ROCK

THE
Snow days alter plans
A
lthough students may have chanted, Let it snow, the four snow days in the past two weeks have held up classes and sports. Teachers face the challenge of changing their lesson plans to meet expectations of standardized tests in May. Athletics are having trouble rescheduling the games that were planned for the snow days. Already, CPS has used as many snow days this year as in each of the past three years.

CYBA

ssins - p age Assa

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Rock Bridge High School 4303 S. Providence Rd. - Columbia, MO 65203 Volume 38, Issue 4 January 27, 2011
photo by Kylee Fuchs photo by Savannah Viles

Invisible Children sends African principal to RBHS

ut of five teachers who came to the United States through Invisible Childrens Teacher Exchange, Calistus Nyeko was the only administrator. Global issues club brought Nyeko, principal of Keyo Secondary School, to RBHS during January, while fund-raising to construct new classrooms, libraries and

Ugandan reflects
bathrooms and buy technology and schoolbooks in Uganda. American schools are fully established by the government. [In Uganda] the government gives a small grant, about one-third [to the school], Nyeko said. The [other] two-thirds is met by parents, which actually keeps the school running for most of the time because the government grant also comes in late and therefore makes running the school difficult. story continued on page 5

TESSA VELLEK

Read on page 3

photo by Tessa Vellek

Competition draws poets

B
oth fire and ice attracted several budding performers of poetry to the PAC last week. On Jan. 19 students from the Acting and AP Literature classes met in the PAC to participate in a national competition known as Poetry Out Loud. English teachers Mary Dix and Debbie McDonough joined performing arts teacher Mary Coffield to enter their classes in the competition, preparing to send one of their pupils to the next level of Poetry Out Loud at regional to perform three poems.

photo by Savannah Viles

Cultures across continents: Pondering his time in America before returning to home country Uganda, Calistus Nyeko stands outside Gentry Middle School, where he has been studying American schooling techniques.

Police question how inappropriate photos were made public

olumbia police are investigating a questionable post on Facebook after receiving information from Columbia Public Schools administrators Jan. 10. An unidentified person or group uploaded allegedly pornographic photos onto Facebook during the weekend of Jan. 7. Public information officer Jill Wieneke said the investigation may take several months. Columbia police believe an individual created an account on the website under an alias and posted nude pictures of current and former CPS students. The perpetrator allegedly uploaded similar content onto YouTube. Whenever there is an investigation that involves an Internet company, especially social media all we know is that theres information on there, and we want to get that information because in this

CPD investigates Facebook post

C
AVANTIKA KHATRI
case, obviously, as soon as someone found out that we were opening investigation, they pulled the Facebook page down, Wieneke said. What we have to do, actually, is send [Facebook] a request to preserve evidence ... then we actually have to fill out a search warrant and have it approved by a judge and send that search warrant to the company. And they have to send us that information, which includes all the photos what was on the page and then ultimately we can track that back to an IP address on a computer to find out where that computer is. Because Facebook receives many such requests, Wieneke said, the investigation may take a long time. The detectives are in the wait-and-see stage. Barring a confession and regardless of local interviews, the investigation cannot move forward until CPD receives solid evidence from Facebook, she said. RBHS students say Jeffrey Jones, the name on the account in question, posted numerous pictures of current and former Hickman High School students and possibly other CPS students. It was a video posted and multiple pictures. The content was unbearable. These girls were nude to the public, to ... the whole Facebook community.... Jeffrey Jones became a major celebrity after two to three hours, getting over 800 friend requests plus more, said RBHS senior Variation Jones, who is not related to Jeffrey Jones. Some people were happy because he humiliated these girls. Some people were mad because they thought it was so immature. One of the victims, HHS junior Marty Harris* had sent her boyfriend of one-and-a-half years a text message Jan. 16, 2010. Attached was a picture of herself naked. She said she sent the photo when her significant other asked for it, intending the picture only for him. However, she said the image was posted on the Jeffrey Jones Facebook account. story continued on page 3

Read on page 3

City improves surveillance B

ecause of the lack of security in downtown Columbia, the City of Columbia selected the area for additional surveillance in order to monitor sidewalks and streets. The Jan. 14 Proposition 1 vote authorized Columbia Police Department to supervise the area with city-owned cameras. Because of the high population in downtown Columbia, CPD helped choose this location for surveillance.

Chamber Choir goes to MMEA state contest

LESLIE
hoir director Mike Pierson cued a first measure and with a wave of his hand, the choral ensemble swung to the beat. Tomorrow this rehearsal will

Read on page 2

NEU

become a performance for an audience of more than 900 people at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. We practice really hard and stay pretty focused, senior Karen Hardeman said. We know that this

photo by Parker Solomon

Fine Tuning: Warming up during third period, the RBHS Chamber choir prepares their lineup for their upcoming MMEA state competition.

Index
News Features In-Depths Editorials Commentary Sports Arts & Entertainment pg. 1 pg. 5 pg. 13 pg. 17 pg. 21 pg. 23 pg. 26
The midwinter assembly will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10 in the gym.

photo by Savannah Viles

is a really big deal and a big honor. Judges chose this sample out of the hundreds of recordings submitted from various choirs around the state. Along with Mixed Chamber Choir from RBHS, A Capella Singers from HHS, Singer Select from West Jr. and the University of Missouri Columbias University Singers will perform at MMEA. What an incredible testament to the level and number of talented students [there are] in this community, Pierson said. It is a great indicator of the level of dedication and teaching abilities of all of the vocal music educators in the Columbia Public Schools. The choir has been practicing outside of school hours. Throughout the process the group has not only come closer to musical perfection, but also to each other. We practice not only during third

hour, but also numerous scheduled Saturday rehearsals, Hardeman said. Weve spent so much time together. Weve become closer friends and people we can count on. Being the select choir that is to perform at the conference is an honor for Pierson, who has guided the RBHS choral music department since 2004. This is definitely a defining moment for me, Pierson said. It is truly an honor to have a choir that I conduct selected to perform there. The last note resonated through the room as Pierson dropped his hands. I am relieved that all our hard work is finally paying off and saddened by the plain fact that this will all be over so soon, senior Aubrey Miller said. And Ill miss spending so much time with the entire choir.

Upcoming events
Mizzous HATTS will present Creating Life and Death: The Trial of Dr. Victor art by Grace Priest Frankenstein at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at Jesse Hall. At 7 p.m. on Feb. 17, RBHS show choir is holding its benefit concert in the PAC.

art by Laura Ge Song

art by Laura Ge Song

News 2
The ROCK

January 27, 2011

RBHS faculty adjusts schedule for days lost to snowy weather

CRAIG CHVAL
hen CPS announced one week ago on Jan. 20 that school would not be in session Jan. 21, the district implemented its fourth snow day of the school year thus far. This amount matches the highest number of inclement weather closings of each of the previous three years. CPS allows for six inclement weather days in the calendar. Additional days will be added at the end of the school year. However, seniors do not make up snow days, and AP classes still need to meet the deadline of the AP tests in mid-May. In terms of school work, Ive had to look at our calendar look at our AP calendar and decide what I could cut out in order to still be prepared for the AP exam. And so the kinds of things that I had to throw out were those enrichment things, which would bring to life the concepts we were studying in class, social studies teacher Debra Perry said. At least for the regular classes the non-AP classes since those snow days, will be tacked on to the end of the year, I can look at just adjusting when we do something versus trying to decide to remove something from the curriculum for AP classes. In addition to academics, athletic cancellations have left the teams scrambling to adapt to the adjusted calendar. On occasion, events need to be rescheduled after snow days and make-ups may never occur if the scheduling will not allow it. For example, Rockhurst and RBHS were unable to find a day to reschedule wrestling matches after the Jan. 10 snow day. The athletic department makes a judgment call when deciding whether or not to attend events on days when CPS cancels classes. We make decisions on games based on all the information we have. The conditions can be different in the areas of the state affected by any given weather event, Athletic Director Jennifer Mast said. So, its a case-by-case situation. Sometimes its completely out of our hands based on the school traveling to us or we are traveling to stating they will not be able to host or travel. [If we cancel], we try to reschedule in every case, but its not always possible.

Arizona gunman pleads not guilty at arraignment

gunman opened fire Jan. 8, killing six people and wounding 13 others during a meetand-greet between Gabrielle Giffords and her constituents. One of Giffords staffers, three retirees, a federal judge and a 9-year-old-girl all died in the attack. The shooting took place in a Tucson, Ariz. supermarket. The suspect, Jared Lee Loughner, was taken into custody at the scene after onlookers tackled him when he tried to reload his semiautomatic weapon. Lee refused to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. On Jan. 9 he was charged with five federal counts, including the attempted assassination of a member of Congress. Store security cameras caught Lee shooting Giffords in the forehead from a three foot range, then turning to attack others near her using his 9-millimeter pistol. She was in critical condition the day after the attack at the University Medical Center in Tucson, where a group of neurosurgeons operated on her. By Jan. 11 doctors ensured survival. President Barack Obama spoke at a memorial service Jan. 12 to commemorate the victims of the Arizona shooting. Members of the nation praised him for his unifying speech and advocated the change of politics into a gentler debate.

Egyptian citizens exhaust one last violent solution

iots erupted in Egypt Tuesday, Jan. 25 as citizens demanded the end of the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square in Egypts capital, Cairo, as well as in several other cities in the country. Rioters clashed with the police, resulting in injuries and a few deaths. Three people were reported dead because of the unrest two protesters in the port town of Suez and one soldier from the injuries he received in the Cairo revolt. The cause of the riots was thought to be the earlier Tunisian uprising that displaced their president, breaking the psychological barrier of acting on their poused with permission from AP litical beliefs for Raging Riots: On Jan. the Egyptians. The Internet played 25, Egyptian rioters an enormous role demanded the end in mobilizing the of the 30-year reign cause, especially president Hosni social networks of like Facebook. Mubarak. More than 90,000 people signed up on the Facebook page for the uprisings on Tuesday. The protestors were met by an aggressive force of state security officials and police officers, causing pandemonium by using tear gas, water cannons and clubs. In Tahrir Square a group of young men threw rocks at the police, and some of the police retaliated by throwing the rocks back at the men. Protestors also tried taking over the polices water cannon, resulting in security forces in full riot gear taking immediate action. The riots had other purposes than just attempting to displace the president. Many called for an Egyptian emergency law that would ensure extensive powers to security services, while others demanded a raise in minimum wage. stories by Tessa Vellek source: nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com

photo by Mary Herndon

Site presents attractive opportunity for corporate investors

EMILY WRIGHT

Facebook increases in value

F
acebook, the second-most-visited website on the Internet, has become an increasingly popular investment opportunity for private corporations since the beginning of the year. On Jan. 3 Goldman Sachs, with help from Sky Technologies, invested $50 million into Facebook. Other major companies, such as DST Global, have also made recent moves to invest in the rapidly-growing Facebook. With 71 percent of Internet users having a Facebook account, it was announced that Facebook is valued at $50 billion and is one of the most valuable companies worldwide, ranking above corporations like Yahoo and eBay. However, the company is not yet on the market for the public, something RBHS personal finance students have taken note of with their knowledge from the recent stock market game. Juniors Connor John and Emily Smith participated as a team in the game, a national program designed to allow students to invest a hypothetical sum of money, allowing them to analyze the role that stocks such as Facebook could have on investors. Facebook has become extremely popular, John said. Since its such a hit with the public and the fact that it hasnt been in the stock market before would make it a good investment for large companies. Facebook should go public because of its growing popularity

Blankets of snow: Students trek through the snow to their cars after school Jan. 25. Columbia received almost 14 inches of snow this January, and CPS cancelled school for four days due to weather.

invest today, he would look for boomamong Internet users. Popularity, he said, is the initial thing ing companies, a more daring approach he looked for while buying stocks with to investing as opposed to looking for his theoretical $100,000 in the game. stable and steady long-term investments. The first thing we did when deciding what If I were to invest my money right now, stocks to invest in was to think about what I would look into companies that have shot kinds of things are very popular right now, up in popularity or have come out with John said. Things like Redbox are some a new product that has made them more of the ideas that came to popular, John said. Personal finance teacher mind. I would never Ben Loeb said in todays John said he and Smith risk more money economic situation, he also looked for new prodwould recommend investucts that had developed than I could afing in stocks that would be out of a high demand, ford because it is a less risky and more stable. something John said he In poor economic times, believes a Facebook stock huge risk. you need to look at picking would do if it went public. Its important to realstocks that arent as affected ize that the way we inby that as other times, based Emily Smith vested in the game, which on a better economy, Loeb junior said. only lasted three months, Similarly, Loeb said for is very different from the way I would invest in the real world in a long- a high school investor, investing directly in stocks would not be their best choice for an term situation. Smith said. Smith said in the stock market game, she investment. He recommended something was looking for stocks that would grow quick- with more stability, like a mutual fund. The stock market game teaches you that you ly at once rather than steadily over a long period of time, making investing more risky. have to do short-term trading and take a lot It has definitely influenced the way I see of risks, and in the real world that would be investing, Smith said. Now that I have the furthest thing from the truth for a small, gone through the process, I know that I can young investor, Loeb said. You really want do it, but I would never risk more money to teach students to have a long-term horizon than I could afford because it is a huge risk. and grind it out, so to speak, instead of lookHowever, John said that if he were to ing for the quick hit.

City increases camera surveillance in downtown area

ALYSSA MULLIGAN

andalism of cars and other pedestrian-caused crimes will be caught on surveillance cameras throughout the downtown area, as the Columbia Police Department will monitor the new installments. The Division of Purchasing reviewed the plan to add further safety units, and the bid for these surveillance cameras closed Jan. 14. Once CPD makes a recommendation to confirm locations for city-owned surveillance cameras in downtown Columbia, the City Council will make a final purchase in the council hearing, CPD Public Information officer, Jill Wieneke said. The city has to allow different vendors to bid on the cameras, Wieneke said. Its in a stand-still place right now. Certified Public Purchase officer Marilyn Bell said the Division of Purchasing establishes criteria when buying surveillance cameras for downtown Columbia.

It has to be easily set up, moveable and able to be secured, Bell said. Each unit should have a minimum of two Pan Tilt Zoom IP Cameras. We are looking for proposals from the vendors on what they are going to provide. With a 59 percent vote on April 6, 2010, supporters of Proposition 1 approved surveillance cameras along sidewalks and streets. CPD Lt. Officer Brian Richenberger said the City of Columbia controls the security cameras, but not through the CPD. We, the police department, will have some say to where they go, but they wont necessarily be monitored 24/7, Richenberger said. They will just be available to review should a crime occur within view of the camera. Downtown Columbia currently includes these types of surveillance cameras in city parking garages, but the citizens of Columbia voted for new installments, Bell said. Voters passed Proposition 1 that mandated the chief of police to identify locations in downtown Columbia to place conspicuous cameras to monitor the citys

sidewalks and streets, Richenberger said. On the other hand, red-light traffic cameras for driving violations entail CPD must review evidence before carrying the case to prosecutors. There are a series of steps that we undergo before we submit them, Richenberger said. They have to be verified throughout the department before they are submitted to the prosecutors office. Assistant City Manager Tony St. Romaine said natural distractions to the picture can make evidence unclear. The cameras take very highresolution pictures, St. Romaine said. However, there are times when it is difficult to get a clear picture of the driver due to sun glare, rain or, more recently, snow and ice. CPD receives complaints from groups who oppose surveillance cameras due to violation of privacy. One organization is the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonpartisan organization committed to defending the protection of basic rights in the U.S. constitution. Anytime we are involved in any

type of camera surveillance, typically there is some type of public outcry, Richenberger said. ACLU discussed violation of privacy, and there are various groups throughout Columbia that lead this charge. Some cases prove the plan unworthy. For example, although London has the most surveillance cameras of any city, only one crime per year is solved for every 1,000 cameras, MidMissouri ACLU President Dan Viets said. They do not reduce crime or significantly increase the apprehension of criminals, Viets said. We oppose allowing our government to put us all under constant surveillance in public areas when the evidence is that it will not reduce or solve crimes. Because of the daily traffic and Columbias increasing size, downtown Columbia requires more security, Richenberger said. Whenever you get a large, populated area, you are going to need some type of security, Richenberger said. I dont think downtown is necessarily any worse than anywhere else in the city, but its an area that the city [thought should have] cameras.

photo by Kylee Fuchs

Keeping tabs on downtown Columbia: The City Council has not announced a hearing on the Division of Purchasings final arrangement.

January 27, 2010

News 3
The ROCK

China severely decreases export of necessary rare earth metals

WALTER WANG
hina announced the reduction of its exports of rare earth metals by 35 percent. These metals are used in everything from mobile phones and iPods to hybrid car batteries and wind turbines. More critically, they are used as essential parts of equipment such as radar and laser systems needed to power advanced precisionguided explosives like those America uses, according to www.forbes.com. Rare earth metals are exclusive important compounds used in the military for high-tech weapons, said Senior Colonel Yang Zhixing*, a senior officer in the Chinese Air Force who spoke under the condition of anonymity. China needs to make sure they have enough [rare earth metals] for their defense and research. According to www.nytimes.com heavy rare earth metals are used in trace amounts but are crucial to the functioning of electronics and in clean energy applications. Currently, China mines more than 95 percent of rare earth metals and 99 percent of heavy rare earth metals in the world, the least common of rare earth metals. Since rare earth metals are raw materials, they cannot be reproduced, said government official Zhao Tianjing*, a Chinese governmental official who spoke under the condition of anonymity. In the short-term, [cutting exports] may damage the Chinese economy due to financial shortages in revenue, but it will be better in the long-term for the environment and will keep reserves for China. The finance ministry in China also raised export taxes from 15 to 25 percent for some of the more crucial rare earth metals in early December. They are citing environmental concerns from heavy mining and domestic industrial needs for rare earth metals for the reason export quotas are being reduced. If we mine too much of this resource now, it will cause it to be used up quickly, and there will be none of it left and be bad for the environment, Zhao said. Most Chinese people do not understand what rare earth metals are. Some people know only that that sort of soil is worth money.

