Writing Reflection

Over the course of my high school career I feel like I have become a better writer overall. My freshman year, the hardest thing for me was trying to come up with something to write about. Now, the hardest thing is for me to put my thoughts down on a piece of paper and have them make sense.


"The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Narnia

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe runs this weekend at school and I am extremely excited for it. After a mostly good, sometimes stressful experience of assistant stage manager, things are finally starting to wrap up. Show times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 2. Everyone should come out and support. Tickets are on sale at www.showtix4u.com and are only $10.00.

On a side note, I did end up getting Production Stage Manager for Hello, Dolly! so in some sense things are just getting started not wrapping up. Our first rehearsal is the day after our Sunday matinee of Narnia. I have already started doing some work for Dolly, and can not wait for it to be in full swing!

Gay-Straight Alliance

Gays and straights rejoice because the Gay-Straight Alliance is back and in full force at Anderson. Meeting every other week, members of G.S.A. get together to talk about current issues and have a great time doing so. G.S.A. was brought back by senior Annie Hobson and is advised by Tim Fuller.

“It is interesting to be around young, committed people working for awareness and understanding on this important issue,” states Fuller.

G.S.A. was brought back to be a support group and a safe-haven, but perhaps Hobson explains it best, “I wanted to bring back the G.S.A. because I have a responsibility to provide a safe and tolerant environment in our school.”

The Gay-Straight Alliance is a student-run organization open to anyone who wants to join. Whether you are democrat or republican, gay or straight, religious or atheist, G.S.A. is a place for you. Members spend time talking about current issues, planning events for the school and community, and sharing stories of previous experiences.

When asked to tell people one thing about G.S.A., Senior Ryan Sowers said “It is very open-minded, and everyone is fully accepted regardless of sexual orientation.”

Members always say how welcome they feel, and are glad the club has been brought back. Students are comfortable there, and share things that would not normally be discussed. Fellow students are the best support group, and that is exactly what G.S.A. provides.

This club teaches and promotes tolerance. Some believe the community has ignored issues such as these for far too long, and now is the time for everyone to finally pay attention. This club hopes to take steps in the right direction, showing the wrong that has been done to the gay community. G.S.A. has also set goals to intertwine with the character education building sessions that all students participate in, during a no- bullying week. This will show that sayings such as “you’re gay,” and “that’s so gay” are not okay, and are offensive to some.

Promoting awareness and tolerance not only at school but in the community is a goal of the group. People are becoming more aware of these issues, and are starting to change their views. Each day, people are more and more accepting of all life styles, and hopefully this outreach will help gain support.

Asked why he thinks people are so negative toward the gay community, senior Daniel Lees had a lot to say. “I think people are not open to the gay community because they do not understand that homosexuals are equal to heterosexuals. People are not open-minded to differences in others. I think everyone needs to be open and accepting to the gay community because they are exactly the same as every other person even though their sexual orientation is different. All people are the same and deserve to be treated equally and respectfully.”

Everyone is welcome, and should come to the next meeting for G.S.A. It is a great experience and new members will have a good time. Participants believe that one day, gays will be treated equally, and until then clubs like these will be the place to go. If people are unsure of what to think about this club, they are asked to come and give it a try. The club honors all sexual orientation including gay and straight students.

Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

So the past week or so we have been getting so much snow, and it has been great! Friday night into Saturday we got almost 8 inches, and now the past two days we have got about 8 more. It has also led to two snow days which have been very productive for me. Yesterday, I had a bunch of friends over and we built a snowman named Ricky, and went sleading. We started out sledding behind the Little Red School House but got kicked out because it was "nap time", so we went to the hill next door instead. I love my friends, and we have the best of times.

Also, it is audition week for Hello, Dolly! I am hoping to get PSM (production stage manager for this show), I think it would be really fun. I am currently ASM (assistant stage manager) for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but want to be even more involved.

I bought a laptop, and it comes tomorrow! That is very exciting! I really love technology and everything about it. It was a hard decision on what laptop to get because I'm going to college in a year and a half, and am going to need to get a new one anyway. So I decided to get a Dell Latitude D420 which is a few years old, and will last me through high school. I went used because it will save me a lot of money too. It retailed for $2000 and i got it for a fraction of the price. It's an ultra-portable which means its super light and only an inch thin so I will be able to take it with me anywhere. Now I have the desktop that I built, and an ultra-portable to complement it. The best of both worlds!

Until next time...
-Tim

Beowulf

This is our class assignment. We had to make a comic strip of Beowulf. This is my depiction.

Beowulf by taficke | Make Your Own At www.toondoo.com

One Year, a Report Card

In January, President Barrack Obama was sworn into office in front of the largest inaugural parade ever, with an overwhelming number of supporters. Americans proclaimed him as the answer to all of the government’s problems. The “Messiah” of 2009. One year later, the ego truly has landed. His poll numbers are at their lowest yet, even lower than former President Bush’s ten months into his presidency. Support for health care is dwindling, and people are starting to realize Obama can’t fix things, and that maybe he isn’t so great after all. Even our soldiers are feeling the burn, with their morale falling everyday because he refuses to be the commander in chief needed for this war.

