And now, the end is near... - Sherburne

The
Sherburne-Earlville
High School
Student Publication
May/June 2004
Sherburne - Earlville
And now, the end is near...
Views FromJessica
The
Halls
Mulligan, with
help from Dani Maynard
As a senior, what do you plan to do after high
school?
M.McDowell/Discourse
So, this is the end. Well, not the end, but an end. In two years as editor, I have suffered
through many things- paper cuts, writer's block, bouts of carpel tunnel and temporary
blindness due to prolonged computer monitor exposure (you can be expecting to hear
from my lawyer)- and seen many things no one should have to endure- run-on comma
splices, semi-colon abuse, and grievous punctuation omission/overuse- but I have endured.
Although I still can't talk about it in detail, one day I shall write my memoirs, make an
obscene amount of money, and replace Kelly Rippa on Regis Philbin's talk show (Yes,
the man will still be alive and kicking. Short people always live longer.)
But seriously, it's been a pretty amazing experience. I've learned quite a few things
along the way, which, out of the pure generosity of my heart as well as the artificial feeling
of superiority granted by imparting advice to the masses, I shall pass along.
1. Never, ever, under any circumstances expect a straight answer out of Russell Howard.
Learn to enjoy dry and biting wit.
2. There are several issues that one should never discuss at the dinner table: politics,
religion, the school parking lot, and Spirit Week.
3. Some adults judge teenagers as apathetic about issues of modern society. They are
wrong.
4. Deadlines are made to be extended.
5. Commas, apostrophes, and semi-colons will never be in style.
6. Extra-credit is the best motivation there is.
7. No matter how carefully you proofread, you will inevitably miss something.
8. Attachments on emails received though POPMail = bad.
Possibly the thing that I am most proud of is the list of names on the bulletin board
outside of the library. It's long, and there are a lot of little foil stars up there (cough-Russell-cough). The fact that so many of us are willing to write in our free time, not for a
class nor under duress from one of various English teachers, is awesome. However, what
is also noteworthy is how many people actually read the newspaper. I mean, The New
York Times can throw as many statistics as they want at me about how many copies it sells
every day, but how many people actually read it and how many people buy it because it
makes them feel enlightened and look intellectual?
Thank you to Mrs. Carvell for all of your time, guidance, trust, and help; to Mr. Schnabl
for upholding the sanctity of freedom of the press; to Computer Services and BOCES
for help with all of the technical aspects; to anyone who has even looked at a copy of
Discourse; and, finally, to all of the contributors. Putting your names and intellectual
property in print takes hutzpah, and you've all done a great job.
Look for me on daytime TV.
Kayleigh Scalzo, editor
"I am going to Delhi for two years to study architecture, then going to either Boston or South
Carolina to finish up and get my master's."
Jessica Mulligan
"I might go to the bathroom."
Josh Bagnall
"Attend Alfred University and declare a major
later."
Bryan McCracken
"I plan to study Biology and Theater at the university of Rochester."
Anna Fagan
"I am going to Binghamton University to major
in Computer Science."
Jay Collins
"I am going to New Paltz to become an elementary
teacher. I also plan on playing on their basketball
team. "
Courtney Brown
"Get rich by being Nikki's manager ."
Jason Jacobsen
"Go to college."
Josh Stewart
"Have a fun summer and work hard."
Dan Farrow
"I am going to Hartwick to major in law or history
and play football."
Joe Davies
"I am going to Moo'ville for web design."
Kadie Farrow
"Get a life and have fun."
Shawn Wheeler
"I m going to adopt a young orphan of Guatemalan
descent."
Dave Shurock
cont. pg 18
May/June 2004
Wonʼt You Be My
Neighbor?
google.com
One of Americaʼs
childhood heroes
died recently, leaving a long story and
many unhappy children. People will always remember Mr.
Rogers as the quiet,
gentle man with the
little neighborhood
and the long-sleeved
sweaters.
What
people donʼt know
is the true service
he did for his country. Mr. Rogers was
a Vietnam veteran
with over twenty-five
confirmed kills in
combat. He was a
master in both handto-hand combat and the use of small arms. He had the
expert ability to kill or disarm an opponent in an instant.
And, do you know the sweaters he always wore? As
a Navy SEAL, Mr. Rogers had many tattoos covering
the entire length of both arms that he wished to hide
from his young friends. Wow, what a change! From
expert Navy SEAL to calm Mr. Rogers. No one would
ever have thought, except for Lee Marvin and Captain
Kangaroo (Bob Keishan), who earned Navy Crosses
together on Iwo Jima. Occurrences like this make one
wonder- what other famous people, whose
names
we
Sarah
Weinell
The Cell Phone:The Next
Generation
Alright, we all know that the cell phone has become the next
great invention in the lives of many Americans. To imagine
life without cell phones is like imagining a life without TV.
But why is this so? People in previous generations survived
just fine without them. And, if they are so helpful, then in
several years when cell phones replace home phones altogether (as is predicted), will this mean a change in service
as well, or will we still be going around asking the person
on the other end, “Can you hear me now? Can you hear me
now? How about now?” Or, will we actually be able to have
a decent conversation with them? Yes, cell phones are great,
but what good do they do us if all we use them for it to test
the other personʼs hearing ability? I hope some changes are
made in the cell phone industry in the near future, because
turning on your phone to use it only to find a message reading
“No Service” is quite annoying. I have a friend who refuses
to buy a cell phone because it would be out of character for
him to own one. Now do you really think cell phones are that
uncool? Some people are still living in the past where life
was simple and technology was too high tech. Iʼm curious
to see how far this cell phone era takes us. And, in twenty
years when we see the first cell phone in our childrenʼs history
book, we will see how crazy it all was. It will just be another
part of everyday life (so we think).
Chrissy Natoli
The Importance
of Education
Page 2
As defined in 2000 by members of the United Nations, the
Dakar Agreement holds that every human has the right to an
education. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the U.N., set a
goal for 2015 that will be marked by measurable steps toward
education for all. An integral goal of the United Nations and
its body, UNESCO, (United Nations Educational Social and
Cultural Organization) is to allow the people of the world to
live with peace and equality. Today we are still struggling to
become a peaceful world. Should we not be a world at peace?
Should we promote the killing of innocent lives because of
ignorance and misunderstanding? Is education, which allows
people to understand the world and provide for themselves,
not a fundamental impetus for peace?
Education allows humans to understand the diversity
of the world and the
multifarious cultural, spiritual and
regional values that
are present in the
world. Continued
education allows
humans to recognize these differences and not move
to war, but sit down
as brothers and sisters of the earth and
come to peaceful,
respectful agreements. Education
can provide humans
with life long skills
so that they may provide for themselves and their families
instead of depending on the government. “Give a man a fish
and feed him for one day; teach a man to fish and feed him
for a life time.” Continued education gives people the tools
to help their fellow citizens to be self-supportive, starting a
self-sufficient community that does not need to fear war.
One of every two children in Africa does not receive an
education. The children of America are promised this primary
right. In Africa, disease runs rampant, killing millions. People
are starving and many are at war. Is not education an obvious
reason for the drastic differences between our country and
the countries in Africa?
Education is the answer to the problems of the world.
Education allows children to be inspired by tales of far off
places, giving them aspirations. Continued education allows
them to reach these goals and give the gift of education to
their children in turn. Educating a child is like the devotion
of a gardener to a plant. Water, sun, and constant attention
cause the plant, and child, to slowly spread its roots and mind
gaining a firm hold into the earth.
There is not a better moment than now to take action. Become familiar with the goals of the United Nations. Spread
the word on education so that our world may flourish. Allow
yourself to be the match that ignites the gasoline and takes
the issue to fire.
altavista.com
Discourse
Sasha Hoff
Discourse
May/June 2004
Making S-E Safe
Fire Lanes on the S-E Campus:
The S-E District is marking off fire lanes in front of a number
of school entrances. Please be advised that no one should be
parking in these areas. Parking in these areas could result in
vehicles being ticketed and/or towed.
Page 3
Truly Wicked
S-E is Smoke-Free:
The entire S-E campus is smoke-free. This includes school
buildings and grounds, including athletic events and any other
event officially sanctioned by the school, such as community
events (New York Pro-Kids Act of 1994). There are civil penalties and fines associated with non-compliance of this law.
http://www.startinglinerock.com/index2.html
One new and upcoming band is the very talented The
Starting Line. This new band is right out of Pennsylvania
and consists of four guys: Mike, Ken, Matt, and Tom. Their
first CD, Say It Like You Mean It, has done very well, selling
200,000 copies in the first year of its release. Matt descoved
Ken, the vocalist and bass player, through his AOL profile.
They are just a group of guys who like to have fun. "Ken lied
about his age when he first started hanging out with us," Matt
reveals with a laugh. "He said, 'I'm like 15,' and we thought,
'That's cool. He'll be driving soon.' But we didn't catch on
to the 'like' part; he was actually 14." In the year 2000 they
were signed by a small record label, and it was the beginning
of a major breakthrough. At this point, Ken was still in high
school. His parents were very supportive and told him how
important it was for him to finish school. Matt, on the other
hand, was working his was through college. They did shows
with Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, and Good Charlotte and
a jaunt through Europe, as well as headlining on the Warped
Tour. They were not far from the top in such a short time.
They are a group of guys who dream big. It will not be long
before you begin to see these guys on shirts and caps, if you
know what I mean.To learn more, check out their website:
http://www.startinglinerock.com/index2.html.
Chrissy Natoli
google.com
The Starting Line
A trip to New York City is never complete without viewing
a Broadway show, and the show that has everyone talking
lately is Wicked. A star-studded cast, breathtaking scenery,
fantastic costumes, and touching songs leave every audience
member satisfied in this new tale of the life of Elphaba, the
Wicked Witch of the West. Casting the passionate and powerful Elphaba, played by Idina Menzel, in a more sympathetic
light, this retelling of Gregory Maguire's masterful novel
takes the audience on a journey throughout the life of one
of literature's most well-known villainesses. Kristin Chenoweth plays the flighty, perfect Galinda, who later changes
her name to Glinda, adding emotional depth to the Good
Witch. The Wizard, played by Joel Gray, and Fieyro, played
Norbert Leo Butz, are spectacularly portrayed with emotion
and vigor. Carole Shelley rounds out this all-star cast with
her fantastic performance as the scheming and manipulative
Madame Morrible. The show is currently up for ten Tony
Awards, including a double nomination for Best Actress and
Best Musical. Wicked is truly an amazing experience for all
who see it!
