Learning Italian
By Aleks Zadorian, Clark Magnet High School
March 20, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, of all things, stirred my interest in Italian. How a beautiful, rhythmic and flowing language can fit so well in a book about murder, organized crime and human suffering was interesting, to say the least. It wasn’t just the Godfather. Italian music and the fact that 6...
Pope Francis’ acknowledgment of sexual abuse was a letdown
By Maria Peralta, Middle College High School @ Santa Ana College
March 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
On Sunday, February 24, Pope Francis concluded a landmark meeting where he brought attention to the rampant sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to this, he had began to strip abusers of their titles. With this in mind, this meeting seemed like a step in the right direction. So, how did it go? ...
The Problem Without Passion
By Amanda Lu, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
When I was a kid, I loved to read and write. My favorite day of the week was Monday, because on Mondays, my father would take me to Northland Library. I’d browse the familiar aisles of the first floor and walk back to our car staggering with a stack of books piled higher than my head. My father...
It’s ok to “throw like a girl”
By Kelly Branco, Colonia High School
March 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
High school sports separate kids by gender when it comes to teams. There is "Girls Soccer" and "Boys Soccer" and "Girls Track" and "Boys Track." Why separate athletes by genders? What makes the girls so different from the boys? Girls aren't considered equal in sports and we should change that. More Co-ed...
Dismissal Hysteria
By Valerie Davis, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
As I walked into school on Monday morning, heading for the attendance office with an early dismissal note in my hand, I was very excited for the day ahead of me. The cast was going to perform Good News for the eighth graders, answer any questions the eighth graders may have, and then go to Ichiban ...
Highly Unprepared
By Emily Ito, Yorba Linda High School
March 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
This past year, I watched my sister drop out of college. She had the highest available scholarship, she was part of the honors program, she was filled with excitement upon her acceptance. I couldn’t understand why she had done it. I knew how hard she had worked throughout high school. I knew she maintained...
An Ode to Lost Friendships
By Somya Thakur, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 17, 2019
Filed under Opinions
We lose friends for a variety of reasons -- people move, you get into fights, life gets crazy. No matter the reason, we all know what it’s like to lose a friend. In a way, it's almost like a breakup. You find yourself moping around. You want to text them or send them memes that may relate to an inside...
What does it mean to be an activist?
By Sophia Manolis, South High School
March 14, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Last year, when survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida stepped up in grief and trauma to advocate for more sensible gun laws, the media latched onto them and vaulted them to the forefront of national consciousness. I remember suddenly seeing the faces of...
Deficit in reading
By Lauren Boyer, Cathedral Catholic High School
March 13, 2019
Filed under Opinions
After being held back in kindergarten because of her subpar reading skills, Cathedral Catholic High School student Katherine Stevenson ‘19 never imagined reading would shape her as a person. However, after entering a reading competition in elementary school, Stevenson’s stance on reading quickly...
Coding knowledge should be standard
By Connor Earegood, Kearsley High School in Flint, Michigan
March 12, 2019
Filed under Opinions
In the 20th century, classes like wood shop and metal fabrication were standard to the American high school experience. Students gained a compulsory education in the basic skills that trade jobs — and daily life — required. As trade knowledge is needed less and less and technology progresses,...
Involved students struggle with burnout
By Jackson Battle, Akins High School
March 12, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Most high schools around the world have students who feel it’s absolutely necessary to push themselves beyond their limits in order to complete multiple tasks and eventually graduate with top honors. But the question remains, how does such a rigorous lifestyle affect those students? Students...
Why school doesn’t prepare us well enough for the real world
By Patrick Bruch, South High School
March 11, 2019
Filed under Opinions
What we learn in school is different for all of us, but it is meant to provide skills and information that serves as a base for almost any career or life path. Although this is the idea behind education, the system doesn’t fully serve this purpose. It provides students with a concrete base of knowledge,...
Elizabeth Warren hits campaign trail with positive message
By Coy A. Pederson, Cotter High School
March 11, 2019
Filed under Opinions
19 months away from the 2020 Presidential election and the election cycle is already starting, and, as usual, the road to Washington runs through Iowa. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) hopes to make significant inroads early on in the 2020 Presidential campaign and a strong showing in Iowa, which...
It’s not ‘skip day’ for every senior
By Elizabeth Solenday, Baldwin High School
March 10, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Today, March 6, is Senior Skip Day. It's not an official school holiday, although most seniors stay home to be part of the tradition. I, however, am one of the seniors who came to school today. We're here for a variety of reasons. For me, I am not allowed to miss because my father will not let...
‘I have always had problems with my weight’
By Kayla Barry, Pascack Valley High School
March 9, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Ever since I could remember, I have always had problems with my weight. When I was little, I remember I used to have to watch what I was eating, as well as go outside as much as I could. This was easy when I was younger as I was very energetic and in club sports all year around. It started getting...
