The Wallkill Wire

 Alanna Martinez, Staff Writer Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Although she recently passed, her legacy as the first Jewish woman to be in the Supreme Court will remain. People deserve to be taken seriously in various workplaces and jobs, regardless of who they are. They deserve to believe that they are capable of amazing things. Why are some people still deprived of opportunities because of their gender? For the longest time, women were meant to clean, cook, reproduce, and keep their husbands happy. In many countries, those things are still expected. According to an Oyez article, Ruth Bader Ginsburg still went to work when she was fighting cancer and went to work on the day of her husband's death. Though women like Ginsburg have made huge strides for women, a Pew Research Study showed 29% of women still stay home. That is 6% more women staying at home than in 1999.  For some time, women were not meant to work. When t...

 Mary Lane, Staff Writer     Finding ways to take care of yourself during a pandemic feels impossible sometimes; it's easy to feel like the world is falling apart in front of us. If you are reading this, though, that means you made it through the last 8 months, and that is so important. Some days it’s hard to realize what’s most important-your homework, chores, or job-but it’s you. How can you do anything you need to do if you haven’t taken care of yourself first? I’ve gathered some little things and some big things that are important for you to stay healthy and keep you in a good headspace during these hard times. They are not in any particular order and just doing one of these things a day can help keep you going. Stay healthy and most importantly stay safe! Drink water Spend some time processing your thoughts, don’t rush things that don’t need to be rushed Make a to-do list to stay focused and organized Create a routine (it doesn’t have to take up the entire day) take ...

 Megan Javier, Staff Writer Hearing of other countries can seem irrelevant to some, however, amid an arising global pandemic, it's important we learn from other nations as much as possible. Every country is handling the pandemic in its own fashion, but aren't you curious about what other countries are experiencing at the same time we are?  Japan's universal healthcare system and culture of considerately wearing masks when one is sick has helped the decline of COVID-19 cases throughout the nation. Scientists are also practicing a "retrospective tracing method" which helps determine how the person affected with the virus may have been infected. By doing so, people will not only be able to know what factors or places caused them to get the virus but how they can avoid them at all costs. A fair amount of people may have contracted the virus from the same place; therefore, retrospective tracing would determine that place as a hotspot to require more restrictions and c...

Reilley Ciastko, Staff Writer  During a normal day in New York City, before March of 2020, you would be surrounded by millions of smells and sights; on a normal day there would be 1,400 people per block in NYC. You’d be surrounded and confined as you walked through the busy streets, bumping into people and rushing to go where you needed to be. Now, in November of 2020, NYC is nothing like that because it has been one of the most populated cities for many years, and now it is one of the major cities that have been most affected by COVID-19. Before the global pandemic that has taken over the world, NYC would have 60 million tourists flooding the subways and crowding the streets (according to Wikipedia). Now, people are encouraged to stay indoors, subways are shut down, and there are over 2000 social distancing ambassadors who work in public areas such as parks and beaches; they are there to remind New Yorkers about the basic state-mandated health and safety requirements, such as wear...

Elisabeth Muller, Staff Writer In today’s world climate change is a huge problem. According to NASA , the planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century. Glaciers have reduced all around the world since the beginning of the industrial in 1760. Global sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the last century. Activists like Greta Thunberg, Ridhima Pandey, and Nina Gualinga have been fighting for solutions and change. This is how our small town of Wallkill, New York is making a difference. I spoke with the chair of the Ulster county Environmental Management Council, Dave Haldeman, about this. He says that the county has officially declared a climate emergency. The Environmental Council's main goal right now is to protect and preserve any land that must be, such as wetlands, diverse forests, and wildlife habitats. The council also wants to enforce composting, rain gardens, LED street l...

Lance Booth, Staff Writer It’s that time of the year again; Battle of the Buildings is here! This is the second year of this event. Last years turnout was amazing, with both teachers playing and the students coming to watch. 2018 Graduate Mackenzie Bunt brought up the idea of staff playing in some sort of sporting event. When she approached administration about her idea, they said to turn it into a fundraiser. The event that came to be is the high school teachers versing the middle school teachers in a softball game. All the money raised goes to the Wallkill Reformed Church Snackin’ Kidz Klub. The Snackin’ Kidz Klub provides weekend meals of healthy breakfast and lunch items, plus snacks and drinks to local kids. When asked about her favorite part about the fundraiser Mrs. Murphy said, “My favorite part is seeing all the students and staff come together as one” Some teacher athletes participating in this year’s event are Mrs. “Banged up Berta from the Bronx” Roberta, Mr. Smith...

Sophia Soler, Editor-in-Chief Wallkill’s Music Department is filled with talented young individuals who have been working incredibly hard to expand their musical education. This March marked Music in Our Schools Month. MIOSM was created by the National Association for Music education ( NAfME ). March 2019 marks the 34 th  Music in Our Schools Month. It is a month dedicated to the celebration and expansion of music in schools around the nation. Music is an important tool in education and New York was the first state to recognize this, celebrating Music in Our Schools Day on March 14, 1973. Every year, Wallkill Senior High School holds concert in March to celebrate Music in Our School's Month where everyone who has received music honors receives awards. The following groups students were selected for music honors this year: All County:   Chorus-Piper B o , Ellie Shuart, Sophia Soler, Victoria Soler, Madison Temper, Hailey Woodruff, Jaden Rosario, Owen Scott, Chase...