Christina Pfohl
Year In Review
Now that the school year is nearing its end, take a look
back at it. Was it as good as you could have made it? Yes,
you! Although we all wish it were the case, our teachers are
not paid to entertain us. They are here to open the depths of
their knowledge to us. It is up to you to decide what to do.
You can sit back and get by with as little work as possible
or you can explore those depths.
So, you're looking back and you remember that math
assignment that you whined about or that book that you
didn't want to read in English. Was it really worth all of
your fussing? Or, would you have prefered not to do the
assignments and miss all that they had to offer? As you take
that into consideration, remember school is only as fun as
you make it. Next year, take on your assignments with a
positive outlook. Give learning a chance; it just might get
you somewhere someday.
Kaitlyn Pudney
Discourse
Cynic’s Corner:
Excuse me?!
May/June 2004
Oh, congratulations. One of you people finally made me
mad. Ok, not really, but I was trying to make a dramatic
touch. Normally I would just laugh off an “issue” such as
gay marriage, but recently I came across an article with so
much bull manure that I was inclined to put the periodical
in the spreader.
Now, I can’t care less whether they get the “right”
to marriage or not. After all, they have already spat or
urinated on every other sacred institution of this country;
what’s another one? However...
I do have a few bones to pick with these people.
(If I get any comments about the preceding sentence,
there will be suffering.)
Let’s get one thing straight (no pun intended) before we
move on. I think a few definitions are in order.
Toleration: (v) to allow the existence or occurrence of
without intervention, to endure.
Acceptance: (n) willingness to approve, favorable consent, submit to, receive as suitable.
In other words, in this case, to accept means, “I’ll embrace your orientation, and maybe go on a date with you.”
To tolerate means, “I won’t beat the snot out of you for
looking at me in a funny way.”
I (along with most of society) tolerate homosexuals, but
there is no force on this green earth that will make me accept them or their “alternative” lifestyle. So, go ahead; get
married, but don’t think for one minute that I, or anyone
else, will think any higher of you or accept you. Plus, if
you really believe everyone will love you if you get married, then you are far too immature to get married!
Didn’t the homosexual movements of the ’60s and ’70s
rebel against marriage? Is that why a very large portion of
the gay and lesbian community does not want to get the
right to marriage? Is that why a lesbian judge tried to stop
gay marriage? Is that so?
Oh, and this is not the Netherlands. We do not commit
bestiality, incest, nor polygamy in this country and boast of
its lawfulness nor morality!
You keep throwing “Homosexual couples are people,
too!” around like it means something. So what?! People
treat people like dirt in this day and age! Guess what? Hitler, Stalin, Bush, Reagan, Roosevelt, and Crusty the Clown
are people, too! So are rapists and unabombers. And, if you
(are stupid enough to) listen to the extreme animals rights
activists, animals are people, too! Babies are people, too,
yet you abortionist kill them without flinching an eyelid!
But, I could deal with all that by just laughing it off.
But nooooo. You had to get stupid. First, I treat everyone
the same. (Basically, I can’t care less about you and if you
leave me be, we’ll coexist on this planet with no problems.) But when people start calling themselves “minorities” and start thinking they deserve special rights and
go crying to left-wing bleeding heart whinos about their
problems and then go and make laws telling me how I
should treat them, then, friends, we have a problem. Yes,
Martin Luther King made incredible and necessary strides
for his people. So did Gandhi, whom I highly revere for
his peaceful rebellion. But you know what? They didn’t
label their followers minorities and go crying to lawyers
or politicians. Instead, they proved through huge trials that
they, as human beings, deserved the respect and equality
they wanted. When someone called them a bad name, they
didn’t go crying to someone looking for a lawsuit; they
turned their cheek, and they did it every time they needed
to. That makes me respect them. That makes society
respect them, and the respect endures. Had they propped it
up with laws, they would be nowhere.
cont. pg. 7
Now, listen.
Page 4
Now, listen.
Okay, letʼs dive right in here. I am going to address four
of the arguments that people use to say that gay marriage
shouldnʼt be legalized. There are many “reasons”, and they
are all wrong.
1. Itʼs not natural.
This is not true, because I saw a report of a test that proved
that there are animals that are clearly homosexual. The test
was with sheep. Iʼm not sure who conducted the test, but
they did prove that point. And, homosexuals have been
around forever. This is very true. There is evidence that
homosexual love has been common since 2500 BCE, over
four thousand years ago. It probably goes back farther than
that, but recorded history doesnʼt go back that far.
2. Itʼs immoral.
This is totally one-sided and a very bad argument. Not everyone is religious, and even religious people cannot seem
to agree. I think that religious arguments should be totally
skipped over, because we are supposed to be living in a secular society, but religion is constantly causing problems in
our world. One personʼs idea of morally acceptable is very
different from someone elseʼs. I disagree with almost all
religious doctrines, et cetera. They teach you to be intolerant
and unaccepting. If God were real, why would He make
something that was “unacceptable”? I believe that everything
is within Godʼs “plan”. Homosexuality is not immoral.
3. Marriage is for procreation.
If only procreative marriages were allowed, then how would
two old heterosexuals get married? Non-procreative marriages happen every day. This is also a very weak argument.
4. Itʼs a bad environment for children.
Well, 28% of gay couples are raising children. Probably
many more than that, but this is just a statistic. And, I have
read that almost 20% of most general populations (like the
population of the U.S.A., the world, or our school) is gay.
That is a lot of kids being raised by homosexuals. This is
just a stupid argument. Children raised by gays are more
tolerant of all ways of life and understand that people who
oppose others are just dumb shallows.
By the way, on Monday, May 17, 2004, Massachusetts
became the first state to equalize marriage for everyone.
This list is a list of many famous people who have been
or are gay.
Sappho (600 BCE) Greek poetess
Socrates (470-399 BCE) Greek teacher and philosopher
Plato (427-347 BCE) Greek teacher and philosopher
Wu (140-87 BCE) Chinese emperor
Hadrian (76-138 CE) Roman emperor
Alexander the Great (323-356) Macedonian king and crusader
Richard the Lion Hearted (1157-1199) English king and
crusader
Jaques de Molay (1243-1314) Grand master of the Knights
Templars
Donatello (1386-1466) Italian artist
Pope Julius II (1443-1513)
Sandro Boticelli (1455-1510) Italian painter
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian Renaissance artist,
teacher, scientist, and inventor
Michelangelo (1475-1564) Italian Renaissance artist and
sculptor
Montezuma II (1480-1520) Aztec emperor
Julius III (1417-1555) Catholic pope
Sigismondo Malatesta (1417-1468) Lord of Rimini
Marc Antoine Muret (1526-1586) French writer
Nicholas Udall (1505-1556) English playwright
cont. pg. 7
Discourse
May/June 2004
Japanese Anime:
Creative or Repetitive?
google.com
Not too long ago, a friend of mine and I were talking about
Japanese anime. I was explaining story lines and characters
when he rather abruptly exclaimed, “I don’t like Japanese
anime. It’s all the same.” Now, me being the Japanese anime
geek that I am, I took offense to that. I rather unsuccessfully
tried to explain to him exactly how different each series and
character is. So as a result, I have compiled some thoughts
to encourage other fans and inspire all those who see all
Japanese anime as being the same. (I have separated each
series for those of you who don’t want to read it all. Also,
this is GOOD anime, not Pokemon!)
Let’s start with Gundam Wing. This is about five teenage
boys with incredible abilities. They have superhuman reflexes
and the ability to block out all human attachment to fight
for a cause. They fight using enormous robot-like machines,
though manned by humans (obviously), called gundams. They
are able to achieve
any goal because
they are willing to
give their lives for
a cause and hold
nothing back.
Their
names
are Heero, Duo,
Troa, Quatre, and
Wu Fei. Each has
his own personality and special
weapon. Heero
has the ability to
stay completely
focused and will
not accept defeat. The others follow his lead, but he
would be just as comfortable working alone. He specializes
in long-range weapons, though he also has a laser-bladed
sword (yes, like a light saber). His gundam also flies. Duo
has a laser-bladed scythe as his weapon of choice, though he
also has guns. Duo is the most outgoing of all the gundam
pilots and just likes to have fun. Troa’s gundam is equipped
with many miniguns and generally lays down cover fire. He
is very emotionally and mentally strong. He can deal with any
situation, except when he gets amnesia. Quatre is the unifier.
He plans everything and keeps the pilots going as a group. He
fights close or far range with two mini-scythes. Wu Fei has a
double-bladed bow staff. He is driven by honor, which causes
him to be unreliable at times. At one point, he refuses to fight
with the other gundam pilots because he feels that he has lost
the right to use his gundam. (He is also my least favorite of
the characters.) And, of course, there is one more character
to discuss: the girl who falls in love with one of the pilots,
Relena Peacecraft. She is very outgoing and persistent. She
is very persuasive and an eloquent speaker, being very successfully politically involved. (She is also very honest!) Now,
the story line. Earth and all its space colonies have been taken
over by a group of people (that no one likes) who resemble
communists. They try to take control and force people to do
as they (the leaders) want. Many people are sick of it. The
five gundams are sent to Earth from the colonies to take out
the government so that the colonies can rule themselves. Want
to know what happens? Ha ha, go watch it yourself!
Now let’s talk about Trigun. Also set in the future, this is
about Vash the Stampede, a man who is accused of destroying
entire cities wherever he goes. However, no one can catch him
and claim the reward. He cannot be killed, either. He
Page 5
seems to be invincible. Vash is tracked down and followed
by two girls trying to stop him, though they end up helping
him. Vash is a very interesting character. He is very friendly
and outgoing and seems to be a child stuck in an adult’s
body. His favorite food is doughnuts. He also refuses to kill.
