text:
“Bates,” my father’s voice whispered, the sound of his gruff tone made my eyes water with longing. I missed my home; I missed my head strong and slightly eccentric father. I felt a little crazy, hearing his voice amidst the silence and smiling into the ground. A sob chocked its way back down my throat, I would not cry, not here, not now. Not yet.

I felt something slide down my spine, like a thick piece of frozen flesh, burning as it reached the base of my vertebrae. I shivered in revulsion; my stomach began to churn and bubble, vomit convulsed up my esophagus, I tried to swallow it back down but ended up almost chocking on it. I was so tired of being awake, but I knew that if I closed my eyes I would scream. Every time they slid shut images of acid burned faces, rotted corpses, and the peeling meat of my friends, my men, swam up to meet me. The memories always surprised me and were always accompanied by a whimper trying to claw its way through my snow covered lips. It was like my body was working against me, trying to coax a sound from my caged mouth. Pieces of ice dug into my palms, I did not move away, I did not flinch, instead I relished in the pain. It was okay though, it reminded me that I was still alive and that I could still die. Death, it was a silent yet beautiful release. Well, not always.

I pushed away the memories of mustard gas and disembodied men, frantically snatching at happier memories of a sweeter time. Yet those precious and vulnerable moments seemed to have faded and burned to cinder, leaving my mind in soot and ash. Focus, my mind screamed, stop thinking! I wanted nothing more than to faint, to let my mind shut down and to float in oblivion. Blink, blink, blink; Images of my past, Images of my present, and assumptions of my future. I wished for an escape so I could turn off the past, turn off the images.

“Bates?” Robert’s voice sounded through the memories, cutting through them like a shard of ice.

“Yes, sir?” I rasped, my throat had constricted, my muscles were stiff, and my nerve endings were being devoured by tension.

“I’m going to roll over now. Onto my back. I don’t want anybody to else to move.”

“Yes, sir.” He must be crazy, my mind calculated, he doesn’t even know what’s out there. He doesn’t know what’s awaiting him. It’s safer like this. Safer to remain how we are. Safer, but stupid.

I could hear Robert rolling over, the crunch of the snow and the crackle of ice, as he shifted his body. Each sound vibrated through my head at maximum capacity. It was so loud I was sure that he would be shot and that his stupidity would get the rest of them discovered. I swallowed hard, tasting nothing but dread and exhaustion.

I heard a bird sing, my thoughts raced around my head like an out of control train, I couldn’t slow it down enough to gather them. It sang again, my muscles contracted, increasing the tension already radiating through my body. I was spooked. I cursed Captain Leather for giving a child command of my squad. For that was all Robert was, a child in the skin of a man.

“Sir?” I ask, hoping that there would be no answer.

“Don’t move, there’s somebody here.”

I did not reply I could not; all I could think about was how this child brought death unto us. I was so angry in the moment I thought I would go blind with rage. I wanted to drown him, suffocate him, and burn him all at once. Insanity was taking its hold over me, and I could do nothing but pray to stop it.

“Bates? Don’t be afraid. There’s only one and I don’t think he has a gun. Try rolling over and see what happens. I’ve got him covered,” said Robert.

I rolled over quickly. A German was watching Robert and Robert did not shoot. I looked to Robert, my gaze full of venom. *Traitor*, I wanted to shout, *why won’t you shoot! You’re a child, nothing but a whiny inexperienced child!*

My gaze wandered back to the German, he was closer than I expected. I saw him nod, but it might have just been my imagination.

My father’s voice was once again resonating within me, humming through my mind like a bell. *Get up*, it said. It seemed like hours before my mind could focus again, but once it cleared away the hazy grime, I realized the voice belonged to Robert, not my pa.

“Get up,” Robert muttered to me. “Stand right up. He isn’t going to shoot.”

I stood, “Now what?”

“Go to the top. Go the way we came. Just go. But go slowly. Don’t alarm him.”

I went around Robert. The mud was sticky and deep, pulling my legs under as if to draw me closer. It was harder than I expect, climbing up the face of the crater, shards of rock kept biting into my skin, drawing blood. My legs began to burn with effort, to long with no movement had taken its toll on my muscles. The siding was slick with ice and snow making handholds hard to find and even harder to grab. I pushed my muscles to the point of exhaustion but relief soon followed when I reached the top of the pit.

I looked over the side to see the German smiling at Robert, what an odd thing to do, my brain rambled. I turned my attention to Robert, who was standing, I waited for any sign of a command; he waved.

“I want everyone of you to go and join Bates. Don’t stop and don’t look back. Go as far as you can with your hands in the air, so he’ll know you’re not armed. Maybe he’s crazy – but he isn’t going to kill us,” Robert said.

I watched the four men stubble to the Lewis gun, by their limps I guessed that their legs had fallen asleep and they were now feeling the sensation of pins and needles.

Robert moved to the fifth man, rolling him onto his back. I could tell by Roberts face that the man was dead. Robert rolled him back into the mud. *What a proper goodbye for a solider*, I thought bitterly.

Our captain wandered to the edge of the water, crouching to look at the man who had broken both his legs. He was dead; it could have been from the gas or maybe the shock and pain of his breaks.

Robert turned his back on the bodies and the German, his face set to a grim expression. He began to climb; my eyes flickered to the German, watching him for any sign of movement. From the sounds Robert was making it seemed that he was having more trouble than the rest of us had, I wanted to look, but I did not dare take my eyes off the German. As I watched him I wondered why he was letting us get away, it was uncommon for an enemy to intentionally let it’s pray out of its clutches. Stupid even. I also wondered why Robert hadn’t shot him; yes the German was showing a bit of tolerance, but who knew how long that would last.

I glanced to Robert, seeing that he had about six more feet to go, my gaze focusing back on the German, who indecently was reaching for something black and shrouded with shadows.

“Sir!” I shouted, my heart hammering in my chest, my mind was screaming. He had a gun, and he was going to shoot our captain. No matter how much I distrusted the young lad, he was still our brother in arms.

It all happened so fast. Something exploded; the German gave a startled cry and was suddenly dead, his arms still reaching over the edge of the crater. The sound of Roberts gun shot was still resonating around the pit and worming its way within my heart. As Robert tried to scramble the rest of the ways up, he was clumsy,  I reached down to pull him up.

We fell back together, Robert on top of me. The warmth of his skin made me wish more for home. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Robert was shaking, his heart beating franticly against my chest. I held him tightly before he pulled away.

I watched him struggle with what he had just done, I watched him wipe the mud from his face -  gun still in hand - and put his face between his knees. I did nothing. There was nothing I could do, this was something that he would have to face on his own, we all make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes lead to the loss of innocent lives.

Robert raised his field glasses and looked towards the German, his lips parted. I wondered what he was seeing. He crouched there for a minute, as unmoving as a statue.

The bird sang.

One long note descending: three that wavered on the brink of sadness.

Robert twitched. I realize in this moment that Robert was no longer the young and vicarious solider he had been hours ago. He had lost his child like essence.

The bird sand and sand and sang. Robert stood and walked away. I followed him and would follow him until the day I died. He was my commander and he was finally becoming a man.

title: [MF] 1 P.M

question: What relationship does the narrator share with Robert?

answer: It seems like Robert is the narrator's head and they are in a war.

question: Why does the narrator keep hearing his father's voice?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: What do the narrator's surroundings seem like?

answer: It seems like the narrator is at war with the Germans.


split: test

text:
V’s JAYJAY

If there is one thing I know for sure about myself it is that I watch porn. Sifting through videos spending sacred time trying to find the right video to finish on a good note and never feeling the satisfaction of, ”yes, that was great.” Try to smile with a thumbs up and see if the front tooth sparkles. It doesn’t happen. Cumming in the toilet, trash can, napkin, hand, underwear, blankets, towels, spider webs, or whatever location ones creative sexual imagination leads them to release built up energy from ones penis, it is likely not the case that that moment of finishing is followed by the words “Wow, after all that hard work I feel proud, happy, and successful”. How shitty it is that hard work does not in fact lead to (let’s call this the trivium) pride, happiness, and success. Such can be the case for, say, building a garden, writing a piece of music, or studying for a test (though, your success is not always a guarantee). Where masturbation to porn differs is that it is a 100% guarantee that my hard work will not lead to the trivium. If it does then I’m a liar. I sit at the computer, or cell phone as of most recently, and try my best to carefully select the video that is worth the physical exercise of masturbation. Each time “Yeah baby…this is the one. She’s got those tits. Her pussy looks like that. She makes those sounds. I think I’m ready for success now” and then, bam! Out comes cum and away goes the trivium. Once the cum is released it’s as if the trivium (success, happiness, and pride) are all living things inside ones mind that are made to runaway from this unique substance shooting out of the penis. Much in the same way a crowd disperses when a guy has a gun ready to release bullets towards proud, happy, and successful people. So I finish and feel varying degrees of guilt each time. After a certain period of time there needs to be some change in approach in order to achieve the trivium. This change, for me, occurs with the porn advertisements.

