Monthly Archives: March 2022

Science/Nature

The James Webb Space Telescope: A time machine

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By: Reed Morris

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is the flagship observatory for NASA’s next generation of space telescopes. The project has been in progress for years and has cost around 10 billion dollars to complete. Many people refer to it as “The new Hubble”; while this is partially true, Hubble and the JWST have very different missions, and operational capabilities.

The two most important differences between the two observatories are their mirror sizes, and the imaging equipment on board. The size of the mirrors are very important as the image quality and range capabilities of telescopes directly rely on the size of their mirrors. Hubble is equipped with a mirror 2.4 meters or 7.8’ in diameter, whereas the JWST has a mirror diameter of 6.5 meters or 21.3’, a massive leap forward for space telescope capabilities.

The other main difference between the two is their individual operation capabilities. Hubble has cameras that focus mostly on the visible light range with minimal ultraviolet and infrared capabilities. The JWST however has extreme infrared capabilities. This is where the time machine nickname comes from. Infrared imaging in space exploration is extremely important because of the way that the expansion of the universe affects light. The farther away an object is from an observer, the greater the expansion and stretching of the universe affect the wavelength of light. As space stretches, so does the wavelength of light, redshifting the waves from visible light onto the infrared spectrum. Having high infrared capabilities is necessary to image events that took place an incomprehensible amount of time in the past, over similarly incomprehensible distances.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a monumental step forward in astronomy. It will let us peer billions of years into the past to witness the formation of the first galaxies. It will also be used to search for exoplanets that could harbor life, and get beautiful images of the vast expanses of space. The galaxy formations that the JWST will be observing are events that took place possibly only 100 million years after the creation of the universe, the Big Bang. While Hubble was, and still is a hugely important tool for space exploration, the JWST ushers in a new era of deep space imaging, and is a launching pad for humanity’s better understanding of the creation of galaxies and the universe as a whole.

Science/Nature

Schizoaffective disorder and its links to poor diets

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By: Liibaan Yusuf

To begin, schizoaffective disorder is a mental disorder not always easily identifiable. However, the core symptoms are usually very noticeable though they can be mistaken for other mental illnesses. Unstable mood, irregular thought processes, and depression are usually the main callers for attention, however, schizoaffective disorder can sometimes be an afterthought diagnosis especially if the patient has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and any other mood disorder beforehand.

There are two main types of schizoaffective disorder. One is the bipolar type; where the patient shows episodes of mixed emotions and mania. The other is the depressive type; patients diagnosed with this have been known to be misdiagnosed with depression and/or bipolar disorder.

What do mental abnormalities have to do with your diet? Instead ask this, what does your diet do to influence mental abnormalities? Although schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are still being studied, and are thought to have no known causes, it’s widely assumed that they are genetic and worsened by outside factors. Researchers at the Seoul Women’s University conducted a study with shocking findings. Researchers found that diets lacking anti-inflammatory foods are likely to worsen issues and problems caused by schizoaffective disorder.

Doctors and specialists recommend an anti-inflammatory rich diet (think foods like dragonfruit) to work against schizoaffective disorder. Although it cannot be prevented entirely, nor worked against, it is merely a slow down effect. Foods rich in Omega-3’s such as seafood, nuts, and legumes should be a staple in the diets of patients as well. Studies show that those who struggle with schizoaffective disorder also are missing concerning amounts of vitamins D and B which are described as ‘therapeutic’ in reversing negative aspects of the disorder.

A study conducted in Bahrain had examined the links between schizophrenia, a close cousin to schizoaffective disorder, and its links to diet. The Bahraini researchers found that the gut plays a big part in this whole case. Since the gut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, any issues with the intake of nutrients will have notable effects on the mind.

More specifically, two missing gut enzymes, Succinivibrio and Corynebacterium, are common bacteria found in all people throughout the world, although those with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are missing both. Scientists are still not sure what causes this and how and if it links with schizophrenia, but it is concerning nonetheless.

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World

China’s influence on African infrastructure and politics

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By: Toby Martin-Kohls

In an era such as now, geopolitics are becoming more and more important and in the spotlight. An easy example of current events is the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

China has, and does, use its money and resources to influence global politics.

What is global politics? The United Nations. The United Nations is an organization founded after WWII, and per their website: “The one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.” Each of the 193 member states has a representative that has a vote in any resolutions that are brought forward.

Today, only 15 countries recognize the Republic of China, which is also known as Taiwan. Both countries claim that they are the rightful owner of all of China. Since there can only be one representative per member state, the U.N. held a vote in 1971 to decide which country would be given a representative. At the time, the U.S. officially recognized Taiwan, so for the vote, it was essentially the United States’ sphere of influence against the world.

