The Eyrie: March 11-12, 2021 by The Eyrie

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FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

How Biden used his first 50 days in office By: Cael Baumgarten

Despite all of the demands of a recount, the conspiracies rampant across Twitter, the unrelenting opposition from the former President, and despite the insurrection less than two weeks before Inauguration Day, President Joe Biden took the office in January and has already made his mission clear; he will reverse everything Donald Trump did as though DJT never had power in the first place, which is reminiscent of Trump’s game plan we saw only four years ago, when Obama’s entire legacy seemed dead after a few short months. Biden enacted more executive orders in his first 50 days than any of the three Presidents that preceded him, and it’s not close. Among innumerable other goals and various executive orders mandating various things, many of which made the frontpage, the current POTUS’s efforts emphasize a few obvious priorities: Covid-19 relief, climate change, and equity and unity. The current administration aims to revitalize the economy, open up schools, and roll out the vaccines as quickly and safely as possible. With a democratically controlled Congress, Biden has been pushing to pass a $1.9 trillion Covid relief package since his inauguration, and the stimulus should pass within this month at $1,400 per person after weeks of discussion and disagreement. So far, his efforts to reopen schools have been met with resistance from

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both teachers and parents that demand higher social distancing requirements and more resources to allow for a safer school environment. Most public schools throughout the country are hesitant to fully open up until teachers are vaccinated. The President aims to have all Americans vaccinated by the end of summer. Approximately 15% of the US population has received the vaccine, and the pace is picking up every day. High contact critical workers, educators, and those aged 65 and above are set to receive the vaccine next. Teenagers without severe health risks should expect to be vaccinated some time in June. Biden’s goals for the climate are even more eager, hoping to do away with planet-warming carbon emissions completely by 2035, and has outlined a $2 trillion plan to get us there. But Senators representing fossil-fuel states are keeping him from passing effective legislation; his executive actions could all be easily overturned. With the previous administration’s efforts to require as much damage control as possible, as well as a relatively split Senate, Biden is not in a position to create significant change to the environment. Perhaps he will find a way in the coming years to turn the situation around to keep the existential threat of climate change at bay. With the most diverse cabinet in American history, President Biden immediately demonstrated his devotion to restoring equity and unity in the United States. Mind that there is a

Photo by Matt Slocum difference between “equity” and “equality,” the latter of which has been largely absent in his executive orders. Upon taking office, Biden disbanded Trump’s 1776 Commission that would teach a reframed understanding of slavery in public schools, and undid the transgender military ban. He also signed an executive order formally acknowledging the rise in xenophobia towards Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and advising the Department of Health and Human Services to work to amend the increasing resentment in the country. Another order ensures that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits “workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,” alongside a handful of others that push for racial equity in the areas of housing, incarceration, and tribal sovereignty. Like any president, Biden has been facing controversy on a handful of issues. Democrats are

angry with the POTUS for opening up another facility for migrant children at the border. Officials claim that more facilities are required to reduce populations in each facility to promote COVID safety, though more and more unaccompanied children have been crossing the border as time goes on. Before his inauguration, Biden teased students with the promise of at least $10k in student loan forgiveness. But at a town hall meeting in February, he backtracked, mentioning that he didn’t have the authority and that there are better uses for that money. His administration still claims to support debt relief, but the nation is skeptical. The 46th President of the United States has been handed power at a particularly troubling time in American history. While Joe Biden has quickly snapped to action on most of what he promised back in October, it will take a miracle if he aims to right all the wrongs in our country in just four years.

MARCH 11-12, 2021 FEATURE

Kamala Harris’s journey to the White House

Photo by Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons)

By: Grace Price

Kamala Harris is no stranger to milestones. In 2004 she became the first African American and first woman to serve as district attorney in San Francisco. In 2011, she became the first Black and first Indian American woman to serve as attorney general for California. In 2017, she was elected as the first African American woman to serve in the Senate for California. Then, in January 2021, she set a new record of firsts when she was sworn in as the first female, the first African American and the first Asian American vice president of the United States. Harris was born in Oakland, CA in 1964 to two immigrants: her mother, Shyamala Gopalan from Chennai, India and her father, Donald Harris from Brown’s Town, Jamaica. They had both come to the United States to pursue further education at the University of California

