The final frontier

By: Josh Leach

            What is the future of space travel?  Well, the age of the space shuttles is over, and NASA’s budget was cut by a billion dollars in 2012.  However, the private sector is picking up where the space program left off.  Space X and Virgin Galactic are both private companies competing for contracts with NASA.  Despite recent failed launches, humans are getting back into space.

            In a few years, astronauts may not be the only ones leaving the atmosphere.  Virgin Galactic’s owner, Richard Branson, has this goal in mind.  Mike Aldridge, a junior at Seckman High School, says, “I definitely want to go to space someday.”  However, the cost may be out of the average person’s price range.  CNN U.S. says, “Virgin has sold more than 700 tickets, each costing more than $250,000, for future flights. Several celebrities have already signed up, including Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Stephen Hawking.”  The company believes it can significantly reduce the cost of space travel, so regular people can go to space. 

            Some people worry these private corporations are too ambitious.  In light of the fatal crash of SpaceShip Two, significant safety concerns have been raised.  The accident killed co-pilot Michael Tyner Alsbury and severely injured co-pilot Peter Siebold.  According to CNN U.S., “A lock-unlock lever on the doomed Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two was moved earlier than it should have been, the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday night.”  The fear is that these companies are rushing past safety procedures and endangering crew members.

            Despite numerous setbacks, space exploration is expanding quickly.  Spaceflight Insider website says, “NASA has not sent astronauts to destinations beyond low-Earth-orbit (LEO) since the end of the Apollo Moonlandings in 1972. With the conclusion of the final lunar mission, Apollo 17, the space agency has only had crews venture a few hundred miles above our home world. NASA is now planning to utilize its new crew-rated spacecraft, Orion, powered aloft by the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift booster to accomplish the goal of sending humans to far more distant destinations.”  Other countries are also starting their own space programs.  After China took its first steps towards reaching the moon, CNN U.S. said, “China launched an experimental spacecraft early Friday that is scheduled to orbit the moon before returning to Earth, a first for the country's ambitious space program and considered a precursor to a planned mission to the moon.  The mission tests technology that will be used in a more ambitious launch, scheduled to take place in 2017, when an unmanned lunar probe will go to the moon, collect soil samples and return home.”  India and Japan have also become more ambitious about their space programs.  Josh Kurosz, a senior, believes, “We must go to space.  Mankind can never stop exploring.”  Space travel may become a commonality, in a few years.

            The technological revolution advances on and makes science fiction more tangible.  The world is still far from Star Trek becoming a reality, but the wheels of progress just keep spinning.  Not even gravity can hold down mankind’s ingenuity.  The sky is no longer the limit.  What does the future hold?

Music matters

By: Janese Watson

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything,” said famous music artist Bob Marley. Why is music so important though? Most people identify with lyrics to a song. Music helps people feel relaxed, joyful when they are sad, and, most times, brings them back to a time in their life, good or bad. Music is a very important thing. There are different types of music and different ways to hear music, but, either way, music (in general) makes a lot of things better.

Whether you are listening to music or even playing a musical instrument, both have the same effect. Learning to play an instrument develops language and reasoning. You become a master of memorization. Over 78% of Americans feel learning a musical instrument helps students perform better in other subjects. Most students learn to improve their work; it creates craftsmanship and success in society. Nine out of ten adults and teenagers who play musical instruments agree the music making brings the family closer together. That is only the beginning. There are plenty of other things about music to know. 

Music is a powerful thing. It brings the best out of people and gives them a way to express themselves. “If I am ever in a bad mood, music does the trick,” says senior Tenecia Clemmons. It can bring people together in many ways. A lot of music has changed from when it was first started. “Pop and rap music has evolved into a shallow, image obsessed industry that conforms to what the public wants to hear and see, eliminating the focus on the actual music,” says expert Abby Hayes, from Newton. Although some people enjoy the new forms of music, it’s upsetting to know that the nice music from long ago is slowly disappearing.

