Following the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 people, SENIORS Em Marmer and Micah Kraus had an idea. An idea to send kids from all around Cincinnati and the state to Columbus to lobby the statehouse with the help of Reform Ohio, an advocacy group led by Jewish Rabbis.

On March 14, following the 17-minute walkout in honor of Parkland’s victims, Marmer and Kraus led a group of nearly 40 WHHS students on a school bus bound for Columbus, along with about 70 other students from around the city. They met with many state representatives and senators, and tried to influence their opinions on gun control.

“We were very inspired by the students in [Parkland] Florida, especially the teens that went to the statehouse in Tallahassee to lobby,” Kraus said.

“For a while now, [our Jewish youth group] has been discussing doing something like this… and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity…” Marmer said.

It is still unclear if real change will be made, but this visit can really affect current legislation in the statehouse right now. Kraus noted that a few pieces of legislation that the group is really advocating and lobbying for are SB 150, SB 219 and SB 260.

SB 150 would prevent people convicted of domestic abuse from buying guns, SB 219 would ban “bump stocks” that increase a firearm’s fire rate dramatically and SB 260 would ban assault-style weapons completely.

“When I introduced [SB 150], I couldn’t even get a hearing in this chamber.” Ohio State Senator Cecil Thomas, who represents Cincinnati, said of SB 150.

Another controversial bill, HB 228, known as the “Stand Your Ground” bill, which would make it easier to use lethal force in self-defence, has already been tabled after Gov. Kasich’s promise to veto it.

Kraus said that the group would also lobby against the bill. With his promise to veto HB 228 if passed, Kasich broke his eight year promise to “sign every 2nd Amendment bill” during the last few months of his second term. State Representative Alicia Reece, who represents Cincinnati, said of the Governor’s decision, “He would not have done that without you guys.”

“What we’re doing now is looking at ways to make you all feel much safer in your schools,” Thomas said to a group of WHHS students. Marmer and Kraus, when speaking to lawmakers, advocated against allowing teachers to have guns, following the passage of a bill in Fla. that allows it. The public is widely split on the issue, with 50 percent of voters for the measure and 43 percent against it, and seven percent undecided, according to a Feb. 26 Politico poll.

Thomas also spoke about specific measures he is looking for in upcoming legislation in the State Senate. “I want to close all the loopholes in the .. gun shows… I’d like to raise the age. You gotta be 21 to buy a firearm… I want to ban assault rifles, we don’t need AR-15 assault rifles in the hands of folks, it’s a weapon of war,” said Thomas.

With young people now participating in the political process more than any time before in recent history, lawmakers must pay attention.

“I think we are harnessing this energy that we gathered… and that can translate into positive action.” said Marmer.

Rep. Reece noted the partisan divide present in legislators’ stances on these proposed measures. “I think there are some on the other side that want to make a move but are afraid that in an election year that they could lose because the NRA would put money up for their opponent,” she said.

Continuing their efforts, other WHHS students along with school officials have planned a bus trip to Washington, D.C. on March 24 to participate in the March for Our Lives; a national march on the Capitol Building led by survivors of the Parkland shooting in Fla.

The March for Our Lives’ purpose is to “demand that [students’] lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today,” according to their website.

“I think it’s great … there’s going to be a huge amount of people, and it’s very powerful to have so many young people…” Kraus said of the D.C. march.

Both Marmer and Kraus plan on attending the D.C. march. Over 500 “sister marches” are planned worldwide, including one in Cincinnati. Cincinnati’s march will start at 11 a.m. at City Hall on March 24. “There is a movement afoot and these young people are the ones that created that movement,” Thomas said.

Since the school shooting in Parkland, WHHS has hosted its own walkouts, and it proves that this country’s youth is now demanding change. It is now up to Congress to heed these warnings, and make the change that is now loudly demanded.

Following protests, walkouts and speeches from students across the country, many companies have changed their stances on guns and the National Rifle Association (NRA). Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart have changed their policies, requiring all customers to be 21 years old to buy firearms or ammunition. Delta also removed its partnership with the NRA, discontinuing their exclusive Delta credit card.

