G r a c e
K i n g
H i g h
S c h o o l Dependency on Digital Media Living in virtual worlds
See pg. 6-7 Volume 44 Issue 4
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4301 Grace King Place, Metairie, LA 70002
Friday, February 17, 2012
Early release program offers opportunities for seniors By Bianca Shrestha Staff Writer
Feb 20-22 No school
Feb 20 President’s Day
Feb 21 Mardi Gras
Feb 22 Ash Wednesday
Feb 27-2 StuCo Week
Feb 29 Leap Day
March 2-3 King vs. Riverdale, East Jefferson, Bonnabel @BMA 6 P.M. 10 A.M. 12:30 P.M
Mac Attack
March 5-6 Irish Idol Tryouts
March 16 Irish Idol
March 21 Report cards issued
March 29 King vs. Rummel @BMA 7:30 P.M.
March 30 Spring Fling
The idea of graduating early and early release has come to the appeal of many students nationally. There are certain students who are able to graduate within less than three years. In order to graduate, students must check their credits with their counselors. If they are eligible, they must sign various paper works with their guardians’ approval. However, the process was not always like this. “Up until two years ago, students were required to stay four full years in school,” senior counselor Joyce Lauto said. “Now that students only need 24 units, instead of 28, it allows students to get a head start on college.” In order to receive Core 4 for TOPS all students are required to take 24 credits of math, science, English, social studies, foreign languages, physical education, health, and !ne arts. “If you’re graduating at a mature enough time in your life with the right purpose in mind, I see no problem,” Principal Meg Griffon said, “However, most of our students need that additional year of socialization, acquiring good study skills, and discipline to achieve a full diploma in a four year track. ” In another aspect, some disapprove the idea of students graduating early. “I don’t recommend students to graduate early because they’re not maturely ready go out there and live the real
SOPA: By Anna Whitaker Editor-in-Chief
In the wake of growing opposition, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will be postponed in consideration of the legislation until there is a wider agreement on a solution. SOPA, introduced on Oct. 26, 2011, is a U.S. House bill proposed by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar S. Smith and a bipartisan group of 12 initial cosponsors. The intentions of the bill are to fight online trafficking in copyrighted property and counterfeit goods. Proposals include the barring of advertising networks and payment facilities from conducting business with allegedly infringing websites, barring search engines from linking to such sites and requiring internet service providers to block access to these sites. Any person committing an act going against the bill would be faced with a maximum penalty of up to !ve years
Bianca Shrestha
Senior Allyssa Winn signs out after Block 2 in the front office. About fifty students are released early.
world,” sophomore counselor Contrina Thomas said. “They’re also going to miss out on everything like graduation and prom.” Although the decision to graduate early is a major step for a high school student, some students
feel that it is necessary. “I think the kids that get their work done should be allowed to do so because they push themselves to a whole other level to succeed,” sophomore Bryan Kilcrease said. “Work comes before play.” Instead of graduating early, some students choose to be released from school early. This way, students get to experience their senior without taking additional unnecessary classes. “Some people get burned out after being in high school for three years that they just want to have fun the last year,” early release student Katherine Cruz said. Early release students must complete the required credits and are typically seniors. For example, if a senior just needs four credits, they can take two classes per semester and get early release with the approval of their guardians and counselor. “They can still be here and enjoy all the activities senior year offers,” Lauto said. Also, students no longer need to have a job to attend to after being released. According to Lauto, approximately 50 Grace King students have early release. “I either work, run some errands, or nap depending on the day after I get released,” Cruz said. “I miss being with my class friends, but in the end, you’re not going to see most of them again.” Graduating early or early release is the student’s decision. “My concern is that every student is successful and for some that does mean early release and for others it means graduating early.” Griffon said.
Controversial internet piracy bill put on hold in prison. Concerns have been expressed about shutting down sites, such as YouTube, completely if the bill becomes a law. Opponents of the bill state that the legislation would enable the removal of an entire internet domain due to something posted on a single blog, arguing that an entire online community could be punished for the actions of a tiny minority. Proxy servers and the Tor project would essentially become illegal. In the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which includes the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act, a “safe harbor” (a regulation that reduces or eliminates a party’s liability under the law) is provided for websites. Under that provision, copyright owners who felt that a site was hosting infringing content are required to request the site to remove the infringing material within a certain amount of time. SOPA would bypass this “safe harbor” provision by placing the responsibility
As protest to the SOPA bill, English Wikipedia “blacked out”, leaving the protest message “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge”.
for detecting and policing infringement onto the site itself and allowing judges to block access to websites “dedicated to theft of U.S. property”. Concerns have risen over whether or not the bill would be effective. “I do not believe SOPA would have been successful in preventing piracy even if it had passed. The reason why is because the bill proposed a DNS block on all foreign websites that were labeled by our government
as piracy websites. The DNS is the internet protocol that redirects you from www. google.com to its true IP address: 74.125.227.144. If a website you wanted to go to was blocked, all you would need to do is !nd its IP address and type that into the URL bar instead of google,” said senior Justin Lehman. Lobbyists for companies that rely heavily on the revenues from intellectual property copyright state that it protects the market and
corresponding industry, jobs and revenues. Representatives of the American Library Association state that the changes could encourage criminal prosecution of libraries. Other opponents of the bill state that requiring search engines to delete a domain name begins a world wide arms race of unprecedented censorship of the web and violates the !rst amendment. See SOPA, News 3
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News
Friday, February 17, 2012
Irish Eyes
Historian, Shreya Kashyap. Yearbook hosts fundraiser Yearbook will have a Laser Tag fundraiser on Feb. 28 from 4:00 to 9:00 P.M. Admission is $25. Ads are now on sale. Contact Heather Lampo or a Yearbook representative. Quiz Bowl upcoming competition There will be a competition at the Eastbank Regional Of!ce in Clearview on March 5. Compiled by Anna Whitaker Editor-in-Chief
Black History hosts guest speakers The following guest speakers visited King to celebrate Black History month: Feb 1, John Deshazier, a Times Picayune columnist; Feb 8, Councilman Mark Spears; Feb 23, U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond; Feb 29, School Board Member Cedric Floyd. There will be a Black History Program on Feb. 24. Mu Alpha Theta elects of!cers The news of!cers for the 2011-2012 school year are President, Alex Korominas; Vice President, Aizaz Ahmad; Treasurer, Patrick Le; Secretary, Huy Vu; and
NHS inducts new members The National Honor Society Induction Ceremony was held on Jan. 31 in the cafeteria. Sponsor Tammy Burst inducted forty members at the ceremony. The NHS of!cers are President, Chanakya Vattikuti; Vice President, Khaja Atif Khan; Secretary Aizaz Ahmad; Treasurer Patrick Le; and Parlimentarian Alex Korominas. Band starts up with new teacher Grace King has hired a new band teacher, Ron Totora, who is a graduate of Grace King. Academic Games hosts tournament The Equations tournament was held on Friday, Feb. 10 at the Grace King gym.
