Talisman vol 49 issue 7 april 25, 2014

Twitter accounts spreading rumors

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a student-edited newspaper Sheldon High School

Opinion: Importance of vaccinations

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shstalisman@gmail.com

2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 49

Issue 7

April 25, 2014

Sheldon Water Polo increases in popularity Water polo is becoming popular around Sheldon and the Eugene community

pionship for the first time in just as long.

The boys grew very close to one another and became really good friends through spending a lot of time together Charlie Mundorff outside of the pool staff writer as well as, up to six or seven hours some days, at the pool. Junior Hayden Schuldt Sheldon’s water polo team has been one of expressed that playthe most successful programs at Sheldon, ing water polo is second only to the swim team in number much more than just of state titles, yet half of the school thinks a way to stay fit. He water polo has something to do with putsaid, “It has made ting a horse in a pool. In actuality, it is some me a harder worker combination of swimming, soccer, wresand taught me how tling, and even basketball in some senses. to be a part of a Alex Carnevale, a junior on the team and team.” Water polo is one of next year’s captains, said, “The waa huge commitment, ter polo program is strong here and [the but the entire team team is] growing. We have a great coachloved every second ing staff and I hope this program can conof it. The boys also tinue to thrive.” Sheldon’s team was weak grew fond of their for a while in the mid-2000’s, but they assistant coaches, later hired Coach Ron Thompson who is a David Lee and MiSheldon graduate himself. He played wacah Fillinger, as Junior Coleton Dean passes the ball. ter polo for Sheldon and went on to train well. In fact, the boys did a warm-up before as they watched our ritual was priceless. with the national team for a few years. games that they affectionately dubbed DaThe team has now grown and is trying to He was able to turn the program around. vid Lee’s Bootcamp where they would do bring the program to the level of excellence In his first season the Irish lost every jumping jacks, push-ups, and other exercis- it achieved in the early 80’s when Sheldon game, but grew as a team. All but one playes on the deck. When won multiple state championships. There er were underclassmen asked, Schuldt said, is a club team that many of the boys play so the core group of boys “It was one of the best “Before every game for during the off-season that helps players stayed in the program for experiences of my we’d all get in our hone their skills for the high school season. four years and improved suits and go through Eugene City Water Polo is now four years life...” a lot. In his second year our pre-game warm old and they recently started a fourteen and the Irish went 8-8 and - junior Alex Carnevale up. Usually there’s a under team to help get more young kids inbroke their year-long girls game in the pool terested in water polo. The club is made up losing streak. The next before us so our warm up was out of the of polo players from all over Eugene and year, with a team half full of seniors and water. This involved jumping jacks, push- they travel around the state playing other the other half juniors, the team went on to ups, and stretches. All preformed in noth- clubs. Last year, ECWP went to many fun win all but two games and beat South Euing more than a Speedo. The horrified/ tournaments including the Foster Lake tourgene high school for the first time in thirteen amazed look on the faces of the people nament which is hosted in a lake and gives years. The Irish also won the league cham-

Photo by Debra Mundorff

players a chance to try open-water water polo. The boys also went to Orange County last year where they competed in the Junior Olympics. Alex Carnevale said, “It was one of the best experiences of my life because of the camaraderie I gained from spending so much time with my teammates. I also was in the best physical shape of my life.”

Water Polo is a great sport and teaches people many things; however, the team for next year is lacking underclassmen.

They are currently trying to recruit more people to play because it would be a shame to see such an awesome sport disappear. If you have any interest in joining the team, contact Assistant Coach Micah Fillinger at micahfillinger@gmail.com.

Focused changes made to the 2016 SAT Students respond to removals and changes to the 2016 SAT Brian Chastain staff writer

Starting in the spring of 2016, a redesigned SAT is being released for high school students. This new SAT promises to be more focused and useful for students seeking to pursue a college education. The test will include three sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Math, and an Essay. It will have a testing length of three hours, with an additional fifty minutes to complete the essay portion. Additionally, the exam will have a scoring scale ranging from 400 to 1600 points; with the Evidence-Based Read-

ing and Writing and the Math sections being scored on a 200 to 800 point scale and the Essay section being scored separately.

There are eight key changes that will be instituted in the redesigned exam: the including of more relevant words in context, increasing the use of interpretation and command of evidence, changing the essay portion to consist of analyzing a source, changing the math portion to be focused on three key areas, instituting problems grounded in real-world contexts, creating analysis questions that include science and social studies topics, incorporating America’s founding documents and other great global conversion documents about freedom, and removing the penalty for incorrect answers.

Three of the most influential changes to the exam include the removal of the penalty for wrong answers, the inclusion of more relevant words in context, and the various changes to the essay portion.

The removal of the penalty for wrong answers will encourage students to give their best answer to every problem and is well liked by students. Junior Owen Loughran stated that he thought that this change would “help people the most” but may lead to more “random guessing.”

By including more relevant words in context, the test promises to use words that students use throughout their education and daily lives. This change will ask students to interpret words from the context of a passage rather than just memorize archaic words that are no longer commonly used. College Board President and CEO David Coleman said, “We must do all we can to foster this daily work that prepares students.” This change hopes to better prepare students for the vocabulary they will need to know in order to succeed in college.

Finally, the various changes to the essay portion promise to utilize the reading and

analysis skills that high school students learn in their classes. By reading a passage and analyzing the manner in which the author builds his or her argument, students are exposed to the basic formats present in college-level courses. Other changes to the essay include that this portion will now be optional and that the essay prompt will be consistent and shared in advance (only the source material will change). Even with these upsides, the reactions to the new essay format are mixed. Junior Payton Kubiak commented that by changing the essay in this manner, it could force test takers to,”[write] from the writer’s perspective” rather than from “[their] own points.”

Overall, these various changes promise to improve the test and make a more valuable source for students, but only time will tell if these lengthy changes will enhance the test, or cause it to fall below the previous format’s standard.

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News

the Talisman

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 goes missing Many speculations arise as search for the missing airliner continues Jack Forrest staff writer

Many wonder how a massive plane carrying 239 people could just disappear, but the fact is, no one has been able to find Malaysia Airlines flight 370, or at least no one has come forward with this knowledge. There are many hypotheses on what happened to the plane, but none can be confirmed nor invalidated. There are some things that are known, however, such as the recently- discovered fact that the plane definitely ended its journey in the Indian Ocean. To be able to fully understand what could have happened to the plane it is necessary to take a look into the recent search efforts going on now.