Meeting with lawmakers in Florida, a group of survivors of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting also advocated for gun control legislation. After attending, President Trump said during a cabinet meeting, “Take the guns first, go through due process second.” This ostensibly marks a significant change in the President’s opinion, and may lead to actual legislative progress in the future. Nevertheless, student action is already having an immense impact on the discussion and policy surrounding guns.

We thought it was over after Sandy Hook. We thought it was over after Orlando. We thought it was over after Las Vegas. America’s cycle of mass shootings never ends. Every month there is another shooting, another set of fatalities, another set of faces, another set of names, another funeral, another protest.

More children have died in school shootings so far in the first 18 years of 21st century than the entire 20th century, now totaling over 250. The latest tragedy in Parkland, Fla. marks the eighth fatal school shooting in 2018 alone. Even with these many fatalities, no major gun control legislation has passed through Congress since before the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012.

The force that is preventing the passage of new legislation is the Republican Party and its controller, the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA has kept a stranglehold on the Republicans since the 1990s, through a pattern of strict rules and large checks. In the 2016 election cycle alone, the NRA spent over $54 million on Republican candidates and their campaigns, while only spending a reported $265 supporting Democrats, according to OpenSecrets.org, a non-partisan watchdog group.

Even our own congressmen take large sums of money from the NRA. Rep. Steve Chabot, who represents a majority of the west side of Cincinnati and its northern suburbs, has taken over $100,000 from the NRA during his career. Rob Portman, one of Ohio’s senators, has also taken over three million dollars in direct and indirect support from the organization.

While this may seem like a lot of money, it’s important to note that this is what the NRA has to pay to buy your representation. Every politician that takes money from the NRA isn’t listening to the people that voted for them, they’re listening to the people that put money in their campaign’s accounts. It is important to not only stand against the NRA’s self-serving stances on gun control, but also to stand against their degradation of American democracy.

The NRA advocates for the most lax gun control laws possible, and uses its money as a threat or a reward for lawmakers to follow their agenda. It is that agenda that let the National Assault Weapons Ban expire in 2004, which banned the same weapons that were used in nearly every school shooting since it expired. It is the same agenda that refused to ban the “bump stock,” which allowed a semi-automatic rifle to shoot at a fully-automatic rate and kill 58 people in Las Vegas. The NRA and every politician that takes their money, puts that money ahead of their own constituents lives.

It is the duty of every American to contact their representatives in Congress. Make your voice heard so it can not be overpowered by a check from the NRA. A new ABC/Washington Post poll shows that 90 percent of Americans want increased background check laws. It is time that Congress gets something done to protect the people that elect them and their children.

The NRA has decided to go on the offensive against those pushing for stricter gun laws, ramping up efforts since the Parkland shooting in February. Wayne LaPierre, the CEO and Executive Vice President of the NRA, attacked those favoring stricter gun laws, saying “they hide behind labels like Democrat, left-wing, and progressive, to make their socialist agenda more palatable, and that is terrifying.” LaPierre is accusing those who support stricter gun control of being communists, who are just using gun control to secretly push socialist ideals. This is completely ridiculous and unjust, and we as Americans must stand up against people who claim such absurdities against those who seek to make America a safer place, and use these fear tactics against us.

Dana Loesch, the NRA’s national spokeswoman, instead of directly attacking those who seek less strict gun laws, attacked the media, another common target of many conservatives and their interest groups. During her speech on Feb. 22, Loesch stated “Many in legacy media love mass shootings.” Anyone in their right mind hates mass shootings. Such an attack on journalists is completely ridiculous and childlike, and it shows the NRA’s true intentions.

The NRA does not stand for “preserving the core of our American values and traditions” like their mission statement says. Their intentions are to divide America. Pit Republicans against Democrats and profit off of it. Create fear in the hearts and minds of Americans that drives them to buy weapons. They do not want to help Americans, they only want to help themselves.

Since the Parkland shooting, many businesses, from car rentals to airlines to banks, have stood up to the power of the NRA by parting ways with them. The NRA has lost over a dozen partnerships and with them many millions of dollars. The only way to defeat the NRA is financially. We must stand up to the NRA just like these businesses have, and separate ourselves from the power they hold on Washington and our government.

