As technology has advanced, it has become much more prevalent in classrooms across the world. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, schools became increasingly reliant on technology. Students participated in classes fully online, causing a shift from assignments on paper to assignments on a laptop. Even now, school revolves around laptops and Smartboards. The question is, does technology affect education positively or negatively? To answer this, it is essential to first consider the evolution of technology over the years as well as the effects Covid has had on education. Before Covid, many schools gained technology intending to improve the education of students. At this time, most assignments were still on paper and laptops weren’t predominant in classrooms. After lockdown and as students began returning to class, many, if not all assignments rem online formats. This shows that as technology has become more important to school, education has certainly changed. Numerous studies have been done to decide if this change is good or bad.

Let’s begin with technology’s negative effects on education. Research shows that typing is a less effective way to take notes than writing can be looked at. A study was conducted that tested students who typed their notes and students who hand wrote their notes. Both groups were tested on information immediately after taking notes. The results clearly showed that students who handwrote their notes did better on the test. This allowed them to conclude that handwriting notes is more effective than typing because handwriting activates areas of the brain that are responsible for memory while typing doesn’t. Because of this, using technology to take notes is a less effective way of learning. This shows that using more technology in the classroom can be a less effective way of teaching. Another negative effect of technology is that students become very reliant on technology. Because assessments and assignments are often online, students are heavily relying on the answers being online as well. Because this information isn’t always correct, it can be misleading to students and give them wrong information. For younger students, good handwriting skills are going extinct. Technology also provides a distraction for students in class because it is so accessible. As shown, more technology in classrooms has certainly had negative effects.

On the other hand, it has also had positive effects. For example, education has become more accessible for students. If a student is sick, they can access their school work throughout the day instead of waiting to get paper copies when they return to school. Along with more accessibility, technology can also increase student collaboration. Group projects that would not be possible without technology can now happen. Technology also makes receiving feedback from other students much easier. It provides teachers with more tools to assign students hands-on learning experiences, allowing students to learn better. Students have the ability to use search engines to look up unanswered questions and additional information to complete assignments. This can make schoolwork more motivating to students, allowing them to complete their assignments and receive better grades. Technology also provides students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. For example, online planners and calendars allow students to keep track of their assignments.

Do the positive effects of technology outweigh the negative? Well, it does help students to be successful in the classroom when used in moderation, but it is not hard to become overly reliant on technology and allow it to become a disadvantage and a distraction. In conclusion, although there are positive effects of technology in the classroom, it has had an overall negative effect on students.

— Emma Javor

With the raging war in Ukraine, people are fleeing and becoming refugees in countries all around the world. Over 5 million refugees have left Ukraine and moved into bordering countries to escape the horrors of war. Because of the excessive amount of people and families escaping Ukraine, countries with high numbers of refugees, like Poland and Moldova, plead for international help. They fear more money is needed to allow refugees to stay. And even though so many people have been successful at escaping war-ridden Ukraine, many people still residing within the country have been also displaced due to Russian attacks. Because of the harsh conditions the refugees within Ukraine are in, the United Nations along with other organizations have provided Ukrainian refugees with money to buy food, a delivery service that sends necessities, beds for bomb shelters, and transit points for people to leave the country. Obviously, the large number of refugees both inside and outside the borders of Ukraine have had to go through so much, but some other major problems could be caused by the large number of refugees.

For example, as Ukrainians leave, there is a risk of human trafficking. Because of this, some countries that are collecting a lot of refugees have installed police at the borders to watch for criminal activities. Along with this, children have also been assaulted. Because the war is deadly and has killed so many, some children are left to escape the war themselves. This is why unaccompanied minors make up a significant part of the refugee population. Luckily, organizations like UNICEF have set up camps for orphaned children to protect them. Other major issues include the discrimination of non-European people. For example, Ukrainian-Indians and African Ukrainians have faced poor treatment at the borders. Another issue faced by Ukrainians is bringing their animals and pets out of Ukraine and into another country. Many EU countries have restrictions regarding the international travel of pets, which has made it hard for Ukrainians to get both themselves and their pets to safety. As all these issues are occurring, it is predicted that they will only get worse as more Ukrainians leave in hopes of finding safety. What can we do to help Ukrainians who are dealing with these problems?

