The Vista Issue 4 of 2019-20

The Vista

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 69 ISSUE4*FEB.14,2020

In This Issue: Women’s Issues in 2020 (Pg.2) Cameras Focus on School Safety (Pg.3) Crosstalk: 2 or 3 Years of a Language? (Pg.4) The Perfect Guy For an NDA Girl (Pg.5) Rap Music Today and Its Influence (Pg.6) Doodling in school (Pg.7) How to Increase Your Happiness (Pg.8) On The Cover: All NDA Theology Students Were Asked to Write About Their Best Characteristics on Strips of Cloth, Which was made Into an All School Craft.

Cover Photo By: Chloe Kozal

The Vista

Page 2 News

Global Warming Impacts Toledo, Too NDA Girls Talk About Their Family’s Experiences With Natural Disasters Abroad Chloe Kozal

“When I first got the news of a possible eruption, it was from my cousin. Then, the Taal Volcano erupted. Right away, our family gathered and listened to ABSCBN, a news channel in the Philippines, and we were all scared.

We were scared that our family would be harmed, scared that the cities would be destroyed. It took a bit before we heard from family members there. The eruption happened on my cousin Eiriniel’s 5th birthday. She celebrated her birthday evacuating as quickly as possible,” senior Edralhin Encarnacion said.

Edralhin, sophomore Maria Yzabel Manimtim, and freshman Janelle Suarez are all cousins who attend Notre Dame Academy.

“I knew that my family would be able to evacuate, find a place to stay with other family, and return when the time was right, but my heart felt heavy for many of those who were much more unfortunate. They had very little money and lived off of a few livestock or crops that are now destroyed, and they cannot do anything about it while they are cramped in evacuation centers with nothing to come back to. My hometown, Talisay, is now a ghost town that was stripped down by ashes,” sophomore Maria Yzabel Manimtim said.

Sometimes it’s easy for most Americans to not worry about what is happening abroad. However, the increase in climate and natural disasters hits closer to home more than one realizes.

Seventh grader Emma Fister and freshman Maya Fister’s mother is from Japan and their mom’s side of the family lives in Kumamoto and Chiba, Japan.

None of their family was in danger from the Shindake Volcano eruption, which registered at a level 3 eruption (Latin American Post), but it is a worry.

“Sometimes I am concerned for my family in Japan due to the increased amount of volcanic activity and higher sea levels. Climate change is a universal problem that, as hard as it may be to imagine, can have an even more detri-

1.

View of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines, which erupted on January 12, 2020. Photo courtesy of Maria Yzabel Manimtim.

2.

Photo of Eriniel and Mr. Encarnacion on her 4th bitrthday.

3.

Senior Edralhin Encarnacion (center, gray t shirt) and her family.

Photos courtesy of Edralhin Encarnacion.

mental effect on the entirety of our world,” Maya said.

According to NPR, climate change is a factor for increased volcanic eruptions. However, islands like Japan and the Philippines can also be affected by typhoons, rising water levels and erosion, all factors of climate change.

“Tourism and exports are a couple factors of the Philippines’ income, and Taal has destroyed all of the crops in the surrounding area and its famous crater lake that attracted many tourists,” Maria said.

“Global warming could cause more hurricanes and tsunamis, both of which shouldn’t affect [my family] but could.

There are always those chances, and eventually, if nothing is done, Japan will go underwater. I’m also nervous because we try to visit every other year, but with weather events, it might become more dangerous and harder to visit,” Emma said.

What the world is experiencing right now is not normal. Already in 2020, there have been fires in Australia, earthquakes in Puerto Rico, volcanoes

erupting in Japan and in the Philippines.

Alumna Katie Ryder ‘15 had seen the devastation of the fires in Australia on the news and statistics about how many animals perished in the fires and wanted to do something about it.

“I donated $5 but was bummed I couldn’t donate more,” Katie said.

Later at the University of Cincinnati, Katie’s Product Development Professor assigned their first project where the students had to design and sell t shirts online.

“He said it could be for profit or for charity, and I saw it as a chance to raise some more money and awareness for the bushfires. It’s gone really well, and I’ve raised about $160 so far,” Katie said.

Katie’s T-shirts can be found on https://teespring.com/australian-firerelief-tee?pid=2&cid=2122, where all proceeds go towards Australia's largest wildlife rescue organization, The New South Wales-based Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, Inc.

