“The R Word”
Is it Offensive or Are We Too Defensive?
By: Masi Beam

According to the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of the word “retard” is “to slow up, especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment: IMPEDE.”  Many people, ranging from children to adults, use this word with no sense of remorse.  They use this word as if the meaning were “to be unfair” or “to be stupid”.  Little do these people know, when other people who haves someone in their lives who is mentally disabled, they think of them every time someone misuses this word.  Is America uneducated? Or are they just unrepentant?

Not only is the word completely misused, it is grammatically incorrect.  Maybe America is just uneducated, considering they obviously don’t understand its true meaning.  I, personally, questioned others on using this word.  The responses I have gotten are usually similar.  “I didn’t mean it like that.”  If this is true, why don’t we amend our vocabulary?  If the word is offensive and grammatically incorrect, why don’t we use another word?  Maybe it’s because people find it a joke.  Or maybe it is because many people have not been exposed to the pain and hurt mental retardation can cause.  It is a very discriminating and prejudice slur to those who know what it really means.

Over 50 million people in the United States are affected by disabilities, according to Patricia Bauer in “Banish the Word Retard”.  Experts say the lives of even more Americans will be affected by disabilities in the near future.  Disabilities can range from moderate to severe.  No matter how disabled a person is, they, and their family members, will take it seriously and offensively.  According to Paul Moran in “Is the Slang Use of the Word “Retard” or “Retarded” Discriminatory?” about 25% of teenagers do not really understand what the word means.  This could be the root of the problem.

There are many ways we can fix this problem that is occurring in today’s society.  We can encourage the use of other words, such as: that’s a burden, that’s unfair, that’s stupid, that’s uncalled for, that’s not necessary, etc.  We can also try to teach others what mental retardation is, and the effects it has on other people.  We want to stop the abuse of the word “retard” and realize how damaging it can be.

Chic Disaster!
 By: Risha Harmon

Imagine yourself walking down the street, and you walk by a store that has the well lit ‘open’ sign shining bright for the world to see.  But then all the sudden you turn your head in the other direction, and you see somebody wearing those exact same colors of the sign.  What would being going on in your mind?   Well, now so many different people are wearing those bright colors and are bedazzling their clothes to spice up their sense of style.  The bright colors remind us of the light up signs, and those colors are not to be worn like they are being worn right now.  There are many different ways to spice up your style, but it should be done correctly.

In magazines and on runways, you see all the different kinds and types of outfits that all the different models wear, but do you really see everyday kind of people wearing those outfits?  First off, when models wear these neon colors they just ‘model’ the clothes for people to see what they look like.  They usually wear the latest fashion trends.  People tend to see what they are wearing, and then they go out and buy the clothes they like.  Second, the neon colored articles of clothing are sometimes too expensive, and/or are too revealing for some people to wear, mostly because they are usually worn by the runway models.

Some say that the uses of neon colors are a sign of happiness.  Now that economic problems are going on a lot during these times, we all need something to bring our spirits up.  Different people think that wearing neon colors is the solution to that problem.  It might be the answer for some people, but also, a lot think completely otherwise.  Clubs and runways, like I mentioned earlier, have lately been using the bright neon color scene.  Neon colors, in my opinion, remind me of the disco era... because the use of the hair styles that goes along with the bright colors.

Neon colors seem to have a tendency sometimes to hurt your eyes when you directly look at them, or they draw your attention drastically away from something important to your attention.  For example, when you’re trying to focus on some sort of thing that is important to focus all of your attention on, these colors seems to stand out and you tend to turn your head and glance or look hard at them.  So you didn’t have any focus on that something that needed all your attention. Your attention has been drawn away and is now on the bright colors.

There are only certain ways to wear the colors, and not many people can pull it off.  Keeping the bright colors to a minimum is a good thing, and if wearing a bright top, wear some neutral pants to go along with it.  The so called ‘smart and sexy look’ that you get when wearing the bright colors, can be changed in seconds when not worn right and be made to be called the ‘dumb and ugly’ look.

Recession with Teens- The Hardships
By Miranda R. Melvin

Imagine yourself at the age of 18, and having to get up really early to go into your part time job during the summer. It is the only source of income you have, that pays for the car you drive, the food you eat, and the entertainment you do after work. After hastily making it to work, you get prepared to start off your day, when your manager comes up to you and announces that they need to cut a few employees, and unfortunately, you were one of them.

