2019 has been a rollercoaster of a year for Nutley High School, with no shortage of hot topics. The new bathroom security system is the latest in a string of innovations brought to NHS. Beginning in early May, all bathrooms in Nutley High School became locked during school hours and can only be opened with a designated, electronic pass. This new initiative has come to many students with dismay but, will likely prove to be for the greater good of Nutley High School.

In early April President Donald Trump discussed closing the Mexican-American border indefinitely. This effected imports and exports. This issue has quickly become a topic of significant controversy among many, but interestingly, much of the controversy has come not because of the border close itself but rather because of some of the possible ramifications. Trump’s proposed immigration policy would result in several imported goods becoming scarce in the United States. One product which would see an effect is avocados.

The grainy image of red and yellowish hues surrounding a black dot could be mistaken for a strawberry donut at first glance, but it is actually one of the universe’s most peculiar and mysterious objects. On April 10, 2019, a successful algorithm was able to capture the first image of a black hole outside of its event horizon. Katie Bouman is responsible for this algorithm and is currently receiving praise for procuring a major breakthrough in the astrophysics field. 

Uber. Lyft. You’ve probably heard the names in the news recently. Uber and Lyft are the relatively new forms of taxi services, often thought of as simple and quick ways to get where you need to go, but the new incidents appearing in the news are making users question the safety of the services. Users of these taxi services are now trying to figure out which  is safer for their families and themselves.

For many, college has become a staple of post high school life. As humanity progresses, more and more jobs require higher-level skills. As a result, a four-year bachelor’s degree has become a prerequisite for almost any job. Now, high school students have much more to worry about. With GPAs, ACTs, SATs, AP tests, extracurriculars, languages, and so much more, this generation of students have a lot of their plate. As their future may depend on these factors, one must hope that this system is equal and just.

On March 21, 2019, Nutley High School students took a trip all over town to follow the footsteps of important town leaders for Government Day. The students visited significant sites and met important people who contribute to the town in multiple ways. Through this experience, they understood what it’s like to keep Nutley running and how much responsibility it takes to have such an important job.

On April 12, 2019 Nutley High School began its first-ever Day of Service. As the philanthropic aspect to NHS Games Day, Day of Service is a way for students to give back to their community while still competing for the end of year event. Students were given the entire day to volunteer around the area at Nutley Family Service Bureau, Mount Sinai Hospital, and with the Parks and Recreation department, or in another appropriate place to spend the day.

With raffles, nurses, lawn chairs, and someone in a character costume, looking like a drop of blood, April 2 was no ordinary day in Nutley High School. Tucked away in the auxiliary gym was Key Club’s annual blood drive, where students, staff, and community members could donate blood to save lives.

Imagine a world in which you are faced with crime and starvation every day and there is nothing you can do to avoid it or make it better. Venezuela was once considered one of the richest countries of South America, but since Nicolas Maduro earned his title as President in 2013, the country has been facing many troubles that have lead to its downfall. The government has become extremely corrupt and the people are affected in the worst way possible that causes them to live in poverty.

November 2020. Twenty months away and yet Presidential candidates on the Democratic side are gearing up to face President Trump in the 2020 election. At the time of publication, 13 Democrats announced that they are running for president. While they are all in the same party, each candidate brings their own views as to how they believe the country should be run and how to defeat the incumbent. After the 2016 election, many Democrats have moved to a more liberal view, fighting for universal healthcare or free tuition while some have rejected a move left and are staying moderate.

Ending on January 25, 2019 and lasting 35 days, making it the longest in US history, the US government shutdown has finally concluded. Over the course of these 35 days, there were many events that  occurred and many people were struggling and took a stand. People frequently ask: What was so bad that there needed to be a government shutdown for this long? The reason the shutdown occurred was because President Donald Trump didn’t get the funding he requested  to build the $5 billion border wall to separate the United States from Mexico. 

What is your first thought when you think of climate change? The earth’s atmosphere is heating up. Animals are becoming extinct from losing their homes. Sea levels are rising. Going deeper into the ocean, the coral reefs are affected by ocean acidification. Agriculture is suffering from shifting weather patterns. The warm, polluted air affects our health. The bigger question is, what could be causing all this harm on the planet?

Throughout New Jersey on February 13, members of the Roman Catholic Church scanned the long lists released by the state’s five dioceses of priests and deacons who were credibly accused of sexual assault. They totaled 188 names. Many of the priests have died, but 79 are living, most of whom have been removed from ministry.

On February 7th, Nutley High School held its annual Night of Nations. This is a fundraising event where students and faculty choose a nation and make food to represent that culture. The community then gathers and eats the food from all around the world, celebrating various ethnicities.

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University Welcomes First Class

The United States-China trade war has been a hot topic in the media for the past year or so. The trade war has been ongoing since early 2018, back and forth between China and America and it initiated when President Trump opened a government probe regarding China’s theft of U.S. intellectual property. Recently, there have been a great number of discussions among the U.S. and Chinese officials regarding the war, leading to hope for peace in the future.

On November 17, 2018, 300,000 French civilians all across France flooded to the streets - not to celebrate an important day or moment, but to protest the government. Protests were targeted specifically towards President Emmanuel Macron’s new taxation policy. November 17 was “Act I” of the “Yellow Vest” movement. According to CNBC, since then, nine “acts” have been demonstrated throughout the entirety of France. 

The government shutdown of 2019 has now become the longest in the United States, at 32 days at the time of this publication. President Trump called for a government shutdown after the Democrats refused to pay the over $5 billion needed to build a border wall. A government shutdown is not an actual shutdown, government workers, essential and non, still show up to work, but are not paid. Every non-essential government worker has been forced to work without pay including the TSA workers at airports, forest services, homeland security, and food stamp workers.

Northern New Jersey is under construction. Anyone who has driven through Rutherford in the last few years has seen the enormous construction project underway. The American Dream Mall has been on the books for over a decade now, and the light at the end of the tunnel can finally be seen. Triple Five is the notorious corporation behind the initiative and is also responsible for several other malls currently under construction around the country.

The minimum wage is the lowest possible rate that employers can pay employees.  It was first introduced in 1938 at a rate of $0.25 an hour. At the time, the purpose of setting a minimum wage was to stabilize a post-depression economy in the United States.  It was also used to protect the workers in a labor force.