Why power lines are the most efficient way to transfer eletricity

What if I told you power lines could power the whole country side cleanly, would you believe me? Power lines can generate enough power off one transformer to power 16 houses. They are a generally safe method for transferring power. Powerlines can transfer up to 120v to your home or 765,000 for long distance transmission. Powerlines are an essential part of modern day culture because they can deliver power to many houses across the countryside. 

To maintain power lines it is quite spendy roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per mile, which can be quite expensive when they stretch across the countryside. But it's not an every year occurrence where they have to work on them. It's mainly after harsh storms or the poles beginning to rerouted. As the two power source companies say in their article, they can be very expensive to maintain but they are the essayest way to transfer energy from farm to farm or house to house.

“The choice between overhead and underground systems isn’t just about today’s construction bid—it’s about decades of financial performance, operational risk, and community impact”

Body2- Powerlines were prioritized to the country families, so they could keep the farm moving forward. Which included some sort of heat in the barns for animals and electricity in the house for the wives to be able to make enough food for the big families. Fdr was the one who first came up with the idea to put power lines in the country and now they stretch as far as the eyes can see out in the country. The Iowa environmental council, talks about how beneficial it first was to get power lines out to the country familys.Offered loans to rural communities to build generation, distribution, and transmission lines that could produce, carry, and deliver electricity to these communities, respectively. 

 Power lines are the most efficient way to transfer electricity and are the safest way to conduct electricity. The electricity is created at a power station then is transferred through the power line for the cleanest and safest way to your home. Which goes through a transformer, which off one transformer it can span from 1-16 houses, depending on how many houses are in a line.The U.S energy information administration, takes about the ease of power lines and how safe they are for fast  and efficient electricity. “High voltage transmission lines,  and transformers, are an effective way to transfer power from a generator station to your home, it is one of the safest ways to transfer that much electricity.”

 In conclusion, I think power lines are the most efficient way to take large amounts of electricity and transfer it from one place to another or house to house.

Power lines are the most efficient way to transfer power for the generation stations to the transformers outside your doors.

The sweat trailing your back isn't your own. The New York heat beats down the thousands that huddle you in all directions, all blurring into one sweaty blob under the sun. If you happen to be familiar with these conditions, you could be a baby boomer in the new age of counterculture, overcoming the expectations of society and protesting against your own country, or a Limp Bizkit fan. The significance in what Woodstock for pales when comparing the 69 and 99 festivals, a stark contrast of community and pure riot. These historic events were the same in name and name only. In reality, they couldn't have been more different.  

In original advertisements, the Woodstock Music and Art Festival was billed as “3 days of peace and music”, and oh boy, did they bring peace. With an estimated total of half a million, those following I-86 began hoarding highways en route to the festival days prior. As rural Bethel, NY, transitioned from acres of farm land to a sized up pig pen, attendees waded through mud and trekked miles of heaped cars to reach their destination. Predictably, these conditions only deteriorated the following days. Overcrowding, lack of resources, proper sanitation, and persistent rains continued to ruin the dreams of eventgoers. However, in a rapidly changing country full of conflict, inequality and already fed up citizens, the crowd turned to their closest sign of hope, advocates of peace and love, hippies. Woodstock's setlist was full to the brim with new age musicians who rebelled against social conformity and used their art to promote issues in our corrupt government, attributes that defined hippie and counter-culture. And so, hippies came. Lots of em. The amount of strangers that banded together out of love for each other and their country (and drugs) accumulated large enough to consider Woodstock a rally. 

Now, imagine everything on fire. Woodstock 99’ was planned to be as extravagant and as close to 69’ as possible, with tie dye decor and messages of past protesters to remind crowds of the blood and sweat put into the festival. Same three days, same state, although located north of Bethals field at an air force base in Rome. Besides usual concert complications, Woodstock 99  ran smoothly until the crowd burst into riot a couple days in. A number of assaults and thefts are reported among the outbreak, not to mention the fires set by damaged sets and attendees. By the final night, the chaos resulted in significant property damage and a tarnished legacy. Its aftermath sparking discussions on youth cultures departure from “youth and love.”

Imagine if you saw someone who was having an emergency or was in trouble, you would assume that someone would step in and help. You would be wrong though, this is due to the bystander effect, the bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon that is described by saying when there are more people around, the less likely they are to help. This is because of three reasons, diffusion of responsibility, evaluation apprehension, and pluralistic ignorance.

In society, there can be multiple emergency situations that most people tend to ignore, this is because of diffusion of responsibility. The diffusion of responsibility means “the tendency to subjectively divide the personal responsibility to help by the number of bystanders” (Emeghara). In other words, when a lot of people notice an emergency situation, people often assume that someone else will step in and help. This is because responsibility feels more shared among the people who are around, which makes each person individually feel less responsibility compared to if they were by themselves in an emergency situation. Which results in people hesitating or not stepping in at all and never helping that person that may be in danger. This is also proven when Hortensius and Gelder go on to say, “When participants witnessed emergencies with increasing numbers of bystanders, a decrease in activity was observed in brain regions important for the preparation to help…” (Hortensius, Gelder). This goes to show that the more individuals involved the less the brain registers the fact someone needs help which again is putting off the responsibility of having to help. So in an emergency situation, people around won’t help since they believe someone else will before they can and they also just don’t think it’s their responsibility.

Many people are scared of how the public sees them when they are out or scared people will judge their choices to act publicly. This is called evaluation apprehension, this is the fear of being judged publicly. This is another reason why individuals do not help in an emergency situation, Emeghara also states, “People may also experience evaluation apprehension and fear of losing face in front of other bystanders” (Emeghara). Which is telling us and showing us that the fact individuals are so scared about the fact they are going to lose face or maybe even viewed differently in other peoples eyes, that they don’t even react to that person that may be in trouble. Even with the fact they're scared of losing face, they're also scared they won’t do it correctly or get in trouble themselves instead. Emeghara also proves this when she says, “Individuals may decide not to intervene in critical situations if they are afraid of being superseded by a superior helper, offering unwanted assistance, or facing the legal consequences of offering inferior and possibly dangerous assistance” (Emeghara). The quote shows how people see situations, most individuals basically talk themselves out of it since they are scared of different things. It shows how even though someone may be in danger but they are too worried about themselves to worry about someone else, the fear keeps them in place or walking by that situation, leaving that person in danger stranded.

Some individuals, when they see someone in trouble but no one else is acting, they believe that there is no real trouble or danger. This is called pluralistic ignorance, which is, “the belief that because no one else is helping, the situation is not actually an emergency” (Hortensius, Gelder). So just because someone sees nobody helping someone in danger, they think it’s really not a problem, leaving that individual in danger even more. It also could be because people believe if everybody else understands what's going on, they don’t want to look inadequate and won’t even give a second glance. An example of this is given to us by Emeghara when she states, “Despite being in a difficult class, students may not raise their hands in response to the lecturer asking for questions. This is often due to the belief that everyone else understands the material, so for fear of looking inadequate, no one asks clarifying questions” (Emeghara). This proves just because someone doesn’t want to seem like they don’t understand something or a situation, they will ignore it and pretend that they do. Which leaves the person in more danger, because no one will ask questions, they all will believe they are wrong and that there is no danger. The bystander effect can be dangerous especially if the so called bystanders themselves don’t take the time to learn why this happens.

People in danger may not always get the help they need. This is because of the bystander effect and the three reasons that cause it. The first reason is because of diffusion of responsibility, the belief that the responsibility is not on them but on the people around them, they also may not realize they have a responsibility to help. The second reason is evaluation apprehension, which is the fear of losing face in front of others, so they might not help because they're scared of being judged and they are also scared some consequences will be put on them instead of the person who was hurting someone. The third and final reason is called pluralistic ignorance, this is the belief that if it seems like everyone else understands then they don’t want to look inadequate in front of people so they continue on without trying to assess the situation themselves, they also might believe that because on one else is helping then there isn’t an actual emergency situation. This is why individuals should pay attention to situations around them so they don’t become a bystander themselves.

Works cited

Emeghara, Udochi. “Bystander Effect and Diffusion of Responsibility.” Simply Psychology, 7 Sept. 2023, www.simplypsychology.org/bystander-effect.html 

Hortensius, Ruud, and Beatrice de Gelder. “From Empathy to Apathy: The Bystander Effect Revisited.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 27, no. 4, 1 Aug. 2018, pp. 249–256 ,pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099971/ 

An alarm goes off. Beep. Beep. BEEEEEEEEP. The time reads 7:00 A.M. You almost get out of bed but a wave of tiredness washes over you. Because you went to bed at 4:00 A.M. instead of 10:00  P.M.,  a refreshing and well rested day isn’t in store. Sleep is the backbone of a good day, without sleep, days drag on and on and also creates mental and physical setbacks. Every age needs different amounts of sleep and without the right amount of hours, sleep causes memory issues and high stress. 

Each age group requires a different amount of sleep. The National Library of Medicine explains how many hours each age groups needs to sleep to reach optimal potential. Children ages 6-13 require 9-11 hours, Teenagers ages 14-17 require 8-10 hours, and Adults need 7-9 hours (Chatput). Even though average of nine hours of sleep of sleep makes a person have peak energy, people still fail to meet the hours. Without the adequate amount of sleep, negative effects start to occur. 

Lack of sleep negatively affects growth and memory. According to the article “Why Sleep is Important?” The article states “Sleep helps with learning and forming long term memories. Not getting enough sleep or enough high-quality sleep can lead to problems focusing on tasks and thinking clearly.” (Why Sleep is…) Without the ability to form long term memories the brain loses its plasticity, the ability to create new connections and structure. With the loss of plasticity the brain can’t adapt and learn from new experiences and the brain can’t store the memories effectively. The article also says “Sleep supports teens and children in growing” (Why Sleep is…) Without effective sleep, children and teens don’t acquire the adequate amount of energy for the day. Resulting in laziness and unproductiveness. Along with the negative effects to growth and memory, a lack of sleep also results in high stress levels. 

Having little sleep causes high stress. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes how during sleep the heart rate falls leading to the heart not working as hard compared to during the day. Because the heart lacks time to regulate and not work as hard, people who do not sleep enough experience coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes (Why Sleep is…). Each of the effects listed stem from one thing; stress. Doing a task as simple as falling asleep lowers stress and the risk for the listed health effects.

Not getting enough sleep creates memory issues and high stress. Every age needs different amounts of sleep and meeting the amount of hours proves important for a person's productivity and alertness. Without the right amount of sleep, the brain becomes less active and loses its plasticity and the ability to store long term memories. Also, without sleep the heart becomes overworked because the body doesn’t rest during the usual time of recovery. Behind every healthy mind, body, and soul lays a single foundation, sleep. 

