Home Sweet Home: 15 Things About San Diego

by Derek Li

1. The last time it snowed in San Diego was on December 13th, 1967. In fact, Carlsbad accumulated nearly two inches of snow that day.
2. San Diego has had two NBA teams, the Rockets (1967-1971) and the Clippers (1978-1984), both of which moved to Houston and Los Angeles respectively. Evidently, San Diego was and still isn’t a basketball city.
3. San Diego is a relatively new and fast-growing city. In 1850, only around 500 people lived here. Now, there are more than 1.4 million people, making San Diego the 8th most populated US city.
4. Famous people that live in San Diego include Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft), Tony Hawk (famous skateboarder), Janet Jackson (singer), and many more.
5. San Diego is one of the U.S military’s most important bases. Camp Pendleton and Miramar act as major Western bases for the Marine Corps, and Downtown is home to one of the U.S Navy’s largest bases. In fact, the Navy employs nearly 30,000 people in San Diego, making it the single largest employer of the city.
6. San Diego has one of the most expensive housing markets in America. In fact, in June of 2017, the median home price was nearly $550,000. Not only that, but average home prices are still increasing at a very fast rate.
7. San Diego grows more avocados than any other city in the US (millennials can rejoice).
8. WD-40, a product famous for fixing jammed screws and squeaky doors, was invented and is currently headquartered in San Diego.
9. The only major hurricane to ever hit San Diego was back in 1858. Winds reached speeds of up to 80 mph and the storm dumped widespread rain onto the city.
10. The first panda ever born in the USA was born in the San Diego Zoo in 1990. To this day, the San Diego Zoo is still famous for its pandas.
11. San Diego’s airport used to be called Lindbergh Field. It was named after Charles Lindbergh, who flew solo from San Diego to Paris via New York back in 1927. He was the first man to fly directly across the Atlantic between the US and Europe.
12. San Diego’s tallest building is only 500 feet tall, and it’s located in Downtown. This is because the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) had to limit the height of buildings in the the city’s Downtown due to its proximity to the airport and the many airplanes flying close to the densely populated area.
13. San Diego is one of America’s most important agricultural cities. In fact, the city has around 7,000 farms, which is more than any other city in the US.
14. When the iconic Coronado Bridge was opened in 1969, Ronald Reagan was the first person to drive across it.
15. The University of California, San Diego library is named after Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel), and is home to the collection of his books in the whole country. Dr. Seuss resided in San Diego in his later years.

The Football Helmet Debate

by Gabriella Patino

Football has been a significant part of American culture for more than 100 years. Though the safety of players is put on the line, fans cheer after intense tackles and hard hits. Yet, ever since technology has advanced and we have gained more knowledge about brain injuries, fans have begun questioning the morality of the sport. “Football has taken a lot of hits lately as mounting research shows that the concussions some players suffer boosts their risk for dementia and other brain maladies,” states the Huffington Post.

The NFL has been trying to improve the safety of their helmets for a while now, along with the overall safety of the game. They’ve been teaching their players new tackling techniques as well as improving the helmet. Despite these efforts, injuries are inevitable, even for younger players. Parents of players in elementary and high school are debating letting their children play football. “Participation in Pop Warner youth football leagues dropped 9.5% from 2010 to 2012,” according to a report in 2013 by ESPN.com. The injuries among professional players are trickling down to younger ages. This is beginning to cause parents all over that nation to question their decision. While their children want to pursue the sport they’re passionate about and stay active, parents are forced to consider the long-term dangers of playing the sport. “According to a report by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (PDF), deaths in football are “rare but tragic events,” with 17 direct and indirect deaths during the 2013 football season out of approximately 1.1 million high school players,” states fox.com. With all of this growing concern, the sport itself has evolved to accommodate the worry. However, to what extent can the NFL change the rules of the game until it becomes an entirely new sport? The helmet has evolved and improved so much since the beginning of the sport that there isn’t much left to do. The league says, “concussions in regular season games dropped 25% from 2013 to 2014, and concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet hits were down 28% during the same time period, according to a newly released report (PDF).”  

For a while, the National Football League took it into their hands to try and improve the safety of the helmet. The number of concussions have slowly been decreasing since then, but what extreme measures can be taken to completely erase that number? The bottom line is that football is a dangerous game to begin with. The nature of the game comes with inevitable injuries.

Some people are wondering if football should even require a helmet. We’ve tried making the helmet more protective, we’ve tried teaching players safer tackling techniques, so maybe the extreme proposal of removing the helmet altogether isn’t that bad of an idea. According to the NFL, “former wide receiver Hines Ward and Patriots safety Nate Ebner said the answer to keeping players from abusing their helmets is do away with helmets. The Boston Globe examined the debate over removing helmets from pro football in order make the game safer.” Perhaps in the absence of helmets, players will be more protective of their heads. Football players often use their helmets to tackle. They charge head first into each other, causing possible brain damage. Helmets were designed to protect the skull, not the brain. Removing the helmet from the game isn’t an irrational idea. Without helmets, players will be forced to tackle with their bodies instead of their heads. Though the possibility of injury will always be there, the numbers would significantly decrease. The question becomes, however, are we willing to risk a greater number of skull fractures for a fewer number of concussions? The NFL has been reluctant to consider this option. Other physical sports that don’t require helmets, such as rugby, report less concussions than the NFL. In Australian football, helmets aren’t part of the game. So why do we need them?

To eliminate the number of brain injuries in football, the helmet should be removed from the game all together. NBC states, “If you want to prevent concussions, take the helmet off: Play old-school football with the leather helmets, no face mask. When you put a helmet on you’re going to use it as a weapon, just like you use shoulder pads as a weapon.” This dramatic change to the game can benefit players for decades to come. As long as football is a prominent part of American culture, the country should advocate for a safer game.

Sources:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000299501/printable/current-former-players-suggest-doing-away-with-football-helmets

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/football-concussions-debate-helmet-ban_n_4440669.html

http://fox6now.com/2017/02/03/while-nfl-concussions-are-down-parents-continue-to-debate-football-safety/

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/04/hines-ward-if-you-want-to-prevent-concussions-take-the-helmet-off/

Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Women Driving

by Hannah Musgrave

On the last Tuesday of September 2017, Saudi Arabia announced the release of their ban on women driving. This is to take action in June 2018.

