The Bite of a Pit Bull

You hear all these stories on the news about Pit Bulls attacking people or even killing them. Pit Bulls have been known to receive a bad reputation. Why? Any dog can be violent towards humans it does not matter what their breed is. Why are Pit Bulls being treated like this just because of their breed? Pit Bulls do not deserve to be treated inhumanely.

It is their owners that turn Pit Bulls violent and create a bad reputation for them. Critics believe that Pit Bulls are “ticking time bombs, genetically wired for violence” (Rivenburg). A Pit Bull is not born violent, it is the environment and the owners that affect their behavior toward people. In addition, studies also claim that “Pitbulls are no more likely to bite humans than other breeds”. There are hundreds of breeds that can also be dangerous, for instance a Rottweiler or a Bloodhound. People continue to focus on Pit Bulls as the most dangerous breed. Breeds other than a Pit Bull can bite a human, even a little chihuahua. Breeds like German Shepards are used for the police force. They are trained to attack when there is a threat such as a criminal. A German Shepherd is able to do just as much damage to a human as a Pit Bull can. According to the image below, the German Shepherd passed the Temperament Test with a lower percentage than the Pit Bull.

Furthermore, in England, where the Pit Bull originated, banned the ownership of Pit Bulls. This ban is called Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). A Pit Bull named Indy lives in England with her dad who has autism. Authorities took Indy away just because she is a Pit Bull. Her dad fought to get her back. Indy was reunited with him but she is required to wear a muzzle in public because her breed is a threat to people. Indy’s dad says that he has autism and “not only is she my friend, she is also my emotional support animal” (Dodo.com). In the end, it all narrows down to the owners. Pit Bulls, for example in dog fights, are trained to be aggressive but on the other hand, Indy was trained to love her dad and provide support for him.

People have created this image of Pit Bulls that is wrong. The prejudice continues and the only way to get rid of it is to bring light to the issue. These dogs do not need people ruining their lives. If people continue to discriminate Pit Bulls, states will continue to ban Pit Bulls for no reason. The next time you hear about Pit Bulls think about the “bad reputation” that people have made up for them. We need to continue to look at Pit Bulls as loving dogs just like any other breed out there.

  by Mereesa Valera 

Works Cited

Rivenburg, Roy. "How Pit Bulls Became the 'bad Boys' of the Dog World." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2015. Web. 19 May 2017.

Sweet Dog Seized By The Police Is Back Home With Her Dad. The Dodo, n.d. Web. 19 May 2017. <https://www.thedodo.com/indy-the-exempted-pit-bull-2282504990.html>.

     Ignorance is often the main ingredient in statements that many times unknowingly offend or spark an emotional response in people. Getting ready for junior year homecoming with my friends was turning out to be a very fun experience, as well as the excitement that came with arriving at the dance. In the midst of the dance strobe lights began to flash along with the music. All of a sudden I hear, “Wow, these strobe lights are going to give me a seizure”. After turning to see who’s remark this was, I realized it was an idiotic peer who had absolutely no reason to have a seizure as a result of flashing lights. Not only did this comment anger me, but my brother, who happens to have epilepsy sensitive to lights, was also present at the dance. It's incredible how simply hearing this statement that everyone else around me simply chuckled at and brushed off, took a huge toll on my mood and excitement. 
     There are several reasons that strobe lighting may cause people to have seizures; however, being a perfectly healthy teenager who attends a dance with these lights is not one of them. Approximately 2.2 million people in the United States live with epilepsy and about 66,000 deal with photosensitive epilepsy; strobe lights as well as any other flashing images or patterns can cause people with this condition to suffer a seizure. 1 in 26 people may develop a form of epilepsy in their lifetime, with many having it be prevalent their entire lives. For people who live with photosensitivity, frequency, color, area, and pattern can all cause a seizure. Sleep deprivation, fatigue, and long exposure to video games can also make people with this condition more susceptible to seizures. Furthermore, seizures caused by lights can range from staring spells (absence seizures), jerking of limbs, or tonic clonic seizures. Three to five percent of people with epilepsy suffer from this kind and are tested for light sensitivity during routine EEG tests in order to note the exact effect that it has on his/her brain. Nearly everyone has seen seizure warnings because of lights at some point, but do not usually give it much thought as it doesn't pertain to them. These cautions are posted on everything from video games to amusement park rides. 
     This situation plays out similarly to the movement to end the use of offensive words such as “retarded”. The perpetrators using these offensive words or phrases need to think before they speak about how their comments may affect others around them. The people who make comments like this are entirely uneducated; there is an extremely minuscule chance that someone were to randomly experience a seizure do to flashing lights. This was not a one time occurrence for me seeing that I have heard this “joke” many times. Every time it is uttered by someone who simply doesn't understand or care to think about the fact that it is nearly impossible for them to suddenly become photosensitive. At this point it should be obvious why this is insensitive and not even remotely funny. Seizures as a result of lights, or anything for that matter, are terrifying for the one suffering it as well as everyone around them. It is imperative that people begin to understand that photosensitivity is the sole reason for seizures due to lights, and that joking about something that can be a real danger for someone around you is despicable.

