Volume II Issue X: March 10, 2017 |
OPINION |
Have A Good Spring Break! |
EPA Budget Cuts Cause StrifeBy CAROLINE IRVING
Last week’s announcement of proposed budgetary cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency joins a slew of stomach-churning actions that have environmentalists bracing for what is to come in the Trump administration. The Washington Post reported that the White House is looking to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget from $8.2 billion to $6.1 billion dollars, and reduce staff by 3,000 employees. Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy spoke out about the issue on March 4th, saying that she “[doesn’t] know why they’ve decided that our core values no longer include clean air and clean water. It’s executive orders that are threatening the safety of our drinking water for 117 million Americans.” Should we allow this disregard for the safety of our environment, we may very well see our nation plunged back into the pollution riddled waterways and noxious air of the decades before the establishment of the EPA. Many have forgotten quite what its passage has done for the American people and our environment, but it serves to be reminded of what we have at stake due to this budget cut. On the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, the EPA released a statement saying that “after the Clean Air Act’s first 20 years, in 1990, it prevented more than 200,000 premature deaths, and almost 700,000 cases of chronic bronchitis were avoided. Over the last 20 years, total emissions of the six principal air pollutants have decreased by more than 41 percent, while the Gross Domestic Product has increased by more than 64 percent.” This immense progress has protected not only our natural resources but also the American public, something that the leader of our nation cannot seem to understand. Despite the fact that President Trump has only been in office for a mere forty nine days, one thing is clear: the Commander-in-chief does not believe that climate change is a reality. He said himself that “we’re going to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement, and stop all payments of the United States’ tax dollars to UN global warming programs.” If that notion is not scary enough, take a look at just one of his many Tweets, stating that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Unfortunately, he is not alone in this flagrant denial of climate change. The Pew Research Center found that 20% of American adults believe there is no evidence to support the belief that climate change is occurring with another 31% believing that what change on our planet has occurred has been the result of natural causes. Ultimately, it will not come down to who believes in climate change if propositions such as this find their way into American legislation. Neglecting the protection of our Earth will affect everyone regardless of status, location, or opinion. We all call this planet home, so isn’t it time that we start thinking about more than just ourselves and start making strides to protect it? |
A Millennial Takes On PatriotismBy CAMERON KROETZ
I was born in 1998; I am one of the last millennials to go through REV. Though I was born at the tail end of the millennial generation, I still feel the the confusion when it comes to patriotism and the love of country. I’ve grown up during the War on Terror and renewed ethnic strife. America, as the predominant global superpower of the 20th and 21st centuries has the responsibility to respond wisely and effectively to global issues. The actions of our nation in response to global crises can be seen as ineffective and even detrimental to global stability. That is why I do not hold the common belief that the United States is the greatest country in the world. When I am abroad and I am asked where I’m from I respond with, “I’m from California.” I do not identify as an American when I am abroad, because it is a legitimate danger to call oneself American in certain countries. Unlike most Americans, I identify with my home state when abroad more so than my nation. This train of thought has become increasingly common among millennials with only 32% of millennials saying America is greatest country in the world as opposed to about 50% of their parents’ generation (Pew Poll). I believe this is due to the time period millennials have grown up in. We have gone through an era of uncertainty with countless terrorist attacks, increased levels of gun violence, and the worst economic recession since the 1930s; it can easily be seen why we are so skeptical. We no longer live in our parents’ America. One can argue both ways whether this fall in patriotism is a good thing or a bad thing, but I hold the belief that it may be a good thing because it shows that our generation is questioning the century old status quo of blindly following the national establishment of patriotism. We are coming of age in an increasingly globalized world in which cooperation between nations is absolutely necessary. If we as a people continue to believe that our nation is superior to every other nation, then we will quickly find ourselves in an isolationist state of existence. In order for continued economic power we must stay connected, especially to our allies in Asia and the European Union. It could be possible that losing the blind patriotism of our ancestors may allow us to grow as a nation and as a people. The one place where millennials have a more positive outlook than older Americans may not be surprising to many people. We have a more optimistic view of the future of the nation. This is most likely due to our generation being the most tolerant generation in American history. As children and teenagers, we watched as our nation elected the first African-American president in the history of the United States... |
