OP/ED

The Benefits of Dark Chocolate

By Miah Jackson

Dark Chocolate is healthier, but many people love milk chocolate more. Compared to dark Chocolate, milk chocolate has less of the original cocoa beans, which makes it taste less bitter. Milk chocolate contains cocoa solids, but it's more diluted with milk solids, sugar, and cream, making it less nutritious. However, the natural quality is minimal in comparison to coco-rich Dark Chocolate. Lastly, dark Chocolate often has less added sugar and fat to improve its overall nutritional value. 

Dark Chocolate includes a higher concentration of cocoa, between 55% and  90%, whereas Milk chocolate only contains 10% to 50% cocoa. But that all depends on the chocolate maker.  

Dark Chocolate also supports heart health, reduces inflammation, and boosts cognitive functions. Plus, it includes (TCHO), which helps the vegan diet, while milk chocolate contains more sugar and fat, which has two ingredients that might lead to diabetes and obesity. However, milk chocolate also  has antioxidants  and micronutrients which can contribute to good health

Overall, experts agree that dark Chocolate is healthier and has some great benefits, but that still doesn't mean that milk chocolate is terrible for you. 

Credit https://www.shape.com

Vaping is Not Worth It

by Simone Simantob

Have you ever thought about vaping? Do you think that it would be fun to vape? Here are some reasons why vaping can change your life for the worse. Vaping is a huge issue that needs to be fixed. Vaping causes lung cancer and burns the alveoli in your body. Vapint also pollutes the air and is addictive. Many vapes come with flavors that smell and taste good. Three-quarters of Americans who start vaping get addicted to it, and many people have heart and lung failure from vaping. You might think vaping is cool when it causes bodily harm that can kill you. Overall, it would be best if you did not vape because you can get addicted and can have bad results when you are older. It all starts when you are a kid.

Sleepy Time

By Gia Mejia

Teens should be able to choose their bedtime. Many teenagers have their parents choose their bedtimes, but I disagree and think that they should be able to choose their bedtime for many reasons. Teens should be able to choose their bedtime because it teaches them there are consequences to their actions, it teaches them independence, and it gets them ready for the real-world.

Teens should be able to choose their bedtimes because it teaches them independence. Teens are starting to get ready for when they grow up and choosing their bedtime is a great way to start learning independence. 

Learning independence is so important because it prepares teenagers for when they grow up. Teens should be able to choose their bedtime because it teaches them the consequences of their actions. If they choose to go to bed late and be tired the next day, they will learn from their actions and not do it again. Instead of having resentment at their parents for being forced to go to bed at a certain time, they learn why it’s important to go to bed at a reasonable time. 

Others may argue against reason two, saying that teenagers are too young to learn consequences. They may say that teenagers are still developing and haven’t learned how to be responsible yet so they shouldn’t choose their bedtime. I disagree with the other side because teenagers do learn consequences to their actions. They are more responsible than many may think if we give them a chance to prove it rather than their parents picking their bedtimes. They just need a chance and then many will realize how important it is. 

Overall, teens should be able to choose their bedtime because it teaches them many things that will prepare them for the real-world. I think that if all parents allowed their children to pick their bedtimes, they will notice many new important-lessons that their child  learned from choosing their bedtime. 

Immigrants Should Learn English

By Daria Serheyeva

According to Migration Policy Institute, immigrants and their U.S.-born children make up 26% of the U.S. population. This number of immigrants in the country means that there will be a lot of communities speaking different languages, but all immigrants should still learn English. 

English is the most commonly used language in the U.S., making learning a lot easier. It also allows us to exchange more information that we wouldn’t be able to get otherwise since life experiences are unique for everyone.

Most people in the country use English, and practically all information, like names of items in stores, is also in the same language. By learning English, it becomes easier to understand everything. It can also make it less challenging to get involved with communities because it is a pathway to talking to others. 

English is also a pathway to exchange more information. Every immigrant has a story, and English can allow them to share it. The more people know English, the more we can learn about them and exchange knowledge and experiences.

Of course, apps like Google Translate exist, and they can quickly translate instead of a person having to learn a whole language. The problem with these apps is that they often need to be corrected. Even a tiny detail can sometimes completely change the tone of a sentence. According to a United States Census Bureau survey, almost half of the people that speak a language other than English at home don’t know English “very well.” Some of these people indeed have experiences that can only be fully described if the people talk about them. 

