Have You Thought About Who You Want to Vote For in the 2012 Primary?

PEngland

“It is tough election this year and I have given it some thought but I have not made any decisions”

Mrs. Montore.

“Yes I have thought about it and you are suppose to think about it.”

Mr. Carson.

“I have not made a decision yet, I am still thinking about it and I am going to watch something about the primary tomorrow night.”

Mrs. Charron.

“I am going to vote for Ron Paul, I thought about it and I am voting for Ron Paul because he can get us out of debt.”

Sarah England.

“Yes I plan to vote for Ron Paul because he can change our monetary system for the better.”

Bill England.

Review: Verizon's Pantech Breakout

by Curtis Fraser

Verizon’s new line of phones features the most advanced wireless internet system ever known with the new 4G LTE system. Among this line of phones is the Pantech Breakout, a sleek touch-screen phone that, at least on the surface, looks like a very nice phone, typical of the nice phones on the market today. An Android, the Breakout is a very nice phone, but until you get used to it, you will likely think it is the most frustrating and inconsistent cell phones ever created.

One of the first issues I had with this phone is that it is very difficult to set up whether the phone is on silent or not. Even when you think the phone is on silent, it still vibrates, and, perhaps ironically, there is no actual vibrate mode. There is a ringer mode and a vibration option, but to truly access vibrate mode, you have to change the ringtone to none. You also have to access a completely different menu to get your messaging ringtone set to vibrate, and for the first two weeks of my having this phone, whenever I tried to access said menu, the messaging application crashed. Before that, even when set to loud, there was still no message tone. Even after finally being able to set my ringtone and message tone to vibrate, the vibration is very soft and easy to miss. As someone who prefers the simple vibration as opposed to obnoxious ringtones, this feature is hard for me to overlook.

Another issue this phone frequently has is its very slow start up. When turning it on or just taking it out of sleep mode, the phone takes several moments to boot up, which can be very frustrating when you are trying to quickly look something up. This is also the case with a number of the Apps downloaded from the Android Market. Verizon advertises its 4G LTE system having “blazing speeds,” but they should focus more on the speed of their phone in general as well as just their internet.

One thing this phone does well is its messaging. Once getting around the issue with accessing the messaging settings, this phone is very convenient and quick for texting. The touch-screen phone uses “Swype,” with which you are given a QWERTY keyboard and you start at the first letter of the word and literally connect the dots to make the words you want. Although a little hard to get used to at first, once you get the hang of Swype, it is very quick, easy, and, honestly, kind of fun. This plus the ability to read entire conversations on one page without having to flip back and forth make this phone, although lacking in some other areas, a solid option for those looking to do a lot of texting.

When I first got this phone, I was having some serious issues with the battery life. I was told specifically in the Verizon Store that I would have to charge the battery every night, but I did not expect to have to plug it in at seven every evening, which was especially frustrating because I wasn’t even using it that much. After a few days, I was able to figure out that just turning down the phone’s brightness drastically improved the battery life. I still charge it every night to be safe, but since turning down the brightness, I have not come close to running out of battery in one day. Anybody who decides to purchase this phone will be far happier if they do bump down the brightness even just a few notches.

Overall, I would call this an average phone. There are certainly a few glitches that will take some getting used to, but if you’re patient with it and can overlook these small issues, you will be very satisfied with the Pantech Breakout from Verizon Wireless.

Segregation Is Back In Style

The Harvey Milk High School is a high school designed for students of the LGBT community.

Review of a restaurant- Jessie Marston

Constantly Pizza is one of the best pizzeria's in the Concord area. The employees are always friendly to everyone and are so inviting to each customer. They make the best pizza with just enough cheese and sauce mixture. They always seem to have great specials with excellent prices. Not many people go and eat there and come back disappointed. The service is great and the food is just unbelievable.

