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Webb Canyon Chronicle

The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle

The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle

Kahlil Greene kicks off Webb’s biennial Honor Symposium at Sunday Chapel

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Nancy Lin
Members of the Webb community gather at Sunday chapel for Mr. Kahil Greene’s talk about honor.

Last year, many universities switched to a pass/fail grading system after the outbreak of the pandemic because of the many challenges that online learning presented, especially for students from low-income families. Yale University was among the schools that made the change. The policy did not just come out of nowhere; instead, it was the result of student advocates who spoke to college professors and school administrators to present the voices of the students who struggled during the pandemic. 

One of the student leaders behind the change that aimed to alleviate the academic burden was Kahil Greene, a senior at Yale College and its first Black studentbody president. Arguing against Yale’s philosophy professors’ point that even students with the coronavirus studied for exams and should be rewarded with letter grades, Kahil Green pointed out these institutional problems, where students prioritized their grades over their health. 

On ZoomWebb students and faculty members located at different corners of world gathered together, as Kahil Greene told the stories of fighting for equality, justice, and honor in his community and beyond. On Sunday, January 17th, 2021 at 6pm PST, Kahil Greene spoke to more than 400 members of the Webb community about his stories as an advocate of equal rights and shared his insights on the private and public aspects of honor at the opening of Webb’s Honor Symposium. 

“One of the members suggested Khalil, and then we emailed him and soon set up a meeting to discuss,” said Elena Tiedens (‘21), co-chair of the Honor Cabinet. “Though originally, I was skeptical we would connect with Khalil Greene because he is such an amazing person, I’m glad we were able to arrange for him to speak because I think he’s the speaker our community needed.” 

As a long-term advocate for minority groups, Kahil Greene has organized a fundraiser for racial justice organizations through the “Yale Together” movement and has used his voice to make his community a more welcoming and inclusive place. In the “Yale, Together” piece from Yale Daily News, for example, he writes that “Black is still black, even in Yale blue” and indicated that despite Yale’s progressive achievements, its racist history and signs of racial profiling in the local community serve as reminders of the long way to move forward. 

Greene’s chapel talk aligned with Webb’s dedication to antiracism as well as the HCs’ focus on racial justice and advocacy. Inviting Kahlil Greene to the Webb community to give a speech about his experiences in youth politics, the HCs hoped to further inspire the Webb community to foster open conversations and discussions.  

“We’re so glad that Kahlil Greene could speak to us because his views and values connect with our hopes for the future of the HC and our core values,” Elena said. “The HC is a group that connects with the community through honor in areas of Webb life beyond the disciplinary process. We think honor and DEI have a clear intersection because they both speak to what it means to engage with and empower others. I also found it really poignant how Khalil talked about the difference between public and private honor and what it means to live authentically, and I found myself wondering how we can apply our private honor to the public context here at Webb.” 

The themes of the chapel talk resonated with many of Webb’s goals this year. The biennial Honor Symposium invited all Webb community members to engage in a discussion on the intersection of anti-racism and honor, encouraging community members to rethink and redefine honor in the age of the pandemic and under a time of continued racial tension and violence. With SDLC, the community read, and the Student Stay Woke conference, Webb has been — and will continue to be — engaged in local and global initiatives that aspire to achieve our core values of trust, honor, equity, and diversity. 

 

