JC Penny’s Downfall

Nikitha Srinivasan

J. C. Penny, also known as JCP, is an American department chain with over 689 locations throughout the 49 states and Puerto Rico. The company stands for James Cash Penny. JCP was the original owner and opened the first location of J.C Penny’s in 1902. J.C Penny will turn 119 years old this year. J.C Penny is a Limited Liability Corporation. It offers a wide variability of items. Some of their items include a huge variety of clothes, home furnishing, jewelry, cosmetics, and cookware. Their main competitors include Kohls’s, Target, Ross, Burlington Stores, and Walmart. The company’s main mission is to help customers find what he/she wants in less time, money, and energy. J.CPenny wants to bring the simplification of shopping. Giving the customer fewer options lets the people stress less with all the options. J. C. Penny is also a multi-plant firm and an oligopoly. Due to the pandemic, the company was forced to file bankruptcy.

US-China Trade Relationship

Nikitha Srinivasan

The trade deficit with China was $310.8 billion in 2020, and the number continues to rise. As an economic leader in the past, the United States had been tasked with supporting emerging nations in their efforts to construct a stable economic system. China was no exception, since we have been one of their most important trading partners. The United States aided China’s economy to become one of the best in the world, but now that they have reached the level of success, they no longer want or need our help. However, we, The United States, are the ones who need help now. 

Building Remodeling At Leigh

Li Yen Ho

Leigh has been in some state of remodeling for over ten years already and doesn’t seem like it will be finishing anytime soon. For example, the cafeteria, the PAC, the football field, the track, air conditioning, and boy baseball dugouts projects have all been recently completed a few years ago, bringing in needed change to the school.

The Odds Were Not In Favor Of The 2021 College Applicants

Natalie Bachman

The 2021 college application season made history as one of the most competitive. Acceptance rates plummeted as the number of applicants skyrocketed, something that can be traced back to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19, Genetic Mutations, And 2nd Waves

Nikitha Srinivasan

In India, there are roughly 25,000,000 instances of Covid-19, with 290,000 deaths as a result of the virus. Only 3% of India’s population has got all of their vaccinations, whereas 9.2% have got at least one dose. Because India produces 60% of the world’s covid-19 vaccinations, having them struggle to be vaccinated is alarming. India has difficulty exporting vaccinations to foreign countries while still vaccinating its own residents. 

Technological Advancements

Li-Yen Ho

According to a 2019 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenagers 13-18 spend an average of 6.5 hours a day on screens even before the pandemic struck. Now, high school students are forced to take classes online and factor in more time in front of a computer. During the pandemic, especially, most social interaction takes place over text or video call. Some extracurricular activities would also have moved online, causing many, including teenagers, to spend both productive and recreational time on a device. While many people, including myself, have spent hours scrolling through social media on their phones, scientists and engineers have been at work designing new technology.

The Return To Campus

Skylar Long

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most of our school year has been conducted online. Some students hoped to return to campus in person at the beginning of the second semester, but due to the increasing rate of transmission, the possibility of returning was pushed back to later in the year. 

COVID Vaccination Updates

Nikitha Srinivasan

President Biden told reporters about 90% of adults in the U.S. will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations by April 19 (April 15 for California) and will be eligible to even get them within five miles from their homes. According to Our World in Data, As of April 11th, there are 70.7 million Americans who are fully vaccinated and a total of 183 million doses have been given out. In other words, 21.5% of the population is vaccinated. In just California, 22.8 million doses have been administered and 21.1% of the population is vaccinated.  Three covid vaccines have been authorized use from the companies Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. As of April 19th, the public (above the age of 16) can go get the vaccine. 

Global Warming

Nikitha Srinivasan

Global warming and climate change are often confused. There is a huge dichotomy between global warming and climate change. Global warming generally refers to human-induced warming of the Earth’s atmosphere, while climate change can apply to both inorganic and organic changes. To slow down climate change, we must first slow down global warming, which is caused by humans. 

Vaccine Distribution

Natalie Bachman

While vaccine production was a feat in itself, mass distribution is a long anticipated procedure that we have now been faced with. Although vaccines typically take years to produce, the two main distributors, Moderna and Pfizer, produced the vaccine in a few months. With no hard plan, though, the general public may not be able to receive doses until summer or fall of 2021.