Berkeley, where they met at an Afro American Association meeting. The pair effectively raised Kamala to be an activist, taking her to Civil Rights Protests when she was still in a stroller. In 1967, her sister Maya Harris was born, and in 1971, when she was 7 years old, her parents divorced. Her mother was a prominent breast cancer researcher, famous for her work in isolating and characterizing the progesterone receptor gene, which led to major advances in breast biology and oncology. She took her daughters to visit family in both India and Jamaica throughout childhood and emphasized the importance of recognizing their heritage. In 2009, Kamala’s mother passed away from colon cancer, and requested donations be made in her honor to the Breast Cancer Action organization. Kamala’s father was a professor of econom-

ics at Stanford University, where he made history as the first Black person to receive tenure in Stanford’s economic department and has been retired since 1998. At age 12, Kamala moved to Montreal, Quebec with her mother and sister. She graduated high school there before moving to Washington D.C. to pursue a degree in political science and economics at Howard University. After graduating in 1986 she moved back to California to attend the University of California Hastings College of Law, where she graduated in 1989 with a Juris Doctor. She was admitted to the California Bar in 1990. Harris quickly established herself as a determined force in criminal justice, with a passion for reducing recidivism and working on drug regulation. Harris is also recognized for her sometimes drastic changes in her beliefs. A prime example is her opinion on the legalization of marijuana. She had previously deemed it harmful to legalize, with her San Francisco office overseeing over 1900 cannabis convictions itself. In 2019 though, she introduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE) to legalize marijuana at a federal level as well as expunge low level marijuana possession convictions and authorize grants to communities of color which had been most harshly affected by cannabis criminalization. She explained the change of mind saying “Everyone, especially communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by

the war on drugs, has a real opportunity to participate in this growing industry.” Instances similar to this have occurred before in her career. She has been criticized for her tendency to backtrack so that she can secure the majority, though others argue this is simply an example of her ability to grow as she is further educated. Harris’s association with reducing recidivism derives from her voting for the First Step Act, which was signed by former president Donald Trump, as a means to reduce repeat offenders as well as the federal inmate population. This would be done through expanding job training and early release programs, as well as introducing modifications on sentencing laws, such as mandatory minimum sentences. Though, some people have still been skeptical after her long history as a harsh prosecutor and close affiliation with the police. Meaning, they believe she is more partial to a system that has built a reputation of disproportionately affecting people of color and promoting mass incarceration. However, during her presidential campaign in 2019, she introduced a criminal justice reform act where reversing mass incarceration was one of the main goals. Harris is eager to continue on her journey for reform as she settles into the White House. She values the milestones she has achieved, and holds close to her mother’s words “Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.”

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NEWS MARCH 11-12, 2021

2020-21 Music All-State Ensembles By : Don Davis

Each year, select students get the opportunity to perform in Music All-State Ensembles; a statewide music competition where student musicians have the opportunity to audition to perform in choirs, concert bands, jazz bands and orchestras at both the district and state levels. The students who get chosen for this event are the top of their class and practice for hours on end. Virtual Performances will take place during the 2021 Virtual In-Service Workshop. Due to copyright restrictions, all concerts will be broadcast one time on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Times listed below for performances. * 12:00 PM – KMEA All-State Elementary Choir * 1:00 PM – KCDA Treble Honor Choir * 2:00 PM – KMEA All-State Middle Level Choir * 3:00 PM – KMEA All-State HS Treble Choir * 4:00 PM – KMEA All-State HS Mixed Choir * 5:00 PM – KMEA All-State Jazz Band * 6:00 PM – KMEA All-State Orchestra * 7:00 PM – KMEA All-State 1234A HS Band * 8:00 PM – KMEA All-State 56A HS Band

This year, the following students from Olathe South High School have made it into the Kansas All-State Music Ensembles:

All-State Band - Susan Bilderback, flute - Larissa Coughlin, oboe - Logan Nicholl, bassoon - Riley Richardson, trumpet - Carter Stokes, trombone - Maddie Lauffer, trombone - Reece Beckman, trombone All-State Jazz Band - Aidan Richardson, tenor sax All-State Mixed Choir - Rowan Farha, alto - Hannah Hacking, soprano - Lineiry Melendez, alto - Max Pardo, bass - Loren Spellman, soprano - Carter Stelting, tenor All-State Treble Choir - Lauren Briggs, soprano - Abigail Rose Dearing, soprano - Emma Erickson, alto - Molly McBride, soprano All-State Orchestra - Kara Schlenk, violin - Melody Jiang, violin All-State Band Alternate - Mason Romero, tenor sax All-State Choir Alternate - Eddie Shipley, bass

Group photos by Alek Mackey

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Individual headshots by Ethan Runyan

