A recap of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions
Iman Baber and Noor Baber
October 19, 2020
During the weeks of Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, the Democratic and Republican parties held their National Conventions. These events, occurring every four years, are held so that both parties can formally nominate their respective candidates for President and Vice President. However, 2020 has been a year of the unprece...
FDA approves new plasma treatment for COVID-19
October 16, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has plagued the world for nearly a year, but it seems U.S. health officials have found new treatment methods. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the treatment involves taking the convalescent plasma and antibodies from the blood of coronavirus surviv...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Her Lasting Impact
Isabella Truong and Gillian Bui
October 16, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an active feminist and the second female Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, died at the age of 87 in her Washington home on Sept. 18. Her abrupt death was due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, the Supreme Court told reporters. Acco...
Covid-19 brings unprecedented changes in college admissions
Emily Chang, Lead Media Manager
October 13, 2020
With the onset of COVID-19, almost every area of life has been affected, from the economy to the education system. One of the already most elusive systems in the American education system, college admissions, has now become even more difficult to grasp with a variety of moving factors due to the pande...
As fires ravage California, questions about climate change and its relation to the flames are raised
October 12, 2020
With the start of fire season each summer, smoke becomes visible from all over the state. This year has been no different. As of September 2020, over 7,000 fires have been reported in the state of California. Some fires in California, such as the North Complex fire in northern Califo...
COVID-19 is still among us, though some are forgetting about it
Minjun Kim and Sabrina Ho
October 10, 2020
COVID-19, or Coronavirus Disease 2019, is an infectious disease caused by the coronavirus. Some may say that COVID-19 is just like the common cold and will not put their lives at risk. However, COVID-19 can be life-threatening as it is extremely contagious and “can affect your upper respiratory tract (s...
Performing arts and specialty electives persevere during the pandemic
October 9, 2020
As West Ranch students and staff alike settle into the flow of distance learning, extracurriculars such as clubs, performing arts and the student government have class-specific difficulties to overcome. For these groups, many of which depend heavily on interpersonal communication and practice, it ...
Massive warehouse explosion in Lebanon kills hundreds and injures thousands of Lebanese citizens
Andrew Kang, Noor Baber, and Kimberly Ayson
October 6, 2020
On Aug. 4, at approximately 6 p.m., two massive consecutive explosions in Lebanon’s capital took the lives of at least 200 people, and injured thousands of Beirut citizens. Shortly before the incident, the site of the explosion, a series of warehouses filled with highly explosive ...
Kamala Harris makes history as first woman of color Vice President nominee
Gaby Lesmana, Noor Baber, and Alice Xie
October 6, 2020
The 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced his running mate, Kamala Harris, on Aug. 11. Both Biden and Harris were formally nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In her speech at the convention, Kamala Harris accepted the Vice Presidential nominatio...
City of Santa Clarita votes to purchase local ice rink in Valencia
Jasmine Wongphatarakul, Alice Xie, and Anika Sachdeva
October 2, 2020
On Aug. 25, the City Council of Santa Clarita bought the local skating rink in Valencia, the Ice Station. After it closed down in March due to the pandemic, many buyers considered purchasing the rink, but none officially sealed the deal. It wasn’t until the end of August when the Santa Clarita...
How COVID-19 has affected small businesses
Haley Choe, Staff Writer
October 1, 2020
In mid-March of 2020, California implemented a mandatory shutdown as the coronavirus took over the nation like an unpredictable storm, causing chaos for small businesses. As multiple safety precautions, such as at-home social distancing and the closing of non-essential businesses were ena...
How COVID-19 is drastically impacting restaurants and salons in California
Jasmine Wongphatarakul, Features Editor
September 23, 2020
Our everyday lives have been changing drastically as the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause everyone to quarantine themselves indoors. Many people are adapting to the changes, especially restaurant and salon owners. Since mid-July, restaurants in California have only allowed takeout and outdoo...