Driving Me Insane

by Connor Martin ’13 The hype over getting a learner’s permit or a driver’s license is in no way overrated or underrated. However, the entire process seems like a teenage version of Mount Everest. Then once the time to climb comes around, all of the people who anticipated the test start shaking in their boots. There is a good reason … Read More

With Liberty and Justice for Some

by Alex Porter ’13 New Mexico born American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda leader, was killed late last month in Yemen in a CIA-led strike by an unmanned drone aircraft. Al-Awlaki was called “the leader of external operations for Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula” by President Obama, and was a spokesman and recruiter known for his use of the … Read More

Realizing that I’m an Atheist

by Alex Porter ’13 One of my earliest memories of religion was coming back from a church service at the Naval Academy while my family was visiting my brother there. After the service I asked my mother, “How do we know that there’s a God?” She sent the reverend an e-mail shortly after, asking how to explain it to me. … Read More

How Judaism Reemerged in My Soul

by Nathan St. Pierre ’12 When I was little, I was captivated with being Jewish and actually enjoyed spending two hours at Sunday school to learn more about my faith. Once I actually became a man in Jewish tradition by completing my Bar Mitzvah, my enthusiasm for the Jewish faith diminished greatly. Probably a combination of my older brother constantly … Read More

After Four Years, Knox Returns Home

by Evan Schwartz ’13 Four years after being arrested for the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, 24-year-old Amanda Knox has been released from Italian custody, and has returned safely to her home in Seattle, Washington. Speaking for myself, Knox’s release is four years late! On November 1, 2007, Kercher was raped, stabbed, and robbed in the flat she … Read More

Why should you care about the PSAT?

by Nick Mourtoupalas ’13 On October 12, most ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students will be taking the Practice SAT, and many of those students interpret the word “Practice” in very different ways. Fundamentally, the PSAT results in nothing physical or anything pertinent to your GPA; this unfortunately acts as a cue for some students. Ignorant ninth grade students, to … Read More

Pro: Strict Bullying Law Necessary

 In September 2010, Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi committed suicide after his roommate secretly recorded a video of him having a sexual encounter with another male student and uploaded it onto the Internet. In September 2011, a year after the incident, New Jersey passed the strictest anti-bullying law in the country. This law requires that schools train their staff to … Read More

Con: New Jersey Overreacts to Bullying

 In September 2010, Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi committed suicide after his roommate secretly recorded a video of him having a sexual encounter with another male student and uploaded it onto the Internet. In September 2011, a year after the incident, New Jersey passed the strictest anti-bullying law in the country. This law requires that schools train their staff to … Read More

Too Little Too Late: Common Core Standards

On September 22, 2011 President Obama unveiled a plan that would allow states to opt out of key provisions of the highly unsuccessful No Child Left Behind federal mandate. This has left an opening for something to more effectively unify the nation’s approach to educating its children and adolescents. The Common Core Standards for College and Career Readiness are a … Read More

I Wouldn’t Forget If I Could Only Remember

Despite My Frustration, I’ve Learned A Valuable Lesson Report from: September 10, 2011 by Michael Natelli ’14 For those of you who can remember, I envy you. For those of you who can’t, you’re not alone. Today, I sit here, watching a “Dateline NBC” special that memorializes 9/11, and I realize that, regrettably, I don’t remember a thing. I’m told … Read More