MARCH 11-12 2021 FEATURE

Allen takes the stage in Les Mis By Dalton Roberts

Jay Allen was cast as Fantine in Les Miserables as a sophomore. Allen first became interested in theater when she was 7 and saw her sister perform in a summer camp. “I’ve been homeschooled for a while and this is my first school show, but it has been very fun!” Allen said. Allen’s dream role is Peter Pan who she says “I think would be exciting to play and similar to my personality.” Students auditioned for Les Miserables by singing songs. Allen auditioned by singing “I dreamed a dream” and “Madame Thenardiers song.” After getting cast, Allen was happy to have something to do during COVID. “I really liked being on the show because I’ve made a lot of new finds and the director Mr. Hastings is really great to work with,” Allen said. When she got the cast she said “I was happy to have something to do during covid where I could actually interact with other people.” Allen enjoyed meeting new people throughout the show. “Jimmy, who plays Thenardier, he does really funny little improvisations,” Allen said. For Allen the hardest part of the show was making sure she knew her music and the words. “Because if you forget it will be very humiliating and will take away from the reality of the show,” Allen said.

Photo by Anna Palacio Jay Allen, Carter Stelting, and Rowan Farha sing the “Epilogue” during a dress rehearsal for Les Miserables. Despite the pandemic, theatre students produced a modified “concert style” performance of the show March 4-6.

Despite how much Allen has enjoyed working on the show she also learned a very valuable lesson. “The hardest part of the show was learning to be proud of yourself, even if you make mistakes,” Allen said During an average week Allen spends about 10 hours at rehearsal and 2-3 hours rehearsing at home. “Practicing at home is pretty simple, we have access to versions of our music so we can practice our vocal parts,” Allen said.

Allen really likes the maternal side of her character. “A majority of her actions are driven by her desire to give her child a good life and I admire that,” Allen said. “Her emotions are so extreme that you don’t really need to hold back at all.” Allen even connected to their character in spare time. “Whenever I’m not doing theatre I enjoy babysitting my 10 month old nephew, he was actually a very good inspiration for the maternal side of my character,” Allen said.

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FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

Remote learning overall a negative experience for most By: Morgan Montgomery Due to the pandemic, parents and students alike made the decision to attend school in person or remotely. The system was changed from first to second semester. First semester, the students had a home school, for instance, Olathe South, and some teachers from other schools. Second semester, the remote students belong to Remote High School, the teachers being teachers of said high school. It makes it easier for the school system to organize it all. This being said, some parts of remote learning benefit the students, but other things greatly burden the students. One benefit to Remote High School is the guaranteed safety. The students stay at home, not risking any exposure to the virus. Another benefit is that, while there are still due dates and deadlines, it’s somewhat leisurely and more ‘at your own pace’ than in-person school is. That being said, the disadvantages greatly outweigh the benefits. One loss the remote students have is social interaction. Though there is safety in social isolation, there is also a danger, as students are losing their social skills. Not only is their social life now lacking, at least school-wise, but so is the ability to interact with other people, being able to seek help after a class, being able to get help from peers. As opposed to seeing the faces of their peers, the students often see grey screens staring back at them. They don’t have the ability to get to know

their fellow peers, meaning that it’s harder to form relationships. A concern with some students is that they aren’t getting an equal education. A remote student, who will be refered to as Eliza to keep anonymity, said “I feel as though because I’m remote and don’t have access to the teachers, that I’m not getting the education and opportunities that inperson students are getting. It feels like the teachers aren’t sure how to teach remotely, and not only that but they’re also thinking we have more time, so they assign more homework. I don’t feel it’s fair to us, the remote students.” Another struggle remote students face is their mental health. The longer students are at home, facing these problems alone, the worse their mental health gets. Many more students are becoming depressed or anxiety-ridden due to the stress of not having the access to teachers and peers that in-person students do. The suicide rates in teens have increased with the pandemic. Teens are feeling more alone than ever due to the isolation they’re facing. “I’ve reached an absolute low during this semester, my depression has gotten so much worse to the point of thoughts of suicide and self-harm, and it’s all because of remote learning. I have extra stress from my parents and school has been something I dread instead of look forward to, which never used to happen before,” said Eliza. Overall, although there are pros to remote learning, there are more cons and it ultimately harms the students rather than helps them.

“Remote learning is a benefit in one way: no exposure, or chance of exposure, of COVID.”

