Volume 42 Issue 7 - May 11, 2007 by The Talisman

Pet Food

Graduating Early

Wikipedia

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the Talisman a student newspaper

Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 42 Issue 7 may 11, 2007

Oregonian Cup: more than sports The Oregonian Cup is awarded to schools with excellence in sports, academics, and sportsmanship by Michael Chase sports editor A champion is deﬁned as one who completes extreme accomplishments on the way to victory. Academic champions are often overlooked by many people who tend to focus on athletic champions. However, in 1999, The Oregonian decided to combine the academic and athletic efforts of schools throughout the state by creating one of

ASB elections, or lack thereof

the most coveted awards in Oregon: the Oregonian Cup. According to vice principal Mike Johnson, “The Oregonian Cup is the most prestigious award a high school can win based on athletic and academic accomplishments throughout the year.” The reason for creating the Oregonian Cup was to recognize overall excellence in both academics and athletics. The winners (one winner for every league) are determined based on overall athletic program, performance, sportsmanship, and academic standings. Sportsmanship plays a huge role in judging a winner, as schools are monitored year round. Schools can be penalized for any ethics issues in their athletic programs. For instance, if a football team is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in a game, then their school’s Oregonian Cup score will be penalized as well. There is no tiebreaker in the scoring system, which enables two schools to win the same award in the same year if their scores are the same. Sheldon has won this award twice before in back-

to-back years, from ’01-’03. On the east wall in the main gym, the two championship banners are visible from the years in which the Irish won the championship. In Sheldon’s last championship, the Irish tied with Grant High School to win the award. During the winter sports assembly, athletic director Mark Risen quickly addressed the Irish’s two Oregonian Cup championship banners during his speech. It was clear that many students either had never heard of the Oregonian Cup, or simply didn’t care about it. So the question remains: If the students and athletes both don’t know about it or don’t care about it, then what is the point of still having this award? Some people say the award adds an extra incentive towards sports teams and academic scholars, but many of these possible award recipients say that a district and state championship would be so much more remembered over an award which they have really no reason to strive for.

Fearless IB Testers

Candidates for all offices of ASB ran unopposed for the 2007-2008 year by Ashley Ruderman features editor As the 2006-2007 school year comes to a close, seven girls representing the class of 2008 are quickly approaching the beginning of a year-long commitment to leading student life at Sheldon. However, the road to office twisted off the beaten path when each candidate found out she was running unopposed. “With SATs and AP/IB tests approaching, it’s been such a relief to campaign with the girls rather than against them,” said vice president Emily Gray. In the spirit of a student-run democracy, elections were held on May 4 in spite of the lack of competition. The elections assembly proved itself to be quite entertaining and truly displayed how excited the group is for 07-08. The assembly also showcased the girls’ ability to work as a team. “We want people to be excited for next year. We wanted to integrate all of our personalities into the assembly and show Sheldon that ‘we got yo back,’” said ASB elect Brianna Estrada and Samantha Smith. The associated student body (ASB) officer positions for the 07-08 school year will be held by Judy Lee, president; Emily Gray, vice president; Brianna Estrada, secretary; Ashley Ruderman, treasurer; Nikki Bothman, publicity; Samantha Smith and Kelsey McConville, activities. The girls are all excited for their new responsibilities and opportunities to enhance each student’s experience at Sheldon. Every effort will be made by the select seven to provide the very best for Sheldon students next year.

Emily Higgins photos

(Above) Seniors Daniel Hawkins, Lauren Joli, and Katherine Kahl hang out and try to keep things light and fun before Paper 2 of the A1 English IB test on May 4, 2007 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. (Left) Senior Stephanie Bellissimo reviews her notes before Paper 2 of the A1 English IB test. Prior to exams, reviewing notes on IB works such as Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Great Gatsby, Heart of Darkness, and Sula was important to all IB Literature certiﬁcate and IB full diploma candidates.

Little Shop of Horrors set to be a “growing” success Alien plant to take over the earth! by Jaime Burns centerspread editor The upcoming Sheldon play Little Shop of Horrors combines comedy and music to entertain viewers. The musical is based on a film by Roger Cornman and screenplay by Charles Griffith. A geeky florist, Seymour Krelborn, finds a strange plant in the flower shop where he works and decides to purchase it. He names the plant Audrey II and discovers that the plant feasts on blood. Seymour has a love

for the shop’s assistant, Audrey, and often dreams of her. In exchange for killing others, Audrey II claims that Seymour will get money, fame, and Audrey’s love. What Seymour does not know is that the plant is actually from outer space and planning to take over the world. Freshman Kelli Mcghehe said, “The plot of the musical seems very original. I think it will be interesting for the students to watch.” The main actors in the musical are senior Tess Chase and Kirk Mann, playing Audrey and Seymour. For Audrey II, there is a giant cardboard plant which continues to grow as the play progresses and as the plant consumes more blood. Quang Pham stands offstage as the voice of Audrey II. The

musical is produced and directed by Lynda CzajkowskiThompson, musically directed by Nancy Anderson, and technically directed by Corey Ennis. Freshman Jeffrey Toreson said, “I think that students will like to watch the performances by other students, because it is interesting to see how the actors are different on stage.” Little Shop of Horrors showings are on May 11, 12, 18, and 19 at 7:30 p.m. There is also a Sunday matinee on May 13 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased at the box ofﬁce. If you are looking for an entertaining alternative to watching television Little Shop of Horrors is the perfect opportunity.

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News

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Recent pet food predicament Dog and cat food was recently put on recall because of the new found ingredients: melamine and tainted wheat that were making pets sick and in some cases causing death by Caroline Hanson opinion editor On March 16, a large amount of dog and cat food was recalled. The food was sold under a number of different brand names. Since then, the recall has expanded and several other companies removed products from the market. The recall list contains over 100 different types of pet food, but that only makes up one percent of the brands of food available in stores. Those 100 brands, however, are accountable for millions of pouches and packages of tainted food sold. There is still a large supply of safe pet food but it is important to check online lists regularly, as new brands are added everyday. Junior Grace Patterson said, “I’m not worried about feeding my cats wet food because the food that I feed them has been declared safe by the FDA.”

The problem affects Canada, as well. Canadian manufacturers also sold tainted food and are in the process of deciding what actions to take. They followed the U.S. and called for changes in the safety regulations that pertain to the production of pet food. Both the U.S. and Canada are monitoring pet food ingredients to hopefully improve food safety. Junior Danny Jensen said, “I was scared because I didn’t want my dog to die; it was irresponsible of the food companies. They should have checked the food before they sent it out to be sold.” Melamine and tainted wheat gluten are suspected in causing the pet illnesses and fatalities. Melamine is used to make plastics and as a type of fertilizer in Asia. Recently, a large amount of corn gluten that could possible contain melamine was shipped to South Africa; this could lead to more recalls. FDA investigators say that Chinese producers may have purposely added melamine to increase the amount of protein in the food. This setback caused fatalities across both the U.S. and Canada. The contamination is a complex issue, one which manufactures and pet owners have to overcome. This investigation remains open and active; manufacturers are working closely with pet owners and their vets to conﬁrm links between the health and diet of the infected animal.

