Sexual Assault Awareness Month: I was raped on New Year’s Day
By Kenny Kim, Westmoore High School
April 8, 2020
Editor’s Note: In commemoration of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a former Westmoore student would like to share her story. To protect her identity and those involved, she is referred to as the pseudonym “Melah” and her offender is "Peter" in this publication. It was New Year’s Day 2019, ...
#PonleAcento U.S.A. (OPINION)
By Adriana James-Rodil and Emara Sáez
April 8, 2020
On Mon., March 30, we — Multimedia Editor Adriana James-Rodil and Junior Staff Writer Emara Sáez — were in Advanced Placement Spanish class when we watched a video about the “Ponle Acento” campaign, and as Hispanic women ourselves, it sparked our interests. The Ponle Acento (which means “to...
Opinion: The damaging effects of cancel culture
By Angela Mashroutechi, Lincoln High School - OR
April 7, 2020
“Cancel culture.” When Googling the term, over two billion results come up. This is understandable considering the essence of this term is rooted in social media and the internet. We see it happen online, and sometimes we see it happen in real life too. But what is “cancel culture” really?...
Jira: Amazon deserves frowns for their employee treatment–now more than ever
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 6, 2020
In today's world of big business, only one company can overnight ship you the TikTok lights you impulsively ordered at 3 a.m., deliver groceries directly to your doorstep with the press of a finger, aid you in streaming the latest episode of “Love Island” and deliver audiobooks directly to a tablet...
On the Basis of Color
By Zayaan Tirmizi, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
April 2, 2020
Color. Noun. The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object emits light. We are all captivated by the vibrant colors surrounding us, bursting with such beauty and combining with one another to produce an imperfect, yet so perfect, concoction...
The Awkward Years
By Lucie Flagg, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 31, 2020
Often, we’re not taught how beautiful we are until it’s too late. From the day I entered elementary school, I was taught all about my body’s physical health. I’ve completed the PACER test more times than I can count, and I know the proper form for lifting dead weights, climbing a rock wall,...
We should react this way to other contemporary issues
By Caroline Gans, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
March 30, 2020
About two months after the first case of coronavirus in America, the total number of US cases has reached nearly 140,000 cases, with approximately 2,400 deaths to date. That number seems scary and quite obviously, it’s a daunting one. It’s not the deadliest or fastest accelerating or most lethal pandemic of all time, but it is certainly up t...
The Other China
By Michael Taffe, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 30, 2020
The Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan, to which the Chinese government lays claim, have long had a troubled relationship. But since the world first learned late last year of a new and deadly virus in the Chinese mainland city of Wuhan, the expanse between the two cultures has only widened....
Opinion: Undocumented Immigrant tax payers should be included in Trump’s “economic rescue” package
By Karly Ortiz, Don Antonio Lugo High School
March 30, 2020
After a near-unanimous vote by Congress, Trump signed into action a $2.2 trillion dollar "economic rescue" package as a result of COVID-19's impact on the economy as well as the people. This stipend money will go to businesses, healthcare providers, and families that have been affected by this national...
Rowland: Harvey Weinstein sentencing, a monumental verdict for the #MeToo movement
By Gracie Rowland, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
March 27, 2020
The New York prosecution of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein drew to a close on March 11 when he was sentenced to 23 years in prison for multiple sex crimes. He received a sentence of 20 years for criminal sex act and three years for rape. Six main female witnesses came forward to testify against Weinstein,...
Censorship In Our Peer Newspapers
By Peter Jones, Latin School of Chicago
March 27, 2020
This past February 19, staff of The Forum visited the UC Laboratory High School to meet with editors of their student-run publication, The Midway. The conversation was not only informative but enlightening on the purpose of independent school newspapers in Chicago. As it turns out, uncensored sc...
Balance of Children and Parental Rights Harms Everyone in Child Protective Services
By Kelly Tran, Henry W. Grady High School
March 25, 2020
The whispers of abuse and suffering that run wild in the Department of Child and Family Protective Services are no secret to the media or the public, although we may act that way. Just recently, Netflix released a documentary series, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez,” which brought light to the consequences...
