TOP 5 – 2017-18: a tumultuous year; a year of champions

My first year on the The Precedent was 2014, my freshman year. Then, it was a class of 27 and made up of six seniors, 16 juniors, four sophomores, and of course, the one freshman. Today, the staff has gotten smaller with only 11 seniors, four juniors, and the baby of the group, sophomore Daisy Ramirez. But its achievements are just as far-reaching. This year, we have tackled many controversial issues. In honor of the year ending, we have complied of a list of the top five topics we have covered.

Number 5: State Champs. The Puma Nation earned its first ever banner this year thanks to the ladies of the badminton team. Their hard work on both the singles side of the game and the team side brought home both the second and first place trophies. Other teams such as girls soccer and football brought home silver as well.

Number 4: Suicide Awareness. In the beginning of the year, CUSD released a video to raise awareness of suicide and the tragic fallout it causes. The focus on the program was what role social media plays in suicide in today’s world. They gave us a list of numbers to call and talked us through routes we can take to seek out help.

Number 3: School Safety. 2018 was also a year of tragedy, as school shootings such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School caused a loss of 17 lives. The Parkland Shooting inspired a walk out organized by PHS students to remember the 17 who lost their lives that fateful day.

Number 2: #MeToo. Tarana Burke started using the phrase “Me Too” in 2006 on MySpace with a simple goal: to empower through empathy. Burke’s work is still in effect today, as women and men alike used to the hashtag to come forward against predators in the entertainment industry. People like Ashley Judd, Anthony Rapp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, and Angelina Jolie all came forward against their attackers. The Golden Globes were a beautiful display of unity, as all of the actresses and many actors dawned black to send a message of solidarity.

Number 1: Red for Ed. Red for Ed has been sweeping headlines across the country since teachers left the classrooms in W. Va. Ariz. teachers followed suit, and walked out for the first time in the state’s history. The strike lasted for eight days, causing schools across the state to be closed for six days. The strike ended with teachers getting their pay request, but as far as funding for public education goes, there is still work to be done in our legislation.

2017-18 was a memorable year, full of tragedy and triumph alike. As the final minutes of high school slowly tick by, there is still a profound feeling of hope in the newsroom. There are plenty more stories to be written and memories to be made here at Perry High School.