Just the Guys by Merrick Mangan |
Bravery and Honor in Their Service by Saagar Dogra |
Just the Guys may sound familiar. It was a male choir group that captivated the Jenkintown community with their melodic, angelic, and masculine voices for years - until they vanished. They have been gone for a few years… until now. Well, technically last year. Some male Choir members decided to reboot the once-forgotten choral group last year. It started small, but the vocal group slowly grew from an idea that five boys had into what will officially become a class next school year. The boys cover whatever songs they want- so far, they have covered:
Be sure to catch them at their next performance! Member list: Lucas Pacuraru James Martin Josh Slade Merrick Mangan Zachary Pacuraru Aden Dubin Daniel Gifford Jordan Dill Sullivan Blake Dominic Giammanco Chris Higham Steele Stevens Ernesto José Garcia Serrano Trump vs Greta Thunberg at Davos on the Environment- Saagar Dogra
The World Economic Forum's 50th Annual Meeting was held from January 21 to 24, 2020 in Davos, Switzerland. There was an anticipation of the continued showdown between President Donald Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg, as experienced in the last Forum.
The theme of this year’s economic forum was how to deal with the rampant threats of increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels, and calamitous, out of control wildfires. Many participants of the Forum were waiting in anticipation of how both adversaries would react to each other this year. They were not disappointed. While neither President Trump or Greta Thunberg spoke directly to each other, each message was diametrically opposed and targeted at the other. President Trump spoke against activists like those who “peddled warnings of doom”, stating “they are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers” while his policies “ushered in a bright new era of economic prosperity for Americans”. President Trump stated he is “committed to a World Economic Forum initiative to plant a trillion new trees as a way to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions” to reduce air pollution. With sharp acerbic contrast, Greta Thunberg clapped back at President Trump by declaring, “our house is currently on fire … our house is still on fire … your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour. We are not telling you to offset your emissions by just paying someone else to plant trees in places like Africa, while at the same time forests as the Amazon are being slaughtered at an infinitely higher rate. Planting trees is good of course, but it’s nowhere near enough of what is needed, and it cannot replace real mitigation or rewilding nature.” There is a real sense of urgency, increasingly felt by many like Greta Thunberg who suggest the US needs to recommit to entering back into the Paris Climate Accords along with taking tangible steps that significantly reduce the dangers and impact of climate change. Sources: “Our house is on fire': Greta Thunberg, 16, urges leaders to act on climate”. (Author Unknown) The Guardian. January 25, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/25/our-house-is-on-fire-greta-thunberg16-urges-leaders-to-act-on-climate Landler, Mark and Somini Sengupta. “Trump and the Teenager: A Climate Showdown at Davos.” The New York Times. January 21, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/climate/greta-thunberg-trump-davos.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3qbXSf93bc Color Day- Rachel DanilakColor Day is a defining part of our school's culture. Local media outlets, Jenkintown newcomers and surrounding towns are bewildered by the idea. But for us, it is normal. The cheating rumors from both sides, the hard to ignore parade, it is even mentioned in our alma mater. So why exactly is Color Day such a big deal? How is it that one bizarre day has shaped the Jenkintown environment for generations?
