By Clairissa Moore
 
April 12th was GLSEN’s Day of Silence. This day, according to GLSEN’s website, is a “student-led national event where folks take a vow of silence to highlight the silencing and erasure of LGBTQ+ people at school.” The Day of Silence was created in 1996 by a group of students for an assignment on non-violent protests. The original DoS had 150 participants at the University of Virginia, and has since reached more than 10,000 high school and college students across the world.
 
Senior Lynnola Christman says, “I participated because I know people, family, friends, peers, who have been bullied for who they are. My uncle was called a ‘burden’ at his job and that was just not something to say.”
 
Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, explains why the Day of Silence is necessary here at East High. “The Day of Silence makes public what I and many others do every day here. I choose to remain silent out of fear when I hear slurs, insulting remarks, and micro aggressions. But those who have no reason to be in fear, such as teachers, also remain silent. I hope that the Day of Silence will bring awareness to this problem.”
 
It is my wish, too, that having a publicized Day of Silence at East will prove beneficial towards the goal of safety for all students. 

By Joshua Madera

On Earth Day there are events that display reinforcement to protect the environment. Earth Day is celebrated every April 22 in 193 different countries. During the event, young people are counseled to provide support with environmental movements. As humans we aren’t perfect but if we work together we can provide the assistance our environment needs to be healthy.

According to power-technology.com, “Chemists from the University of California, Irvine (UC), in collaboration with researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, has devised a plastic recycling method that allows them to dissolve the bonds of polyethylene plastic to create petroleum and other fuel products.” Based on the quote since people litter and so much plastic is in waters and streets it may influence more people to help protect the earth to also benefit sources of fuel.

Programs on Earth Day like the Canopy Project plant trees to restore forests. According to earthday.org, it states,” Trees also filter the air and help reverse the impacts of climate change. In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as 10 people inhale!” Earth Day Initiative is a program that supports schools by guiding them how to garden and bring sustainable food.
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Earth Day is important because it raises awareness for people to provide support for the environment's health. East High school should have the opportunity for students to participate within the community to help protect the earth.
 

By Cedric Scott
 
This year Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a bill that would ban all single-use, plastic carryout bags in New York State. This action follows the release of the New York State Plastic Bags Task Force report in January, which showed how negatively plastic bags impacted the environment.

A ban on single use plastic carryout bags will significantly reduce waste and have many environmental impacts. “In New York City alone it is estimated that nearly $12.5 million will be saved,” according to MSN.com. This is money is normally spent on disposal costs, by reducing the number of single-use plastic bags we use the more money well have to invest in other programs. These costs do not include the significant cleanup costs to remove plastic through litter collection programs and beach and ocean cleanup efforts. In addition, the ban will reduce the raw materials and natural resources used to make, transport, and recycle these bags. Less carryout bags given away at checkout which could result in decreased recycling and disposal costs for municipalities and municipal recycling facilities.
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There are currently 10 cities, towns, and villages in New York have enacted plastic bag bans. With this ban enacted, cities in New York are bound to flourish with less money being spent on disposable bags and lower pollution rates.

By Alejandra Cedeno

There have been many changes going on throughout the building but there's one in particular that many students and staff haven't noticed. There are now new pad dispensers in the girls’ bathrooms! This may seem like an insignificant change but a big one for students who menstruate. Turns out New York State now has a law requiring schools to provide free feminine hygiene products in restrooms.

The legislation, which was part of Governor Cuomo's Women's Opportunity Agenda, went into effect July 1, 2018. "New York leads the nation in breaking down barriers to equality, and this legislation is a critical step forward in ensuring every girl in New York has the same opportunities to grow into a confident, successful woman. By providing all students with equal access to these products, we are creating a stronger, healthier New York for all," Cuomo is quoted saying on The Official Website of New York. This law is convenient for students who may not be able to afford hygiene products or even girls who Aunt Flo snuck up on.
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I, for one, was surprised to see dispensers that actually worked and were stocked. Females throughout the building can agree that having dispensers in the bathroom is more convenient than having to get a pass to the nurse's office and then doing a walk of shame to the bathroom. It’s gratifying to see that while the federal government seeks to roll back women's right, New York leads by example to break down stigmas and barriers for women.