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MARCH 11-12, 2021 NEWS

COVID-19 forces teachers to adapt cirriculum due to uncertain scheduling

By: Fletcher Smith With the coronavirus pandemic touching almost every aspect of people’s lives, adjustments had to be made almost everywhere, and schools were no exception. After a three week delay of the start of the school year, students started online with block scheduling, which technically allowed for a full curriculum, until Oct. 19, when students returned in-person for half block days. This schedule meant that students spent half as much time in each class as they would in a normal year, forcing teachers to adjust how they taught to allow for more at-home learning during the half of the day they were not in school. This adjustment, while very hard to navigate, did not take away much of the necessary curriculum required for Advanced Placement (AP) classes, says history teacher Teri Daugherty, but did change some of the usual things done in class.

Photo by Jordyn Napier Johnson

“The curriculum is dictated by [the] College Board and so we are tasked with teaching all of it,” Daugherty said. “I have eliminated group projects, and many of the additional activities outside of the textbook/direct curricula instruction in order to be able to teach the same required amount of curriculum as I would were it any normal year.” Her Modern World History class is the same, eliminating group projects and activities that were usually used to enhance the curriculum. “We have really focused on teaching the standards that have been set by the state,” says Daugherty. “We still teach the same topics and curriculum, just have had to shorten the length of time spent in class on it. I miss doing many of the activities we normally do because they enhance what we are teaching.”

photo by Olivia Pierce

Math teacher Tami Elsey faced the same problem, but had a little more freedom when setting up the curriculum. “The district instructed the teachers to work in collaboration teams to choose the standards that were mandatory for each class,” says Elsey. However, some material that students may have missed out on due to the cancellation of the fourth quarter of the 20192020 school year needed to be added to the curriculum, which added to the amount needed to be taught, but should also be beneficial for students in the long run. “In the math department, we worked together with teachers who taught prerequisite courses to make sure kids didn’t have ‘big gaps’ in content in their learning,” says Elsey. “In math, leaving out big units of material would be hard on students down the road in future classes.”

The half-day schedule did not take much away from the necessary curriculum, but that does not mean learning has been conducted as usual, especially for students. “The half-day instruction has not changed the amount of material delivered, but it has forced students to be responsible for completing assignments, looking up answers when they are confused, and taking responsibility for their own learning,” says Elsey. However, the split classes caused by the halfday schedule have had some benefits for both teachers and for in-person learning. “I will say that time we do have allows us to get to know each kid better because class sizes are smaller,” says Elsey. “Behavior problems are virtually nonexistent as well. Also there are fewer class interruptions, so the time I have with students can really be used to teach and learn.”

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FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

Freshman First Year Compared to Other Normal Years By: Gianna Comelli

Freshman year is like a shower after soccer practice. You wash off all the dirt and sweat of middle school, and begin your life as a high schooler. The excitement of new adventures, classes, and friendships rushes over the masses. The new students look forward to their first school dance where they’ll dress their best and party the night away. The football games where we chant and scream along with every completed pass and touchdown. The year of 2020 absolutely wrecked that. The pandemic shut everything down, and the world ultimately came to a stop. As most never dealt with a pandemic before, naturally people freaked out. Summer went from a short amount of time to half a year. Quarantine kept us locked in the house. Masks became a part of our everyday lives. The world definitely flipped upside down. As time’s gone on we slowly have found new normals, where we can stay safe and live somewhat how we used to (hence going back to school). In person learning has been an experience for sure. Social distancing isn’t always easy, but everyone wears their mask. Connecting to teachers has been difficult 8 THE EYRIE

where in the past it was much easier. With the pandemic lingering around freshmen haven’t been able to participate in new things this year. These activities are usually the highlight of any high school class. It’s hard to start the school year and have nothing to look forward to on a Friday night. Andrea Santamaria, freshman, said “I wish it could be a normal year obviously and that we could just do more things like have assemblies and go to games,”. Along with the loss of certain events, school has brought up new challenges. It’s been really hard to connect with one another, as it isn’t safe to stand around and talk anymore. Making new friends is a huge part of high school that

the current freshman have not gotten to fully experience. “It’s been really hard not being able to talk to friends because we’re rushed into our classes and we are split up by last name,” Jordyn DeArmond, freshman, said There’s so many things that make up freshman year. Ashlyn Bible, freshman, says “I wish I could go to games and dances and see all my friends at school”. All the extracurricular activities definitely gave a sense of community and liveliness to our school lives. Bible also made it clear that bonding with teachers has been much more difficult as she said, “They’re kind of just there to teach and don’t connect with us because there’s no time”. This is very different compared to previous years. Molly McBride,

