Celebrities, Plastic Surgeries, and “Real” Beauty
Written by Staff Writer Caroline Ponticelli Why do celebrities feel the need to lie about body augmentation? Regardless of your personal opinion on plastic surgery, most of us can agree that lying can be harmful. Lying about getting cosmetic work creates unrealistic body images and promotes negative mindsets, and can create dangerous trends. Most influencers can’t even achieve many of their beauty standards naturally, so … Continue reading Celebrities, Plastic Surgeries, and “Real” Beauty
The Complex Nature of the IB Diploma Program
If you’re a McCaskey student, teacher, or community member, chances are that you have heard of the IB diploma. The internationally recognized program allows students to take college courses while in high school and “aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world.” Students who decide to pursue this path will graduate with an additional diploma, … Continue reading The Complex Nature of the IB Diploma Program
Hurricane Ida Causes Concerning Pipeline Leak
As the first week of September rolled in, so did the rain and wind. Hurricane Ida hit land in Louisiana near Port Fourchon around noon on August 29, 2021, bringing masses of rain and power outages that lasted for several days. As the hurricane moved up the east coast, going back out to sea, it left many towns and communities along the coast underwater and … Continue reading Hurricane Ida Causes Concerning Pipeline Leak
In America: A Lexicon in Fashion
The Met Gala is one of the biggest nights in fashion. This fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art always draws eyes around the world, with some of the most famous bringing their best looks. This year’s theme was “In America: a lexicon in fashion.” The theme sparked interesting looks but also some controversy due to how some guests handled the theme. A number … Continue reading In America: A Lexicon in Fashion
Vast Disparities in Vaccine Distribution Point to Systemic Issues
COVID-19 had been wreaking havoc all across the world while world leaders scrambled to find a vaccine. But since the development of vaccines from multiple manufacturers, vaccine rollout in countries has hit many roadblocks. In rich countries, over half of the population has gotten their first vaccine shot, while in low income countries, only 2% of the population has gotten their first dose. Covax, a … Continue reading Vast Disparities in Vaccine Distribution Point to Systemic Issues
Earthquake Strikes Already-Impoverished Haiti
Shaking and rumbling disturbed the morning routines of the people of Haiti on August 14, 2021. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck in the southwest region of the nation shortly before 8:30 in the morning. Many Haitians already live in poverty due to past disasters, and this recent quake intensified their problems. Prior to the August 14th earthquake, Haitians struggled to survive. For years, the country … Continue reading Earthquake Strikes Already-Impoverished Haiti
September 2021: McCaskey Perseveres
On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, the entire McCaskey student body came back to school. The conditions were far from ideal: the Coronavirus pandemic, once thought by administrators, teachers and students alike to be a two-week stint, was far from gone. Cases of the virus had been steadily increasing amidst the new and more dangerous Delta variant, and a world that had been mostly maskless just … Continue reading September 2021: McCaskey Perseveres
The Problem with Pronouns
T.W. : Mental health crisis, gender identity, mentions of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse As a person who does not identify with the binary and typically despises any type of label, gender identity is a difficult concept for me. My first gender crisis was in January of this year when a kid at the psych ward asked for my pronouns. My mind drew a blank. … Continue reading The Problem with Pronouns
TikTok Trend Plagues Campus with Chaos and Confusion
The 2021-22 school year at McCaskey High School has gotten off to a chaotic start, to say the least. We’ve had bathrooms closed off with spiderwebs of masking tape, broken pipes, sewage problems, and hallways smelling like poop. We’ve had haphazard announcements from the administration explaining new policies. Why? Because of “devious licks.” The “devious licks” trend began on September 1st, 2021, when a student … Continue reading TikTok Trend Plagues Campus with Chaos and Confusion
Lil Nas X’s Debut Album Breaks the Mold
In the spring of 2019, the hit single “Old Town Road” took the world by storm. Two and a half years later, Lil Nas X is one of the most respected figures in modern pop music. Because of the extremely high profile that Montero (a.k.a Lil Nas X) has maintained just from singles and song leaks, as well as the charismatic presence he presented within … Continue reading Lil Nas X’s Debut Album Breaks the Mold
Calling a 9 a 10: My Year of Learning to be a Fighter
This year has been the best and the worst, but it is often hard to focus on the best. There have been so many ups and downs, twists and turns. It started off great, the summer was wonderful, but as September came to an end my life took a turn for the worse. All summer I had terrible stomach problems. They were under control for … Continue reading Calling a 9 a 10: My Year of Learning to be a Fighter
What I’ve Learned as a Student during a Global Pandemic
For me, and many others, this school year has been excruciatingly difficult. Between having a constant flood of assignments and a severe lack of motivation, my junior year has been a rollercoaster. Until now, I’ve always been an A-B student, and it was one of the most frustrating things to experience. Seeing my grade drop but having no motivation to fix it was hard, but … Continue reading What I’ve Learned as a Student during a Global Pandemic
2020-21: a Real Learning Opportunity
While this school year has been different and nothing close to “normal”, I learned things about myself that may not have come up in any other situation. This school year has brought challenges, learning curves, new opportunities, amazing friends and many other positive things.. I learned things about myself that may not have come up in any other situation. Being on your own the majority … Continue reading 2020-21: a Real Learning Opportunity
2021: a Reflection
This year I learned how to cornrow, distinguish how my laundry should be done correctly, and face my horrendous sleep schedule. But what did this year teach me about myself personally? Well, if you haven’t been able to tell, I’ve been focused on the external things rather than the internal. After acknowledging that this has been going on during this pandemic and possibly before it … Continue reading 2021: a Reflection
Finding Unity in Struggle
2021 was a year of many things. I, like many others, have felt lost this year. I also learned a few things. For starters, it was hard to remember that mostly everyone around the globe was experiencing the same things as me. And this helped me a lot this year, because though I did have a really hard time, everything could always have been worse. … Continue reading Finding Unity in Struggle
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