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About the Contributors
Nancy Lin, Editor-In-Chief
Passionate, open-minded, and ambitious are three words that describe Nancy Lin (‘23), and with these characteristics, she is ready to lead The Webb Canyon Chronicle as the Editor-in-Chief.  Nancy is a very involved student at The Webb Schools, showcasing her strong leadership skills as vice student body president, a source of her strong leadership skills. Nancy was first born in Shanghai, China but then later moved to Vancouver, Canada where she spends most of her time away from Webb. Nancy spends her free time in many different ways: listening to a variety of music genres, practicing golf, playing the piano, baking, and rewatching for the billionth time, The Notebook. On the days she spends at home, Nancy makes sure to visit her family, spend time with friends, and most importantly, see her dog Yuanbao!  Although she likes her sweets, like chocolate, she also enjoys a nice Italian or Korean dinner. She stays up to date on school events and is very passionate about international news and global affairs. This year, Nancy is ambitious to hit the ground running as a new Head Editor, excited to publish stories about Webb and the world beyond.   Favorite song: "Runaway" by Kanye West
Heloise Robertson, Chief Copy Editor
Delightful and entertaining Heloise Robertson (‘23) is a cherished personality at Webb for her friendly face and hilarious jokes. Our new Chief Copy Editor is a secretly talented chef, a caring camp counselor, an avid fan of horror literature, and the Webb Canyon Chronicle’s fastest editor. She has learned the importance of teamwork and empathy through participating in basketball and cross country. If you need a hand, hers is out to pick you up. Her personal goals this year are to keep a healthy self-care routine, starting with making her bed every morning before school. Heloise’s vision board for journalism includes making sure every article is timely, ensuring that she spots every grammar mistake, and including the student body in the publication better. Knock on this Head Editor’s Jameson dorm room, and you’ll find her eating sushi, watching Despicable Me, and lying on her stuffed elephant.  “This Charming Man” by The Smiths 
Stephen Li, Chief Editor of Media
Stephen Li (‘21) is the Chief Editor of Media this year for the Webb Canyon Chronicle. He only started photography recreationally four years ago, but this skill has helped him contribute to the WCC through improving the quality of photos, an important yet often overlooked aspect of any publication. As the captain of the varsity football team, it’s no surprise that Stephens favorite spot on campus is the football field. Because of this passion, one of his many goals is to continue playing football in college, as he wants to increase Asian representation in American sports. This year, Stephen wants to increase the impact the Webb Canyon Chronicle has on the community through gaining more readers, and, as a peer advisor, he wants to continue bringing people together especially in the midst of a pandemic. Stephen’s proven talent for rallying the morale of his teammates and peers is a skill that makes him an irreplaceable member of the WCC team. 
Cathy Wang, Editor-in-Chief
Cathy Wang (‘22), an international boarding student from Shanghai, returns to Webb this year not only as the Editor-in-Chief for the WCC- but also as a dorm prefect and admissions fellow. She is excited to be back on campus, taking new classes and reconnecting with the Webb community. So far, Cathy’s favorite course that she has taken at Webb has been Advanced Studies Fascism with Ms. Fisher, which she enjoyed because of how the course related to current issues that she cares about, such as education and gender inequality. These are just a few of the topics that Cathy hopes to shed some more light on, both via the WCC and in person. Outside of classes, Cathy enjoys playing badminton and tennis, reading Latin literature or magical realism, and taking occasional trips to the Claremont Village. Additionally, you might also find her sipping her daily coffee or eating any kind of Japanese food. As the world slowly comes back from the pandemic and Webb shifts to in-person learning, Cathy hopes for the WCC to serve as a facilitator for the Webb community in fostering much-needed connections between people. Favorite song: "I Lost A Friend" by Finneas
Vivien Xi, Chief Copy Editor
Vivien Xi (‘21) is a positive and energetic soul from Shanghai, China. This year, she has taken on the role of Chief Copy Editor for the Webb Canyon Chronicle. She is perfect for the position because she is motivated, responsible, organized, and loves helping others. Over the summer, she interned at multiple financial firms and worked at a restaurant. Vivien’s spirit animal is a bee, because they are always working diligently and socializing with others. Vivien's busy bee work ethic will serve her well working on the WCC team and in her near future, especially since she wants to study economics and media. She enjoys playing tennis, eating sushi, and hanging out with friends and family. She wishes to make a positive impact in life, big or small. Vivien has gained a confident voice from working with the Webb Canyon Chronicle. This year, she plans to use her voice and platform on the WCC to speak out about healthcare systems around the world and how COVID-19 has impacted those systems.   
Sunny Yu, Editor-in-Chief
Sunny Yu (‘22) is a prime example of the protagonist personality. As a natural leader, she is active, thoughtful, caring, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the WCC, a member of the Chapel Council, the captain of the varsity cross-country team, and a founding member of Webb’s Breakfast literary magazine. Sunny is also vocal and passionate about the enforcement of social justice and representation of marginalized groups: at the WCC, she utilizes journalism as a tool to shed light on many controversial issues, never shying away from the ability to make a lasting impact. During the weekends, you can often find her on a run to “The Spot,” a smoothie shop, playing soccer on Chandler, and occasionally annoying the library staff for borrowing too many books, such as her favorite, Waiting for the Barbarians, a wonderful allegory on human relationships. As a protagonist, she finds joy in guiding young journalists to grow into their best selves. This year, Sunny hopes that the WCC can continue covering important topics and spark conversations while bringing people laughter and keeping them informed. Favorite song: "Sunflower Feelings" by Kuzu Mellow

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