The View Issue 6

Psychology of iPod DJ: Birth Order Man v. Machine + p a ge f o u r.

+page six.

access

denied

from park hill south

Censorship is now a go-to action of society. Due to America’s fear of offense, knowledge has become limited.

A special report +page eight.

Volume thirteen issue number six february 1, 2011

Table of Contents FYI....................................................

Psych O’ Siblings

+ p a ge f o u r.

BTW................................................

iPod DJ: Man v. Machine +page six.

Access Denied OMG ...............................................

TMI....................................................

MVP..............................................

FAQ ........................................... +page eight.

Bird is The Word

+page eleven.

Paradox of a True Fan

+page twelve.

Green Hornet Gets Green Light +page fifteen.

Letter from the editor by jesse m c ginness

January 25, 2010. I could have either done one of two things: a) watch President Obama’s State of the Union speech or b) watch “Modern Family” on Hulu. Although I may have been bedazzled by Barack’s speaking voice just as much as Gloria’s, I ended up choosing the latter. But why?

Well to be quite honest, I am eighteen. The taxes I see are funding from the local casino, so I truly could not care less about what is going on around me. I hear health care this and amnesty that and it all seems to follow the same path, in one ear and right out the other.

Over my four years of being a part of a debate team and being a journalist, you would think I would want to stay active in government. Four years ago, I would criticize myself for being a lazy citizen. Today, I criticize the over-inflation of political talk among the media.

Let’s face it. I am still a kid. You are still a kid. Although

+page two.

everyone tells us we will have to care at some point in our life, we still prolong the inevitable. We don’t watch the CNN at lunch or will we ever (at Park Hill South).

But, there is something we are lacking. Something we need to invest in. That is critical thinking. Yes, our government throws propaganda sandwiches filled with words we don’t understand, but that does not mean we can’t form opinions. That is the one thing that most political people lack: pure and simple thinking skills.

So have conversations. Admit that you are not informed. Heck, don’t even get informed. But as soon as something presents itself to you, know and understand what is worth knowing. Critically analyze everything.

Maybe deciding to watch “Modern Family” was a good thing after all; they would never be so malicious as to mislead me. After all, mis-information < no information.

the view staff editorial

The CominG The of

Martians

belief in what we see has ousted critical thinking of the public e a logical reaction, or it in a way that would provid lyze ana and a in t e at the View don’t know yourself to exis eone else do it for us. We her ear Readers: please prepare som let le sing a for reality only seems more efficient, but hypothetical and metaphysical about you, but the latter not y awa do and wild run n route. moment. Let your imaginatio well…a more freedom-esque tion of the free world. Now of our other freedoms; percep one any of said is e sam with any laws of nature and The it: ut granted. Think abo is just one that many take for take a deep breath. of because of n: atio situ lar at we see, they take control wh ticu of l par tro this con of government takes Imagine the effects of suit pur the uld and wo rty er libe nev , tt “life Pla cs, Larry w. We were promised kno we at wh d censorship laws on unruly lyri ude incl be on find knowledge to not his debut hit single, “Pants happiness,'' but we somehow one have acquired fame through m doo to ms see dge (get this) in this promise. Lack of knowle the Ground”. maybe not, ll, We t? righ , llow swa . to d nce to a life of ignora It is almost too har college, we are going to interesting thought. What if mple, while most of us are in exa For but the scenario does post an en ok. tak was e 120 lecture period on Facebo e to someone somewher spend a majority of our Math everything that was offensiv

ed lter she we have been Do you know why? Because out of the public’s eye? any paper; it would not this g din t” effect and we do not know rea frui be den not rbid uld “fo wo a has It it. from Most likely, you rld wo a th to we move on re would be no Park Hill Sou have been shielded and when We ter. bet have been created because the t exis not ly ed. adequately prepar as a reader would probab with no shield, we will not be tly, and, to be quite honest, you ntry was built on cou r Ou A. abolishing the standard curren of as US far ol’ d As goo do?

So what do we due to the lack of the the of e The aus do. bec can ng we stro ch ng mu too it is still goi to be quite honest, there is not going against the norm and and for the right to have reasons not only unknown, but to ship sor due is cen l like leve s our law t on figh t ship sor cen m people tha r ula pop a h suc e sses. Activism creates little roo censorship becom not understood among the ma ad. some tax-free tea. So why has ahe n pla can we but ay? ls, school wal the media tod for actualization within high us, band-aid for any problems in by for d it cke do to sho nt re me we rs ern ene gov list our of w lions Think critically. When we allo On Sunday, Oct. 30, 1938, mil smart adcast was an audio recording fathers had in mind. We are a bro fore The our . at ast wh adc of t bro io sigh rad lose we a crazed the , let Yet not ”. st rlds mu Wo We eration at that. novel, “War of the generation, and an able gen of H.G Wells’ most prominent r ene list e rag ave any reading, norm overcome the just. with the plot of the apocalyptic there was only one thing to t dcast of “War of The Worlds”. tha n ptio um ass ical log a So do not anger at a re-broa could make see something you do become offended when you not Do do: run for your life. we y onl is t tha or not, is how we know what tastic mindset not like. What we see, like it This is an incident of the fan h wis ht we mig at wh we in nts ief me bel mo rld: dern wo stems from those nce erie Exp w. kno rn acquired by existing in the mo lea to w figure out how such a second nature that we sored, but unless we someho cen re we see. Censorship has become e . eon red som filte w n allo must never ever ched our ears has bee without those moments, we assume anything that has rea that the road to the in fork a es r mistakes define us. Protect vid Ou pro us. nce from sta m else to take the This endowed circum er oth the and g kin thin ical with crit definition, South. common consumer; one side sor information ourselves cen st mu er eith We ief. bel y with eas

D

States That Require

Internet Blocking/Filtering

Missouri California Oklahoma Iowa Colorado Ohio Source: http://www.ncsl.org/

+page three.

fyi.