Why has music changed so much? Artists make songs that the public likes to hear. “My favorite is when the song is upbeat and all people do is dance,” says junior Taylor Schmitz, when asked. But why is this? Why do people only like the songs that “all you do is dance to?” Why doesn’t anyone like the slow, meaningful music anymore? Everyone has their own opinion. Music is, and will always be an important thing in someone’s life; it’s just the kind of music that matters.  

Spotlight: The University of Missouri Columbia

By: Dorian Jenkins

The University of Missouri Columbia, or “Mizzou,” is a public institution that was founded in 1839. In 2013, the university had a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,965 and the campus size is 1,262 acres. The University of Missouri's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges and National Universities, is 99 out of every college in America. The fall acceptance rate is at 78.6% and your ACT/SAT scores must be turned in by May 1 of the year you will be enrolling.

At the University, 47.7% of full time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid; the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $8,263. Mizzou’s in-state tuition and fees are $9,433 per year (2014-15) and out-of-state tuition and fees are $24,460 (2014-15).

Students applying at Mizzou must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA in high school. Transfer applicants who do not meet Mizzou’s freshman requirements must have completed at least 24 college-level credits and one of the following: A college algebra course with a grade of C- or better or the equivalent of Mizzou's English 1000 with a grade of C- or better. Transfer students with an associate of arts degree from a regionally accredited Missouri community college are admissible to Mizzou.

Mizzou offers a number of student services, including tutoring, a women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. The University of Missouri also offers campus safety and security services, like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transportation services, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access. Of the students at University of Missouri, 55% have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Mizzou’s campus either.

The campus housing is very nice for the social environment and makes it easy to get to classes (meaning everything is close together and not hard to find). However, the rooms are very small, depending on which hall you live in. Also, the pricing is really expensive and the dorms fill up quickly; therefore, students are often put on the waiting list. Living off the campus generally proves to be a better solution to the housing problem.

The sports at Mizzou are what the school is really famous for though. Almost everyone at Mizzou is involved in some type of sport, especially during homecoming, since Mizzou invented homecoming. Football will become a bigger part of your life by attending Mizzou and going to the games can be a wonderful experience. All the sports at Mizzou are very popular, from attending and cheering on varsity athletics, to joining an intramural sports team, or even just taking advantage of the awesome facilities that the university offers. Mizzou has a wonderful recreation center available for the students as well.

Honoring a community's heroes

By: Janice House

Seckman High School came together on Monday, November 10, 2014, to honor the heroes of the community. The guests included veterans, policeman, firemen, EMT’s, spouses, and friends. Students and staff worked together to make the ceremony a huge success. Boy Scout Troop 744 and Venture Troop 2479 presented and retired the colors. Girl Scout Troop 3533 said The Pledge of Allegiance. Various classes, clubs, and organizations throughout the Seckman schools helped to create the scenery that covered the ceremony in red, white, and blue.

The ceremony included a breakfast and musical selections from the SHS choirs and bands. Andru Emht played TAPS during a moment of silence.  Two guest speakers, Mr. Walter Crawford, with the World Bird Sanctuary, and Mr. Al Cochren, from Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, proudly spoke to the guests. All heroes who attended the ceremony were recognized with a hero certificate, Medal of Honor, and a thank you card made from various students throughout the school. The ceremony concluded with Seckman’s annual Veteran and First Responder Walk of Honor, led by groups including the Seckman High School drumline, Boy Scout Troop 744, Venture Troop 2479, and future service members through a crowd of 2000 students waving our nation’s flags and thanking the heroes with their claps and cheers. Through efforts of everyone who helped, Seckman proudly served the eighth annual heroes breakfast.

Brain hacking: a new reality?

By: Josh Leach

 

            Brain hacking is becoming a real possibility.  Advances in technology and scientists’ understanding of the human brain have made breaking into your mind as easy as putting on a headset.  Scientists are learning how to access information from a person’s mind.  Soon, they may even be able to manipulate thoughts and memories.

