Although the al-Aqsa Mosque has been attacked by Israeli forces before, the most recent round of attacks occurring on the last Friday of Ramadan have gained more global attention. Al-Aqsa, which is the third holiest site in Islam, is located in East Jerusalem. Despite East Jerusalem legally being under Palestinian control, Israel’s control dominates the region, and its settlements pose a threat to Palestinians who are forcibly evicted for the expansion of such settlements.

 Israeli occupation is denounced by the international community as illegal activity, yet there is still no force allied with Palestine to protect the territory from the violence it endures at the hands of Israel’s government. However, this violence has become more known in the global community, in part to social media reporting and the organization of pro-Palestine marches. The recent attack on al-Aqsa are the latest events in East Jerusalem to capture the attention of the world.

Thousands of Palestinians congregated at al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, May 7. During the evening prayers of that day, Israel’s police force began using tear gas, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and other advanced weaponry to strike the outside of the mosque. Palestinians inside the holy site panicked and tried to escape, but most were trapped when Israeli forces invaded the mosque to harm those inside. Furthermore, tear gas and stun grenades were discharged inside al-Aqsa before the police locked the doors, trapping worshippers inside with the dangerous objects. Meanwhile, those in al-Aqsa defended themselves by throwing rocks, chairs, and shoes towards the Israeli police. 

As the violence ended for the night, news of injuries became public. Hundreds of Palestinians—men, women, and children—were injured during the assault, mainly in the head and eyes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which is a humanitarian organization part of the International Red Cross. However, medical aid was reportedly blocked by Israeli forces, slowing the relief for Palestinians. A different report from the Israeli police stated six officers sustained injuries as a result of the assault.

Although attacks have seemed common between Israel and Palestine for decades, tensions have worsened because of reports on forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah. Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood in East Jerusalem that houses mostly Palestinians, in spite of attempts to construct Israeli settlements. Recently, four Palestinian families faced removal from the neighborhood in order to expand these settlements. While the families, who are part of a larger group of 500 Palestinians in the same predicament, tried to argue their cases in court, the Supreme Court will likely not rule in favor of the Palestinians. 

Even though the evictions constitute as a war crime by the international community, the Israeli government made it clear they will not be deterred from their plans. In addition to the evictions, Israeli nationalists have intimidated Palestinian Muslims in Sheikh Jarrah who have gathered to end their fast for the holy month of Ramadan. The combination of attempted ethnic cleansing, intimidation, desecration of holy sites, and a lack of justice paints a dark future for Palestine and Israel.

In Massachusetts alone about 1,985,856 people have been given the first dose of the Coronavirus vaccine, and about 1,165,381 people have been fully vaccinated, as of March 25. The burning question is whether Massachusetts is distributing the vaccine the right way, and why are so many valuable vaccines being wasted? 

“I think that most people in this state are on-board to be vaccinated. The issue is the supply, which is not under state control,” Mr.Tota, a BHS teacher and EMT, said over email. 

According to CBS Boston, “More than 1,200 valuable coronavirus vaccines have gone to waste in Massachusetts.” As Mr. Tota said, Massachusetts is one of the states that has the highest supply issue. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker calls the more than 1,200 wasted vaccines here in Massachusetts a “missed opportunity.” 

“In my opinion the Moderna vaccine is being used more here in Massachusetts because it does not have the same requirements as Pfizer. Pfizer requires it to be kept at 2-8°C, and having to thaw it out for use,” Beth Rapoza, a registered nurse, said.  She has been running the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) for 15 years at Nashoba Valley medical center. She also administers the COVID-19 vaccine. 

WCVB 5 reports that 1,096 Moderna, and 176 Pfizer vaccines that have been thrown out. The reason for this might be the difference between the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine. When you get the first round of the Moderna vaccine you will have to wait for about 4 weeks before you can receive the second vaccine. Whereas Pfizer you are able to get the second dose of the vaccine after only 3 weeks. 

