March 2007 Hillside Hotwire

Hillside Hotwire

The

4.07

Volume 8 Issue 5

For and by the students of Foothill High School since 1999

BULLYING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY Pages 10-11

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 2

Mr. Foothill replaces the Bachelor Auction Cat Burns Assistant Editor

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n April 18, a group of Foothill’s finest will be competing in a pageant to determine who is Mr. Foothill.

Prior to the actual event, Student Council will be having “Mr. Week” during lunch. The different categories of “Mr. Week” are Mr. Photogenic, Mr. Betty Crocker, and Mr. Footloose. Whoever wins will receive a prize separate from the actual pageant.

“The point of having “Mr. Week” is to get all the students involved and interested in attending the actual pageant and support Foothill,” says Lacie Saunders.

During the pageant, each contender will have to compete in three categories: spirit wear, talent, formal wear and a personal interview. The way they present themselves overall is a big part of their score. The judges include Principal Gretchen Crehan, the Regional Superintendent, and Katie Cole--Ms. Nevada.

NEWS

Pancake Day raised money IHOP gave earnings to the Children’s Miracle Network Rachel Alger Assistant Editor

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n Tuesday February 20, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) held its annual National Pancake Day to raise money for The Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities, drawing flocks of people by offering a free short stack (three cakes) of their famous buttermilk pancakes from 7:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M. For that last three years, IHOP has been teaming up with a needy organization in order to raise money through donations. This year the lucky organization is the Children’s Miracle Network.

“People donated $752.37 at our location alone,” said IHOP GM Jeremiah Capers, who runs the location at Boulder Hwy. They served 555 short stacks and over one million nationwide. “It was great giving back to the community and nice to see people put the community before themselves.”

Walking in on what may be the company’s biggest day of the year, it was no surprise to see IHOP’s booths and tables

Hillside Highlights

Swim team dominates their competition

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he swim team is paddling their way to greatness. On Saturday, March 10, both teams dominated the competition at the Coach’s Relay Meet, with the boy’s team locking in a third place win and the girls wrapping it up with a first place win by over 100 points from the second place winner. “We have a lot of new swimmers this year,” noted Head Coach Keira Walland, “They’ve definitely been giving 110%!”

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Band receives a superior rating at festival

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oothill High School band students received top honors at the CCSD Concert Band Festival this past weekend.

Superior ratings we’re given to both Intermediate and Advanced Bands. This is the first time in school history that Intermediate has been given honors, and the eighth year for Advanced.

On April 17, the Advanced Band will be performing at the Henderson Pavilion along with Coronado’s and Sierra Vista’s

chockfull of Foothill students.

According to Capers, over 50% of the participants were high school students. “We had a few older people disgruntled over the noise, but for the most part, the students donated money, so for one day, I think they can deal with a little noise.”

Students were also thrilled with the idea of free hot cakes.

“We heard there were free pancakes, so me and a few of my friends decided to go after our band concert that day,” said Samantha Conrad, who ended up going to two separate IHOPs throughout the day. “It was a really fun experience.

It was a nice way to sit back, relax and catch up with my friends,” noted Conrad.

Not all participants had the same majestic experience. “We went about twenty minutes before seven o’clock, but they

cool thing that they should do more often, and it would be nice if they started at 6:00 a.m. That way more students would be able to go before school starts.”

MM MM GOOD Jacob Roland and Tracy Wilson went to IHOP after school on Pancake Day. RachelAlger/TheHotwire

Advanced Bands. Elliot Del Borgo will be guest conducting.

He has published over 400 compositions and conducted in the 1980 Olympics.

High school graduation held at The Orleans

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he 2006-2007 graduating class’ graduation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 13 at 9:00 am at the Orleans Arena. Seniors are expected to arrive at the arena around eight o’clock to prepare for the traditional graduation walk. “I’m really excited to finally graduate and to finally start college life,” claimed senior Stevi Franks.

Graduating seniors are also expected to participate in a mock-

The

Hillside Hotwire

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma DeWees ASSISTANT EDITORS: Cat Burns, Rachel Alger SPORTS EDITOR: Lexie Stone FEATURE EDITOR: Cheslyne Snowden

told us we were too early, so we ended not getting anything,” said Caitlin Perry, who didn’t go back later, but admits the idea behind National Pancake Day was a good one. “I thought it was a really

Staff Writers: Brendt Hulsey COPY EDITORS: Amber Brisoe, Caitlyn Belcher ADVISER: Bill Tobler PRINCIPAL: Gretchen Crehan

walk rehearsal on the last day of the school year, Thursday, June 7.

paid off on time. Student Council has put a lot of organizing and hard work into planning it out.”

This year’s Softball plays in prom is said to St. George tourcome straight nament out of a fairytale oftball girls went to St.

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fairytale spirit drifts over Foothill as prom nears on April 28 at Rhodes Ranch.

Tickets are $35 for singles or $70 for couples.

“The theme is ‘Once Upon a Time,’ or a princess/prince type theme,” said junior class president Jessica Swapp. “We’ve been planning the dance since before school even ended last year. We had to find a place and make a down payment before summer so we’d have the place reserved and

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George for a tournament on March 10-11. Their final record for the weekend was 2-3. The tournament is basically to get the team working together again and to size up any competition.

“We were really excited about the tournament this year because last year it was snowed out,” said Megan Martinez. “We ended up turning around, driving to Mesquite, and eating McDonald’s instead last year. We always joke about that.”

POLICY The opinions expressed in the Hillside Hotwire are the author’s and do not represent the opinions of the administration, faculty, staff or students of Foothill High School.

Letters to the editor should be signed and sent to: The Hillside Hotwire, 800 College Drive, Henderson, NV 89015 Letters may also be dropped off at the Hillside Hotwire office in room 741. Home Delivery of the Hillside Hotwire is available at a prepaid cost of $20 per year. Issues are mailed monthly upon publication.

The staff reserves the right to reject any advertisement deemed inappropriate. Letters to the editor may be edited for content and brevity.

3.07

NEWS

Homework outlawed Some CA schools ban after-school work Brendt Hulsey Photographer

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handful of elementary schools in California have started banning homework after learning that many students have resorted to substance abuse and cheating as a means of dealing with stress.

Oak Knoll Elementary in San Francisco has enforced a new homework policy in which the only homework is work and special projects. Other schools in San Francisco and San Jose are also considering adopting a similar policy.

The principal of Oak Knoll Elementary, David Ackerman, says that first graders spend six hours a day doing work at school and should not have more when they go home.

For the past 20 years, teachers have been pressured to raise academic performance, standardized test scores and literacy rates. However, both school staff and the parents of students alike are now questioning the value of burdening children with massive amounts of homework.

A study from the University of Missouri found that homework benefited high school students immensely, and middle school

students marginally. However, the study found that homework had no effect on elementary students at all.

Proponents of homework argue that it teaches students the value of time management, responsibility and skills for college-bound students.

Opponents claim that homework steals time children need to play or develop socially. Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University may have found a compromise.

Thus far, most teachers at Foothill have their own methods for handling homework.

“It doesn’t get done,” said Foothill’s Sheila Rappel. “The homework that is completed is usually copied. The majority of

my students don’t benefit from homework because they simply don’t do it, and it’s impossible to monitor my 150 students at home,” she added. “I do give homework, but it’s only worth ten percent of a student’s overall grade.”

“Banning homework would be completely ridiculous,” said Alec Garcia. “College-bound students would be set up for failure when they graduate.” Curtis Simmons agreed. “As much as I hate doing it, I do benefit from homework. I guess it’s one of those necessary evils.”

Whether or not the duration of homework will be decided on, all educators agree that parents need to show more interest in their children’s education.

CLASSWORK Some question whether work should be kept in the classroom. BrendtHulsey/ TheHotwire

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AVID hearts donated to A.H.A

Mrs. Moss’ classess raised about $350 for heart disease research

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Amber Briscoe Copy Editor

oothill held its first American Heart Association project in February to raise money for people with heart disease. The contest ran February 12-13.

During that time, Mrs. Chelsea Moss and her Avid students sold 1400 hearts and cupids, raising $350. Moss had her students make the cutouts and buy candies to attach to them so students would be more likely to participate. “I actually had a lot of fun making them,” said Anna Ureno. “It was worth the trouble.” All of the hearts and candy were purchased with avid money, so all of the profit could go directly to the Heart Association “The kids had a lot of fun making everything,” said Moss. “It’s really nice to do things that help out other people. It just makes a person feel good.”

To get more students involved, the project was made into a contest. Students would

purchase little pink hearts or a cupid coloring sheet for 25 cents.

When a student bought a heart or cupid, the student would then take it to their favorite teacher. The teacher who had the most hearts at the end of the contest won a gift certificate to a restaurant, and all of their students won a Valentine’s Day gift bag. Heather Arandas bought about 30 hearts to help contribute to the association.

“The gift bags were actually pretty cool,” said Aradas. “The bags were filled with candies, pencils and heart tattoos. It wasn’t anything big, but I would defiantly do it again.”

Mrs. Carrie Fleming won the contest with 169 hearts and cupids.

“I was actually really flattered to have won,” said Fleming. “Plus, I won a Red Lobster gift certificate for $25.”

While the contest did raise a lot of money, Mrs. Moss plans to hold the contest longer next year to raise more money. “The contest did end up being a big success,” said Moss. “We plan to do it again next year, and I have big expectations for it.”

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FEATURE

3.07

Lied Animal Shelter shuts down

Shelter confirmed that over 1,000 cats and dogs have been euthanized Amber Briscoe Copy Editor

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or the past month, the Humane Society has been reviewing and analyzing the operation at the Lied Animal Shelter.

