The Taste of Early American Death
By Jillian Zurliene
Childhood obesity has been a publicly recognized issue in America since 1998 when it was at a high of 15.21%. It was then that we realized just how important it was to address the issue.
Health education was installed everywhere, from schools of all types, work places, and even restaurants. Television now carries commercials informing citizens about childhood obesity, and thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, American schools have cut out most junk foods, unhealthy lunch choices, and any sort of soft drinks. All of these new things have done a fabulous job at lowering the rate to 14.94% in 2010(www.cdc.gov).
Although these methods seem to have been wildly successful in the adult population, children are much less likely to jump right off the sugar train. I believe that forcing children to eat veggies and low-calorie foods (what we all like to call ‘cardboard’) at lunch and having those as the only choices makes kids even less likely to enjoy a hot school meal and more likely to pack a sugar-filled lunch full of soda and potato chips into their lunchboxes, especially if their parents allow it. Instead of this ineffective and costly (for schools) path, I suggest we take another, more liberal path. I suggest that we make like our forefathers and promise freedom, even to our children.
I suggest that we give children the choice, but instead of only offering healthy or only offering unhealthy, we should offer both AND be sure that our children are educated about the consequences of their decisions. The reason I suggest this is because of the effect the Great Depression had on the children of that era. They were known for going to ridiculous lengths to save money and reuse things they had bought or keeping things that they’d had for twenty years, why? Because it wasn’t around during their childhood. I have seen this theory of mine proven many a time and I believe that if we raise our children with the opportunity to make bad choices but the knowledge of why they shouldn’t make those decisions, they will grow up with the skills they will need when they become adults. We have the power to create a generation that can think for themselves and who will be able to go out to buy groceries for their families and make the right decision about what their children should eat. This way, we create a cycle of health education without cutting out all of the original and well-loved American treats, not only in our schools, but also in every American home.
Summer Romances
By Jillian Zurliene
Many teen girls are just searching for some romance, and boys, you seem to be lacking skill in this area. Most teen girls who have ever been in a relationship with a boy can say that there’s at least one thing he could’ve improved on in how he treated/treats her. So, boys, since it’s almost summer, I thought I could give you some tips. I may not be able to tell you what boys want, but I can certainly tell you quite a bit about girls.
First things first, know what her likes and dislikes are. If you don’t know her likes and dislikes, you talked about yourself wayyy too much when you were getting to know each other. Generally, women need at least a little bit of customization when it comes to winning her over. Women aren’t just completed; they’re all different.
Once you know her general likes and dislikes, ask her on a date that you know you will both thoroughly enjoy. If she likes books and you like coffee, go to a bookstore after you’ve grabbed Starbucks. If you know she tries to be healthy, don’t suggest fast food (let her do that at her discretion; it’ll keep you out of trouble). If you like video games, but she wants to go out, play some laser tag. Hey, if you’re broke? Try window shopping and a movie night at home.
So, you’ve been on a date or two, you’re really hitting it off, and you’re ready to ask her to be your girlfriend. Take the chance (provided she’s not already your girlfriend) and hope for the best. If she feels the same, then congrats, but if she doesn’t, let her go, remind yourself that it’s easier to let someone go before you’ve made them part of your life then it is when they’ve been around for months.
A good amount of relationships make it to this point, but the problem seems to not be getting the girl, but keeping her. So, how do you keep a girl?
Pay attention to what she likes, make sure she knows she’s loved, be there for her; there are so many “answers” to this question, but the one thing that’s seemed to work for me is compromise and self-evaluation. As long as you’re both happy with each other, nothing can stand in your way.
Generation Stress
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity."
Edgar Allen Poe
By Jillian Zurliene
Mental health can often be a touchy subject, especially when someone actually uses the words "mental health" or "mental illness". Generally, people don't think of mental health as a blanket issue that affects everyone, but it does. Every feeling we experience and every function our bodies have are controlled by our brains. So, as you use your noggin to take in this helpful information, I hope you realize that your noodle is much more than your average cup of ramen.
