Issue Five

<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> </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></div> <div>  <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 1"><U>Issue 1</U></A> | Issue Five | <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 3"><U>Issue Three</U></A> | <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 4"><U>Issue Four</U></A> | <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue Five"><U>Issue Five</U></A>  | <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 6"><U>Issue Six</U></A> | <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 7"><U>Issue Seven</U></A> | <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 8"><U>Issue Eight</U></A> | <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 9"><U>Issue Nine</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0498dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Issue Five</I></div> <div> Sitting Down with Mr. Fleck</div> <div> By: Sabrina Mastrogiovanni and Brianna Mir </div> <div>    Two students, one tape recorder, and the will to find out the secrets harboring within our very own Liberty Teaching staff. Our first victim: Mr. Bill Fleck, senior English Teacher. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: First question: Where were you born? </I></div> <div>    Oh, placeCityMiddletown, StateNY. placePlaceNameHorton PlaceTypeHospital. Yeah, this is funny I was born on Dec. 31st on New Year's Eve and it was getting late in the afternoon and the doctor says to my mother, “Do you want to try and hold it off and have a New Year's baby?” And my mom's words were, “Get that kid out of here!” and uh, (laugh) I think she said that for the next 18 years. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Oh wow. Ok, ha-ha. Here we go: What inspired you to teach?</I></div> <div>    Well, um, yeah. My mom was a first grade teacher for about 100 years. And in placeCityEllenville, StateNY. You know, I said I didn't want to be a teacher - and my dad was a Correctional Officer. I didn't want to be either one. I was supposed to go into films or music. And uh, basically at the end of my senior year - coin toss - basically the films won. And uh, I ended up trying to major in movies. I went to film school in placeCityIthaca. And uh, I got thrown out. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Oh! Ha-ha. (Laugh) </I></div> <div>    And uh, I got up to placeCityIthaca and I was paying a lot of money, and my folks were paying a lot of money learning a lot of things I already knew. And nobody was on my back to go to class. Um, I didn't. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Ah! </I></div> <div>    And a friend of mine stopped me in the hall after a few weeks and said, “Hey Elvis, where have you been?” And I say, “What are you talking about?” you know, and he says, “How's the film coming for Monday?” This is like Friday and I had to work that weekend. And he says, “Yeah, we have a film due Monday. 25% of your grade.” So I call  in, I pretended to be my own roommate, and I called into my job looking for me because my grandmother had died theoretically… she had died 5 or 6 times during the course of my college career. And uh, so I went down to Ellenville and shot a film and it was uh, it was so bad it was… I turned my father into Indiana Jones. I turned my brother into a vampire. We forgot the stake to kill him so uh, my father killed him with a door knob that fell off the church door. And so I got back to placeCityIthaca Monday and I edited the film and handed it in, and the worst thing that could possibly have happened, happened. They really liked it.</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Oh, Really? </I></div> <div>    So yeah, my head went (makes head enlarging motion with hands) they were showing it as an example of, you know, what you could do with student work. I started going back to film lab and people would say to me, “Oh Fleck, what do I have to do here?” </div> <div> “Uh, slow motion.” “Fleck, what do I need to do?” “You have no talent. You need to get out of here.” </div> <div> <I>Group: Laugh. </I></div> <div>    And my professor, by the name of Patti Zimmerman, and if she's reading this - I remember you, she took me into a back room kind of thing, and basically told me: “Look, you made a good student film, but let's not get too far here.” And she had professional credits to some Dudley Moore films, and I basically told her that anybody whose claim to fame was Holy Moses had no reason to talk. And, that was it. Threw me out of it. And then I went to CityCortland, and I got into a TV and radio program in placeCityCortland, and they threw me out of there too. Um, (laugh) bad grades, bad attendance, da da da.  