Plastic Eating Bacteria
Addison Noffsinger ‘23
Back in 2011, students at Yale University researched a bacteria, named Pseudomonas Putida, that could consume polyurethane plastic even in environments without air. Side note, a polyurethane plastic is a substance composed of large molecules that doesn’t melt when heated, and it’s made of organic units that are connected by carbamate links (Seymour, R.B., et. al., 2021). That last phrase, carbamate, means “a salt or ester derived from the hypothetical compound carbamic acid,” according to Oxford Languages. We’ve interviewed a science teacher from the Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center, as well as compiled the basic facts you need to know.
The bacteria is a saprotrophic soil bacterium. Saprotrophic basically means it’s an organism that consumes non-living matter (a.k.a. detritus) at a microscopic level, according to Wilson, A. W., an Adjunct Assistant Conservation Scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Unfortunately, it can also cause nosocomial infections, or infections that are contracted because of a toxin that exists in a certain area. An example would be in a hospital, where the term “nosocomial” is used many times.
Pseudomonas putida produces enzymes that eat polyurethanes. Enzymes are located in many places in the cell, and basically speed up chemical reactions that are needed to convert substances into different materials the body can use. With the enzyme that eats polyurethanes, pseudomonas putida can consume those types of plastics.
Mrs. Keller teaches various science classes at the BCAMSC, and through her students’ research projects, she’s heard about this bacteria. “It’s pretty recent from what I understand,” she says. However, with more recent scientific ventures comes more uncertainty, especially with bacteria. Mrs. Keller confirms this by saying, “There is...when we talk bacteria, a lot of unknowns.” When asked about how sustainable she thinks the bacteria could be with things like climate change, Keller says, “I think that depends, again, on the research…[bacteria] can mutate and become pathogenic, so, like, that’s a problem.” Mrs. Keller has also heard of things like worms or maggots eating plastic, but those aren’t as popular when it comes to researching.
The reason for this article was mainly to further our school’s knowledge on how to reverse global warming, although that hasn’t been clearly stated yet. After this article, we hope you know that anything, including things like pseudomonas putida, can help with the reversal or, at the very least, slowing of global warming and climate change. Although they may not have a huge impact, the least we can do is surround ourselves with research, articles, and knowledge, so as a young generation we can do our part to help.
The bacteria is a saprotrophic soil bacterium. Saprotrophic basically means it’s an organism that consumes non-living matter (a.k.a. detritus) at a microscopic level, according to Wilson, A. W., an Adjunct Assistant Conservation Scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Unfortunately, it can also cause nosocomial infections, or infections that are contracted because of a toxin that exists in a certain area. An example would be in a hospital, where the term “nosocomial” is used many times.
Pseudomonas putida produces enzymes that eat polyurethanes. Enzymes are located in many places in the cell, and basically speed up chemical reactions that are needed to convert substances into different materials the body can use. With the enzyme that eats polyurethanes, pseudomonas putida can consume those types of plastics.
Mrs. Keller teaches various science classes at the BCAMSC, and through her students’ research projects, she’s heard about this bacteria. “It’s pretty recent from what I understand,” she says. However, with more recent scientific ventures comes more uncertainty, especially with bacteria. Mrs. Keller confirms this by saying, “There is...when we talk bacteria, a lot of unknowns.” When asked about how sustainable she thinks the bacteria could be with things like climate change, Keller says, “I think that depends, again, on the research…[bacteria] can mutate and become pathogenic, so, like, that’s a problem.” Mrs. Keller has also heard of things like worms or maggots eating plastic, but those aren’t as popular when it comes to researching.
The reason for this article was mainly to further our school’s knowledge on how to reverse global warming, although that hasn’t been clearly stated yet. After this article, we hope you know that anything, including things like pseudomonas putida, can help with the reversal or, at the very least, slowing of global warming and climate change. Although they may not have a huge impact, the least we can do is surround ourselves with research, articles, and knowledge, so as a young generation we can do our part to help.
School Year Extension?
Addison Noffsinger ‘23
There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not Michigan, or even the entire U.S., will extend their school year. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is the time lost in the classroom thanks to Covid-19. Here’s what you need to know.
What does year-round mean?
Year-round school would mean no long summer break. This might sound horrifying, but don’t worry! It would also mean more frequent breaks throughout the year, so we would get almost as much time off.
Who’s thinking of extending?
