April 5, 2023 by Darren Pasek (’25) In light of the recent Nashville shooting, the debate of gun violence has resurfaced in the USA. Discussing the answer to gun violence is a pointless debate. Like most public health and political problems, gun violence is so ingrained in the legislation and culture of America that if […]
Opinion: Gun Control is the Answer Read More »
March 27, 2023 by Keegan Reinhart (‘25) Since so many high schoolers use the social media platform Snapchat, the news that a new feature had been added to the app’s premium subscription, Snapchat+, traveled quickly. This application uses technology to create an instant-responding AI Snapchat friend. “My AI” is the name you will see pinned
Opinion: Snapchat AI–Can It Be Your Friend? Read More »
March 27, 2023 by Darren Pasek (‘25) Compared to education, there are few debates that are more polarizing. Education is an issue people are unapologetic about; nothing gets in the way of a parent and their kid’s success. Should it be public, private, charter, or in-house? How much money goes toward salaries, research, and technology?
Opinion: The Problem With Read-ing Ed-u-ca-tion Read More »
March 27, 2023 by Maggie Trautner (‘25) March 14th of this year marked the first official day of remote learning instruction taking the place of a snow day for grades 6-12. New York State schools are required to have a minimum of 180 days of teaching, including regular instructional days, two-hour delays, and virtual learning
Opinion: SSCSD Deserves Real Snow Days Read More »
March 13, 2023 by Darren Pasek (‘25) Biden is facing one of his largest dilemmas yet: submitting to the temptation of lobbying money for his campaign and backing a local and national economic lift, or holding true to his promise of protecting the environment. Oil giant ConocoPhillips has been planning a massive, decades long oil
Opinion: The Lose-Lose Dilemma of the willow project Read More »
March 13, 2023 by AJ Martin (‘24) Much ado has been made in the media about Artifical Intelligence (AI) over the years, from fictional foes such as The Terminator and HAL-9000, to actual AI like IBM’s Watson or Hanson Robotics’s Sophia. From debating over what jobs might become automated, to the possibility of robot uprising,
Opinion: Interviewing ChatGPT Didn’t Mitigate My Concerns Over Bias in AI Read More »
February 27, 2023 by Emma Gowen (’25) This January, Student Council announced that Saratoga Springs High School would be holding another dance: The Snowball! The event was held on Saturday the 11th from 7 to 10 in the White Gym. The hope of this dance being just as popular as Homecoming was evident, with ticket
Opinion: The Snowball Dance Disappointed Read More »
February 27, 2023 by Darren Pasek (’25) In October 2022, the city finally announced plans that Saratoga Springs would have a permanent low-barrier homeless shelter. Up until October, the city was working with Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) to repurpose the current senior center at 5 Williams Street. The city already owns this building and SOS
Opinion: Homeless Shelter Controversy Highlights Political Rift in Saratoga Read More »
February 6, 2023 by Darren Pasek (’25) Within the first week of 2023, a school shooting had already taken place. This time an atypical story enthralled the world. Just outside of Newport News, Virginia, a six-year-old boy shot and wounded his teacher during a lesson. Remarkably, she is in stable condition. Leading up to the
Opinion: Is School Safety a Lost Cause? Read More »
September 19, 2022 by Natalie Rock Back-to-school season means senior lot season for students at Saratoga Springs High School. You would think that the name “senior lot” was self-explanatory, but I guess it wasn’t clear enough. Well, allow me to explain, it’s for seniors. Still, some juniors have been a little confused–eager to drive to
Opinion: Is the Senior Lot the Problem? Read More »
September 19, 2022 by Ciara Meyer I have officially spent 2167 days in the Saratoga Springs City School District. By the time I graduate it will be 2340 days. Unlike most students at Saratoga Springs High School, I had the opportunity to opt-out of this experience. My sister switched to private school during her 10th-grade
Opinion: SSHS Has an Outcome Gap Issue. It’s Time We Address It. Read More »
By Lizzie Sheehan The following is an argumentative essay written by Lizzie Sheehan, a current AP English Language and Composition student. What if I told you that the distribution that defines your future is skewed? The score that you work so hard for is determined using a scale composed of bias. Teachers throughout America
Argument: Equitable Grading Read More »
By The Rock Crispy Chicken Sandwich: 9.5/10 I heard my peers celebrate when they checked the lunch calendar to find it was crispy chicken sandwich day. Their eager voices intrigued me. Was the sandwich really that special? I waited in line to get the meal and returned to my table. It looked like an average
The Fan Favorite Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Waffle Fries Read More »
By The Rock The Lightning Rod is delighted to introduce a new cafeteria food review column to the publication. Here are the thoughts of our staff’s very own food analyst, The Rock: Chicken Nuggets: 8.5/10 The chicken nuggets imitate McDonalds’ taste with a school cafeteria texture. The outer layer was soggy, but I overlooked it.
Food Review: Chicken Nuggets, Pasta, and Mystery Yellow Glob Read More »
By Tori Igoe As the graduation season approaches, students of Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) have learned they cannot decorate their graduation caps. Many students believe this rule is unfair. At SSHS we are taught everyone can be themselves, that we should not conform to the majority. Isn’t dressing completely alike going against what the
Graduates Barred From Expressing Accomplishments Read More »
By Ciara Meyer It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in my seventh-grade Home and Careers class. I had just spent a day on an assignment that required documenting every food I ate, entering each item into a software that informed me of my exact caloric intake. I had measured even the smallest
A Toxic Lesson: Our Calorie Counting Curriculum Read More »
