As in the 1996 film William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, actor Leonardo DiCaprio — who played the role of Romeo — never seems to fulfill a romantic relationship with a happy ending. In fact, the 47-year-old actor has long been the center of public scrutiny for his strange, if not predatorial, dating habits. With news of his alleged breakup with 25-year-old Camilla Morrone, the TikTok and Twitter community have disclosed disturbing information about DiCaprio’s love interests — all of whom are “discarded” before the age of 26. In other words, DiCaprio has never publicly dated any woman over the age of 25. Now that is quite the controversy.

In the state of California, the legal age of consent is 18. This makes it illegal for an adult to have sexual relations with a minor, be it consensual or not. Some states have an exception to this law, better known as the Romeo and Juliet law, which decriminalizes sex with a minor given a small age gap between two parties. California, however, does not acknowledge the Romeo and Juliet law.

Despite regulations like our State’s Penal Code 261.5 that recognizes intercourse between minors and adults as statutory rape, Hollywood has a long history of condoning underage, and possibly, illegal relationships. It’s time for our entertainment industry to condemn this toxic culture.

Summer, outdoors, and mosquitoes seem to go together. I have learned that as a mosquito bites you, it penetrates through your skin with a mouth part called a proboscis to drink your blood, injecting its own saliva during the process. The pesky consequence of one’s body reacting to the saliva takes the shape of a puffy, itchy bump that often appears a few minutes after the injection. Swelling up like a huge cherry tomato after one itch, this mosquito bite will take up to a week to vanish.

For me, mosquito bites are the worst factor of summer. I have always wondered why some people like me are bitten more than others

(https://www.healthline.com/health/mosquito-blood-type). People with type O blood, and their sweat, attract more mosquitoes. Dealing with an itchy bump can ruin my day in seconds. Fortunately, here are some tips and tricks I learned that always give me some relief:

• Immediately wash the bite area with soap and water.

• Apply a cold compress like an ice pack on the bite.

• Use an over-the-counter anti-itch cream to minimize the itching.

• Have patience and try not to scratch. (I always have trouble with this step). 

Every high school has a wide variety of extracurricular activities for students to participate in. A significant portion of these activities are sports-related. Each high school has their own competitive teams for many different sports, including popular ones such as American football and soccer as well as under-the radar sports like water polo and cross country.

No matter the sport, all these activities are great ways to stay active and healthy. They also give students the opportunity to become active in the community, meet new people with similar interests, and enjoy doing some of the hobbies they love within the confines of their own campus. Participating in a sport during high school can benefit students in the long run.

It has been scientifically proven that playing sports in high school can actually benefit one’s academic career and future occupation as well as increase chances of going to college. Studies have shown that participation in sports can lead to increased GPAs (grade point averages), 40% higher test scores, and a 15% greater chance of going to college. Student athletes also tend to have higher incomes later in life and are more productive overall than people who did not play sports in their youth. People who play high school sports also have higher self-esteem than others and feel good about their accomplishments.

Student athletes are also great contributors to the community and environment. They are more inclined to volunteer in various organizations around the community. I am a student athlete myself and I spend multiple hours every other week writing articles for The Fullerton Observer as a volunteer contributor. Physically active communities also seem to maintain a better lifestyle than other communities. Studies show that these communities have clean environments, low unemployment rates, and even above average property values compared to nearby areas.

Finally, playing high school sports can have a positive effect on a person’s mental health and social life. Student athletes seem to have lower anxiety and depression levels and suicide rates than others. Their high levels of confidence and well-being allow them to feel more in control of their lives and they are more motivated to achieve their goals. They are able to create stronger relationships and can bond with both peers and family members than students who do not play sports. Student athletes tend to stay away from drugs, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

High school sports (and all youth sports for that matter) have more benefits than most people think. It is worth giving these sports programs a try. You will be glad you did.

Sources: atyourownrisk.org, aspenprojectplay.org, researchgate.net

Meow hello to Tabitha! She’s a sweet three-year-old cat that had trials and tribulations in her unfortunate cat’s life. Upon arrival at OC Animal Care, the veterinary staff noticed that Tabitha’s eyes were causing her a notable amount of pain. It was diagnosed that she was born with a condition that caused her eyelids to flip inside out, which ended up with her eyelashes continually scratching her corneas. Tabitha was blind in both eyes, and both were causing her unnecessary discomfort. To relieve Tabitha of pain, the veterinary staff worked to remove both her eyes. Tabitha has been sweet and uncomplaining, patient, and resilient. The only thing she ever complains about is that she doesn’t get as many cuddles as she would like. She is always searching for hugs. Tabitha takes some time to warm up to you. You must win her friendship and when you do, you will get to hear that lovely purr.

Call (714) 935-6848 to plan an adoption appointment today or visit ocpetinfo.com. Walk-ins are welcome as staffing allows on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Endangered Animal Trivia

Q: Which tortoise species is the biggest in the world?

A: The biggest tortoise in the world is the Galapagos Tortoise. They can weigh as much as 661 lbs and can grow to be four feet long. The biggest Galapagos Tortoise on record weighed as much as 1764 lbs and was six feet long. They are critically endangered from predation, invasive species, and human-tortoise conflicts. There are fifteen Galapagos Tortoise subspecies; two of that fifteen are extinct. Galapagos Tortoises are very friendly. They can float in the water due to an extra layer of blubber and can move at a shocking 0.16 miles per hour. In captivity, they can live for over a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175 years old. There are only about 60,000 Galapagos Tortoises left.