Now we can relate this back to Africa. China ended up winning the resolution vote, but what we are looking at is which African countries voted for who in 1971. The Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Liberia, Niger, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Ivory Coast all voted with the United States for Taiwan to represent both the mainland and the island at the United Nations.

Fast forward to 2007 and the U.N. is holding a vote on whether to condemn human rights violations in North Korea. North Korea has few allies, but China is a big supporter because they share some of the same values. Again, like the previous vote mentioned earlier, this time it was China’s sphere of influence against the world.

The only African countries that voted to condemn North Korea were: Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea: Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Burundi, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, and Tanzania. The rest of the 43 African countries voted with China or abstained.

This is a product of China using its power to build infrastructure in low developed African countries.

China’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has grown rapidly since the 1960s and 70s. It has made the shift from an industrializing country to an industrialized country.

Africa, however, has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. In April 2021, Nasdaq predicted Libya to be the fastest growing economy of 2021.

In Africa, there are around 10,000 Chinese-owned businesses and construction companies worth over $2 trillion. In 2017, Chinese companies obtained roughly half of all engineering, construction, and procurement contracts on the African continent.

China has used its resources to foster relationships with the countries of Africa and make them allies. Given the current events of Ukraine and Russia, these decisions could make a difference in the years to come. Hopefully, China does not decide to forcefully take over Taiwan. Based on the relationships they’ve fostered in Africa, they could have access to any number of resources outside the country.

Editorials/Student Voice, Travel/Food

The detrimental effects of the FDA’s leniency on dangerous substances and ingredients

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By: Haroon Yonis

The FDA is a federal organization that focuses on food safety and health. It regulates our foods/drugs and makes sure what we consume doesn’t harm us. 

As US citizens, we are right to assume this organization will do their best to prevent harm from coming to us through seemingly harmless foods. 

Yet, there are many controversies surrounding the FDA and its peculiar leniency in banning cancer causing agents; ingredients that have been banned in the EU, and practically every country in the world, yet the FDA continues to delay banning these harmful ingredients, many of which have been proven to cause cancer and many other terrible diseases.

A great example of this, is the group of food dyes commonly found in many household foods: Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 40.

These food dyes have been scientifically proven to cause cancer. The specific cancer causing chemicals in these foods are: 4-aminobiphenyl, 4-aminoazobenzene, and benzidine.

Not only do these food dyes cause cancer, they also cause vomiting and an uncontrollable itch when they are given to certain individuals. Also, young adolescents are more susceptible to these conditions when consuming the dye.

These dyes wouldn’t be an issue if they weren’t prevalent in popular and household foods such as Froot Loops, Doritos, and Jello.

Millions eat these foods every year, and the FDA continues to claim the chemicals in these dyes are safe. Yellow 5, 6, and Red 40, have been banned in the United Kingdom, France, and many other countries. The dye is even illegal in countries such as Norway and Finland.

This is only a single example of the FDA’s failure at keeping US citizens safe. There are thousands of other chemicals that are still allowed in the US, despite the obvious risks and effects associated with them.

Now, the questions that arises are:

  • Why does the FDA continue to allow such foods to be sold in the market, when their sole purpose is to regulate these foods?
  • And: How can we as a country prevent these foods from reaching our children and communities?

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Getting To Know/History

Black History Month

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Hope you had a great Black History Month. In February, we as a nation, celebrate African Americans for their contribution to society and their accomplishments. In 1964 author James Baldwin wrote about his time in school. He wrote: “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history because it seemed that that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.” His thoughts about the lack of the teaching of Black history spread. 

Nearly half a century earlier, the celebration of Black History Month began in the year 1926 as a week-long celebration created by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Woodson is referred to as the “Father of Black History” by many. 

While Woodson was earning his master’s degree he witnessed how underrepresented African Americans were in history books and how it was taught to students. 

In 1926, Woodson launched “Negro History Week.” He choose the second week in February to celebrate so he could include Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays. He wanted African Americans to be proud of where they came from and their heritage. 

After the launch of Negro History Week, schools worldwide organized local celebrations, established history clubs, and hosted performances and lectures. Decades after its creation, mayors in the country recognized Negro History Week.

During the Civil Rights movement, it evolved from Negro History Week to Black History Month. President Ford issued the first message on the observance of Black History Month. Presidents Carter and Reagan continued the tradition of celebrating African American contributions in their messages to the American people. In the month leading up to Black History Month, each president endorses a specific theme. This year’s theme was: “Black Health and Wellness,” which explored the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners.

