by Saber Slate | Jan 15, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews
(The following article is part of the Executive Agencies Project for American Government.)
When was the last time you saw or even heard an ad for cigarettes? Well, unless you were born in the 70’s, the answer should be never. Of course, there are still advertisements in magazines, but as of 1971, all radio and television cigarette ads were banned from airing. So why is it that every time I walk into a 7-11, I hear an ad for JUUL playing overhead?
While the advertising isn’t geared towards youth, an analysis of National Youth Tobacco survey taken in August of 2019 reported that 21% of high school students reported using some sort of e-cigarette within the previous 30 days. That’s compared to the 3% of adults that say they used an e-cigarette in 2017. Why are we not take the advertisement of e-cigarettes as seriously as we take the advertisement of regular cigarettes/tobacco products? According to the CDC, being exposed to e-cigarette ads correlates with the chances that young people will use their products just as much as cigarette ads correlate with the use of cigarettes/tobacco products. Ultimately, businesses prioritize sales and profit over the health of the people using their products, which is something that needs to change.
The advertisement of nicotine and tobacco products have had a great influence on many youths to begin vaping. Although vaping has become a borderline epidemic, it may be argued that advertisement is a right and advertising nicotine products is a healthier alternative to smoking. Although commercial speech is less protected than other types of speech, it is nonetheless protected by the First Amendment. Big nicotine and tobacco product companies may get upset if their right to advertise their product is taken away. Additionally, CASAA (Consumer Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives Assoc.) says that electronic cigarettes were patented to steer smokers towards a healthier alternative. Some may say that taking away advertisement of such products would encourage other, more dangerous means of nicotine and tobacco use.
Case in point, there are also many reasons to restrict the advertisement of nicotine/tobacco products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 out of 10 middle and high school students say they’ve seen e-cigarette ads. In addition, about 9 out of 10 smokers begin smoking before age 18. The correlation between these two does not seem coincidental. It seems that higher exposure to e-cigarettes via ads relates to a higher chance that youth will pick up habits of smoking. Aside from setting bad habits from an early age, vaping has proven to be deadly and very dangerous. CDC reports that there have been “37 deaths linked to vaping-related illnesses” (Winn). Restricting advertising of tobacco and nicotine products could reduce the number of youth picking up vaping and would prevent against serious health repercussions.
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Sources:
Andrews, M. (2019). NPR Choice page. [online] Npr.org. Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/08/20/752553108/cigarettes-cant-be-advertised-on-tv-should-juul-ads-be-permitted [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
Simon, S. (2019). Report: More and More Teens Seeing E-Cigarette Ads. [online] Cancer.org. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/report-more-and-more-teens-seeing-e-cigarette-ads.html [Accessed 16 Oct. 2019].
by Saber Slate | Dec 17, 2019 | News
The festive holiday season is upon us once again. It’s important to know of all of the festive holidays of different cultures and religions in order to be an inclusive society here at FHS. As such, here are the different holiday events that are celebrated in the month of December.
Christmas
The holiday of Christmas tends to be divided into two days: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is the day that traditionally is held to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. However, over the years and especially in modern times with consumerist culture, Christmas has become a time of buying gifts for your loved ones and children, and oftentimes you are pressured to do so. Both days are considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations in Western society.
To show the Christmas spirit, people construct a nativity scene, which portrays baby Jesus in the manger with his parents and the wisemen. Christmas trees are also brought out and decorated, as well as different arrays of Christmas lights and decorations. Families also celebrate with a Christmas meal, and each family is different with what they eat. Christmas Eve is also when the legendary Santa comes to deliver presents in the night to be opened on Christmas Day. Christmas is celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians around the world.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is another festive holiday, observed by the religion of Judaism. The dates Hanukkah is celebrated varies from year to year, this year it’s celebrated from December 22 to December 30. Each day throughout the 8-day holiday, a candle is lit. Typically, two blessings are recited when lighting the candles. There is a tradition of eating food during Hanukkah that are fried or baked in oil. Different families will eat different kinds of food. These include latkes, a type of potato pancake, and jam-filed donuts called sufganiyot. Roast goose has traditionally been a Hanukkah food, but it is losing its popularity. After lighting the candles, it is a tradition to spin the dreidel.
Pancha Gandapati
Pancha Gandapati is a five-day Hindu festival celebrated from December 21 to the 25th in honor of Ganesha. This holiday was created as a Hindu alternative to other December holidays such as Christmas. The creator of Pancha Gandapati was Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, and he was one of Shaivism’s Gurus, the founder and leader of the Saiva Siddhanta Church.
