The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

Protesters in Washington D.C. wave and wear pre-Islamic Republic Iranian flags as they chant “Woman, Life, Freedom” in Farsi and Kurdish on Oct. 22. Global protests have been taking place in major cities every Saturday since Oct. 1 in order to show solidarity with the people in Iran.

Woman, Life, Freedom

By Paria Karimi, Chantilly High School November 18, 2022

“Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.” Those three words conveying “woman, life, freedom" echoed repeatedly as I scrolled through my Instagram feed, watching videos of young men and women marching past police...

In today’s world, the vast majority of social media apps contain ways to monitor your every activity, keeping you on your screen to make profit. We must reconsider the compromise we’ve so easily made with corporations, of sacrificing our privacy for the conveniences of technology.

Paying with our privacy: How online services strip consumer rights

By Jonathan Xue, The Harker Upper School November 18, 2022

“I certify that I have read, understood, and agree to the terms and conditions.” Accompanied by pages of legal jargon and abstruse wording, these certifications seem to serve no use for the ordinary...

Audrey Choate’s compact disc collection, organized by alphabetical order and release date.

Same as it ever was: how ASD dictates how I experience music

By Audrey Choate, Oviedo High School November 17, 2022

Music and its various genres are an almost-universal medium for expression and communication; the art form is appreciated across cultures and among individuals of all kinds. Indeed, the rhythmic arrangement...

Fresh produce tables welcome customers to browse and pick out their favorite fruits.

Farmers’ markets promote a fruitful future

By Ananya Mukherjee, Indra Deshmukh, and Neetra Chakraborty November 17, 2022

Solar panels. Electric cars. Windmills. Paper straws so we can “save the turtles.” As the planet hurtles closer toward a climate catastrophe, environmentalists are increasing their efforts to improve...

Nyree Aghayan ‘24 reads through several newspapers, but can’t find anything about the Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict.

Consequences of under-representation: the Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict

By Nyree Aghayan, Flintridge Sacred Heart November 16, 2022

Since September 12, 2022, neighboring countries Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in a violent conflict, resulting in approximately 300 deaths and displacing about 7,600 people. The first Armenia-Azerbaijan...

Early Decision is a college admission plan that binds students to a school if they are accepting. While it may seem appealing, it creates more problems than what meets the eye.

Early decision: a choice not everyone can afford

By Skyler Glenn, Hagerty High School November 16, 2022

Imagine your dream school is Northwestern University. With an acceptance rate of just 7%, you tirelessly write essays and join countless clubs to raise your chances of admission. If just signing a form...

Recent attempts to end affirmative action have renewed debates over the role of race in admissions.

Move to end affirmative action jeopardizes the future of American education

By Shobini Iyer and Anagha Sudhindra November 15, 2022

The lawsuits Created during the civil rights movement to provide more opportunities for people historically discriminated against, affirmative action in university admissions has become a standard part...

A portrait of an Indigenous person is painted in the field house gym. The school mascot is intertwined with Westwood sports traditions.

Not Enough: Examining the Cultural Implications of Westwood’s Warrior Mascot

By Prima Changwatchai, WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL - Austin November 15, 2022

At the end of each day at Westwood, a loud and distinctive song blares through the hallways. Although it can represent the end of a long school day for many exhausted students, the fierce and proud melody...

I think Ramekiki gets first place for funniest pronunciation, but Razmani comes in close second.

No, I’m not changing my name – learn how to pronounce it

By Tia Ramahi, Downers Grove South High School November 15, 2022

“Tia Razmani, please come on back,” the nurse said. “It’s actually Ramahi,” I said. The nurse looked up from her clipboard, unamused, and just rolled her eyes and walked on back, expecting me...

This photo illustration is inspired by the copious political attack ads plastered over all news and local stations in the St. Louis Metro area. These commercials exploit current event issues by using the biggest concerns to attract attention. Marijuana is one [concern] in Missouri because they’re having a ballot issue. Illegal immigration and cutting taxes are the ones that Republicans use. The whole ‘[Republicans] being very right-wing and autocratic’ is [an issue ad] that you would see the Democrats doing. They’re all over the place depending on what the hot-button issue is, social studies department chair Jeffrey Chazen said.

