The Orb- October 2020-21

CHANGES WITH COVID: OUR FACULTY

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HSE CLUBS, NEW APP.....................................................4

NETWORK SECURITY.......................................................................5 ACT/SAT REQUIREMENTS......................................................................6 HEAD TO HEAD: VIRTUAL VS. IN-PERSON................................................7 COVID CHANGES: OUR FACULTY.....................................................................8 FOOD SERVICE WORKERS......................................................................................9 TEACHERS.............................................................................................................10 CUSTODIANS.................................................................................................11 NATURAL DISASASTERS...................................................................12 SAVE THE CHILDREN...........................................................13 BIG TEN RETURN....................................................14 ATHLETES STAYING VIRTUAL.............15

STAFF MEMBERS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lucas Bisesi Peyton McVeigh

EDITORS

Kathryn Collins Emily Crousore Kennedy Fisher Lainee Kirk Elizabeth Moodispaugh

CONTENT LEADS

Lauren Riina Isabella Romaine

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STAFF MEMBERS

Vivianna Esqueda Tristan Fluhr Gabriella Haynes Autumn Johnson Ellie Johnson Bailey Lincoln Trinity Mackenize Heidi Schlabach Kendall Unger

ADVISERS

Jordan Klobusnik David Young

STAFF SHOUTOUT BROADCAST

Noah Ashcraft Eric Bedrosian Alexander Brammer William Cantwell Andrew Carlin Garrett Dodridge Xavier Dokes Mackenzie Dreher David Hosei Nolan Houseman Jonathan Ouellette Jackson Snyder Through his time on HSE News staffs, Tristan has frequently Keegan Stein demonstrated a strong will to learn, along with a willingness to complete assignments with maximum effort. In addition, he always brings a positive attitude to any situation in the newsroom.

TRISTAN FLUHR STAFFER

COVID CURTAIN CALL

Student director prepares for Fall Play during hybrid schedule While the leaves begin to change colors and the air becomes crisper than ever, members of Drama Club prepare to put on their annual Fall Play. Through all of the uncertainty of the beginning of the 2020 school year, the Fall Play is no exception to changes due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the cast, crew and directors of this year’s show have had to overcome numerous obstacles and challenges throughout all parts of preparation for opening night.

“As the school system makes changes, we have to adapt,” senior student director Audrey Waite said. “We’re trying to make sure everyone can still participate and not make it feel so obscure and out of the ordinary.”

This year, members of Drama Club will be performing “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised],” which takes the works of the famous playwright and brings the words off the page and onto the stage. “[The play] covers almost every Shakespeare play to an extent,” Waite said. “If you think that Shakespeare or any older poetry is boring, I highly recommend seeing the show. It makes it fun and lively and I think it will cause people to create a new interest into Shakespeare.”

Members of HSE Drama started rehearsals for the show in midSeptember, although there were still many unknown details about the show due to ever-changing policies and restrictions. Waite, though, looks forward to the opportunity to join juinor Lydia Briscoe as student co-directors. “[Being a student director] is such a great opportunity and I’m so thankful that I get to have this experience,” Waite said. “It’s everything that I’ve wanted to do since I joined Drama Club during my freshman year. It’s great to know that I’ve earned the director’s trust enough to be a person who can help lead this production.”

Although Waite is no stranger to the many different aspects of HSE Drama, being a student director has given her a new perspective on everything that goes into the production of creating a Fall Play.

“I never realized how much truly goes on behind the scenes,” Waite said. “This show is unique to previous ones because we have had to do rewrites of the script.

Adding to that, the culmination of all of these moving parts is an amazing

experience.”

Left: Reading lines, cast members rehearse dialogue Sept. 30.

English teacher Ethan Mathias has been a sponsor of Drama Club for many years, but he enters his first season as the lead director. Even with the unique circumstances surrounding the Fall Play, Mathias has been able to rely on his previous experience to make adjustments for the rehearsals and performances.

“This show fits for this season in that it is very segmented [so] it helps us cut down on the need for large groups of people to be on stage or at practice for extended amounts of time,” Mathias said. “It’s also a hilarious comedy, and we could all use a little more laughter.”

