Category: Current Events

2024 Eclipse Creativity Project by Ariel N.

The solar eclipse that happened on April 8th was called a total eclipse or totality if you will, meaning the Sun was completely blocked out by the moon for around 3-2 minutes. This happens because the Moon’s cycle ends up passing through the Earths and the Sun which casts a shadow on certain parts of the Earth. During the eclipse the sky has a cast or shadow and the people here on earth can see the outer atmosphere corona. 

This kind of solar eclipse only happened on some parts of the earth like Antarctica , Australia, and southern South America. People in those states or regions got to see the moon cover the sun with their solar eclipse glasses and all the other places of the world also had it as well.

Kinds of events such as the solar eclipse are rare events that people come from all over the world to see. Scientists and astronomers have been studying the sun and its interactions with other planets. Many people from many cultures have their own myths about the eclipse. The eclipse is important to some people, scary for others and people don’t care.

In 1806, the same thing happened in this region on its path called a totality eclipse. This was the first time that any human had ever seen anything like that; the eclipse in 1806 happened in Western Pennsylvania; it was a very uncommon sight for those who were lucky enough to witness it. The darkness that was cast over made the animals in that time disheveled.

The people back then had seen the eclipse to be a pending doom or a message sent by the gods that the world was coming to its last days. Scientists and astronomers took advantage of the event and studied it to no end and are still to this day. They studied it trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. The solar eclipse in 1806 was a very memorable and significant time bringing the world together as a whole.

The U.S.  had a couple events on the 8th of April where there were many parties and events organized by astronomy clubs, science centers , and universities . Some towns or cities along the eclipse path I’m sure threw some parties or festivals to celebrate the occasion. There were also many people who traveled to see the eclipse to witness it. Hotels and stuff like that booked people months in advance all over the world. 

The people in 2024 were absolutely amazed by this eclipse and some people were also very fearful of what would come next. Many people described the eclipse as a “once in a lifetime moment” , some even beginning to cry because it was so beautiful they had thought the sight was. People shared their experience on social media expressing their gratitude and appreciation for being able to see such an uncommon event. The sense of just unity and wonder if you will that was brought by the eclipse was astonishing .

The solar eclipse in western Pennsylvania 2024, was a day that everyone or most people had come together to celebrate an uncommon show the universe was putting on. It was time for people in the community to just come together and appreciate what was going on around them. Many people gathered safely to watch the eclipse with their glasses or welding helmets to be able to see the inspiring work the universe or atmosphere can really do. It was a solid moment of wonder and appreciation.

The solar eclipse of 2024, was a highly awaited event across the United states. People from everywhere were coming to see the eclipse. Many cities or towns organized a few parties so people could coe and safely see the eclipse with special glasses. There were a couple scientific trips and different researchers all around us to observe and study the eclipse. It was a real and breathtaking sight for some who had gotten to see it out of a telescope. The 2024 eclipse was the last and only eclipse of totality we will see for over 200 years.

During the eclipse there were various events  and gatherings happening throughout the United states to celebrate the event. Many cities and towns on the eclipse path setup view parties for the homeless and gave them glasses and they welcomed anyone to come see the show with 25 cent pairs of glasses,it was a great opportunity to learn the science behind totality and how we view it today!

This eclipse was perceived as a big anticipated and thrilling moment all over the world. Many people were excited and couldn’t wait to be able to see the astonishing view of the eclipse, there were so many opportunities to really learn about why the solar eclipse happens so often!! Two of the things I learned just by participating in this project, one of them is that the solar eclipse path only goes a few dozen miles wide and can 100% shift every eclipse. The second one is that the eclipse that happened in 2009 lasted 6 minutes and 40 seconds.. Cool huh.

In addition to all of the viewing parties and stuff that was being held there were also a lot of educational programs and eclipse tours people could look at to raise awareness about the solar eclipse. Many of the people that had traveled took it upon themselves to learn about ‘solar phenomena’ , astronomy, and how to save our planet from climate change. The eclipse of 2024 really showed some of us Americans that we have so much to be thankful for that our world provides for us that we all take for granted.

During the solar eclipse of 2024 I was outside drinking sprite watching it happen with my pap right before I had to go in to work which sucked wish I could have watched the whole thing with him but I had to go to work. When I got home from work we all cooked but sat down and ate then the day after the eclipse my pa had to go home back to ohio.

Sensitive Equipment Being Sold

These items are extremely sensitive and are valuable to the military’s mission. From personal experience, I know that when one of these items were not accounted for, my training unit had to get the whole base shut down until they were found. I feel that close investigation needs to be done until the people responsible for this are brought into custody. Items such as the ones mentioned contain information that could potentially harm us.

Republicans Position in Election ’08

For the past few months, the U.S. Presidential Election in 2008 has been the number one current event, but it appears that no matter what- a Democrat will win. It’s Hilary or Obama in ’08. John McCain is the primary candidate in the Republican Party, but Republicans follow in population to Democrats. It appears to be a win win situation for the Democrats in November. If Hilary wins, will Obama supporters vote for the sole Democrat? And same with Obama, if he wins- will Hilary voters feel obligated to vote for a Democrat? Gender and Race seem to have more conflict and issue in this election than the others positions, however John McCain the predictable white middle-aged male running as a Republican may or MAY NOT have the chance to be president when it comes to popularity. Let’s face it, there are more Democrats in the United States than any other party. It’s a working class. But will the working class bend to its Democratic Party whether their favorite candidate wins? It just seems as thought McCain’s position in the election will either surprise us in result, or be and expected loss to the Democratic Party. Seven Months to go.

The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality

Throughout the article, it seems that those that feel that the copying or burning of copyrighted materials is immoral are the aging populations. There is a strong generational divide, apparently, between those who feel that this action is immoral or not. It seems as though the younger population, those that grew up with this technology, feel that this is acceptable and okay. However, those from a different time seem to think differently. Whichever way you slice it, there will always be exceptions and differences in opinion. These shades of grey is where this debate rages on, and this keeps the issue of illegal copying at the forefront of our moral dilemmas.
The fact is, many bands do not mind that their music is being downloaded. In fact, many love the exposure. I was recently reading a magazine with a director talking about his new movie, and in the interview he said “You can buy it in any store.. or just YouTube it, who would buy something when you can get it for free?”. These were the direct words of a man in the industry. In another personal opinion, I recently tried to buy a CD of a band I heard at a concert. When I asked the musician if they had CD’s to buy, he said that they didn’t but that I could “just download them”. He was completely fine with me downloading his music, in fact he seemed impressed that I would think that highly of them to do it.
When broken down, the problems we are facing now are simply magnified versions of the problems that occurred when VHS recorders came out: even then people were “stealing” movies or television shows without permission. This, however, has since become a non-issue. The entertainment industry is still holding strong, despite the availability of these illegal recordings in the 1980’s. I feel that soon the music and film industry will also grow and adapt to this new form of “theft”, and that the results will be a more consumer friendly, technologically advanced system. By forcing the industry to advance, we are in turn making everything better for ourselves.

Ryan O’Shea