Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems as if every summer is more hectic than the last, and this year was certainly no exception. From the overturn of Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years, to the spread of Monkeypox, a new national health emergency, it was as if the world was changing by the second. 

Question: What do you think was the most important news event that happened this summer?

The Overturn of Roe v. Wade

For 50 years, the landmark decision in the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade protected the right to an abortion across the United States. On June 24th, everything changed in an instant. The Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, causing a domino effect of abortion bans and restrictions nation wide, and mass protests soon followed.

“The most important event this summer was definitely the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Women are literally losing their rights as we speak across the country, and it’s crazy how people can be more interested in other mundane conflicts.” -Leanne Sorensen, Junior

“The overturn of Roe v. Wade severely impacted the lives of women across America. I think it’s unfair that even if medically necessary, women are still denied the right to their own body.” -Gabriella Tolentino, Junior

“Roe v. Wade was definitely the most important to me because history isn’t supposed to repeat itself. We’ve already been through this before, so we shouldn’t have to go through it again.” -Lorelei Santos, Sophomore

“I didn’t think that they would violate our rights like this. I never thought it would go this far. I think that I took this right for granted. Now that I don’t have the right to choose, it makes me worried for my future and the future of other women.” – Annabelle Acevedo, Sophomore

The Mar-a-Lago Raid

On August 8th, federal agents executed an emergency search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, an action that has never been done before in US history, triggering backlash from many citizens. On the basis of investigating potential violations of the Espionage Act, more than 300 classified documents have been recovered from Trump since he left office.

“I honestly think the raid on Mar-a-Lago. I think it is about time that we truly investigate the depth to which the former president has acted in a manner that is unbecoming of our nation. Whether that means using his position in Office to garner monetary value or political capital in the business world, or even sexual assault of minor allegations. We need to set an example to future presidents as to what can happen when you abuse power like this.” -Matthew Castillo, Senior

“I’m interested in what was found in those classified documents, hopefully aliens!” – Jovan Alfonso, Senior

Monkeypox: A New Public Health Emergency

As soon as the country began to return to a semblance of normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic that shattered the world, another virus stepped out of the shadows. Monkeypox began to exponentially spread throughout the world, and was quickly labeled as a public health emergency in the US. Spread primarily through close contact, monkeypox had the internet in a stressed frenzy. Misinformation began to arise, and the general public began to hear distorted information of what monkeypox actually is, creating a mass sense of disunity.

“Monkeypox is different and it’s never been seen to transmit between people more efficiently than ever before. It’s scary that there isn’t as much information on it, and the information that we do have keeps getting twisted by the internet. I think that as a country, we need to be cautious of both monkeypox and the public misinformation crisis.” -Andrea Porras, Junior