As the school year comes to an end, many frantic juniors worry about the upcoming school year which brings the pressures of college applications, SATs, GPAs, and much more. Obviously, the major focus of the junior class is the work load of senior year and getting into college.

Although senior year is supposed to be the best, the juniors have also decided that it will bring a much larger work load. Junior Caroline M. said that senior year “will be hard as well and I will need to continue working. It’s no time to give up.” However, some students feel like the work load will be about the same. Louise S. commented that “I think it will be stressful, but on the other hand I don’t think I will be as anxious because I will know what colleges I’m applying to and things will start piecing together.” When some juniors were asked about their feelings going into this “year of stress”, the statements varied from “I WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE” to “I’m really looking forward to it!”

Many juniors have already started their college search and are fairly certain where they will be applying. Junior Louise S. said she is looking at “University of South Carolina, UGA and College of Charleston. They are still in the south but far enough away from home. They just fit what I’m really looking for in a college.” On the other hand, Junior Caroline M. said that “I’m not sure where I want to go yet but I have some ideas. I definitely want a school in the South. I’m looking at Alabama, SMU, University of South Carolina, and Charleston.” On the other hand, Junior Emily S. is interested in a completely different region, “I’m looking at schools mostly in New England and then a couple in other places around the country like Texas and California.”

Looking back on their high school career, these juniors have a lot of tips for the incoming freshman. As Junior Louise S. put it, “Every grade counts! Even though you are a freshman do your best because it will affect your overall GPA in the long run.” However, Junior Emily S. added that “if you feel like Freshmen year was not your best, don’t freak out because if you keep pulling your grades up, that effort and steady progression will show well on your transcript.”

Clearly these students are very anxious to get into senior year and following that, college. Junior Caroline M. seemed very relieved to be getting out of junior year, saying that “It was a big jump from sophomore year and there is a lot more work and less time because we have no studies.” Nevertheless, these students are ready to take the final leap in their high school career and take lead of the school as seniors.

By Megan Masters

Have you ever wondered who makes your clothes? Sure, everyone is familiar with brands, logos, and stores, but where do the clothes really come from and who actually makes them? For about a week, the Global Issues class investigated several popular brands and stores, and it was surprising and sad to hear about the conditions of the factories in which some of our favorite clothes were being made. Sweatshops are factories where workers are forced to work for long hours in poor working conditions with little to almost no pay. Picture this: a recent event occurred where workers at a Chinese factory, who were making Disney Channel toys, were forced to work for 28 days a month, 15 hours a day. These workers lived in filthy conditions and were exposed to dangerous toxins. For 32 cents (2.5 yuan) an hour, minus 5 yuan for bathroom breaks and 10 yuan for refusal to work overtime, the workers were making close to nothing. Americans are surrounded by all sorts of things that are made in sweatshops, such as clothes, tennis shoes, sporting goods etc; but the idea of sweatshops isn’t what usually crosses someone’s mind while they are shopping. When asked about whether she thinks about where things are made while purchasing them, Sophomore Taylor W. said: “No not really. I just buy them.”  While it seems ridiculous that people in the world, the U.S. included, would have to work under these conditions, it’s something that companies do in order to make large profits. Less pay and harsh environments mean less money for maintenance and more money to put in the bank. Companies are looking for the cheapest and easiest way to make a profit. Because people do not think about these things before purchasing clothes, there is not enough support to put an end to these sweatshops.

The time has come when most of the senior class has stopped focusing on how their résumé should look and started focusing on how their dorm room should look. We are in the final stretch…the last inning…and we can almost count the number of days we have left on our fingers. However, many seniors have still not figured out exactly where they are going to go to college yet, and after applying to as many as 17 different schools, some seniors are still having a very tough time.

I, personally, do not like to make decisions, so when I found a college I liked, I dove right in, applying Early Decision. That way I would [hopefully] know where I was going by Christmas, and would not have to spend my final semester in high school listing out the pros and cons of numerous universities. Am I still nervous though? You bet…and there’s still a little part of me who wishes I had gone Regular and seen where I could get in. What if W&M is not right for me…and I’d be much better off at Tulane or UCLA? Luckily, though, these fears are not insurmountable, and if I hate it, which I really don’t think I will, I can always transfer.

