Page 1 . . . Table of Contents Page 2 . . . Jump Off Page 3 . . . Groundhog Day Page 4 . . . Winter Olympics Page 5 - 6 . . . Style For Your Hair Type Page 7 . . . Why Do We Binge Watch Shows? Page 8 . . . Stages of Love and Sexuality Page 9 . . . Life or Death Decided by One Shot Page 10 . . . School Tragedies
Hello Vibe Readers! February is a month of holidays, there is something important about each and every day in this short month. We start off the month with Groundhog Day, and it’s fitting that this month we have an article discussing the traditions and origins behind Groundhog Day. Possibly the most famous of the February holidays is Valentine’s Day, but following that is also President’s Day, which may be mostly known for the car sales and the day off of school. As a whole, February is also home to Black History Month, Chocolate Lover’s Month, and this year, Chinese New Year, which happens to be on Feb. 16. In the third week of February is also Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. This year we also have the Winter Olympics, a once every four years event, which makes it the perfect time to read about them! Vibe reporter Ryan Moore writes about this year’s Olympic games in the city of Pyeongchang. Not interested in sports or holidays? There’s plenty more to look at in this issue of the Vibe, including our featured seniors: Nate Rocha and Jarrett Karnes. Read about our current flu epidemic that’s sweeping through the schools in Flu: Life or Death in One Shot from Charity Walker. No matter what you decide to read, don’t forget that this month is a month of holidays and making sure you feel loved. Rylee Cavins Editor-in-Chief
Groundhog Day What do people do? Do you rather perfer winter or spring? Well, every year on the 2nd of February, Groundhog day takes place each year. This day is focused on the idea of the groundhog coming out of the ground to predict the weather for the rest of winter. If the groundhog sees its shadow, supposedly winter is going to proceed for six more weeks. If not, which people hope for, spring will arrive before you know it! Every year, most of America bases the information off the same groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. He lives at Gobblers Knob near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania; so I bet you wouldn’t guess how they named him. The town has lured thousands of visitors to participate in tons of activities on the ‘holiday’.
Background of Punxsutawney Phil The first groundhog day held in the United States was in the 1800s. “The official trek to Gobbler’s Knob was made on February 2nd, 1887. It is said that Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) was named after King Philip. He was called Br’er Groundhog prior to being known as Phil. Canada also celebrates groundhog day.” According to Timeanddate.com in their ‘Groundhog day in the United States’ article. The movie made in 1993, Groundhog Day, staring comedian Bill Murray, made Punxsutawney Phil famous world wide.
Results from this years Groundhog day How it all started Thousands of years ago, when animalism and nature worship were prevalent, people in now named Germany, believed that the badger had the power to predict the upcoming weather. They based the time they planted their crops off of this animal. People believe that by the time the first immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, they figured out this wasn’t true, but still continued on the tradition. Therefore, there were little badgers in Pennsylvania so they replaced it with a groundhog.
The results from this year’s groundhog prediction are in! According to legend, we will still deal with six more weeks of winter because Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That’s in spite of forecasts that predicted a cloudy, shadow-less morning. So when next years groundhog day rolls around, now you’ll know exactly how it all came about!
