The True Revolutionist Newspaper

.The True Revolutionist Newspaper.

Hot summer days are now here for all of us at the True Revolutionist. We've been busy with vacations, work, and writing. Here comes Number Nine!!!

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In This Issue:

Editorials- People responded to last Issue's topics...and it was glorious

Kill Bill: The Motorcycle Bill- To wear or not to wear?

Healthy Relationships = Happy Lives- Cheryl tells us how to be happy with everyone we love

Graduation Part II: Freshman Year in Retrospective- The writers tell us about freshman year

The Sex Chronicles: Transsexuals- Liz describes what a transsexual is and their plight to be happy

Underage Drinking: The Experiment- Chad took the Underage Drinking article and made it an experiment

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: The Review- Abby reviews an awesome book

Last name, first name, middle initial, social security number- Cheryl's plight of getting a job

Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion- Abby gets back to her tree hugging roots for this article (Har Har, tree hugging roots)

Music Column: History of the Mosh Pit- Cheryl shares the history of this pastime of many punk rockers

Dream Interpretation- Our friend Gigi explains the mystery that is dream interpretation

Approach to Religion-Cheryl explains a plethora of religions

Eating Disorders: The Plight of Thousands- Liz explains how to get help

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Editorial:

I absolutely loved it! I now know more interesting facts about politics, but I was mad that I didn't get to partake in the 'debating' of that bill. :( What I also don't agree with is some of the political stances. I heard from one debater a bunch of times "Do what you want with your body. That's why they call it land of the free" My only problem is that, if everything was free, then there would be anarchy. And this person I know hates that, but it kind of confuses me. Anyway! Great poetry, Ian, I enjoyed it. Isn't Bryan's last name Gaetani? Instead of 'Gaetania? There were a lot of typos, but I loved it other than that! Thank you for your time...

-Ginger H.

You girls out did yourselves this time. I'm sorry I missed you guys acting "gay". Actually, that kind of looks like most of our junior high girls. Isn't great to be really wacky!! Don't lose your spark!!!

-Mrs. T via the guestbook

I must admit, that as I sit here, at this very moment, it is true that I, an 18 yr old male is consuming an alcoholic beverage. This alcoholic beverage contains less than 15% alcohol, (30 proof) compared to the much higher proofs of alcohol (100 or more) which are 50+% alcohol. I am drinking responsibly. In fact, the few times that I have consumed many alcoholic beverages in an evening, I have consumed them responsibly. I, madam, do not over indulge myself. I am, I think you would argue, a unique case. I do not over drink. But, although it is terribly unlikely, I can be drafted if the government decided it were so. I could be sent off to war where I could face hardship and death. But I could not walk to a bar and order a beer (legally.) It is my firm belief that each and every person in this world has choices. They have, for all intensive purposes, a choice of whether or not they will wake up in the morning. Every morning I choose to wake up. Every morning, I choose to go about my daily life. It is in these choices that every person has the potential to do good or evil. It is in every person that the future lies, not in a wide spanning governmental piece of legislature.

In fact, I am considered by most as an upstanding citizen. But boy do I love a peach schnapps.

I am not an alcoholic. It could be said that denial is the first stage of the problem, but I say it because I know, to the bottom of my heart, that I am not. I do not drink to "get drunk." I do not drink my problems away. I drink because I choose to. I drink because the ethyl alcohol dulls my senses and makes me feel happy. I drink because it is fun.

Now, underage drinking is only wrong because it is against the law. I believe the drinking age should be 18. I think if you ask those mothers who are still crying inside because their son or daughter was killed by a drunk driver, i think you'll find the driver was much older than 21, on average.

I think you'll find that you are really against alcoholism, not underage drinking. I too, am against the abuse of alcohol. My grandfather was an alcoholic. I saw what it did to him. In fact, it is an inherited gene that passes that trait on, to my mother, to me. Underage Drinking is fun because it's not allowed. Teach young adults to drink responsibly, to not drink a "quart of vodka," that is the solution to alcoholism, not simply increasing the fines and penalties for those caught drinking underage.

-Steve via the forum

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Kill Bill- The Motorcycle Bill

1. Purpose: The purpose of this bill is to require motorcycle drivers to wear helmets.

2. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as

3. follows:

4. Section One: Short title: This bill shall be known as and may be cited as "Motorcyclist

5. Helmet Act"

6. Section Two: Definitions: "Motorcyclist"- A person who drives a motorcycle. "Helmet"-

7. a head covering of hard materials, such as leather, metal, or plastic, worn by football

8. players, firefighters, construction workers, motorcyclist, and others to protect the

9. head.

10. Section Three: Motorcycle drivers must wear a standardized motorcycle helmet when

11.operating a motorcycle.

