A review from the Middle School

Sixth grade students share their views in annual opinions package

The Review Online • May 29, 2025

2025 Middle School Editorials

Glitter: The Minuscule Destroyer

I always love watching gender reveal videos, especially the ones with exploding glitter-filled balloons. But I started to think, who actually picks up each and every piece of glitter? No one, that is who.

Glitter is a microplastic. Science World describes microplastics as tiny pieces of plastic about five millimeters or 0.2 inches in length, which is smaller than a sesame seed. Microplastics are one of the things destroying our world, and the bad news is that glitter is everywhere—even in our nail polish, paints, decorations and makeup.

There is so much glitter and plastic in our world. In 2023, Study Finds reported that about five trillion individual pieces of glitter are thrown into the ocean annually. This all happens because humans are incapable of cleaning the miniscule glitter. The thing is, glitter is hard to pick up, so we should only use environmentally friendly glitter to avoid hurting the earth. We currently have about eight trillion tons of glitter in our oceans, which hurts my heart because I really love the beach.

Not only do people leave glitter to be thrown into the oceans, but marine and boat paint industries incorporate glitter into their paint to make them look shiny and pretty. According to BoatsUS, boats have to be repainted every two years, so you can imagine how much glitter and paint is being washed off.

But glitter isn’t just hurting our planet, it is also hurting us. A 2023 PBS study estimated that “humans ingest or inhale more than 100,000 bits of plastic each day.” That’s like eating a plastic bottle cap each week.

Toothpaste is supposed to make your teeth whiter, not transfer glitter and plastic into your body. While it does clean your teeth and improves your health, it is not good for the people putting toothpaste in their mouths because of the amount of glitter in it. I told my teacher about all the glitter in our toothpaste and bodies, and she was horrified that we were consuming so much plastic every day.

Instead of just going cold turkey on glitter, which would be hard, we should only use eco-friendly glitter. Scientists are developing a planet-safe glitter made from marble berries. They extract the cellulose from the Pollia condensata (marble berry), form it into a thin film, and finally grind it to make biodegradable glitter. Instead of letting this mini destroyer pollute our earth, we should use only eco-friendly glitter and save our planet. Even though you can buy cellulose glitter in different colors online, people still buy harmful glitter is because it is cheaper. People want quick, easy glitter — they don’t really care where it comes from. But to help our planet, we have to be willing to pay premium prices.

Opinion by Ana Carolina de la Torre

Sleep, please.

I broke a law, and so did you.

Millions of years of evolution created humans. Yet we are constant rule breakers, and one of the many natural laws we have broken is our circadian rhythm—in other words, our sleep cycle.

As adolescents slowly grow into teenagers, they start to require more sleep for their bodies to develop properly. Specifically, they need around nine to 9.5 hours of sleep per night. As we grow, we desperately need more sleep. Unfortunately, research done by the National Sleep Foundation shows that 80% of teens across America are not getting necessary sleep. Recently, I have found myself staying up two hours later than I normally do. With that in mind, you may know you need to sleep, but do you know why you need to sleep?

Sleep plays a crucial role in your attention span. Without proper sleep, you can lose far more focus than you might have expected. In an article by Harvard Health Publishing, Dr. Epstein stated that “going without sleep for 48 hours impairs cognitive abilities to the same degree as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1%, above the legal limit for driving in every state.”

Drunk driving is one of the largest contributors to homicides involving a car. If we consider drinking and driving dangerous, why do we allow poor sleep, which is equally dangerous? While this scenario is extreme, I have had many days after a poor night's sleep when I can hardly make it through a class without zoning out, especially during academics when my brain is most stressed.

I’ve just focused on the technical side of the story. Now, it’s time for the medical.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep is when the body releases chemicals that tell your brain to increase muscle growth, repair damaged cellular material, and allow natural growth. This healing property, granted during sleep, is why it is so important.

Not only does sleep physically help you, but it also has mental benefits. Experts have seen that sleep can lower emotional stress, which leads to a lower chance of depression. In fact, 75% of people who are depressed have reported difficulty sleeping. In my own experiences, cuts, scars, wounds have healed faster when I sleep rather than during the day, and I experience fewer mood swings when I sleep longer.

So, what can you do? First, only consume non-caffeinated beverages several hours before going to sleep. Also, disconnect yourself from devices that emit blue light, which affects your circadian rhythm by making it think that it’s earlier than it actually is, usually around one hour before bed.

Setting proper sleep schedules and knowing when you’re planning on going to bed will further assist you in sleeping better. While these tips may be helpful, the best way to reap the benefits of sleep is to simply turn off the lights and shut your eyes.

Opinion by Andrew Zhang

Sprinklers: What’s the Big Deal?

As I come home from school, I watch as our neighbor’s sprinklers turn on, half watering their plants, and the other half watering our driveway. Every day, precious water is being wasted on things that don’t need to be watered. So what are our alternatives?

Micro irrigation, commonly referred to as drip irrigation, is a process in which water is emitted more slowly and directly into the soil. There are three main types of micro irrigation according to Tampa Bay Water: in-line drip tubing, drip emitters, and micro-sprays. In-line drip tubing works by snaking a tube around the plants and is the standard irrigation for plants situated closely together like rows of flowers or bushes. Drip emitters, on the other hand, cater to singular plants and don’t need to have a tube. Finally, micro-sprays provide water to more areas, but they are still efficient since they are low to the ground, spraying water directly into the dirt.

A few months ago, my dad spoke to me about switching our sprinkler system to something called a drip-line, similar to an in-line drip tubing. At the time, I didn’t know what that was. He told me it was more eco-friendly than regular sprinklers and that the drip-line saved water. I looked further into this and found out that, since the water from pop-up sprinklers often just lays on the top of the plants and doesn’t sink into the ground, it just evaporates. According to Irrigreen, a standard sprinkler system with six zones that waters each zone for 20 minutes, twice a week, can use around 15,000 gallons each month. In comparison, drip lines use about 8,000 gallons of water per month, saving roughly 50 percent more water.

Micro irrigation is also more effective in watering plants. According to Andy’s Sprinkler Company, “It is designed to deliver water slowly to the root zone of plants and trees.” So when using drip-lines, your plants can be healthier and stronger since the water is going directly to the roots where water is needed most. Drip irrigation is 90 percent efficient, while regular sprinklers are 65 to 75 percent efficient.

Additionally, micro irrigation can save up to 70 percent on water bills because there is less water being used. Although the initial purchase of a micro irrigation system is more expensive, in the long run you save more money making it a better investment. You can spend less money, save water, and help your plants be better versions of themselves.

Water is a finite resource and essential for our survival, so it’s crucial to become more conscious of how we use it. The next time you spot your sprinklers dousing the driveway instead of your lawn, consider switching to a more efficient sprinkler system like micro irrigation. It’s an easy change that not only conserves water but also helps plants thrive.

Opinion by Anta Holm

An Epidemic of Dehydration: Why Children and Teens aren’t Drinking Enough Water

One Saturday afternoon, I had a pounding headache. Not the kind that you can sleep off or blame on too much screen time — the kind that makes you question your life choices. I reached for some Tylenol, but then it hit me. I hadn't taken a sip of water all day.

Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluid than it takes in, preventing it from functioning properly. According to the Institute of Medicine, children and teens are recommended to consume between 64 and 96 fluid ounces of water daily. Failing to meet this requirement can result in low energy, headaches, and skin damage—consequences no one wants to deal with.

Unfortunately, like many others, I fall short of this hydration goal as well. I definitely don’t drink 64 to 96 ounces of water a day, probably not even 60. To put that into perspective, a standard plastic water bottle holds around 20 ounces of water, meaning a whole day’s worth should be at least four bottles. That might sound manageable, but many teens, including myself, don't come close.

A study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health showed that, among thousands of students, more than half are at least slightly dehydrated. This survey also highlights another major issue, that many of us are dehydrated without even knowing.

Many teens go through their life not realizing they’re dehydrated simply because they don’t recognize the obvious signs. A study from the Journal of Nutrition found that mild dehydration often occurs before a person feels thirsty, so many teens aren’t aware of when their bodies actually need water.

Without signals, it’s easy to go through a day without even feeling slightly thirsty. Hydration isn’t an immediate concern for many teens, so it often gets overlooked in favor of other needs like food, caffeine, or just pushing through fatigue when, in reality, water is the one thing our bodies are missing the most.

Many teens don’t drink enough water simply because they choose other drinks instead, especially sugary beverages. With so many options like soda, sports drinks, and flavored coffees and teas, plain water feels boring in comparison. Whether it’s in the cafeteria or at the concessions stand, students constantly opt for a Snapple, smoothie, or energy drink instead of water.

This preference doesn’t only occur at SJS—it’s a widespread habit among most students. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly two-thirds of American children consume at least one sugary drink each day. These habits not only contribute to an excessive sugar intake but also a decline in water consumption. Since many teens automatically reach for these unhealthy drinks without considering hydration, the water consumption in teens has been steadily decreasing.

When was the last time you had a glass of water? If you had to think about it, it’s probably been too long. Drinking enough water may not seem like a big deal, but it can make a noticeable difference in how you feel each day. Try having a glass during your meals, take a few sips when you’re thirsty, and make it a habit. It’s a small change, but your body will thank you for it.

