The Viewpoint September|October 2020

The Viewpoint Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Road Stafford, VA 22556 STUDENT NEWS MAGAZINE MVHS VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER Check out pages 05 and 06 to find out about the higlights of 2020.

Index 01 Cover 02 Editorial/Index 03 Briefs 04 Art and mental health 05 Easy meals for virtual learning 06 2020 timeline 07 2020 timeline 08 History of western astrology

09 Black lives matter 10 Workplace Snapshots 11 Mental makeover 12 Pent-up personal possibilities

13 Pent-up personal possibilities

14 SpaceX NASA launch

The Viewpoint SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2020 VOLUME 15, ISSUE I

Managing Editors Lexi Jackson Sean Jones Blog Editor Ceci Alvarez Social Media Editor Jules Torrice Photography Editor Jules Torrice Briefs Editors CateLynn Aiman Adviser Trisha Strahl

Staff Writers CateLynn Aiman, Ceci Alvarez, Destiny Fitzgerald, Jules Torrice, Lexi Jackson, Na’Syr Jackson, Sean Jones, and Taylor Cooper Front Cover Lexi Jackson

2014-2019 International Quill and Scroll First Place Articles 2014-2016 VHSL State Championship First Place Award

Editorial We all thought that 2020 would be our year. Unfortunately, this global pandemic ruined some of our plans. Not being able to see your friends or relatives is hard. It definitely takes a toll on our mental health. Doing school virtually has been a learning experience for us all.

However, good memories are still being made. The year isn’t over yet. Staff members of The Viewpoint would like to share their favorite moments from this memorable year: • Senior Ceci Alvarez said, “Although quarantine is not fun, the self growth and periodical reality checks I got to experience is unforgettable.”

• Destiny Fitzgerald, senior, said, “So far it’s been my girlfriends birthday. We got dressed up and went to a really nice restaurant afterwards we walked around downtown.”

• Senior Jules Torrice said, “ My best moment from 2020 was during quarantine when I realized that space from certain people showed who were my true friends and that also helped me to realize that I haven’t been completely myself. I’m still shy and very stubborn in certain places with my personality and the way I think, but I’ve definitely been more open and I’m starting to care less about what others think.”

• Senior Na’Syr Jackson said, “When I found out I wouldn’t have to do any more work for junior year.”

• Sean Jones, senior, said, “Honestly, my 18th birthday is one I will never forget. Having friends and family drive by to wave and say their congratulations was one of my favorite moments, period.”

• Junior Catelynn Aiman said, “Going to Key West. Even if it was short lived.”

• Taylor Cooper, junior, said, “Tyler coming back to visit for my 16th birthday. It had been over a year since I saw him and it was really nice to be happy.”

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2013, 2014, 2015 Free Lance-Star Best Over All Newspaper 2011 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold-medalist

Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Rd. Stafford, VA 22556

The Viewpoint is a cross-section of the news and opinions of the student body of Mountain View High School.

It is a forum of expression published by Staples. Letters and art to the editorial board are welcomed and should be submitted to room 503.

What’s new at the View Halloween Charity by Na’Syr Jackson On October 24, a Halloween themed car show was held outside staples. An auto show is a public showing of modern vehicle models, debuts, concept cars, or cars that are no longer in production. The event was held for charity, raising money for PTSD and suicide prevention.

Enjoying the car show was free for spectators; however, it was suggested to bring a donation of non-perishable food and $20.

This event was packed with cars, old-timey and strange. One of the oldest and influential cars in America, a Ford Model T from the early 20th-century, was on display. There were many awards to be had, and while perusing the aisles of vehicles, there were many activities to partake in, including door prizes, raffles, and Halloween trophies.

Fall Harvest Festival by Taylor Cooper Belvedere Plantation is having their annual Fall Harvest Festival! Their season began September 13 and runs till November 1. They are open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Fridays they offer morning and evening hours going from 10-2 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Over the weekend they have morning, afternoon, and evening hours available.

Tickets must be purchased online as they are not available once you arrive. They have fun activities such as a corn maze, private hayrides that go to a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin mountain slide, and so many more fun activities.

If you ever get hungry while at the plantation, you can stop by the Red Rooster Grill. They offer a variety of food such as hotdogs and hamburgers, corn dogs and if you stop by the bakery, you can get a funnel cake.

Although COVID-19 has put everyone in quarantine, Belvedere is following CDC guidelines and put a mask mandate in place. They also have sanitary stations set up throughout the plantation. They have limited the amount of people that are allowed in at a given time and employees have mandatory screenings before their shifts. While limiting contact, they have made most transactions cashless for your safety. Belvedere has signs around the plantation to remind you of social distancing.