Psych-O' Siblings by elizabeth williams

Does the psychology of birth order determine a person’s personality?

W

hether looking at someone famous, admiring something unattainable or begrudging the opposite gender for having it easier, the grass always seems to look greener on the other side. This saying also applies to siblings.

From Cain and Abel to the Kardashian sisters, friction has always been a factor in every family. The oldest thinks the youngest is spoiled, the youngest thinks the oldest is too bossy, and the middle child gets stuck with the short end

' It's not all about birth order.''

organized and dependable. Some negative traits include a hate of being wrong and a hesitance to forgive.

Though a lot of times only children are looked upon with pity that they grew up without siblings, essortment.com states that only children do better in life because they have their parents' undivided attention.

“I’m spoiled ... excessively,'' said Nik Melton, junior.

So where do twins fall on the birth order scale?

Birthorderandpersonality.com states twins tend to be good multi-taskers, confident and they want to stand out.

However, twins are also prone to have identitiy crises and may not have enough privacy. Although they are born on the same day, Yelp.com says it’s more common for one twin to act as the dominant one.

of the stick: not enough attention. Frank Sulloway, author photo by austin cosler of the book “Born to Rebel”, states on nbcnews.com that birth differences are as strong as gender differences.

“We’re all treated equally, but I guess being the youngest, I’m spoiled,” said Kayla Moore, freshmen.

Moore is the youngest of three siblings that attend South.

Younger children are often viewed as being spoiled and portrayed as being rebellious. Abcnews.com gives examples of revolutionaries who were all younger siblings, including Karl Marx, Fidel Castro and Thomas Jefferson.

Joshua K. Hartshorne says in his article posted on scientificamerican.com that birth order influences who people choose as friends and even spouses.

Suite101.com, an online magazine and writer’s network, states middle children are less attached to their families because first and last borns are more often given attention. The site also states middle children are more Sisters Jessica Moore, senior, Lauren Moore, sophomore and Kayla Moore (freshman). mysterious and likely to make opposite decisions than their older sibling(s).

“It’s not all about birth order,” said Dr. Lora Ackerman, “Sometimes I feel left out,” said Lauren communication arts, a mother of fraternal twin girls. “Their Moore, sophomore. personalities are very different.”

Dr. Kevin Leeman, writer of the book ''Birth Order Dr. Ackerman said her daughter Meredith is more Connections,'' says that first-borns are high achievers, outgoing and is more of a go-getter than her daughter natural leaders and very organized. However, they can also Claire, who is more shy and conservative. be moody, intimidating and bossy.

Personalities are hard to determine and science is not “Well, sometimes it feels like they hate me because I’ll always the best way to determine them. Regardless of how tell them to do something and they won’t want to do it green the grass may seem at first, that does not necessarily even though it’s the right thing to do,” said Jessica Moore, mean it really is lush. After all, the psychology of birth order senior, when referring to her two younger siblings. does not predetermine one’s personality.

Dr. Leeman also states that eldest and only children have similar personalities. Only children are responsible,

Characteristics of:

+ p a ge f o u r.

Youngest Children

Older Children Natural leaders High achievers Organized On-time Know-it-alls Bossy Responsible Adult-pleasers Obey rules

Middle Children

Flexible Easy-going Independent Social Peacemakers Generous Secretive Strong negotiators May feel life is unfair

Risk takers Outgoing Creative Self-centered Financially irresponsible Competitive Lacking in self-discipline Bored easily Sense of humor

Only Children Close to parents Self-controling Leaders Mature Dependable Demanding Bored easily Unforgiving Private Sensitive

SOURCE: http://www.thecutekid.com/parenting/birth-order-characterictics.php

ARIES

Aries might have to

hey baby,

work a little harder on some of the areas that have gone out of balance, but this will be a challenge the Aries 2011 yearly horoscope sees Aries facing without a problem.

CAPRICORN In the world of the Capricorn, indepence is the name of the game.

You know what you want and have little patience waiting for others to give you permission to go get it.

VIRGO For the Virgo, everything will be easy, simple and exactly what you’re looking for, but there won’t be much to write home about. That’s okay!

SAGITTARIUS

The Sagittarius 2011 yearly horoscope shows the year is looking bright!

Even though there will be some ups and downs, the general attitude will be positive. If things get difficult, do not be afraid to ask for help.

SCORPIO

Scorpio, you are determined to have things go your way. 2011 shows that you will have little reason for finding anything but pleasure out of life. Things will tend to go your way, especially in terms of relationships and your career.

what’s your

by jessica f r eem an

SIGN?

Scorpio, Aries, Capricorn, Gemini... Ophiuchus? For those of you who might be thinking “what on earth is an Ophiuchus?”, prepare yourself. It may be your new Zodiac sign.

According to cbsnews.com, the new year has brought new signs. The Earth’s axis had been moved because of the moon’s gravitational pull, causing it to be bumped slightly back. This changed the dates of the old signs creating the new Ophiuchus.

Fret not though, for zodiac experts have said if you’ve lived your whole life following one sign, it should still be the sign you follow. It just may not technically be the sign connected to your birthdate.

Hanna Franklin, sophomore, has always been a Pisces and said she will continue to call herself one, even with the recent discovery. “[My horoscopes are accurate] most of the time,” said Franklin. “It’s weird because I’ll read it and it’s actually what’s going on in my life.”

