Moonlight Masquerade Courtwarming approaches with preparation underway Lights Amber Kolasa surround Business Manager The View 1.27.06 Vol. 8 Issue 6 Park Hill South High 4500 NW River Park Dr. Riverside, Mo. 64150 Achievement Gaps 2 Technology Noise 4-5 Boys’ Swimming 6 Money Spent= $265 be when the Courtwarming attendants are to be you, as announced, as well as when a beautiful chandelier hangs the King and Queen will be overhead and giant masks are recognized. in view. Two gold pillars are The turnout for in the distance and arches Courtwarming, being the are in every corner. You walk second dance of the year, in and feel as tends to draw a if you have smaller crowd. stepped into a Whereas ball, perhaps a Homecoming masquerade. had almost The theme 1,000 students is Moonlight attending, Masquerade, “Courtwarming and it is likely will have probably that these are between 600 and some of the 700 students,” decorations that said Mrs. Jennifer will be found at Mattson, STUCO the dance. sponsor. The This year, dress code Courtwarming is similar to will be Feb. 11, homecoming from 8-11 p.m. for this dance as in the big gym. 2006 Courtwarming Attendants: Row 1: Melissa Estes, Erin Birmingham, Tracy well. Boys still If dressing to generally wear a Young, Kylie Lohnes and Sarah Korsmeyer, seniors. Row 2: RJ Lawson, Derek Bowen, Russell Utter, Justin Short and Ray Trice, seniors. Row 3: Blake McAltheme is your suit, and girls can lister, Samantha Wylie, Jonathan Benson and Kelsey Gutschow, juniors; Isaac forte, wear wear mid-length Borer and Megan Korsmeyer, sophomores; and Sara Bjorgaard and Zachary colors such as dresses or long Ross, freshmen. Photo by: Amber Kolasa gold, dark green dresses. The and purple and even bring a Erin Myers, Jordan Ortiz, event is still formal and jeans mask, to feel as if you are truly Emma Lorraine Bart-Plange, are not recommended. at a masquerade. (The mask and Amy Sickman, freshman. STUCO budgeted $4,000 cannot cover your entire face There was some debate as to for the dance expenses. and needs to be attached to whether the dance would be About $1,000 was spent a stick.) Tickets will be $15 for more elegant or more Mardi on decorations alone from a single and $20 for a couple. Gras. The final decision was various companies like Stump The price will increase by $5 made, and the committee Spirit and Anderson’s Prom. if tickets are purchased at the went with an elegant Mardi The rest of the money is put door. Red card holders will Gras. towards the cost of the DJ, not be admitted to the dance. The boys’ basketball game, food, programs and other After STUCO narrowed Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. will expenses. Hair Style: $50 Spirit Days: Feb. 7-10 Jewelry: $30 Manicure: $20 the theme choices, “we decided to go with Moonlight Masquerade,” said Kara Fatino, junior. Fatino is in charge of the dance committee, along with Molly Steelman and Kirk Chonis, juniors, and sophomores, Monday: PJ Party. Wear your pajamas. Tuesday: “PHAT” Tuesday! Wear your grade’s color. Wednesday: Bead Day Bring your own beads. Thursday: Jazz up your life! Dress-up nice. Friday: Purple Reign (wear purple and black) Dress: $100 No More Mr. Longenecker Vice principal completes doctorate Lauren Russell Being rewarded for achieving a long-term goal leads a sense Reporter Pedicure: $25 Shoes: $40 Courtwarming= Priceless of accomplishment and a sighof relief. Vice Principal Dr. Dale Longenecker welcomes a sigh of relief after completing his doctorate. Longenecker earned his doctorate in the field of education leadership through the University of Kansas. While in pursuit of his doctorate he completed the tedious task of writing a 79 page thesis on a subject of his choice. The thesis was entitled: Investigation of the Metric Properties of the Interactive Computer Interview System. The thesis Longenecker wrote was finished after four to five years of research done on the topic. Research included seeking out information on the interview process, computer programs, and interviews with teachers, among other things. “It was something that needed to be done in this career path,” said Longenecker upon completion of his doctorate. It is a requirement of state certification that after 10 years a doctorate is mandatory. Not only is it a necessity in order to keep the same job, it can be a stressful process. The most stressful aspect of his journey was getting the thesis approved. “It’s nice to have it out of the way,” said Longenecker. Proof of this achievement hangs in his office Happenings in South’s Halls: No school Feb. 3. l Boys’ basketball game, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. What is the problem... Bridging achievement gaps Since the required to be staffed by highly qualified teachers who uphold high academic standards. bridging an achievement gap in “The State of Missouri has schools has been a top priority for raised the achievement levels governors and other state leaders. for schools to reach for. By 2014, The “achievement gap” is a 100% of all students are to be matter of race and class. Across proficient,” said Cowherd. the U.S., the gap appears between Students are divided into minority or disadvantaged subgroups. These include students students and middle class, white from economically disadvantaged students. families, students Changes in the “If one subgroup fails, with disabilities and Federal Education the whole school students with limited Policy have made English speaking fails.” this gap of high skills. Individual races --Mrs. Jeanette Cowherd importance. are part of their own The No Child subgroup. Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires Within a school, if any student states to set performance targets subgroup consistently fails to for students. It holds states meet the performance standards, responsible for making sure districts are required to provide that all students are held to high services to those students. In standards. other words, schools are now “District gaps across the considered successful if they nation are why we have No Child close the achievement gap. Left Behind,” said Mrs. Jeanette “It doesn’t matter if the Cowherd, Vice Principal. school as a whole passes the Depending on where the school requirements anymore. If one is located or the race of the subgroup fails, the whole school majority of students, schools are fails,” said Cowherd. Hayley Flamm 1980s, school Editor-in-Chief reform and Enrollment What is the district doing about it... The five-year plan Amanda Lynn All school districts have achievement gaps, including Reporter the Park Hill School District. However, our district has made a plan to reduce these gaps. Their plan for closing the gap includes showing the teachers different ways to teach classes, which are aimed at helping the students who are not doing as well. Also, making a different environment at school which encourages student and parent participation. The district first has to find which students were testing worse than others and in what areas. Then, those students are put into certain tutorials for extra help. Teachers who have a background or an expertise in working with certain groups will be assigned to those tutorials. The teachers will also participate in activities and presentations which address reducing the achievement gap during district in-service day on Feb. 3. If teachers have a better understanding of why gaps exist, they will be able to connect with at-risk students and help them become more successful. Another aspect of the plan is to create a different atmosphere at the school. This environment should invite and encourage involvement with the community and tear down walls that may exist between parents, students, the community and the school. The district plans on having a survey to gather information about beliefs and barriers regarding parent participation with school activities. Then, the results will be used to set up a different environment and new activities for the future. year opportunity includes: Computer Science, Web Authoring, Accounting 1 and 2, Desktop Publishing, Business Law, Business Principles, and Sports Marketing. Another course that is changing is Lauren Russell As enrollment time nears, new courses this year only because a new Photojournalism, which will begin to emphasize students at South will be required course, Personal Finance, will begin in Reporter digital photography. presented with new class the 2007-08 school year, tentatively According to Longenecker, choices and decisions. in conjunction with Computer Enrollment Forms students should take advantage Both students and parents are invited to Applications. Due Feb. 7 of the college credit they may attend an enrollment meeting on Tuesday, This change affects students earn by enrolling in either dual Jan. 31 in the large group who have not yet In Tutorial credit or advanced placement viewing room. The freshmen taken Computer Student/Parent courses. With growing college meeting will be from 6-6:45 Applications. Meetings Jan. 31: costs, these courses can ease the pain and p.m.and sophomores and Those who have not taken shock of those first years after high school. juniors will be from 7-7:45 this class should try to enroll freshmen: 6-6:45 p.m. “With classes like Speech, Composition p.m. in it next year before the sophomores/juniors: 7-7:45 p.m. and Reading, College Algebra, and foreign Completed enrollment switch to Personal Finance language, students are presented with the forms will be due on Tuesday, goes into effect. choice of getting some of their credit hours Feb. 7 in students’ tutorials. Therefore, a wide variety of business out of the way at a more affordable price, ” said According to Dr. Dale Longenecker, vice courses that will be listed in the Course Longenecker. principal, the business department will offer Description Handbook 2006-2007. This one New year brings new opportunities 2 News 1.27.06 Some like it hot, some like it cold As you sit in SeanScarborough your fourth block Reporter class, you may be wondering, “Why is it so cold in here?” The system has its flaws. According to Wright, one reason for the rooms being too hot or cold could be explained by the building code that mandates 15% of the air be filtered from the outside air in order to compensate for the carbon dioxide created by exhalation. Teachers have complained about the uncomfortable temperatures. Mrs. Terry Becker, communication arts teacher, is one of