Iranian nuclear program is a potential threat to the U.S. government and the people of the United States Iran wants nuclear weapons, but the United States doesn’t think allowing Iran to have them is a good idea by Joe Roberts review editor

Iran has been a hot topic for many years. Modern Iran was shaped by the Ayatollah Khomeini, who deposed the US-supported Shaw in 1979. All progress toward westernization ceased when the Ayatollah came to power. In the early eighties there was a war between Iraq and Iran over increasing Shiite inﬂuence in Iran’s government. The United States’ support of Iraq cemented relations between Iran and the United States for the past twenty years. The mutual distrust that the US sees now spawns from that

Talisman Staff Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Ads Manager Features Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor News Editor Sports Editor Backpage Editor Variety Editor Entertainment Review Editor Copy Editor Centerspread Staff Writers Dusty Beckett Jordan DeMoss Melissa Gibson Cody Holeman Satchel Kornfeld Drew Miner Zachary Nix Cameron Wray Contributor Contributor Staff Advisor

Emily Higgins Deidre Jones Michael Chase Lizzy Morris Ashley Ruderman Caroline Hanson Jaime Fazio Michael Chase Deidre Jones Kate Carlson Jennifer Stephens Joe Roberts Kaylee Wolf Jamie Burns Peyton Brazell Colten Carpenter Kaisha Gauderman Garet Gray Amanda Kahl Alicia Luck Brad Morse Ryan Pickens Gracie Beaver Woohyun Kweon Greg Cantwell

conflict. Given the tendencies for religious zealotry, it would appear that the state of Israel and the Sunni states would be at risk if Iran developed nuclear weapons: a fear that the current US government believes to be a pending reality. In truth, there is not much that is known about the current affairs within Iran; their government tends to keep information within their borders when possible. It is true that there was an incident involving a British war ship in Iranian waters. The United States had an aircraft carrier group in the area, which may have triggered the capture of British naval officers by the Iranian navy on board the British craft. It is also true that the Iranian government has made claims of having made great strides toward uranium enrichment. History teacher Stan Washburn said, “Even if we allow Iran to develop a peaceful nuclear program, they will have the means to develop a dirty bomb. All they need is the spent fuel rods from a reactor.” Unfortunately, spent fuel rods from a nuclear reactor can be used to spread radiation sickness, yet explosives containing such material are significantly weaker than devices which have the capacity to cause nuclear fission. This is not to say the risk from “dirty bombs” is any less; “dirty bombs” are easier, cheaper to produce, and difficult to detect due to the versatility of the smaller devices. Junior Ben Sundberg said, “There are limited options available to us – we can continue with our current treaties and methods through the UN. Alternatively, we allow Iran to continue their pursuit of nuclear technology and develop isolationist policies.” In an ideal world, we could sit down with Iran and work the nuclear debate out peaceably, without having to resort to military conflict or sanctions against them. However, it appears that talks have broken down. Envoys who have been discussing the topic of Iranian nuclear technology for months have made little progress toward easing the tensions surrounding the subject. It is a real possibility that the United States will face a military conflict in Iran within the next decade due to their advancing nuclear program.

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.

Virginia Tech shooting leaves bewilderment Students at Virginia Tech are now in shock from the recent shooting of 32 students by Jennifer Stephens entertainment editor Thirty-three people were killed and fifteen were injured in a shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech University on April 16, 2007. It has been deemed the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S history. The perpetrator, Cho Seung-hui, started his attack in the West Ambler Johnston Hall at approximately 7:15 a.m. with the murder of two students. Over two hours later, his attack was continued across campus in a classroom building where he chained a number of doors and took thirty lives. After his murder spree, Cho Seung-hui turned his gun on himself. Cho Seung-hui was a 23-year-old student at Virginia Tech. He maintained as little contact with others as possible, even his family rarely heard him speak. He had charges of stalking in the past, and the police had to be involved to settle it. He sent a text to a roommate shortly after the stalking incident with the police suggesting that he may as well kill himself. He was referred to an off-campus mental health facility and from there he was sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was deemed mentally ill, but not an imminent threat. His motives aren’t clear; all that is known is that he was a mentally unstable and angry individual, who ultimately struck out in a fatal way. “He was so obviously screwed up; he shouldn’t have been able to go that far,” commented junior Tylor Peterson. There has been controversy as to whether the university reacted appropriately to the first shootings. University students were not notified of the initial shootings until hours after it occurred. The warning was sent through email, which numerous students did not check right away. Sophomore Nick Hadley said, “I feel they did not react appropriately; they should have shut down the school and safely removed the students from the premises.” This shooting has sparked controversy as to campus safety, gun control, and awareness of mental conditions in others; we can only hope to learn from this situation and hopefully prevent future incidents.

Features

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May 11, 2007

School shootings continually increase as a serious threat throughout the nation A recent school shooting forces people to take a second look at counseling and safety in schools around the United States by Woohyun Kweon contributing writer The 1966 University of Texas massacre, the 1999 Columbine High School shooting rampage, and the most recent Virginia Tech shooting—all are events that shocked the public. It appears that school shootings have gotten deadlier throughout the course of history. The Virginia Tech massacre resulted in thirty-three deaths, making it the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. Senior Caitlin Jarvis said, “It made me think about how valuable life really is. I try not to take things for granted anymore and make sure I keep in touch with the people I care about.” In the aftermath of these shootings, many wondered what motivated the students to act the way they did. The shooter

of the Virginia Tech massacre was described as “quiet” and “distant” by several students. Revenge and depression are two of several causes of school shootings reported by Alfred University in New York. Jarvis remarked, “I think it is mainly because of frustration from being made fun of, or anything along those lines. People let their storedup aggression and other emotions frustrate them, and they act without really thinking about who they are affecting.” The police squads who were on campus at the times the shootings occurred drew in much criticism by the public for failing to respond quickly enough. In the case of Virginia Tech, the school was criticized for not alerting the students immediately after the ﬁrst shot rang. “Talking to students about the after-effects of school shootings and other ways to deal with your anger and frustration would help prevent… school shootings,” Jarvis continued. Junior Yoonjin Kim said, “We need a more direct approach of reaching out to students such as making more alternative education programs, and more extracurricular activities and electives.” The University of Texas, Columbine High School, and Virginia Tech all had different methods of dealing with the incidents. UT, for example, closed the tower’s observation deck for two years, reopened, then closed it again until

Dusty Beckett illustration

1999. At Columbine High School, a memorial library was built at the site. Virginia Tech’s student-run newspaper, Collegiate Times, reported that students from Virginia Tech held different opinions about what should be done with Norris Hall, the site where most of the shooting occurred, ranging from completely tearing the building down to leaving it as a classroom. The three deadliest school shootings in modern U.S. history drove people apart, and brought them back together. Although preventing school shootings entirely is difﬁcult, one can make a difference by showing respect and support for others.

