The Vista - Issue 4 from 2020-21

The Vista

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 71, ISSUE 4* April 1, 2021

In This Issue: Seniors End High School Careers in Pandemic (p. 2)

Crosstalk: Cursive—To Teach or Not To Teach (p. 4)

Thank You! (p. 5)

Celebrating Poetry (p. 6)

Roving Reporter: Teachers’ Fav NDA Moments Recalled (p.8) Principal Mrs. Andrea (Zobler) Zimmerman ‘96 and her family, including sons Joseph (age 10) and Andrew (age 7) and daughters Zoe (Class of ‘25) and Maya (Class of ‘37) joined the fun of the Shamrock Shuffle.

The Vista

Page 2 News

Seniors Finds Ways to Cope, Thrive in ‘21 Byline Since the beginning of Covid, the seniors have lost a lot of the special events and memories they look forward to as a senior.

In both finishing high school and starting college, they have faced many new struggles that other classes haven’t.

Although they are not the only people affected, they lose a lot of the last high school memories from their senior year that they have eagerly anticipated. From different college requirements to losing senior privileges, they have been incredibly flexible in an extremely rough time.

“They experienced much loss this year, which includes the loss of one of their own classmates, Mady Niles, '21, may she rest in eternal peace. Additionally, so many of their milestones were eliminated or edited for Covid safety reasons, but I still have witnessed smiles from them, laughter during lunch times, and extraordinary pieces of work in their academics ranging from well planned CAS projects, to Art displays, to tireless hours of Math problem solving, Science labs, rich conversations during English classes to creating beautiful music,” Principal Mrs. Andrea (Zobler) Zimmerman ‘96.

Even without a pandemic, applying to colleges is a difficult and time consuming process. Many seniors could be struggling getting all requirements done due to many restrictions and what they can do.

“I would say that the biggest change is that many colleges have decided to go ‘test optional’ for their admissions review process. This is because students in many parts of the country have not had access to ACT/SAT testing due to tests being cancelled or testing centers being closed,” College Counselor Mrs. Erin Young said.

Seniors may have struggles with tests like the ACT and SAT because they may not have been able to take the test while in quarantine.

Others may have struggles with online learning and having to constantly be quarantining and not seeing friends everyday during their senior year. The girls also might feel like they are being left out of their senior year when they have to be at home and can’t join a lot of the activities that their classmates are doing.

The girls also may be having trouble picking colleges because they couldn’t go to college visits over the summer during quarantine and may not be able to tell if they like the college based on just a virtu-

Seniors Gabby Ravas, Samantha Heckman and Emma Pelton adapt to the new norm of wearing masks during the pandemic. Photo by: Chelsea Fall

al tours.

This can be very stressful for seniors as they are trying to figure out what they want to do it and could make them stress about applications.

“Colleges use a holistic approach to reviewing applications, which means there are many factors that they consider when deciding to offer someone admission. Students should not be penalized for not submitting a test score, but other factors like the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and the rigor of high school courses may carry a little more weight in the decision process as a result,” Mrs. Young said.

Graduating from high school is a big accomplishment and is usually celebrated with big family parties to celebrate.

This year, however, parties may be limited due to the pandemic. Even with any ceremonies at school that seniors celebrate their accomplishments, they can only have so many people come and watch them.

“It is really difficult because a lot of my family can’t see something that I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” senior Samantha Heckman said.

Many of the biggest ceremonies and parties of their senior year haven’t been small and are virtual or not happening at all.

Throughout high school a lot of girls get excited for their senior year because of the privileges that come with it.

Things like leaving during your 1st or 4th block study hall and being able to

leave campus for lunch are just two of the regular seniors privileges that usually happen. Because of the pandemic, this year many things are different and they can’t have many of these privileges due to contact tracing or the privilege is extended to the whole school.

“The year has been so weird that it doesn’t even feel like my senior year; I feel like it’s no different than any other year,” senior Emma Pelton said.

This may be frustrating for seniors who feel let down and may not be as excited for their senior year.

