by Saber Slate | Feb 25, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
Today, I’m going to be talking about why ranch is the best condiment.
It’s not.
Now, you might be thinking, “Hey Aaron, why would you make the title and picture what they are if you’re just going to say the opposite in your article?” To answer that, I’m going to just use one word: subjectivity.
A lot of people seem to forget what that word means. People commonly take whatever they think and state that as a matter of fact. This is seen a lot in fan reviews of movies, where people think that a movie franchise is better than others, and then pulling out the word “objectively” to make their opinion seem like a fact while having no basis in statistics or evidence. In Benjamin Kerstein’s review of the movie “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” he opens with, “‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ is a bad movie. It is not a bad Star Wars movie, but objectively speaking, as a film, it’s a bad movie.”
A lot of the time in real life, something that is the “best” or “worst” option can vary completely from person to person. To show this in action, I will state my opinion on a very pressing issue: I love Hawaiian pizza with ranch. Some readers are now most likely cringing at me for breaking not one but two pizza norms, but I have achieved my point: What I find good and what others find good is different.
Life is not a list of numbers. It’s not fair to look at ketchup and say it is objectively the best condiment because it is the most versatile, when there may be condiments that others like to put on more foods than ketchup. (Don’t ask me what I’ve put ranch on.)
Now, I have not been using any hard evidence in this article. That means, like most reviews, this is a subjective opinion piece. Feel free to disagree with me. If you think there is an objectively best condiment, tell me, and I’ll allow you to have your opinion up until the point you call it objective. Because as long as it is an opinion, everyone can disagree.
by Saber Slate | Feb 13, 2019 | Advice, News
Love is already in the air once again — when is it not, here at FHS? More often than usual, you will see students acting way out of character to impress their crush or getting them fancy gifts or chocolates. Speaking of chocolates, it’s an important thing to consider whether your crush has a chocolate allergy or not. Be sure to ask every question to your crush so you can find out if they do, in fact, have a chocolate allergy before it’s too late! Perhaps they may not like chocolate either — DON’T BE FOOLED BY THEIR LIES! No one hates chocolate — even if they hate chocolate like it’s the most horrible thing to ever exist. Even then, you are able to find devout chocolate-haters hidden in the restroom stalls, or in dark corners of the classroom, sneaking a Kiss with their beloved, the horrible hypocrites that they are. Studies show that scientifically, you physically aren’t able to hate chocolate, no matter how much you indulge on average, per hour. Thus, my grand point is: get your valentine chocolate, no matter what they tell you. Chocolate wins anyone over. They think you’re being invasive and creepy? Leave in their lockers a giant candy bar every day that they turn you down and reject you. At some point, they’ll cave. Then, you will enjoy chocolate forever, for the rest of your lives, and grow old together, reminiscing upon those golden, sacred memories you made at Franklin High School.
However, we are forgetting a crucial aspect of Valentine’s Day culture– how to figure out whether s/he likes you back. This is what I’ve gathered from my many life experiences, and I shall inform you to help you and your future. My experiences with dozens of crushes can be reduced down to a simple, three step list.
- Step 1: Ask questions. Ask, ask, ask away! That way, you get to know a lot more about them and their personality, and whether or not it seems like it fits with your personality.
- Step 2: Be a nice guy! Buy anything and everything for your crush — their reaction to your ultimate kindness will show you if they like you or not. If you can tell that your crush does not like the gifts, do not give up! Tell them how nice you are, and how much they truly deserve a person like you. If they keep refusing, they are playing hard to get! That means they like you back! A challenge is always fun and good.
- Step 3: Become close friends. It’s especially helpful if you have been friends with them since childhood. The easier it is to become friends with them, the more likely it is that they like you back, and are letting you closer in to their lives. Finally, when you seem to be the bestest of friends, DON’T tell them your true feelings! BE CAREFUL! You’re already like a girl/boyfriend to them, and it’s clear that you are already a thing! Of course, when the time is right, propose to them IN PUBLIC so they can’t refuse — if they do end up refusing, act like it was all a funny joke and laugh it off. The best thing about a partner is their sense of humor.
I hope that I was able to be at least some help in your everlasting quest to find true love within high school. Take this advice to heart — but BEWARE! Love is strange and complicated, so instead of having just one day to express your true feelings, do it the entire year. There are plenty of fish in the sea — at least one of them will like you back, that’s a lifetime guarantee! Best of luck in your pursuit for love!
by Saber Slate | Jan 23, 2019 | Advice
It’s the second semester! We’re almost halfway done already. For me, it’s flown by, and somehow I was able to stay on top of all of my work and keep good grades. But second semester is a new start. For some, that means new classes, different schedules, and lunch times. Your schedule might not even change at all if all you take is year long classes. But the new semester is also a great opportunity to make new friends in your new classes.