According to BLS Educational Technology’s website, today we celebrate Black History Month by: supporting Black-owned businesses; learning about noteworthy Black figures and their contributions; donating to charities that support anti-racism, equity and equality; purchasing, reading, and sharing books by Black authors; supporting and learning about Black women; participating in online events, and attending Black History Month celebrations.

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Books/Art

3 books you need to read

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Why do I recommend these books?

Well, the reason why I recommend these books is because I’m a person that hates reading and these 3 books are books that caught my attention, and I think they will catch your attention also.

1st) ‘The Child Called “It”‘

The first book I recommend to read is ‘A Child Called “It”‘. It’s based on a true story. The book is about a kid living a normal live with his family; he had a beautiful family then all of the sudden it all went down hill. His mom wound act different when his father would go to work. She would mistreat him, she would make him starve, and his only escape was going to school where his mother wouldn’t do anything him.

During school hours, he would steal his classmate’s lunches while they were at recess. His teacher noticed that he would go to school everyday with the same clothes and even more bruises, so he made a report to the principal’s office and his principal called the police…you won’t believe what will happen next!

2nd) ‘Wonder’

‘Wonder’ is a book that is based on a real life incident. The book is about a boy that is 10 years old, who had facial anomaly. His name is August Pullman, and his whole life was a lie. He was always homeschooled because his parents were scared to put him in a public school for his facial anomaly, and they were scared for what others kid would think about him.

Ever since he was a kid he always wore an astronaut costume everywhere. At some point he convinced his parents to let him go to a real public school. He met this little boy that would stand up for him when his other classmates would just make fun of him.

3rd) Holes

The third book I recommend is called ‘Holes’. ‘Holes’ is a book that is about a boy that is cursed, by a curse, that was placed on his great-great- grandmother. His name is Stanley. Stanley gets bad luck by the curses in his family and he gets sent to an camp called Green Lake. Green Lake is a juvenile detention camp that is located in the middle of nowhere in Texas.

Stanley was put in the juvenile detention camp for a crime he did not commit. Stanley and the other juvenile kids are made to dig large holes everyday in the dry land, and they also barely get food and water. They get a gallon of water and every 3 hours the truck of water comes to fill up the gallon. Stanley has a hard time while he’s there because of the kid’s bullying him, until he finds a good friend that treats him very well.

Tech/Games

Why has the ‘NBA2K’ neighborhood become worse and worse over the years?

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By: Abdirahman Ege

‘NBA2K’ neighborhood is a game mode where you walk around, in basically a map, which has a bunch of courts on it, and you can wait on the spot, to play with randoms or your friends.

‘NBA2K15’, ‘NBA2K16’, ‘NBA2K17’, and ‘NBA2K19’. These games all had unique playing styles (like you could have different dribbling styles), they had unique neighborhoods (like you could play in different regions of the world), nice cosmetics (like you could get new clothing), etc. The 2K community loved these games.

After ‘NBA2K19’, the game got worse and worse. They brought out the same neighborhood from 2K19 into 2K20, the gameplay in 2K21 is broken (too many glitches in the game), in 2K22 defense is garbage but the offense is way too good, etc.

The 2K community had enough of this, so they tried to talk to the developers of the game but they wouldn’t listen to the community.

A lot of content creators of NBA2K stopped making content on it. They all said that the game is unplayable and that the devs need to make a better game.

The developers of NBA2K are just money hungry. They don’t want to put in the effort into making a good game. For example, in the game there is a shop where you can buy things with real money. The cost of one piece of clothing in ‘NBA2K’ is 10,000 VC (virtual currency) which is equivalent to almost $10. This is outrageous for a virtual piece of clothing.

I myself has stopped playing the game due to it being garbage.

Advice/How To

The importance of stretching before and after a workout

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By: Caelyn Hippen

As many of you know, stretching is a very important element when it comes to physical activity and working out. But maybe you don’t know all of the benefits of it. Stretching has more of an impact on your body than many of us know. Here are some examples of stretching benefits.

First off, there are many types of stretching, such as:

  • Dynamic Stretching – active movements and are done to prepare your muscles for movement and exercise.
  • Ballistic – bouncing movement; less popular and has been proven to be bad for your muscles.
  • Passive stretching – done after your workout and with equipment.
  • Static stretching – this stretch is when you hold a certain pose for up to 30 seconds. This stretch is usually performed after a workout.