            Mind reading is becoming a reality due to the extensive research done by neural scientists.  Scientists have the technology to detect which parts of the brain are active and can infer the subject being thought about.  Emotiv, a technology company, is currently working on a headset to act as an interface with computers.  Katia Moskvitch, a writer for the BBC News Technology writes, “The headset, which was developed by Australian company Emotiv for the games industry, has been around for some time.”  Scientists can go further by measuring the chemicals in the brain.  When a person recognizes something, such as their bank pin number or the face of relative, a specific chemical signature and brain wave pattern occur.  Sebastian Anthony, a new technology investigator for the Extreme Tech website, writes, “To extract this information, the researchers rely on what’s known as the P300 response — a very specific brainwave pattern — that occurs when you recognize something that is meaningful (a person’s face), or when you recognize something that fits your current task (a hammer in the shed).”  The researches believe their findings could help better understand how memories are recorded.  However, mind reading could be easily abused.  In response to this news, Abby Aldridge, a senior at Seckman High School, said, “I don’t want people reading my thoughts or stealing my personal information.”  Shockingly soon, people may be able to literally hack into someone’s brain and retrieve all the personal information they desire.

            Scientists are close to going beyond just reading memories; they will be able to manipulate them.  According to Storyleak, a news website, “There’s a frightening new technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that’s right out of a comic book. Scientists at the technical school have figured out how to implant false mental reactions in a mouse.”  The possibility of manipulating a person’s memories has stirred up a great deal of ethical resistance to the development of this technology.  Josh Kurosz, a senior, says, “Changing someone’s memories changes who they are.”  On the other side, soldiers dealing with PTSD could have their memories replaced or altered to relieve psychological distress.  Nonetheless, the possibility of people messing around with your mind and rewriting your life is still quite frightening.

            Do we need to worry about mind control?  Well, a recent experiment has proved that controlling another person’s body is possible.  NBC’s Elizabeth Landua described the historical event, “The two participants in this demonstration were the scientists themselves, Rajesh Rao and Andrea Stocco. They were situated on different parts of the University of Washington's campus when Stocco's finger moved on a keyboard, controlled by Rao's brain signal.”  However, more subtle mental manipulation has been around for a while.  In fact, behavior changing electronics may be in stores very soon.  According to the CNN Tech website, “Thync, a company attempting to bring brain stimulation to consumers.  Thync has been working on its device secretly for the past three years.  It's a portable headset that will offer three settings to start: energy, relaxation and focus.  One of the primary technologies Thync is based on is transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS, which uses a weak electrical current to change the sensitivity of neurons in the brain.  Thync plans on having its first product ready by 2015.”  People may want to start wearing their aluminum hats, because mind control is coming soon.

            The inner workings of the brain have eluded scientists’ understanding since the study of anatomy began.  However, this field is now leaping forward.  Technological advances are bringing science fiction to the real world.  Mind reading and mental manipulation are now not only possible but are being marketed to consumers.  The current generation will have to face the many ethical questions this technology brings up.

Dangerous driving habits equal disaster

By: Janese Watson

Some people think it’s okay to drive illegally, but why? What is the point in risking your life? People are guilty of dangerous driving in different ways. From small ways to big ways, though, dangerous driving rarely ends well.

Texting and driving, or distracted driving, is one major driving no-no. Statistics show that 48% of people involved in car wrecks admitted to texting/talking on their mobile device while driving. Did you know that talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as a seventy year old person?  “I never break the rules and I never text and drive,” says senior Tenecia Clemmons. Although texting and driving has a huge impact on accidents today, that is not the only thing causing accidents.

Speeding comes next. This type of reckless driving happens often, unfortunately. “I’ve been driving for a while, so I know what I’m doing,” says senior Ray Killian. Ray doesn’t think alone on this. Most teenagers think that since they have been driving for years, they can do what they want on the streets. These are reasons why accidents happen easily and speeding or other reckless types of driving don’t help.

