Talisman vol 50 iss 4 march 11, 2015 issue

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TALISMAN

Humans of Eugene

a student-edited newspaper

pages 6 & 7

Standardized tests

page 2

Sheldon High School

Get Air

page 8

vol. 50│iss. 4│March 11, 2015

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March 11, 2015

Opinions

the Talisman

Community weighs in on high-stakes tests

The pros and cons of standardized testing Ayla Bussel opinions editor

Their feet tap perpetually on the cold concrete floor. It’s no longer a temporary annoyance. Hands fly up in frustration but quickly gravitate back to the keys so as not to waste any time. Four student’s eyes hurriedly glance in unison up at the clock as the seconds turn into minutes and the minutes turn into points lost. The administrator gives the five minute warning and suddenly, almost simultaneously, 30 pairs of hands begin to type rapidly, writing for their lives.

The ‘opt-out’ movement is growing, and it’s growing fast.

Nationwide, families are outraged over the amount of standardized testing their kids are being subjected to. Do these tests really measure students’ overall knowledge? Are there other alternatives to standardized tests? These are just a few of the many questions that arise when the topic of standardized testing is brought up. With so many families raising their voices in protest of these state tests, the future for our students is beginning to look quite blurry.

Roscoe Caron, retired 4j teacher and current professor at the University of Oregon stated, “Oregon voluntarily passed a state law that requires students to pass their Essential Skills exams in order to graduate with a full high school diploma.

This is not part of a federal requirement under the No Child Left Behind law that mandates tests (previously used OAKS tests in OR), now replaced by Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium tests that go with the Common Core curriculum… Oregon is one of 33 states that has fully adopted the Common Core and/or one of the two related tests.”

Are there any conditions that permit students to “opt out” of this test? Caron added, “Federal law states that a parent or student may opt out of testing based on reasons of disability or religion… District 4j, after much pressure from community members, has developed a procedure for opting out. It is a legal right… students can opt out of the Smarter Balanced tests, but will need to replace it with SAT, ACT or work samples...” Caron added, “The cruelty of these tests to

low-income and ELL (English Language Learner) students should be considered criminal. These students are the truest victims and should be the people who are most defended by teachers, parents, community members and by their fellow students.”

The 4j district website displays an opt out form which is a bit complicated to locate. After typing the phrase opt out into the search bar a form will come up which requires parent initials in one of two areas: “request based on disability” and “request based on religious beliefs.” They then must sign the form and submit it to the 4j superintendent’s office for review. However, there is also the option for students to opt out for nonreligious based or disability reasons, simply for wanting to put an end to standardized testing; students should talk to their school counselor for more information.

Vice principal Cary Killen stated, “The English Language Arts portion of the test will take approximately four hours with an additional 30 minutes for a Classroom Activity.” When Killen was asked what kind of reactions have come from the community she replied, “… the change in state assessments has created heightened interest in many states about both positive and negative impacts of standardized testing, but, overall, we’ve seen a fairly mild response to this change in our region… staff have felt the impact of multiple changes within education in Oregon in recent years and have worked extraordinarily hard to help students be successful.”

Caron also stated, “The Oregon Department of Education estimates that between 60% and 70% of students will not “pass” these tests in the first year … very few - if any - colleges ever use these scores to make college admission decisions. SAT and GPA are what count.” Caron added that testing companies are making billions of dollars in selling and distributing these standardized tests.

In Aurora, CO, there are 877 seniors at Cherry Creek High School, “but only 24 showed up to take the state’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success test” on Thursday November 13 of last year, according to CBS Denver. In the article “Hundreds of High Schoolers Boycott New State Standardized Test,” Josh Boxer, a senior from Cherry Creek High School stated, “We’ve been taking standardized testing since we were in sixth grade… there’s way too much

of it and quite frankly, I’m tired of it.” “In the Boulder Valley School District, the Daily Camera reports 84 percent of students in the district refused to take the tests Thursday, with some protesting and collecting food and school supplies for low-income families instead,” said CBS Denver.

District communications director, Austin Amole, said, “We have seen growing parent concern about the number of tests that are given to students each year.” Instances like these are not uncommon. Students in Cleveland, Ohio walked out of the OAKS Science test on April 8, 2013, in protest of standardized testing.

