After Congress certified the 2020 Electoral College votes despite riots Jan 6, national security officials have implemented new security measures for President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20. More than 17,000 members of the National Guard, approximately equal to the number of active-duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, are standing ready to support local law enforcement to prevent another violent protest. President Donald Trump also said in a Tweet he will not be attending the inauguration. In addition, the country remains amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and health officials advise avoiding large gatherings, like those surrounding traditional inauguration ceremonies, to prevent spread. How do you think the Biden administration and inauguration plans should respond to the unprecedented circumstances?

The Columbia Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education voted to return students to in in-person learning on a 5-2 decision Jan 11. RBHS students share their thoughts.

As the unprecedented need for social distancing forces society into increasing dependency on technology to communicate, the feeling of exhaustion following a day of video calls has become universal. “Zoom fatigue” refers to the unusual tiredness, worry or discomfort associated with prolonged and frequent interactions via video calls such as Zoom and other similar technologies. With school, work and social gatherings largely taking place virtually, spending hours on video calls each day is nearly unavoidable, creating new questions and avenues of research on the subject.

With a final virtual broadcast to audience members watching from home, the RBHS theater department concluded its production of the fall musical, Lucky Stiff, Dec. 4.

Columbia Public Schools (CPS) administrators and Board of Education members joined Columbia’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) at City Hall to discuss issues pertaining to Columbia’s students in the context of virtual learning Oct 13.

In accordance with Boone County Health Department’s social distancing guidelines, Columbia Public School (CPS) students began their first day of online learning using virtual study and communication methods March 30. Originally, CPS closed its schools March 18 with the plan of resuming session April 13. After the city of Columbia issued a stay-at-home order from March 24 until April 24, however, CPS extended its recess until April 27. CPS Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said the district still plans to reopen April 27, despite President Donald Trump’s March 29 announcement that social distancing guidelines should remain until at least April 30.

he University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, which hosts the National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB), is considering holding the competition virtually after announcing the cancellation of the in-person event March 11. This year, the RBHS Ethics Bowl team won the state tournament, disrupting Hickman High School’s four consecutive years as championship, and qualified to advance to the regional match for the first time since 2015. The team then went on to win a bout against the Nebraska state champions, earning them a spot at the national tournament.

As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, there has been a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, gowns and face guards. In order to subsidize the demand, several non-profit organizations are calling for students and community members alike to sew or create supplies to donate to hospitals and charities.

Columbia Public Schools (CPS) is considering commissioning an additional exit from the North Parking Lot to Peachtree Drive, an idea that began in 2014. CPS Public Relations Director Michelle Baumstark estimated the project would cost $300,000-$400,000 and construction would begin in about a year. Although the project is awaiting approval from the Columbia Board of Education as details such as the timeline and budget are still unclear, the road would meet a roundabout in the middle of Peachtree Drive. 

Today’s Global Village has a bit of a twist thanks to health concerns stemming from COVID-19. RBHS principal Jacob Sirna sent an email at 1:08 a.m. March 12 to students and parents announcing stricter sanitation policies for the Global Village celebration than have normally been enforced. 

[vc_video link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0AG5kNZTR4"]

The RBHS Model United Nations (MUN) Team competed in its second tournament of the year, the first ever University of Missouri Model United Nations Tournament (MIZMUN), Feb. 29. The tournament had only two competing schools, Columbia Independent School (CIS) and RBHS, and one committee, in which students assumed their roles as delegates representing various countries within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during the Cold War. Although the team did not win any delegation awards, junior Maddy Kovaleski won Best Position Paper.