Category Archives: News

Editorials/Student Voice, Science/Nature

Does it bring harmony or destruction?

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By: Maeve Brady

Lying. It is something we all do despite whether you’re aware of it or not. Lying is the substance that is used as a tool in order to avoid getting yourself and/or others in trouble, as well as being used for people’s own personal benefit. For years and years one big question has been asked: Is lying a good thing?

Well, many may consider the adverse effects of lying and disagree. And, besides lying in general, there is also something known as white lying. In our society, people also passionately debate upon whether white lying is ethical or not. Today, I will be giving you both sides of the argument and give you some insight on how it relates to psychology.

To be more specific, white lies are defined as small and trivial lies which people use in order to avoid hurting someone. For example: Imagine your friend comes up to you and asks you if you like their haircut. Let’s say that you indeed do not like it, yet in order to avoid hurting your friends feelings and make them self conscious about it, you just tell them that you love it, despite thinking otherwise. This demonstrates the act of you white lying in order to protect your friend from receiving any sort of mental hurt. But, many would argue otherwise.

There are many people who believe that a white lie does not “protect” someone from hurt, and in fact, that contradicts itself. Many argue that a white lie causes more harm than good, and instead of shielding someone from the dreadful grasp of truth, it only exposes them to more pain.  And, despite it being in “good nature”, many consider that lying is still lying, and will only generate more distrust and hurt to the person who thought you were being sincere.

As well as this, because white lying is a form of lying, there is a possibility that it could become a bad habit. And, when more serious situations come about, this habit may have dire results. According to an article written by researchers Elena Svetieva and Leanne Ten Brinke, “Each time someone chooses to lie, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, a thread unravels. No big reveal that deception has occurred is necessary, no treachery named, no betrayal felt, no punishment to the deceiver doled out – it is the act itself that harms.” This demonstrates that although white lies have the intention of being “harmless”, the action of white lying will only ignite the fire of chaos.

But, on the other hand of the spectrum, there are many people who think otherwise. Like I have mentioned before, white lying has the intention of being “good natured”, and despite the adverse effects of it, many consider that white lying can improve relationships and in some cases, save people’s lives.

While although white lying can create this sense of distrust, it is also a way to maintain a sort of social harmony and always telling the truth can be more hurtful. They say that white lying does have the word “lying” in the term, yet it is far different from that. It has the intention of helping people avoid hurt, not steer them towards it.

In fact, under certain circumstances, white lies are just supposed to just overall bring peace and ease to someone. For example: Imagine your kid has cancer, and they are due to die soon, and they ask you one simple question, “Am I going to heaven?” Whether you believe in it or not, many would white lie and say yes. This overall brings ease to the child rather than telling them that you don’t know and or they are not. This sort of response may only drive them deeper down into the rabbit hole of depression, leaving them fearful for the rest of their days.

Now, to talk about how white lying relates to psychology. First of all, psychologists believe that besides some other factors that cause white lying, white lying may stem from a person’s own self-consciousness. In fact, it is derived from the factor of justifying oneself, also known as “Deceiver’s distrust”. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, “Deceiver’s distrust presumably reflects the assumption that interaction partners are similar to oneself; thus, one’s own deceitfulness leads to the inference that the other is, has been, or will be similarly deceitful. By assuming that others are also untruthful, deceivers can feel less guilt about having lied to them.” This demonstrates that someone may tell a white lie because they believe that others may also be telling lies, therefore justifying their actions of being unhonest to someone.

And, like many other crucial cognitive functions, whenever someone white lies, it is said that this may occur in the prefrontal cortex. More specifically, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). According to JuYoung Kim and Hackjin Kim, researchers for the National Library of Medicine, “An increase in selfish motivation for Pareto lies was associated with higher mean-level activity in both ventral and rostral MPFC. The former showed an increased pattern similarity to selfish lies, and the latter showed a decreased pattern similarity to altruistic lies.” This suggests that the MPFC, which is responsible for processing emotions, values of behaviors,  and  lying, may have something to do with white lies of selfish intentions.

