December 2020 Prospective: COVID-19 Edition

Vol. 1, Issue 1

PROSPECTIVE

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December 2020

zy a r x c ng a o sad h annoyi six-feet-apart e r c o i d me dangerous nasty k lost-o s a c pport mi m e unitie d s n c a s r y a l u p stressf widesprea d risky uncertain danger bad sick u nforeseen ugh ive disrupt extra lazy fake rat flu ch ed miserable t r a sh hate snot g lon a l lone borin awfu g d e k ible o r o l r r big-d e e v t umb o anxiety hate s ge rrendou o rm h s deadly fear y z a down br the p lague er worrisome bru h

COVID-19 EDITION

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PROSPECTIVE Bryant High School 801 N. Reynolds Rd Bryant, AR 72022 501.847.5605

Editors Carly Lidzy Emily Rutledge

Photo Editor Sophia Ocampo

Designers Carly Lidzy Emily Rutledge

Photographers Sophia Ocampo Michael Suddeth Harrison Spory

Videographer Cameron James

Writers Madison Basco Bella Herring Jack Clay Kaycee Browning Lydia Payne Laci Womack Julia Trantham Isabella Odom Chelsea Nwankwo

Adviser Lisa Stine

Cover Design Editor Carly Lidzy

The words featured on the front cover were taken from a survey of students asked to describe the coronavirus pandemic in their own words.

A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

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hat we thought would be a slightly extended spring break ended up being 164 days of lockdown and quarantine.

March 13 marked the beginning of what Bryant High School students have experienced as the coronavirus pandemic. Initially seen as an extended holiday that was all but celebrated on platforms such as Tik Tok and Snapchat, this turned out to be the most impactful event of our teenage lives.

Despite the severity of the issue, “social distancing” was first viewed as “social hour.” This, in turn, resulted in our first major spike of cases. Even with scarce testing available, Arkansas cases climbed to 195 on April 13 alone.

Arkansas, among the majority of states, officially went into lockdown by the end of March and remained in lockdown until early May. After President Donald Trump’s announcement to reopen the country through a three-phase process, Governor Asa Hutchinson began phase one of our state reopening at the beginning of May. By the end of May, cases had spiked again, with 455 positive cases documented on May 21.

As more information was released, the urgency in flattening the curve became more and more relevant, provoking Governor Asa Hutchinson to issue a state-wide mask mandate on July 16 despite reopenings.

Regardless of these spikes, we trudged on, reopening schools Aug. 24 with options to engage

in online learning or attending on campus. With the overall Arkansas cases now reaching 191,504 as of Dec. 16, the Bryant School District is maintaining necessary regulations and has added many new rules to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

Masks are required for students K-12, social distancing within classrooms has been implemented where possible and classes are stopped before the bell to allow time for students to disinfect their seating area. Students are also closely monitored for the sake of contact tracing, so that if there is a positive case recorded, students can quarantine as necessary.

District officials update a live document weekly, and up until Nov. 13, cases within the district had not reached over 20 at any given time. After that date, cases jumped to 44, and then to 60 the following week, reflecting a spike in cases statewide.

Despite the sudden increase in numbers, the collective effort to keep cases low remains, also translating outside the classroom through changes in extracurriculars. This includes a 30-minute maximum playing time for band students and a 25-minute maximum singing time for choir students. Along with these changes, the district has allowed students to remain in a virtual setting if needed while also keeping blended an option as well.

In this issue, we dive into the many changes we have faced coming into this school year, along with the mental struggles and coping mechanisms we came up with as a result of our elongated isolation period.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 07

on the

FRONT LINES

Students and faculty share their experiences with family working in health care professions during the pandemic.

NEWS

lab rat

ZAK JONES

A look inside the life of senior Zak Jones, who was diagnosed with epilepsy during the pandemic.

staff

EDITORIAL

12-13

16 A&E

14

FEATURE

art amid the

CHAOS

Students and directors are forced to adapt and respond to fine arts regulations caused by the pandemic.

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SPORTS

players in a PANDEMIC Many sports were uncertain it would be possible to have a season this year, but due to new health guidelines, sports were able to continue.

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HEALTH unspoken OUTCOMES Due to the pandemic, mental health is on the decline, and teachers and students speak up on what helped them through quarantine.

WRITER | Isabella Odom

financially

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ll students had to make a tough decision this school year: whether to learn virtually or on campus. Many students chose to do school virtually in order to not put others or themselves at risk of contracting the virus. Others decided to attend school in-person for an attempt at normalcy.

However, students doing on-site learning can pose a risk to the people in their homes who are high-risk, as well as to parents who are unable to work from home. Parents having to quarantine after a student is exposed at school could potentially be unable to work, which could be financially harmful.

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The pandemic has caused many students to be disconnected.

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While some students are staying home to eliminate the negative impacts that going to school could have on others, doing school virtually can also have its downfalls for students. Minimal internet access for some as well as being at home with less motivation to log in and complete schoolwork can make virtual learning very difficult.

Since the pandemic started, most of district social worker Lisa McNeely’s days at work are spent making phone calls about virtual students not logging on or making home visits to see why students aren’t completing their work.

more RESOURCES

can be found on the school website under “Parent Center”

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NEWS | DEC 2020

DISCONNECTED “The pandemic has caused many students to be disconnected from education, their health care and social [events],” McNeely said. “This in turn impacts their support systems which they depend on.”

McNeely also said that her office, the Parent Center, has worked to provide food and clothes for students who were economically hard-hit by the pandemic. Special Education teacher Trish Humphry works closely with McNeely, and the two have been running a clothing and food pantry for students for over five years.

In previous years, any student who needed food or clothing was able to stop by Humphry’s classroom and get what was needed. When schools first closed during March and throughout the summer, leftover food was boxed up and sent out to students and families in need.

This school year, with many students in need choosing virtual learning, it is harder to provide for them. Since on-site students aren’t allowed to leave their classrooms as much, fewer students are visiting Humphry’s class to get items.

“Families were struggling financially before COVID,” Humphry said. “Now with all of the job loss, that need is even greater.”

Students can visit rooms 17-30 or 17-31 at any time for assistance. Humphry and McNeely are just two of the people in the district aiding in helping students navigate life in the pandemic as much as possible.

“I think right now the main objective is to help these students to succeed in school during these difficult times,” McNeely said.

back in BUSINESS WRITER | Julia Trantham

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eeping businesses open throughout the coronavirus pandemic and maintaining CDC regulations has been difficult for many, including students.

This pandemic has taken a lot away from students, including freedom in their jobs and even their jobs in general.

Junior Gleann Buffington works at Don Pepe’s restaurant on Reynolds Road in Bryant.

“I started working at Don’s during quarantine, because I was tired of being home all the time,” Buffington said.

After Bryant went into lockdown, Don Pepe’s shut their doors for a time before reopening again. Buffington got her job when Don Pepe’s began opening back up to the public.