“Sick of just nutting. Click here for a live person to fuck” Of course one should never fall for the porn ads on porn sites. Who knows what virus it might entail. Or, the biggest fear of all, having it show up on your facebook newsfeed as something you shared and liked by accidentally clicking the wrong button. Fortunately, that has never happened to me. Nonetheless, instead of clicking the porn ads I most recently resolved to clicking Backpages, a place where people nearby are willing to fuck you if you pay them. After an afternoon spent drinking beer and listening to a person dressed in the style of David Bowie entertain the bar with his quips and quotes about this band that band, this interesting issue that boring issue…meanwhile, secretly congratulating himself for how funny and interesting of a person he is…I left. Went home. Went to my bed. Looked at backpages. Texted two people. And fell asleep.

I woke up about 10pm with multiple replies from one person, Velvet. “Yes, I’m available tonight” “Are you still there?” “Say a time and we can meet” “OK, I’ll leave you alone now”. I woke up sober. But I was feeling shitty that night and felt like doing something a bit crazy to hope for an interesting thing to happen. I texted back “I’m available at 11pm”. “OK, see you at my address at 11PM”…She was an older lady. 47, according to the post. The pictures definitely not attractive. A bit on the heavy side. Some wrinkles. What a great endeavor. A great bad decision.

My house was empty. Typically, my roommates are hanging out on the front porch at that hour. How strange it is that sometimes making bad decisions are accompanied by an unusual atmosphere. The house was dark. All the lights off. No noise. No talking. People were gone. How suitable it was to be leaving a dark house before making a dark decision.

I took a shower for purposes of respect. I’ve learned that you never want to show up smelling bad. You must have good hygiene for a good live porn experience which is another difference between internet and live porn. I called the cab. Left the dark and quiet house. Got in the car and was on my merry way.

Another part of this endeavor that’s important is making up a lie to tell people. You must consider responses to possible small talk from the cab driver “What are you up to tonight?” When you get back from the experience…the intended delightful experience…you must have a response to roommates “Where were you?”…When you arrive at the live porn mansion you must have a story with a false name “My name is Sarah. I’m a dude from out of town. Here only a week for a music job in town” I had all this information down and ready before getting down and dirty.

The cab driver never inquired about the reason for my desired destination. I made it clear to him, though, that I was seeing a friend who was visiting from out of town. Probably unnecessarily so, but you can never be too safe. We stopped at the ATM. I pulled out 60 bucks. Porn is free. Live porn is costly. But this particular live porn was cheap. It was the perfect cost for a good bad decision. Double cheeseburgers are only a dollar at McDonalds. They are a great way to feel like shit. Part of me knew this lady was full of the double cheeseburger syndrome.

She told me to look for the dead end sign on the left and across the street is a John Deere mailbox “That’s my house”. Yep. John Deere. I was in the redneck side of town. At last, I had arrived. I walked to the house. She opened the front door. Her attire was redneck. It was likely an old drape for the house which she made for purposes of being able to put it on and take it off easily. But she called it her dress. As she was standing in her make shift dress, she opened the door “Hi” she said, “I’m Velvet. You can call me Vee” Damn. She turned a cabaret name and made it redneck. She was fat. She was ugly. She was old. And she didn’t give a fuck. And the reason that is not a shallow statement is it was clear to me, by the apathetic expression on her face, that she agreed. Her mantra was “Just give me my forty bucks” She knew it. And she didn’t give a fuck.

I followed her into her room. “So before we start I we need to do something. It might be weird but to make sure you’re not law enforcement I need you to show me your penis and I’ll show you my vagina”. “Oh…ok.” In this moment, I began to feel amused by the decisions I make in life. I can easily get laid by women my age. I’ve heard of some very attractive females around town talking about “How hot” I am. I could easily have fucked someone else.  And, there is a part of myself that I can’t figure out. I choose her. “Why am I choosing to pay money to fuck an old, fat, apathetic woman as oppose to going on a date with a woman who doesn’t smell old, look old, or act old?” I crave a different kind of love? Yes. It is the love of inserting myself into a situation where I don’t belong. The love and addiction to porn has lead to this kind of love. Yes. I’m a gentleman. That guy at the bar earlier in the night can charm the pants off of a group. He can impress the fine smelling adorable girl at the bar. He can hold her hand and lead her to his magical world of “look how alike I am with David Bowie”. But you know what separates me from mother fuckers like him? I can fuck someone I’m not suppose to be fucking and maintain my gentlemanly nature. I can fuck an ugly, old, and stinky lady and then say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart and mean it without feeling like I need to sound like David Bowie.

I pulled my pants down. She pulled her pants down. There was my penis. There was her vagina. I pulled out 40 dollars. “OK, so quick visit?” she said. Yep… “OK. Lay on the bed.” She removed her make shift dress. This whole process was so quick. Step 1, step 2, step 3 and done.  It felt almost like the experience of taking the license test at the DMV. Very clear, cut,  and dry. Especially dry. To the point. No emotion. She hates her job. But the forty bucks, on the other hand…I laid down. She had a towel on her bed. I rested my back on her towel. “I’ll start by sucking you off.” “OK”. Step one. She was never expressive in her tone. Never seductive. She was plain. Flat. Monotone. It’s your quintessential apathetic tone. “Just give me my forty bucks”, her refrain…I got hard, some what. Enough for the condom. She then put the condom on my penis. Step two, “OK. You get on top of me”. We switched places. I got on top. Stuck my penis inside her. “Yep, that’s it” she said, much in the same mundane way when you’re driving a person home and you ask “Is this your road?” “Yep, that’s it”…I fuck her. I fuck her dry pussy so soft that she didn’t move. The occasional moan lacking any degree of enthusiasm. Penis becomes too soft. I try to stick it back in but can’t feel anything. I pull out and start masturbating to my live porn for the night. Step three “Yep, that’s it” she said again. I stroked until I shot the cum into the condom. Here comes the moment of realization. Is live porn better or worse than internet porn? Will I have my pride, happiness, and success when all is said and done? Of course not. Damn! I finished. “Thank you” I said. “You’re welcome. I didn’t think you were going to get it in there…the trash can is over there” I threw the condom in the trash. I wiped the dribbles of remaining cum with her towel. The storm of guilt was on its way. I could feel it. The worst feeling of guilt I had ever experience was on its way. I might have experienced what it would feel like to fuck a retarded person. The movie Gummo came to mind. I was THAT dirty. “So, you new in town” “Yep, I’m just visiting. I’m from New York. I’m a musician and I’m here for a music project I’m working on” “OH, OK!” She was the most enthusiastic when all was said and done and I had lied to her about myself. “Go wait outside. I have another client”. “OK” I said.

I called the cab. Sat in her front yard, hoping I wouldn’t see her next client arrive and risk knowing them. Or, risk getting laughed at by some redneck dude “Man, you young as hell. What are you doing fucking that lady?”…It took forever for the cab to arrive. When anything strange like this happens to me in life, the first person I tell is my brother. I messaged him immediately, looking for some condolences for almost killing an ugly, old, fat lady with my athletic body. Or, perhaps killing myself. What if she had aids? I could have aids now. My leg began to shake while waiting on the cab because of these thoughts I was having. I started to worry that the cab wouldn’t show up and I would have to walk home. The cab came. He didn’t say much. I didn’t say much. When I got home, the house was still dark. I didn’t have to explain to my roommates that I was “At my mom’s house for…” Which is good because I didn’t have an answer. I would’ve drawn blanks. I went into the kitchen. I made a sandwich because I was hungry. Bologne, ham, salami, mayo, and pickles. I took a bite of the pickle while I was making it. I gagged because her cigarette smelling body overtook the smell of the cologne I put on before seeing her. And I laughed at myself, halfway amused and halfway guilty of my decision making.

Lesson learned. Live porn is worse than internet porn. If I can flatter myself in anyway about this experience it would be the fact that while I fucked this lady who knew I shouldn’t be fucking her. While I fucked a lady who I knew I shouldn’t fuck. In the midst of learning what it meant to make a good bad decision. And amidst all the lack of enthusiasm, lack of sexual energy, lack of interest within it all, I still upheld who I was. I say in confidence, I’m a nice person. I told her thank you and I meant it. “Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to pay you just 40 bucks to see if the dirty things I jack off to on the internet are better in real life” Take the road less traveled right? Was this the road to turn onto to feel no success, no happiness, and no pride? In her words, “Yep, that’s it”…

title: [MS] From Porn Tease to Possible Porn Disease

question: What does the story say about the narrator's motivations?

answer: He's disillusioned with porn and masturbation and wonders whether paying someone for sex would cause the same lack of pride, success, and happiness as masturbation. His choice to forego dating or getting laid the regular way (despite being able to) shows a general apathy toward life. The narrator seems lost, searching for meaning. He also seems somewhat self-destructive, choosing to have sex with a woman he finds almost repulsive while being fully aware he's making a bad decision.

question: What does the story say about porn addiction?


text:
Any constructive Criticism would be appreciated. Thanks.

Johnny Boy

We work in the kitchen of a restaurant, me and John, washing the pots and pans, and operating the dishwasher. Just us two doing that job. A young and pretty waitress our age works there too, bringing the dirty plates in. Kristina. Such a pretty name for a pretty girl. I know she likes John. She’s wide eyed and always happy. I think she likes me too. In fact I’m sure she does, but she likes John more. She touched his hand on Tuesday. She’s never touched my hand.

