Like all of you, I was in attendance at the S.A. Officer speeches last Monday, and probably like most of you, I left there a little confused as to what was going on. Sophomore Kristin Tomecek, who ran for secretary, gave her speech in a rather unorthodox fashion. She began by stating emphatically that she was excited to be running for office and looking to make serious change in the school. She even threw in some pop culture references that seemed to get the attention of the audience.

Then she broke into song.

She began to hum the theme song to Titanic. At this point I began to feel uncomfortable with what was going on, but it didn’t stop there. Tomacek took it one step further by singing the lyrics to the song.

At this point, I began to feel angry.  Angry at what, though?  Was it because the speech had been turned into a mockery?  Was it because it seemed as if the student body had become judges for American Idol?

I took a few days to think about it, and I think I have come to the root of the problem.  I am not angry at Kristin Tomecek, the other candidates, the teachers, or Student Association.

I am angry at us, the student body.

It is the role of Student Association to represent the opinions of the student body and do everything in their power to make the high school experience a more enjoyable one through their numerous fundraisers and the planning of prom. Why is it, then, that the beneficiaries of their great work do not care about who is in office? We see this assembly as a thirty minute break from class rather than as about being informed students and becoming a part of student government. It is our responsibility as students to look out for the best interests of the school, not only for ourselves but for future classes that will be affected by our decisions.

It is the job of the candidate to gain the attention necessary to attract votes and appeal to the different groups to whom he or she is speaking. In this case, because we as students are more interested in what stunt a candidate can pull while speaking rather than their position on a topic, these candidates must feel obligated to do these things.

Tomecek  isn’t the only one to have done this. RB has had several class officer speeches over the past few years that included these theatrics. The problem, then, obviously does not lie with one particular person or one group of people. The issue has to do with our society and the culture we have at school.

Voting for class officers is really something that should be encouraged more at RB. Voting takes place during lunch, and the voter turn out from what I saw, was minimal. It’s disappointing to know that a large majority of our school couldn’t care less about who is in office. Student government is something that should be taken more seriously within the confines of RB.

SPONSOR’S NOTE:  Clarion would like to correct Cameron Kritikos’ original statement in his column that Kristin Tomecek sang the lyrics to “My Heart Will Go On” during her SA speech.  While using the melody of the song, Kristin sang her own original lyrics.  Her lyrics are re-printed in her letter to the editor, linked at the top of this article.

The community members were fully aware of what they were voting no to. The school board and administration had posted online a proposed list of cuts that would take place over three years. In theory, the public would have the ability to vote every year to a referendum. Unfortunately, the current board has completely changed everything about the promised situation.

I understand that the new board brings new ideas and different changes, but I can’t grasp the idea that the community has no say in the future of the school from now on. The board is faced with the difficult task of balancing the budget, but the way they are approaching it does not seem to be fiscally responsible.

The board is cutting aspects of RB that make it such a great unique school that we students are proud to be a part of. As senior who recently applied for colleges, I have a firsthand experience of seeing how participating in a wide variety of clubs set me apart from the crowd. This board is now trying to cut clubs and sports in order to save money.

Yes, these cuts will obviously save money, but what do they propose to do after everything is cut? Once a club is cut, it is extremely hard to start it up again. What are the students supposed to do? When Student Association, the student representatives of the school, tried to share the feelings of the student body with the board, we were literally ignored by a board member who was reading a book.

“Isn’t the board supposed to be looking out for our education and our best interests?”

My main concern is not letting RB lose the reputation we have worked so hard to maintain. We are outstanding when it comes to academics because of the amazing staff. We never used to be the school that didn’t let kids play sports, and there is always a club for kids to join. RB made a niche for everyone. Losing that aspect of the school would be devastating.

All I want is the board to give another chance for the community to think about how their decisions are affecting the students. Yes, it is very tough, but we elected them because they tried convincing us they were capable of positive change.

Now, I want them to prove it.

I’d like to begin by saying that I have no problem with Young Life, and I do not believe the club is at fault for anything stated in this story. I just find it interesting that a religious club is allowed to be so promoted within a public school, and I felt the issue should be explored.

When I first started this story, my feelings towards Young Life were not exactly positive. I felt confused that a group that is widely advertised as a Christian and accepting group could have views that were so discriminatory. Along with that confusion, I felt as though such a group doesn’t exactly have a place in a public school. After much research and many interviews, I found that, while my opinions haven’t really changed, Young Life is, in fact protected by law that allows it to operate in public schools.

