by Schuyler Hunt

Every year on April 1st, April Fools’ Day is celebrated. April Fools has been linked back to as far back as the 1500s. The origin of April Fools has not exactly been discovered; however, there are a few different theories on where this holiday originated. Some have suggested that April Fools comes from the early 1500s when the calendars were changed from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar starting in France. “In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1,” (Zapata C.). So from this, it is believed that there were many people who were late to receive the news of the calendar change and continued to celebrate the new year, which became a joke that later led to the holiday of April Fools. Another origin that some believe April Fools came from was an old festival celebrated in Ancient Rome called Hilaria because of April Fools’ similarity to it. Followers of the cult Cybele celebrated this by “dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates,” (Zapata C.). There is another theory of where April Foold came from, people have linked the vernal equinox. People believed that Mother Nature was playing tricks due to weather changes. Although the origin of April Fools is not truly known it is a fun joke-filled holiday that many people have fun with each other.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, July 14). Revolution Day (Egypt) | Holiday, celebration, & history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Revolution-Day

Zapata, C. (2024c, March 18). April Fools’ Day: Origins, Meaning & Hoaxes | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day

by Schuyler Hunt

Easter will be recognized on Sunday, March 31st this year. It is a Christian-based holiday that symbolizes Jesus Christ’s resurrection and is celebrated by many Christians worldwide. “Easter is a Christian festival and properly begins on Ash Wednesday and has the 40 days of Lent (a time of fasting or giving up something for many) leading up to Holy Week, for Easter is a whole week-long festival in many churches across the world,” (Team, A. E).

According to the Bible, it is said that Christ died on the cross on a day called Good Friday, and then he was buried for the next three days. After this, Christ is said to be resurrected, on the day we call Easter. Easter has been associated with bunnies as well as eggs, which some people might view as an odd combination. The reason that bunnies and eggs are the biggest symbol of Easter is because of what they both mean. They both symbolize, fertility, rebirth, and new life.

From other’s perspectives, these two are the symbols of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. The eggs more specifically have been painted red to symbolize his blood and Christ’s empty tomb. Eggs were also a part of the Lent as they were one of the foods given up. 

For those of you who may celebrate this holiday, Happy Easter.

Team, A. E. (2023, April 6). So why do we celebrate Easter? And what is it with the eggs and bunnies? | The Inclusive University blog. https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/equality-and-diversity/so-why-do-we-celebrate-easter-and-what-is-it-with-the-eggs-and-bunnies/#:~:text=Easter%20is%20an%20important%20Christian,to%20life%20on%20Easter%20Sunday.

by Mary Macary

In a Choices Matter Campaign on March 19th, 2024, author and public speaker Chris Sandy visited our High School. He told his story, revealing that he had driven drunk and killed two people. For this, he was sent to prison for eight years, and he is still on parole for what he did to this day. Sandy, in great detail, told his story, shared his regrets, and brought reality to the distracted driving accidents we all hear about from his unique perspective. He described his time in prison and discussed the ways in which he did, and continues to, atone for what he had done, such as being part of the Enduring Regret film, befriending a victim of a distracted driving accident, and trying to be the best person he can be. Despite all this, he acknowledges that he can never be simply forgiven. Sandy’s presentation was powerful, impacting students and teachers alike to reflect on their mindsets and to be more aware than ever of just how dangerous distracted driving can be. 

While Sandy focused on his own personal experience of alcohol-induced distracted driving, the message extends to distracted driving as a whole. When you are not focused on driving, people can get hurt. One way he really honed in on his point was by emphasizing that the party he was driving to when he caused the accident was just down the road from his previous location. It was a road he was familiar with, a road he drove on with confidence. Many of us can relate to the familiarity of certain roads, the type of road that you grew up on, one where you feel invincible. But you are never invincible, as proven by Sandy. Careless driving can cause severe harm even if it’s somewhere you know or if you’ve driven on the road a hundred times, or even if you’re just driving down the road. Sandy enlightened us to his past experiences in order to prevent us from making the same mistakes that he did.