The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
The student-run online newspaper for Starr's Mill High School

The Prowler
Victoria Sponar

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor

Senior Victoria Sponar is a three-year member of The Prowler staff.  She is the Opinion-Editorial Editor.

All content by Victoria Sponar
Every writing class that I have taken throughout these past four years at Starr’s Mill has been a wonderful learning experience. I want to both thank the school for such an inspiring and attentive department and highly recommend students to try at least one writing class beyond the required English literature and composition courses.

My four years taking writing classes at Starr’s Mill

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
May 21, 2020
Graduating high school and college should be something that makes students feel accomplished and ecstatic for their now brighter future. Sadly, many also begin to realize the years of debt that they have accumulated. A free college education will ensure that these graduates have a truly positive future ahead of them.

Opinion: College tuition points to hypocrisy of ‘the land of opportunity’

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
April 9, 2020
Students need to realize that even if they did not get accepted into UGA or other dream schools of theirs their senior year, it in no way limits their possibility of going there in the near future. It is not where you begin college that matters, but where you finish it.

Opinion: It’s not where you start, but where you finish

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
March 20, 2020
While having certain inappropriate websites and words blocked from the Chromebooks is both necessary and understandable, some of these blocks are much too generalized and directly affect students and teachers with their education.

Opinion: Blockages on Chromebooks go too far

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
March 17, 2020
Starr’s Mill introducing a financial literacy course would help better prepare students for the adult world that they will soon step into. Students would be able to expand their knowledge on budgeting, navigating savings accounts, managing their college tuition costs, and handling taxes and insurance payments.

Opinion: Financial literacy should be taught at Starr’s Mill

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
February 11, 2020

Students give APs too much attention

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
January 24, 2020
Every week, thousands of Starr’s Mill parents receive failing grade notices from their children’s teachers. While it makes sense to have the scores that negatively affect a child’s grade be sent out, sending out simple five-question assignments that barely influence a student’s grade should happen. This only causes unnecessary arguments between parents, their children, and their teachers.

Opinion: ‘Fail mail’ needs revisions

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
December 9, 2019
Turning Election Day into a national holiday or shifting it so it lands on a weekend instead of a Tuesday could result in many more eligible voters for each election.

Opinion: Changes need to be made on Election Day

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
November 5, 2019
A woman’s choice of Halloween costume does not define her as a person. Women deserve to feel confident and to enjoy their costumes without the judgment of others.

Opinion: Women deserve to be respected regardless of their choice of Halloween costume

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
October 31, 2019
Greta Thunberg is a perfect example of how impactful young people’s voices can be if they speak up for what they believe in and show that they truly want to make a change in the world, regardless of age. The rest of the youth needs to realize the power they possess and that they already have everything they need to begin changing the world for the better.

Opinion: Youth matters

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
October 3, 2019
Millions of teens nationwide are suffering nicotine addiction due to vaping products and e-cigarettes. They need to realize how harmful these products are to their bodies and how they could experience detrimental -- and even lethal -- side effects in the near future.

Opinion: Teens need to recognize the dangers of vaping

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
September 23, 2019
Students participate in the flash mob for Decades Day. Since students dressing up is not mandatory, it only makes sense to allow students to also choose whether or not they want to participate in the pep rally.

Opinion: Pep rallies should not be held during school

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
September 13, 2019
Native tribe living in the Amazon. Bolsonaro and the rest of the Brazilian government need to stop with their anti-indigenous actions and protect these native people’s lands. It is time that their pleads for justice are finally heard.

Opinion: Brazilian government must do more to save native tribes’ homes

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
August 30, 2019
Students wearing bookbags leave their classes after the end of seventh period, the only period of the day when bookbags are allowed in classrooms. The administration argues that this new policy will provide the school with more safety, but in reality, it only creates more inconveniences for the students.

Opinion: New bookbag policy only hurts students

Victoria Sponar, Op-ed Editor
August 20, 2019
Immigrant workers on their way to work. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work and contribution to the country instead of being accused of “taking” the jobs of Americans.

Immigrants are not ‘stealing’ Americans jobs

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
May 9, 2019
Brazil’s National Museum in Rio de Janeiro and many historical artifacts being incinerated in the September fire. Why has there not been nearly the same amount of outrage and donations from celebrities and billionaires around the world compared with the recent Notre Dame tragedy?

OPINION: Notre Dame outrage proves societal inequities

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
April 24, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Blythe Terry, Grace Maneein, and Victoria Sponar
April 23, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Grace Maneein, Jordan Owens, and Victoria Sponar
April 11, 2019
Real Talk

Real Talk

Blythe Terry, Grace Maneein, and Victoria Sponar
March 12, 2019
Reggaeton is becoming many parts of the United States. It’s time that our town finally opens up to this new genre of music.

OPINION: Time to recognize rise of Reggaeton

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
March 6, 2019
The children in this photo are part of the Guarani tribe in Salta, Argentina. They should not be cast aside and ignored when speaking of Argentina because they, too, are a part of this country.

