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by EMILY BEZERRA Social Media Coordinator What started out as a dance trend ended up getting nearly three dozen students from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego suspended. Thirty-three students participated in a “twerking” video, which was uploaded on YouTube, and viewed by their teachers. The dirty dancing video not only got these kids suspended from school, but banned from prom and walking with their class in graduation as well. While some may find this punishment unfitting and harsh, you cannot blame the school administrators, considering the video was filmed during the school day with school equipment. Although the user removed the YouTube video after a few hours, it caused quite a bit of damage while it was online. Yes, the video was in poor taste, but is it fair to make these kids suffer no graduation, prom, or sports for the rest of their high school career? Some argue that they should face a creative punishment, such as another YouTube video, explaining why this dance move demoralizes woman. Just an idea. “As a father of two teenaged daughters in one of our different high schools, I take issues of proper conduct and discipline very seriously,” said Scott Barnett, Scripps Ranch school board member. “At the same time, I need to be satisfied that the consequences of these actions are reasonable and proportionate.” What really made administration go berserk is that these students also used school technology equipment to add music with extremely explicit lyrics to the video. “How stupid can you be? If you wanna twerk so bad, go for it. But not in front of people and definitely not for a YouTube video. These kids are idiots,” says sophomore Brina Haugland. The students of Scripps Ranch find the punishment to be extremely unfair (no surprise there). Many of them, along with random people, have taken to Twitter to express their feelings. “They may not be able to walk during graduation … but they didn’t say they couldn’t twerk across the stage! #FreeTheTwerkTeam,” reads one tweet. #SRHSTwerkTeam and #freethetwerkteam are popular hashtags on the social network. “This whole twerk team thing is basically like modern day Footloose #freethetwerkteam #SRHSTwerkTeam,” another Twitter user wrote. Twerking has been endorsed by many celebrities, which is perhaps why many teenagers take such a liking to it. If you go to a Rihanna concert, I promise you she will twerk in every other song – I have seen it myself. Beyonce’s concerts are quite similar to this. Miley Cyrus also uploaded a video of herself twerking, and openly discussed it during an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “It’s just a trend going on, kind of like jerking. Except it’s a lot more innapropriate, which is why it’s creating a lot of issues. Eventually it’ll fade, just like every other dance fad,” says sophomore Melanie Conlon. The Scripps Ranch school dance guidelines prohibits students from any “dance moves that may be considered sexually provocative or simulate sexual activity, i.e., grinding, freaking, dirty dancing.” Twerking should definitely be a new addition to those guidelines. #ScrippsRanchHighSchool #school #twerking #EmilyBezerra #dance

by ANDREA FRENCH Section Editor Delaware becomes the eleventh state in the United States to legalize gay marriage, and people everywhere are predicting this decision will cause a ripple effect and spread similar legalizations in surrounding states. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are most likely looking to change the laws prohibiting same sex marriages next. Delaware’s law is taking effect on July 1, 2013. This means that all gay couples who are not yet married can now get married, and all couples that have a civil union will be converted to a legal marriage. A civil union is a legally recognized union of a same-sex couple, with rights similar to those of marriage. After three hours of debate in the Delaware State Senate, they voted to pass the law 12-9. As governor Jack Markell walked through the office after passing the bill, people cheered and screamed in excitement. “I cannot believe that this has been such a big deal today in the year 2013.  People in America should have to freedom to marry whomever they chose, man or woman. Hopefully it won’t take much longer for all of the other 39 states to realize that they cannot control every aspect of someones personal life, and they have to allow people to be themselves,” says sophomore Amanda Campanaro. Richard DeMichele Jr. is an attorney who defends same-sex marriage in Haddon Heights. DeMichele says, “With Delaware enacting their law and being so close, in particular to South Jersey, I think there’s going to be a lot more opportunity for those issues to arise.” However, same sex marriage has been legal in New York for over two years now, and it has not had an effect on any of its surrounding states, so there is still some question as to which eastern state is going to be next in this switch to the legalization of gay marriage. Minnesota will become state number 12 to legalize same-sex marriage in the coming weeks. Next month, June 2013, the Supreme Court is planning on reevaluating whether or not they are going to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA is a nation-wide act that bans gay married couples from receiving federal benefits, and civil unions would not provide protections or tax benefits under federal law to same-sex couples in Delaware. “I understand all of the controversy with same sex marriage and the Catholic Church because people can claim it goes against the religion.  