They can’t be trusted

By Elizabeth Franklin, Parkway West High School November 14, 2022

On televisions across St. Louis, the faces of Democratic Senate candidate Trudy Busch Valentine and Republican Senate candidate Eric Schmitt were familiar ones from August to November. One moment, Valentine...

WSPNs Kally Proctor discusses the Marthas Vineyard immigration incident that occurred last September.

Opinion: Martha’s Vineyard immigration incident

By Kally Proctor, Wayland High School November 9, 2022

What was he thinking? Just last month, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis organized a flight of almost 50 illegal migrants – mostly Venezuelan asylum seekers – from San Antonio, Texas to the tiny...

Statistics show that antisemitism is on the rise across the world.

It’s not just Kanye

By Lea Thomas, St. Mary's Episcopal School November 3, 2022

It was recently reported that Kanye West originally hoped his album, which was released as "Ye," would be titled "Hitler."  According to a business executive who worked for the rapper and record producer,...

Paywalls can prevent those that need the press the most from reading the news, but they also pay journalists.

A Tangle of Needs

By Aris Pastor, North Allegheny Senior High School November 2, 2022

In 2017, the Washington Post adopted the phrase “Democracy Dies in Darkness” as its official slogan. It was coined by investigative reporter and Post associate editor Bob Woodward in a 2015 conference...

Junior Lia Emry poses with her long-lost sister over fall break, brought together by the DNA testing kit 23andMe.

How DNA testing brought two sisters together

By Lia Emry, Parkway West High School November 2, 2022

At 9 months, I sat in my mom's arms and drank from a bottle. My grandparents and aunt traveled to China to help my mom. On Oct. 31, 2006, my mom adopted me in Chongqing. In November 2006, after three flights...

Protestors in a 2018 march through San Francisco raise their fists in solidarity with missing and murdered indigenous women.

America’s silent genocide

By Isa Khalak, Carlmont High School November 1, 2022

Like the beginning of a horror movie, another missing person's poster is tacked against the wall. Along with thousands of Native women disappearing across the US, faces, stories, and memories are all families...

Dr. Amara Gero teaches about queer Chicana feminist Gloria Anzaldúa in her sophomore English class.

Teaching students social justice remains essential to education

By Graciela Tiu, Flintridge Sacred Heart October 27, 2022

As I looked up from my laptop and glanced at the board, an overwhelming sense of excitement flooded my body. It was my junior year, about an hour to the lunch bell, and I was sitting in AP Language and...

How should we approach the Mahsa Amini protests? Certainly not with a Western lens

By Alia Attar, Lake Forest High School October 27, 2022

Politics should have no place in the racks of women’s clothing - but Jina “Mahsa” Amini’s death at the hands of the Iranian Morality Police has challenged the rights of women and bodily autonomy. Amini’s...

Short form media is often the culprit of distractions, especially when it comes to school work. The Sidekick staff writer Anvita Bondada thinks that our learning habits have changed due to the everyday consumption of shorter media.

Are our attention spans decreasing?

By Anvita Bondada, Coppell High School October 25, 2022

A student is trying to finish their homework as their phone buzzes with various notifications. They try to divert their focus away from the sound, but to no avail. They decide to take a break and scroll...

A student gets help from an administrative assistant in the counselors office.

Opinion: California students deserve better mental health services

By Lindsay Augustine, Carlmont High School October 24, 2022

Carlmont recently gained funding from the Carlmont Academic Foundation that will make mental health services more widespread for its students. This is a vastly important step at the school, which currently...

WSPNs Genevieve Morrison discusses the lack of free and accessible menstrual products at Wayland High School.

Opinion: We need free access to period products

By Genevieve Morrison, Wayland High School October 21, 2022

Every girl remembers their first period. Mine was a seventh grade slumber party. Staring at the tile floor of my best friend's bathroom, listening to giggles from the basement, embarrassment and confusion...

