opinion
Writing
Newspaper Editorials page 2
Issue 01 | Volume 21 |September 2013
Jury decision brings public outcry regarding the Zimmerman trial
Accolades
staff ‘13-14
Shannon Sneade •editor in chief Trayvon Martin was killed in a confrontation between George Zimmerman and himself on the night of Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman was found not guilty on Juy. 12, 2013, the final day of the much-extended court case. During this period of time, people focused on what caused this death. Instead of turning to gun control like in the past, the majority made it a matter of race. Emotions immediately became involved as soon as the case was revealed to the public through NBC’s doctoring of the 911 call from Zimmerman, who was on neighborhood watch that night. The news station cut out the dispatcher’s question of the suspicious person’s race so that it seemed like Zimmerman commented on Martin’s ethnicity without being prompted. While many details of the event are fuzzy, there is one element that could have changed the entire event that night. The dispatcher instructed Zimmerman not to pursue the suspicious-looking man, but Zimmerman, armed with a handgun, did. This confrontation in dark of the night turned into a grisly fight and ended when Zimmerman shot Martin. Because the specifics are murky, a situation like this would have been one man’s
Adviser........................Carol Medcalf Editor in Chief.........Shannon Sneade Assistant Editor.........Shaun Richards Webmaster...........................Bri Alejo Business Manager....Shannon Sneade Columnists...........................Bri Alejo Juvi Ruffatto Logan Taylor Staff Writers.................Melissa Ayala Katie Berger Katie Bradshaw Kyleigh Brigman Lora Denkova Sam Dreitzer Alexis Herrera Paulena Kinel Katie Michaels Blake Mirolla Sydnee Morency Abigail Parnall Allison Strande Delenn Whitehead Deanna Woods Shelby York Illustrators.....................Juvi Ruffatto Sandy Wyatt
word against the other. However, because one of them is dead, we will never know. There were no reliable witnesses of the crime to determine whether the fight went too far or if it was truly an issue of selfdefense. I would like to believe that Zimmerman’s motive was not prompted by racial differences, but his comment, “These guys, they always get away,” makes me think otherwise. As a country we should be so past the times of racial discrimination, but it seems that we are not. It is the 21st century, a time when all Americans should be seen as equal, no matter what race they are. However, it seems to me like we have reverted back to a mindset more fitting of the Civil Rights Movement. There is so much gray area in this case that it is almost impossible to determine what the real motive was, but many people have centered the issue around race. Regardless of his root of aggravation, Zimmerman shot and killed an unarmed teen. No matter if he was motivated by ethnicity, self defense, or just a sudden impulse, the media blew the issue out of proportion. Therefore, because of these additional rumors and falsehoods, the court case took place over a year after the incident. If the details weren’t muddled by the media in efforts to concentrate the shooting on race, I wonder what the outcome would have been.
Healthy lifestyle habits lead to healthy future Shaun Richards •assistant editor Sagging eyelids, sugar cravings, and above all irritability are the usual signs of a busy life and sleep deprivation. With hardly enough time to sleep, it is a common complaint amongst teens that there simply is not enough time to exercise. Exercise is unquestionably time consuming. However, so is homework. In this respect, exercise is vital. Just as homework leads to good grades, which in turn lead to college acceptance and success in life post- secondary education, exercise paves the way to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Despite being in the midst of her hardest year of high school, junior Jordan Forest said of exercise, “Not only is it good for your body, but it also helps you mentally. Excercising is a great time to work out anger, stress, and whatever else you may be dealing with.” This dilemma is not unique to high school students. It is a common is-
sue with the majority of the American public. Kathy Kaehler, a personal trainer, who has worked with Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts, describes how she overcomes this particular dilemma. In a short blurb from her in the September edition of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, she states that she, a personal trainer, has difficulty finding time to get to the gym every day. She says that to remedy this, she simply makes a conscientious effort to do some form of physical activity during the day. For her, this varies from parking further away from the store’s entrance to doing sit ups or leg lifts during TV commercials. As teenagers, it’s important that we develop healthy lifestyle habits now. Making the decision to be active and then continuing to act on that desire is key to seeing a difference in one’s health. The small things truly do become the big things in life, so by making small decisions now about the state of our health, we can greatly impact our futures for the best.
Student Calendar and Reminders
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Make Up Pictures Lowden•7 am-2pm Fall Dance Concert PAC•7 pm SAT Testing Frazier•7 am Fall Dance Concert PAC•7 pm
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Open House PAC•5 pm Band Concert Lowden •7 pm College Dance Auditions PAC•7 am
Fall Play Black Box •7 pm College Dance Auditions PAC•7 am
Noche de Mariachis Cafeteria•5 pm
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Fall Play Black Box •7 pm Jazz Concert Lowden•7 pm Fall Play Black Box •7 pm Senior Class Picture Main Steps•8:30
For the month of •October
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Orch/Band Concert LT•7 pm
Visual Arts Show Sept.27-Oct. 19 Lowden Gallery
Orch/Band Concert LT•7 pm
Battle of the Bands Field
Senior Make-Up Pictures LT Gallery•7 am
Choir Concert PAC•6 pm Guitar Concert LT• 7 pm
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Staff Development Day- No school
This court case was popularly discussed in the media, however I feel like each opinion was incredibly one-sided. Without placing direct blame on any one person, I addressed the ever-existent bigotry in our society and how so many people fed into it.