So basically, I had to go  back to Community college had to reevaluate what I had to do with my life, around that time I became a parent, uh, so I kind of got a Communications Degree. I spent three years in radio. I was a DJ. I spent a year in radio and two years trying to get out. And uh, I worked different names, different studios, and I wasn't really getting anywhere. And so basically one night I was coming home, between radio station jobs, you know, uh, my old 77 Ford LTD with the mismatched snow tires and the window open to keep me awake, and I thought, “Alright. What am I going to do to pay me a decent salary and get some time off?” And I thought about teaching. So I called…</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: It just came to you? </I></div> <div> <I>   </I>Yeah, in a dream right in front of the windshield. And I called my mom and said, “I'm thinking about going into teaching.” And she said, “Why the hell you want to do that?” I said, “C'mon, you know what I'm doing.” “Well, you took the prison guard test.” And I had, and they called me at the academy and it was this guy… “I don't want to be in a brick building all day long with criminals.” And she says, “And you want to teach?” But then she laughed and basically said it was a good idea. So I went back to school and uh, decided that I should I should teach English because I can write pretty well uh, and I <I>enjoy</I> reading. First interview, first job, first offer, was placeCityLiberty. And uh, 19 years here. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Wow. Ok, uhhh. Covered number 3. (Laugh) </I></div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Alright, have you ever traveled outside the country? </I></div> <div> <I>   </I>placecountry-regionCanada. I haven't been outside of placecountry-regionCanada. Something I want to do, never worked out. My wife has traveled all over the planet so I kind of live vicariously for her and she keeps threatening to book us, you know European tour. I'd like to do it. My brother's been to placeEurope a couple of times he really likes it a lot. Um, yeah, so that's something I haven't done as much in my life as I should have like to. Well, you know…</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Some post retirement thing?</I></div> <div> <I>   </I>Well, that would be great. Um, yeah. I think, probably. I'd like to kind of get it in-between now and when I go. I'm looking another 10 or 11 years. So that's a long time to kind of… you just never know. You know. I could be dead by then, so maybe I should take a summer before that. I'm starting to get depressed. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Aw, I'm sorry. </I></div> <div> It's ok. (sobs) </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: I don't have any tissues. My nose has been like, really congested the entire day. So I suppose you haven't lived in another country then…</I></div> <div> No. No. I did like placecountry-regionCanada when I was there. I've been to placecountry-regionCanada several times. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: How's the bacon?</I></div> <div> <I>Group: Laugh </I></div> <div> <I>Sabrina: I've always wanted to know..., like…</I></div> <div> <I>Brianna: It's awesome bacon. You've never had Canadian bacon?</I></div> <div> <I>Sabrina: I've never been to Canada</I></div> <div> <I>   </I>I don't know that I actually had bacon while I was there. I had Chinese food while I was there, which was the best Chinese food I ever had. I don't know what that means. They're like letting in better Chinese chefs into country-regionCanada than into the placecountry-regionUnited States</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Between you and me, if Hilary becomes president, I'm jumping the border. </I></div> <div> You won't be alone. (laugh)</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Ok, here we go. Number 6. What is your biggest pet-peeve? </I></div> <div> You know that sounds that trucks make when they go flying down the road? Um, (Sabrina and Fleck both make VROOOOM sound effects) and it just rattles the house and all that I hate that. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Yeah…trains do that too. </I></div> <div> Yeah. I can't stand that. Eh… not, like in society? Or… like in life… or..</div> <div> <I>Brianna: In general. </I></div> <div> I don't know. There are not a lot of things that bother me you know. Um… I have a good life and uh… I guess reading. I take a news break every now and then you know, read a newspaper that's a little depressing and listening to what's on the news all the time. Try to stay informed… They just beat you up with so much stuff. You know, they ah - maybe that's it. Maybe that we seem to think in our society that we have it so so so so terrible. When in actuality, you know, we're probably living better productive lives that anyone else has in history. And I think it bothers me you know, if I think about it, that maybe we don't appreciate that. Um, and we should. But I think that's an attitude adjustment. That you have toward life. And uh, it might be genetic, I don't know. Basically covers that. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Ok. Any closing comments? Any message you want to get out to the world? </I></div> <div> No, ummmm…. (laugh)</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Or at least the readers of our very low-key student newsletter? </I></div> <div> No, uh (laugh) I-I don't know if there is a big message. And um…</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Anything that you live by? Right hand man?