Discovering the secrets of the English Palace

Outside the English wing, a pair of mysterious double doors display no room number. Though this room is hardly royal or ornate, it is fondly called the English Palace.

The Palace’s unique name honors a former English teacher named Genevieve Palace, who retired several years ago.

“I wouldn't say it is shrouded in a veil of secrecy, but it's definitely one of the legendary things about SHS,” said senior Johnny Chang.

According to English teacher Erick Rector, the Palace acts as both a storage and a meeting place for English teachers.

For example, during staff collaborations on some Wednesday mornings, the English department may meet there to discuss various subjects such as how to structure their curriculum or adhere to changing standards. English teachers often each lunch here too.

After school, it sometimes serves as a practice room for speech and debaters. Chang said it has a “great atmosphere” for working hard. 

Usually, the more experienced members of the team use the Palace while the novices receive coaching in other rooms. 

“The room is very useful because it allows intense practice sessions with a ton of critique,” said junior Grant Wang, a member of the speech team. 

Furthermore, the Palace acts as a place for research, practice and discussion for the team members.

“We use [the English Palace] for preparing. It is useful because there are many chairs and a table, so it can be used for practice debates and discussing the topics,” said junior Parth Kejriwal, one of the members of the debate team.

Most students familiar with the Palace enjoy being able to use it to work and practice.

“[The Palace] is a really chill room with a great atmosphere,” said Chang.