Recently, conspiracy theorists have accused students who have been covered in media as ‘crisis actors’ These students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High have recently stood up against the NRA and other critics who have been making such claims. David Hogg, a student from Parkland High School, stood up against the NRA and other critics on national television when he said “You might as well stop now because we are going to outlive you.”

Since 1976, the United States government has shut down nine times. In that same time period, the Australian government has never shut down, only closing its doors once in 1975. Canada has never had a government shutdown since its creation in 1867, and the United Kingdom’s government has never had a recorded shutdown due to a budget deficiency since the early creation of its parliament in 1215. Government shutdowns don’t happen around the world, but why do they happen in the U.S., and why so often?

A government shutdown is when the United States government is left without a budget and is forced to furlough its non-essential workers. The idea of the government shutdown originated in 1980 after Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, appointed by President Jimmy Carter, issued a legal opinion that the government cannot conduct business without a budget. Since that opinion was issued, nine of the government’s 19 budget deficiencies have resulted in shutdowns.

The presidency of Donald Trump has already seen two government shutdowns in its short life, both in 2018. President Barack Obama also presided over a government shutdown in 2013, which lasted for 16 days. Though there is a striking similarity between the 2013 and 2018 and that is the party in power. During all three shutdowns, the Republican party was in control of both the House and Senate, and now the presidency as well. 2018 marked the first time in American history that a single-party government has forced a government shutdown.

Extreme partisanship, never before seen in this country’s 242-year history, has caused a streak of government shutdowns and last-minute negotiations. This is due to many politicians’ adamant refusal to compromise on policy issues, ranging from healthcare policy, the cause of 2013’s shutdown, to immigration policy, which was the center of both 2018 shutdowns.

Since early October 2017, Congress has passed three extensions on the previous budget. Each time a deadline approached, congressmen agreed to extend the current budget at the eleventh hour. The extensions allowed more negotiation and debate without shutting down the government. Democrats used a shutdown in January as a way to “put their foot down” and force real negotiation for a budget, which was only passed and signed by the president on Feb. 10.

Government shutdowns only happen in the U.S., and that’s a problem. The idea of the government shutdown goes against our government’s civic duty to the citizens of its nation. Why should thousands of federal workers, from the CDC to the National Parks Service not be able to work or support themselves and their families, just because 535 men and women in Congress choose not to compromise?

The U.S. should implement anti-government shutdown legislature like that present in Canada. The Canadian government when faced with not having a budget, simply continues fully functioning with the assumption that a budget will eventually be negotiated. This system allows Canadian citizens to take full advantage of their government’s services while it is shutdown, unlike the U.S.

American citizens should be able to take advantage of every aspect of the government that they pay for with their taxes, and it should not be taken hostage by Congress, or the President.

The Republican Party has long claimed to be the party of good morals and the party of conservative religious beliefs. Times are changing, and this is becoming less and less true with every election cycle. Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is the best example of this change.

To date, nine women have accused the former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court of various degrees of sexual misconduct. Allegedly, Moore romantically pursued these nine women as teenagers when he was in his 30s. One woman, 14 years old at the time, accused Moore of sexual assault.

Moore has denied the allegations, but both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan have asked Moore to drop out of his race. Even though Moore has faced backlash from the left, and many leaders in the Republican party itself, Moore has said that he will continue to run for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vacated Senate seat.

Recent polls, after initially showing lower popularity for Moore, have started to rebound. Moore is leading his opponent Doug Jones by two percent. This shows that voters may have forgotten about the allegations or that time has lessened their significance. The special election between Jones and Moore will be held Dec. 12.

Today, the so-called party of morals and righteousness is supporting a candidate who has been accused of something that could not be less moral. It proves that many voters no longer vote with their minds, or their hearts, but rather with their eyes, looking at the name of the party next to the name of the candidates.

Jones, the Democratic Party’s candidate in the race, has no morally ambiguous past, and has done many good things during his career as a federal prosecutor, even prosecuting the men who committed the Birmingham Church Bombing that killed four children in 1963. Only those without moral character would still support Moore, who still may be elected to the Senate.

