Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph

Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph

Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph

Toxic productivity culture: An unachievable goal that prevents students from being proud of their accomplishments.

The growing obsession with toxic productivity endangers students

By Ashley Orozco May 22, 2021

Toxic productivity, an unhealthy and extreme obsession with productivity, has become increasingly prevalent in today’s society. Toxic productivity stems from the culture that praises productivity, but...

Brandi Levy was unjustly suspended from her school’s cheerleading team for posting a Snapchat containing profanity.

The Court Decides: Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.

By Ritaja Subrahmanya May 13, 2021

Last week, the Supreme Court held oral arguments for Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., a powerful case that will decide a school’s jurisdiction on a student's off-campus speech. The case will build...

 “THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL”: Women’s experiences: results of our sexist society.

Feminist’s disclosure: the personal is political

By Leila Salam May 11, 2021

"The personal is political,” a slogan coined by feminist Carol Hanisch, was an influential symbol of  second wave feminism in the 1960s and has continued to influence feminist theorizing today, according...

WORD CHOICE MATTERS: Language used by police tells a story beyond what is explicitly said.

Language in press conference reveals anti-Asian sentiment among police

By Alyssa Zimmerman May 10, 2021

It seems obvious that something like the recent Atlanta shooting, in which a white man shot and killed eight spa-goers and employees, six of whom were Asian women, would be considered a racially motivated...

The Court Decides: Astra USA v. Santa Clara County

The Court Decides: Astra USA v. Santa Clara County

By Ritaja Subrahmanya May 6, 2021

In recent years, affordable healthcare has been widely debated among policymakers. A landmark Supreme Court decision that continues to affect hospitals is Astra USA v. Santa Clara County, which severely...

Facebook is unhappy with Apples new privacy update

Facebook is unhappy with Apple’s new privacy update

By Raymond Ranbhise April 1, 2021

In a new iOS update, Apple will now ask users if they want to be tracked by apps like Facebook with a pop-up asking for permission. As you might expect, Facebook isn't happy about this.   "Apple may...

Unlike public schools, private schools can discriminate against students preventing them from receiving the education they deserve.

The Court Decides: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

By Ritaja Subrahmanya March 21, 2021

Private school programs and funding have long been debated in the United States. In June 2020, the Supreme Court’s decision on Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue changed the future for students...

After months of waiting, the COVID-19 vaccine has finally been authorized by the FDA and is being distributed across the country. 

71% of Americans say they will definitely or probably get a Covid-19 vaccine and 39% said they would wait and see how initial vaccination goes before getting a vaccine themselves according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

The release of the vaccine might placate many for the current moment, but it won’t make everything go back to normal.

Currently, the most advanced vaccines use three different approaches: viral vectors — using a harmless virus which is altered to contain part of COVID-19’s genetic code — RNA, which contains a synthetic version of part of COVID-19’s genetic code and protein subunit, which uses pieces of the COVID-19 virus, according to CDC.

The release of the COVID-19 vaccine is great news as once the majority of the public have taken the vaccine, the spread of COVID-19 will potentially reduce, according to BBC News. It will shorten the time needed for the country to go back to normal. 

However, I am skeptical about the workings of the vaccine and this is part of my concern when trying to decide if I will take the vaccine.  	

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States, misunderstanding of herd immunity has started to show up. Herd immunity is achieved when large percentages of a population become immune to a disease. 

Herd immunity against COVID-19 will be achieved by protecting people through vaccination, not by exposing them to the pathogen that causes the disease for developing immunity. 

In terms of COVID-19, the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is estimated to be between 70% and 90%, according to David G. Hill, a member of the Lung Associations National Board of Directors.

Although vaccines have helped the world get rid of deadly diseases such as fever and smallpox, the process always takes time and there are no guarantees ensuring the results of the COVID-19 vaccine will be positive. 

At this point, being vaccinated doesnt mean the full development of the immune system and one can still be exposed in crowded areas with no prevention, such as masks. 

The current coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective and has no serious side effects from the first set of complete results of a late-stage vaccine trial, according to Pfizer. This means out of 100 people, there would still be five people where the vaccine doesnt work.

The vaccine should definitely be taken once the distribution has started, but just because the vaccine is here doesnt mean we shouldnt maintain precautionary measures. 

I hope the vaccines will eventually help bring the spreading of COVID-19 under control, but before that, the usage of masks in public areas and social distancing should be continued.

COVID-19 vaccine won’t take us to the past

By Jack Xu March 19, 2021

After months of waiting, the COVID-19 vaccine has finally been authorized by the FDA and is being distributed across the country.  71% of Americans say they will "definitely or probably" get the vaccine...

Without immediate change such as reform to the federal gun laws, America’s legacy will continue to be filled with violence

Global Medium: Gun reform is essential to protecting students

By Saanvi Thakur March 17, 2021

Before the pandemic, going to school was a normal part of a student’s life. However, I was constantly consumed by fear every time I walked through the gates of HHS. This fear wasn’t because of a test...

Building for a better future

Building for a better future

By Saanvi Thakur March 16, 2021

Over the past year, numerous construction projects have started across campus and while they are needed, it is important to account for the environmental impact of these new buildings.  As the effects...

The Alphabet Workers Union allows Google employees to express their concerns about company policy without fearing repercussions from the tech giant.

Unions empower workers, advocate for change in the workplace

By Ritaja Subrahmanya February 12, 2021

In a historic event, employees at Google recently created the Alphabet Workers Union, the first union at a major tech company, according to ABC News. By the end of the day it was announced, the union had...

Birdwatcher Christian Cooper fell victim to Amy Cooper weaponizing her white female vulnerability against him.

Feminist’s Disclosure

By Leila Salam February 11, 2021

Most of the time, when I think of white supremacy, I picture the image of ignorant and overly masculine rage. Hoods, confederate flags — you know the deal. But often times, white supremacy is just as...

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