Ask Alex About Stress

From Alex

Dear student,

Stress kills. When you have too much stress in your life, you have a hard time sleeping, eating, you get more anxiety, plus you're more at risk for depression, and worst case scenario- a heart attack. Stress not treated can lead to health risks, but it can be successfully treated. So to my stressed out readers, why don't you keep reading and see what I have to say? You may learn something new.

I have deal with stress everyday, and I have discovered my personal ways for dealing with it; it's helped me get to where I am today. I have both anxiety and depression, and it’s a daily battle that I carry with me everyday. I have seen five therapists in my eighteen years on this planet. The one thing that they have all told me is that I'm the only one that can cure this problem.  That no medication will stop it, and no one can come in and take if from me, it's my problem to solve. Stress is a part of me, as it is also a part of you, and I'm going to take you into how I prefer to deal with it.

A simple and great to way to deal with stress is to relieve yourself of that all that crap that’s bugging you in the corner of your room. Everyday take thirty minutes to an hour to just simply clean. When you’re cleaning, make yourself some tea, or put some relaxing music on (music from your favorite film is a classic choice). Think of the cleansing as getting rid of the things that are bringing you the most anxiety.  

Many find comfort in their favorite location. Your favorite room in your house could be your location of choice, or rather your favorite coffee house or eatery.  My favorite place is a place I found while hiking one day. There is a small cliff, with a view of nothing but rolling hills. There is no trail to cross, and no one disturb me. I like to bring my hammock, maybe a book too. It's great to clean your mind with fresh air, and to me it's better than anything you can do for yourself. You should try it,soak in the sun and feel the kiss of Mother Nature on your face.

If you feel that your stress is within school and a large workload, then use your study halls to actually study. Talk to your teachers and schedule a time to work with them. Don't make the excuse that you think you need a break to relax during your study hall, just to goof off with your friends. No. Use your study hall to go to the library and get some work done. Every minute you spend doing work in school, is one less minute you will spend working on whatever assignment it was at home. When you’re studying, listen to music without lyrics to distract you. Start a ritual with your brain; when that music gets turned on, you have to tell yourself, okay, it’s time to study now. My ritual when I get home consists of eating a good, healthy snack, lighting a candle, and putting on the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack before attacking my workload. After doing this for about a week, I found that I can study faster and retain information better. Stress can harm you, your inner peace is more important than academics. I'm not condoning failing and not studying to relax, but taking time for yourself to step back and breathe is so much more important than that paper you have due next week. Once you have the ability to calm the inner beast, you will have the strength to face, and fight the world.

Last but not least, meditation! This is my favorite, and on a particularly stressful week I meditate once a day. You don't need to have a mosk, but what you do need is silence. A great place is your room, a bathroom, or or even a car. If you’re not sure how to go about it, you can find guided meditation on Spotify, YouTube or simply Google. What I find helpful is to count down from twenty to zero with your eyes closed, and focusing on inhaling through your nose and out of your mouth. I'm a musician, so I do this at about fifty beats per minute. With meditation, the options are endless. You can take just five short minutes to close your eyes and reflect, or take thirty minutes to really immerse yourself and listen to a guided mediation.

To Break it Down:

Mediation

• Find a guided meditation that you want to use or music that is not distracting or intense
• Get to your quiet place (this may be your room, bathroom or car)
• Close your eyes and loosen your muscles from your face down to your toes
• Focus your chea

Studying

• Again, Find a quiet relaxing place (library, room, maybe even your bathroom)
• Find a soundtrack that is relaxing and peaceful
• Think of a ritual that will relax you and get you in the mindset to study

Good luck on finding your inner peace. You are special and you are loved. Peace can be found in stressful time, you just need to know where to look. Be well, this too shall pass my friend.  