Anna Whitaker
The National Honor Society inducted forty members on Jan. 31 in the cafeteria. The inductees recited the NHS pledge while holding candles symbolic of enlightenment and wisdom.
Prostart upcoming competition The Louisiana Prostart competition will be on Feb. 28 and 29. The Art Institute will be sending a guest chef on Friday, Feb. 17.
Sophomore Board sells class cards Sophomore Board will be selling Class Cards for $15 in Ms. Biggers Class, Room 20B. Help support and be a part of your class.
AFJROTC continues to serve through community service projects By Yusra Saad Staff Writer
Grace King’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is raising its "ag up high by doing community service. ROTC introduces students to the history of "ight, development of air power from WWI through the Vietnam con"icts and military aerospace. In the leadership portion of the course, cadets are introduced to the Air Force Junior ROTC. Topics covered include elementary good fellowship, personal development skills and health awareness. “The bene!ts being in ROTC are: the student learned self-discipline, organization skills and basically overhorizon for the future,” Cadet Colonel Maleena Castro said. Practical lessons include the areas of drill and ceremonies, self discipline and Anna Whitaker wearing the military uniforms. “Grace The AFJROTC Color Guard stands in formation King’s AFJROTC unit stands for more than just what most see in a glance of a during the pep rally on Feb. 3.
cadet in uniform,” Castro said. ROTC helps people, clubs and functions. They supported College Night; the cadets guided each college recruiter assisting them with their cases and appointing them to their stations. They went to the Lion’s Gate Club for the Children’s Hospital toy drive. The cadets packed and shipped toys so hospitalized children could receive gifts on Christmas. “We love to give a helping hand, and we often find it our pleasure to accommodate,” Castro said. On Veterans day, ROTC visited the Sunrise Retirement Home to pay homage and show their appreciation and respect for Veterans. Cadets have completed 1005 volunteering service hours. ROTC helped to assemble the entire Camelia Club of New Orleans annual show. “We are looking forward to more opportunities this year. Grace King AFJROTIC LA- 941 stands for genuine discipline, honesty, integrity, and
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perseverance; we have a great deal planned for the future,” Castro said. Sargeant Ostroff is proud of three brothers who graduated from Grace King; they are Evan, Alex and Blaine Davenport. Evan, the oldest, was a four year cadet who joined the army right after graduation and spent one year in Iraq. Alex and Blaine are twins who graduated in 2009. After graduation, they enrolled in UNO. The Davenports enrolled in the ROTC program and Detachment located at Tulane University. This training program consists of a daily aerobics program as well as aerospace studies. Since becoming an ROTC Cadet, Alex, who desires to be an Air Force Pilot, has visited many Air Force Bases to become familiar with Air Force Weapon System. Blaine, who desires to be an Air Force Investigator has been to the Air Force Academy and has learned to parachute out of aircraft. “All of the Davenports have been an asset to this school as well as our military,” Ostroff said.
News
Irish Eyes
Friday, February 17, 20112
Student teachers gaining experience at King By Nga Nguyen Staff Writer
Nicholas de la Torre
Vanessa Richard talks with junior Jonathan Preston in Natalie Almerico’s American History class.
Each semester the University of New Orleans sends prospective teachers to Grace King to prepare them for a career in education. Current student teacher, Brittney Madere, who is working with Kristen Bermudez, is relieved to !nally apply everything she has learned. “You can never prepare someone enough until you throw them into an actual classroom, “Madere said. Because she is a student herself, she sees a resemblance of herself in the students she works with. “I see that inner spark in math in some kids. Also, they have the motivation and drive to try to understand things they don’t know,” Madere said. However, balancing student teaching and school may be quite the challenge. “College is not really about what you know, it’s about balancing your time,” Madere said. Corrine Heffon, another student teacher, who is working with Cherilyn Scott, is enjoying her experience. “I
love it. Feels nice to !nally be in a classroom,” Heffron said. Overall student teachers enjoy working at Grace King. “I like that Ms. Griffron is on top of everything. I like how things are run around here,” Madere said. F o r m e r s t u d e n t t e a c h e r, Katrina Torrado describes her learning experience confidently. “My experience was really, really fantastic. I learned a lot from it,” said Torrado. Starting, Torrado struggled with classroom management, but quickly learned. Fortunately, she had a wonderful experience with her cooperating teacher, Victoria Kennedy “She was someone who clicked with my personality,” said Torrado. This process requires slowing taking over, but, “we would teach together,” Torrado said. Torrado says Kennedy describes student teaching like teaching with a net. “When you fall, you have someone to catch you,” Torrado said. Teaching is a continuous learning process. “I continue to grow, I’m always improving, and there’s always room for change,” Torrado said.
