Over the last six months, the deadly, contagious virus, COVID-19, has continued to infect more and more Americans every single day. As of October 1, there are 7,262,630 cases of COVID-19 and there have been 206,852 fatalities. With the news and social media constantly updating us, it’s been scary to see how many Americans have contracted the virus over time.

Sometimes you will never know the meaning of a moment until it becomes a memory. Going into high school as an incoming freshman, I was always told by upperclassmen things like “Don’t take it for granted,” “It goes by in the blink of an eye,” and more. I always brushed it off. I had four years ahead of me. Now that my high school career has come to an end, I wish I could have cherished every moment more than I ever did. 

On June 7th, hundreds of people marched through Nutley in solidarity in response to the recent deaths due to police brutality, specifically George Floyd of Minnesota. The protest started with a gathering in Yanticaw Park where people listened to the leaders of the protest as well as other black community members who spoke about personal experiences and the importance of the movement. 

High school is coming to a close for the Class of 2020, and soon a new chapter will begin. Growing up in the changing society after 9/11/01, we are now living through a new change in society to add on top of that. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there was already talk of the new ways that people will need to adapt to these growing concerns about the spread of the virus. 

NHS is such a great place, with great teachers, artwork shown on the walls of the hallway, but one thing I’ll really miss is my friends. I moved four years ago to New York from Nutley, leaving my friends behind. Moving back in September, to attend the same school, with my old friends was like a dream come true. Being able to catch up with them face-to-face and not using a phone felt great. Of course I miss my other friends from New York. I still contact them, and hopefully see them again one day.

Over the past weeks, the Covid-19 virus has changed the world socially and physically.  Closure of schools, shops, and distancing guidelines have been put in place to make sure that everybody was staying away from one another and keeping healthy. 

Like many other high school seniors out there, this is not how I thought my senior year would end. When we got the news that we were going to be out of school for about two weeks, everyone was like, “Sweet! Two week break,” but little did we know that those were our last moments in high school. It’s been three months since and it still feels so strange. Although I’m extremely sad of what we lost- prom and [possibly] graduation- I’m very excited for the future. 

After being stuck at home for the past four months and for the foreseeable future, I have learned a few things. In these times that we are all going through, I feel as though it is extremely difficult to look at the positives. I have had a hard time doing so, since senior year was ruined and the uncertainty of college life next year is looming. 

At 11:30 a.m. on June 7, 2020,  I stood in a clearing within a crowd of over 100 people near Yanticaw’s Frank Cocchiola Playground. The Township of Nutley organized a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest to join the millions of voices across the country. Signs were held up high in the air, ranging from “Educators for Black Lives” to the names of victims of police brutality. 

In these times of uncertainty, the public just wants real answers. People are finding it very hard to trust others in regards to their own health and safety, and some feel that our own government is now questionable. The release of the COVID-19 conspiracy video, Plandemic, was all over social media. It was then removed from Youtube, as some believe it revealed what may be going on behind closed doors.

Saturday Night Live has been around for decades and when a show has been around for that long, there are many examples of downfalls the show has made. With the world going into quarantine, SNL had to halt production on its current season. However, it was decided that they would create three “at home” episodes.

by Jordan Greene

Creative Writing Corner: From our Peers in the NHS Creative Writing Class

I never thought that I would have to write an article such as this one, nor do I want to write it now. The coronavirus expanded in what seems like seconds and has now altered the lives of everyone across the globe. Now, we are all struggling, trying to grasp a society that once seemed a dystopia to us all. In this article, I am breaking the barriers of formal journalism and writing an account of feelings that seniors, including myself, are experiencing in a time of uncertainty, disbelief, and trepidation. 

The pandemic that is COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has been affecting many worldwide. Many countries, including the U.S. have been on a country-wide quarantine since the middle of March, so staying positive during this very negative time has been difficult for many. However, since being on this quarantine, there have been many positives that have come from it.

In today’s society, no matter where you are in the world, it's fast moving and non-stop. This is especially an issue in large, more-developed cities. Because people are always out and about going to work, traveling on vacation or just to explore the world, taking the children to practice or music lessons, or simply going to a friend’s house a few blocks over, pollution is a very prominent issue in the world, and has been for countless years. 

On March 2nd, Nutley High School traveled back 40 years with the  debut of its spring musical Rock of Ages: High School Edition. Although this production consisted of teenagers, individuals who had not been part of the rock experience of the 1980s, I am happy to say that I, a teenager, “wanted to rock” more than I ever had before.

Music festivals have been around for decades and are increasing in popularity  today. There are people, like me, who grew up going to concerts and even these festivals. Most people who have never been to a concert are going to these music festivals like Governors Ball, Coachella, and Made in America without the proper knowledge and preparation for these events. 

Creative Writing Corner: From our Peers in the NHS Creative Writing Class

 by Jordan Greene

After 42 long years, three Star Wars trilogies have now been completed.

New Jersey will always have a very interesting reputation. Its diversity, culture, and location are something I have always appreciated. However, this love is not shared by all. According to a recent poll by Matt Shirley, a social media poll taker, New Jersey is the most hated state by Deleware, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. While many of our neighbors may not be too fond of us, New Jersey has always focused on what it loves most; itself. In fact, according to that same poll taker, when asked what’s your favorite state, New Jersey was the only state that “Likes No One.”