The farce is sure to be a laugh no matter what the play looks like this year. It is a testament to the cast, crew and student directors that this play will continue the great legacy of Fall Plays for HSE Drama in the middle of a global pandemic.

Story and photo by Tristan Fluhr.

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]” is set to premiere November 19,21 and 22.

HSENEWS

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STUDENT DEVELOPED

SENIOR DEVELOPS NEW APPLICATION, OPTIMIZES CLUBS At the beginning of August, members of the organization HSE Apps set out to change the way club membership was handled in the school. Their plan was to create an online app, one that allows for club members and sponsors to conveniently manage the ways in which their organization operates, resulting in the creation of HSEClubs.com.

On the webapp, students are able to join and find relevant information regarding clubs at HSE, like descriptions and meeting dates. In addition, club sponsors can effectively manage the innerworkings of their organization, with the ability to embed links, manage group members and announce meeting dates.

The coding for the app was completed by senior Preston McCrary, a student software developer and member of several coding clubs, while other members of HSE Apps helped with the testing stages of the app.

“My main purpose in creating HSE Clubs was to fix a problem I saw in the way clubs work,” McCrary said. “There’s so many things that can be changed and bettered through the use of software.”

Despite school being fully virtual during the site’s creation, McCrary worked around the obstacles of creating a schoolrelated app from home.

“A big problem we faced was getting approval from school staff and club sponsors,” McCrary said. “A large part of creating this app required having conversations with school personnel, which wasn’t entirely possible during the early stages of development.”

Although its creation faced challenges, HSE Clubs made a difference immediately once development was finished.

When the app launched on September 8th, the function of the app started to come to life, as within the first week of launching, the webpage had more than 2,000 total views.

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TO VISIT HSECLUBS.COM, SCAN THE QR CODE

Currently, the application serves as an information hub for fifteen clubs, who are able to manage their organizations fully through the app.

In conjunction with the creation of the HSE Clubs, McCrary and other members of HSE Apps plan to utilize software in solving other problems within the school.

“One thing I want to do next semester is to digitalize the hall pass system with a new app,” McCrary said. “I’d also want to create software to improve the whole process of tutoring within the school.

There’s so many things that can be completely changed and bettered with the use of software, and it would be a shame if no one were to do that.”

Not only has the creation of this software helped the school, the experience has helped prepare the members of HSE Apps for their future coding careers.

“The experience of working in a club like this is very beneficial, because the way we operate is very reminiscent of a job,” McCrary said. “Working with other people, seeing limitations on software and sending in code are all very valuable skills we can take with us going forward.”

In total, McCrary and the members of HSE Apps have been able to provide a valuable service to the school, while gaining coding experience along the way.

Story by Lucas Bisesi.

NEW MANDATORY SOFTWARE: SECURLY An invasion of privacy or a necessary safety precaution?

Just a week before students would officially set foot on Hamilton Southeastern High School campus for the first time this school year, administration sent out an email requesting that all on site students download a security certificate. This certificate was mandatory for students both with rental computers and those who brought their own devices, as HSE’s Wi-Fi was inaccessible if the certificate was not properly downloaded. A day later, on Sept. 18, administration would send out a Skylert clarifying what the security certificate was and why HSE had decided to use it.

“This year, we have enhanced internet safety for all students and staff. We are using Securly, a cloud-based web filter that monitors the browsing activity of both students and staff when connected to the school’s Wi-Fi,” the Skylert stated. “Securly will scan for certain keywords pertaining to cyberbullying, self-harm or other inappropriate content.”

Securly is just that, a device management software designed with student safety in mind. The company behind it, Securly Inc. was founded in 2013 in Silicon Valley, using technology on the forefront of innovation such as machine learning and natural language processing to monitor

web browsing, searches, emails and even online documents or drives. On their website, the company states that over 15,000 organizations use their services and that their software has saved 1,077 lives worldwide.