12. Section Four: Enforcement: This act shall be enforced by the Pennsylvania

13. Department of Transportation.

14. Section Five: Penalties: Violators of this bill will be subject to

15. First violation: 60 day Driver's license suspension

16. Second violation: Five points on your driving record and 60 Day driver's license

17. suspension

18. Third violation: $100,000 fine, 5 points on driving record and 60 day driver's license

19. suspension

20. Section Six: Enactment: This bill shall be enacted upon passage

The Responses:

Name: Abby

Grade: Sophomore

Party: Independent

For personal reasons I wouldn't get on a motorcycle. If someone were to kidnap me and make me ride on a motorcycle I'd ask for a helmet first. But just because I feel this way others might not. Whoever suggested this bill is just trying to make everyone else adapt to their individual beliefs. People need to have freedom to choose for themselves and while I think it'd be insane to get on a motorcycle without a helmet others may feel perfectly safe.

Though I am not an expert in this area I do realize that if there are more fatal accidents without the passing of this law, insurance rates could go up. This in conclusion will indirectly affect regular citizens. But currently, wearing a helmet is a choice the motorcyclists make for themselves. If this law is passed the insurance rates can't get any worse.

In the end I believe that this choice, like many other decisions, comes down to a personal preference. If a motorcyclist wants to ride without a helmet, then let it ride.

Name: Liz

Grade: Sophomore

First off, let me start by saying this I feel is this bill is very petty. For some reason, however, people get really worked up about it. Quite honestly, I think it�s really stupid and idiotic if you don't wear a helmet. Think about this logically; humans are imperfect. If you are driving down the highway going 55 MPH on a bike that you could easily fly off of, without a helmet on, there�s a pretty good chance that the one time you do crash you're going to get hurt pretty badly, if you survive at all. Something could easily get in your eyes without a helmet on, or a rock could hit you in the face causing you to crash (these aren't unrealistic circumstances.) Also, this one time crash could lead to pile ups and therefore endanger others lives. Someone else brought up the point that not wearing helmets would somehow raise insurance, though I'm not exactly sure how that would work. But make it the law you have to wear one? People feel that by making this a law it would be the man taking away one more of our freedoms, and they say this bill should not be passed for that reason alone. The point is, you're stupid if you don't wear a helmet. If this bill would not be passed a lot of people would not wear helmets, but if it was, there would still be people who disregard the law and wouldn't wear one anyway. In conclusion, I feel this bill is petty, and am indifferent to the outcome.

Name: Margaret

Age: 44

I feel pretty strongly about regulations and laws that promote safety. Like it or not when lots of people get hurt on motorcycles because they are not wearing helmets or in cars because they are not wearing seatbelts, it affects more than just the individuals that get hurt. It hurts their families, their friends, their communities. It drains them not just emotionally, but economically as well. It influences us all because of increased insurance rates which are just getting higher and higher. I had no problem with this particular bill and would have supported it until I got to the part where a $100,000.00 fine would be imposed. Bills must have realistic and fair consequences to the actions they are trying to prevent. To me having your license suspended for increasing amounts of time and reasonable fines from the very first offence would be far more reasonable and more enforceable than a $100,000.00 fine. Money which would not be an immediately collectible sum from the majority of people. Take away their ability to drive for a year and that would have much more tangible meaning to most. So, as this bill reads I do not support it.

Name: Chad Fox

Grade: Sophomore

I normally approve of safety promoting laws. However, I feel this particular bill has some major faults. First of all, the penalties are entirely unrealistic. A 60 day license suspension can severely interfere with someone�s career, if that is their only means of transportation. Also, a $100,000 fine is outrageous. Most people would not be able pay this in one lump sum, and this would become a major financial obstacle that would be a major burden for many years. In addition to this, their earning capabilities would be impair by the 60 day license suspension.

I also feel that helmets should be worn by motorcyclists. People, being the imperfect beings we are, may make the mistake of not wearing a helmet. We may do this to feel "free," or simply forget to put one on. However, if this person would crash, and become impaired in some way, I am confident that they would wish they would have had a helmet on. The point of this bill is not to "invade personal freedom" but simply to save lives. Our judgment is not perfect, and this bill is simply trying to prevent us to make a fatal mistake. No one would choose death or impairment over wearing a helmet. If the penalties were not so irrational, I would support this bill. If these consequences were "toned down" I would be in full support of this bill.

Name: Blake

Grade: 8

I believe that the government should not force people to wear helmets if they don�t want to. My predecessors in this article have stated that a helmet can save your life. However, if you are in a crash on the highway your head will still be safe but the rest of your body will be badly crippled or even dead. My good friend, Chad Fox, said �No one would choose death or impairment over wearing a helmet.� Yes Chad, a helmet can keep you from dying but is it really living? If you are in a crash on the highway it doesn�t matter if your head�s okay, the rest of your body will still be badly hurt. I think this law is stupid and would not vote for it.