(However, I was not the only senior who went ED. I am in the company of three other successfully-admitted ED seniors (Victoria M., Catye C. and Kathryn S.), who have known where they’re going for a long time, and can only change their mind under penalty of a very strenuous court battle.)

The thirty-nine members of the senior class applied to a wide range of colleges (from one to seventeen) in all the possible ways (ED, Early Action and Regular). A number of seniors applied to only a few colleges. Emma B., Emily S. and Laura G. thought they should have applied to more colleges, but Caroline D. thought she should have applied to fewer, and only had one application go all the way through, withdrawing the other two after her first acceptance. As Caroline put it, it was “the easiest decision I ever made. I loved the program and I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I got in, I said yes.” While the most stressful part for Caroline was waiting for an acceptance letter, Emma B. has been stressed out by trying to choose which college she will be attending come August. She said, “someone will ask me where I’m going and I’ll freak out, because I have to choose in less than a month.” As Emma B., who applied to three colleges, warns, “listen to people who tell you to apply to more colleges.” However, Emma L., who applied to 17, contrasts this by saying, “don’t apply to too many colleges, it makes it a lot harder when the time to choose comes around.” While both Emmas still have not chosen their college, the other three have, and all of them agreed that choosing their college was not stressful. For Emily, she will be attending the same college her sister recently graduated from, and has visited enough in the past to know that it’s the college for her. “LSU is my life, pretty much,” explains Laura. Having a father who attended LSU, Laura has grown up knowing that that is where she would be going to college.

Both Ayanna H. and Alex G. applied to five colleges, but while Alex applied to all five Regular Decision, Ayanna applied to two of her colleges Early Action. Alex applied Regular “because I wasn’t positive about what schools I wanted to go to or apply to,” and applying Regular “gave me time to research the different colleges.” Ayanna, who, like Caroline, says the hardest part was waiting, applied EA because she “wanted to know sooner, but choosing was not difficult, because she “got into [her] first choice school.” Alex had trouble choosing where to apply due to location, whether to stay in Louisiana or go to New York, but is happy with the decision she made.

There were also many girls who applied to more than five colleges, such as Kathryn S., Betsy M., and Hilary S., who applied to 7, 8 and 10 respectively. Kathryn, who applied Early Decision and was accepted, said she was glad with the way she applied, because “it was perfect.” Betsy, who also said that waiting was the hardest part, applied with a mix of EA and Regular, said the only reason she applied Regular to some schools was because they did not offer the EA choice (which is non-binding). However, she still filled all the applications out to meet the EA deadline, because it made it “less stressful later in the semester.” Alex echoes this sentiment, saying she “wishes I would’ve started applying earlier.”

No matter how you decide to apply, rest assured that you will easily be able to find at least one college that you feel at home at, and then you can spend May and the rest of your summer deciding on your room décor. As for me, I still need to find a bedspread that doesn’t clash with my roommate’s.

Colleges the seniors are attending:

University of Mississippi, Columbia College of Chicago, Washington University, Louisiana State University, Hendrix College, University of the South (Sewanee), Tulane University, College of William and Mar, Claremont McKenna College, University of the Redlands-Johnston Center for Integrated Studies, Howard University, Vanderbilt University, University of Alabama, Lehigh University, Bryn Mawr College, Emory University, Colorado College, Trinity College, University of Southern Mississippi, University of San Francisco, University of Arizona, Goucher College

“Your last semester is how people are going to remember you…make sure you’re happy with the impression you’re giving.” The Class of 2008 has heard these words of warning numerous times, so are they happy with the legacy they’re leaving behind, or are they even sure how people perceive them?

“Out of control (in the good way),” “crazy,” “involved,” “enthusiastic,” “loud,” and “amazing” is how the members of the senior class describe themselves. While many people might remember specifics about the last semester, as Katherine K. notes, most classes don’t change that much personality wise, so you’re actually remembering all four years. However, Betsy M. and Adele H. agreed that there is more to each student than their last semester, especially since the girls of 2008 have had a very full four years! Rachel B. adds, “I mean people have been noticing our class as special since freshmen year so I find it hard to believe that one semester will be how we are remembered.”

Overall, the senior class is proud with what they have accomplished, both together and individually, and none of them would change a thing…even if they had the worst second-semester senioritis remembered.