According to the Equal Access Act of 1984, religious student organizations must receive equal treatment and use of facilities as any other student organization. This act protects any student driven religious group, so long as non-student leaders of the group do not attend or direct meetings held on school property.

Regardless of the law, my biggest problem with Young Life is that in their mission statement states: “We do not in any way wish to exclude persons who… practice a homosexual lifestyle from being recipients of God’s grace and mercy… We do, however, believe that such persons are not to serve as staff or volunteers in the mission and work of Young Life.”

As a non-RB activity operating outside of a public school setting, that is their way of life and opinion to not want homosexuals to serve as staff.  At the same time, it feels like they should be separated from a public school.

However, in discussion with Assistant Principal John Passarella, he said, “You have to be careful when denying a group their civil rights.”

So, as it turns out, even though there is some level of discrimination within Young Life, it’s still a club that is granted equal access to all of RB’s facilities, given that the space isn’t already in use for a club that is directly related to RB.

Even though the Equal Access Law states that they should have equal representation, I just don’t think it’s right.

RB is supposed to be a school of acceptance. Groups funded by the school include the Association of Students for Tolerance and the Gay Straight Alliance, which are clearly groups that aim to treat everyone equally regardless of differences. Young Life is clearly not a club that supports those same values, at least if you read their mission statement. I’m not saying that Young Life shouldn’t exist or shouldn’t be able to use the school’s facilities (provided they pay for it), but I’m saying it shouldn’t be promoted as much as it is. I understand the good points of the club: the students involved love it, they have a place to go to have fun with their friends, they do service projects, and they also have the Christian aspect of it, if that is the religion they wish to practice.  

But the fact that this club’s statement is based on discrimination proves to me that there is really no place for it in a public school. I feel as though the Equal Access Act should only go so far. If it was up to me, I’d change the act. And I wouldn’t just change it to exclude Young Life. I don’t think that if a Jewish group wanted to make multiple announcements per week that should be allowed either. This act also would protect a Neo-Nazi group assembling and conducting meetings at RB. I just think if church and state are to be separate, they should really be separate.

Again, my point is not to condemn Young Life. I think it’s great for the people involved. And even though there are laws and acts that protect the rights of a religious club, it seems as though Young Life is growing so fast and taking over life at RB. I feel like the club may be going down a path that will become so prominent within public schools that something may have to be done in the future.

For example, students have only taken half of their classes for the school year. Imagine a student who is signed up for a semester-long elective, such as photography, that he will take second semester. If he has to register for classes before winter break, how will he know what to sign up for? He might end up loving photography, or hating it. If he is forced to make a choice that would be difficult to change, how will he know what to sign up for?

In addition, year-long classes will only be half complete, and as a result, the teachers may not know each student well enough to recommend them for appropriate classes. In addition, a student’s success in a class could change throughout the year either positively or negatively. With early registration, it is more likely that a student will end up being placed in the wrong class.

Early registration this year made me feel rushed because I felt like I had only just gotten used to my schedule and next year seemed terribly far away.  Also, it would be worse for freshmen and students recently transferred to RB because they wouldn’t really know what the school has to offer.

I can understand how early registration can be good for the administration in the school, because they will know earlier which classes will run. And I can see how a teacher of an elective would like to know as early as possible if their class has enough people enrolled. However, I think that the pressure and confusion on the part of the students is a lot to sacrifice for that. In addition, students who are unsure about their decision will be more likely to change their classes later, so the numbers may change even after registration is complete. Giving students more time to think about their choices will likely make those choices less likely to fluctuate.

Obviously, there’s nothing that can be done for this year, since a good chunk of the student body has already been registered. However, I would hope that next year the administration decides to hold class registration a little later; at least after winter break.

Integrity isn’t simply something that is handed to you;  it appears through the honesty and truthfulness of your actions.  It’s about taking responsibility for yourself and realizing that you aren’t the only one affected by the choices you make every day.  It can be difficult to ignore the influence of fellow classmates and friends when making decisions, but you have to stop and think before you proceed.  Sometimes we act upon faulty notions that may seem to be right at the time, but can later have more serious consequences on our character and even someone else’s self-esteem.  It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but it means you have made a bad decision.

With this said, a student at our Holiday Concert assembly made a less than responsible decision by throwing an apple across the auditorium, hitting someone in the performance.