Images on new media prompt investigations

story continued from page 1 She said she believes her ex-boyfriend betrayed her trust by sending the picture to the perpetrators. When he informed her Jan. 9, Your pictures up, she did not understand what he meant. Im like, What? All right, what are you talking about? And then he sent me the link, Harris said. I followed it, and I was shocked. I didnt know what to do. Everybody in the world has a Facebook, and everybody is going to see this picture of me. When Harris reported the pictures to Facebook, she found herself blocked from the page. When I first saw it, I started bawling my eyes out. It felt like my life was over; I didnt know what to do, Harris said. I tried to report the images, and Jeffrey Jones blocked me. After a couple hours, I started to cool down. On Monday I went to school and tried to hold my head up high, but when everyone is whispering and talking behind your back as you walk by, its kind of hard. Never in my life have I ever felt like that. Much of the backlash Harris received even went beyond her notice onto the Facebook page for Jeffrey Jones. Harris, blocked from the page, no longer saw any of the posts. There [were] a bunch of comments, Variation Jones said. There were both girls and boys on the page just to see who was the pictures of, and the girls [were] worried to see if any of the pictures released would be of them. Although the attack hurt Harris, she felt deep concern for her friend, HHS sophomore Gillian Sanders*. But Sanders said her victimization does not reflect on her character. The girls didnt do anything to [prompt the posts], Sanders said. Well, I honestly dont care about it. It was my fault because I sent the picture, and Ive learned my lesson. This hasnt affected me at all. I just didnt take it as serious as a lot of people. Sanders has not spoken with the police about the situation, but Harris has. On Jan. 10 an HHS administrator was waiting for Harris when she arrived late to class. The police questioned her, asking who she believed the perpetrator to be. She gave no response initially because she said she was still processing the events. Later, after hearing student rumors, she reported the name of an RBHS student to the HHS principal, believing the boy, someone she dated for a week during the summer of 2010, could be the one responsible for posting the photos. *name withheld upon request

infographic by Brandon McGonigle

These types of minerals are found in small deposits around the world. They are extremely rare and an extremely valuable export. Rare earth metals are not very abundant in the Earths crust, University of Missouri Department of Geological Sciences Chair Kevin Shelton said. They are definitely less than a tenth of one percent in abundance. They are not easy to find. There are two deposits of any significance in the United States. One is in California, near the Sierra Nevada Range by Utah called Mountain Pass. Its been mined historically, and was the leading producer of rare earths in the US. With China cornering the market, theres been talk about reopening it for use. The other potential source is in Missouri,

near Pea Ridge. China has been using rare earth metal alloys in order to increase the performance of its military, like its air force, according to www. wenxuecity.com. For example, neodymium mixed with magnesium is an ideal material for the manufacture of aircraft. Neodymium is a rare earth metal. This poses security concerns for the US and other countries. Rare earth metals have relations with nuclear weapons, Zhao said. Some are necessary raw materials for the nuclear industry. *Names withheld upon request. Interviews conducted in native language of Mandarin Chinese

Poetry Out Loud inspires participants

ASHLEY HONG

ot many students faced the challenge of memorizing and reciting three poems for the regional contest of the National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Out Loud competition at the Columbia Public Library on Feb. 9. However, senior Warren Szewczyk is one. The biggest difficulty is memorizing three entire poems, said Szewczyk, who was named a run-

ner-up in RBHSs competition. Its also tough to take a poem thats sort of tough to understand and make a great performance out of it. But I suppose thats the challenge of the contest as a whole. He stepped in as the RBHS candidate when senior Kyle Sherman decided not to move on to the regional contest. Poems convey messages in a more succinct and evocative way than prose, Szewczyk said. However, I think theyre really meant to be read aloud, though, which is

Poetry Slam: Senior Azeem Khan recites She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron in hopes of being selected for the regional competition on Feb. 9.

photo by Parker Solomon

why Poetry Out Loud is so cool. Since 2006 the NEA, the Poetry Foundation and state arts agencies have supported the Poetry Out Loud competition, which is a national recitation contest. The contest starts at classroom level, then school competition, then regional and finally the national contest at Washington, D.C on April 29. RBHS had their school-wide contest Jan 19. We like to do [the contest] because it is very enriching, so [English teachers Debbie] McDonough, [Mary] Dix and I this year are doing it in our classes, performing arts teacher Mary Margaret Coffield said. On Jan. 19, we were having the school competition, [with] one or two representatives of each of the classes. We have 11 contestants this morning, and they only have to recite one poem in our school completion, but the winner will go on to a regional completion, then will have to recite three, poems. Poetry Out Loud also offers prizes, which makes the contest more competitive. The national winners earn college scholarships. The first-place winner gets a

$20,000 scholarship, second-place winner gets a $10,000 scholarship and the third-place winner gets $5,000 in tuition. Its pretty competitive, Szewczyk said. You have to not only perform your poem well, [but] you also have to choose a difficult enough poem because there will be other contestants who give amazing performances of really tough poems. Senior Grady Harrington, one of the contestants, performed the poem When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats. He said the contest is a good opportunity for students to express themselves in the form of poetry. I chose to do the poetry contest just as a chance to help express how the poem I chose to present meant to me and why I think it should be meaningful to everyone, Harrington said. I chose the poem because I think it is really relatable in that its about hoping that someone realizes how much they mean to you and that you mean that much to them. Its a good way to just share how meaningful not only the poem being recited is, but just poetry as a form of expression.

Astronomy teacher hired at semester

JOANNE LEE

New semester brings schedule adjustments

WALTER WANG
t semester about 20 percent of all students had changed their schedules, according to counselor Melissa Melahns statistics. Dropping classes at semester has gotten more complicated because of the shortage of fundsthere are fewer places students can go other than an AUT. Were starting to feel the effects of the budget cuts from the last couple years. Theres just less that were able to offer students, Melahn said. We never really had a lot of semester classes anyways, so changing classes at semester is kind of difficult. But now that weve had cuts in other areas, kids are taking more semester classes, so the seats that are available at semester are reduced. Spots are fewer because of the smaller number of semester classes. There are many factors that are leading to the decline of semester classes, including the budget reductions. Unfortunately, [it] is a matter of economics, foreign language department head James Meyer said. It seems [the budget] is going to continue to get worse before it gets better. In particular two years from now, its supposed to be particularly bad. And they know this according to different economic projections that they can do that involve things like the amount

of taxes the city and the state are going to be taking in to be able to fund among other things education. So although you cant predict exactly what the economy is going to do, you can predict it fairly roughly. All we can really do is hope for improvement because the only other thing that would change all of this is if tax rates change. Another factor leading to the difficulties in switching classes at semester is the dropping of the full-time equivalent, which measure the employment of teachers, Meyer said. This means fewer teachers are teaching full-time. This creates a problem as there are fewer classes being taught and less teachers to teach them. The big problem is a lack of semester elective, Meyer said. And thats not a secret. There are few other options for students who wish to drop classes at semester, Melahn said. While juniors need permission to take two AUTs, many seniors are able to drop classes to an AUT. An effect of this is that many students are becoming part-time students. This has a negative effect because part-time students are not to be on campus while out of class, cutting into lab and teacher access. Also, they cannot participate in any MSHSAA activities. Another option for students is a teachers assistant. Ive seen an increase in TAs, Melahn said. I know at the senior level, theyve had a tremendous amount of students drop to an addi-

tional AUT or part-time. Theres nothing else to take. In addition, students are able to take a class that is called advanced seminar investigations. During this class students may be allowed to leave school in order to conduct research for individual projects. I switched to [advanced seminar investigations] so that I would be able to leave school, junior Nikhilesh Sharma said. This way I can go and do some work at my lab. If theres nothing I need to do that day there, I can just use that time to study. Some new semester classes, however, may be added to the schedule. The art department is trying to provide more semester-long courses for students, art teacher Shannon Blakey said, The art department has talked about having more semester classes because a lot of the classes that are in the art department are yearlong classes, Blakey said. And if youve got a semester class, a lot of the times theres not a lot of options out there that you can go to, and especially for art, we have one class thats a semester-long class, so that would be the only art class that you could take. So weve talked about maybe switching some things up and adding a few classes that would be semester classes so those people who come off another class and need a class to go to would have more options besides that one class.

ith a new semester came a new member to the faculty. CPS hired Jamie Crist as RBHS astronomy teacher Jan. 3. Crists alma mater is the University of Missouri Columbia, where she received a Bachelor in Science in secondary education, with emphasis on earth and space science, along with a minor in geological science. This year is her first as a full-time teacher. I am still getting used to the Rock Bridge daily procedures and the building itself, Crist said. Everyone I have met, students and staff alike, have been amazing and so helpful. Despite teaching full-time for the first time and joining in the middle of the curriculum, Crist sees RBHS as a relaxing and motivating atmosphere to teach. Crist is full of ambition for the upcoming semester. She wants to teach the students to learn several different aspects of astronomy and be able to explain the night sky around them. Although most astronomy has physics and math involved, she decided not to put too much emphasis on the mathematics to make it easier to understand. We are currently covering historical astronomy, but we will soon be moving to the sun and moon and will eventually get the stars, planets, galaxies and possibly extraterrestrials if we have time, Crist said. I really want to generate a lot of interest in the class because astronomy is such a unique branch of science and fun to learn. Crist asked her students to write a few tips for her about RBHS and she took many of their pieces of advice by putting them into action. For instance, she has plans to attend school events soon and has never worn purple and gold together. Senior Luke Volkemann, who is in astronomy, appreciates her easy, outgoing personality. Crist is a really cool teacher, Volkemann said. Shes very straigtforward with the class. But she manages a good connection with the students. Crist has noticed how the students have both freedom and responsibility. I love how responsible the students are and how the teachers treat each student more like an adult, Crist said. I think it prepares them better for their future after high school.

The ROCK

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January 27, 2011

January 27, 2011

News/Features 5
The ROCK

Administrator reveals cultural differences

photo illustration by Savannah Viles

story continued from page 1 To make up for this low-budget educational system, three filmmakers, initially in search of a story, instead established Invisible Children. This non-profit organization partners schools in the United States and Europe with schools in Uganda in hopes of alleviating the effects of the violence surrounding the people. The war in northern Uganda is called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today, as civilians were caught in the middle of a war between the Lords Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda, according to www.invisiblechildren.com. Digital media teacher Patrick Sasser and his wife, Gentry Middle School teacher Katherine Sasser, went to Uganda last summer. They suggested having a teacher come to RBHS. Nyeko has come over and hes really embraced that idea of cultural exchange, taking on the things that we do, Sasser said. So he eats the food here, he loves it, he tries everything and hes willing to go out on a limb and do all this other really cool stuff. Gregory Kirchhofer, science teacher and sponsor of global issues, said RBHS students should be open to different cultures, and he found that the Sassers connection with Invisible Children provided an ideal opportunity of a teacher exchange.

Ive [talked] with students about the process and the hopes and struggles of American students as compared with the process and the hopes and struggles of Ugandan students, Kirchhofer said. If nothing else, I think its important for us to realize that everyone else doesnt exist the same way we do. Senior Carol Sun, co-president of global issues, agreed, saying it is important for RBHS to learn from other cultures, but he also believes Nyeko will benefit from the teacher exchange. Third-world countries are definitely in need of educational help because they dont have the basic necessities to create a structure of education to help their societies, Sun said. The fact that it is a teacher coming here, though, is very important because our resources and what those resources have gone towards are seen first-hand. Hes here, and hes physically learning from our society, and were physically learning from his. Nyeko realizes the vast differences between schools and finds it exemplary that RBHS students make whatever little contribution they can make in the community. Ive been in the classes class sizes are much smaller than our class sizes, Nyeko said. In Uganda a class of almost the same dimension and size would

accommodate a class size of a minimum of 70 students. However, Principal Mark Maus took note of the striking similarities along with the differences between the two schools and the way the administration overcomes challenges. I am personally amazed at how universal some of our concerns about education are, Maus said. Some of his concerns are the boys wearing their sagging pants, no different than here, even though they have uniforms. Monitoring teachers and giving good instruction is one of his concerns. Our teachers are always constantly looking to improve and always want feedback from us to improve the same thing that is his concern. Having Nyeko come to RBHS has opened Maus eyes to new administrative measures that he plans to change. Maus works to mimic the strong PTA at Keyo, ensuring open dialogue with our parents but also allowing students to contribute, especially through student coalition. I want to make sure and really filter things through the teachers and the students, Maus said, to make sure we have those open minds and [the] communication parents and teachers and students should [have].

New club unleashes atmosphere of nerdiness

BRIAN DRESNER
unior Anna Sheals stood in front of a horde of students holding up a sleeve of shiny gold star stickers. These are our gold stars, and you only get one if you do something especially nerdy, so theyre really hard to get. Whoever has the most at the end of the month receives a cool prize along with eternal glory, Sheals told the students seated at the schools first nerds anonymous meeting Jan. 7. Sheals founded the club to provide students an environment in which they get to participate in activities based on the nerd lifestyle.

The purpose of nerds anonymous is to get all the nerds of the school to be confident in their nerdiness and come together to do nerdy things in a safe and supportive area, Sheals said. Students must realize first and foremost that they are not alone. And they will soon realize there are a lot of fun things they can do with friends instead of doing things they already do alone. Both Sheals and her assistant, junior Katarina Schultz, said their inspiration for the club stemmed from their own lifestyles. When Sheals came up with the idea [for the club] it was very us, Schultz said. Were always doing peculiar things like acting like molecules, and we wanted a place where we could do things like that all the time.

As she spoke Sheals made lists on a large yellow note pad filled from top to bottom with activity ideas scribbled in thick black ink. Were going to have dinosaur-naming contests, Pokmon, making up our own superhero names, scavenger hunts, dressing up I got a big list here, Sheals said. After she mentioned that nerdy movies were also on the agenda, a male voice erupted from the crowd: I literally have Inception in my backpack right now. Sheals cracked a smile. That is amazing, she said and added it to the list. A big attraction for nerds anonymous was the variety of unique activities rarely seen in other RBHS clubs.

There were lightsaber fights and making your own superhero and live chess [and] all the clich nerd stuff, sophomore Asa Lory said. I dont think it necessarily makes me a nerd. Its just a lot of my friends said, Hey, you should go, and it looked like a lot of fun. I mean, lightsaber fights and live chess? Does that make me a nerd? Contrary to the implied message of the name, nerds anonymous is by no means a support group to deprive students of their nerdy ways. Theoretically, everyone is a nerd because we all have our little quirks, Schultz said. Our club is to give a place to those who are nerdy, to support them and to let them be themselves to facilitate their nerdiness.

The ROCK

6 Features

January 27, 2011

CRAIG CHVAL

Assassins make their mark S

enior Marco DeLaRosa sits in his AP Language class engaging in a Socratic discussion when another student enters the classroom, requesting to interview DeLaRosa for a yearbook story. He steps outside, only to find the student armed with an opened red marker, poised to attack. Surprised, DeLaRosa notices the weapon and simultaneously dodges the assault. The assassin blocks DeLaRosas path back to the room and tries to accomplish the mission again. Eventually, DeLaRosa manages to fend off his attacker and returns to class in a shirt marred with red. Someone was pretending to be [in] yearbook, and they asked me in the middle of class to come out to do an interview and ended up just trying to kill me, DeLaRosa said. The assassin started asking me questions, and then, all of a sudden, she pulled out a red marker and jumped at me. Students have been engaging in a game known as assassin, in which players must kill an assigned target by striking the opponents neck with a marker. Once an assassin kills his target, he receives his victims target as his own. A moderator oversees the game and assigns each player his prey. So each person is hunting each other in a circle, and the last man standing wins, said junior Angela Zhang, who moderated one of the four rounds so far this year. In our games a red marker to the neck was a kill, and since its assassin and not, like, axe-murderer, theres a rule on witnesses. To maintain the stealth element of the game, the moderator of each round determines the maximum number of witnesses allowed for a kill to be valid. This rule forces participants to find clever ways to track down and overtake an opponent while continuing to remain invisible. If there was no witness rule, there would definitely be a lot of chaos at school, especially on the first day of the game. Just think of 100 people running around at lunchtime, tackling each other, trying to slit each others throats with red marker, said junior Cory Cullen, who has moderated three rounds. Youre supposed to be quiet about it, and it just adds another level of difficulty where you have to find them, you have to corner them and you have to be clever about it. You cant just run up to someone as fast as you can and overpower them. You have to get their schedule, follow them to class and, as soon as theyre not around their friends, get them in a corner and slit their throat. The structure of assassin makes it important for players to immerse themselves in the game and create strategies. In the third round, sophomore Nina Parker killed 11 opponents before finally dying in a free-for-all near the end of the game. Through suspicion and careful planning, Parker survived long enough to amass the most kills for that round. I was kind of really paranoid. I traded seats; I would sit in the back of the classroom. I knew a lot of people who were playing, so Id stay away from them, Parker said. People dont suspect me; I guess I just dont look like a player, so they let their guard down when theyre around me. Assassin has expanded from eight participants to over 100, but Cullen is reluctant to let the game grow too popular. Because of the few restrictions over players, he does not want assassin to grow too far out of hand. Episodes like DeLaRosas, in which participants interrupt class, have created concern among faculty members, and thus students. Once teachers started getting involved and the administration started getting involved, it put a lot of people on edge and not wanting to play the game just because they feared about getting in trouble, Cullen said. When it comes down to it, its not the games fault. If theyre going to disrupt class, theyre going to disrupt class. However, some teachers have voiced their concerns over players taking other participants out of class and chasing them down the hallways in order to get the kill. These problems have brought the game to the attention of the administration. Weve had students who have tried to get friends out of class to ambush them, and so just the disruption to the learning environment is my only issue. I mean, students playing it, I dont really have objections to it. Just when the game interferes with the learning environment, thats the problem I have, Assistant Principal Dr. Tim Wright said. Anything like that is going to go back to individuals. Its just like anything: 95 percent of people who play do it in an appropriate matter. Some teachers believe the game itself is an example of RBHS students creativity and freedom with responsibility. Although they see the classroom disturbances as a problem, teachers and administrators are able to handle them on a case-by-case basis instead of

You have to get their schedule, follow them to class and as soon theyre not around their friends, get them in a corner and slit their throat.

Cory Cullen junior

denouncing the activity as a whole. We played assassins when I was in high school. It was kind of fun, science teacher Gregory Kirchhofer said. I think the game is fine; I think you still have to follow the rules. If youre bothering somebody by pulling them out of class, youre likely to get a referral. Cullens restrictions on the games growth are in place partially to limit individuals breaking the rules. However, he also said the creative strategies that some students employ, including DeLaRosas assassins strategy of pulling assigned targets out of their classes, contribute to the growing popularity of the game. Since the games mostly made around being clever, its hard to put a lot of rules in the game to regulate everything. So if thats what theyre going to do, thats what theyre going to do at the risk of getting into trouble. And I wont sit here and say thats a good thing, but I also wont sit here and say thats not clever because thats pretty clever, Cullen said. I think the appeal of the game is it keeps you on your toes all day at school just adds an extra element to your school day. Instead of walking down the hallway to get to your next class, now youre looking behind your back, making sure no one is going to jump behind your back and slit your throat with a red marker.
photo by Muhammad Al-Rawi

Disney magic enchants student

or most students, going to Disney World once is a dream come true, complete with their favorite Disney characters and feelings of magic. For senior Meghan Mueller, however, the park has been a part of her life since she was born. Mueller has visited the attraction more than 30 times. My grandparents went the year it opened and fell in love with it, Mueller said. They really enjoyed their time at Disney World, so they bought a time share so they could keep on coming back with their family. Muellers first time at Disney World was only a couple of months after her first birthday. It was just so much fun. It was just kind a place for to me to [have] fun, like kids, Mueller said. She continues to go, sometimes multiple times a year. She recalls being bewildered when woken up to hear she would leave soon. It was completely a surprise trip, and my mom woke me in the

JIMMY HUNTER

middle of the night to tell me to get ready to leave [for Disney World], Mueller said. It was pretty exciting. No matter how many times she has gone to the park, she still finds the experience exciting and always looks forward to going. I just forget about everything [when I go there]. You dont really have to worry about whats going on back home, Mueller said. You can just go and act like you are 10 years old again and just relax. Mueller loves to see the little kids because it brings back memories of herself when she was small. When she goes there, she is anxious to go on the rides and see all the characters, just like she used to. It just makes me feel like a child again, and I absolutely love it, Mueller said. Her favorite ride is Splash Mountain, which is in the Magic Kingdom park. Her family also has a favorite restaurant that they go to called Crystal Palace. When Mueller isnt enjoying her time at the parks, she likes to watch some of the Disney TV shows. Her

favorite is Sunny with a Chance starring Demi Lovato. I love watching her act, and then I can relate to her music pretty well, too. So shes definitely my favorite, Mueller said. The lyrics [of her music] just describes what I have gone through. It makes situations easier. She started liking Lovato when she saw her on the Disney Channel and heard her music. She said the new Disney doesnt compare to old movies, though. I just really like the way they are made like the hand-drawn animation, Mueller said. I just really like them. She doesnt mind showing her love for Disney through how she dresses. She wears Disney World jackets and Mickey Mouse T-shirt as well as others. I get some weird

looks because its not something a teenager or senior in high school would regularly wear to school, Mueller said. The looks dont bother her because she is so closely connected to Disney. She has grown up with it, so the thought of leaving it seems crazy to her. She plans to always return to the theme parks. Theres a college internship program that I am looking to do where I can work there over the summer, Mueller said. Once I get older, I will be able to take my kids there, and theyll love it just as much as I do.