This creates a dilemma due to the fact that he is wanted for
murder. He is known for his long, red jacket and his spiked
blond hair. His two tag-a-longs are Millie and Meryl. Meryl
is very small and petite. She is very focused on her hunt for
Vash the Stampede. She carries a pistol and can be very deadly.
Millie is a little mentally-blond, and when she first meets
Vash, asks for his autograph. She is very fun-loving and open
with everyone. She also carries a gun approximately the size
of Meryl and can take anyone by surprise with it. Together,
the three of them discover that Vash was mind-controlled to
destroy certain cities by his brother. This series involves a very
interesting and unique plot. The history of the characters and
their feelings and conflicts are completely different from any
others I have read or heard (and I spend lots of time reading
and have encountered all kinds).
Now onto my favorite: Inuyasha. Inuyasha is a series about
a girl, Kagome, who falls through a well in Japan behind her
family’s house and ends up in ancient Japan. She finds out
that she is the reincarnated version of a demon hunter from
ancient Japan. Through her reincarnation, she has possession
of a stone with magical powers. Thousands of Japanese and
Chinese demons are after this stone and she must protect it.
Through the help of her ancient “sister”, Kagome is able to
control a demon (to an extent) named Inuyasha. Inuyasha is
a hanyou, or half-demon. He wishes to use the stone to make
himself become a full demon. He decides to help Kagome in
the hope that he can obtain possession of the stone without
her knowledge. Together, they fight many demons, including
Inuyasha’s full demon brother, to save the pieces of the stone
and, in so doing, the world. The characters in this series are
very interesting and unique. Kagome is a very forceful girl
who is very focused on school, her chief concern when she has
trouble getting back to her own time. She does know how to
have fun, though, and makes the most of situations. Inuyasha
is very serious and, in being so, is very funny. He is also very
confident in his abilities but only after he obtains possession
of his father’s sword, which also has incredible abilities.
Inuyasha and Kagome have quite a few character clashes,
which adds to the humor in the story. This is a fun series with
a unique twist and, as I said earlier, my favorite.
As you can see, Japanese anime is NOT all the same. Each
character and each series is different, with very few similarities. I hope that those of you who previously thought of
anime as boring now see the light. I also hope that for those
of you who watch anime, I presented some new series for
you to watch. Also, there are many more series, and these
are not the only good ones. Be adventurous and go find one
that you will like. There are many choices, and almost all
of them are fun!
Sarah Weinell
Letter to the Editor
My sincere apologies go out to Eric Bergeron for the
mistake on his rank; he is a sophomore and not a freshman.
I was mistaken to make a judgement on his actions. Sorry,
again; sincere apologies, Eric.
Jessica Mulligan
Discourse
May/June 2004
Luigi : My Inspiration
Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi) is a dance teacher who
has greatly influenced my life. He has not only taught me
to move my body with wonderful style and grace, but he
has taught me how to live my life.
Over the past two years, I have been blessed to be able
to take jazz dance lessons from Luigi, a man who, at the
age of 78, still teaches classes twice daily. Luigi perfected
a style of dance that is greatly admired by his students.
I, too, was impressed by what he taught me to do with
my body. I learned that he had led impromptu jazz dance
classes on the MGM musical sets years ago, and often as
I danced in
his studio, I
felt that he
had taken
me back to
those glory
days in his
life. How
fortunate
I am to be
able to work
with such
a great
master.
Luigi has the motto, “Never Stop Moving,” and as I
got to know him, I learned the deep meaning behind those
words. When Luigi was in his twenties, he was in a car
accident that left him paralyzed. Doctors told him that he
would never walk again. That was a hard prognosis to accept. Luigi was determined to not only walk again, but to
dance again. He would have someone bring him to a studio
and lay him on the dance floor. He would will himself to
get up so intensely that he would bleed on the floor. He
worked diligently at rehabilitating himself and succeeded.
He did dance again; if fact, he made a career out of being a
talented dancer.
More than just Luigi’s dance classes touched my life; it was
his strength of character
and determination that really made an impression.
All I ever wanted to do
was dance and perform.
When I entered my high
school years, I knew
that it was time for me
to “buckle down”, work
hard at developing myself as a performer, and
do well academically to
open doors for my college education, but life
didn’t want to cooperate
with me. Throughout my
high school years, I was
stricken with a series of
Page 6
bouts with
strep throat
left
me
susceptible
to
colds
and flu-like
symptoms in
my freshman
year. In my
sophomore
year, a house
fire gutted my
family’s home and we lost everything. I had mononucleosis
during all of my junior year, keeping me out of school for
months. In addition, two very close friends died in car accidents, one during the winter and one a week before finals.
During these years, it was easy to get discouraged.
Last summer, healthy at last, I returned to Luigi’s dance
classes. The Luigi moves put me in touch with my body
again. I felt myself becoming energized. All of my concerns
disappeared. I thought it was just the dancing that did it, but
soon I realized that it was the man. I would think about his life
and how he never gave up. Surely being paralyzed was worse
then being sick and saddened. I felt myself thinking that, “If
Luigi could do what he did, surely I, too, can be successful.”
I will never give up, and I will “never stop moving!”
Valerie Mya Walters
Cirque du Soleil
On May 14, 2004, the French Club traveled to Randallʼs
Island, NYC to enjoy an amazing performance by Cirque du
Soleil called Alegria. It
was an afternoon to remember. The flamboyant clothing, brilliant
music, and glamorous
costume attire all
contributed to the
outstanding show put
on by the performers.
Each music performance was broken
up by the most hilariously funny clowns I
have ever seen. One
act following the fire
twirlers included a
clown coming out with
a candle pretending to
fire twirl. Each eye
catching performance
was a crowd pleaser.
Some of the acts included the trapeeze, contortionist, fire
twirlers, trampolines, and singers. Unfortunatly there was no
photography allowed. However, it is a memory that many of
the students will never forget. Out of all the acts, my favorite
would have to be the trapeeze act where six or seven men
climbed to the top of the arena and took turns jumping from
ropes and swinging on the trapeeze. It was a wonderful event
that Iʼm sure all of the students enjoyed.
Chrissy Natoli
Discourse
May/June 2004
Excuse Me!?, cont. from pg. 4 Listen, cont.from pg. 4
Will giving gay and lesbians couples the “right” to “marriage” shut them up? Not if the greedy lawyers and politicians
have anything to do with it. You see, you are nothing more
than useful idiots, mere pawns in a huge game of chess known
as Congress. I guarantee you that within years, someone will
find something new to whine about. It may be divorce or making marriage between up to four parties (two males and two
females) or God knows whatever perverse thing people can
think up. (I want this article published, so I won’t mention
them. Plus, I do have some shreds of good taste!)
Plus, you people know government is corrupt and will only
screw it up! They’ll stick in some stupid rule out of spite.
Even though you and your fellow liberals have no regard
for it, the Bible and Koran both clearly state that gays are
not cool with God. Never mind the fact that our country and
nearly every country in “the western world” are based on
these works and that they span three whole religions. But
that doesn’t matter; I forget- God doesn’t exist. That is, until
he fits somewhere in one of your agendas.
Here’s a little something you might be able to appreciate.
Anyone who has taken World History knows that among the
many reasons that the Roman Empire fell was social corruption.
Standards dropped, one after another. Now, historically, the
U.S., based on that stupid little bunch of scriptures, has been
antigay. It was simply viewed as (and still is in most circles)
immoral. And, it was not tolerated. Don’t start on me with
all your morality garbage; I’m just telling you history. If you
don’t like it, go knock a tombstone over. The moral standard
was dropped to accommodate toleration. (Not that you would
care, but the Bible preaches toleration.) And now you want
us to further drop the bar to acceptance? What’s next, active
participation? You see, whether you like it or not, you are
dropping a moral bar. When morals begin to fall too short,
the country loses great strength. Next, people will begin doing
all sorts of things but not the things they need to be doing.
Eventually, they begin doing nothing. And, so, the country
becomes a pushover.
Interestingly, the extreme far right (you know, the guys
who make me look liberal!) want you to get gay marriage,
too. Have neo-Nazis become tolerant? Nope. You see, when
you get married, you get registered. When you get registered,
anyone can know who you are and where you live, etc. (Now
do you see why gun owners don’t like gun registration?) See,
I told you it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be!
Your School
The school systems of the United States are a shame. Letʼs
take a look at our own school, shall we?
Who are the most important employees in the school? The
teachers, naturally. But, then why are they not the highest
paid? They are closest to the students and they do the real
work, correct? But, the administrators think that they rule
everything, and they think that they should make the most
money, when they donʼt even teach us. And thatʼs why weʼre
here, right? To be taught, right? Right. Of course. I think
that everyone should band together and give the teachers
the rights they deserve. They work hard to provide us with
invaluable knowledge, and we treat them like crap and throw
a few dollars at them and expect them to do a good job. I
believe that if the teachers were paid reasonably, they would
be compelled to do an even better job. I have only ever encountered two bad teachers, people who should never teach,
and neither were teachers for very long, and both taught in
our school last year, and neither teach any longer.
