Homework Hazards
Thanks For Thanksgiving!
Sheldon Football
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the Talisman a student newspaper
Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 42 Issue 2 Nov. 9, 2006
Vandalism still plagues Sheldon Recent crimes occur before, after, or during Sheldon football games by Dusty Snell sports editor Sheldon High School has been the victim of vandalism for many years, but now it has spread from school to staff and student’s houses and vehicles. Recently, Sheldon’s staff and students have suffered from incessant vandalism of their property; some incidents occurred prior to the end of the Churchill football game, and even more occurred after the Roseburg football game. There has been a recurring theme of crimes being committed after, or during, Sheldon football games. Many students agree that offenses of a higher caliber are
Bring it!
just unnecessary; they think the everyday washable prank to the school itself is not so bad, but the recent damaging and hurtful attacks on specific people are over the top, and those responsible should be pursued to the fullest extent possible. “I don’t think it is very mature to damage someone’s house or vehicle,” said junior Dani Wright. She continued, “If you have a personal issue with someone, confront them personally, or even better, just learn to avoid that person.” A good principle everyone should live by. “It really made me mad when my house was vandalized for the first time, and the urge to retaliate is really hard to resist” senior Reed Rosenberg, a past victim of vandalism, stated. Rosenberg also stated, “If you can’t resist the urge like some people, it can become a cruel cycle of attacks on another’s property that often leads to trouble.” A lot of times the person who gets in trouble is the person who
retaliates. By vandalizing someone’s property, it isn’t just hurting that person, but it is also hurting his or her family, and even the neighborhood in which he or she lives. These incidents relate back to 3 years ago when former vice principal Lindsley’s car was lit on fire by two former Sheldon High School seniors. The incident occured because the two students were seeking revenge against their former vice principal who had put them into multiple detentions. That case was a classic case of students who believed they could take it into their own hands and teach a lesson. The recent cases after the Roseburg game is less extreme than what happened three years ago with Assistant Principal Lindsley. The former Vice Principal did not deserve what happened, and neither does anyone else Sheldon students should be old enough, and be mature enough to know better than to pull childish stunts such as vandalism.
New rules for fans meant to set healthy boundaries and were put in place to foster good sportmanship
“I can’t say enough how awesome the student body has been,” he said. Risen understands how students feel. “Change is stressful… I understand that students are stressed.” Even with the mild controversy over the new rules, the football players remain on the apathetic side. Junior Justin Pierce, who plays on both JV and varsity, said, “I can’t speak for all sports teams, but...it doesn’t affect us that much.” He added, “I get my enjoyment from being part of the game and interacting with my teammates.” But what about the atmosphere?Are Sheldon games doomed to no longer smell of teen spirit? Pierce said, “I believe the school spirit is still there, it is just not very evident because the fans are so limited in how they represent their school.” Junior Geoff Belleville, a football fan, is concerned by the changes. He described the rules as, “No cheering. No signs. No spirit.” He jokingly added, “I should just wear duct tape over my mouth.” Then there’s The Big One: no rushing the field after games. This particular rule has caused a stir in the cheer section. “It’s ridiculous that they put [this rule] in place,” Belleville said. Risen disagrees. When the fans’ behavior puts the players at risk, according to Risen, “It’s not worth it going out there and shouting…” Risen introduced the term “healthy boundaries” as the best way to go. “Healthy boundaries” is a balance between having fun and acting “classy.” Even though there have been changes in the way fans can express their love for the Irish, life goes on. From the player’s prospective, Pierce offered, “It’s still football. We still play to win.”
OSAA sportsmanship rules by Gracie Beaver features editor
Greg Cantwell photo
The Sheldon girls soccer team competed in the highly-anticipated annual Homecoming assembly dance-off, but lost to the champions, the multitalented Sheldon cross contry team.
“Winning is for a day…Sportsmanship and ethics are for a lifetime!” No, it’s not an inspirational oneliner from some B-movie, it’s a quote from the new “Sportsmanship Guidebook” from the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). Of course, students heard of these new sportsmanship rules; they came blaring over the morning announcements for a week. “No signs.” “Everyone has to wear a shirt.” And the most talked about, “No rushing the field after the game.” However, there’s more than just those three rules contained in the sixteen-page-long internet document [www.osaa.org]. There are many more obscure guidelines and suggestions for how to improve the ethics of sports, including sending “team thank-you notes” to parents who were especially supportive. Or, even sending “team ‘Warning Tickets’” to parents who took things too seriously. The band is not supposed to shout derogatory remarks. The booklet gives some examples of these, such as “Air ball, air ball.” OSAA is not the only group responsible for sportsmanship guidelines. Each conference has its own rules, and each school within those conferences has its own regulations, too. Athletic director Mark Risen has the job of enforcing rules.
Students change habits as health plan takes effect Sodas are removed from schools, but students find ways to get their fix by Woohyun Kweon news editor Sugar and caffeine are the major sources of fuel that high school students thrive on. “I see students with coffee in one hand and books in the other in classes,” health teacher Mrs. Eberle mentioned. What happens if students can’t access their desired beverages in school? Last year, students had access to soft drinks and pre-packaged snacks at many places in the school. However, now that the school has stocked up on healthier choices such as fruit-flavored water and pretzels, not as many students hover around the vending machines as they did before. Students have gone elsewhere to get the 36 oz. drinks they crave. Society has attempted to promote healthier choices for adolescents. Even Disney is marketing side dishes such as applesauce to lower obesity rates in children. Eberle said, “I’m not saying that all soft drinks are bad.
Even I drink a couple during the week. It depends on how much a student drinks. Many don’t realize that they drink more than one serving.” Eliminating soft drinks at school doesn’t mean that students can’t get ahold of them during the day. If students need a caffeine jolt, they can stroll over to places such as Market of Choice for soft drinks and Brewed Awakening for coffee. With the numerous restaurants and cafés surrounding the school campus, it seems impossible for students to escape the constant advertisements for the foods they prefer. Although changes may not seem that drastic for some, stocking vending machines with healthy snacks does have a purpose. Across the nation, K-12 schools are adjusting to the new “wellness” policy. The 4J district has quickly complied with the policy. Changes range from serving nutritious food in vending machines to not letting teachers distribute certain types of snacks during school celebrations that contain too much sugar or fat content. It seems that these changes are the first of many to come from the national “push” towards decreasing obesity rates. Principal Dr. Bob stated, “In some cases, schools may lose federal funding if they continue to sell pop. That’s a big incentive for schools to actually comply
with the plan.” “Of course, we [the school] can’t monitor what students bring from off campus,” included Dr. Bob. Since the vending machines no longer contain soda and candy, more and more students go off campus before and during school. “Taking soda out of school doesn’t mean that students can’t drink them at all – just go off campus,” junior Alysia Shannon said. “I usually go to Dari Mart or Safeway,” Shannon added. Sheldon is surrounded by at least eleven places where students can go to get fast food, soda, and other snacks. Currently, there aren’t restrictions as to where students can go off campus. And so, students can eat and drink what they want. The new “wellness” policy hopes to encourage individuals to be physically active and promotes better nutrition. The policy also hopes to involve both schools and parents to reduce the chance of childhood obesity. At Sheldon, more and more teachers are following the regulations of the “wellness” policy, including not distributing candy or limiting the types of snacks that are available in a class party. Will the policy stop students from devouring sweets and downing caffeine? Not necessarily, but the national push in submitting these guidelines may someday persuade students to adapt to a healthier lifestyle.
