Seniors Only

By Nick Pollard

 When it comes down to it, school bathrooms aren’t really a hot button issue that often. Sure, you hear occasional stories that go around the rumor mill, but outside of that there isn’t that much of a discussion about them. Recently however, multiple incidents regarding vandalism have resulted in indefinite closure of most of the bathrooms at NWR. Now if you’re trying to go to the bathroom, you have to walk down to the only open one by the cafeteria, and wait in this never ending queue before it’s your turn. 

This abrupt change didn’t sit too well with some of the seniors, however. On top of trying to make the most of their last year of high school, now they had to wait in an absurdly long line just to go to the bathroom. So a few weeks ago, on their own initiative, a group of seniors elected to open a “Senior Only Bathroom” using an older, rarely used set of bathrooms by the gym. The other day I got the chance to talk to Jack Close about his involvement with the set up, and asked how the whole operation got started. Jack said  “...Me and some friends were sick of the long lines at the bathroom, so we asked Mrs. Ritchie and she agreed to give us our own...” In addition to their own exclusive bathroom, there's also a senior seated outside to check whether someone can go in or not. Jack said this was because “...underclassmen trashed the other bathrooms, so we don’t want them going in there and messing it up again...” 

When asked about his overall feelings of the bathrooms closing, Jack said “...It’s annoying for the student body, but understandable on the school's part...” and that it was a “...harsh but necessary step to take...” It’s also important to remember that your actions speak volumes for everyone around you, so if you’re messing up bathrooms or breaking school property for whatever reason, just keep in mind we all get punished if you do something stupid.

Despite one isolated incident, everyones been pretty successful in keeping watch of who they let in the Senior Bathroom. But, there’s still the problem of someone not always being out there to keep watch/let anyone in. So, if you have a study hall, and want to help out your fellow seniors, feel free to lend a hand and enjoy the exclusive privilege of having a functioning bathroom to yourself.

Gavin's Seed Starting Information

   Hello, my name is Gavin Prumatico. You may have seen me in hallways or classes and I would like you all to know I am very passionate about plants. I am the vice president of FFA for the school. For those who don’t know what FFA is, it’s an acronym for Future Farmers of America. So today, we are going to talk about when to start your seeds whether you have a garden or are planning to start one. There are many tips and tricks to start your seeds properly for higher germination rates. Let’s get started with some of them.

First: You need to pre-soak the seeds you plan on growing for 24 hours because seeds stay dormant until they acquire enough water to grow. So by pre-soaking your seeds, you’re making the germination rate higher and the seeds will grow faster.

Second: During the winter the weather is unstable since it is constantly changing. This means that you have to start your seeds indoors with a grow-light and a heater so the grow-light acts as a sun. Seedlings need about 14-16 hours of sunlight/grow-light a day. The heater will act as a warm summer day but heaters lower humidity so you have to check the soil’s water content regularly.

Third: Make sure your seedlings are not cold or hot because both will reduce the time it takes for seeds to germinate. Also, make sure you do not plant your seeds too deep into the soil of your seed starting pods since they won’t get enough light to germinate.

Fourth: Last but not least when the seedling has three to four leaves it is ready to be transplanted to a new pot. If you don’t transplant your seedlings your succession rate may go down from the lack of space for the plant’s roots to grow.

Usually, a safe time to plant seedlings is after the last winter frost. The last winter frost is usually in early May right after Mother’s Day. On every single seed packet, there’s an estimated time of germination which is very helpful to see if your seeds are running behind or they are very early. I can say from my experience that all of the steps from above work very well and have given me plenty of beautiful flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Have a great day, and hopefully, you all have liked my very first article!