Several days ago an Australian fishing boat picked up a ping originating from the Indian Ocean in the possible area that the plane may have crashed. Experts say that this ping is identical to that of flight 370 and this is finally giving many hope. “This is the most positive lead and rest assured, we are pursuing it very vigorously,” says Australian Defense Minister David Johnston. Unfortunately the pings have not been heard since, but searchers are still hopeful they are getting closer and will hear it again.

To improve their search, unmanned submarines will be sent into the ocean to search for the plane where boats and manned submarines can’t reach. “We haven’t had a single detection in six days. It’s time to go underwater,” said Australian chief search coordinator Angus Houston. The results won’t be instant as the whole process of searching the whole search area could take the probes over two months to finish their job.

There are many speculations as to what happened to flight 370. Perhaps one of the most popular theories and the one that makes the most sense is that the crew became incapacitated in some way. This idea banks on the

idea that the passengers were also incapacitated or no one decided to make an attempt at taking over the control of the plane. The idea would be that the crew where immobilized and the plane traveled for the amount of time its fuel would allow as the estimated crashing site is where the fuel was also estimated to run out. We may never know if this was the actual cause of the crash and

the real reason may never be discovered.

The search for the missing plane continues as searchers are working their hardest but have yet to find what they are looking for. They have employed new methods to find their target and they will hopefully be the saving grace; however, it may never be known what really happened to flight 370 and the best we can hope for is that it is found.

Photo Illustration by Noah Jang

Many people experience exhaustion with working long hours Research shows that long hours contribute to observed exhaustion Jonah Jellesed staff writer Today people are working more hours than ever. There have been some serious health concerns connected to people overworking, and without enough rest people become exhausted. If you become exhausted from overworking you become more susceptible to illness and sometimes chronic stress which can be detrimental to your health. People in the U.S. usually work at least eight hours a

day and up to seven days in a week which doesn’t allow for any rest. Many people in the U.S. are affected by exhaustion today.

In 2004, 15 million Americans worked full time (seven days a week), according to the Center for Disease Control. This is a big contributing factor to the observed exhaustion in the United States; the most important thing that employers need to do to keep their workers from becoming exhausted is to make it so that full time is just five days instead of almost all day, every day.

“Companies are running 21st-century businesses with 20th-century workplace practices and programs,” according to towerswatson.com. One of the largest problems with today’s workforce is that we are using technology to advance businesses and make processes more streamlined, but

the problem is that our methods of hiring people, and managing people is outdated, and needs to be changed to change the way that the global workforce functions. We need to use technology to help make employee lives less stressful, and more efficient, so that they won’t feel overwhelmed in the work that they have to do.

In Europe, people are starting to work less, and they are generally happier than people here in the United States. Europe has adapted to technology in the sense that they are using machines to make the lives of the workers easier. In the United States there are people that, for example, work in DMVs. Some of these jobs are very repetitive, and are long hours. Some of the things that these workers have to do could be streamlined by machines so that DMV

lines wouldn’t be so long, so that the lives of the DMV workers would be easier.

In Eugene, there are lots of hard working people who have two jobs per day or more, and they end up working almost the entire week upwards of twelve hours. The problem is the people in Eugene without college degrees have to pick up multiple minimum wage jobs so that they can support their families. It has been found that people with a better education don’t have to work as many hours and have a well paid job. If people had more opportunities to get a better education there wouldn’t be this workforce epidemic that is making the lives of people throughout the world more difficult, and less enjoyable.

Two drones, suspected of being from North Korea, crash in South Korea Tensions grow with the discovery and intensifying rhetoric from North Korea Noah Jang news editor North Korea’s recent statements and actions have furthered the tension on the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang (capital of North Korea) recently announced its intention to “readjust and restart” its nuclear facilities at the

Yongbyon nuclear complex. Most experts generally think that these facilities were used for the nuclear tests in 2006. In 2007 the reactor shut down as part of a deal granting North Korea aid in exchange for disarmament. The cooling tower of the complex was demolished in 2008. According to an analyst at BBC, it is also highly likely that the nuclear weapons that North Korea presumably possesses were produced with plutonium from a reactor at the complex. Restarting the complex would likely lead to the continuation of their uranium enrichment program.

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In recent weeks, South Korea’s defense military officials found three plane-like vehicles and believe that they belong to Pyongyang. According to Yonhap News Agency, the machines are made of polycarbonate and are difficult to detect with radar.

Of the three drones, two have taken pictures of places with military significance; of these locations are islands near the Demilitarized Zone and the Blue House, the residence of the South Korean president.

According to The Washington Post, North Korea hasn’t said that it operated the drones over South Korea. How-

ever, in military parades, North Korea has shown off a larger version—apparent copies of a Raytheon MQM-107 Streaker—according to the Pentagon.

Last year a state-run news agency of North Korea said that Kim Jong Un supervised a military drill in which “super precision” drones assaulted makeshift targets, “destroying them with accuracy.”

Military officials of South Korea responded by announcing that they are pushing to purchase about 10 low-altitude radars from Israel to better detect unmanned aerial vehicles sent from North Korea.

Entertainment

the Talisman

April 25, 2014

“It’s About Time” that Young the Giant visited

Echosmith opened for the indie-rock band at the McDonald Theater

Kennedy Potts editor-in-chief

On the night of April 8, 2014, Eugene was lucky enough to receive a visit from the relatively well known alternative band Young the Giant. They made a stop at the McDonald Theater in Eugene on their Mind Over Matter tour, showcasing their sophomore album by the same name, released January 21, 2014.

Tickets sold for $25 in advance and for $30 at the door. The show began at 8:00 p.m., continuing on until about 10:30 p.m.

Vance Joy, the opening act who accompanied Young the Giant along most of the tour, was regrettably unable to play. The indie-pop band Echosmith opened in their place; however, they were not the ideal replacement. Senior Jordan Laughlin described them as sounding as if they were trying to have the same sound as the popular band Paramore, and that they came off like they were “in a band just to be in a band” rather than for the love of making music.

Laughlin is a fan of Vance Joy and thought Echosmith was a definite downgrade as far as opening acts go.

However when Young the Giant finally took the stage, members of the audience were audibly excited. Cheers and claps arose from both the lower-level standing room only

audience and the upper-level “No-Minors” section.