On a Saturday night, a girl goes out, and has too much to drink, ending the night lying on the street next to her own vomit.  She later learns that people (and maybe news crews) were taking pictures of her, until her friends chased them off.  No, its not a scene from a movie like “Thirteen,” it happened this year…after Endymion, on Bourbon Street.

In the GNOA, any person who has grown up or has even lived for only a year or two, knows that, especially around Mardi Gras, it is a raucous place full of drinking and late-night partying.  It can only be assumed that most teenagers are participating in the same activities as the twenty-one and up crowd, which is why McGehee has continued to bring in the Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) speakers to try to dissuade students from drinking and using drugs during parades.  But how well do these presentations actually work?

            We interviewed 49 Upper school students before the FCD people came, and found that 56 percent of those who drink started at age 14 (only eight percent do not drink and two drink, but very rarely).  However, the survey also contradicted what seem, to any teenager, to be the common misconceptions about underage drinking.  Only 9 out of 39 drink to get drunk, while most only drink to get a buzz or tipsy.  However, although many continue to get drunk, due to over drinking, many agreed with one girl, who stated, “I know where my limit is now, and I know that not all drinking reaches the same result. I guess…that those are the bad examples of drinking and I now know how to do it properly.”  After one girl “missed out on an event that meant a lot to a friend because I couldn’t even stand,” she has “definitely stopped drinking as much; I monitor what I drink and how much.”

Even at Mardi Gras, many said they would be drinking less, because they need to be more aware of their surroundings, and be available to help out any friends who get themselves into messy situations.  Although 62 percent admitted to having gotten themselves into an unpleasant situation, it was usually only from over drinking and getting sick, or just something that could be awkward when sobered up.  Only two of the thirty admitted to getting themselves into bad situations multiple times.  A group of girls who got sick at a friend’s house, and then caught by the dad, even had to resort to blaming “food poisoning” for their alcohol-induced pyrotechnics.  But it doesn’t stop there.  One girl had two friends who drank too much at a birthday party and ended up having to be rushed to the hospital with alcohol poisoning, where one ended up getting her stomach pumped. 

Although one girl said that she “doesn’t plan on getting so drunk that I will pass out somewhere sketchy; if I did get to that state I know my friends would take care of me.”  While this is a good plan, sometimes friends can not always be there, or will be too late.  One girl remembered a story about a friend who “got really drunk with this guy, who was also really drunk, and he thought that she had given him the okay to have sex with her.  She didn’t realize till the next morning what had happened, because her motor skills were impaired and she couldn’t say no.”  Also in busy places such as St. Charles during Mardi Gras, it is hard to keep track of every last friend who has had a little to much to drink.  For example, “this Mardi Gras, two people got really drunk and wandered off and we all panicked and went looking for them.  When we finally found them, one was hooking up with her ex-boyfriend and the other, who has a boyfriend, was hooking up with a random guy. The one with the ex-boyfriend got really sick that night and doesn’t even remember seeing him, but I’m pretty sure the other girl remembers the night, and hasn’t told her boyfriend about it.”  (*Editors note, the girl did tell her boyfriend later, and luckily, all is fine—but that might not be the case for every couple all the time.)

            But why do teens drink at Mardi Gras, when they have heard all the FCD horror stories?  And for that matter, why do they even begin drinking at all?  One girl said, “as generic as this may sound, I like the feeling, it’s something different and something that I don’t do that often, so when I do drink, it feels kind of great.”  Almost half said it was because they thought it looked like fun and wanted to see the effects for themselves.  No one can deny that high school is one of the most awkward times a person goes through, and many people turn to alcohol to make themselves more comfortable with the people around them, allowing them to have more fun.  In fact, all agreed that the main reason for drinking at Mardi Gras is to make it more fun and exciting.  As one girl added, “even with all the bad things that happen, there are more fun drunk nights than bad drunk nights all in all, so I think the good times just outweigh the bad times.” 