Name: Rachel

Grade: 9

Personally I think the bill is a wonderful idea. But this bill is not about me, for I do not ride a motorcycle, and I doubt I ever will. I just don't like them. Like many of the other people have said in response to this bill; it is the motorcyclist's own choice whether or not s/he wants to wear their helmet. Does it really endanger anyone other than the cyclist if they don't wear their helmet? Does the crash rate go up when cyclists don't wear their helmets? I don't know all the statistics, but I'm betting neither of those happen. By choosing not to wear a helmet, that person only endangers themselves. Although I would love to have a bill that enforces everyone to wear their helmet because I hate to see people die from their own stupid mistakes, I'm going to have to disagree with this one. Excuse my French, but it's their own damn fault if they don't want to protect their head while riding their motorcycle. By enforcing this law, it will seem to many motorcyclists that the government is trying to take away their freedom. There will also still be those that continue to defy the law, and will suffer the penalties. That brings me to my next point; the $100,000.00 fine. How many people do you know that can pay a fine that enormous in one payment? How many people in America have that much money at one point to begin with? I think, before I would consider supporting the bill anymore that it needs revised and given more believable and reasonable penalties. In conclusion, I believe that everyone should be given a choice when it concerns their safety, because the matter of wearing a helmet only affects the safety of the wearer. Therefore, I do not support this bill.

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Healthy relationships = Happy lives

This isn�t one of those articles you find in the typical teen girl magazines explaining how to mistreat your boyfriend and make it seem acceptable. It�s not one of those articles telling you how to treat your friends, or one of those articles telling you what you are doing wrong. Relationships between your friends, lovers, siblings, relatives, neighbors, internet friends, mail carrier, and even pets can all be happy relationships.

1. Compromise. This counts for all relationships, even for the relationship between you and your mail carrier. A relationship obviously consists of two people, not one. This simply means that it can not always be your way and the other person involved in the relationships counts just as much as you do. Though a can compromise be very unwanted at times, it often times keeps the peace and the happiness.

2. Respect. Without respect, there usually is not much of a relationship at all. Though differences do occur, it�s best to respect their views and opinions. As a personal example, many of my friends are meat eaters and I am vegetarian. I know there is no need to disrespect them and call them angry carnivores, and there is no need for them to wave a hamburger in my face. At times it may be tempting to make an occasional wave of a hamburger in my face, which is not considered disrespectful, but just make sure your �humorous� acts against differences are occasional.

3. Loyalty. Loyalty as well as trust, reliability, and faithfulness are a must in any relationship. No one likes a friend who talks behind their back, and no one likes a lover who cheats. Think about the other person, if they could get hurt its best not to.

4. Honesty. Relationships based on lies aren�t relationships. Sure, I have told an occasional tiny lie, but who hasn�t? However, telling your best friend you didn�t steal her money is not considered honesty. Besides, things do backfire, and chances are that in the end your friend, lover, sibling, or relative will find out. To me, it�s just safer to play honesty the whole way through. The truth does hurt sometimes, but it hurts a lot less than a lie.

5. Acceptance. People are who they are, and I have learned in 16 years I know I don�t like it when people try to tell me what to do or how to act. Many times it�s best not trying to change people and simply accepting them for who they are. If acceptance is too difficult, not having a relationship with this person is sometimes best; although acceptance between siblings and relatives can be a different story. While acceptance of friends does not always have to happen, acceptance of siblings and relatives usually has to happen.

6. Listen. As I have stated once before, a relationship is not just about you, it�s about the other person and you. Listening to what the other person has to say is very important because sometimes you just need to shut up and focus on someone other than yourself for once; its part of the communication process. Listening to how the other person feels often times stops fights before they happen and can be very rewarding by making both you and your friend understand each other better.

7. Stand up for them. This is very similar to loyalty. I have never understood the guys who allow their friends to say bad things about their girlfriends in front of them, or the girls who allow their friends to say bad things about their boyfriends in front of them. It�s very simple, if you care and love someone enough to call them your friend or lover, you should stand up for them. After all, a friend or lover is usually very close to you, so close to you that the person is almost a part of you. It only makes sense to defend that part of you.

8. Encouragement. People go through hard times. True friends and lovers will care enough to help the other person through the bad times. It will definitely strengthen bonds within the relationship; especially when the other person knows that he or she can always count on you as cheesy as that sounds.

9. Space. It�s only natural for all relationships to become annoying at times. Spending all the time with someone can destroy any relationship no matter how tight a bond. Usually space allows time for you to focus on your own responsibilities and commitments as well as take a break and reflect on the relationship.

10. Affection. Sometimes everyone could use a hug. Though I would not suggest anything more than a hug for relationships between siblings and relatives, (however, whatever floats your boat). A plain hug can change a day around. As for lovers, hugs and kisses and other forms of affection can make one feel very wanted and cared for, which is usually what romantic relationships are based on.

Relationships are important in everyone�s life, even the relationship between you and the mail carrier. When you have healthy relationships, a happy life with less stress is expected. Hopefully this article will help you in all your relationships. � Cheryl Hatalla

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Graduation Part II

Summer is finally upon us and the writers of the True Revolutionist have just finished their freshmen year of high school. It�s been a long nine months, and a journey that none of them will soon forget. Much has changed in the lives of the True Revolutionist staff as well as the staff members themselves. For the second segment of the Graduation Project each member of the True Revolutionist has recollected their first experiences in the high school world.