NWR’s New Schedule: Drop It Like It’s Hot

By: Connor Breeding and Ben Adams 

     When it comes to next year’s new schedule, students are not sure what to think. The idea of longer classes and a unit lunch can seem overwhelming. Many students referred to the new schedule as “block scheduling” which caused confusion. Mr. Gravatt and Mrs. Black, both on the scheduling committee, were able to shed some light on the issue.
 
     “To start, it’s not a block schedule. It’s a Rotating-Drop schedule” said Mr. Gravatt. Before the interview with Mr. Gravatt and Mrs. Black, we and many other students believed the new schedule was going to be a block schedule. By definition, a block schedule is when half of the year’s courses run during the first two marking periods, and the other half runs during the second marking period.
   
     Mr. Gravatt was also able to comment on aspects of the schedule that will be beneficial to us as students: “It will move students and teachers in different patterns. Perhaps right now, 8th period is not your favorite period of your day. Well, first period may not be your favorite period of the day either. Now, that will no longer be allowed. You’ll be seeing that class at a different time during the day, which from a teacher’s perspective, and a student’s perspective, is a good thing. The unit lunch will afford everyone the opportunity to be off at the same time. So now if you’re struggling in a class, there’s no doubt that you and I are off at the same time; we’re all off.” He continued to explain benefits to the school; adding extended instruction time for teachers will help students who need a little more help in some classes.
   
     Well there you have it; that’s the rotating drop schedule in a nutshell. Now, whether you like it or not, it’s definitely something you want to get used to because it doesn’t look like it’s leaving anytime soon. Who knows, give it a shot and your best effort and you might just grow to like it.

Women’s March on Washington

                                                        By: Arianna Grewal       

     The women’s marches, took place the day after the presidential inauguration. They occurred not only in the US, but throughout the world. There were a total of 673 women's marches worldwide with a total of 4,956,422 marchers. The official rally, and the one most heard about, was the Women’s March on Washington. I attended this rally in D.C. and was astounded by the amount of women  and men who came to make their voices heard. People of all ages and races came through the streets, wearing homemade knitted pink hats shaped with cat ears on top. The purpose of these hats was to “make a unique collective visual statement which will help activists be better heard.”  

     There I met a woman named Barbara Res who held a sign that said “I am the woman who built Trump tower.” Res worked as an executive for President Trump for 18 years and supervised construction of Trump tower in NYC. She explained how her experience working for him was well but that he changed over the years. She believes that the money and fame had gone to his head. Res said,  “He wants America to do well only because it will reflect on him.” She feels that, “he has neither the temperament or experience to be president…” I found it interesting to see a woman, who worked closely with Trump for years, remark that she’s seen such a major change in him; a change big enough for her to speak up and march along with all these people, despite working with him for so many years.  

     The motives of these millions who came to march were to express their support for women’s rights and their opposition to Donald Trump’s presidency. In my experience, it was not merely a march for the rights of women (which, as of now, they possess). It was, instead, a fire back at the disdainful rhetoric spewed from President Trump’s campaign. Marchers chanted, “We will not go away, welcome to your first day!” as they made their way through the streets of Washington. Many shameful remarks were made throughout the duration of the campaign, among other things Trump has been caught saying. These were remarks not only against women but against immigrants and people with disabilities. It is also known this new administration are not supporters of the LGBT community. Therefore, this march was a symbol of unity, a reminder that even if people attempt to pull us apart, we can persevere and work together. It was a message to this administration that we will stand for our reproductive rights as women, and stand for equality for all people, no matter what race, religion, or sexual orientation. It was a message to President Trump that we are not a country of hate and division but of peace and harmony.  

Some Opinions About NWR Dress Code

By: C.J. Ashton

North Warren has had a dress code for a long time even though some students have chosen not to follow it. No matter how we look at this situation there are two things when it comes down to this issue: one is fact and the other is opinion.

Being a student at North Warren has shown me that this school wants to do the best for its students. When it comes to the dress code, it’s important that every student is heard and that the student body has a voice in the process of altering the dress code regulations; especially because it's a touchy subject.

