Be smart about Black Friday shopping

Alexandra Buchler
Staff Writer

Black Friday is one of the best days of the year. It’s the perfect time to snag a new video game, a new pair of designer shoes, or a new flat screen TV. No one can deny the mayhem inside of every mall on Black Friday, so here are a few tips to help you survive it.
  First, know what you want to buy before you go out. This will help you get in and out of stores as quickly as you can, while also helping you avoid being trampled by other shoppers.
  Second, always check online deals, especially if you’re not one who likes pushing your way through large crowds and battling other vehicles for parking spots. Usually, online stores will have deals that begin at midnight!
  Third, take a buddy with you, since the buddy system makes it easier to locate items in a store, and makes your trips to the malls go much faster. Additionally, the stores with the best deals on Black Friday are Walmart, Kohls, Target, Sears, American Eagle, GameStop, Best Buy and Pacsun.
  If you’re planning on going shopping Black Friday, follow some of these tips for the ultimate shopping experience!

War Crimes investigation into U.S.

 Jack McKenna
Staff Writer

When people hear the term “war crimes,” they assume that a cruel dictator or an extremist terrorist group is involved, but according to the special prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in the Netherlands, the United States might soon be added to that list. The head prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is considering a full investigation that could lead to the prosecution of U.S. Forces for war crimes in Afghanistan, including torture, unreasonably cruel treatment, and rape. The war crimes detailed in the report are alleged to have taken place at secret detention centers set up and run by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the early stages of the war in 2003-2004. The report cites less than 100 cases, but notes that these were not isolated events. As reported in the New York Times, the document says, “Rather, they appear to have been committed as part of approved interrogation techniques in an attempt to extract ‘actionable intelligence’ from detainees.”
  U.S. forces are not the only group under threat of investigation in this war crimes inquiry. Afghan Government Forces and the Taliban also are implicated in reports of similar war crimes of torture. Additionally, the report claims that the CIA may have similarly mistreated detainees in Poland, Romania and Lithuania between Dec. 2002 and Mar. 2008.
  While Bensouda’s report concludes there is a “reasonable basis” for a prosecution to be brought against the troops, U.S. cooperation is extremely unlikely as it is not a member of the court. Additionally, a previous U.S. Justice department investigation into CIA abuse did not result in prosecution, which leads most to conclude that an ICC trial of American soldiers for war crimes is unlikely to go forward.

Trump makes Cabinet selections

Owen Roberts
Staff Writer

On Nov. 13, Donald Trump announced his first picks for his cabinet. For chief of staff, Mr. Trump picked Reince Priebus, the current head of the RNC. The chief of staff in the Trump administration will assist Trump more than the average president, considering he has little experience with lawmaking. The chief of staff is also in control of the president’s schedule, including who he meets. Priebus will also be in charge of all other White House employees.
  Trump’s second pick is Stephen Bannon, former executive of Breitbart News. Mr. Bannon is being picked as chief strategist and senior counselor and adviser to Trump. During the Trump campaign he was named Trump’s campaign executive.
  Critics have questioned the reasoning behind Bannon’s appointment. Breitbart, which Bannon used to run, has been called controversial by many, with articles such as “Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage,” and “The solution to online ‘harassment’ is simple: Women should log off.”
  Trump still needs to pick a majority of his cabinet, including secretary of state. The Trump campaign has admitted that Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, may be a top contender. Other possible picks include John Bolton, former UN ambassador, and Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the house. Jeff Sessions, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Kelly Ayotte, and Michael Flynn may also hold prominent positions in a Trump cabinet.
  No matter who Trump picks, his presidency will most likely shape American policy for the next few decades. With control of both the House and the Senate and with many Supreme Court seats soon to be open, Trump’s cabinet decisions hold more weight than previously expected.

New Hope Celebrates Education Support Professionals

Amanda Horak & Parker Miele
Staff Writers

National Education Support Professionals (ESP) Day is dedicated to the men and women who help students every day, and keep the whole school running. The national day to thank these people is Nov. 16, which fell on a Wednesday this year. The ESP staff may be wearing shirts labeled NHS ESP to show that they are a member.
  ESP staff members complete many tasks to help the students and teachers have a safer and smoother-running school day. These tasks include greeting students at the door, keeping the school safe and clean, providing students with delicious lunches, and assisting the teachers and students in classrooms in order to facilitate and achieve better learning outcomes. The staff members also do so much more to help everyone throughout the school year.
  The ESP staff would greatly appreciate any thanks from the students, especially since their work is so important. Happy National ESP Day!

