Paw Prints Newsblog

by Melissa Reed

Many of us have heard, whether from teachers or other students, that there are just a few issues at the district, such as teachers’ wages. The district has upped the student-to-teacher ratio, and now they are trying to cut their pay by 3%! 3% is a lot of money, especially when teachers don’t make enough as it is. Think of it this way: We have doctors to save our lives; they aren’t born with the knowledge to save lives. They go to school for many, many years and are taught by (guess who?) teachers. Teachers are the foundation of our society and, even more so, civilization. Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure teachers deserve better pay than they get.

by Becky Hoffman

Everyone has heard of reverse racism and may have had it happen to them time to time. Does that make it okay? Of course, it does not, but it is still all around you. This is very common in high school. Students walk around saying whatever they want about any white person, but if one comment or stereotype is said to anyone else, it becomes racist. Even the term “reverse racism” can be prejudice. Last time I checked, I believe that Caucasian is classified as a race or ethnicity. By logic, it should still be called racist.

However, that has happened for years, and nothing has changed about it. All around campuses you hear exactly what were are told not to say. Comments towards any race are unacceptable and should not be tolerated, but you cannot teach everyone.

Although it is a growing issue, race has not been a forefront issue in the last few years. Religion has dominated controversies in schools and in teens for the last decade. Everyone has heard of the story of the man who did not want his child to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school for the simple phrase “Under God.” That was one of the first major issues, and, as a result, many schools no longer said the daily pledge any more. Most of the problems have come to stop Christian practices at school. But that should not be the issue.

Even when we are not allowed to practice religions at school, should we still be subjected to atheism in schools? Anytime someone was to mention “God” on a campus, they would automatically be told to stop. Teachers are afraid to mention a higher power in classes due to angry parents that live in “sue America.”  But you still hear atheist conversations all around you. You even have teachers who promote that themselves. Where’s the line? In all honesty, if religion must be kept out of schools, shouldn’t atheism too?

Reverse prejudice needs to stop if prejudice is not tolerated. And let’s not forget that there is not such thing as reverse prejudice– it is still just prejudice.

by Aubrey Walford

Television shows today have changed immensely in popularity. When high school students today were younger, the main shows on television that people were always tuning into were The West Wing, ER, and Friends. However, in today’s world of television, there are many shows that Americans watch– shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, 24, The Office, American Idol, etcetera. Then there are also stations such as the CW that focus their shows mainly on the teenage population. They normally grab the typical teenaged girl with shows such as Gossip Girl, 90210, and Rosemary’s Place. Basically, television has changed a lot in these past few years. NBC no longer rules the television.

by Melissa Reed

The swine flu shot seems to be a pretty big deal. They even sent packets home with us that highly encouraged us to get it. Kudos to whoever in the office made the permission slips pink. It seems to me that everybody is in a tizzy about this crazy vaccine. I mean, for goodness sake, people have died from this shot! But think, more people have died from the flu (both H1N1 and our regular seasonal flu) itself. Here are a few facts to get you off the fence about getting this shot. All vaccines and booster shots have risks including death and paralysis. These risks are minimal, less than 1%! The nasal vaccine is often times a live virus, but the shot is usually a dead virus. It is true that the live virus is more likely to get you sick than the dead virus. I know that “thinking is hard, [and] it’s not for everyone” (anonymous), but this vaccine might just be important enough for you to use that awesome brain.

by Camille Vernon

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere Haiti suffered a magnitude-7 earthquake on January 12th. A now estimated 200,00+ were killed, and chaos took course. Those who survived this natural disaster are left to live in destruction with little food and little shelter. The environment is dangerous with hundreds of destroyed buildings and a ruined seaport. Without aid ships being able to reach their destination, and without being able to receive needed supplies, the Haitian people are left with barely any hope.
The U.N. peacekeeping force isn’t prepared to take immediate action. The World Health Organization aid that thousands of injured and ill aren’t capable of being treated because of the damage done to eight Port-au-Prince hospitals.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced January 14th that the U.S. government is making an initial $100 million relief effort, and he promised an all-out rescue and humanitarian effort that will include military and civilian emergency teams from across the U.S.
Various organizations and companies have created donation opportunites as to allow for everyone to help. Please do all you can to help out those who are less fortunate in their countries.

by April Ball

As it is apparent, the United States is in a recession.  It worries many people that they might lose their jobs.  Their jobs could be lost to the lack of money,  loss of income, or outsourcing.  There are, however, at least five jobs that are said to not be outsourced.

Vehicular technicians and mechanics repair and maintain automobiles.  People who drive vehicles need these services near their homes and businesses.  This means this hands-on trade would be pretty hard for someone in another country to do.  This job is remaining available to the public.  Most employers require certification from their employees for this job.

Teachers help students develop intellectually and socially through instruction.  With the U.S. Census Bureau projecting that some 56 million K-12 students will enroll in the 2009-2010 school year, teaching is a solid job that’s here to stay.

Physical Therapy Assistants work with physical therapists to assist in the rehabilitation of patients who have suffered from severe injury or illness.  The work involves using the power of touch to heal and inspire.

Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical systems and components.  With work regularly done at homes, offices, or factories, electrician jobs cannot be sent overseas.

Veterinary Assistants assist veterinarians in handling pets and non-farm animals, administering medicine and taking x-rays.  Most animals can’t travel far for their health care.

by April Ball

Here come finals, the very time of year every student stresses over.  Yes, finals are vital to your grade and are a key component, but relaxing and calming down is just as important.  Stressing yourself out over your final exams only lowers your ability to concentrate.

