Learning Lessons --- Opinion Article

           Do you think kids should be awarded for keeping their grades up? Should parents and teachers just expect it?

            All students are sent to school for a reason: to learn. With as many kids as I saw this semester on reward day, I feel that they’re not as serious as they should be when it comes to their studies. Yes, there are some students at school on Friday who feel like they need the extra time to study on their finals. Others might have been at school because they were ill earlier in the semester. But, it seems like the vast majority of students were at school for either NHI’s -not handed in papers- or because they have low grades.

            I know that not all teens want to go to school. I know from experience that it is really easy to get distracted from schoolwork because of other activities such as sports, church, hanging out with friends, and family obligations. I also know that sometimes it feels like no matter how hard you work, you just can’t stay on top of your grade.

            What I can’t stand is when people are perfectly capable of completing their work and keeping their grades up, but they are too lazy to take the initiative to do it. Why not take advantage of your hardworking brain? There are kids in other countries that would kill to have a chance at an American education and we waste it! I think that our generation is slowly becoming lazier and lazier. If we keep this up, our world will start to deteriorate as younger generations follow our example.

            I applaud all of the kids at Smoky Valley who have a good work ethic. All of you take advantage of the knowledge that our teachers are trying to impart on us and use it. Sure, we’re not all going to be doctors and lawyers, but you never know when a small fact will come in handy.  

    Megan James, sophomore staffer

A charming proposal

The Viking Mirror received this letter from a former student from SVHS.      
 
       Dear editor and great illustrious students of Smoky Valley: I have a few things to say, so you might be wondering why you should listen at all to me. Well, for starters, I did finish at the top of the SV class of '09, so I must have done something right. I have seen and figured out a few things since I went away to college, the University of Kansas to be exact, so to start off: Mrs. Wentz's class is not hard. Take it and be appreciative that you have such a great English teacher that opens your minds to literature. Second: if you want to keep experiencing high school when you go off to college, then by all means go where your friends go. If you want to truly expand your horizons and meet some people who will blow your mind and be unlike anyone you have met before, people who have some great ideas and care passionately about a variety of issues, go somewhere else.
        Mrs. Denk, your former Queen of the library, elucidated on what college would be like when she stated that you would move from talking about "people, to things, and finally to ideas". That quote has driven me to find and encounter the conversations that have fueled a passion for life that I hope all of you will find one day. It is difficult for you to be inspired by your teachers here at SVHS, I know. I didn't gain much gumption from the riveting prospect of long division or giving speeches, but they all serve great purposes. You will all have to speak to people some day. This may come as a shock to those who thought that texting was an acceptable form of communication 95% of the time, with Facebook filling the other 5% void. I attempted this process, and immediately realized that my life would be a single and lonely one. What I have found is there is an acceptable time and place for everything, and it's the weird and awkward learning experiences that help us figure out those times and places.
        I would also like to applaud those that aren't going to college, and I know that's for a variety of reasons here at SV. I know you all will begin to work harder than I ever have yet in life, and I can appreciate that. I wish you all the best and hope that whatever you do, it's something you love as well.
        Don't worry about the drama that you experience in high school. It really is pointless, no matter how important you think that glare was from you-know-who. Realize that most likely you won't be talking to about 90% of the people you went to school with, unless of course you go to college with them. I hope everyone has a happy break and takes at least some risks as you try and figure out what the heck to do for three weeks! And by risks, I mean finishing Halo on legendary level, duh.

-Cooper "Got it from my mama" Nickel

Inside Opinion: December Edition

The Viking Mirror is produced approximately once a month by the seventh period Journalism II class at Smoky Valley High School. Bylined opinions stated in the newspaper and blog are not necessarily the opinion of the entire staff, adviser, faculty, or administration. 

Unsigned opinions reflect a staff consensus. Letters/e-mails to the editors are welcomed but may not be printed due to space or content considerations or the potential for libel. Letters/E-mails may be edited for style, grammar, and/or length. Viking Voices will not remain anonymous, but Inside Opinions will.

Life is too short to worry about what other people are doing If it doesn't affect you, then don't worry about it. And if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. 

I hate people that think smoking pot is cool!

When I draw a manga character or cartoon I have the tendency to make the same faces as my drawings. I don't draw in public anymore.

The boys need to mature. They continue to act like 7th graders. They act all big and bad but they need support to make them act that way. They all need to man up and stop crying over things they think is right.

