The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/104305
Staff Editorial Page 2 January 18, 2013 The school cares about safety... In the recent events that have happened at Sandy Hooks Elementary School and San Joaquin Valley High School, schools all around the country have experienced immense pressure to create an environment for their kids to not only learn in, but to be and feel safe in. Drills are being rehearsed (just last Wednesday at RBHS), campus layouts are being altered, security systems put in, and the idea of employing guns on campus has not only been thought of, but is a reality today. As many are debating this seemingly controversial issue, according to NBC News, eighteen states allow adults and teachers to have a loaded gun on school grounds with as little as a permission note from the principal. Just in case you were wondering, California is one of them. In an ideal and perfect world, a gun would sit locked up and students would not have any access or knowledge of it; however, this is not the case at all. Since students are, in many cases, the gunmen in school shootings, why would we make it easier for them to get a gun? Think about that petite and fragile teacher, would it really be hard to overpower him/her and get that "locked up" gun? Then again, think about those overly eccentric or strict teachers, would we want a gun at their disposal as well? In all seriousness, providing teachers with weapons would not ensure anyone's safety, including the students. If there were a gunman on campus, teachers would be forced to partake in a bloody shootout, not help children to safety and calm them down. Besides that, to be effective, most teachers would have to be instructed on how to use a weapon or gun. That would cost a lot of money; money schools don't have to spend at their leisure. This past month has not made it easy on schools in any way, and it is not irrational to question whether your school is truly safe. However, according to PBS, the odds that an American student will die in high school from violence are one in a million, or even less. While these statistics are low, think of what would happen if there was a gun in every classroom. Inappropriate fan reactions cause an uproar Fans of Justin Bieber have trended #cutforbieber on the social media website twitter So, most people will already know that there was a leaked picture of Justin Bieber with a blunt in his hand like 3 weeks ago and people are making a big freaking deal out of it. Most of his "Beliebers" are going crazy doing stupid and reckless things. About a week ago I was doing my daily rounds on Twitter and saw that #cutforbeiber was trending. Not sure why I looked into it further, but I found out that some of his fans are cutting themselves hoping that Justin Bieber will stop smoking weed. So, to begin my rant, Justin Bieber is an International Pop star at the age of 19; he has millions of fans and millions of people who look up to him as a role model. He probably has a lot of stress on his shoulders knowing this and for most people that would be too much to deal with. He makes his music and is constantly on tour and is very close with his fans not only in person, but on Twitter and other social networking sites. With all the stress he has, he probably needs a getaway from all the fame and smoking weed is his way to cut yourself over something so insignificant such as Justin Beiber smoking weed? Cutting yourself is a serious thing throughout the world and stupid young girls are pretty much throwing their lives away. That's how I feel on this stupid matter, Justin Beiber has a lot of stress and he is doing a fantastic at what he does and how he manages everything. LET HIM DO WHAT HE WANTS! To the stupid people who are participating in #cutforbeiber you are not going to do anything but screw up your body. Justin Beiber most likely wont stop smoking weed, or having fun, deal with it. That's my rant. Ryan Fisher out. So what he smokes weed? It's not like he's doing cocaine and other hard core drugs, getting drunk every night, well, pretty much pulling a Lindsay Lohan. No, he's just smoking weed stop making a big deal out of it. Onto the next part of the rant is his stupid fans who are cutting themselves because of this. There are thousands of people, maybe even millions, that cut themselves for depression and other serious things. Cutting yourself is considered an addiction and for the people who have experienced and gotten over this addiction they see young girls cutting themselves over Justin Beiber smoking weed and it angers the heck out of them. Seeing this from my eyes makes me worried for my own generation and makes me lose faith for people in the world. How stupid can you be Sports Editor Future generations base their Schedule changes lives on the newest technology may be a bad idea O ur generation is becoming very lazy. We are basing our lives off of what's new and what's next. Technology is taking over us and enough is enough. Kids don't play outside anymore, they're too busy with their smart phones. Adults are stressing to get the job done with work because they were distracted with their emails and text messages. We use our technology for negative reasons in our life that we forget what's important. Which is to use the internet for researching, television for news and updates, cell phones for calling, and the computer for doing homework and saving documents. Mrs. Barajas, R.O.P Industrial Technology teacher, has a love-hate relationship with technology. "I love it when it works, hate it when it's broken," says Barajas. At the school, all technology devices from home are banned because we abuse the power to do research on our phone. Instead, we're texting, on facebook, youtube, twitter, etc. If kids didn't t a k e advantage of cell phones in class we would be able to research or study without going on the computer. "It is not necessary to ban electronics in class because we need electronic devices to stay current for the 21st century," says Barajas. We depend on technology for everything inside and outside of class. In every class there is always going to be that one person who bends the rules and is off task. Mrs. Barajas feels electronics should be allowed in class at appropriate THE BLUFFER Editorial Staff News Editors Marissa Chase Laurel Shoop Viewpoint Editor Becca Blanchard A & E Editors Connor Ross Josiah Vasey Features Editors Ashlan Brunello Bailey Patchen Editor-In-Chief Marissa Chase Mitch Fox Veronica Smith Sarah Bartlett Claire Samay Tymberlyn Bealer Sam Rodriguez Mark Criss Rodrigo Sanchez Ceighlee Fennel Alexis Simpkins Hunter Latham Aleczander X Sims Aaron Lewis Zachary Smith Julia Leiebert Sahvanna Rice Owen Ritter Sahvanna Rice Staff Writer T o some, a changing schedule can be terrifying. Coming into high school, a great amount of the student population has dealt with some sort of schedule that changes. If you haven't, it's not a bad thing. As a freshman this year, I was afraid of how much high school would be different from my middle school. Since I came from Berrendos, I was used to my classes rotating so they would be held at different times every day. It's not as bad as you think. I mean, sure, some people get lost, but you get used to it after the first couple of weeks. All of us are used to the way classes are around here. Even the slightest change can cause confusion and chaos. But if anything happens, we will just have to deal with it. It's a part of life. There is nothing we can do about it. Personally, I don't think this concept is such a good idea. Freshmen are still getting used to the way things work around here at Red Bluff High. We need to make sure the schedule meets the learning needs of students on campus. That way it doesn't affect grades. I just want what is best for Red Bluff High, so, that the next three years are the best time of my life. Aaron Lewis Staff Writer SPARTAN THUMBS Adviser Editor-In-Chief Advertising Director Natalie Almond Alisa Pelanconi Laurel Shoop Staff Writers times as resources but there is no avoiding those who gets off task. "There will always be a student who will abuse the rule, no one can control the mass majority," states Barajas. Technology is acceptable for certain things, as long as you don't forget to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. Cartoonist Andrea Hveem Karla Nowicki Sports Editors Egan Meagher Garrett Sandow Ryan Fisher Topic Editor Shelby Keeler Editorial Policy: Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the district, staff, or student body. We welcome signed letters to the editor. Names may be withheld upon request. We also reserve the right to edit submission based on length and/or clarity. The chilly weather is here The weather is still perfect for sweaters and scarves. The bully assembly was this week The bully assembly had a positive review from students. The roads near Vista need repair Drivers dislike driving over the pot-hole infested road. The 49ers hope to continue The football team hopes to attend the super bowl. Iran's technology is getting better The country is getting closer to a nuclear weapon. *These Thumbs came from Mr. Wheeler's 4th period class.