January 2008

The Oakwood Times
5870 U.S. Route. 150
Fithian, IL 61844
Volume 22
Issue 5
Jan. 25, 2008
inside
2.Pankow is SOM
3.WYSE team named
10.Coach wins 300th
Overheard
“I didn
w her
didn’’t kno
know
name was Junior
Bailie He
witt.
”
Hewitt.
witt.”
- Haleigh V
an Camp
Van
Student workers
help school run
smoothly, page 4
Sophomore Courtney Glines files papers in the office. Glines is one of many students
who help out around the building. (Photo by Katie Lee)
1.25.08
2.News
Pankow named SOM
By Chelsea Tarquni
The title of student of the month for
February has been given to junior Corey
Pankow.
Pankow has showed much determination and leadership in his classes and
athletics.
He participates in OAP football, wrestling, and track; lettering in football and
track for two years, and in wrestling for
one year. This past football season he was
also the team captain.
“Corey works hard at everything,”
said French teacher Ms. Kelly Ferdinand.
“He is a definite leader in and out of the
classroom.”
On top of how active he is in athletics, he has also been able to maintain a
GPA of a B+. Pankow works hard in class,
but is still humorous whenever he gets a
chance.
“Corey keeps class entertaining,
while asking questions everyone wants to
know,” said Ferdinand.
Ferdinand has nominated Pankow to
be student of the month before. Her efforts and persuasion have paid off.
Most people are surprised when they
are told that they have been chosen for
this title, but Pankow has been previously
told of Ferdinand’s efforts.
“My first thought was that Ms.
Ferdinand must have voted for me again,”
said Pankow.
Outside of his extra-curricular activities and high school classes, Pankow en-
Junior Corey Pankow was named
the February Student of the Month.
Pankow was a captain of the football
team this past fall. (Photo by Minda
Pichon)
joys playing sports for fun. He also finds
time in his busy schedule to set aside time
to spend with his girlfriend.
All of Pankow’s hard work is finally
getting recognized. He obtains many traits
that make him ideal for the title, but there
are two keys reasons why he thinks he received this honor.
“I am a good student, and I suck up
to Ms. Ferdinand,” said Pankow.
OCEF to honor Anderson
By Katie Lee
The Oakwood Community Education Foundation (OCEF) will be hosting their “Education Celebration” banquet on March 1. It will be held at the Beef House in Covington.
The banquet will consist of a short presentation about the grant awards given out by
the OCEF to the Oakwood school district’s teachers. The OCEF will also be honoring Mrs.
Norma Anderson, the biology and Spanish teacher at OHS, for her many contributions to the
students and faculty at OHS.
“She is well respected and well thought of by the members of the foundation,” said
Todd Lee, the OCEF chairman.
A few of Anderson’s former OHS students will be guest speakers at the banquet. One
of which will be Mr. Winston Brasor, who now works for Applied Biosystems in New York
City. He graduated with the class of 1995. Brasor will be speaking about the importance of
education and the need to support the school systems. He will also tell about what he has
been busy doing since he graduated from OHS.
The banquet will feature a disc jockey, a silent basket auction, and a buffet style dinner.
The dinner will consist of the three meats: beef, chicken, and fish.
Anyone who is a supporter of Oakwood education is invited. Doors open at 6 p.m. and
the dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each.
You will be able to buy a ticket or make a contribution at the Oakwood United Community Bank or at the upcoming varsity boys games. The OCEF’s goal is to have a successful
banquet with a maximum turn out of 300.
Classmates help out a friend
By Amie Burke
The true meaning of Christmas came to OHS before winter break. A senior boy received
a gift he will never forget.
This student was given a surprise Nintendo DS and game for a Christmas gift from three
of his fellow classmates.
“I was dumbfounded and totally speechless,” said the senior.
Brielle Arnold, Chris Duncheon, and Cortney Parrett went together and bought the
memorable gift for their fellow classmate.
“They are extremely caring to give something like that to someone they barely know,”
said the student.
The “Question of the Day” in Mrs. Steffen’s senior English class was, “What is at the
top of your Christmas list this year?” The senior recalls himself making the subtle comment on
how he would not be receiving anything for Christmas. He also said that if he were to receive
something, he would want a Nintendo DS. Classmate Chris Duncheon proceeded to ask him
what game he thought was good for the hand held game system and now the senior realizes
what the questions were all about.
Librarians weed out collection, make renovations
By Mitchell Pouilliard
Many recent additions to the OHS library have offered more opportunities to the OHS students.
One renovation in the library was a major “weed.” A
weed is a librarian’s term for getting rid of many old books
that aren’t necessarily used. The OHS library had some of
the oldest books in the area.
“We got rid of a book from 1877,” said head librarian
Mrs. Donna Miner. “That just shows you how long some of
these books have been around.”
The librarians have also condensed all of the fiction
books into one section. In years past, the fiction novels
would have been on separate walls. This was confusing to
some students.
“It didn’t make sense to me to have two separate
sections of fiction,” said Miner.
In the past, the reference materials were also in many
different areas of the library. Now, all of the reference materials are along the south wall. This makes research assignments much simpler.
“It’s nice having all of the research materials in one
area,” said junior Stanley Zitello. “This saves loads of time
when I’m looking something up.”
Miner and librarian Decemma Bensyl also organized
some of the library’s clutter by adding shelves in some of the
rooms coming off of the library. Also, some library furniture
was moved around to make all of the books easily accessible.
“We moved the chairs to the opposite side of the room,”
said Miner. “Where the chairs used to be was in the way of
some of the books. It didn’t make sense to have furniture in
the way of our reading material.”
While organizing the library, Miner came across a box
of old donated CDs in an old cabinet.
“We found the CDs and decided to keep them to make
them available for the kids to check out,” said Miner. “We are
also taking donations of CDs that don’t contain profane language to make our collection better.”
Librarian Decemma Bensyl goes through a stack of
papers in the library. Bensyl and Miner have done a lot of
work to improve the school library. (Photo by Mitch Cronk)
3.News
1.25.08
Students honored for academic accomplishments
Eight named Illinois State Scholars
By Ross White
Eight OHS seniors were
recently named Illinois State
Scholars, and are among the top
10 percent of high school seniors
statewide.
