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How COVID-19 Will Impact the 2021-2022 School year
Students are currently expected to be able to return to Dreher full face-to-face next school year.
“In terms of next school year, a lot will be decided by the data related to COVID-19 infection rates. However, based on the current data, I feel (and hope) that we will be back to full face-to-face in the fall”, Principal Hasinger said in an interview.
Despite the mild spike in new COVID-19 cases in South Carolina, an overall drop in cases pared with increased vaccine rollout has inspired confidence that Dreher students will be able to return to school full-time next school year. Despite vaccinations becoming ever more common, the virus is not gone, and the school will still require such safety measures like social distancing and wearing a mask to still be taken.
“I'm hoping that increased vaccinations and reduced infection rates will combine to allow for a more "normal" school experience in the fall. With that being said, if infection rates suddenly soar due to some type of variant virus, that could potentially change” Principal Hasinger later said.
Due to the virus’s unpredictability, school and district officials will still have to watch future COVID-19 statistics and take CDC and SCDHEC recommendations into account. However, due to current statistics, Principal Hasinger is confident in the current plan to bring students back face-to-face full-time for the 2021-2022 school year.
Leaving Afghanistan
resident Biden announced a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to America’s longest war exactly two decades after the September attacks.
“I’ve concluded that it’s time to end America’s longest war,” Biden said. “It’s time for our troops to come home.” Source: Deadline
The President’s decision will keep U.S forces in Afghanistan beyond the May 1st exit deadline that the Trump administration negotiated the previous year with the Taliban.
“Biden noted that he inherited a diplomatic agreement made by Donald Trump’s administration with the Taliban that all U.S. forces would be out by May 1.” Source: Deadline
President Biden’s announcement has gathered backlash from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“In a statement on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the plan “reckless” and a grave mistake. It is a retreat in the face of an enemy that has not yet been vanquished and abdication of American leadership.” Source: The Washington Post
Although the U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan, the U.S. will remain supporting the Afghan government.
“In announcing the withdrawal, Biden says the U.S. will continue to provide support to the Afghan troops, including airstrikes, intelligence, and funding. But many with experience in the region question the potency of that support when coming from outside Afghanistan's borders.”
Source: U.S. News
Juice Wrld's Rise to fame Leading to Death
Jarad Anthony Higgins, AKA Juice WRLD was a well-known rapper and song writer. Born on December 2, 1998, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up with his mother and elder brother. Juice attended "Homewood-Flossmoor High School" for his early education. As his mother was very religious and conservative, Juice was not allowed to listen to hip-hop music. However, this did not stop him from creating popular songs like Lucid Dreams, Robbery, Hear me calling, Righteous, and so on.
Juice WRLD started uploading music to Sound cloud under the name Juice WRLD before he graduated high school. One distinction that set him apart from other homegrown artists was the amount of his first big paycheck. In early March 2018, he signed a reportedly $3 million deal with Interscope to release his debut.
Juice always had a soft spot for making music, he's even freestyled a little in class with his friends, which led to his uprising. One impact that helped Juice in his come-up, was "999". "999” represents taking whatever hell, whatever bad situation or whatever struggle you're going through and turning it into something positive and using it to push yourself forward," he said in a 2018 interview with MTV. A Chicago native, Higgins launched his career on Sound Cloud before becoming a streaming juggernaut.
Only at the age of 19 did Juice's music career begin, but so did the drugs. Juice attended the ‘Homewood-Flossmoor High School’ for his early education. As his mother was very religious and conservative, Juice was not allowed to listen to hip-hop music. His first exposure to rock music was through video games like "Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater" and "Guitar Hero."
At the age of 4, Juice learned to play the piano. Later, he took guitar and drums lessons, too. He also played trumpet for his band class. As a teenager, Juice was addicted to drugs. He also smoked cigarettes. Later, his deteriorating health forced him to quit these habits. After struggling with drugs, Juice is now making Millions.
Juice WRLD produced top-selling albums like "Goodbye & Good Riddance" and "Death Race For Love" during his prime. Sadly former rapper Juice WRLD passed away on December 8th, 2019. Juice was on his way to perform a concert. Riding in a private Jet was his friends and his girlfriend. Juice took drugs and firearms with him. He was getting off the Jet and was asked to be searched. In an attempt to hide the pills, giving they were illegal, Juice popped several pills in his mouth, which caused him to have a seizure. He was rushed to the hospital and died shortly after. He was just 21.
