The Frank Updated

After shocking announcements of new stadiums for the Falcons and the Braves, Dr. Chris Richie has let it be known that the Trojans will be moving following the 2017 season to unincorporated Shallowford Road. Richie has said that Coach Jeptha Irwin approached him two years ago about the prospect of upgrading from Frank Fillman Stadium and threats to relocate the football team to Pope if the their demands were not met. Critics of the move have pointed out the lack of public transportation to and from the proposed plot. Also on the minds of those affected is how the stadium will be paid for. Richie was quoted as saying that a small price increase on lunches,  parking passes, snacks, and school supplies. There is also word of a toll hallway being placed in the 400 hall. Of course this move has brought with it a great debate between two groups in the Lassiter Metro Area. Those inside the Sandy Plains Perimeter feel as though they have been betrayed by the team and the school for their move OTP. 

Ukrainian Revolution

Over the past six months, the world has had its eyes transfixed on the Ukraine and its citizens fighting to have their voices heard. Within the last week, the embattled prime minister has fled the protests in the capital Kiev. The leader of the opposition has been released from prison that she had been held in, many say as a political prisoner, for the last few years. The protests started when a bill to bolster ties with the West and get away from the Russian sphere of influence was vetoed by the prime minister. Young people and more liberal people were outraged at having their chance to increase their future economic opportunity taken away from them. The bill was vetoed when President Vladimir Putin offered to buy up 15 billion in ukrainian debt, a last ditch effort to keep the former soviet block country in hand. The United States has so far stayed out of the situation, and hopes that it does not come to that point. Their biggest worry is for the protests to get out of hand and Russia to send troops in to qualm them. 

Media

        The media has always been an influential part of American society, whether it be the turn of the century newspapers turning the people against big business or now radio hosts with far too much to say, and a far too little amount of rational thoughts.
       
          As of today, there are five media conglomerates that own a vast majority of all sources of news available to the american public. They are Comcast, Viacom, News Corporation, Time Warner, and the good old Walt Disney Company.
       
        These are companies that together have net worth in the trillions. Through mergers and hostile takeovers, the concentration of media control has become what is termed a Media Oligopoly.
       
       Because of the inability of any other companies to be allowed into the arena, the capitalistic, market based competition is absent. This of course allows these Goliaths of media to do whatever they please, which causes innovation in the market to be slower than it would be if competition drove the industry.

        While I do believe that the media generally works to make a fair and balanced approach to the news, there have been numerous accounts of biased reports. Many think that media corruption is a new idea that was brought along with the coming to the internet age, but as proof of the power of the media influences as far back as the 1920s when William Randolph Hearst allegedly used his empire of newspapers to sway public opinion against the production of Hemp in the United States.

     There is no doubt in my mind, however, that the media definitely has the capabilities and the power to do and say anything they want, and it is up to the American people to be ever vigilant against misleading stories by our national media conglomerates.


      

I'm probably the coolest person you will ever meet in your entire lifetime.

I haven't really contributed much this semester to the The Laureate, but that is something that I intend to change. While it wasn't entirely my fault I sat idly (see 3rd idea, second post), I believe that I need to throw more ideas into the pot and try to write more interesting opinionated articles. Meow that I have been in The Laureate for a semester, I know what is expected of me. Cabeza de León always believed that I needed to take greater risks in my writings and branch out to new forms of articles, and I intend to do so, so that it may please Su Santo León when he inevitably invades the United States and he shall spare me the wrath of his jungle bandidos.
                                                -Samuel A. Malte

Dear, Dear Leader

2. Meow that Mr. Henry (although now he prefers Cabeza de León) has gone deep into the Colombian jungle we have been left leaderless. In order for you to assimilate into your new leadership position, I have been assigned to advise you on all important decisions regarding the regime change. I have three things that I would like to see changed under our new Dear Leader's reign. 
                                1. The first change that should be implemented is that I believe that we should only have only one editor-in-chief
                                2. Secondly, I believe that editors should have complete control over their section, because it is theirs and their domain in it should be respected.
                                3. I think that editors should ask more of the staffers instead of allowing them to sit idly.                                                                                             
 

Hey! Freshman!

1. I know you. You've been floating through school your entire life doing the bare minimum. Sure, you've gotten decent grades that whole time, but you've never done anything of any significant importance to make you stand out from all the other applicants JUST. LIKE. YOU. I know this because I did the exact same thing. It may be easy, and your life may be pretty relaxing, but sooner or later you'll be forced to compile a resume for your college application. When that time comes, don't come crying to me because it takes less than 4 sentences to summarize everything you've accomplished in your high school career. If you don't care for rapidly signing up for every club that hands you a flyer senior year to avoid looking like the slacker that you are, join The Laureate this year to save yourself the hassle. You'll be embracing some of the best opportunities to gain team-building, journalistic, and leadership skills, as well as taking up that elective spot on your schedule that you and I both know you were going to waste on Computer Apps.    

I'd like to talk about my all time favorite toy; LEGOS. LEGOS were always the first thing I ran to whether it be play time in Mrs. Marcus' class, or in my room. LEGOS have stood the test of time because of their important yet simple goal. LEGOS encourage an interest in architecture, engineering, and a greater level of imagination.  These are all interests that most kids today have lost all knowledge of. With computers everywhere they look, kids have lost the ability to play with a physical toy, and that it something I think is heartbreaking. If you have a child near or dear to you, make sure to think about LEGOS next time you're in the toy aisle.