art by Grace Priest

CYBA to play the way

E
MADDIE DAVIS
very Saturday morning, senior Rachel Rice laces up her basketball shoes and gets ready to bring her skills on the court. Rice does not play for RBHS but participates in the Columbia Youth Basketball Association. The league helps to provide outstanding leadership in sportsmanship, teamwork and general knowledge about basketball to hundreds of kids. CYBA attempts to affect not only young children, but high-school teens as well. I really like CYBA because it helped me learn about basketball when I was younger, Rice said. I started playing because it was the only non-competitive league that young kids could play in. All my friends were playing too. In 1992 Dean Berry founded the organization with high hopes. With five to six teams and support from the Recreation Department, the City of Columbias Parks and coach Bob Burchard from Columbia College, the league has grown to 96 teams. Now, CYBA has about 900 kids with a variety of skill levels and grades, ranging from fourth to 12th. I have been playing for four years, but I like that kids are able to start playing in fourth grade because then they have a chance to become familiar with the sport, junior Jack Fay said. It gives everyone a chance to experience a sport they like and to get better over the years. Throughout the season all teams play nine to 10 games, not including the preseason jamboree, which is during the first weekend of January. The nine-week season began in January with games every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon at each of the CPS middle schools and junior highs and the UMC Recreation Center. Every week I look forward to Saturdays when I can go play ball with my friends, junior Austin Powell said. Its always fun playing against people you know because my friends and I have a chance to get closer and bond. The coaches, along with the kids, anticipate the experience. They not only spend time helping students get better at a sport they enjoy, but also get the reward of teaching kids new techniques and strategies of the game. The coaching is a part of something that not a lot of parents ordinarily get to be a part of. I like to make sure all kids who want to play basketball get an opportunity to do so, coach Dale Linneman said. Its a chance for skills to develop, and its very satisfying to see them grow both athletically and as young adults. The teams gather whenever convenient for extra practice time. Because of the lack of competitiveness, CYBA does not require the teams to hold any practices at all. Berry founded the league so that a team can play without the concern of losing and focus more on being involved in a physical activity. Playing CYBA is always fun for me because no matter how competitive you are, you will always have fun,

January 27, 2011

Sports 23
The ROCK

senior Kendell Palmquist said. My team isnt the best, but we still have fun. Our first game we only scored 10 points, but that almost made it more fun because we knew it didnt matter. CYBA is a great experience for students interested in playing basketball and bonding with friends. Because each team is required to have five players on the court at once, most teams end up recruiting approximately 10 people. In order to acquire a full team, many kids come together with peers that they do not know outside of their CYBA team. From CYBA Ive really gotten to know a lot of girls that I wouldnt hang out with otherwise, Rice said. Now, we all are comfortable around each other on the court, at school and whenever we see each other. Im really blessed because its brought me close to so many new people. The season will end in late March, going off without with any tournaments or prizes. However, it will leave its impact on the players. The friendships remain and players stay physically fit. Because of this, the players find no need to celebrate the end of the exciting CYBA season. The league is one of my favorite times out of the year, Powell said. My teammates are some of my best friends. Overall, the best part for me is the balance between the ability to have fun but also be competitive. In a way I wish CYBA was year-round.

Recreational competition: (above) Senior Kyle Willcoxon battles for the ball at a CYBA game Saturday, Jan. 15 at New Haven Elementary School. Willcoxon and his team were behind 32-30 after the first period. (Left) Junior Matt Kelly dribbles past his defender as he drives towards the hoop for a score. (Below) Social studies teacher and CYBA coach Matt Dingler and his team watch the final seconds of the game, linking arms.

photos by Kylee Fuchs

Basketball girls refocus

MADDIE DAVIS
To guide the team along, head coach Jill Nagel focuses on ball possession during playing time. In a 32ith three freshmen on the minute game, the team averages 65 court, the girls basketball possessions. Nagel emphasizes that team makes up for lost skill every trip down the court can make from previous seniors. Still, these a difference in the game. new Bruins feel the extra pressure as In a two-point ball game, like we they fight to prove themselves on the had over Liberty in the championship court during practices and games. of the State Farm Holiday InvitationI dont really feel like a freshman al [Dec. 28-30], the winning basket on the court, Jefferson Jr. freshman could have come on a possession that Chayla Cheadle said. I feel really accounted for less than two percent accepted now because we always of all possessions that game, Nafocus on the game. gel said. Every We play just as hard ball possession It was difficult for to show that we dematters, and if us at the beginning serve our spots. we do not have because we had However, the respect for that added skill didnt during practice, to basically start always cancel out it wont happen fresh. the teams initial in a real game lack of chemistry. situation. The players, who Along with relied on seniors in focusing on posthe past, struggled session, the girls to find connections practice daily to at the beginning of work on their the season. teamwork and skills. Practices conIt was difficult for us at the be- sist of drills, scrimmages and workginning because we had to basically ing to correct past mistakes so they start fresh, senior Emily Holt said. do not happen again. Weve figured out what we needed The hardest game weve played to do, and now were back to playing was against Blue Springs, junior as one, which is better than all focus- Lindsey Cunningham said. We were ing on ourselves. playing a top-notch team in the state, To get the team all on the same and we made plenty of mistakes, but page, the girls come together off the we really learned from that game to court as well. They started the season just focus on what were doing and with a lock-in at RBHS, dinners and take our time. We were able to use it visits to MU games. Through such to our advantage. activities, the Bruins bonded, which The players ability to learn from creates a more united team. their mistakes has helped the team We do team dinners at different have another winning season. With houses throughout the season, and a record of 13-4, they focus on winwe always have a good time togeth- ning a fourth straight district title. er, junior Laura Jursek said. Our To prepare the team for the level of abs will literally be sore after getting difficulty at districts, Nagel makes together from laughing so much. I sure the schedule consists of the best think this helps because we know teams around the state. when times get tough, we have each There is no use looking past disother. tricts because you cant get anywhere

Emily Holt senior

without winning districts, Nagel said. We try to make our schedule as difficult as possible so when the playoffs roll around, theres nothing we havent seen. With a tough schedule, the team installed intense captains to maintain the focus and motivation. They elected Cunningham and senior Allison Marshall captains at the beginning of the season because of their commitment and dedication to the team. Allison and Lindsey are our captains because they have shown leadership from the beginning of the season and at open gym, Holt said. They are vocal and speak up with ideas that will help improve our game. They care about the team both on and off the court, and thats what makes them great captains. As a senior, its a tier under being a captain. Its up to four seniors to keep the team organized. The upperclassmen strive to make this year their best yet; if they win districts, they will have won a district championship each and every year that they were at RBHS. In order to achieve this goal, the players focus on their defense more than their offense because it is a natural strength. We have such long arms and are always aggressive, so defense is definitely our strength, Cheadle said. We dont really have a weakness because were still scoring, but we can always improve our ball-handling. With an overall promising season, the girls feel they can beat anyone who stands in their way. The young team and successful history provide more of a drive for the Bruins to accomplish their goal. Were talented, and we have a large variety of girls, Cunningham said. The fact that we have such a diverse age group is a good thing because it will help us in the future. Were playing hard, and we know we can win.

New varsity freshmen prove to be successful for wrestling team

HALLEY HOLLIS

s the wrestling team starts the season with a 6-1 record, the boys are learning to adjust to having multiple freshmen on the team: Sam Crane, Eli Stout, Quinn Smith and Jason Kiehne, all from Jefferson Jr. Although the wrestlers spend their days in a different building, they are all getting the feel of what it is like to wrestle in the high school setting. Its definitely hard coming into high school. Instead of wrestling for yourself, youre wrestling for your team, which Im not used to, said Stout, who competes in the 145 pounds class. The level of competition and intensity of that of the high school level is just so [very] different than kids club. Having wrestled for Columbia Wrestling Club, Eirmen Wrestling and Purler Wrestling, the new freshmen said wrestling for high school is very different. Learning to wrestle for a team is just one custom the freshmen took on. In the beginning of the year, all four of us were really nervous coming into a growing high school program from just youth clubs, Crane said. It feels good knowing that were just freshmen and that we have many years to still improve and to make a run for state titles. With state approaching in February, the team has begun to prepare. Although the boys have taken third and fifth place in tournaments they have attended, they still see room to improve, and the freshmens talent and determination is key to the Bruins success.

It gives us a lot of youth and energy, head coach Travis Craig said. Its very exciting because theyre very young and theyre very good. They like wrestling, and it brings a new dynamic to our team. The upperclassmen said they help out the freshmen when needed, but for the most part, the lowerclassmen are independent. We really just help them with keeping their heads up after a loss because its not like they need much help in the wrestling aspect, junior Harry Schauwecker said. They are all doing really well; they help push the team in the room, and their efforts really show when they are on the mat wrestling. While the older wrestlers on the team help the freshmen transition into a new setting, the freshmen have been proving themselves by bringing their best to the mat. Im really proud of us four freshmen. Kiehne, Smith and I all have less than five losses on the season, Crane said. Only [senior] Shawntez Wells and [senior] Josh Braselton have less than five losses that are on varsity besides us three freshmen. The upperclassmen make us feel like we are a part of them. Crane believes the Bruins will be strong going into districts and state this year. Since the wrestling teams first practice Nov. 2, everyone has been working to improve upon the weak areas of their play, he said. We all have been on track to getting on the state level, Crane said. Every day, we go into practice with a good attitude to know that we will get better, and we know that this month is crucial to get as good as possible.

The ROCK

24 Ads

January 27, 2011

ST. ANDREWS LUTHERAN CHURCH

914 West Blvd. S. Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 449-5674

January 27, 2011

Sports 25
The ROCK

Freshman qualifies for state, team follows

MARY HERNDON
ts broad shoulders. Its flying through fluid. Its becoming hydrodynamic, pulling a body through resisting water. Its sore muscles after a meet. Its lungs on fire. Thats swimming. You feel great for a while the first 50 or 25 [meters], sophomore Annie Rumpf said, and its almost like youre flying in the water. And then the tiredness sets in, and it starts getting more difficult to breathe. Made up of all juniors, sophomores and freshmen, the girls swimming team is young and learning. Head Coach John Hamilton said his team often finishes near the middle of the standings at meets. However, Hamilton also said the Bruins are very coachable. One of the youngest members of the team, Oakland Junior High School freshman Kortney Betz, qualified for six events in the MSHSAA state competition Feb. 18-19. As his first qualifier, Hamilton described Betz as obviously a pretty good swimmer and said the other girls are working hard to qualify, as

Training in off-season keeps winter warm with workouts

T
EMILY WRIGHT
hrough the bitterly cold winter, one might think student athletes would prefer to stay warm inside their homes rather than exercise in freezing temperatures during the off-season. However, some believe dedication in the winter will lead them to have greater success in their upcoming seasons. Off-season training actually can make a huge difference because [it] keeps your skills from getting rusty, sophomore soccer player Lara Cox said. The preseason helps target all of the main muscles used in soccer. Cox said the formation of indoor teams during the winter has helped the soccer team improve on a year-to-year basis through refinement of skill. Other RBHS athletes, such as members of the track team, are taking advantage of the winter months in preparation, as well. I train in the off-season mostly for the social aspect, junior Ukiah Johnson said. I think it is really fun running with a bunch of people I wouldnt normally get to be around, and I do think it will make a difference when it comes time for track season. Similarly, sophomore distance runner Collin Crosswhite has had success in his off-season running and believes it is a key in separating the most successful athletes in the spring season of competition. Off-season training gives you a base to work with to build off of and gives you a physical advantage with a sort of mental advantage in knowing youve worked hard when you didnt necessarily have to, Crosswhite said. It, overall, just really helps your fitness in my opinion. Junior cross country runner David Morris said he and his teammates find ways to make the repetitive off-season training fun. We run up to a lake thats frozen and go walk on it, and last year one kid fell in up to his waist, Morris said. We also play games like tag where there are like boundaries and a home base and we hide. Unlike the cross country runners, who can practice outdoors during the winter, the girls tennis team must train indoors to prepare for their next fall season, making it difficult in the winter. There are not a lot of indoor courts in Columbia, junior tennis player Savannah Everett said. Because of that, they are in high demand, putting us at a disadvantage with a lot of St. Louis and Kansas City players. Despite the lack of facilities Everett said she and her teammates are able to fit hours of practice into their winter schedules, putting them at an advantage in terms of skill. When season comes around, we are used to playing for long periods of time and are in good shape, Everett said. It allows us more time to work on strategy as a team. Whether a member of a spring or fall sport, many RBHS athletes are taking advan-

their last opportunity is Feb. 12. While the team has set its eyes on state, the girls share a passion for swimming that continues throughout the year. For sophomore Laurel Critchfield, swimming is a stress reliever that she looks forward to after bad days. During practice its like I can let my mind go totally blank and not focus on anything but finishing a lap, Critchfield said. And during races its just like this really intense adrenaline, and you want to go as fast as you can. The daily workouts are intense, leaving no time for recreational exercise. Between the three-hour practices and meets every weekend in January, Rumpf said she wouldnt want to work out if she could because swimming is all you need. My favorite part is definitely the exercise, Critchfield said. You get fit whether you want to or not. The long daily practices also have the effect of creating friendships that might otherwise never have been forged. The team is so undivided that, despite the combination of the two CPS high schools into one swim team, some girls have a hard time telling which of their fel-

lows are Bruins and which are Hickman High School Kewpies until they have donned the dividing swim suits. Swimming is the only high school sport where were not rivals with Hickman because Hickmans basically an extension of our team, Rumpf said. And theyre just as much our teammates as the Rock Bridge girls. So we cheer for the Hickman girls, and we cheer for us, and we all are friends, and we all love each other. But I think thats really cool because swimming is the only sport where were not cut-throat with the Kewpies. Though the sport is mainly individual among the RBHS girls, there is a balance between competition and friendliness. Uniting at each practice and meet to encourage and root for each other comes easily. We love each other, and were great friends, but we still compete against each other when were racing. And yes, we want to beat each other, but were also so close because we spend so much time together, Rumpf said. And I know that when Im racing, every single Rock Bridge person is going to be standing there cheering me on on the sidelines, and I would do the same

for them. That makes it a team sport. Not only do the team members take emotional comfort in their teammates encouragement, but some believe that the support is essential to the whole teams success. We all have to be there to support each other or its not going to go well, Critchfield said. As the Bruins finish their last few meets, the swimmers will taper their practices to suit their plans for state. Working up through the season, practices just get harder and harder, and the pressure becomes more and more, and everything escalates because everyones trying to make state and everyones trying to drop time, Rumpf said. Right now were in our teardown period, which is where coach overworks us. Its like the overload, and we swim a lot more than we usually do. So our bodies get really tired and worn down, so when we taper, our bodies will react positively and well go really fast at state. The teams next home meets are Saturday, Feb. 5 against Hannibal High School and Marshall High School, and the Last Chance Qualifier Saturday, Feb. 12.

tage of the winter months to improve their skills for competition, believing practice makes perfect. The runners who show dedication during off-season training are usually the ones who do good during season, Johnson said, not because they ran more, but because that drive overlaps to your workouts during the season, making you more successful.

New intersport competition comes to RBHS

SHANNON FREESE
uring second semester RBHS is trying out a new competition for sports to try to improve grades, game attendance and the overall win-loss record called the Bruin Cup. Through a system of gaining points, sports teams will compete to win the Bruin Cup at the end of the year. Though the administration has no actual point system set in stone, teams will achieve points by winning games, participating in community service and attending other teams games. The Bruin Cup is modeled after something they do at Mizzou Athletics, Athletic Director Jen Mast said. The idea is a fun-loving, year-round competition to see which team excels at those things. Though it will not officially start until next year, Mast is prepared to start some pilot activities for the spring sports season. The results from this spring will count toward the 2010-2011 school years Bruin Cup results. Along with other possible prizes, Mast will award the Bruin Cup to the team with the highest number of points. The way Mizzou does it, they give money to the team. We would like to be able to do that, but wed have to have the funding source, Mast said. We might do a small trip or some money so the team can choose what they do with it. In order to improve attendance, there will be designated games where other sports teams will have to opportunity to benefit their team by attending. RBHS staff will take attendance of how many people from each team attend the game, and from there Mast will award points to the team. I imagine that game attendance will definitely go up, senior cheerleader Erin Critchfield said. If sports get really competitive, they will go to every game they can because the more games you attend, the more points you get for your team. Most athletes are excited about the prospect of a new competition. Junior basketball player Carmen Boessen believes attendance will improve because as athletes we are all competitive and this is just one more competition for us to compete at. Cheerleaders will be awarded points for the games at which they cheer. Because atmosphere creates a winning or losing environment, Mast said the cheerleaders play a large role in whether a team wins or loses. Junior Nicole Montgomery hopes this support will help sports, such as cross country, see a sharp rise in attendees. Most people are uninformed of when and where these events are, Montgomery said. I know students very rarely attend cross country meets because we travel so much and dont know whats going on. The support of your friends and peers really helps to elevate your game to your maximum potential, and it really fires up the team. Another aspect of student life the Bruin Cup hopes to improve is grades. With a strong team GPA ending with more points, students are expected to keep their grades higher than normal. Montgomery hopes her study skills will improve in order to help her cross country and girls basketball team win the cup. The Bruin Cup will make me work harder in school to get the good grades I want and help boost my teams GPA, Montgomery said. I would also promote the scheduled sporting events of my team more to get more people out and watching because it feels good to be the best. Although an idea brought down from the University of MissouriColumbia, the Bruin Cup has a bright future for promoting wellness amongst the teams at RBHS by friendly competition. The goal is to promote academics, athletic achievement, community service and athletes supporting athletes, Mast said. Were not setting up new competitions between the teams. Were just using what we having existing right now.

The RBHS athletic department has hopes that the Bruin Cup will stimulate academics, athletic achievement, and community service.

Run, run, as fast as you can: During winter break, senior Marie Schaller runs to stay in shape for the spring track season. Schaller runs 25 to 30 miles per week all winter between cross country and track.

photo by Kylee Fuchs

ESPN radio to air home rivalry game

W
ABBY KAYSER
hen students think of basketball games that are covered by the media, some might think of NBA teams dueling against each other on big television networks like ESPN. But for the boys basketball team, their 40 minutes of fame are one day away. The boys will have media coverage from both Mediacom and ESPN radio when they have their second battle against Hickman High School tomorrow night at 6 p.m. I dont think the radio or television coverage will change the way we play, sophomore Manuale Watkins said. Its just like any other game; were not going to get caught up in all that media stuff. Our job is to play basketball and win, and we are going to play this game as hard as any other game. The game will be covered on 100.5 FM or 1580 AM on the local KTGR and ESPN radio station. ESPN radio has covered other recent RBHS games, including Nixa and Rockhurst High School this past season. Future games that will also be covered include the match-ups against Jefferson City High School next Tuesday along with Hogan Preparatory School in a few weeks. I didnt even know ESPN radio was going to be there, senior CJ Ross said. But if anything, the broadcasting will make us go even harder in the paint compared to how hard we go already. I also think it will pump us up even more, especially since its Hickman. Not only will all the coverage be helping the team play harder, but the home-court advantage will also bring a loud, rambunctious crowd ready to cheer on the team, Watkins said. Part of that crowd will be the Bru Crew, which declares a theme for games to unite fans. The theme for the Friday nights game will be a white out, said senior Brig Clark, co-president of the Bru Crew. I expect Friday night to be a packed house, and itd be awesome if more than half the gym was covered in white. Playing against the Kewpies for the second time this season after a 60-50 win, the team is ready with full potential. Not only are they going in confident because of the previous victory over the cross-town rival but also because they have the home-court advantage, a variable missing in the last game. I think that going into this game, playing Hickman once this season before, we just need to go in there confident and ready to fight, Ross said. We all played as hard as we could to our full potential, and we expect the same thing from all of us this game, as well. The team is looking forward to the game for many reasons. They know this will be one of the best games yet with a home-court advantage, Mediacom and ESPN coverage and the Bru Crew. The boys expect a hard-fought game, only 24 hours away. This is hands-down one of the best games of the season playing Hickman at home, Ross said. We have our hometown rivals, a sold-out home crowd, fresh popcorn and now ESPN radio all in one building. Thats the making of a good night of competitive, exciting basketball.