Reporter Kami Carter
Winter Olympics Did you know there were 16 events at the 1924 Winter Olympics compared with the 102 events in this years Winter Olympics? Also, the city hosting this year is unique. The host city this time is Pyeongchang, South Korea. Opening and closing ceremonies will be housed at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, a temporary structure with the capacity for 35,000 spectators. The city is about 80 miles (125 kilometers) east of Seoul (which is the capital of South Korea) and about 60 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea. A train between Seoul and Pyeongchang takes about 90 minutes. This will be the second Olympic Games held in South Korea. (Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988.) The IOC (International Olympic Committee) announced on January 20, 2018, that North Korea would participate in the Winter Olympics. North Korea sent 22 athletes who will compete in three sports, according to IOC President Thomas Bach. Athletes from the North and South will also march together under one flag at the opening ceremony for the Games. For the first time in Olympic history, the two nations will enter a joint women’s ice hockey team under the name Korea and represented by the unification flag. Of the 22 North Korean athletes, 15 will be women and seven will be men, the IOC said. They will be accompanied by 24 coaches and 21 media representatives. Which is a big deal because North and South Korea have been bitter rivals since the Korean War. Will Russia be competing? The short answer, yes. However, there is a catch. Russia was banned last December from taking part in the Games after the IOC found the country had engaged in systematic manipulation of antidoping rules, though Russian athletes who can prove they are clean will be invited to compete under the name Olympic Athlete from Russia. Four events have been added by the International Olympic Committee for 2018. On the slopes, athletes will now be able to compete in big air snowboarding and freestyle skiing. On the ice, get ready for Mass Start speed skating which has also been described has Nascar on ice. Last but not least is mixed-doubles curling. Overall, the athletes in Pyeongchang will compete in seven sports -- biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing/snowboarding - with 15 varied disciplines across all sports. The competitors each will be hoping to take home at least one of the 102 medals up for grabs. Remember Pita Taufatofua from the Summer Olympics in Rio? Of course you do. The shirtless Tongan athlete with the oiled torso and colorful native garb crushed the Internet when he carried his country’s flag during the Opening Ceremonies in 2016. Well, he’s back — in the Winter Olympics in South Korea — and he did not disappoint in Friday’s Opening Ceremonies. Again, he was clad in native garb, which meant that he was proudly shirtless
and oiled-up. Indeed, Taufatofua, an unlikely competitor in these Games, had already overcome more than a little cold on his way to PyeongChang. A taekwondo athlete in Rio, he qualified for the trip to South Korea in cross-country skiing only a few weeks ago after failing in his first six qualifying attempts. So be sure to cheer on this shirtless man. Does anyone actually know the rules to curling besides the athletes who play it? Curling is played by two teams of four players. The teams alternate throws towards the circular target (called the house). The object is to have more stones closer to the center than your opponent after all 16 stones have been thrown. Each player throws two stones, while their teammates sweep and direct the stone towards the house. Why is the NHL not going to the Olympics? The NHL’s decision to pull out of the 2018 Winter Olympics came as a result of a series of disputes between the league and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the costs incurred by NHL athletes and who would cover them. The IOC had paid for the travel, insurance, accommodations and other costs for NHL players previously, but refused to continue to do so for 2018. When the IOC announced it would not pay these costs any longer, because they don’t pay for other athletes. The International Ice Hockey Federation had offered to pay up to $20 million for the costs and insurance for NHL players in an attempt to bring them to the 2018 games. But that effort did not work, as costs were just a portion of the NHL’s concerns with its participation. Top athletes who go to the Olympics in the middle of the NHL season could get injured, which could affect the outcome of the hockey season, the NHL said. Which, NHL players are not happy with the decision that they can not participate in the Olympics. Have you ever wondered what the Olympic Rings mean? It represents the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colors are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time. Ryan Moore
How to Style for Your Hair Type Hair. Strange right? This may seem pretty difficult considering it’s a general concept to say “curly hair” or “straight hair” or even “wavy hair”. But did you know there is an actual scale for hair types? This is pretty confusing, but it’s time to figure this out together! (howtomakeyourhairgrowfaster.com)
TYPE 1A: This kind of hair has little to no volume. It is hard to curl, rarely even kinks, and is very shiny. Best product to use for this type of hair? L'Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Volume Filler Thickening Shampoo. It will volumize your hair to its maximum potential, without weighing it down or leaving any sort of sticky residue. If you’re interested in increasing your hair’s quality, consider investing in a heat protectant nor a volumizing mist! TYPE 1B: This is very similar to Type 1A, but not quite the same. This kind of hair typically can hold a curl, but is straight naturally. It can also have random curly spots here and there, but overall is a pretty tame type of hair. This hair is also relatively flat, so holding its volume is kind of an issue. Best product? Aveda Control Force hairspray has got you covered! “Control Force will hold relatively any time of hair for exceptional amounts of time,” Says Laurie Routte, who has been doing hair for over twenty years. “It’s always my go-to product for recommendation.” TYPE 1C: This hair type is a bit thicker than the rest of these
types of hair. This can make it hard to style, and a bit more difficult to obtain volume. Other than getting layers added into this type of hair, what’s the solution? Aveda is back again for the win. “Control Paste is a small, yellow-orange cream that gives your hair sort of a piecy look,” Routte spoke knowingly. “It will keep your curls or even wavy pieces of hair from forming together in a unified clump. The biggest mistake made with this product, however, is using too much of it. That can make your hair stick together even more than it naturally would, and it would give it a clay-like greasy feel. You should only use, at most, enough to cover the nail on your index finger.”