photo Megan Proberts

photo by Anna Palacio

Things Get Better With Time

junior, says “I got to be with everyone everyday and connect through the dance team and theatre” McBride’s freshman year consisted of unity within the school body and staff as she later said, “I got to see my teachers face to face and connect with them as well”. Current challenges are majorly different from those before. Covid changed how school looks as a whole, so putting that on top of your first year in high school can be chaotic. Martin Ndungu, sophomore, said “Finding my way through halls for like the first few days was hard”. This is a typical obstacle when you’re new to the school, but to think this was one of the biggest stressors to previous classes is mind blowing. Upperclassmen hold dear memories of the activities they got to participate in. Games have allowed the student body that sense of brotherhood that current Freshman have not yet gotten to experience. “Freshman year I loved going to football games and the spirit that the student section had every game win or lose,” Naomi Solomon, senior, said. Although this past year hasn’t been ideal, the school continues to take steps back to a new norm. One where we all can connect and share a bond, in and out of school.

MARCH 11-12, 2021 NEWS

How Has Covid-19 Affected After Highschool Plans?

By Sydney Slaton

not,” which is hard since he can’t visit colleges. Many things have “There’s an had to change due to the N.C.A.A. dead period until pandemic, especially school, April 15 so I can’t even see and many juniors and sethe coaches in person, which niors have had to adjust their is a big part of picking,” plans for college. Vandaveer said. Planning for col Junior Sarah Day lege is stressful for many has been planning on going students, few juniors and to KU or K-State for most of seniors thought that they’d her life until the pandemic have to change their plans hit. suddenly because of a “Last summer I was pandemic, but students have like if I go to KU or K-State, been managing, senior Riley am I really going to get the Vandaveer “They haven’t full college exseems to perience because have figured really changed, things are shut things down. So I started out easily they’ve just thinking about enough. become more my other interests, For and I really like to Vandaveer difficult,” do hair,” Day said. the biggest Before -Riley Vandaveer part of pickCovid-19 doing ing a college hair “was always something is sports. He plans on being [Day] really liked” but she on the track team in college didn’t think she could make and just wants to figure out a career out of it. Day’s plans if “[he] likes the team or

have changed a lot due to the pandemic, but now she has a new idea. “So now my plan is to go to Johnson County Community College and do their cosmetology program, which is a two-year program where your certificate and then you can take the Kansas cosmetology boards exam,” Day said. Covid-19 has changed many student’s plans for what they’re going to do after high school, whether they haven’t changed all that much or they changed drastically, almost everyone can agree on that. “It changed, I’m no longer planning on going to a four-year college, I’m just going to plan on going to a cosmetology school because I realized it’s something that I feel like I can always find a job in, and that I really like doing,” Day said.

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OPINION

MARCH 11-12, 2021

Why Do We Take Classes At Certain Times?

By: Scott Letourneau High school is supposed to prepare students for the real world. Teachers love to spew out that line but they do not exactly do a good job at preparing us. There are a surprising number of classes that are either pushed back or restricted to some students despite containing more vital information than what is taught in common core. It’s become a running joke at this point that schools require students to take classes like chemistry and English III, but not a class that teaches students how to do their taxes. Well apparently, schools do teach students how to do their taxes - if they take Consumer & Personal Finance. This class teaches students how to file their taxes on time, set up a bank account, efficiently manage their savings, differentiate between credit and debit cards, understand the importance and costs of having multiple forms of insurance, and fill out forms like the W4 and the W2. What’s better is that this is a required class! However, it

was only made required last year, while the school was established in 1981. To repeat, the class that teaches how to file taxes, manage finances, and fill out the W4 form was an optional class until last year. That’s four decades worth of students who were able to pass high school without learning how to set up a bank account or file taxes. But those students were required to read Fahrenheit 451 and learn the chemical equation for photosynthesis. And that’s what’s really important at the end of the day, isn’t it? To be politically active from an early age is integral for progressive movement. Even if an individual’s opinions are ignored, developing those opinions early on will strengthen their political resolve and validate their beliefs once their ideals become known. It’s how the woman suffrage movement was started. As such, having a United States Government class in high school is important for making students politically knowledgeable as well as politically active.

Consumer And Personal Finance teacher Bryan Klimek

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However, taking Modern World History and United States History is required before taking United States Government, causing United States Government to be pushed back as a required class exclusive to senior year. So really, this class is here to help students vote. But there are several students who miss elections anyway because they turn 18 in November or December. Would it not make more sense to have this class be available to any grade level so students could actually be politically knowledgeable from an earlier age? It’s not like the Raping of Nanking is going to help you learn about the electoral college anyway. Basing these classes in fields of optional courses or class credit requirements are oversights to say the least. These courses contain crucial information for young students and could be very beneficial for their early development and their adult lives. Instead, because these courses are used to fill up slots on the enrollment timeline and balance out the required number of class credits, anything the students learn from them will be forgotten, ignored, Any information the students gleam from the course will only be to achieve a passing grade and forget the information within a year. School districts should treat these classes like they are vital for students to take because the information in them is vital for students to learn.