Buffington usually works at the window, handing people food, or she takes the orders from the speaker and puts them together. After the reopening, Don Pepe’s has been taking extra precautions to make sure that the workers are staying safe.

“The lobby used to be open before the coronavirus [pandemic], and we closed it [during the lockdown], but it’s back open,” Buffington said. “We close at around 2 p.m. every day so we have time to clean and make sure everything’s good for the next day. They also have hand sanitizer at the window for after you touch people’s hands.”

Sophomore Parker Cole’s job is completely virtual, but there have still been changes because of the pandemic.

Cole buys shoes at retail and then sells them for profit. Using an app called Nike SNKRS, Cole buys them, and then sells them on sites like Ebay.

Senior Lexi Rose sprays her co-worker senior Cameron Dupree while at work at Red Robin. Photo | Abigail Weihe “It’s really fun to do, and I like shoes a lot, so that helps,” Cole said. “I’ve been into shoes for about two years, but over quarantine I got into actually selling them. It was something to do while I was stuck at home.”

Cole mentioned that because of the pandemic, his shoe sales have increased. ¨People are home and they just buy the shoes,” Cole said. “It’s probably because they have nothing better to do.”

Cole said he really enjoys selling sneakers and doesn’t see himself stopping because of the pandemic.

For some students, the coronavirus has put several restrictions on the way they are able to work. Senior Lexi Rose, who is employed at Red Robin in Benton, says their cleaning procedures are detailed.

“We sanitize every surface that could potentially be touched every fifteen

minutes with our sanitizing spray, we all are required to wear masks and we are all required to wear gloves. We also wash the windows and door handles constantly, we maintain a six foot distance between workers at all times, as well as spacing out the tables as much as possible.”

Although many workers would agree that the CDC’s restrictions make work harder, Rose believes that they are important.

“The masks make it hard for people to understand other people when you have to communicate with guests, and the gloves are kind of annoying, but they’re necessary,” Rose said.

Despite the changes Rose has had to make in her work environment, she feels working at Red Robin is still fun.

“Nothing’s really changed all that much; everything still runs pretty much the same with jobs and positions and things like that,” Rose said. “I still enjoy it.”

NEWS | DEC 2020

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WRITER | Laci Womack

teaching through the

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eachers are going to great lengths to repress the disruption that COVID-19 has brought to their doorsteps and educational environments.

Physics teacher Hunter Smith has been working at Bryant High School for five years now. His class particularly consists of labs, hands-on activities and social interaction within groups for projects. Current students must socially distance, so his class is less kinesthetic than in previous years. With so many rearrangements in place, it hasn’t been entirely easy for him.

“Trying to make labs socially distanced has been challenging,” Smith said. “I try to keep the groups relatively small, [ensuring] that each group is socially distanced from the other,” Smith said.

“I’ve slowly been creating virtual assignments for years, so I can create them pretty efficiently.

[They’re] somewhat time consuming to create.

[I set up] many of them to be graded by Google, [resulting] in me spending less time grading.”

Bryant choir director Tanner Oglesby has worked in the field of vocal music for several years. Despite current setbacks, he remains optimistic that with hard work and support, his program will prevail through challenges.

“I’m forever grateful for the administration at Bryant,” Oglesby said. “They’ve done their best to support teachers and students during this time. It’s complex, and teachers really are some of the most hard working people I’ve ever met in my life.”

STORM

For Oglesby, the classroom restrictions are quite challenging. His students are accustomed to their prior day-to-day routine.

Due to mask regulations, it is more difficult to produce the same resonant sound as before.

“I’m an artist, [and] I thrive in my best environment-one in which quality music is being made,” Oglesby said. “Not being able to make music as easily as we have in the past has taken a toll on me. I have a huge program that is very successful, growing and pinged for professional collaboration around the state. [But] I am also one person, [and it] adds up, especially with [COVID-19] involved.”

While times are tough for everyone, teachers are responsible for more than students think. It is imperative for them to stay motivated even on awful days. Oglesby embraces his love for teaching, but acknowledges this love as one of the many important components to become successful.

“I love teaching and working with young adults, and I love teaching at Bryant,” Oglesby said.

“That will never change. However, I echo the sentiment of many of my colleagues when I say that I just don’t want the love of what I do to be exploited during times of crisis. Teachers are humans, too. Our love for the profession alone can’t keep our engines running for forever.”

As a member of the district personnel policy committee, Oglesby surveyed staff about their increased workload during the pandemic.

“Working several hours a week outside of their required contracted time, approximately 93% of Bryant High School teachers report working more than usual this year specifically to remain effective,” Oglesby said.

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NEWS | DEC 2020

Students work together on assignments for Mital Kilburn’s fourth period Accounting 1 class. Photo | Harrison Spory

WRITER | Lydia Payne

on the

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FRONT LINES

ver 14,000,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, with over 2,500 deaths in Arkansas alone, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. With the millions of cases documented, thousands of nurses and doctors are constantly exposed to the virus.

Davis Elementary nurse Theresa Cunningham deals with about 30 students and staff members daily. With new COVID-19 regulations, safety precautions were put in place to keep the school community safe.

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“We have to make sure that anybody comes to see the nurse if they are experiencing any kind of COVID symptoms, like sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, cough, fever, which is pretty much like a sinus infection,” Cunningham said. “So basically, it is having to figure out if it is [something] like seasonal allergies or if they are truly sick and need to be isolated and go home to get checked [for COVID].

furthermore take measures to keep everyone safe. Both she and her mother are directly affected by others’ choices and limit their contact to avoid either one contracting the virus.

“I would probably want [my peers] to know that COVID is not anything to play with,” Cureton said. “It doesn’t discriminate at all, so it would be in everyone’s best interest to wear your mask and stay sanitary.”

Having a parent around COVID patients every day opened a new perspective for senior Amya Smith. She reconsidered the severity of COVID after seeing how it affected her mother, a respiratory therapist at Children’s Hospital.

It is real.

COVID is real.

Sophomore Kalyse Cureton remains worryfree concerning her mother, an anesthetist tech at Children’s Hospital, or herself contracting COVID-19, as she is confident in her mother’s job and actions when she returns after work.

“I know that she is being safe at work,” Cureton said. “The reason I say she is safe is because she stays having multiple masks on, and when she comes home, she immediately showers and gets the germs off. [Children’s Hospital is] taking lots of precautionary measures as well.”

“When COVID first came out, I was like ‘Oh, this can’t affect me,’” Smith said. “Knowing that my mom is working on the front lines, and seeing the spikes and the drops and kids passing away from it really opened my eyes to [the fact that] that could’ve been me or my brother.”

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Even with the regulations and safety precautions that hospitals take with COVID-19, nurses are still at a higher risk of contracting the virus than other people. Cunningham understands the frustration that some people might have with the restrictions, but also points out just how important it is to keep everyone safe.