They have confirmed that the shelter has euthanized more than 1,000 dogs and cats since the outbreak began. They also confirmed that there are going to be new policies in place with the help of their new director, and they will work on eliminating overcrowding problems so ‘mass euthanization’ won’t happen again. “What they said is we’re running this shelter out of kindness, and as a result we have too many animals. When you have too many animals you stress them, and they’re more susceptible to disease,” said Mark Fierro from the Animal Foundation in a News 3 interview. The spread of diseases in animal shelters is very easy, especially when there are two to three animals in a single cage. It’s hard for workers to separate cats and dogs with such little space available,

so contagious illnesses are more likely to spread. The viruses found at the Lied animal shelter were the Parvo virus, which is transmitted through fecal contamination, and

chance of infection. It takes about three to seven days to spot the symptoms of the diseases. By the time most people notice, that dog could have infected many others.

twitching and seizures. “If you’ve recently adopted a dog from a shelter, a pet store or private owner,” said Dr. Debbie White with the Lone Mountain Animal

no matter where you get your pet from, always remember to get it vaccinated to be sure that it is carrying nothing contagious.

Lied has already re-opened its adoption center and hopes that no more animals are infected. “My advice to people would be to go get your pet spayed or neutered.

I think most of the problem is that because they are not fixed, there are too many babies and not enough people to take care of them,” said Dr. Vandervaughlt from the animal hospital on Boulder highway. “I understand that people want to see their pet give birth and raise their young.

But who’s going to raise it after you?” Getting your pet neutered or spayed is very important when 192,308 pets are euthanized daily in the US. Every day, about 9,960 children are born. Due to not fixing your pet, about 70,000 puppies and kittens are born as well. That’s about 7 pets per child. “Instead of looking for a cute kitten or puppy,” said Dr. Vandervaughlt. “Give those older animals a chance.”

Distemper which is spread by air and body secretions. Since dogs are so close to each other in kennels, there is almost a certain

The symptoms to look out for are vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, kennel cough, discharge from eyes and nose, fever, muscle

Hospital, “you want to be on the watch for any type of signs that develop within the first 10 to 14 days.” Dr. White also advised that

ABANDONED Most shelter animals are forced to live in tight spaces in captivity. Rachel Alger/TheHotwire

High school break-ups impact student’s lives With break-ups happening every which way, students lose sleep and focus less in school Lexie Stone Sports Editor

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text message buzzes during class. She looks at her phone and reads, “We need to talk. Meet me after class.”

Her stomach drops. As she walks toward her boyfriend, she sweats with anxiety. “It’s over,” he says.

“I like someone else, your best friend.” Who knew that those little words could hurt someone so much?

Parent’s always talk about how high school kids have nothing to worry about when it comes to relationships because it’s just high school, right? No. “I love you” is probably one of the biggest causes of high school break ups.

Jealousy and obsessing over your boyfriend or girlfriend is another reason why the word “love” is supposed to be meaningful, but it’s often thrown around a lot more than it should be. Couples sometimes say it within the first week of dating. How can you love someone you just met? “I think when you say ‘I love you,’ it makes the commitment to each other stronger,” said Lauren Douglas. “You then get more attached, which causes more fights.”

Fights can make “going on a break” an everyday thing. It’s not

only emotionally painful, but it’s physically exhausting as well.

“Boys are stressful,” said Lauren Douglas. “But it’s ridiculous to put them in front of you.” Loss of appetite because they’re too upset to eat, not being able to sleep well because they’re worried about getting back together, and not being able to concentrate during classes which cause grades to slip, are just some of the effects a break up can cause. Some high school students may have entered into a sexual relationship which causes more stress.

Jealously is caused by “I love you” too soon, or when a girl’s boyfriend receives text messages from other girls or talks to other girls, especially to an exgirlfriend. After an argument however, most girls just wish they would have just kept it to themselves. Look where it’s got them. A tear drop rolls down her face, and she tries to win him back. It was too much for him to handle. She doesn’t know what she can do to fix it. She’s just lost the “love of her life.” Now some other girl has come into the picture. She feels betrayed and unwanted. If she hadn’t been so clingy, maybe things would have turned out differently.

Couples become too clingy and dive into their relationship without really getting to know each other.

Intimate couples tend to be overprotective of each other and get worked up over the tiniest problems.

“It causes you to become clingy, which usually ends up with a break up,” said one senior.

As she walks away, she throws her half-eaten bag of chips away, since she’s not hungry any more, and gets into her car. Little does he know what he’s just done to her. Not only will she continue to cry for the next week, worry about whether he’ll come back to her, but now her heart is in two. Her life, as she knows it, is now a mess and she doesn’t know how to fix it. Why did she give herself up to him? Did she really love him? All she knows is that everything was just thrown away, and that he doesn’t seem to even care.

In fact, he’s already got a new girl in his five. Was it her fault, his fault or just lack of communication?

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME High school relationships usually don’t end the way we would like. LexieStone/ TheHotwire

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Commentary

Should school teachers be armed?

So many school shootings prompt teachers to carry guns in classrooms Amber Briscoe Copy Editor

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e hear about school shootings all the time.

How that lonely kid who always got made fun of, and who was forced to eat in the bathroom everyday at lunch, just finally snapped.

Maybe it was the kid who just wanted revenge for something that should have been forgiven but never was.

So how do people plan to prevent school shootings? Sure, we have councilors and strict regulations and punishments for students who are found concealing a weapon.

So what about when the student actually plans on doing something with the weapon and doesn’t tell anyone? What if they’re not just bringing it for show and tell with their friends because they really don’t have any? There is no way to tell for sure who is armed unless the school district makes students walk through metal detectors before they step on campus, which is a much better idea than what a Wisconsin state senator had in mind for “safety.” School shootings in Wisconsin prompted state senator Frank Lasee to introduce a bill that would give teachers the right to bear arms in

the classroom.

“That is way too far,” said Sydney Hernandez. “I would never come to school if that was true. I don’t understand why they would trust all those teachers.

They’re just people like everyone else. Just because they’re a teacher doesn’t make them a good person.”

The same could be said for anyone from priests to policemen.

Just because they work in a trusted position of authority doesn’t mean they can all be trusted.

Weapons should not be allowed on a school campus ever. Even if all teachers could be trusted, what makes people think that students wouldn’t think it would be funny to steal these weapons? “I know a lot of people who aren’t too bright,” said Kristina Young, “and I could definitely name off a few who would think it a challenge to try to take the gun.” This idea poses too many problems and risks. Lasee plans to introduce the bill to legislation early next year. According to Lasee, this method has been very effective in countries such as Israel and Thailand. Fortunately, the U.S., Middle East, and Asia are very different. We don’t have to worry about people trying to bomb us every day. We also don’t have to worry about people training

children to be terrorists who pose as students to shoot up schools.

Another one of the many issues is that teachers would be required to take special training so they

may handle the guns. “I don’t like the idea of teachers having guns,” said Mrs. Karen Murphy. “I think it’s a very bad idea. You just can’t trust people anymore, and it’s

FOR YOUR SECURITY Some are questioning if teachers will be safer if they carry a gun in classrooms.

AmberBriscoe/TheHotwire

too much work to put teachers through all that training. Who’s going to pay to put all the current teachers through their training anyway?”

Schools are already strapped for money. They barely have enough to pay teachers let alone run them through weapons training courses.

“I really believe that if that were to happen, then teachers should be paid more for the amount of work we do,” said Mr. Roger Harris. “Teachers nowadays don’t just teach. We practically baby sit, tutor and deal with all sorts of other non-educational related subjects. Now we have to be policemen? I would much rather just have metal detectors.”

That could also pose a problem.

Adults and minors throw fits over many things, especially when it comes to invasion of privacy.

Metal detectors would be yet another violation. Even with the security system at the airports, no one seems to understand that it is for their safety. “I’m happy that America has such tight security.

I actually wouldn’t mind walking through metal detectors every day because I would know that I’m completely safe,” said Brittany Akre. “And I’d rather have to do that every morning than have a teacher be in control of the outcome of my life.”

Boys run around with a new girl every week Foothill boys always try to use their “game” on unsuspecting, innocent high school girls

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Kristina Smith Staff reporter

Man, I got more game than the NBA baby,” brags one junior. At some point in a guy’s life, he comes to the outrageous conclusion that their cheesy and meaningless pick up lines will always get them the girl of their choice. Guys refer to this “gift” they have toward women as “game.” Whether they are telling you that you are an angel from God, or quoting the classic line,

“Baby, do you hear sirens…,” they believe they are masters at the game when it comes to talking to the ladies.

You would never see a girl telling her boyfriend, “Baby, close your eyes. You are blinding me with your baby blues,” as she’s pushing back his hair. No. That would involve her making a complete fool of herself. Thanks to one student, that line in fact has been used. He follows up with, “The pimpin’ life isn’t easy.” So all of a sudden it’s become difficult

to act pathetic? Sorry guys, but players are pathetic. What you do to women goes beyond harshness, and your actions are extremely inconsiderate. So I guess having a different girl for every day of the week means you have mad game, and you are a “God” when it comes to being a player. Wow. Sounds like a great accomplishment to me. But wait, if a girl were to commit the same actions guys do, they would be looked at as trash, right? They would be just another girl you would spit your ignorant

game to. The reason you don’t see many girls acting the way you all do is because of a simple word known as class. Guys who live up to the player lifestyle are so egotistical and naive that they believe they will be no one unless they are dating everyone.

Once you have made your rounds with women, you now think you are worthy to be called a pimp, player or a God. In other words, you are now worthy to be called a jerk, liar and cheater, also known as, pimp. You appear to be single to everyone, but in reality you are rarely single. If using bogus sweet talk on every girl makes you a player, then ok, you’re a player. But you do not have game. You do not have skill. And you are fooling no one; no one but yourself that is. So there’s really no obvious point in your act. Is it to make girls laugh? Or is it to make us never consider you for dating in the future?

Most girls want a guy who is honest, respectful and faithful. Based on a player’s lifestyle and your choice of actions, three things you could offer a girl are lies, cheating and sweet talk. It makes sense

why players must jump from girl to girl, because once your girls find out about each other, they leave you in a second, leaving you alone to stand in shame.

How do you expect to keep your relationships on the side a secret when the hot talk of the locker room is you bragging about how you got together with a new girl and then dumped her over the weekend.

Seriously, if you think you’re a player, get over yourself. Realize you look ridiculous to most girls.

