When Struggle Hits Home

by: Charly Oscanoa ‘15

            Domestic violence, an atrocious form of violence, tends to occur in the household usually victimizing defenseless women and children. Incidents of domestic violence have become more frequent through the years, peaking in 2010. The term "domestic violence" previously referred to urban riots prior to 1980, rather than familial unrest. 

            According to a study conducted by Sara Shoener, a public health researcher, "The most common barriers to women’s safety were something I had never considered before: the high value our culture placed on two-parent families.” As a result of this mindset, the majority of women being abused have stayed in contact with their abusive husband. Society has been blinded by the importance of having both a mother and a father but neglects the even greater importance of a mother-child relationship in abuse cases. Shoener recalls a court case that involved a fight over a custody battle. Unfortunately, the mother lost and therefore has to drop her son off at her husband's house every week. The judge is said to have claimed, after the mother's refusal to the order, "You know what? You are just trying to keep this child from his father, aren't you?"

            Shoener's study also gave the audience the notion that society had made a solid correlation between marriage and success. Shame was also a leading factor toward women not leaving the source of their abuse. As one victim said, "I don't want to be this young pregnant mom who they say never lasts with the baby's father. I don't want to be like that."

            Even though it may sound absurd, the majority of abused women choose to stay with their abusive significant other because they believe that being a good mother is one who marries the father of her children and tries to strengthen the relationship between them. In a 2010 Pew report, sixty-nine percent of Americans said that mothers who are without partners to raise their children are bad for society. Sixty-one percent of Americans agree that both parents are essential for the proper development of a child. However, this nation is not the only one that suffers from this epidemic. In every nation there is violence but to different degrees.

            Today, this issue has reached one of the largest incorporations in the world, the NFL. This indicates that if it could happen to individuals who live in luxury, what stops it from affecting the ones living in poverty. This issue knows no boundaries when it comes to social status since anyone can result to violence in order to release his or her anger. Domestic violence is not a minor offense in this country and therefore should be made a national priority to improve our resemblance to the American dream. 

Here’s Something to Bark About!

by: Roberto Tusell ‘15

Dogs communicate intelligently, as do human beings. It is just a matter of cracking the code. Obviously, dogs cannot speak like humans can. They use their body language to communicate how they feel and what they want to say. It is known that when they wag their tails they are happy and excited. What do dogs do when they are upset? Are they capable of a deeper way of communication?

Though there is a huge variation between dogs skeletal frames and structures dogs can still very easily communicate how they feel through facial expressions. According to the ASPCA article “Canine Body Language” dog’s faces are excellent indicators of how the animal is feeling and what they are trying to communicate. 

Understanding canine language can help human beings due to the fact that this can help service dogs serve a greater purpose and make it easier for humans to understand them. One facial feature to look at in a canine is its eyes. A dog’s eyes can indicate whether it is stressed out, tired, angry, relaxed or happy. When a dog’s eyes are wider and slightly come out of the socket this indicates that a dog is angry or stressed out about something. According to the ASPCA article this is when the animal is more likely to nip or bite.  When the eyes are at a normal position and are not protruding out the dog is relaxed and calm about it surroundings. When a dog is staring at an object it is trying to communicate to the owner or other dogs around it that it is either wary or afraid of it. So next time your dog is barking don’t just “shush” him or her, try to see what it is attempting to tell you.

This is only a small amount of information of the specifics of canine communication; to find out more go to ASPCA.com.

Tired Teens and Our Responses

by Olivia Geer ‘15

Teens do not like waking up early, but then again who does? Parents and teachers across the country complain about how moody and tired teens are, but whose fault is it? Studies have shown that a teen’s sleep pattern is biologically determined and waking up early disrupts that. Many doctors and psychologists have studied this theory all coming up on common ground that, in fact, teens are sleep deprived because of school starting so early.  Some teens are up as early as 5:30am!

Some schools have actually adjusted their start times to later in the morning and have said that students’ grades and behavior have improved. So why are some schools still not changing their times? Some parents have agreed that starting later would be more beneficial for them because their children would be on the same schedule they are. A school in Oklahoma that pushed back their start times has reported that there have been less accidents among student drivers.

Doctors looked further into the whole biological clock concept and came up with information that says there are sleep inducing hormones in teens, melatonin, that do not affect teens until as late as 11pm. Having teens wake up at 6am when they are going to sleep no earlier than 11pm seems a bit ridiculous. So why haven’t other schools agreed to push back their times? Well, schools tend to stagger their start times to reduce cost on transportation when using buses. Overall it seems schools are more worried about their financial state than the health benefits of their students.

IS BULLYING THE NEW DISEASE?

