"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is what we’ve been told since the beginning. American citizens have held this vision of freedom and free will since the Declaration Of Independence was put into place. Though we may be holding up the vision the founders may have truly wanted in regards to mistreatment of people of color and women, we have yet to follow the words of “All men are created equal.” 

While the Declaration was being put into place, the founders each owned numerous slaves- my people. One could argue that Washington was against slavery, as he stated, “there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it; but there is only one proper and effectual mode by which it can be accomplished, and that is by Legislative authority.” But, he continued to own innocent black people until his death in 1799. Despite how he may have felt, he continued to go against him and his colleagues' words that “All men are created equal” by treating us African Americans as inferior to himself and the rest of America. 

Not only that, my gender, women, were treated as inferior regardless of race. Women, including white, also could not vote until 144 years after America was founded. This lack of disrespect towards our women, shows that the founders didn’t include women in the declaration as equals. Not having basic rights, and dealing with men controlling our every which way has been evident in our founders vision. 

The founders were also against war, but had several in the years to come. Even though one of our founders James Madison stated “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” America had the following wars to come: The war of 1812, Indian wars, Mexican war, The Civil war, etc. And with these wars they promised benefits to black Americans, but didn’t give them anything regardless of their hard work.  

Hurt has been evident in our “perfect” America, and lack of disrespect has spread throughout the years. But this is what our founders wanted, right? They wanted these inequalities to be spread as equalities and these wretched ideas to become “brilliant.” We have lived up exactly to our “founders” visions, and we continue to become the unequal “equal” America. 

With the possible conflicts between the US, Russia, and China, something alarming is occurring. A pattern seems to be apparent, the repercussions of world leaders making irrational or selfish decisions, leading to catastrophic issues. We read about these massive issues in our history books, and when you look at what caused them, you can grasp how the entire situation could have been avoided if the world leader was competent enough to make the correct decision.

Let's turn back the clock. 1984, Reagan orders that the Contra rebels in Nicaragua be kept funded and preserved, regardless of Congresses repeated objections. Then, 2 years later, 1986, over $100 million in funds were sent to the Contras, suspiciously right after an arms deal to Iran had millions skimmed off the top. This excessive amount of money gave the Contra nearly an absolute advantage over the Nicaraguan government, resulting in them winning the war. With this win, the Contras were able to continue their drug trafficking operations. While the Contra government never outright legalized it, they were basically neutral on the sheer amount of cocaine smuggling happening in the region. To this day, it's suspected that this neutrality was their way of supporting the practice. The excess smuggling of cocaine to the US(Mainly from  Nicaragua), led to the boom of the crack cocaine epidemic.

But let's not ignore the issue at hand. This action, even while it can be debated that it was a purposeful decision, the claim still stands. 

Next, we shall bring up the biggest of them all, the September 11th attacks. We all get the basics of the event, but its effects leave a bad aftertaste in history. George W. Bush, not only lied about Hussein's capabilities, but even used said lie as justification for US wrongdoings in Iraq. According to Bush on March 17, 2003, "Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power. For the last four-and-a-half months, the United States and our allies have worked within the Security Council to enforce that Council's long-standing demands.” This in itself, was a blatant lie, regardless of its necessity to be told. While there were attempts at nuclear and biological weapon creations by Hussein, no actual bomb was built, nor were there any documented measures taken to confirm the weapons existence. Bush still insisted that he was in possession of multiple WMDs, and used said statement as justification to the public as to why US troops had to use brutality against Iraq. 

What do these two instances of presidential wrongdoings have in common?. They both led to major domestic, and international catastrophes. As stated, we must take a deeper look into who is behind our major debacles. We must hold them accountable for their incompetence, and their corruption.

An open and accepting community is vital for a healthy school environment, and a healthy school environment is essential for a good learning experience. A relationship with peers is almost as important as a relationship with your teachers, and The J Graham Brown School excels in this department.

Why do I, a freshman at the school, think this? I believe that a school is only measured in its merit by a school-student relationship, and that is where Brown School excels in my opinion. Brown is a very open and accepting school environment. In my first 2 months of coming to Brown, I have seen the open acceptance of the Brown School firsthand with a ton of LGBTQ+ students in this school, and a very welcoming environment for said students. Increased diversity can be seen at this school, and even with the differences between students, there is a seemingly non-existent bullying problem.

The lack of a bullying problem gives an advantage to Brown School, because it gives the students more freedom and less fear of being themselves. If they were bullied for a part of themselves that they cannot control, then they would become insecure and defensive, which hinders their academic performance in addition to their mental health. 