Women being prohibited from driving has long stood as a global sign of oppression and has tainted Saudi Arabia's reputation, which they now aim to fix and gain better public relations with their refined policy. Prior to this, women were not allowed behind the wheel and had to be driven around by a hired driver or male relative. This prohibited many from going to work, as they had no source of transportation, and if they did hire a driver it ate up half their salary. A goal of Saudi Arabia with the newfound policy is that women will be more present in the workforce, contribute positively to the economy, and help grow the nation and its international relations.

Although it is a norm here in our country, the new policy of woman driving is a huge reform for the Saudi Arabians. For decades citizens have been protesting the ban but were met with harsh, monarchic rejection. Hundreds of women participating in protests have gotten behind the wheel and been arrested for it, jailed for months at a time. They faced opposition from their rulers without any real reasoning. One argument was that driving hurt a woman’s ovaries, yet no evidence was provided. It is said that this new reform is predicted to bring turmoil into the ultra-conservative, patriarchal families.

Another reason the driving ban lift is such a big deal is that it is one of the first reforms to overturn the male guardianship laws—regulations that give men superiority and power over women. The driving reform states that woman can attain a driver’s license without the permission of their male “guardian”, a huge step toward gender equality and acknowledged self-sufficiency.

Even though Saudi Arabian women are not allowed accessibility to all the rights we have in America, the ban on driving is a huge step towards the equality of women and is something to be celebrated not just in Saudi Arabia, but by women worldwide—a big step towards a bigger, brighter future for the country and women around the globe.

BOO!

by Ali Youel

It’s October, time for cobwebs, pumpkins, witches, potions, ghosts, vampires, candy corn, scary movies, and haunted houses. And to top off the spookiness, it’s Friday the 13th. This month brings about binge watching horror movies, peeing your pants at Scream Zone, and more things that make you scream until you physically can’t anymore. There is so much to do this October, so if you have trouble deciding how to spend your free time, look no further. I have created this list of things to do, movies to watch, and screams to be had. So sit back and relax—but not too much.

The movie Happy Death Day comes out today. It's about a selfish college student whose birthday it is. Throughout the day, she goes on through her normal birthday life until she is killed in a brutal attack. But she wakes up the next morning and lives the same day over and over again, until she finds who her killer is.

Scream Zone, a San Diego classic, is held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. There are three main attractions (I’m not sure if attraction is the right word, but if you like screaming then I’m sure you’ll be happy.) These include the Haunted Hayride, where a group of visitors climb into a wagon and drive through the fairgrounds full of zombies, clowns, and more. Another is the Karnevil, a haunted carnival and freak show.

You can also binge some scary movies on Netflix. They have Curse of Chucky, Little Evil, and Babadook, to name a few. Or, you can be like me and binge the Sharknado series. It is technically horror according to Netflix, and living sharks flying through the sky sounds pretty scary to me.

You can also go the classic fall route: pumpkin patches and corn mazes. There are many pumpkin patches around San Diego, and if you want to travel, go to Bates Nut farm in Valley Center. There are many activities including a straw maze, pony rides, face-painting, and a bouncy castle. Let it bring out the little kid in all of us. At this school, we deserve a break.

I hope this list helped give you ideas on how to spend your fall weekends. Have fun, take a break, jump on a bouncy castle, scream your lungs out, just do whatever it does that puts a smile on your face. Midterms are coming too, so if you really want to be scared, there you go. BOO!

The TBH Phenomenon

by Frank Yang

With the evolution of social media apps such as Facebook, Yik-Yak, Sarahah, and now “TBH”, teenagers today crave anonymity while getting to know their friends at school. The TBH app, short for “To be honest”, is the latest trending teenage social app, reaching #1 in the app store for free downloads.

The app is easy and simple to use: users are classified by their school, gender, and grade and answer polls within a limited amount of time, clicking one of the four names of friends and classmates provided from their contact list. The TBH app bases these polls off of a yearbook superlative format, with taglines such as “going to win an Academy Award” or “smarter than google”. When you’re picked, the sender is displayed as anonymous unless you request for their identity by replying to the question, motivating users to become more in touch with each other through the app.

More importantly, the TBH app is heavily monitored in order to avoid cyberbullying and improve its focus on positivity. Superlatives and other questions may be submitted by users, but only 1% of those 10,000 submissions are approved for the app. Although most of the submitted proposals contain a good sense of humor that allows the app to be more engaging, potential complaints and harassment threats as a result of these questions are evaluated very seriously.

According to a spokesperson for the TBH app, the app is currently released in 9 states and is especially gaining popularity in California, with approximately 25% of students in the state downloading the app. TBH also has 2 million daily active users across the United States and 150 million messages already sent through the app’s new features, with that number growing as more test releases are conducted in other states. Recently, Facebook announced its acquisition of the TBH app, stating that it will operate independently from the Facebook brand but will work together with TBH developers to advance TBH’s vision of spreading compliments and improving the mental health of teenagers. As the TBH startup said, “While the last decade of the internet has been focused on open communication, the next milestone will be around meeting people’s emotional needs.”

Homecoming

by Kaylynn O’Curran

Homecoming. For most, it’s two nights of high school spirited fun. One night of Friday night football lights and another for thigh-length dresses and dress shirts with suspenders. As I’m sure most of you know, CCA does not have the same dynamic. Ours is generally later in the month; we have a pep rally, no football team, and a themed dance, this year being “Out of This World”. The dress code for our homecoming ranges from thigh length dresses to pajamas. I’ve honestly seen it all. But what is the true definition of homecoming, and how did it start?

Homecoming is usually intended as a “coming home” event for the alumni of the school. It is considered to have either started in Illinois, Baylor, or Missouri, and the general goal is to bring students and alumni together to make school pride stronger, sometimes with parents tagging along. Dating back to the 1870’s, Harvard and Yale would invite past students back for their annual game against each other. But the real celebrations that encompass homecoming starting around 1910, with Baylor, Illinois, and Missouri. According to Active, Chester Brewer, the University of Missouri Athletic Director, was recognized by the NCAA, Jeopardy!, and Trivial Pursuit as the originator of homecoming. He planned parties, parades, a pep rally, and a football game against long-time rival University of Kansas, all to celebrate the past and present students of the university. However, there was also Baylor University’s “Good Will Week”, which aimed to "renew former associations and friendships and renew the Baylor spirit." This dated back to 1909, and almost the entire population of Waco, Texas was in attendance. But the name, homecoming, is owned by Chester Brewer of the University of Missouri.

