The Spartan Shield

October - Issue 43
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News

33 IN 3?

 

By Alison Wickline and Emily Honaker    

 

     Following the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster that occurred this spring, another mining accident has happened, but this time in the San Jose Mine of northern Chile.

     According to cnn.com, the accident, which occurred August 5th, was a result of the main ramp collapse. This tragedy has left 33 miners trapped 2,300 feet underground.130 people are working tirelessly to rescue them. Sadly, the rescue effort was set back with another cave-in.

     “We are going to do everything humanly possible to rescue alive the 33 people who are trapped. In this there will be no hesitation and a total commitment,” Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said.

     How have the miners stayed alive for this long? Luckily, rescue workers were able to drill two shafts for food, water, and communication exchange.

    According to Mining Minister Laurence Golborne, experts from the Chilean navy submarine group and NASA are helping with the emotional toll this accident has taken on the miners, rescuers, and families.

     The Chilean health minister recently predicted that the rescue effort could take around three months. Surprisingly, the miners handled it calmly; however, psychologists worry that anxiety disorders may result.

     This infamous rescue effort has been informally titled “ St. Lorenzo Operation,” after a miner’s heroic saint. Chilean officials began smaller-scale drilling on August 30 to help prepare for the massive drilling that will be involved in the future rescue effort.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

MONEY WELL SPENT?

 

By Eric Graves

 

     From Smartboards and freshmen laptops to giant scoreboards and eight LCD TVs, it seems that East has all the latest tec. On the flipside, East also has gaping potholes, outdated computers, an unpaved parking lot, leaking roofs, broken AC units, holes in the wall, broken desks, and beastly bathrooms. Many students are (rightfully) outraged that the school would spend so much money on technological additions when the basic structures of the school lack repair.

     While these problems remain, it is important to know that East doesn’t fund the technology, and that East can do very little when it comes to funding the items that need repair.

     According to Mr. Bryant, all four technology projects listed above were either given as gifts or given as grants to be used for particular purposes. The giant scoreboard in the Spartan Stadium is actually one of five boards made out of the Times Square Megatron in New York. While this 13’ by 17’ behemoth may have an estimated value at 1.2 million dollars, the school leases it from the Panasonic Corporation for less than one dollar a year. This means the school pays pocket change. This also means that the school can’t sell the scoreboard to pay for the much needed repairs.

     Three new LCD televisions were added to the school since last year bringing the total to eight. Contrary to popular belief, these also didn’t cost the school a penny. One TV is located in the main office, another in the commons, and one in Mr. Bryant’s office. The front office TV is used to “create a doctor’s office like effect” Bryant said. “The one in my office is used for presentations and slideshows, not for my personal enjoyment, and it is never on during the school day.” Bryant also hopes to use the television in the commons will be used to display daily announcements.

 

I LIVE FOR TODAY

 

Opinion/Editorial By Savannah Webb

 

     For Today, an underground evangelical hardcore/metal band, just released its third album, Breaker, on August 31. Not only are the lead vocalist’s, Mattie Montgomery’s, screams just as brutal as ever, but the entire band’s music is more intense, “in-your-face”, and heavier than its previous album Portraits.

1. The Breaker’s Origin           7. White Flag

2. Devastator                            8. The Breaker’s Encounter

3. The Advocate                      9. Phoenix

4. The Breaker’s Valley         10. Psalm of the Son

     5. Seraphim                              11. King

6. Arm the Masses                 12. The Breaker’s Commission

     There are many hardcore/metal bands in the music industry today that consider themselves to be “Christian bands,” but For Today takes that standard to a whole new level, the right level. Every one of For Today’s songs has powerful lyrics and bold statements that cry out to listeners telling them exactly what they believe in.

     Before the album was released, two songs “Seraphim” and “Devastator” were leaked onto MySpace for the world to hear. “Devastator” has an opening line that may offend some people saying “Hell, fear me, I am the one that will bring you down,” while “Seraphim” encourages people to “Take [their] flame and light the world.” The two songs left listeners dying to hear the entire album, and when it was finally released, it definitely did not disapoint.

     This album is not entirely heavy music and screaming like For Today’s previous albums, however. The songs on the tracklist above that begin with the word “Breaker” are actually poems that they string through the album. Mattie Montgomery uses these poems to tie together the album, making each and every song flow directly in to the next one.

     I know that not very many people are into the heavy  metal industry, and many of you may not particularly believe the same thing that the band does, but For Today still produces brutal music with exhilarating drums, melodic guitar riffs, and screams that will take your breath away. I think everyone should give this band a chance, they are very talented and in my opinion, completely amazing. And trust me, I don’t just promote any ol’ band like this.