The Pfizer vaccine has to be stored in 2-8°C for up to 30 days before the vaccine can be used. Whereas the Moderna vaccine has to be stored at conventional temperatures that are commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for up to two weeks.

All of these wasted vaccines total to a shocking 1,272 COVID-19 vaccines that have been thrown out just in Massachusetts alone. According to the FDA the reasoning behind all of these wasted vaccines is because if the vaccine is thawed out for use, and is not given, administrators cannot administer the dose due to the greater risk that the dose has gone bad.

On February 25, Congress passed “The Equality Act,” which prohibits discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill protects the LQBTQ+ in areas such as employment, housing, education, and more. The final vote was 224 to 206, with only three Republicans voting in favor with all the Democrats. 

“I feel as though the Equality Act is a step in the right direction for LGBTQ+ to finally be treated equally,” Ava Brehm, BHS student, said over email. “But it’s sad that it took this long to finally have it passed by Congress. It has been long overdue.”

This bill was first introduced by the House in 2019 but denied by a majority Republican Senate. Seeing as Democrats currently lead the House, Senate, and White House, the Act was passed then accepted by President Joe Biden.  

Debates speculating around this Act are involved with religion. Those against the Equality Act said their religion does not allow them to support LGBTQ+ individuals. The other side says it is crucial to separate church and state, and that not everyone falls under the same religion therefore cannot be controlled by only one religion.  

But most teens are doing a lot to advocate for the LGBTQ+ like posting awareness on social media and sharing links like petitions and donations to help. 

When asked what Ava hoped to see moving forward, she said, “In the future I hope to see an act or bill that does more than just protect LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. We need a people that protects LGBTQ+ from hate crimes, especially LGBTQ+ people of color. We also need straight and cisgender people to understand our troubles before we can pass anything like that.”

It is certain that the Equality Act is a step in the direction for equity for the LGBTQ+.

       This year is very different from any other year we have experienced. Due to Covid-19, there are many protocols in place at BHS to keep us safe. Though things are going well so far, we still need to know that the possibility of going fully remote could always happen. 

       “The schedule was designed so it won’t change if we went fully remote,” Principal Mark Sullivan said.

       If we did go fully remote, then we would not have to worry about having a big abrupt change like we did last year. The schedule would be the same, except cohort A’s in-person days would change to what cohort B does that day and vise versa. So all classes would stay at the same times and on the same days. 

The reason we would go fully remote would be due to Burlington’s amount of cases of Covid-19. If we stay under a certain amount of cases, then schools should stay open without a problem and we will keep sticking to the protocols. On the other hand, if numbers rise, there is a good possibility that schools will be closed. 

Covid-19 has also changed the way that Burlington High School deals with students when they feel sick. 

“Students can only come to school with a mild headache,” BHS nurse Suzy Shields said.

In other years students would be constantly blowing their noses, sneezing, and coughing in class. This year, if you have any symptom of illness you must stay home. Anyone who feels sick must get a Covid test. If the result is positive then you will have to stay out of school for 14 days. 

Since we do not want to take any chances, a student should not come to school with anything other than a mild headache. Many people miss the regular school year and wish we could go back to how it was before the coronavirus broke out across the globe. 

“What not to miss?” principal Mark Sullivan said. “School is about relationships. It’s a people business.” 

So many aspects of school have to do with interactions with others, and due to social distancing and other protocols it is very challenging to achieve much human interaction this year. Many things have had to be cancelled and changed because of the pandemic (events, sports, extracurriculars, etc). 

Though many people are not too happy about this, the school year is going smoothly so far. 

“There was a lot of anxiety before, but now we are getting more comfortable,” vice principal Rick Sheehan said. 

Mask-less faculty, family, and friends gathered on a sweltering June 6 to witness the Class of 2021 graduate. Graduation this year was especially significant as the momentous occasion was held in-person on varsity field (last year was a drive-thru graduation set up.). Although most loved ones sat in the stands, graduating seniors were given two tickets that allowed for parents, guardians, or whoever else they chose to sit with them on the field. 

