Trouble Right Under Your Nose

Articles, Community, Opinion
November 19, 2021
0 Comments

By Naomi Bloom

STAFF WRITER

Since in-person school resumed during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing masks has been mandated. This was put in place in order to keep each student and staff member as safe as possible from the virus. The mandate within the Andover Public Schools system was going to last until at least November, but after a school committee meeting on October 21, the schools sent out an email regarding the extension of the mandate. Especially because the holidays are just around the corner and many students and staff have family members who had not been old enough to get vaccinated, it’s great that the mandate was extended until at least January 15.

The email also explained that the extended mandate would allow more time for parents to have their younger children vaccinated, if they choose to, as the vaccine was to be approved shortly after the email was sent—It was approved on November third.

Despite the administration’s efforts, many students still do not adhere to the rules about wearing masks, and teachers and other students are struggling to deal with them.

Several students interviewed observed how many students were not wearing their masks correctly in school. Andrew Magner, a junior at AHS, said that in his classes, only about 60-90% of students wear their masks correctly. Senior Audrey HetheringtonYoung said that in her classes, however, only half of the students wear them correctly. Junior Rachel Chen said that there are at least three people in each of her classes that wear their masks under the nose or mouth, and Junior Ohad Mamet said that only about 80% of students have them on right.

I took note of students in each of my classes, and by my count, an average of 19.6% of them were wearing their masks incorrectly. This is nearly one fifth of students, which is unsafe, to say the least, and rather disappointing. If not all students wear their masks correctly, then it ruins the whole point of wearing masks in the first place, and will prolong the spread of COVID. To stop wearing masks, you have to wear them first. Additionally, I found that an average of 1.3 students kept their masks below their mouths in each class, which is even more unsafe.

Teachers have been struggling to have students keep their masks on. Even when reminded to put their masks back up, many students simply tug them back down once their teacher looks away.

“There isn’t a teacher in this building who has time to constantly remind the same students to wear their masks properly,” said Mary Robb, a Social Studies teacher at AHS, “and, quite honestly, they shouldn’t have to.”

Chen noted that most of her teachers have to keep asking the same students over and over again to keep their masks up, to no avail. Those students still return to class each time, masks hanging under their noses. Magner said that because of these students that continue to wear their masks improperly, some teachers seemed to have given up on enforcing mask-wearing as the year went on. “I still would say that the majority of my teachers do enforce it when they see a student not properly wearing a mask, even if they may not be paying as much attention to students’ masks as they did before,” he added.

“I don’t really understand what the big deal is about masks,” said Elias Pantazi, a junior. “It has been proven that they help control the spread of COVID and they aren’t uncomfortable or hard to breathe in… I’m not really in the mood to be sent home because people feel too much pride to be a team player.”

Additionally, Junior Avanthika Suryadevara also said that there are several people in her classes, especially in the hallways, who wear their masks incorrectly. “It mostly shocks me when I see people wearing them completely down, because that’s not effective in any way,” she said. It’s extremely disappointing that so many people don’t mind putting others at risk for such a small personal benefit.

Wearing your mask is for the good of the community, and it doesn’t hurt to keep it up–there are mask breaks for a reason. Keep your mask up, not just for the safety of everyone else, but also yourself.

“I know it is an inconvenience,” said Michelle Chachus, an AHS teacher, “but if wearing masks keeps us safe until more people are vaccinated and the variants are under control, then I think it is a small price to pay for health, safety, and peace of mind.”

Andoverview

AHS Class of 2026 Graduation: A Sentiment of Gratitude

June 11, 2026

Abby Chachus & Kendall Murphy || STAFF WRITERS

A hush falls as a sea of navy gowns, a rising tide of Andover High School graduates enters the Tsongas Center just before 5 o’clock on June 1, 2026. There is something distinct about moments like these. A goodbye that is bittersweet among both the audience and the seniors.

According to Graduation Committee member Ella Murphy, it is a goodbye to “Halloween costume competitions that never disappoint, lunches, wrap lines and vending machine trips,” seemingly inconsequential things, but the memories will stick with all of the students as they move on to their future endeavors.

The graduation speakers shared the value of these moments and their gratitude for the people that helped them along the way. As the ceremony commenced, the opening speakers Zachery Pan and Murphy welcomed everyone and encouraged them to acknowledge their shared experiences at Andover High School. “These moments, these memories, these faces. None of us got here alone.” said Pan.

Their speech gave time to deliver some truly meaningful thank you’s, “beyond the formalities” as Murphy put it, to the teachers and staff that showed up each day with “patience, support, and dedication.” Furthermore, they recognized that this gratitude is not solely meant for the significant ceremonies.

“Gratitude is kind of strange. We tend to save it for the big moments. The ceremonies, the stages, the audiences,” said Murphy.

“But let’s be honest—the people who actually changed your life probably weren’t standing on a stage when they did it,” continued Pan.

They concluded the speech with a request to the graduates to thank those who changed their lives in both the big and small moments, even if it feels unnecessary.

Before graduation, other seniors expressed similar thoughts, like reflecting on the journey that got them to where they are today.