HSE’s decision to enlist Securly’s services was warranted by the wide availability of the internet in the school, as when the internet becomes more and more accessible, it becomes equally as dangerous. Nationwide, school systems have acknowledged issues like cyberbullying, which come with the increasing presence of technology in teenagers’ lives. This software is more of an involved approach to these issues, confronting them rather than only spreading awareness and providing resources for victims.

However, despite Securly’s good intentions, some students have raised concerns over the software, listing invasion of privacy and censorship of websites as two major issues.

“I feel like the school sprung the idea of Securly on HSE students quite suddenly.”

Senior Meredith Mckenzie said. “The fact that it logs actions outside school can be seen as an invasion of student’s privacy.”

Securly only monitors online activity

when a personal device is connected to HSE’s Wi-Fi, but school issued devices are monitored even off campus. Some students argue this as an invasion of privacy, as students are no longer in school or subject to school policy.

However, even on campus, students are having issues with Securly.

“Some websites are completely inaccessible with Securly on,” Senior Brianna Wright said. “I was doing research for one of my classes, and several sites I clicked on were blocked.”

This censorship, which is decided

by Securly’s programming, can lead to frustrating roadblocks that hinder students instead of helping them, undermining the entire purpose of Securly in schools. Students with rental devices are permanently barred from certain websites even in the privacy of their own home. Although Securly aims to help and protect, these issues cannot be ignored, especially if it affects students’ academic performance.

For right now, there is no way to opt out of downloading Securly. Hopefully with communication, students can be both protected and free, without one being at the expense of another. Story by Isabella Romaine. Image from Securly.com.

ACT, SAT INFORMATION

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAT, ACT Available for students to take during the spring of junior year and fall of

ACT

Four sections: English, Reading, Math and Science

Scores range from 1-36, with 21 being the average

Cost: $70 with writing section; $55 without

scan for more infomation

VS

Available for students to take during the spring of junior year and fall of senior year

Two sections: Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math

Scores range from 400-1600, with 1050 being the average

SAT

Cost: $68 with essay section; $52 with-

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scan for more infomation

In-Person vs. Virtual Learning Students, teacher discuss 50/50 hybrid schedule Students and teachers alike are both learning to manage the new hybrid schedule that is accompanying Phase II of the district’s Operational Plan.

Most teachers have been striving for synchronous instruciton, teaching to students virtually from Zoom while also having students in the classroom. At times, this process has been difficult for teachers as technology and internet issues occur, while also having to manage both groups at once.

Transitioning between virtual and inperson instruction can also be difficult for many students to manage since they have never experienced both methods before. Although online instruction has the benefit of providing students with a more flexible schedule to complete assignments, maintaining focus and motivation has also become a large issue for some students.

“I prefer in-person over virtual [learning],” senior Elijah Roane said.

“The 50/50 method still takes away class time from the students, and teachers are having issues with balancing their online students and their in-person students.”

Teachers also must consider that some students are completely virtual, or completely in-person. If a student is completely in-person, there may sometimes be some repetition as the teacher has to repeat things for their blue and royal groups. On the other hand, the completely virtual groups don’t get the in-school experience and may be lacking some materials.

“I enjoy having my materials at home that may not have been available to me at school,” junior Joseph Bucklin said. “I wouldn’t have chosen to go back to school [in-person].”

Returning to school also poses potential health risks for many students, as some have parents who may have health concerns or conditions where they need to stay safe.

Additionaly, in-person learning also forces everyone to be in a closed environment with others. In that case, the need to properly socially distance and contact trace as many individuals as possible becomes increasingly more important.

Attending school in-person, however, does have its benefits. Allowing students to return to an environment other than their home allows many the opportunity

Arm raised, English teacher Tyler Zerbe assists an in-person student during class on Oct. 7. Photo

by Tristan Fluhr.

Additionally, transitioning to the 50/50 hybrid schedule gives students the opportunity to socialize with others outside of their home, which a completely virtual environment may not offer if done safely.

Although many students prefer the virtual learning method, some teachers have differing opinions. Most teachers are working harder than usual to make online and in-person instruction as seemless and similar as possible.

