Photo: Vox
By: Kate Kennelly While Billie Elish may seem like a very dark and edgy person, I believe that she is actually a very good role model for teens these days. Not only has she changed the face of pop music and recently won five Grammys, but she has been a relatable figure for them as well. While social media is notorious for promoting unhealthy images, Billie Eilish feels strongly against this. While talking about body image on social media she told an interviewer at insider, “it should be about my music, not how I look, this is why I wear baggy clothes.” She has also been very open in discussing problems that she and many other teens face. She has talked about living with Tourette syndrome, which she has had her whole life. She has been open about it, saying, “I didn’t want to be known as that artist with Tourette’s, I’m so much more than that, but I know that it’s real and other people have it too. They should have a role model who is like them.” She has also recently spoken about her long battle with anxiety and depression. She has dealt with anxiety her whole life and struggled with depression for a few years now. She explained that it would have been so easy for her to hide it or to never speak out about it, but she felt it was wrong. She said in a 2019 interview, “Yeah, hiding it isn’t hard. But why would I hide something that so many other teens struggle with too? Talking about it only makes it better for other people.” While many teens say they can relate to Billie’s songs, more than anything people say they relate to her as a person. As a teen in the spotlight, she has really brought to light the issues she has faced and inspired many teenagers.
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Photo: Business Insider
By: DeDrick Allen Kobe has always been a motivator for many people. Kids would throw trash away and scream “Kobe” as if shooting a jumper such as he would. Songs have been made, jerseys have been sold, and shoes have been created, all to honor Kobe’s legacy as one of the greatest Lakers and NBA players to ever step foot on the court. Kobe is and always will be an idol to many around the world, especially me. His hard work and dedication to the game of basketball is what separated him from other players. Kobe never backed down from a challenge and if he didn’t overcome that challenge the first time, he would work to improve himself and overcome it the next time it arose. As a kid, I never really cared much for basketball. I was a football player, but I always loved Kobe. He was my inspiration, he was the reason I pushed myself to be the best player on the field whenever I had a game. I’d listen to his interviews, I’d watch his highlights, and I’d pay attention to every little thing he did on the court. I could see and feel every emotion he had throughout each and every game he played. I learned how to be angry and take it out in the game rather than on the person who made me angry because of Kobe. He always had a killer mentality which I felt I needed to adopt if I ever wanted to be great like he was. I finally got into the sport of basketball and all I can remember is mimicking everything Kobe did from his free throw to his jumper. I admire Kobe and my biggest goal has always been to become a Laker and Kobe supporting me at my game, sitting courtside, as he did for Lebron James. When I heard the news Sunday afternoon, my heart sank. I didn’t want to believe it was true and I still can’t fathom the thought of my idol, my inspiration, being gone. It hurt me more to know his thirteen year old daughter, Gianna (Gigi), also passed in the crash. She took after Kobe and was on the same path her father was on. She was so young and had so much potential and, in my opinion, she was going to be great just as he was. It’s heartbreaking to think he’s really gone. Of course, his legacy will never die, but to think he will never be on this earth again, I just can’t stomach a world without him in it. Kobe will forever be my inspiration and my idol. My love for Kobe will never fade, no matter how many years go by. A legend is gone, but will never be forgotten. We love you, Kobe. Rest in peace. Photo: Aerotime
By: Chris Carvlin In light of recent events, a question popped into my head: “What's the safest way to travel?” Well, reader, I will enlighten you with the answers to the unimportant questions that I ask myself. You may even be surprised with the answer (or not, if you already knew.) Statistically, the safest way to travel is by air. According to the National Safety Council’s records dating from 2007 to 2017, there have been only 62 commercial airplane and helicopter deaths. This results in an average mortality rate of less than 0.01% per 100 million passenger miles travelled. That means for every 100 million miles airlines and charters, there is less than a 1 in 10,000 chance that someone will die. 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 were the safest years for air travel, with zero deaths. 2015 and 2017 were the second safest, with only two total deaths, one in each year. The most dangerous way to travel is by car. 234,343 people have died in car crashes in the span of the eleven years from 2007-2017. The statistics show that this averages 21,304 deaths per year, resulting in a mortality rate of 0.51% per 100 million passenger miles. This means that there is a 1 in 200 chance that someone will die on the road. This is considerably more dangerous than flying. However, the statistics get even more interesting. As of 2016, according to Statista, 222 million americans have drivers licenses, and they drive an average of 13,350 miles per year. About 850 million people passed through american airports in 2017, traveling a total of 800 million miles. 2017 had only one domestic aviation death, while 2016 had 23,867 traffic deaths. I don’t know about you, but now a fear of flying seems quite silly after looking at the numbers. I leave you, reader, some food for thought. Photo: Wall Street Journal