Here are some benefits before a workout:

  • Increased blood flow
  • Reduced fatigue
  • Increased flexibility and range of motion
  • Improved performance in workout

Benefits of stretching after a workout:

  • Reduces muscle pain and risk of injury
  • Gradual relaxation
  • Immediate muscle repair – goes back to lowering your risk of injury, stretching after you workout, especially static stretching, can help you by avoiding muscle cramping and tightness.

Overall benefits stretching has on your body:

  • Improves posture – helps your posture as you are stretching new muscles, and strengthening new muscles.
  • Helps to heal and reduce back pain – like I said before, stretching increases your range of motion. This comes into play again with stretching your back. Stretching helps release tension in muscles around your back and spine. These tense muscles can cause further pain and can build up as time goes on.
  • Calming – did you know that stretching applies to all muscles, including arm muscles, leg muscles, and brain muscles? Meditation and mindfulness is also a type of stretching, like yoga. Mindfulness and meditation exercises are just as important as stretching before a workout.

Tips to a successful stretch:

  • To be successful when stretching, it is so important not to overdo it or go past your point of comfort. Stretching should be a relaxing, positive experience. And while after a workout, you do want to stretch your muscles to avoid injury, stretching too far can hurt your muscles just as much as if you didn’t stretch at all.
  • Another important thing about stretching to keep in mind is to not go into your stretches cold. It is important to do a warmup activity, such as 50 jumping jacks, before you stretch. This is important because it will help your muscles stretch even farther.
  • One more thing, remember that stretching isn’t a one time thing. You need to remember that stretching isn’t something you are good at, it’s just supposed to be fun and calming. Say you have a goal to get your splits, this isn’t necessarily a goal you can set a time limit on. You can tell yourself to stretch everyday, but you can’t push yourself too far or you will get injured and hurt your muscles.
World

Ottawa protests

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By: Abi Hernandez Castillo & Thalia Pliego

The people of Canada have been demanding to put an end to the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. These protests have been going on since late January of this year. According to ‘Fortune’, Canadas “Freedom Convoy” began when the protestors, many of which were truckers, drove from the west coast of Canada to the national capital of Ottawa. They are protesting the COVID-19 mandate for truckers.

Besides truckers, ordinary Canadians were also fed up with the restrictions that the pandemic has placed upon them. Some claim that the mandates cost them their jobs and have affected their families, and because of their frustration, they have also joined the protests. These protesters were spreading to the border crossing between Canada and the United States and interrupting trade. 

Because of these protests, truckers have cost half of a billion dollars worth of daily trade with the United States. Since the protestors have left Ottawa paralyzed, the mayor has declared a state of emergency. The mayor of Windsor, Ontario, where the protesters have closed down the Ambassador Bridge border that crosses to the United States, said that the police were preparing to physically remove any protesters if it was necessary. Even with this subtle warning, the protesters did not let that stop them. According to ‘Fortune’, they continued to fight until officials decided to remove all COVID restrictions nationwide. 

How do these protests in another country affect us here in the United States? According to ‘Deseret News’, Jeff Schuster, president of the LMC Automotive consulting firm in Troy, Michigan said, “We’re dealing with part shortages in general and supply chain issues. This is just another wrench in the industry that we’re dealing with right now.” Schuster mentions the lack of parts and this is not just him experiencing it. Any business in the United States that relies on Canadian trade is being impacted at a high level right now.

According to ‘Newsweek’, the Ottowa City Council has voted to “redo” Valentine’s Day on March 14th, 2022 because as a result of the protest, restaurants, and businesses that would usually be open on Valentine’s Day and get more sales were forced to close. The city council and development staff would work with local businesses to promote shopping and dining on March 14th, 2022.  Susan Murray told CTV News, “I think it’s great that the city has thought about small businesses and what impact the last February 14th might have had on them”. Many businesses are losing money due to the protests and having to close down. The Rideau Center, which is a shopping mall, lost approximately $20 million CAD in the week of these protests.

The very few police officers, that were seen, were swallowed up by the enormous crowds of people. Scott Spenser, 36, said in the ‘New York Times’, “They don’t have an easy job, hopefully, this all ends peacefully and they lift the mandates and we all get back to living.”

Many who supported the protests wanted the “Freedom Convoy” to continue until vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 measures in the country were dissolved. The police said that they may arrest anyone who is blocking the streets or helping anyone else do it. They also mentioned that anyone going into Ottawa to join the protests may have their vehicles seized, face fines, or have their licenses suspended. 

According to ‘ABC News’, A judge has denied bail to one of the leading organizers behind the Ottawa protests on Tuesday. Ottawa police have made 196 arrests, with over 100 facing more than one charge. 115 vehicles were also towed that were connected to the protest.