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Sports vs. Arts Funding

By Jess Mellen
(click on image to enlarge)

REVIEW: The Science of Deduction: Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

By Jess Mellen
Photo Credit © Warner Bros

Those familiar with the stories and adventures of Sherlock Holmes know the man as clean, precise, and his own unique form of a gentleman. His companion, the proper Doctor John Watson, on the other hand, is a mustached, somewhat heavy war veteran who is constantly appalled and amazed by Holmes’ actions. These characteristics are out the window in A Game of Shadows, as the clean calm Holmes is replaced by a dirty, chaotic man that is barely held in place by his annoyed, exasperated, and quite thin doctor friend.

Characters that were once casual, at-home private detectives in the 1800s have been, as simply as it can be said, plucked from their respective stories and thrust into the fiery, explosion-filled Hollywood action movie that we see again and again year after year. Sometimes a move like this leads to entertainment disaster, but this is in no way the case with this movie.

A Game of Shadows is the sequel to the 2009 success Sherlock Holmes and features the same actors that graced the screen in the first; Robert Downey Jr. plays Holmes and Jude Law plays Watson. They are joined by several new additions this time around, with the British actor Stephen Fry featuring as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s portly, government-involved older brother, and Jared Harris, who features as Professor James Moriarty, giving a face to the shadowed villain that appeared several times in the first movie.

Whether you’ve read the books and can catch the inaccuracies with the characters, settings, and situations or not, this movie is a great film with action, humor, and great acting. Although the scenes and settings may jump around a bit haphazardly, these transitions simply add to the effect of the overall film. What truly stands out in this movie, however, is not the tense struggle between Holmes and Moriarty, but is the chemistry between Holmes and Watson. Much of the dialogue between them is playful banter that can only be exchanged between two dear friends, and even the small, short scenes bring out unique emotions and feelings between the two men. Exchanges like that is a nice break between the tenser scenes of action and interactions with villains.

This is not the place to go into detail of the plot itself, as seeing the movie yourself is really the only way to get the full effect of the story. However, it can be said that the character development, acting, and emotional impact of the movie are all superb. A Game of Shadows is a movie worth seeing more than once because there are so many small props and details that are only shown for seconds, only to become important and unexpected twists in the end. Like Sherlock Holmes, you really need to try and observe everything, and it’s great fun to try to figure out the outcome of the mystery before the conclusion is made on screen. A Game of Shadows is a great movie, a powerful sequel, and is definitely recommended to be added to anyone’s watch list.

REVIEW: Fans Aren't Chuckling at New Dredg Album

by Rachel Sawyer

Once in a while, a band will release an album that drastically strays from their typical sound and guides them in a new direction. Dredg’s most recent Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, released May 3, 2011, certainly deviates from their norm. From a band that usually composes organic, unconventional pieces, Chuckles introduces a manufactured, predictable sound through layers of repeating drumbeats, powerful bass lines, electronic melodies, and less courageous vocals. This album is experimental for Dredg, and many fans wish for the band to return to their roots and produce music that is closer related to their four previous albums.

Although Chuckles sounds more mainstream, typical Dredg aspects are still present. The opening song “Another Tribe is repetitive and hypnotic, but the content of its lyrics are reminiscent of their previous work; the satire of modern society is apparent in its lyrics: “He we go again / following all the trends / it’s become an obsession.” The fifth track “Down Without a Fight” is undeniably catchy and, even if the instrumentals were digitally created, exhibits an extensive knowledge of composition. However, this song seems much too predictable for Dredg. The eighth track “Kalathat” provides some rest for listener’s ears with an acoustic serenade that heralds back to older albums.

Chuckles also lacks other typical Dredg characteristics. It lacks the one-to-two-minute-long musical interludes that have appeared in three of the four previous albums and serve to connect the songs together in a natural flow. This album is well composed and listeners will certainly not forget the songs quickly; however, the songs off Chuckles don’t provide the same pleasurable listening experience that requires one to close his or her eyes and sing along—the quality that fans have come to expect from Dredg. One may even wonder if the same band that produced this album also wrote the powerful and creative “Δ” off El Cielo (2002) or the thought-provoking and ingeniously composed “Catch Without Arms” off the album with the same name (2005), as these pieces showcased Dredg’s incredible ability as musicians and writers of satirical and unforgettable lyrics.