Teens may not understand danger of credit cards We learn as we get older Elements of your credit score that when using a credit card, you have to pay the People are starting to receive their !rst card issuer back every credit cards at younger ages. One in every month. If you don’t pay !ve high school students have a credit back on time, however, card. A study by National Public Radio you get a mark on your (NPR) also showed that credit card debt credit history. This could and the number of people under 24 !ling later lead to affecting for bankruptcy has approximately doubled important outcomes in life, like whether or since the 1990s. Source: myFICO.com A credit card is something to be not the bank will give extremely cautious with. Many credit card you a loan, or whether or not you’ll be rate, a fee that is charged for the use of a companies try to appeal to teens and make able to rent an apartment. “It’s a huge lender’s money, on future loans. A lower a credit card seem like a very easy thing responsibility to possess a credit card. It number, however, could take around seven to keep up with. However, many teens comes with more burdens than bene!ts,” years to !x. The best advice from many adults overlook the !ne print, where charges teacher Tammy Burst said. A credit score is a three digit number is to use credit cards with discretion. and fees are hidden. For example, some credit card companies hide clauses in that is used to predict a person’s likelihood “Oftentimes, it is better to defer pleasure contracts that allow them to increase an to pay back loans. It is calculated using a instead of receiving instant grati!cation.” interest rate on a loan at any time without mathematical algorithm and information Burst said. While credit cards seem like from your credit report. The number a handy thing to have, doing research to informing you. What people do not realize as children ranges from 300 to 850. A higher number see what you’re getting yourself into is is that credit cards are not “free money.” is bene!cial in that you get a lower interest the smartest thing to do. By Tia Banerjee Staff Writer
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Protesters claim new bills infringe rights SOPA, from front page
“I feel that SOPA is impractical because of the power that it gives to the entertainment industry. Our congressmen are supposed to have the interest of the regular American at heart, not large companies in Hollywood,” said Lehman. On Jan 18, the English Wikipedia, Reddit and seveal other websites coordinated a service blackout to protest SOPA and its “sister bill”, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). The English Wikipedia blackout occurred for 24 hours. In place of its usual articles, the site showed only a message in protest saying, “Imagine a world without free knowledge.” It is estimated that 160 million people viewed the banner, with eight million people following instructions to contact politicians. Other sites such as Google posted links and images in an effort to raise awareness. An estimated seven thousand smaller websites participated in the protest. A number of other protest actions were organized, including petition drives, boycotts of companies that support the legislation and a rally held in New York City. On Jan 14, the Obama administration responded to a petition against the bill, stating that while it would not support legislation with provisions that could lead to Internet censorship, squelching of innovation or reduced Internet security, it encouraged “all sides to work together to pass sound legislation this year that provides prosecutors and rights holders new legal tools to combat online piracy originating beyond U.S. borders while staying true to the principles outlined above in this response.” On Jan 20, 2012, Rep. Lamar Smith called off plans to formally draft his version of the anti-piracy bill next month and issued the following statement: “The Committee remains committed to !nding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation... The House Judiciary Committee will postpone consideration of the legislation until there is wider agreement on a solution.”
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Features
Friday, February 17, 2012
Irish Eyes
Mentor program seeks to promote student-teacher relationships By Eric Sheu Managing Editor
As part of the Turnround program, Grace King has identi!ed students that need help in passing classes or exams and has set up a program to help these students by pairing them up with a mentor. The program is a part of University of Virginia’s model that creates a relationship between the student and the teacher. The students that have been identi!ed were then paired up with a teacher or paraprofessional who will then target the students weaknesses and help them overcome their problems. “In all education material, all educational literature that’s written, one basic fact holds. If a teacher makes personal contact with one student and nurtures and mentors that student, that student is more likely to !nish, graduate and even go on to post graduation to some kind of college whether it’s a community college or a four-year college,” Vice Principal Suzan Serigny said. Eric Sheu In time, the adult paired up with the On Thursday, Feb. 9, students in Pedro Guzman’s student will serve as mentor to the student Independent Study reflect on ELDA testing. and help them to focus on their school work
and to graduate high school. “You know how things work you always have to go by baby steps in the beginning until you get a kind of hold of the situation, and then you can move forward,” said Serigny. “Well, I think that we’ve done our baby steps, and we’re moving forward on a lot of different ideas and concepts.” These special resources classes each have their own main priority. There are separate Independent Studies for ESL students and students that need help passing the Louisiana Graduation Exit Exam and End of Course testing. The classes will replace the student’s former Independent Study where they will report to a smaller class with teachers set on helping them. Most students in Pedro Guzman’s Independent Study are male Latinos, as a result they may view him differently than other teachers. “Although it shouldn’t the fact is that it certainly does,” said Guzman an ESL paraprofessional and retired engineer. “I want to explain that Latino families are very close to each other yet coming from different cultures is a challenge because of their dissimilar
traditions.” Some teachers were beginning to become worried that students were not passing or coming to school. These concerns were some of a number of things that needed to be improved on. With these classes, the concerns of teachers will be addressed by the student’s own mentor. “The fact that I see myself in my younger years and the need of good guidance through this dif!cult period of their lives,” said Guzman, is his motivation to work with students. In an informal sense, teacher have always mentored students, when asked if she had taken any student under wing, Serigny said, “Sometimes it happens, they might be ninth graders, tenth graders, eleventh graders twelfth graders, and they have a problem, and sometimes what happens is they come to see me cause nobody else can give them the answer they want to hear, and while I may not give them the answer they want to hear, at least I can give them a sincere answer and they understand that I’m trying to help them.”
Posse Organization recognizes diversity in scholarship candidates By Jessie Chen Staff Writer
With the rising cost of tuition, many students apply for scholarships to help ease this cost. Among thousands of scholarship programs, the Posse Foundation was founded in 1989 by Deborah Bial and it targets high school students about to enter college. The Posse Organization has opened its doors to scholars in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington D.C., with the most recent site in New Orleans. The Posse Organization even has plans to open its ninth site in Houston, Texas in 2012. Posse partner universities, such as Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, among thirty-nine other award scholars with a full four-year tuition. Since 1989, there have been 4,223 Posse scholars who
have won over $484.5 million. The funding for the Posse Organization generally comes from a selection of different individuals, corporations, and its university collaborators. Currently, there are thirty-nine partner institutions in seventeen states nationally. In New Orleans, the two universities represented are Tulane and Bard. Each year Posse selects twenty scholars, ten for each school. “The Posse Organization consists of multicultural teens that display evidence of academic potential, are headstrong, possess leadership skills, and those that !t well into a posse and work together as a support network when they get to college, “said Monica Sylvain, the current Director at the Posse New Orleans. “These students are usually nominated by a teacher, principal, a counselor, or a community-based organization,” Sylvain said. The
main idea is that if diverse students are put into a group, or a “posse”, it will increase their chances of graduation and success. In fact, 90 percent of the scholars that have participated in the in the foundation have graduated; a percentage that is dramatically higher than the national average. When deciding where to open its eighth site, two other cities were under consideration. “However, the Posse Organization felt like this was a really great time in terms of the postKatrina era and with all the education reform that has been happening within the city, Posse could be one of the next steps in terms of how students matriculate into the next step towards college,” Sylvain said. “This is one of the next steps as they leave high school, Sylvain said. “Overall, the Posse Foundation is really excited to be in the city of New Orleans and scholars can expect us to be here for a long time.”
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Features
Friday, February 17, 2012
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The Cypress shows its colors By Nicholas de la Torre Photographer
Nicholas de la Torre
Junior Gavin Reggio’s 2012 Challenger R/T (left) and Nicholas Bruzeau’s Crysler 300 Touring (right) demonstrate the new trends among teens. Both cars have L.E.D. HALO headlights.