the more vocal staff members when it comes to the room temperature. “It’s one extreme or the other,” said Becker. She added that it can be distracting. “When it’s freezing, everyone complains. There were days I wore my coat!” Becker’s biggest complaint is the uselessness of the thermostats in each room. “It’s like it’s there for decoration,” said Becker. She believes that teachers should be able to control temperatures from their own rooms and not have to go through Central Office. Room temperatures for all Park Hill buildings are automated, according to the district’s director of operations, Mr. Jerry Wright. Sensors read the current temperature in each room. The sensor sends this information to rooftop units that control the temperatures for four to eight rooms. These units heat or cool the air in the classrooms according to the preset temperature. These temperatures can only be changed from Central Office. Wright also explained that computers or other heat-producing items make maintaining a temperature more difficult. The heat produced by computers can be too much for the system Mrs. Judy Kelly, executive assistant, fields all of the complaints for the building’s unpleasant climate. Kelly said that, on average, she receives three complaints every day concerning the temperature. “It is frustrating to report that a teacher is complaining about a cold room only to get told that, according to the computer, the set point and air [temperature] are just perfect,” Kelly said. Kelly believes the system needs improvement. “While there is a lot to be said about technology, having a heating system controlled by it can be frustrating.” Senior publishes his first book Amanda Lynn Senior Chad Reporter Shreeves is an average 18 year old whom you may know from Open Mic Night or Big Cat. Something that is not so average is that Shreeves published a play in October and is about to publish his first book. Shreeves started writing his book, The War of Fate, five years ago. He said he had ideas for different stories and finally decided to combine them all into one book. Shreeves described his story as “a modern fantasy adventure with a lot of classic elements from epic stories. It combines modern technology with semi-modern warfare”. After writing for five years Shreeves said it is definitely a relief to be finished. To him the hardest part of writing was editing from his first draft to the second draft. He said he had trouble adapting to different audiences and tried to be more descriptive about the characters. He obviously enjoyed writing this book; however, because he has already started pre-writing for a sequel. Shreeves said that publishing his second work was more exciting because it was more professional, in the sense that people have to buy the book to be able to read it, whereas anyone could access the play online. He is excited to see how well the book to sell. To purchase the book, go to lulu.com/chadwshreeves. It will be available Jan. 31 and will cost $21.99 Symphonic band hits a good note Members attended conference last night T’Nisha Andino Reporter Symphonic Band performed for the second time at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) Conference/ Clinic. The MMEA conference was held in Tan-Tar-A resort at the Lake of the Ozarks Jan. 26. “Most Missouri music educators consider this to be the ultimate performance opportunity for their students,” said band director Mr. John Bell. Each year the schools have an option to send in recorded submissions by June 1 to the MMEA. “It’s sort of an ‘audition’ for each school group that submits material for 1.27.06News consideration,” said Bell. By Aug. 1 the director is then notified by the president if their group has been selected to play. Out of 60 different music groups that sent in submissions to perform, South’s Symphonic Band was one of 11 that were chosen. 3 noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise noise What’s allnoise the fuss about? noise noise noise Can you noise Portable standard being repl ever, with may be Cell phones no l Capture pictures with cutting edge technology Research two 2. the types of battery: rechargeable or double A batteries. Purchase extra 3. an memory card. Digital cameras store photographs in the built-in memory of the camera but having an extra memory card will allow you to take more pictures without having to erase them. different options and actually purchase one. However, It can be despite all the intimidating trying advantages of to figure out which digital camera is right purchasing a digital for you, but there are camera, watch out for some ways to ensure a few things during you invest in one that the buying process. will capture all of your Beware of highresolution cameras “Kodak Moments.” with low prices. Before taking Also, avoid buying the plunge into the cameras that are vastly growing digital powered by normal camera market, batteries (such it is important to as AA.) You will determine the most likely end up reasoning for purchasing a camera. spending more on the batteries than For most South students, the purpose getting the photos printed. of investing in a Finally, avoid digital camera is cameras that to be able to only have take pictures in-house without