Stick to one girl. It’s cleaner and safer that way. And don’t think you are cool because you call every girl “baby.” You are shallow. Get realistic and get a new hobby, because the “player life” is old news and will never get you where you want to be in life with a girl. The sooner you guys realize you aren’t fooling anyone, or getting any more ahead than the next guy, you will be better off. So there it is. The great life of a player is actually pretty lame.

DISCLAIMER Tommy Chastain wants to make it clear that he is in no way a player, but took this picture for journalistic purposes. He is still single and looking.

CaitlynBelcher/TheHotwire

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Life

An unhealthy image The media talks up a size zero waist

Though Jessica may have a killer body and beauty and charm to go along with it, she is not perfect. It too has been said she was once a here are three billion victim of anorexia. women who don’t look Models are not perfect. What like supermodels, and many don’t realize is that models only eight who do. If Barbie were in magazines are airbrushed. a real woman, she would have No one looks that good without to walk on all fours due to her a little help. Yet there are third proportions. If mannequins were graders striving to look like their real women, they would be too latest idol-teen-pop-star, ten-yearthin to have babies. So why are so olds who already are “afraid of many women striving to look like being fat,” and girls under the age their latest role model celebrity? of sixteen who don’t feel good Size zero and smaller, the goal for about themselves unless they are many teen girls who can never on a diet. “When S-Club 7 was be satisfied with their bodies, is a big hit, my nine-year-old sister becoming close to impossible went through a phase where she to reach while still maintaining wouldn’t eat and always had to a healthy body. Most celebrities dress sexy. She wanted to be just who keep up their slim figures like them,” said Amy Greene. give credit to their trainers and Anorexia nervosa and bulimia strict diets. Sometimes it’s said, rates are skyrocketing. These if you don’t have the Paris Hilton diseases affect nearly ten million figure, which would mean you women and one million men in were 5’11 and 117 lbs., you may the United States. Unfortunately, be overweight. there isn’t an over-the-counter Take a look at a Cosmo. What’s drug that will stop or prevent usually on the cover? Breaking anorexia or bulimia. The trouble news of yet another celebrity with these diseases is that you with an eating disorder. Whether have to realize that what you are they’re struggling with anorexia doing is harmful to your body and or bulimia, it’s not long before health. Due to the seriousness of the secrets behind their sexy these diseases, teens should be bodies are revealed. As cautious about wanting girls sit in awe, they’re to “kill to have that now finding it harder body.” Sometimes you to be happy with them do KILL for the perfect selves with every new body. Many in fact have page they flip. “If I’m died because they had the having trouble deciding perfect body. The cure is what to wear for a date, in one’s self. Only you I’ll look in a magazine can save your life. for ideas. When I’m Whether you are fat finished, I rarely still or thin, you will always want to go out because I be you. I will always feel overweight,” admits be Kristina Smith, and Heather Moore.

Britney Spears will Mary Kate Olsen always be Britney struggled with anorexia Spears. No matter how for eight months. She I dress, or how I much was 5’2” and weighed 89 weight I lose, I will lbs. Anyone is correct to never be her. Not that assume her weight was I would ever strive to unhealthy.

However, be her, but remember, when she walks down body weight and hair the red carpet, she is color doesn’t make a still seen as a role model person who they are. even though her bones No one is perfect. There are peaking through are thousands of flaws her skin. Why is she within every person. so beautiful if it’s clear Only you can decide she is unhealthy? The what you will consider a answer is fame. It’s okay flaw, and what you will she is unhealthy because consider a blessing. To she is who she is. Sure, one person you could many would like to lose be overweight, but to a few pounds or have another you could be the “model body,” but beautiful. Don’t change what may start out as a who you are in hope of simple diet can quickly becoming someone else. turn serious, and it can You will be let down. I’m even lead to death. “My sure most would rather mom and I started a diet be a little overweight together last summer, than be hospitalized. and my mom found it Don’t aim for the perfect really hard to end her body; realize it doesn’t diet,” says Brittany. “It exist. Would you rather took her doctor to make be “just like them” or SKINNY HILTON Paris is not a good her quit.” As one’s body healthy? By choosing role model for body image. CourtesyPhoto/ begins to look thinner, TheHotwire healthy, you’ll be happy.

Kristina Smith Staff reporter

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your subconscious will not allow one to see the changes. In your mind, you are still overweight.

Not only is Mary Kate guilty of this. Many celebrities starve themselves to remain popular and employed.

Another option some choose in order to stay thin is continuing to eat, but refusing to keep their food down, which is another serious disease known as bulimia.

Model Victoria Beckham weighed 98 lbs. and was 5’6.” It later was announced she too had been a victim of bulimia. Many celebrities are hospitalized due to their sexy figures because some just don’t know when to call it quits. They think they never look perfect, but most women continue to set their goals to perfection, not taking into consideration what it’s costing them in the end.

The average American woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 pounds.

The average model is 5’11” and weighs 117 lbs. Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women. Women who see these models begin to feel more and more depressed with their own appearance. “I idolize Jessica Alba. She has the perfect body,” says Christine Jillian.

3.07

Geeksta rap becomes popular in music scene

Satirist Weird Al Yankovich begins a new music category for white men who can’t rap Cheslyne Snowden

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Feature Editor

t all started with a “hip hop, a hippy to the hip hip hop and you don’t stop,” and it’s been steadily rising since then. Sugar Hill started it, and young stars of today continue to revolutionize it. Hip Hop is its name, and the spoken word is their game.

The hip hop industry has made leaps and bounds, from mash ups like Aerosmith and Run DMC to Jay Z and Linkin Park, to Vanilla Ice and Eminem. Hip Hop has changed so much throughout the last twenty years. From its rocky start and bad reputation, it’s beginning to take over mainstream America as we know it.

Sugar Hill and the Gang started it with one song, “Rappers Delight,” and hip hop has not only a form of expression, but has become an intricate part of society. From Yo MTV Raps to BET and the black film industry, it has shaped the minority community. Hip Hop has traveled everywhere. And now it’s crossed into nerdome. Pharrel Williams made his leap into Hip Hop by producing with his group N.E.R.D. He isn’t the only one.

There are many geeky rap stars, who affiliate themselves with the movement called nerdcore Hip Hop. The basis of nerdcore is much

like normal hip hop; the difference is that they don’t make reference to Hummers and million dollar homes. They talk about computers and databases, things only a nerd would understand.

The nerd that started it all was Weird Al Yankovich. With two decades of experience, he had definitely honed his nerdcore craft. With songs like, “Amish Paradise” making fun of Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise” or his more recent “White and Nerdy,” which makes fun of Chamillionare’s “Ridin’ Dirty,” Weird Al makes being a nerd look good.

Nerdcore is breaking ground; they are letting people in on how hard it is to be a nerd/geek. One can blame the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Artists like MC Chris writes about being a geek in his song “Geek,” “They dissipate the pungent odor of a power holder. Sand kickers comin’ sixty clicks upon the sonar. They’re gonna fold me over like a trapper keeper folder. If this was D&D, you’d see me jump into a portal.

I’m a geek, spelled G double E K.” That’s a sample lyric from a hilarious song brimming over with geek references.

G IS FOR GREEBLE Little Pie, Sir Calculator, M.C. Donald and Masta G get their geeksta rap on. KevinOrtiz/ TheHotwire

3.07

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 7

Commentary

A look at sororities and fraternities Why it’s a good idea to join one of these organizations during college Cat Burns Assistant Editor

O

ne of our local fraternities at UNLV, Sigma Phi Epsilon, takes pride in the fact that they are constantly helping out our community.

Once a year, they transform their chapter into a haunted house free to the children of Clark County.

They also have hosted blood drives for over five years now because of the shortage of blood in Nevada. One of their most recent events was participating in the first annual Reno American Lung Association Blow the Whistle on Asthma Walk which raised over $1000 for Asthma. Altogether the Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers have put in 1,776 man hours.

But based on the portrayal of sororities and fraternities in movies such as Animal House and television such as MTV’s “Sorority Life,” it would be a surprise that a parent sending their child off to college for the first time may send them with a big anti-Greek Message: Don’t join up with one of those organizations. Based on the recent media, you can’t blame parents for being worried.

To all you juniors and seniors, but mostly seniors who are quickly approaching the end of one book and the beginning of another and deciding what you want to do with the rest of your grown-up lives, listen up and look closely to what you are about to

read because it may change your whole outlook on college life and your decisions as an incoming college freshmen.

Fraternities and sororities give you a place to make real friends.

“In college I want to make lots of friends who will be there for me forever,” says Cole Erskine, “and I know that joining a fraternity will help the transition from high school to college that much smoother.” There’s an old criticism of fraternities and sororities that says they’re nothing more than a way for someone to pay to have friends.

While Greek organizations usually do require members to pay dues, you most certainly are not paying to have friends. In these groups, you make friends based on your personality and interests, like you would anywhere else. In an especially large organization, there’s no guarantee that you will get along with everyone anyway.

Joining a fraternity or sorority gives you the opportunity to meet people, and once you’ve established your friends, it gives you common ground and a chance to make some great memories in college.

Along with making great, long lasting friendships, you also will learn great responsibility. “I have always thought that fraternities and sororities were just a party house,” says Anna Ureno “but after a little research I realized they actually are not that bad and I would consider joining

one.” Contrary to what National Lampoon’s would have you believe, life in a Greek house is not a 24/7 party. Concentrating on the party scene ignores the sevice experiences that Greeks gain. Through their national organizations, the Inter-Fraternal Council and the Inter-Sorority Council members traditionally have had designated charities, for which they hold fundraising events during the spring. “Many don’t realize the great effect that these Greek organizations have on people ethically,” says Rhea Conlu, “I think it’s great to see a sorority volunteering at the soup kitchen. It shows they do have morals after all.” Most organizations are involved in community service and volunteer at many local avenues near and far from the school. These

students take their education just as seriously as everyone else, in many cases more so, because of their involvement with the school.

Some organizations even require a certain GPA for a membership or pledge.

Most fraternities and sororities have a philanthropy as well, and will spend many hours during the school year raising money and awareness for it. Members will find time for having fun, but they also will be getting a good education in life skills along the way.