Works Cited

Chaput, Jean-Phillipe, et al. “Sleeping Hours: What is the Ideal Number and how Long Does Age Impact This?” National Library of Medicine, 27 Nov 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.g ov/articles/PMC6267703/

“Why Sleep is Important.” National Library of Medicine, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sl eep/why-sleep-important

What if there was a type of nuclear reactor that was safer, produced less waste, and used a fuel source that is more common than uranium.As the world searches for cleaner and more reliable energy sources, thorium reactors have become a promising alternative to traditional nuclear power. While thorium reactors still face challenges, they offer many advantages because they are safer, produce less nuclear waste, and use a fuel source that is more plentiful. 

Thorium reactors are safer than traditional uranium reactors, produce less radioactive waste, and generate clean energy.According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, many thorium reactor designs use molten salt technology, which operates at low pressure and includes passive safety systems.(Molten salt reactors (MSR) | IAEA)   This means thorium reactors are less likely to have major accidents because they can shut down safely if something goes wrong. This could make nuclear power safer for both workers and nearby communities. The World Nuclear Association states that thorium is three to four times more abundant in the Earth's crust than uranium.(Thorium) Because thorium is more common, it could provide countries with a larger and more reliable fuel supply for producing electricity. This would help ensure that nuclear energy remains available for many years. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, thorium reactors can produce less long-lived radioactive waste than traditional uranium reactors. (Thorium’s long-term potential in nuclear energy) This is important because it reduces the amount of dangerous waste that must be stored for thousands of years. Less waste also lowers the long-term environmental risks associated with nuclear power. Thorium reactors offer several important benefits that make them a promising source of clean energy for the future.

Thorium reactors have some disadvantages that make them difficult to use today. According to the World Nuclear Association, there is currently very little commercial experience with thorium reactors.  (Thorium) This means most countries do not have enough real-world experience with thorium technology to know how well it will work on a large scale. As a result, many governments may be hesitant to invest in this technology.The International Atomic Energy Agency states that significant research and development is still needed before thorium reactors can be widely deployed. (Thorium’s long-term potential in nuclear energy) This shows that thorium reactors still need more testing, time, and investment before they become a common source of electricity. These extra costs could delay their adoption for many years.  Even though thorium reactors offer many advantages, their limited development and lack of commercial use are major challenges right now.

In conclusion, thorium reactors have the potential to become an important energy source in the future. They are safer than traditional reactors, produce less radioactive waste, and use a fuel source that is more abundant than uranium. Although they still need more research and development, thorium reactors offer a promising solution for providing clean and reliable energy.Work Cited

“Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) | IAEA.” International Atomic Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency, www.iaea.org/topics/molten-salt-reactors. Accessed 15 May 2026.

“Thorium.” World Nuclear Association, World Nuclear Association, 2 May 2024, world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium.

“Thorium’s Long-Term Potential in Nuclear Energy.” International Atomic Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency, Sept. 2023, www.iaea.org/bulletin/thoriums-long-term-potential-in-nuclear-energy.

What if i told you there was a power supily that could power a milloin houses a day and it isn’t bad for the environment. Nuclear power is one of the most eficiant power supplies and it's very green but in the US it only makes up 20% of our power. When people think  of nuclear power they think of Chernoble and Fukushima but these events hapend becuse of the human era and a eathquake. The 3 main reasons we do not use more nuclear power are high starting cost, waste  management concers and public fear. 

nuclear powers statring cost is one of the resons we dont use it as much as coal or natrial gas  the main nuclear power plants were built in the 70s and 80s the last plant built in the us cost in 36.8 billion in 2024. as the department of energy says in their artical Advantages and Challenges of Nuclear Energy “Building a nuclear power plant can be discouraging for stakeholders. Conventional reactor designs are considered multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects. High capital costs” as the price of nuclear power plant have gone up the more people are wanting to stay away from them another reson is the waste created by  the plants. 

Nuclear power plants have a big problem geting rid of their nuclear waste as it takes years for it to go  away and it needs to be in a succer facilty very far from people so as not to give them radiation. The world nuclear assocation states that, “the radioactivity of nuclear waste naturally decays, and has a finite radiotoxic lifetime. Within a period of 1,000-10,000 years, the radioactivity of HLW decays to that of the originally mined ore”. with how long it takes nuclear waste to decay, people are scareed of nucler power. That is another reson we do not use nuclear as much as we could. 

becuse of chernoble and fucashime nuclear power leaves a bad taste in peopls mouth as they are concerned with a melt down and radiation getting out and killing peoplethe main reson peole are scaed of it is  because they  don’tknow how it works. They say the same thing in The Fear Factor of Nuclear Power Terror Teaches a Lesson “Nuclear power is scary because - even when it operates properly as designed - many of us don’t know how it works. The physics of coal or natural gas or oil are pretty straightforward”. this is one if not the biggest reason we don’t use more nuclear power is  people are scared of it and if we knew more about it I believe people wouldn’t fear it as much 

In conclusion nuclear power is a great power sorce but with the addints and public fear of it most people don’t want to use it they would rather use oil and natural gas. the waste highcost and fear the 3 main reasons we dont use nuclear power. people have been sercing for a new clean power but we already have it and it produce a lot of power unlike solar and wind the problem facing using nuclear is peopls fear cost and waste which can find ways to get people on bard and the wast there can be new way found to make it easy to get rid of.

What if one of the most powerful men in history was a warrior, emperor, and a philosopher that controlled an empire over 2,000 years ago and still influences people today. One of the main things this person believed was controlling your mind is way more important than controlling an empire. You might be questioning what I am saying and what person I am talking about or maybe you are questioning how this person still has this big of an impact today? Well the person I am talking about is named Marcus Aurelius he was born in 121 AD in ancient Rome. The information I will be writing and giving you today is Who Marcus Aurelius is, what his philosophy was, his book called meditations, and why he still matters today. In the great words of Marcus Aurelius “you have power over your mind, and not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” So let's not experience this writing. Let's dive into the mind of Marcus Aurelius and find out everything about him and why he is still important today. 

Marcus Aurlies was born on April 26, 121 AD in Rome. When Marcus was born he was born into a wealthy and respectful family His dad was Marcus Annius Verus and his mother was Domita Lucilla. When Marcus was a little boy his father had passed away. When his father passed away his grandfather took over the role of father. Marcus Aurlies had learned a lot from his grandfather like public speaking skills, literacy,and his father taught him about philosophy. So Marcus started studying philosophy and became extremely intrigued in philosophy. Marcus became the empire of Rome in 161 AD which was one of the hardest times for the Roman empire because it was filled with invasions and conflict, but even during this hard time for Rome Marcus balanced being a leader and a philosopher. During this time would be him writing notes to himself later published as meditations which is considered today as still one of the most important and popular philosophical books published ever. Marcus Aurlies was a stoicism philosopher which means that he focused on staying calm, controlling emotions, and focusing on what he can control. All these things I mention would shape who Marcus was as a ruler and why he is considered as one of the “ Five good emperors”. 

Marcus Aurelis ruled over Rome in a time of a lot of wars, a plague and still he kept himself calm and led his empire. The reasons why he could do this is because of his beliefs in stoicism. Stoicism’s main focus is staying calm, discipline, and the focus in rough times. But the biggest belief that Marcus Aurelius believed in the most is controlling your emotions and anger instead of letting it take over you like he said in meditations “anger’s just as much a sign of weakness as bubbling up with tears, in both cases we are giving into suffering.” This quote helps us see what Marcus really thought of anger and why he ruled through all these hard times with wisdom and leadership. The last thing I will be writing about is the way Marcus Arulies believed that the things you cant control is just a part of life and we should not let it consume us because “you have power over your mind, not outside events realize this, and you will find strength” as  Marcus  Aurelius said in that quote controlling your mind is the most important thing in struggle, in leadership, in life, and just as being a human being.  Marcus Aurelius made his book meditations in the early 170 AD. His book was not just an ordinary book but a journal, a journal he never thought would get published. In Meditations the book talks about Marcus and his advice for life, leadership, discipline, and self control. In the book he talks about hard times and how we as people need to stay strong, be calm, and don't panic like he says in this quote “The impediment to action advances the action. What stands in the way becomes the way” Marcus meant in this quote that the obstacles and the hard times can help us grow stronger and improve ourselves instead of stopping us. Marcus talks about in his book how we treat others and how we should treat them with kindness and respect no matter who it is or what they have done to you. “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy”. In the quote it talks about his enemies and how to deal with them. Because if someone lies about you, acts cruel, you could act in anger but the better person keeps their honor, calmness, and respectful matter. This book is very influential to lots of people and it helps so much in teaching them how to be on a day to day basis. Marcus Aurelies is still important today because his ideas for self discipline, staying calm under pressure, and focusing on what you can control, all of these things are reasons why he is still important today. Marcus Aurelies even though living more than 2,000 years ago still helps many people today. Whether it's his beliefs in stoics, his mental health or just how he was as a leader. Many people today use his book and his stoic beliefs as students, athletes, leaders, and even business owners. His stoic beliefs help people that are struggling with self help or mental health issues. He teaches people how to control their emotions and teach them to be more calm in their day to day life. In his writing it teaches people to handle pressure, setbacks, and stress. In his writing he shows that true strength does not come from wealth or power, it comes from the control over the mind and the way to act in stressful situations. All of these things help everyone in their day to day life. That's why he is still important today even though he lived over 2,000 years ago. 

In conclusion Marcus Auriles was not just a Rome empire. He was a philosopher, a leader, and a writer whose writing touched so many and has influenced people into a different mind set through his beliefs of stoicism, In his book of meditations, and by being calm even when he was in a dark age of the Rome empire. In his book it has helped people to think, to be calm, and push through the tough times and conquer your mind. Even though he lived 2,000 years ago his beliefs and stoicism still proves many today that his mind set works this is why he still is influential today. Whether it’s being an emperor, a leader, a philosopher, or a writer. Marcus Aurlies teaches so many people in his empire or people that read his book. It shows them that the most important thing is power means nothing as long as you don’t have a strong mind. Like the great words of Marcus Aurlies “the happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts”.

Works Cited

Meditations. Translated by Gregory Hays, Modern Library, 2002.

“Marcus Aurelius.” Britannica.

“Marcus Aurelius Biography.” Biography.com.

Mr. Clemenson  

I talked about stoicism. And all of the info went to the infographic 

 Many students rely on last minute studying, also known as cramming before important tests. There are many reasons why you shouldn’t cram before a very big test or any test at that. Many students sometimes forget that there is a test coming up the next day and cram for it. The reason they do this is because as long as they study they should get a good grade on the test, but studying isn’t the only thing that goes with studying. Many students start studying about a week before a test but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will get a good grade like many would believe. There are ways you can cram for a test but, there are also ways to make sure that you don’t overwork yourself. Instead of cramming for a test the night before, realize that cramming damages your brain, there is a seven-day plan that can help, and you should learn about the problems cramming can cause you.

