The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

Jonathan Ross

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Ross is a senior at NASH. He enjoys brewing kombucha, writing poetry, and starting conversations.

All content by Jonathan Ross
image from Bloomberg.com

A Balancing Act

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief May 29, 2020

A woman’s ability to freely speak out in the face of sexual assault and harassment is an absolute necessity. The female voice is imperative to the larger struggle to find equality in all aspects of the...

There are many reasons for seniors to give up as the end of the year approaches.  But theres a better reason not to.

Finding Motivation in May

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief May 11, 2020

It’s a running joke among my friends that I’ve struggled with senioritis since 9th grade, and it’s not entirely inaccurate. I live by the words “work smarter, not harder.” It’s no surprise...

What Iron Born Pizza may lack in sophistication it more than makes up for in sumptuous bliss.

Eating Across Bridges: Quarantine

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief April 23, 2020

I started this column with the purpose of exploring my city’s many neighborhoods, and many cultures, through food. I’ve been to high-end Spanish tapas restaurants, food cart stalls, Halal food...

The College Board will allow students to take AP Exams at home, increasing the risk of cheating but also allowing hard-working and honest AP students to earn the credit they deserve.

AP At Home

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief April 6, 2020

Every year in early June, North Allegheny students take their finals in the last days before summer. For many juniors and seniors, though, the real finals occur almost a month earlier, during AP tests,...

At present, the spread of COVID-19 pales in comparison to the 1918 Spanish Flu, which infected over a third of the worlds population.

Pandemic, Media, and the Lessons of History

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief March 26, 2020

The New York Times recently suggested that, in an attempt to quell anxiety, people in quarantine should start journaling. It’s a great method of self-expression and, after all, we are living through...

NASH senior Eric Mole reads a Dr. Suess book to students at his elementary alma mater, Bradford Woods Elementary, this past Monday for Read Across America Day.

Oh the Places You’ll Go (Back To)

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief March 5, 2020

A person is a person, no matter how small. And boy, did the kids look small, as Margaret Fenton walked through the doors of Bradford Woods Elementary School. “I felt so old sitting in front of the...

A universal basic income (UBI) has been embraced by certain politicians and pundits on both the left and the right.

Turncoat: UBI, Free Money and Conservatism

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief March 5, 2020

On July 6th, 1535, Sir Thomas More was beheaded by Henry VIII after refusing to abandon his staunch Catholic beliefs. Four hundred years later, he was canonized as Saint Thomas for his martyrdom as the...

Good Talk: Ms. Dirda

Good Talk: Ms. Dirda

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief February 28, 2020

Where are you from? I’m actually from the area. I went to high school at Montour, and my parents still live in Robinson. I did go to Virginia Tech for college, but I came right back after I graduated....

Lawrencevilles old-style row homes are now inhabited by dozens of unique restaurants.

Eating Across Bridges: Lawrenceville

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief February 4, 2020

I grew up crossing many bridges into the city -- the Veterans, Fort Pitt, and Smithfield, to name a few. Until recently, however, I had rarely crossed the 31st Street Bridge or the 40th Street Bridge,...

The list of nominees for this years Oscars demonstrates the shortcomings of the Academy.

Oscars: The Art and The Artist

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief January 26, 2020

With the Oscars only a week away, Twitter is abuzz with opinions--both valid and fallacious--on the various awards and nominations, and celebrities are no exception. Last Thursday, Stephen King tweeted...

Wholeys Fish Market may be the best known food destination in Pittsburghs Strip District, but theres an entire smorgasbord of global cuisine up and down Penn Avenue.

Eating Across Bridges: The Strip District

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief January 22, 2020

There are the food staples of North Allegheny students: Monte Cellos, Rita’s, and Chick-Fil-A. Like a majority of NA students, I’ve eaten my fair share of slices after football games and more chicken...

The recent closing of Washington D.C.s Newseum may have been an economic inevitability, but it points to larger issues concerning the health of American journalism.

No News is Not Good News

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief January 14, 2020

As clocks anxiously ticked toward midnight across the eastern seaboard of the United States, optimistically ushering in a new decade, Washington D.C.’s Newseum closed its doors for the final time. The...