The evangelical right, defined by their strong religious beliefs, still supports Moore and other politicians like him. One Alabama voter compared Moore’s actions to a passage from the Bible, saying that Moore’s interest in teenagers was no issue because of the story of Joseph and Mary. Joseph was much older than Mary when they wed, and Mary later gave birth to Jesus in the Bible passage. Some religious people that consider themselves morally sound, now go out of their way to find excuses for an accused child molester because of their party allegiance.

Unfortunately, this trend is quickly spreading nationwide. The election of President Donald Trump, likely the most free-speaking and, frankly, vulgar president in our history, proves this point again. The idea of morality in politics, one of our democracy’s key ideals throughout its history, is rapidly degrading. Our politicians should be model citizens, always kind, thoughtful, well spoken, and informed. This trend ignores this idea, and brings the most partisan and toxic candidates to the forefront of our political system. It is time to finally put, at the very least, our country’s morals before the political party to which we may belong.

Patriotism, according to Merriam-Webster, is the love or devotion to one’s country. It is a quality that nearly every American citizen shares.

Patriotism is standing up for American values, the Constitution and valuing each and every amendment in the Bill of Rights. Patriotism is promoting equality, fairness and success for all people in our modern society.

In the last month, American conservatives changed the meaning of patriotism. It is now standing for the national anthem and honoring our flag. This is not true patriotism. Claiming that those who kneel during the national anthem are not patriots is the antithesis of patriotism. Speaking against these protests is speaking against one crucial freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment; the freedom of speech.

Our veterans served for the purpose of defending the rights of Americans, including the right to take a knee. It was a Green Beret who asked San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to kneel instead of sit during the anthem to protest last year. Kaepernick honored the veteran’s request and continued his protest against police brutality. Following in his footsteps, dozens of NFL players have kneeled during the national anthem this season.

Patriotism is not standing to honor the national anthem, or holding your hand over your heart for the Pledge of Allegiance. Patriotism is the defense of American values. The inalienable rights of every American citizen; Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

President Donald Trump has drawn attention and action away from the significant issues facing the country to focus on personal feuds and his own ego, instead.

Just within the last month, the U.S. has been hit by three major hurricanes, come to the brink of nuclear war and Congress has attempted to pass a healthcare bill and pass a new budget.

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a category four storm, destroying the entire island’s infrastructure. A majority of the island still doesn’t have power or drinking water as workers struggle to organize aid.

Congress also attempted to pass the Graham-Cassidy healthcare plan, which would repeal Obamacare, and shift most healthcare responsibility to the states. The bill died on the debate floor of the Senate after three Republican senators announced their disapproval of the bill.

The foreign minister of North Korea also announced last week, “Trump claimed that our leadership wouldn’t be around much longer, and hence, at last, he declared war on our country,” and that they would now shoot down all U.S. aircrafts they see, even outside of their airspace.

Instead of focusing on these major issues, Trump has drawn the country’s attention to the NFL and the racial divide in our country.

On Sept. 22, Trump denounced NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest the treatment of African Americans in the country and police brutality in the nation’s cities. Trump said in a series of tweets “[An NFL player] should not be allowed to disrespect… our Great American Flag …If not, you’re fired …” This caused massive uproar not only from NFL players, but also from many veterans who the President claimed he was defending.

Trump insinuated that kneeling during the national anthem disrespected the memory of our veterans, many of whom have died for the flag. Our veterans served to protect our freedoms, and kneeling during the national anthem is protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Our President, blind to the reality of our freedoms as American citizens, is asking NFL owners to violate the constitutional rights of players, the exact opposite of the meaning of the oath of office he took on Jan 20, 2017. Instead of focusing on the multiple crises in this country, one of which could possibly end in nuclear war. Trump chooses to pick fights and distract from his few accomplishments. Trump has not yet learned how to be a president, and it is unclear if he ever will.

For the last eight years, the Republican party has been the “party of no”. They forced President Obama to use executive orders instead of going through Congress, and weakened the Democratic agenda overall.

