Cingular Service: $50 a Month. iPhone: $500. Having a Phone with

Lawrence Virtual Secondary Program
School Newspaper
Issue #6 Volume #1
February 2007
Cingular Service: $50 a Month.
iPhone: $500.
Having a Phone with a Brand Name on It:
Pricey!
By Joshua Vineyard, Baldwin Kansas
Is the iPhone really worth $500? I
don’t know about you, but I’d really like
more than 4 hours of battery life from my
$500 phone. That’s right, the iPhone gets 4
hours of talking/video time, and well, that’s
just not enough for $500. Although the
iPhone is rather appealing with the stylish
OS X (OS X is the Mac operating system
software moniker) look-alike operating
system, it doesn’t actually run OS X. So,
you get the look but not the function. Again
a disappointment.
Not a lot is currently known about
this new phone. But it does look rather
impressive with the amount of gizmos and
gadgets that come along with it. It is said to
have a calendar, live weather for your area,
email, and an internet connection. Part of
this connection to the internet is configured
so that you can look up maps and find where
you are in the world today. Additionally,
iPhone plays music, movies, and can view
pictures just like the iPod. Now, all it needs
is a coffee maker.
Although it does have a lot of nice new
features, I think that Apple introduced it into the
market a little too early for most buyers. A recent
survey showed that only 1% of people would be
willing to cough up the $500 bill for the new phone.
Of course you would have to get a contract with
Cingular, and leaving any wireless phone service
Apple’s new iPhone.
early costs approximately $200 these days. Add
that to the internet and email features on the phone
and it is likely you monthly bill will probably cost an
extra $20+ dollars per month. I don’t know about
you, but that seems a little steep for me.
SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS
Sharapova, Federer Take Home Slam Titles
West JH Basketball Finishes With
Warhark Tournament Title
By Shiloh Crews, Lawrence Kansas.
The 9th grade West Junior High boys’
basketball team finished their season by winning
the Warhawk Invitational by defeating St. Thomas
Aquinas in the season’s final game. The 9th grade
boys ended their season 19-1.
The team went into the game confident
and having faith in each other as a team. The fact
that the invitational was being held at West Junior
High gave them
the home court
advantage.
The
final
game started out
slowly, with the
Warhawks behind
by two points. The
team did not like
being behind, and
they upped their
game play. Nick
Jamiez
scored
the three pointer
that gave them the
lead, but they lost
and regained that
lead for the rest of
the game.
T
h
e
intensity in the gym was evident when the score
board read 44-43. The fans of each team were on
their feet, yelling and jumping in the bleachers.
The closer that the clock got to the final buzzer,
the louder the fans, teams, and coaches got. Fan
Cameron Churchill had this to say as he looked
at the scoreboard and down at the players on the
floor : “We’re going to win, I know it there isn’t
enough time left for us to lose.”
With only 5 seconds left in the game, a
player from Aquinas went into the game to make
the shot that would end the game with a win for
the visitors. He shot a three pointer and missed.
The crowd became even more excited and the
yelling got louder. And the game ended with a
West victory.
When the buzzer sounded, and a mixture of
mothers, fathers, friends, and teammates rushed
the court.
“You could feel the happiness and relief in
the air! The team and their family’s were crying,”
cheerleader Myette Simpson remarked with a
smile on her face.
While this was happening, head cheerleader
April Maxwell jumped up and down.
“It was amazing, I have never seen a game
played like that,” said Maxwell.
As the team walked out of the locker room
and outside to go home, the relief, and happiness
was visible on their faces.
Above: The team poses for a picture with Coach
Franz, while Christian Nelson holds the trophy.
Photo provided.
Right:
Sebastian
(Snacky)
Bonner holds
the Invitational
trophy in his
hands after
the game.
Photo by
Shiloh Crews.
From the Rental Shelf
Fried Green Tomatoes Still Satisfies!