Quantico Movie Night by Destiny Fitzgerald On October 31, there will be a Halloween movie night. This event will be taking place in Quantico VA at the Little Hall theater from 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., all entries are free. They will be playing the movie “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween”. It will be a fun family movie night that everyone can enjoy. It has also been made known that this event will be completely social distance friendly along with mask requirements so everyone can have a safe experience. This will be an excellent event, in light of all the situations going on throughout the world, to relax and have fun instead of having to think about the events of this year.

Park At Dark by CateLynn Aiman Kids love stories, but what about scary stories? At Alum Spring Park kids gathered around to tell scary stories. At the beginning of the night they served snacks and hot chocolate. Then all the kids sat in front of a stage decorated in lights and pumpkins. Then the stories began. Most of the stories were funny ones; a witch gives two kids ten pounds of chocolate and then she scares it out of them or a mummy that wants to play tag. The kids loved it. Judith Onestw, storyteller, said “Storytelling has a heart to heart connection with the audience.”

One story they told was really scary. A witch wanted revenge on a man who killed her pig. After all the stories, kids started to pack up and grab last minute snacks. briefs u september | october 2020 u the viewpoint u 03

Art and Mental health Art has plenty of beneficial effects on the human brain and both interpreting and creating art can be relaxing and enjoyable

By Na’Syr Jackson | Pixabay

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n 2016, an article titled “Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making” in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association presented evidence that making art lowered Cortisol levels in their participants, Cortisol being the primary stress hormone, therefore reducing stress.

Regarding the effectiveness of art as a stress reliever, senior Kirsten Sturgill said, “Art is an effective stress reliever for me. A lot of the time, I’m not able to express my emotions through words, which is especially frustrating when trying to talk to others about my problems. Art helps with that, because I’m able to share my frustration and stress in a way that requires no words. Even more, in art, you can be as messy and open as you want. There’s no fear, at least for me, when it comes to art. It’s a safe place for me to express myself without pressure from others. “ Another article in 2017 called “Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessment of reward perception based on visual self-expression: Coloring, doodling, and free drawing” in the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy they found that making art resulted in a reward pathway being in the brain activated.

That doesn’t mean don’t try to fix something in your artwork that you don’t like if something stands out to you. It’s more of a warning to not focus on how your artwork turns out so much that you don’t enjoy the process. Sometimes artwork doesn’t always turn out how a person expects it to, which is okay.

Art is also a useful medium through which one can express their emotions. Your emotions can be released, artistically, through your art when you are unable to express yourself but are looking for an emotional outlet.

First things first is to start the habit. When starting out, don’t worry about the quality of your artwork. As a beginner, it’s more important that you do something rather than worry about the result.

Senior Eva Dow said, “I like to look at artists that inspire me and see what I can implement from their techniques into my visions and from there I put on some music and just let the art happen.”

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Senior Annalise Pudimott said, “I mean, honestly, I just roll with it. If it’s not what I originally intended to do, I try to fix it the best I can. If it takes a new direction, That’s fine. I really don’t have any set plans when I do art anyways, so my art is always kind of unpredictable.”

Overall, art is an effective stress reliever, a useful tool for expression, easy to start, and doesn’t require experience.

Easy school lunches for online learning Learn how to make some delicious lunches that are virtual learning friendly

by Ceci Alvarez

Loaded avocado bagel

Ingredients- avocado, bagel, tomato, cucumber, cream cheese, toaster, Directions: to First- toast your bagel in a toaster or toaster oven Second- while the bagel is toasting, grab your avocado, tomato, cucumber, and any other veggies you’d like to add Third- now we are going to slice our avocado (if you don’t know how to do this, I recommend looking up how as preparing an avocado can be dangerous), our cucumber into slices (I prefer thin slices) and your tomato Fourth- around the time you finish slicing is around the time your bagel will be done toasting. At this point you will want to grab your cream cheese as well Fifth- now you can assemble your bagel. I first spread my cream cheese, then add my avocado, then my cucumber, and lastly my tomato.

Sixth- this step is optional, but I like to add salt, pepper, lime juice, and Sriracha for extra flavor Enjoy!

Jake Holts, 12, “I enjoy mak� ing peas or a turkey sandwich”

Simple fried rice

Kylie Holt, 12, “I like make macaroni and cheese.”

