Live Life In Full Bloom

By Jada Blank

Article from the week of February 10, 2026

For a long time, the spring (or vernal) equinox has been celebrated all across the globe as a symbol of renewal and new beginnings. As the sun begins to shine more often, the flowers bloom, and the birds chirp. The cold, dark days are quickly forgotten and light, growth, and energy emerge. Many different cultures hold festivities to mark the start of spring, but not all of them occur on the same dates. Celebrations happen throughout the season, from the beginning of February, all the way through early June. 

You may be wondering, “What day does spring officially begin?” Well, the spring equinox takes place when the sun passes over the equator (south to north), causing sunlight and darkness to be in equilibrium. It sets the stage for warmer months and is tied to the Earth’s rotation. So, if you were to ask an astronomer, they would tell you that the first day of spring is around March 20. The exact day can shift slightly depending on the year. 

Meteorologically, the spring season is the same each year, running from March 1 to May 31. The reason for this is that consistency is very important when analyzing weather data and patterns, so meteorologists need a solid timeline for a season’s start and end. Spring is seen as a transition season because it is common for severe storms to develop (especially in North America) as temperatures actively warm up. 

In various parts of the world, both near and far, rituals are observed to show the new appearance of spring. One of them is known as the “Serpent of Light”. Every equinox, the people gather around the base of an ancient Mayan pyramid (El Castillo) in Chichen Itza, Mexico. They observe the setting of the sun that casts a shadow onto the staircase and gives the illusion of the slithering serpent god. It is believed that this is a way to symbolize the start of the planting season. Furthermore, “Holi” is an old Hindu festival celebrating spring, where people dress in plain clothes and decorate one another with brightly colored plant extracts. The act of simply “balancing eggs” is yet another springtime practice! It was thought to have originated in China, taking place on Li Chun, which is the Chinese “start of spring” (in early February). Eggs are made to stand upright as a symbol of luck and prosperity for the coming year and to represent balance. These are only a few examples of the numerous traditions that have arisen all over the world; some dating back many centuries ago. 

When taking a closer look at several Scottish ways of celebrating spring, we can see how much the people really valued this time of the year. These celebrations, whether they still occur to this day or are seen as a mythical tale from ancient times, hold the purpose of welcoming Alban Eiler or “Light of the Earth” (March 19-23). For example, a tradition that goes by many names, all of which loosely translate to “Lady Day”, took place on the 25th of March. It was most likely there as a way for people to track the proper time for crops to be planted or when it was safe to go sailing. Did you know that we actually celebrate a holiday that began in Scotland? April Fool’s Day was originally known as “Hunt the Gowk” to the Scottish people, meaning hunt the foolish person or the “cuckoo”. Finally, one of the most major and widely known Scottish celebrations is Imbolc. While it represented the feast day of Saint Brigid for Christians, this Celtic festival was primarily associated with the pagan goddess Brigid and the start of spring (the lambing season). The custom of making a straw bed to summon the bride on the first of February was commonly said to bring good luck. 

All of this science, myth, culture, and history aside, there are a few exciting opportunities in our area to engage in springtime events and activities! These include the annual Butter & Eggs Day parade and festival on April 18. It celebrates the rich agricultural history of Petaluma and brings the community together to enjoy festivities and entertainment. In addition, the Cloverdale Citrus Fair takes place February 13-16, there is a Fool’s Day parade on April 4 in Occidental, and the Petaluma Spring Antique fair is on April 26. In order to raise environmental awareness, an Earth Day festival will be taking place in downtown Santa Rosa on the 25th of April that would also be worth attending. That’s not all though… The weekend-long Sebastopol Apple Blossom Parade & Festival will be on April 26 and 27 this year! Finally, one more local tradition that marks a new beginning as spring sets in is the Sonoma International Film Festival; an incredible way to experience films created all over the world. If you are interested, the dates are March 25-29, so make sure to get your tickets soon! 

To check out even more springtime happenings in Sonoma County, you can go to https://golocal.coop/annual-events/ and learn about upcoming events and festivities. Happy almost Spring! 

On the Venezuela Situation, and What Pattern It May Reveal

Article by Charlotte Wilson

Article from the week of Febrary 3, 2026

NOTICE: This is an opinion article containing the subjections of the writer combined with news facts.