Stress, depression, and behavior disorders such as ADHD and ADD have firm grips on our generation. Most students, even without having been diagnosed with mental illnesses, have so much pressure put on them, either through parents or school, that they develop mental illnesses and/or find it hard to get through daily life. For one student, the pressure was too much.
"A popular and accomplished Los Altos High student received a parent's text message at school last year, to come home to talk about her grades. The student and star athlete had earned all A's -- except one D. She asked to be excused from English class to go to the bathroom, but she never returned. She had collapsed, suffering a disabling emotional breakdown."
(www.mercurynews.com)
Mental health in schools has never been more important, and standards and expectations for students' participation and excellence has never been higher. The reasoning dor the rise in mental health issues in youth is fuzzy and uncertain, but some point fingers to the school systems.
"'They're not expected to be great; they're expected to be stupendous,' said Cristy Dawson, assistant principal at Los Altos High[...]”
“What's behind the rise is uncertain. Theories include economic distress, dysfunctional families, absent and preoccupied busy parents, technology obsession, social media and extraordinary pressure on kids to excel.”
(www.mercurynews.com)
It’s no exaggeration to say that in the past decade, American education has skyrocketed in quality and difficulty, making testing the focus and scores higher than ever. Whether the American public likes it or not, public, state-mandated schools have state-mandated curriculum, and because the focus of the curriculum has been testing for the past few years, the pressure on students to memorize materials and have outstanding test-taking skills is a heavier burden than any student ever expected. Even colleges are changing their way of processing admissions. Instead of looking mostly at transcripts and GPA’s of students, colleges now focus on test scores. Some of the most heavily weighted tests being the ACT’s and SAT’s. These are both timed tests, meant to be taken all at once and designed to test a student for everything they were taught in high school. Sound a bit tedious? Trust me, it is. The worst part is that not only are high school juniors and seniors being tested ridiculously thoroughly, but so are elementary students.
“ New, more rigorous tests that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards—which serve as guideposts for what students in grades K-12 should know in reading and math—will be administered broadly this school year.”
(www.americanprogress.org)
Many teens are loaded with stress, but what if stress becomes more than that, something much heavier to carry through the day? What do you do when you can’t focus long enough to do your homework, sit still long enough to pay attention to class, or develop a fear of going to school altogether? Many teens don’t seek help for their conditions because of the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses.
“Many students don’t know where to go for mental health treatment or believe that treatment won’t help […] Some students worry what other people will think if they seek mental health care.”
(www.nimh.nih.gov)
Mental health is something that can truly be serious, so if you’re having trouble, speak up, and if you know someone who is having trouble, encourage them to seek help. Stress, depression, and other common mental illnesses are, sadly, the average in our society, and most are somewhat treatable.
Even if it’s just stress and you know so, then just take a deep breath and appreciate one good thing in your day, even if it was something as simple as being thankful for waking up. Unwind, take a bubble bath, and relax, because you’re here, you’re alive, and you’re well. Refresh your mind, and realize that this will soon all pass over, and no, this isn’t the end of the world. Besides, it’s almost spring break, so kick back, relax, and enjoy the newly shed sunshine, and always remember to keep your mental well-being in the back of your mind.
A Night To Remember
By Jillian Zurliene
With every girl at Forrest already prom dress shopping, daydreaming about the perfect limo and the perfect date, it’s about time to cover plans. Everyone’s so concerned with their hair or their shoes or their tux, but this year, I feel that we need something special. Let’s bring a feeling of unity from the playing fields and courts to the dance floor.
Especially for the seniors this year, prom 2015 is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so let’s all take it together. If you see someone not dancing, ask them if they’d like to, and if not, ask if they’d like some company. If you want to ask that crush to dance with you, take the chance. The best thing about prom is that it’s one night that we can all be together and enjoy the people around us before we have to leave. We only get four short years in this school. Dance with someone you’ve never talked to in your life, request that crazy song that everyone loved in the sixth grade, take your perfectly primped hair down and let go, no one’s going to remember ten years from now that you were dancing at prom, but they will remember if you weren’t.
