Where Do the Kids Hangout?

by: Jonathan Ribarro '15

            In a survey recently conducted amongst ten students, 70% reported that they spend the majority of their time in the mall.  Of that 70%, 40% said they socialized, and 60% said that they watched movies together.  Only 10% said that they most frequently hung out in their local park and socialized with their friends.  The remaining 20% reported that they frequently hung out at their friend’s house to socialize and/or eat. 

            Out of the 10 people surveyed, 80% reported that they spent the most time with their friends, whereas the remaining 20% said that they either go out by themselves or with family.

            When asked what activities they actually do while out, 60% said they socialize, 10% reported they shop, another 10% said they watch movies, and the final 20% said that they ate.

            When investigating how they got there, 40% reported that they drove themselves, while 40% said that they were driven.  The last 20% said that they typically walked to their destination. 

            Finally, when asked how often they hung out at this place, 70% said that it was on the weekends, 10% said it was during the summer, and 20% said that they hung out during the weekdays.    

            Judging by the statistics, an overwhelming population of teenagers hangout in malls.  This undeniably shows that modern teenagers, despite all of the technology at their disposal, will be more likely to choose the mall and face-to-face interactions over something like online chatting.  

“My Dog Ate My Homework”

by: Olivia Geer ‘15

Excuses are life’s passes. Fabricating an excuse uses more time and energy than just saying one didn't do it. Don’t forget, there’s a difference between excuses and reasons. Almost everyone has heard the famous “my dog ate my homework” excuse, one of the first excuses known. Although, if used today most people probably wouldn't believe it, it must be awful if your dog has a sweet tooth for homework papers. Students along with many other people use excuses on a daily basis. Whether it’s because they forgot homework or were out of dress code the different types of excuses are incredible. In order to find out just how many unbelievable and bizarre excuses there are out there some teachers and students shared their favorite excuses they've heard and used.

Students excuses aren't all that wild and creative. It is almost as if they don’t really try to make them unique. “My edline wasn't working;” while the edline accounts of all of the other students in the class were working properly. “My locker wouldn't open;” but it opened when you needed your lunch. Maybe even, “You didn't tell me that there was homework.” There are so many different, believable, excuses students could use, yet they go with the same old excuses that every other student uses. Maybe students should just stick with, “My dog ate my homework.”

National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

                      by: Victoria Kobayashi '15 and Advait Suvarnakar '16

Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.  Each of these qualities was prevalent in each member inducted into the Paramus Catholic chapter of the National Honor Society on December 3, 2014.  To date, it was the largest number of students inducted into the Paramus Catholic chapter of the prestigious National Honor Society concluding with 136 inductees.  

The ceremony began with a beautiful introductory prayer led by our pastor, Father Donald Hummel.  Followed by the pledge of allegiance and a standard welcoming, the candle lighting ceremony began.  This ceremony included brief speeches by present officers of the Paladin chapter of the National Honor Society and the lighting of a specific candle.  The four candles represented the light in each inductee that burns in the fields of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.  

Following the candle lighting, the induction ceremony took place.  Called one by one, each student was presented with an honorary stole and the National Honor Society pin. As Mr. James P. Vail and Dr. Albert Del Principio presented the stoles; Mr. Ralph Manno, Ms. Stella Scarano, and Mr. Scott Langan presented the inductees with their pins.  

At the conclusion of the induction ceremony, the inductees took their pledge to uphold their exquisite characteristics and academic perseverance.  After a few closing speeches, the recently inducted National Honor Society members processed out of the auditorium to the gymnasium for refreshments with a musical accompaniment from Aleksander Piatek, DeAndre Tomlinson, and Han Bin Baik.  

Paramus Catholic's Gift of Christmas

                           by: Victoria Kobayashi '15 and Advait Suvarnakar '16                  

          Paramus Catholic has adopted a number of families for the holiday season who, without our help, would not be able to celebrate the holidays like most families. The Paramus Catholic family has dedicated their time and service to aid these families by donating non-perishable foods, grocery store gift cards, and Christmas presents. The first phase of this project was the collection in each homeroom of non-perishable foods. This phase was successfully completed. Pictured below is some of the collected food students have donated for phase 1 of the Annual Adopt a Family Christmas Project for the 2014 holiday season.