When Larry Lewin, retired 4j teacher (Adams Elementary School and Monroe Middle School) and UO instructor for the UO Teach Graduate Program as well as a member of CAPE (Community Alliance for Public Education) was asked about whether standardized tests are really a good measure of students’ overall knowledge he responded, “For local teachers... not so much… I don’t remember any students even asking about their scores; with Smarter Balanced the cut score will be important, but not answers to any of the individual questions or skills being addressed. That’s not a purpose for high-stakes standardized tests.”

However, there are alternatives to taking these tests. Lewin mentioned, “I prefer classroom-based performance assessment tasks. These tasks… are much more open-ended and better than standardized tests for teachers, students, and parents because they’re connected to the course’s curriculum, scored at school, the feedback to the students is quicker, and kids often can re-do the task and re-submit it for re-assessment.” Lewin added, “only students, parents, teachers, and administrators can convince them [school districts/administrations] to consider boosting the alternatives.”

Overall, the movement is growing. Students, teachers, and their families are raising their hands in protest of these new standardized tests. And as a student it is important to know your rights and to know the facts. A test score is not your future and a test score does not define you. Whether Smarter Balanced (and similar tests) will be here for the long run is unknown, but what you can do about it is up to you. Your academic future is so important and your education is what some might call the key to success in life. The era of the optout movement is here and times are changing. So hold onto your pencils and get ready for the ride.

Be yourself and be more accepting of others An argument for individuality Sam Fox variety editor The Unity Assembly that occurred earlier in the year aimed to encourage acceptance and eliminate hate throughout the student body, and eventually throughout our community. Even with that, people seem to inherently have an issue with accepting people who aren’t the stereotypical “normal.” But what is “normal”? And who decides what the accepted “normal” is?

Blogger Natalie Jeanne Champagne of healthyplace.com said, “In our society, normalcy is connected to how a person should behave, what they should do and should not do, and the importance of adhering to social norms. The word normal, the feelings and actions behind it, is tied to many things in our everyday lives.” “Normal-ness” is something that can only be defined by the people around us, by society. And it isn’t always good to be normal – it is always more important to be yourself.

“Being normal means living within imposed boundaries, being entrapped by the prison of societal standards. Being abnormal smashes those boundaries so that you may break free and liberate yourself from the prison of [society],” said Ramanjit Garewal on rebellesociety.com. With that in mind,

many people try often to be themselves rather than conform to society and be who they think they ought to be.

Being yourself, however, does not always equal popularity or happiness. Senior Khalia Solar, MC of the Unity Assembly said, “Being myself is really hard because I constantly have to start over when I make new friends. People are always confused when I don’t just agree with everything they say or do. There is such a communal expectation that a friend should be just like you and that’s really unrealistic because in the world people branch out enough that it’s impossible to be just like everyone else.” Being yourself will more often result in less stress, and if people can be who they think they are, finding out what they want in life will be much easier.

Opinions

the Talisman

March 11 2015

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Lack of acceptance towards religion Maya Dickinson staff writer Religion is a subject that has influenced the life decisions of people since the beginning of recorded history. For years, the ridicule and shame brought down onto atheists by (some) religious people has been recognized by the media. However, the practice of “religionshaming” through censorship in schools and negative judgments have been dismissed by our nation as a whole.

Discriminatory judgments affect both religious and non-religious people, due to a lack of acceptance of different opinions.

Sophomore McKyna Reed said, “Sometimes I don’t share my opinions regarding religion with certain people because of the

ridicule I see some people go through.” Sophomore Taylor Moore said, “I’ve seen people get into debates that turn into uncomfortable arguments.”

However, despite the negativity surrounding people with different religious opinions, sophomore Winter Rennaker said, “I think Sheldon students are normally respectful towards other people about their religious beliefs.” The acceptance Sheldon students have towards people’s opinions regarding religion is something that can progress and spread to our community, state, and eventually nation as well.

Technology redefines social norms Aidan Acord staff writer In modern society, I feel as if people have become more and more reliant upon technology to the point that some people have in a way given themselves social anxiety. I personally don’t understand the appeal in staring blankly into a phone that’s comprised of completely unnecessary things that someone found amusing enough to feel the need to burden their “friends” with. When asked about over-reliance on technology my dad Michael Acord said, “They are lazy. Life should not be based solely on technology. Doing some things the long, hard way is good for your health and social spirit.”

Which brings me to another topic – “friends.” How is it that someone can call another person their friend if those two people hardly ever speak to one another? I also feel

that because of technology, people are constantly redefining the social norms. This mostly affects girls because through the use of technology people are capable of creating quintessential standards of beauty that are often physically impossible for a human being to achieve. These are sometimes repulsive to many because they don’t look human anymore.

When asked about decreased social interaction my mom Clarice Loo said, “Absolutely technology has created social issues that we didn’t have ten years ago. Some people don’t know how to interact with each other respectfully nor read social cues.”

Now if we were to talk about the pros versus the cons of

technology I would say that technology negatively affects society more than helps it. Cyber bullying is an example of this; because of the internet people can easily impersonate someone without any problems. Due to the over dependence on technology I feel that there has been a significant decline in IQ in all aspects of school. I think this is because of things like calculators that over simplify things to the point where the only thing a student has to do is punch in the numbers. But no matter how much technology impacts society, whether it be in a good or bad way, it will never go away even if we want it to because it’s become an essential part of life for many. When asked about the ups and downs of technology, freshman Evan Nastik said, “When used in moderation technology is an extremely useful tool but can be overused quite easily.”

Self-expression through hair dye Sabrena Sagaff staff writer Dying your hair is such a common thing these days that most people don’t think twice about it. Walking down the streets of Eugene you often see people with hair colors such as light purple, neon green, or bright pink. Why has it become so common for people, especially teens, to dye their hair uncommon colors? Is it a fashion statement or a sign of independence and rebellion?

Sophomore Samantha Sifuentes said, “People dye their hair because it’s fun, and it makes you stand out from the crowd.” It almost seems as if standing out from the crowd has turned into blending in these days though. When seeing someone with blue hair has become an everyday occurrence it makes you wonder what will be the next trend to

come and go. What if teens start shaving their hair, or even their eyebrows? It might seem crazy now, but if you think about how most teens have a tendency to follow whatever is popular then it might not seem as insane as it sounds.

It’s like the trend of dying your hair an unnatural color, it seemed a bit odd at first, but it quickly caught on.

While dying your hair an unnatural color is fun and stylish, there are some problems with excessive dying. It can lead to dry hair, hair cuticle damage, and a more severe damage, allergic reactions. A lot of teens don’t actually know the damage that happens in the hair dying process, but continue to do so without knowing the consequences.

Why do people dye their hair without knowing the con-

sequences? Senior Phil Stinnett said, “Our generation is more bold with the choices they make.” Is this why it’s easier for people to dye their hair an unnatural color? Because our generation is not afraid to take risks?

The majority of teens here at Sheldon have, or at least have thought of dying their hair. It’s fun and trendy. Who hasn’t thought of what they would look like with bright blue or green hair? But will this still be a fashion trend ten years from now? It all depends on our generation, because we are the ones who set the rules for the future. Maybe we won’t still be crazy over unnaturally colored hair. But for now we remain with our bright and trendy unnatural hair colors.

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Features

March 11, 2015

the Talisman

Parking at Sheldon needs to be changed Ryan Enos staff writer Parking in the school parking lot has often been a topic of popular debate for Sheldon students. Some find it hard to park in a decent spot, others find it easy. Mr. Brancato explained “I don’t think the parking lot should be divided up by rank, no matter if you are a freshman or senior. If you are able to drive, you should have the same right as everyone else who drives.”

Campus supervisor Daron Henry added “I don’t have that much trouble parking because I ride a bike to work.” The other part to this issue is staff parking. Should staff have parking precedence over students?

Health and PE teacher Ron Lampe explained his side of the story; “Staff parking is important because staff need a place to park”. Many would agree with Lampe. Hopefully students and staff can work together to create a space where we can all park safely and easily.

Hidden talents of Sheldon Gracie Thompson & Rachel Barnhart graphics editor & staff writer

Sheldon High School is home to many talented individuals.

Academic prodigies, celebrated theatre actors, gifted singers, and

sports superstars walk up and down the hallways every day. Many students are known for particular talents - such as their athletic or artistic skills. But there are other talents among the student body and staff that lie beneath the surface. Some less noticeable, maybe even hidden talents. How many of our friends and teachers have hidden talents?

One of the many talented people here at Sheldon High School is Honors World History teacher Jesse Lawton. Lawton said, “I play in a band called Alder Street All-Stars. We play shows most weekends.” Lawton added, “I have a really weird singing voice, but people tell me it’s pretty good.” Lawton’s musical talents extend beyond singing, though. “I can shred a few on the mandolin as well, for whatever that’s worth.” And Lawton’s performing capabilities go well beyond playing music, who finished by saying, “I guess I can dance.”

Sophomore Samantha Mundorff also has a talent of her own: “I guess you could say either [pitching in softball or playing bass guitar] but I don’t think of them as talents. I consider them to be skills I was born with and have worked really hard to get good at.”

Sophomore Ellie Yamamoto has a rather interesting hidden talent that strays from the ordinary. She can make a bubble on the tip of her tongue and let it float around like a bubble from a child’s bubble wand. “[I discovered this talent] three months ago when I was bored in class.” An unconventional talent that still leaves us with the impression that Sheldon High School is filled with amazing stars of all different trades.

the Talisman

Features

March 11, 2015

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What it means to be a part of Mr. & Ms. Irish Jack Forrest & Solomon Faulkner sports & entertainment editor & staff writer

For many years Sheldon High School has been putting on the annual Mr. Irish pageant. Previously, it was a pageant that consisted of getting voted in and then intense fundraising, with dances and talents thrown in, put together to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network.

After four months of preparation the guys of the pageant were put head to head against their friends. There, the

men showed their skills with individual talents and videos made to help publicize fundraising. At the end of the night Mr. Irish along with Mr. Congeniality were crowned. This year the whole program has changed. It is now the Mr. / Ms. Irish pageant, in which the girls compete instead of coordinating, alongside their male partner. Guys and girls are voted in and partnered together to face the pageant, and the task of raising money.

Mr. / Ms. Irish is a very social event that involves being very outgoing and making plenty of new friends. However, some might mistake this pageant for just being a way to become popular and get your name out there. This was the misconception of contestant Tyler Furgason until his riveting experience at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), “At first I decided I wanted to do it for the social aspect, then we went on the NICU tour and I realized we are saving lives and that is what it’s about.”

When the contestants join Mr. /Ms. Irish, they are devoting hours upon hours of their time to the cause. They must practice for many group dances, their talents, fundraise at multiple events, and finally participate in the pageant.

Contestant Chris Cockman said, “Mr. Irish is a big commitment,” and indeed it is. Even though this pageant is a big commitment, it pays off in the end: “I’m definitely nervous, but at the same time I’m excited.” This seems to be a trend with most of the contestants as all of them are very excited for the pageant they have been working so hard for.

Through all of the fun and social aspects of this pageant we must remember the true cause of this contest: to raise money and help save the premature babies. This is the main goal of all of the contestants and it is what they strive for the most. In the end, two winners will be crowned Mr. and Ms. Irish and along with all of their hard work a great deal of money will be raised to save the babies.

Does the supernatural exist?

Bailea Nance staff writer

When you hear people talk about the supernatural, you may often think of ghosts, vampires or even werewolves among other things. People will often say that the supernatural doesn’t exist while other people will say the exact opposite - that the supernatural does indeed exist. Believing in the supernatural doesn’t make you right or wrong it just means that you believe in something that others may or may not agree with. The supernatural doesn’t just have to be ghosts, vampires and werewolves; it could also be witches, ghouls and demons. Adam Waytz, psychologist on BBC.com said, “We create beliefs because we don’t like believing that the universe is random.”

Most people who believe in the supernatural and the paranormal say that they have seen or have experienced it. When people experience death, natural disaster, or even a tragic accident their brains scramble to find the answers that they are looking for in the mess or chaos. “It’s such an aversive state that if it

can’t gain control objectively, we will get it by perceiving more structures around us, even if they don’t exist,” said Jennifer Whitson at the University of Texas. Maybe people don’t think or even research the paranormal and the supernatural because they can’t wrap their heads around the idea that they may actually exist in the world.

“If you can do things with your mind, then the universe is paying attention to you, and that’s important to a lot of people,’’ said Dr. Robert L. Park, a professor of physics at the University of Maryland.

People might think of you differently when you can do something that they can’t explain that seems unordinary to them. Having the ability to do something out of the ordinary doesn’t make you different, it makes you unique in your own way and that’s what makes people important in the world. So in the end everyone is unique whether believing in the ordinary or not and he or she is important to someone and everyone whether they know it or not. illustration by Gracie Thompson

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Humans of Eugene If you could give one piece of advice to a random stranger, what would it be?

“To create the flow and not go with it!”

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

“Moving to Oregon. I’m from Wisconsin!” She’s been dancing for about 4 years around Eugene, and is a very impressive dancer.

I highly encourage you to find her some day if you can!

Katarina

Human

Max Watson (aka Batman)- This young guy here is a hero. Nearly 2 years ago, when he was about 1.5 years old, Max developed a tumor, called a neural blastoma. It was a two inch tumor between his heart and lung that was caught only due a sudden fever and rapid eye movement his parents noticed when a train passed. He went through chemo for about a year and eventually his tumor faded and is now of a miniscule size and inactive. Unfortunately, the chemo that saved his life also had a downside. The chemo treatment was what did away with the tumor, but it also damaged his hearing and he needs some medical help with tubes and wiring. This little man is one of the happiest children I’ve ever met. A friend of mine and I took him to an arcade for a little while and he chose to play PacMan. Within minutes we had him talking along with the game, making his own “wakawakawakawaka” noises and clapping in excitement. When talking to him, we asked him a myriad of questions, but he only answered one. Who’s your favorite hero? “BATMAN!” When I interviewed Max’s father, Mike, he affectionately called this story “Max’s Throwdown,” and I think that’s very fitting. It doesn’t bring to mind a battle, but a victory. Max won.

Max Watson

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Humans of Eugene

As you can see, Obediah makes all of the jewelry he sells by hand, wrapping precious stones in wire with different designs, creating a unique look in jewelry. He’s been doing this for 8 years, since he moved to Eugene from New York. Why did you move? “When I was a kid, my parents turned me onto hardcore drugs. I moved out here because I needed a new start, somewhere new. I needed to get away [from the bad influences], and I kind of moved around for awhile and ended up here.” If you could give one piece of advice to a random stranger, what would it be? “Stay positive. Keep doing what you’re doing, as long as you’re doing positive. Life’s a lot easier that way. I wish I would have discovered that earlier, it could have made my life a lot better.” You can find Obediah off of Broadway, in between Voodoo Donuts and Sizzle Pie. His creations go for anywhere between $2 and $80 (they’re awesome).

Obediah

ns of Eugene photos and text by Ethan Hauck

Kevin Leonard- Kevin works at the Sheldon Rec. Center, and has for 15 years. He’s also a football coach at South Eugene High School Why do you work here? “I love working with kids. I love watching youth develop, it’s something positive and some people are wired for it- I’m one of those people!” If you could give one piece of advice to a random stranger, what would it be? “To live every day to its fullest. To be happy, not to let the little things get you down. Because that just drags you down and there’s no positivity in it. If you don’t have a positive outlook in life everything just kind of goes sideways; it’s much easier to get a handle on life without a negative view.” When Kevin says he’s wired to work with kids, he’s not exaggerating. When he walks into the room, there’s an instant sense of respect with the kids (all kindergarteners). There’s no fear, no worry, just respect. They all love him, and it would appear that his coworkers feel the same. He’s a genuinely kind man, and if you have a chance to volunteer at the Rec. Center, I would entirely endorse that, if only so that you can learn from the way he handles the students.

Kevin Leonard

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Sports & Entertainment

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Get Air trampoline park jumping in popularity How has Get Air fit into Eugene, and how is it so popular?

and there are believed to be potential hazards to the health of people that go there. When parents think of their children bouncing high an instant concern of most parents is what could happen if their children hurt themselves landing, or miss the trampoline completely. “A new study from Jonah Jellesed an Indiana University School of Medicine researcher finds opinions editor that from 2002 to 2011, accidents on backyard trampolines accounted for nearly 289,000 visits to emergency rooms Jumping higher and higher in defiance of gravity has always for broken bones”(USA Today, Shari Rudyavsky, Home been appealing to kids and adults alike. Now the city of trampoline danger: 1M visits to ER, study says) . Older kids Eugene is privileged to have easy access to this experience that go to Get Air often don’t have to listen to their parents’ on a large scale. With the opening of the facility Get Air concerns and warnings, which means they don’t have as in Eugene, people can go and bounce as often as they like, for a fee of course.

Get Air is the first place of its kind in Eugene, and lots of people in the EugeneSpringfield area have been attracted to this place. Junior Josiah Darland said, “Its fun when you go with a lot of friends and play dodge ball.” Darland, along with many of the youths in Eugene find themselves going to Get Air time and time again.

Although fun, Get Air has its fair share of safety concerns,

much concern about the potential safety issues that jumping high on trampolines poses.

Get Air is the first facility of its kind in Eugene, and many think that it was inevitable for a place like this to become a fixture. Probably the largest issue people have with the new business is the location. It is difficult for people in North Eugene to make the journey all the way to West 11th, and students who want to go to Get Air can’t go as often as they would like due to the inconvenient location. With the location and minor safety concerns being two of the only downsides, the future is looking bright for Get Air.

photo by Jonah Jellesed

The correlation between sports and grades Do sports affect your grades? Does school affect your sports?

Bailey Prusz staff writer Sports are a great way to express yourself, but occasionally they can have unexpected effects on your GPA. Sports can possibly stress you out to the point of exhaustion and inability to complete work. This considered, sports can also help your GPA in a positive way. According to freshman Natalie White, “I find that most of the time, athletes are accustomed to scheduling a lot of activities in one day, so they have at least some time to study.” This is an extremely accurate point because athletes have to schedule practices, games, and tournaments. Since athletes are so used to scheduling they are typically more accustomed to time management.

According to freshman Alyssa Clayton-Sherlock, “I think they help in some classes but sports themselves don’t.”

What she means by this is that sometimes class grades can

be affected by sports while others will not be affected in any way. Sports can have a good or bad impact on GPA, but sometimes they won’t have a direct effect on it.

Freshman Kenadie Kucinski said, “If you have a lot of practice one day, you still need to apply yourself and make time to do your school work. “If you are participating in sports you need to make time to do things, it’s just a part of being an athlete. The commitment you make to sports makes you have to perform your best which can get in the way of homework, but you still need to get it done.

Sports can influence you to perform better in classes because you can’t participate in sports if you have failing grades. GPA can be influenced either positively or negatively. It depends on if the student focuses and is able to

get work done. The athletes need to decide what kind of people they want to be. They themselves choose whether they are going to be both good athletes and good students.

Variety

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March 11, 2015

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Know the toxins in your beauty products Kaetlyn Gibson & Alex McEntarffer staff writers Are people aware of what goes into the beauty products they use? Substances such as formaldehyde and quaternium-15 (which releases formaldehyde), that are commonly found in nail polish and other beauty products, could potentially cause breathing problems and even cancer. So why are these ingredients still being used in our products? In Europe, as many as 1,377 of these potentially dangerous substances are banned from use, yet in the U.S., not even half of them are banned.

Stalie said: “I heard about it in some article I read, but I don’t really know the specifics of what it does.” Most students are unlikely to even know the names of these substances, much less their dangerous effects.

Many students at Sheldon wear makeup, but do any of them actually know what’s in their makeup? When asked if makeup is completely safe, sophomore Pollyanna Stalie said, “No, because there are many waxes, parabens, and harmful carcinogens in most makeup products.” Of course, most of the dangerous effects only occur with high exposure. Stalie said, “I wear makeup most weekdays, sometimes on weekends.” If students are wearing makeup almost every day, then how “high” is this high exposure?

The exposure is all determined by what substance it is. One of the more dangerous products is the p-phenylenediamine that is in hair dyes. There are multiple reasons why it should not make contact with the skin: it can cause severe allergic reactions, asthma, death, and more. Sophmore Bella Brown had no idea about the harmful effects: “I have never even heard of that substance.”

Many of the substances are potential carcinogens (i.e. talc, selenium sulfide, and hydroquinone) and are banned by the EU but not by the U.S. For example, the titanium dioxide that is in several sunblocks could possibly be carcinogenic; it caused lung cancer in rats when it was inhaled. But this was discovered in an experiment that used a highly concentrated powdered version of titanium dioxide. Although the EU has banned these ingredients, should we actually worry about them? Sophomore Kacey Penrod said, “I wear makeup nearly every day, but I haven’t had any reactions to it.” In fact, all of the people interviewed wear makeup, but have not had any reactions.

When asked if they would be more cautious when choosing beauty products, all of the interviewees said yes. Stalie said, “If something is harmful or potentially harmful, people shouldn’t use it.” All of the people interviewed also said they would tell friends and family about the dangerous substances.

Whether or not students decide to change beauty products is ultimately up to them, but it doesn’t hurt to know what’s in the products we use on a daily basis.

Idiot’s Guide to a buffalo home invasion Scott Choi staff writer There’s a @#*%ing buffalo outside your house. What do you do? This article will be the guide to this excruciatingly likely situation, and will document the theoretical outcomes of what certain people would do if they saw a wild buffalo outside their house. Individuals like sophomore Sam Olsson, and senior Shaun Poe were brave enough to discuss this very possible, traumatic experience.

What would you do if you saw a buffalo outside your house? Shaun Poe said, “I would stay inside until it leaves,” while Sam Olsson said, “I’d flip out.” Neither of these reactions are logical. What you should do is to first take off all of your red clothes. Buffalo are color-blind and can only see the color red, this will throw off the scent from yourself, and you will be invisible to the buffalo. Then you grab the nearest firearm available to you. If none are available, then grab a kitchen knife. If you don’t even have a kitchen knife, you’re screwed. As the buffalo is widely known for its excellent

I’m not a buffalo; I’m a bison.

tracking abilities and vicious behavior (not really), you have to admit that the chances of your getting out alive are slim. However, the one advantage all humans have over buffalos is that the buffalos are unable to swim. So, the best way to preemptively prepare for a potential buffalo encounter is to build a pool outside your house, and to float using a rubber-ducky inner tube until the authorities arrive.

Buffalos may look like they are docile and sluggish, but are actually waiting for the right moment to strike. The general public outlook on buffalos is disturbingly docile. Sam Olsson also admitted that he believed all buffalos do are, “eat grass all day and poop.” It is time to change the universal mindset towards buffalos. Inform your aunt, uncle, parents, grandparents, siblings, dogs, cats, and frogs of the real buffalo way. One person may not be able to make a difference, but together we are strong, stronger than buffalo. “My favorite animals are dogs,” says Shaun Poe.

What did the buffalo say to his son when he left for Shaun Poe’s house?

bye, son

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March 11, 2015

Variety

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Extinction of the bees Kaitlyn Schauer & Delaney Hetrick staff writers

Honeybees pollinate about 90 different crops in the United States. This is vitally important to America, since one-third of our diet is based on insect-pollinated plants.

Honeybees are distinguished by their production and storage of honey, and their construction of nests from wax.

Bees pollinate most fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, beans, peas, and cotton. Honeybees are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops. Junior Mitchell Bollig said, “Bees are important to our ecosystem; they keep the plants alive. Without bees we would all eventually die, because the plants would die.”

Honeybees’ survival is primarily threatened by pesticides, habitat loss, and grazing practices. In early 2006,

bees began dying at an alarming rate. To preserve the existence of bees, farmers began to avoid the use of pesticides: the main killer of bees. Junior Colton Ashley looked on the bright side of the situation: “At least the crisis will provide jobs for research and discovering ways of human-run plant pollination.” President Obama has allowed funding of $50 million to create various agencies to address the rapid loss of honeybees and other pollinators.

Junior Emily Kartub said, “Bees are life. They are cute, fluffy, and deserve to live.” If the decline of bees continued, it would be catastrophic to agricultural production; however, over time other pollinators such as birds, bats, butterflies, or other insects could potentially step up to the responsibility. photo by Delaney Hetrick

NASA plans to explore farther into space Alexander Shiroma staff writer With the year 2015 comes new groundbreaking space exploration technology. Projected for 2016, NASA has called for a 500 million dollar budget increase which totals to an annual budget of 18.5 billion dollars. NASA’s goals include reaching Jupiter with the Juno spacecraft launched in 2011 that is scheduled to arrive in July 2016. NASA also has intentions of sending a probe to the surface of Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons) to investigate signs of a possible ecosystem.

When asked how NASA funds should be utilized, freshman Harrison Nabors said, “We have to determine when an idea is deemed too radical or not very beneficial to our way of life. Global warming is a future potential problem and these factors of space exploration and our own environment need to be weighed out and sorted by importance. We should focus on research and technology that would save our own planet.”

With these new plans of space exploration being invested in now, the inventions of future days are going to be even more astonishing. Biology teacher Ike Sanderson said, “What makes science exciting, but difficult, is that you can’t really predict specific advances. All you can do is look at avenues of current research and make guesses of what

could bear fruit soonest.”

The uses of graphene and carbon nanotubes have proven to be an excelled advancement in this century being a very durable, strong and conductible material. Chemistry teacher David Whalley said, “Carbon nanotubes could be utilized for an apparatus to store hydrogen for a car. Graphene could be used to make small transistors or kevlar, but whoever invents a mega storage battery will make an enormous amount of wealth.”

Moreover, the first manned flight mission to Mars will undergo its mission within a decade in an attempt to colonize the planet. The Mars One space program will start sending selected volunteers to Mars in 2024. These volunteers will leave Earth knowing they will never return and they will be the first humans to ever live on another planet.

To answer the question regarding if space travel was an effective use of tax dollars to better our way of life, it is important to note that many important inventions today have developed from space flight programs such as water filters, GPS, contact lenses, teflon cookware and much more.

Connected to Wi-Fi - but not to your friends Faith Beckner staff writer So many people rely on social media and the internet every day. However, is social media really a positive or negative thing? Social media is a way of communication for many people around the world. According to freshman Lexi Freeman, “The internet obviously has its shady parts, but social media apps help keep people or families [connected].”

Does social media really help keep people connected, or stir up more trouble with in the community? Nearly one in four people will use social media daily, according to an eMarket Report. Big time companies advertise their merchandise on social media so they become better known to consumers. People such as freshman Corisa Sanchez

believe that “social media has people thinking that since the product on these apps is everywhere it means everyone should own this product.”

Many in society believe that if people on the internet look a certain way maybe they should look like this. Sophomore Grace Beckner said, “Boys and girls think they should look a certain way so it leads to depression, anxiety or a total shut off to the world.”

So when we take into account both the positive and negative aspects, social media can be a good or a bad resource for society.

the Talisman

Variety

Ask Sheldon Haley Knapp & Kylee Paul copy editor & variety editor

Which does Sheldon like better?

March 11, 2015

11

100+ Sheldon students surveyed

Which does Sheldon like better?

Sophomore Madison Bailey said, “ I like Taylor Swift better because Katy Perry can’t get her sharks to cooperate.”

Which does Sheldon like better?

Which does Sheldon like better?

“I like both. I like Converse better, though, because they’re cuter.”- sophomore Jessica Foutz.

Which does Sheldon like better?

Which does Sheldon like better?

Junior Baylee Paul said, “I like the Ducks better because the Beavers are meant to chuck wood, not chuck a ball.” graphs by Kylee Paul

Run by students. For students.

Editor-in-chief & Features editor Ben Ely Managing editor Ethan Hauck Opinions pg. 2 editor Jonah Jellesed Opinions pg. 3 editor Ayla Bussel Sports & Entertainment editor Jack Forrest Variety editor & social media editor Sam Fox Variety pg. 11 editor Kylee Paul Copy editor Haley Knapp Graphics editor Gracie Thompson Staff adviser Greg Cantwell Staff writers Aidan Acord Rachel Barnhart Faith Beckner Scott Choi Maya Dickinson Emily Ely Ryan Enos Solomon Faulkner Kaetlyn Gibson Delaney Hetrick Alex McEntarffer Isaac Meyer Bailea Nance Kylee Paul Bailey Prusz Sabrena Saggaf Kaitlyn Schauer Alexander Shiroma cover photo by Ethan Hauck back cover photo by Mr. Cantwell

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