Issue #6

8 PEOPLE Wed., March. 24, 2021
COVID vaccine: the good and the bad
BY ELENA LEOPOLD
People Editor
In early December, the FDA
approved Pfizer - BioNTech’s COVID-19
vaccine for emergency use.
The vaccine was made available to
people in Phase 1A, which was limited
to healthcare personally and residents
of long-term care facilities.
Next came Phase 1B, which included
people 65 and older, individuals living
or working in long-term care facilities
and people age 16-64 with underlying
medical conditions.
I am considered “high risk” for
COVID-19 with moderate Asthma, so
my parents thought it would be best to
speak with health care professionals to
see about getting me vaccinated.
The process was long and tedious. I
had to take multiple screenings to make
sure I was eligible and meet with my
doctor.I finally got a note and was able
to put my name on the Fairfax County
Health Department waiting list.
To put the timeline into perspective,
my name got added to the waiting list
on January 25.
The appointment was then
scheduled for March 10, a little under a
month and a half later.
What my parents and I were not
Over 7,600 volunteers from Fairfax County have helped out with vaccine administration,
including doctors, nurses and members of the MCR .
informed of though, was the guideline
for the weeks leading up to the
appointment: don’t get another vaccine.
If you are eligible for the Moderna/
NIAID, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Johnson
and Johnson vaccine, the CDC
recommends waiting at least two weeks
in between vaccines.
The day my appointment would not
have allowed for the time in between, so
my appointment got pushed back even
further.
With the registration and waiting
process over, the day of my appointment
finally came.
Even at the appointment, there are
lots of precautions and steps you take
before even getting the shot.
I had to receive a text from the
county before even entering the health
department building, and upon walking
in, follow the strict directions of a
volunteer who greeted my mom and me
at the door.
Throughout the building, there are
floor markers that tell you where to walk
Student opens up online Etsy shop to sell crochet crafts
BY VIVIAN PHAN
People Editor
ELENA LEOPOLD
and stand to ensure social distancing is
followed.
When checking in, I was asked my
name, date of birth and if I had a parent
or guardian with me.
The volunteer informed us that had
my mom not been with me, I would have
been turned away because I’m a minor,
regardless of if I had an appointment
and for how long we’d been waiting.
All in all, the process, though tedious
and annoying at times, proved to be
efficient and smoothly run.
After being directed into a room, a
volunteer from the Medical Reserve
Corp checked my name against a
national database, asked me questions
about my general health, and explained
the possible side effects of the first dose
of the Pfizer vaccine.
Almost everyone working at the
vaccine site was from the Medical
Reserve Corp and had volunteered their
time and put their health on the line to
help others.
The volunteer and I chatted about
her history in the corp and all of the
natural disasters she had helped with,
from creating safe evacuation sites
during Hurricane Katrina to the floods
in Houston just two years ago.
Listening to all of her stories of
selflessness and caring, despite her age
or wellness, tugged at my heartstrings.
The shot itself was nothing special,
and I only noticed three differences in
the protocol.
First was that the syringe came
empty, and it was up to the person
inoculating the patient to get the correct
dosage from the vial.
I also received a COVID-19
vaccination record card that I have to
bring with me to the appointment for
my second and final dose.
The last difference was the protocols
taken after receiving the vaccine.
The CDC requires that all persons
receiving the vaccine must wait 15
minutes at the place of administration
to watch for any signs of anaphylaxis or
reaction.
During my 15 minutes, I felt slightly
dizzy and a little nauseous.
Overall though, I did not have a
severe reaction and felt fine a few hours
later.
While the process of registering and
eventually getting the vaccine was long,
I am incredibly grateful and feel a lot
safer having gotten at least one dose.
Though the first shot provides
50% immunity, and the second 95%
immunity, nothing is more effective than
staying safe and socially distancing.
Junior Ishat Hannan, with a lot of
free time due to the pandemic, picked
up crocheting last July as a hobby and
a way to pass the long days filled with
sitting around and staying home.
Over the past seven months, she
had crocheted a wide variety of things
ranging from oversize cardigans to
tiny hats for some of her friend’s pets.
During quarantine, Hannan would
often make crocheted items for herself
and her friends, but she realized that
she could actually make a profitable
business out of it, and so she did.
“I decided to open an Etsy shop
because I wanted to have to have
something to do to pass time,” Hannan
said, “as well as be able to share my
creations with others”.
Etsy, a popular online marketplace
created back in 2005, focuses on the
sale of handmade goods.
The range of products on the
website is practically endless, ranging
from jewelry to home decor pieces, to
personalized anniversary gifts and
much more.
The website has become popular
over time for those looking to start
their shop to sell their products, or
for those looking for specialized more
original products.
The site serves as a third party
that provides an easy way for creators
and consumers to interact and sell
products safely.
“Etsy is pretty cool since you
can discover small brands and help
support small businesses,” junior Isra
Kertgate said.
Kergate, upon hearing news of
Hannan opening an Etsy shop, was
proud of her friend, and ready to do
Yellow crochet bees are one of the products that Hannan plans on selling. “For
my first launch, I plan on making three to four different colors,” Hannan said.
whatever she needed to support her.