The Vista

Page 3 News

Cameras Focus on Student, School Safety Lauren Dionyssiou Notre Dame Academy started off the new year with an extra level of protection and security in the school: the installment of twelve security cameras.

Located in areas such as by the stairwells, by Fitz Commons, at the entrance ways to the school and the Junior Academy wing, the cameras have been installed as a way to make Notre Dame extra secure and as a way to make sure that the school has access to and are aware of everyday events that take place in the school building.

“They are there so that we can go back and check the monitors and see what has happened in certain situations,” Information Technology Director Mr. Jeff Williams said.

Some girls may have concerns about the cameras.

“It can feel like a violation of our privacy,” sophomore Sneha Mashalkar said.

The cameras are not located in the classroom, so students do not need to worry about being recorded in their classes, but they pick up a lot of action in the hallways

The monitors for each of the twelve cameras are displayed in a technology room so activity during the day can be monitored.

Photo by Lauren Dionyssiou

and by the school entrances.

“Safety has been at the forefront of all the things we’ve been doing. NDA ended up becoming aware of a grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compen-

sation (BWC), which covered the cost of the security cameras. There were people in the field that recommended that these cameras could help [us be more secure],” Dean of Academics Mrs. Andrea (Zobler) Zimmerman ’96 said.

While the cameras are located at the main points of the school, they are not invading every aspect of daily life of the NDA students, faculty, and staff.

“We wanted to make sure that we were ahead of the game,” Mr. Williams said.

These cameras are helping the school to be well prepared for the future to come as they will help the school to be able to better pinpoint and track different activities to help solve problems that may come up in the future.

“I like the idea because it’s a good way to keep our building more safe and to keep an eye on people that may try to get into our school,” junior Aimee Jaggernauth said.

Mrs. Zimmerman and Mr. Williams welcome anyone who has questions or concerns about the cameras.

Extended Parental Leave Benefits Baby, Parents Chloe Kozal In 2017, the Women’s March had an incredible turnout, with “as many as 5.2 million marchers were estimated to have turned out in over 650 locations” (The Toledo Blade).

This year, while the march had a smaller turnout, women’s issues have not decreased. Women still need to fight against discrimination in the workplace, in healthcare, and with the wage gap.

One large issue for women is paid parental leave. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, full and part-time permanent employees in Ohio who work 30 or more hours per week are entitled to up to 6 weeks of leave for birth or adoption. Only 13 percent of the nation’s private sector workers have any form of paid family leave, and only 4 percent of low-wage workers do.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, jobprotected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave (U.S. Department

NDA Visual Arts Teacher Mrs. Nicole Mettler and her son Sam Mettler. Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Mettler. of Labor).

Unfortunately, 62 percent of working people in Ohio either are unquali-

fied for FMLA or they can’t go without pay, thus they only have 6 weeks with their child.

Notre Dame Academy Art teacher Mrs. Nicole Mettler is a mother to 6-year-old Elayna, 4-year-old Lillian, and 8 month old Sam. She took extended time off for all 3 children, with working part time with Elayna, 1 semester off with Lillian, and one quarter (9 weeks) off with Sam, but in total took 15 weeks off with summer break included, which is counted towards maternity leave with FMLA. “The best part about having an extended maternity leave with Sam was time. Time to not only learn and care for Sam and how he sounds, cries but what he needs.

Each child was different with their needs, and it was beneficial to have extra time to adjust physically for teaching art due to carrying heavy objects and time for my husband and children to adjust to a new family member. Coming back after a quarter also helped my students adjust more versus randomly returning back to my job” Mrs. Mettler said.

The Vista

Page 4 OP-ED

Which Is Better: Two Years or Three Years of a Language?

Dos Años Es Mejor

Crosstalk

Noelle Albright

Lauren Dionyssiou While some people believe the more years of a language you take, the better, requiring students to take three years of a foreign language is extensive. The requirement of two years of a language allows students to have more freedom in their choice of classes.

If you aren’t going into a job field that requires you to be diversely educated in other languages, there is no need to do more than the school’s requirement unless you are passionate about it.

Rather, it would be much better for students to get the most out of their classes by focusing on electives and classes that cater more towards their interests, or those classes that could better prepare or educate the student for a job field they might be interested in in the future.

This can also help increase students’ interests in their classes. For those who really don’t care for foreign language classes, other classes may prove more beneficial as the other class or elective may hold their interest more. Having that extra block open helps to schedule those other classes.

