By Joel Alicea
 
On the third Monday of every January we have a day off from school and for some people also a day off work to recognize an iconic man of history in Martin Luther King Jr. On this holiday we honor “the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership,” said Coretta Scott King, American author, activist, civil rights leader, and late wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
We take this day to honor and give Dr. King recognition for being one of the major leaders who fought to end racial segregation and wanted to gain equality. According to The King Center, Coretta Scott King said, “The King holiday honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a color-blind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.” This day was given to honor the great leadership of MLK and his braveness and smart tactics to end racial discrimination.
Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a great leader but also a great role model. This man not only was determined to put an end to people discriminating and treating other races unfairly, but the way he sought  change was by being nonviolent and being passive. He was treated unfairly and he still had the courage to stay on his path to continue to achieve his goal. In my opinion this a man to look up to as I do and he is very deserving of having a day in his honor. While you’re enjoying your day off take a minute to learn about the work Dr. King did to give us the life we have now.

By Rosa Soto
 
New Year's Resolutions are a tradition mostly in the Western Hemisphere, and found a little in the Eastern Hemisphere. It’s where a person desires to change an unwanted trait or behavior to accomplish a goal they think will improve their way of life. New Year's Resolutions are important. The world gets worse by the year, but that doesn't mean we have to go down that path with the world. We should be better and do better.
I set a few New Year’s Resolutions to better myself and improve my way of life also. One was to be natural all 2018. This society has made almost every girl want to wear makeup or weave because that would make them look prettier. That is unfair and I disagree. There's a difference between wearing makeup and weave to mix your style up a bit than needing it to look pretty. Every girl is beautiful in her own skin. My second one was to become a nicer and better person. I can be really cruel at times, and coming closer to God is a way that would make me a better person, spiritually and mentally.
To gain a different perspective I asked a few people at East High School what their New Year's Resolutions were. I found Lashonda Ford’s the most interesting. This generation definitely had the largest smoking rate, and for Lashonda to want to stop smoking is great. She stated, “My New Year's Resolution is to stop smoking because it’s made me be less focused in school, and instead I will stay after school to catch up on my work so that it would distract me, and stay away from people who smoke so that it won't tempt me.” This is big because it’s very hard to quit smoking, so making a promise to yourself to try and stop is a start in bettering yourself and your way of life.
“Our brain is trained to develop habits,” stated psychoanalyst Hans-Werner Rückert, based in Berlin. So if you find yourself making a New Year’s Resolution and fail, don’t be upset. “Its human,” stated an article on The Local. Just get back on track and continue forward being even more motivated to change those habits and become stronger.

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By Katherine Gomez-Acevedo
 
As we know Regents week is coming up soon, and what have we done to make sure we’ve prepared for our tests to achieve our goal of graduating high school? For the last couple of weeks, there have been many ways the school has been helping the students prepare for January exams week. One of them is offering Saturday school for particular subjects and teachers help students with strategies to help them ace the Regents by preparing packets with Regents questions from past exams so the students can see what to expect when they take the test. Review classes are also provided to students, which helps the students review past studies like Algebra, Global, and Living Environment which most students need to pass in order to graduate.
The message for any student who needs to pass a Regents is don't be afraid to speak up and ask for help in any of the subjects.  Ask for more work if you think you need to improve, talk to your teacher and they will help with anything you need.  It's better to work early than late on your education, and at the end of the school year you can achieve your goal of passing the Regents whether it’s in this month or in June. Prepare to be the difference among other by advocating for yourself. 

By Jaquayla Young
 
There will be another blood drive on January 30th in East High School’s auditorium. The blood drive will take place from 8:30am to 1:30pm. It's important that students help donate blood because with one simple donation you are saving 3 lives. The blood from the drive is also used for testing purposes to assist in finding cures for diseases like sickle cell and spherocytosis. They are urging more African American students in particular to help donate blood so that testing can be used to help find a sickle cell cure.
Not only are you helping those in need of blood you are helping a student or students within your school. For every 25 blood donations we get a $250 scholarship to go towards college from the Red Cross for a student(s) in our school. If you're a female and you plan on donating you must be 120 pounds and over. You can't have any tattoos or piercings within the last year as well. If you plan on donating remember to eat well and drink plenty of fluids! See Ms. Flaherty for any further information. Remember to come out and help save a life!

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By Angel Rivera
 
When the weather gets cold and the snow comes down, we all have a faint hope in our hearts that there's a possibility of getting a break. Although there's many consequences to closing down a facility due to the weather, it allows many people to involuntarily miss out on a day of work or school. The effects of this happening are more than you would think though. With the loss of money and a day of education taken away, to some people snow days aren't practical enough to take that kind of action.
In order to think rationally one would have to remember that most schools close down only when extremely necessary. There are in fact certain requirements for a school to be closed down due to inclement weather. The actual temperature has to be at about -20° yet it can be higher with a wind chill with at least that much. The amount of snowfall required to cancel school is 12 inches, although it may not seem like much.
One has to think of it from multiple perspectives.  There are some teachers who may have trouble getting all of the snow out of the way in order to get to school successfully. Then there are the students who “live too close” to the school, and must walk to get their education. If students were sent out to walk in -20° weather there is a possibility of frostbite occurring and therefore their school closing down helps prevent that. Whenever you feel like a school closing is unnecessary, remember that it is in fact required at a certain point, and also very helpful to some.

