When in quarantine, make a mask

By: Mackenzie Vogt

The year 2020 has forced our hands into what is to be this year’s new fashion fad: masks. With the continuing of the coronavirus, people around the world are trying to do their part by preventing the spread.

Mask wearing has become more common and almost a social obligation. Some of our local stores, such as Walmarts, are displaying signs encouraging customers to wear masks. Menards took it a step further and won’t allow anyone inside who isn’t wearing a mask. So with this new essential clothing item, the next question becomes what type to wear.

N95 respirators and surgical masks are best left for healthcare providers, whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the general public use cloth masks. Masks can be found online, in stores and perhaps most commonly from everyday items at home.

My family and I have made masks that are from the latter. My grandma, Evelyn Alvarado, first started making masks when schools and businesses shut down. She then made videos and sent them to my mom, Carmen Vogt, on how to make them. Vogt then Googled, Pinterested and YouTubed different ideas and strategies.

“The ones that I’ve made are pleated with the elastic,” Vogt said. “It’s hard to find the elastic right now so you can also use fabric as a tie. Sometimes the elastic bothers people anyways.”

Other tips and tricks that Vogt and Alvarado have found are that you can add a wire or a pipe cleaner around the nose so that the mask will stay in place. If you can’t find elastic, the ties can be made from ribbon or hair ties. Vogt also commented that the best material, as far as protection goes, is 100 percent cotton. This is due to the way the fabric is made. Its strands are tight together, a fact that the CDC confirms.

Senior Emma Smidt, an employee at Country House, an assisted living facility, talks about the possibility of mask-wearing becoming a fad.

“I‘ve already seen it happen at work and at the store with different materials. There are also different patterns. People have solid colors or stripes or flowers and also different styles of masks.”

If interested in making your own mask, the CDC has three different options to choose from on their website. They each depend on skill level as well as the materials you already have.

So as the end of quarantine approaches, and you begin re-entering society, will it be with or without your personalized mask?

*Photo by Mackenzie Vogt

The soundtrack of social distancing

By: Hailie Melton

From family-made bands in North Carolina to virtual reality and live-streamed concerts, we are still dancing to the beat of the music as this quarantine marches on. According to NPR, in their article “From The Urgent To The Absurd, Musicians Take On The Coronavirus Through Song,” there are many more tunes about quarantine than you might originally think.

NPR explains how on March 15, around the same time many cities ordered their citizens to stay at home, Detroit Rapper Gmac Cash released a song called “Coronavirus.” Cash raps on how if you cough or sneeze, he doesn’t want to be around you. His sweetest line may be “Make sure you wash your hands with lots of love.” Cash also released other coronavirus songs, such as “At Home,” “15 Days of Quarantine” and “Stimulus Check.”

While Cash’s songs are centered around fun, not every musical artist writing quarantine tracks is like that. Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie released a batch of gloomy tracks called “Life in Quarantine.” Even though Gibbard released some not-so-happy tracks, he has been live-streaming and raising money to donate to health and relief organizations to help stop the coronavirus. All of the money that is raised, plus the proceeds from “Life in Quarantine,” is given to non-profit organizations in Seattle, like Aurora Commons, an area relief group.

The inspiration that fuels musicians is different depending on the artist. According to The New Yorker, artists like A$AP Ferg have been listening to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem, while Gibbard has been listening to a lot of “Stars of The Lid” and says he is “head over heels in love with Eluvium’s new record ‘Virga I.’”

Overall, the music industry is still glowing bright, even in this lonely and dark time of quarantine. Like Gmac Cash says, “Make sure you wash your hands with lots of love,” and stay safe.

*Photo Obtained from MEL Magazine

Man’s best friend, COVID-19’s newest target

By: Haili Luevano

With the ongoing pandemic affecting people all across the globe, news of how COVID-19 is affecting pets and their owners has gone widely unnoticed.

“You hear conflicting stories,” said Kaci Schacht, a local farmer. “One moment they say dogs can contract and be affected by the virus and the next they’re saying that they’re safe from it. But I have also heard that dogs can carry the virus on their fur, but that’s only if they are exposed to someone who has the virus.”

While it’s true that animal cases are few and far between, especially in regards to their human counterparts, there are still ways that the coronavirus can make life difficult for pet owners and their companions.

In the past two decades, coronaviruses have caused two major pandemics: SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome. Scientists of the World Health Organization (WHO) previously thought that another outbreak could only be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARSr-CoV), which is mainly found in bats.

It’s also speculated that COVID-19 originated from Chinese horseshoe bats in one of Wuhan’s many food markets. The closest confirmation of this data was given by WHO Spokeswoman Fadela Chaib on April 21, stating, “It is probable, likely, that the virus is of animal origin.”

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is able to affect animals by binding to a cell surface protein known as ACE2, thus injecting itself into the cells. This protein is found in many animal species. As of April 22, it was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that SARS-CoV-2 had found its way into two pet cats. This marked the first pets to test positive for the coronavirus in the United States.

