Immigration in the United States

     Center for Immigration Studies Director of Research Steven Camarota said the U.S. foreign-born population is expected to grow to unprecedented levels in the next 50 years. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that there will be 1.6 million first generation immigrants coming in the next 50 years. Taking into account their children and their children’s children, that is roughly 100 million immigrants coming to America.

     Staggering numbers like these are presented to people, with mixed feelings arising about them, but both sides of the political spectrum have individuals that are all in favor of mass immigration. The far left has La Raza, who are anti-white socialists that advocate towards pathways to citizenship for illegals. On the far right are greedy businessmen who believe in plantation economics. Both sides are wrong in their intentions.

     “Immigration is a beautiful thing. It’s what made America. However, mass immigration is counterintuitive toward improving quality of life,” says Borgy Tenney, a junior at B-UHS. With low tech jobs disappearing, how can the nation provide for these people, especially if they may lack in skill? Time will tell.

Buckhannon-Upshur boys' soccer

     Buckhannon-Upshur High School’s 2017 soccer season has been an impressive one, with a regional showing, where the boys finished the season 14-5-5, also picking up a sectional title at the end. The success of the team is important for the high school, the seniors, and Coach Donato.

     The seniors concluded they had no regrets when interviewed at the season’s conclusion. “When I went into the season, I knew we would go far, and I was hopeful to play in regionals. That is exactly what happened,” claimed Ben Nolte. This talented group was very deserving of their ranking, now 14^th in the state.

     “As the season closed, I realized we weren’t successful because we were good, we were successful because we are family. We have a bond that allowed us to work like a well-oiled machine on the field,” Ian Greenough added, confident in the team.

     This year’s B-U team will be one of the finer groups in school history. “We are coming next year, don’t doubt that,” said Ryan Hurst, a freshman who started offense on the team. “We will work harder than ever to take another sectional title.”

Free speech and football

     Is kneeling on the ground while making a fist during the singing of the national anthem incendiary? Yes. Is it disrespectful to service members and their families? Yes. Is it protected by the First Amendment? Absolutely.

     The premise behind the NFL's protest of the national anthem is purely partisanship. Players are using their spotlight as football players to make a political statement, citing the unjust treatment of minorities is their reason of protest; however, more players started doing it after President Donald Trump called these players out on their act.

     "I support these players 100%, because it is their right to protest; however, it is so disrespectful what they do the veterans and their families," Ethan Miller, a student at B-UHS claims. Ethan and others disagree with the players' views but can do nothing but honor the 1st amendment. 

The ideals of public good versus abstract argument

     Freedom of Speech is the right to express opinions without censorship or restraint, a right that has been attacked many times throughout history. The liberal left has made a notion that the public good, or people's personal beliefs, should be held with more respect than free speech itself. They claim that people's experiences, those of suffering or oppression, challenge an argument.

     Jean-François Lyotard, a philosopher, does not define free speech as the guarantee of a debate where truth emerges. He instead defines it as personal views that are challenged by abstract argument. He also claims that certain topics should be restricted from free speech because they are not good for the public; he claims they are undebatable and unmentionable.

     Free speech and freedom of expression are fundamental to higher society. It is important for our education and for our democracy, none of which should be restricted to protect the feelings or "personal experiences" of certain groups of people. A former student of B-UHS claimed, "The notion to restrict free speech for the public good is ridiculous and is counter-intuitive to high society."

What about the alt-left?

     "Alt-right" is a loosely defined term to describe far right ideologists who reject modern conservatism in favor of white nationalism. The term is used every day to describe anybody who isn't left wing or centrist, the "alt" being used to represent racism. These colorful political nicknames are one of the reasons American is as divided as it is today.

     What about the "alt-left?" Just like McCarthyism, alt-right is a nickname created to demean anti-communists, and if a term like alt-left was used, it would nullify any power from the nicknaming. If alt-left were used, it would present the argument that the left has evils with Antifa, as the right has with neo-Nazis.

     Political nicknaming is an art that has been used by all sides of the political spectrum throughout history. Both sides, liberal and conservative, have their alternatives and radical, both sides have a paranoid fringe, each of them being racially fueled. "If political nicknames like this didn't exist, there would be no way to push your political agenda with just a single word," says Ethan Miller, a student at B-UHS.

Nesselroade Returns

B-UHS’ Andrew Nesselroade returned to the track on April 4^th, following a few weeks of recovery. Taking it lightly, he took part in one event during a 7-team meet at Buckhannon-Upshur. To no surprise, Andrew Nesselroade carried his 4x400m relay team to a swift first place finish in the meet.

Nesselroade, a senior, was disabled by a devastating back injury, forcing him to attend physical therapy and sit out of practice and track meets, causing chaos on his team. An all-time best athlete, Nesselroade is expected to put the team on his back during track meets. “There is no possible way we can be successful without the help of Andrew. He’s a complete animal on the track, and the only way to slow him down is through injury,” claims freshman Trenton Westfall of the Buckhannon-Upshur Track Team.

What makes Andrew so great? Andrew’s dedication to the track and his team enable him to train hard and prioritize his season. As the best 100m runner Buckhannon has ever had, boasting a personal record of 11.02 seconds, his work shows. If Andrew can dodge injury for the rest of this year, he is projected to win states in the 400m and in multiple relays.