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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

On Saturday, March 7, Nutley’s 42nd Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade took over Franklin Avenue. The crowded sidewalk was filled with people of all cultural backgrounds, not just the Irish. The sound of bagpipes, laughing children, and horns filled the air on the beautiful, sunny afternoon. 

The Cherry Blossom Players (CBP), formerly known as "Belleville's own community theatre group," was created when the basement of Christ Episcopal Church in Belleville flooded. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment was destroyed. According to their Facebook page, a musical revue was to be performed as a fundraiser for the church, raising $1,200 after one night alone. The group was given the name of CBP in 2006 after the trees in Branchbrook Park, since Belleville is the cherry blossom capital of the country.

On Sunday January 26, 2020 at approximately 9:00 am PST there was very dense fog in the air in Orange County, CA. Because of these weather conditions, the Los Angeles Police Department grounded all aircrafts until the afternoon. Retired NBA player, Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his 13- year-old daughter, Gianna, took off in Bryant’s private helicopter, Sikorsky S-76B, from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

On November 15, 2019, the Tricarico family of Nutley lost someone very important, their son and brother, James Vincent Tricarico. James was a celebrity in Nutley. If you ask anyone who lives in town about him, they knew who he was. The Nutley native attended Nutley High School for six years and graduated in 2006 and also worked as a Secretarial Aide for the high school for 13 years. He also worked for the Nutley ShopRite and called himself “the Mayor of ShopRite.” People who have visited the high school or the Nutley ShopRite were always given a warm welcome.

Host of 105.5 WDHA’s radio show, “Rockturnal,” Scotty B., also known as the “Southern Fried Maniac," has been in radio for about 35 years, and he knows everything there is to know about the industry. He learned about the music business through hard work and dedication. Rocking out from 7pm to midnight on weeknights, the northern Florida native knows how to have a good time on air. 

In a high school setting, it is normal to have friend groups and “cliques.” By this age, teenagers have their set friends and don’t really make an effort to make new ones. It is hard for new students to make friends and blend into groups of people who have been friends for years, but it is especially hard for ESL students to put themselves out there into mainstream high school. This year at NHS, Mrs. Julie Mitschow, Coordinator of World Languages and ESL, came up with a solution to end this cycle.