Oregon strives to give equal rights to all couples no matter the gender or orientation The struggle continues for homosexual rights of equality and happiness as supporters ﬁght for legal domestic relationships by Melissa Gibson staff writer The battle for human rights can be vicious, hateful, and complicated with every turn. Some question whether or not the request for particular rights is too demanding, while others suggest that all should be equal. The latter mentality recently won another battle. On April 17, the Oregon House approved two bills that addressed homosexual rights one day prior to the Day of Silence (a silent demonstration concerning those very rights.) The Oregon Family Fairness Act, which prevailed with a 34-26 vote, grants homosexual couples the ability to engage in a “domestic partnership.” Such a partnership gives them the same rights as marriage, but with a different title. The Oregon Equality Act, which passed with a 35-25 vote, destroys discrimination of sexual orientation and gender identity

in housing, employment, and access to public facilities. “Today Oregon took two great strides towards equality by passing the Oregon Family Fairness Act and the Oregon Equality Act,” proclaimed Oregon speaker of the house Jeff Merkley. Indeed, when the Register Guard laid before members of the community (including the Sheldon GSA) on April 18, many celebrated when they discovered the words “House Passes Gay Rights Bills” emblazoned on its front page. Gay-Straight Alliance president sophomore Hannah Douglas later remarked, “The government can’t decide who you live with. It’s none of their business.” Douglas stated, “Separate is NOT equal.” Rights should be for everyone, not just a few people. Douglas asked, “Would the government oppose homosexual rights if they were gay?” But support for these bills is not simply limited to Sheldon. As made clear by the bills’ successes in the Oregon House, it is time for change. “This is historic,” remarked Senator Ginny Burdick. “We’ve been so long in recognizing that not all families are alike. All families need to be protected and nurtured.” The two bills await their votes on the senate ﬂoor and Governor Ted Kulongoski’s signature. Kulongoski has stated that he will sign the bills into law. The Oregon Family Fairness Act is on its way to the Senate chamber for a vote.

Lizzy Morris photo

Love unrestricted by gender at Sheldon High.

Students weigh the pros and cons of early graduation to get a jump start on their futures The thought of graduating early appeals to restless students, but requires perseverance by Gracie Beaver contributing writer At some point in the high school career, there is a level of frustration that can only be summed up by the phrase “I wish I was done with this.” Maybe it happens when the projects are piled up to one’s ears, or maybe it’s just a case of early on-set “senioritis.” Either way there is a time when everyone has just wanted to give up and be done with high school for good. However, there are those individuals who decide that they mean it, and take advantage of the opportunity to graduate early. A variety of reasons exist for early graduation. Some students need more time for their jobs. Others want to travel or to do missionary work. And of course, there are those people who just feel ready to start college. Allison Tunnel, who graduated in December as a junior, said, “I decided that I could make

it a lot further … in the field that I’m going into than I could staying in high school for another year and a half.” Tunnel says she made the right decision by graduating early. “I am very happy that I did this…there is so much more freedom in college than in high school.” Unfortunately, early graduation can have unforeseen consequences. Counselor Tia Dubé advises that students should, “Ask themselves ‘how prepared are you going to be that first day of college?’” College is expensive, and Dubé suggests that students take advantage of opportunities available in high school. “Remember: high school is your free education,” she said. As an example, she cited her own experiences. She takes an art class at LCC, which she has to pay for, “but students can get the same type of class here for free.” Okay, so let’s say a student has weighed the risks and decides that he or she wants to graduate early. Like most things in high school, early graduation requires paperwork and an essay. A prospective early grad has to write a brief essay summarizing why they want to leave high school. The essay can be as short as a paragraph. In addition, he or she must complete a plan with a counselor to figure out how to meet all the requirements for his or her graduating class. (For example, if a student was originally going to graduate

in 2008, but decides instead to graduate in 2007, they must meet the requirements for the class of 2007.) The student also needs to ﬁll out additional paperwork, get a request from the parents, and attach a copy of his or her transcript. Again, like most things, it’s crucial to meet with a counselor. Early graduation is a huge decision with many factors to take into account. It’s not a good choice for some people, but for others it could be the best possible decision. Dubé reminds students to “Enjoy high school while they can,” but Tunnel strongly suggests, “If you think you are ready…and can handle yourself in ‘the real world’ then don’t hesitate.”

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4 May 11, 2007

Features

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Behavior leads to controversial cancellations Students of all ages strive to regain Sheldon administration’s trust by Amanda Kahl staff writer As many students know, the Hello Dance, the Homecoming Dance, and Snowﬂakes of Joy Dance took place this year. The Winter Formal, however, was canceled. Some students are unaffected by this, and don’t

care about dances. Others, however, are in an uproar. This dance was cancelled because there was improper and unsafe behavior taking place at the previous dances. The cancellation of the Winter Formal caused the most problems for underclassmen. Seniors, juniors, and a few invited underclassmen got to go to prom, but many other students were too young to attend, and therefore think that it is unfair that upperclassmen got to have a dance when the lowerclassmen did not. Freshman Megan Leckington said, “The dances have been cancelled long

enough.” She also said that “we should get them back.” Morp is the next scheduled dance, but it is not clear at this point whether or not that dance will take place. This is a dance traditionally held for underclassmen as an opportunity to attend a school dance late in the year as an alternative to prom, which excludes most freshmen and sophomores. To get dances back, students must prove that they are responsible enough to act in a respectful, safe, and appropriate manner. That is all that is asked of students at dances and if students can do these things, dances will be back.

Jared Herr photo

Juniors, seniors, and select underclassmen danced the night away at Sheldon Prom 007. Prom took place at the Valley River Inn and lasted from eight to eleven that evening. Prom was the ﬁrst Sheldon dance to be held since the dance cancellations in December.

The Secret: a new perspective The ﬁlm and book support the use of the law of attraction in real life by Emily Higgins editor-in-chief

Ashley Ruderman photo

Senior Lidiana Webster and sophomore Matt Levine work on voice tracking in the studio. Webster and Levine represent two of the many students who work daily at KRVM.

KRVM teaches radio experience Many Sheldon students are learning the ins and outs of broadcast radio by Cody Holman staff writer If students want to listen to a radio station where they can hear classmates announce songs, which station would they

tune to? There is only one station that lets students on the air and that’s 91.9 KRVM, Sheldon’s own radio station. Students are raving about the experience and thrill of radio broadcasting. This isn’t where students just watch a DJ go on the air, but actually be a DJ themselves. “It is the best thing I have ever done!” exclaimed sophomore Jake Babcock. Students can learn subjects like spot production and radio station voice tracking. KRVM offers music in a very wide variety including bands like: The Grateful Dead, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and much more. KRVM is one of the first radio stations in Lane County for educational purposes. KRVM has stations at Sheldon, Churchill, Spencer Butte, and North Eugene. Not many students know exactly what they are doing when it comes to radio. “I have only seen maybe four or five students come in here and get the hang of it quickly. The rest of them we can teach,” said KRVM’s program director Ken Martin. KRVM is Eugene’s first FM radio station and is still going strong. KRVM takes pride in what they do to help students achieve their goals in the radio program. Students are on the air on weekdays from 8 a.m. to p.m. Listeners can hear students learn and gain more experience in radio broadcasting.

“This secret has traveled through centuries to reach you,” explains Rhonda Byrne in her ﬁlm The Secret. The Secret claims that great men such as Isaac Newton, MLK, and Ludwig van Beethoven knew the secret. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, and Maureen Dowd have showered The Secret with praise. First a DVD, and now a book, The Secret is based on the law of attraction, which basically states that whatever one thinks about, especially when thought about with emotion, will be translated into a physical form in life. “It’s a way of living life by thinking positively,” explained senior Sunnie Major. “I think [the Secret] works… With dance I imagined winning…and it happened.” While The Secret has been bombarded with acclaim, it has fallen under some criticism as well; mostly for the way victims are portrayed as bringing misery upon themselves through negative thinking. On her website, Winfrey writes that, “You cannot ‘catch’ anything unless you think you can, and thinking you can is inviting it to you with your thought.” How is this helpful when it comes to dealing with deadly illnesses? This kind of thinking may lead people to believe that those with cancer brought it upon themselves by thinking negative thoughts or thinking they could have it. What will this do to teaching sex education? If people think they could contract HIV/ AIDS, then they will, and if they don’t think they will then they won’t; that kind of thinking could lead people to incorrectly thinking that condoms are unnecessary. While The Secret has led to many improvements in life, such as for the author Byrne herself, sitting around waiting for the shiny red convertible and sacks of money to fall from the sky will not happen for most. Opponents of The Secret attribute successes with the program to be “luck” or “coincidence,” although it’s never wrong to daydream about a fantasy life. Problems only occur when followers of The Secret spend all of their time thinking about things instead of going after them and living life. L.A. Times writer Karin Klein writes, “My sister says I’m over-intellectualizing [The Secret]. She, after all, had manifested a ﬁne leather satchel. And I have to admit, if there were designer leather goods to be had out of this, I was interested. The reality was — drat it all — far more prosaic. Watching the DVD gave her the idea that she could afford this bag if she really wanted it, and so she went ahead and charged it.”