Opinion by Benjy Yap

Unrecognizable Ingredients

Carnauba wax, Xylitol and Esteryne Chloride are all ingredients found in food. Well…kind of. One of these ingredients is fake, but which one? We have too many unrecognizable ingredients in our food, and it needs to stop.

It is unquestionably hard to have a snack like a Twinkie when there are ingredients like mono- and diglycerides. But do people know what this actually is? Well, in the healthy baking world, those are basically just fatty oils. Unrecognizable ingredients like these need to be taken out of snacks and foods that are marketed as healthy. Is it really worth eating this type of stuff? Having one every now and then won't necessarily make me feel like I am ruining my life, but do people really need to be eating this on a daily basis?

According to Newsweek, in 2024 there were 48,193 deaths because of unrecognizable ingredients: 13,557 from cancer and 11,416 due to cardiovascular disease caused by heart or blood vessel problems. My parents have always been telling me how I need to eat less sugar and eat healthier, and now I see why.

I plan on making my own goldfish crackers soon! A few days ago, I made homemade peppermint patties, which were only made with coconut, peppermint extract, and maple syrup. They were delicious and so easy. Making your own food at home is fun and way healthier than buying it.

Our lives revolve around ultra-processed foods because they are cheaper but still have mediocre taste and no health benefits. Half of the average human's diet includes unrecognizable ingredients, as stated in an article by Vital Strategies. I have seen a lot of people feeding their kids a bunch of junk and ultra-processed foods at every meal. Butter used to be butter but is now butter extract? This needs to stop. This one grosses me out every time because I just can't imagine tasting it.

See, nowadays food takes who knows how long to make because the ingredients have to sit for them to work. Chocolate used to be made of cocoa powder, sugar, and cocoa butter, but can you guess what it is made of these days? Our ancestors would not recognize these ingredients, and that is sad. There are now eleven ingredients in a Hershey’s chocolate bar. The unrecognizable ingredients are Alkali, soy lecithin, PGPR, and emulsifier vanillin. When I bake, the food is healthy and so easy to make, while only using ingredients that I have heard of and that I like.

Did you guess that Esteryne Chloride was the fake ingredient in my introduction? That’s why you should make your own food. If you don't, at least make sure you know what is in it.

Opinion by Claire Haas

Oust the open gradebook

Reload, reload, reload, reload…

Some people wait for hours refreshing their phone, looking to see if their big test was finally graded. When the big moment arrives, they open the assignment on their screen and…. they are disappointed. They decide to immediately call their friends to compare results. This is a perfect example as to why all gradebooks should be closed.

Many schools have open gradebooks that students or parents can access through an online portal at any time, anywhere. Thankfully, at our school, the administration has never used this common tool. Students and parents can only view grades at the middle and end of each semester. This system is extremely helpful for lowering stress levels.

Kids are often nervous about school. In the hallways of middle school, I see and hear students filled with worry. In fact, according to the 2017 American Psychological Association Stress Survey, 83% of students said that school is a major stressor. The number of people stressed about school could be dramatically decreased by closing the gradebook. Grades are supposed to be a progress report, not your whole life. This obsession is not necessarily the students' fault. Grades largely determine which universities accept you, and the prestige of your university could affect your career and the rest of your professional life. Harvard Summer School also reports that 69% of students are stressed about their post-high school life and admission into university.

Sharing grades is irresistible and with an open gradebook, grades are easier to access at any time. We have all done it. I have been guilty of this act many times, but competing with your peers may have a negative impact. The comparison of grades could also affect relationships with your friends and teachers. I’ve seen this, too, many times before; the consequences of comparison are not worth the limited or nonexistent rewards. Once, after my history teacher showed us our individual averages before a test, my best friend unintentionally hurt my feelings by proudly informing me of his higher grade. Schools should not allow kids to view their live grades with the click of a button because of the harm it can do. When grades are shared, it can cause unnecessary emotional distress and unintended consequences.

Our teachers are extremely busy. They grade all our assignments, try to help each student, offer time to answer questions and, on top of all of that, teach all their classes. They do not deserve to be annoyed by students because of dissatisfaction with grades. If the gradebook is closed, then teachers will be bombarded less often since the only time students are informed of their grades is when an assignment is returned or after quarterly reports.

Closed gradebooks are beneficial for students and educators. If your school opts for an open gradebook, try advocating for a closed one by informing school administrators and leaders about the negative consequences of an open gradebook. Let us ensure that school is a place for learning and aim for less stress on all students and teachers.

Opinion by David Stanietzky

The struggle is real: America’s suffering healthcare system

We begged our mom to go see a doctor. Her hip had hurt for weeks, and it was only getting worse. She adamantly refused, even though she was clearly in unbearable pain. When we asked why, her response was, “It’s too expensive.”

My mother isn’t the only person to say this. Countless Americans struggle to afford healthcare. A 2023 survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that 51% of working-age Americans struggle to pay their medical bills. Another report showed that 43% of working Americans have more than $2,000 of medical debt. My friend Lauren Levan said, “My grandma breaks her hip and falls a lot, and it’s extremely expensive because all the trips to the doctor add up.” Families should not be burdened with medical debt because of old age or other imminent health problems.

Do other countries also have ridiculously priced healthcare? The answer is no. Take our neighbor to the north. An article by Ross University says, “Since 1984, the Canada Health Act (CHA) has provided all Canadians with publicly funded healthcare. The government distributes funds to the provinces and territories, which must each provide care and fulfill CHA requirements for their citizens.”

An article by Harvard Business Review says, “All high-income countries other than the United States cover all their residents’ insurance. The best-performing American states in terms of life expectancy have uninsured rates of 3% to 6% compared to about 8% for the country as a whole.” But 3-6% is not universal coverage. Canada’s nominal GDP (gross domestic product) per capita is $55,890 USD, and the U.S’s nominal GDP per capita is $89,678 USD as of February 2025. Since the U.S has much more money than Canada, shouldn’t it have much better healthcare?

You might be thinking: Since America’s healthcare is so expensive, the quality must be very high. According to Harvard Business Review, life expectancy (as of 2021) in the five highest-performing U.S states ranged from 79.9 (Hawaii) to 79 (New York). The article also states that in a Commonwealth Fund analysis, the United Kingdom had the lowest life expectancy (80.4) among the nine highest-income countries. Even the leading U.S state couldn’t beat the life expectancy of the lowest-performing well-paid country.

However, our country isn’t completely hopeless. The United States is a democracy, and you can always put your opinions out to the public. For example, you can send letters to Congress addressing healthcare issues or call state representatives and talk to them about the importance of quality healthcare. If you don’t want to do any of that, you could also support candidates who speak up for affordable and effective healthcare.

Of course, you could escape a significant chunk of medical debt if you just stay healthy by eating a balanced diet without too much junk food and processed snacks. Also, please, I beg you, eat your fruits and vegetables! Try to exercise daily, even if it’s only for 30 minutes. Some exercise is always better than no exercise at all.

With America’s collective wealth, advanced educational systems, and well-developed technology, we should lead, not lag in healthcare.

Opinion by Emily Fu

Why cheerleading is a sport and is not gender-defined

Though you may not have realized it, cheerleading is so much more than a bunch of girls in short skirts yelling for their team. It is not exactly one thing, and within the sport there are subdivisions including All-Star Cheer, Collegiate Cheer, High School Cheer and more.

People often believe that cheerleading is not a sport or that it is only for girls. In 2016, the International Olympic Committee designated cheerleading as a sport, yet, the NCAA still refuses to acknowledge it is a sport.

A sport is generally considered an activity involving physical exertion, and cheer is definitely that. Being a cheerleader, I can tell you that throwing people in the air and doing advanced tumbling, all while smiling and pretending it is easy, is not really that simple. Additionally, most teams condition, and from wind sprints to jump drills, it is quite intense.

Cheer teams put a lot of effort into their performances. School teams may cheer at pep rallies and games as well as competitions while All-Star cheerleaders compete exclusively in competitions. According to the Gazette, for an activity to be classified as a sport, it must have competition. Because cheer has competitions, it should be considered a sport.

Unfortunately, there is a incorrect cheerleading stereotype. Commonly, people believe that cheerleading is only for girls, but it actually started out as an activity in which men would do tricks and lead chants. Eventually, cheer evolved into what people consider a feminine sport. However, men often add a lot of value to teams in high school and college. In All-Star, teams are usually co-ed. My cheerleading coaches are male, and they were on cheer teams as well.

I encourage you to spread awareness of cheerleading as a sport and try it. When you see cheerleaders, think of their strength and capability. Cheer has given me a new type of happiness, and I hope you can help us face the adversity of these harmful biases.

Opinion by Emily Whalen

Ditch the plastic Mardi Gras beads!

After going to a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans for the first time in five years, the first thing that caught my eye was the countless beads laying around on the streets and sidewalk. If you’ve ever been to these parades, you probably know about the plastic beads thrown from parade floats, but you might not know that these shiny, plastic necklaces are actually dangerous. I have even been hit by a full bag of beads thrown by people on the float who were too lazy to remove the beads from the bags themselves.

