Natick High School’s Virtual Music Performances

Ella Stern

For many people, music is an important part of the holiday season. This is especially true for students in the music programs at Natick High School, for whom the end of the calendar year always brings a celebration of the year’s hard work. 

This year's performances, including the fall musical and the band and choir concerts, are online. This has provided a unique set of challenges. Students and teachers have had to adapt to a new format and learn a new set of skills while dealing with the disappointment of not being able to perform together. But they love music and performance, and have worked hard to put together some amazing pieces! If you are longing for the excitement of watching a musical or have been too busy to attend school concerts in the past, you are in luck this year: you can experience the talents of the music programs from the comfort of your couch.  

Sophomores Isaac Hoffman and Anna Huynh are in the fall musical “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. I interviewed them on Thursday, December 17: the day before opening night. I have done school theatre in the past, and was curious to hear about how a musical can happen virtually. 

I learned that doing a virtual musical meant doing a lot of filming. The larger scenes were filmed during Google Meet rehearsals, but scenes with fewer people had to be filmed individually with pauses for other actors’ lines. Most scenes were filmed inside, but some had to be filmed at a specific outdoor location, like by a tree or in the dark. This was very different and much more independent than an in-person show, where the cast rehearses all together and doesn’t have to record at all. 

Actors felt the difference between interacting with others during rehearsal and not interacting with anyone while filming the actual scenes. Isaac said that recording alone was an interesting exercise in improving their acting skills. 

The show’s crew put in lots of work editing the recordings into a complete musical. They also built mini sets. Each mini set looked like the setting of one of the show’s scenes, and in the live-streamed show, the sets appeared as an introduction to their scene. 

Winter concerts from the band and choir normally follow the closing of the fall show, and this year was no exception. Concert Band recorded “Fiero” by Steven Hodges, described by Isaac as a dramatic piece that could be in an action scene in a movie. Wind Ensemble has released the winter classic “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. It plans to record a new piece almost every two-week block of classes. 

NHS Choir had a virtual Fall Fest, which included songs from Chamber Singers, West Street Singers, Concert Choir, Musae, Men’s Choir, Scalestorm, Seven’s Not Enough, Retrograde, and The Men’s Room. Fall Fest is normally an in-person event that includes music and games. This year, after the live stream of the performances, choir students were able to enjoy a Fall Fest celebration over Google Meet. Additionally, the full choir program has released a recording of “We Are Not Alone” by The Rescues.  

Students all across the music programs have had to learn new skills in order to produce music virtually. The bands have recorded their music on Soundtrap and GarageBand. Some students had recorded music in the past, but many had to learn how to do things like importing guide tracks, turning off reverb, and even avoiding accidentally deleting people’s recordings (it happens to the best of us). After the individual recordings were done, band director Craig Chisholm spent hours upon hours putting them all together. 

There were technical requirements when making these recordings. For example, recordings had to be done with a metronome or guide track, and everyone had to be locked in with the tempo in order for the piece to sound cohesive. Recording this way, and recording alone, makes musicians and their music feel more exposed. This was scary, but has allowed students to become more confident in their music and in letting others hear it.

Additionally, some instruments had to be recorded at a much greater distance from the microphone than others. This prevented the recording from being too loud, quiet, or distorted. For example, I am a percussionist and was playing mallets for Sleigh Ride. After a very distorted first recording, I played my final take squished into the corner of a room with my computer on the other side, as far away from my instrument as possible. The headphones I was using kept cutting out, as they were almost out of Bluetooth range. 

Needless to say, I am looking forward to the time when I can go back to making music in person, and I am sure I’m not the only one. In the meantime, I’m grateful that the NHS music programs have been able to continue making music. I know that we are lucky to have the resources to do so. 

During quarantine, I was surprised by how happy I became when I heard a new virtual piece from the NHS music programs. When this school year started, I was beyond excited to begin band again. I hope that you take advantage of the virtual music that we have worked so hard on. I guarantee that it will bring a smile to your face. 