Thank you so much for following me along as I explain white lies! I hope you learned valuable information about what are white lies and a further analysis of the debate of whether they are good or not. What do you think, should white lies be allowed?

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Science/Nature

How ADHD affects girls differently than boys

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By: Kate Tabor

Image created with ChatGPT

ADHD affects people of all ages and gender, but how exactly do its effects differ based on gender?

Google defines ADHD as “a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to pay attention, control impulses, and manage hyperactivity”. A lot of the time, when a person thinks of ADHD, they think of younger boys, so a narrative has been normalized to think of that specific group as people who have ADHD.

Although it may be true that a lot of younger kids, specifically younger boys, have ADHD, this narrative can cause other groups of people to go undiagnosed for longer in their life, and cause them to struggle due to their lack of diagnosis.

This is often because while boys struggle with the more hyperactive side of ADHD, girls often struggle with the more inattentive side of it. However, girls with ADHD can still struggle with the more hyperactive side, while boys can also struggle with the inattentive side.

Because of this difference, girls often go longer in their life without being diagnosed, which can cause them to struggle due to not being able to understand themselves, or get help. The average age of girls diagnosed with ADHD is 23, while for boys it’s 7.

Even though it may not seem like it, being undiagnosed can be extremely difficult for girls with ADHD. Not knowing the root of their behavior can cause a lot of frustration, and lead to mental health issues. Being undiagnosed with ADHD can also create a false narrative around someone. Due to their inattentive nature, people might think they’re just very lazy, and not motivated to do their tasks, which isn’t necessarily true.

Boys may often show more externalized symptoms, such as impulsivity and aggression, while for girls it’s more internalized.This could look like daydreaming, and forgetfulness. Girls with ADHD may also be more likely to have co-occurring conditions, like anxiety or depression (what a great deal, right?).

Getting diagnosed with ADHD can answer so many questions someone might have about themselves, and help them navigate their life in order to be successful. It’s also important for teens who are still growing, and whose brains are still developing. ADHD, like any mental health condition, can manifest differently as we grow up, which can be a struggle if you’re undiagnosed.

This is also a reason it’s so great to have a diagnosis. Without one you might look at yourself and be like why am I all of a sudden like this? I didn’t used to be like this! Once you get diagnosed, you can just be like yeah, this is why I’m like this, and I must just be growing up and changing. Now what’s the first step in making it easier for me?

It’s always good to understand yourself. Even if you’ve never thought about it before, if you feel like you may have any sort of mental health condition, it’s at least worth it to find out, and you’ll thank yourself for it.

You’re still you, and there’s nothing bad about it, your brain just works a bit differently than you originally thought.

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Science/Nature

The excellence of this cognitive phenomenon!

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By: Maeve Brady

Cognitive dissonance, the beauty of the mind. It’s something we all undergo even if we are unaware of this factor. Now, you may have heard of this term before, but do you truly know what it is? If you do, then I hope this provides an even more in depth explanation of its properties. If you don’t, then buckle up, because understanding this is essential to understanding the way we humans think.

Cognitive dissonance is a basic principle in psychology, in which it is where you know you are doing something bad, yet you still do it anyway. That’s the simpler way to explain it, but in other words, it is when your thoughts of consistency and conformity don’t align with your seemingly inconsistent actions. For example: You are sneaking out at night, and in order to get to your needed destination, you steal your parents car. Now you may know deep down that it’s wrong, but your actions are contradicting your thoughts. Now, like many of our cognitive abilities and senses, cognitive dissonance is said to occur in the prefrontal cortex which is located in our frontal lobe. But it is said to occur not only in the prefrontal cortex, but also within the insula cortex.

Deep within the lateral sulcus, also described as a deep ridge and or groove that is located along the surface of our brain’s cerebral cortex, you will find the insula cortex which is responsible for the regulating and processing of our emotions. According to an article written by Thea Buckly, about a lecture given by Keise Izuma, at the University of York in England, “‘Additional studies have revealed that cognitive dissonance engages other brain regions, such as the insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The insula, which processes emotions, often becomes more active when people are upset or angry, and the DLPFC is strongly associated with cognitive control.’” This shows us that the insula, as well as the Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, may have something to do with the feeling of cognitive dissonance.