Kyle Carnahan, Sierra
Isard, Justin Jones, Aaron
O’Neil, Minda Pichon, Scott
Randle, Rosa Shoemaker, and
Carly Wilson were all chosen as
State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
The Illinois State Scholar
Program recognizes high school
students for their academic
achievements. The students are
selected based on their class
rank at the end of their junior year
and ACT composite score. If a
student received a score of 30 or
higher on their ACT they are automatically named a State
Scholar.
“These students should be
extremely proud of their accomplishments” said ISAC executive director
Larry
Matejka,
on
www.NASFAA.org. “The commission congratulates them and wishes
them the best in their future endeavors.”
Students that are named State
Scholars will receive a certificate on
senior honors night. Being named a
State Scholar is also important on
college and scholarship applications.
Guidance Counselor Terry
Goodner thinks that getting a certificate is nice, but that the students
should be given something a little
extra.
“I would like to see a monetary reward,” said Goodner.
Only three seniors were
named from last year’s class.
Eight OHS seniors were chosen as Illinois State Scholars this year. They are, from left, Aaron O’Neill,
Minda Pichon, Sierra Isard, Justin Jones, Carly Wilson, Kyle Carnahan, Rosa Shoemaker, and Scott
Randle. (Photo by Joe Lewis)
WYSE team chosen for 2008
The 2008 WYSE Team were chosen this year. In the back row, from left, are Ryan Gill, Nathan Burke,
Aaron O’Neill, Scott Randle, and Joe Lewis. In row two are Brook Milner, Katie Webb, Sierra Isard, Kyle
Carnahan, and Coach Norma Anderson. In the bottom row are Stanley Zitello, Ross White, Minda Pichon,
Justin Jones, and Brady Leeman. (Photo by Carly Wilson)
By Kayla Watson
February is the beginning of the 2008 WYSE season .
WYSE stands for Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering.
The students attend competitions where they take two exams in two
different areas. The subjects are biology, chemistry, physics, English,
math, computer science, and engineering graphics. The competitions
are not only statewide, but nationwide.
The competitions are held at Danville Area Community College,
Eastern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois. The students
take two tests that are each one hour long, eat lunch, and then the
results are announced.
WYSE has been at OHS since 1980-81, and this is Mrs.
Anderson’s second year being the coach.
“I think it gives them (the students) a chance to compete against
students they are going to be competing against at the college level,”
said Anderson.
The first meet, the Regional competition, is on February 5 at
DACC.
“My goal is to get to State. We do fine in District, and last time
we went to State,” said senior Aaron O’Neill.
This year the members are Nathan Burke, Kyle Carnahan, Ryan
Gill, Sierra Isard, Justin Jones, Brady Leeman, Joe Lewis, Brook Milner,
O’Neill, Minda Pichon, Scott Randle, Katie Webb, Ross White, and
Stanley Zitello.
2
1.25.08
4.Cover
Working Behind the Scenes
Students help in, and out of the classroom
By Katie Lee
Each day that you attend school you probably hear about a successful sports team, a fellow
student excelling in a class, or a teacher giving a great piece of advice, but do you ever hear about
the students who work “behind the high school scenes”? Many may not even realize that there are
jobs for students around our building that do not involve studying for tests. Here is a chance to give
these hardworking helpers some recognition.
A “behind the scenes” job could consist of traveling outside of the building or being found in our
very own classrooms. Various jobs that students here at the high school help out with include: teachers’ aides, stat keepers, office help, library assistants, team managers, and cafeteria help. Every
one of these jobs is important and helps each day of school to run smoothly. These jobs also free up
time for OHS staff and coaches to get other tasks done.
“We probably don’t tell them enough how much we appreciate their help,” said Vicki Baker, an
OHS cook.
Cafeteria Help
Students think of lunch as their time to relax and fill their rumbling stomachs, but a few others use it as a time to lend a helping
hand. The cafeteria helpers are appreciated when the cooks are on a
very short crunch time for serving lunch.
“We only have so many minutes between lunches and without
them we would have a hard time,” said Baker.
Cafeteria help includes Morgan Curley, Andy Kirkpatrick,
Ashley Martin, and John Rice. Curley and Martin clear off trays,
stack them, and prepare them for the dishwasher. Kirkpatrick and
Rice help the cooks with other jobs around the kitchen.
“It’s not as bad as people probably think it is,” said Curley.
She jokes that it only gets really messy when there is barbecue
sauce or ketchup during the lunch. Curley has helped out in the
cafeteria for the past three years. By helping with these jobs, the
cooks are able to clean the tables in time for the next lunch.
“They do receive a free lunch,” said Melinda Burke, an OHS
cook, “but that’s still not enough.”
Team Managers and
Stat Keepers
Some students who help out around OHS volunteer their time
as a team manager or a stat keeper.
Logan Lee is the manager for the cross country team and he
travels to every race with them. His job consists of recording individual race times, operating the stopwatch at the finish line, assisting the coach, Mr. Tim Lee, and giving his moral support to the OHS
runners.
“It’s a good way to be a part of the team without the physical
effort,” said Logan.
Amanda Wilson and Kassi Ziegler travel with the wrestling
team to each meet and serve as their “stat girls”.
During their stat keeping, they record takedowns, reversals,
pins, escapes, and points. It is also their job to keep track of the
medicine kit in case of emergencies.
“I grew up around wrestling and my brother wrestled,
so I enjoy it,” said Wilson.
Wilson also enjoys seeing the team succeed at a meet,
especially when the wrestling coach, Mr. Dave Markwell won
his 300th career win recently.
Library Help
The librarians have been busy with the new changes
taking place in the library and so has the library assistant,
Paul Wright.
“The library renovations have truly gone a lot faster
because of the extra help,” said Mrs. Donna Miner, the head
librarian.
Wright visited the library each day and volunteered to
help with anything he
could. He has been busy
checking copyright
dates on books, pulling
out older books, putting
up new shelves, moving
shelves around to allow
for more room, shelving
books, and checking
magazines to remove
ones that are older than
five years.
“I feel confident
that what he’s gone
through (the older books
he has cleared from the
shelves) will be great,”
said Miner.
Wright’s hard
work has benefited both
the librarians and himself.
“I really like to read
and it’s kind of one of
those things that I feel
proud about doing,” said
Wright.
Morgan Curley
volunteers in the
cafeteria everyday after
lunch. She rinses trays
and prepares them for
the dishwasher. (Photo
by Katie Lee)
1.25.08
5.Cover
“I’m interested in teaching and this gets me used to the things a teacher
does,” said senior Amanda Wahlfeldt.