But Elizabeth Chacon, Junior, disagrees with Franklin.

She said, “It usually only gets my personality right. Other than that, it tells me lies.”

Perhaps Chacon would fit better with her new zodiac sign, even though she said she probably wont follow the new sign anyway.

So how do people know which sign to follow, or if horoscopes are even accurate? It is hard to determine what to believe and what is just made up.

Despite that, cbsnews.com reported that more than 31 percent of Americans believe in Horoscopes, including Dillion Ryel, senior.

“I think everyone should read their horoscopes. They’re amazing,” said Ryel. “And really fun to read.”

Franklin had to agree.

“Yahoo always gets my boy situations right,” she said.

For those who may be interested in reading horoscopes but do not know where to look, Ryel suggests the Facebook daily horoscope.

Kasey Kellogg, junior, Libra sign.

your 2011 yahoo horoscope LEO

The Leo 2011 yearly horoscope shows that you have worked hard and will see the fruition of that hard work in your career.

AQUARIUS

Aquarius interests lie in unraveling the mysteries of life. Your interest lies in finding the people who can talk out creative ideas. You don’t need others the way they need you, which can cause conflict in personal relationships.

libra 2011 will be a great year for Libras because it brings much of the same. This will inspire Libra to branch out and try some new things!

gemini

The Gemini will have some attacks on your career but for the most part, your financial situation will not be affected. Your love life will be satisfying. Your health will need a bit of maintenance, so basic selfcare is no longer optional.

TAURUS

The Taurus will bring struggle in career and money, while health issues will also cause confusion throughout the year. The good news is that love and intimacy are at an all time high, allowing Taurus to have constant support.

PISCES For Pisces in 2011, there will be major success when it comes to all matters not related to interpersonal relationships. Career, money and the desire to learn and grow will shape the first half of the year.

CANCER

Life will seem full of mystery and intrigue for sweet and sensitive Cancer. Although things may move a little slow for your taste, 2011 will bring an interest in learning, creativity and grabbing everything life has to offer.

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man

VS. machine

STUCO ditches usual dance DJ for an iPod playlist b y d a n n y j o nes

Student opinion of the switch could only be collected before the dance, leaving much speculation about what the iPod could offer that the that the typical DJ could not.

Indeed, Lindsey, while optimistic, had some doubts about the iPod plan, specifically about what music would be

photo by austin cosler

It was apparent that after comprehensive student protest during South’s Homecoming Dance on Sept.

25 that a change in musical selection had to be made.

On that night, the student body made known that they were particularly displeased with the song selection after sitting out multiple selections by the event’s DJ. In the literal sense, that is -- at multiple points during the dance, the majority of paid participants could be found on the floor of the gym in an act of rebellion against the tones played during the evening.

“The DJ was awful,” said Katelynn Lindsey, junior, of the music crisis at Homecoming. “It made me feel like I wasted my money.”

The problem could have been particularly problematic for Lindsey for Courtwarming, when the girls typically pay for tickets and dinner.

Due to the student demonstration at Homecoming and the rousing student talk about the music in the days following, STUCO decided to go away from the traditional hired DJ by purchasing an iPod specifically for the dance, loaded with music based on student requests taken before the dance last Saturday.

included on the set list. Those in charge of the change, however, were confident that going from man to machine could solve the biggest problems the student body had at Homecoming. “[Courtwarming] will be a test run,” said

sophomore Dani Lake, one of the STUCO members in charge of the transition. “But if it works there, then we’ll keep [the change].”

“The DJ was awful. It made me feel like I wasted my money.”

STUCO put together the playlist for Courtwarming in the weeks leading up to the dance based on surveys sent out to each grade, but Lake was adamant that there would be no improvising on the night of the dance because the songs must meet school approval, a process that takes place before the night of Courtwarming.

Without a doubt, finances are an aspect that helps the iPod’s cause.

Whereas human DJ’s are recurring costs, the iPod is a one-time charge.

“It is a lot cheaper,” said Lake.

As any new element does, the iPod DJ has its pros and cons. Whether or not the iPod DJ was a success or not in the eyes of the student body was still in question at the time this article went to press, but log onto to phsview.com to hear what the student body thought about the change.

Comparing the talents of boys vs. girls “Willb yyou go to courtwarming with me?” when it comes to asking to the dance b la ke reser

S

outh hosts two allschool dances every year: Homecoming, in the fall, and Courtwarming, which is at the end of January this year. These two dances are a place to go to hang out with friends, have a good time and get your groove on.

But before any of that can actually take place, either a boy or a girl has to pop the big question.

Some students are completely convinced that one gender pops the question the best. Once a photo by ida patton year both the girls and boys have the chance to ask one another to a dance. As a tradition here at South, the boys ask the girls to the Homecoming dance, and the girls ask the boys to Courtwarming.

“Girls care way more than boys and put more thought into asking them to the dance,” said Dannie Burdiss, junior.

Burdiss also went on to say how, in a way, this is the girls trying

+page six.

to show the boys how they want to be asked to a dance. She said that she and a few of her friends got together and made a scavenger hunt for all of their dates and they had to got to all the different spots until the figured out the outcome.

“It was fun for all of us girls to put together, even though the boys didn’t really appriciate it as much as we would have liked them to,” said Burdiss.

As for Jason Thetford, senior, he thinks the very opposite of Burdiss's remarks.

“Guys for sure are way better because... guys are just better,” said Thetford.

Although Thetord did not really have reasoning for why boys are better, he gave a good example of how he asked his date to Homecoming.

“I filled my girlfriend's whole room with balloons and posters, asking her if she would go with me to the dance,” said Thetford.

