Veteran’s Recognized in Cyrus Irish Auditorium

Lowell, MA- LHS Reserve Officer Training Corps recognizes military Veterans today in the Cyrus Irish Auditorium in observance of the Veteran’s Day national holiday tomorrow Friday, November 11.

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ROTC Cadets Chhanraskmey Chhoun, Dorcas Bahati and Stefane Silva are participating in today’s Veteran’s Day ceremony.

 

Trump and Clinton in Tight Race after Student Exit Polls

By Stephane Silva

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Student Council sponsored and organized the Mock Election held on Friday in the Murphy Cafeteria and other locations on campus.

Lowell, MA- Student exit polls on Friday indicate that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are in a very tight race after the Mock Election held at LHS.

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Students cast votes in the Murphy Cafeteria.

The student exit polling is not scientific and the actual results will be announced by the Student Council later today.  Exit polls are informal surveys outside the polling place to understand how and why people voted.

LHS  Digital  Newspaper surveyed 15 student voters randomly in the Murphy Cafeteria on Friday during lunch 2 and 3 after the students voted.

“Trump is going to be better for American business and trade agreements,” said one Senior girl in L2.

Among students polled candidates received the following votes: Republic Nominee Donald Trump, 6 votes, Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton 5 votes, Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson, 2 votes, and Green Party Nominee Jill Stein, 1 vote.

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Student voters at the LHS polls.

“I don’t like either Hillary and Trump and Jill Stein has great ideas for the environment and for America compared to other candidates,” said Senior boy in L2 after casting his vote.

Students were left anonymous to encourage their participation in the exit polling.

The Clinton campaign received positive news on Sunday when the FBI Director James Comey stated there would not be any charges against Hillary Clinton as part of an investigation of her emails as Secretary of State.  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/us/politics/hilary-clinton-male-voters-donald-trump.html?ref=todayspaper

Students expressed some frustration with the ongoing personal attacks between the campaigns.

“Johnson will make a bigger difference on the issues because Clinton and Trump are so focused on personal attacks,” said Sophomore girl in L3 after voting.

The national election for President of the United States takes place tomorrow November 8.  There is no school in Lowell due to the election.

Mock Election in Murphy Cafeteria Today

Lowell, MA-  Decisions, Decisions.  Vote today, Friday. Results Monday.

Students and Staff can cast a vote for President of the United States and  3rd Congressional District candidates as part of the Mock Election 2016 in the Murphy Cafeteria, in Freshman Advisory and at the Faculty offices.

School voters have the chance to cast votes for Democratic Nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican Nominee Donald J. Trump, Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party Nominee Jill Stein.

Donald Trump visits Lowell, MA

Student Council plans to announce the results on Monday, November 6 at lunch and over the LHS public announcement system.

According to Student Council announcements, the votes will be tallied by each candidate’s total and also total votes cast for each candidate from each student class year.

Voting takes place throughout the day in the Murphy Cafeteria at all lunches, in the Main office for faculty and staff, in the Freshman Academy Main Office and in Freshman Advisories.

The Student Council organizes the Mock Election each year as a way for the school to model civic action prior to the November election.

Voters can also cast a vote for the 3rd Congressional District candidates of Democratic Incumbent Nicki Tsongas and Republican nominee Ann Wofford.

The Social Studies Department website has offered resources  for community, student, and staff use prior to the election: http://lhs-social-studies.weebly.com/2016-election-resources.html

 

 

Young and Passionate

By Janelle Kelleher

Lowell, MA- Rarely, a young, intelligent girl has it all planned out. But it is possible.  One LHS student has a passion for surgery.

Nickolaine “Nikki” Encarnacion, a 15-year-old LHS sophomore, has her entire life planned out. Nikki has recently moved to this City this past July from New Jersey.

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Nikki Encarnacion                     Photo: Janelle Kelleher

As a child in Passait, New Jersey, she played as a doctor. This game of dress up turned into something more serious when she later decided that she wanted to become a medical surgeon. Nikki enjoys the thought of helping people which is what inspired her to become a medical surgeon.

Nikki said, “It’s funny. I don’t like doctors at all, but I just have the spirit for becoming a surgeon.”

Nikki’s aunt, a role model to her, inspired her to become a surgeon. She became a doctor later in life.

“My aunt is a role model because she was able to become a doctor as an older student,” she continued.

Music with meaning is also interesting to Nikki.

This girl is open minded to all types of music as long as there is a good message to the songs. When she is listening to music with good meaning, it allows her to relate on a more personal level.  That’s when she can make a stronger connection with the tunes.

Family Comes First

By Lil Patrylo

img_1205Lowell, MA- One Lowell High School student chooses family over everything. Stephane Silva,  Brazilian woman empowered by her ROTC training, cares for others and wishes to selflessly help them.

When posed certain what-if scenarios, Stephane expressed care for others and love of her family over selfish interests.

One person dear to her heart is her grandmother, who on her last day on earth, Stephane would travel back to Brazil to bid farewell. Stephane also chose her family when given the ultimatum to save either her true love or her family.

When asked what she would do with a million dollars, she would help another country in need and give the rest of the money to charity.  Another selfless act declared by Stephane.

On a free day you’re likely to find Stephane watching Grey’s Anatomy all day possibly eating her favorite food, lasagna. On her bluetooth speakers you might hear her favorite music which is country and Brazilian music.

One thing that Stephane has learned from high school is that she doesn’t care for other people’s opinions and can be anything she wants to be.

She’s also not one for material looks and she cares more for the value of people’s character. Staying true to her distaste for material looks, on average Stephane only takes about five minutes getting ready every day!

Moving on with life, prospects of college scare her due to the bills and the loneliness of being away from family by herself. But she seems strong and goal orientated as her ROTC training indicates.  There’s a good chance her anxiety is in her head. Stephane hopes to go far in this world.