HumanLight
HumanLight is a Humanist holiday that is celebrated each year on December 23rd. It’s a newer holiday and it was first celebrated in 2001. It is celebrated by many secular organizations and individuals across the United States and other countries. It focuses on the “positive, secular human values of reason, compassion, humanity and hope.” It’s basically Christmas without the concept of Christ.
Yuletide
Yuletide, or Yule, is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. Many Christmas customs that we see today such as the Yule log, Yule goat, and Yule boar, come from these traditions.
During the holiday time, it’s important to be loving of everyone for who they are and to be accepting of all traditions and customs. Have a wonderful break, Sabers!
by Saber Slate | Dec 12, 2019 | Archive
Submitted by Kaitlyn Phun
“If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably because it is.”
In a modern society like ours, we like to purchase clothes and other items from large, well-known and designer brands or prefer to have them over cheap items from department stores for numerous reasons. We want to appear to have good taste, to adorn the “rich” or “fashionable” look in front of others, or simply because it’s nice to have nice things. Don’t get me wrong, all these things are great and I do not disagree with them, it’s just the fact that all designer brands and companies sell their goods at very high prices.
A single garment from a designer brand can cost hundreds of dollars. That’s the #1 reason why people choose not to purchase said garment, seeing that it’s either a waste of money or because it’s hard to afford it. What do we do if designer brands are too expensive but we still want to obtain the same effect of having the designer things? We purchase the counterfeit versions.
Counterfeit goods are knock-off versions of items from brands names with the impression of being the real deal, except for the part where counterfeit goods are way cheaper since they are knock-offs. But why do some people tend to buy counterfeit goods instead of buying the real thing if they are fake? Since we live in a world with advanced technology, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the fake version and the real thing. That means that anyone who lays their eyes on it will automatically think that the counterfeit is the actual designer good without hesitation.
The same concept can be applied for other things too, like electronics or even things like money and medication. There could be faulty batteries in fake iPhones or medication that lies about its contents and can potentially harm the consumer. In the consumers’ case, it’s a win-win (minus the last two cases). But that is actually false because purchasing counterfeit goods is actually causing more harm than it is doing good. One reason is inflation, where it decreases the worth of the genuine items and goods. This term is mostly applied to counterfeit money, when people copy money illegally. This decreases the worth of the U.S. dollar but it can also be applied to counterfeit goods. It actually creates a chain reaction or domino effect.
Think about it: when people continue to purchase counterfeits for a lower price, the more they will be created. If they are sold for a low price, more and more will be bought by more people. The more people who own “designer” goods, the more common they will become. Soon, the “brand” will be extremely well-known and there will no longer be a demand for it. It would eventually put these companies out of business, thus hurting the economy.
It has been estimated that 7% of the world trade in 2015 were counterfeits and the number is continuing to grow. More than 750,000 jobs were lost because of the decrease in business because counterfeit goods keep deceiving.
Now, let’s talk about ways to prevent this. The best way to do this is to only purchase items from the actual store website or even better at the store in person. Stay away from sketchy and non-official websites because those are more likely to scam you. Yes, they will make you pay full price for a designer bag but will give you a fake one instead, tricking you into thinking that it’s the right one.
Sometimes, it can be as easy as looking at the quality of the item overall or as absurd as it sounds, look at the stitching since stitching is a big indicator as to whether the item is legit or not. But besides that, it’s fairly easy most of the time to tell the difference between the two. We would want to keep these brands and companies special and designer so they will continue to withstand in the future. As long as we only purchase from the actual stores and websites, we can wipe the existence of counterfeits as a whole.
by Saber Slate | Dec 9, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
Hey freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, it’s almost time to submit your classes for the 2020-21 school year! As you’re looking at what courses to take on Xello, you’ll notice that there are hundreds of classes to choose from. To help you pick out the most beneficial (and fun!) classes, the Saber Slate has come up with a list of their top picks.
#1 Recommendation: Free Block (Seniors Only)
- It’s relaxing to have a break from classwork to leave school, do homework, catch up on sleep, hang out with friends… you name it!
- If you qualify for a free block, take it. This should be an automatic pick. Even if you don’t have the means to go home during the school day, it’s still relaxing to just hang out in the library and not have to go to any classes.
- Additionally, there are coffee makers in the library, you just need to bring your own mug and K-Cups.
Art
- Ceramics 1
- Recommend this for students who are into art and like creating, or for students who want an interesting class
- Nice and creative
Business
- Personal Finance
- Recommended for: Everyone
- You’ll actually use that kind of math later in life
- Super helpful for budgeting, writing checks, buying cars, etc.
- Either way, it’s going to be required for students graduating in the next few years
Engineering and Architecture
- Programming
- Recommend this for students who want to find out how computers, websites, and software work
- Get to write your own programs!
