Gaurdian Angels- Brianna Falco

The Angels never leave my side
May they guard the path on which I walk
May they keep my family safe from harm
And embrace my family into their loving arms
May they watch over us from dusk to dawn
And when my children are grown and gone
May they never leave my children's homes
To simply guard the path which they roam

                                                                       

High School Halftime by Cameron Riley

The end of the 2016-2017 school is near, just about 30 days to be exact. Kids are starting AP testing and finals are quickly creeping up on students. In our English class, we are sophomores heading into our Junior year of High School. In my sports mind, I am thinking of each year of High School as a quarter in a game. Freshman year is the 1st quarter, where you just get started into the game and start to learn quickly about your opponent and what the game will be like. Sophomore year is the 2nd quarter. The game/school year gets a little more difficult with fatigue of waking up early each morning and our work load has increased in our Honors classes and we are working hard to get to halftime. Junior year would be the 3rd quarter and Senior year as the 4th quarter. At this moment we as a class are very close to halftime in our High School career. Now that we are at this point in our lives, it may be beneficial to look back on what we have learned in the past to make a new game plan for the future. Just like in a game, at halftime the team goes into a locker room and talks about what they did right, or what they did wrong and correct it for the next half of the game. This year in our English class, we have talked about old writers and how they write their stories. Learning how to read old English and to develop our skills in understanding this type of writing. As a class we studied myth and culture back in Ancient times and, read the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley as well as the noble savage and relating the two to other stories. And finally, our class went through stories written by Shakespeare and Chaucer and learned about how their writing is crucial to learn about. Our class, myself included, has learned and developed many skills through this year. And now as a class when we get to halftime or the end of our sophomore year, we should look over our year and see how beneficial it was to help us get ready for the second half. School is just like a game. When your team is leading at the half or getting beat, you have a chance to review the game plan. While leading at the half is important, winning the game is the objective.
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Reducing Stress During the Exam System by Lomaani Ranasinghe

As we approach the final stretch of sophomore year we are faced with AP exams, finals, and the anxiety of finishing the school year with satisfactory grades, life can get ultra stressful. I decided to share a few tips that help me get through the stress of exam season.

Sleep!
Sleeping is essential to getting through finals. Though I myself am just as big of a culprit to no sleep, on the rare occasion that I do get 8-9 hours, I feel amazing and can concentrate better the next day. Of course, with the loads of homework I get every night and my tireless music schedule, It gets harder and harder to get work done at a decent time while still getting a healthy amount of sleep.  That’s why naps are a true lifesaver!

Eat!
Often we do not take the time to think about what we are eating, or we eat mindlessly. Eating the right foods is important for cell growth and energy. Plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein will get you through the rough days ahead. Eating small meals every 3 hours is optimal to keep you full and energized. If all else fails just eat a tub of ice cream!

Drink!
Give sugary soda a break this exam season and see the benefits of water. Our bodies consist of around 70% water,  it’s crucial that we replenish often and keep hydrated. Dehydration leads to lack of concentration, which isn’t an ideal condition to find yourself in when trying to pass exams.

Breath
Deep, long breaths slow the heart rate down, bring down your blood pressure and relieve anxiety or the nervous feeling you have before an exam. Your hours of studying can wait, just take two minutes to breath and calm down!

Music!
Some students react very differently to different sounds. I find that opera, jazz, and classical music helps me to focus in a magical way. Mozart and Beethoven are great choices. Other students find that hard rock or heavy medal helps them focus, some claim that soothing water sounds helps. Whatever helps don’t forget to listen to the sounds you love during studying for that test. Music is so important to the brain, and there are thousands of studies to prove it.

Play
Exercise and playing outdoors a few minutes a day can release endorphins that will immediately make you feel cheery. Now that spring and warmer weather is here, study outside!
Before you know it, the finals will be over and we can look forward to a carefree summer break. Put testing into perspective, as important as it is, this will not be your last test and you always have the chance of doing better next time. Be happy with working hard  and doing your best and whatever the outcome be prepared to be satisfied that you have done your best.

Good Luck!

Ways to End the School Year Successfully | by Samantha Patino

As we approach the end of the school year, stress levels always seem to increase among students.  Everyone constantly worries about their final grades, AP tests, and final exams.  Throughout the year everything seems to become more difficult and as a result, many students feel the weight of stress pulling them down.  Below are some ways to help cope with stress and be better prepared for exams and other schoolwork.  

Set goals:  Whether it's to finish the year off with straight A’s or getting a 4.0 on the AP test, make sure that you have something to work for.  Knowing your goals and what you want to get out of all of the hard work you have been doing will help to keep you motivated to finish off the year strong.   

Don’t wait until the last minute to study:  Make sure that you set time aside to study before the last night before a test.  If you have been studying for at least a couple of days before you take a test all of the information will seem more manageable than waiting until the night before.  Studying in advance will also help you to fully absorb all of the information.  As you get closer to the test date, remember to review concepts that confuse you.  Since you are leaving a good amount of time to study before the test, you will have time to go and ask your teacher for help on things that are hard to understand.       