The ROCK

26 Arts & Entertainment

January 27, 2011

Snoop Dogg hits Blue Note; teachers stay at home with old school sound
DAVID DUFFECK

noop Doggs anticipated return to Columbia will take place Feb. 2 at the Blue Note. Snoop brings the heavy hitting sound of West Coast Rap down on the people attending, and heart beats will conform to the rhythm of the bass in a clublike atmosphere.

One thing the concert will not be lacking is a party-like energy. Considered to be one of the godfathers of gangster rap, Snoop busted onto the hip-hop scene in Dr. Dres classic album The Chronic in 1992 and has since released multiple time-tested albums like Doggy Style, which went quadrupleplatinum with hits like Gin & Juice. Experts from the record-

ing industry have nominated Snoop Dogg for a Grammy 12 different times and he has worked with top artists, such as Wiz Khalifa, Akon, John Legend and recently Katy Perry. The iconic rapper will be performing with artists Pilot and Columbia native Stevie Stone as a part of his nationwide tour, which has made its way across the country to stop at Columbias Blue Note. His

last performance in Columbia was last summer, when he sold out tickets for the entire street block party, in celebration of the Blue Notes 30th birthday. This will be the third time Snoop Dogg has performed at the Blue Note, and he has yet to have a boring show. General admission tickets will be $30 and $50 for reserved balcony tables. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.
art by Brandon McGonigle

Ragtag plays host to Golden Globe flicks

2007 Alumna dances as Black Swan extra
mesmerizing thriller with ballet, competition and hallucinations, Black Swan took audiences by storm, earning nominations for Best Director, Best Dramatic Film, Best Dramatic Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. But for Columbia audiences, it held another thrill. Meredith Miles, 2007 RBHS graduate, who is currently a dancer in New York, N.Y., landed a role in director Darren Aronofskys film. Miles was in three different scenes toward the beginning of the psychological thriller: the audition scene, the evening gala scene and the dressing room scene. My main contribution to this movie was dancing. Primarily during the audition scene, I was shown doing my exercise, Miles said. I met Natalie [Portman]. She was very serious and focused on her work. I have a lot of respect for how she worked. Unlike Miles, actresses Mila Kunis, playing Lily, and Natalie Portman playing the main role, Nina Sayers, were not professional dancers but had to train for six months before movie production. Their daily schedule comprised of about five hours of ballet, choreography training, then swimming and sticking to a strict 1,200-calorie diet. Kunis reported in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live on Dec. 6, 2010 she lost 20 pounds from her normal weight of 117 and, still, Portman became smaller than I did. Miles herself has a sculpted body, fit for dancing. In the February issue of Dance Spirit Magazine, Miles said between jobs, she has to catch auditions several times a week. Miles professionally danced since she was at RBHS at the Columbia Performing Arts Center. After she graduated, she went to San Francisco to continue her education at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA program. However, she took a leave in the summer of 2009 to perform with the Netherlands Dance Theatre. She stayed in Holland in hopes of joining the legendary NDT dance company, but two months later she moved back to Columbia, though she didnt stay long and eventually moved to New York City. Since then, shes been in prestigious Broadway productions such as Twyla Tharp and Frank Sinatras Come Fly Away. Being a professional dancer really means learning how to remain calm and efficient in an everchanging environment, Miles said. Miles appreciated the movie in its portrayal of ballet dancing, as the more modern Swan Lake. Also, Black Swan puts a lot of emphasis on the competition part of ballet dancing. Miles, who lives in this environment, has firsthand

experience with competition. She said this movie was realistic in its portrayal of contemporary ballet rivalry. It is that competitive and much much more so in the real world, Miles said. Story by Joanne Lee

The Kings Speech offers royal bromance

Interview

lthough lacking in the thrills of other movies recently at the Ragtag Cinema, such as 127 Hours or Black Swan, The Kings Speech holds audience interests with the unexpected bromance between a King and his speech therapist. Colin Firth (Love Actually) plays the Duke of York, eventually known as King George VI. Unfortunately, the Duke has a stammer, which interferes with his ability to speak publicly. To fix the problem he attends numerous speech therapy sessions to assuage his impediment, all to no avail. As a last resort, the Duke turns to the unorthodox therapist Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), who pledges to fix the problem. Logue is practically the exact opposite of the Duke; he uses the word pop as a verb, calls the court physicians idiots and insists on calling the Duke Bertie during their first encounter. The progression of this relationship from the formal style of doctor-patient into a fullfledged brotherly friendship is what makes the movie enjoyable. Their backandforth dialogue gives the film a sense of lightheartedness, and Rushs wit never gets stale. Meanwhile, the Duke keeps things interesting as he begins to accept Logue as a close friend and opens up to him, without any unnecessary melodrama. The rest of the cast takes a backseat. The only other character that appears more than three or four times is the Dukes wife, played by Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club). Their absence is never a problem, though, because it is more fun to focus on the developing friendship between the Duke and his teacher than more serious tones, such as the dysfunctional royal family or the impending Second World War. Overall, The Kings Speech feels much closer to a comedy than it does a drama, but the blending of the two genres makes the film successful. The dramatic background helps the film feel more realistic, but the humor keeps the movie from feeling heavy. This careful balance in the script will keep audience members entertained from start to finish, without ever bringing them to the edge of their seat. Story by Jack Schoelz

Library plans teen events

T
SAMI PATHAN
he Daniel Boone Regional Library offers numerous programs for teens that both benefit the young adults and the community. The library encourages RBHS students to participate in these activities: The Teen Blog When it comes to participating in the numerous activities the Columbia Public Library sponsors, the Teen Blog (www.teens.dbrl.org) is the best place to go to learn of all the upcoming events and activities available. DBRL Teen is our exclusive blog for young adults, Teen Blog Master Brandy Sanchez said. At this site we invite teens to [leave] comments of the blogs daily posts, write a book review that will be posted to the blog, register for our monthly book giveaway [and] subscribe to our monthly young adult newsletter. Teens can also find resources to assist with SAT and ACT Prep. Weekly features, such as Scholarship Mondays and Thrift Thraft Craft Thursdays give students the opportunity to find different ways of saving money and having fun. Flash Fiction Contest Teens are invited to write a science fiction short story in 250 words or less for a chance to win a Best Buy gift card, Sanchez said. It really forces students to be concise and to get to the point. Applicants should submit short stories by Feb. 18, and DBRL will publish all eligible stories on the Teen Blog in celebration of Teen Tech Week at the library in March. Along with winning prizes, students receive the benefit of getting their handiwork put in front of the community. It gives them the ability to get their work out there because we have so many amazingly talented teens in our community, Sanchez said. And we really love the op-

photo by Mary Herndon

Book signing: The Daniel Boone Regional Library hosted a discussion and book-signing for local author Jennifer DeLucy Jan. 22. DeLucy, who pens teen paranormal romance novels, spoke about her novels and answered questions from aspiring authors. Hosting another teenthemed event, the library will have a Teen Game Night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. tomorrow, where teens will be able to play Guitar Hero II and Dance Dance Revolution.

Review

portunity to highlight the works of our teens. Meet With State Legislators On Feb. 3 the Columbia Public Library will host its annual town meeting with state legislators. The event allows attendees to meet with their local lawmakers and ask them questions. The general public is invited, and it could be a great opportunity for teens to follow local political issues that are of interest to them, Sanchez said. Effective Leadership Skills Two days later on Feb. 5th, an effective leadership skills workshop will be at 10 a.m., sponsored by the Mid-MO Advanced Toastmasters Club. The nonprofit organization aims to inspire people to become stronger leaders in their community. The program will help define the qualities of effective leaders, Sanchez said, and can help you identify your own leadership style.

Black Rep. Theatre entertains, educates

HALLEY HOLLIS
African-American professional theatre in the United States. Its prestige guarantees audience members a moving performance. n recognition of Black History Month, the St. LouWe will take the audience back to a time of juke is Black Repertory Theatre will visit RBHS Feb. 4. joints, Charlestons and gospelfilled churches, told The troupe will perform Remembrance of and through readers theatre in the words of Countee Voices from Harlem. Given the size of the Perform- Cullen, Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson and many other ing Arts Center, 490 students will poets from The Talented 10th, be able to watch. This entertaining Kennedy said. Students, be prePerforming arts teacher Mary piece is a wonderful pared to join this wonderful jourCoffield said students have a lot ney. to look forward to. way to hear, see and The purpose is to commemBeing only the the feel the impact of Af- group has come second timestuorate the beginning of Black Histo RBHS, rican American oral tory Month by bringing much of dents, as well as staff, will be able the school together to appreciate to enjoy an exciting performance. history. the historical significance of AfStudents witnessed the theatres rican-American contributions to performance two years ago at their the arts, Coffield said. own junior highs schools. Linda Kennedy Through music and readers Compared to a lot of other asBlack Repertory Theatre semblies, when the Black Repertotheater, the Black Repertory Theatre takes the audiences through ry Theatre came, everyone actually artistic associate the countrys history. Linda Kenenjoyed it, junior Kali Hall said. nedy, the Black Repertory TheIt was fun to watch and definitely atres artistic associate, said one of their goals is to something that I wont forget. educate students in a new, entertaining way. Students who have not seen the theatre before Remembrance of and Voices from Harlem is will now have the chance to do so. The Black Repera wonderful historical and lyrical journey through tory Theatre allows us to celebrate the arts, as well as Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, Kennedy African-American culture as a whole. The theatre cannot wait to return to RBHS, Kensaid. This entertaining piece is a wonderful way to hear, see and feel the impact of African-American nedy said. We hope to give students a performance that will have a lasting impact, and we are honored oral history. Made possible by the financial support of the to have been given the chance to share our talent and PTSA, the Black Repertory Theatre is the largest love for theatre once more.

images used under fair use exception to copyright law

January 27, 2011

Arts & Entertainment 27

adult patients who have been depriving their feet of arch support over a long period of time. UGGs style boots provide very little support, Foster said, and if you walk behind someone wearing UGGs you may see how badly their feet and ankles roll inward or outward. Because foot problems occur after long-term use of Ugg boots, many RBHS students are oblivious to the dangers and wear the boots daily. Junior Amanda Weber said boots are an essential part of her winter footwear. I usually wear my black boots if its snowy outside because they are really cute and keep my feet warm, Weber said. I also wear boots because they are really comfortable. Ive never had pain from them. Students such as Weber, though, may be in for a surprise if they continue wearing boots with no arch support. Montgomery has not worn her boots for long enough to cause per-

The ROCK

Feet say Ugg to wearing boots

KIRSTEN BUCHANAN
unior Nicole Montgomery walks into math class, talking and joking with her friend. She does not notice the slight shuffling of her legs as she heads to her seat. Her feet are warm inside her fuzzy Ugg boots, and that is all that matters to her. What Montgomery does not know, however, is a critical problem in not only Ugg but virtually every other type of winter boot. In 2010 a study by the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, case studies revealed multiple problems in the design of the boot, which can cause lasting problems with boot wearers feet. The BCOMs study found wearing boots for a long time can flatten the arch of the foot, causing foot pain and problems walking. Podiatrist Scott Foster concurs, saying he sees flattened arches often, mostly among his

manent damage, but she already has begun to feel a little pain from them. I love Uggs because they keep my feet nice and warm in the winter, Montgomery said. I have had some foot pain, which may have been aggravated by my Ugg boots. It just hurt when I wore them. The first Ugg boots were for surfers in Australia to wear before and after surfing to keep their feet warm. The trend of Ugg boots exploded, and now many people wear them on a daily basis, even though they were meant only to be worn on occasion. Because of this, Ugg did not design an arch to support the foot in the boot, which may lead to a foot problem in the future. Weber had no idea wearing Ugg boots could hurt her, but it will not change much for her. I didnt know they could cause problems, Weber said. But it really doesnt bother me much because the only foot problem I have

right now is finding shoes that fit my size 11 feet. Whether a girl realizes the problems Uggs h ort could cause sw ain H or not, Fosan yD ter recommends rt b a buying an orthopedic support to stick in each shoe so there is arch support. He said no one should be fooled by the seemingly comfortable boot but instead take action now to prevent foot damage. When problems develop, treatment can vary from simply limiting the amount you wear and walk in boots to having special supports, Foster said, or orthotics to correct the fallen or strained arches. [Problems] can take weeks or months to get healed.

Final preparations: Senior Morgan Manson, a member of City Lights show choir, applies lip gloss before the winter showcase. Both show choirs kicked off their season Jan. 13.

Baking with Baker

Perfect crme brle requires experimenting
Immediately turn off the heat, and pour about half of the heated mixture in with the yolk blend extremely hile other families had slowly while mixing with an electric conversations about mixer, so as not to boil the eggs and school at the dinner ruin the texture. table or maybe even no Next pour everything back into family dinner at all, mine was busy the pan and on low heat stir for discussing the food at hand. Sentences about 15 minutes or until the back of like, Mom, I think this needs a little the mixing spoon is lightly coated. more basil, or, These cookies need The solution should thicken but not more vanilla frequented our oak achieve a normal pudding-thick condining table. Raised sistency; instead in such a mentality, it should still be I am always on the slightly runny. quest for finding Turn off the perfection the heat, and add the perfect banana split, teaspoon of vanil6 egg yolks the perfect snicker la, knowing that 2 cups heavy cream doodle or, my latest generous is bet1 cup half-and-half dream, the perfect ter than scant in 1 teaspoon vanilla crme brle. this department. 1/3 cup sugar While I must adAfter the stove extra sugar for topping mit I do not know if stage, pour the I have found any of mixture into six the aforementioned to eight ramekins, goodies in their perfect counterparts, depending on the size. If youre withI like to think I have gotten close. out ramekins, any small glass dishes On these journeys fueled by my or oven-safe ceramics will work. familys similar desires, my aunt has Bake in the oven at a temperature taught me what she calls the Italian of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for 50 to way of cooking: if you put in good 65 minutes. ingredients, the results will be good After baking, pull them out to too. cool. Once nearly at room temperaWith that in mind, most of my des- ture, place them in the fridge to chill sert recipes are heavy on the cream, for at least six hours. expensive chocolate and everything This takes an enormous patience I else scrumptious ruled out by most do not have, so I usually end up eatnew-age diets. If you follow such a ing at least one of the under-chilled diet, I apologize now since there is no crmes with a partner during the fat- or carb-free version of the recipe wait. After the chilling comes the best to follow, a to-die-for crme brle. part: creating the caramelized tops. There are two ways to create the Pour a tablespoon of plain white custard consistency and body of the sugar evenly on top of the dessert. dessert stirring on the stove, or Take a cooking torch, or an industrial baking in the oven. I have found, one, and while spinning the dish in through recent trial and error, that a circle, move the flames from the the secret is to use a combination of outer edge in. both methods. In a large bowl, beat This will make the dish hot, so the egg yolks and sugar. Then on the wait until it cools to grab it and serve stove, combine the cream, half-and- immediately. Ive read that you can half on the stove over medium heat freeze left over crme brles, but I in a sauce pan while constantly stir- havent ever tried. If you do, let me ring until it begins to slightly bubble. know how it works.

LAUREN BAKER

Ingredients for crme brle:

Show choir prepares for season

n Saturday, Jan. 15, show choir members were at school at 7 a.m. greeting and leading competing show choirs to a preparation room. The week prior to the RBHS Show Choir Festival, show choir members spent every night practicing and preparing for the Thursday premiere and Saturdays festival. Our rehearsals were interrupted by the snow days, which put us behind as far as costume rehearsals, senior Karen Hardeman said. But I think we pulled the premiere and festival together nicely through all of the parent volunteers, [Director Mike] Pierson and our hard work Wednesday night. Costumes came together just in time for the premiere concert Thursday night. As the curtain split, they performed their shows. Before the show Im a nervous wreck, but as soon as I start singing and dancing, all of my worries melt away because I know everything is going to be perfect, Hardeman said. After performing for family and friends, they had critiques Friday. A judge and a choreographer watched their performances then instructed them on how to enhance their diction, facial gestures and vigor. The critic told us a lot about energy, and that really helped us make

photo by Savannah Viles

RACHEL CRAIG

sure we put all our energy into all our songs, senior Anna Ryberg said. Students had to be at school early Saturday to host the competing show choirs. Before introducing other choirs on stage, they led them to their rooms to put on make up and costumes. Junior Jonathan Haught said being ready to help choirs was the key. Apparently, someone in [another] choir had ripped their pants in the crotch area, Haught said. They were looking for something to hold it together. They ended up finding one of those clamps that you use for papers and put [it] on the inside of his pants, and he used that to go into the show. Once preliminaries ended and judges determined the choirs to go on to finals, it was time for RBHSs own Satin N Lace and City Lights to hit the stage. Senior Annie Barksdale said the pressure to impress other choirs for the first time and scare them a little bit came on Saturday. There is that adrenaline rush before getting on stage when everything is going, and youre just waiting to walk on stage and blow everyones mind, hopefully, Barksdale said. After a long day of hosting, Satin N Lace and City Lights had their opportunity to take the stage. When the curtain opened, the festival hosts showed their rivals what came out of months of rehearsals. Right before I get on stage,

when we are about to go on I think, Breathe, smile and just have a good time, Haught said. But when I get on the front row or for Cuban Pete, the thing that goes through my mind is just what we got critiqued for; just flirt with the audience and try to have as much fun as you can. When the first few clicks hit, the show choirs began their performance. After a long day of hosting, adrenaline kicked in when the crowd cheered. At the end of the ballad, we saw our clinician at the judges table in the back of the PAC, and he raised his arms in victory, showing us that it was fantastic. It was awesome, Hardeman said. That was a major goal for me to make sure that he liked how we sang our ballad because that was one of the major critiques he gave us. When the performances ended in the PAC, the competitors in the audience rushed into the gym to hear the announcement of the top six choirs and caption awards. Each choir erupted in shouts and applause as the judges announced placements. After watching their competition, the RBHS show choirs had more work before their first competitive performance of the season at the Troy Buchanan Show Choir Invitational Feb. 5. We have the potential to compete with all the choirs that came to our festival, Hardeman said. We have been so dedicated to this show, and its our obligation to show how well we can perform it.

photo by Savannah Viles

The ROCK

28 Backpage

January 27, 2011

What would it take for nature to undo one week of the schools effect on the environment?

