Search Results

In “Part I: Can AI Replace Teachers?” We dived deep into teachers’ impact on social skills. However, there is more to answering this question. How are students mental, soaffected? What are implications, and limitations to AI integration? Photo Credits: Arizona School Adopts AI to Replace Human Teachers.” TeckNexus, 20 Dec. 2024, tecknexus.com/arizona-school-adopts-ai-to-replace-human-teachers/. Human teachers are crucial for the social and emotional learning of students, and it’s irreplaceable by artificial intelligence. Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and an endowed chair in Social and Emotional Learning at the NoVo Foundation. She emphasizes the importance of teachers and their role in the social aptitude of students, “Teachers are the engine that drives social and emotional learning (SEL) programs and practices in schools and classrooms, and their own social-emotional competence and well-being strongly influence their students. Classrooms with warm teacher-child relationships support deep learning and positive social and emotional development among students” (Schonert-Reichl). Human teachers excel in developing a proper environment for students to learn social and emotional skills. This has a high impact on a student’s social aptitude as it fosters the initial development. Dr. Robert F. Murphy, PhD holder from Northwestern University in Human Development and Social Policy, and the head and owner of LFC research, discusses the complexity of teaching and how AI is incapable of replicating the same effect for students. “At the same time, teachers need to be able to think logically and apply common sense, compassion, and empathy to deal with the everyday non-academic issues and problems that arise in the classroom—abilities famously lacking in even the most advanced AI systems. In addition to providing students with opportunities to develop narrow procedural knowledge and skills across a range of content areas (something that AI is particularly good at), schools and teachers must support the development of the whole child and provide students with rich opportunities to develop higher-order critical thinking and communication skills, as well as important social and emotional skills and mindsets (such as interpersonal skills, self-efficacy, and resiliency)” (Murphy). AI is incapable of supporting a student’s development in their social aptitude, such as communication, interpersonal, and social skills. AI is also unable to replicate human-like social characteristics that are crucial for a learning environment, such as empathy and compassion. Specifically, when teachers have to handle non-academic problems with students in social environments, such as relationship issues and miscommunication. Therefore, artificial intelligence’s inability to create a social and emotional learning environment will hinder the development of a student’s social skills and altogether negatively impact their social aptitude. The possible replacement of teachers with artificial intelligence negatively impacts the social aptitude of students in America by hindering students’ ability to form relationships and insufficient social and emotional learning. Artificial intelligence as teachers would reduce the number of social interactions students have, ultimately impacting students' personal relationships and their ability to form connections. AI is also unable to replicate human-like social characteristics such as empathy and compassion, which is significant in a learning environment. AI is incapable of supporting a student’s development in communication, interpersonal, and social skills, which all make up their social aptitude. Overall, artificial intelligence greatly affects students’ social aptitude negatively. To ensure artificial intelligence benefits students, “Both humans and AI need to adapt to ensure the successful integration of technology in education” (Fitria), as stated by Fitria, English lecturer and academic researcher at ITB AAS Indonesia. Artificial intelligence isn’t at the current stage to replace teachers, as the negatives outweigh the benefits. Moreover, artificial intelligence is incapable of replicating a social and emotional learning environment, possesses and leverages human-like social characteristics, and supports a student’s ability to form relationships. Artificial intelligence needs to develop greatly before it can support a teacher’s job, taking into account relationship building and creating a suitable social and emotional learning environment for students. Likewise, humans must adapt to artificial intelligence integration to ensure success in the learning environment, specifically in developing the students’ social aptitude. However, the path for smooth integration is still new and widely unknown. Overall, Artificial intelligence negatively impacts a student’s social aptitude, and AI requires great development to support the education of American students. AI may be helpful in many aspects of life including education. However, human teachers are essential to help students grow socially throughout school. What is your take on AI’s ability to replace teachers? Fitria, Tira Nur. “The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED): Can Ai Replace the Teacher’s Role? | Epigram.” Research Gate, Oct. 2023, jurnal.pnj.ac.id/index.php/epigram/article/view/5711. Murphy, Robert F. Artificial Intelligence Applications to Support K–12 Teachers and Teaching: A Review of Promising Applications, Opportunities, and Challenges. RAND Corporation, 2019. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep19907 Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly A. “Social and Emotional Learning and Teachers.” The Future of Children, vol. 27, no. 1, 2017, pp. 137–55. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44219025.