"Sleigh Ride" can be found on the YouTube page Natick High School Band. Fall Fest and "We Are Not Alone" can be found on the YouTube page Natick High School Choirs. Virtual pieces by the acapella groups can be found on their Instagram accounts: @scalestorm, @sevensnotenough, @nhsretrograde, and @nhsthemensroom. 

A Scandalous Soirée (A Review of Bridgerton)

Diya Sebastian 

It should be prefaced that Bridgerton does contain some mature scenes so viewer discretion is advised (specifically avoid the honeymoon scenes). 

In a time where escaping to the Victorian Era is incredibly enticing, a new show, based on the novels by Julia Quinn, has emerged as the saving grace for a troublesome year. Shonda Rhimes, the mastermind behind Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, and ˆScandal, has outdone herself again with the creation of Bridgerton. Viewers are invited into a world of opulence, grandeur, and scandal that is rival to none (expect, maybe the real British monarchy). The extravagant balls, the elegant gowns, and the elaborate schemes hatched by the characters make Bridgerton the perfect period piece to dive into.

But since Shonda Rhimes loves her contemporary trends, she has added several modern concepts to the regency period from the orchestral covers of pop hits like Ariana Grande’s “thank you, next” as a ballroom bop to the colorful take on the gowns, and the Gossip Girl esque narrator.  While the show mainly focuses on the tumultuous relationship between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, there is also great importance bestowed on a writer by the name of Lady Whistledown, who reveals scandalous, often dishonorable information about London society in the newspapers. 

Now onto the real gossip.

The main characters of the show are Daphne Bridgerton, portrayed by the beautiful Phoebe Dynevor, and Simon Basset, or more affectionately known as “The Duke”, played by Regé-Jean Page. Simon is less affectionately known as a notorious “rake” which stems from lifelong trauma of having a malicious and demeaning father. Therefore Simon is determined to never marry and has only come to high society to take care of his estate. Daphne, on the other hand, is deemed the “diamond of the first water” by Lady Whisltedown when she is presented to Queen Charlotte for the season.

 A season, or rather London’s social season is a highly competitive sport where mothers throw their daughters into a boxing ring and the winner wins a title and a loveless marriage. Of course, this is merely my exaggeration but it doesn’t stem far from the truth. Girls would dress themselves in intricate (and restrictive) dresses to impress suitors and spend the evening waiting to dance with certain gentlemen with  sizable inheritances. 

Following the normal tropes of fake dating (in this case, fake courting) but falling in love, going from enemies to lovers, encountering overprotective brothers, and resisting intense male jealousy, Bridgerton checks off all the boxes to make the storyline absolutely enthralling. In fact, Simon and Daphne both so lovable yet so infuriating that one may desire to yell profusely at the TV and simultaneously need a defibrillator to come back to life from the shock the relationship emits. 

By far, my favorite characters out of the whole series have to be the Bridgerton women, especially Eloise Bridgerton and Mama Bridgerton as the two genuinely carried the show on their back. Eloise is a true and outspoken feminist who’s wit is unmatched. Her humor, her hatred for the rules society places on women, and her sarcasm make Eloise a beloved character. Her mother, Violet Bridgerton, is the complete opposite of what I’d expected of a woman with eight children and a deceased husband. Instead of the haughty, high strung lady who chases potential suitors to capture for her daughter, Mrs. Bridgerton lets her children have free reign of their lives and supports their decisions with her whole heart. Not to mention, she is also an evil mastermind who ensures that her daughters only marry the right men. 

The only aspect of the show I detested a bit was the fact that the race of the characters was not addressed  at all. I adore the brilliantly diverse cast with all my heart, but in the storyline, the only mention of race is that two societies that were divided by color finally came together, leaving a lot of questions unanswered about the natures of this London high society as the Queen is black as well. The show isn’t meant to be set in a colorblind world, but in its failure to address people of color and their history, the show comes off as a mere fantasy, not as historical fiction which was intended. The books themselves presumably featured an all white society, but new representation in the show begs the question of whether Bridgerton is meant to portray an alternative society or is it just a vaguely progressive one? 