Doesn’t this sound lovely? An entire student body being themselves and dancing the night away, enjoying the limited time they have before they have to commit to adulthood? I sure think so. Being in high school is fun, and more importantly, being a teenager is fun, however, there are some teens that won’t be able to attend the prom. Why? Limited budgets.
Although I am a senior, I suggest that in the future, we switch our prom from being considered “formal” to being considered “formal/semi-formal” so that everyone can have the chance to attend prom, or that we arrange more dances hosted by the school that don’t require formal or semi-formal dress.
Many parents, teachers, and other important adults in our student’s lives worry about teens getting into trouble with people they are with or places that they shouldn’t be. In order to increase student safety and school spirit in general, I propose that we hold more dances and such events for students to attend in the future years. As well as being a great place for students to mingle and build friendships safely, it could make a great fundraiser for the school.
Each dance would raise money for a specific club or organization, students would have somewhere to go where they weren’t in trouble, and they could be relatively informal, as to just cost a couple of dollars for a single student. There could be refreshments and maybe even a student DJ. Having a student DJ would save the school loads of money. All they would need is a Macbook and some good speakers.
You Lost, What’s Next?
By Kaitlin Patin
Life is not always going to give you what you want, and quite frankly, that is life. Contrary to popular belief, life is fair only because it is unfair to everyone. The road to success is filled with speed bumps of failures. However, it is not the amount of failure that matters, but the amount of persistence you have to overcome them. For example, I want to be a pediatrician, and there is going to be a lot of times when I will want to quit, but it is my choice on whether or not I will settle or persevere.
I will be the first to admit that I have not always tried my best at everything I do. I have frequently looked at obstacles and have given up on myself and my abilities. However, I am not alone in this situation. I see this happen every day with many of my classmates, and it makes me wish even more that I would have believed in myself a lot earlier in life. I know I have not only disappointed many teachers, but I have disappointed myself as well. I do not want others to make the mistakes I have made because I know I have missed many great opportunities simply because I thought something was “too hard for me”.
This is where many people, including myself, will run into problems. If you do not believe in yourself and you approach a failure, what will your first instinct be? To quit. You will simply say you are not good enough and will not put in effort any longer, and you will in turn miss out on fantastic opportunities in life. Instead of immediately giving up and saying it’s over, you need to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. When you’re driving and you come up on a speed bump, you don’t just stop your car and leave it there, but instead you slow down and drive over it.
First things first, accept the situation. Life is not in your control and the world does not revolve around you. You are not alone, no matter how much you believe that you are. Everyone fails many, many times in life. It is not a one in a million event, and it happens to literally everyone.
Next, just simply take a break. Things are not going to always get better if you do it over and over again. Success takes time. Step back and relax, hang out with your friends and family, or just take a nap.
Lastly, always be realistic. I know it will take me more than two days to be a successful pediatrician, and I am now willing to put in over seven more years of schooling to achieve that goal. It is highly unlikely for someone to be completely successful overnight, and you will simply have to put down your ego and realize that you will not become the world’s greatest anything in the span of a couple of hours.
Life takes guts, plain and simple. It is not always going to be a walk in the park trying to make something of yourself in this world, there will be many ups and downs. Always believe in yourself, never give up, accept failure, allow yourself to take breaks, and always have a realistic point of view on life. Your life didn’t come with a rule book; you have to just take the guidelines and run and write the best book of life that you can.
Don't Be Yourself
“The writer projects an inner life onto a piece of paper, the composer uses notes, the producer has contracts, the director has a vision, but the actors stand alone.”