Yes, there are a lot of people who are pushing for a uniform and there a lot of reasons why there should be a uniform. On the flip side, North Warren is a public school, with students who love to express individualism. With uniforms, we all lose that privilege.

I know a lot of people who wear boots or lacrosse shorts, even really bright ones. If we have uniforms it will take away from students’ individually. It would also be nice to not have uniforms because we need to be teenagers; these are our last couple years before adulthood and we’re going to need to dress for work. Allow us to have our last years of individuality.

Rollback On Rights

By: Alexa Tironi    

     On February 22nd, President Trump and his administration revoked the federal guideline  allowing transgender public school students to use the bathroom corresponding with their current identifying gender. The rollback came from the Federal Education and Justice departments.

     In summary, the “Dear Colleague” letter to the Supreme Court, disregards previous gestures from the Obama administration to stand up for transgender student rights. These previous policies were put into effect because the administration felt that not allowing transgender adolescents to use restrooms correlating with their genders, could violate anti-discrimination laws.

     In the letter, addressing America’s public schools, the reason given for removing this policy was because “it lacked extensive legal analysis, did not go through a public vetting process, and sowed confusion and drew legal challenges.” The letter adds that “schools must ensure that all students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment.” The Trump administration prefers for this issue to be handled at a state and local level.

     Recently, American citizens have displayed discontent with this new rollback. A large group of trans-activists gathered outside the White House, including high school transgender boy, Gavin Grimm. As protesters chanted “Save our schools, protect trans students,” Gavin took  a megaphone to speak to the crowd. Tearfully he spoke, with passion, declaring “No matter what happens, no one, not even the government, can defeat a community so full of life, color, diversity, and most importantly, love.”

     Transgender people and supporters feel that the revoking of these guidelines is a response to fear, something the general public and the new administration in power just do not understand. A school forcing a trans student to use a bathroom that does not match his or her gender is a constant reminder that peers, school, and state/federal government does not accept or support the efforts of becoming his or her true self. Some argue that this is not a state’s issue, but a civil rights issue.

     The supporters of this rollback claim that in this rescindment, bathrooms will become safer. People have claimed that men will pose as women, just to enter that bathroom and sexually assault others; and the same concept vice versa. Statements like these are frequently brought up, although having no evidence or incident to support the complaint. If there is a concern of sexual assault in bathrooms as a result of the transgender bathroom bill, I ask you to think of all the other places sexual assault occurs: alleys, clubs, basements, frat parties, the backseat of a car, behind a dumpster.

     A story about a girl, Marilyn, in Texas was released, and it outlines her struggles regarding this new rollback. “Marilyn, who is transgender, was still presenting as a boy to her classmates, and everyday she would complain to her mother of the stomachaches and headaches - the stress of being someone she isn’t taking its toll.” Marilyn had been taken out of school at the start of her transition, but her mother, Chelsea had re-entered her, hoping that the atmosphere had changed. Unfortunately, it had not. “Chelsea claimed administrators told her that the district received a complaint about her daughter “every single day.” But it wasn’t nearly as bad as the bullying from other students.” Chelsea continued to tell of the awful treatment her daughter had endured claiming “a group of students cornered her daughter on the playground- telling her that she was a boy and that they would never call her Marilyn.” Children like Marilyn just want to go to school, use the bathroom, be accepted, and treated like they belong.

     Whatever the reasons of support or opposition to this revokement, it is now up to the states to decide the future of their trans children and public bathrooms. And as people of this country, who long to see the ancient ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” accomplished, let us all hope our state makes the right choice.