In fact, it seems Dredg may have forgotten their own values in an attempt to please a larger crowd and produce mainstream music. The commercial aspect of music industry creates much pressure for musicians, but Dredg has always preached to keep music as personal expression and not an attempt to please the most customers, as is stated in “Catch Without Arms”:

“So sing about love / Sing about lust / so they will care, / It’s the same difference. / That’s what happens when you play catch without arms […] That’s what happens when you compromise your art.”

EDITORIAL: Dress Codes are the Same

By Nate Glanville & Kendra Arseneault

A dress code is a set of rules for students and faculty in schools. The objective of a dress code is to limit students apparel. Lately, teachers have seen students not following school dress code, such as wearing their pants low showing their under garments or wearing short skirts that do not meet the middle finger length rule.

Students complain all the time about not wearing what they would like to wear to school. They say that different schools more lenient about the dress code. But, in fact, they are wrong. Other schools such as Kearsarge Regional High School, Concord High School and Hillsborough- Deering High School have very similar rules as in our school. The schools do not allow halter-tops or spaghetti traps as an example of the similarity of the dress code guidelines. But, then again, some students are correct because it depends on the teacher.

Individual teachers enforce the dress code at a different approach, but students feel that it should be enforced consistently on clothing choice from the students point of view.

"If you could only get one gift for the holidays, what would it be?"

By Ziggy Chesley




"I want another cat!" Hannah Durant, 12th Grade









"World peace would be great! I know that's pretty cliche though."
Brian Morgan, 11th Grade











"I just wanna snuggle"
Susanna Keilig, 12th Grade













"I want a new pair of running sneakers!"
Maria Booth, 11th Grade










"I mean, it would be really great if everyone's intelligence went up a bit." Megan Edmonds, Graduate

REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows

By Ziggy Chesley

Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows, is a sequel to the much accredited Sherlock Holmes, a movie from 2009 that gained a lot of popularity. The cast is mainly reoccurring, Robert Downing Jr. and Jude Law starring as the infamous crime solving pair, Holmes and Watson. The friendship between these two actors allows for a playful banter to flow between the two characters, lightening up the mood and providing many humorous moments. The acting is good, with all of the actors able to switch between comedy and dramatic scenes with ease. The writing is wonderful as well, providing us with witty lines like “so overt it’s covert” that make the audience laugh many times.

From a cinematic point of view, the filming is also well done. Though, at times, the movie is rather loud and explosive, something that if you are not into action movies may seem too much, it keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. Also, the mix of slow-motion scenes makes the movie fun to watch. The settings of the movie are very catching as well, a mix from the streets of London to the Swiss Alps. The variety of things going on makes it impossible to not pay attention.

Overall, Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows is funny, witty, and well done. I would recommend it to anyone!

REVIEW: Musician Matisyahu

By Oliver Josephson

Do you feel that these days talent and originality is lacking in the music world? Almost every new artist these days sounds the same. It is either sappy corny pop songs or unoriginal hip-hop about sex, money and partying. Despite the lack of talent, there is still hope from one fairly new musician, Matthew Miller, most commonly known as Matisyahu. He is the one and only Hasidic Jewish reggae rap star, a New York native, who resides in Crown Heights, a Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn.

I discovered Matisyahu a long time ago when I became interested in hip-hop. Because I am born Jewish, I had the urge to know if a Jewish rapper existed. It all started when I asked my father if there was such a thing as a Jewish rapper. He said, “there is one: Matisyahu.” That year I got one of his CDs for a Hanukah present. At first, I liked it but was not an enthusiast and did not listen to it for a while. Then last year around Passover I decided to listen and then became obsessed as I was blasting it on my stereo. I got tickets to see one of his show. To me, he is truly inspirational and I would consider him a new genius in the music world.