Most Dangerous Year of a Teen's Life

by: Sydney Lee '15

The first year a teen starts driving is claimed to be the most dangerous year of his life, but can this be proven true? Car accidents are the leading cause of death in America.In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million car accidents occurred, and it is claimed that in the United States, 65 tickets are handed out per minute.             

Ten people were surveyed, all between the ages of seventeen to fifty-six. Eight of the respondents surveyed have gotten into accidents within the first two years of having their license. Of the eight, half admit it was their fault. And of those eight, five were females. Of the five respondents who were between the ages of eighteen and thirty, three got into accidents and two did not. Three out of the five males surveyed got into accidents. When asked about moving violations and tickets, three out of five males and females received them at least once.

Seventeen year olds were asked if they have ever been in a car accident within the first year of driving. Recent surveys suggest that one hundred percent admitted they have.  Can the claim that the first year a teen begins driving is their most dangerous be claimed true? The surveys prove that it is.

Credit Card Responsibility

                                                                 by: Charly Oscanoa '16

             Credit cards are heavily valued by young adults; but based solely on statistics; can they be proven to be beneficial or detrimental? Can a piece of plastic hold potential in influencing basic human character and behavior? Credit cards have long appeared to be indicators of economic freedom and superiority, but their image has quickly become tainted by the abuse they receive. According to a recent survey, 30% of the participants received their first credit card while in high school. This occurs typically as a result of their parents’ belief in teaching responsibility and independence while delivering a taste of the outside world. Ironically, those who received one during high school felt that they were prepared, whereas those who were not handed such responsibility believed that they were unprepared. This poses a question; does a credit card carry an effect on basic human behavior in socioeconomic terms?

            Culled from a recent survey is the fact that the majority, about 70%, of the respondents had received their credit card after high school. However, 90% of the respondents reported that they focused their spending on wants or desires rather than on things that promoted productivity. This ironic but understandable trend can be explained by the basic human mindset of seeking to satisfy one’s desires. These desires can range from beauty products and accessories to swords, but all are just subjective opinions of how money could be spent.

80% of the respondents claim to be frugal or wise in their spending but 62.5% of these individuals also stated they focused on wants. Could this group of frugal individuals purchase items at a small degree but still buy what they want? No one can be quite sure since this is an interpretation of an objective piece of data drawn from unique subjective ideas. The remaining 20% of the respondents admitted being spenders and were, not surprisingly, the high school students who felt prepared of such a responsibility. As expected, this group also said that they focused more on wants rather that needs.

            Generally credit cards are regarded as a convenience because of the facilitation they create in financial affairs. Although credit cards may replace the wad of cash in your pocket, their potential of being overused is strikingly high. They do indeed symbolize independence but can only become exemplary if the cardholder behaves as one who can maintain oneself.

 

Sneaky Questions

by: Rachel Gergats '15

            Each year in the United States about 2.4 billion sneakers are sold. Some of the most popular brands people tend to gravitate towards are Nike, Jordan Brand, and Adidas. Sneakers have rapidly become a multi-million dollar business. The most expensive non-custom sneakers made, Nike Flom Dunk High, cost about $7,500. But how much do consumers really want to spend?

            Sneakers are the most common types of shoes worn. Out of the ten people interviewed, 100% of these people own at least one pair of sneakers. The sneakers that people seem to buy the most are those from Nike. 30% of everyone interviewed said they own a pair of Nike sneakers and 50% of the people interviewed said Nike is their favorite brand. Nike was at the top because of comfort. In these few simple questions, Nike seems to be the clear winner.

            An average pair of sneakers cost around $100, but according to this survey only 30% of people average over $100 in the average cost of their sneakers. Sneakers are still a multi-million dollar business and 100% of the respondents believe it is. When asked why people believe this statistic most of them replied with “everyone needs shoes, and I feel like everyone I know owns at least one pair of sneakers.” The survey showed that 60% of the people believe Foot Locker is the best place to purchase sneakers. 70% of people prefer trying sneakers on at the store rather than ordering them online. Interviewees wear sneakers solely for casual use.  

Selfless Service

                                                                 by: Sara Cifelli '15
Service work, is it an obligation to self or to others? People do service work because they have to; but others do it out of the kindness of their heart. Helping those in need can make a difference. People normally believe service work is old fashioned, however, surveys show otherwise.
               Out of all the 10 people interviewed, 100% of them started at age 14 or earlier. 30% of the people polled perform service work to help the elderly while another 10% help out with special needs children. Other respondents explained their services such as helping out with religious retreats, delivering food to food banks, and being group leaders at safety town.  Half of these students were inspired by Paramus Catholic teachers while the other half was inspired by a family member. 70% do service work once a week or more and 20% do it solely in the summer.
              Surveys have shown that students doing service work have a better understanding of love, dedication of time, and valuable life lessons. All of them say they feel as if they are benefiting themselves when they help others because they know they are benefiting those in need. "The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved" -Mother Teresa.