Has CCA strayed a little too far from the norm? Our neighbors, CCHS and Torrey Pines, both follow this trend with the football game and Saturday night dance but we, as CCA usually does, went our own way. Our school was founded on the basis of wanting to be a little different, and that hasn’t changed in thirteen years. We decided to ditch the football team and cheerleading squad in hopes of avoiding a clique dynamic—another way for CCA to stand out, which I’d say was successful, seeing as, according to U.S. news, we were the 5th best school in California last year. The little arts school might not have a conventional homecoming, but we are still united in celebration of our school.

Stress Less for Finals

by Noah Gaines

It’s late October, the weather’s getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors, and fall is in the air. At our school, fall also means that you have to take that gut-wrenching test that can make or break your borderline grade in a class. Whether your grade is safe enough that the final has no effect, or you're dangling and quietly freaking out about it, you need to calm down.

Due to the competitive atmosphere at CCA, many students tend to over-study and forget about everything else in the world. Yes, your final is important, and with that comes a lot of pressure and stress to succeed; but in getting the necessary grade to keep or achieve the letter you seek, you need to remember that you’re capable of many things and you can do it. Relax, and give yourself some time to vent and do your own thing.

You need to dedicate time to escape your study session—because you need it. A person cannot sit at a desk for hours or even days at a time and just scan the notes they've taken all term. A person cannot glue themselves to a computer screen and binge-watch Khan Academy or Crash Course, expecting the material to stick. You need to give yourself a designated time to vent and destress. I know how crazy it is to hear this, where self-pressure or peer-pressure can override this concept, but this will help you later during your exam.

There are multiple ways to do this. The most important thing to do is to get into a routine and keep it. A routine could be for every hour you study, you give yourself a 5 or 10 minute break to spend time with your family and friends. This routine creates a balance between your study time and your mental health. No, you should not build up your time and use up your break all at once. For example, if a student studies for four hours, they have earned at least 20-40 minutes of cumulative break time based off the time interval they go by. You shouldn’t study for four hours and use all of the 20-40 minutes at the end; use 5-10 minutes per hour to relax and destress because if you unload all at once, your brain isn’t fully able to relax and take a break.

I understand that your finals are more-or-less your first priority, but in order to keep your sanity while studying and concentrate during the actual exam, a simple routine can make all the difference.

Pumpkin Spice Lies

by Annie Lu

The arrival of fall also heralds an onslaught of fall-flavored paraphernalia: scarves and boots and leggings are whipped out (regardless of San Diego’s stubborn refusal to conform to autumn weather), excited talk of Halloween echoes in the halls, and of course—the pumpkin spice latte makes its return. A favorite of the masses, pumpkin spice is almost an imperative in signaling the change in seasons.

A history: the first mention of pumpkins with spices in America came in a recipe for “pompkin pie” in 1796 cookbook American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons (so now we know whom we have to thank for this pumpkin rage phenomenon). In 1936, the Washington Post published a recipe for “Spice Cake Of Pumpkin”—possibly the first recorded time pumpkins and spice were used in the same name. From there, spice companies smelled potential profit and began selling cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice (also known as pimenta) together as Pumpkin Pie Spice. The omnipresent Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, sometimes referred to as “PSL”, was first conceived and introduced in 2003, after which it became known as the store’s most popular seasonal beverage. Why this sudden soar to worldwide fame? Spices have traditionally been regarded as a luxury for the rich and well-regarded in world history. They were expensive, exotic, and much-coveted. While the same might not be true for modern society, the pumpkin spice has an evocative smell that might conjure up nostalgia and seasonal good feelings for many people. For a generation of young people very attached to their childhoods, the Thanksgiving and family imagery induced by pumpkin spice seems warm, safe, and comforting. Not to mention the perfectly Instagrammable aesthetic it comes with.

An evaluation: Buying pumpkin-spiced products is undoubtedly an investment disproportionate to its value. “According to a US study, anything pumpkin spice related is up to 133% more expensive on a per-unit basis than a similar product, and you’re often getting a smaller portion too” (Hoise 2017). Long story short, anything branded as “pumpkin” or “pumpkin spice” carries with it the price of the sentimental value of pumpkins as well as the product itself. It’s more expensive. The same article maintains that a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte costs 25.53% more than its equivalent-sized other latte (not to mention the 49 grams of sugar in a grande pumpkin spice latte as opposed to 18 for a cafe latte). In reality, it's clear that the price tag arbitrarily placed on this "seasonal" flavor far exceeds its true value.

But that certainly doesn’t end people’s infatuation with pumpkin spice and fall. At this time of year, it’s impossible to walk into a grocery store and not be instantly assaulted by the frantic aroma of cinnamon brooms and the sight of ornamental gourds grinning cheekily at you from atop a shelf. Better still, every other aisle is bedecked with some seasonal specialty—usually capitalizing on pumpkins. Pumpkin spice has since transcended mere pies and lattes and can now be found in a multitude of products such as cakes, bagels, waffles, cereals, protein powder, dog treats, jello shots. There are even instant pumpkin spice lattes—for dogs. One might say the pumpkin spice obsession has crossed the line into absurdity. Pumpkin spice has become more than just a flavor cultivated in a Starbucks lab; it’s the embodiment of a season, a symbol, a lifestyle.

Nothing smells so much like fall as an alarmingly vast collection of pumpkin-spiced goods. Regardless of the hefty “pumpkin spice tax”, people aren’t liable to give up their love for this heady mix of holiday spices, so don’t hold back. Covet that pumpkin spiced latte even as your wallet or bank account makes its protests. Sample every pumpkin bagel and granola bar that you see. Throw pumpkin spice in the air like it’s confetti, raining down to blanket us all in the true glory of fall.

• Schuett, Jim. November 22, 2016. “10 facts you might not know about pumpkin spice”. San Francisco Bay Coffee. Culture.
• Nahon, Lavada (Van Cortlandt manor food historian). “From ‘Pompkin Pudding’ to Pumpkin Pie”. Historic Hudson Valley.
• Hosie, Rachel. October 17, 2017. “Pumpkin spice products come at a hefty premium, finds study”. Independent.
• Filloon, Whitney and Sparks, Jesse. September 26, 2017. “65 Pumpkin Spice Foods That Have No Business Being Pumpkin Spiced”. Eater.

Golden Knights

by Josh Golden

This season, the National Hockey League expanded their league, adding a 31st team: the Vegas Golden Knights. Normally, early on in their franchise, expansion franchises are awful. Since it takes a few years to develop talent and chemistry on a completely new squad, expansion franchises take a few years to develop—but not this team. In the first eight games in franchise history, Vegas has won seven, putting them in second place in their division, behind the Los Angeles Kings. If this team is supposed to be bad, how did they get off to such a hot start?