The explosion that rang out in the early morning of January 3rd in the new year was one heard around the world. On this day, the US sent its troops into Caracas, Venezuela to capture its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and transport him to New York City. The morning of, when I arose, I checked my usual news outlets (The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic) and was shocked at the onslaught of emails and news notifications bombarding my phone. I distinctly remember turning to my mother and saying, “Well, happy new year, we just bombed Venezuela.” As the result of some research after the fact, I found that the “bombings” were more like a series of strikes, meant to debilitate Maduro’s security and military forces. 

When I first saw the headlines, I was slightly terrified, and I immediately did the one thing you can never do as a journalist: I made an assumption. I took one look at the headlines and thought to myself, “We just kidnapped an innocent man! What the hell?” In reality, the situation has a vast amount of nuances, ones I was lucky enough to sniff out through hours of poring over articles,videos, and news clippings.

As I have continued to research, I’ve also observed those who are doing similarly, though perhaps not quite as thoroughly. Frustratingly, I see most people explicitly taking sides, which baffles me. How can you possibly label this situation as black and white? Right and wrong? This is undoubtedly neither; it is a prime example of moral ambiguity. Let us examine the two main factors of the situation: the capture and the aftermath. The nature in which Maduro was apprehended brings up questions of legality and international law. Is another country’s regime permitted to simply waltz in and “kidnap” the country’s leader? No, that is generally frowned upon, but President Trump has remarked in interviews about his wariness of international law due to its bias against the U.S. and prefers to follow his own moral compass.

On the flip side, Venezuelan people generally despised Maduro, with widespread celebration breaking out following his capture. This is what made me question my first “innocent man” thought, because why would his own country despise him so? Simply put, Maduro was a dictator who essentially elected himself into office without the people’s permission. 

Now for the aftermath, which has been almost as intriguing for me as the event itself. What aftermath, you say? The polarization, dear reader, the polarization. The extreme responses to the situation are, frankly, driving a wedge farther and farther into our country’s partisan relations. This striking event, which certainly will not be the last of its kind, has proved to be the evidence of a pattern of radicality. We’ve seen that radicality from both parties explode into violence like murders and shootings, and it is escalating at an alarming rate. No matter what anyone tells you, two politically charged shootings in the same city within mere weeks of each other is not a normal occurrence. So, I suppose the real question for this article is not “Who was right?”, but rather, “How do we fix this?” One simple practice we can all adopt into our everyday lives is empathy, and we can try to understand what someone else’s opinion might mean to them, in the same way that yours means something to you. By becoming more empathetic—politically, interpersonally, and in general—we create a method of preventing violence and progressing, rather than regressing, to prevent this pattern from continuing. 

The Capture of the Em-Dash

By Charlotte Wilson

Article from the week of January 20, 2026

As our world progresses, denying the presence of AI is futile and will do you more harm than good. AI’s grip on our minds and actions in daily life grows tighter day by day – not always negatively–but not necessarily positively either. Now that I’ve gotten you into the headspace of AI, notice, for a second, the punctuation of my previous sentence. Many people, especially if they deem themselves a writer, recognize that to be an em dash. The em dash–up until recent times–had just been another form of punctuation, joining its siblings the comma and the period to create artful sentences. But now? The em dash has inevitably transitioned from being plain punctuation to a symbol, or, rather, a red flag.

A few months ago, I attended a college panel event where various admissions officers discussed how to craft a successful application. As I scribbled down notes fervently, something one of the panelists said made me look up from my paper. “One of the biggest red flags of an essay written by AI is em dashes.” Em dashes? Immediately, I thought about the problematic nature of that claim. What about the hard-working students who actually know how to use em dashes properly? Is it fair to deem an essay “disqualified” just because of a single type of punctuation being present? We, as observers of the admissions officers’ processes, can only speculate as to how they implement those claims. But one thing is certain: em-dashes have been stolen from us.

If you’ve ever used AI, which I’m sure you have, you’ll notice the overarching use of em-dashes. I do not mean my assumption of your AI use in a negative way, because AI, when used productively and ethically, can in fact be a catalyst for creativity and efficiency. However, it can be quite annoying due to the amount of em-dashes that make their way into project guides, notes, and emails. Recently, OpenAI released a ChatGPT feature called “Your Year With ChatGPT” that recaps your most talked-about topics, intellectual archetype, and, more bizarrely, the number of em-dashes used. Is this a cheeky recognition of increased AI use, a stake claim on writing, or even a subtle glimpse into the future? Perhaps, this is a future where AI stakes its claim on more than just writing. 

