Changes this Year

| Bella Sletteland and Margaret Kathol

2020, the curveball we didn’t see coming. This year has sprung many surprises on the world, both good and bad. More often than not, bad tends to choke out the good. Even if you hone in on negative things that happen, remember,

“If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that has great plans for you and certainly wants

to make you a saint.” -Saint Ignatius of Loyola

At Saint Mary’s this year, we’ve been extraordinarily lucky. So far we’ve been able to stay in school every day for nearly 3 months, have multiple large school activities, games, concerts, etc. There are many students from other schools who haven’t been attending classes in person since March because of school shutdowns. Even if this year ends up being one of the most unique school years, I hope we can all say it was memorable in a positive way.

Starting from the first day. We hadn’t seen our classmates, teachers, or friends in person for probably months. It was clear from the beginning that things were going to be different, with masks, social distancing, and even split lunch periods. With these changes adding up, it was a good thing we had gotten lots of practice to get used to a more online approach to learning in the classroom.

The Start to a New School Year

Online school hasn’t gone away completely just yet. In order to slow the spread, and to protect our friends and family, we have Distance Learning mode. We are very lucky to have such technological advancements that enable us to do this. There are some downsides to learning from home for extended periods that we are all familiar with. When you’re distance learning, you are sitting in the same chair all day. You don’t get to get up and walk to your next class which is in a different room with a different atmosphere, but it just makes us even more grateful for normal school.

During the Spring of 2020, everything for school was online (Tests, notes, and worksheets). Daily activities in the classroom don’t feel as alien compared to distance learning. Even if we are spread out and Google Classroom is prioritized, I, for one, am happy to take a test on paper. It’s the strange little things that can make the year just as great as grand events.

At the start of the year, students were able to eat lunch on the patio where they could social distance

Despite everything that has happened, Homecoming was still able to take place this year

One of the first big things to happen during the 2020-2021 school year was Homecoming week. The theme for the week, Saints on the Road, was a sort of ironic name, seeing as no one was really going anywhere. Nevertheless, not even masks could dampen the spirit of this year’s homecoming. Between games and ‘teacher jeopardy’ in the gym assembly and the big game and Friday night lights, Homecoming week felt just as energized as any other year. If we want to compare this year’s Homecoming week to last year’s, not much changed. Costume days? A fun assembly in the gym? T-shirts and an amazing all school gathering after the football game? Check, check, and check.

“Costume days? A fun assembly in the gym? T-shirts and an amazing all school gathering after the football game? Check, check, and

check.” -Bella Sletteland and Rory Milbrandt

Last spring all sports were cancelled, both local and professional. Now we are slowly getting them back and I’m sure that more than one of you reading is thankful as well. Football, soccer, tennis, volleyball, golf, swimming, basketball and others are all coming back. Attending games might be a little different with the voucher system, but it’s much better than watching friends and family play through a screen.

Sometimes, the band will separate into two sections to social distance and will take up both rehearsal spaces

We’ve had a band concert and a choir concert in our lovely new auditorium. Both also used the voucher system, and I think that they ran smoothly considering the circumstances. Both the bands and the choirs had beautiful sets of songs that will hopefully lift spirits and inspire people in our community.

We are blessed to be in the situation we are in, and we shouldn’t take one day for granted because we know how fast it can all change. We know that one day we can be in school or on a bus ride to an event, and the next we can be in lockdown for the distant, unknown future. We know that God can take any situation and make saints from it. I can compare and contrast pre and post COVID-19 life until the sun sets on 2020. In the end, we can all be grateful and make the best out of any negative situation because we are saints!

Pro-Life vs Anti Abortion

| Fiona Kelly

The terms ‘pro-life’ and ‘anti-abortion’ are often used interchangeably. While it is true that anti-abortion is a part of the pro-life movement, it is not the whole. To be pro-life, according to the Council Fathers of Vatican II, is a rather tall order:

“Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or wilful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where people are treated as mere instruments of gain rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others like them are infamies indeed. They poison human society, and they do more harm to those who practise them than to those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonour to the Creator” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 27). freedom and dignity is a violation of the right to life that is intrinsic to all human beings. Some distinctions between ‘pro-life’ and ‘anti-abortion’ are lost upon the public. Futhermore, it is common for pro-life organizations to be inaccurately described as anti-abortion by mainstream media. Anti-abortionists who freely endorse birth control and other contraceptives often do so because they desire to prevent the ‘need’ for abortion in the first place. In fact, the contraceptive commonly known as ‘Plan B’ is another form of abortion, but it is still used by people who profess to be anti-abortion. These groups are more pro-birth than anything else. The pro-life movement can focus solely on abortion, to the detriment of other issues. Abortion is perhaps one of the gravest evils of our culture, but focusing on that issue alone can belittle the other aspects of being pro-life. A place where pro-life advocates sometimes fall short is in provision for the family after abortion prevention. It is important not only to bring the child into the world, but also to provide for him or her in the world. To be pro-life is not just a coat you put on at opportune times. It is a way of thinking—a way of living—that should touch all aspects of your life.

