Saying goodbye to “the good life”

By Emily Krupicka and Emelia Richling

Clara Krabbe

For international students studying abroad in America, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted a sense of normalcy and routine. At Northwest, foreign exchange students were asked to return home with very little time to prepare. Senior Clara Krabbe, a foreign exchange student from Denmark, has felt the repercussions of this.

“Things have changed faster than I ever could have imagined. I never thought that this would happen on such a large scale,” Krabbe said.

In the beginning stages of the pandemic, each exchange student was given the opportunity to continue their learning in the United States or return to their home country; however, soon after, students received an email that prompted them to go back home immediately.

“When I learned that I had to leave, I definitely didn’t see it coming; I was very shocked,” Krabbe said.

Although Krabbe’s departure seemed unexpected to many, the unprecedented news was especially surprising for her host family.

“When we got the news about her going home early, we were heartbroken for sure,” said Sophomore Alexis Julesgard, a member of Krabbe’s host family. “The day that she left was so hard for me; it was like I was losing a sister.”

During her stay in America, although cut short, Krabbe made fond memories in Nebraska. Immersing herself in the culture and meeting new people were among the top highlights from her stay.

As Krabbe adjusts to life back in Denmark, she has hopes of returning to America to visit when the pandemic has eased.

Giacomo Sarra

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, Giacomo Sarra, a foreign exchange student from Italy, had a lot of plans for the remainder of his time at Northwest. Besides receiving his diploma, Sarra was also looking forward to a great soccer season. During this past year, he has been heavily involved in sports, playing football and working as a basketball manager in addition to participating in soccer.

However, when the news broke that schools would be closing, Sarra’s time in America was cut short. The exchange agency informed their students that they would have to return to their respective countries immediately.

“I felt sad about it because I had a lot of plans for the remainder of the experience,” Sarra added.

Not only would Sarra be unable to walk across the stage at graduation, but he would also be unable to play soccer, hang out with his friends and complete the rest of his experience as a typical American teen.

However, Sarra wasn’t the only person who was disappointed that he would have to leave America. Johnny Bangs, a junior, has been a friend of Sarra’s since he came to the United States.

“I was shocked that he had to go back to Italy early, especially when COVID-19 was pretty bad [there],” Bangs said, referring to the fact that Sarra had to leave the United States a little over a month ago when Italy’s numbers were the highest in the world.

Bangs also added that he will miss Sarra and the many memories they have had together, including watching sports events, like the Super Bowl.

“I wish I could tell him that we miss him and hope he can visit soon,” Bangs concluded.

However, now that Sarra is back in Italy, a return date to America is indefinite and improbable in the near future as COVID-19 continues to stall travel. In the meantime, Sarra has been catching up on school work and spending time with his family. Although he was a senior in the United States, he still has one year left of Italian high school.

Once his high school years are behind him, though, Sarra plans to return to the United States.

“I would like to attend college in the U.S. because I like the American culture, and I’ll have the possibility to play soccer at a higher level,” Sarra said.

Even though his time in America was cut short, Sarra has not been deterred about returning to the United States. He hopes that he will be able to come back to America soon and continue creating memories and building friendships.

*Photos Courtesy of Clara Krabbe and Giacomo Sarra

Toilet paper shoppers are on a roll but students shouldn’t be

By: Emelia Richling

Within the last few weeks, our lives have changed considerably. New challenges have arisen as our coveted two-ply toilet paper disappears from the shelves and quarantine restrictions are enforced upon us. As difficult as these measures are, it is important that we continue to follow them.

Going out with friends and leaving our houses for nonessential activities are luxuries that we will have to sacrifice in order to stay safe. Although there are exceptions to the quarantine measures, such as working or shopping, many students shouldn’t be leaving the house. In order to protect ourselves and others, it is essential that we understand how important staying at home really is.

However, sometimes the pressure of a situation can seem far away, distant and unlikely to pertain to us. Even though this situation is an awful reality, the nonchalant attitudes many people are demonstrating proves that we think this situation is too far away to bother us. Despite this mentality, this disease is hitting close to home, as awful as it is to have to say that.

A local article published by the Grand Island Independent on April 28 shows how our community’s response to COVID-19 is lacking in terms of people following the orders, wearing masks and staying home. Danny Lemos, a Grand Island man who had a successful fight with the disease, stresses the importance of following guidelines.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take for this town to realize that they have to quit going out,” Lemos said. “People need to stay home and stay inside and get this under control.”

