The Vista - Issue 1 for 2020-21

The Vista

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 70 ISSUE 1*Oct. 14, 2020

In This Issue: Protests in Toledo (p. 1)

Crosstalk— Virtual Learning or In-Person Learning (p. 4)

Women and Voter Suppression (p. 5)

School Activities With COVID-19 (p.7)

Roving Reporter (p.8) NDA began a #NDARocksKindness which gives girls the opportunity to paint rocks and do an act of kindness. When the act of kindness is done then they pass the rock forward to create a chain.

Photo taken by Chelsea Fall

The Vista

Page 2 News

Toledoans Speak Out for Causes Kaitlin Shiple

According to its website, Black Lives Matter Inc. is a global organization to “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities.” This organization is still continuing it's work throughout 2020.

In 2013, three women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi came together to start the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer.

The movement has spoken out against racism towards Black people and has led many peaceful protests for victims of police brutality.

While protests for the movement have been going on since 2013, Black Lives Matter gained more popularity and media coverage this year with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

According to The New York Times, “more than 40 percent of counties in the United States — at least 1,360 — have had a protest” for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Some NDA students have been participating in protests all year for justice and equality for black lives.

Some girls have protested in Toledo and even traveled to Washington D.C. to protest.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, one NDA student attended a Black Lives Matter protest against the ruling of the Breonna Taylor case in Toledo which started outside of Barnes and Noble on Secor Road.

“Silence is violence. It is no longer acceptable to know what’s going on in our country and not speak up in any way. Protesting shows authorities that we care about what’s happening to our people,” senior Miracle Monet said. She is also President of African American Club.

“African American Club is very hopeful in having a Black history

Toledoans protest and march for Racial Justice in the downtown area. Photo by: Miracle Monet

English teacher Mrs. Jean (Christ) Walker ‘82 reads the faculty and staff community read Racial Justice and the Catholic Church by Bryon N. Massingale.

assembly in February. However, we plan on discussing that topic even

more within some of our club meetings, which are open to anyone and everyone,” Miracle said.

NDA has been working on spreading awareness to open up the conversation on systemic racism to further educate girls on how to be an advocate for others.

“There’s a lot we need to learn before we start talking with students,” Principal Mrs. Andrea (Zobler) Zimmerman ‘96.

The faculty have all recently started reading a book called Racial Justice and the Catholic Church by Bryon N. Massingale.

“The Catholic Church sees racism as a sin, and it’s been out there since I was a girl, which was decades ago, and it’s come to light in a huge way in April after the death of George Floyd,” Mrs. Zimmerman said.

“It’s such an important topic, and it’s way [way, way, way] bigger than Notre Dame Academy,” she added.

NDA cannot be affiliated in any way with Black Lives Matter because of the political stance they take.

However, NDA does believe every human is made equally in the image of God and should be treated as such, despite religious beliefs, sexuality, race and ethnicity.

The Vista

Page 3 News

New Faculty, Staff Fill the Nest at NDA Chelsea Fall As NDA begins the new school year, the community gets to learn about the new faculty and staff members joining NDA this year.

NDA has many new teachers who are excited to learn all about Notre Dame and all the girls they have in class.

In addition there are some new staff members who are thrilled to get to know everyone, even though they are not always in the classroom.

NDA welcomes the new Dean of Academics, Mrs. Beth Corrigan. She taught here from 2008 to 2015, but then went back to school to further her education working on her doctorate at Bowling Green.

Her goal is to not only help the students but also help the teachers. She says she is eager to be back at NDA and ready for the new school year.

Mrs. Kathy Dunning is also being added to the Eagle ranks as the Executive Assistant to the President Mrs. Kim Grilliot, and the Vice President of Advancement Mrs. Tolani Afolabi.

Mrs. Dunning graduated from the University of Toledo and now has three children.

She is excited to be part of the NDA family.

In addition, NDA has a new career counselor named Ms. Sydni Harmon. She is ready to help in the counseling center and excited to get to know all the girls.

As Eagles come back to school in the midst of a pandemic, NDA welcomes Ms. Christiana Jefferson ‘15, as the new Pandemic Safety Director and Building Substitute.

She is a Notre Dame alum and has assisted the basketball team throughout the season, leading them to the states last

year. She is thrilled to meet the girls and come back to Notre Dame.