Here is the Clue

Here is the Clue

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief December 19, 2019

This Friday, December 20th, six select NASH teachers will set aside the unrelenting stress of grading tests and reprimanding students, and pick up a buzzer for the third annual Teacher Jeopardy. Entrance...

Universal healthcare may appear to be a political impossibility in America, but its merits are worth considering nevertheless.

Turncoat: The Necessity of Universal Healthcare

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief December 17, 2019

Over the past six Turncoat editions, I’ve argued in favor of particularly controversial far-right positions -- ranging from a defense of the First Amendment rights of Holocaust deniers to denying the...

Whiz Kid

Whiz Kid

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief December 2, 2019

So, have you always been passionate about academics? Not exactly.  I constantly got into trouble from when I came to NA in 1st grade to the end of 4th grade.  I started to focus more on my studies in...

The Chick-fil-A at the corner of Rt. 19 and Wallace Road is a popular destination for students on their way to and from school.  But views on the food chains politics are divided.

At the Corner of Poultry and Politics

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-In-Chief October 31, 2019

At the “cornerstone of church and chicken,” the self-dubbed name of Northway Church’s shared parking lot with Chick-fil-A on Rt. 19 North, I find myself divided. By the time I’m in the drive-through,...

There has never been a more urgent time to push for worldwide freedom of media access.

Expression and Suppression

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief October 30, 2019

More than gun control or welfare, climate change or foreign diplomacy, our president loves discussing “fake news.” And, as much as it pains me to admit, he has a point--well, at least half of a point. It’s...

The origins of Kombucha are mysterious.  But to fans of the unusual beverage, the benefits are beyond debate.

Kombuch-ya!

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-In-Chief October 16, 2019

Those who have taken Psych will know about the “Reactance Theory”, which is the tendency of good people to act poorly in response to rules and feel great about doing so. Whether that’s just an excuse,...

Last Wednesday, NASH Student Council hosted a public debate featuring six candidates for School Board.  The event, which took place in the high school auditorium, went wonderfully, according to NASH School Board Representative Jaime Martinez.

The Great (School Board) Debate

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief October 8, 2019

The venue was smaller and the stakes were seemingly limited, but the School Board Candidate Forum held at NASH on October 2, 2019, held a striking resemblance to the televised debates of national politics:...

The beauty of the game is indelibly stained when players condone racism.

Jogo Racista

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief September 20, 2019

Earlier this month, in a non-section Labor Day soccer match, Allderdice players alleged that they had been verbally attacked by their opponents from the Connellsville School District. The Connellsville...

In the face of tragedy, we can and should do much more than merely offer condolences on social media.

Crocodile Tears and Twitter Posts

Jonathan Ross, Co-Editor-in-Chief September 3, 2019

For the last two weeks, the Amazon Rainforest has been burning relentlessly, destroying the “lungs of the world” at more than 100 square yards a minute and displacing some of the 400 tribes and 30,000,000...

The NA TED Talk Club meets earlier this spring to plan an ambitious program for next year.

Now You’re Talking

Jonathan Ross, Reporter June 6, 2019

The brainchild of NAI English teacher Mr. Hull, the NA TED Talk Club was founded earlier this year with the hope of widening the scope of student learning. The club is based around the creation and delivery...

Turncoat: Why Trump is a Good President

Turncoat: Why Trump is a Good President

Jonathan Ross, Reporter May 20, 2019

Turncoat was never particularly easy to write. It was incredibly hard at times. It was hard to argue against LGBTQ+ rights and a woman’s right to control her pregnancy. It was hard to advocate for deportation...

Our awareness of tragedies in less developed parts of the world is woefully lacking.

Selective Ignorance

Jonathan Ross, Reporter April 29, 2019

Last weekend was spring break, offering students an opportunity to eat copious amounts of sugar, spend time with families, and take a well-deserved break before the final, end-of-school countdown. That...

We Shouldnt Have a Voice

We Shouldn’t Have a Voice

Jonathan Ross, Reporter April 16, 2019

In the waning hours of 1970, during the court case Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress had the authority to establish the legal voting age for federal elections. The Court based its...

