October 2012

Liberty High School October 2012 Vol. 10, Ed. 2 8720 Scarborough Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920

The L.H.S. Revolution

The scoop on

Parking on

Page 2!

How do YOU feel

about Standards

Based Grading?

Check out page 5!

Check out fall

sports photos

on page 10!

Photo drawn by Kwang Choi

STAFF: Emma & David Brown…………....……...Executive Editors Laura Andersen…………………………...General Manager Kwang Choi......…………………………Head Copy Editor Matt Caverly………………………Executive Online Editor Alexandra Rivas……………………………...Layout Editor Xandra McMahon...………………………...Content Editor Jordan Blakeley……………………………...……Journalist Maci Steeves……………………………………....Journalist Blake Brown……..……………………………….Journalist Angie Hoss…….…………………………………Journalist Liam Manning…………………………………….Journalist Jeff King………………………………………….Journalist Erica Nobles……………………………………...Journalist Gus Hunninghake…………...……………………Journalist Rae Hunt..…………………………………….…..Journalist Cole Johnson……………………………………..Journalist Ashley Wierengo………………………………….Journalist Cory Kennedy…………………………….………Journalist Sid Fantroy………………………………….…….Journalist Ross Johnson..……………………………………Journalist Brennen Karl……………………………………...Journalist Marisa Mandel……………………………………Journalist CeAhnna Pelt…………………………………......Journalist Mariya Pinchuk…………………………………...Journalist Tyler Smith……………………………………….Journalist Clark Valentine…………………………………...Journalist

LHS

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/October 2012

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8720 Scarborough Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Send letters to the editor to [email protected]

Disclaimer

The LHS Revolution is a

school-sponsored student

publication. The views and

opinions expressed in this

newspaper are not necessarily

those of Academy School

District 20, its schools, any of

its employees, or of the advi-

sor, Pauline Hawkins.

Mission statement

The LHS Revolution is a

student run newspaper, giving

us a place to stand so we can

move the earth. The LHS Revolution strives to in-

form, entertain and establish

diversity within the Liberty

community. We are an open

forum for students to express

their individuality, while re-

maining true to ethical jour-

nalism and the freedoms al-

lowed us in the First Amend-

ment. We are changing lives.

We are changing perspec-

tives. We are

The LHS Revolution.

Letters to the Editor

The LHS Revolution welcomes letters to the editor,

but space is limited. All let-

ters published must be signed

and have contact information.

Contributors must be willing

to have their picture in the

paper. The newspaper re-

serves the right to edit letters

for grammar and space. A

letter may be returned to the

author for the purposes of

editing. Letters must be

turned into The LHS Revo-lution one week prior to

publication. There is a 300

word limit on all letters to the

editor.

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By Marisa Mandel

The moans and groans are apparent as you walk through the halls. Even without knowing what day is it, you can easily come to the conclusion that it is a Wednesday. Why all the fuss about a Wednesday? Most all students can easily blame it on the thirty five-minute period called Advisory. I know fellow students, I per-sonally am not a fan of this peri-od either. I am a senior, so I have had this period the past four years, and have covered the same material throughout the four years. For those of you under-classman complaining, you’ve got a long way to go. And those of you that are juniors, only one year left. Seniors, if you don’t know everything there is to know about cyber-bullying, internet safety, college, and all the other infor-mation we have consistently been given the past four years, then I would be completely shocked. All of you are probably asking the question why. Why do we have advisory? What is the point/

purpose of advisory? I asked Mrs. Nosker these questions, and sud-denly, although I still dislike advi-sory, I have a slight change in perspective on the period. ICAPS Ever heard of ICAPS? Yea me neither. ICAPS, also known as Individual Career and Academic Plan, is everything covered in ad-visory that has to do with goal/future planning. This originally started out with ELF folders, then became College and Career, and starting this year, every student will be using Naviance. In these programs we have been able to look at different college, career, and life options best suited for our individual personalities. I think we have all been able to benefit from this opportunity. Advisory is the best time to do this because it’s a small group, so questions about certain colleges and careers can be directly answered by your advisor, without trying to find other times to meet with an adult or the very busy Mrs. Scott. Take advantage of this period to learn more about what you are interested in for your

future. Lessons If advisory were always just about college and career stuff, then I am sure we would all like it even the slightest bit more. How-ever, every so often there are those power points on bullying, technology use, and various other life les-sons, that we all find mean-ingless and unimportant. Well Lancers, we need to stop blaming our advisors for these presentations, because it is not under their control. District 20 makes it man-datory that we are presented this information yearly to refresh stu-dents with the information. There is nothing that can be done about learning about all of this infor-mation over and over again. Positives Advisory is mandatory throughout the district. But, we really don’t have it as bad as you may think Lancers. You think having advisory once a week is bad, but some District 20 schools have it multiple times a week! Not to mention, we are earning credit for sitting in a desk and listening to those boring presentations! Just for attending advisory for four

years, all of us are receiving two elective credits, the easiest credits ever earned. But I know you are all still thinking “So what? We have to be in a class room instead of hanging out with friends at EXCL.” EXCL wasn’t meant for hanging out with friends; it was

meant to be a time where students could get help, ask teachers ques-tions, and do homework. Walking around the halls on every day but Wednesday, almost every-one is just hanging out.