By: Chris Carvlin On Monday, January 20, there was a massive pro-second amendment rally in Richmond, Virginia. An estimated crowd of 22,000 people rallied around the Virginia State Capitol building to protest recent promises of gun control made by Governor Ralph Northam. Contrary to national and popular predictions, the protest was peaceful, and only one arrest was made. Fearing violence, The sea of people was met by heavily armed police and helicopters overhead. Several members of the crowd were interviewed by The Washington Post. They just wanted to send a powerful message. Violence was the last thing that the protestors wanted. The Post also noted that most of the protestors were from out of state, saying that they wanted to show their support here to show lawmakers in other states the consequences of proposing similar legislation in their states. I have to say that I’m surprised with how significant the protest was in hindsight, more so than I Initially realized. There were no violent encounters or heated altercations, The President’s tweet regarding the protest was not abrasive, and most interestingly, there was no counter protest. The Washington Post, who was there covering the protest, noted only one incident: “There were almost no signs of counter protesters. In a rare clash, a man who said he was a shooting survivor confronted a teen carrying an oversized long gun. “Why do you need to have that gun?” the man demanded. A small contingent watched the two argue; they eventually shook hands and walked off peacefully.” Other protestors, whether they do or do not agree with the protestors in Richmond, have something to learn from what those people did on Monday. They sent their message peacefully, they gave the police no issue, they respected the security rules of the capitol building, they even made peace with those who disagreed with them. I don’t know what you, the reader, think about this, but they certainly have my respect. Photo: Ottawa Sun
By: DeDrick Allen Trees have been a great source of material to the human population for many years. It’s been burned as firewood, turned into paper, used for furniture and even cabins, all while being one of our main sources of oxygen. Forests have been destroyed not only because of natural causes, but also in the process of making these materials for human needs. A study published a year ago by the US Forest Service found that we have lost 36 million trees annually over a period of five years. That was from 2009 to 2014. If this continues to happen, cities will become warmer and there will be a great rise in pollution. Over 80% of the US population lives in urban areas, and most Americans live in forested regions along the East and West coasts. In my opinion every time we cut down trees to build a road or a building not only does it affect the site, it affects the region in which those trees have been taken from. Tree loss plays a major role in air pollution and energy conservation. Trees provide heat reduction, they reduce air pollution, improve water quality, and protection from UV radiation. With everything going on with the world such as global warming and the deterioration of our ozone, we can’t afford to lose any more trees. Studies have found connections between exposure to nature and better mental and physical health. Doctors have prescribed walks in nature for children because of these studies. Exposure to nature can lower blood pressure and stress hormones. Areas with more green lands also have a lower death rate than urban areas. Instead of destroying trees, I believe we should plant and grow more to improve the US. If not, cities will become unhealthy for inhabitants. With more trees, summer heat will be decreased by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. We can control how many trees we destroy and plant and honestly it really is more beneficial for the US economy if we were to grow more trees instead of destroying them for parking structures and larger homes or buildings. Photo: PBS