Can AI replace teachers? If AI does, what are consequences? Let’s dive into the real implications and consequences of AI teachers and possibly a solution to this future issue? Photo Credits: “Can Ai Replace Teachers? We Finally Know the Answer.” eSpark, 1 Feb. 2024, www.esparklearning.com/blog/can-ai-replace-teachers-we-finally-know-the-answer/. Social skills, as defined by the APA Dictionary of Psychology, are “a set of learned abilities that enable an individual to interact competently and appropriately in a given social context. The most commonly identified social skills in Western cultures include assertiveness, coping, communication and friendship-making skills, interpersonal problem solving, and the ability to regulate one’s cognitions, feelings, and behavior” (APA Dictionary of Psychology). Social skills are learned through daily interactions and context, which is highly influenced by schools, specifically teachers, in America. Teachers shape the social aptitude of their students and create sufficient environments to develop them. Artificial intelligence is sufficient in providing concise information, and having procedural knowledge across different fields. However, artificial intelligence is incapable of replicating an environment to support the development of social skills of students like human teachers. The social aptitude of students in America could be negatively impacted by the possible replacement of teachers with artificial intelligence because it hinders students’ ability to form relationships and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills for students. If students learn from artificial intelligence instead of teachers, it can hinder their development of their social aptitude. As discussed by Tara Garcia Matthewson, an investigative journalist and a Spencer Fellow at Columbia University, “Seeking human help doesn’t only leave students with the resolution to a single problem, it gives them a connection to another person. And that person, down the line could become a friend, a mentor, or a business partner”(Matthewson). When students interact with humans in an academic setting, they form lasting relationships that extend beyond the solution to a question. These relationships shape a student’s social aptitude and skills. The connections could significantly help, impact one, or hold great power in one’s life, such as future mentors or business partners. Matthewson also cites Dr. Daniel Chambliss, retired sociologist from Hamilton College, coauthor of How College Works, and PhD holder from Yale University, who believes AI isolates students from social interactions, “AI-driven chatbots make it too easy to avoid interactions that can lead to important relationships. As students increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for help and even casual conversation, Chambliss predicted it will isolate people even more: ‘it’s one more place where they won’t have a personal relationship’” (Matthewson). If artificial intelligence were to replace teachers, it would reduce the number of social interactions students have, ultimately impacting students' personal relationships and their ability to form connections. This isolation prevents students from interacting with their mentors or teachers, which leads to important human relationships. AI gives a platform for students to avoid social interactions, ultimately hurting their personal relationships. Blanka Klimova, professor and researcher at Univerzita Hradec Králové, also discusses that AI negatively impacts social skills and interactions, “Over-reliance on AI for communication, especially in recreational contexts, may reduce face-to-face social interactions, negatively impacting interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Students may become more isolated and less adept at real-world social interactions and teamwork, which are critical to their overall social well-being and development” (Klimova et al). As a result, if AI replaces teachers, it would minimize student-teacher connections and peer relationships. The reduction of social interaction also negatively impacts their emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, which are crucial in forming relationships, their social aptitude, and are necessary for teamwork and real-world connections. However, students are unable to practice forming relationships and interacting with others in AI teaching environments. In all, AI teachers negatively impact students’ ability to form connections, which altogether negatively impacts their overall social aptitude. We dived deep into teachers’ impact on social skills, but there is more to answering this question. Want to learn more about the implications and limitations of AI integration, read part II. “APA Dictionary of Psychology.” American Psychological Association, 19 Apr. 2018, dictionary.apa.org/social-skills. Garcia Matthewson, Tara “AI Is Helping Students Be More Independent, but the Isolation Could Be Concerning.”, The Markup, 16 July 2025, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/3248343402. Klimova, Blanka, and Marcel Pikhart. “Exploring the Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Student and Academic Well-Being in Higher Education: A Mini-Review.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 16, no. 16, 3 Feb. 2025, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11830699/,https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1498132

