Friendship: an underappreciated necessity
By Natalie Dunlap, West High School
May 16, 2019
Filed under Opinions
I started sophomore year without many friends. Most people in my close friend group had been split up because of new district lines or because of families moving away. A few months into sophomore year I started coming out of my shell. Instead of just sticking with people I knew, I pushed myself to...
Quit being cold
By Editorial Board, George Mason High School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Yes, it’s cold. Yes, it’s snowing. Yes, it’s slippery. No, this does not give you an excuse to be obnoxious, rude, and blatantly disrespectful. Considering we’ve only had one full day of school in the past week, it’s hard for us to believe that students are so outraged with our superintendent,...
Underclassmen awards ceremony creates feeling of unimportance
By Ellie Albin, Fishers High School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
I have never been invited to the underclassmen awards ceremony, but it has shaped my educational and emotional experience more than any other event since I entered high school. Last week, an envelope from FHS arrived at my house. Even as a junior, I still get a little excited when I see something deliv...
Sophomores: The awkward middle child of high school
By Sarah Lambert, George Mason High School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Freshmen are annoying. Juniors act cooler than they really are. Seniors are on top. And sophomores... are kind of just there. Freshmen are new to the school. They still have middle school tendencies and are trying too hard to be a “high schooler.” They are the youngest child. The naive kid trying...
Thoughts on prom (from a senior who hates social events)
By Emily D'Amico, Saint Stephen's Episcopal School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
I've done the math and there've been ten dances that the school's hosted since my freshman year, plus last year's winter "informal" event, making that that a total of eleven social events hosted by Saint Stephen's. I've been to two. I'm a person who easily gets anxious in large crowds with lots...
HSE School Board should protect LGBTQ+ students, staff from discrimination
By Katie Wiseman, Fishers High School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Every student is entitled to an education, every person is entitled to the opportunity of equal employment, and every person is entitled to receive respect regardless of race, religion, etc. There are students and staff who are currently not being protected by our nondiscrimination policy. The HSE School Board voted on Wednesday, April 24 against adding ...
Sincerely, the hockey fan
By Aryauna Thompson, Canyon High School
May 15, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Howdy, My name is Aryauna Thompson. For those of you who do not know me, I am generally recognized for my academics, writing, musical participation or quiet and agreeable personality. Note: nowhere above is sports fan listed. That is about to change. I know what you’re thinking. I’m from the ...
Editorial: Brandy Melville couldn’t care less about the average female
By Editorial Staff, Carlmont High School
May 14, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
In an age where young girls and women are more vocal than ever, there's an area for them to speak up once again: the clothing industry. This is nothing new. Change is already in progress due to women urging companies to represent different types of women in their most real forms. Some brands have...
I’m Muslim — do I possess the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
By Hatim Saifee, Lynbrook High School
May 14, 2019
Filed under Opinions
“All terrorists are Muslim, but not all Muslims are terrorists.” It’s not uncommon for me to hear this sentence in public or online. Ten words that encapsulate the views of today’s global population regarding Muslims. Terrorists, “jihadists,” ISIS — all these words have now become synonymous...
It Affects Us, Too
By Kendel Barber, North Allegheny Senior High School
May 14, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Frequently throughout the halls of a high school, when the topic of politics comes up, I hear students say “I don’t care.” Now, I definitely hear adults say this, too, but it is much more common for young people to spit out this phrase commonly. It seems as though most teenagers do not have any...
Coming to terms with my natural body image
By Shravya Mahesh, Coppell High School
May 14, 2019
Filed under Opinions
If you were to meet me for the first time, the first thing you would probably notice is how skinny I am. At least, this is what my numerous acquaintances, classmates, friends and family members seem to have immediately noticed. I cannot count how many times I have heard someone exclaim how thin...
The Power of the Resume
By Connor Foran, North Allegheny Senior High School
May 9, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Teachers, if you're looking for an effective hitman, hire a high school student who is flunking your AP class and offer them an A in that class in exchange for their work. It would be done within an hour with no evidence to show for it. Hyperbole? Of course, but not without a grain of truth. Recently,...
“Hands up, don’t shoot” belongs to the Black Lives Matter Movement
By Khanya Dalton, Walt Whitman High School
May 9, 2019
Filed under Opinions
“Hands up, don’t shoot.” This slogan, along with the accompanying gesture of raising one’s hands above his or her head, became one of the core symbols of the Black Lives Matter Movement after unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, MO, in August 2014. ...
Why I took a break from social media
By Aditi Gujaran, Walt Whitman High School
May 6, 2019
Filed under Opinions
On New Year’s Eve of sixth grade, I decided to put my new Instagram account to use: @xoxosoccerluver2002. With steady hands and dim lighting, I posted a pixelated photo of my giant Albert Einstein poster. The grain made his hair look like a palm tree fresh off of Florida’s finest beach. I didn’t...
An order of depression with a side of courage? Hold the stigma
By Suad Adam, South High School
May 5, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
“Wa kibiirtaay. Quraan saar aa ubaahantahay” (You’re acting up. You need to be prayed upon). This is a phrase that I often hear from the older generation whenever I choose to express our feelings hardships in life. Mental health in many Somali households has been stigmatized. It’s thought that ...
