By: Emily Gillotti Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14th as Flag Day; and on August 3, 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. However, Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.
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By: Emily Gillotti The state of Connecticut has roughly 40,000 cases and 3,675 deaths as a result of Covid-19. New York City has been the nation’s largest COVID-19 hot spot, accounting for more than 20% of all deaths nationally, and Connecticut has seemed to suffer from its proximity to the city. Connecticut has one of the nations highest coronavirus death toll. Democrats remain convinced that another stimulus package is necessary, with the party getting behind a plan to give many Americans monthly $2,000 stimulus checks during the pandemic. Economists stressed that the damage done to the job market demonstrates why it is so critical for public health authorities to get the pandemic under control. Economists called for a robust ramp-up in coronavirus testing and tracing.
By: Mike Selkirk
In this uncertain time students are faced with new decisions that they have to make in order to attend college in the Fall. Questions like, “Will I choose to take my classes online?” “Will I take a gap year and reapply for the following year?” “Will I even be able to travel to my school?” are all questions that most students thought they already had solved by this time in the year. Most having already applied, been accepted, and making their choice of school. Now there are more things for students to consider. For those students that are thinking about commuting to their school, you may only have to consider whether or not you are willing to take the first year’s courses online. This option has the benefit of not taking a gap year. Though this question still applies to those of you that are moving out to live on campus, there are many more questions you will have to answer. These include the possibility of campus housing simply not opening for the first semester; so will you live near campus or commute? These questions can only be answered by your particular school. So, good luck to all of my fellow students moving on to the next chapter of our lives. I hope that we can make the transition smoothly and with as few issues as possible. In order to make sure this is the case for you, I advise you to keep in constant communication with your school of choice. Always feel free to call them and see what their plan for next year entails. This way you will be able to make the most of your own plan, and do what works best for you. This is a stressful time for all students, so stay calm, keep in touch with your school, and we will all get through this together. By: Mike Selkirk In the heated race for Democratic nomination, all but one candidate has dropped out of the race. The final Democrat who will run against President Donald Trump in the 2020 election is former Vice President, Joe Biden. His last competitor, Bernie Sanders, dropped from the race on April 8th 2020, after over a year of long debates and campaign efforts.
Now that the final two candidates are nearly set in stone, it is time to begin thinking about who you will be voting for. No matter what party you identify with, it is important that any citizen eligible to vote goes out and does so. So if you would like to make your opinion matter then go out and vote while encouraging others to register to vote and begin researching your candidates. Gather as much information as possible from various new sources and carefully pick who you will vote for. Get out there, get excited and remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain about who wins. By: Mike Selkirk Every year on May 4th, Star Wars fans around the world celebrate Star Wars Day. They dress up, attend conventions, watch the movies, and spend time together. The reason for May 4th being the day of celebration, was chosen for the slogan “May the 4th be with you” in reference to the now famous phrase “may the force be with you.”
If you are a fan or know someone who is a fan of Star Wars, celebrate the day with them however you can. This year may be difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic so here are some things you can still do with your friends on Star Wars Day. You can watch the movies with your families at home, you can play one or many of the Star Wars games made over the past 30 years, or you can play some of your favorite Star Wars music while calling your friends. No matter what you choose to do during the quarantine, as long as you celebrate with others, in person or otherwise, you can enjoy celebrating Star Wars day like millions of others around the world. For more information you can visit https://starwars.com for Star Wars news, music and other entertainment. By: Madison Migiano For the past few weeks we all have been stuck at home in quarantine due to the virus called, COVID-19. Most of you are probably wondering, what can I do to stay healthy during quarantine? Well there are lots of habits you can take up in order to stay healthy.
