Category Archives: Personal Opinion

Woman Buys Groceries for Thief That stole Her Wallet?

After a man walked behind Oklahoma resident Jessica Eaves, she soon realized that her wallet was missing, and she decided to take action. In a normal situation, the police would have been notified immediately and this man would have been arrested on an account of theft, but this was not the case in this situation. Soon enough, Jessica confronted him and told him that she thought he had somethings of hers, and would give him two choices. Either to give back the wallet and she would forgive him and pay for his groceries, or she would call the police. This obviously startled him, and “He reached into his hoodie pocket and gave me my wallet. He started crying when we walked up to the front. He said he was sorry about 20 times by the time we went from the pickle aisle to the front. He told me he was desperate. The last thing he said was, ‘I’ll never forget tonight. I’m broke, I have kids, I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry.’”(Eaves) Good acts of kindness may be rare these days, but this is surely a heartwarming messaging showing what good can do.

A second chance was given that could have even changed this man’s life. Using common sense, you might assume that a woman buying groceries for a thief after he steals her wallet might not seem logical, but you would never know what he was going through until you asked him. He might be able to get help or a job after realizing what he was doing.  I can only wish more people were like Jessica Eaves, in doing the thing that is right by her own standards and not by what society thinks. Everybody should learn from this good act of kindness that she performed. Would you like to know you changed someone’s life around? I’m most definitely not saying that next time someone tries to steal from you to go ahead and hand your wallet to them, but to think before you act and remember the story of Jessica Eaves and what she did to help someone. Are you willing to make a difference as well?

~Annie

“Pop!”

Teachers may think that chewing gum in class will just be a distraction.  Actually, popping a strip of gum in your mouth can academically, physically, and mentally help students.  It helps students keep on task, and need fewer breaks, which means more learning.  It also relieves stress and anxiety.  Students who chew gum are proven to get 26% to 36% higher grades on their tests and quizzes.  Physically, it can keep them from being hungry, and chewing gum can help with your oral health.  Chewing gum will help students in many ways, so not being able to chew it in class may actually prevent students from doing better.

I believe chewing gum in school is a good thing.  It helps students to concentrate, so they can absorb more material and do better on assignments.  Chewing gum during class also prevents students from having to go to the bathroom, or get a drink.  However, if the kids are using the gum as a distraction, or not disposing of it properly, I understand teachers would get annoyed.  Having to scrape gum off of the bottom of desk wouldn’t make me happy.  If the students are capable of chewing the gum and not sound like a cow, teachers should let them chew.

~Zoe

Can’t Forget the Titans

Football. Enraged coaches. Loud boys. Sounds like the typical go-to movie for middle school and high school boys, right? The answer couldn’t be any further from no. Remember the Titans, although being about the popular sport of football, has an incredibly deep plot, with too many important lessons and themes to count weaved in between the pleasantly fulfilled scenes. This past Monday, I had the chance to watch the movie in class and to reflect on the qualities demonstrated by the characters. By the end of the movie it was evidently apparent that there was not a single person in the classroom who was not moved and touched by the viewing in one way or another.

The plot starts off in Virginia of 1971, during the time of when integrated races was just being introduced. One town in particular was having to mix their high school with students who were both black and white. This idea was considered outrageous at the time, for segregation between the two skin colors was distinctly defined as prohibited prior to this. However, with new rules beginning to become enforced, the town has to learn to cooperate. The story is focussed on the high school’s football team, the Titans, and how they overcame their differences and learned to work together as a team. Although encountering numerous difficulties, their coach Herman Boone not only whips them into immaculous shape, but forces them to treat each other as equals. At one point he says, “I don’t care if you like each other right now, but you will respect each other”. However, at the end, it becomes clear that they more than respect each other. Referring to each other as “brothers”, their tight, unbreakable bond is what leads them to victory in the end, in both life and football.

Overall, Remember the Titans demonstrated the capability of successfully setting aside our differences in culture and race to work together to reach one goal. Whether this goal be something as big and broad as making the world a better place, or as small as winning a football game, they are all relevant and share equal importance. Personally I believe that even in today’s world, years and years after equal rights laws and the end of segregation, our tendency of making accepting uniqueness a difficult task is what separates us as a good nation from a great nation. If our world took a close look at this inspiring movie, there is no doubt in my mind that it would become a significantly better place than it exists as today.