Abby: Time and time again it has been said; be yourself and don�t let anyone tell you differently. Yea, that goes for you too. Just to let you know moving up a grade isn�t much of a change, people change. It�s inevitable I suppose. It�s also kind of like someone throwing you on the ground and being repeatedly bitch-slapped. Not to scare anyone.

No seriously, there are good parts to freshman year. Usually they don�t take place in school but never the less they do take place. As a boy I once knew said, �You have to make friends with a lot of people because if you only have one group what happens if they�re mad at you?� I�ve met people who have taught me to think about the world differently, they�ve showed me good music, and how look for who I really want to be friends with. I met some really rad individuals this year, that�s been the best part. The second best part was President Bush coming to our school. No just kidding.

As corny and dumb as it may sound I learned a lot this year; about myself and life in general. I don�t feel as if I changed but all my friends say I have. They say I�ve started to become more like myself. I think that every freshman goes through a jaded, shocked period but once they emerge from it they�ll have a better view of themselves. If someone asked me if I had the choice to go back and do it all over again would I? Hell no. I would have learned these lessons at some point; they just came more quickly than I expected. Now, from my safe haven of summer it doesn�t seem so bad after all. And you know, maybe it�s all less than what it�s cracked up to be.

Oh yea, I guess the purpose of this article is to say something useful. Well, if I�m supposed to give you advice I�d tell you not to judge people. Just because the girl next to you in Bio doesn�t wear the right clothes doesn�t mean she�s not a cool person. The jock in line behind you at lunch might have opinions you didn�t expect. It�s worth finding out. Give people a chance.

�Don�t let the lights burn out because once it�s dark there�s no one there to save you.�

Cheryl: In the first month of high school, I could honestly say that I liked high school. Now, nine months later, I realize that was only the shock affect of getting out of junior high. At first high school seemed so wonderful to me because junior high was such hell. The main reason high school seemed wonderful to me was because of less seclusion due to more students. In junior high there is two grades with a total student population of only about 800. Meanwhile, high school is four grades with a total student population of about 1800. There�s more people to know, and you aren�t just stuck with one group of kids. Also in high school people are more grown up, especially the seniors and I felt better being around older kids compared to a bunch of pre teens. I realized one main difference, in junior high people were mean, rude, cruel, and immature towards me. In high school I actually have become appreciated for who I am as well as for what I stand for.

After the shock affect wore off, I realized that high school wasn�t as wonderful as I had first thought it to be. A lot of things are the same. After meeting the very few and rare cool kids, the amount of shitty kids came to my attention. High school still has the unnecessary gossip, rumors, drama, and trash. It�s the kids that live off of rumors and gossip and the "he said that she said that I said" shit. In fact, chances are there�s more of that now that ever before, the only difference is that the gossip is more hurtful. There is a large amount of kids that need to wake up and realize that there�s more important things to be saying other than "oh my god, she like totally wore that same shirt Monday and today is Thursday." Life is too short to revolve around such unimportance and unneeded enemies. Live to the fullest and love to the fullest. And as my brother once quoted "Do what you want and be who you are because the people who matter don�t care, and the people who care don�t matter."

As for what I have learned this year in class, it�s not too much. I suppose my understanding of algebra is better, and speech class definitely made me a better public speaker, but other than that classes have taught me nothing. I know for sure that I have learned much more on my own like cigarettes hurt your lungs the first time, beer taste and smells like pee, how pot is smoked out of a bong, making out isn�t as complicated as it seems to be, and it�s all ok when you are bi-sexual. I haven�t learned my direction in life or focus of my future, but I have learned my understanding of life, my purpose, and my views. I�m not out to save the world or make a name for myself, but at least make the slightest difference and enjoy the things I do. The past nine months have definitely helped me figure myself out.

Liz: My freshman year can be summed up into one word: Hell. I always loved school and learning but this year things changed. In Central Dauphin school district, logic is never a factor is decision making, so even though East Jr. is right down the road from East High, only about 20% of the people from East Jr. actually go to East. I was part of that 20%. My freshman year started out with my only friend being Chad Fox. Soon enough, I became friends with Andrew and Allan Marrs and Abby Back. There were a few others but the list pretty much ended there.

Many of my classes were far too easy. My history class consisted of everyone who failed last year and everyone who was going to fail this year. Oh, and me of course. This allowed for much staring into space or at my watch to pass the time. Sometimes, I would read ahead of where the teacher was just so I might actually learn something. My most challenging class was Algebra 2. I was never all too good at math, and in this class I had one of those teachers where you have to ask a lot of questions to understand what was going on. My math teacher was a military guy, and would many times leave you wondering exactly when the next quiz was. On tests, I had to figure out what he wanted specifically for a question, or else I would many times get it wrong. I still, "had better comprehension then most of the class" but most of the class was failing so that didn't say much.