DIY Ramen

Ingredients- ramen noodles, chicken broth (or veggie broth if you’re vegetarian), Sriracha (optional), nori, and frozen vegetables, and spinach Directions: First- Grab a pot and start boiling your water Second- while the water is boiling, add your broth of your choice, sriracha, and any other seasonings you’d like to add Third- once the water is boiling, add your ramen noodles and your vegetables Fourth- every minute or so, check your noodles by breaking them apart with your fork. Once your noodles easily break apart, they are done Fifth- Turn off the heat and pour your noodles into a bowl. At this point, I add my nori and my spinach Sixth- you can add anything else you’d like to your ramen noodles

Ingredients- white rice (leftover white rice works the best), frozen or fresh bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and any other veggies you’d like, garlic, soy sauce, teriyaki, and Srircha, and an egg Directions: First- grab a pan (a wok works best) and oil your pan (I use sesame oil for flavor).

Put your pan on medium to high heat.

Second- add your frozen veggies to your pan. Once they’re almost thawed, I add just a little bit of garlic, soy sauce, teriyaki, and Sriracha. You’re going to want to make sure your veggies are thawed before you go to the next step Third- Now you‘re going to add your rice. At this point, you want to fully season your rice with the soy sauce, teriyaki, Sriracha, and any other seasonings you’d like.

Fourth- after about 2-3 minutes, you’re going to start in the middle and push your rice Thea to the sides of the pan, creating a “crater”. Now, gently crack your egg and place it Hanse in that crater to cook. You’ll want to scramble the egg in the center BEFORE mixing it in with your rice. That way the egg doesn’t coat your rice.

12, “I love Fifth- now you can mix the egg into your rice and cook your rice making veggie sand� for about one more minute. wiches” Sixth- Now you are done! Pour your rice onto a plate and add anything you’d like. I like to add Yum Yum sauce recipe useptember | october 2020 uthe viewpoint u5

Despite Coronavirus, Australian wildfires, etc. occurring this year, 2020 still has many positive things that have happened

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Designed by Sean Jones and Written by Sean Jones and Lexi Jackson Photos by Getty Images The Australian Wildfires were devastating and millions of acres were destroyed in the fire. While this sounds awful, terrible, and absolutely not positive, and it is, there was a good story that came from it and that was how countries from around the world came together to help fight the fires in Australia.

Hundreds of firefighters from the U.S., New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Singapore were sent to Australia to help combat the wildfires. In an article from the New Yorker, Tony Demasters, who works for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho, elaborates on the comradery of the firefighting departments around the world.

“It’s a really small world in the wildland-fire community—folks from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere.We all try to be a public servant to the landscape. It’s very humbling . . . when you can do that international exchange back and forth across the continents to help each other, try to do good on the land.”

On February 2, Super Bowl LIV took place at Hard Rock Stadium between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. It had 62,417 fans in attendance--something we wouldn’t even think about holding today.

The National Anthem was sung by Demi Lovato, the coin flip was done by retired Brigadier General Charles Edward McGee, and the halftime show was performed by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

We were graced with some more amazing Super Bowl commercials like Hyundai’s “Smaht Pahk” commercial, Google’s “Loretta” commercial, and Pringle’s “Rick and Morty” commercial.

The game ended in a 31-20 victory for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Kansas City’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness was a Netflix true crime documentary focusing on the lives of big cat collectors and big cat activists. It took social media by storm and became a pop culture phenomenon during the beginning of the Quarantine period.

The show’s two most recognizable ‘characters’ are Joe Exotic, a big cat collector/zoo keeper, and Carole Baskins, big cat activist who wants the release of all big cats in captivity. The program followed the lives of these two heavily and became the main focusing point of the show.

The series took the Internet by storm when Joe Exotic made a claim that Carole Baskins played a role in the disappearance of her now ex-husband. Many people online started theorizing that Baskins killed her husband and then fed his remains to the big cats. However, there isn’t any substantial evidence to prove that at this time. Joe Exotic’s lavish lifestyle was also a major point of discussion on social media, including his 2016 presidential

With the election of Lori Lightfoot on April 2, there are now more African American women leading some of the largest cities in the country than ever before.

Lightfoot was elected to become the Mayor of Chicago, winning 50 of the city’s wards in the process. “I stand on the shoulders of so many. The shoulders of strong, black women, like Ida B. Wells, Gwendolyn Brooks and Annie Ruth Lowery. The shoulders of LGBTQ+ trail blazers, like Dr. Ron Sable, Vernita Gray and Art Johnston,” Lightfoot said in her acceptance speech.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, Lightfoot will now be the eighth African American woman currently holding office in the top 100 largest cities in the U.S..

On May 30, NASA and SpaceX successfully launched SpaceX’s Falcon 9 with NASA’s Dragon Crew piloting it.

It is the first time that a private company will be bringing astronauts to the International Space Station, ISS. The event was live streamed for hundreds of thousands of people to watch and was attended in person by president Donald Trump, vice president Mike Pence, and second lady Karen Pence.