Essentially, any attempt to devalue human all

Declassified Holiday Survival Guide

| Megha Bhardwaj

When you think of all the amazing aspects of this holiday season, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Just imagine all the presents, the shopping, the family dinners, the family fights, etc and anyone would start to get freaked out. So if you are like me, please read this helpful guide on how to survive the stressful holiday season.

Who Needs Holiday Spirit?

The most important thing about the holiday season is to not get wrapped up (pun intended) in it and to forget your worldly responsibilities. Seniors, you have college applications. Juniors, you have the ACT. Make a plan to keep up your academic progress and stick to it, even when you’d rather be out sledding.

Smile and Wave

Everytime you want to talk back to your politically….let’s just be kind and say ”motivated” cousin, take a deep breath and remind yourself that the holiday season is a time for unity, not division. It’s the time to celebrate familial ties, even if you’d rather they be nonexistent.

3.

Get Some Rest

Treat yo’ self and go take a nap. The holiday season is the perfect time of year to randomly take naps in the middle of the day. Take a nap during your off period, take a nap after breakfast, and always make sure to take a nap when you are tired out by the holiday festivities.

4.

Shop Early (and Online!)

Oh, holiday shopping, the bane of my existence! Finding good deals and getting your relatives presents can be stressful, but in the era of COVID, we are all #blessed to have access to online shopping. Always remember that it is the thought that counts, not the price tag!

5.

It’ll All Be Over Soon

When you have had it with the holidays, just remember that it will all be over soon. Yes, as of writing this article, the holiday season will be completely over with in just 2 months. If we can all deal with 5 months of constant quarantine, I’m sure we can deal with 2 months of Christmas music.

Eva Rykowsky

Rory Milbrant

We all know by now that 2020 has not been going as expected. From having to wear masks to staying six feet apart, it has truly been a hard time in the lives of many. But, despite everything that has been going on, we have much to be thankful for. As the season of gratefulness is approaching, we should all take the time to look at what we have been able to accomplish despite Covid-19 being in our lives. Before we get into that, however, let’s recap all that has changed this new school year. Yes, we’re all aware of the fact that we have to wear masks throughout the entire day, but we must remember it’s for the safety of our students, teachers, and faculty! Another change that has been made is the fact that our lunch periods have been split into two. That is where a big factor comes in: sitting six feet apart from one another. Even though the school is split into a Lunch A group and Lunch B group, we must still remember to sit six feet apart from one another. Although it includes students shouting across the table to have a conversation, we’ll all look back and be thankful that we had to do this. All these new rules are for the good of each other, and to keep the new St. Mary’s Central High School up and running so that we can continue to make new memories that we can look back to years from now and enjoy. On that note, let’s take a look at all that we’ve been able to achieve this school year.

Not only have we been able to do many things we usually do throughout a normal school year, we get to do other things to replace the ones we can’t. Saint Mary’s High School students and staff can be grateful for the opportunity to have Mass once a month, to have sports, and be able to compete with other teams. For many people in sports, the highlight of their year is to play, and to be able to watch them is also very important for others. For the beginning of the school year, students, parents, and staff even got to go to the games and have the pep band there, which was not the case for most other schools in the area. Though now people can’t be at the games, they are still able to watch them.

Two Varying Views from Students

Gratefulness

The bands and choirs have had concerts and are going to have concerts to show others the work they have put in. Also the fact that they have been able to rehearse in general is a blessing, despite the extra precautions. Clubs at SMCHS are another thing we can be grateful for, even though for some of them they are not able to do the usual activities. The thing we can be the most thankful for is to have school in person. Distance learning is challenging for both teachers and students and because we still have some students doing distance learning, we can appreciate the blessing of being taught and teaching in person. This year may be more challenging and different than years before but instead of thinking about all of the hardships that come along with Covid-19, we can reflect on and thank God for the goodness that has come from it and pray for a better future.