Variety

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May 11, 2007

Wikipedia: Does site make the proverbial cut? The popular web encyclopedia’s accuracy is disputed by Dusty Beckett staff writer A “Wiki” is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content. Wikipedia is a Wiki created to be an encyclopedia that anyone may edit. Wikipedia has the potential to have a broad range of information. However, it also has the potential to have a lot of inaccurate information. Wikipedia was founded in 2001. Now, six years later, Wikipedia has more than 2 million articles in over 300 languages. In the English language alone Wikipedia contains over 1.7 million articles. Wikipedia is frequently criticized for having inaccurate articles. However, the magazine Nature studied the accuracy of the science articles on Wikipedia, comparing it to Encyclopedia Britannica. Both encyclopedias had four serious errors in the articles reviewed by experts, as well as factual errors, omissions or misleading statements; 162 in Wikipedia, and 123 in Britannica. However this study was done a year ago. Since that time Wikipedia has grown, and so has the number of editors that form a larger collection of expertise. Although Wikipedia is close to the accuracy of Britannica, sometimes the neutrality may be disputed because it is edited by so many people. While browsing it’s possible to find topics where editors have placed their own opinion where there should only be facts. If the neutrality of an article is disputed, it will be clearly stated at the beginning of the article. When finding a contested article it’s best to read carefully, or just find another source. The same applies to articles that have disputed accuracy. “I use it to find neat facts for my papers and projects,” said junior Sarah Gulian. With the broad range of information on Wikipedia, it can be a great resource. As sophomore Kim Wilson explains, “[An article] could be more opinions than fact.” Wikipedia is not riddled with inaccuracy as some believe, but it’s worth being cautious on. With that in mind Wikipedia can be used just like any other encyclopedia, except that it’s free.

Dusty Beckett photo

A student turns to Wikipedia’s search engine for quick, easy, and hopefully accurate answers. Many teachers do not accept Wikipedia as a legitimate academic research resource, but that doesn’t stop students from using it often to ﬁnd information on a wide variety of subjects.

Variety of runners participate Is the United States’ mission in first Eugene marathon Eugene draws participants from all over the nation to compete by Alicia Luck staff writer For many years Eugene has been known to the outside world as “Track Town, U.S.A.” The first Eugene marathon took place on April 28. There were three races involved in this event: the 5k walk, the half marathon, and the marathon which is always 26.2 miles long. This famous race started next to University of Oregon track, Hayward Field and ended next to the University’s football field, Autzen stadium. Runners of all kinds entered this race along with people who love to walk. Many of the runners who ran this race also run many others all over the country. What does it take to run a marathon such as the Eugene Marathon? It takes lots of training to help anyone’s body handle that much running. Many marathons are cancelled because of bad weather, which could affect

some runner’s abilites to finish or start the race at all. Marathon runner Mark Applaud, who lives in the Sheldon area said, “Running gives me a physical and emotional uplift. My hardest race was my first San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll. The feeling of accomplishment and feeling about doing something that you thought you could never do, is the reason I started to run marathons. It’s the feeling of accomplishing something that you never thought possible that made me want to run marathons.” Mr. Appelbaum ran the 5k with his son on April 28. Freshman Brenna Nasholm said, “I respect marathon runners because running is really hard work and they do it every day, so they must be really committed.” Counselor Michael Voss said, “ The Eugene marathon was the first marathon I have every run and I did it for two reasons. The first being that I wanted to be able to say that I did it. The second being able to overcome the fact that I was once paralyzed from the neck down for six month during high school. I prepared for the marathon with 88 days of training and 400 miles of running.” The Eugene marathon was a big success and will hopefully become an annual even in “Track Town, U.S.A.”

Marathon Facts -----------------------

• Number of finishers: 1497 • Number of females: 660 • Number of males: 835 • Average time: 04:21:43 • First male finisher: James Nielsen- 2:21:01 • First female finisher: Meredith Lambert- 2:44:39

accomplished?

Controversy over whether they put up the victory banner too soon by Brad Morse staff writer On May 1, 2003, the President made a speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln in which he said that the major combat operations in Iraq were over. The four year anniversary of this event recently passed. The insurgency in Iraq appears to be as strong as ever, which is one of the things that angers critics about this event. Critics were also angered by the way it was displayed; they say a jet landing was not necessary and was a useless and expensive opening shot. Additionally, the giant “mission accomplished” banner also upset critics, as they felt the mission would be accomplished only when we removed every American soldier from Iraq. The White House released a memo saying that the Navy put the banner up, and that the president’s speech shows him saying, “Our mission continues...The War on Terror continues, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of ﬁnal victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide.” But the speech also contained, “In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.” Then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, when he looked over the speech, “My God, it’s just too conclusive. I changed the speech to represent that, but they didn’t take down the banner.” Sophomore Barry Peiskee said, “They really should have taken that banner down; the mission won’t be accomplished until every American soldier comes home.” For those who disagree with the war, the phrase has become a symbol of the administration’s misguided views on the war. The banner now represents the irony of the president declaring the end to what would become a very long war only a few weeks after it began. Many in the administration have come to regret having the banner up; Karl Rove was quoted as saying, “I wish the banner had not been up there.” Sophomore Jake Babcock said, “[It’s] kind of ironic that he said that so soon after the war started and it’s still going on.”

Scavenger Hunt Match the clues

A. Negativity won’t get you anywhere. B.Peace, man! C. Don’t let this point you in the wrong direction. D. Balancing act. E. Boney, eh? F. Light reading.

G. This may be a cat’s game. H. Scoring love means nothing. I. You may need to be lent a hand with this one. J. No pennies allowed. K. Today is someone’s tomorrow.

Write the correct letter in the white space of its matching picture.

8 May 11, 2007

Entertainment

the Talisman

The Fox channel deﬁes the age-old law “pick on someone your own size” The Fox channel tests elementary school knowledge in a contest between adults and 5th graders; adults are challenged to remember their early education while the 5th graders call on their current knowledge by Jamie Fazio news editor It’s Thursday evening at eight o’clock, and you’re bored and sitting at home without anything to do, you can always turn the television on to Fox on channel 5. Be ready go back to elementary school on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, which has contestants who

answer questions from 1st-5th grade. Host Jeff Foxworthy gives the adult contestants a great welcome onto the show, as well as the five fifth graders who are taking the same test. Freshman Samira Lobby stated, “I don’t think that these fifth graders are all that smart, because fifth graders AREN’T that smart and don’t know that much. On this show, it makes these fifth graders seem like geniuses, but I don’t believe that they are geniuses.” These adults have to remember what they learned in 1st5th grade to win the one million dollar prize. As the show progresses the adult gets more money. Contestants also have three cheats that they can use anytime during the show. These cheats are: the contestant could peek at one of the fifth grader’s answers; copy one of the fifth graders answers, or if the contestant locks or answers the question incorrectly, if the fifth grader who is helping him or her gets the answer correct, the fifth grader could save them, and the challenger would still be in the game, heading towards

the million dollars. Freshman Makenzie Jenson said, “I personally don’t think that you need to be super smart to be able to go onto this show because in one episode, one of the contestants thought that Gettysburg was in Nebraska.” Lobby said, “I think that this show has a lot of humor, from Jeff Foxworthy [host] to the ﬁfth graders supporting and helping the contestants, to the contestants who are trying their best to get the million dollar prize at the end. I think that this show will be televised for a while because it seems like a lot of people enjoy watching it.” This show tests adults’ knowledge to see if they listened and remembered what they were being taught during their elementary school years. Jenson also added, “I think that they created this show to see how much people forget what they’ve learned over time.” Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader is a great way to bring out the child in anybody, by answering questions that everyone learned when they were in elementary school.

