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Ready for the SAT?

by Emma Dorman

Staff Reporter

 

March 2023

 

After students get back from the week of Spring Break, state testing is right around the corner. 

 

State testing such as the PSAT and SAT are yearly tests that students take from 8th grade to 11th grade. 8th through 10th grade do the PSATs while 11th graders take the SAT. The SAT is very important if a student wants to go to college and the score can determine which school they get into. PSATs hold less pressure, but are still important because they are practice for the SAT junior year. 

 

Although there are many practice tests before the SAT, students still struggle with how to study for them and they end up stressing more than they need to. 

 

“I think state testing is important because it gives colleges and the state an idea of whether academics are hard enough and whether students are prepared for higher education,” says Rebecca Secord  (10). 

 

Studying and preparing for the PSAT and SATs is important to receive the score students want for themselves. 

 

“I limit distractions and use my highlighters to help me keep track of my studying,” explains Jacquelin Gehiski (10), “I think studying for the tests are important because it helps you remember information.” 

 

Having a good study process is helpful for the SATs and teachers are supporting students with their studying.

 

“I don’t know exactly how I will study for the SAT, but some of my teachers have been helping prepare us for the test,” says Sophia Terenzi (11). 

 

Besides studying, there are other ways that students can prepare their mind and body for the stressful tests.

 

“I get a good rest the night before the test and fuel my body in the morning ,” says Jacquelin. 

 

State testing is required for every student, but that doesn’t mean it's perfectly set up for each student.

 

“I think state testing isn’t important because everyone isn’t on the same level in academics and it is unfair to test them in the same way,” explains Sophia (11). 

 

 

 

With the right study habits and schedule, the PSAT and SAT can be done efficiently. Students should get many hours of sleep and eat a good breakfast before testing day to be as alert and comfortable as possible. The PSAT for Freshmen and Sophomores is scheduled to be on April 12th through 18th and the SAT for juniors with the essay is on April 12th. If a student cannot attend the test during these days, makeups for the tests are April 25th and 26th. 

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Snoozing Through School 

by Ava Gordon

Staff Reporter

February 2023

 

Students are the biggest victims of lack of sleep. 

 

With the busy day of school, spending time with friends and family, part-time jobs, and homework, sleep is often set aside for some much needed free time. 

 

And while that allowance of free time may be a relief, physical rest gets overlooked, and this lack of sleep could be detrimental to students. 

 

“I think students don’t get enough sleep because they value enjoying their time more for the most part. Adults criticize kids a lot for their sleep but adults often get used to waking up, working, eating, and sleeping every day. From the people that I know, they often get less sleep because they’re trying to enjoy themselves and make their days less mundane,” says William Maxlow (12). 

 

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended, “that teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.” This looks very different from the average OHS teenager. 

 

“Teenagers by default go to bed later yet are forced to get up early. It's quite backward to expect them to get decent sleep let alone 8-10 hours,” comments Ava Kopitzki (12). “I don’t think it's realistic because with all the homework we have, many people I know don't get to sleep until either midnight or 1 am, then need to get up at 6 to get ready for school, giving them about 5-6 hours of sleep a day,” explains Veronica Heinemann (12). “I think it’s unrealistic to expect 8-10 hours of sleep

 

when high schoolers have school, homework, and any extracurricular activities they do. Plus, if I remember right, a lot of research in the past says that it is rare for teens to get that much sleep,” Maxlow claims. 

 

Students have their own personal experiences with sleep. Some lead very busy lives.

 

“I don't have enough hours to sleep. I play sports and occasionally won't get home until 9, I would have to shower and do homework, not getting done until 11:30 pm. I also work shifts that go from 4-10:30 pm, making it very hard to get schoolwork done, and sleep,” Heinemann explains. 

 

Others struggle with quality of sleep.

 

“ I’m pretty bad with sleep, I normally get around 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I can lay in bed for hours awake and wake up pretty early sometimes,” Maxlow says.

 

For others it's about timing.

 

 “My personal experience with sleep is what I believe enough as I usually go to bed around 10-11 pm and I wake up at 5 am and for me, that’s enough,” comments Travis Balinski (11).

And OHS students have noticed the effect of their poor sleep in their studies. 

