News
DON’T BE A FIFTH YEAR SENIOR
By Maggie Karrs
Many
people have wondered about the after school program Block 21. Begun October 18, Block 21 is an after school program that consists
of three components; the first component is one-on-one tutoring in math, English, and general tutoring for other subjects.
The second is a focus on physical fitness, and the third is a focus on enrichment, with classes on things like scrapbooking
or baking, and other special interests or crafts. Students may also come to Block 21 to make up assignments or tests.
Block
21 occurs Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon, and supervision continues until 6:30 for
students who wish to ride the Activity Bus. Snacks are provided for both students being tutored, and tutors.
Tutoring
is offered for all academic subjects. Both peer tutoring and teacher tutoring exist, and sometimes osteopathic students offer
tutoring assistance. National Honors Society students have the first opportunity to volunteer at Block 21, but anyone who
feels that one has something to offer may talk to Mrs. Hanna or Mrs. Trout about volunteering.
When
asked how Block 21 benefited students, advisor Hanna said, “We have had many students attend Block 21 to make up assignments.
It also helps deepen understanding or fill in gaps in their knowledge of a subject.”
COCAINE COPS
By Cassie McHale
On October 6th nearly 1,000 FBI officers were sent
to Puerto Rico to arrest more than 80 police officers for aiding and covering for drug traffickers. These Puerto Rican officers,
not even working together, were caught selling protection to drug dealers. This goes down as the largest police corruption
investigation in FBI history.
The
FBI arrested about 130 people, not all being police officers. Those arrested included 77 Puerto Rican police officers from
state and municipal departments, 6 former state police officers, 12 correctional officers, 3 members of Puerto Rico’s
National Guard, 2 US Army soldiers, and 30 civilians.
The
results of the investigation, which were around 2 years long, were announced by Attorney General Eric Holder. "We will not
allow the corrupt actions of a few to destroy the good work of so many," Holder said, "The people of Puerto Rico deserve better."
Holder
claims that the arrest is bound to slow the flow of drugs through Puerto Rico, the island being an important step for traffickers
to get South American cocaine and heroin for US markets.
The
arrest caused Puerto Rican officials to denounce the alleged corruption. Police Chief Jose Figueroa Sancha, Deputy Director
of the San Juan FBI office, said he had taken steps to improve oversight. To restore the public’s confidence in the
Puerto Rican police force, Fraticelli, the island's Chief FBI Agent, said police need to dramatically improve recruitment
and implement periodic lie-detector tests.
Despite the corruption, there were 63 honest officers, who with the help of higher officials will take steps to restore
the police department’s
Opinion Editorial
JUNIOR YEAR: MOST DIFFICULT THING IN THE WORLD
Opinion/Editorial By Maggie Hower
If
you ever talk to people who’ve graduated from high school they’ll tell you that your junior year is the hardest
of your high school experience. If someone told me that now, I would be in total agreement.
As
a junior, I have to do so much miscellaneous stuff to get ready for my senior year and to make it as easy as possible. I have
to research good colleges, have to visit colleges, have to decide which good colleges to apply to, have to do especially well
in school, have to take all those standardized tests…The list could go on and on, but I never seem to be able to cross
things off without adding more.
All
the homework from my higher-level classes makes it extremely hard to get it all done on time and have it be accurate. I may
have wanted to be grown up, but that was before I had to do hours and hours of homework every night. That stuff makes me want
to be a little kid again.
The
worst thing, by far, about junior year are all the standardized tests. We have to take the PSAT, the SAT, the ACT, the WESTEST,
and any other required tests from prospective colleges. Taking the tests isn’t even the bad part. Taking tests is bearable.
The stress of doing well and thinking, “Oh gosh, what if I just blew that test and I don’t get accepted to the
college I want?” When I think of that, I can’t even get a reasonable amount of sleep.
BLESSING
SAME-SEX UNIONS
Opinion/Editorial
By Breonna Patterson
The bishops in the Episcopal Church have decided to allow bishops that are willing to bless same-sex unions,
especially in states where same-gender marriages are legal (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire).
During the church's Triennial National Convention in Anaheim, California, it was also decided to allow openly gay bishops
to be ordained.
The vote to the same-sex unions won in a landslide victory, 104
votes were in favor and 30 opposed. Bishop Thomas C. Ely of Vermont said, “It’s a big step forward. The House
of Bishops worked hard to get to the place where we could have such a large majority voting to move forward on the development”
of a right for same-sex blessings.
In addition to the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist
Association and the United Church of Christ are considering similar unions.
Allowing same-gender unions in a tradition Christian religion is
a major step in the gay rights movement. “I feel they should have a right to marriage no matter who they want marry,”
Emily Honaker said. I support gay marriage in Christianity and hope that other churches will follow the example set by the
Episcopal Church.
