As technology advances, it gets harder to focus on the things that matter the most. Phones are getting smaller, faster, and easier to use as time goes on. The internet has taken off over recent years, and social media sites have exploded with new users every day. Words like logging-on and logging-out have all the sudden been added to the English language. Websites have become verbs in English; such as “Google it” or “Bing it.” This generation has been labeled the age of technology. The new generation has grown up with the technology and knows how to use it, almost as second nature.
Technology has taken over the teenage life. There is not a place where one can walk and not see someone on a computer or texting on a phone. With the addition of wireless internet and smart phones, the internet is easier to access and use. The Internet makes the important things in life, such as studying, not as easy to achieve. The new way of living has turned into updating a status or tweeting what is on your mind.
It is almost impossible to do homework on a computer without having Facebook or Twitter open in the background. That is the first thing that teens will do, instead of starting homework, they will tweet or write a status about how homework ruins their life.
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have corrupted the way that people meet. Most people do not even meet face to face anymore. Most people meet on a social networking site and begin to build a relationship online. The use for a phone has been minimized to do social networking sites.
“I love how when people meet they never ask for your number anymore…they just ask if you’re on Facebook,” junior Cheyenne Risner said.
Social networking sites have corrupted the way people meet and communicate. The way that technology has affected everyone’s lives is astounding to say the least. Only the future knows what is in store for generations to come and how they will use the technology given to them.
Latest Entries »
Recently, a bill has been circulating that threatens the free will and freedom of online users and those who own online accounts or websites. This unconstitutional bill known as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a virus to the people of the United States. On January 18 2012 countless sites including popular sites like Wikipedia blacked out their websites in order to protest against the SOPA bill.
This mass black out/protest is a prime example of American citizens standing up for their rights for free speech. It is inspiring to see people that would be affected standing up for what they worked so hard to build. If SOPA were to pass, a mass amount of websites would be shut down in the blink of an eye, and years of archiving and work would be deleted and would essentially go to waste.
Wikipedia expressed their opinions by begging the public to imagine a world without free information and a free source to get the information one may desire. Having to resort to library visits and books would be a major step back for society. Fast information is something that is easy to take for granted.
For years, the wide variety of topics that exist on the internet were viewed to be the beauty of today’s generation; the fact that thinkers had created a method that can put an entire world’s worth of information on a screen for anybody to access. Shutting down websites would end up bankrupting hard working online entrepreneurs, because there are millions of people that make a living because of their websites. SOPA, if to be put into effect, would silence many creative voices just because they are suspected of copyright infringement.
This protest serves as inspiration for future generations to stand up when they believe their freedoms are being attacked. Though threats much like SOPA still exist and have not been erased for good, I believe that the millions of online users will continue to raise their fists and their voices to keep the real pirates out of the internet.
The whole concept of SOPA is extremely controversial, yet, in all fairness, the entertainment industry deserves protection of copyright. Ever since Internet piracy came into existence many branches of the entertainment industry has suffered immensely. A lot of people say that it is pointless to pay $1.29 for a song, $10.00 for an album or $5.00 for a movie ticket when it is all available for free download. Something should be done so that those who create digital media have a way to profit off of their work.
If customers do not put money into circulation, then one stops receiving material. For their will be no money left to provide a product. Now. Some of SOPA’s policies need work. One cannot deny that. The fact that congress would have the right to shut down sites as major as YouTube and Facebook is a huge breach of freedom of speech. The bill needs work, but online piracy is something that should have been addressed a long time ago.
Lakeview high school has had a nurse Sharon Davis; she has worked for Lakeviews’ district for two years now. Sharon Davis has just recently started regular hours at Lakeview High School this year.
“I have been a school nurse at Prairiview for seven years now and I was a school nurse at Battle Creek Central and other schools in the Battle Creek area for 11 years,” school nurse Sharon Davis said.
A school nurse is not just employed by Lakeview High School in case someone gets sick Davis does lots of other jobs too. Some of the other jobs she does is training people who work at the school in case of an emergency, promote a healthy lifestyle, educate people about how get the right resources for their needs and try to help students stay in school because if students are sick they will not come to school causing ones grades to go down because of absence.
“My favorite thing about my job is having the thought of helping people stay well and stay in school and getting to see them grow up and be successful especially student who have a medical problem and be successful academically it inspires me,” Davis said.
Over her 36 years of being a nurse Sharon Davis has accomplished a lot. Getting a degree from University of Michigan and Michigan State University has helped her to become the nurse she is today.
In the last decade, the fight against childhood obesity has become a full on war for the health of our nation. The kids across the country live in a sedentary lifestyle surrounded by cheap junk foods and a lack of exercise. While this is difficult and hard to break, all it takes to begin a healthy lifestyle is the courage to start.
