How Does The Peanut Butter You Eat Get To Your Table? by Liam Scheeler

Photo By: Hannah Magee RD

The Growing Of The Crop

The peanuts are first sown in spring on a large farm. 99% of peanuts are grown in the Southeastern U.S. for the matching climate to their ideal growing, and 42% of that comes from Georgia. So let's go with a farm in Georgia. 

The crop first grows on a farm in April to May, where the weather is warm and nights no longer bring frosts. The seeds that are planted are the seeds you eat when you crack open a shell, but instead uncooked.

The peanuts start growing within a week or two. While growth moves pretty fast from there, the peanut harvest comes much later, when the plant dies back four to six months later. The plants will thrive in warm weather and high moisture. If these are received by the crop, you can guarantee an incredible harvest. 

Harvesting The Peanuts

In 120-180 days, the plant will start to turn yellow or die. This is a sign that the peanuts are ready to be picked. The harvester gently pulls up the plant, revealing 25-50 peanuts attached to the roots. Once the peanuts are harvested, they are cleaned off and ready to be turned into peanut butter. 

Making The Jars Of Peanut Butter

The peanuts are roasted and then are put into a food processor and ground up into a powder. In the second grinding, small amounts of sugar and salt are mixed in, creating the familiar creamy paste. 

Shipping To The Shelves

The jared peanut butter is now ready to be shipped off! The peanut butter jars are packed into cartons and distributed to your local store shelves. The peanut butter is stored at room temperature so that it can be in best condition when purchased.

That is the process of peanut butter being made, from peanut seeds to jars of peanut butter. 

Army vs. Navy: 125 Year Rivalry Game Preview by Grant Potoczny

Army and Navy is the greatest rivalry in probably all of sports, and both teams have had great seasons this year, so I’ll be going into stats and predictions of the “The Greatest Rivalry in College Football.”

Navy comes in averaging 32.27 points per game, while Navy’s opponents on the other hand average about 23.18 points per game. Navy only averages giving up 43.18 yards per game due to penalties, while their opponents average 53.45 penalty yards per game. Navy will average 5.4 yards per rush, and average 247.7 rushing yards per game. Their opponents average 4.3 yards per rush, and average 159.9 yards per game. Navy averages more yards per pass attempt with an average 8.98 yards per pass attempt, while their opponents average 7.03 yards per pass attempt, but due to a lack of throwing, Navy averages a measly 128.18 passing yards per game, while opponents will average 220.64 passing yards per game. Navy also averages 6.2 average yards per play and 375.9 total yards per game. Their opponents average 5.6 yards per play, and 380.5 yards per game. Navy, though, has only run 663 plays this season, while their opponents have run 753 plays this year. Navy averages holding the ball for 30 minutes and 8 seconds a game, while their opponents will be left with an average of holding the ball for 29 minutes and 51 seconds. Navy also has plus 6 turnovers on the year, most takeaways were from forcing fumbles, which would be a perfect counter towards Army.

Now we can finally move onto Army, they average 32.92 points per game, while opponents will only average putting up a dead even 15 points per game. Army only gives up 35.08 yards due to penalties, while opponents average giving up 37.25 yards due to penalties. Army averages 5.7 yards per rush, while they’ll average an astounding 314.4 rushing yards per game on the ground. Their opponents average 4 yards per rush, and average only 104 yards on the ground per game. Army also averages 10.29 yards per pass attempt, but again, due to lack of passing they only average putting up 83.17 yards through the air per game. Their opponents average only 6.38 yards per pass attempt, but also average 193.92 yards through the air per game. Army averages 6.3 yards per play, and average 397.6 yards per game. Their opponents average 5.3 yards per play, and average only 297.9 yards per game. And Army has run 758 plays this season, while their opponents have run 678 plays this season. Army also averages holding the ball for 35 minutes and 42 seconds a game, which leaves their opponents with only 24 minutes and 17 seconds. Army also has plus 14 turnovers on the year, which are mostly from fumbles, which will counter Navy also.

Both teams look really strong, but Army has been more dominant recently, has better stats, and a better record, so it’s hard not to say Army is going to win, but you never know in the Army-Navy game.