But I will never understand how non-religious people can continue to vote down gay marriage when all anyone is trying to do is allow people to be happy with whomever they chose,” says sophomore Casey Schieda. Most people in states who do not legally recognize same sex marriage will more than likely venture out to states who do, and tie the knot there.  Even if they cannot receive the same treatment as opposite sex marriages, it is the thought that counts. #Delaware #samesexmarriage #Homosexuality #Pennsylvania #NewJersey #AndreaFrench #gaymarriage

by MATT GORDON Editor-in-chief Rapper Wiz Khalifa is set to start his Under the Influence of Music tour this summer, which includes fellow artisis A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, Trinidad James, Rockie Fresh, and B.o.b. The tour is set to begin on July 5 in Quebec, Canada, and consists of 20 dates. Three of these tour dates are in the tri-state area. The closest show is August 2 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. The other two shows are August 3 and 6, at the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA and the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY respectively. The tour comes after the release of Wiz Khalifa’s album “O.N.I.F.C,” which includes the hit songs “Remember You” featuring The Weeknd and “Work Hard, Play Hard.” The album was critically acclaimed and reached the top spot in both the U.S. Top Hip-Hop and U.S. Top Rap album rankings, while peaking at number two in the Billboard Top 200 rankings. Both top songs peaked in the top 20 of the top rap songs in the U.S. Wiz Khalifa looks to follow his album’s success with a successful tour. Freshman Jason Gizze says, “I am excited for this tour to come into the area and I think it is going to be a blast. All of the artists are great individually, so having them all on the stage together in one concert is great. Plus they each came out with new songs and albums so it will all be popular music and not so much of their old stuff.” Along with Wiz Khalifa is rapper A$AP Rocky, who is currently on a stadium tour with Rhianna. A$AP also recently released a new album titled “Long Live A$AP.” The two are co-headlining the tour, so expect tickets to be a hot commodity on the open market. Ticket sales began in late April for the tour, so begin searching for tickets ASAP (see what I did there….?). With all jokes aside, this tour looks to be very popular and a fun time. All of the artists involved in the tour are proven to put on a good show and have a fun time on stage. This concert also allows fans to get a look at the relatively unknown artists like Rockie Fresh and Joey Bada$$, who are featured in some of Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rockys’ songs. Most notably, Joey Bada$$ is featured in A$AP Rocky’s hit song “1Train” along with superstars Kendrick Lamar and Big K.R.I.T. Rockie Fresh recently released his sixth mixtape “The Birthday Tape,” which was available on April 29. He looks to follow up his success with his first studio album later this year. Hopefully the tour will allow him to receive more attention and make his debut album a hit. #WizKhalifa #MattGordon #RockieFresh #AAPRocky #UndertheInfluenceofMusicTour #ONIFC #JoeyBada

by AMY LASSITER Staff Writer “Iron Man 3” had its theatrical release in the U.S. on May 3 after much anticipation from Marvel fans all over the country. A lot has happened in the Marvel Universe since we last saw Tony Stark, who is played by Robert Downey Jr., in “Iron Man 2,” including the events in the summer blockbuster, “The Avengers”. During “The Avengers”, Stark experiences a near-death experience while trying to close an alien portal opened by the main villain, Thor’s brother, Loki. This experience turned out to have a very troubling effect on Stark in “Iron Man 3”, and causes the superhero to have intense panic attacks any time someone mentions the fight. These panic attacks showed a lot of character development from Stark’s carefree and usually reckless attitude. “I feel like Tony having panic attacks post-Avengers is really good character development and an interesting and relevant addition to the plot (as well as being a reasonable result of the Avengers rather than having him walk around and pretend to be all macho about it). It’s not like he’s glamorizing them or as if his entire character is developed around the anxiety he’s developed. They’re very accurate, add to what is happening in the scene, and are very intense,” said freshman Tory Talaga. Stark was not the only character with significant development. Pepper Potts, who is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, got a chance to suit up in Iron Man’s attire and save the