By Ashley Perdue, Lawrence, Kansas
Do you have a favorite movie that just never
really gets old, even after you’ve watched it over
and over again? The movie Fried Green Tomatoes
is mine! It is more of a chick flick than anything,
and I don’t watch much of those, but it is still a
great movie! I
This movies main character Evelyn Couch,
who is played by Kathy Bates, is a middle-aged
wife whose marriage isn’t great, and her husband
won’t change his ways. While Kathy and her
husband are visiting a rest home to see a family
member, she meets an older lady who changes her
life! Jessica Tandy stars as Ninny Threadgoode,
the old lady. Couch was sitting in the waiting
room stuffing her face with chocolate and being
depressed like always when Threadgoode enters
and sees her sitting there by herself. She goes and
sits down in the seat next to Couch; here is where
a good friendship begins between two complete
strangers.
Bates’ character goes back day by day to
visit Ninny and listen to her stories from back in
the day. This flick is mainly a flash back of the town
where Jessica Tandy’s character grew up. In her
stories she never refers to herself but tells about a
girl named Iggie. Iggie was a young girl who was,
well, more of a boy, and the only person she would
ever listen to was her older brother. During a family
get-together Iggie, her brother, and his girlfriend
went for a walk down by the railroad tracks. His
girlfriend’s hat blew off and was running down the
tracks, so Iggie’s brother went chasing it. His boot
got caught in the tracks, and he was struggling to
get loose but he didn’t make it in time. He was hit
by a train and the scream from Iggie was heard
all the way back at the house. From here, Iggie
started getting into lots of trouble, and she rarely
came home. Iggie blamed the death of her brother
on his girlfriend, so she hated the girl!
This story goes on to be great with all
the details being shown and it changes Bates’
character’s life. Threadgoode’s story explains
a lot about life and how to deal with and handle
problems. Kathy starts losing weight as a result
of being inspired by Tandy, and she tries her best
for her marriage by going to classes and the like.
This story is excellent! It really shows a lot about
friendships too.
One day while Kathy is visiting Jessica, she
tells about Iggie and her brother’s old girlfriend
(Ruth Shaw played by Mary-Louise Parker) getting
to know each other and the adventures that they
go through. They open up a restaurant called The
Whistle Stop Cafe. Ruth was she was married
and has a baby on the way. Her husband beat her
badly, and Iggie wasn’t going to stand for it. One
day, Iggie and Big George, a black cook at the cafe
played by Stan Shaw, went to Shaw’s house and
were going to take her home to live with Iggie. Her
husband came in and hit Ruth until she fell. Iggie
and Big George jumped in and got her away. Her
husband came searching for her, and well, let’s
just say he was killed. But you have to watch the
movie to understand why this was actually pretty
funny and the best thing to do.
That is all I’m going to tell about the story,
so I don’t ruin it. Watch it to find out what happens
with the new baby, Iggie, Evelyn, and Big George.
Oh, and you definitely want to know where the
husband’s body went! I recommend this drama film
for everyone to watch. It’s not graphic or violent
just a sad, happy, and funny flick. I think you would
enjoy it a lot!
Student Creativity
Surreal Composition by Zach Bachert, Digital Photography student.
How I Work and What Inspires Me in Art
By Bridget Rocha, Art Appreciation Student, Topeka, Kansas
I have always been inspired by artworks that display death, despair and suffering. One in
particular artist that I so dearly admire is Kathe Schmidt Kollwitz (1867-1945), a compassionate
German artist who drew those that lived and suffered in poverty and of sickly women desperately
trying to take care of their children. She is very well known for her printed works and etching of dark
shadowy figures. I wanted my painting to capture the same affect as this inspiring artist. With the help
of learning the visual elements of art I was able to put what I had learned into practice. This painting is
very different then what I normally draw but I’m proud to have used a different method of art to create
such a master piece.
