After three community forums during this school year, a consensus on the phone policy has still not been reached. There have been months of conversations with students, parents, faculty, and the community with no new proposed plan in our student handbook. However, Dr. Aaron Cinqenmani would rather have Woodstock Union High School and Middle School focus more on procedures. This would be enforcing the current plan where all cellular devices and bluetooth devices are stored during the 55 minute class blocks. These devices may be used during the five minute passing periods as well as ARE time. 

However, if this plan is not correctly applied, then there would be a plan where all cellular devices are stored in Yondr pouches. As students arrive, they would would place their phones in one of the pouches, which would magnetically lock. To be able to use cellular devices, students would step outside of the phone free zone and tap the lock against an unlocking base. These pouches range between $25 to $30 per student. As the Mountain Views Supervisory Union’s budget is already at capacity, then how will they acquire these pouches? Programs and teachers are already being cut out of the proposed budget. As well as, there are not enough funds or an appeal for them. 

Although, the community has been fundraising for them as problems began to surface outside of the school building with phones. Cinqenmani said, “We have $6,000 so far, which was donated by local people and parents, as well as grants. Then every parent either approved consent or denied consent for the UNC cell phone survey had a choice of either donating five dollars to our school…I think we made just under $1,000 alone.” If the planned procedures are not followed or enforced by faculty and students then we will result in not being allowed to use them during school hours.

We are one of the few school districts that have not implemented a strict phone policy. This privilege that we have been given is about to be taken away if students are unable to limit themselves to use outside of class time. Woodstock students have been given the responsibility to both choose to follow these rules as well as to decide what will happen in the future. Dr. Cinqenmani added, “I just want students to grab the reins on this. You all get to decide what happens next.” He also metaphorized these procedures to be “our student citizens can follow the speed limit…That is all we are asking.”

Gaming critics and journals have existed for decades. Companies like IGN, PC Gamer, Game Rant, etc. have been around for years, and articles about video games have been written since as early as 1982. Like every medium of entertainment, gaming has a plethora of professional critics and people who get paid to write out their opinions on any particular game. This helps folks decide what they might play next, and if a game is worth their time and/or money. But should you listen to these people? Can you trust a large company for good takes on games? 

Let’s take a look at IGN, which is one of the largest gaming news companies out there. IGN was founded in 1996 by Jonathan Simpson-Bint, and the letters IGN stand for “Imagine Games Network”. They ran five different websites that covered a few different topics in gaming. These sites were N64.com, PSXPower, Saturnworld, Next-Generation.com, and Ultra Game Players Online. N64.com was later renamed ign64.com, but the others stayed the same for their lifespan. IGN later branched out and acquired a few fan sites like GameFaqs and Sega-Saturn.com. They grew quickly and their news and reviews got them a place on PC Magazine’s list of the top 100 websites in 1999. By 2005 they reportedly had 24,000,000 individual users every month, and they were sold the same year to the gigantic multimedia corporation called News Corporation for $650 million dollars. By this time IGN was very well known in gaming spaces, and only kept growing and adding more sites to itself. It even owned Rotten Tomatoes in 2004, but did sell the site to Flixter in 2010. Today they own many websites, with some of these sites reporting on news (video game news, movie news, TV show news) and reviewing things, and other sites like HumbleBundle.com even selling games. Clearly IGN has a lot of experience as a journal, and has grown exponentially since 1996. Remember that they are a corporation first. They may have interests that affect the biases of their reviews. 

One of the biggest issues with gaming reviews from big companies is the fact that they do not want to give low scores. If you give a game a low score (say anything below a 6/10) then you risk not receiving support from the company that made the game. Game reviewers are always trying to receive the earliest copy of the game possible so that they can be the first to make an article about it. Getting there first will mean you get lots of attention. However, if you often post negative content, then the large corporations making games will not want to send you early stuff, because you will not promote it and make people interested in the game. This is doubly bad for IGN because they make significant money from commissions. They place links on their websites to products on sites like Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, or Gamestop.com, and get a portion of the money every time someone buys something from that link. If you are a bit too negative, fewer people will be willing to buy the game, which means no one will want to visit your link to get the game. This mostly happens with larger AAA games from folks like Sony, Rockstar, Ubisoft, Activision, etc. Indie game reviews are sometimes more accurate because the reviewing corporation does not face a lot of risk if the game isn’t very good. But then again, most big companies will only review the popular indie games. 

Another issue is that gaming reviews have a deadline, and to reach this deadline reviewers will do anything to speed up the process of beating the game. When IGN reviewed Metal Gear Solid V: A Phantom Pain, the reviewer who played it used the chicken hat the whole time, which is an item that makes enemies almost never notice you. This makes the game so easy it arguably ruins part of the experience. They still gave the game a 10/10, but they hardly played it. Of course there is also the pitfall of only having one reviewer review something. Many journals like IGN, Game Rant, PC Gamer, and more only have one person play the game and review it. This means you only get one take from that website, and that take might be bad because the reviewer is biased in some way for or against the game. Many sites take money from publishers for advertising, so the review isn’t accurate. On top of that, these reviewers do not want to give the game a negative rating, because they might lose support from the developers/publishers and stop receiving free stuff. These types of problems lead to sites like IGN being untrustworthy and not reliable for unbiased reviews of video games. So if not IGN, who can you trust?

The best official critics are Metacritic and OpenCritic. Metacritic compiles critics' opinions and averages the scores out of 100, meaning that the game is fairly reviewed by a diverse selection of people with diverse interests. They also allow for normal users to give their thoughts in another score called the User Score, which gives you an idea of what most people think. OpenCritic takes reviews from websites like IGN, GamesRadar, and PC Gamer and averages those scores to give you the critic score. They also have their own user score called Player Rating. These two sites are great, but it is often even better to find Youtube videos and Reddit posts to gauge general opinions from hundreds of people. 

Overall IGN and sites like it are fine for big gaming news and guides for games, but take their reviews with a grain of salt. Even sites like Metacritic and OpenCritic have their faults, so look around for the Reddit posts and videos that are not biased by money or time. You can find many good Youtube reviewers that are willing to provide an honest opinion on the game. Given that new AAA big titles are usually $60-$70, you should always do a little research before buying the next big title. Make sure your sources of info are reliable, and hopefully you enjoy your next purchase.