I spoke with Kaitlyn McMahon who proudly calls herself, “the most passionate red you have ever met.” Kaitlyn said that she feels proud of her color, especially because her whole family is Red, which means they all can enjoy the day together. She also mentioned that Color Day adds to her school spirit and gives her a sense of J-Town pride. For fun I asked if she preferred cheering in the stands or doing her activity, and she said cheering in the stands, but excitedly added she loved doing the tug of war. Kaitlyn really does speak for the student body. She, like the rest of us, is enthusiastic and so happy to share her passions surrounding the day. But what about new students? Do we look like a bunch of crazy people holding our own little hunger games? I spoke to an anonymous Blue, someone who just came to the school last year. With one Color Day under their belt, they said it was fun to be competitive and they do like the event. However they also noted they thought we were joking about how serious we took colors. I am sure it was a bit of a shock. Color Day also extends beyond the students. Staff participate (though they are their own purple section) and even parents get into it. A new program called the Alumni-Parent Color Night has been added for 2020. This is a fun and competitive night for parents and alumni to have their own mini color day style event. There's food, drinks and some hard-core events planned. All parents are invited, and encouraged, to attend. The cost for on-lookers is free, just bring your pom-poms and whistles! If you would like to be on a team, it will cost you $35, with all benefits going towards the Jenkintown Education Foundation. This is a great opportunity, and just goes to show how deep our Color Day roots run! So, have I uncovered the mystery of Color Day? Maybe not, but that is all okay. This day brings us together as a community and without it, Jenkintown would not be Jenkintown. MOck Trial- Matthew VisomirskiAnother Jenkintown Mock Trial season has come and gone, and before you lose interest in this article, let me just say that it was a historic season for this school. For the first time ever, the Jenkintown B-Team qualified for the Montgomery County Playoffs, and deservingly so. The season started for both the A- and B-Teams at the beginning of November, when the PA Bar Association released this year’s case. The case, the basis for all ensuing competitions, proved to be interesting, as it focused on both the damaging effects of cyberbullying and a school’s role in preventing these effects. So, with facts in their hands and determination in their minds, each team set out to create a case that would convince any number of people that their side was right and that the other was wrong. The main goal was to tie all the facts of the case into one overarching case theme, one that would stick with the minds of the jurors when they were determining the winner of each competition. Through November and December, each team prepared their cases, hoping to do well in January at the La Salle University Blue and Gold Invitational, the first real test of their cases. Not only did the tournament include some of the best Mock Trial teams in the area, it included some of the best teams in the state, making it such an important competition for teams like Jenkintown. This year, La Salle proved to be a valuable learning experience for both teams, as neither team performed as they would’ve liked, although during the awards ceremony, Theo Kinglsey was honored as one of the tournament’s best attorneys. With La Salle past, both teams sought to mend their cases to make them better for the preliminary rounds for the district. After the first preliminary round, both the A- and B- teams won their trial, putting them both in a position to qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, the A-team was unable to win their second trial. However, the B-team managed to win their second matchup handily, winning all three jury ballots, so that they could advance on to the Montgomery County Playoffs. This marked the first time that the Jenkintown B-team ever made it to the playoffs, as it’s normally comprised of the younger, more inexperienced Mock Trialers. However, this didn’t stop this group, as they overcame this to be one of the top 8 teams in the county. While they lost their playoff trial, Mr. Hamilton (the Mock Trial Faculty Advisor) said that they put together their best trial of the season, helping to cap a terrific mock trial season for the Jenkintown B-team and highlighting that the future is looking bright for Jenkintown Mock Trial. So...What exactly is Mock Trial? Well, I’m glad you asked. Really, the answer can be found in its name. Basically, two Mock Trial teams put on a trial, in a courtroom and everything. But, get this, the trial isn’t actually real - it’s mocking(or simulating) what actual attorneys and witnesses would do in an actual court case. Each team competing in a trial is comprised of 6 members - 3 attorneys and 3 witnesses. And, since there are two sides to a case (defense and plaintiff/prosecution), there are two “subteams” that comprise one larger Mock Trial team, one that advocates on behalf of the defense and one for the plaintiff/prosecution. Nonetheless, they act as a team as a whole, and so the Jenkintown defense wants the Jenkintown plaintiff to do well. So, when the case is released, roles are divided amongst the team members. Then, when competitions happen, there is generally a judge to preside over the trial, three jurors who score the trial on their ballots, and a timekeeper to ensure that teams stay within the allotted time granted by Mock Trial rules. Winners are determined based on the jurors’ scores (unlike an actual trial, a team does not need a unanimous decision from the jurors, just a majority). The Effect of the Coronavirus and Presidential Malfeasance on the Stock Market- Saagar Dogra
“With great power comes great responsibility.” That prophetic quote from one of my favorite Spiderman movies resonated with me when I have watched the roller coaster ride of a volatile, uncertain economy and stock market in response to what some see as confusing guidance and mixed messaging from the Trump administration.
