Monthly Archives: November 2022

To Do List for Fall

Features

By Julie Jaworski

Throughout the year activities done throughout the day are highly affected by the weather, as well as the season. Some activities aren’t done until a specific holiday season, a specific temperature, or a specific day. Some examples are Christmas activities like decorating a Christmas tree, putting lights on your house, etc. These aren’t done until the Christmas season, which is basically considered the whole month of December. 

When it comes to the fall season, there are many activities to partake in! Places like Jerry Smiths, a pumpkin patch, have many activities to do. You can take a hayride, do a haunted house, a corn maze, get pumpkins, and so much more. Pumpkin patches like Jerry Smith’s are typically opened seasonally, so when it is that time of year take some time and pay a visit! Continue reading To Do List for Fall →

FIFA Video Game

Entertainment

By Josiah Finkler

FIFA, the federal international de football association, has produced a very popular video game, FIFA. FIFA is very similar to Madden, 2k, NHL, and other sports games EA sports has provided. These games allow gamers to play the sports they love and enjoy on the go and on online in a totally unique way compared to shooting games and other popular video games. Fifi is one of EA’s best video games and is known worldwide.

For example, soccer is the most popular sport in the world and everyone enjoys playing it. On top of that, everyone nowadays has a console, a PC, or something to play video games on. Both of these examples show why making a soccer video game would be so huge in the video game industry. FIFA has been such a prospering investment as the graphics for the game keep on getting better and better as technology advances, and more people are playing the game everyday. So, in the state of the world that we live in and how important video games are to people, FIFA was such a good concept and is thriving in the video game industry. Continue reading FIFA Video Game →

Halloween

Features

by Amaiya Diaz

Once a year, kids around the world dress up in a costume, go trick or treating with their friends, and go back home to sort the candy they got. Halloween is one of the most popular holidays, with people of all ages celebrating when the time comes around. October 31st is a time that people look forward to all year. But why is this day so special?

People on Halloween are able to dress up as whatever they want. Ranging from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to a zombie, the options are endless. This means anyone participating can dress up and have fun in whatever costume they like. Some have parties, others go trick-or-treating, and there are people who stay in to watch horror films and eat snacks. When Halloween comes around, a popular activity like going to the pumpkin farm is a favorite. At a pumpkin farm, you can get cookies, drink apple cider, and sometimes there’s even haunted houses or attractions at the farm. Continue reading Halloween →

2022 World Cup

Professional Sports, Sports

By Daniel Chiappetta

The 2022 World Cup is going to be one of the best World Cups ever. This World Cup will be the last for so many legends of the game. Also this year there isn’t one or two teams that are super dominant compared to others. These are some reasons why the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be one of the best World Cups ever. 

To begin with, the 2022 World Cup will be the last World Cup for Lionel Messi, Cristano Ronaldo, and many other great players. Both Messi and Ronaldo are considered two of the best players the world has ever seen. Messi has 7 Ballon d’Ors(Best Soccer player in the World Award) and Ronaldo has 5. To add to that, neither Messi or Ronaldo have won a World Cup so if either Argentina(Messi) or Portugal(Ronaldo) win the 2022 World Cup then they would have something the other doesn’t.  This shows why the 2022 World Cup is gonna go down as one of the best ever.  Continue reading 2022 World Cup →

Why the Tremper Music Department Deserves More Recognition

Opinion, Trojan Update

by Riley Voss

All throughout my time at Tremper High School, I have been involved in music. I have sung in many different choirs and experienced a lot of what the Tremper Music Program has to offer. However, one thing that I have noticed throughout my time doing music at Tremper is that the Music department does not get a lot of recognition from the school for the amazing things that they have done.

At the Pep Rally on September 30th, each sport that is available at Tremper got a special shout out for all that they have done. From football to girls golf, each sport was recognized and appreciated for what they do. However, the music programs of Tremper were left unnoticed and unappreciated. It was almost as if they didn’t exist at all. So many students work tremendously hard, constantly practicing their instruments and singing until their lungs give out so that a worthwhile performance can be put on during the concerts. However, this tireless effort and dedication is often left unrecognized by the school. When students from Band, Orchestra, and Choir alike put on an amazing performance in concert, or do exceptionally well during Solo and Ensemble competitions, they get no recognition for their achievements over the morning announcements or at pep rallies. These students, who may have no interest in sports but excel in their musical endeavors, are not acknowledged for their incredible performances and achievements in the music department. Meanwhile, every sport offered at Tremper gets a special announcement when games are coming up, or when students place highly in their respective competitions. The students who participate in music deserve to be celebrated in the same manner for working so hard and doing so many extraordinary things. These students, such as myself, work so diligently to provide an amazing performance, and deserve more appreciation for everything they have accomplished. Continue reading Why the Tremper Music Department Deserves More Recognition →

Master of Puppets

Entertainment

by Ian Valdez

Released in the spring of 1986, metal band Metallica released their third studio album Master of Puppets, it was an instant hit and broke records without a big studio label, Metallica would then go on tour around the U.S. and then to Japan. 