Finally, it is worth mentioning the cultural influence that Bridgerton has had on our current pandemic stricken society. Truth be told, I’ve always loved the luxurious fashion featured in period pieces with the billowing skirts and the gorgeous death contraption known as corsets. Bridgerton has admittedly sparked social media interest into corsets, period dresses, and all things that were high society fashion back in the 19th century. The throes and throes of videos of girls with new corsets from Amazon, Victoria’s Secret or even making them themselves has reignited my burning desire for the highly constrictive statement piece too. 

For those who are looking for other period pieces to escape to, my highly recommended suggestions are:

• Pride and Prejudice (2005 version)

• Sandinton

• Reign

• The Spanish Princess

• Outlander

• Medici

• Victoria 

A Reaction to "evermore"

Khushi Chauhan, EIC

To be quite honest, I am a big Taylor Swift fan. I've been listening to her songs for as long as I can remember. In fact, I strongly believe that one of the first things I remember hearing (ever) was the song "You Belong With Me" from Taylor's sophomore album: "Fearless". 

As much as I want to talk about my love and admiration for Swift, my purpose in writing this article is to review/react to her ninth studio album, "evermore", also known as the sister album of "folklore" (Swift's 8th studio album).

Let's not waste time. 

Track 1: "willow".

You must be thinking, "Wow! Taylor really just named the first track of her new album after a sad tree," but with her visually beautiful music video paired with a simple guitar riff and incredibly profound lyrics, Swift manages to immediately draw in her audience with each note. Additionally, fans of AP Environmental Science might enjoy this track for its use of nature as metaphors. 

Me: "You changed my life."

Taylor Swift: "Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind.”

Track 2: "champagne problems".

"champagne problems" shares the story of a person who turned down their significant other's proposal to marriage. It's not the most relatable song for most of us but I'll be honest: this is the saddest, most tragic song I've ever heard. I highly don't recommend listening to this song and "driver's license" by Olivia Rodrigo back to back. Take my word for it.

Track 3: "gold rush"

This is a mood shift if I've ever seen one. If you want to feel like you're on top of the world and if you want a confidence boost for days, here's your chance. This song sounds like gold: it's full of dreamy melodies paired with a light yet impactful percussion. The chorus shifts gears into something called Mixolydian mode which basically means very, very cool. If you're really interested in this altered version of the major scale, I encourage you to read more about it here (they give a really nice explanation of it). 

I won't go over each track, don't worry, but the versatility of the first three tracks should be enough to appeal to a large audience. Fans of Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Bon Iver, Lana Del Ray, Harry Styles, Conan Gray, The National, and so many more will settle right into the album. Furthermore, fans of all genres will certainly find at least one song they connect with.  

Throughout her career, Taylor has gone from being America’s favorite country girl to a precedent-setting pop star but with the releases of “folklore” and “evermore”, she has proved herself to simply be a storyteller. The subtle releases and impersonal yet imaginative narratives of Swift’s songs go to prove that more than a celebrity, she is a musician. 

And this passion for her music has certainly shone through to the audience and critics. Her last two albums have made her the biggest female artist of 2020 according to Billboard and have broken several records in the music industry in just the past year. 

If you want to know more about Taylor Swift’s journey through the past 15 years, I highly recommend watching the “Miss Americana” documentary on Netflix. Her career trajectory is a fascinating one to learn about, whether you want to pursue music or not. 

Finally, if there’s anyone who would like to rate Swift’s songs, albums, and/or cats with me, you know where to find me.

"evermore" Tracklist:

1. willow

2. champagne problems

3. gold rush

4. tis' the damn season

5. tolerate it

6. no body, no crime

7. happiness

8. dorothea

9. coney island (feat. The National)

10. ivy

11. cowboy like me

12. long story short

13. marjorie

14. closure

15. evermore (feat. Bon Iver)

16. right where you left me - bonus track

17. it's time to go - bonus track

Should the Bears Re-sign Mitchell Trubisky?