Moreover, financial fallout over large swathes of the economy is being felt as the spread of coronavirus has brought the need to close malls, restaurants, bars/pubs, schools and universities, resorts, casinos, and many large populated events to prevent the “community spread” of COVID-19. Companies like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and other e-commerce companies have been impacted by the shutdown on supply-chain services from China. Industries like tourism and travel, specifically, airlines and cruise lines are taking the brunt of a stagnating economy. Multiple people contracted the Coronavirus while on cruise ships which prompted the suspension of cruise lines from sailing, along with the quarantine of thousands of passengers of ships. President Trump has placed a travel ban on air travel from Europe into the US. Moreover, to stem the rise of community spread of the coronavirus, the Trump Administration is offering more stringent guidelines for people to limit domestic travel and stay home when possible. As quoted in Rachel Maddow’s blog, Jay Carney, a former Press Secretary from the Obama Administration, keenly noted, “In the previous (Obama) administration, we never boasted about the stock market because we knew two things: 1) The stock market is not the economy; and 2) If you claim the rise, you own the fall." After the stock market experienced several tumultuous rises and falls and a halting of trading; the daily briefings by President Trump have slowly changed in tone by projecting a greater gravitas and more focused messaging to increase public awareness, seemingly with the hope of reassuring a nervous economy while the US struggles towards a tenuous grasp on handling the Coronavirus. Sources: https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Effect+of+the+Coronavirus+on+the+Stock+Market+looking+at+companies+that+have+been+impacted+like+Alibaba&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS823US824&oq=The+Effect+of+the+Coronavirus+on+the+Stock+Market+looking+at+companies+that+have+been+impacted+like+Alibaba&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59j69i61.5183j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-coronavirus-could-mean-for-the-global-economy https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/02/18/stocks-apple-coronavirus/ https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-s-again-again-interest-stock-market-n1160261 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/travel/cruises-coronavirus.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/06/white-house-could-seek-timely-targeted-aid-us-industries-hurt-by-coronavirus-outbreak-top-adviser-says/ |
As a nation we have come together in different ways to deal with the fight against Covid-19. The extraordinary example of this are the doctors, nurses, and other first responders who put their lives on the line every day to help fight against this deadly virus. When seeing our front line responders, the words bravery and honor come to mind.
What causes the most fear for me is knowing that I have family members in the medical field who, like others in their profession, selflessly take on risks everyday to make sure their patients receive the best care possible in times where doctors and nurses do not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) available to make sure they are working in a safe environment when treating patients. One of the most gut wrenching sights was seeing nurses wearing trash bags over their scrubs because protective gowns, along with other PPE were in desperately short supply. The struggle doctors and nurses experienced because of the lack of PPE was one of the most infuriating experiences to witness. Doctors and nurses have to work long hours, taking care of patients’ physical ailments due to the coronavirus, but they also have to look after patients' emotional concerns. Patients are isolated because extreme cases of Covid-19 are isolated in the hospitals, so family members are prevented from visiting because the corona virus is so contagious and life threatening. Often doctors and nurses must provide emotional comfort and support to patients who are unable to see family members once they are quarantined in the hospital. The additional responsibility takes a toll on doctors and nurses. I recently had the opportunity to interview my aunt about her experience as a nurse through this challenging time. I truly appreciate my aunt taking the time out to answer my questions about her work with Covid-19 patients. For the sake of privacy, I am keeping my aunt’s name and where she works out of this article: Where do you work and what role do you have in the hospital? “I’m a part-time “hospitalist” in two hospitals in the Boston, MA area. That means I take care of patients with medical problems who have been admitted to the hospital, including COVID-19 patients. I usually work night shifts”. Do you come in direct contact with patients with covid19? How many patients have you seen with Covid19? “My hospital has taken care of hundreds of people with COVID-19. I haven’t counted exactly how many I’ve come face-to-face with during my shifts, but I was working at a time when most of the patients I was responsible for had COVID or suspected COVID.” Do you think that the number of people with Covid19 has decreased? “The numbers in the country are still going up every day. Here in Boston we think we may have just hit a peak in terms of hospitalizations and the numbers of COVID patients in the hospital are coming down. We have been able to discharge some people who were in the hospital for a long time. (In our hospital we play the song “here comes the sun” over the loudspeakers every time someone is successfully discharged, and people are very excited, because many of these patients have been sick in the hospital for weeks. You can see some of the parades that form when people finally leave the hospital on youtube, too.)” Are there enough tests and swabs available to test for covid19? “We have dealt with shortages of test kits, reagents, swabs, etc throughout, but the hospital keeps coming up with more. Sometimes we have had to wait several days for results; sometimes we have to send our tests to another hospital that still has reagents. But overall things seem to have stabilized now and we are able to get pretty quick test results.” What steps/procedures does the hospital have in place to keep doctors/nurses safe while dealing with Covid19 patients? What PPE (Protective Personal Equipment) is provided by the hospital? Is there enough protective gear for doctors and nurses? “We have had times when we have had to repeatedly wear the same PPE. In fact we are reusing our N-95 masks and they are stored and cleaned between