FEATURE: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity Catches Hilborn in its Snare

by Kaylie Kirkham, junior

For 6 ½ miles in Pasadena, CA, the streets are lined with people. Cheers and hollers emanate from the crowd, threatening to drown out the main attraction. But the magnificent sound of the band can never be smothered.

The Rose Parade is one of the most prestigious parades in the nation, featuring enormous floats covered in flowers. But this year, the Rose Parade has a special meaning for the students here in Nazareth. Our very own band director, Rick Hilborn, was selected to be one of the eleven snare drums in this year’s Rose Parade.

COVID-19 hit music programs really hard. A lot of parents and students were concerned about the spread of germs that would result from blowing into instruments and singing. Bands and choirs all across the country struggled to cope with new restrictions and the loss of members.

In response to this, The Music Educators National Conference decided to put together a band consisting of 300 band directors from every state in the nation to march in the Rose Parade.

When Hilborn first heard about this opportunity, he thought, “Okay, what do I have to lose? I have nothing to lose, but maybe a lot to gain.” He recorded an audition video and sent in his application. One the last day before Christmas break of 2020, Hilborn received an email saying that he had been accepted as a snare drummer.

“Since that day…there has been a lot of preparation. We started to get music for this back in June of last year… so obviously the music has to be learned. It has to be memorized,” Hilborn said.

The Rose Parade is different from many other traditional performances, in that the band members don’t actually come together to practice until three days before the parade. They will meet on Dec 29 for the first time and practice for 3 straight days until the performance on Jan 1.

“I was working on my own in preparation and I was excited to see what everything was going to sound like. They’ve given us recordings of the music that we can play along with and practice with but you really… [have] to do all the preparation on your own basically,” Hilborn said.

Hilborn is very excited to be a part of the Rose Parade this year. He said he feels honored to have been selected to participate in such an amazing event. He cannot wait to see everything come together. However, Hilborn is also feeling a little anxious about his upcoming performance.

“It's a little intimidating to prepare because you want to be prepared and you want to have a good time doing it, but at the same time…I don’t wanna go out there and make a fool of myself,” he said.

Not only does Hilborn feel honored to be a part of the Rose Parade, his students do as well. Tanishka Dhingra, a flautist for the NAHS marching band, said, “Mr. Hilborn, he is awesome at his instrument…He totally deserves it. It's a really awesome opportunity, and we are happy for him.”

“I’m so proud of him,” adds trumpet player Alison Hawley.

Hilborn has been working tirelessly in preparation for the Rose Parade, but he is ready. He flies to California on Dec 26 and cannot wait to march with the band on Jan 1.

The Rose Bowl will be streamed on ABC, NBC, Hallmark Channel, and HGTV at 8am PST on New Year’s Day. Hop on to watch Nazareth’s very own band director, Rick Hilborn, play snare drum in the Rose Parade of 2022.

Psssst….We got inside info from Mr. Hilborn that Hallmark or HGTV are the best places to catch him because sometimes the networks cut to commercials during the bands!

Photo Credit: Mr. Hilborn

NEWS: Prism Concert Shines

by Ethan Bachstein, freshman

On December 8th and 9th, music lovers got a special holiday themed treat. The Nazareth Prism Concert brought together a culmination of instruments and voices alike, with the additional joke here and there.

Photo Credit: Mrs. Jameson

The Prism Concert is a special kind of performance in which many artists, including singers, musicians, and even poets are placed in several different spots throughout the stage and house. This method of performing is intended to envelop the audience in the music and the performance itself. And envelop it did.

The event had many groups participating, the one of the largest being the Concert Choir directed by Mrs. Rocchi. Several of the a capella groups, including Cantus, Nightingales, and Crescendudes made an appearance as well.

There were a few instrumental groups, with brass and woodwind sometimes in unison, sometimes acting separately. Mr. Hilborn and the Concert Band had several pieces of music to play, as did the NAHS Orchestra and string ensembles. 

Another major highlight was Block of Rock. Grace Cuevas and Kelsey Condon were the lead singers, backed up on guitar by Colin Grohotolski, on the drums by Caleb Thurneau, and on the Keytar by Jacob Kremer.

A good performance is impossible without preparation and plenty of hard work. According to Mrs. Rocchi, “This was our third time that we’ve done the holiday Prism concert. We took about 2 or 3 Eagle Blocks to figure out the order of the songs.” The arduous task of putting on a show for an audience is nothing to take lightly, but the outcome is often quite rewarding.