Written by Aryan Srinivasan Co-Edited by Srujan Patil On December 5th of the ‘25-’26 school year, the MTHS PLTW Honors Engineering Capstone Class held their mid-year presentations in the school cafeteria. A total of seven teams presented in front of a panel of judges that consisted of Executive Board Members from the district and Monroe Education Foundation, professional engineers, professors, and MTHS alumni. These teams put in the hard work to identify, research, and validate a problem of their choosing over the course of three months. The result? They compiled months of research, including past patents, professional advice, and real-life observations, into one presentation that summed up their justification for developing their product and attacking their problem. After presentations concluded, the judges commented their thoughts on the various problems and advised each team on how to improve for the end-of-year presentations held in June. Currently, all teams are preparing for this June presentation by developing and testing their actual prototypes, which will be showcased to professional judges at the end-of-year presentations. MTHS students presented the following presentations in order starting at 8:30 AM on the day of the event: The Asphalt Effect Rolling Remedies Countertop Conundrum Don’t Go the Distance Project Protheon Project Struct-Secure Umbrella Pandemonium Not only were the projects innovative, but they were incredibly promising. The next generation of engineers are being crafted at MTHS, by these students right here. The event turned out to be very successful, with outstanding turnout from professionals in the industry, MTHS alumni, current students, and district administrators and supervisors. MTHS was able to secure a distinguished panel of judges for this event, and the PLTW Honors Engineering Capstone class pays a special tribute to the following attendees: Mrs. Gazala Bohra (Monroe Board of Education Member) Mr. Steven Riback (The President of the Monroe Education Foundation) Mr. Frank Bannon & Mr. John Katranksy (Engineers from Nokia Bell Labs) Mrs. Lavanya Komala (Software Engineer) Shaan Jabbal (MTHS Alumni & Mechanical Engineering student at Rutgers) Dr. Thomas Bennert (Rutgers CAIT) The judges played a significant role in assessing the presentations and providing unique feedback to help the groups improve before the end-of-year presentations. District advisors also showed up to the event to support MTHS students. Acting superintendent Dr. Adam Layman, Director of School Counseling and Student Support Services Dr. James Cernansky, and Director of Innovative and Community Programs, Equity and Careers Technology, Mr. Zachary Morolda were all present at the teams’ presentations. For a comprehensive review of the event, check out the link below and show support to your fellow MTHS students! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrqG2K0z8gY Overall, the MTHS PLTW Honors Engineering Capstone mid-year presentations served as major progress for the aspiring engineers in the class and a huge success in innovating solutions to growing issues in modern day. The participants pay a special thanks to Mrs. Vanitha Gaurishanker for facilitating the class and the presentations. To support your classmates further, stay tuned for the end-of-year presentations where the participants will share their working prototypes with a distinguished panel of judges on June 15, 2026!

By: Rhea Bhooshanam New Flowers will bloom in the new season! (Photo Credit: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/home-lifestyle/gardening/g35511393/spring-flowers/) Spring is coming up and there are mixed opinions about the upcoming season. With the new weather it brings new opportunities and beginnings, but it also brings more tests and soon, finals. Many students are looking at the positives of spring, which is the warmer weather and spring break. This past winter has been long and extremely cold, bringing snowfall almost every week. With the warmer weather students can get out of the house and participate in outdoor activities. Although 2 days of spring break have been removed due to the inclement weather, students are looking forward to having free days or even going on vacation. But with the change in weather brings the end of the school year, which means finals and more tests. Teachers are beginning to start the last few topics of the year which means students need to start studying for the final test of the year. Students aren’t looking forward to this part of the year because it means more studying which isn’t a favored task. All in all, spring is a time for new beginnings. We can get out of our house and participate in many activities but also, focus and study hard for the last stretch of this school year.