Although more research concerning cognitive dissonance is only more recently coming out, the theory was invented a while ago. In 1957, Leon Festinger presented the theory of cognitive dissonance, in which he had claimed that the inconsistencies between cognitions may generate this uncomfortable and motivational feeling within you, also known as cognitive dissonance. This justified the outlandish feeling people got when they knew they were doing something bad, going against their thoughts of structure and doing what’s right.

Cognitive dissonance also plays a big role in the process of justification and over-explanation. The concept of dissonance, which is a clash between disharmonious principles, results in people feeling that they can justify their inconsistent behaviors. Or in other words, when cognitive dissonance creates this feeling of wrongfulness and guilt, people tend to cling on to the action of explaining themselves in order to lessen that uncomfortable feeling and satisfy themselves. When the intensity of the dissonance increases, many people become desperate to reduce it, finding obscure and desperate explanations in order to avoid confronting the uncomfortable truth.

In an experiment done by Leon Festinger and his colleague James M. Carlsmith in 1959, they tested the theory of cognitive dissonance. In this experiment, they lied to people saying the experiment was about the effects of a task on an individual’s perception, meaning how a task can affect the way one views a situation and environment. But in reality, they wanted to test if people would justify lying to another person about a task. He paid volunteers either one or around twenty dollars to lie about a boring task being fun. According to Jerry Suls, a professor at the University of Iowa, “The subjects who were paid $20 should not have experienced dissonance, because they were well-rewarded and had ample justification for lying, whereas those paid $1 had little justification for lying and should have experienced more cognitive dissonance. To reduce the dissonance, they reevaluated the boring task as interesting and enjoyable.” This was the accurate prediction of Leon Festinger which demonstrated human behavior when lying and just in general.

This proves that when people are put into uncomfortable situations and feel cognitive dissonance, they tend to find any sort of reason to justify their actions to relieve the feeling. But, when people have a plausible reason to hide behind their lies, then they may experience less dissonance because they have a “reason” not to. All this proves that people may be willing to justify even the worst of actions if it means keeping themselves and others satisfied.

Cognitive dissonance is a common theme in our society because everyone experiences it in their own life. Sometimes, it can be a spur of the moment thing and we may not even realize we are doing so until later evaluation. When we experience cognitive dissonance, some may have this immediate want to relieve the discomfort they are feeling within. This results in the person finding ways to justify their wrong action.

Thank you so much for following me along as I explained the basics of a major part of psychology, cognitive dissonance. I hope you gained more insight to what cognitive dissonance is and how it is a common theme in our society!

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Science/Nature

The beauty of covalent bonding!

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By: Maeve Brady

Chemistry, and just science in general, correlates with everything in our lives. Now, something that directly relates to the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the DNA we contain is covalent bonds or also known as covalent bonding. Now, after hearing about this, you may be wondering, what exactly is covalent bonding? Well, after the further analysis I will provide in this article, I hope you gain a better understanding about its properties and how it appears in our everyday lives.

A covalent bond is a common occurrence in our lives. In simpler terms, according to the distinguished researchers at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, “The puppies represent atoms. The bones represent one of their electrons. Both puppies share both bones” Covalent bonding is a phenomenon where elements may share electrons in order to fill their valence electrons to get a full set. This is unlike ionic bonding, where elements steal electrons instead of sharing electrons. Covalent bonds have the goal of sharing their valence electrons to completion.

For context, in the periodic table, all of the elements have valence electrons who are located in the outermost electron shell of an atom. According to its properties, every element wants to become more stable by gaining a full set of eight valence electrons, this minimizes their energy usage and with this full set, or close to full set, of valence electrons, the element becomes less reactive. In certain circumstances, depending on the group in the periodic table, we may see different results in how reactive they are. You can check what group they are in.

