Harris: One Step Closer

By: Aubreigh Stoner

With the 2021 election, America has gotten to know the first female vice-president in the U.S. Her name is Kamala Harris. She is Asian-American, and she came from Oakland California.

According to a BBC article interview, “What the Vice President did on her First Day,’’ Harris stated that she ran for Vice President because she wanted to influence the people and make an impact.

Her election caused a lot of talk on whether or not a woman could have such a role. Sophomore Abigail Sullivan said, “Yes,I support it because just because we are women doesn't mean we shouldn't have the right to the things we would like to do.’’ Many women feel the same way and believe that their gender shouldn't affect what they like or want to do.

If the Vice President makes good decisions and the people are happy with her, then there will be more female Vice Presidents to come . Sophomore Addison Crippen said, “Yes , I think there will be more future female Vice Presidents because it’s time there are more females in politics. I also think there will be future female Presidents.”

In conclusion, Kamala Harris becoming vice president is one of the best things to happen for women in a long time. If we can continue to elect females in office, maybe one day we will have a female for president.

From March to August, many teens found themselves with nothing but video games to pass the time. A game many students were playing was Fallout New Vegas. Students were playing this classic during the quarantine because it took them back to a simpler time when nobody cared about the graphics but cared about the gameplay.

Freshman Corbin Jernigan stated “Currently, I am replaying Fallout New Vegas and Shadow of War because I really like games that involve action but is heavy on choices; and in Fallout New Vegas, there are so many choices you can end up with in the game, and you feel like your actions really impact what happens in the game.”

Another classic game that Freshman Aleks Stacy was playing was Call of Duty Black Ops II, he stated “Right now I like playing Call of Duty Black Ops II because it is very strategic and also a very skilled game; so if you get really good at it, then you are going to have a lot of fun as well. It is very rewarding when you play it. They give you a lot of achievements and stuff.”

A more recent popular choice was Apex Legends. Freshman Lane Stebbins stated “I like Apex Legends because it is nice and competitive.”

With their old games exhausted, students are currently on edge waiting for the new Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. Many students are on edge for this new game because of the very successful history of the franchise. For example, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the best ,if not the best, in the franchise. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sold over 17 million copies and made 716 million dollars according to Money Nation. “I am really excited because I have always been a huge fan of the franchise” Lane Stebbins stated.

Many young adults have bad hair days, accidentally mismatching outfits, and often have a small breakout on their face. All of these inconveniences are insignificant because to most of society, people don't pay attention to notice at all, but for the individual, one of these situations can be traumatic.

According to Today.com, 40-60 percent of adolescents are unhappy with how they look. Even a student who receives compliments will often only believe what they see to be true.

Studies performed at Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island have shown that people with negative thoughts of themselves display higher levels of anxiety and depression.

For teenagers, often a cause of anxiety and depression is related to body image. Adolescents don’t realize that in 10 years, nobody will remember what clothes a person wore, how they did their hair, or if they wore makeup. But the good news is that students that face these self-esteem issues don't have to feel this way. There are tips that are proven to improve a person's feelings of self.

Some ways a person can improve self-esteem are: identifying the positives of themselves. They can decide which of those positives they like. An example of this would be that they are proud of the way they treat people. By focusing on positives, the negatives will be less important.

Also, what a person eats matters. Instead of eating fast food when bored, students can make themselves a healthy snack and follow up by going on a walk. This rids them of guilt they may feel for unhealthy habits.

Another solution would be to take on a new challenge. Joining a new club, reading a harder level book, or simply working on an art project are all things that when accomplished, will make a person feel good about themselves.

Self-esteem affects everyone’s lives differently, but by focusing on the positives instead of comparing to someone else, an adolescent can overcome a negative image and have a happier sense of self.

By: Charley Howard

TikTok is a very popular app, especially for kids ages 14 through 22. It is a place where kids can express themselves and can get a good laugh; but just like any other social media apps, it has its faults.

There is quite a bit of drama within TikTok, and TikTok Room will give you the whole scoop. TikTok Room posts most of the drama between TikTok creators and secrets about their personal life. “TikTok Room gets involved with the creators’ personal life because they want to entertain people,” Megan England, freshman, states, “and just to start drama.”

Many people find entertainment in TikTok Room, but not everyone. Christine Barger, verified TikTok creator, says, “I’ve never heard of TikTok Room.” If a verified, popular, well-known TikTok creator didn’t even know TikTok Room exists, is it really worth the follow?

Currently, one of the biggest outlets of communication and form of entertainment in the world is social media. According to Statistica, over 244 million people use social media in the U.S.; and with so many people using social media, these platforms have become a breeding ground for controversy. This controversy has caused many users to participate in a new kind of internet policing: The Cancel Culture

The term is used when a person or a person with a large following “Cancels'' or takes away the social media platform that a user has built because of something they did. People who have made racist remarks, slurs, or offensive humor are often a target. Some celebrities such as Skai Jackson, the sweet little girl off Jessie, use her platform to target and “Cancel” people who fall into these categories. This can sometimes be extremely abusive and harmful and unfortunately, this strategy is becoming normal among many users.

America’s youth sees this happen every other week on social media and is being forced to make decisions on whether or not they will participate. Senior Darren Shock’s take on cancel culture is, “It’s just Twitter bullcrap, and basically is high school drama on an internet level. Cancelling someone does nothing but let people know how that person is and doesn’t always take away their platform. The only real time it’s helped is with R.Kelly who actually went to trail for what he did. It doesn’t always do what it’s meant to do which is take down terrible people who abuse their fame,” Shock ended the interview by saying, he would probably get rid of the behavior.

Another senior, Shane Stevens, had a similar opinion. Stevens stated, “Lame and Redundant...it does nothing but cause needless drama; plus, it makes everyone who isn’t involved in being canceled feel like they have some god-given role to root out people for past mistakes. The only time it’s beneficial is when they actually go to jail.”

Cancel Culture is a household word among teens and while many students expressed their dislike for it, the world itself does not. Cancel Culture has been employed to take down many important figures who have lost their platforms and are no longer in the public eye. Although students say it can be beneficial when used against the right people, it’s an overall nuisance to others who use social media especially people who rely on it for income. When it comes to things that are simple mistakes or even mistakes made in the past, the Cancel Culture can ruin a person’s life

And with this new norm in everyone’s life all a person can do is monitor and watch what they say online to protect their social media presence.