day. In two different instances Potts ditched her role of “damsel in distress” and became a feminine hero. This was another great example of evolution in characters throughout the “Iron Man” trilogy. Colonel Jim Rhodes (A.K.A War Machine/Iron Patriot) was also brought back, and some new faces joined the cast. Guy Pearce plays Aldrich Killian, the main antagonist of the movie. Along with Pearce, Ben Kingsley was introduced to play the notorious villain, The Mandarin. These new faces brought exciting changes to the “Iron Man” movie series. The third installment was full of action, romance, and of course, humor. Throughout the movie, there is a light tone and many jokes. This made it nearly impossible for any viewer to be bored. However, writers Drew Pearce and Shane Black timed the laughs to flow smoothly and break tension in the story line. This made “Iron Man 3” an enjoyable experience for people with all kinds of tastes in films. “The movie was really good and humorous. I liked it a lot. There was a lot of action and I kept the movie going. Plus Robert Downey Jr. is really [attractive],” said an anonymous student. Overall, this movie-going experience was amazing. I give “Iron Man 3″ 5 stars out of 5 and critics across the country are agreeing. The Box Office report states that “Iron Man 3” scored the 2nd biggest debut ever with $175.3 million. Do not miss out and come see the billionaire-genius-playboy-philanthropist, Tony Stark in his new adventure. Did YOU see Iron Man 3? What did you think? Answer in the comments below #Marvel #AmyLassiter #IronMan #GuyPearce #RobertDowneyJr #BenKingsley #GwenythPaltrow

by BRIANNA SICILIANO Staff Writer Susan Stillwaggon, mother of four from Camden, New Jersey, was charged with theft by deception, forgery, endangering the welfare of a child, and using a juvenile to commit a criminal offense after taking hundreds of dollars from family and friends and claiming that her son was ill with cancer. According to the police, Stillwaggon not only convinced her family and friends, but her son as well. Stillwaggon used her Facebook page to spread the news and tell people that her nine-year-old son had stage-3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Police have verified through the young boy’s medical records that the child does not have cancer. Camden parents teamed up to raise money for the “ill” young boy. From selling homemade jewelry and cupcakes to hosting a bingo night, they raised money for the child’s medical bills, or so they thought. Police are still calculating exactly how much money was involved in the scheme. This is not the first case involving a parent lying about their child’s health. In 2010, an unemployed Michigan mother lied about her 12-year-old son having cancer in order to steal charitable cash raised for him. Carol Lynn Schnuphase, the 47-year-old mother, shaved her son’s head and eyebrows every other week. She even crushed up drugs to put into his applesauce to make him look lethargic. Schnuphase accepted thousands of dollars in donations for his treatment, including money from individuals, groups, and members of a church who believed the money went toward the child’s medical care and gifts for him as he went through chemotherapy. A hospital tested the boy and declared that he did not have cancer, but that he was going through symptoms of withdrawal from the drugs he consumed. After police removed young 12-year-old Schnuphase from his home, his mother told doctors that her son had died and she needed money to pay for his funeral. Schnuphase was charged with two counts of fraud and with a count of second-degree child abuse. Both Schnuphase and Stillwaggon are mentally ill. What kind of mother lies about their child having an illness as serious cancer? “I can’t believe a mother would lie about their child having cancer. Everytime I see a St. Jude’s commercial I feel like crying, and lying about something as serious as cancer? That is sick,” said sophomore Hiral Patel. Cancer is not something to joke about. Millions of people die from cancer each year, and lying about someone having cancer is disgusting. It is not only terrible that Stillwaggon lied about her child’s health status, but also that her son will most likely be traumatized. At nine-years-old, young Stillwaggon not only has to deal with the fact that his mother lied to him about being sick, but now his mom has been taken away from him. Being the young age that he is, it will be hard for him to go on day after day without his mother, someone who spent the most time with him since birth. Susan Stillwaggon has been in the hospital receiving psychiatric treatment and has not been arrested as of yet. “I hope she gets locked up in jail. She doesn’t deserve to be in that poor little boy’s life. There are some messed up people in this world,” said an anonymous student. What kind of mother makes something like this up? #BriannaSiciliano #cancer #scandal