It all starts with veteran left wing James Neal. Neal, who was taken by the Golden Knights from the Nashville Predators in the expansion draft, has five goals and three assists to start the season for Vegas. The thirty-year-old former all-star has been a huge veteran presence along with being the hero in the team’s debut game, scoring both goals in a comeback victory in Dallas. Neal is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and is open to signing a contract extension with the new team, but could possibly be traded before this year’s deadline in order for Vegas to acquire more young talent.

Another reason the Golden Knights are exceeding expectations is teamwork. According to Knights defenseman Colin Miller, “We don’t have those big studs some other teams have, so we know we have to play to our system and support one another. We’ve become a team real fast. It’s the way we have to play.” The Knights have definitely seen success working as a team, tallying assists on 25 of the 27 goals the team has scored so far.

Now, after a 7-1-0 start to the season, the lovable new team is in perfect position to make the playoffs, but will their impressive start continue throughout the rest of the season? Probably not. Despite the success of former all-star James Neal and the ability for the young squad to work as a team, the team has put up with some issues in the net. Their top two goalies, Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban, have both suffered injuries that will keep them out for a few weeks. Even if they stay healthy for the remainder of the season, they weren’t at the top of their games when they were on the ice and need to step up if the Knights want to make this year’s postseason. Even if they improve, the young franchise should stock up in young talent and prepare for their bright future rather than put pressure on an inexperienced roster.

Shohei Otani

by Elan Berger

Batters don’t pitch. Pitchers don’t bat. These statements are generally accepted in the world of baseball. There are sometimes pitchers like Madison Bumgarner who manage to hit a couple of home runs in a season, and Bartolo Colon recently showed us the pinnacle of a pitcher's hitting ability. Also, batters will occasionally pitch a few outs when their team has exhausted their bullpen. In recent memory, Ichiro Suzuki tossed an inning for the Marlins. But not in many years have we seen a player who can both hit and pitch successfully.

Now we have Shohei Otani. The Japanese phenom posted a .322 batting average and 1.86 ERA in 2016, his last full season in the Japanese league. His 2017 season was hindered by injuries, though he produced comparable numbers in the games he did play in.

As a player who can put up all-star caliber statistics as both a pitcher and a hitter, the prospect of Otani playing in the MLB is extremely exciting for both teams and fans. The 23-year-old has been touted as the “Japanese Babe Ruth,” and it’s not difficult to see why. His batting stats are similar to those of Mike Trout and his pitching stats are akin to Clayton Kershaw’s. Despite the excitement around Otani, his move to the MLB does raise some questions.  

How often will he pitch? When he pitches, will he play in the outfield the next day? When he plays in the outfield, will he pitch the next day? If he’s doing so much, his risk for injury is increased, right?

All of these variables must be considered by managers and team leadership when deciding whether or not to pursue Otani. But despite the unknowns, it is difficult to imagine a team passing up on the opportunity to sign him. Besides his enormous potential, Otani is attractive because he can’t be paid the astronomical numbers that international prospects before him like Yoan Moncada have been paid. Because he is under the age of 25, Otani’s signing bonus and salary are restricted under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement.

By coming to baseball this year instead of waiting until he is 25, Otani is voluntarily forfeiting millions of dollars that he would have the potential to earn. Otani says, "I am not yet a complete player, and I want to go to an environment where I can continue to get better. I felt the same way when I graduated from high school. And it is my strongest reason for wanting to go now." Otani considered going to the MLB out of high school, but the Nippon Ham Fighters guaranteed him that he could both pitch and play outfield. As he transitions to the MLB now, Otani says that he has a strong desire to continue pitching and playing outfield.

Though many questions surround Otani’s move to the MLB, there is a lot to be said for his desire to improve upon his skills and have the best possible opportunities in baseball rather than getting paid. When all is said and done, baseball fans will be excited to watch Otani, whichever team signs him will be excited to have him, and the MLB will have gained a talented young player.

The Slave Trade in Libya

by Hannah Musgrave

Fleeing from extreme poverty and repression in the sub-Sahara, these people sought out refuge in Europe. The journey there demands travel through Libya, where people are captured by smugglers and are sold as slaves. This Libyan government-run immigrant detention center has thousands of people in it—so many that they do not have enough room, food, or supplies for all. In this center, migrants exploited by smugglers recount horrific tales of forced labor and inhumane conditions. A group of CNN reporters went to the detention camp and spoke with the inhabitants, one of which, 29-year-old Ali Jemma from Ghana, says that, although six months ago he had hoped for freedom in Europe, now he just wishes to go home. Home to the awful place from which he first fled—but it can't be worse than this.

In an article by The Root, Yodit, a native Eritrean who had firsthand experience with the slave trade, reported the Libyan slave trade has been going on for years. Luckily she did not get caught in the system and lives here safely in Dallas, but she describes what her four cousins are going through as they seek refugee from Eritrea: “People make deals with smugglers,” she said. “My cousin was assured that [he’d be safe]. The problem is, these smugglers sell them to someone else. You’re lucky if you aren’t sold three or four times. A lot of times, you’re kidnapped or tortured. Sexual exploitation is a given.” The Root gives more details. “Smugglers have been known to force young girls to take contraceptives before the journey, since it is expected that they will be raped multiple times during the trip.” She also describes how one of her cousins (age 16) was detained by slave traders that called her family for a $5,000 ransom. When they hesitated to offer the ransom, the slave traders broke the young boy’s arm and called back demanding the money. To this the family agreed and paid, hoping that the slave traders would keep their word. They did, and her cousin eventually made it to Europe along with one of her other cousins, and the other two were supposedly sent back to Sudan. But no one has heard from them for over five years.

This is all upsetting and difficult to look past, but a lot of people will; they will acknowledge that it is a difficult situation and then move on with their day. But people have been looking past this for too long. There has been no widespread public reaction or acknowledgement of this global issue until recently, and the worst part is that the U.S. and its actions were part of the reason this started. In 2011, then-president Obama ordered a bombing campaign to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi because he was a non-democratic dictator. Although he was a dictator, he was “a staunch advocate for African unity and Pan-Africanism ”(The Root). He constantly pushed against the anti-black racism in the Arab community and for unity throughout the country. While being ousted, Gaddafi was killed, and now awful things are happening in Libya with no one having means to stop them.