United States Government teacher Kim Wahaus

Falcon Graduation Requirements English 4 credits

Math 3 credits

Science 3 credits

1 life, 1 physical, 1 elective

Social Science 3 credits

World history, US History and US Government

Health & Wellness 1 credit Includes PE and Health

Fine Arts 1 credit Communications 1 credit

World Language or Applied Communications

Life Skills 1.5 credits

.5 Personal Finance 1 Practical and Consumer

Technology .5 credit

or pass Tech Exam

Individual Focus 6 credits

MARCH 10-11, 2021 OPINION

photos by Jordyn Napier-Johnson English teacher Cindy Roth leads a discussion over the currently assigned novel, Pride and Prejudice. This is the third novel her students have read this year, after which they will be writing an essay over the author’s use of irony.

By: Emily Gray

In our society, it’s no secret that teachers don’t get paid very much money. According to salary.com, a publicschool teacher in Olathe is paid $57,442 annually, but that amount depends on degrees, experience, and what grade level is being taught. The higher the grade, the more money teachers tend to make, but even the difference between an elementary teacher and a high school teacher is small, only about $2,000. It has been pounded into our heads since kindergarten that an education is the most important thing that we can accomplish as human beings. Even before the pandemic it was clear that teachers were not getting paid enough and not receiving the amount of respect they deserve, but with COVID-19 it has been made even more obvious how hard the teachers work and what they are willing to sacrifice for their students. This year especially has been difficult on everyone who is a part of the education system, whether that is students, teachers, or administrators.

Junior Rowan Farha thinks that the pandemic has been especially hard on teachers. “[It] has definitely made the teaching job harder than it already was. Everyone in the school system and all over have gone through so much in the past year, but teachers are constantly having to change what they’re doing to accommodate safety concerns and new learning modes,” Farha stated. Senior Jaxon Gilner has the same thoughts. “The teachers now have to struggle through technology issues and find various methods to communicate with students because they are not able to see us every day in class to fix any confusion,” Gilner said. Not only are teachers struggling with the pandemic and all of the challenges that come with that, they are still having to grade and create lesson plans outside of school. It is not often thought about how much outside work goes into teaching, yet most teachers are taking work home with them in order to prepare for

Teachers Deserve More Appreciation

the next class period. Senior Michela Reiss believes that students have been oblivious to the time teachers put in outside of school. “I think that a lot of times it’s easy to focus on the grade or on what you feel that a teacher is doing wrong, but the amount of work they all put in to make sure that all their students learn everything they’re going to need to know isn’t something that’s as obvious to us,” Reiss stated. Senior Karen Morales feels that we, as a community, should be more understanding towards teachers. “Not only are teachers underpaid, but society often undermines

the occupation and the importance of the job. Teachers greatly impact students in a variety of ways. Being a teacher isn’t just about showing students how to write an essay or use the Pythagorean theorem. Teachers inspire students to become the best version of themselves,” Morales said. Students, please take this as a message to say “thank you” to your teachers. They have been putting in extra effort every day in order to make sure that their students are getting the education they need, especially during this troubling time of the pandemic. They have been struggling as much as we have and they deserve our appreciation.

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FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

COVID alters spring break plans By: Abby Wallace and Alyssa Fleming Spring break is usually a time for students and staff to get away from their lives and have fun for a while but for the second year in a row, Covid-19 has caused people’s plans to change. On March 12, 2020 school districts across the country announced that they would be closing schools a day early for spring break, and advised people to bring home everything. Students were thrilled and ready to begin their week of fun. However, it wasn’t the type of fun they had imagined. Flights were being canceled, which kept people at home. College visits were canceled so students were left in question about their future. Then that one week off turned into a six-month “vacation.” It wasn’t really a vacation though because a nationwide quarantine occurred. Businesses closed and everyday essentials went out of stock [like toilet paper]. Chaos and panic broke out worldwide and people began wondering, when will it end? It’s been one year since the pandemic started and we are in a place that is almost the same as last year. Schools have been reopening