So that’s where FCD comes in, using people who have been there, done that and gotten the T-shirt to warn and educate girls about the dangers of drinking and drugging.  So after the presentations this year, I interviewed Connie and Dave, who became users in 9^th and 7^th grade, respectively.  Although Connie started at an early age, she continued in order to “enjoy the good times and deal with the hard times life presents,” much like girls during Mardi Gras and high school.  However, when she finally realized it was a problem, her “cravings both mentally and physically for chemical highs was stronger than my will power to stop.  For the next 7 years I tried many times to stop on my own but always found myself giving up and drinking.”  Dave, a “functional drug addict,” was addicted for a long time before realizing that “drugs had gotten in the way of what I truly wanted and were slowing me down.”  He, in agreement with Connie, adds, “The trouble is I was so connected to the drug feelings that I could not resist the craving to stop. I was addicted. I needed a lot of help and still do to stay away from drugs and alcohol.”  Although many people drink to make them happier and more carefree, Connie warned, “a big part of my abusive drinking and drug use caused me to worry about far more things than a normal person worries about and even though I don’t use drugs or alcohol anymore at all my brain still worries and I suffer panic attacks and depression.”

            Connie and Dave stressed that teen drinking could not be blamed on the city, because, according to Dave, “I have traveled all over the world for FCD and it’s funny, almost everywhere in the world people think [that] it is normal…for a significant number of teens to get drunk or high the same thing about their community, just for different reasons.”  So whether we blame it on Bourbon Street or Mardi Gras, Connie says, “New Orleans, like most other places in the modern world, has accepted teenage drinking as “normal” or “likely” only after the surge in media advertisements for tobacco and alcohol geared toward young people in the past 40 years.” 

            While both expressed hope that drinking would soon become “old school,” Dave admitted that “it is going to take a major shift in consciousness from…the younger generation .”  Connie said that young people need to demonstrate “that they will not conform to the media’s idea of them and if they choose to consume alcohol then they should do it with self respect and responsibility,” because “If drunks stood out as unusual or not the norm, we’d all have more fun…guaranteed!”  Dave said that, more importantly, the shift needed to occur with people feeling comfortable with themselves in all situations, and getting to know themselves first, instead of getting to know an altered form of themselves.  He adds, “Have a long, lasting relationship with the true you.”

The change that Dave and Connie expressed hope for might not be too far away, because although many teens do drink, there are plenty who wait.  So how is it for these girls who have chosen to wait until they are twenty-one, or at least out of high school?  One senior who has chosen not to drink in high school, and will probably not drink in college either, says she does so because “she has better things to do, that I want to remember.”  Although she doesn’t drink, she understands that many teenagers drink, and still goes out with her drinker friends and has fun with them.  However, she says her amount of fun “depends on how drunk they are.  If I have to take care of them, it’s not fun.”  She adds, “when they are not over the top it’s fun, because they match my natural crazy level.”  Drinking among her friends does affect her sometimes, because “it just makes people not want to hang out with me, because they feel guilty drinking in front of me, but it really doesn’t bother me.  They avoid hanging out with me, because they think it will make it awkward, but it’s just annoying that they don’t understand that I don’t care and just want to hang out with them.”  She says she has felt pressure to drink in order to “feel more included,” but, luckily, her “willpower’s strong enough, and my friends don’t pressure me, so the pressure is so minute, it doesn’t even matter.”  She said the main way she resists any pressure she might experience is by “knowing that I can still have fun, and being self-assured that I can make the best out of any situation, no matter what I’m doing.  I know I don’t need to do anything extra to have fun, I can just be myself!”  However, another non-drinking girl is not so accommodating of her friends’ drinking.  She personally chose not to drink because “I have seen the way my friends act when they are drunk and I don’t want to act like that. Also I like to think I can have fun without drinking,” adding, “I used to have fun when they did but recently it has been becoming more aggravating because they know that I will always be sober and they sometimes take advantage of that and expect me to drive or take care of them when they get overly drunk.”  While the first girl said that her friends’ moderate drinking could make their time out a little more entertaining, the second girl disagreed: “sometimes [their drinking] puts me in a bad mood and ruins my fun because I have to take care of them.” 

So to those of you who chose to wait: Congratulations!  For those of you who do drink: it’s not too late to take a break until year older.  And for those of you who, for whatever reason, are going to continue to drink: as cliché as it might sound, be careful, and be sure to not take your always-Sober Sally for granted!

You hear it announced almost every Tuesday at assembly, Ms. Pigman and Ms. Thompson standing awkwardly at the podium, recognizing the six varsity and ten JV members of the McGehee Mock Trial team.   