The band played many popular songs from their newest album such as “Crystallized” and “It’s About Time,” as well as older favorites like their widely popular song “Cough Syrup” and “Apartment,” another from their self-titled first album.

Young the Giant proved to be a band that is able to produce the same quality of music live as they do through their recorded material. They maneuvered through their entire performance without any detectable slip-ups. They also seemed to enjoy performing as much as their audience enjoyed seeing them perform.

After playing for awhile, Young the Giant shut off the futuristic l i g h t i n g displays that had been going off during their entire set, put down their instruments, and walked off the stage without many words to the audience.

They of course wanted to be called out for an encore, as almost all bands do during shows nowadays. Laughlin pointed out that “They hadn’t even played the song ‘Mind Over Matter’ yet, which is the song and album the tour is named after. It was pretty obvious they’d be coming out to play some more.” They did, in fact, make a second appearance after about three minutes of solid clapping and cheering from the audience while the stage hands pretended to take things apart on stage.

After performing a few more songs, the band wished the audience a good night and everyone shuffled out into an oddly warm Eugene night.

like him very time and look at the meme four to five times an hour. My favorite Doge quote is ‘Doge is god. Doge is life.’”Kawders also Doge: the DOG believes that Doge’s popularity cannot go up, because it’s already at 100%, and that his thAT’S TAKING popularity will last because “Doge is essentially OVER THE the modern version of the pyramids of Giza.”

While some students dislike Doge and do INTERNET not think his new popularity will last. Senior Meredith Bothman said, “I don’t think there is any creativity involved; it just uses a Wow. Such article, much words picture, picks a topic and uses random words and grammatical errors to form sentence McKinley Patrick fragments.” Bothman believes that Doge’s popularity has already been on a decline backpage editor and that the only time she really sees it anymore is on Whalley’s board in chemistry.

Doge is the latest internet phenomenon, a Shiba Inu dog Senior Emily Coehlo is a huge fan of Doge face placed on backdrops surrounding with one to two word because she thinks he is really relatable in a choppy phrases such as “very wow” and “such good.” So funny way. Coehlo said that she often speaks why has this silly dog become the face of internet memes like Doge in class when she’s “much bored.” recently? Some say it’s because he is adorable, others say his While people have various opinions quotes are relatable, while some find these memes annoying. on the popularity of Doge, most can People have varying opinions on Doge. Senior Karl conclude that Doge, like other memes, will Kawders, a Doge fanatic said, “Doge is such good, I speak eventually fade, no matter how cute the Shiba Inu may be.

3

Young the Giant’s Mind Over Matter tour came to the McDonald Theater earlier this month.

photos by Kennedy Potts

wow

such article much words photo illustration by Ben Ely

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

The comic superhero company has created a complex universe of superhuman beings Kevin Erdmann contributing writer

Six years have passed since 2008. Since then, the silver screen has been graced with many films that have earned the entertainment industry millions. Films with compelling stories, intriguing characters, blissful romance, hilarious comedy, and intense action. However, it was in 2008 when the exuberant amount of money paid for outrageously priced tickets was spent on a groundbreaking movie: the first Iron Man film produced by Marvel Studios, a property of Disney. This movie was groundbreaking for two reasons:

the first being that it became one of the highest grossing Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, and earlier this month superhero films of all time. The second being that it was the we saw the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. beginning of something unprecedented: A movie franchise These movies were not only sequels to their own solo character films, but also had their consisting of individual respective characters acknowledging character films (Iron the past events within The Avengers Man, Iron Man 2, The as well as each other. Later this year Incredible Hulk, Thor, in August we will see The Guardians and Captain America) of the Galaxy, a sci-fi space epic that, which all cross while not directly having to do with over and led up to a the events of The Avengers, will exist culmination in 2012 of within the same shared universe. all these characters in Marvel Studios has created an one movie: Marvel’s photo illustration by Ben Ely immensely profitable system that is the Avengers.

And that was only the beginning… now changing the way we watch movies. They have made Since 2012 and their incredibly successful release of The the superhero genre a force to be reckoned with. With Avengers, Marvel Studios has continued to add to their the recent reveal that Marvel Studios has plans to make expanding franchise, commonly referred to as the Marvel movies all the way till 2028, it will remain forceful for Cinematic Universe. In 2013, we saw the release of Iron a long time. And 2028 is only what they have plans for.

Features

Features

Sheldon Coffee Cart leaves some hungry for more This Sheldon business has mastered the selling of drinks and muffins, but what else do students and staff crave?

Jennifer Morris and Alexus Torres staff writers The Sheldon coffee cart is a great place to go to get a drink or extra caffeine boost for students and staff. Many students hang out in front of the Sheldon coffee cart in between classes, before and after school. While the coffee cart isn’t open all day it is open a lot of the time. The students who work there are always nice and happy.

The requirements to work in the coffee cart are: any stu-

dent who is interested must take and pass the marketing and business pre-business classes and fill out an application.

The Sheldon Coffee Cart is a popular provider of beverages amongst students and staff, and although spacing is limited they get the job done.

When Mr. Phillipo was asked what he thought the coffee cart needed, what they would like to sell, why he started the coffee cart, and how it is benefiting Sheldon, he stated that he is content with the products that they have now although he would like more costumers. When asked why he started the coffee cart, he said, “We use to have Selco as a selling location but only five people could work there all year, so we wanted to add something so more students could get the work experience. Four to five students work per term.”

Some Sheldon students want to see other things sold at coffee cart, they were also asked what they would like to be sold at the coffee cart. Sophomore Marshall Dunn said,

“I do want them to sell food, they would make a lot more money. It would also be cool if they sold like candy donuts, fruit, soda, water and Arizona tea.”

Campus supervisor Darin Henry said, “It would be nice if they sold maybe some cookies, cupcakes, goodies, Arizona tea, energy drinks, and homemade lemonade; that would be nice. Oh and Kombucha, which is a Permeated tea that has mushroom origin with vinegar flavoring. It’s really good for your gut.”

With the information gathered, the Sheldon coffee cart seems to be a successful project and is benefiting Sheldon high school in many ways.

The Dublinaires shine at National Heritage Festival At a festival in Anaheim, the Dublinaires both enjoy themselves and show their skills

Cameron Ritchey staff writer

The Sheldon Dublinaires, or “Dubs,” have been performing throughout the community for over a decade. They learn new songs every year for any kind of occasion, whether it be songs for a Christmas party, songs for a wedding, or just a song to lift someone’s spirits.

