Hidden Treasures

By Marcus

When most people think of easter eggs they think of hiding brightly colored eggs around a backyard but that is not always the case. According to game developer Warren Robinett, “the use of the term "Easter egg"  describes secret features in video games,” but now it has been introduced into websites, google, and many more. Easter eggs allow game developers, engineers, and many others to have some fun with their jobs by adding references or messages to their products. Easter eggs have been around for a long time from 70’s video games to the newest Tesla model.  Easter eggs are fun to find and to look at, but did you know that you can make your own easter eggs around your house? By painting a birdhouse you can make it look like gnomes live in a tree. This is just one of the many that can be made. 

Warren Robinett was the first to ever put an easter egg into a video game. He had made the game Adventure for the Atari 2600 and back then game developers were not getting credit for their games so Warren made a secret room in his game that had the message “created by Warren Robinett. This shows how the easter egg has changed, from hidden and frowned upon to encouraged. Tesla has even made an easter egg in their new model x. If one was to put in a series of complex commands into the touchpad of their Tesla they would be gifted with a holiday song with the speakers at max volume, the lights would flash and the doors would open and close to the music. The Tesla team did not announce this until not too long ago, which suggests how they wanted to make this a surprise for someone who would accidentally trigger the easter egg, but I guess they couldn't wait that long. Amazon is a very well known company, but many people don't know about the hidden link that is at the bottom of the start page. Jeff Bezos started Amazon with his friends and most of them are still working at Amazon but one of Jeff’s colleagues left a little while ago. His name was David Risher. Many people don’t know that Amazon started as a bookstore but then grew into selling everything. David Risher was one of Bezos’s best friends and he helped start Amazon so it would make sense to give him a shoutout once he left. 

Easter eggs have been in movies and tv as well. One easter egg was in The Simpsons, this easter egg  was a clear shot of another show’s beer. Family guy’s Pawtucket Patriot Ale beer is seen on the counter of the Simpsons family house. The Simpsons and Family Guy have had a rivalry for many years, constantly making fun of each other’s shows and broadcasting networks. But they eventually made a truce and made a crossover episode declaring their friendship.   Disney also has their fair share of fun with easter eggs. In the  2004 movie “The Incredibles” the son, dash, is wearing a shirt that has a couple monsters from the Disney movie Monsters INC. Disney has many references but most all of them are to their own movies, with most to Monsters INC. Easter eggs have also been in many comics but mostly marvel comics. The artist Al Milgrom wrote "HARRAS HA HA, HE'S GONE, GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH HE WAS A NASTY S.O.B." on the inside of the spine of a Captain America comic. This was about his old boss Bob Harras. Most of Marvel’s easter eggs have been from the artists without their superiors’ permission. 

Easter eggs have been fun surprises for a long time and will be for many years to come. Easter eggs allow game developers, engineers, and many others to have some fun with their jobs by adding references or messages to their products. Many people who work with code can have fun while working by putting easter eggs in whatever they might be making. From the world of video games, easter eggs have spread to cars, websites, and many more.  There is an easter egg in this article too. I won't give away exactly where it is but the hint is “Family Guy”.

Ocean Pollution

By Charlie

Did you know that ocean pollution is not only affecting animals but is also affecting us? Since the ocean covers 70% of the earth’s surface, it is a major part of life on this planet. Unfortunately there is a lot of plastic in the ocean, but there are ways to fix this. The ocean is a great place but with so much plastic in it, it is getting polluted, and it needs our help. 

 Recently factories  have been releasing pollution into the ocean, and some of this is iron particles. Some experts have concerns that iron particles could have consequences on marine life. This shows that iron could have an effect on the food chain which could impact us. Over the years humans have been releasing more and more iron into the water, and the iron is dissolving a lot faster than scientists predicted. This means that iron might be a good thing. Phytoplankton naturally suck up carbon dioxide. With an extra boost from the iron particles, they could suck up more of it. This could be a good thing because it gets rid of the carbon dioxide problem. Even though this could help the world there is a lot more plastic that enters the ocean.

There are 9 million tons of plastic added to the ocean each year, and some of the plastic is cigarette butts. Meredith Evans Seeley, a doctoral student studying plastic, suggests that, “many people are working under the assumption that cigarette butts are biodegradable.” This shows that cigarettes are not biodegradable and they are really harmful to the environment. Other things that are harmful to the environment are plastic bags, balloons and water bottles. Other than being non-biodegradable items a lot of birds mistake these for food because it is on the top of the oceans. Even if your trash doesn’t make its way to the ocean it will go to a landfill which are really bad for the environment. Landfills are bad for the environment because they produce methane which makes more carbon dioxide. Overall plastic is bad but there might be some cures to this problem.

At the annual Google science fair Fionn Ferreira made a microplastic extraction from water. When Fionn took a walk on the beach he saw a lot of plastic and oil. According to Fionn, “[He] was alarmed to find out how many microplastics enter our wastewater system and consequently the oceans." There are more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. Fionn’s project could help with a cleanup of some of the plastic in the ocean. There is a lot of plastic, and you could help this problem by recycling.

Due to these high levels of pollution, the ocean is getting filled with plastic, and soon it won’t be as beautiful as it is now. Even though there is pollution from plastic, there are also ways to fix it, including Fionn’s new method. The ocean is dying, and you could save it by not using so much plastic!

Nintendo: A History

By Ella

Video games are one of the ways kids learn about the world. Nintendo is one of the best known video game companies. Fusajiro Yamauchi was a Japanese entrepreneur, who started Nintendo. Nintendo changed the entertainment world with their first video game console. Nintendo's newest console is way different than their first console. Since Nintendo was founded in 1889 it has changed immensely.

Nintendo has been around since before video games even existed. On September 23, 1889 in Kyoto, Japan, Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the company Nintendo, which focused on card games. It’s crazy to think about how entertainment has changed in over 100 years. Nintendo the word means “leave luck to heaven.” Nintendo has been really lucky because over 1 year they make $1.62 billion. Their first card game was all handmade, and was called hanafuda. The game soon became very popular and Yamauchi had to hire people to help him make all the cards so they could make enough. However, the changes were only beginning.

Nintendo’s whole business changed with the beginning of the digital age. In 1993 they launched their first console The Family Computer, which was a home video game console. This made a huge change to the world, because this was one of the first video games in the world. The Family Computer was a big box with a controller sticking out of it. This is way different than now because back then the consoles were bulky and heavy and you had to keep it at home. According to Alen Bradley, a writer at gamesradar.com, old games “[whisk] us back to childhood with a targeted shot of nostalgia.” People are starting to bring back old video game consoles because they are excited for the retro quality. These old games are very different from the new consoles.