Alice In Chains: Dirt

By: Arianna Grewal

     Alice in Chains’ Dirt was released in 1992, at the height of Grunge music.  The song Would? was actually recorded before the rest of the album was even written.  It appeared in the 1992 movie Singles which revolved around the new era of 90’s Grunge.  Dirt, in comparison to the previous album Facelift, is a lot darker and more emotionally charged.  Dirt hit #6 on the Billboard 200.  Steve Huey of AllMusic called it, “...a primal, sickening howl from the depths of Layne Staley's heroin addiction, and one of the most harrowing concept albums ever recorded."  Although Dirt was released on the same day as another famous Grunge album, Core by Stone Temple Pilots, it pushed through, and went on to be “certified four times platinum status in the US, platinum status in Canada, and gold status in the UK.”

     The album’s theme centers around Layne Staley’s battle with heroin addiction. This makes for meaningful, almost angry, gritty, and morbid lyrics which sent Grunge fans in a state of awe.  Although not all songs on the album contain messages about heroin, Jerry Cantrell’s contribution to the lyrics (on almost half the album), share the same theme. The lyrics showcase the mind of an addict; what grim, helpless thoughts race through their heads, and although they may be aware of their addiction, they feel they do not have the power to stop it (hence the lyrics on Down in a Hole: “Down in a hole, and I don’t know if I can be saved,” and why he is “feeling so small.”  Other tracks exhibit the grittiness of addiction (and grunge) as Staley and Cantrell focus on the not so “sad” part of it all as well as the angry side.  This can be seen on tracks like Junkhead, God Smack and Sickman.

     Another interesting track which Cantrell wrote is Rooster. Rooster was written as an allegory to the life of a soldier in the Vietnam war.  The lyrics contain great imagery and a real sense of the thoughts and terrors of a soldier at war.  One line of the song says, “The bullet screams to me from somewhere,” which is a “poetic” way of describing the terrors of jungle warfare.  Another line I like is, “They spit on me in my homeland,” because it really emphasizes how Vietnam soldiers were treated so poorly after returning home from war.  The song showcases how horrific the conditions were fighting in Vietnam and how terribly the soldier missed his family (“Gloria sent me pictures of my boy”). Cantrell was inspired to write Rooster for his father, who served in the Vietnam war.  His father was nicknamed Rooster during his time serving which encouraged Cantrell to name the song that title.  

*45th President

     By Sydney Janeiro

     Instead of spreading information through mainstream media, our new president simply tweets them. I guess you could say he does the media’s job for them. But he still leaves them plenty to talk about. And he, in turn, utilizes them in a way that no president has done before. He uses rhetoric that leaves scholars cringing, yet it is that same rhetoric that built his following. It was an election that could have been subtitled, Politics Meet Reality Television.

     So many of us are still wondering, how did this American businessman and T.V. personality become our 45th president? It was certainly entertaining, at first, but no one really thought it would actually happen. Did we? Bernie Sanders said this of how Donald Trump won the presidency: “What Trump did very effectively, is tap the angst, and the anger, and the hurt, and the pain that millions of working class people are feeling.” Trump said he was going to be a champion of the working class, and it seems he will have his chance to prove it. Everyone loves a champion, right?

     So how did Donald Trump speak to the working class in this highly unusual campaign? We know that throughout history our presidential candidates have been primed to be in the public eye. They’ve worked countless hours to sound highly sophisticated and seasoned. Trump speaks a much simpler language and rarely uses complex sentences. The word choice in his speeches had everyone talking. Mainly because he never held back and addressed the audience with imperative sentences, commanding them to Make America Great Again. He generated followers by being controversial, which is exactly what trained politicians are taught not to do.

     President Trump repeats himself (a lot), so if you didn’t hear him the first time, you can catch it the second or third time he says it. He also has an interesting way of speaking as though the general public agrees with him. People can justifiably say he is not a conventional politician, but we can all agree that he is an excellent salesman. He spoke, and it resonated with millions. It didn’t even seem to matter that he couldn’t answer specific questions on foreign policy. In his inauguration speech, Trump said, “The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.” That sounds great in theory. I guess time, or at least the next four years, will tell.

Trump Inauguration Speech Full Transcript