Knowing English makes a living in the U.S. much more manageable and allows more people to exchange information and share their stories. If more immigrants learn English, we can create a stronger bond between people and improve local communities. 

Devastating Effects of Vaping 

by Jessica Ghodsian

Vaping is bad for your lungs. Most people who vape get lung cancer and die earlier. Vapes have nicotine, and nicotine is harmful. Most vapes have flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to severe lung disease. Vapes damage your lungs permanently, and Vaping causes you to have shortness of breath. Nicotine causes a 60% chance of you dying earlier, and Most people who vape die at 60. Nicotine messes with your brain cells and makes you go crazy, and it causes you to get dizzy and get lots of headaches. Vaping can make you get asthma, and If you vape too much, you can have a seizure. Once you start vaping, it's tough to quit. Nicotine stays in your body for up to one to three days, and many people say that vaping can take away stress. Many people vape to remove their problems; 70% are teenagers. Vaping will distract you, and you might think all your problems have gone away, but every day you wake up, they will still be there. 17 % of 8th graders had tried a vape, and 60 % of 12 graders vape. Often parents don't allow vaping, but some crazy parents give their kids vapes. Some kids are peer pressured into vaping. Many people think vaping is incredible, but at the end of the day, it's not. I feel that vapes should not be allowed anywhere because it kills people. 

No more tipping your Servers!

By Halo Jenkins

Customers should not have to tip their servers. It is a controversial topic, especially for US citizens. Many believe we must tip our servers because they work hard and can use the extra cash. Instead of working for tips, servers should instead be paid way more. However, tipping servers should not be banned altogether. Customers wishing to tip their servers can leave cash on the table like most other countries worldwide because mandatory tips are ridiculous, mainly based on a percentage of customer purchases.

Servers should only get tips for a few reasons, one of which is that tips are based on a percentage of what the customer paid for. Another reason servers should be kept from tipped is that they rely on the tip money to get paid more. Lastly, servers should only get tips if it is fair to the customers. After all, they already spend heaps on their meals, and now they have to spend more money on a tip.

Say, for example, you went out to eat for Christmas lunch with all of your family. You spent $500 on lunch for 20 people, now you get ready to pay, and there on your bill is your tip, and all of a sudden, the total has gone to $650 because the tip is $125 that's just a ridiculous amount of money to give to someone who came to your table twice. Do you want to spend an extra $125 after you already spent $500 on your family, whom you've probably been arguing with for an hour because what's a Christmas lunch without an augment?

Another reason servers should be kept from getting tipped is that people already spend heaps of money just going out to eat, so adding another $20 just for a tip is ridiculous. Eating is meant to be fun and a break from cooking. People should be stressed when the bill comes out because they weren't expecting to pay even more after spending heaps on their meals.  

Others may disagree with this statement because they think that you shouldn't go out to eat if you can't afford to tip. This is a fair point, but why should only rich people be able to go out to dinner? It's just not fair. Mainly because most of the world doesn't tip at restaurants. It's just not a thing.

Servers get paid less than they deserve. It's just ridiculous. For example, the average Mcdonald's employee earns $9.96 an hour. The average worker works for about 8 hours a day, which means they would make 79.68 a day which is nothing, mainly because McDonald's makes 63.625 million dollars a day and $23.183 billion each year, so they can afford to pay their world more than $10 an hour causing them to rely on tips. 

Overall, people shouldn't have to tip their servers because company owners need to pay their workers more, so servers don't have to rely on tips because it's just ridiculous. Anyone should be able to go out to eat without worrying about the bill because it's unfair!

Is Ken Carson a sellout for releasing "I need u"

by Eli Abrishami

   Ken Carson is an artist who signed to the label Opium in 2019. After being signed, he released two eps, "Boy Barbie" and "Teen X," in 2020. 

Despite his popularity, the real question is if Ken Carson is a sellout for removing "I need u". . . He is not a sellout because he went live showing the snippet himself, and people are having what they call "snippet syndrome" because this could have happened before

  First, Ken Carson went live on his Instagram account around December 10th of last year. He played a little snippet or teaser of his song "I need u." People started liking it and making sounds on TikTok with it. They would speed it up/ down. This is one reason why he is not a sellout.

