Confidence is a beautiful skill to have, but sometimes it does not come naturally. For those who are not born with confidence, just fake it until you make it.

     Confidence in simpler terms is when a person feels sure of themself and their abilities. Many people see confidence as a green flag, specifically in interviews, a workplace or in school. With this extremely important trait existing, it is necessary that one uses it to their advantage–whether it is real or fake. 

     Sophomore, Anderson Hurst, is one of the students who has had to fake confidence in certain aspects of his life.

     “I tend to display more confidence when I’m meeting people, especially in formal settings, and when someone is making my siblings uncomfortable, I’ll show more confidence to make them more comfortable and to show the person that what they are doing won’t make it past me,” Hurst stated. 

     Outside of faking confidence in favor of oneself, it can be incredibly useful to fake confidence for others. Hurst uses fake confidence as a way to make his siblings feel more comfortable.

     While faking confidence can help in job interviews or with the people one may care about, there are plenty of other reasons why faking confidence can be helpful and useful in life. 

     “Faking confidence is useful when you’re out of your comfort zone because it’s not evident that you’re uncomfortable, and it makes you seem more mature by the way you hold yourself, possibly giving you more opportunities in life,” Hurst explained. 

     When it is evident that someone is uncomfortable in whatever position they are in, it can be difficult to trust that person. If that person fakes confidence and appears to be comfortable in their position, more people will be likely to trust them.

     Adding onto Hurst’s point that confidence can be faked for someone’s loved ones, others can truly benefit from someone else faking confidence.

     “Faking confidence can help you and the people around you grow as people. It’s a fake it till-you make it scenario. The more you act confident, after a while, you will become truly confident,” Hurst said.

     All of the proof can be in the puzzle. When someone proves that faking confidence makes them truly confident, the people around them will try the same strategies they did. 

     Faking confidence is extremely helpful in the event of showing up for others and putting on a “brave face.” More people will be likely to believe in that person, making that person believe in themselves.

     In the end, nobody can notice whether one’s confidence is fake or not, so try it out—there is nothing to lose. Faking confidence seriously can change someone’s life for the better. 

     Motivational speaker, Brian Tracy once said, “Fake it until you make it! Act as if you had all the confidence you require until it becomes your reality.”

 Calling anyone who wants breakfast, lunch and dinner–head over to a little diner known as Stownut Donut. 

     When we entered the restaurant, it almost had a ‘60s type of feeling about it. The decorations were nicely placed and made you feel at home. The waitress came over in a short amount of time and was very polite. 

     Ava ordered the #7, which contained two eggs, toast and your choice of potatoes or meat. Courtney got the #3, and it consisted of two texas-style pieces of french toast with a choice of bacon, sausage or ham. Ava got scrambled eggs, white toast and got potatoes. 

     She thought the eggs were good but a bit dry, and needed salt, but overall, it was pretty good. The toast was rather delicious after she added butter on it, she said. She thinks that was the best thing on her plate. 

     As for the potatoes, she thought those were good as well. They were seasoned perfectly; she tried them with ketchup, and they were even better than before. Overall, she said it was good so she’d rate it a 7/10. 

     Courtney got French toast with bacon. She thought the French toast was good, especially with syrup, and they had powdered sugar on them, which made them even better. The display of the French toast was good, as they looked like they were made at a fancy five-star restaurant. The bacon was good, maybe not the best thing on her plate but overall, pretty good. 

     The price range is relatively cheap depending on what you get. Both meals were $9.99 with many other options on the menu. 

One can find this small gem located in the Oregon Trails Plaza, down the street from the high school. They’re open from 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m most days. This restaurant is definitely suitable for families and children but maybe not large groups considering there is not much room inside, but the outside would be good for a larger group. Altogether, this restaurant is a nice and comfortable place to eat and relax while enjoying some delicious food.

  Women’s right have been a ongoing issue for years and years. Women’s rights are important and need to be taking into consideration. Women’s History month is March and there are many ways we can advocate for them

     Women all around the globe tend to face issues like getting paid less then men in the workplace for doing the exact same job. On average women tend to get 20% less money then men in the workplace 

     “Women ages 25 to 34 earned 83 cents for every dollar a men made.” said pewreserch.org

     Only 8.8% of CEOs are women and the rest are men. With this it shows that women have less job opportunities then men. 

     Women now only have about ¾ of legal rights afforded to men. A big issue in the world recently is that the government is trying to take away women’s rights to a free and legal abortion. 

      Ohio had and has been trying to ban all abortions and with this women would lose there right to their own bodies. 

     Women’s rights are extremely important especially in today’s society, everyone should have a voice and be able to speak freely. 

    You can help advocate for womens rights by helping out at organizations and helping at womens shelters.  All women should have the same basic rights as men. 

      In 1920 the government passed a law that let all women vote and that moved us one step closer for equlity for women. 

    Susan B Anthony is one of the best known women’s right activist, she fought for equal pay, the rights of labor, and equal work opportunities. She was also the president of the National Women suffrage association which she founded with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 

Throughout the United States, certain marginalized groups of people need help. Today, I want to see if we are doing enough to help these groups. From people of color to social classes, to members of the LGBTQ+ community and so many more, many communities are currently struggling.

     The United States’s homeless population is ever-growing, with nearly 580,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2020. The main reasons for the growing homeless population include growing rental prices, evictions and job losses due to COVID-19.

     However, the government is doing some things to help the homeless. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is the leading agency to address homelessness, funding emergency shelters, permanent housing and transitional housing.

     There are many ways that you can help the homeless in the community. The important thing is to do your research and understand them. There are many reasons why a person can end up homeless, and research can allow people to understand the homeless community better. Other ways include helping to educate others, removing stigmatizing language from your vocabulary and many more.

     Another community that has recently been under attack by the government is the drag community. The state of Tennessee is currently introducing legislation that would ban public drag performances. Senate Bill 3 and its companion, House Bill 9, would ban “adult cabaret performances,” including “male or female impersonators,” from taking place in public or any location where a minor could view it.

     This decision is extremely harmful. The drag community is beneficial. It is an artistic outlet full of talented performers who deserve recognition. As a fan of the drag community, I sincerely hope that more states don’t decide to follow this idea, as it would cause so much damage to so many people and their livelihoods.

     Probably the most attacked community right now is the trans community. All around the United States, anti-trans bills are being introduced, with over 350 active. All over the country, these bills are being introduced, primarily affecting minors. The most common are bathroom/locker room bans, youth sports bans and bans/restrictions on transgender or gender-affirming medical care.

     More needs to be done to help these communities, but the most that can be done is to raise awareness for these communities and the harm being done to them. Taking action and raising awareness is one of the best ways to help make a change. Use social media, talk to local legislators, do your research and reach out to members of these communities to help make a change.