Whether it be through finishing high school, losing big celebrations, or not enjoying usual senior privileges, seniors have been very flexible. They have shown growth and patience this year and are still trying to make the best of it.

“The Class of 2021 experienced a year like no other that I have known. I have observed great integrity, leadership and perseverance from several of the seniors this year, and I am appreciative for them modeling such qualities for their younger Eagles,” Mrs. Zimmerman said.

They created their own covid-friendly list of senior privileges and tried to make it so that they could make their senior year special in their own way.

Considering all they have lost, the seniors have done a great job of taking a bad situation and making it better as they head off to college.

Even if they have a lot of setbacks and challenges, they always find a way to overcome these challenges.

The Vista

Page 3 News

Fair Trade Better for Growers, Consumers Mary Gryzbowski The fair trade idea started in an effort to get consumers to care where their food came from and has become an international insurance of ethics and environmental protection in a consumerist society.

It centers on creating a process of production of food that is sustainable for consumers and producers, relying on the desire of consumers to be willing to pay a higher price to insure better working and environmental conditions for producers.

Consumers then know they are consuming ethical food because of the FairTrade certification.

Younger generations, who tend to have stronger beliefs on environmental issues, bring the consumer conscientiousness that sustains Fair Trade. Many even use their individual power as a consumer to boycott companies and make informed choices.

Junior Seneca Klockowski, who shops fair trade, says social media is where she began to learn about fair trade. She says she “went from there to do my own research.”

Companies can seek a certification from Fairtrade, or even set up their own

Campus Ministry Coordinator of Prayer and Worship Mrs. Lauren Jakubisin shared a video on announcements about Fair Trade.

ethics committee or board, which can often serve the same function as a Fairtrade certification.

Allowing companies and food producers to have a certification by Fairtrade tells consumers the product was made ethically. Fairtrade insured this by requiring farmers and producers to meet rigid ethical and environmental standards.

They must have proper waste disposal, be environmentally sustainable, and follow Fairtrade’s regulations about labor conditions and child labor.

Seneca cites similar reasons for her FairTrade decision. “I started shopping fair trade over the summer as I started to

learn more about the waste that fast fashion creates. I do it to lessen my own environmental footprint and also to allow for workers to be treated fairly.”

However, these regulations are not just made to ease the consumer’s conscience about their position in the production process -- they also help the producers themselves. Fairtrade’s regulations often lead to improvement in production itself.

For example, its requirement of chemically safe fertilizers leads to higher crop yields for farmers. It also leads to having more money to buy medicine and send kids to school.

The exploitation of Asia, South America, Africa and other areas with many developing is a remnant of imperialistic times, when wealthy countries would use poorer or weaker countries for resources.

By creating a trade imbalance and a dependence, wealthy countries were able to manipulate resources of smaller countries to their advantage.

Reckoning with a centuries-long tradition like imperialism is not an easy task, but the strong social conscience and rise in sense of individual civic responsibility of future generations will surely be a worthy opponent.

Electric Cars Add Spark to the Roadways Reagan Carnes Electric cars are a way to reduce air pollution in the environment, though they can be expensive and are not always easily accessible.

The purchase of a car may seem like it would have little impact, but it can have heavy effects on the earth’s air quality.

Car exhaust emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Unlike regular cars, electric cars do not emit any exhaust. The more people who select electric cars, the less greenhouse gases will be produced.

“The main benefit is that it reduces carbon emissions,” Environmental Club Moderator Mr. Steve Coppens said.

Electric cars run entirely on electricity, which is a renewable source. These cars are powered via solar, wind, or water energy. Regular cars, however, run on gasoline. Gasoline uses oil, which is a nonrenewable source. Electricity is less expensive than gasoline, and only costs a third of what gasoline costs.

“I think that electric cars should be more popular because they have such a positive impact on the earth,” Junior and Environmental Club Member Lauren

Boyd said.

According to Car and Driver Magazine, electric cars also require significantly less maintenance. They do not need oil changes or repairs associated with a gasoline engine. Electric cars are known to be much easier on the vehicle’s brakes as well. This leads to less brake replacements.

