Pederson & Wentz “Sound of Metal” Music Programs A team in turmoil, Page 14 A film review,Page 17 And the pandemic, Page 11 a student publication FREE Issue 85 Serving Montgomery County Community College and the Surrounding Community March 2021 “Insurrection at the Capitol” Read on Page 7. Photo by Pixabay.com Page 2 THE MONTGAZETTE March 2021 The Staff Josh Young Editor-in-Chief Sufyan Davis-Arrington Michael Chiodo Emma Daubert Alaysha Gladden Amanda Hadad Daniel Johnson The unexpected positives of the COVID pandemic Nina Lima Kylah McNamee Lauren Meter Josh Young Audrey Schippnick The Montgazette Editor-in-Chief Krystyna Ursta Nicholas Young March Contributors Hello, and welcome back to to our busy schedules. Luckily, physically active. According Most importantly, however, Yaniv Aronson everyone who has returned to their this particular prediction came to a study published in the students have learned just Robin Bonner Advisors studies at Montgomery County true for me, for the most part; International Journal of how resilient they really are. Community College. I hope you however, since that letter, there Environmental Research and We, as students, have been Joshua Woodroffe Design & Layout all have a positive, successful have been many other positives Public Health that examined forced to adapt on the fly in an semester. As always, I am happy to come out of this less-than- Belgian adults, of people who environment of almost constant to extend a warm welcome to ideal situation. were classified as “low active” uncertainty, resulting in frequent students who are entering their In addition to spending (getting little to no exercise), battles with adversity, while also first semester at the College. more time with close friends and 58% reported exercising more having to provide for ourselves. I would like to harken back family members, there has also during the pandemic, in part Despite this, many of us have to a letter I wrote one year ago, been a resurgence in community because of the free time that they succeeded and continued our when the COVID virus had just spirit. In the months immediately now have. Of those people who education in pursuit of the goals started its spread across the globe following the shutdown of were active before the pandemic, that we have yet to achieve but and into the United States. At businesses and other local 77% reported exercising as much are striving toward. that time, the College decided institutions, online conversations or more than they had been. Also, I would be remiss in to move to a completely remote involving community members Other studies have found similar not mentioning the teachers who environment in the middle of an on Facebook and other social results in the U.K. and U.S. have been forced to move to an active semester, and I am sure I media groups rose 82%, The pandemic has also entirely online format (which was not the only one who was according to Wunderman shown that the ability of may be new for them) and who experiencing an anxiety attack at Thompson. In the months employees to work remotely have come through despite these that point in time. since, community engagement is possible on a much wider challenges. This is especially Not long afterward, while and spirit has stayed relatively scale than most businesses had true for faculty members who I was recovering from that stable. As a result, many of us previously thought. In fact, in the may not be as tech-savvy as initial shock, I wrote a letter have actually met and talked to first chaotic months, businesses some of the other members. I where I talked about some people online we likely would adapted to the new normal and hope that everyone takes this of the unexpected positives not have before the pandemic. identified ways to maintain one-year benchmark as a point that could come out of this Additionally, there have been operational efficiency in the face of reflection, recognizing that pandemic. Among the things that many feel-good stories of of staggering difficulties. This when the going gets tough, you I highlighted was the increased neighbors helping each other out principle can also be applied to can be successful despite historic amount of time we would get by buying groceries for those colleges, which had to create obstacles. to spend with close friends and who are immunocompromised or online classes and platforms on a With that said, I will once family, thereby giving us the are at an increased risk of death massive scale. In the future, we again bid you all adieu and wish chance to reconnect, and also from COVID. may see more people work or you all the best of luck during the time we would get to engage We have also been looking attend school from home (which this semester and