By Grace Jeter November 14, 2018 Is it possible that everything we learn is from our parents? I’m sure that on more than one occasion someone has said to you, “Wow you just looked liked your mom when you did that!” or, “oh my gosh what you just said made me think of your dad!” I was curious as to what the right answer to this question was so, I began to do some thinking to discover the truth behind this thought-provoking question. The way I see it, the people that raise you have a huge influence on your life. As a child, we develop social cues and behaviors without even realizing it and we learn this from our parents. Not only is there a biological view of this question, but there is also a moral view. Our parents teach us wrong and right from the day we come into the world. It could be something as simple as scolding you for stealing a cookie or as serious as crashing your new car, but when it comes down to it, parents have a tremendous part in shaping you into the person you are now. Not only have your parents taught you wrong from right, but they have educated you on their opinions and worldly views. Most of the time, children don’t reciprocate their parents’ beliefs and these truths are still evident and are still presented to the child. However, I do not believe that you learn every single thing from your parents. Let’s say that you’re around your parents 60% of the time and the other 40% is spent doing other activities. That 40% of the time that you spend doing other things is still going to influence you just as much as the 60% that you spend with your parents. By saying this I mean that the world can sometimes take precedence over what you have been taught your whole life, and that is because the world and the people in it can be so overwhelming and powerful that they can shift your whole belief system in just a moment. So no, I do not believe that you learn everything from your parents because the world and the people in it influence you just as much or possibly more. Your parents simply impact your soul while the world inspires you to be the person you are today.
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Erin Stevens November 29th, 2018 Whether you’re a child or an adult we all can agree that each of us knows exactly what we like when it comes to flavors and tastes. The two main flavors that we focus on are salty and sweet. Sure, a full bag of candy is great if you have a constant sweet tooth but you can never go wrong with something savory, like a good bowl of mac and cheese or a chicken sandwich. Don’t get me wrong I understand that the more you include a certain flavor into your daily diet, you become more accustomed to it. However changing it up sometimes is a good thing, and I recommend you try something savory/ salty. But let’s take a look at both sides and figure out why people prefer one over the other. First, let’s look at the sweet side of things. There was a recent study that compared a stressed group of people to a relaxed group. 77% of the stressed group reported craving sugar, the remaining 31% of the relaxed group did not. This is because sweet foods are also stress busters and mood elevators. It has also been proven that by consuming sugar, our bodies release a hormone called dopamine which makes us feel good or happy. I don’t know about you but I love rewarding myself with a good butterfinger every once in awhile, and when I do, I feel very happy. To put it in short terms sweet means sugar and sugar means energy. Now let’s move on to the good stuff, which is the salty and savory. Us people who love salty foods over sweet’s are very special. We have a certain genetic makeup that allows us to taste salt very intensely, but we can’t get enough of it. For instance when I was little and my family would go out to eat, I would poor salt either on a napkin or in my hand and just eat it straight up. I probably shouldn’t have done that and I know I should probably just keep that to myself but this is my opinion piece, so why not share a little about myself? Salt overall improves the flavor of food, and the essential minerals in salt help with nerve transmission and muscle function. Overall they both have good points and bad, if you eat too much of one it can lead to health problems but if you don’t eat enough it can also lead to health problems. However, salty is just all around better and wins. I can drink a ultra caramel frappuccino from starbucks all day, every day. But then I have to eat something that one fills me up, and also gives me that salty flavor to balance out all the sugar in the drink. If I just eat something salty I don’t need something sweet to balance it because the salty food is savory and perfect on it’s own. Sure sugar can make people happy but in reality most people only eat sweets as rewards for themselves. You can deny it all you want but it’s true. By: Laramie Ward November 15, 2018 Photo by The USA Times
Black Friday is often regarded as the first day of the traditional Christmas shopping season, on which retailers offer special reduced prices. It always lies on the fourth Friday in November, the day after Thanksgiving. While it has been this way since 1952, the term ‘Black Friday’ wasn’t widely used or recognized until the early 2000s. Black Friday was given its name in 1966 when the Philadelphia Police Department used it to describe the crowding in several department stores along with the many traffic jams that always occurred the day after Thanksgiving. These events still occur today, and here are four reasons as to why Black Friday is not worth it. Black Friday is dangerous! As I mentioned earlier, traffic jams and crowded stores go from rare on any other day of the year, to a normal occurrence that can last for hours. Dozens of people are injured each year because of how many people are crammed into a store at once. Some common injuries are bruises and sprained ankles, although there have been numerous reports of broken bones and concussions. Also, Cyber Monday lies on the Monday after Black Friday. This is where you can