by Emma Simmons

Hollywood’s Villain Problem

         A few weeks ago, I walked into a movie theatre to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I went in expecting another above-average Marvel movie, but instead, I received a movie that was boring and mediocre even by industry standards. There were plenty of issues, but one stood out to me: the villains were never properly developed.

         In this movie, there were four major antagonists, but the two returning antagonists are the core of the issue: Nebula and Yondu. Rather than being left as antagonists, they were transformed into sort of tragic anti-heroes. Yondu was by all means a lying, thieving scoundrel in the first movie. He enslaved Peter Quill for over a decade and threatened to eat him, then spent the remainder of the movie after chasing Peter and the other Guardians. In this movie, we found out that he kept Quill because his father would kill him and Yondu was only joking. Ugh.

         Nebula was treated even worse. She used to be a heartless robotic assassin, hell-bent on killing her sister. In this movie, however, she says she only wants to beat her sister Gamora because Gamora would always beat her when she was a child. Their father, the main villain Thanos, would add robotic improvements to her to make her “better”. Rather than continuing on with a potentially amazing character, they reduced her to daddy issues.

        Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was not the first time this has happened. This happens to a lesser extent in other Marvel films, some of the Coen brother’s recent movies, such as Inside Llewyn Davis, and Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Like a cancer, improper and unneeded humanization has been lurking under the surface of Hollywood for years. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was just the first major indication of this.

         I am not saying that humanizing villains is unimportant. Quite the opposite, humanized villains, when done properly, are some of the greatest ever created. Hans Beckert from Fritz Lang’s M, Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, Magneto from X-Men, and Roy Batty from Bladerunner are just a few examples of villains who are properly characterized.

         In the end, it comes down to a difference between empathy and sympathy. We empathize with great villains, but we rarely sympathize with them. We have empathy for Magneto, understanding that he has been discriminated against by normal humans. But we do not sympathize with his desires for world domination. We empathize with Emperor Palpatine, understanding that he wanted to protect the empire. But we do not sympathize with his iron-fisted rule. Marvel’s writers are forcing you to have empathy for Nebula’s childhood and sympathy for her when she wants to kill Thanos.

         Antagonists like Nebula don’t even function in reality. No one has sympathy for Kim Jong-Un, even though we empathize that he was born into his situation. Imagine if the King George III were portrayed as the flawed man doing what was best for his country rather than an evil monarch. Would you still sympathize with George Washington?

by Ben Jaeger

     After many button mashing, gear grinding, finger bruising, skin scraping, eye bleeding, tear dripping, jaw dropping hours of playing Injustice 2, I have come to one conclusion: this is the greatest fighter game of all time! 
     The long awaited game Injustice 2 hit the shelves May 16, 2017, and it is everything I could have hoped for and more. The uniqueness of this game is unlike any fighter game seen before. The characters, the gear system, the customization, the dialog, the story, everything. A continuation of the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us, Injustice 2 had an immense level of "hype" within the video gaming community. Not only did the game honor its predecessor's legacy of pure, unadulterated awesomeness, it took the dial and cranked it up ten notches. 
      Expanding its character roster, this game includes DC Comics most iconic heroes and villains, as well as a few fan favorites. The new and improved roster can seduce any superhero geek. I weep just thinking about it. The way NetherRealm Studios and head developer Ed Boon appealed to their fans makes Injustice 2 taste even better, as 90% of the content is exactly what fans were asking for. It's not very often you tell a game developer: "hey, I want this in the game," and they reply with: "I gotchu."        Another aspect which makes Injustice 2 stand out is it's seemingly endless gear system. Not only does this one of a kind gear system alter the appearance of your preferred character, it changes their fighting style and abilities. With gear upgrading stats such as strength and defense, it seems like having customizable characters was extremely important. Tagging along with the customization theme are shaders, which are used redesign the coloration of each individual fighters costumes. The shaders can be applied to five costumes at once, allowing players to stretch their creativity and have fun messing around with heroes such as Batman, Green Lantern, and the flash, or play with designs for villains like Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Captain Cold. 
     Last but most definitely not least, comes the story. Those who have played Injustice: Gods Among Us might have restrained themselves from setting high expectations. Those same players were then glad to have their fricken minds blown when an already exceptional plot turned into a "oh my, this is what I've been waiting for my entire life" type of story. It seems the writers have hit two back to back home runs and the crowd at home is beaming to see fireworks. Each character fits their comic book role perfectly. Whether it's voice actors, corky comments (especially corky comments), or simple physical features, these fighters are more golden than Ponyboy himself. I could not ask for anything more than what NetherRealm Studios and Ed Boon have given us. 
    Never in a million years would I see myself playing a fighter game for hours on end. Well it seems those million years will be spent glued to my Xbox playing Injustice 2.