“I think this will open the door for other private companies all over the world to explore space…” Said junior Ava Lohmeyer, “...because with private companies doing some of the work, it allows for more money at NASA to be put towards more research and new projects.”

For more information on this event, see our article on the back page.

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The Confederate emblem has been present on the flag of Mississippi for 126 years. The flag has been under review for the past few months because of recent Black Lives Matter protests occurring.

According to the New York Times,in early June, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed into law to remove the emblem saying, “It should be the people who make that decision, not some backroom deal by a bunch of politicians in Jackson.” However, in a 2001 ballot, the majority of Mississippi voters wanted to keep the Confederate symbol on the flag.

Senior Kira Williams said, “I think it’s a step in the right direction. The Confederate flag is a symbol of hate and makes a lot of people feel unsafe. It was long overdue.”

The House voted 91-23 to remove the symbol while the Senate voted 37-14. Legislation mandates that it must be removed within 15 days. Hopefully, a new flag design will be included on the November ballot The storming of the Bastille by an angry mob took place on July 14, 1789 during the French Revolution.

Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale, has been a national holiday commemorating the event that took place on July 14 in France for over 100 years, according to the History website.

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the citizens of France were determined to celebrate Bastille Day. Celebrations included a fireworks display from the Eiffel Tower and the annual Bastille Military Parade.

The Bastille Military Parade has been held every since 1880, except when the Nazi’s occupied France. The first event during the parade was when President Emmanuel Macron arrived to inspect the troops. Next, there was a tribute to the president and the French acrobatic patrol airplanes flew over the parade. Then, the foot troops commence followed by the motorized and mounted troops.

Sengalese-American singer and songwriter Akon has made plans to build a $6 billion sustainable city in Senegal according to Business Insider. The city plan is 2,000 acres consisting of a luxury resort, condos, offices, a hospital, a stadium, and an artificial intelligence data center.

The city has been described as a “futuristic metropolis.” Akon intends for Akon City to be a hub for business and tourism. The monetary system planned in Akoin, which is a type of money invented by Akon.

In recent years, the singer/songwriter has launched various projects in Africa, such as Akon Lighting Africa, a solar-power project. Akon wants to emphasize black power in teenagers through his city, especially in Africa.

For six weeks, the National Hockey League announced that they had zero positive COVID tests. According to National Post, from August 30 to September 5, there were 2,534 tests administered.

Connor Bastian, sophomore, said, “[NHL] took appropriate safety measures. Players were all sent to Canada and they played only in two rinks...They were all forced to quarantine for two weeks in Canada in hotels... The NHL ended up calling it the bubble because [the players] had restrictions on where they were allowed to go once play started. Overall, they did it in a very safe way.”

Each player and faculty member of the traveling teams were tested daily. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the daily testing of each 52 member team cost millions of dollars, but it was worth it to create a safe environment for the players.

Just two weeks before, there were 4,644 tests administered in under a week. The numbers continued to drop as teams were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On October 22, 2020, the third and final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden occurred. The debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee at Belmont University. The event was moderated by Kristen Welker of NBC News.

The second presidential debate, set to be on October 15 in Miami, Florida, was canceled due to Trump’s recent diagnosis of COVID-19. He then rejected the idea to host the debate virtually.

According to CBS News, each candidate had two minutes of uninterrupted speaking time during the discussion due to the amount of interruptions that took place during the first presidential debate. However, to enforce this rule, the candidate who was not speaking had their microphone muted for the two minutes.

There were six topics and each topic was allotted 15 minutes of discussion. The topics were fighting COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership.

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The History of

Western Astrology Have you ever wondered why you’re a Cancer instead of a Capricorn or vice versa? by CateLynn Aiman

It started in Egypt. According to the University of Arizona’s website, Ptolemy believed the planets had a relationship with the sun. During his era, they believed that the earth was at the center of the universe. Your main sign is called a sun sign because of Ptolemy.

The Vikings used the stars to travel and navigate. Sarah Hoffman, science teacher, said, “It was called ‘celestial navigation.’ They primarily used the northern star, Polaris, because it appeared not to move. This allowed them to have a reference point when looking at how other stars appeared to move in the sky. They also used the sun, moon, and planets.” Humans have known the stars were constant.

Zodiac signs are more recent. Astrologers had started to notice a pattern between personality and the stars. James Johnston, freshman, said, “[Ancient Civilizations] didn’t have the science to figure out why things happen, and all they knew was that the stars were always there.”

According to Britannica’s website, in our solar system there is a belt of constellations that earth passes through. Based on the perspective of the earth, when the sun covers up a constellation then your sign is that constellation.