Trust me, I am not one to point fingers because I definitely just hang out myself, but that is what is nice about advisory. Instead of taking time away from hanging out, we are given a period once a week where we can get questions answered, or even just have some conversation with a familiar adult in the building. Plus, we still get a short fifteen minute EXCL at the end of advisory. Wednesday: the most dreaded day of the week. Hang in there fellow Lancers, and hopefully you will begin to reflect the more pos-itive aspects out of it, rather than the negative. Sources: Mrs. Nosker

The Point of Advisory Question: 1) What is your opinion on advisory? 2) If you could change the way advisory is, what would you want? Freshman: Skyler Hall 1). It’s not totally useless, but we need to use it more for studying and homework. 2). Have more time used for studying and homework because this is more of a chance to do it instead of hanging out at EXCL. Junior: Zara Kittridge 1). I think it’s mostly useless, not complete-ly cause there are some things that come out of it, but I don’t like it. 2). It needs to be something more like a study hall for kids that need the help.

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 LHS

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By Maci Steeves

The Halloween season is back and so is Liberty Theater! The theater department is start-ing off the haunted season with a classic dark comedy/farce that pits several colorful characters in an eccentric plot. Liberty Theater presents Arsenic and Old Lace. Mortimer Brewster (senior, Grant Brown) has it all: a fantastic job as a dramatic critic, the lovely lady of his dreams Elaine Harper (senior, Kirsten Price), and a wedding date ahead of him. Grant Brown speaks for his character when he says that “Mortimer is a person who loves his aunts very much, but once he learns their secret, he transforms from a very cocky person to a very distressed person.” Mortimer’s love life seems to be perfecting his world when his

universe is turned upside down when he learns that his peculiar family is run by insanity. Teddy, who believes he is Theodore Roose-velt (senior, Josh Taft) is includ-ed in Mortimer’s family and is

easily the most normal. When looking deeper into his charac-ter, Josh reveals a little secret: “Every time he gets to the stairs, he is taken back to San Juan Hill

and he yells ‘CHARGE!’ as he runs up the stairs.” Adding to the family tree is Mortimer’s older long-lost brother, Jonathan (junior, Dan-iel Dorbin) who has resurfaced

with his sidekick, Dr. Einstein (senior, Brennen Karl). The

two hope to carry on his criminal enterprise in the Brewster home. In order

to fulfill his creepy persona, Daniel must go through intensive make-up effects including wax and facial scars. He has also mastered

the high-heel walk as he has to wear 5 inch boots to make

him look more menacing. “I know how women feel now,” Daniel adds jok-ingly. Brennen also di-vulges the inner work-ings of his character. He

says that Dr. Einstein is “an opportunist. He knows that by himself he is just a drunk, but if he sticks with the winning side, then he will succeed.”

Finally, the whole family is held together by Mortimer’s two adorable old aunts, Abby (senior,

Rae Watkins) and Martha (senior, Xandra McMahon) who have a terrible secret that Morti-mer has just discov-ered. On stage, Xandra says her character is the “airhead” in the grand scheme of things while Rae is the mastermind. Xandra says, “I’m just kind of along for the ride.” The show exhibits con-siderable spe-cial effects and outstanding makeup addi-tions, but what is a play with-out a terrific set? The set for Arsenic and Old Lace is a two story set complete with stairs, arched doorways, and plenty of fine details. Billy Stone, a set builder, says that “this is proba-

bly one of the biggest sets we have ever built. It doesn’t just involve platforms or flat surfac-es, it involves both.” This makes it a difficult feat to build such a large and complicated set in such a limited time.

Director Steve Skelcey is excited for the play to make its premier on Octo-

ber 25, 2012 (though the play is also shown the 26th

and 27th). He hopes “that it’ll bring in large crowds, and

everybody will laugh.” Kirsten Price (Elaine Harper) also has high expectations for the show. She mentions that she “hopes the audience enjoys the show as much as the

cast will.” Don’t miss out on this fantastic show. Like Skelcey says,

“It’s going to be awe-some!” Sources: interview with Skelcey, and Kirsten Price, “Arsenic and

Old Lace” script, Grant Brown, Daniel Dorbin, Brennen Karl, Josh Taft, Xandra McMahon, Billy Stone http://www.csfreshink.com/m/event?id=3831802%3AEvent%3A195860

Arsenic and Old Lace

From left to right: Kirsten Price, Grant Brown, Cassie Eron, Kayla Angeloff, Rachel Taft, Ian Sharkey, Daniel Dorbin, Brennen Karl, Josh Taft

Bottom: Nate Ferrick, Billy Stone, Ben Fowler, Rae Watkins, Xandra McMahon Photo by: Maci Steeves

Husband, Teacher, Gamer By Cole Johnson

We here at Liberty have had the pleasure of having Mrs. Kroeker as a resident. As of 2012 we are now lodging her good-natured, energetic, and overall outstand-ing husband Mr. Kroeker. New to our building, Kroeker came to From Elliot High school. In 2006 he was working as a Corporate Trainer when a par-ticularly helpful job survey pointed him towards English Professor. Coming to Liberty was an easy choice considering his wife works here as well.