Even though colleges would like to see you have three years of a language, they will still accept two years. Also, even if you are planning to study abroad, there isn’t always a good chance that you will study somewhere that involves that language specifically. In that case, the language will prove to be unbeneficial in that aspect.

A large majority of people will never use the language they study after they graduate, but other classes will be useful for what kids could be doing in the future. With that in mind, two years of a foreign language in high school is enough.

Disney says it’s a small world, and it seems to be more true each year. For that reason, girls should be required to take three years of a classic or modern language.

Three years of a language can help students become more proficient. With the second year of a language, students are still typically building off of basic concepts learned in the first year. However, in the third year, students are taking the concepts previously learned and building off of them, typically to be able to write in full paragraph or even essay form, and to speak the language beyond a few words or broken sentences.

In this day and age, we are becoming increasingly globalized. This is one of the reasons why colleges prefer students to take at least three, if not four years of the same language.

Taking three years can strengthen your college application, especially with more competitive colleges. Taking up to four years of a language instead of just the required two leaves you less likely to need to take a language in college, especially if you demonstrate proficiency.

You may also be able to simultaneously earn college credits through a local college and be able to forgo a few years of a language when you actually get to college.

Another benefit to taking a language for a longer amount of time is the ability to immerse yourself more fully in travel and exchange opportunities. NDA especially offers many exchange programs, and becoming skilled in a language will definitely be a plus whether you decide to participate in an exchange trip through NDA, travel to a foreign country or even plan to participate in a study abroad program in college.

For those reasons, three years of a foreign language is better.

The Vista Staff Volume 69 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: Chloe Kozal Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells First Year Reporters: Noelle Albright Lauren Dionyssiou Kaitlin Shiple

Trois ans, c'est mieux

Editor’s Corner Hello NDA and happy 2020! I am very proud that this issue we were able to talk about topics that can bring about discussion between readers. I was inspired to write my page 2 article because Edralhin messaged me the day Taal erupted and wanted to talk to me about her worries about her family during the eruption. I learned and thought a great deal about what she and Maria, Emma and Maya told me about their experiences. Our job as journalists is not only to inform, but also to make readers think and question. We have presented facts to you in articles and opinions to you on Op-Ed, and now it’s your turn to think about what you read.

However, the most important question to ask your friends is: Have you read The Vista yet? :) ~ Chloe Kozal

The Vista

Page 5 OP-ED

5 Minutes To Win It Not much can be done in five minutes, but even less can be done in four.

Four minutes between classes is difficult, especially to take care of necessary things such as traveling from one class to another and going to the restroom. With the decrease in time between classes from five to four minutes in the recent past, students are attempting to make due with even less time on their hands.

The importance of an extra 60 seconds means a lot when you attend a school with three floors and two wings on the first floor. Students are going from their TCB or a class on third floor to a class in either the JA, choir room or green room, which can be difficult.

It may not be absolutely impossible, but many things can hinder a student’s journey: a traffic jam in the hallway or on the stairs or the courtyard, a handy shortcut, being closed for the season or a rainy day.

Another valuable aspect of the extra minute is a bathroom break. Teachers do not enjoy a student interrupting class or missing material to go to the bathroom, and sometimes a student may be unable to go to the bathroom before they know they need to at

lunch or during flex time due to meetings, activities and more.

Students who experienced having five minutes between classes, especially if the classes were near each other, remember having enough time to take a bathroom break between periods.

Having a bit of extra time between classes to rest is especially important to girls at NDA. With classes on a normal day being 79 minutes and many teachers instructing up until the bell rings, even just one extra minute can make a difference for a student.

It is important for girls to have the option to sit down, take a breath, write an assignment in the planner, ask the teacher a quick question and more without fear of being late to class and receiving demerits.

When considering how much time we gain per day with the four extra minutes each day, one extra minute per class isn’t very much extra time at all.

Many teachers end class early and often give students some extra work time at the end of class, so wouldn’t one extra minute of that time be put to better use by giving girls an extra minute between their classes?

The Perfect Boy for a NDA Girl Noelle Albright When attending an all-girls school, it sometimes feels nearly impossible to meet guys. So, while we wait for our Knight (or Titan) in shining armor to come along, we might as well make a list of requirements for the best boy for an NDA girl!  Must show Eagle spirit at our sporting events (if we go to your games and matches, we expect you to do the same!  Must be willing to be a study buddy 

 Must be willing to put on a skirt and join the teachers (is he even worth it if he can’t dance to a dance mashup for visitations?)  Must read our books in English with us so we can have a mini book club  Must be willing to audition for Mr. NDA (of course) 

VOTE! It’s Your Right and Privilege

MUST buy us coffee

MUST be funny and like puns

 Must be willing to make Tik Toks with us (trying his best to learn the dances is a plus)

 Notre Dame Academy students are encouraged to vote in the upcoming presidential election to show their patriotic energy.