OPINION: People confuse race and ethnicity

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
February 8, 2019
“Narcos” character Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) stands in front of the product that gave him such tremendous power. He needs to be remembered for being the malicious, cruel killer that he is, not for the riches that he gained from his vile actions.

Stop glorifying “Narcos”

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
January 20, 2019
Students should not be forced to choose between the two exemption options. Making a sacrifice between grades and attendance can lower student motivation.

OPINION: Students should be offered to exempt off of both attendance and grades

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
December 10, 2018
Firefighters work to put a fire during a blaze in northern California. Inmates who sign up to work alongside employed firefighters deserve equal treatment and a proper minimum wage.

OPINION: United States prison system exploits prisoners

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
November 19, 2018
The number of irreversible and life-changing traumas that sexual assault survivors go through is traumatic enough, and discrediting the victims because of the time they chose to report their assault is only adding onto the victim-blaming culture that continues to thrive in our society.

OPINION: Stop discrediting assault victims for speaking up about it years later

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
October 27, 2018
Convicted felons deserve to be given the right to vote in their nations’ elections not only because it is morally right, but because it is a basic constitutional right.

Prisoners deserve the right to vote in all 50 states

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
October 19, 2018
Women deserve equal amount of respect regardless of their choice of clothing. It is ridiculous that some people continue to believe that how much a woman respects herself is based off of the clothes she wears.

A woman’s self respect is not determined by her skirt length

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
September 19, 2018
This type of picture is commonly seen throughout social media to glorify the acts of these “selfless” and “helpful” white saviors. This takes away from the actual point of what a mission trip should truly be: helping out these communities in ways that will genuinely benefit them and their serious problems instead of just create more turmoil and exploitation.

White saviors don’t benefit third-world communities

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
September 5, 2018
These two scarves represent both sides of this national dispute. The people that wore the green colored scarf pushed for safe, legal and free abortion, while the people that wore the blue scarf wanted unsafe, clandestine and deadly abortions to continue.

Catholic customs still overpower fights for equality in Argentina

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
August 21, 2018
Kevin de Paula, seen here playing in the 1958 World Cup final, portracy Pele in “Pele: Birth of a Legend.” In the movie, De Paula accurately portrays the struggles and accomplishments Pele fulfilled throughout his life.

Brazilian film inspires working class soccer players

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
May 28, 2018
Kanye West not inspiring anyone

Kanye West not inspiring anyone

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
May 23, 2018
Kanye West is one of the most influential hip-hop artists of this decade. His recent posts on Twitter have him back in the headlines, but not for his musical talent.

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
May 23, 2018
Girls Learn International

Girls Learn International

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
May 15, 2018
Head 2 Head

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
May 3, 2018
Universally, thousands of people protest for peace and for countries like the United States, France and the United Kingdom to stop bombing an already suffering Middle East.

Recent Syria attack is short-sighted

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
May 3, 2018
Shoes tied up and slung across wires such as the picture shown above are a common sign that drug dealers are selling products nearby. However serious this problem is, putting the death penalty on the table will not do anything to help end this huge nationwide dilemma.

Death penalty to drug dealers will not be a step forward

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
April 9, 2018
President Trump has suggested an unusual, but warranted, solution to the opioid crisis. Giving drug dealers the death penalty will treat the problem, not just the symptoms.

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
April 9, 2018
Students at a protest fighting for black and brown lives. Partaking in ideals such as arming teachers will only increase the oppression they face.

Guns in schools threaten safety of black and Latino students

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
Many victims and survivors from the recent Parkland shooting have stood up and demanded that lawmakers do something about gun control. The government must begin working on limiting guns to civilians instead of continuing to arm and militarize this society.

Arming teachers will only worsen America’s gun problem

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
March 9, 2018
Head 2 Head

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
March 9, 2018
Constant microaggressions and casual racism has been and continues to infiltrate the culture and actions of the people of Latin America. Recognizing and bringing attention to these acts of racism is what needs to be done in order to help finish the battle for racial equality in the Latinx community.

Casual racism is still racism

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
January 28, 2018
Head 2 Head

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
November 22, 2017
This is the picture used when people would protest for Santiago Maldonado. His picture and the sentence “Where is Santiago Maldonado?” would be drawn, spray-painted, printed, and written all over Argentina.

Forced disappearances continue in Latin America

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
November 6, 2017

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
October 24, 2017
Head 2 Head

Head 2 Head

Mitchell Smith and Victoria Sponar
October 24, 2017
Kali Uchis is a dreamy, multi-dimensional singer that embraces her latinidad and feminist values. Uchis and Princess Nokia are two inspirational idols for minority girls and girls of color who teach audiences to celebrate their heritage and womanhood in empowering songs and projects.

Empowering female artists

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
October 11, 2017
An immense part of the struggles minority women face today involve being oversexualized. Without being careful about what one says, the dehumanization of women will continue to be a problem.

Over-sexualization of minority women

Victoria Sponar, Staff Writer
October 6, 2017
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