“It is real,” Cunningham said. “COVID is real. I I know that we cannot stay quarantined for two solid years and not try to go live our lives, [but] I do feel like the precautions that we need are important and hopefully will help it not spread.”

Cureton urges her peers to take into consideration the seriousness of this pandemic, and

NEWS | DEC 2020

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players in a PANDEMIC B WRITER | Chelsea Nwankwo

eyond textbooks and classes, the start of the school year also represents the start of a large culture at the school: the sports culture. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sports have been affected in various ways.

When the state-wide lockdown was announced, the school changed to an online learning format in March which left several sports without a tryout period for the fall 2020 season. For senior Cassidy Land, cheer tryouts were no exception. “[Cheer tryouts] had to wait until June,” Land said. “Mostly everybody made the team, but we couldn’t have stunting and stuff, and we had to wear our masks, so we did a four-week tryout where we all just came to a clinic and learned everything.”

The outbreak also led to many event cancellations among sports, from club-sponsored activities to games that were previously scheduled.

“So far, we haven’t been able to do half the stuff we did last year,” Land said.

“We couldn’t do pee-wee [cheer]. We’ve only been to half the games, because we couldn’t go to any of the away games at first. We started on our competition routine late, and it’s just a lot of things have been canceled, but we’ve still had a pretty good season so far.”

Whenever changes in sports are discussed, conversations about player interactions are prominent. However, for school sports, another impact has been game attendance, which has lowered greatly because of the social distancing guidelines. For football

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SPORTS | DEC 2020

players such as sophomore Gabriel Allen, this affected his game experience.

“When I’m on the field and I’m in a play, the crowd cheers, and it makes me feel good, and it motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing,” Allen said. It gives me inspiration. [I lost my inspiration] a little bit, because not as many people are [at games] because of COVID-19.”

Sports have been taking precautions in many ways, especially in practice.

Sophomore volleyball player Camryn Martin experienced these precautions first-hand. “[In volleyball], usually we just go through practice, and there’s nothing we really have to take time and pause for, but each practice we had a ball clean, which is where one of the coaches cleaned the balls,” Martin said. “We constantly have to sanitize, and spray our hands, and keep our mask on, and only take them down to get water, or if we’re six feet apart.”

All sports were affected in some capacity, but with this being a unique experience, the result varies from team to team. “[We] didn’t think we’d have a season, so it made us grateful for having a season, and we definitely did not take it for granted this year,” Martin said.

“I feel like we appreciated [it] a lot, and really soaked it in. We came in at the beginning of the season not knowing how many games we were going to have, [or] how many practices were going to have, because someone could have been qu a r a nt i ne d , and then we all would’ve had to wait, and it could’ve [cost us] the rest of our season.”

Sophomore Carter Moore helps his opponent from the Northside Grizzlies Sept. 25.

Photo | Sophia Ocampo

WRITER | Julia Trantham

legacy overcomes COVID-19

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he motto of the Legacy of Bryant marching band is “Surpassing Excellence and Conquering Limits.”

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, members of the competitive marching ensemble persevered this season, ending with a 2nd place finish at state competition.

This season’s show was titled “The Technicolor Klavier” and featured music from Beethoven, Coldplay and Beyonce.

Despite the changes with COVID-19, new students still joined the Legacy, such as sophomore Ethan Linder.

“I’m looking forward to all of the competitions in the future and seeing how we place,” Linder said. “I really only joined because my friend [sophomore] Hunter Heatley was doing it and it seemed fun, but now that I’m in it, I really enjoy it.”

There were a lot of changes in the way the ensemble had to rehearse. Due to restrictions from COVID-19, the state set guidelines to make sure that band members remained safe throughout the season. Students had to put a cover over the bell of their horns and cut a hole in masks used only for when they were playing.

One of the hardest things that junior drum major Riley Chronister had to deal with throughout the season was keeping people distanced.

“I know that it’s hard, but [staying six feet apart] is for the safety of others, and safety is our number one priority,” Chronister said.

Another difficulty Chronister had to face was trying to meet expectations of the other drum majors.

CHALLENGES

“I was kind of nervous, because I was trying to be like the other drum majors, and it was really hard to do that,” Chronister said. “I was just trying to be like them and be as motivated as they are through the season.”

Senior trumpet section leader Stephen Snow felt that even though this season was different, the band would still push through the challenges.

“COVID-19 created a wall that we just needed to break through to become a better group like we have been in the past,” Snow said. “Wearing masks and socially distancing in our drill and when we were hanging out was tough. I enjoyed it, though it could be stressful at times, but I guess the stress is what makes it fun, you know?”

In addition to new members, a new band director filled a position in the Bryant Band program. Jordan Van Dyke is the newest band director, and he is in charge of the concert band. Although he isn’t able to see his students’ faces, he isn’t letting that get him down.

“It’s been exciting to meet all of the kids,” Van Dyke said. “I think that competitive band is going well. Obviously, it’s a whole different year with COVID-19, and I really believe that the students who are here really want to be here. I don’t think there’s a lack of commitment, and everyone here is one hundred percent.”

band, stay late and put in the extra hours and the hard work. I think our show this year is very demanding in terms of tempos and physical demand.”

The Legacy’s first competition was held at Cabot, and the ensemble placed second, earning several other awards.

Their second competition was at Lake Hamilton. The Legacy had a caption sweep in their class, and was awarded Overall Music, General Effect, Percussion and Colorguard awards, as well as Grand Champion. The Legacy also competed at a Paragould contest, placing second and earning several awards.

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Safety is our number one priority.

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“It’s about the students,” Van Dyke said.

“I want the kids that are working hard this year to have a great performance, and trophies will come and go, but knowing that we had a great year in terms of diversity and adversity, and the outcome of that, I was just excited to see it all come together.”

Van Dyke also had a positive outlook for the season, even though it was difficult.

“I looked forward to the students having good performances, because it’s about them,” Van Dyke said. “They made sacrifices to come to competitive

SPORTS | DEC 2020

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LIVING IN FEAR my immune system would be down already.”

Despite these possibilities, medical professionals are still unaware of the exact consequences of contracting the virus, primarily for those who already have kidney-related health problems. Mayo Clinic nephrologist Dr. Fouad T. Chebib claims that various studies have shown that kidney injuries are likely to develop from COVID-19, as well as other problems.

“An estimated one third of patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 develop acute kidney injury (AKI), associated with various degrees of acute tubular injury,” Chebib said.

Chebib notes that those with kidney diseases do not necessarily face much higher risk of obtaining the virus than the general population does, but he urges people like Madeleine to take greater safety measures than those with no underlying health problems.

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our months into pregnancy with her first and only child, Jennifer Amox received devastating news. Her daughter Madeleine’s kidneys were full of cysts, and by the sixth month, one of the kidneys had grown while the other began to shrink.

The mortality rate for babies with Madeleine’s condition, polycystic kidney disease, is 50%.