Horoscopes do not just predict a person's personality, it predicts their life. Astrologers have split the belt into 12 different parts, also known as houses. Each part being a house. Depending on the planet and what house they are in determines what happens that day.

Natal Charts can be filled out to determine a person’s other signs like their moon sign. A Moon Sign is your emotions, just like the sun sign is personality. Moons signs depend on where a person was born. If two people were born on opposite sides of the earth, then the sky would look different.

Astrology has a science background, but it is a belief. While it is fascinating, it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Sun = good fortune Moon = travel, lunacy Mercury = rapid change Venus = good luck Mars = conflicts and mis fortunate Jupiter = good fortune Saturn = accidents and bad luck Uranus = sudden and/or disruptive change Neptune = confusion, sensitive Pluto = transformation, fate Ceres = mothering, compassion

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Google Images

Aries - Mars Taurus - Venus Gemini - Mercury Cancer - Moon Leo - Sun Virgo - Mercury or Ceres* Libra - Venus Scorpio - Pluto* or Mars Sagittarius - Jupiter Capricorn - Saturn Aquarius - Saturn or Uranus* Pisces - Neptune* or Jupiter *modern planets

Black lives matter

movement Though the Black Lives Matter Movement began about seven years ago, action has picked up rapidly in the last few months by Lexi Jackson | Photos by flickr

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he Black Lives Matter organization was created in 2013 by Alicia Graza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. It was created in response to the lack of justice for Trayvon Martin when police officer George Zimmerman was acquitted of his murder.

According to the Black Lives Matter website, “Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.”

Zoe Garcia, sophomore, said, “I support [Black Lives Matter] because I think that people of color, especially black people, have been mistreated by both the justice system and the current police system and it’s time for change so we can all be truly equal.”

In 2014, yet another black teenager was killed by law enforcement. Micheal Brown was murdered by Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. Wilson was acquitted. In response, BLM organized a national ride during Labor Day weekend that included more than 600 people from across the country. The national ride was called upon people from all over the US to bring an edn to police violence. After that event, 18 more cities develop BLM chapters in their cities.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020, police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for a reported period of 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which ultimately resulted in his death. Floyd was arrested after a store clerk claimed he passed a $20 counterfeit bill.

The video of his death was widely shared in the media, causing a fire to be lit in a long overdue movement.

Protests began soon after the murder. On June 6, a reported half a million people protested in response to the police brutality in Minneapolis. BLM didn’t organize all of the protests across the country, but definitely influenced them. Thousands of protests began circulating throughout the world fighting for justice to be served for Floyd and every other black life lost due to police violence. Because of the protests, Chauvin was charged with second degree murder. Other officers standing by were charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder.

Daniel Q. Gillion, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “If you aren’t moved by the George Floyd video, you have nothing in you and that catalyst can now be amplified by the fact that individuals probably have more time to engage in protest activity.”

Senior Rachel Castellón said, “I feel like Black Lives Matter has really changed the voices aspect of society. Now, the government and politicians are able to hear and notice how we feel. We’re able to speak out on the streets and able to speak whatever is on our mind. It’s really changed the way we view people and how much people can hold power simply from speaking out.”

Since the protest began at the end of May, numerous things have been changed and accomplished. Many city officials have vowed to remove Confederate or slavery-linked statues and monuments. On June 7, in Briston, Britain, protesters pulled down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and pushed it into the water.

Two weeks after Floyd’s death, Minneapolis officials promised to disband the police department and replace it with something better.

Additionally, members of Congress have made legislation to ban chokeholds and force officers to wear body cams and have dashboard cameras.

Although police officer Brett Hankinson was fired three months after entering the wrong apartment and murdering Breonna Taylor and the other two officers were placed on administrative leave, many argue that there was no justice for her. Instead of being charged with murder, the police officers stand accused of “endangering the lives in a neighborhood unit after firing the round,” according to the Washington Post.

Natalie Davis, senior, said, “Black Lives Matter is working to improve society, reform the police force, and every one who supports BLM will no longer be tolerant of blatant racism.”

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Workspace Snapshots The Coronavirus has impacted everyday life for everyone including students who now have to work online from home photos by Jules Torrice

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itting at home while staring at a computer instead of running from class to class is definitely a big change of schooling. The last time most students saw the face of a teacher in person while working in a classroom was at the beginning of March, almost seven months ago.

However, now we are almost in November of this school year and students have to take it upon themselves to have a comfortable and easy to work in workspace at home. So let’s take a look at what some students’ workspaces look like.

Just as if we were in a classroom, students have needed to set up their own space, such as a one-person desk with enough room to be able to accomplish their school tasks. Students should also have supplies such as notebooks, pens or pencils, charger for the computer, etc. However, some of these supplies may not be needed because of the addition of each student having his or her own computer given by the school.