The Predicament of Philanthropy

By Kathryn Swistak  

    The phrase, “help those who cannot help themselves” is a general principle of the practice of philanthropy. To be philanthropic is to regard others’ needs and treat them with goodwill, especially when in a better equipped or more favorable situation. Often seeded high in the financial brackets of life, those who contribute to society typically do so in a fiscal manner through large monetary donations to the charity or cause deemed a fit enough investment. After all, Andrew Carnegie, father of the great Gospel of Wealth, wrote how the most important part of helping others is “to provide part of the means by which those who desire to improve may do so; to give those who desire to use the aids by which they may rise; to assist, but rarely or never to do all” (Carnegie). Essentially, Carnegie’s cardinal rule of donation is to contribute to causes that have a sizable return on investment, either through fiscal or social reward.

      The issue in contemporary society regarding this practice is its gradual movement from goodwill to one of public relations as a social elevation tool. In past societies, philanthropic endeavors were the building blocks of society necessary for the advancement of wealth, academics, and the growth of industry; yet, today they simply are actions ultra-wealthy citizens take in an attempt to conceal the clandestine nature of the double-edged sword hidden amongst their olive branches. Although there is no “how to be a good person” handbook, I am almost certain once you have reached a high status in life, the “what to do with my money when the amount is larger than any singular person could use in one-thousand lifetimes” chapter would light up with a fluorescent “Read Me!” sign. If society, as a whole, can revert back to philanthropy’s origins, as opposed to a way for rich individuals to “one-up” their friends, then more people would participate, and the extremely wealthy would not have to parse together whether or not it is their social responsibility to be decent humans. Instead,  it would become the societal norm to share good fortune with the less fortunate.

 Now one might think, “what if you are born into a rich family? It’s not your fault you are better off than others, why should you have to give away your family legacy?”, and the only possible way in which one can answer that is with another question, specifically, “what did they do to deserve such luck?”. It is an unanswerable question, but when it comes down to it, can one even compare the meticulously crafted legacies— foundations of knowledge with the resources and potential to impact the lives of hundreds maybe thousands of individuals— to the financial well being of the few they impact in the most direct human way? Upon the death of Andrew Carnegie, his will dictated that ninety percent of his fortune be donated to worthy causes. Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Hall, and the World Court in The Hague are all modern beneficiaries of his generosity, a legacy almost more respected than the man himself, but that remaining percent has amplified the modern concept of generational wealth tenfold. If wealth, especially that accumulated through generations of questionable practices, is passed on from heir to heir, then can there truly be a way in which those terrible circumstances will be recorded and remembered without the possibility of the conveniently timed removal of “rumored truth” besmirching the legacy of well-respected business moguls and family names? The short answer to the long-asked question is no.

      As billionaires of today continue to support charities while elevating their personal status, the question arises regarding the effectiveness of contemporary efforts. Philanthropic generosity, particularly due to its aura of showmanship, has begun to air on a side of suspicion, at least in part due to the immoral actions of those who use the benevolent appearance as a facade for less-than-angelic activities. Since the days of Carnegie, the government has established a robust social safety net, designed to assist those in need, but the question once again arises, if the more fortunate were to step in and assist others through altruistic action, how would any form of organization or government manage to effectively and equitably distribute those resources? It is of the highest importance to consider all conditions present, and if one were to take Carnegie’s approach, it would be dependent on the odds of a potential payout.

Rage Against The New Machine

By Anthony Benincasa 

We spend more time with them than we do sleeping, and no, I’m not talking about our family members. I’m talking about cell phones. According to ABC News, the average American teenager spends over seven hours on their cellphones daily. Are these advances in technology helping or hurting our society? 

When the iPhone stepped onto the scene in 2007, it caught the immediate attention of people all around the United States, with sales for Apple going into the billions. According to Forbes, the iPhone has generated $365 billion in 2020 alone. Since 2007, Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone sales have increased exponentially. Today, over two thirds of Americans own a smartphone, according to Reviews.org. Smartphones were made for convenience- no need to go on a computer to do a Google search, or to search for a skateboard fail on Youtube; now, these tools are reliably available to use 24/7. These genius tools may be convenient for our daily lives, but can come with repercussions. 