However, not everything at East is bad. We did finally beat CD at football and also got a brand new gym. The gifted and music programs are also good at East, though I wasn't as thoroughly integrated into them as I would have liked. One of the worst parts of being a freshman is that people look down on you so much. Even the teachers have been known to whisper, "Stupid Freshman" under their breath. I really don't understand how the three months between the end of freshman year and the beginning of sophomore year can make someone so much better, but that's the way it is. A good anecdote to explain how freshman are looked down upon occurred to fellow writer, Abby Wheeler.

One day before school started, she was going to volleyball practice. As she walked in the school, she saw a boy waiting outside in the rain. Being the polite girl she is, ("I didn't even want his number or anything. He was lonely!") she smiled at him. "Hey, How old are you?" He asked. "I'm a freshman," she responded. He looked at her and replied, "Oh. No one's perfect."

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The Sex Chronicles: Transsexuals

Think for a second what it means to be a girl. Girls have longish hair, and slim shapely bodies. They wear dresses and panty hose and put on make up. If heterosexual, they date males and carry children. Now think what it means to be a guy. Guys usually have shorter hair, and have more muscular bodies. They can walk around topless and can pee standing up (if you know what I mean.) If heterosexual, they date females and get to be fathers. Now imagine waking up every morning just to look in the mirror and feel like you should be the opposite gender. For example, you're a guy but you feel like you should be wearing dresses and putting on make up. If this were to happen how would you feel? What could you do? This circumstance is called transsexuality and it is the topic of Issue 9's Sex Chronicle.

(Before I start this chronicle, I expect many e-mails thanking me for putting all this information together. Do you realize how hard it is to find information on transsexuals that isn't porn?)

First of all, what exactly is transsexuality? Also known as Gender Dysphoria, transsexuals have the sex related brain structures opposite of their body. In other words, a girl brain in a boy's body or a boy brain in a girl's body. This is caused by hormones released due to the mother's stress level in the womb. The hormones cause part of the brain that dictates gender to develop oppositely of the physical sex. If you remember my article about gay marriage in Issue 7, you remember the fact about how 10% of animal populations are gay. Gender dysphoria also occurs in animal populations such as rats, mice, dogs, and cats. However, one's sexual preference develops separately of gender dysphoria and gender dysphoria should NOT be confused with homosexuality. Also, it should not be confused with cross dressing or transvestitism.

Second, how does gender dysphoria affect a transsexual? As one might assume, this condition put a lot of stress on the individual. Not only are they confused about why they feel differently about their bodies, but the people around them many times don�t understand what is happening, and are of little help. They may lead secluded and lonely lives. This conflict many times causes the transsexual to commit suicide. In fact, 50% of all transsexuals die by the time they are 30. Although there are many negative effects of gender dysphoria, most transsexuals are �on average two standard deviations in intellect greater than the base population, and one standard deviation higher than those defined as homosexual.� Overall, however, gender dysphoria is a very stressful condition.

Third, how can a transsexual relieve their desire to be the opposite sex? First and foremost, one affected by gender dysphoria should get counseling and talk about it. Sometimes, one may believe they are transsexual but are not. After one has made the decision that they are indeed a transsexual and want to become the other sex, they need to find a compassionate and helpful doctor. Doctors can prescribe those affected with gender dysphoria hormones which will start to change one�s appearance immediately. Some people are happy with just the hormones to change their appearance, but some transsexuals feel the need to go all the way. The most extreme step a transsexual can take is the one of surgery. This will, in effect, change the physical sex of the person to the sex they feel they really are. Though dangerous, many transsexuals feel the need to go through with this to be happy.

The transsexual's plight is one of confusion, loneliness, prejudice, and ignorance. Destined at birth for a difficult life's journey, many find it to difficult to cope and do not survive. There is hope in knowledge. The more accurate information we as a society have for this condition the better we can help those affected achieve what we all deserve, a happy life.-Elizabeth Deanna Morris

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Underage Drinking: The Experiment

In the last issue of the True Revolutionist, staff member Liz Morris explained why underage drinking was wrong. To prove this point, I took it upon my self to perform a social experiment on my friend Liz. I decided to tell her that I had tried drinking alcohol. From listening to her thoughts on this, I drew the obvious conclusion that underage drinking hurts other people.

When I originally came up with the idea for this experiment, I immediately dismissed the idea as being cruel and manipulative. However, when reconsidering the plan, I decided that the hurt caused by this experiment would accurately portray the hurt cause by a person drinking, without any long term consequences. When deciding who the "guinea pig" for this experiment would be, I immediately chose Liz. I chose Liz for three reasons, which include; Liz wouldn't get mad at me, Liz would not be emotionally hurt for a significant amount of time, and most importantly; Liz is strongly opposed to underage drinking. With this in mind, I decided to pull off my first social experiment.