Opinion: Consumerism kills
By Cori Nicholson, Carlmont High School
March 25, 2020
Money. Profit. It drives all of us. It's hard to ignore — after all, society is set up like this. The majority of the world works until they can't anymore. Go to work, go home, eat, sleep, repeat. It's a process, a system if you will; we have to have money to survive, which means what we do with...
An open glance at men’s rights activism in the wake of feminism
By Brinda Ambal, Parkway West High School
March 25, 2020
People today are more eager than ever to join in discussions about gender equality in terms of feminism. When you bring up, though, that men also face issues specific to their gender, and that these issues also need addressing, more often than not you will be met with a slight (or heavy) grimace and...
Kashmir. Not Your Sweater.
By Zayaan Tirmizi, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
March 25, 2020
Everyone in the student body is somewhat up to date on vaping, stress, domestic politics, or essentially what the most common headlines are that we see day to day. However, in the digital age, there are so many headlines that it is impossible to read them all. Despite their lack of coverage, most of...
Fake It Till You Make It
By Kristen Kinzler, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 24, 2020
It’s a familiar situation for many high school students, particularly those who go to competitive schools. You look around the classroom, noting all your peers achieving the extraordinary. You see how much talent everyone around you seems to have. You feel inadequate. You feel you don’t belong. You...
My faith wavered, then disappeared
By Atmika Iyer, Oak Park High School - CA
March 24, 2020
I was wearing a blue and pink half-sari, standing under a thick cover of branches and leaves to seek shelter from the rain. My bare feet were bouncing up and down lightly in the puddles on the cold, stone floors of a quiet temple in Virginia. A Hindu priest came forward, with three threads, black, red...
They’re watching you… Life under Life360
By Ansley Morris, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
March 24, 2020
You’re walking out of your house to go hang with friends on a Saturday afternoon, but you get an eerie feeling that someone’s behind you, hovering somewhere nearby, tracking your every move. Whoever it is, they can see the slightest move, notice any time you speed up or slow down, even keep...
Opinion: We’re not going away
By Kaylene Lin, Carlmont High School
March 24, 2020
I always felt a little different growing up. My forehead was always a little too big, my skin a little too tan, and my eyes a little too small. Walking to the bus stop, talking to my friends, going in for an interview, I was always incredibly conscious of the fact that I am Asian. I was never bullied...
The Anguish of Angels: How our country’s system fails to protect abused children
By Georgia Ruffolo, Academy of the Holy Names
March 19, 2020
Since the release of Netflix’s most recent true crime docuseries, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, audiences were shown not only the horrors and inhumane treatment of the 8-year-old during the six month period before his death, but more so the devious ring of corruption and indifference that has infiltrated...
Column: Hoping for better opportunities
By Anna Velazquez, Lewisville High School - TX
March 13, 2020
It didn’t happen all at once. It all happened slowly, so slow I hadn’t really realized what was occurring. Or maybe I was just too young and naive to care, but it took a bit of time for me to notice the little things missing in my home. It wasn’t like someone was stealing from us. No, it was...
Self-Hatred, Autism, and Discrimination: How I Left My Feeling of Inferiority at the Door
By Andrew Clair, La Salle Catholic Preparatory High School
March 12, 2020
A cold September gust of wind stretched across the asphalt landscape, slapping against my face and worsening the bubbling anxiety already growing in the pit of my stomach. Pensively walking towards the designated line for second graders, I anxiously waited for the whistle to boom and the first day at...
The Unspoken Truth About Sexual Assault
By Dani Benavides, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
March 12, 2020
Trigger warning: Mentions of sexual assault and those emotional effects on people. It always seems impossible, until it happens to you. As only a sophomore in high school, I already have multiple friends around my age who have experienced one form or another of sexual assault. On top of that, almost...
Context is everything
By The Shield editorial board, McCallum High School
March 11, 2020
The commonly used “OK” hand symbol can be defined as many things, depending on who you ask. It is used to check one’s scuba gear after entering the water and in yoga to symbolize inner perfection. In basketball, the “OK” symbol is used by referees to signal that a shot attempt has been released...
All the Difference
By Kristen Kinzler, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 11, 2020
Last week, I was mindlessly scrolling through Twitter when I came across a story that physically made my heart ache. I stopped in my tracks as I watched a video of Bobby Ryan, a professional hockey player for the Ottawa Senators, start to nearly cry on the bench. He had just scored a hat trick in his first game since completing the NHL Players’ Association assistance program for alcohol addiction. He ...