memory having Kodak Easy Share storage. to pay to 4.0-Megapixel These get them digital camera kinds of developed. - $149.99. cameras Many usually only high school hold up to 15 or students snap 20 photographs at a a picture, save it to either their camera or time, so when the perfect situation for computer and rarely a snap shot presents get them developed. itself, your camera This approach to might be prematurely photography makes full. Buying cameras it very affordable for that enable external teenagers once the camera is purchased. memory usage will allow you to take After reviewing more photos without reasons to invest in having to delete any. a digital camera, it is time to consider Hayley Flamm Editor-in-Chief communication via the Internet and instant messenger. Some also have cameras and video cameras that allow users to send and receive both photos and movies. But which of these cell phone features is right for you? Mr. Ugene Walker, an employee at Radio Shack, seems to think that Sprint has the best call coverage but a survey on the web shows that Verizon has the best. Personal preferences and services should determine the best phone for each individual. All phone services come with different plans whether you are using Sprint and Nextel, Verizon, Cingular or T-Mobile. According to Walker, Cingular seems to have the best family plan. Cingular’s plan this month is called Familytalk and Rollover minutes, meaning if you don’t use all your minutes in one month your minutes rollover to the next month. This seems to be a popular plan for families who have teenagers. Most people want to know what the hottest new technology is for cell phones. The new Sidekick, made by T-Mobile, is selling like crazy. “I really like the Sidekick. It’s like my own small laptop that I carry around in my pocket. I can quickly get access to the internet and talk to my friends anywhere I go,” said Ben Fries, junior. With the Sidekick’s unlimited internet use, unlimited text messaging, Cheaper Alternative Westi Rep Artwork by Tyler Moody. Buy the 1. camera with the highest resolution you can afford, However, if you will only put pictures onto a computer or webpage, an inexpensive digital camera with a lower resolution will work. If you plan to print the photographs, paying the extra money for a higher resolution will be worth it. Cell phones are no longer used for just calling and Audrey Gardner chatting. They are raising the bar when it comes to Reporter Eve If you one. F are ou defini techn has m iPod N iPod V Wh made DVRs: The brain inside the box Austin Pleser DVRs are becoming more popular every day Reporter because of the modern families’ busy lifestyle. Everyone, from little kids watching their favorite cartoons to moms catching their “soaps”, can use this new technology. A digital video recorder (DVR), is a small device that can record TV shows in a digital video format. People can record their favorite shows and watch them later. DVRs were first made in 1965 by CBS broadcasting to start an “instant replay”. This was replaying parts of a televised sports game so the referee could make a more accurate call. This type of DVR only had a record time of 30 seconds, so it was not very useful in anything else. Gradually the DVR became smaller with more memory to be used in police cars in the mid 90s. This was used to record what 4 Feature 1.27.06 officers did and how the arrest went. DVRs became cheaper and more available to the public in early 1999 in the United Kingdom only, and it was called BSkyB‘s Sky+. At the end of 1999, it was available in the U.S. and called TiVO. The first public versions of the DVRs were expensive, costing $100-500 a unit. Now, they have gone down in price and have a few more features then the earlier models. These features include commercial skip, timed recording, pause live TV, rewind TV, fast forward TV and the ability to block unwanted material. In the future, makers of these DVRs hope that they will be able to provide interactive TV and word censoring but not quite yet. DVRs make watching a persons favorite shows more convenient, because they can access the show whenever the user has time. Pho makin versio own t “W by Bli Me b the fir Flora, and unlimited email use, who wouldn’t want to have a Sidekick? Those people who wouldn’t want to spend $300 on a cell phone would probably be against such a top-of-the line cell phone, especially if they only need it for business or emergency use. Looking for a regular phone? Sprint seems to have the best deals and average service. Sprint seems to provide the best quality as well because there has been very little complaint about their cell “It’s phones breaking. like my The newest and well-liked phone seems is the own small Razor. “The Razor seems to be very popular, but for laptop that I carry around in my girls they really like the new pink Razor,” Walker said. pocket.” As cell phones are changing every month, -- Ben Fries, junior. they are becoming more advanced as well. The greatest fear to many is when there will be no more regular cell phones left, and how on earth will the new ones be used. Some services have a “save the day” plan where users can block all the fancy features like text messaging, internet use, and