Since students cannot physically be in a classroom for this school year, we now log in to Google Meets through the computer to meet with fellow classmates and different teachers throughout the day. “It still feels weird not to be in school. However, everytime I have to login to a Google Meet, I’m still connecting with my teachers and peers as if we were in school.”, Hannah Myers, senior. With the computer and different Google Meets, students now have access to the internet 24/7, so it can be easier to do assignments and have virtual tools. But just because you don’t need all fifty things you may have brought to class in person, doesn’t mean your workspace shouldn’t be kept neat and is somewhere you can’t focus.

According to Entrepreneur magazine’s website, regarding making a good workspace, every business where you have to manage work at home doesn’t require the traditional workplace environment but having clean and multipurpose one comes in handy. Students may choose to sit in the kitchen or in their bedrooms to work but may have distractions such as a television on or clutter everywhere. Since there may be multiple rooms in your house other places that may be beneficial for work spaces are the living room, a quiet bedroom that isn’t your own, basement, back porch that is weather permitting, etc.

Some things to keep in mind when selecting your workspace for a place that suit your needs; having the appropriate supplies and equipment in your workspace that are easy to access; renovating your workspace if need be; and make your workspace feel comfortable and safe. For example, sitting in a room in your house where the wifi connection isn’t great or people are coming in and out of the area all the time, or you don’t have enough space for your supplies would not be the ideal place for your workspace during school. However, if there is a stationary somewhere in your house that gives you enough room for your computer and any other supplies and is somewhere that is less crowded would be a better workplace environment.

Another thing that adds to a good workspace especially when doing online learning is proper computer etiquette. According to the University of Potomac website, an article on online etiquette, “netiquette guidelines are a set of rules that dictate what tasteful and respectful online behavior is.”

Just as if you were in a real classroom you would respect the teacher’s rules, the teacher, students around you, and any good manners. Now that school is through a computer, it does not mean you should drop those rules and manners.

Some steps to follow for good online school behavior and netiquette include being polite as if you were in person with others; respecting teachers opinions and feedback; submit assignments carefully and on time; be careful with your tone and mannerisms; remember nothing is private online and in the classroom you should be mindful of that; and if you have something to say you can use the chat box and or email your teachers directly.

So is your workspace at home functional and good for you? Remember to have enough room for your computer and any other supplies you need, have limited distractions, and use proper netiquette when working on school from home. If you

Lisa-Marie Bastian,

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l a t n Me r e v o e mak receive help r o d e e n o rong t ald It’s never w iny Fitzger

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hroughout quarantine, many mental health issues have risen in people due to the spike in isolation. When a person is isolated from everyone, they tend to overthink or fixate on certain issues. The majority of the issues correlating with isolation are internal, that could mean focusing on personal flaws, mood dysphoria, and mental tricks.

Local therapist Jannan Holmes says that due to this pandemic she is seeing a spike in anxiety among her clients. However, Holmes also says that she has ”seen that some clients with anxiety have done well during quarantine because they feel safe at home.”

School psychologist Jodi Longwell said, “The current quarantine is impacting students’ ability to cope with daily activities and typical setbacks during this unprecedented time. Many students are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed due to social isolation, new learning expectations, and the general sense of the unknown.”

These professionals have seen many students and young adults go through huge mental changes throughout this pandemic, and many young people are still denying themselves the help they desperately need. Many young adults don’t know how to watch for signs that they might need mental/professional help. A few small red flags you can watch out for are having difficulty in everyday life or ordinary tasks, mood swings, overly heightened anxiety, and a major red flag is suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm.

On the other hand, sophomore Madeline Crabtree commented on how the quarantine has positively affected her mental health: “I’m an inverted person so I tend to thrive being alone and I find I don’t have to deal with a lot of the defining parts in my life that make my mental health decline. Besides the miss

Healthline

ing of friends and the piles of work I have to do, it has honestly helped my mental health. I would say it’s now at a borderline healthy stage.”

Even though some people have used this time of isolation as a period of mental growth, many have taken it quite hard. For instance, senior Abigail Tucker said, ” Quarantine was definitely a little rough on my mental health because it was difficult not being able to see my friends or do anything outside of the house. I think it did let me catch up on a lot of other things in life. It was still a tough time mentally.”

If you are someone who is having a hard time, mental health professionals can help you with ways to cope. For example, Longwell said,” Some things students can do to take care of themselves include practicing mindfulness or visualization, taking time to do things they enjoy (e.g., reading, painting), staying active, getting enough sleep (that means putting the screens down prior to bed), connecting with others (e.g., Facetime or call friends), and trying to limit time on social media.”

