Desks. They’re a symbol of the education system. An outdated, uncomfortable symbol of the education system. Not only are desks extremely uncomfortable to sit in, but they may be inhibiting the learning process in the classroom.

High school is a time for students to develop into young adults while preparing for the next phase of their lives. High schoolers can have a lot on their plate at times, from attending classes, doing homework and projects, participating in extracurricular activities, preparing for standardized testing, and the list can go on. One of the most ineffective courses that high schools provide is a study hall period. These designated periods give students the opportunity to catch up on studying, work on homework, and complete projects and such.

There is nothing better than cozying up on your couch with a nice book, or, in more recent cases, with a blue-light emitting screen. Instead of flipping through crisp pages with their fingers, lots of people are finding themselves scrolling down their phones to get to the next chapter. Ebooks are becoming the new generation’s version of literature. They’re highly accessible, cheap, and you can find practically any book you want to read. But is online reading taking away from the true book experience?

The holidays are a time for people to spend time with their family and friends, and in some cases exchange gifts and presents. Whether it’s someone’s lover, friend, family, or any other acquaintance in their life, holidays are typically for appreciation and love for each other. One common act of affection is buying chocolates and other candies, and the candygram service at Nutley High School is a great way to do that. However, students seeing their peers receiving loads of candy during class while they receive nothing can make them feel left out.

In recent years, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed, with college tuition prices reaching all-time highs. According to a recent report by the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year is $10,090 for in-state public universities and $36,880 for private universities. This is a significant increase compared to previous years and has put a strain on many families and students who are struggling to afford higher education.

* Names have been changed.

Sexual education in high school is a sensitive subject, but the topic needs to be discussed more. Here at NHS, sex ed is taught in junior year; however, what is known about high school juniors is that many of them have already begun having sex before they first step into their sex-ed class. Nearly three in ten 13-year-olds to 16-year-olds are sexually active and “have been with someone in an intimate or sexual way,” according to NBC News. 

Fall is arguably one of the best seasons, especially the drinks. Every year stores like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts come out with their seasonal specials. This year they even have some new additions like Dunkin’s Blood Orange Refresher and Starbucks Apple Crisp Macchiato. People rave about the drinks waiting for them to return, but how good are they?

Every season, every NFL team has a few players that have a “breakout season.” Some are expected and some are very unexpected. In order for a player to breakout, they must have things go right, whether its cause of coaching, schemes, team chemistry or more. For example someone who had a big breakout season last year was Maxx Crosby. I’ll be talking about players that I think will have a breakout season and ones that need a breakout season. 

Almost two and half years after Harry Styles released his second album, “Fine Line,”  his third album “Harry’s House” dropped. "Harry's House" contains 13 new songs, each of which captures a unique, distinct experience in the 28-year-life old's life.

It was the 144th day of 2022 when the Uvalde Texas mass school shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School. This marked the 212th mass shooting of 2022, so why isn’t anything changing?

After three years of waiting, the fourth season of Stranger Things has finally been released! Many fans were beyond excited, myself included.

Pride Month began in 1969 and continues to be a big event each June, throughout the country.

My opinion on pride month is it is a great thing to have, but it can also be dangerous.

There has recently been a large amount of controversy and attention pressed onto the Roe v. Wade supreme court decision. It was passed on January 22, 1973, and was a landmark decision in regards to women's reproductive rights. At its barest bones, this case legalized abortion across the United States. 

However, recently this decision has been put at risk and put under close scrutiny. 

Kayvon Thibodeaux was acquired by the New York Giants this NFL draft. He was awarded USA Today's High School Football Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 before committing to the University of Oregon to continue his collegiate football career with the Ducks where he did nothing but raise the stranded and set the tone for his whole time there. In 2019, he was awarded the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, in 2020, he earned the Morris Trophy, and in 2021, he was voted unanimous as an All-American.

“Fashion's Biggest Night Out.” The Met Gala 2022 is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It invites “it” celebrities, fashion icons and designers. Each year, Anna Wintour, Vogue's Editor in chief, invites each person very carefully and picks a theme for the party. This year's theme was “Gilded Glamor,” which is a reference to America's Gilded Age. Women back then wore big poofy dresses, tight corsets and big headpieces. Men looked very put together, in suits, over coats and hats.

The National Football League (N.F.L.) Draft is one of the biggest nights of the offseason. The NFL draft offers not only an opportunity for teams to replenish their rosters but also an annual snapshot of what the NFL believes about how to build a team. We learned this year that wide receivers are more valuable than ever, teams think very little about the 2022 quarterback class and Bill Belichick still doesn’t care what anybody thinks.

The Summit Nationals that takes place every year, in the spring, is a national championship for all cheerleaders that qualify for the Summit. The Summit took place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida this year at April 28-May 1. The Summit is a competition for all non world teams that are the best of the best cheerleaders going to compete together for the last competition of their season. Cheerleading teams are required to get what’s called a “bid to Summit” if cheerleaders do not receive this bid they aren’t able to attend.

A free agent in the NFL is a player who has been released by an organization and is no longer associated with the league, or a player whose contract with his present team has ended and then he is therefore free to join any other team under the terms of the contract. Many teams have jumped on the opportunities of great players who want out of their organization or team and some of the roster changes this year are fantastic and some leave fans wondering. 

On March 27, 2022, the 94th Oscar Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The Oscars is an award ceremony to honor the film industry. This year, musical artists and actors walk down the red carpet to captivate the audience with their dramatic attire. While there were stars who had outstanding outfits, there were also some that weren’t that great and or just unappealing. 

BEST DRESSED:

Throughout the years, the Oscars have had their fair share of drama, but this year's Oscars put the cherry on top of the cake. Hundreds of talented stars gathered together on Sunday, March 27th at the Dolby Theater located in Los Angeles California, to celebrate the Oscars. Comedian and actor Chris Rock was the presenter for the Documentary Feature Award.