For AI to entirely absorb a punctuation mark is humorous in and of itself because, as you will notice, it is used to a point of redundancy. Many times I have had a laugh when I see an em-dash that should be a comma, colon, or semicolon, and it makes me wonder: Why program it like that? Did the humans designing it give it a flaw to keep it in check? Was it to enforce its inferiority? That would indeed be a comforting thought, however, there is a much more unnerving possibility. This is the possibility that it has taught itself into this odd corner, and if it can teach itself at all, what could that mean for us? Science proves humans are memetic, so, is AI modeled after humanity also memetic? ChatGPT’s memory feature is evolving, and if it remembers everything we tell or teach it, it can learn from our flaws to enhance itself. For now, though, it still can’t get past that em-dash hurtle.

It's Giving Performative Student

By Charlotte Wilson

Article from the week of December 9, 2025

You’ve heard about performative men, dominating social media with their quarter-zips and wielding their matcha concoctions, while trying their best to catch the attention of any girl who does so much as bat an eye. Everyone, and I mean everyone, makes it their sole mission to throw shade on these men as they rage-bait and perform their way onto our for-you pages. Why then, do we keep getting so peeved about random men on our screens rather than ourselves and our peers’ performative habits? At some point, we must face the fact that performatism exists in our everyday lives, especially within our education. So much of our educational success is based upon what teachers and our fellow peers see, which is exactly why it’s so present yet so harmful.

The term “performative school spirit” is a broad one, but in a general sense it’s all the extra fluff schools encourage us to pile onto ourselves to be “well-rounded” and “involved” students. “Be your best self, join this club, volunteer here!” In actuality, we may really be losing our identities under the stress instead of being the best versions of ourselves. The pressure to be involved in school as much as possible in order to meet the unrealistic expectations the education system has set is, in my opinion, ridiculous. Not only are we piling on extracurricular activities like they’re hot commodities, but we’re also expected to keep up with mounting piles of homework and take adequate care of our mental health. With all of these unneeded extras, one word comes to mind: busywork. Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse Five, says this about work and time spent: “I get up at 7:30 and work four hours a day. Nine to twelve in the morning, five to six in the evening. Businessmen would achieve better results if they studied human metabolism. No one works well eight hours a day. No one ought to work more than four hours”. Isn’t it ironic that the very authors we learn about in school are essentially telling us that at least half of school-day work is unhealthy? Yes, certain schoolwork and extracurriculars are extremely valuable and worth our time, but what about all those extras? 

One example I can think of is club rush, where many people (myself included) return from the event with roughly four or five clubs under their belt that they will probably end up dropping within a few months.We sign up for those clubs solely to look busy, involved, and like the “perfect” student. The massive weight of expectation and guilt just doesn’t seem right. Who are we trying to impress, and is it healthy? A few answers may come to mind: the school, our parents, our peers, and colleges. As far as colleges go, it’s actually a myth that the students who juggle ten different activities look more eye-catching. No, colleges don’t look for students who decided to reach into a hat and draw out as many extracurricular cards as possible. What they look for is a student who exhibits passion or a sort of “spike”. That passion, which actually turns out to be the goal, is often smothered early on by the pressure to “look good” and be as busy as possible.

For many of us, it didn’t even begin in high school. In Waldorf culture it’s customary to choose an instrument to play for the next 4-8 years when in  fourth grade, which is fabulous in the beginning because you can choose if it’s one of your passions. However, if playing an instrument doesn’t speak to you, why be forced to play it for the next three years? That seems unnecessary and stretched; being forced to “perform” (literally) so we can prove ourselves. The practice of forced participation and involvement in order to be enough continues far past elementary school, and the system may be so flawed that change is  easier said than done. Perhaps, if we focused more on what we as students care about and not what other external factors care that we care about, it could all be worth it in the end.

How Can We Improve Our Safety? 

By Nahara Goodman

Article from the week of December 9, 2025

As a teenager in a public high school, my biggest worries when in school should surround homework, tests, and if I’m being social or not. What should not be my worry is whether or not someone could walk into my school, somewhere that should be a safe place, and hurt my peers and I. Most people recognize that gun usage should be restricted for reasons exactly like this. Students in all schools should have the right to not be scared for their life when they are just getting an education. It should not be a privilege to feel safe. Though Credo is privileged in the way that most feel safe while in school, we are still a public school and an open campus, and there are things we can do to improve our safety.