Another huge killer of not only drivers, but passengers and innocent bystanders, is drunk driving. Drunk driving is, and will always be, an obvious wrong answer. The rate of drunk driving is highest among twenty to twenty five olds (23.4 percent). “It is more common for males to drive drunk than females,” says an article by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD. No one should ever be behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated. Every day in America, another twenty eight people die as a result of drunken driving crashes.

Some people will read this and think to them self, “I already know,” but do you already know? Do you follow all the rules of being a licensed driver? Have you ever done any of these things? It’s never too late to change or curb a behavior. When you drive, follow the speed limit and listen to the rules, because they were made for a reason: to keep us safe. Getting into a car accident can lead to several unwanted consequences, including injuries, loss of earnings, etc. Avoid getting into a car accident and do everything you know you’re supposed to do. Being a safe driver can save a life.

An osmosis science experiment

By: Sadie Raddatz

Have a science project to do, but want to stand out a bit and not have to work that hard? Using eggs to show the effects of osmosis is a fun and really easy way to get an A on that project. Eggs without their hard shell are a really good representation of a cell, only way larger. The egg will show you exactly what osmosis is and what it does to a cell. You won’t even have to look through a microscope.

 

Material needed:

2 eggs

A container large enough to hold the eggs, something clear preferred, for better observation.

Corn syrup

Vinegar

Water

A large spoon

 

Directions:

Soak the eggs in vinegar. Soaking the eggs in vinegar will dissolve the hard shell covering the egg.

Leave the eggs for two days or until the shells are completely dissolved.

Remove eggs and gently rinse. Be very careful; if not, egg yolks will pop and it’ll be a mess.

Put an egg in the corn syrup and the other one in the water.

Leave for 24 hours.

Once finished, gently rinse eggs.

Switch the egg into the other solution. So, put the egg in syrup into the water and water into the syrup.

Record the data. Take pictures, write out your hypothesis, and everything else that is required.

 

If you want to actually bring the eggs to class and have an actual visual of the eggs, just repeat the steps. This science project is really fun and really easy to do.

 

Lateralization of brain hemispheres

By: Bella Dalba

            On occasion, theories that develop within the confines of the scientific community emerge out of the proverbial darkness, and are subsequently incorporated into popular culture. The idea of black holes or quantum leaps plays a metaphorical role that is only loosely tethered to their original scientific meanings. In psychology, the theory that some people are more “right-brained” while others are more “left-brained” is based on the lateralization of brain function.

This misconception is employed as the foundation for a myriad of personality assessment tests, self-motivation books, and team-building exercises. Popular culture would have you believe that logical, methodical and analytical people are left-brain dominant, while the creative, subjective, and artistic types are distinctly right-brained. Like many popular psychology myths, this too grew out of observations about the human brain that were dramatically distorted and exaggerated.

The roots of the left/right story lie in a small series of operations in the 1960s and 1970s. Roger W. Sperry, a Nobel-laureate neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology, and a team of associate doctors sought a treatment for severe epilepsy. Sixteen patients suffering from this affliction agreed to undergo surgery in which the corpus callosum, the main nerve bundle that joins the two halves of the brain, would be severed. Once released from the hospital, Sperry and his team began observing their cognitive functioning. Many of the split-brain patients found themselves unable to name objects that were processed by the right side of the brain, but were able to name objects that were processed by the left. Based on this information, Sperry hypothesized that language was controlled by the left side of the brain, setting the precedent for a “definitive” correlation between ability and a specific brain lobe.

As previously stated, laboratory findings do not always make their way into popular culture, and this supposedly groundbreaking psychoanalysis provided an unfortunate opportunity for misinterpretation of what was, in essence, a limited set of experiments. In 1973, the New York Times Magazine published an article titled, “We Are Left-Brained or Right-Brained,” which began: “Two very different persons inhabit our heads...One of them is verbal, analytic, dominant. The other is artistic.” TIME featured the left/right story two years later. Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today followed soon thereafter. Never mind that Sperry himself cautioned that “experimentally observed polarity in right-left cognitive style is an idea in general with which it is very easy to run wild.”

