Opinion

A week or B week- which one is your favorite? Most people have their different opinions on both of these schedules. In my opinion I like A week because I get to have my disliked classes for a shorter time. If I have B week I have to spend a longer time in my disliked classes.

A week makes the day at school seem fast rather than B week makes it seem longer because I have my classes for one hour and ten minutes. “Some research has shown that students with block schedules have scored lower in science, biology, physics, and chemistry.”  Block schedules may be harder on students because of the pace and lack of continuity. For teachers, it means developing longer lesson plans that should be compressed in a shorter amount of days. 

Here are some other opinions on these schedules. Alexia Duran says, ”B weeks are better because the classes are switched up rather than going to every class for five days straight.” She likes to have B week because she thinks if you go to every class for five days straight it can make the class boring and makes her not look forward to going to her favorite classes. 

Next Brandon Garcia says, “ I like B week because I get to skip most of my classes.”  Sofia Cordon says, “ I like B weeks because the days seem shorter, and I get to skip some of the bad periods I don't like.” 

Jocelyn Diaz agrees with Alexia and says, “I think B week is better because things would be switched around rather than doing the same class every day.” And lastly Ariel Gonzalez says, “ I think A week is good because it's shorter. But I have all the periods, and some of them I hate, but most of them are good too. I don’t like B week because it's longer.” 

After reading all the interviews I can tell most people like B week better than A week. B week can also be a good schedule because you only get 4 to 5 periods all day instead of having all seven. I can see why people pick B weeks though, because you probably don’t like all of your classes and some days you get to not have them. But personally, that just isn’t my style. What schedule do you like?

Valentine's Day is a holiday that has been around for hundreds of years originating in 496 AD, England. To this day we still celebrate Valentine's Day every year on February 14th all over the world. Valentine's day is a day where couples and family members celebrate the love they have for each other. It is celebrated by giving their partner gifts and candy. By the 18th century it had become a well-known holiday and spreaded to America. Once it started to become serious, which i don't think it should have gotten. Companies started to make little valentines day card kits including customizable lace cards with cutouts of birds and cupids.  Couples celebrate each other by getting them gifts and making cards. The idea is that on feb 14 you ask your partner if they want to be your valentines to which they can accept or decline, but now they have changed ways to where you ask your partner to be your valentines a couple days before the 14th. You can ask with a poster or a basket. The point of doing this is so that you can show and give your partner your love on this special day and show just how much you appreciate them and are grateful for them. Personally, in my opinion, I think that valentines shouldn't be celebrated because it's not a very necessary holiday. I am also thinking that why would only one day of the year be to celebrate your partner since you should celebrate your partner and show your love for them everyday. I also think that it's only a fun and interesting holiday if you are one of the people who have a partner and are in a relationship. If not , it's really just a meaningless holiday. It could also be pointless to people who are in relationships because maybe there are some couples where they don't even celebrate it themselves. Valentine's day is all about getting your partner gifts that can cause the pressure of needing to spend money to get your partner something. Valentine's day is supposed to be a holiday where you give your partner things that show your love. While I'm sure that getting gifts from your partner makes you feel loved, it can also give one person in the relationship a wrong perception of love which leads to them thinking that getting gifts is the meaning of love when it really isn't. So all in all I personally think that valentine's day is not a day worth celebrating.  

I decided to get some other opinions from our 8th graders. Here are some opinions. Maria Martinez said, “No, because you should be loving your partner everyday.” Audree Zendejas said, “It's not a needed holiday and is pointless if you don't have a partner.” Kyndall Lawrence said, “Yes, because it gives you a day to express your love freely”. After asking many more students, most do not think it is a necessary holiday.

It's that time of the year again, state testing! State testing is the spin off towards the end of the year that marks that the school year is coming to an end. It follows all of the curriculum that we learned throughout the year and tests if our teachers are doing a good job or not. There are some plus sides to it, but there are also some down sides to it. What are your thoughts on state testing? Do you think it's really necessary?

Let's see what other students that attend Edgewood Middle School think about state testing. Katie Flores says, “No, I don’t think it's necessary because it's not even for a grade and most people might fail. And some of the stuff they might not even remember.” Vivienne Tran says, “No, because it's just like a background test, and we don’t even get a grade on it.” Brandon Garcia says , “No, it's not necessary because we already take tests throughout the year.” Now let's get a teacher's point of view! Seventh grade English Language Arts teacher Mr. Miller remarks ,“It is, because we need to have shared information about how the students everywhere are doing, and we can compare each one of them to each other. Then teachers know how to improve their teaching.”

It's hard to say if state testing is good or bad because it's supposed to reflect on how the teacher is doing. The teacher is the one that's supposed to be teaching the student, but what if the student just doesn’t do well with tests? Or what if the student just wants to bomb the test just because? And it probably isn't just one student that's thinking like this; it's multiple. I don’t think one test should reflect on how the teacher does overall. The teacher could also be doing great the whole year, but what if the student just didn’t pay attention and did not complete assignments? 