For this painting, which I have named “The Pathway”, I had employed a brush to paint white
ink on a black cardboard paper. This was a challenging method for me to use at first since I had
to learn how to imply positive into negative space. I used both diagonal and curved lines to create
movement and endlessness in my drawing. In addition, the tree on the right side I designed into
curved lines to make it flow and move towards the four individuals and by also giving the painting
balance. The diagonal lines were used to show harshness within the shadowy figures demonstrating
their aggressive movement towards the woman.
I was focusing on creating a scene where a woman is being taken by loss souls to the pathway
of death. For instance, the upper left corner a character is pulling the woman’s lifeless arm while
another individual on the upper right side tugs at the body’s leg. I had drew white highlights on her
head and legs to show a sence of life still kept within the woman. Also, the larger brush I used to give
more depth and volume into the figure at the foreground and the tree beside it. The bigger strokes I
continued on page 6
Student Creativity
Digital Photo student
Doug Speight-Haught with
a photo entitled Into the
Darkness.
Student Creativity
How I Work.......continued from page 4
painted on the tree was no only to flow across the painting but to also represented burning blaze of
those who were loss will forever suffer the fields of death.
I had chosen Kollwitz for her dark and dramatic sceneries that she had express in one of
the poorest sections in Berlin, Germany. In most of her works she displays revolts of the weak,
suffering of those dieing of disease, and hardship of motherhood. I wanted to follow her independent
expressionism of the depression of others and our surroundings of death instead of Kathe’s actually
methods of art such as printmaking and etching. For instance, in her drawing “The Outbreak” she
shows a woman, Black Anna, raising her arms leading a force of poor individuals to revolt against
their oppressors. However, she also uses only black and white colors to contrast between each other
to create darkness but applies negative space onto positive.
My goal in my painting was to capture the similar imageries as the independent expressionist
Kollwitz had demonstrated in her works. Even though, Kathe used printing making and etching it was
her dramatic scenery that captured my attention and inspired me to create such catastrophes. I would
have completed my works using Kollwitz techniques but don’t have access to such methods. Her
artwork is no doubt heart wrecking but she expresses her own loss and those who surrounded her
especially those who were mothers to see their children die nearly everyday. I believe for those who
are mothers or anyone with a love one can understand what pain Kollwitz when through when she
loss her son in World War I and grandson to War World II. Her despair is demonstrated in her later
works as she had suffered like her subjects around her.
Resources
“Kathe Kollwitz”, Women in Art.
http://www.mystudios.com/women/klmno/kollwitz.html, December 19, 2006.
Marilyn Stokstad, “Art History: Volume Two, Second Edition”, Prentice Hall.
December 19, 2006.
Work by
Bridget
Rocha
SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS
Sharapova, Federer Take Home Slam Titles
Daytona 500 Starts Season With a Bang
By Chloe Jones, Baldwin, Kansas
The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 mile NASCAR race held annually at the Daytona International
Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. In stock car racing, it is the most important race of the year. Not
only is the Daytona NASCAR’s biggest race, it is also the circuit’s first race of the year.
It is one of four restrictor plate races on the NASCAR Cup schedule. In 2008, it will be the 50th
year of running of the 500. It is said to be NASCAR’s most important and prestigious race, and is worth
the most. This year the race was held exactly six years to the day of Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death and
was also the first time Toyota entered the Daytona 500.
At the end of this year’s race, Mark Martin was leading for 26 laps. Soon enough, a wreck in
the final five laps made the race stop. After debris was removed from the track the race was restarted
for the final three laps. On the final lap, suddenly, going into turn three, Martin was passed by Kevin
Harvick, who was driving for team Earnhardt. At almost the same instant there was another wreck.
Luckily, this wreck was behind Harvick and Martin as they were coming to the checkered flag.
It was nose to nose. Who was going to take the final lap to victory? Martin and Harvick had a
drag race to the finish with Harvick taking home the title by a 0.02 second win. This was the closest
since the first race in 1959 when the rest of the racers were getting into wrecks.
