Reporters. Opinions. One hundred words.

Homework inhibits development

By: Francesca Chu

When students return to SHS after the summer, most quickly fall back into spending late nights to finish their work. Homework eats up hours of their life and leads them to sacrifice their non-academic passions.

High school is a time for new experiences, and it is healthy to take part in extracurriculars like sports teams or volunteer programs. These activities aid in the development of skills needed as an adult to interact with others. Too often we overlook how pursuits like art, music and athletics are just as important as homework. Homework should be reduced and perhaps become optional to allow students to pursue interests outside of school instead of frantically finishing homework into the early hours.

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Drug companies need to lower their prices

by: Ashley Feng

Hepatitis C virus, also known as black jaundice, causes mild symptoms that include stomach pain and nausea. But left untreated, hepatitis C can develop into painful liver cancer and potential cirrhosis, scarring of the liver that may require a transplant. There are an estimated 2.7 to 3.9 million cases of chronic hepatitis C virus in the country. Yet in the United States, hepatitis C is treated with Gilead Sciences Incorporation’s overpriced, $1,000 pills.

Medication for hepatitis C is just one of many prescription drugs that corporate puppeteers have priced unreasonably high, harming regular civilians in their unethical quest to add to their already excessive wealth. The skyrocketing prices force low to medium income consumers to choose between three meals a day and medication for (often fatal) diseases.

Enter Proposition 61 — California’s stand against greedy, money-grubbing prescription drug manufacturers. Prop 61’s goal is to make medication more affordable by capping drug prices. Providing more access to life-saving drugs, Prop 61 can put an effective stop to the unprincipled price-gouging by drug companies. Californian voters should say “Yes to 61!”