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Religious acceptance promotes equality in times of global crisis
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The U.S. is made up of millions of people of different ethnicities and backgrounds, but they are all united under a common nationality. In times of heightened worldwide tensions, such as the current war in Iran, many Americans seem to disregard their shared nationality in the name of prejudice. Instead, many attach the actions…
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Youth involvement in activism empowers T.O.
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Throughout Thousand Oaks, and the majority of televised or covered protests, it is apparent that community conventions and volunteer meetings are primarily attended by older generations. There has been a cultural normalization in younger audiences not only speaking up about topical issues, but actively showing up to voice their stance. As we, Newbury Park…
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Child exploitation spreads through social media
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Technology has evolved to the point that in 2026, almost everyone uses social media daily to watch videos featuring people of all ages. However, the ages of children in these videos seem to be getting younger and younger. Because it is so common, children being posted on social media has become the new norm.…
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Gift-giving traditions power dangerous overconsumption
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As homes in Thousand Oaks are filled with festive holiday decorations and an abundance of gift-wrapped presents, landfills overflow with waste and sweatshop workers in third-world countries continue to be paid criminally low wages. As the demand for products increases every year, so does the exploitation of workers across the globe. America’s overconsumption skyrockets…
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Diet culture normalizes dysmorphia and eating disorders for teenagers
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Food and appetite are a personal and cultural journey for each individual. The increased bias and misinformation on the health and regulations for young teens is growing and has been growing at an alarming rate for decades. Throughout campus at lunchtime and among the youth of our community, there has been a normalization of…
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The government shutdown jeopardizes national climate efforts
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The U.S. government has been shut down since Sept. 30. This not only affects federal workers and U.S. citizens, but it also impacts the Earth’s climate by removing funding needed to maintain national parks and climate change research. The decisions made in the Capitol Building are impacting everyone from federal workers to local hikers…
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Negligence towards sexual assault reports violates protocol and promotes violence
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Students deserve to feel comfortable reporting cases of sexual harassment, assault and rape and feel confident that action will be taken by authority figures or administration. The recent allegations of the Westlake High School [WHS] administration’s unresponsiveness to sexual assault reports prove that this is not the case in the Conejo Unified School District…
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Without Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, we as a country are moving backwards
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion [DEI] initiatives promote fairness and equal opportunities for all Americans. Under DEI policies, companies evaluate all candidates equally [regardless of race, sexual orientation, disabilities or other factors] during the hiring process and provide adequate training based on an individual’s needs, such as language-based training. However, under the Trump Administration, DEI-supporting…
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Book bans limit perspectives and violate First Amendment rights
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The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was created to protect the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition. Unfortunately, our nation’s fundamental ideas are being debated as our First Amendment rights have been trialed in recent years. This happens primarily through book bannings and other forms of censorship. The protections that are…
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School safety must be prioritized
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Over the past couple of months, there have been multiple incidents on NPHS’ campus where student safety was threatened. On Dec. 5, 2024, a naked man ran from a crime scene onto the football field where he was eventually arrested for suspicion of murder. Then, on Jan. 13, another adult man was caught naked…