By Briana Thomas
Staff Writer The sudden outburst and spread of the Coronavirus also known as covid 19 has forced many companies to close down for a period of time. One of which being school districts across the country. The shutdown of the school system has forced students to take on online classes also known as e-learning, eat breakfast and lunch at home, have no sports or extracurricular after school activities for the time period, and ultimately occupy themselves with something to do at home. “I am spending most of my time with my family from Memphis,” sophomore Destinee Weaver said. “We play board games, watch tv, and just talk about random topics all day. While many are taking this time to get closer with family and friends, others are practicing social distancing, the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places, to improve their physical health as well as their mental health. “I'm practicing social distancing and I'm getting used to it,” Junior Abreia Harbin said. “Staying off social media as much as possible and not interacting with a lot of kids every day at school and dealing with drama has improved my mental health and made me feel at peace and more relaxed”. Relaxing at home is a task we all look forward to, however the newly implemented Google Classroom system for all students can interrupt that relaxing session. Students are required to join Google Classroom for each class they are enrolled in. “I am doing good with the online classes I guess, but the thing I am concerned with is . . . me not being in a quiet environment while studying or taking notes at home and easily getting distracted,” Weaver said. Harbin agrees with the simplicity of Google Classroom but has concerns if she needs face-to-face help on one of her assignments. “I'm doing good so far with the no school thing because I'm not in a rush to do anything. The only thing I am concerned about is if I need serious help with something and no one's there to help right then and there like usual,” Harbin said. However, school officials have said that teachers will be online and available to help during regular school hours. The following is an essay by Senior Isaiah Vorice based on a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King "give us the ballot and we'll no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights." Vorice’s essay won first place in an essay contest sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Ecumenical Committee.By Deverieux Coleman
Nothing screams anxiety more than senior year. With seniors coming close to the end of the road, there has been a lot of anxiety and stress amongst a lot of our graduating students. Some of us know our plans, some of us have an idea, and some do not know at all. With our final high school grades coming in and our hunger to leave we are all stuck in between working hard and simply going with the flow. [Seniors] are mostly prone to anxiety and slight depression sometimes because of the idea of going on to a new stage in life. Anxiety is a common denominator in many situations that lead to depression but there are ways to prevent anxiety. Organization and planning plays a big role in prevention against anxiety and depression. By Malachi Wright When you hear “the season of giving” you may think of the holidays. But if truth be told it's never too late to give a gift or help someone in need. “Bundles 4 luv” is a group made for helping the homeless and was created by three seniors at MHS Deverieux Coleman, Raina Jenkins and Alexus Johnson By Jazmine Hytower
Staff Writers Feet rapidly hitting the floor, screaming children, gunshots. These images have become all too common in the media around the United States. According to CNN, there have been 44 school shootings in America, and that’s only since 2019 has begun. By Anthony Hudson Editor-in-Chief Darion Johnson is an edge rusher for the defensive football squad, who is having a remarkable year. He is playing heroic football despite the fact this he just started playing football two years ago. Johnson started playing last year as a 6’1, 190 lbs. wide receiver. Though, he may have had the size to play that position; he lacked speed and had less experience compared to other guys. Instead of complaining and quitting football, Johnson worked hard every day to become a better receiver. Malachi Wright
Staff Writer Peter Rodriguez is fulfilling the dream for the football team while Aahric Whitehead is his opponents’ worst nightmare. This is what they've been waiting for. For the past three years, Rodriguez and Whitehead have been sharing the spotlight for the football team. Most people think that would cause conflicts, but instead it has worked out perfectly. By Marco Hernandez Staff writer There’s a new head basketball coach next season and it’s Mr. Anthony “Bo” Patton. Mr. Patton was introduced as head coach on April 25. “I’m super excited to get the job, because I get the chance to be a mentor and that example, that role model to young men who, I was just in their shoes not too long ago,” Mr. Patton says, “Basketball has set the stage for my life and I’m trying to use this platform to teach the kids life lessons for now and their future.” By Azariah Avery
Editor To some tennis is just a sport that they play, but to Sophomore Sydney Jackson it is more than that. It is a family tradition. By Azariah Avery
Editor The Revue is an off-Broadway production put on by the school to showcase students’ talents. This year’s show was an emotional one as two students dedicated their performances to Senior Annie “Rocky” Castleberry, who passed away last month from cancer. Senior Mariah Madkins performed the song “Say Something to Annie’s memory. Jazmine Hytower