NEWS: National Honor Society Inducts New Members

 by Adrianna Wagner, junior

“Our future is in good hands,” says Principal Alan Davis. He stands facing supportive family members crowding the upholstered seats in the auditorium, gazing with admiring eyes at their child on stage. Proud smiles spread across their faces as they take photos of the students on stage--the 2021 National Honor Society inductees.

Each year, high schools across America induct select students into the National Honor Society. Founded in 1921, the National Honor Society awards students who not only demonstrate academic excellence or scholarship, but also exhibit leadership, service, and character. In order to be admitted, students maintain their grades while participating in clubs and service projects within the school and the community. 

This year, a collection of both Juniors and Seniors were selected to be NHS members following a formal application process. As per tradition, on its 100th year, an induction ceremony was held in the Nazareth Area High School auditorium to welcome new members into NHS. The evening began at 6:00 PM with the lighting of the first candle, representing the eternal knowledge of its inductees. Afterwards, the new members were presented, accompanied by remarks from Mr. Davis and Dr. Riker.

Grace Rasmussen, Emily Harclerode, Veronica Morris, Bryanha Stanat, Caitlyn Veloshen, and Sierra Jordan, the newly appointed officer inductees, lit candles representing the four pillars of NHS. New members were then sworn in after reciting an oath, pledging themselves to the National Honor Society and promising to honor its core values. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates to students, congratulating them on their noteworthy accomplishments.

Just like the light of the candles, the future is certainly bright for these students.

OPINION: Return to Traditional School: How COVID-19 Has Impacted Education at NAHS

by Adrianna Wagner, junior

    Unprecedented times. “We are living in unprecedented times.” Last year, these words flooded news articles, television broadcasts, and online advertisements. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, schools across the globe shut down and transitioned to online school. On March 14, 2020, all schools in the Nazareth district closed their doors--not to open again until August of the same year, then offering hybrid learning to its students. Now, over a year later, Nazareth students have returned to traditional in-school instruction five days a week. Needless to say, it has been an adjustment for everyone.

    As a Nazareth student myself, I have experienced the impacts of COVID on our education, as well as our physical and mental wellbeing. Because of this struggle, five days of in-person instruction per week seemed to be what the student body needed to be academically successful. However, upon returning to school, I found that our education itself had been impacted as well. I was curious how those around me were adapting to the changes in the schedule and in the classroom. I spoke with both students and Mr. Davis to get their perspectives on this topic.

    Sophomore Ryan Ortutay experienced a majority of his Freshman year attending Zoom classes. When speaking with him, I asked how the hybrid model impacted his first year of high school in comparison to students such as myself, who were able to experience high school prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Sophomore Ryan
Ortutay 

    When asked if he found it intimidating to enter high school on a hybrid model, Ortutay responded, “Not really. For me personally, it was easier to transition to the big school on a hybrid schedule.” He explained that though he did not feel entirely prepared for the school year, his “teachers are very understanding and will go over stuff again if you ask.”

    Junior Cassandra Zellner, a student athlete, expressed similar sentiments     as she spoke about her experiences coping with the transition while     participating in softball for a majority of the year. She said, “I do feel the teachers are understanding of the last two school years' circumstances and are a bit more lenient. They know students may not have as broad an understanding of the content because we generally lacked in-person instruction last year.”

    With softball as an added commitment, Zellner found this year's return to normal “has definitely been difficult balancing my classes along with my athletics.” She actually found the hybrid model to be more accommodating to her busy schedule “because I could do my work on more of my own time and base that off of my schedule.”

Junior Cassie Zellner completes
homework in Study Hall

 Ortutay and Zellner agreed that some students lack a thorough knowledge of the content as a result of last year. However, they also agree that teachers are more willing to adapt the curriculum to accommodate students this year. And when athletics are factored into the equation, it grants us new insight into the needs of our peers. Though online learning and the hybrid schedule was not conducive to the needs of many students, for those that balance school as well as time-consuming extracurriculars, the hybrid or online model may be a beneficial option.

    Of course, the hybrid model is not universally preferred, especially with it having negatively impacted upperclassmen’s high school experiences. Senior Grace Cuevas spoke openly about her thoughts pertaining to the hybrid model, how her Junior year was affected, and the return to school.

