BY GABE MIZRACHI

Newt Gingrich’s claim to fame is his experience in Washington as Speaker of the House under Bill Clinton. And the heart of his pride is his success in balancing the budget four years in a row. “Balanced budget” is a term thrown around endlessly in politics these days. The concept sounds simple, and indeed it is: revenue equals expenditure. Newt and other Republicans claim that a balanced budget is essential for an improved economy. It sure sounds nice when Newt talks about it, but how evil is debt? Although it would probably be a good idea to lower the deficit from the scary number that it is, owing money isn’t as bad as many people think.

BY SAMMY BLUNT

Since we first started getting homework early in our school years, parents have told us to stop playing sports, and come inside to do homework. We high school students are starting to realize that, as we near senior year and college applications, our parents made a mistake by calling us inside. Lately, star athletes are having an easier time getting into their college of choice while star students are having a harder time.

BY ALEXA BARRETT

As high school students, we spend such a large portion of each day bogged down with work, extra-curricular activities, studying, sports and friends that it can be hard to leave time for anything else. We can easily forget that we are living amidst a plethora of notable occurrences; important affairs are happening around the world every day that will someday be marked down in history books. But juxtaposed with our own busy lives, these events often seem less important. In order to be better informed about our world today, I believe current events should be a required part of every social studies curriculum at Mamaroneck High School.

BY MARK FALLATI

National election cycles are always frantic, and the 2012 presidential race is no different. Democrats are strategizing how to display President Barack Obama as the man who can save our country from further economic turmoil--at least for another four years. But for Republicans, the next few months will require some soul-searching on just what sort of ideological stances will become the face of the party for years to come. Certain candidates--particularly Herman Cain, who has recently emerged as a frontrunner--have been representing one rivaling faction but lack the necessary fact-backed proposals and political acumen to defeat an incumbent president just over a year from now.

BY MATT DONAGHY

In 1968, U.S. Steel decided that it didn’t like the New York zoning laws. The company was building its headquarters, but they were limited to a certain height. So, to make the building taller, they struck a deal with the city. If they purchased and maintained a park, Liberty Plaza, they could bend the law for their own benefit. Over the years, the park has changed hands, names and purposes (it was once used as a staging center for September 11 recovery efforts), but none as ironic as the one you would find right now. Liberty Plaza, used as a bribe between a massive corporation and the government, is now home to Occupy Wall Street, an anti-corporate movement.

BY MORGAN STEIN

Imagine your favorite band is playing in the city and you can’t wait to go see them. Excitedly, you scramble to your computer to buy tickets only to find out that the concert has an age limit.

BY GABE MIZRACHI

President Obama has made it clear that he does not support Palestine’s efforts to achieve statehood and recognition from the United Nations. This is not because he believes that the Palestinian people do not deserve a state of their own, but because such a settlement will not create peace with Israel.

BY MARK FALLATI

Does anyone remember Pat Paulsen? He ran for president six times. One year he placed second in the Democratic primary in New Hampshire. He even received 10,000 votes for the Republican presidential nomination a different year. These figures are only significant because Paulsen is a comedian. His campaigns were primarily jokes with secondary political objectives. The 2012 presidential campaign also featured a joke candidate: Donald Trump.

BY EMILY RYAN

The new four-point system implemented in many MHS gym classes has been a source of great confusion for countless students ever since its inception this fall. The system consists of a daily grade out of four possible points, broken down into different criteria such as participation and preparation. A student can be absent for a certain number of classes, yet still pass the class if he has enough points. At first thought, this sounds like a pretty good deal, but under careful consideration it is clear that the system is not logical.

BY ALEXA BARRETT

As Mamaroneck High School students, we’re all familiar with the hustle and bustle in the halls between classes. Many of our schedules require us to sprint from one building to the other after every period, so that we have to face the dreaded traffic jams in the overpass up to seven times per day. As someone very vigilant about my academic performance, I find myself in constant fear of jeopardizing my grade due to lateness. But no matter how hard I try, I find that even jogging to class puts me through the door only a few seconds before the bell rings. It’s ridiculous that on top of all the other worries that cloud our minds during the school day, our students have to deal with the added stress of running to class in order to be on time.

BY RYAN MATT

High school is often looked at as a time of self-discovery for teenagers. These four years of our lives come with a number of different pressures that develop from schoolwork, activities, sports, friends or family. There’s a good chance that students will, at some point, find themselves being offered a cigarette or marijuana. From the younger kids at the Hommocks to the Seniors at MHS, more and more students are making the decision to try smoking. Why has this habit, so often condemned in the media, become so popular among teens across America? Is there a reason why we turn to cigarettes or marijuana to have fun or feel accepted?

BY JANE WIESENBERG

A new school year brings new classes, new teachers and new friends. This year, there is something else to add to the list– the new gym system. For those who may not be aware of the new protocol, it involves students weighing and measuring themselves, running a mile and doing push-ups and chin-ups. While being forced to run a mile and do push-sups and chin-ups can be unpopular and a nuisance, it is hard to argue that they are invasive. However, having students record their weight can be ominous and uncomfortable.

BY JASON HELLERSTEIN

Enter to see rows and rows of pale, nervous prisoners scribbling furiously on desks placed in front of them. Close to you stands a man who towers over the prisoners, watching them with an almost sick detachment. It appears as if he has perhaps been torturing these people for days. You instinctively shiver at the thought of what’s been occurring in this room. Your heart fills with pity as your eyes glance quickly at each of the captives, hunched so close to the desks their eyelashes are almost grazing the surface. One of the hunchbacks is sweating profusely, one of them has a look of sheer terror on his face, one of them has his head down on the table in shame. The man paces back and forth. “Fifteen minutes,” he says. Fifteen minutes until what? What’s going to happen to these people?

BY HARRISON FRANK

As I walk through the halls of MHS every day, I can’t help but notice the abundance of students gripping beige cups. The seemingly ubiquitous Chicken Joe’s Iced Coffee (C.J.I.C.) has now become a fan favorite and has gone from trend to craze. This elixir has kids clamoring to suck the sweet nectar of Ramon’s hard work, like Chocolate Boy from “Hey Arnold.”

BY GABE MIZRACHI

The power rule: bring the exponent next to the coefficient, multiply them and subtract one from the exponent. The quotient rule: denominator times the derivative of the numerator minus numerator times the derivative of the denominator, all over the denominator squared. Amazing!