Guest Writer: Elli Brooks I have many fears. For instance, I am afraid of sharks, being buried alive, dying alone, sand and most of all, outhouses.  Outhouses haven’t always been a worry of mine until the summer of 2006 when I was around the age of six.  Let's start from the beginning. Every summer since I can remember, my whole family would go camping on my aunt and uncle’s farm. They lived on hundreds of acres of land, and they made a campsite off their creek where we would live off … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Lucy Stultz Most developed countries have come to heavily depend on single-use plastic items. Water bottles, food packaging and countless other everyday objects are designed to be used once and then thrown away. However, these items will stay on Earth for centuries. According to National Geographic, “It’s unclear how long it will take for that plastic to completely biodegrade into its constituent molecules. Estimates range from 450 years to never.” Much of the plastic that … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Samantha Kagey Seemingly small decisions about your water-dwelling pets can have big consequences. That’s why it’s important to carefully consider aspects of your aquarium habitat such as water temperature, tank size, decorations, filtration systems and water conditioning. Here are five tips that will help you raise happy, healthy fish: 1. Consider the type of fish you would like to acquire. Do you want cold-water or warm-water fish? The cold-water fish are those that … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Jordan Flewellen Do you one day want to have a child? Today, women are expected to have children and be married. Some women feel like if they don’t have children, they are not accomplished or they won't find a sense of fulfillment. At the same time, there are women who do not want children and still feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in life. Women have been told and shown in many areas throughout society that they should have children and stay at home to raise … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Hope Lynn Brandenberger What’s the worst thing that could happen? Will your head pop off? This is such a silly question, one that may not make sense at first, but let me explain. I have always been an anxious ball of mental contingency. My mind is constantly moving and has been for as long as I can remember. When I was fearful or dreading the worst, my mum would say to me, “Hope, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Will your head pop off?” I don’t know where she … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Mackenzie Fair Maybe you have heard it said that Disney World is the “Happiest place on Earth,” and if you are anything like me, you may find that hard to believe. It seems like many of us live in a state of believing that there isn’t enough to go around, so how could somewhere so expensive make so many people happy? My Christmas present this year was going to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and I could not have been more excited. Yes, you read that right. I am a junior in … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Camryn Miller The military is an opportunity for people of different races and genders to enlist and serve. However, this is not the case for the transgender population or people with gender dysphoria. Individuals with gender dysphoria are considered a risk to military productivity, as stated by the Trump Administration’s new policy. This policy states that anyone in the military who “requires or has undergone” gender transition be disqualified from enlisting. This, … [Read more...]