“For me, lack of sleep reduces my quality of work and focus a significant amount. If I'm tired I'm not going to pay attention as well, I'm not going to understand the material and my grade will suffer,” Kopitzki says.

 

 “Lack of sleep can make students tired in class which leads them not paying attention and having work to do at home,” says Balinski. 

 

“Not enough sleep causes your brain to slow down because you're so tired. when your brain is slow it can’t focus on the assignments you have, but you can’t sleep because you have to get the assignments done. It's a never-ending loop,” Heinemann replies. 

 

According to Nationwide Children's Hospital, “The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours.” However, students think the average amount high schoolers get is a bit different. 

 

What limits students from getting the precious zzz’s they need is quite simple. 

 

“There's legitimate scientific research on why teenagers go to bed later. I think that's a big contributing factor to the problem as well as students being busy with extracurricular activities and their jobs. It would make significantly more sense for the elementary school students to go to school earlier in the day,” Kopitzki says. “I think students aren't getting enough sleep because of all the stress from assignments and tests the next day they have to get on top of,” explains Heinemann. 

 

All in all, it's important for OHS students to try to manage their time to create a better sleep schedule. To help better your sleep schedule, you can stick to a specific bedtime, pay attention to what you eat and drink, create a restful environment, limit daytime naps, and manage worries.

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by Sophia Gregurich

Staff Editor

January 2023

 

Ever since we were in elementary school, children are taught the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. 

 

Climate change has been a pressing issue since the late 1980s.

 

We’re so often told that our planet is dying and how we all need to do our part to prevent that from happening. But what can we actually do about it?

 

Environmental expert Meital Stotland told Forbes, “My house is solar powered. Solar Panels also act as a thermal layer which keeps the house cool in the summer and traps in heat during the winter.”

 

More and more homeowners are opting to become more environmentally friendly. 

 

“I have energy star appliances which save me a ton in electricity costs per month, and reduce the usage of carbon generated electricity,” said Andrew Yakub.

 

It’s not just experts who have advice on how to be more environmentally conscious. Here’s some advice from our very own environmental club:

 

“One big thing that we are trying to press is just donating your clothes or even buying from a thrift store,” says Elijah Zelenock (12) “It’s crazy how much of a carbon footprint your clothes actually have. It’s much bigger than you would think like the water it takes for the dye. Getting your hands on an article of clothing that was someone else’s makes a huge environmental impact because it stretches its use times two.”

 

Some teachers at OHS bring in their own recycling bins, but this is not required by the school.

 

“It’s a funding thing. We’ve pushed for it but…” Senior Lilah Pratt (12) hesitates. “There are some teachers who have the paper recycling bins and stuff. But they take it home and recycle it with their recycling company that she has at home.”

 

It’s clear that there are many ways to be more environmentally friendly, and these are only a few examples. By taking small steps like these, we can help reduce our carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the environment.

Helping Mother Earth

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by Emma Dorman

Staff Reporter

 

Scheduling for the 2023-2024 school year is right around the corner and students will have to choose their classes for next year. 

​

OHS offers a big variety of advanced and college classes for students to choose from. Students can do AP or IB classes, or take the regular route. There are many advantages that the advanced classes offer such as GPA boost and college credit. These are the main reasons that students choose to do these classes. 

 

AP and IB classes are possible options for students scheduling for next year and they have many pros and cons to consider.  

 

“I like AP and IB classes because they are more challenging and actually make me work,” explained Natalie Bales (11), “I can also learn about things that I actually care about.” 

 

Taking AP classes are a big burden to carry, but they come with some advantages. 

 

“Some advantages to taking AP classes are the GPA boost, you learn educational discipline, it helps prepare you for college, and can get college credit,” stated Therese Godfryd (10). 

 

Due to the rigorous coursework and lots of homework, Ap and IB classes might not be for everyone. 

 

“I would recommend them if you have a good work ethic and feel like regular classes are too easy,” says Natalie, “It is a good challenge, however, if you don’t have a good work ethic I don’t think they are right as it may stress you out.”

 

Taking AP classes have their good parts, but they also can be a stressful weight to juggle. 

“Some disadvantages to taking AP classes is that it is a heavy workload, can hurt the GPA instead of raising it, and it takes up a lot of time, " said Therese Godfryd. 

