Isabel's blog

In the Netherlands, one out of every five young people, aged between 12 and 25, has experimented with e-cigarettes over the past year. This trend is especially prevalent among younger teenagers, with one in ten 12 to 14-year-olds using flavored vapes on a monthly basis, and nearly a quarter of 15 to 17-year-olds doing the same. Of particular concern is the fact that a significant portion of young e-cigarette users also dabble in traditional cigarette smoking, highlighting the potential for nicotine addiction and health risks among this demographic. To combat this issue, doctors are launching awareness campaigns.

The influence of flavored e-cigarettes has been a contentious issue, as they are often seen as a gateway to smoking regular cigarettes among youth. To address this concern, the Dutch government will prohibit the sale of flavored e-cigarettes from the beginning of next year. This decision was driven by evidence showing that flavored vapes make vaping more appealing to young individuals, which, in turn, can lead to traditional tobacco use. Additionally, the ban is part of broader efforts to combat the rising rates of nicotine addiction and health problems among young people associated with vaping.

This article quotes a doctor who talks about the risks of vaping and why the Dutch government sees this as a big issue. I think it is good that the article quoted an expert. The article shows all the facts but for me, it has more impact when they are quoting a real person. So, they did a good job in that.

The article does not use any personal opinion. They only show the medical facts of why vaping is bad. They also explain the decisions of the government and what the consequences are of that. I think this article did a good job of explaining everything.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2492749-grote-risico-s-voor-vapende-jongeren-trimbos-instituut-slaat-alarm

With the rise of streaming platforms, the internet is now full of different shows and movies for everyone. There are so many streaming services that you can choose from, offering everything from big, exciting movies to smaller shows made for specific groups of people. How do college students manage that? “I have Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. I use Netflix on the account of my parents and the other platforms I share with my cousins,” said Jasmijn.

Having access to all these platforms offers a remarkable variety of content at one’s fingertips, enabling viewers to curate their own personalized streaming experience. Jessica had to say on that, “I like Hulu the most because it has the most variety of movies and series. Still, Disney+ is also great. It is hard to choose my favorite one.” Jasmijn agrees with that. She says that it is hard for her to choose her favorite one, but the choice to get rid of one is even harder.

Balancing multiple streaming subscriptions can be akin to juggling a bunch of tasks at once. While having access to all these platforms is handy, it can also be challenging to stay on top of managing subscriptions, payment schedules, and the ever-growing lineup of shows and movies to enjoy. Bram agrees with this; “It is a lot of money if I have to pay for all the streaming platforms. I only pay for Netflix. For Amazon Prime and Hulu, I got the login information from my friends.”

All three students agree that it would be impossible to pay for all the streaming platforms by themselves. “One streaming platform is already a lot of money. If I had to pay for all of them, it would cost me around 100 dollars a month. I don’t have that,” says Jessica.

Netflix does not like that everyone is sharing their passwords. They announced last year that you can only share your login information with the people in your household. All three students do not agree with that. “In the summer I am still living with my parents, does that count as living in the same household? It does not say how many days a year I need to live there,” Jasmijn says.

Are there things that the different streaming platforms can learn from each other? “They should not “steal” each other’s content,” Jasmijn said. It is annoying when you are watching a serie on one platform and the other platform, which you do not have, buys it. Bram says they could definitely do something with the price. For college students, it is still pretty high.”

Target emphasizes its commitment to steady growth and its ability to adapt to changing circumstances, citing exceptional growth during the pandemic and ongoing customer trust. CEO Brian Cornell had to say on this, “That speaks to the trust and loyalty we’re continuously building with our guests. Regardless of era or environment, our team takes a lot of pride in being able to flex into the merchandise categories and channels that are most relevant to guests.”

They outline a long-term trajectory with revenue gains on a larger base and anticipate significant efficiency improvements. The company remains focused on customer experience, with investments in digital growth, loyalty programs, media, and sustainability. Despite near-term challenges, they express optimism about sustaining steady growth. Brian Cornell said, “Steady stewardship has always been a hallmark of our growth philosophy. Deliver what guests want and need today while anticipating where they’re headed tomorrow. Invest vigorously in the team, strategy, and capabilities to stay in step with guests.”