shifts as part of an “extended use” program. At times we have been very short on disposable hospital gowns and had to reuse them. Right now I think we are pretty well supplied. On Covid floors and throughout the hospital people with direct patient contact have been using full body tyvek suits, face shields, and masks. There are still challenges, like shortages of shoe covers (which means you risk contaminating your suit when you put it on with your dirty shoes). We have also had to use various different forms of hand sanitizer and disinfectant solutions (spray bottles instead of wipes, for example). But most of the time there has been a solution that is acceptable, and people feel relatively well cared for at this time. We have also had a lot of help in the hospital from people who usually work outside of the hospital – some of our primary care doctors who work in our system have come to work on the inpatient side to help us out. Our specialists have also set up special systems so that they can help us with expert advice by phone or Ipad even when they are not coming into the hospital (so that they can avoid unnecessary exposure to the virus). We have been able to set up a lot of things by phone or computer”. Have you experienced challenges dealing with patients and family members dealing with trauma or separation due to viruses, especially when family members are unable to see patients with Covid-19? “I have not personally dealt with this, but many of my colleagues and some of my friends have. It is very challenging. We find ourselves having to have very difficult conversations over the phone. Patients also end up in the hospital without their phone chargers, which makes them even more isolated when their phones run out of battery, so it’s hard for their families to reach them. Our case managers in our hospitals have asked for donations of phone chargers for this reason.” Is there an experience of PTSD of dealing with so many patients with Covid-19? “I think the situation is very stressful and at times scary. Especially at the beginning it was frightening, and even now it is a lot to deal with. Nothing is business as usual, and every time I talk to someone on the phone (even to discuss patients, etc.), I make sure I check in and see how they are doing. I think it is too early to talk about PTSD because the problem is ongoing. But I do think that when things settle down we will strongly feel that we have been through a traumatic series of events, and it will be a lot to process. Even now it is not unusually for doctors and nurses (etc.) to have to take a minute to sit down and come to terms, or have a little cry with a colleague.” What methods do you use to decompress after dealing with patients? “One thing I try to do after a shift is sleep enough and make sure I have a little time to myself to do something mindless, like watch tv, where I don’t have to think too much. I also have found that I sometimes have to avoid hospital meetings (over Google hangouts) or debriefing sessions (about, say, new PPE policies) because they stress me out too much. I also have found other non-clinical work to do that is less stressful. For example I have been teaching medical students (over Zoom classes), and I organize an educational session for the entire hospitalist group at my hospital every week. I make sure that I check in with my friends, as well, but it is a little challenging because many of my friends are medical people who are going through the same stressful situation. I have a text-message group of friends from my residency training and we check in with each other frequently just to say hi how’s it going. Of course it’s also always important to be able to spend time with family in person and over the phone.” What has the hospital done to help doctors and nurses cope with the stress of dealing with so many patients with Covid-19? “My hospital has tried very hard to provide support services. We have regular “wellness” emails with suggestions about how to cope with the stress; our daily covid emails include boosting stories of appreciation about individual hospital workers and community members; we are regularly reminded that we have access to counseling if we need it. I myself have helped fundraise money for meals and snacks for our medical residents (who have been working really long hours) and others are organizing regular meals for the nursing staff. Many people are trying this way and that to keep the morale high. We also are all trying to be understanding with each other and give each other the benefit of the doubt when we are acting grumpy or stressed or angry.” Is there a concern of going back and forth from home to the hospital after dealing with Covid-19 patients? “There definitely is a concern. Some of my colleagues with really young kids have sent their children to live with other relatives for that reason. In my case, I try to avoid direct contact with people as much as possible at work (and of course I wear all the PPE available). I change clothes before leaving the hospital, and then when I get home I take everything off at the front entrance, wipe down all my belongings (including phone, for example), and immediately shower before I interact with anybody. Things that can’t be washed right away are left at the front door to decontaminate over time”. How has your local community shown appreciation of doctors/nurses being on the front line when dealing with Covid-19 patients? “I think a lot of people understand that we are all in this together, and that medical personnel are one group of people who have been working really hard to get through this. Personally, I am incredibly thankful to all the other essential workers including grocery store workers, drivers, delivery people, cleaners, etc. who continue to work and keep us going even as many of us try to find ways to work from home or minimize outside interactions.” I felt it's very important for people to know what medical professionals are experiencing, as a way to illustrate the continued necessity of social distancing and taking every precaution to avoid contracting the Corona virus. Although states are opening up again in varying degrees, the serious risk of coming in contact with Covid-19 is still there. Moreover, this was my way of showing my gratitude and continued appreciation to our front line responders. Sources: https://nypost.com/2020/04/02/nurses-at-nyc-hospital-receive-gowns-after-post-trash-bag-expose/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRRZiHjyWE8 Winter sports recap- anthony OttavianoAs winter comes to a close, so does the winter sports season. Many here at Jenkintown have put in a lot of hard work this past winter, so let’s take the time to celebrate their athletic achievements!
