By Jack Sullivan

Global warming… Where do I even begin? Is it even a surprise that we are dealing with it? For decades, humans have polluted and laid waste to the earth, did we think there would be zero consequences?

Factories blow smoke from their chimneys, machines corrupt the atmosphere, companies that would rather make profit than show mercy on the very planet they were brought up upon. Not only do we deposit enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, but we also deforest areas at an unprecedented rate. Without trees, there is no way to remove the excess from our atmosphere, which would not be there in the first place if it were not for us.

A common argument people make in opposition to global warming is that it does not really make a difference if the earth is slightly warmer. This statement is completely wrong for many reasons, the main being that global warming has already devastated certain parts of the world, specifically the North and South Poles. Polar bear populations are dropping, and they are dying in a terribly sad way. Due to the rise in temperatures and the ice in the Arctic is melting, literally reducing the polar bears’ habitat and making it harder for them to hunt.

Despite all this, companies still try to shift the blame onto individuals, making people feel as though they are the sole reason for global warming. They tell people that they can make a major difference by choosing not to drive gas-powered cars, when in reality, the companies themselves contribute to a large majority of the carbon dioxide emissions.

By Alexa Nieves

’I can’t do this, I can’t do this,’ I thought to myself as I anxiously paced back and forth. So many ideas ricocheted off the walls of my mind. Any second now he would walk through those doors. My head pounded as if I was at a rock concert. It took all the strength in me to keep my eyelids from shutting. I finally calmed down long enough to sit in the intimidating chair being advertised in front of me. I attempted to sit up straight, but that quickly became impossible as I melted into the lush chair. The cushions molded to the shape of my body. The seat perfectly caressed me as if I was lying on a cloud. The once dim light now turned into a beautiful part of this ambience. The room slowly went black.

By Lucia O’Dowd

Why is Trump implementing tariffs for China, Mexico, and Canada, and what are their responses?

A tariff is a tax implemented by the government on the import or export of goods and a way for governments to regulate foreign trade and protect American businesses. Often, tariffs are used to advance foreign policy goals and as leverage to negotiate with other countries (Congressional Research Service). President Trump has decided to implement a 25% additional tariff on imports from both Canada and Mexico, and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. This additional 10% is expected to affect over $450 billion worth of imports. President Trump’s reason behind doing this is to hold the countries accountable for their promise to halt illegal immigration, as well as to stop the importation of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States (White House).

The tariffs that the U.S. has implemented have caused other countries to implement tariffs in retaliation. Already, China has responded by implementing a 15% tariff on American coal, and a 10% tariff on crude oil, farm equipment, and certain other vehicles, which took effect on February 10th. Analysts have predicted that there will be a 6% increase to the average U.S. vehicle price as a result of these tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China (NPR).

Tariffs additionally may affect the raw materials of an item, so while consumers may not initially see an increase in the price of an item, overtime the product will likely get more expensive. It can also affect the individual parts of a whole product, and if U.S. businesses purchase certain parts from China to make a product, the price of the item will increase despite it being an American product. Over time, consumers will see an increase in product and a decrease in choices of products to purchase becuase items will become too expensive to import (UC Davis).

Sources

“Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China.” The White House, The United States Government, 2 Feb. 2025, www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/.
Wamsley, Laurel. “Here’s How Trump’s Tariffs Could Impact You and Your Wallet.” NPR, NPR, 5 Feb. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/02/05/nx-s1-5284991/trump-tariffs-higher-prices-inflation-mexico-canada-china.
Thebaud, Russell L. “How Could Tariffs Affect Consumers, Business and the Economy?” UC Davis, 18 Feb. 2025, www.ucdavis.edu/magazine/how-could-tariffs-affect-consumers-business-and-economy.
Casey, Christopher. “Congress.” Congressional Research Service, Jan. 2025, crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11030/3.

By Marina Barbarisi

Emilia Pérez is a newly released movie that has made headlines for its’ interesting take on what a movie musical is. The controversial film has been making headlines for its plot, songs, and even cast. A pivotal part of the movie is that it is set in Mexico, and many people said it was not an accurate representation of the culture.  I watched the movie myself—that’s two and a half hours I’m never getting back—and I have to agree.  There were lots of very stereotypical scenes of Mexican culture that seemed out of place.  Also, it did not portray any positive aspects of the culture, especially as the main character was a cartel leader.  With my thoughts seeming to align with most others who watched this movie, I decided to talk to our school’s Spanish teacher, Señorita A, to get the perspective of someone from Central America.  Below are the quotes from our conversation.

In the first part of the movie, the camera zooms in on a mariachi band and they never appear again. Why do you think that is?

I feel that it doesn’t make sense because, as you say, it only approached the mariachi because they are Mexicans and that’s it.  It’s just because they are Mexican and there is a mariachi.  It doesn’t make sense in the context of the movie or it doesn’t have relevant importance.  You only do it because the mariachis are Mexican and the movie is Mexican.

In the end Emilia Pérez used her cartel to help others, so do you think that the story with the cartel was romanticized in the movie or that the movie made it seem good?

I think the film was about romanticizing and trying to see the good points of the cartels because they have money and they can do whatever they want because they are rude.  I think that they wanted to show that whoever is in a cartel has power and power brings money and happiness, but this has nothing to do with Mexico because really if you are in a cartel, you are not happy.  I have seen many cartels in my country and they are always with very strict rules you have to follow.  Even if you don’t have any kind of power, you have to do it, and in the end, you are only the servant of the leader of the cartel.  They are trying to romanticize it by having them say “I have the power so I have money, I’m happy,” but that is not true.

Her overall thoughts:

I think that it is not a good representation because although I’m not Mexican, I’m Guatemalan, I live very close to Mexico and we share a lot of culture.  I think it represents Mexicans as dangerous or dirty people, or in some very grotesque point.  It doesn’t have the good points of Latin America, they just make it look like something bad like most French or American movies that don’t show the culture that Latin America has.  For example, in one of the songs it says she [Emilia] has a bad smell because she smells like the boy’s Mexican dad.  I think it’s not a good representation.