by HIMANSHU TANDON Staff Writer The ExxonMobil Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower, Arkansas burst, spilling thousands of gallons of crude oil into a residential area. Residents of Mayflower have filed a class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil to compensate for damages to their community. The suit called for Exxon to pay over five million dollars in damages. The lawsuit was filed by residents on Friday, April 5 in U.S District court, Eastern District of Arkansas. According to the lawsuit, over 19,000 barrels of oil were spilled, although ExxonMobil released a statement saying that closer to 5,000 barrels of heavy crude oil were spilled from the ruptured Pegasus pipeline. The Pegasus pipeline runs from Illinois to Texas and can transport over 90,0000 gallons of Canadian crude oil every day. Sophomore Ryan Divins said, “The oil company should have been more vigilant and inspected their pipeline more often. Maybe if they did this wouldn’t have happened.” It is still not known to investigators what caused the two to three inch rupture in the underground pipeline, which began spewing oil on March 29. The spill has affected nearly two dozen homes in the area, prompting mandatory evacuations. Along with the homes, there have been a number of lakes and waterways covered in oil, hurting both the plant life and the animals that inhabit the area. ExxonMobil has promised to cover the cleanup costs that arose from the spill, but the company currently does not have a timeline for when the cleanup should be finished. Two hundred miles north of Mayflower, Arkansas, the Pegasus pipeline leaked more oil into an unsuspecting neighborhood. The pipeline leaked over a gallon of crude oil into the yard of a Ripley County, Missouri home on Tuesday, April 30. The cleanup of the gallon spilled is nearing completion. Freshman Shreen Bhansali said, “I think that Exxon should pay for the cleanup entirely because it could have been prevented had they been more careful.” What do you think can be done to prevent future oil spills, both on land and in the ocean? #Arkansas #HimanshuTandon #oilspill

by JASMINE ELSHAMY Photo & Video Editor The U.S. government is waiting to see if the rumors of Syria using chemical weapons is true to take any action, possibly sending in military reinforcements for the protection of the rebels. Taking action may mean providing arms for the rebels, even though the Obama Administration is very resistant to taking that route. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s admission – after weeks of the United States resisting arming the opposition, for fear the weapons could end up in the wrong hands – comes days after a White House aide sent a letter to two U.S. senators saying the intelligence community assessed “with varying degrees of confidence” that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government had used the chemical agent sarin on a “small scale”, according to CNN. So far, the United States has provided communications and other harmless aid to the rebels fighting the regime of Assad in a two-year civil war. The administration recently announced that it would double that commitment to $250 million worth of assistance. “As the President has said, our assistance to the Syrian opposition has been on an upward trajectory, and he has directed his national security team to identify additional measures so that we can continue to increase our assistance,” says National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden. “We continue to consider all other possible options that would accomplish our objective of hastening a political transition, but have no new announcements at this time.” A final decision on the composition of the boosted aid will be made after consultation with military commanders, but communications equipment, armor, night vision goggles, and vehicles are among items being discussed. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said that his government had not, and “would never use” chemical munitions – “if we had them.” “I think that it’s pretty irresponsible of Syria to not admit to having chemical weaponry if they have it. I also feel that it’s just immature and annoying that this civil war is still going on. There are enough violence conflicts going on down there,” says junior Sam Horsch. “Imagine the Boston Marathon bombings happening every day and wondering if you’re next. That’s basically what it’s like for them.” Obama said at a news conference on Tuesday that the United States would wait until it has more details on evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria before making any decision on whether to change strategy. Obama previously called the use of chemical agents a “red line” for America. What that means has been a question since the administration disclosed last week that intelligence had concluded those arms had been used in small amounts. Even though Syria is continuously denying their use of the chemical weaponry, military defenses are continuing to develop strategies and plans in the case that America has to intervene. “I just think that all of this is really disappointing, and it’s really upsetting to see another country going through so much violence and have a threat like this upon them while most of the citizens of this country are ignorant and ungrateful to how lucky we are as Americans to have a democracy and a strong, fair leader like Obama,” says junior Stephanie Pasedwalt. #JasmineElshamy #Syria #chemicalweapons #BasharalAssad #civilwar #PresidentObama