 Must be willing to give us a tissue during sad movies

 Being a voter at a young age is important because it is one of the first baby steps into becoming a full adult.



 Girls can pick up a registration form from government teacher Mrs. Susie (Pisula) ‘85 Huffman in room 302.  Voter registration has to be done 30 days in advance at local libraries or BMVs. Girls should bring their social security cards or licenses.  “We will take a day during lunch maybe a week before the forms are due to help girls sign up” Mrs. Huffman said. 

Registering now will allow girls to vote in the Ohio primary March 17.



Voting in the 2020 presidential election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Must give us the last Bosco stick

 Must be environmentally conscious (metal straws are a must)  Must be okay with always being second to schoolwork (because our education always comes first) We may not be in a rush to find the “perfect guy,” but if you think you have, be sure to refer to this list and ask if he would do any of these things to prove himself to you. Trust us, if he isn’t willing to do the Renegade dance in a plaid skirt in front of the entire student body, he isn’t worth your precious time!

The Vista

Page 6 Feature

Tips for a Better 2020 at School and at Home Chloe Kozal While it isn’t January 1 anymore, you don’t have to wait until 2021 to prioritize your mental health and take steps to make your life less stressful. It doesn’t matter what day or month it is; it’s all about your mindset and what you choose to do. For a better 2020, here are some tips to help your year run smoothly.

Are you a driver on a low budget? To help budget your time and money, use an app like GasBuddy to check local stations to get the best prices before you arrive there. An app like INRIX traffic can also let you see the traffic around Toledo and beyond to help you avoid heavy traffic areas. It shows you the causes of the accident and uses colors to show how heavy the traffic is.

Do you want more positivity in your life? Positivity begins internally. Practicing positive self talk or mindfulness can help you view yourself and your surroundings in a better light. Apps such as Motivation-Daily Quotes, Uplifter App, I AmPositive Notifications can all assist you, but they cannot be your only source of positivity. The Uplifter App helps you practice mindfulness and reflection, with

Plants grown in Mr. Steve Coppen’s room 210.

prompts asking you about your day.

While Motivational quotes might be good for some people, the I Am app allows you to customize your notifications to remind you about positive or uplifting aspects about yourself and can help you with positive self talk.

Also, challenging yourself to do acts of kindness everyday can increase not only your happiness, but also the happiness of others around you.

Do you want to decrease your phone time and feel healthier? Using time limits and weekly usage on your phone and iPad can help you control and know how much time you spend on technology, as well as certain social media. Packing a book, journal or puzzle book in your purse can help you during the school day so you can use it instead of your iPad. Packing a NDA friendly water bottle can also help you become less dehydrated and feel better.

How to live better at home: Use feng shui to help create a more calming environment in your room. Feng shui is the concept of looking at arrangements in a room or building in order to get the most energy. Reorganizing objects, getting rid of unnecessary items, and rearranging your room can change how you feel about the space and could increase your happiness.

Also, putting plants in your room, specifically by your desk can increase productivity and the air quality in your room. You can get a free plant and learn a new skill by cloning a plant with Mr. Steve Coppens.

Rap Music Send Messages to, about Women Kaitlin Shiple Rap is an increasingly popular genre of music in modern society, especially with young teens. However, some consider the messages in rap music as degrading to women.

Every genre of music stimulates the brain and body in some way. The frontal lobe, specifically, is enhanced in function while listening to certain melodies. Studies have demonstrated that preference for certain types of music could be correlated or associated with certain behaviors.

For example, jazz soothes the body, while rap stimulates emotion, language, motivation and motor function.

According to a new study conducted by the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, California, men who have listened to rap with misogynistic lyrics showed a more negative perception and increased aggression towards women.

In lyrics from Dr. Dre, Drake and Post Malone, aggression and degrading lyrics towards women have been a common theme.

Rap music has been characterized by the presence of explicit sexual language in its lyrics, as well as messages of violence, racism, homophobia and hatred towards women.