On January 30, 2025, civil rights activists formed a protest around the headquarters of a Target located in Minneapolis, Minnesota to call for a boycott due to its corporate decision to move away from diversity programs.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer and founder of the racial justice network, joined all of the other activists to help out. Nekima attended a news conference to support and encourage people to come out and boycott Target with them.

Armstrong also stated she was “stunned” that Target had done this, because Target, who raised their diverse workforce back in 2020, after the killing of George Floyd, now backs away from their support of racial diversity.

Nekima also stated, “We thought that they would hold the line. We thought that they would continue to stand for the values that we all hold dear.” She also said that Target had not tried to reach out to her or any other local black leaders, which shocked her.

People involved in the movement have been cutting up their “Target charge card” and are beginning to shop at other similar places like Costco. Black-owned businesses who sell their products in Target have also expressed much concern about what Target has been doing and want to boycott, but are worried about if their products will be taken out of Target, which would ruin their businesses.

According to the app “Goods Unite US,” people are beginning to make their voices heard. The app gives users an option to select if you support what Target is doing and a boycott option to show that you do not support what they are doing. The results say 2,890 people are not with Target and do not support them, while only 436 people stand with Target and understand what they are doing. 

One person who does not stand with what Target's decision to change its diversity policy is Jamal Bryant, a pastor at New Birth Cathedral Church in Georgia. Jamal stated that he wants 100,000 people to join him in a “40 day fast” from Target. Jamal stated that Black people spend around $800 million dollars per month at Target. Bryant says, "Target, you got 40 days to pull it together, because you made a commitment after the death of George Floyd...you are reneging on the financial commitment you made to our people. You got 40 days before we shut all of it down." This call to action expresses the shock and pain that Dr. Bryant, and many others have for Target right now.

Sources: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

On the evening of Saturday, November 25th, suspect Jason Eaton shot at three Palestinian college students who were walking on North Prospect Street in Burlington. Two of the victims were found injured at the location where they were shot, and another a short distance from the scene. Thankfully, all three victims survived with one sustaining a severe injury. These victims were Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmad, students from Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College, respectively. 

It is suspected that this was a hate-motivated crime, as the three students were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves and speaking a mix of English and Arabic when on their walk. “Due to the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate and violence we have witnessed in recent weeks, local, state and national law enforcement authorities must investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting of these three young men,” said CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations) National Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement. 

On Sunday at 3:38pm, police detained the suspect and were granted a search warrant of the suspect’s house where the shooting took place. Eaton has currently been charged with three counts of attempted murder and has pleaded not guilty. The victims' families asked investigators to treat this as a hate crime, but authorities haven’t determined whether Eaton will be charged as such. 

The three victims were hospitalized, including Hisham Awartani who was shot in the spine and is now paralyzed from the chest down. His family has started a Go-Fund-Me to help support Awartani. The other two victims have since been released from the hospital, but had upper torso and lower extremities wounds. 

The families of the victims have since said that all three men are stable and will heal with time. A total of $15 million has been donated to Awatani’s Go-Fund-Me and the family has said once all the hospital and rehabilitation bills have been paid, they’re going to donate the rest to other people with spinal cord injuries. 

My home town of Haute-Savoie is the 74th French department. It is located in the middle east of France and is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has a total area of 1,694 square miles and a total population of 835,206 people. Its prefecture (capital) is Annecy. Annecy is the largest town of Haute-Savoie and my personal favorite. Its population was 131,766 people in 2020. I grew up in a small village next to Annecy, but I spent a lot of time in this town. You can find countless things to do in Annecy: shopping, bike riding, hiking, swimming in the lake, etc. We also have a lot of good restaurants with many food specialties that you can only find in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, such as tartiflette, fondue and raclette. They are all made with cheese, but three different and specific cheeses: reblochon, gruyère and raclette. We obviously have traditional French products like wine, charcuterie and even home-made ice cream. Annecy is a very touristic town as well. There are many souvenir boutiques with special products such as mugs, key rings, and stuffy toys. Our proximity with The Alps offers us a large choice of activities during all seasons, which is what I love about this region. We have pretty hikes in the summer and spring and we can ski in the winter. I can’t count how many ski resorts we have in the region, but if I had to list my favorites I would say la Clusaz, le Grand-Bornand and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. However, some of them are really expensive, especially if you go closer to the Swiss Alps, but skiing with a view of the mountains is definitely worth it. 

There is a bit of important history associated with this region. There is a place called the Glières Plateau, which was a home to a French Resistance group named the Maquis des Glières during World War II. This is where they received British parachute drops for arms. Their aim was to fight against the Germans occupation in the area and the Glières was the perfect place because it was next to the Annecy lake. Unfortunately, their mission wasn’t successful, but their movement remains courageous to people’s minds. That’s why they built the national monument of the Resistance, created by the sculptor Emile Gilioli in 1973 in memory of the dead.

In the course of a single day, lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol managed to embarrass their institution with FOUR separate incidents on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Three of these occurred in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. 

The first of these episodes transpired in the morning when recently-ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy apparently elbowed a fellow GOP representative in the back. The details given from each party remain conflicting and still-changing, but what we do know is that the altercation was physical. McCarthy allegedly elbowed Representative Tom Burchett of Tennessee while Burchett was speaking to a reporter. The reporter believed that it was a joke, and then was shocked to find that Burchett actually chased after McCarthy to confront him.  McCarthy maintains that the contact was accidental, but both Burchett and GOP House member Matt Gaetz told the media that it was intentional. Gaetz has now filed an ethics complaint against McCarthy and has called for an "immediate and swift investigation by the Ethics Committee". In his complaint, Gaetz said that Burchett described the incident as a "sucker punch" and a "clean shot to the kidney". When learning of the complaint, McCarthy said, “Oh, good” and that, "Ethics is a good place for Gaetz to be". Interestingly, Gaetz is currently under an ongoing investigation by the Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct.