Matisyahu has been part of the music scene for about seven years. He became successful due to his talent and originality. His music, depending on his songs, can either have a hip-hop, reggae, rock, or electronic techno feel with lyrics that have to do with Jewish spirituality, pride towards Judaism, and about making our world a more positive place. He is also a master beat boxer. All of the beat box beats are done through his own voice and sound as they are part of a mix tape. His music is inspired and influenced by world famous reggae artist Bob Marley and current rap artists such as Nas, Sizzla, and Cappleton. Matisyahu plays with all kinds of musicians when he records and performs. However, his most tightly knitted group he plays with in the studio and in concert venues is the band called the Dub Trio, which includes bass player Stu Brooks, guitar player Dave Holmes, and Joe Tomino on drums and keyboards creating dub sounds beyond belief.

As for his CDs, I would highly recommend his famous “Live at Stubbs” in Austin, Texas ones, which I currently own. There are two volumes of “Live at Stubbs,” volumes one and two. Volume one has more of a reggae techno hip-hop feel and is his earliest album. Then volume two is more recent and the songs have more of a rock feel and the songs are longer. Then he has other albums, which I have yet to explore such as “Youth” and “Light,” and a new album of his that he just released called “Miracle.”

Matisyahu loves performing. It is his life. He says you do not get the same feel and energy in the studio as you do when you perform. Seeing his shows are a one of a kind experience. This past summer I saw one of his shows that was part of his summer tour in Lowell, Massachuessetts. The energy was unbelievable. The crowd was wild and the stage was bursting with sound. All of the instruments were at full blast. For Matisyahu, there is no such thing as too loud. At this show while the sound was at full blast, at one point during one of his songs he said “more base, turn that thing all the way up, we are going to blow this whole place up.” The one word to describe this show was epic. It was filled with cheers, stage dives, and excitement. The overall rhythm of the band was exemplary and he played his top songs such as “Jerusalem,” King Without a Crown,” which made the top 40 hit list in the United States, and “One Day” which was played on NBC during the Olympic games in November 2009. I would highly recommend seeing one of his shows. He is currently doing a Festival of Light tour around the U.S. to celebrate Hanukah and will be doing more in the future as he is a growing musician. Also, his shows are generally affordable. Tickets to see him are usually between $25-$30 per person and you get to see something truly brilliant.

REVIEW: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

By Brian Morgan

   

     The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a wonderful addition to the Legend of Zelda (LOZ) family. It has a good balance of new and old elements. You still play as Link as you venture through various lands to accomplish tasks. And of course, no LOZ game would be complete without the mind-bending puzzles and the seemingly impossible monsters that are in dungeons. LOZ games feature a mixture of action, puzzles, adventure/battle game play, exploration, and questing.

     There are some new things thrown into the game this time, such as a beetle, a crafting system, and save points. The beetle has very large pincers that can pick up, carry and even drop items from a distance. It has wings that, when launched, fly it through the air; the beetle’s direction is controlled by tilting the Wii MotionPlus. The crafting system allows you to trade in random little pieces of the environment, such as blobs and drops of amber, in order to upgrade items. Save points are a very controversial topic for many gamers. Whereas in previous versions you could save whenever you wanted, in this version you can only save at certain times. The benefit of this is that when you return to the game you will be exactly where you left off, instead of being brought back to the entrance of a dungeon. While many of the new additions can be viewed as positive, some might find them annoying and unnecessary. Overall, most gamers will find this new version of Zelda worth every minute.

10 out of 10

A Journey Worth Taking

PEngland

My family and I enjoyed watching Journey to the Center of the Earth on Saturday. This is a great movie. The version of the movie we saw was the 1999 edition, directed by George Miller. The movie was 180 minutes and unrated. This movie, adapted from the Jules Verne classic for television by Thomas Baum, is about Theodore Lytton (Treat Williams), Jonas Lytton (Jeremy London) and Alice Hastings (Tushka Bergen) looking for, Casper Hastings, her husband. They find him somewhere with a tribe in the center of the Earth. When they found him, he was surprised because he had been lost for seven years. Casper did not want to leave right away because he wanted to continue to search for the special plant that could heal people from cuts and bruises. Along the way they found some weird creatures that did not have good vision because they can only see things in color that is not normal vision like humans have. They also saw some pterodactyl-like creatures that could have been in the prehistoric times. As far as what happens in the end, I will not spoil it for viewers. I will let them know, however, that this journey is one worth taking.