 

Advanced classes aren’t for everyone and some people are content with taking regular classes, while others are interested in being challenged. 

 

“I want to take advanced classes so I can get college credit and because I want to take harder classes and boost my GPA,” said Vivian Cruz.

 

Scheduling sheets for the 2023-2024 school year are due by March 6th and counselors will be available to help if needed. For sophomores and juniors, there are more opportunities to do these AP and IB classes and it is recommended to check out the course catalog before commiting. If you are thinking about taking an advanced class, or any class at all, check out the 2023-24 course catalog on the Oxford Home page.

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Chosing Between AP and IB

To Share or Not to Share...

by Malena Pugliese

Editor in Chief

​

We’ve all been there; just finished a thick stack of homework or ended a full week of going left and right for this and that, and you find yourself needing a little pick-me-up.

You’re most likely gonna reach for that new season of Ginny & Georgia on Netflix or finishing Wednesday (also on Netflix), or something along those lines. But what if I told you that your Friday-night-in could be facing some pretty major changes real soon?

 

Turns out, love isn’t sharing a password anymore.

​

2022 saw Netflix, the streaming service providing 8% of all video viewing in the U.S., with its lowest subscriber growth since 2011, which Netflix didn’t take too kindly to. And after bouncing the idea around a few times over the last few years, Netflix has decided it will start taking measures against account sharing, hoping to boost that 8% to 25%, as new Netflix co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos put it.

​

While the higher-up business savvy people might think this is a smart move, fans and customers, who were already raging (but more on that later), are far from happy. 

​

“Some people can’t pay for entertainment, and sharing passwords with them wasn’t a detrimental deal to Netflix,” voices senior Austin

Rains, who, like many, watches Netflix as the main streaming service and is “somewhat satisfied” with it. 

​

This isn’t the first time the streaming service giants have caused a ruckus about policy changes. 

​

Back in 2016, Netflix’s then CEO Reed Hastings claimed “In terms of [password sharing], no plans on making any changes there.”

 

Hastings even went on to say “Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with, because there’s so much legitimate password sharing–like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids…so there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is.”

​

But it seems, along with the new co-CEOs, the narrative has changed.

​

“Today’s widespread account sharing (100M+ households) undermines our long term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business,” the company said earlier this week, despite having almost doubled their estimated subscriber growth of 4.5 million.

​

And it’s obvious that customers are beginning to grumble about Netflix’s true intentions.

​

“I believe that the new policy that they are trying to implement is greedy of the company since it shows that they just want more money,” laments Rains.

 

Yet, despite this, it’s hard to deny that Netflix has served up some great content, and even renewed audience-loved series.

​

“I enjoyed when Netflix picked up the show ‘Lucifer’ from Fox and continued it from season 3 to season 6,” Rains explains. But, along with the satisfaction, Netflix faces further criticism on the content they choose to boot or even cancel. “I remember being really upset that they canceled the show ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ since it was very apparent that they rushed the ending, therefore making the ending less enjoyable to me…There are many shows that so many customers enjoyed, and made it known, that were canceled by Netflix.”

​

So what is the story, Netflix? 

​

“It’s 70 percent gut and 30 percent data. Most of it is informed hunches and intuition. Data either reinforces your worst notion or it just supports what you want to do either way,” reveals Netflix’s Sarandos. And the biggest data factor, as unveiled by Forbes, is the completion rate, or what percent of a show’s audience actually finishes the show; if it's above a 50% completion rate, then it will likely be renewed, and vice versa.

​

Though this explanation isn’t what we wanted to hear, clarity does feel nice. Having said that, let’s take a look at what Netflix has in store for customers in the next year.

The password sharing crackdown is inevitable at this point, with D-day being March 31, before the start of April. Netflix's help center page for U.S. customers notes "people who do not live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix." Along with this, though, will be an introduction to a service Netflix has been testing out in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru since last year: paid-sharing, or paying a little extra on top of your monthly plan to share your account with friends or family who don’t live with you. It is expected to roll out this year, but neither a specific price or date has been announced. 

​

It’s safe to say that doesn’t sound like a very customer-friendly idea, and this love and hate relationship with Netflix can be summed up with one sentence: “Overall, I would say that Netflix takes some considerations from their customers, however if they are offered money to do something, they would gravitate towards that,” concludes Rains.