Jeanty vs Hunter: The Battle For the Heisman by Andrew Zajac

As the college football season comes to a close, the Heisman trophy race becomes closer and closer, this year with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado Wide Receiver/ Cornerback Travis Hunter. Both players have outstanding resumes with Jeanty putting up video-game numbers and Hunter being a five star on both sides of the rock. Who’s name will be called on December 14?

Ashton Jeanty is the first candidate we will talk about. The 5 '9 junior  has gone nuclear for the Boise State Broncos putting up 2,497 yards on only 344 carries. You can do the math and if you do it correctly, that’s 7.3 average yards per carry! He followed that with 29 touchdowns and a 77 yard run as his longest. He's no slouch in the receiving game either, with 116 on 20 receptions and a touchdown. To top all of that off, he hasn't fumbled the ball since high school! He has led the Broncos to a 12-1 record, a Mountain West Championship, and the third seed of the new 12 team playoff. 

Now we talk about Travis Hunter from the Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes. Hunter currently has 1,152 yards on 92 receptions. He got into the endzone 14 times and averaged 12.5 yards a catch. On the opposite side of the rock Hunter had 31 total tackles, 20 solo and 11 assisted. On top of that he had 11 passes deflected, 1 forced fumble, and 4 interceptions for 65 yards. He led the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record, and a spot in the Alamo Bowl on 12/28 against the Cougars of BYU. 

I believe that Ashton Jeanty is the most deserving player and should lift up that trophy on 12/14. He has beyond impressive stats and has shown to maul and destroy his opponents run defense. Boise State’s only loss was to the number one Oregon Ducks and he still put up 192 yards and three touchdowns. I get it Travis Hunter is a phenomenal athlete but he isn’t going to put up record breaking stats. In my opinion he should be really good at one position instead of being good at two. 

You saw the stats and you heard my opinion, so who do you think will strike the Heisman pose?

Ground Meat Recalled In Minnesota by Zane Dillon

 Roughly 167,000 pounds of ground beef have been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service(FSIS), because of an E.Coli contamination risk.

Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture and Health found a connection with a group of illnesses, believed to be caused by Wolverine Packing Co., a meat distributor based in Detroit, Michigan. The FSIS is working on the risk with Minnesota’s departments to investigate this problem further.

Fifteen Minnesota patients were reported sick as of November 20th. Symptoms were shown with the patients around November 2nd through November 10th. FSIS says they have tested Wolverine’s ground beef and found traces of the E. Coli bacteria.

The fresh produce that was affected has a use-by date of November 14th 2024, and all frozen beef products have a use-by date of October 22nd 2024. The E. coli illnesses were found in people who ate at the Red Cow establishments in the Rochester and Minneapolis regions, including the Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The outbreak of the virus has not been seen outside of Minnesota.   

Escape The Cold: Best Places To Take A Heated Trip This Winter by Liam Scheeler

Brief Introduction: Whether this winter is milder or colder than normal, it’s a Pennsylvania guarantee it will be chilly no matter what. So, learn where to take a trip to escape – or at least to catch a break from the cold.

(Note that our recommended visit times are during the winter months, not during the whole year; options that say December does not mean you can’t visit in summer.)

Outer Banks, NC

Recommended visit: December, March

The Outer Banks may not be as warm as some American vacations you can take, but it won't be cold. Just avoid the start of winter due to hurricane threats, and mid-winter months if you're planning to swim. Otherwise, this is one of the best beaches in the country.

Cocoa Beach, FL

Recommended visit: Anytime!

Here’s a surprising fact: Cocoa Beach, on the northeast coast of the state, is the only Floridian beach that you can comfortably swim 365 days a year – yep, maybe not the air, but these waves are even a degree warmer than Key West in the winter! Anyway, this is a beautiful beach town to get a taste of both a private and city trip!

Murrells Inlet, SC

Recommended visit: December, March

At least nowadays, Myrtle Beach is unfortunately ranking lower on the lists, but thankfully, there is a beautiful, charming town sitting just a half hour below it!

Murrell’s Inlet is almost like a tropical vacation seated in the Carolinas. You can expect delicious foods, warm beaches and LOTS to do.