Later in the day, another Republican Representative, Derrick van Orden, exchanged heated words with Gaetz following the complaint filing. Van Orden defended McCarthy’s actions and went after Gaetz. Van Orden told NBC news that, “Speaker McCarthy was ousted because there's an immature man-child that happened to be elected to Congress from Florida,” and, "That's why he was ousted. Let's just be frank." In response, Gaetz told Newsweek, "Only in Washington is 'maturity' measured by a shameless, unabridged willingness to deficit spend while funding Joe Biden's inflation-inducing agenda. As for Congressman Van Orden, he's said far worse about me before. Maybe I'm growing on him." He also noted that Van Orden went after him due to their disagreement with McCarthy’s government spending deal with the House Democrats. Gaetz is also the House member that started the motion that removed McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

The final embarrassment caused by the House was between a GOP representative and a Democratic one over an action by the GOP member. Jared Moskowitz, the Democrat, brought up reports that GOP James Comer had loaned $200,000 to his son. This is the same thing that Comer had heavily criticized Joe Biden for doing (when he loaned money to Hunter Biden). Comer promptly denied these reports. Moskowitz inquired to the committee chair (Comer) why the American people should believe anything he says. Moskowitz stated, "There's a different rule for the president. There's a different rule for you. Why should they believe what you're saying?" Comer then resorted to playground insults and called Moskowitz a liar. Moskowitz responded, "Who's proven me a liar? You? Your word means nothing, Mr. Chairman. This seems to have gotten under your skin. I think the American people have lots of questions, Mr. Chairman, and perhaps you should sit maybe for a deposition." Comer shot back that he would be happy to sit for one, before Ranking member Jamie Raskin called for the meeting to come back to order. A representative for Comer told the press after the hearing that "Representative Moskowitz continues to spew disinformation and is attempting to distract the American people from Biden family corruption. Chairman Comer will not be deterred as he works to uncover the facts about President Biden's involvement in his family's influence peddling schemes." It is evident that Comer’s scheme to disgrace President Biden and his family does not stop him from hypocritically mirroring the President’s actions.

Finally, the incident that occurred during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing involved both a senator and a visiting union head. Senator Markwayne Mullin, who was formerly a mixed martial arts fighter, brought up and read out negative tweets about himself posted by Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, where O’Brien called the Oklahoma Senator a “clown” and a “fraud”. Mullin then proceeded to challenge O’Brien to a physical fight on the committee hearing room floor. Mullin said, "You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here. You want to do it now?" O’Brien promptly responded by nodding and telling Mullin to “stand [his] butt up”. At this point, Committee Chair Bernie Sanders stepped in and told Senator Mullin, "No, no, no, sit down. Sit down! You're a United States senator, sit down." Once Mullin was seated, Sanders followed up by saying, "If you have questions on any economic issues, anything that was said, go for it. We're not here to talk about physical abuse”.  Mullin was first invited to speak only to ask questions about the topic they were discussing. Mullin then decided the committee hearing was the perfect place to air out his dirty laundry with O’Brien. Evidently, it was also an ideal location for a physical fight proposition.

Overall, the Republican members of Congress have managed to descend the branch of government into chaos in the course of a single day. This behavior is shockingly unprofessional and honestly childish, which is something we haven’t seen in Congress since before the Civil War in 1861. I work with children ages 4-12 during the summers, and I can say confidently that none of them have ever behaved this absurdly. The fact that this behavior is coming from what is arguably the most powerful branch of government in the most influential country in the world is appalling. It raises the question as to whether or not our representatives and senators are capable of adequately running our country. This feeling is only fueled by the fact that we have been narrowly missing a government shutdown since the end of September. Can we even rely on our lawmakers anymore?

Published on March 29th, 2022, Lessons in Chemistry, written by Bonnie Garmus, eventually became Amazon’s best book of 2022 and was named top book of the year by The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and more. It hit the bestsellers list and was on it for six months and has since been sold to forty countries and as well as winning the International Book of the Year award by Barnes and Noble. In August of 2022, Apple TV shared the first few looks of the “Lessons in Chemistry” TV show that would eventually premier on October 13th, 2023, starring Brie Larson. 

Although I had no clue that this was even a book until my mom spoke about it to me. She had read the book prior to the show coming out and absolutely loved it. A few weeks later in my AP Language & Composition class, we were introduced to piles of books to choose from to read for a class assignment. I saw Lessons in Chemistry on the table and, after hearing lots of positive remarks about it from people in my class, I decided to put it as my first choice. I was excited to learn that I was one of the few people chosen to read it for class, and was even more excited when prompted by my mom to read it and then watch the show with her. After reading a solid 70 pages, I watched the first episode. 

I personally think the adaptation was very well done. The costumes, the acting, the settings, were just exactly what I had pictured in my mind. They made it really feel like we were back in the 1950s. The only thing that really confused me about the show was how the scenes were set up. The book focuses more on the future at the beginning, and then transitions to the present. The book does bring snippets of the past and future in where it needs to be, to add context and background. The show also elongates the relationship between main character, Elizabeth Zott (played by Brie Larson in the show) and her coworker Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman). I haven’t made it too far into the book, I’m about 9 chapters in, but so far it’s incredibly fascinating and as someone who reads a lot, this is definitely an original and interesting read. The writing aspect of the book is well done, the only downside is I don’t completely understand what the characters are talking about when they’re discussing their work (being chemists). But other than those parts I thoroughly enjoy reading it. 

France hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup which began on September 8. While Les Bleus had a good group stage, winning all their matches, they found themselves facing South Africa to play the quarter-final at the Stade de France on October 15. Unfortunately, France lost by only 1 point against their opponents (28-29). While disappointment is present among all supporters, some want to rehash the match, which did not seem to be refereed correctly. The president of the FFR (French Federation of Rugby) Florian Grill himself declared on RMC (Radio Monte-Carlo): "Of course there are observations to be drawn from this match, because there are always observations to be drawn from a match. Of course, we made a report regarding the arbitration.” He then stated that no protests have been made because the match could not have been replayed anyway. 