The experiment went, in my mind, very successfully. I accomplished all of my objectives, and accurately replicated the feelings of betrayal and anger cause by someone close to you drinking. This is Liz's reaction to this experiment:

�Everyday after school Chad meets me at my locker and we walk home together. This day, he did not, which struck me as odd. As I walked home I spotted Chad down the sidewalk and caught up with him. Using my usual positive and forgiving attitude, I questioned Chad as to what was up. He was very dismissive, and even started walking to his house instead of mine without telling me. I returned to my house, and was very frustrated. Chad was acting like a stuck-up, bitchy girl and I did not feel that I deserved that attitude. I went up stairs and called my mom to tell her I was home and soon after I hung up with her Chad arrived. "Do you expect me to just let you walk in here without an explanation?" I asked with an angry voice. After a good 15 minutes of pestering he finally told me. Even though I felt like I should be punching Chad, I remained calm and questioned him further. I was really angry at Chad, and he could tell this from my clenched jaw and fists, but I tried very hard not to overreact. I was truly hurt and felt very betrayed that he would do something that I disagreed with so much. I couldn't believe he would do this, since it hurt me.�

We all have people that care about our well being. These people usually want us to make wise choices, believing they know the best for us. A person who cares for another may feel betrayed when the person they care for makes an unwise decision. When you choose to drink underage, you choose to betray every person who doesn't want you to. You probably betray your friends, and most definitely your family. Although this is not the intention of the person drinking, the person drinking is breaking the trust and eroding the relationship away from anyone who does not want them to. This not only hurts the person who disapproves, it hurts the person drinking. Drinking can ruin relationships. An unstable relationship is a very stressful situation that you should definitely avoid. This means that choosing to drink underage is NOT a good way to get back at your parents, it will ONLY worsen the situation and cause MORE stress. Even if you are hiding it, there is a very likely chance that someone who cares will find out. You may believe you have the right to hurt yourself, but you do NOT have the right to hurt anyone else. Underage drinking hurts other people. By choosing to drink underage, you are choosing to hurt others, whether that is your intention or not. -Chad Fox

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower: The Review

�Dear Friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn�t try you sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.� After reading the first sentence of The Perks of Being a Wallflower you immediately want to know who is writing the letter and who it�s for and what they really want. As the letter progresses you find out that Charlie is writing to make himself feel better about past and the up coming event, which is starting high school. The reader never finds out to whom Charlie is writing, all you know is that everything is exactly the same for you.

In the novel Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, reveals the secrets that high school holds, all through Charlie�s letters. It takes you through a wallflower�s homecoming, a newcomer�s first football game, meeting older friends, an outsider�s first cigarette, and everything else that freshman experience. The reader feels as if they can directly relate to Charlie and his ponderings of life. If you�re looking for a book that draws you in and keeps you there The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a perfect and poignant novel.

This is one of those books that make you think. It leaves you wiser and wishing for a friend like Charlie to share your woes and troubles with. If you�re a wallflower (and even if you aren�t) this is a book you need to read. It�s your memoirs as well his.-A.F.Wheeler

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Last name, first name, middle initial, social security number

(Applications of summer 2004; a narrative of work permits, child labor laws and unemployment)

Work permits, child labor laws and unemployment. This is what has been running through my mind for the first three weeks of summer. New responsibilities had been arising on me, and I always hate to ask my parents for money. I don�t want to depend on my parents anymore, and I surely didn�t want to spend the summer in boredom. When the school year was coming to an end I was sure I would be getting a job within the first week of summer. It all seemed pretty easy, get a work permit, fill out an application or two, wait a few days for a call, and you�ve got yourself a job. But it didn�t turn out that way.

First came the work permit. One morning at school, I walked into the office hoping to get a work permit, and walked out of the office discovering that a parent with your birth certificate is what you really need. After nagging my mom for a week to find my birth certificate and stop by the school, I finally got a work permit. But that wasn�t the end of it. In order for the work permit to be complete, a visit to the doctor and the doctor�s signature was also needed. For me, this consisted of being forced to let a stranger poke at me as well as receive the tetanus shot, which I in turn had an allergic reaction to. The easy task of getting a job was becoming increasingly difficult but I hadn�t given up.

Then came the laws. When I finally looked at my work permit, on the back was Section 4 and 12 of the Child Labor Law, Act of May 13, 1915. Federal law says that for ages 14 and 15 a minor may work a maximum of 3 hours on school days, and a maximum of 18 hours per week. A maximum of 8 hours on non school days and a maximum of 40 hours per non school week. As for summer vacation, only eight hours are permitted per day and 40 hours per week. For the school term, minors 14 and 15 years old may not work after 7 pm or before 7 am. During summer vacation only until 9 pm but not before 7 pm.

It was a lot for me to take in, but considering my 16th birthday was in less than three weeks, those laws really did not concern me. My focus was more towards the center of the permit where the hours of employment for minors 16 and 17 years old were stated. At ages 16 and 17, a maximum of eight hours can be worked on any given day with a maximum of 28 hours Monday through Friday plus an additional eight hours on Saturday and an additional eight hours on Sunday and a maximum of 44 hours per week. During summer vacation only a maximum of eight hours a day and 44 hours per week. During the school term at night 16 and 17 year olds can not work past midnight Sunday through Thursday or before 6 am any day. However during the summer there are non limits at night. I didn�t understand how there could be so many laws. How it could be the government�s business to say when and how long we can work was and still is beyond my knowledge.