However, Madeleine Amox was born healthy overall on March 30, 2004, despite the complications before her birth. After surviving the problematic development of her kidney and multiple kidney diseases, Madeleine began to live her life with only one functioning kidney.

“My body just absorbed it, so my smaller kidney took over,” Madeleine said. “I used to have to go to the hospital every month to get my blood drawn so they could test my levels and make sure everything was operating okay, and if I’m [now] put on certain medicine, I have to go get tested every week to make sure my blood is producing correctly and that it’s doing its job. It caused me to have reflux for about three years, and then it subsided, and then it came back, and now it’s gone again. It’s just like small little inconveniences, but I see it as normal.”

The

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FEATURE | DEC 2020

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Madeleine’s younger years as she continued to face various hindrances that affected her health.

Madeleine developed additional problems, including a disorder involving cerebral fluid build up in the brain, forcing her to take on antibiotics and diuretics throughout many years.

“She had to be placed on prophylactic antibiotics for four years and closely monitored,” Jennifer said. “She was a grade IV at birth [on a scale of I to V, with V being the most severe], but was completely cleared by age four. When she was in middle school, she developed pseudotumor cerebri. It could only be relieved through multiple spinal taps. Her pressure was so high during the first spinal tap that she blew the top off the gauge. She spent a couple of years on diuretics in order to keep the cerebral fluid from building up, further taxing her kidney.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic has surged through the world, the Amoxes have been forced to take action to protect themselves, specifically Madeleine, from catching COVID-19, considering the havoc it could wreak on her already fragile health.

“I could lose my kidney, which means I’d probably have to go on the donor list, and that could take years, so I’d be on dialysis for months or years at a time,” Amox said. “It would just make the case much more severe; complications could arise a lot more, and I can get different diseases from it, like pneumonia, because

“Special precautions and measures should be taken to avoid contracting the virus,” Chebib said. “This is important because patients with chronic diseases are predisposed to having more severe effects from having the virus. The precaution measures include physical distancing, hand hygiene and mask wearing and avoiding places where these measures are not being taken.”

Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS pediatric nephrologist Dr. Saritha Ranabothu is familiar with the various treatment options and procedures if someone like Amox was to obtain the virus and needed a transplant.

“It’s a complex process when a kidney doctor determines that kidneys are failed and need chronic dialysis,” Ranabothu said. “Patients who are on dialysis will be considered for transplant and require a comprehensive evaluation. The process includes education, medical records review, patient examination and often additional medical testing. The cases are then reviewed by our transplant team and a decision about each child’s suitability for an organ is made.”

If the patient’s candidacy is approved, that patient then faces one of the two possible kidney transplant operations. “[They may receive] a living-donor transplant, when someone with kidney failure gets a kidney from someone who is still alive, usually a relative or close friend but occasionally a stranger, [or] a non-living-donor transplant, when people donate their kidneys for transplant after they die,” Ranabothu said. “It can take a long time to find an appropriate match, because there are more people in need of new kidneys than there are kidneys being donated.”

Junior Madeleine Amox faces high risk with one kidney COVID-19, the complex disease that has taken over 200,000 lives in the United States alone, is complicated and challenging to completely understand since it is so new; however, medical professionals and scientists continue to research the virus and its effects. Madeleine’s own doctors have presented these possibilities, especially concerning the lack of one kidney.

has been very adamant about following the suggested guidelines,” Jennifer said. “We have a mandatory mask rule in all buildings. In the music department, we have HEPA/UVC filters running in every classroom and performance space and maintain 12+ feet of social distance.”

Jennifer continues to take these precautions when home with Madeleine as well.

“My doctors said it’s possible for me to have lasting effects on my immune system if I were to get [COVID-19], because I’d have a severe case,” Madeleine said. “They didn’t go into specifics, because no one really knows anything about the virus. They were just like, ‘This is what we do know.’ They know that it attacks the kidneys. They know that I’d probably lose my kidney. They know that I’d have to go on dialysis [if that occurred].”

“We have an additional commercial HEPA/ UVC filter running at our house, especially since Madeleine and two of her close friends are enrolled in online courses and use our living room for their daily coursework,” Jennifer said. “I remove my clothing and mask immediately upon coming home from work and shower so as not to bring aerosols from HSU into our home. My spouse and I don’t socialize outside of occasional visits to his parents’ house, and my spouse does not currently work outside the home. My parents and brother run a psychiatric facility and have forbidden us from visiting until a vaccination is made available so as not to infect their patients.”

The severe potential outcomes that could arise if she had COVID-19 have further encouraged Madeleine to take the already necessary precautions to prevent the disease to the next level.

“I’ve kept a really close inner circle,” Madeleine said. “I only have about three or so people I don’t wear a mask around that are family. I

don’t go visit family that isn’t in my household.

I’m online this year to stay away from school. If I am driving someone somewhere, I make sure to wipe down the seat afterwards and make sure we both wear a mask. I have constant hand sanitizers and gloves, so when I have to get gas, I use gloves at the gas pump. I have various masks.

It’s just the basic things you should already be doing to prevent it, but a little bit more extreme.”

Although she faces greater risk, Amox still finds it worth it to remain in extracurriculars, such as concert and marching band. Safety is vital, but Amox believes her passions are equally important.

“I want to keep myself as safe as possible, but I’m not going to completely pause my high school experience,” Madeleine said. “I’m not going to drop out of things I love out of fear. I don’t feel like that’s a way to live life. [Band is] my way of getting my social outlet, especially since I’m online, and it allows me to keep on doing what I’m passionate about and enjoy it.”

Having to work away from home, Madeleine’s mother Jennifer must ensure that she also takes extra precautions in order to keep her daughter safe from the virus.

“I am very fortunate to teach at Henderson State University, where the administration

virus subsides, believing the pandemic will pave a path for numerous societal changes and beneficial outcomes. In addition to changes in daily life, such as newly available jobs, better safety and health precautions and altered procedures for various sources of entertainment, Madeleine thinks that people are finally going to appreciate the time they are given. It remains unclear, though, how long this will take and what will be changed.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Madeleine said. “Our time is going to become more valuable, and people are going to be more willing to go back to work and school, because they were taken away for a period of time.”

Jennifer agrees that there are some positive outcomes that may arise from the pandemic.

“I

do

think

this

Although she remains free from

“YOU BELIEVE IT’S A [SCAM] UNTIL YOU’RE AFFECTED BY IT.”

the virus, some of Madeleine’s close family members have tested positive for COVID-19.

“It’s hit pretty close to home,” Madeleine said.

“Seeing it get closer and closer to my inner family is really alarming, because these are people I’ve known my entire life, and it’s like they could just stop existing tomorrow and I’d have no idea. It’s such a rapidly changing thing, and we just don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s very hard to see how it’s affecting my family and what they’re going through.

I’m just praying for everything to be all right.”