Teenagers apply modi!cations to cars according to latest trends By Nicholas de la Torre Photographer
The bond between a teenager and their car is often a strong one. It’s your “baby”, that one thing that maybe even if your parents bought it you really feel is yours. Often, for males it is customizing their cars to keep up with current trends and make it truly their own and one of a kind. Most females would be content with a steering wheel cover and call it a day. Making your car into your own to re"ect your personality can be expensive. Most of the time, you’ll notice that teens who bought and pay for the upkeep, insurance and gas usually don’t have the money for thousand dollar headlights or 22 inch rims. Senior Chase Hymel has what he calls “the junker of the parking lot”. He purchased and pays all the bills on his faded red 93’ Toyota Celica, which he aptly named “lil red”. Hymel recently wrecked his front end when he was hit by a trailer. However, “lil red” lives on because it’s his only means of transportation for work and school. Hymel appreciates his car for
what it is and understands that luxury isn’t everything. “If I had the money for the fancy lights and big rims, I’d just buy a better car,” Hymel said. Hymel has owned three cars his 97’ Acura Integra which didn’t even start after he got it and a 91’ Ford Taurus that he drove until it died on him. “I hate when kids joke about my car, and they are sitting at the bus stop or in the passenger seat of another car,” Hymel said. “What room do they have to talk.” On the other hand, those whose parents are lucky enough to live comfortably enough to afford to buy their children a brand new car have a lot more spending money for modi!cations. Junior Gavin Reggio is an example. He drives a brand new 2012 Dodge Challenger R/T. He’ll often refer to it as “my baby” or “chally”. Gavin has thousands of dollars already invested into his vehicle. He follows current street trends such as the bright L.E.D HALO headlights, big rims and dark tint on his taillights and windows. Reggio’s hard work has paid off because he was also recently sponsored by Oracle Lighting Technologies.
Nicholas de la Torre
Senior Chase Hymel’s ‘93 Toyota Celica after his recent accident.
“This car is a big part of my life, because I treat myself to a gift everyday day when I drive this car,” Reggio said. He claims to have also spent around $3000 on gas. “It’s my baby. I don’t even spend that much money on my girlfriend.” Gavin said he plans to upgrade his sound system, lower the back end, add more lights, turbocharge and work on the interior as well in the near future. Maybe your car isn’t up to par with the high performance machines you’ll see, but it’s yours and you should be proud of it no matter what. So whether your car is show quality or the paint is fading the bond between a teen and a car is a special one.
Although it’s changed hands and names, the Cypress Hall, a local, all ages, all genres music venue, is now under new management and becoming an active part of the community. The Cypress is a place where local and up coming musicians can perform in front of a live crowd. Kids can show off their talent and be able to decide if taking the stage isn’t for them. Productions Manager Anthony Cusimano books shows and keeps the bells and whistles going. He also does booking for bars and clubs around New Orleans. The Cypress is relatively successful and draws out plenty of attendees for local and touring bands, all though not yet on par with venues like the House of Blues. “My goal is to run a safe and friendly atmosphere for kids to come enjoy live music at a more affordable and convenient price,” Cusimano said. Cusimano does what he can to give back to the community. This past holiday season, he held two bene!t concerts. One for his second annual Harvest Drive, and another for his sixth annual Children’s Hospital toy drive. Usually, he holds these at clubs and other venues he’s worked with. However, this year he held them at the Cypress and will continue to in the following years. His goal for the summer is to have a daily “summer camp” with music seminars scheduled, music lessons, art classes, sound engineering courses and other activities available. “Being in position to work with the youngest of the scene, I hope to teach them a bit that I’ve learned over the last ten years, in hopes they can become more successful in their musical careers,” Cusimano said. The Cypress is a clear case of “you can’t judge a book by its cover”. Just because the music is loud and the crowd isn’t what you would call “clean cut” doesn’t mean they’re not respectable members of the community.
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Irish Eyes
Dependency on Digital Media How the market takes advantage Video games encouraging compulsive playing behavior By Leonel Castell Features Editor
When one is addicted their brain’s chemistry is being fundamentally altered to be dependent on a substance or activity despite the negative repercussions. This is something that video games have never been shown to do, but despite that you’ll frequently see headlines and stories using phrases like “Video Game Addiction” in the news. There is no scienti!c evidence video games are addictive, they’re compelling, they can invoke the interest, admiration or attention of the player in a powerfully irresistible way which to many people will come across as addiction. Compulsion and addiction are two different things, where addiction is bad all the time, compulsion can actually be a good thing, that said it can also be abused and turned into something with a resemblance to addiction that makes it dif!cult to tell the two apart. Certain video games come across as having addictive qualities due to something called the skinner box method where the game basically mentally conditions the player’s volition. In other words simply rewarding someone every time they say, defeat an enemy in a video game, isn’t as effective as say, rewarding someone for defeating a random number of enemies or after a random amount of time in a video game. These methods are far more effective at conditioning someone to repeat an action and why many games will come across as having addictive traits. Think about gambling and how most gambling games are not geared in the gamblers favor and how most gamblers are actually pretty aware of this and yet they continue to gamble rather than say get a job where a pro!t is guaranteed for input of time. Certain genres of video games are particularly guilty of using these methods, namely Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games or MMORPGs. Games like World of Warcraft are built around clear reward schedules designed to keep the player compelled to their game. Other more accessible online games like say Farmville also use these methods to keep people playing. Elements of role-playing games in general are guilty of this when abused and is why sou see more and more games start to incorporate these elements like leveling up or experience points as a means to keep the player compelled rather than actually add to the quality of the game. Have you ever poured dozens and dozens of hours into a game only to look back on it a week
later and say “what was I doing wasting so much of my time with that?”. That usually happens because the game used the skinner box method to create the illusion of engagement and extend play time which is usually a result of lazy game design and is becoming a bad habit amongst game developers. You may be wondering how anyone can be so compelled to something that essentially doesn’t exist, something like virtual levels, stats, goods, or items. Well if these things take time, skill, and effort to obtain, then they do have value and they do exist to the player or players. This is why the highest court in South Korea ruled that legally virtual goods are treated the same as real goods and now virtual goods are a billion dollar industry worldwide. It makes as much sense as people buying things like jewelry simply because it looks pretty. People want to buy a virtual sword because it looks cool and protects them from virtual goblins. You’re basically paying for an idea. One example of the skinner box method in effect can be found in Chinese MMORPG ZT Online. The game is littered with treasure chests that may contain a random item, and you need a key to open them. You obtain a key by paying for one with real world money. However, the game awards a special item to the player who opened the most treasure chests by the end of the day. Mixing gambling with competition keeps people playing and in turn makes money for Giant Interactive, the developers of ZT Online. W h i l e video game
compulsion is by no means a rising pandemic plaguing people across the globe, it is the kind of issue that is noticeable enough to be worth mentioning and worth doing something about. If people who frequent video games are more responsible with their play habits and developers put more effort into making genuine quality games then you’ll probably start to see these issues being phased out.