Though he first studied at Cornell then later at the University of Kansas for criminal jus-tice, Lancers say he is doing a fine job as an English teach-er and love the gestures he adds to their experience. He has heard much about Liberty from

Mrs. Kroeker. However now that he is at Liberty he has formed his own opinion. Thankfully, he is very much comfortable here at our school saying “I went to a school very similar to Liberty (in design) and it feels a lot like coming home.” Which is a relief for those of us who want him to remain our instructor for some time to come. Though he is already excellent in our eyes, Mr. Koeker is always striving to

be better at his new job. When asked what he hopes for his future at Liberty he replied hap-pily with, “I really want time to learn the ropes and be a better teacher for the students.” Mr. Kroeker’s academic life is well known to us, or at least, known a bit better if you actually read this article… Teaching is only half of the fantastic man’s life. In his more personal time Mr. Kroeker has a 9 year-old son at home to whom he is always ready to care for. Then there’s always Mrs. Kroeker of course, to keep his heart warm in his off time. Though a career and fami-ly are commitments that require a lot of attention Mr. Kroeker still finds time for his game con-sole. Yes my fellow students, we have a gamer among us in the teacher faculty. Most famous for his adventures as a land of Skyrim. Mr. Kroeker is a rare kind of teacher who understands students more than most. This is a wonderful thing for us stu-dents. Mr. Kroeker, we welcome you to the Lancer Nation. May your stay be full of teachings. Sources: Interview with Mr. Kroeker

The outstanding Mr. Kroeker posing for his interview.

Rae Watkins demonstrating the realistic make-up effects.

Photo by: Xandra McMahon

Comics!

The Tiny Monsters Don’t ask me why they’re devils and angels that’s just what they are! By Cole Johnson

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/October 2012

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News

Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776

Industrial Revolution modernizes America Mar 1850

Abolishment Of Slavery Jan 1865

By CeAhnna Pelt Google’s newest invention, the self-driving car, is becoming a new hit because of its mind-blowing technology. The states that have made it legal are Cali-fornia, Nevada, and Florida. It is said that soon, drivers won’t need to own their li-cense because Google co-founder Sergey Brin has high hopes that self-driving cars will be on the streets in 5 years or less. Ac-cording to Google, the cars have racked up 300,000 miles worth of driving time and 50,000 of those miles were without supervision from human drivers. In Google’s opinion the self-driving cars are safer than human drivers but senior Isaiah Green says, “It’s an inter-

esting idea but I don’t know how safe and reliable it would be.” Whether you’re skeptical or not, these cars are here to stay and soon enough you might see one near you.

By Angie Hoss

For those readers who

have no idea what the Stand-

ard Base Grading (SBG) is,

have no fear it’s pretty sim-

ple. Students’ grades in class

should reflect how well they

know the material and how

well they can prove it; the

SBG scale does exactly that.

Homework and extra credit is

now insignificant. Extra

credit will not be offered in

classes because the students’

grade should not be about

how much Kleenex or food

they bring in but how well

they know the material. To

see the breakdown of what an

A, B, C, D, and F is see chart

below. Some teachers are

using this scale because in the

future, the Colorado Depart-

ment of Education might

make all the high schools use

it. The teachers want out

work out all the kinks now, so

everyone will be ready for the

change if they decide to

change it.

A 4.0-3.5

B 3.25-2.75

C 2.5-2.0

D 1.75-1.38

F 1.37-0

What is Standards Based Grading?

Sources: interview with Mrs.

Fisher, AP Literature & Compo-

sition Course Outline/Policies.

Standards Based Grading Scale

Self-Driving Cars Sources- Isaiah Green http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/25/tech/innovation/self-driving-car-california/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1 http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/10/self-driving-cars/

The future of cars.

Photo drawn by Tyler Smith

By Liam Manning

In our day and age, most of us rely on technology to run our daily lives. In the last decade, smartphones have been the most frequently used piece of technology. They help us organ-ize our lives, keep in contact with friends, and entertain us all on the go. However, these phones come with a hefty cost. The four major phone compa-nies in America: AT&T, Veri-zon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile all offer smartphones cheaper than ever before but with a sneaky catch. Unlike basic phones, a customer can-not purchase a smartphone without a data plan. These plans vary from company to compa-ny, but they all require a data plan for their smartphones. If a smartphone seems too expen-sive, then a “basic” phone is a better choice but for how long? Eventually, the only available

phones will be smartphones. The companies are being deceitful and scamming the customers. They are phasing out the cheaper option, your basic phones, to make customers pay more. Verizon Wireless offers two plans, Share Eve-rything and Pre-paid. Both options offer basic phones, but Verizon will not allow a cus-tomer to purchase a smartphone without a data plan attached. Since most of the phones sold at Ver-

izon are smartphones, the con-sumer has little choice. AT&T

offers three plans: Individual, Family, Mobile Share, Data and International plans. Again,

most phones at

AT&T are smartphones,

and these phones need data plans for a

customer to purchase. T-Mobile has variety of plans ranging from Individual, Family, Mobile Broadband to the 4G no annual con-

tract. Sprint offers simi-lar

plans as AT&T and Verizon plus their Data Only and Home and Of-fice plans which all require some

data plan with the purchase of a smartphone. All these compa-nies’ lists of basic phones are slowly diminishing, and the smartphones are taking over. Junior, Taylor Lobdell worries, “I don’t like the data plans be-cause you have to always watch your data usage and make sure you don’t go over. If you do, they will charge you". Eventual-ly, the only phones that will sur-vive this technological revolu-tion will be the smartphones. From the way technology and phones are advancing, the con-sumer seems to have no choice but to be dragged along with the changing phone market. Sources: http://www.sprint.com/index_p.html?context=CP http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/index.html?otc-do-mains2008&cmpcat=wireless&domain=www.verizonwirless.com http://www.att.com/#fbid=yZhferDfsO8 http://www.t-mobile.com/ Interview: Taylor Lobdell

Smartphones Outsmarting Us? By Liam Manning

Free: 1. Facebook 2. Pandora Radio 3. Words With Friends 4. Skype 5. The Weather Channel 6. Google Search 7. Google Earth 8. Angry Birds Free 9. Shazam 10. Netflix Paid: 1. Angry Birds 2. Fruit Ninja 3. Doodle Jump 4. Cut the Rope 5. Angry Birds Seasons 6. Words With Friends 7. Tiny Wings 8. Angry Birds Rio 9. Pocket God 10. Camera+ gizmodo.com/.../the-most-popular-

iphone-and-ipad-apps-o...