As the potential danger of getting COVID-19 continues to be a threat, Jennifer’s only worries are its effects on her daughter’s health and the disease’s unpredictability.

“I am not afraid of any of us dying from COVID-19, even though my brother lost his mother-in-law to the disease last week,” Jennifer said. “I am, however, incredibly fearful of the lasting effects it can have on the body’s organs, [such as] Madeleine’s kidney, much like mono can lead to long-term effects from Epstein-Barr Syndrome.

We simply do not have sufficient data to gauge COVID-19’s possible long-term complications.”

experience has taught us to be more mindful of hand-washing and germ-spreading in all contexts,” Jennifer said. “Many other cultures often wear masks when experiencing a cold or flu [outbreak], out of respect for others. I hope that the practice will become accepted in our culture as well. As a result, we will likely see a reduction in flu-related deaths and complications, especially in at-risk populations.”

Madeleine hopes people will empathize with her situation as someone who faces great consequences if she were to get the virus instead of undermining its severity.

“You believe it’s a [scam] until you’re affected by it,” Madeleine said. “When your family member is on a ventilator for three weeks and you find out that she may get unplugged in a week or so, and you’re losing family members, and you’re scared for your own safety, then you realize that it’s not a hoax. It’s not hard to wear a mask. It protects other people, not just you. It’s a sign of respect, not of weakness or you giving up your rights. You still have full autonomy. Just protect other people.”

WRITER | Emily Rutledge PHOTO | Sophia Ocampo

Madeleine has high hopes for the future after the

FEATURE | DEC 2020

11

a dark W e thought 2020 was supposed to be our year. It was supposed to be epic, the start of a new decade. But we were wrong.

Instead of hanging out with friends, going to concerts and traveling, we were confined within the walls of our own homes for months on end because of a pandemic no one saw coming.

When asked in a survey to describe COVID-19, some students described it as “dividing,” “terrifying,” “dangerous” and “life-altering.” However, there were a vast number of students who used different words to describe this time in our lives: “fake,” “annoying,” “overrated” and “stupid.”

We’ve all heard the conspiracies and the jokes and seen the non-believers on Facebook ranting on their feeds. “This is all a hoax.” “This will all end when the election is over.” “The masks don’t work.”

Students have continued to gather on weekends for their own FOCOs, holiday parties and get-togethers. They roam the school hallways with masks pulled below their noses or don’t wear them at all. They’ve tuned out the teachers repeatedly telling them to pull their masks up, neglecting the need to prevent this deadly virus from spreading throughout the school and community.

Not enough of us take this seriously.

COVID-19 is not a minor problem that

12

EDITORIAL | DEC 2020

WINTER

can be regarded as simply “annoying” and “fake.” Those who believe the virus is “overrated” and fail to meet the necessary regulations to prevent the spread are the ones who have caused cases to skyrocket over the holidays. As the months have gone by, and the U.S. COVID-19 death toll looms over 300,000, it should not seem like a hoax anymore.

According to the CDC, studies have shown that masks are effective in protecting ourselves as well as others. The CDC’s website states that masks act as a barrier to help prevent our respiratory droplets, which travel into the air when we cough, sneeze, talk, shout or sing, from reaching others when worn over the mouth and nose. Not only does wearing masks protect us, but it allows us to protect others, especially those who are high risk.

In a survey of 173 students, 12% reported that they are considered high-risk for COVID. Some of them are coming to school to take classes not offered online, and the rest of us have no idea who they are. 43% of students responded that they have family members who are high-risk.

With a vaccine slowly rolling out in the U.S., the only weapon most of us have against this virus right now is a mask. As students who have the choice to go to school inperson, it’s our responsibility to protect our peers, our families and our community.

Wearing a mask is the least that we can do.

COVID

191,504

STATS

cases in

ARKANSAS

10,230

308K

HOSPITALIZED

UNITED STATES

Arkansans

6,373 cases reported within

SALINE COUNTY

3,074

deaths within the

out of 1.65 million worldwide

deaths within

ARKANSAS SOURCE: Arkansas Dept. of Health Dec. 16, 2020

Editorial | DEC 2020

13

LAB RAT to a germ-infested building during a pandemic.”

However, while getting this diagnosis during a pandemic was stressful at times, the timing could not have been better for Robin.

“I honestly think that if [the diagnosis] had come earlier, we wouldn’t have handled it as well,” Robin said. “We moved a lot before we settled in Saline County, and I didn’t always have jobs that offered the flexibility that my current role does, so it would have been a much bigger issue to get him to appointments when he was younger.”

The timing, while much later than usual epilepsy diagnoses, ended up being near perfect for the Jones family.

I

t started with random twitches, entire limbs flailing. And then came the fall.

Senior Zak Jones lived a normal teenage life: taking AP classes, participating in extracurriculars, staying busy. But as his junior year came to a close, things took a turn.

“I would randomly twitch, my arms would shoot out and sometimes I would just fall,” Jones said. “I would be walking, and all of the sudden I [would be] on the ground, and I didn’t know how I’d gotten there.”

Robin Jones, Zak’s mother, began to see cause for concern as Zak was becoming unable to fulfill normal chores. “[I] started noticing that the arms and legs twitching was getting worse,” Robin said. “He fell on the stairway at school one day and a couple of other places. The event that made me stop messing around and get him an appointment was when he was putting dinner away one night and just fell to the floor. I could

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FEATURE | DEC 2020

“I’m not sure that I wouldn’t have been overprotective of him if he had been diagnosed when most kids are, and he could have possibly missed out on so much see fear of not knowing what was going on in that he has gotten to experience though his his eyes and decided I never wanted to see that middle and high school years,” Robin said. again. I was on the phone with his pediatrician the next day.”

Along with being within hospital walls, the threat of COVID-19 was something Zak had to In June, Zak was diagnosed with myoclonic be wary of. Zak frequented Arkansas’ Children’s seizures and general epilepsy. It affects Hospital, along with UAMS at laters dates. the entirety of his brain, with seizures that only last a second to half a second. Those “It made COVID-19 a little bit scarier, because seizures were mainly in the form of twitching the doctor told me if I were to get a fever, I extremities, and not the entire body at once. would be more likely for it to trigger a febrile seizure,” Zak said. “[At the appointments “I was tired of not knowing what was they] flashed lights in my eyes and made me going on with him,” Robin said, “so it was hyperventilate, trying to see if I would seize like a weight lifted off my shoulders when out, which to me is morbid. Like, ‘Here, we’re they came into his room at Children’s and going to see if this will trigger a seizure.’” confirmed that there had been some activity on his EEG and it was possibly epilepsy.” Along with smaller visits, Zak had to undergo an MRI and a 24-hour electroencephalogram (EEG), For Zak, getting this diagnosis in the which detects electrical activity in the brain. midst of a pandemic was nerve wracking. “[They] hooked up all the little things to my “Everything was still rather new, and nobody head, and [I] spent the night in a hospital with knew what was going on,” Zak said. “I was going a backpack on that was reading my brain.” to the hospital where sick people go. Luckily, it wasn’t crowded, but I was nervous about going At the time of diagnosis, Zak was put on

Senior Zak Jones diagnosed with epilepsy at age 17 medication and his driver’s license was confirm nor deny you are a risk,” Zak said. Zak said. “They never really gave me a reason to be revoked until he was a year seizurewhy it popped up, it just did and it’s not normal.” free. With losing the ability to drive, Zak While no official tests were run at UAMS, also lost the feeling of independence. they did look into Zak’s motor skills. After getting the second opinion at UAMS, the idea that it was stress induced was brought up.