Jen Mattson, social studies, said she thinks both genders do a really good job at asking dates to dances.

She gave two examples of how a boy asked a girl and how a girl asked a boy in her class. Her favorite was when a girl had a puzzle piece in each of her soon to be date's classrooms, and in the end he had a puzzle that asked if he would go to the date with her.

In the end, Mattson said she could not decide who pops the question the best. ''I just like seeing the new ways students ask every year,'' she said.

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

access denied: World Wide Worry

With wide-spread information comes wide-spread censorship

by jesse mcginness and ida patton

It happens every day at South. It happens at other high schools, libraries, in any given office and even throughout the country. Some justify it by national defense; others use it for a profit tool. In can be viewed as either the bane of society or the very thing that keeps us sane. The force in question: censorship.

As one of the first major steps in national censorship, The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) was established in 1934 merely 50 years after radio become popular in the US. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), they placed stringent regulations on radio talk shows, from what words they used to the songs they played. For a short time, the FCC backed down, but in a time where free speech is at its peak, today the FCC is yet again placing its fangs into the heart of Americans’ freedoms.

“We study ‘Fahrenheit 451’ because of the examples of censorship, but we are living it,” said Jennifer Holden, comm arts.

The FCC has the privilege of monitoring not only what is said on radio stations and public television, but recently they have also decided they have the authority to censor the World Wide Web, a previously uncensored source. Students are upset at this development.

“The Internet should not be censored, because the Internet was created for freedom of press and speech,” said Stephanie Griffith, senior.

The Internet was designed as a tool to expand the minds of its users. It allows a Midwest girl to venture to the Bahamas with a click of a mouse. Yet, in today’s society--where citizens’ main source of information comes from www’s--is censorship protecting us from the harmful? Or keeping the public blind from true reality?

+page eight.

blindfolded youth A student careens his head and neck toward a glaring computer monitor as he races to finish a monotonous history paper over western civilization. He types “Indian warfare” into a popular search engine when suddenly he encounters the biggest road block of all: that unholy pop-up that lets students know, “You have been denied access”. It is a dilemma that has affected the majority of students in most high schools across the country, but few know why.

Since its opening, South (along with most every other school around), has censored for the students, using an Internet filter as one tool for doing so. Brad Sandt, technology director for the Park Hill School District, says the censorship exists for many different reasons.

“Most people don’t know that Internet filtering is actually a federal mandate for schools as part of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (or CIPA) of 2000,” said Sandt in an e-mail.

“However, even though CIPA was passed in 2000, the district has filtered Internet access district-wide for the 13 years that I have worked here.”

Sandt also went on to say that the blocking is not only for material deemed “inappropriate for users,'' but also to protect Park Hill District’s network.

“Some of the obvious factors include pornography and other inappropriate content such as violence and gore, but some of the un-obvious factors are web sites that include virus, malware or phishing scams,” he said.

Not only are schools taking action against student Internet use, but the United States Government is also monitoring and restricting the United States’ citizens Internet use. Since 1996, four U.S. states (New York, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia) have passed Internet censorship legislation restricting/banning online distribution of material deemed “harmful to minors.''

Some of the material that is considered harmful to minors is pornographic material, but these sites are only open to those 18 and older.

These laws have been struck down on Constitutional grounds, according to Efa.org, but those in power continue to want to censor. This, in effect, is what the FCC is attempting to do, as they claim they are blocking information to protect the public. Yet, direct censorship is not the only way government entities limit information dispersal.

chained public

weight of responsibility

From Twitter to Myspace, to the dominating force of Facebook, social networking web sites have been an efficient The idea of censorship is to protect, and ultimately create a and popular way to maintain a virtual presence for several years. uniform citzenship; although, as a result of its very action, it However, when freedom of expression mixes with the perception seems to be doing quite the opposite, resulting in an of school administrators, things can get pretty messy. uninformed public.

According to WNDU, Indiana’s primary news station, a dozen “I don’t think it should be the school’s or the Internet’s choice. students were suspended from Eden Prairie High School in It should be the student’s choice what they want to display,” said Minnesota because pictures of them were posted on Facebook Ashton Anderson, freshman. with “alcoholic” beverages. The students in question, however, Given that chance, students may be able to learn more from had red plastic cups in their hands, not labeled beverages. The the blocked information. next question that logically follows is why photos posted on “[Teachers] can make decisions about what kids read to spark a Facebook had anything to do with their high school. conversation without having to censor certain words,” The school released a statement saying that, “...although said Holden. school officials don’t go looking at student’s social networking If the United States follows other countries, that decision may sites for possible wrongdoing, they do take action when there is be more than the school’s choice. China has blocks based on key legitimate information about violations of high school rules.” words, much like school and workplace filters, except for the Administrators at South have to make similar calls when entire country. One survey says that over 85 percent of Chinese dealing with online content. “approve of Internet control and management.” “[At South] we have to do our best to keep both our students Most Chinese citizens believe the Internet to be an “unreliable and our teachers out of trouble,” said John Carr, source of information” and think “much of Internet content to assistant principal. be unsuitable for children.” This mindset is growing in the United In college, the punishment just gets worse. In Overland Park, States, causing challenges to the First Amendment.

Kan., four nursing students who posed for photos with a human Whether the public likes it or not, censorship is here. It is in placenta were kicked out of school after one of the pictures television shows, radio stations and on computers. It became was posted on Facebook. Although the pictures may have been an institution of the people and for the people. So citizens may considered distasteful, according to news reports, when asked need to ask themselves if this is what they wanted, or if they by the students if they could take the picture, the overseeing are more worried about protection from assumed dangers from teacher simply responded, “Oh girls.” “inappropriate” content.

