Mr. Kanai Arrested, Held in Jail for Standing Up
By Peter Jones, Latin School of Chicago
June 3, 2020
When Chicago protestors shattered the eerie quiet of the pandemic last weekend with cries for basic human rights, police responded with riot shields. The shields appeared to create a symbolic divide between police and populace; they added a quarter-inch of polycarbonate glass to a social divide that...
Lab community protests police brutality, racism throughout Chicago
By Peter Pu, University of Chicago Laboratory High School
June 2, 2020
Sophomore Leila Garfinkel ended the weekend remembering police officers smiling while beating a woman. “They just started throwing some people to the ground, and there was this one woman right by me who they threw to the ground, and they hit her with their baton and they pulled her hair,” Leila...
At-Home AP Testing: Pass or Fail?
By Anjana Suresh, North Allegheny Senior High School
June 2, 2020
The end of this school year has not been normal by any means. Both students and teachers were forced to quickly adjust to remote learning. For students taking AP exams, the new and shortened online exam format added another element of uncertainty. “Spending the whole year mentally preparing for...
Protesters advocate justice for deaths of Floyd, Ramos
By Bella Russo, Bela Tapperson, and Stella Shenkman
June 1, 2020
Hundreds of protesters met at the Austin Police Department headquarters downtown Saturday afternoon to demand justice for African-American victims of police brutality. The protests filled the streets surrounding the Police Department headquarters and at times blocked traffic on I-35, and eventually protests...
George Floyd memorial organized in St. Louis Park
By Talia Lissauer and Marta Hill
June 1, 2020
Hundreds of community members joined together at the intersection of Minnetonka and Highway 100 May 28 to remember George Floyd. The most active participants were current Park students and recent graduates, according to senior Gabriella Thomas. And for her, attending this memorial was important because...
‘I can’t breathe’: protestors unite against police violence
By Marta Hill and Talia Lissauer
May 29, 2020
The image of black men being mistreated by police has become so common for junior Rahwa Berhane that she said just by seeing the thumbnail of a white police officer kneeling on a black man's neck, she didn’t have to watch the video to know what was happening. Berhane said she feels obligate...
Death of Ahmaud Arbery Evokes Reflections and Tributes
By Lauren Pickett, Marquette High School
May 28, 2020
Laura Marie Coverstone, language arts teacher, felt her stomach drop and sickness wash over her after reading a news headline concerning the death of a stranger—Ahmaud Arbery. “As a mother, my heart breaks for his mother, and all those who loved him,” Coverstone said. “As a teacher, I'm...
Town Supervisor responds to swatting: “an expensive joke that wasn’t funny”
By Annie Rubinson, The Masters School
May 22, 2020
A Greenburgh Town board meeting was interrupted Tuesday when Town Supervisor Paul Feiner received an email from The Journal News. Police officers had assembled to respond to a shooter threat, and people were scared, they said. An hour later, after the residents of the home in question were safely extrac...
Class meeting intruder leaves community shaken, administration responds
By Mitch Fink and Kate Sibery
May 21, 2020
Sophomore Class MISH elections Google Meet, May 19––A 10th grade class meeting was suddenly interrupted when a private caller entered the meeting and began shouting expletives and racial slurs to a stunned group of students, faculty and advisors. The meeting began with brief remarks from cla...
Murder Hornets make their appearance in the U.S.
By Jacqueline Cahaly and Ellie Smith
May 19, 2020
Recently, the Giant Asian Hornet reached the United States for the first time in history. These dangerous bees are nicknamed "Murder Hornets" for the threat they pose with their poisonous venom and intimidating stingers. "I am definitely scared of the hornets, but I have never been stung by a bee,...
Learning together: district commits to cultural responsiveness after controversial online learning assignment
By Kylie Clifton, Portage Northern High School
May 12, 2020
It was 9:15 on the morning of April 23rd, and eighth grade Portage North Middle School student Pablo Fraga was ready to return to a new kind of normal with his online history assignment. The content that awaited him, however, was anything but. “I read the questions through and they disgusted me,” ...
Will Sanders’ Supporters Switch to Biden and Save the Democratic Party?
By Andrew Weaver, Miami Country Day School
May 12, 2020
With weary faces staring at computer screens, supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders knew that the end had come on April 8. Over a livestream video, their champion of "American Liberalism" suspended his campaign for President following a series of devastating Democratic primary losses to former...