Right now, a country-wide school extension is most likely not going to happen. Although it’s mentioned that President Biden was expected to ask Congress for $29 billion to pay for summer school and tutoring programs as a portion of the pandemic stimulus, extending the school year for all schools nationwide doesn’t seem to be a large consideration. However, Michigan is definitely considering. According to Click On Detroit and Chalkbeat (Detroit), state superintendent Dr. Michael Rice made comments on February 2nd, 2021 on extending the school year, an idea which he supports. However, he reassured us he wants this year to end in an interview with Chalkbeat by saying, “Some people have said, ‘Oh my god, you’re talking about extending this terrible year,’...Not my point. This year needs to end.” He also mentioned he would only want us to add on at least 5 days, which seems like a modest start.
Have other states done this?
Yes, they have! Well, at least one has. Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, revealed tutoring and summer program bills in January. Before COVID, plenty of private and public schools have decided individually to extend the school year. States like California, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and even our own Michigan have school districts that go all year round, but they all decided that themselves. What’s it like for their students and teachers?
What is it like for schools who already do this?
According to an article on the American College of Education website, there are both pros and cons to year-round school. Pros would include a more structured environment, decreased threat of “forgetting” content over long summer breaks, less instructional time on review for teachers, and a year-round salary for teachers as well. However, there are cons too; no refreshing on summer vacation, less adaptational skills for students (comes from relearning content at the beginning of the year), a less confusing extracurricular schedule, and year-round school is more expensive. So year-round schooling might be a better option for some students and teachers, and a worse one for others at the same time. Either way, that big of a change would be difficult at first to adapt to, but who knows how well it will work afterwards?
Conclusion
While going to school year round sounds very scary, it isn’t as bad as it may sound. Plus, if we lengthened our school year, employees of the state like Dr. Michael Rice isn't looking to go full year yet. It will be some time before Michigan, along with other states around the country, decide to permanently switch to a year round schedule, if that even comes to pass.
What does year-round mean?
Year-round school would mean no long summer break. This might sound horrifying, but don’t worry! It would also mean more frequent breaks throughout the year, so we would get almost as much time off.
Who’s thinking of extending?
Right now, a country-wide school extension is most likely not going to happen. Although it’s mentioned that President Biden was expected to ask Congress for $29 billion to pay for summer school and tutoring programs as a portion of the pandemic stimulus, extending the school year for all schools nationwide doesn’t seem to be a large consideration. However, Michigan is definitely considering. According to Click On Detroit and Chalkbeat (Detroit), state superintendent Dr. Michael Rice made comments on February 2nd, 2021 on extending the school year, an idea which he supports. However, he reassured us he wants this year to end in an interview with Chalkbeat by saying, “Some people have said, ‘Oh my god, you’re talking about extending this terrible year,’...Not my point. This year needs to end.” He also mentioned he would only want us to add on at least 5 days, which seems like a modest start.
Have other states done this?
Yes, they have! Well, at least one has. Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, revealed tutoring and summer program bills in January. Before COVID, plenty of private and public schools have decided individually to extend the school year. States like California, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and even our own Michigan have school districts that go all year round, but they all decided that themselves. What’s it like for their students and teachers?
What is it like for schools who already do this?
According to an article on the American College of Education website, there are both pros and cons to year-round school. Pros would include a more structured environment, decreased threat of “forgetting” content over long summer breaks, less instructional time on review for teachers, and a year-round salary for teachers as well. However, there are cons too; no refreshing on summer vacation, less adaptational skills for students (comes from relearning content at the beginning of the year), a less confusing extracurricular schedule, and year-round school is more expensive. So year-round schooling might be a better option for some students and teachers, and a worse one for others at the same time. Either way, that big of a change would be difficult at first to adapt to, but who knows how well it will work afterwards?
Conclusion
While going to school year round sounds very scary, it isn’t as bad as it may sound. Plus, if we lengthened our school year, employees of the state like Dr. Michael Rice isn't looking to go full year yet. It will be some time before Michigan, along with other states around the country, decide to permanently switch to a year round schedule, if that even comes to pass.
What’s Going on in Texas?
James Lepird
On February 11th, 2021 Texas was hit with a severe winter storm which was followed by another one several days after. Over half a million people were left without power after the storms and some still do not have power back to their homes. Weather was extremely cold, below 0 degrees in some areas, so it made it hard for families to leave their homes. Many families struggle to stay warm and in a few circumstances, people have lost their lives to hypothermia. There’s also a lack of water because several water treatment facilities were affected by the storms and failed to keep water clean. Many Texans are unable to find enough food as well. Many people believe the state and it’s leaders have failed the people of Texas.