I am confused by why someone thinks it’s okay to not only disrupt an assembly but also throw another object at a student.  As cheesy as it sounds, isn’t the golden rule to always treat others the way you want to be treated?  I highly doubt having something thrown at you is going to boost up your confidence and make you want to continue to be vulnerable in front of your classmates.

High school can already be a confusing and difficult place to navigate properly without having to worry about what others think of you.  Contrary to what most people believe, the words you say and the actions you take can have an extremely positive or negative effect on other people.  It’s easy to complain about what you don’t have, but it’s a whole lot harder to be the bigger person and embrace the things you have and just be happy.

It’s unfortunate that so many high school students choose to get caught up in the hype of being popular instead of being true to who they are and searching for what they really want out of life.  It takes a lot of guts to get up on a stage in front of teachers and peers and perform.  Why make it harder for those people who are just trying to share their talent and hard work?

Although the incident was disrespectful, it is all part of growing up and learning from our mistakes and letting go of the injustices people have done to us.  We will all make our fair share of mistakes, but the important thing is to realize that you did wrong and to make sure not to repeat it.  Recognize that you are not the only person who is learning and forgive those who have treated you badly.

That doesn’t mean if you are witnessing something you believe is hurtful or unfair that you should just ignore the situation.  One person voicing their opinion can and has made an impact on other’s decisions and people’s views.

 It can be tough to be the only one out of your friends who would speak up, but what is the point of being silent?  If you saw your friends laughing at the incident and you think it was wrong, don’t stay quiet.  Say, “Hey, I don’t think that’s very funny.  Think of how the other person might have felt when it was thrown.”

Stand up for what you believe in because it does matter and it will make a difference.

There has been a lot of talk over the apple-throwing incident that occurred at the holiday concert on December 4^th. During the second hour performance, a student in the audience threw an apple core at the band students. Many people have different opinions on the situation. Personally, I think that it was disrespectful to throw the apple, but I agree with the reasons as to why the students decided to be not as respectful throughout the performance.

I don’t think it’s the right choice to take students out of their classes to watch a winter performance. Why would the faculty decide to make something fine arts related mandatory? Students aren’t obligated to see other performances or extra-curricular activities. Take for example, the basketball games. If students were told they had to sit through the basketball game during a school day, people would think that was also a waste of time. This is exactly my way of thinking when we’re told to sit through the Winter Concert.  It doesn’t make sense to me that we are forced to sit through an hour-long performance of the music department when we’re not forced to do this with other activities.

Also, it’s a waste of classroom time, especially since they chose a week that is so close to finals week. Students are already stressed out enough about passing their tests. The result of the performance is shortened periods. Teachers might need that extra couple minutes to go over material. If the holiday performance was after finals when a little bit of the stress would be lifted off, I feel as though the students might not be so against taking time out of their classes.

Although I believe all of these comments I just made, I still think the music department is a great department. It was just not great when we were forced to sit through it and taken away from class time. Students should have the choice whether or not they want to see it. Maybe people shouldn’t take it as far as throwing an apple, but in my opinion the Winter Concert was not a great way to spend the day.

My smallest class this year has 28 students.  With the increase, I’ve found learning to be much harder. I have another class of 35 and half the room never stops talking. It irritates me and I can’t focus. When the teacher tries to take control of class, it just gets louder, and it seems as if the only words in the class that the students will respect are their own.

I’m not saying that RB students are loud and irritating, but having larger classes give the students more power than before. With smaller classes, it seems as if the teacher is talking directly to you. It’s easier to learn because, if anyone needs help, the teacher can help that person quickly.

Another issue is sports. If charging 75 dollars to play hasn’t generated enough revenue to maintain the sport, then why not remove the sport?

Fire teachers. That’s the plan right?  So we are going to get rid of teachers, who the students are used to, and replace them with cheaper, newer teachers?  Didn’t we stop doing that decades ago? But no, let’s remove the teachers that students enjoy seeing and respect and replace them with someone who just got out of college who has very little time actually teaching. If the school is given money by the state based on test scores, is it the best idea to put in a teacher who may have problems teaching? That would just create more problems.

Everyone has been affected by the referendum this year in one way or another, be it SEE  Team or a club being cut, losing a teacher, or paying for a sport.  At the time the referendum was being held, I didn’t think much about it, because I had no idea it would change so much. Now I wish things could go back to normal.  It was so much easier to learn, it was quieter and it even seemed easier for the teachers to teach.

