Daily Column: Dr. Brule's Good Ideas

Daily life can be boring. You fall into a routine and get used to it. You eat the same breakfast, take the same route to work, watch the same TV shows, and go to bed at the same time. We need some variety in life to keep us from turning into zombies.

Here’s an idea to help do that: The next time you want to make ice cubes, pour something besides water into your ice tray. Juice is recommended because it tastes good and is often good for you.

It might seem like a little thing, but how often do you use ice cubes, especially this time of the year? The variety might just add a bit of color to your day! For your health!

Editorial: Why History Matters

History has long been a dreaded subject for many. Why should we have to learn about a bunch of dead men and battle dates? Don’t we all have our own fair share of problems to deal with? However, what we don’t realize is that it is filled with relatable tales of the individual who made decisions the way we do today. History is actually a useful tool that you can use to help understand your rights.

I’m sure we have all heard the cliche, “history repeats itself.” But what does this mean to us? It turns out, this means more than noticing a pattern in the wars and corruption in the world. In our own lives, there are themes that repeat themselves that we can learn from.

For example, if you were to lend a friend something and they lose it, you should keep that in mind the next time that you lend them something. If you didn’t, and you ignored the history between your friend and borrowed items, you should be ready to face the consequences. Caution comes from remembering past events and using them to make future decisions, and without that, we repeat our mistakes.

Maybe that scenario seems petty to you; maybe all of your friends are fairly organized and you don’t care much if an item of yours is misplaced. But how much do you care about your rights?

One of the biggest problems with neglecting history is that your rights suffer. Over the course of centuries in the United States of America, our rights have been compromised again and again. If we don’t know our rights as American citizens, how can we protect them? What use are they to us if we don’t even know what they are or why we have them?

Arizona legislature has recently passed Bill 1062, also known as the “Right-to-Discriminate” Bill that would allow business owners to deny someone service based on the business owner’s religious beliefs and protect the business owner in a lawsuit. In 2004, Arizona also enacted Proposition 200, a Proof-of-Citizenship voting law that prohibited anyone from registering to vote if they could not show proof of citizenship, in addition to the required federal forms.

Luckily, this proposition was turned down last summer, but during its time of legality, it prevented 30,000 potential voters from registering. If we ignore this history that infringes on our rights, what will stop it from happening again?

So what do we do? What history can help us make the best decision to protect ourselves? Most importantly, know your rights and how they came to be your rights. We need to understand how past societies work in order to be a functioning member of our own. Our rights are our means of existence.

In the past, the right to vote was denied to men who did not own land, to those who were former slaves, and to women. But in that order, we have overcome the inequality and now every one of those groups can take an active role in our country’s republic.

Understanding why these groups were discriminated against will keep us from discriminating again. A pseudoscience known as the “Aryan race” was what Hitler used to justify his genocide. Anyone without blue eyes and blonde hair was inferior to those who were blonde and blue-eyed. Racism is what kept black people from voting in America--so now we realize that racism is wrong. Sexism is what kept women from voting in America--and now we realize there is no reason to be sexist.

And this makes for a more tolerant society; a nation who recognizes the past infringement of the individual’s rights and mindfully treats everyone as equals. We now recognize past mistakes, fix them, and then consciously make sure to prevent them from happening again. We develop the ideal mindset for protecting our rights as United States citizens.

History is the foundation of knowledge and it should be understood and used as such. So before you write off history as a whole, just remember--focus on the meaning of events and decisions. Ask yourself why that happened, and access whether or not you feel it was right. Above all, always respect your rights and fight to protect them, the way many before us have. History helps us become better, more tolerant human beings, thoughtfully and wholeheartedly.

Hard News: Mural Painted in Oaklyn, New Jersey

The community in the South Jersey town of Oaklyn recently came together to paint a mural on a local landmark.

On Saturday, May 31st, Oaklyn residents joined and painted trees on the Conrail bridge in the center of town. Music and food filled the main road as it was temporarily blocked off for the anticipated event.

Nancy MacGregor and other town members had been working for over a year in order to see to the success of the mural. After creating a Facebook group and getting more and more supporters, the idea of a town mural became a reality.

“I’m really excited about this,” said MacGregor, who led the committee behind the mural effort. “This is about us coming together. We’re often overshadowed by Collingswood. This project represents us.”

After accepting design ideas, all of the entries included trees; it became obvious what the focus of the mural should be.

The trees reflect the oaks that gave the borough its name, according to Robin Musciano, whose entry was chosen to be painted. Musciano’s design focused on change: an oak tree and its leaves for each of the seasons.

Funding, which was the biggest component in the success of the mural, was the least concerning aspect. Over $5,000 (way past the original $3,500 goal) has been raised, and this number continues to rise even after the community ‘paint day.’ Local businesses and residents have been donating on the website gofundme.com in hopes of the success of the project.

MacGregor commented, “I have experienced a sense of community here that has never existed anywhere else I have been. When a family is in need, they do not have to ask for help.”

Soft News: Better Late Than Never?

We all remember senior year of high school. Pep rallies, parties, prom; it’s hard to believe we could do so much with all of that school work in the way! During this pivotal year of high school, especially during the second semester, breakouts of a severe crippling disorder known as “senioritis” flair up. When afflicted, students’ work output significantly decreases. Symptoms include a short attention span, infrequent attendance, and narcolepsy. Cases can range from mild to severe, but virtually all patients survive.

In our area, however, we have an exceptionally severe case of senioritis. Student Zachary Castellanos at Sterling High School has been suffering from senioritis for a whole semester; some claim, though still unsubstantiated by scientific evidence, that it stretches back to the beginning of his high school career.

“It’s crazy,” said one anonymous student. “One day you can be an average, decent student- B’s and C’s- and the next your highest grade is a 28.” Despite receiving admonishments and exhortation from friends, family, and faculty, Zachary found himself spiralling into academic desolation due to his debilitating condition. “We knew it was bad, but I guess we just didn’t know how bad,” said an anonymous friend of the poor student. At his lowest point, Zachary’s lowest grade was a meager 6 in his Journalism class. The fact that it reached so low, as well as in a class as interesting and significant as Journalism, is indicative of the gravity of his condition.

So what can someone do when afflicted with senioritis? Many methods have been exhausted by frustrated friends, family, and faculty. It seems the only foolproof method is giving it time. The vast majority of patients make an eventual recovery. So, if you or a loved one is suffering from this disease, be optimistic!

And what about Zachary? Recent reports say he’ll be just fine. He’s begun doing school work again, and is passing most of his classes again. He’s estimated to make a total recovery within the week.