Your future is heading at you fast, graduates: Be prepared!

May 7, 2013
Filed under National News

(This story ran previously on March 11, 2013, but the message is still timely and important.) You're walking in your cap and gown looking better than ever.  You stare up at the stadium seats filled with people screaming, cheering, holding up signs, and pressing their horns. You smile, and a sudden... Read more »

Drug-sniffing dogs in schools: Could it happen at South?

Oscar Nunez, Assistant Editor
April 15, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

  The Tolleson High School District hired Interquest, a drug detection program that helps promote a safe and drug free environment, to use a drug-sniffing dog to locate drugs on their school campuses. So, could drug-sniffing dogs someday appear at South Mountain High School? Principal... Read more »

Domestic violence can affect you the rest of your life: The good news is you can get help

Sabrina Gutierrez
April 11, 2013
Filed under National News

Domestic Violence can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. "Women tend to be the main victim," said Deborah Lindley, a social worker at South Mountain High School. Lindley explained that substance use,... Read more »

Caregiving: A tough job for kids

Betty Couch
April 2, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

When a child is thrown into the role of being a caregiver, it can change their life. Nationwide, there are approximately 1.3 to 1.4 million child caregivers between the ages of eight and eighteen. Being a caregiver can be stressful, time consuming, and traumatic. Connie Siskowski, the director of... Read more »

Why high school relationships are often doomed

Jade Perez
March 25, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

Only a tiny percentage of high school couples actually get married and stay married. If that's so, then why do so many teens take relationships so seriously? Teenagers are young and very vulnerable. When you have that special someone in your life, you can't imagine the world without them. Being... Read more »

Saving the Sharks

March 12, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

According to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization, sharks worldwide kill no more than 12 people a year. So why are people so afraid of sharks? Anne Montgomery, a teacher at South Mountain High School and a certified scuba diver,... Read more »

The Future of Books

Betty Couch
February 7, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

Sitting at home on my couch, opening a hardcover book to discover what adventures await me is how I relax. Pretty soon it may not be that way. The publishing world is changing; someday perhaps all books will be digital. A recent study confirmed 15% of Americans said they use an electronic reader... Read more »

Sympathy for the Bully

Unique Vasquez
February 7, 2013
Filed under National News, Top Stories

     We tend to feel sorry for the victim of bullying. But, why not feel sympathy for the bully? Yes, that’s right, sympathy for the bully. In bullying cases, everyone goes to comfort the victim and punishes the bully. But what most people don’t know is that it is not entirely the bully’s... Read more »

Should we raise the driving age?

Mercadez Garcia, Reporter
January 16, 2013
Filed under National News, Uncategorized

Turning 16 is a big deal. You’ve got high school, dating . . . and driving. According to teendrivingsource.org, the fatal crash rate for drivers ages 16-19, based on miles driven, is four times higher than for drivers 25-69. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens, taking about 3,000 young... Read more »

Why not to go to the circus? Simple: Animal Abuse

Arne Ontiveros
December 20, 2012
Filed under National News

  Everyone at the circus sees the animals as happy. Many never notice what’s really going on. Did you know the methods used on circus animals to train them are considered animal abuse? In the United States, every major animal circus has violated the Animal Welfare Act. “I especially struggle... Read more »