This is most likely the last time that you will read an article by me in The Bruin. There isn't enough money in the ASB account for another issue, and although we will fundraise for the Cub Edition, I will not be a part of it as a senior. This is sad for me and the rest of the seniors who are just finishing their final first semester.

I can't imagine anymore budget cuts happening at the school and that is why, in my final opinion, I sincerely thank the voters of Oregon for voting yes on measures 66 and 67.

 

When listening to the radio it is not uncommon to hear ‘playing the best of the 90's' or ‘your number one source for the 60's and 70's.' Every decade in the past hundred years has been given a nickname appropriate to the time in which it took place. Since every other decade has a name, it only makes sense that the span between the beginning of 2000 and end of 2009 should join the ranks of decades past.

It all started with arcades, the hip place to hang out at back in the day. Then along came the first home video game system Atari. So simple, so innocent, but now things have taken a turn in the world of video games, a turn for the worst.

 

High school students have wondered for years why science has been a required class. Classes such as pathway, health math, writing, and languages all clearly have enough long term benefits to be required classes. But science? What benefits does science hold for the average American? Science seems to be a subject that would only be useful for science-related fields which is far from a common field. How would an average American use biology?

            The teachers, as expected, came to the defense of required science.

 

Do you want to know a secret? Gossip is all fun and games - until it's about you.

The world of gossip is pretty glamorized from movies like "Mean Girls," to TV shows like "Gossip Girl" portraying pretty faces, dirty little secrets, jealousy and false friendships as a part of the game.

These programs, however, somehow miss the mark on reality. While we're all free to make choices, we can't choose the consequences. That is where these programs go wrong.

 

As a majority of the students are aware, MHS has added a new stipulation to its seemingly ever-growing tardy policy. New, random hall sweeps are now being executed throughout the week, in an effort to get students to show up to class on time. Upon the announcement of the new act, many students thought back to the days of middle school, when a similar action was used. Within my own class, many commented on how pointless the sweeps were, and how much time they wasted.

 

            In times of "economic turmoil," companies need all the customers that they can get in order to stay afloat. That is why I was surprised to learn that our local Wal-Mart has decided to kick out just about all fundraisers besides girl-scout cookie sales. According to the News Register's Hannah Hoffman, who interviewed spokeswoman Deisha Galberth, Wal-Mart wants to keep its shopping area and parking lot clear of congestion. Wal-Mart was not available for comment on the situation with the Bruin, despite multiple attempts to contact them.

 

            Pull it out, dust it off, plug it in, Merry Christmas! The simplicity of the fake Christmas tree is what allows it to appeal to the masses. The beauty of being able to spray it with Pledge so it's sanitary and piney fresh is also another winning point the fake tree has to offer. Most families, however, partake in the tradition of buying their tree from a U-Cut- Christmas tree lot or buying your Christmas tree from the local lions club, (a common tradition in my household.)

            Don't get me wrong; meat is something I consume, on average, two times a day. I like sitting down at dinner and slicing a piece of pink steak, but it has been brought to my attention that the meat Americans are eating is cloaked in secrecy. Not everyone buys organic homegrown meat, or even knows about the dangers of malnutrition.

Apathy.

The term has settled in the pit of my stomach. I see my generation fading away into oblivion, scoffing at the underprivileged and rolling their eyes at their elders.

Indifference creeps into daily life, often overpowering those who seek a life of greatness and appreciate what today's world has dealt us. And so the question stands: to care or not to care?

What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper-Not! Seriously, when was the last time any of you actually read a newspaper when it wasn't a class assignment?

Most students had an opinion about who they wanted to win the presidential election, but how many reached that opinion by reading a newspaper?

I wonder how many of the kids gracing the halls of MHS are reading anything outside of what is required by their English teachers, if they are even reading that much?

I had the unfortunate opportunity to go to the Third Street "haunted house," with "graphic images," this Halloween. Little did I know it was run by the Potter's House.

I never had the chance to go in as there was a huge crowd of angry parents and college-age protesters who had gone through the house of horrors and come out the other side truly horrified.

Every morning I park my car in the spacious new parking lot and take the four minute walk to main campus. As I walk, usually in a large crowd of mingling friends, I find mostly everyone's heads turned to their right to look at numerous brightly colored vested construction workers hard at work. I would love to applaud them for their work, but a simple wave or thumbs up is usually all I can come up with on the spot.

I have been in school for four hours. It's 12:30 but I still have 38 minutes to watch tick by all too slowly. My poor stomach lets out a tiny cry for help. I can hardly stand it anymore! I know that I'm not the only one suffering. Only one thing could be the cause of all this agony: the dreaded second lunch.

Instead of the 11:32 lunch we've come to love, some of us must wait until 1:08 for food.

Of the many loathsome, abominable, vomit-inducing creatures that slime around on this Earth, few can compare with the wretchedness of the sea lamprey. The lamprey is one of the oldest species in existence, having changed almost not at all over the last 300 million years - it is an evolutionary relic, a leftover of days past, when slugs were bigger and fatter. This, however, does not make it cool: on the contrary, the lamprey is cool in the way that Wal-Mart is concerned about feeding the urban poor: it's not.

It's 7:03 a.m. You are going to be late for zero period... again. You jump out of the shower, throw open your closet doors and look. What stands out to you is the green Stop Genocide in Sudan shirt from 2007. You wrinkle your face, push it aside and grab your new polo.

Now, let's step back and think about this.

The internet has been a large component in the advancement of humanity. The services it provides have revolutionized the way 21st century citizens gather information, purchase goods, and voice their opinions.
That last one is especially important.

 

The internet provides accessibility past activists could only dream about.

A single thought or idea can be read by billions in minutes. And it needs to be kept that way. 

In general, I’ve been disappointed with my senior year. As a member of the top class of 2008, in the building that boasts the longest high school hall in the state, I should have more abilities.