The Lakeview School District’s coordinated health team is encouraging people to do just that. By sponsoring the first annual BC Spring Into Action Kid’s Marathon, children of all ages are challenged to conquer personal goals as well as set healthy habits. Participants can run or walk 25.2 miles on their own from April 1 to the 28, and then get to complete the final mile on the Lakeview High School track together. While a full marathon may seem like a daunting task at first, it gives kids the opportunity to set positive goals and gain self-confidence. By promoting small periods of exercise over a long time, it teaches how easy it is to stay in shape if only they would take the time.
Children of all ages and abilities are welcome, but kids under 7 must have a chaperon run with them on the final day.
There will also be a 5K and 10K walk/run at Lakeview high school on April 28th starting at 9:00am. Medals will be rewarded to the top male and female winners as well as the top three finishers in each age group and gender. Following this race will be the concluding mile of the Kids’ Marathon at 11:00am.
Both events will take place at the LHS track, although the timed races will follow a course on paved roads near the school. Runners do not need to worry about traffic dangers, roads will be clearly marked at turns and police will assist runners at major intersections. Aid stations will be available with water and energy drinks and there will be post race refreshments at the finish.
Athletes can pre-register by downloading the BC Spring into Action brochure online at bcsprinintoaction.com. As a bonus, pre-registration comes with a t-shirt and a free one day pass to Flash Flood Water Park at Full Blast. The Kid’s Marathon is free but there will be a $30 entrance fee for timed events. For further questions, contact Linn Kracht at (269) 565-2415 or send an email to bcspringintoaction@gmail.com
When winter hits Michigan, skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes. As the season progresses, though, winter sports enthusiasts grow bolder and enter the terrain park, facing ominous jumps and defying gravity. Terrain park features vary in difficulty, including flat boxes for beginners and 25-foot-gap jumps for the experts. This may be fun and games for most, but park riders also face something else: injury.
Injuries are very common in winter sports. From broken tailbones and wrists to concussions, skiers and snowboarders are no strangers to physical complications. Though most ailments are treatable, some can have long-lasting implications or even be fatal. Head injuries are especially dangerous; riders can suffer brain damage from a seemingly small accident. The extreme sports community recently saw such a fatal loss with the death of 29-year-old freeskier Sarah Burke.
The Canadian died after a wild crash in the superpipe while training in Salt Lake City. Tearing an artery in her neck, Burke suffered severe bleeding in the brain and simultaneously went into cardiac arrest. It was determined that the damage to the brain would have been irreversible after she finally succumbed to her injuries nine days later. The shocking part: Burke was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
This brings the connection to the skiers and snowboarders of Lakeview. Some students own helmets, but many are beginners and do not. Though Burke’s helmet could not save her life, most people on Michigan’s slopes are not hitting the half-pipe—helmets can do wonders for the average person. This means that ski club members without helmets face a higher risk of head injury and more serious complications.
Helmets alone cannot ensure safety for every snowboarder or skier, though. The key to safely having fun on the slopes is understanding skill limits. Different people have different abilities, and therefore can do different things. It is when skiers and snowboarders attempt feats past their skill level that things can get problematic. Whether it is a first-time skier shooting through the center of the train park and causing havoc or an overly brave snowboarder flying down a black diamond, trying something excessively difficult never ends well.
The bottom line—be aware of the implications of the sport. Injuries are an occupational hazard when it comes to skiing and snowboarding, and wearing a helmet and being cautious are simple ways to be safe. Keep in mind when “going big or going home,” going big often results with going to the hospital.
The growing inequality between the rich and the poor in this country is becoming a popular topic for discussion in today’s news. With the wealthiest one percent of the population controlling a vast majority of the nation’s wealth, the remaining 99 percent of the population has fallen far behind the elite. Out of this, a nationwide movement has been born, and that movement is Occupy Wall Street.
Occupy Wall Street’s very first protests began on September 17 in Lower Manhattan. Just two days later, the official Facebook page for the movement was launched and shortly after that, the movement, less than a week old, gained critical mass. Now roughly four months and two weeks since O.W.S has begun, it still continues to grow and attract new people who are feeling the same frustrations that protesters before them have felt.
Due to the richest one percent of the population’s income having doubled in the past 30 years, people across the land have finally started to realize that our system is not working for 99 percent of that nation. This, in fact, has been a growing problem, only to be noticed shortly after the recession that started back in 2007. Now that everybody knows the facts regarding the shameful inequality that is our country’s income, they should be able to support and join these courageous protesters. Now from here, the movement can only grow stronger as more people learn of our economic flaws.
People on the streets of cities across the entire nation have been pepper-sprayed, assaulted and arrested by brutal police opposition, just for acting on their First Amendment right. This has caused the opponents of this movement to falsely categorize these peaceful protesters as disrespectful to authority, but they are not bringing pepper-spray with them to their tents to protest because these are not violent people. The only things these people fighting for equality are bringing are open-minds; not closed-fists.