“Mock Trial won state,” says Ms. Pigman one week.    

“We won regionals,” says Ms. Thompson another week, “but more importantly we beat Jesuit.”     

And most recently even Ms. Powers and Ms. Wargo have come forth to lend their praises.   

“So far as we know we are the first all girl team to make it to the national competition,” they say, forcing all members to stand, shy and a little hesitant in front of their peers.  Obviously, the team was not so bashful in front of the Mock Trial judges at state or regionals.   

Everyone claps, as they would for volleyball, swimming, soccer or even the random announcement of a fifth grade bake sale.  But do we truly know what the Mock Trial team is all about?  The time consuming cases?  The practice?  The sweat?  Certainly, Mock Trial does not involve nylon volleyball nets or short shorts.  

“Mock trial is basically like a debate team,” said varsity member, junior Stella R.  “We’re given a case by the state and we have to pretend to be lawyers and witnesses.”  

While “pretending” seems to be a rather elementary sport for all of us, there is nothing elementary in spending nearly five or more hours a week on a single case, memorizing affidavits, dividing up the roles of lawyer and witness, practicing direct and cross examinations or simply teaching new members the rules of the game.  

“It’s an extracurricular that allows people interested in law to learn through firsthand experience how our legal system works,” said Varsity member, senior Betsy M.  “It requires students to the learn rules of evidence, courtroom procedure, etcetera and gives them a chance to compete against other schools in order to teach them how to best argue a set of facts in the form of a case.”  

“It’s kind of like a courtroom drama where we’re the actors,” added Stella, who has actively participated on the team since ninth grade.  “You have to be the best at really embracing the character.” 

Stella, who won best witness distinction at regionals 2a, obviously has little trouble acting.     

“It’s more than just knowing your facts,” she said, “you have to become the character.”  In order to truly embody her character as a witness at regionals, Stella adopted a Scottish accent.   

“[Judges] score witnesses based on how convincingly they answer their questions, how they handle the pressure on cross [examinations] and how much they fit into the character of the witness,” said Betsy, who has also received the best witness distinction.   

Despite the enormous time commitment and work (“say goodbye to any social life,” said Stella), Mock Trial is an experience that most of the members agree will help them later on in life.     

“It requires you to think on your feet and it’s really all about how well you can argue a bunch of facts within certain restrictions set forth by law,” said Betsy.  “It’s kind of like a puzzle.”  

Many of us have trucked out to the Pontchartrain Center to cheer for the Hawks, painted red and grey, dominating the volleyball court.  We do not, however, find ourselves cheering in the courtroom.     

With the nationals fast approaching, and a new case on its way, we, at the least, should join Ms. Powers and Ms. Wargo in commending the efforts of Mock Trial.   

“Watching the girls at Mock Trial always is an awe-inspiring experience,” said Ms. Wargo.  “I am amazed at the way they can think on their feet and speak articulately on the spot.  They know the law, and they have become increasingly comfortable applying it.”  

“When it all comes down to it,” Stella referenced fellow varsity Mock Trial team member, Eleanor O’Q, “we’re a bunch of teenagers dressed up in our mothers’ clothes, arguing about a blueberry pie.”   

