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Edition 1: https://sites.google.com/wasdpa.org/bluetornado/home
Edition 2: https://sites.google.com/wasdpa.org/thebluetornado-2ndedition/home
Covid-19, Wrecking the Important Years
By Jamison Bowie, Class of 2023
High school seniors and college freshmen are missing some of the most important things for them at these times. They are also missing out on the events that they have looked forward to for their entire school life. High school seniors are missing out on prom,graduation, time with friends, parties, sports, and many other events, while college freshmen are having to deal with these changes that they weren’t expecting to happen, they wanted parties, late nights out with friends but now they just go through the day one awkward step at a time.
Different schools are coming up with different plans of approach to this new challenging situation. Schools close by such as Carlisle High School were exploring other options such as a postponed graduation or a graduation at a drive-in theater were the students would stay in their cars or other vehicles, the problem is some students are involved in things such as Army War College children, which is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, that some kids choose to go to and they don’t have enough of a break after graduation. and wouldn’t be able to wait until a later date, and drive-ins are considered non-essential so they were closed.
April Hanosek, a mother of five kids, one having just graduated high school (Tyler Hanosek) and another just starting college (Ethan Hanosek), said that these are probably some of the worst times of their lives. She stated that “One of my sons was a senior last year. He missed everything that is special about being a senior. He missed his last track and field season. He missed prom and senior class activities. No one was able to attend his graduation. It was very disappointing for him.“
When it comes to her college son she said this “Ethan had some hard decisions to make about his college attendance. All of his classes are online so he had to decide if he should stay home or pay for a dorm room. He decided the expense was worth it to stay on campus if he would have some social interaction.” It is awful that people who have been looking forward to the experience of being a high school senior and starting college have gotten almost none of what they were waiting for.
“I now have to make sure I always have a mask with me to enter places. It’s become a part of my routine like bringing my wallet or keys” stated BYU college freshman Ethan Hanosek. He also said “I like that school is online for college because I can rewatch the recordings instead of having to take super detailed notes.” He has missed out on meeting some new people since his college cancelled all intramural sports and in-person clubs. He is very upset about not being able to attend BYU football games since they had an amazing season.
Tyler Hanosek was a senior at WASHS last year and missed both prom and his family being there in person for his graduation ceremony. He misses feeling free to do what he wants, he misses being able to go up and talk to people without worry. However he does like that it seems easier to connect with family that’s across the country or the world through apps like Zoom. He also missed his final track season, and a normal mission for his church. He feels that the pandemic has changed him for the better in the end, he said “I’ve learned to go with the flow and make the best out of the worst. Lifes all about perspective and you can make anything seem terrible or awesome. Lifes what you make it.”
Steve Pappas the principal at Waynesboro Area Senior High School he has had somewhat of a weird time during this pandemic. When asked about how the pandemic has affected the way he makes decisions he stated that “He needs to have a wider scope and that one decision could affect everything.” Also he said ”Sporting events were such a big thing, they helped build up the community, helped to bring people together, and that it has a great place for all of the students to get together with their friends.” He also thinks that the effects could go away tomorrow or could last a decade.
Current high school senior Dylan Weller misses being able to sit down and eat at a dine-in restaurant with friends. He said “My mom at the start of the pandemic was really paranoid on where and what I was doing. So I had to basically beg to go somewhere with friends.” Dylan Weller missed his junior year track season, this time of the year is when he could do what he loved, running with friends and letting stress disappear from his mind. At the start of the pandemic he was also cooped up alot in his house and this really impacted his mental health and his wellbeing. This year Dylan had to decide if he wanted to go cyber or be in person and students and kids shouldn’t have to choose between the medical safety of them and their family and being able to enjoy time with their friends, “I had to decide if I wanted to go cyber my senior year or not. I decided not to because it’s senior year and I wanted to be with my friends.”
Waynesboro Students Take On New Virtual Snow Days
By Hannah Lohman, sophomore
This school year has been a rollercoaster of emotion. From in school to virtual learning everyone seems to have their own opinion, especially when it comes to virtual snow days. For a couple months now the decision had been made to convert regular snow days to virtual snow days. Of which has taken a toll on students and staff at WASHS. “They were confusing and a little bit annoying at first but i’m getting used to them” said a WASHS student.
The biggest question about the virtual snow days is why we started to have them. In an interview with the superintendent it was said that “Snow days push back graduation and extend the school year.” So it was decided that to save time and keep on schedule, virtual snow days were the next best thing. Dr.Kline also said that the district is “...trying to do what’s best for the students.”
One question that the superintendent had was what the students and faculty thought of the virtual snow days. For the most part students and staff tend to like the virtual snow days because it “saves them days in the summer” said a student at WASHS. The virtual snow days are liked upon many but they have also been a factor in curriculum changes. “I had to modify plans to make sure they could work online. For example, I had to have students act out Romeo and Juliet from home. I had to think quickly because we didn’t always have notice of the snow days and make adjustments to my lessons.” said Mrs.Ruzicka, a teacher at WASHS.