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part-time in many districts across the country and a vaccine has been made. Masks are still state-mandated, but this year people can travel. Flights have been a lot cheaper than normal which has caused people to want to travel more. This could be a bad thing though. Generally, when people travel they want to escape their lives and relax. With that being said, the amount of exposure might go up due to the fact people like traveling with friends and when they do that, wearing a mask isn’t important to them. Wearing a mask is a big part of keeping exposure rates down and a way to keep people safe. As soon as people get careless and decide that they don’t need them is when the world goes back to where it began. Everyone is tired of the pandemic. Everyone is ready to get back to their regular lives, but that doesn’t mean everyone can stop doing the things that have been keeping people safe. Masks are still important, washing your hands when you can, and social distancing yourself from others. It may seem tedious and not a big deal anymore, but covid cases are still rising, people are still dying, and others aren’t able

MARCH 11-12, 2021 FEATURE

two years in a row

Despite that mask wearing has been proven effective to stop the spread of COVID, many people still believe it won’t help.People who decide to go out without a mask need to understand, the pandemic is still happening and people are dying. Covid isn’t a joke and if anyone wants a normal spring break back, they have to follow the rules. It’s not fair to college students who can’t come see their families, high school students who can’t go anywhere, and adults who need to get away for a while. The only way to ensure the world keeps moving forward from the pandemic is to follow CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines. Wear a mask, socially distance yourself at least six feet from others, spend time with people in small groups, and get tested before and after you go on a trip. It’s important to respect these rules especially if you travel during this time because the sooner people start to follow the rules, the sooner this pandemic will end. That’s the goal for everyone, to end the pandemic and live a semi normal life again. It’s important to everyone to get their lives back. People have missed out on so much in the last year and it’s only fair to them to follow the rules. It matters to the class of 2020, because they missed out on the ending of their senior year, Class of 2021, because their entire senior year has been taken from them, everyone who can’t see their families, and everyone who is missing out on their lives. Missing out on

those important moments can cause severe mental illness. This past year made a major increase on mental health. Depression, anxiety, and insomnia has hurt people all over the world for the past year. Spring break is a time to get away and have fun but with today’s circumstances, the main focus is to end this pandemic so everyone can get back to their normal lives. The only way to do that is to follow the rules, keep up on health concerns, and ensure everyone is doing what they can to keep others and themselves safe. Kids want to go back to school normally, see their friends, and have a normal teenage life. Adults want to see their kids happy and having fun again. It’s only fair to do what the CDC asks people to do and respect the rules from buisnesses to keep people safe.

What would you normally be doing over spring break without covid? Are you still planning on doing that? “I would usually travel, but I am staying home this year,” Reese Bratkovic said.

“I would sit inside and play my playstation which I’m still going to do,” Julian Newson said.

photos by Jordyn Napier

THE EYRIE 23

FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

Weighing risks and of By: Lola Cooper

Many people are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. They are questioning the vaccine mostly because of how quickly it was brought to the surface. People say it was rushed and corners had been cut to get the vaccine quicker. The vaccine developers didn’t skip any testing steps, but conducted some of the steps on an overlapping schedule to gather data faster. The process did go faster but the usual steps and procedures and testings and review were all followed. Scientific tools are also getting a lot faster than they used to be. On top of that lots of people volunteer

14 THE EYRIE

for trials of the vaccine, giving much needed results faster. Another thing people are paranoid about is what really is going to happen to your body when you have the vaccine or what the vaccines “true purpose” is supposed to be. The first Covid-19 vaccines contained genetic material called mRNA. It allows a faster approach than the traditional way that vaccines are made. Our bodys can convert DNA into mRNA. Because COVID-19 is so contagious and is spreading like crazy, it did not take long to see if the vaccine worked on the study volunteers who were vaccinated. Another claim is that the vaccine makes you even more sick. There are many common reactions that have been happening such as pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, nausea and vomiting and even swollen lymph nodes. There’s also a very small fraction getting what’s known as Bell’s palsy and allergic reactions. They don’t contain Covid-19 therefore you cant receive Covid-19 from getting vaccinated. Even if you’ve already had Covid-19 you should still get the vaccine just to be sure. Getting the vaccine does not make you immune

for life. Its unknown how long it will last. Getting it does not mean you do not need to wear a mask anymore. Another myth is that the vaccine includes a tracking device being put into everybody and that the Covid-19 vaccine causes infertility in women. This information is false. Experts confirmed that it is too short to trigger a response. There’s an amino acid sequence between the spike and a placental protein. Many people have the mindset of “Well I’m not at risk for severe complications of Covid-19 so I don’t need the vaccine.” Regardless of if your risks are severe or not you don’t know the damage it can do to those around you who are sensitive to illnesses like Covid-19 or even the flu. So you should still consider getting vaccinated to protect those who are around you when in public. you can still get infected and spread it onto others. you can not get Covid-19 from the vaccine because it does not contain a live strand. Many people are refusing to get it because they believe it’s supposed to control the population through microchip tracking.