By: Craig McPherson A 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, pitch black with bold red racing stripes (Credit : Exotic Motorsports of Oklahoma). The pony car era was the period of time between 1965 and 1973 when affordable, yet stylish and sporty cars would first be made and become popular. This includes the likes of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. But around the middle of this period, one competitor would rise, and it would have a fairly unique story compared to these other examples. This competitor would be none other than the Dodge Challenger. This is the story of how the Dodge Challenger revolutionized the world of muscle and racing in the auto industry. In 1967, Chrysler had predicted that the sales of “pony” cars would grow to 1.5 million by 1970. At this time, the company began work on a successor for their Plymouth Barracuda. It was meant to compete with the new Pontiac Firebird and Mercury Cougar. This successor, the original Challenger, was revealed to the world by 1970. While the Challenger heavily resembled the Barracuda, it was notably larger. It also had brand new features such as concealed windshield wipers, flush door handles, and molded polypropylene door panels. The original Dodge Challenger was also offered as a Road/Track, or R/T variant. The R/T had stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, and a more powerful engine. This engine was the legendary V-8 426 Hemi, with a staggering 425 horsepower. Initial sales were incredible, Dodge had sold nearly 80,000 Challengers. But sales would significantly fall after 1970, possibly due to the pony car era coming to a close. Production of the original Challenger would eventually end halfway through 1974, exactly 165,437 models were manufactured. During the late 70’s and early 80’s, smaller, more fuel efficient cars would take the popularity of the pony car. But for the sake of sales, companies would market new compact models with the names of their old, sporty models. Ford had done this with a design based on their Pinto, calling it the “Mustang II”. Dodge had done something similar in collaboration with Mitsubishi. Since 1971, Chrysler had been importing subcompact models from the Japanese company. In 1978, they would take a rear-wheel drive coupe, based on the Mitsubishi Galant, and sell it as the second generation Challenger in the United States. This new, smaller Challenger would be given a more spacious makeover in 1981. However, it was replaced by the Dodge Conquest in 1983. The Challenger’s next revival, and most recent chapter would begin in 2006. When the new design was first revealed, it was noted how the exterior managed to strongly resemble that of the original design of 1970. Not too long after, in 2008, the Challenger gained a popular new variant in the SRT8. The SRT8, like the original Challenger, had a Hemi V-8 engine with 425 horsepower. By 2015, the Challenger gained three more new variants, all branded as the R/T. This included the R/T Scat Pack, with 485 horsepower and the new TorqueFlight eight-speed automatic. The SRT8, meanwhile, was rebranded as the SRT 392, as they had a new, top performance muscle and racing model; the SRT Hellcat. The Hellcat was a major game changer since its debut, immediately becoming the strongest street legal car on the market. It had 707 horsepower, surpassing the 662 horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. There were very few changes to the Challenger’s design between 2015 and 2017. Aside from the introduction of an all-wheel drive Challenger with the Challenger GT. It also had the same suspension as the Dodge Charger Pursuit, a police car variant of the Charger. However by 2018, Dodge was able to make something even stronger than the Hellcat; the SRT Demon. The Demon could achieve as much as 840 horsepower, using a 2.7 liter supercharger, and a new valve train. It also had an automatic race cooldown feature that made it easier for the engine to cool down when racing. The Demon was specifically designed to be more ideal for drag racing. However, the Dodge Demon’s production was notably limited, only 3,300 of them were made annually. To compensate for this, Dodge would create the Hellcat Redeye in 2019. It was not as strong as the Demon, but still stronger than the original Hellcat, with 797 horsepower. It had similar wheels to the Demon, and a unique emblem; a glowing red eye. Dodge also made another drag racing focused variant known as the R/T Scat Pack 1320. It had many of the same features as the Demon, such as a TransBrake, cooldown, line lock, and a drag mode. In 2020, a more direct successor to the Demon was introduced with the SRT Super Stock. It had just slightly more horsepower than the Redeye, as it had recalibrated shift points. In conclusion, the Dodge Challenger was more than just Dodge’s attempt to hop on the pony car bandwagon. With this particular model, they were able to redefine drag racing, and create some of the most powerful engines to ever grace the street or the track. As members of the Challenger’s brain trust like to say; “We're very proud of the fact that at SRT, we don't speed-limit our products. They're governed by the laws of physics.”