After the 2016 election, the Republican party became the controller of all three branches of government. Even though they now have the power to get nearly anything passed, they have not made progress on their agenda. Trump has not built a wall. Congress has not repealed Obamacare. There still isn’t an increase in infrastructure spending. Even with a change of party in the White House, the gridlock in Congress has not been relieved.

There are three divisions in the Republican party that prevent any real work from getting done. On the political spectrum, from die-hard democrats on the left to hardcore republicans on the right, traditional conservatives are on the center-right. These are your stereotypical Republicans that have been running the party since the era of President Reagan.

Farther right is the Tea Party. Coming to power in 2010, the Tea Party is the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican party, not afraid to vote against their own party’s bills if they aren’t conservative enough.

Last but not least, on the extreme right side of the political spectrum is the newly dubbed “Alt-right”. This fragment of the Republican party believes in a new sense of nationalism and are President Donald Trump’s closest supporters. They believe in economic protectionism, limited immigration, and the philosophy of “America First” above all else.

These groups are too far apart, preventing compromise. Being against the Democrats was the only thing that kept Republicans together while Obama was in office. Now that the they are in the majority, they can’t agree on anything. Both versions of the Obamacare repeal that went to vote since Trump came into office were killed by Republican senators who were not pleased; they either believed that the bill went too far, or not far enough.

Unless something changes in Congress, there will be no work done on Capitol Hill. The Republican party has been so focused on saying no, that they forgot how to say yes.

As of the 2017-2018 school year, WHHS has over 3,000 students. The school building is designed to hold approximately 2,400 students. There aren’t enough lockers in the school building for every student, after nearly every legal square inch of space in the school has been filled with them. Walnut is growing, and we need to slow that growth down. If more kids enroll at the school, there will be nowhere to put them. This is a problem, so what do we do?

Many classes are well over 30 students, with some classes over 35 students per class. Having so many students can affect the quality of education of the students and make teaching more difficult.

Teacher’s union representative and social studies teacher, Brad Smith, said that the larger class sizes “definitely affect a student’s learning” and that this school year is his “largest ever with class sizes.”

Spanish teacher, Keith Maddox, echoed Smith’s concerns, saying “it is harder for teachers with so many more kids, especially since language is more one-on-one than other classes.”

Both teachers also support extending the passing time from five to six minutes. Smith stated, “I am more than willing to give up one minute of my class for the students.”

Everyone recognizes that overcrowding is a problem in this school, but what is lacking is a realistic solution. One solution involves building a separate building for the middle school students, relieving the hallways in the main building, and freeing up lockers for everyone. While this looks like a good solution at first, it has some key faults. Many teachers in the school teach both middle school and high school classes and would have trouble commuting between buildings during the day. Many students also take higher level classes when in middle school, such as health or Algebra 1. However, the largest inhibitor to this plan is its cost. A new building would cost millions of dollars, money that may not be able to be spared for construction.

A popular solution is to cap admissions. Capping admissions of the incoming class would ensure that there is enough seats for everyone, and enough lockers, too. The issue with this solution is its implementation. As an open-enrollment school, WHHS currently accepts all in-district students that pass the entrance exam. With a cap, would some students that pass not be accepted? Is that legal or ethical? I believe so, but these are questions that Walnut and the district’s administrators have been mulling over for the last few years, and questions that need answers soon.

Another solution is changing the entrance exam. Currently, you need to score 70% on the exam to be allowed to enroll in the school, but the proposal increases this to 75%. This will not only limit the size of the incoming seventh grade class, but also increase the academic ability of new students. However, this solution could also limit diversity in the school’s population. Students from different elementary schools and economic classes may score lower on the standardized test. Selecting a proper solution really is choosing the lesser of evils.

Even though these solutions have been proposed, no solution has been implemented. Changing admissions rules requires months of bureaucracy and paperwork, which can be difficult to get. The best choice for our school is to limit admissions. With less students, teachers can individualize their work and overall get better grades for their students. It is the best solution for the halls, for the students, and for the teachers. Hopefully, with a new administration, solutions that are agreeable to all sides can be found, and there may finally be room to breathe in the hallways. It is getting close to the point where action is required immediately. We can only hope that the administration acts sooner rather than later and before it is too late.