By Kaitlin Patin
There are many debates over whether or not to remove the theatre arts programs from schools all over the country. Personally, I believe the theatre arts program is very important, but I wanted another opinion close to home. So I decided to speak on the topic with our very own Theatre Arts teacher and Drama Club sponsor, Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith, along with most people, started his acting career in the small elementary school plays; however, his actual involvement in theatre did not begin until his freshman year in high school. He was fairly reserved, but he enjoyed acting because performing gave him the opportunity to be someone else and do things he would not normally do. However, his participation in the performing arts did not begin in the theatre, but began in marching band in middle school. He said that he did not enjoy the marching as much as the performing aspect, and decided that band was not for him. His first actual role in a play came when he was a sophomore in high school when he played the role of the father in Bye, Bye Birdie.
When you hear of his family history, there is no question as to how Mr. Smith became a teacher. His mother, father, uncles, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother were all teachers, and despite their warnings about becoming a teacher, Mr. Smith did it anyway. He was specifically inspired by his Performing Arts teacher, Helen Hamilton. He said he wanted to pass down her ways of inspiration to his own students. Mr. Smith began teaching at Forrest in 1999, and other than his student teaching at Riverdale, he had never taught anywhere else before. In Fall of 1999, he worked alongside an English teacher to put on three one-act plays based on American authors. His two classes put on Rappaccini’s Daughter and A Rose for Emily.
Even though Helen Hamilton is a major influence on his life, Mr. Smith says his professional inspiration is Orson Wells, who began his career on stage, and later moved to radio and ended with movies. Along with Wells, Mr. Smith’s at home inspiration is his wife. They met in college and both worked alongside in theatre projects. He says that she has always been a very big positive influence on him and never lets him settle, he works diligently to make sure that every show has her approval.
Mr. Smith said that he believes theatre arts is important in schools because it teaches students to see bigger issues from other points of view. Theatre also gives students the opportunity to work together and be entertainment for an audience, and acting lets you expand your horizons. Mr. Smith says, “There’s no more fun than playing a villain,” because you can not be Darth Vader in real life. Acting is hard work but it can be a lot of fun and it makes you a deeper thinker, and it especially helps with understanding people and their actions.
Basically, being an actor teaches you valuable life skills that you can use every day. There is nothing more rewarding than an audience bursting with applause after a performance, don’t let that opportunity slip away.
Extraterrestrial Activities
By Kaitlin Patin
First of all, I am sincerely sorry if you thought this editorial would be over aliens or a UFO sighting, because it is not. This is actually about extracurricular activities. Some of the most memorable moments in high school happen in extracurricular activities. Band, Beta Club, and Drama Club are the main activities I personally participate in currently. Without these three activities I would not be who I am today. When I came into high school I was shy, insecure, and flat out felt like I did not belong in this place that I was forced to go to for thirteen years of my life. I did not have as many friends as I would have dreamed I would have when I began high school, and my middle school “best friends” and I had already separated, so I decided it was in my best interest to look for new friends.
Being in the Forrest Rocket Band of Blue had already been one of my main priorities since sixth grade. I had been living to put on that uniform and march on that field and play my heart out. I had been spent my band career working towards a big goal: to be field commander. Now, I am preparing to spend my last marching season with the Band of Blue, as their senior field commander. There is no feeling like the way I feel when I climb the steps of that podium and look out at the band and know that we are all working towards the one common goal of winning everywhere we go. Mr. Bateman and the Band of Blue have taught me leadership and determination and they give me a new sense of confidence when I step foot on a field.
In the beginning of my freshman year I had received an invitation to the high school Beta Club and decided to step up and accept it, besides, I had already been in the middle school Beta Club for four years at this point, so why not? However, I never dreamed that I would be walking on the stage at Opryland and delivering a campaign speech to promote “KP for VP”. Not only did I overcome a fear of public speaking, I also made plenty of new friendships in my fellow candidates. It is amazing to think that it all began with simply accepting an invitation to the Beta Club in my freshman year.
