Story by Christopher Craft

The book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” written by Philip K Dick in the year 1968 has changed science fiction as a genre ever since. 

The book takes place in a dystopian earth where the environment has gotten so abysmal that everyone who can afford it leaves for Mars. Everyone else is left in squalor trying to scrape up enough money to leave for Mars. The main character, Rick Deckard, is a police officer who is tasked with hunting down robots called “Replicas” that are nearly indistinguishable from regular humans. The key issue is that they do not feel human emotions like empathy, at least it originally seems. 

The book is 274 pages long and follows Deckard chasing down a handful of Replicas while grappling with what really separates humans and robots. I am avoiding the key details in the book in order to not spoil the plot, but the point is in the title. “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” is a parallel to humans thinking of sheep to fall asleep. It grapples with themes of “I think therefore I am” type of philosophy and how others are treated as different when we are all fundamentally the same.

 It also deals with modern problems with technology and the conversation that if we created manufactured life then what separates their life and ours? The book is one of the first and most original works of dystopian fiction and if you haven’t seen the Blade Runner movies, but you like science fiction movies, then do yourself a favor and watch the Blade Runner movies. The first movie follows the book very closely while the 2017 movie, “Blade Runner 2049” is just in the same setting with a unique plot.

Story by Christopher Craft

It’s time for the second edition of Chris’s Question Corner! Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in with questions and I appreciate you going out of your way to let me keep doing this. In this edition we will be covering 7 questions. Without further ado let's get started!

Q. I’m trying to be successful in life. Where should I start?

A. I would say that if you want to be successful you have to start with what that means to you. It seems like an obvious question but success is anything but exact. Some people want to get rich, or have a big family, or leave a positive legacy. Once you’ve decided what you want to do in life, think about why you want that. Ideas of success vary, but everyone can be successful as long as they are realistic with what they can achieve.

Q. Is it morally correct to take ducks from a public park?

A. No. Absolutely, easily, no. The ducks have a home and if you have to take them from the park, then you probably can’t take care of them very well. 

Q. What country has the longest average lifespan?

A. Monaco currently has the highest average life expectancy at around 87 years old. It is followed by Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan with 85 years on average. Many of the highest life expectancies stats are from countries in East Asia often attributed to their balanced diet, among other reasons.

Q. Why is Alfred Almond's rice so salty?

A.Rice can be really hard to season and personally I don’t think it’s very salty. I think it depends on your taste preferences. Many kitchens use standardized recipes as well so it likely isn’t an Alfred Almond thing specifically.

Q. What is the best sandwich and why?

A. The best sandwich by far is Chicken Po’Boys with remoulade sauce. Best sandwich bar none. Po’boys are often made with shrimp instead of chicken and that’s phenomenal as well. 

Q. Is school lunch a banger?

A. Usually yes. I think the school food really isn’t too bad. I think it deserves an overall rating of 7/10 most days.

Thank you for reading and have an excellent day. See you at the next issue on Chris's Question Corner!

Story by Joey Taggart

Yo bruh it's time to settle the never ending confusion surrounding slang terms used by today's high school students. Slang consists of phrases that can be considered informal and are usually heard by word of mouth rather than written. Slang is used to develop a sense of connection within groups of people who understand each other. 

Teachers often overhear slang and can be left confused. Science teacher Mr. Rech experienced this first hand. “I've been trying to find the difference between yoink and yeet this week.” Well Mr. Rech, “yoink” refers to the action of grabbing or taking something without permission, while yeet refers to the action of throwing something. 

When choosing what slang terms to define it was important that I go straight to the source: the students. Each student was asked what slang term they use the most and why they used it. Here's what was found. Junior Ben Byrnes enjoys using the word “dawg” because it's a fast response that can be used in many different situations. “Dawg” is used almost identically to words like “bro” or “dude”; it carries no other meaning. Sophomore Boden Whepley takes pride in the use of the word “rizz.” When asked why, he simply responds “words with the letter Z are fun to say.” “Rizz'' is a term referring to “charisma” and it just means one's ability to be likable without noticeable effort to do so. Senior Kanye Cumberbatch’s favorite slang term is “cuh” which is a version of another slang term “cus.” It is similar to “dawg” in that it is just a word that you call your peer. Kanye picks “cuh” as his favorite because it is versatile and “can be used whenever.” 

Finally, freshman Will Levey gives a bit of a tricky answer “Kai Cenat Rizz.” Now although this is confusing at first it can be broken into two parts. With Rizz having already been defined, all we are left with is “Kai Cenat” which refers to an internet personality known for his livestreams on the platform Twitch where he streams with other well known celebrities. 

The use of slang is ever growing and ever changing. Today's teenagers will one day be confused about what their own kids are saying and the cycle will continue on and on. One thing must be made important though. The use of slang in an inappropriate situation can be seen as disrespectful, so be careful when you use it. Technology teacher Mr. Levey conveys this lesson. “All day students call me dude and I have to remind them that we aren't on that level yet.” Slang when used in the appropriate context can be a fun way to communicate with peers and build a connection. 

Story by Quinn Palmer

Students have lots of different activities they like to do in the spring. Spring is a great time to get outside and be active instead of being cooped up inside.

One popular activity among students is hiking. Hiking allows students to enjoy nature. It provides great exercise while also being very relaxing. Seniors Christopher and Vincent Craft both said they enjoy hiking. Hiking is an activity that is great for groups of people, students can hang out with friends while doing something other than playing video games.

Many students also enjoy fishing. Fishing can be a calm relaxing activity or it can be a fierce competition. This makes it appealing to lots of different people. Fishing is also a great activity to do with friends. It can give people something to do while they talk. There are a number of great and sometimes obscure fishing spots within just a couple miles of the school.

Riding bikes is another fantastic springtime activity. It can be both a source of exercise and a means of transportation. Sometimes when the weather is nice, students who live near the school ride their bikes to school.

Skateboarding is another popular activity among students. Students are often found hanging out at the skate park in Hornell where they practice their skateboarding tricks. Skateboarding is also a great way to travel short distances.

Spring is for getting outside and being active, not for hiding inside with the TV. Students, get outside and enjoy the weather.