Additionally, there are still some struggles for teachers though, as they now must adjust schedules, methods of instruction and engage in entirely new methods.

“I am by far a fan of in-person teaching,” performing arts teacher Shawn Porter said. “Students cannot learn as much, or as well, with the 50/50 hybrid or complete virtual learning.”

Performing arts classes are just a few of those severely struggling with the new virtual methods, as those classes are heavily dependent on clearly hearing and seeing the students and their classmates.

Ultimately, this has brought a new challenge for the teachers. Not only can Zoom calls end prematurely and lose internet connection, but being able to hear both online and in-person students simultaneously has become a struggle for many.

“As a teacher, it’s a bit tricky to be constantly aware of both your virtual and in-person learners,” Porter said. “We have to provide the same opportunities for the virtual learners as in-person learners.”

Although in-person learning and virtual learning both have many benefits, the decision ultimately comes down to the perspective and decision of each individual student. Story by Autumn Johnson.

Although in the classroom, students continue to use technology throughout the day as teachers attempt to keep virtual and in-person students connected. Photo

by Tristan Fluhr.

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COVID CHANGES: OUR FACULTY

The student body has seen many changes and developments since Friday, Mar. 13 when the school closed for what many students assumed would be only an extended spring break. However, as events began to unfold, the student body saw their entire year change. As time continued, quarantine became the new norm and many students became accustomed to online classes and enforced guidelines. While students have communicated their opinions on the COVID-19 guidelines throughout varied social media outlets, other outlooks such as teachers, custodians, and lunch workers may have been overlooked.

Guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 enforced by Hamilton Southeastern Administration affect all individuals, but some people in different ways. The high schools are currently in Phase II, which involves block scheduling, 50/50 attendance, and simultaneous in-person and virtual teaching during classes. Phase II also includes some physical changes to the school day, such as socially distanced seating, intensified cleaning after classes and lunches, and temporary adaptations to breakfast and lunch menus. With no guarantee of if or when the school will be moving into Phase III guidelines, everyone is attempting to adapt to their new daily routines...

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This year, school has changed the lunch procedures in their entirety. All lunches are currently free due to federal money and everything served is only handled by the cafeteria workers. Not only that, but everything served in the cafeterias is disposable.

When it comes to these changes, there are some unintended consequences to all the policies. Most importantly, plastic waste has become much more frequent with all the plastic bags being thrown away, as all the packaging used for lunch bags and food containers are made of plastic. Additionally, all students who opt to receive a free meal must add a portion of fruit to their bag. The fruit cups, however, often end up in the trash when students only pick up the fruit for the free meal.

“We’re a little shocked with all the changes,” Franklin said. “[When it comes to keeping everything sterile], everything is going better than we expected.”

Despite massive changes to the way food service has been handled in years past, Franklin and the rest of the kitchen staff are doing everything in their power to keep everything sanitized and safe for students. One of the procedures that has changed

the most is how students pick out food.

Last year, each student would individually handpick whatever option for food they wanted, similar to a buffet, which would also be a large spreading factor for COVID-19 if it were still in place. Now, the staff works with each student individually to put each lunch in a plastic bag with the necessary utensils, without the students touching a single item.

“The students have been doing really well at not touching anything in the lines,” Franklin said. “Keeping everything as clean as possible is the main goal.”

The cafeteria workers have been working in conjunction with the school’s custodians, ensuring that all aspects of the cafes are up to code.

“We work as a team with the custodians to make sure everything is done right.,” Franklin said. “We’ve been keeping up the standards [in the cafeteria] by doing things like wearing gloves and masks, deep cleaning and keeping track of everything”.

Another change to lunch is there is now a new 15 minutes between all of the lunch periods in the bell schedule to factor in time for cleaning tables, chairs and hightouch surfaces.

Overall, the new procedures have been a big change for everyone, student or staff.