Sam Shuster, EIC               

With the 2020 NFL regular season all wrapped up and the playoffs set, fans are gearing up for the postseason while also looking ahead to the 2021 Season. The Chicago bears are a team that will have a decision to make regarding the QB situation. After selecting Mitchell Trubisky 2nd overall in the 2017 NFL draft over Patrick Mahomes and Desean Watson, Bears fans have been miserable thinking about what could have been. While Trubisky’s career has been far from terrible he has not lived up to the hype. In his rookie season he threw for 2193 yards and 7 touchdowns completing 54.9% of his passes. In his sophomore season he threw for 3223 yards and 24 Touchdowns with a completion rate of 66.6 which was good enough to get him a spot in the 2018 pro bowl and a 3 seed in the playoffs finishing 11-3 in games he started. In 2019 he went 8-7 and his play regressed. In 2020 Trubisky led the Bears to a 6-3 record in games he played and 8-8 overall which was good enough for the 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture.

One of the Bears other options would be Nick Foles who has had a subpar season averaging 231 yards per game and 1.3 Touchdowns per game. Foles took over during a week 3 showdown against the Falcons when Trubisky was having a tough game. Foles Led the Bears to a 16 point comeback against Atlanta and secured the starting job. However Foles’s great play did not continue. Foles went just 2-5 as the starter and the Bears fell from the playoffs. The Bears could possibly turn to the free agent market. Top quarterback free agents include Dak Prescott, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Prescott will most likely return to Dallas where he was leading the league in passing until an injury ended his season. Cam Newton would not be an upgrade from Mitchell Trubisky as the Bears do not need a quarterback who cannot pass. Jameis Winston certainly has the arm talent but it is his decision making that would worry the Chicago front office because when they limit their turnovers they win football games. Finally Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fitzy has played well in Miami and certainly earned himself some money. He could be a possible fit for the Bears short term but this is a young team who should be looking for a franchise quarterback. Another possibility would be the draft but it is unlikely as the Bears would have a late first round pick which would miss out on any of the top tier talents. 

Should the Bears Re-sign Mitchell Trubisky? Absolutely. In weeks 13-16 the Bears went 4 straight weeks scoring 30 or more points, the first stretch doing so since the 60s. In this time Trubisky threw just 2 interceptions which proves he is the guy if he can limit turnovers. The Bears should re-sign Mitchell Trubiskyin 2021 because he is their best available option.

Capitol Insurrection

Leo Margil

On Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S Capitol after a speech given by President Trump. Since the election, Trump has been making claims of election fraud, saying that the vote was “stolen”. On January 6th, Congress met to finalize the election results, which is usually a quick and symbolic process. It consists of reading and tallying each state’s electoral votes, but objections can be made. Once an objection is made, the House of Representatives and the Senate hold a debate, then vote on the objection. This can take a long time and almost never results in the objection being passed. While Congress met, Trump gave a long speech at a rally near the White House, telling his supporters to “stop the steal” and saying “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” His supporters promptly stormed the Capitol.

At around 2:00 pm on that day, rioters breached the building while the Senate and House were separated into debate regarding the objection to Arizona’s votes. They were about halfway through the process when the rioters broke the windows and entered the Statuary Hall. Many were carrying Confederate flags, Nazi imagery, plastic handcuffs, Christian imagery, and weapons such as assault rifles. Officials have speculated that they planned to take members of Congress hostage. Between 2:15 and 2:30, the House and the Senate were put into recess and the doors were locked. Soon thereafter, both chambers were evacuated.. There were multiple armed standoffs within the building and several shots were fired. 

Five people were killed in the violence of the day.

The Capitol building was declared secure at 8:00 pm, and the Senate reconvened at 8:06 pm, the House at 9:00 pm. The electoral vote count lasted into the early hours of the morning and at 3:24 am on January 7th, Joe Biden was declared winner of the 2020 U.S presidential election. 

During the attempted coup, there was notable silence from Trump. He posted a video at 4:17 pm on Twitter telling the rioters that they were “very special people” but they had to go home. At 6:01, he tweeted, "[t]hese are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!". Other than his tweets, he did not send any other messages and was reportedly hard to reach. His Facebook and Instagram accounts were permanently suspended on Jan. 6th, and his Twitter account was permanently suspended two days later for violating terms and conditions and encouraging violence. 