Staff Writer My head wobbled from side to side while I sat in 3rd period. I was having the urge to fall asleep, my body and mind were exhausted. This was the result of a major lack of sleep the night before. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve committed to waking up at 4:30 a.m. every day. The idea was suggested to me by fellow staff writer, Josh Cook. We wanted to experiment and see if my productivity would increase or decrease, or would nothing happen at all. Jordan Booker Staff Writer Music is something that many people dabble in, but it takes a special individual to go into music and be able to prosper over time. Junior Itez Mayo has moved into Merrillville and has made an undeniable impact on the culture not only in within the school, but in a variety of places throughout the United States with his highly acclaimed rap music. BY TYRESE SURNEY
Staff Writer About 17 years ago there was a kid from Merrillville who received a full-ride scholarship from Notre Dame. He worked hard for his scholarship from freshman year all the way to junior year. Then senior year rolled around. The year where everyone wants to relax, have fun, and be care free. The kid lived his ideal senior year. He took easy classes, dropped a few classes, and even failed some classes without a care in the world. By Josh Cook
Staff Writer Young men need guidance, mentoring, and support. That is the goal of Young Men on a Mission, a club at Merrillville High School sponsored by Mr. Joe Nora, Mr. Anthony Patton, Mr. Elisha Israel, and Mr. William West. Avery Timmons, Staff Writer
The Mock Trial team had its best finish yet at the state competition as it finished seventh out of 23 teams from throughout Indiana. By Jazmine Hytower
Staff Writer Rumors of the “Momo” challenge has been heavily circulating on many social media platforms in the past few months. “Momo” was first widely introduced to the web in July 2018, but has really taken off since 2019 started. By Josh Cook, Online Editor
On Thursday, Merrillville High School was visited by one of its former students - who also happens to be the lead principal designer at Google. Ryan Germick spent most of his school days in the MHS art loft working on his art on an old Macintosh computer. Like many students here today, art was his passion. However, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do after he graduated in 1998. |
Student reflectionsPlease keep scrolling all the way down to see all the comments.
Senior Zhanvie Edmond
“My biggest fear is that this may happen again and make everyone’s situation even harder. E-learning is great and all, but it is very hard to stay motivated to get work done because of all the distractions being at home brings. What I miss the most is my whole senior year. Everyone looks forward to all the festivities of senior year and it sucks that I won’t be able to have those experiences. I’ve been keeping myself busy by trying my hardest to stay on top of school work, painting, and playing video games to get my mind off of bigger issues. And to the rest of the senior class, just keep pushing through. Yes, this is a very tough time, but life still goes on, so we have to stay strong.” Senior Aaliyah Perry
“My biggest fear during all of this that it will last way longer than we expect it to. When I first heard school was closed for the rest of the year, I didn’t think it was true. I just laughed it off and then started crying again because I realized the rest of my senior year was gone. I’ve been keeping myself busy by keeping in contact with my friends and doing lots of baking. I’ve been talking to friends via phone, Skype, and even google hangouts. As for baking, so far I’ve made churros and tons of cookies. I miss being able to just walk through the halls and see other people focused in class. I really like to see other people focused on certain tasks because it motivates me to do something too. E-learning has been weird. Sometimes I absolutely love it, other times I hate it. Sometimes, I just close my laptop and act like it’s summer… and then I remember that I still have grades to worry about and I can’t fail. Most of my work is pretty easy, but it’s really difficult with my technical classes because we can’t work the way we normally would. Seniors, this isn’t the end of us. We are going to make this year memorable!” Senior Tajah East
What I’ve been missing most about school is the nonstop exciting environment. I miss the constant laughter I would have with my teachers and classmates. I miss the atmosphere of learning , I miss walking the halls , I miss hearing the bells rings , and I miss the feeling of having somewhere to be. I absolutely hate that my fellow 2020 classmates have said our goodbye to MHS in this way. Yet there is always light in every situation. I can say the positive outlook I have is we now know what true leadership and teamwork looks like from our school. The staff has been doing their best to try to help with everything in this crazy time. And it’s greatly appreciated from us all. Even though we miss our regular lives this is a great time to re-evaluate ourselves, families , hobbies, and just explore new things that can emerge from this quarantine. I can say as a class we have missed out of stuff, but I can ensure we will have a story to tell. I love you class of 2020 and we will always be remembered. Senior Desiree Alleyne “My biggest fear right now is not being able to walk across the stage. I want to be with my class for one last time and wear my cap and gown to receive the diploma I worked so hard for. I want to experience something that a lot of people never get to experience. Rejoicing with the people I spent the last 13 years of school with about our accomplishment was something I always looked forward to. Playing in the Orchestra for graduation was something I also looked forward to all of my years high school.”
Senior Kenneth King
“I work to keep myself occupied. I also watch Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and do my work.” The MirrorThe Mirror is the student newspaper of Merrillville High School, 276 E. 68th Place, Merrillville Ind. 46410. |