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. In Christianity, it marks the fasting season when people eat a giant feast. There are different parades given by krewes, like Bacchus or Endymion. These parades have colorful, themed floats with people in costume, all throwing out items to bystanders. Besides beads, they also toss stuffed animals or items that are specific to certain krewes like painted coconuts, high heels and even toilet paper and plungers.

Beads thrown from these parade floats can inflict paradegoers with concussions when thrown too hard or in large quantities. According to a 2023 New Orleans news report, Mardi Gras medical personnel helped over 2,000 people, with many of the injuries caused by bystanders being struck in the face or head. Beads are typically left behind on the streets since nobody actually keeps the cheap ones, and in many cases, they end up in sewage or landfills, polluting the environment.

In a 2018 article by AFAR Media, sanitation workers found over 93,000 pounds of these beads in New Orleans’ storm drains. All that plastic going to waste is not worth the thrill of catching a prize when there are so many better items that not only give you that same euphoria but also are better for the environment. For all you animal lovers out there, those beads could be killing that same seagull you fed breadcrumbs to on the beach one day.

If you ever go to Mardi Gras and ride in a parade, choose to throw toys like stuffed animals and cups, and not the inexpensive junk beads. You may even feel more fulfilled when you see the recipients of these items being much happier about them. If you are on the receiving end, make a sign or find some other way to show the riders that you don’t want plastic beads.

Even if you have never even been to Mardi Gras and don’t plan on going, you can speak to people you know that do go, write to parade officials asking to remove plastic beads from their menagerie available to purchase or ask them to ban the beads altogether. If that fails, you can ask for them to at least put a limit or otherwise restrict the number of beads one person can buy. As the Once-ler once warned in The Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Opinion by Ethan Israel

Straight As: Are they the path to success?

As my test landed on the table, I scanned it for the grade. It was one of the hardest tests I had ever taken. I was so used to getting As, so when I saw the 71, I didn’t know what to do and started to freak out. Was my future totally hindered now that I didn’t get an A? Sounds stupid, right?

In the minds of most straight-A students, thinking this way is normal. They’ll become distraught when they get one bad grade and think it could ruin their career. They only focus on studying and acing tests, which can sometimes lead to missed social opportunities. Is getting straight A’s really the only path to success?

If you look closely, many people we think of as extremely smart, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, didn’t have the best grades and weren’t valedictorians. The most influential people who changed the world sometimes barely had a single A. Martin Luther King Jr. only had one A throughout his four years at Morehouse College. The creator of the iPhone, Steve Jobs, dropped out of Reed College, yet still went to lectures he found interesting while bunking in his friends’ dorms. Bill Gates had one of the worst attendance records at Harvard because, instead of going to classes he signed up for, he attended ones that caught his interest and fascinated him.

Additionally, an NYU study showed that having straight A’s might even have an adverse effect on success. While most of the straight-A students had well-paying jobs, the most successful people were the students who received B’s and C’s because most schools don’t test their students on one of the most important qualities of the 21st century: innovation. The majority of the students who get B’s or C’s don’t need to be rewarded with an A to chase their dreams. The NYU study also demonstrated that the higher the GPA, the less desire of innovation there was. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to tell you to aim for a B, but if you do receive one, you’re not doomed.

Finally, many students who aspire for straight A’s sometimes choose easier classes for a higher grade instead of choosing topics they are actually interested in. Dr. Adam Grant, a psychologist and social scientist, refers to this as “staying in your comfort zone,” which can limit someone. When you push yourself that extra bit, whether it be signing up for a harder class, facing your fears, or even just doing something you don’t like, it builds resilience. This trait is found in innovators, pioneers, and trailblazers.

Ultimately, it’s your choice. You can take the easy route, always get the A, and be perfect. Or you can tolerate a B once in a while, challenge yourself, and reach your goals. Do what you find interesting and have a passion for — don’t just do it for the grade.

Opinion by Ethan Li

Hunters vs. The Rules

One of the worst sounds a hunter will ever hear is the sound of a game warden’s handcuffs.

Hunters aren’t as aware of the rules as they should be, such as mis-tagging a deer. This may sound odd at first, but when you look into it, it’s more serious than you think.

According to a November 2020 article in Natural Resources, mis-tagging a deer (a tag that makes a deer kill legal, including the location, date, and ownership of the deer) is the most common rule broken. Hunters often put the wrong tag on the deer, maybe one for a turkey or a duck, or they fill this tag out incorrectly, often with the wrong date or registration.

My family has hired a professional to tag our deer because of how difficult it is. Game wardens don't take this responsibility lightly, and they will fine you for doing the slightest thing incorrectly, and possibly arrest you based on the circumstances.

In an article in Texas Parks and Wildlife, one way to avoid charges or arrest is to buy the Public Lands Map Booklet, which has all the information needed to hunt legally, from the land you can hunt in to the animals available. It will also help you avoid not getting your license pulled, fined or arrested.

It is also important to know the rules about buying guns. Anything besides a .44 to .775 caliber rifle, a barrel longer than 18 inches, a buckshot (which is a gun that shoots multiple shots at once), or non-black powder is illegal and you will be fined and possibly serve time in prison.

If you are caught hunting without a proper license, you will be ticketed. You are likely hunting illegally in at least one way, if you don’t know the proper rules of hunting, so you might be breaking the rules again.

In order to get my permit, the first step in getting my license, I took my Hunter’s Safety Test about a year ago. However, I had a little bit of help. The test was with my dad and other parents whose kids were taking the class, so it was pretty much rigged with everybody shouting out the answers. There was even a game warden there that taught for around seven hours just to have everyone get a perfect score. The other kids probably did not learn anything from it, and even worse, the warden couldn’t do anything about it.

Hunters have a limit on how many animals they can shoot per day. Shooting over the limit is a minor offense, but every law has its consequences. Many people break this law by overshooting dove, duck, and possibly deer. These violations are by far the easiest to get away with considering that the game warden has to come all the way over to you and ask how many you have, especially if you own a high-fenced ranch, because they have no way of getting in. But even this minor offense can lead to small fines.

Hunters have become careless by buying illegal guns, hunting in illegal lands, and shooting over their limit… way over their limit. However, all you need is to run into one of the 6,800 game wardens in the U.S. to get arrested.

Follow the rules and others will follow your lead, so I encourage you to learn the rules — then maybe we can change the course of hunting forever.

Opinion by Grant Gentle

Success: What is it, and how do I get there?

Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomach after getting a bad math grade or letting your soccer team down and losing the game? Have you then thought to yourself, why did that happen? Why didn’t I succeed?

In soccer I play goalkeeper. When I started in this position, I didn’t have much experience, so I wasn’t the best player. On top of that, my team wasn’t the best, and we were the youngest team in the league. So I was in the goal all by myself — the last line of defense. The first games were shot after shot, goal after goal, which didn’t make me feel great.

But I continued to play.

After several games and many more goals scored on me, I was slowly becoming better at my position. Although we often see failing and losing as bad things, that isn’t always the case. If I was put on the best team and won all the time, I probably wouldn’t haven’t become better. I wouldn’t have become successful because it would have just been easy for me the whole time.

The key to success cannot be summarized in one article because it is such a broad topic and something that everyone strives for. Though everyone wants to find the shortcut to success, it is not just handed out. It requires patience, hard work and resilience.

Success can give you self-worth and passion. In order to succeed, you cannot just wait for success to happen because it does not happen overnight. It takes time and multiple trials. In fact, Thomas Edison needed 1,000 attempts before he invented the light bulb. That’s right, the incredibly successful inventor Thomas Edison failed 999 more times than he succeeded. He once said, “Many of life's failures are people that didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

It is okay to fail. In fact, failing is a good thing. My dad, one of the most successful people I know, is very good at a lot of things he does, especially rowing. Prior to rowing, he was a golfer. When he tried out for the golf team in high school, he got cut. Though he was upset, he tried out for the rowing team and made the varsity boat. He went on to win four world championships and competed in the Olympics twice. In this case, failing and getting cut from the golf team was a good thing. The reason my dad is so successful is because he wasn’t limited by failure — he saw it as an opportunity to become successful.

There is not one correct path to success. You need to find out what matters to you. Beth Comsock, a successful female business leader and the former director of Nike, said, “There is no right way to achieve success. There is your way.”

Follow your own path and listen to yourself. You are not going to be successful if you are the same as everyone else. My grandma is a very successful woman, and she has always told me to be a leader, not a follower. You should not always follow the crowd, you should lead it.

Having a positive and resilient mindset goes a long way, and it will help you achieve many goals. In order to be successful, you should take constructive criticism, seek feedback and learn from your failures. Psychologist Carol Dweck focuses on having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. According to Dweck, “Individuals who believe their talents can be developed have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more goals than people with fixed mindsets.” People that believe their talents are innate gifts don’t become as successful as those who put in the work and allow their mind to grow.

Though we all know that we have talents, there will always be someone smarter than you, more talented than you and better than you. And you have to accept that. Be confident in yourself and know that you will do the best that you can do.

And sometimes that won’t be good enough. But that is okay.

You need to have the confidence to grow and to be the best version of yourself. That’s how you will become successful — not because you're born with a gift but because you work hard and stay resilient.

