In honor of Black History Month, here are 20 contributions created by African Americans, which are still greatly used in modern-day society: 

• Navigation software, invented by Dr. Glady.

• Laser cataract surgery, invented by Dr. Patricia Bath.

• Home security systems, invented by Marie Van Brittan Brown.

• Traffic light and the gas mask, invented by Garret Morgan. 

• The telephone transmitter, invented by Granville T. Woods.

• 3D movies, invented by Valerie Thomas.

• Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, and Atari, invented by Jerry Lawson.

• Gas and heating technology, invented by Alice Parker.

• Air conditioning unit, invented by Fredrick M. Jones. 

• Automatic refrigeration system for trucks, invented by Fredrick McKinley.

• Lawnmower, invented by John A. Burr.

• Automatic safety brake system and automatic gear shift, invented by Richard B. Spikes.

• Automatic elevator doors, invented by Alexander Miles. 

• Stethoscope, invented by Thomas A. Carrington.

• Door knob, invented by Osbourn Dorsey.

• Automatic clothing dryers, invented by George T. Sampson.

• Improved incandescent light bulbs, invented by Lewis Latimer.

• The modern lock, invented by W.A. Martin.

• Mailboxes, invented by Phillip B. Downing. 

• Mops, invented by Thoams W. Stewart.

No other holiday represents February more than Valentine’s Day, the day when we appreciate our loved ones, buying them chocolates, flowers, and gifts as a grand gesture of our love. However, when, where, and how did this seemingly random holiday become so commonplace? Well, its true origins are quite convoluted and surprising…

The origin of the holiday can be traced to a Roman holiday called Lupercalia, a fertility festival that celebrated the Roman deity Fanus as well as the legend of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, who were raised by a she-wolf when they were young. Many sources have conflicting ideas for how the festival was truly celebrated but it was commonly believed that to commence the festivities, members of the Luperci, a Roman priesthood, would sacrifice a goat and a dog, (symbolizing fertility and purity), then dip the goat’s hide into the blood and use it to touch the foreheads of women and bless crop fields. After the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Pope Gelasius I, seeing Lupercalia as a gruesome and pagan celebration, combined the celebration with St. Valentine’s Day, in the hopes of eventually phasing out the traditional Roman celebration. Even still, the story of St. Valentine was not as romantic as one may think, first of all, there was not a singular St. Valentine, and it could be any one of three candidates. The stories of the saints vary from source to source. One story attributed St. Valentine with performing secret marriages between young couples, in defiance of the emperor who had banned marriage for young men in favor of enlisting them for the military. Another story told of him passing letters between two jailed Christian lovers. However, the most famous story was of St. Valentine being jailed, in which he befriended the daughter of his jailer, sending her a letter signed "from your Valentine". Other accounts then add that he healed the daughter of her blindness. However, all these stories take a dark twist, as all three St. Valentines were executed and martyred by the emperor. The holiday then evolved as during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that February 14th was the beginning of the mating season for birds. Widespread in Britain and France, European nobility would then send love notes to one other, referring to the other as their “Valentine”. The term would even spread to literature such as in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. With the rise of the printing press in the 1500s and industrialization in the 1700s, mass production of cards or “valentines” made the holiday more widely known and celebrated. This time period was also when the symbols most commonly associated with Valentine’s Day would begin to emerge. Cupid, the god of love would be depicted on Valentine's cards, depicted as a cherub who shoots arrows at lovers. Furthermore, flowers, particularly roses, symbols of beauty of love, would also be associated with the holiday. Finally, companies such as Cadbury and Hershey would market their chocolates and sweet treats to consumers. Thus, began the birth of the modern version of Valentine’s Day, which despite its bloody origins became a holiday of love and romance. So when your Valentine sends you a chocolate, a card, or some roses, you can inform them of the weird history of the holiday!

Sources

https://www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lupercalia

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gory-origins-valentines-day-180968156/

https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day#toc-who-was-saint-valentine-and-what-does-he-have-to-do-with-chocolate-hearts

Most people enjoy indulging in some chocolates for Valentine's Day, however, this is not all one could be getting for Valentine’s Day. The traditional teddy bear, heart blanket, and jewelry have all been done in the past, one wants to know that they are loved through personalized gifts. Not every person fits under the same category, even though most people do enjoy looking at flowers on their desk. 