Getting laid off of a job is a common thing with teenagers all over the United States. It’s a terrible thing, which was caused by the lacking of a good economy, that has been once again, introduced to our society. People are getting frustrated with the lack of money, and how the things they were once able to buy is no longer available. Teenagers have to be dependent on having jobs, especially college bound teenagers. Living in a downfall economy can lead up to a rough time further on in their life. This is the effects of the recession, and teenagers all over the United States are being affected in more ways than one! Many don’t take this as a serious matter, simply because teenagers between the age of 17- 21 aren’t seen as adults. They are simply undermined; adults think they should be the ones having to work, not their children. However, with the struggles with money, teenagers are being affected by the recession with college cost, not able to buy food, and remaining immobile at their house because they can’t afford gas.
     
Being a senior in high school, and working a part time job, I know how it feels to need money for things such as gasoline, cell phone bills, and of course, the latest clothing styles. However, with the economy the way it is, and the cost of things, I find it hard to save enough money to help me get through this rough time. Teenagers all over are having a hard time keeping enough money to last them for the month, let alone for college! College students aren’t able to pay for college, and have to take out more loans. Students in high school are finding it harder to drive to and from school every day, and budgets are cutting it close.
          
The recession with the economy isn’t just affecting the teens, but their parents too. Adults have more pressure on them, getting a good paying job, and helping their children make it through school, giving them every thing they can possibly need. If their parents don’t have a good job, they might not be able to afford a school lunch a day or two. Or on a Saturday night, instead of going to a party with their friends, they have to go work, because they are in need of money.
        
Unemployment is happening everywhere; even in the Miami County. It is sad to see people with out jobs, and having to borrow so much money to pay off a rent, or bill, when before they were doing just fine. Teenagers are affected by this, because they have to grow up in these conditions. Nowadays, it is frowned upon if a teenager has a job over a 35 year old adult. Many see it that teenagers are “lucky” to have a paying job. Regardless if they are 18 years old, or 35 years old, you still have to rely on money to get you some where in life. Adults want teenagers to learn the hard ways of earning your money; it’s just unfortunate that our economy is going through a down fall, and there are no jobs left to work at. As a side note to that too, the age for getting a job has been “unofficially” raised. Before, it was easy for a 16 year old to get a job at a retail store. In 2009, teens have to be 18 years old. This wasn’t an official change, because it is not in work guidelines. But with the recession, fewer jobs are willing to have 16 year olds work for them, when there could be adults taking the place. In the fast food industry, the jobs were filled by teenagers as a part time job. Recently, the industry is employing adults, who are unable to get a job.
          
There is really no simply way to stop the horrible economy that we are having. It’s especially hard for those who aren’t able to make such a huge impact just yet. However, teenagers are being placed between a rock and a hard place with the recession.  Being in high school is supposed to be fun, and enjoying the last year of every thing being simple. But with the recent recession in the states, it’s hard to enjoy anything simply when teenagers have so much put on them.

Parenting the Costs..
By: Stevie Nichole Wargo

Parenting… it includes so much, the way you punish your children, love your children, trust your children, and much more.  Parenting is so much responsibility.  What’s the best method of parenting?  I don’t know from personal experience but parenting does not appear to be easy from any standpoint.  If you punish your child you are the bad guy for awhile, but it helps them in the long run.  If you don’t punish your child you are the cool parent, but is it hurting them in the long run?  There are so many different ways to go about parenting it depends a lot on the child and the adult in the situation, but I believe if you are a loving, caring parent who cares about their child, it will all turn out well in the end.

Punishment plays a huge part in parenting.  There are so many different ways to punish your child.  Parents can punish their children verbally, physically, they can use the silence method, ignorance, they can talk about the problem, and they can eliminate activities.  The elimination of activities can range from the eliminating of a cell phone, personnel belongings, activities, sports, and much more.  In most cases punishment varies with age.  Age is a significant variable in punishment in my opinion.  I believe this because there is a massive difference between a five year old and a sixteen year old.  A sixteen year old should no matter what the situation, have a pretty good understanding of right and wrong.  While a five year old is too young to understand a lot of things, some things can be justified by a five year old that should in no way shape or form be justified by a sixteen year old.  I feel the way you punish your kids also shows how much you love them.  They have to learn from their mistakes to help them in the long run.  As sad as it is you will not be there to help them forever, so why not give them a better understanding and make them look back and be glad they had the parents they did.  They will be able to look back when they have kids and think how their parents would have handled the situation they are in with their children, which will be helping them and your grandkids in the long run. 