Last, but not least, another extracurricular activity that has dominated my high school career is the Drama Club. I have acted in Little Luncheonette of Terror, The Bride of Frankenstein, Suite Surrender, Pink Panther, and I am currently acting in Forgiven. I have played a high school student, a servant, an assistant to a celebrity, a kidnapped daughter of a scientist, and now I am playing an evil witch turned good. I have had many amazing experiences and friendships that have formed in the theatre, and I find peace in taking on the role of someone who is substantially different from me. Acting in the Drama Club gives me the opportunity to step away from reality and dive into someone else’s life. I am able to invent someone with new hobbies, habits, and personalities from my real life, and in the end I can walk out in the curtain call and see an audience bursting with applause and I feel the blooming confidence deep in my soul. Drama Club has given me a new aspect of confidence and self-love, and that is not something you can just buy from a store. That is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
So, if you are contemplating on whether or not you should try out for a team or go to a club meeting, do it. There is nothing that compares to the memories you will gain from the experiences you have in extracurricular activities.
By Kaitlin Patin
Life is not always going to give you what you want, and quite frankly, that is life. Contrary to popular belief, life is fair only because it is unfair to everyone. The road to success is filled with speed bumps of failures. However, it is not the amount of failure that matters, but the amount of persistence you have to overcome them. For example, I want to be a pediatrician, and there is going to be a lot of times when I will want to quit, but it is my choice on whether or not I will settle or persevere.
I will be the first to admit that I have not always tried my best at everything I do. I have frequently looked at obstacles and have given up on myself and my abilities. However, I am not alone in this situation. I see this happen every day with many of my classmates, and it makes me wish even more that I would have believed in myself a lot earlier in life. I know I have not only disappointed many teachers, but I have disappointed myself as well. I do not want others to make the mistakes I have made because I know I have missed many great opportunities simply because I thought something was “too hard for me”.
This is where many people, including myself, will run into problems. If you do not believe in yourself and you approach a failure, what will your first instinct be? To quit. You will simply say you are not good enough and will not put in effort any longer, and you will in turn miss out on fantastic opportunities in life. Instead of immediately giving up and saying it’s over, you need to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. When you’re driving and you come up on a speed bump, you don’t just stop your car and leave it there, but instead you slow down and drive over it.
First things first, accept the situation. Life is not in your control and the world does not revolve around you. You are not alone, no matter how much you believe that you are. Everyone fails many, many times in life. It is not a one in a million event, and it happens to literally everyone.
Next, just simply take a break. Things are not going to always get better if you do it over and over again. Success takes time. Step back and relax, hang out with your friends and family, or just take a nap.
Lastly, always be realistic. I know it will take me more than two days to be a successful pediatrician, and I am now willing to put in over seven more years of schooling to achieve that goal. It is highly unlikely for someone to be completely successful overnight, and you will simply have to put down your ego and realize that you will not become the world’s greatest anything in the span of a couple of hours.
Life takes guts, plain and simple. It is not always going to be a walk in the park trying to make something of yourself in this world, there will be many ups and downs. Always believe in yourself, never give up, accept failure, allow yourself to take breaks, and always have a realistic point of view on life. Your life didn’t come with a rule book; you have to just take the guidelines and run and write the best book of life that you can.
Don't Be Yourself
“The writer projects an inner life onto a piece of paper, the composer uses notes, the producer has contracts, the director has a vision, but the actors stand alone.”
By Kaitlin Patin
There are many debates over whether or not to remove the theatre arts programs from schools all over the country. Personally, I believe the theatre arts program is very important, but I wanted another opinion close to home. So I decided to speak on the topic with our very own Theatre Arts teacher and Drama Club sponsor, Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith, along with most people, started his acting career in the small elementary school plays; however, his actual involvement in theatre did not begin until his freshman year in high school. He was fairly reserved, but he enjoyed acting because performing gave him the opportunity to be someone else and do things he would not normally do. However, his participation in the performing arts did not begin in the theatre, but began in marching band in middle school. He said that he did not enjoy the marching as much as the performing aspect, and decided that band was not for him. His first actual role in a play came when he was a sophomore in high school when he played the role of the father in Bye, Bye Birdie.