Consumer mentality fills hallways, garbage cans

LAUREN BAKER

very Thursday, senior Joe Gunn and junior Katie Hobbs go to room 210 to get together with other students to pick up the schools paper and blue bag recycling as student environmental coalition. And every Thursday, they have to sift through blue bins, picking out non-recyclable wrappers, food remains and, once, a shoe. So many people throw plastic bottles and [recyclables] in the trash can, and then they also put really disgusting things in recycling bins that I wish they wouldnt put in there, Hobbs said. We have to sort through that when were recycling because you cant recycle certain things, and sorting through that can be very gross sometimes. Id definitely like it better if they didnt do that. One reason for the large amount of plastic bottles is that everyone needs one thing, despite their various preferences: water. Even if one dislikes this naturally calorie-free beverage in its normal form, he or she consumes it daily in soda, juice, food or even its purest form, all of which can come in a plastic package. Students buy approximately 1,104 bottles of plain Dasani water per week, but the number varies, Building Director of Food Services Jo Hofeditz said. Eighty-six percent of the empty plastic water bottles in the United States end up in landfills, according to www.foodandwaterwatch.org. If RBHS follows this pattern, it deposits 949 water bottles in the local landfill each week. Plastic bottles can take up to 1,000

years to decompose, according to www. nps.gov. In addition to large amounts of plastic in the form of bottles, the cafeteria distributes 350 large plastic containers, 350 yogurt cups, 875 dipping sauce cups per week, almost none of which are recycled, though all are recyclable plastics. Gunn, who is treasurer of SEC, admits that he has been guilty of throwing away recyclable items like water bottles. I know even Im not perfect when it comes to recycling; sometimes Ill throw away stuff that needs to be recycled, Gunn said. So, when I see stuff in the recycling bin that should be in the trash, or stuff in the trash that should be recycled, I get angry about it, but then I think, Who am I to talk if I do it too? Its frustrating, but then again, its just a big problem. Hobbs, who shares the same frustrations as Gunn, said she thinks paper is the biggest problem. Often when recycling she sees papers in bins that could be used again or that did not even need to be printed in the first place. A lot of people print off things that they dont really need to, or accidentally print off a bunch of copies, Hobbs said. So if we could control that, it would definitely help a lot. The reusable paper that Hobbs notices when recycling could be a contributing factor to the schools need to repurchase paper often; according to bookkeeper Kelly Wulffs financial records, RBHS orders 80 cases of paper about once a month for school use. This 400,000-sheet order not only costs the school around $2,000, but also costs the environment 48 trees, according to www.conservatree.com. However, Hobbs has also noticed efficiency is-

sues in other parts of school: the energy circuits. Ive noticed that sometimes people leave lights on it doesnt seem like it happens as much before school but I think theyre left on for a long time after school, Hobbs said. Because sometimes, if I stay after school for an activity, Ill pass by a computer lab or walk into the media center, and Ill see a bunch [of computers] on, though nobodys in there. But I think someone eventually turns them off, but theres probably some lag time that would probably save some energy. Based off of the usage and cost breakdown from CPS Energy Manager Alan Forbis, RBHS uses 2,923,440 KWH of energy per year through electricity, not including that which comes from conversion of natural gas. Assuming all of this energy comes from coal, it amounts to 1,188 tons of coal per year or 23 tons per week. Ultimately, to undo one week of the current RBHS lifestyle, the environment would have to grow 12 new trees, create 23 tons of coal which takes millions of years naturally and wait up to 1,000 years to decompose the man-made substance of plastic used to make bottles for liquids. I think that its just really important that we preserve what we have because its not like were going to get another Earth to start over on, unless something really amazing happens in the near future, but weve already done so much to harm the Earth that I think we should do what we can now to protect it, Hobbs said. And there are a lot of small things we can do to help it without having to go overboard, or I guess you could call it hippie.

RBHS uses an average of 9,343 plastic bottles per month, 1,104 of which contain plain water that could be obtained for less than half of a percent of the cost through the tap. Plastic botles can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill. RBHS uses an average of 80 cases of paper, or two tons, per month. 80 cases equates to 576 trees RBHS uses each year. Recycling plastic takes 88% less energy than making plastic from raw materials.

RBHS uses almost 3,000 styrofoam containers per week. Styrofoam containers of any size take more than 1 million years to decompose. RBHS uses an average of 243,620 KWH of electricity per month. This amounts to 99 tons of coal per month. Because of the health threats of recycling plastic, most is instead downcycled into a generally permanent product, like turf for athletic fields, carpet or fiber material for clothing.
photo by Kylee Fuchs sources: www.foodandwaterwatch.org,www.conservatree.com, www.nps.gov

January 27, 2011

Features 7
The ROCK

Karma belief influences decisions

KIRSTEN BUCHANAN

hen sophomore Aidan Cornelisons friend started treating her meanly, Cornelison just smiled. She patiently suffered through insults and cruelty, knowing what would soon await her friend. Just a few days later when her friend began having bad luck, Cornelison knew exactly what had happened. Her friend had not had her boyfriend break up with her and gotten in many fights purely by chance. There was another force at work: karma. In this situation it was so obviously karma, Cornelison said. I believe if you do bad, then bad will happen to you. So when she started to act mean, I just waited for something bad to happen to her. And it did. Thats how karma works. Junior Nate Egharevba has also seen the existence of karma many times in his life. However, while Cornelison enjoys seeing karma get revenge on people who do bad deeds, Egharevba fears karma will harm him if he knowingly makes a mistake. Karma scares me into doing or not doing things. It makes me worry sometimes after I do something questionable, Egharevba said. I decide what to do based on what will happen later. Ultimately, something that you do will have an effect and end up happening to you later; if you steal something, then something will probably be stolen from you. Karma is a universal idea that stems from the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, according to University of MissouriColumbia religious studies professor Signe Cohen, Ph.D., said. It comes from ancient history. The word karma is used in the oldest Hindu texts, the Vedas, but it is first used in the sense of action in general and especially performance of sacrifices, Cohen said. In the Upanishads Hindu texts from around 800-100 B.C.E. the term karma is used for any action that has spiritual consequences. The word is used in the same way in Buddhist and Jain texts. Junior Methma Udawatta is a practicing Buddhist. While she believes in karma, she does not think it should be the only reason to pay close attention to ones actions. Often, you get what you deserve. But I dont think people should use karma as the only reason for not making bad decisions, Udawatta said. Be good for being good, not for being afraid of bad karma. While the original belief in karma stemmed from these religions, such as Buddhism, Cohen said karma has become a universal belief for many people. I am not personally a Hindu, Buddhist or Jain, Cohen said. But I do find that the concept of karma makes intuitive sense to me. The more positive things I do, the more positive things seem to happen to me. This is the case for junior Maddie Hicks. She started believing in karma when she observed disturbingly similar trends in unfortunate things that happened to her after she acted in a poor manner. Ive noticed a lot that when I start to get cocky, I tend to screw up more than if I was to act normal, Hicks said. I believe what comes around goes around and what you do will come back to affect you. It will bite you in the butt if you arent careful. For Hicks, karma is a power the universe uses as a cosmic sense of order, and she enjoys it. Ive seen a lot that just proves no matter who you are and no matter how much bad you do Hicks said, the universe will fix you one way or another.

Poverty hampers education

S
SHIVANGI SINGH
enior Tori Johnson returns home after a day of rigorous classes at school only to get ready for work as a housekeeper at the University of Missouri Columbia. But after working her daily 5 to 7 hour shift, she turns to homework. Johnson does not work because she wants to, nor is it because she wants extra pocket money. Her work is needed for her household. I have a job so that my mom doesnt have to worry about me anymore. She doesnt have to pay for my clothes, my car payments, my car insurance, my lunch money, my gas. She could focus on keeping the lights on, the water running, a roof over our head, Johnson said. My sister got pregnant when she was young, so [Mom] has to worry about a ... fourth child. So she supports my nephew, who is two years old, as well. Johnsons work affects her household, but also her school life. She had to give up her passion for volleyball because there was no way she could set aside three to five hours to practice volleyball each day. Moreover, when she returns home from work, she has to disregard the tiredness of that day and focus on her homework. Johnson knows only studying will help her in following her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, but still it becomes difficult to start homework at the time most students finish. Sometimes I dont even make it [because I am so tired]. I will just fall asleep with the book on my chest and then I will have a test. Then I will wake up at four in the morning just to go ahead and go do it, Johnson said. Sometimes I kind of have to sneak around. Sometimes I have to go into a bathroom and bring my book and sit in there and do it. Johnsons everyday struggles are different from those of students who live in a different income level. For sophomore Carly Allen, her familys financial struggles caused her detachment from education. Allen said although she has never experienced poverty, her family has gone through periods in which they did not know if they would have the money to pay their bills. That kind of stress really weighed down on [my parents], and they would get on to each other about how much they were spending, Allen said. Like my dad would go to the grocery store, and my mom would get mad at him for spending too much so they would fight. Their fighting [got] on to me and my sister, [and] we [would] get in trouble for saying things we wouldnt normally get in trouble for. And its just bad when your parents are fighting, so that stresses you out, and then that carries into your school. Allen said her parents would say hurtful things, and she would end up thinking of those things rather than her schoolwork. School was not the escape route; she found she was not interested in listening to lectures and finishing homework. I didnt want to go home. It was something I was dreading all day long, Allen said. When I [got] home, I [would] just try to stay up in my room as much ... as I could because I didnt want to be around any of them. I just wanted to be by myself and I didnt really want to talk to people. Because of this isolation and financial stress, Allens grades suffered. If money had not been a problem, she said she would have done much better in school. My parents would have more time to think about [me] and not [worry] about how they [were] going to pay for things, she said. They could focus on [me] and what [I am] doing at school. They [would] have the money to support [me] too. Like Allen, Johnson believes poverty hampers education. Because Johnson has to work to support her family, she is unable to come in to get help from teachers because she has to run off to work every day. Poverty doesnt stand alone [in] harming the childs education its [also] other things that go along with it, Johnson said. But there are certain points of poverty that could affect the childrens education. My friend was 14 years old, and she was living an impoverished life. She was staying with us [for some time because] her mom couldnt take care of her. As soon as she went back home after four months of living with us, she got pregnant because she didnt feel like she was getting enough love. As soon as she got pregnant, she gave up. She didnt even have the baby before she decided that she wasnt going to go back to school. According to a study by Professor of Child Development Jeanne Brooks and others, simple comparisons between children in poor families and other children using national data sets indicate that poor children are more likely to do worse on indices of school achievement than other children are. Poor children are twice as likely as other children to repeat a grade, be expelled or suspended from school or to drop out of high school. Scott Allard, associate professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, said the educational opportunities presented to students from different financial backgrounds are not equal. There are great disparities in the quality of education one gets depending on their household. To achieve a better balance schools should offer more programs more advanced classes and services to help students get to college, Allard said. But part of that means that school systems have to ensure that children stay at grade level performance starting in first grade. You cant only focus on high school. If kids get into high schools and are unable to read at grade level or cant do math at grade level, its going to be hard to get them ready for college. So the commitment to ensuring children from higher poverty communities can access college [should start earlier]. Allard also said the injustice continues in the college application

photo illustration by Mary Herndon

I have a job so that my mom doesnt have to worry about me anymore. Tori Johnson senior

process, in which financial aid often falls short for low-income families. There are financial aid programs that help low-income students afford college tuition. [But] even in states universities, its very expensive to go to school compared to 10 or 15 years ago, Allard said. So I imagine with even the scholarships and financial aid available, there are still a number of financial hurdles for the low-income students because the cost of higher education has become greater. For sophomore Raj Satpathy, money is not really an issue. Whenever he needs something, he can always get it. And when it comes to school, he doesnt have to worry about basic necessities. We have more chances to study using the Internet or more time to write up our papers, Satpathy said. Its just that as more affluent people, we dont have to utilize the resources, such as computers or the books that the school provides us, since we can access them at our homes or through other mediums. Johnson hopes to have some of the amenities Satpathy describes as part of his life. She has grew up in an impoverished childhood in which she lived in one of the poorer areas of Columbia, waking up to police chases and gun shots. And now she has the long work schedule there has always been something that has come between her and her education. After going through all these struggles, she said the people she does not understand are those who have everything handed to them and do not respect it; she cannot comprehend those students motives for slacking off. I have had a best friend, and she has college paid for her at the snap of a finger. She probably even has a job lined up after college. I am not saying shes wasting [all that]. I am just saying that she doesnt understand what she has, Johnson said. I am working my butt off to get to where she is, and I will never end up where she is. I just wish she would understand what she had. Sometimes when she complains to me, [I get jealous], and I am just like, You cant complain to me; your life is set up for you. It just really angers me the kids who have everything in the world handed to them and are not going to use it. Because its not fair.

ABBY KAYSER

Principal introduces vision, advancements

more classrooms to visit, Maus is taking it all step-by-step, trying to improve as much as possible. Some of the aspects he is enjoying include more positive communication between him and students. I dont have the negative interactions that I had with students last year, [like] when you are assigning consequences for behavior, like assigning consequences for your fourth tardy, Maus said. It tends to be a bit more on the positive side. I get to call commended scholars up [and] congratulate state champion tennis team, and its just more fun rather than negative meetings between students. Maus new job has also brought him new tasks and goals that he needs to complete as well. This includes replying to more e-mails and also trying to be more involved with students and to be seen in the halls more. I try to get into the office to answer emails for about an hour before students start getting to school, and then throughout the day I also do more e-mails, Maus said. I try to be out in the halls in the mornings before the bell rings, and I also try to be in the halls at least during lunch and in between classes. Throughout the day there is a variety of activities I will have. Once a week we have an administrators meeting [and] executive council meeting, and other meetings come up as the week progresses. I probably spend about 1020 hours a week in meetings. Maus said the progress RBHS has made is a success not because of what he has done, but because of the tradition students have kept carrying on ever since the beginning of the school year. I knew that there wasnt [anything] I wanted to change, Maus said. I definitely didnt want to change the culture of the school. I believe students will meet the expectations put in front of them, and Rock Bridge is proof of that. One thing that I thought was so great about Rock Bridge is that the staff trusts kids to make the right decisions rather than assuming they are going to make the wrong ones. I definitely didnt want to change that thought process. Maus is thankful for all the students and faculty that welcomed him with a positive, open-minded attitude, even though they knew he was replacing former principal Kathy Ritter. Everyone was very welcoming to me during my entire transition this summer and during first semester, Maus said. Everyone was anxious to help and ensure I had a smooth transition, which was very helpful. Mrs. Ritter was a fantastic principal, and I still keep in contact with her if anything ever comes up.

hen Mark Maus arrived at RBHS on his first day as principal, he was overwhelmed by the new responsibilities. While his duties at his old school were more directed toward discipline and attendance roles, now, as head principal, he is in charge of the advancement of the school and student learning. It was an interesting transition from assistant principal to principal, but it is a role I really enjoy, Maus said. Last year I worked a lot with discipline and attendance, but this year Im able to work more with the development of the school, and I am more focused on student learning. I felt like, overall, first semester went well, but I still have a lot to learn. With more meetings, more e-mail and

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Features 9

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n the hospital preparing to give birth to her third son on the morning of Jan. 22, 2004, science teacher Susan Trices heart stopped beating. Everything had seemed to be going fine. Her pregnancy had been normal and on term; she and her baby were both healthy, and her contractions were getting closer together on schedule. All the indicators suggested a safe, successful delivery. But at the onset of labor, things took a sudden turn for the worse. I was feeling really warm, which I felt was a little unusual, so my husband went and got some ice, Trice said. While he was out of the room, I flatlined. As the machine indicated, Trices heart had stopped beating. While she slipped into a separate state of consciousness, Trice said she never lost awareness. I knew what was going on like, somehow I knew what was going on. I did not see anyone in my room. I did not have a visual of the room, Trice said. But I could remember there was a painting on the wall right just opposite me that I was kind of focusing on during labor, and it was a painting of a garden scene with a door in it, and there was some flowers and stuff. And I can remember sort of moving towards that scene, but yet it wasnt that scene. It was more of a light, but it wasnt white. It was more of a yellow, kind of a buttery aura that I was in. Trice said her state was warm and safe and she felt at peace and calm. After about two minutes of the experience, she came back at which point she said she could not figure out why everyone was so upset. They kept saying, You just died; you just died; you just died, Trice said. And obviously I was focusing on giving birth to my son, so it took me a while to process that. And its taken me a long time to sort of realize what has happened. Steven Zweig, M.D., the director of the University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Center on Aging said the medical definition of death involves irreversible cessation of brain, circulatory and respiratory functions. Trice was not dead but had what Zweig called a near-death experience. Some of the common characteristics include an overwhelming experience of peace and well-being, the impression of being outside ones body, a floating sensation, an awareness of a golden light sometimes associated with a being [and] a rapid succession of visual images of

SI R ANIS A OM TAR

ones life and experiencing another world, Zweig said. Near-death experiences offer a glimpse into conditions surrounding an event that has been shrouded by mystery for centuries. Some say the phenomenon is the result of hallucination while others contend there are other more spiritual explanations. Zweig said it all comes down to the understanding of consciousness. Those affected by psychotropic drugs can hallucinate that is, see things that are not really happening, Zweig said. However, it is not possible to fully know how long any form of consciousness is preserved in people who appear to be dead. We assume that at true death all consciousness ends, but some philosophers and some scientists have postulated that consciousness is shared over time and space, and perhaps the near-death experiences described by survivors [are] a glimpse of that form of consciousness. Trice believes she was seeing continued consciousness. She said while the physical indications showed that she had died, she was not dead and she definitely moved on. Former President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling Louis LaGrand, Ph.D., agrees with Trices assessment. He thinks near-death experiences are strong evidence of the probability of an afterlife. Much of it is ridiculed by the scientific community, which thrives on the belief that if it cant be replicated and proven in cause-and-effect terms, it has to be an illusion or a hallucination, LaGrand said. Science suppresses much of the good research done concerning nonphysical reality. The events of Jan. 22, 2004 altered Trices perspective on life and reaffirmed her faith. Now she said she knows we are all spiritual beings and that this material world is only a small part of the overall experience. This sort of redefined or switched my paradigm of what an afterlife was. For me, it was obvious that I was going on. Im not sure where, but I was going on, and it really had nothing to do with my physical being. Yet it was me physically; I mean, its hard to take apart, Trice said. So I guess the biggest thing that it taught me or reinforced is that this experience on Earth is just a tiny part of what were going to experience over eternity. And its helped me so much understand the internal perspective as opposed to this temporal state we live in.
photo by Kylee Fuchs

Masts connection to RBHS allows her to appreciate its progression

CARALINE TRECHA

hile working to uphold the success and sportsmanship of 19 athletic teams, Jennifer Mast is also preparing for her doctorate in educational leadership. A typical day is lots and lots of e-mail and phone calls, [and I am] on the MSHSAA website a lot, Mast said. It involves finding e-mails and contact numbers, adding schedules typical day isnt all that typical. Mast works to balance a lot of ongoing projects and building operations while trying to fit in enough time to observe math teachers in the classrooms. When trying to find time in her busy schedule to visit athletic events, Mast takes scheduled study breaks so she can pursue a higher

education. When Im driving to watch [a] soccer game I might leave a little earlier than people think I should leave, Mast said. Thats because Im stopping on the way to read for an hour because I have a paper to write. Its a lot, but right now Ive just made that choice because its what the school needs. Mast spends little time at home. Most of the day, she is in her office at RBHS, scheduling games, hiring coaches, handling parent e-mails and paperwork and overseeing of building operations. Theres just a lot of detail work that has to be done kind of behind the scenes, Mast said. When Mast arrived at RBHS in 1997, she took on the roles of math teacher and assistant girls basket-

ball coach. She had graduated from the University of MissouriColumbia with a degree in higher math in hopes of accomplishing her childhood dream of becoming a teacher and coach. When I left teaching, I was incredibly sad. I loved teaching and mourned the change, Mast said. After I started as athletic director, I found I loved this job just as much. Math teacher Vera Reichlin has seen Mast evolve from an RBHS student to her role today. Reichlin was in Masts Pre-calculus and Calculus class their junior and senior years of high school, and she can remember Mast was always focused, hard working and attentive. She was very multi-talented, being in show choir, Reichlin said. I remember one time she had a sports-

related injury, and during [basketball] practice, she broke her leg. [Then she] worked the broken leg into character for the play. After seeing Masts passion for sports and RBHS, Reichlin said Masts large role does not surprise her. It fits best with her personality. She has been incredibly hardworking, focused and [has had] strong interest in sports and activities in general, Reichlin said. She has always [been] passionate about sports and athletics and activities here at RBHS. That in combination with being so focused and so hardworking and driven I think it is a perfect fit for her. Masts Bruin pride is unwavering, and as the official athletic representative of RBHS, she feels others base their opinions of the school on her.

Having been a Bruin for so long, she has been able to see the schools progress since her days as a student. It takes a while to just kind of establish yourself, and so now I feel like we are established, Mast said. Other schools know who we are; they respect us. Today, Mast enjoys her job as she views the schools advancement. Being a part of RBHS for so long, she said she values progression and believes its standards will continue to improve. I loved being involved with athletics, mostly because of the relationships with my coaches and teammates, Mast said. Knowing from where we've come helps me keep things in perspective and appreciate where we are while seeking ways to stay there.