As president of the Untied States of America, Barrack Obama has numerous obstacles to overcome. Today we will evaluate how he has done:

1. Being hip and cool. Considering he was on 6 TV shows in one night, has over 4 miles of stories on the New York Times front page, and has attended 35 golf outings in 10 months, I’d say he is “hip” and “cool”. However, he is not a celebrity. He is the president of the United States.

“His sharp increase in his approval rating proves how “in” he is with the people!” said junior John Ruffley.

Grade: A

2. Pleasing the people. Nearly half of the people I have talked to, who were pro Obama, either say they are disappointed with his actions and expected more, or are completely outraged, and wish they could have voted differently. Knowing what we know now, I think it is safe to say that Obama would not be the president. No man is perfect, and you can’t expect Obama to be. However, when you make a campaign promise, you should honor it. That obviously isn’t happening.

When asked if he was happy with how the president was doing his job, perhaps the most simplistic answer can sum it up: “No!” exclaims junior Tyler Lynn.

“He has made a few mistakes, such as flying Air Force One over New York,” freshman Ben Ruffley tells us. “However disappointed I may be, I still think he will follow through on his promises.”

Grade: D

3. The War on Terror. This is one of Obama’s worst performances so far. He simply will not make a decision when one is needed now. The safety of our country depends on it and he refuses to act! It is unacceptable that he sits around and plays golf while our troops are out there getting shot at and blown up.

“I feel he is handling the war very poorly,” explains junior Annie Hamilton. “He has been asked for more troops and funding for the war, and has not delvered. This is disastrous and wrong.”

Grade: F-

4. Domestic affairs. For a man who was supposed to bring people together and put an end to the separation between people, he sure hasn’t done a very good job. In fact, it seems almost as if he has turn more people apart. Health care, for example, has people so split on either one side or the other that it is pushing them apart. If Obama were to get it through his thick head that people do not want big government and to waste billions of tax payer dollars, I think he would be respected much more. However, he has prompted much needed thoughts about health care reform.

“I don’t think he has handled the nation correctly at all,” explains sophomore Cody Foster. “He is way too arrogant and naïve.”

“When the government takes control of things, it is nearly impossible to revoke its power.” says junior David Dornette. “People become dependent on the government, and we won’t be able to change that once it’s happened.”

Grade: C-

5. Foreign affairs. Maybe he hasn’t heard, or maybe he doesn’t care, but the United States does NOT negotiate with terrorists. Yet somehow we have managed to do that since he has been in office. For some reason, he feels the need to bow down to the King of Saudi Arabia, and accept an anti-American book from the dictator of Cuba. I just can’t fathom how those are smart things to do.

“I believe that Obama has done a poor job in foreign affairs due to the fact that most of what he has done is give apologies after apologies.” says Senior Evan Anglim.

Grade: D+

This averages out to make his grade a D. Terrible at school and unacceptable for the president of the United States.

Stop Lying and Listen

In a one of a kind event, Republican Representative Joe Wilson was recently censured for an outburst he had during President Obama’s address to the nation Wednesday night. President Obama said under his health care plan that illegal immigrants will not be able to get medical aid with his new plan, and Rep. Wilson screamed “You lie!” Rep. Wilson was the first representative to ever be censured for an act like this. In an ironic turn of events, however, it turns out that President Obama was indeed lying. Because hospitals are not allowed to ask to see anyone’s green card, any illegal can walk right into a hospital and receive aid at no cost. Two nights after his speech, the House began talks about the fact that health care employees could not ask a citizen’s status and this was key to the President saying illigals could not get health care . Every amendment that republicans have written to ensure that illigal aliens are not provided for in this bill has been shot down by the democrats.

As I’m sure many of you now know, health care reform is grounds for one of the nation’s biggest debates. The most talked about, and probably largest, issue is the public option. While democrats are for it, republicans and most independents are strongly against it. For those of you who do not know, the public option is essentially the government offering insurance to any American at a lower premium than the current insurance companies can offer. The fear of this is that by offering insurance to Americans at low cost subsidized rates, the insurance companies could go out of business because they simply cannot compete.

When asked what she thought of the public option, junior Kelsey Zellner stated, “It can be effective if it is offered to lower class people who can not afford insurance but are working hard to be able to, for a limited time. Also, it should be given to children of poorer families because it is not their fault their parents are poor.” Impoverished children are already receiving government health care and while I do agree that health care should be given to children of poor families, I do not think it should be given to any adults except for the elderly and disabled. It is not the government’s job to “hand out” anything to the people of this country. As a matter of fact, we do not let people die in the streets. Anyone who goes to the emergency room cannot be turned away because they cannot pay.