Lemos isn’t the only person who is stressing the importance of staying at home. In order for the medical community to emphasize the importance of flattening the curve, the Mayo Clinic published an article on April 6, detailing how staying home is one of the most effective steps to protect yourself, those you care about and the stranger who is six feet away from you.

In the article, Dr. Nipunie Rajapkse, an infectious disease expert, stated that it is difficult to give a defined endpoint for when the restrictions will be lifted, but quarantining and other preventive measures are essential to contain the spread of the disease.

“The things we are asking people to do are not easy,” Rajapske states. “They are definitely disruptive, they’re definitely challenging, but they do have evidence to show that they work when implemented broadly, widely and followed by everyone.”

Until these measures are lifted, students need to stay home. Hanging out with friends is a luxury that we may have to give up but only temporarily. Sacrificing in the short term will make for a better long term. If people choose to properly follow the guidelines, they will be lifted sooner. Simply put, we have to stay home to stay safe.

However, for those who do have to leave their home for essential activities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided helpful guidelines for leaving the house, including choosing to wear a mask and avoiding even small gatherings. They also discussed how to properly practice social distancing, advising people to stay “about 2 arms’ length” from other people.

Exchanging in-person contact for digital contact is difficult, staying home all day is not always fun and switching from two-ply toilet paper to one-ply is a challenge that we will have to undertake if we want to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible.

*Photo Obtained from KTIV Television

In the news

By Mackenzie Vogt

On April 24, Bosselman Enterprises gave out free ethanol-based sanitizers to the businesses in the Grand Island community. They had 450 containers of both 1 and 2.5 gallons. By 9:30 a.m. they were gone.

Hall County has 15 times more coronavirus cases than the rest of Nebraska, as of Monday, April 27. Hall County now has a total of 876 cases and 20 deaths.

Annevar, a local festival held in Ravenna, has cancelled the event. This is the first time that has happened since WWII. Highlights of this five-day event would have included rides, parades and tractor pulls.

NebraskaLand National Bank launched a new website to thank frontline workers. They’ve invited the community to post stories and pictures about people in their community that have helped during the coronavirus to help spread awareness.

The Congressional Budget Office says that due to coronavirus aid, the recession will likely reach $3.7 trillion in debt this year.

President Trump has allowed governors to decide when to reopen their states. Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia planned to lift restrictions in April, despite the hesitancy Trump and other officials are showing.

Who would have thought senior skip day would last this long?

By: Mackenzie Vogt

On March 15, Northwest joined the surrounding districts in cancelling school for at least that coming week. Now a month later, it is known that students will not be returning to the normal definition of school. This is impacting the college admission requirements that seniors would normally be subjected to.

From changing due dates to scheduling virtual admitted student days, needless to say, high school seniors this year will have a different experience from seniors in the past. Lori Merritt, one of the counselors, confirms that fact.

“Usually, our office would be busy with seniors asking questions and getting clarification on how to submit things. Seniors need to be advocating for themselves and asking for help, even though things aren’t normal right now.”

Many colleges, though, are doing their best to work around these circumstances. The University of Nebraska, which includes Lincoln, Kearney and Omaha, has announced they will be offering free tuition to in-state undergraduate students with families making less than $60,000. Most other colleges are allowing high school seniors to make the decision to use either their seventh semester or current GPA.

Also, class ranking, ACT and SAT requirements are being waved at most colleges. Many have also decided to extend the due dates of applying for admission, submitting housing contracts and extending the acceptance of admission. Most colleges have even started to move orientation and tours online.

“Every college that I have been in contact with has been extremely lenient working with kids,” Merritt said. “As long as a student receives credit in the classes they are in they aren’t worried about the grade since most schools have gone to a pass/fail system. If a student doesn’t have an ACT, which is rare, many are allowing admission based on GPA and their school records.”

One of the bigger things to consider is the difference between low-income and high-income students. The closure of schools and beginnings of quarantines eliminates support systems. Students who might have been relying on their parents’ income or even their own to help pay for college may no longer have that luxury. Students will miss out on the support systems that high schools offer, such as teachers and counselors.

If any students have questions about college or school in general, they are encouraged to talk to the admission directors at their desired college or contact either Lori Merritt or Andrew Manhart. Counselors also want to emphasize the importance of students checking their emails for updates and information.

*Photo Obtained from the San Diego Community College District

A possible silver lining?