A m o n g
some of the wrecks
U.S. Air Force photo by Larry McTighe. Permission United States Air Force
was one involving
Privacy and Security Notice “2. Information presented on Air Force Link is
Clint
Bowyer,
considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of approHarvick’s
RCR
priate byline/photo/image credits is requested.”
teammate. He was
flipped onto his top
with another car
crashing into him
causing Bowyer’s
car to catch on fire.
Heroically, Bowyer
crossed the finish
line, upside down
and in flames,
but still finishing
with an 18th place
finish. Going into
the grass, Bowyer
alertly jumped out of his burning
car and escaped unharmed.
In the end, the 2007
Daytona 500 champion was
Kevin Harvick, who started in
34th, and led for only four laps
out of 202. On February 18th,
with an average of 149.333 mph,
Kevin took home $1,510,469 in
prize money.
Free Wild NASCAR screensaver
from http://www.newfreedownloads.com/Desktop-Utilities/
Screensavers/Free-Wild-NascarScreensaver.html
Culture
Lied Center Production of Don Giovanni
Was Opera Done Right
By Kaylie Price, Lawrence, Kansas
On Saturday, February 10th, I left my house and headed toward to Lied Center in Lawrence,
Kansas. My expectations were high as I sat down to watch Mozart’s popular opera, Don Giovanni. The
Mozart Festival Opera group is renowned for its level of professionalism. To take on what is considered
Mozart’s greatest piece is quite a feat. The Mozart Festival Opera started touring in the United States in
2003. It has a wonderfully talented cast of 83 members from all over the world. Along with extravagant
costumes, the group also has colorful sets.
The story of Don Giovanni is a complicated, yet sad one. It is set in the city of Seville, Spain.
A very flirtatious Don starts with luring young girls to fall in love with him. After he gets what he wants
from them, he leaves them for someone else that is more exciting. The drama continues when the
Don murders a girl’s father after Giovanni is caught leaving the girl’s apartment. After he throws parties
and crashes weddings, fate catches up with Don Giovanni. While drinking in a cemetery, he stumbles
across the tomb of the father he murdered days before. The father’s spirit visits the Don later and tells
him to repent for his sins. The Don refuses, and the spirit drags him down to Hell.
The Mozart Festival Opera is unlike other current touring groups in the way they stage a
performance. Many opera companies put emphasis on the singing today, and as a result, some even
use recordings of scores for the instrumental part of the performance. The company travels with a
full orchestra as opposed to a few instruments with some
keyboards or synthesizers. When the overture first started,
I was instantly impressed. Additionally, the set was also
wonderful. It was huge, but had many pieces that could be
removed for a subtle change of setting. This, along with the
lighting, created a great setting that wasn’t over the top or
gaudy. The costumes were beautiful as well. Colors weren’t
distracting and the dress appeared to be true to the times.
Overall, the performance impressed me, though,
because the singing was phenomenal. I thought that it was
a good idea as well to put the music’s translations in English
on a video screen above the stage. I loved everything
about the opera and wouldn’t trade that cultural experience
for anything. I truly believe Mozart would be proud.
Upcoming Lied
Center Events
March
April
Riverdance
Tuesday, March 13, 2007– 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007– 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007– 8:00 p.m.
Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA
Wednesday, April 18, 2007– 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 19, 2007– 7:30 p.m.
National Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, March 28 - 7:30 p.m.
Armitage Gone! Dance
Saturday, March 31, 2007 – 7:30 p.m.
Emerson String Quartet
Friday, April 20, 2007 – 7:30 p.m.
David Gonzalez in The Frog Bride
Saturday April 21, 2007 – 4:00 p.m.
Holiday History
Why Do We Have Valentine’s Day Anyway?
By Christy Rude, Winfield, Kansas
Valentine’s Day is most known for the love and romance it brings, but there was more to this just
past holiday than the chocolate, flowers, and cards. This holiday was not an invention of florists and
chocolatiers around the world. The history, the meaning, and the typical events of Valentine’s Day are
probably the most important aspects of this special holiday.