The title track of the album, Master of Puppets, is arguably one of the most influential metal songs to have ever been released, its fast paced, well written, heavy sound connected very well with metal heads around the world. Rhythm guitarist James Hetfield dubbed three guitar tracks to create a large, tight sounding tone that is very pleasing to listen to. With fast parts the middle of the song is complemented very well by a clean, melodic part that is very pleasing to listen to.  Continue reading Master of Puppets →

Superhero Movies Go The Way of the Western

Entertainment, Opinion

By Benjamin Rothove

Superhero movies have dominated the box office for the past two decades, but their popularity is finally waning.  After 2019’s Avengers: Endgame crushed box office records, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen diminishing returns, with disappointments such as Black Widow and Eternals underscoring this decline.  So, what happened?

Between 2008’s Iron Man and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a carefully planned saga consisting of twenty-two films spanning eleven years.  Between 2021 and 2024, fifteen movies are planned for release, alongside at least twenty television series and additional specials.  Rather than a Marvel releasing being a biannual cinematic event, the executives at Disney decided that the sludge must flow.  Now, a new MCU property is released almost every week.  Even die-hard fans are having trouble keeping up with the storyline, and most casual viewers have given up.   Continue reading Superhero Movies Go The Way of the Western →

Halloween (1978)- A Milestone in Horror  

Entertainment

by Jacob Puhr

The horror genre has undergone a shaky history to say the least.  On the one hand, horror films like Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, The Exorcist and The Shining exemplify how striking yet astonishing the genre can be.  Overtime, however, the genre has deteriorated like an abandoned haunted house.  Powerful tales rich with mystery, suspense, tension and fascinating themes concerning the dark side of both the human and supernatural world have devolved into dull, predictable flicks void of the entrancing questions that once made the genre so great.  One movie that’s held up as the shining (see what I did there) beacon of what horror and slasher films can be is John Carpenter’s Halloween.  The question posed now is whether Halloween truly exemplifies the horror genre, or if it’s simply another unwatchable slasher flick?  

For starters, we must examine what makes Halloween such a good horror film in the eyes of many.  We should ask what this film does best that sets it above so many in its genre?  A variety of film essays and critical reviews offer no shortage of insights.  For instance, the reverend critic, Roger Ebert, rates Halloween with 4/4 stars.  He details Halloween as a “visceral experience”, one where the film is happening to us.  The movie isn’t just something we watch, but something we experience, as if we’re present in the film.  He also praises Carpenter’s use of foregrounds and the realistic depiction of the victims.  In particular, he mentions how the victims are all very real people.  The dialogue exchanged between Laurie and her companions feel genuine, as if we’re watching real teenagers in their normal daily life.  When they’re killed, it’s more piercing to our nerves because we feel as if real people are brutally strangled, stabbed and slashed.     Continue reading Halloween (1978)- A Milestone in Horror   →

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars

Features

By Reese Mattner

There have been studies that contain information about how drivers misuse their vehicle. Certain kinds of self-driving cars are supposed to be used on highways only. Some owners use their self-driving car in parking lots or during bad weather conditions. All self-driving vehicles have different assisted driving options. Some cars are not meant to drive on all roads. It is common for many drivers to take part in other distracting activities behind the wheel. Self driving cars are being used wrong by owners.

Gas prices will continue to increase within the U.S. this October. California currently has the highest gas prices coming in at $6.335 per gallon. The lowest price of gas is $3.226 per gallon in Georgia. Russia produces 10% of the oil in the world. Since Russia is at war with Ukraine the U.S. has banned imports of oil through Russia. It is harder to get oil and there is a lower amount that we’re getting. Therefore the citizens of the U.S. have to pay more for gas.  Continue reading Electric Cars vs Gas Cars →

Benefits of Journaling Daily 

Opinion

By Lillian Liebke

We go through so much in our daily lives, sometimes we can barely even remember what we did the other day. We unknowingly take advantage of those sweet and genuine moments and we forget them, until randomly having it randomly pop up in our heads one day. But imagine if you were able to say a date and be able to go back and look at what you did that day? Or week? Journaling frequently has many benefits, the main one being that you can savor your memories forever. 