KRIS FRANKLIN: CAFE STAFF HSENEWS

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In March of 2020 students and staff were asked to stay home from school to help slow the spread of the COVID-19, six months later students and staff are allowed back in the building. Although there is movement in the building, the interactions between teachers and students are anything but normal. The spread of the COVID-19 and the question of how to slow infections is still on everyone’s mind.

Teachers are currently adapting to the 50/50 hybrid schedule and having to change their methods in many ways.

When planning lessons, teachers must first find activities that students can do, whether they are in-person or virtual.

Additionally, when having students in the classroom, teachers attempt to ensure six feet of space between each student, which is not possible in all classrooms or with the number of students in class.

Throughout these changing times, teachers are trying their hardest to stay positive and take as much caution as possible.

“Spacing between the desks is the most obvious change,” Social Studies teacher Brian Akialis said. “Overall, I am trying to have the same types of discussions and activities as before.”

Initially in Phase II, around 20 percent of students declared that they would be staying virtual for the time being, with the number of virtual students continuing to grow for various approved reasons. For teachers, most were not

BRIAN AKIALIS: TEACHER

given the choice to come back in-person or not.

“I think there is an excitement and energy to being in the building with your friends,” Akialis said. “If I was a student, I would want to come back, but it would also depend on family circumstances.

I would have to be cautious not to put loved ones at risk.”

Teachers are used to looking at a room full of students from the whiteboard or walking around and helping a student with a problem, but these methods of teaching have been set aside with the new guidelines.

With the accommodations made for students, amid trying to keep everyone safe, teachers have students learning in their classroom as well as on their computers every day. While having a split class, teachers now must share their time between both groups of students.

Making connections with students is how some teachers operate their classrooms but teaching beyond the technology barrier can make it difficult to form those connections.

“I try to ask all my students how they are doing,” Akialis said. “I think that acknowledging every student, even for a quick interaction, is more important now than ever.”

The administration, staff, teachers and students have been navigating this change together while trying to keep everyone safe. The school has done their part by making masks required, keeping social distance in classrooms, scanning into lunch and only having half of the students in the building at a time.

“I feel the teachers have really worked hard and worked together,” Akialis said.

“I’m thankful to have a great group of teachers and administrators I can go to if I need help.”

The start of the school year has been filled with many questions and uncertainty amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Within the school environment, when questions and concerns arise from students they will most likely be directed to the school counselors for guidance and support.

However, in a time where direction may be difficult to navigate, counselors are sometime met with a challenge.

Traditionally, guidance counselors and students are accustomed to speaking face-to-face about a variety of topics, but with the limitations created by COVID-19, that option is harder to make possible. “[Changes] are helping us to be as efficient as we can and find ways to still offer all the services we did before, but in different ways,” guidance counselor Heather Flake said. “The delivery of our services changes as we connect more with technology; the main one being how we interact with students.”

Virtual meetings have been a successful way for counselors to get in touch with students who have questions regarding different topics, namely

information about college and career readiness for seniors.

“Instead of meeting individually with seniors about colleges and future plans in person, we scheduled Zoom meetings with them,” Flake said. “It has worked well and has allowed parents to join, too, which is not something we did in the past. It’s been great for parents to be able to ask questions regarding the college and career planning.”

Communicating with students virtually for the past few months has been an adjustment for the guidance department, though. With the transition to Phase II, another shift is being made to connect with students both virtually and in person.

“Now that we are back in person, students can still Zoom, if that is best for them,” Flake said. “They can also email us to set an appointment to come into the office when they are at school.”

Although the assistance of technology has made it easier to communicate with students virtually, one of the most important aspects of counseling is hard to achieve over the internet.

“I miss seeing students in person because the relationships and interactions are important for what we do in the counseling department,” Flake said.

“[But] it is nice to have multiple avenues to reach out [virtually].”

Helping students navigate their lives through the pandemic has been the main priority for the guidance counselors, which has also created a sense of pressure on them.

“There is always some form of pressure, however, that is not always a bad thing,” Flake said. “Pressure in a positive light pushes us to do more and make sure that students and staff feel supported and know all the services and assistance we offer.”

Amidst the changes of the department, the thing that has not changed is the intention behind what all counselors do for their students.