Nebraska needs to join the ERA of equality
By Morgan Weir, Millard West High School
March 11, 2020
On March 22, 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed constitutional amendment to fight sex-based discrimination and ensure equal rights which was introduced in 1923. The active clause of the ERA would read: "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by...
Breaking down biraciality: I am myself
By Owen Spargo, Dougherty Valley High School
March 11, 2020
The most frequent question I have been asked throughout my childhood is, “So what are you?” I often proceed by staring at the other person in confusion. Are they asking about my ethnic background? My religion? Whether I’m a human or alien? My answer is most usually along the lines of, “My...
New anti-lynching act: A small, yet apologetic gesture to America’s greatest victims
By TJ Brown, Pleasant Valley High School - IA
March 11, 2020
The year is 2020, but somehow, anti-lynching legislation was passed in the House of Representatives just two weeks ago. If passed by the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, it will have taken 120 years for the U.S. to pass an anti-lynching law since a similar bill was first proposed. The news...
Should Refugees Still Be Accepted Into European Countries?
By Zayaan Tirmizi, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
March 11, 2020
We’ve all seen it. The videos circulating around the Internet of a small Syrian child whose face has been caked with grime and blood, being rejected by the borders of European nations. The refugee crisis is undoubtedly one of the most controversial crises of the 21st century. Here is my take: The...
Turncoat: UBI, Free Money and Conservatism
By Jonathan Ross, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 10, 2020
On July 6th, 1535, Sir Thomas More was beheaded by Henry VIII after refusing to abandon his staunch Catholic beliefs. Four hundred years later, he was canonized as Saint Thomas for his martyrdom as the Archbishop of Canterbury. More was far from a stubborn conservative, though; he was a lawyer, author,...
Guns Kill People
By Billy Gardner, Lake Forest High School
March 10, 2020
Guns kill people. It seems that this simple fact is often disregarded or even denied when the debate over gun control occurs, but it’s quite simple: guns kill people. A gun is a tool, true enough, but it is expressly designed for the purpose of harming others. This is indisputable. So why do we...
Commentary: Goodbye, Elizabeth Warren
By Anna Brodsky, Archer School for Girls
March 10, 2020
When I got the New York Times push notification Thursday morning that Senator Elizabeth Warren had decided to suspend her campaign, I wasn't surprised. After disappointing levels of support in the early primaries in Super Tuesday including a third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts, her e...
The Iran Resolution: A Good First Step
By Casey Murray, Lake Forest High School
March 9, 2020
The last several years have seen a dramatic expansion of presidential power in the face of an increasingly dysfunctional Congress. The War Powers legislation passed by the House of Representatives and more recently the Senate represents a good start toward curtailing the powers of the presidency, but ...
Changing our mindset towards Special Olympics
By Pathfinder Editorial Board, Parkway West High School
March 9, 2020
In the days following Special Olympics, Instagram floods with photos of “Buddies” smiling next to their athletes. Buddies are student volunteers who help and support their partnered Special Olympics athlete throughout the event. However, the basketball tournament, the sole purpose of the event, is...
Black History Month: How Silence Spoke Louder Than Words
By Lauren Pickett, Marquette High School
March 9, 2020
As February, the month reserved for acknowledging black history, fades into March, I found these last 29 days only provided me with feelings of shame and resentment. These emotions stem from the mistreatment of Black History Month at MHS, which held no events, spurred no conversation, created no coverage...
fam•i•ly
By Whitney Nguyen, Dupont Manual High School
March 5, 2020
SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING: This piece contains content that some may find disturbing. “Do you ever want to meet your father?” The spoon nestled within the palm of my hand halted inches before my mouth, the soup wobbling before spilling over the edge onto the table. I stared blankly at the mes...
Public benefits: Are they really for the public?
By Michelle Zhu, Lynbrook High School - CA
March 4, 2020
On Sept. 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a stricter criteria on green card applications. In a 5-4 vote, it ruled that the Trump administration is allowed to judge applications for green cards more harshly based on an one's dependence on public assistance, or their potential for becoming...