At 2:00, graduates walked to their seats in a sea of red and white. While most of the graduates were lined on the field, Class President Sydney Hovasse, Valedictorian Matt Tengtrakool, Salutatorian Alison Irwin, and Class Essayist Jonathan Wolinksi took their places on the stage in preparation for the speeches they delivered. 

Hovasse spoke about the Class of 2021’s collective experiences throughout their four years at Burlington High School; Tengtrakool, Irwin, and Wolinski related the past and future experiences of the graduates to Newton’s Laws of Motion. The student speeches, in addition to the ones given by Superintendent Dr. Eric Conti; BHS Principal Mark Sullivan; and School Committee Chair Thomas Murphy Jr., were all heartfelt as they also highlighted the efforts of parents in ensuring their children succeeded during their academic careers in Burlington.

Finally, it was time for the graduates to receive their diplomas. Mr. Sullivan read out each student’s name as Associate Principal Richard Sheehan handed the diplomas. As each student walked off the stage, they posed for a photographer, proudly showing their accomplishment. After the last student reached her seat, Sydney Hovasse returned to the podium to instruct the ceremonial placement of the tassel from the right to the left, signifying the class’s graduate status. She then called for the tossing of the graduating caps, which was done among a crowd of loved ones cheering on their seniors. 

Despite some alarming moments caused by the heat, the graduation was an overall success and a prideful event for the family and friends gathered. After the ceremony, pictures were taken as friends and family chatted and celebrated the day. We are so proud of the Class of 2021 and wish every single student continued triumph and joy in life!

After April break our school had a massive change: all students returned to school in-person full-time. This had a significant impact on our schedule, as we enter the school at 8:40a.m. instead of the usual 8:45a.m. and leave school at 2:55p.m. instead of what once was the normal time of 2:20p.m. 

That's not the end of the change that students faced with schedules. Students also had classes put in a rotating order and a directed study added to our day to day. Feelings of the schedule change have been pretty negative overall.  

When asked if he liked the new schedule Sigfie Moodie, a student of Burlington Highschool said, “Hell no. It messes my work schedule up.”

This thought of the schedule change wasn't just one person's opinion on it. Some teachers have been having the same problem.

Larry Cohen, a chemistry teacher of Burlington High School, has faced difficulties after the new schedule was set up. 

“[The new schedule] makes it more difficult,” Mr. Cohen said. “It makes all the classes out of sync.”

But the change has not been completely negative. 

“I have a lot of free time in classes and study so I never have to do homework,” Tanner Cody, a senior of the BHS, said.

The general mood since the new schedule was established has both negative and positive parts to it. As the school year is closing up, most of the inconveniences will eventually be over. Like having three lunches instead of two has been a weird adjustment. But students have adjusted remarkably well to this new change.

The strange dynamic of this school year has caused many changes to the normal ways of doing just about everything in school. One factor that has been somewhat complicated is the course selection process for the 2021/2022 school year.

“Most of the process has stayed the same,” Joe Attubato, BHS Guidance Counselor, said. “We were able to pull off a live assembly; it just was done three times for each cohort which was the only big difference.,” 

In usual years, there would be only three assemblies: one for each grade. Luckily, assemblies are still allowed this year but in much smaller numbers and social distancing is practiced during them. Even though the set-up is different, the same information that students usually get is being presented to them and classes will still be put in the same way through Aspen. So, a lot of the course selection process is staying the same except the assemblies have been modified.

This school year has impacted students on a personal level to where they may not feel very comfortable reaching out about concerns with their course recommendations due to the lack of time with teachers.