Some plus sides of it though is that if a student can do well on tests and has been paying attention all year, they get to see where they're at. But then again, being bad at tests can apply to any test, not just state testing. Some don’t work well under pressure and being timed (even though I guess you're not timed with state testing.) And seeing everyone around you finish just makes you want to rush through it because you don’t want to face the embarrassment of still testing. But some teachers may not understand that and think why would you want to do that?

Today in school most students have smartphones. However, schools do not permit phones to be used during class. Many reasons why smartphones should be allowed in class: 

Smartphones should be allowed for when you are struggling with an assignment. Yes, I get why they aren't allowed because what if they're not using it for work and just for social media and games. Joanne Orlando, a technology researcher, says, “It's important to educate children to live well in the era in which they are growing up.” For kids who want to be on their phones, they could be seated so the teacher can see what they are doing the whole time they are on it. Smartphones should be allowed in class to help with research papers for sites that are blocked. Smartphones also come in handy for when you forget your computer so you can log in to your school work and not fall behind.Smartphones at school can help with communication skills. It can increase your flexibility and organization. Smartphones can be important in an emergency. And phones can be used for a calculator when a teacher doesn't have enough or none at all.  Smartphones can be good for taking notes for when you are doing a presentation instead of reading off of the screen. In some high schools and college, phones help by taking pictures of notes if you are falling behind or need to see better. All smartphones can have some tools that can be handy for a lab or an assignment such as a clock, timer etc. Smartphones should be allowed for others to keep in touch with one another. It's important to keep in touch with somewhen when you are trying to meet up or go home after school. Lastly, smartphones should be allowed to allow students to build memories and relationships as they grow so they have something to look forward to everyday and attend school. In conclusion, there are many reasons why we could use phones in class to help our education, not hurt it.

Care for an amazing history, a secret formula, a tale of two pharmacists, or just a cold drink? Almost everywhere you can find sodas, of any flavor, size and origin, though in the world of soft drinks, two brands reign supreme: Coca-Cola and Pepsi. For decades these two companies have been the face of soda, the pinnacle of pop. While both companies offer similar products, each brand has built its own identity, marketing strategies, traditions and customer base. With this said, today we will explore the two companies, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, focusing on their taste, traditions and legacy, with public opinions and all. 

Ultimately forming the case; and consequently answering the question: Which is better: Coca-Cola or Pepsi?

HISTORY

Starting with the history of both companies and the idea of feeling, a brief summary of both companies can also influence how you may perceive the product.

Starting with Coca-Cola, the older company, we will return to the year 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia, where American pharmacist John Pemberton created a syrup that was originally used as a tonic for common colds. The syrup was sampled at Jacobs pharmacy. Consumers described the syrup as “excellent” leading to its popularity and later commercialization. This “excellent” formula was kept a secret for well over 100 years, and remained a mystery throughout three different owners of Coca-Cola. The drink was made of coca leaves and kola nuts, giving it the name “Coca-Cola”. The business was later purchased by Asa Griggs Candler in 1888. 

     Pepsi, the younger company, but only by a little less than a decade, was first conceptualized in 1893, by another pharmacist, Caleb Bradham. Bradham created the first recipe for the drink by experimenting with soda concoctions at his pharmacy, and learning of its pleasant and marketable taste, he named the mixture “Brands Drink” though he later renamed it to Pepsi-Cola after the digestive enzyme pepsin.

THE TASTE TEST

In the end, the real answer comes down to personal preference, and how you feel buying the product, but facts and history can influence this perception. To start with personal preference, we will first look at the different flavors and undertones. Coca-Cola is described to have a more “spicy” taste, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon, making the drink feel sharper and more robust. In contrast Pepsi is described as more soft and smooth, as well as sweeter, with hints of citric acid. These definitions were created with the “The Pepsi Challenge”, a marketing campaign launched by Pepsico in 1975, where participants were given two paper cups of both sodas, Pepsi and Coca-Cola, and asked which drink they preferred. Pepsi was recorded to be chosen more among participants and was therefore declared the “winner”. This challenge contributed to a series of publicity stunts and product innovations known as “The Cola Wars” which created many popular products still used today.

THE PUBLIC OPINION

Now that we've learned about the flavor profiles and history of the two sodas, we will look to the public's opinion. Sporked.com reports, “Coke is by far the more popular soda in the U.S. and worldwide.” According to Gitnux, a marketing research agency, Coca-Cola holds 43.7% of the U.S. carbonated soft drink market and PepsiCo has 24.1%.” In addition, Investopedia affirms “PepsiCo has a diversified product portfolio encompassing the food, snack, and beverage industries.” Finally, in an article published by Branding Agency Orlando, it is revealed that “In blind taste tests, most people preferred Pepsi, just like the Pepsi Challenge. The Pepsi drinks lit up activity in an area of the brain known as the ventral putamen, which helps us evaluate different flavors.”

CONCLUSION

With this evidence, we are led to two conclusions, scientifically speaking, Pepsi does induce more neurological activity when consumed, though in the end, it is deemed that Coca-Cola is more preferred, and is said to taste better.