In the article, Tewolde gave advice on how to react and help the situation. “Reach out to the CBC,” Tewolde said. “The Congressional Black Caucus has an African task force; they should be on this. Keep the conversation going.” She also advised the public to send emails and make calls to the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to push for humanitarian aid and refugee relocation programs.

Sources: 

• Johnson, Jason. "How Obama’s ‘Worst Mistake’ Led to the Libyan Slave Trade". The Root. 30 November 2017.
• Razek, Raja. "'They don't know my name': What it's like to be trapped inside Libya's government detention centers". CNN. 14 November 2017.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by Ali Youel

It’s December, the month where it is socially acceptable to blare “All I Want for Christmas Is You” at crazy high volumes from your car. Even in San Diego, where we have minimal seasons, the holidays is a wonderful time of the year. Here are some activities you can do in San Diego to put you in the holiday spirit.

Ice Skating

Always a fun way to pretend that actual winter occurs in San Diego; ice skating. It’s fun, it’s a good workout, and can be a great comedic relief to watch your friends fall on their butts. You can go to UTC in La Jolla and ice skate, as well as get some holiday shopping done, or you can go down to Coronado and skate at the Hotel Del Coronado. Also, opening on December 15th, there will be an ice rink at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Road Trip!

If you want to experience a more typical winter season, you can drive up to Julian. In Julian, they get snow (but not every day, so make sure to check the weather before you head up). You can go sledding, make snow angels, and possibly even a snowman.

Shopping

Since it’s the holidays, you might need to get some shopping done for friends or family. You can go to the Forum in Carlsbad, UTC in La Jolla, or Fashion Valley. While Christmas music is playing from all the stores, you can pick out those perfect presents.

Getting Together With Friends

Grab a group of friends and have a movie marathon. You can watch Elf, A Christmas Carol, Love Actually, Home Alone, and so many more. Or, my personal favorite, you could also bake lots of cookies and make hot cocoa in your pajamas. A fun christmas playlist would complete this wonderful, seasonal gathering with your friends. You could also do a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange. For Secret Santa, everyone throws their name in a hat and you draw a name (that isn’t yours) and buy that person a gift—without letting everyone know who got who, of course. Set a budget beforehand (they tend to be around twenty to thirty dollars). Then, when you exchange gifts, you can try to guess who your Secret Santa is! For a White Elephant gift exchange, everyone buys a small, funny gift, no more than fifteen dollars' worth. Each person wraps theirs individually and then puts them all in one pile. Have everyone draw a number, with number one going first. That person picks a present and opens it to show the crowd what it is. The following participants can either choose to steal a gift from previous people or pick a new one from the pile.

I hope these ideas have inspired you to get in the holiday spirit and have fun with friends. Take these tips and ideas and go make a batch of gingerbread cookies, watch Home Alone, and cuddle up with your best friends with mugs of hot cocoa and comfy pajamas. Happy Holidays, CCA!

Love is in the Air

by Frank Yang

As the new year is quickly approaching and people are starting to ask others out for Winter Formal, the Valentine’s Day spirit is stronger than ever. With that in mind, here are a few tips for managing your relationships.

Asking Someone Out:

Don’t worry! You’re not alone. It’s completely normal to receive the jitters before a proposal of this type. The most important part of this process is to present your feelings the way you want to and to act naturally and rationally without haste. Try to get a conversation going before you delve into the specifics. If that’s not possible, then make your propositions clear and simple and open up the conversation to include your “intended date”. The fact that knowing a person likes you is a beautiful thing; don’t avoid the situation and put the burdens on other people. Feel free to be creative, but not overwhelming. There are no set guidelines on how to approach these matters, but it’s often that balance of charm and wit that creates the perfect proposal.

To match the intimacy of the conversation, it would be favorable to ask people out in more private settings, where friends can’t interfere with your discussions. The proposal is a moment that you would “want to treasure”, and it would only make sense if the setting is a place that holds meaning to both individuals. For instance, Bob and Tammy were already good friends and both of them had feelings for one another. One day, when they were sitting in a booth in a restaurant face-to-face, they coincidentally managed to speak up for their love. The booth was in a public environment, but it was intimate enough for the two to have their “fireside” chats. It is always pertinent to personalize the experience for your intended “other”.

Like all other important matters, it’s best not to throw a proposal over text or through social media. Emotions can’t be adequately interpreted and it’ll only cause unnecessary miscommunications. Furthermore, it’s important to carry out the proposal on your own. Keep yourself sustained and to not be too extreme and outgoing. The desperation and the excess of emotion will only strain your chances of success, putting pressure on the person being asked instead of gently welcoming their presence. Aggression will only lead to rough relationships that likely won’t work out, especially if both sides misunderstand each other’s intentions.

Keeping a Relationship “Romantic”:

Again, it’s important to keep your relationships on a case-by-case basis. Often, it’s always the honest, simple, and most straightforward relationships that are the most successful. By keeping open communication, the intimacy is usually what keeps these high school relationships alive. More importantly, it’s the support that is sustained between the two to create a mutually-beneficial relationship. It’s the transmission of smiles, the tendency to spend more time with your date to mutually relieve stress, and the warm hugs that strengthen a relationship. When love and happiness are combined, it allows the couple to strengthen bonds, setting themselves up for greater chemistry. It’s like the feeling where “cancer is cured, solving calculus problems is easy, and life is all happy and colorful and warm”. A relationship is not kept through the initiation of exploding fireworks, but rather learning about their little quirks and understanding their personality.

In order to prevent miscommunications, it is crucial that both members pay attention to one another and understand their wants and needs. Even showing small gestures of caring for one another helps to build that sympathy that is needed in order for the connection between the two people to be stronger and more stable. Although high school relationships may be limited by the time people spend with one another, and parental factors that could influence the outcome of the relationship, the exchange of ideas between the couple will only be bolstered by these signs of sympathy. Otherwise, it’s recommended that more communication is fostered in-person: try to get lunch out together or go watch a movie together. The key is to allow you and your significant other to see eye-to-eye on issues so that you both are happy and satisfied with the relationship.

Breaking Up:

This part of the process is always the most heartbreaking. Often, rejections stem from forgetting the little things that made the couple happy and becoming pessimistic about the life that sustains their relationship. They can originate from stress and parental conflicts, but more often than not, it’s caused by a misunderstanding of intentions. For example, Sammy and Sally originally had thought they had found true love, but as they met new people at school, they grew farther and farther apart, with Sally being jealous of Sammy’s life. As a result, their inability to not trust each other as much as before cost their relationship.