Photo drawn by

Kwang Choi

Most Popular

Apps of

All-Time!

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Vice-Versa

2 )

Vice Versa: A Latin phrase that means “the other way around.” The LHS Revolution uses this phrase to identify two editorials written about a controversial topic from opposite perspectives; thus, readers

will read one perspective and then a perspective on “the other way.” The LHS Revolution staff hopes to promote intelligent conversations about the topics we choose. It is also necessary to note that the

journalists don’t always 100% support the position they write about. These editorials explore a position (sometimes an extreme one) in order to broaden everyone’s perspective.

By Laura Andersen

The newly-

imposed standards-

based grading system

is faulty and inadequate

compared to the usual points

system. First of all, teachers

should not change the grading

system during the last few years

of high school. It is confusing to

students who are familiar with

the system of average points

and a letter grade. In addition,

teachers themselves are not ade-

quately adjusted to the new

standard-based grading system,

making it difficult for them to

explain the new system to stu-

dents.

It is challenging for a student

to know where he or she is at in

terms of a grade when quizzes

only have a number on the top.

A single-digit number means

almost nothing to students who

are accustomed to the regular

system. Again, if the teachers

do not understand standards-

based grading very well either,

and they are unsure of how to

properly score quizzes, they

simply look at the rubric and

decide where they think the

student falls on the spectrum.

Furthermore, if students do

poorly at the beginning of the

semester, but have an upward

progression for the remainder of

the semester, students may not

really know the concepts from

the beginning of the semester.

The final grade is not reflective

of the beginning of the semester

like the regular grading system.

Standards-based grading

gives stu-

dents no

reason to

be moti-

vated. Be-

cause

home-

work

does not

count for points, many students

will not do the assignments.

While this means that they may

not do as well on quizzes, they

can just retake them anyway.

There is no motivation to study

either because there are no tests

per say, and teachers often do

not announce quizzes. This will

let the already unmotivated stu-

dents fall even more behind.

Some students are only motivat-

ed to do homework and study

because of points. With stand-

ards-based grading, these stu-

dents have even less of a reason

to try their best. In a way, this is

setting up these students for

failure.

Finally,

standards-

based grad-

ing makes it

difficult for

good stu-

dents to get “A’s” in the class.

These students are partly suc-

cessful because they are willing

to put in the work to get the

grade. However, this work does

not necessarily matter anymore.

Some successful students are

not good test takers, but they

understand concepts. Just be-

cause a student does not get a

good grade on a test or quiz

does not mean that he or she

does not understand specifical-

ly. This is one major problem,

and it is causing good students

to be less successful.

While

standards-

based grading

could be useful

for teachers,

but the system

is just simply harder for stu-

dents. One of the main goals in

education is to make students

successful both in school and in

the future. However, with stand-

ards-based grading, students are

having a more difficult time

flourishing. If educators really

do care about students, then

standards-based grading needs

to go away. Sources:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/

educational_leadership/oct08/vol66/

num02/Seven_Reasons_for_Standards-

Based_Grading.aspx

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/

index.ssf/2010/11/qa_standards-

based_grading_exp.html

http://

scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/

thisweekineducation/2012/09/bruno-is-

standards-based-grading-a-good-

idea.html

For Standards-Based Grading

By Ross Johnson

Another part of school is

being updated to catch America

up to the rest of the world aca-

demically. Particularly in Math,

English, and Science, these

changes are already being made.

Standards Based Grading is

here. This new system changes

how a person is graded and on

what criteria. Rather than the

typical grading scale, an “A” =

four, a “B” = three, a “C” to “D”

= two and an “F” = one.

Many questions surround

this topic including, “why in the

world do we need to change the

grading system?“ Well there are

a variety of reasons, many of

them being beneficial to stu-

dents. Teachers have already

begun raving about the benefits

of standards based grading. Mr.

Lenig claims that he “love[s] it.

It provides much more specific

feedback so the students know

what they need to do to do bet-

ter.” If a teacher can help stu-

dents in specific areas that are

challenging to the class, then

time will not be wasted on top-

ics that are already understood.

This system keeps students en-

gaged in class, as they aren’t

relearning known material.

Along

with those

substantial

benefits,

standards

based

grading

will really

help stu-

dents in

college

since

under-

standing

material

far out-

weighs

reciting

facts.

Knowing material thoroughly

will help with using the material

for more than facts. Rather, it can

be used in support of a topic and

display a grasp of knowledge that

helps later in life as well. Many

times it happens that a student

passes a class but does not have a

firm grasp of the knowledge,

using extra credit and multiple

make-up opportunities to mask

the deficiency. This is not a way

to prepare for the future and

grades should really have a

meaning. Getting an “A” means

that course material is mastered,

students. This

is because the

teacher will

know much

more about

what the stu-

dents under-

stand from one

assignment,

rather than

having to try to

sort through

tests and see

which ques-

tions were con-

sistently

missed.