The consoles today are from a whole new generation. On March 3, 2017 the Nintendo Switch was released. This is Nintendo’s newest invention. It is portable and you can bring it places, unlike the Family Computer which is huge. One reviewer on techradar.com, Jon Porter, says, “it's one of the most popular devices around.” It is crazy to see how successful Nintendo has been over all these years. 

Clearly, Nintendo has come a long way since 1889. From card games to large early video game consoles, to modern and portable ones, Nintendo has been a gaming leader. Who knows what Nintendo will be like in 20 years?

Orcas in Captivity

By Sy

Can captivity make animals insane? A recorded 166 orcas have died in captivity and 30 baby orcas miscarried, according to whales.org. Seaworld has struggled with major accidents. We should learn not to tame animals that shouldn’t be tamed.

 One of the most famous accidents happened about a decade ago. February 24, 2010. It’s a regular day at Seaworld. The visitors come in and start watching the show.Everything is fine; orcas do a few jumps and the trainers tell the visitors about the orcas. Then Tilikum, a 22 foot 2000 pound orca, grabs Dawn Brancheau’s hair and pulls her under water.  Dawn Brancheau was a trainer at Seaworld from 1996 to 2010. Most Seaworld trainers are not actual marine biologists but Dawn Brancheau was. Tilikum is not so innocent; the gigantic killer whale has killed two other people in its history, including another trainer and a homeless man who crawled into its tank in Orlando. According to an interview with Seaworld from the movie blackfish Seaworld answered in a way that “it was her fault she had a ponytail.” A court trial was issued to ban the videos of the attack and anything that could show any hint of what happened that day. 

Tilikum is not the only major accident at Seaworld. One trainer said that  “most people join because they love animals and they leave because of that.” This shows that trainers have good intentions, but then get sucked into the abuse of animals. Orcas live in extremely small tanks, so that “To add up to the size they need to swim would have to swim the tank 1,500 times” says the movie Blackfish. This is nowhere near enough space for the orcas, and can be compared to the small isolation cells that humans experience in mental hospitals. For instance when trainers say that a collapsed dorsal fin is normal, it’s not it’s really an injury. This lie is used to comfort guests, and hide the problems, such as sunburn, which they cover up with zinc oxide. They also starve  the animals if they don’t have good behavior. The basic message is do well, get food and if you don’t, STARVE. Orcas, a usually friendly animal kill and injure trainers fairly regularly. They are separated from their babies and taken to a cramped space where they perform for their life. The average orca lifespan is 90 years, in captivity it’s 9 to 20. 

You can’t control nature that isn’t supposed to be tamed. Cats and dogs need a master to tell them what to do, elephants, monkeys and orcas aren’t supposed to be tamed they live on their own and aren’t supposed to be treated like objects. In conclusion Seaworld closed its orca shows and breeding programs in March of 2016, but is still open for amusement park rides and waterskiing shows.

The Gun Debate

By Jake 

How do you balance freedom with safety? There have been 225 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to Gun Violence Archive,  and people want a change. A main topic of discussion has been how to change gun laws to protect American citizens from more mass shootings, while maintaining the 2nd amendment. With strong advocates on both sides of the argument, this is a complex issue to resolve. Most of the U.S population wants assault rifles to be banned, but there are also a lot of people that think this type of  ban would not solve the country’s gun problem.

Joe Biden, in his August, 2019 New York Times article about this topic, reported that banning assault rifles does reduce gun violence. Statistics show that there have been more mass shootings since gun laws that banned assault rifles expired in 2004. Politicians, police and many other Americans want stricter gun laws back, believing that this would prevent more mass shootings. With better gun laws it would be harder for criminals to get a hold of assault weapons that are often used in these crimes. According to the New York Times, about 70 percent of American’s support a ban on assault weapons, including 54 percent of Republicans.  Even though the majority of the country supports this ban, it is very hard for the government to change the Second Amendment. For most people, witnessing these shootings makes them scared and mad at the government for not changing laws to protect them. I believe that the gun laws need to be changed, but there are also a lot of opponents who disagree. 

In changing the gun laws there are a lot of people that disagree and are affected by a change. The Second Amendment protects the right of gun ownership. It is very hard for the government to change the Second Amendment, and a lot of people disagree with it. The NRA claims that guns are used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year. People would say that banning assault rifles would deny self defense for people that need it. According to ProCon.org, of the “62 mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and 2012, 49 of the shooters used legally obtained guns.” This data suggests that gun control laws wouldn’t prevent criminals from using illegal weapons. Although there are a lot of disadvantages to changing the gun laws, there are a lot of advantages, and people would argue that some of the reasons for opposition are untrue.

A lot of better things would happen in changing the gun laws. More gun control laws would reduce gun deaths.  If we had better gun laws less people would get a hold of guns, therefore the deaths by guns would go down. Some people argue that guns are rarely used in self defense. If someone was in an argument and they pulled out a gun it would only make the situation more violent.  Opponents of the ban fear that stricter gun laws will take away citizens’ freedom to protect themselves. According to ProCon.org, between 2007 and 2011, in 29,618,300 violent crimes, only “0.79% of victims (235,700) protected themselves with a threat of use or use of a firearm,” making it “the least-employed protective behavior.” Not everyone needs to have a gun to protect themselves, because they will most likely not use it. Stricter gun laws can change a lot in the U.S and in other countries.

In this country, there are people that think that changing the gun laws will not help the country, but most of the U.S.population wants assault rifles to be banned. Democratic politicians such as Joe Biden, are fighting for new gun laws, and second amendment advocates want the gun laws to stay the same. I believe that the U.S. needs to change the gun laws because I should not be worried about someone with a gun when I go outside my house.

Gina Rodriguez: Actor, Director, Activist

By Valentina

In her fictional life Gina Rodriguez has dealt with unexpected babies, unexpected love life, and an unexpected career. But her real life has been just as exciting. Gina Alexis Rodriguez started acting around 2010. She was born July 30, 1984 in Chicago, Illinois. Gina’s starring role on Jane The Virgin has led to much success in acting and directing, which she is using to bring change to the acting industry. Gina Rodriguez is an inspiring example as an actress, director, and activist.