“They cut down the amount of time I
have to stay after school to get things done,”
said Ferdinand.
Others volunteered their time when
they had an open spot in their schedule and
didn’t mind helping a teacher.
“She does my little work that allows
me to put my attention toward my classes,”
said Dirksmeyer, of his teacher’s aide,
Tarquini.
Office Help
Paul Wright helps out in the library. He sorts through
magazines and removes issues that are five years or older.
(Photo by Katie Lee)
Teacher’s Aide
When you think about the many classes each of your
teachers must teach you may wonder how they accomplish
all of the paper grading, especially if your class just turned in
a huge report. At times like these, a teacher’s aide can be a
lifesaver. The teacher’s aide is able to assist the teacher with
any odd jobs they need done, which allows the teacher to
have more time for grading.
“My teacher’s aide is a tremendous help,” said OHS
teacher Mr. Jeremy Dirksmeyer.
Jobs that the teacher’s aides assist with include: collecting assignments from students, filing papers for each class,
organizing assignments, making copies when needed, and
typing quizzes and tests.
“I’m interested in teaching and this gets me used to the
things a teacher does,” said Amanda Wahlfeldt, Ms. Kelly
Ferdinand’s teacher’s aide.
Some other teacher’s aides at OHS are Ashley Craig,
Alex Cundiff, Stephanie Denius, Chelsea Tarquini, Wahlfeldt,
and Ross White.
“I know I’m not a teacher, but it’s kind of interesting
looking at the class from a different point of view,” said
Wahlfeldt.
Wahlfeldt wasn’t able to fit a French class into her
schedule, therefore being a teacher’s aide allows her to review her French while assisting Ferdinand.
The office is a very eventful place and
a few extra students helping out allows for
more things to get accomplished.
“Without them, more work would be
put on the secretaries,” said Mrs. Brenda
Ludwig, the OHS Principal.
This job also assists Ludwig and Mr.
Tim Lee, the Dean of Students. Office help
Some students volunteer their time as teacher’s aides. Amanda Wahlfeldt
consists of filing late passes and notes, taking papers to teachers, writing late passes helps Ms. Kelly Ferdinand with odd jobs around the classroom. (Photo by
and admits, and filling sports programs with Amie Burke)
rosters when needed. The office help also
assists the secretaries with errands around the building, such
The helpers for the first semester were Mackenzie Ellis,
as picking up admit slips from teacher’s classrooms, deliver- Courtney Glines, and Tara Mitchell. The helpers for the secing notes to students from the office, and taking papers next ond semester are Amanda Kent and Amie Burke.
door to the superintendent’s office.
“Of course I enjoy it,” said Ellis. “I’m working with Mr.
“They’re a huge help to me when kids come into the Lee!”
office often,” said Lee.
When the office assistants aren’t busy with work, they
use their time in the office as a study hall.
Courtney Glines worked in the office last semester.
She filed notes and wrote admits for students. (Photo by
Katie Lee)
“She does my little work that allows me to put my attention toward my classes,” said Mr. Jeremy Dirksmeyer.
2
1.25.08
6.Opinion
Editorial
Varsity athletes
should receive
more recognition
We the staff of the Oakwood Times
believe that OHS athletes should receive
pins for their letters instead of a certificate of congratulations when they letter in
a sport more than once.
The first time OHS athletes letter in
a sport, they receive a letter for their
jacket. If they letter in the same sport
more than once, they receive a certificate
of congratulations. Other area athletes
receive pins to put on their letters after
they have lettered more than once.
The pins are easier to display their
accomplishments. Athletes can pin them
to their jackets for everyone to see,
unlike a certificate. You can hang a certificate in your room, but not many people
would see it.
Another benefit of the pins is that the
athletes would be able to keep it and
store it forever. It’s small and compact
and can be kept anywhere. A piece of
paper can easily get ripped or ruined.
Many schools around Oakwood use
the pins; Armstrong athletes receive pins,
even if they play sports with the Oakwood
athletes.
“I think it’s a good idea (to give out
pins). You don’t want to go away from
tradition, but pins might have a greater
significance to the athletes,” said Athletic
Director Tim Lee.
Some Oakwood athletes pay for their
own pins, and most of the athletes would
rather receive them instead of a certificate.
Many schools receive pins. Having
these pins enables them display to the
public all of their accomplishments in
sports, school, or any other activities that
they are in. We believe that our athletes,
too, should be able to show off for their
school.
I was going to be a star!
Sports haven’t gone the way I planned
As most of you probably know, I am not of the “athletic
build.” I have not participated on an organized sports team
since 8th grade and I don’t plan on participating in anything
again. There are many reasons for this; I will start at the very
beginning.
I have been around sports my entire life. My dad was
the basketball coach at OHS and Westville for 12 years, so
ever since I can remember, I have been attending basketball
games, as well as other sports too.
I could actually sing the school
song at age two, give or take a
word, or 10, but I could do the
whole thing. I would go to a lot of
my dad’s games. If I was lucky I
even got to ride the bus.
My dad likes to tell the story
of one of those games. During the
JV game, I sat behind the bench,
waiting for my mom to get there.
Late in the game, there was a call
that the coaches disagreed with so
my dad got mad and stormed off the bench and into the locker
room to get ready for the varsity game. He said he could hear
the audience laughing as he was stomping his feet off the
floor, and he didn’t know what it was about. So, he got to the
locker room and slammed the door and a few seconds later he
heard the door slam behind him. He turned around and noticed that I had followed him across the floor, stomping my
feet just like him.
Before I was old enough to start playing T-ball, my dad
bought me a baseball glove and a set of catcher’s equipment.
I thought it was amazing. When my dad wanted me to play
catch with him in the yard I would go put on my catcher’s
equipment and my glove. Then I would go out and sing the
Star Spangled Banner, Take Me Out To The Ballgame, and
occasionally the Canadian National Anthem. Next, I would
have my dad announce the starting line-ups for our game of
catch. After all of that, I was done. I was tired of it and didn’t
want to play catch anymore. That was the first sign to my
parents that I wasn’t going to be the athletic type.
Eventually, I was finally old enough to play organized
T-ball. My dad was so excited to be able to coach his son in
his favorite sport. So, for a while I was all about baseball,
although I wasn’t very good. Another sign that said baseball
isn’t the sport for me was a few years later, when they needed
someone to go play right field. My dad looked down the
bench to Ryan Gill and I who were playing with toy dinosaurs. We both declined the invitation to play the outfield. At
that point, my parents realized I was not an athlete.