By: Advait Suvarnakar ’16

Paramus Catholic, N.J.- Bullying in America has risen exponentially. Through verbal and
physical harassment the bullies, who were themselves more than likely once sufferers of this
affliction, turn to new “victims” to prey and ridicule.
        The definition of bullying according to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is
as follows: “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power
imbalance” The typical school bully, as portrayed through movies and other various sources of
media, is a terrible misrepresentation of what a “real life” bully is. Bullies in today’s time come
in all shapes and sizes, not just the typical, daunting, yet slightly oafish, character. The victims
however, receive the identical treatment as has been for the past couple of decades. Such
examples are taunting, physical abuse, cyber bullying, etc. As stated by the U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services, “Those kids who are bullied feel sad, lonely, lose interest in
activities, and have a tendency of missing and skipping school.”
        Many perceive the typical bully to be inherently vile and cruel. However, many people do
not realize that many present bullies used to be bullied, and now those same victims want to
unleash their concealed anger. According to Barry K. Weinhold of bullyingstatistics.org,
“Children who experience social rejection themselves are more likely to ‘pass it on’ to others...
and the fact that one gets more social recognition for negative behaviors than for positive ones can also contribute to reasons why people bully.” Bullying is like an endless circle which
eventually has to come to an end.
        Bullying is a disease because it is considered to be “contagious”. When kids see how
much power a bully wields, the kids becomes inspired to become bullies themselves. It is
running rampant not only in the youth of America, but also in the adult world. As per Linda
Carroll of nbcnews.com, “...one in six [people] is regularly bullied.” Bullying is spreading, and
the lives of people are being destroyed by this man-made virus everyday. Bullying must be
stopped in its tracks.
        Many organizations have been set up about the effects of bullying, join one today. The typical school bully as portrayed above has moved to new horizons, involving many innocent people in their quest for dominance.

                                                 Provided by: aninaneconversation.

Singing for Death

Sara Cifelli '15

Car accidents occur half a mile from home. Drivers get comfortable behind the wheel and become less alert because they do not pay as much attention as they used to. Drivers may not realize how unsafe they are while driving a car around their own neighborhood.

Studies have proven that there are many factors which affect driving. Singing and daydreaming are dangerous because people think about other things and less about what's right in front of them on the road. Gas prices, billboards, road signs, and having kids in the backseat can cause a driver to be looking around instead of the road.  Even having a cold is bad for driving because the split-second your eyes are closed while coughing or sneezing could really make a difference.

Many people are scared of airplanes but car accidents are more likely to occur and millions drive cars every day.  According to drive-safety.net the number one cause of death for ages 5 to 34 is a car accident. There are many ways to stay safe and improve your driving such as ignoring phone calls, concentrating, and focusing on your driving rather than persons in front or behind you.

According to mentalfloss.com, eating and drinking while driving is just as dangerous as texting and driving. Spills and greasy hands can affect driving more than we would assume. Also, driving while drowsy is more dangerous than driving while drunk.  According to surveys on drive-safety.net, 41% of drivers have admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel at least once in their lifetime. Texting, changing radio stations, and even talking on a Bluetooth can threaten your life as well as those of many others.

Terminate Rape on the College Campus

by Victoria Kobayashi ‘15

            One in five American women is raped during their lifetime says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

            On Friday, September 19, 2014, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden initiated the “It’s On Us” campaign challenging the world to expel sexual assault from college campuses.  By taking the pledge on the “It’s On Us” campaign Website, people vow to take action against sexual abuse, stand up for rape victims, and intervene on an atypical situation that has the possibility to lead to non-consensual relations. 

            According to the Washington Post, President Obama called campus rape “an affront to our basic humanity.”  Obama asks for help from everyone including “the captain of the basketball team” and the “drum major and the band.”  President Obama said in his press conference, “And this is a personal priority, not just as a president, obviously, not just as a husband and a father of two extraordinary girls, but as an American who believes that our nation’s success depends on how we value and defend the rights of women and girls.” 

            In May of 2014, a report, divulged by the United States Department of Education, presented fifty-five colleges and universities under federal investigation for the improper handling of sexual assault cases.  Some of the colleges and universities include but are not limited to Harvard College, Vanderbilt University, and Ohio State University. 

            On September 28, 2014, as a result of the “It’s On Us” campaign, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a sexual assault bill titled “Yes Means Yes.”  The bill requires consent for sexual activity, defining consent using the definition passed by the California State Senate.  The California Senate defines consent as “an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.”  The legislation calls for training of those who review the accusations at hand in order to avoid inappropriate questioning of alleged victims.  The bill requires access to counseling, health care services, and other resources. 

            The main purpose of the “It’s On Us” campaign is to raise awareness of the crucial problem of sexual assault on college campuses.  The campaign also focuses on the way these colleges and universities are going about dealing with such issues.  Another focal point of the movement is to achieve a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault of young men and women attending colleges and universities.  Lastly, the campaign strives to encourage males to participate in the talk about and action against sexual assault. 

            The “It’s On Us” campaign has enlisted the help and partnering of corporate organizations as well as celebrities who have a large impact all around the world.  Among the organizations that have partnered with the campaign include EA Sports, iHeart Radio, MTV, NCAA, and Tumblr, along with others.  Celebrities helping in the campaign include Kerry Washington from the television series Scandal, Jon Hamm from Mad Men, as well as multiple others. 

            According to Vice President Joe Biden’s official Twitter, “You have an obligation to intervene when you see violence taking place.”  Hundreds have already taken the pledge and are making a difference to stop sexual assault on college campuses.