A history teacher with a passion for Star Wars, a flamboyant Spanish teacher, and a chipper librarian were the three candidates who nominated themselves to take on the role of Head of Upper School next school year. Knowing they were “running” for the title, they quickly became the talk of all girls in the Upper School. Girls discussed their likes and dislikes of the three, and tough, perhaps intimidating, interviews took place. And although each of them would have been a lovely choice, our down-to-earth librarian Ms. Jolayne Gotzkowsky was chosen for the job.            Through the years Upper School McGehee girls have not always been easy to please. Bright, cheerful, and upbeat, Upper School girls are not afraid to voice their opinions in times of good and bad. “Did you hear who’s running!?” That was the question discussion in the halls constantly buzzed around. It was as if there was a big election of “Who was most like Ms. Wargo?” occurring right in the heart of the school. Students were indeed looking at the candidates and comparing them to who was most like Ms. Wargo. To some Ms. Wargo leaving McGehee seemed like the end of the world. Junior Remy Robert commented, “At first, I was afraid that everything would fall apart without Ms. Wargo- I firmly believe that she’s the only thing that makes sense here.”The nominations were taken into account, interviews took place, and in a matter of weeks the new Upper School Head became Jolayne Gotzkowsky. So why was Ms. Gotzkowsky, Ms. G, J.G., picked for the role? Junior class president, Remy Robert says, “I trust that she will be supportive but firm, just like Ms. Wargo. Ms. G has a great relationship with the students but she won’t let it go too far – she knows when she needs to step in and enforce the rules.”However, although Ms. Gotzkowsky possesses qualities very similar to those of Ms. Wargo there are still some skeptical opinions on having a new Upper School Head other than Ms. Wargo. Junior Laura Gregorio said, “When I was initially thinking about Ms. Wargo leaving and who was going to take her place I was picturing another Ms. Wargo taking her place. Someone who knew a lot about our school and even if they were from the outside somehow knew all of the things that Ms. Wargo knew about like how to run Nativity, May Day and Graduation.” May Day and Nativity are big concerns of upcoming seniors. No one ever imagined spending senior year at McGehee without Ms. Wargo. Juniors shared tears and worrisome talk of concerns of their senior year. Remy Robert’s concerns on the traditions were, “I’m very concerned with how traditions like Nativity and May Day will be played out. Ms. Wargo was indispensable to us when we put on May Day for last year’s seniors, so it was important to me that the new Upper School head be as familiar with the tradition and with her responsibilities as was Ms. Wargo. I think that Ms. Gotzkowsky will definitely be able to rise to the occasion next year so that we have a great senior year.”Indeed we will. The juniors today, seniors tomorrow, have grown exceptionally close to Ms. Gotzkowsky over their recent trip to Washington, D.C. Not only has she strengthened her bond with next year’s seniors but has also been indispensable to girls in her own library way, constantly providing books and research for girls when asked and with little hesitation.     She’s the librarian everyone has a good relationship with, even if she has bannedyou from the library once or twice for loud talking or has caught you red handed and chastised you for eating in a nook or dancing to vulgar rap music with friends. She’s someone who doesn’t just help you find books and research, but also someone the girls at McGehee can relate to very well. It was said, “over the years she has developed a really close relationship with girls in the high school” which can only be beneficial for her and us. You could say that Ms. Gotzkowsky and the Upper School girls have good chemistry. She is “a great people-person” as Remy Robert liked to put it. The girls have strong opinions on the topic but what does Ms. Gotzkowsky herself think? Why did she nominate herself for the position in the first place? What intrigues her about leading a large group of free, opinionated girls? Ms. G. said, “I really like working with upper school girls and I don’t get to do it like I do in the middle school where they actually come into class. I thought it would be a challenge for me and I think I can be effective in a new role, specifically in that role.”     Many would think that librarian to Upper School head is a big jump but Ms.Gotzkowsky feels differently. “I don’t look at is as that big of a jump… as the librarian I get to know a little about what everyone is doing. I have a big picture of what everyone is doing at once, which the upper school head has. Ms.Wargo kind of sits on a platform and looks at what she has to do for each group; that’s what I do as a librarian but in a different capacity.”Although probably a bit sad, Ms. Wargo is fully supportive of Ms. Gotzkowsky becoming the Upper School Head for next year. Ms. Gotzkowsky says, “I am actually meeting with Ms. Wargo once per rotation! As things arise she gives me tips and she says well this is what’s worked for me or when I’m in this situation this is how I approach it.” With the help and tips of Ms. Wargo she is sure to succeed in leading the Upper School next year.Although excited about moving to another position, Ms. G. definitely has some things she is going to miss about her position as librarian. “I’ll miss being able to flag people down and talk about books and find out what they’re reading…I’ll miss the books.” Not only will she miss the books but she will also miss her position located in the heart of McGehee. People constantly pass in and out of the library and she is able to talk to pretty much everyone. However, her new position provides her with a lovely office, which brings some worry into Ms. G’s mind. She left us with a message to the readers of the article. “I would love to tell them I think everybody is very accustomed to seeing me sitting at this desk. I often flag down people and end up chatting with them. I do not want to move into a different office and sit alone. But I also don’t want to put bowls of candy around because then you’ll leave your candy wrappers all over the place.”

