The early 2021 student panel was held with concern as to how students were experiencing remote learning. The student panel, held usually twice a year, is an event that takes place at the GUSD headquarters. Since the district was still in lockdown, the student panel had to once again take place over Zoom on Feb. 23.

The student panel is held so that GUSD representatives have a chance to speak directly with the people they are making decisions for, the students. High school students from all around GUSD are chosen to represent their school’s academic experience. 

Senior Ani Sahakian was responsible for hosting the discussion itself. Various topics such as student-to-teacher communication and whether the video call camera should be on or off were discussed throughout the hour and a half. 

Students were also asked what keeps them motivated in online schooling. Junior Manvel Muradyan from Clark Magnet High School said that, “by realizing that at the end of the year we have this exam [AP Exams] that we have to take, it makes you understand that if I don’t pay attention then it’s going to be hard to take the exam. So every time I go to class I think if I pay attention the more I learn and the easier the exam is going to be for me.”

Glendale High School senior Lizzie Davtyan said that she really appreciates when teachers integrate the previous night of homework into the lesson that they will be teaching the next day. “That keeps me motivated because I know I have to do the homework and classwork in order to be able to understand what we are doing in class,” Davtyan said.

One subject that was highlighted during the panel was that since Clark is a smaller campus, there is a higher sense of community present among the students and staff. Freshman Romina Sahebalfosul said that since Clark is a smaller school, everyone knows each other and it’s very much like a family.