By Lynnola Christman

The first day of spring was on March 20th, 2019, which means soon there will be better weather, animals coming out of hibernation, and bees starting to pollinate. As most people know already, bees are on the endangered species list. Right? Well, sort of. According to Snopes, there are seven species of bees in Hawaii that are on the endangered species list. The yellow-faced bee and Rusty Patched bumble bee. But bees as a whole class? Not yet.

Bees started to “mysteriously” disappear since the late 1990s, according to sos-bees. It hasn’t gotten any better and continues to decline. Without bees, one third of our food would be wiped out because that one third of crops depends on bee pollination. Honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of food in the United States alone according to blog.conservation.org.

The bees can be saved if there were better ways to protect our gardens. Pesticides may keep the insects away but they are also killing them. How can gardens grow and flourish when bees aren’t there to help them? Use bee-safe pesticides, especially if you are a gardener. Don’t use Orthene, Seven, Diazinon, but instead use Sulfur, Serenade, or Herbicides according to perfectbee.com.
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Pesticides aren’t the only things that can harm bees. Climate change and diseases also play a factor. They can cause habitat loss and climate change can also affect bees’ health. They won’t reproduce as much and will be less resistant to predators and parasites. The higher the temperature, the more bees can be infected with parasites that cause disease. Next time you think about protecting your garden, think about the bees. Don’t use something that’s used to temporarily “protect” the gardens when it can forever impact the world. 

By Yahnai Lennon

This year’s annual Fairy Godmothers of Greater Rochester Prom Fair was held at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The prom fair started at 10am and the line was out the door. Young ladies accompanied by parents, guardians and friends to aid them with finding the perfect prom dress, accompanying me was my good friend and fellow East High senior Alejandra Cedeño.
But showing up on time does not guarantee you an early spot. Although we showed up at 10am we were placed within the mid and lower 200’s. This did not discourage us from finding our perfect prom dress and we were prepared to wait.

And wait we did. Our personal waiting time was about 4-5 hours but we were able to make the time go by faster by enjoying the scenery and food downtown Rochester has to offer. We also were able to enjoy the activities provided and vendors by the Fairy Godmothers of Greater Rochester such as Continental School of Beauty, Spallina Materials, Eat Me Ice Cream and many more.

Once it was my turn to pick a prom dress of my choosing I was assisted by a volunteer guide me and help me make my decision. After trying on prom dresses I was able to find my perfect dress.
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Afterwards I had the chance of finding matching jewelry, shoes and a purse and my experience was done. I had a great experience at this year’s annual Fairy Godmothers of Greater Rochester Prom Fair event and encourage others to participate next year.

By Pipper Holmes

For many of us, our high school career is coming to an end soon and we want a good job that pays well. No matter if you go to college or straight into the work force you will need to learn how perform your job, a.k.a. the hard skills. However, many people lack the basic soft skills that will land them the interview and or help them to succeed well in their job. The top basic employability soft skills that people must have are communication, self-management, timeliness, and great decision making and problem solving skills. These skills are easy to work on if you willing to learn and care about being successful.
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The first step to improve these skills are to start keeping track of your skills and take some good honest criticism from people you know and trust. You must really understand what they are saying and even though at times it may sound harsh or hurtful, they have your best interest in mind. The only way to improve any skills are to know which one or ones you are doing poorly. Then, take some time and see how you can improve your skills and change. That is often the hardest part. Of course, you may struggle, but just like anything you else you do, practice will make perfect. The earlier you identify these struggles, the earlier you will be able to make yourself more marketable. The more marketable you are the better chance you have to get that job or that promotion.

