January 25, 2007Quote of the Week“Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.” What is Global Warming?Byron Lawson | Northside High School 
Question: What is Global Warming? Answer: Also commonly referred to as the Greenhouse Effect, this weather anomaly is almost completely on our own fault. Due to constant emissions of aerosol sprays, fossil fuels, and other harmful substances, the atmosphere we have come to know and love is beginning to degrade. Holes in the ozone layer have formed, and high levels of carbon dioxide hold heat inside like a greenhouse. Additionally, as reported by recent news, several ice masses have begun melting as a result of increased temperatures.  Unfortunately this greatly interferes with wildlife, including species close to extinction. Polar bears for example, have begun to change their hunting patterns due to the lack of ice to climb upon and fish off of. This then causes them to become exhausted and fatigued much faster. Ex-Vice President Al Gore made a very influential speech/documentary discussing our effects on the world and the consequences, entitled Have a question you need answered? E-mail Byron at theedge@roanoke.com January 16, 2007Obama launches 2008 White House bidNedra Pickler | Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Barack Obama launched a historic campaign Tuesday to become the first black president of the United States and immediately tried to turn his political inexperience into an asset with voters seeking change. The freshman Illinois senator - and top contender for the Democratic nomination - said the past six years have left the country in a precarious place and he promoted himself as the standard-bearer for a new kind of politics. "Our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way," Obama said in a video posted on his Web site. "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first." Obama filed paperwork forming a presidential exploratory committee that allows him to raise money and put together a campaign structure. He is expected to announce a full-fledged candidacy on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill., where he can tap into the legacy of hometown hero Abraham Lincoln. Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to announce her presidential campaign within days, but her spokesman said there would be no comment on Obama's decision from the Clinton camp. Back from Iraq, she abruptly canceled a Capitol Hill news conference minutes after word of Obama's announcement, citing the unavailability of a New York congressman to participate. Other Democrats who have announced a campaign or exploratory committee are 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joe Biden of Delaware and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also are considering a run. Review: 'The Pursuit of Happyness'Amy Friedman | Patrick Henry High School 
Chris Gardner is having a hard time. His wife is a spiteful, fed-up woman who refuses to give Chris any more breaks. His job consists of selling a medical machine that almost no doctors will buy. His family scrapes what money they can until eventually everything falls apart. After his wife leaves him and his son behind the money flow basically ends, and from there it is essentially a heartbreaking journey involving Chris working harder than anyone has ever worked before only to keep being pushed down by most everyone around him. You have to keep asking yourself, “How in the world did this clever, charismatic, wonderful man end up painted into such a small corner?” The acting is some of the best this year, especially on the part of Jaden Smith (who plays Christopher Gardner, and is Will Smith’s son in real life). I’m not sure who I can reasonably suggest this movie to. Because although it was a truly amazing work, there were moments when I was close to leaving the theater; it’s just that upsetting. The movie is based on a man’s life; an actual man’s life. When you are sitting in the theater watching this man; a man who is trying so hard to make anything good happen, and trying so hard to make a better life for his son, and just hoping to find a little bit of happiness it breaks your heart to see everything that goes wrong for him. Our hero copes with a lifetime of sorrow over a seven-month period, and sure maybe after the movie ends it really does get all better. But, we never see that. And, for me, the pursuit of happiness was too tragic for what lay at the end of the journey. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) January 11, 2007Troop surge not a solutionJordan Fifer | The Roanoke Times 
But does this "surge" make sense? I am not a military expert and obviously have never been to Iraq, let alone in the last four years. What I do know, however, comes from those who have done just that -- U.S. Generals, Senators, soldiers, and other experts who all agree that an escalation of troops is not the best course. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the press Thursday that "Americans broadly agree...that the situation in Iraq is unacceptable", as if this was justification for the President's new plan. And she's absolutely right -- Americans don't approve of the Iraq War. In fact, 68% of Americans said in a recent Associated Press/Ipsos poll that they disapprove of the way Bush is handling the war. But this does not mean the proper response is to add more troops to the fight. When asked in that same poll "Would you favor or oppose sending more troops to Iraq?", 70% said they were opposed to the idea. This opinion is not limited to polled citizens. Multiple Senators and Congressman from both sides of the isle oppose the plan, along with top military commanders and experts in the field. This plan also flies directly in the face of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations. It doesn't make sense that the President wouldn't follow the advice of his advisers. Maintaining political power and integrity -- or what's left of it -- should not come at the cost of our men and women serving in the Armed Forces. President Bush has done many questionable things while in office, but few have so directly jeopardized people's lives in their outcomes.
January 10, 2007What is El Nino?Byron Lawson | Northside High School
Question: What is El Nino?
This year, we are witnessing what is believed to be an El Nino. This is commonly confused with effects of Global Warming - although it could very well be that. Source: NASA |
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