National Jazz Festival Debuts in Philadelphia

By Hyun Lee, English Honor Society President

March 6, 2020

On Saturday, February 15, 2020, the National Jazz Festival (NJF) made its official debut in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Under the leadership of Joe Bongiovi, who is the director of the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra, the band director at Princeton High...

How the Nature vs Nurture Debate Contradicts Free Will

By Aidan Higgins, Editor

February 27, 2020

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the psychological argument I have alluded to in the title, the nature versus nurture debate is an intellectual conflict that has been waged across various fields of study (including, but not limited to, biology, psychology, and philosophy) since the mid-1800s....

The Reality of the Australian Wildfires

By Aidan Pesce, Assistant Reporter

February 27, 2020

Our year started off with a bang. Wildfires, the Coronavirus, tensions between Iran and the United States. So much has happened in the first two months of the new year. Fortunately, the conflict between Iran and the United States has died down, but that is only one of so many terrible issues that have...

Las Vegas Democratic Debate: A Party Deeply Divided

By Robert Mullins, Reporter

February 27, 2020

In this day and age, it is an indubitable truth that political discourse has been glamorized. Campaigns devise catchy slogans to grab voters' attention, candidates make wild claims about one another, and the truth very often gets buried under a cloak of subterfuge and insinuations. Candidates sometimes...

Kobe Bryant: A Father, Mentor, and Inspiration to All

February 13, 2020

On Sunday, January 26th, Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers. This news has devastated the sports world for the past two weeks, as the Lakers’ tribute to Bryant was held last night at Staples Center. Kobe was a hard worker, a dedic...

State of the Union 2020: Trump’s Time to Shine

By Robert Mullins, Reporter

February 6, 2020

On Tuesday evening, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress to fulfill his Constitutional duty of reporting on the State of the Union. Reception to his speech has been mixed, but there is one element virtually all pundits can agree on: the President's conduct was nothing if not memorable....

Britain Finally Brexits

By Robert Mullins, Reporter

February 6, 2020

After 47 years of membership, Britain has officially exited the European Union. The culmination of a four-year-long battle that began with a 2016 referendum was reached Friday, Jan. 31, at 11 P.M. local time. It seems a tad ironic that the UK, an empire that at one time spread across the world, is now...

Why Banning Pornography Is Not The Right Solution

By Aidan Higgins, Editor

January 20, 2020

On December 6, 2019, Representatives Jim Banks, Mark Meadows, Vicky Hartzler, and Brian Babin submitted a letter to Attorney General William Barr, beseeching him to follow through with the Trump campaign's anti-pornography pledge, which they fear has long-since been forgotten by the current administration....

Impeachment Articles Signed, Managers Selected

By Robert Mullins, Reporter

January 17, 2020

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives delivered the signed articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate. Two articles enumerate the charges the president faces. Article I addressed Abuse of Power, and passed 230-197, with 1 present. Article II, concerning Obstruction of Congress...

A Beginner’s Guide to 5G

By Aidan Higgins, Assistant Editor

January 9, 2020

Unless you rely strictly on the Xavier Kestrel as the only reliable source for world news (a sensible and commendable choice, I would say), you very well may have heard or seen some mention of "5G," the fabled fifth generation of mobile broadband that, according to legend (and the decree of tech moguls),...

Opinion: Hong Kong Is Proof That We Need the 2nd Amendment Now More Than Ever

By Aidan Higgins, Assistant Editor

November 11, 2019

"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution for the United States, perhaps the document's most controversial and frequently discussed article, guarantees the Am...

Trump and the Threat of Impeachment: What Does the School Think?

By Justin Caulfield, Assistant Reporter

November 5, 2019

Following Speaker Pelosi's decision to launch impeachment hearings, the nation as a whole has been conflicted about President Trump's future given the possibility of his impeachment and removal from office, an issue that presents a potential political liability for both political parties. As I have found...