Not only have the virtual snow days affected students and staff at WASHS but it has affected those outside of the school. Parents have also been affected by the change to virtual snow days. “The change to virtual snow days really made an effect on my children and household, I had to accommodate my kids new schedule and it was very hard trying to find a sitter for my kids while I was at work… there have been days that I had to take off work because of the inconvenience.” said a parent in the community. While some parents were affected negatively by the switch others had a different perspective. “I wasn’t really affected by them. My kids are all old enough to be home alone and fend for themselves.” said a parent of a WASHS student.
Among the many positives of virtual snow days there are also some negatives. Some students and teachers have shared that the biggest negative is not having the leisure of a regular snow day. With virtual snow days students can lose the sort of “mental health day” said Mrs.Ruzicka. On the bright side of things Dr.Kline shared that the administration is looking to still keep some regular snow days throughout upcoming school years.
How Covid-19 Has Had on Our School and Town
How Covid-19 Has Had on Our School and Town
By Rylie Baker, Junior
By Rylie Baker, Junior
Multiple new strains of the Corona Virus have started popping up in the U.S. As of the eighth of February, there were three new, known strains in the U.S. alone. A huge impact was made when the original strand of Corona Virus first appeared in America, but how will these new strains affect us now?
What will happen if these new strains reach our state or even our town of Waynesboro? Would there be another shutdown? More mask-wearing? More isolation? Or would there be a cure by then? The truth is, no one knows. Most experts assume that there will be no cure and we will eventually just build immunity, similar to the flu. As Melanie Bitner said when speaking about the issue, “Only time will tell.”
When asked if our town was following the CDC guidelines, multiple sources said, “Absolutely not.” We all know how our town reacted during the first lockdown, but how would Waynesboro if there were a second? Tricia Fleming says that people are going to continue doing the same and “People who wear masks are going to keep wearing masks and people who don’t wear masks will continue not wearing masks.”
Other than those at major risk, the group of individuals most affected by the Corona Virus was our students. Some parents and teachers even reported that their students were struggling with more anxiety and depression issues. Kim Rowe, a mother of two daughters at WASHS, expressed that her students struggled with not having any structure or routine, as well as not being able to get out much. Emily Kilkup, a student in the area, claimed that her grades have dropped and that she hasn’t “genuinely learned in a while.” Kilkup also said that she has been majorly affected because of all of the missed opportunities with her school work, classes, and clubs, her mental health has worsened, and she has worsened academically. Tricia Fleming reported that March of 2020, was the time that students were struggling the most in their classes. Since then, classes, grades, and the well being of students has dramatically improved. However, students are still struggling. When exposed to another student in school one is put into quarantine by the school. Most teachers are trying their best, but the distance between the students and teachers makes it hard for the students to actually learn.
According to the CDC, the three new strands are known as Covid-19 B.1.1.7, Covid-19 B.1.351, and Covid-19 P. The Covid-19 B.1.1.7 mutation was originally seen in the United Kingdom. It has been known to spread more easily and may be linked to higher death rates. This mutation was found in the U.S. in December of 2020. Covid-19 B.1.351 originates from South Africa. It’s similar to the U.K.’s mutation, however, it developed separately. This strain was seen in the United States at the end of January this year. Covid-19 P. first popped up in Brazil from travelers that had recently visited Japan. There then was a set of mutations that came along with Covid-19 P and a variant of Covid-19 P. was spotted in the U.S. in January of this year.
Railroad Engineering
By Josh Darner, senior
Being a railroad engineer is a lot of work. There are many roles of an engineer and a conductor and they are important in the railroading industry. I interviewed an engineer named Anthony Thorne and he works for BNSF corporation. He has been working for about 10 years and knows a lot about being an engineer. When you are a engineer, you have a few roles when you are on the move. You are the driver of the train which means you drive the train to and from its scheduled location. You are in charge of taking it to its scheduled destination on time and try not to have any delays. You cannot leave the cab at all unless you get the train to its destination and the end of the work time, or for an emergency like you have to bail from the engine possibly tipping over. It is a little tricky being an engineer at first for the few months but you get used to it the more and more you're in the cab. It is a lot of fun working in the cab when you get used to it because it's an exciting job. Every 30 seconds though an alarm goes off to make sure you're not falling asleep and if you don’t press it, then the whole train will go into emergency which applies the emergency brake. I haven’t don't that which is good and it keeps your eyes open. I have been working at BNSF for about a decade and it's really fun when you work for awhile. If you ever want to consider joining the railroad, you won't be disappointed.
After Interviewing Anthony, I got in touch with Brett Johnson which is a conductor that works for BNSF but different routes. Being a conductor is also fun but it is more work. You are the boss of the train and you're in charge of whatever happens while on the train. You are also taught how to drive the train just in case if something would happen to the engineer. You have to walk up and down the train to make sure there are no possible threats to the train while you’re on the move. Although a lot more people would rather be a conductor because you get more exercise and it's easier for some of them. While the engineer or driver sits in the cab all the time, you are walking up and down the train and switching cars. I also would suggest working for the railroad because it is really fun but don't cause something like Dewey in the movie Unstoppable which he exited the cab and the train ran away. He was immediately fired and only can work in the fast food industry because no one would hire him. But you have to do a bit of paperwork concerning the whole train to make sure you’re not carrying a wrong piece of cargo. I do consider working for the railroad because it is a lot of fun when you get used to it.
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