The following story was published in Issue 1 of The Paolite, 2017.

In the world we live in today, social media is at the center of the universe.

According to research by statista.com, there are currently 1.23 billion active users on Facebook and 328 million active users on Twitter. To put the number into context, the population of the U.S. is 323.1 million. There are 4.9 million more Twitter users than there are people in the United States. As for Facebook, there are only about 1 million less Facebook users than there are in the most populated country in the world, China, who has close to 1.3 billion people.

To say social media has a huge impact on the world would be a massive understatement. People communicate through social media mediums, as well as speak their minds, give their opinions, stay in touch and get a good laugh if they look at the right accounts.

Social media has a huge impact on the world around us and can impact users many more ways than one think. One way can be an individual’s chances of getting a job.

“I do take social media presence into consideration [when hiring.] It has become more and more of a factor in recent years.  When we hire a teacher, aide, or coach, they are a role model and I expect them to act that way.  I realize as adults we are entitled to a personal life, but questionable items on a social media will not promote the school in a positive light,” said Principal Chad Johnson.

Often times, when applying for scholarships or jobs, hiring and scholarship committees will take a look at an applicant’s social media to see what kind of individual they are considering hiring, or awarding a scholarship. Social media, for better or worse, can often give a look into a person’s life, views, events and especially their character.

Companies, colleges and hiring committees like to see what kind of person you are from more than just an interview and a resume.

“When an individual applies for a position with a company, large or small, that company will check your social media activity,” said Executive Orange County Community Foundation Director Imojean Dedrick. “Depending on what is on your social media will help determine how you will fit into their company’s mission, platform, social status, even their involvement with the community.”

Dedrick is very knowledgable on the effect social media can have on scholarships and jobs, especially for high school students.

“If a student has negative postings such as excessive alcohol mentions and photos, drug use references and photos, inappropriate sexual innuendos and photos, and more importantly, racists slurs or proof of bullying, chances are that company will not hire you. That is why we call such attention to it at such an early age,” said Dedrick.

As director, Dedrick plays a large role in the nomination and selection process for many scholarships.

What really matters to people hiring or giving out scholarships is what kind of person they are dealing with when no one is watching. Selection committees like to see people’s opinions and how someone carries themselves without knowing they are being monitored.

Throop Principal Wes Whitfield does much of the hiring for the elementary school. Whitfield agrees what is on your social media can play a role in your chances of getting a job.

“When I receive an application for an employee, I look at qualifications first. Once I believe an individual is qualified, I check social media posts to see if there are any posts that could portray a negative image on the school if hired.  It’s not perfect and there are some grey areas, but employers are definitely checking social media posts.  I don’t think it’s always a deal breaker, but it’s part of the hiring process now, just like checking references,” said Whitfield.

The world is changing and teens are at the forefront of the social media movement. It is so important for teens to be aware of the consequences of their social media.

“We tell you up front to keep your social media in check so that by the time you graduate from college you have a clean reference for your future employer. As teens and adults, we use social media to share our life’s day to day activities, but for future employment sake, keep your social media within reason as it will be your future’s calling card,” said Dedrick.

 

Story by Garrett Vincent

High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries every year. Preventing these injuries from happening is one of the top priorities a coach must have.

Coaches do a variety of things to spare their players from injury. Some sports require more precautions than others. Jeremy Lowery, head coach of the PHS football team, believes how important it is to keep his players’ risk of injury as low as possible.

“The number one priority in any sport should be keeping your players healthy. Over winning and being successful, the safety of our players is above all,” said Lowery.

The football team uses precautions such as ankle taping to prevent any type of bone or tendon damage to the ankle.

Athletic Director Darek Newkirk has safety as a top priority and wants to reassure students, parents and fans that sports precautionary measures at PHS are in full effect.

“Coaches are required to undergo specific training in sports precautions prior to being a coach at the school,” said Newkirk.

Training courses such as CPR, heat prevention and concussion protocols are some examples of courses coaches are required to take. These courses educate coaches on different scenarios they could face when training student athletes.

Not only are coaches required to take classes to assure the safety of students, all teachers are required as well, including the CPR training courses. This ensures the safety of students not only on the court or field, but in the classroom as well.

On August 10, the Varsity cross country team witnessed first hand the impact of all the training and preparation the staff had taken.

While running at cross country practice, junior Tyler Griffith collapsed and immediately went into cardiac arrest. CPR was administered to him by nearby faculty members, and he was then flown out to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

“We were prepared for something like this and did the right things to help Tyler,” said Newkirk.

Since the incident, little to no changes have been made regarding precautions. Knowledge of where AEDs (automated external defibrillator) are located and communicated with faculty members continues to be a priority.

PHS is selling T-shirts in support of Griffith and his family. The money raised will go to Griffith’s family for their medical bill expenses after the incident. Order forms are located in the office and cost only $10. The more shirts sold, the better off Tyler and his family will be. Buy a shirt and show your support for the Griffith family.

Sports precautions are very important and, in some cases, can be life saving actions. PHS is proud to have effective sports precautions for all student athletes.

 

Story by Jace Ingle

The following review was published in Issue 1 of The Paolite, 2017.

