From China to Delaware: The Chinese Education System, and Why Students Leave It
By Stella W. '19, Padua Academy
May 31, 2019
Schools in the United States attracts hundreds of thousands of international students every year. The bulk of these students come from China, according to a study conducted on Chinese students in the United States by Chiang-nan Chao for the Journal of International Students. These students must transit...
The story of a scout
By Alex Dowd, McCallum High School
May 31, 2019
“On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” If the Scout Oath expresses the guidelines for being an ideal Scout, it also seems a good...
Love for art history inspires Woodall to take action after Notre-Dame tragedy
By Sydney Rowe, Coppell High School
May 31, 2019
Coppell High School senior Pierce Woodall has always had a passion for art and its history. After the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on April 15, Woodall decided to start the fundraiser “Rebuild” to help reconstruct the church. Only hours after the fire, Woodall took quick action and posted...
Clocking in
By Hannah Gray and Mattie Vacca
May 30, 2019
It’s a day after school and senior Leyton Marler clocks in at The Mall Deli, grabs his apron and begins preparing his first order. After his shift, he cleans up and heads home, trying to get his homework done for the next school day. This is his life as a working student. According to 83 students...
Fashion Friday: socks
By Bess Frerichs, West High School
May 30, 2019
In fashion, one of the easiest parts of an outfit to overlook is socks, as most of the time they are hidden by shoes. However, for some students at West, socks are integral to their unique style. McKenna Proud ‘21 is known for constantly wearing bright patterned socks. She got her first pair...
Just Fund It, Texas
By Bella Russo, McCallum High School
May 30, 2019
In a time where it seems like activism is dominated by Instagram rants and hordes of recycled, witty protest posters, Just Fund It TX, a grassroots, student-led campaign has turned to love letters to get their point across. Best of all, the new collective’s message is simple: Texas public schools could...
A Cloud Over Tomorrow
By Evan Dorian and Laura Beard
May 30, 2019
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And these days, where there’s a cloud, there’s a vape pen. In its earliest stages over a decade ago, vaping was marketed as a means to ease the process of quitting smoking cigarettes but now threatens to make a new generation addicted to nicotine. Vape pe...
School off, summer jobs on
By Addie Ellison, Starr's Mill High School
May 30, 2019
Over the summer many students of the Mill will find their first jobs. Summer jobs help students learn responsibility and make a little cash. With advice and stories to share, teachers and administration send students off into the summer to find their own jobs and make their own memories. “As ...
Language as a Bridge, Not a Barrier
By Mary Kett, York Community High School
May 30, 2019
It’s hard to imagine moving to a new place with a culture and language completely different from what you’re used to, especially as a high school student. English learner (EL) students experience this difficult change every day, both in the halls of York and all across the country. Throughout...
From classroom to dorm room
By Lucy Polyak, West High School
May 29, 2019
Olivia Dachtler and Maddy Luegering: University of Iowa West Side Story: How long have you been friends? Maddy Luegering: “We started being friends this year, so it was pretty recent. We had a Kirkwood class in the morning together and we had math class together. I’m in BPA and Olivia joined BPA ...
‘It’s a 21st century learning skill’: Media literacy education ‘critical’
By Emma London, The Archer School for Girls
May 29, 2019
Headlines like, "Spanish man builds 60-foot spaceship to visit planet from his novels," "President Obama Bans the Pledge of Allegiance From Schools" and "Miami-Dade to Create Freeway 'Texting Lane' to Accommodate Millennial Drivers" continue to surface on popular news sources. Only one of these h...
Celebrity impact on political opinion
By Maddie Dean, North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia
May 29, 2019
Celebrities. Teenagers idolize them and follow their every move. They influence everyday decisions, from what makeup brands used to what restaurants to frequent, celebrities remain quite often the “god” in today's society. When teenagers see their favorite celebrity use a certain brand, it creates...
Jesayen juxtaposes screams of student section to quiet of golf course
By Sally Parampottil, Coppell High School
May 29, 2019
The Coppell High School student section bursts into screams and hollers, faces painted black, white and red, and hearts soaring with each throw of the football. Amidst them stands CHS senior Jordan Jesayen, cheering at the top of his lungs in the cool October evening. Later that year, Jesayen...
Two years since Mr. HB: inside its spicy demise
By Lily Coady, Nate Blake, and Myra Morin
May 24, 2019
This month, Merrimack High School will hold its annual Mr. MHS show. The ironic all-boys beauty pageant is a largely attended event at the school and is celebrated by students and teachers alike. “It’s definitely one of the biggest events of the year,” said MHS student Macie Shaw ‘19. “It’s ...
Missouri abortion bill strikes up controversy
By Sabrina Bohn and Lydia Roseman
May 24, 2019
The bill, outlawing almost all abortions eight weeks after conception, makes Missouri the fifth state to pass what is known as a “heartbeat bill.”
Stimulated problems: Stimulants cause more harm than good
By James Turnbull, Riley Burgoon, and Noelle Smagala
May 24, 2019
You’ve heard the names: Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta. You know what they do: give a boost of energy, help you focus, and keep you awake. At least, that’s what they’re prescribed to do. They can be extremely helpful to those that need them, but to those who don’t, they can have devastating effects....