    Cuevas noted, “COVID-19 most impacted my Junior year, which is arguably the most difficult and important year of high school. Junior year is the time to really 'show off' to colleges, so I was taking my most difficult classes yet and participating in multiple extra-curricular activities all within a hybrid model of schooling that I had never before experienced.” She found it to be challenging for her and is now “really happy to be back in person.”

    For an administrative perspective, I spoke with principal Davis who feels “students and staff seem to be adjusting well to being back in school five days a week.” With many students addressing teachers’ understanding, I asked Mr. Davis what the administration has been doing to aid students in the transition from the hybrid model to fully in-person learning.

    Davis said, “From our end the administration continues to work with teachers to remind them to be patient and flexible with students (and parents) as everyone readjusts to in person learning for 5 days a week. We are also trying to resume as many 'normal' activities as possible such as club meetings and activities, Music Department concerts, Homecoming, athletics, and more. It is our hope that we can do everything that we used to do prior to COVID.”

    In speaking to Mr. Davis, it became more apparent that teachers are working to make the transition as straightforward as possible, bearing in mind the needs of each student.

    However, upon returning to school, Cuevas noticed something else. She believes “hybrid model made assigning and grading a lot easier for teachers" which has now resulted in teachers “continuing to assign more online work than I had noticed in past years.”

    An increase in online work has seemed to be the growing trend, with multiple students remarking that there is an increase in technology-use in classrooms. Mr. Davis commented on this, saying “the use of technology by students and teachers has always been on the rise even prior to COVID.” However, he does credit COVID-19 for vastly contributing to the rise of technology-use in the school.

    “There is no doubt that COVID has helped to move that along quicker for some teachers and students who may have been lagging behind,” and that “technology can always be a useful managerial and instructional tool for teachers and students if used the correct way,” Davis said.

    It is no secret that COVID-19 has heavily impacted the lives of people across the globe. Lives were taken, families were destroyed, and our students missed some memorable teenage experiences. In speaking to both students and a member of administration, it is comforting to see the smiling eyes of my peers behind their masks, content and motivated to take on the school year. This time--in person.

All photos provided by Adrianna Wagner

NEWS: Naz Hallways Ready for Homecoming!

By Kaylie Kirkham, junior

    Each year, when the homecoming season rolls around, students leave the building on Friday and return on Monday to a completely different scene. The hallways are decorated with paper, paintings, streamers, posters, and so much more. It is a transformation that, to most of the student body, seems almost miraculous and effortless. That, however, is quite far from the truth.

    A member of the Senior Executive Council said, “It’s a lot more stressful than people think.” Although it seems to just appear in the hallway, the decoration process actually takes around 5 hours. 

    On Oct 1, the members of each council stayed until 8pm working to put up the scenes you walk past. Not to mention, each decoration is handmade, which means spending countless hours beforehand to prepare for decoration night. Another Senior Executive Council member explained that “every free class period you have, you’re painting!” Decorating these hallways is no small feat, and is certainly not for the faint of heart.

    If it takes so much effort to execute, why even bother? Do the students even appreciate having the hallways decorated? 

    Emma Blackham, the president of the Senior Executive Council, shared her opinion on this. “Do they appreciate it? Yes. Do they appreciate it enough for the time commitment? No. But I do think they like it and I think it's fun.” 

    The Executive Councils have been decorating the hallways for as long as anyone can remember, but even they don’t know why they actually do it. According to Mr. Cunningham, the Sophomore Executive Council sponsor, “Decorating the hallways is...intended to bring...a school spirit out of the homecoming season. Originally, it was to...compete...class to class by grade level, but now it seems like...more of a...coming together activity. That’s why you’ll see a lot of the hallways will have the names of...the class members in it...That way everybody feels part of it.” 

    The competition aspect of the hallway decorating may have fallen away, but there is still a huge focus on school spirit. The Freshman Executive Council chose to focus on Nazareth spirit with their theme this year. 

    As Mr. Cunningham explained, the hallway decorating is no longer an official competition, but there is still a little bit of a competitive spark between the councils. Each group aspires to outperform the other, just for pride’s sake. 

    Over the past, the Junior hallways have been crowd favorites, presenting themes such as Aladdin, Monster’s Inc, and now a 50’s Diner and Drive in. Emma Blackham commented that “the Junior one is always the best because it is the easiest to design. You can be transported into a world!” The Juniors always have the advantage of a thinner, shorter hallway. They can use every inch of the wall space without trouble, whereas the longer, more open Freshman and Sophomore hallways are difficult to manage. Nonetheless, each group puts in their all every year to bring the best decor they have to the table. 

