The impact of teacher pay and teachers leaving their jobs has significantly affected students and administration at many schools. At Southeast, the Special Education teacher Ms. Nicole Lester states her opinion on teacher pay. “Teacher pay is a major issue, especially in North Carolina.  I have been teaching for over 20 years.  If you factor in all the times my pay has been frozen, all the times I have not received my step increase, cost of living adjustments and changes in benefits, I am earning less now than in the past.” said Lester.

Due to teacher pay averaging  $58,292 a year, leaves teachers having a difficult time budgeting. Teachers also fund many supplies for their classrooms which leads to more cost. School supplies for their students, teachers normally spend anywhere from $500 to $900. 

Lester states her stress over how much she is having to spend on school supplies, stating “Schools are underfunded.  Teachers often spend hundreds of dollars per year on supplies for their own classrooms, share Amazon wishlists with their friends and families, spend their free time writing grants for field trips and supplies, and write Donors Choose grants for supplies their schools cannot or will not provide.” 

Teacher workload has increased over the years causing  average teachers working in the school building for 10 hours or more. On average, teachers spend around 53 to 54 hours grading work, making lessons, completing various school-wide duties while still finding time to serve their students. 

Southeast Alamance teacher Angela Dalton states “Every year they give us additional workload and cut costs with printers, etc that cause more work on us.”

Because teachers have such a high workload around 44% of teachers experience a burnout at some point in their career. When discussing burnout, Dalton continued to express concern. “Yes in it now with no incentives people lose hope and joy and start searching elsewhere. I have seen so many leave the profession that were amazing teachers. The students have suffered in terms of learning because of this. Our profession has also invited in people with little ethics and that has become a major issue.” said Dalton.

Both teachers, Ms. Lester and Ms. Dalton both state that it's the students that are what bring them back to their jobs even if they are experiencing a burnout. Lester says “I have had days where I fantasize about driving until I run out of gas instead of pulling into my school parking lot, or calling in sick just to catch up on sleep.  Usually our love for the students we work with is the motivation to keep us going, but we all have hard days.  Every conversation I have had with a younger teacher on the brink of quitting has always stopped when they say I want to leave, but I won’t leave my students.” said Lester.

Southeast teacher Jacob Krocke sees the challenge of teaching in the current climate. “I think the challenge with being a teacher is that saying 'no' to tasks that should belong to someone else is often accepted by a teacher because we want opportunities to be available to our students. This has resulted in Schools in general and teachers taking on tasks that are more than 'just teaching.'" Krocke said.

Based on this data, teachers turnover is a concerning issue; however, even though teachers are going through more stress,  all teachers interviewed came to the same conclusion:  Students are what keeps bringing them back to their jobs.

by Shayla Leach

On November 1st, 2025, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) almost completely shut down. SNAP provides federal funds to low-income households to help citizens buy groceries and/or other nutritional items. SNAP benefits help feed more than 40 million Americans; however, as America is still in the government shutdown, the resources could be delayed or put on pause. This pause would leave families wondering when the next meal may come. 

The SNAP Program is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income households to help them buy groceries and any other supplemental needs. Every month, eligible households receive benefits on their Electronic Benefits (EBT) card, which can be used to buy eligible food items in certain supermarkets and grocery stores. These benefits can be used to purchase fruits, vegetables, bread, meats and dairy products. The benefits cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcohol or any foods that will be used for immediate consumption such as prepared meals from a deli.

In 2024, an average of 41.7 million people were a part of SNAP, which am about 12.3% of the United States’ population. In recent demographics, it has been proven that nearly 60% of the benefits go to families with children, and at least 7.8% elderly individuals benefit from the program. In 2024, California received the most SNAP benefits and has the largest number of SNAP participants, while Texas, Florida, and New York have high numbers of households as well due to their large populations. Some rural counties show a greater dependency on SNAP than urban counties with certain areas having very high participation rates. Even in North Carolina, specific counties have a particularly high share of residents using SNAP, sometimes reaching one in three people.

The SNAP program is being paused because of the federal government shutdown. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) froze funding, and, while some states are providing partial or temporary assistance, the Trump administration is in a court battle over how to fully fund the program. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to fully fund SNAP, but the administration has asked a federal appeals court to halt the order.  The administration argues that it can't use all its available funds for benefits, while judges have stated that emergency funds were provided for this type of situation. Going forward, a revised plan from the USDA will provide 65% of the normal maximum benefits. 

The current federal government shutdown has significant implications for the SNAP program, affecting millions of low-income households who rely on these important benefits for their nutritional needs. Funding is on hold, and legal issues are causing problems. Many families are dealing with uncertainty and hunger. The shortened benefits provided during this time rapidly grow the challenges faced by vulnerable communities, showing the negative consequences of both a government shutdown and a growing need for supplemental funds for SNAP should another government shutdown occur.

by Brody Dixon

Just after midnight on October 1st, the federal government officially shut down. Since then, it has remained shut down for over five weeks*. By November 5th, the shutdown became the longest in US history spanning 37 days. The last government shutdown was in 2019 which lasted for 34 days, holding the previous record. The modern budgeting practice was established in 1976. Since that date, the government has shut down 10 times, with the shortest shutdown only lasting one day.