As stated by The National Safety Council, 1.6 million people per year in the United States have car accidents due to cell phone usage while driving. That’s a whopping quarter of all car accidents that occur in the United States per year. Not only has driving become more dangerous, but cell phone usage also affects our health.  According to Marrissa Barnett, Principal Optometrist at UC Davis Eye Center, the “blue light” that emits from our screens has been found to be quite dangerous to the eyes, creating eye strain for many individuals.

Doctors today do not know all the prolonged health risks from cell phone usage, although according to Cancer.gov, the radiation being emitted from cell phone use is low frequency and does not pose a great risk at this time. However, we do not know the long term effects of this low frequency radiation on our bodies. 

The smartphone has helped in a tremendous way transform us as a society. A smartphone can be a great learning tool. In addition, due to the vast number of cell phones in the US, this is an excellent tool to have during an emergency when EMS is needed. We could even do a quick Google search “how to perform the heimlich maneuver” when someone is choking. Conversely, we cannot let cell phones take over our entire lives. It can be entertaining to enjoy the many features of the smartphone, but a conversation with friends face to face is essential for interpersonal skills. 

     

A Book Review by John Stracco

Dune 

Any book that has a 23 page appendix of terms necessary to be able to understand the plot is one that I, or anyone else, would not usually pick up. So then, why did I decided to read Dune? The simple answer is I wanted to watch the movie (which is a cinematic masterpiece); however, the book is often regarded as one of the foundational stories of the sci-fi world.

The book dives into a dense world centered around one thing: spice. This magical dust can only be found on the planet Arrakis and is the only fuel for interstellar travel. Arrakis is also the most dangerous planet in the entire imperium. There are storms with winds over 800 kilometers per hour and sand that can destroy metal. There are sandwords that can reach over 400 meters in length and hunt anything that makes rhythmic beats in the sand. Not to mention the incredibly high temperatures that only allow people to travel at night. Here, water is the most valuable resource imagined and the only group that has successfully cultivated “dessert power” are the native fremen. They use stillsuits to keep their body’s moisture in and are characterized by their blue eyes due to spice exposure.

In the story of Dune, the emperor gives House Atreides the fief of Arrakis, and control of spice production, and takes it away from previous rulers, House Harkonnen. However, the devilish Harkonnen Barron is determined to get his precious fief back. This epic sci-fi adventure is centered around Paul Atreides and his quest to cultivate desert power, find the woman who enchants his dreams, and bring peace to the imperium.

The plot of this book is amazing and tells a first-of-its-kind story for the time. The book is also a product of its time. Gender roles of the 1960s are not forgotten in Dune as women are often regarded as spiritual, elegant, thinkers who are bound to their man. There are moments when men take multiple women as wives and even win them in battle. The medieval concept of marrying off your children is also present with it being used to bring different houses together for the benefit of the imperium. Men are depicted as brute, strong, and anything else you’d associate with 1960s gender roles. 

As previously mentioned the book has many references to the medieval, given it was written off of that time period. There are houses that control fief’s and marry off their children. And in the case of the Bene Gesserit, there is selective breeding in order to play with genetics to create “the one”. All of these concepts are things we learned in history class, but now have an application to a sci-fi novel.

Another notable fact about Dune is the fact that Star Wars is heavily influenced off of the book. Like the desert planet Tatooine and Arrakis, the Bene Gesserit and the Jedi, or even the Empire and the Imperium. When writing Star Wars, George Lucas was heavily influenced by Frank Herbert’s story so if you are a fan of one of the world's most famous franchises, then maybe give Dune a try.

 Overall, Dune was a book well worth reading. Yes, it's dense; and yes, you may have to overcome that big book fear to get through it, but there is adventure in every corner and something new to learn each page. Frank Herbert’s universe is unmatchable as it is so vivid and the reader can not only picture it in their head, but also feels like they are there suffering the pain of Arrakis with the rest of House Atreides. The book, like the sandworms of Arrakis, is a goliath, but one well-worth getting through; especially with the reward of watching part one of the film at the end.