Gina Rodriguez’s breakout role was in a top hit show Jane The Virgin, a TV show on the CW Network that is loosely based on the Venezuelan telenovela called Juana la virgen (Juana the Virgin). Gina played the loving role of Jane Glorianna Villanueva. Jane grew up living in a loving Venezuelan home with her mother, Xiomara Glorianna Villannueva -- Xo for short -- and her very religious abuela (grandmother), Alba Glorianna Villanueva. Xo and Alba have always loved Jane a great deal, but even still they all know that Xo’s life was derailed by her pregnancy with Jane at the age of 16. That’s why, when Jane was 10 years old, she took a vow to God and her Abuela, that she will save herself until marriage, which she righteously upholds. After she is accidentally artificially inseminated, Jane decides to keep the baby, a very complicated choice due to the fact that her boyfriend, Michael Cordero, a police detective, is planning on proposing! Meanwhile, the unintentional sperm donor turns out to be an old crush from a yacht club. She navigates the crazy love triangle with the help of her mother, Xiomara, and grandmother, Alba; together they are a group of kind, powerful, complicated women. Jane dealt with many challenges and obstacles all throughout the show. She had to deal with a completely chancy life, which Jane wasn’t used to because she always liked to be prepared and plan. She had a medical altercation which would change her life forever. At the same time she was balancing out her waitress job at the Marbella Hotel, which unintentionally, her sperm donor, Rafael Solano’s father owned at the moment. She was trying to write her first romance book. She was trying to get ready for a marriage with Michael, but that didn’t end up happening because Jane started to have feelings for Rafael! Jane’s life was really, “Straight out of a telenovela!” as many of the show’s characters observe. Gina Rodriguez is an amazing actor. She has been in multiple movies and TV shows such as: Someone Great, Miss Bala, Scoob, Smallfoot, Ferdinand, Our Family Wedding, and much more. Gina is also rising to become an amazing director.

Yes, Gina Rodriguez is an amazing actor. Yes, that is what she is known for. But that’s not all! Gina Rodriguez is trying to rise as a director. Gina has started her directing career on season four of Jane The Virgin and directed much more of season 5. She was also a slight director in the movie Someone Great, In the movie, Gina plays Jenny Young, but she was also a producer in the movie. She has also been a producer and director in other movies and shows. She directed an episode of Charmed, and was a producer for: Carmen Sandiego, Diary of a Female President, Jane the Novela, Jane The Virgin, Someone Great, Illegal, and Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors. Gina Rodriguez is obviously talented. But in addition to her talent there is always something she looks for; where does her latin identity fall into place?

Gina Rodriguez has one thing that she carries with her every time she has an acting or directing job: her latin heritage. Gina Rodriguez was born in Chicago, Illinois to Puerto Rican parents, Magali and Genaro Rodriguez. Although she was raised in Belmont Cragin, Chicago, she and other members of her family have always called themselves Puerto Rican, not American. Gina takes any opportunity she can to advocate for Latin American people. In 2016 she told Latina Magazine, “A strong leader is one who creates other leaders.” This means that Gina is devoted to “encouraging young girls to take control of their lives, to spread kindness…” No matter where she goes, Gina is loyal to this message. On a recent trip to Miami, a girl the age of 10 approached Gina. “She’s Puerto Rican, and she’s very excited that I’m Puerto Rican,” Gina remembers the little girl saying. “She goes, ‘Gina, I saw you at the Golden Globes. And, you know, no Latino actors won anything.’” In the four years since Gina Rodriguez won her Globe, only two Latin actors have won at the ceremony. “I go, ‘You noticed that, huh?’” And the little girl asks, ‘When are we going to get there?'” Gina told her, “I’m working on it.” It’s the little things in life that make the world change, and Gina is leading the charge.

Gina Rodriguez is an amazing role model because she isn’t just an actress nor a director, but is helping to change the world by being an activist. Lets just say Gina is an amazing person over all and is inspiring people all over the world. As Gina always says, “You can, and you will!”

Sources

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-gina-rodriguez-directorial-debut-20180208-htmlstory.html

https://time.com/5505437/gina-rodriguez-directing/

https://artsandculture.google.com/theme/uwJiPR5kKaZWIg

https://www.charactour.com/hub/characters/view/Jane-Villanueva.Jane-the-Virgin

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8075260/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1752221/#director

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8075260/

https://www.biography.com/actor/gina-rodriguez

http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-100/creatives/gina-rodriguez

https://people.com/chica/america-ferrera-inspired-gina-rodriguez-acting-career/  

Invasive or Not?

By Dylan

Snakes might not be cute fuzzy animals, but they are really interesting ones. South-Eastern America has both native and invasive snake species, like the Hognose and the python. Pythons originated in Southeast Asia, until they came to Florida. Invasive species like the python can be harmful to wildlife. People help snakes that belong somewhere, but not those that are invasive species.

There are a lot of different snakes; they live in different places and some are venomous and others are not venomous. According to the parks department, the eastern Hognose snake can grow up to 4 ft, and it’s “‘famous’ for playing dead when the mood strikes it.” The eastern hognose snake is also known as the zombie snake. It’s called the zombie snake because when it’s being attacked or threatened the snake flips on its back, wiggles, has an odor, and spits. This snake plays dead when it doesn’t want to die, to scare animals, and also for defense purposes.

Unlike the Hognose snake, pythons are invasive species to Florida and they are affecting the wildlife there. Because of this, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, “pythons can be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission.” This is helpful for Florida because if the pythons are gone then Florida will become closer to having non-invasive species on their land and in the water. Burmese pythons are common in South Florida, in the Everglades, but “the snake represents a threat to native wildlife,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife argues. The Everglades are a protected area, but pythons are now a threat there. We  need alligators to survive long enough that we can get the pythons out before the alligators are dead. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation states that, the public is allowed to kill pythons in “Public Small Game Hunting Areas and Wildlife and Environmental Areas where pythons are known to exist.” Public citizens in South Florida have been stepping up to save their environment. Pythons are a real threat to the environment in Florida and this is just another good reason why people are getting involved to save where they live.

One example of a python killing an alligator is the 10ft python that was suffocating the 4ft alligator until the Florida man Mike Kimmel came to help. The Miami Herald states that “In the swamps of the Everglades, under the cover of darkness, the snake began to suffocate the gator by constricting it.” Mike Kimmel is a snake hunter and he helps alligators by removing the pythons from the gators. By removing the snake he is also able to help the alligator, which is helpful since alligators are part of the native wildlife in Florida and pythons are the invaders. Hybrid pythons are a new threat because they can survive in different places more than regular pythons: “New Hybrid pythons discovered in southern Florida could be stronger and more adaptable to their environment than their nonhybrid relatives,” the Miami Herald observed. This is bad for the Everglades because they could overrun the animals that already lived there. People might think that a snake is scary and harmful, but it is really just trying to stay alive by using tactics that we might not like. Still, if they are not in their home environment, they can be a problem.

The snakes that belong somewhere don’t get bagged and killed, on the other hand pythons are getting bagged in South Florida. Hognose snakes are found in North Carolina and are non-venomous. The python is found in Florida, and is an invasive species that originated in Southeast Asia. Even if you are afraid of snakes, you should respect them.