By: Kate Kennelly Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has publicly announced that he and his wife Megan Markle plan on stepping back as working members of the royal family. They will no longer be using third titles or royalty. Prince Harry gave a speech in which he told people about his decision. He has decided that he is stepping away from his position in royalty, though he still plans to serve the queen. He has made this decision in hopes that he can pursue peace and raise his family. He also stated, “We’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you.” Harry still plans on being active in the many charities he works with, like supporting those living with HIV in Southern Africa. His speech was very moving, as he also addressed losing his mother. He thanked everyone for taking him under their wing when his mother passed away 23 years ago, when he was just a young boy. Prince Harry did not address what he planned on doing with his family in his speech. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex originally lived at Nottingham Cottage in London. They then moved to Frogmore Cottage, in the Home Park of Windsor Castle. This is the new home of their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. While they enjoyed having their son there for the first few months, they wanted a better life. They have made the decision to live in London for half of the year to be near the royal family, and in the US for the other half. They are doing this because both of them agree that they want to have a family oriented life. In order to achieve this, they feel that being near both sides of the family is very important. While The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have certainly faced some negative criticism and backlash, I admire the decision they have made. I think it is actually very honorable to give up a huge position, and their whole life, to raise your family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are leaving royalty because they believe this is best for their son and their family. Photo: KRBC Online News
By: Kate Kennelly To say that the Houston Astros have faced a large amount of scrutiny in the past few months is an understatement. In 2017, the Astros had an amazing season that ended with winning their first World Series. During their regular season, they scored the most runs in baseball history. Their hitting was so accurate that they almost seemed what pitches were coming. Unsurprisingly to many, this wasn’t far from the truth. A report by the Atlantic newspaper came out claiming that the Astros had been spying on the other teams by putting cameras on the field and banging on trash cans. By spying on the other teams, they were able to completely crack the codes between the pitchers and catchers. They would then bang on trash cans a certain number of times depending on what pitch was coming. The catcher and pitchers would use signs and hand signals in order to communicate and tell each other which pitches were coming. These signs were made so the Astros, so the other teams wouldn't know which pitch was coming. This was so the pitchers could strike people out. The Astros knew every pitch that was coming to the batter. This is why the batting was so good for them all season, especially helping their accuracy. Spying on other teams is clearly cheating and breaks the code of conduct that teams are expected to abide by. The Dodgers had lost the World Series to the Astros in 2017. They recalled that they always had concerns about cheating going on with the Astros, they just didn’t have any way to prove it. Dodgers president Andrew Friedman recalled, “I know during the playoffs, our advance team that was playing Houston talked about it, there was just a lot of speculation about it.” Another report came out a few weeks after the first report, saying that the Tampa Bay Rays were also suspicious of cheating on the Astros’ part, but also had no way to prove it. As a punishment to their cheating, they have been fined $5 million. They have also had their 2017 World Series title stripped since they didn’t win fairly. The team has also been stripped of their ability to take their first and second picks in the upcoming 2020 and 2021 drafts. They are certainly paying for their cheating scandal and will be checked for signs of cheating more carefully. Photo: Cooking Light
By: Chris Carvlin I begin, ladies and gentlemen, by asking you this question that has stood the test of time: what's the deal with airplane food? I mean, I kind of like it. It’s quite good, considering that there is not much selection and a very limited supply. I know, or so I've been told, that your standard economy ticket used to come with a full meal or appetizers (depending on the length of the flight), and a full bar. However, the golden age of flying is long gone. Now those luxuries are only reserved for first and business class. Today, the economy seat is left with slim pickings, but the vast majority of the small selection is by no means bad. Here are my three favorite airlines, based on their snack selection. My personal favorite airplane snacks were the honey roasted peanuts from Southwest. Sweet, salty, and crunchy, they were one of the most recognizable marks of the airline, and one of the most beloved snacks in the air by travellers. Those peanuts were so loved, in fact, that when Southwest sold a limited release of the peanuts on their website due to popular demand, they sold out in less than 5 minutes. It was a tough choice to decide what would be my next favorite, since my second and third choice are tied over how good they are. However, I had to pick JetBlue and their blue chips. They offer two types of blue chips: potato and corn tortilla. Not only are they novel in their natural coloring, they are also delicious. The potato chips are a mix of blue potatoes and sweet potatoes, making for a mix of sweet, salty, savory, and crunchy. The tortilla chips taste like your standard chip, but they’re blue, so it has that going for it. Last, and certainly not least, is Delta and their Biscoff cookies. Great for dunking into hot drinks or just eaten by itself , those cookies are as versatile as they are delicious. They even make flavored coffee creams, ice cream and ice cream sandwiches, and even scented candles with Biscoff cookies. You can even buy a pack of cookies from the grocery store (I know Ralphs has them). Photo: Forbes