Everyone enjoys being appreciated in their own way on a holiday that highlights caring for one another. Maybe somebody does enjoy the chocolates, in fact, it's hard to say that somebody would not, however most people like something that is more tuned to them. Most people want their significant other to just notice the little things they do, and figure out a gift based on that. A person does not want to pick out their gifts, they want their significant other to know them well enough to get these gifts. They do not want to even know that they wanted the gift that they received (as confusing as that is). One cannot specifically tell another the perfect gift to give, all that is really important to know is that one has to pay attention to the other person so they can have an idea of what they like. When in doubt, however, as most people probably are, it is hard to go wrong with a box of chocolates and flowers. 

Overall, the main piece of advice that can be given to one another is just to know one’s significant other. Valentine’s Day pressures so many people to prove themselves for their love, making people have insanely high expectations that are probably never meant. It is important to be sure that you state that you care about the other person and want them to be happy. Even just stating the little things to the other person may be good enough itself (speak from the heart!). However, if you cannot do that, bring a box of chocolates with an apology note. 

February is the month of the love birds and a perfect time for you to be dishonest about your love/social life. As each year comes and goes, one major observation I can truly make about this month would be the increase in people who pretend to have someone special for Valentine's. 

Although it would be ideal to have a Bonnie to your Clyde, a Ricky to your Lucy, or maybe even a C-3PO to your R2-D2, many don't realize that setting unrealistic expectations is overall unhealthy. So whether it was a cheaply made stuffed animal or a five-dollar box of chocolates where each one tastes more atrocious than the previous one, you should consider that before lying to others saying that somebody gave you presents for Valentine's to acknowledge maybe that the only “somebody” who gave you anything was three Goerge Washingtons before tax. 

And to be clear there shouldn't be any shame in treating yourself as the monarch that you are, but the line gets drawn when you take a Valentine's basket and make it your whole personality for those twenty-four hours. Whatever happened to not making a big deal of what wasn't a big deal in the first place? Please stop lying, nobody thinks that carrying a stuffed animal of a chihuahua singing a “romantic” rendition of ‘La Cucaracha’  is cool whatsoever. 

So just put everything Valentine-related things down and focus on your schoolwork, especially if the holiday falls on a school day. Is not impressive, it's just sad.

The Problem

As briefly stated previously, this issue at hand stems from the hyper-commercialization that major conglomerates have converted this holiday into. In our industrial civilization instead of solving the cure for cancer, we spend our time making brainless rules, like if you don't reciprocate your love to to those you are close to with tangible tokens with generic sayings such as “YOLO” or maybe even “XOXO”  are emotionlessly printed on to them, you are automatically deemed to be as careless as the quality of said gifts.

 But how come this “necessity” is a major benefit to old rich CEOs all around the world? People have been convinced that the saying “invest in love” essentially means that compensation equals to unconditional as transaction equals to love. That in addition to the social crisis of a plague many are facing is the reason why many resort to contributing rather than radicating the issue. It is quite unfortunate that the feeling of loneliness as well as conformance overshadows and deteriorates the true meaning of this holiday.  

And what’s even sadder is that next year the cases of pseudo-valentines will increase to the point where it will become the new norm.

Three Shall Stand. All Shall Fall.

  [Icarus]

Time Leaper’s vision blurred. A force pulls his body forcing him to stand. With strenuous effort, he pulls out the knife and catches a glimpse of him in the reflection of the gleam, sitting on a cliff, waiting. Mr. Black observes him pitifully, “This might be the perfect time to give it up.” 

Time Leaper grimaces and spits out blood. 

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” 

He limped toward him. 

“There is no such thing as surrender or retreat…” 

He breaks into a run, “There is only WIN…” 

He accelerates, “...or…” 

He sprints ready to deal one final blow. “ D I E ! ” He swings. 

Mr. Black swiftly intercepts, wrestles his knife away from him, and flings him several feet away. “Then, DIE!” 

Time Leaper looks up just in time to feel his last resort cut across his throat. A purple capsule slips from his hand as he falls.

Mr. Black walks over to him. “You’ve done everything you could to find the truth but in the end, you see nothing but illusions awaiting you.”

After everything he’s endured to get this far, has he finally flown too close to the sun?

The battle against The Reflection… 

{ “It’s over. Surrender. Or die here.”

 “I’ll make it easy for you then.” } 

The battle against B.U.L.L.E.T… 

{ “I’LL BREAK THESE ILLUSIONS FOR EVERYONE! I’LL END IT FOR EVERYONE!” 