In a 2006 study at Western Connecticut State University, the idea of becoming more violent from listening to rap music was put to the test. Eleven people watched a violent rap video, with lyrics degrading women, and a control group watched and listened to songs without harmful messages.

Those who listened to rap music acted more violently when asked hypothetical questions about women, morals and families.

In a survey from the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) in 1999, 47 percent of 345 mothers said they believed messages in rap contribute to school violence.

The AAP also found fans of rap are also more likely to have reckless behavior and resentment for authority than those who do not listen to rap.

Spotify has created a live music map which analyzes almost 20 billion tracks to show localized listening for people around the world. The map clearly displays rap music as the front runner, despite possible language barriers from the multitude of popular American artists in the genre.

According to an article Rolling Stone in 2017, 8 out of 10 of the most popular artists came from the hip-hop/rap genre and had the most nominations for big awards, like Song of the Year.

“I listen to rap music because it is what people around me listened to growing up.

I don’t necessarily like the lyrics, but I love the rhythm and flow of the beat and my body grooves with it unconsciously.

It’s also very addicting because some lines get stuck in my head and I keep listening to them over and over” senior Selina Ohene Obeng.

Whether it is through name calling or any form of belittlement, this male dominated genre causes many questions to arise about the continued growing popularity of rap.

The Vista

Page 7 Feature

Students Draw Their Own Conclusions Kaitlin Shiple Drawing in class has always been a controversial subject between students and teachers. Does drawing in class really help? According to research looking into the connection between doodling and memorization, drawing while listening to a lesson at school helps students retain information.

In a 2009 study, a psychology professor at the University of Plymouth, Jackie Andrade created an experimental study to learn more about the connections between drawing, memory, and attention span.

The test would use two groups of people, both groups would listen to the same message from a phone call. One group would be used as a control, and the second was instructed to draw small marks on a piece of paper while listening to the message.

The second group retained 29 percent more information from the phone call than the control group.

Junior Jade Spidel doodled during her IB Theatre class in her notebook. Photo by: Kaitlin Shiple

Similarly, in 2011 three educational researchers, Sharon Ainsworth of the University of Nottingham, Vaughan

MobileServe Helps NDA Students Help Others Lauren Dionyssiou Conducting service while students are at NDA is very important in the school curriculum, as helping to better the lives of others is an essential part of the NDA community.

All students must do a certain number of hours every year, and each student must have completed her hours every year to be able to graduate.

“When you are doing service, you need to be conscious of how you are serving the human dignity of that individual or that group of people,” Campus Ministry Director Mr. Josh Mocek said.

Notre Dame has a new way for students to document their hours through an app called MobileServe. With just four steps, students can document their hours.

“You need to be able to document and include in the description; how are you impacting the dignity of that individual, and why is what you’re doing important?” Mr. Mocek said.

“With service you need to start with yourself; what brings you joy? How can you share that joy and your talents to benefit or help others?” Mr. Mocek said.

Service opportunities are often times very insightful experiences, impacting the girls’ lives even after they are done.

“When I volunteered at St. Vincent, I worked with babies who were not likely to survive. It was empowering to watch these little babies fight for their lives. It’s so neat to see some of them doing a lot better now,” senior Jessica Lehmkuhl said.

If students are looking for opportunities, there are events posted on MobileServe, and the app is updated every time an opportunity comes up. Hours need to be completed by the end of March. Mr. Mocek is available to answer any questions students may have during lunch or flex time.

Prain of La Trobe, and Russell Tytler of Deakin University, decided to test Andrade’s theory. The test would take place in a science class. Students in the class were encouraged to draw what they learned during the lecture and while doing assigned reading.

The students who drew retained more information than the students who did not draw. The group with drawings also had more enjoyment and engagement with the course material.

“I don’t really know why I draw in class, I always just figured maybe it was a focusing thing” junior Jade Spidel said.

According to psychologists in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, drawing while taking notes helps people engage in the material being learned more.

With the amount of evidence supporting and proving just how much drawing helps in class, it’s not surprising how many students partake in the activity.

Everyday Eagle

NDA students attend the March for Life in Washington D.C. Alison Meyers ‘21, Audrey Kelley ‘21, Elizabeth Garver ‘21, Rachel Miller ‘21, Maddie, Natalie Nester ‘21, Jesse Wang ‘23, Isabel Nester ‘21, Annie Smaciarz ‘23 Natalia Rosebrock ‘22, Alexandria Roth ‘22.