Mrs. Melanie (Egan) Ogrodowski ‘93 is welcomed to NDA. She is the new Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual giving.

She is working in the NDA office for the second time and is eager to be back.

She also has two daughters who are planning on becoming future Eagles.

NDA also welcomes some new teachers who are in the classrooms and ready to help all the girls. NDA has a new math teacher named Mrs. Bethany Borton. She loves to travel and watch movies and is ready to continue her teaching career.

In addition to Mrs. Borton, NDA has another new math teacher, Ms. Shiloh Jackson who graduated from the

University of Toledo last year.

She is excited for her first year of teaching.

Ms. Megan Miazgowicz ‘14 is a new addition to the art department after she was Mrs. Mettler’s substitute last year and is now full time.

The modern and classical languages department welcomes Mr. Shaydon Ramey.

Early in his teaching education he lived in Europe while being a teaching assistant and attending Bowling Green State University. He is ready to start his first full time teaching job.

Dr. Carl Parron is a new addition to the theology department. He was part of a religious community before teach at Central Catholic and making the move to NDA. As each new school year begins, it is always interesting to see the new faces that become part of the family at Notre Dame Academy.

Tik Tok on Deadline for Possible Ban in U.S. Mary Grzbowski Following periodic threats of banning TikTok, President Trump has set a deadline of November 12 for a United States company to become a stakeholder in TikTok. This would allow user data for United States citizens to be hosted through the stakeholder company rather than the Chinese owner of TikTok, ByteDance.

According to the Washington Post, the previous declaration of the president, made August 6, gave ByteDance 45 days to sell to a United States company because of White House concerns of data leaking to China. Before the deal could be finalized, the Chinese technology exportation laws were updated to include artificial intelligence algorithms.

This technology gives TikTok its popular For You page, which provides users with personalized content based on

what they previously liked.

This meant that ByteDance would require a license from China to sell to a U.S. company.

At this point, the deal changed from one with a full buyer to a stakeholder. The stakeholder company would hold the U.S. citizens data, separate from the Chinese company to eliminate the United States’ concern that China is using users' data for espionage or intelligence.

Currently, Microsoft and Oracle are the frontrunning potential bidders for around a 20% stake.

However, the users are most concerned about the preservation of the app. Until the Nov. 12 deadline hits, users will still be able to use the app as is, though updating will not be available.

After that, it will be shut down.

Senior McKenna Matson, a TikToker with over 300,000

followers, is not worried about the shutdown. She says, “I have been on the app for the three times it has been apparently ‘banned’ and it has not happened yet. If the government had the ability to ban TikTok, it would have done it already.”

TikTok was already banned in India, with 59 other Chinese apps, due to tensions between the two countries.

For countries vulnerable to China, TikTok and China’s technological presence is a sign of their dominance.

Junior Georgia Woodruff cited the freedom to say whatever you want as the reason TikTok has become so controversial.

Concern first arose about TikTok’s partiality to the Chinese government when a report showed it had a notable lack of content relating to the Hong Kong protests, which the government was trying to suppress. Though

TikTok’s official statements emphasize transparency, many are still skeptical.

There are also implications of companies like Microsoft having a stake in TikTok, as the deal would require. TikTok is a severe underdog in a social media world run by Facebook and Google, yet in its sudden popularity it found itself competing for users with these monolithic companies. Letting Microsoft get a stake in TikTok would contribute to the technological monopoly in the United States.

TikTok’s platform in general, however, is a place mainly used for sharing dances, funny videos, art, and all types of content creation. McKenna says she was “flooded with support” after posting videos.

TikTok’s care-free and creative users seem to have simply been caught up in an unfortunate geopolitical battle that happens to involve the world’s biggest superpowers.

The Vista

Page 4 OP-ED

Coronavirus Challenges Education Theories Learn at School

Crosstalk

Learn at Home Mary K. Grzybowski

Regan Carnes With the recent changes the world faces, coming back to school in person is the best option because students can experience some normalcy in the midst of COVID-19.

Some would say that the friendships developed in high school are the most significant part of the educational experience. Virtual learning does not provide this, and it will be comforting to reunite with classmates, coaches and teachers as the school year progresses.

Without the social aspect involved, it may be harder for students to develop the proper communication skills that will be required for the rest of their lives.

While virtual learning can be an effective form of teaching, especially during this global pandemic, in-person teaching is proven to be much faster and more efficient. It is easier to accomplish schoolwork without worrying about things like technical difficulties and Zoom.

