By Emily Auciello

Materialism: The theory or attitude that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life.

By Chanel Traboldt

Bernie Tao talks to many farmers. He explains to them that they are oil barons. Over the next several decades Tao believes that plant oil will become an essential to everyday life.

“In the 1970s we got our first taste of what it was like when fuel begins to go away,” Tao claims.” Three decades later we are beginning to see the start of another large petroleum crunch. And part of that is consumer demand, which has greatly increased.”

By Darby Brazoski

With the bodies of his elderly wife and two mentally retarded children surrounding him, 81-year-old Richard Brown takes one last look at what he has left behind before pulling the trigger on himself. Left behind is a three-page suicide note carefully written by the terminally ill Brown, which contained such information as how to contact out of state family members. It also contained Brown’s reason for killing the people he loved most in the world; he didn’t want them to be a burden.

By Brian Sullivan

By Kathleen Strain, Editor-in-Chief

School is a crucial part of every person’s life. Without school, how could we improve our country when the people running it don’t know how to read? Therefore, you can see why it would be important to create a good relationship with one’s teacher. How can you be learning from someone when you can’t get past the fact they gave you a detention three months ago for no reason?

By Agnes Zak and Hannah Furlong