Many car owners find loud engines irritating. Electric are often silent on a full battery, but some electric car owners activate fake engine noises so when the vehicle accelerates, it feels like a traditional car’s engine.

One disadvantage of the electric car is the process of charging the battery.

These cars need to be charged more than typical cars need their tanks filled.

Recharging can also be a timeconsuming procedure. New models may only take approximately four hours to recharge, while other models may take up to 20 hours. Since electric cars are very uncommon, charging stations can be hard to find. This lack of charging stations can make road trips difficult.

Some may see this process of recharging as an upsetting downside. But, elec-

tric car owners often install charging stations in their garages, making the task much more convenient.

Another con to the purchase of an electric car is the price. Even a basic model of an electric car costs about $30,000, while more comfortable models or sports cars can be over $80,000.

“I think that to make electric cars more popular and help the environment, they need to be less expensive so that all people can buy them,” Lauren said.

The lack of variety in electric cars is also seen as a downside. While regular cars come in a wide range of colors and sizes, there is only a small selection of electric cars to choose from.

Though there are disadvantages to owning an electric car, the positive impact on the environment makes it a respectable choice. And, as technology progresses and evolves, it is likely that electric cars will become less costly and more popular.

“Everything is moving towards electric cars. Different car companies are declaring that they will stop the production of gas vehicles. Generation Z is very environmentally conscious and the momentum is picking up,” Mr. Coppens said.

The Vista

Page 4 Op-Ed

Learning the Write Stuff Cursive Connects More Than Signature

Crosstalk  

Printing Remains Most Useful in Life Kaitlin Shiple

Chelsea Fall Over the years, teaching cursive in schools has been dying more and more. Many younger students don’t know how to read and write in cursive, which can cause them to struggle.

There are several different ways that kids today will benefit from learning cursive when they are young.

Your signature is one of the most important parts of your identity. If you don’t know how to sign your name, you won’t be able to do so on many documents that require it. Those who can’t sign in cursive also can’t read cursive, and sometimes there's no way around a document being in cursive. These situations will make them struggle if they can’t sign legal papers once they are old enough to make decisions.

Some may argue that cursive takes too long to teach, but once they do learn it, they can move back to print if they want to. However, this creates bad habits because if these kids don’t use their muscle memory and continue to write, then they might lose the ability to actually write in cursive. Although it might take more time to learn, it will help them make their handwriting easier to read once they are able to do it from memory. If we just let them choose what they want and don’t make them practice, they won’t learn and might struggle more in the long run.

Additionally, a study by the University of Washington found that writing in cursive stimulates the synchronicity between both sides of the brain in a way that printing or typing cannot.

Although it might take a while, cursive will help students.

The ability to sign your name and read in cursive are basic life skills that need to be continued to be taught in school so that kids don’t struggle later.

The Vista Staff Volume 71 Issue 4 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

Recently the debate of whether schools should keep teaching how to write in cursive has been more prominent.

While cursive writing does allow students to learn how their own signature should look, there are not many other uses for it. Many companies even offer online signatures now, so an argument can be made for not even needing signatures.

Print handwriting itself can be difficult to read, but making every letter connect in the cursive style just makes things worse. Cursive is supposed to make writing faster and easier, but being able to decipher cursive is rarely easy. Especially if the person writing in cursive was taught before 1996, which is the year that the cursive letter Q changed in style. If there were changes to cursive before, no argument can be made that it will not happen again, which makes reading cursive just even more confusing.

According to Vanderbilt University, every year up to $95 million in tax refunds are not delivered correctly because of unreadable cursive on tax forms. If we eliminate cursive, then systems would be able to run a lot smoothly due to clearer writing.

Print writing is used in most legal documents and media, so making kids learn two different writing styles is a waste of time. Cursive is only used to sign things, so learning a signature could be done in one lesson.

While it is sad to see cursive writing go, print writing is used for everything else. With the many modernizations and advancements in technology, there is just not a point to have cursive anymore.