Holly Beach, Louisiana

Recommended visit: Anytime!

I bet you haven’t heard of this one yet – that's because this small beach barely has any population! The whole coast of Louisiana is quite isolated and townless due to the ocean quickly eating the coast away! However, situating yourself here, whether it's a day or week, is a great idea to catch some warm weather in colder months. 

Key West, FL

Recommended visit: Anytime!

Key West, the semi-Caribbean Floridian island is the most tropical you’ll get out of the continental US. The area has one of the prettiest beaches on the continent, with calm, never chilled shores. Just plan to drive a while if going by car!

Everglades National Park, FL

Recommended visit: Anytime!

The Everglades is a popular national park known for its year-round warm weather, tropical scenery and beautiful wildlife. The park is filled with tropical forests, marshes & rivers.

The area is giant, covering over 1.5 million acres (nearly 6% of the Florida peninsula!) 

Sloan Wagner Top 10 Best Holiday Foods

As we’re entering the holiday season, lots of fun comes with it. Music, gifts, but one of the best parts is the food. Here is the top ten best holiday foods, according to Adriana Stein of the website, Lingoda:

10- Apple Pie

9- Gingerbread cookies 

8- Sweet potato casserole

7- Biscuits/rolls

6- Corn bread

5- Mashed potatoes 

4- Cranberry Sauce

3- Stuffing

2- Cranberry Sauce

1- Prime rib

While these all sound delicious, here are my favorites:

5- Cranberry sauce

4- Mashed potatoes

3- Pie (any kind, really!)

2- Mac ‘n cheese

1- Turkey 

Holidays and their foods will vary, depending on culture, religion, and the country you’re in. But this holiday season, the food is sure to be great!

Small Pleasures by Tara Gopalan

It’s officially fall! The coming of fall brings many things, some enjoyable, and some not, but it’s important to stop and think about some small pleasures in life once in a while. Here are some daily pleasures that you may relate to, or you’ll just think I’m crazy!

1. Stepping out of your house and being hit by cool fall air. Imagine this: a trickle of sun filters through the colored fall leaves, making them shine, and you feel a crisp breeze on your face. This doesn’t bother you at all- it’s actually quite refreshing. You see some people walking their dogs, some just opening their windows. The grass ripples in mesmerizing waves at your feet- the last trace of summer. You take a deep breath, savoring the feeling: after all, it’ll soon be winter!

2. Waking up to breakfast smells. Imagine another scenario: Your eyes slowly blink open as you adjust to your surroundings. You feel your blanket surrounding you with soft warmth, and it makes you feel even groggier than before. Sadly, human bodies need food, and you need to find something to eat. Suddenly, as you come to full consciousness, a comforting smell hits your face in waves. You see your favorite food sitting neatly on a plate right next to you, close enough that you don’t have to leave your blanket haven! That’s a relief! Time to go back to sleep…

3. Sitting on the windowsill. This may be just me, but window sills are the best places to sit on cold fall days. Picture yet another scenario! You sit comfortably on your windowsill, staring out at the ground. Sunlit dewdrops illuminated on the fallen leaves look close enough to touch. You extend a finger towards the window, drawing in the fog. Although your finger feels cold, the rest of you is warm in that one fuzzy sweater you got for christmas last year. You breathe onto the glass and draw something else, watching as it fades slowly. Unsanitary, yes, but satisfying.

4. The rain on dirt. Fall isn't just the aesthetic, sunlit stock photos I described above: Just like the last 10 days, fall has its rainy side. Sometimes, the rain can be enjoyable: You stare up at the cloudy sky, layered with shades of gray and silver. A tiny raindrop hits your face, followed by many more. Soon, it’s raining, but not in a bad way: The drizzle acts as a refreshing mist. You begin to walk, feeling each raindrop hit your skin. An earthy rain smell envelops your senses as you become aware of your surroundings on a new level. It smells like water, soil, grass, and promise. As the rain fades away, you have the sinking feeling that it’s over- but rain never really leaves. It grows, creates, and comes back again.

I hope you enjoyed those scenarios! To be honest, this may have been an excuse to write myself into places I wish I could be. Either way, you can use this on writing assignments, enjoyment, or when you’re fed up with your life. Just take some time to enjoy fall before it ends!