On the evening of January 6th, CBS News reported that the Cabinet had begun to consider invoking the 25th amendment. The 25th amendment allows the Vice President  (through a majority within the Cabinet secretaries) to remove the President.. It is mostly used under situations in which the President has medical issues that make them unfit to serve, but can be used in other scenarios. Congresspeople began to pressure Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th. He said he would not, so the House Rules Committee met on January 9th to vote on a non-binding resolution to tell Pence to invoke the 25th. He restated his stance. On January 11th, Representatives David Cicillian, Jamie Raskin, and Ted Lieu introduced an article of impeachment against Trump, charging him with Incitement of Insurrection. It was passed and on January 13th, Donald Trump was impeached for the second time. However, he has not been convicted in a Senate trial and therefore, cannot be not removed from office. 

These are certainly troubling times, and the violence of January 6th hase shaken us all. Despite this, change can and will be made, starting with you. Every person in this community has the power to make the change they wish to see in the world, however small or insignificant it may seem. That is the beauty and power of democracy and we must fight to uphold it.

CoronaVirus Vaccine Update

Alyssa Santos

Lead infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci seemed very optimistic this week, as his plans for vaccinating the country are under way. With President Joe Biden aiming for 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days in office, when speaking with the Associated Press Dr. Fauci regarded this goal as “a very realistic, important, achievable goal.” He also mentioned that in order to achieve “herd immunity”, which is when enough people are protected from the virus that it is difficult to spread, 280 million Americans would need to be vaccinated. He hopes to reach this number by next fall, and is looking forward to this implementation. Claiming the lives of upwards of 356,000 Americans, the CoronaVirus has not been easy to tackle, but Fauci is hopeful that by next fall “you could start thinking about returning to some degree of normality.” 

Many states’ governors are already thinking about how to make good use of all the vaccines provided. The Trump Administration’s attempt at vaccinating 20 million people fell short as some states were unable to get to everybody, thus, many vaccines were going to waste. Governors are thinking of fining those who are not moving quickly enough, and others are wanting to aid dispensaries by allowing them to vaccinate non-prioritized citizens if there is a danger of vaccines going to waste. Lastly, in regards to the newer, more contagious, variety of covid, Fauci said that he and his team are “going to follow it very carefully.” He also mentioned that it is not the dominant version of the virus, and still recommends that Americans keep following the same protocol as before. 

Source: PBS NewsHour

Is there a difference between Equality and Justice?

Varsha Ashokraja

If you would have asked me this question a few years ago, I would have said  no. However, times have changed, and 2020 has brought me more context. All the racial inequalities that took place illustrated an image of two worlds: one fighting for equality and one fighting for rights for people of color. People need to have the same goal on this matter. We need to be a united country fighting for the freedom of everyone. 

Equality is something we'll never achieve because we are too self-centered to look outside our imaginary world. We are all too different to be similar. One person could have it all while another could be poor as dirt. We have different personalities, traits, and thoughts. If we achieved equality by crushing everyone else’s opinions, no one would have  morals anymore. During the Civil War, our country fought for equality and the end of slavely, we set Black men and women free, but  killed many in the name of equality, not justice. If the Civil War wasn’t viewed as a fight for equality, but instead a fight for the future, I think many would have accepted others, despite gender or race. To this day, people still think less of others based on the color of their skin.

However, justice is something we can achieve as a country. I believe that justice is doing the right thing even when times are tough. Justice isn't someone sitting in court dictating who's guilty and who's innocent. Justice is freedom, courage, and accepting people for who they are. For justice to be justice, it needs to come from the heart, not the mind. Justice is fueled by the heart, equality is fueled by the mind. 

Have you ever noticed that in pageants, every contestant wants world peace, equality, and freedom? By fighting for what they propose, we could create a utopia. But don't you know every utopia is really a dystopia? We are human because we have flaws and imperfections, personalities, and love. We can achieve world peace if everyone just thought about the true meaning of justice. 