How Not to Screw up Your First Date

by ‘Jonathan Ribarro ’15

Fifty First Dates; more like the very first date!  A great number of men and women will go on their first date sometime in their lives.  It may be fearful, stress-induced, nerve-racking or a complete disaster.  Reflect upon your first date; was it stressful? Were you constantly trying to impress or create a good impression to your significant other?  It is okay for the first date to be stressful and filled with anxiety. That is how many first dates are.  Was your first date a day filled with fear, anxiety, and nervousness?  Or was it a day filled with success and the possibility of a new life with someone?

Reflecting back on the date, there are ways to ensure that it went well.  The first thing is the location, where did you go on the date?  Was it a long romantic walk on the beach under the stars?  Or was it in a location with the stench of inexpensive chicken nuggets and sweaty men protruding into your nostrils?  Obviously, we can say a walk on the beach beats chicken nuggets by a land slide, thereby signifying a successful date, but there are many other things that also provide insight into a successful date and how the ideal date should be.

Of the nine individuals who had been on their first date, 60% had reported that they asked or were asked via text message, 20% stated that they asked their significant other through face-to-face interaction, and 10% said that they were asked through a video chat.  Interestingly enough, out of the 60% who asked or were asked through text message, 100% of the respondents went on to have second dates or even had a lasting relationship come out of it.  This is clearly significant because this would tend to suggest that the old-fashioned in-person interaction is dying out, and now asking for a date through text is becoming acceptable clearly by a great many individuals.  It is undeniably much easier to text someone a question that in a face-to-face interaction would make one nervous or panicked.  With texting, the ease of asking someone on a date is much easier, but may be more controversial because there are still many people who are traditional and would rather be asked on a date, especially their first date, in person. 

 

Inside the Minds of Twins and Triplets

                                                            by: Vanessa Morin '15
 5,905 triplets were born in America in 2009. 1.8% of the population of the world consists of triplets. Identical triplets of the same sex are extremely rare; it is something that occurs only once in every 500,000 births. The percentage rate of twins living in the United States is 43%. Twins can either be fraternal or identical. Identical twins have nearly the same brain wave patterns. 22% of twins are left-handed. In the year 2006, 137,085 sets of twins were born.

            Of the ten people interviewed, 80% said they were fraternal. When asked if it was difficult to develop their own identity as an individual, only 30% responded yes. Most responded by saying that their different interests and personalities were things that set them apart. Twins of opposite genders developed differently. When questioned what famous twins or triplets they would like to be, answers such as Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Tia and Tamera, the Olsen twins, and the Johannson twins emerged.

            Being a twin or a triplet is an extraordinary trait that is due to a gene being present within some families. 60% of people that are twins or triplets say they enjoy being a twin or triplet. However, it has advantages and disadvantages. 50% of people that are twins say they would love to have twins when they grow up, but the other 50% say they would not due to negative and positive things such as people always treating them the same way.  

5 Ways Kindness Can Make You a Better Person

by Jonathan Ribarro ‘15

It has been proven by scientists that being kind is a mood enhancer for humans around the world by connecting the satisfaction of kindness to the chemical processes of the brain.  Kindness has played a factor in our society and in the entire world throughout the history of the human race.  Whenever someone is feeling down, all they have to do is forget about themselves and put aside their woes for a minute and think of someone else for a second, be nice, and it is likely they will feel better. 

            When people help each other to complete a goal or finish a project that they themselves cannot complete on their own, this is known as an act of kindness.

  Acts of kindness are done because people want to be cordial and beneficial to others.  Being actively kind will not only benefit you, but will also benefit the one you are being helped. 

           The types of people that can be reached out to and helped can range anywhere from a variety of friendly and unintelligent people, to snobbish and hyper-intelligent persons.  These acts of kindness can actually cause feel-good chemicals such as Oxytocin to run through your brain and give you a boost of morale or energy.

  But for what reason would someone so smart need help? Well everyone is human, and everyone makes mistakes.  That is why kindness is so important.