What to Expect for Pennsylvania in Winter 2024-25 by Liam Scheeler

When trying to predict winter weather across the country, the biggest thing you have to think of is La Nina. La Nina is a common weather experience where the ocean water temperature in the Pacific Ocean is 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit below normal. Keep in mind, these occurrences can extend for even years at a time.

This fall, we are transitioning into a weak La Nina.

What a typical La Nina does over the winter is send a jet stream into the Northwest, dipping further south across the Plains/Midwest, and curving upward around the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast. Areas above this are likely to experience colder temperatures and above-normal precipitation, while below the line shows warmer, drier forecasts. 

Just as often, an occurrence called El Niño occurs, where the Pacific water is warmer than normal, affecting winters in the opposite way.

Official Outlook

This winter will rely much on where in Pennsylvania you are.

The La Nina jet stream will likely track a little more western than normal. As a result, it looks like there's a decent chance our winter could trend slightly milder than normal.

But - thankfully - that doesn't mean our snowfall totals will fall majorly behind.  Despite many calling for a ‘gentler’ winter, expect much above-normal precipitation, which will lead to more rain or snow than usual. Keep in mind that predictions from the Farmers Almanac have been lacking in accuracy, and to aim for more of a NOAA forecast for more likely predictions.

Pennsylvania looks like the more east you live, the milder you'll see. Western PA should look forward to much precipitation.  Temperatures might jump from barely midler out near Pittsburgh and Erie to moderately milder near Philadelphia.  Areas nearing Erie should expect the most precipitation, Pittsburgh should expect the coldest temperatures of the state (not colder than average, however), and the southeast portions should brace for likely the warmest temperatures in the state.

Comparing Outlook Sources

For NOAA’s forecasts, they are calling for very mild conditions in Eastern PA and slightly milder than average temperatures further west.  The Farmers Almanac calls for a cold winter far west and milder elsewhere.  Old Farmers Almanac calls for cold temperatures further south, and milder for the North.

NOAA’s forecast calls for above-average precipitation throughout the state, especially in the northwest portions. Farmers Almanac calls for high precipitation amounts in all of the state.

Old Farmers Almanac predicts drier conditions for the state.

Sources: NOAA, Farmer’s Almanac, Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The Strawberry That Tricked A.I. by Tara Gopalan

AI is one of humanity’s most complex (and scary) creations. It can simulate human speech, retrieve information from all over the world if prompted, and even take on the role of specific people in history. All of this is great, but AI still isn't advanced enough to replace humanity. How do I know this, you ask? Just ask it a simple question: How many ‘R’s are in the word ‘strawberry’. You may find that AI isn't as smart as it seems.

Many of us have used ChatGPT, one of the most advanced search engines ever created. It’s reliable, right? Wrong. When asked how many ‘R’s there are in ‘strawberry’, it replies, “There are two R’s in the word ‘strawberry.’” When you try to count them yourself, you’ll find that there are 3 ‘R’s instead of 2. You may have thought that AI learns from the responses people give it, but when told that it counted wrong, the software becomes defensive: "You split up the word to make it seem like there are three R's, but when counting the actual letters in the word 'strawberry,' there are still just two R's (Eaton).” It refuses to admit it’s wrong! Now why is such an intelligent software so clueless when it comes to spelling?

Well, Chat GPT is programmed using Large Language Model algorithms, meaning that it’s fed large amounts of information at one time. This just means that it’s seen many different types of data, and can therefore identify what singular words mean. However, like in the case of “Strawberry”, it only knows the meaning of the word and can’t actually comprehend what it’s saying. Because of this flaw, ChatGPT spews out a lot of misinformation unbeknownst to its users! All of the information that ChatGPT stores is just a clump of code hidden in the software, and that’s hopefully all it will be for a long time. Thankfully, AI isn't yet advanced enough to have comprehensive thought, and humans are still needed in the data processing world. 

To conclude, AI isn't as reliable as we think it is. Unlike humans, it can’t learn and grow when fed new information. So before you use Chat GPT or any other AI to write your English paper or do your math homework, make sure to double check whether you have a strawberry or a stawberry. 