One of the greatest reasons to join one of these groups is also to make great connections. Alumni of fraternities and sororities usually keep strong connections with their organizations after graduation, sending monetary donations and coming back for

reunions to say hi to old friends and meet new members. If you are looking to get into a certain profession after graduation, knowing one of your predecessors in that area can be a big help in finding a career. Alumni can give you connections, references, and even the scoop on a good entrylevel position. You will not be able to get a great job on your connections alone, but it always helps to have someone on the inside giving you a hand up.

ALPHA, OMEGA, DELTA, ETC In the future, fraternity and sorority houses may be the right answer for graduating seniors leaving home for the first time.

CourtesyPhoto/TheHotwire

A new high school promises to be a safe haven In order for teens to feel comfortable with their homosexuality, HMHS might be the answer Cait Belcher

“

Copy Editor

Being gay is a sin,” says one student. “Marriage should be between men and women only. They’re going against God and are profaners of love. They’re a disappointment to the rest of society.”

Pretend you’re gay and that you hear that kind of comment numerous times daily. Remarks like this that make homosexual students want to attend Harvey Milk High School in New York.

HMHS was created in 1985 as an alternative program and named after San Francisco’s first openly gay city adviser, who was killed in 1978 for his sexuality. It opened as a full-fledged high school in 2003 and is now financed and managed by Hetrick-Martin Institute. It’s said to be a place for students to learn academically without being ridiculed for their sexuality. It could be the answer for troubled homosexual teens who find attending public school impossible due to threats, violence

and harassment.

It sounds almost too good to be true. And in fact, it is. True, Harvey provides students a safer environment in which to learn, an opportunity to relate to peers with similar lifestyles, and a higher graduating rate than most public high schools. But is it really necessary to seclude teens because of their sexuality? And are things really that bad in public schools?

“Is there a different way to teach homosexuals? Is there gay math?” says State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long according to CNN.com. “There’s no reason these children should be treated separately.”

Even if more schools like HMHS were available across the country, would homosexual students take advantage and attend these schools?

“People judge me every day based on my sexuality, but I wouldn’t go to Harvey Milk if I had the opportunity,” says one student. “I personally think it’s a bad idea. You should learn to deal with people rather than run away

from them. I like the diversity that public schools offer anyway. I’d be sick of being surrounded by the same type of people 24/7.”

It’s a hypocritical situation.

Gays isolate themselves because of society’s prejudice, and yet by isolating themselves, they’re vulnerable to being labeled as discriminating against heterosexuals. They won’t be isolated from society’s criticism

forever. They won’t go to an allgay college. There are no all-gay jobs. Students who attend Harvey Milk won’t know who to deal with people’s crude remarks if they’re constantly running away from confrontation.

If we make a school for gay people only, we might as well make schools for the handicapped, for people who have red hair, for kids who play sports. There

is no difference in the teaching curriculum, no difference in teaching gays. It’s a temporary solution for a permanent problem.

HERE TO STAY Students from the first homosexual school in the U.S., HMHS, stand proud in the heart of San Francisco. CourtesyPhoto/ TheHotwire

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 8

Editorial

3.07

A letter to students from a student F ellow classmates: One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.

We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest. –Maya Angelou Most of you are probably like me—you never do anything wrong. Only those around you are guilty. But unless you haven’t walked by a so-called “nerd” after he has stumbled in public…again, and refused to offer a helping hand because your pride was holding on too hard; unless you haven’t taken advantage of a dedicated student while “borrowing” their homework, which they spent hours on; unless you haven’t put someone’s reputation in jeopardy because your mouth moved so fast that your conscience wasn’t able to catch up; unless you haven’t snickered at the boy who sits in front of you because his clothes weren’t up to your pathetic standards, unless you haven’t blown off a teacher who has put your education as their top priority in order to help you prosper; unless you haven’t

walked around school like only your feelings matter, only your clothes are acceptable, only your biceps are adequate, only your brain is smart enough and it is only you who was handed the short end of the stick—then I am quite certain you are as guilty as I am. That being said, I am sorry.

To the boy who sits alone at the lunch table, I am sorry. I swear the thought of sitting next to you crossed my mind, but so did the thought of what other people would think of me—so I selfishly reconsidered. If anything, I owe it to you. I remember this one time when I was walking to class with my friends when my backpack broke and papers went everywhere. Not only did my friends smugly continue on their way to class, but they trampled a few pages of my homework on the way. But you didn’t. Without a word you bent down and proceeded to pick up my work. I couldn’t get over my stupid self for five seconds to show you my gratitude. I didn’t even say thank you. And I will never forget the feeling of guilt I felt afterwards as I pathetically got up and walked away, leaving you behind as you

sat there, not the least bit phased, because you expected it. I want you to know that everyone in high school at some point wishes they were you. If we knew we wouldn’t have a group of friends to surround ourselves with at lunch, we would avoid eating during school hours altogether. If only we had your courage.

To the girl that starts rumors about others which only mirror her own problems, I am sorry.

I am sorry that insecurity has brought you to the point where you need to make sure everyone else is just as self-conscience as you are. I’m not quite sure you realize that when you have a class of over 300 students believing something that is untrue or exaggerated about another student, the person of whom the rumor is about starts to believe it is true. I am even sorrier that you have even made me believe them. Last year you told everyone that the girl who sits behind me in math had an eating disorder, and trust me, if she didn’t then, I guarantee she has one now. I find it interesting that you of all people are known for spreading rumors, considering that many of

which I hear are about you. You must know more than anyone what it feels like to be stared at through the corner of people’s eye. I can only imagine what it is like to walk down the halls and hear snickers as you pass. It is no wonder you are tempted to say or do whatever possible to take the attention off of you. It’s too bad you can’t find a way to do that without humiliating other students and without making yourself look even weaker than before.

To the one who pays more attention than the rest of us in class, I am sorry. I wish I took school as seriously as you do.

People say that high school is the best four years of your life.

I wouldn’t know—I’m still grounded after the teacher called my parents when they caught me cheating. At some point, it just hits you and you realize that the four years are up and your future options have narrowed. I’m sorry that my irresponsibility has led my friends and me to laugh at you in class when you know every answer. In all honesty, I’m jealous—and quite frankly, impressed. I could never say that out loud though. There have

probably been numerous occasions when you wished my friends and I would quit whispering while the teacher was trying to lecture, because it was distracting you from learning. I have no right to take that opportunity from you.

I’m sure you have been waiting for me to get a grip, but, hey, you always did catch on to things a little quicker. Now that I realize that the only option I have left is community college, I’m beginning to wish I wouldn’t have taken my free education for granted.

To the student whose parents make more money than the rest of us, I am sorry. I saw you pull up in your Lexus the other day, and no, that does not make you better than the rest of us—despite what you may think. I know you think you look cute in your Abercrombie get-up, but was it really necessary for you to poke fun at that boy in P.E. the other day—just because his tennis shoes were old? So what if he doesn’t have money lying around that will buy him a pair of brand new Nikes. Rumor has it that he heads

See Editorial Continued on page 13

3.07

Rising cleverly ends series

The story line pulls in the audience Amber Briscoe Copy Editor

H

annibal Rising is a great beginning to the suspenseful Lector trilogy.

In Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs we learned who he was and how he did it. Now, in this chilling chapter of young Hannibal’s life, we learn the answer to the most exclusive question of all-why?

The story begins at the end of World War II in Eastern Europe when Hannibal is only eight years old. At this time in the gruesome war, it is no longer a quest for victory but a quest to live. The Lectors flee their beautiful castle to a cabin far in the woods in an attempt to seek refugee from the war. Some time shortly after, a tank explosion kills Hannibal’s parents leaving his little sister, Mischa, in his care. They survive until an intrusion of six Nazi soldiers come to take over the Lecter cabin. With the weather growing colder and no more food, young Hannibal must watch only feet away as his little sister is ripped from his arms and cannibalized before him.

Completely alone without any support, he is forced to live in the orphanage that once served as the Lector’s beautiful home.

Not able to handle his nightmares of Mischa and the staff’s lack of understanding, he flees to France only to find his uncle is deceased and is left in the care of his mysterious yet caring aunt, Lady Murasaki. While in France, Hannibal flourishes as a medical student, dividing his time between studying his work and seeking revenge on those who killed his little sister.

This film, while having excellent suspense and character, had an even better story line. When you witness what happens to Hannibal as a child and what he is haunted with for his entire life, a strange sense of understanding comes to place. This movie worked perfectly to tie the knot with the other Lector trilogies.

Grade: B+

REVIEWS

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 9

Not your average fairytale

Pan’s Labyrinth perfectly melds together separate genres Rachel Alger Assistant Editor

P

that she will understand later why she married the captain.

Lost and alone in her new home, Ofelia is once again greeted by the bug from the forest, which amazingly transformed itself into a fairy who beckons her to follow it into the forest where it leads her into the labyrinth. There she meets the Faun that tells her of her royal past and that she can once again become the princess if she finishes the three tasks that are given to her in the Book of Crossroads.

The tasks she is asked to

an’s Labyrinth isn’t your average fairytale. There’s no handsome prince, MIA glass slippers or magical castle that will be reconstructed in a Disneyland theme park.

There is, however a young girl named Ofelia (played by 12year-old Spanish newcomer Ivana Baquero), who is not only the reincarnated princess of the underworld but the stepdaughter of a ruthless Spanish Civil War captain.

Pale Man Set in 1944 during the post-Spanish Civil War era, Labyrinth cleverly melds together elements of fantasy and historical fiction into a brilliantlyscripted masterpiece, although it’s more likely to spark nightmares before sweet dreams.

After the death of her loving father, Ofelia if forced to move across the country with her very pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her new husband Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Along the way Ofelia stumbles along a supernatural bug that would later lead her to her past.

Her new father’s ice cold complete aren’t anything less than manner not only startles Ofelia extraordinary. The most terrifying but everyone around him. Vidal being when she is asked to face is ruthless, killing anyone who The Pale Man, a mythological crosses him, and although Ofelia beast that eats children. does not personally witness most Throughout the movie, the of his cruelty, she is well aware of storyline switches back between what goes on in the house. Young the dark world of the labyrinth Ofelia pleads with her mother and the horrors of the civil war, to take her back to the city, but and what’s so charming about her mother declines, telling her the movie is that Ofelia is more

like a young girl than an adult in a child’s body which seems to be the standard in movies with child leads. She is not a Dakota Fanning protégée who acts like she’s 32 instead of 12. She’s by no mean naïve, but she doesn’t act like a full grown like that of Fanning and even The Sixth Sense’s Haley Joel Osment.

