Natalie Duckworth, Staff Writer As fall slowly changes into winter, many Americans are familiar with the coming of another season: the flu season. But this year, that season has begun much earlier than usual. Viruses that commonly occur in the winter, such as the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), have infected Americans and caused a record number of hospitalizations in October and November, rather than December and January, which is when cases have peaked in the past. According to CDC data, flu cases are “very high” in Virginia, DC, and Maryland. Visual from The Medical University of South Carolina; The high number of influenza cases in 2022 should encourage people to get the vaccination. What is causing this sudden onset of illness? It seems that protocols used throughout 2020 and 2021, designed to protect people from catching COVID-19, might be to blame. While wearing masks and staying at home helped prevent the spread of COVID-19, now that the country is returning to its pre-covid state and eliminating past precautions, people are more exposed to other illnesses like the flu and RSV. In particular, many young children have not been exposed to these illnesses and therefore have little to no immunity against them (Edwards). As the US transitions into the holiday season, many worry that recent gatherings for Thanksgiving will spread the flu to others. Recent data shows that more people have been infected with the virus, but luckily, hospitalization numbers and deaths have remained at a low level for the past few months (Goodman). Works Cited Edwards, Erika. "Flu Hospitalizations Hit Decade High Amid Early Viral Surge." NBC News, 4 Nov. 2022,
www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-hospitalizations-hit-decade-high-early-viral-surge-rcna55099. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022. Goodman, Brenda. "New Subvariants, Holiday Gatherings May Bring More COVID, but Experts Don't Expect Severe Surge." ABC7 New York, 25 Nov. 2022, abc7ny.com/covid-cases-cdc-covid-19-new-variant/12494007/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022. "Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 Nov. 2022, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022.
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Natalie Duckworth, Staff Writer On November 8, while students were attending virtual classes from home, many American citizens went out to the polling centers, in order to cast their votes in the midterm election. The Democrat Party has retained control of the Senate by a narrow margin of 50-49 representatives. There is only one seat being left up for grabs, which will be determined by the outcome of the race in Georgia. Since neither of the candidates in Georgia have been able to win a majority (at least 50%) of the votes, that seat will be determined by a runoff election. If the senator who ends up being elected is republican, it would cause a tie in the senate. However, the tie would be broken by the current Vice President, Kamala Harris, who is a democrat ("Election Results 2022: Live Map"). Georgia is unique because it is one of only two states, the other being Lousisiana, that follows a two-round voting system. All the other states use plurality systems, also called “winner takes all” voting: whoever has the most amount of votes wins the election. In Georgia and Louisiana, where the two-round voting system is often called a runoff election, the only way to win is by having at least 50% of votes and more than the other candidates. In Georgia, democrat Raphael Warnock and republican Herschel Walker have 49.4% and 48.5% of the votes, respectively. Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver won 2.1% of the votes, sending the election to a runoff. This year, the runoff election in Georgia will occur December 6th, with the top two candidates, Warnock and Walker, on the ballot (Quinn). Photo from PBS; Republican Jen Kiggans defeated democratic Congresswoman Elaine Luria to represent coastal Virginia's competitive district. Kiggans is a Navy veteran, nurse practitioner, and state senator. Here in Virginia, the only election was for the House of Representatives. Across the state, democrats won six House seats, and the republicans won five. Jen Kiggans won District 2, which encompasses Virginia Beach, and narrowly beat incumbent Elaine Luria. However, in District 3, which includes Norfolk, democrat Robert Scott was reelected ("Virginia House Election Results 2022: Live Map"). In the House of Representatives, republicans pulled off an upset and flipped multiple seats. The first party to reach 218 seats will be considered the majority, but for now, republicans hold a lead of 217-205 ("House of Representatives Midterm Election 2022: Live Updates, Results & Map"). Works Cited "Election Results 2022: Live Map." POLITICO, 13 Nov. 2022, www.politico.com/2022-election/results/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.