Taryn, a 16 year old that lives in Texas, answered several questions about the situation in Texas. Half of her house does not have working water, she wonders when the water will return to her house. Luckily, she didn’t have a power outage, although many people in her county did. She says, “people can’t get all the help they need” because many plumbers and electricians are very backed up due to the current situation in Texas. Taryn personally knows families that losts pets and heard about families losing their young ones. The weather has dramatically changed since then and warmed up.
In conclusion, the worst seems to be over for most citizens of Texas. A lot of Texans didn’t see this coming, and the officials that did, simply weren’t prepared. It’s a tragedy for the suffering that everyone was forced to experience. Not everyone was affected equally by what happened in Texas, but a lot of people are coming together to help one another. Many of them will continue to struggle until the situation slowly improves, family by family.
Taryn, a 16 year old that lives in Texas, answered several questions about the situation in Texas. Half of her house does not have working water, she wonders when the water will return to her house. Luckily, she didn’t have a power outage, although many people in her county did. She says, “people can’t get all the help they need” because many plumbers and electricians are very backed up due to the current situation in Texas. Taryn personally knows families that losts pets and heard about families losing their young ones. The weather has dramatically changed since then and warmed up.
In conclusion, the worst seems to be over for most citizens of Texas. A lot of Texans didn’t see this coming, and the officials that did, simply weren’t prepared. It’s a tragedy for the suffering that everyone was forced to experience. Not everyone was affected equally by what happened in Texas, but a lot of people are coming together to help one another. Many of them will continue to struggle until the situation slowly improves, family by family.
Gamestop Saga
Addie Noffsinger ‘23
A lot of us have heard about the recent stock situation, relating to the Hedge Funds and GameStop. But it has been very confusing for even some experts to sort out and explain. So let’s break it down.
Basics of the Stock Market
The stock market is, put very simply, a way for anyone with enough money to buy a portion of a business. After buying stock, the investor usually tries to watch the welfare of the company. If the company begins to fail, the stock value goes down, and the investor would probably keep their share since selling it wouldn’t give them much money. If the company does really well and the stock rises in value, then the investor would most likely sell their stock for as much money as they can. However, there are lots of different circumstances that change these norms.
What are Hedge Funds?
According to Investopedia, hedge funds are “financial partnerships that use pooled funds,” and they employ various strategies so their investors can gain more returns (which is money the investor gains from their stock). These hedge funds are sometimes managed aggressively, or may use derivatives (bundled and packaged secondary investment off of the primary investments) and leverage to create as many returns as possible.
Short Selling
Basically, someone thinks a company is going to do poorly, so they buy some of it. Then, they sell it to someone for the price it’s currently at. They promise to buy back that stock later. When the company does do bad, they buy it from the people they sold it to for a smaller price, since the stock value fell. An (unrealistic) example would be an investor buying stock for $20, then selling it to someone else for that price. They wait for the stock value to drop, like they predicted, and then buy it back for $10. This way, they gained $10.
What Happened Recently?
Hedge funds short sold GameStop Stock. They bet that GameStop value would go down, then sold GameStop for more money than what they bought it back for (later). The little guys, like GameStop, don’t like it when bigger guys do this, because it’s sneaky and mean. So, people on Reddit, especially GameStop fans, decided to buy a ton of GameStop stock individually, at the same time. This caused it to shoot up in value, by about 1,800%. Hedge fund managers (big rich guys) had sold it and promised to buy it back, and they lost a ton of money when they had to, because the price of the stock had increased by so much. In the previous example, they would have sold it for $20, expected to gain $10, and were forced to buy it back for $40 instead.
What was Robin Hood; Why is There Such a Controversy?
Robin Hood is an app that specializes in stock trading. Users are able to buy and sell stock on it, basically. Most of the Reddit participants used this app to buy GameStop stock, and Robin Hood shut down the ability for them to buy any more, on January 28th. Users were only allowed to sell their stock, but do nothing else. Robin Hood released a statement through email to all it’s users as to why they did this - "We continuously monitor the markets and make changes where necessary. In light of recent volatility, we are restricting transactions for certain securities to position closing only." There are a few theories about the hidden idea behind this statement - Robin Hood could be protecting their customers, since buying into GameStop would’ve been risky at that point, or they could be protecting their hedge fund insiders from losing more money. This has caused controversy, because it was restricting people’s ability to buy that one stock. Plus, it’s technically illegal to manipulate markets.
