COVID-19 Aquila Press Conference with Executive Director David Porter | Breaking News

Editor’s Note: This video was originally published on YouTube on March 14, 2020.

Around 11:30 a.m., all Santa Clara County public education institutions were informed a three-week hiatus would take effect starting March 16 leaving the student body with a number of questions. This video will help answer certain unexplained questions from UPA’s Executive Director, David Porter.

Filming and editing by Katherine Nguyen, Assistant Multimedia Manager, and Greg Haessner, Multimedia Manager.

Reporting by Aquila Staff. 

00:26 – Porter Announcements 05:54 – What has changed in Santa Clara County’s Policy in the last 24 hours? 07:15 – How will students without wifi or computer be supported? 08:00 – Why did they county choose April 6 as the day to return? 09:02 – How will the school’s closure affect AP classes? 10:33 – What criteria would have brought [Porter] to close the school? 11:26 – Do you believe this is a necessary step for UPA? 12:50 – Will there be any cleaning process happening at UPA during the hiatus? 14:18 – Was the rumor about the student who tested positive for Covid-19 true? 14:28 – Have there been any confirmed cases of Covid-19 at UPA? 15:30 – How will the closure of the school effect events like prom or graduation? 17:35 – How will the school’s closure affect UPA’s budget? 18:43 – What will happen to the Theatre Department’s production of Little Shop of Horror 19:32 – How will the transition from in-person to online school go? 21:51 – Are there any plans to reschedule the Volleyball and Track and Field seasons? 22:14 – What other precautions will students have to take before the school opens up? 23:56 – How much time did teachers have to revise their lesson plans? 24:55 – If a student were to contract Covid-19 over break what would they do? 25:57 – What platforms are being considered for digital education? 27:02 – How will outside school activities like going to the mall or hanging out with friends be regulated? 28:30 – Is there any plan in place to reimburse students for their payments towards trips?

Check out our article regarding the closure by Co-Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Rozmarin.