Later research has shown that the brain is not nearly as dichotomous as once thought. For example, recently published findings indicated that abilities in subjects such as math are actually strongest when both halves of the brain work together. Today, neuroscientists know that the two sides of the brain work together to perform a wide variety of tasks and that the two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum.

"No matter how lateralized the brain can get, the two sides still work together," science writer Carl Zimmer explained in an article for Discover magazine. "The pop psychology notion of a left brain and a right brain doesn’t capture their intimate working relationship. The left hemisphere specializes in picking out the sounds that form words and working out the syntax of the words, for example, but it does not have a monopoly on language processing. The right hemisphere is actually more sensitive to the emotional features of language, tuning in to the slow rhythms of speech that carry intonation and stress."

In one study by researchers at the University of Utah, more 1,000 participants had their brains analyzed in order to determine if they preferred using one side over the other. The study revealed that, while activity was sometimes higher in certain important regions, both sides of the brain were essentially equal in their activity on average.

Needless to say, the left-right perception has been completely discredited. However, a new theory evolved from the chaotic misinterpretations: the potential division between top and bottom sections. This frequently overlooked anatomical division of the brain is slowly becoming recognized. Depending on the extent to which a person uses the top and bottom parts, four possible cognitive modes emerge. These modes reflect the amount that a person likes to devise complex and detailed plans and likes to understand events in depth. Separately, the top synthesizes plans and thoroughly revises them when/if expected events do not occur, while the bottom classifies and interprets what is perceived.

Based on decades of research, the theory holds that this distinction can help explain why individuals vary in their thought and behavior patterns. Interaction between each particular section is the key to solving the differentiations, not merely studying their individual functions. This contemporary approach avoids the pitfalls of the left brain/right brain theory, as the characterizations are based in cataloged research, and it is emphasized that the two sections work in conjunction with each other -- it is the relative balance of how much reliance is placed on the one of the two sections that determines each cognitive mode.

Despite the solidarity of the research, this notion still remains a theory: however, if there is one indisputable fact, it is that we, as a species, are continually inclined to try to understand whatever matter we encounter, even something as complex as the brain.

Ebola scare

By: Dorian Jenkins

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by an infection with a strain of Ebola virus. The disease is found in several African countries and it was first discovered in 1976, near the Ebola River. Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and bodily fluids of a person already showing the symptoms of Ebola. Ebola is not spread through the air, water, food, or insects. However, the first appearance of the virus in a human, at the start of the outbreak, is unknown.

Diagnosing someone who has only been infected with Ebola for a few days can be very difficult, because the symptoms, such as fever, are non specific to an Ebola infection and are often seen in patients with more commonly occurring diseases. However, if someone is in contact with someone who they know has the disease, then it would be easier to isolate the person and treat them. A Seckman High School sophomore, Jack, says, “I think that if you have been near anyone with Ebola, then you should be quarantined immediately before being allowed to go anywhere.”

The symptoms of Ebola may include: fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unexplained hemorrhaging. Symptoms can appear anywhere from 2-21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8-10 days. Recovery from Ebola depends on good, supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from an Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

There is no FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved vaccine or medicine available for Ebola. A Seckman High School sophomore, Cooper Gaylord, says, “If I got Ebola, I would want the vaccine that they have no matter if its FDA approved or not!” The symptoms have just been treated as they appear. Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness. The recovery procedure from Ebola mainly depends on the patient’s care and the immune system response of that person. It is unknown if patients who recover from the disease are immune for life or if they can even become infected with a different type of Ebola.

However, some of the patients who have recovered from Ebola have experienced long term complications, such as joint and vision problems. Overall, the rare disease of Ebola is deadly and can be caught fairly easily. Keep cautious of the people you are around and be sure to try and avoid it at all costs.