Opinion: Finding Your People
By Emma Haun, Ross High School
March 8, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Friend. A word directly linked to good jokes and wonderful memories. Genuine happiness is often due to the people we surround ourselves with. Over the past two years, however, this wasn’t the case for me. According to VeryWellMind.com, a friend is supposed to be a source of encouragement and support,...
Participation grades eliminate student interest
By Michael Han, Dougherty Valley High School
March 7, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Assigning a grade to participation compels students to meet a certain quota of participation points rather than to develop a genuine interest or passion towards the subject. While there is no doubt that participation grades can encourage participation, they also lead to a multitude of deleterious effects...
Why it’s good to be cringey
By Katie Hanson, Walt Whitman High School
March 7, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
I make bizarre comments to people I barely know, break into uncomfortable dance moves several times in an hour and greet my friends in the hallway with a heel click. I embarrass and confuse myself and those around me with ease. I don’t wake up every morning scheming about how I’m going to get...
Adjusting to life without a sister
By Jules Pung, Saint Stephen's Episcopal School
March 7, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
During my freshman year, it wasn’t uncommon for people to ask how I felt about my sister leaving for college, especially in the months leading up to graduation. In an effort to keep the mood light, I would often joke, “Well, I get to have a bathroom all to myself, so that’s something.” Like...
Moms are Taking Over Cookie Sales
By Kiersten Watkins, Millard West High School
March 6, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Being a Girl Scout used to be an important part of some girls lives because they got to participate in a lot of fun activities and other group projects. Girl Scouts learned to do many things when they meet with their troop. They learned to value the world and how they can impact society. Many group leaders...
Society’s view on virginity
By Crystal Tran, Richmond High School
March 5, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
She is overcome with confusion as she lays in her bed. A personal choice is starting to seem less like her own, and more like society’s. Walking through the hallways, she can hear people talking about how many people they’ve slept with, and jokes that are beginning to seem less like jokes. Virginit...
A kid of two cultures
By Saijleen Chawla, Starr's Mill High School
March 4, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The place where you’re from has a huge impact on your sense of identity and is very much part of how you answer the hardest questions about yourself. But there’s never an easy answer for these questions, and it’s even harder when your world is divided into two. This internal struggle is something...
We Need to Talk about ALEKS
By Speaking Eagle Staff, Juan Diego Catholic High School
March 4, 2019
Filed under Opinions
There's an open secret among students, and even faculty, here at Juan Diego: ALEKS is for sale. For enterprising students and students in need, ALEKS topics are being bought and sold, with almost one in five students admitting that they've either paid students to do their ALEKS, or been paid. And...
Muddying the waters: Drake Relays dilutes the prestige of “Iowa’s finest athletes”
By Abby Riley, Pleasant Valley High School
March 4, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The Drake Relays is one of the most prestigious track and field events in the country. Iowa’s finest track athletes dedicate countless hours to their training in the hopes that they will one day be invited to the “blue oval,” where they will earn the iconic blue staining on their spikes. With...
Cultural awareness: More attention needs to be given to Black History Month (Editorial)
By Heidi Heinlein, Carlisle High School
March 3, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The month of February is dedicated to the appreciation of black history in order to bring awareness and remembrance to those who helped make our present the way it is currently. It is an important matter that should be focused on during this time of the school year. Currently, this chance at equal attention...
Shots Fired / 3rd. Ed.
By Rin Swann, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 2, 2019
Filed under Opinions
A few weeks ago, I caught what has become known as the "NASH Plague,” which left me with splitting headaches, dripping sinuses, and nausea so bad that the only cure was to curl up in a ball until I was numb from Vicks and Ibuprofen. It was also the week that I was supposed to finish writing the dreaded...
Insec-hair-ity
By Carissa Ackison, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 1, 2019
Filed under Opinions
When we were little, my sister cut her hair really, really short. It was awful, so she had to go a hair stylist to get it fixed. After that, she never cut her own hair again. As a kid, I never had the experience of doing that to myself. I’m now 16, almost 17, and I have, finally, done it. At 4 a.m....
Remembering Carson Smith
By Sarah Slaten, McCallum High School
March 1, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Until my coach sent out a picture of Carson Smith, I didn’t know who he was. I had been trying to put a face to the name for a day, and this was the first time I actually realized who he was. So, I didn’t know Carson Smith, and I won’t claim to. He rowed at Texas Rowing Center with me, but,...
The NBA is not tea time
By Anusha Kothari, Lynbrook High School
February 28, 2019
Filed under Opinions
“Let us play basketball.” The moment Golden State Warriors’ All-NBA forward Kevin Durant uttered these words, sports networks rushed to dissect them, as well as the entirety of Durant’s post-game rant directed at the press. In particular, Sports Illustrated’s distortion of this statement stood...
Driving solo
By Anisa Khatana, Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio
February 28, 2019
Filed under Opinions
I tug my jacket closed as I cross the parking lot, struggling against the oppressively strong winds. As I pull the keys out of my pocket and hear a metallic clank, I realize that I don’t know how to start the car. Approximately 50 seconds earlier, I was sitting in the waiting room at the Seven Hills...