The other good baseball story is a classic that has been
retold many times within my family. It was one of my last
years of baseball, and I was having a particularly bad season.
I didn’t have many hits at all. But there was one particular atbat where I was feeling something good. I knew this was
going to be the big hit. I stepped up to the box, spit, adjusted
my batting gloves, and dug in like I had seen my heroes do
many times on TV.
In came the pitch. I swung. For some reason, the ball
decided to hit the bat. I was so amazed that I was a little slow
getting down the baseline. The crowd was going crazy. My
mom and dad are going nuts — Little Logey got a hit. Then all
of the sudden, the ball came down and hit me in the head, one
step out of the batter’s box. I was out. I was so upset. If only
I would have been on the right side of the baselines and not
the left, it would have been a foul ball. I would have got
another chance, and maybe hit a home run. Not likely, but
possible.
Then I got to play the “real deal” — fifth and sixth
grade basketball. I actually started on our fifth grade year and
scored my career high four points in my very first game. Not
bad for a fifth grader on that team.
Then came the “Shot heard
around Oakwood,” at least it
seems like it, because it happened
to be against our hated rivals, Diamond Grade School. Coach Gritton
put me in to play point guard. My
heart was pumping fast because I
hadn’t played much point guard.
I thought “What is he doing?”
Well, the ball was inbounded to
me and I turned around and shot
— at the wrong basket. I felt like
an idiot. The crowd was screaming at me the whole time. This
kind of experience does a lot for a fifth grader’s self-esteem.
Along came junior high basketball, where I realized that
it wasn’t going to work. In grade school my knowledge for
basketball almost evened out with the talented kids, but by
seventh grade, the talent caught up to me. I realized that it
would be hard to find playing time on a team with the Diamond kids mixed in. At that point, I shut basketball down,
too.
All I had left at this point was soccer. Now soccer was
not exactly my favorite sport. I never enjoyed getting up at
six on a Saturday morning to go play soccer in the mud, but I
was on the team so I stuck with it. Now, I had played close to
seven years of soccer, and never scored a goal. My very last
game, we were playing in the league tournament, and we didn’t
have a very good team, so we were playing a high seed in the
first round. It was a close game and my coach put me at a
forward, because I had made a big deal about not scoring. So
there I was, On the Front Line. All of the sudden, the ball gets
up to the forwards. I received a wide open pass. And I mean
wide open, like me and the goalie wide open. I pulled my leg
back and fired — and missed. Perfect opportunity for my
goal, and I blew it. We ended up losing that game anyway.
So at that point, my organized athletic career was over,
no more baseball, no more basketball, and no more soccer. I
haven’t played on a team since eighth grade. But, I’m happy
to announce that I may have found my true athletic calling.
Over Christmas break, my youngest brother got a set
of stacking cups. My family was gathered around the table
trying them out and I figured I would give it a try, so I stepped
in there and didn’t do too well at first, but after some serious
practice on Christmas Eve, I finally got it down. Out of the
eleven family members at my grandparent’s house that night,
I got the record, 3.94 seconds. That’s just over a second more
than the USA record holder at my age. Watch out Dustin
Gonzalez, I’m gunning for you next. I finally found my sport.
In the end, I have found the perfect profession to aim at
and everybody wins. I have found something that I like to do
in sports announcing and my dad got the athletes he wanted
in my brothers.
Son of
a Dean
By Logan Lee
7.Opinion
1.25.08
Tips for saving money and still have fun
Gas prices these days have soared high and that puts a
burden on us teens trying to find the money to pay for it so
that we can go out and have fun with our friends. We all know
that we can’t depend on our parents to give us money all the
time, so here are a few tips on how to get gas, save money,
and still be able to hang out with your friends.
Tip #1: Get a job
One of the first things that you should consider when
you want some extra money is finding a job. There are plenty
of places in Danville and Champaign that teens can get jobs
at. Some places give you raises after you have been there for
a certain amount of time and at a lot of places wages start out
KP Duty
By Kristen
Picklap
at minimum wage even if you are under the age of 18. Many
places are very flexible with your schedule and will give you
as many or as little hours that you want so you can still have
a life outside of school and work.
Tip #2: Carpool
When you and a couple of your friends want to hang
out together and you live pretty close to each other, ride
together to the place that you are wanting to go and take
turns driving each time you hang out. That way, it is equal
and you can still have fun with your friends.
Tip #3: Ride the bus to school
I know, it sounds like one of the worst things on earth
when you finally get your license, but in reality; it really is a
smart idea on saving some gas, especially when you live out
by Henning Road. But if you are running low on money and
have big plans for the weekend, riding the bus will save you
a tremendous amount of gas so that you can keep your plans
for the weekend.
Tip #4: Pump Perks
Pump Perks is this thing that both of the County Markets have, where when you buy certain items in their store,
they give you so many cents on this little card. When you
need gas, you go to the gas station across from Lee’s Famous Recipe and it saves you how much you have on that
card for each gallon of gas, up to 15 gallons. So when your
parents go grocery shopping, ask them to remember to put
what they can on the Pump Perks card.
Tip #5: Keep an eye out for low prices
When gas prices are “lower than normal”, put as much
gas in your tank that you can. Gas will be cheaper and it will
last longer. Also, when you go to get gas, look for ‘Unleaded’,
it is usually cheaper than the other kinds, except for at Casey’s
where the ‘Unleaded Plus’ is cheaper than the regular ‘Unleaded’, but ‘Unleaded’ is still just as good.
Tip #6: Go the speed limit
To me, it seems like a lot of teens speed more than
anyone else. But, by speeding, you are wasting a lot more
gas that you really need to. It burns your gas up a lot faster
than if you were going a decent speed. So by going the speed
limit, you are stretching your gas out to make it last a bit
longer.
Tip # 7: Movie/pizza night
If you want to hang out with your friends on the weekend, but you are running low on money, invite your friends
over for a movie and some pizza. You can all hang out and
have a good time and laugh over jokes and movies, so you’re
still having fun without spending your money.
Tip #8: Use your parents!
If you want to go shopping, or need to pick something
up from Wal-Mart, use your parents! Tell your parents that
you want to spend some “quality time” with them and ask
If you want to hang out with your
friends on the weekend, but you are
running low on money, invite your
friends over for a movie and some
pizza.
your mom or dad to go shopping with you to check out some
new electronics. You might even be able to get them to buy
something for you. Parents like that quality time stuff, now
that you are older and don’t want to be around them much
anymore.