I have been journaling for five years now, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. I go back in my journal and I see memories of when I made the volleyball team for the first time, when my sister had her children, all my memories with my childhood boyfriends, everything that I had experienced in that time period. By frequently writing in a journal about what’s going on in my life and my emotions on the situation, I am able to go back and relive those amazing memories. Adding pictures of you, movie tickets, random drawings, literally anything you can think of makes it much more sentimental. Continue reading Benefits of Journaling Daily  →

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: A Review on the Best Anime and Manga Series (Part 1)

Entertainment

By Ollie Campbell

The manga series known as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, created by Hirohiko Araki, is one of the biggest and most popular manga in Japan. It recently became more mainstream in America, after the anime adaptation by David Production came out in 2012. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is most known for its heavy pop culture references. The most recent season, Stone Ocean, has been produced by the infamous streaming service Netflix. Not a lot of fans are too happy with Netflix and how they’ve been treating our beloved show. 

The manga are separated by parts. The manga has 1-8 parts (all completed) so far, and Araki is said to be working on part 9. So far, only parts 1-6 have been animated, and Netflix announced the rest of part 6 to be released in December of this year. Many fans were upset with Netflix for a while because of the previous wait time given to us. Netflix had basically set aside Stone Ocean(part 6) for almost 2 years, the first batch coming out in late 2020. Not only that, but they seemed to have cheapened out, and not too many people were fond of the bad animation and CGI. There are also critiques relating back to the first part in the series, as the anime adaptation left out a lengthy amount of lore, rushing the first part. The first part titled Phantom Blood was so short, they combined it with part 2, Battle Tendency, the two parts now making up one season (26 episodes total). This can confuse new fans, especially to those who haven’t read the manga. Fans will get parts confused with the seasons and call part 3, part 2. This has been widely criticized by the fandom for a while. Continue reading JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: A Review on the Best Anime and Manga Series (Part 1) →

Why Music?

Opinion

By Julie Jaworski

Music is a part of our everyday lives. While this is true, it is also true there are some people who appreciate music more than others. 

Music is a form of entertainment for some, and comfort for others. It is like an escape from reality. Some people find this an escape because of the peace the sound brings. Personally, I find an escape in the lyrics.

There is so much more meaning behind songs when you really listen to the lyrics. This is a pastime I enjoy doing, finding a deeper meaning.  Continue reading Why Music? →

Jeffrey Dahmer 

Entertainment

By Amaiya Diaz 

The recent hit Netflix show follows a real story behind the man Jeffrey Dahmer. Infamously known for his seventeen victims, he is one of the most familiar serial killers to date. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 21, 1960, Dahmer’s childhood was highlighted in the first couple episodes of the show. As he grew up, signs that he wasn’t “normal” began to appear. His first victim, Steven Hicks, was killed on June 18, 1978, in his family’s home after promising he would give his victim a ride to a concert. Steven Hicks was sadly only his first of many victims, and it’s where everything started. 

A year after his first murder, Dahmer enlisted in the army. He was trained as a medical specialist, and served two years before returning home in 1981 after being deemed unsuitable to keep serving due to his severe alcoholism. His next murder was committed in 1988, with his twenty-five year old victim being lured into his grandmother’s home. Continue reading Jeffrey Dahmer  →

Chicago Bulls

Professional Sports, Sports

By Daniel Chiappetta

The Chicago Bulls are a top 5 franchise of all time. They have records and a storied history. They have had some of the best players of all time. These are just some reasons why the Chicago Bulls are one of the best franchises of all time. 

To begin with, the Chicago Bulls have the most wins in a single season including playoffs. This happened in 1995-1996 when the Bulls finished the regular 72-10 and then won the championship. The only team to beat their record of the most wins in the regular season was the Golden State Warriors, they went 73-9 but lost in the playoffs. Also the Chicago Bulls’ has had the best player of all time in Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan won 5 Most Valuable Player awards and 6 Championships. He won those championships 6 in a row. Continue reading Chicago Bulls →

Why Tremper Should Practice ALiCE Procedures During Lunch Periods

Opinion, Trojan Update

by Riley Voss

Tremper has an ALiCE drill once a month. Students have practiced these procedures during many different class periods, including Check and Connect, third period, sixth period, and many other times throughout the day. However, last year, when an ALiCE alert was sent out accidentally and without warning, students were unprepared and unsure of what to do. Why? Because it happened during a lunch period. Students such as myself who were in lunch when the alert went off had no sense of what to do during the situation, as it had never been practiced before. In addition, students who were in classrooms may have had no idea of the escape or barricade plans for their respective classes, as they had never practiced ALiCE procedures in fourth period. All of these factors contribute to why Tremper should conduct at least one ALiCE drill during lunch periods.

When the unforeseen ALiCE alert went off last year, I was in my lunch period. The alert was sounded, and everyone in the lunchroom panicked. We had no frame of reference for what to do if an intruder entered the building during lunch. Many tried to escape the building, going out the front doors to get out of the situation. However, students were quickly ushered into the auditorium, a procedure that we did not know existed as we had never practiced this before. This created chaos, as an unorganized crowd was ushered slowly into the auditorium for safety. Had this been a real situation, the students’ lack of practice in lunchtime ALiCE procedures would end up being a huge danger to the students, as they would have no idea what to do or where to go. Continue reading Why Tremper Should Practice ALiCE Procedures During Lunch Periods →

The Moon Landing- The Fifth Biggest Lie of the 20th Century (SATIRE)

Entertainment

by The Truth Seeker 

If you thought the 2020 election was a hoax, wait until you see this lie pulled off by our authoritarian aristocrats to further subject us to their globalist agenda.  