MARCH 11-12, 2021 FEATURE

benefits of new Covid shot This is not true therefore the panic is irrelevant. The vaccine is certainly not going to track anyone or collect information about you. This misleading information was from mistook comments from Bill Gates The FDA told companies their products would have to be more than 50% effective to get approval. Pfizer and Moderna (2 of the companies making vaccines) both proved to be 95% efficient in their clinical trials. As for the AstraZeneca vaccine, it was at 90% efficiency except for one dose only making it up to 62%. No data is shown for studies of children and pregnant women. It has not been confirmed whether the vaccine lowers the amount of virus enough to keep a person from getting sick or prevents infection all together. Pfizer and Moderna released information about side effects regarding the vaccine but AstraZeneca has not released any details. All companies expect to produce over 1 billion doses globally in 2021. Pfizer’s needs special cold freezers that aren’t normally available outside academic medical centers and lasts up to five days in the refrigerator. It

needs to be at -94 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes a big gap in similarities between the companies. AstraZeneca is the easiest as it lasts up to 6 months in the refrigerator and Modernas lasts up to at least a month in the refrigerator. The cheapest of the three companies is AstraZeneca. Pfizer currently has about 1000 participants in the 12-15 year old age group enrolled in their trial of clinical testings.There are many differences between these three companies that you should look into when deciding which company to choose when getting vaccinated along with the prices. Every detail can make a difference and if you have allergies you should talk to a doctor and have them help you make a decision on which company would be best for you. Many myths about the Covid-19 vaccine can give you misleading information making you paranoid as to whether you should get the vaccine or not. Immunization saves many lives every year. While the majority of medicines treat or cure diseases, vaccines help prevent diseases by working with your body’s

natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system begins to respond. One of the vaccines only uses one shot but all the others use two shots to be effective. Just washing your hands, wearing a mask and staying 6 feet away from people won’t prevent covid it will only reduce the risk of spreading, that’s why the vaccine is necessary. Wearing a mask is mandatory even after getting a vaccine. Many people with disabilities and things like diabetes, asthma, and obesity have a higher risk for Covid-19. If you’re unsure when to get your vaccine these are phases. Phase 1a are healthcare workers. Phase 1b is adults who are 75 years and older and essential workers. Phase 1c is for adults who are 65 years and older, people 16 years and older who have huge risk medical conditions, and essential workers who were not in Phase 1b. Phase 2 is people 16 and older. There’s no updates on young children. Taking these steps is the best way to end Covid-19 so we can go back to our normal lives. THE EYRIE 23

FEATURE MARCH 11-12, 2021

MARCH 11-12, 2021 FEATURE

School, March 2020

3 things sold out in stores

School, March 2021

Now, we are back in person full Last year, we were doing school time, with a remote learning opthrough the district’s Continuous Learning program. Everything tion. Sports are back, and for the was canceled- no sports, no prom, most part, standardized tests are but luckily for juniors, no required required for juniors, but prom and other activities don’t seem like standardized tests, either. they will happen

2 Popular shows on Netflix

Top 3 quarantine hobbies

Most comfortable masks, according to falcons 1. homemade fabric masks 2. disposable surgical mask

working out

Avatar: the Last Airbender

3. reusable masks

art

Quarantine memories

HMS POGUE

Outer Banks

reading

“My favorite quarantine memory is making masks with my mom... Quarantine reallly brought my family together.” - Sam Magnuson, ‘22

“Spending a lot of time with my brother since he was back from college for so long.” - Emma Erickson, ‘22

“Celebrating my birthday and having boba delivered to my house.” - Benji Tan, ‘22

travel during quarantine or people stuck in other countries/states(?) - 7.1563 to AZ, in x 1.7994 went insummer 2020

Alex Secor, ‘24 went to FL, summer 2020 Brady Hause, ‘23 16 THE EYRIE

“Because of the heat there, people were less careful due to less cases...The people in the area seemed to respect others’ choices about the pandemic. And of course [there were] sanitizing stations everywhere.”

Biggest difference between where you traveled and Kansas? “Not as many masks and people taking the virus less serious[ly].”

“Mostly, I worry about the small spaces of some airplanes, but they have social distancing under control, and I’ve noticed airlines taking further precautions from what you’d see in a grocery store.”

Do you feel safe traveling now? “Yes, I feel like with the vaccine it will help ensure the security of all.”

Did students continue to participate in hobbies from quarantine?

of respondants kept up their hobbies over quarantine THE EYRIE 17