TYPE 2A: Type 2a hair is different from type 1c. It has more random curls, and very few straight ends. It is less frizzy than the other types of hair in the 2abc category, and it is easily weighed down with too much product. Solution? Jessicurl Gentle Lather shampoo is sulfate free, and won’t completely strip your hair of its natural oils and make it flat. TYPE 2B: These types of curls are tighter and frizzier. They don’t have much more volume than type 2a, which means that it tends to stick to the head more. It’s a lot harder to style and brush out this type of hair, but that problem ends here. Bed Head Curl Contouring Cream by Tigi is perfect for fighting the frizz, and diffusing your curl just enough. Not to mention it resists humidity and adds shine to your hair. TYPE 2C: Type 2C is the frizziest of these types of hair. It often puffs up around the face, and is extremely hard to style. It lacks shine, mostly, and is difficult to tame. Quick fix? Moroccan oil. This adds shine, and when used moderately it can keep your hair from becoming too
frizzy. (howtomakeyourhairgrowfaster.com)
TYPE 3A: Type 3a hair tends to have more defined and coiled curls.This type of hair isn’t too difficult to style, but there are a few problems with frizziness that you can run in to, but that is easily solved with just a little bit of moroccan oil. TYPE 3B: This type of hair is more spiraled and curly than type 3a. Without the use of styling aids, this hair can be extremely frizzy. Gels and hair creams are definitely a go-to. The Doux Bonita Afro Balm Texture Cream is a reliable product to add extra moisture into this type of hair. TYPE 3C: Type 3c is tightly, tightly coiled and is very textured. Without manual manipulation, it is very difficult to get these curls well defined. Doux Bonita Afro Balm is also really helpful for this type of hair. Now that you have (hopefully) figured out your hair type, you should look up the desired products to make your day easier. Now, go get started!
Lindsay Ward, Reporter
to focus on TV shows and to grow a connection with them, while adults have more important things to do than watch TV all the time. “361,000 people watched all nine episodes of the second season of Stranger Things on the first day it was released. As for the amount of binge watching we're doing, A Netflix survey found that 61 percent of users regularly watch between 2-6 episodes of a show in one sitting” (www.nbcnews.com).This shows that people today no longer just watch one episode Many people may wonder why people binge watch TV shows. Maybe it's because we get attached to the characters. Viewers´ feelings toward television characters can be considered a parasocial relationship (parasocial means to offer an explanation of the ways in which audience members develop their one-sided relationships with the media being consumed). They don't know these people in person, but have invested significant time in their show to feel a connection. (minnesota. cbslocal.com). It might be because we just can't wait to watch the next episode. People always find themselves saying ¨just one more episode¨ and 10 episodes later you're still sitting there in your bed binge watching, so you can find out what happens next. People today have grown very impatient and just want everything to happen now. I count this as a bad thing, we should be able to wait a week to watch the next episode. Platforms like Netflix and Hulu really sparked the start of binge watching. August 29, 199,7 was when Netflix was created, but wasn't put into the streaming market until 2007. People didn't start really watching it until late 2011 when shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead were put on Netflix. Netflix pioneered binge watching, and it did so by identifying an ¨inefficiency¨ in the TV market, according to CEO Reed Hastings (http://www.businessinsider.com). Hulu was right with Netflix and it started in March 2007, so you could say 2007 was the start of binge watching. A brief local survey that included 10 people, ages ranging from 14-40, both male and female. The majority of people interviewed prefer to binge watch dramas. The most watched show at MHS is Stranger Things. I have come to the conclusion that adults over 30 lean more towards shows that you don't have to focus on as much. Teenagers lean more towards shows if they can find a connection with a character, or they find someone in the show cute. Teenagers have more time
