Opinion Writing Blog (JOU-3363)

I feel it is safe to say that most extended family gatherings with relatives, whether it's a holiday, tradition or special event, never ends beaming with sunshine and rainbows. Normally there is some sort of argument between siblings, or even an over-used insult made by the elder grandmother.  Generally speaking, you would think that the ONE exception to an unproblematic and drama-free relative gathering would be at a funeral of a loved one.  But, let’s put it this way, the day we had to bury my grandfather was apparently NOT an exception for chaos.  Let me paint a picture of my mother’s side of the family. My mom is the youngest of seven, 100% Polish children.  Luckily for my immediate family, she is the most “normal” child, and “normal” is practically an understatement to describe her. She has four sisters and two brothers who all have several kids of their own, some of which even come from second or third marriages. Her parents were the delusional type who most de...

From Daily Crimes to a Remarkable Revitalization Q News By Cassandra Mischak When somebody mentions the city of High Point, NC to you, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Some would answer that question by saying it is known for being home to the country club college: High Point University. Others may even classify the city as the furniture capital of the world.  On the other hand, quite a few people will consider High Point one of the worst places in the state to visit or live. This is due to several unappealing reasons. For instance, according to crimegrade.org , a crime occurs every one hour and 35 minutes, on average, in High Point. However, The High Point city council established a strategic goal to change the public's perception of this so-called depressing city, a few years back.  The High Point city council decided to create a downtown catalyst project to not only increase the commercial tax base, but also create more friendly and public gathering space...

Q News By Cassandra Mischak *Title* When somebody mentions the city of High Point, NC, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Some people would answer that question by saying it is known for being home to, “the country club college: High Point University”. Some even classify the city as “The furniture capital of the world that hosts the semi-annual furniture market”.  On the other hand, others flat out consider High Point, especially the downtown area, one of the worst places to visit or live, due to several unappealing reasons.  However, The High Point city council established a strategic goal to change the public's perception of this so-called depressing city, a few years back.  The High Point city council decided to create a downtown catalyst project to increase the commercial tax base and create a public gathering space. This was in hopes to draw more residents and visitors year-round. Starting just after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the transformation ...

  A. Imagine trying to live up to your ancestors' legacies by finishing what they started, but instead of a tradition, it's a life-sentencing crime. A suspect, Jesse James, was caught by police, early this morning, while attempting to rob $20,000 from First Fidelity Bank. That same bank had been robbed roughly 100 years ago by the famous Jesse James and his brother Frank. Ironically, they were also caught.  The suspect states, "Jesse James was my great-great uncle. I was just trying to finish the job he started." B.  Picture yourself taking an afternoon stroll in the park with your friends after a long morning of work, in a tank top and shorts with an ice cream cone in hand.  That is what the citizens of Chicago got to experience this past weekend. It has been decades since the midwest punched through the 80 degree mark in the month of March. It was 88 degrees here in Chicago on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. This was the warmest weekend in March ever. Last year, on the same ...