In a parent child relationship, discussion and communication are key for a successful relationship.  How should people communicate with their kids?  What’s the correct way to establish a point to your kids? Should you be interactive, calm, or should you lecture them?  Or maybe, you should let them control the whole situation and see where it leads.  In past experiences with my parents I do not control much, in our conversations dealing with punishment or consequences.  They give me a chance to say what happened and speak my peace and that’s about it.  Honestly, I think that’s the way it should be though.  If my mom and dad let me help choose my punishment, I know that I wouldn’t learn anything from the situation.  That’s an average teen, of course we don’t want to be punished, although in the back of our minds we know we need it.  And whether I admit it to my parents or not I usually know and understand where they are coming from, and why I am being punished.

How much privacy should a teenager have?  Some parents are carefree about what their child is doing for the simple fact that you think they are an overall good, decent kid.  Then some parents are on their kids twenty-four seven, giving them breathing room only.  I absolutely hate it when my mom and dad are crowding me, and giving me no time for myself to do what I want.  I also hate it when they ask me questions about every move I make, or even consider making.  This is more my mother then my father.  But, if my parents weren’t inquisitive and interested in my life, it would depress me and make me feel as if they didn’t care.  When I go somewhere with someone I expect them to ask where I am going, when I will be home, whose all going, and then give me the “don’t do anything stupid”, or the “if you do screw up tonight and cover it up, you know we will find out about it, maybe not right away but we will”.   Should you always trust that your kids will be doing the right thing?  Honestly, what teenager is flawless, what kids not going to screw up at some point?  The parents that really bother me are the ones who ignore.  If they know their child is up to no good at all, and they don’t question or say anything.  I have friends whose parents just don’t care; they allow them to do whatever they want whenever they want, regardless of responsibility.  I think the best way is to have trust with your child, but you can not allow a teenager to be doing what they want all the time, and trust that something bad is not going to happen.    

Do you let your child make all their decisions?  Decision making as a child should involve the parent and the child.  It should bring you together.  Even simple things like scheduling classes or going places should be discussed by the parent and the child.  I believe that you will have a closer relationship if you can understand where the other is coming from.  Take a second and see where the other stands, try to understand what their saying.  If that still isn’t working for you, that’s when you bargain.  No child should be surfing through their teenage years alone.  We need guidance, and whether we will admit it or not we need help.  At least for me I know I get overwhelmed constantly about school, homework, my friends, anything.  Being a teenager is so much fun, but at the same time it can be hard to get through.  The last thing we want is to go through it all alone. 

Ask more.  Show that you care and want to know how their doing.  Parents give your kids some freedom, but punish them if they need it.  At the end of the day no matter what, you will love your child and they will love you back.  Everything will work out for the best.   Don’t get frustrated parents because I assure you, we don’t know everything and we do love you.  These are our teenage years, and we need you more now then ever.  So please, coming from a fellow teen, punish us now to help us later.  We might hate you today, but we will love you tomorrow.  Kids will be kids, but we need our parents to be parents.

Goodbye OGT
By: Brittany Green

Every high school student in Ohio has to pass the Ohio Graduations Tests (OGT) in order to graduate. That’s its only purpose. The OGT tests students’ knowledge and determines if one has what it takes to graduate. Alternatively, taking the ACT acquire ones level for college. Governor Ted Strickland approves of the ACT being replaced for the OGT. He believes that taking the ACT during school will encourage young adults to take the test and further their carriers. This is more efficient than the OGT.

The OGT started in spring 2005 and has been active ever since. Every student has to pass all five sections of the OGT to be able to graduate high school. Although, what if the testing didn’t have to just be for graduating high school, but gives anyone a better possibility to enter into the college they crave. The ACT simply tests ones intelligence and generates opportunities for anyone. This could hearten children to pursue their future in good manner.

Most students consider the OGT straightforward. They pass it with no problem the first time. Furthermore, instead of students of Ohio graduating from a test proclaimed as “easy”; have them take the ACT. It will give ones child a better change to attend college and benefit them for future upbringings. Though the ACT proves excellent for the parents as well, it can convey their student with scholarships, if they do well. As beneficial as the OGT can be, it’s only complimentary for high school. The ACT can prove ones ability far beyond that. As a result, replace the OGT with the ACT. It’s a better-quality for everyone.