For starters, you should wash your hands and your body very well. When washing your hands try to wash them for 20 seconds or more, as this helps to kill the virus. In the morning with your breakfast, have some vitamin C, such as orange juice. You should also be drinking lots of water; it helps clear skin, regulates body temperature, and helps prevent kidney failure. Take necessary naps and rest, because now that you're in quarantine you can get more sleep to help you get through the day. Lastly, you should try doing some exercise and maybe even some yoga, to help keep you in shape and active. It is important to exercise because of the reduction of movement most people are getting. You can still go on walks or runs, just try to avoid populated areas. Now you should also be doing some things that can help you keep busy, because it's always good to do something other than just binge watching a Netflix show. You can take a scenic drive or go for a walk/hike. Just to get outside for a little bit. You could cook and bake while you're home because it's always fun when you get to enjoy what you’ve made. What about even doing some art or starting a little garden? Also why not start a new book or two to keep your mind thinking. Remember to practice social distancing, stay safe, and to stay healthy. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AP testing schedule is going to be unique. The exams will be held starting May 11th and end on May 22nd. Each exam will be starting at the same time no matter where you live. The times and dates for each specific exam can be found here. Due to the school closures, the exams can be taken either at home, or in your student’s school only if they open by the testing date. As a result of this change, the exam formats will change as well. Here is a section of information directly from the College Board. For more information including how families can obtain a device to take the exam, security questions and other information, please view the following email that should have been sent to all students who have signed up to take an AP exam. (To view the email, click here)
By Madison Migiano Mr. Sales, a beloved teacher at Swift, recently passed away from a courageous battle with cancer. He loved science and he devoted that love of science to teaching at Swift Middle School for four years. Ava Venuk, a student at WHS who had Mr. Sales, stated, “You could always tell he was passionate about his job.”
“I had him as my Leo Club teacher and he always tried his best to make everyone feel welcome and happy, and made everyone smile and laugh all the time,” said Taylor Malcarne, another student at WHS. Sales enjoyed reading, video games, spending time with his cats, spending time with friends and family, Star Wars and Marvel movies, and anything involving science. He recently married his beautiful wife, Alyssa Griffin just under three months before his passing. Their wedding was held at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Hospital, where Mr. Sales was being treated. We all miss him dearly and we send condolences to the friends and family. A "Celebration of Life" will be held for Johnathon this summer. If anyone would like to make a donation his name, donations can be sent to the Connecticut Children's Medical Hospital, or the Make A Wish Foundation. By: Bailey Boivin
Kobe Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter, along with 7 other bystanders, were killed Tuesday, January 26th when Bryant’s private helicopter flew into the side of a mountain in Calabasas, California. Bryant left John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, nearly 70 miles from where he and the 8 other people on the helicopter crashed. Bryant and his daughter were on their way to her basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks near Los Angeles. Thousands across the world are mourning the death of this beloved legend, who was an inspiration to all, no matter who they were or what they aspired to be. Bryant, 41, played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996-2016 and was originally drafted by the Hornets and later traded to the Lakers later that night. Kobe, also known as the Black Mamba, held many accolades to his name. He was an 18-time NBA All-Star, and a four-time All-Star Game MVP. Mamba would also win five NBA championships, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, only one less than Michael Jordan himself. He won three consecutive championships, 2000, 2001, and 2002 with his dynamic duo Shaquille O’Neal, who tweeted, “There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences go+es out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board.” Kobe Bryant won one league MVP, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists that year. Bryant led the league in scoring twice and currently holds the title of the Lakers All-Time Leading Scorer. Kobe also was also elected on the All-Defensive First Team an astonishing nine times throughout his 20 year career. When his career came to an end in 2016, he won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film called Dear Basketball. [Much of the NBA community is still searching for ways to cope with this monumental loss not only to the basketball society but to all the young kids who look up to him as well. Lebron James, who plays for Bryant’s former team, was caught crying walking into the practice facility, according to CNN. James had recently passed Kobe on the All-Time Scoring List two days prior to his death. Lebron also told the press, “‘He has zero flaws offensively, zero’ James said. ‘You backed off of him, he could shoot the three. You body him up a little bit, he can go around you. He could shoot the mid-range. He could post. He could make free throws. That’s something I admired as well, just being at a point where the defense would always be at bay where they couldn’t guard you at all, where you just felt you were immortal offensively because of your skillset and your work ethic.’ Jay Williams, another former NBA player who played during the same time Kobe did, was emotional in an interview with SportsCenter.] By: Jack Stewart
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, who is the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is also the national apostle of Ireland, and was born in Roman Britain, where he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. St. Pattys Day is one to commemorate the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. We also celebrate St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the contribution of Irish immigrants and their culture. Celebrations concentrate on Irish themed parties, drinks and food. Many people get into the spirit by dressing in green clothing and eating green colored food. Irish clubs and pubs often hold parties or have special deals on drinks and food. The main dish for most people on St. Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. It's popular for people to eat green vegetables like broccoli and brussel sprouts. Some go out and watch St. Patrick’s Day parades before they go home to feast. Some traditional decorations for St. Patricks day are clovers, top hats, and green and gold bead necklaces. Watch out for leprechauns stealing your gold on St. Pattys day! |