Sources

1. The Miami Herald

2. Charlotte Observer

3. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

David Ortiz

By Macaih

Have you heard of David Ortiz? If you watch baseball, you probably have heard this name more than a few times.  This is the name of a three time World Series Champion and the guy that started off being a nothing and became one of the biggest stars of baseball history. After his struggle of living in the Domician Republic he took a great leap to the sport of baseball where he wanted to make a career. Following his many years in baseball he decided to retire in 2016. He shocked the world of baseball by retiring, then he went back to his hometown started a family, and bought a house. On June 9, 2019, three years after he retired he was struck by a bullet. David Ortiz didn’t let that stop him and luckily the bullet didn’t do too much damage to his body. He is fighting to get back on his feet soon and hopefully he will do much more in his near future.

David Ortiz was born on November 18, 1975 in the Dominician Republic, and he was always in love with baseball. David and his family lived in a dangerous place in the Dominician Republic. He and his friends would make baseball teams and set up bases so they could imitate baseball as well as they could without money.  They played baseball everyday for a long time. One day, when he was 15, a manager for a baseball team saw David play and said that when he was 17 he wanted to sign him. Playing baseball was very important to him and he took the game very seriously. That helped when he was in the MLB when he was facing off against the people on the other team. He was confident that he would win a championship one day and he did just that three times. When he was just 17 years old he signed for the Seattle Mariners for $10,000. This baseball team played in the Arizona League, and was the first team that he was a part of during his amateur career. At the time David thought that was the kind of money someone with a first round pick in the draft would get.  He started playing in 1992. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in the 1997 season. During the 2002- 2003 season David’s contract was released from the Twins, so he went back to his hometown. He was devastated about the news. He went to the bar and to his surprise he saw his long lost friend Pedro. They talked and talked and then he said that he was released from his contract and that he came back. Then Pedro said that the Red Sox wanted him to play for them. David was excited, because this was a life-changing opportunity for him. David went on to have a very good season and a lot of major achievements in baseball.

When David started playing for the Red Sox he had a lot of achievements that made his name worldwide, and led his team to numerous championships. His nickname was Big Papi, and he was a phenomenal player. He played for the Red Sox from 2003- 2016 and led them to many important achievements. He was a three time World series champion and he was a three time American League Champion. David even played in the All Star Game, and he made it to the Hall of Fame. During David Ortiz’s career he topped in at number 17 in the history of baseball to have the most homeruns in his career, with 541 homeruns.  This makes him one of the best baseball players in modern history. He later retired in 2016. Unfortunately what came after his retirement on June 9, 2019 was very tragic to the people that supported and cheered for him in his season.

On June 9, 2019 a shooting took place at the bar that David and his friends were at. On this day the suspect rode on his motorcycle to the bar that David was at. When he got off his motorcycle he pulled out his gun and shot David in the back. People saw the person who shot the gun and captured him and he was beaten in the bar. The police were later called and the man was arrested. The people in the bar called the ambulance and Ortiz was quickly rushed to the hospital in Boston where he is going to have a quick and successful recovery. It seems like bad things always happen to celebrities, whether it’s mentally, physically, or socially bad. We can only hope that David Ortiz can recover quickly in the next few months.

After everything that David Ortiz accomplished he deserves to have more years to live and to celebrate. From his tough childhood to his amazing career David conquered a lot during his life and this should be another obstacle that he will leap over. Luckily, the gunshot didn’t hit any important organs and he is getting better.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/09/sports/baseball/david-ortiz-shot-dominican-republic.html?register=google

https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/MLB/2019/06/11/Former-Red-Sox-great-David-Ortiz-recovering-in-Boston-after-being-shot/2471560259984/
https://www.6seconds.org/2018/11/20/11600-per-month-and-bankrupt-why-some-nfl-players-lose-at-the-game-of-life-and-what-we-can-all-learn-from-it/

https://www.tiebreaker.com/athletes-second-careers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ortiz#Boston_Red_Sox_(2003%E2%80%932016)

"Thirteen Reasons Why" Controversy

By Tru

Who knew so many people would get offended over a Netflix Original? ‘13 Reasons Why’ is about a teenage girl named Hannah Baker who leaves tapes explaining why she committed suicide, and who is to blame for her death. Although many parents and teachers are concerned by this content, the show generates important conversations, and covers much more than just suicide. Moreover, students should be capable to make their own choice in terms of what they can watch. Ultimately, ‘13 Reasons Why’ is more helpful than it is harmful.

Netflix has used ‘13 Reasons Why’ as an opening for opening up discussions, which can be beneficial to viewers and raise awareness. Since season two of the show came out, Netflix released a PSA warning viewers about the content before they watch it. Netflix created this show because they wanted to open a gateway for more discussions, and they thought the best way to do that was to create a show about it. Netflix has even collaborated with suicide prevention hotlines and groups to really get the word out. However, experts still think Netflix isn’t doing enough for the cause, so the company decided to launch a ‘13 Reasons Why’ video discussion series with the characters from the show, to talk about the serious topics. This action shows how committed Netflix is to raising awareness of suicide and other issues in the show. The positive effects of these discussions outweigh the potential dangers, because viewers who are feeling alone and depressed have resources. 

The show doesn’t only cover suicide; it covers plenty more serious subjects  that need to be discussed, including rape, sexual assault, underage drinking, cyberbullying, and abuse. Even though these things are happening in real life, this specific story is fiction, which provides an opportunity for raising awareness. For example 87% of today’s youth have witnessed cyberbullying and 19% of this often entails spreading of rumors, which could in fact lead to depression (20% to 50% of teens suffer from depression), as it did in Hannah’s case. Let’s say a cyber bully decides to watch the show—they could finally see what cyberbullying can lead too. I believe it could take down the cyberbullying percentage bit by bit. However, I think school faculty need to make open discussions available like Netflix has, instead of sending emails to parents about “ the harmful content in the show” (which shouldn’t be a concern of theirs).

While the show contains content that alarms some critics, and depressed students should watch it with caution, in the end students should be allowed to make their own choices. In 2017, schools and educators responded to these concerns in a variety of ways: sending messages home, hosting parent panels, and even using the series as a springboard for action. Do you think school faculty should have a say about what your child watches in their free time? School psychologists have recommended “that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation,” do not view the series. One high school in Michigan started a 13 Reasons Why Not campaign to raise awareness and open up a conversation about teen mental health. Many health practitioners worry that teens with mental health issues may conclude that suicide is the only solution to their struggles. A mental health doctor says that “the plot conflated suicide with a teenage revenge fantasy, which may send a dangerous message to the potentially impressionable viewers.” Netflix meanwhile, has responded by adding an additional graphic content warning before the series’ first episode. With this warning from Netflix, I  think teenagers should have enough information to make their own choices in terms of what they watch. 