This article is about the ranking of universities by Times Higher Education. The ranking of Times Higher Education is seen as one of the most important rankings for the universities. This year, there are six Dutch universities in the top 100. Delft University of Technology is the highest Dutch University in the ranking, with 48th place.

The number one university in the world is the British University of Oxford. They are the best university for the 8^th time in a row. The ranking is based on various factors such as education, research, knowledge transfer, and international positioning.

This article briefly and concisely explains what the ranking means and why this ranking is so important. They remain objective in this article and only share the facts. In my opinion, no unnecessary information is shared. I think this is a good news article because it immediately provides the most important information and then explains further what everything means.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2492051-tu-delft-hoogst-geklasseerde-universiteit-van-nederland-op-wereldranglijst

Last year the baseball team of Morningside made it to the open round of the NAIA. “This was a big athletic achievement for me and the team”, Brian said.  The baseball team had to travel to Shreveport, Louisiana. Brian liked Louisiana but had to say, “The weather in Louisiana was very humid and hot, especially when you come from Iowa.”  But that did not bother the experience at all. “This trip was an awesome and very competitive experience. We learned a lot about our team and got to do what we love.”

The trip to Louisiana was not the only athletic achievement Brian had that year. Brian got a GPAC honorable mention as an outfielder, which he is proud of.

There was an armed robbery at 450 Stanley Street last night. Two men wearing ski masks entered the store. One of them held a gun on the owner, Barney Joseph, Jr., while the other removed $382.65 from the cash register. The men left in a car parked at the curb in front of the store with its motor running.

Joseph kept a pistol under the counter but decided not to use it. He told the police the robbery was over in less than a minute. He said, “I could have reached for the gun, but felt it unwise.”

This could be because 25 years ago the same happened to his dad in the same store. Only with a different end because his dad pulled out the gun. Joseph says, “Yes, Dad resisted, I guess. Anyway, they found him shot to death with his own gun in his hand, and a bullet in the store’s ceiling. I’d rather part with my money than my life.”

This article is about the Dutch volleyball players who beat Mexico. At the moment they are playing in a tournament to qualify for the Olympics in Paris next summer. The article describes how the game went for the Netherlands and which player made the most points.

In the end, the article also describes how the system works for qualifying for the Olympics. At the moment the Netherlands are second in their group and that means a ticket to the Olympics. Still, they have a few more games before they are sure that they can go to Paris next summer.

The article got my attention right away. They have a good headline, and the first they described in the article is what happened during the game: The Netherlands won 3-0. After that they go into more detail, describing how the game went, who scored the most goals, and who played the most sets.

As the reader it is pretty clear to me what the situation is with the Dutch Volleyball team. I know how many games they still have to play to qualify for the Olympics and also how the system works. Also, I had a good summary of the game.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2491020-volleybalsters-winnen-ook-van-mexico-en-liggen-op-koers-voor-olympisch-ticket

I walked down to the post office because I knew there are always people there. The first person I spoke to was Lea Okkels, a 21-year-old girl from Denmark. She was picking up a package her dad sent from Denmark. She was in a hurry but took the time for me to answer some questions.

Lea says, “What I find the most annoying is when people do not meet their expectations. Do not make any promises you cannot keep.” After we talked for a few minutes, Lea opened her package and was very happy with the inside of it.

The next person I talked to was Colton Ltibbs. He was working in the post office. They were not busy, so he seemed quite relaxed.  The first thing I noticed about him was his curly hair.

He was kind of surprised when I did not ask for a package but for something else. When I asked him what his pet peeve was, he did not have to think for a second. Colton said, “I hate when people in front of me are walking slowly.” I could see the frustration in his eyes.

After our conversation ended, I asked if I could get an autographed Post-it note from him. He started laughing and he gave me an autographed Post-it note.

Morocco had the biggest earthquake in 60 years and at the time of writing, this earthquake has caused more than 2,000 casualties. The earthquake was 6.8 on the scale of magnitude.

The earthquake destroyed houses and buildings in the High Atlas Mountains. Some areas high in the mountains are difficult for emergency services to reach. Not all roads are equally passable, so it takes a while for emergency responders to get to certain places. Some places can only be reached by helicopter.