Veterans talk to students

Amanda Horak & Parker Miele
Staff Writers

On November 11, students walked into social studies classes to meet a host of incredibly smart and supremely brave men and women who have fought for our country. These men came in to share their amazing stories and journeys and never dropped a smile from their faces. Every student  could tell that every veteran was proud of their military service.
  After fourth period the veterans were done sharing their journey with students. They went down to the library for a fantastic lunch. The choir sang “God Bless America,” for them, while the local girl scout troop talked to them even more about what their experience was like.
  We asked some students about what they thought of the veterans and if they would like to continue bringing in more veterans next year.
  A junior, Katie Hunt, said: “I really enjoyed listening to them talk. Their stories were truly incredible. I do hope we do this again next year to hear even more about what others went through too.”
  This is just one of the students who really got a great experience from Veterans Day. Many walked away with a better understanding of the sacrifice it takes for someone to risk their own life for their country.
  A junior Vanessa Northrup, said: “I really understand how much these men risked to help our country and I am forever grateful for them and what they risked for us.”
  The Veterans Day visits were a huge success at New Hope this year. A lot of students are really looking forward to next year to learn more from the veterans.

African-American Museum opens in Washington with speech by President Obama

Claire Dougherty and Savannah Herring

Staff Writers

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) was established in 2003, and officially opened on Sept. 24, 2016. The Smithsonian museum presents “A People's’ Journey,” containing close to 37,000 artifacts related to African American History subjects such as community, family, the arts, religion, civil rights, slavery and segregation.

 The opening ceremony, held by President Obama and several other distinguished guests, honored more than simply “powerful moments in African American history, culture, and community.”  The President stated that “what makes this occasion so special is the larger story it contains.” As he and several other speakers noted, there is great significance in the opening of this museum for the black community. It is an enormous accomplishment for Americans. Efforts to establish a national museum devoted to African American History initially began as early as 1915. Despite this, very little progress was made towards the creation of such an organization, and the efforts made were hardly recognized until the 1970s. In 1988, legislative pressure began and authorization of the museum was made official in 2003. Three years late, in 2006, a site was decided on, and progress took off.

 As President Obama stated at the opening ceremony, the building itself, designed by David Adjaye, is “surely a sight to behold.”  Located in the National Mall, the museum is ten stories--five above ground and five below ground--of sheer excellence. McKissack & McKissack, the first African American-owned architectural firm in the United States, provided project management services on behalf of the Smithsonian. Their services resulted in what some consider to be one of the grandest museums in America and one of the most beautiful buildings in DC.

 Every piece in the museum is worthy of being recognized, but some of the more attention grabbing pieces includes the glass-topped casket originally used to display and bury the body of 14-year-old Emmett Till, the victim of racially motivated torture and murder in Mississippi. Till's death sparked the 1950s and '60s African American Civil Rights Movement. Other notable pieces include a badge from 1850, worn by an African American in Charleston, S.C., indicating that the wearer was a slave, and Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves.

 Surely, in order to get a full understanding of the excellence of the museum, one must pay it a visit. Unfortunately, if you’re like most Americans, and you have a burning desire to see the exhibit, you still must wait until March at the earliest.. Since Sept. 24, the museum has been packed and will continue to be packed. Still, tickets are being sold at an alarmingly fast rate.

Scientists use nanotechnology for climate change breakthrough

Owen Roberts

Staff Writer

On October 12, a group of scientists may have discovered a possible new breakthrough in fighting climate change. In a new paper published by Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee, researchers Adam Rondinone, Yang Song, and Dale Hensley detailed new findings about carbon dioxide. “We're surprised but very happy about the attention,” said Rondinone.

 Through the use of a carbon copper and nitrogen combination, scientists have discovered a way to reverse carbon combustion using a catalyst spike of carbon, copper, and nitrogen. From there, the researchers were able to create small chemical reactions in carbon dioxide, resulting in 63 percent of the CO2 being converted into ethanol.

 With this cost-efficient method, CO2 that has been dissolved in water can be changed into ethanol, which can then be used as fuel. The new discovery could be useful for making grids more efficient by giving energy companies a way to store their excess power. It could also be used to store excess energy from renewable sources such as solar panels and windmills.

 The scientists were attempting to study a more complicated reverse combustion reaction when they accidentally activated the carbon. “We were trying to study the first step of a proposed reaction when we realized that the catalyst was doing the entire reaction on its own.” said Adam Rondinone, one of the lead researchers.

 This isn't the first time reverse carbon combustion has been talked about. In 2013, it was the main topic in that year’s American Chemical Society meeting, a group that meets to discuss important chemical discoveries. They saw it as a way to reverse engineer climate change.

 The experiment was done at a microscopic level, so it’s unclear how this would work on a large scale. But considering the effect carbon dioxide has on our atmosphere, this avenue should be explored.