The pandemic could also pose problems for more exotic species, especially those who are flagged as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Already, a 4-year-old tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 5.

“I think [COVID-19] might actually help [endangered species] right now,” Schacht said. “Due to the fact that travel is restricted and people aren’t allowed into different areas, [this] helps restrict access to them.”

While opinions on the matter may differ, the fact still stands that the current pandemic isn’t just affecting pet owners, but their pets and other animals as well. The first confirmed pet cases in the U.S. might have been two cats, but Hong Kong’s first pet case was a dog.

The Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department reported that a pet dog who had previously been in contact with a person infected with the coronavirus tested “weakly positive” on February 28, through samples taken from the nose and mouth.

“People don’t think about it, but animals are a big part of life and the economy,” said Bibiana Luevano, a local pet owner. “Police dogs. Service dogs. Military dogs. If service dogs are affected, then how will people be affected? The dog food business is a huge market.”

While COVID-19 has seemingly expanded its sphere of influence, the next logical step is to find a vaccine for both humans and animals.

“I know that even though this virus is new to humans, it’s not new to certain animals,” Schacht said. “For instance, cattle actually have some strand [of coronavirus] and they have a vaccine … but it is not safe for human injection.”

A statement released by Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that developing, testing and approving a vaccine for humans could take 12-18 months, though most new vaccines usually take years to approve and release to the public. In the meantime, pet owners must use their own methods to protect their animals.

Much of the same safety measures that people use for themselves can also be applied to pets. With the recent closing of parks, there’s less places to socialize or walk your animals, encouraging people to keep them at home. Make sure to carefully monitor their behavior and take them to the vet if they get sick.

“Wash your hands,” Luevano instructed, sharing the precautions she takes with her own pets. “Clean their bowls, and avoid sneezing or coughing near them. Keep an eye out on their behavior. Sometimes it’s easy to spot when animals are feeling under the weather.”

Kaylee Cellar, an English teacher at GISH, offered the same advice, stating that she has taken to isolating her own animals at home and keeping them six feet away from other animals.

Ensuring that your pet is happy and healthy is simply one more weight off of your shoulders. Animals are still susceptible to disease, so it’s better to make sure that they truly have nothing to fear from COVID-19.

“Animals are important,” said Pamela Robledo, a local pet owner. “They are family as well.”

Toss your dog their favorite toy, feed your bird some fruit, redecorate your fish tank or simply cuddle with your cat. Quarantine may be boring at times, but with a safe and healthy animal at your side, at least it won’t be lonely.

*Photo by Haili Luevano

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

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

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.

COVID-19 makes both hashtags and headlines

 

By: Haili Luevano

In recent months, COVID-19 has not only affected 500,000+ people in the U.S., as of April 12, 2020 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but has also spread across the news and social media.

With quarantine allowing more time for media, news networks have received a rapid increase in attention, as well as various other media platforms. 

“The most influential social media platforms at this time are Facebook, Instagram and TikTok,” said Eli Flodman, a junior from GISH. “With so much free time, one always has to scroll through their phone.”

Most apps and websites offer a complementary warning about COVID-19 when you first log in or open the site, such as TikTok and lesser-known forums such as Sufficient Velocity and SpaceBattles. Pinterest even restricted the search of ‘Coronavirus memes’ in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation and instead replaced all results with posts about how to effectively wash your hands and prevent the growth of the virus.

Even with these restrictions, people are still finding time to make light of the situation in humorous ways. A quick scroll through Tumblr shows the many memes being posted about the coronavirus. The same can be said for TikTok and other YouTube channels that upload content pertaining to the pandemic. 

In addition, the majority of ads of YouTube have been overtaken by various celebrities declaring their support for quarantine and urging others to stay home to lessen the spread of the pandemic. The hashtag #withme has also increased by 600 percent since March 15, according to YouTube. Videos with titles such as “work at home,” “craft with me” and “cook with me” have received an ever-growing amount of views.

“I’ll admit, a few of [the jokes] are kinda funny,” said Autumn Graczyk, a sophomore. “But we could probably stand to dial down the amount of them. I understand that some people cope with situations through humor, but I think the humor should be respectful because for some people this situation is absolutely terrifying.”

Contrasting this, news channels are providing real-time, hard facts over COVID-19. Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN, referred to as the “Big Three,” continue to cover this topic the most. They tell of the rapidly-climbing number of cases, as well as the face mask shortage that hospitals and clinics are trying desperately to solve. 

With the mix of content being distributed to the public, it’s easy to confuse humor with horror. 

“I’ve seen some news articles saying how hospitals are needing supplies,” said Beau Studley, art teacher. “Other people are saying everything’s okay and we’re going to be over this in a couple weeks … No one’s really sure how to take it.”

While jokes may help alleviate the tension and help pass the time under the restrictions of quarantine, it’s important to remember that while the threat of COVID-19 is avoidable, it’s still dangerous.

Whether you pass your time watching the news, scrolling through social media posts or doing something else, remember to keep a safe distance from others and take the necessary precautions to keep the community as healthy and safe as possible.

*Photo by Haili Luevano