All around the world, people and organizations are doing things to make the life of Ukrainian refugees a bit easier. For example, many organizations are offering volunteer opportunities and ways to donate money, food, and other supplies to this crisis. Some people have even taken Ukrainian refugees into their homes. Out of all these, it is most accessible to donate money to organizations like LIRS that will give your money directly to Ukrainian refugees to help them rebuild their lives. Overall, the Ukrainian refugee crisis shows the awful effects of war.

— Emma Javor

No matter what anyone is going through, no matter the circumstances, we can see that there is some good news shining in the darkness. This week’s good news stems from an event that took place last week on February 25. Mini-THON is an event that raises awareness and fundraises money for childhood cancer. Right here at Kennett High School, we saw many different people come together to help those affected by the disease and their families. Students, clubs, teachers, and administration; all attended and donated to raise almost $50,000 towards the cause. The total amount for the event will continue to grow, as Mini-THON has two more large fundraisers in the spring. This combined effort would not be possible without what happened behind the scenes.

Club presidents Hayley Magana and Grace Pruitt ran this event along with the junior chairs, Clara Morrison and Sadie Maxwell. They gathered a committee of about 20 people to help, whom we all can thank personally for organizing and putting together this event. Without their help, this event would not have been possible. Additionally, we saw many related acts of kindness. Some of these included people outside of the club stepping in to help Mini-THON become a reality. So many people volunteered to help fundraise for childhood cancer. From decorating the library to hosting events, people helped out in all different ways. Recall how Dr. Hritz performed his original song and ran 42 miles for childhood cancer on the same day!

Everyone’s combined efforts for this event led to a successful, kindness-filled day. Without the initiative of Hayley Magana and Grace Pruitt and their rallying of the junior chairs and Humanitarian club, this wouldn’t have been possible. Due to all the volunteers, faculty, students, clubs, parents stepping up to the cause putting in all the hard work this was one of the greatest acts of kindness of this week and will support many children and their families. We thank them for their kindness and look forward to upcoming Mini-THONs.

— Chase Sangine

To understand the current conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, it is essential to first know the tension-filled history between the two nations. Ukraine, also known as the crossroads of Europe and Russia, has wanted to become more of an independent country, however, its close relations with Russia in the East competing with its ties to western Europe and the US make this difficult. After voting for independence from Russia after the Cold War in 1991, Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s Partnership for Peace in 1994. Russia, however, disapproved of NATO’s Eastern expansion. In 1997, during a NATO Summit, the Ukrainian president exchanged documents with the NATO Secretary-General to deepen Ukraine’s relationship with the organization. Fast forward a few years later to 2004, during an election, the country is split between those who want closer ties to the European Union, NATO, and the West, and those who want to partner with Russia in the East. Russia felt threatened by the potential of Europe controlling Ukraine. Protests broke out after the Ukrainian president rejected a deal to become more integrated with the European Union economy. This led to Ukraine’s president fleeing the country and leaving Russia to govern. Russia first took control of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine and wanted to make Crimea a part of Russia. In mid-2014, the conflicts strengthened when Russia brought its military into Ukraine, and violence increased after Ukraine resisted. Overall, Russia sees Ukraine making agreements with the EU as a threat. This conflict has become known as the Russo-Ukrainian War and has been years long.  Since mid-2014, many more conflicts have occurred. Recently, the violence has sharply escalated. Beginning in October 2021, Russian troops have been deployed to the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainians took this as a threat of invasion. With no direct explanation as to why this was happening, the Ukrainians feared further conflict. In December 2021, Russia demanded that Ukraine reduce the amount of NATO military equipment and withdraw all troops within the country. Russia also forced Ukraine to cut ties with NATO. 

Over the past couple of weeks, the conflict has once again worsened, after Russia invaded Ukraine. Key cities have been destroyed, including the capital, Kyiv. Tanks roam the streets and Russian missiles bomb the cities. Families have been broken apart because Ukrainian men of a certain age must stay back to fight. Although over a million people have been displaced, the attacks have continued. Along with the raging conflict, Russia has committed numerous war crimes throughout the invasion. Other countries in Europe and around the world are doing all they can to help Ukraine and weaken Russia. Many countries stand with Ukraine and have been giving defense weapons to the Ukrainian army to help them fight off the Russians. The reason these countries haven’t been actively involved in fighting the Russians out of Ukraine is largely fear of starting a third world war, which would negatively impact the entire world. Another example of how other countries have been helping Ukraine and weakening Russia is by placing economic sanctions on Russia. Along with this, many Russian banks have been removed from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, also known as SWIFT. The sanctions and the removal from SWIFT have caused the Russian currency to be worth less than a cent of the U.S. dollar.  This is a huge drop from what it was worth before the invasion.  

