When I tell someone I’m autistic, their first words are “I’m sorry.”

Dear fellow seniors,

The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has been met with a mix of differing responses. As in any case of something controversial, there are those who support it and those who do not. Arguments can be made for and against the vaccine in a convincing manner. It truly comes down to a willingness to t…

At the end of each school year, students are required to complete 3 or 4 summative tests in order to accurately measure what we learned throughout the past school year and determine things such as class schedules. These tests are called the General Summative Assessment (GSA) and are given to…

On April 7, I decided that I wanted to do my part to end the pandemic by getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Looking forward to college, being vaccinated allows me to attend in-person classes and be free of quarantine after possible exposure.

I have never heard anyone deny the power that the internet has, but in a time when every aspect of life is through a screen, we must sit back and see just how powerful it is. With recent events, such as the short squeeze of stock by a Reddit campaign, it is undeniable to see that the interne…

COVID-19 has created a challenge for everyone, completely flipping lives upside down and changing the way that one approaches everything. It is clear to see that it has cast a dark shadow over the past year, and destroyed any semblance of a normal routine.

Since the school closures last March (wow, almost an entire year ago), everyone has been talking about what seniors are missing out on. Whether it’s their last year of high school or college, seniors are clearly not able to make the most of their final year of school. I can’t imagine how dis…

The United States of America has long been synonymous with freedom and equality. A strong sense of patriotism has been at the core for centuries, but when political parties begin to war, a civil unrest is bred. A civil unrest that is fueled by hate and fearmongering from both sides — hyperpa…

Over the course of this long quarantine, the Justice administration’s weekly press conferences have been an overarching constant in my home. Three days of the week, Jim Justice’s face would be on the screen during lunchtime, as we’d restlessly wait for any sign of COVID-19’s decline, and in …

This year’s start has been anything but dull. Within the first week we witnessed a travesty at the nation’s Capitol and rumors linking Kayne West to Jeffree Star (which were false in case anyone was still hoping for this to be substantiated). To say that the month of January was an overload …

Our country prides itself on progress — on innovating and adapting to the future, and on throwing out that which is outdated and obsolete. We accept that some things we did were stupid, or wrong, or in some cases morally bankrupt, but we’ve always tried to move past them. And, I believe it’s…

With only a few weeks left of the semester, it can feel like a constant battle to get through the school day. Especially now that almost every student is virtual.

It has been one year since the first case of COVID-19 was reported. Some disregarded the rapidly-spreading virus, while others were set into a state of panic. Regardless of which you were, none of us could have been prepared for what was to come.

At this point in time we have all gotten somewhat accustomed to this new normal. Anything that can be virtual is, and some (including myself) are even having holidays, such as Thanksgiving via Zoom. With the world adjusting so rapidly to a technology reliant system, one cannot help but wonde…

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving,” — Mother Theresa.

Turning 18 comes with a lot of responsibilities, and one of the most important is voting.

This election season has flown past; just the other day we were watching the senselessness of the first presidential debate and now the final one is behind us.

The second presidential debate was supposed to be a town hall style debate in which both candidates participated in answering questions from American voters.

I think we can all agree that the vice presidential debate was much better than the presidential debate.

Some people may disagree, but in-person learning needs to resume or many will fall behind. As a tenth-grade student at Van Jr. Sr. High School, the first two days of school were a little crazy, but most would give a lot to go back.

Our world has become a dangerous place. It harbors hate, anger and violence, right alongside people who will use these emotions against their own neighbors. The media occasionally fails to cover the truth regarding hate crimes, especially when these acts are also attached to feelings of bigo…

How would you react in a split second if your life depended on it? That’s the question law enforcement officers across the country have to ask themselves every single day.

On July 8, the West Virginia State Board of Education made two major decisions — along with extending the requirement to teach cursive from elementary to middle school, they ended the one forcing high school students to read at least one of William Shakespeare’s plays.

Growing up, I learned to respect the environment and nature around me. I learned from a very young age that humans are part of the ecosystem and therefore should do everything in their power to protect and conserve it. However, I quickly realized that many people and corporations abuse their…

COVID-19 hasn’t gotten much better and school is starting soon. Some schools are doing all online and some are doing in-person school. Some are even doing half the week in-person and the rest online. They are all different and a lot of people have mixed opinions on what is safe to do and wha…

Imagine telling a baseball team they can play the game, but you are not permitted to use a bat. Imagine informing the football team that this season you can play but will not be allowed to tackle. Imagine playing a basketball game in which you were not allowed to dribble.