I think it is still important to come back to the refereeing errors that were made during the match. First of all, note that five errors by referee Ben O'Keeffe were officially recognized by World Rugby, including three to the disadvantage of France. Indeed, when France got its second shot, Thomas Ramos' shot was blocked by Cheslin Kolbe. After viewing the footage, World Rugby observers judged that Kolbe had left the goal line prematurely. The French kicker should have redone this shot. Then, South Africa obtained a decisive penalty in the 68th minute, a penalty which allowed them to score 5 points and turn the match over for their side. But after viewing, World Rugby considered that Kwagga Smith's scratch on Cameron Woki was not carried out according to the rules. So the penalty should have gone to Les Bleus. A YouTube video was also released bringing together all of Ben O'Keeffe's refereeing errors including 18 forgotten penalties, two yellow cards and one red card. The damage is done, we cannot go back, we just have to accept defeat and move forward.

Our very lovable Ms. Vonada is always ready to teach in the morning. She teaches Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and AP Pre-Calculus. When I spoke with Ms. Vonada about when she realized she wanted to be a math teacher she said, “I realized in eighth grade Algebra 1. I struggled in Algebra 1. I would stay after school to try and get better and by the end of the year I got a C and I was so proud of my C, but then I thought to myself, why am I so proud of a C? Then I realized that I wanted to make other people feel good about a C.” 

When asked if she always liked math, Ms. Vonada said, “No, it was the thing that never came easy to me. It wasn't until my freshman year of college. I took a teaching program and I was put in a middle school math class and then I realized that's what I want to do.” Ms. Vonada attended Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. She said the reason she likes teaching is because of the students. “I love that it's like a new adventure every day and [I love] my colleagues. I don't always love meetings.”

When asked why she settled in Vermont from her hometown of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Ms. Vonada said, “I just never left.” What does she like about Vermont? “It’s quiet, the nature, the community, and it’s small.” 

American Sign Language (ASL) is a language that uses hand movement, facial expressions, and body movements to communicate. ASL is primarily used by those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Every country has its own version of sign language, the differences being the grammar, syntax, and the amount one uses their non-dominant hand. ASL is accepted by many highschools and colleges as a foreign language and can fulfill the academic requirements for a language. 

ASL is used with hand gestures, so it doesn’t use the same grammar structure as English.For example, in English when someone says “What’s your name?”, it’s signed “YOUR NAME WHAT?”. It uses SVO sentence structure (along with some other ones, but this is the most commonly used) which is subject, verb, object. When time is involved it becomes time, subject, verb, object. This structure is very important when using sign language to be able to sign it correctly and also interpret it. 

When learning sign language, you start by learning the basics: the alphabet and numbers. Once those are mastered, you can begin fingerspelling. Fingerspelling is when you’re using the alphabet to spell words out or using simple and beginner level hand signals. This is what beginners usually start out doing. They start learning terms like what, when, why, where, and how to use your facial expressions to answer yes or no questions. If someone asks you a question and the answer is yes, you’d sign yes while forcing your eyebrows up. Usually with “what” questions, you would lower your eyebrows. These are some of the basics that can lead to learning more complicated sequences.

I have begun learning ASL through VHS (Virtual High School). So far, we have learned about family, friends, and begun learning some food and drinks. This class  has been pretty enjoyable and educational, even though the content is starting to get harder. I am excited to be able to learn a unique language and I hope that in the future more people have the chance to learn ASL.

The Virgin Suicides is a 1993 novel written by Jeffrey Eugenides, as well as a classic 1999 film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. The novel follows the five Lisbon sisters: Bonnie, Therese, Cecilia, Mary, and Lux, who all commit suicide in the span of one year. The story is narrated by various boys - now men retelling the story - who grew up with, and loved, the Lisbon girls. Set in a sleepy 1970s Michigan suburb, the novel is a commentary on the isolation of girlhood and how suicide impacts a community. It is told in the future, after the suicides took place, and portrayed as some sort of presentation or case as to why the girls killed themselves. The Lisbons are a religious family with an overbearing mother and distant father who teaches math at the local high school. The sisters are constantly described as beautiful, mysterious, and secluded from the rest of the world, as almost dreamy, angelic forms rather than humans. We see throughout the book that the narrators really don't know the Lisbon sisters at all, but rather a romanticized and unreliable version of them. 

The first sister to die is the youngest, 13-year-old Cecilia. She is described as eccentric and weird, an outsider to just about everyone in their town. After a failed attempt of taking her own life, she is in a hospital and the doctor asks her why she did it, and her answer encapsulates the rest of the book: “Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin, he said, “What are you doing here, honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets.” And it was then Cecilia gave orally what was to be her only form of suicide note, and a useless one at that, because she was going to live: "Obviously, Doctor," she said, "you've never been a thirteen-year-old girl.” She successfully committed suicide only two weeks later at a party her family was hosting, in front of her sisters and the same group of boys narrating the book. After the death of the youngest Lisbon, the sisters become more isolated than ever. 

After a short return to school, the girls slowly convince their parents to let them go to prom, with the same boys who narrate the story. After missing curfew and getting drunk, the girls are taken out of school and communication with the outside world is heavily restricted, to the point that leaving their home is banned. It is heavily implied that Mrs. Lisbon is abusive, but since the boys don't truly know the extent of it, the reader never will either. After weeks of radio silence, the girls start dropping postcards in the boys’  mailboxes at night with seemingly random messages, or communicating through morse code with the lights through their window. The boys watch the Lisbons through a treehouse as they become ghosts of their old selves; looking malnourished and pale, the question of what is actually happening in that house is constantly asked, but never really answered. After receiving a postcard telling the boys to meet them at their house to run away together, all the boys are ready to leave their small town with the remaining Lisbons. Lux meets the boys downstairs as her sisters get ready, but the boys can tell something is wrong. Lux goes into the garage to get the car, leaving the boys to go upstairs and check on the other sisters. What they found was Bonnie hanging from the bathroom, Therese overdosing on sleeping pills, Mary's head in the oven, then Lux dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in the car she claimed they would escape in. They realize the Lisbons only invited them over to watch them die, so they would have an audience. Mary ended up living for an entire month without her sisters, but then to no one's surprise, she ended up taking pills and dying. When the ambulance was called to the Lisbon house for the last time, the sirens and lights weren't even on, because they already knew what happened. Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon sell their decaying, and definitely haunted home, and leave town permanently. Small memorials are made for the Lisbon girls and a young family buys the Lisbon house and raises children there, and the world goes on. However, the boys become forever obsessed with the mystery of the Lisbons’ suicides and arguably regress to their teen state forever. The last chapters of the novel describes how the suicides have haunted the town, and the people who knew the sisters. A common critique of the book and movie is that they glamorize suicide, but I would argue the opposite. The book is claustrophobic and honestly scary, but still an honest portrayal of what it is like to grow up as a young girl in America. It's unknowable how different the book would be if it were told from the perspectives of the Lisbons, but perhaps it is more realistic that the group of boys-turned-men took on their story and told it themselves, with the romanticization of female pain and all. The story ends with an unanswered mystery. There are the obvious assumptions, that the girls all had PTSD from Cecilia's death and didn't see a way out of their grief and abuse, but readers and the narrators alike believe there has to be more. The final passage encapsulates the men’s obsessions with the girls and the dehumanization that follows the Lisbons’ legacy.  “It didn't matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house, with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time, alone in suicide, which is deeper than death, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.”