By: Adith Bondugula As winter changes into spring, students are beginning to prepare for one of the most significant decisions of the year, course selection. While it may not seem like a big deal, the decision that students are making is very important and may have a great impact on their academics and possibly even their college career. For many upper-class students, this is a strategic process where one has to balance advanced courses, career interests, and personal passions all at once when picking courses. Students should try their very best to challenge themselves, but make sure not to be unrealistic and overload themselves with too many advanced courses. Advanced Placement and Honors courses are popular choices for students who want to prove they are able to handle challenging courses, but taking these courses means you have to generally be a more responsible student and put more effort and time into studying. Another important factor that decides what course a student may pick is what their future goals and career targets are. An example of this is if a student has any future goals of pursuing a career in the field of business, medicine, or engineering. The student may thus choose to pick a class that relates to the chosen field of interest they have. For instance, the student may have future goals of one day finding a job in the financial field and, for that reason, decide to pursue a course that is related to some kind of area in economics or business. Similarly, if a student may want to one day have a job in the field of technology, it is a good idea to take some kind of computer science course that gives them career skills such as coding and programming. Still, it might not be a good idea to base every class you take purely on academics, and it may be a good idea to take a class in an area you are not too familiar with in order to explore and learn more about other fields, even if you don't intend them to be a career focus. Also, students should make sure to weigh in if they have any important commitments that take up time after school, such as a sport, club, or work, when trying to come up with a successful combination of courses that will work out for them. While the schedule might look good when a college admissions officer looks at it on your application, it may be overwhelming in real life if a student is not able to spend the time they need to be successful in the courses they take and get good grades. Advice for Underclassmen It is especially difficult for freshmen and sophomores to choose courses. It is easy to overestimate or underestimate one’s abilities, as one does not have much experience. Here are some of the most important pieces of advice: 1. Make Sure To Challenge Yourself — But Be Realistic It’s perfectly fine if you take a few challenging classes, but don’t overdo it. It’s better to succeed at a good number of classes than to struggle at a lot of challenging classes. 2. Think Long-Term Think about the long-term effects of the classes you take. Some classes have prerequisites, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead. 3. Talk to Teachers and Counselors Teachers can provide you with advice about what a class is really like, and guidance counselors can provide you with advice about how you can plan a class load to help you meet your goals. 4. Don’t Just Follow Your Friends It’s tempting to sign up for classes with your friends, but you should sign up for classes based on your interests and abilities. 5. Leave Room for What You Enjoy Electives will give you time to look into new interests and will give you a break from other classes. Maybe you like art, music, or journalism. These classes can make your high school years a much more enjoyable time. Finding the Right Balance It is, at the end of the day, all about finding that balance. Course selection is not only about finding a schedule that is going to challenge a student, but also give them opportunities for growth outside of the classroom. When choosing a course for the following year, try to ask yourself if you genuinely are interested in what this class will teach you, as well as making sure you can handle the coursework it offers.

By: Craig McPherson A 1990 Ferrari F40 in Ferrari’s signature shade of red; Rosso Corsa (Credit: For Sale: Ferrari F40 (1990) - Classic Trader). Italy is one of the most prominent nations in the automobile industry. It is home to many beloved brands, Ferrari being one of them. Ferrari has crafted plenty of unique, beloved sports cars. Each one is fairly significant in its own right, but in terms of importance, one particular model arguably trumps them all. This particular model is none other than the F40. This is the story of the Ferrari F40, not just how it was conceived and evolved over time, but just what it did to influence the world of sports cars. The development of the F40 began as early as 1984. Ferrari wanted to develop a new GT, or Grand Touring, style car to compete in Group B. Group B was a series of rallying and racing challenges in Europe. To achieve this, Chief Engineer Nicola Materazzi suggested using the engine from the 288 GTO as a basis for the engine of a new model. Materazzi was allowed to make this design choice if he only worked on it during weekends. The result of these initial efforts would be the Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione, a direct successor to the original 288 GTO, in 1986. However, Group B had also ended by this time. Enzo Ferrari, founder and leader of Ferrari, was unsure of what to do with these new cars without a series for them to compete in. That is, until he agreed to allow Materazzi to keep the original design of the Evoluzione, but modify it to become street legal. The result of this new endeavor would be the original Ferrari F40 in 1987, the same year that the company would see its 40th anniversary. It had a unique, Tipo F120A engine, a 2.9 litre twin-turbo V8. This 478 horsepower engine enabled the F40 to reach speeds of 201 miles per hour. It was for this reason that the F40 not only rivaled cars like the Lamborghini Countach or Porsche 959, but it was also the fastest street legal car of its time. Unfortunately though, this was the last production of a new Ferrari overseen by Enzo, as he would pass away in 1988. However, this last project would be a great way to end his legacy. There would also be a few special racing editions of the F40 that were built later on, including the LM, Competizione, and GTE. However, the lifespan of the F40 would last for less than a decade, when production ended in 1996 with just slightly over 1,300 units manufactured. Despite this, the pure ambition and innovation that went into the Ferrari F40 more than earned its legendary status in the world of automobiles and racing. As Formula 1 designer for McLaren Gordon Murray said; “The best supercar ever made, and may ever be.”