by MATT GORDON Editor-in-chief The Monsanto Protection Act was signed into action by President Obama as part of the Congressional spending bill H.R. 933 in early April. The Act states that large food growers, like the company Monsanto, would not have to scrap or destroy their crops, even if the seeds turn out to be dangerous. Environmentalists are up in arms since the passing of the bill, and have been protesting in front of the White House ever since. The act was cleverly slipped in with the spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and most likely went unnoticed by many people in the government. Though the rider was slipped in unnoticed, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., told Politico he “worked with” Monsanto on the provision. “[T]his all can be boiled down into a single, common phrase: a special interest loophole, and a doozy at that,” writes Dustin Siggins, who blogs for Tea Party Patriots. “This is a situation in which a company is given the ability to ignore court orders, in what boils down to a deregulation scheme for a particular set of industries.” All of this outrage stems from the production of genetically modified organisms or GMOs. But what exactly are GMOs? The textbook definition of a GMO is an organism whose genetic makeup has been altered using genetic engineering methods. In this case, the GMOs are fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other produce that has been altered to repel bugs and weeds, maintain a longer shelf life, and even ripen exactly when the grower wants them to. For years, large growers like Monsanto have grown genetically modified organisms that combat weeds and insects on their own, without the use of powerful herbicides and pesticides. Unfortunately, the growth of these foods has come back to bite them. Weeds and insects have evolved into plant-eating monsters and have combated the ever-growing GMO market. These “superweeds” and “superbugs” threaten the existence of non-genetically-modified foods and organic foods. This is the reason why environmentalists and even common consumers are worried about the growth of this industry and the stance that the government has taken in response to this growth. Junior Anchalee Pagsanjan says, “Genetically modified organisms should not be legal because they threaten the growth of regular foods and are not as good for us as regular fruits and vegetables. Also, these superbugs threaten our ecosystem today and can cause a lot of damage in the end. The president should not have passed this act and large companies like Monsanto should not be allowed to produce whatever they want without any regulation or punishment.” The unregulated growing of genetically modified foods is outrageous and large companies should not be allowed to grow whatever they want just because they have a large influence in the government. GMOs have only worsened the problem of superweeds and superbugs, and have halted the production of fresh produce and organic goods. The fact that the President passed an act into law without even knowing it shows us how the government can sneak laws into action and please the large companies that work with them. In the past, GMOs were regulated and courts were allowed to stop businesses from growing them, but now large companies can grow them without penalty. Hopefully, the government will realize its mistake and repeal the Monsanto Protection Act. #FarmersProtectionAct #GMOs #Monsato #PresidentObama

by CHRISTINE ABRAHAM Photographer New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey Senate reached a compromise over the “Good Samaritan” law that allows drug overdose victims to call 911 and be free of legal repercussions. Christie’s decision to approve of the bill led the way for a compromised measure to pass the state Senate and Assembly by overwhelming bipartisan margins. If Christie signs the bill as expected, New Jersey will join with 11 other states and the District of Columbia that have such laws. Roseanne Scotti, the state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, said Christie’s move was welcome because he’s “the governor with the most public standing to do it as of yet.” Advocates gave Christie credit for changing his mind after facing pressure from Democratic sponsors and drug treatment organizations when he vetoed a similar bill early in October due to his concerns that it would protect drug dealers. “I’m so glad that he’s approving of this law because so many people die due to fear of getting in trouble, but now more lives will be saved everyday,” said sophomore Brina Haugland. Christie’s decision is the latest move on drug policy reform. He called the war on drugs a “failure” and he also expanded drug-court programs that redirect low-level offenders from jail to treatment. “Governor Christie has said some really good things in terms of our drug policies nationally,” Scotti said. “In terms of the good Samaritan law, that epitomized the failure of the war on drugs; the fact that we prioritize prosecution over saving a