Photo courtesy of: Isabel Nester ‘21

The Vista

Page 8 Backtalk

The Rant: Increase Your Happiness Kaitlin Shiple The ideas of self care, being aware of one’s mistakes and learning to have good habits in life are a common theme in modern society. Self care stems from the human perception of taking care of others, but it is up to us improve our happiness.

Being happy with yourself and your life is important. Improving happiness can be done in multiple ways, whether it's getting rid of people who treat you terribly or buying that cute skirt you tried on but decided not to buy.

Being happy is enjoying the little things because it gives you time for yourself.

You can allow yourself to take a break from dwelling on the not-sofun parts in life. You can take a break to drink your favorite tea, listen to your favorite song or wear your coziest sweater. The smallest blessings in life add detail to the biggest blessing down the road. You do not reach where you want to be without growth.

Focusing on yourself and accomplishing your goals helps you grow.

Allowing yourself to make mistakes is an important step in understanding yourself and how to make you happy.

Being your own person is a first step in being happier with yourself. The moment you stop trying to impress other people is the moment you become more independent.

Bring happiness to your life by being yourself in the new decade.

Your true personality is something no one can take away from you, but it is something you can choose to hide from others. Your identity is a gift you were given by God. What you choose to do with that gift is up to you, but keeping it hidden from the world and not displaying your talents is forcing yourself to be sheltered in life. You lose the ability to grow when you are not your own person.

Remember everything takes time.

Be patient with yourself and others around you while adjusting.

Improving your happiness is not about doing better in school or fitting in with the new trends in modern society. Being truly happy is learning to recognize your flaws and understanding it is alright to not be perfect.

Roving Reporter Roving Reporter Teacher Edition: What lesson from What year was the most memorable from the past decade?

Lauren Dionyssiou “2015; after taking a couple year break from nursing, I started being a nurse again at NDA. I love the positive environment and connecting education and healthcare.” ~ Nurse Mrs. Sara Mazur “2016-2017 were the years when I got married, bought a house, and had a child.” ~ Mrs. Lauren Moor “2015 because my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.” ~ Mr. Scott Kay “2019 because both of my sons graduated from college. College is a choice, and I was really proud that they made the choice to keep going.” ~ Mrs. Chris Chapman “2016 because my grandson was born.” ~ Mrs. Jean (Christ) Walker ‘82 “2015 was the year I became a teacher and got my first teaching job.” ~ Ms. Krista House “2019 was best year of the decade because my fourth child, Maya Christine, was born in March, and my oldest child, Zoe, started attending NDA.” ~ Mrs. Andrea (Zobler) Zimmerman ‘96 “2015, because my oldest child graduated high school at NDA after spending six years with me.” ~ Mrs. Marcia (Blaine) Holtz ‘77 “2018 was when my youngest daughter graduated from NDA.” ~ Mr. Jeff Williams

“2015 was when I met my best friends, and when I officially declared my major.” ~ Ms. Marisa Napoli ’13 “2011-2012 during my senior year of college. I lived in an apartment with my best friends. We went to Florida together for spring break and threw a ton of themed parties, and I took a whole bunch of really interesting classes.” ~ Mrs. Kate Caventer

2019 will you bring to 2020?

Chloe Kozal

“I think that it’s important to keep your friends that are good for you close to you and don’t pay attention to those who are negative.” ~ Junior Audrey Kelly

“That I should push myself more.” ~ Freshman Harmony Burt

“Just take a nap; it’ll be alright.” ~ Senior Allison Cooley

“Stop procrastinating on everything.” ~ Freshman Sophia Sorensen

“I learned to be myself and not care about what anyone else thinks about me.” ~ Sophomore Emily Dansack

“There are always opportunities to be better and appreciate what you have.” ~ Junior Hayden Kajfasz.

“That there’s a point in your life where you have to realize that you decide your future.” ~ Senior Autumn Rowan

“Let things go.” ~ Freshman Catherine Schroeder

“Have time for yourself to help with your mental health.” ~ Junior A’Liyah Davis

“It’s good to be hard on yourself sometimes but not all the time. Let yourself breathe.” ~ Sophomore Caroline Connelly

“Be open to new people.” ~ Freshman Joelle Moore

“Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Don’t treat them any differently than you would treat yourself.” ~ Senior Raquel Sierra

“Things aren’t as bad as they seem, so just stay calm.” ~ Junior Albany Jaques

“Spend more time in prayer and be with people that are good for me.” ~ Freshman Samantha Drzewiecki