The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/54666
February 3, 2012 Viewpoints 2 Seniors should be better prepared to vote... A s the school year inches closer and closer to being over, graduating seniors come closer to obtaining more responsibilities. At the end of the year, almost every senior will have the ability and responsibility to vote. The Bluffer is not contesting their right to vote but more their ability. We feel strongly that voting is a right but should be viewed as more of a privilege. Even though it is not constitutional to confiscate someone's right to vote for state and national government, some people seem not worthy of their voting power. With that said, we feel it is a problem that is very easily fixed. Students are educated on government very late in their high school careers and this leads to the inability of students to educate themselves on the candidates. Clint Howard will be missed S "The reason the voting age is set at eighteen is because the draft age is eighteen and the people being drafted need to be able to vote on their commander in chief. We are fighting a war so I think the voting age is right. However, I feel some seniors do not make an educated vote; but that's by choice, not capability," said Mr. Norton, American Government teacher at Red Bluff High School. Voting is a right often taken for granted "Voting is a right often taken for granted in our country." here's Waldo," by Martin Handford, ummer of '09. Summer of 2009 is where it all began. During that summer I met Daniel Strauss and Rene Frajka, exchange students from Germany and Slovakia. As the group of us became closer and closer each day, I had the amazing privilege of meeting Traci and Clint Howard. During the many late summer nights of movie watching, to intense FIFA soccer games, I also grew closer with Traci and Clint. During that summer and the many summers and years that passed, I saw how great Clint's enthusiasm for life really was while beginning in the Howard's home with the new incoming exchange students. I also noticed his strive to make everyone happy, the way he loved life, how he always had a smile on his face, and his love for his family, friends, and children that attended his and Traci's daycare. These are just the few things I will always remember about Clint. Clint was a truly amazing man and I am truly blessed to have met him. He has changed my out look on life for the positive. Even though these are sad times with Clint's passing, he would not want us to mourn him. He would definitely want us to hold our heads high in his memory. Clint will be missed by many people all around the world. He has touched many people's lives and he will never be forgotten. Clint was buried in his home town in Utah, where most of his family lives, but there will be a memorial service tomorrow, Feb 4, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 545 Berrendos Ave., at 10 AM to 1 PM. Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend this memorial service. If you could attend, that would be very nice and the Howard family greatly appreciates everyone's hospitality. Bailey Patchen and books, have one similarity; they are both banned in many schools around the country. Why would anyone choose to ban an animated book, or a book simply about magic? It is not only unnecessary, but it takes away an author's freedom of speech. This is known as censorship and it occurs in many forms. Recently, there has been a new bill called SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), which has not been passed yet. Its job is to rid the Internet of all pirated material. Pirated material can be anything from illegal downloading, to putting a picture on a website that does not have a photo credit. Basically, if you didn't create Letter to the Editor: D it, you cannot use it (unless you have proper permission). This protects the movie and music industry, preventing people from stealing or illegally downloading videos or music. However, this would be a major problem. The Internet is one of the main outlets to gain information, and if this was passed, it would prevent Google, Bing, or many other major search engines from d i r e c t i n g you to sites that could possibly h a v e pi rated material. T h i s would deny people the right to their information or even the ability to obtain it. To ban a book is the same thing, though. They offer knowledge, ideas, and opinions that help us learn and understand the world around us. We all perceive books differently; it is not like a in our country. Many other nations have not yet obtained this luxury, and we should consider ourselves lucky to be able to vote. With such an important right in our hands, we are stressing that first-time voters take it seriously enough to put time and research into their vote in order to make it an informed one. This one vote will go towards deciding who will become easily the most powerful man in the world. We, in Bluffer, would like to use our voice to remind Seniors that their vote in the next election is not only a vote for them but a vote for our generation and our children's generations. The well being and longevity of the United States of America is dependent on the next president; make your vote count. Get educated. Problems associated with censorship "W movie. Since you can see a movie, it is harder to interpret it differently and see something else. But in a book, the picture is created from within your mind, and it is based on the past experiences you have had. "The worth of a book is to be measured by what you carry away from it." -James Bryce Not only that, but a book is meant to teach and inspire. It reflects an author's message or theme. "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee, contains offensive language and racism. The author is not promoting this, but rather inspiring people not to judge, by showing the harmful effects it Viewpoint Editor Behind the Podium ear Bluffer, I am a junior here at Red Bluff High School. I recently read an article in the Bluffer that made me question our students' opinions. The article talked about whether or not our choices at lunch were healthy. In my opinion, I believe that there are many healthy choices on the school's menu. Students can choose between salads, chicken wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or other sandwiches available. Sure, there are many unhealthy choices such as spicy chicken sandwiches with cheese, fries, pizza, Chinese food, Doritos , taco pockets and sometimes nachos. Based on those facts, I think that once you reach high school you should be able to decide for yourself what you should or shouldn't eat. If you make the wrong or bad