We all have justice deep inside us, we just need to think before we take action. To answer the question posed earlier: equality is equalness and fairness, justice is doing the right thing. We can't have true equality without everyone having justice within them first. When the world understands that, people won't discriminate, because they're doing what's right, and that feeling is better than the taste of revenge. 

Who Is Jimmy?

The History Behind an Infamous Topping

Alexa Solomon, EIC

How do you choose to order those colorful sugary confections atop your ice cream? Jimmies, sprinkles, and nonpareils are just a few of the names used to describe the rainbow deliciousness featured in the image above. As a Massachusetts native, I have always been curious about why my family and friends refer to these toppings as “jimmies”, so I decided to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the name to find out once and for all, who is Jimmy?

An Origin Story?

Many believe that the term "jimmies" originated in our very own city of Boston. The story behind the name is as follows: jimmies are named after Einar “Jimmy” Gustafon, the young cancer patient who created the fundraising program, The Jimmy Fund. The Jimmy Fund used to be the official charity of the Boston Red Sox. At games, ice cream stands would donate to the fund if you chose to buy sprinkles for your ice cream, hence taking on the nickname "jimmies". To my surprise, jimmies is as widely used in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and even Tennessee as it is in Boston. This information helps to debunk this myth, despite how sweet it is (no pun intended)! To this day, there are still ice cream parlors in Massachusetts who donate their sprinkle proceeds to The Jimmy Fund. 

Taking a Dark Turn

A short poll I conducted among my friends determined that jimmies may be synonymous with chocolate sprinkles rather than rainbow, bringing up a second and more sinister origin of jimmies. Were chocolate jimmies named after Jim Crow laws? This racist wives’ tale was proved to be incorrect by a multitude of mythbusters, yet some still choose to refrain from using the nickname, resorting to the more PC sprinkles instead. 

Brooklyn-based company “Just Born”, famously known for their Peeps, is widely credited with creating the chocolate topping in the 1930’s and naming it Jimmies. A representative of the company still holds this claim true, attributing the name to Jimmy Bartholomew, the employee who worked the machine that manufactured them. However, with further research it was discovered that Just Born wasn’t the first to create this confection. Newspaper archives advertise “chocolate sprinkles” as early as the mid 1920’s. Yet, references to chocolate jimmies didn’t show regularly until WWII in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

The debate of the origin of jimmies is far from over, but we can take comfort in knowing that the term is used across the country. Jimmies fan or not, the popular topping is here to stay. 

The COVID College Experience

Navigating College Applications and Acceptances During a Pandemic

Alexa Solomon, EIC

As a senior graduating in the second year of a world-wide pandemic, my thoughts are constantly scattered all over the place. Which schools will I get accepted into? Will my freshman year be completely virtual? When will everything return to normal already? Eager to discover the answer to these questions and hopefully relieve myself of some of my stress, I decided to write an article that will hopefully help other seniors (and juniors) as we discover what fate holds for the 2021-2022 school year. After gathering answers from admissions officers, deans, and more, I have created a Q&A filled with helpful tips, advice, and information about applying to college this year. 

Q: What are some things to keep in mind when selecting a college to apply to (or attend)?

A: Last year, hundreds of colleges and universities had to accept applicants on their waitlist due to a lack of first-year deposits. This was due to many students deciding to attend a college closer to home, just in case there was a medical emergency. Although I often consider applying across the country to escape my home life, applying closer to home may make more sense for pandemic and financial reasons. If the campus is closed, I won’t have to book an emergency flight back to Natick. I’ll also save money by commuting from home. 

Q: What’s the deal with standardized testing? 

A: Many students this year had their standardized test dates cancelled, including myself. Taking the cancellations and the pandemic into consideration, hundreds of schools have decided to make these tests optional for the class of 2021. Are you at a disadvantage if you chose not to submit your test score? Some schools take test scores into account for merit scholarships and honor programs, but "test optional" really does mean test optional. Colleges will understand if you didn’t have a chance to take the test, and there’s even a place to talk about this on the common app. If you did have a chance to take the test, submitting your scores could help to separate you from other applicants.