Telephones find recognition in a local museum dedicated solely in their honor Visit the Eugene Telephone Museum! by Satchel Kornfeld staff writer Police inform a babysitter that the calls are coming from inside the house. A man receives a desperate phone call from a woman trapped in an attic and is able to save the day. Clark Kent runs desperately around town to find a phone booth so he can save the world. People in trench coats call an operator so they can leave and enter this world at their leisure. No matter what time period, or movie for that matter, phones have always played a key part in American society. This is why it makes sense to go to the Eugene Telephone Museum to find out more about phones and phone service in Oregon. According to Al Rogers, a volunteer at the Eugene Telephone Museum, “The Eugene Telephone Museum has been around since 1992.” That doesn’t mean the phone equipment in the Museum is limited to the 90’s though. The museum holds quite a few examples of farmer phones as well as two telephone booths that are currently being remodeled as future exhibits. They also have a wide variety

of phones ranging from the French style of telephones to a phone that was burned by a volcano and even a Pac Man phone. As well as displaying different telephone models, the Eugene Telephone Museum also has telephone repair equipment that is no longer used due to the fact that phone lines are now below the ground instead of above. Also, the museum houses four different types of switchboards. The EugeneTelephone Museum is run byTelephone Pioneers. The Telephone Pioneers are retired Qwest employees who dedicate part of their time to restoring old telephones and to the general upkeep of the museum. The number of Telephone Pioneers is currently around one hundred. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the museum is run by volunteers, there are limited hours to go to the Eugene Telephone Museum. These hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Thursday. The museum is located on 112 East 10th Ave. close to the Eugene Station. Other Sheldon students also plan on going to the Telephone Museum. Students like freshman Catherine Peterson, who stated, “I plan on going to the Telephone Museum this summer.” Why is Catherine going to the Eugene Telephone Museum this summer? To make a phone call, of course.

Satchel Kornfeld photo

Melted phone at the Eugene Telephone Museum

Two television giants of forensic science crime-solving gain mass public popularity CSI and Bones entertain viewers with forensic-based crime-solving action and also provide them with insight into the actual knowledge behind forensic science by Kate Carlson variety editor Red and blue lights flash as journalists press up against the police barricades in hopes of catching a glimpse of the crime scene. Suddenly, a team of glamorous scientists appear and collect samples. They solve the crime just in time to prevent the perpetrator from escaping retribution in a flurry of idealistic glory. Thus comes the end of an episode of the well-known T.V. drama CSI; or is it? Recently, a flood of crime-solving shows have been appearing on the air. This in itself is nothing new- Law and Order, SWAT, Starsky and Hutch, Magnum P.I., Dragnet, Chips: all crime-fighting television dramas of days passed. However, a new breed of scientific crime-fighting has been emerging on networks, as ‘evidenced’ by CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

This series has had numerous offshoots such as CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Also, a recent forensic contender for air time is Bones, a series about forensic anthropology. What exactly is forensic anthropology? As the name suggests, it is the study of bones and other remains in the application of law enforcement and criminal investigations. Senior Ashley Francis said, “I think crime-ﬁghting shows like this are so popular because it’s like our own little version of Sherlock Holmes. You get to share in the puzzle and ﬁgure out whodunit.” Not all people enjoy these shows, however. Senior Jenny Baston said, “I don’t watch CSI or Bones because they can be kind of gross and depressing. I like comedy better.” It’s true. Series such as these highlight what is generally found to be the less appealing aspects of society and can be fairly gruesome. However, part of the appeal seems to stem from the fascination with crimes, how they are committed, and how they are solved. Viewers also seem to enjoy the punishment and retribution that the criminals are subject to after being caught and justice is served. Another interesting aspect of these forensic series is the science behind the entertainment. Though the rapid return of results and the extremely advanced equipment are dramatized, there are some striking similarities to real forensic labs. For example, in CSI a networked nationwide

program that automatically compares fingerprints is used to get identification from latent prints. In reality, forensic technicians who are experts in fingerprint analysis compare prints that have been found to be similar on targeted points in the scanned print on AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System). Additionally, many of the machines that compare chemical compounds are actually fairly realistically portrayed in these series. Thus, the viewer comes away with some basic knowledge about the science behind the convictions. Though these shows are vastly popular, if only slightly realistic, could there be danger in airing them? For example, could these widely publicized series produce a new generation of morally skewed youth? Worse, could it give criminals new insight into how to commit the perfect crime? Francis said, “frankly, I don’t think it helps them at all. Maybe it would even dissuade them after seeing criminal after criminal get caught.” Realistically, shows such as these can be very entertaining given personal preferences and even educate the public. The only true detriment of series such as Bones and CSI is that they may create unrealistically high expectations of law enforcement. In the end, though, high expectations may lead to breakthroughs and increased funding, eventually neutralizing any harm they might do.

Opinion

the Talisman

May 11, 2007

Freshmen neglected at assemblies Speakers repeatedly face the upperclassmen during required assemblies leaving the underclassmen out of activites by Kaisha Gauderman staff writer

Freshmen are often the target of disrespect at Sheldon and most other high schools, but when does it go too far? At the prom assembly the underclassmen were ignored by all, including the speakers and teachers. The presenters had their backs turned to the whole east side of the gym, where freshmen and sophomores were seated. This made it difﬁcult to see anything. On top of that the ampliﬁer was turned to face the west side

of the gym in an attempt to ﬁx the buzzing interference from the microphone. Meanwhile the whole east side of the gym was confused over what was happening because all they could see was the backs of the speakers and all they could hear was a garbled mess of words. It is needless to say that something has to be changed. Brittany Blankenship said, “It would be cool if [the speakers] could be more interactive [with the freshman].” The whole school cannot ﬁt onto one side of the gym so maybe, as a solution, the amps and the people speaking could be turned toward the main entrance so that all can hear and see what is going on. This wasn’t just a one-time mistake either. Freshman Natasha Krasen said, “They face the seniors and mainly acknowledge the varsity teams.” If something is not changed, fewer and fewer people will attend the assemblies. I am sure the freshmen won’t have a problem with doing something else, but if no one comes, there is no point to having the assemblies. That’s just something to think about.

Greg Cantwell photo

Students try to get excited during a recent assembly.