For the fu-

ture, this also

helps prepare students a lot

more than the current grading

system. For example, in a job

situation if a valuable presenta-

tion is poorly done, a company

would not give the presenter an

“F” and move on hoping he or

she fixes it next time. Instead,

correct? Maybe not, as a strong

start to the semester can hide

failings in later months.

Along with that, Standards

Based Grading will more than

likely reduce meaningless pa-

perwork for both teachers and

the company would lose a valua-

ble client and the presenter

would be fired.

Thus, grading on how well

the knowledge is known and not

on how well the facts were re-

membered is beneficial to stu-

dents now, in college, and the

rest of their lives. There is no

reason Standards Based Grading

should not be implemented into

the curriculum of all subjects,

therefore helping the population

of Liberty High School do even

better in all areas of their lives. Sources:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/

educational_leadership/oct08/vol66/

num02/Seven_Reasons_for_Standards-

Based_Grading.aspx

http://

www.educatedreporter.com/2010/11/ins-

and-outs-of-standards-based-

grading.html

http://

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/11/

standards-based-grading-

s_n_1665377.html

Interview with: Jon Lenig

The Standard has

been Raised

“A 1, 2, 3, or 4 doesn’t tell me where a stu-dent is. A percentage tells me a lot more.

Like I think in inches not meters, I think in per-centages, not [standards-based grading].”

-Ms. Wood

A 4 on the Standards-based grading scale equals a 100% on the normal grading scale. Which

do you prefer? Picture drawn by Cole Johnson

/Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 T

he

lhs Revolution

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LHS

FACE IN THE CROWD Freshman - Emily Aldrich

The Cookie Monster so that I

can give all my friends cookies!

Sophomore - Chris Sereda

Children: they’re unpredictable!

Junior - Austin Percell

A werewolf because they’re fuzzy

and I would want to cuddle!

Senior - Cierra Bustamante

A unicorn: they are cute and pret-

ty and you can ride them!

What monster/mythical creature would you encounter on Halloween and why?

By Clark Valentine Many people at Liberty High School are involved in various extracurricular activities. Whether it is a sport, band, theater, or an afterschool club there are many benefits that a student will get from them. First of all, one of the biggest things that a student can gain by participating in an extracurricular activity is the oppor-tunity to make many new friends by do-ing them. If someone is involved in a sport, theater, or clubs, that person will be able to get to know several people who have similar interests. In a survey that was conducted, around 96 percent of students that were involved in an extracurricular activity had an average grade point average of 3.85 on a 4.0 grade point scale. This goes to show that having an extracurricular during the day, a student will most likely do better in school. Students who devote a part of their day to an activity tend to be better at managing time and will most likely be able to complete assignments on time and do better on tests. If a student is involved in one or more extracurricular activities, it can be

helpful when they apply to a college. Although not nearly as important as how a student performs academically, the things students do outside of the class-room play a part in the college admis-

sions process. Our College and Career Counselor Mrs. Scott says, “When colleg-es see that a student is in extracurricular activities in high school, they assume that the student will be active and involved on

The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities their campus too.” She says that colleges also like to see students in extracurricular activities because it can show the stu-dent’s special talents, leadership skills, and time management skills. Not only school sponsored activities count as extracurricular activities, but also activities such as jobs, volunteer work, and club sports, along with many other things still count as extracurricular activities in a college’s eyes. In a survey of thirty Liberty High School students, twenty-two of them are involved in an extracurricular activity while only eight of them are not in-volved. So go out and try something new because chances are you will find many people who you could become great friends with. Whether it is to make friends, get involved, or to get ahead of others in the competition to get into colleges, an extra-curricular activity is a great way to be-come a well-rounded individual. Sources: Interview with Mrs. Scott http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cofp/jlscofp.html

Jacob Limary gets ready to dive into the pool. He joined the swim team because he is such a skilled swimmer.

Photo by Clark Valentine

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/October 2012

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Life

By Mariya Pinchuk

Halloween is one of the old-est, most enjoyed holidays all around the world. People love to decorate their houses with spooky ghosts, creepy spider webs, and frightening Jack ‘O Lanterns in order to show off their creativity and incorpo-rate their Halloween spir-it. The thrill of dressing up in various cos-

Treats Are for Kids! more age appropriate for a teenager than collecting candy although it is understandable that teenagers may want to step back into their childhood on Halloween. No matter what happens on this night, it is al-ways important to stay safe and have fun. Sources: interview with Mrs. Fitch

http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111082/html/

Information/traditions.htm

By Alex Rivas

What is the purpose of a drinking straw? Think about it. Does it actually serve a purpose if you are over the age of, let’s say, eight? We cannot say that we use them to aid ourselves in taking a sip of a beverage because, unless you have a health issue that pre-vents proper drinking, drinking is not a hard task. Tilting your head back to take a drink without spill-ing is a very easy thing to do. If you do not want your lips on a restaurant’s cup because of sani-tary issues, you have to realize that drinking out of a straw does not promise cleanliness. Whatev-er you are drinking still comes in