“I am a generally shy person but I am comfortable having conversations with teachers that I connect with and talk to regularly,” Ria Gandhi, BHS freshman, said over email. “I was unable to do that this year unfortunately and due to that, I only feel comfortable with talking to some teachers about my recommendations, but not all.,” 

During this school year, time with teachers has been limited to only three times a week and only once a week in person. Though that is still valid time to talk with teachers, it is very hard to have genuine conversations and connections over Google Meets, which makes it difficult to maintain relationships or feel comfortable with teachers. This factor may affect students in their course selections since having guidance from teachers and understanding their recommendations is a very important part of the process.

Teachers and staff, like usual, have been trying their best to help all students who may have questions or concerns about anything revolving course selections, but this year is making it exceptionally difficult to meet with all students when given such little time together. 

“It’s hard for one counselor to meet with all of their students during the time that the window is open in Aspen,” Joe Attubato, BHS Guidance Counselor, said. “In years past, counselors would sit down in the lower library for the whole day and students could come down during their study if they had a quick question,” 

Due to the limited amount of time there is in school along with the restrictions, it has been difficult for counselors to meet with all their students and answer any questions they may have. In normal years, there was a lot more time to meet with counselors or even cross paths with them around the school and at lunch. Since staying and talking to people in the school day can not really occur at this time, it has made it hard for counselors to overall maintain relationships with students and have connections with them.

Though it has been a bit of a challenge for everyone to adjust to the new style of learning, some students have not let it affect their process of selecting next year's courses.

“I believe that I have learned enough to move onto sophomore year and succeed. I feel very prepared and excited for the classes I chose,” Jillian Gillis, BHS freshman, said over email.

It is expected that some students may feel a bit worried or anxious about the classes that they chose since this year has been exceptionally different and it is hard to know what to expect for next year. Though, some students still have confidence in what they have learned this year and they feel as though they will have great success next year in their selected courses

Overall, the school dynamic of this year hasn’t affected so much on the information part or the tech part of the course selection process; it has more so affected student and teacher/counselor relationships which made it difficult, on a personal level, for students to choose their classes or be confident in their decisions. 

To any students looking for guidance on what classes to choose, please check out the program of studies. Teachers and staff work very hard on it and it is extremely helpful to students to let them know what is required of them for whatever class they may be interested in! It also provides information about graduation requirements, credits, grades, course levels, weighted grades, Advanced Placement courses, and special programs.

Looking for a good local coffee shop? Well I know just the place for you! True North is a small local business and is located on Cambridge street right here in Burlington. This local cafe was first opened in 2009 by the owner Paula S, and has been here in Burlington ever since. 

  This shop has so many great quality products, but more importantly the staff is so friendly and timely. The shop is very well-managed and has a very efficient ordering system. They offer customers both online ordering, which you can pick up, or in-person ordering, where you can go into the shop and order there. This being said, at times there could be many people coming in and out of the shop to grab their food or drinks, but I think True North has done a fantastic job of managing the safety protocols due to COVD-19. If you order online you can go in and pick up your order at the area they have to online pick ups. 

Considering that COVID-19 has been destructive to most peoples sources of income, True North has a very reasonably priced menu. They offer a wide variety of sizes and types of drinks. For a house blend coffee the prices are Regular $2.60, Large $3.07,  Extra large $3.65. Compared to a Starbucks where a large is about $4.65, you would be paying a dollar more for the same size coffee. 

  The menu has many different options but some of my favorites are the frozen or iced caramel latte, and the bacon egg and cheese bagel. They also have awesome seasonal flavors such as dirty snowball (chocolate flavored coffee) which is available now, and the pumpkin muffin with cream cheese frosting is awesome on a brisk fall day. 

I do think this shop is worth anyone's time, and money. On top of having delicious food and drinks, you can help out a small local business during this tough time. True North is located at 204 Cambridge St Burlington, MA 01803.

Social isolation from the coronavirus has negatively affected everyone's mental health. Can getting physical activity help improve mental health?

“It gives me time away from my daily stressors (work, kids, time, etc.) where I can guarantee I am taking time for myself and doing something good for me,” Mr. Jackling, BHS Director of Health/Physical Education, said. 

