Merit Pay For Teachers Is Not The Answer
BY RACHEL SHARPE Florida’s teacher merit-pay bill is a polarizing piece of legislature and has become one of education’s most burning issues. Advocates of the bill, which was recently signed by Governor Rick Scott, believe that merit-pay will help to strengthen our education system and reward teacher effectiveness by... Read more
  BY BEATRICE DUPUY Seas of blue tarp tents are sprawled out in rows along a section of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Families lay inside, shading themselves from the heat beating down on their temporary home.  Their thirst remains unquenched for fear of catching the disease that has taken the lives... Read more
CNN’s Heroes Are The Real Heroes
BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ Nowadays, teenagers are immersed in their own self-absorbed worlds. They are concerned with school, work, chores, boyfriends and girlfriends, and countless other trivial conflicts and problems. They watch Jersey Shore or Keeping Up With The Kardashians and argue over who wore a better dress to the... Read more
The Importance Of Not Being Idle
BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ Every day, twenty-four million American children take the bus to school. On average, these students spend about an hour and a half each day on a school bus. For many, the school bus is the most popular and effective way to transport children to and from... Read more
  BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ For the past several weeks, the world has anxiously watched Egyptian Dictator Hosni Mubarak’s reign crumble. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in the heart of Cairo, refusing to back down until Mubarak steps down. The enormous rebellion against the oppressive government has received... Read more

Toddlers And Tiaras

Opinions February 11, 2011

  BY KAYLA LOKEINSKY On stage under the white-hot spotlight, a “Little Miss” contestant struts her stuff in a scantily clad bikini, shaking her hips and smiling for the judges. Her mile-high hair, fake eyelashes, caked on makeup, and spray tan make her seem unnatural, more like a drag... Read more
Parents Going Too Far?

Parents Going Too Far?

Opinions January 24, 2011

BY RACHEL SHARPE Every mother has told their child at least once that she has eyes in the back of her head. However, modern technology proves that the phrase is not very far off. Parents can now track their teenager’s every move, even from miles away. New GPS tracking devices... Read more
Censoring The Past

Censoring The Past

Opinions January 24, 2011

BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ In George Orwell’s classic novel 1984, Winston Smith lives in Oceania, a nation built upon what was formerly known as Europe. The country is run by the ruling Party; the Party severely oppresses its people, who are under the constant scrutiny of security cameras. However, the Party’s... Read more
Cut Out Dissection

Cut Out Dissection

Opinions January 7, 2011

BY REBECCA BINE Blood, guts, and gore. The implications these things have on adolescents is undeniable. From television and movies to video games, today’s youth is accosted by violence on a daily basis, causing desensitization and therefore a greater tendency towards using it. Schools, however, provide a safe place, free... Read more
The Government Is Going To Have To Accept Wikileaks
BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ On December 7, 2010, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was taken into custody on charges of rape. His arrest occurred at the peak of an international scandal; along with five major newspapers from around the world, WikiLeaks had just released confidential diplomatic cables from 274 U.S. embassies... Read more