If you are nervous about a specific final, take time out of your busy schedule to study.  This means no cell phone, no computer, no TV, and absolutely no distractions.  Also, when you study, do not just read over your notes– actually engage yourself in some brain action.  Try having someone quiz you or make flash cards.  This will force you to actually think about what you are doing.

Space your study time out.  Study for an hour, then take a thirty minute break, study for an hour, then take a thirty minute break, so on and so forth.  By breaking down your study time, you are able to stay concentrated on your work and not overload yourself.  It is also important that you start studying a good three to four days before your exam; cramming does nothing for you.

You should also keep a balanced diet and get plenty of sleep.  This will keep your body regular and help you keep focus on your tasks.

All you have to do is follow these simple guide lines, and your finals will not be as stressful.

by Lauren Brown

Mikey Hicks is an eight-year-old New Jersey Cub Scout and frequent traveler who has seldom boarded a plane without a hassle because he shares the name of a suspicious person. Michael Winston Hicks’s mother initially sensed trouble when he was a baby and she could not get a seat for him on their flight to Florida at an airport kiosk; airline officials explained that his name “was on the list,” she recalled. The first time he was patted down, at Newark Liberty International Airport, Mikey was 2.

After years of long delays and waits for supervisors at every airport ticket counter, this year’s vacation to the Bahamas badly shook up the family. Mikey was frisked on the way there, then more aggressively on the way home. People are patting this eight-year-old down like he’s a criminal. His mother is extremely frustrated when a terrorist can blow his underwear up and they don’t catch him, but her eight-year-old son can’t walk through security without being frisked.

It is true that Mikey is not on the federal government’s “no-fly” list, which includes about 2,500 people, less than 10 percent of them from the United States. But his name appears to be among some 13,500 on the larger “selectee” list, which sets off a high level of security screening. For every person on the list, hundreds of others may get caught up simply because they share the same name; a quick scan through a national phone directory unearthed 1,600 Michael Hicks. Over the past three years, 81,793 frustrated travelers have formally asked that they be struck from the watch list through the Department of Homeland Security; more than 25,000 of their cases are still pending.

Mr. Fotenos, the Transportation Security Administration spokesman, promised improvements in a few months, as the agency’s Secure Flight Program takes full effect. Under the new system, airlines will collect every passenger’s birth date and gender along with their names. The T.S.A. will cross-check all that with the watch lists. Previously, the airlines cross-checked the lists themselves, using only the names. Certainly, Mikey’s date of birth, less than a month before 9/11, should prevent him from being mistaken as a terrorist.

Mrs. Hicks said the family was amused by the mistake at first. But that amusement quickly turned to annoyance and anger. It should not take seven years to correct the problem, Mrs. Hicks said. She applied for redress in December when she first heard about the Department of Homeland Security’s program.

“I understand the need for security,” she added. “But this is ridiculous. It’s quite clear that he is eight-years-old, and while he may have terroristic tendencies at home, he does not have those on a plane.”

by Lauren Brown

As if this teenage sensation wasn’t doing enough, she has decided to make a rap video! Rapper T-Pain joined forces with Taylor Swift to create a comical rap song called “Thug Story.” The jokes Swift makes about herself create an innocent and silly mood about the song which proves to be extremely entertaining. This “singer turned rapper” explains her “thug life” and the inexperience she possesses in the “gangster” world. Although she doesn’t have a gun, she’s never been in a club, and she still lives with her parents, as mentioned in the song, she is still a “hardcore gangster.” This engaging video fuels my surprise about what this teen will do next. If any country singer can create a rap video and be interesting, I’m not shocked Taylor Swift was the one to do it. Check out the video and watch the surprise ending!

by Lindsey Baty

On the morning of  October 27, 2009, in Coralville, Iowa, police found a seven-year-old boy in a family van covered in dried blood. His throat had been slit, but he was luckily still alive. Outside of the van, his two-year-old brother was found also covered in dried blood, his throat slit, and he was unfortunately dead. The seven-year-old claimed his mother Michelle Kehoe cut his throat then moved on to cut his little brother’s throat. During an audio recording that played Thursday in Kehoe’s first-degree murder trial, the boy said, “She cut me.” Kehoe is pleading not guilty to first-degree murder, attempted murder and child endangerment causing serious injury. As Kehoe listened to the recording of her seven-year-old son, she frowned, occasionally bowing her head.
Assistant Iowa Attorney General Andrew Prosser claimed that the boy locked himself in the van overnight after his mother slashed his and his younger brother’s throats the previous day after leaving them for dead. Then after doing so, Kehoe walked down to a nearby lake and attempted to cut her own throat using the same knife that had been used on her two sons,a camouflage-handle Winchester hunting knife that she had bought the month before. After she attempted to kill herself, she slowly ran down the road and went to the nearest house she could find, which was about a half mile from the van. As someone opened the door, Kehoe immediately told them a story of how a stranger abducted the family, killed her sons, and tried to kill her.
After authorities went searching for the stranger that killed her sons, the only thing they found was a van with a seven-year-old that was claimed to be dead still alive. Deputy Stephen Peterson asked the boy who had done this to him, and he responded, “My mom.” Kehoe began to plot her murders about a month before, buying duct tape, ropes, and the knife. At the crime scene, police found signs of cover-up including, pieces of a first aid kit scattered around and a handwritten note Kehoe allegedly wrote during the attack. The note ends saying, “‘Oh no, here he comes again…” If convicted of first-degree murder, Kehoe faces life in prison with out parole.