One month into the school year and Woodstock Union High School and Middle School is already drastically different this year from last year. The WUHSMS Administration decided over the summer to change the phone policy. 

The Middle School, having different policies for phones, will not be discussed in this article. The 2022-2023 school year was a rough time, especially for teachers and administrators, due to the amount of phones being used during classes. Although there was a phone policy, it was unevenly enforced; phones were rarely taken away. Everyday was the same; students used their phones while teachers were instructing kids and then only a portion of the students would do the work that was assigned in class. It was uncommon for a teacher to take a phone away and if they did it was only for that specific class period. Threats were made to take away phones for the entire school day, but most of the time it didn’t actually happen, even though it should have. 

The changes made for phones this year are strict. Students can’t check the time, even though all of the school clocks are broken. Teachers can take away apple watches or any watch that a student might use like a phone. This year, classrooms have phone pouches and many teachers require students to put their phones in them at the beginning of class. If a teacher catches you with your phone out you have to put it in a phone pouch, but if you refuse to, then teachers report it as an incident and you get your phone taken away for the day. Although this might not sound terrible, if you have three phone incidents in one month (meaning your phone was taken away for the school day) or a major phone incident (like cyberbullying, etc.), then you have to go to what the students call “phone therapy”. Its official name is social emotional learning, where the student goes to sessions and learns about healthy phone habits. Social emotional learning administrators will work together with the student's family to make sure the student can follow the school's phone rules. 

There have been various reactions to the phone policy; some good, some bad. Eleventh-grader Graham Fox had to consider his answer, “I feel like it is a step in a good direction, but will cause some more problems as kids might rebel.” As a freshman who also experienced the middle school's phone policy, Alexis Audsley had some things to say about the new updated version for the high school. “It’s not the worst- it’s not as bad as it was for the middle school, but I should be able to use my phone in school if I need to text my parents, like in class.” 

Teachers so far have enjoyed this new improvement in the school. Samantha Decuollo, science teacher at Woodstock, has a few questions for the administration about the new policy. “I am very appreciative that our administration took time to think about a strategy to help us navigate the complexities of our relationship to our devices. I’ve found students to be very respectful so far, and I do have some questions about whether or not we’re allowed to let students listen to music with their earbuds.”

Although many community members are pretty happy with this change, Skye Cully, senior, is not, “I just feel like it’s kind of annoying. A bunch of women's clothing doesn’t have pockets so it’s just annoying to have to put it in my bag and then take it out of my bag after class. It’s not a huge issue, but I feel like it’s an unnecessary precaution because last year…we may have [had] a phone policy, but it wasn’t ever integrated or used and so I feel like its getting to be extreme because people said the phone policy last year didn’t work, but the students didn’t know about the phone policy because teachers didn’t enforce it. So if they didn’t enforce it last year obviously it’s going to make it look like it was just running rampant when it really wasn't; there was just no integration and no one did it.” 

Cody TanCreti, Assistant Principal at WUHSMS, has opposite feelings. “The phone policy is not very different from what it's been in the past. It’s more about the consistency and follow up from administration and teachers. But, yes I do like it. I think over time there will be moments where we have to revisit things and go back and say ‘this is really important that we do this’ and revisit why we started doing it.” When asked about having to confiscate phones yet, TanCreti hesitated at first. “Yes. I would say 75-80% of all incidents [last year] had some piece of a phone in them, whether it was texting a friend to go skip class, or saying rude things through text messages or social media, or skipping class or meeting up in the bathroom to do not great things. A lot of it had to do with phones.” 

When asked about the student body’s reaction to the phone policy, TanCreti said, “Super positive. I haven’t heard a single complaint from the student body yet. There was one situation where- it was mostly about airpods, that's the push back I’m getting, not really about the phones because I think kids can understand that having your phone out when your teacher’s talking isn’t usually accepted, it’s just not good to do that and kids know that. The airpod thing is getting pushed back on.” 

Tenth grade class president, Finn Costello thinks the phone policy is a little overbearing. “One time and you just get it taken away.” Costello talks about having your phone taken away with no warnings, just having to either put it in the phone pouch or be taken by the teacher. 

Although some people may not be taking the phone policy well, over the school year the phone policy will become more familiar and people will get used to it. Teachers hopefully will have an easier time controlling students and moving through the curriculum faster (especially for AP classes), this year. We’ll see if the administration of Woodstock High School can keep the phone policy going strong or if it ends up just like how it has been the past few years.

As the fall sports season comes into full swing, your Woodstock teams have been coming through with some big wins. Whether or not you make it to the home or away games, be sure to give your peers a pat on the back for their impressive sports performances so far. 

First off, a shout out to our Woodstock Football team, led by captains Josh Hough, Caden Perrault, and Meridian Bremel. All of that pre-season training wasn’t for nothing, and right off the bat the team came out with a 26-0 win against Otter Valley. Most recently, our players came home with a 26-15 win against Springfield last Friday, led by our star QB1 Asher Emery. Their record so far is 3-0 and they play D2 team Mt. Abe this Friday. Keep it up!

Our soccer teams have been pushing along. Woodstock Girls Soccer, with senior captains Sophia Nisimblat, Chloe Masillo and Leah Kunhert, have a great record at 1-1. Your Woodstock Boys Soccer captains Bode Wood, Ezra Lockhart and Zach Martsolf-Tan, lead the team with a 2-2 record. We look forward to seeing our soccer teams rack up those wins this season before playoffs!