“I had a car, and I was getting ready to look “I found out later it’s common in epileptic for a job and make those big steps toward patients that different wires are crossed in “Ever since I’ve started virtual school, I independence, and [then I] couldn’t drive your brain,” Zak said. “Different tasks that haven’t been twitching,” Zak said. “[junior [or] get to a job.” Zak said. “My parents are seem minimal actually are very difficult. year] I did marching band, took advanced divorced, so my dad had to start picking me One I have is less sense of temperature in courses and didn’t sleep a ton; I was under up, and that was really weird. Even if I was my left shin area, and it’s because some physical and mental strain, so they said doing the same things, they weren’t the same.” wire in my head is miss-wired. I can’t tell if maybe I was stressed out to the point that it’s cold or hot from my knee to my ankle.” my body gave up. But they can’t prove it.”

While the loss of independence was not easy, Robin says that Zak was able to take that in stride. After getting the second opinion from UAMS, Zak has been living in a world of “maybes,” and Zak was able to get off of may not get a straight answer any time soon.

“Zak has always been my level-headed child, his medication and begin driving again. there isn’t much that gets a rise out of him,” “Basically it’s a big science project to see if it’s stress Robin said. “I know he dealt with a lot when he “Based on what he saw, he can’t say I’m [or not],” Zak said. “I’m a lab rat. It’s pretty cool.” lost his independence, but once we had a talk completely safe, but he can’t say that I’m too about what was bothering him about all of it, dangerous to not drive,” Zak said. “There’s With all of the craziness and uncertainty he was my cool-as-a-cucumber Zachary again.” no real evidence that I will do something Zak has faced since his diagnosis in Along with parental support, Zak found wrong, but he doesn’t have 100% evidence that February, he has one thing to say to support within his friend group. something won’t happen. It’s so uncertain, those who have helped him: thank you. but I don’t need to live my life in fear.”

“I mentioned I couldn’t drive, and “The world is a crazy place, and it’s a very they would offer me rides,” Zak said. Even with these new developments, Robin is reassuring feeling to know that all the people I still wary of Zak beginning to drive again. spend day in and day out working for are there Other than offering rides, some for me,” Zak said. friends were able to make sure Zak’s “I do worry about him driving and safety was a number one priority. something happening that he can’t avoid WRITER | Carly Lidzy that may result in injuries to himself or PHOTO | Sophia Ocampo “[Zak] has a very good friend in the band that others,” Robin said. “I guess that’s the case has experience through a sibling with epilepsy with any parent of a teen driver, though.” and promised she would take care of him if anything happened,” Robin said. “She knew While things are now looking up for Zak, about the emergency meltaway meds and what there has been no definitive answer as to to do to keep him safe in the event of a full- why this has diagnosis come to light now. body seizure, and I will always hold her in a special place in my heart for that reassurance.” “They said it’s really weird it’s just now popping up and After being diagnosed at ACH, Zak becoming an issue,” went to UAMS to get a second opinion. “[The doctor at UAMS] didn’t do any tests on me, but he said based on what we have, I can neither

“BASICALLY, IT’S A BIG SCIENCE PROJECT TO SEE IF IT’S STRESS [OR NOT]. I’M A LAB RAT. IT’S PRETTY COOL.” FEATURE | DEC 2020

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WRITER | Jack Clay

art amid B ryant High School’s fine arts programs have always featured the talents of many students exploring their passions.

However, the coronavirus pandemic, which forced people across the world to shelter in their homes and remain socially distant from each other, has hit arts programs especially hard.

Vice President of the choir program senior Josh Mellor was tasked with adapting the organization to prevent the spread of the virus.

“I feel the restrictions are unfortunate but necessary,” Mellor said. “The adjustments we’ve made change many of the traditional ways of singing and learning music. For first year singers, the impacts are the hardest hitting.

There are lots of facial movements and gestures that help new singers understand how to shape a certain vowel or sing a certain word that they can no longer pick up on.”

The art itself, though, is not the only thing inhibited by preventative measures. The many competitions and clinics choir attends are also affected by public health policies.

“Many of our normally in-person activities have gone virtual,” Mellor said. “All-Region auditions are the most notable event that has become virtual this year. Typically, we bus over 100 nervous students to the school where we audition so that they can

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CHAOS

try their hand at making All-Region choir, but this year’s auditions are prerecorded, taking the nerves out of the whole audition process. The largest cancellation we have this year is our Christmas Concert. Because of the large number of students in Bryant Choirs, the gathering of over 100 students is not a risk we’re willing to take.”

Choir and Thespians president Lexie Ellis also finds herself in uncharted waters, finding a balance between letting students express themselves and keeping them safe.

“In March, our spring musical, ‘Mary Poppins,’ got canceled because of COVID-19,” Ellis said. “We lost a lot of money and time in that production, and we were not able to recoup nearly as much as we put into it. We are also going to have to do a virtual thespians conference this year instead of the in-person one we usually get to do. We are also having to do three out of four of the performances of our fall play, ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ online instead of in person.”

Considering that the virus spreads through aerosols rapidly, the closures are necessary to protect the well-being of student artists on campus, according to Mellor.

“To combat the risk of widespread infection throughout our choirs, we’ve spaced out our seating and practice spaces so that each student is a minimum of six feet away from

one another to encourage social distancing,” Mellor said. “While we have always required masks while singing, just recently the program has been selling singing masks that are a thicker material than most masks and also hold their shape so students can comfortably and safely sing. We pride ourselves in our attention to detail in following CDC requirements to combat COVID-19.”

Not everyone believes that the safety protocols are effective, though. A group of band students who adapted to the pandemic by practicing outside, including junior Jonathan Mellor, junior Nick Dickinson, senior Maddox Griffin and junior Jacob Carp, expressed their dissatisfaction with the safety measures.

They referred to their specially-made playing masks as “useless masks,” pointing out how the large holes in the front, meant to allow them access to their mouthpieces, inadvertently exposed their mouths and noses. That, along with the large crowds and heavy breathing that comes with performing with the band, made them skeptical of the effectiveness of the adaptations.