By ZyeAnne Thompson-James
 
Do you find it harder to roll out of bed in winter when the temperature drops and the mornings are darker? If so, you're not alone. Many people feel tired and sluggish during winter. According to sciencing.com, if your core temperature drops to below 35 degrees Celsius, you are in mild hypothermia, which can produce sleepiness.
Many students won’t bother to come to school during the winter. Because the sun's track across the sky is much shorter and lower in the winter than in the summer, the usual time we wake up for school (around 5-7am) means it’s still dark outside! The lack of sunlight means your brain produces more of a hormone called melatonin, which makes you sleepy.  
Upon many interviews with East students, I found out that many of our parents are more lenient when it comes to staying at home during the winter. Scholar Juan Rivera said, “My mom usually lets me stay home if there’s too much snow even when school is open.” According to attendanceworks.org absences, even if they are excused, can add up to academic trouble. There’s no time to be irresponsible, so we need to make sure we bundle up and motivate our scholars to come to school no matter the weather.
 

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By Juan Santiago
 
During the cold and harsh winter, even in school, we have found ways to enjoy the cold in ways that are very interesting and are exclusive to the winter.
During our Physical Education classes we have gone through courses of ice skating and it is a very unique and fun activity for some kids who have never attempted to ice skate or have gotten the opportunity to try ice skating. Many students enjoy the activity but complain that the skates hurt a bit at the ankles.  Still, the pain is worth it. “This is a great opportunity for the kids to try ice skating and it’s also very fun,” says physical education teacher Steve Flagler when students ask him if they should really try it.
If you really start to love ice skating, you can go other places in Rochester too.  In the Martin Luther King Memorial Park, you are able to rent skates and go ice skating on the weekends.  You can find more information about pricing and hours of operation at  http://www.cityofrochester.gov/mlkparkicerink. 

By Bijaya Thapa
 
It can be very tough for an athlete to keep up with their grades and focus on the sport that they love but in order to be a successful athlete, you have to work hard and push through tough times. In order to play the sport you love, you should not only be passing all your classes but also should have good grades in your classes.
This will be really helpful for scholars in the future because it will help them become a persistent and hardworking individual. According to an East High Varsity soccer player and track runner, Edi Muka, “You cannot be an athlete and have bad grades at the same time.  An athlete is someone who works hard in everything they do.”
William Cybulski is a soccer coach and believes that athletes should be able to keep good grades in their classes. He says, “I don’t let my players play if they don’t have good grades.  I believe that if my players can’t work hard in their classes, then they won’t work hard on the pitch.” Although it’s a lot of stress keeping up with the grades and improving in your sport, athletes will have tougher things ahead of them in life and should learn to take on challenges.  

By Leanne Garcia
 
Filling out your Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA) is vital especially for high school seniors who are trying to go to college. The United States Department of Education uses FAFSA to determine a student’s eligibility for federal student aid, like low-cost loans, grants, and work-study. All you do is visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/ provide yours and your parents information to complete the FAFSA application.
Now completing the FAFSA application online can be a bit difficult and stressful or sometimes it can take a long time for them to process your application. So now students also have the choice to attend to one of the FAFSA fest events, where local volunteers around the area help student and families complete their FAFSA application. At the event you will have assistance from the volunteers, 1-on-1 help, answers to your financial aid questions, and food and refreshments free of charge. All you need to bring is your parent or legal guardian, the 2016 NYS tax returns from both the student and the parent, and any of their personal information that will be necessary for the event, such as a license, SSN, or W-2 forms if a parent did not file taxes.  
Due to weather conditions this month’s event located here at East High School was cancelled, but there will be another one taking place at the REOC, 161 Chestnut St. Tuesday, February 13th, from 5pm- 7pm. Be mindful that you can always begin your online FAFSA application now. If you need help just set up an appointment with your counselor or visit the College Prep Center for more assistance.
 

By Cloe Ramos
 
The ski trip is just around the corner for all East High students who are looking for a new and fun experience in the snow.
East High School is all about pushing our students to experience and explore new and creative activities. So what is there to do in all this snow? The Ski Club’s all-day long field trip to Swain Ski Resort in Allegany County. This field trip is open to any students in grade 9-12. The trip is set to go on Friday February 23, 2018. If you’re worried about transportation, we will have a bus that will leave from East at 10:00am and will return at 8:30pm. Also you must be dressed for the weather and food will not be provided. So bring money for yourself and maybe some snacks because their prices are expensive.
Speaking to some of the chaperones of the trip I’ve heard many good things and how it’s good to experience things out of your comfort zone. Living in Rochester you have to find something to do in the winter. “When you’re standing on the mountain it’s like the best feeling ever, just to breathe in the fresh crisp air,” says Mrs. Wise, teacher and organizer of the trip. But if you’re looking for something to do in all this snow why not do something fun like ski trip.  See Mrs. Wise for cost of tickets and more information.