By: Mackenzie Vogt

The year 2020 began with the continuation of the Australian wildfires, the threat of WWIII and the release of pandemic: the coronavirus. As new statistics about this pandemic appear each day, the coronavirus is also seen impacting the environment.

Most of what the media is calling “improvement to the environment” is due to the decrease of carbon emission. China was the first nation to have a case of the coronavirus, so their quarantine restrictions began first. Since then, there has been an estimated reduction of 250 million tons of carbon emission in China, according to Benjamin Storrow in an article in Scientific America. As an extension to that, Martha Henriques in a BBC article says that the air quality in China was up 11.4 percent. Christopher McFadelen also supports this in Interesting Engineering by saying the pollution of air in China has dropped 10-30 percent.

There have also been other notable countries and areas that have experienced similar improvements. The pollution in New York City has gone down by 50 percent. Henriques highlights that a related cause could be that traffic is down, and McFadelen also supports this by saying transportation counts for 23 percent of global emission. In addition, McFadelen also talks about how the waters of Venice have never been clearer. Fish can now be seen. This is due to the grounding of water boats.

All these impacts of course are not due to the coronavirus directly but indirectly. The impacts are due to self-quarantines and travel restrictions that haven’t been this extensive since WWII. The restrictions that are in place to reduce the spread of disease are also impacting industries that can be linked to carbon emissions. Industries that have been impacted and also have an effect on carbon emissions are airports and the gasoline industry.

Experts at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research are also discussing the lasting impact that the pandemic will make on the future. They predict that carbon emission will go down a projected .3 percent globally. To put that in perspective, Storrow talks about how during the Great Recession (2008-2009), emission went down 1.3 percent due to the economy. After the economy restored itself, though, emissions then rose to 5 percent.

Carbon emission could bounce back after normalcy returns to daily lives. The when of that will help determine the impact on the environment, but also some believe that behavioral changes could happen. Behavioral changes occur when an outside force changes the way one lives their day-to-day life. So, due to the coronavirus, new daily routines may form, and even after the new routine isn’t necessary, it may stick.

For now though, the improvements to the environment may be a little bit of good in the bad.

*Photo Obtained from BBC

Trinity’s top five: Social media

By: Trinity Sossong

Social media has saved many people’s social lives during this time of quarantine. From Instagram to Snapchat, people use many different apps to stay in touch with their friends and family, since they can’t see each other for the time being. Although staying inside can be boring, social media has the advantage of passing time, too. Here is a list of my top five favorite social media apps and why I rate them as I do.

Snapchat, ranking at number five, is one of the most popular apps on the app store. Snapchat includes all aspects of keeping in touch with friends and family, such as being able to send pictures and videos, texting, video chatting and calling, playing games with friends and it even includes Photomath (an app that helps with solving math problems) in the filters section. Although most social media apps allow you to do these things, Snapchat does a good job of compressing everything into one simple software. If you’re looking for a simple app to keep in touch with friends and family, I recommend Snapchat.

Instagram, ranking at number four, is one of the best ways to update people on how your life is going. Simply, Instagram allows you to post pictures to your account, allowing people that follow you to see, like and comment on your picture. Along with this, there is a “safari” side of Instagram that gathers information on posts you like and draws similar posts to one main page. Along with posting pictures, you can contact friends and family through text messaging, video chatting and calling and sharing posts you like.

YouTube, ranking at number three, is popular for one main reason: entertainment. Passing time is easy with YouTube since you’re able to watch videos based on your interests and likings. Along with this, it is also easy to start an online life and make a YouTube account, allowing you to post videos you make and share your interests with the world. YouTube is one of the most popular videos-watching apps. Passing time is simply easy with YouTube.

Messenger, ranking at number two, is one of the most popular communication apps. Messenger is made purely for communication, although it is technically part of Facebook. With Messenger, you can call, video chat, message, play games with friends and post to your story. If you have WiFi, Messenger is one of the best forms of communication out there.

TikTok, ranking at number one, is my favorite social media app. With TikTok, you can view short, creative videos made by the TikTik population. Along with this, you can create your own account and make short videos to post to the public or keep private. You can gain followers and likes and save certain videos. Passing time with TikTok is easy.

Social media is one of the most popular things out there, and it makes communicating much easier than it used to be. With the apps I stated above, communicating with friends and passing time is made easy.

*Photo by Haili Luevano

Mrs. Coe: A bittersweet departure

By: Mackenzie Vogt

As the end of the 2019-2020 school year approaches, an essential figure to Northwest’s music department, Cindy Coe, has also decided to close a chapter. Coe has made the decision to retire at the end of this school year.

