Civic

Aging is often obscured from movies, or portrayed in ways that perpetuate stereotypes about what aging is. The films at thetheLegacy Film Festival on Aging counter that by exploring more fully what it means to get older. The festival will showcase films about themes often associated with aging, like memory, disability and caring, but also includes stories about how people have shown and still show courage in the face of hate or how they have advanced civil rights. Arlene Reiff, film curator for the festival, talked with “Civic” about representation of seniors in cinema and how she helped select works to screen.

Janitors have been taking to the streets in San Francisco for weeks to advocate for better working conditions during the pandemic, even going on a three-day strike in mid-March. They’ve advocated for improvements like better ventilation in buildings, better protective gear for workers, health insurance coverage, and a wage increase. Juan Hernandez, a janitor with decades of experience who works at an office tower, gives a sense of the day-to-day reality of this work during the pandemic.

Before coronavirus cases were confirmed in San Francisco, paramedic Alfredo Banuelos and his colleagues were watching case numbers in other cities, still at a distance. Then he got his first patient. When the virus arrived in San Francisco and the city locked down and everything changed, procedures on the ambulance changed too. He reflects on how the pandemic unfolded for emergency medical responders.

San Francisco’s school district and board of education have been in the spotlight for a variety of controversies. Those include school reopening, a member of the board suing the district, an effort to recall some members, and an initiative to rename certain schools. Putting the controversies aside, two education reporters — Jill Tucker with the San Francisco Chronicle and Ida Mojadad with the San Francisco Examiner — give an overview of the responsibilities of the school board as a body and the process of electing its members.

Under a new health order, San Franciscans no longer need to wear a mask while doing outdoor activities like walking or biking when they’re alone or with members of their household. Unvaccinated people should wear a mask if social distancing can’t be maintained. Fully vaccinated people can almost entirely forgo masks outdoors, with some specific exceptions. Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco's health officer, explains the details of the new order and how these decisions are made.

Some students in the San Francisco Unified School District are back in classrooms — as of April 26, more than 19,000 of them. But there are tens of thousands more students in the district. The school board has resolved to give all students the option to return to in-person instruction in the fall. Gentle Blythe, deputy superintendent of strategic partnerships and communications with the district, discusses the impacts of distance learning and next steps for reopening schools.

On February 1, after a democratic election, the Burmese military seized control of the government and declared a year-long state of emergency. Burmese people have been protesting that takeover, and the military has cracked down with deadly use of force, killing hundreds including children. Demonstrations in solidarity have also been held around the world, including in San Francisco. Ko Ko Lay, co-founder of Free Burma Action Committee, and Jane Pak, adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, both of whom are board members of Refugee and Immigrant Transitions, talk about how these events have affected people living in Burma and the Bay Area.