Next time that you are trying something new or thinking about how to become a better version of yourself, I want you to remember that, in order to be successful, you have to adapt to failure and learn from it, find your own way, and to have the right mindset. If you can adapt to these things, you will get that A+ on your math test and catch that ball before it goes into the net.

Opinion by Greta Collins

Factory farms were dealt a bad hand

Did somebody just say factory farm?! No! The horror! But what about how 99% of farm animals are kept in factory farms at some point of their lives?

Out in the countryside, there is a little ranch owned by my extended family. I have many great memories from that little refuge. But its purpose is not recreation, it is to raise, and then sell, cows to feedlots or for animals to eat corn before slaughter. So I started to wonder, are the farms that my family’s cows sent to really that bad?

Factory farms are large concentrations of one animal species that are kept in a small area to be fattened up before slaughter. When someone mentions factory farms, many probably think of manure or massive herds of cows and chickens. While these conditions are not ideal, have you ever thought about the benefits? There are many, but the biggest one is making our economy money. In 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that America’s beef industry from cattle herds alone was worth $61 billion even before the cows were sold. Currently, there are about 75% of cows in feedlots (also known as CAFOs or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), making it a truly massive industry.

While this is great for our economy, what does it mean for the average consumer? In a random price comparison of different types of beef, researchers found that a grass-fed, free-range sirloin steak cost about two dollars more than from a corn-fed cow that lived on a feedlot. While this amount may seem miniscule, it adds up. Because the U.S. consumes around 30 billion pounds of beef a year, it is possible we have saved around $50 billion from these farming techniques.

So, did factory farms get off to a bad start? And what about the mortality rates of these terrible factory farms? Surely these horrible, extreme death rates must be through the roof because of disease. Well, not really. According to a summary of 14 studies, mortality rates were only 1 to 5 percent in feedlots, with most of the deaths being young calves who were naturally weaker.

I want to be clear, I am not trying to convince you that CAFOs are perfectly natural or that their conditions are fine. We still have a lot of work to do to improve these establishments. I am just asking that we keep an open mind and realize that factory farms have been unfairly portrayed. They have had their virtues pushed aside and their vices put in the spotlight. So, next time you hear about factory farms, remember that there are still many upsides of CAFOs that are ignored which are beneficial to know.

Opinion by Henry Prati

Financial literacy: a must for young adults

Remember when you got your first allowance, and you felt rich for about five seconds before spending all your money on only one item? Well, that is going to be how you feel in adulthood if you don’t learn how to manage your money now.

Schools should be required to teach financial literacy. A lack of financial education leaves students unprepared for real-world responsibilities. Key skills like budgeting, understanding compound interest, managing debt and filing taxes are crucial, but without the knowledge of these concepts, students can struggle as adults. Misunderstanding these concepts can also lead to serious financial difficulties and result in missed opportunities to grow and manage money effectively in adulthood.

Research on childhood financial development shows that students who learn basic financial concepts early are more likely to successfully manage money, save a portion of their earnings and stick to budgets as an adult.

I get a weekly allowance and receive money for birthdays and Christmas. If I don’t plan carefully, I might end up spending it on small items instead of saving for something more important, like new shoes. This is an example of how learning to budget and manage money today will help me build strong habits for the future.

Understanding finance isn’t just about avoiding small mistakes — it’s also an important life skill that helps people make informed decisions as they get older. Research also shows that people with financial knowledge are better equipped to solve problems, think critically and manage their money responsibly.

A lack of financial literacy can lead to serious problems. Without money-management skills, people are more likely to fall into debt due to poor spending habits or a lack of planning. According to the Financial Education Evaluation Toolkit, financial illiteracy can result in poor credit, bankruptcy or even foreclosure. While I’m not facing these problems now, I’ve experienced what it is like to owe money and struggle to pay it back, like when I borrowed money from a friend for snacks. If I don’t learn to manage my finances now, I could face bigger problems later.

Another important topic I’ve learned about, which hasn’t been taught in school yet, is compound interest, which allows money to grow by earning interest on both the principal and interest earned. According to the U.S Securities and Exchange Commision, even small savings can grow significantly over time if you start early. A National Endowment for Financial Education study found that 89% of young adults don’t understand compound interest, so they may be missing the chance to grow their wealth.

I learned that if I save just $10 a month now it could turn into thousands of dollars by the time I’m an adult. This explains why schools should teach this concept early, so students don’t miss out on easy ways to increase their savings.

Another important financial topic is taxes. Many adults I know find tax season confusing, and I could end up feeling just as lost when it’s my turn. Just like math or science, understanding taxes is an essential life skill. A study by the New York Post found that the average Gen Z adult only understands about 44% of the tax-filing process. Without proper financial literacy, young adults may make mistakes, miss deadlines, or face penalties when filing taxes improperly.

For all these reasons, schools should make financial literacy a required subject. If your school doesn’t offer it, talk to an adult and start learning on your own. The sooner you understand how money works, the better prepared you'll be for the future.

Opinion by Isla Martinez

Better to be bored: the unimagined benefits

When you just can’t fall asleep and start to stare into space, you’re becoming more intelligent, but it's not the type you’d have first thought of.

While this doesn’t necessarily mean you should stay up searching for stars, it does tell us something much more crucial.

What if I told you this intelligence is creativity?

As a dreamer, I still recall many instances when using my imagination and entertaining myself shaped my childhood. And I’m sure you can relate, from enthusiastic magical fantasies you made up with your dolls to the most eerie scary stories you told at sleepovers late at night, there wasn’t anything stopping your thoughts from running wild. So what happened to our creativity? Why can’t we discover the lore and secrets made in our heads anymore?

And I didn’t exactly mind those questions since then. That was, until something inside me stirred again. One particular teacher encouraged her students to solve riddles — the ones that inspired you to employ all varieties of skills and think outside your confined space.

Imagination was once a world where anything you dreamed was possible. So looking back, I just couldn’t help but ask where this all went.

But I wasn’t alone — in fact, there’s a reason.

As life gets stressful and demanding, we have less time to think, to wonder, to reflect. When you’re bored and have a chance for the wheels of your mind to take a break from constantly turning, your imagination can wander, and you start seeing things through a brand new lens. Everything becomes more meaningful, and so do your thoughts.

In addition to our hectic schedules, our remarkable world of screens and technology has also taken a turn for the worse. And no, I don’t mean space robots. Although this newfound technology allows me to access a vast digital world with a variety of tools, from answering any question to calling my friend, it has a negative side as well.

An updated 2025 study depicts this exactly, showing an appalling average of seven hours of screen time daily in the U.S. While it may be difficult to believe, this data is a remarkable sign that we are gluing our eyes to electronic screens whenever we are bored. This limits the mind's abilities to wander and dream and for creativity to develop.

It turns out that imagination isn’t our only problem, not even close. In another study initialized in 1950 on the Torrance Test, a standardized exam used to appraise creativity was conducted by William and Mary University which concluded that overall scores plunged in the 1990s. And they have been persistently tumbling downward ever since. But that’s not all. What’s truly peculiar behind this data is the similar decline in IQ scores. Why?

Because creativity is also intelligence.

Often overlooked, creativity is a key component of fluency and innovation and is practically essential for ingenuity. It’s the difference between spitting out rehearsed knowledge and discovering new breakthroughs. This is what's holding you back. This is what’s holding us back.

Your career may be at stake, as Harvard Business School proclaims how creativity can significantly sharpen adaptability and critical thinking. It is an “in demand skill” required for many professions in the field.

And while the trouble may loom, we can take a breather and remedy this quite easily. By appreciating your life and building authentic, fresh experiences, such as long walks, steaming showers, and social interaction, we can produce genuine creativity.

Despite its contradiction with a tightly woven schedule, this creativity crisis can be solved from pursuing one act: reflection. Reflect on what you’ve done. Think about your day, what you want to do, and what you can do. Try new things, and don’t be afraid of failure.

So now, I’ll leave you with a mission to enhance your mind. Only then will you start to perceive your art of creativity in your own way.

Opinion by Jerry Liang

Why collective punishment is harmful for kids

Ever since first grade, I’ve hated when the teacher took away a privilege for the entire class just because of a few misbehaving students. I wanted to prove that these kinds of collective punishments are unfair and detrimental to kids and often causes more harm than help.

Firstly, collective punishment is unfair for obedient kids. As Berwick Lodge Primary School principal Henry Grossek wisely pointed out, it would be borderline crazy to punish the passengers in a car because the driver was speeding. Collective punishment follows the same logic in which everyone is punished because of the behavior of a few individuals. So why are kids and students punished collectively if adults aren’t?

As an elementary school student, my teachers and lunch monitors would often punish us collectively as a class or grade level, mostly because the same annoying kids would misbehave. I remember feeling angry and indignant over this unfair treatment, and oftentimes, I would want to scream with frustration.

Next, collective punishment can often cause more harm than good. My fifth grade homeroom class would repeatedly miss a few minutes of recess or get treats taken away from us because the same group of annoying kids would keep talking, but punishing the entire class didn’t seem to fix anything. Instead, it just made people like me get mad at the trouble-making students for getting us all punished.

Additionally, younger kids have been known to cry and even have sleepless nights because their entire class was punished, and they didn’t know what they did wrong to get their treat taken away. In military training, many officers have found that collective punishment of a unit can cause more people to disobey orders because they might believe that the reward of their misbehavior is worth it since everyone might be punished anyway. Studies have shown that members of a group may even turn against one another after being punished for something they didn’t do.

