Entertainment

Why you should know how to fix your car


The reason so many cars are breaking down is that Americans are unaware of when their car needs work and do not take the time to learn the basics about cars and working on them, whether it be watching YouTube videos or just reading your service manual and learning your specific car. According to AAA the average person in 2016 spent around $792 a year, about $66 a month. Also according to AAA 35% of drivers have either skipped or delayed their recommended service for their car. According to an article from Fox News 36% of the people they studied stated that they don't know what the first step is to changing a tire, as well as that nearly half of all American car owners don't believe they would be able to change their own cars oil, a Third can't even pick out the right oil. 

If people took the time which they have as if anyone had no time to themselves there would be no point besides raising kids, they could save lots of money on repairs and keep their car running longer and better, saving even more money. For example, the best value oil bottles contain 5 quarts of oil, the average 4-cylinder engine contains 4 quarts, and for every 4 oil changes you do you will be able to do one almost completely free, a luxury you will not get at an auto shop. After interviewing a couple of students, both can tell when their car has an issue, not necessarily what it is but they can tell if there is an issue. They both know how to perform basic maintenance such as changing oil, refilling fluids, and changing a flat tire. One of the said students although knowing how to do basic maintenance issues takes it to one of his dad's coworkers as he has more proper tools and is less stressful on him knowing someone more experienced is performing the job, and doesn't take the time away from him while the other students does all of his work at home buying the proper tools when needed if in budget. Even if you don't do your work yourself it is an excellent skill to acquire especially if you do not have the funds to have it done professionally or get stuck in a situation where it needs to be fixed quickly as mechanic shops typically have a wait depending on the time of year and other situations. Almost everything you will ever need to do for your car can be found either in the service manual that comes with your car or the $20 big book for your car you can get at many places and will explain in text and in pictures how and what to do for your specific car; Or better yet its 2024 find a YouTuber well known that you like and watch their videos on how to work on your own car if you learn better that way.


 According to a Fox News study, 68% of cars on the road have at least one thing wrong with them, typically they will not be something very serious, something that could easily be fixed at home without a garage with the proper basic tools, you can even borrow your friends and family's tools if they're nice. The only thing stopping people from working on cars is the required time and tools. If one has the time they should take it and learn themselves how to perform basic maintenance and if they have the funds to get the basic tools needed even if they don't need them know it's better to be safe than sorry.


Mike Tyson V.S. Jake Paul 

   This July in the year of 2024, one the most controversial and anticipated boxing fights will occur on the 20th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas between controversial YouTube-star-turned-boxer Jake Paul and worldwide heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. The event will be globally steamed on the platform Netflix. 


    Jake Paul, 27, is an influencer who later went on to focus on boxing with a record of 9 wins, and 1 Loss. Then there is Mike Tyson, 57, who is a legendary heavyweight champion boxer with 50 wins, 6 losses, and 2 no-contests. Looking at the odds, -500 Paul and +325, the fight seems to be in favor of Jake Paul.


        However Mike Tyson holds one of the greatest boxing records of all time and is known for his skill and pure power, while Jake Paul is just an upstart, starting in 2020, who did not come from boxing but a social media career, and then later on focused on boxing and has a pretty good record all ready. So why are the odds in favor of Jake Paul?


      Well the main reason is the age of Mike Tyson, he is 57 years old and his body has aged. Not to mention varying medical issues from years of alcohol abuse and injuries from a boxing career that started almost 40 years ago. As for Jake Paul he is still in the prime age of 27 and does not have as many health issues as Tyson. His body is still young and simply could count as an advantage. However time and time again Mike Tyson proved his worth in the ring. Who says Tyson can’t take a punch at age 57, his skill and expertise in boxing could be the determining factor for this battle. Tyson still has a chance out there, and people may be overestimating as Tyson is not as helpless in this fight as people think, after just because Tyson is 57 he still isn’t strong, quite the opposite in fact as he is still going strong training for this fight.