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by Emma Dorman

Staff Reporter

 

Finding a job in highschool is part of most young teenagers lives

and many are lost when it comes to the interviewing process. 

 

Students at OHS are around the age where having a job is c

ommon. Part of the job application process is interviewing and

this is the area where most people feel nervous or lost. They

hear questions like “Why are you interested in this job?” and

“How many hours would you like to work each week?”. If it is

their first job, most don’t know how to respond, which reduces their self confidence. 

 

Applying for a job can be a scary event in someone’s life, but

being prepared can help reduce some anxiety associated with

it. 

 

“Overall, my interview was quick and the interviewer was

really nice,” said Rebecca Secord (10), “I was pretty nervous

because this was my first interview, but after we got talking for

a little bit I felt a lot calmer.”

 

One of the most dreaded parts of the interview is the questions that are asked.

 

“I was asked things like why did you decide to work here? When is your availability? Are there any activities you're doing at the

 

moment?,” said Rebecca, “Overall, the interview went smoothly.”

 

While most are getting jobs, some students don’t have one for various reasons.

“I want to have a job, but I am too busy,” said Jaquelin Gehoski (10), “I am also scared to interview because I feel like I’m not prepared for the questions.”

 

Most times, the interviewing process can be split up into two sections: applying and talking.

 

“The easiest part of the interviewing process was the talking part and the hardest part was the application because there was a lot of information to fill out,” says Therese Godfryd (10), “My advice would be to come prepared with information such as phone number, social security number, etc.”

 

Hearing first hand experiences from students about being interviewed can inspire others to get a job.

 

“My advice to others who have to interview is to just be confident and smile the whole time. Be friendly and answer the questions confidently,” Rebecca explained, “If you want a job ask around to see where others work and try to notice if there are any hiring signs.”

 

There are many ways to make the interviewing process easier and less stressful. One way is to learn from other people’s experiences and be prepared. Getting a job is an important step in becoming an adult and can create more independence for the students. For a teenager, interviews aren’t as important or stressful, but they are a great learning tool for the future.

Navigating Job Interviews

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by Ava Gordon

Staff Editor

March 2023

​

Is it time to cancel Daylight Savings?? 

 

According to Reuters.com, daylight saving time has been in

place in nearly all of the United States since the 1960s after

being first tried in 1918. Year-round daylight saving time was

used during World War Two and adopted again in 1973 in a

bid to reduce energy use because of an oil embargo and

repealed a year later. Daylight saving time, which moves the

clocks forward an hour, resumes on March 12 in the United

States and lasts until Nov. 5, when the clocks fall back an

hour.

 

With people no longer farming and spending the majority of

their time inside, daylight savings time is no longer as

significant as it used to be. 

 

“It has its pros and cons, but in my personal opinion I think the cons outweigh the pros since it can cause mental and physical problems for people because it disrupts sleep patterns,” Austin Rains (12) explains. 

 

There are quite a few ideas why people continue to uphold the tradition of daylight savings day. 

 

“People do daylight savings so that we can do more during the day, because if we woke up in the middle of the day, we would have less hours of things to do outside,” Travis Balinski (11) says. “I really think it’s to optimize the amount of daylight we have in our day along with adding another hour of sunlight for people who work later shifts,” Morgan McGuire (12) comments. “People do daylight savings to save energy,” Rains says. 

 

Students think it's more beneficial than harmful. 

 

“I think it’s more beneficial because we get to do more things in day light which is good for you,” Balinski says. “ Overall, I think it’s pretty helpful. Although, the change is hard to adjust to a lot of the time. I really like having more light in my day though!” McGuire explains. 

 

And many are conflicted on whether they like to ‘fall back’ for fall or ‘spring forward’ for spring, also known as losing or gaining an hour.

 

“I like the spring one better because it gives me the opportunity to open windows and walk outside in the mornings,” Balinski says. “I like the fall one better personally because of the extra hour when waking up in the morning,” McGuire comments. “I like the fall one better since we get an extra hour of sleep,” Rains said. 

 

If students had the choice, most would rather ditch the system altogether, though some believe in holding on to the tradition.