Rishad Ragland

Clank!! The sound of the bat after a line drive hit from Coach Crandall during infield drills. “Get your butt down! Everyone 10 push-ups” is what you hear after the ball rolls past third base. Even if it isn't clear to all the players on the team there is a masterpiece behind the madness of Crandall’s baseball philosophy. As Coach Crandall builds up his team, it's ultimately to continue the East tradition of excellence, as they have won 9 of the last 14 city championships.

Many agree that Coach Crandall has successful coaching practices. Coach Crandall said, “Coaches look to find drills and strategies that will help to make their players and teams successful.  However, the true measure of success on a team occurs when every player buys into the philosophies of the team.  Over the years some teams do that more than others.  When players begin to play hard for their teammates and the program instead of just themselves then you will usually see a team with average athletes outperform a team with superstars.  Player buy-in is essential for a team to be successful.”

Coach Crandall also had a lot to say about the team’s success over the years.  He stated, “Over the years I have coached many different types of players and personalities. I have found that the vast majority of kids want structure and discipline.  I do my best to take the needs of players into consideration while also setting high expectations.  The only way that players truly buy in is when they see that all players are treated the same.  Therefore, I have always tried my best to treat the star athlete the same way that I do players who get less playing time during games.”
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Coach Crandall has a very specific coaching philosophy and not only does he know the right balance between coaching and team discipline, his ability to bring a team together -- whether star-studded or average players -- and get them to compete hard is no small feat. Crandall once again will try to continue his streak of making the city championships once again. GO EAST!!

By Kermarie Principe

It’s well known that poverty has always been an issue all around the world. In some countries it’s worse than others, sometimes because one is richer than the others or there is scarcity of material possessions or money. Poverty not necessarily means economically poor, but this includes socially and political elements. In many countries poverty can be seen as not having resources. On a national level “more than 1 in 8 Americans are considered *officially poor*” according to University of Michigan, Poverty Solutions. This means that there’s 327.2 million people in the United States who are living in poverty and the poverty percentage has increased throughout the years.  
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Monrovia is the capital of Liberia and the poorest city in Africa. Monrovia is a low-income country which means that it relies on foreign assistance. There are many countries like this one, where in many of them the biggest percentage is made of children.  We as human beings should try and help people that are in these conditions. We could make more charities that help the poor or for the specific problem. People could donate old clothes that they might not use anymore. Do a food drive or take canned food to homeless shelters.  No matter where poverty exists, we should be doing more to help.

​By Wilson Rivera

Mortal Kombat is a fighting game that was inspired by Capcom’s Street Fighter 2. Mortal Kombat was developed by Midway and was to be like Street Fighter but with simpler controls and digitized graphics. The game didn’t hit the stores until 1991 and its graphic and gruesome action and fatalities were the main contribution to creation of the ESRB, the company that rates all the games from E for everyone to M for mature.

When the game first came out many people said that the game’s graphic violence was only included to induce controversy and induce a public outcry. However, as controversial as the game was the mix of realism and violence propelled Mortal Kombat to widespread and historic renown.

With 10 entries in the franchise with other spin-offs the franchise has been very successful over the past 28 years. Now after 4 years Mortal Kombat 11 is coming out to Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 23rd. The internet has been swarming about news on Mortal Kombat 11 and there’s even a Mortal Kombat tournament in school during lunch in the cafeteria.

This new installment features some of the most gruesome fatalities, some of the bloodiest and bone-breaking combos ever. Pre-ordering Mortal Kombat 11 grants you access to the beta that lets you try the game before it comes out and it also gives you a character for free: Shao Kahn.

East High student Dennis Olmedo says, “It looks like it’s going to be fun because we are getting characters from past installations and the revamped combat system.”
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Get ready for April 23rd and get your money because it costs $65 after taxes, but with all the characters, chaotic moves and finishers and nostalgia, you’ll get way more than just $65 worth of fun.