Occupy Wall Street is the new movement for the 21st century and its only accomplishment can be equal income for all. No longer will the wealthiest of people control the majority of wealth if O.W.S stays optimistic and strong. The fate of the American economy lies in the hands of the peaceful, equal, freethinking protesters on Wall Street.
Attending Monta Vista High School, a 17-year-old teenage girl by the name of Angela Zhang devised a method for curing many cancers. By constructing a project in her chemistry class, Zhang pursued in her research and took a deeper look at her findings.
This teenager discovered that if someone was to mix cancer medication into a polymer that could attach to nanoparticles, these nanoparticles would then fasten directly to cancer cells. When these nanoparticles attach to these cancer cells, doctors are then able to identify exactly where the tumors are through infrared light.
The process has been tested multiple times on animals such as mice; for testing on a human would be too dangerous due to lack of information on the idea. It may take multiple years before the idea can be preformed on a human being. So far, the attachment of cancer medication to the particular polymer that is specifically attracted to cancer cells has shown that almost all the mice were treated successfully a 100%; the tumors nearly disappeared completely.
The discovery has shown that the nanoparticles would not affect healthy cells around the tumor. Supposedly, if a doctor were to point the infrared light at the tumors themselves, the light would melt the polymer; allowing the medicine within the polymer to be released and able to kill the caner cells.
This finding by Zhang has opened a whole new world for many scientists. The cure for cancer, that humans may begin to use, could start in as little as 15 years. Lakeview High School students are no different than those at Zhang’s high school. Anybody can come up with a new idea and pursue it enough to find an answer. Before too long, cancer may stop being the end to many humans around the world.
“Teen creates cancer fighting technique” Evening News. CBS. Los Angeles, California. Jan. 2012.
Since junior Cayley Winters is diagnosed with Type one diabetes, she has to regularly keep up on her dangerous body functions.
“I have to always check my blood sugar and give myself insulin before I eat and also watch what I eat,” Winters said.
People close to Winters had a hard time adapting to the changes Winters had to face.
“It [was not] hard telling my friends, but sometimes [it is] hard for them to understand what I go through on a daily basis,” Winters said.
Junior Cayley Winters is not the only one with Type one diabetes at Lakeview High School; other teens are diagnosed with it as well. Senior Jared Sheldon, who had it for six years, and sophomore Kyle Razon, who has had it for four years.
“It made wrestling a lot harder,” Sheldon said. “I [can not] wear the insulin pump, so I had to balance the insulin on how much activity I was doing and it was a lot of guessing because there is no formula on how much insulin I get.”
Razon on the other hand, never had an adjustment period to his diagnoses to diabetes.
“[I have] had it for so long that I can’t really remember life without it,” Razon said.
Wow. If I could only describe the Holiday Classic Choir and Orchestra Concert that took place on December 15 in one word it would be that. From the very beginning – the surprisingly large audience buzzing in their pews at Saint Philip Church – when senior Emma Kukuk, juniors Megan Dunlap and Tess Hensel a hushed silence fell on everyone. Then a single clear note erupted from Kukuk the likes of which would surely land her, as well as her fellow soloists, a spot on Adele’s next record. She opened the concert with a couple lines from O Come O Come Emmanuel, to which Hensel and Dunlap responded with equally beautiful and sustaining solos. All three began the concert in a quiet energy that blossomed throughout.
With a hushed entrance guided by the soft playing of instruments by the orchestra, the Chamber Choir and Cantabile – the female group – entered the church with burning candles in hand and walked the aisles singing O Holy Night. A staple of LHS, this tradition did not falter, the music moving and emotional. I spotted many singers and audience alike in tears they tried unsuccessfully to hide. Two members of Chamber Choir, however, stood out singing two solos at the head of the church. Seniors Elena Hensel and Andrew Ruble did an outstanding job continuing the tradition of the solos by adding their respective operatic and smoky tones to the song. Both did fantastically and probably made the soloists for the next year shake in their boots.
Now, one of the problems that I was worried about when I arrived is that the concert could become boring and start dragging as the night wore on. Choir director Greg Black and Orchestra leader Brian Massey seemed to think of everything and kept the audience engaged with quips of info (did you know that WK Kellogg was responsible for putting several original Skinner organs throughout Battle Creek) and the constant switching between Chamber Choir’s classic pieces, such as Here We Come a Caroling, and Cantabile’s more bubbly selection like Rise Up in Festive Song provided the audience with much to see and hear. There was never a boring spot in the show and it ran exceptionally well.
It was also at this concert that the all male group Knights of the Old Republic, Choir’s clever nod to Star Wars, made their debut. The group, which consisted of many guys that attend LHS as well as Lane and Ken Gordon and Massey, sang the classic God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and did an excellent job at it. Considering they only had a small number of guys, (Hint hint, men of Lakeview. Join choir, you’ll be better for it) the sound that was produced was remarkable. The high and low notes and all the sound in between were hit perfectly and the result was powerful.