The journey of fasting through finals
By Ridwan Oyebamiji and Fatema Rehmani
May 24, 2019
As the time of sunset, “Maghrib,” grows closer, senior Farhan Hassan’s stomach growls at the thought of food; he looks forward to eating the dates and drinking the water in front of him. During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from s...
Growing up on social media: A cautionary tale
By Erin Grier, North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia
May 24, 2019
“Look!” my 10-year-old cousin exclaims, moments after arriving at my house to spend the night. She shoves her phone in my face, showing me a popular TikTok video from her feed. “Cool,” I respond indifferently. For the next 40 minutes, she shows me some of her own TikTok videos— and recent Instagram...
New department chair Ismael Zamora approaches math from a different angle
By Rachel Perry, York Community High School
May 22, 2019
Although math can oftentimes be a difficult subject for students, a new teacher and department chair is teaching a generation of students different approaches to math and learning as a whole: Ismael Zamora. Mr. Zamora recently came to work at York at the start of the 2018-2019 school year to replace...
The Struggle is Real
By Emily Poitras, Presque Isle High School
May 22, 2019
Abby Michaud ’20 rushes out of her period 7 class to get to Graves Shop ’n Save where she’s expected by 2:55 to start her 3:00 shift. Before she goes to work she has to change and drive across town. “I have to change and wait for traffic to clear in the parking lot most days,” Michaud said....
Senior Lura Price Considers Dance a Lifelong Endeavor
By Peyton Hedges, La Salle Catholic College Preparatory
May 22, 2019
At five years old, senior Lura Price eagerly walked into her very first ballet class. Like many kids, her mom had signed her up for dance lessons, and the day had finally come. Price twirled and stood on her tippy-toes in her pink leotard, and by the end of the lesson, she had fallen in love with dance....
Broughman breeds Rottweilers as part of family tradition
By Mia Constantin, Harrisonburg High School
May 22, 2019
The breeding and training of dogs is a laborious full time job, normally undertaken by adults, but that doesn’t stop sophomore Megan Ashby Broughman from breeding and training her two Rottweilers with her mother. “I helped my mom with training them with tricks and stuff like that. We both handle them. W...
Saving the planet with fabric
By Eva Chillura, Wando High School
May 21, 2019
The clothes that are worn everyday -- purchased, worn down and thrown out -- are some of the silent killers of the Earth and her inhabitants. Fabric is wearing out the world. As fast fashion brands such as Zara and H&M gain in popularity among the new generation, concerns have developed over...
Air Guitar’s summer bash melts away the stress of school
By Jill Vallance and Noelle Hayward
May 21, 2019
The sun played its role well in this year’s theme of Air Guitar: Summer Bash. The popularity of the annual, time-honored event can be seen from the waves of kids that wait to get into the school at 6 a.m. to secure a spot close to the stage一and this year was no different. Associated Student Bo...
Different paths, same degree
By Ella Wishchuk, Cathedral Catholic High School
May 21, 2019
As “Pomp and Circumstance” plays loudly over the speakers, graduates wearing colorful full-length robes, jet-black graduate caps, and beaming expressions proceed into the university auditorium. Applause and cheer fill the air while the graduates accept diplomas proudly with a firm handshake in front...
Stressful media
By Daniela Gil, Cathedral Catholic High School
May 21, 2019
Cathedral Catholic High School student Emily Gonzales ‘19, an avid user of social media, spends approximately three hours each day on various social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Because of her social media use, Gonzales is no stranger to the stress it can cause. “When I go...
Derogatory Language in the Liberal Bay Area
By Sam Brook, Woodside High School
May 20, 2019
Derogatory language is common in teens' lives, and though its use has decreased, especially in liberal areas such as the Bay Area, high schoolers still face slurs and offensive language in their communities. Students at Woodside are aware of the negative effects of demeaning language and have a ...
Junior Laura Ernsberger takes action
By Abigail Gratzol, Elkhart Memorial High School
May 20, 2019
Laura Ernsberger was student-assisting in the nurse's office when a student came in asking for a new pair of pants after discovering blood stains on her own. When the student was told that there were no pants, Ernsberger asked the nurse how often this happens. Jennifer Geers, a nurse of fifteen years,...
Junior spreads mental health awareness, creates short film
By Alex Robsinson, Walt Whitman High School
May 20, 2019
Content warning: This story contains language that pertains to suicide. The summer after ninth grade, junior Amelia Montagnino’s summer health teacher started the mental health lesson by asking anyone who had a connection to the topic of suicide to stand up. At the time, Amelia didn’t know anyone...
Sex Ed 101: La Salle Strives to Strike a Balance Between Scientific and Religious Education Around Birth Control and Sexuality
By Maddie Khaw, La Salle Catholic College Preparatory
May 20, 2019
Beginning to navigate romantic relationships is a large part of the transition into maturity that adolescents experience throughout their teenage years. As adolescents start to explore this new, uncharted territory of relationships, they are also introduced to a wide variety of unfamiliar concepts such...