Would you rather have students grind at a dance or be out drinking and having sex? I think that it's a better idea to loosen up the rules and let people dance how they want than do what the alternative is. 

Thank god for the menu change! I love me some mini corn dogs!

Girls should stop wearing Uggs boots with shorts. It makes you look stupid and it's not cute either.

I am so excited for life.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

The basketball sweats are awkwardly warm, but still awesome! 

I like it when couples walk slow in the hallway. It makes me happy. 

I wish people would stop staring at my beard when I walk in the hallways. 

Viking Life- a senior tribute + three juniors

      Megan Roberts, senior staffer

What really happened to Megan Roberts' eye

        Megan Roberts was wandering around Narnia on a dark and gloomy night when something epic happened. Little Megan was walking around in this unfamiliar place for about a week before she finally realized that she was lost. After a while she started to get scared.

         The later it got, the more scared Megan became. Having only 92% battery left on her phone, Megan decided she was going to save it so she could text her besties. She figured she could get out of Narnia on her own anyway.

         It was the beginning of a new day and Megan was starting to get frustrated. She was walking in a circle and hadn’t eaten since realizing she was lost. Not to mention that Megan had been wandering around Narnia for about a week before it even crossed her mind that she could be lost. Some people call her stubborn but she refuses to believe that.

         On a frantic search for food Megan met some new people. These were weird people. The head of the group was Gari Bringem. She was a rather large girl and looked like an ex-boxer. Megan guessed she was well over 300 pounds. She had only one eyebrow and smelled a little like cheese and disappointment.

Anyway, Gari and another girl in their group, Trachel Bloder, told Megan she could find food in a nearby cave. Trachel gave Megan the creeps. She had a picture of a guy in a boy band taped to her shirt. That wasn’t the weird part, Trachel carried around a picture of this guy in the band and his entire family! She knew every single one of their names even though she had never spoken a word to any of them. And anything that Megan said, Trachel could find some way to relate it back to this guy and his family. Megan began to count how many times she said his name in an hour but got bored after about twenty. What a weirdo.

Megan entered the cave alone while Trachel and Gari sat back and giggled. If you couldn’t tell, Megan is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen. After about ten minutes the girls heard a cry they assumed was from Megan inside the cave. She came running out of the cave with about seven dwarfs running after her. They were all shouting about Megan waking up the sleeping beauty or something like that.

Gari and Trachel pointed and laughed as Megan and the dwarfs ran by. They ran around for about 30 seconds before one of the dwarfs pulled a lasso from his pocket and brought Megan down by the foot. Megan’s fall seemed like it should have been in a movie. It felt like it was in slow motion and everyone was watching. Trachel whispered to Gari about how Megan’s fall was very ungraceful. At that exact moment Megan turned to look at Gari and Trachel and was poked in the eye by one of the dwarfs that was pointing and laughing at her.

Megan was screaming on the ground with her hand over her eye while she was tied up and taken hostage by the dwarfs. Gari and Trachel followed because they had nothing better to do. At the lair that belonged to the dwarfs, Megan was released after several hours of song-filled torture. Nobody knows why the dwarfs captured Megan in the first place but that’s okay because nobody really cares anyway. Megan is still wandering around Narnia, but now she is wandering around Narnia with a bloodshot eye and her companions Gari and Trachel. 

Sam Johnson, junior staffer

Cowboys barely escape the Vikings

           Though the Abilene Cowboys won Friday’s men’s basketball game 50-47, the Smoky Valley Vikings didn’t go down without a fight.         

         According to Smoky Valley Head Coach John Bellah, “The boys kept battling to the very end. The desire and effort was certainly there.”

         The Cowboys maintained a steady lead at the beginning of the game, but the Vikings never lost focus, while making a comeback in the fourth quarter. The game proved to be an intense neck-and-neck battle for both teams as the time slowly vanished from the clock.

         The leading scorers from Smoky Valley were Seth Nelson, senior, with 12 points, and next were juniors Greyson Pihl and Quinn Dippel with eight points each. The Vikings had no answer for the Cowboy’s lead scorer, Andy Wilson, sophomore, who scored 24 of their 50 points.

         Both teams acquired many fouls throughout the game, providing many free throw opportunities especially in the last quarter.

         Head Coach John Bellah believes the Vikings would have won the game if they had a higher shooting average, but thinks the Vikings’ shooting will improve throughout the season.