Q:  What about college visits and demonstrated interest?

A:  Colleges also know that due to travel restrictions, students may not have been able to visit the schools they planned to visit. College visits, despite the current pandemic, have always been an equity issue. Many students may not be able to travel due to funds or their demanding schedules, so schools will take this into consideration. Instead of visits, many schools are offering online information sessions, virtual tours, and Q&A sessions. These are a great way to establish interest in schools! Social media is another resource for gaining information about a school, and something you can talk about in a supplemental essay.

As for college admissions representatives visiting the high school, most of these visits have gone virtual. Staying in touch with your admissions counselor through email is still very important and you should consider reaching out to them with any questions or concerns.

Q: And the college application process itself?

A: This year is the first year the Common Application has included an additional section to talk about personal pandemic experiences. This is an optional section to fill out of course, but it may be a beneficial spot for you to speak about how the pandemic has affected you directly. If your test date got cancelled, you had to take care of a family member, you had to work more hours at your job, or you even took up an influential new hobby, you should take advantage of this section. 

Q: What does financial aid look like?

A: Businesses, corporations, and schools alike suffered a big blow this past year due to COVID and have continued to struggle financially. The costs of remote learning and training, technological shifts, and more have cost schools critically important funds. As a result, there is a possibility that less scholarship money will be available to the entering class of 2021. Financial scholarships are also usually on a first come first serve basis, so once the money is divided up, the school runs dry. Of course, this may not be the case for every college in the country, and there is still a good chance that scholarships based on both financial aid and merit will be awarded.

Q: How will the pandemic affect my acceptances?

A: Unfortunately, there’s not enough data yet to make observations about college acceptances this year. Last year, as mentioned above, many waitlisted students were accepted due to COVID and international students couldn’t enroll in the United States. Additionally, many students from the class of 2020 have decided to defer in hopes that next year would become more “normal”. How will these factors affect your admission decision? It’s too soon to tell. 

Q: Any advice for current juniors looking to apply for college next year?

A: All of the information above may be helpful to juniors as they navigate through the college application process and select schools to apply to. My advice? Take advantage of online sessions offered by your schools of interest. This will help you learn more about the school and show demonstrated interest. Follow the schools and their admissions account on social media. Often, students will do “take overs” and you have the chance to ask them about their experiences at school. Consider who you want to ask for letters of recommendation from and continue to connect with them, even virtually. Try to find ways to stay involved with clubs and other organizations to stack onto your activities list. Knowing that leadership positions may look different virtually, seek out opportunities to be a leader and separate yourself from other applicants in unique ways. And most important of all, get started as soon as possible. I regret not getting started on my college application process earlier my junior year. Take the summer to write supplements and begin to have your parents fill out financial aid forms. Don’t stress! If you get started now, all of your work will come easier and less overwhelming later.

Five Habits to Improve Your 2021

Julie Evers

Individually we have little control over the world and particularly right now with so many worrisome headlines, we more than ever want to help. While we have such little control over our world, we have a great deal of control of our own lives. With 2021 just beginning we can create personal goals to improve. “New year, new me” is such an overused phrase we can lose sight of why people say it. The new year calls us to reflect upon ourselves as we symbolically enter a new beginning, a rebirth. We should take advantage of this fresh start by developing healthy habits which will benefit our lives and hopefully take our minds off of the problems of the world. I have compiled a list of five habits that will improve your 2021.

#1: Make your bed

Admiral William H. McRaven wrote a book called Make Your Bed, which talks about ten principles he learned while in the Navy Seals. Admittedly I’ve only read the first chapter where he talks about his first principle, but that lesson alone can change a life. The Admiral says that while training as a Navy Seals the first thing he had to do after waking up was make his bed. The instructor would check everyone's bed for perfection. McRaven started each day with one task he completed well, one thing he could be proud of. This productive start to his day would set him up to complete more tasks well throughout his day. McRaven also mentions that in tough times making his bed kept some consistency in his life, so getting in the habit of doing one thing well at the start of every day now can help you too in the long run too.

