Prom is right around the corner, and nerves might just be getting fired up. While students prepare, part of the preparation is asking someone. However, some people would rather not be asked by anyone and would prefer to go solo or with a group of friends.

“Honestly never thought about it,” says Adriana Farrell. “But it's my senior year so I could literally care less.”

While some students couldn’t care less whether or not someone asks them, in some cases, girls or guys might not want to be asked by certain people. For example, according to Farrell, “someone that you don't like or don't know or just like in front of like the whole school.” However, be sure to let the asker down easy without hurting their feelings. Being sensitive is very important.

Prom is very stressful, and, Farrell estimates, “98% of guy ask.” Since guys typically ask, is there a certain way they should ask? Typically, a smaller area would be a great place to ask since the stress and pressure levels would be lower.

Be sure to ask soon but not too soon. Don’t be too cheesy or over the top about asking, because then it’s more pressure. As prom season rapidly approaches, make sure to get things in place and take the time to do what’s right for you.

Heads up, this month the Mt. Vernon Band is taking a trip to Disney World. They’ll be leaving on Wednesday, March 11, and returning Monday, March 16.

This trip has been in the works since the beginning of the MVHS Marching Season. Almost all proceeds from the Mt. Vernon Marching Festival this year went straight to the trip fund, as well as money made from the Band’s fried pickle booth at ABMD. There have been three band fundraisers so far this school year, all in an effort to pay for this trip.

Band director Brad Heckman has taught at many schools throughout his career. How many times has he taken a band on a trip like this? “Four times to Florida, six times elsewhere," Heckman explains. "What makes it worth it is the process. I have yet to be disappointed with the results or behavior. The band has to play well, raise their funds and most importantly behavior and responsibility has to be top notch. If any one of those things is missing, we wouldn't go.”

He’s not the only one looking forward to this. Just ask junior Stephen Henry, one of two MVHS Drum Majors. “Right now the trip is so close, and I want it to happen, I'm becoming impatient in a good way,” he says. “The trip is going to be fun, we'll have fun the whole time and have an amazing time marching in the parade.”

For those of us not in band, Henry explains his role: “As drum major most of my major duties occur 1st semester with marching band. The drum major for people who don't know are the people on the podiums who conduct for the band. I am just an individual who leads the band during football pep band and whenever we are down a director or both of them the drum major tries to help fill that gap. Also, drum majors are leaders for the whole band year round, we lead the parades and we teach new members about marching.” This year, Henry fulfilled the role of Drum Major along with Senior Natalie Cummins.

The real question is, can the band handle it? They’ll be marching on the Magic Kingdom parade route. That can be a lot of pressure, especially in a group that is made up mostly of underclassmen. The financial struggle can also raise issues. “The band plays well so there is no problem there, has raised plenty of money as well as the substantial contribution of the band boosters and marching festival,” says Mr. Heckman.

Henry agrees. In fact, he thinks, “The moments after the parade I think will be the worst, in terms of how hot it will be and how sweaty everyone will be with their uniforms on.”

This trip will be something to look back on for many years to come. Many memories will be made, as Mr Heckman put it. “This is about opportunities and experiences. I want the band to make great music, great memories and be great people most of all. I really look forward to seeing the photos, and memories from the trip as well as the looks on their faces from performing well at a large venue.”

All in all, here’s an amazing trip and an amazing band.

This month for the girls basketball team has been hectic. Going from winning to losing isn’t so easy, but the girls kept coming back stronger and stronger each time ready to fight and win.

Having faith in the game, the girls went in strong, ready to beat Nevada and walk away with back-to-back wins for the Big 8 conference titles, but things didn’t work out for the girls. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the girls trailed behind the Lady Tigers with a score of 49-35.

Still having faith and confidence in the game, girls basketball coach Grant Berendt says, “We played okay at times, but we ran out of time to make changes. Their team had five seniors [ours has none], so their leadership was in their seniors. I’m still very proud of our girls.” He also states that “anytime you lose a game it doesn’t feel good. We were very excited to be there and our goal was to compete for the conference title and we got it.”

Junior Lacy Stokes scored 20 points and sophomore Cameryn Cassity’s efforts bumped the score another 17 points.

The girls are still continuing their season into March. They've put a lot of effort into getting this far and its not their time to give up. They still put a lot of dedication into this season. Doing it all without seniors this year, students, teachers, and families are very proud of the girls this season and how far they were able to come.

President Donald Trump was found not guilty on both charges of impeachment by the Senate. As such, he will remain in office until the end of his current term, or longer, if he is reelected.

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Several new cases of Wuhan Coronavirus, now officially dubbed COVID-19, have been diagnosed in the U.S. The first cases in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island have been reported. As of February 21, there have been 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US. According to the CDC, 21 of those cases are from people who came into the country infected. There 13 cases that were transmitted on U.S. soil. The World Health Organization has officially declared the Wuhan outbreak a Health Emergency.

Various aspects of Chinese life have completely shut down. Travel has ground to a halt, and schools and stores are closed. The streets of the famed gambling region of China, Macau, are empty as the virus has been found there. New reports from the CDC and WHO indicate that people infected by the virus will show symptoms within 2-14 days, but the disease can still be spread from person to person during that incubation phase. It is confirmed that this strain is zoonotic, meaning it can spread from animals to humans, and vice-versa. New estimates indicate the mortality rate of COVID-19 is two percent, but it could be lower as there are many potential unreported cases.