Though I have never actually acted out, I remember seething with anger and thinking during one of our many long, silent lunches: “What’s the point of following the rules if we’re all going to be called out and punished anyway?” I was so sick of the meaningless punishments that never actually seemed to fix anything.

But what can we do to make a change? Teachers, the next time some individuals in your class are misbehaving, try punishing only those individuals. You might find that this method is much more effective, and the rest of your students will be grateful.

Opinion by Jessica Ou

Repeating, Redshirts and Reclassing

Youth sports have a huge problem: People reclassing.

A few weeks ago, I was driving to my lacrosse game thinking about how easily my team would win. When we got there, a few of my teammates were already at the fields, and that's when I saw a monster of a sixth grader who looked like he was at least an eighth grader.

When people “reclass” for sports, it means that they are repeating a grade just so they can play sports with younger kids in order to be the best one out there.

One time I went to my brother's baseball game and realized that youth sports had gone too far. I noticed parents yelling at the umpire, athletes prioritizing sports over school, players traveling around the country for one tournament and even attending camps to get scouted by college coaches. In middle school.

But the worst problem of all is reclassing. I have stepped onto a field and seen someone who is a lot bigger and heavier than me, and then I’ll hear them talking with their friends about how they’ve been reclassed. Reclassing is frustrating because these players have more time to train, greater muscle mass, and are usually taller. People shouldn’t make the choice of staying back a grade just to be better at sports.

When people reclass, they often don’t think about the academic and psychological challenges. School psychologist Gila Elbuam states that there could be potential social ramifications, like seeing your peers move on and graduate without you. I couldn’t imagine watching my friends move on without me. Even though there haven't been many studies, some psychologists suggest that it could lead to depression and make people feel left out.

People sometimes don’t think about how reclassing can affect a student-athlete’s grades. While the reclassed athlete may see academic improvement, is this fair to their peers? Experts say that if students stay back a grade when they are young, like kindergarten, instead of waiting until middle school, academic advantages will fade.

Another thing—what if the kid doesn't become the best player on the team? They might only get a little better statistically. It would be hard knowing that a younger kid is better than you even though you stayed back a grade. That might crush an athlete’s ego, knowing that they stayed back so they could be better, but they're still not the best. According to an article from Parents magazine, reclassing has led to a college scholarship and a professional career for some, yet for most reclassed kids, it has not. So, you can reclass your kid but at the risk of them not getting a scholarship or playing at a collegiate level, and ultimately parents can’t really control what will happen when athletes reclass.

What can parents do about it? The answer is simple: don't hold your kids back so they can be a baller. And if you must keep them back, do it in kindergarten or first grade. If you find out in later life that your child has a learning difference, instead of reclassing, send them to a school that can fit those needs. Just don’t hold them back for sports because the last thing people need is for their 10-year-old to play a 12-year-old just because they were held back for sports.

Opinion by Joey Knysh

Schools should teach life skills

Schools don’t teach us everything we need to know. Of course, they teach us the ABCs and 123s, but sometimes I wonder if we are actually going to use the information we learn. Schools should also teach what is important for our future success: life skills.

These skills are necessary for people’s success and prepare students for the future. According to Family Means, learning practical life skills gives people an advantage, since life skills can help people sustain themselves. For example, learning to care for clothes can ensure that they can be worn longer, which not only saves money but reduces waste. Learning how to cook can reduce the need to buy food for every single meal. I even know a high schooler with a good GPA who cannot make scrambled eggs by themself. So, life skills help children be more self-sufficient and responsible, in contrast to being dependent on an outside source.

Life skills can also help children make choices about their future profession. The Portfolio found that life skills can help students find new hobbies and passions. These could be anything from attending a cooking class and wanting to be a chef, to learning how to calculate taxes and considering being a financial advisor.

Life skills can even help students boost their grades and improve their mentality. According to the National Library of Medicine, a 2018 study found that social skills had a major positive effect on the academic success of seventh and eighth graders. Social skills help people communicate and interact with each other.

Life skills also have mental benefits—for example, I find myself in a better mood after I make a sandwich. A 2015 National Library of Medicine survey showed that life skills have a positive effect on mental health, reducing violence and stress.

Learning life skills is great for children and can provide positive effects ranging from better mental health to finding a profession they’re passionate about. However, there’s a problem.

Students aren’t learning enough life skills in schools. In fact, according to Education Week, a 2018 study found that only 36% of high school students said that their school did a good job of addressing a variety of life skills, including many social and emotional skills. St. John’s has taken steps to address this issue by adding clubs or DaVinci periods like the Life Skills Club in Upper School or the Study Skills DaVinci in Middle School. These groups help students learn many skills that they will need.

There are many ways you can help: attend life-skill classes when possible, talk to your school about adding these abilities to their curriculum or simply help others learn skills.

You can also help decrease the gender gap in home economics or the skill of home management. According to the Journal of Educational and Social Research, the gender bias around homemaking starts in childhood, when children learn that the roles of men and women are drastically different in households. You can help solve this problem by simply not spreading this bias. The study connecting academic success with life skills noted that they “observed significant gender differences in life skills, with boys obtaining higher scores in cognitive skills and affective balance, and with girls achieving higher scores in social skills,” which shows that there is a definite gender gap in life skills. To bridge the gap, don’t limit yourself to what’s stereotypical of your gender. We should all be able to perform life skills, no matter who we are.

Opinion by Johnathon Chen

A dancer's dilemma: the cost in costume

My trash can sees food scraps every day. The recycling bin receives a few letters from the mail, about once a month. My “never revisited old clothes bin” meets a dance costume three times a year. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Those costumes should be reused.

As a ballet dancer, I’ve purchased my fair share of outfits. Seeing myself wearing fabulously designed tutus makes me so happy. But when I catch a glimpse of my mom’s hesitant face as she pays, my joy is suddenly replaced with a pang of guilt. Buying the costumes often comes with the added bonus of grumbling parents — sometimes that means arguments. Don’t judge my parents, though; yours would probably act the same if they found out that the average price of one recital costume is $250—and some can even go as high as $600, according to The Lineup. Tailoring can add an additional $150.

For that price, you would expect to use the costumes for a couple of years, right? Well, not exactly, and that’s the problem: these costumes are used so infrequently that they are not worth the price. In my experience, for a typical dance season, which lasts about eight months, a dancer will perform three to six times. After that, the costume finds a home in a closet with almost no chance of being used again. Each dance season brings the same pattern—more money spent on new costumes that will likely only be used a couple times—creating a wasteful process that won't benefit anyone’s wallet.

Costumes can also be harmful to the environment. Most of the costly price of ballet costumes is from the exquisite fabrics used, which are not only expensive but also non-recyclable. Take sequins, for example: these glaring decorations are made of plastic. Using them on costumes inevitably contributes to the amount of plastic pollution. Another fabric commonly used in dance costumes is chiffon, which is made from rayon, a chemical that is detrimental to the environment and human health.

Buying new costumes is unnecessary because ballet variations don’t always require them. Over the years, I’ve realized that a costume’s originality doesn't always impact the quality of the performance. Ballet variations, as explained by the dance school Trinity Dance Prosser, “[stay] true to the original choreography but can be modified.” This means that the variation’s costume style doesn’t change either, so dancers can buy someone else’s secondhand dress, paying less for the same quality. In fact, Robby Duiveman, in an article for Nationale Opera and Ballet, states that his company is “still using costumes that were created 40 years ago.”

So, the next time someone says they need a new costume—whether it’s you, a friend, or a classmate—tell them to consider how much money, trouble, and waste could be saved, and urge them to try reusing, swapping, or reselling costumes. I know I will.

Opinion by Katelyn Wei

Should umpires be evaluated for their performance?

My blood was boiling as my teammate walked back to the dugout in shambles. “That was three feet outside,” he grumbled. The umpire had made a bad call again.

Little League umpires are volunteers, so it is easy to want to question their calls. Then you realize that it is just youth baseball, and these umpires are just people, not perfect machines. I still think that they should be evaluated, no matter if they are volunteers or if they are paid. Little Leagues should make sure umpires have the knowledge and training to make tough calls so players can play the game we love.

Little League programs across America need to set up training courses for their umpires to continue their education about the rules of baseball. Even though there is not a required certification for umpires, according to Little League of America’s Roles and Responsibilities of Local Board of Directors, the Umpire-In-Chief of the league can set up training courses.

I have experienced many questionable calls, and I could have benefitted from the umpires in my league being required to at least take a training course. In a recent game, I was called out when the first baseman was essentially sitting on top of the bag. Due to this kid’s laziness and unawareness, I ran right into him. This was clearly “obstruction in the base path” according to the Rule Book, yet the umpire called me out rather than awarding me the base.

In games across America, parents yell at umpires when they make dissatisfactory calls. Training and certifying umpires could reduce the number of situations with unruly parents. When the volunteer umpires attend clinics or umpiring classes they become more proficient in the rules and mechanics of baseball. While attending this training, they become educated on the current rulebook, build confidence and create relationships with peers. Umpires in the major leagues spend four weeks at development camps. Little League players would benefit if their umpires went through at least four days of training to learn ways to be calm when dealing with argumentative fans.