The story of Valentine’s Day is an important one, but one that many aren’t familiar with. “Isn’t it
for a saint or something?” replied Miriam James of Winfield, Kansas, after being questioned about why
we celebrate Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine was a priest living in Rome during the time Claudius II was
emperor. This emperor decided that he could recruit more soldiers for his army if those men didn’t have
lovers or families to take into consideration, so he outlawed marriage. Valentine didn’t agree with this,
so he began to marry young couples in secret. One night he was caught and was sent to prison and
sentenced to death. While in prison, he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, and before his death, he
wrote a letter to her and signed it, “From your Valentine.” So every year on February 14th, in honor of
St. Valentine, we celebrate our love towards one another.
The meaning of Valentine’s Day can be different for each and every one of us. Many people
dislike Valentines Day for the sole reason that they are single, “…it is so depressing …because this day
just rubs in that you don’t have anyone and that you are single,” says Rebecca Nolte of Salina, Kansas.
Other people get quite excited for this holiday
of love and romance, “I like it… because it gives
me time to spend with my someone special,”
says Miriam James of Winfield, Kansas. Then
there are those few people who have mixed
feelings about the holiday. “I like Valentine’s
Day in some ways…that it shows others how
you care about them, but…I don’t think only
one day out of the year you need to get your
other half something. It should be spontaneous
and fun to
do it year
round,” says
Chase Hobart
of
Burden,
K a n s a s .
P e o p l e
Shown here are some typieverywhere
cal Valentine’s chocolates.
of all ages
But candy is not the reason
have different
for this season. Photos by
feelings about
Christy Rude.
this holiday
which dates
back to the
third century
in
ancient
Rome.
“What am I doing for Valentines Day?” is always a question that is on everyone’s mind. You were
probably either one of the thousands of people sitting at home and wishing you had someone to spend
this romantic holiday with or you were celebrating it to its fullest. When asked about their Valentine’s
Day plans, Hobart replied, “I got my girlfriend a gift, went to school, and I took my parents out to eat at
El Maguey’s,” and Katy Buffum of Winfield, Kansas, replied, “Nothing.” There is always something to
do on this holiday, whether you are single or happily married. Valentine’s Day can be one of the most
depressing holidays for some, while the most enjoyable for others.
If we are remembering the positive power of love, then it doesn’t matter if you have a special
sweetheart or not. Valentine’s Day can be a great time to share love with family members, friends. The
history, the meaning, and the typical events of Valentine’s Day are probably the most important aspects
of this special holiday. So, hopefully, you got out there and shared the chocolate!
The Last Page...........................
March 16th-25th –
Spring Break!
Got big plans? Email cgoolsby@
usd497.org about your Spring Break
plans for your chance to be featured
in the next issue of the paper!
Constitution and Citizenship Day Essay Contest sponsored by
Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas
This contest is open to all Kansas high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. The
winner will be awarded a $1,000 tuition scholarship to Washburn University.
The topic of the essay is freedom of speech and the internet.
The essay needs to be 300-500 words and must be submitted by April 27th.
Here is a website that has more info about the contest www.washburn.edu/constitution-day
For more information, contact Mr. Goolsby or Ms. Hett at LVSP.
Staff
Shiloh Crews
Christy Rude
Ashley Perdue
Josh Vineyard
Kaylie Price
Guest Contributors: Bridget Rocha, Doug Speight-Haught, Zach Bachert
Sponsor- Charles Goolsby
This newspaper reflects only the view of its staff and does not speak for the LPS School Board
or LVSP administration. Students choose the subject matter and provide the copy and the graphics for their stories. This paper is published on a monthly basis.
Letters to the editor may be sent to Mr. Goolsby, c/o [email protected].
Lawrence Virtual Secondary Program is a part of the Lawrence Public Schools,
Lawrence, Kansas.