There are both pros and cons of binge watching. One study found that viewers will continue viewing additional episodes in order to maintain this positive flow state, so there is an addictive quality to binge watching, perhaps of the greatest benefits of binge watching is the psychological escape from daily stresses (https://qz.com ). In some ways that is both a pro and a also a con. Some cons (from personal experience) are that it can cause lack of sleep and isolation from others. On the other hand, it can also make you talk to people that have an interest in the same shows you do. Furthermore, while there may be some cons to binge watching, it has definitely become a part of our culture.If you think about there are a lot of pros too , so watch yourself but have a little fun binge watching everyone once in awhile. Reporter Chloe Bolt
(parhlo.com)
Lately, I’ve been thinking about these two , “How can you say you love an object, then go to your significant other and say that you love them as well?” and “Are there different stages of love?” and as I went to the handy website that it is Google, I found that there are different stages of love. In Hebrew, there are many words for love, such as: 1. Raya Raya basically is a love you have for a friend. When you said you love your friend like a sister/ brother, that’s raya. 2. Ahava Ahava means to have a deep affection with someone, such as your boyfriend or girlfriend. Ahava is a love of the will and that it is more profound than just fleeting romantic feelings. It is a desire which leads a person to make a decision to join their life to another forever. It is what makes things last. It is the commitment involved in making a relationship work. Here we see that love is very much a choice as much as it is a connection. 3. Dod The third Hebrew word used in the Hebrew love poems is “Dod.” Dod means to arouse, rock, or to fondle. Some people may just settle for the Dod flame in their relationship. However, this is only a small piece of the whole of love. We can keep coming back to this flame but alone it never really satisfies. Our souls ache for more. The key is to have all three flames burning as one big flame. This big flame can warm our soul and satisfy us. Anything less is not what we intended for. The good news is that if you are in a relationship and one of these three ingredients is missing, you can still, many times, light the flames by focusing on them. Finding out what love is is one thing teenagers struggle with but another thing is “Why teenagers are finding out their sexuality so early.” Back when our parents were our age, there weren’t many gay teenagers, and when they did come out as gay, bi, pan, etc, it was frowned upon. Figuring out one’s
sexual orientation can be an exciting as well as confusing and scary process, and one that is different for each person. Some people are sure of their sexuality as children, and others as teens. Still others continue to question their sexual orientation as adults. Think about the following scenario: When a young boy talks about having a crush on a young girl or a young girl likes a young boy, people don’t generally say that they’re too young to know who they like or that they’ve skipped past childhood into adulthood. Yet when a young person likes or has a crush on someone of the same gender, it often creates anxiety and discomfort for adults in the young person’s life and raises questions like “How could they know at such a young age?” or “Isn’t this just a phase?” This speaks more to our society’s continued difficulty with understanding and accepting of any sexual orientation other then heterosexuality, rather than a difficulty with the child’s development. Though there is much work to be done regarding accepting L.G.B.T. people as well as challenging homophobia, the fact that people are able to recognize their sexual orientation at a younger age than in the past demonstrates that we are making strides towards greater support and acceptance of L.G.B.T. people. I wanted to end this article by saying that if you do feel confused or scared about your sexuallity, then don’t worry. There are so many great people that will support you either way and if they don’t stay with you when you make your decision, they’re not true friends. Find some people who will support you, like people in the GSA club. The people there are really nice and accepting and they will support your decision.