Credo is an open campus. Not only can anyone walk through our campus, but there are also other businesses and homes right next to us. Does this make the probability of an intruder higher or lower? Some may feel more comfortable due to the fact that because there are so many other places around our school, it gives us our own little bubble, protecting us because of the buildings that surround us. However, some could think the opposite and believe that because there are houses and businesses surrounding us, people we do not know could come onto our campus at any moment. That’s the struggle with an open campus. Even if this person walking their dog seems so friendly, we don’t know that person. The fact that anyone can just walk onto our campus, whether it’s when we are learning or even having our lunch break, is a scary thought. Though I know there’s not much we can do about the open campus because we are a part of SOMO, I think that staff should be just a little more aware of who is walking on and off of our campus. 

Another thing that we can improve is the materials we have for protection. For example, window covers would be something that could be very useful and even prevent injuries and death if there were a shooter in our school. Because most, if not all, of our classrooms have rather large windows looking into the classroom. These can be dangerous due to the fact that those invading the school can look in the classroom and easily see if there is someone in them. Window covers would prevent that. Though Credo does not have the best funding, safety should still be a priority. Adding on to that, there are other ways to make money, such as different kinds of fundraisers. And even though it can be a struggle to get the things we need, there are more actions we can take to ensure the safety of the school. In the two and a half years I have been at Credo, we have not had any type of shooter drill that tells us what to do, how to act, or where to go in the unfortunate situation of there being a shooter at school. I believe having some type of drill like this would make it so students have more information and are more educated on what to do if an unfortunate event, like an intruder being in the school, were to happen.

Do Adults Really Know What It's Like to Be a Teen? 

By Charlotte Wilson

Article from the week of November 11, 2025

If you are reading this and you are a teen, you’ll remember (perhaps not-so-fondly) the moments when the adults in your life have said, “You’ll understand when you’re older.” The cliché and disconnectivity of that statement bring up a question: Do adults really know what it’s like to be a teen? All adults were our age once, and that is an indisputable fact; however being young isn't what it used to be. A lot has changed.

If you are an adult reading this, whether you have children or not, think as you read.Perhaps once you have finished, you’ll have a new view on what the teenage group struggles with and maybe even some newfound compassion. 

Simply put, adults know us, but they don’t really know us. I suppose that isn’t really the simplest way of putting it, but it’s true. Teens are stereotyped and scrutinized on every level: socially, emotionally, and physically, yet they’re judged for not taking their youth seriously. The box of what life for our age group used to be has shrunk as we have grown, and the old world must realize that change is unavoidable and not even necessarily negative. We are told by an innumerable amount of people to “enjoy your youth” because we will become adults so fast, so why are we judged for doing what we enjoy? I cannot tell you how many times I have heard adults throw around derogatory comments about teens who are simply trying to live their lives. 

When someone tells you that you are living your life the wrong way, doesn’t that just seem like they are the ones living their lives wrong? If criticizing a person you know absolutely nothing about is your idea of a constructive use of your time, you might want to sit back and reevaluate. Assumptions are harmful, and grace costs you nothing. Moreover, assuming less of someone based on their age is disgustingly dehumanizing and shallow. For example, think about the movie Freaky Friday: a mom and a teen switch places because they do not understand each other, but in the end, they realize that judging each other is getting them nowhere in life. We often discredit content like this because it is “fictitious, and therefore has no basis in reality”, but where did the fiction come from? The answer is, of course, the complex mind of a human being who knows such an issue exists because all fiction must have some basis in human nature. I’m certainly not saying that we should use fiction as legitimate arguments, but rather that we should observe what lies beneath. 

If grace costs nothing, but judgment and ridicule cost us our time, brain space, and respect, why must it continue? Until a true Freaky Friday moment is reached (an infinitesimal chance, but still), the world will continue to ignore and deride the unseen efforts of teens everywhere. No one gets to see those moments of brokenness where we keep fighting, and no one will take the time to look closer into our passions and quirks. Despite being misunderstood, the teen experience will continue to be painfully beautiful because that part of you that is alive as a teen dies with the cold, abrupt jolt of adulthood, creating a shrine to youth and the desperate wish to go back. 

Christmas in October

By Leila Sherman

Article from the week of November 4, 2025

Last week, as I was driving through Sebastopol, I stopped at a red light next to ACE Hardware. It was as I peered through the window, golden leaves fluttering across my vision, that I saw the snowman. 

I know I am not the only person who has noticed that Christmas decorations seem to come out earlier each year. Last year, I noticed them just after Halloween, and this year they have even preceded our fall holiday. Christmas trees line the walls of the hardware store, huge inflatable snowmen loom over the aisles in Costco, and ornaments hang from the shelves in Michael’s. The more I noticed, the more I began to wonder: Why do we rush into holidays so quickly?