Under the direction of Nancy Anderson (who is the Concert Choir, Varsity Choir, and Dubs teacher) Dubs come together and practice almost every day for upcoming events.

Recently, the Dubs prepared for the National Heritage Fes- song selection, and by far the most challenging. Because of tival in Anaheim, California. While they were there, they his outstanding performance, the National Heritage Festival spent a few days in Disneyland and California Adventures. judges awarded Grabofsky, and several other students the On April 11, they attended the National Heritage Festival.

“Crystal Solo Award.” When asked about his achievement When asked prior to the competition, Grabofsky said, “It was really surprising when Nancy Anderson said, “It’s the highlight they called my name for the award. It felt re“The trip of my year and I’m so incredibly proud ally great to place second, and the solo award I of Dubs for all the countless hours of hard really brought got was like the cherry on top of it all.” work they put into the songs. I can’t wait The Dubs were very proud of themselves for the competition and I know they’ll us all together.” and were ready to celebrate in Disneyland. do great.” And boy did they ever. They –junior Makila They had really enjoyed this trip and it won’t placed second in the vocal jazz category. soon be forgotten. Dubs member junior Makila Spencer The opposing choir who placed first only Spencer said, “The trip really brought us all tobeat the Dubs by a few points. Everyone gether. We all are great friends and Dubs alin the competition came well prepared and had a great time. most becomes like a second family.” The Dubs had been The Dubs had a set list of three songs: “Moonglow,” working for this competition since January and everyone “When I Fall In Love,” and “Smack Dab in the Middle.” was incredibly pleased to see their hard work really had Junior Alex Grabofsky was one of many in Dubs who had a paid off. solo. His solo was in “Smack Dab in the Middle,” the third

Sheldon alumni don’t fail to impress Multiple Sheldon graduates have gone on to lead impressive lives Ben Ely entertainment editor Sheldon is home to many talented students. Whether it’s acting under the spotlight, creating a masterpiece, or being the fastest runner on the track team, just about every Sheldon student has a talent unique to them. While most students go on to college to become an engineer, doctor, or lawyer, some end up taking their talents to the next level, and become well known for their efforts. Chris Miller, James Dutton, Dave Hunt, and Mike Luckovich are just a few of Sheldon’s notable alumni who have taken their talents to new heights.

A majority of Sheldon’s renowned alumni went on to professional level athletics. Chris Miller was the quarterback for Sheldon football, and eventually went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons. As for other football players, Jon Jaqua

played for the Washington Redskins, Alex Brink currently plays for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League, and Michael Walter played for the San Francisco 49ers. Along with many professional football players, Sheldon has been home to a few Olympic athletes. Kory Tarpenning placed fourth in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, won the American outdoor national championships in 1988 and 1989, and won the American indoor national championships in 1991 and 1994.

Although the most notable alumni are athletes, there are a few who have become well known for other lines of work. James Dutton was the space shuttle pilot for NASA STS-131 mission to the International Space Station, which launched April 5, 2010. Some students may be familiar with the name; Dutton visited Sheldon and Cal Young Middle School shortly after the mission. Dave Hunt graduated from Sheldon and went into politics, being the State Representative for District 40 (Clackamas County) from 2001 to 2013.

Gregory Byrne is currently the Vice President of Athletics at the University of Arizona, and previously served as the athletic director at Mississippi State University. Diana Deverell graduated with the class of ’66, and has since written twelve

novels and numerous short stories and fictional articles for magazines. Mike Luckovich is an editorial cartoonist who currently works for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Luckovich has won multiple awards, including two Pulitzer prizes.

While a majority of notable alumni are known for their celebrity, some are honored for their bravery. Erin McLyman was a member of the dance and softball teams, and graduated in 2001. After graduation, McLyman enlisted in the Air Force, and later joined the Army. On March 13, 2010, while serving in Iraq, enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. During the attack, McLyman suffered wounds sustained by the gunshots and later died. According to the Associated Press, which had an article recognizing McLyman’s overcoming of a drug addiction shortly before graduating, now former Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski, while at the memorial service, said, “We will miss her – our state and nation will never be quite as good without her.”

As the class of 2014 is set to graduate in June, will Sheldon see more notable alumni? As Sheldon’s hall of fame is constantly growing bigger, it seems as though the future is bright for the case across from the gym.

Today’s class options fail to give preparation for everyday life Students miss out on learning practical skills without classes like Home Economics and Auto-Shop Sam Fox copy editor Years ago, when this generation’s parents were in school, school life was entirely different: maybe it was the atmosphere and the attitude of the students, or maybe it was the style and way that people spoke. However, one thing that is fairly evident is that classes have stopped being helpful.

Health teacher Mrs. Wenrich said, “It’s not that I think that

the classes that are being taught are not important, because I do. It’s just that I wish we had the ability to teach the [helpful classes], too.” Wenrich later added, “It seems that handson classes are missing.”

Somehow, over the years, schools have given up on teaching classes that will genuinely help students when they grow up and are living on their own. Some examples of these classes would be home economics, car mechanics, and personal finance – all classes that were either offered or were mandatory in schools a few years ago. “Today we remember only the stereotypes about home economics, while forgetting the movement’s crucial lessons on healthy eating and cooking,” said the New York Times’ Helen Zoe Veit.

Sophomore Amryn Lee said, “It would be helpful if I could learn how to do things around the house.” Now, if a student

wants to take classes like these in order to be more capable in the future, the student would have to go somewhere other than their high school and pay for it.

Some speculate that the reason for the loss of these classes is because the classes were too expensive and didn’t actually help people. Mrs. Wenrich said, “[The schools were forced to] cut out a lot of the ‘unnecessary’ classes, and a lot of elective programs were cut.” However, it seems that for the average person, learning how to cook and pay taxes would be more important than a lot of the other things that students are currently learning in high school. Mrs. Wenrich concluded, “It’s like that saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’”

Twitter accounts post rumors involving local high school students In the modern era, teenagers have invented new ways to spread rumors about their peers Holly Ford editor-in-chief

Last year at Sheldon the Sheldon Sh** List (a twitter account) was notoriously known for bashing Sheldon students. This year, another twitter account started under the name All Sh** Sheldon, which similarly posts about Sheldon students. Like the Sheldon Sh** List, the twitter account has been posting about students and their lives; posting things that could potentially ruin reputations and cause emotional harm. A difference, however, is that at the end of each post the targeted person tweeted about has his or her initials hashtagged. This makes figuring out who the post is about much easier for the account’s followers. However, this account recently closed.