Although, teachers and mental health specialists are concerned for the teens who watch this series, I personally think that the show is harmless. In fact, I think it could be beneficial to teens and kids because I believe the issues in the series aren’t being discussed enough, and this show can provide the segue that teens need to get the message across. 

Transgender Athletes and the IOC

Transgender women are being treated horribly by the IOC .The Olympics transgender debate started when an undefeated transgender wrestler, Chris Mosier, refused to take part in the 2016 Rio Olympics because of the absurd new rule forcing transgender women to dangerously suppress their testosterone.To create this rule that states that transgender women are supposed to suppress their testosterone  was not only sexist but unethical. To have somebody’s dreams come at the price of their physical and mental wellness is atrocious. Anyways in the sports world there will never truly be an equal playing field, because then no one would win. I believe this issue can be fixed by making a different category of the Olympics for transgender people, and perhaps even going as far as to separate them by the genders that they identify with.   

Testosterone suppression can be very harmful; it can lead to serious permanent damage including depression. Depression amongst the transgender community  has been causing the majority of suicidal death amongst them. Some of the other side effects include, but are not limited to, tumor development in rats, abnormal heart rhythms, liver problems such as cirrhosis, as even minor changes in fluid and electrolyte balance may cause liver-related coma. These are just a few of the many devastating side effects that could change someone’s mental or physical state. If someone even had two out of these three tumors their chance of death would be 75 percent. These medicines are so dangerous that they could permanently change your personality.  Changing someone's personality could be very dangerous and the outcome could make someone be ridiculed by their family and friends and it could cause them to do something illegal.

The transgender community has been faced with an impossible choice because of the new Olympic rule. When testosterone levels are decreased it makes your muscle mass and bone deteriorate; this causes damage that would be fatal or career ending. This basically means living like a turtle for the rest of your life, slow and old.  The IOC has given transgender women a very hard choice to either have a chance at the Olympics but then have to end their  career and not be able to continue as an athlete for the rest of their life, or miss out on the opportunity to be in the Olympics. This is completely wrong because studies have shown that a faster deteriorating bone marrow  can be harmful, causing the victim to be barely moving and in constant pain . Why would you want to put someone through that kind of torture? That would be unethical. Should this pain, suffering, and torture be the answer to women saying that “it is unfair to have transgender women in the Olympics against other women”? The answer is no; there is a very ethical, simple solution, which is to have different Olympic groups for transgender women. Some may say that is isolating them but I firmly believe it is better than forcing them into fatal medicine.

             The truth is there is never going to be an equal playing field because then no one would win.  Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in one Olympics. He had a natural body for swimming because his wingspan is longer than his height. The IOC should not be prohibiting transgender women from competing with  their advantage, because if they don’t stop Michael Phelps because he has long arms then why should they penalize transgender women because they have a natural advantage. Kenyan runners have a clear and documented advantage, which is being able to breath in thinner air than anyone else. This is an advantage that could easily be stopped just by prohibiting running mountain races, which are very uncommon. However, they don't do that in the Olympics, but they do this to transgender women. When they found that Marion Lois Jones was using steroids they stripped her of her medal and gave her a ban of 14 months. Should the IOC be comparing and giving more than a 14 month ban?  Transgender women that have natural testosterone are being given worse treatment than people who cheated. It is not right to be comparing someone who knew the rules and broke them with somebody who was born that way.                                                                      

               This problem has a very simple solution; all that has to be done is to create a separate Olympic group for transgender people. This solution would prevent many athletes’ deaths, and it might go so far as to inspire transgender youth. This would also possibly prevent suicides for a young child to see someone out there like him or her with a gold, silver, or bronze medal on their neck. Having an only transgender Olympic group could make more people want to join. It would open the Olympics to a different audience.

Facebook's Dilemma

By Maggie

When you watch the news have you thought about what happened with Facebook? Over the last two years, Facebook has seen many significant changes that impacted society. These changes have had a substantial impact on Facebook’s reputation by allowing Russians to use it. The actual question would be: who is to blame? The Russian interference had a significant effect on what happened on Facebook and in the U.S. 2016 Election, and it’s possible that Trump would not have won without the interference.

Russian interference impacted the U.S. Election through social media hacking, and possibly even coordinating with the Trump campaign. Some people like Robert Mueller, an American attorney, believe that Donald Trump has been working with the Russians to mess with the votes. The Russians were convincing people on Facebook to vote for Donald Trump and may even have hacked voter centers. Facebook wasn’t fast enough in realizing that this would impact the election. They are now trying to“make sure that we build systems to prevent what happened from happening again,” according to Facebook VP David Marcus. Some of the high officials are working on finding out who is causing this chaos. Robert Mueller already convicted 13 Russian nationalists and 12 Russian military intel officers. Thus, I do believe that they should continue the investigation without any distractions.

There have been some downfalls to Facebook following the election, and it is now working to save its reputation. Facebook is working on hiring people to remove Russian hackers and promoters. They are hiring about a thousand people to hunt down Russian users. Facebook is making many updates because of this occurrence. They released an “independent election research commission” that will remove misinformation and election manipulations. Facebook should be focused on how to keep the members safe. For the next election, they should ban the names of the runners so other people’s ideas won’t impact the election. Overall, I do believe that Facebook should be focused on how their viewers feel and keeping them safe.

As Facebook should be keeping their viewers safe, they should also look into who is to blame. Most people believe it is the CEO of Facebook who should take responsibility. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, was first called out for allowing Russians to interfere with the election. One day, Zuckerberg addressed some of the developers about what happened. “I hear fearful voices calling for building walls, and distancing people they label as ‘others,’” quoted Zuckerberg during the meeting. Other people blame Donald Trump to be the cause of the Russian hacking. They say that he is teaming up with Vladimir Putin to win the election. Donald Trump would most likely to be teaming up with Vladimir Putin for something big. Both Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump share some responsibility for what happened in America and on Facebook, and both should be held accountable.

The Russian interference did have a significant impact on social media that changed history.  If elections like the last one happen again, then it might create an unstable government and have it unable to be restored. Facebook fell for a while but still regained its trust back from its users. It would be easier to blame the President of the U.S for this catastrophe. How would you feel if you were a CEO of a big social media company and it got hacked?

Bringing Animals Back From the Dead!

By Tilly

Imagine having a wooly mammoth in your backyard. Well, that vision might come true. On July 30, 2003, scientists made history. By using very advanced technology they were able to bring an extinct animal, the bucardo, back to life, if only for a few minutes. Doing this potentially problematic experiment could cause many dangers with the science and technology behind it. Why are scientists focusing on extinct animals when they could be using their time to help living animals? The money behind this experiment is also one of its major flaws. Resurrecting animals is not worth the time and money for what could happen.