Lastly, the openness and diversity of this school gives it an edge over other schools in this district that may be predominantly white. Giving insight into more than just one type of person can give a whole new perspective for somebody who hasn’t experienced diversity in their education so far, and educates them to be accepting of everybody, no matter their culture. We even have a whole class dedicated to education on other cultures and the differences between them, further solidifying my point.

Now some may argue that this school isn’t as good as I say it is. But coming from a student who came from Rutherford and Farnsley, I argue that compared to those schools, this school is much more open to all different types of students, and that I sense that this school will maybe become THE best in Jefferson County. The only thing holding it back is the lack of easy transportation home via a school bus or some other means.

With all of that said, my thoughts on this school will most likely remain the same throughout my high school experience, as the very prominent and compassionate community seems to be growing each and every day. With the new students reaching out and joining the school environment, I even argue that every school in Jefferson County should strive to be like Brown, as it's an example of an almost perfect school, with only the small things holding it back.

According to the Oxford Languages “to bend one's head and body in fear or in a servile manner.” is the definition of cringe- so why is it that when you search the term “#cringe” on most social medias you’ll see someone dressed in a fursuit, or someone following a trend a little too late? When looking at videos posted under this hashtag on popular social media, one of the first posts was someone poking fun at a person lip-syncing to an obviously satire audio while dressed to look emo. This is considered cringe culture and it is very harmful.

Most posts saying that they are considered cringe have things such as liking children's shows, liking video games that aren’t solely based on violence, using neopronouns, cosplaying, writing fanfiction, being a furry, age regression and, being emo. The activities listed before all follow a common trend, that they are most often exhibited by neurodivergent individuals or autistic people. This means that most often the activities being labeled "cringe" are labeled this way because they do not fit neurotypical behavior.

Many things labeled cringe on the Internet and social media are things that have previously trended on social media; examples being the alternative genre of clothing, bunny hats, over accessorizing, over the top makeup, cosplay, stimming, using fidgets, certain video games, neopronouns, and much more. 

In early to mid 2020 many of these things used to be popular. Another thing that was popular in mid 2020 was for young nonbinary youth figuring out their gender to use a noun name such as Bee, Bug, Moss, and many others, but now if you’re non-binary and your name happens to be a noun such as the ones previously mentioned, the Internet will most likely harass you.

When you search cringe culture on social media, the conversation revolves around how it was invented to bully autistic people into “societal submission” or how it “thrives off autistic people ''. A lot of people considered cringe tend to be autistic minors who hyperfixate on a cringe topic. In 2014, typing “try not to cringe compilation” into the YouTube search bar would net results of mostly people falling off of bikes or things that trigger trypophobia or a fear of heights or something. In current time when you search up cringe compilations most of the videos are simply autistic kids sharing one of their hyperfixations or someone cosplaying and lip syncing to an audio on TkTok. 

The idea of cringe is subjective, however actively bullying and harassing people because of the content of their interests or the way they act is unnecessarily antagonistic. Not only are cringe compilations usually made without the consent of the original poster, they use the stolen content to farm media interaction through bullying and creating an echochamber of anger and vitriol in the comments. Bullying is the activity of the weak.

School start times have a big impact on the students and how they learn. High school students should have later start times because it will help improve their ability to learn and function during the school day. 

Having later start times can help students get enough sleep and improve their overall health and academic performance. Not getting enough sleep is a common problem among high schoolers and it is connected to lots of health issues including being overweight, drinking alcohol, and using drugs. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 am or later to make sure students have the opportunity to get an adequate amount of sleep. Most U.S. middle and high schools start around 8 am. The school start times in each state vary greatly. In Louisiana schools start around 7:40 am on average but in Alaska they start around 8:33 on average. In Kentucky, the average school start time is 8:03 am. In JCPS, middle and high schools start at 7:40 am and the elementary schools start at 9:05 am.

“High schools should start around 9 am because we are growing and we need more rest. No one is paying attention at 8 in the morning,” Dakayla Rucker, a freshman at Brown, said. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers ages 13 to 18 should get around 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. During puberty, teens become sleepy later at night and need to sleep later because of the change in their biological clock. “No matter what we do, older kids are going to stay up late. They need sleep so school should start later,” Amanda Klakamp, the librarian at Brown, said. Teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight, not engage in daily physical activity, suffer from depression symptoms, engage in unhealthy risk behaviors like smoking and drinking, and perform poorly in school. 