Studies show that physical activity of any kind has been proven to relieve stress, release good endorphins, and cope with stress and anxiety in a healthy way. Physical activity helps with many types of mental illness such as anxiety, and depression. 

“Movement helped me to relieve stress,” Ms. Bannon, BHS athletic trainer, said. “I use activity to fuel my drive to push myself to new levels of fitness. I always feel better after exercise.”

Physical activity can be anything you choose. Some find it easier to play sports as a form of physical activity to release stress. Others find running, lifting weights, dancing, doing yoga, or even hiking better for them. Doing any form of exercise no matter what is good for your mental health no matter what you choose to do.

It is not easy to find motivation to get up and get moving, but it is very important. Here are some links to easy workouts, and some yoga for beginners.  

1. 5 min Cardio for Beginners

2. Beginner Warmup Workout Routine

3. 10 minute Morning Yoga for Beginners

4. 15 minute Morning Yoga for Beginners

5. Fun 15 minute low impact, no equipment, cardio/resistance

The new iPhone 12 has been released on November 12. The phone is priced starting at $799 for 64GB of storage, with 128 and 256GB available for an extra fee.  Like every new iPhone, this one has better camera graphics. The 12 has a stainless steel body, compared to aluminum on the regular 11. 

While both phones have a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 12 is a brighter panel, with a typical brightness of 800 nits versus 625 nits on the iPhone11. Both phones offer a maximum of 1200 nits for HDR.  

The iPhone 12 came out October 23 and is stocked in stores if you are looking to get one.

Social isolation from the coronavirus quarantine has negatively affected a lot of high school students mental health. Have schools done enough to support their students' mental health? 

“Since March, we have been focusing on reaching more people (students, parents, and staff) and spreading the word that everyone should be prioritizing mental health during difficult times,” Ms. Berkely, school psychologist, said. 

As a part of this work to reach out to the BHS community, theBridge program sends out an email reinforcing the support that we have both in school and virtually. These supports are for students and teachers. 

“Feelings of isolation, stress, anxiety, depression are on the rise...however we have shown our ability to persevere and be resilient,” said Mrs.Conceison, BHS social worker. 

It is very important to reach out to members of the staff, members of your family, friends or others to help keep your mental health as a priority. 

“You’re not going to know about those supports unless you let someone know that you’re having a hard time,” said Ms. Berkley. “So often people try to work through mental health difficulties on their own but usually the first step towards relief comes when you acknowledge to someone else that you’re having difficulty and allow them to help you find the support you need.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas is an amazing start to a series that is appealing for someone who absolutely adores fantasy series. Crown of Midnight is able to take the world that was so loveable and interesting to explore and turn it into something even more than what the first book was able to give. It even introduces many characters that you learn to love or hate from the very beginning.

The series begins with its main character Celaena in isolation as the country’s most wanted criminal and follows her journey to become the king’s royal assassin. After this she overcomes many perils and trials, and makes new allies, as well as enemies, throughout this journey to become the king's assassin. 

A good book is able to provide a special experience that is unique to that world and set of characters, and the Throne of Glass series is able to do just that. They form a very unique set of races and classes within the kingdom that is mainly explored in the first two books and that makes them so exciting to read as you discover more about the world (especially for the first time).

The series so far has also been able to offer a great cast of characters, each with their own problem and backstories we slowly explore as it becomes relevant to the plot. Each character seems important, and you are able to enjoy learning about them and how they fall into place in terms of the overall plot. 

The series itself gets longer with each installment; however it is a fairly quick read because of how immersed in the plot and characters you become. That is a big thing that is important to reading, that you are able to become immersed in a story that isn’t repetitive and drags on for too long.

When thinking of a fantasy series many people will likely think of a series such as Harry Potter which carries a lot of traditional fantasy themes such as the presence of magic and various types of creatures. I think comparatively both series complement each other nicely because of the overarching themes of the main characters slowly becoming more important as their roles in what is going on becomes more apparent. 

