In partnership with

New Jersey high school has mandatory rite of passage: 55-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail

Teens hiking on a trail.

New Jersey high school has mandatory rite of passage: 55-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail

“When life gets difficult, it’s something you can refer back to.”

By Heather Wake

For the past 52 years, St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, has maintained one mandatory rite of passage for all freshmen: a five-day, 55-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail.

This tradition begins in early spring, when students at this private high school start training through exercise and team-building, in addition to learning a specialty. Next, the group is broken down into smaller units with a captain, camp specialist, navigators, cooks and medics.

Then, in May, rain or shine, comes the actual hike. While there is “some adult supervision,” according to St. Benedict’s Prep administrator Glenn Cassidy, the kids are meant to rely on what they’ve learned—and each other—to complete the journey.

Read the story

Free email without sacrificing your privacy

Gmail is free, but you pay with your data. Proton Mail is different.

We don’t scan your messages. We don’t sell your behavior. We don’t follow you across the internet.

Proton Mail gives you full-featured, private email without surveillance or creepy profiling. It’s email that respects your time, your attention, and your boundaries.

Email doesn’t have to cost your privacy.

The world’s oldest candy shop is located in the United Kingdom. Its bestselling sweets are old-school classics.

The Oldest Sweet Shop opened its doors in 1827.

The world’s oldest candy shop is located in the United Kingdom. Its bestselling sweets are old-school classics.

The Oldest Sweet Shop has been in business since 1827.

By Emily Shiffer

Candy lovers are always looking for the next great sweet treat to try and fall in love with. But one of the sweetest surprises is stumbling upon a nostalgic candy they can still enjoy today, one that brings back childhood memories.

And that’s exactly what is sold at the world’s oldest candy shop, The Oldest Sweet Shop. Located in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, the candy store opened in 1827 and has been continuously in business ever since.

The building it’s housed in was built in 1661. The candy store proudly boasts that it has kept its doors open through two world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner Ben Howie showed off the shop’s extensive candy collection, including its bestsellers.

Read the story

Proof that music (and people) find a way.

Instagram post
Why does catnip make cats ‘high’? Oddly enough, it’s probably because of mosquitoes.

Cats on catnip seem like they're on drugs.

Why does catnip make cats ‘high’? Oddly enough, it’s probably because of mosquitoes.

Scientists have found even big cats go bonkers for the stuff.

By Annie Reneau

If you want to see a cat behave like it’s on drugs, give them a bit of nepeta cataria, better known as catnip. Dried or fresh, the catnip leaf has a clear effect on most cats, making them behave like they are “high.”

But why? What is it about the catnip plant that creates this reaction? And what, if any, purpose does the plant serve for our feline friends beyond euphoria?

Read the story
Dad’s ‘Amazon product review’ of his newborn baby is parody perfection

Jordan's "product review" of his baby on TikTok has people rolling.

Dad’s ‘Amazon product review’ of his newborn baby is parody perfection

“4.5 stars. Accidentally got the extra gassy mode.”

By Annie Reneau

Amazon product reviews have become a staple for many content creators as they piece together ways to make money with their social media channels. Product in hand, they talk to the camera, addressing other Amazon shoppers to inform them of their experiences with something they got from the website.

There’s a bit of a formula with those reviews that might not be super noticeable until you see one done in jest, and one dad with a newborn has totally nailed it.

Read the story

Keep Reading