What is your favorite part about the winter holidays?

Mrs. Zecha, Librarian
Watching Holiday specials with my family

Matt Komisarek, 11th Grader
Watching NBA basketball

By Brian Morgan

Jordan Rose Mack, 10th Grader
Being with my family

 

Justin Audet, 11th Grader
Playing hockey with my friends

Brian Hall, Janitor
Snowmobiling with my friends

Zak Ostrander, 11th Grader
Decorating my house with my dad

Dress codes they are the same

By Nate Glanville & Kendra Arseneault

A dress code is a set of rules for students and faculity in schools. The objective of a dress code is to limit students apparel. Lately, teachers have seen students not following school dress code, such as wearing their pants low showing their under garments or wearing short skirts that do not meet the middle finger length rule.
Students complain all the time about not wearing what they would like to wear to school. They say that different schools more lenient about the dress code. But, in fact, they are wrong. Other schools such as Kearsarge Regional High School, Concord High School and Hillsborough- Deering High School have very similar rules as in our school. The schools do not allow halter-tops or spaghetti traps as an example of the similarity of the dress code guidelines. But, then again, some students are correct because it depends on the teacher.
Individual teachers enforce the dress code at a different approach, but students feel that it should be enforced consistently on clothing choice from the students point of view.

Review: JVC HA-X570

By Dan Fletcher

The JVC HA-X570 is overall a decent buy, not for quality relative to other high-end headphones, but based on the low price of only ten dollars. They are practically a steal. They say “Super Bass” on the sides of the cups; however they do not live up to my standard of quality bass. In expensive headphones you can hear each instrument and vocal completely separate. In these headphones, they sound slightly muffled together. The noise insulation is average; no one will hear the music unless it is loud. They are fairly comfortable but it would be better if they had a pad on the top of the band to avoid contact with your head and hard plastic. As for build quality, I would say they are built poorly. Every inch of the headphone is cheap plastic. I have had the cups fall out of the headband before and had to reassemble the headphones. They do not clamp to your head as tightly as I prefer. I would love to be able to run and not have the headphones shake or fall off of my head, but these would fall off very quickly. Overall, these headphones are average quality. They are not what I would recommend for people who want the best of the best, but for people who want a cheap, average sound quality headphone, they will do fine.

Editorial: To Fund or Not To Fund

In one corner, it has been a well known fact for years in Hopkinton that the town highly favors their high school sports teams, more specifically the baseball, soccer, and field hockey teams. Besides those, there are twenty other high school sports that are supported and funded with part of the school budget. Many students take advantage of the availability of these many sports, and most of the school’s population is made up of athletes of some kind.

In the other corner, the arts department resides, barely funded but yet full with nearly as many students as the sports department, if not more. The arts department includes theater, music, and fine/studio arts, and has never had as much funding as other departments in the school. The department is too small and is shrinking with every budget revision.

And....fight.

The problem with the excessive funding to the sports department is that despite how good many of these athletes are, there is a very slim chance of any of the students making a job out of their athletic ability in the future. The world of professional athletes is not very big, and many of these students will inevitably enter a different field once they get to college. With the arts department, there are many more possibilities for a profession and by far a lot more job opportunities. 

So if the students in the arts have a better chance at learning a worthwhile career, why are the sports so overly glorified? Why is the sports budget large enough to water its fields and wax its gymnasium floor constantly, while the theater department is forced to buy their own set materials and costumes out of their own pockets each and every year? The right thing would be to increase the funding provided to the arts programs and possibly take away some of the sports funding. The sports department does not necessarily need all of the money it has, so why not give the excess to the arts? That would seem to be a logical action, but yet the town and the school manages to cut the arts funding even further with each town budget meeting. It’s high time that this changed, because the starving artists shouldn’t be starving.