But, both sides can either be found in the wrong or the right. Reddit users were sticking it to the man, for being unfair, which sort of caused this whole mess. And Robin Hood was trying to save their company, which could also mean they’re unfairly supporting rich hedge fund managers. Not to mention the shady way they restricted people’s ability to buy stock.
How Did the Event Affect the Economy?
Thankfully, the “GameStop Saga” hasn’t affected the economy much. Although a lot of people lost money, they were individuals. Plus, GameStop was only one company. No worries about any economic failures soon!
Basics of the Stock Market
The stock market is, put very simply, a way for anyone with enough money to buy a portion of a business. After buying stock, the investor usually tries to watch the welfare of the company. If the company begins to fail, the stock value goes down, and the investor would probably keep their share since selling it wouldn’t give them much money. If the company does really well and the stock rises in value, then the investor would most likely sell their stock for as much money as they can. However, there are lots of different circumstances that change these norms.
What are Hedge Funds?
According to Investopedia, hedge funds are “financial partnerships that use pooled funds,” and they employ various strategies so their investors can gain more returns (which is money the investor gains from their stock). These hedge funds are sometimes managed aggressively, or may use derivatives (bundled and packaged secondary investment off of the primary investments) and leverage to create as many returns as possible.
Short Selling
Basically, someone thinks a company is going to do poorly, so they buy some of it. Then, they sell it to someone for the price it’s currently at. They promise to buy back that stock later. When the company does do bad, they buy it from the people they sold it to for a smaller price, since the stock value fell. An (unrealistic) example would be an investor buying stock for $20, then selling it to someone else for that price. They wait for the stock value to drop, like they predicted, and then buy it back for $10. This way, they gained $10.
What Happened Recently?
Hedge funds short sold GameStop Stock. They bet that GameStop value would go down, then sold GameStop for more money than what they bought it back for (later). The little guys, like GameStop, don’t like it when bigger guys do this, because it’s sneaky and mean. So, people on Reddit, especially GameStop fans, decided to buy a ton of GameStop stock individually, at the same time. This caused it to shoot up in value, by about 1,800%. Hedge fund managers (big rich guys) had sold it and promised to buy it back, and they lost a ton of money when they had to, because the price of the stock had increased by so much. In the previous example, they would have sold it for $20, expected to gain $10, and were forced to buy it back for $40 instead.
What was Robin Hood; Why is There Such a Controversy?
Robin Hood is an app that specializes in stock trading. Users are able to buy and sell stock on it, basically. Most of the Reddit participants used this app to buy GameStop stock, and Robin Hood shut down the ability for them to buy any more, on January 28th. Users were only allowed to sell their stock, but do nothing else. Robin Hood released a statement through email to all it’s users as to why they did this - "We continuously monitor the markets and make changes where necessary. In light of recent volatility, we are restricting transactions for certain securities to position closing only." There are a few theories about the hidden idea behind this statement - Robin Hood could be protecting their customers, since buying into GameStop would’ve been risky at that point, or they could be protecting their hedge fund insiders from losing more money. This has caused controversy, because it was restricting people’s ability to buy that one stock. Plus, it’s technically illegal to manipulate markets.
But, both sides can either be found in the wrong or the right. Reddit users were sticking it to the man, for being unfair, which sort of caused this whole mess. And Robin Hood was trying to save their company, which could also mean they’re unfairly supporting rich hedge fund managers. Not to mention the shady way they restricted people’s ability to buy stock.
How Did the Event Affect the Economy?
Thankfully, the “GameStop Saga” hasn’t affected the economy much. Although a lot of people lost money, they were individuals. Plus, GameStop was only one company. No worries about any economic failures soon!
Capitol Riot Scares the Nation
Addison Noffsinger ‘23
Not long ago, on January 6th, 2021, a group of Trump supporters stormed our capitol, causing damage, injuring an officer, and killing four people. A rioter was also shot and died later. Since the mobbing of the capitol, there has been much controversy over how the riot should’ve been dealt with, how “right” the riot was, and if President Trump encouraged or discouraged the rioters. Two Pennfield students present their thoughts on it, backed up by some research and other elements of the situation.