I completely disagree with how the Obama administration is handling health reform. The concept of changing a system that works for over 85% of America’s population is unfathomable to most Americans. According to the Congressional Budget Office (the government nonpartisan agency) the nation will pay an estimated trillion dollars or more over ten years. Sure, the premiums insurance companies charge now are out of control, but we should fix that. We should not try to redo the whole system just because 10% of the population does not have health care. Some of the 10% do not even want health care, so the actual number of uninsured because of cost is even lower.

In 1955 when Medicare was first established, it was estimated to only cost 23 billion dollars by 2003; in 2003 it cost an astounding 245 billion dollars, an unprecedented 10 times more than what was estimated. If that same model is any indication of the current estimated price of a trillion dollars over 10 years, by 2019 the cost of health reform will actually be 10 trillion dollars! To compare, the United States is 11 trillion dollars in debt today. If we tack on 10 trillion dollars to that number, in 2019 the United States will be 21 trillion dollars in debt. Where in the world is this money going to come from? We simply cannot trust government figures under any circumstances.

Now, this is not to say that I am against health reform completely, just the way it is being handled as of late. If the public option was removed, critics would be way more likely to support the bill, especially if it was a bipartisan effort, not some left wing agenda slapped together in a hurry to get something finished. If the House and Senate could work together and create a bill that included tort reform, capping of premiums, and did not cost the nation trillions, many would back it whole heartedly.

“Government should help increase competition among large drug corporations by helping to lower costs on medications and insurance premiums,” stated junior David Dornette. When asked if he liked reform without the public option he replied, “It would be something I could agree on.” I completely agree with this statement. The government should help, but in a way that does not give them control of anything else or cost the tax payers anymore money. I work hard for my money and I do not want to have to give it away.

Americans should not have to go without health care, but they should have to work hard and not expect a nanny state. This is a principal that was in effect in the 1700’s when the original immigrants fled their home countries to prosper in the new world, and should still be in effect today. Health reform is a true test for the United States government, and I think with hard work and bipartisanship that they can please the American public and have a sense of satisfaction themselves.

A War with a Cause

The next couple of posts that i will be posting are editorials that i have written for the school newspaper. I thought some of you might like to read them.

September 11, 2001, 8:46 am, Tuesday. A day no one in our generation should ever forget. A day of somber, prosperity, and unity, a day which will live in infamy.

Eight years ago America was attacked by a group of cowards in the Middle East, Afghanistan. This group soon became known to Americans as the Taliban. Americans here this name everyday on any news channel on television. Shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Centers in 2001, America started a war with this group that is continuing today. People forget why we are there in the first place, and that is to keep America safe and free for decades to come. The war the adults are fighting today, will keep America’s children safe, and allow them to live a free, wonderful life style they are enjoying every moment they breathe.

There are some that say we should leave the war, or that it is a useless battle, a war that has no cause, or is a waste of money and American resources that could be used on other issues. When asked if we should junior Audrey Platt explains, “No, this was is not our business. It’s a waste of time and money. They can take care of themselves, and we should let them.”

Others, say the war is something we should stick with. They think that if we leave now it would not only be a political disaster, but would be a disaster for the Afghan people as well. Afghanistan wants out help and we are providing it. Sophomore Hayley King, when asked whether or not we should stay in Afghanistan says, “We should stay. The war isn’t over yet, and we haven’t finished our goal of restoring peace to Afghanistan, and security to America.”

America staying in Afghanistan, sending more troops helps the foundation of America. It shows the world that we are strong and not to mess with us. Additionally, it gives Americans a sense of security and ease to know that they will not stand for such unjust acts against the country.

“I felt wronged. I was afraid, and felt my security had been threatened.” States Anderson teacher Michael Hutchings, “For the first time as an American I felt unsafe and vulnerable. The war in Afghanistan was a direct result of that feeling all Americans shared on September 11, 2001.”

I personally believe that we should stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes, even if that means indefinitely. There is no cost great enough to not have security in the greatest nation in the world. We have been there for nine years and have not been attacked since. This most likely would not have happened had we not retaliated when we did. Former President Bush made the hardest decision of his life that America’s safety is a direct result from.

As it stands right now, the war seems to be an afterthought for folks in Washington. This is unacceptable, and America as a whole should be outraged. For some, it seems health care or being on TV is more important than keeping our country safe and that is wrong. President Obama, are you listening? Do you realize what you are doing to this country? America needs a decision on this war, and they need it now. Not after your Sunday night interview on 60 Minutes. President Obama may be great for some things, like getting people active in politics, or striving for equal rights for all, but he is, at best, a lousy commander in chief.

“He’s a great speaker,” explains Hutchings, “But then again so is Jared, the Subway guy.”

Overall, the war in Afghanistan is something that Americans should continue to support. If anyone finds themselves skeptical, think back to that Tuesday in September, and remember the murder of over 2000 innocent American citizens is more than enough just and cause to be fighting the people who did this to us. One day we will find Bin Laden, and we will put an end to the terrible group of people known as the Taliban. Never forget how scared you were that Tuesday, or the sense of hate you had for whoever was responsible for that and you will never feel we should be out of this war or that it is a waste. Support the troops, and God Bless the United States of America.