email use that they think are unnecessary, so they just have a regular phone. )) )) ) iCraze SOUNDCHECK ) longer just for talking ( hear me now? With today’s frenzy for technology, it is hard for many teenagers to fathom not having one of the most popular items. Digital cameras and iPods topped Christmas lists for many students, and when we came back to school after break I felt surrounded. Amber Kolasa I have had absolutely no Business Manager desire to get an iPod and wonder what seems to be so fantastic about this little handheld “radio thing”. Granted, it’s all the music you like at the touch of your finger, but I think it’s almost more of a hassle to pay for songs, download them and then have to transfer them to your iPod. The only feature that I like about iPods, is being able to play it on your car radio. I like that because I think the songs on the radio can sometimes become redundant and CDs allow much selection. With or without the benefits, I don’t think iPods are worth the money or the time. However, it is hard not to feel ostracized when you are one of the only ones in a class of 25 without an iPod. If I want music, I listen to the radio or my portable CD player. I don’t need to follow the iPod trend, because there’s always a smaller, better version coming out. How am I supposed to compete with that trend and even know where to start looking if I were interested? On the other hand, while I have not bought into the digital camera trend, I may be looking into it. But I am too lazy to take the time to put the pictures on my computer and actually print them. I would rather use a one-time-use camera and have someone else do it for me. However, it would be nice to have pictures at easy access just to look at in a moment’s notice and be able to choose which ones I wanted to keep or delete. Then again, that takes away the element of surprise and anticipation for that picture you are dying to see. I don’t know if I’ll ever fall into these trend traps, but I know that now, I’m happy to go without. ( CD players, 35 mm film cameras and d ring tones are out. These things are laced with innovative technology. Howh all the latest gadgets on the market, it difficult to decide which ones to buy. Technology advancements have left me behind iPod’s take place of portable CD players in Sisney porter eryone’s got one. u don’t, you want Fact is, CD players ut, and iPods are itely the new nology craze. Apple made iPod Shuffles, Nanos, and the new Video. hen a new iPod is e, Apple discontinues oto by: Hayley Flamm ng any of the older ons. Many students the original iPod. What’s My Age Again ink 182 and Best of by Starting Line,” are rst songs that Taylor , sophomore, put into his iPod. Those songs 14 hour of continuous show how old the original battery life. The iPod Nano iPod is compared to the shows the album cover of the current song you’re newer ones. “I like the games, and listening to on the screen. being able to make a If you’re a reader, you can random play list,” Flora download audio books to said. This shows how far listen to it. The iPod Nano Apple has come with all costs around $199 to the new additions and $249. features Apple has added. Probably the most fancy What’s smaller than a and expensive iPod so far pack of gum, but weighs is the Video iPod. It costs as much as a car key? the same as the The iPod Shuffle. Xbox 360, but With the iPod you won’t Shuffle, it’s a have to “you never worry iRiver 512 MB MP3 know what’s about player $179.99. This MP3 coming next” waiting players has a 2.2” color thing. It in line LCD display, along with a randomly mixes at the built in FM tuner and your songs, and nearest voice recorder. it doesn’t have Best Buy the screen like the for three other iPods do, so hours to get it. you can’t see what song The new iPod plays is playing. It holds up to movies, displays pictures, 240 songs and 12 hours of and plays music, audio music. The shuffle costs books, and pod casts. anywhere from $99 to Costing anywhere from $129. $299 to $399, the iPod The iPod Nano is Video has a 20 hour basically a replacement battery life, holds 15,000 of the iPod Mini. Holding songs, 25,000 photos, and 1,000 songs and has 150 videos. Cheaper Alternative Ring tones provide users with new way of expressions Austin Pleser Reporter The students at South are entering a new age of technology and thus finding new and modern ways for expressing their individuality. The newest “fad” for people to express themselves is to personalize their cell phone. This has become the biggest rage with everyone trying to make even the slightest fashion statement or just trying to make their cell phone unique. There are many ways to personalize a cell phone like: custom ring tones, cool wall papers and fun new games. Ring tones seem to be the biggest thing to do with a cell phone these days, and why not? It’s so easy now to go on the internet and pick out a new song and make it a ring tone. “I think they’re cool. I love them, except, I do think it’s stupid how if you switch phones you have to download them again” said Tea Baltic, senior. People get attached to their ring tones because they become a personalized statement. “They’re too expensive, so I don’t use them”, said senior Elizabeth McDonough. A lot of the companies that allow people to download songs charge a huge amount, but there are a few that don’t charge at all like 3gforfree.com. This is a well known ring tone company that is used by many high school students. 