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Sheldon News
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Video game War shown to have an systems impact on students back on the bring about Reflecting war through students’ enthusiasm eyes The buzz surrounding the highly anticipated Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 game systems by Cameron Wray staff writer There is good news for video game fans this year. On November 17 Sony and Nintendo will release their much-anticipated systems: Sony’s Playstation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. Sophomore Dave Lee said, “I think the Nintendo Wii is going to be the best, for as long as I remember Nintendo has always been my favorite.” Senior Kim Pham said, “The X-Box 360 will definitely be the best.” As you can see, everyone has his or her own opinion on which next generation system will be the best, and to say a system sucks without it being out yet is just arrogant (Sony haters). There is good news for all you Nintendo fans, the Wii is scheduled to have at least 23 release date games available. Nintendo has really outdone itself this time. Not only has Nintendo brought us a way to enhance and change our video gaming experience with its Wii-mote, it has also made its new system much more affordable than the 360 and the PS3. At the low price of only $249.99 it is already half as the price of the 20 GB PS3, and less than half the price of the 60 GB. The games are cheaper than the PS3 and the 360 as well, at only $49.99. There are going to be more reasons to get an XBox 360 this year. The X-Box 360 has been out for nearly a year now and has released some impressive games such as: Oblivion, Dead Rising, Saints Row, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent, etc. There is also the huge video game line up scheduled for release soon such as: Gears of War, F.E.A.R, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, Resident Evil 5, and a lot more. The X-Box 360 may not be as cheap as the Wii (it ranging from $299.99 to $399.99), but with its high quality graphics and remarkable game line up on the way, it looks to be a top competitor. Sony has some surprises this year, including the addition of the blue-ray disc into the PS3. Adding the blue ray disc has caused the price to go up to $499.99 for the 20 GB hard drive, and $599.99 for the 60 GB hard drive. They also have a new type of controller, the SIXAXIS. With it, the gamer gets increased interactivity with the games, but you also get less feedback from them, such as no rumble. The lack of rumble functionality really takes away from games like Gran Turismo HD, but the ability to twist and turn the controller to get into the action is great. No one can really say how this system is going to turn out since it isn’t even out yet. However, it looks like it will be a tough competitor with its outstanding graphics and its 20 release-date games.
by Kati Sachs staff writer
Here at Sheldon students go about their days and every so often the topic of war is brought up. This country has been at war for a few years now and aside from different views on the war, people have been impacted by this. Some students feel impacted and others don’t, which is understandable since we are so far away from where the war is. Students at Sheldon have many different connections to the war. One student might be more directly involved because a friend or family member is serving in it, while another student is only updated
by what the news tells him or her. Junior Jeff Shores doesn’t feel greatly impacted by the wars of our country, but he does have a friend, Jason Washburn, who served as a sergeant in the US army. “I didn’t know him when he specifically served in a war, but I knew him when he went to New Orleans for crowd control. When he was in New Orleans, I missed him.” When talking to Shores about his concerns for Washburn serving in our wars, Shores admitted that his biggest concern was, “that he would get shot, and then I wouldn’t have a small group leader at church.” Washburn has finished all of his service in our wars and just recently got married on October 28, 2006. Senior Jeff Lee spoke of his older brother, Josh, who serves in the air force academy. “It was kind of tough, for two years he was gone, except for Christmas,” explained
Lee. Lee’s brother is on a break right now, but has another eight years to serve before he’s finished. When talking to Lee about what it was like when his brother was gone Lee said, “He kind of dropped off the face of the earth.” Lee also noticed a difference in his family. Lee talked of how his mom was more focused on all the kids in the house than she had been before. Lee’s biggest concern for his brother was just making it through all right. He wasn’t so much concerned for his brother’s life, but he knew that his brother would have hard things to face and go through. Both Lee and Shores support our troops and feel that they are doing their job, but neither of them thinks too often of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shores said, “It’s not a pressing matter in my life,” and Lee said, “It’s my mom who prays for the troops every morning.”
Spotlight: clubs using art to make a personal statement Various art clubs provide opportunities for self-expression by Kate Carlson contributing writer
Diversity, the spice of life. We make ourselves different by the choices we make, the people with whom we associate, and by the hobbies we have. Part of this self-expression can be found in craft works, such as art. Art, in all its forms, is a creative way to articulate exactly who we are. It is from this important part of
many students’ lives, that we draw the next four clubs for examination. Art Club lives up to its nameMembers meet once a month on Wednesdays at lunch to share their ideas through their craft projects in adviser Ms. Cavin’s room. Some past activities have included making jewelry, pumpkin lanterns, and starched cheese cloth ghosts. For more information, contact senior Amanda Henderly, the president of the club. Knitting Club meets in Ms. Cavin’s room as well. This aptly-named club teaches students how to knit scarves and other things. They will first meet on Tuesday, November 14 and all subsequent Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30. Anyone who wishes to work on an ongoing knitting project or wishes to learn is encouraged to attend,
although the student must bring his or her own yarn and knitting needles. Make peace, not war in Peace Club, which meets on Tuesdays at lunch in C-3. The adviser is Wade Powell. They have done things such as yoga to combat stress and anger. They are also planning to cut out figures of people to represent the ratio of Iraqi soldiers killed to American soldiers killed and increase the awareness of casualties in the War on Terror. To make an argument in debate, join Forensics, which focuses on improving oral presentations and making a case. Occasionally, they attend debate tournaments, but most often they simply practice their skills through assigned disputes. They meet in Ms. Youngblood’s room on Tuesdays at lunch.