“The heart of the counseling office has not changed,” Flake said. “Our goal is to make a difference and support students to reach their goals.”

The guidance department has overcome the obstacles COVID-19 has put in front of them and have also helped students through this difficult time, as well. Story by Vivianna Esqueda, Kennedy Fisher, Trinity Mackenzie and Heidi Schlabach.

HEATHER FLAKE: COUNSELOR HSENEWS

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EXPLOSIVE GENDER REVEAL PARTY GENDER REVEAL PARTY ENDS IN WILDFIRE ACROSS YUCAIPA The trend of gender reveal celebrations has become both increasingly popular and increasingly elaborate, ranging anywhere from cakes to confetti as methods of expectant parents to reveal the biological sex of their baby. However on Sept. 5, a party became explosive as a ‘smoke generating pyrotechnic device’ set off a wildfire in the forest filled terrain of El Dorado Ranch Park.

“The device ignited four-foot-tall grass at El Dorado Ranch Park on Sept. 5,” Captain Bennet Milloy of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. “Efforts to douse the flames with water bottles proved fruitless.”

Over the span of 23 days the fire raged destruction across 22,680 acres within Yucaipa and surrounding areas, according to the Incident Information System. As of Oct. 3, the fire is currently 93 percent contained with 149 personnel assigned to containing and extinguishing it. However, deforestation was not the only result of the incident, as 14-year veteran firefighter Charlie Morton was killed, as well as 13 others who were injured. The event served as a harsh reminder of the deadly dangers of forest fires, beyond the acres of land turned to cripst.

The fire also forced the evacuation of several communities including Oak Glen, north Yucaipa, Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and Angelus Oaks. In total, 20 structures were destroyed, including five residences. Four residences were damaged due to the fire.

The tragic El Dorado Ranch Park wildfire is not the first, nor the last fire as result of a gender reveal party, though.

In 2017 off-duty US Border Patrol agent Dennis Dickey shot a target packed with a highly explosive substance known as Tannerite with a high-powered rifle, according to the US’ Attorney’s Office.

However, instead of bursting pink or blue powder to reveal the sex of the unborn child, it ignited a nearby bush which spread to nearby Colorado National Forest and burned 46,991 acres owned by the state of Arizona, federal agencies and private landowners in the span of a week.

Dickey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor violation of US Forest Service regulations and was sentenced to five years of probation. He was also ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution.

While Dickey accepted responsibility for starting the fire, he maintained that it was ‘a complete accident’.

No matter the intention of those involved, their gender reveal party caused wildfire and all damage that resulted from it. Those responsible will be required to face a judge for their mistakes and accept the consequences.

“Criminal charges were being considered, but would not be filed before the fire is extinguished,” Captain Milloy said in a statement. “[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] could also ask those responsible to reimburse the cost of fighting the fire.”

The El Dorado Ranch Park fire will be remembered for multiple reasons: the accident that started the blaze, the acres of land and structures lost and the untimely death of firefighter Charlie Morton. Story by Kathryn Collins.

#SavetheChildren Hashtag trending, more children being rescued 25% are Children

75% are Adults

1 in 4 of those who are trafficked are children.

4x

Children are four times more likely to be trafficked for labor rather than sex.

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men and boys

The organizer of this rally, Dominic Box, wanted it to inspire people to engage in difficult conversations about what is truly going on in the world.

“Exploitation of children is not something that happens only on private islands in the Carribean,” Box said in a statement. “It’s something that takes place in our schools, in our churches, in our streets and the reason why we’re bringing awareness today. The reason why we have this rally is because we feel like it’s an issue that hasn’t gotten enough attention.”

This rally is what led #SavetheChildren to be trending on multiple social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook with more than half a million people commenting on it, according to fox59. com. Users on these platforms have been seen calling out accounts for posting child pornography, while others are keeping the hashtag alive by sharing their own thoughts on the matter. One user on Twitter made it clear that the biggest thing people can do now is make noise.

“Never stop making noise,” the user said.