Kristina works on Tuesdays and Fridays and so do me and John. It’s always split shift, morning and evening. It’s Friday afternoon. We chat with Kristina when she comes in. Being nice to her. We’re always nice to her. We both like her. She talks to John more. It’s not a one horse race between me and John, it’s just that John is edging ahead.

We have a 2 hour break between morning and evening shift. So me and old John boy go to his house for a spliff while his mum’s at the school working. A bit of weed to relax with. It’s mine, but I don’t mind sharing with Johnny Boy. He knows about me and my past. I told him. How I used to have a bad temper and got in trouble with the police. He knows about my Dad dying of cancer. He knows a lot. We talk a lot, me and Johnny. He told me he had to put his dog down a couple of years ago. Poor Johnny. Poor dog. We’ve been working together for a couple of months now. I’m getting bored of the job and bored of the people. I need some sort of fun to keep me entertained.

He knows I was in trouble for violence. I told him. A drunken fight. Silly behaviour really. I regret it now. We sit on the sofa and smoke the spliff. He knows I like to talk about myself when I’m stoned. And he likes to sit there quiet and listen. So it works out well.

“Johnny.”

“Yeah”

“You know my Dad died don’t you”

“Yeah, you told me”

“Well, can you keep a secret”

“Yeah, I suppose”

“You know I got in trouble for that fight I had”

“Yeah”

“Well, it’s not the worst thing I’ve done”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, my Dad, had some money that he was going to leave me when he died.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I knew he was dying anyway, and I wanted the money”

“Right?”

“Well, I put a pillow over his face and finished him off, he was going to die anyway”

Johnny looks at me wide eyed and says:

“Are you serious or just messing with me? I’m too stoned for this shit.”

“No, I’m serious. He was in a bad way, so I let him go. It was better for him”

“Fucking hell Tom.”

He believes me.

“Keep it to yourself eh? I feel bad and I knew I could tell you in secret”

“Right yeah.”

Johnny thinks it was bad to kill him, I can tell by the look on his face. But that part about him being in a bad way makes me feel like less of a psycho. The money bit was good. That will stick in his head. He’s still sitting next to me, and hasn't freaked out, which is lucky. If he thought I was a real psycho he would have got up I think. I played it well. Extreme enough, but not so much that he freaked out, which is lucky. I think he does believe me. Maybe he's playing it cool and is more freaked out than he's letting on. Who knows. As long as he comes to work, that's all that matters. If he tells anyone I'll just deny it.

“It’s like your dog isn’t it. You had to put him down.”

“Yeah.”

He looks a bit shocked but not horrified.

“Does Kristina know about your dog?”

“No. Why?”

“Just wondering if it came up in conversation. That’s all”

“No.”

I change the subject and we talk about cars and then watch TV for a bit. Then we head back to shitty old work. Johnny Boy is never miserable, he’s a good lad. He never complains about going back to work.

Evening shift. Kristina’s about somewhere. She’s in the restaurant serving the customers. All pretty in her waitress uniform. She’s a student. Always so happy. She’s a nice girl. You can tell. She was so sympathetic when I told her about my Dad. She seems to really care. She comes into the kitchen to drop off some cups from the customers. No plates yet. We chat with her, as always. She doesn’t know about Johnny’s dog. Not yet anyway.

Johnny goes outside to the back yard for a smoke and it’s my chance to chat with Kristina alone.

“Kristina, can I tell you something. Just for you to know.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

She looks concerned and interested. Good.

“It’s about John”

“What?”

“Well he’s a good guy, but sometimes he’s a bit cruel.”

“What do you mean?”

“He says things just to hurt my feelings.”

“That’s not very nice.”

She’s listening, but she hasn’t seen Jonny being cruel for herself. Mainly because I’m lying. She doesn’t know that. I can tell she’s holding back judgement. She likes him. She’s not quick to judge.

“Don’t say anything to him. I don’t want him to think I’ve been talking about him behind his back”

“OK, Well if he says anything mean in front of me I’ll tell him off!”

I’m sure she will. I’m sure she will.

Johnny Boy’s dog is a real sore point for him. He was nearly crying when he told me about it. It was in too much pain to keep alive apparently. Something like that.

Johnny Boy comes back from having his cig. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. He steals himself a bowl of icecream from the icecream machine and leans back on the counter. Good old Johnny Boy.

We chat with Kristina for a minute then she has to go out again into the restaurant.

The rush. The evening rush is on. Two older waitresses and Kristina. We do make a bit of small talk with the two other waitresses but, well, they don’t have much time for two young lads, and we don’t have much time for them.

This needs to work. I think it will. His memory isn’t that bad. He'll get angry and blurt it out, I’m sure he will. He's easy to program, like a dumb computer.

11 O’clock. All the customers gone. Me, Johnny and Kristina are in the kitchen. She won’t be here long. She will go to the restaurant bar as she always does and have a coffee and a chat with the other waitresses. But we have her now. Me and Johnny. It’s time to get this done.

“I felt like shit the other day. I stepped on a snail and crushed it” I say.

“You’re a cruel bastard John, you probably don’t give a shit when you step on snails.” I say with a grin. He knows I’m just having a laugh.

“So what. They’re only snails” Says John.

He probably think he sounds tough or something in front of Kristina.

“But you are cruel aren’t you really, John.”

“No. Not really. How did you work that one out.”

“Killing animals”

“What? Fuck off.”

Kristina’s watching this. John’s starting to get pissed off.

“Unlike you, I don’t kill animals.”

“Shut up. I don’t kill animals. What are you talking about”

“You know….that dog”

Johnny’s eyes well up a bit. He’s red in the face.

“You killed your own fucking Dad.”

I take in a breath sharply and loudly and bolt out of the room and to the yard where me and Johnny Boy smoke. Very dramatic.

As luck and plans would have it, Kristina’s comes after me. I manage to squeeze a tear out and she sees. She puts her arm round me. Johnny’s in the kitchen, thinking he’s won.

I put on my best hurt voice.

“How could he say that? How? Why?”

She rubs my shoulder.

“He’s so cruel. So cruel” She says, comfortingly.

Shes touching my hand now. My hand, not yours Johnny Boy.

It all went exactly to plan. I have won.

And I now I feel nothing, and I am bored again, as always.

title: Misc Fiction[MF] Johnny Boy

question: How did the narrator's father die?

answer: The narrator's father had cancer and was very ill. The narrator wanted the money his father was going to leave him so he placed a pillow over his face and suffocated his father. The narrator justified his actions by saying his father was going to die anyway.

question: How does the narrator feel about Johnny?

answer: At the beginning of the story, it appears as if the narrator and Johnny have a good friendship. They trust one another sharing emotions and secrets. Towards the end of the story, however, it becomes clear that the narrator is jealous of the friendship between Johnny and Kristina and he uses confidential information to turn Kristina against Johnny.


