She also runs the school’s Instagram page.   For her project at C-HIT’s multimedia journalism workshop, Trinity opted to try something different – video storytelling.  She stopped by the Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut and interviewed Christopher Richard, the center’s coordinator.

Normally, it’s hard work managing fields full of squash, peppers and other vegetables, but July 20 was anything but a normal day. The temperature in Lebanon hit 95 degrees.

Mariama Turay Photo.

Kyle Galvin

“It’s not good for people to be working out in this heat,” Himmelstein said on July 21. “Yesterday, well, even I needed to pace myself yesterday.”

The average ‘extremely hot’ day in Connecticut is classified as reaching 90 degrees or above. So far during 2022, there have been nine days that have reached or surpassed this threshold- and July 20 was the tenth such day.

Two days before, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the state was activating its ‘extreme hot weather protocol.’ State officials say that this ensures that the most vulnerable residents are protected from the intense temperatures.

Heat waves, which are defined as ‘abnormal’ and ‘uncomfortable’ periods of long-lasting high temperatures, are becoming increasingly common as the effects of worldwide climate change take hold. Droughts are also taking place more in conjunction with these waves, which results in massive wildfire potential, according to climatecheck.com.

“On average, the frequency of higher temperatures in Connecticut has increased over the decades,” Darren Sweeney, an NBC Connecticut meteorologist, said.

He’s been monitoring the extreme heat situation in Connecticut for years, and it’s been getting more alarming in recent years. He said the temperatures this year aren’t record breaking, but the all-around situation is worsening.

“2020 was the year with the most 90-degree days on record in Connecticut,” he said. “And that was just two years ago.”

Connecticut’s highest temperature was a staggering 106 degrees, recorded during the state’s infamous heat wave of 1916.

Sweeney said experts are worried that such anomalies are going to become more common in Connecticut as the climate changes. Think stranger weather such as hurricanes Sandy and Irene, or as Sweeney mentioned, the Halloween of 2020, when snow dusted trees that hadn’t even let their leaves go. Believe it or not, these phenomena have to do with rising temperatures.

Farmer Frank Himmelstein showing off some of his crop at his farm in Lebanon.

“These warmer temperatures are heating the oceans, which causes bigger storms, and that causes more rain. It’s a big cyclical issue,” Sweeney said. “Last summer, there were four different tropical systems that hit Connecticut and delivered more than the state’s average. Storms are getting bigger. They’re getting wetter. And that’s a problem.”

In Lebanon, Himmelstein said he has never irrigated his crops despite heat and prolonged drought. All the water comes naturally.

“My soil here holds water like a sponge,” he said.

Himmelstein cites other areas of Connecticut’s agriculture businesses that are being harmed by climate change. After some abnormally warm days in April, an orchard owned by a friend of his had its peaches bloom early due to the higher temperatures. But after a couple cold April nights, disaster struck.

“After [those nights], he lost 75 percent of his crop,” Himmelstein said.

He said extreme heat and dryness can also make greenhouse wells run dry. The state’s factory farms are even affected. Livestock drink more water in higher temperatures, making the farms prone to water shortages.

“Everything – all our weather is extreme now,” Himmelstein said. “It’s either extreme heat, or extreme dryness, or extreme rain.”

Kyle Galvin is a student at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington.

This December marks the 10^th anniversary of the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting where 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives.  For her project, Assan decided to look at what has changed since that mass shooting. She interviewed Bill Leukhardt, a veteran journalist and former Hartford Courant reporter, whose step-daughter, Lauren Rousseau, a full-time substitute teacher, was killed that day.

Oregon offers abortion without any restrictions based on the gestational age, which is not the same for certain states such as Idaho, Arizona and Utah. In states such as Connecticut, the cutoff for obtaining an abortion is the gestational age of 24 to 26 weeks where there is fetal viability. This means that the fetus can live on its own without help from the womb.

Abortions are covered by Medicaid in Connecticut, but private insurers are not required to offer the coverage. That’s not the case in Oregon where private insurance and Medicaid are required to cover the medical procedure.