Editor’s Corner Hey NDA! We are back with our fourth issue of this year.

We touch on a lot of things that we as a school probably should have thought of before. Our cleaning staff has done an excellent job this year, so we just wanted to thank them for all of their hard work. We also have an article on the seniors just to kind of showcase what a year it has been for them. Be sure to also check out the Rant on the last page, and in our Op-Ed section, we have a cartoon! I just want to say thank you to my lovely staff, I get to keep doing what I love because you all work so hard. Every single issue of this paper means so much to me and I am just beyond proud of what we have been able to accomplish this year. Have a great Spring Break, and we will see you next time!

- Kaitlin

The Vista

Page 5 OP-ED

An Eagle’s View

Thank You for This Year Oftentimes, we forget to take a step back and think about how truly lucky we are to have people taking care of us. We probably do not even think about what those people do for us at all, so it is important to give thanks to them. NDA’s cleaning staff has gone above and beyond this year.

While The Vista has already had the argument of to be or not to be virtual, being in person offers a lot to some students. Having a structure to work and learn in is beneficial for students who need a clear work space and time. Focusing through a screen is really difficult for some students and being able to come into school is a really important thing that we tend to overlook.

Sometimes students do not have the best lives at home and being able to take a break from that by coming to school is really important to them. While this is a sad truth of life, having our cleaning staff on hand for so many hours helps with this.

Seniors are able to come in for one last year and have a chance to say give one last goodbye to the

halls they have walked for years.

Freshman can make friends with the people in their classes and learn about the hallways of the school they will spend the next four years in.

Sophomores can see their friends and plan Mardi Gras celebration, which is a tradition we could not have last year.

Juniors can have their Junior Induction with their rings and prepare to take on their senior year.

None of these experiences would be possible without our amazing staff that comes in early and stays late to make sure the school is safe for everyone in the building. If you see one of the staff members in the halls, make sure you give them a big thank you for all of their dedication.

From The Vista Staff to you, we just wanted to say thank you for all that you have done for NDA. This past year has been hard on everyone, but you have made it easier.

You all are so appreciated and your hard work has not been overlooked. Thank you for making this past year easier.

March 2021

By Mary Grzybowski

On April 1, It’s ‘All the Jokes’ Kaitlin Shiple This year has been really different because of the amount of changes incorporated from the safety regulations put in place. Luckily, our NDA staff and their workplace personalities have remained the same throughout all of it.

Like just how many choreographies from Just Dance has Mrs. Wilkens memorized? All of them.

And how many national parks has Mr. Coppens collected rocks from? All of them. He has cases of them in his classroom.

What about Mr. Richards? How many cats from the humane society has he adopted? All of them.

Or how many books has Mrs. Gallaher ordered online to read over spring break? All of them. She is beyond prepared for the NDA staff book club.

How many weekends has Mrs. Beham spent watching Legally Blonde? All of them. Reese Witherspoon and some popcorn is her way of having fun, and no one disagrees with her.

Okay, but how many obscure historians has Mrs. Huffman not only met, but also befriended? All of them. She probably has pictures with them from the many conferences she’s visited.

How many hours has Mrs. Sutton spent watching Macbeth adaptations?

All of them. She really loves that cartoon version.

How many Doc Martens has Mrs. Wood worn to school? All of them.

Gold, black, brown, whatever color you can think of, she’s worn them.

How many class periods has Mrs. Moor talked about Mother Teresa? All of them. We all know who her favorite saint is.

How many class periods did Sr. Colleen Cousino dedicate to watching baby eagles? All of them. You know it was a good day when you walked in and the Eagle Cam was on the smart board.

How many Cold War documentaries has Mr. Feldstein watched for IB History? All of them. For multiple countries and multiple decades, this man is educated.

And just how many days out of the school year does Senora Caventer wear her leather boots? All of them. I am convinced she does not own any other types of shoes.

