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The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration
The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration
Dylan DaCunha

Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief

Dylan DaCunha is a senior at Colonia High School. She has enjoyed writing all her life, going all the way back to elementary school. She plays softball and has big aspirations to play in college, which is what fuels her passion for writing about sports. She’s an avid baseball fan which doesn’t hurt either. Not only does she play softball at CHS, but she’s an active member in multiple honor societies including Quill & Scroll Media Honor Society. She loves maintaining good grades in order to participate in these activities. Outside of school, she enjoys being with her friends as well as watching movies and listening to music. She plans on traveling the world someday and taking in as much as she can. Her favorite quote, by singer Harry Styles, is “If you’re happy doing what you’re doing nobody can tell you you’re not successful.” 

 

All content by Dylan DaCunha

Athletes’ mental health in the media

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
June 13, 2023
Pictured is Morgan Wallen performing in Bristol, Tennessee. He was singing at the Country Thunder Music Festival.

One Thing At A Time: reviewing the latest Morgan Wallen album

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
June 1, 2023
One activity students participated in at the mental health fair was yoga to improve strength and breathing.

Mental health awareness fair at Colonia High School

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
May 21, 2023
Pictured is the 2022 Homecoming Court. From left to right are Andrew Faria, Ohm Shah, Patrick Kelly, Matthew Salcedo, Julia Pagnozzi, John Genoni, Gianna Grasso, Kara Mitch, Emma Downes, and Madison Oliveira.

Homecoming: past and present at Colonia High School

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
May 16, 2023
Pictured is a Greek Orthodox alter decorated for an Easter service, called an Epitaphios. Placed on it is a decorated Bible, and red eggs that symbolize Jesus Christs blood.

Celebrating Easter: egg-stra special traditions from an interfaith home

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 17, 2023
Pictured are the different angel number sequences. These are a form of numerology.

Angel numbers: what do they mean?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 13, 2023
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was released in January of 2003. It was directed by Donald Petrie.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: cute or cringe-worthy?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 10, 2023
Pictured is the cover of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. It features some decor within the Japanese cafe, Funiculi Funicula.

“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” will heat up your book shelf

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 9, 2023
Pictured is a display of Christian Dior makeup. In the first row is the Dior Addict Lip Maximizer which is in the same line as the Lip Glow Oil.

Summing up the best beauty products of 2022

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 30, 2023
Pictured is Casey Stoney kicking the ball against Chelsea Ladies in the Continental Cup game in 2014. She now coaches San Diego Wave FC.

Sports stereotypes negatively impacting athletes

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 9, 2023
Pictured is rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, performing in 2011. This was two years after Ye interrupted Taylor Swifts 2009 Video Music Awards speech.

Should we be supporting the work of controversial artists?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 16, 2022
Ulta Beauty and Sephora are simultaneously having holiday sales. It can be hard to find the best deals in these sales.

Searching for the best beauty deals this holiday

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 13, 2022
Pictured is the cast of Friends. In The One with the Football, they compete in a three-on-three football game in the park on Thanksgiving.

Friends Thanksgiving still lures viewers in

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 28, 2022

Colonia: Uncut – Social Hierarchy of High School: Is it like the movies?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 17, 2022
Pictured is one of the houses from the original town of Feltville. It remains abandoned today.

Watchung’s deserted village is the town in the trees

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 14, 2022
Pictured are the home fields of the Philadelphia Union, Phillies, and Eagles. They all play games this upcoming week.

Philadelphia sports catching fire in fall

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 4, 2022
Pictured is the official movie poster for Midsommar, which was released in July of 2019. It perfectly harnesses Florence Pughs raw emotion in the film. When watching the movie, look closely for Easter Eggs in the backgrounds which foreshadow events.

Ari Aster’s Midsommar is a true thriller

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
October 28, 2022
Pictured is Colonia Alum Jennifer Elizabeth Metzger. This is the sign on Route 9 that honored her, that has been taken down.