Having been at Northwest for over 20 years, she held various job titles. Her love for music began at a young age with piano lessons in the third grade and continues to this day.

“What don’t I like about music? I mean I turn the radio on in the morning and listen to the same things that you guys listen to on the way over here,” Coe said.

Coe’s career at Northwest started as an hourly job as an accompanist. That eventually turned into the two contracts she now has: one as a music teacher and the other to accompany the choir on the piano.

Jeff Vyhlidal, the current vocal music teacher who co-teaches with Coe, recalls how she has been an essential part of his welcome here. Coe has been a great team member to Vyhiladal, as this was his first year at Northwest

“[She has] really helped me gain an insight to how things have worked here in the past,” Vyhlidal said. “It helps me in deciding what to do moving forward.”

Coe’s presence also reaches out to touch the lives of her students as well. Junior Rylie McNelis, a student of Coe’s, elaborates on that fact.

“I’m gonna miss Mrs. Coe a lot, but I think that it’s good for her. She’s just a great person, and I’m excited to see where the Lord leads her.”

Coe explained that retirement was an unexpected decision, but ended up being something she wanted. With her husband also retiring at the end of the year, she’s looking most forward to having a less busy schedule. Coe also talked about the mixed emotions she had when announcing her retirement to her students.

“When I first told the kids it was hard, and I don’t know why it just kind of hit me,” Coe said. “I was excited to tell them, and I was happy about it, and then the tears started falling. There were both sides.”

Coe wanted to end on the note that she isn’t retiring due to any animosity towards the new changes to Northwest this past year. She also wanted to tell Vikings to “be good people. I think we should try to do our best, always.”

*Photo Courtesy of Tally Creative

Looking at COVID-19 through a different outlook

By: Gabriel Lorenzo

Today, we all have to stay at home and follow what the authorities say when it comes to practicing simple steps to defeat a big virus. As the outbreak continues to impact more and more communities, that hasn’t stopped them from giving and receiving hope amidst what is going on. Despite hearing those big numbers of cases in our county, state, country and even the world, there are people who are doing acts of kindness, making a greater impact on others. Being positive during these harsh times will light in us hope at the end of the tunnel.

There have been good things that happened because we have to isolate ourselves. The first is school standardized testing. On April 7, many students across the state were going to take standardized tests. The freshmen don’t have to take MAPS testing. Sophomores and juniors don’t have to take the ACT.

The second is being with family. Family is something that should be valued, but sometimes we think there is no importance in spending time with them. As many families have to stay in their homes, family relationships are positively impacted by spending time together.

The third good thing is the reduction of air pollution. There are graphs that show how big of a change has happened over China and Italy, including some cities in the United States like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Atlanta.

There are many positive results, and people are also giving that same positivity to others. Many communities are starting to spread love. Some neighborhoods are coming together with teddy bears in windows, music, Christmas lights and birthday celebrations. Local photographers are offering family portraits free of charge to show life during these difficult times.

Another point that is good to mention is generosity. People have been generous with their time spent with family, friends and the community. Also, many celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Taylor Swift have donated money and created fundraisers to help facilitate tests and a cure.

When we experience tough times, each one of us has to contribute in order to work together. We can be thankful for the people that are at the front of the battle, like doctors, nurses, farmers, employers and many more making a big contribution to mankind. Working together will enable us to help others with kindness that will make a greater impact to every one of us.

The oh-so awesome nerves of quarantine

By: Hailie Melton

Recently a poll was sent out asking students “Who is getting on your nerves the most?” during this historical quarantine. The options given were pets, parents, friends, teachers, significant others, siblings and other.

The poll was sent out April 17 and closed April 24. Out of 54 responses, most people said that their siblings were the ones bothering them the most because they know how to push each other’s buttons a little too well (Sophomore Kathleen Spiehs).

The runner-up option was other. Senior Alex Levering said he’s getting too much schoolwork, which doesn’t help when working full-time. Senior Dominic Luevano explained that Cody from the gym is charging him when he hasn’t been there in over a month, and he wants to “throw hands.”

In third place was parents. Freshman Autumn Graczyk said she is an only child, so she is stuck with her parents 24/7.

However, the least picked option, friends, may be the funniest. Senior Skylar Ruhe said her friends are “acting like the world is ending.”

Overall, this time in history is very stressful, but it will pass, and we will survive it together because Vikings row together.