In a study done by researchers at the University of Washington and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in 2016, they found that students got up to 34 more minutes of sleep on average every night when school start times were pushed back. They said that asking a teen to be up and alert at 7:30 am is like asking an adult to be active and alert at 5:30 am. The studies showed that the time teens fall asleep is biologically determined but the time they wake up is socially determined which has severe consequences for health and can affect things like digestion, heart rate, body temperature, immune system function, attention span, and mental health.

The downside of having school times be earlier is that students would be getting home later especially if they participated in after school activities such as sports. It would make the day almost completely school related and it wouldn’t leave much time for studying, completing homework, and participating in social activities and still getting to bed at a reasonable time. It would also affect many working parents and their schedules on getting their children to school before the work day is over. A lot would have to change all around and it would be a huge adjustment.

But, when you look at the big picture, middle and high schools start too early to cater to a teenagers biological clock and that can cause lots of issues. I believe that having schools start even 30 minutes later would benefit the students' participation in school and overall mental and physical health.

Turning 16 and gaining the freedom to drive is one of the most important coming-of-age events that will occur in the average American’s life. Though it is an important event that many new American drivers believe they are entitled to, not everyone is deserving of the power of earning a license and a car, and many do not have the responsibility required in partaking in this aspect of society.   I believe that kids should be responsible for buying their own car, and not expect a car from their parents as a gift. 

Kids who expect a car, or believe they deserve a car to be bought for them, show entitlement and irresponsibility. Parents should not buy kids their own car for the same reasons insurance companies view new drivers. Their child has no driving history and is likely to make a mistake early on. They are still learning how to be situationally aware, and are becoming an adult- therefore, they should have a job, learn how to save money, and learn the value of a dollar. Adolescents aren’t always aware of how much things cost, or why you have to be careful with certain things if it's not their money being spent.

According to the CDC, “The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens aged 16–19 than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers in this age group are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash.” The CDC explains that specifically the most at risk driving groups are teens in their first few months after receiving their license, teens aged 16 are 1.5 times more likely to crash then teens 18-19. 

Brown School parent Greg Guelda explains that adolescents aren’t circumstantially aware enough to be great drivers. I agree that adolescents should not have a car bought for them in the case that adolescents are at such a high risk for crashing, and they have skills that still need developing, it would be a waste of money to buy a car for them. 

When one begins driving, it is a huge responsibility, and not just on the road, but for monetary reasons as well. Kids should be buying their own cars to learn the value of money. Specifically, how to spend their own money: car, insurance, gas, mechanical problems, etc. Buying a car is a way to get teens to realize how much they have, and how much they can afford.

Blogger Allison Baggerly wrote, “Having a job allows teens to learn how to save up for an item that they want. Likewise, it teaches them that they can say no to something that might not be worth their hard-earned money.” These are important life skills to have, and the earlier these skills are learned, the more prepared a young adult  can be. 

“I think people can appreciate things more, knowing how much work they put into it,” Says Mr. Guelda, agreeing with the claim. When people spend their own money on something, they do tend to value it more, and take better care of it. 

Some say that parents should buy their children a car. Brown school junior and student driver Sam Yauwanta says, “I think teens shouldn’t buy their own car unless necessary. There are other priorities to utilize the money for, especially for large masses of cash, like college, saving, hobbies, etc.” While I do agree that college is an important investment, I think college should be handled by parents. Being a teen, of course you want to buy things, and have fun with friends, etc., but some kids have grown up with everything being handed to them, and therefore need to learn responsibility and consequences at some point. It’s better to have this happen early on rather than later, as the latter would impose potentially larger consequences upon them. Inequity is a real challenge faced by so many people in society. In those situations, those teens may not have a choice in whether their parents can afford a car for them, leaving them responsible for that expense. However, working hard for a want in life can be a valuable life skill.

Ultimately, I will say, I think it’s fair when parents say they will help with buying a car, but I do not think they should be 100% responsible, because I believe that when you work for something, you're more careful, appreciative, and overall prepared for becoming an adult. All of these skills cannot only prepare you to be responsible on the road, but also create vital life skills.

I have noticed a recent trend of people, especially Americans, confusing the terms “Liberal” and “Leftist.” I believe this is a problem. To have more effective debate, people should be careful with their words, and use terms that fit the situation, instead of using buzzwords in an attempt to stir up controversy.  The English language, and every language for that matter, works because we have agreed upon definitions for words. It is understandable to make a deliberate choice to use words that would not be typically thought of in a certain context, but using inaccurate language as a result of ignorance just causes confusion and unproductive discourse.