So if you’re running low on some money, and don’t
have much gas, hopefully these tips will help you out.
Review
Juno a hit
Juno is a hilarious coming-of-age story filled with
memorable scenes, intelligent yet funny dialogue, and
lovable characters.
The story involves a 16-year-old girl named Juno
(Ellen Page) who decides she is ready to have sex. She
solicits the companionship of her best friend Paulie
Bleeker (Michael Cera) and ultimately gets pregnant.
Panicked over a teen pregnancy, Juno goes to an
abortion clinic where she has an almost traumatic experience, and decides not to go through with it. After talking
with
her
friend Leah
(Olivia
Thirbly),
Juno decides
she will have
the child, but
will give the
child up for
adoption after it is born, because she is not mature enough
to raise a child at this point in her life.
Together Juno and Leah search the personal ads
of newspapers for couples “desperately seeking spawn”
and find an almost perfect, affluent, suburban couple
right next to the pet ads. This picture perfect couple consists of Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and
Jennifer Garner) who publish the fact they adamantly
want to adopt a child and are willing to pay for medical
expenses.
After scheduling a meeting with the Lorings, Juno
finally breaks the news to her father Mac MacGuff (J.K.
Simons) and step-mother Brenn MacGuff (Allison
Janney). This comedic scene introduces two very likeable and understanding parents that are very rare in coming-of-age film. Both Mac and Brenn show a slight disappointment in Juno’s situation, as well as the guy she
chose to experiment with, leading Mac claim, “I didn’t
know he had it in him.” However, they are completely
supportive of Juno and her decision to put her child up
for adoption.
Juno and her father meet with the Loring’s at their
large, spotless suburban home. After an almost east meets
west experience, Juno finds just how much Vanessa
wants a child and becomes fast friends with Mark after
talking about similar interests (guitars, music, and movies). Juno decides that the Lorings are the perfect couple
for her child and agrees on adoption terms with them.
The rest of the movie unfolds the following nine
months of Juno’s pregnancy, along with rich character
development and some very memorable scenes. To go
into any further detail of the story and the turns it takes,
would rob it of it’s essence and genuine surprise.
Showcasing star Ellen Page’s wonderful portrayal
of the lovable, quick witted, title character and premiering first time screen writer Diablo Cody’s wonderful eye
for dialogue, Juno will win you over with its lightning
quick and intelligent dialogue, memorable scenes, and
its likeable characters. I give this film five out of five
stars.
By
Joe
Lewis
2
8.Opinion
1.25.08
5 In The Hall
Who would you like
to receive a Valentine
from this year?
By Amie Burke
Cassidy Deck
Freshman
“ Josh Turner. ”
Our generation is doomed due to the
lack of wholesome teen movies
Dear friends, peers, fellow members of this generation,
If you pay attention to any facet of information such as
TV, radio, newspapers, or fliers under your windshield wipers,
you will find the older generations (be it Baby Boomers, Gen
Xers, or whatever) make frequent claims that our generation
is “doomed”.
One reason they give is the fact that we no longer need
each other in a community sense. We will go to the grocery
store with our parents, but instead of talking to them, we
have our MP3 players blaring music in our ears, eliminating
communication, which is a key component of relationships.
However, they also claim we are too dependent on each
Cup of
Joe
Joey Moody
Sophomore
“Ms. Lambert.”
Zach Weddle
Junior
“ Kelly Pickler ”
Sierra Isard
Senior
“ James Dean ”
Ms. Ferdinand
Teacher
“ I want a Valentine from
Peyton Manning and I
hope Doug Pierce gets
none. ”
By Dr. Joseph
Lewis
This formula is called: the teen movie formula.
Teen movies like Pretty In Pink, Can’t Hardly Wait,
She’s All That were working perfectly; kids loved the Earth,
their families, each other. Everything was great. No moral or
ethical void in the generation.
But then, as Joseph Heller wrote, “something happened.” There was a sudden cease in teen movies. Companies started producing films that exploited and praised criminals and narcissism. Movies that had no meaning, besides
unrealistic entertainment, were being made in mass quantities.
The youth started losing their morals and ethics right
and left, they started cursing more, wearing their headphones,
and demanding more actors who are really terrible at acting,
to star in high-grossing films. In a slow progression, the standards and codes by which kids live today started to form.
And now, you can walk through your local cinema and
find unrealistic treasure hunting movies that are factually
incorrect, starring bad actors that give kids the terrible allusion that they can grow up and be a successful bad actor,
drawing in most of the crowd for their moralistically-void
entertainment fix, and you can watch families leave the cinema, with all the kids listening to their own separate music.
Unfortunately, space for this column is too short to
fully develop this idea into a more elaborate solution. But I
will leave you with the thought that the key to getting this
generation off the “doom” track, lies in the reinstitution of
teen movies. So give Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Jennifer Love
Hewitt a call, and tell them the ball needs to get rolling.
Hypocritically yours,
Dr. J.M. Lewis
other from a classic point of view. For instance, let’s say the
same MP3 player that you use to drown out family or friends,
breaks. The theory is, members of our generation will seek
someone to fix it for us, as opposed to us trying to fix it ourselves.
Therefore, we no longer need each other on an emotional or intellectual level, but are completely dependent on
Note from the Editor: The views and ideas expressed
each other for necessity.
by Dr. Lewis are not founded on any facts that we are aware
This may be a poor example by itself,but that just gives of. This column was wired to us from an unknown location
you the tippiest tip of the iceberg.
without references or explanations for certain claims. HowOther claims say we don’t, and will never, care about ever, it did come with a personal note from Dr. Lewis saying
politics, the economy, global warming, war, and each other.