Not to be left out of the Labyrinth equation is Mercedes (Maribel Verdú), Vidal’s house maid. Mercedes is the only one in the household that actually

tries to make Ofelia feel at home, and she also is the only one that has enough courage to stand up to Vidal and live to tell the tale.

Unbeknownst to Vidal, Mercedes is an informer, helping the vigilantes from the inside, giving them food, medicine and letting them know what Vidal is aware of.

In one scene, Mercedes’ role as an informer is found out, and while

in the process of being tortured, Mercedes frees herself from her constraints and slices open Vidal’s cheek from the inside out with the very scalpel that he had prepared to violently rip her apart with. Scenes like this constantly remind me of how Verdú was wrongly snubbed by the Oscar academy in not receiving a Best Supporting Actress nod. She steals the screen, and her compassion for Ofelia but absolute hatred for Vidal makes her more than just a one dimensional character that she easily could have been pigeonholed into.

The subtitled movie is one of the most violent I’ve ever witnessed but also completely thrilling.

The violence completely captures the corruption of government war officials and the violence from war vigilantes that truly goes on in times of terror. It has no shortage of gore either. There were many scenes that were so full of blood and pain that I found myself gripping the arm of my chair.

Through all the gore and violence, it also has something that typical horror flicks tend to cut out completely…heart.

You find yourself completely lost in this magical world of mysterious creatures and magical fairies. When Ofelia laughs, we laugh. When she cries, we cry.

The audience truly feels for this lost little girl, and more than anything, they can’t wait to see what turn or twist this magical world will take, or how it makes them like they’re 12 again.

Grade: A+

The Boondocks breaks the cartoon mold Aaron McGruder addresses serious political issues in his daily comic Cheslyne Snowden Feature Editor

H

e’s not the first of his kind nor is he a revolutionary, but his talent is most definitely unquestionable. As evidence, his popular show, The Boondocks, has catapulted his talent into public view. His name is Aaron McGruder, the cartoonist who made The Boondocks comic strip and TV show. And he’s not only waking up an entire nation of sleepy teenagers through his satirical comedic show, he is making them think.

The Boondocks is a satire on everything political and pokes fun at tabloid stories. With snappy one liner’s and controversial subjects, this show is hilarious. It’s like the Dave Chappelle Show, except in cartoon form. It bends a few people the wrong way, and that’s

its main appeal. With an everchanging world, this show is always going to have something to talk about.

Unlike Bill Cosby and his cartoon show Fat Albert, McGruder isn’t only funny, he’s deep. The show is his way of getting out his opinion through Huey and Riley, two ghetto kids forced to live in a suburb.

McGruder raises questions and eyebrows. Everyone says how young America “doesn’t care,” but they do. What this show does is make you think and laugh. It helps one formulate an opinion on America today and what needs to be changed.

With jokes about Saddam Hussein and the racial profiling of Islamic people, it makes the viewer think about how society has shunned them, whether or not they deserve it. They address the preposterousness of TV court

cases like R. Kelly’s rape case and whether or not he did it. Through The Boondocks, McGruder brings to the forefront things that, if they’d been reported on CNN, may not necessarily have made viewers listen. This show sucks you in, makes you laugh, and when the ending credits start to roll, it makes you think about everything that you thought were “just jokes.”

McGruder does what Art Spieglemen, the author of a series of Jewish comics, did for Jews. He gives an outlet for black opinion where it isn’t always welcome, in mainstream media. This show isn’t just trying to appeal to the black community, but to all Americans. This reveals an acceptance beyond common belief; it shows

how everyone is on the same page whether or not we want to acknowledge it. It shows that at the end of the day, it isn’t about race or religion but having a common ground.

TEXTual Harass

M

egan Healy doesn’t often log on to her Myspace account. She’s also a decently private person and doesn’t find the need to spill her every thought on a blog that anyone can access at any point throughout the day. So many of her friends found it strikingly odd when her most private moments were so candidly posted on her profile page.

Her friends had good reason to be suspicious. It wasn’t Healy. Someone had hacked into her online account.

They left no page undefiled. Everything they knew about her (and even some lies) had made it onto the frequently used site. “They were posting bulletins pretending to be me and writing things like, ‘Next time I cut my wrists, I should cut myself a little deeper and end my pathetic waste of a life,’ and, ‘My mother is an alcoholic that beats me so I spend all my time in my room crying to myself,’” remembered Healy. “I was really hurt and annoyed. How pathetic can people be to waste their time making others’ lives miserable.”

Healy went on to find out that it was her own friends who posted the malicious remarks. “I was really upset when I found out. I didn’t expect people I trusted to stab me in the back like that. I haven’t talked to them since, and I still have no desire to.”

Mostly, internet harassment (like Healy’s), is usually someone the victim knows, but sometimes it’s a lot more serious than hurtful gossip.

Sara Peterson was also a victim of online harassment, but not from former friends. A Nazi group tried to recruit her based on her Aryan appearance. “I’ve been getting emails from this organization since last September,” claimed Peterson.

“They would tell me things like, ‘You’re German, the pure race. You shouldn’t have African American friends. If you don’t join us, we’ll come to your house and kill you.” The terrifying messages found their way to her personal email, and they also began sending instant messages to her home computer.

“It’s scary, and I’ve reported it to Myspace. com, and some of them have gotten their accounts deleted, but they haven’t stopped.

You can only do so much.”

Myspace isn’t the only high tech form of harassment. Cell phone text messages are te newest form of electronic harrassment. One student, who wishes to remain unnamed, is no stranger to receiving nasty text messages.

“I’ve gotten a few from an ex-boyfriend. I was driving home from summer school, and he kept sending me these nasty messages calling me raunchy names. I couldn’t take it too seriously though because he kept spelling the words wrong. At least I know how to spell.”

Not everybody is able to brush the remarks and harassment off. In 2006, a $30 million lawsuit was filed against Myspace.com seeking damages against the website for allowing nineteen-year-old Peter Soils to come in with contact a fourteen-year-old girl and later meet her for an intimate get-together.

According to TIME, the girl in question (known simply as Julie Doe), set up an online account in 2005 at the age of 13, although Myspace requires a minimum age of 14. Soils claims the pair began to exchange emails for one month, later swapping phone numbers, and they finally decided to meet in person in May 2006.

Since the initial lawsuit from Doe, Soils is also considering a suit against the site as well, claiming they did not do enough to protect him. His attorney, Adam Resposa, claims, “He’s been, in effect, as much a victim –if not more.

Myspace wasn’t there when they climbed in the [the car]. If meeting on Myspace is enough for her to file, then we can make the same claim.”

Lawsuits aside, the real question still stands; is it possible to protect ourselves with these digital outlets available to everyone at anytime, and if yes, then how?

Healy has an idea. “The only reason people do this is to get a rise out of you. If you learn to not let it bother you, then it will eventually die out like every other fad. Just because other people are stupid, doesn’t mean it has to affect you.”

sment

Photo Illustration by Rachel Alger Cover by Rachel Alger

Rachel Alger Assistant Editor

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3.07

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 13

COMMENTARY

Pro/con: girl, 8, undergoes surgery Ashley X’s parents stop her from hitting puberty to better care for her Rachel Alger Assistant Editor

Pro:

A

ll parents want what’s best for their children, but what happens once a child’s well being is beyond their control? When a child is born with a mental disorder or illness, what route do parents take? How do they decide what is best, not only for their special needs child, but for themselves and other family members as well?

It is not easy raising a family, let alone one that has extraspecial needs. Children are born with mental disorders/diseases that they are told can never be cured, leaving clueless parents mystified about where to go next.

Soon those children will grow into full-sized adults—but their minds will never mature along with them. Most won’t be able to go to college, get married or move away from home, leaving parents to take care of them well

into retirement.

It is hard enough to raise a disabled child, but once they grow into full-sized adult, things only get harder. Their bodies are normal sized, but their minds haven’t grown past that of an infant. Also, the public has a difficult time reacting to 30-yearolds with a mental disorder. Most parents with a disabled child want to take care of them on their own. However, it becomes near impossible when their child is as big or bigger than them. So when a medical journal posted that a family made a conscious decision to stunt their daughter’s growth, a nationwide debate opened up.

In 1997, Ashley X (her parents have not allowed their last name to be published) was diagnosed with static encephalopathy, which is a severe mental disorder that effects the central nervous system. Although she can sleep, breathe and awaken on her own, she is unable to move her head, walk, or talk and is fed through

a feeding tube. At the age of six, she began to show signs of early puberty, which not only frightened her parents but her doctors as well. Children with these mental disorders are usually subjected to precocious puberty, which causes children to grow larger, faster, which in Ashley’s case could easily cause bed sores from immobility.

At these signs, Ashley’s parents decided to take action and contacted Seattle Children’s Hospital to start Ashley on a high dose of estrogen that would stunt her growth. She also had a hysterectomy to prevent menstruation and had her breast buds and appendix removed to avoid the possibility of later infections and body discomfort associated with menstruation and extra body weight and mass.

Her parents have stated that they have done the procedures not only to make it easier for them to care for her but also to prevent future pregnancy, menstruation, the pain

of large breasts (which run in Ashley’s family), breast cancer and appendicitis, which would be hard to diagnose due to the fact that she cannot communicate any symptoms. They also believe she will be less likely to be a victim of sexual abuse with the loss of her secondary sexual characteristics, which are the differences that make up the gender of a person.

It goes without saying that Ashley’s parents have faced an unprecedented amount of scrutiny due to their decisions. They have been called ‘inhumane’ and ‘unethical’ amongst many other slurs, but it is hard to judge them unless you’re put in their specific situation. Think of it as taking care of your pet. If it is in constant pain, do you stand by and watch its health slowly deteriorate? Not usually.