cont. pg. 15
Page 7
Ieyasu Tokugawa (1542-1616) Japanese sho-gun and founder
of Edo Shogunate
Jerome Duquesnoy the Younger (1602-1654) Flemish sculptor
Christina (1626-1689) Swedish queen
Philippe, duc dʼOrleans (1640-1701) Louis XIVʼs brother
Peter the Great (1672-1725) Czar
Samuel Foote (1720-1777) English writer and playwright
Frederick the Great (1712-1786) Prussian king and military
leader
Madame de Stael (1766-1817) French writer/intellectual
Lord Byron (1788-1824) British poet
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Austrian composer
Hans Chrisitan Anderson (1805-1875) Danish poet and
writer
Maragaret Fuller (1810-1850) American writer and journalist
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American philosopher,
naturalist, and peace activist
Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American poet
Herman Melville (1819-1891) American writer
Chief Crazy Horse (Tashunca Witco, 1849-1877) Ogala Sioux
chief
Pater I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Russian composer
Simeon Solomon (1840-1900) English painter
Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) British author and gay rights
pioneer
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish writer and dramatist
Dame Ethel Smith (1858-1944) British composer, writer, and
activist
Marcel Proust (1871-1922) French writer
Sergei Diaghileff (1872-1929) Russian ballet impresario
Willa Cather (1873-1947) American writer and critic
Colette (1873-1954) French writer and actress
W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) British writer and dramatist
Alice B. Toklas (1877-1967) American writer, Gertrude Steinʼs
“domestic partner”
E. M. Forster (1879-1970) British writer
Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) American writer and art collector
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) British writer and publisher
John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) British econimist and
Nobel Prize winner
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) U. S. Delegate to the United
Nations and First Lady
T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia, 1888-1935) British
soldier
Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) French writer and filmmaker
Ernst Rohm (1887-1933) German Nazi and SS leader
Georgia OʼKeefe (1887-1986) American painter
Ruth Benedict (1897-1948) Influential American anthropologist
Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950) Russian ballet dancer
Cole Porter (1893-1964) American composer
Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962) British writer
Bessie Smith (1894-1937) American blues singer and entertainer
Bill Tilden (1893-1953) U. S. Tennis champion
George Gershwin (1898-1937) Pianist
Federico Garcia Lorca (1894-1936) Spanish poet and dramatist
Henry Cowell (1897-1965) U. S. Actor
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Composer
William Haines (1900-1973) U. S. Actor
Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) Belgian-American writer
Sir John Gielgud (1904-2000) British actor
Frieda Kahlo (1907-1954) Mexican artist and activist
Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986) British author
cont. pg. 8
Discourse
Listen, cont. from pg. 7
May/June 2004
W. H. Auden (1907-1973) British poet and writer
Errol Flynn (1909-1959) U. S. Actor
Bayard Rustin (1910-1987) U. S. Civil rights, labor, and
peace activist
Jean Ganet (1910-1986) French writer
Babe Didrikson (1911-1956) U. S. Athlete
Emma Goldman (1869-1940)
Alan Turing (1912-1954) English inventor of the computer
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) American poet
Tennessee Williams (1914-1983) American playwright
Walter W. Jenkins (1918-1985) Whitehouse aide to president
Johnson
Liberace (1919-1987) Famed pianist
Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) American actor
G. Harrold Carswell (1920-1992) American Supreme Court
nominee
Janis Joplin (1943-1970) Awesome rocker
Cary Grant (1904-1986) American actor
James Dean (1931-1955) American actor, teen idol
John Cage (1912-1992) Composer
Michael Foucault (1926-1984) Philosopher
Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) Italian film director
James Baldwin (1924-1987) American writer and civil rights
activist
Sergei Paradzhanov (1924-1990) Russian film director
Noel Coward (1899-1973) British playwright
George Maharis (1928-) American actor
Edward Albee (1928-) American playwright
Adrienne Rich (1929-) American poet, feminist theorist,
educator
Andy Warhol (1930-1987) American artist
Audre Lorde (1934-1992) American writer and activist
Gerry Studds (1937-) American congressperson
Robert Bauman (1937-) Republican American congressperson
Tom Waddel (1937-1987) American doctor, athlete, founder
of Gay Games
Daniel Curzon (1939-) American writer
Ian McKellen (1939-) British actor
Billie-Jean King (1943-) American tennis champion
Martina Navratilova (1956-) Czech-American tennis champion and activist
Gore Vidal (1925-) Writer
Peter Gomes - Openly gay minister, professor of religion at
Harvard University
Barney Frank (1940-) Democratic politician, congressperson
Jon Hinson (1942-1995) Republican congressperson
Rita Mae Brown (1944-) Activist, novelist, poet, screen and
teleplay writer
Elton John (1947-) Pop star
Rudolph Nureyev - Ballet dancer
Harvey Milk (1930-1978) San Francisco supervisor and gay
activist
Pedro Almodovar (1951-) Spanish film maker
Randy Shilts (1951-1994) American journalist, author
Glen Burke (1952-1995) American athlete
Pallone, Dave (1952-) American athlete and umpire
Anthony Bacon (1558-1601) Sir Francis Baconʼs brother
Greg Louganis (1960-) Olympic gold medallist
Melissa Etheridge (1961-) American rock star
k. d. Lang (1961-) Canadian pop star
Pete Townshend (1945-) Lead singer of The Who
RuPaul (1960-) FABULOUS entertainer
Sandra Bernhard (1955-) Comedienne and actress
David Geffen (1943-) Entertainment mogul
Philip Johnson (1906-) Architect
Frank Isreal (1945-1996) Architect
Bruce Goff (1904-1982) Architect
George Michael (1963-) Pop star
Page 8
Clive Barker (1952-) Writer
Gus Van Sant (1950-) Film maker
Jann Wenner (1947-) Publisher, Rolling Stone
David Hockney (1937-) Artist
Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) American artist
Herb Ritts (1952-) Photographer
Mark Robbins (1956-) American artist
Touko Laaksonen (1920-1991)
Robert A. M. Stern (1939-) American architect
Keith Haring (1958-1990) American artist
Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) American architect
Julia Morgan (1872-1957) American architect
Paul Rudolph (1918-1997) American architect
Charles Moore (1925-1993) American architect
Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) Lead singer of Queen
Rodolfo Machado (1942-) American architect
Jorge Silvetti (1941-) American architect
Ani Difranco (1970-) Folk diva
David Bowie (1947-) Entertainer
Pansy Divison - Kewl Punk Band
Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967) Jazz great
The Village People
- Defining ʼ70s
band (YMCA, famous song)
Leonard Bernstein
(1918-1990) American composer and
conductor
Samuel
Barber
(1910-1981) American composer
Aaron
Copland
(1900-1990) American composer
Ludwig
Van
Beethoven (17701827) Composer
Glenn Gould (19321982) Pianist
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Composer
George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) Composer
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) Composer
Claude Vivier (1948-1993) Composer
Gianni Versace (1946-1997) Designer
Tim Gill (1954-) Started Quark software
Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990) Magazine tycoon
Sandy Gallin (1940-) Mega talent agent
Urvashi Vaid (1958-) Gay rights activist
Morris Knight (1919-) Founder of Gay Liberation Front of
Los Angeles
Patty Sheehan (1956-) Hall of Fame golfer
Muffin Spencer-Davis (1953-) Pro golfer
David Kopay (1943-) Pro football player
Rudy Galindo (1969-) Figure skater
Justin Fashanu (1961-1998) British soccer superstar
Mike Bailey (1957-) Psychologist studying the biology of
sexual orientation
Ellen DeGeneres (1958-) Comedienne/actress
Dean Hamer (1951-) Leading DNA researcher
Monica Majoli (1963-) Artist
Madonna (1958-) Superstar!
Jonathan Larson (1960-1996) Playwright
Susan Sontag (1954-) Culture Critic
R. W. Fassbinder (1946-1982) German filmmaker
Doroth Allison (1949-) Fiction author
David N. Cicilline (1961-) Elected 2002 as mayor of Providence, RI
(Source: “Yes mom, theyʼre queer” from XY Magazineʼs Survival
Guide 2)
Patrick Tretola
Discourse
May/June 2004
Cynic’s Soapbox: Adieu, Adieu,
parting is such a great blessing
for me!
Before I begin dispensing all of my dollar-a-thought wisdom, let me slam you people one last time. I must say, you
people are almost as boring as you are mindless and pathetic!
I have written for almost two years, and I haven’t gotten one
lousy rebuttal, even from some twit calling me a “meanie”.
I’m glad I’m moving on. Hopefully I’ll have more fun in
college where people are supposed to have brain stems and
my politically incorrect, abrasive nature may get someone
into an intellectual debate, something none of you cretins is
capable of. Actually, I will miss insulting your intelligence,
or lack thereof. I would go on, but I was just struck with the
idea that I might jinx myself into failing and staying here for
another year of mental gangrene. So I’ll stop.
Note: I have often been at odds with your “civilized”
society. Just a heads up.
The following have come through four years of high school.
Actually, the majority, and what I believe to be the crème da
la crème, were created during pax ruzz (summer vacation,
tenth grade), when my mind was actually stimulated to any
measurable degree. We begin in January of my freshman year,
the dawn of Ruzsland recorded history, and work our way up
to the current time. Here we go.
-Never spray Lysol into your mouth as a cure for sore
throat.
-Never lick the lid of a tuna fish can.
-When I grow up, I’m going to be a cynic. I’ll have a steady
source of employment.
-Being a good fiend is like being a good photographer: you
must catch the right moment to cherish forever!
-Something I must do when I am older: videotape a tornado,
laughing hysterically with each new leveled house or explosion. (How many of you have no problem seeing me do
that?)
-These days, you’re either a terrorist or a freedom fighter.
(Thought up on 9/10/01. Too weird!)
-Never assume anything.
-Americans assume a lot.
-Run for it? That’s not a plan; that’s what you do if my plan
fails!
-Why do only low-life girls want to go out with me? (To all my
hundreds of ex’s: I swear that was repealed before I met you!)
(Oh, and I found the answer to that one: I am a low life!)
-Never smoke while producing hydrogen via electrolysis.
-If deprived of something (or if it’s illegal), make your
own.
-You know the “no weapons in school” policy? Yeah, well,
it doesn’t apply off of school grounds.
-(Here’s one custom made for Christina!) The sneakiest thing
the Devil ever did was convince the world he doesn’t exist.
-The highest level of honor you can get from making up your
own swear words is to one day hear them in a movie, even
if they do use them wrong.
-(This is more of just a “bad” idea that I got one day upon
discovering The Bible O’ All.) Post some kids a bunch of
letters in a normal envelope with no print! Ha! Kids always
get excited when they get mail, so just imagine the look of
disappointment on their faces! Make sure there is no return
address, or, even better, make the return address from the
mean old man down the street or from an in-law.
-Steal someone’s mailbox and post it back to them.