beyond in in activities and hobbies that after ourselves better by eating younger generations, especially, your academic, professional and we had neglected, due in part healthier and becoming more have been pushing for years). personal lives. March 2021 Page 3 Trying to make the best of it: School in the era of COVID Michael Chiodo MSP 111 The Montgazette Contributor The COVID pandemic has but that she gradually grew more had a drive-by, virtual graduation same experience, with the class of affected virtually everyone on the accustomed to the new normal, “The ceremony, and a small party, but it 2021 potentially experiencing a fully planet in one way or another, and first couple of months, it was pretty wasn’t the same.” virtual senior year. students and teachers are no different. boring. The assignments weren’t Jamison says that this year in Hopefully, this will be the last It has now been close to a year since ‘required,’ there were no classes and college has been easier. “We’re all senior class to have virtual graduation schools were closed nationwide, and there was nothing to do. This year, it’s used to it now,” he says, adding, “and ceremonies. It may be too late for although some schools are beginning been easier. I never thought I’d be so you know, I’m not really stressing Jamison and the millions who shared to gradually open back up with limited happy to have class all day!” about missing out on things now. his experience, but Chiodo and her capacity, the vast majority of students Chiodo also said she is thankful At the end of last year, every day I classmates have the opportunity to are still taking online classes. that the pandemic hit early in her would think about whether we would have normal senior years. Kayley Chiodo, a sophomore at high school career rather than later. be able to have prom or graduation, With a vaccine rollout finally a Upper Dublin High School, has not Millions of high school seniors had along with being stressed about going reality, and thousands of Americans been inside a classroom in nearly a their final months of high school to college in a few months. My stress getting vaccinated daily, a light is year. She muses that when she left ruined, with proms, field trips and level is definitely lower [now].” beginning to appear at the end of the school on a Thursday afternoon early graduations canceled. Jamison is just one of millions tunnel for students. One thing is for last March, she never could have Connor Jamison graduated who had their senior year of high sure: Students may never again take imagined what would come next: “It from North Penn High School last school cut short. And sadly, millions for granted meeting for class in an was honestly a pretty normal day. summer and now attends Penn State more are currently going through the actual classroom. There were some rumors of maybe University. He says that missing out school being closed the following day, on the final months of his high-school but we all thought it would be very journey was deeply upsetting, “For brief, kind of like a snow day.” years, I looked forward to going out Of course, it was not just like on a stage, receiving my high school a snow day, not in the least. Chiodo diploma, and having a big graduation explains that at first it was very tough, party. I never got to do that. We Everyone has had a different school experience in the age of COVID. Photo by: Freeimages.com. Page 4 THE MONTGAZETTE March 2021 Art & Literature Magazine Club Lecture Series Dan Marcolina talks... March 29, 2021 12:45–2:00 pm EST Join us online at: https://bit.ly/2Ni2vjZ Meeting ID: 982 3929 3605 Passcode: 767287 DAN MARCOLINA MarcolinaCREATIVE Design DIRECTOR Inc. DAN MARCOLINA 300 Brookside Ave DAN MARCOLINA CREATIVE DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR danm@ marcolina.com danm@ marcolina.com danm@ marcolina.com Tw / marcolinadesign Ambler, PA 19002 Tw / marcolinadesign Fb / marcolinadesign Fb / marcolinadesign Li / marcolina Li / marcolina Ig / marcolinadesign Tw / marcolinadesign Ig / marcolinadesign Office 215.653.7000 MobileFb / marcolinadesign 215.840.3355 wwLiw /. marcolinamarcolina.com Ig / marcolinadesign March 2021 THE MONTGAZETTE Page 5 Opinion: Stephen Breyer may need to face political reality Nicholas Young The Montgazette Contributor America just experienced its most to step down, so that Biden can nominate more specifically Senate Majority Leader turbulent year since 1968, and maybe its worst a younger liberal justice in his place, a Mitch McConnell’s, evasive maneuvers. ever. The pandemic has ruined and taken lives, practice that has become common for new This lack of foresight came into play POLITICS with two diametrically opposed parties having administrations in past years.