The moon landing is seen as one of America’s greatest achievements.  Who didn’t get chills when they heard Kennedy announce, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Oh, and don’t even get me started on Kennedy’s “assasination”.  Anyone with a working optical nerve system can see that the CIA butchered Kennedy due to his failures dealing with Communism.  The CIA’s cover up of their involvement in murdering Kennedy like a pig provided ample practice for orchestrating the moon landing hoax.

Fellow truth seeker, I know you must be wondering how the moon landing could be fake.  Let me, your humble narrator, explain it all.  My answer is simple: logic!  The moon landing simply isn’t possible: there’s no gravity in space.  If there’s no gravity, then how could the spacemen stand on the moon?  If they were really on the moon, they would have just floated away into space.  But they didn’t!  Furthermore, an examination into our history reveals just how fake the moon landing was.  In 1937, the Hindenburg caught fire and was incinerated.  Even decades later, the Challenger exploded in the ‘80s.  So let me get this straight, we could send people to the moon but not into space to deploy a satellite? If more advanced technology, which will be the end of us all one day, failed to successfully launch a spaceship then how could we have done so in 1969?     Continue reading The Moon Landing- The Fifth Biggest Lie of the 20th Century (SATIRE) →

Fall of Dew From a Clear Sky

Creative Writing

By Ash Ortega                                                 

Serein, born in a very stable and rich humble home, grew up to everything they ever desired, spoiled and pampered. Their parents are wealthy, but their certain business has always been kept a secret from the young child, and as kids grow older curiosity kills the simple child’s mind. Little Serein always wondered why their parents were always absent, they never did realize the reason why they were so pampered with gifts was because their parents lacked physical affection and tried making up for it with expensive gifts a child would adore.

But as Serein grew, the gifts stopped working and they were old enough to realize that their parents filled their pockets up with money and gifts in place of their absence. Yet, with this realization of their parents, they did grow up happily with their chauffeur, Whelve.  Whelve took care of Serein their whole life, in order to keep them happy, despite their lack of physical parental affection. Serein grew up to be loved by everyone near them, in a posh private school their parents put them in, again as another well paid gift. Continue reading Fall of Dew From a Clear Sky →

The Detroit Lions Will Never Succeed

Professional Sports, Sports

By Aleks Jankovic

Year after year, Detroit shows promising potential to rewrite their failure-ridden history, and every year they fail to capitalize off of this potential, leaving myself and many other fans of the franchise distraught and ashamed. 

As of the time of writing this article, the Detroit Lions are leading the league in both offense and passing touchdowns. Their newly acquired quarterback, Jared Goff, is showing major potential in being able to lead an offense to score and reading the defense. Their games so far are always high scoring for the Lions, and they have finally found a way to be labeled as a promising franchise. However, the Detroit Lions will always find a way to squander any semblance or illusion of success that they may acquire. Detroit is dead last in defense across the league, and they have given up more points than any team in the league thus far. The Lions being #32 in defense should come as no surprise to many, since they have consistently ranked among the lowest tier for defense in past years. However, for a franchise to lead the league in offense and start their season with a 1-3 record is truly astonishing.  Continue reading The Detroit Lions Will Never Succeed →

Yippee for Peepy!: The Hype Surrounding a Small Plushie

Features

By Ollie Campbell 

You probably heard of the infamous Squishmallow plush toys. They are round, fluffy, and soft as a baby’s skin. They have hundreds of characters and designs you can collect. They are a nation-wide must-have. From children to adults, it’s very likely you know at least one person who owns or collects them. Despite the social craze surrounding the Squishmallow brand, there is a lesser known company that makes even better plushies. 

Peepy is a collector’s item produced by the revenged based company ItemLabel, which is located in Maryland. Peepy plushies are in a shape resembling a peanut. They have ears, a tail, four little nubs as their legs, eyes and a beak. They come in a variety of colors and patterns. They also have squeakers, and are probably mistaken as dog toys at first because of that. Usually the designs are based after certain animals, foods, gaming references, etc. I, myself, own a Peepy. My Peepy is the Axolotl-py (designed after the animal, the axolotl).  Each Peepy design is given a backstory for you to read before purchasing. There are also limited edition Peepy plushies for extreme fans out there. The Peepy plush usually sells for $20. Prices can vary depending on the design.  Continue reading Yippee for Peepy!: The Hype Surrounding a Small Plushie →

Woodstock’s Effect on Modern Society

Features

By Joe Mendoza

Considered one of the most influential and iconic concerts in history, Woodstock took place on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, basically in the middle of a field. It was a hippie concert, filled with artists like Santana, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Janis Joplin, and had a lot of great music. Around a half a million people showed up, making it huge already, and many of the audience members slept in tents, or more commonly sleeping bags, since the original attendance was exceeded by a lot. 