Turncoat: From Where Opportunity Stems

Turncoat: From Where Opportunity Stems

Jonathan Ross and Ethan Eichelberger April 3, 2019

For this edition of Turncoat, I’ll be doing something slightly different. Instead of the usual political topic, a special guest and I will be discussing the importance of STEM classes—science, technology,...

STEM

Jonathan Ross, Reporter April 3, 2019

It’s important to recognize that, in claiming that STEM classes are indeed more important than humanities classes, I am in no way advocating the manufacturing of cookie-cutter, soon-to-be doctors and...

Students, schools, and the culture at large need to do more to defeat the temptation of fake success.

Cheap Cheats and Expensive Bribes

Jonathan Ross, Reporter March 15, 2019

I think it is safe to say that a majority of students in our school have, at some point during their academic careers, cheated, finessed, conned, bluffed, or otherwise bamboozled their way to a grade that...

The Comprehensive Guide to Your Future

The Comprehensive Guide to Your Future

Jonathan Ross March 1, 2019

It’s that time of year again: scheduling. For those seniors blissfully wandering their way to college, this largely won’t apply to you. For anyone else, listen closely—your sanity may just depend...

Local radio celebrity Larry Richert holds many distinctions, among them the fact that he joined NATV the year the studio was created back in 1976.

Good Talk: Larry Richert, NA ’76

Jonathan Ross, Reporter February 4, 2019

First of all, congratulations on your distinguished alumnus award. Thanks.  You know, I was pretty surprised after all these years, but I feel humbled, looking at the bios of all the other nominees Yeah,...

The Nazi death camps now stand as a morbid reminder of the more than 6 million tragic deaths of the Holocaust.

Turncoat: A Defense of Holocaust Deniers

Jonathan Ross, Reporter January 24, 2019

For those who have read my Turncoat column, I hope it is clear that the arguments I present are not a representation of my own ideas; they are quite the opposite, in fact. The purpose behind Turncoat is...

For the sake of justice, the morality of the LGBTQ+ cause must run alongside the constitutionality of its practice.

Turncoat: Gay Marriage, An Attack on the Constitution

Jonathan Ross, Reporter January 7, 2019

I remember that the first time I heard the word "gay," I didn’t know its actual meaning. I thought that it just meant dumb, because that's how I had heard it used. In response to rules, tests, and restrictions,...

Turncoat: Abortion is Murder

Turncoat: Abortion is Murder

Jonathan Ross, Reporter December 5, 2018

This summer, President Donald J. Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as his Supreme Court nominee. Before that, in the spring of 2017, Neil Gorsuch was confirmed as a Supreme Court judge. These nominations...

Democracys Middleman

Democracy’s Middleman

Jonathan Ross November 25, 2018

I wrote the first draft of this article last night, November 7th, 2018, with the hopes that change might be made before further killings. This morning, November 8th, I read the headline: “12 Dead in...

For Beto or Worse?

For Beto or Worse?

Jonathan Ross, Reporter November 1, 2018

In his farewell speech, George Washington warned of the potential dangers of political parties. He believed that the foundation of permanent political parties would undermine the the purpose of being the...

Our parents weren’t forced to pay attention because of their lack of technology, and we will not be forced to pay attention with Securly and constant monitoring of our internet usage. 

Securly is Watching You

Jonathan Ross, Reporter October 25, 2018

I am not Catholic, and today is not a Sunday, but I have a confession. The first time that I can remember being in actual trouble was when I almost got run over by a car while playing soccer in the...

Turncoat: Build the Wall

Turncoat: Build the Wall

Jonathan Ross, Reporter September 26, 2018

My name is Jonathan Ross. I’m a junior here at NASH and a writer for the Uproar. Like many of the other aspiring journalists, my political ideals tend to lean left. Although much of mainstream media...

In a school as academically competitive as NASH, it s too easy to convince yourself that AP is always the better choice.

AP Influenza

Jonathan Ross August 31, 2018

Like Mahatma Gandhi, Xi Huang Di, George Washington, and Selena Gomez, the name William Hildebrand holds quite the connotation among NA students. Last year, I had the privilege of studying AP Human Geography...

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