life.” According to the Drug Policy Alliance, there were about 752 deaths from drug overdose in just New Jersey alone in 2009. Scotti says that some of those lives could have been saved if only a good Samaritan law had been approved. “This bill should have been approved a long, long time ago. So many people’s lives could be saved. It’s seriously about time!” said sophomore Ashley Garcia. The agreement leaves in place what Scotti calls the essence of the law: protection for people with possession of a small amount of drugs who call 911 for help. A law that was similar in New York was credited for saving rock star Jon Bon Jovi’s daughter who overdosed on heroin and was kept from facing prosecution for drug possession charges. Christie’s office came up with a compromise with advocates and sponsors on the law. Drug traffickers would not be covered under the law, and it leaves out many minor provisions. The new version of the bill expanded access to naloxone, which is a drug that can reverse opiate drug overdoses. “Governor Christie is grateful that his concerns on this important issue were heard and incorporated in a bipartisan way,” Colin Reed, a Christie spokesman, told The Star-Ledger. “We look forward to reviewing the reworked bill in its final form.” #bill #ChristineAbraham #governorchristie #newjerseylaw

by ANDREA FRENCH Section Editor Remains from one of the planes crashed into the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001 was discovered Wednesday April 24 between two buildings a block away from where the towers once stood. Police are trying to identify exactly what they have stumbled upon, but know it is a piece from one of the flights that crashed into the World Trade Center. A technician from the company Boeing confirmed that the piece is a support structure from a trailing edge flap on the wing of a Boeing 767. The piece was discovered wedged between two buildings at 51 Park Place, the piece being about 18 inches wide. Ironically, the location was directly behind the controversial Islamic Mosque or community center, commonly known as the “ground zero mosque.” The five-foot long, four-foot wide, and 17 inch deep piece was removed from between these building with a fork lift, and was sent off to a secure location to be analyzed. The common thought between anyone who heard about the piece of the plane was wondering if there were any human remains from the victims of this terrorist attack. As of Wednesday, May 1, there were no human remains found. “I feel like there is always some headline in the news about September 11, and it is really depressing.  When I heard about this story in the news, my first thought was wondering if there were human remains found, if they were going to identify the remains and then tell the families about it. Thank goodness there weren’t any human remains because this is already too much for morning families to handle,” says sophomore Michael Perrotta. This story appears in the headlines around the same time of the final completion of the memorial being built in honor of the innocent lives lost. It seems no matter how much time passes, there will always be something in the news to constantly remind us of the tragedies that occurred that day. One of the terrible things about losing someone on September 11 was that not a lot of bodies were found, which left families with little to comfort the loss of a loved one. Now that is all changing with the brand new 9/11 memorial located directly where the Twin Towers once were. The memorial consists of two large square pools directly in the footprint of the towers.  The pools have the names of each and every victim lost that day etched into stone around the pools. The greatly anticipated museum that is part of the memorial has not really been talked about until recently.  It has not been announced when exactly the museum is going to be opening, but “60 Minutes” covered exactly what is going to be in the museum.  From what anyone could see, the museum had most of its key features completed already. The goal of the museum is solely to educate visitors about exactly what happened. Creators of the museum were trying to decide if it was appropriate to show pictures and names of the men who hijacked the planes and were the coordinators of the terrorist attack. They decided that is was appropriate and there will be pictures of these men. “I cannot wait until I can go and visit the museum.  I have been to the memorial park looking at the two pools, and I can’t wait until the museum is done to get a full look at what happened on that horrific day,” says sophomore Casey Schieda. #AndreaFrench #NewYorkCity #September11 #terrorism