I have seen many parents get angry at umpires about their judgement on the field. Strike zones and outs on the bases are just some of the reasons parents berate the umpires. The parents that get belligerent are dealt with by the umpire and the league. Punishments, such as being suspended from the fields, are given to parents who argue in an unruly way. One baseball league in New Jersey punishes their combative parents by having them officiate four or five games themselves before they are allowed back as spectators. This forces the parents to experience how it feels to be yelled at and endure the difficulties of umpiring.

All leagues should assess their umpires based on performance. For example, an evaluation form made by Little League of America could be used to evaluate the umpires in many areas. Some of the most important parts of umpiring are judgment on the field, which involves decisions and consistency; plate mechanics, which are related to strikes and balls; and field mechanics such as rules on the field. Many local leagues use this form and should use it to evaluate their umpires. When I play in big tournaments, including District, the umpires are significantly better. I realized that when choosing these umpires, the tournament directors hire the umpires with the highest ratings. These District games are more important to the leagues, so they must have umpires who know the game well and enforce the rules best. If Little League of America thought it was important to create this form, doesn’t it make sense that we should use it?

Baseball is a great sport. Kids are learning to play in Little League and families come out to enjoy a fair game. And fair games start with good umpires. If you want to have the best umpires for your Little League games, contact your league and encourage them to use these methods of evaluation.

Opinion by Kick Forester

For better or worse, generative AI is impacting traditional artists

Every night before I go to bed, my dad tells me a story about his life, his family and his friends. But lately, they have all been about Artificial Intelligence and how it will inevitably incorporate itself into our everyday lives. And I, being an artist, need to learn how to integrate it into my own art before it is too late.

With AI-generated art gaining popularity, it possesses both positive and negative impacts on traditional and visual art. While it can be extremely detailed and quick, it compiles other artists’ work into a piece lacking authenticity and personality. This act takes the life and spirit out of the art that the artist put their soul into.

Primitive AI that could generate art actually began in the 1970s but only became popular recently with programs including DALL-E, Sora, and some models of ChatGPT.

Artificially generated visual art has a detrimental effect on traditional art because 54.6% of artists in one Book an Artist survey voiced concerns that it could impact artists’ income. I am passionate about this topic because I love making traditional art, but many people are instead choosing AI or digital art.

Companies are also trying to add AI art generation features into their websites, and it is catching on. When questioned about these features, influencers mentioned Photoshop (56.4%), closely followed by Canva (51.8%) (Art Smart AI). While these features are cool, they are unethical because they can replace art from small businesses that could be trying to gain more publicity. Unless you are a digital artist, graphic designer or student, these features don’t serve much of a purpose.

Artists worldwide have expressed concerns that artificial intelligence may steal their art and take its value. Almost three-fourths of respondents in another Book an Artist survey said AI art was unethical or lacking the true artistic form and emotional resonance that traditional art conveys. While I enjoy using Pinterest for inspiration, I sometimes get misled by AI art, mistaking it for handmade art.

While artificially generated art has some positives, it mostly negatively impacts young artists like me. Whether you have no artistic talent, are a mini Van Gogh, or are somewhere in between, the next time you see a really good piece of art, think, “Is this AI?”

Opinion by Lauren Levan

Five-year-olds are gambling… and we are supporting it

We’ve all played video games. Whether you own a console and are a veteran gamer or you once played Candy Crush on your grandma’s old iPhone, we have all had experiences with these games. Some cost money, but many games nowadays are… free? How do the companies creating these games make money?

The answer is microtransactions.

Microtransactions are optional in-game purchases that come in many different forms such as virtual currency, loot boxes, and exclusive items that can only be bought with cold, hard cash. In some games, they offer a competitive advantage, (dubbed “pay to win” by the gaming community) but others are purely cosmetic (like skins in Fortnite).

Video game companies are not making peanuts from this approach, either. According to Kennesaw State University, in 2020, the gaming industry as a whole made $159.3 billion, with microtransactions making up $92.6 billion ー or 58% of the total revenue. This strategy is so profitable because the “resources,” or currency they sell are just pieces of code that can be replicated as many times as needed. It is a real-life “infinite money glitch.”

Microtransactions are beneficial to the companies that own these games, but what about the consumers? From children playing Roblox to the elderly playing Candy Crush, they are all being exploited. Microtransactions are truly detrimental to our time, money, and mental state.

Nothing is guaranteed with these purchases. I play a game called FC 25 in which players open packs to obtain trading card versions of real-life soccer players. To open packs, you either need coins, which you can earn slowly by playing, or FC Points, the premium currency of the game. One summer, I used some of my savings on packs, expecting to obtain Messi, Ronaldo, or one of the all-time greats. Who did I get? A player from the Turkish League I had never heard of before.

I had fallen victim to a loot box, a common microtransaction that takes you on a trip to a casino. Anyone, at any age, can spend some money for a “chance” at a rare item. There is no limit on how low these rates can be. After purchasing those packs in FC 25, I looked up the odds to get a good player and found that I had an astonishing 0.1% chance at the player I wanted. That’s 1 in 1,000! Each pack was around a dollar to five dollars, meaning someone could spend thousands and still not get the items they wanted. With the success rate being so low, loot boxes are like gambling on real casino slot machines. This is a huge problem in games today, with children thinking that if they just buy one more pack, or spend one more dollar, they’ll get the item they want.

But they never will.

The feeling of being so close to getting an item can get players hooked on the game. It has gotten to the point that the Cleveland Clinic stated that, “Many researchers consider video gaming addiction similar to gambling disorder” due to the tendency these types of players have to max out their accounts, often spending thousands of dollars in the process.

There is, in fact, a large-scale example of this problem. A teen girl living in China spent 5.5 million yen (roughly $64,000) on microtransactions, leaving her parents with less than a dollar in their bank account. If the addiction is not discovered in time, someone may spend copious amounts of time and money on games that they would not have otherwise.

I urge you to limit the amount of time that you spend playing video games and use your money wisely, on real-life items instead of virtual currencies with no actual value. You can play these games without falling for the trap set by these corporations who want nothing but money. Don’t pay, play.

Opinion by Matthew Herman

“RAAAAAAHHHHH”

I’ve died before. Multiple times, actually.

Oh, not in real life. In video games, of course.

It was a dark and stormy night, and I had a tight grasp around my red Xbox controller. I was playing Fortnite, a game where the goal is to get a Victory Royale, a tremendous gaming feat. My hands were shaking–where was the last player? I was looking left, right, up - BOOM! A rocket blasted me in the face. I watched as the big fat 2nd place emblem popped up on my screen. All my hard work, gone.

This meant war.

I flung my controller like a boomerang. There were small shards of plastic everywhere and a flabbergasted expression on my face. What had I done?

Sadly, this can be the depressing reality of gaming. At one moment you are laughing and having fun, while the next you have the urge to break something, trash talk, or just be straight-up aggressive. This phenomenon is the supervillain to every video gaming session: gamer rage.

Video games are supposed to be a fun and non-stressful way to take a break from IRL stuff, (“in real life” as some gamers would say). However, the way that most of these games make money is by stimulating your brain into thinking that real danger is present around you, thereby inducing rage. Gale in Context reveals in an article that the violent video game World of Warcraft made over $10 billion in 13 years due to the addictive factor of rage that makes its players feel as if they “are not good enough” or “need to be the best” at it. This tactic makes players mad in that particular moment but leaves them feeling stupid in the next.

I can briefly remember the next few minutes after I broke my controller. I was bewildered by the fact that I had so thoughtlessly and recklessly broken an $85 item. Was raging really worth it?

Why was I even raging in the first place? This question might seem unanswerable to some players, yet after many years of gaming, I have no idea either. The creators of these rage-inducing video games try to add as many aspects that could make you rage as possible, making them so addicting for players.

After interviewing over 1,000 gamers who play at least 15 hours per week (over 2 hours per day), Kron4 news found that 42% of gamers rage once per week, and of those, 73.4% broke something or lashed out at a loved one or friend after burning with anger because of the provoking power of a video game. I can definitely relate to this finding because I always feel a little bit angered when something bothersome happens in a video game, but I never knew what caused it. Over 60 percent of these people state that repeatedly losing causes them to become infuriated, while the rest think that hackers, lagging, bush campers, and toxic players are the source of their rage.

Although these statistics are overwhelming, we can use this data to our advantage. For example, one player could be unfazed by losing or dying, yet this same player who did not have a reaction to losing could also be displeased because a player trash talked him. Knowing this, gamers can create safe habits while gaming that will not cause them to get sucked into the massive black hole of rage and just play the game to have fun.

You probably wouldn’t think that there is any way to stop the overwhelming wrath of rage, but instead of playing a violent game before bed, try playing a calming game that enhances your creativity like Minecraft or Animal Crossing. Secondly, do not play video games so much that all you worry about is fake “Coins” or “Challenges.” Try having actual conversations with family or friends. Remember that your life does not rely on the game and you don’t need it to survive.

C’mon, gamers, don’t let the final boss of rage defeat you! You can beat the game.