It is also important to consider that not all students may have a quiet space at home to study.

It may be concerning to return to in-person schooling in light of the virus, but schools can take precautions to obtain as much social distancing and sanitation as possible.

For instance, NDA installed plexiglass dividers and protective curtains between desks prior to the start of the school year and requires students to wear face masks. Infected and exposed students are also required to isolate and quarantine so as to not spread the virus amongst students and faculty.

That being said, COVID-19 is still a very real and dangerous issue, so the virus could still spread even with all of these new policies. Because of this, students should certainly stay home this semester if they have any concerns.

Online school should still be available, but the best option moving forward is to offer in-person learning because students can have a more traditional high school experience.

Many students are biased against online learning because of the experiences of last year, due to the unpreparedness of teachers, school systems, and students themselves. Now that the school systems have had time to adapt, virtual learning can be examined at a more organized level.

Virtual learning traditionally consists of the student learning the material from readings or pre-recorded video lectures, with live zoom sessions where students can seek help from their teachers on concepts difficult to grasp. This system is similar to flipped classrooms, in that it utilizes the teacher and student face-to-face (or zoom) time effectively in order to help students with difficult concepts, while students learn the majority of material at home.

For example, teachers’ scheduled office hours this year are a beneficial resource for students that was not available last year in the same capacity.

Additionally, flexible and personalized schedules allow students to learn on their own terms, and in a comfortable environment, enhancing their ability to focus. Time-management and self-discipline are almost required for success in this. It is the duty of the students to set aside their own time to learn the material. Students who master these skills early have many advantages over those who don’t.

Unfortunately, between differences in bandwidth capabilities and access to a study space at home, many students face internet inequality in the classroom. However, with programs such as E-Rate (a federal program that helps schools get discount broadband access), individual school policies, and community support for students, the digital divide can be closed.

Virtual learning is not perfect, and like all situations, it is affected by poverty and inequality among students, and it requires the cooperation, understanding, and adaptiveness of students and teachers. Most importantly, however, it keeps students safe and protected.

The Vista Staff Volume 70 Issue 1 The Vista is a publication of Notre Dame Academy by the students of Journalism II and III. The office is located in room 113 of the school.

Unsigned editorials represent a majority vote of the newspaper staff.

Editor in Chief: Kaitlin Shiple First Year Reporters: Reagan Carnes Chelsea Fall Mary K. Grzybowski Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells

Editor’s Corner Hi NDA! I am so excited to be Editor in Chief for The Vista this year! I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity. My very strong love for journalism was sparked during my sophomore year in my J1 class. I have made so many good friends throughout the years and improved my writing as time has gone on. It is the perfect way to end high school in my eyes. I am confident in The Vista’s ability to bring NDA important topics to educate everyone on matters that leave an impact on a global and local scale. I want to thank my previous Editor, Chloe Kozal, for showing me the ropes. Being Editor is something I, as a sophomore, could have only dreamed of, it is truly an honor.

- Kaitlin Shiple

The Vista

Page 5 OP-ED

Honor Suffragettes; Recognize the Fight Lives On This year is the 100th anniversary of women lawfully gaining the right to vote.

As women, we have gained significant political power since then, and we consistently utilize the right to vote more than men in every election.

For example 63 percent of women and 59 percent of men voted in the 2016 election.

As we celebrate our right to vote in this historic and politically charged year, we should also honor past suffragettes through our activism.

After the passage of the 19th Amendment allowing American women the right to vote, many state and local governments passed inherently racist but technically legal voter requirements that prevented many minority voters from their guaranteed right.

These legal obscurities weren’t outlawed until 1965 under the Voting Right Act, meaning many voting rights activists like Fannie Lou Hamer didn’t retire their suffragette sashes for another 40 years.

When they did, they had finally secured voting rights for all Black

people and minorities that had also been discriminated against in the voting process.

Many of us like to think of these struggles as far in our country’s past, but voter suppression continues today.

For example, a law was passed that required a residential address within the United States to be able to register to vote. This was impossible for many Native Americans living on reservations.

In North Carolina, voters were required to have a certain type of photo ID to register. Coincidentally, many white people already had the correct type, while disproportionately less Black people did.

These legal loopholes are just some ways voters are being prevented from going to the polls.