When you cram you should take into effect what your body needs. Cramming can take a lot of time and energy meaning if you cram all night long and all day long there is  no time when you are getting everything your body needs. There is a trade off between studying and sleep, if you study you should do better on your test but that doesn’t mean that you will. “In the study, UCLA professor of psychiatry Andrew J. Fuligni, UCLA graduate student Cari Gillen-O'Neel and colleagues report that sacrificing sleep for extra study time, whether it's cramming for a test or plowing through a pile of homework, is actually counterproductive. Regardless of how much a student generally studies each day, if that student sacrifices sleep time in order to study more than usual, he or she is likely to have more academic problems, not less, on the following day.”  (Fuligini). Sleep is a critical part of academic success which means you can not have a trade off between sleep and studying. When you exchange sleeping for studying you are only hurting yourself more than you would be by cramming and then falling asleep. “Other research has shown that in ninth grade, the average adolescent sleeps 7.6 hours per night, then declines to 7.3 hours in 10th grade, 7.0 hours in 11th grade and 6.9 hours in 12th grade. So kids start high school getting less sleep than they need, and this lack of sleep is getting worse through the course of high school" (Fuligini). You already go into high school with a bad sleeping schedule but that doesn’t mean you should keep the same sleeping schedule throughout high school. Things get harder in high school, more tests, more homework, more clubs, and more activities that will take up your time. Keeping a good sleep schedule is important so that you don’t burn out too early and so that you can make sure you have time to do things that you need to study.

There are ways that you can make sure you have a spaced study time. There are many ways you can have a spaced study time, but would you ever actually listen to those times. Most people can make a plan to study but then forget about it and just choose to cram because it would be easier. “Cramming, from a student’s perspective, is often a favored study practice: it seems to be the most efficient use of time by hustling, usually last-minute, to pack as much information as possible into memory. The problem with cramming is that information gets stored into working memory, not long-term memory. And, unfortunately, most cumulative tests require the recall of information learned over the course of several months, and the only way to dig up that information from week 1 is if it is stored in long-term memory.” (Janzen Harding). If you cram everything at once it won’t help because you would be storing too much information at once instead of gradually taking on information little by little. When you cram you cause your brain to overheat in a way where you can forget everything you were studying in the morning. You should never cram the night before a large test because it can ruin your sleep schedule and you won’t remember anything after you wake up. “Procrastination is a precursor to cramming. In a typical cramming situation, a student may commit two hours to studying the night before a test. For most, the thought of sitting down to study for two hours is daunting. Not only is this an unreasonable demand on one’s attention and focus, but it creates an inflexible block in one’s schedule and may conflict with other responsibilities.” (Janzen Harding). When you procrastinate you are starting a set up of not wanting to study but instead playing games and doing anything but studying. When you finally study it will be the day before the test, cramming will only hurt you more because it doesn’t help with anything and only makes things worse. 

The seven-day plan is a way to make sure that you can have time to study, activities, and sleep. It makes sure that you don’t  burn out by cramming or trying to balance everything without burning out. There are seven certain steps to the plan that will help you. 1 day before the test, review everything briefly and get a good night's sleep. You have studied the material for the past seven days. Sleep will help you recall and use what you have learned. Making sure that you review briefly a few times before you fall asleep because you will remember more that way. 2-3 days before the test you should study the material thoroughly and work with others to work-through material and ask possible exam questions. If you have others work with you while you study it will give you a better understanding of everything especially if you don’t understand certain things in notes or things that will possibly be on the test. 4-6 days before the test you should rework homework and quiz questions, have a self-test on questions and notes, answer study-guide or chapter questions, ask for a review sessions\tutoring with friends, study with a friend or teach someone else the concepts so you both know what to do and how to do it, and finally explain concepts in your own words from memory. All of these will help you understand better than cramming for a test would because you are giving yourself a chance to understand while others help as well. 7-10 days before the test make sure to rewrite notes and quizzes to identify the difficult areas that you struggle with, to make sure that you can receive help in those areas. Create a to-do list and write down what things you have to study and what things you need better help understanding. Make some kind of study tool (quizzes, blooket ....ect) so that you can study easier while you also remember the answers. Make sure you have an active study plan so that you know when you are able to study and when you have something else going on.

In conclusion, when you cram everything you learned at once it will only hurt you. Making sure that you get the proper amount of sleep and study will help you remember everything you were studying. When you put the proper amount of time in before studying and make a plan for when you will study, it can help you with a better study session and give you the same amount of sleep you usually have so that you don’t get exhausted and overwork your brain. Knowing the way that cramming can cause harm to your body and mind can help you stop at certain times especially the night before a test. Many good ways to do this is by understanding the harm it can cause, knowing a seven-day plan, and understanding certain problems.

Work Cited

UCLA, “Cramming for a test? Don’t Do It, Say UCLA Researchers”

Harding, Janzen, “Why Spaced Study is Far More Effective than Cramming”

Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, “The Seven-Day Prep Plan”

 In today’s world, technology is becoming more and more involved. School work and teaching have become more technology based. Modern day students and teachers are going away from using textbooks and more technology, inside and outside the classroom. By using more technology, teachers are finding easier ways to teach, and students are finding easier ways to learn and cheat their ways through school because they can find all the answers online. Technology is taking the attention away from the original ways of learning. Schools around the world are going away from textbooks because of high cost, books are becoming outdated, and the easier access to technology and transportation of technology. 

Many schools around the world struggle to afford textbooks due to budget cuts or just straight up too expensive. Most teachers are finding that instead of spending the money on textbooks, they can buy lessons and materials online. “Over the years, the cost of traditional textbooks has increased dramatically, some reports showing prices rising into the hundreds of percent since the late 1900” (Evelyn Learning). Due to this issue, many schools and families are having to spend large amounts of money on textbooks and materials that are up to date. Many textbooks can cost up to $100 each. When schools have to replace these textbooks because of damages or outdated materials, it can become rather spendy for the schools. This financial burden is one of the main reasons that schools are looking for alternative ways to teach their students. Technology happens to be one of the most common solutions for most schools. 

In the long run for schools, technology for digital materials are more cost effective in the long run. “Educational materials, resources, and technology are often cheaper than printed books, and some are even free for schools to use through programs like the Open Educational Resources” (NCES). When materials become outdated, it is easier for schools to use technology materials that are constantly being changed to be up to date with today’s world. This for example is a more practical option, especially for subjects that the curriculum changes constantly, such as science and technology classes. 

“Textbooks become outdated quickly. Schools often replace textbooks every few years or every year, if needed. Although, by the time a book is finalized and printed, something could already be outdated by the time it is ready for schools to use” (NCES). By using technology to solve the issue of textbooks becoming outdated, technology is easier for students to be able to have access to the most current information by just using their computer. This helps students in many ways. Some students have difficulty learning in some ways. When teachers are able to upload videos, notes, or usual materials, students who have a hard time learning when reading to themselves can watch videos, students who are behind or slower taking notes can be on track, and overall an easier way for students to study because they have access to materials online. Technology helps students in multiple ways to keep up in school. 

Some classes do not allow students to take textbooks home so they don’t become damaged. For students who did not fully understand or complete the assignments in class, this could be an issue. By using technology, teachers are able to upload assignments and pictures of the textbook for students to look at at home. This makes it easier for students to access their work when they are at home. Another reason why schools are using technology is because of the accessibility and the transportation of the materials are easier when students have most of the materials on a computer. Students do not have to worry about carrying heavy books or worry about ruining their books when schools are able to provide the materials online for the students. 

In conclusion, schools are using fewer materials and utilizing more technology mainly for the reasons of rising costs, outdated materials, and the accessibility of materials for students. By using technology, it is more affordable for students and schools. Along with up to date materials for learning. Due to the world and the knowledge constantly changing, it is important for students to learn with up to date technology

                                             Work Cited

“Are Open Educational Resources the New Textbooks?” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nces.ed.gov.

“The Death of the Traditional Textbook.” Evelyn Learning, evelynlearning.com. 

From fatal reactions to widespread praise, the beverage kombucha has been around for centuries. Kombucha refers to a fermented tea beverage  produced in a jar using a mixture of tea, sugar, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The drink is regarded as a health product which improves gut health, reduces inflammation, and offers many antimicrobial properties. Millions of people around the world drink kombucha, but many do not know where the bitter tea originated from. Kombucha originated as an East Asian health drink, which spread globally and now, millions of people consume it every day.

Although never entirely confirmed, kombucha most likely has its origins in ancient East Asia. Starting in 414 BCE, a Korean doctor by the name of Kombu allegedly brought the fermented drink over to cure the ruling Emperor Inkyo (Yemoos Nourishing Cultures). Even though the story was told as a legend, it’s the most accepted origin of kombucha, even giving a name derived from the doctor who brought the drink to China. Once gaining popularity in the area, the drink was sent out and spread along the silk road (Pitruzzello, 2026). After kombucha became known in other countries in Asia and Europe, little to no recorded information about people using kombucha until many years later.

In Europe in the early 1900s, during World War I, kombucha usage was recorded in transit camps, helping to expand its reach. Prisoners of war in surrounding countries began to use kombucha as a way to boost immunity among other health benefits. Due to its usage gaining popularity, citizens in Germany began using kombucha to the point where the drink became a common home remedy. Then in the 1980s people in the United States started drinking kombucha amid the AIDS epidemic, mainly due to belief that its immune boosting properties would increase T-Cell count, helping to combat AIDs and HIV (Pitruzzello, 2026). However, interest in the beverage faded quite quickly over the course of the following years. In 1995, two women fell ill with acidosis, leaving one temporarily hospitalized and the other dead. After much research and investigation, evidence was found proving the women were both regularly drinking homemade kombucha, which both used SCOBYs derived from the same source. Once reports connected the women’s deaths to kombucha consumption, a large number of drinkers quit fearing fatal harm from the beverage.

As time passed and more information became available,  people began researching and learning more about kombucha. Which then leads into the late 2000s, where kombucha had its latest comeback. People now have deeper knowledge of the benefits and how to avoid the dangers that come with consuming kombucha. The drink is found in almost every large and small grocery store you visit and home brewing kits are widely available to purchase, so now millions of people around the world are consuming and producing their own kombucha.

Kombucha originated in ancient East Asia and ended up known worldwide as a popular health drink consumed by millions daily. Believed to have started in China, kombucha ended up spreading to other countries in Eastern Asia, and by the 1800s had reached Europe. Around 1980, the drink became popular in the United States only for usage to become scarce after a woman passed away after drinking kombucha daily. Finally, today, kombucha is regarded as a safe, beneficial, health drink. The history of kombucha shows how ancient tradition can spread and eventually become common for everyone worldwide.

References

Petruzzello, Melissa. “Kombucha” Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., 12 Dec. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/kombucha.

“The Cloudy Origins of Kombucha | Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.” Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian, folklife.si.edu/magazine/cloudy-origins-of-kombucha. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026. 

“Unexplained Severe Illness Possibly Associated with Consumption of Kombucha Tea.” Www.cdc.gov, 8 Dec. 1995, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039742.htm.