by Trenton Holmquist

  To some, it seems giving sixteen year olds the privilege to drive is a wild concept. However, I've had some ungodly encounters with people of various ages behind the wheel. Road rage. Honking, speeding, swearing or even the classic middle finger out the window. Maybe it's my age or my personality, but it's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that people can have such ferocious anger while driving.
     I am seventeen years old. I have a little disco ball hanging from the mirror in my car and an index card sized picture of John F. Kennedy on the inside of my back windshield. When it comes to driving, I understand its purpose is to get me from point A to point B. However, during my commutes I am usually having a good time, until I hear a blaring car horn followed by a raging man zooming up to pass me. Keep in mind, I am already going over the speed limit. Next thing I know, I am pulling up to the same infuriated man at the red light just down the block. Amazing! Such an exhilarating race that was. I slink up next to the man’s car with a slight smirk on my face to congratulate him for beating me to the light, of course.
      Another pleasant encounter I've had was with another man at a red light. I had the windows rolled down and I was enjoying the weather. I'm sitting at the red light, the breeze whistling, the birds chirping, the sun shining and we are all singing Kumbaya, until I hear a man. A very irritated man. A very irritated man yelling things I really should not repeat. From my understanding, the man was so heated because the person in front of him wasn't turning. Although a turn on red at that intersection was completely legal, the person in front of the angry man chose not to turn until the light turned green. Maybe the driver was unsure if turning right on red was legal at that intersection, maybe they were a new driver and felt uncomfortable with it, or maybe they just wanted to bug the person behind them, which, I can confirm was a success. Whatever the case may have been, the man was mad. He was yelling at the driver in front of him, but the driver was oblivious to the hateful remarks the man was making. I found myself sitting there, laughing almost, because this man was putting so much energy into yelling at a person who had no idea it was even happening.
      Moral of the story: red lights infuriate men. Not to mention both men had red cars. Coincidence? Highly unlikely. But in all seriousness, I've had road rage experiences with all types of people, regardless of age, gender, or color of car. From young men yelling profanely at someone that doesn't even know they exist, to middle-aged women that get upset if you don't start driving .2 seconds after the light turns green. I've come to a conclusion: You can't control other drivers, so try to sit back and enjoy the ride.

by Gillian Guerra

Moneyball: Are Professional Athletes Paid Too Much?

In 2015, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13-year, $325 million dollar contract with the Miami Marlins.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Stanton will be making approximately $154,000 per game, and that is not counting money from endorsements and sponsorships!  This ludicrous deal is hardly surprising, however.  Recent decades have seen athletes’ contracts increase exponentially, and the trend looks set to continue.  The average NBA player makes $6.2 million a year, while the average Major Leaguer earns $4.4 million a year.  To put this into perspective, a neurosurgeon’s average salary is $540,000; a soldier’s: just $99,000.  It does not take a talented reformer to see the wrong in this.  An athlete is being paid significantly more to swing a bat or throw a ball than a doctor is to perform surgery on our most complex, essential organ, or a soldier is to defend our country and freedom.

As an athlete my whole life, I understand first-hand the sacrifice and tireless work it takes to be successful in sports.  I also understand that professional athletes are responsible for the billions of dollars their leagues earn in revenue every year.  For that, I agree that athletes should be compensated generously, but their current pay is bordering on preposterous.  To combat this, professional leagues should implement stricter salary caps.  Doing so would not only limit the amount of money athletes make, but also diminish the pay-to-win approach and make leagues more competitive, thus producing better entertainment for fans.

