Op/Ed
Vaccines Critical: All eligible students should be vaccinated against COVID-19 (Staff Editorial)
When the wait for a COVID-19 vaccine finally came to an end with the Dec. 11 announcement that the Pfizer vaccine was available for the general public, normalcy seemed to be on the horizon; those ready to complete two doses could imagine going to school, eating at a restaurant, and going to work — completely…
Stressed Students Require Mental Health Days by Elise Papke
Imagine waking up in the morning, and your head spins. Your hands begin to shake, and your body trembles. Your breathing is quick and short, your stomach ties itself in knots, and all you can do is sink to the floor and hope it will all pass in time for you to go to school.…
SC Ignores COVID-19: Discarded A/B hybrid schedule forces students back to school every day causing increase in quarantines and absences
Shields up. Masks on. Students have diligently followed safety precautions on the hybrid schedule, but very limited social distancing is now what Nation Ford students must cope with after coming back to classes five days a week. Nation Ford clearly is not ready for five days a week as they have 12 times the quarantines…
Consent Should Be Taught In Schools (Staff Opinion)
According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Networks every nine minutes an American child is sexually abused. Consent is extremely important to teach students before they have sex for the first time. Abstinence-based sex ed is the curriculum for South Carolina, and as a result, 36% of high schoolers in South Carolina have already…
Racial Slurs Should Not Be Read By Teachers Even If A Reflection of American History by Tatum Robbins
Almost all high school students in America are required to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and/or Huckleberry Finn. English teachers use these books to teach critical thinking skills and help students better understand the evolution of American culture, but what do novels like the ones listed teach students about discrimination and…
The Talk: Dangers Of Driving In America – Police brutality: Black families are forced to talk to their children about what has been killing African Americans by Destiny Drafton
The Talk some families have to have. The Talk everyone needs to have. By the age of 15, most black teens and their families have to have “the talk” about driving in America. I remember my mom sitting me and my siblings down when I was 13 after another shooting. We were told that one…
School Must Listen To Students For Solutions by Rian Donahue
Oftentimes when schools have issues, they tend to overlook their greatest resource–a resource packed with untapped creativity, problem-solving skills, and perspectives. What if that resource was right in front of them the whole time? What if that resource was the largest population in the school–the students? On April 26, The Talon staff surveyed students on…
Glamorization Of Mental Illness Has To Stop by Amaris Arroyave
When the media decides to portray mental illness, they are often praised. Reducing the stigma and representing people with mental illness is a great thing. However, when the media glamorizes or romanticizes mental illness as something it is not, it becomes poorly represented. There is nothing “trendy” or “cool” about glamorizing those who live with…