Bailey Prestwood
Life or Death Decided by One Shot
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is more dangerous than people seem to think it is. The shot is recommended for kids 6-months-old and older. It may take two weeks after the vaccination for the shot to actually work. The flu spreads extremely easily, especially in the winter and early spring. Some people may think flu and a cold may seem similar, but the flu is more dangerous than a common cold. While they are both contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract, the flu is still worse. Influenza is like a cold, but with a high fever, fatigue, and weakness. The flu is actually known to lead to pneumonia and become life-threatening. Schools have been closing because students and staff and staff get the flu and to sanitize the schools and protect the other kids. For the first time in Aurora high schools thirty year history, the school had closed for a week. BranchBurg had three public schools that had to close because the bus drivers had the flu. Bishop Lynch High School closed down for a few days and disinfected the school. There are many ways you can help you protect yourself from getting the flu. Influenza shots can help with protecting yourself. People can wash their hands when they sneeze or cough, and before meals to stay healthy. Try to avoid little physical contact with sick people as much as possible can. Coughing into your elbow. Call
BBC.CO
off of work or school when your sick. Sometimes getting outside of the house can be helpful to your health than staying in when you don’t need to do anything. Exercise can definitely help with your health and being careful what you eat can also help. There are so many ways to die in this life and the flu just happens to be one of them. It is really important that you pay attention when you get sick. What you could at first think is a simple cold could be the flu.
Reporter Charity Walker
School Tragedies School tragedies are a topic no one likes to talk about, from shootings to suicides. CNN has composed a list of shootings not including suicides , and gang related deaths that date back to May of 1927. The most recent shooting in the U.S. was in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A 19 year old male opened fire killing 17, and injuring more than 15 others. School tragedies have occurred in middle schools, high schools, and even colleges. In this day and age, should we as teenagers expect this to be our normal? School shootings can occur even in elementary schools, such as The Sandy Hook tragedy. Sandy Hook was a terrible nightmare inside an elementary school, 20 year old Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 kids between the ages of six and seven years old. Kindergarteners, First graders, and second graders’ innocent lives were taken, Eight staff were horrendously killed by the gunman also. Sandy Hook shooting on December of 2012 is the seventh deadliest school massacre. After Sandy Hook nothing really changed, everyone just continued to grieve.
eating. A study found at Yale University that a little over half of teen suicides are related to bullying, bully victims are between 2 to 9 more likely to consider suicide than a non victim, because they have been mistreated by another. ABC News recalled that 160,000 kids stay home from school a day to avoid bullying. Bullying can progress to verbal abuse, cyberbullying, and assault. You can prevent this by talking about your feelings and expressing emotions in another way.
School tragedies have enormous impacts on fellow students and their families. They can permanently damage or scar a child involved in the incident. The families of the victims seek answers behind the loss of loved ones. Between school shootings and suicide the children involved are somebody’s daughter, son, sister, brother, etc. Bullying also can progress into school shootings, studies found that 76% of students that have been bullied or in a fight at school carry weapons at school. They do this to feel as though they are protecting themselves. School tragedies are extremely important topics, we never discuss why we practice lockdowns. That’s just the drill we were taught to practice. School incidents such as suicide and shooting happen all across the U.S. and similar incidents could take place anywhere , so being aware of the causes and effects of them is important. The awareness of tragedies that have occured is just as important, innocent lives of elementary students to college students. If you hear of someone being bullied you should reach out to them and help, if you hear a threat report it immediately Reporter Tyshondra Russell
www.cnn.com School tragedies also involve the suicide of students, according to www.Bullingstaistics.com suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. Around 5,000 deaths a year. Warning signs would include depression, lasting sadness, trouble sleeping, and