EDITORIAL: Dress Code

Dress code is where the school has a set of rules for students, where there are limits for students apparel. Lately in schools teachers have seen students not following school dress code, such as wearing their pants low showing their under garments, or wearing short skirts that don’t meet the middle finger length rule.

Kids complain all the time about not wearing what they would like to wear to school, and they say that different schools are easier going about the dress code. But in fact, they are wrong. Other schools have very similar rules as in our school. In comparing Kearsarge Regional High School, Concord High School and Hillsborough- Deering High School, research shows that these local school districts have the same dress code as Hopkinton High School. They all do not allow halter-tops or spaghetti traps as an example of the similarity of the dress code guidelines. But then again some students are correct because it depends on the teacher.

Individual teachers enforce the dress code at a different approach, but students feel that it should be enforced consistently on clothing choice from the students point of view.

EDITORIAL: Leave Abortion Alone!

Abortion, or the right to terminate a pregnancy, should be the woman’s choice in any situation within reason. Many claim that abortions aren’t ethically correct saying that a fetus can feel pain. It has been scientifically proven that they can’t, and, therefore they should be abolished. However abortions are not murder, seeing as the fetus could not live without its mother within the first trimester.

In some situations, abortions are almost necessary. Situations like; birth control failure, inability to support the child, rape, birth defects and several more. The woman in these situations have the right to make the correct decision because she is the guardian if the child were to be born.

Some people also say that abortion should not be legal because they believe It is religiously unsound and it’s a sin. However, these people are entitled to their beliefs, and the separation of church and state prevents this situation from ever occurring.

Every woman should have the right to every decision she wants to make because it is her body and she has the ability to do so. No one should have the power to tell her otherwise.

EDITORIAL: Bullying of Gay Students Has No Place In Our Schools

On February 12, 2008, Larry King, a 15-year-old eighth grader at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California, walked into class, expecting an average day of school. It turned out to be anything but. Larry King was shot twice in the back of the head by fellow classmate, Brandon McInerney. According to the 20/20 episode that aired on October 7, 2011, the reason: Larry had a crush on Brandon.

This is just one of many examples of bullying of gay students in schools around the world. An extreme case nonetheless, gay bullying has been known to lead to homicide and, more commonly, suicide. Day after day, gay and lesbian students attend school knowing that they will be judged based on their sexual preference and they will be put down, threatened, or maybe even worse. These students should be able to walk the halls of their schools with a feeling of safety and security, and should not have to feel reserved in their sexual orientation. Instead, it has been found that nine out of ten LGBT teens have reported being bullied recently while at school. These numbers are an outrage, and this issue needs to be tackled right away.

Although bullying of gay students will never be completely contained, steps must be taken to prevent it as much as possible. Perhaps most importantly, parents need to teach their children, from an early age, to be open-minded and respectful of all individuals, regardless of their sexual preference. In schools, students must be held responsible for their actions and words and a no-tolerance policy has to be put in place. It does not matter who an individual is attracted to, that individual is still a person, and has to be treated with respect.

EDITORIAL: Kids with Guns

Recently the House of New Hampshire has introduced a new bill allowing the general public to be armed on public property. This includes letting guns on college campuses throughout the state. In theory, this makes perfect sense. Granted, a lot of people in the United States own or carry a firearm for self-protection and/or hunting purposes. Some could even argue it to be a violation of their second amendment if denied this right.

What people do not realize is that there are many risks associated with this right. Not every person knows how to handle a gun properly, and putting a weapon in an untrained person’s hands could be extremely dangerous. Even if one knows how to use this deadly weapon there is nothing saying the judgment of that person is perfectly sound. People associate more freedom with more harmony, but along with this bill only comes a laundry list of problems. For instance, many college students are known to drink heavily get intoxicated. Mixing alcohol and firearms greatly increases the probability of serious accidents. If our freedom is worth the risk of killing innocent youth than what has this world come to?

This bill includes guns being permitted in all public places, but having a firearm in any college campus is an absurdity. There is a reason why deadly weapons, such as guns, have not been allowed in school zones before. Why should guns be allowed on campuses now? The House should not be even thinking about such preposterousness. If this bill is signed into law the safety of college students will be compromised.