Overall the Throne of Glass series has been a delight to go through so far. Anyone who enjoys a strong heroine as the main character with a great supporting cast would love the series as it is filled with plenty of twists, turns, and plot twists along the way. 

Looking for a new show to watch? All American has got you covered. Based on a true story of former NFL player Spencer Payspringer, a young high school athlete gets recruited from his home town in South Crenshaw to play at Beverly. Everything Spencer has known changes, and he has to figure out a way to balance both his old lifestyle, and his new lifestyle. 

The main character in this show Daniel Ezra, or Spencer, has a very strong accent that no one really knew about until an interview with him was released after season 1, and after that everyone knew he was British. Spencer makes the audience believe what is happening, or that this is his actual life. His emotion makes everyone want to watch the show.

All American is not just a show to watch for pleasure, it incorporates real life issues into the show that people need to be educated about. For example, the Black Live Matters movement is heavily looked at with this show. Most of the actors are black, so the audience sees them get racially profiled, hard times from cops, gang violence, and so much more. The script writing of the show makes it all seem so real, almost like you are walking into Beverly Hills or Crenshaw and seeing it all happen in real time. 

The cinematography of  All American is amazing. Everything is so clear, and the camera angles flatters each of the characters extremely well. The quality is so clear that it looks better than the average person's eye. Every detail is executed perfectly, and there is almost nothing that you cannot see. 

If you are familiar with One Tree Hill, I would say it is very similar in the fact it is focused on one high school kid who wants to follow his dreams of playing basketball. At the same time you meet all of these different characters who have so much more going on in their lives, which is very similar to All American. 

All teens seem to be absolutely loving this show, and it could be the next show you binge watch! Seasons one and two of All American are already streaming on Netflix, and season 3 is currently airing on the CW app every Monday night at 8pm. It is currently four episodes in, so if you need to catch up head to the CW app to stream them. 

The Unmoored Nora Valdez sculpture gallery was being held in the Boston Sculpture Gallery from September 23rd through November 1st. She had her exhibit in the Boston Sculptors Gallery Boston, MA. 

Nora Valdez is an award winning international artist. She was born and raised in Argentina but now she travels the world presenting her art. She has many permanent Public Art pieces sited around the world

The Boston Sculpture Gallery is open to the public so you can just enter. It's not necessary for you to pay for entrance. Going to the gallery I expected that you would need to pay to get in but it wasn't necessary.

The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday 11-5 and by appointment. No appointment needed during gallery hours. There is a 10 person maximum capacity, you are required to wear a mask and social distancing required. They are also open for First Friday receptions, 5:30-8:30.  Currently they have Waldo Evan Jespersen work in their gallery through November 4th to December 6. 

The galleries are too prestigious for me.” Laura Godinho, BHS computer graphics teacher, said.” 

She also stated that she loves going to the “Artist Studios”. It's a more relaxed environment where you can actually talk to the artist.

Galleries are important because it is how artists sell their art. In the Nora Valdez Gallery the price ranged from $700 to $1000 dollars. But there are a lot of galleries that won't allow normal people to buy the art. 

“It’s like a type of club they'll only sell to certain people that come to see them,” George Ratkevich, BHS art department chair, said.

Not all galleries are like this. There are some that are exclusive to only prestigious buyers. But most of them can just go and buy the art for whatever price it's listed. And then after the artwork is purchased, the gallery splits the money pretty much evenly between them and the artist.

Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is going to be a show I never forget. It is filled with characters going through their own versions of literal hell, and you grow to love many of them and root for their escape and survival. 

I even grew to love the characters you were meant to hate. They created these ‘villains’ that you absolutely loved to hate, so every single moment of this show was unforgettable to say the least. 

The story begins with June Osbourne getting separated from her husband and daughter trying to escape what remained of the US after being taken over by cultist leaders. After being branded as a Handmaid you then follow her journey in making friends and finding solace where she can. 