Another coping mechanism Holmes provided was “getting outside is important. Focusing on what you are grateful for (a gratefulness journal) is helpful. Exercise, eating healthy foods, getting good sleep, and keeping a routine is also helpful.”

In conclusion, people need to be more aware of how isolation and pandemics can affect a person’s mental health. It is a very hard and traumatic time we are going through, and everyone needs to understand that it is ok to ask for help.

It is also important to take the time to educate yourself on mental health and mentally check in on yourself every once in a while.

Talkspace

feature u september | october 2020 u the viewpoint u 11

Pent-up Being pent up in the house gives you time to develop as a person by Taylor Cooper

On March 13, 2020, students’ lives turned upside down. Walking

through the halls was no longer the reality. Being home everyday since March has allowed students to find new activities that interest them because they have had a moment to focus on themselves.

Since quarantine started, students have been looking for activities to keep them busy. Picking up on new hobbies is an amazing way to stay busy during these times while also improving them self. Kettering University says, “Some people enjoy hobbies that give them the opportunity to improve their confidence level, boost their self-esteem, and improve their quality of life.”

Art is a productive hobby that a lot of people like to pick up on.

It allows you to express yourself in a meaningful and beautiful way.

Painting or drawing things that you enjoy will keep your mind engaged and can boost confidence. As a beginner you can start painting the things that make you the happiest; it can be your friends, family or even house pets. Art can be your own style, there is no limit or expectation. Everything is personalized to your likings.

If painting or drawing is not for you, you could try bullet journaling or even scrap booking. Put together a book of your favorite memories with friends, family and even school events like football games. It lets you embrace your creativity.

Scrap booking will let you look at all the happy moments you have had before quarantine and the ones you have made during. It will also motivate you to make new memories when quarantine is over.

Bullet journaling lets you be creative, mentally and physically. It can help you stay organized, can increase your confidence and can give you new ideas. You can use it to track just about anything, your sleep schedule, when you have work due and even upcoming holidays.

English teacher Meghan Johnson said, “I love that bullet journaling helps me to be more mindful. When I’m designing my weekly spreads, I’m taking note of what day it is, what season; I’m deciding on an intention for the week or choosing a quote or verse to focus on for the week. It helps me to slow down and reflect for a minute on what I’ve done and what I want to do. I love flipping through it and reminding myself of what I did during quarantine for example. It’s easy to forget when the time seems to blur together and this way I have a record.”

Journaling can bring such joy if you have an interest in decorating and making things your own.

M

aking music is another art form that may interest you. Being a crafty person might be hard for some so, if making music comes easier to you than you can give it a try. Music is used in everything, games, shows, and even movies. Music is another way to express yourself.

Every song has a meaning behind it and you get to decide what the meaning is. Whatever message you want to express or portray, music can be used.

Senior Michael Adeoyo said, “A lot of people utilize the art of writing to express themselves, but with music, you have more words -- a voice. You can escape into a dream of perfection and peace with a few chords! Music has taken up the majority of my life since childhood, and I decided to commit to making it a lifestyle and a career as I grew.

The ability to inspire others is the biggest blessing I’ve achieved, and I

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hope I can continue to do so for the rest of my music journey.” Michael and a friend, Riley Limbert, just recently came out with a new song called “You Should Stay” which is available on all major music platforms.

Song writing is not for everyone, but if you are interested in making music, an instrument is a great hobby that you may want to pick up on. Instruments are something that you can learn on your own specifically, in your free time. You can order playing books that will teach proper placement of your fingers and the proper way to hold the instrument. It is a hobby that will take a while to learn due to the fact that there is a lot of practice involved but, it is totally worth it.

Junior Aiden Keogh said, “It has helped me develop as a person because now I have learned to read music and it has helped me meet new people who have helped build my personality.”

Music is such a fantastic way to develop as a person. Music can teach so many life lessons, such as time management, problem solving and perseverance. According to Kettering University, creative hobbies can train your brain to be more creative in other areas of your life.

If you have enough hobbies you can learn new skills instead. Elizabeth Scott, MS, of “verywellmind” blog says, “Developing a new skill can take time, and focusing the bulk of your energy toward immersing yourself in the pursuit of a goal is a great way to reach it. This is ideal when you want to really go deep in your knowledge and ability.”

possibilities .

Senior Ruby Darling said, “Originally I made the account to just sell clothes in my closet that I didn’t wear or that didn’t fit me. I expected it to go decently and maybe make a couple bucks, but my main goal was to just get the items out of my closet, so I was selling them for super cheap. It went way better than expected, and I actually really enjoyed it, and I actually decided to go thrifting and find clothes that I could ‘DIY’ or change to make them cute/trendy. People seemed to really like the account, especially for the cheap prices. It definitely gave me something to do over quarantine and a way to make some extra cash.”