1.27.06Feature On 3gforfree.com, songs, screensavers, wallpapers, and even games can be downloaded directly to the phone for free. This site can be accessed by phone but, if the cell phone does not have internet access, you can hook it up to a computer and download it that way. So, what exactly are the real advantages to getting new and different ring tones on a cell phone? Having songs and pictures downloaded to a phone allows the user to personalize how the phone looks and sounds. Some phones give the user that option to play songs for the person calling instead of the traditional ringer; this is called “Play Back”. 5 A race to the top: Boys’ swimming aims for another conference championship It’s 39 degrees outside. Students are wearing jackets and gloves to school. The temperature has not topped 70 in two months. Let’s go swimming. South has the best boys’ swim team in the conference. Currently 13-0 in meets, the team finished third in both the Iowa City Invitational and the Park Hill Invitational, chasing that undefeated season. “We know, as a team, that if we train hard and focus on swimming fast and perform our best, good things like a conference championship will happen,” said Head Coach Todd Harvey about vying for an eighth straight conference championship. Harvey has been swimming since high school; he attended St. Charles High School in Illinois, which has had 15 state championships since 1979. He went to the University of Iowa where he was a part of the 1993 National Championship team “We like to think of all of our guys as being leaders in the water by performing their best. But, the leaders of this pack would be Chris Novak [junior], Ethan Rose [sophomore], Colin Livasy [freshman], Nick Bell [senior], We like to think Lawrence On [senior]. These guys are of all our guys as and performing at high levels in practice and being leaders... when racing,” said Harvey. Rose is one of the top swimmers on by performing the team. He won All-State honors last their best. year as a freshman, and medaled in the state championships. With more years of --Mr. Todd Harvey swimming, comes more experience, and Rose has plenty of experience. He is definitely a member that the swim team is proud to have. “The first time I jumped into the water, I was 11,” Rose said when asked about his first experience swimming. He plans on racing in the 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter freestyle, 50-meter freestyle and the 200-meter individual medley. He considers his best races the 100 back and 200 free, but loves racing in any other race. Almost everyone attends a football game or a basketball game while at South, but good luck finding large crowds at a swim meet. Swimming sounds like something to do with friends in the summer time, but try swimming a race for 200 meters with other people from other schools. Boys’ swim team is the best in the conference, despite the lack of attention it gets. Westin Sisney Reporter “ 6 ” Sports1.27.06 Stephen Abraham, senior, exits the pool after his race in the 100-meter freestyle. He and his teammates are off to a 13-0 start. Photo by Jacob Rhodus V How to keep New Year’s resolutions I spent the last week of 2005 thinking about what the perfect New Year’s resolution would be for this year. One that wouldn’t be to out of the ordinary like backpacking through Europe, but at the same time, I didn’t want one that was too tedious like trying not to eat too much candy. As New Year’s Eve came around, I was sitting in a hotel room in Santa Fe, New Mexico with my family and I realized what my resolution was going to be. I was going to clean up my life this year. I was going to spend more time with family, be a better friend, focus harder in school and eat healthier. It takes determination and dedication for someone to follow through when it comes Audrey Gardner to a New Year’s resolution. My greatest fear after New Year’s was finding myself not Reporter doing my homework, skipping family night to stuff my face with cheeseburgers at McDonalds after ditching my friends for a boy. But luckily, I have kept on track because it is something I really want to do. I want to be a better person and live life with a better meaning, and I truly think that is what making a good New Year’s resolution is all about. If you want to lose 30 pounds, then you can’t eat cheesecake every night and expect to lose the weight by walking from the table to the sink to wash your dish. If you want to be a better student then you can’t play video games while trying to study for finals. My point is that New Year’s resolutions should be something you know you will follow through with because it is something you really want to do. Self determination and self respect come into play when you are following through with a goal. A New Year’s resolution is more or less like a year long goal that should be able to last the whole year and not just a week or two after you make it. Hayley Flamm Editor-in-Chief Chad Shreeves Features Editor Kara