Even with stricter salary caps, professional athletes would still earn copious, albeit less, money.  Barring an unlikely transformation of societal values, a complete overhaul in compensation for various professions is difficult to achieve, so it becomes pertinent that professional athletes are using their surpluses of wealth and social status for the greater good.  Take David Beckham, for example.  As one of the most well-known soccer players in recent history, Beckham has used his position to create his own charity, work as an ambassador for UNICEF, and support a plethora of other organizations.  Through his work, Beckham has impacted innumerable lives and used his wealth accumulated through soccer philanthropically.  Sadly, this case is a marginal one.  Many professional athletes, in addition to earning too much, irresponsibly waste their wealth through excess spending.  About 80 percent of NFL players file for bankruptcy within five years of retirement.  What is the point of paying athletes so much money when most waste it within years and do not help others with it?  I can think of ten better places to allocate that money before you can say “bankruptcy”.

In short, professional athletes work tirelessly at their crafts, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them.  That being said, they are compensated too heavily for playing a game, especially when others who play a much more essential role in society earn significantly less.

by Joey Weber

       The NBA is as boring as it has ever been. It is a guarantee that the same finals matchup from the past two year is inevitable, Cleveland vs. Golden State. These two teams are also a combined 14-1 right now in the playoffs, and Golden State was the first team to go undefeated en route to the championship. Now, some basketball purists might think that seeing the best two teams play year after year is great, but most people watching will agree that seeing the same Finals every year, on top of other things, is boring. 
       So, how did the NBA get so boring? It starts with so called "super teams". Most basketball fans can accept that Lebron popularized these teams with his "Decision" to move to Miami years ago and join future hall of farmers Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. They went on to win two championships, and made it into the finals every year that Lebron was there, until he decided to create another super team in Cleveland. This chain of events is what led the newest super team, the Warriors, to come into fruition. Last summer, Kevin Durant decided he to create a super team with them, because he wanted to finally win a championship. Durant left his team, the OKC Thunder, to join Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. This is why NBA fanatics are about to watch the same finals for the third year in a row. Players in the league today aren't as competitive as before. Players now want to win the easiest way possible, which is a change from the previous eras where the sport was competitive between almost every team that played. 
       In addition this era of super teams, NBA viewers are subject to putrid refereeing. For example, two years ago the Bulls were going to be 3-1 up in a best of 7 series against the super Cavaliers team. In game four, the head coach of Cleveland called a timeout in the fourth quarter. They had burned all of their timeouts already, and the refs are supposed to give a technical to a coach that calls a timeout they do not have. Instead, the Cavaliers retained possession and Lebron hit a buzzer beater to even the series. They went on to win the series in 6 games. Referee mishaps such as this ruin basketball for its viewers. There is no excuse for a ref to miss a call that can completely change the game, especially because they have the ability to replay and correct the call! It is boring and feels like a waste of time to watch a team lose because of a bad decision by a ref. 
       These two factors that deter any future popularity of the NBA are glaring ones. Today's national basketball league is as boring as the game has ever been. This is due to many factors, and the two most important that the commissioner should be working to fix are the subpar refs and to punish players for creating super teams. They can fix these issues by giving poor refs less pay, and the players who create super teams less pay, because as everyone knows, money rules all.


by Jake Sullivan

The Future of Baseball

      America’s pastime is dying once again.  Over two decades have passed since the near demise of Major League Baseball, and in present day we now find ourselves in a similar situation.  Strangely enough, the declining interest in baseball cannot be attributed to any specific group or individual that is directly involved with the sport.  In reality, it is the younger generation that is destroying the fanfare that once surrounded baseball.  Their lack of interest in baseball could be linked to a plethora of factors, including short attention spans, a lack of marketing, and an inability to easily access the game.  

    The shortened attention span of children has spurred Major League executives to make strides to significantly shorten games.  Instituting pitch clocks, and removing the intentional walk are only 2 instances of the changes taking place.  On the surface, these changes seem like a harmless way to appeal to the younger generation.  However, as this historic game changes, “purists” severely discredit the new rules.  In their eyes, the game is becoming an entirely new entity at the expense of their opinions.  Nevertheless, executives believe that the money is held in the future generation; therefore, it is logical to invest in their viewership rather than the current fan.

    While I do agree with the notion of involving the younger generation, I believe that Major League executives are going about it the wrong way.  Instead of changing the actual game, I feel that an increase in advertising would be beneficial for the sport.  Every young athlete knows athletes such as Lebron James or Michael Jordan, because they are consistently featured on TV, magazines and other forms of media.  On the other hand, Mike Trout, who could be considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is never featured in advertisements.  Kids can easily associate the NBA’s top players with why they like basketball, but there is no real “face of baseball”.  In order to further promote the game, executives must utilize the talented players that they possess.  