When you hear of his family history, there is no question as to how Mr. Smith became a teacher. His mother, father, uncles, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother were all teachers, and despite their warnings about becoming a teacher, Mr. Smith did it anyway. He was specifically inspired by his Performing Arts teacher, Helen Hamilton. He said he wanted to pass down her ways of inspiration to his own students. Mr. Smith began teaching at Forrest in 1999, and other than his student teaching at Riverdale, he had never taught anywhere else before. In Fall of 1999, he worked alongside an English teacher to put on three one-act plays based on American authors. His two classes put on Rappaccini’s Daughter and A Rose for Emily.
Even though Helen Hamilton is a major influence on his life, Mr. Smith says his professional inspiration is Orson Wells, who began his career on stage, and later moved to radio and ended with movies. Along with Wells, Mr. Smith’s at home inspiration is his wife. They met in college and both worked alongside in theatre projects. He says that she has always been a very big positive influence on him and never lets him settle, he works diligently to make sure that every show has her approval.
Mr. Smith said that he believes theatre arts is important in schools because it teaches students to see bigger issues from other points of view. Theatre also gives students the opportunity to work together and be entertainment for an audience, and acting lets you expand your horizons. Mr. Smith says, “There’s no more fun than playing a villain,” because you can not be Darth Vader in real life. Acting is hard work but it can be a lot of fun and it makes you a deeper thinker, and it especially helps with understanding people and their actions.
Basically, being an actor teaches you valuable life skills that you can use every day. There is nothing more rewarding than an audience bursting with applause after a performance, don’t let that opportunity slip away.
Extraterrestrial Activities
By Kaitlin Patin
First of all, I am sincerely sorry if you thought this editorial would be over aliens or a UFO sighting, because it is not. This is actually about extracurricular activities. Some of the most memorable moments in high school happen in extracurricular activities. Band, Beta Club, and Drama Club are the main activities I personally participate in currently. Without these three activities I would not be who I am today. When I came into high school I was shy, insecure, and flat out felt like I did not belong in this place that I was forced to go to for thirteen years of my life. I did not have as many friends as I would have dreamed I would have when I began high school, and my middle school “best friends” and I had already separated, so I decided it was in my best interest to look for new friends.
Being in the Forrest Rocket Band of Blue had already been one of my main priorities since sixth grade. I had been living to put on that uniform and march on that field and play my heart out. I had been spent my band career working towards a big goal: to be field commander. Now, I am preparing to spend my last marching season with the Band of Blue, as their senior field commander. There is no feeling like the way I feel when I climb the steps of that podium and look out at the band and know that we are all working towards the one common goal of winning everywhere we go. Mr. Bateman and the Band of Blue have taught me leadership and determination and they give me a new sense of confidence when I step foot on a field.
In the beginning of my freshman year I had received an invitation to the high school Beta Club and decided to step up and accept it, besides, I had already been in the middle school Beta Club for four years at this point, so why not? However, I never dreamed that I would be walking on the stage at Opryland and delivering a campaign speech to promote “KP for VP”. Not only did I overcome a fear of public speaking, I also made plenty of new friendships in my fellow candidates. It is amazing to think that it all began with simply accepting an invitation to the Beta Club in my freshman year.
Last, but not least, another extracurricular activity that has dominated my high school career is the Drama Club. I have acted in Little Luncheonette of Terror, The Bride of Frankenstein, Suite Surrender, Pink Panther, and I am currently acting in Forgiven. I have played a high school student, a servant, an assistant to a celebrity, a kidnapped daughter of a scientist, and now I am playing an evil witch turned good. I have had many amazing experiences and friendships that have formed in the theatre, and I find peace in taking on the role of someone who is substantially different from me. Acting in the Drama Club gives me the opportunity to step away from reality and dive into someone else’s life. I am able to invent someone with new hobbies, habits, and personalities from my real life, and in the end I can walk out in the curtain call and see an audience bursting with applause and I feel the blooming confidence deep in my soul. Drama Club has given me a new aspect of confidence and self-love, and that is not something you can just buy from a store. That is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
So, if you are contemplating on whether or not you should try out for a team or go to a club meeting, do it. There is nothing that compares to the memories you will gain from the experiences you have in extracurricular activities.