Annabelle: Creation made its theatre debut on August 11. If you are looking for a heart pumping, scare the pee out of you, nightmare for days type of movie, this is the one for you.
Annabelle: Creation is rated R and is the prequel to the horror film Annabelle. The movie is set in 1950s America. A couple (played by Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto) lets a small group of six orphan girls live in their home after their own daughter, Annabelle, was hit by a car a few years prior. Janice (played by Talitha Bateman), an orphan girl crippled by polio, enters Annabelle’s old room, which was supposed to be locked, only to find a key to unlock a secret door. Inside is an evil inhabited doll and the horror is unleashed from there.
Personally, I loved Annabelle: Creation it had everything I love in a scary movie. Including suspense and foreshadowing to the original movie as well as a fellow terror, The Conjuring 2.
The beginning of the movie starts out slow but things begin pick up once Janice catches the eye of the lurking evil in the house.
The movie never had a dull moment., I was always on the edge of my seat, wanting more. Director, David F. Samberg, has even said that they tried to make the movie as scary as possible and that the movie might be hard to watch for some people due to the scenes being too intense.
The two movies end up intertwining; at the end of the second movie, when the evil presence has taken over poor Janice, she disappeared and later shows her being adopted and growing up with an actual family. This is where it leads into original Annabelle, showing her killing her parents. The doll Annabelle also makes appearances in The Conjuring when it is showed in the “blessed room” of the Warren household. Not just Annabelle either, at one point in Annabelle: Creation the nun from The Conjuring 2 is shown pushing young Janice into the old doll making barn where she is soon possessed.
I personally look for a deeper scare in horror movies, the kind of scares that leave you chilled and Annabelle: Creation does just that. The film itself is not the only thing adding to the horror of it all, but the original plot behind it.
The Annabelle movie is based on a true story. The doll actually resides in Ed and Lorraine Warren’s museum a room they bless monthly and is in their own home. The Warren’s are paranormal investigators and house this doll, locked in a box, and no one is permitted to open it. There are even legends of when people come to the museum and make fun of the doll, they either end up severely hurt or even dead.
Annabelle: Creation leaves its viewers with hairs standing on end. Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, this movie is sure to give you chills.
To me most prequels are bland and really just retell what has already happened from a different perspective, but this one took me by surprise. It added depth to the plot and made the whole story-line better by showing where Annabelle originated from. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars on the scare meter for truly giving me a good scare.

The following information and story was published in Issue One of The Paolite, 2017.

July 16, 1945: The world’s first tested nuclear weapon, code name “Trinity” explodes in New Mexico.

August 6, 1945: The US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing over 140,000 people.

August 9, 1945: The US drops another atomic bomb on the Japanese in Nagasaki. There were 74,000 people who died by the end of 1945 from radiation illnesses.

October 16-29, 1962: A stalemate occurs between the US and the USSR. US finds Soviet missiles in Cuba.

July 1, 1968: The Non-Proliferation Treaty is created to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Those who signed agreed to never acquire nuclear weapons, and all must be disarmed.

December 8, 1987: The US and the Soviet Union sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminates all missiles in the two countries possessions with ranges between 300 miles to 3,400 miles.

September 24, 1996: The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is created and signed by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US with more and more countries signing it even now. The treaty bans any and all nuclear explosions. India does not sign the treaty.

It is hard to miss the news reports that North Korea is making noise about their weapons program, posing a potential threat the the US allies.

Kim Jong Il, the previous leader of North Korea and the current leader’s father, had previously tried to improve the ties between the US and North Korea while former president Bill Clinton was in office. However, once George W. Bush came to office, something happened between the United States and North Korea, and Kim Jong Il suddenly was prepared to face off in war against South Korea and the US.

This hostility lasted until around 2009, when Barack Obama was in office, but both countries were heavily wary towards the other.

When Kim Jong Il died on December 17, 2011, his son, Kim Jong Un took power over North Korea. Once in power, Kim Jong Un violated multiple acts and treaties, and tested multiple missiles.

On July 4 of this year, North Korea claimed to have created and successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile which can reach anywhere in the world. Shortly after this, the UN adopted the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was intended to internationally ban the use of nuclear weapons, on July 7. On July 28, North Korea launched a missile that landed off the coast of Japan.

In early August, North Korea announced that they were looking into a plan to strike Guam with their IBMs after President Trump stated that if North Korea continued to threaten the United States that they would “face fire and fury like the world had never seen.”

As of September 3, North Korea has claimed to have produced a hydrogen bomb, which is much smaller than a typical nuclear bomb, and are much more powerful than any nuclear weapon that have previously been used in warfare. It is believed their plan may be to attach the hydrogen bomb to their intercontinental ballistic missiles and attack. Previous tests of theirs on the IBMs have reportedly failed during the reentry process, but the only way we will know if they have it down is through more testing.

July 4, 2017: North Korea claims to have created and successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach anywhere in the world.

July 7, 2017: The UN adopts the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first legally binding agreement to internationally ban the use of nuclear weapons with the goal of their total elimination.

August 9, 2017: North Korea allegedly looks into a plan to strike Guam with intercontinental ballistic missiles after President Trump says that if North Korea continues to threaten the United States, they will “face fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

 

Story by Rebekah Reeves

Click the link below to see the September 9, 2016 issue of the Paolite.

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