These people have done what they believe is right for their daughter. It is no one else’s business how they choose to care for their very sick little girl. They

Caitlyn Belcher Copy Editor

not only have to think of Ashley, but their two other children and themselves as well.

Yes, their method is unorthodox and extreme, but in the long run, it helps ease the worry of many other potential problems. To anyone who has ever had food poisoning, the flu or an illness that they know they may not recover from knows the constant feeling of illness always lingering over their head.

This little girl’s parents don’t want their daughter to feel this pain. They never want her to go through something that she can’t even fathom. They want to give her the best life they possibly can under the circumstances, and how dare anyone judge them for only wanting the best for their baby girl.

PILLOW ANGEL Young Ashley X suffers from a brain disease called static encephalopathy that affects everything from motor functions to vocal chords. Her parents are trying to stunt her growth so it will be easier for them to move her around since she is incapable of doing it herself.

Con:

CourtesyPhoto/TheHotwire

ictor Frankenstein created his monster in the early 1800s. Using base chemicals to create the skin and bones from charnel houses for the body frame, he stimulated the functions of the human system in it, and the final spark of life was given to this monster in the form of a lightning bolt.

Everyone knows the basics of the novel Frankenstein, but what happens when a child becomes the “Frankenstein” for doctors?

Bedridden 9-year-old Ashley “X” encountered developmental problems shortly after birth. She stopped developing intellectually and mentally at three months.

Her body, however, didn’t.

Doctors have diagnosed her with static encephalopathy, or severe brain damage. The cause is still unknown, and her condition has left her in an infantile state, unable to sit up, talk, walk or roll over.

According to her parents’ internet blog, in 2004, they stunted her growth using high-dose estrogen treatments for two years to keep their “pillow angel” a portable

and manageable size. Ashley is currently 4’5” and 65 pounds, 13 inches shorter and 55 pounds lighter than she’s expected to be as an adult. They claim the reason was to make caring for her an easier task since they are unable to find outside help. What about caregivers? There are people out there who take care of the sick, the disabled, and the old when they are incapable of caring for themselves. They have the proper training and experience to treat Ashley with love and gentleness during the day while her parents go to work.

To make matters even more

controversial, the family also decided to remove Ashley’s breast buds and uterus to prevent potential discomfort from puberty or pregnancy in the event of rape, due to the fact that most disabled children hit puberty a lot sooner than the average teen. “She has no need for developed breasts since she will not breast feed,” say her parents, “and their presence would only be a source of discomfort.”

Development in the disabled is very slow, so deciding to change a child’s body irreversibly when she is only six could amount to a medical form of identity theft.

According to Time, California

resident Ann McDonald felt helpless when her son Phillip was diagnosed the same as Ashley.

However, Phillip eventually could sit up and control a wheelchair.

There’s no way of knowing if Ashley could develop these skills, but there’s still a possibility.

“They flew to the worst-case scenarios,” says McDonald.

“Removing her uterus will not protect her from abuse, but only possible pregnancy. Was there really no better way?”

If her parents decided they want to amputate her legs to make her even more portable, will doctors agree to do it? She has no use for

them anyway so they might as well. Is it really so much harder to hug or cuddle someone who is 5’6”?

“To those who say she has a right to develop and grow,” says Dr. Daniel Gunther to Time, “Ashley has no concept of these things.”

But if rights are inalienable, they exist whether the patient is aware of them or not.

As University of Pennsylvania ethicist Art Caplan said, “Treatment that is not for a patient’s direct benefit only seems wrong. Dealing with a child’s permanent behavior problems is not to put them into permanent childhood. It’s not the right strategy.”

Medicine and surgery’s role is to relieve pain and improve functions. But Ashley was not sick.

If any other person wanted their legs amputated or arms removed, would doctors be as willing to do it as stunting Ashley’s growth?

Should doctors start bending the rules? Ashley’s case was not healing; it was gambling. Only their betting with her life.

Editorial Continued from page 8 day after school for a few hours or so, earning money that you get handed to you so you can buy materialistic things in order to make yourself feel more important.

It’s sad to see the way you raise your chin to those around you who don’t wear name brands. Could it be that maybe you are hoping that

those name brands compensate for a lack of originality that you show at school—because quite frankly, it doesn’t. And I trust if you continue wearing the brands that make you feel as those you are more accepted, that the only brands you give other people are based off their honest qualities— not their attire.

To the jocks, emos, band

members, cheerleaders, homecoming queens, prom kings, partiers, outcasts, goths, punks, preps, bookworms, overachievers, slackers, bullies and class clowns—I am sorry. I am sorry that for the most part, each of you fit into one or more of these categories. Whether you may be the instigator, perpetrator, target or bystander, none of you

are innocent. High school has become a haven for stereotypes and judgments. Thanks to us, it only thrives as each year passes and our “friends” become bigger and less positive influences. Only you can change the way you carry yourself. If you can honestly look in the mirror and say you are proud of everything you’ve said about your peers, than ignore

everything I have said. Otherwise, look yourself in the mirror and say “grow up”—because maybe, just maybe, you eventually will.

Learn that if you truly have a fear of saying hi to someone in the hallways, just remind yourself— what have I truly lost? I’ve said my apologies/ And now, it’s your turn to make a difference.

V

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 14

COMMENTARY

3.07

It is too soon to say, “I love you” High school students are too young to understand real commitment Assistant Editor

each other’s likes and dislikes, let alone enough time to decide they needed to get married…and

’ve never been a fond believer in love at first sight. In fact, I really don’t think it exists.

It’s more likely lust at first sight.

I hated Romeo and Juliet and thought it was a poor excuse for true romance, and it genuinely upsets me that it is known as the greatest love story of all time. Those two so-called love birds knew each other barely long enough to get to know

then there’s the whole premature suicide thing, an ill-fitting end to this supposed great love affair.

I find no reason to tell someone I love them after a few days or weeks, when really I haven’t any idea if I even like them enough to let them see me without make-up painted on my glow-in-the-dark white skin. There is no reason to utter those three words just because it sounds sweet. There’s

Rachel Alger

I

a lot of things that sound sweet and nice, but in the end just do not make any sense. Like telling me that you think my ratty old Converse sneakers look like designer quality. I would know you’re a liar and look at you like you have an arm growing from your forehead.

Telling another person that you love them, when you don’t know the real meaning of the word, only makes that person believe that they actually have a chance to be with you for the rest of your life. When you know they have no chance of even meeting your grandmother that lives in Florida, let alone meeting you at the end of an aisle on your wedding day, why let them think otherwise?

Leading someone on is one of the worst possible things anybody can do, and telling someone you love them when you don’t know if you do is just selfish.

To anyone who’s been dating for three months or less, those words should never escape your lips, unless you’re speaking about your favorite band or a family member or how awesome this week’s teriyaki chicken in the cafeteria was. I do not care how much you think you love this person…it’s just a feeling of

attachment. For most, the feeling will soon dwindle away. There is a major difference between like and love, and at times, it is hard to differentiate between the two. Like is when you just begin dating and can’t seem to get enough. Love is when you’d give your life up to make your better half happy.

Do create this notion in your heads, that my opinion arises because I am a woman scorned or someone who has never been in love and is bitter about it. Neither of these are a fact. The real fact is that I am in a loving relationship and have been for over a year. I did not once tell him that I loved him prematurely, so that I did not take the true meaning of the word away. When I said it, I wanted to know that I meant it without any reservations and I wanted the same from him.

What’s the point of telling someone, “I love you,” when you’re not absolutely positive that you do? As teenagers, most relationships do not last. I’m not trying to target anyone, nor am I trying to be this prissy little red-head that thinks she knows everything the semantics of love, but the harsh fact is that this is true. The average high school

relationship does not last longer than a couple months, so telling someone that you love them only makes the break-up more bitter than it would have been in the first place, not to mention any loveydovey couple is hard to stomach.

Nobody wants to constantly watch a pair swapping salvia and repeatedly saying, “No, I love you more.”

It is also a fact that over 50% of all marriages will flicker out before their one year anniversary mark hits. So really ask yourself, “If married couples don’t seem to know if they’re in love, how do I know if I am?”

In short there’s no possible way to tell if a relationship will work and for how long, it is a situation of giving and compromise between two people and both people need to recognize this. It’s not all smooches and roses, its work. Hard work This isn’t to say that love cannot be achieved in high school. It can, but can’t be rushed. Any relationship should be entered with an extreme amount of caution, and taking the gigantic step of whispering ‘I love you’ should be saved for the right moment, which hopefully isn’t before your one month anniversary.

A scewed version of what is “normal” today With celebrity popularity on the rise, teenagers are getting the wrong impression of themself Caitlyn Belcher Copy Editor

N

ormal is overrated.

Normal is what the world considers ‘average.’

However, ‘average’ by definition is the majority vote or concept.

If this is true, then how do we classify people as average?

People change. And if that’s the case, then the definition of average must change along with the people. And what is ‘average’ but a mere synonym of ‘normal’?

If you asked me a few years ago what I would consider normal, I would have said hanging out with my friends, eating candy, getting sugar highs, dancing carelessly, and writing notes to my friends.

If you were to ask me today if that was still normal, I’d have to say no. Best friends aren’t always around to hang out with; they’re off with their boyfriends or busy working. At this point, girls skip the junk food because the lower the jean size, the better; they don’t need any more calories clinging to their hipbones. A large majority refuses to dance at all.

They haven’t done something “carefree” for… well, longer than they care to remember. As for the note writing, no one writes anything down anymore. Why would you? After all, there’s always that possibility it’ll be used against you.

Normal in 2007 is making a darker, more trend-following, false, media-based, self identity.

What a concept. Boys and girls are dying their hair black or multicolored like it’s the new blonde. Dying your hair for the pure want of changing is fine, but reinventing yourself just to fit-in is mere stupidity. Boys’ clothing is becoming baggier as girls’ clothing is becoming tighter, shorter, and more revealing than ever. The intelligence level is dropping along with determination and ambition. Guys are becoming more uncivilized, immature, unfaithful and impatient. Girls are becoming less confident, rude, two-faced and more ‘loose’ and skankier. People are becoming less of themselves and more of what people want them to be.