In Oregon, there is a special fund available for people who don’t have insurance. According to Oregon’s Northwest Abortion Access Fund, U.S citizens who have been legal residents for more than five years qualify for the special funds. However, undocumented immigrants who have been legal residents for less than five years do not qualify.

Lesley Lachman Photo.

Melissa Santos

Though some may not qualify for Medicaid, those residents can still get free coverage under the Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act of 2017; the act provides coverage for women to have free access to healthcare services. It also requires insurance plans to cover contraception, postpartum care, screening for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive cancers.

Along with providing various strategies for women to have a free health care services, Oregon also ensures protection under the law for patients and abortion clinic staff.

The Guttmacher Institute statistics report that in 2017, there were 9,640 abortions in Oregon though not all abortions were provided to state residents. Some patients may have traveled from other states, and some Oregon residents may have traveled to another state for an abortion.

One in 10 American women traveled out-of-state for abortions between 2017 and 2020, Guttmacher reported.

In Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont in June signed legislation codifying Roe as law. Lamont said in press release about the Supreme Court’s decision, “The ruling will not only result in in a patchwork of unequal laws among the states, but more importantly, it will result in dangerous and life-threatening situations similar to what this country witnessed countless times in the era prior to the landmark Roe case in which women died or were left severely injured because they could not access the medical care that they should have every right to access on their own.”

Abortion clinics were created to provide women a safe way to have the procedure.

Guttmacher Institute researchers Isaac Maddow-Zimet and Kathryn Kost reported that in 2020, there were 930,160 abortions in the United States, an 8% increase from 862,320 abortions in 2017.

Melissa Santos is a student at Joseph A. Foran High School, Milford.

In the most recent Clery crime report from the university, taken in 2020, there were seven reported cases of rape on the main Storrs campus and five cases of sexual harassment on the UConn Health campus in Farmington.

Avery Santos Photo.

Kathryn Torla

Docken, from Cockeysville, Maryland, told Hearst Connecticut Media that she filed a Title IX complaint with UConn after she was sexually assaulted by a male student at an off-campus party in August 2021. She said she was discouraged by the school’s investigation of her claim and said there should be “major changes” in how these cases are handled. At the time, a UConn spokeswoman said the university could not discuss individual cases.

Docken’s story has raised questions about the true number of cases reported. Particularly, a photo of her with a sign stating that only 3.75% of reported cases of sexual assault and rape were investigated has drawn concern. The fact that all were found not guilty drew outrage on social media.

According to UConn’s most recent statistics, there were 80 sexual assault incidents reported to the state in 2020, 34 of which took place that year. This is where Docken draws the 3.75% statistic from only three cases that would be investigated of the 80 reported in that year. Both these statistics were reported in UConn’s annual state report from 2020.

Ahlanni Colon and Felia Merino are incoming freshmen who say they are concerned about the UConn’s handling of the Docken case. They heard about the case on Instagram.

Merino said the university should do more to actively address the issue of sexual harassment.

“They talk about it, but I don’t see a lot of action,” Merino said.

For new students, the university’s image is tied to this investigation; Colon said that cases of sexual assault are “hidden” and “underground.” Docken’s protest brought to light more stories of students who had been overlooked by university investigations. Walkouts broke out, showing support for Docken and their desire for changes.

This is not the first time UConn’s handling of assault has been spotlighted. In 2014, the university had 43 reported cases of rape, tying for the highest rate of rape on university campuses in the United States.

Karen Benavidez Photo.

Coleman Toomey

UConn’s online resources provide quick information that can help survivors of sexual crimes, but this has not changed the perception among some that the university’s actions are surface level.

“I don’t think they handle it as well as they talk about,” Wilfred Wisdom, another incoming student, said. “I think they’re more vocal rather than [finding solutions].”

A spokesperson for the university, Michael Enright, said the university’s priorities lie with connecting students through UConn’s resources.