Whether you like the music or you don’t, you need to recognize the amount of influence this concert had. To begin with, the “hippie” movement, who at the time embraced the anti-war message against Vietnam, was legitimized, and their actions were strengthened. The culture that fought against the “system” became more powerful, and single-handedly changed the general population’s ideas at the time, or at least in a substantial way. In 1969, when the concert took place, America was right in the middle of the Vietnam War, and opposition against the public officials who supported the war was dismissed for the most part, even though the movement already had steam behind it. It was extremely polarized in America at the time, and you either had people devoted to their country, or people opposed the war. With Woodstock, young individuals were encouraged to express themselves, whether that’s through the use of psychedelics, like LSD, or through their speaking out against the government. Continue reading Woodstock’s Effect on Modern Society →

Angels Like You

Entertainment

By Julie Jaworski

Miley Cyrus is well known for her role of Hannah Montana where she played a girl who had two identities, a celebrity and a normal high school girl. This role lasted a while with movies coming after the show. Once this show ended, she pursued her solo career. Being on a children’s show for so long, once she got the freedom from it she went through many phases.

Her music has been extremely successful! She has about 10 albums released. One very successful album is titled Plastic Hearts. There are about 15 songs on this album. Angels Like You, the third song on this album, is a very popular song. There is a very deep meaning behind the lyrics that fans deciphered. This song is about past relationships Miley has been in, and it sounds to be a very self critical song.  Continue reading Angels Like You →

Airpod Pros

Features

By Josiah Finkler

Apple has recently brought out the second kind of airpods called the airpod pros which come with a lot of new cool features. The new airpods have a brand new look as well as a whole new case design for them as well. People are loving the new airpods and their new features and they are looking like a really good purchase.

For example, the new airpods have two brand new features: transparent mode, and noise-cancellation mode. Both of these modes on your new airpods allow you a lot of control when you listen to music or podcasts or other things. You can either block out everything and have a great time vibing to what you are listening to, or be able to hear the people around you as well as listening to your music. These cool new features are some of the main features that have made these airpods so popular and have become a bestseller. Continue reading Airpod Pros →

Beauty Standards

Opinion

By Amaiya Diaz

The phrase “beauty standards” is looked down upon by many people. It raises an obsession over your looks while evaluating others subconsciously. The constant need and want to look suitable for other people is something almost everyone struggles with. We are continuously exposed to how we are “supposed” to look by hearing or seeing it. Beauty standards are everywhere, whether we like them or not. Still, some people might ask: are beauty standards wrong? 

The short answer is yes. Beauty standards suck. Thinking you have to look a certain way can seriously harm somebody’s mental well-being. Even children are affected by how you should or shouldn’t look with their gradual exposure to the media. Anyone could easily be influenced by typical beauty standards, whether you mean to be or not. With weight loss ads on billboards or scrolling through Instagram and seeing models every other post, someone might be taking critical and unhealthy steps to look “better.”  While some people might just use Photoshop to tune up their pictures to post, others may see that and think they are doing something wrong and develop bad habits to try and correct it.  Continue reading Beauty Standards →

Chicago Bears

Professional Sports, Sports

By Daniel Chiappetta

The Chicago Bears are one of the best football franchises in the NFL. They have the historical success and the records to back it up. They have some of the best head coaches ever. This all shows why the Chicago Bears is the best franchise of all time. 

First, the Chicago Bears have the most wins ever in the NFL. They have a total of 785 wins, 612 loses and 42 ties. They have also scored the second most points ever in NFL history. The Chicago Bears have also won nine championships which is second all time. They won their championships during 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, and 1985. This all showcases how great of a history the Chicago Bears have in the NFL.   Continue reading Chicago Bears →

Modern Movie has Destroyed the Female Character

Entertainment, Opinion

By Zachary Brey 

Now I know what you’re thinking when you read that title, “What the …” hear me out though. If we compare the modern female character to one from the 70’s 80’s there is a vast difference. Personally I feel that nowadays we make characters invulnerable, and too predictable. The cliché I usually see in a movie is, “I’m a woman, that is the center point of my character.” This needs to stop. Take for instance Ellen Ripley from Alien. We see she is just a normal crew member from the Nostromo. Now yes, her crewmates have died to an alien and she is the lone survivor. (You had 42 years to watch the movie before I spoiled it.) We see she is a vulnerable character, and her life is actually at stake. Why does this create such a great character?  Because it shows the character is relatable to the fact they can actually die.

