Editorial April 2015

Editorial
Horoscopes
By Anh Nguyen
Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): This
month is the time to reveal your true
self. Any brilliant project you start
will be great, fueled by your enthusiasm.
Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20): Treat
yourself gently and kindly, for you
will risk burnout trying to keep your
current pace. Find peace in dance,
journaling, or another artistic outlet.
Your batteries are ready for a charge.
Gemini (May 21-June 20): Take a
risk and branch out of your comfort
zone by meeting new people and
exploring collaborations. Your attention is focused on the future, and
how fast you can get there.
Cancer (June 21-July 22): Take on
your loftiest aims. Step into leadership and share your expertise or
talents. You might find romance in
your own inner circle, or you could
take a breath of fresh air if your relationship has gotten a little stagnant.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You’re an
independent spirit. Start a freelance
gig, or launch something that could
eventually give you the freedom you
crave.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take time
to get to the root of financial and
romantic issues, paving the way for
greater commitment and peace.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): For the
first three weeks of the month, participate in collaborations. Two heads
are better than one, Libra.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This
month you will succeed in organization, efficiency, and wellness. Control the things that you can control.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
People love to be around your positive attitude and enjoy your creative
influence on themselves.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You
may be inspired to make some personal life changes. Peel yourself off
the couch and go out to dinner, the
movies, or the gym
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): For the
first three weeks of the month, your
social life may get a boost. If you’re
busier than usual, it’s a good thing.
Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Keep
your eyes on the prize. Focus on the
short-term goals instead of getting
bogged down by too many activities
and distractions.
Journalism Staff
News Editor: Susan Yurkhanova
Editorial Editor: Olivia Comer
Feature Editor: Gabby Seeley
Activity Editor: Anh Nguyen
Staff: Maddy Baysinger, Taylor
Chaffin, Sage Chatterton, Katherine
Cobabe, Haley Dale, Ronin Godwin,
Moira Gray, Eliana Lencina,
Jacqueline McNamara, Esten Mock,
Wyatt Morton, Olivia Paine, Tayler
Parker, Annalisa Prestwich, Brielle
Reichert, Jackie Santos, Victoria
Satterfield, Jayda Turner, Gates
Whittekiend
Homework
Causes Stress
By Katherine Cobabe
Generation of Change
By Jackie McNamara
Our generation is often referred to as “lazy,” “entitled,” or “clueless.” We
have been dubbed the “Me Generation” or the “Selfie Generation.” We are seen
as children consumed by technology, unable to come up with our own resources
and answers. It is time put an end to these misconceptions.
Children nowadays are beginning to break away from the views of their
parents and grandparents. We are learning to develop and fight for our own
opinions. We are aware of social issues, and we are not afraid to speak out about
them, whether it’s on social media or in front of an audience. It is the “Me” generation that will have to clean up after mistakes made by
the generations before us. It is the “Selfie” generation that will fight the battle to
make the world a better place.
Just look at the names of some of the young people already starting to change
the world:
-Malala Yousafzai, 17 years old, advocate for women’s education and winner
of the Nobel Peace Prize.
-Olivia Bouler, 12 years old, young author and environmental activist.
-Christopher Yao, 15 years old, founder of an organization which inspires
other young people to start fundraisers and other charitable programs.
It is time for us to destroy the way we are perceived by past generations. It is
time for us to rename ourselves as “The Generation of Change.”
Homework is commonly known
as a huge stressor in a student’s life.
It seems that students face hours of
homework every night after a long
day at school. Homework causes
too much stress and should be
eliminated.
Time management is very
important when it comes to
prioritizing things in your life, but
with the large amount of homework
we receive, it is hard to manage our
time well. Extra-curricular activities
can limit the amount of time they
have to be complete assignments.
When students are working with
a small amount of time, they often
become too overwhelmed and either
give up on the assignment, or they
begin to guess, which causes a
lower score.
Students believe that teachers
should start handing out less
homework to help eliminate
stress. Teachers believe homework
is beneficial because it allows
for more practice on concepts,
teaches students how to work
independently, and allows students
to take responsibility for their part
in the educational process. What
they don’t realize is homework is
extremely stressful. It should be cut.
There’s a Murder Clue in My Pocket
By Brielle Reichert
Kyle stared bleakly at the cold rain pounding on the window next to him, trying to pay attention as Mrs. Adler
talked about how the English department would be randomly asking if you had a poem for “Poem In Your Pocket”
Day. He raised his hand. “Mrs. Adler, may I go get a drink?”
Mrs. Adler nodded and continued speaking. Kyle quickly exited the room and started down the hall towards the
fountain, humming softly to himself. There was a kid sitting on the ground next to the fountain. Kyle was pretty sure
it was Trevor from his Math class.
“Hey Trevor,” Kyle quipped, pressing the button and beginning to drink the cool water.
Trevor didn’t respond.
“You ok?” Kyle wiped the water from his face.
Trevor still didn’t respond. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was dead. Kyle nudged him with his foot.
“Hey, Trevor. You’re freaking me out here, dude.”
Silence.
Kyle knelt down next to Trevor, and felt for a pulse. Nothing. A small white paper fell out of Trevor’s hand and
onto the floor at Kyle’s foot. Pausing for a moment he picked up the small white square and read the words scrawled
across the page.
Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue.
Trevor has died,
And soon you will too.
Figure out my locker if you want to find me.
* * * * * * *
Kyle sighed mumbling a response to the kid sitting next to him in Biology and stood up as the bell rang. The story
had spread like wildfire and everyone wanted to know what had happened.
Josh fell into pace next to Kyle. “You said a poem fell out of Trevor’s hand? I bet you a girl killed him.”
Kyle grunted a noncommittal answer.
“Or maybe there was a clue in it,” Josh said. Did the murderer circle certain letters that spell her name?”
“Do either of you have a poem?”
Kyle looked up at Mr. Butcher, “Oh, yeah. I think so.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white
square. It was the murder poem.
Josh gasped. “Kyle! The first line is in bold! I bet you it’s a clue,” he whispered.
“Do you have a poem?” Mr. Butcher asked again, but Kyle and Josh were already running down the hall towards
the office.
“Mr. Grant! I know who did it! It’s locker 533…” Kyle paused for a breath. “See, this line is in bold, there are 5
letters in ‘Roses,’ 3 in ‘are,’ and 3 in ‘Red.’ ‘Figure out my locker,’ it’s a locker number!”
Mr. Grant logged onto his computer. “The murderer’s name is… Jonathan Salazar.”