Sheldon has opportunity to participate in mock election Results show difference in favorable candidates by Gracie Beaver & Woohyun Kweon The Oregon Student Mock Election came to Sheldon on November 2, exactly two years after the 2004 election. The mock election is carried out in hundreds of different types of schools around the state. Students vote on the candidates for Governor, Representatives in Congress, and Oregon statewide offices, as well as ballot measures and national issues. During 2nd period, almost every Sheldon student exercised his or her democratic right to vote. At the end of the day, the results were in. In the race for Governor, Democratic incumbent, Ted Kulongoski beat out Republican challenger, Ron Saxton by getting 49.7% of the vote. For House of Representatives, Republican Jim Feldkamp lost to Democrat Peter DeFazio, who won with a whopping 60%. Finally, for Judge of the Supreme
Court, Virginia Linder beat Jack Roberts 55% to 45%. The majority of students are primarily concerned with the issue of the Iraq war. The most common view point is that Iraq is better off without Saddam Hussein in power, and that the troops should remain until the job is done. There are other issues also concerning students at Sheldon. Freshmen Hanna Roblin and Drew Dmochowsky for example, are both concerned with world hunger. Roblin stated, “I think world hunger is most important.” Dmochowsky also said, “I feel that world hunger has been overlooked.” One thing’s for certain, each person has his or her own opinion and own method of dealing with disagreement. Roblin and Dmochowsky expressed, “We just tell them that they can think what they want to, but that’s our opinion.” Let’s not forget about the people that are actually old enough to vote. Basketball coach Luke Roth said, “When someone has a different opinion than me, I listen to them and just say that I have a different opinion, unless they’re my friends—then I give them a hard time.” Although most students can’t vote in the real election, mock elections give us an opportunity to voice concerns over certain ballot measures and state government. Students should fully take advantage of their voting rights, even before they are qualified to vote in the actual elections. Through Sheldon’s mock election, the student body had the experience of taking in their peers’ opinions.
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The downside of homework Familiar assignment routine might not be all that beneficial to students by Jamie Burns centerspread editor
Features
November 9, 2006
Sheldon’s diverse culture Sheldon’s unique culture is a microcosm for that of the world by Corben Carpenter staff writer
Everybody does homework, but why? Recent studies show that doing homework every night does not significantly improve students’ skills. Standardized testing scores actually decrease with certain students who do more than two hours of homework every night. In the Third International Study of Mathematics and Sciences, places with a minimal amount of homework, like Japan or Denmark, had higher scores compared to countries such as Thailand and Greece with extremely large amounts of homework. Homework is also shown to contribute to students’ negative outlook towards school and their parents. New proposals for time limits on homework and study time are being considered and used in various schools despite arguments that homework builds self-discipline and other positive traits. In an article in Time Magazine, Duke University professor Harris Cooper stated that homework helps students manage time. Another characteristic that Cooper said homework builds is self discipline. If students spend enough time on homework every evening, many believe it will make children more mature and better learners. Homework is another way to teach concepts that cannot be covered in class. Homework also helps children understand what they are learning or going to learn in the future. Recently this thinking is being questioned more often. Many people experience the negative impact of homework everyday. Freshman Sarah Sprague said, “I have to get good grades so I often worry about finishing all my homework on time.” Homework also contributes to obesity. When students are spending hours doing worksheets or reading books, they have less time to exercise. Sophomore Hannah Long said, “I think homework causes some obesity because students are sitting down too long.” Homework’s tendency to give students bad attitudes results in them doing worse in school. Some kids feel overwhelmed and stressed, which ruins their interest in learning. Some people argue that homework decreases the amount of time that students have to relax and sleep. Long said, “Sometimes I forget about homework and when I remember I end up staying up and not getting enough sleep.” Certain students need their time to relax and if homework lowers the amount of time they will get to relax they do not do their homework. Projects, study guides, and essays all fill students’ schedules. Many hours are spent reading assignments, but not always understanding. Concentration is a major issue when doing homework. Students blast music or a popular television show which lowers their concentration and the amount they learn from homework. Although it is still being argued whether homework is positive or negative, one thing is for certain: not doing assigned homework decreases students’ grades immensely.
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One of the great things about America and Sheldon High School is that we get to experience a melting of different cultures from around the world. We are also lucky to live in an advanced and modern society. However, our culture today is very different than it was a hundred years ago. But how much has it changed, and how does it compare to other nations in the world? When early settlers from England settled here in the U.S., they brought their culture with them. This included clothing, food, agriculture, and their religion. Then they adapted to other methods and ways of life from the Indians. This is all called cultural convergence, when one group brings ands shares their ways
with others. Many years later, more immigrants from other countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Mexico came to the U.S. and brought their cultures as well. Through the years, we have also been inventing and developing new technology to make our lives easier. Industrial and electronic methods have changed the way we all live and have changed our culture. Now we have no choice but to rely on such things as automobiles, computers, factories, etc. In addition, television, magazines, and the internet are now influencing the way we dress, eat, and what we do Friday night. Has our traditional culture been whisked away by new technology and innovations? “I think various cultures come and go,” said social studies teacher Herb Hahn. “But one thing is for sure,” according to Hahn “sports stay forever.” Sports have been a very important tradition in many country’s cultures. Such events like the Summer and Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup show that no matter how different each of us are, we can all come
together to compete through sports. Even though our culture is changing, there our some countries in the world that stay true to their culture. Like in the Middle East, where the people base their whole lives on their religion and belief. “Culture, religion and their history are very important to them,” said Hahn. “They try to protect it as hard as they can.” High school itself has its own culture, which also changes over time. Homework, teachers, and detention are all still the same, but the way we group ourselves is very different from before. Many say “cliques” in such categories as wealth, clothing, popularity, sexuality, and even race divide Sheldon classmates from each other. This sometimes affects the food we eat, the way we dress, and even what we do Friday night. So is our culture change a problem? What would you do to keep old traditions alive today? Some teachers at Sheldon form clubs that have to do with other country’s cultures. Some cultures might come and go, but that does not mean we cannot revisit what our ancestors brought here.
Band and color guard spirited Marching band and color guard are both talented and dedicated by Ethan Mohr centerspread editor Students have probably all seen these extremely talented individuals at work. They have mastered what they love and have a blast doing it. When performing, they may even cease to think of themselves as individual players and become part of the music they play. They are the Sheldon marching band. Most students have probably heard the drumline rehearsing outside school or seen the color guard out in the courtyard going through their moves with big, colorful flags. Most likely, though, students have seen these folks doing their thing for the halftime
show during home football games. However, football halftime shows aren’t the only times that the marching band performs; they have competitions and concerts around town. In fact, they just performed a concert on November 1 here at Sheldon. General anticipation before they performed was encouraging. “It went well,” junior Justin Roberts said. Their competitions this year include the Festival of Bands, which they compete in every year. “We have won many awards, but I don’t remember what they were,” Roberts went on to say. Taking all of this into account, marching band certainly seems to have a passion for what they do. However, do not be misled by all this marching band hype. Marching is not the only type of band that Sheldon has; it also has a full orchestra. They are just as passionate about the music that they play, although they might not be seen rehearsing as often as the marching band. Orchestra has
festivals/competitions just like the marching band, like one at South in the spring. The one performance that the orchestra eagerly awaits every year is the “End of the Year” concert in Sheldon auditorium. Junior Grace Paterson said, “The end of the year concert is always my favorite.” Neither marching band nor orchestra had a special show for Homecoming. Paterson said jokingly, “We’re not organized enough for that.” Bottom line: Sheldon has several different music groups, all passionate about their music. Band may have been resigned to just performing at football games, but it goes deeper. Sheldon bands have their own concerts and compete with others as adamant as they are. They each have several performances this year, and now people can know about them to support these talented students. Music is alive and well in this school, and there are able-bodied and committed musicians who can keep it that way.