-Get a blank check from some rich sucker all signed out, and
give it to a homeless person. (Beat that, liberals!)
-Post yourself things you feel would be useful in the future.
-Post yourself a timer and see how long it takes you to re-
Page 9
ceive it.
-Post me something. (Sorry, that’s the last one.)
-Go up to a Native American and call them derogatory Asian
names.
-Insist to a gay or lesbian that Uncle Sam has a present for
them called AIDS!
-Set aside one day when you watch every mind boggling and
disturbing movie imaginable. Enjoy your nightmares!
-Figure out lava lamps. Write a song for them.
-Some symbolism: I am separated from town and society by
the Chenango River. I love the Chenango River.
-If people in my school are physically capable of keeping up
with me, then they mentally are not, and vice versa. (I have
found that that applies to most people, so don’t feel bad!)
-Nothing ruins fun like obligation.
-You can work harder, or smarter.
-Clubs aren’t very fun if you are the only member and have
no enemies.
-I came; I saw; I left.
-The grass looked greener on the other side, but when I got
there, it was a drought.
-Political Activist: (n) Anyone foolish enough to give a crap
about government.
-Individual: (n) someone you care about.
-Society: (n) someone you don’t care about.
-The art of survival is resourcefulness. The science of survival
is preparation.
-The problem with living for the moment is that you don’t
die the next.
-To whom it may concern: this does not concern you.
-Genius is stifled by incompetent people in groups.
-When life gives you lemons, cut them in half and mash
them into her eyes.
-I could beat you with one brain tied behind my back.
-There’s a right way, a left (wrong) way, and my way- all
out assault!
-You have the right to disagree with me; it is also known as
your right to be wrong.
-“Social diversity is social perversity.” –Mike Savage
-“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
–Ben Franklin.
-Prohibition is proof that Government doesn’t. –ruzt
-School: A community drug-free zone. LOL!
-We need the correct view on this matter: mine.
-I heard that mankind needs answers, so here I am!
-When the competition gets hot, so does my gun barrel.
-When I need your opinion, I know I can’t stick my head
up any further.
-Be politically correct: sell white people into slavery in
Africa.
-My home security system is a shotgun.
-I am full of myself because everyone else is insufficient
as fuel.
-Some people decide to be great; I never had a choice!
-Want to see the pinnacle of American engineering? Give a
redneck a lot of money.
-Rhetoric: learning to talk like a stoned person without the
drugs.
-You’ll have to excuse my cynicism; it just ate three bean
burritos.
-I’m paranoid, but I’m not afraid of you.
-I’m not afraid of people with guns. (Mine are bigger.)
-So, this is being a senior? Man, I’m going back to ninth
grade!
-To take the edge off of a revolutionary, give him a girlfriend.
-Society has drained me of tears. Now I only have spit.
-If you get zits, you are human. If you get a bunch, you are
teenager.
-In sin’s case, practice does not make perfect.
cont. pg. 10
Discourse
May/June 2004
Cynicʼs Soapbox, cont. from pg. 9
-Abortionists! How would you like it if a fetus decided it
didn’t want a mother and aborted you!
-Have you ever had a soda bottle full of caustic, superheated
chemicals blow up in your hand? Yeah, it’s not fun.
-If you see me running with tears of laughter in my eyes, sit
back and watch the fireworks. If there are tears of trepidation,
cell phone your loved ones and say goodbye.
-Hades hath no wrath... like hungry Ruzslanders have on
cupboards and refrigerators.
-Friends call me ruzz; enemies call me their downfall.
-Sometimes the only difference between an “adult” and a
child is how easily they can boss you around.
Well, that’s that. If you’re kind of disappointed in me,
remember: these are only the ones suitable for your small
minds.
the almost clear for takeoff ruzt
From Klingons to
Stargates
google.com
While some of us have addictions to coffee, chocolate, or
crack cocaine, others are addicted to television. Specifically
to the sci-fi channel. Even more specifically, those who are
addicted to the sci-fi channel are more often than not addicted
to Stargate: SG-1. Take, for a moment, a flashback to the
1960s: everyone who has seen a few episodes of the original
Star Trek knows that each episode has the same basic plot
structure: grave peril, rethinking of perspectives on life and
life forms, and, of course, Kirk demonstrating his core nature as a ladies' man. This
is not to say, however,
that there is no vestige of
suspense remaining; the
main question is how will
the crew (or Kirk) get out
of the particular quandary
which they happen to be
in at any given moment,
regardless of whether they
are confronting a society
obsessed with Romanlike gladiator games or a
warp-core failure just as
a Klingon bird of prey
arrives. Essentially, however, it is the same thing
over and over again. The
Next Generation tops
the original
solely because of Q and
his appealing character traits; he (a) has a brutal sense of
humor, (b) is incredibly obnoxious, and (c) is one of the few
things in the universe which can make Captain Picard boil
over with irritation.
Stargate SG-1 seems to rise above even the epic Star Trek
for a few simple reasons. It has much more of a plausible base
(well, relatively speaking); at the very least, the combination
of ancient cultures/archaeology with astrophysics, extraterrestrials, and an ancient system of gates which allow
one to travel to other worlds via wormholes makes for a great
sci-fi series. Part of the appeal must be the present-day setting. Star Trek, etc. all take place in the future of humans
or in the past or future of alien races, whereas the Stargate
Command is a highly guarded secret, a USAF facility un-
Page 10
Cheyenne Mountain, and this stargate was unearthed from
an archaeological dig in Egypt.
It not only provides fuel for budding conspiracy theorists,
but it puts a twist on the old perspective. In The X-Files,
concealment of extraterrestrials = very, very bad; in Stargate
SG-1, concealment of the stargate program = very, very good
(except where the opposing organization, the NID, is concerned). Rather than being concerned mainly with Earth's
future (creatively speaking), it is concerned with its future
AND its past, making it that much more interesting than Star
Trek or Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica. That is not to say
that Stargate is superior; I do, indeed, appreciate Star Trek
and its 3, 500 branches, and I am, in fact, a "trekkie". On a
tangent, I suppose that I could call myself a "starggie", too,
but that may be a bit over the edge. Albeit, Stargate, and
probably most space-based science-fiction series, owes much
to Star Trek, as such series would probably have never been
produced at the time they were had there been no Star Trek
to provide a basic idea; it is an example of evolution in sci-fi
series terms. Stargate isn't necessarily a better sci-fi form;
it's just more complex and provides a more variegated image
of the pseudo-universe. Admittedly, the extent of characterization found in the majority of the Star Wars films is equal
to that of Stargate: SG-1, and they definitely have more
characterization than the Stargate movie.
Additionally, just as Star Trek did, Stargate will most
likely develop 3,500 branches (Stargate Atlantis seems to
foreshadow this), and in twenty years, an even better show
will arrive and Stargate will be seen as only slightly complex
and imaginative. Again, the evolution analogy applies; the
original Star Trek is monotonous when compared to The Next
Generation, Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and on
goes the list of its 3,500 branches, and those 3,500 branches
are now slightly shadowed by Stargate. The fact is, most scifi obsessed can appreciate most solid works of science-fiction,
be they in text or on film, with the unique exception of the
new Andromeda (convulse, go into apoplectic shock). If you
have an enemy, strap them to a chair, hold open their eyelids,
and force them to watch an episode of the new Andromeda.
If you really want to torture someone, that is the way to do it!
In any case, if you ever find yourself compulsively playing
solitaire for ten hours straight during the summer, try watching a few episodes of Stargate: SG-1 instead.
Auralee Morin, a veritable "starggie"
The Music of Bjork
Bjork is an amazing artist. She is from Iceland, a country
in the north Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Greenland. It is
sometimes considered to be part of Scandinavia. Bjorkʼs
music is certainly unique, a mix of pop and techno with
unique, mysterious lyrics. Her songs reflect many different
ideas. In the song “Hunter”, she says, “I thought I could
organize freedom, how Scandinavian of me!”
I highly recommend her Greatest Hits CD, released under
Elektra in 2002. The most interesting tracks are “Human
Behaviour”, “Bachelorette”, and “Isobel”. Her songs are
sometimes surprising in nature. Bjork is never afraid to
take risks with her music. She writes all her own songs. In
concert, Bjork enjoys having fireworks exploding around
her. It makes her feel powerful.
Her CDs include: Debut, Post, Homogenic, Verspertine,
Gling-Glo, and Greatest Hits. Gling-Glo is a CD Bjork recorded in 1990 with the trio Gudmundar Ingolfssonar. The
entire CD, save its last two tracks, are in Icelandic. The theme
is slightly jazz-aired, light and easy to listen to.
If everyone listened to Bjork, the world would be a better
place.
Patrick Tretola
Discourse
May/June 2004
A View from the
Loser Section
google.com
google.com
In case youʼre wondering what the “loser section” is, a
friend and I were attending one of the ever-so-fun school
dances, and we noticed that we always tended to congregate
in one spot of the cafeteria and watch the dance from there.
We thusly coined the place “the loser section”, as neither of
us is ever going to be on the prom court. The loser section
was in existence for about a year until one fateful dance when
it turned into the “skanky makeout section”. All we could do
was shake our heads at the inappropriate PDA and go find
somewhere else to complain about the terrible music and
all the fun we werenʼt having. My friend and I go to every
single dance.
I see phoniness pretty much everywhere I go. Between
the butt-kissers and the people who donʼt really want to talk
to you but feel like they have to, and I'm sure youʼve met
someone like that, it gets a little sickening. Maybe itʼs just
me, but sometimes I see these people with their vapid smiles
(itʼs not just teenagers either; there are plenty of adults that do
this, too) and I just want to smack them upside the head and
say, “Stop being so fake! @$^O(&$$%&))!!!!!!!” I'm one of
the most nonaggressive people youʼll ever meet in your life.