If an element is in group five, then it has five electrons existing in it. And if it is in group sixteen, then it has six electrons, not sixteen.  So, in the case of group eighteen, these elements are known as “noble gases”, and they have a complete set of eight valence electrons, meaning they have a full set and are not reactive; they don’t have a reason to bond with different groups in the periodic table besides themselves.

But there are a couple exceptions to this principle. One example is Helium. Helium is a noble gas with only  two valence electrons instead of eight. This is because helium’s single electron shell is already completely filled. Therefore, it still demonstrates this stable and sparse reactivity.

The aspect of covalent bonding is the formation of a complete set of valence electrons after two elements share the adequate amount of electrons with one another. And with this type of bonding there are subcategories of polar and nonpolar covalent bonding.

An example of polar covalent bonding would be the bonding of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen molecule, the chemical structure of water. Oxygen has six valence electrons while each hydrogen molecule has one. This means that oxygen is almost stable and only needs two more electrons for full completion. And this is where the word “polar” comes in. “Polar” is essentially this sense of having polarity, and in the context of covalent bonding, it means a non-uniformed and unequal way of bonding. So, in the case of the chemical formation of the water molecule, oxygen and the hydrogen atoms both share their electrons, which gives them both a full set of valence electrons. But because oxygen has a higher electronegativity-oxygen has the tendency to attract electrons towards itself-so it tends to “hog” the valence electrons, hence, creating this negative charge to the originally neutral element. And with this, it creates these positive charges to the two hydrogen atoms.

Now, on the other hand, there is nonpolar bonding. Nonpolar bonding is described as the more uniformed way of bonding and in the context of covalent bonding, it is when two elements equally share valence electrons. Now, in general, you may come across more nonpolar bonds between the same elements, but that is not always the case. In fact, nonpolar bonding can be executed between two different elements as long as they share valence electrons relatively equally. The most prominent example of nonpolar covalent bonding is when two oxygen atoms can each contribute two valence electrons to complete the others’ set.

Now for the big question. How can we find Covalent Bonding in our everyday lives? Well, that is simple to answer. If we truly analyze it, we can tell that covalent bonds are in more than we may have initially thought. For example, one of the most popular examples is the properties H2O. According to the distinguished researchers at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, “The unequal sharing of electrons between the atoms and the unsymmetrical shape of the molecule means that a water molecule has two poles-a positive charge on the hydrogen pole (side) and a negative charge on the oxygen pole (side). We say that the water molecule is electrically polar.” This demonstrates that a polar covalent bond is how H20 comes about. And we use water in our everyday lives. It is the basis of everything, and something we rely on so heavily. Besides water, covalent bonds also may be found in our air and more, as mentioned in the first paragraph.

Thank you so much for following me along as I explain the basics on covalent bonding! I hope you now have a better understanding of this process and how it appears in our everyday lives.

News

The new age of blood shortages

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By: Maya Vossen-Nelson

Nearly 6.8 million people donate blood per year in the United States, providing vital resources and support to cancer patients, surgeries, accident and burn victims, and organ transplant patients. In July 2024, the American Red Cross reported a record low in donor participation dropping by 25%. This shortage began during a nationwide heat wave over the summer and donor numbers have not returned to their normal levels since.

Recently, factors such as climate disasters have increased the demand for blood units and the drop in donations are unable to replace the inventory. Blood centers are reporting that limited donor sites, loss of staffing at blood centers, new illness and medication constraints for donation eligibility, along with a decrease in workplace donation events since the rise of remote working have all contributed to lower donor numbers.

Blood shortages are a pressing symptom of the overburdened, under-resourced healthcare system. As of March 4, 2025, of the 53 community blood centers and 90 hospital based blood centers in the United States, 46% have less than a two-day supply of blood.

Amid these unresolved blood shortages, surgeons have turned to blood supply usage efficiency as a method of mitigating the lower supply consequences. Adoption of Patient Blood Management (PBM) policies currently include using preoperative strategies to increase red cell mass, intraoperative cell salvage, and the management of anemia in patients.