Work Cited

Eaton, Kit. “How Many R's in 'Strawberry'? This AI Doesn't Know.” Inc.com, Inc.com, 28 August 2024, https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/how-many-rs-in-strawberry-this-ai-cant-tell-you.html. Accessed 6 Sep 2024.

ChatGPT: a helpful tool or a harmful crutch for learning? by Evelyn Patch

ChatGPT was launched in November, 2022 by OpenAI (a artificial intelligence research laboratory). Just 2 months after its release, a study from the Walton Family Foundation reported that 51% of K-12 teachers found students using it. 43% of students report using it at least once a week. 43% of teachers say that it has made their lives more difficult because they now need to create AI proof lessons. 

One K-12 teacher surveyed from Study.com summed up the teachers’ concerns as follows, “I think ChatGPT is a crutch that will prevent students from actually needing to learn content. Although I can see its use for small tasks, like how to email a teacher with questions, it also prevents students from developing the soft skills that completing those small tasks allows.”

ChatGPT is easy to use for many different writing assignments.  To use ChatGPT, users create an account and type in a prompt or instructions. The AI almost immediately creates a set of paragraphs, which the user can then revise as needed. In addition to writing essays in response to teachers’ questions, ChatGPT can also help teachers: indeed, 6 in 10 teachers believe it will make their lives easier, since ChatGPT can be used to create assignments, lesson plans and activities. ChatGPT can also be used to translate text into different languages.

In addition to making it more difficult for K-12 students to learn, ChatGPT can create a number of other problems. Teria Fletcher, a rocket scientist,  used ChatGPT to solve complex equations for rocket ships and found that it made many errors. It can also be used to spread misinformation because it is difficult to tell if what it says is correct or incorrect.  ChatGPT uses all material that is publicly available, so it could be skewed or biased.

While many people are interested in using ChatGPT because it can make it easy to produce first drafts or edit texts, there are concerns about when this use becomes unethical.  For example,  a judge in Columbia named Juan Manuel Padilla said that he used ChatGPT to write a ruling on whether a child with autism was exempt from paying therapy fees. The judge noted, “I suspect that many of my colleagues are going to join in this and begin to construct their rulings ethically with the help of artificial intelligence”. Many people were shocked and horrified by this. The judge was then released from his position. 

Government officials and agencies are beginning to take steps to regulate ChatGPT and other types of AI.  Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut said that AI companies should be required to test their systems and disclose the risks before releasing them. European lawmakers are already creating new laws and regulations for using. The U.S. National Science Foundation, which reviews and funds proposals for scientific research, asks the reviewers not to use generative AI to write summaries of grant proposals, since anything put into ChatGPT or another platform becomes part of its database, so anyone can access it and information is no longer confidential.  

The head of ChatGPT, Sam Altman, at a Senate hearing says that ChatGPT could cause “significant harm to the world” and that  “if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.”

There are few pros to using ChatGPT. However, it can be used as a time saver and can edit your work. It can create music, solve math problems, find errors in code, build on what is already known and alert companies when their website is under attack. ChatGPT can also translate spoken words into writing and then into another language. This is especially useful for those visiting a new country or learning a new language. 

ChatGPT can make it easier to start or polish texts. However, there are a number of limitations that can arise. As the founder of ChatGPT said at a Senate hearing,  “As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are too.¨  

Works Cited

Wikipedia, https://greaterbaltimorechamber.org/pros-and-cons-of-chatgpt/. Accessed 16 May 2024.

Wikipedia, https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-ceo-sam-altman-congress-73ff96c6571f38ad5fd68b307272279. Accessed 16 May 2024.

Blose, Abreanna. “As ChatGPT Enters the Classroom, Teachers Weigh Pros and Cons | NEA.” National Education Association, 12 April 2023, https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/chatgpt-enters-classroom-teachers-weigh-pros-and-cons. Accessed 16 May 2024.

“ChatGPT Enters the AI Debate.” ProCon.org, 7 February 2023, https://www.procon.org/headlines/chatgpt-enters-the-ai-debate/. Accessed 16 May 2024.