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Friday, February 17, 2012
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SNS generating billions in advertising By Bianca Shrestha Staff Writer
Photo Illustrations by Anna Whitaker
Constantly evolving modern technology is affecting many youths of this generation, especially in the realm of social networking sites (SNS). Hundreds of millions of people access SNS on a daily basis, proving its vitality to marketing businesses. Typically, SNS have users that can create their own pro!le and connect with a network of friends. According to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, approximately 55 percent of Americans of the ages between 12 and 17 use online SNS. “It’s like their online social life,” junior Karina Shareen said. Leading social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and MySpace are powerful SNS that carry out the needs of media managers. These SNS have a large, growing active user base. With 800 million active users, Facebook would be the third most populated country in the world. “I go all the time, like I stay logged on,” sophomore Sarah Park said. In fact social networking has become so widespread that a new era called “Web 2.0” has been de!ned. It describes the generation in which mass numbers of people communicate on the Internet more than ever before. “The constant amount of updates and news on social networking sites is part of what make them so addicting,” senior, Josh Do said. Wi t h s o m u c h i n t e r a c t i n g a n d communicating amongst one another, problems do arise. Cyber- bullying is one of the products of social networking sites. “People may make one feel uncomfortable and horrible by commenting on statuses or pictures,” Shareen said. It also may be unsafe on some level using social networking networks. “Sometimes, people may friend request me and I wouldn’t even know them,” Do said.
Despite the obvious dangers of SNS, there are many bene!ts as well. Interacting with different people may help boost social con!dence. “For other people in general, having a lot of friends and getting a lot of likes on pictures makes them feel good about themselves,” Park said. Users, especially teens, can become more familiar with changing technology. “I de!nitely think that it’s improving technology skills. I see eight year olds having Facebooks and they’re so good with computers now,” Shareen said. Perhaps the most important reason people use SNS is in order to keep in touch with friends, even from long distances. “I don’t get to see my friends at school everyday, I see then I can see them online like on Facebook or Twitter,” Shareen said. “I’ll just post something on their wall or inbox them to keep in touch.” With the amount of users, SNS must have a way to generate enough money in order to carry out the operation of their site. The question is, how? Many SNS collect revenue through investments by venture capitalists. In general, venture capitalists are private investors who place large bets to predict whether a site will gain popularity. Without these investments, SNS, like Twitter, may have never fully gained ground. However, it is often dif!cult raise more capital, therefore many SNS turn to advertising. The media has many advantages to entice possible customers. These types of sites have been growing as it is a strategy to establish a positive business atmosphere and increases the number of potential customers. Advertising on social media sites are inexpensive, easy to access and capable of reaching to a global audience. This provides a greater range of ways to promote business with ads of articles, videos and audio rather than spending excessively more on traditional advertising. The greater the popularity of a SNS, the more money it will produce from advertising. It is estimated from previous expenditures 2.6 billion dollars would be spent on advertising on SNS this year, demonstrating the rising power these sites have on this society. “You can see advertising almost everywhere you go on the Internet nowadays,” Do said. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, people are using and manipulating SNS. Although some may have their concerns about the safety of SNS, they are here to stay as it is part of what de!nes this generation.
Excessive internet use linked to other addictive disorders By Destiny Ponville Copy Editor
Internet addiction disorder (IAD), otherwise known as internet overuse, problematic computer use or pathological computer use, is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. IAD was originally proposed as a disease by Ivan Goldberg in 1995. According to Maressa Orzack, director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard University's McLean Hospital, between five and ten percent of Web surfers suffer from some form of Web dependency. Its classi!cation as a psychological disorder is constantly being debated and researched, with research still needed on ways to de!ne "overuse" and to differentiate an "Internet addiction" from depression, compulsion, and obsession. "Some people go overboard with Internet use to the point where they begin to ignore the ones that are actually trying to talk to them. They begin to not care about anything around them, and nothing is more annoying than that," said junior Emily Duplantis. According to the Center of Internet Addiction Recovery, "Internet addicts suffer from emotional problems
such as depression and anxiety-related disorders and often use the fantasy world of the Internet to psychologically escape unpleasant feelings or stressful situations." Over 60 percent of people being treated for IAD claim involvement with sexual activities online which they consider inappropriate, such as pornography or involvement with sexual conversations online. Also, more than half are addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or sex. "It's come to the point where teens aren't going on the internet or playing video games because they think it's fun, but because they feel that they absolutely need to. They feel incomplete or bored without playing the game," said sophomore Marissa May!eld. There are !ndings that compulsive Internet use can produce morphological changes in the structure of the brain, including reductions in sizes of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area and parts of the cerebellum. Other !ndings included increases in the density of the right parahippocampal gyrus and a spot called the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. The study in the concept of internet overuse can also be affected by the fact that it has been extremely dif!cult
to distinguish between the online and Some say video game addiction arises of"ine worlds. Because the Internet can out of other mental health problems, affect the emotions of humans, it can instead of starting them. alter our perception and anxiety levels "All most teenage guys do is go outside of the Internet. to school and then go home and play Excessive Internet use can result video games. It's just sad that the in lack of social interaction, using the virtual world is starting to take over computer for grati!cation, irritability, their lives. Teenagers need to focus on neglecting work or school, and risking other things, such as school, instead of loss of careers. just waiting to go home to play Xbox," "We really need to get in the habit said May!eld. of going out and actually talking to Teens may play video games many people, instead of just texting them or hours of the day, which may cause them writing on their Facebook wall. The to lose personal hygiene habits, weight Internet is erasing any social skills we loss or gain, disrupted sleep patterns, have, and there's no way to stop it," said play at work, avoiding phone calls from Duplantis. friends and family, and/or lying about Video game addiction also seems play time. to take over teens' lives, including isolation from family and friends, as they begin to focus almost entirely How many hours a on in-game achievements rather than other life events. Although day do you spend online? there is no formal diagnosis of this addiction, it is beginning 18% 0-1 hr to take over many teens and 32% 2-3 hrs young adults' lives. Causes of video game 20% 4-5 hrs addiction include playing to 7% 6-7 hrs satisfy basic psychological 23% 8+ hrs needs, and players often continue to play because of rewards, freedom, and a 363 surveyed connection to other players.
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Sports
Friday, February 17, 2012
Irish Eyes
Each month, corky’s awards a $20 gift certificate to a male and female athlete who display superior ability in their respective sport.