Diversity’s toll on this election may change history forever. It’s taken over 200 years for someone other than a white man to even be nominated for a presidency and now in 2008, we have both an African American and a woman in the running for the Democratic nomination. Senior Ayanna H. says: “Times are changing…this would have NEVER happened 25…50…100 years ago. It’s a good thing that people are becoming less closed minded and are voting based on the candidate’s overall goals and not omitting them due to sex/race/gender/etc.” Democrats must now decide which candidate they wish to support, and for some, this will be a harder decision than others.

As the most historical election in history, Americans are now forced to choose between the conservative white man and one of the diverse Democratic duo. America has been quite bland in its presidential choices, but this year, we are far from that. These candidates have put themselves in the middle of an election that is quite intriguing. The big competition right now is between Clinton and Obama, who will continue to fight for the primaries to see who will be the Democrat’s nominee for president.

As a woman in today’s society, one would only imagine that many feel relieved to know that the United States has finally started to accept a woman’s abilities. Hillary Clinton has proved that women can be just as determined and successful as men, and has caught the attention of men and women alike. Her success has become eminent throughout this election and the only thing stopping her from going all the way is her young yet popular competitor, Barack Obama. Junior Eleanor O. believes “that this is an exciting point in history, and an important one. It’s long overdue,” she says, “that while women have been able to vote for almost a century, she is our first serious contender.” Clinton has proved that although she is a woman, she is no less of a competitor than the men running, but is America ready to let its country be ruled by a woman?

While it became quite clear that Democrats around the McGehee campus were completely ecstatic about the Democratic candidates, Republicans seemed to be a lot less intrigued. Not getting much feedback from them made it hard to believe that they were as into the Democratic candidates. Junior and Republican Megan M. said: “I would love to see a woman or an African American president if they were different candidates.” While it seems hard for almost anyone to deny that these elections are quite historical, it’s understandable that it’s not as exciting when it doesn’t involve one’s own party.

These candidates have created options that were never open until now. As the election gets closer, it will be interesting to see which Democratic candidate catches the eyes of America. While it’s certain that one of the candidates will be something new for America, one must wonder, are people voting on him or her because of their originality, or is it the overall goals that remain important?

In every high school around the country there are the political wonks. At McGehee, our students seem to believe that we have more of those political wonks than other schools. Especially with this being an election year, more students are paying attention and becoming involved in politics and the news. Rémy (’08) has always been up to date on the news and politics but this year she has really become interested.
We all grew up right in the middle of Bush’s presidency, which will most likely be remembered by the democrats as one of the worst presidencies in our country’s history. Despite the negativity of his two terms many students, like Rémy, have felt compelled to gain a deeper understanding of politics: “I think it’s very important to take advantage of the idea of democracy and to utilize our government’s transparency whenever possible… but because I witnessed Bush’s presidency from beginning to end, I’m more than aware that it’s critical now for us to elect a good leader.”
Even before this year Rémy had always been interested in politics and keeping up to date on it. From the scandals in Washington to the groundbreaking laws that Congress passes, she loves it all: “I love the fast pace of politics and the nitty-gritty ‘hardball’ stuff — and, yes, I do love to indulge myself with the latest political drama. Monica Lewinsky? Classic. All the remarks between Clinton and Obama really amuse me. But on a deeper level, I’m interested in politics because it’s such a fundamental part of our day-to-day life. We often don’t realize that our government is so powerful.” Unlike many students in high school, Rémy understands that even though the whole system in Washington is so much bigger than us individually, it is still important for us to be knowledgeable on politics and the people in it: “Political awareness is crucial to any constituent if we are to knowledgeably elect leaders. The representatives we elect control so much of our lives- taxes, regulations, driving age, education, etc.- so to be ignorant is essentially to be apathetic about your rights as a citizen.”

Rémy has not just taken this upon herself to be involved in politics; she feels that our school is more politically savvy than most schools: “The fact that we’ve paid so much attention to news, politics, and the government today in Ms. Thompson’s class has helped me and many others, I think, to be in tune with everything that’s going on in Washington. Most other schools don’t incorporate current events into their curricula, at least not as much as we do here.” She also attributes our political awareness to the fact that it’s cool to be outspoken here.
Rémy cannot vote this year, but that is not keeping her from getting involved in the election. She is working for Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign through an organization called One in a MHillion: “It’s a feminist movement that aims to mobilize younger voters by asking women to donate $100 and to get ten friends to do the same. To make things equal, the men who donate have to donate $129.87 because on average, women still earn $0.77 cents to the man’s dollar.” Even through Rémy can’t vote, that isn’t stopping her from getting out and spreading the word: “So I’ve been working with 1/1MH. I’m also just talking a lot about the election to anyone who will listen- I believe that word of mouth is one of the best tools you can use in an election like this.”