Another twitter account, Oregon HS Confessions, posts “confessions” from all Oregon high schools. Students from local schools can submit entries to be posted through ask.

Photo by Kennedy Potts

fm.com, specifically meant to be tweeted by Oregon HS Confessions. While most tweets are about Willamette High School, Sheldon and other local schools were talked about as well. A lot of the tweets were about inappropriate activities or thoughts regarding classmates and even some teachers.

There seems to be a new infatuation with collective student body bullying. Senior Ashley Kim said, “I think spreading lies about certain people for the entertainment of others is terrible and immature.” This form of school bullying signifi-

cantly lowers the general moral of a school. There is process of submitting a comment to be considered to be tweeted and then having the account owner filter through all of the comments (and then, in some cases, hashtagging the targeted person’s initials).

These tweets also enforce a lack of privacy among students. Personal choices are exposed and students’ self confidence can be knocked down for the entertainment of others.

Although the Sheldon Sh** List and All Sh** Sheldon were shut down, the popularity of these student-bashing accounts is obvious. Senior Alex Kalen said, “I think there can be possible solutions, like getting accounts shut down that are harmful, but it’s also difficult because new accounts can be created after one gets shut down. But I also think it’s important to talk about cyber bullying and the harmful effects in school.”

Sometimes ignorance of how it actually feels to be made fun of could be the issue. However, the student running the account and bullying others may have experienced bullying themselves and chosen to perpetuate the action. Kalen added, “I think [educating students about bullying] at least brings the point across and gets people thinking about it, but there are times when students don’t listen and don’t necessarily realize the harmful effects because they have never had to deal with it or see it as an issue.”

Reprecussions of attendance on students’ G.P.A.s A look at truancy’s effects on grades Isaac Grossberg staff writer Nowadays education is highly valued in society, and as such, many students work hard to get good grades. However, many teens lead busy lives that involve sports and activities which may conflict with their school schedule. The problem with this is that school doesn’t stop when you don’t go, and because of this many students get behind on their work. So what should be done to help students who are falling behind due to chronic absences?

Attendance Works is an organization hoping to help students nation-wide with their education. They believe policies should be implemented in schools to better monitor attendance. Recommendations on their site include tracking and monitoring levels of absence by individual pre-K stu-

dents and creating incentives for preschools to address poor attendance and tardiness. They also recommended adopting a standard definition of chronic absence (missing 10 percent or more of school days) and establishing school attendance teams to review chronic absence as well as other key attendance data. Perhaps improving school policies at early ages would help later on.

Sophomore Ryan Ewert said, “You should have to make up your work on your own if you miss school.” Ewert has only missed one or two days of school this year and generally gets good grades. He believes that an important part of school is learning the responsibility to keep up with all aspects of your life. When asked what is acceptable to miss school for, he said, “Sports and sickness, but not skipping for fun.” Ewert and many other students from Sheldon had absences due only to sports.

According to Buffy Naillon from Demand Media, an online news site, “The student’s GPA could… be a by-product of a lack of motivation.” Students who aren’t absorbed in class and don’t have a solid relationship with teachers feel

less of a need to go to school on a regular basis. Some students have poor grades and it could help to have teachers more involved in the students’ studies. While it wouldn’t guarantee perfect attendance, since there are other reasons for absenteeism, it may help certain unmotivated students.

On the other side of the argument, some people believe that schools should excuse students from any work that they have missed due to absences. In fact, some teachers have policies in their classrooms that classify certain missed assignments as “excused” in their grade books. An example of this is Ms. Fields, a physics teacher at Sheldon. She has homework quizzes periodically in her classes that are mandatory in-class assignments. However, if you miss one she doesn’t require you to make it up. This alleviates some of the stress from students’ lives and makes it easier to keep up in other classes.

While some students want an easier time making up work, the majority want those who miss school to learn responsibility in making up schoolwork. Due to this fact, things will most likely not change anytime soon.

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Opinions

April 25, 2014

the Talisman

What it means to be a man Is it physical or emotional strength that makes a man?

Ethan Hauck sports editor My stepmother has recently been very sick. At first she was told it was cancer, then kidney failure, and now it’s mononucleosis (otherwise known as mono). My nine-year-old brother was recently, understandably, upset. What I said to him made me question what I know.

“Michael, I know it’s hard, and I know it’s not fair, but you have to be strong, for mom, and for your sister. You have to be a man.”

As I walked to my room after he’d fallen asleep, I asked myself - what does it really mean to be a man? We use that term, and say “man up” all the time, but what does it actually represent? The masculinity associated with the traditional strong, silent man? Or is it the physical features of a male? U.S. history teacher Mr. Hahn said, “Part of that ‘man up’ hooey and all the other things that go with ‘being a man’… I think that it doesn’t mean you can’t be emotional, but I think that when you say something like that you’re saying it as much to yourself as to them.”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a man is defined as, “an adult male human being”; or, “a man or boy who shows the qualities (such as strength and courage) that men

are traditionally supposed to have.” So when someone is called a man, it could be conceived as a matter of fact saying that they are an adult, or it could be saying that they have particular masculine qualities associated with adult males- courage, strength, heroism. Being a man, according to the dictionary, means that you must be more than masculine - it describes both physical attributes and a mental and emotional state.

Junior Rachel Brungardt says, “It [being a man, “manning up”] is associated with ‘getting courage’ so people say it because it’s men have traditionally been associated with courage, so I don’t like that idea, that men are stereotyped as courageous. Women are just as capable of courage as men.

Essentially this all comes down to stereotypes. Being a man is what we have been told it means – courage, strength, masculinity. But it’s an unfair thought – saying “man up”, or telling someone to “be a man” could be seen as telling men to lose their humanity, their emotion. When it’s all boiled down, you’re saying that they have to be what others want them to be.

Which sport is the best?

Age old question sparks debate in the hearts of fans everywhere Dylan Malpass backpage editor If you ask any athlete what sport is the “best,” he or she will most likely claim that his or her sport is superior. We all know that this is a bogus question because the athlete is obviously biased towards the sport he or she plays. However, when analyzing the question “which sport is best?”, a myriad of factors must be taken into account, such as physicality, skill, and mental game. All of these must be analyzed if one is to truly determine which sport is best.

