This past year at NDCL has been anything but ordinary. Remember when a tornado swung by like it had a personal vendetta against the first day of school? Just like that, NDCL students scored an extra week to finish the summer homework we know they were scrambling to get done. We were all secretly hyped about the extra summer days, but still, it was a wild way to kick off the year. Then came the homecoming season, when aliens allegedly made their grand debut. Yes, aliens. Our trusted teachers Mr. Dyer, Mrs. Perry, Mr. Trebets, and Mrs. Myers were all exposed as aliens invading NDCL and were subjected to getting slimed in front of the whole student body and staff at the Homecoming Pep rally. Flashback to last school year: our beloved Tuffy was stolen before homecoming, and the culprit was our former secretary, Mrs. Hurt. Although it was with some competition, the 2024 Spirit Week made for some seriously unforgettable moments. And let’s not forget the bushfires that mysteriously broke out right before Halloween: covering two acres of NDCL’s property and questioning if Smokey the Bear needs to visit us. 

Fast forward to winter, and NDCL was hit with the ultimate plot twist: the massive snowstorm. Snow piled so high that even the toughest snowplows tapped out, and we ended up with a glorious two-day school week including a group of seniors attending their theology field trip at the Art Museum. Everyone was living their best snowed-in life until the weather decided to pull a fast one. Temps soared back up like it was spring break, leaving us with slushy chaos and a lot of unanswered questions. Coincidence? Or just another chapter in NDCL’s saga of the strange? Honestly, it’s starting to feel like NDCL is trying to break the record for most bizarre events in one year—and so far, crushing it.

So, what’s going on? Is NDCL cursed? Or are we the unsuspecting pawns in some secret government experiment? Honestly, it’s hard not to wonder. Tornadoes, aliens, blizzards, bushfires –  all in one year? It’s suspiciously extra. As 2024 comes to a close, we implore you to ask yourself: Is there something bigger at play here? Whether it’s a government cover-up or just the universe laughing at our expense, one thing’s for sure – NDCL knows how to keep life interesting. Let’s hope finals week goes by smoothly and 2025 will begin to steer away from the chaos.