Bringing endangered extinct animals back to life could cause catastrophic effects and unintended consequences. Using technology, scientists have come up with a way to bring a wooly mammoth back to life. However, this could potentially be a bad idea. If scientists bring back the woolly mammoth other animals that are now suffering from extinction could become even more in danger if we bring an entire new species to Southern Siberia.  The closest thing to the woolly mammoth’s genes is an African Elephant, which means that scientists would be using elephant eggs, which could be very dangerous and could lead to extinction. If scientists use the DNA of African Elephants they would take the egg and they would make it so that it is close to the woolly mammoth until eventually it would become a wooly mammoth. However, African Elephants are endangered themselves, so it doesn’t make sense to take away their chances of reproduction.  Moreover, the woolly mammoth disappeared 3,600 years ago. Scientists never really knew why they did go extinct but they figured out that it was most likely humans hunting them, or habitat loss. Another problem of bringing them back was that if humans killed them 3,600 years ago why wouldn’t poachers do it again? After all a lot of hunters would love to get their hands on an animal that has already been extinct. Humans are using a lot more of the animals’ habitat. Where would the woolly mammoth live? With all the new technology and resources we use that  cause global warming this might make woolly mammoths go extinct again. Hurting animals isn’t worth it.

Technology has advanced so much that we can revive extinct animals; however we should focus on saving animals that are going extinct today. According to the IUCN Red List, 16,306 animals are going extinct because of us. Is it really a good idea to bring back an animal that went extinct 3,600 years ago? Over 800 species have gone extinct because of humans. Now we have come up with the technology to bring back an extinct animal. Shouldn’t we focus on how so many animals are going extinct today? If we bring back woolly mammoths we are tampering with nature. If we learned from our mistakes when the woolly mammoths went extinct we should try and correct those mistakes with animals that are still alive. Bringing woolly mammoths back could possibly be dangerous and could lead to even more animals’ extinction. The African elephant is going extinct. If scientists use the technology to modify the elephant egg this could lead to the african elephant extinction. When scientists are trying to recreate wooly mammoths they could be trying to come up with the technology to help animal extinction. Why are scientists not focusing on the animals that are suffering today?

Reviving extinct species is not only bad for endangered animals, it’s also incredibly expensive.Scientists that specialize in this idea have 454 machines each costing $500,000. Overall the cost is  $227,000,000. There are so many things that are more productive than spending your money on something that might not work. 10 million dollars have been put into this experiment so far. How do scientists know it’s going to work?  Why spend millions of dollars for something that might not work. The money for this project is so expensive and not worth it if something goes wrong.

This experiment could not just take away one animal’s life but hundreds. I hope I have made it clear that resurrecting animals is cruel and could have bad effects to the animal you resurrected and the animals that are going through extinction. You might not get a wooly mammoth in your backyard but at least you will still have elephants.  

Modern Slavery

By Magnolia

Slavery never really ended in 1863. Slavery is still used in many forms to harm people in all parts of the world.Modern day slavery affects millions of people, especially in developing countries. People in developed countries contribute to the problem, but there are ways to fight slavery in the future. It’s important to every community that we should look out and stop slavery.

  Many underprivileged or impoverished people are threatened or controlled by others to perform jobs they would not like to do and not get paid. There are about 40.3 million people in modern slavery around the world today. Although this number is a large amount there are people around the world who are developing new ways to stop slavery. Slavery mostly occurs in countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh. Many of these places are undeveloped economies where many people struggle to survive and slavery is their only chance.  It’s our responsibility to help these people find new opportunities.

  Most citizens of advanced countries are not aware of modern slavery and fail to prevent it. For example people are not realizing that what they are purchasing is supporting slavery. According to the Guardian, “The US was found to have imported similar goods worth $144bn (£110bn), making it by far the biggest global importer of products potentially made by slaves.” Although many governments have been warned about what is going on they have only been stopping the cases that have caused the most public outrage. As another Guardian article reports, “A total of 178 possible cases of car wash slavery were reported in 2017, 34 of which prompted investigations. Only one case led to arrests.” This suggests that governments aren’t taking slavery seriously enough. This neglect of the government is a big issue and we should try and fight it as best as we can.

  Fortunately people are starting to develop new ways to help stop slavery. One way to stop slavery is to watch what you’re buying or what communities you’re supporting. By watching what you’re buying you can support companies that are transparent such as Everlane. An anti slavery charity called Unseen has developed an app to report acts of modern-day slavery to a helpline. “Whether that is technology for businesses to map their supply chains, or an app for everyone to have in their pocket at the nail bar, car wash or take away, this isn’t just a gimmick, it’s an essential part of the fight to eradicate slavery” said Unseens CEO Andrew, Wallis. These solutions are an important part of the fight to end slavery.

People in every country should fight against slavery. Undeveloped countries are vulnerable to slavery, but developed countries help support it, and they need to do more to fight it. We should all have the same rights, and nobody should have to suffer.

The Magic of Minecraft

By Maggie

Have you ever wondered if Minecraft could impact your school life? Creativity plays a significant role in Minecraft if you would wish to play single player or multiplayer. Sandbox games like Minecraft allow the gamer to control their avatar which allows creativity to come through. Although teachers might be suspicious of a video game, Minecraft has many potential benefits for learning.

Minecraft is useful for schools in teaching or merely to test your creativity. Most games have a straightforward quest or mission, but Minecraft doesn’t have this. Games like Assassin’s Creed, FIFA 18, or Skyrim have quests or missions that you have to complete to continue the game, but Minecraft allows you to explore. Some new games have options to move around freely, but they still don’t have freedom in what you do. Games like Overwatch allow free movement, but you have the main quest and some offside quests. Minecraft doesn’t have required quests, but it has optional achievements. It allows you to be able to complete Achievements by doing certain things; they are not necessary, but a good challenge. Thus Minecraft would be an excellent game to play if you wanted to start on a blank slate and do whatever you dream of, which can be helpful in learning.

This open game can also help schools teach students and have them be engaged. Some blocks would be helpful for school! John Spencer believes that students could create worlds for the book that they are reading. “Let’s teach about forces and motion by using Minecraft,” shared John Spencer to his webpage. Some schools might not think as highly of Minecraft.  John Spencer pointed out that “It’s no surprise that there is a second, more reactionary group of people who view Minecraft as “just a game.” What makes it any different than, say, Tetris or Angry Birds or FIFA 17?” However, Minecraft can also teach students how to work together. They could be playing on a server trying to survive the night, and they would have to work together to fend the mobs away while another mines or cuts wood. Overall, I do believe Minecraft will help students in many different ways.