         “I was disappointed that we didn’t shoot it better and as a result we ended up loosing a close game but we did do some good things that we can certainly build from,” said Bellah.

         The Vikings will face the Concordia Panthers next Friday, and for this upcoming game, Bellah simply said, “We will be ready.”

    

         Rachel Loder, senior yearbook editor

Cyber Friday and Black Monday

              People are trampled every year. Cars are broken into and items are stolen. People camp outside in the freezing temperatures for days on end. Everyone is cramped into aisles, elbowing his or her own way through the crowds. After enduring these harsh conditions in previous years, shoppers still count down to this day on their calendars: Black Friday.

Black Friday brings out the worst in people. One shopper was arrested for cutting in line, then threatening the crowd with her gun. After her arrest, she was only worried about one thing: not getting the toy for her daughter.

In Buffalo, NY, a few shoppers were run over by fellow shoppers when doors opened at Target. One of the people that were trampled got up and continued on shopping after screaming for help.

           
           National Retail Federation conducted a survey with results saying 212 million people shopped in stores and online over Thanksgiving weekend. The survey also showed the average amount of money spent by a shopper - $365.34. Last year only about 200 million people visited stores and online sites.

Photos from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

            Cyber Monday is one of the newest additions to the holiday shopping weekend. A lot of websites turned Cyber Monday into Cyber Weekend by offering deals all weekend instead of just Monday. A popular money saver on Monday was websites offering free shipping.

             Black Friday and Cyber Monday have continued to grow in profits and shopping population each year. Stores offer some good deals, but is it really worth it to fight with others during this "happy season?"

- Megan Roberts, Senior website editor

The famous digitally die for HIV/AIDS awareness

Singer Alicia Keys rests 'dead' in her digital coffin. 

    On December 1^st awareness about the epidemic of AIDS was raised all around the world. The United States, however, was raising awareness in a different and unique way.

    One of the most interesting ways to raise money for this years AIDS awareness day was a website titled, “Keep a Child Alive – Digital Death”. The site is dedicated to saving lives from AIDS by sacrificing celebrities “digital lives” until they have raised a million dollars.

    This means that the selected celebrities (such as pop sensation Lady Gaga, R&B artist Usher, former NSYNC member Justin Timberlake, randomly famous Kim Kardashian, and even the boys from the MTV television show The Buried Life) have given up their access to their facebook and twitter accounts. The website claims, “…(they) are sacrificing their digital lives to help save millions of real lives affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.”

    By visiting the site you can view videos of their ‘last testaments’ and their last posts via twitter or facebook before they ‘pass away’. The sites easy navigation can help the viewer understand who died and for what reason they died.

    In order to bring the celebrities digitally back to life the site encourages visitors to donate to their cause. People can donate via the internet or by texting a celebrities code to 90999.

    Even you can sacrifice your digital life by ‘making the ultimate sacrifice’. It lists how long you’ve been dead and how much money you’ve made while you were dead.

    The awareness project is mainly for those living in India, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. The donation can go for clinics in Uganda that provides living necessities, medical supplies for children in South Africa, and safe-house projects in India all for those living with HIV/AIDS for an entire year.

    To lean more, or to donate for the cause, go to http://buylife.org. 

- Carleigh Albers, Senior Mirror Editor

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball

          Tension is building and the whistle is about to blow. Ms. Lysell blows the whistle and you take off toward the eight little assorted colored balls in the center of the court. You fear for the first throws of the game. You grab a ball and sprint back to the line at the other end of the court. You can finally throw the ball; you pick out your target, and you launch the ball as hard as you can. It hits the apposing player dead on, one out, five more to go.

            This is what many students at Smoky Valley High School felt on Saturday, November 20^th when they competed in the pep club’s annual fall dodge ball tournament. Many teams competed, and each team was given the chance to play in two games at the least, some teams played in up to four or five games.

            The placing teams in the tournament were The Wife Beaters, who consisted of seniors Jake Johnson, Ian Lemen, Connor Chambers, Signe Showalter, Taylor Whittaker, and Bry Wishcop taking third in the tournament. Second place was Vicious and Delicious, with Jake Rogers and Maddie Klotzbach, sophomores, and juniors Alex Wolf, Taylor Base, Taryn Scott, and Sammie Aeschliman. The first place team was Domination Station with juniors Greyson Pihl, Kelly Pihl, Quinn Dippel, Krystin Vidrine, Kimi Lindshield, and Callie Weibert.