I think the answer many people immediately provide is that it is good marketing. The stores capture early buyers and expand their festive timeline to get as much revenue as they can. Giving people a reason to buy things–and festive decoration is a very good reason–is a wonderful plan to acquire more revenue. However, while this may be part of the reason, I think it actually digs much deeper. In my mind, there is a reason that the holiday timeline expands a little bit, year by year.

I believe this mania for the celebrations months before they arrive is caused by our need for instant gratification, which is becoming more apparent in our world as time goes on. The most obvious example of this is the limbic economy of social media. We live in a world where phones are used to provide immediate rewards, including notifications and the rush of dopamine provided by social media and scrolling. You have probably heard all of this before, so I won’t go in depth. However, this is not the only type of instant gratification that has been normalized. Doordash is specifically made to bring our food to us as fast as humanly possible, with little effort on our part. AI is becoming more and more common for book summaries, so students don’t have to put in the time to read the full book. This lifestyle has impacted our economy at such a tremendous scale that we barely question it in our day to day lives. However, it could be responsible for much of the holiday rush. Holidays, like Halloween, Easter, and Christmas, give us all a little rush of dopamine, which most likely connects to our inner child. They provide a sense of nostalgia, a window into the safe, magical, comfortable world we lived in as kids. They allow us to return to the whimsy of childhood, whether it is running door to door with bags of candy or stringing lights around a Christmas tree, warm despite the chill air outside. The holidays are different for everyone, but we can all agree there is something magical in the air the closer we get to the festivities. 

You may be thinking: “Okay, it makes us nostalgic. Isn’t that a good thing?” And of course! Allowing time for magic to enter back into your life is important for many reasons. But when you combine the joy it brings about with our addiction to dopamine, the result is a Christmas in October.

So the question is, why is this a bad thing? Could it be good that we have more time to celebrate? Here is how I think about it: I believe that the waiting and preparation is an important part of the holidays, just as important as the celebration itself. Thinking back to when I was a child, I remember spending weeks counting down the days until the week before Christmas, when we could finally decorate. The anticipation I felt leading up to it, the excitement and suspense that consumed my young mind, was almost more magical than the celebration itself. Experiencing something that you have been painstakingly waiting for is far more gratifying than spreading it out over a long time. When you consume pieces of it as you approach the holiday, the magic and joy dissipates a little bit, and when the day finally arrives, it feels the same as every day before it. 

I think that when we rush into things too quickly, we forget all the time we could take to enjoy the normalcy of our day to day life. Slowing down and allowing ourselves to feel the excitement and anticipation also allows us to fully appreciate the holidays when they finally roll around. It is important not to forget about the magic of waiting. 

“Art Makes People Alive”: An Interview with Carla Schaareman

By Rory Jones

Article from the week of November 4, 2025

Originally from the Netherlands, Clara grew up surrounded by art. Even though, as she put it with a laugh, “My parents are totally not artistic,” creativity still found its way into her family’s story. “We had a great-grandfather that was a famous painter,” she said. “It’s in our genes. I have a lot of cousins and nephews and nieces who are artists.” Even if her immediate family didn’t practice art, she felt that creativity was something she had inherited and something that would always be part of her life.

Her interest in art began early. “When I was in elementary school, I chose a kind of language arts high school, so I didn’t have to do all the sciences,” she explained. “I knew I was going to go to art school.” That decision set her on a clear path. While many students were still figuring out what they wanted to do, she already felt certain that her life would revolve around creating and exploring.

She went on to study at several art schools in the Netherlands, including the Royal Academy and the Free Academy. Each offered a distinct experience that helped her discover the kind of artist she wanted to become. “The Royal Academy was very classical and very boring,” she said, laughing. After exploring different approaches, she found a place where she could combine her classical training with creative freedom. “It was nice because I was already classically trained, so I had the skills and could develop my concepts, what I wanted to do,” she explained. “I tried everything: printing, painting, drawing, conceptual art, sculpture. I did it all.”

At Willem de Kooning, one of her professors, conceptual sculptor Hepa de Moore, changed her understanding of art entirely. “He changed my way of thinking about my art,” she said. “It was about going deep into yourself to discover where your work comes from.” That idea of looking inward and creating from a place of authenticity has stayed with her ever since.