Sign honoring Jennifer Metzger removed by NJDOT

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
September 30, 2022
A star player, WNBA guard Seimone Augustus played for the Minnesota Lynx. However, talented female athletes like her rarely get recognized on a large scale.

Discriminating against the ponytail

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
September 14, 2022
Pictured is the traditional Starbucks logo featuring a mermaid. This logo has remained the same since the company opened.

The guide to trying Starbucks coffee

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
June 21, 2022
Holding grudges is something that can often cause a lack in mental and physical wellness. It something that causes much stress.

Holding grudges: good or bad?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
June 2, 2022
Listed are shocking facts about the mental health of collegiate student-athletes. It puts what they go through in perspective for others.

Lauren Bernett: diving into student-athlete mental health

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
May 16, 2022
Pictured are standard single dollar bills. Theres about $1.79 trillion in circulation right now.

April 29 – the life of money

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 29, 2022
Pictured is the Northern cardinal. Its the most popular state bird in over five states.

April 28 – state birds

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 28, 2022
Pictured is Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its an Ivy League School where you can become a wine connoisseur,

April 27 – wine making

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 27, 2022
Pictured are various squash, pumpkins and gourds. They all belong to the same species from Mexico.

April 26 – cucurbita pepo

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 26, 2022
Wedding veils are a staple among brides. The longest one ever was several thousand feet long.

April 25- wedding veils

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 25, 2022
Pictured is famed pop singer Harry Styles before a concert in the city. He has the most streamed single on Spotify.

April 22 – Girl Crush

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 22, 2022
Pictured are children wearing standard gourmet chef hats. The pleated lines in the hat have significance in the restaurant industry.

April 21 – Chef’s hats

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 21, 2022
Pictured is the common hashtag symbol many use on social media platforms. It actually has a name, and interesting meaning.

April 20 – #Weird

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 20, 2022
Pictured is a red computer mouse. Theyre measured in a unit of mickeys.

April 19 – computer mice

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 19, 2022
Allergies to cats are very common. However, the opposite can happen to cats.

April 18 – cat allergies?

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 18, 2022
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have finally come to an agreement on a new CBA. Many changes have been made to the game.

MLB lockout letting players back in

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
April 8, 2022
Pictured is the Colonia baseball team following a 10-0 win against Carteret. It was the last regular season game of the year.

Colonia Patriots’ baseball season set to go into full swing March 18

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
March 17, 2022
Pictured is the Colonia girls varsity basketball team. They had an overall record of 25-5.

Mattison Chiera dominates the 2022 girls’ basketball season

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
March 14, 2022
Pictured is the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt. The ancient site attracts millions of tourists a year.

February 25 – the Great Pyramid

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 25, 2022
Most people in the world are right-handed. Handedness is determine through the left and right halves of the brain.

February 24 – right-hand man

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 24, 2022
Pictured are standard pennies in America. They are the smallest part of the US dollar.

February 23 – pennies

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 23, 2022
Pictured is standard algebraic math. This type of math dates back hundreds of years.

February 22 – algebra

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 22, 2022
Pictured is a traditional can of Diet Coke. Cans of this type of soda can float when submerged in water.

February 18 – floating soda

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 18, 2022
Pictured is an original copy of Dmitri Mendeleevs periodic table. Its somewhat different from todays updated version.

February 17 – periodic table origins

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 17, 2022
Pictured is a typical cobb salad. This type of salad was first popularized in the 1930s.

February 16 – cobb salad

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 16, 2022
Sunscreen is important in protecting skin from the suns harmful rays. SPF factor is an important aspect of sunscreen.

Ferbruary 15 – sunscreen secrets

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 15, 2022
Valentines Day was first celebrated in Paris, France. It celebrates the feast day of St. Valentine.

February 14 – Valentine’s Day

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 14, 2022
Pictured is a flame with a blue core. That part of the fire is the hottest.

February 11 – hottest part of the fire

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 11, 2022
Pictured is a vintage Pulsar digital screen watch. They were released during the 1970s.