Volunteering for organizations like Rock the Vote, signing online petitions, being able to spot voter suppression and having credible sources of information are all ways to combat voter suppression this year.

The best way to celebrate something is always to share it with others.

Election Day is Nov. 3 If you are eligible to Vote, please DO! Go to VOTEOHIO.GOV For more information.

An Eagle’s View

Aww, Mr. Kay Beloved Teacher Retires Over Summer Chelsea Fall This past year NDA had one of our theology teachers, Mr. Scott Kay, retire. While girls hate to see him go, the community knows that this is the best decision for him and his family.

Over his years at NDA, girls have many great memories with Mr. Kay as he cared for each and every one of his students.

Girls who have had him in the past have said that his class was one of their all-time favorites as they felt relaxed in his classroom, which gave them a time to be calm and become closer to God. As many girls remember funny memories in his class and birthday emails— even alums speak of his birthday emails years after graduation—they can appreciate the mark that Mr. Kay has left with everyone he has had in class.

Many girls' favorite part of Mr. Kay’s class is when he would tell us stories and he would incorporate jokes into his lessons,” junior Houda Akl said.

Many loved Mr. Kay for the positivity he would bring through these funny stories. He loved to bring happiness and laughter to fill the classroom.

People also appreciated his caring attitude towards every student.

“My favorite part was how loving he is and that love always showed in the classroom environment,” junior Alli Saba said.

He genuinely cared for each student and wanted to create a class that reflected that.

Many girls appreciated this space where everyone could feel comfortable and talk to Mr. Kay, and he would genuinely listen to the girls.

Mr. Kay has clearly left a great impact on many girls over his time teaching at NDA. The girls who have had him will miss him dearly.

Although everyone at NDA will miss Mr. Kay, our community will keep him and his family in our prayers as they go through this time together.

We all wish him the best with all that he is going through and sends him nothing but happiness and prayers.

The Vista

Page 6 Feature

Eagles Adjust to New Schedule Due to Covid Regan Carnes NDA implemented a new schedule this year allowing for in-person learning amid the pandemic. The schedule has been successful so far and students have learned to adapt.

One of the changes to the schedule is the elimination of daily TCB and the addition of TCB day. On these days the building is properly sanitized so that the students can safely attend school. While they no longer have those ten extra minutes at the start of the day, students now have a whole day to catch up on work, contact teachers, and participate in clubs and Student Council.

“TCB Wednesdays are so useful. I can get lots of homework done and can Zoom with teachers if I have any questions. I also get to sleep in!” sophomore Maggie Mossing said.

Classes this year are also a little longer than usual. The extra time lets classes stay on schedule despite losing Wednesday class periods.

An impactful adjustment this year is the multiple lunch periods. While this is safer and more socially distanced, students may not particularly like this change.

Girls eat lunch while social distancing. Photo by Chelsea Fall “I have the first lunch and eating so early is a little weird, so it took some

time to adjust. I also miss being with all my friends,” junior Parker Boyd said.

Lunches may not be as fun or with as many friends as they used to be. However, this change may encourage students to branch out of their comfort zones and make new friends. Students can also use

their lunch period to study and do homework.

There have also been changes regarding study halls. Last year, only seniors were allowed to show up late for first period study halls and leave early from last period study halls. This year, any student is permitted to do this, allowing for even more social distancing and students can enjoy a shorter class day.

The most important part of returning to in-person learning is that students will be able to reunite with their classmates and be back in the building with teachers and coaches as well.

“I am really happy to be attending school in person this semester! There are definitely a lot of changes, but it has been easy for me to adapt because I get to see all my friends and classmates,” junior Claire Lepkowski said.

It is important to understand that this new schedule is NDA’s safest option.

Without all of these schedule changes, students may have been unable to return this school year in person. Because NDA is enforcing the new policies through an altered schedule, students can continue their high school experience while staying safe.

Covid Changes Procedures, Games Chelsea Fall “NDA students, faculty, and staff are still unable to attend home sporting events due to COVID-19 sports order capacity restrictions; however, both volleyball matches will be streamed live on NDA's YouTube channel.”

It’s not the usual announcement before a sporting match that Eagle fans expect to hear.

As NDA started the new school year, the community saw some new challenges that came with Covid-19.

While school administrators put in new policies to keep everyone safe, sports became an area of concern to make sure everyone can still play sports safely and have fun.