I finally had my work permit and I had read over the laws. Now all I needed to do was fill out �a few� applications. Fortunately job applications are quite easy. Its always last name, then first name, then middle initial, and then social security number. Usually your address, always phone number, sometimes a part to agree to a background check, and often a place to fill out past job information. Most applications take about 10-20 minutes, and most places require you to be at least 16 years of age. The best piece of common sense is if you truly want that job, make yourself sound like the best person out there. Don�t lie on something they could find out about like your criminal record but if the question �Why do you think you are qualified for this job� occurs make yourself sound like the most amazing person in the world.

As for my �few� applications, I have reached a grand total of ten. Ten and I�m still unemployed. From pet stores, to furnishing stores, to clothing stores, to restaurants, to craft stores, I have tried them all and no luck. The positive side to all of this, after ten job applications I have my social security number firmly memorized and can recite it as easily as my phone number.

And so much for finding a job being an �easy� task, I was wrong about that. Waiting for calls can be a bit depressing and give a feeling of inadequacy, but in the end a part time job can give more independence from parents and free any forms of summer boredom. -Cheryl Hatalla

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Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion

Did you know that for every one percent decrease in the ozone layer, there is a three percent increase in the cancer rate? Think about that for a second. Whether we're driving our cars, or running the air conditioning, or even doing our hair, we may be contributing to air pollution.

First of all the ozone layer is a form of oxygen but in smaller amounts. While normal oxygen molecules have two oxygen atoms, ozone molecules have three. Ozone is hazardous to our health if present in the lower atmosphere, but oddly protects us when located in the upper part. Strong UV rays from the sun are deflected and absorbed in the ozone layer, which is why if it is depleted we will have no protection from the sun. A lot of the ozone's depletion has to do with chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. CFCs are often found in cooling agents like refrigerators and air conditioning (though laws have been passed against using CFCs in such appliances), dry cleaning, and aerosol propellants (that means everything from hairspray, to whip cream).

So do you use hairspray in the morning? Is your air conditioner broken? If so, you may be adding to the depletion of the ozone layer, our only protection from the sun. Ozone depletion isn't going away until we start taking steps to prevent it. At the moment, the existing holes will take over twenty years to repair so if you care at all about your health take action to stop using harmful pollutants to the ozone layer. Don't use vehicles that use a lot of gas, better yet - carpool! Read labels on hair products, especially aerosol cans, for information about environmental protection. If they don't have any it is likely they are harmful to the ozone layer. The same goes for cool whip - use the kind out of the tub, not can.

The main point is to become aware. Know what is going on in the environment and take action to personally protect the ozone from depleting. This is a problem that isn�t going away so no matter how small, don�t contribute to ozone depletion. �A.F. Wheeler

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Music Column

History of the Mosh Pit

If you have been to a show, you know the atmosphere. There�s always bands, loud music, disorderly people, and of course the usual crowd repeatedly throwing themselves against one another despite pain or injuries. These days there�s always the mosh pit. There�s always kids with energy, there�s always kids with aggression, there�s always kids with self expression, there�s always kids who just want to have fun. But was there always the mosh pit? How did it start and was there an exact place and an exact second in time that marked the beginning of the mosh pit?

No one knows the exact place or second in time that the first mosh pit took place. According to many sources, the mosh pit merely evolved out of a dance known as the pogo in the late �70�s with the first generation of punks. The pogo was first a mod dance where one kept his or her arms straight at their side while jumping straight up and down, similar to a pogo stick. When the first punk generation was born, slam dancing was a way for punks to get out aggression, express themselves, or just have a good time.- Cheryl Hatalla

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Dream Interpretaion

About two months ago, I picked up an interesting book that I had purchased a year earlier entitled "The Dictionary of Dreams and Their Meanings" by Richard Craze. There was one segment of the book that I had found most interesting. This little segment was on Cosmic Dreaming, the deepest level of dreaming ever known. I posted the paragraph on cosmic dreaming on my xanga ( http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=cherrydoomotaku89 ) and on my diary at diaryland.com ( http://gcotiku.diaryland.com ) so that everyone would have a chance to know of this extraordinary and astounding level of dreaming which seemed to loom over 1, 2, and 3 level dreams. This was the paragraph I had posted on Cosmic dreaming defining it's meaning:

"On very rare occasions, maybe once in a lifetime only, you may encounter an extremely important and extraordinary dream that is truly awe-inspiring. Cosmic dreams go even further than level-three type dreams. They are ones in which the qualities of the universe itself are the major themes. They are made up of formless shapes and colours, a swirling mass of light and dark and shade with no recognizable objects or identifiable substance. Cosmic dreams are an attempt by the unconscious to make sense of the vastness of the universe and our place within it. The Moscow-born writer and mystic, P.D. Ouspensky (1878-1947) said such dreams 'disclose to us the mysteries of being, show the governing laws of life, and bring us into contact with higher forces'. These dreams have the capacity to change our life."