So when is it a good idea to let those ideas take charge and kick the candy collecting? It’s definitely not eighth grade or even freshman year. In eighth grade there is hardly anyone who doesn’t. Freshmen year of high school, kids can still easily get away with trick – or – treating. No one thinks anything of it. Freshmen are still perceived as fairly young. So it’s a good time to do all of the things they wouldn’t be able to do in a year or two.  The best example is, of course, trick – or – treating. No one questions it and a good number of kids that age also still go. Plus, it’s free candy isn’t it?

Sophomores may have a different outlook on the whole thing though. When Kellie Clinton, a sophomore at Riverside Brookfield High School was asked if she was going trick – or – treating this year she said, “Yes! Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

Clinton is even going with a group of friends, one of which she has a corresponding costume with. That is a good way to reduce the awkwardness. Having group costumes puts you and everyone in your group on the same playing field. No one sticks out like a sore thumb. They can also go out a little later so there will be less little kids. Sophomore year is a yes for trick – or – treating.

Junior and senior year get a little sketchy. They are starting to get a little old for the whole thing, but if they still want to go, a good way around being awkward is to take a little sibling. That way they still get candy and they have an excuse to go. Another alternative to that is to just go to a party. It’s still fun, they can still dress up and be with friends.

So whether or not you plan to go trick – or – treating this year, you can still have fun.

As October rolls around, high school students around the country look forward to Friday night football games, Homecoming, and fun hangouts with friends. Here at RB, October means Young Life, which in turn means the constant harassment of the club from students who call it a cult.

It remains a mystery how this rumor was started and where it came from, but it is completely false. A cult by definition is a system of religious or spiritual beliefs regarded by others as unorthodox, extremist, or false.

Extremist?

Young Life?

Young Life plays a large role in our everyday community. Every student, teacher, and administrator at RB has heard of Young Life one way or another. It’s hard not to. Announcements are made all week about the upcoming meetings. The students here at RB who are involved in Young Life are absolutely infatuated with the club.

How do those in Young Life feel when their club is called a cult?

“I just try to tell them not to judge something until they try it and that we would love to have them attend,” said Senior Nick Lazzara.

I attended the 1^st club this past Wednesday, and I can tell you, there is nothing extremist about what they do. The night consists of singing, dancing, skits, and a religious theme. Unless dancing and singing aren’t socially acceptable, then it’s a fair assumption to say that Young Life is by no means a cult.

We are living in the 21^st century, people. It’s time for everyone to wake up and stop judging what they haven’t tried. Young Life is a club of acceptance and friendship. They don’t judge anyone and accept people for their religious beliefs, no matter what they are.

Why is it then that they take constant bashing from our students?

You don’t have to like the club.  You don’t even have to show up. But is it right to bad mouth a club who has never forced anyone to come, a club where everyone is accepted, and a relationship with Jesus is promoted?

Almost everyone in Young Life loves the club and feels as if it is the highlight of their week.

“Young Life has been an absolutely incredible life changing experience for me. I’ve met some absolutely amazing people and I’ve learned so much about myself,” said Senior Mary Heer.

Maybe it’s time for us to look in the mirror. We might not like what we see.

Date

So what’s the big deal of going to a dance with a date? To start off, you get to wear a corsage or boutineer. It proves that you went with someone. Also you can compare with your friends on who has the cutest corsage or the better looking boutonniere.

It shows that a guy has confidence when he asks a girl to the dance.  It’s intimidating to ask the girl of your dreams to a dance. You have to figure out the best and or most creative way to ask her. Most girls want to be asked creatively. If a guy does, they are almost guaranteed that the girl will go with them.

By having a date, you get to take cheesy cute pictures with your date. When you have a camera pointing at your face and flashes are all around you, you can’t help but smile and cherish the moment.

You get to dance with your date. The last song is the “song of the night.” You can slow dance with your date and enjoy the moment of having the last song with him or her.

No Date

Now what are the pluses that people have when they don’t have a date?  You don’t have to even worry about the “Will I be asked” state of mind. You don’t need to worry about matching with him or her. It’s just you, yourself and no worries about even going with someone.

You get to go with your friends. Being with your friends is an enjoyable time. Taking pictures with just them will be too.

On the dance floor, you don’t have to worry about your date being jealous. You can dance with whomever and just be the party animal that you want to be.  That will then reduce the drama factor if you were to go with a date.

You also don’t need to be worried about abandonment. You don’t need to worry about him or her being too clingy. You also get spared the abandonment feeling if you get ditched throughout the night.

Now you decide what’s better, date or no date?