Yemoos Nourishing Cultures. “Kombucha History.” Yemoos Nourishing Cultures, 2025, www.yemoos.com/pages/kombucha-history?srsltid=AfmBOoqSCQsqBhWbjIs-nn0uI_cs_oBbv63b2eSvieOpYRUbeV6BiURv. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

Imagine being a dinosaur enthusiast from the mid 1800s; at the time scientists knew so much less about the world before humans ruled. Then, a newspaper article comes out where one of the most prevailing paleontologists starts publicly discrediting one of his colleagues. The Bone Wars can be described by looking at O. C. Marsh’s and E. D. Cope’s early careers, the height of their feud, and the aftermath of their conflict.

O. C. Marsh and E. D. Cope were two of the most prolific paleontologists of their time but the men grew up very differently. Marsh, the son of a middle class farmer from New York. The only reason he attended school was because his wealthy uncle noticed his inclination towards the natural sciences and sponsored his education. Cope, on the other hand, was born to a well-off family in Pennsylvania where, as a child he attended many classes at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. As an eighteen year old, Cope published his first academic paper while working at the same school he attended as a child. Almost like fate, Marsh and Cope ended up in Germany at the same time. Marsh as a graduate student, and Cope sent by his family to avoid the civil war draft. The two young paleontologists met and quickly formed a friendship, maintaining a cordial relationship during the formative years of their respective careers, but their relationship wouldn’t last long (O. C. Marsh and E. D. Cope: A Rivalry).

In 1868, Marsh’s actions would spark a feud which ended up following them for the rest of their lives. The first major transgression between the two scientists happened at a fossil quarry in New Jersey. While Cope was showing Marsh around the dig site, Marsh went behind the other man’s back and made a deal with the quarry’s owner to send all newly discovered fossils to him. Later in the same year Cope would publish findings on a newly discovered species of plesiosaur, but he made one major mistake. Cope accidentally put the head at the end of the reconstruction’s tail, upon seeing the reconstruction, Marsh almost immediately pointed out Cope’s error. Marsh claimed Cope “was indignant and embarrassed” by the correction causing the rift between them to grow even larger (Henriques). In 1882 Marsh became the chief paleontologist of the newly formed U.S. Geological Survey’s paleontology branch. Soon, Marsh used his newly acquired political power to put Cope out of business for good. One of the most damaging things he did was cut Cope off from the federal funding almost every paleontologist relied on at the time. Cope tried to make up for the lack of funding with a desperate attempt at silver mining, but when the mine failed, Cope was left destitute (O. C. Marsh and E. D. Cope: A Rivalry).

Despite losing his funding and most of his credibility, Cope had one more trick up his sleeve. Cope was living alone in an apartment in Philadelphia with almost no property to his name save for his extensive, prized fossil collection. When Marsh tried to seize Cope’s collection under the assumption the fossils were acquired using federal funds Cope produced evidence which proved almost his entire collection was purchased out of his own pocket. Cope then sent evidence of the countless examples of corruption and under-the-table deals Marsh took part in during his time as the chief paleontologist for the U.S. Geological Survey to the newspaper The New York Herald. Once the information was published, a very public legal battle started between the two paleontologists. Marsh and his colleagues were accused of incompetence and misuse of government funds, and when Congress investigated Cope’s claims, the department of paleontology and Marsh’s power were eliminated almost overnight(Henriques). After both men became shunned from the scientific community, the rest of their lives was spent trying to find someone to buy their huge collections of fossils they had obtained throughout their careers. Both Marsh and Cope struggled greatly in this endeavor and the two men eventually passed away without selling the majority of their collections, leaving the bulk of them to various museums around the United States such as the Smithsonian, and the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale (O. C. Marsh and E. D. Cope: A Rivalry). 

The Bone Wars, a term used to reference an almost lifelong conflict between two of the most important paleontologists of the 1800s and can be described by looking at their initial friendship, how the friendship ended, and the events during the height of their feud, and their lives after their hatred for each other ruined both of their careers. Despite their different upbringings Marsh and Cope were quite friendly at the beginning of their respective careers, then Marsh made an underhanded deal with a quarry manager causing the end of their relationship and sparking a quarrel which lasted until they ruined each other’s careers causing both of them to pass away with not nearly as much money or influence either man once had. However, negative and petty their feud might seem, neither of the men involved would have been motivated to make lasting discoveries and impacts on the scientific community without their heated rivalry.

Work Cited

Henriques, Martha. “The Bitter Dinosaur Feud at The Heart of Paleontology.” BBC News, 19 January 2023, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230119-the-dinosaur-feud-at-the-heart-of-palaeontology.

“O. C. Marsh and E. D. Cope: A Rivalry.” American Experience, PBS, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/a\mericanexperience/features/dinosaur-rivalry/.

Fighter planes played a significant role in the advancement of warfare during WW1 by expanding combat to the sky. Initially, aircraft were used for reconnaissance, but quickly developed into heavily armed machines. The change influenced many new military tactics and led to the rise of modern warfare.

One of the early uses of aviation during World War I occurred with Alexander von Kluck’s German army at the Battle of Mons. According to an article from Wikipedia, “The Fokker E.III, Airco DH-2 and Nieuport 11 were the very first in a long line of single seat fighter aircraft used by both sides during the war”(Wikipeia). Another early model, made by the French, is called the Nieuport 11 Bebe. The plane was smaller, faster, and more agile than the Fokker E.III which helped the Allies regain air superiority. The early use of aircraft focused on spying on enemy positions and gathering intelligence. Pilots reported enemy movements and as time went on, people started having ideas and making them come to life. Early attempts to drop bombs from aircraft failed because planes only carried one bomb at a time. Still fragile and prone to malfunction, aircraft models received major improvements over time.

An article from Military Factor states,”Aircraft played a pivotal role for all sides of World War 1 when the conflict began in 1914”(MilitaryFactory). In the early years of the war, aircraft designers started experimenting with machine-gun-carrying aircraft. One of the first fighter plane models, called Vickers Experimental Fighting Biplane 1, appeared at the 1913 Aero Show in London. In the early machine-gun models, the pilot was required to manually aim the machine-gun and fly the plane at the same time. Aircraft designers developed a new technique called machine-gun synchronization, designed to align machine-guns with the direction the plane heads, allowing pilots to fire accurately while steering. As different issues arose, plane designers kept coming up with solutions. When planes fired their machine-guns, bullets often struck and damaged the front propeller. To solve the problem, engineers designed new aircraft timing the machine-gun shots with the spinning propeller blades. As the Allied and Central Powers improved their aircraft and trained more skilled pilots, aerial battles known as dogfights began. Pilots started learning new strategies and fighting tactics to defeat the opposing side, marking a major turning point in the war. Fighter planes became faster and stronger as the war went on. Certain pilots who showed exceptional skill in combat became famous, along with the aircraft flown in battle. The aircraft manufacturing companies worked hard to keep producing better fighter planes for the war in order to gain an advantage. 

Fighter planes changed the nature of the war drastically and forced armies to rethink many of the original strategies previously planned. Armies needed to counter the opposing fighter planes with their own, creating battles in the air. As aircraft technology advanced for one side during the war, the other side quickly improved as well. Pilots became more skilled at bombing targets and attacking soldiers from the air. Having control of the skies gave the soldiers on the ground a major advantage. After having a major impact on the war, fighter planes influenced aircraft designers to make planes for recreational uses and activities.

Fighter planes played a significant role throughout World War I, and the impact of fighter planes changed the world forever. Fighter planes started out as reconnaissance aircrafts, but turned into killing machines. Overall, aviation advanced warfare in many ways and influenced growth for civilian use.

Cited Sources

Wikipedia. “Aviation in World War I.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Aug. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_I.

“Fokker D.VII.” Www.militaryfactory.com, www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail. php?aircraft_id=395.

Caffeine has been around for a long time but working its way through very different forms. From originally boosting the coffee game to now in tons of different energy drinks open to everyone to enjoy. It also has different effects depending on the consumer. While caffeine can provide fast focus benefits for students with ADHD, it is still limited in school because of the harmful overall effects and can affect academic performance. 

ADHD students have a tendency to struggle concentrating all the time. A controlled amount of caffeine has the opposite effect that it has on everyone else, slowing them down and helping them focus called a paradoxical reaction. If deciding to get medication for ADHD, the doctors will prescribe a stimulant drug, which is the same as caffeine. It is however proven to be less effective and not safe for young children. This also can affect their body and mental health, “caffeine use among middle‐ and high‐school students has been found to be positively related to depressive symptoms” (Kristjansson et al.) children who are suffering from depression have an even harder time than before. 

Caffeine is still very limited in school or anywhere that young children would be around, this is due to the high stimulant dosage that caffeinated drinks contain. “In 2011, 1,499 adolescents aged 12–17 years went to the emergency room for an energy-drink–related emergency.”(CDC) this number has had a steady plateau, however it is still an issue within the US. The main problems that these kids are having consist of dehydration, heart complications, anxiety, and insomnia. All these problems cause young children to lose sleep, connecting to academic decline and most common depression with iritibleness and staying inside. If the caffeine addiction gets this far it can be very challenging to get them out because they lean so heavily on the small energy boost they live off of.  

The first big form of caffeine that was widely acceptable was coffee, which has been around for a very long time, we most associate coffee with our grandparents or even parents, this was of caffeine consumption has stemmed into caffeine but shoved into other drinks that kids are all about. Sundrop, mountain dew, coke, pepsi, etc. all have 70mg of caffeine in them. Sprite, 7UP, root beer, etc. are all drinks that have stayed away from it. It expanded every further into designated energy drinks, containing anywhere from 150-300mg. These numbers are the ones that can cause harmful effects and leave lasting damage.

Although caffeine may offer short term focus benefits for students with ADHD, the overall negative health effects and potential to harm academic performance make it unsuitable for use in schools. Caffeine has made its why through the way of coffee where you think of your grandparents to “cool” energy drinks that are popular to any age. Like anything, its fine in moderation, but when excessive amounts are consumed, the effects make themselves very clear.

Works cited

Centers for disease control and prevention. “ The buzz on energy drinks.” July 22,2024, CDC energy drinks page. https://www.cdc.gov/school-nutrition/energy-drinks/index.html

Kristjansson, Alfgeir L., et al. “Caffeine Consumption and Its Associations with Adolescent Behavior and Health.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 21, no. 6, 2024, Article 719. PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11618719/

Studies show that one in five foods and beverages approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contain synthetic food dyes (Dunford 1). While additives make foods look more appealing, their widespread use raises concerns about the types of foods people regularly consume. The effects of synthetic food dyes can be described by examining issues with safety, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6. 