by EMILY BEZERRA Social Media Coordinator Ever since the Sandy Hook shooting, New Jersey governor Chris Christie has held a firm standing against the usage of violent video games. Christie is now pushing for legislation to ban retailers from selling such video games to minors without parental consent. Christie is not the only person who has expressed his opposition to violent video games since the Sandy Hook shooting. Last month, a New Jersey state legislator proposed a bill to ban the sale of video games rated M (Mature) and AO (Adults Only) to minors. Also last month, a New Jersey state task force recommended regulating violent video games, claiming it would aid “gun protection, addiction, mental health and families, and education safety.” The law Christie is pushing is nearly identical to the California bill that failed miserably back in 2005. A bill that banned the sale of violent video games to minors was passed in California and then struck down five years later by the high court during a vicious legal battle that cost California tax payers two million dollars in opposing legal fees, as well as an attorney-general’s office. The question standing now is, will the bill Christie and his fellow New Jersey politicians are backing fail just as miserably? Many believe that it will undoubtedly lead to nothing and similar wasted legal fees. “This is just common sense,” the governor said of his plan, “and means that parents and legal guardians are actively engaged and aware of the kinds of games their kids are buying and renting.” No matter how strongly Christie feels about this topic, the Supreme Court can easily shoot this idea down in a court room. First of all, video games are considered a “form of speech” protected by the First Amendment. The Parents Television Council, a nonpartisan advocacy, is one group who supports Christie’s decision completely. “You can’t say which pack of cigarettes is going to give you cancer. You can’t say which video game being sold to which child is going to lead to some consequence down the road,” said the council’s president, Tim Winter. “When you are ostensibly going through a murder rehearsal time and time again, what is the consequence?” When the California bill took the court room a few years back, the Supreme Court found no legitimate connection between violent video games and real world violence. The idea plummeted (to say the least) in a 7-2 hearing. Christie also argued that this law is similar to the well-known rule that adults must accompany minors to R-rated movies. Christie and his supporters think that this is one of those laws they can pass if they keep up the perseverance and knock some sense into the Supreme Court- we will just have to see about that one. #SandyHookElementary #ban #videogames #EmilyBezerra #governorchristie

by ALISON LEVIER Section Editor Amanda Knox, one of the three main suspects in the murder of Meredith Kercher, was sentenced to 26 years in jail, but that sentencing was overturned in October 2011 after Knox only served four years. As of March 26, that acquittal is overturned for Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, and the case has thus been reopened. Backing way up to 2007, Kercher, Knox’s roommate while she studied abroad in Italy, was found stabbed to death in the apartment she shared with Knox. Five days later, Knox and Sollecito, Knox’s then boyfriend, were charged with murdering the 21-year-old. Knox reported to have found her friend the morning after she was murdered, but the evidence collected did not fit in with the story Knox and Sollecito were telling. Knox was almost immediately arrested and put on trial for murder and sexual assault against her roommate. Patrick Lumumba, the man Knox originally accused of murdering Kercher, was found innocent during his first trial. Knox had to pay for that, and was sentenced to three years in jail. Knox then fell into a slew of incidents, including accusing a police officer of slapping her in the face (which turned out to be untrue), as well as an outcry from Knox’s family that she had not been given an interpreter. She claimed she was not receiving food, water, and was being verbally and physically abused. Throughout this whole situation, Knox gained extreme notoriety and attention from the media, focused mostly in Italy, the UK and America. She was given the nickname “Foxy Knoxy,” and the public became fascinated with her image and personality. The case has been reopened as of late March, and now Knox, who has been living in the Seattle area, faces another trial for the murder she promises she did not commit. The Italian Supreme Court has sent the case back for revision. “I feel that they should forget it and move on to different trials,” says senior Samantha Widmer. Whatever the outcome, it seems like history is about to repeat itself. It is something of a flashback to the 2007-2011 chunk of time, when the name “Foxy Knoxy” flooded the covers of newsstands everywhere. The media had a field day, dissecting every bit of the suspected 20-some year old killer, and the scandal that came along with it. “While I think that this is totally ridiculous that they are trying Knox for a second time, I do hope justice is served to whoever killed that girl. No one deserves to be killed and the family certainly does not deserve to not have an answer as to what exactly happened to their loved one,” says sophomore Krystle Danza. It is trivial to assume that this retrial will spark as much attention from the media as the last one did, but the people who followed the original case will surely be keeping their eyes peeled for news about this one. #Trial #murder #MeredithKercher #AmandaKnox #AlisonLevier