Exercise is more than just lifting weights and getting “gains’ as some would call it. While most people would agree that exercising daily - running, walking, lifting weights, biking, etc., - improves your physical health and appearance, but did you know that there is a scientific evidence that shows a direct correlation between physical exercise and improved mental health? When you combine the physical health benefits of regular exercise with a higher level of focus and emo

Editor, that’s the last time I’ll be writing that below my name for this publication. It’s bittersweet, as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the PawPrint. It’s nearly time to move on, and I’ll be missing it dearly. Graduation is a lot closer than I’d like to admit. Amidst all the stress I’m experiencing with endless amounts of assignments and college applications, Journalism is still the one thing that is bringing me sanity. I just think about how much more I’m going

As the academic year comes to an end, I find myself reminiscing about my first semester at LCCC -- my only full semester with face-to-face classes. I miss the mornings spent driving the backroads to school, stopping at the vending machine to get coffee, and finding a quiet place to study before heading to class. Although I’ve adjusted to online learning, I miss the routine of coming to campus and engaging with classmates and professors. While thinking about this, I realized h

Writing has been an escape for me since I was young. I would journal every day to help me cope with daily struggles or to write my life how I wanted it to be. I have around 15 unfinished novel ideas in a notebook from my childhood. It was my dream to be a novelist, but now I want to impact the world with my words. Starting in Journalism as a writer for my high school newspaper, I knew I had a passion for it. It wasn’t until I started editing for the Paw Print that I realized

It’s time that we understand white privilege is real and it is a problem. The other day, while at work, a customer and her child had walked in without a mask on. We had dealt with this woman before and had some conflict with her when asking her to put on a mask. She claimed that she - and everyone in her family - has a doctor’s excuse to not wear a mask. Another customer who had an oxygen tank and was wearing a mask had asked this woman to put a mask on. The woman proceeded t

April 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has spread awareness and has helped prevent sexual assault, harassment, and abuse for over 25 years. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey proves that “1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the US have been raped. More than half of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance; for m

Allentown City Council is considering a proposal by Operation Address The Homeless (OATH) to construct a village of tiny homes to support Lehigh Valley’s homeless population. While Hope Village Allentown is not a complete solution to the widespread problems of homelessness and poverty, it is certainly a step in the right direction. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 500,000 Americans experience homelessness each night. This is not on

I hear people saying it a lot: what makes American great? Let me tell you, it’s not a politician or celebrity. It’s all the hard workers that keep this dream of a better world alive. Traveling across the country over this break was eye-opening. I looked out on the vast land once walked upon by our ancestors and wondered how they saw “Americans,” and what they dreamed the country would become. Other countries covet our freedom, something we take for granted. Where are we now,

Confidence has been something I have always struggled with. Ever since I was in the fourth grade, I’ve picked on small things about myself, whether it be how dark my knees were, or my height. Going into high school, those insecurities only became stronger and harder to fight. The comparisons began. “What does she have that I don’t?” I’d ask myself. “Should my hair be longer like hers, or straighter like hers?” Like hers. How can I make mine like hers? I also cared too much ab

NASA has put humans on the moon, now it’s time to put them on Mars. Technology in astronomy is enhancing every day. The new rover on Mars is called Perseverance, and this device will help astronauts discover if life was ever on Mars and if humans can live there one day. So far, NASA has found ice and preserved rocks which implies that there was once life on Mars. It will take milestones for humans to colonize there, but it’s not impossible. In 2024, NASA and SpaceX are planni