“Nobody is free until we are all free. Do not stop, as this is not a small wave we will make. Instead we will rip through their houses as tsunamis.”

However, citizens are not the only ones speaking up about this issue, as survivors of trafficking are also sharing their experiences. Ashley Barras experienced trafficking for three years and is glad people are finally waking up to the issues surrounding sex-trafficking.

“People need to speak up and share their stories,” Barras said in a statement. “If you were a survivor yourself, if you are a victim, if you have witnessed it please speak up. We need people like you. This is something that’s been going on for far too long and it needs to be brought to light.”

With more and more people bringing this problem into the light, children being rescued is on the rise. Social media’s influence has helped bring this issue to the attention of the world.

If you witness or suspect child trafficking, call the Childhelp National Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453. Story by Elizabeth Moodispaugh.

women and girls

When people think of the Save the Children organization, many associate it with children living in poverty, third world countries or dangerous situations in general. Recently on social media, the hashtag #SavetheChildren has taken on a whole new meaning. Now, those three words mostly represent the rescuing of sex-trafficked children because of whistleblowers inside these trafficking rings.

According to worldschildren.org, out of the total 14 million people trafficked each year, 1 in 4 are children. Usually children are trafficked for labor purposes, but in the recent years more and more places and criminals have been discovered using children for sexual reasons.

Recently in August, nearly 40 missing children were rescued in Georgia from a sex trafficking bust. The leader of this rescue was Darby Kirby, chief of the Missing Child Unit, a group that specifically works towards finding lost children. After recovering these 40 children, Kirby felt extremely relieved.

“When we track down fugitives, it’s a good feeling to know that we’re putting the bad guys behind bars, “Kirby said in a statement. “But that sense of accomplishment is nothing compared to finding a missing child. It’s hard to put into words what we feel when we rescue a missing child, but I can tell you that this operation has impacted every single one of us out here.”

This is not the only example of children being saved recently, though.

In September, 72 missing children were also rescued across Georgia, Ohio and Indiana according to spectrumnews1. com. The children’s age ranged from 3 to 17, with these children being missing from anywhere between two weeks to two years. Of the 72 rescued, more than 15 had been sex trafficked. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr worked alongside these cases and answered questions at a recent news conference.

“If we can save one child from a life of abuse or sex trafficking, we’ve done our job,” Carr said in a statement. “And this operation did that for many, many children.”

After multiple events of children being saved in Georgia, citizens decided to hold a flash rally to raise awareness of the issue and draw attention from officers, so that eventually action could be taken.

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55 percent of trafficked victims are women and girls.

Statistics from worldschildren.org

FOOTBALL RETURNS TO TV

BIG 10 MAKES DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE 2020 FALL SEASON Due to COVID-19, several significant events have been put on hold or cancelled.

Restaurants, sporting events and schools have restrictions that have ultimately caused individuals to have an array of reactions. These decisions in the past seven months have had a substantial effect on a variety of crowds, specifically football fans.

The Big Ten is the oldest league in the NCAA’s Division-1 level. Since 1896, when it was called the Western Conference, the Big 10 has been an annual program.

On March 12 of this year, they released a statement concerning their basketball program which announced their decision of cancelling all events through the end of the academic year. Fans were disappointed at the fact that they would not be allowed to watch their favorite teams play. Athletes were also dissatisfied and upset in response to the decision as well. As a result of these cancellations, teams were forced to quarantine in order to continue training.

In late September, many streamline websites publicized a new arrangement that described the Big Ten’s vote to play football in the fall 2020 season. This was decided amongst its Council of Presidents and Chancellors on Sept. 15, 2020.

The Big Ten’s season is set to open on the weekend of Oct. 24. The teams will be playing eight regular-season games in an eight-week time frame along with a Big Ten Championship and six consolation games. They have scheduled their championship game for Dec. 19.

This will make the Big Ten eligible for the College Football Playoff. The final CFP rankings announcement of the season will be released Dec. 20. CBS Sports stated that tickets will not be sold, and fans are prohibited from attending games this season. The only exceptions include families of the athletes, coaches and staff.