10 Features
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January 27, 2011

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January 27, 2011

In-Depths 13
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Moment of Truth

Falsehood prevails in classroom

photo illustration by Savannah Viles

unior Christy McLailen* knew she had a science test for the next day, for which the teacher had announced the free response questions. However, the teacher had hinted at examples for several problems, but only five would be on the actual test. McLailen had two choices for how to approach this test. She could either spend the night studying or find a way to copy the answers from the examples and somehow have them accessible during the test. McLailen chose the middle path: she did some studying, but she also inserted the worked-out answers to the free response questions into her calculator. The latter was just in case she forgot something on the test. At first I actually tried to be honest, and I tried to do [the problems]. I did three problems there were five, McLailen said. But then towards the end, I was like, This is taking too long. I [just] want to get the hell out of here. So then I typed everything from my calculator, and I got an A for the last unit test. I probably couldve gotten an A without cheating, but, whatever, it was faster. McLailen has been cheating since ninth grade so she could get what matters to her the most: grades. She will do whatever it takes to get the grade she desires no matter what the cost; she started cheating because that is when everything actually mattered. We had these ACT vocab tests. They werent tests to test just the definition of the word. They had a sentence, and you had to put the right word in the right sentence. It was really hard for me, McLailen said. I [knew] what all the words [meant], but I just [did not] get it. But then it was mandatory [to] take the quiz, so cheating seemed like the best choice. Me and my friends we traded off she would let me copy on the test, and I would help her with other stuff. Then, so every time during tests, we would sit together and then when the teacher [was] not looking, I would copy everything that she writes, and then I would get a 15 out of 15 every single time. So the whole entire year, it was awesome. However, that was only the beginning of her cheating. Since then, things have gotten to the point that she has even developed codes to cheat. In her math class this year and last year, McLailen came up with symbols for the answers on the multiple choice that helped her and her friends share answers during a test. My friend and I had math together, but we got put in the front of the class, so it was really hard for us [to openly cheat]. So [we agreed], If I drop a pencil, then the answer on the multiple choice is A, and then if I kick your chair, the answer is B, then [if] I cough the answer is C, McLailen said. But We didnt practice that because it was kind of hard. But we did it for, like, three problems, and it helped me for one of the problems, so it was OK.

SHIVANGI SINGH

Cheat Sheet 53% of students have cheated by their own standards

73%

standards*

of students have c h e a t e d b y teachers

have witnessed a n d ignored cheating

34%

of teachers

48% of teachers cheated as students

McLailen is not alone. According to surveys in U.S. News and World Report, 80 percent of high-achieving high school students admit to cheating. Junior Sam Williams* cheated on pretty much everything from fifth to ninth grade. Whenever he did not want to study for a test, he copied answers directly off something during tests. I would photocopy worksheets, mainly vocab sheets for Spanish, and Id put the pictures on my iPod to use during the tests, Williams said. And Id just use the Internet on my phone when I needed to during tests. Williams said his current classes have made it more difficult to cheat, so his habit has disappeared, just like senior Sarah Bowman. She copied off her friends homework all the time in chemistry last year because it was easier that way, but her lack of efforts showed up on her score for the final. I regret [that decision] because on the final I didnt know anything, Bowman said. So then I stopped cheating. [But] I dont think cheating can ever be stopped. Its a choice kids make, and I dont think it can ever be stopped unless they want to stop it. Science teacher Stephanie Harman said the educational pressures that students face make it impossible for an end to academic dishonesty. All she can do about this problem is to be on the lookout for blatant cheating and set up a classroom environment which encourage thinking and honest learning instead of cheating. We always have multiple versions of any test that we give, so that helps, and we give a completely different test if a student has to take it early especially finals or later, Harman said. Also, we like to move the chairs around in the room to discourage looking at other students papers. I think one of the better ways to prevent cheating on homework is to change the policy like we did this year. Our homework is now worth zero percent of the grade, so if you cheat on it, it doesnt matter. That has sort of pushed us to become more vigilant on the exams and quizzes and really work to make the versions significantly different. McLailen has found ways to work around set teacher policies. She has discovered a method to avoid plagiarism while still stealing material from the Internet, easing the amount of work she had to do. So in AP World, you had to write so many essays. It was horrible, McLailen said. But then I want a good grade, so then I go on the Internet and search all the stuff, and sometimes you can get a lot of information. [The teachers] used turnitin.com, so I cant really copy and paste this. So then I get the information and paraphrase everything they say. There was no way I could think of that on my own, and then I just turn it in and get a good grade. McLailen knows what she does is cheating, but to her, cheating is not a real issue until it harms other people. For example, she will embellish her rsum if she sees a need and has already planned to multiply the number of hours she spends volunteering by five. She also said she has copied off her friends several times for her foreign language class because she believes that can harm only her. Its really my choice whether I want to learn this or not, McLailen said. And if I The Rock surveyed 184 students and dont want to learn it, its really not any ones 43 teachers *standards indicated on page 15 as any problem but mine. of the options greater than 50 percent *name withheld upon request

The ROCK

14

In-De

Deception appears in relationships

TESSA VELLEK

But you said you love

C
heating in four relationships has not changed senior Brandon Vidusics outlook on dating. He feels that although it has made him more cynical, he keeps that in mind and recognizes that not everyone thinks the way he does. Although it seems like a recurring problem, he said, Its a terrible feeling, and he continues to feel guilty after every time he cheats. Since his last breakup, he has been in a successful and stable relationship for eight months. Vidusic said he cheated in the heat of the moment, and it was something he always regretted. Usually Im not in the clearest mindset, Vidusic said. Im under the influence of certain things, and sometimes, like, it just happens, and its something you feel like you just cant control. Sometimes something just happens, and it feels right at the time, and then afterward, you realize it was a complete mistake, and you feel terrible about it. The first time he cheated was in his sophomore year of high school in his first serious relationship. The night after the party where it happened, his girlfriend broke up with him; though, ironically, he said she had also cheated on him the same night. The relationship wasnt even going well. It was just kind of stagnant, and neither of us were really happy, he said. It was both our first real serious relationships, and we just didnt know what to do, and so we were making it up as we went, and it just kind of stopped being anything. We werent super serious, and we just kind of grew out of each other. Fifty-seven percent of men and 53 percent of women admit to committing infidelity in a relationship, according to www.infidelityfacts.com. But Vidusic argued that cheating once, or four times, does not make one more susceptible to cheating again. I think it depends upon your attitude, Vidusic said. Its not like I got away with it once, so I felt like I could do it over and over. I just feel like its something that just coincidentally happened a significant number of times to me. But I dont really feel like its anything like if you do it once, youll automatically do it again. I think I feel like I know a lot of people that have definitely done it once and never again. Although Vidusic said cheating is not a recurring problem for many, Meg Klein-Trull, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and director of Child and Family Services at the University of Missouris Psychological Services Clinic, believes it adversely affects the relationship for many others. It just makes everything much more difficult, Klein-Trull said. People begin to question if you can trust the other person, if you can trust your own perceptions, what it means [and] if you have a future. Cheating can break a relationship, an idea both Klein-Trull and senior Madeline Jones can attest to. Jones believes when someone cheats in any way, the relationship should be over. I think that once the trust is broken, the relationship is over, Jones said. I think it is fine [for guys] to have friends that are girls, but I would break up with them if they were holding hands. I dont hold hands with any guy friends. A lack of trust has broken two of senior Charlie Schauweckers relationships. His first experience with cheating was after a month of dating when his former girlfriend began treating [him] more casually. Then she came out and told him she had been hanging out with another guy, and they had hooked up, resulting in Schauwecker breaking it off. In another more recent relationship, Schauwecker had been with a girl for several months and decided to become exclusive, but after a crazy weekend, he would sometimes hear she had made out with another guy. These unfaithful relationships changed Schauweckers view on dating, as he sometimes finds himself doubting a girls dependability. I dont find it as easy to have that undoubting trust in people, he said. You know, after these experiences if Im dating a girl and she says, Oh, Im going to go hang out with my friends on a Friday night, rather than her hanging out with me, I just kind of start to think that maybe theres another guy or something like that. So [being cheated on] causes you to incorporate more negative thoughts into your relationships. If this issue of trust and continual lack of compromise continues, Klein-Trull believes the relationship should be ended. But if hard work is put into staying with the other person, the relationship can actually be stronger in the end. To save a relationship, the couple needs to learn to communicate effectively, to reach out to the other person, to understand the other persons perspective, [to] try to communicate things in a positive way and not be critical or demanding or disdainful, to try to meet each other at least half-waymaybe more, and to try to remember why you loved or liked that person, Klein-Trull said. You know, learn how to work together as a team. Although through his own experiences, Schauwecker finds that cheating is most likely a result of deteriorating relationships than a lack of working together. I guess there are always just those little slip-ups that maybe happen if people are like drinking or something, but I think more often than not, people cheat when they dont really want to be in the relationship theyre in, he said. I cant really imagine cheating on a person if you really were committed to the relationship you were in with them. So I figure that most of the time if you cheat on a person, its because you dont really want to be in that relationship anymore. No matter the reason, students attest to the impact of cheating on their lives and outlooks on relationships. Because of his personal experiences of being cheated on, Schauwecker said he couldnt ever be dishonest in a relationship. I think once you have experienced the emotions that go along with [being cheated on], youre a lot more likely to just be thinking about the other person, Schauwecker said. I know after my experiences of being cheated on, I just understand how bad its made me feel, and I understand the changes that its made on my outlook on relationships. And I dont think anyone who understands that would want to put that on another person that they really care about.

Percentage of students and consider the following as c

Asking students about tests general content Asking students specific questions on tests Copying homework Copying tests Working in groups without permission Parents doing work for the student

stude

54%

15 54 68 95 23 84

of students in romantic relationships

kissed someone
other than their partner on the lips 87% of students in relationships consider this

cheating

34% of females in a romantic relationship groped/made out with someone other than their partner while 55% of males groped/made out with someone other than their partner

The Rock surveyed 184 students and 43 teachers For all survey results, visit the RBHS website

epths

January 27, 2011

15

ed me

d teachers who cheating I

teachers
21% 67% 84% 95% 23% 95%

Temptations in workplace create ethical dilemmas

SAMI PATHAN
n 2010 the Ethics Resource Center, a research organization devoted to the advancement of higher ethical standards in public places, concluded their study, Blowing the Whistle on Workplace Misconduct. The group found that 63 percent of people had observed or participated in some sort of workplace misbehavior. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said highschool student employment has increased every year since the early 90s. With this comes the ever-present opportunity to cheat. Humans have always been susceptible to the lure of getting benefits without doing all the work, and students are no exception, according to www.scu.edu. I dont think there are many people that completely dont cheat while theyre on their job, said junior Dillon Sapp, who works at Taco Bell. I think that everyone does small things like slack off once in a while. The motives behind the minor offenses vary from person to person. Junior Cody Barrows, who works at Dairy Queen, has seen a number of his co-workers steal things from the restaurant after serving a patron. Some of the employees steal, like, food and stuff when they dont have much to do, Barrows said. I guess it kind of makes sense. You work at a place where they serve food, so when you get hungry, you should be able to eat some too. Other workers neglect responsibility for no reason other than to escape the daily monotony of their jobs. Junior lifeguard Cole Cades work often bores him enough to partially neglect it. When Im up on the stand, it gets boring sometimes because the kids are doing the safe thing. Theyre just goofing around, and Im just sitting up there, and I get kind of bored, Cade said. Often I do doze off, but I never completely fall asleep. Some employees admit to having witnessed co-workers commit more serious offenses. These are sometimes the result of unreasonable and unfriendly customers. There was one employee over the summer some guy really pissed him off on the phone, said junior Jessica Jost, who works at Subway. So he went to scoop ice cream, and he took the ice cream into the freezer and started spitting in it and slamming the scooper on the freezer floor, a floor which is by no means clean. The consequences of employees breaking the rules usually depend on the severity of the transgression to begin with or the rules that are in play during the wrongdoing. Many fast-food employers must follow strict rules because of corporate regulations. In the drive-thru you have to meet a certain time to get the food out to the customer, Sapp said. And the guy just dropped it and tried to just pick it up and give it to the guy; it didnt fall out of the wrap or anything, but my manager just fired him. Different actions may have more serious consequences for people outside of the rule breaker. Slacking off on a job like lifeguarding could cause someone to be seriously injured or even die. If I were to fall asleep and I got caught by my manager, I would probably get in a lot of trouble, Cole said. But if I were asleep and some kid started drowning, that kid would ultimately be hurt because I wasnt aware of what was going on because of the sleep.

photo illustration by Savannah Viles

5% 4% 8% 5% 3% 4%

ents

15% of students helped another student cheat because of peer pressure 82% percent of students did it to help a friend

From an executive standpoint, employers can handle the offenses very differently, and the outcome often relies on the serious nature of the job at hand. Jobs that count on employees to take care of other people are usually more dependent on strict rules to keep the labor in check. Employee theft can occur in several forms: stealing material or inventory, taking cash for those staff members with the authority to handle transactions and deposits, agreeing to look the other way and finally by committing waste, Storage Mart owner Cris Burnam said. All employee theft raises the cost of doing business, which in turn means that businesses have to increase the prices. If you cant raise prices to cover your costs, then you will not be in business for long. Jobs that rely less on the direct satisfaction of their customers are usually less intense when it comes to maintaining firm standards. Senior Macauley Stubbs has a job maintaining equipment in a very relaxed atmosphere. A lot of my older co-workers drink on the job and do stuff like that, Stubbs said. Its not real serious out there. To tell you the truth, the boss would probably sit you down and have a drink with you if you got caught. Oftentimes, it falls on the businesses to control their employees and how they behave with the responsibilities they have. Most offenses are small and go unnoticed, and even the revealed ones are not usually treated with much harshness. The challenge for all businesses is creating a working environment where preventing employee theft is a priority but not to the extent that the workplace becomes a prison camp, Burnam said. After all, the main focus of any business is to make money, and to do that, happy and hardworking employees are essential. Burnam agrees that the most effective way to lessen the cheating of responsibility is largely a part of controlling oneself. If someone can limit how often he slacks off or breaks the rules, it benefits the business as well as his own ethical standings. We get our work done, regardless of whether we mess around or not, Sapp said. Really, its just small things that I do to cheat my job. Most people are the same way; they dont do anything too serious and get their work done.

The ROCK

16 Ads

January 27, 2011

FLASH FICTION

contest

February 18

http://teens.dbrl.org Contest and submission guidelines can be found online at http://teens.dbrl.org or at your library.

Daniel Boone Regional Library

January 27, 2011

Editorials 17
The ROCK

Government need not tighten gun laws

Further pursuit of gun control legislation would have no result
n Jan. 8 gunman Jared Loughner allegedly opened fire at a Tucson, Ariz. public meeting, killing six people and injuring others including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). In response to the tragedy, gun control activists are pushing for federal legislation that would tighten restrictions on firearm purchases. On Jan. 16 Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced a bill to the House that would further regulate gun sales, including outlawing high-capacity magazines as well other weapons, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has stated he plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate. These legislators and activists run on the platform that guns create violence and that further regulation will restore some civility. However, federal gun control regulation is already adequate. In the United States, anyone wishing to own a gun must first apply for a license and submit to a background check. If the person is mentally ill, a convicted felon, a drug user or one of many other types of people with similar personalities, then he cannot achieve a license and therefore cannot legally obtain a gun. To ensure the enforcement of these regulations, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvement Amendments Act of 2008 requires states to provide data on gun owners to the federal government. While these laws show the

GUN CONTROL ? GUN CONTROL GUN CONTRO ? GUN CONTR

RBHS students take the soapbox and make their voices heard

Employee calls for more appreciation

JESSICA JOST
work in fast food, and I am so tired of customers who have little appreciation for my co-workers and myself. Honestly, its like politeness and courtesy go out the door the minute people walk through it. In the small amount of time I have had my job, Ive experienced a basketball game in our lobby, milkshakes dumped in the bathrooms and more. Id have to say that watching someone throw a cup at my co-workers head because he was too slow on the register was the most disrespectful by far. Yes, fast food is by no means the most glamorous job out there, nor the most prestigious, but all Im asking for is a little consideration and politeness. Not all people who work in fast food are what one may call upstanding members of society. Nevertheless, thats no reason for a customer to come in and barely look up from his phone the entire time in the store, not even bothering with a hello or good-bye. Nor is it polite to look at us like were dirt and unfit to make food. But its not just the dirty looks; its also the looks of pity. The ones that say, Oh, that poor girl, she must have such a hard time feeding her child on minimum wage or, That young man is just wasting his life away. In my opinion those looks are the most insulting of all offenses, and the worst part is that they have no clue how wrong they are. So let me elaborate on the people with whom I work. Surprisingly enough, fast food workers are people too, beyond the stereotype of destitute, uneducated scum that the public perceives them as. My assistant manager is 20 and trying to save money to go to New York. The head manager has three kids and a brother who was just in an awful car accident, so most of her paycheck goes to his medical bill. My co-worker, Aaron, used to be a D.J. and is now creating a soundtrack for a video game his friend is putting together. Caleb used to be a radio D.J. also and is majoring in chemistry at the University of Missouri Columbia. David is training to become a medical assistant and licensed phlebotomist. Chris is an ex-Marine that got blown off a tower by insurgents in Afghanistan and now cant go back into the Marines because he can no longer run. But one would never know these things because all the customers care to see is the puke-green uniform, not the person behind it. When we do show our individuality, all of a sudden its like were different people in the eyes of the customer. Chris wore his Marine uniform into work on Memorial Day and said hed never been treated better by customers. Is that really all it takes? Just wearing something that commands respect, like a Marine uniform into work, and all of a sudden, customers view us as real people and not subjugates. How is that fair? Fast food workers deserve respect, as servers and as people. We dont deserve to be smirked at because we have to clean up someones purposeful mess, to wipe someones milkshake from the bathroom floor or to have cups thrown at us. Its rough enough working in fast food; there is no need to make it worse by being disrespectful and rude. So next time you go to a fast food restaurant, quit texting and look at the cashier. Smile and say hello. Pick up your own trash. Maybe even ask how the servers day is going if youre feeling generous. Above all, please dont judge us based off of the uniform that we wear. Yes, we are fast food workers. Yes, we are at the bottom of the employment food chain. But does that make us any less worthy of your respect and consideration? No.

government is taking some action to reduce gun violence, they are not perfect. For the most part, firearm legislation only affects hard-working, honest citizens looking for a means of protecting themselves and their families. Anyone out of control or motivated enough to shoot someone probably will not let licensure issues stand in the way, and for that reason these laws do little to affect the crime rate. Australias 1996 gun ban illustrates the futility of the highest form of gun control. The country spent more than $500 million confiscating and destroying more than 650,000 weapons with the hopes of reducing crime; however, the results were not what the government expected. One year after the ban, murder rates rose 3.2 percent, break-ins and assaults on the elderly climbed 12.8 percent and armed robberies rose an astounding 45 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Closer to home, Chicago issued a similar ban on handguns 29 years ago. The Supreme Court upheld a challenge to this ban in June of 2010 after Chicago police department statistics revealed that the citys handgun murder rate had increased after its enactment and that crime rates remained high compared to other cities. If these figures tell us anything, it is that gun control can only be so effective. The government holds some responsibility to manage weapons in this country, but without shutting down its

borders or investing in tracking devices, it cannot expect to significantly affect gun violence. For that reason, further pursuit of gun control legislation is useless. While the incident in Arizona was certainly tragic, it should not be the basis for policy change, especially since stricter laws would have played no role in the shooting. While investigators now believe Loughner is schizophrenic, at the time that he bought the gun he was receiving no medical treatment and did not fit the mentally ill profile. Even if the legislation were sweeping enough to include Loughner, it is more than likely that the shooting would have proceeded. Testimonials from people close to Loughner suggest his anger toward the congresswoman had been building for years and that he planned her assassination over a significant period of time. If this is true, then he could have obtained a gun by other means even if licensing issues were in his way. Regardless of the tragic events that led to the hospitalization of Giffords, national and state legislatures should not waste their time with more gun control laws. These restrictions only affect the well-doing citizens looking for protection and do not stop the criminals. While gun control can be effective to a certain point in managing the countrys firearms, it can only do so much. Further legislation would be unnecessary.