You might be thrown off and confused with the start of the new semester. Don’t be afraid that you’re the only one; tons more around the school are experiencing this as well. It’s not too different from when you changed certain classes each quarter in middle school. Beforehand, make sure you know right where some of your new classes are and how you are going to get there from your other classes. Know your lunch schedule too, if it changes at all. It may be before third hour, during third hour (split lunch), or after third hour. It’s important to know what time your lunch is during because the rest of the day is affected.
Also with new classes come new teachers, some you may know, some you may not. Know that it’s okay to ask questions in class, especially on the first day. That way, you can get to know more about the class and not be confused about anything for the rest of the semester.
I wish you all the best for a great second semester. We’re in the home stretch now!
by Saber Slate | Jan 15, 2019 | Advice, Opinion & Reviews
Finals are tough. Sweet and simple. They just are, no matter how long you’ve been a high schooler. Think of finals as a sport. A gladiator sport like…running. Running a race. And what do you always have to do before you run a race? No, not eat a whole bag of Tostitos and cry (but you were close), you gotta stretch. So here are some ways to stretch yourself out before finals.
The first thing you have to remember to do is eat, sleep, and move around. Remember, in elementary school, before the computer tests – MAP, or whatever, the teacher would stand in front of the class and say, “Eat a good breakfast, get a good night’s sleep”? Well, that’s still true to this day. Eating in the morning is really important – it kicks off your day and helps you think way better. Even if it’s a handful of shredded cheese or a whole bowl of cereal, just eat something! Sleeping is also super important, too – I see you, staying up on Instagram until one in the morning, getting maybe 5 hours of sleep, then complaining about how tired you are all day at school. That’s on YOU, hon! Shut off the electronics an hour before bed, like right before you take a shower, and don’t get back on until at least 30 minutes after you’ve woken up the next day. Getting a solid 9 hours is important. Lastly, moving around, even if it’s as simple as walking around, helps get your blood circulating through your body and it clears up your brain so you can think about what’s really important.
Second off, you have to remember to focus on you in the midst of all of your preparation. Taking a mental health day isn’t really a good thing to do right now – missing a day of school to take a break just means more school when you come back. Ranting about your life to someone, or on social media, doesn’t help at all either: what you put out, you get back. So if you’re putting negativity out all of the time, all you’re going to get back is negativity. Instead, try practicing a tactic called mindfulness, or being aware of what’s going on and being able to accept it. A few mindfulness exercises can go as follows: lay down somewhere quiet. Think about a few things that went well or that you enjoyed today. Then, think about two things that didn’t go as well, and then think of a positive spin on them. Or, think of something you’ve wanted to do for a while. Imagine yourself doing it. Or even easier, talk o someone you can trust, face-to-face – positively venting to someone who will listen and respect your situation is a great way to blow off steam.
Another good thing you can do to help yourself along is study in chunks. Set a timer for an hour or so’s worth of work, and then a ten minute (and no more!) break. This allows you study a decent amount of time and get a good amount of work done, and but then get a time period to breathe. Designate chunks to certain periods based on workload and how well you know the topics, for example, if you know a lot about Spanish only study for an hour, but if you’re unsure about those chemistry terms then use three chunks, or until you feel like you have everything down. A few helpful things you can do to remember things are to make acronyms to remember a set of terms (like FANBOYS stands for; for, and, nor, etc.), translate documents into “student-friendly” terms so you can understand them more informally rather than formally, or describe the points and terms in a more informal matter: like if you need to say “Martin Luther told the Catholic Church ‘You suck, here’s 95 reasons why’ in 1517” to remember that Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses in 1517, then so be it. What matters is that you get the content, not that you can regurgitate it back up when you’re asked.
Last but not least, take a big break! You’ve worked really hard this week and we’re really proud of you for doing so much to collect those coins! It’ll all pay off when you’re sitting in your high rise office looking over Manhattan, a glass of champagne in your hand brought in by your intern. At the end of the day each day, take a nap, or listen to music, or eat a snack, or go somewhere with your friends. Working hard in school is important, but so are you! Nothing is more important than how you feel, and even though you should be giving you all this week, you have to remember that it’s never okay to put your grades before your emotional well being or physical well being. If you need to be reminded to step back and take a breath this week, here it is: step back and take a breath! Right now. Close your eyes for a second, take a deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. You can do it. You got this! We’re cheering for you!
As finals week approaches, it’s important you know these steps as a starter. It’s important to worry about your mental health and your grades this week! Remember: stay sane, stay safe. We believe in you!