contact with these not-so-sanitary glasses, and any bacteria in there, gets sucked up into your straw as you take a swig. Not only are straws pointless, they are bad for the environment. Over 500 million plastic straws are used daily in America alone. To put that number into perspective, it is enough to fill 46,400 school buses per year. The straws are made from polypropyl-ene which is an unrecyclable bi-product of petroleum. As a result, landfills, oceans, and other water-ways are full of straws that are threatening the food chain. And that’s just the straw itself! Straws

are most often pack-

aged in a paper wrapper which most people do not even think to recycle. This just adds to the prob-lem. Also, restaurants would save some money by not providing straws unless directly asked for them. Nationwide, this idea could potentially save quite a bit of mon-ey. A couple organizations are try-ing to do something about this overlooked problem. The most recent is a group founded earlier this year called Boycott Straws. For more information, you can visit them on their Facebook page, Tumblr page, or on their Twitter account. (For URLs to their web-sites see the info box

provided) Or, you can take the pledge to stop using plastic straws, by visiting the No Plastic Project’s webpage, and win a free glass straw as an alternative. Oth-er alternatives include metal straws, which last nearly forever, or bamboo straws, which are completely biodegradable. Something as small and over-looked as a straw can cause huge problems. By simply saying, “no straw please” the next time you go to a restaurant or fast food joint, you can make an environ-mental difference. Stop being a “sucker” and take the pledge to-day!

Sources: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/green-living-tip-avoid-drinking-straws.html http://ivn.us/the-frog-and-the-eagle/2012/08/14/why-americans-should-stop-using-drinking-straws/ http://icountformyearth.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/we-suck/ http://earth911.com/news/2012/08/17/reusable-replacements-for-eating-on-the-go/

Straws Are For Suckers! Check Out These Sites!

-http://

www.facebook.com/BoycottStraws

-http://www.tumblr.com/

tagged/boycott-straws

-http://twitter.com/BoycottStraws

why they should not participate. However, other adults have ar-gued that trick or treating is considered an occasion for small children, not teenagers who crave the sweet taste of choco-late and other candies. From a teen’s point of view, Halloween is best spent either at a Halloween party or trick or treating. A party is, of course,

viduals who would much rather shut down their lights and sleep, it has brought up controversy among adults and teens alike. Mrs. Fitch, a history teacher at Liberty, states that “there is no age limit for fun.” She believes that as long as high school stu-dents are respectful, in costume, and polite, there is no reason

tumes is both enjoyable and exhilarating for all ages. On Halloween night, many people remain at home with bowls of candy nearby, ready to face the eager crowd of trick or treaters. Over the years, teenag-ers have joined the act of trick or treating, which was originally created for children. Although this may not affect some indi-

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/October 2012

-Page 8-

Entertainment

By Ashley Wierengo

It is always easier to point the finger at someone

else. Rather than face anything about yourself, why not point out the flaws of

someone else? Whereas it is typi-

cal to see

this in

everyday life, it is now

being integrated into different facets of our lives, such as political campaigning.

It is commonly seen in advertising and debates; presidential candidates seem to redirect focus away from themselves and what they can do for the population at large and towards the issues in their oppo-nents’ plans. “Ads about flaws and weak-nesses are more interesting and are what

people want to see/hear,” as Mr. Straub explains. However, these tactics have always been around. In campaigns as far back as Kennedy versus Nixon are the same strategies used today as back then. For example, if someone was to go on to www.livingroomcandidate.org and choose election year 1960 and look at video “Nixon’s Experience?” they would see a campaign ploy to get voters to be-lieve that Nixon wasn’t qualified enough to be president. Even fifty-six years ago, candidates were scheming against each other through utilizing the others weak-nesses. As voters, many people have become so censored to this approach that we tend to make our decisions based more on qualities we don’t like about one candidate rather than who has more to offer for the good of the nation. Ms. Paulin describes how, “Negative cam-paigning can be a very effective tool, as it utilizes people’s basic emotions (namely, fear).” To run and develop these messages opposing presidential contenders also costs a great deal of money. Some have to wonder, where is all this money com-ing from? New to this year’s election are

political organizations known as “super PAC’s,” the product of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision implant-ed in January 2010. This allows groups not affiliated with a certain candidate to spend outrageous amounts of money in the hopes that by creating advertise-ments they can sway votes either to-wards a candidate or away from one. Just in this years election super PAC’s have spent $291.2 million - 79% of which has been for running negative ads opposing a candidate. This rate has increased sig-nificantly since the installation of this Supreme Court verdict. However, the question standing is the degree to how effective this method of campaigning is. Mr. Straub believes that, “Negative ads work better for convinc-ing your supporters to stay with you, but positive ads are more effective for unde-cided voters.” This point is proved when Kameron Weaver, a first time voter this election, says he is not more likely to vote for someone based on the bad qual-ities of their opponent. “Though, it is frustrating that you feel like you know less about who you’re voting for because they would rather exploit their competi-

tor than talk about their own plans,” he ex-plains. All voters have different opinions on their view of politics. One thing is for sure, the new direction, which politicians and “independent” super PAC groups are taking, has set apart this election from any in previous years. America surely has no idea what the outcome of this election will be. Sources: Interviews with Mr. Straub, Ms. Paulin, and Kameron Weaver http://graphics.latimes.com/2012-election-superpac-spending/http://www.livingroomcandidate.org commercials/1960Picture drawn by Kwang Choi

Clap. Actors love is

when the Audience

reacts

Stop clapping. Let the

actors do their thing

Thank the people help-

ing backstage. They

really do a lot

Turn off your cell

phones. They are the

reason the sound is not

working

Go to Liberty’s shows.