The Vista

Page 6 Feature

Reading Offers Novel Benefits Kaitlin Shiple According to a poll done by the Pew Research Center, 80 percent of Americans over the age of 16 read occasionally for pleasure, while around 36 percent read for pleasure every day or almost every day. Reading is not only for pleasure though, there are many important benefits to it.

Through the use of MRI scans, researchers from the National Institutes of Health have discovered reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As reading ability grows stronger, the networks in the brain become stronger and more sophisticated.

Reading books can also be a large help for those who are struggling with their mental health. In a 2009 study done by Sussex University, research showed reading may reduce stress by as much as 68 percent.

“It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the

Senior Maria Evola reads her book.

Photo by: Kaitlin Shiple everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination,” cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis said in an interview with The Telegraph.

Reading can also help slow down the progress of Alzheimer's or Dementia.

According to a study done by the Fischer Center for Alzheimer’s research Founda-

tion, being mentally stimulated with a book keeps the brain active, so the loss of brain power is slowed by being used to read.

Being an avid reader can also help with learning foreign languages, better writing skills, general knowledge, and stronger analytical thinking.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released in 2017 that the average American reads for 16 or 17 minutes a day.

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic recommend that parents should read with their children in order to establish a healthy relationship with literature early on. This way, children will develop habits of reading and continue to read as they get older, which helps with many different health benefits.

While there are many different recommendations for the amount of reading the average person should be getting, 30 minutes to an hour is the moat widely said time period. Anything less than 15 minutes has been proven to not be useful in brain stimulus.

Young Poet Delights, Inspires New Audience Reagan Carnes Ms. Amanda Gorman is well-known for her title as the youngest inaugural poet in the history of the U.S. How she reached this honorable position is both inspiring and astonishing.

The 22 year-old prodigy, born on March 7, 1998, is a Los Angeles native.

Ms. Gorman grew up attending a diverse private institution located in Santa Monica. From early on, she was influenced by her mother’s position as a teacher.

Her mother taught students the importance of language, and she learned those lessons as well.

In Ms. Gorman’s interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama for Feb. 4, 2021 issue of TIME Magazine, she discussed the speech impediment she dealt with at the beginning of her life.

“For a long time, I looked at it as a weakness. Now I really look at it as a strength because going through that process, it made me a writer,” she said.

Her speech impediment is less prominent today, but still affects her. Nevertheless, Ms. Gorman said she would not change a thing. “It brought with me this understanding of the complexity of sound, pronunciation, emphasis,” she

said.

At a young age, Ms. Gorman fell in love with both the written and spoken word when she first acted in a school play. As she delivered her very first monologue, she knew she was destined to write.

Ms. Gorman became the youth poet laureate of Los Angeles at the age of 16. Just three years later, in 2017, she became the very first national youth poet laureate. She continued her education and majored in sociology at Harvard University.

As for her style of poetry, it is distinct and powerful. Ms. Gorman’s inaugural poem “is unique in the sense that a young person shows technical talent and profound insight. Her juxtaposition of free verse and rhyme make the poem a delight to the ear,” Poetry Club Moderator Mrs. Laura Gallaher said.

“For her to read a poem with more straightforward wording but an important and relevant message was a good choice … there’s no point to poetry if the listeners can’t understand it,” senior and Poetry Club member Jade Spidel said.

Along with her unique style, Ms. Gorman’s performances are noteworthy.

“I loved her gestures and poise as she proudly delivered her work, and I loved the repetition of many important lines,” Mrs. Gallaher said.

In addition to her poetry, Ms. Gorman has published a children’s book titled Change Sings. She has achieved so much at such a young age, and her accomplishments instill hope for change internationally. “Poetry and language are often at the heartbeat of movements for change,” Ms. Gorman said.

“While working to give a voice to the American youth, she also is giving a voice to poetry, a genre which struggles to stay in touch with the younger crowd,” Jade said.

Ms. Gorman encourages others to use their heritage and past to enhance the future of the greater good. “It’s made me the performer I am and the storyteller that I strive to be,” Ms. Gorman said.

“NDA students should take away from Amanda’s achievements the notion that you are never too young to speak your mind and inspire others,” Mrs. Gallaher said.