Now the perfect example of a horrible female character would have to be Captain Marvel from Captain Marvel. In the movies she is virtually unstoppable. She beats the living crap out of everyone and everything. Now yes, she is a superhero. But even Superman has his kryptonite. What is her weakness you may ask? Brainwashing and mind control. Do they portray this in the movie? Not really. Sure they have a scene here and there with going into some mind thing, but breaks free from it. How is it she is supposed to have a weakness but it is completely ignored for cinematic purposes? I would have been more fine with the power of friendship cliché to help set her free. Continue reading Modern Movie has Destroyed the Female Character →

Why the Ratio of Summative to Formative Assignments in the Gradebook is Flawed

Opinion, Trojan Update

by Riley Voss

In the gradebook currently, summative assessments makeup 90% of a student’s grade, while formative assignments are only worth 10% of the grade. This is a flawed system for multiple reasons: with formative assessments having such a small impact on a student’s overall grade, students are able to skip doing the practice assignments while still passing the class with above average marks. Also, making tests and quizzes such a large portion of the grade puts students who have a hard time taking tests at a disadvantage, meaning that even if they are a good student and do well on the practice, their below average performance on the test due to stress and pressure will pull their grade down and inaccurately represent their understanding of the material.

As of the writing of this article, formative assignments are only worth 10% of a student’s overall grade. This means that the practices and worksheets that students are assigned will hardly make any impact on the letter grade of a student. This encourages slacking off on formative assignments, as it is easy for a student to skip all of the practice worksheets and still maintain a B average. This ruins the work ethic of students, as it gives no incentive to complete the work. The students will get by just fine with zeroes on every formative, while completing the summative assessments and maintaining a good grade. Continue reading Why the Ratio of Summative to Formative Assignments in the Gradebook is Flawed →

Hail to the King

Features

By Ian Valdez

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Charles III is the new crowned King of England.  Now formally known as King Charles III, he was proclaimed King on September 8th, 2022, in front of the ascension council, with 200 people in attendance, the same number as the 1952 proclamation. The King now bears new responsibilities and goals in front of him, he has many plans as King and wants to be a good representation of how Royalty should be looked at. Charles is officially the oldest member of royalty to ever be crowned in the history of the British hierarchy. 

Charles III declared to uphold tradition set from the government since the 18th century and to preserve the Church of Scotland. Although Charles was proclaimed the King in front of the Ascension, he will be formally crowned king in roughly a year’s time.   Continue reading Hail to the King →

The Future of the Republican Party. Before Reagan, There was Nixon

News

By Benjamin Rothove

On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced that he would resign from the presidency, effective noon on August 8th.  No President had resigned before, and no president has resigned since.  Less than two years earlier, Richard Nixon had been reelected winning 49 of the 50 states.  Now, he was stepping down in disgrace.  Nixon left a permanent stain on the Presidency, and the government can never be trusted by the American people in the way it once was.  It looked then like the Republican Party had died.

In the election after Nixon’s resignation, Americans voted in the friendly face of Jimmy Carter.  Carter carried little political baggage and is still seen as a good person today.  However, that is not enough for a successful presidency.  The presidential term of Jimmy Carter was defined by high inflation, flawed foreign policy, and low approval ratings. (Sound familiar?) The American people did not see Jimmy Carter as a leader. Continue reading The Future of the Republican Party. Before Reagan, There was Nixon →

Hurricane Fiona

Features

By Reese Mattner

On September 18th, 2022, Hurricane Fiona made her first hit on Puerto Rico. Turks and Caicos was hit on Tuesday with wind speeds that were way higher. After that, Hurricane Fiona was declared a category three storm. Mudslides and flooding continued in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fiona became stronger as she headed to Bermuda. She is predicted to hit there on Friday morning as a category four storm.

Hurricane Maria occurred five years ago, as a category four storm. Puerto Rico was hit very hard in 2017. More than 3,000 people were killed. It caused billions of damage, towards stores, buildings, restaurants, and homes.  Continue reading Hurricane Fiona →

The Genius of Nas’ Illmatic

Entertainment

By Aleks Jankovic

On April 19th, 1994, Nasir Jones kicked off his hip-hop career with his debut album, Illmatic. Not only for its time, but even still today, it was a testament as to what could be accomplished with the genre, and what made it especially interesting compared to any other variety of music. 