So, what does an American liberal believe? Well, on social policies liberals tend to have progressive views, espousing equal rights and equality. On financial issues however, liberals tend to agree with capitalism, although many will support welfare in an attempt to be more equitable.  Liberals tend not to have very extreme beliefs, remaining relatively conservative in their opinions. They call for systematic change, but in my experience also refuse to imagine a solution that doesn’t rely on capitalism. Their worldview is built on the theory that capitalism is unchangeable, and we just have to do our best to be fair to all people within that system

Gannon Clark, a senior at the Brown School who identifies as a leftist, more specifically a democratic socialist had this to say,  “A leftist is someone who aligns with some political ideology under the umbrella of ‘leftism’ --- a range of varying socioeconomic political theories which prioritize the establishment of equity and opposes economic hierarchy.”  

When people conflate different political beliefs, they essentially begin to argue against positions that no one really holds.  This results in every argument becoming a strawman, that is difficult or impossible to argue against. One example of this is a Fox News article titled "Taking a look inside the secret leftist billionaires club." This title is an oxymoron, as leftists necessarily oppose the acquisition of wealth and hierarchy that leads to billionaires existing in the first place. To be a billionaire inherently violates leftists principles. So how do we rectify this contradictory statement? Well, if we were to replace the word ‘leftist’ with ‘liberal’ the problem is solved, in fact many billionaires are liberals, including both of the names that Fox News mentions: George Soros and Peter B. Lewis. 

As we read further into the article we come across the quote “This weekend, a shadowy leftist group named Democracy Alliance will meet in Chicago to figure out a way to thwart conservative rivals.” so I looked into the Democracy alliance. In a  blog post on the democracy alliance website, Gara LaMarche, then president of the organization said this “... But empty the prisons, open the borders, abolish insurance?  I can’t go that far.”  Similarly, the founder of this organization, Rob Stein, had this to say about the organization's beliefs “Democracy Alliance is focused on creating a more integrated and consistently coherent center-left institutional infrastructure.”

In America we have 2 major political parties, Democrats and Republicans. When voting, there are usually only two meaningful options. There are of course smaller parties that put forth candidates, but they get such a small percentage of votes that it is inconsequential. Often Americans will fall into the belief that politics is a multiple choice question with two options. Even if you don’t really agree with one candidate, they are better than the alternative so what can you do? 

Limiting politics to such a narrow view leads people to see Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump as the most extreme manifestations of their beliefs. So what if you don't agree with them? What if you want to think outside the box?  According to The "Role of Law in Progressive Politics," by Cornel West, “American liberalism is the most radical option feasible within American political culture. “ This emphasizes the limits of a bi-partisan system in which both extremes are relatively liberal in concept.  If we confine ourselves to working within the system, we can never make any change that threatens the validity of the power that the government holds, or work to dismantle the system of capitalism. 

The effects of the conflation of the terms “Liberal” and “Leftist” are obvious if you are willing to examine the discourse, and the consequences, while not catastrophic, prevent meaningful conversations and limit our collective worldview. So, next time you are arguing with someone on the internet, think about the words you use- just because you’ve heard someone use a word in a certain context doesn't mean it’s accurate. Maybe do a quick Google search or choose a different word. It will take five minutes and although the results might not be immediately obvious, they are real and meaningful. 

Most students don’t enjoy doing homework; it takes time out of their day and can be challenging to manage. At most schools, it is a 7 period day, with the same classes all week, and most students have jobs or play sports- when do they have time to do the work? Even though homework can help us improve our skills, is it really worth it? At most schools it is a 7 period day, same classes all week. At Brown High School,we have block scheduling- meaning we have 4 classes a day, and they are different every other day. Our classes are long, so we get a lot of what we learn in class. So, what’s the point of having us get 30 plus minutes of homework on top of a 90 minute class? Also Brown is within the top 5 best schools in JCPS. We have about an 85% average with math and reading scores. 

Brown does offer study skills for high school students, and this does help a lot. While this helps with the work amount, some students don't have study skills and rarely have time to do their homework. This can make grades drop but also cause stress on the student. Being stressed out about one assignment leads to stress about other work. This can negatively affect the student academically and cause burn outs. 

Many of Brown’s students are quick to understand learning content, and usually don't have a huge problem with homework. However, students with learning disabilities or who need extra help on assignments often struggle with homework. Parents can be a helping agent, but not all parents are able to help their kids with homework-they could be sick, at work, or just not around  for one reason or another. 

