THE ROOKERY

School Without Walls Student Newspaper

Masha Gessen on Alexei Navalny, the End of Autocracy, and Human Solidarity

Feb 18

Masha Gessen on Alexei Navalny, the End of Autocracy, and Human Solidarity

In August 2020, Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader, was nearly killed by an artificial neurotoxin in an apparent Kremlin assassination attempt. Navalny returned to Russia in January after recuperating in Germany and was sentenced to 32 months in a prison labor colony. Thousands of Russians have been arrested in protests following his imprisonment. In an interview with reporter Devan Tatlow, journalist, author, and dissident Masha Gessen discussed Navalny’s

The Folk of Air Series: Book Review

Feb 15

The Folk of Air Series: Book Review

In quarantine, I, like everyone else, found myself with a lot of time on my hands, especially over the summer. While we were at school, all we ever wanted was some free time, but once we were given unlimited amounts of it, we suddenly had no idea what to do with ourselves. I found that the novelty of quarantine quickly wore off, leaving boredom to settle in. I took to some new hobbies such as painting and collecting and pressing flowers, but I also reverted back to some of my

COVID Cases Continue to Rise as Vaccine Rollout Lags

Feb 11

COVID Cases Continue to Rise as Vaccine Rollout Lags

A month into what many had hoped would be a brighter year, 2020 is still casting a long shadow over us. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths have reached levels not seen even at the peak of the pandemic last summer. Every day brings the number of coronavirus cases and deaths to new heights. On February 4, 2021, more than 5,200 Americans died from COVID-19, a single-day high. Since the pandemic began, more than 450,000 American have been buried, the equivalent of losing

India's Farmers Protest New Laws in Mass Movement

Clara Shapiro Morton

Feb 9

India's Farmers Protest New Laws in Mass Movement

In June 2020, the Indian government announced a series of agricultural legislation that has since spurred hundreds of thousands of farmers into an uproar. From across the country, farmers traveled to India’s capital, New Delhi, setting up on roads and blocking major highways. The protests have attracted national and international attention in recent months after police met the protestors with water cannons and tear gas, but they have been going on since the laws were passed i

Biden Takes the Oath

Clara Shapiro Morton

Feb 9

Biden Takes the Oath

The Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday, January 20, marked a monumental change in leadership, with former-President Trump leaving and President Biden and Vice President Harris being sworn into their new positions. Standing in stark contrast to the insurrection at the Capitol just two weeks prior, the inauguration demonstrated the strength of US democracy. Despite widespread fears of a repetition of the January 6 insurrection, the ceremony was conducted smoothly, but under

DC High Schools Prepare for Virtual Admissions Season

Gabriel Kraemer

Feb 9

DC High Schools Prepare for Virtual Admissions Season

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted almost every part of life for DC Public Schools students. The challenges of distance learning have been all-consuming for DCPS, with nearly all classes being conducted virtually since last March. However, a small number of high schools in DC face an additional problem: how to admit their students. The eight selective public high schools in the District — including School Without Walls, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Bard Early Co

World Leaders Unite in Criticism of Capitol Storming

Feb 7

World Leaders Unite in Criticism of Capitol Storming

On Wednesday, January 6, less than a week into the New Year, the world watched in horror as hundreds of pro-Trump rioters swarmed downtown DC and, soon after, broke into one of the most storied buildings in the United States: the US Capitol. At that time, Congress was confirming the US electoral college vote that elected Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. The rioters broke windows and fought with the few law enforcement officers guarding the building. Event