“…I have spent a lot of time on this subject, trying to find
So the question arises, why are we, assuming they are the answer to the question of why we are doomed as well as
correct, a doomed generation?
the teen movie theory. So much that I actually went legally
I propose the theory that the lack of morals and ethics insane and took off on a brief stint of crazy beatnik wanderin this generation is a direct link to the sudden cease in pro- ings through the savage heart of America, not bathing reguduction of wholesome teen
larly, while sporting a
movies.
mangy beard, straw feTeen movies gave
dora, filthy Hawaiian
kids a background for what
shirt, and a steno
I propose the theory that the lack
is right. They showed kids
notepad, talking to evof morals and ethics in this generation
how to make good decieryone I saw … I searched
sions, what would happen
is a direct link to the sudden cease in
thoroughly through every
if bad decisions were
area of knowledge I could
production of wholesome teen movies.
made, and it put both of
find until I finally found
these in a perspective they
it in the two areas of
could relate to.
knowledge the world
The peak of these cinematic and sociologic masterpieces doesn’t give much credit: metaphysics and film … The great
was in the 80s. That was when they started toying around body of metaphysics is wonderful in its entirety, but it didn’t
with plot ideas and soon found a concrete formula of: boy help much in this caper. However, I did find the answer in
chases the most attractive girl in school most of the movie, the heart of film … I hope this finds you and the deadline
girl never falls for boy, end of movie boy realizes that he is well, Mahalo”
really in love with his best friend (typically an attractive girl).
9.Opinion
1.25.08
How to exercise and lose weight the right way
I am a very firm believer of exercise, especially when
weight needs to be lost. All of these diet pills and operations
that are possible these days only promote more laziness.
They let you eat how you want and not exercise but still get
the same result.
I prefer the healthy way and I want to be as much help
as possible to anyone who is thinking of turning to anything else.
If you’ve put on too much weight over the holidays or
are just plain over weight, there are a few things you should
Just
Joshin’
By Josh Farren
look at before you decide what path is right for you.
1) BETTER DIET -- What does your diet consist of?
Eating too much or eating the wrong foods is something of
which we are guilty.
That’s fine, because I’m not here to tell you that you
can’t eat Twinkies or Snickers. I am here to tell you that if
you plan on losing weight or just getting in shape then
eating them in moderation is the key.
When you eat you consume calories and those calories provide just enough energy to work themselves off.
Now what happens if you don’t practice some form of exercise while still taking in all of those calories? You gain weight.
Wanting to eat right sounds great, but it’s much harder
than it sounds. For starters, you could stay away from sweets
as much as possible. Something that works very well for me
is instead of eating three large meals a day, split up your
meals into five or six smaller meals, so you still get the same
amount of food.
What this does is doesn’t let your metabolism stop,
therefore you have a “fast” metabolism and it’s much easier
to keep off weight. These meals should hit all the main food
groups so if you can fill up on grapes and strawberries instead of popcorn you’re much better off.
For those with the mindset of building muscle or toning, drinking protein shakes are a must. The protein will fuel
your muscles to push out every last set in the gym. Vitamins
are often overlooked when trying to be healthy. Try taking a
multivitamin with your breakfast and whether you notice or
not, you’re helping your body immensely.
3) BETTER SLEEP PATTERNS -- What are your sleeping patterns like? When you sleep, your body repairs itself,
so having good sleep patterns are just as big of a part as
your exercise.
What teenager doesn’t like to sleep? You don’t have
to have 10 hours of sleep to be in good shape, but you do
need a healthy pattern to follow. Getting at least eight hours
of sleep is ideal, but if you can’t then make sure when you
do get a chance to nap, take it. If you can get on a pattern or
some kind of schedule then your body gets used to the
work and it becomes easier.
2) MORE EXERCISE -- How much exercise are you
Weight training is a great idea for all who wish to get
involved in? Everybody has those days when they wake up in shape as well. There are two ways to lift depending on
and feel a sudden burst of motivation for getting in shape, so which goal you want to achieve. The first way is to lift for
they go run half a mile. They come home, eat a salad, and increased muscle size, or bulk. If this is your goal, you should
suddenly they’ve made up for gorging on sweets and fried lift higher weight on lower reps. If your goal is to tone, then
foods for the past six months. Wrong. You do not have to run lifting lower weight at a higher repetition is a great idea.
a mile everyday to stay in shape. You do, however, have to
For all those opposed to using weights due to myths
be active doing something whether that is running, walking, about how it affects your body, or just lack of interest, there
or something else. Getting you’re body to sweat or your is a path for you also. You can use your own body weight to
muscles to tighten is
strengthen your bones
proof that you are strainand muscles. We all
ing, therefore, burning
know about push-ups
Everybody has those days where
calories.
and sit-ups, but basithey wake up and feel a sudden burst
The best time to excally any way you can
ercise is right when you
move your body using a
of motivation for getting in shape, so
wake up. If you can get
selected group of
they go run half a mile. They come
up and do something like
muscles in reps, is a
jogging, sit-ups, or even
workout. Some ideas are
home, eat a salad, and suddenly
10 minutes with a jump
pull-ups, leg raises (raisthey’ve made up for gorging on sweets
rope before school will
ing your legs off the
and fried foods for the past six months.
help your metabolism.
ground while on your
Getting your blood flowback), crunches, wall
Wrong.
ing before the day starts
sits, mountain climbers,
is the main objective so
or jumping jacks.
cardio workouts are the
My goal in this
best, in my opinion.
column is not to offend, but rather motivate and encourage
If your goal is to actually lose fat, you might want to people who want to get in shape or lose weight. If you want
exercise a little more. Running and swimming are excellent for more information on weight loss diets or exercise ideas,
weight loss. You can start with a quarter mile and work your Google it. Anything that leads to a pill or a scalpel, turn
way up, running somewhere close to three times a week at away from, do it the right way and the benefits will be yours.
least.
The Oakwood Times
T he Oakwood Times is a student-produced medium of information published by the OHS journalism class. The Oakwood Times will not be reviewed or
restrained by school administrators prior to publication. Advisers may coach
and discuss content during the writing process.
Because school officials do not engage in prior review, the content is
determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school
officials or the school itself. The editorial board and responsible student staff
members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the
publication.
The Oakwood Times will not publish any material determined by student
editors or the editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous,
obscene, disruptive of the school process, an unwarranted invasion of privacy,
a violation of copyright law or services unlawful to minors. Letters to the editor
should be 300 words or less and contain the author’s name and signature. All
submissions may be checked for verification.