While programs are struggling with adjusting to an infected world, the impact may be hardest on the individual students within those programs. Students whose days were made by jamming with friends on a jazz band piece or who poured their after-school hours into rehearsing

lines and songs suddenly found themselves with all the time in the world and nothing to do with it.

“I was very much looking forward to Thespians and all the shows we would get to do this year,” Ellis said.

“I love theater deeply, and it has been a rock for me throughout high school, so to not be able to rely on it to keep me afloat as much as I used to has been difficult. Especially after ‘Mary Poppins’ got cancelled, I struggled, because I had so much fun on that show, and i t felt like all the tired nights and the hard work was for nothing.

Although I have come to accept all of this more, it is still not easier when I think about how this is my last year in this wond er f u l program, and I don’t get to do all the things I love to do.”

The fall play, “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, was postponed twice, with key actors being forced to quarantine. The show, fortunately, was able to go on, and they performed it to a socially distanced audience. Even with everyone at school, though, it is beyond tough to perform with the restrictions in place.

“We have to act less with our faces and more with our voices, we only get one inperson performance, and we must wear masks and social distance on stage,” Ellis said. “We have taken extra precautions to stay safe during this production, but it has definitely been difficult.”

The most students can do is hope that next year, whether at Bryant or in college, they will be able to resume performing their art as passionately as they did before the pandemic.

“I am very hopeful for next year,” Mellor said. “I’m excited to see the shift from singing with masks on to singing without masks on for students who have only been in choir while masks are required.”

Seniors Connor Reynolds and Molly Austin practice for their performance of the fall play, “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Photo | Daniela Lara

“I STRUGGLED, BECAUSE I HAD SO MUCH FUN ON THAT SHOW, AND IT FELT LIKE ALL THE TIRED NIGHTS AND THE HARD WORK WAS FOR NOTHING.” A&E | DEC 2020

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mask UP

Homemade masks gain popularity as students create their own to stay safe in the pandemic

“I make my own masks. It started when my mom bought a sewing machine in March specifically for making masks. I watched tutorials on YouTube on how to sew a mask, and then I [built] my skills from there. I sell my own masks, [and] I post the masks on Instagram @elegancemasks. I prefer homemade masks, because they are sustainable for the environment. My favorite mask patterns range from tie-dye all the way to designer print. I love matching masks with my outfits, so I always try to have variety in my masks when selecting my outfits.”

Anna DePelsMaeker, 10 Kaity Barr, 10

“My grandma makes [masks] out of old fabric she has. Homemade masks last longer and just seem more efficient to me. My favorite part of wearing my mask is knowing that we’re doing something to help the spread of a pandemic, [and] if someone needs a mask, there’s no reason to sell it--I can just give it to them.”

Maria Waite, 11

“I prefer homemade masks, because the fabric is so much better than the disposable ones, and they are more customizable for each person. I also feel less awkward when I wear a mask out in public.”

Riley Chronister, 11

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“I usually [get my masks] from other people that make them, or from hospitals. I prefer disposable masks, because I like that they are CDC-approved. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with the homemade ones. And if I have a mask on, you can’t see my acne.”

staying ENTERTAINED I WRITER | Madison Basco

t’s the middle of March. For students, it has been a normal day at school: they’ve completed a few assignments, spoken to a few friends and wrapped up grades for the third nine weeks.

Everything is going as planned, until the news is out: schools are being shut down and many businesses are closing their doors due to the infectious coronavirus.

Students cheer for a two week spring break, and employees celebrate a little time off work.

Little do they know, they will spend the rest of the school year and an entire summer in quarantine.

As soon as school let out, tweets and memes started to plague the internet, with teens claiming they missed school and being able to interact with their friends face-toface. Teens stayed connected to their friends through FaceTime calls and video games from the comfort of their own homes.

Games like Roblox, Minecraft and Animal Crossing were particularly popular during summer quarantine.

Senior Stephen Snow FaceTimed his friends almost every day and played Minecraft and Roblox.

“The best part about quarantine was being able to catch up with my friends that I hadn’t talked to in forever,“ Snow said. “I remember me and my friends stayed up playing Fantasy Island on Roblox until like 4 a.m.”

“I tried to occupy my time with activities other than binging Netflix.

Junior spent sweets time

”

Cynthia Harrell quarantine baking and spending quality with her family.

“I did talk to some friends as well,” Harrell said. “I don’t have an iPhone, so [I wasn’t able to FaceTime my friends], but I do have Google Duo, and I video chatted that way. I would call my friends and talk about random things. We talked about how quarantine was going and how our family was driving us crazy. “ Even with uncertainty of the future, many people took this time in their homes to refresh and improve themselves. Internship

teacher Leah Lile accomplished many home improvement projects both inside and outside her house.

“I took full advantage of my time off during quarantine,” Lile said. “I tried to occupy my time with activities other than binging Netflix, like puzzles, workout challenges with friends or virtual Zooms playing games like Quiplash. While not totally new, I really spent a lot of time in our yard and garden beds at my house.

I frequently visited a local nursery and planted a lot more flowers and plants. I enjoyed being able to care for them and watch them grow over the spring and summer.”

Lile was able to stay in touch with her friends easily in the spring, because they were all in the same situation of working from home. As summer began, she was able to see her friends inperson and have small gatherings.

Lile spent a lot of her summer at the lake with family and friends.

“Quarantine did allow for life to slow down and allowed me to really focus on aspects of life that get pushed to the back burner with an often busy and hectic schedule,” Lile said. “During this time, I also feel a renewed sense of gratitude for parts of life that I have taken for granted, like going to church, going out to eat or just planning a get together with friends and family.”

A&E | DEC 2020

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in a BUBBLE

WRITER | Emily Rutledge

A

s COVID-19 continues to sweep the world in waves, the United States alone now has over 17 million positive cases confirmed, as well as over 300, 000 deaths as of Dec. 17.

is much greater than other viruses.”

While these are more minor symptoms of the disease, Kuhnert-Tallman also states that more severe problems could arise if a person has obtained COVID-19.

With no end in sight, many states maintain strict regulations, including the requirements of wearing masks and social distancing, in order to flatten the curve.

“This virus can also cause more problems than other respiratory viruses.,” KuhnertTallman said. Some of these other problems are very serious, like heart damage and lung damage. These problems may not cause problems when you’re young, but they may lead to major medical problems later in life.”

CDC lead for the COVID-19 laboratory and testing team Wendi Kuhnert-Tallman states that the purpose of flattening the “epidemic curve,” a visual representation of those infected over time, is to manage the spread of the virus and its prevention.

“Flattening the curve is really a strategy to slow down the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Kuhnert-Tallman said. “Early in this epidemic, there was the concern that the health care system was breaking down and that the number of people who needed to be tested exceeded the testing available through the healthcare system.

Flattening means slowing down the spread by increasing the capacity to test but also by including mitigation measures such as social distancing and wearing masks.”