text:
GAME

In times like those my 16-year marriage to Evelyn didn’t feel too good. Picture a pastrami sub, lathered with melted cheese and roasted peppers. Imagine eating that sub and topping it off with a pie of bacon-encrusted pizza, your stomach would kill, and that’s how my marriage felt. Sometimes I would blame my stomach aches on Evelyn. I knew it didn’t make sense, but I will admit I used to always need to find a reason for something. I couldn’t just succumb to things, I had to always blame someone- but, im not going to do this right now arguments like those were things I would do with Evelyn. When everything began going well at work, it really began going well. You see, a CFO has a ton of responsibilities and information that he has to handle; this includes future acquisitions and financial reports, lets just say my holdings in our company were well aware of news way before the sleeze-balls on Wall Street were. Inside our Madison Avenue office, my Armani suit was something not to be fucked with, it was outside that I was given the silent treatment like a fucking 2nd grader who was being punished for bullshit. Everyday when I was home she would act tired and depressed. I have never seen an opportune lifestyle of credit cards and drivers take so much out of a woman. This was our life, take it or leave it. It was not always like this; you see we married young, she was 21 and I was 22. When we lived in a studio apartment all was well. I think it was hard for her to adapt to my success. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I was beginning to become the shit around town. Maybe I was too nice to her, I’ll honestly never know. Than that day came. ‘I want to go on a trip’ she said in our bedroom. ‘You want to come to Morocco? Dan and his kids are taking their Jet out to Morocco, we can go to Morocco, you want to go to Morocco?’ She didn’t even see the point, I could see it in her face. She walked into our master bathroom, as a guy you got to follow your woman in bullshit situations like these ‘Hun, whats wrong? Where do you want to go, we can go anywhere you tell me’. She didn’t think about it for a second ‘I want to go to a cabin that has a small farm, not some stupid Morocco. I want it to be up the street from a small town with people who live normally’, that sounded fucking terrible ‘Ok I’ll get Cindy (Cindy is my beautiful assistant) to find a place. ‘No, I already found one’, she knew what she was saying. I figured I could get this for her, ‘Ok do you want to send me it and I will make sure we can book something cozy?’. She seemed annoyed, like I wasn’t understanding something ‘I already booked it, if you want to make me happy than you will agree to come, you will agree to come with me to the cabin with the little farm that’s up the road from the town’. ‘Ya and the people live normally, alright for you honey lets go’. I didn’t even understand how she came up with this shit sometimes. I called Cindy, told her that I was taking a business trip and I don’t give a fuck if the company gets invaded by China I don’t want one call, nothing about anything with my name attached to it this weekend. This seemed like a chance to motivate Evelyn. I loved her so much, I just wanted her to act the same. I began to pack, but Evelyn stopped me. ‘You can buy clothes there’, their just seemed to be a sincerity in her voice that forced me to agree. I dropped the bag and we went downstairs. She opted for the least nicest car I owned, we got into the Range Rover and began the drive.
It was 4 hours until we were in some weird wilderness. I wasn’t sure if it was Connecticut or upstate New York, but really what’s the difference. Evelyn directed the route perfectly and at the time I didn’t even realize how strange that was. Finally we got to the town. I didn’t bother looking at the name, I figured it would be the most useless weekend of my life, why would I want to name it. We seemed to be driving through the town square, people were walking outside their dogs on leashes their babies in strollers and all that good stuff. All I remember looking at was some restaurants, and the hunting store. I asked Evelyn, ‘Do you see any actual clothing stores?’. She was looking the same direction as me, ‘Well we just passed one that had vests and pants’, it seemed like the hunting store would do. We drove down a winding road or two, until we got to a small cabin. A wooden home that looked like it was built for men of luxury living in Northern Alaska. ‘Its beautiful, just like the pictures’, Evelyn’s eyes lit up. I turned to her as we were pulling in ‘Yeah, how did you find it again?’ She did not respond, she had a knack for that. I parked and we went inside. As soon as you entered there was a stairway, it lead up the one bedroom. Before the stairway however, there were two small living rooms one on each side of the home. The back of the home had the kitchen, we walked up the stairs and Evelyn began to unzip her dress as she set a book she had brought on to the dresser ‘You should go out and get clothes, I will be here, I just want to read for a bit’. I nodded my head and walked back to the car, I began driving. At this point, the hunting store was really the only thing I knew how to drive to, when I got there I parked right next to the store and entered. The place was pretty spacious with at least 8 or so people inside, there were racks of cliché hunting clothing mostly just camo vests and long pants. I walked up to one of the employees, ‘Hey, do you know where any uh shirts are, maybe some button downs or something’, he looked at me ‘What you doin, you tryna hunt?’. I felt a little uncomfortable, ‘Nope just trying to get some clothes, my wife wouldn’t let me pack when we came here’, this seemed to annoy him a little ‘Well let me tell you, we have some of the best damn game here. If you want to hunt you come here, this aint no town for shooting trees, this a town for shooting game.’ I really didn’t feel like getting into this so I asked him ‘Ok well can you tell me where the shirts are, the ones that are good for game?’ He pointed to the back right of the store. I began walking towards the given direction until I accidently bumped into a rack, it fell over and the clothes fell on the floor. In most situations I figure people would look and than carry on, maybe someone would help me put it back, but that was just not the case. Right when that happened, all of the people in the store stopped what they were doing. More employees walked out of the staff room and just began to stare; everyone in the store was just staring at me. No one really moved, they just stood there staring at me so I spoke up ‘Sorry about this, should I just put it back?’. No one said anything, I picked the rack back up but no one moved they just kept staring at me. I looked all around the store, ‘You guys ok? This that big of a deal?’. No one responded they just blankly stared at me. I walked out and got back into my car, I was a little nervous. Shit like that scares me, maybe they just realized I was a new guy and they just wanted to fuck around. This is why I don’t live in the suburbs, shit like this happens.
I drove back to the cabin, but the drive seemed weirder their were more nerves. I pulled in and went back inside, I walked upstairs and saw Evelyn. She glanced up from her book, ‘You got no clothes?’. I began scratching my neck, ‘Ya it was just one of those stores, I don’t think I need anything to be honest’, I didn’t want to lie but I also didn’t want to seem like I was making a big fuss about something that she wouldn’t believe anyway. She looked back at her book ‘Too bad, game is supposed to be great here’. I stopped walking away, ‘What did you just say Evelyn?’ She looked up at me ‘The game, its supposed to be great here why?’, I thought about it for a sec I figured she read it somewhere ‘Don’t worry, nevermind hun’. We stayed at the cabin for the rest of the day, by nightfall we were both back in the bed. Under the covers, Evelyn turned to me ‘I’m very happy you came today, thank you’. I brought her closer to me and kissed her on the forehead, it seemed like one of those moments. I had a nice sleep, and before you ask, I will not tell you if we had sex don’t be one of those guys who asked if we had sex because listen I will not tell you fucked up motherfucker. This is exactly how the following morning went down. I woke up, and turned Evelyn was not there. ‘Evelyn’, I shouted it loud enough that she could hear it anywhere in the cabin. I got up and started snooping. The bed made it seem like I was the only one who slept there that night, her side was already neat and made. I checked the bathroom and than walked downstairs. I shouted Evelyn again but no response, I looked in both living rooms and the kitchen. I opened the fridge and there was no food, that ticked me off a little but mostly I wanted to find Evelyn. I walked back upstairs and began to think, I definitely kissed her on the head last night and I definitely fell asleep. Than it came to me: the car. I walked on over to the window and I could not move when I looked out. The car was there, and so was Evelyn. She was standing there, and she was staring at me. There were over 100 people out there they were all staring. It was like the store, my first thought was to move away from the window. My heart was pounding fast. I ran into the bathroom and splashed water into my face, it was not a dream. I came back to the window and there they all were standing there blankly staring at me. No emotion in their faces, Evelyn seemed dead almost. I went to the drawer to get my phone, but it wasn’t there. There was no home phone in the house, my only option was to actually go outside. I walked down the stairs and opened the door ‘What the fuck is going on? What the fuck Evelyn’ I figured if I yelled it would be easier to talk to all of them. No one said anything, they only turned to watch me. I ran over to Evelyn and began shaking her ‘What the fuck is happening to you right now, talk, speak!’. Evelyn did not say a word, her stare continued. Every single person was just watching. I ran over to the car and opened the door, the steering wheel was ripped off. I don’t mean it was damaged, I mean it was literally ripped off the wires were hanging out as it sat on my dashboard. I didn’t think anything over, I turned and began running into the woods. I figured I could make it to another town I could get the police to come and people would help me and Evelyn, everything would be all right. As I was running, the noise went off and the birds flew. I dropped, I was hit so hard in the back of my spine that I fell with force. I was shot. ‘Fuck, what the fuck’ I yelled. I heard leaves rustling, someone was coming over. I did not have the strength to move, ‘Who are you? Evelyn? Who the fuck, why, what the fuck is happening?’. The leaves stopped rustling right behind me. I heard a click and than he spoke ‘Some of the best damn game here’, he shot.

title: [RF] GAME

question: Summarize what happens to the narrator.

answer: He's a successful executive, living a rich life. However, he and his wife Evelyn seem to have fallen out of love. The narrator wants to live a rich man's lifestyle while Evelyn seems to prefer a more modest one. For unknown reasons, she convinces the narrator to go to a cabin in the woods for a weekend, somewhere seemingly middle-class. There, she and the local residents creep out the narrator once in the hunting shop and once around the cabin by just staring at him without saying anything at all. The narrator starts to run away, and one of the locals shoots him.

question: What does the story say about the class divide in America?


text:
JOHNNY LEE DAVENPORT (July 24, 1950 – February 2, 2020) was an American actor, known for his role as Marshal Henry in 1993's _The Fugitive_, a role he would reprise in 1998's _U.S. Marshals_. He died on February 2, 2020 from leukemia.[1]

Early Life

Davenport was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Aurora, Illinois. There, he attended West Aurora High School, where he was cast in the school’s production of the musical ''Carousel ''. As a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he helped start that school’s acting company.[2]

Film

  Year   Title                        Role                    Notes
  ------ ---------------------------- ----------------------- -------
  1989   _The Package_                MP
  1993   _The Fugitive_               Marshall Henry
  1996   _Chain Reaction_             Caleb Williams
  1998   _U.S. Marshals_              Deputy Marshall Henry
  2010   _Locked In_                  Jim Sanders
  2012   _Ted_                        Husband
  2013   _Time and Charges_           Boreas Victorious
  2015   _Joy_                        Ray Cagney
  2016   _The Ascendants Anthology_   The Guide, Sebastian

Shakespeare

After being cast as Antonio in the Stratford Festival of Canada’s production of _Twelfth Night_ in 1988, Davenport made the plays of Shakespeare a major part of his acting repertoire. The following year he became a member of the theater group Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, and went to perform with the company 16 seasons.[3] His credits in that venue include Bottom in _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_, _As You Like It_, _Twelfth Night_, _Henry IV_, Parts 1 & 2, _Richard II_, the title role in _Othello_, _A Winter’s Tale_, _Measure for Measure_, _Richard III_, _Hamlet_, and _Henry V_.