The teacher neither agreed to or denied them taking a As Benjamin Frankin once said, “They who can give up photograph and said nothing when the students took the essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” photo. The students were reinstated on Jan. 6 after a Federal judge ruled that the school was being unconstitutional.

South’s Freshmen Mentoring Program has its own version of Facebook monitoring, as it requires mentors to maintain a certain standard of decency on social network sites. Jenny Orlowski, FMP coordinator, thinks it is an effective way to uphold Socrates sentenced to death student accountability. for his corruption of youth “FMP reflects student accountability while maintaining the district technology policy. Censorship and acknowledgement of itself, however, is a fine line,” said Orlowski. “ We need unorthodox activities to protect the students from dangerous information but we also need to teach them critical information. Not all information is true and they need to be exposed to that untruth.”

For example, if a mentor is seen with inappropriate First list of banned material on a Facebook/Myspace picture, they can books drawn up by be kicked out.

“School’s censorship is different from Pope Paul IV for all of society’s,” said Orlowski. “Students still catholic ruled Europe need guidance at this age.”

Without that guidance and chance to explore, students are unable to develop a whole new aspect of citizenship.

Hays Code goes into effect in the U.S., regulating

Citing Censorship

1559

1930

the movie industry until it was overturned in 1968, banning sex, violence and profanity, along with portrayals of interracial or same-sex relationships

Supreme Court outlined a current definition of obscenity 1973 The and deemed it not protected by the First Amendment

Sources: beaconforfreedomofexpression.com and civilliberty.about.com

339 BC

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frozen cityscape by austin cosler

Winter in Kansas City is known for being extremely harsh to its citizens. Year after year, we are hit with large amounts of snow and freezing cold temperatures, and this year is no exception. With a countless amount of snow days for students and trouble for adults trying to get to work, it may seem as if this continuous winter wonderland will never cease. Despite the gloom that might encounter a winter day, the bright white of the inches of snow highlight the rich detail of the cityscape, reminding us the city can be beautiful any time of year.

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Freedom at Its Finest by h e a t h e r f a t i no a n d id a p a t to n

THE CONTROVERSY AND REPEAL OF DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL

As Americans, we are endowed with certain rights that are accepted as concrete. There is a fine line between just and unjust, but that faltering line can be the final burden that sinks the ship. Throughout the history of the United states we have taken pride in our democracy and have fought for freedom, but with the question of sexuality, how just are we?

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) is the term commonly used for the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal the sexuality of closeted homosexual service members or applicants, while barring those who are openly gay from military service.

According to atenveldt.org, one of the guidelines of the esprit d’corps, which is critical to military service, is about ignoring sexuality. If they have built their guidelines on ignoring sexuality there should not have been an issue to begin with begin with.

The War on Terror, like many other historical American wars, has brought various policy changes to our country, particularly foreign policy measures.

According to Robert Burns, military writer, this year fewer Americans

by

austin

undreds of birds falling from the sky. Tons of fish washing up on shore dead. Are these signs of a real life Apocalypse happening right before our eyes, or are they just coincidence?

Experts and students disagree about the cause but agree it’s not news to be ignored. According to The National Audubon Society, an orginization dedicated to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, freak incidents of this kind of mass animal deaths have unusual but non-apocalyptic causes.

On Monday, Jan. 3, some 500 dead and dying birds fell from the sky onto a Louisiana highway, just three days after a similar incident happened in Arkansas where nearly 5,000 fell.

These events have lead many people to believe that the world is coming to an end, even though there are no definite facts to support this theory.

“I heard about all the birds and I was like... whoa, I can’t believe the world is coming to an end a year early,” said Hunter Norton, junior.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) emphasized that these scenarios are not rare. According to the National Wildlife Association, the USGS records showed 16 cases in the last 30 years where more then 1,000 birds died at once.

The majority of the birds found on the highway in Louisiana

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ANIMAL DEATHS Signs of the Apocalypse?

TMI.

their individuality. With the removal of the sexual orientation discrimination, this could improve student interest at a university level.

According to the Washington Post, DADT was repealed by the Senate with a 65-31 majority, defeating a 17-year ban on homosexuals in the military.

President Obama signed the repeal, handing a major victory to advocates of gay rights and fulfilling a campaign promise to do away with a practice that he has called discriminatory.

With the repeal of DADT, more R.O.T.C. units at college campuses are offering our students more options when choosing a college that will offer this military program.

Christian Shattuck, a member of the R.O.T.C, supports the repeal. “I feel that gays have the right to be in the armed forces. They are able to fight just like any other person,” he said.

This is just one step toward unifying the United States and, as a whole, promoting our freedoms. In the end, “Everyone has the right to be who they are,” said Jordan Boucher, senior.

were red-winged blackbirds. This case was the same for the Arkansas birds. This type of bird is one of the most populous species in the U.S., with an estimated 200 million alive today.

As curiosity rose as to what really happend to these winged creatures, preliminary autopsies on 17 of the birds commenced. Dr.George Badley, state veterinarian for the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission, reported that no poison was found in the birds stomachs.

“Their stomachs were empty, which rules out poison. They died in midair, not on impact with the ground,” he told NBC news. With the fact that this species of bird fly together in close proximity flocks, one theory is that they encountered some type of massive mid-air collision.

Other experts have their own theories. According to the director of Cornell University’s ornithology lab in Ithaca, N.Y., the scenario that is most likely to have caused the deaths of these birds is violent weather.

“It’s funny how every time something bad happens lately, people are relating it to all the 2012 nonsense,” said Kylie Vandeven, junior.