To most patients, this medical jargon carries little meaning, overshadowing its influence in medicine. The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) describes the importance of, and medical situations where, PBM is used: “PBM encompasses all aspects of the transfusion decision-making process, beginning with the initial patient evaluation and continuing through clinical management. These techniques are designed to ensure optimal patient outcomes, while maintaining the blood supply to guarantee that blood components are available for patients when they are needed.”

Preoperative strategies to increase red cell mass include pre-op testing 3 to 4 weeks in advance of the surgery to undergo blood testing and receive proper supplements or medication to resolve anemia.

On average, patients with anemia require an additional liter of blood during surgeries and require longer hospital stays compared to their counterparts. Given that 22.8% of people worldwide are anemic, resolving anemia even temporarily for a surgery would significantly decrease pressure on blood centers.

Intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) is a method used during surgery to collect red blood cells lost during surgery and reintegrating them into the body. Before the blood transfusion, the red cells are processed and repaired. This blood management method requires no additional blood.

These strategies have increased the ability for blood centers to cope with the blood shortages, but the ultimate fix is recruiting more donors. Of the 37% of eligible donors, only 3% choose to donate. Your donation is more important than ever. To schedule a blood donation with the American Red Cross visit: https://www.redcrossblood.org and select from countless donor drives near you.

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Science/Nature

What is this strange effect?

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By: Maeve Brady

Many of us may know about the infamous placebo effect. But have you truly taken the time to analyze it and its components? If you did, do you understand it?  Even after wondering about it for a long time, many still can’t comprehend it. Today, I will be explaining the placebo effect and how it affects our youth in schools and the broad picture of it.

Have you ever heard of a placebo? Well, it’s the reason the placebo effect even exists. A placebo is an inactive treatment, surgery, and more. Also, under certain circumstances, a placebo can also be considered to be an action. A placebo directly correlates to the placebo effect because the placebo effect is the feeling you get after you take the placebo. The placebo effect works by turning on the body’s natural mechanisms that may help us feel better. Our brains make many substances that can lessen pain, anxiety, nausea, and more. This is also known as placebo analgesia.

Like I said, the placebo effect derives from the mind rather than the actual effect the drug has. This can be seen in the fact that you can be aware that you are taking a placebo for the effect to still work. Many believe that you have to be unconscious of the placebo in order for it to work, but in reality, if you have the expectation of the placebo having a positive effect on you, then it may. There is also such a thing as the Nocebo effect; it’s the opposite of the placebo effect where you believe that a placebo has a negative effect on you.

According to Olsen (2021), a Senior Media Relations Officer at Dartmouth, in a recent research conducted by Tor Wager and Diana L. Taylor, who are distinguished professors in Neuroscience, “‘Our findings demonstrate that the participants who showed the most pain reduction with the placebo also showed the largest reductions in brain areas associated with pain construction.’” After further research, according to Olson (2021), “With the large sample, the researchers were able to confidently localize placebo effects to specific zones of the brain, including the thalamus and the basal ganglia.” Scientists believe that because these two areas are involved in the sequence of connecting pain to action, the placebo effect may occur in them and largely impact these regions. Scientists also believe that the prefrontal cortex may have something to do with it.

The placebo effect may affect our youth in many different ways. In recent research conducted by psychologists Ulrich Weger, Ph.D. and Stephen Loughnan, some students were under the impression that the material they studied was enriched and better for the test while some believed that it was worse. According to the two psychologists, “Participant performance was indeed enhanced, compared to a group that did not think the priming process would improve their knowledge.” This demonstrates that the students’ actions could overall affect their academic performance.

The placebo effect is a very complex phenomenon whose properties are still being researched. I hope that from this text you’ve learned a little about the basics and how it affects our youth.

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Clubs and Activities, Events

Highland’s 2025 Chinese New Year’s most significant performances

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By: Jooney Freddieson and Aalovely Lor

Chinese New Year is one of the most important traditional holidays in Chinese culture.

It is typically between the end of January to mid February and in 2025, Chinese New Year was from January 29th to February 12th.