Many More Issues to Address Before Mars Blast-Off
By Michael Chou, Trinity High School
March 4, 2020
“Prepare for landing in T-minus 15 minutes.” The astronaut rouses himself from perhaps his last unpleasant nap. Pushing himself out of bed, he leaves his sleeping chamber and greets the other four people on the ship. One crew member floats over to the radio and begins the regular check with Mission...
Reorder the Primaries
By Neeti Cherukupalli, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 3, 2020
Over the course of the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the upcoming caucuses and primaries. Although winning in one state may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, early victories in primary elections can still have drastic impacts on the overarching outlook of a candidate’s...
Panic spreading like the novel coronavirus
By Michelle Zhang, Millard West High School
March 3, 2020
It is well established that the novel coronavirus, officially termed COVID-19, is a threat to humanity as the everchanging virus continues to spread from person to person transmission. Originating from Wuhan, China, the infection has spread all across the globe to nearly 50 countries -- as of February...
An Economic Epidemic
By Maggie McKinney, Notre Dame de Sion
March 3, 2020
The World Health Organization declared the newest coronavirus, COVID-19, a “public health emergency of international concern.” But the virus is not simply a global health concern—it is a global economic crisis as well. With death tolls rising and confirmed cases spreading internationally, ...
Electability and Sexism
By Jesse Hausknecht-Brown, Iowa City High School
March 3, 2020
In the 2020 presidential election cycle, American voters have seen a more diverse field of candidates than ever before. Multiple women, people of color, people from different religious backgrounds, and an LGTBQ+ person announced that they would run for the oval office. As a volunteer for the Elizabeth...
Prioritizing electability in politics eviscerates democracy
By Sanjana Ranganathan and Vivian Kuang
March 3, 2020
According to a Gallup poll from November 2019, 60% of Democrats surveyed prioritized a candidate with the best chance to beat the incumbent Donald Trump, even if the candidate differs from them on many major issues. This concept of “electability” is not new to politics. But with Democrats anxious...
Editorial: Bring attention and respect back to public education
By Epic Staff, Lynbrook High School - CA
March 3, 2020
In President Donald Trump's Feb. 4 State of the Union address, he introduced a policy toward education that seems positive at first glance, but will in truth have dire effects on public schools across the country. Trump spoke of his new nationwide opportunity scholarship programs as great strides...
Coronavirus necessitates global cooperation
By Sal Cerrell, The American School in London
March 2, 2020
As the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has all but dominated public discourse since its worldwide emergence in January, the true extent of the threat it poses has become direly more clear. An analysis conducted by the Economist suggests that “25-70% of an infected country’s population” could become...
Bowles: Oklahoma, Texas reveal nationwide problem with racial bias
By Luke Bowles, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
March 2, 2020
In 1921, after the smoke cleared in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 300 people lay dead--almost all African Americans. More than 1,000 homes were burned and looted, and the alleged sexual assault committed by a black man that sparked the violence turned out to be completely fabricated. Known as the Tulsa Race Mass...
Black history is American history, not just a month of the year
By Grace Edwards, Watkins Mill High School
February 28, 2020
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” Two scores, one decade, and seven years ago, a renowned American gave an eminent speech that would one day...
Fair and Deadly: Why the Pressure to Be Whiter Should Not Be Ignored
By Arpitha Sistla, Marquette High School
February 28, 2020
The smell of Fair and Lovely skin bleaching cream is an all too familiar scent for me. Flowery and elegant, the bright pink tube and the beautiful photoshopped woman’s face promise the user a whiter skin tone in the span of just a week of regular use. The box goes as far as to showcase a transformation...
Past to Present: An Adoption Story
By Chelsea Boyer, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
February 28, 2020
I was adopted on May 12, 2005. I was found on November 20, 2003, in Taizhou, China. I was adopted when I was about 1 and a half years old. I was said to have been left at a blood bank at birth. Technically, I’m not exactly sure. Later I learned that many adoption agencies make up stories to “satisfy”...
Jira: The Black News Channel fails to address journalism’s diversity problem
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
February 28, 2020
I grew up on broadcast journalism. Whether it was listening to “All Things Considered” on road trips with my dad, watching “Meet the Press” on Sundays before church or eating dinner over “NBC Nightly News,” I was there to soak up every single word—until I realized that maybe every single...