Meet Mink, the makeup printer

By: Bella Dalba

            Makeup, in general, is expensive: department store makeup is very expensive. No matter how creamy it is, $25 is a lot to pay for one square of blush. However, from the cheapest lip gloss to the highest-end eye shadow, the basic ingredients for most beauty products are the same. The difference in price originates either from the brand name or the quality (dilution) of the ingredients. Mass market distributors, such as CVS or Walmart, only purchase shades that are guaranteed (through market research) to sell, so they can order in bulk and receive a discount. Due to the massive demand, the producers create a cheap product to satisfy the temporary demand.

            A Harvard Business School graduate is looking to change this entire process. Inventor Grace Choi created Mink, a printer that mixes ink with powder, cream, or whatever raw material necessary to create an endless variety of cosmetics on your desk. As makeup comes from the same basic substrates, Mink can turn any image into a kind of makeup.

            Mink will act as both an inkjet printer, which will produce the color, while also combining the physical ingredients of makeup, like a 3D printer. It uses a cosmetic-grade dye that's FDA-compliant, and, instead of printing on paper, it will print its colors onto a powder substrate that is like the raw material of regular makeup. "It comes from the same sources as those products that you see on store shelves," said Choi.

The hardware itself is proprietary, but it uses the standard image editing software already on your computer to actually print. You can pick a color from anywhere -- a website, a YouTube video, a photo you took -- by using a picker tool to extract the exact hexicode for the color, drop it into Photoshop (or even MS Paint) and print the shade in the comfort of your own home. Choi is excited by the prospects: “We’re going to live in a world where you can take a picture of your friend’s lipstick and print it out.”

By eliminating the middleman, Choi can give consumers Sephora sophistication at drugstore prices. The idea is that consumers are increasingly focused on instant gratification and DIY solutions. Choi also noticed that makeup consumers aren’t always loyal to certain brands, but rather focused on convenience. Moreover, drug stores offer an incredibly limited selection of colors and options. More niche retailers like Sephora have a wide selection of colors, but at a much higher price. With Mink, users can satisfy the desire for instant gratification while still having access to any color in the world at an affordable price.

Although the prototype is currently the size of the average at-home printer, Choi says that the final product (out later this year) will be about the size of a Mac Mini and will sell for about $300.

Snow globe project

By: Sadie Raddatz

 

Have a bunch of pictures that you don’t know what to do with? Do you like to decorate your house for the holidays? Personalizing a snow globe could be what you’re looking for. Snow globes are cool and fun. It’s an easy way to add decoration to any room. It is also perfect for any occasion.

What you need first is a clear or softly colored jar with a lid. It doesn’t matter what size the jar is, but the bigger the picture or decoration you want to add, the bigger the jar needs to be. For a more homemade looking snow globe, you could use a mason jar, but if you want more of the snow globe look, you can find a flower aquarium in floral shops or online.

If you are going to use a figurine, make sure the lid is big enough to hold the figurine. It also needs to have a little bit of space between the figurine and the jar; that way you can fit it into the jar easily and, when shaken, it won’t hit against the glass and or break.

When attaching the figurine to the lid, use epoxy. When adding the water, make sure you use distilled water and fill it until it is just below the opening. Then you will need to add one tablespoon of liquid glycerin, usually found in soap making sections of hobby store, to thicken the water.

Next, you will want to add your glitter. Remember, don’t add too much, but add enough so that when it is shaken you can see it. Once you have completed this step, add the lid to the jar. Make sure the lid is securely in place and is tight. If you are using a flower aquarium, slowly invert the decorated portion of the rubber base into the water, then stretch the seal of the rubber base over the lip of the globe. There you have your snow globe.

Gun control in America

By: Josh Leach

 

            How much gun control is right for America?  This debate has been raging at every level of government.  Mass shootings have led to a campaign by President Obama and the Democratic Party to restrict gun accessibility to the mentally unstable.  They also want to reduce how much ammunition can be purchased at one time and limit the sales of fully automatic weapons.  On the other side of the debate, gun activists are pushing to defend their constitutional rights and lower gun regulation.