            However Tyson’s age is not the only controversy surrounding this fight. Another issue comes in surrounding the rules of the fight. It was rumored Jake Paul would wear head gear and heavier gloves. This seems very absurd, and that is because it was fake, the rules are actually fair. However, no matter the rumors, the fight still seems pretty controversial as a whole. 


        The general public also has their thoughts too. A student at Wheeler High School believes Jake Paul is scared of anyone and that fight is definitely a “weird one”. Then a student at Chariho High Schools says that Tyson’s age is not an issue and believes he can still pull through. However he thought rule rumors were true, proving the rumors were an issue. 


        This fight is definitely interesting and controversial . However only time can tell but there is one thing for sure. The winner of the fight, no matter who it is, will definitely stir something up.



Does Luck Exist? 

St. Paddy’s Day has come and gone, and people like to dress festively and talk about the luck o’ the Irish. But what is luck? And how is luck different from a coincidence?

Luck is something good that happened from an unpredicted cause. Coincidence, on the other hand, is an accidental happening. The two concepts may seem similar, but there is a stark difference. Like the Irish, your culture and belief system can influence your thoughts on whether you think luck is real or fake. 

People often think that a higher power is at play during times of luck. It is common among luck-believers to think that the universe is on their side when things occur in their favor. Being lucky might mean that you are touched by a supernatural being, granting you well-being. But others might think luck is fake and meaningless. Some believe that the world functions through coincidences, and that events do not happen for a reason. It is also common to believe that things happen without any relation to each other. 

In order to get a glimpse of what people might think, a group of six Wheeler juniors were interviewed about their beliefs on St. Patrick’s Day. The group included two girls and four boys, each coming from different backgrounds. Three students believed that events occur through coincidence, and two students said they believed in luck. But one student said that they believe in both,  and if a coincidence occurs in their favor, it is luck. The students’ different perspectives between luck and coincidence was not specific to gender or even how they were raised.

Another belief considers the possibility that luck can be predicted or even manipulated. Given that St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, the idea of superstitions comes to mind. A superstition is the belief that future events can be foretold and also influenced. For instance, many superstitious acts derive from old Irish traditions. Examples include the belief that if a bird lays its droppings on you or if you carry a horseshoe it brings good luck, and that itchy palms can mean money is coming your way. The idea of superstitions can be very meaningful and important to some cultures. But others point out there is no evidence that any of this works and that scratching your palm is unrelated to making money. One thing is for certain, whether luck or coincidence governs our world, sometimes it is fun to believe in superstitions.



The Legacy of Toby Keith

On February 5, 2024, 62-year old country icon, Toby Keith passed away due to stomach cancer. The singer was loved by many and also riled the hearts of many others who did not agree with his lyrics. 


One of these songs includes “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue”, released after 9/11. This was a popular hit among some and some also thought this song should not have been released by him. Keith himself even said, “Once people said I should release it, I knew there was going to be some trouble.” (Time Magazine 2004). Over his career, he had more than 60 singles on the Hot Country chart. With hits like, “How do you like me now?”, “Red Solo Cup”, “I Love This Bar”, “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue”, and many more.Toby Keith during his time even tried his hand at acting. 


Before becoming a singer, Keith worked in the oil fields in Oklahoma learning the importance of hard work and the value of money. Alongside working with his father in the oil fields. After working in the oil fields he played a couple seasons on the Oklahoma City Drillers, a local football team that was semi-pro. Eventually the road led him to Nashville where he found Mercury Records. 


Shortly after he released his platinum debut record, “Toby Kieth''. Eventually he started his own record label and started all over again. Before then, he switched back and forth between other labels and eventually making his way back to Mercury Records, then landing his own label. In 2015, he was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 


In 2022, Keith announced that he was battling cancer. In June of 2022, he announced that he was going through chemotherapy and the tumor had shrunk by a third. One of his last appearances was at the People's Choice Awards when he received the award for country music icon in 2023. 