D OUBL E TA K E
E K AT E L B U O D
They should [tighten gun control] because all our youth sees is how easily these guns can be bought and used. This could affect how they react when they are old enough to buy these guns. Jadie Mann, senior Since the majority of people [in America] use guns for positive reasons, the people who defend the right reason to use guns should be able to have them. Strengthening laws wont stop people from getting guns from somewhere else. Sam Easley, sophomore
The Rock Staff

In the wake of the Arizona tragedy, should national or state legislators tighten gun control laws?

I do not think they should specifically strengthen control of guns themselves but put a limit on how easily ammunition is acquired. If someone is buying a large amount of automatic ammunition, it cant be used for good. Vince Markovitz, senior
photos by Parker Solomon

Yes

14 17

No
No

Rock Bridge Students

Yes

87 93

Restrictive laws on guns may prove beneficial

here are only two purposes guns can serve: to injure or to kill. As a body whose primary concern is the safety of its citizens, the government cannot allow free use of such deadly weapons and should instead impose stricter regulations upon them. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) is taking the correct approach with the bill she introduced to the House of Representatives Jan. 16; it would outlaw some assault rifles as well as high capacity magazines, such as the one gunman Jared Loughner allegedly used to kill six

people with on Jan. 8. In the wake of the Arizona tragedy, the government should pass this legislation that tightens its control on firearms to ensure a safer environment for the people. In 2004 Congress allowed a provision that banned possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire. This action, or inaction, meant that three weeks ago, with his legally-purchased Glock 19 pistol, Loughner was able to fire more than 20 shots in a row at that Arizona public meeting without having to reload. Had he only had

10 bullets, it is likely that a significantly smaller number of people would have been hurt or killed. The high capacity magazines and assault rifles that the legislation proposes to ban have only one purpose: to hit the greatest number of people in the least amount of time; they have no place in general American society. While gun activists and National Rifle Association members may act like the government is trampling on their freedoms, their claims have no ground. The average citizen does not need an AK47 with 30 bullets in it to

protect himself, nor does he need an Uzi submachine gun to shoot deer. If these gun activists would actually read proposed legislation, they would find their only purpose is to reduce the availability of highly dangerous firearms that serve no legal, practical use. While there is no guarantee that these changes would affect crime rates, it is the governments duty to take every action it can to promote a safer environment. For this reason Congress has no excuse not to pass laws that would strengthen gun control.

GUN CONTROL? GUN CON

Omar Taranissi Production Manager: Missy Wheeler Chief Financial Officer: Craig Chval News Editor: Tessa Vellek Features Editor: Shivangi Singh Editorials Editor: Omar Taranissi In-Depths Editor: Avantika Khatri Commentary Editor: Brian Dresner Sports Editor: Mary Herndon Design Editor: Brian Dresner Art Editor: Laura Ge Song Graphics Editor: Brandon McGonigle Arts & Entertainment Editor: Lauren Baker Artists: Dan Hainsworth, Grace Priest, Sawyer Wade Photography Editor: Kylee Fuchs Photographers: Muhammad AlRawi, Parker Solomon, Savannah Viles Staff Writers: Kirsten Buchanan, Rachel Craig, Maddie Davis, David Duffeck, Shannon Freese,

The Rock Rock Bridge High School 4303 South Providence Rd., Columbia, Mo. 65203-1798 Vol. 38. Issue 4 The Journalism: Newspaper and Honors Seminar classes produce The Rock. Please call us with comments at 573-214-3141. The Rocks purpose is to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain readers fairly and accurately in an open forum. The Rock is a member of the National

Scholastic Press Association and International Quill and Scroll. Advertising is $50 for a quarter page, $90 for a half page and $130 for a whole page. The Rock accepts letters from the students, teachers and community members signed with a valid signature only. The Rock reserves the right to edit contributions if they are libelous or obscene. Any grammatical errors at the fault of the writer will be printed. Editors-in-Chief: Craig Chval,

Erika Holliday, Halley Hollis, Ashley Hong, Jimmy Hunter, Abby Kayser, Joanne Lee, Alyssa Mulligan, Leslie Neu, Jackie Nichols, Sami Pathan, Jack Schoelz, Caraline Trecha, Alex Walters, Walter Wang, Emily Wright Advisor: Robin Fuemmeler Stover

18 Editorials
The ROCK

January 27, 2011

If Cleveland had its way...

Fans maintain hatred for star

James continues to take heat
OMAR TARANISSI

Culture encourages excessive alcohol abuse

EMILY WRIGHT

art by Dan Hainsworth

nowing an entire city or state hates you must be a peculiar feeling. Vince Carter experienced it in 2004 when he left the Toronto Raptors, as did Kevin Garnett in 2007 when he left the Minnesota Timberwolves. But when LeBron James publicly announced last summer that he would be leaving the Cavaliers to join superstars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat, he learned not only what it was like to have just the city of Cleveland hate him, but what it was like to have seemingly everyone else hate him as well. First, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote James a public letter blasting him on his poor leadership and lack of professionalism. Then, former NBA greats Larry Bird and Magic Johnson told reporters how his move illustrated the diminishing competitive fire in the league. From there everyone seemed to turn against James, and he began receiving hateful messages on Twitter, angry mail and even a few death threats. Though unreasonable, this inflated animosity towards James continues today. Fans in arenas all over the country boo the superstar, and pundits question whether he has tarnished his legacy. All the hostility toward James even prompted him to star in an embarrassingly dramatic Nike commercial, where he toyed around with the idea of accepting his role as the villain. The James hatred has gotten ridiculous. While turning a free agency decision into an ESPN prime time special certainly wasnt the smartest idea a mistake the young superstar has admitted the new LeBron James sucks fad is far from justified. First and foremost, the ruckus from the NBA over the new dynamic trio is exaggerated. Just minutes after James announced his decision, Stephen A. Smith was on CNN talking about how the new, unstoppable star power on the Heat would empower them to walk all over every team they played and how, essentially, they had thrown off the balance of power in the NBA. At that time Smith and other analysts must not have been paying attention to the Boston Celtics, who now have taken on Garnett, Sha-

quille ONeal, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Jermaine ONeal, all players who have led a team within the last 10 years and Rajon Rondo, who is one of the best point guards in the league. The Heat may be strong, but they are definitely not too powerful, as evidenced by their 31-13 overall record and 8-10 record against teams who have won over half of their games. Another criticism that commentators make toward James is that he proved he could not win a championship on his own, but who really could? Magic Johnson had Kareem AbdulJabbar and Jamaal Wilkes. Larry Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and later Dennis Rodman. The only thing separating the newest trio from some of the older ones is that James, Wade and Bosh decided to come together all at once, rather than starting on the same team or building up slowly. Some people see this difference as significant when in reality, it has nothing to do with the merit of any of the players. When James career is finished, people will evaluate his legacy based on tangible accomplishments such as championships and broken records, not how he got his team and teammates. James wanted the NBA titles he knew he could not win on the Cavs, so he made the smart decision. Yes, he was born and grew up in Ohio, but team loyalty doesnt necessarily make careers. Allen Iverson spent years on the 76ers and got virtually nothing out of it. Dirk Nowitzki still wont leave the Mavericks, and hes about as close to winning a championship as he was when he first started out. On the other hand, Garnett made the difficult decision to leave the Timberwolves after 12 years and was rewarded instantly with a championship. So James left the Cavs for a better team. Does that make him a bad guy? No. Even though Ive never been the biggest Lebron James fan, Id rather see him competing for titles rather than wasting his prime years carrying four other players through the early rounds of the playoffs. James is hungry for championships, and there is nothing wrong with that. So before you boo James or leave him an angry Twitter message, ask: can you blame him for doing whats best for his legacy? Maybe its time to end the irrational Lebron James hatred.

ew research has shown that binge drinking is not only prevalent among college students, but also among teenagers. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reported more than five million high-schoolers binge drink at least once a month in the United States. Since alcohol puts users at risk for injury, this is a frightening fact. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008 saw 11,773 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes alone, accounting for nearly onethird of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. Thus, binge drinking among youth is a serious problem that needs to be stopped. The main reason binge drinking has become such a problem among high school students is that Americas drinking age is 21. Since Americans are not legally allowed to consume alcohol until they are adults usually living on their own, it is more difficult for parents to have an

influence. However, this high school binge drinking culture is not as much of an issue in many European countries with lower drinking ages. For instance, German foreign exchange student junior Tobias Gansauge said the typical drinking age in Europe is between 16 and 18. This way teens can learn and begin to make a habit of learning safe alcohol practices while living at home. Gansauge said he was introduced to alcohol in his home early on, under the watchful eyes of his parents, making him less likely to want to drink heavily. In Germany, he said, moderate drinking is common and binge drinking is not as prevalent in his country. Growing up with parents who never abused alcohol, Gansauge said he learned to practice moderation on his own. He said this parental guidance is a key influence in reducing binge drinking among youth in Germany. According to www.alcohol-statistics-in-europe. com, teens coming from homes that had absolutley no alcohol and were not taught how to drink responsibly were the ones with more is-

sues with substance abuse. Also, 33 percent of the teens who said they bought their own alcohol were six times more likely to drink in a public space, three times more likely to drink frequently and twice as likely to overindulge alcohol. This shows that the parental influence on alcohol use is key to preventing binge drinking, something not as prevalent in American culture. In America, since alcohol is banned from youth until the age of 21, parents feel obligated by the law to keep alcohol away from their children rather than teach them how to use it responsibly. Similarly, since they are often going through a rebellious stage early in their life, teens often view alcohol as taboo and want to drink in excess in an attempt to be defiant of their parents and guardians.

Parents feel obligated to keep alcohol away from their children rather than teach them how to use it moderately.

This is not to say that an entire culture can simply change. However, parents can make small adjustments to guide teens along a much safer path with their encounters from alcohol. Despite a drinking age that may not necessarily change, parents can start discussions with their children about alcohol and demonstrate safe, moderate drinking within their homes. In addition, teenagers can take a step in the right direction by further educating themselves on the dangers of binge drinking. Society should not portray alcohol as something that should never be used. If high school students use alcohol in moderation and are familiar with its effects and dangers, they would have less of a reason to use it rebelliously. This, rather than attempting to convert cultural phenomena, is the key to eliminating binge drinking among youth.

JACK SCHOELZ

Net neutrality accommodates large Internet monopolies

a week. Today, tech giants like Facebook and Google continue to argue for net neutrality, but a closer look at the current state of the Internet suggests their purposes for doing so may not be so altruistic. According to 2009 research done by Internet marketing research company comScore, Google dominates 65 percent of the market for search engines in the U.S. Recent studies at the end of 2010 conducted by Internet analyst firm Hitwise showed Facebook as the most visited site with an estimated value of $50 billion. These companies do not want to maintain net neutrality for the benefit of the masses of Internet users as a whole but instead to keep out possible competition. Google faces very little to no threat from any other current search engine, and with the new application Facebook Connect, the social networking site extends its borders to include an even larger portion of the web. An end to net neutrality is the only real threat these companies face since it would force a large portion of their customer base to use many other sites. The disappearance of a basic right to privacy on major websites further necessitates an end to net neutrality. One year ago Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg justified privacy changes to be less inclusive saying, People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. But Facebook seems to have cre-

n the past five years, Google has grown at a rapid pace to become a worldwide phenomenon. In 2005 the company entered the Forbes Global 2,000 list of businesses, ranked at 904. By 2010 the Internet giant had jumped to rank 120, a leap almost unheard of on a list where companies reorder themselves at a glacial pace according to Forbes own site. Google, like such other silicon giants as Facebook, have been able to develop in large part thanks to the principle of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers, such as Verizon or AT&T, cannot restrict consumer access to Internet sites on the web. Without net neutrality, the web would operate very similarly to television channels, with consumers paying for access to certain sites but not gaining any access to all sites on the web. This does not violate free market rights because companies would make deals to create restrictions, not the government. Net neutrality used to preserve a web that fostered new companies and innovative ideas that changed the world. Sites like Wikipedia, YouTube and Google have had a huge effect on the distribution of research and new information across the world. A new idea posted in a video on Youtube could reach a million people worldwide in

ated this social norm rather than actually serve it. For instance, in 2006, when the site first launched its famous news feed feature, 740,000 people protested in a group developed on the site. These companies benefit by curtailing privacy rights because it gives them more information to provide advertisers, who provide the sites with a profit. This means they are completely willing to ignore a consumers interests. An end to net neutrality would result in preserving consumers basic rights. Right now major companies control large portions of the web Google dominating search engines and Facebook dominating social networks. Therefore, each site controls a huge piece of consumer information on the Internet. Ending net neutrality would split up these booming empires. Instead of using Google or Facebook, consumers would be forced to use whatever sites their Internet providers allow access to. This, in turn, would divide private consumer information back out among Silicon Valleys largest companies. In order to maintain a customer base, these companies would have to respect user rights. Competition among companies would benefit the population because it would force companies to respond to the interests of Internet users instead of focusing on the interests of Internet advertisers and large profits.

Google, you get the northern district of Search Engines. YouTube, you have all of Video Sharing

art by Dan Hainsworth

January 27, 2011

Editorials 19
The ROCK

Censoring Huck Finn removes meaning

CRAIG CHVAL

editoral cartoon by Grace Priest

Warning: The following editorial contains graphic language that some readers may find offensive. ll modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. If you read it you must stop where the Nigger Jim is stolen from the boys. That is the real end. The rest is just cheating. But its the best book weve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since. With this passage from The Green Hills of Africa in 1935, Ernest Hemingway summarizes the mainstream view of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the magnum opus of a literary genius and the quintessential Great American Novel. However, Huck Finn is not without controversy. When the novel was first published in 1884, some critics bashed its apparently crude humor. In the 20th century, it turned out to be much more notorious for using the n-word more than 200 times, becoming one of the most-censored books in public schools. Censorship limits the spread of ideas and becomes too arbitrary over what can stay and what can go, especially when the author is not around to defend his work. Recently, the process of censoring Huck Finn has evolved to a much more horrific act: actually changing the text, which is what publisher NewSouth Books announced it was doing earlier this month. A new edition of Huck Finn, combined

Break before college holds positive benefits

LESLIE NEU
students but has not caught on in the United States. But recently, there have been efforts to increase the popularity. Such schools as Amherst College, Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have formal policies allowing students to defer admission. There have been more then 30 gap year fairs throughout the country, according to The Wall Street Journal. With the cooperation of universities, the ability to take a year off before college is becoming easier than ever for Americans. During an internship a student receives the opportunity to rub elbows with professionals in their field. A student with a degree and no connections in the job market is like a sailor without a compass, and these professionals can give guidance along with job suggestions and an inside look into a career. An internship is better than a normal part-time job because it is full-time and provides for more specificity in an occupational field. Thinking toward the future, references are necessary to acquire a job, and after a year of working with a motivated individual, employers would be more than happy to give positive feedback about an interns performance. During the year, the graduate will grow through life experiences. It will give him time to gain a wealth of knowledge and skills that will better prepare him not only for a job, but for adulthood. A young adult will learn the responsibility of keeping a job, time management and making house and car payments before becoming a grown up. No matter if students travel to the next state or the next country, any new experience comes with a heightened sense

with its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, will hit shelves in February with edited text: NewSouth will strike out the word Injun and change the n-word to slave. Censoring Huck Finn, even in the name of anti-racism, sets a dangerous precedent for publishing companies. Soon, Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice (a substantially more racist work than Huck Finn) could see revisions to the Bards poetry. Likewise, literature will take a severe hit if Barabas becomes the Jewish person of Malta or Marlow ventures into the African-American continent. The great irony of this censored edition is that NewSouth Books is an Alabama-based company. Alabama. The state should amend its constitution before amending classic American literature. According to section 256 of the Alabama Constitution, Separate schools shall be provided for white and colored children, and no child of either race shall be permitted to attend a school of the other race. Yes, integration is still technically illegal by Alabama state law. In fact, the state legislature struck down an amendment looking to change this clause in 2006 52 years after Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation unconstitutional and interracial marriages only became constitutional in Alabama in 2000. Clearly, the state has many racial problems it needs to resolve before it censors 125-year-old books. But what really makes this censored edition confounding is how anti-racism Twain was. A staunch abolitionist, Twain even paid for a black man to attend Yale and criticized racism and imperialism in his 1897 work, Following

the Equator. His use of the n-word was to display the ignorance of racists and paint a picture of the adversity blacks faced in the 1840s (and, of course, in his own time). The runaway slave, Jim, is one of the most positive and sympathetic characters in the novel, deciding to remain with the injured Tom instead of completing his escape. He foils Hucks illiterate father, who loudly claims, When they told me there was a State in this country where theyd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says Ill never vote agin. Although Twain was not racist, Huck Finn still has racially offensive language, and many young students cannot understand Twains irony in its usage, one of the reasons for NewSouths edition. Because many schools ban the book, it is left off curricula, so NewSouths revised edition can put it back in schools. However, this only masks the problem. NewSouth is missing the whole point of Huck Finn and its value to the present. Students need to have a mature discussion about Huck Finn rather than dismiss it as racism. To say that changing the language will benefit children who would not be able to read it anyway is ridiculous. It should not be on elementary curricula because young students cannot understand Twains message. Changing the language changes Twains message and dismisses the ugly racist history of America. Toni Morrison, a Pulitzer prize-winning African-American author has attacked the censorship of Huck Finn, saying, It struck me as a purist yet elementary kind of censorship designed to appease adults rather than educate children. Amputate the problem, band-aid the

solution. A serious comprehensive discussion of the term by an intelligent teacher certainly would have benefited my eighth-grade class. This serious comprehensive discussion is how RBHS students have learned from Twain. English teacher Patti Price said her U.S. Studies class examines Huckleberry Finn to read a classic novel and to better understand U.S. history. Instead of screening the racism in Huck Finn, Prices class discusses its mature themes before voting on whether or not to include the word. This approach of discussion is what schools across the nation should do rather than resorting to censoring the book. The type of language in Huck Finn warrants questions and conversations about racism, offensiveness, slavery and the history of America. The characters are offensive, and that is Twains point. It is important for Americans to remember what life was like for blacks during periods of intense racism to ensure it never happens again. Twain depicts a haunting America that cannot be forgotten by changing nigger to slave. Racism is an inexcusable part of America in 1840, 1884, 1954 and 2011. Perhaps by learning racisms history, we can prevent its future, and this will not happen by censoring a work so pivotal to this goal. When NewSouth comes out with The [censored] Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, schools must resist the temptation to take the easy way out. Instead, they should go back to Twains original writing and teach students the lessons of antiracism he left for them in Hucks journey from sivilized life.

growing number of high school graduates are latching onto the idea of a gap year, one in which students can travel, work, gain experience and relight after the high school burn out. A recent survey from the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles found that 1.2 percent of 300,000 first-time freshmen at four-year colleges and universities waited a year to enter college. Most parents would shun the idea of taking a year off before college for fear that their child may never return to structured education. Yet, this year off is an opportunity to refocus before diving into the hectic life of college. According to researchers at Pennsylvania State, up to 80 percent of students entering college admit they are unsure of their majors, and by graduation more than 50 percent of college students change their major at least once. Instead of spending a year wandering through a campus on academic tuition, students could take a year off to explore interests and refocus on an issue they could pursue through college and a career. Once they choose a path, it is important to gain experience in that field. Future employers are looking for experienced workers. They want someone with a degree and job experience in this competitive market. Thus, a gap year is the perfect time for young adults to work an internship or part-time job in their prospective career field. Many countries, such as Austria and Germany, mandate military or civilian service before attending college. The idea of a gap year is familiar to European

Taking time to make up your mind

90 percent of students who take gap year return to college within a year Between 200,00 and 250,000 young people aged 16-25 are estimated to take time off each year 60 percent of students are set on a career or academic path from their experiences

Too much emotion calls for stricter policies for athletes

nized sports games emotion drives the game and keeps the players in the aceSoto High School tion and with the game. But basketball player there must be a more disMason Holland is tinct boundary set between facing assault charges for player and referee. throwing a referee to the A player should never ground during a basketball bring up a call with the game against Floridas Port official directly. After one Charlotte Dec. 13. In the incident in which a player video posted on YouTube, openly disrespects an ofit appears Holland gets ficial during a game, that angry over p l a y e r a call made should be This display during the suspended of outrageous for at least game, at which point one game. behavior he pushes brings to light If that playthe referee to er should the issue of the ground. make any Holland where the line kind of discharges the is between be- respect to referee and the official, ing passionate that player slams him to the ground; about a game should sit soon afterand being out out for the ward he is rest of the of control. ejected from season. the game. AthletThis disics can have play of outrageous behav- some emotion, but all playior brings to light the issue ers at the high school, colof where the line is between lege and professional level being passionate about a must realize they are setgame and being out of con- ting an example for youngtrol and becoming a physi- er generations and need to cal hazard to other people display respect for authoras well as yourself. Yes, ity. There is no reason a Holland probably did not player should lose control go out on the court think- of their actions. That kind ing he was going to throw of outburst is inexcusable the referee to the ground, and, at the first sign, must but such an act oversteps stop. the emotion that players Players should discuss should display during any any discrepancies they have kind of game. Without with a referee or with their punishment emotion can coach, who, in turn, could escalate to worse levels, approach the official. The even if that emotion does stricter enforcement and not appear until the player earlier discipline will help is at the college or profes- bring a safer atmosphere to sional level. the game by eliminating seI am not saying emotion vere or physical outbursts should stop during orga- while keeping the passion.