Manufacturers commonly use food dyes in modern production, raising the importance of first understanding how they work. According to a TED talk on the effects of food dye, Rebecca Bevans, a professor and researcher with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience states, “food dyes are a set of chemicals that have been added to food to enhance their color and appearance. Food dyes are man made, petroleum based, and provide no nutritional value” (Bevans 3:45). This quote explains nonnutritional synthetic additives used in the foods people regularly consume raises concerns that food dyes negatively affect the body making their widespread use potentially harmful to consumers. In fact, some food dyes are even linked to potential neurobehavioral effects.

Research from government health agencies shows that synthetic food dyes cause harmful effects on brain function and behavior.  To see the harmful effects more clearly, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment states in their study of potential neurobehavioral effects of synthetic food dyes, “the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) initially approved the food dyes [including Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6] between 1969 and 1987 when few studies were available” (Zeise et. al. 4). This report illustrates how many of the popular food dyes currently used were approved during a time when very little scientific research was available, and potential long term effects were not understood. As a result, the safety standards resulting from the approval process were likely based on incomplete information, creating doubt whether standards truly protect public health. Among various food dyes linked to health concerns, Red No. 40 receives significant attention for its possible effects. 

The food dyed Red No. 40, also known as Allura Red, is one of the most widely used food dyes, subject to dangerous health concerns. For example, a study in the OEHHA report conducted on rats indicates, “effects of exposure to Red No. 40 include altered brain activity, memory, learning, changes in neurotransmitter systems in the brain, and developmental toxicology studies demonstrated a negative effect on the activity of offspring" (Zeise et. al. 21). This evidence suggests that Red No. 40 leaves lasting impacts on brain development and behavior, particularly when exposure begins early in life. The mention of changes in neurotransmitter systems concerns many, as they control mood, attention, and overall cognitive function, leaving people concerned about the long term developmental and behavioral issues of Red No. 40. On top of the vast health risks of consuming Red No. 40, evidence has shown it to leave the biggest impact. 

Red No. 40 poses serious concerns due to its strong negative effects on brain cells, particularly cells involved in early development. An example is shown in the OEHHA report, which highlights, “Red No. 40 was found to be the most potent of the dyes in the vitro study specifically conducted for risk assessment of developmental neurotoxicity, reducing cell viability at micromolar concentrations in neuronal progenitor cells” (Zeise et. al. 171). This quote shows that, among all the dyes tested, Red No. 40 emits the strongest negative effect on brain cells, even at relatively low levels. This finding is concerning because neuronal progenitors, or early aged cells, are essential for brain development, and damaging them potentially interferes with how the brain forms and functions. Any damage to these cells raises concerns about how substances like Red No. 40 impact neurological development. Although Red No. 40 shows strong potential for harm, Yellow No. 5 shares the link to possible health effects. 

Yellow No. 5, also known as Tartrazine, presents significant concerns due to its potential psychological effects. For example, in the TED Talk on food dyes, Bevans says, “Consuming Yellow No. 5 induces tantrums, itching, agitation, rage, irrational thinking, irritability, restlessness, sleep disturbances, neurobehavioral toxicity, hyperactivity, hyperkinesis, learning difficulties, and is similar to bipolar disorder” (Bevans 5:42). These symptoms show that Yellow No. 5 associates with both behavioral and physical effects, which show disruptions in how the brain regulates mood, behavior, and irrational thinking. In children, effects interfere with learning, focus, and social interactions, while symptoms such as itching and sleep disturbances show physical stress. Together, interactions suggest Yellow No. 5 negatively impacts overall well being and quality of life. Although several negative effects of eating foods with synthetic food dyes exist, studies have found that people experience withdrawals from dyes when trying to cut them out completely. 

Exposure to Yellow No. 5 leads to serious withdrawal symptoms in some individuals, causing both physical discomfort and intense psychological reactions that disrupt daily functioning. Specifically, Bevans describes the possible reactions in her TED talk and noted, “once Yellow No. 5 was cut out completely from diets, withdrawals such as soreness, fatigue, low stamina, physical metabolic disruptions, psychological reactions such as manic, hyper, and euphoric attitudes started to appear” (Bevans 6:10). This quote describes how the body gets used to artificial food dyes, leading to withdrawal like symptoms when removed. The quote also explains that individuals experience agonizing symptoms, showing how additives are not entirely harmless. Because a wide variety of everyday products contain food dyes, people are often exposed without noticing it. The widespread use of synthetic additives as the norm in society makes them difficult to avoid, and increases the worry about their overall impact on the body and in daily functioning. Another synthetic food dye commonly used in processed foods is Yellow No. 6, arguably the most dangerous of the food dyes. 

Yellow No. 6, also known as Sunset Yellow, is often regarded as the most dangerous of the food dyes, raising serious concerns about its widespread use in many everyday and children's foods. To further explain the danger of Yellow No. 6, Bevans says, “anxiety, aggravation, aggression, defiance, violent outbursts, and suicidal thoughts have been linked to Yellow No. 6” (Bevans 10:00). This quote demonstrates how Yellow No. 6 remains the most dangerous of them all with its strong link to serious behavioral and emotional effects, leading to physical harm and violence. The mention of suicidal thoughts shows a deeper level of psychological distress, where a person feels overwhelmed, hopeless, and unable to cope with their emotions, distorting judgment and making temporary struggles feel permanent. On top of serious mental health concerns, research also suggests Yellow No. 6 increases emotional responses, making everyday feelings more intense and harder to manage. 

Research highlights the harmful behavioral effects of Yellow No. 6 by mimicking serious disorders. To explain, Bevans continues to present her findings by saying, “Yellow No. 6 has symptoms similar to Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct disorder, and has shown to be the most dangerous since it has the ability to enhance emotions” (Bevans 10:50). This statement suggests that exposure to Yellow No. 6 is linked to symptoms resembling serious psychological conditions, typically associated with challenges in emotional behaviors, impulse control, and social behavior. While these findings by no means prove food dye directly causes serious disorders, they reveal that adding synthetic chemicals to foods regularly consumed comes with significant risks, particularly for individuals sensitive to such effects. 

The effects of synthetic food dyes are understood by first examining general safety concerns, followed by the specific impacts of Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6. Food dyes are synthetic, petroleum based chemicals added to foods for appearance, providing no nutritional value and posing many health risks. Research suggests harmful effects on brain function and behavior, with each dye showing different risks. Red No. 40 links to changes in brain activity, memory, and development, especially in children. Yellow No. 5 is associated with behavioral issues like hyperactivity, irritability, sleep disturbances, and even withdrawal symptoms when removed from diets. Yellow No. 6 appears to induce the most severe effects, with connections to anxiety, aggravation, mood enhancement, suicidal thoughts, and symptoms similar to serious behavioral disorders. Effects of food dyes raise concerns about how substances added for appearance rather than nutritional value negatively affect human health and behavior.

Works Cited:

Bevans, Rebecca. “TEDx Talk: The Effects of Artificial Food Dyes from Tedx | Class Central.” TED, 26 May 2016, www.classcentral.com/course/youtube-the-effects-of-artificial-food-dyes-dr-rebecca-bevans-tedxcarsoncity-174593. 

Dunford, Elizabeth. “One in Five Us Foods and Drinks Contain Synthetic Dyes, Study Shows.” The George Institute for Global Health, Elsevier, 25 June 2025, www.georgeinstitute.org/news-and-media/news/one-in-five-us-foods-and-drinks-contain-synthetic-dyes-study-shows. 

Zeise, Lauren. “Health Effects Assessment: Potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children.” Synthetic Food Dye Risk Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Apr. 2021, oehha.ca.gov/sites/default/files/media/downloads/risk-assessment/report/healthefftsassess041621.pdf.

Bernie Madoff’s Scandal

Bernie Madoff perpetrated the largest financial fraud in U.S. and world history valued at 65 billion dollars. With such a substantial amount of money, one may buy roughly 1,000,000,000 meals to help combat global hunger. The rise and fall of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme reveals how the fraud started, how the operation stayed alive, and how the system reached an end.

In 1960, Madoff, a respectable market maker, aligned potential buyers with stocks. He later opened a side business where clients gave him money he’d invest on their behalf, called an investment advisory business. His father-in-law, a successful accountant, referred his clients to Madoff. These referrals became major assets for the blossoming Madoff up until he made a poor trade and lost a substantial amount of money. In an interview, Supervisory Special Agent Paul Roberts claimed “He didn’t want to own up to the fact that he lost all this money for his father-in-law’s friends. So he started covering it up with all these other fake trades” (Federal Bureau of Investigation). A decade later, David Kugel, hired as a bond wiz by Madoff, worked for the legitimate side of his business. Kugel excelled in scavenging through the market to find bonds offered by companies priced lower than the company’s stocks. A year later, Kugel opened a personal account with the firm’s investment advisory business. When he received his first monthly statement, he noticed the details of the trades seemed oddly familiar. The statements looked exactly the same as the trades he’d conducted for Madoff’s legitimate business, but with different numbers. Kugel realized the whole business operated as a big fraud. Instead of immediately turning Madoff in, Kugel acted along with him. From then on, the Ponzi scheme began. 

Many actions helped keep Madoff’s Ponzi scheme going for so long. Bernie Madoff made sure to reward the people who knew about the fraud, such as David Kugel, who controlled his own salary. Annette Bongiorno helped run the fake side of the business by controlling records and accounts. The firm kept all the information very secret, allowing only a few people access and making sure fake account statements looked realistic so clients wouldn’t get suspicious. Madoff also required investors to keep at least $1 million in their accounts, which gave him a steady flow of money. Over time, more employees, including his brother Peter, joined and helped continue the scheme. His father-in-law retired and the accounting firm, renamed Avellino & Bienes, invested exclusively with Madoff. Business boomed for both firms until 1992. He avoided getting caught by not registering his investment business with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which reduced the chance of audits. One day, the SEC contacted Avellino & Bienes on suspicion of operating as an unregistered investment advisory business. Madoff became extremely worried. He knew when Avellino & Bienes told the SEC all of the funds invested with his firm, investigators might want to compare the statements, revealing everything was fake. Madoff told his workers to redo three years of financial records so the records matched Avellino & Bienes. The completely fake records needed to look real enough to fool the SEC. The paperwork got bypassed, but forced Avellino & Bienes to shut down. All of the clients wanted to get paid back their money. According to the fake records, the money was supposedly held by Madoff’s firm. The problem, Madoff didn’t actually hold enough money in the bank to pay everyone back. Although the actions helped Madoff hide the fraud for a few years, the scheme did not stay hidden forever.