            There was also a best-dressed award in the tournament. The best-dressed award went to Fresh Meat with freshman, Blake Mitchell, Brock Savage, Sam Reed, Telea Peterson, Mikaela Johnson, and Jurnee Gregg.

            The pep club will be holding another tournament in a few months during the spring. Some of these teams, and maybe a few more, will be competing in the spring tournament.


      - Kaden Sare, sophomore staffer

The Oatmeal: fiber in otherwise boring lives

Credit: http://thisorthat.com/whats-funnier-xkcd-or-the-oatmeal

    Enjoyment online is sometimes hard to come by especially if you are searching for a wonderfully amusing blog. However, your dreadful hunt can end now with the discovery of TheOatmeal.com. 

    The Oatmeal contains a ton of comics, stories, and pictures that are sure to catch a laugh. With titles as quirky as “10 Reasons It Would Rule to Date a Unicorn”, “This is Why an Octopus is More Awesome than Your Mom”, and “Five Reasons Why Pigs are More Awesome Than You” it’s not hard to comprehend why millions have already visited the website. You can also take quizzes to find out how many Justin Biebers you could take down in a fight, or if your loved ones are plotting to devour you. If you like dumb jokes it has those too. Yep, The Oatmeal pretty much dominates the Internet. 

    One man, Matthew Inman, created everything on the site: all of the writing, drawings, and codes. His biography on the website states, “He subsists on a steady diet of crickets and whiskey. He enjoys long walks on the beach, gravity, and breathing heavily through his mouth. His dislikes include scurvy, typhoons, and tapeworm medication.” As you can tell this man cracks jokes better than most people can crack peanuts. 

    So, if you are bored with your dull and eventless life and want to spice it up a bit, turn on your computer and cook up some good ole’ fashioned Oatmeal. 

- Kari Bingham, Senior Mirror Editor

Thanksgiving meal turned Italian

             Most families celebrate Thanksgiving the normal way; with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Some families even have ham, but for one unfortunate student, she will not get either of those.

            Grace Aspenwall, junior, will be celebrating Thanksgiving by eating her dad’s famous spaghetti. Yes, that’s right, spaghetti on Thanksgiving.

            The reason for this odd dinner is due to Aspenwall’s stepsister. Her stepsister thinks that they should have spaghetti because she is pregnant and they should eat what she wants, and that just happens to be something completely different than turkey.

            “My actual sister is pregnant too and thinks that spaghetti is a dumb idea, it’s Thanksgiving, we should have turkey like a normal family!” Aspenwall said.

            Not only does she not get turkey, she also has to go to Minnesota and travel all that way just to eat some spaghetti that she could have anytime here in Kansas. Aspenwall doesn’t even get to enjoy a slice or two of pumpkin pie along with her spaghetti.

            On Wednesday, Nov. 17, Aspenwall ate her only traditional Thanksgiving dinner at school. “It was the only turkey I’d be getting, so I had to eat as much as I could,” Aspenwall said. “I wish it wouldn’t have been the only turkey I got, I didn’t want to feel like a pig at lunch.”

            She hopes that next year it will end up being a normal Thanksgiving, but she will try to make the best of it this year by being able to enjoy her time with her family. 

    - Breanne Krinhop, junior staffer


Grace is thankful for when she has a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Comment and tell us what you are thankful for!

Late Night In The Valley

Power cats?

          The number 3 team in the nation? It sure didn’t look like it Thursday night when K-State took on Presbyterian. The Wildcats came out on top. However, the 76-67 win was not one to be proud of.

Even Jacob Pullen, who moved up to sixth on K-State’s all time leading scorers list with 1,554 career points, didn’t perform up to satisfaction. While Pullen scored 15 points and dished out 4 assists, Head Coach Frank Martin still was not pleased with the Sports Illustrated cover-boy’s performance.

"He was great for the first couple weeks, but he hasn't done it lately,” Martin said.

The Wildcats, who started off with a 14-point lead at halftime started off the second half with a very slow start. With the Blue Hoses catching up, Martin put Victor Ojeleye on the floor, a walk-on junior in to provide a spark. Ojeleye, who had only played eight minutes in the first two games, was put in with under ten minutes remaining in the game.

“I just came in with the mind-set that I come in with everyday,” Ojeleye said. “It is something that you have to take great pride in every time you are out there. Whether you are out there 2 seconds or 26 minutes, it has to be the same way every time.”