Other Stage roles

During the 1990s he performed frequently in Chicago venues, including the Steppenwolf, Court, and Goodman Theaters. Plays in which he appeared include _Miss Julie_, _Cry, the Beloved Country_, and _Comedians_.[4]

Awards and nominations

  Year   Award                 Category                                        Work                               Result
  ------ --------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- --------
  2008   Elliot Norton Award   Outstanding Actor, Small/Midsize Company        _A House With No Walls_
  2008   Elliot Norton Award   Outstanding Actor, Small/Midsize Company        _Love’s Labour's Lost_
  2011   Elliot Norton Award   Outstanding Actor, Midsize Theater              _Broke-ology_
  2011   IRNE Award            Best Supporting Actor (play), Large Theater     _Vengeance is the Lord’s_
  2012   IRNE Award            Best Actor (Play), Small Theater                _Broke-ology_
  2013   IRNE Award            Best Actor (Play), Small Theater                _"Master Harold"...and the Boys_
  2014   Elliot Norton Award   Best Actor (Play), Midsize Theater              _Driving Miss Daisy_
  2014   IRNE Award            Best Supporting Actor (play), Large Theater     _Invisible Man_
  2015   Elliot Norton Award   Best Actor (Play), Midsize Theater              _The Whipping Man_
  2016   IRNE Award            Best Actor (Play), Midsize Theater              _Beowulf_
  2017   IRNE Award            Best Supporting Actor (Play), Midsize Theater   _Bootycandy_
  2018   IRNE Award            Best Solo Performance, Small Theater            _Thurgood_
  2019   IRNE Award            Best Supporting Actor (Play), Small Theater     _Thurgood_

Davenport was named Best Actor in Boston Magazine for his body of work during the 2010-2011 season and was a recipient of Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Award. [5]

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title: Johnny Lee Davenport

question: What does the article say about Davenport's family?

question: What does the article say about the 1990s?

answer: Davenport's best known role was as Marshal Henry in 1993's The Fugitive. He reprised the role in 1998's U.S. Marshals. In 1996, he also starred in Chain Reaction. During the 1990s, he performed frequently on stage in Chicago venues.


text:
Featured Team News

2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved

Minor League Baseball (MiLB™) announced that Major League Baseball (MLB™) has informed the league that it will not be providing its affiliated Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season. As a result, there will not be a professional baseball season in Amarillo in 2020.

HODGETOWN COVID-19 Readiness Plan

The practices represent practical best efforts to proactively invest and keep our community safe when attending events at HODGETOWN. The outlined steps and initiatives are intended to preserve the safety of staff, players and guests. HODGETOWN continually strives to keep its standing as a premier, multi-purpose event venue to attract local visitors and guests from the nation and world.

Season Tickets

Become a Season Ticket Member!

Haven't purchased your season seats yet for the 2019 season and beyond? Click to get in contact with one of our ticket representatives!

Team Information

2021 Schedule & Ticket Information

Founding Pardners

question: Why is the Minor League Baseball canceled in 2020?

answer: Because Major League Baseball announced that they will not provide players for the Minor League.

question: Why did Major League Baseball refuse to provide players for Minor League Baseball?

answer: It's not stated in the article. Presumably, it's because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

question: Where and what is Hodgetown?

answer: The location isn't mentioned in the article. It's a multi-purpose venue.

question: What are the steps and initiatives taken at Hodgetown?

answer: They aren't listed in the article, only mentioned.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Major League Baseball informed the Minor League Baseball that it will not provide players for the 2020 season. Hodgetown COVID-19 best practices are enacted to proactively ensure that the community remains safe when attending events.


text:
The first season of _Dynasty_ originally aired in the United States on ABC from January 12 through April 20, 1981. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in Denver, Colorado.

Season one stars John Forsythe as millionaire oil magnate Blake Carrington; Linda Evans as his new wife Krystle; Pamela Sue Martin as Blake's headstrong daughter Fallon; Al Corley as Blake's earnest son Steven; John James as playboy Jeff Colby; Wayne Northrop as Carrington chauffeur Michael Culhane; Bo Hopkins as Denver–Carrington geologist Matthew Blaisdel; Pamela Bellwood as Matthew's troubled wife Claudia; Katy Kurtzman as Matthew and Claudia's teenage daughter Lindsay Blaisdel; and Dale Robertson as wildcatter Walter Lankershim. Notable recurring performers include Lee Bergere as Carrington majordomo Joseph Anders, and Lloyd Bochner as Jeff's uncle, Cecil Colby.

Development

Aaron Spelling, already well known for his successful ABC series, including _Starsky and Hutch_, _Charlie's Angels_, _The Love Boat_, _Fantasy Island_, _Vega$_ and _Hart to Hart_,[1] took on Richard and Esther Shapiro's vision of a rich and powerful family who “lived and sinned” in a 48-room Denver mansion.[2] Esther Shapiro said that an inspiration for the show was _I, Claudius_, a fictionalized depiction of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Roman emperors.[3] Shapiro said in 1985, “We wanted to do something that would be fun, an American fantasy. We thought people had seen enough stories where families fell apart. We wanted a strong, nineteenth-century sort of family where people were in conflict but loved each other in spite of everything.”[4]

Intended by ABC to be a competitor for CBS's _Dallas_,[5] the working title for _Dynasty_ was _Oil_.[6] In early drafts of the pilot script, the two main families featured in the series were known as the Parkhursts and Corbys; by the time production began, they had been renamed the Carringtons and Colbys. George Peppard was cast as series patriarch Blake Carrington, but ultimately had difficulties dealing with the somewhat unsympathetic role,[7] and was quickly replaced with John Forsythe. Filmed in 1980, the pilot was among many delayed due to a strike precipitated by animosity between the television networks and the partnership of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. _Dynasty_ finally premiered on ABC as a three-hour event on January 12, 1981.[8] The first season was ranked #28 in the United States.[9]

Esther Shapiro later said in the DVD commentary of the first season, “The audience told us almost immediately: All they wanted to do was be in the mansion. [They] couldn't care less about the oil fields. They didn't want to see grubby rooms.”[10]

Plot

As _Dynasty_ begins, powerful oil tycoon Blake Carrington is about to marry the younger Krystle Jennings, his former secretary.[11] Beautiful, earnest, and new to Blake's world, Krystle finds a hostile reception in the Carrington household—the staff patronizes her, and Blake's headstrong and promiscuous daughter Fallon resents her. Though devoted to Krystle, Blake himself is too preoccupied with his company, Denver-Carrington, and blind to Krystle's predicament. Her only ally is her stepson Steven, whose complicated relationship with Blake stems from their fundamental political differences and Steven's resistance to step into his role as future leader of the Carrington empire. Meanwhile, Fallon, better suited to follow in Blake's footsteps, is (as a woman) underestimated by and considered little more than a trophy to her father. She channels her energies into toying with various male suitors, including the Carrington chauffeur Michael Culhane. At the end of the three-hour premiere episode “Oil”, Steven finally confronts his father, criticizing Blake's capitalistic values and seemingly amoral business practices.[12] Blake explodes, revealing the secret of which Steven thought his father was unaware: Blake is disgusted by Steven's homosexuality, and his refusal to “conform” sets father and son at odds for some time.[13][14]

In counterpoint to the Carringtons are the Blaisdels; Denver-Carrington geologist Matthew—unhappily married to the emotionally fragile Claudia—is Krystle's ex-lover. Returning from an extended assignment in the Middle East, Matthew quits and goes into business with wildcatter Walter Lankershim. As Blake's behavior begins pushing Krystle toward Matthew, the men are set as both business and romantic rivals.[15] Blake is further enraged when Steven goes to work for longtime friend Matthew, in whom Steven sees qualities lacking in Blake. Though previously in a relationship with another man, Steven finds himself drawn to Claudia, who is putting her life back together after spending time in a psychiatric hospital.[16]

Fallon makes a secret business deal with Blake's old friend and more-powerful business rival Cecil Colby, marrying his nephew Jeff to secure Cecil's financial assistance for her father. When Blake stumbles upon Steven in an innocent goodbye embrace with his former lover Ted Dinard (Mark Withers), Blake angrily pushes the two men apart; Ted falls backward and hits his head, the injury proving fatal.[17][18] Blake is arrested and charged with murder,[19] and an angry Steven testifies that Ted's death had been the result of malicious intent. A veiled surprise witness for the prosecution appears in the season finale “The Testimony”, and Fallon gasps in recognition: “Oh my God, that's my mother!”[20][21]

Cast

Main

-   John Forsythe as Blake Carrington
-   Linda Evans as Krystle Carrington
-   Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington
-   Pamela Bellwood as Claudia Blaisdel
-   Al Corley as Steven Carrington
-   John James as Jeff Colby
-   Wayne Northrop as Michael Culhane
-   Katy Kurtzman as Lindsay Blaisdel
-   Dale Robertson as Walter Lankershim
-   Bo Hopkins as Matthew Blaisdel

Recurring

-   Lloyd Bochner as Cecil Colby
-   Peter Mark Richman as Andrew Laird
-   Lee Bergere as Joseph Anders
-   Mark Withers as Ted Dinard
-   Brian Dennehy as Jake Dunham