Back to Banning

By Cadence Rulo, Francis Howell Central High School October 21, 2022

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury is categorized as a dystopian novel where books are outlawed and burned. I always felt this book was frightening fiction with the control the authoritative figures...

Echols: Jackson’s water crisis paints a bigger picture of long-standing systemic environmental racism

By Madison Echols, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science October 20, 2022

Citizens showering at YMCAs, tubs filling with odorous brown water and residents walking upward of 3 miles a day to provide clean water might seem like a scene out of an apocalypse. Recently, however,...

A sofreh aghd is decorated with glassware and hand-crafted art at an Iranian wedding. With their unique cultures and customs, Middle Eastern and North African people are anything but white.

Sometimes white, sometimes not

By Leila Assadi, Pleasant Valley High School - IA October 19, 2022

The U.S. census is one of the United States’ most important governmental surveys. The census provides essential information about racial data and demographics that help to allocate resources and determine...

I found myself researching the situation after seeing the numerous articles The New York Times published on the resignation of previous Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez. Martinez and three of her colleagues are being demanded to resign by the public after a leaked audio of racist comments against Black and Indigenous communities in Los Angeles was posted on the online platform, Reddit.

Op-Ed: City Council’s leaked audio emphasizes need to address colorism in Latino community

By Lizette Gonzalez, Archer School for Girls October 19, 2022

Embarrassing. Infuriating. Disappointing. Yet, somehow, not surprising. That's where the problem starts. A conversation that was anonymously leaked this past Sunday demonstrated Los Angeles City Councilmembers...

Having attended Pleasant Valley schools since kindergarten, senior Sarah Chen and her sister, Laura Chen, recognize that conversations about race need to take place to ensure a safe learning community for all students in the district.

Masked racism: A façade of excellence

By Sarah Chen, Pleasant Valley High School - IA October 17, 2022

As a school district, Pleasant Valley prides itself on the education it provides through its academic and extracurricular activities. The success of these programs is reflected through test scores, rankings...

Removing books or poems from the curriculum because we do not agree with the content for religious or political reasons promotes ideological homogeneity when schools should be expanding students’ worldviews. 

Gazette Editorial: GBHS Shouldn’t Remove Content From the English Curriculum

By Justin Ha, Granite Bay High School October 17, 2022

Education from one perspective is indoctrination. At the Sept. 21 Site Council meeting, Granite Bay High School parents persuaded council members to delay the approval of English supplemental materials...

Its time the country - and LFHS - celebrate Native Americans rather than Christopher Columbus.

This Year I’m Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 

By Amani Yousuf, Lake Forest High School October 14, 2022

We’re off Monday to “honor” Columbus Day, who we've long been taught “sailed the ocean blue” and "discovered America." That's a sham, and it’s time we examined the horrors behind Columbus...

Investigative journalism is an indispensable component of functioning democracy and the strongest way to hold authorities, institutions and one another accountable for our actions. At Staples and in Westport, Inklings reporters are not afraid to use their training to inquire, conduct research, fact-find and write articles to increase transparency on local issues. They should be recognized and applauded for their work, not overlooked or belittled.

Gatekeepers of justice, accountability: Investigative journalists deserve recognition, respect

By Allie Gillman '23, Staples High School October 14, 2022

A few weeks ago, I asked a friend to accompany me to dinner to take photos for an article I was writing. Though I offered to drive and pay for dinner, when they heard I would be taking photos for Inklings,...

The relationship between low-income neighborhoods and the presence of dollar stores is displayed above, with bright green representing low-income neighborhoods, and the black dots each representing one dollar store.

Restrictions on dollar stores needed

By Alannah Edwards, Midtown High School October 14, 2022

Over the past 20 years, the term “food deserts” has been coined by academic researchers as an area near or in a city where buying affordable or high-quality fresh food is difficult, and exist mostly...

Silenced, Restrained, Degraded. She is trying to break free from staying silent.