 

Opinional Editorials

“ONE NEW FRIEND REQUEST”

 

Opinion/Editorial by Haley Cahill

 

    For those of you with a Myspace, Twitter, or Facebook account, answer these questions:  Do you personally know every person on your friend list?  Have you seen, or even talked to all the people on your news feed?  And finally, Do you know who has access to your most personal information?

     “One New Friend Request” is a phrase that many of us are familiar with.  The rapid growth of social networking sites has enabled us to stay in touch with friends, family, and even complete strangers.  Unfortunately, the latter poses the largest threat.

     In 2009, Ashleigh Hall, 17, was attacked, brutally raped, and suffocated to death before being dumped in a large field by a man she met on Facebook.  Peter Chapman, a 33 year-old sex offender, had just been released from prison when he posed as a 15 year-old.  The relationship seemed innocent enough until Hall actually met her online predator—the night she was murdered.

     Thieves in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania have recently used Facebook to their advantage.  Burglars befriend locals in their community and prey on them, waiting for status updates such as “Leaving for vacation”, or “Gone for the weekend”.  Predators then break into the empty homes, rifling through personal belongings and stealing valuables.

     In Massachusetts, Phoebe Prince, a 15 year-old girl, was the victim of cyber-bullying.  Prince was taunted through text messages and emails, but mostly through Facebook.  The tragic bullying led Prince to commit suicide. 

     Connor Riley, a 22 year-old student at the University of California, Berkeley was offered a job at Cisco.  Riley posted this Facebook status, “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”  A Cisco employee later saw the post.  Needless to say, Riley’s job offer was immediately taken away.

     In another case, Michael Williams, 28, created a series of Facebook profiles posing as various teenage boys and girls.  He then tricked his “new friends” into sending him illicit photos, performing sexual acts via webcams, and even meeting him at his home.  After his arrest in 2009, police found over 1,300 indecent images of minors on his computer.

     Facebook has over 500 million active users.  Unfortunately, some of these users are sexual predators.  John Cardillo, a former NYC police officer, has investigated sexual predators on social networking sites.  Cardillo noted that over 90,000 were removed from Myspace.  He then started to look for them on Facebook.  Cardillo later said, “We found over 8,000 offenders on their site without much effort.  My professional opinion is that the real number is 15 to 20 times that.”

          Now is the perfect opportunity to evaluate your online profile settings.  If you have not set privacy settings, predators, employees, teachers, parents, or even college admission counselors could be viewing your most private information. 

     Before accepting a friend request, ask yourself this question: “Do I really know this person?”  Consider who you want to access intimate details of your life.  Don’t become the next victim.  Monitor what information you place on the Internet, including your phone number, family members, email address, or home address.  Most importantly, use common sense.

    

    

GULF GUSHER!

Opinion/Editorial By Roy Warning

     On April 20th, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in flame, close to 100 miles off the Louisiana coast. Eleven were killed; crews helped those in lifeboats out of the already oil-slicked water. More than a mile below the surface the cap on the well was blown off.

     As crews desperately tried to figure out exactly what happened, and what their options were, the leak became a gusher. The oil spread, catching in the tide waves and went from Texas to Florida. Time stood still as the nation watched. Weeks went by, yet still no worthy solution to cap the oil was presented. Still, it took British Petroleum months to cap the gusher. Millions of barrels escaped, not gallons.

     As the oil started to wash up on beaches, cleanup crews came with, and effectively ended tourism on the Gulf. Oil slicks posed a new seafood problem. Our government’s answer; dump chemicals directly on the worst spots. Since this oil dispersant kills most anything it comes across, this probably wasn’t the best idea. To add ocean insult to ocean injury, we just dumped half a million gallons of chemicals on a million gallons of oily soup. BP helicopters sprayed the ocean similar to crop dusting. This dispersant, similar to detergent, has carcinogenic properties to it.

     It does not bio-degrade, but instead is accumulated in fish and other sea life that ingests the oil, processes it into its self, and we end up with the product. FOX News reported it, “It has magically disappeared.” In tests however, the dispersant sent the oil straight to the ocean floor, where the crab and shrimp eat; creating H2o(il). This is now in our oceans, with no possible way to get it out. The solution: put the oil where the people can’t see it, yet our children and grandchildren will never see the end of this eco-disaster. I was there. I put my feet in the Texas Gulf and got chemical burns on my legs. It’s not a joke, and if you’ll be eating seafood the rest of your life, the rest of your life might not be that lengthy.