February 10 – the first digital watch

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 10, 2022
Pictured is the view from the first moon landing in 1969. Buzz Aldrin is seen next to an American flag planted in the ground.

February 9 – Moon landing

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 9, 2022
Pictured are women in America protesting their right to vote. New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote.

February 8 – Women’s right to vote

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 8, 2022
Jodi Picoults novel Nineteen Minutes tells the story of a school shooting in a New Hampshire town. It dives into serious topics such as mental heath and the power of relationships.

Nineteen Minutes: looking into Picoult’s masterpiece

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 7, 2022
Pictured is the French city of Paris. This is where the worlds first restaurant was opened in the 1700s.

February 7 – World’s first restaurant

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 7, 2022
Pictured are hens, which are female chickens. They lay eggs daily to reproduce.

February 4 – Hens laying eggs in a year

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 4, 2022
The turkey was once almost the national bird of the United States. Imagine the hysterics of a turkey being the face of America?

February 3 – America’s national bird

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 3, 2022
Pictured is college ruled paper, which has different line spacing from wide ruled paper.

February 2 – paper problems

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 2, 2022
Pictured is musician Aretha Franklin. She was one of the most influential singers of the 1960s and 1970s.

February 1 – Aretha Franklin

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
February 1, 2022
Pictured is composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Hes most famous for writing The Marriage of Figaro.

January 31 – Mozart

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 31, 2022
Pictured is the worlds smallest reptile. Its about the same size of a fingernail.

January 28 – world’s smallest reptile

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 28, 2022
Pictured is Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It features four of Americas founding fathers.

January 27 – founding fathers

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 27, 2022
Pictured is an Akita dog, originating from the snowy and mountainous regions of Japan. They are also known as Akita Inu.

January 26 – akita dogs

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 26, 2022
Pictured are fluorescent jellyfish in the ocean. Members of this species have been on Earth for hundreds of millions of years.

January 25 – Jellyfish

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 25, 2022
Pictured is a closeup of a giraffe, which shows off their long tongues. Theyre over a foot long!

January 24 – Giraffes

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 24, 2022
Pictured is a mouse with cheese, which the rodents are stereotyped as liking. However, they actually prefer sweeter foods.

January 21 – Mice

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 21, 2022
Pictured are strawberries, which many consider to be berries. However, they technically arent.

January 20 – Berries

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 20, 2022
Pictured is SPAM, which is actually a chopped pork and ham product. Its very popular in Hawaii.

January 19 – SPAM

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 19, 2022
Pictured is Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech. Hes at the St. Paul campus at the University of Minnesota.

January 18 – Martin Luther King Jr.

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 18, 2022
Pictured is a map of the United States containing the names of every state. No state name contains the letter q. See for yourself!

January 14 – state spellings

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 14, 2022
Plasma in human blood contains trace amounts of gold. Its role in the human body is unknown.

January 13 – Heart of gold

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 13, 2022
Every dogs nose is different. Maybe not in color or size, but they all have distinct prints.

January 12 – Dogs have a nose print

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 12, 2022
Pictured are several sports legends that passed away in 2021. Included are Rod Gilbert, Don Sutton, Hank Aaron, Tommy Lasorda, and John Madden.

Crushing deaths in sports in 2021

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 11, 2022
Pictured are dolphins swimming while theyre awake. When theyre asleep, their brains are only partially asleep.

January 11 – Sleep with one eye open

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 11, 2022
Pictured are three women picking up hay as men hold parasols over them. The parasols were used to block the sun from the womens skin.

January 10 – Umbrellas

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 10, 2022
Pictured is the sport of jousting, which is most commonly associated with medieval times. Two people on horseback attempt to knock each other off with lances.

January 7 – Maryland’s official sport

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 7, 2022

AP Style Guide – Punctuation & Capitalization

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 6, 2022
Pictured is Swiss cheese, and its many holes due to carbon dioxide. Its known for having a sharp smell and flavor.