In 2001, two financial publications published articles raising doubts about Madoff’s investment business, which wasn’t even supposed to exist but claiming extremely high returns with nearly $7 billion. In an interview with Barron’s, Madoff avoided answering questions about how his strategy worked, calling the strategy “proprietary” (Investopedia). The articles caught the SEC’s attention. Madoff and his employees lived very wealthy lives, spending millions on houses, cars, boats, and other luxuries. But as 2008 approached, their lifestyle became harder to keep up. During the Financial Crisis of 2008, many Wall Street firms started failing or needed saving by the government, and the stock market dropped fast. However, Madoff’s firm kept showing steady profits, which made investors feel safe, but also caused many of them to ask for their money back. A huge problem arose. Ponzi schemes depend on money from new investors, and when too many people withdraw at once, the system collapses. Even though the account showed billions of dollars, Madoff only possessed a small amount of real money available. Desperate to fix the situation, Madoff tried to find someone to invest more money but failed. Finally, on December 3, 2008, he admitted the truth to Frank DiPascali, saying, “I’m out of money.” A week later, Madoff held his firm’s Christmas party where he handed out early bonuses. His sons, Mark and Andrew, confronted him about their concerns. At home, he admitted for the first time, “I’m running a Ponzi scheme, and we’re out of money.” Shocked, his sons cut off contact and called an attorney, who alerted the SEC and the FBI New York Field Office. The next day, FBI agents arrested Madoff after he admitted there wasn’t an innocent explanation for the scheme. He claimed he acted alone and refused to testify against anyone else. Madoff pleaded guilty, convicted on March 12, 2009, and sentenced on June 29 to 150 years in prison. He died in April 2021 at age 82. 

The rise and collapse of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme reveals how the deception can grow, be maintained through false success, and eventually unravel when the truth can no longer be hidden. What started off as a small effort to make up for early financial losses, turned into the biggest financial fraud in history. Over time, Madoff fed his fraud through a constant flow of investor money and loyal employees. For years, the system continued because new investor money was repeatedly used to pay off earlier clients, portraying the operation as legitimate.  However, as economic conditions worsened, his clients wanted their money back. The result ended in the demise of his fraudulent business and conviction. 

Works Cited

Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Bernie Madoff Case.” Federal Bureau of Investigation, https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/bernie-madoff#:~:text=In%201960%2C%20Madoff%20was%20a,How%20the%20Scheme%20Worked

Hayes, Adam. “Bernard Madoff.” Investopedia, Dotdash Meridith. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bernard-madoff.asp

Imagine a sport where grandparents play with their grandchildren, and the grandparents win. No imagination is needed, because it’s happening with a game called pickleball. The sport of Pickleball is rising and becoming very popular for people of all ages. The history of pickleball includes the creation, its growth, and where it is at now. 

Pickleball dates back to the 1960’s and was created by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell in 1965. (Brandt) The inventors came up with the game of pickleball while looking for a game to play. In the beginning Joel and Bill ended up trying to play badminton with a wiffle ball, and found that lowering the net made the game more fun. While playing the game a neighbor, Barney McCallum asked to join the game and the group began to write rules for the game. Not knowing what to call the game Joan Pritchard Joel's wife actually came up with the name. The game reminded her of a bunch of different sports combined into one, and of a “pickle boat” in rowing. A pickle boat crew was assembled of the leftover rowers, the ones not good enough to make the competitive rowing boat. With this idea of the left over the game of pickleball was born. 

The new sport of pickleball did not take long to grow. The first pickleball court was built by Bob O’Brian, Joel Pritchard's neighbor. Bob built the first permanent pickleball court and not long after in 1975 pickleball began to be published in magazines calling pickleball America's newest racquet sport. In 1976 the first official pickleball tournament happened. The tournament consisted mostly of college tennis players with no pickleball experience. By 1982 Sid Williams really started to grow the sport by planning tournaments across Washington. With the sports growth in 1984 United States Amateur Pickleball Association was created along with the first pickleball official rulebook. The rule book creation coincided with Arelen Paranto creating the first pickleball paddle. Pickleball's popularity was rising and it was confirmed to be played in all 50 states in 1990. By 2021 pickleball became the fastest growing sport, and while it’s easy to learn, it’s hard to master. (Brandt) 

Pickleball today is one of the most widespread sports across all ages and the world. In 2023 USA pickleball recorded its highest level of membership with 70,000 members and a million pickleball players over the age of six in the US. Pickleball builds a strong sense of community across all ages. (Brandt) With the smaller size of pickleball courts people are encouraged to interact while playing the game which leads to people building social connections. The game of pickleball is competitive and enjoyable creating many opportunities. Pickleball creates opportunities for community connections while enjoying yourself, being competitive and still wanting to win the game. Experiences and feelings found within the game now match the same experiences and feelings people felt decades ago. Pickleball while being fun and enjoyable can also change people's lives. One example of pickleball being life changing comes from Steve, a Vietnam veteran who lost his wife. He started smoking and drinking and was heading down a bad path, but then he took up the game of pickleball. Steve then lost 50 pounds and felt like he had a sense of purpose now. (Jenkins 4:50) Pickleball brought him back from a hard time in his life. He now feels like he belongs to a community. Pickleball is a fun, enjoyable, competitive game that improves people's health and gives people a sense of belonging and community. These characteristics are why the game of pickleball continues to be popular today and continues to grow. 

Pickleball became what it is today by the creation, its growth, and where the game is now. Pickleball was created by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell when they tried playing badminton with a wiffle ball, and found lowering the net made the game more fun. With playing the game more, and more Joel and Bill came up with rules. Joan Pritchard came up with the name pickleball from the term “pickle boat”. After the game was born pickleball began to spread and started to be published in magazines and Sid Williams planning tournaments around Washington. Quickly, pickleball really grew and was played in all 50 states and became the fastest growing sport. Pickleball not only grew because the game was fun and competitive but because pickleball gave people a sense of community, belonging, and purpose. The smaller size of the pickleball courts made interaction between people easier and encouraged people to interact with each other and build strong social connections. The pickleball community being inviting gives people a purpose to come, play, socialize, compete, and have fun. The game of pickleball can change people's lives by giving them the opportunity to belong to a community and activity that improves their physical and mental health. The next time the kids think that they can beat the grandparents easily at a sport, place a challenge to the kids to take the grandparents to a pickleball court and watch how they compete, the kids may find the grandparents win. 

Work Cited

Brandt, Jaclyn. “History of pickleball: Timeline from 1965 to present” Play Pickleball, Play Pickleball, 6 Aug. 2025, https://www.playpickleball.com/pickleball-history-timeline/

Jenkins, Dan. “Why Pickleball Is Taking over the World.” Youtube, Youtube, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agUkMRtS07s

School is supposed to be the foundation of your adult life, but growing up in a small rural school, everything feels so similar and repetitive. As students get closer to graduation, one question begins to linger in the back of their heads: “Am I really ready for the real world?” That close environment can be comforting and supportive for your time in that building, but as soon as you leave that building everything you experience will hit you that much harder. While rural schools have strong communities they often lack in preparing students for the real world due to limited resources, opportunities, and staff.

One major issue with rural schools is lack of resources. When looking at other larger schools, rural schools have smaller budgets to spend on anything. This can greatly affect the students' learning abilities because of things such as old textbooks, chances to take accelerated classes, and less advanced technology options. For example, some kids have the ability to take college level classes while in high school to save money and time when they get to college. When students from rural schools graduate, they may lack the academic experience that could better prepare them for college or a career.

Another struggle is limited exposure to different jobs and career paths. In a small rural area, students are often surrounded by the same jobs and industries which can make it harder to explore different future possibilities. Bigger schools or just more urban areas tend to offer things like internships or job-shadowing opportunities. Without these opportunities, students may leave high school un-sure on what they want to pursue or they may be unprepared for their future job. 

In addition, a lot of rural schools do not focus on teaching the actual real world skills. 

While your basic subjects like math, reading, and science are all equally important, students also need to learn how to manage money, apply for jobs, write resumes, and handle adult responsibilities. These are fundamentals every student will need no matter what their profession is in life. Without this type of education students will start to feel lost especially when they are expected to know exactly what to do.

Despite all of these challenges a small rural school struggles with, it's important to recognize that small rural schools do have strengths. The small class size allows one to have better relationships with fellow classmates or teachers. This can lead to learning environments doing extremely well due to being supported by those relationships. Students may feel more comfortable asking for help whether it's to a teacher or a classmate. Within bigger schools, some students graduate without even knowing a good chunk of their class. Even though these bonds are beneficial and valuable, they still may not fully prepare students for the demands of the real world.

In conclusion, small rural schools are surrounded by a healthy community, but can seriously lack the resources, opportunities, and real world preparation that students need to succeed after graduation. To help these students out, these schools should focus on doing stuff like getting a bigger course selection, help expose students to more career fields, and teaching the essential skills you will need for life. If schools don't do anything to this extent, students will still be leaving high school feeling just as confused as when they got there.

Sources

Garcia, Sonya. “Schools do not prepare students for life.” thewhshatchet.org, 1 Apr 2026 https://thewhshatchet.org/schools-do-not-prepare-students-for-life/ 

Golann, Joanne W. “The Paradox of Success at a No-Excuses School.” Sociology of education vol. 88, 1 Apr 2026 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4877134/

Andrew Schmitz and Bill DeBaun. “There is no clear strategy to prepare U.S. high schoolers for life after graduation, and that must change.” Opinion,   The Hechinger Report. 1 Apr 2026 https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-there-is-no-clear-strategy-to-prepare-u-s-high-schoolers-for-life-after-graduation-and-that-must-change/

Boadams1. “If school is supposed to prepare students for real life, then why doesn’t it look more like real life?” itsaboutlearning.org, 1 Apr 2026 https://itsaboutlearning.org/2014/02/25/if-school-is-supposed-to-prepare-students-for-real-life-then-why-doesnt-it-look-more-like-real-life/

Academic writing requires clear organization and consistency in order to effectively communicate ideas. According to the American College of Healthcare Sciences, APA formatting was established to improve the readability of scientific writing. In doing so, it provides clear and consistent guidelines for academic writing through standardized paper formatting, in-text citations, and reference pages. These guidelines help writers present information in a structured and professional way, making it easier for readers to understand and analyze authors’ work. 

APA formatting includes several general guidelines that apply to both students and professional papers. THere are some differences between the two, but many of the basic rules remain the same. For example, papers should have one-inch margins on all sides as well as double-spaced, using a standard font such as Times New Roman size 12 or Arial size 11. Each page also includes a header with a page number aligned to the right, using the same font and size as the rest of the paper. APA style also includes guidelines for subheadings which help organize information within the paper. It is important to follow these specific guidelines when writing in APA format, especially since many colleges and professors expect students to use this style. For student papers, the title page must include the title of the paper in bold and centered, followed by the author’s name, school name, course number and name, teachers name, and due date. This information should begin about three to four lines down from the top of the page and remain centered. Overall, following these guidelines is an important step when writing an essay in APA format due to the clear differences between APA and other popular styles like MLA.