</I></div> <div> <I>   </I>Now, when I was a kid I grew up very religious and then as a young adult I became fanatically religious for about eight years, not that my experience should be everybody else's, but that all kind of fell apart for me. So basically I'm kind of, last 10 years or so, 12 years or so, kind of been trying to figure out this whole thing. And uh… I've actually enjoyed life so much more trying to figure it out. And so maybe if I had some sort of underline message, it's to try and figure out things for yourself. When I was a kid I used to have kind of a flippant motto, “Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.” And in many ways I wished I'd paid attention to that. You know, between the time that I was presented with that about 16 and age 35…um… I don't know, I just like life, and I think that if you are a decent person and you contribute to society and have good friends and have a good time you know, that's a good thing. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Deep. </I></div> <div> uh… I'm gonna check out that Canadian bacon thing. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Yeah, I know. It's like on the back of my mind kind of… </I></div> <div> You planted that in my head. I appreciate that. </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Yeah, and the syrup. (laugh) I think it's good too. </I></div> <div> The syrup with the bacon? </div> <div> <I>Sabrina: That's… that's a combination. </I>Yeah.</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: I never tried syrup -  American syrup, with American bacon. </I></div> <div> <I>   </I>Will we ever discover the truth behind which bacon is best? The world may never know, but now the world does know Mr. Fleck. Stay tuned for more behind the teaching degrees of our placeCityLiberty staff! </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Youth Basketball</div> <div> By: Tricia Gerwer</div> <div>    PlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeParks and Recreation has given all of the students from placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceNameCentral PlaceTypeSchool District a chance to play basketball. placeCityLiberty has started a Youth Basketball Program for the young basketball players. Students in grades K-8<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> can participate in this program and of course 7<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT>-12<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> graders can play basketball for the school. Kids come and play every Saturday from 9am-12pm. The first day was Saturday, January 5<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT>, 2008. Eighty students were signed up to play. Students who play at the junior varsity and varsity levels come and help out with all of the kids. The cost of the program was $60 for a member of placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeParks and Rec and $65 for non-members. This program gives young students a chance to see if basketball is a good sport to play and if they have fun playing it. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> National Honor Society <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <div> By: Angelee Santillo</div> <div>    </div> <div>    A new tradition was started here at placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School on Thursday, January 31, 2008, when, for the first time in our school's records, new members were inducted into the National Honor Society mid-year. The ceremony was the same as usual, held in the high school cafeteria at night, except the atmosphere was more intimate with dim lights and candles. Parents, guardians, relatives, and siblings of new and old members came out to support the new inductees and to honor their hard work. Ms. Babson and Ms. Black, our school's NHS advisors, were also present, as well as principal Mr. Strassman, to coordinate the ceremony and ensure the induction was a successful, meaningful evening.</div> <div>   </div> <div>  NHS senior officers read excerpts about scholarship, leadership, service, and character, and all members proceeded into the cafeteria with flowers as their biographies were read aloud. New inductees signed the age-old National Honor Society induction book of placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School, and the ceremony ended with the recital of the National Honor Society pledge by new inductees.</div> <div> However; the biggest change this year was in the principle of the induction. Previously, new members would be inducted at the end of each school year, and the new Honor Society would operate after the summer of their junior year as a small senior group of about 15-20 students. Now, however, a mix of juniors <I>and</I> seniors have joined NHS, and the small senior group of 18 before is now a large, motley crew of about 37. Administrators, faculty, and community members are excited about the change in tradition, and senior NHS members are especially welcoming of newcomers to the club. </div> <div>      </div> <bR> <div>    “The more members we have in our group, the better able we are to take on bigger projects and further our community involvement,” says senior Elana Ehrenberg, who has been an active National Honor Society member since June of 2007. Hopes are now higher than ever for NHS to become more involved in community work and school improvement  than ever before, and with the mixed group of upstanding juniors and seniors of Liberty High School that are now able to work together, National Honor Society is sure to make our school and our community extremely proud in the near future.