“What the-” } 

The battle against Mr. Black…  

{ “Tandem adversus omnia intrepidus es.” } 

And his last words with Mutant

 { “It hurts…” }

“I had to do that for your sake. You’ll be safe here.”

“I don’t w-want you to leave.”

“...Don’t worry, I’ll be back with his blood on the knife.”

“D-Do you promise? I-I don’t want to be alone.”

“... I PROMISE”} 

The glint of fury in his eyes dims, and he chokes out his final words.

 “... I’m sorry”

 [He Looked Back]

A staff materializes in the distance. Dropping the bloody knife, Mr. Black darts toward it and a shot strikes him in the back. He swings around and sees B.U.L.L.E.T aiming his rifle at him. “You…” More gunfire erupts but Mr. Black removes his tie transforming it into a sword and reflects the shots as he closes the gap. Anticipating melee combat, B.U.L.L.E.T turns his rifle into a sword and they connect. B.U.L.L.E.T backpedals slowly aware of his inferiority in close-quarters combat, and Mr. Black capitalizes on this pressing aggressively. B.U.L.L.E.T tries to reach for the staff but gets driven back relentlessly until Mr. Black shatters his sword and unleashes an energy blast knocking him to the ground. Refusing his adversary's recuperation, he leaps and plunges his sword into his chest. 

“So you’re the one who had flashes of memories from another world?” he pushes the sword deeper into the ground. “I wonder what it was about?” 

Another push. “Joy? Fear? Sadness? Fury? Memories so powerful that they’ve caused another anomaly.” 

Another push. “Thanks to him for using his capsules and you for recognizing these illusions for us, thus assisting me in eliminating all anomalies.” With that, he pushes the sword with his foot stapling B.U.L.L.E.T to the ground and strolls toward the staff. 

“You have given your best, but this is not the end” a voice spoke in his mind. A Verdant Aura surrounds him. The gaping cut in his chest mends. With newfound vigor, he stands, races toward Mr. Black, and using the tie stabs him in the back. Atomic-like particles surround Mr. Black and he stands back up, unharmed. “It seems like you do not understand. We are here to fix everything.” 

He extends his hand toward him “Adlucinatio, the power of Omnipotence. Let us unite, and we will harness its power making it the flawless system it was meant to be.” 

B.U.L.L.E.T looks at the offered hand. Then him. 

“You are right… BUT I AM HERE TO END THIS”

Failure is something we all experience; like most things, it comes in many different forms and with many different feelings. It can cause sadness, anger, or even relief. As painful as most failures are, what would life be without them? People need failure to survive, without it they can never grow; without it, they will remain stagnant and never reach their ultimate potential. Due to the foulness of the human condition, people have to become aware that their failure always means someone else’s success; and, as agonizing as it can be, people will always thrive off of your failures. It is a simple fact. 

With failure, and life for that matter, it is not always fair. A person could be the hardest working, most compassionate, most qualified individual to get into a school or to get their dream job; but, they will say “You are just missing something”, “You are not what we’re looking for”, or worst yet, not even tell you why you were not given the opportunity, making the person question their own self-worth. It is a plain fact that success and failure are not fair. If it were, there would not be so many incompetent workers and people in this world, but that is the tragic reality. Whether we as people like it or not, we need to learn to deal with failure and grow from it. No one person will have infinite successes in their life, that is, quite frankly, impossible. And despite feeling helpless in the heat of failure, people have to realize they are not alone. People experience failure on many levels every day. After all, the greatest and most successful people in life have had multitudes of failures. Take Albert Einstein, Vera Wang, and Steven Speilberg as examples. Albert Einstein was a slow math learner at a young age, then went on to make groundbreaking discoveries within physics. Vera Wang was rejected by the Olympic figure skating team but then, at the age of 40, went on to become a world-renowned fashion designer. Steven Speilberg was rejected from film school but is now one of the most beloved directors of all time. Even though they experienced rejection, which probably felt like the end of the world, they went on and used that rejection as a step forward, rather than a step back. 

Young people are especially vulnerable to the feelings and consequences of failure. They need to understand that what happens in high school or their young life will not define them, failures or successes. They have to understand that high school is not everything. Yes, high school activities and grades can lead to a number of great opportunities, but you should not focus your whole life on the perfect attendance award, being the top of the class sophomore year, or being the captain of a team. Once a person can take these achievements and use them as a base to accomplish even better and more incredible and world-defying things, that is when heads should really turn. But if young people brag and sulk in their temporary success, they will never grow and never reach their full potential. They have to keep improving, especially in their youth. If they reach a goal and just stop, they will reach their peak, and the “peak” should not be reached when they are young. In a similar light, a person can not experience true success if everything is just given to them. How are they supposed to go out in the world if they are just given everything while in the protection of the people they know? They can’t. And that is a fact. Well, they could, but they will not be as nearly introspective or aware if they do not work hard for what they earn. If people don’t work hard when faced with failure they will never experience the totality of this experience of life.