When she moved to the United States, teaching was not something she had planned to do. “When we moved here, I had a six-month-old baby and a three-year-old,” she said. “I wanted to start a Waldorf daycare when I came to America, but that did not work out.” Later, when her youngest child started kindergarten, she decided to take teacher training. “I did not really know that I wanted to become an art teacher,” she said, “but my director said, ‘No, you are going to high school because you are an artist. You should teach art.’”

Teaching became a natural extension of her creative life. “My favorite part is the people, the high schoolers themselves,” she said. “I learn a lot from my students, and I hope they learn from me.” For her, teaching art is not about achieving perfection but about engaging in the process itself. “It’s not about making a perfect picture,” she said. “It’s about the process, the doing of it. The more you do it, the better you get,like with everything.”

She also believes that art plays an important emotional role, especially in today’s world. “Art plays a very big role nowadays in helping with anxiety and depression, the emotional and mental part of it,” she said. “If you can make something that arouses any kind of emotion, it makes people alive. It brings you alive. It makes you more alive.” Her favorite medium to teach is veil painting, a watercolor technique that is unique to Waldorf schools. “It’s very thin, transparent layers, one on top of another, sparing out the light,” she said. “It’s kind of like painting backwards.” For her, the technique mirrors the process of artistic growth itself, requiring patience, reflection, and care.

While she finds some of the new possibilities of artificial intelligence in art interesting, she remains cautious about its use. “I have seen interesting pieces come out of AI, especially from artists who work with it,” she said. “But I think it is dangerous, especially for people who do not have a lot of willpower. You can just lay back and let AI do it for you. People expect that with the first try, you have a perfect picture. And yes, a computer will do that. But doing it, that’s where you learn.”

Through all of her experiences, she has come to see both art and teaching as lifelong practices of persistence and passion. “Don’t give up,” she said. “Don’t let the world drag you down. If you want to do art, you do art. You can make your living in so many ways when you have studied art. Art is the greatest. It was my greatest gift.”

Silence Is No Option

By Nahara Goodman

Article from the week of October 21, 2025

This time that we live in is not one that many can smile at and say they are proud of. In fact, it’s the opposite. Right now, in the U.S, there are such scary things happening, things that were supposed to stay in history. History is there so we can learn from our mistakes, our unapologetic actions, and the lives that were stripped away. We learn history in order to not repeat it. We learn history because that is the past that all of us hold, and as a country, we must look, study, and push many of its ideas away. However, what's scary is that’s not what's happening. That’s not what I see when I look on social media and see videos of I.C.E agents roaming the streets. That’s not what I see when I watch our president standing over us, trying to rule instead of lead. As proud as I am of the world for going out and protesting, we shouldn't have to. But we are, because we have to do all we can to stop history from writing the same words over and over again. 

History is once again repeating itself. During Donald Trump’s time in office in 2025, we have seen the president trying to strip away the idea of humanity, taking steps back in history, instead of forward. In June, 2025, Trump launched a mass-deportation campaign, setting a goal that 1 million immigrants be deported per year. Enforcement actions under this campaign are allowed to target sensitive locations, such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship. These acts mirror oppressive patterns, such as normalizing the abuse of power to suppress rights, targeting communities, and restricting the right of free speech.Such actions threaten the protection that has been designed to prevent the repetition of historical abuse. In addition, Trump has filed lawsuits against several newspapers and journalists. For example, in September of 2025, he filed a 15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and many of its journalists, saying that the paper prompted a “fact free narrative” about both his business and personal character. Many people, including legal experts and press freedom advocates, have stated that lawsuits like this one resemble lawfare. Lawfare, in relation to journalism, is the usage of legal systems to harass, intimidate, and silence journalists. Attempting to silence the opinions of journalists and those that don't agree with people in power is a tactic seen throughout history. These efforts to rid people of the press threaten our fundamental rights. 

The people are not silent and have organized and executed many protests. A major one that took place recently was the second “NO KINGS” protest, which was a worldwide protest that took place on Saturday, October 18th. These protests are our way of speaking out and standing up, not only for ourselves, but also for those who cannot. Many U.S. citizens recognize that we are repeating patterns in history, as if we didn’t realize that this pattern was blood stained many years ago. The things that are happening to our home are honestly a bit terrifying. Families are being ripped apart, and people are losing their fundamental rights as humans. When the people who are supposed to lead us to a brighter future are leading us back to the darkness of the past, then yes, we will fight. We too will repeat history, repeating the protests and the actions of fighting back. We fought to be where we are today, and we will not give that up by staying silent.