The Vista

Page 7 Feature

Everything Old Is New Again in Fashion Mary Grzybowski

The trend of vintage clothing has resurfaced many times in the past, as each generation finds renewal and creativity in the cultures of the generations behind it. This time, however, with the coinciding of the pandemic, and a new more environmentally concerned generation, the reasons and means of buying vintage clothing are different.

Many vintage clothing buyers base their choice on environmental reasons. Climate change has intersected almost every industry, and has proven recently that fast fashion is not sustainable.

Fast fashion is the traditional method of clothing sellers and manufac-

turers, in which new styles are released each season and discarded the next. For younger generations who feel the stress of climate change, this quick in-style to out-of -style tradition is not sustainable.

Additionally, with the stress of the coronavirus, people are seeking to save not only the planet, but also their own money. Vintage clothing, bought at second hand stores, Goodwill’s, and flea markets, can provide cheaper options without sacrificing style.

Junior Cici Cao, who has been vintage shopping since last year, says she likes to shop second-hand because it saves her money.

People buy vintage clothing in a variety of ways. For Generation Z, proximity to technology makes vintage shopping easier. Online sites like Depop and TheRealReal have become popular vintage sites, with over 27 million users.

Social media sites like TikTok and Instagram also contribute to the vintage trend, as popular videos surface of vintage upcycling successes and cool finds.

Junior Seneca Klockowski says she shops mostly local small-time thrift stores; however, there are certain more nationally known stores that she avoids if she does not agree with some of their polices.

Easter Around the World

Common Beliefs, Uncommon Celebrations Chelsea Fall

All around the world, people have different traditions to celebrate holidays based on their own country’s cultures. Although they may be the same holiday, other countries may celebrate holidays, like Easter, differently.

There are many traditions all around the world which all come together for the holiday and highlight the day in unique ways. Places like Germany, Spain, Ethiopia, and Italy are just some countries with very unique ways of celebrating Easter.

Germany has an annual 4-day celebration for Easter. They follow a lot of the same concepts found in the U.S. like colored eggs and the Easter Bunny. However, they have their own special ways to celebrate with these traditions. They decorate by hanging colored eggs called Ostereierbaum on trees. Instead of baskets, many children will gather and make homemade nests for their eggs to keep them safe once they find them.

Later in the celebration, they have bonfires across the country to symbolize rebirth and the dispelling of

spirit while they come into spring.

The day after the celebration on Easter Monday is used as a day of remembrance and reflection with many candlelit parades.

“Easter in Germany is a time when many German festivals and markets come back to life. It is the end of the Lenten season, so you can finish eating the rest of your Fasching candy -- and the unofficial beginning of spring,” said Nadine Bower in army.mil.

Spain also had many celebrations that go all throughout Holy Week or Semana Santa as they call it.

“Here it’s not just about Easter Sunday – there are many other traditions leading up to the day, which are perhaps even more important,” said Esme Fox on theculturetrip.com.

They have a festival called La Danza de la Mort, which means Dance of Death for eight days, starting with the day that Jesus first arrived in Jerusalem starting with Palm Sunday. This week in-

cludes long parades with many depictions of religious symbols and people.

Ethiopia celebrates Easter later than most places, which is about two weeks after western churches. Similar to our Lenten period, they have a 56day fast, which primarily follows a vegan diet.

On Easter families gather to eat foods such as doro wot, which is a spicy chicken stew; Injera, which is a flare bread; and honey wine. As they gather together, they all wear white as a community and enjoy the holiday together.

Looking at other cultures celebrate the same holidays in their own way gives a great opportunity to connect with other people and their cultures.

Everyone can learn so much from how people celebrate around the world and see the beauty of people coming together to celebrate the same things but with unique traditions.

While different cultures have different traditions, we can see that although we may not celebrate the same, we can still celebrate together.

The Vista

Page 8 Backtalk

The Rant:

Trust Your Gut High school students can feel overwhelmed by making important decisions and becoming independent adults. However, this process does not have to be so difficult and stressful.

