2017: The Year in OT

Fidget Spinners were one of the most popular things to have in school. Almost everyone had one and those who did not have one waited the whole day just to play with the one their friend had. Originally they were invented to help people focus but some teachers eventually had to ban them because they were too distracting. If just spinning was not enough, people also could spend hours doing other pointless things like flicking a switch or pressing buttons with the revolutionary fidget cube. People in school even started selling them to their fellow students, making them a fun and controversial part of 2017.

This is what happens when Senior Service graduates high school and goes to college. It goes away then comes back as Structured Learning Experience. Nevertheless, it still is a holy senior tradition. Like all traditions, change is hard– especially when you tell seniors they can’t go to the Harrington Park School. Thankfully, now they can, but the old Senior Service was still missed.

To kick off the new school year, NVOT held its annual pep rally in September. However, the fall athletes were not the star of the show. Instead, the blue and gold decorations, specifically the iconic array of balloons, stole the spotlight. As students rallied together in support, some detached balloons from the bleachers and sent them off on a high-flying adventure. When a balloon soared above the football field the student-fan section cheered louder than they did when the varsity football team was introduced. The bleachers shook with excitement as every balloon was released from the stands, upstaging the marching band and fall teams. The balloons are a beacon of Old Tappan spirit and have become a staple of this year’s pep rally.

OT Seniors have long had the privilege of leaving the school for lunch. Students go to many places, but one of the most common places students go to is Moe’s Southwest Grill in Northvale. Moe’s charges a reasonable price for each meal and they don’t disappoint in filling you up. On every Monday, Moe’s has a special offer, known as Moe Monday, that gives you a burrito for $6–a deal many members of the football team embraced after practice. The rival restaurant, Chipotle, is nothing compared to Moe’s. Chipotle’s meals are more expensive and they don’t give free chips. While at Moe’s, chips are free and they have a variety of sauces, (including CHIPOTLE RANCH), that you can choose from. They even have SNICKERDOODLE cookies, yum! Also, their mustard colored walls and red tables provide a beautiful scenery inside the restaurant. Moe’s even has an app! After getting a meal, you can scan your receipt and earn points. Once you reach 1000 points, you get $10 off. All of these factors made Moe’s the right place to go at lunch.

The auditorium is currently being renovated to address structural repairs that need to be made and to put in new installments for light and sound. The auditorium has been closed for weeks now and important traditional events were relocated: some to as close as down the hallway; others, to NVD, 4.4 miles away. This year’s Poetry Out Loud was hosted in the library Media Center while the Winter Concert was held in NVD.

We are all used to the winter musical, but this year for the first time in a very long time, NVOT also had a fall play. Our Town, was performed by the drama club and directed by Ms. Susan Van Buskirk. In contrast to the flashiness of the musical every year, Our Town was performed on a black stage, with the only props being tables and chairs. The audience sat on the stage around the actors as they performed in the middle. Although the change in set and layout may at first sound unappealing, the actors did an amazing job bringing the play to life, and making it as spectacular as the musical.

Varsity Club was both NVOT’s most popular and newest club in 2017. Students who join are alloted club credit for going to school sports games. Dr. Sabatini came up with the idea in an effort to increase school spirit. Members take pictures of themselves each game they go to get credit. The Varsity Club has brought more kids than ever before to school sports games.

The daily reminder that the library was closed recently raised more questions than gave answers. Why was the library closed? When would it be reopened? What was Ms. Cooper doing with her day? How would I print my homework due the next period? Thankfully, for the last question, students got a printer in the middle of the hallway. Either way, the library is open now, so we no longer need to puzzle over those questions.

It’s not about winning–it’s about having fun. This is what many coaches tell their players. The players understand this, but they also understand that winning is fun. So far this year, NVOT has had three state sectional champion teams. The first coming in boys soccer who won the state sectional championship against Ramapo. The next was the volleyball team who beat Wayne Valley for their third straight state sectional win. The most recent was football who defeated Mount Olive to win their second title in three years. Having a state championship team is rare and the fact that NVOT has three already sets the stage for an exciting winter and spring sports seasons.

Perhaps one of the most legendary changes in NVOT’s atmosphere in 2017 was the renaming of Haiku (now known as Powerschool Learning.) Many made sure to point out that the two names are synonymous, but Powerschool Learning is the proper term. Most, however, continue to call the site by its former name. Senior Craig Schulman stated, “Hai-kould not believe that the name changed so quickly,: it has been a huge part of my high school career.” Seems like Craig needs to Powerschool Learn to change his ways.