However, not all break-offs are as gradual as that relationship. When rejecting someone more directly, it’s important to be delicate, but also to rip off the band-aid and not leave them with any unanswered hints. It’s best to state your appreciation for their boldness when rejecting them, but not to the point where you’re thanking them for their deeds. Moreover, one must be cautious when rejecting people in public, especially during an outing that was supposed to be an ordinary hangout with a group of friends. Although the idea might be enticing, it only causes unnecessary sadness. The bottom line is: don’t stay in a relationship if it makes you feel miserable or if it makes you feel like you have an obligation to attend to.

Note: The examples used in this story are based on true accounts of CCA students, but may not be representative of all relationship situations. Alternative names are used to protect the identities of the individuals in these particular examples.

A Latte of Holiday Cheer

by Kaylynn O’Curran

The holidays have come at last. As scary and expensive as these days might be for you (facing judgmental family members that you have to buy expensive gifts for) there is a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel. In typical American fashion, this light is peppermint-flavored, because duh—that's the only important holiday flavor (almost as important as the pumpkin spice that is forcibly shoved down your throat every fall). Of course, Starbucks, the shop that quite literally keeps us all running, also has a variety of holiday treats. This includes food and drinks, also known as an exciting holiday spiced adventure for your taste buds. The drinks included this season include the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha (my personal favorite), Chestnut Praline Chai Tea Latte, Caramel Brûlée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte, Holiday Spice Flat White, and Gingerbread Latte—the list goes on. According to Starbucks, “the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha highlights espresso and steamed milk, mingling with the flavors of caramelized white chocolate, all topped with whipped cream and candied cranberry sugar.” But of course the classic Peppermint Mocha, also available as a hot chocolate, is there to stay, with a classic combination of bittersweet cocoa and a lively peppermint zing with espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate curls.

There are also some good holiday treats this year. The Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini is a sliced turkey breast topped with cranberry-herb stuffing, savory herbs and turkey gravy, served on warm and toasty ciabatta roll. The other classic holiday sandwich is the Carved Ham, Egg and Swiss Breakfast Sandwich, a carved maple-glazed ham paired with creamy Swiss cheese and egg on Starbucks' signature croissant bun. But the fun doesn’t stop there; at this time of year, Starbucks is in the mood for giving. The Starbucks For Life game has begun, and you could win anything and everything. The prizes included are mugs, bonus points, free menu items, and a variety of other things. However you do need to have a Starbucks account to participate—possibly a very dangerous move that could get you addicted to coffee. But I’d say it’s worth it! Whatever merry mood you’re in, Starbucks has got you covered this season. Happy holiday coffee time!

NFL Playoff Picture

by Josh Golden

The 2017 NFL season is approaching its close, which means that teams are starting to find out their playoff destinies. The only two teams who currently have a playoff spot clinched are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom clinched their division titles this past week with impressive wins against playoff hopefuls. Teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, and Buffalo Bills have a chance to break their gruesome playoff droughts while teams such as the New England Patriots continue to assert their dominance over the league.

In the AFC, the six playoff spots are currently held by the Steelers, Patriots, Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and Bills, in that order. This Sunday, Tom Brady and the Patriots will look to avenge their Monday night loss to the Dolphins in Pittsburgh in a game where the winner will most likely hold home field advantage throughout the playoffs. If Roethlisberger and the Steelers go on to defeat the Patriots, not only do they clinch home field advantage, but New England would lose control of the first round bye, which would mean they need to win out in games at home against the BIlls and Jets and hope that Jacksonville either loses or ties against Houston, San Francisco, or Tennessee. In the AFC South, the Jaguars and Titans meet in a week 17 battle that the winner will most likely be crowned division champion, pending the Jaguars and Titans lose the same amount of games in the next two weeks or Jacksonville loses one more. In the west, the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers are tied, with the two teams facing off this Saturday night in Kansas City, a game in which the winner will likely go on to win the division and the loser would need to win out to have a shot at a wild card berth. Speaking of the wild card, the Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and division losers of the AFC West and South will all be competing for the final two spots, with the AFC South loser holding a strong chance to play in January. Despite the Bills currently holding the last playoff spot, the Ravens control their own destiny since the common opponent tiebreaker will be implemented once the Bills face Miami on Sunday. Baltimore’s easy schedule down the stretch will likely take them to the postseason.

In the NFC, the playoff spots are held by the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Rams, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons, in that order, with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers on the outside looking in. The Eagles hold a one game lead over the Vikings for home field advantage but lost MVP favorite Carson Wentz due to a torn ACL last week. The Vikings have the same situation for a first round bye with the Rams, Saints and Panthers, only needing two more wins to get some rest during the wild card round. The Saints and Panthers are currently tied at 9-4 for the lead of the NFC South with Atlanta only one game behind. The Falcons will face both teams in the last two weeks of the season and the Saints won’t face the Panthers, meaning that only the Panthers don’t control their own destiny to win the division. In the NFC West, the Rams hold a one game lead over the Seahawks with a matchup between the two happening this weekend in Seattle. The two wild card spots are currently held by the Panthers and Falcons, with the Seahawks tied with the Falcons and the Packers, Lions, and Cowboys one game behind. With Aaron Rodgers likely coming back this week, the Packers are hoping to once again run the table and sneak into the playoffs, which could happen since the Falcons and Seahawks both have tough closing schedules, but most likely won’t since Green Bay has to face Carolina, Minnesota, and Detroit, all teams with winning records.

With three weeks remaining, there are still plenty of things that can happen, but not enough to figure out what’s going on in Cleveland.

Sports: Padres Update

by Noah Gaines

Holiday season: it’s a time for gift giving, classic family argumentation with in-laws, and, most importantly, the Winter Meetings. The Winter Meetings began this past Sunday and are the highlight of the Baseball offseason. At the four-day meeting, numerous baseball executives, prestigious free agents, and mass media migrate to a common meeting ground to discuss signings and trades. This is in order to better their teams' chances of success down the road for this season and for future seasons yet to come.