I personally loved the show more and more as it went on. As the show continues you grow extremely attached to most of these characters, and root for them as they go through their ups and downs. As for June especially the stakes rise higher and higher for her as her story develops and it leaves you on the edge of your seat nearly the entire time. 

As for the end of season 3 it leaves you on a cliffhanger waiting for the beginning of season 4. Season 4 is currently scheduled for release at some point midway through 2021; the release, however, is subject for change because of the coronavirus. 

It wasn’t just the end of season 3 that left you on the edge of your seat with many questions, the show has plenty of cliffhangers throughout leaving you hooked and constantly wanting more. 

“The show left me constantly wanting more, I even spent a few late nights continuing on with the show because it was that addicting,” BHS senior Allison Sciarratta said. “As messed up as the show could get I had to keep watching just to see what would happen to each of these characters.” 

The Handmaid’s Tale is filled to the brim with some pretty horrible situations, yet you can’t dare even look away for a second. For this reason I decided to get the perspective of an adult viewer 

“The show had plenty of moments that were so bad, but I couldn’t look away,” Family friend Elizabeth Thompson said. “It was almost like seeing a car crash it’s terrible to look at, but you couldn’t bear to look away even for a second.” 

Although plenty of people have seen this show is there any specific reason anyone would want to watch this show, even if they read the book? 

“Although I’ve read the book I know the show improves on a bunch of different aspects, as well as modernizing the show,” WMHS senior Jenna Peltier said. “It makes me want to watch the show to be able to relive all these moments in a new light.” 

Overall The Handmaid’s Tale can be a little much to digest at times, but is very worth a watch because of how developed the world becomes as well as all of the characters who live in it. If you have a chance I would definitely recommend you check this show out on Hulu. 

When you think of fall sports you think of a cool fall breeze, the leaves on the trees changing, and Friday night football. So when you would think of fall sports you would picture them in the fall, but not this year. Fall 2 sports are taking place now until right before April vacation, April 18. Of course in this crazy year this does not surprise anyone. 

The sports happening right now are Volleyball, Football, girls and boys Indoor Track, Cheerleading, and girls Swimming. All teams have shortened game schedules, but spectators for all teams have been increased to two per player. For seniors, this is meaningful because their parents can watch them play one last time. However, there are still modifications that are affecting how these athletes can play. 

Volleyball, again, is usually played in the fall or even the summer, so for the athletes to be playing with snow on the ground is a huge change for them. 

“It changed a lot since the season moved completely, usually I’m used to playing in the summer and in the beginning of the school year,” Caroline Curtin, BHS volleyball senior captain, said. 

With precautions put into place like being in cohorts during practice, only being able to do a drill for nine minutes at a time, and having to sanitize after each drill, it is hard to have efficient practices along with following all the guidelines. 

“Practices have been going great, even though we have limited time per drill everything is very high energy and efficient,” Senior Ryan McGillivray,  three-3 year member of the Varsity football team said.

For the BHS athletes, they are prepared play. To them, it does not matter when their sports happen; they just want to play. 

Frosty air, the end of the holiday season, everyone knows what this means: winter sports. What could be better than watching basketball, hockey, and gymnastics? Well, usually people would be enjoying other sports such as wrestling, indoor track, and swimming. However, these sports, which are normally played now, have either gotten pushed to the “Fall 2” season or cancelled entirely. 

Middlesex league teams are about three weeks into the season, and numerous teams have gotten shutdown. Most people would think this would be due to a rise in cases through the spread in sports, but this has not been the case for most. Superintendents have sent some school systems to be fully remote for school. This would lead to sports not being allowed to compete. 

Reading and Wilmington are two examples of this. Wilmington schools have been switching between hybrid and remote learning almost weekly, and Reading has been remote the entire year.  Both of these towns have held rallies to get sports to return, while continuing to be in the remote learning phase. 

