I will always remember the first song I loved as a kid. It was Beast of Burden by the Rolling Stones; now, this song is nostalgic for me. It reminds me of a blissful childhood, and every single time I hear the opening lead guitar, I cannot help but smile. I forced both of my parents to play this song on repeat in the car, at home and everywhere. 
I often think about how the greatest of music is behind us. We still appreciate these legends and their contribution to society, but they are done producing music. Everybody knows that Ringo Starr’s solo career in the 2000s pales in comparison to his contributions to the Beatles, and it seems to be a universal truth that rock is dead. New rock does not have the same vibrancy and heartiness that the classics do. 
That is what I thought wholeheartedly, until I heard the Rolling Stones’ new single, Living in a Ghost Town. This is their first original music since 2012, and I could not be more happy. Apparently the Stones began working on this single last year, but in light of Covid-19, they decided to polish it, and give it a new twist. In my opinion, this is their best new single. This song does not remind me of any past Stones album, but I love it. This single is bluesy, and it swings so beautifully, while retaining elements of a Rolling Stones song that we all love. The harmonica solos are especially unique, and one cannot help but listen to the song over and over again.
The lyrics are simplistic, but timely. Some lines really resonate with me, such as:

I’m going nowhere, shut up all alone / So much time to lose just staring at my phone

    This is symbolic of how I feel during the day. Once I feel mentally exhausted after a day of online school, it is extremely difficult to muster up the strength to be productive. Instead, I pass a lot of time mindlessly scrolling through my phone. 

preachers were a-preaching, charities beseeching, politicians dealing
    
    This is what it feels like as well, and the Stones seem to encapsulate my anxiety. Every press briefing with the Trump administration hurts a little bit. When Trump continuously touts hydroxychloroquine amid overwhelming scientific evidence that says otherwise, it is difficult to be hopeful. It truly feels like we are living in a ghost town. I drove past Rivers Edge park the other day, and it was astonishingly empty. Then, I went to the grocery store to get some necessities for my mom. Aisles were empty, and the new system of living feels so apocalyptic. 

What happened to civilization as we know it?

Here is one final lyric that sums up how we are feeling:

Life was so beautiful
Then we all got locked down

The Stones make the message clear, and it is simple. Before this lock down, we all took so much for granted. Life is beautiful and it goes by so quickly. It is important to appreciate what we have and embrace every moment, because now, we are living in a ghost town. 

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By Kevin Dinh 

​Furthermore, what parts of the dress code apply during special events like Spirit Week and jeans days? Why are students permitted to wear jeans but girls are still prohibited from wearing crop tops or “too short” skirts?
Dakota Whitlock ‘20 can only remember one or two time boys had to stay after morning assembly to discuss the dress code in his four years in the upper school. “It was really basic: just things like hair length, no piercing, proper collared shirts and tucked in shirts.”
On the other hand, female students have had one this year already–an elaborate affair where all the female teachers stayed behind to address skirt length in particular. Embarrasingly, Dr. Elizabeth Martin  had come that day to talk about a service opportunity, was present for the whole meeting. 
The biggest problems girls have with the dress code, already mentioned above, were only magnified by what can be seen as missteps. The reasoning behind the most recent crackdown–protecting the girls, maintaining a level of propriety, and parent complaints–raised eyebrows through the rows.
Aside from the aforementioned dress code issues, one area where students have a lot to say is the topic of formal dress. 
Recently, we saw the introduction of blazers for the girls. Yes, this makes the dress code more equal. Yes, now all of the students look uniform. But, if that is our guiding principle of uniformity, where are the pants?
Currently, the formal dress code prohibits female students from wearing pants. Special issue Lands End skirts are required, and for cold days leggings or tights are recommended. But in Roanoke where temperatures easily drop below freezing in the wintertime, is that enough? Girls say no–even the thickest tights do not guard against the cold as well as khakis.
Aside from these practical concerns, restricting female students to skirts raises another question: is it even fair?
Boys can wear pants on formal dress days, and they look professional. Why is that not the same for girls? 
Schools like St Anne’s-Belfield School allow female students to wear slacks on their equivalent of formal dress days, and many other private schools are doing the same thing to modernize their uniforms. 
Will North Cross ever follow in these schools’ footsteps? That remains a question that can only be answered by senior staff and the head of school.

​This past week, the Herald conducted a short survey among students on the topic of the 2020 Presidential Election. 
While election coverage can be confusing, this survey isolates the opinions of NCS high school students to paint a clearer picture.
The Herald’s polling is largely consistent with that of America as a whole, with senator Bernie Sanders and current president Donald Trump leading the democratic and republican races, respectively. 
For the democratic presidential nominees, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is polling second in this survey but third nationally. Vice president Joe Biden is pilling fifth in this survey but second nationally. However, when one looks at the overall bid for president, Donald Trump has a strong lead, just like he does on a national level.
In addition to the presidential nominees, students were also asked their opinions on several pressing issues like the electoral college and the national voting age. Like most Americans, students mostly believe that the voting age should stay as it is at 18. Students also fall in line when it comes to the electoral college
We also asked students whether U.S. elections should be voted upon through the  Electoral College, or instead directly through the popular vote. Our results demonstrated that we have students on either end of the poll; this one was perhaps most polarized.
Our student body also was divided between who should be the 2020 Presidential nominee; Bernie Sanders was the most popular Democrat, which corresponds with national data about young people. But there was a close tie between former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, who was not allowed to be on the Virginia ballot, or President Trump as the Republican nominee, which might reflect the support for Trump among students.