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the Talisman
Sheldon High School 2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 45 Issue 4 Jan. 28, 2010
Sadie Hawkins dance breaks the mold Breaking away from traditional roles, the responsibility is given to the girls to take the initiative Annie Juilfs staff writer
Michael Chase photo
Hallway tents get a new makeover District approves funding for new plastic coverings to replace tents Michael Chase editor-in-chief
Say goodbye to the frigid winter temperatures inside Sheldon’s halls, because a long-awaited change has now been approved: The hallway tents have finally been replaced by plastic ceilings. While the tents have almost always been helpful in keeping the hallways dry, they have been less than effective in keeping the hallways warm. Assistant principal Mark Watson said, “[The new plastic covers] will hopefully give more sunlight, make heating and cooling more cost-efficient, and reduce the amount of maintenance the old tents caused.” According to the 4J school district’s Kirk Gebb, the contract for the project has a construction budget of $100,000, and Preferred Construction won the contract with a bid of $99,400. An alternate proposal to replace the old green and white tents with new white tents was declined. Gebb noted that additional advantages to the changes are longer life expectancy of the covers, higher light transmittance, and the overall sharp aesthetic appearance. Second-year day custodian Bill Carroll said, “[the new covers] create a lot more light, which is helpful and awesome for the plants. The old tents used to cause slipping hazards from letting water onto the floor, but these ceilings will help prevent that. It’s a good safety thing, and safety is the most important thing anywhere you go.” The plastic coverings are just one of potentially many new changes to come to the schools in the 4J district. And as long as the changes benefit the students and staff members of the schools, the changes should keep on coming.
The Sadie Hawkins dance is a very popular event in many high schools across America. The dance serves as a break from tradition, because it is a dance where the girls have the responsibility to ask the guys. It’s not as big as prom, but it could still be really fun. Leadership advisor Elyse Meyers said, “There will probably be
about 200 kids.” The girls must ask the guys so there may not be as much attendance. Girls may be more afraid to ask guys since the guys usually do the asking. This is the first year that Sheldon has put on a Sadie Hawkins dance. Freshman Samantha Gonyea said, “I don’t know if I would ever go to one because that would be weird asking a guy.” In the past, Sheldon held a dance called the Sweetheart Ball, but this year it has been replaced by the Sadie Hawkins dance. The dance will be held in the cafeteria on February 12, from 8:30 – 11:00 pm. The history of the Sadie Hawkins dance is quite unique. The tradition was started by a character in a 1937 comic strip called Li’l Abner, in which the main character, Sadie Hawkins, chased men around her village and was entitled to marry the ones she caught. That is why the girls ask the guys. The Sadie Hawkins dance may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it could still be fun. Sheldon’s first Sadie Hawkins dance has the potential to attract and please many participants.
Darin Henry honored at MLK assembly for exhibiting excellence in equality
Michael Chase photo
Campus supervisor Darin Henry accepts the Martin Luther King Jr. award at the annual MLK assembly for his excellence in exhibiting equality, fairness, and kindness to everyone.
Obama reaches first year presidential milestone, sees promise The 44th President is hoping to put campaign promises into action Stephanie Barnes features editor Barack Obama’s first year as president has been slammed by critics and praised by followers, but many people have stated that they are wondering when he’ll start going through with the promises he made during his campaign. However, he has accomplished much more than many post-WWII presidents have in the past. His trips and speeches in many countries have made the standing of the United States a lot stronger in the world and bettered their view of the country. Obama’s first act as president was to suspend the last minute federal regulations pushed through by former
President George W. Bush. He wanted to further review those and the regulations that were still pending. He also enacted a pay freeze for government officials who made more than $100,000 per year. On January 22,2009 President Obama signed an executive order regarding the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, and also banned any form of torture or illegal coercive techniques during detainment. In early February, Obama announced the creation of The President’s Economic Advisory Board to ensure that the right decisions were made about the country’s dire economic straits. As stated by senior Cory Brown, “[I like Obama because] he is different from any other president we’ve had before.” This was obvious from the very beginning of the election, which is one of the reasons why he appealed to so many people. In mid-March the president limited the amount of money that was being given to stem-cell research, which not everyone liked. For the next few months, he was somewhat inactive in office, spending most of his time on trips and speaking at events all over the United States, as well as the world. In early June, he started back up
by discussing the General Motors bankruptcy, and he continued making many speeches to the American public. On October 9, President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his international diplomacy. However, his biggest accomplishment so far that most people say broke his inactive period that irked many people was the healthcare bill. People said it was the most monumental bill since the Social Security bill in 1930’s. Although it hasn’t been passed by both the Senate and the House, many people are very hopeful that it will be passed and that everyone in the United States can get the healthcare they deserve. Overall, Obama’s first year has been incredibly important to some, and incredibly inactive to others. But one thing that we can agree on is that it seemed like a relatively good transition into presidency, as well as a relatively average year for most people except for the economic crisis that continued throughout. We’ll find out how he does as a president in the next three years, and whether he can accomplish a lot, or spend the rest of those years in idleness.