    It is no small feat for the members of the councils to create decorations and hang them up, all the while still doing schoolwork and other activities. Just because the hallways look magical, doesn’t mean they show up magically. It takes a lot of work, but the Executives are willing to do it because they know the students enjoy it and how important it is to the spirit of the homecoming season.

 

All photos provided by Kaylie Kirkham

OPINION: Nazareth Bucket List

By Allie Talarico

If you’re like me and my friends and are dispersing across the world for college (This isn’t an exaggeration. London, Michigan, Hawaii, Delaware, the list goes on…), or even if you’re just excited to graduate, then you’ll want closure to all your years in Naz. So, as the only senior writer on the Newspaper, I took it upon myself to formulate the complete Nazareth Bucket List. Carefully beta tested to make sure that these are the ultimate must-dos, here are 10 things to do before you graduate from Nazareth Area High School:

1. Watch the sunrise from the Indian Tower- Wake up at 4:30, grab iced coffee from Dunkin’, gather your friends, and drive to the Indian Tower. You won’t regret it. We recommend going on a summer morning when the weather is warm. We went on May 1st and almost froze to death

2. See the rock- Not to be confused with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Plymouth Rock, the rock is the literal foundation of the high school. Shoved in the corner of the fitness center, this is a high school must-see. It’s bigger than you imagine. If you take personal fitness, ask your teacher to show it to you!

3. Jump the Schoneck- Another Nazareth must-see that isn’t so hidden, this is the ultimate nature-made obstacle of our school. Everyone’s gotta jump it once. Just don’t fall in. Don’t jump during the school day. You don’t want to walk into class with soggy shoes.

4. Thank a teacher- This one is arguably the most self-explanatory but most important event on this list. Thank the teachers and the people in your life who helped you make it through these weird 4 years. Shameless plug: In this article, I reflected and thanked some of the great teachers I had at Naz. Check it out!

5. Take a food tour around town- Emily’s, Zanette’s, Naz Diner. The list is endless. Try everything at least once. Naz Diner tastes better at 2 am after a theatre show or football game.

6. Walk through The Borough Park- We originally went to find the Teepees set up in the wooded area of the park until we realized someone tore them down. But the trail was nice regardless! Try to catch the Nazareth Carnival during the summer time. Nothing screams small town like bad food and life threatening carnival rides.

7. Climb the Matrix at NAIS- To make things really feel full circle, grab your 5th grade friend group and climb the matrix one more time. We all know that this is the collective best memory from the Intermediate School.

8. Stroll through The Circle- The prettiest part of Naz, and the center hub, walking around the circle is a must. Try to catch the tree lighting in the winter and the Farmer’s Market in the summer. If you go to the Farmer’s Market, get some Peanut Butter from the Peanut Butter Guy. So. Good.

9. Go to a school dance- Take it from someone who hates school dances, you have to go to at least one. A terrible DJ at Homecoming or a cold, rainy Prom is what makes High School High School. Just go. Remember, the key to a good homecoming or prom night is plans after with your friends. We recommend bowling or playing Mario Kart.

10. Make a Time Capsule and Bury it- In true coming-of-age movie fashion, gather some items that cumulate your four years, stick ‘em in a box, and bury it. Dig it up four years later at your college graduation and look how far you’ve come. (We did most of this list in one weekend. I recommend videotaping your time with your friends on a camcorder and burying the tape. Then, four years later, you can watch it and cringe at your 18 year old selves.)

Four years of high school flies by-- especially when a global pandemic cuts it short--so make the best of it.

13 years later and that’s a wrap. Thanks Naz!

Bye for now,
Allie

Allie Asks: Mrs. Hayward, Mrs. Hall, and Mrs. Walsh

Allie Talarico is honing her interview skills! Check our our newest interview feature, Allie Asks! Who will she ask next? Will it be you? Click through the interactive presentation below to find out what NASD says when Allie Asks!

Allie Asks: Mrs. Heimbach and Mrs. Yatchyshyn

 Allie Talarico is honing her interview skills! Check our our newest interview feature, Allie Asks! Who will she ask next? Will it be you?

Click through the interactive presentation below to find out what NASD says when Allie Asks!