Whether it was a mid-air collision, violent weather, or fireworks going off in the sky, these birds died in a way that was natural. With no solid evidence of the world ending, The Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine is not coming true thus far... but only time will tell. +page eleven.

co

the bird is the word!

signed up for basic training than in any year since it became an all-volunteer service, in 1973.

With an all time low enlistment, the armed services are looking for new resources to fight for our country, even if that meant going against their guide lines.

Students at South seem to agree with the objection to DADT. Topeka Hunter,sophomore, said, “Why can’t they be who they are? They are keeping us safe.”

It seems that the truest test of whether America will respect and protect the freedom of secured liberties is not to be found during times of peace, but rather during times of war.

At high schools around the United States, DADT is having a greater effect than what some may have imagined.

“My cousin that was in the army had to lie and say she was not gay. Why should she have to hide her identity?” said Hunter.

With the repeal of DADT, many students may feel more confident in the belief that they don’t have to hide who they are and are more likely to join the military without concern of protecting

The Paradox of the True Fan

Return of the

CHIEFS b y h a rri so n wh i t e

How KC silenced its critics in 2010

T

he Kansas City Chiefs, who had a combined 10 wins in their past three seasons, took the AFC West as 2010’s only worst to first team. Critics of the team predicted that the Chiefs would finish third in the division.

The key to the Chiefs’ success was its off-season additions, and a restructured coaching staff.

“Pioli and Haley did a great job in the offseason,” said Cody Miller, senior.

Before the season, Kansas City signed veteran running back Thomas Jones. Jones was brought in to serve as a mentor to Jamaal Charles, as well as split the load of the running game. The one-two punch devastated defenses and the Chiefs finished with the most rushing yards in the NFL. Another key off-season acquisition was the drafting of safety Eric Berry, who quickly became a defensive leader. According to NFL.com , he finished the season with a team-leading four interceptions and second on the team in tackles with 92. Veteran Derrick Johnson was the only player with more tackles than Berry.

Scott Pioli, who took over as Kansas City’s general manager in 2009, went out and hired a new defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, and offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis.

“I was really impressed with the defense stepping up and coming through,” said Miller.

Crennel turned a lackluster defense into one of the league’s best, giving up an average of 20.3 points per game.

“The success is a long time coming,” said John Sedler, assistant principal.

Todd Haley and Charlie Weis turned the offense around with a solid pass game and the league’s best rushing game.

Though the Chiefs were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, they finished with a record of 10-6, to take the AFC West and earn their first playoff spot since 2006.

The Chiefs made one of the best turn arounds of any team in the league and hope to continue their success next season.

Why happiness in sports can’t be found in the record column by da n n y jo n es

OUTSIDE

just a bit

mvp.

Horror. Anger. Confusion.

All were perfectly good adjectives to describe me -- a desperate fan -- a month ago as I watched the Iowa Hawkeyes (literally) steal an Insight Bowl victory away from my beloved Missouri Tigers.

It was such a dramatic shift in momentum that it ranks among the endless number of events that cause one demographic to realize why sports are so awesome, while at the same time making the opposition wonder why they didn’t take up stamp collecting as a hobby instead.

My fellow Tiger fans and I were

is that the true sports fan is never truly satisfied; complacency only lasts for a single season, or off season, until the slate is wiped clean and the process starts all over again.

With successful teams, the demands of the fan base grow, and with unsuccessful teams, the desires recede. Thus, happiness and disappointment are never the end result -- they are constantly in transition from one to the other.

The ultimate conundrum, and the ultimate problem with being a “true sports fan”, is that happiness never comes and stays. It either comes

“satisfaction, for a sports fan, never comes and stays; it either comes and goes, or never comes at all (if you follow the royals).” of the latter group on this particular December night. It was then, as we were questioning the wrath of the gods of college football, that we (on a subconscious level) suddenly began to realize what joys a rare 17th century Swiss postage mark could bring after watching yet another moment of glory fall to the cruel hands of fate.

Not that our struggles are unique.

Such strife is typical of the average sports fan regardless of where their loyalties lie. Citizens of New York and Philadelphia feel shorted whenever their massive media markets and extensive talent fail to deliver a championship. Fans of the Brazilian soccer team not only expect to win every World Cup -- arguably the most prestigious title on the planet -- but to do so with style.

The complexity of being a sports fan is rooted in the ever-changing desire for satisfaction. The paradox

and goes, or doesn’t come at all (if you follow the Royals). But still, we fans follow and cheer and empty our pockets in the name of our team -- to show our pride and what colors we bleed.

Why? Why, when true happiness is impossible for a “real fan”?

Here’s why: because true happiness isn’t in continued prosperity; true happiness isn’t in complacency, or satisfaction. True happiness is the moment of elation that comes in little packages, ones that appear in every game, every season with every team: double plays, touchdowns, one-timers, halfvolleys, 3-pointers, upsets, rivalries, milestones, wins...

Those are the things that please true fans, and that’s why we keep coming back.

Questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for next month? Send to 11jonesd@parkhill.k12.mo.us

BIGGEST NFL SINGLE SEASON TURNAROUNDS

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2008 1-15 to 11-5 1998 3-13 to 13-3 1999 4-12 to 13-3

2010 4-12 to 10-6

Thinking outside the court

students pursue non-school sports competitively The names of successful in school athletes are commonly heard throughout the halls.

to compete through the school, both gymnasts agree that it is too expensive for it to be a school sport.

Students and teachers alike pat them on the back and congratulate them on a big win or a nice play. Assemblies are held to recognize them. They even get to ring the new school bell. But what about the students who compete in sports that South doesn’t offer?