Anticipation builds for fall theatre production Students excited for this year’s first school play by Gabi Lieberman staff writer So, many students are wondering, what is the school play this year? When and where will the final show be? Who are the main characters? And most of all, who’s acting in it? This year, the play chosen is called Steel Magnolias, a heartwarming comedy based on the bond among a group of Southern women in a beauty parlor and the friendship that develops between them. The initial conflict happens when one of the women contracts a serious illness and then gets pregnant, endangering her life. There are also smaller conflicts throughout the play with each of the six women on family matters, such as their husbands and sons. People who hate those Disney movies
that have singing and dancing—you’re in luck, because this time there will be none. The whole play is performed in a style that just uses conversations between the characters to tell the story. If you haven’t noticed, that’s the unique thing about this play; the whole cast happens to be all women, not a man in sight. In fact, the only parts where a man actually comes in are in the dialogue the women share with each other. But not to worry, guys. “Although the fall play will be casting all girls, the spring production will be just boys,” says new theater teacher Lynda CzajkowskaThompson, who initially thought of the idea to do this play because of the “many talented people this year.” The appeal of drama draws a wide variety of students. Junior Yoonjin Kim, stage manager for Steel Magnolias, said, “I think drama is fun and cool to do, and Lynda is nice.” Originally, the play had been an offbroadway production and actually didn’t become famous until it was made into a hit
movie during the late 1980’s. It starred some of the most talented people in Hollywood including Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, and Shirley MacLaine among others, released before Roberts became one of the most famous actresses of all time. This year our Sheldon cast will be Sarah Beudert, Paulina Bryant, Tess Chase, Rebecca Ley, Teal Martin and Jordann Wike. The dates the play will be showing are: November 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 P.M., November 19 at 2:30, and December 1 and 2 at 7:30 P.M. Drama members will be preselling tickets for $6.00 each, while box office prices will go up to $7.00.
A message from the Talisman The Talisman is run by students for students. The views expressed in the Talisman are not necessarily those of the Talisman staff, those of Sheldon High School, or those of the Sheldon community. If you have any letters to the editor, please drop them off in the Talisman box located in the front office. We also kindly reserve the right to edit all stories we print.
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Emily Higgins Deidre Jones Jeff Toreson Gracie Beaver Caroline Hanson Woohyun Kweon Dusty Snell Deidre Jones Jamie Burns Ethan Mohr C. Armstrong Brandy Bowers Corben Carpenter Michael Chase Jordan Eddy Jamie Fazio Gabi Lieberman Kati Sachs Andrew Sexton Cameron Wray Alohilani Wright Kate Carlson Greg Cantwell
Things to know and do this Thanksgiving...
Thanksgiving craft project: make The Talisman asks Sheldon seniors: what a giant paper turkey is your favorite Thanksgiving day tradition? Survey by Emily Higgins editor-in-chief
by Jamie Burns and Caroline Hanson centerspread and opinions editors
Art supplies courtesy of Ms. Cavin
Materials: Large white paper 6 different colors of construction paper Scissors Glue Step 1: cut a half circle out of the large white paper according to the size you would like your turkey to be, this will be the turkey’s body. Step 2: use a marker to sketch 5 pizza-like sections on to the half circle. Step 3: the body is made by cutting out leaf shapes and gluing them down in order to cover the white paper. You will need to cut about 200 hundred leaves depending on the size of your turkey Step 4: while you are waiting for the glue to dry use a compass to sketch a circle on one of the pieces of construction paper, this will be the head Step 5: use the compass once more to make a smaller circle in the center of the turkey to add dimension. Step 6: Cut paper to make it look frayed and glue it to the top of the bigger circle for the turkey’s hair Step 7: Make eyes and a beak by using the extra scraps of paper and a marker. Step 8: The gobble is the most important part of the turkey; use a piece of construction paper, cut out a wavy design Step 9: fold paper like a thin accordion to make the legs move Step 10: cut out turkey legs any shape you imagine be creative Step 11: Glue everything down and you have your excellent thanksgiving masterpiece!
Tofurky and Jones Sodas are weird Thanksgiving foods by Gracie Beaver features editor
Ah, Thanksgiving. The resistance of the first incision of Dad’s electric knife into the turkey. The playful plop of the congealed red goo known as cranberry sauce hitting the dish. Although this Norman Rockwellesque portrait of a holiday is charming, one must agree it’s a bit outdated. Turkey? Stuffing? Come on. This is the 21st Century and we need to start eating like it. Although the word “tofu” has some negative connotations (i.e. triggers gag reflex), that doesn’t mean that tofu isn’t a fantastic addition to the Thanksgiving smorgasbord. The best part of tofu turkey is it can
either be bought pre-packaged (Tofurky, anyone?), or, if you’re in the mood for a home-cooked delicacy, can be made on your counter and cooked in your oven. Making a tofu turkey may sound complicated, but with a little spunk and a pound of bean curd, some herbs, and orange-flavored jam, it can be accomplished! Interested? Check out the directions at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-turkey-i/detail.aspx. If that doesn’t sound appealing, you can always try drinking dinner. That’s right, Jones Soda Company’s infamous “holiday pack” is back with a vengeance. This year’s unorthodox flavors include turkey and gravy, sweet potato, dinner roll, pea, and antacid. The antacid flavor even comes with its own medicine dosage cup. Yum. Just know that whatever you do during November’s best holiday, there is always a weirder way to celebrate. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Caroline Hanson, Jamie Burns, and Greg Cantwell photos
Black Friday shopping means great deals for customers and profits for retail businesses by Woohyun Kweon Sheldon news editor
The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is when the shopping madness begins. Stores open doors as early as five in the morning, such as Shopko. Headlights shine through the heavy fog on the highway,
and parking lots are packed with cars. Seasonal sales and massive discounts have people scurrying around, competing for the best deals possible. Customers spend hours and hours shopping until they drop, literally. Black Friday is the single biggest U.S. shopping day. Retailers promote coupons and special deals to draw in numerous customers. This is also when many consumers begin Christmas shopping. The phrase ‘Black Friday’ comes from the shift to profits during the holiday season. In short, Black Friday is when retailers go from being unprofitable, or “in the red”, to being profitable, or “in the black.”
