Wednesday, December 9, 2015

NHS hosts first Winter Formal

Brooke Black, Jacqui Vergis, and Catherine Donahue
Staff Writers

The Eagle Fire Company will host our school’s first annual Winter Formal dance on Dec. 18. This dance is quite different in comparison to dances previously known amongst New Hope Students, for it includes not only a dinner and a DJ, but also a Lion King nomination pageant for students to participate in and enjoy.
 The Lion King event started with every grade level choosing their three kings, and the top three votes of every grade were nominated to win the Lion King Pageant. To prepare for the pageant, the nominees have to learn a dance choreographed by Kathleen Tangradi which they will be performing at the dance for everyone to see!
 The winners will be chosen the night of the dance. Run by the officers of the sophomore class, this event has undergone months of planning in hopes of an excellent school wide turnout, with many students excited for its arrival. Kathleen Tangradi says, “I hope everything turns out fabulous, I can’t wait to spend time with my girls and even my boys out on the dance floor. I am also excited for all the scrumptious food to choose from.”
 The price for this event depends on the time of purchase. Tickets are $20 for underclassmen, $15 for juniors, and $10 for seniors. At first, the tickets were going to bump up to $25 during the week of Dec. 7-11, and anytime after Dec. 11, tickets were going to be $30. Sadly, many students were not as excited as Kathleen, and students did not sign up in enough time causing ticket prices to be lowered, meaning that a large profit will not be made. Hopefully, next year the event will become more of an instant success.
 If there is a good turnout, students, teachers, and class officers alike are hoping for more winter formals to come in the future. Most think that the Lion King pageant will be a hit, which hopefully will trigger even more excitement. Overall, the Winter Formal will succeed as long as the students of New Hope show the same enthusiasm they do for almost every other school-sponsored event.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Top 3 local mountains to try this season

Alec Coburn
Staff Writer

The outlook this winter is not looking good so far. We are into December and the temperature has yet to drop below freezing. However, we must have faith that the skiing gods will come through and let it snow on the east coast!

We always hear people talking about all the destination ski resorts around the country and where to go as well as what to do there. Nobody ever talks about what is in their own backyard. Your resident snow sports expert is here to break down the top 3 local ski destinations for the season.

1. Big Boulder Park- Affiliated with Jack Frost mountain, boulder is about 15 min down the road. This hill is for those who love to ride park. Even with the lack of snow boulder is open and has its loyal fan base coming out in full support. It promises to be a great spot this year to stomp that trick you have been working on all summer.

2. Blue Mountain- Although not open yet, Blue is on the rise with a newly built lodge and locker area as well as a family friendly face. Last year Blue stepped up its park setup game. I was surprised to see the kind of features they had last year. Blue also has expanded its terrain so there is more on trail skiing for the whole family.

3. Bear Creek- The great advantage to Bear Creek is that it is close by. The trip can be done in less than an hour and is ideal for anyone looking to learn. It is definitely a beginner mountain with a modest terrain park. Bear creek is great if you are looking to get some quick runs in before you have to go to work later that day.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Transgender Discrimination in Correctional Facilities

Charlotte Haigh and Victoria Siano
News Editors  

Transgender people, women in particular, have been facing many issues lately revolving around their treatment in correctional facilities as a result of their gender identity. While some of these issues happen with people regardless of gender, it has shown to be more prevalent within the transgender community.
 Transgender women are more likely to be arrested than the population at large, but not always due to fair reasons. Trans people are at high risk of police discrimination, and some have been arrested merely based upon their appearance. Others may turn to illegal activities to support themselves after employment discrimination.
 These people are subjected to harassment routinely and face risks while held in custody. According to the Government Accountability Office’s analysis on sexual assault and immigration detention, between October 2009 and March 2013 three of the 15 confirmed cases involved a transgender woman. This is a disproportionate amount considering that the population of transgender people in immigrant detention is less than 1 percent.
 A common solution to ensure safety involves placing them in solitary confinement. This has, however, proven to be more similar to an act of punishment than to protection.
 While in solitary confinement, transgender inmates are at a higher risk of assault by guards. In addition, they are deprived of group therapy and educational programs, which can have psychological effects on the inmates, such as thoughts and attempts of suicide or self-harm.
    Authorities are working to find the best solution to keep transgender inmates safe. In August, Rikers Island in New York opened a housing unit specifically for transgender women. Another plausible solution is allowing such people to be assigned to housing by gender identity, as opposed to their assumed gender.
 The underlying issue of discrimination could be addressed by better staff training to prevent assault and harassment at jailing facilities, and full access to healthcare for all inmates.