Ghosts, Ghouls and Monsters/ Decisions Decisions

from The Bell February 2020

What’s Next?

The real question is: what do you believe in?

I’ve always had this interesting obsession with the things in life that no one truly knows the truth about. Bigfoot could definitely exist, shapeshifters honestly live among us and aliens could plague the universe at any given moment. While a lot of these ideas are often turned down by skeptics, there are some that support these ideas because of their experiences. My fascination with the supernatural began when a variety of TV shows and movies were introduced to me. “Scooby-Doo” made ghosts seem like celebrities in my 6-year-old mind. At the ripe old age of 14, I began to meddle with the unknown. My best friend, being as crazy as I, tagged along for what seemed to be the scariest ride of our lives. With the cool September air whirling around us, and the shadows of nearby trees casting unearthly figures onto the ground, we decided to act like any stupid teenagers in a stereotypical horror movie and play with a Oujia Board. We began asking questions. ‘Who are you? Is there anybody there? Can you please speak to us? What happened to you?’ On the last question, a gust of wind ruffled through the leaves around us. At that point, we Column by Alyah Craig

realized how isolated we were. Trees were the only thing surrounding us, the rest of the area Photo by Jennavieve Carmony

was barren. A few moments passed and voices started to whisper. Some were near and others far but all were distinct. With no other person in sight, hiding in the tree line or woods behind us, my friend and I took one glance at each other and began to hurriedly pick up some of our things, bolting down a nearby path, leaving the Ouija Board behind. As a senior, I’m afraid to admit that I’m a bit of a scardey-cat. Not only did that experience alter the way I thought about the supernatural, but it also enticed me to seek out more of it. I gorge myself on the numerous ghostly podcasts that Spotify has to offer and look forward to the thrill in horror movies, but I still get paranoid to the point of no return. Call me crazy, but I’m not entirely convinced that we can rule out if ghosts, or even monsters for that matter, are just figments of our imagination. Is there solid evidence that things of the sort exist? Probably not. But does there have to be? Nope, I don’t think so. One thing’s for sure though, “Scooby-Doo” definitely deserves more credit.

Decisions, Decisions

How can I be expected to choose a future when I can barely choose between a red hat or a blue one? Column by Liz Gammon

How can I be expected to choose a future when I can barely choose between a red hat or a blue one? Have you seen the show The Good Place? If not, let me brief you on one of the characters I associate with deeply. His name is Chidi Anagonye, and throughout his life, he has struggled to make decisions quickly. I mirror that behavior. As a senior, I am forced to make some of the most important decisions of my life-- which college I want to attend and what I want to do with my life. This decision isn’t a red hat or blue hat scenario that takes an hour, this choice will change the course of the career I could potentially have until retirement. Heavy stuff, I know. A career possibility that has always stood out to me is journalism. I have wanted to be a journalist for most of my life. When I was little, I would write news stories based on old nursery rhymes. For example, I wrote a fake live update about the spoon going 90 mph on Interstate 29 with the dish as a hostage in his back seat based on Hey, Diddle Diddle. However, my early passion for writing has stunted my exploration in any other fields that may spark my interest. Photo by Ashley Ritter

As far as schools go I do have one decision made. I am going to start my college career at Metropolitan Community College Maple Woods due to its affordability. However, I’ve realized I may have subconsciously made this decision just to give myself more time to decide on where I want my future to go. Much like the red hat and the blue hat, I have narrowed the four-year college I am going to transfer to down to two options, Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri. Fortunately, I don’t have to make my decision yet, and hopefully, community college will help me make a definite decision I’m happy with. I oncce wathed an episode of The Good Place and had an identity crisis as I saw Chidi take 82 minutes to choose between two hats, a white one and a brown one, just as I had. As I watched his life unfold through three seasons, I witnessed him save humanity despite his poor decision making skills. Maybe relentlessly thinking through my decisions isn’t the worst thing after all.

Spanish Honor Society Green House Opening

Spanish Honor Society Sponsor Astrid Ruiz, Principal April Adams and seniors Cassie Fuentes, Carmen Caudillo and Caleb Ezzel beam with pride at the opening of the Spanish Honor Sociey Green House on Jan. 29. Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Spanish Honor Society has been trying to open the green house for six years. Last school year the big step of putting in the door was taken, and this year the final touches, like adding plants and painting the door, were done to finally be ready for the grand opening. Photo by Mercedes Peck

Freshman Molly Berace, juniors Kelsey Theilen and Regan Mills, sophomores Mallory Chapman and Elizabeth Lacapta, senior Daisy Smith and freshman Sophia Ferguson perform the winter One Act Play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” on Feb. 13-15. Photo by Emma McDonald