When asked what sport is best, sophomore lacrosse player Harry Miller said, “I think lacrosse is the best sport, but that’s just because I know a lot about it.” However, when asked what sport requires the most skill, Miller said, “Water polo takes a lot of skill, and it’s very physical.”

Arbitrarily choosing a best sport based on experience alone is obviously not the correct way to answer this age old question. To fully determine which sport can be deemed as superior, one must look at all the factors. When asked what sport is best to play, senior Karl Kawders said, “Football, because then you are recognized by the school.”

Although biased, cultural approval definitely plays a role in many people’s decision on the best sport. Most Americans, and definitely most of the Sheldon faculty, would probably agree that football is the best sport on the face of the earth. Because of this obvious bias, the student body gets to enjoy the “fall student recognition assembly,” also known as the “football team recognition assembly.”

In my humble opinion (and I am completely biased) water polo is the best sport. It combines all aspects of physical conditioning, skill, and cognitive functioning. However, because of culture, water polo is nothing compared to football.

The hypocrisy of modern day America Social justice reaches intolerable heights Ryan Mitchell contributing writer America has reached a low point. Let us be honest, America is not smart. Progressively we have become lenient towards the “victims” of society - lowering academic standards while hailing effort and trying. Our students are far from falling behind; they are pulling a healthy “C” in the world of academics. The ranks of core subjects are going down, yet our collective graduation rate is going up.

This paradox not only exists within the education system. Our social priorities have become invented and hypocritical. We breed a system of tolerance for alien races, ethnicities, cultures (which is perfectly fine). Yet when a person shares views opposite of tolerance, we brand these raw social pariahs with “fresh” go-to terms such as “racist” or “hater.”

Sadly, this skewed reality relies on people being offended. We lower our learning standards so that poor little Jimmy does not feel left out, causing the class to fall behind. Advocates for “tolerance” are truly intolerant hypocrites who jump at the nearest sign of “opposition” to build themselves up while tearing others down.

Our nation prides being last, just as long as no one feels hurt. Consequently, we can now state the veritable truth: we are proud idiots. Do you like that national title?

Teen smoking plagues high schools around the country Student tobacco use causes widespread health concerns Jeremy Brown and Joseph Vasquez staff writers

Teen tobacco use has been an ongoing national issue in high schools, as well as in our community. A study in 2012 showed that 23.3% of high school students currently use tobacco products. That is nearly 20% fewer teens in the U.S. using tobacco products than in the 1990’s, according to the National Teen Tobacco Association. Although the numbers are going down each day, more than 3,200 teens in the United States have reported smoking before age 18.

To get a picture of which age is more prone to tobacco use at Sheldon High School, we asked local students. Sophomore Shaylee Muhs said, “I think a lot of high school students here are using tobacco nowadays, which is causing more adults to do it. If you ask any student when they started chewing or smoking, they usually say around the age of sixteen to eighteen.” In a recent study by The American Cancer Society, it was found that nearly nine out of ten smokers started smoking by age eighteen. It proves that a lot of students from multiple schools and parts of society start to use tobacco by age eighteen.

A few students were asked whether they thought chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes is more harmful. Freshman Carter Bass said, “Smoking tobacco is more harmful, because it is

Illustration by: Holly Ford

destructive on your throat and lungs, by clogging up your lungs making it hard to breathe.”

According to the American Lung Association, chronic lung disease accounts for 73% of tobacco smoking-related conditions, causing airways to produce more mucus than usual making the lungs clog.

Many people feel that peer pressure is the main reason why teens try tobacco products, but is this true? Junior Aaron Mueller said, “I feel that peer pressure is a big reason why teens try tobacco products, whether they are pressured into trying it from their older siblings or other students.”

As a result, we believe that teen tobacco use is a national issue in our high schools today despite the fact that fewer teens try tobacco each day.

Opinions

the Talisman

April 25, 2014

7

What qualifies as art?

The constantly-discussed question is put to rest once and for all Jarred Rogers and Micah Tamasaka opinions and graphics editors What do the Mona Lisa, Grand Theft Auto V, Meatloaf’s Back Into Hell and Citizen Kane have in common? Although some would say nothing, I believe all of the above examples to be fine representatives of their respective art forms.

What constitutes art is a subject that has come under heavy fire in recent years, particularly concerning things like videogames or music. Although classic films such as Psycho or Memento may commonly be viewed as art amongst critics, the state of modern cinema has put that under a lot of fire as well. It seems, almost ironically, the only form of art not to remain under a microscope as of late consists merely of sculptures, photographs, and painted pictures.

And while these are all fine and dandy, I believe the term “Art” applies to so much more - many just refuse to see it.

Now, when I say it is ironic that things like photos or sculptures are considered to be prime examples of art, I say this because, while they can be interesting to ponder, they rarely offer the same amount of emotional and intellectual stimulus as other perceived art styles. The Scream, while an iconic painting, simply doesn’t hold the same weight to many people as, say, A Clockwork Orange. Regardless of whether you’re reading the book or watching the movie, Clockwork Orange is an enthralling tale that explores themes of morality and justice, and introduces Alexander De Large, a protagonist who, while a terrible human being,

manages to earn our sympathy in the end. There are plenty of videogames that explore themes like this as well - such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Putting you in the shoes of convict Lee Everett, the game challenges your perception of survival and humanity, forcing you to make hard decisions and testing how far you’ll go to protect those closest to you.

How, then, is something like this not considered art, yet a piece of cheese that someone put hair on toured galleries countrywide? What about music - take The Mountain Goats, a band which tells vivid stories through the use of witty lyrics and beautiful music? Why is this not more widely accepted as art?

I believe the answer to this lies in the stereotypes of our current generation. When older people think of the music most teens listen to, they think of generic hip-hop or pop.

