1. “LGBTQ+ Man Becomes Victim of Viral Cyberbullying Campaign” 

It was business as usual for Aubrey Graham on a mid-September morning when his phone started blowing up with defamatory remarks and verbally abusive comments against him from the far reaches of the internet. “It was everywhere,” Graham shared in a raw, exclusive interview with the Register Forum. “I turned on my phone and there was a random dude [@luckygoliu] saying that I cover my eyes when I watch scary movies.” When questioned as to the validity of these claims, he refused to comment. 

Aubrey has little doubt as to the root cause of the abuse. A few weeks prior, Graham publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, rapping the line, “Yeah you say that you a lesbian, girl, me too,” in his hit single, “Girls Want Girls.” The comments generally took the form, “Drake the type of guy to…” and went on to cite sensationally defamatory claims about Graham’s mannerisms and tendencies. Due to the vast nature of the popular social media platform TikTok, it is virtually impossible to remove each and every video; Graham mentioned he now feared opening his phone due to the continuous onslaught of anonymous individuals critiquing every minute aspect of the way he leads his life, from the way he runs to how he cools his soup (@ilovepie18). However, despite the abuse Graham has found remarkable strength, “[I] send the haters all my love” he said “[I] never pay attention to the rumours and what they assume.” In a world plagued by an increasingly toxic social media landscape, people like Graham serve as a reminder of what happens when the problems on these platforms go unchecked.  

2. “Breaking News: Bathroom Capacity Regulation Cuts COVID-19 Transmission by 76% and Nicotine Addiction Rates by 30%”

As CRLS students settle into the first full year of in-person learning since the 2019-2020 school year, it is inevitable that there will be growing pains during the transition period. One common gripe among the student body is the newly imposed rules regarding bathroom occupancy. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, occupancy limits have been placed on school bathrooms in order to prevent virus transmission. Epidemiologists claim that due to the poorly ventilated nature of school bathrooms, these occupancy limits reduce transmission by an average of 76%. 

However, these statistics hide a possibly more compelling figure regarding these reforms. Even though Massachusetts banned flavored vape products last year, the issue of teen nicotine abuse has been ongoing. However, in a study conducted by the Cambridge Health Department, youth nicotine addiction rates for the months of September and October are down 30% compared to March 2020. Analysts attribute this recent drop to the lack of private spaces students have to partake in “a quick hit.” These conclusions are supported by another study which found that the Air Quality Index across all of the bathrooms had dropped to 25 units (safe) down from 123 units (unsafe for sensitive groups) pre-COVID-19. While both of these studies have yet to receive mass recognition, expect their findings to influence decision making around the easing of COVID-19 protocols as the pandemic is brought under control.

3. “CRLS Senior Adds Venmo And Cash App Usernames To Instagram Bio, Receives Enough Money To Fund Ivy League Education”

4. “15 Students Who Sit Next to the HEPA Filter Still Haven’t Learned Their Classmates Names: These Are Their Stories”

5. “The War on Candy Corn Rages On: Finding Allies In A Time of Turmoil”