Every year, Highland Park Senior High School students and teachers celebrate Chinese New Year by performing dances as well as singing and showcasing a play.

( 舞獅 ) Lion’s Dance performed by Julian Falk & Liam Hefferan

The Lion’s Dance is not just a performance but it is a cultural tradition that traces all the way back to ancient China; evolving through each generation.

This dance is significant because when the lunar new year comes around the celebration is intended to ward off evil spirits.

The Lion’s Dance is not only filled with vibrant colors, but it is followed by loud noises, energetic music, and bright lights.

The lion represents a symbol of power, courage, good fortune, and protection in Chinese culture that chases away negative energy or “Nian”.

“Nian” is a mythical monster known to attack villages and leave negative energy in the beginning of the lunar new year, according to Kpbs.org. Which is why the Lion’s Dance is typically known to be performed at the beginning of the Chinese New Year event.

The monster is known to be scared of loud noises, bright lights, and bright colors, which is why the Lion’s Dance is a great tool to chase the monster away.

During the performance the dance was accompanied with loud drums played by two students, symbolizing the terrifying loud noises to scare away “Nian”.

The dancers mimic the lion by swaying, leaping, shaking, often in a playful manner. This adds an element of humor which entertains the audience.

It was cool to see how the music followed the lion’s movement as it got faster and slower.

Our favorite part of the dance was when the lion came close to the audience and interacted with them. The interaction between the lion and the audience created, and added, a more humorous atmosphere.

The Legend Of The White Snake was performed by Highland’s Chinese Immersion 11 class!

Their play gives us insight into the old Chinese folktale about an ancient white snake who transforms into a beautiful woman before quickly falling in love with a young man. 

Despite getting married, he was still unaware of her true form until a monk told him he wasn’t married to a human being; he was married to a snake.

The young man gives his wife wine which transforms her into a big white snake, causing the man to die from shock.

Even though her husband had played that trick on her, she still revived him with her own potion. Once awakened, he realized she was still the person he always loved, someone who’d never do him wrong.

The significance of the Chinese Immersion 11 class reenacting this folktale is that the new year is the year of the snake.

They executed this play perfectly by bringing up beautifully painted sets and a perfect script in between the mix of humor and accuracy.

One highlight from the play was the humorous switch when she turned into the big white snake. The crowd was definitely excited to see the wife go backstage and switch out with the masked snake.

Our favorite part of the play was when the white snake was battling the monk and his two guards for her husband back after he’s been locked up. The music in the background played a comedic role in the fighting; intense but random.

Here is the amazing Chinese Immersion 11 class!

Events, Getting To Know/History

‘Girlhood (it’s complicated)’

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By: Kumari Wijetunge

Official poster of Girlhood (it’s complicated)

‘Girlhood (it’s complicated)’ is an exhibit that you can see at the Minnesota History Center that will be up from September 7, 2024 to June 1, 2025. This is an extremely well put together and powerful representation of the impacts made by women throughout history with themes like education, fashion, work, and politics. The exhibit explores how girls over the years have navigated growing up in a society that underestimates our voices and abilities.

The exhibit counters traditional narratives of girlhood by highlighting the struggles and complexity of girls’ lives. It emphasizes that being a girl is much more than society paints it to be but instead involves navigating multiple roles and identities. Through a collection of over 100 historical artifacts, personal diaries, and interactive displays, ‘Girlhood (its complicated)’ shows how girls have contributed to society in significant ways, often breaking down barriers that were set before us.

One of the main themes of the exhibit is girls’ access to education and how it has evolved over centuries, with many girls fighting for the right of education. The exhibit shows the historical struggle and the events that led to girls and women securing educational opportunities.

The work of girls and young women is also shown in the exhibit and how they balanced family responsibilities like chores with personal ambitions and activism. Artifacts like clothing, diaries, and toys highlight the way girls have navigated their roles in the household and beyond.