Legacy of action: The Kent State shooting, 50 years later
By Peter Pu, University of Chicago Laboratory High School
May 5, 2020
About 50 years ago an estimated 800 schools around the country closed at the same time — but there was no coronavirus pandemic. Instead, over 4 million students went on strike in response to the Kent State University shooting on May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio. Called into Kent on May 2 after violent pro...
Controversial School Overhaul Passes Maryland State Legislature
By Ben Kushner, Rockville High School - MD
April 30, 2020
The controversial educational reforms recommended by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, more commonly known as the Kirwan Commission, passed through the Maryland House of Delegates 96-38 March 17 and the legislation now awaits Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature. The commission’s...
Zoom assembly sparks daylong outpouring of family stories, inspiration for Yom Hashoah
By Jacob Joseph Lefkowitz Brooks, Shalhevet High School
April 24, 2020
What seemed like a limitation ended up being a new way to connect to Jewish roots as pictures of holy books, ritual objects, hats and other heirlooms poured onto the Student Activities page on Schoology in commemoration of Yom Hashoah Tuesday. In past years the day has been observed with a schoolwide...
And then there were two
By Anna McClellan, McCallum High School
April 20, 2020
After falling behind Joe Biden after Super Tuesday on March 2, Vermont senator and self-proclaimed “Democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders ended his bid to seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on April 8, leaving former vice president Joe Biden with a virtually certain path for the Democratic...
Portland limits facial recognition
By Katlyn Kenney, Lincoln High School - OR
April 9, 2020
When you walk into two of the Jacksons Food Stores in Portland, your face is being recorded and captured by multiple cameras, and then sent to be stored on a database. The stores say they are using the cameras as a deterrent, but are they really protecting people– or are they violating our right...
The Vaping Epidemic isn’t Over
By Nimi Bala and Sadie Bograd
April 6, 2020
Teen smoking is not a new problem, and over the years, proof of addiction has been heavily documented. According to the Center of Disease Control, in 1988 around three-fourths of people who were considered to be addicted to cigarettes claimed that they tried their first one before they turned 18. ...
The End to Random Searches
By Melissa Crist, MACES Magnet
April 3, 2020
By July 2020, the L.A Unified School District Board of Education has voted towards an end to all metal detector random searches. This has left many Los Angeles students in high spirits as they believe they have successfully stood up for their civil rights. “It’s time for it to end,” said Cecily...
National Teacher Shortage Hitting Home
By Ebonee Rice, Tyrone Area High School
April 2, 2020
When a ninth-grade English teaching position opened up at Tyrone Area High School last summer, the number of applicants was shockingly low. "We only had three other teachers interview for Ms. Budny’s position," said English Department Chair Stephen Everhart, "a couple of decades ago that number w...
Tribal history to be taught in schools
By Elle Knofczynski, Lincoln High School - OR
April 1, 2020
For the first time, Native history is mandated to be taught along with Oregon history. Senate Bill 13 (SB13), known as Tribal History or Shared History, was set to be implemented in January of this year, with the intention of offering students an authentic education about the Native American experience...
February deaths on Mount Hood increase skiers’ caution
By Devyn McMillen, Lincoln High School - OR
March 30, 2020
“Two unrelated deaths at Mount Hood on the same weekend are a rarity in mountain’s history,” opens an article in The Oregonian describing two unrelated snowboarding deaths on Feb. 16 and 17 in the same spot at Mt. Hood Meadows ski area Heather Canyon. Heather Canyon is a popular skiing area a...
City council votes to increase fines for underage vape possession
By Alyssa Ferrell, Augusta High School
March 19, 2020
After a presentation from Superintendent Matt Ward and Augusta Police Cheif Bob Sage March 2, the city council decided to raise the fine for underage pod possession from $25 to $200. “In 2019, Goddard school district partnered with our city to create an ordinance change that specifically targeted...
Administration seeks to thoughtfully acknowledge sexual assault allegations
By Piper Bacon, Granite Bay High School
March 16, 2020
In this era of awareness, more women have taken a stance against sexual assault and raising awareness. They’ve been fighting for change, and the change they’ve been pushing for has begun to push through into their daily lives. This is being shown in all forms of culture throughout the country,...
Officer Kalama recognized for sacrifice
By An Vo, McKinley High School - HI
March 13, 2020
Students and staff gathered at McKinley High School’s gym on Jan. 31 to pay tribute to Officer Kaulike Kalama. Hawaii lost two of its finest police officers in a shooting during a call on Jan. 19, one of which was a fellow McKinley graduate from the class of 2003. Senior Regina Nguyen, st...