It’s not your fault

By Emma Greco, West Ottawa High School October 13, 2022

*This article includes topics surrounding sexual assault, abuse, self harm, and suicide. Please read at your own discretion. “Are you done? Is it over? Can you stop now?” It happened when...

Editor-in-Chief Clare OConner argues that while students might not mean to offend when using the R-word, it still can be extremely harmful.

Students: Saying the R-word hurts others

By Clare O'Connor, University of Chicago Laboratory High School October 6, 2022

The first time I was called the R-word was in second or third grade.  At the time, I only had a vague understanding of what the word meant. I was struggling with several undiagnosed learning disabilities,...

Working out at the gym has developed an unwarranted masculine connotation.

Sexism at gym perpetuates modern-day misogyny

By Lily Klau ’23, Staples High School October 5, 2022

Why is it that women are so belittled when talking about the gym?  I recently went out to dinner with seven friends, and as we walked, the four boys engaged in a debate as they discussed and compared...

I said Mulan was my favorite princess. ‘Why would you pick the ugliest one?’

By Ashley Huynh, Watkins Mill High School October 5, 2022

For a word to fully encapsulate a decade's worth of humiliation, uncertainty, and self-hatred is groundbreaking. Unfortunately for me, I discovered it years too late. I was eight years old when he asked...

Features editor Sahana Unni argues that while Ken Griffin made a generous contribution to Lab, he shouldnt be honored in such an ironic way.

New auditorium name at odds with values

By Sahana Unni, University of Chicago Laboratory High School October 5, 2022

In 1940, Gordon Parks moved to the South Side of Chicago, where he dedicated himself to accurately portraying the African American experience through photographs. He was the first Black photographer to...

Recent changes to Title XI of the Missouri Revised Statutes bring back questions about corporal punishment in schools. As a toddler, now-sophomore Sadie Burgess attended Eufaula, a school district with an opt-in corporal punishment system allowing parents to determine if teachers could physically discipline their children. “I dont agree with [corporal punishment]. Its a very harsh way to punish kids; some kids have behavioral issues that not everyone understands. Solving those issues with violence isnt the answer,” Burgess said.

Corporal punishment: What defines necessary?

By Pathfinder Editorial Board, Parkway West High School October 5, 2022

Years ago, corporal punishment was standard practice in classrooms worldwide. After a period of resentment against corporal punishment, a public school district in Missouri recently reinstated it, allowing...

As droughts worsen, many Californians believe grass lawns are counterproductive toward water conservation efforts.

Outdated appeal of grass lawns harms water conservation efforts

By Lauren Chen and Tanvi Rao October 5, 2022

Just like the white picket fence, a neatly trimmed lawn has remained a symbol of suburban Americana for decades. However, the maintenance of these meticulously-kept lawns comes at a devastating environmental...

WSPNs Reva Datar explains her thoughts on school shootings in America through a letter to her sister.

Opinion: An open letter to my sister on school shootings

By Reva Datar, Wayland High School October 4, 2022

Dear little sister, My job is to guide you, to answer your questions and support you in every way possible. As your older sister, I am a role model, an intimate and important point of contact, yet now...

The idea of a potential shooting is scary for most people, including teens that just want to have fun by attending a high school party.

What it’s like to witness a shooting

By Shea Edwards, Midtown High School October 4, 2022

What should I wear? How do I do my hair? What time should we get there? Excitement buzzed around campus during the week leading up to the party, and it was the only thing on my mind. Little did I know,...

TRYING NEW STYLES Sophomore Jayden Asuncion likes to wear his hair in a fluffy, curly style. Now that the hair policies allow boys to have any length of hair, he plans to take advantage of these new privileges. “It’s important to express ourselves because we have a uniform here. That doesn’t offer a lot, especially with how strict they are on wearing the uniform,” Asuncion said.

Students share opinions on Mater Dei’s changes to the hair policy

By Rachel Montoya, Charlotte De Leon, and Summer Roy September 29, 2022

When people think about Mater Dei High School, many things come to mind. Perhaps it’s the Christian values that the school works to instill in their students. Maybe it’s the national championship-winning...