Abortion remains a sensitive subject Abortion will always be a tough subject to talk about; everyone has his or her own opinion by Peyton Brazell staff writer

Abortion is a way to terminate a two-to six-month old fetus in order to end a pregnancy. Many states in America are trying to make a law that teenagers must

have the consent of a parent or guardian before they receive an abortion. Some families that are unable to have children are trying to interest young girls in adoption, instead of abortion. In 2001 it is estimated that 1,328,000 abortions were performed in the United States per year. Freshman Kaylee Nelson is pro-choice. “All women should have the right to abortion. If a woman doesn’t want to have a baby or put it up for adoption, she gets the right to choose.” Abortion has become a touchy subject in Oregon recently. Many people and religions believe that abortion is murder, and the mother should get charged for taking the life of the baby. Nelson stated, “Yes, the woman is taking the life of her unborn child. Murder is too harsh of a word to use.”

Freshman Leah King is anti-abortion. “Abortion shouldn’t be allowed to girls who got pregnant under their own choice. I think only girls who got raped should be allowed to get an abortion.” If the law was passed saying only raped woman could get an abortion, what would happen if a girl lied? Would an innocent man get sent to jail? King said, “Yes, it would be hard to prove if the girl was raped or just [wasn’t being careful], but there are signs and possibilities on how to prove the question.” Overall, there are many different opinions on abortion laws. Most people agree that rape should be an exception to the law. If the pregnancy is due to something other than rape, abortion will become much harder to receive. Abortion may always be tough to talk about, but new laws should help it to become an easier subject to discuss.

Animal testing is a debate between science and ethics Animal testing provides scientific data that can be beneficial to humans; however, it can cross an ethical line by harming animals by Jordan DeMoss staff writer According to Wikipedia as many as 115 million animals are experimented on and killed in laboratories in the U.S. every year. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million animals worldwide are used annually and may either be killed during the experiments or subsequently euthanised. Freshman Alisa Taylor said, “Animal testing is wrong. We shouldn’t let people do it anymore!” In 1986, a report produced by the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment reported that “estimates of the animals used in the United States each year range from 10 million to upwards of 100 million,” and that their own best estimate was “at least 17 million to 22 million.” Many major developments that led to Nobel Prizes involved animal research, including the development of penicillin tested on mice, organ transplants tested on dogs, and work on poliomyelitis that led to a vaccine tested on mice and monkeys. Freshman Rebekah Blake said, “Would you rather have people be going through all of that stuff? At least we are not testing on people.” The topic is controversial. Opponents argue that animal testing is unnecessary, poor scientific practice, poorly regulated, that the costs outweigh the benefits, or that animals have an intrinsic right not to be used for experimentation. Supporters argue that we live longer and healthier lives than ever before. Animal research has improved the treatment of infections, helped with immunization, improved cancer treatment and had a big impact on managing heart disease, brain disorders, arthritis and transplantation. Animal tests can cause major injuries or even death. One of the tests preformed on animals is; to measure severe burns on live tissue, an animal is burned alive with a flame-thrower until the charred flesh can be removed in large pieces while the animal is still alive. An experiment to study head trauma requires a pet’s head to be strapped down and receive high impact blows to the head resulting in severe brain damage. To demonstrate there is no difference in eye protein levels of the sight deprived, animals eyelids are sewn shut then later compared to normal protein levels.

Kaylee Wolf photo

Science teacher Mrs. Eckerdt holds her pet rats. Although they spend their days in a science lab, they are fortunately not subjected to experiments.

Animal testing costs the American public over $136 billion annually, and costs your family more than $300 dollars a year. Alternatives cost a signiﬁcantly less amount and produce far better results. The most common types of alternative methods are: in-vitro tests, computer software, databases of tests already done (to avoid duplication), and even human “clinical trial” tests. Humans and animals are different in many ways. Many drugs approved for human use based on animal studies have had to be taken off the market at a later date because of side effects not revealed in animal studies. In 1994, more than 100,000 people had been hospitalized and later died from toxic reactions to medications that were not predicted by animal tests. While animal testing is still very much in existence at large corporations such as Procter and Gamble and Lever Brothers, there are now several hundred “cruelty-free” consumer product companies.

10 May 11, 2007

Reviews

the Talisman

P.F. Chang’s quality surpasses expectations

While getting in is next to impossible, it is clear who’s cuisine reigns supreme by Garet Gray staff writer

P.F. Chang’s is a new restaurant to the Eugene/Springﬁeld area. P.F. Chang’s is a part of a large chain of Chinese cuisine with a wide variety of meals to offer along with great customer

service. It has been the place to get together with friends and family to enjoy a nice meal since its opening in March. I too have experienced the awesome food that P.F Chang’s has to offer.The service is excellent and the atmosphere is great. Junior Will Rogers rated P.F Chang’s a 9.5 out of 10. Rodgers said, “The food was great but you don’t get a lot for the price you pay.” He also said, “The service was a little too ‘hands on,’ always hovering around your table [with] never a moment to enjoy with your family.” Recent internet reviews on the P.F. Chang’s here in Eugene show that 8/10 people thought the service and

experience was more than satisfactory. But the cons about the restaurant were the portion size and poor-quality rice. You pay $8-$12 for authentic Chinese food, but really it is a small dish that tastes like reheated frozen rice. Junior Bud Louis said he wasn’t very enthusiastic about returning. Louis said, “The ﬁrst time I went, my plate had dried food on it already and the cup had soap stains down the side. The service was okay but the food was not authentic; it tasted like box rice and reheated meat.” So, in conclusion, I would rate P.F Chang’s an 8 out of 10. If you haven’t tried P.F Chang’s I strongly recommend you do.

P.F. Chang’s Facts: First opened: 1993, Scottsdale, Arizona Special options: Gluten Free Menu. Web site special features: Featured recipes. Classic Chang recipes: “Chang’s Spicy Chicken,” “Mongolian Beef,” and “Crispy Honey Chicken Recent menu additions: “Zodiac Noodles,” and “Dali Chicken” Founders: Paul Fleming, Phillip Chiang Most recent opening: Fort Meyers, Florida.. Average prices: Between $7.95 and $13.95. Most expensive item: Oolong Marinated Sea Bass $19.95 Least expensive item: Hot and Sour Soup $2.95

Joe Roberts photo The famed Chang warhorse; strategically placed by the front door of P.F. Chang’s to give people the feeling of walking into a part of Chinese culture.

Disturbia not enough for most thrill-seeking teens A ﬁne movie, but not worth seeing time and time again by Kaylee Wolf copy editor The new thriller Disturbia, starring Shia Labeouf and David Morse is a movie with few intense scenes. The ﬁlm

is extremely cliché and lacks any mysterious elements. Disturbia is based on a troubled teen who takes up the hobby of watching people out his window after being placed under house arrest. Kale (played by Labeouf) begins to suspect a neighbor of being connected to the disappearance of women in the area. Although the acting is believable, the movie lacks suspense and contains no twists. Senior Josh Miller said, “I saw it twice because there was no other movie playing at the time. The ﬁrst time was good, but the second time was not as enjoyable.”