Volume 22. Issue 5. Jan. 25, 2008
Editors in Chief ... .......................................................Joe Lewis and Carly Wilson
Editorial Director ........................................................................... Minda Pichon
Business Manager ............................................................................. Amie Burke
Art Director ............................................................................... Chelsea Tarquini
Managing Editor .......................................................................... Kristen Picklap
Assistant Managing Editor ................................................................... Logan Lee
News Editor ........................................................................................... Katie Lee
Opinion Editor .................................................................................... Ross White
Sports Editor ..................................................................................... Cody Marsh
Projects Editor ................................................................................. Kayla Watson
Reporters .. Mitchell Cronk, Josh Farren, Justin Jones, Mitchell Pouilliard, Katie Webb
Advisor ............................................................................................. Mr.Tim Lee
2
10.Sports
1.25.08
Sports Column
AP athletes contribute
to teams’ successes
When many surrounding schools, coaches, students, and
maybe even some athletes hear OAP they automatically think,
Oakwood, but OAP is much more than just OHS. AP not only takes
up 2/3 of the acronym, but the Armstrong Potomac athletes are also
a big part of Oakwood-Armstrong-Potomac’s athletic programs.
OHS has co-oped with Armstrong-Potomac athletics for four
years. We join together for four sports: football, cross country, wrestling, and track. There are a large number of AP athletes that participate in these sports each year, unfortunately their accomplishments
are not as well known as the ones of our fellow Oakwood athletes.
This past football season we came out with a better record
than in recent years. A majority of our starters were from AP. Many
of them had multiple achievements throughout the years they have
participated in OAP football.
“A goal of mine was to make it to
State playoffs every year,” said AP senior
Jaycen Herndon. “Only two of the four
years we met that goal, but it was an accomplishment to make it my senior year.”
Although our cross country team
was not packed with AP participants, they
were still valuable. For the past two years
our boys cross country team has had two
AP runners in the top seven, senior Austin Grey and sophomore Tyler Grey.
We have had an outstanding wrestling program for many years. AP athletes
have helped to keep the program at a high
level. Kyler Barracks and Jay Sutton of the most accomplished.
“I have only been wrestling for three years, but I have started
varsity each of those years,” said Barracks.
OAP is also fortunate to have Sutton on the team. One of
Sutton’s main goals this season is to beat Bismarck-Henning. If he is
able to accomplish this goal he will receive an All-County and AllConference title.
We also co-op with AP for football cheerleading, but most
people don’t know this. There have been a couple of interested
athletes, but no one has ever been a part of the squad.
There are also AP athletes that run track at OHS. Seniors
Gannon Ellot and Liz Todd are two of our AP track athletes.
“We would not be a very strong team without Armstrong
Potomac,” said Oakwood junior Karmen Kochell. “They contribute
a lot to the team.”
Every two years, the co-op must be renewed. For AP, some of
the costs of providing a bus to and from Oakwood for practices are
thought to be more than what it is worth. Dropping the co-op would
not affect every sport we cop-op in. The main sport AP is focused on
dropping is cross country due to few AP participants.
“We have bonded with the AP kids and we gain too much
talent off of one another to lose them,” said Kochell.
Although Kochell is only a part of the track team with AP
athletes, I think that anyone who has been a part of an OAP team
would agree with the statement. OAP athletes have gained more
teammates, new friendships, and even more talent from one another.
The co-op has overall been a positive experience and a helpful
advantage for Oakwood and Armstrong-Potomac both.
By Chelsea
Tarquini
Markwell achieves milestone
42nd coach to
win 300
matches
By Justin Jones
Coach Dave Markwell became
the 42nd varsity wrestling coach in
Illinois history to win 300 dual
meets. Number 300 came in
Markwell’s 24th year as a wrestling
coach, which makes this his 20th season at OHS.
“The kids had been talking
about it, but I tried to keep it off my
mind so that it did not affect the
way I coach,” said Markwell.
As of January 9, Markwell
had compiled a 300-153-8 record in
his 24-year career. This mark is one
that has made Markwell extremely
proud of all those involved.
“300 wins is a goal that I set
for myself,” said Markwell. “But it
is the kids that I have had that allowed me to get it. It is a combination of good youth coaches and everyone working together to achieve
a goal that I benefit from.”
By Markwell starting the season with 286 wins, the members of
the wrestling team wanted to make
sure that he reached his goal by getting at least 14 wins on the season.
“It was a special night,” said
senior Brendan Hafner. “Everyone
on the team worked together and
stepped up to insure the win.”
Markwell plans to return for
another year as the OHS wrestling
coach, but the year after is uncertain. Before this year’s wrestling
season began, Markwell submitted
Coach Dave Markwell celebrates his 300th win with his three
captains. The team will be looking to finish the year off strong in the
regionals. (Photo by Justin Jones)
his letter of resignation which will
make next year his final year as a
teacher and coach.
“I put in my letter of resignation earlier this year, but if the school
doesn’t find a coach, I would be
happy to continue for as long as
they needed me,” said Markwell.
Now that Markwell has
reached his milestone, the Comets
Senior Brendan Hafner sets his opponent up for a pin in a recent
match against Urbana. Hafner will be looking to continue his season by
qualifying for State.(Photo by Justin Jones)
are looking forward to the season
ahead.
“We want to win the Leroy
Invitational and the Conference
Tournament,” said Hafner. “But our
main goal is to win Regionals as a
team.”
Hafner, who is currently
ranked tenth by illinoismatmen.com
among Class A wrestlers in his
weight class of 140 pounds, has
goals that he has set for himself for
the last season of his career.
“My main goal is to make it to
State, and since this is my last year,
it is a do or die situation,” said
Hafner.
One highlight of the season
for Hafner is winning his 100th
match of his varsity career.
Another OAP wrestler
recieving State recognition is senior
Evan Davis. He is currently ranked
eighth among Class A wrestlers in
the 160 pound weight class.
1.25.08
Girls take fourth at County
Denius and Corzine named to All-Tournament team
By Cody Marsh
The OHS girls’ basketball team has
had success all season, but has not yet
showed how good they can be.
The team has proven themselves
to be near the top of the Vermilion Valley
Conference, but they have not beat the
top two teams in the conference, Bismarck or Salt Fork.
Going into the Vermilion County
Tournament the Comets were the three
seed, and felt that they had a chance to
upset the second-seeded Salt Fork Storm
to be able to play in the championship.
Salt Fork had different ideas, moving on to the first place game by defeating OHS, 49-41 and forcing Oakwood to
play in the third place match up against
Armstrong-Potomac.
The Comets led most of the game
before falling to the Trojans on a gamewinning shot with two seconds remaining on the clock.
After the close game, the Comets
were disappointed with their fourth place
finish.
One of the good things that came
out of the tournament was that two players were named to the All-Tournament
team. Senior Stephanie Denius and junior Kayla Corzine both received the
honor.
“Although I was disappointed with
a fourth place finish in County, I was happy
that me and Kayla both made the All-Tourney team,” said Denius.
