PBIS Points: Practical or Pointless?
Image Credit: WMCC’s Hector Martinez Rewards are a big part of our lives. We go to work to get paid, we eat better to be healthy, and we keep up with hygiene to stay clean. In the same way, students are expected to go to school and learn in order to be successful. For some students, however, the natural reward of learning is not enough … Continue reading PBIS Points: Practical or Pointless?
Spirit Week: Not so Spirited?
This article was written by Staff Writer Layla Morales. While each school is different, most participate in what we call “Spirit Week,” a fun tradition involving dressing up according to themes. With different dressing themes each day that are typically outside the norm, including Costume Day, Pajama Day, and many other wacky themes. Students can express how they interpret each one and bond with their … Continue reading Spirit Week: Not so Spirited?
McCaskey Has an Attendance Problem
McCaskey High School currently has an attendance rate just above 90%. Of absences, most are unexcused. And over 50% of them come from freshmen, said Kathy Lutz, an Assistant Principal at the high school. “When ninth graders come in, they don’t understand that this is the real deal here,” said Thomas Toczek, a guidance counselor at East. “You have to get credits to move on … Continue reading McCaskey Has an Attendance Problem
Advanced Courses Lack Racial Diversity
There are various advanced courses offered at McCaskey High School, such as honors, AP, and IB classes. As an AP and honors student, my classmates and I have noticed an obvious lack of diversity in some of the advanced courses. This is seemingly more so an issue in J.P McCaskey rather than East- this being something I discovered talking with fellow classmates and teachers. I … Continue reading Advanced Courses Lack Racial Diversity
SAAY Club: Spreading Awareness of Sexual Assault
This article was written by Vidette Staff member Ellery Cravey. Over the years, McCaskey has had a multitude of clubs that pertain to certain activities and hobbies. However, there’s a particular club that is relatively new, and has piqued the interest of many. It doesn’t revolve around fun activities; in fact, this club talks about scary, but very real, topics. It’s called the Sexual Assualt … Continue reading SAAY Club: Spreading Awareness of Sexual Assault
Elon Musk, Eugenics and the Future of Technology
Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk and Max Hodak, has been working on an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) that has the potential to cure various brain diseases. After six years, it plans to begin human testing in late 2022. The implant, called the “Link,” will connect the human brain to an app bearing the same name as the company. When the procedure is done, … Continue reading Elon Musk, Eugenics and the Future of Technology
No Book Should be Banned
Pen America estimates that across the U.S. at least 1,648 books have been banned from July 2021 to June 2022. These books, under the pressure of legislators, parents, and advocacy groups, were removed from school and classroom libraries. From contemporaries to classics, picture books to young adults, the majority of banned books share one similarity: they discuss the experiences of minorities. A whopping 81% of … Continue reading No Book Should be Banned
The Pressure to Attend College
In fifth grade my teacher passed out sticky notes, then told all of us to choose one of three colleges to visit for our field trip. Our choices were Thaddeus Stevens, The Ware Center, and some other school that didn’t interest me in the slightest. I chose The Ware Center in part due to me being interested in music, but also due to it looking … Continue reading The Pressure to Attend College
Separation of Church and State is Under Attack in Lancaster County
Cody Stonebank has a vision. A vision for “a revival happening within public schools and worship nights inside of school auditoriums leading students to encounter Jesus.” This vision violates a fundamental American principle: the separation of church and state. But that didn’t stop Stonebank and his movement, Unrestricted, from implementing it in our county. Unrestricted, a branch of the Lancaster Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has … Continue reading Separation of Church and State is Under Attack in Lancaster County
Why Do We Have So Many Rules?
A lot of rules we have to follow may seem like an annoying waste of time. Administrators in the halls can seem like they’re nitpicking or chastising students for no reason. It’s obvious that many rules exist for good for a purpose, like rules against illegal activity or hate speech in the classroom. The motive behind others however, may seem unclear. Why do we have … Continue reading Why Do We Have So Many Rules?
What Queen Elizabeth’s Death Means for Former Colonies
On September 8, 2022 all eyes were on Britain when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died. At 96, it brought an end to her seventy-year reign. Her death evoked an immediate flood of mourning for the longest reigning British monarch, one who has ruled through volatile times in our world’s history as a leader of the largest imperial empire to date. The British Empire encompassed … Continue reading What Queen Elizabeth’s Death Means for Former Colonies
Halloween and the Rainbow Fentanyl Panic
If you ask an older adult in your life, they can probably recall a time they were warned of the razor blades in Halloween candy. It’s a cyclical scare tactic. A new public enemy emerges every 5 years or so, and threatens the livelihood of children…through Halloween candy? It’s not hard to see that this seems far-fetched. According to Scientific American, no childhood deaths have … Continue reading Halloween and the Rainbow Fentanyl Panic
How Orville Peck is Reinventing Country Music
For the past three decades, country music has been a genre plagued by mediocrity. Perhaps not just mediocrity, but consistent themes of bigoted messaging and cringeworthy dogwhistles are simply the norm. Of course, this is referring strictly to the watered down, tired, and dull stereotypes of pop/bro country, as the roots of outlaw and alternative country continue to thrive, even today. The unfortunate lull that … Continue reading How Orville Peck is Reinventing Country Music
Four Years of McCaskey: A Graphic Essay
1. Freshman Year 2. Sophomore Year 3. Junior Year 4. Senior Year 5. Epilogue Continue reading Four Years of McCaskey: A Graphic Essay
Staying Productive Over Summer Break
Summer break is creeping up quickly, and it can be easy to spend all summer holed up with a video game or watching TV. But there are many ways to be productive during the summer, and make fun memories at the same time. Staying productive not only helps you to continue to grow and learn, but it also boosts your mental health if you balance … Continue reading Staying Productive Over Summer Break