Each year, Congress is responsible for passing 12 appropriation bills. Appropriation bills are proposed laws that allow the expenditure of government funds for national defense, homeland security, education and payments of certain subsidies. However, if those bills are not passed by September 30th, a shutdown begins. Failure to pass the appropriation bills are often due to disagreements among the political parties in Congress and the Executive Branch concerning spending priorities.  Essential employees are also negatively impacted by a shutdown.

When a shutdown occurs, there are certain government services and functions that are halted. National parks and museums are closed during this time, and passport and visa processing slows. Additionally, federal research projects are halted as well. Non-essential federal employees and businesses reliant on government services are most affected by the shutdown. Non essential federal employees include hairdressers, waitstaff, landscapers, caterers and museum workers. 

During a shutdown, certain employees are temporarily laid off and receive back pay when it ends. Services vital to national security and overall public safety continue, but are negatively impacted. Essential federal programs such as social security medicare benefits continue to operate.

Prolonged shutdowns such as this one often shift public opinion. Growing concern pressures both parties to return to the negotiating table and find common ground. The primary debate is over the extension of healthcare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats want a permanent extension of those subsidies, while Republicans favor a short term bill to address them. Both parties are set to continue meeting in an attempt to settle the dispute and end the shutdown. 

*UPDATE: As of the publication of this article, the government is currently shut down; however, there is a vote to begin to restart the government in the Senate.

by Payton Cleary

Journalism is undergoing a profound transformation. Advances in technology, from artificial intelligence to social media, are reshaping how news is created and shared. As traditional models decile and public trust wavers, journalists must adapt by embracing innovation while upholding the core values of truth, transparency, and accountability. 

The previous paragraph was created by AI. How do readers know the difference between AI and human work? Will journalism, as we know it, continue to exist? 

Journalism is the practice of gathering, preparing, and distributing accurate news coverage. Now mostly covered through social media,such as television, radios. Although it  was originally shared through printed news.

The word journalism originally applied to the reportage of current events in printed form, specifically news papers. But with the increase in use of radios, television, and the internet, the term journalism started to broaden to include all paper and electronic communication.

The earliest known form of journalism is traced back to the ancient Rome time period. The Acta Diurina, a new sheet that recorded daily events and public events before 59 BCE. In China, a court circular called a bao was supplied to the government during the Tang dynasty.

The first regularly published article was in German cities in 1609.The first English news was published in 1622, followed by the first daily newspaper, called the daily newspaper, called the daily courant, in 1702. By the 1800s most of Europe and America had access to independent news coverage. 

The major danger for upcoming journalism is the spread of misinformation. As the ongoing shift in journalism continues with the media powered by social media influencers, information presented on the internet is starting to become questioned. Readers are confused as to what is a lie or the truth. Recently news has been getting influenced or getting incentives  by social media platforms like facebook,instagram, etc.. Getting incentives can deeply affect the outcome of what is said or how something is said. 

As well as the new generation starting to have a shorter attention span, Due to the nature of today’s journalism, Gen Z readers are viewing 60 second videos instead of taking a deeper dive into the facts. This misinformation often drives the reality of the younger generation of consumers of news.

With AI rapidly growing, generations constantly changing, what will journalism be like in the future?

The Louvre Museum in France holds some of the most famous art created. A recent burglary is questioning security at this site. Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash 

by Shayla Leach

Every November, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated to honor the rich cultures, traditions and contributions of both Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. 

Native American Heritage Month was officially designated in November of 1990 by President George H. W. Bush following a joint resolution passed by Congress. This month serves as a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of Native Americans throughout history and to promote awareness of their cultures and traditions. 

Native American and Alaska Native history is rich and complex as it spans thousands of years. Starting in the 15th century the arrival of European explorers drastically reshaped Native American societies and their way of life. The Europeans brought diseases that killed more that 90% of the Indigenous population, and engaged in violent conflicts with the Natives. By the 19th century, U.S. expansion led to the forced relocation of Native tribes (exemplified by the Trail of Tears) which resulted in significant loss of life and land. 

Native Alastics has a complex history as well. Historians believe that they migrated to Alaska from Asia over the Bering land Bridge approximately 15,000 to 24,000 years ago. This migration led to the establishment of various cultures that adapted to the harsh Arctic temperature and environment. Over time, these groups developed distinct languages and subsistence practices which relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering. The modern history of these Natives began in the 18th century with the arrival of Russian explorers, who first sighted Alaska in 1741. The Russians established trade relationships with the Natives and founded settlements which led to violent conflicts as well as the introduction of diseases that destroyed populations.

Native Americans are responsible for many inventions and innovations that enabled them to survive and flourish wherever they lived. Here is a list of inventions that are commonly used today. 

• Baby Bottles

• Corn

• Rubber

• Kayaks

• Syringes

• Birth Control

• Hammocks

• Aspirin

• Tobacco

These contributions led to the foundation of American society in which all citizens know and use in their daily lives

Native American Heritage Month reminds citizens that the history, resilience and the creativity of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives continue to shape the nation today. By allowing for a month of celebration and the acknowledgement of successes by these two groups allows for all Americans to appreciate its rich history.