Being pent-up in the house all the time has given students’ the chance to develop new skills and hobbies. The hobbies and skills they have learned over the course of quarantine has given them a chance to keep their mind busy and active. If they are not interested in skills or hobbies, they may have started their own business to keep up with.

Businesses also keep the mind busy and active, but it also gives them the freedom to earn their own money. Keeping the mind busy during these times is a productive way to grow as a person.

Sewing is a great life skill to know. Learning this skill will allow you to be more independent as you do not have to rely on someone to fix an article of clothing. It also gives you a chance to be as creative as you would like with your clothing. It can come with a sense of accomplishment as you are capable of creating clothes that fit your personality.

This skill is also something that everyone should know in case of an emergency.

M

ake money during quarantine! Quarantine is a great opportunity to make money. Starting your own business lets you receive all the profits and you can go at your own pace. Making phone cases and selling them is a great first business. They are quick and easy to make money while still quarantining. You can order all of the resources online that are necessary to start. You can even pick a theme and keep it throughout. It’s all up to you as you are your own boss. Starting a website to boost your business is also a smart thing to do, plus it’s free.

You can use social media platforms as a way to promote your business.

Another business you can start is selling clothes. Go through your closet and sell the clothes you were planning on throwing away. You can go thrifting and sell those too! If clothes don’t fit, instead of throwing them away, sell them. You can use apps such as Poshmark and Etsy to sell the clothes and make money out of things you don’t use.

Ruby Darling

feature useptember | october 2020 uthe viewpoint u13

SpaceX NASA launch

wikimedia

What NASA and SpaceX’s joint launch mean for the future of space exploration

by Lexi Jackson and Sean Jones

Space exploration has always been separated into two groups, private and government programs. But that all changed with NASA and SpaceX’s joint launch of Dragon crew to the ISS. This has been a long time in the making since NASA ended its Space Shuttle program in 2011. However, they weren’t satisfied with just completely getting rid of it. So in preparation of ending the Space Shuttle program, they created the Commercial Crew Program in 2010. This program was created to help give private firms, like SpaceX and Boeing, the chance to get billions of dollars worth of government contracts. And since then, SpaceX was able to get their shuttle approved for launch.

In an article for Business Insider, Doug Hurley, one of the astronauts on the mission, spoke about how this has been a long time in the making: “This has been quite an odyssey the last five, six, seven, eight years. To be where we are now — the first crewed flight of Dragon — is just unbelievable.”

The time came for the historic event on May 27, 2020, to finally occur. The SpaceX shuttle, Falcon 9, was slated to launch Dragon Crew, which was composed of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, until weather forced them to delay the mission until Saturday May 30. When May 30 arrived, the skies were clear and beautiful, and everything was green lighted for the scheduled 3:22 p.m. launch.

While the launch was live streamed for all to see, it was also watched in person by people like President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence. Many people have come out to show their support for the launch, but none have been more vocal about their pleasure with the launch then NASA. “It’s difficult to put into words how proud I am of the people who got us here today,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA’s Commercial

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october 2020 u news

Crew Program manager, in an article for NASA’s website. “When I think about all of the challenges overcome – from design and testing, to paper reviews, to working from home during a pandemic and balancing family demands with this critical mission – I am simply amazed at what the NASA and SpaceX teams have accomplished together. This is just the beginning...”

This launch, and subsequent docking of the craft on the ISS on May 31, shows the first time a private company has launched a manned spacecraft and had astronauts board the ISS as a private crew. Mountain View senior, Logan Dubowski, explained what this means for the private sector when it comes to space exploration: “I think the launch will definitely boost people’s faith and want in space programs. It’s clear from SpaceX that they can get stuff up there and back, and NASA has the people to do it... SpaceX has been making advances NASA just hasn’t, and getting them together can only be a good thing for exploring space.”

Some people, like junior Ava Loehmeyer, show their support of moving space away from governments entirely: “I think this will open the door for other private companies all over the world to explore space...I hope that we learn more about how our universe and solar system work, but I also hope that space exploration becomes completely privatized, because the solar system belongs to no one.”

But for others, that would be their worst nightmare. “I just hope my fear of privatising space doesn’t see reality,” said Dubowski.

However you slice the outcome of the future for privatised space exploration, both parties agree that the team up was a fruitful partnership for NASA and SpaceX. And with NASA’s plans to put orbital stations around the moon and SpaceX’s ever growing urge to colonize Mars, the dream of becoming astronauts might just come true for more and more people.