November 4, 2004 -Vol. 34 Issue 4
Editorial: Voting affects lives
By Haley Barton, senior
for the Editorial Board
With the bond issue upon us, it is more important than ever to get out
and vote. However, many people think that their vote does not matter. But,
imagine if everyone felt that way – we would never elect a president!
There have been many, many elections – not just on a local level – that
have been decided by less than 100 votes. So thinking that one vote does
not count could not be farther from the truth.
Many feel that when it comes down to it, all the candidates are the same,
and that they should not bother voting. These people should remember that
the winning president-elect may have an enormous impact on everyone’s
future, not just for four years, but for 40 years. How? Because with each
new president that is elected, there is a chance that a United States Supreme
Court Justice will retire. The president alone has the power to nominate
a new Justice. Supreme Court Justices hold office for life. While Congress
and the President may pass laws and veto bills, ultimately it is the Supreme
Court that interprets the Constitution and laws and consequently determines
how each American will live his or her life.
Cartoon by Haley Terflinger
Without minimizing the importance of the presidential election, it is also
important to vote in the state and local elections as well. Do people complain
about the policies of their children’s school? If so, they should ask
themselves, “Did I vote for the members of our school board? Do I even
know the members of the school board?” Change starts at a grass roots
level whether people live on a farm or in the inner city, and all change
starts by electing people to implement change, whether it is a mayor or a
president.
Remember, too, when people are unhappy with the condition of the town’s
roads or the state’s tax rate, being involved, voting for and knowing
the elected officials will enable the people to voice the complaints to the
appropriate representatives. The people voted for these officials, and they
work for the people.
Some other useless reasons for not voting are that the polls are too crowded,
or they cannot get there on time, or they do not have transportation. There
are many organizations that volunteer their time to ensure everyone’s
right to vote. If they need a ride, they can call the League of Women Voters.
If they know they cannot get to the polls on time, they can request an absentee
ballot. What could be easier than voting by mail?
Whether the excuse is apathy or laziness, voting has become a privilege that
far too many Americans take for granted. The next time they neglect to vote,
citizens should ask themselves how they would feel if they did not have a
choice – to elect a president, or choose a job, or decide how many
children to have. There are many countries where a person does not have a
choice and surely those citizens with no choice in their government would
gladly change places with Americans for the fundamental privilege of voting.
Underclassmen are mature
enough to vote (Pro)
By Melany Megenity, sophomore
Reporter
One of these days, we underclassmen are going to be greatly
affected by choices that our elders have made and we had no say in. For this
reason, I feel that underclassmen should have the right to vote.
With underclassmen being able to vote, the outcome of an election could result
in a situation that all citizens could benefit from. If a president we were
not able to vote for makes a choice for us now that may adversely affect
our futures, it leaves many of us feeling helpless.
Decisions made without the current high schoolers input or thoughts could
affect our job choices or our rights as we get older. We would have had no
part in that decision, and yet we would have to deal with the consequences
and changes.
I do not like it when people make decisions for me because I am an independent
person, and I feel that I am responsible enough to make the right decisions
for myself in my own ways. Not being allowed to vote is like being told
that I can not make my own decisions.
In
many situations, there are younger students or people in the population
that are mature enough to vote. Some people who are 18 or older are not
much more mature than the ones under the age of 18. Some people believe
that young
adults do not pay attention to or do not know what is going on in the
world, but this is not always true.
The majority of the time, my parents are telling me that I need to act
more like my age and a little more mature. I think that if I had the
opportunity
to vote and to have a say in more important and mature things, then I would
mature a little easier and faster. I believe that I would appear more mature
than people see me now. Many other underclassmen feel the same way.
Important decisions usually affect everyone, not just adults. In some way,
these decisions affect more people than usually have a say in them. In
certain cases, some of the decisions that are made by adults do affect
the younger
people and the upcoming adults for our future in so many life-changing
ways. Allowing any and all highschoolers to vote would not be a big burden
to the
voting system. In fact, this could maybe even be a major benefit to the
American society and its future adult citizens.
Eighteen
is logical age for cutoff point (Con)
By Shawna Dawson, senior
Reporter
Voting is a coming of age right for American
citizens. For years now, eighteen has been the minimum age for voting
and I believe it should stay this way.
I think that eighteen is a logical cut off point for citizens to vote.
A minimum age should exist, because otherwise politicians and citizens
would keep trying to push the age lower and lower.
Most eighteen year-olds are mature enough to make the right decisions and
voting is one of them. When students become seniors their eyes open up
and they realize that the future is in their hands.
I
also think that our parents should let us make our own decisions. This
freedom can help teens prepare for the real world, instead of
having to
depend upon the parents to make decisions for them and having to
constantly call on the parents for help. American youth needs to learn
to depend
on themselves as they mature throughout their lives. Voting is
one way to
exercise this.
Being eighteen means that most young adults are getting ready to leave
home and start a real job or go off to college. They are becoming more
aware of the responsibilities that students will have in the real world.
Many are learning to take care of themselves and to hold a full time
job. We begin to realize that we will have to pay the bills like our
parents
soon. That is why I think that we should be able to vote so we can try
to make good decisions in our lives.
If we make mistakes, we need to learn from them instead of keeping
people from going out and experiencing life. This knowledge is
gained through
several mistakes as the years go by, so it takes a while for students
to realize how much of an impact one decision may have. Most older
students have already learned this. They do not realize the importance
of voting
to elect leaders that may change everyone’s lives for years
to come.
As they grow older, the American youth becomes more aware of the issues
in the world. They may pay more attention to politics. As students begin
to realize what is going on in the world, they become more capable of
looking around at their surroundings and making an educated decision
on whom to
vote for.
Review: Strong
stomachs required for film
By Haley Huffman, sophomore
Cartoonist
In a quick, new sequel to last October’s Saw, the Jigsaw
Killer strikes again. Released in theaters on October 28, Saw II portrays
a slightly different aspect to the game, but still retains its reputation
of blood and gore.
For those who have watched the previous film, they already know the killer’s
identity and methods of his psychotic games, which make it difficult to retain
their curiosity. However, the directors have still managed to craft an equally
profound and compelling mystery. It may not seem evident until halfway through,
but neither did the first Saw movie. By being a horror movie, it cannot reveal
all its secrets during the first act and should not anyway.
A variety of people are trapped in a house, which leads to conflict. Each person
has a task and each of them have a connection to those they are trapped with.
Aspects of the Saw II plot are intertwined with the original film.
Viewers do not learn all aspects of everyone’s background, because some
facts are irrelavent. The film leaves the specifics up to the viewers’ imagination.
The first Saw movie had me completely fooled, as I never would have guessed the
right killer. This second movie kept me guessing even more. It has more twists,
and by more twists I mean more chances to be wrong.
This movie is not more violent than the first; it just has more graphic tasks.
The sequel still sends out the same message about humanity as the first film.
What Jigsaw ultimately asks of the detective is so simple and so utterly tragic
that he cannot do it.
Those who can meet age requirements and have tough enough stomachs should go
see Saw II. However, they should prepare themselves for the graphic nature of
this film.
Cub Voices
Do you think high schoolers are informed enough to make
good decisions?
 Deron Owens, fr., “I guess so, because I think school prepares us for those types of things.” |
 Nick Crepinsek, so., “They can make decisions on staying in school, but less on safety. Other than that, yes. I make good decisions because of school.” |
|
 Natasha Thompson, sr., “Personally, I think it depends on the decisions that they are making.” |
|
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