Episodes

Reception

The first season of _Dynasty_ was “modestly popular” among viewers,[22] ranking #28 in the United States with a 19.0 Nielsen rating, while #1 series _Dallas_ achieved a 31.8 rating that season.[23] Season one of _Dynasty_ aired on Monday nights.[24][25] ABC rebroadcast the season in summer 1981 at 10:00 PM on Wednesdays, the new time slot for season two, and initiated a media blitz to promote the series.[26]

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title: Dynasty (1981 TV series, season 1)

question: When did the first season of Dynasty air?

answer: It aired from January 12 through April 20, 1981.

question: What is the show about?

answer: It revolves around the Carringtons, the wealthy family of an oil tycoon residing in Denver, Colorado.

question: What had ABC intended Dynasty to be?

answer: They intended for Dynasty to be a competitor for CBS's Dallas.

question: What is the relationship between Blake and Steven?

answer: Steven is Blake's son and they have a complicated relationship due to their fundamental political differences and Steven's resistance to step into his role as a future leader of the Carrington empire. Blake is also disgusted by Steven's homosexuality.

question: What was the show's general reception?

answer: The show was modestly popular in its first season

question: Who are the actors who make up the Carrington family?

answer: John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Pamela Sue Martin, and Al Corley

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the first season of Dynasty. It was released in 1981, and centers on the Carringtons, the wealthy family of an oil tycoon residing in Denver, Colorado. The development, plot, cast, and reception of the show are discussed.


text:
California’s two largest districts made the joint call amid a White House push to get children back into classrooms.

[Students leaving Palms Middle School in Los Angeles at the end of a school day in March.]

Credit...Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times

-   Published July 13, 2020Updated July 24, 2020

SACRAMENTO — California’s two largest public school districts said on Monday that instruction would be online-only in the fall, in the latest sign that school administrators are increasingly unwilling to risk crowding students back into classrooms until the coronavirus is fully under control.

The school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego, which together enroll some 825,000 students, are the largest in the country to abandon plans for even a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August.

The decision came as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced some of the most sweeping rollbacks yet of California’s plans to reopen. Indoor operations for restaurants, bars, wineries, movie theaters and zoos were shut down statewide on Monday, and churches, gyms, hair salons, malls and other businesses were shuttered for four-fifths of the population.

“There’s a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petri dish,” said Austin Beutner, the Los Angeles school district’s superintendent.

The California decisions are the latest blow to President Trump’s push to fully reopen schools across the country this fall in order to get the economy moving by enabling parents to return to workplaces. Districts, parents and teachers have struggled to maintain the education of tens of millions of K-12 students while keeping them and their teachers healthy and safe.

At the White House, Mr. Trump denounced the decision in Los Angeles, arguing that schools should resume because children wanted to attend.

“Schools should be opened,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed.” It was not clear what he meant, since public health experts say the virus spreads quickly in poorly ventilated, closed areas, the condition of many American schools.

Across the country, school districts are taking a patchwork approach to reopening.

New York City, the nation’s largest school district, announced last week that it would provide several days per week of in-person learning, with students working online from home the rest of the time. Seattle has also announced a hybrid model that is emerging as popular nationwide, among both large and small districts. Chicago, the nation’s third-biggest system, has not yet announced its reopening plan.

But in cities where the virus has continued to rage, efforts at compromise solutions have increasingly proven unworkable — a shattering realization for families that have strained for months to cobble normalcy out of a situation that is pitting their children’s development and education against parental livelihoods and household health.

Mahogany Taylor, a 39-year-old mother of two and the president of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, said the loss of in-person instruction was particularly destructive for elementary school students — many of whom cannot type — and for low-income students, who often lack internet access, and who make up nearly 60 percent of San Diego Unified’s students.

At the same time, Ms. Taylor said, a districtwide survey showed that 40 percent of parents already were planning to insist on remote instruction. “We obviously believe that school is the best place for kids,” she said, “but we also want them to be safe.”

All across the nation, school officials are trying to balance safety against learning losses. Initial research showed that during the first round of school closures, American children were set back, on average, by seven months in their reading and math learning, with children from low-income families, and students of color, experiencing even bigger losses.

Still, district leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego said, California was not in a position to reopen schools.

“Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available,” the statement said. “California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.”

Mr. Beutner, whose district is the nation’s second largest, said in an interview that schools “can’t just tap our heels together” like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” and “pretend it’s appropriate to bring people back” despite “skyrocketing” rates of new infections.

California’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to more than 7,000 over the weekend, with 7.4 percent of test results coming back positive over the past two weeks, even as testing has ramped up to more than 100,000 tests a day. The state’s watch list of counties where the virus has surged, which has flagged Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, includes 30 of its 58 counties.

For the time being, Mr. Beutner said, the Los Angeles district will maintain the online instruction it has been providing since its 700,000 students and 75,000 employees were sent home in mid-March. He said the decision would be revisited when local infection rates have been sufficiently lowered and public health authorities have put into place adequate testing and contact tracing systems.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Image

[Families in cars are directed as they line up to receive computers for San Diego Unified School District distance learning, in April in San Diego.]

Credit...Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Many parents, students and teachers are still waiting to learn whether their districts will open this fall.

On Monday night, the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education is expected to adopt a plan for full-time remote learning for at least the first nine weeks of the school year.

Nashville originally planned to open five days a week, but rolled that back on July 9, citing the rising number of local coronavirus cases.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is currently asking parents to choose between full-time remote learning and a “schoolhouse model,” which would be in-person two to five days a week and online the rest of the time, depending on the number of students enrolled in a building and the amount of space available for social distancing.

Schools in New York will only reopen if the state can keep the virus under control, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday.

The governor said he would allow reopenings only in regions of the state that have daily infection rates under 5 percent over a two-week average. Regions with infection rates over 9 percent over a one-week average will not be allowed to open schools or will automatically have their schools shuttered.

New York City, which has maintained an average infection rate of 1 to 2 percent, is on track to partially reopen in September.

All the plans, district leaders say, are subject to change at a moment’s notice, as public health guidance shifts or as governors make statewide decisions.

Indeed, with the pandemic still raging across much of the country, it has become clear that improving the quality of online learning will be at least as important in the coming months as dealing with the logistics of reopening physical schools.

Several other large California districts, including Santa Clara, Oakland and San Bernardino, have already announced that they will stick, at least for the foreseeable future, with full-time remote instruction, and the state’s politically powerful teachers’ unions also have come out against a return to in-person classes.

The Los Angeles teachers’ union called last week for campuses to remain closed and for learning to be fully remote when the district resumes classes on Aug. 18, saying Mr. Trump’s reopening push was part of a “dangerous, anti-science agenda.” In an informal survey of 18,000 United Teachers Los Angeles members that was released on Friday, 83 percent agreed that campuses should not physically reopen.

And the state’s largest teachers’ union wrote Mr. Newsom — a Democrat elected with their support — a sharply worded letter last week expressing concern “that politics are being played with the lives of children and the educators who serve them.”

“It is clear that communities and school districts have not come close to meeting the threshold for a safe return to in-person learning, even under a hybrid model,” the 310,000-member California Teachers Association wrote.

Some $13.5 billion went to K-12 education from the federal relief package passed in March by Congress. But education groups and school districts estimate that schools will need much more money to safely reopen, and with the economic impact of the pandemic having depleted many local and state budgets, it is unclear where it will come from. The Trump administration has alternately threatened to cut funds to school districts that fail to fully reopen and reward districts that do.

As recently as late last week, leaders in San Diego Unified were promoting their plan to reopen five days a week, in person, for all students whose families chose that option. But the district had also warned that the health, sanitation and educational costs of reopening physical classrooms safely were so steep — a minimum of $90 million for the coming school year — that they would not be able to do so without a significant infusion of federal dollars.

At the same time, the district’s teachers’ union was arguing that reopening during an alarming increase in coronavirus cases was unwise, and would put teachers’ health at risk.

The superintendent, Cindy Marten, had been working with education leaders across the country to lobby the Senate to pass a second stimulus package for schools.

Ms. Marten said the district had not given up on the possibility of reopening physically if infection rates get down to a safe and manageable level, and even moved forward over the weekend with plans to buy $11 million worth of masks and other protective equipment. But the state’s current infection levels, she said, “should make it clear to everyone that the virus is not under control.”

“School districts need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Ms. Marten said. “We must both plan for a physical reopening while taking measures to keep our communities safe.”