There’s a special place in our hearts for our State Champs, the Woodstock Field Hockey team. With a 3-1 record so far, the girls are getting ready to kill the competition this season. Captains Hannah Gubbins and Gracie Laperle are seasoning the underclassmen to keep their legacy going. We hope to see our girls at UVM again this year!

Last but not least, a moment for our cross country teams. Our Girls Cross Country team got first at their last meet, and the boys are strong competitors as well. Let’s keep it up!

Be sure to keep up with the latest and greatest on the Woodstock Student Section instagram page, @wuhsstudentsection, as well as the TWIS sent out each week by Jack Boymer. Let’s pack the bleachers this Friday at the Field Hockey, Boys Soccer, and Football games. This Saturday, make sure to come out for our Girls Soccer and Cross Country teams as well. Let’s go, Woodstock!

If you’ve been attending advisories lately, you may have heard of the current buzz - Woodstock’s potential mascot name change. Woodstock's current mascot is the late ancestor of the alderfly, the wasp. Since its induction to the school over 60 years ago, the infamous wasp has become a staple in Vermont sports, and recently, the topic of a boiling hot debate regarding its controversial name.  

The history of the wasp mascot is interesting. Originally standing for Woodstock Area Sports Programs, its meaning has since evolved to encompass a broader significance. Recently, it has been associated with the acronym's alternative interpretation, referring to White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. This group is often characterized as generic white men and women who frequent country clubs, wear collared shirts, and possess significant generational wealth. 

Some can see why this may cause controversy - the name can promote an exclusive environment in which different races and economic statuses aren’t acknowledged. At the same time, others believe that history shouldn’t be upended in a fit of woke rage. To figure out if the name change is necessary, I talked with teachers and students of Woodstock Union High School.

“I don’t care. I think Wasp is a cool name for a school mascot, and you gotta be racist if you’re thinking about its alternate meaning,” said 9th grader Sam Bowdoin. 

“I’m okay with the mascot being the Wasp, but I understand how some people can be uncomfortable with it. If some are uncomfortable with it, then we should change it, but I don’t think people are actually uncomfortable with it. They just want attention,” remarked 9th-grade class president Finnbar Costello.

“So it's like, I can understand when old people look at it they'll think like, ‘oh yeah, racist acronym.’ But nowadays when people like us look at it, it’s just a wasp. Bug. Insect. Nothing about it. It's just a bug,” Nik Stewart animatedly added.

Class advisories also had the chance to input their opinions about the name change. Some points that came out of it are that the logo for the wasp is cool, and merchandise has been purchased with the logo on it. The historical value of the logo is also significant. Some negative impacts of the wasp expressed were that, through the lens of other schools, the wasp may seem racist and exclusionary without context being applied. Some people thought that Woodstock doesn’t even need a mascot because a lot of sports jerseys and equipment just have a W for Woodstock engraved on them. It’s also been pointed out that fans aren’t in the stands chanting for the Wasps, but rather just cheering on Woodstock, therefore why should we have a mascot?

It’s clear that the debate over the wasp has caused quite a stir in the Woodstock community. There’s a wide range of opinions on the matter, and we will be eagerly awaiting the final conclusion that arrives out of this heated debate in the coming months.

Due to the harmful effects of climate change, plant and animal species are dying out, but what does this mean for our pollinators? Bees and butterflies are finding it harder and harder to live in the human-infected world, and share some common enemies, such as pesticides, less protein in pollen creating a nutrition deficit, air pollution, and the destruction of habitats. What are some easy things that we as people can do to help? We can plant butterfly gardens, for one. 

The benefits of butterfly gardens are incredibly valuable in the aid of pollinators, as they provide both food, and a place for them to live. They also help in biodiversity, and are just plain pretty to look at. Outside of any benefit, they are a gorgeous asset to all yards, not to mention that honey bees alone pollinate roughly $19 billion dollars worth of crops per year, and butterflies pollinate over 75% of the world's flowering plants, so we owe it to these creatures to help them however we can. 

Here are some good options for flowers in your butterfly garden:

• Butterfly Bush: Very good for a variety of pollinators, as it produces incredible amounts of nectar. However, it's not a good host plant for butterflies to lay their eggs on, and cannot be planted in moist soil, or near a hydrangea, as it may get root rot. 

• Cone Flowers: Beautiful and vibrant in color, it's also hardy and drought-resistant and brings in a good amount of pollinators, including butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. 

• Bee Balm: It is highly attractive to pollinators, and has amazing health benefits when harvested. It is known to be a good host plant, and because of the sheer number of pollinators it brings in, it is best planted near a vegetable garden. 

• Phlox: It is good for pollinators, and has bright, fat, pink flowers. Phlox grows wild in the eastern U.S., and is native, so there is no concern about it being an invasive species. 

• Lupine: Lupine is an incredibly beautiful plant that can attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. It is also a common host plant for most butterfly species. They prefer rich, acidic soil that they like to be well drained. 

• Zinnias: Due to their rigid stems and long-lasting petals, they have a long blooming season, which means that they attract a good number of pollinators. They enjoy the hot and dry climates, so overwatering may be an issue.

• Joe Pye: Joe Pye thrives in moist climates, and generally attracts large butterflies in large quantities. It loves to be in the back edges of a garden, often among shrubbery. 

After five months of winter weather, everybody is excited for the warm weather. There's nothing quite as refreshing as a Vermont swimming hole on a hot summer day. Swimming holes have such a calming feeling compared with lakes, oceans, rivers or pools. Some swimming holes are little and some are big. Some are popular and some are sparse. They offer a feeling of freedom while being incredibly soothing and relaxing. Going to a swimming hole in the summer improves mindfulness, decreases anxiety and releases endorphins.  