‘Girlhood (its complicated)’ also features an exclusive section dedicated to girls and women in sports, specifically basketball. This part of the exhibit showcases the growth of women’s sports and the stories of female athletes who empowered others. Through photographs, personal stories, and trophies, visitors can learn about the history of women’s sports and the ongoing fight for equality.

Throughout the exhibit visitors reflect on their own experiences and perceptions of girlhood. Overall, ‘Girlhood (it’s complicated)’ is a powerful reminder of how important it is to recognize the different experiences of girlhood throughout history and the present. By interacting with artifacts and stories, visitors can leave with a greater appreciation for the resilience and strength of girlhood.

Editorials/Student Voice, News, Tech/Games

The ban of TikTok

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By: Samson Belihu

Hello, and today I will be talking about the ban of TikTok that’s GOING to happen in the U.S.

You may ask why the U.S. government wants to ban TikTok. Well, let me tell you.

The main concern that the U.S. recognizes is that TikTok collects a lot of data on users, including location, browsing history, and even device details and since it’s owned by a Chinese company, critics worry that this data could be shared with the Chinese government. The government could then use that information for spying or to influence American politics. Though TikTok denies sharing data with China, U.S. lawmakers point to China’s laws that could force companies to cooperate with the government. Many of the lawmakers are politicians, particularly from the Republican Party.

Another worry is that TikTok could spread fake news or propaganda, affecting elections or creating social unrest. Though TikTok has taken steps to try and stop the spread of misinformation, many U.S. lawmakers still see it as a national security threat.

The push for banning TikTok mainly comes from conservative politicians like Senators Josh Hawley, Marco Rubio, and others, who argue the app is a threat to national security. They worry that TikTok could be used for spying or spreading fake news for the Chinese government.

TikTok has been told to either sell to an American company, create a new U.S. controlled TikTok, or make sure they store all data safely and away from China. If they don’t do one of those things, they could face a ban in the U.S. The owner tried to file an appeal to the Supreme Court, but failed due to the concern of the information that could potentially be sent back and forth.

In my opinion I find myself stuck between both of their sides.

If TikTok is a way to sell people’s info to the Chinese government I find that troublesome, but I also think TikTok has become a way for people to express themselves and find support, and if it’s banned all of it will be taken away. People’s lives have been changed for the better due TikTok

News, World

France searches for a new president

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By: Barrika Suresh

Photo by Atypeek Dgn on Pexels.com

The French president, Emmanuel Macron is coming near the end of his second term, as he was re-elected in 2022 and will remain president until 2027. French presidents only serve two terms, as there is a limit. There is mounting pressure on Macron to name a new prime minister and diffuse the ongoing political crisis. Apple News reported that “The president called for ‘a meeting of different political forces’ to discuss forming a new government after the collapse of the last minority administration” according to the Greens after meeting Macron.

Some backstory to this is that no single party gained an absolute majority in the Assembly following the 2022 elections. Despite gaining the most seats, Macron’s Ensemble! Coalition was unable to win a majority.

Significant gains were made in the elections by the right-wing group National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, and the left-wing alliance Nupes, which consists of the Socialist group, Communist Party, France Insoumise, and the Green Party of France. In other words, Macron was now in charge of a minority administration, putting his government in a scenario known as a “cohabition” in French politics, where the president and prime minister are from different parties.

Macron’s failure to obtain a majority resulted in ongoing deadlock and made it impossible to pass important laws. This meant that in order to pass legislation, Macron and his prime minister, Michel Barnier, had to approach the opposition one at a time for support. This is extremely difficult in the current political climate.

Political unrest has resulted from Macron’s legislation majority’s collapse, with demonstrations and discontent mounting over the government’s failure to enact important reforms, particularly on matters like labor laws and pensions.

As a result, Macron’s political standing deteriorated, and the opposition-controlled National Assembly made it extremely hard for him to carry out any of his plans. Parliamentary speaker Yael Braun-Pivet urged the president’s centrist campe to join forces with the Republicans, independent MPs and the Socialists to have a majority, so there is no longer a possibility of censure, (which is a formal vote of disapproval against a government official).