Seniors or Slaves?
 By: Kelsey Bates

Think back to when you were in high school and all of the responsibilities and extracurricular activities you did.

Today, high school seniors are being made to do community service in order to graduate. I am a high school senior, and at our high school it is only mandatory to do ten hours of community service, but in other states you are to do anywhere from 40 to 75. I, myself, barely have time to eat, let alone do 40 or 75 hours of community service. Kids have multiple things they need to get done their senior year and go through a lot with sports, school work, having a job, college applications and many other extra curricular activities.

At schools that have the National Honors Society, it is mandatory for them to do community service in order to be in it. I think that the state, superintendents and the principals should only make it mandatory to do community service. I don’t think that they should make it mandatory for everyone that is a senior. President Barack Obama is developing a plan where it is mandatory that middle school and high school students complete 50 hours of community service and college students complete 100 hours for every year they attend (Watson ). I do not think that making middle school kids do 50 hours of community service is a good idea. Let kids be kids, we need to stop making kids grow up so fast. We are trying to make 12 and 13 year olds act like an adult, when they are still figuring out how to be a kid. Yes they are teenagers but that doesn’t mean we should put all that responsibility on them as young as they are.

I’m not trying to say, “It’s bad to help the community”, because that is the farthest thing from the truth. I think if seniors are going to do community service they should volunteer to do it, not stress about graduating because they haven’t got it done. Yet, I do agree that it would look nice on your college application, but not all high school seniors plan on going to college. There are many kids out there that do community service just because they like to volunteer. If that is the case, then have them write down what they did in their college application, no go through the hassle of turning it into the school so they can count it for them to graduate. I just don’t see the point in making community service mandatory seeing how half the kids will lie about doing it anyways, or somehow get around it. Let alone putting a number of hours they have to do on top of that. So the answer is up to you, do you think high school seniors should have to do mandatory community service in order to graduate?

Overdoing Farm Regulations
By: Ashley Owen

When a person thinks of the Humane Society, they probably think of a good willed organization and that there goal is to provide rights for all animals. Most would associate the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), with animal shelters or pet adoption facility.

However; I am sorry to say that this is not what the HSUS is about. The “Humane Society” sounds like a good organization but really that is only the name. The HSUS doesn’t operate a single pet adoption facility or animal shelter anywhere. This organization is a rich animal rights organization and it is also the largest and wealthiest in the world. This organization has some of the same ideas and goals as another organization known as PETA and other radical groups.

In November, in California a ballot was approved; this ballot was called “Proposition 2,” Proposition 2 was promoted by the HSUS. This ballot requires that calves rose for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs must at all times have the ability to lie down, stand-up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely. When this proposition takes affect, in California alone, it will almost completely wipe-out and will effect 95% of the states, egg production. Proposition 2 will force California’s caged and cage-free producers to shut-down. This will cost almost 5,000 jobs and even more than $600 million in California’s economic activity.   

 Now I know that what this proposition includes sounds very reasonable, but the way farms were before this law was passed, the animals could do all of the previously listed things except some may not have been able to turn around freely, but there were reasons for this. I show swine and help out with the giving birth of pigs and thus raising the piglets. When the sows, mother pigs, are giving birth the sows are put in to small pins, and are restricted to the middle of the crate. This may sound cruel but there is reason behind this madness. The sows are put in these tiny areas to protect there babies, the mother are unable to move around because if they could roam then the mother would sit or lay down on their piglets, thus leading to a large decrease in the pork industry.

I do believe that animals should have rights, but proposition 2 is incorrect. It has many things that sound good on paper but when really thought through it is an overall negative affect on the community. Since the Humane Society’s victory in California, they are trying to pass Proposition 2 in other states. If this law does spread throughout the country there will be a direct affect on not only the farmers but also the everyday citizens. The buying of meats and or meat made products will become much more expensive since the number of animals will decrease drastically. Many farmers will have a much lower profit and some may even lose there farms, this will also have a direct affect on the workers for those farms and others who may have a career in an animal industry. We need to stop this bill from being spread throughout the rest of the country or else everyone, even you, will pay.