They always rock

Tell Mr. Skelcey when there

are sound problems. He

knows.

BRING FOOD OR DRINK

INTO THE AUDITORIUM

Yell out the Actors’ real

names. When they are on

stage they are not them-

selves

Stick gum under the seats.

Like really, Someone has to

clean it up and it sucks

Say rude things about the

actors during the show. You

never know who you are sit-

ting by.

Do’s and Don’ts of the Auditorium

Do’s Do Not’s

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 Entertainment

-Page 9-

By Cole Johnson

Few people actually know the names of these little marvels, yet their fanbaes have grown so large and promi-nent that even the President has looked to their websites to hear the people’s thoughts. Memes (“Meems”) are popu-lar internet images consisting of a pic-ture with a text above and below the image, or at least that was the start. Today, the image macro series has evolved into its own comic series with hundreds of website for these pictures and spawn-ing extensive fanbases. The exact origin of these imag-es remains a mystery though most give credit to the internet site known as Red-dit. The first memes were humorous pic-tures of cats known as “LOL cats”, the most famous being “I can has Cheezburger Cat” or simply “Cheezburger cat”. From there, animals

were used more and more, such as “O Really? Owl”

and “Foul Bachelor Frog”. These images rapidly became popular on the internet as

users constantly created new and funny captions. Shortly after, the “Rage Faces” appeared, crudely drawn comic strips which had derived their humor from common sources of rage. The comics grew with new faces to convey more emotions, such as “You Don’t Say?” or “Are you serious?”, portraying sarcastic remarks and anger towards thought-less actions or sayings. As trends come and go, popular memes will come and go. What’s popular now may be irrelevant in a month’s

time. Predicting a currently popular me-me’s future is impossible. No matter what happens to the memes of today, meme culture and fans will remain present as long as cats create funny poses to capture on camera. Sources: knowyourmeme.com, www.reddit.com

Faces of the Internet: Memes

By Xandra McMahon

There is no question; Pitch

Perfect is undeniably perfect. The

music is fresh; the talent is a

plenty, and the laughs never

stop. The movie seems to have a

predictable storyline with a mediocre

ending, but that is just the surface.

Looking deeper into the film, morals

like overcoming discrimination based

on sex and social class illustrate the

sub-context of Pitch Perfect.

The movie follows the story of

college freshman Beca and her

journey with the a cappella group,

The Bellas. Beca is immediately

painted as the outcast, but Anna

Kendrick makes her into such a

likeable rebel

that the audience is rooting for her from

start to finish. Anna Kendrick is truly an

inspiration in

herself because

of her expert

singing chops

and natural act-

ing skill. She

continues to amaze with every

film she stars in, and Pitch Perfect is worth

the watch just for her.

But there is someone who absolutely

cannot be overlooked, and her name is

Fat Amy. The most colorful comedic

character that has graced the screen in

quite sometime, Rebel Wilson brings all

kind of life to Fat Amy. Wilson seems to

play the same character in every film, but

she plays it well. So well, in fact, that the

dialogue was hard to hear at times over

the immense laughter erupting from the

theater.

The rest of the cast is just as lively in

their own and bring new and original

ideas to the comedy genre. A little Asian

girl with a very soft voice who says the

most outlandish things or a snooty girl

with an extreme vomiting problem fill

the screen with a satisfying result for all

ages. This parody on all things Glee relat-

ed is a wonderful reminder of the simple

things that will forever be funny.

Sources:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981677/

Pitch Perfect: Accascuse me?!

Top FIVE reasons why…

...Students are tired! 1. They stay up late

watching mean-

ingless TV shows. 2. They text their

boyfriend/girlfriend

into the wee hours

of the morning. 3. Girls wake up three hours before school starts to do their hair and makeup.

4. They drink several energy drinks and/or cups of coffee during the day and can’t fall asleep. 5. They procrasti-

nate on large pro-

jects until the

night before they

are due.

*Bonus: A combination of

the above five contributes

to the overall tiredness of

many students.

By Laura

Andersen

Photo drawn by Kwang Choi

“I can sing but

I’m also good at

modern dance,

olden dance, and

mermaid

dance.”

“Still not a good

enough reason to

use the word pene-

trate.”

“You’re one of those a

cappella girls and I’m

one of those a cappella

boys and we’re going

to have acca-children.”

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 Sports

-Page 10-

-Clayson Shumway

Cross Country

“I love hitting people... and

yelling!” -Travis Talley

Football

“I love my team!” -Amanda Schmeyer

Volleyball

Photos by Erica Nobles, Rae Hunt, and Jordan Blakely Page by Alex Rivas

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 Entertainment

-Page 11-

By Brennen Karl

J.K. Rowling returns! Her first novel since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now in stores, so the big question is how does it compare to the Harry Potter series? The Casual Vacancy is vastly different from Rowling’s previous novels. The little town of Pagford is thrust into chaos when a seat on their council is left vacant by the death of a man named Barry Fairbrother. Everyone knew Barry and many respected him greatly; his death affects the town in ways that no one could anticipate. The Casual Vacancy is not so much story driven, however, as it is character driven. There is a

myriad of broken, bitter, and selfish characters – so many, in fact, that at first it is challenging to keep track of who everyone is.

Although none of the characters are particularly likeable, Rowl-ing showcases her writing prowess by instilling every character with characteristic real and human enough that eventually the reader cares for most of them, despite their tendencies to be cruel and vile.

