Big-Box Retailers, Boys Hockey 09-10, Bush’s Quagmire, Did the Surge Work?, Eating Healthy, Ethanol, Gay Rights, Global Warming, Green Goes Mainstream, Health Care, Iraq War, Immigration, McCain’s Flaws, Beauty of Nature, and No Christmas Cheer Due to Economy are the titles of articles I have written through N in the alphabet. Four years of writing for Generation W. Four years of the front page, community page, sports page, technology page, entertainment page, and of course my favorite, the editorial page. Four years of writing more than school demands. Four years of growing and learning. My four years at Generation W are coming to a close. The road is coming to an end. But as I started this article I realized this road is just a ramp to the highway I am about to merge onto. Generation W has been my driver’s ed class, my driver’s permit, and my license test. It has prepared me for the highway that is home to all the other writers out of high school. Gen W gave me the tools to drive at 70mph on the interstate of writing, journalism, and politics in the real world.

Plane landing on hudson river: January 15, 2009

A US Airways jet struck a flock of geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport and crashed in the Hudson River on January 15th. All 148 passengers and 5 crew members were safely evacuated from the plane and taken to safety. Chesley Sullenberger III was the pilot on the plane and created a media buzz where he was dubbed a "National Hero." Sullenberger tried his best to avoid the media and said,"I'm no hero, I was simply doing my job."

Obama January 20, 2009

The troubled economy and efforts to revamp the nation’s health care system dominated the public’s news interest in 2009. From the year’s start, Americans kept a close watch on the unfolding economic crisis, as well as Barack Obama’s efforts to grapple with the crisis while trying to make good on campaign promises. As of January 2nd, 24% of the nation Strongly-Approve of Obama's actions after one year. However, 42% Strongly-Disapprove of his actions.

Pic: U.S. President Barack Obama still has a lot to prove after one year in office.

Twitter: February, 2009

Stimulus February 17, 2009

Responding to what experts called the worst U.S. economic threat since the Great Depression, President Obama signs a $787 billion stimulus bill into law, which includes $212 billion in tax cuts, $267 billion in safety net spending and appropriations totaling $308 billion for projects nationwide.

It's Christmas time and you've packed the family into the car and headed to the in-laws. Because of the cold, you keep the windows closed and the heat cranked, only problem is, you're a smoker. After two cigarettes, you will have exposed your spouse and kids to particulates well above the government safety standards.

Many people are aware of the damaging effects of smoking cigarettes, but what many people aren't aware of, are the damaging effects of second-hand smoke. If a person spends more than two hours in a room where someone is smoking, the nonsmoker inhales the equivalent of four cigarettes. Secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of disability and early death (after active smoking and alcohol) in the United States. For every eight smokers who die from smoking, one innocent bystander dies from secondhand smoke.

April 15, 2010 - Tax Day. What a perfect day for a Tea Party. No, this Tea Party was not full of cakes, china, or tea; it was filled with people looking for a change. These people came from all over northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even parts of Michigan. Not only were they looking for a change, they wanted our government to hear their voices and opinions. When President Obama was campaigning, he campaigned for change. Now, a year later, a majority of America has realized it is not the change they had hoped for.

The name “Tea Party” originates from the Boston Tea Party, which was when the colonists revolted against Great Britain’s control and taxing. Today, the Tea Party is a revolt against our government’s control and overbearing taxes. Many who do not know the facts about Tea Parties believe they are meant for republicans and conservatives. Well my friend, they are not. Tea Parties are meant to forget about political rivalries and parties. Instead, Tea Partiers want to get back to the ways of the Constitution and our government working for the people versus the other way around.

Originally a good way to keep contact with friends near and far, many now find the hours they spend on Facebook every day to be more trouble than they’re worth.

The Facebook group titled “I Was Doing Homework, Then I Ended Up On Facebook” currently has over one million members, and expresses a sentiment that many teens share: Facebook is a distraction.

Many teens have found that the lure to sign on is especially strong when working on homework, college applications, or essays. A readily accessible distraction, simply signing onto Facebook can easily make one forget about what they really should be doing. This is not only making it hard to get important things like homework done on time, it is actually causing some teens’ grades to drop.