North Korea, South Korea and US look to reinvigorate talks

Matthew Bracco & Charles Bray
Staff Writers

April 27 marked a turning point in history: the long awaited meeting between polar opposites: North and South Korea.
This meeting marked a historical transformation for the Korean peninsula. President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea and chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea held the Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the 'Peace House' in Panmunjom.

The two leaders came to a joint- conclusion that they needed to bring their division and confrontation to an end for the well being of both countries and their citizens. Both seek peaceful communications with each other, the citizens of either country weren’t aware of the extent of this meeting. Most of the conversation was kept classified; however, there were some public changes in which both leaders wanted to be in the forefront.

Furthermore, the public changes that the two leaders made included signing an historic agreement: the Panmunjom Declaration, which is a formal end to the Korean War. In addition, it also included the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which leads both countries to the start of a new era in terms of peace. South and North Korea have also agreed to encourage more active cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts at all levels in order to rejuvenate the sense of unity to portray their progress domestically, and globally.

Between North and South, the two sides will encourage cooperation by actively having various events between the countries on the dates that hold special meaning for both of them, an example of that would be on June 15, in which people from all levels, such as central and local governments, parliaments, political parties, and civil organizations, will be involved. On the international front, the two sides agreed to demonstrate their collective wisdom and talents by participating together in international sports events such as the 2018 Asian Games. After having made this promised meeting between North and South Korea it is amazing to see how much they’ve gotten done from just one meeting compared to many years of nothing being done.
Although the North and South have seemingly found their peace, the same cannot be said for the North’s relationship with the United States. The White House has just recently sent a letter canceling a  summit meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un. However, the North continued to develop its relationship with the South, pursue a  summit with the US.

North Korea dispatched its top diplomat to New York for talks about the summit. He also delivered a letter to President Trump who said talks were back on after a two-hour meeting in the Oval Office.

Pre-Korean summit overtures could be harbingers of peace

Peter Thompson
Staff Writer

It has been 65 years since North Korean and Chinese troops crossed the 38th parallel to invade South Korea and drive out the UN from the peninsula, since then the two have formally been at war with truce in place. However, with the historic summit having taken place at the end of April, the North and South have agreed to formally end the Korean war in which tensions and provocations have flared on numerous occasions.
  "The two leaders declare before our people of 80 million and the entire world there will be no more war on the Korean peninsula and a new age of peace has begun," Declared President Moon of South Korea.
This language is stark compared to a few months ago when the threat of war lingered. The North has even dropped the demand to withdraw US troops from South Korea on the grounds that it was for the sake of US-Korean relations and not directed towards deterring the North.
  The inter-Korean summit now completed, Kim Jong Un is scheduled to meet the US president in person at the Demilitarized Zone towards late May or early June. There the two leaders will discuss the denuclearization of Korea and the conditions of peace in Northeast Asia. South Korea was not a signatory of the armistice that ended the Korean war so their inclusion in a peace treaty will be questioned. So far Beijing and Washington have expressed interest in modifying the 1953 Armistice into an official peace treaty. North Korea is beginning to react positively to the summit, recently Pyongyang moved its time in sync with Seoul and as a good gesture to the US has released three American captives.

You’re Invited to the 6th Annual Robert Nagg Memorial Game

Laura Nagg
Copy Editor

The 6th Annual Robert Nagg Memorial Game will take place on Sunday, Jun 3 from 4-8 p.m. at the New Hope-Solebury Stadium Field. The game is in honor of Robert Nagg, who was a student at NH-S and a member of the Boys Soccer team. After a courageous battle with brain cancer, Robert passed away in 2013 at the age of 17.

The Robert Nagg Fund and Memorial Game was created by fellow soccer player Jackson Vallely, NH-S Class of 2012. He wanted to create an event to honor Robert’s memory and love for soccer, while creating an opportunity for the community to support a fund for a new stadium field. The event organization was then passed on the Riley Smith, NH-S Class of 2016, and now is taken on by Robert’s younger brother, Davis Nagg. The game also serves as a fundraiser for the high school stadium improvement fund, which includes a turf field and/or the modernization of the snack shack.

This year the event will feature two games: the girls’ team at 4 p.m. and the boys’ at 6 p.m. The  current NHS soccer players will play against NHS alumni soccer players. If you are apart of either of these groups and would like to participate in the game, you can email your confirmation and graduation year to play in the game at robertnaggmemorialgame@gmail.com.

If you are not a soccer player for the girls or boys team but would like to still be involved, please come out to the game to support the players and the cause. Come to enjoy awesome food, great soccer, and the NH-S community! You can also support the event through donation. Checks can be payable to “Solebury Township” with the Robert Nagg Fund” mentioned in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Leigh Smith (6251 Upper York Rd., New Hope, PA 18938).

NHS Students walkout to remember the 17 who died at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Lauren Walinski
Staff Writer

On March 14, students and teachers across the United States walked out of their classrooms on the one month anniversary of the Parkland Shooting in Florida which left 17 dead. Thousands of students left class, standing outside at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes across all of America. Reasons varied, though the original purpose of the walkout was to protest in support of greater gun control legislation. Schools had varying amounts of participation and even acceptance of the march, though. Some schools had hundreds of students walking out, while others had as few as one. Some students walked for the original purpose of the protest, while others walked out for purposes such as to remember the victims.
    School reactions differed on students walking out. Some schools embraced the students’ right to free speech, while others were not so kind. When Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta held a lockdown drill during the walkout, several hundred students instead decided to kneel and bow their heads through the seventeen minutes. When Sayreville High School in New Jersey threatened students with suspension for walking out, roughly twelve students met outside regardless and were met with two-day suspensions. Other students in the school met in the auditorium and were given detention instead. Both punishments were harsher than what is listed in their school’s code of conduct for cutting class. Not even a snow day could stop students in Boston who marched to their state house to be heard and seen.
    New Hope-Solebury also participated in the walkout, and during third period several hundred students walked out to the track for not 17, but 27 minutes. The students walked out officially in remembrance of the Parkland shooting victims. Some of our students read off the names and ages of each victim, as well as a short bio that included a few hobbies, interests, and traits. This was finished with a speech by Elliot Luicci during which he drove home the point that the Parkland victims were normal people who deserved to go home as much as any of us.