Some schools already do use Minecraft Education Edition, and it does help students to learn. Many teachers enjoy this edition as it keeps the students engaged.  “We owe it to our students to bring what they’re passionate about into the classroom,” said one teacher. The coders made edits to their script so they could make it kid friendly but still fun. They added the camera and the portfolio so the students could remember what happened in the class! They have also added more things that would help the teacher. For example, they added the Chalkboard that teachers could use to add extra goals and information. I think Mojang is doing a great job on Minecraft Education, but I think they can still improve by adding more things to encourage the students.

Most schools do believe that Minecraft helps and it does impact the student’s creativity. These sandbox games allow the player to have an open mind of how to build and what style they will build in. Before you play a game, think about if it helps you think of things beyond the game. Don’t underestimate the power hidden under the games.

Unreal Estate in NYC

By Noah

When it comes to real estate, New York is a city of dreams. More than 8.5 million people choose to call New York home. From the crazy owners, to the crazy costs, to the crazy houses, New York's real estate market is unique in the world.

There are much more quirky houses and home owners in New York than you think. One example is Lisa Falkowski, who fills her 1993 Toyota Camry with cans she’s collected, even though she owns more than $8 million in New York City real estate. This is a strange thing to do, considering her wealth, but a perfect example of New York’s quirkiness. She calls herself an “old-fashioned bohemian.” The fact that she owns so much real estate contradicts this, though. In a New York Times article, she claims that it is a “hobby she uses to get exercise, not a hustle she needs to make money.” Some people might wonder why she doesn’t just go to the gym. This is one of the reasons why New York is unique.

Per square foot, real estate in Manhattan is the most expensive in the United States. According to Neighborhoodx some properties in New York cost more than 10,000 dollars per square foot. That is crazy, because the city with the next highest cost per square foot is San Francisco with only four thousand dollars per square foot.  According to Neighborhoodx, Manhattan real estate is an average of 1,773 dollars per square foot. The next most expensive area per square foot is again San Francisco which averages 902 dollars per square foot. Another source lists the order of most expensive city per square foot as New York, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Washington D.C., Denver, Philly, Austin, New Orleans, Portland, and so on.  Per square foot America is very expensive. Now you know two reasons why New York is unique.

In New York houses can be very expensive. The people who paid 85 million dollars for the 45th floor of 635 west 42nd street, also get a yacht, a Lamborghini, courtside season tickets to the nets, a private chef, a butler, and a mansion rental in the Hamptons. There are definitely many bonuses to buying that house, but it’s questionable whether the 85 million dollars is for the house and everything else as a bonus or it would be cheaper to buy the house by itself. Found in midtown, the penthouse of 432 park avenue is in the tallest residential building and costs 9,933 dollars per square foot and is 82 million for the entire penthouse. One of the many advantages to this house is that if someone is coming to your house they won't need directions, because they will be able to see it from a mile away. The duplex penthouse of 50 United Nations plaza looks over the empire state building, the chrysler building, the east river and all of the manhattan skyline. Real  estate agents might want to buy this house because it looks over all the buildings in manhattan. This is one of the many reasons New York is unique.

In New York the real estate market is unusual. From the crazy owners, to the crazy costs, to the crazy houses, as Michael Bloomberg once said “No matter who you are, if you believe in yourself and your dream, New York will always be the place for you.”

Does Homework Help?

By Eloise

Many people dislike homework or think there’s no point in it, but, does homework really help, or is it just a waste of time? In middle school, teachers assign an average of 3.2 hours of homework each week, writes Allie Bidwell. However, homework may not be helpful for younger students, if they don’t do it correctly. The only homework that helps before high school is studying.

Homework is not necessarily beneficial before high school. The Scholastic article “Is Homework Bad?” cites Alfie Kohn’s book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing, in which he says “There is no evidence to demonstrate that homework benefits students under the high school age.” I think that this is accurate because your brain is more developed when you’re older, but I’m not saying homework before high school is completely useless. Homework can also be unhealthy. Some people have after school activities, and with homework too they might not get enough sleep. Kids need sleep to be able to pay attention in class. Web MD writes that 7-12 year olds should get 10-11 hours of sleep. With homework that’s a lot less. This is why if the only homework you have is studying you will get more sleep.

  Homework can be beneficial to some people because it can help them learn more information, but only if it’s done correctly. An argument to make for homework before high school is that if you need help with a subject, or in a class, homework is the answer.  I think that teachers should give study packets, which the students can use to learn on their own. “The child who develops good study habits from an early age will find it easier to adjust to an increasingly difficult academic environment” writes Jennifer Ruther.  Studying is always successful if you do it right, as I have learned from self experience. If you study correctly it can be beneficial for quizzes, and can help later on in life.

So homework isn’t that beneficial before high school, but studying can help, and a tutor is a useful tool. Studies show that younger students especially don’t always benefit from homework. Homework should be a responsibility for kids, but it should be assigned in moderation, so there is a balance.

Fortnite Fever

By Jake

Parents say that it is hard to cheer up teens, but now there is Fortnite. Fortnite is an online video game in which 100 players battle to be the last one alive. Although some kids’ addictions have become dangerous, nothing will stop the popularity of Fortnite. Over the last year Fortnite has taken over the charts, and has taken over the minds of children.

Fortnite has taken over kids and teens, and kids stay up all night playing Fortnite Battle Royale. According to one parent on Mashable.com, “I’ve asked him to turn the game off and go to bed. He agrees and turns it off and heads downstairs to his room. I wake up around 4 or 5 on a Saturday morning and he is in front of the TV playing the game." People are so addicted that they play all night, and get no sleep. “I found her backside was red-raw. She was so hooked to the game she wouldn’t even go to the toilet,” the father said. Afterwards, she admitted to playing the game until 5 a.m. This nine year old girl was so hooked on to the game that she wouldn’t get up to go to the bathroom. Unbelievably, this girl ended up going to rehab.  Fortnite is going to continue to take over kids’ free time, and their brains.

Fortnite has so many users, and they are going to continue to get more. Alex Salkever illustrates “School’s out for summer. For so many American kids, that used to mean meandering stretches of unstructured time playing outdoors. But for my kids, summer means a battle over Fortnite.” When I think of summer I think of people playing at the beach and having fun outside, but this summer Fortnite has taken over. If you haven’t heard, Fortnite has snagged more than 125 million players in less than a year, mostly kids under the age of 18. Many play for 10 or even 20 hours per week. This is a problem, because people should only be playing 30 minutes a day. On June 5, 2018 Tencent gave us an update on Fortnite’s user base. It said there were 40 million users logging on to Fortnite every month. This statistic is important, because this shows people aren’t just downloading the game, but they’re actually playing it. There is no sign that this growth will stop, and people will stop using Fortnite.