I avoid confrontation, to use a hackneyed platitude, like the
plague. Yes, I'm a people pleaser. I admit it. I drop my own
opinions in favor of others. I'm fake. I know it. Back to the
subject though, phoniness really bugs me, along with a lack of
creativity among todayʼs youth. My history teacher assigned
a project to my class a while ago. He specifically said that it
had to be some kind of performance along with three different
types of visual aids. There were six groups. Four out of the six
made posters and presented them. That involves performance
how? I probably should mention that the other project he
assigned us, in September, was to make posters. Yeah, repeating the project six months later is really a good idea, guys.
I couldnʼt decide if I was sad, horrified, or if I just wanted
to laugh. He
gives us free
reign and we
make posters.
Thatʼs
todayʼs youth
for you. Everyone has to
be the same.
Originality
is frowned
upon today.
If youʼre not
wearing some five dollar piece of cloth that you paid a thousand dollars for just because it has the word “Tommy” on it,
then youʼre not cool. Why would you want to wear someone
elseʼs name on your shirt, especially if said someone else is
sixty thousand years old, but yet he still decides whatʼs cool?
By the way, I really wish I were a size 5 so that I could fit into
the stuff at Hot Topic. Everyone needs a shirt that says, “I
understand how you feel. I just donʼt care.” There are some
clever people alive today. Along that same token though, there
are some people that are one taco short of a combination plate.
Take the millions of teen girls that use Seventeen or Elle as
their bibles. Evidently, the Ten Com-
Page 17
mandments now involve something about, “Thou shalt not
wear all black,” and “Jessica Simpson is thy God.” Wake up
people! I get discouraged when the emphasis is not placed on
being yourself but rather on being somebody else.
I donʼt understand the world sometimes. It gives me a
headache when I'm trying to figure out why pretending to be
something youʼre not is in. Why do we let ourselves drop any
sense of self in order to be accepted? If your friends all think
that Britney Spears is the best thing since music was created
and you think youʼll scream if you have to listen to anything
Britney ever again, then try doing something new. Simply
say that Britney Spears is dating (insert name of current
male celebrity with million dollar body and .2 brain
cells here). Youʼll at
least get them talking
about something, and
it should hopefully
drown out the noise.
Quick! Think of
five reasons that you
are unique. If you
couldnʼt think of
anything, congratulations! Youʼre part
of the Conformity
Trap. Do you think
your
airheaded
friend is the epitome
of cool? Sorry, he/she
is not. Please, do me
a favor, and throw
away your YM, put
down your Natural
Shade foundation, and
make friends with
yourself again. Try to discover a part of you that says, “Itʼs
okay to be myself.” Maybe I shouldnʼt be preaching at you
like this. I admit that I read Seventeen occasionally, though
Iʼd rather read Spin or Rolling Stone. I like modern rock,
and I even have considered buying a Tommy shirt. Then, I
woke up and realized that my size 18 body is not going to fit
into Tommyʼs size negative infinity clothes. Thatʼs another
thing that really bothers me. Why do fashion designers believe that fat people enjoy wearing purple muumuus? The
average size of an American woman is now a 14. The fashion
designers need to get with the program and make some fat
people clothes, too. I'm a proud shopper at Lane Bryant and
the plus size department at Fashion Bug. But thatʼs another
issue for another day.
People need to stop being so fake with each other. I hate
it when people skirt around issues. As a society, we need to
be more open with each other. If you have a problem with
someone, the way to solve it is not by complaining to everyone within a 902.45-mile radius. It can be solved by talking
to the person. Please, stop spreading rumors and telling lies.
It only reflects on the quality of you as a person. If people
would just be themselves, I think that society would improve
greatly. Great. Now I'm really piling on the drivel. I'm probably the fakest person youʼll ever meet. I guess Iʼll hop off
my soapbox for now. I sincerely believe, though, that the
best thing any of us can do is to start embracing uniqueness
again. Everyone else does not define you. You define yourself.
When all the conformity is gone, then, perhaps, we will be
able to rise as a proud culture. Maybe all everyone needs is
to be accepted for who they are. Or maybe I'm just living in
my utopian daydream. There can be no individual growth if
all people are exactly the same. I think Iʼve finally come to
realize that. I hope someday that you will, too.
Kelly Corey
Discourse
May/June 2004
To Sleep or Not to Sleep
To sleep or not to sleep- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler to rest the entire day,
Or to get up for that heinous thing called school.
To go, to learn- and by learning know'Tis a knowledge devoutly to be wished.
To go, to learn- to learn perchance to grow.
But in that growth there is the responsibility
That comes with such knowledge.
There's the thought that makes slackers of us all.
For who would bear the pages and pages of notes,
The piles of homework, the formulas to memorize,
The vocabulary to learn, the boring books to read,
The history we have to know, and the difficulties
One faces to bear it all without complaint
When all might be ended with a drop form?
Who would homework and reading do,
Falling ever into the arms of sleep,
But that the dread of parents' wrath,
The avoided boundaries from whose trespass
No son or daughter returns with a family name,
Frightens us all and makes us return to school
Than to step on those toes we dare not touch?
This fear does make students of us all,
And thus the tired face of determination is
Wakened with a cup of coffee and forgets the thought,
And great worked up courage that takes long to prepare
With understanding that there is no hope
Loses all motivation- Oh, but listen,
Mom and Dad! In your considerations
Be my sleepless hours remembered.
Sarah Weinell
It Can Happen
On May, 20, 2004, SADD hosted a model car crash resembling that of a drunk/stoned driver, played by me. It was
a very eye-opening experience for many and an experience
I will never forget. With the help of Andy Tarbell and the
Sherburne Fire Department, the crash was very realistic.
Being involved in the car myself (co-president), I could not
see the reactions of my classmates, but from what Iʼve heard,
we reached many people. The students got to see what really
happens at the scene of a crash. We had our make-up done,
very realistically I might add, and that added to the reality of
it all. I also found it interesting that when I asked over and
over, “Where are my friends? Whatʼs going on?”, the only
response I got was, “Some of them are being taken to the
hospital; just calm down.” No one ever said, “One of them is
dead.” “It was very scary,” said Nikki Foster (co-president)
after it was over. The students involved were asked to speak
with a reporter afterwards. The reactions were fairly mixed,
but all of them felt it was a frightening experience. I hope
that SADD has done its job in informing the upperclassman
about what could happen in the months to come. It really got
us thinking that this can happen, and it doesn t matter who
you are. So donʼt ruin your lives or your friendsʼ lives, and
take away the keys. I hope that I never have to be at the scene
of a crash like that, but thatʼs up to you.
Chrissy Natoli
Page 12
False and Insecure
I don’t know why, but everything in the world today seems
false and everyone is insecure. I know that I can be insecure,
of course, but I don’t know why everyone else is afraid of
any nominal spot, stain, or broken fingernail. Maybe we can
blame the media. Overly watchful eyes follow every step you
take; they scorn you when you wear the wrong thing or if you
have any strand on your plastered coiffure out of place. Why
should the way we look to others be such a big deal? Fashion
has become a great statement of individuality in the past years,
but is it really when you buy mass produced clothing that
you had no hand in designing? Yeah, some people have the
excuse that they couldn’t design a good-looking Popsicle, but
it seems that everyone lacks the imagination lately.
Entertainment scares me lately, especially how much people
are diving right into every lie their favorite star produces.
There was this famous guy, Jackson was his name, who was
accused of child molesting or something. Now, because he
was this great big wig in Hollywood, his trial is all over the
television. They even showed his mug shot on TV! I kind
of feel bad for the poor guy, having his life ruined on TV!
If any other regular Joe had been caught doing the same
thing, his trial would have made local news if he were lucky.
I don’t know how someone else’s problems have all of a
sudden become the bait of everyone else’s fishing for “real”
entertainment. There’s even the Court TV Channel, and
shows like Judge Judy humiliate and make a movie set out
of a stupid courtroom. One of those cases, where this lady
wanted money for damages that her neighbor’s dog put on
her car, was on there once. Don’t know why I watched it.
Why did she have to go on TV? Sympathy? I felt bad for
the poor underpaid camera crew that has to sit through the
same made up scandals every day.
Baseball drives me crazy. The sport itself is great, and
I enjoy watching a good game. The players, the owners,
and everyone else who has anything to do with professional
baseball have had a hand in creating the biggest and most
popular form of entertainment in the world. This can carry
true for any sport. The Super Bowl, the NCAA of basketball,
and the World Series must be the highest grossing “competitions” in the sports world. Companies pay millions to just
have a commercial devoted to them played during the breaks.
The simple fact that these players are playing for money I
cannot grasp. It isn’t really a job and it should be for fun,
not to pay for your next big party. Players used to have to
work multiple jobs while being a professional athlete. And
players are asking for more and more money! I can’t even
see why they deserve more when steroids and speed are part
of their pre-game diet.
It’s like a movie or a TV show now, too. Merchandise from
these games sells like crazy and television stations eat airings
of games right up. Society has fallen victim to economizing
and making money off of things that people wanted kept in
their private lives or what makes them afraid. Society lacks
art, in music everything is produced by machines and lip
synching is anything but uncommon, movies lack interesting
plots and real meaning, and the universe full of activity has
been put up for profit. A reality show is full of “cat fights”,
rumors, and dishonesty. This is all human nature, but if that
is what entertains people, then the world is coming to a very
sad state. I wish that morals were still true and people could
still enjoy the simple things, but it might be too late.
Michele Harris
Discourse
May/June 2004
Page 15
Cynic’s Toolbox: Recommended Classes
forging ahead.
Recently, I have been developing my skills as a BE (Backyard Engineer) in the direction of metallurgy. Surprisingly,
against all odds, I still have most of my facial hair and no
third degree burns, nor have I started any major conflagrations.
So, I would say, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being safe for all
but the most accident prone anarchist, 10 being something
like nitroglycerin production, where grown scientists even
have to run for cover!) of dangerousness, I would give it a
3. So, while it is safe, as long as you don’t intentionally do
something stupid (ruling most of you people out), there is a
slight bit of danger.
Interestingly, despite all the other years of my “projects”, I
have only seemed to attract the attention of the fuzz by doing
this; what an irony! I don’t think a meth lab looks anything
like a forge! (Problem is that I don’t know what a meth lab
looks like.)