There are two confirmed deaths on US soil caused by COVID-19. As of March 2, the total number of confirmed cases in the US has risen to 88. The two deaths were both residents of Kings County, Washington. The first person was a man in his 50s, the second a man in his 70s. The first man had no record of travel and had underlying health issues. It is suspected that he contracted the disease through domestic spread in his community.

France has announced their first confirmed Coronavirus death and their twelfth case. The man who died is also the first person in Europe to die of Coronavirus, as well as the first person outside of mainland China. France’s health minister, Agnés Buzyn, said the man was a native of the Chinese province Hubei, where Wuhan is located. He arrived in France on January 16, with his daughter and had been hospitalized since January 25.

The unnamed man passed away on February 14. Both he and his daughter were among the twelve confirmed cases in France. Seven are still in the hospital, while four have been discharged. His daughter is expected to recover and be discharged soon.

On February 25, the CDC has warned Americans to prepare for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak. As a result of this, U.S. stocks are dropping. This is the largest drop in US stocks over a week since 2008. Several schools in Washington have closed due to staff and students having potential infections. The schools are to be properly sanitized before reopening. Among many things, the CDC recommends businesses conduct meetings over the phone, and that schools prepare to teach students online. While Mt Vernon has made no such plans, it is advisable that one keep an eye on the infection statistics, just in case.

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On February 19, a gunman carried out two shootings in the Western German city of Hanau. German authorities say the guman first opened fire at the shisha bar Midnight, and then drove a mile and a half to the Arena Bar and Cafe. He killed a total of nine people between the two locations, and left five with life-threatening injuries. After that, the suspect went back to his parent’s apartment and killed both his mother and himself, bringing the total death toll to ten.

The German authority’s prime suspect is a 43 year-old man the police have named as Tobias R. He uploaded a 24-page manifesto to his website, which has since been taken down.

Germany’s federal prosecutors are treating the case as an act of terrorism. The Turkish Embassy in Berlin has confirmed that at least five of the dead were Turkish citizens. Some of the other victims were German citizens. Almost all of them had migrant or immigrant backgrounds. If the gunman really was motivated by far-right politics and racial beliefs, then as Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas put it, “…the gruesome act in Hanau is the third extreme right-wing murder attack in Germany in a year. Right-wing terrorism has again become a threat to our country. There is absolutely nothing to put into perspective."

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Harvey Weinstien, a successful Hollywood producer, was found guilty on two of five charges of sexual assault in New York, and is awaiting four charges in Los Angeles as well. The charges the NYC jury found him guilty of were Criminal Sexual Assault in the first degree and third degree Rape. He was found not guilty of the more serious charges, two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault, as well as First Degree Rape.

Six women testified that he had sexually assaulted them, although he was only facing charges in connection to his assault of two of them. This was due to New York’s statute of limitations on the crimes expiring. The other four testified as a way to establish a pattern of behavior.

Weinstien will be held in jail while awaiting sentencing, which will be held on March 11. His lawyers mandated that he be kept in the infirmary, as he is reportedly recovering from back surgery.

With his current convictions, he could spend five to 25 years in prison. If he had been convicted of Predatory Sexual Assault, he would have most likely recieved a life sentence. The outcome of the Los Angeles charges remains to be seen.

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Mt Vernon show choir performs at Carthage Soundfest

By Jasmine Gatewood

As we near the Ides of March, Child Development students will be taking on parental responsibilities. According to Ms. Kristina Reach, unit one focuses primarily “on Prenatal Development, Labor, & Delivery.” She also explains, “During this unit students will learn about pregnancy, labor, & delivery. They will wear the Empathy Belly during this unit to experience what a woman feels like (physically and socially) to be 8 months pregnant.”

In the course of this unit, students learn that pregnancy isn’t just fun and games, [and] it’s not how movies make it seem. The second unit is about infancy. Ms. Reach says the focus is “an infant's physical development, cognitive development, and their social/emotional development. During the unit on infancy, all students will care for a Real Care Baby for one weekend (Friday at 3pm until 8am Monday).”

Students take Child Development for only one semester, but in that time students are given a new perspective on adult life. Life isn’t as easy movies make it look, and so this class gives them the real story. Students may seem to think that parenting is an easy task, but that isn’t the case. The class teaches them, “how to feed (bottle or breastfeed; as well as baby to solid foods), how to diaper, how to bathe, how to dress, and etc. We also learn about how to properly talk to an infant (not to use baby talk) and how to show love to them properly.” replies Ms. Reach.

While some students love and enjoy this project, there are some who don’t take it seriously. However, this year the classes have less people, which might make people care more. So if students see a fellow person wearing an empathy belly, let’s support them.

It hurts when we face an obstacle

that we are not yet ready to overcome.

We push emotions away,

hoping that they will work themselves out,

not realizing they will just build up.

Think of them as stuffed animals that you shoved in a closet as a kid. Every time you opened the door to put another in, the pile got bigger and bigger.

Eventually, you can’t fit any more stuffed animals in the closet, so the next time you open it, they all come out in a wave.

Like your emotions, they pile over you and devour you whole.

If you would have dealt with each emotion as it arrived, then the wave of emotions wouldn’t have been so difficult to control.

To face these obstacles as they appear would be the better option.

To not let them overcome you and control your every move would be difficult, but wise.

This is part of the key to being your best self.