    Finally, baseball must be made more accessible to a wider range of children.  The sad reality of this sport is that it is dominated by white children.  This is partly due to the fact that many underprivileged minority families cannot afford the many expenses of baseball equipment.  Other sports such as basketball or soccer pose a much cheaper option for parents to allow their children to play a sport.  In order to further promote baseball, we must reach out to underprivileged communities and provide them with an opportunity to play the game.  Programs such as the Baseball Tomorrow Fund are already making strides in many communities, but it is evident that we can still increase our efforts.  

    The future prosperity of baseball is reliant solely on the engagement of the younger generation.  New ventures must be made to promote the game to the children, while also preserving its vast history.

by Chris Steffens

Like most children, I grew up watching television shows such as  “Sesame Street” and “Hannah Montana”. At the age of twelve, I began watching shows such as “The Vampire Diaries”, which I instantly fell in love with. A few days ago, a classmate told me that I shouldn’t watch so much TV because “too much television isn’t healthy” and “people that watch it are dumb”, to which I replied, “How so?” My classmate thought about it but couldn’t give me an exact answer.

Like my classmates, most people have the same idea about television. After searching the word “television” in Google, a number of articles pop up stating the negatives of watching television, but there is hardly anything stating the positives. Most of these articles make the same arguments, that subjecting children to television too early in life can slow development and that television is bad for the human brain. While I agree that children shouldn’t be exposed to television at an early age, it has nothing to do with television being a bad thing. Children are very different from teenagers and adults; therefore, the argument that TV is bad cannot be supported by the effects it has on a very small age group. People argue that TV is bad for the brain because it causes people to be less physically active, which can negatively affect the brain. Therefore, television itself isn’t bad for the brain, but rather the amount of time someone spends not being active is.

While people are eager to list off the negatives of television, there are very few that speak of the positives. Television can actually teach people different things. My thirteen year old brother loves shows like “Outrageous Acts of Science”. A few weeks ago, we went to Six Flags and he began explaining the physics of the roller coasters to me. Now, I had been in AP Physics all year, and while I was able to understand bits and pieces, the rest sounded like gibberish. This wasn't due to my extreme lack of talent in physics, but because of what my brother learned from the shows he watches. My love of TV, on the other hand, has caused me to be very cultured. Television shows often bring up famous works of literature and events in history which has helped me make connections in school and life.

In my life, I am able to enjoy television in a positive way. Watching television, like most things, is okay when watched in moderation. Watching too much TV instead of being active can be bad for the brain just like eating too much of a certain food can be bad for digestion. Television has helped me in more ways than it has hurt me, and I believe the same goes for many others. TV will continue to “live longer and prosper” for many years to come, and hopefully, people will realize that “the truth is out there” about the positives of television.

by Sara Kouvelis

I grew up in an environment where I was surrounded by pictures of skinny blonde women with perfect bodies. They were not overweight like me or had any hair on their legs or arms like me. I thought it was the South Asian in me that caused me to look different. But even then, I saw models from South Asia who looked just as beautiful. I then thought that maybe it was just me. I would awe at the magazines while waiting in line at the checkout at my local grocery store praying I could look like them when I grew up. Little did I know, these celebrities looked this way because of photoshop. Their bodies are made slimmer and more defined while giving them glowing skin and silky hair.
        To photoshop something is to alter a photograph digitally using Photoshop image-editing software. Almost all magazines use it on their models and even on images of scenery to enhance the beauty of the picture. By publishing fake pictures, false hope is given to vulnerable children. This negatively affects how children view themselves growing up. They have a fake image that they are trying to pursue, giving them false hope, which will lead to low self esteem and body image issues. Many times young girls and even boys deal with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia because they believe that they are not good enough.

         Many believe that only girls would be affected, but boys can be affected as well. Many male celebrities such as Zayn Malik have admitted to dealing with eating disorders. Boys have this pressure to have muscles and abs, and since fitness magazines make athletes appear more muscular, they have a need to achieve that exact body through hard workouts and even steroids.
         Photoshop should not be used anymore. No one body looks the same, and this should be expressed in magazines, advertisements, and the media in general. These fake images are ruining teenagers' self esteems at such a young age. Going through puberty, children are extremely vulnerable and should realize that stretch marks, hairy arms, and love handles are normal. Young boys do not have to worry about building up muscle just yet. Everyone should realize that they are beautiful and handsome the way they are and should learn to love themselves. Photoshopped pictures are standing in the way of this mentality.

by Brittney Joseph