         Four Wildcats scored in double digits, including Jamar Samuels with 10, Rodney McGruder with 13, and Wally Judge and Martavious Irving also with 10.

         The Cat’s have adjustments that need to be made before taking on No. 11 Gonzaga at 8:30 Monday night as part of the CBE Classic in Kansas City.

         “When your best leader is a junior walk-on, your upperclassmen should go look in the mirror and figure that out,” Martin said.

   - Emily Writer, junior staffer

A day in the life of Smoky Valley

Pictures from around the school!

Athletes wrestle with weight

(Opinion article)


      To many people, wrestling is just another high school sport that not many students do, just a bunch of idiots cutting a ton of weight so that they can wrestle way lower than what they would normally weigh. To a wrestler, it’s much more than that.


       To a wrestler, the sport is more like a lifestyle than a sport. We have to train our bodies to be able to endure constant pain, constantly push themselves past their usually limits, and do that every day, for about five months during the season. We spend time training, and losing weight, because we know that the next match that we wrestle, the other wrestler that is going to be on the mat is training just as hard or harder than we are.


       Most people think that cutting weight for wrestling is a stupid thing to do, and I understand why they think that it is. It is unhealthy sometimes, but when wrestlers do it right by eating healthy and working hard, it’s far from unhealthy. 


       Most people ask why wrestlers cut weight, and the reason we do is because everyone else does. It’s not exactly a good thing to do it for this reason, but no matter what, you can’t stop people from doing it. Even if the state were to make a law against cutting weight, they wouldn’t be able to monitor all of the wrestlers and wouldn’t be able to tell if the wrestlers were cutting weight or not.


       Wrestling can be a good sport for most people. It teaches discipline and a good work ethic. When cutting weight correctly, wrestlers lose weight healthily and become healthier than they are before they start losing weight.

- Kaden Sare, sophomore staffer

Fishtail Fad

Photos by Rachel Loder

     Bored with braids? Fed up with French twists?

     Then try a fishtail braid! They’re the traditional braid’s under-rated counterpart.

    These braids are an easy solution to covering up second-day-dirty hair. No matter your hair color, fishtail braids can flaunt your natural (or unnatural) highlights.


    “Fishtail braids are way cooler than your average braid,’ Emily Writer, junior, said.


     Not only are these braids fashionable but they are functional as well. The dense weaving pattern provides a lasting support throughout the day.


    Fishtail braids can be seen anywhere from high-fashion runways to athletic events. The versatility of these unique braids is part of the reason these braids are becoming so popular. They can look stunning on the red carpet, cool at school, and hip at the gym.

    For a quick How-to-fishtail-braid-tutorial, check out the video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkV4ptjPf3M&feature=related

   - Rachel Loder, senior yearbook editor

Scholarly students

           Scholars Bowl started off their season with a big bang as they journeyed down to Lyons on Thursday 21^st for their first meet of the season. At the meet there was three pools of five teams, a total of fifteen schools. 

           The Vikings went five and one going into the championship. The championship was a round robin with three teams in it - McPherson High School, Haven High School and Smoky Valley. The Vikings beat Haven but lost to McPherson putting them in second place.

The top scorers for the Vikings were Emma Anderson, sophomore, Rachel Loder, senior, and Kristina Nielander, senior.
“As a coach I was fairly pleased that they answered a lot of questions right that we had covered, but also missed a lot, so there is room for improvement,” Coach Kent Hildebrand said. “My only fear is that they will get a big head after early success and give up.”

However, giving up is not an option for this scholars bowl team. They practice every Wednesday and Thursday morning at 7:35, and some mornings they even get waffles as a little brain booster. They also practice Thursdays during block. During practice they go over various types of questions and some questions they practiced were seen at the Lyons meet.

Then on Thursday 4^th they went to Hutch Trinity were they had some fun wearing turtlenecks making them look as smart as they are. They went two and three at the meet, beating Salina Central and Haven. Tuesday they travel to Concordia and Thursday they travel to Wichita West. 

- Megan Koons, senior yearbook editor

Student life: Find yourself!

 

-Megan Roberts, senior website editor

Beasley makes her mark on Smoky Valley

Smoky Valley has found itself a brand new face thanks to junior Shelley Beasley.

The Viking was revealed on Nov. 5. The presentation started with a short informative speech by superintendent Mr.Glenn Suppes about what the school district was looking for in a new logo. Then students were presented with an anticipating video composed by Mitchell Suppes, junior. 