  Second of all, his listeners could be having something called the "snippet syndrome" This is where they hear a song snippet and start getting used to it. It sounded so different because he lived in the car with bass-boosted speakers. It made the sound muffled. When he released it, it was less bass-boosted, and people liked the other version a lot better. 

   People might counter my 2nd claim by saying he knew what he was doing because this happened with another song, "Freestyle 3," as I will discuss later. This song was introduced on a live snippet as well.

   As I said, he went live and played "Freestyle 3" and was again in the car. Since he was in the car and the song was already bass boosted, the car speakers made it louder and more bass-boosted, and when he saw people liking it, he released it.

  Overall, Ken Carson is not a sellout because he went live to show the song so people would get built up for the hype. People liked the song, making Tik Tok sounds out of it, and wanted him to release it. People started bashing it when he did, but he is not.

The Harms of Vaping

By Ana Fertig

Vaping can affect your entire life. By vaping, you are putting toxins in your body. By vaping, you are putting toxins in your body that can make you go crazy. Research suggests that vaping may affect how cells in the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs) react to germs and may increase the chance of disease and infection from bacteria and viruses, like the virus that causes COVID-19.

Vaping can contain many harmful things like addictive nicotine and dozens of dangerous chemicals. Many teens believe they're inhaling harmless water vapor. It can contain high concentrations of nicotine and particles linked to lung disease and cancer. Research suggests that vaping may affect how cells are in the respiratory tract. Doctors say that vaping impacts young people in at least three key areas: the lungs, the heart, and the brain. Most people who support vaping are those who are either addicted themselves or who make money from dealing with it. Some may argue that E-cigarettes, such as vapes, are good since they force you to take deep breaths, leading to decreased anxiety. Also, some may say that it can be used to help people stop smoking cigarettes. While some may argue that E-cigarettes can help people reduce stress since it forces people to take deep breaths, the addiction leads to increased anxiety. Feeling the need to be attached to something and rely on it at all times leads to much higher anxiety levels. Also, E-cigarettes do not help people stop smoking habits since it reinforces the act of inhaling smoke. By continuing to inhale, people are only relying on it more and more. Also, it would not help people stop smoking cigarettes since vapes contain highly addictive chemicals that would cause new addictions. 

Overall, vaping is an incredibly unhealthy habit that has taken over many people's lives, especially the younger generation. It contains highly addictive chemicals, leading to various long-term health issues. It is essential for schools to be educating young people about the dangers of vaping and why it should be avoided. Since this is a significant issue among the youth, bringing attention to its risks in schools would be a beneficial way of spreading awareness.

Teens Should be Required to Take Parenting Classes

By Erin Han

Teen parenting classes are essential because they give young parents the knowledge and skills to raise a child effectively. The teenage years are a time of rapid growth and development, and many teenagers are sad and depressed, getting prepared for the responsibilities that come with parenthood. Therefore, teen parenting classes provide young parents with guidance and support as they navigate the challenges of raising a child. 

One of the main benefits of teen parenting classes is that they teach teenagers about child development. Understanding how children grow and develop is essential for parents to know what to expect and how to meet their child's needs. In teen parenting classes, young parents learn about children's physical, cognitive, and emotional development, enabling them to anticipate their child's needs and respond appropriately. 

Another crucial benefit of teen parenting classes is their emotional support for young parents. Teen parenting can be a lonely and isolating experience, particularly for those who lack a robust support system. By attending parenting classes, young parents can connect with other parents in similar situations, share their experiences, and build a support community. This sense of community can help reduce stress and isolation and improve the well-being of both parents and children. Some people may believe that taking a teen parenting class is a waste of time or unessential in many ways. Many people do not have their children because of their opinions, and they may argue about the necessity of taking that class even if parenting classes as a teenager may not be the best time in your life. Understanding how to treat a child correctly is still important because people may need help understanding the correct terms for treating a child, even if they do not have one. Taking teen parenting classes could benefit many people, and while it should not be mandatory, it is still essential to understand and learn. 

Overall, teen parenting classes are essential for helping young parents navigate the challenges of raising a child. By providing education, skills, and emotional support, these classes can improve the well-being of both parents and children. Teen parenting classes can also help young parents plan for their future, ensuring they can provide their children with a stable and nurturing environment. Therefore, making these classes widely available to all young parents is crucial.