I had asked anyone who had thought they had experienced this level of dreaming to email me. Lo and behold, my friend, Garrett, had Instant Messaged me the very next day and I asked him if he had ever had a cosmic dream before. "There's only one that comes to mind" he told me, "and ... it was sort of half". Jumping at the opportunity to interpret such a rare dream, the words I typed were "spill it!" He only had time to tell me the first half of the dream at that time, however and it went like this.

"I was sitting in my chair, back turned to my window, suddenly it got really cold and a breeze blew in. I was wearing my blanket and I got up close to the window. I started moving towards it, and the wind blew harder and harder. Snow was flying in my face as I wrapped the blanked tighter around myself. Finally I reached the window, and with my free hand I closed it, and looked out. It was spring again. I turn around and see a hammock. I drop my blanket because now it's warm. I take a seat and look around. There's a table with a plate of steaming waffles and a strawberry daiquiri on it. I grab the plate and look around. There's no utensils. Then a pair is thrust forward from the other side of the hammock. I take the utensils and thank the girl who threw them. We start eating. After awhile, I realize the plate of waffles is still full, and so is my daiquiri. So, I start taking waffles off of the plate and soon there's stacks of waffles reaching the ceiling. The girl looks at me and I at her, and we start laughing hysterically. I grab my daiquiri and turn that over and it starts to pour out, not stopping. We pause, then start laughing again. 'What are you doing' comes a boy's voice. 'I don't know' I reply"

Now, as you probably see, this was not a cosmic dream at all. This was but a level three dream which "transcends the purely personal ... and concerns profound issues such as ... life and death" A bit disappointed, I interpreted that part of the dream and came up with this.

The snow in this dream represents overwhelming emotions. The season winter represents the dreamer's decreasing hopes. The blanket carried and wrapped around the dreamer serves as a shield against these overwhelming emotions and decreasing hopes. The dreamer does not want to succumb to his decreasing hopes, but instead, desired to fight them off. So, he did just that and closed the gate in which these bad feelings were coming through; the window. He decided to start over with a new beginning once the window was closed which is represented by the season of spring. The strawberry in the daiquiri represented his new-found readiness. But, he threw all his readiness away when he started to pour his daiquiri at the sight of the girl coming into the scene. Although he threw away his readiness, it was so bountiful this time that it was never-ending. The girl was trying to stop him from his goal and was trying to trick him into forgetting all about it and trying to cause those decreasing hopes of winter once again. It was then I figured out that the girl was what is known as an archetype (a reoccurring symbol or motif) called the Trickster. The Trickster is a shape shifter who "leads (people) into a merry dance" to make them forget what they were intent on doing. Then, a boy comes in to help this dreamer focus and drives the Trickster away. This is where the level three dream ends.

The very next day, however, he told me the rest of the dream:

"I was sinking in this vastness of daiquiri, when all of a sudden I break through, there�s a fluffy vanilla cloud over head. I just kind of floated there for a little while when the pull intensified. I started flying up and up, through the clouds, when finally I broke through. There was a full, green moon over head, a bright blue star was setting on the horizon, and the planet had a ring of ice. Then a spoon floated up next to me. I keep staring at the star, when it seems like there's a black dot on it, it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Suddenly, it looks like the star is ripped into itself and I'm ripped from my place in the atmosphere and am pulled into the blackness. After awhile, I start seeing these bands of light, running forward. Like, white light rushing forward. Soon they're covering the blackness, and the tunnel, which I would describe it as, is completely white. All of a sudden, there's this huge boom, and I'm released back into space. Ahead of me, are those cosmic clouds. The ones that could hold billions of stars in them, and they're all dust and debris and stars are born from them. And I start flying towards them and that's pretty much the end."

And, yes. THAT was a cosmic dream. I anxiously interpreted it for him during the same conversation.

The blue star that was setting was a symbol of his depressions sinking beyond the horizons; out of his reach. But the green moon overhead represented the decisions that still had to be made though the depressions had sunk. The clouds represented the opportunity that there still was to set things straight. The green, spherical planet overhead represented the harmony that could be achieved if he would set things straight and face his problems. And, as I said, the white clouds said that there's still opportunity to do this. This dreamer kept trying to run away from his problems. When he's pulled into the blackness, he then discovers that he HAS to set things straight, and then the white light rushes towards him. The white light gives him energy to do so and he flies towards the opportunity (the vanilla clouds) and he wakes up knowing that he must set things straight.

On my first try at interpreting dreams, I had discovered that I was very lucky. This dream was a level 3 dream, a cosmic dream, and contained two archetypes. Once it caught wind that I interpreted dreams, more and more dreams came from other people for me to interpret. I am happy to say that I have interpreted all four levels of dreams: levels 1, 2, 3, and Cosmic dreams.

Now, if you have a dream you really want interpreted, I would be more than happy to help you. Just email me at [email protected]

-Virginia K. Handley

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