The stay-at-home order is the perfect time to adopt new pet
May 21, 2020
My family adopted a new cat from the Kalamazoo Animal Rescue this week, and with the whole family staying home, it has been a smooth introduction. We’ve decided to name her Queenie, and she’s a four-year-old black cat who loves sleeping and eating. We installed a baby gate in the doorway to my...
Michigan’s COVID-19 Stay at Home Order brings new perspectives on school life
Maya Crawford, Graphics Editor/Student Update Team
May 19, 2020
It’s no secret that many kids say that they don’t like going to school, even though it’s necessary. Students often complain about having to get up early or how much homework they have to do. Now that the Stay at Home Order has halted person-to-person schooling, I’ve discovered that I appreciat...
Drivers Training is beneficial for new drivers
Bianca Hobson, Guest Writer
April 22, 2020
As a freshman, learning how to drive was a goal of mine. All over school I heard kids talking about how they were going to start segment one of drivers’ training. According to All Star Drivers Education segment one is a course “with 24 hours of classroom time, 6 hours behind the wheel and 4 hours ...
Pushing your natural gifts to the limit: How determination can motivate many to take their talents and be someone
Damarion Johnson, Guest Writer
April 20, 2020
Talent, something that everyone has, is one of the most satisfying things anyone could possess. Unfortunately, for some, they don’t take what they have and make something out of it. That could be because they’re too shy or they’re afraid of people judging them. The thing is, it shouldn’t matt...
The effect music has on the soul: Music is an important part of everyday life of young people
Sophie Grover, Guest Writer
April 18, 2020
The bright fluorescent lights hit the backs of shiny wood and cold air wraps around every person in the Loy Norrix Orchestra room. C strings are tweaked, pegs are turned and bows are placed on strings. Sandra Shaw is the orchestra instructor at Norrix. She went to Western Michigan University for undergrad...
Social media and cell phones have become damaging to teens’ lives
Samantha Hogan, Guest Writer
April 16, 2020
The clock strikes 6 a.m. and your iPhone, probably laying in bed with you, blares the alarm tone you have set, signaling it’s time for school. Before you even sit up though, you grab your phone and start your Snapchatting for the day. According to the CyberBully Research Center, over 80% of teens u...
Students should educate students about human trafficking
Luna Drumm-Walsh, Guest Writer
April 15, 2020
When people think of human trafficking, many typically think of a big white van with scary men inside. Now, human trafficking has a very different reality. Over the past 10 years, predators have gone online to get victims. A lot of human trafficking starts on the internet, especially sex trafficking. T...
Standardized testing is not good for public school systems
Victoria Hoppe, Guest Writer
April 13, 2020
Since I started the 1st grade, I was told that I have to do standardized testing which would put my eyes in front of a computer in my school’s computer lab. At the time, I was a young 6 year old who was told to answer a series of questions like I was a lab rat. Of course, the questions were supposed to ...
Everyone should take action against climate change
Ashley Garcia, Guest Writer
April 12, 2020
Temperatures are rising, glaciers are shrinking, sea levels are increasing. This is a climate emergency. Some are non-believers because they don’t think they are affected by the climate change, but climate change is real and it is happening now. It is just going to get worse unless something is done ...
KPS should adopt the four-day school week
Elliot Russell, Web Editor
April 6, 2020
It’s fifth-hour and the last day of the week. You fiddle around unproductively, only minutes remaining until the five-day grind meets its end with a timely chime over the intercom as if to signify that “you made it.” We all know the feeling. How your endurance wanes as you push yourself throug...
Standardized testing places high levels of stress on students and teachers
Hannah Locke, Guest Writer
April 4, 2020
School is meant to be a safe and healthy environment where we are able to learn new things and express ourselves. However, the amount of standardized testing that happens in our schools puts an enormous damper on our creativity and freedom. Standardized tests are a common part of our learning experience a...
“Joker” send wrong message about mental illness
Kierra Walker, Guest Writer
April 4, 2020
With 161 million views and 2.7 million likes on YouTube for just the trailers, “Joker” was sure to cause some buzz. Not all of it was good though. Before the film even debuted, many people had issues with the movie. Some didn’t like how it was different from the original story line, while...