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You stop eating for a week in advance. Your personal trainer is double booked a month in advance. Only the scrawny dinky turkeys are left. “Tofurky” is in surprisingly high demand. Your neighbors make it a habit to strip naked, coat themselves in cranberry sauce, and run around your neighborhood. Each set of grandparents calls at random intervals to invite you to their house for Thanksgiving. Your mom cleans out the oven. Every musician known to man (even the dead ones) begin to put out holiday CDs. You start preordering sleeping bags and ponchos for the overnight stay in front of the local mall for the dayafter-Thanksgiving sale (Black Friday). Beef becomes substandard. You aren’t thankful for the traffic. Stuffing goes on sale for a dollar a box. Sparkling cider suddenly disappears from the shelf of every grocery store. Your family decides “on a whim” to buy a brand new (and bigger) table. You get a “Happy Holidays” greeting card, which comes with a tiny little turkey-print napkin/bib. You get mail from obscure stores that sell things like “commemorative silverware.” Your parents attack you with cameras, trying to get the perfect “Happy Holidays” picture to send to your four grandparents, six aunts and uncles, ten cousins, and seven friends of the family. None of which live close by. Your little brother/sister continuously comes home with hundreds of Thanksgiving papers and projects and amongst the projects is the infamous hand turkey. You actually decide to make one. In secret, of course.
Traditional Thanksgiving recipe courtesy of Dusty Snell sports editor
To get the best deals, get up as early as possible, or perhaps don’t go to bed at all. Some people may also resort to camping out in front of stores. The sales usually last only until a specific time such as noon. If planning to walk around all day, wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Also, people may be grumpy; they had to get up early to buy their stuff. Don’t take it personally if one is shoved around and continue shopping. Stores may also match prices so be sure to collect ads. Black Friday is just another shopping day, but with greater deals and discounts. To get the best prices, hurry in and rummage through the massive sales.
Cream Cheese Corn
1-8oz. package cream cheese 1 stick real butter 2-16oz. packages frozen corn
Greg Cantwell photo
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in 2 qt. baking casserole. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until cream cheese and butter are soft enough to stir together. Cook until warm and bubbly (20-30 minutes), top with freshly grated pepper and fresh chopped parsley for color, if desired.
6 November 9,2006
Opinions
the Talisman
Highly-anticipated film is a real let down The Prestige is mediocre and predictable by Jordan Eddy staff writer “Are you watching closely?” The tagline on the movie poster for The Prestige reads. Maybe we don’t have to. Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated fifth film falls into the trap of a predictable structure almost immediately, something that the heavy advertising for the movie pledged against. As the opening credits flash by, a supporting character treats us to an explanation of the three steps that a stage magic trick consists of, three steps that are also used to push the movie along its convoluted course. These three steps- the pledge, the turn, and the prestige- gave me an easy way to critique the mediocre
tragedy on its own terms. The Pledge: In the first step of a stage magic trick, something ordinary is brought to the attention of the audience. In the case of The Prestige, “the pledge” occurs in two events: one man is killed and another is convicted of the murder, two events that will be given depth by a series of confusing flashbacks over the duration of the film. By the end of “the pledge”, there is still hope for a good “trick”, but the real test of the film occurs in the next two steps. The Turn: As the magic trick continues, the magician takes the ordinary object and makes it extraordinary, represented in the opening credits by the character placing a bird into a cage and making it disappear (cage and all) under a cloth. The two main characters, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), first meet during another perplexing trick, working as assistants in a theatre in early 20th century London. Initially friends, their relationship quickly goes wrong due to a terrible accident, giving way to a nasty rivalry that
absorbs their entire lives, as well as the plot of the movie. The events at the end may be given more depth during “the turn,” but the two main characters seem so cold and obsessive that they drag the movie down. The Prestige: In the opening credits, the magician recovers the vanished bird to represent the prestige, the moment when the trick unravels and the audience gasps in stunned satisfaction. Sadly, the prestige of the movie itself fails to excite such strong emotion, offering up two twists that are hardly as exciting as the movie sets them up to be. After the bird trick is performed and the audience has departed, the true solution to the trick is revealed: the cage collapses on and kills the first bird, and a second is used as its replacement. It is with this sort of dark, dramatic flair that The Prestige attempts to unfold, but fails because of poorly developed characters and a simple plot. Junior Ashley Garber summed the movie up perfectly, “It wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, but it probably wasn’t worth the seven bucks.”