Stephane formerly played volleyball, lacrosse, and violin, but they remained merely childhood hobbies. Along with childhood hobbies, her favorite Pokemon character is Pikachu!

Stephane is a lover of the color green, and is against the look of socks and sandals. If given the choice she prefers pen. She uses an Apple phone.

But most of all, she is a lover of her country. When asked if there was something about her that deserved recognition, she responded her Brazilian nationality.

Stephane Silva is a stellar student who cares deeply for her Brazilian family and background but also for others.

A Teenagers Dream of Service

By Chhanraskmey Chhoun

Many LHS seniors may be confused about what they want in high school, but this senior knows what she wants to do afterward.

Sunlyna Chhoun has her head wrapped around helping the people.

Sunlyna, a bright 17-year-old senior, has been thinking about her future for a long time. As early as childhood she knew that she would like to some day work for people as a civil servant. A civil servant is a person who works for government to help the community.

She is currently enrolled in her high school’s JROTC program.  Sunlyna wishes for this program to lead her into the civil servant career path that she has dreamt to pursue since childhood.

The Lowell Police Academy, a summer program in which she worked over the summer, trained her to teach youth about leadership and aiding others.  It reinforced her focus on civil service.

Sunlyna also shared her aspirations and inspirations.

She had a knack for helping people as a young child, Sunlyna said.

“I wanted to be a lot of things,” she explained, “ I wanted to be a cowgirl, then I wanted to be a doctor, then I wanted to be a firefighter, then I wanted to be a police officer, now a lawyer.”

Your mother and celebrities come to mind when people think about inspirations, the following people molded who Sunlyna wanted to become.

“Mom, because who wouldn’t, and without her, I’d be a dropout and pregnant. Greta Garbo, because she is not afraid to do what she wants and to let gender tell her who she could and could not date, and she does not need a man. Marilyn Monroe, size does not matter, it didn’t matter to her.”,

Sunlyna admired these women for doing what they felt was right. Her mother had raised two young children at a young age.  She admired Greta Garbo for standing up for her beliefs and values as a queer woman, and then Marilyn Monroe for accepting herself, especially her celebrity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comedians Wanted!!

By Courtney Murphy

Lowell, MA- “Spread a smile today forever it’ll stay!”

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LHS senior Alex Tran hosts the first ever comedy night for a cause at LHS this Friday night. (Photo credit: Courtney Murphy)

LHS Senior Alex Tran is creating and hosting a new event at Lowell High School. The event is for any comedian, screenwriter, skit performer, story tellers who wishes to develop their porfolio in comedy. The event was created as a way for students to perform their comedy live instead of in a writing contest.

The event is set to be held on December 9,2016 at the Irish Auditorium at Lowell High School. Tickets are free open to any audience that wishes to attend. Tran also tells us that anyone who wishes to pay will have their money donated to Hilarity for Charity. This organization is run by comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, Lauren, to help with research on  Alzheimer’s and families who struggle with someone with Alzheimer’s. The donations are an open fee, any donation helps.

Performers include Liam Skinner 17′, Frank Feltes 17′, Tyler Seth 17′, John Quigley 17′, Aaron Espiritusanto 17′, Eddy Olu 18′. For any further details on this event see Alex in room 556 during advisory.

Revealing Bobby, An Outdoorsman

file_001-4Lowell, MA- A tall LHS athlete with blue-green eyes stands in the gym ready to take off.

Looking up at the sky, grabbing eggs from his home chicken coop, “going on a run for Cross Country… then attend Wrestling practice,” is a day well spent says Bobby.  Not to forget ending it with his father’s homemade meals or one he cooks himself.

He leads a simple life and enjoys being outside.  Whether it be; “riding my ATV, hiking, fishing, practicing sports, or going out with friends,” he said. 

Besides him having the exhilarating occupation of a firefighter, Bobby wants to live stably, with his own house.  Bobby describes his future home having a “huge, lush garden… along with raising a family” there.

Not planning to stay in Lowell, McCarthy says he will either spend his life on the peaceful nature side of New Hampshire or California. Steering away from the busy cars and buildings, Bobby says, “The trees, lakes, and mountains is where I want to be.”

Most of all, he wants to become a respected man with a good heart and soul because as simple as Bobby McCarthy put it, “God can read your heart”.

(Edited original version 1/9/2016)

Jokes In the Shower

By Courtney Murphy

Lowell, MA-‘Shower thoughts’ or hilarious comedy writing.  As LHS senior Alex Tran considers his future, the 17-year-old considers himself a ‘friendly, go lucky dude’.

He wishes to become a future comedian or a screenwriter. He believes ‘the easiest way to cheer up someone is through a smile’.

During his free time he writes jokes and screenplays about everybody’s life as what he calls ‘shower thoughts’. Alex first started comedy at 8 years old when his parents separated. Being that he’s an only child, comedy helped him cope with his emotions.

By the time he was 14,  Alex decided that he wanted to be a stand up comedian.  After seeing a bunch of comedians before, Alex was definite about the goal.  He admires comedian George Carlin because Carlin got his name on SNL (Saturday Night Live) and it was forever known until he passed away in 2008.

Alex would consider a journalism career as an alternative to comedy, particularly sports journalism because he’s interested in sports. He believes the “players’ personalities are not looked upon at all.”

In the meantime, Alex is in the process of developing a new comedy event at LHS. He hopes this comedy event would be a way to build his comedy portfolio and a chance for other comedians to practice their routines.

Alex plans to attend Middlesex Community College in the City  and continue his education at either UMASS Lowell or Emerson College.

In college he looks forward to ‘perform at comedy clubs..and develop who I am as a comedian’.  Alex is scheduled to graduate in June 2017 from LHS.