Opinion by Max Bender

America, let our problems be heard

The people in the U.S. are having a crisis. According to the Census Bureau, less than two thirds of people have health insurance. Insurance is failing because the reason it was created is now too expensive to maintain. It is devastating when people pay for insurance but still aren’t completely covered. From newspapers talking about rates and statistics to people without health insurance going into debt due to expensive copays, it’s honestly scary that one day, without insurance, I could be in huge debt. But these problems are fixable.

We can fix these problems by lowering the cost of insurance so more people can be covered. We need more coverage for less. Also, we can help people get health insurance, keep it from getting broken, and help people stay healthy.

The American Journal of Public Health states that the price of health insurance has skyrocketed since 1992, with the uninsured rate almost doubling. But why hasn’t the U.S. been trying to fix its health insurance problems? According to CNN, “a recent college student had to fight against cancer and her coverage provider decided that she should pay a $13,000 monthly copay for a life-saving drug.” Well, there are downsides to lowering the cost of health insurance. When insurance companies lose money, more people will lose their health insurance. The risk for the provider is not getting paid, which is why some doctors don’t accept insurance. Like this college student, a sizable number of Americans have reported huge medical debt because insurance companies want to cover as little as possible.

People I have interviewed have had problems with insurance. Dr. Frauenfelder said that American healthcare is very expensive and a strain on finances for many, which is true. Health care is very expensive for those who desperately need coverage but just don’t have the money to maintain it.

Dr. Andrea Johnson, who is a therapist, said that her experience with health insurance was disappointing since it is often a tool of accessibility that comes at a risk to the patient as well as the provider. One of the risks for patients is difficulty in getting sessions covered before the insurance companies agree the situation is worth it. These patients often get denied.

A recent Gallup poll, conducted before the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, found that most Americans (62%) think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that all Americans have healthcare coverage. Why don’t more people think the government should fix the cost and instability of health insurance?

Rising healthcare costs and industry instability are harming America's uninsured population. The high cost of healthcare is causing the uninsured population to rise, with people “churning” (switching on and off insurance almost daily) because they cannot pay full-time, which is infuriating because the government should ensure that all Americans have health insurance.

Many insurance companies are starting to raise the premium rates by 15 to 20% for small businesses, which is the type of insurance that employees get. This forces the employees to pay more or skip insurance completely, which means that the employers have to find private insurance, and the employees remain uninsured because they can’t afford individual insurance.

We need to stand up and demand that the government and insurance companies fix the problem that is affecting everyone.

Opinion by Najarad Ross

Ballet: an art form and sport

I recently performed in the Houston Ballet production of Sleeping Beauty. I went to watch one of the shows I didn’t perform in since all my friends were talking about how amazing the dancers were. At one point, Aurora balanced on pointe with one foot for around 30 seconds. I was in awe along with the rest of the audience because it looked impossible. The dancer playing Aurora seemed graceful making it look so effortless. It occurred to me at that point, why don’t people see ballet as an art and sport? How come they usually categorize it into one or the other? Can it even be considered both?

The average professional ballet dancer practices six hours a day for six days a week. It’s difficult for the dancers because they can get many injuries from dancing on pointe, landing wrong from a jump, or overworking their ankle joints. Even though I dance only 12 hours a week, my legs are always sore after class, my feet are covered with blisters, and my face is drenched with sweat.

If you didn’t know already, males can be ballet dancers, too. Male ballet dancers are a key part of ballet. They are what makes a pas de deux, a dance for two, a pas de deux. Without that male dancer, there wouldn't be any partnering or lifts, which is one of the most exciting ballet moves to watch. Also, there wouldn’t be as many incredible jumps. While watching a show, I’m often amazed when I see the height that male dancers can reach.

As an audience member, it’s always fun to see dancers float across the stage on their tiptoes. According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the exact definition of ballet is “forms of art… created to be beautiful rather than being useful,” which is exactly what the dance form showcases.

For five days each week, I dance at the Houston Ballet Academy. Teachers are always correcting how dancers hold their heads and tell them to “dance like an artist,” “dance with expression,” and “convey a beautiful story to the audience.” Instructors want their students to dance like artists because dancing is an art form.

But what about all the other body parts you have to work during ballet? Your thighs are burning when jumping, your feet are cramping in pointe class, and your arms are dying in adagio.

As a ballerina, the hours are long and repetitive. All we do is work, perform and deal with injuries just like any other sport. A sport is, according to Oxford Learners Dictionaries, an “activity done for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill.” Teachers are also correcting our technique by demanding, “bring up your leg,” “engage your core,” and asking, “Are you working your hardest?”

Ballet clearly requires physical effort and skills to execute the moves accurately. According to the Ballet of Arizona, ballet can be considered both an art form and sport. Now that you know that ballet can be both an art form and a sport, next time it’s categorized otherwise, remember that it is both. Tell those people about balletrove them wrong!

Opinion by Noelle Hsuan

Influencers control the world

“I have had a couple of patients with scars,” Erika Gomez said on Fox News, referring to a 2018 social media trend in which participants would place salt and ice on their skin, enduring the sensation of second- and third-degree frostbite for as long as possible to “win” the challenge. This is not the worst consequence people have faced for blindly following influencers or trends on social media, yet this behavior suggests that people are willing to sacrifice their safety and health for 15 minutes of fame. And this is the flaw in reasoning exploited by many influencers.

Influencers are people who can sway the behaviors of those who follow them. Some have as many as a million followers, many of whom would aggressively support and defend almost anything the influencer stands for. This makes an influencer a very powerful person and puts the influenced in a dangerous position in which their choices can be manipulated.

People are drawn to celebrities. While it is natural to admire and even emulate people we consider excellent at something, it is more important to not blindly follow them because this can lead to irreversible predicaments. Social media is full of stories about people who have used a product because their favorite influencer endorsed or claimed to use it. Most of the time, the influencer knows little or nothing about any possible harmful effects the product could have, but the influencer usually gets paid or rewarded by the brand to pass on that message with no regard for the consequences. And this results in the terrifying stories we hear of people suffering severe or fatal injuries.

People may think that following what their peers are doing will make them feel like they belong, which is understandable. However, the costs of following our peers without thought are far more significant than any benefits we may receive from being perceived as cool. It is possible, after all, to enjoy content created by an influencer we like without blindly following their recommendations. As a hockey player, I have developed my deceptive passes to a point that I am proud of them. While I may enjoy, support and even follow hockey players whose gameplay is more focused on goal-scoring, I will never need (or want) to change my gameplay, which is focused on passes, just to suit them.

The number of subscribers an influencer has can vary with what content they post and how much they make. Companies will sponsor these videos so the influencer can advertise their products, and they will only ask popular influencers. On the website Erie Institute of Technology, Ross Aresco wrote an article that shows how much a certain influencer makes and how many subscribers they have. All the people on the list are very popular.

A lot of people spend two hours or more every day watching other people talking about their day. This habit is not inherently bad, but it can lead to an unhealthy obsession.

The content influencers post usually relates to their fans or is interesting enough that they will still watch it. According to GRIN, fans trust their influencers. People who can relate to the videos may idolize others who have more than them or supposedly live a better life. But you don’t know until you walk in their shoes.

Following someone or supporting their content is okay, but don’t let them have the upper hand, and remind yourself that you don’t have to do what everybody else is doing.

Opinion by Olivia Ngu

Akole ori iwe yi ko le ye o

When people think of learning a new language, the main things that come to mind are spelling, grammar, or even pronunciation. I only think of one word: pressure.

When I was nine, I attended my family’s annual Christmas party. I was dressed up as a mini Christmas tree when an auntie walked over and asked me a question in Yoruba, a language spoken in Nigeria. At first, I knew how to respond since I had been trained in three languages for years, but then I blanked out. My family watched as I sputtered like a broken printer. Embarrassing moments like this were not new for me, so I ask myself, “Why must I put myself through this?”

Believe me, despite my utter embarrassment a few years ago, there is a reason for the struggle: Multilingualism.

A lot of people do not understand the benefits of being multilingual. Some believe that Google Translate is the easiest way to learn a new language for the sake of convenience, but it’s not. Google Translate will not cut it in a job interview.

According to Forbes, “multilingual people earn 19% more than the average monolingual person and they also are more likely to get a raise.” From what I’ve seen, the job market today is not the same as it was for my parents and grandparents, and due to the rising population, it’s becoming more difficult to find and keep a job. Knowing multiple languages puts you ahead of the competition.

Another excuse I commonly hear is: “I’m entering the job market in a decade or two, why should I learn now?”A lot of people don’t want to learn a new language because procrastination is a plague that infects people of all ages.

In a study by Edutopia, scientists took middle school students at the same school and observed them in two programs, Dual-Language and Regular. When they took exams, the dual-language program students had higher scores. I have never met a person that wants to do poorly on an exam, and our classes are going to get more challenging. As students, we would all appreciate an ethical way to get higher test scores, so how is learning a new language going to help?

The short answer is a stronger brain.

Being multilingual means that you have a stronger brain than most. A study from Cambridge University concluded, “bilingual people have more dendrites and neurons, meaning they have more connections and brain cells, than that of an average person.” The human brain gets stronger when it learns more than one language. When I think of a stronger brain, I think of better health, and that wouldn’t be too far off. Another study from Cambridge University stated that “learning a new language, at an older age, exercises your brain so much, it protects your brain from dementia and other brain-related problems.” This is a great motivator to continue learning more languages.