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Players of the Month By Nicholas de la Torre Photographer
Jade Christophe
Eric Sheu
Junior guard Taswante White drives down the court at the last home game this season against the Chalmette Fighting Owls. The girls lost 43-33.
Sport: Basketball Position: Power Forward Grade: Senior Favorite Athlete: Derrick Rose Favorite Food: Shrimp Pasta Favorite Class: English Favorite Music Artist: TLC
Lady Irish fall short to Chalmette in last home game Staff Writers
“Jade was the toughest player on the team. She sacrificed her body for the team by diving for loose balls and taking charges.” - Coach Bouyer
Robert Bissant Sport: Basketball Grade: Senior Favorite Athlete: Derrick Rose Favorite Food: Everything Favorite Class: Prostart Favorite Music Artist: Drake
“Robert is a team leader and is the spark that runs the engine. He’s a leader on and off the court.” - Coach Bryson
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Under the leadership of new head coach, James Bouyer, the Lady Irish ended their season with a record of 12-18. In the !nal home game of the season, the team acknowledged the hard work and dedication of seniors Crytstal Freeman, Yasmin Taylor and Jade Christophe with a halftime presentation. Over the Christmas break, Freeman scored her 1000th point of her high school career. She is the only female player in King history to achieve this goal. Although the team lost 43-33, Freeman and Christophe both had solid games. Freeman scored 14 points and Christophe had 12. In addition to the new head coach, the seniors felt the team had more chemistry. “The girls are more connected this year and the team has a better communication,” Christophe said, “We always communicate on defense.” Christophe also acknowledged
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Senior Crystal Freeman inbounds the ball in the game against Chalmette.
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Bouyer’s in"uence. “We listen to what are coach has to say and that helps us on and off the court.” Bouyer’s previous coaching experience includes an assistant position with O.P. Walker High School. “I enjoy teaching the game. I like achieving goals and accomplishments.”
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We love you class of 2012! - Lina B. and Lily W.
me. I appreciate each and every one of my teachers and friends (especially Lily Wang!)
-Khaja Atif Khan
Sports
Irish Eyes
Boys soccer looks back on successful season By Linda Lin Staff Writer
Nicholas de la Torre
Junior right mid Allan Lopez runs down the ball during a game against Jefferson.
The boy’s soccer team ended the season with a win over East St. John by a score of 4-2 on Jan 27. Junior striker Miguel Rodriguez scored three goals for the team, and junior Juan Flores scored one. Highlights of the season included a complete shutout of Thomas Jefferson with a score of 13-0 on Dec. 10. Rodriguez and Flores were leading scorers in this game. Other highlights included a victory against district rival school, Bonnabel, with a score of 2-1. “The way we practiced and played throughout the season made me con!dent. We proved to ourselves that we had what we needed to be a great team,” sophomore mid!elder Hisham Abdelaziz said. Senior captain Eddie Choe suffered
his second injury, pulling his back muscle, while playing a game outside of King. This resulted him in having to sit out of games and practices for several weeks. “I had to get over it,” Choe said. A sprained ankle kept him from playing last season as well. Choe is hoping to continue his soccer career at Midwestern State University or University of North Carolina in Greensboro. The boys recruited many new players for the season. Flores played as the leading player for the season, while junior mid-!elder Jorge Durarte scored a few important goals throughout the season. This is Duarte’s !st year on the team. “It feels good because I have a group relationship with my teammates,” Duarte said. “Everyone was competitive and made an effort,” Choe said. “I was expecting to go to playoffs and have a good season since it’s my last year.”
Baseball team looking forward to upcoming season By Nicholas de la Torre Photographer
Over the years the baseball team has experienced much success under the leadership of head coach Bobby Ledoux, and this year is looking better than ever. For the 2012 season, the team has been placed in a district with perennial powerhouses, including Jesuit, who was named state champions last year. The team received five talented transfer students as well a big number of returning members. This season’s players include a staff of ten pitchers and a strong batting line up. Junior Dylan Freese is excited about facing the new districts. “We love the challenge; it gives us something to work for and look forward to. Bring it on,” Freese said. Ledoux feels con!dent in the next series of games, despite the district change. “Every game is just as important as the next. I’m just looking forward to the next game. We’re facing a new district with some strong rivalries, but our motto is ‘we’ll play anybody, any
place, anytime’,” Ledoux said. A new season welcomes five transferred players. Senior shortstop and out!elder Trent Giambrone is from Rummel. On Jan. 26, Giambrone signed with Jones County Junior College. The third baseman and pitcher, senior Evan Chacon, transferred from St. Martin. Sophomore Joseph Kuchler is the second baseman from Country Day, as well as Anthony Bolden from Millen-Mcoy and Liam Schonekas from Barrington. “We’ve always had transfer students,” Ledoux said. “Transfers are nothing new; our players are always open to them. Very high pro!le transfers are Trent, Evan and Joe, who were all stars at their old schools. It makes us that much stronger in addition to our solid return players.” Senior Chase Hymel has been a dominant pitcher in the district for three years. His only hiccup was a recent car wreck, but there were no serious injuries, and, according to the coach, he’ll be back in soon. King baseball is gearing up for a great season. “The entire team is
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Crystal Freeman celebrates 1000 points By Bethany Coate Staff Writer
Crystal Freeman reached a milestone that is out of reach for many High School basketball players. On Dec. 30, Freeman scored her 1000 point in an away game against Spring!eld High School. “It felt extremely good to hit the 1000 points knowing so little do. I will be in the record books and that feels really good.” She got the chance to walk under the tunnel of congratulating hands of her team members and was awarded the 1000 point ball. The senior guard has played for the Lady Irish since her freshman year. In the beginning of the season, Freeman needed about 40 points, and she knew if she pushed herself, she could accomplished that goal. In anticipation of this event Assistant Coach Cherilyn Scott sent an email to all faculty encouraging them to come out and support Freeman. “It wasn’t a really big turnout like expected. We were quite surprise, I thought for sure that the faculty would support this event,” Coach Scott said, “Though, I am grateful for those who did show up.” Freeman will always have the fondest memories of being on basketball team. Coach Scott said, “She is a very outstanding player, she is respectful and polite. She always had determination on and off the court and that is very outstanding.” From left to right, seniors Yasmin Taylor, Jade Christophe and Crystal Freeman celebrate Senior night on Feb. 8.
Nicholas de la Torre
Senior shortstop and outfielder Trent Giambrone signed with Jones Community College on Jan. 26.