“UConn takes reports of sexual assault very seriously,” Enright said. “Our priority is to…empower students to make their own decisions throughout any investigation processes they may choose to pursue.”

UConn’s investigation process has been criticized for a lack of consistency. Ultimately, though, students’ safety is still tied to how UConn handles these reports, some incoming students said.

“I feel like they need to be doing more to change,” Colon said. “More action. I don’t see a lot.”

If victims need support, UConn students can go on campus to the Office of Institutional Equality and online outlets like UConn’s Title IX page. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673.

Kathryn Torla is a student at Conard High School, West Hartford, and Coleman Toomey is a student at Tolland High School.

Every musician has a predicament– COVID-19 is an airborne virus. They are unable to perform in public. This was a major setback not only for present musicians but also for the generation of high school musicians working to enter the professional world.

“From what I’ve gathered from speaking to colleagues across the states, and actually across the nation, our programs have all taken a hit,” said Anne Halloran Tortora, a former music teacher at Saint Bernard High School in Uncasville and the current news editor for the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA).

The competition pool of students applying to these ensembles had drastically declined.

“Actually, the numbers did shift,’’ she said. “Some schools opted not to participate because for whatever reason they did not feel that it would not give students the complete experience they may have wanted to have.”

CMEA canceled its concerts. Means of social distancing were nearly impossible. Many students and/or music teachers have lost the drive to participate in auditions. All in-person auditions were canceled, and pre-recorded virtual auditions now could be recorded multiple times.

Tortora found this unfair; many students have stark disadvantages.

“If you were to look at the demographics for each of the four regions in CMEA, you would definitely see some similarities, but you would also see differences as far as economic challenges, challenges in resources,” she said.

Students with no clear access to advanced music education were at a disadvantage. They were unable to be selected in a competitive environment like the CMEA’s regional bands, she said.

Not every school has a different teacher taking care of instrumentalists and chorus, she said.

For example, “they are going to have strings students that are going to be preparing themselves but they are not going to have the benefit of the teachers whose primary instrument is strings,” she said.

Music educators like Tortora want to set future generations up for success.

“What are you going to give them that is going to increase their level or enable them to grow without breaking their spirits and causing them to lose their love and passion for their music? It’s a big challenge that we have,” she said.

The innumerable takes of pre-recorded auditions brought high school students performance anxiety. Performers undergo physiological changes when placed in pressure situations.

According to Cambridge University, music performance anxiety is common among musicians, with 15% to 25% of music performers experiencing it, and it may have become more common during the pandemic.

“One of the biggest tasks we have as music educators is to provide our students with opportunities to succeed,” Tortora said.

The CMEA is affiliated with the National Association for Music Education. CMEA divides the state into four regions: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. Only exceptional students who pass the regionals can move up to audition for the All-State level.

YaeYoung Min is a student at New Milford High School.

Covid -19 has affected high school students both mentally and physically. Santos said social distancing “caused a barrier between me and my friends.” Schools implemented social distancing as a safety measure, but students said it limited interactions with their friends.

The daily lives of high school students changed dramatically, affecting their education and activities.

“I couldn’t go outside without a mask,” Jaikwon Francis, who is going into his senior year at Kennedy High School in Waterbury, said.

He said the restrictions that came with Covid-19 were “confusing.”

When school districts first took precautions for the global pandemic, many districts switched to online learning. In November, 2021, after vaccinations were available, Gov. Ned Lamont announced the Screen and Stay Initiative. Under the initiative, K-12 students and school staff members identified as close contacts with a known COVID case but who were not fully vaccinated were able to remain in school if they wore masks and did not develop symptoms. Ultimately, more than 80% of Connecticut public school districts participated in the program.

Students and teachers in public schools were initially required to wear masks, but in February 2022, Lamont eliminated the mask mandate at schools and day-care centers, leaving the decision for these locations to be made on the local level.

Students like Santos have had to live with challenges during the pandemic while continuing with their journey to get an education.

Nate Miller is a student at Achievement First Hartford High School.