Refreshing swimming holes in Vermont:

Swimming hole in Gaysville

Address: Gaysville bridge Bridge Street, Gaysville, VT 05772

“I had never heard of it before until my friends brought me there, and it was the most fun I had in a while. It was really scary because you would stand at the top of these cliffs and look down at the water below, and it seemed so high. It wasn’t crowded at all, so you had time to choose the perfect spot and jump off. You can swim, you can cliff jump, you can sun tan, whatever you want really.” -Anna Fink

No Name Hole in Arlington Area

Address: 99 Covered Bridge Rd, Arlington, VT 05250

With the amazing natural waterfalls, this swimming hole is peaceful to hang out in. It has many rocks that you can either jump or slide into the water from. Being one of the largest swimming holes in Vermont, you can easily see through the clear water at all the different colored rocks down below.

Bristol Falls, Bristol

Address: 24 Lincoln Rd, Bristol, VT 05443

There's nothing like swimming in a natural waterfall on a hot summer day. When you get there, you can hear the amazing sound of all the waterfalls that surround you. Bristol Falls gives people a relaxed feeling swimming there. The water is so clear that you can see all the minnows swimming around your feet.

The first time I went to a swimming hole, it was like nothing else. It was a humid day in Vermont; I was mad, tired and wanted to cool off somewhere. My mom, sister and I went on a little road trip to get away from town and experience something new - the twenty foot hole in Reading, Vermont. When we got there, it was a bit of a hike down. I could hear the sound of the mini waterfalls; it was so peaceful. Nobody was there because it wasn't a popular place, making it such an amazing getaway.

As a freshman this year at WUHS, I have been really impacted and grateful for the experiences I’ve had while participating in sports. There are so many great people here and today, I want to honor three special seniors who have really made this year amazing. These seniors are Jordan Allard, Dillon Moss, and River Miles.

Earlier this year, I played with Dillon and River during the soccer season where I learned quite a bit from them. Dillon, with her quiet steadfastness, was strong on and off the field during her position as Center Back. River was fast and powerful as a Striker but sadly tore her ACL at a game against Windsor. However, this did not stop her from cheering us on at every game and being the heart of the team. They taught me so much during the season and I will always remember them. 

I then met Jordan, more often called Jo, during the basketball season. She was committed to the team and was calm and thoughtful as she played on the court. She demonstrated how to remain focused, but also still have fun during the season. 

I was then overjoyed when I got to play with all three of them during the softball season and witnessed their teamwork. All three of them worked well together with Dillon as catcher, Jordan as pitcher, and River as one of the infielders. 

Jordan worked hard as pitcher, and even during games when she was in pain and tired, she remained calm and threw the ball towards the opponents, more often than not getting them out in three strikes. 

Dillon was a trustworthy catcher and it was always a comfort to see her kneeling beside home plate, ready for anything that came her way. She caught the balls and when they managed to get by her, Jordan was always there for support to get out the girl running from third base.

Also, River was back! Halfway through the season she was cleared to play and the team was overjoyed when she got on the field. She clearly displayed courage and determination when she fielded or hit the ball. Even when she was knocked down, she got right back up, dusted herself off, and continued to play for Woodstock.

All three of them have shown me determination, focus, and how to work well with others and I will truly miss them all when they head off to college. Jordan is committed to Merrimack College, Dillon to Virginia Commonwealth University, and River to UVM. 

In all, thank you all for being such amazing role models this year. I am so grateful to have met you Dillon, River, and Jordan. I wish you all well and to have fun in college!

Lauren Sullivan-Justice stands out as an amazing and bubbly teacher. Not wanting to follow textbook teaching ways, Mrs. SJ uses her own techniques to help kids focus on what they enjoy most when learning.

She grew up in East Hampton, MA, a rural suburban area with her parents and older sister. In elementary school, she loved the social aspect with friends and teachers and in fifth grade she discovered a love for books and learning. Mrs. SJ spent a lot of time in the library, it soon became one of her favorite pastimes. 

Mrs. SJ had a hard time in high school because she felt like she never fit the high expectations set in place by her school, however, she had a few memorable teachers that helped make her school experience more enjoyable. 

Mrs. SJ always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she was a kid, she loved playing school, teaching pretend students, and making up classes. Her parents encouraged her to do what she loves and never held her back on anything. After high school, Mrs. SJ went to Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH, a small liberal arts college. It felt homey to her and she liked the vibrant community, especially the protesting that was happening outside. Afterward, she went to the University of Colorado Boulder for graduate school. 

There was never one pivotal moment for Mrs. SJ that inspired her to become an educator, it was all these little moments that accumulated. She started at Franklin Pierce for education in English but then dropped out and now regrets it because she thought she wanted to be a professor. “I thought this was like the coolest job ever. I was thriving in this American Literature class and I was like, 'Oh my god Professor Madrien gets to do this all day long.'” However, when she went to grad school, she found that she loved interacting with students as much as she loved books. She then knew she wanted to have a better connection with students and less of a connection to research. 

“I'm more interested in where the rubber hits the road. Little bread crumbs led me to it.” If Mrs. SJ could have her own style of teaching, she would be much more project-based where students do something that they're passionate about. She’s more of a facilitator. “I picture a building that doesn’t have as many walls. More of like an open space where kids are gravitating toward different tools that they need. A situation where kids could pick things they are passionate about and would be able to apply and connect that to the world.” This sparked her belief that grading shouldn’t be such a thing. 

“Assessing is important, but putting a number on it feels really subjective to me.” Mrs. SJ likes to try and find a way to apply different parts of interest in kids; to try to make learning artistic if possible. She wants to find ways to connect outside of her classroom as she believes it's really important for kids to have a lot of choices in their education. 

“In my ideal situation, there would be so much choice. Kids really come up with their own ideas on what they want their education to look like.” Mrs. SJ loves connecting with kids, hearing what they’re up to outside of school, seeing them interact with other kids, seeing their growth, and loves when they feel comfortable enough to share things with her, and especially seeing “aha” moments.

“Oh my god lately dude, seeing kids reading out loud in book groups, like I can’t take it. I can’t even handle it. I’m like, 'This is so beautiful!'” 

Mrs. SJ feels like teaching ninth grade is perfect for her because they are the perfect age group. They still laugh at her corny jokes and are still down to try new things. 

“My goal for students is to make them feel a sense of belonging in my class, to feel seen by me, to feel like they belong.” 

Mrs. SJ always focuses on seeing if she could move the dial a tiny bit on how ninth graders feel about reading. 