Eric Sheu
impressive,” Ledoux said. “By far this team has the best work ethic in a team that I’ve seen in my twenty !ve years of GK baseball.”
Congratulations, Ms. Levin, on your achievement of Teacher of the Year! Keep up the fantastic work! Love, the Irish Eyes staff
Irish Eyes 10 Friday, February 17, 2012 Opinions Public not receiving clear message from hopeful presidential candidates The 2012 Presidential Election is going to be the !rst time many of the upperclassmen will be able to vote. In this year’s election voters will be given the choice of whether to vote to re-elect Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama or to elect the yet to be chosen Republican candidate or a third party candidate. This year’s presidential race has demanded one thing from it’s runners, although it certainly isn’t the most speci!c of goals. The people ask for change, and change is what’s assured, by incumbent and candidates both. Though not very surprisingly, repetition of such a vague assurance of change keeps a lot of people in the dark about what many of the candidates really plan to do once in of!ce. Many young people who are now eligible to vote are greatly in"uenced by what they see and hear in the media. Although some of these outlets are true, viewers rarely hear the full side of the story, and what they do hear will very often be slanted to represent the views of one party or side. What facts are presented to the public are usually hidden by scandal and sensationalist media. There are four candidates left in the Republican race: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Whoever is chosen to run as the GOP’s of!cial nominee will be facing opposition almost exclusively from Democratic incumbent Barack Obama. In the weeks and months leading up to this point many former runners for the Republican nomination have dropped from the race, be it from low chances of winning, or for the air of scandal and negative accusations surrounding their candidacy. Former Republican candidate Herman Cain became very widely known in the news after accusations surfaced of sexual harassment and extramarital affairs, coverage of which detracted from his running until culminating in his voluntary suspension of his campaign. Though, with all the attention Cain received during this time, very little of it was positive, and even less had anything to do with his politics. Too frequently does this happen to young voters, hearing only the very bad or very good and never getting the full story, and far too seldom do they take the initiative to do research on the nominees in the running for of!ce. When Grace King’s newest generation of voters take to the polls this fall to choose who they want to lead our country, I hope that they go in with more knowledge than what a candidate’s done to make himself look bad, and can make their decision based on what they intend to do once they make it to of!ce.
Anna Whitaker
Customers fail to treat employees with respect Critiques by Castell uninformed of what they’re buying and wants you to do everything for them like you’re their parent. They tend to justify their actions by saying that you, the employee, is paid to pretty much do their bidding unless you want to lose their business which is true Leonel and is something that I can understand, but Castell I don’t think that gives anyone the right to treat employees like something less than Features human. Transactions are an equal parts Editor two-way deal where the customer gives the cashier money in exchange for whatever good they were looking to get and yet people overcomplicate it. Customers see me as the mean old cashier A wise businessman once said, “The trying to take their hard earned money for customer is always right” which makes some reason like they entered my store sense... if you’re the customer. However with the intent of getting what they wanted as anyone who has ever worked on the for free and I see most customers as people retail end of the spectrum could tell you, ignorant of what they’re buying, trying to they’re not. In fact more often than not the hassle me over for the sake of saving a buck customer is not only wrong, but completely or two. This is not how it should work. Their
shouldn’t be so much tension between the two parties. I don’t know how this started happening, but it needs to stop. Considering how often any one person is involved in a transaction a day I think if it doesn’t stop we’ll really start to see these everyday social interactions degenerate to the point where consumer/business relationships are just one step above of being mortal enemies. I know that customers are given the mentality that they are the most important person the employee is speaking to at the moment, but some seem to take it as far as thinking they’re the most important person the employee has spoken to all day, and when you’re working for seven hours and everybody seems to think that way your patience starts to wear thin. I’m willing to change the way I see customers for the better if customers treat me and other retail employees with the respect and decency of a human being.
Anxious teenager attempts to anticipate his future and slack through school or pull my grades up and go to college. With my mom’s little income, college has never been a real possibility. I’m not one of those kids who gets a free ride through life on “Daddy’s money”. But with !nancial aid, college might actually be on the table Nicholas for me. However, I’m not too ambitious to go to school for four years. I’d much rather de la Torre Photographer be working a full time job with my dad’s company and start making money earlier. My dream was to open up my own custom car garage and do free lance photography, but with the economy being the way it is (not to mention its hard to be successful with that), I decided to get more Everyday the real world sneaks up on realistic. The choice I’m really looking at you bit by bit. Soon, high school will be is the military. I know what your thinking, “Nick de la over, and our parents will be tired of us. The time has come to really decide on what Torre in the military?” Well, yeah. They’ll I want to do with my life, and with only two pay my way through college so it’s the best semesters left in my high school career, I of both worlds; I can go to college and start need to decide if I’ll keep doing what I do making money, and not to mention with the
Talking Points with de la Torre
cost of living as a service man own the low end, I’ll be able to !nance my car hobby. When I get out I’ll have a college degree, and I would’ve learned good habits and, who knows, I might even keep my hair short! College was never for me. If you know it’s not for you, now is the time to start thinking about what else you can do with your life. Don’t wait until May of your senior year. There are virtually hundreds of thousands of job opportunities. Don’t worry about what people tell you. You can do anything if you work at it. On the other end, be cautious. Have a back up plan if things fall completely apart, but don’t give up right away. Be prepared to fall a few times, and in the end, your hard work will pay off. Don’t be naive; life isn’t fair, good things wont just fall in your lap, and your parents won’t !nance you forever. So, start thinking about what you really want to do for the rest of your life.
Irish Eyes Volume 44 No. 3 Irish Eyes is a monthly publication in conjunction with the journalism program at Grace King High School. It is a member of the Quill and Scroll Journalism Honor Society, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and the Louisiana Scholastic Press Association. Letters to the Editor are welcome and should be submitted to room 20-G. Irish Eyes reserves the right to edit any submissions. The views expressed in columns are those of the columnists. The views expressed in the editorial are those of the Editorial Board.