When they think videogames, they envision the stereotypes of obese gamers playing Call of Duty and repeating the same expletives until they feel they made some sort of arbitrary point. As for movies, well, with recent cinematic abominations such as Transformers or Food Fight, it isn’t much of a stretch as to why to credibility of modern movies comes under fire. Which raises a valid question - if a form of media is accepted as art, must everything in that style count as art? I would say not, although many would understandably disagree. A major prerequisite for art is that it must display potential for mental growth or at the very least a good display of creativity. Another quick glance at select media forms proves that not every aspect of a particular genre can be viewed as art. Try comparing Meatloaf’s Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through to anything by Nicki Minaj. Compare the Portal series to Call of Duty. Compare Pulp Fiction and 300. Videogames, music, television and movies ALL have the potential to be accepted as art, but a few bad apples are spoiling their respective bunches. In the end, art is really just a construct of the human mind, and therefore can’t actually have a tangible definition.

Teachers and their educative styles

Illustration by: Micah Tamasaka

Child Labor Laws: should they be changed?

The good and bad attributes of teachers rely solely on opinion

The ethics of child workers are discussed

Tanner Mitchell staff writer

Ryan Enos and Elijah Renfro staff writers

Not all teachers are created equal, as far as whether or not they are considered good or bad teachers. There are numerous things that can help

a teacher’s reputation. Senior Allie Heiple said, “Listening to students and understanding their problems or concerns can help a teacher to be considered ‘good.’” There are also things that can hurt a teacher’s reputation. Heiple later added, “Not caring about students can hurt a teacher’s reputation, as can not listening.”

Students care about their teachers, and the relationship should be mutual.

However, that isn’t always the truth. For a teacher, it can get to the point where they have been teaching for a long time, and they burn out. They don’t care about their students, and they are just teaching because they need the money. Teachers like this don’t remember their students after those students complete the course.

Some students like teachers like that because the students can get away with more. Other students don’t. The definition of a good or bad teacher is always in question because different students have different opinions of what makes a good or a bad teacher. There is no clear definition of a good or bad teacher.

If a teacher was doing something completely outlandish, then that would be a clear example of a bad teacher. It would be likewise for a good teacher.

Another example of a bad teacher is one that doesn’t know the course material, and isn’t very good at teaching. They should know the material they are trying to teach. If they didn’t, then there isn’t any point to them teaching. Any student wanting to do well in school should hope their teachers know the subject they are teaching. Bad teachers can impede a student’s success in school.

A lot of people would agree that there are some jobs that young people shouldn’t do until they are adults. A lot of jobs require that you are eighteen years of age to work. Sheldon High School junior Shaylee Muhs said, “Age shouldn’t matter; it should be about responsibility and ability.”

Most adults agree with the labor laws because they think the laws will keep the workers safe. For example, campus supervisor Darin Henry said, “In general, labor laws are good because they protect the workers. Also, it’s a very broad question but it makes me think of labor laws that were put in place to protect child labor that was being exploited by industries at the turn of the 20th century.”

“I think it should be about responsibility, reliability and ability instead of just age itself,” junior Daylyn Gould said. This tells us that adults and students or young people disagree about the labor laws. Everyone has different thoughts of this topic and I really think it all depends if you’re a young adult or an adult because Darin Henry, an adult, agrees with the labor laws but young adults say that they don’t generally agree with them.

Controversey on vaccinations The importance of vaccines and why they are necessary Ayla Bussel copy editor Lately, the topic of vaccinations and the different views on them has been a very controversial topic. Ms. Tierney’s 2nd period College Now writing class knows a lot about vaccines due to the weeklong presentations and ten page papers they were given as part of the class’s curriculum.

Senior Molly Walter is very knowledgeable on the topic of vaccines and said that she learned a lot about them and the viewpoint that some people have on them. “I think that vaccines are important because [by getting them] you are protecting not only yourself but also everyone around you from getting sick.” When asked how she felt about being at school knowing that there are kids around her that do not have all of their necessary vaccinations, Walter replied, “I have all of my shots so I feel protected, but it does bother me a little bit knowing that I’m being exposed to these other diseases [by surrounding teens]. If

someone’s religion prevents them from getting shots, then I totally understand that… it’s a touchy subject though. I believe in G-d and I think that He’s giving you what you need to be safe, but everyone believes in different things.”

Walter was also asked whether or not she thinks vaccinations are associated with mental health illnesses and she said, “There was that big autism scare awhile back, but I don’t really believe in that because there is no proof to back it up.

[There’s no link between the disorder and the vaccination].

I think that people just [started that controversy] because they wanted somebody other than themselves to blame for their kids getting sick.” Walter added that if you’re going to a different country it should be required that you get the required vaccines because, “you could bring something back with you that wasn’t previously here.”

Sophomore Aubri Rodriguez said, “I think that vaccines are

important because they protect us and without them, there would be more outbreaks [in schools, etc.].” Rodriguez said she is a little bit nervous about being at school with people who don’t have all of their necessary shots because it’s easier to get sick and everyone is more susceptible to germs.

Sheldon High School alumni Lily Bussel said, “I think that if we have the technology needed to protect people then we should use it. I’m living in New York currently and I also think it’s especially important to get vaccinated in big cities like New York because there are more people around [to be exposed to].” She added that if some families choose not to get vaccinated because of religious reasons then that’s their choice, but on the other hand “their children shouldn’t have to suffer when there are lifesaving solutions available.”

Backpage If mass murders were occurring with automobiles, something should be done The debate has begun: Is mandatory vehicle registration and requiring operator licenses ridiculous?

Isaac Meyer staff writer Imagine a world where there are no driver’s licenses. No DMV. Anyone can drive a car, no tests required. There are no lists of who can drive, what cars are on the road, or who owns those cars. Of course, you’re already saying, “that’s ridiculous and unsafe.” It is.

Now imagine that roughly 16 months ago a rampaging driver slammed a car into an elementary school in Connecticut, killing 26 students and staff.

The event was one of several in which crazed drivers mowed down innocent people in schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, and military bases.

Reformers have become justifiably outraged. Proposals have emerged in Congress to mandate driver’s licenses and driving tests. Other reformers have sought to record all vehicle purchases, not just from federally licensed dealers, to ensure cars don’t end up in the hands of criminals (no one even considers the possibility of a complete vehicle registry). Particularly dangerous military-style “assault vehicles,” such as tanks, would be banned.

But the reformers are facing irrational opposition by the automobile industry and others who say the new laws will infringe on people’s rights. Particularly influential is

the National Roadster Association (NRA), which has refused to even consider any of the new laws. The NRA has lobbied relentlessly in Congress, and most reformers at the federal level have given up on any sweeping legislation. Meanwhile, the Missouri legislature is formulating a bill that would ban federal enforcement of traffic laws.