Kyle Schleicher, junior, has been a competitive gymnast for about nine years. “[I started because] my mom got sick of me breaking the furniture from flipping off of it,” said Schleicher.

He is now a Level 10, which is the highest level a gymnast can achieve, and he said he likes it because unlike some other sports, he has the freedom to do whatever he wants.

Katie Bredeson, senior, also competes in gymnastics and has since she was nine years old.

Bredeson said, “The best part is the relationships you build. Its like a second family.”

Both Schleicher and Bredeson have had many proud moments with their sport; however, not many people know about them because gymnastics is not offered as a sport at South. Schleicher received first place at Regionals on the floor event, and Bredeson was the level six State champ.

“I want to ring the school’s bell!” said Bredeson. “I don’t get any recognition for gymnastics.”

Although it would nice to be able

over 30 schools in Illinois have ice hockey teams

Jetta McGinniss, math, poses with her horse

Emma Schlagenhauff, junior, participated in a different out of school sport: figure skating. She started skating at age four because both of her older sisters skated.

“It was kind of a family thing,” said Schlagenhauff. “[I like it because] it

by malana b ra dford

allows you to do certain things that you couldn’t do without ice.”

Another thing not possible without ice is ice hockey. Jacob Thompson, sophomore, has been playing hockey at the Independence Ice Arena for 13 years. He said his biggest accomplishment was when he became captain of his team.

Schlagenhauff and Thompson gave the same reason as Schleicher and Bredeson as to why the sports they love could not be played through the school: they are too expensive.

However, Thompson said it would be “pretty awesome” if he could get recognition for hockey at school.

Students are not the only ones who wish South offered more sports. Jetta McGinniss, math, said she would love if the school had a riding club. McGinniss has been riding horses ever since she got her first one when she was five.

“Some people are just born with the passion,” said McGinniss. “I have that passion.”

She is a member of The Kearney Saddle Club, which is a group of horse lovers who trail-ride together, but McGinniss says if South were to ever get a riding program she would be “the first one to head it up.”

Between Schleicher, Bredeson, Schlagenhauff and Thompson alone, over 60 hours of blood sweat and tears are spent practicing. That’s something to ring a bell for.

13 schools in Kansas have gymnastics teams

<<

log on to phsview.com to read updates on South’s school sports seasons

11 schools in Ohio have ice skating teams

http://www.usfsa.org/content/schoolaffiliatedclubs.pdf http://www.gymnasticsfunandfitness.com/page7.php http://www.ushsho.com/highschoolhockeyteamlinks.htm

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The new front-runner of handheld gaming b y t y l er a rt h ur

In times when the iPhone is still on the rise with the release of the iPhone 4, Verizon now being a vendor of the iPhone 4 and Verizon constantly putting out Android phones to compete, one might ask themselves what could possibly be next. Many of the recent phones released have been raising the bar, with all sorts of apps and next level gaming capabilities.

Well, it’s a good day for all the fans of the PSP and

mobile phones alike.

According to Engadget. com, in the near future, Sony plans to release a new version of the PSP that will not only have many gaming capabilities, but also will have the abilities of today’s smartphones.

It is rumored that the PlayStation Phone will use Android 3.0 software and games will be download-able via the “Sony Marketplace.”

The PlayStation Phone is the first rebuttal to the release of Xbox live playing capabilities that recently came out for the Windows 7 Phone from AT&T. Senior Reed Cooper

had not heard about the upcoming PlayStation Phone, but said that he would look forward to the “first-person shooter games” on the phone, because “[they’re] everybody’s favorite.”

Another fan of gaming, senior John Christopher, who is also a big fan of first person shooters, said he thinks the PlayStation Phone would be great for games.

“I’m looking forward to playing Call of Duty,” he said.

Christopher is known to have ‘prestiged’ five times already and has a kill/death ratio of 1.74 in the new Call of Duty: Black Ops game released last November Although the actual date of the release has not been declared nor has there been a sighting of the actual model yet, according to Engadget. com, there have been several prototypes proposed and there is optimism toward the phone/gaming system being released sometime in the year 2011.

what type of phone do you use? plain old cell

(22%) iPhone (21%)

android

(15%)

Blackberry

(11%)

other smartphone

(31%)

Behind the Lyrics:

Hipity Hopity b y ida pa t t o n

H

ipsters and Indie kids come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one large similarity: they are better than the rest of us.

Yes, it is true. There is no need to argue with me about this. They drink the best tea, they listen to the best music, they know where all of the “hip” parties are and, of course, they dress way better than the rest of us with their stylish grunge look.

They are so incredibly cool, in fact, that they even place labels on themselves.

Wow, that’s so indie.

Oh, how I wish I could be indie.

On a serious note, people who label themselves are the gum on the bottom of my shoes. Yes, I know I can be a bit harsh at times, but whatever happened to being yourself? Whatever happened to being original?

Wait, I forgot... there is no such thing.

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The simplicity behind being you

For any of you who wake up in the morning and scrutinize your closet in search of the outfit that will proclaim you as being popular, stop while you still can.

Why not wake up and throw on a pair of mix-match socks and a two-size too big hoodie with Sesame Street on the front of it? Unfortunately, that style was deemed unacceptable after the first grade for most of us. In reality, I just described what I am wearing right now.

There is no need to reach out to the tree of style; after all, you were already given all of the tools to be you.

Every day, I see students who look longingly at each other in hopes of their popularity wearing off on them. They copy the trademark looks of popularity, gossip in the same fashion and pour songs in their ears that they would never listen to.