Editor-in-Chief Anna Whitaker Managing Editor Eric Sheu Copy Editor Destiny Ponville News Editor William Weisler Features Editor Leonel Castell Photographer Nicholas de la Torre Staff Writers Tia Banerjee Jessie Chen Bethany Coate Kimberly Dang Linda Lin Nga Nguyen Yusra Saad Bianca Shrestha Marley Olavarrieta Adviser Thomas Curran
Annoyed sophomore upset with uniform policy Sometimes, Grace King treats us like we’re still in grade school. We are misunderstood. The one thing that bothers me most is the uniform rule. Not everyone’s skirt is going to measure exactly two inches above the knee. People are built differently. Also, Grace King checks skirts more than they check pants. No one ever looks to see if they are Dickies or sagging. Furthermore, I don’t see the logic behind the legging rule. They cover our legs and keep us warm. The shoe policy does not allow boots to be worn. This is ridiculous; I felt as if my legs would freeze during winter! Wearing the wrong uniform does not have a huge impact on what kind of student we are. There needs to be more focus put onto more pressing issues besides uniforms. I’m sure the students of Grace King are old enough to handle a bit of responsibility. Sarah Park, sophomore
Senior rages over lack of morals in cafeteria lines Wise Words of Whitaker Anna Whitaker
Editor-in-Chief
Twenty-seven. That’s roughly how many people cut in front of me in the school lunch line on a daily basis. And yes, I count. Aside from being extremely frustrated, I wonder about the validity of the “morals”
everyone claims they have. In fact, the other day, a girl skipped in front of me in the breakfast line. After she had purposely cut me, an underclassman decided to cut her. She began to eye him up and down, yell at him, ask for his name, and even told the cafeteria workers on him. She then went on a rampage about how she couldn’t stand people who lacked morals. I laughed. This is called hypocrisy, and it’s one of the very few things that make me furious. Is something so miniscule so important to do? Would it really be that big of a hassle to wait the extra two minutes to get your lunch? What ever happened to morals? What happened to that sense of doing what’s right? Maybe I’m taking this the wrong way. This one goes out to you, cafeteria workers. You’re food is so delectable that
the students literally can’t wait to get their share! Your slaving over a hot stove has left students !ghting, in chaos! Keep up the fantastic work! Now, in all seriousness, I just want everyone to reconsider their ideals of what is right and what is wrong and to think about who and what their decisions affect. Also, I want people to think about what skipping de!nes them as a person. What’s sad is that I’ve seen Student Council kids skip the line. You know who you are, and I hope you all are ashamed of yourselves. No matter how many kids cut in front of me, no matter how many of my friends are doing it, no matter what anyone says or does... I absolutely refuse to sink to their level, even if it means continuing to be dead last in the lunch line every single day for the rest of my high school life.
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I think we should cover more about student opinions, because even though we speak, it is not heard.
Andrew LaCour
Senior
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School policies; we should be more informed about what is going on around school.
Hisham Abdelaziz
Sophomore
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Bible Study because we’re just trying to show that Christianity is not just boring; it’s pretty fun.
Joshua Holt
Junior
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More worldwide news because not a lot of people know about news around the world.
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Grateful senior re!ects back to thank educators While the school has been going through many signi!cant changes, I’d like to recognize those teachers who have so generously shared their knowledge and service with the school for many many years. Though the changes caused either by natural disasters or a new administrative staff can take time and effort to get used to, certain teachers remain committed to their professions. My four years at this school have shaped me into a more tolerant, civilized individual, thanks primarily to the efforts of my educators. Within their quaint classroom walls I feel as though I am part of a family: a student, brother, friend and son, humbled and inspired by the quaint, driven, ambitious, cooperative people around me. I came to Grace King as an innocent, wide-eyed freshman. I leave as a proud con!dent, quaint, young man, carrying the values the teachers at King have delegated to me. Thanks again dear teachers, for putting up with me, encouraging me, and recognizing my growth. I hope one day I will be able to adequately pass on these virtues to subsequent generations. Muhammad Farooq, senior
Student amazed at ethnic diversity on campus One of things I like most about my classes is the diversity of the students. It’s amazing how there is such a variety of ethnicities- Asian, Spanish, Indian, African American, Caucasian, the list goes on. Because of this ethnic diversity, it has really opened my mind about all the different cultures of the world. I even get to learn some foreign words, which can always come in handy. I love wide range of ethnic races in Grace King and hope to see more in the years to come! Lydia Chon, sophomore
What deserves more coverage in the school newspaper?
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Sophomore dislikes location of vending machine I really like how we have two new vending machines as there is a good variety of snacks to choose from. However, the one in the gym is never open. What’s the point of having it there if no one uses it? We are not even allowed to go in the gym at lunch. My solution is for the vending machine to be moved some place where students can actually buy food. Nihad Kased, sophomore
Senior hopes to make a "nal difference Making a difference in a person’s life is a step closer to making differences in a whole bunch of peoples’ lives. I want to make a difference this year. As a senior, I want to be remembered. I don’t want a memory of being a senior but of being a senior that did memorable things. Being involved with sports and clubs will help me make changes to this school. For example, I am in Best Buddies which is a club of members with different types of students. I plan to create friendships with these student because some are those with special needs. They don’t really have many friends which is why I want to be their friend. People treat them unfairly which is not right. I want to show others that they are not as different from everyone else. This is just one of the many steps I plan to take to try to make a difference a Grace King. Elsa Paniagua, senior
Speak Out
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Letters to the Editor Freshman upset over lunch dispute [We] underclassmen were constantly being accused one week for leaving trash everywhere after lunch. Sorry to say, but it isn’t us. The upperclassmen trash the courtyard before the underclassmen lunch. If someone goes outside and sees the courtyard after !rst lunch, they will see what a mess the seniors and juniors have left. We lose our privileges like not being able to buy snacks from vending machines and have to sit in the cafeteria for lunch. Nothing happens to the people actually causing them. Mahum Riaz, freshman
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Friday, February 17, 2012
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Opinions
Irish Eyes
Abigail Henriquez
Freshman
12
Entertainment
Friday, February 17, 2012
Irish Eyes
survey of the best albums, movies, and video games of 2011
Best of 2011
463 surveyed
By Leonel Castell Features Editor
Indie/Experimental
Music
King of Limbs - Radiohead 187 votes
Alternative/Rock Neighborhoods - Blink 182 144 votes
Movies
POP/DANCE
r&b/sOUL 21 - Adele 160 votes
Born This Way - Lady Gaga 229 votes
Rap/Hip hOP
COUNTRY/FOLK
Take Care - Drake 228 votes
Own the Night - Lady Antebellum 180 votes
Editor’s Choice
Video Games
Alternative/Rock
The Whole Love - Wilco
Indie/Experimental Bad as Me - Tom Waits POP/DANCE r&b/sOUL Rap/Hip hOP
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 152 votes
Super Mario 3D Land 125 votes
COUNTRY/FOLK
Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Movie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Video Game
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Irish Illustrations: Valentine’s Day: The Reality Valentine’s Day
So Beautiful, So What - Paul Simon House of Balloons - The Weeknd Take Care - Drake
Illustrated by Leonel Castell
The day after...