Cookeville High School has kicked off the 2019-2020 school year by adding a new executive principal, Max Petett, and two new assistant principals, Michelle Bowman and Adam Kefauver, to the faculty roster. With three new principals, change in policy and operation is unavoidable.

In fact, change is so unavoidable that students have already noticed adjustments at CHS. One obvious example is how teachers now must enter one grade per week in PowerSchool, but besides a few new rules here and there, most of the rules are the same as last school year.

The reason the cellphone policy and dress code seem like newly introduced rules is because they have finally been clearly articulated to the student body. Administration has made it a priority to ensure that students know the cell phone policy and dress code and the punishments for disregarding such rules.

In addition to clearer communication about the rules, many rules seem to be more strictly enforced. For example, CHS faculty is making sure that students keep their IDs on during the school day, put phones away during instructional periods and stay in their seats during lunchtime.

Lunchtime itself has several pros and cons. The cafeteria feels very crowded, and although the newly added tables help, it's still hard to find comfortable seating without being jostled by passersby trying to find a seat of their own. On the plus side, trash isn’t being thrown about the entire commons area during lunch thanks to multiple new trash bins, so the school seems much cleaner than last year.

There are still some problems that have spilled over from last year. Doors on the bathrooms don’t lock and some students still leave and enter the building as they please. However, we can’t expect all of these problems to be worked out within the first couple weeks of school.

The bottom line is, we as the student body can feel the effort administration is putting into the school, and although there are some kinks that still need to be worked out, it is undeniable that there has already been a change for the better at CHS because of our new administrators.

Smoking has been around for centuries, and over time many professionals have proven that it is bad for your health and can lead to long-time illnesses. Starting in 1963, a man by the name of Herbert Gilbert made electric smoking, also known as vaping, which gained popularity in the eyes of the public for being a safer alternative to the traditional cigarette. Now there are an estimated 10.8 million Americans under the age of 35 vaping on a daily basis.

Although vape pens and Juuls are marketed to help stop smoking, they have the same effect as a cigarette. This can be bad not only for smokers themselves but also for the people around them who might experience second-hand smoke. Since vaping emits what the industry incorrectly calls water vapor, many experience second hand arousal. Electronic Smoking Devices contain nicotine, ultra-fine particles and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer. This is not a well-known fact, which is why many neglect to treat vape pens and Juuls like regular tobacco products.

When starting to vape, many people do not take into account the damage they are inflicting on themselves. Aside from potential health risks, vaping also causes withdrawal symptoms for users who have done it often enough and wish to stop. Vaping is reportedly harder to quit than smoking cigarettes.

Even though vape pens are marketed as a healthier way to smoke,there are still many consequences to using them. Although tar will not enter your body, the juice used to flavor the vapor will still put nicotine into your bloodstream and lungs. This can cause the airways to be irritated and cause shortness of breath. Other than the physical strain your body will go through, you will also feel intense withdrawals such as headaches or migraines when not using the product regularly.

Seeing as many long term smokers start at the age of 13, the average person does not take into account how their body will be affected in the future. During the time they vape, they are unknowingly causing their blood pressure to spike, increasing their adrenaline and the chance of a heart attack. This is why it would be beneficial for others to wait until their legal age to purchase and use an electronic cigarette so that they can be fully aware of what they are doing and how it will affect them.