There is no conflict between good and evil, only conflicts between broken people who do

not realize how much harm they

are capable of causing. This is the way conflict is in real life: no one is wholly evil or

J.K. Rowling Returns. . . . Does the Magic?

good. Humans are flawed, yet ultimately, we all try to do what we feel is right. Fans

of Rowl-ing may be shocked at

just how different this novel is to the adventures

of the boy wizard. Profanity, sex, drug addiction, and domes-tic violence fill the novel to the brim. It is a grim and bleak look at poverty, racism, egotism, and pain. Although the story begins

with a slow pace and a copious amount of exposition, it picks up the pace in the latter half of the novel. However, Rowling’s writing is so fluid and eloquent that fans of her writing style will enjoy The Casual Vacancy even at its slowest bits. J. K. Rowling demonstrates her mastery of writing and creat-ing complex characters and proves that she can, indeed, write something other than fan-tasy. Those hoping to fall in love with another magical tale may not find what they want in Rowling’s new book, but for those who do not mind a slower pace and are mature enough to tackle the themes in The Casual Vacancy, it is an interesting read worth exploring. Sources: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowl-ing Photo taken by Brennen Karl

By Xandra McMahon

On a dark cold night, well

past midnight, a girl (most

likely blonde) sits at home all

alone. She hears a creak on the

porch and tentatively strides to

the front door to inspect the

noise. Little does she know, a

menacing killer cloaked in

darkness awaits her. The girl

opens the door and meets her

unavoidable, bloody doom.

The beginning of practically

every horror film of the last

generation has just been de-

scribed in four short sentences.

Now, there’s nothing wrong

with this introduction, but its

overuse has become tiresome.

Have recent thrillers lost the

bang the classics always

brought? What happened to the

fresh originality of the genre?

Rewind to the 1960’s, a

time that could be considered

the birth of modern day horror.

Movies like Psycho (1960) and

Peeping Tom (1960) were pio-

neering the paths of “slasher

flicks” that put the audience in

the killer’s point of view. Al-

fred Hitchcock was

firing out classics left

and right, un-

doubtedly

earning his

nickname “The

Master of Sus-

pense.” These new,

inventive films

played on people’s

deepest fears.

Things that no one

could understand in

that time, such as person-

ality and psychological dis-

orders, scared the audiences

most. Shifty camera angles and

the use of suspense permeated

the horror genre of that time.

The point was to leave more up

to the imagination, and let the

human mind scare itself silly.

Today, things have changed

drastically. Advances in spe-

cial

ef-

fects have taken great leaps,

and filmmakers have taken full

advantage of it. Even the typi-

cal monsters are different. New

ones were called into duty

when vampires and were-

wolves became the heroes.

Movie franchises like

Saw (2004) and Para-

normal Activity (2007)

took the rules of the clas-

sics and threw them in the

dirt.

They

created something new for the

next generation, but it has

inevitably caused audiences

to be more desensitized and

ultimately harder to scare.

The innovative monsters in

movies like Dawn of the Dead

(2004) and The Ring (2002)

have in some ways brought

nightmares to life, but this

eliminated any factor for imagi-

nation. Is it not scarier to allow

the mind to think of the worst

possible scenario on its own,

rather than having it be pre-

decided?

The purpose of horror has

always been to entertain, to

send that exhilarating jolt of

adrenaline through an audience

member’s veins. Over the

years, it seems the genre has

turned more towards shock

factor than entertainment and

suspense. The only question

left to ask is, “What’s your

favorite scary movie?” –

Scream (1996)

Sources: Hitchcock facts: http://www.biography.com/people/alfred-hitchcock-9340006 Film Dates: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/ www.imdb.com

Screams, Squeals, and Scares:

The Evolution of Horror

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Revolution /Vol. 10, Ed. 2/ October 2012 LHS

-Page 12-

Mad Libs By Blake Brown

On a(n)____________ Halloween night, _________ and

I went trick or treating. While we were getting lots of

__________candy, we found a(n) _________. The____________

was really __________. It was so _____________ that we de-

cided to bring it to _______________. They though it would

be best to__________ with the ____________. It didn’t work

out, and it ended up ______________ away. So we ate our

candy and had a(n) ____________ Halloween night!

adjective name

adjective noun same noun

adjective same adjective

someone in the room

verb Same noun

verb ending in ing

adjective

Staff Interview What’s your favorite Halloween/Scary Movie?

By Emma Brown

Laura Andersen - I hate scary movies

Jordan Blakeley - Sinister Blake Brown - Twitches David Brown– Fourth Kind Emma Brown– Halloween Town Matt Caverly- Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin Kwang Choi– The day Judge Judy gets cancelled #teamJudy Sid Fantroy Hankins– Happy Feet Angie Hoss– Scooby Doo: The Spooky Island Gus Hunninghake– Shutter Island Rae Hunt– The Blob Cole Johnson– Alien Ross Johnson– Alien

Cory Kennedy– Tommy Knockers

Jeff King– Horton Hears a Who

Marissa Mandel- Nightmare Before Christmas

Liam Manning– Strangers

Xandra McMahon– Scream

Erica Nobles– Casper

CeAhnna Pelt– Hocus Pocus

Maryia Pinchuk– Quarantine

Alex Rivas– Monster House

Tyler Smith– I am Legend

Maci Steeves– Zombieland

Clark Valentine– Scream

Ashley Wierengo- The Adams Family Values

By Blake Brown