AI Can Not Take Our Jobs or Replicate Our Soul

 By Nahara Goodman

Article from the week of October 6, 2025

As a student in high school, I see AI all around me. When life becomes too busy and school work from every class becomes too overwhelming, it’s rather tempting to use a tool that’s easy and quick. This has seemingly become a need in the business of everyday life. However, as a student writer, I have come to understand that AI isn't all that when it comes to writing. As smart as artificial intelligence is, it’s just not human, and because it lacks the quality of being human, it also lacks the feelings that we as flesh and bone feel everyday. This ultimately means that AI can not take writers jobs because it does not have the emotional intelligence.  

AI can not feel what you as a reader feel and what I as a writer feel because it does not contain emotion, just information. Writers put their all into their writing, whether that’s stories, poems, argumentative essays, or even the essays that may feel like a drag to do. It’s part of our job as writers to put ourselves into the writing and to connect with the readers, making them feel and relate with what are supposed to be just words on a page. AI can not show the emotion that a real person holds in their writing because it is just artificial intelligence. We as humans have real experiences. We live in real life, and because of that, we can convey real emotion. Reading an amazing piece of work makes you feel the soul, the pain, the joy, the despair, and the life of the writing. That's what writing is, and AI just can’t convey it.

Many people have shown worry around the idea that AI is taking over jobs, particularly in the department of writing. However, I do not believe that this can happen. Yes, AI is technically an all knowing source of intelligence, but the thing is—AI only tells you what you should do, how to follow the structure, and how to fit into a box. That's not what writing is about. In fact, it’s the opposite. Writing is about going outside the box that is supposed to confine you, it’s about letting your emotions breathe, and it’s about letting everyone else know they are not alone in what they are feeling.

 “A story is not simply a mental skill or the ability to recite certain storytelling formulae. It is an embodiment.” Says K.M. Weiland, an internationally published author  “Indeed, some of our best authors couldn’t recite a formula or articulate story theory to save their lives—and yet they have written deeply embodied works of art that have not only connected with the collective subconscious but evolved it”  Writing is not about what should be done. It’s about what you can do.

Writing is about the emotion you put into your words and the story and thought behind the ink on the lines. I hope that no one ever takes that for granted, and that no one ever takes a writer's job for granted. And I hope we can recognize that AI can’t overtake this because writing is a gift that can’t be replicated or improved by a computer. 

How are tariffs affecting the local community, specifically a parent who works in the wine industry?

By Sophie Loranger

Article from the week of October 6, 2025

We have all read those long and analytical reports on the rise of tariffs in the New York Times. However, when looking at how this affects a local parent at Credo High School, can we really understand how these new taxes are changing the market. 

Ryan Anderson, the director of purchasing (for the division of Last Bottle wine company,) at digital beverage group shared some of his insights. ¨We bring in quite a few containers [of wine] a year, probably anywhere between 82-100 containers of wine a year. So when you think about the amount of wine that we're bringing into the US, tariffs are a major disruptor to the business.¨ 

If companies raised the prices in our current economy, the velocity of sales on the product would slow down. Instead, many businesses are absorbing those tariffs themselves, which is difficult when most of DBGś partners are small European wineries that cannot afford to absorb the %15 tariff. There is talk of splitting it, perhaps 7.5/7.5 or 5/10. Even then, the most important part is not losing the partnerships (some of which have lasted over 13 years!), as well as protecting the financial stability of Digital Beverage Group.

Another aspect of challenge is the abundance of old goods in the U.S. This is especially difficult for businesses who are trying to bring in new goods, in this case wine, because they have to compete with the old product. These older wines are set at the old price, which is tricky to compare when the new goods are %30 more. The solution is to either change the cost of those older wines, slowing the sales, or to hold the price, which is going to hurt the business down the road. In addition to the tariffs and added trouble of the weak US dollar, and high EU exchange rate, this is a real dilemma. 

Assuming these tariffs are sticking around, the cost is going to catch up to businesses and it is the consumer who is going to suffer. We will really start to see the rise of this in the upcoming six months and when going forward, we have to remember that locals support locals. Sometimes US products are even better than imports, even when that velvety, fruity Merlot, from Bordeaux, is calling your name!   

How Grades and Homework Affect Teen Health

By Nahara Goodman

Article from the week of September 29, 2025

Being a teenager in high school means that at times, it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Being a teenager in high school at a rigorously academic school such as Credo means that feeling does not lessen. Students put blood, sweat, and tears into being top students, getting the best grades, and completing all their work, and this does pay off but at what expense? The standards of students academically and the workload put on them can not only affect their mental state but also their social life which can lead to problems in mental health due to the lack of having a healthy balance.  