APA formatting also includes specific guidelines for in-text citations and reference pages, which are essential for giving credit to sources. When citing an author’s work, the author-date method is used, such as (Borstad, 2026). If referring to an idea rather than directly quoting, the information should still be cited. For sources that include page numbers, “p.” is used for a single page and “pp.” is used for multiple pages. In-text citations are important because they allow readers to identify the original source of information and ensure that plagiarism is avoided. In addition to in-text citations, a reference page must be included at the end of the paper, listing all sources used in proper APA format. Following these guidelines helps writers maintain academic honesty and present their work in a clear and professional manner. 

The reference page is included at the end of an APA paper and is titled “References,” ventured at the top of the page. All sources used in the paper must be listed in alphabetical order by the authors’  last names, followed by their first and middle initials. For example, an author would be cited as Borstad, R. L. This page is similar to a works cited page in MLA format, but it follows specific APA guidelines. Reference pages are essential because they give credit to original authors and help avoid plagiarism. When citing journal articles, the full title of the journal should be used and italicized. Additionally, APA format includes specific rules for citing non-print sources, each with its own format. For example, personal interviews are cited in-text as personal communication, such as (R. Borstad, personal communication, April 1, 2026), and are not included in the reference list. Following these guidelines ensures that sources are presented clearly and professionally. 

In summary, APA format strengthens academic writing by establishing consistent standards for paper formatting, in-text citations, and references pages. Following these guidelines, including proper title pages, accurate citations, and correctly formatted references, helps ensure clarity and professionalism while giving proper credit to authors. By understanding and applying APA format, students and professionals can communicate their ideas effectively and maintain credibility in academic settings.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (2020)”, APA STYLE, American Psychological Association, October 2019, https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition. 

Purdue Owl. “General Format”, Purdue University College of Liberal Arts, Purdue Owl, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html. 

Scribbr. “APA 7th Edition: “The Basics of APA In-text Citations.” Youtube, uploaded by Scribbr, 3 November 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opp259YvaoE. 

The majority of the information online makes a person wonder how credible the information is. Including a post supporting a belief which seems false, or possibly based on what someone said. Over the last thousands of years social media (recent), newspapers, and misinterpretation of information led to the spread of misinformation.

Information spreads on many different platforms including social media and newspapers. People share information online by posting their political beliefs, social media recognition, and others criticizing people knowing with the intention of spreading misinformation. Having the same personal beliefs as a “famous” person influences someone to believe misinformation and click post. Most of the information seen online comes from a small group of “superspreaders,” and social media makes their misinformation spread very quickly online. Social media monitors their content less, so people post all sorts of misinformation unless reported due to social media platforms encouraging viral content to make a profit.

The spread of misinformation occurred for thousands of years. In the late 1890’s Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal competed for the best newspaper. Melissa Jacobs states, “Each newspaper used sensational and manipulated facts to increase sales and attract readers.” (Jacobs) The competition originated with the sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, as well as America’s entry into the Spanish American War. Newspaper producers used headlines, fonts, graphic images, and manipulated facts to attract more readers to New York Work or New York Journal.

Misinformation does not always spread intentionally and the information may be misinterpreted. A PBS video explains how Alex Clark thought he got eggs thrown at his car so he told his neighbor about the situation. Clark jumped to conclusions and posted the situation online and later found out a chicken was laying eggs from above. He posted an update online and most people chose not to believe a chicken did the damage, so some kept spreading the misinformation. Many people share misinformation on the internet and later find out the information is false. The majority of people take it down and report the misinformation, although a fraction keeps the post up for views, attention, and money.  Individuals keeping the misinformation online fuel the misinformation until people eventually forget the information posted.

For centuries, misinformation spread in many different ways making fact checking important. Social media influences one to believe their favorite creator posts and by posing their misinformation, all so the creator makes money or views. Before the 19th century, misinformation spread through newspapers,  the major form of mass communication at the time, not through social media. Misinterpreted information always existed  due to language and facial expressions. Fact checking information seen, heard, or read remains important due to the amount of misinformation in the world.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. “How and Why Does Misinformation Spread?” American Psychological Association, 29 Nov. 2023, https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts /how-why-misinformation-spreads.

Jacobs, Melissa. “Fake News in the 1890s: Yellow Journalism.” Digital Public Library of America, 2018, https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/fake-news-in-the-1890s-yellow-journalism.

“Origins of Misinformation and How It Spreads | Misinformation Nation.” PBS LearningMedia, NOVA 2022, https://pioneer.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvmin-sci- misinformationspreads/origins-of-misinformation-and-how-it-spreads-misinformation-nation/nova-premium-collection/.

“Elvis Aaron Presley the  “King of Rock and Roll” revolutionized music culture. Born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Mr. Presley grew up listening to Gospel, Country, and Rhythm and Blues. Mr Elvis Presley  was dubbed the king of rock and roll because of his powerful voice,his exciting performances, and his great impact on music culture.” (Kathleen L)

“Elivs Presley has a very distinct and powerful voice that makes him succeed in his musical career. His voice is described variously as a baritone and tenor.  His voice covers two octaves  and a third, from a low-G to the tenor high-B, with an upward extension in falsetto to at least a D flat . He has an extraordinary voice with multiple ranges that can change to many voices.”(Kathleen L) 

Elvis Presley is an extraordinary performer. His raw charisma on stage in the 1950s was undeniable with looks, the moves and a magnetism that mesmerized audiences. His hip shaking moves in “Hound Dog” had fans screaming and drowning out the music. He sold more than one billion records worldwide which brought a lot of audiences to his captivating live performances.

Elvis Presley has a great impact on music culture  and rock and roll. He revolutionized  rock and roll by blending blues, country, and gospel into a new energetic sound. He broke social racial and generational barriers. Before Elvis teenagers were not a distinct recognized consumer group. 

In conclusion, Elvis Presley had the talent, the looks, charisma, and the  moves to be a music icon. He had a powerful and distinct voice that you can easily recognize. He is an extraordinary performer that will be remembered for a very long time if not forever. His impact on the music culture especially Rock and Roll paved the way for many musicians. He is “King of Rock and Roll.” 

Many think that doing well in school just depends on how smart you are, but that's not really true. Some students can study for hours and still not do well, while others seem confident and prepared. The difference usually comes down to how they study and their learning styles. Learning isn't just about reading your notes the night before a test; it takes organization and planning. Using good study habits, such as taking organized notes, managing time, and reviewing work, helps students learn better and do well in school.  

One important study habit is having organized notes. When notes are neat and structured, students should feel confident that they can understand the main ideas and review effectively. Instead of just copying everything down, students should focus on organizing information clearly. In an article titled “How to Study in College” by Walter Pauk and Ross J. Q. Owens, the authors explain the Cornell note-taking system, which helps students divide notes into sections for key ideas, details, and summaries. This system makes note-taking or studying more efficient. Also, the CrashCourse Study Skills series, hosted by Thomas Frank, explains that writing notes by hand improves memory because it forces students to process information rather than just typing it. These examples show that organized notes don't just look nice; they actually help you understand better and improve your memory. 

Another important study habit is managing time effectively. Many students procrastinate and wait until the last minute to finish assignments or study for tests. This often leaves students feeling overwhelmed and anxious. When students plan and chunk their assignments into smaller tasks, they should feel more in control of their work and less overwhelmed. Thomas Frank explains in CrashCourse study skills that creating a study schedule and setting good goals helps students stay consistent rather than cramming. Research by Hermann Ebbinghaus also supports this idea. His research on the “forgetting curve” shows that people forget information quickly if they don’t review it over time. This proves that studying in smaller chunks over many days works much better than cramming everything into one night. Managing time wisely helps students retain more information and reduce stress.

The final important study habit is reviewing work regularly. Many students think studying means rereading notes, but research shows that active review strategies are more effective. Studies led by Henry Roediger and Jeffery Karpickle found that practice testing helps students remember information longer than simply rereading material. This means quizzing yourself or answering questions is one of the best ways to study. Pauk and Owens also explained that reviewing notes within 24 hours of learning something helps strengthen memory. Looking over graded assignments and correcting mistakes is another way students can improve. And reviewing their own work helps students understand what they know and what they still need to practice, leading to a sense of achievement and confidence in their abilities.

In conclusion, strong study habits play a very important role in academic success. Staying organized with notes improves understanding, managing time prevents stress and cramming, and reviewing notes strengthens long-term memory. Through research on this topic, I learned that studying is not about how long you sit at your desk staring at your notes, but about using strategies supported by real research. I also learned that simple changes, like spreading out study sessions and testing yourself, can make a huge difference. Developing good study habits does not just help students pass tests; it prepares them for skills they can use for the rest of their lives. 

Works cited

Ebbinghaus, Hermann. Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. 1885. 

Frank, Thomas, host. “Study Skills.” CrashCourse, YouTube, 2017.

Pauk, Walter, and Ross J. Q. Owens. How to Study in College. 11th ed., Cengage Learning, 2014.

Roediger, Henry L., and Jeffery D. Karpickle. “Test Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long Term Retention.” Psychological Science, vol.17, no. 3, 2006, pp.249-255.

I turned 18 years old a bit ago, so I began thinking about voting. Since I legally can vote now, I should really know how this whole voting thing works. Voting is a right to every American citizen, who is 18 years old and over. Americans decide on who will become President every four years, through the American people making their voices heard, by voting. Voting can be described by looking at campaigns, general elections, and the electoral college.

Candidates from two main political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, begin these campaigns as a trip almost in hopes to win, but other candidates from other parties can also run. These candidates go around America convincing people on why they should vote for them. The candidates rally for support, and fundraise during these campaigns for their specific party. They fundraise to be able to campaign even more, with signs, flags, hats, and more. Candidates from both parties participate in televised debates. Each candidate will have to answer tough questions about their policies, and defend their stance on issues. Debates could sway people's decisions by changing the minds of some people that are still unsure on who to vote for.

People in every state across the country vote for one president and their choice of vice president, and Americans go to polls in November on the first Tuesday after the first Monday to vote. During the general election Americans can vote for whoever they want to, based on their specific beliefs or views on things. After the general election, the electoral college comes into action.

The electoral college is the process in which the electors and representatives from each state in number of proportional representation to a state population, cast their vote and determine who will become President. Each state gets a certain number of electors, there is a total of 538 electors, each elector casts one vote following the general election, the candidate who gets more than 270 votes (more than half) wins. Electors are the people getting American’s votes, states have different sections within their whole state, and within those sections there are American people who vote, and when Americans vote whatever section of the state they are in, that's where their vote will count, citizen’s' vote will only matter for that one electors/ section vote, and our elector will vote for what our majority is in our state/ section. The Electoral College is how America picks the President in the U.S. Bigger states get more electors to vote, and electors are chosen by state political parties, and the electors vote for whoever the popular vote is in their state/ section they cover. America is made up of delegates from every U.S. state, and when people vote for president citizens are actually voting for who their state will vote for. Delegates are selected during primaries and caucuses to represent the state at conventions, and vote for a candidate to become the party's official nominee for general election (presidential candidates), Delegates and electors are extremely similar.

