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STUDENTS SEND LOVE

TO BACHRACH AFTER INJURY

SIERRA SUGARMAN, STAFF WRITER

A

fter Pali Span-

ish teacher Laura

Bachrach sus-

tained injuries requiring 150

stitches in her mouth and face

during a boating accident in

February, the Pali community

rallied to celebrate the contri-

butions she has made in her

three years of service to the

World Language Department.

The Associated Stu-

dent Body (ASB) sent out a

Schoology message on Feb.

17 giving students the oppor-

tunity to submit videos to be

featured in a “get well soon”

video for Bachrach. Senior

and Vice President of ASB

Selene Lam, who compiled

the video, said that she “heard

about [Bachrach’s injury]

from her brother and want-

ed to send some love to her.”

“Ms. Bachrach does an

amazing job at highlighting

the importance of being com-

fortable messing up or figur-

ing things out, which really

helps students improve,” said

Javier Tiscareno, a sophomore

in Bachrach’s Spanish 2 class.

Tiscaren, who was also in

Bachrach’s Spanish 1 class last

year, said that she resumed

teaching soon after her accident

and has maintained roughly the

same level of rigor at a slight-

ly slower pace with his class.

“I was honestly just amazed

by her commitment. I just

hope Ms. Bachrach knows

how much of an impact she

makes by caring so much for

her students,” Tiscareno said.

World Language Depart-

ment Chair Maggie Nance

said that Bachrach has been

instrumental in implementing

standardized unit-based learn-

ing into Pali Spanish classes.

“Having her as a resource

has completely transformed our

department in terms of what in-

struction is supposed to look

like and how it works,” Nance

said. “She holds me to this con-

stant standard of excellence.”

Nance said that Bachrach

“really knows the recipe”

for effective instruction.

“If you think of good teach-

ing as a stew, she knows all the

ingredients, and she knows the

proportions, and she knows

how it’s supposed to be.”

FOOTBALL SEASON BEGINS

JINHEON KIM, STAFF WRITER

A

fter more than a

year-long break,

the Pali football

team played its season open-

er against Western League

rival Venice on Friday, April

9, but there is no disputing

that the team’s road to get

to this point was a long one.

The journey began six

weeks earlier with a car ral-

ly protest in front of Pali on

Friday, Feb. 26. Approxi-

mately 20 to 30 cars loaded

with players and supporters

protested the football team’s

inability to practice, according

to junior and varsity football

team member Jack Babala,

one of the event organizers.

“Football, to me, means ev-

erything,” said Isaias Alegria,

senior and varsity running

back. “The football team is my

family, and I am excited to get

back on the field with them.”

All sports teams in the Los

Angeles City Section were not

allowed to practice during the

fall semester due to COVID-19

restrictions. However, as trans-

mission rates dwindled and

the vaccination rollout began,

the Los Angeles City Section

granted Pali athletes permis-

sion to start practicing, just

two weeks after the car rally.

Lisa Manheim, president

of the Pali High Quarter-

back Club, said she believes

that it is safe for the season

to start, citing reports from

Governor Gavin Newsom.

“COVID-19 is not spread

during such [sports] activities,”

she said. “49 other states fig-

ured this out before California.”

Dean Howard, Pali’s As-

sistant Director of Athletics,

said that he was “fine with the

protest” and that he “trusts

the LA County Public De-

partment of Health (DPH).”

Pali is strictly follow-

ing the DPH’s rules to

keep players safe and has

opened most other sports.

To the protesters,

kickstarting high school

sports was a necessity.

“Football and any oth-

er sports are really import-

ant for student-athletes,”

Alegria said. “Sports change

lives and can lead the way

to many new opportunities.”

Courtesy of Laura Bachrach

Photo by Jonathan Gelfond