Eastside Catholic club opens students to Asian culture
December 25, 2012
Eastside has many interesting clubs and activities but Asia Club is definitely one of the most unique.
Shreya Tewari
Eastside Catholic High School
Asia Club is a fairly recent club (started in the past several years) open to anybody interested in learning about and delving into Asian studies — languages, culture or food. The club meets once a week and learns about different Asian cultures and immerses itself in celebrating different foreign practices.
The club does a large amount of fundraising to support kids and people in general in many underprivileged areas in Asian countries. For different holidays, there are different kinds of candy grams that go around the school that are sponsored by Asia Club to raise money.
When did the holidays go up for sale?
December 25, 2012
“Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. Buy now and your cost will be only $9.95.”
Jacob Brunette
Issaquah High School
That is the American holiday season in a nutshell; the time of year in which we celebrate love, peace and incredible savings.
It seems that every year, however, the incredible savings start sooner, and the love and peace get pushed further into the background.
As soon as Halloween is over, the holiday season has begun. Stores start selling Christmas lights and decorations. Santa Claus appears on TV, advertising cars and clothing.
Holiday music loops endlessly in the mall. Every year, the onslaught of commercials starts a little sooner in an attempt to extend the lucrative period of holiday shopping for as long as possible.
How to give meaningful gifts for Christmas
December 25, 2012
Christmas is fast approaching, and some of us are feeling stuck regarding what to get our friends and family for the big holiday.
Madeline Wells
Issaquah High School
Before you give up and grab the nearest gift card, stop and think. Wouldn’t it be great to receive a truly meaningful gift? It’s the thought that counts, right?
You may recall the cute, handmade gifts you made for your parents for Christmas when you were little. Giving meaningful gifts when you’re older is just like that, just maybe minus the artistic skills of a 5-year-old. Here’s how to give a gift that means a lot:
The Hot List
December 25, 2012
Lee Xie
Skyline High School
Movie: “Skyfall”
‘Skyfall’
The highly anticipated, latest installment of the storied James Bond series certainly didn’t disappoint.
Action-packed with fantastic, vibrant settings and a sultry opening song by Adele, the film established itself as one of the best in recent memory, and possibly even in the whole franchise. Perhaps the greatest amount of praise should go to the cast, who executed their roles with precision and believability, from the rugged Daniel Craig as Bond to the crazed Javier Bardem as Silva, the film’s main villain.
With a captivating plot that keeps the audience on the edge of its seats and a superstar cast, “Skyfall” is sure to enthrall viewers looking for some adventure this holiday season.
Teen Talk
December 25, 2012
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Eastside Catholic High School
“My New Year’s resolution is to smile more and to stop overthinking everything and just have fun.”
Amanda Scotland, senior
Liberty High School student experiences campaigns
November 27, 2012
Veronica Austin
Liberty High School
This election season, many seniors in high school were eligible to vote, but some went further to have their voices heard, even volunteering for candidates’ campaigns to encourage others to vote.
One such student is Liberty High School senior Kiera Stevens, who worked with the group Friends of Dave Reichert after hearing that it was in need of volunteers. The group helped coordinate 8th District Washington congressman Dave Reichert’s campaign.
“I wanted to intern because I am a Republican,” Stevens said. “The party is a minority in this state, so I wanted to support it.”
Eastside Catholic High School students get involved in debate
November 27, 2012
Shreya Tewari
Eastside Catholic High School
Eastside Catholic High School has a large group of students politically involved in the thriving high school speech and debate program.
One example is extemporaneous speaking, an impromptu event in which competitors compile research on a wide variety of topics and then are given a few political questions to choose from.
Competitors then have a few minutes to look through their general research and see if they can find information that applies to the questions. They are expected to deliver a polished, seven-minute speech answering a question. There are several students on the team that compete in this event.
Junior State of America promotes activism
November 27, 2012
Sampurna Basu Skyline High School
Although election season has wrapped up, members of Skyline High School’s debate club, JSA, have been part of the political hype from the very beginning.
Skyline JSA’s mission is to promote political activism and awareness in all of its members, thereby fighting apathy and giving youths the chance to speak their minds. At weekly meetings, students debate current issues and events using standard parliamentary procedure. The meetings, coupled with regional competitions and chapter conventions, are a great way for students to further their debate and public speaking skills.
This year, the club also had the exciting opportunity to host Democratic candidate Mark Mullet (recently elected to represent Issaquah in the Washington State Senate), at one of its meetings, giving students the chance to learn about his campaign platform firsthand.
Organization ends teenagers’ political apathy
November 27, 2012
Madeline Wells
Issaquah High School
With the recent election, some Issaquah High School students in Junior Statesmen of America were able to get involved in politics even if they were unable to vote themselves.
JSA is a political debate and discussion-based organization that has clubs across the United States. The clubs debate on a range of topics relevant to current events.
“At our weekly meetings, we try and change the debate topics a lot to make things interesting instead of a boring restating of facts we discussed at the last meeting,” junior Natalie Andreeva, a member of JSA, said.
Uphold Electoral College in presidential elections
November 27, 2012
Nitin Shyamkumar Skyline High School
The Electoral College tends to receive a substantial amount of criticism. I don’t dispute that the criticisms are valid; what I do question is whether popular vote is preferable to a system that has existed since 1788.
The Electoral College preserves the purpose of a state as an entity. In the event of popular vote, the states as legal entities are no longer necessary for presidential elections. It is this preservation of the purpose of the state that contributes to maintaining federalism.
Similarly, the Electoral College contributes to the cohesion of the nation by requiring a distribution of the popular vote. The Electoral College requires a candidate to win a majority of the vote in a majority of the states. Interestingly enough, it has compelled presidential candidates over the years to choose vice presidential candidates that would “balance the ticket.”
