants to see the iconic historical landmark given the respect it deserves.

Sources Used

• https://abc30.com/tower-theatre-buy-sale-painted-table/9697686/

• https://gvwire.com/2021/01/04/historic-tower-theatre-is-for-sale-neighbors-are-concerned-about-possible-buyer/

• https://thebusinessjournal.com/iconic-downtown-fresno-concert-venue-for-sale/

• http://historicfresno.org/nrhp/tower.htm

• https://abc30.com/tower-theatre-protest-fresno-for-sale/9542613/

• https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/fresnos-tower-theatre-is-being-bought-by-a-local-church-creates-social-media-backlash/