 High school students' mental health can be greatly affected due to the academic pressure put on them. According to the American Psychological Association, around 70% of high school students experience stress due to academic pressure. This stress can ultimately lead to harmful outcomes such as; growing feelings of anxiety, self doubt, and even depression when trying to meet the high expectations placed on them by school, parents(guardians), and even themselves. Academic pressure can not only affect students' mental health but also influence their physical health. For example, students may develop sleeping disorders such as insomnia and begin to have changes in appetite such as overeating or skipping meals due to stress. Headaches and fatigue and pushing away basic needs such as sleep are also common signs of overworking. Over time, this constant exhaustion, anxiety, and physical weakness becomes a part of their everyday life, it becomes “normal”, this cycle that can not be broken. Martina Morabito, a junior here at Credo, explains her experience with these problems; “Academic pressure adds a lot of stress and anxiety in my life. It leads me to feel just emotionally overwhelmed. It heavily affects me–almost everyday I’m overwhelmed by school” she says. Martina is a hardworking, straight A student, but you can see from her thoughts that even if you get the grades and do the work, that doesn't mean you are immune from holding the weight that academic pressure puts on you. 

 Academic workloads can also negatively affect students' social life, which in turn affects both their mental and physical health. When teenagers are constantly drowning in assignments, projects, and homework from every class, it can often result in not having enough time or energy to spend time with friends, family, and partake in physical activity. Over time this lack of a life outside of school can take a toll on the overall well-being of teenagers, which can lead to feelings of loneliness, which may increase levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Having social connections can help manage these challenges and play a role in helping your physical and mental health. Strong relationships can help emotionally support and improve bad habits and physical activity. We can see the issue with even clearer eyes when we hear from the students themselves.“Physical movement definitely helps my mental health” Martina says “but it kinda becomes this negative thing because I have so much homework. It takes away from my ability to go do physical activity without making myself more stressed” 

Academic pressure and heavy workloads have significant effects on the mental, physical and social well being of teenagers in high school. Stress from high expectations can lead to negative effects such as self doubt, depression, and anxiety, as well as physical issues such as headaches and insomnia. In addition to this, the demands of schoolwork can limit the needed amount of social interaction which is essential for maintaining a balance between school and taking care of yourself, which is crucial for teenagers. With support from teachers, parents, and schools, the negative impact of the academic workload can improve.

How Technology Affects Reading

 By Charlotte Wilson

Article from the week of September 29, 2025

When many of us were young (take that with a grain of salt, if you will), we would happily pick up a book recommended by a friend, or perhaps one that simply caught our attention, and read. I say many because not all children in our generation have had this experience. Still, I know myself and others can relate, especially if you were brought up in the Waldorf education system. Even then, the way we entertained ourselves 6-8 years ago was vastly different from how we spend our time now. 

In the present day and age, if you ask almost any teenager what they truly do in their free time, and not just what they would like to do or feel they should, they would say something relating to technology. “Technology” as an umbrella term includes the ever-evolving cell phone, which was not as advanced when we were young as it is now, due to the newfound algorithmic stimulation built into it. Today, to find some way to erase boredom from our lives, all we have to do is open an app, and voila: All emptiness is thereby numbed. But if we look back (yes, permission to dwell on the past granted), there were times that simple words on a page could transport you to a different dimension; a time and place where life did not matter, yet a new life could be born. Those captivating sentences that fed our fantasies are now (for some, not all) limited to the English classroom, between pages and pages of assigned reading. The fantasy is often gone from those pages, replaced by forced connections, and stripped of any relatability by transforming reading into a chore. 

So should we be asking ourselves the question, “Should we be reading more for fun?” Should is a pushy word, but I definitely think it’s something to be considered. After all, reading is either a window into someone else’s life or a mirror that relfects the challenges and triumphs of our own. By learning from these mirrors and windows, we can look more deeply into our own lives with purpose and introspection. 

Some would argue that listening to an Instagram reel or watching a movie does just the same, and that hearing someone talk about their own life through a video serves the same purpose as a dusty book, but does it? That person most likely did not spend hours and hours under lamplight, contemplating what to say in their thirty second clip, but authors do. The passion and emotion that flows onto the page through writing can be felt in a way no algorithm could replicate. After reading this, maybe you aren’t immediately compelled to scramble for a book, but just take a moment and think: is there something better you could do? Could that something be reading a book, and if not, what could it be?