In the Red
By Carina Muniz, Alexa Vazquez, and Martin Abraham Zepeda
March 13, 2020
Financial difficulties within the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) date back to the 2018-2019 school year and have caused distress across schools who bare the emblem of the SUHSD. Bonita Vista High (BVH) has had its fair share of defects caused by the crisis: from seniors being excluded...
Parents look for answers at heated board meeting
By Julian Bartlebaugh, Travis Luensmann, and John Kost
March 12, 2020
Parents and family members of Bellwood students questioned and expressed concerns regarding the sexual abuse allegations against Ryan Blazier last night at a board meeting at Myers Elementary. Board members and administration faced the public and attempted to address their concerns, which included...
Senior boys present bill proposition to California senator
By Ashley Yung, Granite Bay High School
March 12, 2020
Recently, two GBHS senior boys presented a bill to a California state senator. In December, GBHS senior Zack Haug had the idea to promote 17-year-olds voting in the California primary election if they would be 18 by the general election. “I got the idea because I planned to vote in the primary,”...
Kentucky’s Anti-Conversion Therapy Bill Still Pending
By Annika Koch, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School - KY
March 11, 2020
A Dunbar freshman who asked not to be named shared her fears about revealing herself to her parents. “I am not out to my family yet, and I don’t really plan on coming out any time soon because I'm scared they will send me to something like conversion therapy," she said. "I’m just really afraid...
Sanders travels to St. Louis looking to win Missouri primaries
By Kate Schreiber, Kirkwood High School
March 11, 2020
“Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” A crowd chanted and waved blue and white signs reading the name of presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as he took the stage Monday, March 9 at the Stifel Theatre. The senator addressed the crowd, hoping to encourage one of the largest voter turn-outs...
Nathaniel Woods: How a modern execution impacts the future of the American prison system
By Khalid Kishawi and Katherine Tsvirkunova
March 11, 2020
The case of Nathaniel Woods Nathaniel Woods is a 42-year-old African-American man from Alabama. In 2004, police officers broke down his door and tackled him in his kitchen on domestic assault charges. He quickly surrendered in front of Marquita McClure who later testified as a witness. Another man, Ker...
Banners installed, removed, replaced
By Ellen Fox and Julia Kay Smith
March 11, 2020
At a Jan. 21 meeting, the boys and girls basketball teams, their parents, school officials and associate superintendent Dr. Craig Shapiro met to discuss the district’s decision to remove and ultimately replace the boys and girls team banners because they both included a player making a hand symbol...
Minnesota House of Representatives passes two gun violence prevention bills
By Maggie Klaers, St. Louis Park High School
March 11, 2020
Less than 100 days into 2020, the United States has experienced 47 mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive. Junior Daniel Goldenberg said legislation has lagged behind the growing gun violence issue. “The last couple years with all the school shootings that have been occurring, and it...
Biden talks unity and defeating Trump in St. Louis rally
By Olivia Silvey, Kirkwood High School
March 10, 2020
Vibrant blue signs reading “Missouri for Biden” dominated the former Vice President’s campaign rally at Kiener Plaza held Saturday, March 7. Presidential candidate Joe Biden addressed the crowd in front of the Old Courthouse around 12:30. He took the stage after introductions by a number...
A safer school
By Kaitlyn Willard, Millard West High School
March 10, 2020
During January of 2020, the 180 schools across Douglas County held a kick-off at the Omaha Police Department as they celebrated the beginning of the new Safe2Help Hotline. This new hotline is for communities within Douglas County. The Safe2help can be accessed on the interweb or on an app. From...
Austin Properties files lawsuit against Shawnee over denied housing project
By Ben Wieland and Steven Curto
March 10, 2020
Johnson County development company Austin Properties, owned by Greg Prieb, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Shawnee for denying a $50 million project to build multi-family and single-family homes in Woodsonia, claiming that the city's denial of the project was unreasonable. At a Dec. 23 city...
Missouri House Bill to potentially provide public school restrooms with free period supplies
By Lydia Roseman, Parkway West High School
March 10, 2020
Girls restrooms throughout the school are equipped with shoeboxes stuffed with tampons and pads thanks to Go With the Flow, a club created “in hopes of destigmatizing periods, providing easier access to feminine hygiene products and lobbying for the removal of the Pink Tax.” With the introduction of ...
MHS Nude Photo Investigation Paused Until the DOJ Investigation Closes, School Disciplinary Actions Finished
By Ella Roach, Middleton High School - WI
March 10, 2020
Middleton High School has stopped issuing disciplinary actions in relation to a police investigation into the sharing of nude photos at the high school. On February 22, spokesperson Perry Hibner told news outlets that about 20 students had been suspended and-or received athletic code violations. MHS Principal Peg Shoemaker confirmed last week that there have ...
