Issue 10

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0488dfc3.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0498dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Mrs. Davies                      Room 206</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mrs. Davies Room 20"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     </B><B>back</B></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0498dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Issue 10</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Graduation:What Will the Future Bring?</div> <div> By: Ashley Argent</div> <bR> <div> As graduation nears, you might stop and wonder what people think about graduating. Most seniors are happy just to be leaving this place that the majority of us have called home for the past 12 years, but others are worried about seeing friends, losing friends, and most importantly, what's going to happen next year. </div> <div> Surely though, there are those few kids out there that are dreading graduation. Not just because they are scared of what may become of friendships and life in general, but because they know that they are no longer going to be worshiped by those less popular. These are the kids that have been looked upon as gods, and goddesses since pre-k, and know that when the real world hits, they are going to be nobodies in the crowd. </div> <div> These are the kids that have been envied, copied, and downright admired since we were finger painting, the kids that have been sought after, fought over, and followed around since middle school, and finally, these are the kids that started styles, created trends, and made us want to leave most memories of Liberty behind.</div> <div> Granted, deep down these people are fine human beings, and will most likely go places in life, but these are the kids that made the rest of the human body feel as though we would never be the “cool kids.” These kids were elected to be the kids of worship before most of us were given our chances to shine, and it wasn't really fair to the rest of us. Most people just accepted it after time, and went on to make friends of their own, but it was always lingering in the backs of our minds that these kids were somehow “elite.” These are also the kids that went on to doing drugs, and having sex at an early age.</div> <div> It seems to me like the “popular” kids are really the insecure ones, the kids that need other people to assure them that they are cool. The majority of our class is just fine with having friends and a social life, but these “elite” few can never fit enough parties, get-togethers and free time into their social life. These are the kids that we want our children to admire? What kind of example are we really setting? </div> <div> It seems to me that next time your child complains about not being one of the cool kids, that you should let them know just how special they are by not being “elite.” Let them know what their future may hold if they want to be admired for the wrong reasons. And most importantly, let them know that they have nothing to worry about when graduation time rolls around.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Geneva" ><I> </I></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Kids Get Kick Out of Con</B></div> <div> <B>By Jared Levine</B></div> <bR> <div>      When Liberty's administration worked to get comedian and ex-convict Mark Lundholm to come speak to the student body about his experiences, they may not have known what they were getting themselves into. It seems that certain faculty and administration members may have gotten more than they bargained for on Wednesday, when Lundholm delivered a raucous blend of stand-up comedy and inspirational speaking for about an hour. </div> <div>      The topics of Lundholm's speech included drug and alcohol abuse, criminal actions, sexual innuendoes, suicide contemplation, and wild party scenarios. While the students, who constantly applauded Lundholm's bold words, took much of his humor in with open ears, many faculty and staff members were taken back by the severe harshness and crudeness of this school assembly. The main argument is a simple one- that Lundholm brought an inappropriate style of speaking to Liberty High. Although the kids seemed to understand and relate to the brash jokes, a sea of skepticism arose from the staff. What gives Lundholm the right to talk about such mature topics to a group of high schoolers, especially when a good percentage of them haven't even been around drugs or alcohol? Why expose those innocent ones to a world unknown and unexplored?</div> <div>      That point of view is mainly present to protect the younger eighth and ninth grade students who may have not had experience with the touchy subject of substance abuse. For those older students who are fully aware of the actions and consequences of drugs and alcohol (whether they choose to participate in them or not), the message has been thoroughly conveyed dozens, maybe even hundreds of time: drugs are bad, they cause nothing but temporary solutions to growing problems; alcohol is just as much a drug as marijuana, which is why it is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink. These ideas have basically become rules and guidelines for teens, and even for those not old enough to have had the opportunity to do them, the point is clear. </div> <div>      So why try to press the issue yet again? Why not try to switch it up and try to reach kids through comedy or