The announcement of his death shocked everyone. Famous singers all over the internet posted how much he would be missed. Singer/songwriter Zach Bryan said, “Too many rides in my old man’s car listening to Toby Keith. Really hard thing to hear, rest in peace friend we love you.” In an interview with a Wheeler student she shared: “his death brings awareness that is not heard of often” speaking of Keith’s battle with stomach cancer. 


The only treatment for stomach cancer is Keytruda, which is not always effective. Stomach cancer also is not the first cancer you think about when you think of cancer. In a second interview with a Wheeler Student, she said the following,  “losing Toby Keith made her realize that even legends can die.” It is a tough pill to swallow because as fans we do not want our favorite singers, actors, or others to ever leave us.  Losing Keith was a tragedy and his presence will not be forgotten. He leaves behind his family and fans who will all miss the big dog daddy.






Super Bowl LVIII

Superbowl 58 is approaching and everyone is dying to see who is going to win on Sunday, Feb. 11th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada: The Chiefs or the 49ers. Everyone is getting ready for this massive annual event. Tickets are being sold, people grocery shopping, and gatherings are being made to watch this year’s Super Bowl! 


There are many notable aspects of the Super Bowl to look out for. This year’s halftime show performer is straight out of 2009 with Usher. As for the players, some of the more recognizable or notable ones include Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and Chris Jones on the Chiefs. Meanwhile on the 49ers there is Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams. 


As for who will win, many people have their picks. In a survey recently taken there were 12 participants. When asked who will win the Super Bowl it was a surprising 50/50 split. Both teams seem to be fairly popular and it seems at that point anyone could have won. Now, as for what people think of this year’s Super Bowl the response varies quite a bit. Many seem to believe that game is going to be a good time, however some were vocal about not wanting the Chiefs to win. 


It was also a common assumption that Taylor Swift was going to be focused on by the cameras more than the game itself. Even though the big game was between the Chiefs and 49ers, the Patriots and Bills disappointed a few that they did not make it to Super Bowl 58. 


However, the game has concluded and the Chiefs pulled through with the victory. With only 10 seconds left of Q4 the Chiefs managed to tie the score 19-19 and charge the game into overtime where they pushed even further to score their 4th super bowl with a score of 25-22. Patrick Mahomes was declared the MVP for the game. 

   

 Arguably the most controversial event at the Super Bowl was when Travis Kelce was seen yelling then forcibly pushing his 68 year old coach Andy Reid. Many people are pointing the blame towards Kelce and was even reprimanded by his brother Jason Kelce. However, Andy Reid has responded to the situation “He caught me off balance. I wasn’t watching. (A) cheap shot. That’s all right,”. We’ll just have to see what this does for his reputation. 


Now all that is left is to look forward to the next Super Bowl. We can only wonder who will make it. Will the 49ers come back with revenge? Or the Chiefs come back for an attempt at their 5th win? Or will another team rise up for Super Bowl 59? Only time can tell as the teams get ready to train again at a shot next year!



Are the iconic Grammy awards fair or is there a hidden bias behind the voting process?

For years the Grammys have been one of the biggest annual ceremonies that most singers, songwriters, and organizations look forward to each and every year. As of 2022 when five new categories were added, only 91 grammys are given out per ceremony out of 482 finalists, including groups as 1 “finalist”. 


The Grammy ceremony began in 1959 during a time when technology wasn’t very prevalent, but now during the age where everyone is on their phones and the internet all the time, it seems as though people have been getting suspicious of how fair the voting process really is. One reason to think this is that for years every ceremony has many winners that the people always have the same response to “how did this person win over these people”, and this has brought people to research deeper into the subject. 