ALEX WALTERS

source: www.gapadvice.org art by Grace Priest

of existence. And this new motivation for life will show upon the return to school. The final plus to a year off is the time for relaxation after a stressful four years of high school. Instead of working for a grade, graduates will be working for themselves. They have jumped societys hurdle of getting into the college, so the time has come to do something they have planned. A gap year offers students the opportunity to be the driver in their lives. They will learn time and money management skills. They will see how far they can stretch a dollar or an hour toward their plans.

This is the time to dream big while learning the real restrictions that life deals in the real world. Seniors should still finish high school and fill out college applications in the fall and in the spring. If accepted, they should call their chosen universitys admissions office to ask for an enrollment deferment. Upon this request, the admissions representative will change the enrollment year to the subsequent year. Once complete, the student is free to dream and plan a year to relight his or her passions after the high school senior burnout.

The ROCK

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January 27, 2011

Commentary 21
The ROCK

Former Rock writer reflects College serves as wake up call

ne of the biggest mistakes I have ever made was thinking I knew college before I had actually been there. I spent all of fall semester my senior year trying to impress 13 colleges, listening to lectures about the new environment college would provide and even took a few college classes. College, I thought, was just school, but with older, smarter kids. Not a big deal. Oh, how very misguided I was. The first thing I learned was college isnt high school. Its a bizarre dream, except when you wake up, all that happens is youre late for class. Its a funny, tiring place, and itll teach you more about yourself than youve ever wanted to know. Itll be hilarious, and itll be downright overwhelming, but with time and effort, college gets better. My first trial at Johns Hopkins University came in a class called Honors Linear Algebra, taught by Professor Steven Zucker. To start, Zucker was a math god. In 1982 he became famous for his conjecture about L2 cohomology that was published in just about every big mathematics journal of the day. No, I dont know what that means. Nobody did. Which was why our class of 30 eager freshmen quickly whittled down to 11 within the first four weeks. Every day, I left class dreading the homework assignment, and soon I was staring with frustration at the 44/105 Id earned on my first test, wondering where I had gone wrong. It was then that I told myself, Its probably about time to drop. When I handed the pink form to a counselor, the first thing she asked me was Why are you in Honors Linear Algebra to begin with? Because I like math. I thought for a moment more and added, I thought I liked math. She chuckled a bit then said, Think about it some more and then come back and let us know. I should have said, No. I should have put my foot down and refused to leave until that class was off my conscious. But I didnt. Instead, I just said, Ok, thanks, and walked out. Maybe I was stubborn. Maybe I was just stupid. In any case I spent the next few days thinking everything over, arguing with myself and calling my mother. And somewhere within that time, I decided I was going to finish Honors Linear Algebra, no matter how much sleep or sanity it denied me. The

Family embraces differences within

TASMEEN HUSSEIN

ar t by Saw

yer Wade

decision was simultaneously energizing and miserable. The next few weeks saw me losing a lot of weight and gaining a lot of street cred in the math help room. I was in there a few times every week, including lunch period most Mondays, just cranking out homework, and every Sunday five of us met to review problems and the lectures. As a result, I did much better on the second midterm. My final grade wasnt perfectjust a B+ but I was proud. College also helps to teach an age-old axiom: in any situation where you have to work hard, you have to play hard too. It was a week before Halloween when our floors residential advisor told us about an idea for a fun bonding activity in D-level of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library. D-level is the deepest, darkest, most dreadful level in the undergraduate library. But Wolman Hall, Floor Three East was about to change all of that. On Oct. 31, six of us, hidden under white tablecloths with roughly cut eye holes, shuffled around D-level as inconspicuously as possible. Some of us sat down with books. Others, to be as awkward as possible, sat down next to fervent studiers and simply stared at them awkwardly. Then, from one students iPod, the Ghostbusters theme began. From the staircase emerged four figures, clad in tan uniforms complete with balloon Proton Packs. The Ghostbusters stood together for a moment, and the chase began. Around the bookcases and desks we ran with flailing arms. A few students were aghast that we were contaminating D-level with such fun, but most appreciated the

Christmas hospital visit causes shock

C
MISSY WHEELER
what had happened, she asked my parents to take Katie outside and call an ambulance. My sister, still completely out of it, was sitting there having trouble holding her own head up; my dad carried and dragged her out with my mom and aunt following. Somehow, the priest missed the chaos in the front and stood up to say the closing prayer. His words began my streaming flow of tears Christmas is a time for family. I hope you come to treasure each other more this season, and it is about more than the gifts you receive but the gift that your family is. Open your books to page 734 as we sing Joy to the World. The irony killed me. I tried to wipe the tears from my face. I didnt know whether she had just passed out or if it was a seizure. Was she diabetic or epileptic or going to die? My uncle leaned over and told me I could leave if I liked, so I ran out. I ran to our silver van, where my sister sat in the back seat trying to figure out what was happening. After a while, a few firemen and emergency medics arrived in an ambulance and concluded that she needed to go to the hospital. The more I heard, the harder it was to hide my tears. I ran to the other side of the car as I let the sobs conquer me. It was my little sister, so young, beautiful and confident, that they were taking away. At the Emergency Room, my dad and I tried to see Katie, but the woman at the desk couldnt let me in her room since I was under 18. So the wait began. One never understands the real pain and worry that stews in a waiting room until she sits in one. All I could do was pray. And think. Katie is my best friend. I dont think theres anyone in the world I would miss more than her. Families have enough of a bond of unconditional love, but theres nothing like the love between sisters. Finally, my

break in monotony. When we finally ran through the main floor through the glass doors and collapsed on the quad beyond, we all just sat around laughing like immature junior high kids who had just toilet-papered a house. It was so refreshing to forget the stresses of classwork and revel in the beauty of a good, clean prank. My final story isnt so much a story as a promise and an honest belief. Its that wherever life leads you, itll be to a place that will make you happy based on the choices you make and the people you meet. Hopkins might be known for its medical school or as a place filled with geniuses. I forget that a lot of the time and instead can only focus on the funny, interesting, quirky things that set Hopkins apart from other brainiac schools. Things like how my physics professor started the first day of classes with an xkcd.com webcomic entitled Fields Arranged by Purity, which showed a physicist making fun of every other branch of science, or how the Fresh Food Caf stays open until midnight to satisfy late night food cravings, and how undergrads are offered an intriguing class simply called Dinosaurs. Or how the only way you know how great the tunnel connecting Mudd and Remsen is if you take it at one oclock in the morning and find a way to avoid the janitors. Or how the giant animal statues in front of Bloomberg prompt an inexplicable desire in you to sit on them, how Hopkins campus shines under lamplight once the rest of the world is dark. Its little things Ill remember in 20 years. Not statistics or rumors or all of those other reasons I thought Id like coming here. By far the greatest things either spontaneously happen or theyre just characteristic to the Hopkins lifestyle. Its the same way youd love any other family, just because of the peculiar, wonderful way it works. Youll find that sometimes college can be like Tyler Durden in Fight Club, kicking you around and telling you that you have to give up. But you cant do that, you have to keep going. Beat the odds. Because chances are, when you look back, youll be happy you took the risk because youll learn a lot in the process. Youll learn a lot about education but more about who you are as an independent person. And the more you immerse yourself in this new life, the more you will find that the college experience tailors itself and becomes what you want. Every experience will work to mature you, be it a tough one or just a silly one. Thats why by the end, college is simply what you make of it. Oh, and for those who are curious, I still like math. Kind of.

BRIAN DRESNER

othing proves the unchanging love of a familial bond more plainly than when a relative comes right out and says hes gay. While America is witnessing a steady rise in the number of homosexuals, I could never understand the impact of having an own member of my family come out until it just unexpectedly happened. Although 8.8 million people are homosexuals in America, according to the U.S. census bureau, I still couldnt have been prepared for the magnitude of having somebody so close to me drop a bomb like that. When we took a cruise during this past New Year, one of my cousins came out about his own sexuality. He didnt exactly do it in a direct way; he was incredibly ashamed about it and told the family as if it were some kind of legal confession, as if he were guilty of something. Within my extended family, the cousins had grown up like brothers and sisters, and we have always been close and communicative. With my cousin, it was no different from any of us, except that where most of the family was outgoing, he had always been more reserved and quiet. We never treated him differently, but in hindsight his behavior definitely explained a lot about what he was struggling with. However, despite finally mustering up courage to deal with the issue, he was devoid of any levity in doing so. He admitted he felt cheated and that fate had played a trick on him, making him the only one in his family and friend group different. Instead of embracing who he was, he felt that he was peculiar, an error of society. I learned he had suffered from depressive symptoms for the past few years as he struggled with how he felt, which explained his progressive detachment from the family. He didnt treat the situation with any happiness; he approached the whole ordeal as a dark secret. He forced himself into emotional reclusiveness for fear of judgment: judgment from his peers, and judgment from his own family, a secret he could keep no longer. However, as the news hit the family, he discovered something marvelous happened: nothing. We continued to accept him for who he was, regardless of his sexuality. Not one single member passed judgments, and he was still my cousin. The next night I met up with him on the ships deck. With him was a boy named Rafael, a tall blonde who appeared to be wearing eyeliner. After introductions I realized my cousin was finally doing what he had always been afraid to do: pursue a member of the same sex. When my cousin came out to the family, it wasnt his sexuality that shocked me, but the fact that he had feared our rejection. As we responded to the news only with acceptance, I learned what it means to be a family. I knew it meant seeing each other through times of despair and cherishing blessings despite differences, to lift others up as to allow them to reach happiness. This was something I had always thought, but never had I seen our family being put to the test so directly. Still, it helped all of us figure out that we actually have the ability to face those certain dilemmas unionized, something that defines the unconditional love of family.

I could never understand the gravity of having an own member of my family come out.

hristmas is a time for family. So, my parents, sister, aunt, uncle, paw paw and I all headed to Mass Christmas Eve planning to celebrate there before heading home for some gumbo and possibly making cookies for Santa. We walked into the dark church early, an hour before Mass would start, and settled down in the front pew. As the choir sang Silent Night, my sister Katie and I flipped through the book of songs, quietly humming a few of our favorite Advent tunes. Mass began, and after songs and readings and more songs, it was almost the end of Communion. Then on my right, I heard a faint whisper. I was still staring at the priest. Suddenly, Katie elbowed me hard in the side. I turned to give her a piece of my mind for hitting me when everything changed. She had put her hand on her forehead, her face completely drained of any color. Her lips were a deep bluepurple shade, her eyes wide open as they gazed at the Christmas lights she could no longer see. She fell back suddenly, hitting her knee on the rack of books on the pew and landing on my mom and the seat. Her arms were out, flailing for help. My mom and I pulled her up, her head lolled back and her mouth open wide, still shaking with her eyes rolling. Finally Katie blinked and came back to consciousness, but barely. She had no understanding of where she was or what had happened in the past 10 seconds. Once my aunt, a nurse, realized

Her lips were a deep blue-purple shade, her eyes wide open as she gazed at the Christmas lights she could no longer see.

art by Sawyer Wade

dad returned and I was able to go to her room. As I pulled back the curtain, I was afraid I wouldnt be able to handle what I saw. Katie was sitting up, with an IV in her right arm and blood slowly filling the tubes. She was in her church clothes, smiling at something my mom had said. She seemed excited enough to see me, telling me what had happened since she had gotten in the ambulance and the weird things they had done to her in the hospital. The color was back in her face and lips, and she laughed at some sarcastic joke I made about doctors and her falling backward and hitting her knee on the pew. Nothing was really wrong, except she hadnt been eating right and was lacking a few nutrients. I did not want her to know about all my tears. I wasnt brave enough to tell her that I loved her yet. Or that I saw the world differently, or that I needed her more than anything in my life and she should never leave me. Loving her has a new definition to me now. After the hospital fiasco, my life has a renewed focus. My family is much more important to me now. No one in our family saw this coming; events like this arent predictable or preventable. Out of the whole experience, Katie got a cool story and a hospital trip with a free catfish dinner. I had the scariest moment of my life. But now I know keep my family close, and never forget to appreciate all we have together. Treasure the small moments with my friends, because all of a sudden they could be gone. The real joy in the world is from the people we love.

22 Commentary
The ROCK

January 27, 2011

Overdependence impacts lifestyle

MARY HERNDON

Technology offers superfluous connectivity

n 1993 people were just getting CD players in their cars, leaving voicemails on tapes and watching Friends. Also, I was born. There was a lot lacking technologically in the early 90s. So I decided to revisit the distant time of my birth. I wouldnt use any recent electronic technology, including my cell phone and the Internet for seven days. Anything that wasnt around when I was born in 1993 was off the table for a week. The idea stemmed from the day I left my phone at home. I felt clean, having gone a whole day without the ringing and buzzing and constant communication; still, people kept asking me how I could live without it. Wondering what they would say if I took my phone and other technology out of the picture, I developed the idea. It will either be so easy that I could boast how little we need technology or so hard that I could complain about how reliant we are on it. Even though I was trying to avoid technology, this experience made me realize doing so was not easy. The very first day, I had forgotten to turn off my cell phone, so I woke to the shrieking alarm and knew I had to start the experiment over. I successfully started over two days later, but I knew the week would be harder than I thought. I had to baby-sit a few times, and the kids wanted to watch Despicable Me a DVD, invented in 1995 so I had to read while the kids watched the movie. Another day I convinced the kids to watch Rugrats in Paris on VHS (early 80s) so that I wouldnt have to ignore them or the movie. I was able to avoid using computers

and the special functions on graphing calculators (2004) in math but was forced to watch a documentary on YouTube in my Psychology class. There were a lot of things I missed that week because I couldnt communicate with anyone. No one called or even tried to text me about a lunch at Shakespeares Pizza on a snow day, so I missed that. I also neglected a National Honors Society meeting, which was announced via Twitter. However, those situations only affected me. There were plenty of things that got messed up and affected other people too. I forgot my friends birthday without the reminder from Facebook. Another friend needed help painting her house, but because of a lack of communication, I couldnt help her. And I didnt talk to my dad, who lives in Kentucky, all week. Of course, I felt terrible about these things, but that was the sacrifice I had to make. After a few days, a friend was complaining about how disconnected she felt from me. When I pointed out that she could call my cell phone or even my home phone, another classmate laughed aloud and said, Why would you do that? Meanwhile, my friend doesnt even have a home phone. That night I called her and talked to her for 10 minutes. I hate talking on the phone, but that was my only means of communication with anyone, so I was forced to get very comfortable with it this week. And Im much more willing to call now instead of typing out a text. When I finally returned to the 21st century, heres what I found waiting for me: one event invitation, two voicemails, two Twitter follower requests, four Facebook notifications (a little disappointing, Ill admit), about 20 texts and 80 e-mails. However, I dont feel like I

missed anything huge. It seems we all, myself included, rely on technology too much. However, technology is a helpful thing. The same applies to technology in relationships. I felt more

disconnected from my family and friends that week without the extra communication, and Im grateful for the things that enable me to talk to people more often. But I dont think we should depend on

technological communication to be the base of relationships. No one really needs these things. Technology just makes life a little, or a lot, easier. We can remember, communicate and

learn faster with technology. But we shouldnt have to rely on all these things as much as we do because we can certainly get around without cameras, phones, computers and MP3 players. I did.

Calendar date should not dictate when to love

art by Sawyer Wade

art by Sawyer Wade

MADDIE DAVIS
very year, Valentines Day rolls around and with it an endless supply of disappointment and annoyance. During this time just walking into any grocery store puts me in a bad mood. The red and pink satin bows, the giant teddy bears and large variety of chocolates covering the aisles seem nothing less than ridiculous. Though they would seem to be a constant reminder of love or the lack of it, the material objects are simply a waste of money for a holiday that is useless. Feb. 14 is nothing more than a chance for companies like Hallmark and Hersheys to capitalize on the vulnerability of those who jump at the chance to believe that a certain date on the calendar and coy commercialism can commemorate love. The history of Valentines Day goes back to the days of ancient Rome when warriors were not allowed to marry. St. Valentine, however, helped to marry them secretly. To show thanks, he was given gifts, which became the first Valentines. But the historical perspective has lost its

meaning in the wake of retail sales that hit more than $1 billion in 2010. Its not that Im not bitter because I havent found the love of my life in time for Feb. 14. Even when I have been in relationships during the second month of the year, I have seen no sense in using the date to remind us how much we love each other. Besides, the point of having a significant other is to be there for one another. Along with the unneeded reminder, expectations on Valentines Day are nearly impossible to meet. The type of present and the amount of money to spend causes confusion and stress. Jewelry, chocolate and oversized stuffed animals are unoriginal. Giving gifts is hard in any circumstance. Valentines Day forever raises unrealistic expectations because of the way that movies and commercials have imagined them. Media make the day seem magical and meaningful, but maybe the best thing to do is to stay single in the month of February to avoid stress. Valentines Day should be removed from the calendar. Its nauseating to watch the holiday cheer with everyones pink and red, which clash anyway, and excessive PDA.

Is Valentines Day the most romantic holiday?

No, because around Christmas time a lot more happens, and on Valentines Day its like, Heres a box of chocolates. I love you. I just think Christmas is more romantic because it seems more meaningful. Devin Forsee, senior

I dont think so. If youre in a relationship with someone, it shouldnt be, I love you on one specific day, it should be like that every day. I feel like Valentines day is just a commercial way of making money: selling chocolates and buying cards. Lauren Deschenes, senior

Yes, because nothing says, I love you like getting candy in the middle of a class when no one else does. Stuart Atwood, senior

Yes, because no other holiday is more romantic to me. You get to show that one special person how much you care about them and that youre thinking of them. Justin McNeeley, senior

photos by Kylee Fuchs