Bearing News

US meddling in the Middle East increases instability, terrorism

Will Cover • February 23, 2020

Although the aim to stop global terrorism must inarguably be a goal of the U.S., the War on Terror and U.S. engagement in the Middle East will only serve to do the exact opposite by fueling anti-American sentiment.

In Venezuela, economic sanctions bring human suffering

Will Cover • February 21, 2020

Although the goal of sanctions is to remove Maduro from office for his human rights abuses, they tragically only increase the suffering of the Venezuelan people. It is time for the U.S. to learn from its history of misguided intervention in Latin America and recognize we are worsening the problems we aim to solve.

Inflexible deadlines worsen quality of education

The Rock and Bearing News Staff • February 20, 2020

Deadlines control students’ lives. The specter of late work deductions or even worse, a zero, force students to figure out a way to manage their time that often result in stressful, unhealthy work management. The RBHS Executive Council and faculty are right to support separating academic performance from work ethic and behavior, moving away from harsh late work penalties.

Video games not to blame for rises in violence

Sarah Ding • February 13, 2020

The political discussion surrounding mass shootings in schools is peppered with fear, doubt and, to a great extent, video games. More specifically, it involves the laughable argument that violent video games have affected the American psyche by provoking violent thoughts in teenagers, pushing them over the edge to become mass shooters. Though scientifically inaccurate, various politicians including President Donald Trump and Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy support this rhetoric.

Over exaggerating emotions understates real mental illnesses

Anjali Noel Ramesh • February 4, 2020

Unnecessary jokes about mental illness dramatize the real conditions and should not be a habitual tendency. Labeling the response to a tough day as a psychological illness not only disrespects patients who actually have the condition, but also takes away from the gravity of the situation.

Rising student loan debt places undue burden on low-income, minority Americans

Will Cover • February 1, 2020

To truly provide equal opportunity to Americans as they enter adulthood, the U.S. federal government should provide scholarships to make college free for all low-income Americans, as defined by the federal government. This would serve to not only help eliminate the racial wealth gap but would also aid all low-income students in the struggle to pay for school.

Endangered languages explain ethnic history, save vulnerable cultures

Anjali Noel Ramesh • January 24, 2020

As of 2019, there are 7,111 languages across the globe, and about 2,776 of span between vulnerable and critically endangered. The main cause for endangerment is when younger speakers stop practicing the unique dialects, so that once the older generation dies, it is on track for extinction. The historical knowledge and cultural benefits of knowing any ethnic language, however, outweigh the disadvantage of time spent learning it.

Online classes allow for procrastination, cheating

The Rock and Bearing News Staff • January 14, 2020

Online classes provide a one-size fits all approach that does not cater to students. Companies such as Edgenuity and the University of Missouri K-12 use curriculum meant for the average student. Students who are ahead or behind the curve are an afterthought and subsequently robbed of individualized instruction.