            Republicans are fighting back against the numerous executive orders on gun control that Obama has recently signed into place.  According to Ed O’Keefe, a reporter for the Washington Post, “Republicans want to overturn the ban on large-capacity magazines and assault weapons in the District of Columbia; expand the right to purchase or transport firearms and ammunition across state lines; limit when a military veteran can be denied a firearm due to mental illness; and allow gun owners to carry weapons into post offices or other federal sites.”  They believe restrictions on ammunition sales are ultimately ineffective, because people can simply purchase ammunition from multiple businesses to get around the restriction.  Republicans are also strongly against denying anyone the right to have firearms even if someone has a history of psychological instability.  When asked if the government should prevent specific people from having firearms, Brian McTuige, a senior at Seckman High School, said, “I don’t think the government has the authority to deny people of their constitutional rights.”  Mr.Conservative.com, a website devoted to discussing Republican views on current issues, says, “Healthcare professionals are now required to violate HIPPA privacy laws and submit medical data to the government.  The illegally obtained data is then used as justification for gun confiscation by the federal government.”  Conservatives are uneasy over the public’s emotional reaction to recent mass shootings.

            Many Republicans are discounting talks about gun control to hysteria.  However, Democrats believe a real change needs to be made to prevent future catastrophes.  Josh Kurosz, a senior, says, “We can’t just allow these shootings to keep happening.”  After all, mass shootings are on the rise. Richard A. Serrano, a reporter for the Las Angelas, provided shocking statistics: “In a study of active-shooter incidents, FBI officials said there were 160 cases from 2000 through 2013, with the numbers growing from an average of 6.4 incidents in the first seven years to 16.4 in the last seven years. Seventy percent of the shooters attacked in schools or workplaces, and 60% of the shootings happened so fast that they were over before the police arrived. In 40% of the cases, at least three people were killed, not counting the shooter.”  New legislature on gun control has been made by the Obama Administration to combat this escalation in attacks by lone gunmen.  Activism by victims’ families has been essential to gaining support for these laws.  Niraj Chokshi, a reporter for the Washington Post, said there have been “seventy-four shootings at schools since the Newtown tragedy that jump-started a national discussion about gun policy.”  Many people are outraged over the safety concerns presented by these mass shootings. 

            Despite your political stance on the issue of gun control, getting educated on the new laws is important.  When reading gun regulations, people should understand the terminology.  For example, semi-automatic firearms only fire one bullet per trigger pull and then automatically load another bullet.  Fully automatics can shoot multiple bullets per trigger pull.  People should also understand the extreme difficulty which exists when trying to enforce gun regulations.  According to Just Facts, a website based on discussing current issues, “Based on production data from firearm manufacturers, there are roughly 300 million firearms owned by civilians in the United States as of 2010.”  As a result of the massive quantity of weapons across the nation, gun laws have a long history of being ineffective.  However, the current campaign to improve personal security from shootings may finally change this fact.  The official website for the NYSAFE (New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement) Act declares, “The SAFE Act stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun by requiring universal background checks on gun purchases, increases penalties for people who use illegal guns, mandates life in prison without parole for anyone who murders a first responder, and imposes the toughest assault weapons ban in the country.  For hunters, sportsmen and law abiding gun owners, this new law preserves and protects your right to buy, sell, keep, or use your guns.”  Everyone concerned about new gun legislature should do their research, so they can better understand these laws.

            The issue of gun control has fueled passion on both sides of the debate.  Everyone has a different opinion on exactly how much regulation is right for America.  On one hand, Republicans do not want an overreach of governmental power that could threaten people’s constitutional right to bear arms.  On the other hand, Democrats believe protecting the public’s safety justifies these restrictions.  Either way, actions need to be taken to make people safer.  No one person should have the power to take a hundred lives.  These catastrophes must be stopped.