~Liz

The Pool Solution? A Tension Membrane Structure

 

On January 11, 2013, a massive blizzard swept our area causing a lot of damage.  Trees and power lines fell down giving us no power, but at the Cheshire Pool, located at 520 South Main Street, something more serious happened. The enormous bubble that keeps the pool enclosed for the winter couldn’t take all the pressure of the snow on top, which caused it to deflate and collapse.  Then, as if this wasn’t enough, the poles used by the swim team created a fifty foot hole in the bubble, erasing all hope for the bubble to be repaired.  Many months have resulted  in trying to find a new fixture to cover the pool.  Since this is the second time the bubble over the pool has collapsed, the town thought it was time to find a more permanent solution to the problem.  The current  end result was a tension membrane structure which will cost 3.2 million dollars.

As a swimmer myself, and although I don’t swim at the Cheshire Pool, I can see how disappointing this must be to all the swimmers that swim there.  Now, as the winter is just around the corner, the water is getting colder which means the Cheshire Pool must be closed.  Since there is no bubble to keep the warm air in the pool, the swimmers have to drive to another pool in the area to get their practice in.  This means the swimmers are up later at night driving to and from practice, where it would be so much easier if it were right in Cheshire.  In addition, the final solution for the pool will take a very long time to construct, and might not be ready until next year.  Although the process will take a long time, the end result will definitely be a satisfaction.

~Elli

Math-a-Thon

It’s the time of year again to help out St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Every year many families go in and out of St Jude’s without having to pay a penny. For more than 30 years, Math-a-Thon has been America’s largest education based fundraiser. This program includes a free math curriculum supplement for grades K-8 that students can complete after getting sponsors from family and friends. All the proceeds go to St Jude where doctors and scientists work to eradicate childhood cancer and other childhood diseases. Our school is participating in this fundraiser,arranged by NJHS students. Students from NJHS were each assigned a homeroom throughout the school and have gone into the classrooms to talk about this program. Not only Dodd, but many other people have taken their time to donate to St. Jude and talk about it. People on twitter/social networking sites have also been trying to get people to donate.

This is a great cause. Math-a-Thon can help improve math and comprehension skills and donate money to help saving lives! This is a way to benefit yourself by doing the math problems while helping thousands by making the money that goes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

~Sophia Qiu

Horseback Riding, for the Mind, Body, and Soul

Horseback riding is different than every other sport in many ways.  For one example, in this sport the athlete bonds with the animal they are riding and in many instances, a long partnership is formed.  All horses have different personalities and temperaments that a rider needs to learn and become accustomed to.  Owning a horse or participating in horseback riding takes hard work and dedication. Three important components of horseback riding are bonding, responsibility and being a part of a team.   All people are encouraged to try horseback riding, and, most people who would try would be eager to go back and try again.

 In my opinion, horseback riding it a great stress reliever.  It can easily make someone happy or get into a better mood. After a long day at school or work, the best thing to do is go horseback riding. Also hanging out with your friends at the barn, or your horse, can also make you feel better. The atmosphere of a barn feels peaceful and sweet. In conclusion, I love horseback riding and this sport would be a great thing to try or to carry on with.

~Cayla Keenan

Gun control in America???

There is no doubt that after what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School here in Connecticut everybody has been affected in some way shape or form. Even though it has already been a month, we are still seeing and feeling the effects. One thing that has changed just recently is in our class every day. Have you noticed the doors locked? This is one action Dodd has taken towards our safety to protect us at school. Another debate that has occurred is Gun Control, which in my personal opinion is very important and very close to home.  If you recall the man who is accountable for the deaths of these innocent children and workers at the school, he stole the firearm. Obviously any man that would do this should not be allowed to have a firearm, and he probably couldn’t get one, that is why he stole it from his mother, who was completely sane. That might not why he stole it that is what I personally believe.

Many people want the second amendment right taken away; which is the right to bear arms. I can’t help but wonder if the people who support this idea , have ever shot a firearm on a regular basis, have learned to respect firearms, learned how they work , how to handle firearms , and how to shoot a firearm. I firmly believe the answer to all of these is not yes, but for me they are. I have been shooting firearms every week at least for over a year. I have learned to respect all firearms in such a way that I doubt anybody in the school could even compare. If I was not introduced to firearm safety I would not respect them. I strongly believe all people should be introduced to firearms so they develop a respect for them .When you tell most adults as a 13 year old girl that you shoot firearms, they automatically believe that you are doing it irresponsibly. That is not at all the case.  Every person that I have met that shoots firearms at the range I go to have such a respect for firearms that most people underestimate. You will never joke around with a firearm and safety is insanely important if you are using them responsibly.

