STDs are a Reproductive Death Sentence

Jen Abele

Editor  

There are 110 million cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases are increasing according to a new report from Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of chlamydia have increased 4.7 percent from 2015 to 2016, it is the most common std due to chlamydia being asymptomatic reported the CDC in a survey done in 2015.

 Why is this article important?

  In high school individuals find their identity, their partner, and build relationships. Some have decided to go all the way, and it shouldn’t be regretful. In college there will be more thirst for knowledge as well as desires. It’s completely normal to pursue desires, but do it safely.  

The CDC survey from 2015 stated that 41 percent of teenagers have had sexual intercourse, and 30 percent have had sexual intercourse in the last three months. Teens that did not use a condom was 43 percent, and 14 percent didn’t use any contraceptive to prevent pregnancy.

Nearly 230,000 babies were born to teenage girls aged 15–19 years in 2015.

 The CDC also collected survey results for HIV, and the findings were devastating. Only 10 percent have been tested for HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. People aged 13 to 24 accounted for an estimated 22 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2015.Half of 20 million new STD cases reported each year are obtained by young people between the ages of 15 to 24.

 Mrs. Walker is one of the PE and Health teachers at New Hope Solebury High School.“The biggest misconception is it won’t happen to me.“ Mrs. Walker stated.

STDs are very dangerous, socially and medically. It is important to take precaution with your partner. If you think your love life is dead, imagine how dead it would be if you got an STD. Having unprotected sex may seem like a good idea in your imagination, but it also seemed like a good idea for Eve to take a bite out of the apple. Is it worth it? I think not.

Why DACA should not be rescinded

Krupa Shah

Contributor

Recently, the Trump administration announced that it would be rescinding the Obama-era Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program with a six month window to find a replacement of the executive order. This program protects approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children.The DREAM Act parallels with DACA but has not yet been addressed. Now the immigration status of these individuals is ultimately in the hands of Congress where they may face the prospect of deportation to countries they have ostensibly never lived in.

 The Obama-era executive order allowed children of undocumented immigrants to pursue a college education, employment, and a possible legalized immigration status. All of these opportunities can be applied for and will be accepted, granted that they do not have past criminal history. The thinking behind this program is that these children did not have any input about coming to a new country and personally do not have any connection to their native countries. The program requires eligible individuals to apply for citizenship and renew their file every two years so they can eventually be naturalized.

 Universities across the nation have announced their support for DACA and will continue to stand in solidarity with their undocumented students. American University went as far as stating that they “will continue to offer protection to the full extent allowed by law, guided by policies that guard the privacy and safety of every member of the university community.” Furthermore, they went on to state that they “will use every legal means at our disposal to offer our support and protection”.

 DACA should not be rescinded as it has provided many with the opportunity to attend school and eventually pursue higher education while others obtained jobs and worked to further themselves. These individuals have legitimately contributed to society and are not purely leeching off the government for benefits. As a whole, DACA beneficiaries saw an increase not only in social mobility but in educational attainment as well as mental health.

 Prior to DACA, undocumented immigrants were unable to equate high academic standing with professional and personal success. This was mainly a result of the lack of credentials that would establish them as US citizens, such as driver’s license and a social security card. Resulting in limited job opportunities that leads to a minimalistic income that cannot be used to sustain a basic lifestyle.

 Educational attainment was largely reported by DACA individuals. Most notable is Christina Velasquez, a senior at Georgetown University majoring in International Politics. Velasquez has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award two years in a row and is a Walsh scholar. Additionally, she has interned in the United States House of Representatives and has held two part time jobs. Without the benefits of DACA, Velasquez would not have been able to do the things she has done so far. It is evident that DACA has provided major educational opportunities for individuals who would not have them if not for the program. DACA is extremely beneficial to undocumented immigrants who wished to be naturalized and contribute to the workforce.

Take the Knee

Lauren Walinski

Staff Writer

This past Sunday, a number of players on various NFL teams decided to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and the unfair treatment of Black people and people of color in the United States by following in the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick. Players from the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and the Miami Dolphins decided to kneel.

 The players on the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, and all but one player on the Pittsburgh Steelers did not even take to the field until the anthem had already played. Players on a few teams locked arms, with or without kneeling, as a show of solidarity and in support of the right of players to protest. Even Meghan Linsey and Rico Lavelle, two singers performing at two of the games, kneeled at the end of their renditions of the anthem.

 Though President Trump praised the “great solidarity” shown by locking arms, he was less favorable of kneeling. He called for NFL owners to suspend or fire any “son of a b****” who kneeled during the national anthem, believing it to be a sign of disrespect for the flag. However, the players are well within their first amendment rights to protest peacefully in the way they did and, love or hate the protest, Trump punishing them for it would be unconstitutional.

 Many teams made statements in support of people of color in America, such as the players of the Seahawks, who made the following statement on not taking the field during the anthem: "We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country. Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms." Vernon Davis, tight end with the Redskins and 12-year war veteran, said he would love to be invited to the White House so he could tell the president that "we love the flag. Let's focus on solutions rather than attack those protesting."

College Applications Drive Seniors Crazy

Claudia Kolinchak

Managing Editor

‘Tis the season to be overwhelmed and confused (at least for the class of 2018). With fall right around the corner, the ever dreaded college application process is upon us, and it’s more confusing now than ever before.

 “The college application process is almost as confusing as the movie Interstellar” says high school senior Devin Bock who is just one of the many students overwhelmed by college applications. With the countless different accounts and applications we must maintain it’s no wonder we’re so stressed. Naviance, Common App, Coalition, and College Board are only the basic college accounts, but students can expect many more if they plan to apply directly to any schools.

 The websites promise to facilitate the application process by combining all your applications in one account; however this is far from true. The reality is that if you are applying to eight schools, chances are four may be on the Common Application, possibly two on the Coalition Application, and two directly to the institution. In addition, students must send transcripts and letters of recommendation through Naviance and SAT/ACT scores separately. The fear of missing a key part of an application is enough to drive seniors crazy.

 In addition to the confusion of applying, the amount of writing students must do is excessive. The Common Application essay, which was created so that one essay could be used for all of a student’s applications, has almost become pointless due to the increase of supplemental essays among colleges. A lot of colleges require their own writing prompt, and even when schools claim that their supplements are “optional”, what the school really means is “if you want us to think you are a good candidate for our school, write about how awesome we are here”. So instead of writing one essay for all their schools, students end up doing the Common App essay and individual supplements for each school, this is excluding any/all scholarships they are planning on applying for.

 Honestly, sometimes it seems like it would be easier if every school had their own application that students sent everything to directly to the college’s website, or even throwing it back to good ol’ fashioned paper portfolios. Technology has created a platform for colleges to demand so much data from students that we just become a number to them. However, year after year, more steps are added to the process and the senior classes get more and more stressed out.

 At this point, there’s nothing more that seniors can do other than attempt to fight their way through the maze that is known as the application process; Battling through dozens of essays, hundreds of background questions, and reporting countless numbers that score their intelligence. Upcoming seniors, be prepared, because it’s not getting any easier in the near future.  

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