Fortnite is the most popular game ever. Epic Games rakes in over $300 million per month selling skins, pickaxes, and other digital enhancements to help players compete more or simply look cool. Although Fortnite is a free game, people can buy vbucks (Fortnite money) to purchase skins to change their look. Skins, pickaxes, and emotes do not even help you win. Fortnite was said to be making $2 million a day from its players. This shows that this business model is working, where the game is free but you can buy other stuff.

Fortnite Battle Royale has unlocked the secret to creating a perfect video game in 2018. Fortnite has attracted 125 million kids, teens, and adults to play their Battle Royale, even to the point where it can become dangerously addictive. If Fortnite keeps on making new updates, and attracting users it will forever be popular.

Nintendo Switch

By Charlie  

 Have you ever wondered how much of a difference the Nintendo Switch made? Or how much Nintendo was falling before they made this console? The Nintendo Switch has made a big difference to the company of Nintendo, all the people that play on this console enjoy it, and there is more to come in the future. The Nintendo Switch is a revolutionary system that saved Nintendo’s Company.

The Nintendo Switch has been one of the best Nintendo game consoles ever. When this console first came out it only had 10 games, so most people weren’t interested in the console. Later in December, there about 20 fun enjoyable games that anyone could play. Even though it cost 300$, it sold over 9 million copies worldwide in the first 9 months! This is how much the Wii U sold in its whole lifetime. Jake Kazdal claims, “It’s what the Wii U should have been.” The Nintendo Switch is an amazing console, and Nintendo might not be able to make it any better.

When the Switch first came out it was not what Nintendo predicted it was going to be like. Some people like critic Brian X. Chen called it, “mediocre as a portable gaming device, with short battery life and an O.K. screen.” Nintendo did not like these reviews, and had to figure how to make their console better. When games like Super Mario Odyssey, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Splatoon 2 came out everything looked better for the company. People like Brian X. Chen now claim, the Switch hardware “felt sturdy and well made.” Now everything is looking better for the Nintendo switch when more games came out.

Even right now Nintendo is getting bigger by the minute. Right now Nintendo is trying to promote the Nintendo Switch by making new games. The new games include Mario Tennis Aces, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. At this moment the Nintendo Switch is the most popular game console that Nintendo made.This has been one of Nintendo’s most successful years. We are hoping to see something bigger and better in the future for Nintendo.

The future for Nintendo seems amazing! Moreover the Nintendo Switch has made a big difference to this company. Nintendo’s future looks very successful with the new games coming out. Hopefully Nintendo has something better and less negative reviews for the future.

ICE Under Trump

By Sy

“We are managing illegal aliens” said an ICE officer in Tennessee. Have you ever heard of ICE? ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Currently ICE is cracking down on workers in Tennessee, taking children who are being stored in an old Walmart and being put in cages, and attacking protesters. Although ICE has some positive effects, currently they are messing up.

ICE invasions have been on the rise since Trump was elected. In one raid, 100 workers fled in all directions, but were eventually rounded up. This is an example of ICE at its worst. In April 2017, ICE raided a northeastern Tennessee meatpacking shop.  A lot of the workers were latino so ICE arrested a lot of them, including an American citizen. The raid happened in Tennessee, a state where Trump won 61 percent of the vote. This makes sense, because Trump supporters usually oppose immigration and support ICE and Border Patrol. This may be an example of one of ICE’s biggest mistakes.

ICE’s response to immigrant children is also concerning. 1,475 children have been missing since Trump has been elected. This shows that ICE is also violent against children.  According to a report by Rachel Maddow, children are being stored in an old Walmart and are being put in cages. Children are easier to capture and are smaller so it's especially inappropriate.  Although ICE has a good purpose, it has done many violent things.

ICE is also being violent against protesters. Hundreds of protesters are being deported out of the country. This is a very big mistake and many people want to “melt” ice

One protester recalls being at one of the protests. The protester says that ICE deported three people that day. Because of moments like this thousands of protesters are mad at ICE.

Under Trump, ICE is getting a bad reputation. In the recent years ICE has had more raids, and is being violent against children and protesters. Immigrants are not a bad thing, and ICE is making it seem that all immigrants are bad, which is unfair.

The Stanley Cup Finals, 2018

By Liam

What was the most exciting moment of the Stanley Cup Finals? This year’s Stanley Cup Finals were played by the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights. The series was hard fought, but at the end the Washington Capitals were eventually the winners, winning the series 4 games to 1. It was a monumental series for both teams, as it was the Vegas Golden Knights’ first year in the NHL and the Washington Capitals first NHL Title. Devante Smith Pelly was a surprising force for the Capitals in the playoffs with 6 goals. Braden Holtby made the save of the year for the Capitals, eventually turning the momentum of the series to the Capitals. Plus the Vegas shooting turned into an influence for the Golden Knights to do well in their first season. For all of these reasons this year’s finals was one of the most exciting.

Devante Smith Pelly, an unlikely high goal scorer, scored 6 goals in the Capitals’ successful playoff run for the cup. Smith Pelly became the Capitals’ highest goal scorer in the playoffs. This was surprising because of the amount of teams he was on in the past 6 years. He was on the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, the New Jersey Devils, and the Washington Capitals.  “As a coach,” Trotz said, “you want to know what you’re getting all the time.” Barry Trotz, the Head coach of the Capitals, felt good about his decision to pick Devante Smith Pelly up from free agency from the New Jersey Devils, and he definitely added to the excitement.

Braden Holtby made the save of the year that changed the momentum of the series. With 3:18 left, Alex Tuch (of the Vegas Golden Knights) dumps the puck in the Capitals zone, Cody Eakin (also of Vegas) pursues the puck and gets the puck off a weird bounce off the boards. He gets the puck and passes it back to Alex Tuch who is backdoor for an easy put away, but Holtby sprawls across the whole crease and with the end of the stick he hits the puck away. “The save of the year,” Washington center Jay Beagle said,“maybe the save of a lifetime.” Beagle emphasized the importance of the save especially because of its timing, with only 3:18 left in the game. Holtby’s save was one of the factors that made it such an exciting finals matchup.

After the Vegas shooting the Vegas community came together around the team. According to George McPhee, owner of the Golden Knights “It’s unfortunate that thing happened, and sometimes beautiful things follow something like that, and the way that this community came together and these people helped each other really was a beautiful thing to witness and experience.” George McPhee’s statement shows how the emotions of the Golden Knights influenced their amazing cup run. This tragic event was part of the atmosphere of the series and the whole for Vegas.

For all of these reasons this year’s finals was one of the most exciting ever. Devante Smith Pelly was essential for the Capitals in the playoffs with 6 goals, Braden Holtby made the save of the year, and the Vegas shooting had a major impact on the Golden Knights. Let’s hope next year’s finals are as exciting.