OPINION: Congress should end Tax Day stress
By Alex Rozar, Lafayette High School
May 4, 2019
Filed under Opinions
April 15, the federal government’s designated due date for income tax returns. For many, the buildup to Tax Day can be stressful, time-consuming and costly. And now that it’s over, we can all take a sigh of relief. But what if I told you it didn’t have to be this way? For the majority of Americans, there’s no reason at all why the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) couldn’t automatically file taxes—it already has the...
Why Being Polite Isn’t Always a Good Thing
By Taila Lee and Chloe Postlewaite
May 3, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The following story by Taila Lee and Chloe Postlewaite will be broadcast on KQED for Youth Takeover week in late April 2019, where students from high schools in the Bay Area share their stories. Woodside juniors and Paw Print reporters Chloe Postlewaite and Taila Lee describe an uncomfortable experience...
“Those poor kids in Africa”
By Thomas Birmingham, Kirkwood High School
May 2, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The first time I remember hearing it was in fifth grade. “Those poor kids in Africa.” When the Student Council leaders at my Catholic school said those words, they were presenting the latest school-wide service project to my class: raising $1,000 to send food provisions to a small town in...
Hold for Liftoff, We Don’t Have The Money: NASA’s Budget
By Riley Hull, Sage Creek High School
April 29, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has looked to the stars for guidance, for inspiration, for a boundary. Now, in our modern age, the heavens are not the end-all-be-all. Armstrong's famous walk on the moon in ‘69; the Hubble telescope sending stunning images; other-worldly explorers...
No Seat at the Roundtable
By Olivia Doyle and Abigail Wheatley
April 28, 2019
Filed under Opinions, Showcase
When we, members of PLD Lamplighter’s Editorial Board, arrived at the Bluegrass Community Technical College Newtown Pike campus to cover the roundtable discussion on education hosted by Governor Matt Bevin featuring the Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, we were told we could not enter. A man we...
FCCPS lifer forced to return to India
By Niharika Singhvi, George Mason High School
April 28, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Junior Niharika Singhvi, has attended Falls Church City Public Schools since 2006. In April of 2018, her parents’ work visas expired, and she was forced to return to India. This February, she arrived back at Mason. Singhvi and her family’s experience is a result of the Department of Homeland Security’s in...
Opinion: Colleges shouldn’t define success through a number
By Gianna Somrak, Mayfield High School
April 23, 2019
Filed under Opinions
The student rushes in through the front door, completely forgetting to have the usual ‘how was your day, honey?’ conversation with his/her waiting parent. The student dashes to their bedroom, leaps to the nearby computer and powers the device on to seek the answer he/she has been awaiting for months....
Opinion: Pornography is the Pedestal on which Rape Culture Stands
By Caché Goracke, Olathe West High School
April 22, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Beaten, tied up, and viciously raped, consistently for nine months, Elizabeth Smart told CNN and many other news sites “pornography made [her] life a living hell.” Her captor would come to her excited and “amped up” with porn magazines. He would show her the pages and say that they were going...
Why I’m Taking a Month off Social Media
By Nehemiah Jackson, La Salle Catholic College Preparatory
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
As my junior year came to a close and with summer on the horizon, the last few weeks of school dragged along; during finals week, I found myself overwhelmed and stressed, but also excited, thinking about the endless possibilities summer offered. And after my last final, I knew I was only a few days from...
Not adding up to success: We need to set new grade expectations
By Carter Smith, Carlisle High School
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
Graduating high school is a substantial accomplishment, but some students are able to do so without putting in much effort. In the Carlisle Area School District, there is a major flaw in our grading system that has made it entirely too easy for students to earn their high school diplomas. Carlisle...
One year later the Get Schooled Tour still fails to grasp students mental health concerns
By Curren Gauss, Fishers High School
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
On March 27, 2018 I posted my first article on Fishersnthered.com titled “Get Schooled Tour fails to grasp extent of mental health”, detailing the convocation I attended days before: the Get Schooled Tour (GST), a concert-style program in which music, video testimonies and interactive polling are used in a...
2020 Hopefuls and women of color: Earning the vote
By Gabrielle Donaldson, Wakefield High School
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
In 2019, the black female community is seeking a return on their investments: to gain support for their own political initiatives and to have their voices heard by politicians who can potentially earn their votes. Historically, black women account for a large portion of the American electorate. We...
Column: Being a gay minority
By Anna Velazquez, Lewisville High School
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
I sat on my front porch, hands in my lap as my legs swung back and forth. I could feel the sweat running down my forehead due to the Texas sun radiating on my face and body but I didn’t care. I let out an exaggerated sigh hoping it would lift my mood; it didn’t. I had too many thoughts going through...
Han Gil Hotel brings drug discussion startlingly close to home
By Anthony Cesario, Coppell High School
April 19, 2019
Filed under Opinions
When I heard we were going to spend sixth period in the Coppell High School arena for a talk about drugs, I, like my friends, was less than enthusiastic. But within minutes of when Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Texas Rick Calvert began discussing the case of the Han Gil Hotel,...
Burnout: The Gifted Student Epidemic
By Roxy Lockard, Scott County High School
April 18, 2019
Filed under Opinions
5:45 AM. The alarm rings, beginning the almost 18 hour day 6:30. Choke down a breakfast and wave the fatigue away, as the anxiety about all the deadlines swirls. 7:30. Lug a 25 pound backpack to the early morning class taken to allow for extra credits. 8:30 to 12:15. Get in 4 classes, frantically...