Although Russia has been slightly weakened, the threats of other countries have been ignored by Putin and Russia. The bombings, airstrikes, and war crimes have continued. As of Friday, March 4th, the Russian military has gained control of many towns close to the Russian-Ukraine border and has continued to advance further into Ukraine. The Russian military has still not gained control of the capital, Kyiv, but has seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power systems. This nuclear power facility is the largest in Europe and the attack by Russia caused a massive fire that has since been extinguished. Luckily, the radiation levels are normal, but it is under debate whether the destruction of this power plant is a war crime or not. Despite this, Russia continues to get closer to the second-largest Ukrainian nuclear power facility. This shows that Russia plans to continue using excessive military force to gain control of Ukrainian cities and towns. The plan of the Russian military is to attack smaller towns until they give in to Russian control. The Russians hope that this will demolish Ukrainian culture and hurt the hope Ukraine has for getting rid of Russia. This makes it clear that Russia is attacking to kill the population of Ukraine and gain as much control as they can.

The death rate nearing 10,000 people total. 43 million people remain in Ukraine, but over one million have evacuated and are seeking refuge in European countries bordering Ukraine. Because so many people still remain in Ukraine, countries like Poland and Belarus bordering Ukraine have concerns regarding taking in the large number of refugees that will likely come soon. To help with this, other countries, like Brazil, are willing to take in refugees, allowing them to work and live in Brazil.

Some possibilities for the future of the Russia-Ukraine conflict include a war between NATO and Russia. If NATO were to send in planes to shoot down Russian bombers as an attempt to stop the violence, a world war would break out quickly. The U.S. will also likely become involved if a world war were to break out. Another possible outcome is Russia winning the war and gaining Ukraine as Russian territory. Because the war has caused Russia’s political system to crumble, Putin could be taken out of office for initiating the war and displacing so many. After the conflict ends, Russia’s relationship with the rest of the world will likely be changed in a negative way. This conflict highlights the willingness of the rest of the world to prevent war and gain peace.

— Emma Javor

Social media has impacted our generation in unexplainable ways. Kids are exposed to explicit content and teenagers are left mentally drained. As a whole, we are left to question how this is possible and what we can do to abate this issue.

First, we need to acknowledge a real problem: young children are on social media. Kids that do not meet the age requirements for social networks are making accounts and therefore, being introduced to mature topics. It’s more than trying to help a child mentally mature, it’s adults who don’t know when to draw the line. Remember when you would have fun with your friends on the playground, and someone took a toy you were playing with? It felt like the end of the world. Now imagine the pain of your little brother, sister, or child finding a video on social media containing graphic content. One thirty-second video can cause such trauma, confusion, and anxiety that no child should ever feel.

But, we can avoid this ginormous blunder. As a society, we are not obligated to give kids any sort of access to social media. Whether it’s blocking particular apps or not giving them a device, it all works the same. We are all in charge of protecting future generations. Giving them a clean slate is the least we can do.

Generation Z grew up with phones and the most advanced technology humanity has ever seen. It is not a surprise adolescents are ‘addicted’ to their phones; it’s the norm. For years we have been advised to be careful on social media, as it is dangerous for anyone involved. We know about stranger danger and talking to people you don’t know but in some circumstances, teens are not fully aware of the mental troubles social media can cause. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on my phone, but too much screen time can cause depression, loss of sleep, and low self-esteem. It is important to give yourself a break! Your health and happiness should come before anything else, and it should be made a priority.

Understanding the way social media affects us humans is the first step to resolving these obstacles. Proceed on social networks with caution, and know when you are risking your safety or health. Help out your fellow children with social media complications they may be facing, and we’re one step closer to healing the toxic environment created over the internet.

— Emily Gavin