By: Craig McPherson In my opinion, teachers should stop using Blooket to help students review curriculum materials because the game is poorly designed. One of the most commonly criticized aspects of Blooket’s game design would have to be that it prioritizes luck over knowledge. An example of this would be in the mode, “Gold Quest”. In it, players choose one of three treasure chests for each question they answer correctly. They can obtain a certain amount of gold from the chests, and the winner is whoever has the most gold at the end. The contents of each chest are seemingly random, and two possibilities include losing gold and the ability to swap gold with another player. This can be rather unfair because students who understand the materials, and answer more questions accurately, can still get unlucky and lose their gold. Meanwhile, other students who don’t understand the material, and perform worse, can simply get lucky and still end with more gold. Another reason that Blooket has poor game design would be that some aspects do not accommodate more sensitive or younger students. Elements such as the bright, oversaturated colors or loud music can be overwhelming for students higher on the spectrum. The time limit, which only allows a student at most a minute, to answer a question, can also be stressful. As an article on the pros and cons of Blooket said; “Many game modes reward fast answers, not just correct ones. This disadvantages kids who are still developing reading fluency or processing speed. A first grader who knows the answer but takes an extra few seconds to sound out the words will consistently score lower than faster readers, which can feel demoralizing” (Screenwise). Younger students who need more time to think before answering are generally less rewarded than students who answer more quickly. This can be damaging to the self-esteem of these more sensitive students. One last flaw with the game design of Blooket would be how it is notably easy to hack. A fairly accessible platform called GitHub enables students to download software that allows them to directly manipulate games. This means that a student could easily hack the game and gain unfair advantages, such as tricking the game into thinking they answer questions correctly when they actually do not, or gaining more points from questions than they are supposed to. Another way that this can be an issue is presented by the following quote from Anne Ogg, MEP Technology Facilitator for Millard Public Schools; “Around mid-April, Blooket was hacked twice during a middle school class, and the second instance displayed racist and hateful language,” (Prokupek). Not only are students using the hacks to cheat, but hackers can also use them to include highly offensive, explicit language in games for all classes to see. Overall, the game design is poor because it prioritizes luck over knowledge, it does not accommodate more sensitive or younger students, and it is notably easy to hack. In conclusion, teachers should stop using Blooket to help students review curriculum materials because the game is poorly designed. Therefore, teachers should refrain from using Blooket because although it’s a more interactive way to learn, it can cause more harm to a student’s learning process compared to other education methods.