Take the latest ceremony for example, during the 66th annual Grammys, one artist really made people question the legitimacy of the voting board, A man named Killer Mike. He won three Grammys that night, but to a lot of people’s surprise, as not a lot of people had ever heard of him, out of a study of 100 people who watched the Grammys, 0 people asked had heard who killer Mike was. His most shocking win was his Grammy for best rap album of the year. Killer Mike won for his album MICHAEL, but he won over huge name artists like Drake, nominated for Her Loss, or Travis Scott who was nominated for his album Utopia, or even metro boomin for Heroes And Villains. Nobody has heard of this guy and yet he won over artists that are world renowned for their music. 


The voting process for the Grammys is very complicated and convoluted. It involves much more than just people listening to music and voting which one they think is the best, although that is part of it. It involves campaigning, different boards, wings and committees rather than just being a public voting process from civilians. This means that there is no way to know for sure if there is a bias amongst the voters. Maybe they don’t like a certain artist because of something they have done or they don’t like a certain genre of music so maybe what they find good in that genre could just generally be a bad choice in the public’s eye. So to wrap it up, as much as they are entertaining to watch, the Grammys aren’t really as “fair” as they are cracked up to be. 





The Inconsistency of Valentines Day

By Ellen Anderson

Valentine’s Day occurred last week on Wednesday, February 14th. Valentine's Day comes with pressures for the single and taken. Most people think that being single on Valentine’s Day is some sort of issue. However, people in relationships have a harder time and usually get more disappointed than single ones on Valentine's Day. They have to put up with the pressures of getting their significant other enough but not too much and they have to worry about what the other person is getting them. So basically if you’re single you’re sad and if you’re taken then you’re stressed out and eventually sad; great. But you can make Valentine’s Day whatever you want it to be. 

There was a poll about Valentine’s Day sent out to Wheeler students in grades 9-12. There were two questions in the poll and these were the results…

Most people, single or taken, said that they liked Valentine’s Day. But, out of the six people that reported that they did not like Valentine’s Day, over half said in the question before that they were in a relationship. 

By Ellen Anderson

All about names

By Ellen Anderson

In the era of early Generation Z and late Millennials starting to have kids, there is a sort of “out with the old, and in with the new” style for naming children. This style is very controversial. Most people older than them are into classical basic and sweet sounding names. While this new era might still consist of some of these names, a lot has been changed in spelling or how they are pronounced. One big question is how the most popular names have changed between the last 20 years.

2005:

2010:

2015:

2020:

Most of these names written above are very common, and you probably know someone with that name. Although you do hear these names a lot, there are also a lot of other names that you have probably heard and thought to be somewhat unique or not heard of as frequently. Even in our small school, there are a surprisingly high number of names that I would personally consider unique. Whether it is a first, middle, or last name, any can be considered unique based on where your family is originally from. The people that will be interviewed will be asked about their name, where their name originated from, how many people they know with their name, and any other fun questions. I based my decision of who I will be interviewing based on the names I have heard the least in the southeastern Connecticut area. 

The first person I will be interviewing is Niamh Korten:

How do you pronounce your name: N-ee-v-e

Where is it originated: Ireland, Gaelic Dialect

How many people do you know with or have heard with that name: Never met, but seen someone on TikTok with the same name

Why did your parents pick that name: “My dad’s grandmother is from Ireland and he wanted to put his heritage into our family, so he decided to name me an Irish name”. 


The second person I will be interviewing is Aannin Kalwara: 

How do you pronounce your name: On-in 

Where is it originated: Finland, Scandinavia

How many people do you know with or have heard with that name: Has never met anyone or heard of anyone with the same name, but has met someone named “Anand”, and it was pronounced the same way

Why did your parents pick that name: They picked it because nobody had it


The third person I will be interviewing is Grace Chapin Costrenza Cassata:

How do you pronounce your middle names: 

Where is it originated: Italy, Sicily

How many people do you know that have either of those names: Mix of mom and dads middle names

Why did your parents pick those names: “I don’t know they’re family names”.


It is crazy to see the difference in names originality and commonality even without our school. Have you ever heard of these names before, or one of them is your name, email us at wheelerlionsjournalism@gmail.com