Information
Let’s start with the essential information. On January 6th, 2021, a group of supporters of the U.S. President Trump came to the capital to attempt to stop his defeat in the presidential election last year. During the riot there was a joint Congress session, in which the Electoral College vote count was taking place. The group vandalized and looted the capitol building, leading to the evacuation/lockdown of the building. Five deaths occured, including a supporter of President Trump, Rosanne Boyland, and a Capitol police officer, named Brian Sicknick. The event was allegedly spurred by what President Trump and his core group said, including Donald Trump Jr. and Rudy Giulliani, at a “Save America” rally the same day, early in the morning. Quotes from the morning rally include: to “fight like hell” and “take back our country,” according to the New York Times. The former quote was in the context of Trump speaking about Republicans, “the weak ones,” and giving them the “pride and boldness to take back our country.” He also stated he would come to the Capitol too - “And after this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. … We are going to the Capitol, ...” Trump was not at the riot. There was one passing quote from the current President, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
Student Opinions
A PHS senior and Republican feels that “It was a very sad day for the repubican party. We are usually the party for law and order, but when lied to by media outlets continuously and attacks on [our] amendments the people will eventually retaliate just as BLM did with the killing of George Floyd.” They also say that they do not condone any violence, and wished that the rioters hadn’t caused the destruction or violence at the capitol. They support peaceful protest because it is our first amendment right. “They should have continued to protest but should not have entered the building. By entering the building they interrupted the opportunity for us to prove voter fraud as they were almost ready to vote on the floor of that matter,” the senior says.
PHS sophomore Kate Brietbach and Independent says, “It was an immature way to try to prove election fraud. The rioters were not only doing something inexcusable, but for all the wrong reasons.” When asked whether she supported the protest, she said, “I absolutely do not support what happened. It was not patriotic, it was not heroic, and I am ashamed to let these people represent our country.” Another controversy of the situation was how the protesters should’ve been handled, which can also be linked to the treatment of protesters in the BLM movement. In comparison to the rioters, some peaceful protesters from marches during the BLM movement last summer were handled violently. Kate also added, “The police should have immediately stopped them from getting anywhere near that building, whether Congress be in session or not.” “Police didn’t just do nothing to stop them, they were letting them into the building.”
Conclusion
The events at the Capitol were not pleasant, for either side of the controversy. There were losses on both sides, like the lives lost at the protest, the political unrest it caused, and the bad wrap either side might’ve received. The supporters were instructed by President Trump to be peaceful, but instead a riot happened inside the Capitol building and lawmakers had to put on their gas masks because of tear gas.
Information
Let’s start with the essential information. On January 6th, 2021, a group of supporters of the U.S. President Trump came to the capital to attempt to stop his defeat in the presidential election last year. During the riot there was a joint Congress session, in which the Electoral College vote count was taking place. The group vandalized and looted the capitol building, leading to the evacuation/lockdown of the building. Five deaths occured, including a supporter of President Trump, Rosanne Boyland, and a Capitol police officer, named Brian Sicknick. The event was allegedly spurred by what President Trump and his core group said, including Donald Trump Jr. and Rudy Giulliani, at a “Save America” rally the same day, early in the morning. Quotes from the morning rally include: to “fight like hell” and “take back our country,” according to the New York Times. The former quote was in the context of Trump speaking about Republicans, “the weak ones,” and giving them the “pride and boldness to take back our country.” He also stated he would come to the Capitol too - “And after this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. … We are going to the Capitol, ...” Trump was not at the riot. There was one passing quote from the current President, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
Student Opinions
A PHS senior and Republican feels that “It was a very sad day for the repubican party. We are usually the party for law and order, but when lied to by media outlets continuously and attacks on [our] amendments the people will eventually retaliate just as BLM did with the killing of George Floyd.” They also say that they do not condone any violence, and wished that the rioters hadn’t caused the destruction or violence at the capitol. They support peaceful protest because it is our first amendment right. “They should have continued to protest but should not have entered the building. By entering the building they interrupted the opportunity for us to prove voter fraud as they were almost ready to vote on the floor of that matter,” the senior says.
PHS sophomore Kate Brietbach and Independent says, “It was an immature way to try to prove election fraud. The rioters were not only doing something inexcusable, but for all the wrong reasons.” When asked whether she supported the protest, she said, “I absolutely do not support what happened. It was not patriotic, it was not heroic, and I am ashamed to let these people represent our country.” Another controversy of the situation was how the protesters should’ve been handled, which can also be linked to the treatment of protesters in the BLM movement. In comparison to the rioters, some peaceful protesters from marches during the BLM movement last summer were handled violently. Kate also added, “The police should have immediately stopped them from getting anywhere near that building, whether Congress be in session or not.” “Police didn’t just do nothing to stop them, they were letting them into the building.”