When I started learning Yoruba, French and Arabic, I honestly did not know that all this came in a package deal. I was really only learning for my family. There were a lot of missed pronunciations that led to some inside jokes between me and my family.

To be honest, most people have a lot on their plate, but the benefits of learning multiple languages make it worthwhile to become conversational in a new language. I challenge you to even try learning Yoruba to find out what the title of this article means.

When starting out, a good idea would be learning a language meaningful to you. In my case, I chose to learn my family’s native language. There are so many resources available like Duolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, or even your local library, that make it easy to learn a multitude of languages.

We should all try learning to speak a new language, connecting ourselves with more people. We will surely reap the benefits.

Opinion by Oluwalonimi ‘Lonimi’ Z. Hamilton

We are not Barbies

We all want to look, feel and be like her. An iconic figure, it’s… Barbie! But over time, Barbie has caused many hurtful stigmas and damaged women’s pride in their bodies.

It is important to understand that, while Barbies may be fun to play with, do not compare your body to hers — you are perfect just the way you are.

The beauty standard perpetuated by Barbie affects many women. For many people, it begins through the media. "In today's society, the media plays a key role in how people perceive themselves,” a 2025 study from Within Health noted. “Through TV, the internet, magazines and advertising, people are bombarded with images of unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards." Barbie dolls perpetuate this unachievable glamour through the portrayal of a young girl.

A 2023 ScienceDirect study found that women exposed to passively-posed Barbie Fashionista doll models reported higher levels of self-objectification and lower levels of appearance satisfaction, while women exposed to images of Barbie Made to Move doll models and to images of Lego Friends play sets were not. A Barbie Made to Move is a more realistic version of Barbie, so it helps your body pride.

Another 2023 ScienceDirect article claimed that "this Barbiecore digital advertising revolution also aimed to appeal to a broader audience of potential millennials and Gen Z.” These age groups were targeted because they played or still play with these dolls, just like I was always attracted to those ads because I wanted the Barbie Play House. We are most vulnerable to the criticism and standard traps because our opinions and morals are not fully shaped yet.

I remember watching 12-year-old Mischa Barton in the 1999 film Notting Hill, thinking, “She is so pretty!” or “I wish I could be like her.” Now I sit here in shock after discovering she is a victim of physical insecurity. According to a 2013 CNN article, Barton has faced constant criticism about her weight.

I also discovered that Barbie and Ken were named after the children of Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie dolls. Barbara (Barbie) Handler actually had auburn hair and honey brown eyes, not the typical blonde, blue-eyed features of Barbie.

Fun fact: I’ve watched the Barbie movie four times! Yeah, I was obsessed with it, but if you really reflect about it, it’s still stereotypical. First of all, the stars are Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. If you think that there’s nothing wrong with that, then think again. They are both really famous actors that everyone wants to look like. So comparing yourself to them really hurts. Even Ryan Gosling dyed his hair blond because, apparently, brown hair isn’t good enough. They did try to make the movie more supportive towards women, but instead of creating gender equity, they made fun of men. So it might be better than expected, but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement.

If our beauty role models are not “Barbie perfect,” how can any of us be? Who defines perfect? It should not be Barbie, it should be you. So be confident and be proud. You are perfect just the way you are.

Opinion by Thera Castellon Fernandez

The dangers of high fructose corn syrup

I am eating Nutella with breadsticks while researching high fructose corn syrup. How much is in the Nutella that I am eating? None! “Why doesn't this Nutella have HFCS in it even though it is so sweet?” I asked my dad. He points to a spot on the back of the container: Made in Canada.

Products that use cane sugar as a sweetener in soft drinks would most likely look and taste different. An example of this is Mexican Coca-Cola, which can be found in some stores along the southern border. The inventors of HFCS were two scientists, Richard O. Marshall and Earl R. Kooi, who worked at the USDA Illinois Laboratory in the 1950s. HFCS was created as an alternative to sugarcane and sugar beets, and was introduced into the food supply due to rising cane and beet sugar costs in the early 1970s.

Many people think that corn syrup is the same thing as HFCS, but this isn't true. The main ingredient in corn syrup is glucose, while HFCS is made with fructose and glucose. These naturally occurring sugars are absorbed into the body differently. Fructose is usually found in fruits and vegetables while glucose is present in all major carbohydrates including bread, pasta and table sugar.

There are four types of HFCS, each with a different ratio of fructose to glucose. The most common are HFCS 42 and HFCS 55 (the number designates the percentage of fructose). HFCS 42 is found in beverages, processed foods and baked goods while HFCS 55 is mostly used in soft drinks. The less common kinds, HFCS 70 and HFCS 90 are used in fillings and jellies since they are sweeter. It is important to know that HFCS is not naturally occurring and is manufactured from corn in a lab. To make HFCS, factories mill corn to make cornstarch and add chemicals to convert the mixture into HFCS.

Consuming HFCS results in a lower increase in blood glucose, therefore stimulating less insulin production. Insulin helps the body store blood glucose, or blood sugar. Less insulin can contribute to lower levels of leptin, a hormone that helps the body manage its weight. The stomach then produces more ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and sends hunger signals to the brain. High ghrelin levels can cause obesity. Also, studies show that countries that use HFCS in their food supply have a 20% higher rate of Type 2 diabetes. Although no countries have banned HFCS, a few have limited its use including Japan, Sweden and Norway. These countries have some of the longest life expectancies in the world, with Japan (No. 2), Norway (No. 12) and Sweden (No. 14). The United States is ranked 48th.

On average, young adults in the U.S. ingest around 17 teaspoons of HFCS every day. The American Heart Association estimates that the maximum added sugar that a men should consume daily is nine teaspoons while the maximum for women is six. If the average person consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, that means they are eating over 6,000 teaspoons of added sugar every year. These habits can become a significant risk since a large percentage of added sugars are HFCS.

Since it is cheaper than cane sugar, the use of HFCS has increased over 40 percent from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Today, around 40 percent of food sweeteners are HFCS, so more people in the U.S. have become obese.

Even though junk foods and soft drinks might taste good, they can affect people's health. The next time you eat junk food or go shopping, make sure to check the food label for HFCS, which can be found in candies, desserts, snacks, soft drinks, canned foods, breakfast cereals, and many more items. So, if you are about to eat or drink HFCS, be mindful of what is going into your body.

Opinion by Winston Tornberg

Teen athletes need to start promoting themselves on social media

Wait… wait. So you’re telling me social media is good for teens?

All teen athletes should post their highlights on social media because these platforms can grab anyone’s attention, especially coaches.

“Everybody has to start somewhere.” When I think of this phrase, I think of Troy Hornbeck. Troy is a senior in high school who plays basketball for the Diamond Doves, a team in the prestigious basketball league for high schoolers, OTE, also known as “Overtime Elite.” I don’t think much about how he plays for the Doves but instead how got a spot on the roster.

How’d he get there? Social media.

Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, X — you name it. Hornbeck got famous for his “Road to D1” series in which he shows the daily grind towards accomplishing his dream of becoming a D1 basketball player. He started out as what some people call a “nobody,” and now, not only is he making a solid income from social media but he is also on the most-watched stage of high school basketball.

My brother started posting highlights on X when he was twelve, and he is slowly climbing his way up the ladder with every view and every follower. Eventually, his social media page could open up a door for a new opportunity.

In this new age, technology is doing incredible things for people, and it’s safe to say that coaches are catching on to the trend. As a basketball recruiting analyst put it, “If you’re not on Facebook or [X], you may be a step behind.”

This surge of coaches on social media isn’t too new. Pete Thamel of the New York Times states, “The shift towards social media in recruiting has come partly because the NCAA barred coaches from text messaging athletes in 2007.” Thamel doesn't think this is the only reason for the rising popularity of recruiting on social media. Some experts think “the increasing use of social media is indicative of communication trends as voice mail is considered superfluous, e-mail is passé and phone conversations are often clipped and awkward.” With technology constantly evolving, now is the time to start your social media journey before coaches completely switch to a new platform, leaving you in the dust.

Every time my 14-year-old brother (who lives and breathes basketball) jumps on X or Youtube, it seems as if he has entered a new universe of endless scrolling. For the parents reading this, that’s definitely what social media is, right? Well, turns out my brother is just trying to make a presence and get attention from important people. While X does come with a good bit of scrolling, his main focus is basketball. He is solely trying to get views on his video and give coaches likes, follows and retweets. What do you think happened as a result of two years of posting? He has AAU coaches following him, and a Puma-sponsored AAU team interested in him playing for them over the summer. This is understandable to me because current Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts says that social media “accounts for 50 percent of recruiting interaction.” Also, according to the New York Times, former UPenn assistant basketball coach Mike Martin, who is now the assistant athletic director of the Quakers said he used Facebook for about 75 percent of communication with recruits. We’re living in a technological era in which social media is booming, so why not post your highlights? There’s nowhere to go but up.

If you’re serious about your sport and potentially want to progress to the next level, social media is the perfect place for you. There could be someone wanting to see your progress or even offer you new opportunities for your athletic career.

Opinion by Wyatt Schaffer