The Echo WILSON AREA HIGH SCH OOL Edition 99, Issue 4 January, 2021 Saving The Arctic Fatimah Bouri: By: Veronica George Editor-in-Chief Since the early 1800’s, climate change has posed a threat to the earth. Ap- Anderson Bastien: proaching 2021... the arctic is in serious danger. Unfortunately climate change is re- Managing Editor moving nearly 75 percent of the arctic sea’s ice volume. Apart from that, Polar bears are on the brink of extinction. Due to the lack of Mikayla Smith: ice, there are close to no habitual areas for polar bears. The conservation status is la- Asst Editor beled as vulnerable and is rapidly decreasing. Countries around the globe are beginning to drill for oil in the arctic. Miles Kylee Burwell: into Alaska live natives who are fighting for their home in court. After President Trump Asst. Editor finalized a bill to allow drilling for oil in Alaska, the native people are outraged. Additionally, microfibers from things such as our laundry are beginning to se- Jackelyn Cardona: riously pollute the arctic sea. Nearly 92% of arctic water samples showed polyester mi- Asst. Editor crofibers which are polluting the ocean. If we, as human beings, don't stand up for the rights of the arctic...it could be gone forever. Growing up, we would always hear about climate changes and their effects on us as a society. Teenagers are told every day that we are the generation that will be leaving a lasting effect on the future. Scientists fear, If we don't start to change now it will only get worse from here. We CAN be the change this world needs, and saving the arctic would be a big step. Listed below are ways you can sign petitions or even do- nate. To Donate or sign petitions: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/issues/protect-the-arctic/ Where I got my information: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/issues/ Pictures courtesy of Google The Echo 2020 Crazy Events By: Austin Hoff The year of 2020 was full of crazy events for everyone around the world and changed the way we lived our day to day lives. Covid-19 was the common world event for 2020 and was the major factor that changed our lives. The Presidential Election was a major event that many Americans were involved with this year. The way we approached school this year was an event shared by us students in the Lehigh Valley. Covid-19 ravaged the world in 2020 and has taken a little under two million lives so far. We have experi- enced quarantine for almost nine months now and cases continue to rise around most of the world. On the bright side a vaccine was tested and created for the general public. We do not know when this pandemic is going to end, but let's keep our hopes up! The Presidential Election happened this year and was a very close race. Vice President Biden, soon to be President has won the election. He won the Electoral College 306-232, he has also won the popular vote by 4.2%. January 20th is the time of Inauguration and marks the start of the new presidency. The way that we approach school has changed as well. We have a hybrid and virtual system for the students. This year has come hard to many and have made it more difficult to stay on task and gain motivation to do this work. This is one of the adaptations that we have had to make this year. Although we have had crazy experiences this year, we still have to live life this new year and make it better than the last year. We have to instill change in ourselves and keep our morale high. Pictures courtesy of Google Page 2 Edition 99, Issue 4 Trump Challenges Election Results By: Hennessy Renninger This has been the most controversial year in election history. As most people know, the former president challenged the votes against Joe Biden. The results were Biden winning both electoral and popular votes with 306 electoral votes and 51.3% of popular votes. After the votes were counted and Biden was named the clear winner, Trump re- fused to believe he lost the election. Trump even went as far as demanding a recount and even trying to decline states' votes such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Trump had only gotten Texas on his side in the recount and denial of the states previously listed. Throughout the legal issues, Biden has not retaliated and stayed professional. The Supreme Court, however, has denied Trump's lawsuits and declined the states' votes. Even as Trump challenges the votes, the clear outcome stays and Biden will be inaugurated as the new President of the United States. Biden’s inauguration is set to be on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021. Pictures courtesy of Google Page 3 The Echo Homelessness In America By: Yolonda Sullivan Today, America is currently struggling with Covid-19 virus as well the after effects of the pandemic. What is shock- ing is that most people struggling with finding a home are part of the African American and Latinx communities. A statement taken from website endhomelessness.com, a site that has been educating others about the severity and gaining awareness for these citizens, “Not only are Black and Latinx people typically more likely to be among the working poor and near poor and the unemployed, but they are also less equipped to weather the storms of recession. Fifty-eight percent of Black and Latinx people are liquid asset poor….” Hospitals are struggling to keep up with the demand of the sick. The amount of people in need has sur- passed to another level. The doctors are conflicted on what to do with the influx of people looking to use a hospital bed as a place to be sheltered for a night. "Earlier on in the pandemic...somebody would come in with a cough, and you didn't want to send them back to the shelter because that would potentially expose a lot of people. Then the sub- way shut down, which added just another layer of challenge because a lot of people who are homeless, they sleep in the subway because they feel that that's the safest option for them,” E.R worker Doran, from N.Y provides her in- put on her experience during the pandemic. This is an issue that can’t be overlooked because hungry citizens are more likely to contract Corona Virus due to their weaker immune systems. “Individuals who experience food insecurity are more likely to have poorer health” (Feeding America). Though there are many outlets for the homeless, the message can’t always be reached. Awareness is key to figuring out a solution. Pictures courtesy of Google Page 4 Edition 99, Issue 4 New Corona Virus Strand May Be More Infectious By: Kylee Burwell Ever since the virus started, there has always been worry that there was more to the disease and how infectious it is. Since Corona started out, there has been a second strand of Covid. It has been here since the early stage of the virus. Covid may be more harsh now that there is a second strand in addition to the first strand. I In the paper details of Covid, a change in one amino acid in the virus may have made it more infectious. It indicated that a single amino acid changed from D, which is an aspartic acid, to G, which is glycine. This tends to end on the spike protein which such viruses grab onto human cells. The G strain seems to have produced more of the virus than the D strain. Also, the spike protein has produced more of the virus. Many scientists worry about the vaccine and how it is being made because of the results they recorded. They worry that the virus may be yesterday’s virus and not today's. The new debate over the new mutation in the virus is that the G strain may be more infectious towards the virus. It is scary knowing the virus could be more deadly than what it is now, but we just need to start taking more precautions. Pictures courtesy of Google Page 5 Edition 99, Issue 4 Will We Still Wear Masks In Two Years? By: Danyliah Blount Do you believe that in two years from now we'll still have to wear masks? Experts have said that, “Masks become a more general cultural norm, especially during the cold and flu season.” After several Covid-19 vaccines, there is hope for an end of the pandemic, but experts still caution that we may still be wearing masks and employing other guidelines, such as social distancing, for at least another year. The major factor is based on how fast the vaccine can be administered. Experts have urged caution about how long the process may take. CDC says, “Mask mandates can slow Covid-19 spread.” Dr. Colleen Kraft stated that the vaccine may be available to the majority of the population within the year, but the corona virus would need to be less prevalent before masking could stop. Kraft has also put out there that, “Since the vaccine takes some time to become effective and requires two doses, people who receive the vaccine will need to continue to wear their masks.” Wide rollout of the corona virus vaccine could be 6-7 months away, doctors say. “We want to make sure that our immune system has time to work and develop against (the virus), so it’s not a magic bullet as soon as you take it,” she explained.