Opponents worry that vehicle registration and driver licensing requirements will allow the government to confiscate law-abiding people’s cars, and they assert that banning even the most dangerous vehicles on the road would be a violation of drivers’ rights.

They argue that vehicle-related deaths will

happen anyway, and that criminals will always find ways to obtain cars for illicit purposes. They claim, “Cars don’t kill people, people kill people.”

Sound ridiculous? Of course the government should regulate cars -otherwise, deaths and injuries would be off the charts. But read this article one more time, replacing “car” with “gun,” and see if the situation does not indeed bear a resemblance to current gun-control politics.

Cryptocurrencies on the rise as internet “jokes” obtain real value Internet currencies could one day replace physical currency Jarod Bays staff writer In this day and age we are much more likely to buy things digitally, by using a credit or debit card rather than using cash or change. In part because of this, many people have pooled together to make something new, entirely digital the cryptocurrency. As freshman Destiny Jones stated, “Using this type of money seems easier, since you don’t have to deal with your bank or check it for balance.” These currencies are stored on

your hard drive, be it on your phone or computer, and are solely electronic, used both online and in person to make transactions.

Bitcoin was the first, and has the most widespread acceptance as of yet, but there are many others that exist. Litecoin was made as a competitor, marketing a new encryption method for processing transactions.

Afterwards, what started as a joke became viable and real as Dogecoin started and gained acceptance, committing charitable deeds such as sending the Jamaican Bobsled team to the Olympics. Now, Auroracoin is appearing, promising to be an alternative to all residents of Iceland who are tired of their rapidly devaluing currency, the Krona.

But how do these currencies work, and why should we care? Getting started with one or more of these currencies is as simple as downloading a digital wallet (where you

store the currency) and acquiring some, either with USD, by selling something, or by helping to process transactions. While banks invest millions of dollars to get the computer power to process their transactions, these currencies give a reward to those who offer their personal computers processing power.

Local Thai restaurant Ring of Fire accepts Bitcoin as payment, and on Saturday, April 19, my dad and I became their first Bitcoin paying customers. Acceptance of these currencies has been very slow, however, for a variety of reasons. Many see no point to these existing when they can just use dollars instead. Others get worried by the collapse of services like Mt. Gox, such as Jones, who said, “This poses a bit of a problem, since it makes the currency seem unstable.”

There are many more who are worried about the possibility of them being used

to fuel the drug market or other illegal activities. But as sophomore Cheyanne Broten stated, “Isn’t that the concern with regular money?”

Recently, according to stockman.house. gov, Congressman Steve Stockman has started to support cryptocurrencies, introducing the ‘Virtual Currency Tax Reform Act’ on April 8, 2014. If it passes, it will massively benefit cryptocurrencies as a whole. As of now, these currencies are treated and taxed as property, not as currency, and this bill will change that.

Call me toilet paper because I’m on a roll What will happen when bullying goes too far?

Even Charmin Ultra Super rolls run out eventually

Part one of a multi-part fiction series

Sam Melconian and Emily Kartub staff writers

Alex Dillon staff writer

Toilet Paper. You don’t miss it until it’s gone. We’ve grown so accustomed to its presence that when faced with the challenge of having none, we perish - metaphorically speaking.

“It breaks my heart,” said junior Ariston Mokaya; “it’s something no one should have to go through.” There is nothing worse than finding yourself trapped in a public bathroom facility with nothing to comfort you or your butt, except that small cardboard roll: a mere echo of the toilet paper that was once there. What are you supposed to do when all that you have known is suddenly gone? Drip-dry?

Many victims have been forced to call out for help in this, their time of need, subjecting others to the awkward task of having to get them toilet paper.

“It’s an invasion of privacy,” declared Mokaya. And what of the shy people?

“If you can barely talk to somebody about regular things, it would be difficult talking to them about toilet paper,” said sophomore David Libby. It’s unfair for a person to have to step outside their comfort zone in order to deal with necessary bodily functions. Young or old, shy or bold, everyone deserves the right to wipe.

What is more, this issue goes beyond the bathroom. Freshman Ruby Wilson said, “You just feel gross about yourself,” and even suggested that a lack of toilet paper could “limit one's social interactions.” No one wants to have to face the world again after such a traumatic experience. That’s why we, being the frequenters of public bathroom facilities that we are, have come up with a solution.

We have found a way to stop this pattern. One could call it a universal symbol of sorts. If we as a school all participated we could end the toilet paper catastrophes that have haunted these halls for hundreds of centuries, give or take a few. Our solution is simple. Every time you find a bathroom stall without toilet paper, simply open the stall door, slide out the lock, and allow the door to fall back into place. The open lock will keep the door from closing completely.

And just like that we have ourselves a solution. Please join us in stopping this crisis; your derriere will thank you.

One of the best sounds in the world, in my humble opinion, is the noise made by an avid reader opening a book. There are so many different ways it can happen, of course: the pages slide against each other, or the binding creaks ever so slightly, or the plastic cover taped to it crinkles just a tad.

Maybe that’s why I delved into them so much. Every spare moment of my time spent awake was filled with my eyes darting over words printed on off-white pages. Really, what’s so wrong with reading?

Nothing, that’s what, and many people would agree.

Yet it would seem at my school that reading for pleasure is not a “cultural norm.” I had become pretty adept at stealing glances over the tops of my novels when I was in a crowded place such as the hallway or the lunch room. When I didn’t look up often enough, my book usually ended up crashing into my nose, and it was generally not an accident.

“Nerd,” “geek,” and “book freak” are some of the more common phrases used as an attack on my self-esteem. I know I shouldn’t care about what other people say just to get a rise out of me, but more

often than not I heard what was being said and looked for evidence within me that proved they were right.

But one day, I had had enough. It seemed as if every person passing me in the hallway between second and third period was in on some machination against me.

Whack, whack, whack, whack!

“No more!” I yelled aloud, slamming my novel closed without bothering to bookmark my page.

I spun on my heel, ignoring the snickers and remarks by my peers as I marched to the office. Once I arrived, I sat down and waited.

“Your counselor isn’t in today,” the receptionist told me when I asked.

More than just a little miffed, I left the office and stuffed my novel into my backpack. That was it. I wouldn’t read anymore if it kept me safe.

To be continued…

“Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment.” ― Zack W. Van