According to the Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas has climbed to a total of 191,504 cases as of Dec. 17. In the midst of yet another spike, many Arkansans continue to catch and rapidly spread the virus. Kuhnert-Tallman said in an interview with Prospective that COVID-19 symptoms vary from person to person; however, it remains important to be aware of the signs.

“The challenge with COVID-19 is that the illness in its initial stages can be a lot like other ‘flu-like’ illnesses we see with many viral infections, at least early in the illness,” Kuhnert-Tallman said. “One unique thing about COVID-19 is that up to 30-40% of people (in some surveys) experience a loss or change in smell or taste. This can happen with other viruses, but the frequency seen with COVID-19

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HEALTH | DEC 2020

While some experience a variety of these symptoms, others have no symptoms all.

Asymptomatic individuals are unaware that they carry the virus, making it vital to take precautions and prevent the spread of the disease. CDC Joint Information Center Principal Deputy Susan K. Laird believes it is necessary to take action to protect one another.

“

We may be more complacent, but the virus is not.

”

“[This is] why it’s so important to wear a mask and stay six feet apart when you’re around others,” Laird said. “If you find out you were exposed to someone who is infected with COVID-19, you should quarantine if possible. You may also want to consider being tested to determine [your] current status.”

Although these guidelines are being put into effect in schools and communities within many states, numbers continue to fluctuate, skyrocketing on numerous occasions. In the Oct. 23 CDC Media Telebriefing on Operation Warp Speed, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Jay Butler announced his concerns for another upcoming wave of

cases considering various factors involved.

“We’re seeing cases increase in really all parts of the country, in the Midwest particularly, likely in part because people are moving indoors with the arrival of cooler temperatures,” Butler said.

“Another factor is that smaller, more intimate gatherings of family, friends and neighbors may be driving infection as well, especially as these gatherings move indoors and adherence to face coverings and social distancing may not be optimal.”

He urged the public to keep taking the necessary precautions to prevent the virus from spreading.

“I recognize that we are all getting tired of the impact that COVID-19 has had on our lives,” Butler said. “We get tired of wearing masks, but it continues to be as important as it’s ever been, and I would say it’s more important than ever as we move into the fall season. It’s incredibly important to continue these steps also as we look towards the upcoming holidays. We know that every activity that involves interacting with others has some degree of risk right now.”

Laird agrees that although people may not want to take these precautions, they must continue to do so in order to help themselves, others, and the nation as a whole.

“Unfortunately, wearing masks when we are outside our homes in social situations where we might encounter people who are not part of our ‘bubble’ is what we need to do,” Laird said.

Laird encourages people to make the tasks of wearing masks and social distancing a normality, not a hindrance.

“We may be more complacent, but the virus is not,” Laird said. “It is always waiting, ready to take advantage when we let down our guard. We need to help people find ways to hang in there, to keep our guard up, make it easier to remain safe and begin to accept that some things are going to be part of a new normal, for at least a while.”

unspoken WRITER | Bella Herring

I

n March of 2020, Americans stood in shock and confusion as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus made its way to the United States. Although the virus was known for its origin in Wuhan, China and its spread around the world, Americans, including President Donald Trump, had ignored COVID-19 until Trump declared a national emergency.

Children and adults were sent home from their schools and jobs, while states across the nation issued mandatory quarantines, leaving citizens with a sense of shock and confusion.

When citizens across the nation were forced to abandon their normal lives, many did not realize how long it would be until they could return. Students were enjoying what they thought was an extra week of spring break, but as reopening dates continued to be pushed back, the reality of the situation became clear.

Sophomore Emma toward the virus realized that school for the remainder

Bonvillain’s attitude changed after she would be shut down of the 2020 year.

“[At first], I was actually really happy about [quarantine], because I wouldn’t have to go to school, but then I started to miss it,” Bonvillain said. “I felt really alone, and I wanted to go back and see my friends.”

As COVID-19 began to take its toll on the United States, many Americans were left with a fear of the unknown, but as new information was released, a lot of that fear began to fade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the risk of getting severely ill due to COVID-19 increases as an individual ages. Eight out of ten COVID-19 related deaths have been individuals ages 65 and older. Such statistics have caused many young people to stop caring about COVID-19 completely.

Although she was never afraid of COVID-19 for herself, Bonvillain took precautions because of the high mortality rate for the older generation due to the virus.

“I was not afraid, because I knew that

OUTCOMES

I would be fine if I got [COVID-19],” Bonvillain said. “ After looking at the numbers and doing a bunch of research, I did worry about my grandparents and the people in my family with health issues.”

WIth new information being pushed out daily, many people began to feel overwhelmed by the rapidly evolving virus and its effect on their daily lives, frustrated due to a loss of control.

Western Civilization and Sociology teacher Monica England understands the overall stress that came with COVID-19 and has found ways to deal with it.

“ I felt really alone, and I wanted to go back and see my friends.

”

“One thing that has helped me is to stop looking at the media and understanding that we are in a situation where the unknown is actually being published before the true scientific method is being worked out,” England said. “I’m realizing that it’s a very novel time like it’s a novel virus, that I have no control over the situation in terms of what’s being put on the internet.I am only in control of what I can do to protect myself.”

What were once carefully curated and full schedules were suddenly long days of boredom and unfulfillment. In order to compensate for the lack of routine in quarantine, people began adopting hobbies and partaking in new activities.

England made sure to create and adjust to a new routine by incorporating activities throughout the day to maintain her mental health during a time of monotony.

of a sixth grader,” England said. “We made sure we kept a routine. We would have a structured routine with her work and mine, and then we would break it up into activities.

We would go outside walking, we went on drives, we had art contests, we did other things as well that allowed us to break the cycle of what is called a ‘pandemic loop.’”

At the end of summer, with the start of school right around the corner, students and parents had to make the decision of whether or not to return or remain virtual. While the decision was difficult for some students, it was clear for others.

Junior Wesley Carr chose virtual school because he felt it was the best choice for himself and the health of his family.

“I decided to do virtual because I just didn’t want to get up and go to school, but another reason is that a lot of times, I wouldn’t even be able to get to school in the mornings,” Carr said. “My mom also wanted me to stay virtual, because she was scared of how most teenagers are handling COVID and don’t care about it. She was worried about a breakout at some point, and didn’t want me to bring [COVID] home.”

For many students, lack of motivation is one of the most challenging effects of quarantine. Students who chose to continue virtual school experience a daily struggle of maintaining their grade point averages while simultaneously ignoring the many distractions that come with learning at home.

Carr’s decision to opt out of returning to school has caused him to have firsthand experience when dealing with the stress and isolation of virtual school.

“I catch myself not wanting to do my work, because I have so many distractions,” Carr said. “My grades are suffering, and I feel like a horrible student. I feel bad, and when I want to do my work, I feel like I am so behind that I don’t know how to do it. At this point it’s just a cycle.”

“I am a very structured person and a mother

HEALTH | DEC 2020

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