Without the provocation that comes from failure, people, as a whole will never truly understand, or unlock their full ability and understanding of the true life experience. One cannot truly expect to live life to the fullest without the minor setbacks that failure tends to offer. Furthermore, one cannot appreciate their successes without the knowledge of what it feels like to fail. The beauty of life is left locked without the wisdom and self-understanding that failure grants the failed. 

Lead me away from the crowd, into gentle starry noise 

With all your grace and poise 

I just want to stay by your side 

And close our eyes to the world

Let’s just run away and and be free

From all the pain and sorrow 

From worrying about tomorrow

Let’s only speak of each other and the lovely Spring 

I just want to remember your face 

I just want to remember your voice 

Let's go far away from here 

Where the air is clear 

And the birds sing happily in the morning 

And in the night, I will hold you closer to my heart 

I just want to remember the sun in your hair 

I just want to remember the warmth of your hand 

After everything is gone, I lay beside you and trace your smile even then 

And I smile too 

To share my life with you Is more than I could have ever dreamed 

I just want to remember our love and our friendship 

I just want to remember our moments together 

Because they are all that bring me peace and joy

At some point in our high school careers, we’re told to join extracurricular activities. It might be annoying to hear continuously but, you’ll only be in high school for four years if you’re on track, why not make the most of the time you’ll have to spend in the school?

According to gitnux.org, “57% of high school students participate in extracurricular activities. Students involved in extracurricular activities are 49% less likely to use drugs.” Seeing this, becoming a part of a club or sport can reduce the likelihood of student drug use, at least in the school environment.

Joining an extracurricular activity can also make you more organized in all aspects of your life. We all have a lot of classes and each one assigns loads of homework, so time is already rigid as it comes However, joining an extracurricular can help you organize your schedule and keep you ready for what is to come.

As of October 2021, In the whole country, 61.8% of high school graduates decide to attend college. Some colleges, if not most, are extremely selective in who they choose to accept. It will make your college application look much better if you’ve been in a club or sport progressively, in your high school years. Maintaining attendance at your extracurricular activity shows that you can be a part of something for prolonged periods of time, that you’re yearning for a better future, and that you’re very likely to bring a great reputation to the college you decide to attend. 

There are a lot of students that aren’t going through positive experiences at home and being a part of something gives them a sense of belonging and a representation of how important they are and can be. 

Join any of the wide range of extracurriculars offered at the high school and see for yourself if it shows you what you want to do in the future with your career.

¿Usted nunca ha pensado, por qué nunca se entran sobre eventos especiales o por qué no están informados sobre todos los eventos divertidos o extracurriculares que pasan en su escuela a pesar de que usted atienda su escuela? Yo estaba en tus mismos zapatos cuando yo empecé a preguntarme lo mismo cuando mis amigos que son nativos en inglés me dijeron sus experiencias divertidas con eventos escolares. Y en ese momento me di cuenta de la injusticia y discriminación que personas no nativas en inglés tienen que afrentar.

Nuestra escuela nos ha fallado por las múltiples veces que hemos sido descuidados. Siempre que decisiones son hechas, nosotros somos olvidados, como si no fuéramos humanos, que se merecieran los mismos derechos que nuestros compañeros que no hablan español reciben. Lo que apesta sobre esto es el hecho de que esos mismos que reciben más son los mismos que nos tratan horrible cuando tratamos en cualquier tema escolar. La mayoría de nosotros mismos nos sentimos derrotados cuando no recibimos lo que merecimos, lo cual es puramente injusto. 

No más que tenemos compañeros escolares que se burlan sobre nuestro acento hispano, también somos usados por el distrito para anuncios para decir que somos diversos en todos los aspectos.

Y eso me trae al mensaje de este artículo: que la mayoría de nuestra escuela es tan incapaz de tratar de atender clubs o entrar programas importantes por sus faltas de recursos. La manera en que nuestra escuela funciona con todo lo que hace solamente beneficia a todos los nativos en inglés, especialmente a los estudiantes caucásicos que vienen de dinero.