By: Craig McPherson A portrait of Clara Barton, supposedly taken in 1866 (Credit: Wikipedia). March is not only Women’s History Month, but it is also national Red Cross Month. It only seems appropriate to discuss a woman who had a significant role in the history of the American Red Cross Organization. No woman could have a more important role in the organization’s history than its founder; Clara Barton. This article will not only honor her for her contributions to blood donations, but also explain her background and how she would create the Red Cross organization. Clarissa “Clara” Barton was born on December 25th of 1821. Growing up in Oxford, Massachusetts, she was the youngest of five and the daughter of a successful farmer. Her first experience as a nurse would be as a teenager, when she helped take care of her brother when he suffered a terrible head injury. When she was young, she was also notably shy. To help her become more outgoing, her parents encouraged her to become a teacher. To prepare for this, she studied at the Clinton Liberal Institute in New York. Barton began her career as a teacher when she was 18. She eventually established the first free school in Bordentown, New Jersey in 1852. However, her career would end when she was replaced as the school’s principal by a man. Besides being demoted to his assistant, Barton had to endure a poor work environment and a nervous breakdown, leading her to quit. Her next career began in 1854 as a recording clerk in the U.S. Patent Office. She was the first woman to ever work for the federal government, and her pay was the same as her male colleagues. Unfortunately, she still suffered abuse and hostility from her male counterparts, and eventually had her salary reduced before being fired not very long afterwards. In 1860, however, she did return as a copyist for a brief period. She did so to hopefully encourage more women to serve in the government. Clara would leave the Patent Office again in 1861, during the start of the Civil War. She did so to assist Union Soldiers by providing them with medical care and providing them supplies. It was because of this that she was famously dubbed “Angel of the Battlefield”. After the war, she would help over 20,000 missing soldiers reunite with their families. She also gave lectures about her experiences all over the U.S. from 1865 to 1868. As a result, Barton was noted to be an associate of Susan B. Anthony, and became an advocate for both Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights. However, her activities over these few years would cause her to feel mentally and physically exhausted. Her doctor recommended she take a vacation. Therefore, in 1869, she took the trip to Geneva, Switzerland, where she first learned about the International Red Cross Organization. When Barton returned to America, she would gain support for the creation of an American Red Cross by educating people about the concept of the blood donation program. She would do so by writing pamphlets, giving lectures, and gaining the support of the President at the time, Rutherford B. Hayes. All of her efforts would pay off in 1881 when the American Association of the Red Cross was opened. Clara Barton served as the President of the association for 23 years, until 1904. She would pass away only 8 years later, on April 12th of 1912. To conclude, Clara Barton was not only a major historical figure in American medical practice, but also an excellent example of a feminist role model. Despite constantly facing sexual adversity and hostility from men, she always advocated for gender equality and became a significant figure in every field she worked in. As Barton herself once said; "I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's salary."

St Patrick's Day is a lively celebration that honors Irish culture and heritage. Every year on March 17th, people around the world join in to remember St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and enjoy a day full of fun traditions and activities. The History of St Patrick's Day St Patrick's Day began as a religious feast day to honor St Patrick, who lived in the 5th century. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is famous for using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Over time, the day evolved into a broader celebration of Irish culture, especially among Irish immigrants in the United States. The holiday became popular worldwide, with parades, music, and festivals marking the occasion. Today, it is a day to celebrate Irish heritage, whether or not someone has Irish roots. Traditional Symbols and Customs Several symbols are closely linked to St Patrick's Day. The shamrock, a three-leaf clover, is the most famous. It represents luck and the teachings of St Patrick. Another common symbol is the leprechaun, a mischievous fairy from Irish folklore, often shown with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Wearing green is a key tradition. This color is associated with Ireland, known as the Emerald Isle, and is believed to make you invisible to leprechauns who like to pinch anyone they can see. Fun Traditions to Try High school students can enjoy many fun activities on St Patrick's Day. Here are some popular ideas: Attend or watch a parade : Many cities host parades featuring bagpipers, dancers, and colorful floats. If there isn’t one nearby, watching a parade online can be just as exciting. Cook Irish food : Try making traditional dishes like soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew. Cooking together can be a fun way to learn about Irish culture. Wear green and decorate : Dress in green clothes and decorate your room or classroom with shamrocks, rainbows, and gold coins. Listen to Irish music : Folk songs and traditional Irish tunes create a festive atmosphere. You can find playlists online or watch live performances. Play themed games : Organize a scavenger hunt for shamrocks or leprechaun gold, or try Irish dancing with friends. Table with traditional Irish food and green decorations for St Patrick's Day How to Make the Day Special Besides the usual celebrations, students can add their own twist to St Patrick's Day. Creating handmade cards with Irish blessings, learning a few words in Gaelic, or watching movies about Ireland can deepen the experience. Volunteering for a community event or sharing stories about Irish history also brings meaning to the day. St Patrick's Day offers a chance to have fun while connecting with a rich cultural tradition. Whether through food, music, or games, students can enjoy a day full of joy and learning.