The first reported case occurred on July 7. With over 26,208 cases across the world (as of Aug. 3), the monkeypox cases seem to be increasing rapidly.

“One should assume that we will be seeing an increase in the number of cases in CT. It’s inevitable at this point,” Paulo Verardi, a UConn associate professor of virology and vaccinology, said in an e-mail.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past with smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

Although monkeypox is a virus that has historically been around for decades, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that this is the first time it has spread to countries that have never had reported monkeypox cases before. The United States is among them. Monkeypox occurred in a colony of monkeys in 1958, and the first case in the world was reported in 1970, according to the CDC.

The CDC has also reported that many, but not all, cases of monkeypox are reported within bisexual or gay men as well as men who have sex with men. There are current reports from the WHO that monkeypox is found in the semen of men. It is essential to know that monkeypox can affect anyone and any person infected with monkeypox is able to spread it to another person.

The CDC has said that there are currently two vaccinations available to prevent monkeypox. The first vaccine is JYNNEOS, which is also known by the brand names Imvamune or Imvanex, and the second vaccine is ACAM 2000. While more doses of the JYNNEOS vaccines will be arriving to the United States within the next few weeks and months, the current number of doses is limited.

According to Newsweek, experts say men who have sex with men should be the priority for receiving vaccine doses.

Being aware of the monkeypox symptoms is crucial. The CDC has listed the following symptoms for monkeypox: fever, headaches, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. The most noticeable symptom of monkeypox is a rash. It appears on different types of the body such as the face, inside the mouth, genital areas, anus, hands, feet and chest. The rash undergoes different stages until it is gone completely.

Monkeypox is spread through respiratory secretions, direct contact, and a pregnant person is able to pass the virus to the fetus via the placenta, according to the CDC.

While monkeypox outbreaks are not new and occur every once in a while, health experts encourage people to stay safe across nations.

Emilia Pinilla is a student at Hill Regional Career High School, New Haven. 

“Obesity during childhood and adolescence is associated with a wide range of illnesses, negative social consequences, and poor academic performance,” the American Journal of Preventive Medicine said.

Kathryn Torla Photo.

Avery Santos

The national obesity rate among ages 2 to 19 rose from 19.3% in 2019 to 22.4% in 2020, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The national average for youths who are morbidly obese (those who are 100 pounds over their recommended weight) is 6.1%. These averages, according to the preventive medicine journal, will only increase at an accelerating rate, if nothing substantial is done.

According to a Harvard University study, consuming healthier foods and drinks, limiting unhealthy foods, exercising and limiting “sit time” should begin to lower obesity rates. Schools promoting healthier lifestyles and diets among their students could lower the obesity rate among school youth, the study said.

Connecticut is ranked 26th in the U.S. for the highest obesity rate among youth. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Connecticut’s childhood obesity rate is expected to continue rising.

For some young people, obesity can translate into low self-esteem.

“I didn’t like myself anymore,” Neema Jackson, a 16-year-old Hamden resident, said. “It was so noticeable, and I just didn’t ever like the way I looked.”

Jackson had been overweight from the age of 12 to 15. She began to lose weight and has begun to like herself again.

“My brother was also starting to lose weight, so he started to put me on a calorie diet, and I started to go to the gym,” Jackson said.

The preventive medicine journal reports that by the year 2030, 51% of the national child and adult population will be obese or severely obese. Reducing these estimates to levels seen in 2010 would save $549.5 billion in medical expenses, the journal said. Since youths who are severely obese have a higher risk of premature deaths, it could also save lives.

“Childhood and adolescents with obesity have a higher likelihood of remaining obese long term, which is termed entrenched obesity, elevating the risk of chronic disease and mortality,” the journal said.

Obesity is classified as an epidemic in the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and rates are rising for children and adults. If nothing is done to mitigate the growth of this chronic disease, then billions of dollars will be spent on health care and millions of children will be at a higher risk of dying young.

Avery Santos is a student at Middletown High School.