And in 2011, it seems that the only

acceptable look is artsy, yet refined. If this is truly your style, embrace it, but if it’s not, throw on your Uggs or your knee-high converse sneakers and love who you are.

On the whole, each and every one of us are the grains of sand on a beach that make up the big picture. The ocean is what we all want to be.

I want to make one thing very clear: wearing certain clothes or listening to one type of music does not make you cool.

Listen to what you want and enjoy the beautiful diversity of music. My music suggestion for you this month is Lily Allen and Alexi Murdoch. Or, if your taste lies in hip hop, go out and pick up Kanye West’s and Kid Cudi’s new CDs. You won’t be disappointed, but if you are, remember you are you for a reason.

Like what you like and embrace your own unique style.

source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/makeuseof-poll-type-mobile-phone/

The PlayStation Phone looks to be the future of Cell-phones and gaming alike

At first glance,

“The Green Hornet” may seem like your usual hero movie. The hero, Britt Reid, is a millionaire playboy living the good life and doesn’t have a care in the world, much like Tony Stark from “Iron Man”. But when his father dies, his life is turned upside down, much like Peter Parker from “Spider-Man” when his Uncle Ben was killed.

Britt’s father was the editor of the Daily Sentinel, LA’s biggest newspaper. With his father’s passing, Britt (played by Seth Rogen) is now in control of one of the biggest media outlets in the country. Britt seems to be down in the dumps until he meets his father’s mechanic Kato, played by Chinese pop star and the self-acclaimed “Chinese Usher”, Jay Chou.

Kato is a super genius, mechanic and martial artist.

(Sounds a lot like Batman to me.)

So what is a man with millions of dollars, an incredible side kick and a newspaper at his expense to do? Turn himself into a hero, of course!

Now this is definitely where the run-of-the-mill hero similarities stop. Britt decides to take on the identity of the Green Hornet as a villain in the public eye. Britt and Kato take out the crime of the streets of LA by beating up thugs and stopping drug operations.

So to anyone who has seen the movie trailer, you may think, “Wow, Seth Rogen’s character doesn’t look like he’s doing anything. His assistant is the cool one.” Well, if you thought that, you’d be right. Kato can fight off a mob by himself, design weapons and make incredible vehicles, and Britt basically kicks the guys Kato beats up. But Britt’s the one in control of the media, Britts the one with the money and Britt gets to be the Green Hornet.

Every superhero has to have his girl: Spiderman has Mary Jane, Superman has Lois Lane, Scooby-Doo has Shaggy. Britt thinks he has Lenore Case (played

2011 sets the bar high on super hero movies

GreenHornet

2011:

‘SUPER’ Movies of

>>read more reviews of current movies, shows and books at phsview.com

Gets Green Light

b y h a r r is o n wh i t e

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by Cameron Diaz), a woman working at the Daily Sentinel. Britt would be wrong. Though he attempts to woo her many, many times, his attempts all end in failure.

Director Michael Gondry did a great job with ''Green Hornet.'' This movie is purely entertaining. There’s lots of action, and I laughed hysterically. My favorite part of the movie is the brotherly relationship between Britt and Kato. They laugh, they fight, they take out meth labs, all the stuff you would want to do with your little brother.

The story seems cliché at times, especially at the beginning of the movie, and it gets pretty unrealistic. But in the end, it’s entertaining.

You don’t have to think much because the only twist to the story is thoroughly explained, so you won’t walk away scratching your head like you would with a movie like “Inception”.

My only major complaint is that seeing it in 3-D wasn’t worth the upcharge, so save yourself a few bucks and stick to a regular screening.

In the end, I was pleasently surprised. It was two hours well spent.

+log on to phsview.com for a full, up-to-the-minute events calendar

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Wrestling at home vs.

LS/Belton

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Decemberists at The Uptown 7 p.m.

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Boys Basketball vs. Raytown at home

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CLUB PHOTO DAY

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FMP Welcome Back Assembly

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Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Swim Conference

11 12 10 11 Girls Basketball vs. Kearney at home

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Monster Jam at Sprint Center 7p.m.

ACT 8 a.m.

Hawthorne Salt â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Pepa Girls THE VIRW Heights at Municipal Basketball ISSUE 7!!! at the 7 p.m.

Senior Night Parent/Teacher Beaumont vs. Fort O Conferences Club

the view staff spring 2011 Editor-in-Chief Art Director Copy Editor Business Manager Web Editor Photo Editor

Jesse McGinness Alec Russell Danny Jones Ben Andersen Tiernan Eiberger Austin Cosler

Reporters

Tyler Arthur, Maxx Beshears, Malana Bradford, Cydney Conner, Jessica Freeman, Heather Fatino, Ida Patton, Blake Reser, Harrison White and Elizabeth Williams

Adviser

Megan Hughes

The Park Hill South High School newsmagazine, The View, is a part of the educational curriculum of the Park Hill School District. Although The View is a product of the newspaper class, material may be submitted for consideration from students who are not enrolled in the course. Student submissions should meet guidelines set forth in the board policy and regulation IGDB, copies of which are available in all Park Hill School District buildings.

In addition, readers are encouraged to voice their feedback and/or commentary on a timely issue by submitting a Letter to the Editor. Letters should be 250 words or less and must be submitted with the name(s) of the responsible individual(s). Bring letters to room C200 or e-mail Editor in Chief Jesse McGinnesss at jesse.mcginness@gmail.com.

Any submissions that exceed the maximum length and/or have issues with grammar, spelling or unprotected speech will be returned to the writer for revision and resubmission.

The View is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and Missouri Interscholastic Press Association.

The View is printed by Osage Graphics in Olathe, Kan.