Disturbia provides the viewers with some humorous entertainment along with a portion of action. This ﬁlm could be considered perfect background noise to accompany a social gathering, as it is unnecessary to pay close attention in order to understand what is happening. Junior Justina White said, “The movie didn’t really live up to my expectations because it was not as exciting as the previews made it seem.” If people are searching for a movie that keeps them guessing and is scream-worthy, then they will be immensely disappointed with Disturbia.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers wows students at WOW Hall Performance worth every injury by Elizabeth Morris features editor Known for their unpredictable shows and energetic performances, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers have made a name for themselves in town and beyond. Starting as a high school rock band from South Eugene, the Soldiers have worked up the ladder of the music scene. Their hard work and hectic lifestyle has resulted in packed shows, a commercial, and a few segments on music television. There are currently four members of the band, three of whom have been together since high school when the lead guitarist left the band to pursue other interests. It seems that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers are always on the lookout for a new band member, in case a temporary replacement can’t continue with the unstable life of a rock band on the road. One of the Soldiers’ guitarists decided he had reached the limit of the music business and quit the band after passing out on stage at a concert. Junior LeAna Leo said, “I was really excited for the last Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers concert I went to. I sprained my ankle, but it was worth it.” The Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers attended South Eugene High School, Sheldon’s own rival and neighboring school. With their growing success, they have turned

out to be an inspiration and a stepping stone to other Year band formed: 1997 young bands in the area with hopes of following in the Rock and Roll Soldiers band members: Soldiers’ footsteps. Another local band, the Tunnel Kings, are also from South Eugene, and because of the Marty Larson-Xu - Vocalist and guitar player. Soldiers’ helping hand, they have had the experience of Oliver Brown - Drummer playing as the opening band in front of crammed crowds and animated audiences as only sophomores in high Evan Sernoffsky - Bass guitar player school. Being the opening act for the Soldiers, the Tunnel Lucas Gunn - Lead guitar Kings have gained exposure and experience which led to playing before Mission of Burma, another label band. First album: The High School Sessions EP” only on The Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers played at the WOW Hall record last Friday to a sold out crowd, with the Tunnel Kings First album contract: 2005 with Atlantic Records opening for them for the second time, along with Kenzie, a band from Creswell. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers are almost guaranteed SUMMER JOBS a high energy audience and a show to remember when they come back to CREW MEMBER OPENINGS their hometown, and this show was The Lane-Metro Youth Corps is recruiting applicants, 16-21 years of no exception. The security personnel were kept busy with crowd surfers age, for summer work crews to complete wetlands restoration, trail and vomiting drunks throughout building, and other outdoor projects. 30 hr/wk, 6/25-8/10, $7.80 the night, with no appearance from pr/hr. Applications available at Looking Glass Riverfront School the police who have shown up at – 1475 Franklin Blvd. Deadline June 8th. three of the Soldiers shows in the past month. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers play in Portland tonight. Operated in partnership with the Lane Workforce Partnership and OYCC.

Sports

the Talisman

May 11, 2007

Sheldon softball team still going strong The new league and new competition doesn’t intimidate this team of highly skilled athletes and no senior players, meaning that all the girls will be coming back for next season by Drew Miner staff writer This spring has been excellent for the Sheldon softball team. Their current record is 15-6-1. The girls are firmly in the middle of the pack in the Southwestern Conference, but are competing with excellent teams. Roseburg is ranked second in the state ahead of Jesuit, whereas Grants Pass is ranked sixth ahead of Sheldon at tenth (in the state). After coming off of two wins to South Medford, the Sheldon girls hoped to come away with a win in their game at Sheldon against the number one ranked Roseburg Indians. The Irish proved themselves over twelve innings of tough softball, barely losing 3-1. Sophmore shortstop Teea Rogers said, “The first thing that comes to mind is frustration; five

errors is hard to feel good about, but then again I feel proud of the way we handled ourselves against a very good team.” The Irish are lead by a strong group of returning lettermen from last year’s group. Some of the girls include: Sisters Tami and Teresa Brown, Katie Steigleman, Teea Rogers, Chloe Buerstatte, and the Pangilinan twins Tori and Taylor. These are just a few of the powerful players on the roster toted by the Irish. As for next year, Teea Rogers said, “ We will be very strong, since we don’t have any graduating seniors.” Among the many strong teams the Sheldon girls ﬁnd themselves doing quite well in the new league. Playing powerhouses like Roseburg and Grants Pass gives the girls an enjoyable sense of higher-level competition. “ Being able to play top-ranked teams in the second toughest league in the state is enjoyable. The league overall is much more competitive,” said Kaitlyn Patterson. The Sheldon Girls have a very bright future ahead of them. Next year the girls will have an excellent group of returners, and a chance to be one of the best teams in the state of Oregon. The Sheldon Girls are playing in the new Southwestern Conference, known as the second-toughest league in the state, has been only a new challenge for the girls. We hope to see many good things out of these girls in the near future, maybe a district title, or even a state title.

Michael Stewart photo

Sophomore Teea Rogers (above) has played a huge role in the Irish’s success this season. Her leadership abilities as well as her drive for success has turned into great results for the Irish girls.

Irish guys’ caps are in the ring for volleyball Girls have powderpuff football, and now guys have He-Man volleyball; both sports which are universally thought of as games dominated by the opposite sex

by Cameron Wray staff writer

Jennifer Stephens photo

Junior and senior guys were given the opportunity to learn from varsity volleyball players on how to not only play, but how to excel in the new guys volleyball league, appropriately called “He-Man volleyball.” The classic game of volleyball has been around for ages. A team usually consists of six people and is played with a net and a ball. At the high school level, mainly girls play it, and most people don’t know that He-Man volleyball exists. It’s a very popular sport in the warmer parts of the U.S. such as California and Florida. The rules for He-Man volleyball are the same as the rules for normal volleyball. The stereotype of volleyball being a girl’s only sport is slowly being destroyed, and some people never believed it was to begin with. Supervisor Norman Combs said, “If volleyball was so easy, boys would do

it.” He-Man volleyball, like classic volleyball, requires major group effort, both by the players and the coaches. For the first time He-Man volleyball comes to Sheldon High School. He-Man volleyball is organized by six senior girls from the volleyball team. Only senior or junior guys are allowed to join and play. Practice doesn’t have an official date, however it’s usually held on Thursdays in the upstairs and downstairs gyms. The first practice of the year was held on Thursday, April 26, and it was a hit with three guys showing up and six girls. At the first

practice the guys learned to spike and how to serve the ball. Senior He-Man volleyball player Brent McKee said, “He-Man volleyball raises my social status through the roof.” The He-Man senior volleyball team plays against the junior He-Man team. They may play against the South Eugene team as well. If not enough people show up they may not be able to play, so it’s a great fear of the team, and to the players who really want to play. If you are a guy interested in playing volleyball, and you are a junior or senior, feel free to come and join the team.

Three Irish senior aces to play ball for Beavers Vitus, Besaw, and Hayes are headed to Oregon State, but not before they finish what they started at Sheldon by Ryan Pickens staff writer It is very unusual for a high school to have more than one top college baseball prospect and this year Sheldon has three. Senior Chris Vitus is rated as the seventeenth-best baseball prospect in the northwest by Baseball Northwest. Seniors Brandon Hayes and Alex Besaw come in 34th and 35th, respectively. In the state of Oregon, Vitus comes in second and Hayes and Besaw come in fifth & sixth respectively. All three players are headed to Oregon State University next fall to pitch for the 2006 NCAA National Champion Beavers. The Irish baseball team received a top-ten vote from oregonlive. com and from the AP polls. Besaw threw a complete game shutout against West Albany just after leading the Irish basketball team to a third place finish in the state tournament. The complete game was played with Oregon State head baseball coach Pat Casey and Oregon State assistant baseball coach Marty Lees in the stands. It was then Vitus’ turn to take the mound; he threw a complete game shutout against West Salem. About going to OSU, Vitus said, “I am excited to be going with Brandon [Hayes] and Alex [Besaw], two friends I’ve know for a long time.” He also went on to say, “[Pat Casey] is a good guy and good coach; he has made a lot of guys better.” Next, Hayes pitched against North Eugene in a rainy game and got a few big outs for the Irish. The Irish did a great job early in the season, and expect big things from the three players before they go to OSU next fall.