Voting can be put into three different boxes, campaigns, general elections, and The Electoral College. Before the people can vote for the two main candidates running for president the candidates have campaigns around the country. Then after and during those campaigns the general election happens which is when the people vote for the candidates. To decide who wins the presidential election there is the electoral college method. America is a democracy, where every citizen has the right to vote. The U.S. citizens have the most powerful tools to control the nation, and decide who Americans want running the country.

“The Electoral college, explained” Youtube, uploaded by Vox, 31 October 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajavsMbCapY&t=117s

“2024 Presidential Election Voting and Registration Tables Now Available” United States Census, 30 April 2025,

“Summary of the U.S. Presidential Election Process”, U.S. Mission Kazakhstan 

“11 Facts About Voting” DoSomething, 4 November 2024,

 As years go on, the global temperatures continue to rise, worsening our enviroment. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere trapping heat and disturbing climate patterns. As a result, our ecosystem is changing quickly, making it hard for many species to survive. Climate change is a significant issue affecting all aspects of wildlife, including habitat loss. Although this is happening, there are solutions, such as reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Climate change is a significant problem in the world, affecting not only human life but also having a major impact on wildlife. Climate change is affecting our environment in many ways, such as temperature rise, sea level rise, and an increase in natural disasters such as flooding, droughts, and wildfires. “The Earth is now about 1.1°C (2°F) warmer than it was in the 1800s. Based on current projections, global temperatures will rise by 2.7 °C (4.8°F) by the end of the century” (the impact of climate change on our planet’s animals). All of these effects have led to extreme habitat loss. As the temperature rises, vegetation, food sources, access to water, and many other resources are affected. Ecosystems could start being uninhabitable for certain animals, causing wildlife to migrate out of their typical life searching for food and livable spaces, while other animals start to die off.  Sea level rise is also destroying habitats. For example, the sea level rising has caused nests that sea turtles rely on to be destroyed from erosion. Salty seawater is also entering freshwater habitats, which affects freshwater species. Another effect of sea level rise is that coastal forests and habitats are being converted into open water, killing trees from saltwater exposure, and forcing species that rely on these habitats to relocate or start to die off. Natural disasters including droughts, floods, and wildfires cause major loss of life with habitats, which has had an increase that is five times more than what it was 50 years ago. “Additonionaly, greenhouse gas emissions from activities like burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming, which can exacerbate drought conditions by altering perception patterns and increasing evaporation rates” (California Drought).

Carbon emissions affect climate change in many ways. Human activities release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than natural processes can remove, which is causing an increase in carbon dioxide levels. “Acording to observations and analysis by the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, carbon dioxide alone is responsible for about 80 percent of the total heating influence of all human-produced greenhouses gases since 1990” (Climate change: atmospheric carbon dioxide). By adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, the natural greenhouse effect increases, causing an increase in global temperature. As the greenhouse gases increase, the Earth’s surface temperature doesn’t just rise, it also raises the sea level and increases the risk for droughts and forest fires. Carbon dioxide reacts with water molecules, making carbonic acid and lowering the ocean’s pH level. The drop in pH restricts the ability of marine life to extract calcium from seawater to build skeletons and shells. To help reduce these risks, you can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases coming from your home or activities. By making your home more energy efficient, you will reduce your carbon usage and save money. Some steps you can take to do that are to seal and insulate your heating and cooling ducts, replace single-paned window switch dual-panned, install insulated doors, and change your lighting to energy efficient LED lights. Some effects you will start to notice after reducing carbon emissions are improved air and water quality, healthier habitats, less ocean acidity, and a slowing of sea level rise. 

To get our energy, we mainly use fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas. “Most greenhouse gases come from human activities, like burning fossil fuels for transportation or energy” (What you can do to reduce greenhouse gases). Burning fossil fuels to produce energy intensifies the greenhouse effect by trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels is affecting temperature rise, the melting of glaciers and ice caps, resulting in higher sea level rise, more severe droughts, floods, and wildfires. To achieve the slowing of climate change, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, and reliable. Using renewable energy sources like sunlight, water, wind, and organic waste is abundant and releases little to no greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Some more reasons for using renewable energy sources are that these sources are cheaper and way healthier for the environment. After transitioning to renewable energy sources, we will likely notice the slowing of sea level and temperature rise, less wildfires and droughts, cleaner air and water, and migration patterns will become more stable. 

In conclusion, climate change is having horrible effects on wildlife and their habitats. Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels, are increasing these changes by adding to the greenhouse effect. As bad as it seems, there are solutions to making our climate and wildlife better, such as reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources. By taking these steps now we will start to notice the slowing of global temperature rise and sea level rise, making our environment and wildlife safer for everyone. 

Works Cited

“The impact of climate change on our planet’s animals”. International Fund for Animal Welfare, February 28, 2022, International Fund for Animal Welfare

https://www.ifaw.org/international/journal/impact-climate-change-animals

Andrea Poicon. “California Drought”. California Drought, May 17, 2024 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e23317e7bbb3449899bc4ca388377012

Rebecca Lindsey “Climate change: atmospheric carbon dioxide” Climate.gov, May 21, 2025, John Miller https://www.climate.gov/news-features

/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

“What you can do to reduce greenhouses gases” Department of Ecology State of Washington

https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/reducing

-greenhouse-gas-emissions/what-you-can-do

Procrastination occurs when people choose to postpone their essential duties which they need to accomplish because they believe that postponing will result in harmful results. Many people believe that people who procrastinate only exhibit lazy behavior because they cannot manage their time properly, but psychological research shows that this behavior involves more intricate patterns. The studies show that people who procrastinate experience challenges because they cannot control their emotions and they fear failure and their brain systems desire instant rewards. The understanding of these factors research helps explain why students and adults experience problems with postponing their tasks.

People struggle with procrastination because they cannot control their emotional states. Dr. Timothy Pychyl states in Solving the Procrastination Puzzle that people who procrastinate do so because they cannot handle their emotions, which forms the basis of their waiting behavior, instead of having trouble with managing their time. People tend to steer clear of their tasks when they encounter tasks that bring them stress or boredom or anxiety. A student who must complete a huge project will select phone browsing instead of starting work on the project. The approach provides immediate comfort, yet it results in heightened anxiety which occurs later when the deadline approaches. The pattern develops into a habitual routine which makes it difficult for people to stop themselves from postponing their work.

The fear of failing creates a significant obstacle which prevents people from completing their tasks. Joseph Ferrari found through his research that people who worry about their performance will not fulfill their tasks because they think their work will not satisfy the required standards (Ferrari). People choose to delay their work because they want to shield their self-image from potential damage. They point to their time shortage as the cause of their unsatisfactory results because it enables them to avoid blame for their work performance. Perfectionism drives this behavior because people who struggle with it believe that they must perform their tasks perfectly or they should not make an effort to start their work. The approach produces more anxiety which results in decreased work performance.

The process of procrastination receives its development through the brain's mechanism which controls how it assesses different types of rewards.

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination/comment-page-1

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17201571/

https://www.procrastination.ca/research/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-65110-4

Learning a new language may help students in many ways. Learning a second language won’t come naturally to anyone unless people know that language, but learning would be easier than not knowing what someone may be saying. Being in a school with other students who have a different language can be difficult, such as if someone doesn’t know English or another language that someone else is speaking. Having students learn another language improves their communication skills, gives them better career opportunities, and helps them understand another's culture. Students learning a second language builds relationships and connects through learning together.

Learning another language improves all communication skills by connecting with others. Doing an interactive activity has the student more focused and makes them give all their attention to the subject, maybe even peaking an interest in learning a new culture. You’ll need communication skills if you’d want to learn another language, just for the learning sources and help if needed. Everyone’s born into their own culture with their own language of communication. That's not only about learning how to speak a language, it's also reading their cultural body language. Seeing how different cultures use different signs for communication could possibly peak an interest in learning more.

Being in the work force and being able to communicate with others is key. Being bilingual gives the employer more opportunities to look into you as a valuable employee. That also possibly helps a non-bilingual individual feel more comfortable to talk to. A non-bilingual individual may be absolutely lost in another language only knowing one, but an employee that is bilingual is able to help them find a way to communicate with others. Being able to speak more than one language can help businesses out by reaching more customers and building stronger relationships with different communities. Being a bilingual employee can make the business more welcoming. 

Understanding a culture is able to build trust between people and bring them closer. Communication isn’t only words, understanding a new culture can introduce new types of food, music, cultural values, dance, and language. Getting to learn about a culture opens a lot of windows for people, seeing inside cultures brings some people to realize where they really stand. Learning about cultural traditions and the cultural values will help you communicate their language better. Pronunciation of the language that's getting learned helps understand the traditional language.

In conclusion, learning a second language helps students in many different ways.  Learning another language improves communication skills, creates better job opportunities, and allows students to understand different cultures to a certain extent. Even though learning a second language is difficult, the mindset after is all worth it. Students who are willing to take the time to learn a new language can build relationships, connect with more people, and grow with learning new information. Learning a second language is a powerful skill that helps students succeed in school, work, and life. 

Welding is a fabrication process where you use hot metal to bond two pieces of metal together. You may weld joints of metal or weld it straight to the metal itself once completed this is referred to as a weldment. Some materials need a specific process to weld. A number of these materials are considered unweldable but when two pieces are joined together this is known as a parent material. There are actually three main different ways to weld there is mig, tig, and stick welding.

Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) also known as stick welding is a versatile portable manual process that uses a flux-covered consumable electrode to join metal. The flux coating creates shielding gas which makes it highly affected by wind. Because of this people like to stick weld more inside then out unlike mig and tig. Stick is usually slower and more annoying than mig and tig.

Gas metal ace welding (GMAW) or mig welding is a fast and relatively easy to learn process that uses a continuously fed solid wire electrode and shielding gas to join metals. Mig welding is ideal for fabricating and repairing projects unlike stick. In my experience mig welding is easier to learn then stick welding and the welds come out much better then stick but tig is much harder to learn then anything else. 

Tig welding or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is a high quality arc welding process using a non-consumable tungsten electrode and inert shielding gas to join metals like stainless steel, aluminum, and alloys. Tig is much harder than the others because you have to use both hands. One hand to hold the handle and the other to hold the metal wire. You have to constantly feed the wire into the electrode to lay a good weld. These are the three main ways to weld for fabrication.

Something in school I don't understand is why we can't have our phones on us in class. Having our phones on us can help certain situations like an emergency. If it's a family emergency and you need to leave school and be there how would you know if you dont have your phone? If it's an in school emergency and nobody has their phone how would they call anyone? Or if you're diabetic and your blood sugar is low how would you know if it's on your phone and you dont have it?

It could be so students aren't distracted in class. If your students would rather be on their phones than do class work then you're not doing your job right. If students can't be on their phones in class teachers shouldn't be able to either.

Why can't we bring our own technology to school if the school's technology is progressing? It would be more cost efficient,  and wouldn't have to worry about school stuff breaking.