 

“No [I would get rid of it] because I think if we always kept everything the same things would get boring,” Balinski explains. Similarly, Rains says, “I would honestly not do [daylight savings] because it affects my sleep patterns and it affects others mental health.” On the other hand, McGuire “would choose to not have it just because it’s a part of a routine that a lot of the world is accustomed to and without it it would be a lot darker in parts of the day.”

 

And it’s hard to hide how outdated the system is.

 

“ I honestly do think it’s outdated, and I think disrupting sleep patterns for practically no reason is kinda stupid,” Rains says. But others don’t find it to be as devastating, as McGuire explains, “It’s kind of outdated, yes, but I think the effects of it are minimal and it doesn’t do harm to anyone even if it is ‘tradition’.” 

 

To sum up, students agree that daylight savings is a bit outdated. And though daylight savings time is a big part of our culture. From Reuters.com, since 2015, about 30 states have introduced legislation to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks, with some states proposing to do it only if neighboring states do the same. A group of 12 U.S. senators on Thursday reintroduced legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, nearly a year after the Senate voted unanimously to end clock switching.  This is a really fascinating concept that the Senate is trying to change daylight savings time, and people will have to see what the next day brings us. 

Leave the Clocks Alone

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Spring Break is Almost Here

by Piper Boyt

Staff Reporter

March 2023

 

Spring break is approaching and Oxford High School students are ready for their week long break. 

 

Spring break seems to be the most exciting break students have due to the warm weather, traveling and getting a break from schoolwork. 

 

During this break, students get the chance to travel to different places and experience different activities wherever they are.

 

“My plans for spring break are to go to Florida with family friends and hang out at the beach all day,” says Kiley Archer (10).  

 

Spring break is definitely one of the most anticipated holidays of the school year.  

 

“I like spring break because the weather is warm, the flowers start to grow, nature is green again and we get a week off of school,” says Heather Edward (10).

​

Another student describes their own personal spring break experiences.

 

“My favorite place I visited on spring break was Jamaica when I was in 4th grade because I swam and rode with dolphins,” says Anna Terenzi (10) .

 

A favorite spring break memory is illustrated by a student. 

 

¨My favorite spring break memory is when I went to Maine when I was 6 years old. It was really fun because me and my family went hiking on a mountain, went to a beach with pink rocks, and saw seals,¨  states Josie Rheaume (10).

 

Spring break seems to be the most favorite break students enjoy. It gives a break from school in order to experience new things and appreciate traveling to different destinations. During spring break, make sure to make the most of the warm spring weather and rest from school. 

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Surviving Exams

by Abrianna Carsley

Staff Reporter

 

There is nothing more upsetting than coming back from the 

holiday break and getting snatched into exam week. 

 

It's been three years since the 2023 Oxford High School seniors

have taken exams, and as for freshmen, some have never taken

an exam. With the administration requiring them this year, it may

have left some students panicked. 

 

Exams have a huge impact on the final semester grade, as well

as on future education and career opportunities. Getting through

them in the least stressful way could improve not only scores

but students' confidence in themselves. 

 

“To power through studying for the exam, I think of something

I want to do after the test as a reward, and gives motivation

too,” said Karol Tellez-Nuñez (10). 

 

Most people think studying is boring, but studying is usually

guided towards writing index cards. Instead of that, you can

even make a game for it to be entertaining. 

 

“The most effective studying method for me, is Quizlet because they have mini-games that make me want to do better to be first on the leaderboard,” said Natalie Gula (12). 

 

Although studying may be easy for some, students may not know how long to study. 

 

“I find that studying 30 minutes on one subject and then switching to a different Subject for the same amount of time clears my mind. Then I go back to see if I retained anything,” said Olivia Clark (12). 

 

While certain students may study persistently, some still don't do as well as intended. There can be other problems that have nothing to do with the general method of studying. 

 

“Trying out different environments to study can help with staying focused, and even make you retain more information while being in a new place,” said Tellez-Nuñez.

 

Cramming for any test or exam last minute is never a good idea. Rather than assisting, it can lead to being overwhelmed. 

 

“Creating a study plan prior to the test provides organization, and getting a night's rest before can relax and gear focus on the test,” said Jenna Miller(11).

 

As dreaded as they are, exams are important for academics, and the future of obtaining degrees in college. While taking them is required for most, preparing for the intended dreading exam can be less stressful and more rewarding with fulfillment and entertainment. 

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