The Washington Post highlights the situation in Morocco, “In the small town of Amizmiz (approximately 55 kilometers south of Marrakesh), buildings were still collapsing on Sunday afternoon, almost 40 hours after the earthquake on Friday evening. Traces of the stuff from the former residents could be seen in some houses. For example, in the ruins of the ceiling on the second floor: velvet blankets, suitcases, and rugs.”

The Moroccan government has deployed the military to lead search and rescue efforts in affected areas, while other aid groups are busy setting up shelters for residents who have lost their homes or for those unable to return home due to structural damage or fear of aftershocks.

In the Netherlands, a group of almost 200 Moroccan-Dutch doctors have said that they want to help in Morocco. Ali Lahdidioui, chairman of the Association of Moroccan Doctors in the Netherlands (AMAN), made a post on Linkedin to see how many doctors would like to help in Morocco. So, there was a lot of response to this.

Ali Lahdidioui told the NOS, “Contact has been made with the authorities and we are currently waiting for the green light to further develop these plans.” He also says that it is difficult to have to wait because you know that people can already use your help.

Lahididiou added, “As a physician organization, we have decided to act thoughtfully and do what we do best: provide appropriate and adequate medical care.”

Lahdidioui and his colleagues from AMAN are currently considering semi-acute assistance. They say that the hospitals are there for trauma care. They also say that they know from previous disasters that there are shortages of basic needs: food, hygiene, and water. There is a high risk of infections, and they want to provide support in this regard.

As soon as there is a green light, doctors will go to Morocco to provide help in the affected areas.  The Washington Post says, “Help has been offered to Morocco from all over the world. For example, a group from the European Union was ready to help Morocco and an assessment team from the United States is also in Morocco to assist the Moroccan government where necessary.”

In another story about the earthquake, the NOS talks to Coach Ramzi who has experienced the earthquake in Morocco up close. Ramzi is the coach of the Moroccan top club Wydad AC. He lives in the coastal city of Casablanca because of his work, but his family comes from Marrakech, a city north of the epicenter. The earthquake killed Ramzi’s aunt and her children.

On Saturday morning, Ramzi canceled the practice of his soccer team via his soccer team’s group app and took care of his players and staff. In an NOS article, Ramzi says, “Everyone had gone out at night, one of my players only returned home at 11 am in the morning because he was afraid. Then you don’t practice.”

Ramzi believes that now is the time to stand up. He believes that rich people should take responsibility. How does he do that himself? Just like the national team, he has decided to donate blood and on Monday he will visit the club to see what they can do financially.

The NOS article explains that the national team would play a match the next day, but the match between Morocco and Liberia in the qualification for the African Cup has therefore been canceled. According to the Moroccan association, the decision was taken in consultation with the African Football Federation. Instead of playing a match, a large part of the selection donated blood. They did this through a call from the Moroccan government to donate blood for the many people that are injured.

This article talks about bull sharks that lived for 17 years in a lake by a golf course’s 14th hole. Because of this, scientists now know that bull sharks can live pretty long in a low-salted environment. This all happened at the Carbrook Golf Club near Brisbane, Australia. 

The article also talks about when a lake is connected with the sea because of a flood, you better not swim in it before you know if there is a bull shark or not. There is a big chance that because of the flood a bull shark came into the lakes.

The owner of the golf club said that golfers found it interesting that there were bull sharks on the golf course. The people who worked at the golf course also gave the bull sharks food occasionally. The article also describes that the lake was a safe space for the bull sharks to grow up because there were no big sharks that could attack them.

The only bad thing about these lakes is that humans come way too close to sharks. This leads to dozens of documented fatal attacks on humans. Therefore, you have to be careful when a flood comes. Because of the last flood that happened at the Carbrook Golf Club in Brisbane, none of the bull sharks are still around at the golf course.

I think the lead of the article is good. It clearly states what this article is about and also got my attention right away. The article describes well what the situation is and also uses professors to talk about it. As the reader, you get a pretty clear view of why this is a special situation. And I mean this not only because there are sharks on a golf course but also because it is a low-salted environment and researchers did not know that sharks could survive there for so long.