Be sure to start out small, and remember: the key to a good
hot fire is air flow! WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! (It’s not
terribly hard to “borrow” some from the school.)
This is dedicated to all the whinos who seem to think that all
of my articles are too long or use too advanced of terminology
or vocabulary. (Even though I find my language inculpable of
any such chagrin causing slander!) Such duplicitous, squalid
temerity has a malevolent effect on literary engineers and
should never be brandished to their faces nor used to barrage their hearts! The Musty Cheese shall have revenge for
me! Long live the Musty Cheese! (That one’s for you, Mrs.
Mason! The Musty Cheese cult bids you good tidings and
good luck on all your endeavors!)
the fire and sulfur ruzz
Your School, cont. from pg. 7
This is a message to the school rulers, basically, but I am
also informing everybody of the maltreatment of our teachers,
our thinkers, our brilliant ones. To teach is an incredible gift.
To boss and give out small amounts of money (the school
administration) requires little talent. Someday, I hope to see
a complete reformation of American school systems. Only
have employees that are needed. Pay teachers better. Treat
students better.
They (administration again) treat us students like a burden
most of the time, like weʼre getting in the way of their job or
something. I think that neither they nor you realize that they
are employed for US and us alone. They act like we are just a
part of their job description and that we are irrelevant. Keep
this figure in mind: I believe that the superintendent salary is
somewhere around $175,000 a year, and the superintendent is
the farthest from us students, and a teacherʼs salary is in the
vicinity of $30,000 a year (not for teachers who have worked
as teachers for many years, though.) And, the teachers are
the closest to the students.
Someday, teachersʼ rights should be the major issue at
hand. They are very mistreated. You think school is bad for
you; well, itʼs excruciating for them.
Patrick Tretola
At the end of the school year, many seniors have regrets
about classes and clubs or activities that they have not experienced. A few classes we know as seniors that we are
grateful for taking are keyboarding, accounting, and business
law. Keyboarding has improved our speed and accuracy in
typing papers, which results in less time spent on writing
essays for school. Accounting has taught us how to balance
a check book, have a checking account, and understand the
importance of banking.
Business law also helps in many different ways and will be
very useful in everyday situations after graduation. Business
law has taught us everything we need to know about making
contracts and agreements. This class has also taught us about
the torts and crimes in society, which can be very helpful in
protecting ourselves. We urge everyone to take these business
classes; not only do you learn a lot, but they are also fun and
interesting classes.
Becky Lawrence
Nicole Lawrence
Great Summer Activities
for the Spoon-Obsessed
1. Write a 100-page paper with .3 inch margins and size ten
font concerning the development from the basic spoon to the
various genres, such as soup-spoons, ladles, and the latest
development in pop culture: spoons as nose rings.
2. Form a discussion group concerning the disturbing influx
of plastic spoons, and conduct a study on this phenomenon,
including the psychological reaction to plastic spoons.
3. Form a Spoon Society to commemorate famous spoons,
lament the spoons who gave their lives during Houdini's
spoon-bending spectacles, educate the public about the great
ways in which spoons have contributed to our nation (in fact,
many hold seats in Congress), and condemn the sacrilege of
spoon-fork hybrids, the most famous of which goes by the
name of "spork."
4. Request that S-E provide a class concerning spoon-making
for the 2004-2005 school year that will address the key issues
as to why we make spoons, how we make spoons, and the
social reaction to spoon-making. Suggest that the recent preeminence of spoons as the favored choice of utensil for eating
everything from ice cream to pizza be on the syllabus.
5. In addition to the reenactments which will occur within the
Spoon Society, compose dramas about the tragedies which
spoons have had to face constantly throughout their long,
tedious lives. Catchy titles include "Spoons and Suffering"
and " The Taming of the Spork".
6. South Africa is infamous for its illegal diamond trade, but
what one does not hear about in the headlines is the underplayed illegal spoon trade. In the U.S. last year, more spoons
were illegally imported from South Africa and Mexico than
all of the illegal drugs combined. Expose this underground
spoon-trade in The New York Times.
7. Write a 12-page article for Discourse concerning the appeal of custom spoons, the history of custom spoons, and the
art of knitting. Note the various wars that have been fought
over custom-spoons. Include custom-spoons in the spoonmaking report mentioned above.
8. Note that this article was, in fact, written by a renegade
spoon who suddenly became bent out of shape after the national census revealed an unusual rising trend in the interest
in forks. This renegade spoon is in no way associated with
the alleged author of this article and should be completely
ignored.
Auralee Morin
Discourse
Invincibility
May/June 2004
We act so strong and cocky all the time,
We tell ourselves that we'll be just fine,
The truth to life is that no one's safe,
Not in mine, yours, or anyone's case.
We bow down to fate everyday we live,
We don't realize that we are just kids,
We act invincible like we'll live forever,
That's what we all hope about each other.
Too many people are taken away,
That's why we have to live life to the fullest each day,
It's true that we don't know what day will be our last,
With all of the action, our lives go by so fast.
At our age we haven't experienced much at all,
'Cept some parties, some lovers, and a few trips to the
mall,
These events can take your life but you wouldn't think that,
A trip with a lover to the mall the day after a party took
Matt!
Our independence, freedom, and sense of individuality,
Is engrained in our brains as teens, and we can see that
took Julie!
Now, we try to look forward to a warm summer of fun,
And can't wait till we know that school is definitely done,
We try to be strong and forget the horrific events,
But they are burned into our memories forever and we'll
never forget.
By now we should know that we are teens with an entire
life to live,
And our youthful charisma is something we have to give,
With our intelligence and ideas, we are the future of this
nation,
And we try to avoid the hardships we are facing.
What we don't realize is that we must cope and be strong,
At least that's what I was told by Frog.
That kid was so brave and he fought for our country,
And he lived the life of a soldier daily.
A soldier in life, and a soldier at war,
He was a man of strength, courage, and more.
He told me to have fun no matter what happened,
And I will, knowing he will watch while I have it.
Our attitudes prevent us from seeing the truth,
About life and the decisions we make,
Our futures rest in the hands of me and you,
But our time on this earth simply belongs to fate.
All these good people are taken away,
In the process of being all they can be,
With entire lives to live all we can say,
Is "I am invincible, that won't happen to me."
Brian Russell, 6/1/03
In memory of Jason Brown, Matt Masuhr, Julia Mulligan,
and all those loved ones who were tragically taken from us
as teenagers or young adults, with an entire life ahead of
them.
Class of 2004
Page 14
We've gone through so much
And are still so close at heart.
In the cafeteria at lunch,
Somewhere, our friendship had to start!
From the very beginning we knew we'd be friends,
These bonds formed with one another will surely never
end.
Graduation is so near and we will depart,
We'll hold each other in that special place in our heart.
Right next to the spot that we all hold Matt,
Matt was our leader, a legend, we all know that!
Now is the time we all say goodbye,
And many of us will begin to cry,
But in the end all will be fine,
A class like no other, we're simply one of a kind.
Brian Russell
"Dedicated to the Class of 2004 and my best friend, Matthew Ryan
Masuhr, holding all the memories throughout the years dearly in our
hearts. Our time together was limited, but our memories together
will last forever!"
Spirit night and spirit week champs, along with so many
other memories
Every special moment lasts forever
Nothing compares
Inseperable bond
One of a kind
Real friendships that will last forever
Striving for sucess, knowing we can always count on each
other
Jesi Hicks
Thank You
This year is the last of four years of high school for the senior
class. Many things can change in four years- teachers, friends,
classes, buildings, and so much more, even that which we
remember learning in elementary school. (Did you know that
Pluto is no longer considered a planet?) There is one thing
that has not changed- Mr. Leinbach. Mr. Leinbach is our
class advisor and has been for four years. His constant help
and support have brought us through high school as a class,
providing us with memories that will last a lifetime. The
countless fundraisers that he has helped us with have given
us great potential for having fun through various activities.
Mr. Leinbach is retiring this year and will be greatly
missed. His dedication to our class will always be remembered. On behalf of the senior class, for the hard work and
dedication, I would like to say "Thank you!"
Sarah Weinell
Discourse
May/June 2004
Seniors 2004
Page 11
Discourse
May/June 2004
Views from the Hall, cont.
from pg. 1
"Become a street pharmacist and play professional baseball and
bowling on the side."
Brian Russell
"Cazenovia College to major in Graphic Design and compete
on the IHSA equestrian team."
Tina Kowalski
"Go to work; live life up."
Travis Drexler
" I will be going to Morrisville for my core classes, then going
to LeMoyne [to become] a physicianʼs assistant."
Joanne Swayze
"I m going to Cazenovia College and majoring in education."
Megan McDowell
"I m going to work for a year then possibly go to college."
Brian Button
"I m going to military training (AIT) and then to college for
Diesel Tech."
Richard Schreve
"This fall I will be attending SUNY Cortland for Criminology
and Psychology."
Ashley Boise
"Iʼm going to Herkimer Community College to major in Physical
Therapy Assistance."
Matt Barnes
"I m going to Delhi."
Zach Goodier
"I am going to Hobart and William Smith College. There I am
going to major in English while studying pre-law. Then I hope
to go to law school."
Krysta Augistine
"I am going to Mohawk Valley Community College where I
will take liberal arts, and then transfer to film school afterwards."
Troy Goodier
"I m going to SUNY Geneseo as undecided."
Laura Murphy
"I am going to Ohio Tech. for diesel and automotive."
Brandon Schwarting
"I am going to Bryant and Stratton for graphic and design, then
transferring to either Cornell or Cazenovia."
Crystal Kupris
"I am taking a year off to work."
Shawn Brown
"I am going to Cazenovia as a physiology major to make lots of
money like Dani so we can live together in a mansion."
Melissa Gunther
"I am going to Oneonta for early childhood education."
Miranda Walls
"I am going to get married and make lost of money from stenography."
Erica Utter
"I am entering the Marines to serve my country."
Luke A. Willis
"Hanging out with college babes near rivers and ponds at SUNY
Cobleskill."
Russell Howard
"I am going to Herkimer to major in forensics."
