The McCaskey Way of Giving Back

During the holiday season McCaskey likes to donate to local organizations, embracing traditions new and old.  For the first year, the Mitten Tree Project will be run in the JP and East IMCs by one of the school’s new librarians, Mrs. Cashdollar. She got the idea for a mitten tree in McCaskey from other libraries in Lancaster having one; it comes from the children’s book, … Continue reading The McCaskey Way of Giving Back

“Midnights” Conceals More Than It Reveals

Taylor Swift is not known for being a master of subtlety. Much of her charm lies in her audacity, her refusal to let anything go. She transforms the details of her past relationships into devastating digs at her exes. But part of what made folklore and evermore, Swift’s indie-folk pandemic releases, so wonderful, was their nuance and introspection. Instead of lashing out, she looked in.  … Continue reading “Midnights” Conceals More Than It Reveals

The Christmas Industrial Complex

This article was written by Staff Writer Sidney Brant. “Merry Christmas!”  “Happy Hanukkah,” my mother would say in response.  I was always embarrassed when she did this, made an innocent grocery store checkout employee uncomfortable for no apparent reason. Eventually, I understood why she did it: “Merry Christmas” made me uncomfortable, so even though it was a bit annoying or needlessly confrontational, it gave the … Continue reading The Christmas Industrial Complex

Kicking Down the Status Quo: Morocco’s World Cup Run

On Saturday, December 10th, Morocco won 1-0 against long time World Cup favorite Portugal. With a header from Youssef En-Nesyri, the team secured their spot as the first African country to make it to the World Cup semifinals.  Portugal, a two-time World Cup winner, with soccer legend Christiano Ronaldo on their team should have been a fierce opponent for Morocco. For the first few minutes … Continue reading Kicking Down the Status Quo: Morocco’s World Cup Run

On Senioritis

I picked this article topic because I thought it would take the least amount of time and effort.  And yet, here I am, a few hours to the deadline, with a page almost as empty as the list of tasks that I have actually accomplished this weekend. In this rough draft document, there is a page where I have typed the following: d;jkafsdafsjkldsfkjl;fdsjkldfsa;jklsdfajsadf;jklfsd;jkladsfjkl;dsafj;kafsdlsdfajkladfsj;dkldfjk;ldfaj;lkdafsj;kdsfljk;fdsjl;kdfaj;ldfasjlkdfasjk;ldfsjkfdsj;lfadsjkldfasjkl;fdasjl;kdfajkldfajl;dfasjl;kdfasjldfasjkl;dfasjk;ldfsajl;kdfsajdsfajl;adfsj;klfdsajkl; I think … Continue reading On Senioritis

Which is Better: Spotify or Apple Music?

Spotify and Apple Music. Both are extremely popular music streaming services that function on a similar basis of pay-to access, granting the entire world of music for a monthly price. There’s been a significant increase in discussion about the two streaming services, given the Spotify Wrapped and Apple Replay. Both of these streaming services have obvious benefits to them, being in demand access to music … Continue reading Which is Better: Spotify or Apple Music?

Is Crisis Care Causing More Crises?

Bright colored posters tell people to reach out for help if they are struggling, but ask anyone who has been in that situation and they’ll tell you it’s not that simple. When a national crisis lifeline went live in the United States earlier this year, many rejoiced, but others voiced concerns for its potential connections to the police. In 2001, the Substance Abuse and Mental … Continue reading Is Crisis Care Causing More Crises?

The End of the International Space Station

Artemis 1, NASA’s newest moon-bound rocket, successfully launched on November 16, 2022 at 1am. Although unmanned, the launch represents a significant step towards NASA’s goal of humans reaching the moon by 2025. With a new age of space exploration on the horizon, older programs are beginning to age out, most notably, the International Space Station.    The station is a staple of the night sky, … Continue reading The End of the International Space Station

Climate Change’s Impact on Teens

Climate change is a major issue impacting our natural environment. Overtime it can and will be detrimental. This isn’t a new issue, it’s a crisis that has been covered on various news platforms for years. As a result of this issue being highly discussed in the media, many people know of the topic, not necessarily how it will impact our future. For example, National Geographic … Continue reading Climate Change’s Impact on Teens

Murder on the McCaskey Mainstage: Fall Play Overview

Image Credit: Gabrielle Mappone At the beginning of the school year, the McCaskey Performing Arts Department set out to put on a production of Murder on the Orient Express. About three weeks into the rehearsal process, however, McCaskey students were faced with the cancellation of the show due to issues with securing the rights to the script. Saddened, the cast and crew said goodbye to … Continue reading Murder on the McCaskey Mainstage: Fall Play Overview

Classist Tactics in the Gaming Industry

This article was written by Staff Writer Angel Quintana. Activision Blizzard the kings of video game industry controversy, they’re always messing something up in the worst way possible, but what makes what they’ve done now different before? They’ve started what is most likely the most predatory and classist tactic when it comes to the video game industry to date, they’re asking for your phone number.  … Continue reading Classist Tactics in the Gaming Industry

Reflection in Suspension: Brother Albrecht’s Impact on ISS at McCaskey

Room A124 has, for a long time, been the place where students go to serve in-school suspensions. But it’s not called the ISS room anymore, and it’s got a new teacher: Frank Albrecht, more commonly known as Brother Albrecht.    “I don’t think Dr. Reese was taking a gamble of putting me down here, but he was thinking outside of the box,” said Albrecht. His … Continue reading Reflection in Suspension: Brother Albrecht’s Impact on ISS at McCaskey

The Impact of Black Representation in Cartoons

As a young child, I only enjoyed watching television shows with characters that weren’t human – Yo Gabba Gabba, SpongeBob, etc.  I was never able to really watch shows with humans, as I could never relate to the characters. It was always a mainly white cast with one or two stereotypical black characters: either a black female of a lighter skin tone, or a black … Continue reading The Impact of Black Representation in Cartoons

Ye’s Downfall: How Kanye West Dug his Own Grave and Released the Floodgates of Antisemitism

Acclaimed rapper Kanye West, also known as “Ye,” has been on a spree of antisemitic and racist actions since early October. His numerous controversial comments during interviews and on social media have led to companies previously associated with West cutting their ties, as well as a surge in antisemitism on a national level.  West’s first outwardly racist statement in this most recent string was on … Continue reading Ye’s Downfall: How Kanye West Dug his Own Grave and Released the Floodgates of Antisemitism