Issue 3 news briefs

By Ethan Wang & Evelyn Lam
Staff Writers

Evacuation Drill

During the drill on Aug. 29, fourth period classes evacuated to one of the three new areas. Students in the 400, 500 and PE buildings lined up on the softball field. Students in the 300 and 600 to 900 buildings met up on the tennis courts while students in the 100 and 200 buildings evacuated to the field on Lemon Avenue.

The Safety Committee comprising student volunteers, parents and staff adopted these new routes as the stadium, the previous evacuation area, is now under construction. The committee noticed a choke 7 epoint at the softball field and will review the plan before the Great Shakeout.

Going forward, administration seeks to remain flexible and will likely revert to the original evacuation route once renovations are completed. 

“The kids did a great job with the change in location,” Principal Elena Li said. “This is all so that we will be prepared. We’re not going to have every scenario, but not practicing is not an option.” 

Rams Course

RAMS advisory, a course aimed at familiarizing freshmen with the school and assisting seniors with college selection and applications, ended on Aug. 29, a week earlier than expected.

The school shares a contract called the Memorandum of Understanding with the teachers union stating that teachers would supervise RAMS classes for only two weeks. Last year’s MOU outlined three weeks of availability. However, administration discovered after planning RAMS that the agreement had changed. Class assemblies and course change requests during office hours also conflicted with the RAMS schedule.

There are plans to recoup the lost time through email invites to meet with counselors.

“We do acknowledge that it’s important for students to get the information that is necessary for their continued success,” Assistant Principal Scott Sherman said. “We’re trying to find a happy medium.”

Cell Tower

Over the summer, Verizon and T-Mobile removed their cell tower to facilitate football field renovations, creating service issues. 

“The cell tower removal is overall great for the school because students are able to focus on their academics rather than being on their phones for other things,” junior Timothy Feng said. “I also think the change is bad in some ways because the WiFi can be unreliable.”

Administration clarified that reinstallation is a complicated process largely outside school control.

“The students’ frustrations regarding cell phone service are shared similarly,” Assistant Principal Anthony Chan said. “We have worked for a solution, but at this time it is between the city and the cell phone company.” 

In the meantime, Chan emphasizes limiting cell usage during emergencies to preserve necessary communication.