find deals online. Some will be the same as Black Friday, some bigger and some on different items. While some of the items you could’ve bought on Black Friday will be sold out, many different sales will have opened up and these deals, unlike Friday’s, will last over the time period of twenty-four hours. Long lines in cars can create insane road rage, but long lines in the freezing temperatures can create shopper rage and actual insanity. It seems as if some people will truly do whatever it takes to get the deals that are offered. Of course, this kind of rage can happen anytime throughout the year, but it increases immensely when stressed shoppers are put in an especially crowded store. This causes even higher stress levels in retail workers. While retail workers are always happy to continue earning money and getting more hours in, many will lose the end of their Thanksgiving celebrations with friends and family to come into work and set up for the sales. Stores have been opening up as early as 8 pm Thanksgiving day, meaning that workers have to be there by the end of the day to get ready. Thousands have petitioned to push the open time back, but retail stores say they are working for the consumer demands. Consumers demand for higher and higher deals, and most of the time, they’re fulfilled. Some of the biggest deals can be found on larger or higher priced items, such as electronics, kitchen appliances, and clothing. Consequently, many stores are stocked low on purpose and most often big sales won’t apply to the more expensive brands. Many of those expensive brands that have smaller deals applied to them are ones that you wouldn’t necessarily buy any other time during the year, but the deal makes you think since you are spending less, it’s worth it. Black Friday encourages overspending using these tactics. Yes, you are saving money that you would’ve spent on any other day of the year, but you are also still spending money. These are just a few of the many reasons as to why Black Friday in a whole isn’t worth it. It does have its perks, like being able to try on clothes and seeing products in person before purchasing them, but it’s truly up to you to figure out if it is better for you to shop on Black Friday than to not. By Isaac Ewers Oct. 30, 2018 There are few things in life so mouthwatering amazing as a perfect waffle. Like valleys of syrup, the waffle’s crevasses allow for a controlled amount of syrup to waffle ratio. The crispness of the outside is offset by the light and fluffy inside. It is easy to see why the waffle is a timeless American breakfast, but can it hold up to the iconic stable of the pancake? Yes. Yes it can. While pancakes are often a popular family food, they are simplistic in nature. Comparing their creation process to that of the waffle shows the detrimental lack in creativity and pizazz that allow the waffle to triumph. But indeed, (even though this is my opinion piece), let me set aside my bias and lay down the facts. Pancakes. Just the word can bring you back to that nice warm morning, eating a mountain of cakey goodness as you enjoy time with you family. Pancakes truly shine in their ease of production. Their undemanding ingredients and breezy baking process mean you can slap down a baker’s dozen in no time. Once they have reached a perfect balance of golden-yellow, the feast is ready. Just drizzle the fluffy clouds in sugary syrup, and you have a great excuse for dessert for breakfast. One of the strongest characteristics of the pancake is its STACKABILITY. Yes, you can truly pile them to your heart’s content. Since they are light and somewhat stick, they make for a great building block. It also means you can eat an amount that will have you regretting it later in no time. As for the taste, well, it's a pancake. Being extremely hard to mess up means a uniform taste and consistency for each piece, and the cakiness of the batter makes each bite smooth and easy. Overall, nobody can deny the iconic nature of a pancake. You truly feel like a lumberjack (or lumberjill) when taking on a mountain of pancakes. Waffles. Dating all the way back to the Medieval ages, it is clear to see why the timelessness of the waffle still goes strong today. Many people have a severe misconception, and that is that a true waffle can use the same mix as a pancake. However, waffle mix tends to have a higher percentage of fat and sugar. Now that that’s out of the way, let's look at what makes the waffle so unique. For one, immediate differences in appearance stand out compared to the pancake. Waffles have a greater thickness, with the classic pockets that perfectly hold a good amount of syrup. This means the same volume of syrup in every single bite. But then there's the crisp… A god-like crunch in every bite that gives way to the soft and airy middle. There are also option when it comes to this fine layer of crunch. You can go the easy route and use the wonderful world of technology by using a waffle machine. Or you could mix it up, frying the waffle. This gives a whole new palette of taste and texture. Toppings are also vital to the perfect waffle. Whether it's bananas and peanut butter, or strawberries and blueberries, the waffles top allow for a ideal base for toppings without the fear of them slipping off like with a pancake. Overall, the history and overall accessibility of the waffle design make it an exemplary breakfast. So, when these two titans clash, there is sure to be controversy. You have diehards for both dishes, and the topic is polarizing. But the age old question still remains, which one is better than the other. In my opinion, waffles are just classy pancakes. They have a better user friendly design with the crevasses on the top, and the crispiness and softness of the inside offset each other. After interviewing 2 people, I can say with near certainty that the majority of this planet enjoys waffles over pancakes. That's a 2/2 in favor of waffles. That's 100% ladies and gentlemen. But… it is a matter of opinion. So what do YOU enjoy more? Waffles, or pancakes? |