Conclusion
The events at the Capitol were not pleasant, for either side of the controversy. There were losses on both sides, like the lives lost at the protest, the political unrest it caused, and the bad wrap either side might’ve received. The supporters were instructed by President Trump to be peaceful, but instead a riot happened inside the Capitol building and lawmakers had to put on their gas masks because of tear gas.
Push for Impeachment
Ally Keown ‘23
2020 was a rough year for everyone, but right now 2021 is starting off to not be any better! The United States Capitol was attacked ending with 5 dead and multiple police officers injured. On January 13, The House Democrats introduced the article of impeachment against the current President, Donald J. Trump, according to the New York Times.
A Teacher, Mr. Klepac and Senior, Bailey Borgman were interviewed about Trump's Impeachment. With all that 2020 has brought into the political world like violence, opinions, and many views on all sides of the story, how do our interviewees feel about our governments situation right now? Mr. Klepac thought, “we're really divided as a country.” As well as saying, “I would like to see a more traditional brand of government/politics where parties compromise and cut deals to try to get things done for the American people.” Bailey is on the same side as Mr. Klepac, she says, “this is the time to come together to create unity and some type of peace.”
With Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021, many people are wondering what would happen in our country if Trump got impeached? Bailey believes that if Trump gets impeached it will cause more chaos. Mr. Klepac added more to the subject thinking that the country will be more divided, if we could be any more divided than we already are.
COVID-19 was probably one of the biggest issues in 2020 but how did it affect the election? “I think that Covid-19 was the signature issue of the 2020 election,” Mr. Klepac states. He also mentioned,“Based on a lot of the polling that was out there (not that polling is always reliable), many Americans didn't believe the president handled the Covid-19 crisis appropriately.” Bailey, thinking that COVID-19 strongly impacted the election, said that it “gave people more to think about.”
Protests were also a big part of 2020. Have the protests made a difference in our government? Bailey believes, “the protests have also impacted our country greatly.” Mr. Klepac says that “based on the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that people have the right to peaceably assemble and to protest to their government for a redress of grievances.”
On January 9, 2020, The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will move on with Trump's Impeachment if he does not resign, Fox News wrote. According to AP News on January 13, 2020, Nancy Pelosi displayed the article of impeachment against President Trump before sending it to the Senate for trial. 2020 was quite a whirlwind. Hopefully, we can leave 2020 in the past. What do you think about Trump's Impeachment?
A Teacher, Mr. Klepac and Senior, Bailey Borgman were interviewed about Trump's Impeachment. With all that 2020 has brought into the political world like violence, opinions, and many views on all sides of the story, how do our interviewees feel about our governments situation right now? Mr. Klepac thought, “we're really divided as a country.” As well as saying, “I would like to see a more traditional brand of government/politics where parties compromise and cut deals to try to get things done for the American people.” Bailey is on the same side as Mr. Klepac, she says, “this is the time to come together to create unity and some type of peace.”
With Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021, many people are wondering what would happen in our country if Trump got impeached? Bailey believes that if Trump gets impeached it will cause more chaos. Mr. Klepac added more to the subject thinking that the country will be more divided, if we could be any more divided than we already are.
COVID-19 was probably one of the biggest issues in 2020 but how did it affect the election? “I think that Covid-19 was the signature issue of the 2020 election,” Mr. Klepac states. He also mentioned,“Based on a lot of the polling that was out there (not that polling is always reliable), many Americans didn't believe the president handled the Covid-19 crisis appropriately.” Bailey, thinking that COVID-19 strongly impacted the election, said that it “gave people more to think about.”
Protests were also a big part of 2020. Have the protests made a difference in our government? Bailey believes, “the protests have also impacted our country greatly.” Mr. Klepac says that “based on the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that people have the right to peaceably assemble and to protest to their government for a redress of grievances.”
On January 9, 2020, The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will move on with Trump's Impeachment if he does not resign, Fox News wrote. According to AP News on January 13, 2020, Nancy Pelosi displayed the article of impeachment against President Trump before sending it to the Senate for trial. 2020 was quite a whirlwind. Hopefully, we can leave 2020 in the past. What do you think about Trump's Impeachment?