REVIEW: I Keep It Short

By Sgt.Dunn

The Space Wolf Omnibus is simply amazing. There is nothing more to be said. I am an avid reader of the Warhammer 40,000 series. Just reading how much William King puts into this story is just phenomenal. Out of all the books that I have read, the Space Wolf Omnibus is by far the best and my favorite. Woven into the story are some aspects of drama and humor. The story is just a great read. I would suggest it to any level of Warhammer 40,000 reader.

Editorial: Dressed for Success

Dress codes are important in schools because teachers, students and other staff need to be appropriate, have a good appearance and respectful to others. In order to do this you have to think of what clothes you wear to school, church, a special dinner, dances or with your friends. It is also important to have your clothes washed with the laundry and dried in the dryer or on the clothes rack with clothespins. Girls should not show cleavage, bra, and bra straps or wear shorts that do not go past their fingers when their arms are to their side. Boys should not show their underwear, shirts with drugs or alcohol or anything that is offensive and inappropriate. Other than students, some workingmen and women also have to follow dress codes in order to set an example for others to follow. For example, gentlemen need to wear ties, dress pants, shoes and a belt. Ladies have to wear dresses, skirts or pants along with shoes or sandals. Dress codes are aimed at displaying professionalism and our dress code is aimed at preparing students for that. Dress codes are important because other people want you to be respectful and have a good appearance.

EDITORIAL: It's Their Choice

Today, in America, 42 million women get abortions every year. There are two legal ways to get an abortion. The first way is a surgical abortion which includes many different methods like a vacuum abortion which removes the fetus or embryo from the woman. The older way is to mix herbs together like a medicine this was found common in pre-historic times. Today in the U.S. the debate goes on whether to make abortion legal or illegal. This is one issue that splits the party lines. If you are pro-life, this is the conservative standpoint they think abortion should be illegal. The pro-choice standpoint believes that it is a women’s right to choose. This is more of a liberal standpoint.

Today, in the 21^st century, there are some people who are just unfit to have kids. You see more and more kids having kids at younger ages, and the statistics say that children born to teens are more likely to have messed up lives. 14 and 15 year olds are not fit to have kids; this is why abortion should be legal. Demographics also show that young people who have kids have more of a chance to be on welfare, which is more of a strain on the community and economy.

If the government were to shut down abortion clinics, they would be eliminating help to rape or incest victims. If a rape victim were to have a baby, she might have love for that child, but everyday when she looked at her kid, she would have horrific memories or dreams. There is no reason why someone should have to go through that everyday.

However, people should not be able to use abortion as a type of birth control; that is just morally wrong. Everyone deserves a second chance, but not at the cost of human life. This is why there should be stipulations in place to prevent people from using abortions as birth control. But at the end of the day it should not be up to the government to dictate what a women can and cannot do with her body.

REVIEW: Breaking Dawn

By:H.Hausch
Twilight's Breaking Dawn was a very good movie. It carried over from the other Twilight movies, and shows the actors evolving. Breaking Dawn had some parts that some people might think,"oh that's not real or that's lame" but all in all it had a good meaning and very good acting.

Breaking Dawn had good animation, some comic relief, and it also had intense parts which kind of make the movie more realistic and give it an edge. It did have "lovey" scenes but not too many so that wasn't a bad thing. There was a part that went a little too far for a movie focused on a younger group of people.

EDITORIAL: It's their decison to make.

Every one deserves to be happy in their life. If this means that they are joined with someone of the same sex then we have no place to judge. Civil unions are just when two people join hands and have the same privileges as a married couple. People that are homosexual should have the option of being happy with the partner of their choice. People have this feeling that being gay is wrong well it’s not it is just as bad as being straight.

If someone is gay it doesn’t bother me in the least bit. They get to much crap from society as it is. When it comes to them needing support they have mine.

If you are married and happy don’t you think that someone else should have that same option? It is just another right that people have .