His last
words to the media was, “I love y'all
more than life itself.” This
was Rapper Juice WRLD's chilling
last words to fans at his final concert in Melbourne - nine days before his tragic death. His music did not die with him. A few months after his death another album was released known as,
“Legends Never Die”. It was a hit, and shortly after it was shared with the media that Juice had over 2,000 unreleased songs. Juice practically lived in the studio. Unreleased songs are still
released as of this day such as "Another One", "OT", "Girlfriend", "Rental", "Rock Star in His Prime", "Life chase“, “Know us”, and so much more.
Juice WRLD
was truly a
legend who never died. He inspired thousands of people ad even helped most of his fans through depression with his 999 tactics. You will be missed Jarad, may you rest in
peace.
The 12 Leading Causes of Death in America
According to Healthline, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in America. Together, these two conditions are responsible for 46 percent of deaths in the U.S. When combining with the third most common cause of death—chronic lower respiratory diseases- the three diseases account for half of all deaths in the United States.
Dreher high school student, Somoya Lamkin, was asked if she had close family members suffering from heart disease, cancer, or chronic lower respiratory disease. Fortunately, she said, “No, I do not have a close family member that suffers from heart disease, cancer, or chronic low respiratory disease.”
For 30 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been collecting and examining causes of death. This information helps researchers and doctors understand if they need to address growing epidemics in healthcare.
As stated in the article, “The top 12 causes of death in the United States account for more than 75 percent of all deaths”.
Now, the overview of the 12 leading causes of death in the U.S.
Heart Disease is the No. 1 leading cause of death in America. The disease kills 635,260 people per year. It also accounts for 23.1 percent of total deaths. The disease is typically found in male overweight smokers. You may also suffer from the disease if your family suffers from heart disease or heart attack. Age is also a factor people over the age of 55 are at risk.
The second leading cause of death is cancer. This disease is responsible for killing 598,038 people per year. Cancer is responsible for21.7 percent of total deaths. Each type of cancer has a specific set of risk factors, but several risk factors are common among multiple types. These risks factors include:
- People of a certain age
- People who use tobacco and alcohol
- People exposed to radiation and a lot of sunlight
- People with chronic inflammation
- People who are obese
-
People with a family history of the disease
Cancer is the result of rapid and uncontrolled cell growth in your body. A normal cell multiplies and divides in a controlled manner. Sometimes, those instructions become scrambled. When this happens, the cells begin to divide at an uncontrolled rate. Cancer can develop due to this. There is no clear way to avoid cancer. But certain behaviors have been linked to increased cancer risk, like smoking. Good changes to your behaviors include things like:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking and drink in moderation
- Avoid direct exposure to the sun for extended periods of time. Don’t use tanning beds.
- Have regular cancer screenings, including skin checks, mammograms, prostate exam, etc.
The third leading cause of death is accidents (unintentional injuries). The number of lives per year that accidents claim is 161,374. Accidents account for 5.9 percent of total deaths. Accidents are more common among men, people ages 1 to 44, and people with risky jobs. Interestingly enough, accidents lead to more than 28 million emergency room visits each year. The three leading causes of accident-related death are unintentional falls, motor vehicle traffic deaths, and unintentional poisoning deaths. To prevent accidents, take all proper precautions to prevent accidents or injuries. If you hurt yourself, seek emergency medical treatment to prevent serious complications.
Coming in at No. 4 is Chronic lower respiratory diseases. 154,596 people are killed per year. Additionally, 5.6 percent account for total deaths in the U.S.
The disease is more common among women, people over the age of 65, people with a history of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, people with a history of asthma, individuals in a lower-income household.
So, what causes respiratory diseases? Conditions that cause these diseases are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asthma, and pulmonary hypertension. All of these conditions prevent your lungs from working properly. They can also cause scarring and damage to your lungs.
Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are the primary factors in the development of these diseases. Quit smoking and limit your exposure to other people’s smoke to reduce your risk.
The top 5 most common causes of death are a stroke. According to Healthline, strokes have killed 142,142 people in the U.S. In fact, strokes account for 5.18 percent of total deaths. Strokes are more common among men, women using birth control, people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, people who smoke.
A Stroke occurs when the blood flow to your brain is cut off. Without oxygen-rich blood flowing to your brain, your brain cells begin to die in a matter of minutes. The blood flow can be stopped because of a simple block eatery or bleeding in the brain. This bleeding may be from an aneurysm or a broken blood vessel.
How can you prevent yourself from having a stroke? In case you didn’t know, many of the same lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk for heart disease can also reduce your risk for stroke. Preventions include:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Manage your blood pressure
- Stop smoking
- Manage your blood sugar
- Treat any underlying heart defects or diseases