Shawn Hubler reported from Sacramento and Dana Goldstein from New York. Eliza Shapiro contributed reporting from New York and Katie Rogers from Washington.

question: What does the text say about the most effective treatment for Covid-19?

question: What does the text say about President Trump?

answer: President Trump is pushing to fully reopen schools across the country despite the surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths to get the economy moving again by enabling parents to return to workplaces. Mr. Trump denounced the decision in Los Angeles to abandon plans for even a partial reopening, arguing that schools should resume because children wanted to attend. He said, "You're losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed", although it wasn't clear what he meant because public health experts say the virus spreads quickly in poorly ventilated, closed areas - the condition of many American schools. The Trump administration has also threatened to cut funds to school districts that fail to fully reopen and reward districts that do. The Los Angeles teachers' union claims that Mr. Trump's reopening push was part of a "dangerous anti-science agenda" and wants schools to remain closed.

question: What is the main source of tension in the text?

answer: The main source of tension in the text is the federal government's push to fully reopen schools in the middle of a pandemic and surge in COVID-19 cases, versus pushback from governors and school districts that fear doing so will put both students and teachers at risk. President Trump wants to fully reopen schools across the country in order to get the economy moving, but most schools districts have abandoned plans for even a partial return to classrooms and said learning will be remote until the pandemic is under control. The two biggest school districts in California decided not to reopen and their decision was denounced by Mr. Trump, who even threatened to cut funds to school districts that fail to fully reopen and reward districts that do. School districts across the country are taking a patchwork approach to reopening.

question: Summarize the sentiment from teachers and parents about reopening schools during a surge in COVID-19 cases.

answer: Parents say that the loss of in-person instruction has been destructive for elementary school students because many can't type yet, and also for low-income students who lack internet access. Despite the difficulties, surveys in districts like San Diego showed that 40 percent of parents were planning to insist on remote instruction until schools become safe for kids. The district’s teachers’ union also argued that reopening during an alarming increase in coronavirus cases was unwise, and would put teachers’ health at risk. The Los Angeles teachers' union called for campuses to remain closed and for learning to be fully remote, saying that 83% of the 18,000 members agreed schools should not physically reopen. The California Teacher's Association wrote to Gov. Newsom that communities and districts have not come close to meeting the threshold for a safe return to in-person learning.

question: What does the text say about the difficulties the school districts face in reopening the schools?

answer: All across the nation, school districts know that it's risky to reopen schools during a pandemic and they're trying to balance safety against learning losses. School districts like Los Angeles and San Diego are in no position to reopen schools because the infection rates have been skyrocketing and there is no on-demand testing available. Despite the $13.5 billion from the federal relief package that went to K-12 education, school districts say that much more money is needed to safely reopen as the economic impact of the pandemic has depleted many local and state budgets. A second stimulus package for schools is being lobbied by education groups in the Senate. It costs around $11 million to buy all the masks and protective equipment needed for physically reopening, but that can only be done if infection rates get down to a manageable level. The San Diego Unified district warned that the health, sanitation and educational costs of reopening physical classrooms safely were so steep — a minimum of $90 million for the coming school year. They would not be able to do so without a significant infusion of federal dollars.


text:
Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s emergence as President Trump‘s horse whisperer has likely helped cement his position among South Carolina Republicans — but Democrats say it’s created an opening for them to take his seat in 2020.

It would be a stunning upset in a solidly red state, where Mr. Graham won last time with 55 percent of the vote.

But Democrats say the senator appears to be grasping at Mr. Trump‘s coattails in a bid for attention that has undercut his reputation as a maverick and could potentially cost him the support of crossover Democrats and middle-of-the-road independents.

“To me, it just comes across that [what’s] most important for Lindsey is not his role as senator,” said Jaime Harrison, former chairman of the state Democratic Party and a likely Graham challenger. “It is whether he is in the mix, whether there is a microphone or TV camera there. For Lindsey, that is what it means to be relevant.”

Others see Mr. Graham‘s bond with the president in more nuanced light, saying he’s been an equal-opportunity enrager over his career.

“There is an almost schizophrenic way that Lindsey Graham has handled his politics in recent years,” said Charlie Cook, of the Cook Political Report. “Watching Graham is like watching a sailboat tacking first to port, then to starboard, then to port then back to starboard, repeating again and again.”

Those tacks include having been an impeachment manager in the case against President Bill Clinton, then siding with the ultimate maverick Sen. John McCain, earning the nickname “Lindsey Grahamnesty” for his work on immigration, yet delivering the most forceful defenses of Mr. Trump‘s judicial nominees, his emergency wall building declaration and his foreign policy.

The support has overshadowed his critique of Mr. Trump‘s decision to disengage in Syria and his response to the violent white nationalists rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

“When I don’t agree with the president, I will tell him,” Mr. Graham told The Washington Times. “But I unashamedly want him to be successful and got a good working relationship with him, and I think that is overall a benefit.”

It’s likely a smart place to be in a state that hasn’t voted Democratic in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976, and where his bigger electoral challenges have come in the primary.

Chip Felkel, a South Carolina-based GOP strategist, said Mr. Graham is a political pragmatist who recognizes that he won’t lose as much as support as he gains from the relationship.

“The challenge for Graham was always expected to be the right in a primary,” Mr. Felkel said. “He has shored that up.”

The friendship between the veteran senator and the political outsider seemed unlikely during the 2016 presidential campaign — particularly after Mr. Trump mocked the idea that Mr. McCain, Mr. Graham‘s best friend on Capitol Hill, was a hero for getting captured during the Vietnam War.

By the time the dust settled, Mr. Graham had called Mr. Trump a “race-baiting xenophobic bigot,” and Mr. Trump had shared Mr. Graham‘s cellphone number at a campaign rally — forcing him to get new digits.

“President Trump and I did not start off well,” Mr. Graham said with a chuckle this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “I remember meeting him after he got elected and saying, ‘Hey, Lindsey, I don’t have your phone number’ and I said, ‘There is a reason for that.’

“So I have given him my phone number and trust me he uses it, and I couldn’t be more proud of the fact that he talks to me and he asks my opinion, and we have a lot in common now. I like him and he likes him,” Mr. Graham said.

Mr. Harrison, who has been encouraged to run by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, said the key to defeating Mr. Graham is to win over the independents, conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans who held their noses while voting for Mr. Trump.

“Those people are not the biggest fans of Donald Trump and the rhetoric of Donald Trump and those people are asking what has happened to Lindsey Graham,” Mr. Harrison said. “As long as he wants to tie himself to Donald Trump that is great, but you take the good with the bad and there is a lot of bad.”

Mr. Graham welcomes the possible fight with Mr. Harrison, saying that matchup would offer voters a choice of candidates with clear differences on issues like the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.

“Here’s the deal,” Mr. Graham told The Times. “He thinks that what I did in Kavanaugh was bad, I think it was good.

“I voted for Democratic nominees, and I never thought of doing to them what they did to Kavanaugh, and I think most South Carolinians are going to see it the way I do, and we should all want our president to be successful,” the GOP senator said.

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question: What does the text say about North Carolina?

question: Summarize the main news article.

answer: Sen. Lindsey Graham has wormed his way into President Trump's good graces after starting off on the wrong foot. Mr. Graham now has the President's ear, which has likely helped cement his position among South Carolina Republicans. However, Democrats say it's created an opening for them to take his seat in 2020 as the senator appears to be grasping at Mr. Trump's coattails in a bid for attention that has undercut his reputation as a maverick and cost him the support of crossover Democrats and middle-of-the-road independents. If this happens, it would be a stunning upset in a solidly red state, where Mr. Graham won last time with 55% of the vote. Former chairman of the state Democratic Party, Jaime Harrison, will likely challenge Graham for the seat. Mr. Graham has been criticized for his bond with the president, calling him an "equal opportunity enrager" over his career. Mr. Graham defended himself by saying that he will tell the president if he doesn't agree with him but adds that they have a good working relationship and he wants Mr. Trump to succeed.

question: What does the text say about the initial relationship between Sen. Graham and the president?

answer: The friendship between Mr. Graham and the president seemed unlikely during the 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Trump mocked the idea that Mr. McCain, Mr. Graham's best friend on Capitol Hill, was a hero for getting captured during the Vietnam War. Mr. Graham had called Mr. Trump a "race-baiting xenophobic bigot". Mr. Trump retaliated by sharing Mr. Graham's number at a campaign rally, forcing the latter to change his number. Mr. Graham admits that he and the president didn't start off well.

question: Summarize how others view Sen. Graham.

answer: Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report says that in recent years, Mr. Graham is like a schizophrenic when it comes to his politics. He's like a sailboat tacking first to port, then to starboard, repeating again and again. Another tack against Mr. Graham is the fact that he had been an impeachment manager in the case against President Bill Clinton, then siding with Sen. John McCain. He earned the nickname "Lindsey Grahamnesty" for his work on immigration but fiercely defends Mr. Trump's judicial nominees. Mr. Graham is also criticized for his foreign policy and declaration to build an emergency wall. Chip Felkel, a South Carolina-based GOP strategist, said Mr. Graham is a political pragmatist who recognizes that he won't lose as much support as he gains from the relationship.


text:
NORWELL HIGH SCHOOL is a public secondary school accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). It is located in Norwell, Massachusetts, United States. The school includes approximately 50 full-time teachers. Its students consistently score above state and national averages on the SAT and other standardized tests, and on average, 97% of students from each graduating class at Norwell High School continue on to post-secondary education.[1]

NHS has been ranked as the 12th best secondary school in Massachusetts, and is ranked in the top 6% for best public education high schools in the country by _Newsweek_ Magazine.[2]

Administration

On July 1, 2011, William Fish became the new principal of Norwell High School, replacing Matthew Keegan, who had been serving the school since 2006.[3] The school's administration includes assistant principals Matthew Marani and Jennifer Greenberg.[4] The school's administration also includes four guidance counselors [5]

Toward the end of the 1980s Norwell High School lowered their grading system, as the numbers were higher than standard grading systems. (For example, a final grade of 82 was a C+ versus a B-)

The school's staff also includes nine cafeteria workers and six custodians.