Why? Because they’re afraid that maybe that won’t be good enough.

Popular. What a classic word.

Popular kids in high school are just the ones who everyone knows and who get the most attention, whether that’s for a good or bad reason. They’re the ones who can do or wear anything and get away with it, while people on the sidelines wish they had that much confidence. The popular convince other kids they’re not good enough and intimidate everyone around them. So when people wish they were popular, I can’t help but think how smart

the popular boys and girls are. I mean they have to be, right? After all, it takes a lot of brain power to make someone believe they’re unworthy and insecure. Now that’s intelligence.

Today, suicide rates are rising, war is the solution for everything, lying is constant, and people are starving to death. Charity is a thing of the past, money controls us, relationships are harder, and hook-ups and one night stands are more common. Underage drinking is popular, illegal drugs are prevalent, material things are a must, abuse is high, and everyone fends for themselves.

The prevalence in the media of all these destructive behaviors has made teens so jaded that they feel they are only normal if they participate in such lewd and crass behavior. The media influences teens almost more than their parents. I feel this isn’t a misjudgment on parenting skills, but something that is beyond a parent’s control. Most movies and television shows alone show on average 15 sexual or explicit scenes every half hour.

The media provides ‘suggestive’ clothing, attitudes, and lifestyles to the public. Teens assume this behavior is acceptable since society allows it to be plastered all over the place, so they practice what the media preaches. Those who don’t and refuse to conform are often belittled and scorned by

those who do.

Courage is needed. If more people had courage, then maybe we could make a difference, and maybe the world could be a better place to live. This is my way of getting the courage to say things that I feel are true, things that need to be said to give the rest of the world a reality check.

I know many might disagree, possibly because you’re one of those kids who dyes your hair black, or you’re one of those “popular kids” I’m talking about.

It could just be because you let others control you, and you just don’t want to admit it. No one is perfect, but no one has to be.

Maybe some teens could lose a little popularity power, and we DIVERSE Every student is “normal” in their own way.

CaitlynBelcher/TheHotwire

could all be slightly more equal.

Maybe boys could act more like gentlemen, and maybe girls could act more like themselves and not worry about the opinions of others. Maybe we could all really try and help each other rather than just ourselves, and just maybe, we could change the lives of others for the better. Inside everyone there’s a beautiful, kind moral person waiting to take a stand and say, “I’ve had enough. It’s time to make a change.” Let’s do more than what people expect us to do; let’s exceed their expectations and blow them away. The bar for standards has been dropped so low that it wouldn’t take much to get someone’s attention for the right reason.

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HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 17

COMMENTARY

Female president is the next step

With a much needed change, Clinton and Rice are the nation’s answer Cat Burns

I

Assitant Editor

n the six decades since the United States won its independence from the rest of the world, the country has had only male presidents. Not that gender has been an issue with other countries who have had woman prime ministers for almost two decades. It is another matter that she was actually an heir to a political dynasty. Pakistan’s Bhutto, Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo, Banga Bandhu’s daughters were all the birds of same feather. It is not unusual for countries to have women chief executives even without this advantage, as in the case of Margaret Thatcher or Golda Myer, both women who led their own political organizations.

Women already are making their mark for the next Presidential race. New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton leads the pack for the Democratic nomination, and many Republicans, including me and every other smart person in the world, dream of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as a candidate. Although we dream of a having a woman for president,

it’s not that easy to put such great change into the Untied States governmental system. First Lady Laura Bush also has repeatedly said that she wants to vote for a woman president—preferably a Republican.

While women represent more than half the population of India, their presence in public life is minimal.

They are at a disadvantage in every social parameter whether it is literacy, income, employment or empowerment. The United States has been talking of 33% representation in the legislature for years and the Women’s Representation Bill is a nonstarter with unchanging assurance that it would be introduced in the next session. One of the most prominent naked facts is that male politicians do not want to yield their space.

It would be a symbolic gesture to women if the next president was a woman. After all, this is a traditional position that can be de-linked from the male bastion at least once. This again should not be a way for a male politician to get out of holding office by putting his wife or daughter in his place. There should be

no trace of political loyalties.

The next president should be a distinguished woman with unblemished record of personal decency, profound common sense and who has been alive to the social issues the country is beset with. Retired bureaucrats, distinguished corporate honchos and filmy favorites should be avoided at all costs.

There may be an apprehension that women are generally tough and inflexible and may prove to be an obstruction to the political class pursuing their individual agendas.

But barring a few exceptions, they generally are fairer, Godfearing and hold strong, ethical values just by their women nature.

These are the qualities that are in short supply, especially when it comes to politics. Let politicians, instead of judging a person by the make-up of their DNA or the fact that they have a higher amount of estrogen than testosterone, look around for capable and competent women for President.

A NEW SOLOUTION Women like Condoleeza Rice could be the next step for the US. CourtesyPhoto/TheHotwire

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 18

3.07

SPORTS

Boy’s baseball strives for victories

With many players returning, boys work hard toward many wins Cat Burns

year and make it to playoffs. “I think that we have a good team this year,” says Dylan Jeffers,.

“Even with three starting freshmen, we still have a great shot at making it to playoffs.”

The team is also looking stylish in their brand new baseball uniforms.

Some seem to think

Assistant Editor

C

hris Soto anxiously watches the small redlaced ball fly through the air above his head. He leaps into the air higher than he has ever jumped and stretches his arm out into the air, almost dislocating his shoulder. The ball smoothly lands in his leather glove without fail, leaving Soto flying through the air and tensing up every muscle in his body trying to prepare for the hard ground below him.

Along with pre-season camps and other ways for Foothill’s baseball team to refine their skills, the team also held intramurals before their actual tryouts in order to get the boys back into shape and refine their skills as baseball players. The boys lost a number of starting players but still have a few veterans who know the game very well and will help carry the team to a winning season. Although they have a few very young players, they plan to pick up the slack from last

that these new outfits will help them change their streak of bad luck from last year into a successful season.

“I think these new uniforms are, first-of-all, tight,” says Matt Wilson, “and they also could bring some good changes to our baseball team.” Last year’s team had a disappointing season, but this year’s team has a lot of slack to pick up, and they haven’t hesitated yet. “I think that our season will go well this year,” says Coach Iglitz, “the team will have to work very hard to achieve

success, but they are on their way.”

Soto’s body crashes down to the orange dirt below him and gets stains all over his already dusty uniform. The umpire yells, “out,” and Soto’s heart jumps as he and the rest of the team sprint back to the dugout because that ball that he caught gave them three outs and put them up to bat. All of Soto’s teammates pat him on the back and show their approval. He grabs his bat and starts to warm up his swing before he goes up to bat.

HARDBALL (left) Garret Dobrolecki does not hesitate to get a hold of the ball and get it out of his glove as quickly as possible.

Tobeman/Peregrine

HIT A HOMER (right) Dylan Jeffers runs around third base, trying to make it home. Tobeman/ Peregrine

The swim team flies off the block, into the wins

With good overall finish at their first meet, the swimmers set the bar for the rest of the year Brendt Hulsey Photographer

A

s she walks into Silver Springs, Kathryn Snow stretches before jumping in the water. Fixing her goggles, she waits for the coach’s instructions. After a successful coaches relay, where the girls placed first, and the boys placed third, Snow continues to put forth effort and determination for the brand new season.

Most people look at swimming and think, “anyone can do that.”

Swimming takes endurance, speed, and skill. Endurance is a must in a race, because a swimmer could swim between 25 to 500 meters. Yes, anyone could swim that, but racing against other swimmers causes finishing times to play a huge part in a meet.

That’s where speed plays its part.

You’re not only trying to beat your personal goals and times, but you’re trying to beat out all the other top swimmers in the state. There is a certain strategy to winning.

“You can’t go all out at the beginning of the race,” said Zac Stone. “You’ll eventually die out and lose the race. You have to get into a rhythm to take first place.” Swimmers also need to be skilled in performing each stroke correctly. During a meet, judges watch to make sure the racers are swimming correctly, and you could be disqualified if you perform the stroke inappropriately.

“People think it’s really easy to swim,” said Stone. “What people don’t know is that it takes a lot of energy, and practice can even take a lot out of you.”

Swimmers must stay in shape and maintain a physique at which they can perform their best. “I do sprints, endurance sets, pulls, kicks, and drills to stay in shape,” said Snow. Stretching and dry land conditioning is essential before each practice. Being in tip-top shape will help you to contribute to your team’s win.

“Every time you place, you help your team receive points, and at the end of the meet, they’re added up to find a winner,” said Stone. “Conditioning helps you beat opponents, which helps you help your team to win.”

With a new coach and new season, the team hopes for the best. “We have a new coach who helps motivate us and keep us focused,” said Snow. “The team knows how to have fun, but we push each other on difficult days. We have a lot more spirit this year and everyone cheers each other on. I’m excited for the season. I hope I can improve on my individual medley and distance freestyle times though.”

Grabbing a towel as she jumps out the pool, she rips off her swim cap. Practice is finally over. With swim meets ahead and many more practices to go, she’s excited for the new season and strives

for perfection. With a whole team behind her, she’s not in this alone.

BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY (right) Kathryn Snow preforms the butterfly during a meet.

BernhardWilliams

DIVE IN (bottom) Members of the FHS swim team dive into the water at the Coaches Relay Meet.

BernhardWilliams

3.07

SPORTS

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 19

Softball’s returners lead the team

The seniors hope to end their four-year run on a good note this year Brendt Hulsey Assistant Editor

S

helbie Medrano sits among her friends in a nail salon, a woman carefully manicuring her nails.

Her friends accompany her and chat with each other. This is not the atmosphere in which one would expect to find a softball team. Foothill’s softball team advances their camaraderie not only on the diamond, but outside the field of competition.

Getting manicures, pedicures, eating lunch, and having dinner together are all methods of

progressing the team’s solidarity and companionship. “Team dinners bring the team together,” said Lacie Saunders. “It helps make our team more of a family.” New team members include Stevie Franks, Chelsea Richards, Rosie Ritchie, Jen James

LADY IN WAITING Amber Stater eagerly waits to catch the ball.