"House Election Results 2022: Live Map." POLITICO, 13 Nov. 2022, www.politico.com/2022-election/results/house/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022. Quinn, Melissa. "What is a Runoff Election, and How Will It Work in Georgia's Senate Race?" CBS News, 10 Nov. 2022, www.cbsnews.com/news/runoff-election-georgia-senate-2022-raphael-warnock-herschel-walker/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022. "Virginia House Election Results 2022: Live Map." POLITICO, 12 Nov. 2022, www.politico.com/2022-election/results/virginia/house/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022. Kensington Balam, Staff Writer Two hundred shows, countless stars, and thirty-eight years of experience from one company. Hurrah Players Inc. has touched the lives of so many people. It is a wonderful program that teaches kids skills such as dancing, singing, and other abilities related to musical theater. Some of our very own at NCS attend and benefit from this program. Elijah Tubbs said that Hurrah is a very professional environment; it sets expectations for the actors and actresses to follow. He also described some amazing experiences he has gone through in the last five months. He says that one memorable moment was seeing kids' faces after the first Descendants show, in which he played Jay, and how happy they were to see the actors. He described it as “priceless.” By no means is Hurrah a “walk in the park.” He said there were some overwhelming moments, especially when communication was off, but those are what made him better. Hurrah is not easy, but it is definitely rewarding. Tubbs also gave some very helpful tips for anyone interested in Hurrah. Photo from Hugh R. Copeland; Norfolk Christian senior Elijah Tubbs starred as Jay in Disney's Descendants during the summer. It was his time in a Hurrah Players production, and he learned a lot from the experience. He said, “I would tell them three things that I think would make them would allow them to succeed in the Hurrah environment. First… be prepared to learn. The only way to improve is to take advice, direction, and instruction from those who are more experienced than you. This includes directors, crew members, and fellow actors alike. You can even learn things from those less experienced than you if you try. The second thing I would say is never to compare yourself to anyone else. You will meet some impossibly talented people there, and the only thing you can do is try to improve your own talent in your own way, and chart your own path. That way, no matter how technically talented you are, people will see you as a confident and unique person, and before you know it, you are on the same level as those people you once thought were completely out of your league.”
Tubbs continues on to say: “The last thing I would say to this person is that they should always remember to have fun. Theater, if nothing else, is supposed to be fun. It's a way to express yourself, challenge yourself, and even surprise yourself in your own unique way. It's a way to inspire others, brighten peoples' days, and tell a story. It's so easy to get caught up in the personal drama, or how you didn't get the character you wanted, or how you messed up on this one thing in this one part of the show… Sometimes you just need to let go of that stuff and push through… it ends up being worth it in the end.” Elijah also wanted to add that he learned so much while participating in Hurrah Players, including time management, quick thinking, and respect towards authority figures. Hurrah teaches valuable skills that may not be taught in depth at other departments. Elijah ended his interview with the comment: “Doing shows with Hurrah is a good time that will teach you a lot and, as someone who loves acting, I want you to love it too. Hurrah is a great place to go for that.” In addition to Norfolk and Virginia Beach students, renowned actors have also benefited from Hurrah, such as Adrienne Warren, who’s currently playing Tina Turner on Broadway! Overall, Hurrah is a great program for anyone passionate about nurturing their skills in the close-knit theater community. Rachel Florence, Staff Writer Ten minutes away from Norfolk Christian is Muse Writers Center. The Muse is a space for writers to workshop their writing, take classes, and meet other writers. They also have an array of library books, some written by Muse authors. They offer internship programs for teenagers ages sixteen to eighteen in a variety of areas, including social media and library internships. Their internships are unpaid, but they will work with your university to give you credits, and offer perks such as free classes and a Muse membership. They have a range of classes and writers' groups, with in-person, online, and hybrid options. The classes cover topics such as fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and graphic novels. Some of their groups are Teen Writers’ Club and Writers’ Coffee Break. These consist of informal meetings where you meet other writers and share your work. The Muse also has open mic nights, a place for you to read your work. Some of these are teen-specific, like the Halloween open mic night that occurred on October 28th. Photo from Muse Writers Center website; Even in the midst of the pandemic, the 2021 teen writers fellowship were able to attend last year's Hampton Roads Writers Conference. Applications for the 2023 fellowship are now available to sophomores and juniors! Another thing they offer, specifically for sophomores and juniors, is their teen fellowship program. The teen fellowship program is a series of classes about various aspects of writing, such as worldbuilding, mechanics, dialogue, and plotline. The program pairs each fellow with a professional writer, who serves as their mentor. This September, the members of the teen writers fellowship, one of whom was NCS student Jordyn Balam, attended the 2022 Hampton Roads Writers Conference. They submitted poetry and prose to the annual contest and pitched their work to professional agents.
The Muse Writers Center is an important place for creators of all kinds. Whether you’re an artist, poet, novelist, musician, or screenwriter, there’s something for you at the Muse. It’s an excellent space to create art, meet new friends, and discover talents that you might not have known you possessed. The Muse is a unique and special place that is bursting with energy and creative spirit. |
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