By: Kate Kennelly With the 2020 new year fresh in all of our minds, one thing comes up in almost every conversation: what are your New Year's resolutions? While millions of Americans set New Year's resolutions, most of them will never be achieved. According to the Washington Post, 50% of Americans have New Year’s resolutions that involve going to the gym. Gyms certainly tend to benefit from this because of the “New Year's Resolutions Rush.” The gyms see a huge increase in memberships purchased. Most people start going to the gym very early in the morning on January second. This is often times the busiest gym day of the year. By mid January, close to 80% of New Year's resolutions are already broken by these former gym goers. This means that people waste a ton of money on a gym pass they will not use. The gym also benefits because they make money for almost nothing. According to the exercise app Strava, 80% of the working out related resolutions are broken by January 17th. While the gyms benefit from this, fast food chains take a toll. Every January, the fast food chains are affected for all of January. Last year, fast food joints were down by 4.6% for the first month of the year. You would think that with so many resolutions being set towards being healthier, fast food restraints would suffer more. This is not true though. While they have been known to go down a little bit every January, they are right back to normal sales by February. The one fast food chain that has seemed to continuously go down is McDonalds. They certainly still are very big and are really an empire but, their revenue has gone down nearly 5% yearly since 2016. This is largely because people are sticking to their resolutions a little more than previously. One fast food chain that has increased since McDonalds has gone down is Chipotle. This is often deemed a much healthier option than eating a greasy burger and fries. So while many people quit their resolutions of losing weight with in the first few weeks, some people are still making progress. The number of gym goers may not rise very much, but people are at least making an effort to eat fast food less. How about you? Will you be sticking to your New Year's resolutions this year? Photo: NY Times
By: Josiah Reed-Spratley As you all know, we are now in the age of technology. We are starting to rely a little more on machines to do both simple and complex tasks for us. Now we’re starting to implement it into our classrooms to help with grading and to construct certain coursework to fit certain students’ needs, as well as for college entrance exams. In my opinion, utilizing this technology to our best advantage is a great idea for the future, especially seeing the way we’re moving forward globally. By acquiring technology for the classroom, teachers have more leeway schedule in the classroom. Platforms like Bakpax allow for teachers to assign lectures for students to watch and learn from at home, so when they get to the classroom, the teacher can focus more on problem solving with the students. This in my opinion is effective, and it has its concrete facts that back it up. Some computerized systems track the students progress by having a “direcision trees,” which is a system where if you get a question right you move down one path, but when you get it wrong it sends you a different way. They put this in place to help and identify the weaknesses. They send the results to the teacher that can assign lectures and tutors that can help the student grasp the concept better. These programs help teachers and students focus more on one on one learning. Which has been proven to be the best form, and since it’s more expensive, stressful, and a lot of labor on teachers these computer programs help out a great deal. The programs give the one on one help that students need, but also assess them and put together coursework that can help, as well as providing visuals and real world examples. They also provide different ways for students to study that help them stay focused and into it. Essentially making learning fun for them. So when you take into account how this could elevate education to another level, it’s huge. These programs have already helped over 1,000 students and increased their test scores by 20% or more. I strongly support the new wave of online education based sites and programs. They have personally helped me get better in the classrooms, and made learning more exciting. Programs like these allow myself and others to actually want to come to school to learn. |
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