Talia Nicole Fine

March 2019

Evolution.

Progress.

Charles Darwin hesitated to connect such optimism to his theories of survival.

He feared calling the development of the human race "evolution" because the word implies positivity progress. Darwin himself did not think humans were always going to be capable of that.

February 2019

The policy that bans sex discrimination in schools is about to change.

That policy, commonly known as Title IX (nine), is being reviewed by the Department of Education. The current changes proposed by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos are intended to supplement the department’s “efforts to ensure equal access to education free from discrimination.” They are working on “improving schools' responses to sexual harassment and assault,” according to the press office of the U.S. Department of Education.

December 2018

Hey Monty,

I’m a freshman and I’m pretty nervous about finals. I haven’t really dealt with this much stress before because middle school didn’t really have finals.

Plus, a lot of people say your grades from freshman year don’t count. Is that true? This would be the first time my school record has actually mattered for college. My parents really want me to do well, and I want to go to a good college.

October 2018

America seems to live-streaming everything from innocuous craft videos to the teachings of Lord as technology finds its way into every remotely transcendental experience. An increasing number of religious institutions utilize technology in a way that really makes the Lord appear everywhere. Not only do people not need to “dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24) to pray by virtual sermons, but they can also access a lot of information regarding their religious pursuits from anywhere at any time.

According to “'Virtual preaching' transforms Sunday sermons” by John Blake at CNN, “A new generation of pastors […] can be in two places at one time. They are using technology -- high-def videos, and even holograms -- to beam their Sunday morning sermons to remote ‘satellite’ churches that belong to their congregation.”

September 2018

It used to be that the first job given to a bank teller was to stack bills: $20, $50, $100 day after day. They do it to get used to what the real thing feels like. Theoretically, that way the moment a counterfeit bill was laid in their hand, they’d know. They could feel it.

We are all bank tellers. We fill our vaults with information that we are given. Our friends, parents, teachers, newspapers, media, and more hand us the currency that is information. When we figure out how we feel about it, we make a decision. We either believe it is true or we believe it is false.​

May 2018

Obama promised it, Russia has been working on it; rich and innovative societies have been reaching towards it for years but there’s still cancer and the disease was discovered in 1775.

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While the effort to find a cure is global, the tiny country of Israel has a multipotent attack strategy that provides insight into the future of cancer-curing efforts. A few of their tactics are explained as follows.

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For one, they’re changing the focus of leukemia cures.

March/April 2018

The Present

Kristine Chan, a junior, has a job to earn her own spending money, but her parents pay for her necessities. Yarah Meijer, a junior, doesn’t have a job, but an allowance from her parents has to cover every expense she may have. Both young women are being assisted financially by their parents, but they both acknowledge that someday they will be supporting themselves. Isn’t independence the goal in development?

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Humanitarian aid from parent countries hasn’t worked that way.

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Without even accounting for the contributions of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), according to the Congressional Research Service, total spending for U.S. foreign assistance was about $49 billion in 2015, about 1.3 percent of the federal budget.

February 2018

By day, she’s a junior at Carlmont. By night, she’s a hostess at Sneakers American Grill. Izzy Lunderman is one of the many teens getting their foot in the door of the work-world.

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“I absolutely love and enjoy working as a host at Sneakers because it brings me so much happiness being able to make people smile just by being me. People enjoy my loud and vibrant personality. I end up meeting a new person almost every night,” Lunderman said.

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However, studies and general feedback from experts and employers have increasingly shown that the young people today lack the simple skills it takes to wow employers first in job interviews and then in their work, avoid lower-skill opportunities, and choose more educational paths.

December 2017

A student can watch videos on how to make meth on YouTube.

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The intent is that the new Sequoia Union High School District internet blocking software protects students from potentially harmful content. While that works, there are still loopholes.

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Dating profiles on loveaprisoner.com, registering for Neo-Nazis Unite, and buying “game changing” DNA pills on Infowars are areas of the internet that are not blocked. Satire on the Onion was blocked for “adult content” and the Huffington Post news site was inaccessible before September of this year.

October/November 2017

According to USA Today, grades are the most important factor in a college application. But what if the grades Carlmont Students received didn't count?

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Thanks to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Carlmont is recognized as a legitimate, advanced school where students get credit for their grades, sports, independent studies, and other school functions in the eyes of colleges.

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WASC is an organization that works to accredit schools based on how well they are serving the needs of their student population.

September 2017

This is not just another story about suicide.

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A phone sat ringing on the Golden Gate Bridge Nov. 29, 2005. A woman picked it up. A group of students were looking for the owner of the phone, their classmate John William Skinner who hadn't come to school that day.

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Concerned, they tried to call him, but it was too late. Skinner had jumped.