January 6 – Swiss cheese

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 6, 2022
Pictured is a trio of turtles at the edge of a a river. You can find out their gender based on their noises.

January 5 – turtles

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 5, 2022
Pictured are two seahorses holding tales. This is signaling that they are mates.

January 4 – seahorses

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 4, 2022
Pictured are baby flamingos. They start out a light grey color, then eventually turn pink.

January 3 – flamingos

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
January 3, 2022
Pictured are two elfs named Buddy and Judy, Theyre nestled in a Christmas tree as their daily hiding spot.

December 23 – Elf On The Shelf

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 23, 2021
The X in Xmas comes from the Greek letter Chi. This is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ, which is Christós.

December 22 – Xmas

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 22, 2021
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have finally come to an agreement on a new CBA. Many changes have been made to the game.

What’s going on with Major League Baseball: explained

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 21, 2021
Pictured is the North Pole, where Santa is said to live. Its not as dreamy as it may appear, with a cold climate and a harsh environment.

December 21 – The North Pole

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 21, 2021
Pictured is mistletoe, which is a common decoration around Christmas time. This particular plant has white berries.

December 20 – Under the mistletoe

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 20, 2021
Pictured is a more modern form of Christmas caroling. People go out in groups and sing holiday songs.

December 17 – Christmas caroling

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 17, 2021
Pictured is a Coca-Cola ad that is reminiscent of older advertisements. It features Santa in a red hat. other ads show him in a red suit.

December 16

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 16, 2021
Pictured are candy canes, which are a common treat during Christmas time. They are minty in flavor, and now come in a variety of colors besides red and white.

December 15 – Candy canes

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 15, 2021
Pictured is a current adaptation of tinsel, made of plastic. Original tinsel was made of silver.

December 14 – Tinsel time

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 14, 2021
Pictured is a broken Christmas ornament. This is one of the main things that sends decorators to the hospital each holiday season.

December 13 – Christmas decorating

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 13, 2021
Pictured is a mother and daughter celebrating Christmas by visiting Santa Claus. Something like this was unheard of in early colonial America.

December 10 – Outlawing Christmas

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 10, 2021
Pictured are Christmas carolers in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Silent Night is one of the many songs in which they are singing.

December 9 – A silent night

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 9, 2021
Pictured is a common adaptation of Christmas stockings. Theyre neatly hung above a fireplace, similar to those in the story.

December 8 – Stuffed stockings

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 8, 2021
Pictured is the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Its located in Oahu, Hawaii.

December 7 – Pearl Harbor

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 7, 2021
Pictured is the line outside of the Apple Store in New York City on Black Friday. Crazy lines like this are normal on Black Friday.

December 6 – Black Friday madness

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 6, 2021
Pictured is an assortment of Apple Watches in an array of colors and styles. These color and style combinations are all available for purchase.

Apple Watch may be the perfect gift

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 3, 2021
Pictured is a standard depiction of Santa Claus. His name originates from the Dutch name for Saint NIcholas, Sinter Klaas.

December 3 – Santa Claus coming to town

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 3, 2021
Pictured is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York during the holiday season. It one of Americas most famous evergreen trees.

December 2 – Evergreen trees

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 2, 2021
Pictured is the birth of Jesus Christ which is said to have happened on December 25. This date also coincides with the Pagan holiday of Saturnalia.

December 1- Christmas origins

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
December 1, 2021
The ocean is one of the most diverse places on Earth. Its home to various species of life.

November 30

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 30, 2021
Pictured are various flavors of Gatorade. The bottles are marketed as throwback edition, celebrating the drinks fifty year anniversary.

November 25

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 30, 2021
Pictured is the Hollywood sign in the Santa Monica Mountains in California. Its been a historic landmark since the 1920s.

November 24

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 30, 2021
Pictured is the official movie poster for Pirates of the Caribbean. The film was made in 2003 and stars Johnny Depp.

November 23

By: Dylan DaCunha, Editor-in-Chief
November 30, 2021
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The student news site of Colonia High School
Dylan DaCunha