Category Archives: Editorials

Editorials

Current culture nulls excitement of voting

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I used to be excited to vote. Just the idea of “having a voice” in my country’s government made me feel grown up. Studying politics–no matter how insubstantial–gave me some sort of pseudo-sophistication that made me seem competent for dinner table discussions. I turned eighteen and could already picture slapping on the “I Voted” sticker while strutting the most patriotic walk home before a bald eagle swept me off of my feet and thanked me for my participation in the democratic process. To me, elections seemed fun; however, I’ve come to realize that quite the opposite is true.

Coming home from school one day I found myself scuffling through some recently delivered mail. Of course, the past months have filled my mailbox to the brim with political advertisements, but one letter in particular caught my eye this day. It read, “Don’t Vote for a Candidate That Has No Chance to Win.” and featured pictures of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with open boxes ( [ ] ) next to their names. Disappointment came as I noticed the crossed-off boxes ( [X] ) for the following candidates of: Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, Deez Nuts, and #SMOD2016 (Sweet Meteor of Death).

Now take a second to let that soak in. Staring at this ad marked the exact moment in time that my excitement to vote was decimated. I could not find myself able to reconcile any good in a country where an internet meme and/or a celestial projectile of mass extinction would ever need to be printed on actual paper to advise citizens not to actually vote for these “candidates” as the actual president of the United States. My mind turned to scrambled eggs. It’s not as if the ad took a partisan side to say, “Hey, don’t waste your vote here! Vote for Clinton/Trump 2016!” but was instead informative to the fact that these absurd candidates were even less insignificant than Johnson or Stein and voters should beware of their illegitimacy.

However, it’s hard to deny the ironic redundancy of having both an apocalyptic meteor and a sexual innuendo on the same piece of paper as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

The election has been all too much for me to handle. As us young voters tried to build a solid foundation for our political beliefs and aspirations, we were dealt the card of a woman who lies easier than I breath, and a man who makes Putin seem like a godsend.

Scandals perpetually worked their way through the campaign process, with more focus being allocated on rhetoric rather than policy. But you’ve heard these complaints all too often. “Clinton’s a criminal liar” and “Trump’s a bigoted racist” have essentially become the slogans of the Democratic and Republican parties.

With just days to go before Election Day, Clinton’s emails have been opened back up for FBI investigation and ties to Anthony Weiner make speculation ever the more interesting. I have high hopes that the former-congressman-turned-pedafile also recieved one of those, “Make Your Voice Count” ads and will make the wise decision to restrain from voting for, “Deez Nuts.”

If the Mayan calendar was redone, I’m sure the days would end at Nov. 8, 2016. Weeks leading up to Election Day would surely be filled with National Geographic documentaries and a Roland Emmerich movie. I just want it all to be over already.

Follow this link for more election coverage.

Advice, Editorials

High ACT scores can be achieved with patience and preparation

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     One’s entire future based off of one test may seem like a ridiculous statement at first glance, but throughout the world peoples’ college selections and career choices are affected tremendously by their ACT score.

    Another round of the ACT was completed at Stow high school on October 22, 2016 from 8am-12pm. Students from many different schools came to take the test at Stow because they are only able to be taken at certain places on certain days.

According to http://www.insidehighered.com, ACT scores have dropped in 2016. The composite score of 21 in 2015 has now dropped to a 20.8. The major difference is in the subject of english with an average score of 20.1 so far in 2016, as the average score in 2015 was 20.4.

    According to http://www.blog.prepscholar.com, in 1959 the ACT was created by Everett Franklin Lindquist. His primary goal in making it was to have it be a competitor with the SAT standardized test; however, he wanted his test to be more focused on material actually learned in schools.

    The stress of taking a test that can decide a person’s future can be quite overwhelming. There are a few tips that a person can use to help improve their score.

    The first tip is to make sure to fill in all answers. According to http://www.alisteducation.com, answers are not graded for correctness only, so it is important to answer all questions, even if it means guessing. Making an educated guess is better than automatically getting a question wrong for leaving it blank.