Anni Pakradouni, right, is a beloved teacher at Toll Middle School.

Mama Pak’s Emotional Journey

By Katherine Nalchajyan and Breann Pimenta September 28, 2022

For most people, February 24, 2022 was just an ordinary day, but for the Pakradouni family it was anything but.  That was the day they found out that their 40-year-old daughter Jennifer, a Hoover High...

Opinion: Ban on non-native models will boost Nigeria

By Tumi Ojo, Baldwin High School - PA September 26, 2022

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, on Oct. 1 will become the first country to institute a ban on foreign models and voiceover artists in advertisements. Although it is controversial, this is...

The sun beats down on Los Als new three story building.

Heat Wave, Energy Crisis, Climate Change: What’s Next?

By Alicia Tan and Sean Macdonald September 23, 2022

LOS ALAMITOS, CA -- Last week, Southern Californians felt the grueling heat wave that raged across the state. Many residents got alerts on their phones warning against excessive energy use. That got people...

As the new school year starts, many state legislatures and school boards are implementing anti-LGTBQ+ policies.

Anti-LGBTQ+ bills go into effect in schools across the country

By Brennan Mumper, Rutherford B. Hayes High School September 20, 2022

The year is 1888. Swooping skirts swoosh across the floor of a ballroom. Precariously placed hairdos tilt and sway, adorned with flowers or feathers or foliage. The inhabitants of these elegant gowns are...

In the aftermath of countless mass shootings and an intrusion on our own campus, we cannot be passive bystanders and wait for a more dangerous situation to happen to us in order to enact change. Our system for responding to school shootings needs an update.

Editorial: Responses for school safety require an update

By Editorial Board, The Harker Upper School September 20, 2022

This June, Harker encountered an unarmed intruder on campus — one of the rare times when a shelter-in-place was not a drill. With this incident and the heartbreaking school shooting at Robb Elementary...

Are our tears writing our essays? Students are taught to appeal to the emotions of our admission officers, but perhaps it has gone too far.

Demarginalizing the college admissions essay

By Karina Rower, West Linn High School September 19, 2022

*Names have been changed to protect students’ identities* “You know, you’re lucky you have something to write about in your essays,” Alex said. “I just don’t have anything to be discriminated...

Campaigns against science and/or foreign art have a long and frankly terrifying history.

Opinion: A Dangerous Deficit

By Aris Pastor, North Allegheny Senior High School September 16, 2022

In 2020, when COVID-19 was first announced, a wave of pseudoscience rushed through the internet. From health gurus recommending plants like garlic, ginger, hot pepper, and lemon as healing medicines to...

The Pearl Post recently received the First Amendment Press Freedom Award from the Journalism Education Association. Despite this, the district has attempted to censor us.

Editorial: ‘They don’t respect us as student journalists’

September 14, 2022

As editors of The Pearl Post, we thought our voices were valued. Our school administration and district have repeatedly shared our work, amplified our achievements and told us that our opinions matter....

WSPNs Kally Proctor discusses the Uvalde shooting and steps schools and policymakers could take to decrease the number of mass school shootings in the United States.

Some questions, some answers: A high school sophomore’s take on school mass shootings in America

By Kally Proctor, Wayland High School June 3, 2022

I’m a sophomore in high school and I am afraid. I’m afraid for myself and afraid for my country. I go to school every day, I work hard, I take it seriously, I generally have fun, and yet, I am afraid....

Opinion: It’s Not Just a Joke

By Aris Pastor, North Allegheny Senior High School June 2, 2022

With the growth of the internet has come a new wave of fascism, a phenomenon that has been noted by journalists, YouTube personalities, and authors alike. The increasing popularity of online authoritarian...

Mississippi’s refusal to reckon with its twisted past and the plights of African Americans and many other minorities within schools only puts its citizens at a disadvantage.

Echols: The exclusivity of accurate US, state history only hurts Mississippians

By Madison Echols, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science June 2, 2022

The minority experience in Mississippi is a troubled one. The survival of that experience is similar in struggle. I am an African American junior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science,...

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