The Crusader Policy:

The Crusader encourages community dialogue on public matters. Letters submitted to the Crusader may be edited prior to publication and must include a full name and class grade. Please email letters to Opinion Editors Yealin Lee ([email protected]) or Evan Abutin ([email protected]).

Dear Editor,

I was recently reading “Yes/No: Should students return to school?” by Nadia Martinez and Laurinne Eugenio and found the arguments very convincing on both sides. I appreciated the coverage on both sides of this topic because it provides a reason [as to] why us, students, should be able [or] not able to return to in-person classes. Nadia’s focus on the mental health [of] students in the pandemic is a sad but true story. She even agrees that a return to school does not just mean everybody goes back with no plan at all. I feel like this is a really important thought that most people glance over. Laurinne’s ideas of allowing the spread to get worse is a real reason why we still have not gone back. One area I feel that could be improved is extending this to a further timeframe because the relevancy of this piece is non-existent, since we are past the March 1 deadline the two writers discuss.

Best regards,

Tyler Carter

Dear Editor, 

I, Marco Olmos, am a senior who has always enjoyed reading the Crusader. I recently read the [article] “IB Confirms BVH Will Not Be Holding Seated Exams,” [and] I found this story to be rather interesting. I appreciate this piece because it is informative and concise about the topic at hand while also going into a great amount of depth [regarding] the situation and perspective of IB Coordinator Jared Phelps. Most recently [during] the pandemic, I find it intriguing when the paper focuses on the struggles of the students as well as the staff since they are in this situation just as much as we are, and this piece does a great job at expressing both sides. Personally, I did find it strange to discover that the prices of tests will remain the same, given they would no longer be held. Then, […] when the article states “the money [will be] paying for [the] labor to grade all of the IAs instead of grading the seated exams,” a greater understanding is presented. [This demonstrates] that the money being spent serves a purpose to those who work hard to grade our work. I found this piece to be very insightful giving the opinion of both sides, as well as informative to myself and other students who come to the Crusader for reliable information.

Thank you for your work,

Marco Olmos

Dear Editor,

I recently read the article “The Final Test” [by Nicole Macgaffey from] the Crusader, which discussed many of Bonita Vista High School teachers’ decisions to adapt their final exams to conditions relating to distance learning. I admire that the article produces a unique perspective brought from teachers who all teach different subjects of our education, yet share a similar understanding regarding this topic. I am thankful to realize that we as students are not alone in this decision to adapt our finals to the mental health of our students. [Given] the common understanding that our knowledge is better nurtured through lessons rather than test scores and […] that neither teachers or students have ventured into a full school year on the screen, adapted final exams [are] much appreciated. In the article, I would have liked to have seen what the standard class teachers’ thoughts on adapting their finals for students [were] as well, considering that all the teachers that were interviewed were involved in AP/IB curriculum.

Sincerely,

Tatiana Eustaquio

Dear Editor,

I found the article “Dancing to the rhythm” written by Nadia Martinez and Yealin Lee very interesting and insightful to read. As a member of Get to The Pointe dance company (GTP), I was excited to see that our performance video was on the website. More importantly, as an officer and senior member of GTP, I value hearing from the rest of my team and learned a lot from the article. For instance, Martinez and Lee chose to interview Isabella and Grace about their experience, which taught me about how one’s space, experience and confidence affects their ability to learn and grow in class. I appreciate that Martinez and Lee interviewed them because it revealed how some of my teammates felt about being on the team during distance learning. I am lucky to have dance equipment at home, as well as experience from the past two years to feel comfortable learning dance online. However, online learning has made it harder for the team to reflect on our progress together as we usually would and I now have a deeper understanding of the different circumstances that other dancers have to feel ready to learn as well. I hope to use the knowledge from this article to be a better leader when I teach and choreograph dances, in the hopes that I can support each dancer to the best of my ability.

Sincerely,

Faith Rivera

Dear Editor, 

My name is Diego Gonzalez, and I am a senior at BVHS. I found the recent publication of the article “SUHSD announces plan to return 10% of students to campus” by Carina Muniz very informative. In our current situation, full of uncertainty, us students are often left hanging without meaningful information that might be significant to us, but the school newspaper constantly keeps us updated with any relevant information we might be [in need] of. I really enjoyed this article because it gives us an idea of what to expect in the near future in terms of reopening schools, and it also hints at the next possible reopening phase after the 10% phase. The article was concise and to the point, making it easy to understand and gather the information necessary with regards to the future of school in person. In another aspect, I want to personally thank the Crusader, specifically staff writer Madelyn Omelina, for taking the time to interview me about the future of IB exams; I strongly appreciated the professionalism of the interview. In terms of the future for the Crusader, I hope more informative pieces regarding schools reopening are published, but I would also love to see more opinion pieces to really ignite the passion for journalism amongst our community!

Best regards, 

Diego Gonzalez

Dear Editor,

In Carina Muniz’s piece “Turning a difficult present into a brighter future,” I appreciate how the article highlights the opportunities that distance learning has to offer, in spite of all of the challenges students are currently facing. As a senior, meeting deadlines and staying on top of assignments is more important than ever as we approach the end of the school year. Admittedly, however, because of distance learning there have been times where I feel absolutely unmotivated to do any work especially knowing that, being in the comfort of my own home, I can turn off my laptop and go on my phone at any time. As a result, I think it’s valuable to reflect upon how we can turn these moments of distress and discouragement into meaningful experiences. By directing my focus towards “organization, prioritization, goal setting […] and stress management,” this article helped me realize the importance of taking advantage of my distance learning situation in order to improve on key academic skills that I need as I prepare for college. Thank you for emphasizing the “educational benefits” of distance learning as it encourages me to work harder to make the most out of this experience.

Sincerely, 

Wallae Zeidan