All should see Fast Times at Ridgmont High Your high school experience won’t be complete without seeing it by Emily Higgins editor-in-chief My favorite IHS class is Theory of Knowledge, a.k.a. TOK, a.k.a. “Deep Hanging-Out.” I know that we’ve been in school for ten weeks, but we don’t receive regular homework assignments in TOK. By “regular,” I mean we don’t receive a homework assignment for every class period, and it is also true that the assignments we do receive are not “read this chapter,” or “answer these questions.” My favorite assignment to date has been our film clips assignment. We were told to work alone or get in small groups of no more than three or four people. Then we picked out a movie clip that demonstrated one of the following themes: what is most real, who I am, moral dilemmas, the experience machine/science fiction, alternate realities, profound learning, the meaning of life, or what matters. We spent three class periods watching videos; everything from the anime Totoro, to the obvious The Sixth
Sense, to the serious Good Will Hunting. It’s amazing that we can learn about philosophy watching popular films! Senior Elina Levkovskaya and I spent an afternoon watching the cult classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Yes, we sat through an entire movie for one clip. But then again, that movie was Fast Times at Ridgemont High. So, which clip did we pick? When Spicoli (Sean Penn) ordered a pizza and had it delivered during Mr. Hand’s (Ray Walston) history class? No. Any of the r-rated scenes, specifically the one that inspired Fountains of Wayne’s Stacy’s Mom video? No. We picked the clip where Spicoli and the football player’s brother drive the football player, Charles Jefferson’s (Forest Whitaker), car into a pile of cinder blocks while under the influence of marijuana. Spicoli tells the brother that he can fix the car because his father is a T.V. repairman. Instead, he drops it off in front of the school and graffiti’s it, pretending it was the work of the rival school. Later on, Charles goes on to win the championship for Ridgemont. And what was this supposed to demonstrate? That drugs are bad for you? That you shouldn’t steal cars? Actually, we were trying to show a moral dilemma. But that’s not what I said. I said that it doesn’t matter if you wreck the star quarterback’s new car as long as he wins the big game! Now, don’t go applying that principle in real life, because as we all (should) know, things never work out the way
that they do in the movies. I was only joking. The point I’m trying to make is that Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a movie every high school student needs to watch before he or she graduates. Yes, before you graduate. Yes, the movie is rated R, but you’ll turn seventeen, maybe even eighteen, before you graduate, so there really is no excuse! I’d also like to tell you that TOK is the most amazing class, but that’s rather unfair seeing as most of you will never be able to take it. Anyway, Fast Times is such a classic because it amplifies the stereotypes we see in high school. You don’t have to look too hard to see yourself in that movie. Maybe you work at the mall. You may not exactly be the girl with all the guys, working in the food court or the nerd boy working alone at the movie theatre, but there is still some truth in these stereotypes. Fast Times must also be remembered for the 80s time warp that it is. It was also one of movie genius Cameron Crowe’s first ventures into screenplay writing; he also wrote the book. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the best high school comedy ever. It surpasses any of the American Pie movies in both cast and content. Each high school stereotype is portrayed so well, in fact, that everyone can find a piece of themselves in the characters. Your high school experience can never be complete until you watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Soundoff: the importance of school sports vs. art A freshman stands up for the importance of school sports by Jaime Fazio staff writer Everyone is talking about sports here at Sheldon. Whether it’s the huge Duck game that just happened over the weekend or how our school team did in their game, there is always talk about sports. I think sports are truly important to the students here at Sheldon. On the announcements each day you hear them say, “The varsity game is this Friday, there’ll be a rooter bus to it, if you don’t go, then you aren’t a true fan.” Freshman J.J. Netthai commented, “I think sports are very important here at Sheldon. You always see people talking about sports, and wearing sports clothing. I am involved in soccer, but it just ended and I’m pretty happy about that. Not that I don’t like soccer, it’s just, I don’t have to rush to soccer right after school. I get to say “bye” to friends,”. You see sports all around you at Sheldon. I have friends who are “thespians” and several of them wanted to be in the play, but didn’t make it. I also have many friends who are sports stars. It’s hard to choose between the two because I
don’t want to let my friends down, but I prefer sports. When I go to football games or soccer games or whatever kind of game, I personally find sports more exciting than to see someone performing just because I can actually participate in sports, like cheering the team on, instead of just sitting there and not doing anything. I’m not trying to be rude to you “thespians” out there who are reading this, but I think that sports are a better activity to do instead of theater. I have to say that I used to like theater, but I don’t really care for it anymore. I’ve found it quite uninteresting and dull at some times. Freshman Drew Dmochowsky had this to say about sports. “Sports have impacted my life so much. If I wasn’t playing sports I don’t know what I would do with my life. Sports are my life.” Dmochowsky also added, “I think sports are very important to Sheldon students. Everyone is involved in sports. Sports are kind of like showing school spirit!” I agree with Drew when she said that students are very focused on sports here at Sheldon. Sheldon is known for their sports. We have wonderful sports teams and great coaches to lead us to victory. Theater or performing arts can be considered important to Sheldon, if you are involved in it, but mostly, sports are the main focus.
A senior explains how much more entertainment one gets out of the arts by Deidre Jones assistant editor Our high school years are supposed to be the best (or worst) years of our lives. And when we think of high school, many different images come to mind: crowded hallways, lots of homework, dances, and cliques. As everyone knows, it’s pretty much a fact that the Drama Kids and the Jocks just cannot coexist peacefully. (I’m basing this strictly off stereotypes here, because stupid people get mad if I don’t admit the fact that I am simply listing off typical stereotypes and that they are NOT my general opinion.) I mean, come on. Sports fans barely get along themselves. Sophomore Nicci Kaufman commented, “I hate the fact that people [practically] hate each other because of what team they root for.” And she’s all too right about this fact. When I lived in San Leandro, I was in the throes of a war between Oakland and San Francisco. The unspoken rules in that part of California were that you HAD to like football, and more so, you HAD to choose a side: The Raiders, or the 49’ers. Being that my mother was a fan of the Raiders, I opted to go with that team, for fear that if I opposed her, she’d ostracize me and want nothing to do with my existence because I would technically be a traitor. Nevermind that I was seven and didn’t even know what “ostracize” meant yet.
Obviously, I’ve kind of held a grudge against sports ever since. They’re too competitive for my laid-back lifestyle, and unlike most of California (and places similar to it), I just don’t hold an interest in most sports. The only reason I’m not completely against sports and such is because I used to play softball, and even that was short-lived (I only played for two years). I personally prefer arts and entertainment to sports, such as drama or photography or design. They’re much more intellectuallyinvolved activities/hobbies/careers for my nonathletic state of mind. Senior Adrian Johnson expressed his favor for art over sports, “Art deals with intellectual growth. [I love] the creativity, the thought that someone is free enough to express themselves in such a way that it instills the artist’s emotions in the eye of the beholder.” Wise and well spoken words; Johnson’s right. Sports require tactics, a muscular build (generally), and don’t necessarily call for intellect. For those of us who are athletically challenged, things like art and dance and theatre are the challenges and sports of the mind. So, what could happen to make things easier and more enjoyable for both halves of entertainment? Kaufman suggested, “They should stop having basketball games during performances. You can hear the buzzer through the wall.” Conversely, perhaps performances could be scheduled on days or evenings when there isn’t a basketball game? But as they say, “the show must go on.” Where do the arts stand? What do they mean to us? “[They are] life,” Johnson remarked. I couldn’t agree more
Sports
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The sport of pétanque Fun French sport is similar to bocce and played in fall and spring by Caroline Hanson opinions editor Most people may have heard of bocce and the game of Horseshoes, but maybe not the other related game of. According to freshman Chanel Daniels Pétanque is “the game where you try and throw the balls as close to the other ones as possible.” It is much more than that; pétanque is known all over the world and is a club sport here at Sheldon. The Sheldon team consists of about fifteen players of all grade levels. The supervisor is Madame Barley, the French one and two teacher; this makes sense because pétanque is a French sport. Although it is known all over the world it is not a well-known sport here at Sheldon. When asked what she thought pétanque was, freshman Madison Milbourne answered, “a country?” It is played at other schools as well such as North, South, Marist, and Churchill. The team is always looking for new people and previous experience is not necessary. Freshman Emily Agerter said, “I want to play next year with Katie Carter.” Believe it or not it is possible to letter in pétanque. The uniform is very casualall that is required here at Sheldon is the team t-shirt, which was designed by former Sheldon student Kenny Carter. Pétanque is pronounced “pay-tonk”, it is one of Europe’s most popular games, and is compared to the Italian game of “bocce.” The aim is to toss, or roll steel balls, “boules,” as close as possible to a small wooden ball, called a “piglet” or “cochonnet.” Players take turns and the team that ends up with their boule closest to the cochonnet, wins that round. The cochonnet ball may be hit at any time, which can completely turn around the score at the last second. Unlike the official bocce rules that call for a smooth, prepared court with markers, pétanque can be played on hard dirt, gravel, and grass. Something else that makes it unique is that more than one game is played at a time. There are usually two triples games (3 on 3), two doubles games (2 on 2) and two singles games (1 on 1). The players are placed before each game depending on skill level. All are equally challenging and fun. A team member junior Patrick Bean said, “I prefer singles.” It is a very strategic sport; there is a lot of planning that goes into deciding on your next move. Some people believe there is a certain spin you can put on the ball to always get as close as possible, and others just play for fun. The sport is as competitive as the individual makes it.