“Since it’s against the acceptable use policy, we trust our students.  However…”  There has always been controversy between the students and teachers/administration over what can and cannot be done on our computers.  Whether it is because of doing something that distracts you from class work or doing something that is illegal, such as downloading music.  However, it had always been left up to the students to choose what sites they would go to, and when.

            Recently though, we have started hearing announcements in assembly about how we could no longer stream videos or music, unless it was specifically for a class.  Then we got the e-mail about how multiple programs (even AIM) had to be deleted off of our computers.  A lot of students complained that they didn’t understand the reason for it, what was the big deal about buying more bandwidth?  And what else are they supposed to do during studies?

Unfortunately, buying more bandwidth is not as easy as students hoped, as Ms. Minihan explained, “We pay something like 3-5,000 a month for internet access at school, so if we do start supporting non-educational sites and activities, we have to go out and get $10,000 of network access a month.”  She added, “one day in particular, the network was just dragging, and we happened to notice that there were lots of people watching TV shows online, and that’s all it takes…the network’s down, nobody can do anything.  And since we hear the complaints, we have to make the policy.” 

So, in order to fix the problem, the school will use a website blocker, so “when you try to go to a site, like E-bay, and type in e-bay.com, the server would say that the website is blocked, and to see an administrator.”  What about blocked sites that you might need every once in a while for a class?  Ms. Minihan said, “We can unblock sites or even certain videos if you need it for a class.  We’re not going to block everything; we’re just doing it to protect the bandwidth.”  Ms. Wargo added, “For teachers who want to use YouTube, etc for classes, it is perfectly fine, whether it is teachers or students; that’s what our network should consist of.” 

Most students, though, are more worried about the possible banning of Facebook.  This controversy “started several years ago, but I think the reason is that it’s a waste of time at school, because everyone is fine with it at home, during free time, but that the school network should be used for school,” says Ms. Minihan.  Ms. Abbott added, “Well, it’s against the acceptable use policy to use social networking during the school day, because you should be doing school work or in a class.”  One student, inadvertently, supported this by saying, “I mean its either Facebook or sleep, but we can always find another way to distract ourselves.  It’s either one thing or another, but we’re going to find something.”  One problem that affects many students is what to do during studies, when they’ve already completed their homework, but Facebook will have to be off-limits even then, because “the school network is for school activities [and] other people are in class at the same time, trying to use the network [for that class].” 

The Tech Department has waited for what they see to be as long as possible before considering taking more restrictive measures, because, as Ms. Abbott stated, “we happen to be the only ISAS school in town that doesn’t block social networking, YouTube and other sites that take up bandwidth.”  However, they, along with the administration, who would actually be making the policy the Tech Department would follow, believe it is necessary, because, “as far as not blocking it and asking students to not do it, it’s not working.”  Therefore, although they realize that students will be angry with the new policy, they feel it has to be done. 

However, Ms. Wargo said the new policy will not be without student input: “My hope would be that we could take a look overall at our acceptable use policy, and that that look could happen with input from teachers, the tech department and students about what they need, and a safety and network point of view.  I would hope to include student government or council in the talks, so that when we come up with a new policy, it takes all of those constituents into account.”

Although students are upset about the blocking of Facebook, they are more upset that the warnings about abuses of the bandwidth are being unfairly directed only at them.  Many students have experienced teachers using the bandwidth for non-school related activities during the day, including Facebook and YouTube.  Ms. Abbott said, “We are addressing that with the faculty; some of them just may not even realize that they are taking up bandwidth.” 

So while limiting the amount of websites a student can access will help protect the bandwidth, will it really stop students from getting distracted?  Unfortunately not, as one student stated, “It doesn’t even have to be on the Internet; you can move stuff around on your desktop or play Solitaire.”  Added another, “as long as it’s something.”