Valley Stream
HERALD
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OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2020
VOl. 31 NO. 42
Students adapt to college life in pandemic made a number of new friends while living in the campus dorms. The hardest part, howevnalcindor@liherald.com er, has been the inability to gath“My freshman year is defi- er in large groups with those nitely not a normal one,” said new friends. During meals, she Valley Stream resident Munahil explained, only two people can Sultana. This fall she began her sit at a cafeteria table, to meet first semester at social-distancing Franklin & Marshall requirements. College in Lancaster, “Large-group Pa. “I’m hoping by gatherings on camthe next academic pus are continuousyear we can go back ly discouraged,” she to normal.” said. “University She and other stupolice are frequently dents from Valley monitoring all over Stream described a the campus.” college experience All of Sultana’s transformed by the classes have been in MuNAHil coronavirus panperson so far. While demic. Many, like SulTANA in class, students are Sultana, said they Freshman, required to wear are adjusting to the Franklin & Marshall masks and sit at new nor mal, and least six feet apart. recounted the diffiFor every person culties along the way. seated at a desk, six chairs are “It’s been difficult because I blocked off in between them. don’t have much of the freshmen Additionally, students on Sultacollege experience,” said Sulta- na’s campus are administered na, 18, a government and inter- rapid Covid-19 tests every other national studies major. “Many week to monitor outbreaks. The students have avoided partying school has also eliminated roombecause they’re afraid of getting mates, so all students living on sent home.” campus have their own rooms. She described herself as a “I’ve had about six Covid-19 social butterfly, and said that tests since the start of the semesdespite restrictions, she has Continued on page 2
By NiCOlE AlCiNdOR and KEViN duRK
i
Peter Belfiore/Herald
One journey ends, another begins Patrick Burke placed the Eagle Scout neckerchief on his son, Ian, at the Village Green last Saturday, when Valley Stream BSA Troop 116 honored three of its scouts for reaching the top rank. Father and son are now both Eagle Scouts. Story, more photos Page 3.
Airport-area skies are quiet
Pandemic brings large reduction in plane noise By PETER BElfiORE pbelfiore@Liherald.com
For Valley Streamer Nicole Fischman, the plane noise was so constant that she started counting the intervals. About every three or four minutes, the commercial jets would pass over her home near Firemen’s Memorial Field, sometimes so low that the house shook. The noise proved disruptive enough that her two sons,
ages 11 and 3, would often wake up at night, and Fischman was forced to keep their bedroom windows closed. “The ones that are incoming are the worst,” she said. “If you’re outside, they’re so low you could see any writing on the plane and the landing gear very clearly.” Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, however, Fischman has noticed a drastic decline in the number of jets
roaring overhead, from dozens during the day to just a handful, and at night, two or three at most. Her experience isn’t just anecdotal. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates John F. Kennedy International Airport, Valley Stream has experienced a sharp reduction in flights, and corresponding airplane noise, as Continued on page 9
’ve had about six Covid-19 tests since the start of the semester.