November 9, 2006
MLB season summed up St. Louis Cardinals take their tenth world series championship by Michael Chase staff writer This year’s playoff picture can be easily described by some as improbable, and by some as an “of course” kind of postseason. Some found it improbable because several powerhouses either didn’t make the postseason or didn’t make it past the LDS (League Division Series), such as the Yankees and the Red Sox. Others found it an “of course” postseason, because the past few postseasons have been dominated by average teams who light up late in the season. The Tigers and the Athletics, the teams from the ALCS (American League Championship Series), played their series in four straight games, with the Tigers sweeping the A’s four
games to none. The Mets and the Cardinals, the teams from the NLCS (National League Championship Series), played their series in seven games, with the Cardinals beating the Mets four games to three. The Tigers and the Cardinals advanced to the World Series with their ALCS and NLCS series wins, respectively. Due to the Cardinals victory in the series, they are the second team in MLB history to win the World Series ten times, the first being the New York Yankees, who have won the series a seemingly impossible 26 times. When asked who he wanted to win the World Series, freshman Brandon Dreschler said, “I don’t care now because the Yankees are out, but if I had to choose, I would probably go with the Cardinals.” Sophomores Josh Balthrop and Taylor Gunson made a similar comment, stating that the Yankees are their favorite team because they are, “so loaded on talent.” The Tigers had the homefield advantage, due to the American
by Christian Armstrong staff writer The Dallas Cowboys, one of the most phenomenal teams in the NFL, recently came close to losing one of its top players. With a roster filled with complete talent, Dallas has made a name for themselves in NFL history. Wide receiver Terrell Owens was signed to Dallas in March 2006. After recent issues in his career, Owens has been looked down upon by other teams in the league. Revived by a second chance given by Dallas head coach Bill Parcells, Terrell Owens is working his way back up to the top. Since Terrell Owens kick-started his career in ‘96 when he signed with San Francisco, he has had many obstacles fall in his path. Just a few months before he was claimed a free agent and signed by Dallas, Owens was removed from the Philadelphia Eagles team for excessive egotistical issues and disrespect towards, and around the team. Though Owens’ skill to please the crowd is amusing to some, coaches, teammates, and other NFL teams have begun to lose respect for this star receiver. Once Owens was signed to the Cowboys, he was pleased to be back on the field making plays once again. During the week following the Jacksonville game, Owens broke one of his fingers. Trying to shrug it off; he later decided to get an operation to repair it. This was not the first injury for Owens. Throughout his career he has suffered from a pulled
League All-Star team defeating the National-League All-Star team in the All-Star game last summer 3-2. Game One was a somewhat surprising victory by the Cardinals, winning 72 at the Tiger’s home stadium. That game was hyped as the first game in World Series history that started two rookie pitchers, Anthony Reyes for the Cardinals and Justin Verlander for the Tigers. The Tigers then came back to win Game Two in a close game, surrounded by controversy over the foreign substance on Tiger’s pitcher Kenny Rogers’ hand (Rogers’ was given a somewhat comical nickname after this game: Dirtgate). After a travel day, the Cardinals blew out the Tigers at the new Busch Stadium, 5-0. After a come-from-behind win for the Cardinals in Game Four, and a solid and well-played Game Five victory 4-2, the Cardinals were successful in winning their first World Series title in 24 years. Freshman Kelli Lyerla summed up the series with this simple statement: “Go Cards!”
Irish football overcomes some doubts Team looks ahead to possibly add another state title for Sheldon by Jeff Toreson ads manager
Brittney Baker photo
Senior Matt Arbuckle runs the ball past Grants Pass helping Sheldon to its 50th league win.
Terrell Owens’ alleged overdose Terrell Owens may just be a victim of the media
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hamstring. Time after time, he has been distracted by these burdens. Enough so that recently there has been a rumor that Owens overdosed on 35 prescription pills to attempt suicide. He admitted to “taking a few extra” but it was because of the state of mind he had been in from his recent operation. Within hours of the incident, publicists had what they thought was a firm grasp on the breaking story. Little did they know what they had heard and said was all false. Once T.O’s teammates received news of the rumor, they laughed and claimed “Owens is just gettin’ back up on his feet; never would he attempt something as juvenile as this.” When asked what he thought of the T.O. incident, sophomore Ellis McNulty claimed, “It’s probably true. T.O. is always actin’ a fool to get attention. For all I care it’s just another publicity stunt.” Most other people responded with this same statement when asked about the subject. “Who knows what’s true and what’s not these days. You can’t always believe the media,” said sophomore Zack Caldwell. When Owens was questioned about the incident, he admitted to taking two or three more pills than prescribed, but this was because of the state of mind he had been in from the after-effects of Novocain. He assures his teammates, coaches, and fans that this is all just one big misunderstanding. Coach Parcells claimed, “I am just excited to see him get back on the field and prove to all you the strength of his desire.” Detectives and reporters are still investigating the incident, but who really knows what happened the night of the tragedy? It seems as though most of the rumors have blown over as T.O. has made his way back on the field and is playing once again. Although it is not to his full extent, he continues to pursue what he loves most, no matter what obstacles may cross his path.