#2: Become more confident

Confidence is such an important characteristic to attain. Confidence reduces anxiety and self doubt and motivates people to take action. People with self-confidence have been found to score higher in school, as well. It takes time and courage to improve your self-confidence, but is well worth it. Zen Habits’ article “25 Killer Actions to Boost Your Self-Confidence” gives some good tips including dress nicely, stand tall, and imagine negative thoughts as bugs and mentally squashing them when you have one. Entrepreneur also has some notable tips in their article “10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence” including “visualize yourself as you want to be” and “question your inner critic.” If you are feeling as though you want to completely get out of your comfort zone, I recommend the 100 days of rejection challenge Entrepreneur mentions. This challenge requires you to ask someone an appropriate question you know you’ll receive a negative response to everyday for 100 days. An example of a question that could be asked is asking if there are free refills for food at a restaurant. We often don’t ask what we want in fear of rejection. This challenge desensitizes us to the shame of rejection and will allow us to be confident enough to ask for what we really want in life.

#3: Separate your work and rest environments

The pandemic has limited the amount of spaces in which to work. Libraries are closed for studying, schools don't allow students to stay after, and studying in cafes is risky. And while these are all great options for places to study in the future, we must make due with what we have available at the moment and for most people that means your homes. It is so tempting to work in your bed while at home because of how cozy and convenient it is, but taking the time to get out of bed and work at a different spot can be very beneficial. Defining an area in your living space where you work and another area where you rest will wire your mind to variously focus and relax depending on your setting. This will improve both your productivity and sleep quality. Doing this may be harder for some people than others depending on the resources and quiet spaces that are available in their living space, but with some creativity this can be achieved by many. Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist, took separating her work and rest environments very seriously. She went as far as renting hotel and motel rooms to work in instead of her home, where she would relax. We should take her accomplishments as a testament to the power of separating your spaces.

#4: Sleep more

Getting a good night's sleep has so many benefits it's mind boggling! On average, it's recommended that teens should get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Getting enough sleep reduces stress and blood pressure, and improves memory, productivity, the immune system, and your mood. For some it may be hard to fall asleep, so some tips to make it easier are practice yoga before bed, lower the temperature of your room, and avoid checking your phone and clock. As I mentioned before, by not working in your bed your mind will feel more relaxed which will help you fall asleep as well.

#5: Drink more water

Drinking enough water is so important. “Enough” means about 2 to 3 quarts of water per day for teens (8-12 cups). Drinking enough water will be an energizer, prevent headaches, normalize blood pressure, cushion joints, and help digestion. This does not mean chug a gallon before bed, though! Drinking a lot, quickly does not reap any of the benefits of a paced water intake. Spreading out your water consumption will allow your body time to process the water and hydrate itself, but when you gulp water, the water will leave your system sooner and therefore you won’t gain the benefits of drinking it. I recommend getting a water bottle with time markers so you can pace your water consumption throughout the day.

Let’s Talk About Stress 

Alexa Solomon, EIC

This school year looks far different than those from the past, and undoubtedly student behavior has changed to match it. The amount of stressed, nervous, and procrastinating students is at an all time high! Speaking from experience, the hybrid and remote learning models have been difficult to adjust to, and I often find myself drowned in work that seems impossible to complete. 

Last month, Peer Advocates hosted a student discussion on managing stress. This discussion was incredibly valuable for both students and staff who were able to share their experiences with learning this year in an effort to make the most of their academic year. Concerns of lack of order and support, not knowing what assignments are due and when, and overall constant feelings of exhaustion, were expressed during the discussion. I helped to create a handout on taking control of your stress, which I will include below. Hopefully this is beneficial for finding ways to grab your stress by the horns and perform your best as a student at Natick High.

Remember, everyone at Natick High values your well-being. Your mental health comes before school work, always. Take some time to practice self care and stress relief techniques as we dive into the second semester of the school year. 

Click this to access the presentation and it’s active links:  https://create.piktochart.com/output/51180704-my-visual