HERE BATTER BATTER glaring at the pitcher, Megan Martinez waits for the ball

and Mattie Wamsley. By having dinner and pasta parties at each others’ houses and spending time together outside of school, these new players are easily becoming part of the team.

Ending a tournament in St. George with a record of 2-3 with the most competitive teams from Utah and Nevada, the Falcons were sure it was their amity and ability to work as a team that helped them win. The trip to Utah itself helped them grow closer. During the night when most were

asleep, the seniors on the team were not. “I was terrified of sleeping,” said Amber Stater. “I didn’t want to be initiated into varsity.” It is tradition for senior players to initiate new members during the night of an away tournament. “It’s a fun trick,” said Nichole Falline. “When a girl’s sleeping, we hide all of her clothes, or put make up on her hideously so she’ll be freaked out when she wakes in the morning.”

Though many valuable players graduated, the Falcons are optimistic for their season because of their relationships not only as teammates, but as friends

The boy’s spikes kill their opponent’s chances Volleyball welcomes all new players and they work hard to rack up wins on their record Lexie Stone Sports Editor

S

tanding in a huddle in the middle of the locker room, Franz McClure gets himself mentally prepared for the game.

Surrounded by his teammates, deep breaths arise all around the circle.

Everyone puts one hand in. After a great warm up, they’re focused and ready to go. The start of their warm up CD blasts through the gym. The door opens and they come running out. The stands blur with the amount of people watching. With a whole new team and a whole new season, they can only hope for the best.

The varsity boy’s volleyball team participated in the yearly jamboree, but didn’t perform as well as they had hoped for. “I did decent, but I think I just needed more intensity, and my serves needed to be in,” said McClure.

With a rocky start to the new season, the team is still focusing on fundamental. “I need to work on my approaches and passing,” said Muaava. “As a team, I think we need to work on talking and

communicating during our plays, but we are getting much better at it. We all help each other. I think we can go really far this season if we continue to do what we’ve been doing.”

“I hope that we can go to state this year,” said Muaava. “I really want to go farther than fourth place because I know we can do it.” Although every team dreams of going to states, everyone must work together to make it happen.

Team unity is something that is hard to come by, but these guys make it a must to bond with one another. “It’s my third year on varsity,” said McClure. “But, I think this is the only team that is

STAY LOW Steven Toboe bumps a perfect ball to the setter.

ARM’S REACH Shane Whisenant gets high in the air to hit the ball to the other team.

Winter JV wrap ups Girl’s Soccer

Record: 8-7-1 MVP: Andrea Bartholomew Season Highlights: The team had a terrific season winning more than 70% of their games.

The team ended the season on a 5 game winning streak.

Things to work on next season: Continue to develop skill levels and physical play.

If you could say one last thing about the season, what would you say and why?

It’s not how you start but it’s

actually a team. We play together and not for ourselves. I want our team to leave a legacy.”

The score is 25-24, the Falcons up, and everyone gasps for a breath of air. Pacing around, the team waits for the referee to blow the whistle for a serve. With the sound of the whistle, they crouch down in a ready position. Weston Milne makes a perfect pass to setter Marc Zamora. With the lightest touch of Marc’s hand, he sets it to McClure.

Point Falcons! After a win, the team runs into a huddle. With encouraging words from Coach Nuanes, the team is eager to play the next game. The season seems to be looking up after all.

how you finish. Well done ladies!

Girl’s Basketball

MVP: Ms. Hustle-Denicia Rush, Offensive PlayerSymone Simpson, Defensive Player-Chantelle Monga, Most Improved- Katie Dupont, Team Spirit- Alexis De La Cruz Season Highlights: 22 out of the 30 girls in the program achieved a 3.0 or higher Things to work on next season: Consistency, communication, rebounding, and execution; being

more effective in offense.

If you could say one last thing about the season, what would you say and why?

Our record is not an indicator of our success. Our program has had some positive things changes in one year. We accomplished 2 or 3 goals and did some great things this year. We are all disappointed we did not have the student support we had hoped for and hope that more students will show up for our teams.

placed 4th in our division.

MVP: Girls-Hannah Smith; Boys-Nick Lindsay Season Highlights: We made the playoffs and Nick Lindsay finished 4th out of 64 in the season ending MVP Tournament.

Things to work on next season: Consistency If you could say one last thing about your season, what would it be and why?

It was a great season with wonderful student athletes.

Bowling

Wrestling (Varsity)

Record: Earned 59 points and

Record: 19-14

MVP: Chuck Dietrich Season Highlights: Placed 2nd in Mohave Invitational, 4th in Sunrise Regional with 2 Regional champions (Joshua Richert and Chuck Dietrich) Things to work on next season: Improve placement in Regionals by off season wrestling and camps.

If you could say one last thing about the season, what would it be and why?

Last season was a real building year for us. We had a lot of young wrestlers fill in during injuries.

That should help them next year.

3.07

HillsideHotwire. www.foothillnv.org. Page 20

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

A closer look at our black history The new teenage generation is branded with the wrong stereotypes Cheslyne Snowden

T

Feature Editor

he time has come to talk about our generation of young black people; they like to call us the “hip hop” generation. Funny how they like to call us that when hip hop is dead.

There is a huge misconception on what hip hop really is. Cool and the Gang, NWA, Slick Rick, Run DMC or Doug E. Fresh: that’s hip hop. Three 6 Mafia, Ludacris, Chingy, LL Cool J or Bow Wow: that’s rap. How can we be called the “hip hop” generation when we didn’t grow up when it started?

We’re lost in FUBU, Sean John and the chicken noodle soup to really understand what hip hop is.

Hip hop was originally a way to clue people in on black culture, a means to speak out about injustices, kind of like rock and roll to white people.

Hip hop has morphed into rap, and rap is all about grills and chains. People, mainly black teens, think that “Lean Wit It Rock Wit

It” or the “Chicken Noodle Soup” song is a representation of black culture. It’s sickening because so many are wading through this haze of stupidity. We have lost our way, and we no longer care or even know about black history, which is a part of this.

They say that if you don’t know your history, then you are doomed to repeat it. I thought we had learned of others ignorance and how to not take things as face value, from the middle passage, where the mentality was that we were scum, and now that we have started to take a lead in society the younger generation is stunting our growth.

The Africans back in the day were ignorant, and we are becoming ignorant.

Over the last 40 years, black teens cared about themselves and their history. Now you can’t talk to a black person about black history without them saying it’s all about Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. Honestly that’s the shallow history. There is so

much more to it than that. Black history is about a feeling of self worth, confidence and just feeling great about who you are. But if you don’t know your history, you can’t begin to feel good about it.

Recently I was subjected to the very ignorance of our young black people. I was in gym class, minding my own business, when a group of black girls came up to me and handed me an advertisement.

At first I was confused because it was a picture of a black woman.

But then I turned it over and saw that it was an ad for a black hair salon.

I laughed at this; they were trying to insult me. I wear my

hair natural, and I love it. I told them this and reminded them that it was black history month and they should try to be more accepting. With a roll of their eyes, they walked away.

It’s hard to spread knowledge to people who don’t want it. But it’s better to have said it than to have ignored it. I’m almost ashamed to be a part of this generation, but I’m not because I can spread my knowledge to more people. This month is all about love, and I’m not feeling the love from my peers.

It’s sad to have come so far but be held back by ignorance. This is a select group of black students this isn’t a generalization, I know that there are black students on campus who are more accepting and don’t spread hate. I am only expressing my confusion and frustration about the state of some of our black youth.

TAINTED LOVE Gangster rappers, like NWA, obscure the true meaning of black history. CourtesyPhoto/TheHotwire

One student says it’s time to embrace her culture In order to have a good understanding of yourself, you must know a lot about your history Cheslyne Snowden Feature Editor

I

sit here a shallow m e s s , because when I woke up on February 1, I dreaded the upcoming month. I never usually do, but things have been weighing pretty heavy on my head lately. This being my last black history month article, I didn’t want to talk about what other people should do. On a normal day I’m your raised fist, dashiki owning, black flag waving kind of girl. Lately, I haven’t been practicing what I preach.

As I turned eighteen in January, I began thinking about my future, who I am and where I stand in the black community. Looking around at all of my friend’s faces, I see different shades of white and yellow and only four black people.

I walk around school saying how much I dislike the state of mind of the black student body. I’m just now realizing that all I was doing was shutting them out. How can we learn from one another if we don’t try? When I moved here, away from my handfuls of black friends, I looked at these people and took only face value.

That makes me no better than a clansman, thinking all blacks aren’t the dirt they stand on.

Recapping over the illustrious history that is the black culture, I realize that I’m doing just as the whites did to the slaves. They checked their teeth and bodies to see if they were fit and healthy enough for hard labor. They never once asked what their specialties were. I judged people by their shallow conversation and choice of music. I never once really tried to see beyond their façade.

But I am not the only one guilty of this. Most of them have given me dirty looks or the like. All they probably see is a “wanna-be-know-it-all” black

girl who dresses kind of funky.

The common ground we share is the fact that this only drives our community further apart.

Now, I don’t like to place blame, but it is the parent’s fault. Teens will either emulate their parent’s behavior because they think it’s acceptable or do what they want.

Some don’t have a strong family base, and that’s the downfall.

So many aren’t taught about their history and they live in an ignorant bubble because of the parents’ bad choices.

That’s what fuels my anger, as well as my feast for knowledge.

I strongly believe that if you don’t know your history, you’re doomed to repeat it. So many of the young black community don’t know, therefore they are misrepresenting themselves, which only adds to our stereotype of ignorance, and if people think that all blacks are rap music junkies and “bling blingin,” we’re not going to progress.

It’s sad to say, but there are so many people who believe that misconception about blacks, including some black people. And that needs to be changed! They say the first thing is recognizing

that there should be a change, then enacting one.

This month, my way of changing is unknown, but it’s going to happen. Black history is all about learning and knowing yourself.

The only way you can change, is to get to know yourself, your history, those around you and try to connect with someone other to yourself. Open your eyes to what’s around you and you’d be surprised what you’ll find. All I have to say to everyone is to just embrace who you are and show it off. If you’ve got it, flaunt it!