First, let’s begin with Basketball. Congratulations to the Girls Basketball Team for yet another District Title! With a roster including zero seniors, they are a perfect 29-0 on the season, and have made the quarterfinals of the state playoffs! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, their game with Nativity BVM has been postponed until further notice. The boys also improved their record by two wins after losing five seniors from the previous year. Next, in Track, we also had many great performances. Luke Miller, Olivia Spoerl, Carter Geer, Aiden Michell, and Alon Harris-Thompson each qualified for the Meet of Champions at Lehigh. At Lehigh, Luke Miller qualified for States in the Mile with a time of 4:28.97. Third, the Bowling Team also had a great season. Cynthia Klingensmith won the girls’ BAL Championship, being the first girl and second all-time League Champ for Jenkintown. James Martin, Mike Casey, Maggie Lynch, and Veronica Mafla also qualified for BALs. Lastly, for the middle school, both the boys and girls won the BAL Basketball Championships! All around, this past winter has been great for Jenkintown athletics. Let’s keep this momentum going into the spring season! 2020 JMHS Talent Show- Lulu PettitJHS’s 2020 Talent Show was full of amazing performers from the MS/HS student body and teachers alike.
The first section was middle school, opened up by the singing seventh grader Maya Williams, who perfectly stunned the audience with her voice in “Love Like You” from Steven Universe. Next was Natalie Munson playing “Pachelbel Canon” on the piano (spoiler alert: everyone loved it). Munson was followed by the talented Celia DeFazio singing/playing ukulele “I Go Crazy,” then Gigi Payne playing her violin. All four girls were incredible and clearly musically gifted. Third place went to Maya Williams, second was Natalie Munson, and for first -- we had a tie! Gigi Payne and Celia DeFazio tied for first, an award that they definitely both deserved. Then the high school portion began, which was equally impressive. The opener for high school was freshman Jackie Drozd (who you might recognize as one of the Gangsters in last fall’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone) singing an operatic song I can’t even begin to spell. She was insane and won herself third place. Next was Breah Sandre and Hannah Boyle, both sophomores, performing a hilarious scene from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew (which high schoolers know more commonly as the inspiration for the 90s rom-com classic 10 Things I Hate About You). After, sophomore Aden Dubin sang “Corduroy Dreams” while accompanying himself on guitar. Succeeding Aden Dubin was our first teacher performance! Mrs. Hackett read an original poem, which was absolutely amazing! After Mrs. Hackett, a trio of sisters, the Smith Sisters, sang “Helplessly Hoping” entirely a capella. They blew everyone away and tied with Drozd for third. Next Hannah Boyle performed a solo soliloquy from Hamlet, capturing all of us with her strong serious acting. Following Boyle, Jenkintown junior Marielle Zakrzwski sang the best “Suddenly Seymore” I’d ever heard, earning herself second place. After Zakrzwski our second participating teacher, Señor Detweiler played a recorder that he learned after getting a too-loud bagpipe (a story you should ask him for the rest of). Bella Smith then sang “People Help the People” on her own, which everyone adored. After, senior Cynthia Klingensmith blew everyone’s minds with her piano skills by playing a song by Rachmaninoff, winning first place. Just the Guys then sang an a capella version of “Uptown Girl” with Lucas Pacuraru singing lead. The final performance was Sophie Pettit who blew the house down with her rendition of Wonderland’s “The Mad Hatter.” After all of our incredibly talented performers, Sophie Pettit and James Gans, the comical emcees of the event, played a game with audience participants while the judges decided the winners. Pettit called up three volunteers -- Phineas Hackett, Ava Bartlett, and Chris Higham -- to compete against Gans in a relay. In the end, Gans lost and the three each won a ticket to JTA’s Almost, Maine. The judges weren’t prepared yet, so an impromptu stand-up comedy by none other than audience member Andrew Schiller began. He had told three jokes when the judges came back to announce the winners. The event wouldn’t have been possible without Lys Davidson, our commander-in-chief. The event was organized by Sophie Pettit, James Gans, Charlotte Steinhauer, and myself. Thank you to our judges: Dr. Maluk, Mrs. Hackett, Mrs. Tresnan, and Ms. Toye. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Jenkintown Theater Department and all of our performers. That’s a wrap on the JHS Talent Show 2020! |