Besaw, Hayes and Vitus will fit in well with the Beavers, who are a young team. Oregon State is a team with only five seniors. The Beavers have had a lot of freshmen play in their first years. Fourteen juniors will make playing time available at least in their sophomore years. Oregon State has sixteen freshmen on the roster for this year so playing time down the

line might be a little tough for future Beavers. Vitus, Besaw and Hayes are among the few pitchers recruited by Oregon State for next year’s team. The Irish trio look to have great college careers. For now, the three top-rated players have hopes of playing for the state title June 2 at Volcanoes Stadium in Salem.

Backpage

Diary of a Rebel Mind

Assistant editor explains juniors’ nonauthority, the reality of getting older, and what any doctor would tell a certiﬁable idiot by Deidre Jones assistant editor

A lovely little piece of advice to you, Sheldon: don’t take any sort of medication unless you’re sure it’ll help, lest you spend the rest of your day convulsing and seeing everything in the wrong colors. Moving on. We’re getting close to the end, yeah? It almost makes you wish it was the beginning of the year, doesn’t it? Okay, so no, it doesn’t, but we can pretend (at least for the teachers’ sake). Think back on all that hard work you did. After nine or eighteen weeks (or even twenty-seven), none

R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut Honored Slaughterhouse-Five author Kurt Vonnegut passes away and will be sorely missed by Cole Carpenter staff writer Spending time in an underground meat-locker during World War II had a clearly profound impact on the life of Kurt Vonnegut. Born a GermanAmerican in Indianapolis, Vonnegut majored in bio-chemistry at Cornell college before enlisting with the American army to fight in the World War II; a decision that drove his mother to commit suicide on Mother’s Day. During the war Vonnegut had found himself lost, ambling through the battlefields until the German army captured him, thus placing him in Slaughterhouse-Five, the “then” prison where he was forced to gather bodies for burial and “now” title of his most famous novel. This experience changed the way Vonnegut viewed things forever, and became an easilytraceable theme in quite a few of his works. After the war Vonnegut returned to college and wrote Cat’s Cradle, a novel which he submitted as his thesis after being rejected once. Later on he was seriously considering giving up writing, when Cat’s Cradle found popularity. He then wrote Slaughterhouse-Five, which was easily recognized as one of the greatest novels of all time by many accounts. Quinn Lewis, an author, said,“[Slaughterhouse-Five] suggests if man doesn’t do something about the conditions and quality of human life on Earth, no one and nothing else will,” Vonnegut found success as an author, and continued to write, the horrors of World War II acting as a great resource to draw from. Vonnegut lived to be 84 years old until his death on April 11, dying from brain-related injuries that resulted from a fall on the stairs of his home in Manhattan. Vonnegut’s death is considered a sad end to the life of an amazingly prolific and prestigious writing career.

of it mattered. All that strife and sweat and brain damage you suffered for who-knows-how-many assignments, all you have to show for it afterward is a measly grade on a piece of low-quality printer paper. And you’ve still got a month left! How exciting that must be. Well, at least it’s only a month. That is, for us seniors. Just in case you were wondering, I am in fact laughing evilly at the misfortunes of all you underclassmen. Before you get cocky, juniors, we don’t really consider you upperclassmen, either. You still have to be here after you finish out this year, so until you’re a senior, you don’t get to laugh evilly like we do. Simply put: “We’re better than you, and we know it.” Man, senior. Just saying it makes me feel old. Do you remember back when you were a kid? I do. I miss it. I miss waking up and my main worry was whether or not my clothes were clean. I miss those assignments that never got more complex than “figure out where to place the period” or “fifteen multiplied by three.” Now it’s all perfect present tense verbs and dissecting pigs and figuring out which is the most effective method of analyzing a psychological

Top 25 Things to Do During an Exam

disorder and logarithms and what you’re going to do when you get to college (or at least when you get out of high school). I never had to worry about being on my own. Being on your own was for responsible adults (who still ended up having problems, but they’d never admit it to you). Now we, as seniors, have to start thinking about that very thing. Where to live. How to make money. What to eat. How to survive without mom and dad. It’s a sobering thought, honestly (not that you need to be inebriated in the ﬁrst place). There’s so much extra responsibility we have to deal with. Credit card payments, car payments, rent, loans, and then you still have to ﬁgure out how you’re going to eat for the month. I suppose that’s when ramen, macaroni and cheese, and bags of stale chips start sounding really appetizing. That appears to be it, Sheldon. Don’t be dumb (while I realize that’s a hopeless request, I have faith in you), and stay optimistic. If that’s too hard for you to understand, here’s a translation: urg, oog, durkadur. In MySpace speak: lols Neanderthals.

DISCLAIMER: You should not attempt these things during an actual exam. The following is meant for entertainment purposes only.

1. Get a copy of the exam. Proceed to run out screaming, “Andre, Andre, I’ve got the secret documents!!” 2. If it is a math/science exam, answer in essay form. If it is long answer/ essay form, answer with numbers and symbols. Be creative. Use the integral symbol. 3. Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop, yell out, “Yeah, because you can SO hear me thinking.” Then start talking about what a jerk the instructor is. 4. Bring a Game Boy (or PSP). Play with the volume at max level. 5. On the answer sheet (book, whatever) find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs. Be creative. 6. Run into the exam room looking about frantically. Act as sad, worried, and disturbed as possible. Go to the instructor, say “They’ve found me, I have to leave the country” and run off. 7. Fifteen minutes into the exam, stand up, rip up all the papers into very small pieces, throw them into the air and yell out “Merry Christmas.” If you’re really daring, ask for another copy of the exam. Say you lost the first one. Repeat this process every fifteen minutes. 8. Do the exam with crayons, paint, or fluorescent markers. 9. Come down with a BAD case of Tourette’s Syndrome during the exam. Be as vulgar as possible. 10. Do the entire exam in another language. If you don’t know one, make one up! For math/science exams, try using Roman numerals. 11. As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it. 12. Every five minutes, stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, and continue with the exam. 13. Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out. 14. Act distraught and hopeless. Look at your exam after you receive it and immediately run from the room in tears. Scream as loud as possible. 15. Turn in the exam approximately 30 minutes into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was. 16. Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day. 17. Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 minutes, put on a white mask and start yelling “I’m here, the Phantom of the Opera” until they drag you away. 18. From the moment the exam begins, hum the theme to Jeopardy. Ignore the instructor’s requests for you to stop. When they finally get you to leave one way or another, begin whistling the theme to the Bridge on the River Kwai. 19. Start a brawl in the middle of the exam. 20. If the exam is math/science related, make up the longest proofs you could possibly think of. Get pi and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story. 21. Bring cheat sheets for another class (make sure this is obvious. . . like history notes for a calculus exam. . . otherwise you’re not just failing, you’re getting kicked out too) and staple them to the exam, with the comment “Please use the attached notes for references as you see fit. “ 22. One word: Wrestlemania. 23. Bring one pencil with a very sharp point. Break the point off on your paper. Sharpen the pencil. Repeat this process for one hour. 24. Get deliveries of candy, flowers, balloons, telegrams, etc. . . sent to you every few minutes throughout the exam. 25. Answer the exam with the “Top Ten Reasons Why Professor _______ is a Terrible Teacher.” courtesy of http://www.ahajokes.com

AP Exams = EVIL