Author: Daria Azizad

  • Stop demonizing the “political agenda”

    A political agenda, as defined by “The Practice of American Public Policymaking,” is a list of subjects or problems to which government officials as well as individuals outside the government are paying serious attention at any given time. Considering the modern connotation of the phrase, you might be surprised that there is no mention…

  • Controversy over California’s gas tax heats up

    California Republicans are pushing forth with a motion to repeal the Gas Tax, implemented in Nov. 2017 by Gov. Jerry Brown. The current gas tax adds 12 cents per gallon on gasoline and 20 cents per gallon of diesel. Since California has the second highest gas prices in the nation, many Californians are looking…

  • Beware of bamboozlement!

    When people talk about getting played, they are usually referring to a former significant other or internet scammers from Nigeria. But there’s another equally horrendous player out there: college counseling services. College counseling services prey on vulnerable students hoping to achieve admittance to their dream school. “College acceptance rates drop every year,” says one…

  • “Who is America” puts a new spin on political satire

    Have you recently been approached by Anti-Terror Expert Erran Morad? Or perhaps former convict Rick Sherman? What about any other suspicious people that seemed too outrageous to be real? No? Then you are probably in the clear from Sacha Baron Cohen’s slew of pranks on his hit TV show “Who is America?” Cohen’s show,…

  • NPHS reminisces departing staffs’ legacies

    Kathy Barker After working at NPHS for 11 and a half years as the school’s event coordinator, Mrs. Barker has decided to retire this year. At school, Barker works behind the scenes to ensure all International Days, Club Rushes and other school activities are a success. “I know (administration) does the best that we…

  • Civil disobedience is a student right

    We are taught to praise those that commit acts of civil disobedience: Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau. But when students at our school and around the country emulate this lauded behavior, the public eye turns into a glare. Civil disobedience, as defined by Merriam Webster, is “the refusal to obey governmental…

  • #MeToo Breaking all barriers

    There can be confusion regarding what constitutes harassment versus assault. Sexual harassment is often thought of to be groping or rape, however, this is sexual assault. Rape is an extreme form of sexual assault. Unwanted sexual comments, either on social media or in person, are sexual harassment.   Sexual harassment (n.) harassment (typically of…

  • Teachers deserve better treatment

    After years of mistreating teachers, the government has the audacity to be surprised when they demand better conditions. If we expect our student body to receive a quality education, the government needs to take a moment, evaluate itself and realize that doing the bare minimum does absolutely nothing to fix problems. There is a…

  • Students risk punishment for walking out

    After a school shooting ended the lives of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, students rallied together to protest gun violence. Around the nation, students have stood in solidarity with Parkland in one of the biggest student-led protest movements since Vietnam. Last month, students held a 17 minute walkout…

  • Student Activism

    With social movements such as #NeverAgain and #MarchforOurLives making headlines, student activism is being emphasized as an important component of social change. Students are taking to the streets in marches, speaking at town hall meetings and using social media to advocate for more strict gun control legislation. Now more than ever, the significance of…