By Mya Cannon

Music is a big part of people’s lives today. Songs are listened to while in the car, working out, during the school day or when someone is bored.

Buying music may be very expensive as purchasing music off of iTunes can be anywhere from 99 cents to $1.29 per song.

Apps such as Spotify allow one to listen to any music they want for free. If one chooses to download Spotify to listen to music, the music will be interrupted by ads. People will only be able to listen to music on shuffle, and the songs cannot be listened to unless one is connected to wifi or using cellular data.

Spotify has the option for one to join a premium membership. The first 30 days are free but after that it cost $9.99 every 30 days after the free trial is up.

With Spotify premium one can “download” music so it can be listened to without a connection to wifi. Any song can be played at anytime the listener chooses, and there is an unlimited number of times one can skip a song.

Many students listen to music as they are walking in the hallways to their different classes or when there is free time during a class period.

Sitting in a silent classroom can be boring, so many people turn to music to break the silence of the room. Music may also help some students focus on the item they are working on, such as homework.

The high school has the Spotify app blocked so one can only listen to their music on the app if they have purchased Spotify premium or are using cellphone data.

A wide variety of people use music to help relieve the stress they are under, and they may not be able to afford purchasing a song off of iTunes, so they turn to a free music app like Spotify.

Students who do not have Spotify premium cannot listen to music throughout the school day unless they are using data on their phone, which can also be expensive if one does not have unlimited data.

By unblocking the Spotify app on the high school’s wifi stress could be reduced and they will potentially help save students the money they are spending to be able to listen to their music during the school day.

Everyone has heard “Class, keep your eyes on your own paper.” It is a favorite line by teachers when suspecting cheating during a test. Now cheating is no longer just during tests and has progressively become as big a part of students school routine as lunch.

The Educational Testing Service defines academic cheating as “representing someone else’s work as your own. It can take many forms, including sharing another’s work, purchasing a term paper or test questions in advance, paying another to do the work for you.”

They also claim that 73% of all test takers, including prospective graduate students and teachers, most students do cheat at some point. 86% of high school students agreed.

Struggling students are not the only ones who are cheating on a test, but it is also students of all shapes, sizes, and type. The scary thing is it may be the 4.0 honors student who is doing the most amount of cheating.

The main reason for all of this academic dishonesty is the never ending desire for students to get the best grade possible. If students did not feel so pressured to get the highest grade they can, there would be no reason to cheat.

If they came into school every single day excited to learn instead of shuddering at the thought of the next unit test, there would be no cheating. Sadly, this is just fantasy.

High school is no longer about learning, gaining knowledge or expanding your mind. All that seems to matters now is getting a higher grade.

Students no longer learn, they memorize. They study over their assignments to cram the information into their brain, but after the test it is all forgotten.

The grading system needs to change. If students began to go to school for knowledge instead of just a passing grade, the amount of cheating would drop.

There are cat people and there are dog people, and the famous debate on who is better has been going on for far too long. The results are finally in on who is the better pet.

A pole was set up via Twitter for 24 hours, and the results were astounding. Out of 61 voters from the Stow area, cats were crushed at a 11% to 81% votes for dogs.

According to Business Insider, dogs make better pets because they keep you social, fit and keep you from growing old. They are the perfect dose of medicine. Having to walk dogs around the block is the perfect time to meet people, and studies show people who walk their dogs on a daily basis are healthier than those without dogs.

Dogs are even good for detecting multiple diseases such as epilepsy and can detect seizures before they happen. Dogs can be trained as guides for the blind and other services no one has ever seen a cat do.   

Although dogs are slobbery, need to be groomed on a regular basis and go to the bathroom outside, they are loyal pets to have for anyone of any age.

Cats do have their appeals though. According to Animal Planet, they will keep the bugs away, will happily snuggle and are easy pets to keep fit. Cats naturally have the instinct to hunt and bugs are no exception. If it moves then the cat will chase it. They are easy to keep fit by simply setting a ball in front of them or pointing a laser pointer. This may be easy entertainment, too.

Though cats are not good for guides, they do help to keep their human healthy. On Business Insider, cats are proven to lower risks of heart attacks by reducing stress on their owners. Cats are less expensive to keep around as they cost about $300-$600 less because they eat a lot less food than dogs and grooming bills. Also, they tend to be a lot less because of the lack of needed training, leashes, collars and crates. Dogs are a lot more expensive than cats and tend to be a lot more energetic and outgoing.

There are many different benefits to both pets and there really is not a better pet as it all depends on what its owner prefers. Hundreds and thousands animals all across the United States looking for someone to love them, go to your local shelter today to find the right pet for you whether it’s a cat or a dog.

A time to relax and enjoy the company of your friends and family has finally come.

To get the most out of one’s winter break, here are some of my favorite things to do over the holidays.

One place I make sure I go every year is Castle Noel. Castle Noel is located 260 South Court St., Medina, OH 44256, and it is America’s largest indoor Christmas entertainment attraction. There are original Hollywood Christmas movie props and costumes from “The Grinch,” “Elf,” and “Christmas with the Kranks.” Castle Noel costs $16 per person and children under three can get in free of cost. It is a wonderful family environment, making it a great place to take your kids.

Another great place to wander if you are feeling bored is the Glow at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Their address is 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106. Glow transports you to a world full of seasonal cheer, where all-new wonders and returning traditions await you. Whimsical train ride, musicians and carolers, decorate a gingerbread house, decorated trees, holiday shopping, and more. If you are a member of the Cleveland Botanical Gardens your admission is free, and other than that an adult ticket costs 16$ and a child costs 12$.

Last but not least is one of my favorite family traditions. Every year my family goes to Sleigh & Carriage Rides at Ma & Pa’s. It is located in Burton, Ohio. It is open every winter all season long. Ma and Pa hitch up the sleighs and take you out through the woods and out in the field and then back to the cabin for a warm fire. Ma’s homemade bakery, hot chocolate and maple coffee is one you cannot miss. Reservations are required so make sure you call ahead. Sleigh Rides run Saturday and Sunday and some weekdays all winter long. If there is no snow, no need to worry. Ma & Pa have a sleigh that can operate without snow.