through a real-life story, told by someone who has lived through so many misfortunes? That seems to have been the main reason for bringing Lundholm to LHS in the first place, and since the deed is done, there is no erasing his words from the student's memory. What he said, likeable or not, did serve a point, and whether or not it reached every student is irrelevant. Hopefully the students that he was trying to reach, the kids who really needed to hear from such a man, took his performance for more than just a comedy act. One of Lundholm's main points was making a difference in someone's life instantly, an ordeal that he was fortunate enough to have experienced. Even if Lundholm did not get through to everyone and even if his points were overlooked by his graphic comedy, the impact that he may have had on even a select group of people, student or teacher, should override any controversy he stirred up on Wednesday. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Parking Is A Privilege </B></div> <div> <B>By Erin Smith</B></div> <bR> <div>       Every year in August before school begins, National Honor Society members and seniors enter school anticipating a new privilege: Senior Parking.  But this 2003-2004 year, this privilege has been revoked.  Teachers, substitutes, and underclassmen constantly take up reserved parking spots.  After five years haven't we earned the right to a parking spot?</div> <div>      First, there are our beloved substitute teachers.  They provide a great service to our school by coming into school and watching classes for very little money.  But why do they have to park in senior parking?  When teachers are absent, they give their parking spot number to the substitute so they have a parking spot.  Perhaps substitutes have to be reminded of where to park. </div> <div>      When it comes to underclassmen parking in senior parking, there is somewhat of an understanding.  The seniors understand how it feels to have a car to drive to school but nowhere to park it.  But lately underclassmen have disregarded the rules and the seniors, and have taken our front parking spots.  Those of us seniors with parking privileges just want them to park somewhere else.  That's the bottom-line.</div> <div>       There has to be a solution for this problem.  Fighting for a parking spot in the morning does not exactly start the day off in the right way.  What if the parking lot was paved? Then the spots could be clearly marked and there wouldn't be ten feet between two cars and four inches between another two cars.  And if the juniors want to park upfront so bad then the school should plan to extend the parking into the lawn in front of the school.  What is that lawn used for exactly?  Why can't it be parking?  If it is a money issue, why doesn't the school district decide not to pave the Middle School parking lot this year?  It seems to be newly paved every new school year.</div> <div>      Though when put into perspective this parking issue is very minimal problem.  But when some of us have to parking in the mud or in the Middle School then get into trouble for it then it is something to complain about.  Please be part of the solution, not the problem.   </div> <bR> <bR> <div>     </div> <div> Who's To Say?</div> <div> By Jamie Poley</div> <bR> <div>          An entire eighteen entries can be found in the dictionary for one word. Both a word and a subject, art is the end result of a creative process with a complete absence of “right” and “wrong.” That's the beauty of it. Art will laugh in the face of “normal” and bring conventionality to shame. Although culturally accepted and praised, art is one of the only few things left which has not been bombed by structure. </div> <div>      Yes, art is solely based on creativity; however, it is sometimes forgotten that within the creative process there are things called technique and composition. It is an art in itself to look at a piece of work and to determine whether or not it is truly any “good.” </div> <div>      The annual Catskill Art Society's art show was held on April 21<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> in Hurleyville. The show consisted of beautiful art work by Sullivan County high school students, ranging from printmaking to ceramics, to painting and drawing, to photography, etc. Within each category, honorable mentions, 1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT>, 2<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >nd</FONT>, and 3<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >rd</FONT> place prizes were awarded. Judging, of course, made this possible. </div> <div> Each year, the artwork and the judging itself is vastly different. The true question is this: How do you judge art? Even though there is no “right” and “wrong” when it comes to judging art, there is more than enough space to judge art based on composition and technique. The judging at this year's art show seemed to lack in consistency; almost as if some pieces were judged by professional artists, while others by people off the street. To see some drawings, photographs, etc. being overlooked for their amazing content was extremely disappointing. On the other hand, the ones that “stood out” beautifully were definitely not overlooked; ribbons hung proudly on them. </div> <div>      It'll always come back to the same basic question: how does one judge art? It's all based on perception, preference and opinion. That's the beauty of it.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>