Becoming a The cult favorite group game, Dungeons and Dragons, has suddenly risen back into popularity due to some of its recent appearances in popular culture. The Netflix original series, Stranger Things, features a group of kids who play it and even name the monsters after creatures found in the game. If you recently decided that you may want to try your hand in the game and possibly become the Dungeon Master for your group, then this is the article for you. So why do people play D&D? It’s a great way to hang out with your friends. Everyone hangs out for a few hours and the entire game is played through talking. Each player also gets to create a character of their very own, almost every single detail about a player character is decided by the player. The DM (Dungeon Master) does not have their own character, but has the ability to control the story and non-player characters. The players participate in a world that the DM has created just for them. Lastly, it’s just fun to goof around and play within a fictional world. The rules for Dungeons and Dragons may seem daunting at first, but after playing a game or two they start to seem less complex. The basic rule set of the game is that the DM presents the players with a situation, the players attempt to make an action, they typically roll dice to figure out if they succeed, and the DM describes the results. Obviously, the game is far more than just this, but it is the basic system that the game revolves around. There are multiple types of dice that are used depending on the situation. In battles, every character uses a certain type of dice depending on their character’s race or class. The D20 is one of the most commonly used; it is a 20-sided die that is most often used for skill checks. A skill check is something that the DM uses to see whether or not the player succeeds at an action. Skill checks
Picture from the Netflix series Stranger Things
have what is called a difficulty class, if the number that a player rolls (after adding their ability modifier) meets or exceeds the number required, then they will succeed at that action. You are able to find the rules in online resources and the official Wizards of The Coast rule and guidebooks. There is far more than just rolling for actions and battles, there is also the roleplaying involved. Dungeons & Dragons is an RPG, so of course a major part of it is roleplaying. Everyone has a different way they do this, they might give their character a unique voice and act out what their character does a little bit, but most prefer to speak as their character and describe their actions. You do whatever you are comfortable with, but do not harass or speak down to other players for doing it their way. If there is a problem with how someone is acting at the table and it is ruining other players’ experiences, take it outside the game. The DM is one of the most important players in the game, but of course you also need player characters. The DM is responsible for narrating, running, and acting as referee in the game. The DM must be able to keep track of multiple things at once keeping the fun going. The DM must be able to guide along the players but shouldn’t keep them on “train tracks” and take away almost all control of the game. This can be a difficult task,
Dungeon Master but it is also extremely rewarding. The Dungeon Master’s Guide states that, “Creating adventures is one of the greatest rewards of being a Dungeon Master. It’s a way to express yourself, designing fantastic locations and encounters with monsters, traps, puzzles, and conflicts.” (pg. 71) As the DM, you get to tell the story and prepare plot twists and events for your players. The DM must always have references for the rules on hand in case something comes up that calls for it. The DM is always, or at least should be, the most prepared player at the table. Player characters tend to do the least expected and possibly even derail the game. The DM must always be ready to improvise. Improvisation is the greatest tool in that any good DM should be able to use. The best way to plan an adventure or campaign is to make a loose outline of the story and some of the possible outcomes and add details to the basic structure of the story so that it feels authentic. A story should never be linear enough that it can be easily broken, backup plans are your
best friend. If after reading this article you feel that D&D is right up your alley, you can check out the Wizards of The Coasts website for the basic rules, pdfs, or order the rule books online. It really is a rewarding experience and a great way to enjoy time with friends. Dungeons & Dragons is a game where literally anything can happen and the only limitation is your imagination. Advanced Reporter Emily Wigglesworth
Leader In The Arts: What got you into the performing arts? My mom, she was on stage a lot as a kid, and she encouraged me to get into theatre and choir in high school. As well as the appeal of the stage it felt like somewhere I needed to be. Does being on stage make you nervous? Depending on what I’m doing, most of the time, no, but if it’s something new yes. For example, when Mr. Newland, our director has us pretend to be different animals and walk across the stage as such. I’d say it’s traumatizing but with the right people it can be really entertaining. How much do you practice? I guess everyday, probably at least 10 minutes a day. It doesn’t really matter where I am, whether it’s the car or my room. Making all sorts of faces or belting any note I feel necessary is a prominent pastime for me. What’s your favorite part of acting? The relationships you build with the other actors. There’s something about pretending to be other people with your friends that make you feel closer to one another. What’s your favorite part of music? Do you plan to continue performing after Probably singing, really, it’s the friendships you graduation? make in choir, I met some of my best friends in I will be involved in whatever college perforchoir and we’ve really grown over the years. mances that are available to me. What do you plan to do after high school? I plan to go to OSU and major in mechanical engineering.
