Donald Trump Wins Presidential Election by Joshua Stamer

Donald Trump is slated to be the 45th president of the United States. Many Americans held their breath on election night as the two candidates, with substantial controversy surrounding their campaigns, traded leads throughout the election. The contest started on November 7, election night, and on early Wednesday morning Trump was announced the winner.

How exactly did this happen? Well, on Tuesday night, Trump won the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Iowa. These states were especially important because they were won by Barack Obama and the democratic party in the election of 2012, making them blue states  (www.nytimes.com). According to CNN, these were also states that Hillary Clinton was projected to win.  

Now that the election is over, Trump will officially be in office on January 20th, 2017. Some of the ideas espoused by Trump consist of building a wall at the border of Mexico and US, deporting criminal illegal immigrants, reducing taxes for the working/middle class, defeating Isis, creating jobs, and strengthening the United States foreign affairs with different nations (www.donaldjtrump.com).

Port Richmond High School Tree Lighting

                                                                                                      By- Diana Stewart

On Friday December 2nd, Port Richmond High School held its annual tree lighting in the lobby. Mrs. Woodmen conducted the band as they played Christmas songs, Mr. Gannon presented his holiday card created by Alex Bros an eleventh grader. Then, Mr. Gannon counted down from ten when he finished he said “our Raider spirit will light the tree” and the tree was magically illuminated. While there, Raiders shared their favorite parts of the holidays. Ryan Horgan sophomore said his favorite part is receiving  presents and spending time with family. “Christmas is my favorite holiday” said David Rivera as well as “getting presents”. Although gifts are received during this holiday, people should take time to be thankful for what they already have and what they can give to people who may not have as much as others. Port Richmond High School gives back to the community in several ways. One way they give back is through the Giving Tree. The Giving tree, is a Christmas tree, decorated with garland that has the names of people who are in need of specific things. Staff of Port are then invited to choose a name and be a secret Santa, who humbly doesn’t ask for anything in return. Port Richmond takes time to recognize the holidays that are celebrated during this time of year as well as, giving back to the people in need!

College: The Next Step of Your Life
                                                                                          By:Hayoung Choi

    College is becoming more competitive, and students are applying more than ever; with

the ever-growing amount of high-schoolers, many wonder if college is as attainable as it

seems. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the number of

students enrolling for college, increased from 16.9 million to 20.4 million since 2003

to 2013. With the world becoming more globalized and technologically innovative,

higher levels of education are becoming prioritized and students are getting ambitious to

search for the best of the best.

    At first, the process seems daunting, many often don’t know where to start. Students

often wait until the last minute to get their prerequisites in and end up rushing their essays

and applications which would lower their chances to get into the college of their choice.

However, by understanding exactly what the college process is and by following a few

steps, students can overcome the pre-college application anxieties head on and get

accepted to the college of their dreams.

Applying to college is a big job, but by breaking the process down into a series of small

steps it can be a stress-free experience for everyone.

1. Building the Real You:

    Throughout your high school life, choose the kinds of extracurriculars that interest you,

not the ones that look the best for a college application. Colleges appreciate it more when

a student is passionate about their interests rather than a student who is trying to join

multiple clubs and sports they may have no interest. List the accomplishments that you

take the most pride in and write the essay that best represents who you are - make your

voice unique.

2. Get Connected:

    Talk to your family, friends, or anyone else you’re close to about your college plans. Talk

about why you want to go to a certain college; this will be great preparation for

interviews later on when you apply for colleges. Also, get to know your teachers and

guidance counselors. They all have been through the same experiences you’re going

through and can provide you with tips and advice to help make your experience the best it

can be.

3. Research Research Research:

    Start conducting on the kinds of colleges you might want to attend. Find colleges that

offer or provide the best support and attention to the major(s) in which you are interested.

Get informed about the different kinds of programs and special activities that each

individual college offers. For example, Brown University provides a BS/MD program for

undergraduates the opportunity to graduate earlier than standard medical schools and

does not require students to take the MCAT test. For medically interested students, this is

an opportunity of a lifetime. Get to know the requirements some of these schools have

and work your way towards achieving each and one of them. Getting started junior year

for college prep is never too early because it allows more time for students to prepare

without stress and eases the overwhelming amount of work.

    For many high school students, college is just a step away. College is not only an

unforgettable experience, but it is a step into adulthood freedom and a time to learn life

lessons. By following these three steps, anyone can make their college application

process simple; you can expect your acceptance letter in no time.