November 2008

Page 1

Presorted Standard Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit #56 Paso Robles, CA

Paso Robles High School • Paso Robles,, C California a ifforrnniia alif al

Volume Volu Vo lume 68, Issue 2

PRHS

The President you should know

participates in the polls by Amanda Bean, Circulation Manager

by Kelsey Garman, Managing Editor

O

ver 1400 PRHS students cast their ir ryy/ vote Oct. 29 and 30 in their history/ ock oc advisement classes, and in the m mock election like the national vote Nov. 4, the wi winner inn nner neerr was clear from the beginning. RH HS, S, 114 4 1 431 43 Out of the nearly 2200 students at PRHS, 1431 oppullat atio ion onn---ccas aast sstt th thei heeir students--about 60 percent of the school’s population--cast their vote for president. For President and vice president the students ithh a it selected Barack Obama, and Joe Biden with ns n’ 63 percent approval over McCain and Palin’s 36 percent. And the national vote matchedd PRHS with 52 percent for Obama, and 46

November 12, 2008

O

n Nov. 4, history was made. Barack Obama, the first U.S. African American President, won the 2008 election with final tallies of 349 electoral votes and 63,904,748 popular votes 34 49 el ele le Obama, and 173 electoral and 56,411,851 popular ffor fo orr Ob Oba a vvotes vo ote tees for f McCain. Obama, the 44th president of the United States, is a symbol of hope, change and determination for the American citizen. “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington… A Crimson Chronicle survey of 218 students suggested low knowlI’m asking you to believe in yours,” said Barack edge—19.8% passing rate—about the policies of the newly elected president. Thrity percent of McCain supporters passed McCain’s portion of the test compared Obama in a New Hampshire speech on Sep. 3, to 16% of Obama’s supporters on his test. This difference may have been influenced by 2007. And the citizens have. Obama and Biden have planned an Emergency the current wave of liberal reform in a “Bush bashing” age. Economic Plan including tax on excessive oil “[McCain supporters] have to be more defensive against Obama attacks; [they company profits and use this money to benefit are] probably more likely to go to the McCain website and arm yourself with American family with $1,000 emergency energy why you’re voting for McCain,” said government and psychology teacher Geof rebate; Obama’s long term plan for the middle Land. “The low [survey] scores indicate not a student ignorance. They were too hard for class family. Obama strives to put $25 billion in a State the average student,” he said. A complete print out of the test and answers can be found online at www.crimsonchronicle.com Growth Fund to prevent cuts in housing, education and health or increases in property taxes. An additional $25 billion will go toward a Jobs and Growth Fund to replenish the Highway Obama and Biden will create a new American Trust Fund, ensured to finance the National Opportunity Tax Credit worth $4,000 in System of Interstate and Defense Highways and exchange for community service. He will the Federal-aid Highway Program. They plan to improve the assessments used to track student prevent cuts in road and bridge maintenance in order to save jobs for over a million Americans. progress to measure readiness for college. While juggling this new Economic Plan, Obama believes that any legislation regarding Obama hopes to secure all nuclear weapons same sex marriage should be decided by within one presidential term: four years. If Iran supports terrorism instead of the nuclear individual states. program, the U.S. will bribe them with Immediately upon taking office, Obama will acceptance into the World Trade Organization. give his Secretary of Defense and military If Iran continues to misbehave, Obama plans on “stepping up our economic pressure and commanders a new mission in Iraq: successfully

A random sample of 218 students surveyed on Obama’s Policies

Barack Obama wins mock with 893 votes a 63% majority percent for McCain. Although the mock election was a “sweep” for the liberals, the conservatives are disgruntled about the outcome of their views. The students voted on a real sample ballot organized by social studies teacher Stan Cooper and copied different colored paper depending on grade. The Junior State of America Club then studied how grade affected how students voted for president, city officials, and California propositions. In the end, the freshmen voted the most conservatively, yet still voting for Obama, and No on Prop. 8 Prop. 4, and Prop. 8, according to Cooper. Prop. 2 The most liberal voters were the sophomores, closely Prop. 4 followed by the juniors. The senior class took voting the “more seriously,” said Cooper, and had a more balanced vote. Once again, they voted for Obama, No on

A break down of a few Obama polices

Education

failed with 55% passed over 2 to 1 failed with 58%

Same-Sex marriage Iraq War

See ‘MOCK’ In-Depth pg. 11

Behind the ballot box Editor-in-chief gets inside look at democracy on election day by Rebecca Horne, Co-editor in chief

ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased.

O

n Nov. 4, 2008, I spent eight hours at a Creston polling precinct, counted ballots, and watched the state and nationwide elections unfold . . . and I didn’t even vote. Yes, I’m only seventeen years old, but that couldn’t stop me from making my presence known at this crucial turning point of American democracy. Junior Amanda Doyle worked with me on the shift from 2 to 9 p.m. “I thought it would a good experience now that I’m old enough

See ‘PRESIDENT’ In-Depth pg. 11

to remember it,” said Doyle, who found out about the opportunity from Psychology teacher Geof Land. “I thought, ‘It’s was really important to vote, so why not help if it’s needed?’” Working for the Creston voting precinct was more about learning than earning: for two hours of training and eight hours of actual work, I was paid $68.50, for an hourly wage far below the state’s legal minimum of $8.00. But like Amanda, I was far more interested in setting democracy in motion than in earning extra credit in

my government class or extra money for my shopping fund. My official position was that of “ballot clerk:” I guided voters through the brief check-in procedure, recorded the number of issued ballots, and constantly balanced three lists of voters to make sure that no ballots were lost or unfairly counted. The real fun, however, began after the polls closed, and all the voters were gone. See ‘POLL WORKER’ People pg. 4

Political signs prove to be another target for local vandals Opposers act out on others first amendment rights

Chronicle Index

by Zoe Kingsbury, Center Co-editor With all the polarized views of this month’s elections, it seems as though these rising tensions have driven some to the point of law infringement. “Aaron Palmer, who lives off Kilmer Canyon Road just west of Paso Robles, had his yard sign run over, twice,” reported the Paso Press in Oct. His sign, located on his own property, supported the Democratic ticket, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden.

Also, on the night of Oct. 23, a total of five political sign vandalism incidents were called in, including an attack of a “Yes on prop. 8” sign, according to Lt. Tim Murphy. No one has been prosecuted for these attacks. “I wouldn’t consider this to be a big problem in Paso, despite a few vandalisms and thefts that have occurred, I wouldn’t consider it to be an ongoing issue,” said Murphy. No specific penal code addresses ses

political signs in particular; instead the crimes usually fall under vandalism or theft, according to the Paso Press, Oct. 2008. A prosecuted vandal could be looking at punishments of around $400 fines, but this depends mainly on whether or not the case is considered a crime or a felony when the amount of stolen property or damage is taken into account. Gordon Blasco, a freshman at PRHS, doesn’t see the motives

behind these vandalism crimes. “I’d probably just look away. I don’t know. I don’t really care what other people think, or what their political views are. Other people have their political views, and I have mine too,” he said. So what exactly prompts someone to turn to law breaking when they oppose someone else’s ideas? An anonymous PRHS source, who neither denies nor admits to any See ‘VANDALISM’ News pg. 2

WHAT’S INSIDE:

Early Expansion Plans NEWS 2

Environmentalism OPINION 3

News ...................................................2 Opin nio on ........................3 Editorial/O People .................................................4 Juntos .................................................5 Center ............................................... 6 -7 A&E ....................................................8 World..................................................9 Environmeentt....................................10 In-Depth............................................11 Sports ................................................12

Dìa De Los Muertos JUNTOS 5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.