Denius led the team in scoring, steals
and assists in the tournament, while Corzine
led the team in rebounds.
The Comets were hoping to make it
back to the County final like they did last
year.
After getting the third seed in their
Regional, they will get a rematch against
Armstrong in the first round on February
6. The Comets will host the Regional at
Oakwood Grade School.
The Regional could show that they
are one of the premier teams in the area.
“I think we will do good because we
are playing teams that we’ve played before (except for Fisher), so we know what
to expect,” said Denius.
The team feels some added pressure
to step up and keep winning in their Regional, to keep the season going for their
lone senior, Denius. She has been their
leader all season, and they feel that it is
necessary for them to go far into their ReJunior center Kayla Corzine drives to the
gional for her.
basket during a game at the Vermilion County
“We are going to step up for Steph,
Tournament. Corzine was named to the Allbecause we want to keep her senior year
Tournament team. (Photo by Mitch Cronk)
alive,” said junior Chelsie Bartlett.
Comets fall hard in County tournament
Junior Alex Cundiff posts up during the Salt Fork
game. The Comets upset the Storm 65-64. (Photo by
Carly Wilson)
By Mitchell Pouilliard
After beating Salt Fork and Armstrong-Potomac the week before the County
tournament, the OHS boys’ basketball team expected to do well. But their expectations fell flat.
In the County tournament, the team was unable to continue their winning
streak, losing all three games. The fifth-seeded Comets came up short in their first
round game against fourth-seeded Hoopeston, 49-38. In their next game, they lost
to a team they had already beaten a few days earlier, eighth-seeded ArmstrongPotomac, 60-54.
The two losses put the Comets in the seventh place game against Milford.
The team continued to play poorly, losing their third straight game, 71-48. Team
members felt that they came out flat and trailed most of the game.
Justin Jones was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the team
in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
The Comets hope to rebound from their poor showing and begin to play
better as the postseason nears.
“I think if we have everyone healthy we can go pretty far,” said senior
Shannon Welch. “We need to get over the County tournament in order to advance in Regionals.”
OHS has not won a boys Regional since 1990, but this is the first year that
the IHSA has divided the state into four classes, with the Comets being in the
smallest class.
If the team plays up to its full potential and gets healthy, there is always a
chance they can make a run in the Regional tournament.
11.Sports
Cheerleaders
disappointed
in results
By Mitchell Cronk
The OHS cheerleading squad
started preparing for this year’s County
cheerleading competition right after last
year’s competition ended. Chelsea
Tarquini, third year cheerleader, began
coming up with routines as soon as possible.
But the hard work didn’t pay off,
as the girls failed to place at the County.
“Our stunts were a little shaky because we were nervous,” said sophomore Amanda Kent.
The team began practicing one
month earlier than normal. Along with
an earlier starting date to prepare for
County, the cheerleaders also practiced
every day of the week except game days
and Sundays.
Coach Debi Lock hoped that the
extra practice would help the girls perform without having to think about it.
“I feel that we could have done a
lot better,” said senior Amanda Cruse.
“Everything went fine before we went
out on the floor.”
The cheerleaders performed two
sets during the competition. The first
set consisted of two full time-out cheers
and one 30-second time-out cheer. After
a short break, the girls took the floor to
perform their second set, which consisted of a full time-out cheer and a 30second time-out.
The results were not announced
until half-time of the boys third place
game.
Every year during this competition a scholarship is given out to a senior cheerleader in the County, the
Ashley Nicole Wilson Memorial Scholarship, named for a former OHS student.
In order to receive the scholarship,
the cheerleader must write an essay on
what cheerleading means to them. Two
members of Ashley’s college
cheerleading squad choose the recipient of the award.
This year’s winner was OHS senior cheerleader Kayla Bridgewater. She
will receive $1,000 towards college funds.
“It is a really big honor,” said
Bridgewater. “I feel honored to have
been chosen because Ashley was very
dedicated and that makes me think that
people think I am dedicated.”
1988
Valedictorian - Missy Spencer
Salutatorian - Jason Cromwell
DAR - Julie Wilson
SAR - Jason Cromwell
Homecoming Queen - Tricia Sullivan
Homecoming King - Mike Wombles
Prom Queen - Alice Bailey
Prom King - Jason Cromwell
The varsity boy’s basketball team finished the season with a record of 20-6.
Prom King and Queen Jason
Cromwell and Alice Bailey
School Highlights
*The Prom King and
Queen were Jason
Cromwell and Alice
Bailey. Jason Cromwell
was also the
Salutatorian and SAR.
* OHS had a foreign
exchange student from
Denmark named Hanne
Jensen.
* Mr. Lee started his
student teaching here
after graduating from
OHS only five years
earlier.
Events
U. S. President - Ronald Reagan
Vice President - George H. W. Bush
* Benazir Bhutto, the first female Islamic
Prime Minister is chosen to lead Pakistan.
* 98% of U.S. households now have at least
one television.
* Ted Turner starts Turner Network
Television (TNT).
Fashion
* Aviator Sunglasses
* Acid Wash Jeans
* Big Hair
* Jelly Shoes
* Wearing two Polo shirts
with the collars up
Jeff Trask
made All
State
during the
boys cross
country
season.
Sports Highlights
* The boys cross country team, known as The
Running Dogs, placed third in Sectionals and 12th in
State.
*The varsity boys basketball team placed first at
the Rossville-Alvin Tournament.
*The baseball team placed second in Conference.
Lil Abner and Daisey Mae
were Eric Burnett and
Betsy Ligget
Ancient history facts
Things To Do
* Hanging out
at places like
Lincoln Lanes,
Mike’s Grill,
and Oakwood
Star Market
All pictures provided by the 1988 Acorn.
Compiled By Katie Webb
Facts
* C.D.s outsell vinyl for the first
time
* Prozac is introduced as an antidepressant
* Cost of a stamp: $0.22
Top Movies
Pictures provided by:
Wikipedia.com
Amazon.com
Slang Words
Bomb, Totally, Chill, Don’t Have a Cow
* Rainman
* Who Framed Roger
Rabbit
* Big
* Coming to America
* Die Hard
* “Crocodile” Dundee II
* Oliver and Company
Top Songs
* Sweet Child O’ Mine
* Kokomo
* Bad Medicine
* The Way You Make Me
Feel
* Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
* Desire
* Out of the Blue
* Need You Tonight