“I did not attend the rally, but I do think it was very successful because it informed many people of what was going on,” said Jackie Malley, a junior captain of the Reading varsity girls basketball team. 

She also mentioned that she was very proud that her community stands behind her team, and all high school athletics. 

The purpose of the rallies has been to gain the attention of each desired superintendent of each town. The Reading rally had about 150 people in attendance to advocate for the athletes, as well as the athletes themselves 

The sports that are happening this fall are girls basketball, boys basketball, girls hockey, boys hockey, girls gymnastics, and boys gymnastics. All schools in the Middlesex League are participating in sports, as of right now. The schools consist of Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn.

This season is going to consist of 10 games, no playoffs, and new modifications. However, the 10 games are not even all one hundred percent guaranteed. If any team gets shut down due to COVID cases, depending on the situation, they could be quarantined for two weeks, unless the players and coaches stay home if they have symptoms or are considered close contacts. 

“After getting shut down I was definitely worried the games would not get rescheduled” said senior captain Kylie DuCharme of the Wilmington girls varsity basketball team.  

So far if a game has been cancelled, due to a shutdown, they have been rescheduled to be played at a later point in the season. This has given athletes hope to get in a full schedule of the 10 games that they were told about in the beginning of the season. 

The down side to the timing of the make-up games , is that teams are not having a lot of time to prepare inbetween games. 

“Only having a few days to prepare for the games, and then only having one or two days in between games isn’t a lot of time to get a game plan in compared to other years” said DuCharme. 

Though this year is hard, and has been a huge struggle for all teams around the nation, everyone seems to be figuring out how they can accomplish a successful season. 

 A month into our world, what was once a thriving and robust athletic community has been diminished to a mere remnant of its former self. This has not stopped our administration, fall coaches, and captains to continue to make sure that student athletes have something to hold onto this year. 

This season girls and boys cross country, girls and boys soccer, field hockey, and golf have gotten the opportunity to start their seasons, with some major restrictions that have been put into place. 

“The biggest challenge so far has been preparing for games,” senior Sean Theurer, two-time captain of the boys soccer team, said. 

The new guidelines state that the team can only practice three times a week, which is a major decrease in preparation time than a normal season where teams would be practicing five to six days a week. 

Sean also stated that wearing the masks has been another major adjustment. 

“After awhile playing, and during conditioning drills when we’re all out of breath it's hard to breathe sometimes,” he said.

To help with the adjustment to the mask wearing, mask breaks have been put into place, along with a rule that if you are 10+ yards away from someone you can take your mask down to take a few breaths. 

This unordinary season has not just been an adjustment for the student athletes, but also for all coaches. Coach Jackling, head coach of the boys varsity soccer team, has had to make game plans, practices, and prepare his team around the new regulations and guidelines so that his team is ready for their games every week. 

“We’ve always had to grind games out. It’s been a learning curve for me. Guys fall back on what they know and we need to change that,” Coach Jacking said.

With seniors hopes being high since their freshman years of what their final seasons of their high school careers would look like, it is definitely a big upset. 

“Seniors have been great. They got a perspective from last spring, at least we get to play one, keeping that in mind and valuing that,” he said.

With all of this controversy and change, the boys soccer team got their first victory 1-0 against Stoneham on Monday, October 12. 

The athletic director had come up with multiple plans before school started so that sports would be able to take place. One of them was selected which consists of four total seasons: Fall 1, Winter, Fall 2, and Spring. This plan allows all student athletes who have been looking forward to their seasons to hopefully get the chance to play.  

Fall sports have been running smoothly, with no reported cases so far, will this translate into the winter season?

“Winter has the same chance that fall has. Athletes make the difference between if we play or if we don’t. People are watching what they do,” athletic director Shaun Hart said. 

Referees are being especially strict with enforcing the new rules. It is so important for the athletes to take this seriously because what they do in their own seasons affect what will happen during the upcoming ones.