Story and Photo by Kaylee Friend

            “Your body, your rules.”  Easy to say, easy to believe.  But society begs to differ.  Tattoos.  Piercings. Clothing choice.  Makeup.  Height.  Weight.  Hair color and style.  All being judged by the people around us.
            A recent study done by Insites Consulting found that less than 10 percent of girls were truly satisfied and happy with their bodies.  Our bodies are not good enough.  We’re too fat.  Too skinny.  To flawed.  Too fake.  Too natural.  Too normal.  Too different.  What …

Story and Photo by Quinn Baillie
To say my generation is “doomed” is a bold assertion.  In fact, it’s a blatantly incorrect assertion, yet I still hear the words uttered from the mouths of my elders all the time.  According to those age 50 and over, I’m detached.  I’m addicted to technology.  I can’t spell because I don’t read books, all I do is text.  Yes, I text constantly.  I play violent video games and am surrounded by sex in the media and am terribly self-centered.  My generation is apparently the worst …

Photo and Story by Claudia Seravalli
As members of the East High Community, we all become exposed to the highly accomplished and intelligent population that has existed here for so many generations. Consequently, when it gets to be that dreaded time of year for the ACT exam – or more commonly, AP testing – the air of anxiety is incredibly tangible. This thick cloud of stress and tension can be found concentrated in areas like the library, a haven before school and during lunch for the round-the-clock studiers. Fortunately this pays …

By: Ashley Springman
“Better leave her behind with the kids, they’re alright, the kids are alright,” chants the popular British band, The Who, throughout their hit song “The Kids are Alright”. Unfortunately, no matter how many times The Who will say, sing, or even scream that well known song, the kids of our generation are most certainly not alright.
Naturally, teens want to be respected, to be looked up to. They strive to be the dominant being, or “adult,” of their group. This may encourage early independence and maturity, but more …

Story and photo by: Sara Donovan
Initially when looking at statistics I was especially aware of the rising drug and alcohol rates and was immediately skeptical that teenagers today are truly alright.  I pondered criminal rates and rising substance abuse and thought about all of the mishaps of teenagers today.  After further observation I thought about the insightful and successful adolescents today and how they fail to be recognized.
Student athletes both at Lincoln East High School and locally prove to me and society that the teenagers today are alright.  I searched …

Story and Photo by Conner Dwinell
In 2008, the New York Times cited a study by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, claiming that for every hour of popular music teenagers listen to, they receive around 35 references to substance abuse.  It seems that, in last decade, popular music has become increasingly focused on illegal activity and less on actual meaning.
Take the song “Started From the Bottom” by Drake which repeats the phrase “Started from the bottom now we’re here” for practically the entire duration of the song and reached …

Story and Photo by: Mackenzie Busekist
Today’s youth are being constantly stimulated through electronic devices. Everyday they spend hours and hours on their electronics trying to stay up to date with the latest gossip. Our world is always changing–one day you’re right and the next you’re wrong. It is a constant whirlwind of celebrity gossip, selfies and twitter fights.
Technology has taken over our day-to-day routines, making it easier for us to do the things we want to do. But is this really their fault? Or is it the older generation that …

Story and Photo by Imani Wilson
Since when did a backpack become exercise equipment?  Students all across the United States come home carrying up to 50 lbs. of books on their shoulders.  According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Between 2010 and 2011, backpack injuries in kids aged 5 to 18 increased 6.5 percent, from 12,924 to 13,766.”   Why must students carry around this extra load?
According to the 2012 article Do Students Have Too Much Homework, “since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, the academic …

Story and Photo by Sarah Penner

“Of course, not all students find the classroom such a crucible. But in today’s landscape of high-stakes testing and frenzied college admissions, experts worry that school stress takes a toll on too many.” WebMD “Coping with School Stress” by Katherine Kam
The kids of our generation are different in many ways, but if there is one thing we have in common, it’s school. In the United States, as minors we are required to go to school. Some kids like this while others, not so much. Whether …

Story and Photo by Chloe Kessler
Modern youth are afflicted by many problems. It would be extraordinarily easy to gravitate on these issues and neglect the prevailing trends that indicate otherwise. However, a quick look down the hallways of Lincoln East High School makes it remarkably clear that this new generation is more tolerant, more generous, and more receptive to change.
Just ask the high percentage of young voters who gave their support to America’s first black president in 2008. If that number doesn’t suffice, adopt a purely observational perspective and watch …