The people that abuse firearms should not be able to shoot a firearm. This seems very obvious to most people. When you buy a firearm you have to present your permit and not just anybody could have one. What you don’t need a permit for is rifles and shotguns.  Instead of banning firearms from everybody, including people who are perfectly capable of handling a firearm, Congress should pass laws requiring a permit to purchase any kind of firearm. Any type of firearm could harm or kill anybody if used in the wrong way. You don’t need to ban firearms because people who do shoot them correctly wouldn’t use them in the wrong way. If people can buy a firearm who shouldn’t be, that is the problem that should be fixed. There are millions of people that use firearms to protect themselves, hunt or use recreationally that would not be able to use them if the second amendment right is taken away. If that is taken away over a million people can’t defend themselves if need be. For somebody like me who shoots recreationally and most importantly to get better, their sport will get taken away. Would you like it if lacrosse , football, soccer , baseball , softball , hockey , basketball and anything else you do would get taken away? It is the same thing here. This isn’t the right answer; instead you should prevent people who shouldn’t be shooting firearms from being able to, instead of not allowing people who should be able to shoot firearms from being able to.

-Mikenzy Golebiewski

Gun Debate

Columbine, Aurora, and Sandy Hook. All scenes of mass shootings, killing the innocent. They were killed by not terrorists, not aliens, but citizens of the United States of America. They were killed because there is no law in this country greatly limiting the process of owning a gun. There are many debates as to whether or not an ordinary citizen should have the right to own a gun. Lawmakers, after the Sandy Hook shooting, are hard at work, banning certain dangerous semiautomatic firearms. Now, why not ban all firearms to begin with? The other side of the debate is that if we ban all guns, we are violating the second amendment. The second amendment states all citizens of the United States of America have “The right to keep and bear arms.”

I personally believe that we should ban all citizens from owning firearms. We should only give the trained and professional police officers guns. But, this would be in a way violating the constitution, therefore I propose that the national legislature immediately begins taking action in creating very strict laws. My suggestion is that all gun owners take an annual test to make sure they are mentally stable, properly know how to handle a gun, and will only use a gun at appropriate times. Another idea I have is to keep all guns at a shooting range for the public, and if anyone would like to use a gun for sport, they could simply keep it in a safe place from other people, and themselves in case they turn mentally insane. If I could change the Constitution, I would most definitely take out the second amendment, to create a safer community. What would you do?

~Angela Zhu

Let’s Get A Rink Rolling!

Cheshire prides itself on it’s great school system, but the teens who live here wish Cheshire had something else aside from great schools.  Almost anybody you talk to will agree Cheshire needs more places for friends to hang out and have a good time.  Driving 45 minutes on a Friday night just to go roller skating is a big inconvenience and a waste of time.  That is why I think that the town should open up a roller skating rink here in Cheshire.  This would give teens something to do without having to travel far.  The town would also make lots of money from this because it doesn’t cost much to maintain and I’m sure tons of people would go to roller skate.

I really think this is a good idea, because I know all my friends, including myself, would love to go roller skating somewhere close by.  This would also be beneficial to our parents because we can be closer to home and they don’t have to drive for such a long time.  A roller skating rink would be good because you can go there every season.  During fall and winter you can escape the cold but still be active and enjoy yourself, and in summer and spring you could get away from the heat without having to go swimming.  The last reason I think a roller skating rink would be good is because you don’t only have to roller skate.  In this rink, for example http://www.rollermagicct.com/, you can play in the arcade or grab some food with a friend, keeping you entertained for hours, proving it to be well worth the cos

~Nina Casapulla

Think Before you Drink

2 million. The number of drunk drivers at any given time. Most people enjoy a little drink from time to time and there is nothing wrong with this. But, did you know that almost one in seven of all deaths on the road involve drivers who are over the current legal limit? The more you drink, the higher the risk to be involved in a road accident. Alcohol influences your driving even if it’s ingested in small quantities.  In fact, if you drink and drive (with a blood alcohol level over 80mg per 100ml) you are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than a sober driver. There are things people miss on the road because they are not paying full attention, there are stop signs missed causing accidents, and many drivers are unlikely to be able to act quickly in intense situations such as swerving to avoid a collision. Alcohol is also a depressant, which can cause drowsiness, leading to higher risk for accidents. If people want to avoid accidents, it looks like people have to choose: drinking or driving?!

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is an association to raise awareness about drunk driving.  “The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.” They stress that people should always take caution when on the road because many lives can be risked. Many people help continue this organization by raising fundraisers and just spreading the word. My uncle was a victim of a drunk driver, making it even more of a reason that I should spread awareness.

~Saige Bingman