Athletics have been through some major changes in the ways sports have held practices, games and meets.

Each sport has different restrictions based on how much contact there is.

Cross country runners have experienced

more restrictions not only at practice but also meets.

“We have new starts to almost every meet, and no race is the same,” senior Samantha Heckman said.

Athletes and coaches have had to learn new procedures.

The rowing team can no longer row together in the same boat, and all the regattas have become individual rather than a team. This has greatly affected the sport overall which has caused a lot of frustration among the team.

“It’s also very difficult to motivate yourself, rather than having your teammates, because of social distancing,” junior Morgan Briner said.

Volleyball and tennis haven’t seen as much change, even though they are considered a contact sport. They do follow mask and social distancing guidelines, but they haven’t seen the major changes in their games and prac-

tices as some other sports. This can make their seasons less stressful than some other sports.

Golf is another sport that adapts more easily to social distance.

“We have to maintain social distancing, but our practices haven’t changed much because we aren’t a contact sport,” junior Grace Sanford said.

The equestrian team normally competes in the fall. This year, due to Covid-19 concerns, the season has been changed to the spring, according to Athletic Director Mr. Gary Snyder.

While socially distanced sports seems to be the new normal for now, Eagle athletes and coaches seem to be managing with the new rules.

With winter sports season coming soon, there may be more changes.

However, fans know these are only in place for everyone’s protection.

Go Eagles!

The Vista

Page 7 Feature

Student Council Finds Ways to Bring Fun Kaitlin Shiple Student Council sponsored events are going to look very different this year so Notre Dame Academy students can be following CDC guidelines.

On October 3rd, there was a Halloween themed movie night, where girls could have brought friends from outside of school and their own snacks.

The movie Twitches was played outside of Sister Carol Hall. The event is for pep points, which will be true for many other Student Council events.

“I’m really excited that there will be more events with pep points, it’ll make it a more fun competition,” junior Isabel Smith said.

At the beginning of the year, Student Council sent out a survey asking if students wanted more things to do, and stu-

dents provided a lot of feedback requesting activities.

There will be a lot of home room activities on TCB Wednesdays to create more opportunities for girls to participate in something fun during the week.

While there will be pep point events this school year, school dances are fairly unlikely. Christmas Dance and Date Dance are not being planned to happen because neither fall in line with the CDC guidelines.

“Everything is very dependent on CDC guidelines. We just want everyone to be safe. We really don’t want to expose anyone, or endanger anyone because of a school dance,” said Jade Spidel, Executive Student Council

President.

If the CDC guidelines do end up changing by the time prom comes into question, then NDA girls might get the chance to have one dance.

The CDC guidelines state that people must stay six feet away from others, wear a mask, and possibly open windows in indoor gatherings.

“We know it’s not as fun, but hopefully it’ll be a fun year anyway,” Jade said.

While school dances might not be in the works for the school year, Student Council is working to find ways to keep girls involved in the NDA community.

Student Council girls encourage everyone to make sure to get involved in activities this year for a chance to win the House Cup!

NDA Musical Girls Head ‘Into the Woods’ Kaitlin Shiple Despite all of the COVID-19 restrictions still prevailing in everyday lives, the Notre Dame musical is still planned to show for two weekends in the fall.

While originally planning to put Matilda on, the musical director Mrs. Trish Sanders and producer Mrs. Jean Walker made a switch to Into the Woods for a more social-distancing friendly musical.

NDA cast members will be wearing masks and social distancing throughout the whole show.

Plexiglass will be used in dance numbers when cast members cannot be six feet away from one another.

“We’re all working together through any challenges we may face to make a good show, it just so happens this time we have a lot more challenges with Covid,” said Maria Evola, a senior cast member of the musical. “We have the same spirit and the same motivation.”

One thing that is very different this year for the NDA musical cast, is there is no longer only one cast. There are two casts for one show to include more people in the productions.

“My favorite part is getting to meet new people and I don’t have a least favorite part. because it has been so much fun” said freshman Julia Antoniuk.

The amount of people in the musical

In true ’the show must go on’ fashion, the fall musical was performed outdoors to maintain social distancing.

Photo By Madison Arndt

was lowered when the switch from Matilda to Into the Woods was made. By installing a new, second cast, the same amount of people can still be involved while being in a safe environment.

“It’s still got that NDA musical magic, it’s just adjusted a little” said senior Renee Marting.

