In utero: The pursuit of individual liberties My first experience with teenage pregnancy was roaming the halls of the ninth grade center. Where young women smaller than me hurled homework and babies. They all looked similar in my eyes, about thirteen years old, four feet eleven inches, and breakable.
Naomi Akinlami
I never approached or asked any of them the million questions I had. Some beginning with why because I knew the loud halls already did enough. In the midst of these struggles they endured, I often saw them laugh, hold tight their bellies, and walk with friends.
volved individuals such as the uber driver for giving a ride” The New York Times. Not only has a ban being placed on abortions a civilian report system has been enabled, essentially placing a bounty on a woman’s head for an abortion. Texas has put the faith of many women in the hands of imperfect and judging civilians. In hindsight this creates an opening for many misunderstandings, or grudges leading to accusations of abortions. Sadly this flawed system is not the worst part, the worst of it is that even in cases of rape and incest abortions are not allowed. The right to choice and a life of individual liberties is being taken away from Texan women which is highly unconstitutional and biased. This bias lies in the fact that one’s’ belief system about abortion comes from their religious and by enforcing the dominant party’s religious beliefs on the citizens there is no separation of church and state.
Seeing this brought me assurance because I could A healthcare procedure with many layers to it should infer that when it gets difficult they can fall back on the be judged by science, philosophy, and the individual, comfort of knowing it was their decision. not God, the State, and the Governor. In the current This comfort is no longer the case in Texas. As the state of Texas, regardless of one’s circumstance their Texas government has passed a near total ban on aborright to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness could tion. For Texan women this means that “after six weeks be taken away from them at any moment. Which begs of pregnancy, they are no longer able to get a legal the question, Should the comfort of decision making be abortion. If they did, the consequences for this include left to the government? a civil lawsuit, jail time, and consequences for unin-
Unmasked: A
dance with stupidity
Students are back on campuses across the world and, while some schools have mask enforcement, some, including Texas schools, do not. “Whether people like it or not, they wouldn’t want to give someone covid and Matthew Marte possibly ruin their life,” junior Maxwell Alfaro said. According to the latest data, there have been 125,390 students who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far this school year in Texas schools. Schools not mandating masks schools is a big red flag for students’ health and should be changed. “Keeping a mask on will benefit students a lot by keeping everyone safe and preventing anyone from getting sick,” sophomore Habeeb Jimoh said. In a series of back-and-forth decisions, the Texas Education Agency has said it would temporarily stop enforcing Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in, the State Supreme Court issued a rul-
ing allowing school districts to require face-coverings, and, most recently, a federal judge ruling that the Texas ban on mandates violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. While continuing legal battles are predicted, as of Nov. 10, schools and districts in Texas have the right to create their own rules and regulations on masking up on campus. Students should be required to wear a mask to prevent themselves from getting sick and spreading the virus.
December Testing Monday, Dec. 6 No testing Regular schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 7 English I EOC
Wednesday, Dec. 8 Algebra I EOC
Thursday, Dec. 9 English II EOC
Friday, Dec. 10 Biology EOC US History EOC
Monday, Dec. 13* No testing. Last regular day of the fall semester.
Tuesday, Dec. 14* 1st-3rd: Regular Schedule 4th: 10:08-10:45 5th: 10:51-12:25 Lunches: A: 10:45-11:15 B: 11:20-11:50 C: 11:55-12:25 th 7 Exam: 12:30-2:35
Wednesday, Dec. 15* 1st Exam: 7:20-9:35 2nd Exam: 9:45-12:00 NO LUNCH SERVED
Thursday, Dec. 16*
“I think in order for schools to prevent the spreading of covid they should take in consideration going back to virtual or enforce the use of mask & sanitizing,” sophomore Jenifer Solis said.
3rd Exam: 7:20-9:35 4th Exam: 9:45-12:00 NO LUNCH SERVED
At least 45 districts shut down in-person classes due to COVID-19 cases that grew rapidly, affecting more than 40,000 students for the 2021-2022 school year.
Friday, Dec. 17*
Mask enforcement is very important to people’s lives, without mask enforcement, it’ll just end hurting more people and getting them affected. No one wants anyone to die or face the consequences of Covid-19. So as anyone who wants to stay safe would say, “WEAR YOUR MASK!!!!!”
5th Exam: 7:20-9:35 6th Exam: 9:45-12:00 NO LUNCH SERVED Missed your yearbook picture day? Makeups will happen Nov. 30 from 10:00-12:00. * The original print edition incorrectly stated final exams were the week of Dec. 6-10. This version has been updated with the correct dates.
