Lately, the Coronavirus has appeared to be unstoppable. Thousands of new cases arise every week and new variants emerge which take the world by storm. Recently, the Omicron variant seems to have affected almost everyone in some way. Many people are concerned for their own safety, hoping their family and friends don’t get sick. But some people tend to forget about one of the key factors in this equation, healthcare workers. Teri Ashworth is a speech-language pathologist at Newton Medical Center.

As the winter holidays approach, there are still many non-profit organizations and people in need during this time. Interviewed between December 14th and 15th, Key Club advisors, Mrs. D’Urso ad Ms. Mazza, shared their ideas for the club’s December events, while highlighting the importance of giving.

Every year, the holiday season comes and goes. Even alongside changes that will inevitably come, there will always be at least some tradition that stands and is shared with those we love. Despite the pandemic that tainted the celebration season last year, even trickling into this one, holiday traditions and celebrations never seemed to fail. Jane Tsilova-Tuero, who celebrates Hanukkah, Abigail Puleo, who celebrates Christmas Day, and Amaya Negron, who celebrates Three Kings Day, all spoke about their holiday’s history, traditions, and celebrations.

Thanksgiving is a joyous holiday where people focus on who and what they are thankful for. During this holiday, many families and friends choose to spend meaningful time with one another. Unfortunately for many families, this could not happen last year due to COVID-19. 

On November 28, 2021, famous entrepreneur and fashion designer of Off-White as well as the artist director of Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh passed away at 41-years-old in Chicag

On December 2nd, Nutley High School hosted an event called, “Instant Decision Day” annually where seniors get to meet directly with select schools and get an acceptance statement on the spot. This year, students met virtually with college counselors and were able to at minimum, walk away with more knowledge of the college process or at maximum, run away with a full-ride scholarship to said school.

Nutley High School has a broad spectrum of clubs for students to participate in. It is a way to educate themselves on topics they already know about or are interested in. These clubs range from coding, to jazz, to the arts, to robotics, and many more. 

Mr. Vicchiariello is the NHS Director of Bands and has been teaching for over a decade. Interviewed on October 28, 2021, he shares his experiences and what his job entails. He acknowledges all of his students as equals, proudly stating, “There are no substitutes.”

Coming back to school full time, after the year of hybrid, is a changeling time for a multitude of reasons. Students now are back to waking up at 6:30AM. Many will stress about getting good grades. Some students have to get homework done every single night on top of extracurricular activities.

With the Marching Band season ending, a new music program is coming back into the spotlight this winter. 

Indoor Percussion is back and better than ever, accepting people from all grades to join. 

Under any circumstances, the transition from one school to another is rarely easy. This is especially true when that transition feels not only like stepping into a new school, but an entirely new world. Nutley High School’s freshman students, after being either hybrid or entirely virtual for a year and a half, are expressing great hopes and some fears for the journey ahead. 

In 2019, Mr. Denis Williams, the principal at Nutley High School, started a new way for students  to give back called “Day of Service." Day of Service is “focused on giving students the opportunity to help beautify the creaky old building that is NHS,” says Mr. Williams. It is a way for students of any grade to get involved and give back to the school community while also earning service hours. 

On September 7, Nutley High School opened for full, in-person instruction after being virtual or hybrid since March of 2020.  This opening made students more excited than ever to return to school and learn normally again.

In Nutley, every corner you turn there is another locally-owned business. From the many restaurants, coffee shops, salons, bakeries, shops, and many pizza places, the local businesses are what make the Nutley community so special. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses across the United States with the continuous changes in restrictions. Small local businesses have especially struggled after closing temporarily or even permanently.

The Class of 2021 celebrated the last four years, except with a twist. On Thursday, June 11, the class of 2021 gathered together during their last couple of weeks as seniors at Owens Field. Instead of the traditional prom hosted by the district, seniors were able to close this chapter with their classmates within COVID guidelines at the Senior Celebration. 

With the 2020-2021 school year coming to an end, teachers were asked to speak on how this year went. The Coronavirus pandemic caused schools all over the country to shut down for months on end, causing lesson plans to change and students to miss out on a year of learning. NHS students and teachers are able to finish their school year with in-person instruction. After asking three NHS teachers how they felt about this unusual year, each had a lot to share.

The academic year of 2020-2021 will definitely be unforgettable. With switching back and forth from virtual to in-person instruction, students have been through much adjusting. Now that the school year is coming to an end, students from grades 9-11 state how they’ve been impacted by this year as a scholar and person. All attending Nutley High School, Ava Iannitelli (a freshman), Ally Garcia (a sophomore), and Natalie Spina (a junior), share their personal experiences and thoughts on this year as a whole. 

In the United States, all individuals, 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID - 19 vaccine. While some parents and children are skeptical about this, president Biden is recommending it to as many people as possible. There has been a lot of talk regarding whether the vaccine is safe or not.  Interviewees Aneesa Yassin, who is vaccinated, and Angela DeVito, who is not vaccinated, share their feelings about the vaccine. 

Nutley is filled with many different restaurants, but the new Sugar Tree Cafe sticks out from the others. Local owners, Jack Bermeo and Sophia Sandoval Bermeo, opened the cafe as a new spot for people to escape reality and enjoy the delicious menu in a unique atmosphere. On May 1, Sugar Tree Cafe officially opened as customers come from all over to experience a cafe like no other. 

The Grab and Go meal distribution system was put into action by Nutley Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Julie Glazer in March 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic and the shut down of in-person instruction. With the help of the Nutley Family Service Bureau and prepared meals by Pomtonian, this program has been successful and helpful to the community for more than a year. As a way of getting food to students who may need it, the Grab and Go was originally not open to all students. Yet due to the current circumstances of the pandemic, Dr.