The hometown Padres made a few minor moves in the waking hours on Tuesday. General manager AJ Preller preformed a transaction with the infamous New York Yankees, acquiring former Padre Chase Headley, along with 26-year-old swingman prospect Bryan Mitchell in exchange for the 28-year-old Virgin Island outfielder Jabari Blash. The Padres and Yankees are compatible in the sense that the Yankees are attempting to cut payroll and get below the luxury tax line. With the Padres absorbing all of Headley’s 13 million in salary, the Yankees now land 30 million dollars below that line. The Padres are receiving Bryan Mitchell, who hasn’t had a long look at a major league opportunity in the Bronx, so he got sent to San Diego in hopes of capitalizing on the open Padres roster that will give him a chance to play every day.

The Padres also traded minor-league second baseman Ryan Schimpf to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor-league infielder Deion Tansel. This move was merely to dispose of Schimpf’s contract and acquire young talent that can help the Padres down the road.

In other Padre news, the team has inquired about covenant free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, but a deal has not been official or developing much as of late. The team has also expressed interest in seeking a shortstop, as that is its largest need at the moment. Philadelphia Phillies Freddy Galvis, free agent Zack Cozart, and both Chicago Cub infielders Addison Russell and Javier Baez have been linked to the Padres search for this hole in the infield. Despite this lack, the team simply needs a one-to-two year filler. This is because the minor-league system is stacked with talent at this position, such as Fernando Tatis Jr (18), Luis Urias (20), Esteury Ruiz (18), and Luis Almanzar (18).

AJ Preller has been active so far this offseason, acquiring numerous pieces in order to benefit the team in the future, but will the Padres land this biggest fish in the pond?

Backup Before You Mess Up

by Gabriella Patino

The day I dropped my phone in the toilet was April 1st. Though more commonly known as “April Fool’s Day,” I see it as just another month and just another day. Sometimes, I laugh at the absurd jokes I see online or on the prank TV shows. But April 1, 2017, I was not laughing. I woke up at an ungodly hour. 7:00 am. On a Saturday, that is usually the hour at which I am fast asleep. So fast asleep that I will probably be in that state for another three or four hours. But not April 1. No, today I had to wake up at 7:00 am, take a shower, eat breakfast, get all my things together, and be out of the house by 8:00 am. For me, the speed necessary to function doesn’t kick in until about an hour after waking up, so this was an issue all on its own. So there I was, doing the zombie walk from my bed to my bathroom to get ready and then back to my bedroom and then downstairs for breakfast all while slightly moaning and complaining to whichever family member was nice enough to listen. Then, before I left, I thought it would be a smart idea to use the bathroom. How proud my mother would be if she saw me thinking ahead... I thought to myself. So as I walk in there, my zombie walk slowly evolving into the crawl of a small child, I was proud. Then, Splash. My phone falls out of my back pocket and right into the toilet. Not so proud anymore. Now, I’m moving at the speed of light as if my own child had just fallen into a pool for the first time and doesn’t know how to swim. I hold up my phone and start trying to shake out the water.

“No, no, no, no,” I’m repeating to myself. I run to the pantry and frantically search for rice. The only rice we had was this strange, organic, gluten free jar of rice and that was just going to have to do. I bury my phone in the rice and then wait. I put my face close to the side of the jar and let out a huge puff of air. I back away from the jar thinking, oh my god. What the hell am I going to do? I was not one to backup my photos or contacts or music anywhere because that just sounds like a waste of time to me. Me on March 31 would have told you, “No of course I don’t have my photos backed up anywhere. I don’t need to do that! I never drop my phone and I never will.” Me now would say, “I’m a forgetful, clumsy, disastrous person who needs every type of insurance in the book.”

The worst part of this all was that I couldn’t do anything about it until the afternoon. I had errands and appointments all throughout the day. At the beginning of the day, I thought going a day, no, a HALF a day, would be no problem. I was confident that I would last a day without my phone. Oh boy was I wrong. I started worrying that my friends would think I was dead. I was worried that by the time I logged back onto social media, my obituary would be there waiting for me. I was worried that someone might post a bad photo of me on instagram and I wouldn’t be able to see it until the end of the day. And then, worst of all, when I finally got into the car, I realized I had to listen to…. the radio. Someone put me out of my misery. Then, once I finally got my new phone, I realized that all of my precious memories, my collection of photographs that spanned over years of my life, were gone. Just like that, after one drop into the toilet, all of that nostalgia I used to experience looking at my photos was gone forever. It was at this moment that I really wanted this to just be an April Fool’s joke. I waited eagerly for my past 7:00 am self to walk into the Verizon store and hand me back my beloved phone that I obviously can’t live without.

If I learned anything from this experience it is to backup your precious memories even if you think nothing bad could possibly happen to them. You never know what sleep deprivation and carelessness could do to a person. Technology is actually a pretty amazing thing if you let it be. All of the important things from your life- documents, photos, contacts- are all just a click away. Though nothing beats actual human interaction and spending time with one another face to face, looking back on memories is a gift. Wanting to keep up with friends and family we don’t see everyday on social media and through text messaging is not a crime. Wanting to snap a selfie every now and then is nothing to be ashamed of. Just be smart with your devices and know when to put them down and when to back them up so you don’t end up like me, embarrassed by my own phone.

Off the Rails

by Derek Li

On December 18, 2017, an Amtrak train traveling from Seattle to Portland derailed on a highway overpass in DuPont, WA. So far, the accident has left at least three people dead and has injured hundreds more. This is the second time in just three years that Amtrak, America’s national passenger rail service, has been involved in a fatal accident. Back in 2015, an Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight people and injuring hundreds. Major rail incidents like these cause Americans to ask a simple question: why are trains in America so neglected and dilapidated?

The issue with American trains mainly concerns passenger rail service—not freight trains. For long distance cargo transport, railways still play a major role to this day, albeit not as large as it did a hundred years ago. However, it’s a completely different story for passenger transport. Ever since WWII, ridership on railroads has sharply decreased; this is directly correlated with the rise of faster, more convenient, and often cheaper modes of transport: automobiles for shorter distances and airplanes for longer distances. In the early 20th century, before cars and planes became popular, railways were the backbone and source of American development in urban and previously sparsely populated areas in the country. Trains were luxurious, modern, safe, and fast. They allowed people to travel across the country in just days, compared to weeks or even months before. Because of trains, towns sprang up in the mid and southwest portions of America; perhaps the largest beneficiary of transcontinental railways was the state of California. Before the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, California was relatively isolated from the rest of the United States. So, although there was a lot of opportunity in the state, traveling there was extremely difficult and unsafe. But, when a railroad connected California to the rest of the U.S, people migrated to the golden state in massive numbers in search of economic prosperity, and California’s population skyrocketed. Additionally, the nationwide economy was stimulated since resources (such as gold) could travel swiftly from coast to coast in no time. As America moved into the early and mid 20th centuries, Henry Ford innovated the automobile and the Wright Brothers invented the airplane. In just a matter of a few decades, the United States became engrossed in an automobile and airplane culture. Almost all railroad companies were either struggling or bankrupt. The government attempted to revive the rail industry, but to no avail.