“What kids remember is how you make them feel, not what you teach them. So I just want them to feel like they belong and that they can take skills that they learn in this room out into the world to have it benefit them.” 

Mrs. SJ absolutely loves working at Woodstock High School as she explains, “Creme de la creme, this is a wonderful place to work.” 

A nation known for its popularity in the fish and seafood trade industry, volcanoes, glaciers, and more are filled with more undiscovered beauty and secrets yet to be uncovered. Iceland, located in the North Atlantic, has a population of 360,000, with most inhabitants in the capital Reykjavik. 

That is nearly half the population of Vermont! If one were to compare Iceland's size to another country or US state, Iceland is two times bigger than the size of Denmark and shares a similar land area with the US state of Kentucky. 

Iceland, discovered and settled in the 870s in the Viking age, is also recognized immensely for the people's shared belief in elves and other mythical creatures. According to Icelandic folklore, elves lived in lava fields. They were petrified and frozen into "bizarre looking rock pillars" all over the southern and western coast due to the exposure to sunlight. This mysterious land also carries immense diversity in all aspects of its culture. Many people and tourists worldwide visit this fantastic and aweing country for its diverse food, stunning scenery, fun adventures, and nature, mainly volcanoes, geysers, and natural springs. 

This beautiful island nation in the North Atlantic has become a popular travel destination in recent years, and it is not hard to see why. With a unique landscape shaped by volcanic activity and glaciers, Iceland offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One of the main draws of Iceland is its natural beauty. From the famous Blue Lagoon to the stunning Northern Lights, Iceland has some of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the world. The country is home to 30 active volcanic systems, and visitors can explore the rugged terrain on hiking trails, snowmobiles, or even by helicopter. In addition to volcanoes, Iceland boasts hundreds of glaciers, including the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world, Vatnajökull, which covers over 8% of the country.

One of the most iconic landscapes in Iceland is the Golden Circle. This route takes visitors through three of Iceland's most popular attractions: the Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and the Gullfoss waterfall. Thingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that showcases the geological rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Geysir geothermal area is home to hot springs and geysers, including the famous Strokkur, which erupts every few minutes. Moreover, the Gullfoss waterfall, known as the "Golden Falls," is a spectacular sight with two cascades dropping 32 meters into a deep canyon.

Iceland is also known for its unique wildlife, including puffins, whales, and Icelandic horses. Visitors can take whale-watching tours from the capital city, Reykjavik, or horseback riding through the countryside. In addition to the wildlife, Iceland is also home to a vibrant arts and culture scene, with museums, galleries, and live music events showcasing the country's rich history and creativity.

Despite its remote location, Iceland has become an increasingly popular destination for travelers worldwide. With its stunning natural beauty, unique culture, and friendly locals, Iceland is a must-visit destination for an unforgettable travel experience. So pack your bags, grab your camera, and get ready to explore one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

If you’ve ever taken a gander down the hallway away from the lunch room, you may have missed her room. It’s tucked away and if you didn’t know it was there, you probably would have missed it. But those who have been lucky enough to enter Room 127 know how wonderful Ms. Piana is.

 Ms. Piana started working at Woodstock Union in 2007 after doing a program in Essex called TAP. Through this program she was able to get her teaching license and secured her job here at Woodstock Union. She had been working as a paraprofessional educator and had spent lots of time in art classrooms. Her colleagues in the art department in Essex encouraged her to become an art teacher. 

“I assisted an autistic boy in several art classes that Julian Bradshaw and Karen Lilly taught. Art was therapeutic for my student in many ways but most of all it helped him develop social skills. I was able to model how to make art while also modeling how to speak and interact with his peers.” She continues on to say, “After working with him for a year I was considering going back to school to get my degree in art therapy but Julian and Karen encouraged me to get my teaching license. ” Art had always been in her life, with painting and the desire to become an art therapist, but deciding against it. 

When Ms. Piana and her husband moved from Northern Vermont, which was a detour from California, they were taken under the wing of the Kaija family. Ms. Kaija was an art teacher at the Woodstock Elementary school and Mr. Kaija worked for the USDA. Through that job he met Ms. Piana’s husband who was working in Charlotte, VT and introduced the Pianas to a beef farmer named Joe Ladoucer. Mr. Ladoucer leased them the land where they started a small vegetable CSA, which fed many families in our area. Now Ms. Piana’s family has leaned away from the CSA and more towards other crops. 

About seven years after working at the Woodstock Union High School, the art department along with several other departments were facing budget cuts. Ms. Piana was the last hired into the department and was laid off due to it. But for Ms. Piana that was alright; she was pregnant with her son and she and her husband had a vegetable CSA. Ms. Piana thought another path would appear away from teaching. 

After her son was born a job opened up in Woodstock Elementary School for teaching art. Ms. Piana applied and worked there for a couple of years. By some fate, there was another job opening back here at Woodstock Union High School. Now we have been blessed with Ms. Piana’s presence and she says, “I’m so glad that I did because teaching art has been a dream job. To this day I still love the therapeutic aspects of an art studio and try to model kindness and positive social interactions while making art. The art room offers students a safe place where they can be social, support each other in their personal goals, learn to express themselves  visually and take a  break from the busy world around them. ”

As of late, California has been affected by flooding, record-breaking amounts of snow, and earlier, wildfires polluting the air and destroying forests. California is no stranger to weather problems, and has always struggled with droughts and wildfires, but these floods have taken it to a new level of hectic. Tony and Rebecca Wexler, residents of Davis, California, shared that they have been directly affected by these phenomena. The married couple also have a home in Bolinas, which is by the ocean. They almost could not get out because the water from the hills had run down and created a river in the road. They were helped by a fire truck paving the way ahead.

Rebecca and Tony also have a cabin up in the Sierras, the  mountains which have lately been dropping the most snowfall recorded in decades. They could not get to their cabin due to the snowfall on top of it. This is just one of many examples of how they’ve been affected by the California weather as residents. 

In July 2021, Tony and Rebecca went on a backpacking trip with family, and smelled smoke at night in their tents. The next day after they left, the forest was closed and a bike race was stopped due to concern that it would catch fire. California has its ups and downs, as it always has. However, It's still a beautiful and wonderful place to live or visit. Just be careful, prepared, and check the weather!