Fatino Copy Editor Amber Kolasa Business Manager In the December issue of The View, the angel tree was mentioned in an editorial article. In response to this article, I would like to clear up a few misconceptions that people may have had. The purpose of the angel tree is two fold. There are times when people may ask for necessities like tennis shoes or a coat. The tree is there to help provide them with those necessities. However, the tree is also there to make Christmas wishes come true. If you ask any teenager, what he or she would really want for Christmas, in this day and age, you would probably get a response like an iPod, X Box, or some other form of technology. Their response may be because they want to fit in with their classmates or it may be because they want to wish big. Whatever the case, the point of the tree is to help them receive the best possible gift. If it isn’t possible to give them the full amount for the gift, then a gift card towards it is the next best thing. I too, do not have an iPod. But, I am willing to forgo getting one to insure that a child on the angel tree gets his or her gift. It is about putting a smile on someone’s face that normally doesn’t have much to smile about. It is about giving back in some form. If you don’t have the money to buy a gift or a gift card, then give back in other ways. Giving should not equate to money. Many students this year wrapped the gifts or went shopping for their club or group. There were clubs through out the building uniting in a cause to help those less fortunate. They were willing to give of their time. Did they give back? Absolutely. So next year, when the angel tree is up and you see the dreams and wishes hanging from it. Remember the purpose of the season and the feeling you will get when you think about helping someone out. If you can’t give back financially, contact Miss Walker or me. We will give you some ideas of how to give back without ever spending a dime. Sincerely, Jennifer Mattson Student Council Sponsor Sean Scarborough Sports Editor Amanda Lynn Beats Editor Lauren Russell Reporter Audrey Gardner Reporter Westin Sisney Reporter Austin Pleser Reporter T’Nisha Andino Reporter Brittany Libra Athletes and the law Reporter Sports stardom no excuse for bad behavior Every week, it seems like there is a report of an athlete getting into some sort of trouble with the law. Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was accused of lying to investigators, claiming someone had stolen more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment SeanScarborough when a car he had borrowed Sports Editor from a local dealership was broken into. More recently, Clarett had been accused of holding a gun on a man and woman behind a restaurant in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Everyone remembers the notorious Pistons’/ Pacers’ Brawl, in which players got into physical confrontations with fans. By now, most are familiar with the Minnesota Vikings’ “Party Boat” scandal in which multiple team members participated in inappropriate acts while attending a party on a boat. More recently, former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was dismissed from the team for multiple incidents, including allegedly holding a gun to a 17-year old boy and several on-field incidents including stomping on an opponent’s leg during the 2006 Gator Bowl. Why do professional and collegiate athletes have trouble making rational decisions? On the field, in the heat of the moment, with all of the adrenaline in his system, I can see how a player could react to some trash talking or a dirty play, but it does not justify the actions. At what point does stomping on an opponent’s leg or going into the stands to attack a fan sound like an intelligent thought? Do they not think they will go unpunished after doing something like spitting in an opponent’s face, similar to how the Washington Redskins’ Sean Taylor did during this year’s NFL playoffs? Sure enough, Taylor received a punishment in the form of a $17,000 fine. Some professional and college athletes, though, have egos to defend and reputations to protect. If an incident occurs that in any way disrespects them, the excessive amount of testosterone in their system prevents them from swallowing their pride and focusing on the game. Off the field incidents, like the “Party Boat” scandal, have no excuse. I guess the stress of being in the spotlight because of a physically demanding profession that makes you unbelievably rich gives athletes an excuse to break the law. There are plenty of other athletes and everyday people with stresses of their own that deal with their pressures without pulling a gun on somebody. Athletes need to recognize that they are constantly under the public eye and anything they do reflects on their family and organization as well as themselves. Megan Dennis Cartoonist Mrs. Susan Newburger Adviser The Park Hill South High School newspaper, The View, is part of the educational curriculum of the Park Hill School District. Although the paper is a classroom activity of the Newspaper class, material may be submitted for consideration from students who are not enrolled in the course. Students’ submissions should meet guidelines set forth in the Board Policy and Regulation IGDB, copies of which are available in all buildings and Central Office. Students may also submit letters to the editor which are 500 words or less on timely issues. Editorials must be published with the name of the responsible individual. Bring any submissions to room C200 or email them to the adviser at newburgers@ parkhill.k12.mo.us. All submitted material may be edited for content, length and grammar. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service. The View is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. The View is printed by JS Printing in Birmingham, Ala. 1.27.06 Opinion 7 Advent Rising: In 1997, one story surprised gamers around the world and revolutionized the gaming industry forever, Final Fantasy VII. Now, almost eight years after the release of one of the greatest games in history, the director of Final Fantasy VII, Chad Shreeves Tetsuya Nomura, continues Features Editor the story in a full-length computer generated image (CGI) movie with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Unfortunately, the last several years most movies that have been released that are adaptations of video games have been marked as some of the worst movies ever made. Most of the failures have been because the producers of the movies have had nothing to do with the production of the game and didn’t know what they were doing with the source material. Advent Children, however, was created by the exact same developers who reunited to create the original game more than 10 years ago. The developers of the movie have taken the original story and built on it to create an epic story which is nearly just as good as the original game itself. The story itself seems simple. Two years after the end of the game, the citizens of the After years of failed video game adaptations, ‘Advent Children’ almost perfect city of Midgar have slowly begun to return to their normal lives. Unfortunately, the damage done to the planet in the game has infected several of the citizens with a virus known as Geostigma. Determined to cure the Geostigma, the president of the antagonistic corporation Shin-Ra from the game calls upon the hero Cloud to protect the planet once again. A group of three unknown enemies led by Kadaj, one of the few new characters in the movie, who plans to use the cells of an alien named Jenova to turn himself back into one of the most memorable enemies in video game history, Sephiroth. The computergenerated graphics featured in the movie are spot on. Every character is developed Movie cover for new Final Fanto a realistic state. tasy Photo by: google.com The environments are also very realistic and true to the original game. A lot of attention was paid to every detail and not a moment is seen where the graphics rival most Pixar movies. The movie is also full of hitand-miss moments. Sometimes the movie is possibly the greatest video game adaptation in recent years. In other moments, the movie contains scenes that will leave viewers in disgust. The story is epic, but unfortunately it’s closed to people who never experienced the story of the game. Where all of the characters from the first game make cameo appearances, the story only revolves around Cloud and Tifa. The story starts out dramatic and as good as any Hollywood movie, but the last half hour of the movie becomes a fast-paced slew of fight scenes with little plot development. The fight scenes start out good, but end up becoming gravity-defying sequences with the characters literally flying in the air. Despite a few drawbacks, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is probably the best video game adaptation yet. However, the English version of the movie is not yet available until this summer, but import versions of the Japanese movie with English subtitles are available if you go through an import service. “...the movie is possibly the greatest video game adaptation in recent years.” View from the Halls What do you think about having early release instead of late start? “I think it’s a good idea, because you can go home and do homework faster.” Nick Higgins, freshman Brant Bishop, senior “It sucks, because I don’t get to sleep in.” Lindsay Short, senior “I miss Corner Cafe breakfast.” Dawn Michael, junior What does your scholarship involve? “The coach from Stanford called after watching me play, and when I went to visit, he offered me a soccer scholarship.” DAILY RANT by Megan Dennis What are your plans after high school? “I will attend Stanford University and get a degree. Right now I’m undecided on what I will study.” Are you happy with what you have accomplished so far? What do you still want to accomplish after high school? “I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished during high school, but I still have a lot of goals for the future. I want to graduate college, and start a family.” Brant was also awarded the Daughters of American Revolution community service Award. 8 Entertainment1.27.06 Hey all! This is Greg, Marrie and Rei! We’ll be talking about technology. Or at least a story about it. Now Greg, don’t touch the computer!!! You’re so stupid! WHAT DID YOU DO? And that’s what happened. Hey, how did you make it blow up? You’re safe now.