Academics

The school's faculty offers a wide array of academic courses in several departments. Students that attended NHS are required to take four years of English, History, Mathematics and Science courses. Students are required to take at least three years of a Foreign Language. Some students complete their first year of foreign language while in middle school so they will only have to complete two years; some students choose to take their fourth and fifth year of a language and continue these courses into college. Students are required to take at least two years of Health/Physical Education(Gym Class). Students are also allowed to take other courses including classes in art, music and technology, as seen below.

  Course Name          Notes
  -------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  English              Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors take classes involving American and World Literature. Seniors are allowed for their final year school to choose through array of courses for their English class including a class on the study of Shakespeare's work, a creative writing class, Nonfiction, Adolescent in Literature and two other AP courses.
  Social Studies       Classes offered for students include: World History, US History (including AP), European History (including AP), Psychology(Including AP), Economics, Law, Gender/Race/Class, American Government (AP), The Holocaust and Human Behavior, Modern War
  Mathematics          Classes offered for students include: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics and Discrete Mathematics (including AP), Calculus (including AP) and Problem Solving.
  Science              For science freshmen take Biology. NHS also offers an AP course for biology that students are allowed to take after freshmen year. Sophomores are required to take Chemistry in their second year at the school. Like biology, NHS offers an AP course for chemistry that students are allowed to take after their sophomore year. Juniors are required to take Physics. Like that of biology and chemistry, NHS offers an AP class for students to take after their Junior year. Seniors are allowed to choose which science class they want for their final year at the school. These classes include Anatomy, Astronomy, Marine Biology and Renewable Energy.
  Foreign Language     NHS offers four languages for students to choose from. As of 2015 the classes include: Arabic, Spanish, French and Latin,[6] including AP course offerings in each and courses specializing in Vergil, Horace and Catullus.
  Art                  Studio Art (Art 1, Art 2, Art 3, AP Studio Art: 2D design or 3D design). When students reach a certain level in their art studies they are allowed to paint a painting on a wall located somewhere in the school. The school also offers Digital Photography classes and a Film class.
  Music                NHS offers students Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, mixed Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Workshop. The ensembles usually perform four to five major concerts a year, on special occasions including graduation, and for dozens of other events each year in the community.
  PE/Health            Students are required to take two years of Health/Physical Education. After they complete course, students are allowed to choose between other Physical Educations classes. These classes include: Strength Training, Lifetime Activities, Yoga, Pilates and Lifetime Fitness
  Applied Technology   Students are allowed to take other classes during their time at NHS. Students can take classes that include: Publications and Presentations, Web Design, Computer Animation, Computer Repair, TV Studio, Robotics, CAD, Engineering the Future and Building Construction
  Special Education    Skills Program, Direct Academic Instruction, Life Skills, Work Experience, Life Skills Reading, Content Area Reading
  Theater              Students may also take an Acting class taught by the school's current director of the Fourth Wall Players, Chris Lacy

In 2009 the school began Arabic classes after teachers asked for them to be established. As of 2015 25 students take Arabic I and 10 take Arabic II.[7] As of 2015 few other high schools in Massachusetts offer Arabic.[8]

Athletics

Norwell High School offers several sports programs for students that include:[9]

  Sport                    Notes
  ------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Baseball                 Boys JV, Boys Varsity
  Basketball               Boys Freshman Team, Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Freshman Team, Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Cheerleading             Girls Game Team, Girls Competition Team
  Cross Country            Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Field hockey             Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Football                 Boys Freshman Team, Boys JV, Boys Varsity
  Golf                     Boys JV, Boys Varsity
  Gymnastics               Girls Varsity
  Hockey                   Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Varsity
  Lacrosse                 Boys Freshman, Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Freshman, Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Skiing                   Boys & Girls Co-ed Varsity & JV
  Spring track and field   Boys & Girls Co-ed
  Soccer                   Boys JV, Boys Varsity, Boys Freshman / Girls JV, Girls Varsity, Girls Freshman
  Softball                 Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Swimming and Diving      Boys & Girls Co-ed
  Tennis                   Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls JV, Girls Varsity
  Volleyball               Girls Varsity, Girls JV
  Winter track and field   Boys & Girls Co-ed
  Wrestling                Boys & Girls Co-ed

In 2014, Norwell added two synthetic turf fields and a track and field facility to their athletic complex.[10]

Co-curricular activities

Roughly 90% of Norwell High School's students participate in co-curricular activities. An means the club is now defunct. The school boasts a wide range of clubs and activities, including but not limited to:[11]

  Club                                    Notes
  --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Amnesty International student chapter
  A.F.S.
  Animal Activist club
  Art club
  Pep Band
  Best Buddies
  Book Club
  Bowling club
  Chess Club
  Conspiracy Theory Club
  Dance Team
  Decibelles                              A cappella vocal group
  Diversity Club/Gay-Straight Alliance
  Fourth Wall Players                     The Fourth Wall Players (4WPs) is an accomplished, award-winning theater company. The 4WPs compete in the Massachusetts Festival, and were state finalists in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2015. In 2008 and 2015 they represented Massachusetts in the New England Theater Festival.
  Environment Club
  Equestrian Club
  French Club
  Film Club
  _The Halyard_                           The school's literary and art magazine
  Junior State of America
  Invisible Children
  Latin Club
  Math Team
  Medical Careers Club
  Mock Trial
  National Honor Society
  Norwell Navigator                       The school's newspaper.
  Paint Ball Club
  Peer Education
  Robotics Club
  Sailing Club
  Snowboarding Club
  Space Cadet Club
  Spanish Club
  Surf culture
  Student Government
  Tri-M Music Honor Society
  Ultimate Frisbee
  Yearbook
  Young Democrats
  Young Republicans

Notable alumni

  Name                Graduation      Notable for
  ------------------- --------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Richard Halford     Class of 1962   Politician and lobbyist who served as Alaska Senate President.
  Jennifer Coolidge   Class of 1980   Actress who appeared in American Pie (as Stifler's Mom), Click, For Your Consideration and other films.
  Jeff Corwin         Class of 1985   Host of The Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin's Quest, two television programs on Animal Planet. He often visits Norwell to help at the Norwell Science Center.
  Susan Tedeschi      Class of 1988   American Blues and soul singer. Received Grammy nominations in 2000, 2003, and 2007.
  Andy Thompson       Class of 1990   Guitarist and lead vocalist of RCA recording artists The Thompson Brothers Band. Currently performing with brother Matt as The Massacoustics.
  Matt Thompson       Class of 1991   Drummer and vocalist of RCA recording artists The Thompson Brothers Band. Currently performing with brother Andy as The Massacoustics.
  Mike Whitty         Class of 1991   Bassist and vocalist of RCA recording artists The Thompson Brothers Band.

[1]

[2]

[3] New Principal

[4] 1

[5] 2

[6] Seltz, Johanna. “In schools south of Boston, a wide disparity on foreign language offerings” (). _Boston Globe_. January 11, 2015. Retrieved on January 18, 2015.

[7]

[8] “Foreign language classes, by the numbers” ( ). _Boston Globe_. January 10, 2015. Retrieved on January 18, 2015.

[9] Athletics

[10]

[11] Activities & Clubs Directory

title: Norwell High School (Massachusetts)

question: Summarize the required courses a student has to take to graduate from Norwell High School.

answer: While Norwell High School offers a wide range of classes, there are specific requirements needed to graduate. In order to graduate from NHS, a student has to have taken four years of English, History, Mathematics and Science courses. Additionally, they are required to take three years of a foreign language and two years of Health/Physical Education. For English classes, Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors take American or World Literature, while Seniors have an array of choices. NHS offers a wide range of Social Studies and Mathematics classes with no particular order to them. For their Science classes, students first take Biology, then Chemistry, then Physics, and Seniors get to pick what class they take. NHS offers Arabic, Spanish, French, and Latin for their foreign language requirement.

question: Summarize the staff working at Norwell High School.

answer: Norwell High School employs approximately 50 full time teachers. William Fish has been the school's principal since 2011, and Matthew Keegan was principal before him from 2006 to 2011. Matthew Marani and Jennifer Greenberg are the school's assistant principals. The school also employs four guidance counselors, nine cafeteria workers, and six custodians.

question: Summarize the sports at Norwell High School offered exclusively to one gender.

answer: Norwell High School offers plentiful sports programs, some of which are only offered to a single gender. Sports offered exclusively to boys include baseball, football, and golf. Cheerleading, field hockey, gymnastics, softball, and volleyball are offered exclusively to girls.

question: Summarize the achievements of Norwell High School's students and alumni.

answer: Norwell High School's students score highly on standardized tests such as the SAT, and 97% of each graduating class goes on to post-secondary education. According to Newsweek Magazine, NHS is ranked as the 12th best secondary school in Massachusetts, and in the top 6% of public high schools in the US. Starting in the 1980s, NHS lowered their grading system to be more strict. Several alumni of NHS have become famous, including four musicians, two actors, and a politician.