Even beyond a lack of parental support for struggling students, homework can highlight inequalities. It can show how some students are more fortunate than others- that they have time to do the work, or they have the help they need. This doesn’t come for everyone. Some students may have to work right after school to help make money for their parents, or they may have to take care of their siblings because the parent isn’t around. Whatever the situation is, it can put stress on those students on top of the stress they have from home. 

In the end homework isn’t necessary. It may help some students marginally, but it mostly just causes stress about getting the work done or the grade they will receive. Homework, if anything, should be optional- so those who think they need a little more practice can use it. Also, this doesn’t stress out the student to have them thinking if they don't do the work then their grade will drop. This also gets the student more engaged in their learning ability and habits- demonstrating the responsibility and self directedness that are pillars of Brown School education.

Almost anyone with even a minute presence on the Internet today can tell you about Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, a nearly three-hour long fever dream starring Austin Butler in the titular role and Tom Hanks as his exploitative manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Since its American premiere in June, ‘Elvis’ has grossed over $281 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing music biopic of all time, behind the 2018 ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and spurred reactions all over the world from history buffs and music fans of all ages. Although ‘Elvis’ and biopics like it have faced some criticism, the translation of older stories and music to modern audiences gives these historical figures new life- which is always a good thing.

Despite the near-perfect recreations of sets and costumes like that of Elvis’ 1968 ‘Comeback Special’, Luhrmann adds small touches throughout the glitzy film that bring the story into the present- particularly on the soundtrack, which features rapper Doja Cat, as well as a shocking ‘Viva Las Vegas’ mashup with Britney Spears’ 2003 hit ‘Toxic’. These adjustments steer the film away from a traditional biopic structure and take it off the stuffy, often pretentious, plane of documentaries about Elvis and other old Hollywood stars, making it more accessible to the younger audiences flocking to see it. 

From a narrative perspective, ‘Elvis’ uses Tom Hanks’ Colonel Parker as a narrator, addressing the audience in a contemporary manner not typical of period dramas. Netflix’s upcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Blonde’ uses film tactics typical of modern psychological thrillers rather than period dramas. These small storytelling changes make Gen Z moviegoers feel right at home in the theater. 

The impacts of this phenomenon are clear in the recent boom of biopics and period dramas in pop culture relevance. The hold of Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ on Internet culture has only grown stronger since its premiere in June; searching ‘Elvis movie’ on TikTok brings up thousands of results, and the ranks grow by the day due to the recent release of the film on HBO Max. 

Although ‘Elvis’ and films like it have faced criticism for their inaccuracy, the positive historical aspect about them is their capacity to open doors for younger generations to learn about the real history behind the movies- like the Emily Dickinson House museum, which went through a considerable renovation and revival following the release of the Apple TV+ show ‘Dickinson’, starring Hailee Steinfeld as the 19th century poet. 

     ‘Dickinson’ uses modern, irreverent language to bring Emily Dickinson to life in a relatable way, appealing to a younger demographic. The Emily Dickinson House looked to mirror that vibrant retelling through the renovation, which involved re-wallpapering and re-finishing the rooms and the inclusion of props and furniture donated from the set of the Apple TV+ show. Since its reopening in August, the museum has welcomed approximately 6500 guests- many of whom were new fans of the poet’s work as a result of the Apple show.

The impact of these shows and movies moves past its effects on the younger generation alone. Older generations are finding means of connection with their younger counterparts through these new works, as seen through the lens of Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’. As younger generations flocked to theatres to see Austin Butler’s transformative performance, Baby Boomers - some of whom saw Elvis live in his prime - went out to relive their younger days through the lens of the vivacious, colorful movie. Dozens of teenagers on TikTok posted videos of their grandmothers, hands to hearts, teary-eyed and watching Butler’s recreation of the late star’s final performance of ‘Unchained Melody’ in the 1970s.  

Elvis’ home at Graceland, which has welcomed over 22 million fans in the 40 years since its opening, was filled with fans both new and old on the 45th anniversary of Elvis’ death. At the beginning of her remarks during the candlelight vigil, even Elvis’ widow Priscilla Presley recognized the importance of the film, saying that the ‘Elvis’ movie “...brought life to a lot of people, who are rediscovering Elvis.”

Though inaccurate and flawed in some places, these new biopics revive long-dead historical icons in pop culture relevance, fostering curiosity in younger generations that can only be fed with knowledge.