Many are still worried about COVID-19, along with how it is going to affect the athletes and how Big Ten will protect the athletes’ health. The conference has already provided different solutions for these problems, however. The Big Ten will provide daily COVID-19 tests as a part of the return to play plan, with the testing beginning on Sept. 30. If an athlete has a positive diagnosis, the earliest they could return to the field is 21 days after obtaining that result. These concerns were amongst the main reasons Big

Ten originally decided to cancel the fall season in August. The Big Ten initially canceled football until spring 2021, but a “Return to Play Task Force” was created to evaluate their options for future seasons and finding a way to be able to play this fall.

Considering the measures Big Ten is taking to ensure the health of the athletes, the fall season will proceed until further notice. Fans and players have both expressed an abundance of enthusiasm about this decision and each cannot wait to see the field again this fall. Story by Gabby Haynes.

HSENEWS

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STERILIZED SEASONS ATHLETES DISCUSS STAYING VIRTUAL FOR FALL SPORTS SEASON Many students contemplated staying 100 percent virtual as HSE transitioned into Phase II of the school’s reopening; but for many athletes, their decision was centered around the upcoming sports season. Already seeming so short-lived, many fall sports became jeopardized with the coronavirus. With this threat in place, athletes took the necessary means to play this year. “[Returning to school] is not worth the risk,” senior football player Dylan Laux said. “There are only 10 guaranteed games in the season, but if you or one of your teammates gets coronavirus, you are missing out on so much.”

Though all athletes were affected by the virus, senior athletes risked losing the final seasons of their high school careers.

“Senior year sports are always special no matter the sport, especially with football,” Laux said. “There is a different sense of pride as you are now a leader for your team. All you have been working for your entire high school career is leading up to right now.”

The concept of staying 100 percent virtual during the school day allowed athletes to come together with their

teammates for practices and games.

Many groups, like the varsity girls volleyball team, decided together to stay virtual in order to reduce the risk of a coronavirus case.

“As a team, we made the decision for most of us to stay virtual.” senior volleyball player Olivia Phillips said.

“Our coaches told us it was completely our decision. However, we took it upon ourselves to stay virtual in order to give us the best chance at staying safe and healthy throughout the season.”

The team had first-hand experience with having their season cut short.

The decision to stay virtual was not to prevent what could have happened, but to keep the team from quarantining again.

“We were already quarantined for two weeks earlier in the season, and we realized how detrimental it was to the team,” Phillips said. “Seeing our friends and teachers two,three days out of the week would be fun, but winning state is something we would remember for the rest of our lives.”

Athletes had a duty to their team to stay home and stay safe when they were off the courts. Similar to the volleyball team,

the varsity boys soccer team also made a group decision to stay virtual.

“We all knew we had a shot at accomplishing something big this season,” senior soccer captain Luke Lonneman said. “We did not want COVID-19 to have a say in our success, so we made this decision to stay virtual and decrease those chances.”

Though the boys were isolated during the day, many believed the time they spent together on the field made the decision worthwhile. “[Soccer] is the highlight of my day every day,” Lonneman said. “We all look forward to our training sessions, and all of us are so close that it is impossible to not have fun while being together.”

Many students were eager to get back to school and see their friends, but many of HSE’s student athletes were jumping at the chance to get back to the game. The time they spent at home was compensated for out on the field, making lasting memories with their teammates as their high school athletic careers came to a close. Story by Lauren Riina

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

ABBY JENKINS

TRAIT: PERSEVERANCE

Senior Abby Jenkins is a goalkeeper for the varsity girls soccer team, and has represented the Royals for four years. She was a member of the JV team as well as varsity during freshman year and has played on varsity since. Jenkins has faced multiple injuries throughout her time as a Royal, but has worked through them both mentally and physically.

“Because of [the injuries], she has been a great leader to show how to persevere through the ups and downs of a soccer season. Abby, in my opinion, is one of the top two goalkeepers in the whole state. I am certainly proud of her play and her leadership as one of our captains this year.”

Greg Davidson, Head Girls Soccer Coach