The finalists were kept secret until the revealing. Imagine the surprise Beasley got when she saw her drawing projected across the screen to her and her fellow peers.

“I honestly thought I was going to lose. I had given up by the time of reveal,” Beasley said. 

The contest idea was originally released in September when the school found out that their previous design was already copyrighted by Augustana college.

“When I heard there was a Viking mascot contest I decided I had some time, so I thought I should do it,” Beasley said. “I sat down and tried to draw something out and all I knew is that I wanted it to be circular. So I drew a circle and nothing came out. The next morning I woke up and took a shower and the idea hit me. When I got to art class I drew the first initial Viking.”

A secret committee selected the logo. After Beasley sent in her drawing she received it back with a few revisions and critiques.

“I was really stubborn and didn’t want to change it, but Mrs. Elliott urged me to do so. My second design is pretty close to the Viking that we have today,” Beasley said.

Not only is Beasley happy about winning, but students are also pleased with the design.

“I think it’ll push our school more into the future and make us look more intimidating. It’ll give our school more of an identity,” Mary Linder, freshman, said.

“I’m permanently making my mark on this high school for years to come;” Beasley said. “My name is going to be attached to the Viking. How many kids get to say that?”

- Carleigh Albers, senior co-editor

The Mirror responds to reader's concerns.

Double click to view in larger format

To the left is a copy of the letter the journalism staff received concerning the November edition of the Viking Mirror. We appreciate the feedback and we have put together a response.

The word choice in the volleyball headline could have been less harsh. Our job as reporters is to cover what happens. The volleyball team, in fact, lost in the first round at sub state and it is our job to report if they win or lose. Just because they work really hard in a gym does not mean that we need to sugarcoat it to make it appear better.
The “Slob” article is an opinion article and it is the writer’s job to give her opinion.

“I don’t apologize because it’s my opinion and that is what I believe. No one asked you to read it, so it’s your fault for getting angry, not mine. I know for a fact that some people enjoyed it, and they are the ones who understood the message that I was trying to convey,” Kari Bingham, senior, said.

As for the country music review, the Viking Mirror welcomes guest writers. If you feel that the paper needs a review that is not “punk wannabe” then you can write it yourself.


- Sam Johnson, junior staffer.

Musicians find success at South Central KMEA District Honor Band

Selected SCKMEA students pose for a picture.

On November 6th, several Smoky Valley musicians traveled to Andover high school to audition for the South Central District Honor Band. This band is one of five bands of the Kansas Music Educators Association.

For band six students, Hannah Carlson, sophomore, Emma Flynn, junior, Lori James, junior, Rachel Bellah, senior, Grace Aspenwall, junior, and Victora Voigt, junior, were selected to be members of the South Central District honor band.

In orchestra four students, Anders Berggren, senior, Dani Rome, junior, Dani Devore, junior, and Megan DeVore, freshmen, were selected to be apart of the district orchestra.

And lastly in choir, four students, Laura Klaassen, senior, Mark Klaassen, sophomore, Baylee Kampfe, senior, and Monica Olson, senior, were selected for the district choir.

On December 4th these students will travel to Maize, KS to participate in a days worth of rehearsal and end with a performance. These musicians are also eligible to audition for the Kansas state band in January.

(photograph by Carleigh Albers)
- Carleigh Albers, senior co-editor.

Sophisticated soliloquies by Sam

You know what really grinds my gears? Inconsiderate people. I don’t understand why people think they need to talk every minute of everyday. Not everyone wants to hear the sound of your voice all the time, especially during a test. There are some people who can only do well on a test in a quiet environment and you aren’t helping!

That’s not the only thing that grinds my gears. I have come to the decision that our hallways need lanes. We need lanes that keep the hallway organized and prevent traffic jams. This probably wouldn’t be necessary if some people wouldn’t stop randomly to talk to their boyfriend/girlfriend. Congratulations, you have a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean you can stop in the middle of the hallway to talk to them. If our hallways were designed like roads, there could be a specific place for people to stop and talk without getting in everyone’s way.

Have you ever noticed the amount of trash and food that is left on the tables after lunch? First of all, that’s just gross. Second of all, it’s really not that complicated to throw away your trash and clean up whatever you spilled. You’re not a toddler anymore, so pick up after yourselves and quit making other people do it for you.


-Sam Johnson, junior staffer

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