Community angered by magazine article
By Cole Pressler, Evan Reynolds, Ella Mashroutechi, and Isabella Lo
March 10, 2020
Editor's note In this article, The Cardinal Times is citing several anonymous sources and not naming three students both out of personal safety concerns stemming from the online harassment that Beyond the Flock staff members have experienced and out of respect for the anonymity of those involved in an ...
Voice of STL: Biden rally at Kiener Plaza
By Lily Bartin, Olivia Silvey, and Liam Jackson
March 10, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden held a rally at Kiener Plaza in downtown STL on Saturday, March 7. Tiffany Hamilton - Biden supporter “I’m here today because I support Joe Biden and he’ll be our next president. I feel like he brings back the years before Trump, [and a sense of] comfort. He’s genu...
Students mourn loss of classmate
By Jocelyn Fetter and Kamika Helsel
March 9, 2020
After the sudden loss of sophomore Devon Pfirshing, students, faculty, parents, friends, loved ones and family mourn the loss. “When I first found out about him and what happened, I didn’t look at him as a student or peer that was taken away. Having a 14-year-old brother, I saw Devon as my brother....
Resolution passed by SUHSD board to eliminate 237 positions in upcoming school year
By Abraham Zepeda and Lucia Rivera
March 9, 2020
Teachers, librarians and community members from across the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) marched in union before joining others at 6:00 p.m. for the SUHSD Regular Board Meeting on Feb. 24. Several hours later, after 10 p.m. the Board of Trustees voted 3-2 in favor of Resolution No. 4658,...
Digging Up Dirt
By Lillian Metzmeier, John Woodhouse, and Sky Carrol
March 9, 2020
For us, it was the signs. That was our first encounter with the “Save Bernheim” movement. Scattered across our everyday landscape were these yellow, almost fluorescent-looking yard signs. Displayed across them, the phrase: “SAVE BERNHEIM FOREST.” So accustomed to seeing these in our daily life,...
Sexual harassment exacts heavy toll
By Evelyn Griffin, McCallum High School
March 9, 2020
High school has always been a time for teens to experiment, test limits and break boundaries. However, some poor decisions are much more serious than sneaking out late or cutting a class or two. Even though it is often not reported, sexual harassment is an issue at McCallum, at high schools across the...
Sen. Bernie Sanders holds rally on eve of Super Tuesday
By Talia Lissauer, St. Louis Park High School
March 9, 2020
Hours after Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the presidential race March 2, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held a rally at St. Paul Rivercentre in St. Paul in hopes of winning Minnesota on Super Tuesday March 3. “It looks like St. Paul is ready for a political revolution,” Sanders said...
PLD Teachers Run to the Rescue
By Mike Marshall, Kennedy Gayheart, and Olivia Doyle
March 9, 2020
At an intersection near Harrodsburg and Old Higbee Mill roads, approximately 2.5 miles from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, band director Mr. Brian Morgan, physical education teacher Mr. Lee Jonas, and English teacher Mr. Gary Egan witnessed a three-car wreck on their way home from school. At approxi...
Recent Student Searches Related to Vaping
By Jocelyn Lear, Boyertown Area Senior High
March 9, 2020
This past week, several student searches concerning vaping have been conducted by administration and security, including in student cars—a right that BASH outlines in the student handbook and has fueled student rumors around the school. The student handbook rule titled "Searches" informs students...
Blurred: School tracking crosses the line between privacy and safety
By Preksha Kedilaya, Pleasant Valley High School - IA
March 9, 2020
National news regarding Inpixon, an indoor data tracking company, is raising a concern of privacy among students and parents. In at least 10 schools, Inpixon has installed radio frequency scanners that pull data from cell phones for tracking purposes. However, the motive behind the tracking is weary...
Calling the shots
By Annabel Hendrickson and Marta Leira
March 5, 2020
One thousand four hundred eighty-five students. All with different backgrounds, and most importantly, different germs. With 1485 opportunities for disease, the school can provide a breeding ground for bacteria. is is the reality that West is hoping to avoid with increased enforcement of Iowa’s vaccination...
Sanders rally energizes Minnesota voters ahead of Super Tuesday
By Nikolas Liepins, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
March 5, 2020
Hours before Super Tuesday, presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) rallied Minnesotans in a “Get Out the Vote” concert at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. After former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) suspended his presidential campaign on March 1, and Senator Amy Klobuchar...