“I’m so happy that she has found a
new hobby, and I’m sure her products
will sell great on Etsy,” Kertgate
said “It seems easy to use and people
usually go to Etsy to buy handmade
stuff which is perfect for her.”
Anyone over 13 can make an
account on Etsy and start their
business from there, selling their
products, which is what Hannan plans
to do.
“I plan on making and selling
crocheted goods such as plushies and
blankets,” Hannan said.
A major appeal of Etsy shops,
and one that drew Hannan in, is
the astounding difference between
mass-manufactured products and the
handmade, original, and better quality
that Etsy products provide.
“It’s nice knowing that the products
I buy from Etsy are handmade by
real people instead of in a factory by
machines,” junior Cassandra Quach
ISHAT HANNAN
said.
“It adds a personal touch that
makes the products better even if
sometimes it’s a bit pricier.”
Hannan plans to open her Etsy
shop, called Handmade By Ishat,
sometime in early to mid-April.
Once she establishes her business,
she has plans to expand her range of
products as her business grows.
Over the years, there has been an
increasing number of teenagers who
have started their own businesses, like
Hannan.
“I think it’s a great idea for teens
to get into business and start making
their own money,” Hannan said.
Aside from making money, teens
who start their own businesses can
also obtain and learn new skills that
they can use in the future.
“Starting a business helps teens
become more independent and learn
more about marketing and running a
business,” Hannan said.
Though will not be available on her Etsy shop, Hannan also make crochet purses
A huge perk of having a business is
the money you make.
With the earnings that Hannan
makes from her Etsy shop, she plans
to use some of it to improve her local
community by donating money as well
as buy supplies to keep her business
going.
“For a while, I’ve always wanted
to use the money that I earn for good
purposes,” Hannan said.
“So I plan on regularly donating a
portion of my proceeds to charities and
local organizations”.
Looking towards the future,
Hannan is very excited to continue
to pursue her newly found business
venture and hopes she’s able to bring
smiles to all of her customer’s faces by
sharing her passion for crocheting with
others.
Hannan models an oversize cardigan she
made.
HUMANS OF
ANNANDALE
I was born in...
Annapolis, MD
WHO AM I?
I am not just goal-oriented. I am purposedriven.
This year has challenged me to
find the appreciation of extracurriculars.
Constantly feeling the pressures of being
an honor student/IB diploma candidate, the
pandemic not only gave me the freedom to
pursue things that I was interested in but
also gave me the courage to try new things.
The most memorable being starting my
non-profit Girls Steps to Success. My vision
is to encourage young girls to feel empowered
to be the best versions of themselves, in
whatever that might be. I want to bring girls
from all around the country together so we
can all uplift one another.
I joined the Equity Team this year and
became the student chair for the College
Assistance Committee. What I thought would
be just another club turned out to be one of
the most absorbing (and I mean this in a good
way) experiences. It has taught me so much
about what it means to have an equitable
society, but more importantly, what it takes
to get there.
The college application process has
always fascinated me, which is why I felt
drawn to this committee in particular. With
this committee, I have created a website
that guides students on the journey and
is currently working on a student panel
discussion for First-Generation Low-Income
students.
I have played the cello for six years and
have recently picked up the piano. I love
writing, so I became a writing tutor for the
Lauryn Mills
junior
writing center and am now the workshop
coordinator. I love painting and just picked up
film photography.
I have also run varsity track and field
since my freshman year and enjoyed pushing
myself to my limits as an athlete. Instead of
listing all of these activities, I like to consider
myself an artist. Music is an art in the same
way writing, photography, painting and even
running are all art forms.
I don’t do all of these extracurriculars and
hobbies because they look good on college
applications. I do them because it is my
purpose: to help young women, to make an
equitable change, and to remain authentic to
myself through my art.
In college, I want to major in STEM and
plan to be equally as purpose-driven as I am
today, as I will in the future.
I went to school at...
DeMatha Catholic High School, Brown
University (BA) and the University of MD (MA
and PhD)
What are some of your favorite movie/book/
TV shows?
Books: Beneath a Scarlet Sky, Symphony for the
City of the Dead and People of the Book
TV Shows: comedy shows by Dave Chappelle
and Tom Papa
Musical artists: Bob Marley, Frank Zappa, and
Tom Waits
During the pandemic I have...
Started doing yoga, going kayaking, and
“campfires” with my family and friends
What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
Outdoor activities with my family, watching
sports, listening to music, and working in the
yard
During virtual learning I am teaching...
In person
Some fun facts about me are...
I used to coach soccer, wrestling, and baseball
and have played trombone and steel pan in
reggae and ska bands.
I have been teaching at Annandale
since...
2006, but I have been in education since
1994.
Why did you decide to start teaching?
I believed I could affect positive social
change by educating young people from
diverse backgrounds, and I wanted to get
young people interested in discovering new
things and asking critical questions about
themselves, the past, and present society.
Use a QR
Code scanner
to reveal
Who Am I?