- If you’re strong in the logic used in math (especially algebra/calc), you’ll be strong in the logic used in programming
- It really makes you think!
English
- Film as Literature
- You get to watch movies. Enough said.
- Creative Writing
- Explore all different types of writing
- A great break from essay writing
- Plenty of work time in class, barely any outside of class work
- AP Literature
- Get to read all types of fiction works from novels, plays, poetry
Enriched Virtual/Online
- Take them, you can leave school
- Work at your own pace
Math
- Calc BC
- If you get recommended, you should sign up
- Related to physics
- Super interesting, can be tough at times but you get to find out how certain equations are derived, how they relate to each other, and other cool calc concepts
Music
- Band is fun if you’re willing to commit to marching band!
- Everyone should take at least one music class
- Intro to Piano, Studio Tech or something, and Creating Music
- Everyone listens to music so why not try to understand it a little better
- More interesting/creative class than most of the academic classes
- If you are in a choral or instrumental music class, you should always try to audition for the top ensemble, why not?
- AP Music Theory
- If you are good in music, then consider taking AP Music Theory
- You get to understand music in a deeper way and it will help you in your normal music classes if you take them
- But it can be a difficult AP course and there is some singing involved
PE/Health
- Weight Training
- It’s a very fun class
- There isn’t a lot of running involved
- Most days it’s kind of a free period to work out in the weight room
- Also, learn about muscles which can relate to different science degrees
- Dance
- Not your traditional PE class
- More relaxation than sweating
- Come up with your own dances to the music of your choice at the end of each quarter
- Get to do yoga and meditation (it really does help with stress relief!)
- Personal Fitness and Wellness
- You get to learn a bunch of different stretches and exercises
- You learn different ways to stay healthy
- Practice meditation and yoga
Science
- Forensic Science
- Very interesting. It’s like being in a CSI show
- Some parts can get kind of gross (such as looking at maggots)
- I will be forever scarred by that class, but I still recommend
- AP Chemistry
- It’s a tough class, no kidding, but the concepts and labs are so interesting and fun since you get to use all different types of chemicals
Social Studies
- Practical Law
- Best class
- Mock trials are so fun
- Need to know your rights!
- Mr. Doucette is real cool
- AP Psych
- Easiest AP class
- Learn about how your brain works
- AP Macro
- It’s a semester, and it’s an AP class
- Learn about relevant economics
- Helps you understand the economics talked about in the news and in politics
- Relevant for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, and quite honestly, anyone who wants to have a job in the future
World Language
- Any of them
- Interesting to learn how other cultures and languages are similar/different than ours
- Exposes you to different types of people, countries, etc.
- Makes you appreciate the diversity in our world
- 2-3 years minimum required for most colleges… why not take it for free in high school?
- Make new friends
- You get to travel to different countries!
Internship/Aide Block
- Youth Apprenticeship
- Find out what you really do on a typical work day in your interested field
- Even if you end up not wanting to major in that field, at least you have that experience
- Awesome for resumes/college apps
- Can be paid!
These are just our top recommendations. We highly recommend you take at least some of these classes and explore the different courses our school has to offer, but in the end, the choice is up to you!
by Saber Slate | Nov 28, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
It’s that time of year again to be thankful to the brave retail employees who dare work on Black Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving is traditionally a day of great deals, both in stores and online. It also marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. The popularity of online retailers, primarily Amazon, have decreased the amount of people shopping physically within the store. This means that Amazon packagers and delivery drivers are way more busy as well, compared to any other day of the year.
Black Friday is notable for increased violence among shoppers and increased stress for retail employees. It makes for interesting news stories and funny viral videos of people fighting over the last television set for example. Statistically, since 2006, there have been 117 injuries on this day in the United States. I guess you need to do whatever it takes to get that special item on sale.
A common Black Friday tradition is to camp out overnight outside of the store in order to get ahead of the line and have a better chance at getting the items they desire. Over the years, stores have begun to open earlier and earlier because of this. Some even opening at midnight. Because of the deals promoted on this day, shoppers have a tendency to buy things that they don’t necessarily need, like a new phone or computer, for example, when the one they have works just fine. This practice contributes to more environmental waste, and consequentially, contributes to climate change.
The earliest usage of the term “Black Friday” was in the 1950s by police in Philadelphia and Rochester to describe the crowds and traffic congestion that took place on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Historically, this Friday has been the day retailers have given their employees the day off after the holiday. Competing retailers capitalized on this to promote discounts and deals to draw in business while other stores were closed.
With this in mind, be thankful for what you already have and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families, and don’t be too irresponsible with your money spending on Friday. Have a great four and a half day weekend, my friends!