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Netflix's The Seven Deadly Sins Keeps Viewers on Their ToesBy JAYLAN ALLAN
This anime review will be on the first season of a Netflix exclusive anime called Seven Deadly Sins. The Seven Deadly Sins is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. The first season has 24 episodes in it and has a lot of action included. It deals with a group of renegade holy knights who have been accused of treason against their kingdom. Most of the members have different races such as: human, doll, demon, fairy, and even giant. This series currently is ongoing and continues to keep its viewers guessing on what happens next. The main characters names are: Meliodas, Ban , King, Diane, Gowther, Merlin, and Elizabeth. All the main characters except for Elizabeth are named after one of the seven deadly sins, as well as an animal. This show starts with Elizabeth looking for the sins so they can help rescue her kingdom. She finds the first in a bar called the boar hat but is confused by his appearance. As the story progresses it seems that she finds most of the sins at the beginning to try and save the kingdom from an unlikely foe. I would give this anime a 9.5/10 because it still has time for it to get better. In my opinion i think that they could have added more filler scenes to make the storyline progress a bit further. Most people want to see the story progress to the point that it can be watched by both anime lovers and non-anime lovers alike. |
By STEPHANIE AGUILAR
As next year registration ends, students are excited (or worried) about classes they will be taking this Fall. As some students gets to go on trips and sleep until one in the afternoon this summer, other students will be taking five-hour classes at AAA Academy at Citrus Valley High School. The classes are $245 per semester or $515 for a full summer. This price is probably the most expensive to spend on high school summer classes next to a college textbook. Why is it that those who want to pursue more education, get a higher chance to get into a dream university, or to have room to take favored electives, must deal with burden of a high price in their parent’s wallets? You can pay most of your senior activities with $515 or even get a pet who can be your best friend for life. Some students can afford the $515, however many students who come from low income families cannot even afford the $245 per semester. AAA Academy does offer scholarships for students from free or reduced lunch, but the chances of receiving a one full are not very high. The student is competing with a high amount of students from three other high schools for a very limited amount of full scholarships. Not even a straight-A honors student with afterschool activities can acquire a full scholarship. From personal experience, with my 4.1 GPA, two sports, and community service, I only got a half scholarship in my summer of sophomore year. At this point, you could only receive the half scholarship, or be on the waiting list. This is not a fair game to those who wanted to take these classes, so he or she may take advanced or favored classes in the Fall. AAA Academy should request the state or county for more funding in this program since its popularity is only going to grow. Including, expanding its program to other districts in the Inland Empire may reduce the flow of outer-district students going to the one in Redlands. Also, to give out more full scholarships, so more low income students have a higher chance of getting in than getting hit by a coconut. |
How Synergy Changed Me By DAVID MIKHAIL
For most students at REV Feb 15 was just another routine school day. However for a select few, which I was fortunate enough to be amongst, it was a life-changing event. That is because on Feb 15 REV's Link Crew, led by Kurt Bruich, hosted REV's 4th annual Synergy. I without a single shred of doubt, can claim that the Synergy was one of the most beneficial and unique experiences that I have had. The one thing I want you to keep in mind as you read this article is that nothing I can write will come close, or do justice to, how life changing the Synergy event was. Synergy kicked off with games to act as icebreakers, that were followed by pairing people up and having them answer questions set by the Link Crew which, as time moved on, got more personal. Following that, five people shared poignant stories that influenced their lives. Next we played a game called cross the line, in which the game members would say a statement and you would cross the line if the statement applies to you. All of this may sound like a waste of time, but it wasn't. It was an eye opener. It opened my eyes to a number of people who suffer in silence while I sit Idly by. I learned how to be a good listener, not through a powerpoint, but through experience. It was a wake-up call to show me how selfish I was, and a demonstration as to how little my knowledge stretched when it came to knowing those who make up my community, school, and classes. To put it briefly, if I were to summarize the Synergy in one sentence it would be: "I have had more impactful experiences before, I just can't remember when." |