There is also no need to worry about viewing the show. NDA is setting up squares of four seats for families of four to sit outside the school in NDA’s Eagles Nest. The squares will ensure social distancing, while allowing people to view the show.

“People who buy tickets will have to bring their own chairs and wear masks” said Mrs. Jean Walker. Mrs. Walker is in charge of NDA’s stage crew.

NDA is not offering a virtual option for those who may not be able to get a ticket to the show because NDA does not hold the rights to record the musical, which also includes livestreaming.

“We just have to remember to be grateful because right now everything is so difficult. Seniors don’t get our traditions, so we’re missing out on a lot,” said Maria.

While the NDA musical is switching it up to adhere to coronavirus regulations, NDA families can still get their social-distancing musical ticket at showtix4u.com! Seating is very limited and buyers can only purchase eight tickets at a time. Make sure to come out and support both casts!

The Vista

The Rant: Lighten Up

Roving Reporter Roving Reporter Teacher Edition: Student Edition: What Was the Best Part of Summer Break?

What Is the Best Part of Being Back in School?

Kaitlin Shiple

Regan Carnes

Chelsea Fall

It is October of 2020, you’re back in school, the presidential election is nearing, COVID-19 still impacts your everyday life, climate change is still a very pressing issue, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

You’re worried about all of those things, plus you are concerned about your personal life and the personal lives of the people you care about. Take a breather, loosen your joints, and lighten up.

Life is stressful right now, but it is really important to remember to not take life so seriously all the time. If you are stressing about the state of the world all the time, you are going to wear yourself out very quickly.

Being aware of the problems is important, but so is being happy every once in a while.

Being a person in 2020 is a lot to handle, so make jokes. Laugh at yourself when you make a silly mistake. Make fun of yourself, in a non-degrading way. If you take yourself too seriously, you will forget to enjoy life and all it is worth.

Having fun in life is supposed to be fun!

Don’t force yourself to do something you don't want to do because other people have said it is a good time; do things that spark joy. If you want to dance your heart out to your favorite music, do it. If you want to dress up in a ghost costume and take pictures, go ahead. Have a great time with things you are interested in.

Maybe you aren’t really feeling up to leaving the house or doing anything after your long week.

Maybe dancing by yourself takes too much energy, that is okay. You can pop in a funny movie and laugh until your sides hurt.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are enjoying yourself while doing it. Letting loose and lightning up is supposed to be a light-hearted experience.

Don’t stress about it too much.

“Going hiking in Hocking Hills with my husband and sons!” - Mrs. Chris Chapman

“Being able to see my friends everyday, and having a set schedule!” freshman Anna Hitts

“My favorite part of summer break was working in my yard and planting flowers in my garden. I love being outside in the sunshine!” Señora Alison Tansey “Swimming every morning and golfing weekly. But mostly spending time with family.” - Mrs. Marcia Holtz “My favorite part of summer break was spending time with my family and being able to see all five Great Lakes!” - Mrs. Lauren Moor “My favorite part of summer break was sleeping in!” - Mr. Casey Feldstein “My favorite part of summer break was getting the opportunity to attend a week long class at the Theology of the Body Institute in Philadelphia.” - Ms. Sarah Hunter “Spending time on the weekends at Lake George with my extended family!” - Mrs. Susie Huffman “My favorite part of summer break was doing art projects with my kids. Tabby and I tie-dyed a lot of clothing!” - Mrs. Kelly Wood

“My favorite part of going back to school is getting to see my friends again 100%” - junior Sydney Miller “I like seeing my friends and teachers and being able to participate in extracurriculars. I missed NDA this past summer and am so happy to be back” - freshman Natalie Chryst “Well my favorite part about being back at school is the learning atmosphere that I am placed into. I also love being able to see my friends and run cross country” - sophomore Joelle Moore “Getting to talk to my friends everyday in person instead of over zoom” - senior Samantha Heckman “Seeing classmates that I didn’t see over the summer” - junior Mercedes Evener “I really like the new things I’m learning, nothing in particular just learning the next steps in certain subjects and experiencing my new classes and getting to have teachers that I didn’t have last year.” - sophomore Rosi Thaman “Getting to run Cross Country and actually hang out with my friends outside of school” - senior Emma Pelton “Getting to take new classes that are really interesting” - junior Isabel Smith