    It is also important to take the ACT more than once. Some people who are very smart are able to get perfect scores on their first try, but this is a very rare occasion. Taking the ACT multiple times may help a person become more familiar with the format of the test and the timing allowed for each section.

    Sleep and well balanced meals are two categories often overlooked in regular life and also in preparing the night before and morning of the ACT. Sleep is necessary so that a person’s body can be energized and alert during the entire test. A well balanced breakfast can help give the brain energy so it can be at its full potential throughout the test.

    The next ACT test date is scheduled for December 10, 2016, and the last registration deadline is November 4, 2016. The ACT can be very stressful to take, but with practice and focus it can become just another test to try and ace.

Editorials

Becoming involved in sports or gym class benefits students

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Today’s generation seems to be either completely motivated to exercise and work out, or completely against anything that requires any form of physical activity.  

     According to Mayo Clinic, there are many benefits to working out including maintaining a healthy weight, helping fight against health problems such as heart disease, helping to have a better mood, boosting energy, getting better sleep and more.

    It is recommended that an individual gets a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day to maintain a good health. If one wants to increase their health or lose weight, it will most likely require more than 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

    Playing a sport for the school get one out of taking a gym class, making room for other classes. It also gets students into the habit of exercising. Getting in the habit of working out at a young age has a huge benefit for one’s health in the future.

    If one does not wish to dedicate their time to a sports team, a gym class at school is a great replacement. Unlike sports, there is no extra time required outside of school to take a gym class and the type of activity is constantly being changed, so one is not likely to get bored of doing the same thing everyday.

    According to James Clear, a writer for The Huffington Post, in 1950 Doctor Maltz, a plastic surgeon, conducted a study on how long it took the average person to form a habit. The minimum amount of time it took for a habit to be formed was 21 days but the average time was 66 days.

    There are endless ways to get exercise with today’s ways of living. There are gyms to join that have classes, sports teams for schools or community leagues that can be joined, gym classes at school or one could even go online to find  an exercise routine that can be completed during some free time. Just going on a small walk after school can greatly benefit one’s health and way of living and is highly recommended.  

Editorials

Art classes provide an outlet for stressed teens

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     All day long, high school students are told to sit and pay attention, take notes, answer questions and get started on their homework. Any regular teen gets impatient and annoyed throughout their day, since not many actually enjoy school. One of the best ways to get students engaged and destressed is by putting their mind on a piece of artwork.

     Art classes take a teens mind off all the stress of memorizing vocab or figuring out math formulas. In an art class, all that is required is creativity. This daily dose of creativity can come a long way when balanced with a regular education.

    Many teens do not realize how easily creativity can relieve stress. Often times, students can even use their worries to their benefit in an art class by transforming them into a painting or drawing that has a psychological meaning as well.

    Concentrating on the detail of a drawing or the precise buildup of a clay bowl can really direct the mind in a whole new direction, a much simpler state than what most students experience in their core classes.

     Granted many high school students say they hate art or they are simply terrible at all things art related. However, art is really never about skill. The importance comes from the freedom of expression, not the talent that goes into each piece of work.

    Most people have an easy time making the assumption that there is no point trying in art if they have zero natural talent. Not often do people recognize they could be creating things on the daily just for the pure enjoyment or a way to get their thoughts and ideas out of their head and onto paper.

     Another reason creativity is so important is due to the major influence technology has on students today. Any free time teens can find is absorbed by their phones and the cyber world.

     Teens are practically living in stress and this cyber world. Taking just one art class can relieve a student of all their worries and remove them from the hypnotizing screen of their cell phones.

    Everyone should have their own pastime that takes their mind off of everything else in their life  for even just a moment, and an art outlet is the perfect solution to anyone looking for one.

     Requiring an art class each year could even be more beneficial than it sounds, even if students do not aspire to advance skills in art, the peace of mind that comes with the creations can be much appreciated in the long run.