October 2010 Issue
Opposing Viewpoints: Question three is a solution to big government
By James Palmer | Published: October 2010
In addition to congressional elections, Massachusetts voters have the option to vote for a reduction of the state sales tax from 6.25 percent down to three percent on November 2, 2010. The rate, raised from 5% in 2009, now may be sliced in half. Although opponents of this proposal may argue that this would dangerously cut government funding for necessary services, this reduction would overall be very beneficial for the ...
Opposing Viewpoints: Question three is going to deplete state resources
By Andrea Braver | Published: October 2010
The three percent Sales Tax Relief Act, which will appear on the November 2 ballot all over Massachusetts, questions whether or not our state should decrease sales taxes from the current 6.25 percent to the lowered three percent.
Enacting a law lowering the Massachusetts sales tax sounds appealing to many consumers. However, what voters fail to realize is the severity of this action.
While most voters who vote for the ...
You just turned 16 and a half and got your license. Congratulate yourself.
This is a momentous occasion if not a milestone in your life. Not only have you earned the freedom to get from place to place by your own volition, but you have earned yourself a dainty little spot within the RMV's cash crop, otherwise known as licensed teenagers.
A bureaucrat's dream, the RMV licenses kids for driving 50 ...
As October comes to a close, I find that all my friends are making plans for costumes and activities, while neglecting to respect the spirit of Halloween. Swept up by a sense of nostalgia, I compiled a few complaints about how our generation has managed to distort this cherished holiday...and then some others just for the sake of complaining.
First and foremost: my friends don't go trick-or-treating ...
America is divided. There are liberals and there are conservatives. As November 2 draws closer, we are constantly reminded of the division between these groups as the tensions are rising as both groups scratch and claw their way into office or remain in their seats.
With hundreds of seats on the line in Congress and the senate, not to mention individual state legislatures and governorships, both Republicans and Democrats are ...
The other day we walked into a Starbucks for a little overpriced, overrated goodness and came up short. We were flabbergasted.
Our formerly modestly populated Waban Starbucks was packed with South students, most of whom were not from the area, implying that they were there because they genuinely wanted to, and not just for the convenience.
We were bewildered and then suspicious: what was our little neighborhood café chain doing to ...
Where do you like to reflect upon yourself? You know, that special place where you can let your hair down, say anything crazy'€that special place where you feel safe, for there is always someone to help you. We're talking about home. For us, that place is Newton South.
From the moment we stepped into former Principal Salzer's metaphorical embrace, we've felt that South has been there for us. This rare sense ...
While we were all enjoying our Wednesday two weeks ago, perhaps sitting through long-block math or realizing there were actually three classes left instead of two, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River and died.
In an effort to foster 21st century skills and ensure that students have access to adequate technology resources, the Information Technology (IT) Department worked on a significant technology upgrade over the summer.
This upgrade resulted, in part, from a greater discussion about equity between North and South, given the wide range of resources that North will enjoy because of new construction funding. In particular, administrators noted that North received a number ...
Until the beginning of this year, Newton South students enrolled in career and tech ed classes relied on bulky, prehistoric computers from 1999 running on Windows 98 for their projects. In November, a fresh batch of computers will be set up and ready for student use. Say goodbye to old, overweight computers and floppy disks.
As technology and engineering electives do not appear the most popular at Newton South, students in ...