Take breaks:  In between studying and finishing all other homework, set aside 10-30 minutes to do something other than staring at your computer or the pile of papers stacked in front of you.  During these breaks, try to do something that is productive or makes you happy, whether its getting everything ready for the next day or watching TV.  Knowing that you will be able to do things other than homework soon, will keep you motivated to get through everything that you have to do.  

Get outside:  Change your everyday schedule by taking advantage of the nice weather and finishing up homework outside.  Going outside to do some sort of physical activity can also help you to destress.

Stay organized:  Since the end of the year is nearing it’s easy to forget assignments and lose the organization that you had in the beginning of the year.  Use a planner or calendar to help keep your school assignments, studying, and other activities organized.  

 

Humans by Thomas Mortillaro

We together are stronger

We might fall to our knees

When being conquered

But we stay at ease

We live through threats

Are given no bread

Struggle in debts

But we still go to bed

We are given problems

We shake our legs 

Live in the slums

And we recover from plagues

We recover from wars

Even forgive our foes

We paint shiny doors

And still find that one special rose

Used By Zoe Merold

He gave his heart away,

Thinking that it would be cherished and kept safe,

That it would be treasured and valued.

But it was crushed,

And he could no longer breathe.

He gave his heart away,

To someone he believed he could trust,

Someone he thought would always care for him.

But they tossed it away,

And tossed him away along with it.

He gave his heart away,

Believing it would reveal how much he loved them,

How much he wanted them to be happy.

But they were blind to his intentions,

And he faded away.

He gave his heart away,

Not knowing that it would be worth nothing to them,

That they couldn’t care less about why it was given to them.

But he had no way of taking it back,

And he grew to no longer want it back.

He didn’t need his heart,

For all it could do was allow him to feel more pain,

The pain of realizing how little he meant to someone he loved.

And he couldn’t afford to feel anything,

Or he would collapse and shatter.

He no longer had a heart,

And he no longer felt anything,

Except for the silent and heavy void in his chest.

So he smiled at them,

And let himself be used.

He didn’t care anymore. 

How Elon Musk and Donald Trump have Affected American Industry and Technology | By: Pat McGurrin

       Recently, Donald Trump has been heavily criticized, due to his drastic EPA cuts, and his cuts on NASA programs. The President plans to lower the NASA budget to $19.1 billion annually (from $19.3 billion) and lower the EPA budget from $8.2 billion to $2.6 billion. Despite the drastic changes, Donald Trump does plan to compensate.

       Elon Musk had his start after co-founding PayPal, and selling it to eBay for nearly $1.6 billion. With his wealth, Musk funded his Tesla Motors and SpaceX startups. Between 2002 and 2003, when the companies were founded, they both experienced major financial losses, and Musk poured in all of his money to keep them alive. Today, Tesla Motors is one of the most valuable car companies, and SpaceX is redefining space travel. So how will Trump use these companies to to help?

       Today, NASA launches satellites with the Atlas V rocket, which costs (an 'affordable') $130 million per launch. Comparatively, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket costs $62 million to launch and land. Conventional rockets go up, and burn in the atmosphere, while the Falcon 9 is able to launch ,and land back on Earth, only to be reused, and launched again. Trump does plan to decrease NASA funding, but, he does plan to increase space-funding for private companies like SpaceX. With solid partnerships for space-services, Trump aims to both save money and encourage American industry.

       Trump also aims to expand industry via Tesla Motors, an electric car company also headed by Elon Musk. In January, Donald Trump and Elon Musk added Tesla Motors to the Manufacturing Council, which seeks to help create jobs within large companies. Tesla Motors already employs over 13,000 workers, with an expected 20,000-30,000 in the coming years. Despite this, Trump has supported increased oil and coal production. After meeting in December, Trump did applaud Musk's pioneering in renewable energy, but based upon his energy and climate policy, it seems that he may only support his industry creation. Trump does plan to lift pollution penalties, but he has not lifted green incentives. As of right now, Tesla buyers can get up to a $7,500 tax credit for their purchase of an electric vehicle.

       Musk has big plans for the future. By 2030, he wants SpaceX to front a mission to mars, and he wants America to run completely off-the-grid. SpaceX is still small, but its technology is far superior and cheaper to NASA's; all they have to do is gain public support. Currently, the Falcon 9 has a 93% success rate, compared to a 100% Delta IV and Atlas V success rate (The Falcon 9 is the only that can be reused). Also, Tesla Motors has received down payments for over 300,000 new Tesla Model 3's, a feat that was never imagined. Based upon SpaceX and Tesla's rapid growth, the future looks bright for America's future.

(Above) The Falcon 9 autonomously lands from space on an unmanned drone-barge.

Sources:

• Masunaga, Samantha. "SpaceX Track Record 'right in the Ballpark' with 93% Success Rate." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Web. 01 May 2017.
• Thrush, Glenn, and Coral Davenport. "Donald Trump Budget Slashes Funds for E.P.A. and State Department." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 May 2017.
• USATODAY Ledyard King. "Trump's NASA Budget Preserves Mars Mission, Cuts Earth Science, Asteroid Trip, Education." USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 16 Mar. 2017. Web. 01 May 2017.