The first step to achieving goals is deciding what you want out of life.

Whether you are choosing between colleges, professions, or even ice cream flavors, it is important to always be confident in your decisions and to see these decisions through.

Make sure the impactful choices you make are realistic and rewarding.

Trust your instincts when making tough choices. If something doesn’t feel right, go with your gut and find a better path. It is important to do what you want, not what others want you to do. Going with a gut feeling or an unpopular choice can be scary; however, only you know what is best for you. That is why it is important to use high school to start becoming independent.

Even if it is easier to let your parents or your friends make all the decisions for you, breaking out of your comfort zone is in your best interest. Becoming outgoing and independent at a young age will lessen your anxiety for the future and increase your confidence in it.

To become independent, challenge yourself. Stop relying on others and do things for yourself. Start with little things, like household chores or small choices. Gradually, your reliance on others will decrease, and you will become more independent each day.

Achieving independence and reaching big goals can be a slow process, so you have to be prepared to put in the work. Begin teaching yourself diligence now. You can do this by always staying on top of your schoolwork and even going the extra mile with projects and papers.

Most importantly, it is necessary to be positive and to push yourself during this process. To avoid an unfulfilling career or lifestyle, put yourself out there and make your dreams a reality. Do not become discouraged or shove your aspirations aside simply because others have deemed them “impossible” or “unrealistic.”

Roving Reporter Roving Reporter Teacher Edition: Student Edition:

What is the best NDA moment you have experienced?

If You Could Go Anywhere For Spring Break, Where Would You Go?

Reagan Carnes

Kaitlin Shiple

“The best NDA moment for me so far would have to be the Variety Show. I loved seeing all the talent, and all the amazing support given to each act.” Ms. Sabrina Brancatto

“Italy to see my friend Nicolai in

culinary school” - Senior Jade Spidel

“I would probably go to Costa Rica” - Freshman Abby Goulding

“I am blessed to do morning supervision, so every Blue morning I get to greet each in-person student and wish them a great day!” - Mrs. Susan Kozal

“I would have to say the Maldives” - Sophomore Stephanie Sosko.

“First is Visitation every year. That time of year is so full of school spirit, excitement and joy. The smiles are contagious and to be able to show off our amazing school is a special opportunity. The second is when the 2016 soccer team made it to the States for the first time in school history. The way the school community came together to support the team that year and make such an amazing accomplishment feel so special for the players was something I’ll never forget.” - Mr. Chip Smith “I graduated from NDA and have been teaching there for many years. I would say May Crowning back in the 70’s.” - Mrs. Marcia (Blaine) Holtz ‘77 “I truly am constantly amazed by the artwork our students create, the sports we win … What I have learned in my time here is that NDA students are awesome and so very talented. Mrs. Chris Chapman

“Maine” - Senior Bess Maume “I would say maybe like the Bahamas or somewhere with a beach” Freshman Emily Rogers “Costa Rica because the food is great, the people are tourists, and it’s a fun place” - Junior Sneha Malshalker “Australia would be fun to visit” Sophomore Milena Ingie “I would visit Spain to use my Spanish skills” - Senior Isabel Nester “I would go to Hawaii” - Freshman Lily Turner “Visiting my family in Maine would be fun. Or someplace warm” - Sophomore Jenna Jenski “I went to Colorado over the summer, so going there again would be nice” - Junior Isabel Smith “Ireland or Indonesia would be really cool to visit” - Freshman Emma Hilton

“I would say watching everyone stand up in their seats to dance and sing along at the variety show to "What Makes You Beautiful.” - Ms. Abby Beham ‘09

“Russia is my top bucket list place, so I guess there” - Sophomore Lily Rayne

“My favorite NDA moment so far was the Variety Show this year. It was so amazing to see how talented all of our students are and it was so fun to see everyone in the PAC get up and dance.” - Ms. Sarah Hunter

“I don’t know, Bali maybe?” - Senior Simone Gilbert

“I really love the Bahamas” - Freshman Haley Throne