This was one of the first instances in a popular hip-hop album where the instrumentals are based mostly on jazz samples, which made a huge impact on the cultural backgrounds of the genre. Since hip-hop was developed as a genre to discuss black struggles in America, and jazz music was built on black musicians, this use of sampling by Nas and his team added an extra layer of context to the album’s overall theme. As the instrumentals change from one texture to the other, the jazz samples that build the instrumental help to convey his message of black struggle beyond simply a lyrical context. It allows the instrumentals to speak for themselves and become a separate expression of ideas.  Continue reading The Genius of Nas’ Illmatic →

Post Malone

Entertainment

By Madison Nannini

Austin Richard Post, famously known as Post Malone, has got to be my favorite artist of all time. The obsession started in 2016 when I heard his song, Congratulations. This led me to listen to the entire Stoney album. I fell in love with his music instantly. His unique voice was different from anything I had heard before. 

Post Malone released his debut album in 2016, named Stoney. He named it this because his friends call him stoney, due to the fact that he was always smoking, but he quit shortly after the release of this album. In 2018, Post Malone went on to create his next album, Beerbongs and Bentleys. This album was far more different than Stoney. There were more features, as Post Malone was building more of a following and moving up in the charts. This album had a party vibe and gave off good vibes. Continue reading Post Malone →

Is Harry’s House Worth the Listen?

Entertainment

By Julie Jaworski

Harry Styles is a well known artist, primarily from the band he was previously in, One Direction. Once the band had split, each artist pursued solo careers. For some, this was an extreme success, but for others not so much. Harry was one of the boys to benefit from a solo career, releasing his debut self titled album, Harry Styles. With the success from his debut album, Harry wrote his next, titled Fine Line. Finally, and the most recent, he wrote and released Harry’s House.

There are thirteen songs on this album, beginning with Music for a Sushi Restaurant. This song is a very different vibe from his normal music, which is what makes it likable. It’s upbeat, a concert song. The fourth song on the album is As It Was, which was actually released earlier than the album was. It was considered a teaser to the album, and with the success that this song brought, it was clear the album would have similar success. Continue reading Is Harry’s House Worth the Listen? →

Da Bears Football Team

Professional Sports, Sports

By Josiah Finkler

The Bears football team has had many ups and downs, but ever since the old days of the Bears, our club has fallen off and many people have made fun of and have taken the Bears as a joke. If you walk around town with a Bears jersey, normally people will make fun of you because the Bears are probably down by 30 on a Sunday afternoon, and overall it’s generally pretty rough being a Bear fan. Especially dealing with the Packer fans, there are many fights and arguments with them as the Bears and the Packer are the biggest rivalry in football. Although this year is going to be different, especially with our new quarterback Justin Fields who is currently helping us rebuild our legacy and become one of the greats once more and finally beat the Packers.

This year we have gotten a lot of new and good players that will develop majorly over time and make the Bears football team one of the best very soon. We have a lot of youngsters on the team as we have traded for picks, and we also have a new head coach so we might need some time to adjust but we should start doing better this year as last year was a disaster. Our quarterback last year was Justin Fields, but it was his first year playing in the NFL which is a big difference compared to college football. In the end, all of our first and second round picks that we have made over the past years will be worth it as we win this year’s Super Bowl and prove everyone wrong. Continue reading Da Bears Football Team →

Duke Basketball

College Sports, Sports

By Daniel Chiappetta

Duke University is the best basketball school in the nation. Duke’s legendary coach, Coach K, just retired for this upcoming season, so there are a lot of doubters on whether or not new head coach Jon Sheyer will be able to continue Duke’s success.

First, Duke is tied for fourth with the most national championships ever, but Duke does have the most National championships since 1985. They are also 4th all time in wins. Duke is second all time in the amount of time they have spent being ranked number one in the nation. Coach K who was Duke’s head coach before he just retired has the most wins ever by a head coach. Duke also has 17 Final Four appearances which is third all time. This shows that Duke basketball has been dominant. Continue reading Duke Basketball →

NASA’s Artemis 1: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter?

News

by Riley Voss

The Artemis 1: NASA’s first mission of many attempting to establish a human presence on the Moon. Our first journey back to the big rock orbiting our planet since the original Moon landing in 1969. This is a giant leap into the future of mankind and our exploration of other planets, and a stepping stone to a colony on Mars. But what are the technical aspects of this shuttle to the future? What can we expect from the results of this mission?

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is a test flight, used to monitor and verify that the systems that the engineers have designed and created will be able to safely and successfully send a crew of astronauts to and from the Moon. NASA states that “Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1, will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.” According to NASA’s Artemis 1 Overview, “The primary operations goal of the mission is to assure a safe crew module entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery.” The first of the Artemis 1 missions will ensure complete safety for the astronauts embarking on the journey both to and from the Moon, while simultaneously testing the systems that will be used to launch and carry them as well as the ground systems that will be crucial for proper execution of the mission. Continue reading NASA’s Artemis 1: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter? →

The Pennsylvania Senate Election: An Accident Waiting to Happen

News

By Benjamin Rothove

The Senate race in Pennsylvania is perhaps the most chaotic election in the 2022 cycle.  Perhaps more accurately referred to as the Transylvania Senate election, the race is between Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, so voters must decide whether they want to be represented by a madman or a fool.  On the Republican side, television star Mehmet Oz keeps putting his foot in his mouth, unable to appeal to his base or to moderates.  On the Democratic side, John Fetterman seems unable to say, well anything.