Nate Gehm
"I am going to throw a party and celebrate the 12 years of hell
that is over."
Chip Wojehowski
"I am going to college, hopefully in the United States."
Jorge Londono
" I am going to Broome Community College to major in taking
x-rays."
Jason Fairbanks
Page 18
"I plan on working at the Big M for many years like Fredman."
Jared Lindholm
"I am going to enjoy my summer, play piano on the weekends,
and try to have fun. I will attend Cedarville University in the
fall as a music major."
Greg Cooley
"Iʼm off to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island to
study Linguistics and someday run a marathon."
Kayleigh Scalzo
"Iʼm going to Daemen College in Amherst, NY to study Physical
Therapy."
Tyler Morgan
"Iʼm going to St. John Fisher College in Rochester to play soccer
and study biology with a minor in criminal investigations."
Alyssa Fuller
"Iʼm going into the Air Force and taking independent college
courses."
Casalee Hatton
"Iʼm going to Potsdam and am majoring in history [in order] to
become a teacher."
Courtney Greabell
"I am going to Moʼville for 2 years, then Herkimer for 2 to study
criminal justice."
Ashley Proskine
" I am attending Manhattanville College where I will study
music education."
Kaitlin Carey
"I am going to SUNY Oneonta to major in biology with a focus
in pre-medicine, then attend a great med. school to make lost
of money!”
Dani Maynard
"Iʼm going to SUNY Alfred to major as a Vet Tech. and eventually vet school at Cornell."
Kyle Delee
"I plan to go to college."
Stephanie Christian
"Go to college at Cobleskill."
Tony Scott
"I plan to attend Cazenovia College and I think Iʼm going to
major in elementary education."
Stacy Jenne
"Morrisville Ext. liberal arts humanities."
Melissa Leight
"I plan to go to Cazenovia College as a studio art major and
eventually move on to art therapy."
Laurel Terras
"I plan to go into the Air Force."
Becky Lawrence
"Iʼm attending the University at Albany."
Liza Blanchard
"Iʼm going to Buffalo State, majoring in elementary education."
Jesi Hicks
"Iʼm going to Colgate University undecided, and I will be playing field hockey in the fall for them."
Natali Plesniarki
"I am attending Cortland to possibly major in biology and minor
in psychology."
Christy Steiner
"I am going to Oneonata State to study business, and then I am
headed off to law school."
Abby Alishauskas
"Getting my nail tech license and hopefully opening my own
place."
Sara Prosser
"Going to college for meteorology."
Crispen Boyson
cont. pg 19
Discourse
May/June 2004
Views from the Halls, cont.
from pg. 18
"I am going to college."
Kyle LaFever
"I am going to work for a month then have fun for the rest of the
summer before going to Nazareth College."
Nichole Foster
"I am going to Adirondack Community College to get a degree
in forestry."
Krystian Lepcio
"I am going to Broome Community College for communications
and media arts."
Amanda Janiki
"I am going to Harvard to study liberal arts."
Jason Lollman
"I am attending Liberty University and majoring in meteorology."
Brad Day
"I am going [into] active duty in the Air Force."
Jake Snyder
"I am going to SUNY Morrisville to major in nursing."
Nicole Nemeth
"Iʼm planning on getting a real job and enjoying the summer,
going to college in January."
Jessica Parry
"Getting a job for a year, then college, a trip to Venice sometime
in there, and yeah, thatʼs it."
Jason Martin
"I plan to attend Buffalo State and major in education."
Cassie Lewis
"Iʼm going to Cobleskill College and majoring in graphic design
with a minor in photography."
Justin McDermott
"Iʼm going to Daemon College to major in elementary education
and have fun."
Stacey Kline
"My big plans are to attend the University at Buffalo and major
in pharmacy and eventually get my Ph.D. Oh! And have a great
time doing it!"
Stephanie Purdy
"I will be attending Johnson and Wales University in RI and majoring in culinary arts."
Hodgie
"I m going to SUNY Canton and majoring in nursing."
Jon Carson
"Iʼm moving to West Palm Beach, FL and getting my real estate
license and attending school to be a dental hygienist."
Nicole Lawrence
"I plan to go to Morrisville College to become a registered
nurse."
Megan Utter
"I plan to go to Mount Saint Mary College and then become a
physical therapist."
Marrissa Silverman
"I am taking a year off, then college after that!"
Jenna Thayer
"I plan to go to Morrisville College to get my certificate in prevet, then transfer to Cornell to get my degree in veterinary [science]."
Jennifer Clark
"I plan to go to my full-time job and attend college courses at the
Norwich-Morrisville Campus."
Tabitha Tilbe
"I plan to go to college and play football and pursue a profession
in athletics or sports management."
Richie Zdanowicz
Page 19
"I am going to Caz, then transfer[ring] to a bigger and better
college and have a great fun life!"
Cristina Larson
"Iʼm going to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern
University. Woot.”
Christina Pfohl
"Iʼm going to SUNY Canton, then transferring to Cornell (to
be a vet)."
Tatum St. Pierre
"I plan on going to North Country Community College. For what?
I donʼt know, just to have some fun."
Ashley McCracken
"Iʼm going to attend Oswego and study zoology, and maybe play
some volleyball."
Kirsten Parry
"Iʼm going to Cazenovia College to major in business and possibly play some good olʻ volleyball."
Deanne Strait
"I will be attending Binghamton University where I will be studying psychology and law."
Kalie Hill
"I plan to attend SUNY Potsdam so that I can earn a degree and
certification to teach music."
Sarah Weinell
"I plan to attend [the] Syracuse University School of Architecture."
Brandon Cole
"I am going to Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and majoring in aerospace engineering."
Lauren Turrell
"I plan to attend SUNY Cortland and major in elementary education."
Erin Taylor
"I plan to attend Berkeley in White Plains. I will major in fashion
merchandising and business management."
Courtney Williams
" I am going to the University of Northwestern in Ohio [to] major
in high performance technology."
Mike Penner
"I plan to live with my boyfriend, eventually get married, and
start a family."
Sarah Green
"I plan to attend MVCC to study computer information systems,
and eventually get married and start a family."
Paisley Crandall
"I am attending the University of Vermont to major in criminal
justice and journalism, and continue doing construction work."
Troy Dibble
" McDonaldʼs."
Shawn McGrath
"I am going to attend Morrisville State College as an equine
major."
Quinn Fitzpatrick
google.com
Discourse
May/June 2004
Wedding Bells for an S-E Alumna
My sister graduated here three years ago. Until recently, I did not realize how
many people still knew her here. I decided that maybe those of you who knew her
would appreciate some news.
On May 15, 2004, Carolyn Maria Weinell was married to Adam Matthew Francis
Palm of Cooks Falls, New York. The wedding ceremony was held at St. Malachy's
Roman Catholic Church in Sherburne, and the reception was held in the church hall.
The ring bearer and flower girl were Michael and Sophia DiMaio, my cousins. The
junior brideʼs maids were my sisters, Caitlin and Meaghan Weinell. Another "junior"
brideʼs maid was Hannah Weinell, as the usher with whom she was supposed to walk
was on active duty in Iraq. The brideʼs maids were Rachel Farrow and Betsy Weinell.
I was the maid of honor. The ushers were Daniel Beers and Jonathan Weinell. The
best man was Matthew Weinell. The brideʼs maids were dressed in pastels and held
matching flowers. The bride's dress was embroidered on top, and the skirt was gauzy
and had a train. The ceremony was beautiful, and the rain held off long enough for
the bride to enter the church. The couple now lives in Walton.
Sarah Weinell
Junior Prom Proves a Night to
Remember
Page 20
Teacher Feature
I was born in New York state and
went to high school at Cortland Senior
High. After high school, I attended
SUNY Cortland, where I recieved my
master's degree in education. I have
taught at Sherburne-Earlville for eighteen years at the high school level.
In my spare time I like to read, watch
movies, garden, mow lawns, and travel
when I am free. In my future, I plan
on continuing to teach at SherburneEarlville and enjoy my life.
If I won a million dollars, I would
buy a prosperous cattle ranch in the
West and live there in the "big house",
and also take an occasional trip to California to go surfing.
Can you guess which high school
teacher I am?
Submitted by Rebecca Lawrence
The teacher featured in the April issue of
Discourse was Mrs. Martindale.
Discourse
secsd.org
The Sherburne-Earlville High
School Student
and Publication
winner of two
BOCES
Media Festival
Awards
I'm sure that everyone knew that the juniors had their prom at The Palace in
Hamilton on May 22, 2004. The Class of 2005 had a lot of fun at the prom. There
were many prizes that the juniors could have won.
We would like to thank Mr. Sherry, our class advisor, who is the most enthusatic person on a Monday morning, or any morning, and our Prom Committee.
The decorations were beatiful, and everyone had a good time. It was a night that
we will never forget.
We would also like to thank Randy Davis, because we were able to hold the
After-Prom Party at The Fox Run Event Center. Another thanks goes to Rachel
Pancoe and Emily Rose for being on top of everything and being the best Prom
Chairpeople ever.
Anyway, everybody on the Prom Committee hopes that everyone had a fantastic
time and will never forget the memories that will last a lifetime. Best of luck to
all of the juniors!
Jenn Emerson
Cheers and Jeers
Cheers to summer!
Jeers to violators of senior privileges.
Cheers to no more homework!
Jeers to insane gas prices.
Cheers to resolving conflicts between grades!
Jeers to sunburns.
Cheers to yearbooks!
Cheers to the last issue of Discourse of the year!
Discourse Staff/Contributors
Kayleigh Scalzo, editor
Krysta Augustine
Kelly Corey
Jenn Emerson
Michele Harris
Jessica Hicks
Sasha Hoff
Russell Howard, cynic-in-residence
Nicole Lawrence
Rebecca Lawrence
Dani Maynard
Megan McDowell, graphic editor
Auralee Morin
Jessica Mulligan
Chrissy Natoli
Christina Pfohl
Kaitlyn Pudney
Brian Russell
Patrick Tretola
Valerie Walters
Sarah Weinell