choice of always eating pizza or getting nothing but unhealthy food, then it's on you, not the school. Besides, by protesting or shrugging off the school's menu, you take away the freedom of what other students want to eat. All in all, if you think the school's menu is unhealthy, then order a salad or bring a packed lunch. We should decide for ourselves whether we are making the right choice in our lives! Staff Writer Kayla Lewis THE BLUFFER Editorial Staff News Editors Aaron Vasey Austin Chase Viewpoint Editor Marissa Chase Eddie Spidle Connor Ross A&E Editors Features Editors Ashlan Brunello Natalie Almond Sports Editors Egan Meagher Nick Reinhardt Shelby Keeler Laurel Shoop Topic Editors 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. Editor-In-Chief Austin Chase Aaron Vasey Xarayna Sekscenski Bailey Patchen Veronica Smith Alaina Rudnick Carson Dunbar Brittany Villa Laura Defonte I mpossible. Have you ever felt like something expected of you was impossible? While in high school, I came home several times to huge piles of lumber that my dad, a part time beekeeper, bought, figuring I could construct hundreds of bee hives. It looked unending. We all experience things that look just too big to get through. You probably have projects in front of you right now that seem overwhelming. I knew better with my dad. He was always doing this sort of thing… asking me to do something that I thought was impossible. When I was eleven, he and I took the long walk down to the barn where I fed the pigs daily. One pig was a young male, and dad figured we'd just perform the necessary surgery ourselves. Adventure! When we reached the barn, he winced at the pig's size. "That pig's grown too big". Oh well. He looked at me as he held out a razor blade, "Do you want to hold or cut?". What? I declined the razor and set out to hold this unwilling animal. Dad warned me not to let go as he cut and the pig screamed. It seemed like an eternity. I didn't think I'd be able to hold that pig. I doubt my dad knew either. Attempting something that we think is impossible is the stuff of life. And the successes and failures The voice of Red Bluff High School since 1901 Editor-In-Chief Advertising Director Shantell Estrada Staff Writers Josiah Vasey Rebecca Blanchard Armando Aguilar Ryan Fisher Claire Samay KC Jacobsen Payton Cumpton that result become our greatest memories. Legends. Mr. Hendricks A teacher's perspective (the Amazing) challenged his sons to do a 50 mile hike. They did it! Now I remember walking 20 miles as a kid, and that seemed outrageous, but 50 miles? He told me the idea came from Mr. Null (the Ancient), who, in 1963 took up President J.F. Kennedy's physical fitness challenge to walk 50 miles. President Kennedy knew the importance of attempting what looked to be impossible. He committed our country to putting a man on the moon. At the time, it was a wild, impossible dream. Now it's history. I like looking at the challenge of getting someone to the moon. It's a great metaphor for life. You, right now, are trying to do something you've never done, to get to a place that you have never been. Scary. The effort of men & women in our country to accomplish the President's vision took a lot of time & persistent effort. I remember when my son Devin, in 7th grade, downloaded a program to help with music notation on the computer, and the program came preloaded with a really impressive looking notation for the third movement of Beethoven's, Moonlight Sonata. There was a mash of hundreds of notes, and his eyes got big as the piece was played over the speakers and the notes floated by on the screen in sync with the music. Crazy. How could anyone play such a piece, let alone write it? "You could play that", I said. He looked at me incredulously. Right. It took him almost a year to accomplish, but no one will ever forget when he finally played it. The auditorium was so hot that a woman in the audience fainted and was dragged out and treated by paramedics, all DURING the nearly 10 minute song. He finished at the piano to wild applause, and we had to tell him later about the paramedics. The great thing about these impossible things you're facing now is that with persistent effort, you WILL get through, and usually you'll look back at what you've done with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Better, you'll have more guts when the next challenge comes. When your plans for the future seem unattainable, you'll have confidence that one step at time, you will get there. I could go on with stories of students in cross country or drama who have run more miles or learned hundreds more lines than they thought was possible. They all succeeded one step and one line at a time. Two things help me when I face insurmountable challenges. First is my faith in God. Second, I've had a lot of experiences where the seemingly impossible is now history. As humans, we grow by keeping the impossible in front of us, and we gain confidence to try bigger and better things. Your parents are likely doing their part to keep you on your toes. You can also choose a challenge or two for yourself. I'll tell you a few 'crazy' ones that I have in the cooker for myself: 1. Learn how to code java script (www.codadademy. org), 2. Read the Bible in a year (The Holy Bible) 3. Complete a triathlon. My commuter bike is at 12,600 miles this month. Time to start running. The Bible is huge, but it only takes about 15 minutes a day, and the java coding lessons will need about the same. If you're struggling in a class, what would 15 extra minutes a day in that subject do for you? Some of our challenges are chosen, and some are not. Embrace both. Impossible? Not. Kevin Penner endows upon people who receive it. Unfortunately, "To Kill a Mockingbird," is one of the most frequently banned books around high schools in the country. Luckily, our high school chooses not to ban books. We believe in the freedom of speech, unlike so many other schools around the country. Marissa Chase Math Teacher Alisa Pelanconi Adviser SPARTAN THUMBS • Mt. Shasta is now open Mt. Shasta has finally gotten enough snow after the last storm, and students are hitting the slopes. • Strange weather for January • Winter Formal dance tomorrow January has been mixed with sunshine, rain and heat, when it is suppose to be a cold. The Winter Formal dance is tomorrow at 9 to midnight. The theme is "Around the W e World". All of the RBHS girlsʼ basketball teams are holding a pink out at the gym, on Feb. 7. Wear pink! • Pink Out next Tuesday • Cyber bullying Students have noticed that cyber bullying is getting out of hand; mostly on Facebook. *These thumbs came from Mr. Barrowʼs 4th period class. Staff Editorial