The Sheldon Irish have answered some of the doubts that smothered them in the off-season as the Irish roll to a dominating 8-0 overall, and 4-0 in the conference, which places them second in the State Rankings. A lot of question arose during the offseason as Sheldon would leave their 46-game winning streak in the Midwestern league and join the Southwestern League, which is known for tough, hard-nose running football. People doubted that Sheldon could shut down the Southwest’s running game. The Irish have found a way to play good solid defense as they are only allowing an average of 14.5 points per game, and play explosive offense as they are averaging nearly 37 points per game on offense. Although the numbers look dominating, Sheldon has gotten challenged in some games, one example being the North Medford game. The North Medford game was quite a challenge for Sheldon as they loaded up the bus and drove down to Medford’s Spiegleburg Stadium. The Irish got their first real test in the southwestern league as they trailed by 11 points with five minutes to go, before Alex Besaw hooked up with Aaron Pflugrad on fourth down for a 67 yard touchdown, and after a Besaw to Pflugrad twopoint conversion, the Irish only trailed by five points as the score was 21 to 18. After the ensuing kickoff, which the Irish recovered, they fumbled the ball on first down which gave the ball back to North Medford, and hoped for a defensive stop. That is exactly what they got, and after a 16 yard punt by North Medford the Irish had the ball. Sheldon drove the ball down to the Black Tornado one yard line and then Besaw ran a sneak into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, making the final score Sheldon 25, North Medford 21. “I loved watching Alex Besaw and Aaron Pflugrad,” said Freshman Paige Bornstein, who went down on the rooter bus to watch the game. “I love riding down on the rooter bus because it gets you pumped up for the game!” The homecoming game against Grants Pass also gave Sheldon some fits as they hung on at the end of the game and won as Pete Jaeger intercepted Grants Pass’s two-point conversion attempt on their final score to make it Sheldon 27, Grants Pass 25. Nobody ever doubted that Sheldon had talent, but they didn’t know the potential of that talent. Sheldon’s talent produces all-state athletes year after year. This year is no different as they have all-around athlete Alex Besaw, allstate honored Bo Moos, and Aaron Pflugrad, who is being recruited by Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, and Boise State. This year has been the perfect blend of talent as it has resulted in an 8-0 record overall and has given Sheldon the title of southwestern league champions. Sheldon will enter the 6A playoffs in hope to repeat what they did in 2002 and win a State Championship. They have all the makings of a state championship team, now it’s up to the players and the coaches to realize that goal.
Backpage Diary of a Rebel Mind My best friend, ‘Mandy,’ just started dating my brother’s best friend, ‘Greg,’ who was already dating my other best friend. My brother doesn’t really care, and I made him promise not to say anything. Now I’m trapped in the middle of this big secret, and am starting to get so paranoid that my other best friend is mad at me. Thing is, no matter who I talk to, there will be a giant crisis. What should I do? -Confused” Now, I don’t know how or why, but Confused seems to have mistaken my opinion for Dear Abby. I don’t know why he or she believes I’m capable of solving the problem (being that my mindset is that it’s his or her problem, not mine). And second, how do I know this isn’t just the result of a poor, pitiful underclassman with no imagination and lots of time on his or her hands? In any case, your best bet, “Confused,” would be to let your friends know. Keeping it a secret will only make it worse. It would be better to inform both “Mandy” and your other best friend at the same time and give them a chance to work it out before confronting “Greg” about it. This will most likely dampen whatever relationship you have with “Greg,” but if he’s a cheating lout, maybe you
Assistant editor and backpage editor of the Talisman shares her opinion, and a little extra by Deidre Jones assistant/backpage editor
You may remember from last month’s Diary that I admitted I was anxious to receive hate mail. Lo and behold, lying there in Mr. Cantwell’s mailbox in all it’s linedpaper-splendor was a note, with “‘Rebel Mind’ Talisman” written on the back. I read the note and couldn’t sustain my laughter. My dear readers, it’s true. I asked for angry letters explaining how much I’m loathed. I instead receive a request for my advice. Whether sincere or not, it was both ironic and laughable. “Dear ‘Rebel Mind,’ As I understand it, your article is some sort of advice column that people write into with their deepest problems. Though my friends say you’re too cynical, I think you sound like the kind of person with a solution to my problem.
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don’t want to be friends with him anyway. Now, onto more (or less) pressing matters. I’m angry at kids. No, really. Not only are they annoying, they all seem to have privileges that I didn’t even know existed when I was their age. I saw a six-year-old the other day in the 7-Eleven near Hawaiian Time. He was getting a Slurpee. He spilled it on his $200 Motorola RAZR. WHAT IS THAT?! I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was fourteen. I didn’t know what a cell phone WAS at six years old. Another thing that bugs me is that everyone and their grandmother has an iPod. iPod Shuffles, iPod Nanos, iPod Minis, iPod Photos, iPod Videos, and the original iPods. They have an iPod for everything now. They have a new red nano that’s supposed to help the funding for the fight against AIDS. People, they have iPod running shoes (Nike). What’s next? An iPod loveseat? “Now presenting the new and improved iPod wrecking ball! Tear down buildings, destroy homes, all while listening to your favorite songs!” Jeez. Talk about living in a material world. Well, I’ll take this opportunity to wish you buggers a happy Thanksgiving, but don’t spend too much on dinner and such. Chrismahanakwanzika is coming up, and we gotta’ make sure to get our grandmothers sweaters to match their iPods. Ta.
Broomsticks, wizards, and wands, oh my! Wizarding craze hits with new Harry Potter Club by Andrew Sexton staff writer He is known around the world as the boy wizard and we all wish we could have his invisibility cloak. He is Harry Potter. Written by J.K. Rowling, the books are considered masterpieces. Harry Potter fans aren’t just regular fans, they are seriously intimidating fans who live their lives in the footsteps of Hogwarts. Now there is a place here at Sheldon that Harry Potter fans can call home. The Harry Potter club is a new addition to Sheldon High School. Students discussed forming the Harry Potter club last year, but it wasn’t until this year that Mrs. Barley agreed to be their advisor. Melinda Warburg, the librarian said, “The students started it because they wanted to continue the reading of Harry Potter books and material.” Having this new club here at this school has given an outlet to those hardcore Harry Potter fans, because all they could think about is how much we need a Harry Potter Club here at Sheldon. Now every
Wednesday they can converse with each other about their favorite book series. One can sometimes hear in the halls how awesome the new Harry Potter club is. When students first arrive at the meetings they can hear the sound of Harry Potter music in the air. People dress as witches and wizards; it really gives off the feeling of Hogwarts. At the third Harry Potter meeting, they had their official “Sorting of Houses.” People would cheer whenever the word “Gryffindor” would come up, but whenever the word “Slytherin” would come in there presence, they would actually threaten to kill each other. A lot of different people show up to the club meetings. “The people mostly consist of Harry Potter fanatics,” said senior Kim Pham. It is a huge club; around 30 people attend the meetings. People show up for all kinds of reasons, some show up to be surrounded by others like themselves and others show up because they want to learn more about Harry Potter. The club is an amazing place to go; whenever fans go to the club they will most definitely have some great memories to spread to friends and family.