For almost a year, students and teachers have been learning and working at home due to Covid-19. As things started to open up around the state of New Jersey, the districts have been trying to bring back a little bit of normalcy. The Governor has allowed high school sports to take place, at various levels and with precautions, since the fall.
On January 6, 2021, a traumatic experience occurred that would forever affect our nation’s history. A mass assemblage of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in response to presidential victory Joseph R. Biden. Trump expressed the anger of his defeat numerous times to the media since the November election and believed there was an error in the process of counting the votes.
On Wednesday January 6, 2021, a group of domestic terrorists invaded the U.S. Capitol building as lawmakers met to certify the electoral college votes for President Elect Biden. Earlier in the day, President Trump had directed his supporters to “fight like hell,” “stop the steal” of the election, and go to the capitol building during his “Save America” rally.
Fashion is more than just putting on a set of clothes. It is also a way for someone to express their artistry and sublime way of thinking. While these people are showing creativity, there are also those who may not be able to have the same perception. These people will do one of two things: they will either carry on with their lives being at peace with the fact that they do not have the same perception, or they will hate the fact that others cannot visualize and understand what they see and end up slandering someone because of the hatred.
The year 2020 has been rough for us all. The deadly virus that has kept us all stuck in our homes and the amount of surprising deaths of celebrities have taken a toll on all of our hearts. But one thing that has affected many all with the same magnitude has been the Black Lives Matter Movement. This movement was formed by African Americans to combat police brutality, which has resulted in tragic deaths to people such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
2020 has been one of the most unforgettable, unprecedented, uncertain, hectic, disastrous and exhausting years I think any individual has ever experienced. From Kobe and Gianna Bryant's death, to the impeachment investigation, to the outbreak of Coronavirus, to George Floyd’s death, to the wildfires in the west coast, to the notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, to the impending election, 2020 has been a year no one will ever forget. Who knows what still awaits us in these last three months?
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.