Advanced Reporter Emily Wigglesworth
Nathan Rocha
What’s your interests? I like playing basketball and football. How many years have you play basketball? I’ve played basketball since 1st grade. I played all throughout elementary, middle school and high school. When did you start playing football? I started playing football my 4th grade year then I stopped playing 8th grade in middle school and came back to play my senior year. Who influence you to play sports? Honestly, my parents influenced me. They got me interested early on and so I’ve played basketball and football ever since. Do you plan to play basketball in college? I’m not planning to play basketball in college. My senior year is my last year of playing basketball. What are you going to miss after graduating? I’m probably going to miss my team and the friends I’ve made and the fun i had while playing the sport. Are you involved in any clubs at school? No not really. I do volunteer at my church and help out with the youth industry. That’s mostly it because I’m always busy with basketball. What school are you planning to attend? I’m attending the University of Cincinnati. I’m going to major in engeering. Anjelica Lacasa Advanced Reporter
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking” (Albert Einstein). When I first came across this quote, it took me a second to realize how much I relate to it. It is not because Einstein is always right, but he is indeed right about this particular quote. Change is a huge factor of our life. It can certainly be for the better or sometime worse, depending on how a person reacted to the change. Change can be having to live at different places, meeting different people and eating different food. Letting your mind acknowledge that you can do something else from what you’ve been doing is a process of change. The drive to do something new is within the extent of wanting to at least try. So what is Student Union? The Student Union at Marysville High School is a student run organization that allows students who are interested in global topics or issues to openly discuss about it. It gives students an opportunity to freely talk about any global concern they might have or just want to know more about a specific country. The main purpose of the club is for a student to gain information and be aware of what’s going on around the world but also for the members to enjoy learning. There’s nothing more rewarding than to be in a room full of inspired, motivated students who are a part of change. Change doesn’t have to be literally changing something, it can simply be a person doing something different. The Student Union started at the beginning of the school year. A few people have probably heard of it but didn’t know what the club does. The person who is in charge of Student Union is Dayo Adeoye. Dayo is a cheerful, kind student who is a senior this year who also founded the Foreign club. “Getting fresh perspective of anything is better than getting nothing at all, that’s why it’s great to be in a club where everyone talks
about their thoughts about a topic” Dayo stated. Dayo also shared that she created the club so that people would hopefully be comfortable to speak up since not everyone in a normal class would. As I interview members of the club, Chase who is a junior expressed “I personally liked the idea of having a clearer understanding of another culture.” Faith who is a sophomore, mentioned “I love Student Union because you meet and get to know someone who is basically a stranger.” If you want to join, Student Union meets every other wednesday after school at 3-4pm in Profe’s room. The benefits of joining the club academically, is that it looks promising in an application when applying to colleges. It shows admission officers that you are determined to learn about issues that are happening outside of the U.S. Personally, the club will let a student discover a fact about themselves that they’ve never known before. It makes a person think about what if their opinions is not as bizarre as they think because someone else agrees with them or they realize that their opinion is not as common as others disagrees with them. It’s important that teenagers are knowledgeable about accepting differences, either a person’s skin, accent or race. An individual can be as creative as they want to be or whatever they want to be. Every person should have a positive mindset that having a descent is a wonderful feature. Everyone should know that just because a global situation won’t necessarily affects us doesn’t mean we shouldn’t value it. An event that happens anywhere can affect us. Being in Student Union creates a space for students to know that it is okay to be different, to have a different background or ethnicity. In a school with little diversity, this club is an ideal club to consider joining. Anjelica Lacasa Advanced Reporter
Black History Month As February comes to a close, we take a moment to consider and celebrate so many African Americans who have positively impacted our community and world with their words, their actions, and their on-going push for equality across all races. Here are just a sampling of those that deserve recognition: Rosa Parks- for her courage of not surrendering her seat on the bus to a white male. It gave everyone the opportunity to unite as one and stop segregation. -Anjelica Barack Obama-He became the first black president and that proved that African American people can play a vital role in the government.-Charity Jimi Hendrix- He was an extremely talented musician and important in the history of rock music, his music had great influence on musicians that came after him. He also played protest songs during the vietnam war. He was not afraid to make a statement or express his opinions. -Emily Toni Morrison- the first African-American to receive a nobel prize for literature. This shows that it doesn’t matter who you are can still achieve what you want if you put your mind to it. Beyonce- Influential because of her music and her ideals on women empowerment. -Lindsey Jesse Owens- He won four Olympic gold medals at ‘Hitler’s Olympics’ despite being discriminated during the games. W.E.B. Du Bois - Du Bois was the first African-American to earn a PH.D from Harvard University. He was also the founding member of what we know today to be the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Harriet Tubman - Born into slavery, known as one of the most famous conductors of the underground railroad.