Staying fit all winter

By: Janese Watson

A lot of people think when winter comes around it is an excuse for getting lazy and not being as productive as you would when it is warm outside. Cold weather makes some of us want to stay inside all day, watch television, and eat every ten minutes.  Well, that doesn’t have to be the case. You can be just as productive, maybe even more, when it’s cold outside. There are plenty of activities and exercises you can do to stay fit and healthy all winter long.

Have you ever thought about gym memberships? You’ll be inside and you are working out, so it is perfect. Depending on the gym you choose, you can get great prices on memberships. Most gyms have a week of free membership for new people. After your free week is over, most memberships are around twenty to thirty dollars per month.

If you aren’t really a gym person there are plenty more things to choose from to stay fit. What do you love to do? What is the sport you play? Practice your sport inside and if it’s a sport you think you can’t do inside, find a way. There is a solution for everything. If you are capable of getting on the internet, yoga is also a great option. Yoga relaxes your muscles and helps keep you fit. You’re stuck inside and want to go for a run, but it’s to cold? Run on a treadmill.

There are a lot of things to do instead of going straight to the couch. “Lack of sunlight causes depression,” says writer Jean Asker. The people who actually want to stay fit are the people who will be successful with it. The people who want to watch TV all day or maybe even order pizza every night are the people who will regret their decision when summer time comes around. “I like to give myself a head start, and workout in the winter so I look good in summer,” says Larkyn Hendrickson. It’s always nice to not only feel good about yourself, but also look good.

“I always wondered why I felt so much lazier in the winter than summer,” says Shakur Watson. Research shows that winter will make you want sleep a lot more than usual, but avoid that. Aim for at least seven to eight hours and make your wake up times consistent. This will help keep you from sleeping all day and give you more time to get up and moving. Oversleeping, to you, may seem well and good, but it actually makes you even more tired than you think. Do not forget to eat healthy. Yes, you may be exercising, but you also should be eating smart. That way you won’t have to do so much to stay fit. Take time to prepare yourself for winter and you could make it just as great as summer.   

Bringing free speech back to college campuses

By: Bella Dalba

            In what is anticipated to become the single most compelling free-speech campaign in United States educational history, FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) has embarked on a lawsuit campaign to restore and guarantee the existence of free speech on college campuses around the country. Speaking before the National Press Club in Washington on July 1, Greg Lukianoff, President of FIRE, focused on speech codes that ban offensive speech in college. These speech codes confine speech deemed to be inappropriate to designated “free-speech zones.” Free speech zones (also known as First Amendment zones, free speech cages, and protest zones) are areas set aside in public places for political activists to exercise their right of free speech.

            In summary, FIRE is intending to file lawsuits against colleges maintaining unconstitutional speech codes in each federal circuit. President Lukianoff explains: “FIRE’s new Stand Up For Free Speech Project is a national effort to eliminate unconstitutional speech codes through targeted First Amendment lawsuits. By imposing a real cost for violating First Amendment rights, the Stand Up For Free Speech Litigation Project intends to reset the incentives that currently push colleges towards censoring student and faculty speech.”

After each victory by ruling or settlement, FIRE will file against another school in the same circuit, hoping to convey the message that, unless public colleges obey the law, they will be sued. By imposing a real cost for violating First Amendment rights, the Stand Up For Free Speech Litigation Project intends to push colleges towards revoking their current limits on student and faculty speech.

            However, though speech codes have been successfully challenged in more than two dozen lawsuits over the years, nearly three-fifths of public universities still maintain speech codes that are “unambiguously unconstitutional.” Most institutions believe that pretty much all political speech requires advance approval by administrators and can usually be banned to tiny ‘free-speech zones,’ or just forbidden altogether.

            In launching this project, FIRE is trying to produce a dramatic shift in the momentum on campus. The issue will be debated, not just in the courts, but in the minds and homes of many Americans. FIRE looks to demonstrate that a single force can stand up to the culture of censorship, and that it is the right of every student to challenge that institution. College students are the single most politically active demographic in the country and, with each generation, comes profound social changes and revolutionary advances in technology. Attempting to censor them is an extremely poor decision.