Primaries: While I would like to focus on the candidates in the general election, this election was weird from the beginning.  On the Democratic side, it appeared that Congressman Conor Lamb would easily win the primary, but his campaign was disastrous from the beginning.  His team was so disorganized that he was unable to garner anything resembling widespread support, which lead to him handily losing the primary.  On the Republican side, the primary was decided by just a few hundred votes.  The messy first round, however, was nothing compared to what was to come. Continue reading The Pennsylvania Senate Election: An Accident Waiting to Happen →

Dunbar High School

Features

by Jacob Puhr

“Keep a-pluggin’ away.

Perseverance still is king;

Time its sure reward will bring;

Work and wait unwearying,—

Keep a-pluggin’ away.”

The poem above is titled Keep A-Pluggin’ Away and was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar.  During the time of the poem’s publication, schools were segregated by race, leaving many predominantly black schools underfunded.  Among these schools was Dunbar High School, named after the poet previously mentioned.  Stanzas from Keep A-Pluggin’ Away were written on the walls of a poor, overcrowded school that at many points held over 40 students in just one classroom and lacked a lunchroom large enough to encompass the nearly 1,400 students.  The neighborhood Dunbar was centered in could be categorized as a ghetto; the city itself, Washington D.C., was segregated which resulted in a school system controlled by whites who starved Dunbar for funds it was in dire need of.  Every factor was against Dunbar prevailing, yet against every odd imaginable, Dunbar became a success story…until it wasn’t.   Continue reading Dunbar High School →

Mental Health Effects of Cleaning  

Features

by Lillian Liebke

Everyone knows the saying “look good, feel good,” but is this actually true? Does the cleanliness of our appearance and environment affect our mental health? 

The connection between cleanliness and mental health is actually shocking, and is actually one of the major struggles of our society today. A dirty environment can lead to depression, anxiety, and motivation issues. For example, “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin” did a study that found women whose homes were more cluttered or full of unfinished projects were more likely to feel fatigued and depressed. The same study also showed that women with cluttered homes had higher levels of cortisol, causing higher anxiety. Clutter and mess is also known to cause confusion, tension and irritability.  Continue reading Mental Health Effects of Cleaning   →

A New Hope for Minnesota in the NBA

Professional Sports

By Aleksandar Jankovic

Besides the early 2000s era with Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett, the Minnesota Timberwolves were always seen as a franchise that posed no real threat to the rest of the NBA. As the years of losing records and missing the playoffs continued, the Timberwolves grew less competitive as time passed, and became further complacent with being a low-funded franchise. However, recent years have shown the Wolves acquiring some star talent through draft picks, as well as making high-yield trade offers with the rest of the league, and have now put themselves in a position to return as being a competitive team in the league. 

The first noticeable sign of this positive direction for the franchise was when Minnesota was given the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. The Timberwolves chose center Karl-Anthony Towns, who went on to average an efficient 18 PPG his rookie season. As the years passed, Towns grew to become the backbone of their young roster, leading the team in points and rebounds per game, and showed clear signs that he would only continue to enhance his game as time passed. In his most recent season, he shot a shocking 41% from the 3 point line, and led his team to one of their only two playoff appearances since 2004. Although they exited in the first round, the future was looking rather bright for the young Minnesota franchise, and their outlook would only get brighter with the upcoming offseason.  Continue reading A New Hope for Minnesota in the NBA →

Controlling the Feral Cat Population

Features

By Ollie Campbell 

You most likely have seen a few stray cats roaming the streets of your neighborhood. We typically don’t think much of it, but have you ever considered how to help them? The feral cat population has had many complications over the years, which is providing them a substandard lifestyle. But first, what is a “feral” cat? Feral cats are usually found outside, possibly being once domesticated. They become lost, abandoned, etc. Feral cats can also be born into the feral lifestyle. They have very little to no human interaction outside of their colonies. The number of outdoor cats has grown rapidly, which is establishing other health concerns, but why is this happening?

Thousands of feral cats give birth at high rates, especially when they are still young. Some mothers have up to three litters during their lifetime. This is damaging not only to the mother, but also to the kittens. It results in poor care for both parties, and can make the quality of life diminish. Another factor in high rates is cat colonies. Cats are natural hunters and hunt persistently, even when they have enough to eat. The colonies dominate other animals and stay on top. Feral cats can also carry harmful diseases, spreading them to other cats in the pack. Parasitic worms, FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), and ringworm are amongst the many transmittable diseases.  Continue reading Controlling the Feral Cat Population →