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The Race of `08: Students' Perspective</div> <div> By: Sabrina Mastrogiovanni and Brianna Mir</div> <div>    The Race of `08 is full of promises and propaganda. However, will these promises be kept, or just thrown aside like some old spinach lasagna? We saw this as an opportunity to get some strongly supported perspectives, from the students of Liberty High. We interviewed none other than Austin McVicker; perhaps placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School's most opinionated student, as well as Democrat Elena Ehrenberg and Republican Nick Webbe. </div> <div>    To start off our interview, we asked about their viewpoints on the extreme competition between top Democratic contenders: Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.                 <B>McVicker:</B> “(Chuckle) When it comes to the campaign for change, it's very popular. In 1992 Bill Clinton's campaign for change was a reduction in taxes for the middle class. When he got to office he realized that he was screwed. Instead, taxes went up. The campaign for change doesn't work.” </div> <div>    <B>Ehrenberg: </B>“Um, It is starting to get a little catty. Lately, they've been starting to attack each other. When they start getting like that, I don't like either of them because it's disrespectful.”</div> <div>    <B>Webbe:</B> “Clinton and Obama are the same. The media's playing it up too much. Personally, I don't like either of them.”</div> <div>    Our next question: </div> <div>    Do you think the media is focusing more on the Democratic side rather than the Republican side of the race?   </div> <div>     <B>McVicker:</B> “As to whom the media's focusing on more? Most of the people who run the news, with the exception of Fox news; are all democratic, and the newspapers are worse.”          </div> <div>    <B>Ehrenberg:</B> “I think it's pretty equal. I think when they were going for placeStateSouth Carolina; the media focused more on them because the Republicans weren't there. It may seem like they're focusing more on the Democrats because they have only three front-runners, while the Republicans have more.” </div> <div>    <B>Webbe: </B>“Well that depends on what you watch and listen. The news is focusing more on democrats, while the radio stations are following Republicans. ABC, CNN and others are all liberal organizations. So yes, they are focusing more on the Democratic side.” </div> <bR> <bR> <div> T-1: In My View </div> <div> By: Asia Folsom</div> <div>    “Go to T-1!” are not exactly the words all students want to hear their teacher say to you during class. Here at placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School there is a room called the T-1 room, or in other words the “bad kid's room.” T-1 for those of you who do not know, it is a classroom with a desk in it and if you are sent there you have to just sit and be quiet. No talking. Solitary confinement.</div> <div>     Ms. Walizedah is in the room everyday to wait for the phone to ring and a teacher to be on the other line saying a student is on their way up, usually because of something that is just in typical for a teenager  to say or do. Come on! Give me a break! Deal with the student, don't throw them out of the class! Were teenagers in high school. We make mistakes, say stupid things, come to school late, and just like teachers have bad days. </div> <div>     Help us out don't send us out!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Tonsil Stones</div> <div> By: Angelee Santillo </div> <div>       Have you ever experienced irritation in the back of your throat, like that of a food particle lodged there that didn't go down? Then, did you cough up a hard, miniscule white cluster, resembling a Wonka Nerds® candy? If so, you may have shrugged off the phenomenon as simply unswallowed food, or you may have panicked because of the foreign objects. One thing's for sure, though- you've experienced tonsil stones.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div>        Tonsil stones, medically referred to as <I>tonsilloliths, </I>are small masses that form inside the tonsils out of old food pieces, bacteria, and dust. Usually prevalent inside the tonsils of frequent mouth breathers, avid exercise participants, and those who snore while sleeping, tonsilloliths dislodge spontaneously and are often expelled from the body through the mouth. When examined, tonsil stones are best characterized by their color, size, and especially by their terrible odor. The scent of tonsilloliths has been described by their victims as “horrendous,” “the smell of death,” and “putrid,” among others<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >.</FONT></div> <div>      <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial Narrow" >However irritating and inconvenient tonsilloliths may be, they are by no means fatal. Simply put, the bacteria in our mouths has to go somewhere, and the tonsils are just one of those places. </FONT> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial Narrow" >To rid of the problem, you can purchase a water pick online to flood the tonsils of the malefactors, or see your ears, nose, and throat specialist for a simple solution to the problem. </FONT></div> <div>        Most importantly, remember that you're not alone. Millions of people suffer from this disgusting problem, but they all get through it, and you will too! </div> </td> </tr></table></body>