Siendo alguien que afortunadamente es bilingüe, yo tuve el privilegio de estar en muchos de esos programas prestigiosos y clubs, pero yo tuve que ver un racismo que nadie ha admitido. Y como las mismas personas que reciben tanto de beneficios escolares, son las mismas que tratan de quitar y tratar de disminuir tus logros solamente porque no eres como ellos.

Yo he aprendido la importancia de la comunidad en esas circunstancias. Aunque se vea como si no importas, yo estoy aquí para recordarte que tú estuviste puesto en este mundo por una razón. Y que para hacer cambio vas a tener que usar tu voz. Y yo espero, después de usted leer este artículo, que una discusión sobre esta injusticia empiece. Y que vaya a ver un día en que recibimos las mismas oportunidades.

This February marks another year with a memorable talent show for the record books. Sponsored by the Chorus Booster Club as a means to highlight various brave individuals by allowing them to perform what they possess inside to the public. 

This year the charismatic and energetic Samuel Valberg was the host of the show. To say this year's contestants didn't come to play would be an understatement. If you for some reason weren't able to be there, here is a recap of everything that happened that night.

ACT I

Up first Azayah Welcher sang an unforgettable cover of the song, "Happier" by Marshmallow feat. Bastille. And with some unexpected dancing at the end, he surely surprised everyone there.

The next person to perform was Anya Camacho, who sang a soulful cover of "Stand Up" by Cynthia Erivo.

After her performance, last year's winner Sophia Ulrich came to sing an emotional cover of "She Used to Be Mine" by Sara Barielles from the musical "Waitress".

The following performance contained the first duet of the night with Samarah Dennis and Madison Garner with their 'blast to the past' cover of "True Colors" by the iconic Cyndi Lauper.

After their performance, Anthony Serano went to the stage and sang a heartfelt cover of "My Tears Ricochet” by the one and only Taylor Swift.

 After him, first-timer Azariah Smith sang a bubbly cover of "From the Start" by Laufey.

Faith Miller’s performance followed her up with her impressive cover of "Hurt" by the vocal legend Christina Aguilera.

Afterward, Kessi Rava performed a remarkable cover of "All of Me" by John Legend.

And to close Act l, The Three Musketeers (Samuel Valberg, Liam Patterson, and Lucas Diaz), made their debut performing an original drumline cadence.

ACT II

Starting the second act Kevin Kowalczyk surprised everyone with his gaming skills by playing "Mario Madness".

After him, Alessandra Vicinazo and Rachael Montilla performed an acoustic cover of “Slipping Through My Fingers” by the talented group ABBA.

Lianely Oviedo shocked everyone with her vocals after singing a cover of the French song, “Voila” by Barbara Pravi. 

After her, Makayla Washock became the first one in the night to do a color guard routine.

Madison Garner came back to impress everyone again with her cover of "When We Were Younger" by British icon Adele.

Anya Camacho and Kessi Rava both also came back but in a duet to sing a cover of "Lovely" by Billie Eilish.

Kaylee Kuechner left everyone speechless with her cover of the Korean song, "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" by Ailee. She gracefully closed the second act of the show.

Afterward, Lianely Oviedo was awarded first place, Kaylee Kuechnerwas awarded second place, Sophia Ulrich was awarded third place, and Kevin Kowalczyk was awarded with an honorable mention.

Congratulations to everyone who participated!

As of writing this article, it has been confirmed that TV host/personality Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with aphasia as well as frontotemporal dementia after a combination of speculation regarding her well-being; due to her long absence from the public eye and a rise in chatter following her Documentary with Lifetime, "Wheres Wendy Williams?".

Her diagnosis marks a dark day for many who were impacted by her, especially at her young age of 59. She rose to the public perception when she started working at 98.7 KISS FM during the early 90s. Her woody and harshly honest personality made her stick out like a sore thumb, to the point where she got her own radio show not so long after starting working in the business. This brought many iconic and overall historic moments to radio as well as to mainstream media like confronting American singer Whitney Houston about her drug abuse problems live or even the intense Wendy vs. Mariah Carey interview.

Later, in 2008, she was granted her talk show where even more iconic moments were born. Such as her during a Halloween special, passing by while dressed as the Statue of Liberty after talking about Michael Jackson, or moments when she got serious like when she left a seat empty in the audience in dedication to her fan who passed away after planning to attend her show.

To say the least, the impact she had on mainstream culture led many minorities to accomplish the unimaginable.