NHS participates in the National “Walkout”

Erica Brennan
Staff Writer

On Feb. 14, 2018, a day meant to celebrate love and companionship, a high school student open fired in his own high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 and wounding others. The tragedy caused students to start a movement, beginning with a student walk out planned for March 14, a month after the shooting. Across the nation, students made plans to leave their classrooms at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the victims.. With this walkout, most students want congress to pass stricter gun-control laws, including banning assault weapons and requiring deeper background checks. 
  Many schools announced that they would not penalize their students for participating in this act, as students  have a First Amendment right to free assembly. They want to ensure that it is organized and safe and promotes a positive message. New Hope-Solebury will be one of the many schools who is participating in the movement, as administration stressed that we will not be disciplined.
  At approximately 10 a.m., Mr. Seier’s asked for a moment of silence for the victims. After the silence, students were able to participate in the walkout or stay in class. Police were present to ensure everything moved smoothly, while local press also attended to get coverage. A mass majority of students walked from their classrooms to the bleachers on the track and listened attentively as students read speeches they had prepared for the shooting victims. Students wrote short paragraphs about each of the Parkland’s individuals hobbies, passions and future goals in life, ending with the phrase “enough is enough.” Each person spoke with strong emotion and true sympathy resonated from their words and actions. Later, controversy broke out as New Hope’s Free Press published an article with the title “New Hope-Solebury Students Rally To End Gun Violence.” Some students were upset the walkout was labeled as gun-centered, when the school vowed not to take any political stance.  Junior John Mangan tweeted in response to the article; “The event was advertised throughout the school as apolitical and in honor of the victims from the shooting in Florida. There was no mention of pushing gun legislation. A more appropriate title would be: New Hope-Solebury students gather to honor victims.” Students continue to speak out about how this walk out was purely to remember these individuals, rather than for a political   reason such as gun control.

Trump implements steel and aluminum tariffs, exempts Mexico and Canada

Peter Thompson
Staff Writer

Trump signed import tariffs March 15, adding a 25% increase on all steel imports coming into the US. Trump has described the import of foreign steel over domestic manufacturers as “an assault on our country” and pressed that domestic production of steel “was a matter of national security” as he seeks to target numerous countries regarding business and trading practices that harm American interests. However this move has raised concern in his own party over retaliation from other countries. Even Canada and Mexico whom are exempt from the tariffs have voiced discontent over the tariffs believing Washington will use them as leverage in the NAFTA talks.
 Mexico’s Economic minister commented that NAFTA talks would be “independent“ of Trump’s tariffs.
 Canada had a warmer reception to the news however vowed to press Washington until the threat of tariffs disappeared.
 While this bill primarily targets American trading partners around the world, Trump’s interests lie in China, whose steel imports to the US are estimated to be four percent of the total steel used in the US market. China’s commerce minister said Beijing was “resolutely opposed” and that the tariffs would “seriously impact the normal order of international trade.”
 According to Politifact even a micronation such as Taiwan rivals China in US steel exports at an estimated 3.2 percent, in comparison to the European Union (14.55%) and Canada (16.46).
 Another factor that has gone unaccounted for was the effects these tariffs would have in America’s consumer goods industry, commodities that require steel for manufacturing such as home appliances, machinery and car manufacturers would suffer under the new tariffs. The new tariffs are set to take effect in 15 days.   

Mane Event talent show proves to be better than the Gong Show

Chloe Miller and Stella Kelley

Staff Writers

On the second to last day of Spirit Week, student government put on the annual Spirit Week talent show for students. In previous years, the talent show incorporated aspects of a gong show, however, this year the gong was eliminated and guidelines were put in place for the amount of acts each grade needed to have. Each grade needed to have one act that involved lip syncing, one act that involved dancing, and one act that involved some sort of an unusual talent. Students from each grade also participated in “Minute to Win It” inspired competitions, such as stacking cups and shaking ping pong balls out of a box, known as “junk in the trunk.”
 The results were tight, with Blue starting off strong - sweeping the first four challenges - however Gold soon started to catch up with some creative and original acts, such as an usual act done by Valentina Washbusch and Mackenzie Meyers, a hand clapping dance routine by a group of junior girls, and a lip sync to a song mashup performed by Logan Waterman, Mike Borys, Thomas Raupp and Zach Griffiths. However, the Blue team ultimately prevailed over the Gold team, with the final score coming to 100-60 points. The Blue team earned points towards their victory by sweeping the “Minute to Win It” challenges, as well as a dance routine by a group of senior girls, a lip syncing performance by Kevin Dougherty, Matt Benda, and Hunter Pala, and a dance routine by senior Bernie Del Prado, and freshmen Riley Bultimier, Travis Gawason, and Jonah Silberman.
 Overall, reviews of this year’s talent show compared to last year’s gong show were positive. A senior, Charlotte Taylor, said that this year’s talent show was “much better compared to last year. I liked that we got to see every act all the way through instead of them being interrupted by a gong.” Sophomore Connor Fitzgerald also gave rave reviews, saying that “the talent show this year was much more organized than it was in the past. Having each grade perform an act in each category gave the show much structure and made it more enjoyable to watch than in past years.”