For high school seniors, the 2020-21 college application season has proven to be yet another challenge to navigate through during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the Ivy League, selectivity among candidates dramatically increased: Ivy League institutions saw tremendous increases in the number of applications compared to last year. For example, Harvard University saw a yearly application increase of 42%. Similarly, Dartmouth saw a rise in applications of 32.5%. This uptick in applications is likely attributed to the schools’ test-optional policies, making applying more feasible. Due to the high volume, all Ivy League schools have pushed their admission decision release date to April 6. As an incoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania this fall, I hope to welcome more of my fellow classmates to the Ivy League on April 6. Best of luck to all POB students on Ivy Day!
Reported by Jake Feldman School district leaders are hopeful for all in-person schools for fall 2021. Yet for this to become a reality some restrictions need to be revised so schools can accommodate all their students. One protocol being reviewed is the distance apart students can sit and remain safe. The current Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines are to keep students and staff six feet apart. Yet this is not feasible if all students return in the fall. Earlier this month, research has shown that students three feet apart with masking and desk shields pose no safety threat. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization (WHO) support this recommendation. Most districts adhere to the CDC standards and are awaiting their recommendations.
Meanwhile, educators are brainstorming different approaches to bring back all students full-time. One concept suggested by Ron Masera, superintendent of the Center Moriches school district was to create an “overflow” classroom for those classes with high enrollment. For example, in large classes, students would sit in another room at school and follow the live instruction remotely on their chrome books. Students can take turns being in the “overflow” room possibly only attending once a week. The benefit would be they are still in school seeing peers and attending their regular classes that have fewer students. Utilizing gyms, lunchrooms, and auditoriums for large classes is another option. Remote learning, while improved from last year of recorded videos and self-guided assignments, has been a real challenge for some students. Their grades have suffered along with emotional stress. The best thing we can do for the students is to get them back into school, safely. By the fall, Nassau county will hopefully be reaching herd immunity. This means that seventy-five percent of Nassau residents will be vaccinated. Once this occurs the virus will less likely spread. Tests are being conducted on children under 16. Vaccines may be available for them in the fall. All of this points to a “positive” future - and I’m not referring to covid results. Reported by Alison Chertoff The COVID-19 virus still wields a tremendously deadly punch, and all protections must continue to be followed by individuals. However, there is some good news on the horizon. New York, and the rest of the nation, are continuing to see a steady reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases. This reduction in infections has led some state Governors to roll back some of their original restrictions. Much of this positive outlook is due to the federal government’s increased deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. It’s hard to imagine that in little over one year, we already have not one, but three effective vaccines saving lives from the threat of this deadly pandemic.
The most recent positive development is that The Food and Drug Administration has approved the distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, which will provide a third effective vaccine for Americans. Although millions are still battling to find their place in line for the vaccine, Johnson & Johnson has pledged to provide 100 million doses in this country by July 1, 2021. Taking this new third life-saver, and adding it to the 600 million doses from the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, there should be a vaccine for every American adult who wants one by early summer, 2021. There is one potential drawback to the third new vaccine- it reportedly only has a 72 percent efficiency rate, compared to the 95 percent efficacy rate for the other two already being distributed across the country. However, all three vaccines have proven to stop serious illness and death. The truth is that if one year ago, someone said we would have a vaccine that was 72% effective, everyone would have been thrilled. We finally seem to have some positive movement on the COVID-19 front and we can only continue to hope that any new variants of the virus, such as the South African or United Kingdom strains, are equally put in check by the three vaccines we now have in our arsenal. Reported by Jesse Ray Sheps Dr. Seuss Enterprises recently announced that six of the famous children’s books will no longer be published, due to the racist and insensitive imagery shown in them. The six books are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot's Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat's Quizzer. Examples of offensive stereotypes in these books include drawing black boxers as gorillas, leaning into harmful Jewish stereotypes, and portraying an Asian person wearing a conical hat, holding chopsticks, and eating from a bowl. Although the discontinuation of these books had good intent, many are still upset by the news of the famed author’s books. The Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism recently developed a website called “Banned, Seuss 2020” and they say “Erasing books is insanity. Stand up for our common humanity.”
Since the discontinuation of these six books, sales in Dr. Seuss literature have skyrocketed. His books became rare collectibles almost instantly, and Dr. Seuss books currently make up about half of Amazon's top 20 bestseller books. However, there remains a small dilemma for libraries all over the world. On one hand, banning the books would allow for there to be less insensitive material, but on the other hand, telling a child they cannot read the book is a form of censorship and intrusion on their intellectual freedom. The conflict is between values of free expression and acknowledging that some content may be hurtful. Even though this may seem like a difficult situation, it is unlikely that the libraries will pull a book even when some find it racist or otherwise offensive; it will probably merely be placed in a more inconspicuous location. Although it is a controversial topic, authors who tailor their books towards children should still be very aware of the influence their imagery can have on a kid. Rebekah Fitzsimmons, an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University, tweeted “The books we share with our children matter. Books shape their worldview and tell them how to relate to the people, places, and ideas around them. As grown-ups, we have to examine the worldview we are creating for our children, including carefully re-examining our favorites.” Although it is sad to see six classics be discontinued, it is ultimately for the best. This way, fewer children will be exposed to the offensive stereotypes portrayed in the books, hopefully allowing them to generate their own feelings without subconsciously feeling prejudice toward any certain group. Reported by Fiona Wu Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, numerous in-person planned events were canceled. However, every society and club in Plainview Old-Bethpage JFK High school is exploring innovative ways to effectively knit their community together despite the distance. The TRI-M society is making a study playlist - a youtube video compilation showcasing their members' musical talent. From string instruments, band instruments, to singing, the playlist includes a diverse array of student-selected pieces. Happy listening!
Reported by Ellisa Lee |