“To all my teachers: thank you for everything. I would not be here without any single one of you.” said Christopher Reardon.

Thomas Enman advised underclassmen to “just enjoy every little minute you get at AHS.”

Vignesha Jayakumar, class essayist and valedictorian, echoed this same sentiment of appreciation, reinforcing Reardon’s message about the lasting impact of teachers and support systems. “We were galvanized from a community of supportive teachers and staff who didn’t just teach us subjects, they taught us how to think, how to question, how to care,” said Jayakumar.

He also mentioned the importance of one learning from their fellow graduates. “We learned as much from each other in the hallways and the bleachers as we did in the classroom,” he said.

After Jayakumar, Graduation Committee members Ben Pelt and Kari Belson spoke. First, Pelt announced the Class of 2026’s class gift to AHS. Next, Belson named Scott Armstrong the 2026 Distinguished Citizen (see page 4).

When Principal Jimmy D’Andrea took the stage, he, like all the other speakers, expressed the value of gratitude, a central theme that resonated throughout the ceremony. He began by thanking each group that got each member of the graduating class to where they were standing in the Tsongas Center, about to leave the comfort of being an AHS student and moving onto becoming alumni, highlighting the strong support system and sense of community that defined the graduating class’s journey.

He also encouraged each graduate to “personally reach out and thank those individuals who made a difference in [their] lives,” reinforcing the ceremony’s message of appreciation, reflection, and recognition for the people who helped shape their high school experience.

Interim Superintendent Keith Taverna encouraged graduates to continue to make the community proud with the positive impact they will bring to the world.

To conclude the ceremony, Graduation Committee members Chloe Ahn and Margaret Farabaugh brought everyone together one last time. “Tonight we stand together because of the strong and spirited community we have built,” said Ahn.

Ahn concluded, “As we become graduates of Andover High School, we step into the world with purpose, passion, and pride… Congratulations class of 2026!”

Students, Faculty Travel to Scandinavia Over Spring Break

June 11, 2026

Samin Faiz || STAFF WRITER

Forty-two Andover High School students and seven chaperones visited Scandinavia this April.

After a six-hour flight from Boston to Reykjavík, Iceland, followed by a two-hour flight to Oslo, Norway, the group began their ten-day-long tour the Thursday before spring break. Through a combination of bus rides, overnight ferries, and countless miles on foot, the group made their way through five Northern European countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

“I’ve been traveling with students since 2005, so this might be my 17th tour,” said Brian Shea, English teacher, organizer, and chaperone of the trip. “We’ve now done all of Europe, so Northern Europe was sort of our last frontier.”

Apart from the chaperones, the group was accompanied by a tour director named Yulia, whom Shea worked closely with to structure the daily itinerary and ensure a smooth trip.

In Scandinavia, English is widely spoken, so the language barrier was never a problem for the group. Sometimes, however, the students made connections in ways that transcend the spoken word.

“I played soccer with a bunch of people in Sweden,” recalled Hannah Arnold, a junior who participated in the trip. “That was probably the highlight of the trip for me.”

Arnold is no stranger to international travel. Just two months earlier, in fact, she joined her classmates on another school trip to Peru over winter break. However, for her twin sister, Grace Arnold, this was a brand-new experience.

“I met a lot of new people that I’ve never met before, especially people not in my grade,” Grace said. “It was really nice because I met a lot of great people through that and got to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually get to spend time with.”

The trip offered a flexible balance of group tours and independent exploration. “We had a lot of free time,” Grace noted. “We got to explore cities on our own and shop where we wanted. As long as you stayed in groups of three or more, you were free to roam the city.”

Students observed the region’s distinct economic models. Through agreements within the European Union and the Nordic Council, higher education is heavily subsidized or entirely free for regional citizens.

“It’s really interesting. They tax wealthier people a lot more and their overall tax rates are a lot higher,” one student observed. “The way they reinvest money back into infrastructure contributes to stronger public infrastructure. Education and health care are free, and they even offer stipends to cover the cost of living. Essentially, you pay a lot of taxes, but you get a lot in return.”

Students also noticed the societal impact of these safety nets. “Their unhoused population is significantly lower. If you want help, those systems are available to support you.”

The travelers’ curiosity and maturity left a strong impression on the faculty.

“These kids were wonderful,” said Shea. “All of the students were engaged. They were paying attention. They were enjoying it. They were wonderful travelers. To me, that was the biggest thrill.”

With the preparations for next year’s destinations already underway, the future of travel programs at AHS seems to be brimming with opportunities.

“Next year, we have two tours,” said Shea. “We’re running one tour to Barcelona and Madrid in February, and then we’re running another tour to Greece in April.”

Such opportunities are often highly selective at other schools, but luckily, these trips remain open to the entire student body at AHS.

“There’s no application process,” Shea emphasized. “We’re not looking at grades. We’re not looking at behavioral records. Anybody can sign up when we offer these tours. I put them out there, and I’m like, ‘If you want to go, come.’”

AHS NEWSPAPER

Or check our Popular Categories...

AHS NEWSPAPER

Or check our Popular Categories...

Trouble Right Under Your Nose

Like this: