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westsidestory IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

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2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

MAY 31, 2012

TECHNOLOGY: WHAT’S NEXT? (pages 7-9)

[PAGE DESIGN BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA] [PHOTOS BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA] [COVER DESIGN BY//LUSHIA ANSON]

Truth About Tanning [Feature 06] We all know tanning can have harmful effects on your health but what exactly are these effects? Is there any way that tanning can be safe?

[Profiles 04] P.O.S. This issue features Sophie McClatchey ’14 and her P.O.S. aka ‘the egg.’

Winds from the West [A&E 10] Ever seen the West High publication, Favonius? In this issue, read about the process to the final issue and how to become involved as well.

A Trojan Summer [Sports 05]

West High Athletics are some of the best in the state, but winning requires a lot of preparation in-season and out.

This issue features only one of these training methods, summer sports camps.

Au Revoir USA

[Profiles 11]

Rachel Ruback ’12 will be graduating a year early to go spend five months abroad in France, through the program Youth for Understanding.

Horoscopes [Back Page 14]

What is in store for your month? This issue features horoscopes that are 1000% going to happen. Maybe.

[Co-Editor] Hannah Merrill

^ ^ ^

What’s Next? [Feature 8-9] In a world where we are always looking for the next ‘big’ thing, the BWSS found out how students at West High can create the next big trend.

[Co-Editor] Velarchana Santhana

Table of Contents

[Co-Editor] Lushia Anson

Dedication to Teaching

PAGE DESIGN BY//HANNAH MERRILL

ART BY// HANNAH MERRILL

After many years of experiencing the joys of helping students learn, Linda Muhly is retiring.

BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA velarch9123@gmail.co​m

It’s Monday morning, students file into room 226 to face matrices, systems of equations, and the quadratic formula. It may sound dreary, but it is in fact far from it. Students are greeted with smiles from Linda Muhly in her, at first, unfamiliar accent. The lesson begins, Muhly calls on students and answers questions, keeping the class focused. Students leave the room satisfied with what they have accomplished.

After teaching math at West High for 30 years, Muhly will be retiring this year. Muhly said, “I have a great time with students, but I want to retire on a high note.”

Muhly’s love for math derived from the logic and beauty of the strucI HAVE ture of m at h , b u t most TIME WITH i m portantly s h e enjoys t h e o p portunity of being able to work with students. “I love teaching students, seeing them get excited and learn,” Muhly said.

Muhly’s began liking math in junior high school, living in New York. “It was very different, much more restrictive,” said Muhly. When she attended college at the University of Michigan, at the age of 16, she took all the math classes she could take.

Once Muhly graduated, she taught at a college in Memphis and a high school inYpsilanti, Michigan, later coming to Iowa to teach at Mt. Mercy University.

“

“A GREAT

STUDENTS!

PHOTO BY// VELARCHANA SANTHANTA

Linda Muhly assists Hannah Merrill ‘14 with her assignment.

She chose West because of its location and because she liked teaching more content to more advanced students.

“I thought West was a great school and still think so,” said Muhly.

During class Muhly cracked jokes ranging from “[She’s] allergic to [her] math teacher,” after a student repeatedly sneezed, to “You’re not supposed to kick your mom,” after she observed a student’s new boot. Emily Starman ’14 said, “She always tells it like it is.

Muhly’s teaching skills have also earned her respect. Michael Clement ’14 said, “(Muhly) expects that if you don’t know the answer you will ask.” Clement also said, “Mrs. Muhly will teach to the class, [as far as] the pace.” She welcomes que-

COMPLETE THE

BWSS: We are young. So let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the _____. (We are Young, Fun.) WITTHOFT: “Choir.”

BWSS: This is the part of me that you’re never gonna ever take away from me, no. Throw your ______ Throw With Darci Witthoft your ______ (Part of Me, Katy Perry) PHOTO BY// VELARCHANA SANTHANTA WITTHOFT: “Shoes.” “Purse.”

LYRICS

tions and is willing to assist any student who needs the help. Aileen Norris ‘15 agreed, she said, “She doesn’t just call on one person and she makes ...sure you understand.”

As far as after retiring, Muhly has many things on her agenda including reading, traveling, and going to math conferences. She says she will also practice her piano, which she has been playing since a child.

She will have more time to spend with her dogs Tristen and Lucia. She will also have time to visit her children, both of whom do not live in Iowa.

Muhly said, “[I will] miss [my] students and colleagues.” Muhly’s teaching ability and friendly manner has impacted many students throughout the years. Not only impacting students, but leaving a lasting impression on West as a whole.

BWSS: But I set fire to the rain, watched it _______ let it ________. (Set Fire to the Rain, Adele) WITTHOFT: “Evaporate.” “Disappear.”

BWSS: Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but ______________ (Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen) WITTHOFT: “It’s time to get your freak on.

COMPILED BY// VELARCHANA SANTHANA 03 PROFILE

P.O.S Of the month

Sophie McClatchey ’14

WWW.WSSPAPER.COM Log on for exclusive video coverage.

“This is a Toyota Previa from 1991. We call it ‘the egg’.”

My favorite part is the radio stations because “My oldest sister who is now 22... it only has rock and country...I like to rock out.” started girl scouts [about 20 years ago]...so we have had that [bumper sticker] there for a long time.”

PAGE DESIGN BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA COMPILED BY// HANNAH MERRILL AND VELARCHANA SANTHANA 04 PROFILE

PAGE DESIGN BY//HANNAH MERRILL

A Trojan Summer

BY LUSHIA ANSON lushia.anson@gmail.com

Summer is finally here, bringing vacationing, frozen treats, and for some, the start of the sports camps here at West High.

The Trojan summer sports camps have been a part of West High ever since the school was opened, and they’re still going strong. There’s a camp for every sport at West High, including basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading, basketball, track & field, soccer, wrestling, football, swimming, and cross-country. The age groups for each camp vary from kindergarten to twelfth-grade; however, not all of the camps are open to every age group. The costs range from $30-$50, and span from two days to a week.

Although the camps will be directed by the West High varsity coaches for each sport, some varsity players from West will be assisting in the younger kids’ camps this year. Kathy Bresnahan, who will be directing the volleyball camp this summer, said that having West High players there to help is beneficial in giving the younger athletes someone to look up to, especially if they aspire to play for West one day.

Abby Brown ’14 has attended the West High sports camps since 8th grade, and has enjoyed it because she gets a chance to fine-tune her skills and to hang out with her volleyball friends. “There are really fun people there,” Brown said.

Like Brown, many West Side athletes have friends who also attend the camps, and the camps are a good opportunity to socialize and work on technique alongside friends. The varsity coaches are very supportive and it’s a chance to do some in-depth work and improvement on the athlete’s sport of choice in a fun, supportive environment At the camps, younger kids usually focus on beginning and developing skills for the sport, whereas the older kids’ camps are more focused on getting prepped for the season. They are also a good opportunity for all students to work with a varsity coach and fine-tune their skills even further.

Usually, the camps play a big role in helping the teams fund their seasons, and the proceeds can also pay for “extras” such as t-shirts, supplies, tournaments, and team suppers. Bresnahan also adds that these camps are an excellent way to promote the athletic programs at West High The camps are also a good chance for coaches to see and evaluate younger athletes, especially those coming into West High. Though the younger camps receive athletes from all levels, ranging from beginner to already advanced, the varsity coaches evaluate each student carefully, looking for potential and/or skill.

West side athletes looking to work on or retain their skill over the summer or younger students who are interested in starting to play a sport are all welcome to attend. Though registration is closed by now, the Trojan camps will still be here next year and will always be a part of West High.

COURTESY OF// WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 05 SPORTS

the truth about

tanning

BY HANNAH MERRILL

PAGE DESIGN BY//LUSHIA ANSON

self-exams

hannah.merrillwss@gmail.com As summer rolls around, the to-do lists begin--go to the pool, have a bonfire, go to camp, and often, come back to school tanned. But despite all the vitamin D being soaked up from the sun during the hot summer days, the ultimate damage of the rays can be severe. The danger of tanning is no new issue--no matter how many times the risks are drilled into people’s heads, the information is ignored or justified with false information. Unfortunately, many put their lives at risks because they simply ignore the facts.

Surprisingly, anyone can develop skin cancer, no matter the color of their skin.

“Those with a fairer complexion tend to be more prone to develop skin cancers. But it is a myth that people with darker skin tones such as those of African descent are not susceptible to skin cancer,” said Dr. Janet Fairley, of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

She explained that acral lentiginous melanoma, which spreads to the fingers and toes, is more common among Africans/African-Americans than among whites. This is what killed the famous musician, Bob Marley.

There are other causes of skin cancer. Scientists believe that genetics may play a role in its development, though they have yet to isolate the specific gene, and a poor immune system can increase one’s chance of developing skin cancer.

But tanning, outdoors and in, is one of the greatest risk factors for the development of skin cancer. There are three main types of skin cancer, all of which are related to sun exposure. Generally, skin cancer is easy to treat, but still, it is not to be taken lightly.

“Melanoma is even more worrisome,” Fairley said, “Its incidence has been rising sharply over the past 20-30 years and of all the cancers, it causes the biggest loss in years of

06 FEATURE

Fairley recommends skin exams on a monthly basis. It simply requires looking at your skin to see if any unusual looking growths have developed. A hand mirror and a full length mirror can be used to see the skin on the back and the back of the legs.

Look for the ABCDs:

life since it tends to affect people at a younger age and can spread aggressively to other organs.”

However lengthy days in the sun are not always the cause of melanoma; any short, intense exposure to ultraviolet rays, such as what is offered in a tanning salon, can cause skin cancer. Local tanning salons refused repeated requests to answer questions about the dangers of tanning.

“Beyond the risk of cancer,” Fairley said, “I am always amazed that (most commonly) women who spend billions per year in the U.S. alone on cosmetics and products to enhance their looks will do something like tanning that causes their skin to prematurely age.”

And while a tan may look attractive as a teenager, many tanners will regret it when they wake up one day with wrinkles.

Although some promote tanning, suggesting that salons can actually prevent burns with a base tan, Fairley explained that there is no such thing as a “safe” tan. In her opinion, the best way to avoid burns is by wearing sunscreen and protective clothing. However, sunscreen with a SPF above 30 is no more protective than anything less.

The fact of the matter is that vitamin D is taken from sunlight, but it can also be obtained in food, milk, and vitamin supplements. And especially after the incident of the New Jersey mother taking her five-year old daughter to a tanning salon, the question is raised as to whether tanning salons are appropriate for minors.

“If you believe that it is okay to regulate selling cigarettes to minors because they are carcinogenic then there is no question you should also believe regulation of tanning to minors should also be regulated,” Fairley said.

The sun presents dangers, but there is no reason to fear it, as long as you wear protective clothing and use sunscreen. Then the summer sun will be much safer.

A. Asymmetry- A normal mole should be uniform from one side to the other B. Borders- Normal moles have a sharp border where it meets the normal skin C. Color- Normal moles usually only have one color and are reddish brown, to almost black, and occasionally blue.

D. Diameter- Moles that are less than the size of a pencil eraser are statistically less likely to have skin cancer.

The advice she usually gives is to look for the “ugly duckling”.

Most people have moles that are all quite similar – if there is one that really stands out from the rest, it’s time to have your physician take a look.

[PAGE DESIGN BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA] [PHOTOS AND ART BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA]

Inventions for the FUTURE

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What have we not invented?

We already have computers, robots, and cellphones. We are constantly wondering what will come next. Turn the page to see the creative ideas that students at West High want to invent.

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PAGE DESIGN BY//HANNAH MERRILL

ART BY//KATE THORNE COMPILED BY// HANNAH MERRILL, LUSHIA ANSON, AND VELARCHANA SANTHANA

What NE

What would you invent?

“My dream invention would be to create earplugs that block out all sound. For people with hearing aids they can turn off their hearing when they want it to be quiet. When taking tests I could have complete silence or on a long plane ride I wouldn’t have to listen to babies cry.”

-Jenny Clark ’13

“[...] We need important technological innovations in order to fully support our needs.

First and foremost amongst this would be the invention of a zebra that could melt through doors. This would change all of the biosphere as we know it, for its prominence in coolness would be at a level of awesomeness beyond that comprehensible by the mortal mind. However, this zebra must only be able to melt through doors that are unlocked, so as to protect the securities of our nations.”

-Daniel Syed ’14

BY HANNAH MERRILL AND VELARCHANA SANTHANA hannah.merrillwss@gmail.com and velarch9123@gmail.com

“Spray on clothing. Then you could spray on a shirt or pants and they’d never lose shape. Yay.” -Carly Stamnes ’14

Electricity, the light bulb, radio, television, the computer, the cellphone, and texting. In today’s society, the assumption is that everything we need can be or already has been invented—but this is far from the truth.

Although it seems as if anything can be answered and that whenever we are too lazy or forget to turn off the lights, we can pull out our handy-dandy smartphones, intelligent enough to receive a marriage proposal. However, we forget the work that goes into all of our nifty gadgets, never taking the time to appreciate the many inventors throughout the world, with constant ideas to make our lives even easier. And who knows—maybe one of us could become an inventor someday!

Inventions happen everywhere, all the time, including at the University of Iowa. The University is constantly working to create new products, softwares, and drugs to benefit others. For example, one of its newest therapeutic drugs being developed is a way to treat Hepatitis B. However the University has many other inventions in the making.

According to Zev Sunleaf, the Interim Executive Director at the University of Iowa Research Foundation, “We have other things in the pipeline to address various types of cancer, various teaching tools, software to optimize various processes in manufacturing and development. Because of the clinic care, a large percentage of our disclosures tend to be in the medical area.”

The process for creating something can be simple, or incredibly long and complicated. For many inventions, the price tag of an idea is enough to make you dizzy-drugs can take a billion dollars and ten years to even reach the market, whereas software, such as an app, can be relatively cheap and on the market in a matter of days. “(Invention ideas) generally happen in a lab,” Sunleaf said,”You develop something that you think might be useful.

After that, many things happen. Sunleaf’s office would

Comes XT? screen a new disclosure, researching an idea to make sure it is actually new and has the ability to have patents filed on it. They would also try to find someone to help bring the invention public. It is important to find the right partners, so that the beneficial idea has the chance to improve the world. Occasionally, inventors feel they can create their own companies to develop the product. But not only is finding a partner important, but also protecting the ideas so that they can be credited to you.

Protection commonly comes in three forms: copyright, patents, and trade secrets. “If you write down a book, print it on a piece of paper, it has a form of copyright. For patents, you actually have to go through a lot of detailed analysis and writing to describe how to make your patent and idea, submit it to the federal government, and spend a few years arguing with them as to whether you actually created something new,” said Sunleaf of two of the three forms of protection.

The final type of protection is a trade secret--for example, the recipe for Coca-Cola is a mystery to most, except for a select few who know the ingredients to the popular beverage. However, the recipe is locked up somewhere else to protect the secret of Coca-Cola’s success.

Getting a patent is not easy, though: “I like to tell people that right now the patent office is so far backed up that you will wait two and a half years for a response,” Sunleaf said.

And after the endless hours of impatience for the office to even respond to the hard work spent on pages and pages of work explaining the idea, it can take even more time and money to make anything happen.

But no need for discouragement: inventions are wonderfully necessary to our progressive world, and new inventions are put out on the market everyday. Our world would be nowhere if we did not have creative minds, thinking outside the box, to invent those things that we take for granted. All it takes is one person with a good idea, and the passion to make that idea a reality, to change the world for the better.

What would you invent?

“My dream invention would be a ‘domesticator.’

Any animal (possibly human) would be domesticated if I clicked a button. I would probably own a small hippo.”

-Paul Curry ’14

“My dream invention would be a jetpack that would be really small and lightweight. Then I could jetpack to school everyday and I wouldn’t have to worry about traffic and bad drivers.”

- Austin Brenner ’13

“A teleporter; I could go and visit my relatives around the world in a second. Also, there wouldn’t be a need for cars so there would be less pollution.”

-Nidhi Patel ’15

PAGE DESIGN BY//LUSHIA ANSON

Winds from the West

BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA velarch9123@gmail.com

You may have seen the black-and-white booklets on display in your English rooms, or available to be read in the library.You may also have noticed the brightly decorated manila envelopes quietly hanging on walls and bulletin boards around the school. Perhaps you’ve walked past the open door of room 107 after school on a Thursday, and seen a group of people sitting in a loose circle, talking animatedly while analyzing and discussing literature. This is Favonius, West High’s literary art magazine.

Favonius is released once a trimester. It features a variety of pieces including short stories, poetry, and art. It also publishes mini-issues of different content every few weeks. Most recently, they conducted a 6-word story and a haiku contest.

“Anyone can contribute,” said Anna Furlong ’14, Favonius’ art and design editor. Students can submit their works anonymously in manila envelopes that are located within most of the art and English classrooms around West High, as well as the library. They can also submit them to whsfavonius@gmail.com, the club’s email.

“We get a lot of [submissions] from the English poetry units.”

Furlong said.

Although they get submissions, sometimes there can be a lack of them. They are looking for a variety of literary content as well as 2-dimensional art to feature.

Along with being a publication, Favonius is also the club that meets to decide the content of the magazine. The club collects

10 A&E

and compiles all the submissions on Thursday afternoons and then meets after school to analyze and discuss the pieces. “[The best part of Favonius] is getting to talk about literature.” Furlong said.

At meetings, members sit in a circle on the floor, and they take turns reading the different material and voting on whether it should be included in the issue. Usually, the club is looking to include a variety of content for their magazine. Students filter in and out of the room, dropping off food, stopping for a chat, or staying to discuss a work or two. Conversations can start out fairly random at the beginning of meetings, with topics such as Chuck Grassley’s tweets coming up, but later the members become much more focused and serious, contemplating the “deeper meaning” of each poem or submission while considering it for publication, with each member contributing their feedback. Despite the club being a comfortably tight-knit group, the atmosphere stays very open and relaxed for anyone who joins.

Along with being able to discuss literature, Favonius members are given opportunities to write their own works. They attend different programs at the University of Iowa to improve their writing. The club has also sponsored poetry slams.

Furlong has been a member of Favonius since her freshman year. An issue that Favonius is having right now is a lack of underclassmen members. They currently only have two regular sophomores with the rest being upperclassmen. “Young blood would be nice.” Furlong said.

Meetings are Thursdays after school in Room 107, Mr. Lindsey’s room.

Au Revoir USA, bONJOUR fRANCE

PAGE DESIGN BY//HANNAH MERRILL

ART BY// HANNAH MERRILL

BY HANNAH MERRILL hannah.merrillwss@gmail.com

Oh, la, la! Baguettes, fashion, crème brulée, and let’s not forget escargot! But now, include senior Rachel Ruback’s home in a description of the culturally rich country, France. The food, the language, the cities—all capable of easily drawing people in, including Ruback, who is graduating a year early to enjoy a life changing foreign experience on a trip abroad to France. But this adventure was not a dream Ruback had a few nights ago—she has been planning it for years.

Ever since she was a little girl, watching a Disney Channel film about a girl who went abroad, Ruback has been thinking about France. What was a joke in the beginning, announcing to her parents that she should follow in the footsteps of the Disney Channel star, Ruback’s parents took seriously. They encouraged her to do some research. And her joke became a thrilling reality.

“I’m really excited to get out of my comfort zone,” said Ruback, who sees herself as a girl who has had a fairly easy and normal lifestyle.

Without her parents to guide her, Ruback will have to learn to rely on herself, and speak another language in another country.

French is not entirely foreign to Ruback, though: she has been taking it in school for the past five years.

However, Ruback did not choose to take French for reasons such as admiring the beauty of the language.

No, Ruback chose it, because one day she would like to be a doctor. Seeing that many African countries speak French as their I’M REALLY EXCITED pr imary lang u a g e, OUT OF MY s h e knew that she could spend some t i m e worki n g there in the future. But Ruback has much to do before that dream comes true, and France will give her some important life skills.

“TO GET

COMFORT

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ZONE

“I think it will be a good experience to make me grow up,” Ruback said, hoping that she will “become more self-aware.”

Ruback also hopes to learn what she can do by herself: when she must ask for help and when she must take matters into her own hands.

Ruback will be in France for five months, the first three weeks being a French intensive in Paris. But Ruback looks forward to more than just the intensive while in the “City of Lights.” “[I’m excited about] getting to go to the Frenchstereotypical sites,” Ruback said of the tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

But some plans will probably be made at the last moment. For example, Ruback does not know where she will stay after Paris. The program in charge of the abroad stay,

Youth for Understanding, assigns families to their participants—Ruback has not been notified about her family yet. So how could she possibly know where she will be staying if her host family is currently nonexistent? And there is a chance that Ruback will not know which family she will live with until the day before her departure.

After France, Ruback will return to Iowa and begin classes at Kirkwood while working in the labs at the University. Once the new school year commences (in the fall of 2013), Ruback will probably join her now junior classmates in college, where she will most likely be a pre-medicine student. But maybe her plans will change after her time in France. Until then, au revoir Rachel Ruback—and bring back some crêpes!

11 PROFILES

Opinions

[PAGE DESIGN BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA]

Battle of 2015 It’s almost 10 miles from North Liberty to West High School. And it’s around 12 miles to City. North Liberty now has its own junior high, but as soon as the students get to high school, they have to be bused to a school in another city that’s already overcrowding.

Overcrowding at Northwest and Southeast Junior High was solved by building a third junior high in North Liberty, and now the Board of Directors debating whether to use the same approach for the high schools. West High is becoming increasingly overcrowded year after year, which is no surprise, since it’s receiving students that live 10 miles away. The projected third high school, if passed, will be built in 2015, in North Liberty, and will mainly receive students coming from

North Central.

The pros of this situation would be that it would ease overcrowding at West High, and it would also make it easier for students that lived in North Liberty to commute to school every day.

The numbers at West High are slightly overcrowded right now, but by 2015, they will probably be unbearable, and will not be able to be entirely assuaged by redistricting people to City High School. Also, many North Liberty students commute to West High by Interstate 80, which some consider to be fairly dangerous given the large number of teenage drivers that use it on weekday mornings. It might also help ease the rivalry between City and West High School.

The drawbacks of building a third

high school are that it would take a lot of money, time, and commitment. With the Iowa City Community School District’s budget growing tighter and tighter, many more layoffs and cuts are being made on our schools. Adding a third high school would probably squeeze the school’s budget even tighter, and would result in more funding being sucked out of the other schools and other programs.

There would also be the need to hire many new teachers and to also form a strong support staff at the third high school. If this decision is put off much longer, there won’t be time to have a new high school built and ready by 2015. And also, the district will really need commitment and multiple strong reasons for going through with

it. There are definitely reasons, but whether they’re urgent or valid enough to seriously consider building a third high school is really the question.

2011-2012 EDITORIAL BOARD Hannah Merrill Lushia Anson Velarchana Santhana

Question: Should the ICCSD Build A Third High School in 2015?

2-1 The BABYWSS editorial board voted for a new high school in 2015.

The Meaning of ‘LIKE’ photos that constantly clog up people’s newsfeeds. The whole idea is that there are people out there who post these photos of kids with cancer or animals that have been abused with a message that reads something along the line of “LIKE if you’re against cancer!” or “One like= One prayer!”

It’s a nice concept at first glance, but what I don’t understand is how simply

BY LUSHIA ANSON “liking” a photo will do anything for the lushia.anson@gmail.com cause. People don’t make money off of Don’t get me wrong. I am definitely other people’s likes on Facebook, so against cancer. I’m against child abuse, it’s not all going into a cancer prevenanimal abuse, and any other type of tion fund. Just clicking on a link on a abuse there is out there. None of these social networking site won’t send help should exist and I would like to do all their way. If I could actually help people I can to stop them. Unfortunately, it’s out there by liking a bunch of these “vinot as simple as it may seem these days. ral” photos, I would. I definitely would.

Anyone who has been on Facebook, It would be worth spamming people’s well, at least once in the past five months newsfeeds if “liking” those photos actuwill know what I’m talking about when ally did something.

I refer to the incessant amount of “LIKE” But it doesn’t. I was exasperated with 12 OPINION

all those photos, but I was also a bit intrigued at the number of “likes” they reeled in. So I decided to do some research on the true intentions of these photos.

I already knew that each photo had racked up thousands of billions of zillions of “likes,” but I had never noticed the comments before. I found that the amount of comments on these photos varies, but surprisingly, most of them were not about the photo.

The first comment was usually one by the original poster of the photo, and said something like, “Who wants 5,000 friend requests? Subscribe to me, <insert spam-monster’s name here>, like this comment, and watch your friend requests blow up!”

The rest of the comments were something like, “OMG thanks for the 1,437 friend requests, <spam-monster>!”

So these people don’t really care about cancer or child abuse at all, they just want to guilt-trip your morals into liking their photos, and then getting subscribers and friend requests? Apparently.

So please. If you honestly care about cancer, domestic abuse, child slavery, or any other evil in the world, do something. Don’t just mindlessly “like” a “charitable” photo and forget about it five seconds later, or worse, fall into the trap of actually subscribing to these spam-monsters. Volunteer, donate to a fund, but just don’t sit there “liking” a whole bunch of photos thinking it makes you a better person or that it will help them. These people don’t really care about these photos as much as they do about the subscribers and likes.

If you want to help make the world a better place, make your actions count.

[PAGE DESIGN BY//VELARCHANA SANTHANA]

Preparation Time

BY HANNAH MERRILL hannah.merrillwss@gmail.com

So what if the world really does end in 2012? What if a pole shifts and a gigantic wave kills us all? Or maybe there is a planet called Nibiru that will collide with Earth on 12/21/2012. Maybe the end of the Mayan calendar’s cycle actually does prophesize our extinction.

And what if our worst nightmares do come true: the catastrophic events that are only seen in dark cinemas will become a reality? Perhaps the only ones still alive will be the people everyone considered insane—the ones who began preparing —the ones who began preparing--in time to save their lives…

from Doomsday!

For many years, people have prophesized. the end of time. In the seventh century, for example, the Romans believed in an apocalyptic event. And let’s not forget Harold Camping’s several predictions last year that the world would end. (Perhaps he caused himself to have a stroke with his convincing statements.) But supposedly, the process of the world ending has already begun--it turns out that on May 27th of this year, Christ returned and began the series of events leading up to the end of the world. But I apologize to Doomsday believers. I have to admit that there have been several times in the past few years when I have thought that the world might actually end. The recent string of tragic natural disasters has not put my mind at ease—huge earthquakes, powerful tornadoes… I just might have to move to a survival community and stock up on my canned foods—you can never start planning too early--sadly, in my case, it might be too late.

But what really makes people believe

that the end is near? No matter how many times the end of the world has been predicted and then has not ended, there will always be those who fear the worst and will prepare years in advance, terrified for the fate of the world. Nor does it take much to sway the thoughts of a human from one thing to another.

In fact, I stumbled upon a website filled with convincing facts about the dreaded day, causing me to begin to believe that something was about to happen. The site had a helpful list of supplies to stock up on: unsinkable boats (why hadn’t I thought of that?); books about algebra, physics, and other practical knowledge; and windmills for the production of electricity (my goodness, I might have to get a bag like the one Mary Poppins used). Unfortunately, this website, www.howtosurvive.com, states that the United States is not the best place to be, and there will not be very many survivors. Too bad—I was looking forward to creating a new civilization.

Back to my question, though--what

causes people to fearfully prepare for the supposed end? The things is that once an idea is planted into someone’s head, even if it is not true at all, the seed of lies begins to grow and develop and people begin finding evidence for their beliefs where it is nonexistent. Then the idea spreads to others like a nasty, communicable disease. Sooner or later, the idea becomes a fact for many. Thus in Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago suggests to Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him, and soon everything looks to him like proof of her adultery. People believe what they want to believe— and they can twist things until others believe, too. No doubt after this feared December day passes and the majority of the world is left standing, someone else will come up with yet another day to worry about, and we can all go into hiding once more—wow, with all the possible days for the world to end, I just might go hide in a cocoon and never come out.

The Responsibility of Freedom

BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA

velarch9123@gmail.com Sixteen. That age featured in songs like “Sweet Sixteen” by Hilary Duff, and the hit 1984 movie Sixteen Candles.The coveted age that you can drive (legally) by yourself. It’s a whole new age of freedom but also of responsibility. There is talk that maybe sixteen is too young to have the responsibility of driving, but I believe that if we are willing to acknowledge the risks we

are capable of having the freedom.

For me, this responsibility comes from knowing that I can hurt the people that I care about. For example, if I am driving my sister to softball practice, I am extra cautious and focused whereas when I drive by myself this isn’t always the case.

Yet it is still in my mind that I should be responsible because it is the right thing to do. I have this almost ‘good’ pressure which leads me to be responsible.

As children, we want to grow up right away. We want to be able to do the good things that grown-ups can do, like drive or not go to school, but we are not shown the responsibility that accompanies these freedoms. As we grow up and acquire more freedom, we learn the responsibility that comes along with it but sometimes don’t fully realize what we are responsible for.

That then becomes the question, do we prize the freedom so much that we don’t acknowledge the responsibility for what it is? That’s what is scary, the responsibility to be responsible responsibly because, like the wise words of my car insurance salesman, what I do affects not only me, but my family and my friends. I hate the idea that every time I get into a car, I am endangering all these innocent people, every decision I make could lead to tragedy, every distraction is one more chance for me to mess up.

But even with all the pressure, and possible negative outcomes, I gain so much freedom and, in turn, choice within my life which, to me, outweighs all the risks. We have to be aware of the dangers we pose and face, but we cannot let the threat of bad things happening, stop us from living our lives.

This ideas of responsibility and freedom doesn’t necessarily have to be only while driving. It can be applied to getting a job, staying at home alone, or going off to college.

It is cliche but that is what it is, the need for a balance of both freedom and responsibility.

Knowing that bad things can happen will not stop me from exercising my freedom in driving, but just remembering that I am affecting other people leads me to make better decisions. That is what we need, not more restrictions, but more freedom to enable us to think more responsibly and learn to make those more responsible decisions. Like the words of Nietzche, “Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves,” we must accept the responsibility to be responsible.

13 OPINION

PAGE DESIGN BY//LUSHIA ANSON

BY LUSHIA ANSON The position of Mars today indicates that you are 0.001% more likely than your peers to get stuck while climbing up a drainpipe, trying to escape an awkward situation.

Avoid awkward situations if you happen to be claustrophobic.

Owbay ownday otay hetay illway foay emay, ouryay ewnay uleray foay hetay Niverseuay!! Ouryay oulsay siay inemay ownay.

By giving out late penalties for homework, teachers are only trying to trick you into doing your homework before you get older, wiser, and more likely to get full credit.

Don’t let them cheat you out of the wondrous experience of “learning at your own pace.”

Your brain is flowing with a steady stream of ideas, none of them your own. Don’t plagiarize. The librarians will find out by installing superpower cookies in your computer, or looking over your shoulder as you copy and paste that Facebook status from funnystatuses.com.

The only successful way to be genuinely funny is to act stupid. Conversely, if you want to look stupid, attempt to be funny. Loudly telling antijokes in the middle of class could go either way, depending on whether the anti-jokes involve poultry or crosswalks.

Money is everything.

Being happy is so last decade. If you go to Harvard with a full scholarship and make billions on a job that you absolutely hate, then nothing else matters. You have successfully lived your life.

You’re in for a rough week, but hope can be found in little packages inside cereal boxes. Except if it’s sugarfree, because people assume that if you’re eating healthy, you have no life. That’s why it’s only the happy meals at McDonalds that come with the toys, and not the salads.

pisces

Never argue with a Gemini. By default, they are always right. The prominence of Neptune in the night sky symbolizes that you are just jealous of their never-ending amazingness.

aquarius scorpio

If people argue with you, they are only jealous of your never-ending wit, your ability to always be right, and your allaround awesomeness.

Disregard any opposing forces.

Distrust any panhandlers and/or hoboes you see in the street that are simultaneously begging for money and using an apple product. This includes iPhones, iPads, iPods, iMacs, and Dell laptops with apples duct-taped to them.

sagittarius

taurus

Beware of people that attempt to capture your soul and take over the world by using cryptic messages in their horoscopes.

leo

libra cancer aries

Trust no one, especially those who advise you to trust no one. Make no exceptions. There is a high chance that the whole world, including your cat is plotting against you.

capricorn

virgo gemini

lushia.anson@gmail.com