I wake up to an alert on my phone, reminding me that tomorrow is the senior awards ceremony. Oh wait ... that was a previous plan, placed on the calendar before I could even dream of today’s reality.

Out of all the active generations, it can be argued that Gen Z has the most humor about situations. In the face of danger, we make memes and TikTok videos regarding how we would die. While other generations see us as being immature and unable to handle reality, the truth of the matter is hum…

We’re going through another yearly ritual, losing sleep and productivity and growing more irritable all the time. I am, of course, talking about daylight saving time.

Everyone loves to come home to a nice, warm house, bundle up with warm blankets, or rock their favorite pair of fuzzy socks from time to time. What about enjoying your favorite meal, or any meal? If you have any pets, you know that they love these privileges as much as we do. Many, many anim…

Exercising your right to vote is more relevant now than ever in the United States.

On the second day of our new decade, an air attack sent by the Pentagon on Baghdad, Iraq resulted in the death of the head of Iran’s Quds Force and member of their Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qassem Soleimani, among the other damage. Soleimani’s death resulted in the supreme leader of Iran, A…

If sweatpants and hoodies are your go-to clothing, skipping class is a daily thing, your homework isn’t done and all you do is watch TikTok, then you may have senioritis.

Katherine Von Drachenberg, more commonly known as Kat Von D, is a famous tattoo artist, musician, fashion designer, YouTuber and social media influencer. She launched her self-titled cosmetics company approximately 11 years ago, and it gained popularity rapidly.

With the new year and upcoming decade, a lot seems to be changing. Technology, wars, countries, the people and societies’ new ideas. The present is changing so much it’s a little scary, and a lot of people seem to think that, too.

The year 2020 is bound to be filled with jokes about vision and references to the Roaring ’20s. Here are some ways that you can start the year out on a good foot without going overboard with resolutions.

Is online or traditional school the one for you? As seniors are approaching the end of their high school career, many of them are wondering what they should do with their future. There isn’t a wrong answer for what to do after high school, but you should look at all opportunities that are av…

Many of us are taught that the only route to success is college — a place of opportunity. But what do you do when this opportunity comes at a great cost?

Think about the holiday season — the way it looks, the things you do, everything about it. Decorating trees, baking cakes and cookies, Santa Claus, reindeer, snowflakes, snowballs, snowmen, giving presents, singing carols, going shopping, etc., etc., etc. ... But there’s one thing that they …

Christmas break is quickly approaching. Many kids and school faculty members are looking forward to the departure from crazy classrooms, but what about the families who don’t celebrate Christmas? How do the students who don’t celebrate Christmas feel about a week off of school? Does your sch…

The Christmas season is quickly approaching, which entails a plethora of seasonal decor. It seems as if everyone has a different opinion as to when it becomes acceptable to decorate, though.

When did it become controversial to have an opinion? I was going to write about impeachment, but my mind immediately considered the repercussions of my potential words. I have seen, especially in my age group, be divided over their political opinions.

At the beginning of October, Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin tweaked the name of Charleston’s annual Christmas parade to something a bit more inclusive, the Winter Parade.

It has been a long-standing tradition to gather around the table with your family and be merry — to eat food and just celebrate and enjoy each other’s company on Thanksgiving Day. While everyone eats, conversation ensues, which can be of topics that vary from family to family.

We’ve all seen it in the news — people dying from vaping-related diseases. In addition to this, the president of the United States says he is aware of it, and that he might begin to crack down. So many sides of an ongoing predicament that we find ourselves in, but no one giving straightforwa…

Vaping is one of the biggest problems in American teens today. As a high school student, I am always seeing students vaping. Even though they know that these things can cause health problems, they continue to do it anyway. I wish that students would take better care of their health.

The younger generation is always talking, and it’s rarely just about prom dresses and trig tests anymore.

It’s a strange feeling that Amnesty International issued a travel advisory for the United States stating “exercise extreme caution when travelling throughout the country due to rampant gun violence.” The copious gun violence has led international groups to not see our country as something it…