The root of the poor state of U.S railroads is the fact that trains simply don’t interest Americans. One major factor for that is the nation’s demography and geography: the overall population density is low and people generally live very spread out from others. This type of layout makes it very costly and inefficient for railroads to operate. In countries such as India, England, China, and Japan, where the population density is high, railroads are very successful and are the main source of medium and long distance transport. In America, however, it makes much more sense for somebody to drive within a metropolitan area and to take a flight between two distant cities. Also, because most of the nation does not live close to a train station, having to find another way to get to the station only increases the inconvenience. Yet, the few long-distance trains in the country are slow and almost never on time. In fact, in 2014, Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which runs from Seattle to Chicago, was on time a dreadful 20.9% of the time. This is mainly due to the fact that most passenger railways operate on track owned by freight railroads, which prioritize their trains over others. If Amtrak had enough money to buy or build their own track, then their long-distance routes would probably be more successful.

Because most Americans either don’t have access to rail stations or don’t benefit from taking trains, railroads have continuously been losing money. In fact, Amtrak hasn’t struck profit since its formation in 1971. The lack of money causes trains to become more unsafe and less frequent, producing a never-ending bad cycle. Add in the recent innovations in the automobile and aircraft industries, and it looks like railroads in the United States will never return to its former glory.

Sources:

• Sterling, Joe. “Amtrak Train Derails over Highway in Washington; Injuries Reported.” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Dec. 2017.
• Ingraham, Christopher. “The sorry state of Amtrak’s on-Time performance, mapped.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 July 2014.

A Threat to First Amendment Rights

by Audrey Hsu

The American media tends to float around with great pointless billowing debates that are hotly contested. It’s a constant rotation, or perhaps more like an assembly line of topics on the table. One is brought up to the light of the harsh dim factory lights, weighed, scrutinized deeply, and then sorted into brightly labeled bins. And the workers—the people of America—hurriedly pick up the next item with absolutely no regards to the last. Something is constantly up on the belt, ready to be picked apart with excruciating detail. Today’s item up for inspection is net neutrality: a more behind-the-scenes sort of item that is still making its way onto feeds and screens. When I first heard the name, I filed it in in my mind under the drawer labeled "internet privacy rights", but I realized I didn’t actually know about the specifics when my friend asked me what the controversy was about.

To a certain extent, it could be classified as such, but it turns out net neutrality is far more complicated than the broad term internet privacy rights. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, without favoring or blocking particular products or websites. Gesundheit. More simply, it’s the rules that allow equal access to the internet. For example, a certain internet service provider (T-Mobile, Verizon, Comcast, etc) could make that addictive movie series you’ve been watching slow down to the point of a blank, black buffering screen. On the other hand, they could promote fast connection for another movie, or a company that favors them more.

How did this happen? Ajit Pai, head of the Federal Communications Commission, who was appointed by Trump in January, proposed the overturn of the Obama administration’s net neutrality legislation in late November. Supporters of repealing net neutrality say that light regulation of the internet is best for the internet to thrive and grow. Supporters of net neutrality argue that the public’s integrity should be preserved and that certain content should never be prioritized over others. On Thursday December 14, 2017, the FCC voted net neutrality down with a majority of 3 to 2. Since then, protests have been sprouting in New York over the country in favor of keeping net neutrality. Advocates for net neutrality hold signs displaying “Save the Internet!” or “Net Neutrality is Freedom of Speech!”

In answer to the protests, companies like Netflix, Google, Facebook, and Amazon hurried to state that they are in support of net neutrality. New York and California senators are working together to propose a bill in January that allows net neutrality regulations in New York and California. Net neutrality is "essential to our 21st century democracy, and we need to be sure that people can access websites and information freely and fairly,” California State Senator Scott Wiener announced. And other protests are happening online. I discovered a "Save the Internet" website that had been set up in a matter of days, complete with a donation page, a blog page, and other tabs explaining the importance of net neutrality and how it works. While there is nothing that the protests can currently do except arouse the nation’s curiosity and raise awareness, with such a strong public response, it is imminent that net neutrality will be making a well-justified appearance in the near future.

Weekly Wack

by Amanda Arnett

We live in a world that never stops. Everyday our senses are bombarded with new information about anything and everything that is going on as global news about politics, natural disasters, the economy, and crime radiates from our technological devices. While keeping updated on all these major events is important, sometimes we need to hear something unconventional, weird, or just plain random. So, today I have presented you with a couple of the wackiest stories from recent news.

March 13, 2018. Have you ever seen someone that you know looks familiar, but you simply cannot put a name to the face? Well that is exactly how the country is feeling about a 1-year-old Shih-poo (a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Poodle) puppy. This dog named Yogi has become an internet sensation because his face looks strikingly similar to that of a human. Yogi’s pouted lips and soft, soulful eyes have people questioning whether he is real, or if the owner just did a face swap with a human. While web users have even begun to compare the dog to celebrities such as Zach Galifianakis and Nicholas Cage, Yogi’s owner swears that this is his real face.

image: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yogi-dog-human-face_us_5aa843aee4b001c8bf14b331

March 16, 2018. Here we find the story of what some may call a real life version of The Walking Dead. After returning to his home country of Romania after 20 years of living in Turkey, 63-year-old Constantin Reliu was informed at the airport that he was dead. Are you lost now? I know this sounds impossible, because obviously Constantin was not dead. What had happened, however, was that Constantin’s wife had officially registered him as dead while he was in Turkey. The Romanian government has refused to overturn his death papers because he has no papers that officially “prove his existence”. Now, Constantin calls himself “a living ghost” as he cannot get a job and legally does not exist! On March 22nd, however, the court declared that Constantin, and any dead man, can have his drivers license back.

So no, these headlines are not exactly what most adults have in mind when they tell kids to keep up on current events. But when almost all news seems to be somber or negative, these stories are certainly a source of laughter or entertainment.  

image: https://zayzay.com/news/romanian-court-rules-constantin-reliu-as-dead-despite-the-man-himself-claiming-otherwise/