2 Designed By Brittany Odegaard

DiD yOu knOw? In Winter, days are shortest and the nights are longest.

NEWS &

TheBottom Line

Many things change for high school students: jobs, vehicles, phones, music. But the fact that some drink does not seem to change.

Statistics show that in 2011, 39% of students drank some amount of alco-hol, 22% binge drank, 8% had drunk and drove, and 24% rode with a driver that hasdbeen drinking. These statistics reveal a recurring problem.

The big reasons minors drink are “to have fun”, “to try it” (usually drink-ing a little leads to drinking a lot), and/or they think “it’s cool.” Kids want to fit in and are peer pressured in some cases.

Minors have different ways of finding alcohol. They can get someone 21 or over to get it for them. A few steal it from stores or their parents or grand-p a r e n t s , or have a friend that “knows a guy”.

I asked people why they drink and here is what they said (names are changed):

John Doe

said: “Because it’s the ****, I wish I was at home right now drinking some Apple Pie Moonshine.” Another stu-dent said “I do it to try to forget my problems about school, and life at home.”

Another said: “I just wanted to try it and it was good so I kept drinking. At the party we had a gallon of Crown Royal Whiskey and it started to disap-pear, then someone brought out Moon-shine and Jack Daniels. I don’t remem-ber much after that.”

“It was my choice to drink, I have no regrets. I don’t always drink but when I do I get [messed] up.”

“The reason I drink is because I need to cut loose and lose control, let everything go as if the outside world doesn’t exist. I bot-tle my emotions and

drinking helps me empty my bottle of emotions and if I don’t empty it, then the bot-tle will break and emotions come out any-

ways.”

Why kids drink

By Izzy Vahala

“Whatever you do don’t EVER start smoking.”

This famous parental advice is handed out to just about every teen today. And now in 2013 teen smok-ing rates are still excruciatingly high. Cigarettes, marijuana, and now a new substance to think about : electronic cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, are smokeless electronic devices that emit a vapor instead of smoke. They were introduced to Americans by the Chinese, with the intent to reduce the smoking rates and provide a “safer” alternative to to-bacco cigarettes. E-cigs typically look just as a cigarette does, only longer and solid in color. E-cigs are also available in differ-ent styles, some that look like pipes, others with differ-ent designs on them and they all work a similar way : the user inhales through a mouthpiece and creates airflow. This airflow triggers a sensor that switches on a battery-powered heater within the device. This heater vaporizes a small cartridge of liquid nicotine (which can be alternated for a nicotine-free car-tridge), and lights up the end of the e-cig, simulating a lit cigarette. The fake smoke is created by the vaporization of propylene glycol (PEG). So at this

point the user is experiencing a puff of hot gas that feels like tobacco smoke, and as they exhale the vapor dissipates. There isn’t any tobacco within elec-tronic cigarettes.

Though e-cigs contain nicotine, there are still concerns about the use of the product, concerns of addiction that are deep enough to have the FDA (food and drug administration) considering banning e-cigs altogether.

Yes, e-cigs were intended to slash the rate of smokers within the United

States, however smoking rates have not changed since the debut of elec-tronic cigarettes. Instead e-cigs have just produced another way to smoke. The product is popular, and sold online as well as in kiosks or catalogs.

E-cigs appeal to consumers for various reasons. They provide a way to “smoke” within a smoke-free environ-ment such as workplaces, restaurants, and airports. Other people use e-cigs to

help ease the transition from smoking as an alternative to “quitting cold tur-key”. And for those who don’t intend to stop smoking, e-cigs provide a safer alternative to smoking tobacco ciga-rettes.

Tobacco is a harmful component of cigarettes, however it’s the nicotine that contributes to the addictiveness of cigarettes. E-cigs may not contain to-bacco, but they do contain nicotine.

Recently, e-cigs have been creat-ing concerns within school adminis-

trations. E-cigarettes don’t produce an odor, and aren’t always easily recog-nized as an electronic smoking device. It’s a growing controversy whether e-cigs should be treated the same way to-bacco cigarettes are treated when they show up in schools.

Similar to e-cigs, vapor pens (vape pens) are electronic devices that emit vapor. They work the same way as e-cigs do, by using a heater to vapor-

ize oils. Unlike e-cigs however, va-por pens usually do not contain any nicotine or tobacco, only flavored oils. The pens appeal to youth because of the wide selection of flavors to choose from.

“They [vapor pens] shouldn’t be treated the same way that other drugs and cigarettes are treated in school,” said one student,” They don’t have anything bad in them; it’s only flavor-ings and oils.” This particular student was drawn to vape pens “because they

are fun to do smoke tricks on” and that they “have a lot of flavors that taste good”

Vice principal Thad Holub said “E-cigs are treated as cigarettes as they both deliver nicotine to the user. They are not some-how a healthy alter-native to smoking,”

Pleasant Hill, like many other school districts,

have consequences for e-cigs being brought to school as other illicit sub-stances. Administration has been in-formed with details about both e-cigs and vape pens that included pictures to aid the staff in identifying the devices within school.

“I know we will not catch every user, and that is not the goal. The goals is prevention,” Holub said, “I hope that letting everyone be aware of the situa-tion will reduce e-cig use on campus.”

The emergence of E-Cigarettes concerns administrationBy aloe GIllmore

To some people Homecoming is a big deal and to others it just isn’t.

Students have varied opinions regarding the Homecoming dance, “I think the fun is when the kids can dance together,” said James Fairbairn (12), “...It might be the beginning of the year, and there is some tension, but when kids can break loose and “get down" together, they can become friends.”

For some of the older students, Homecoming is a chance to dress up, “...I love dressing up,” said Brittany Odegaard (11)“...and Homecoming is the perfect night for that.”

For the freshmen who have never experienced Homecoming or Spirit Week, the anticipation can be, “...ex-citing,” said Karissa Jubie (9)“...hav-ing the themes and dressing up sounds exciting.”

Others see Homecoming as chance to dance, have some fun and relax.

“I feel that Homecoming is for the students to take a break,” said Ashley Quimby (9), “...and just get together and have some fun!”. While Izzy Va-hala (10) believes,“ It’s about spirit and the girls in their beautiful dresses.”

Others believe that, Homecoming is a chance to socialize and “something fun for the students to look forward to.” said Jennifer Rowell (12).

In the 1970’s Homecoming was different.

I talked with Steve Smith, and he told me about his senior year Home-coming.which was held at this very school.

Smith told me about some of the things that have changed since then,

“We didn’t have floats, we didn’t have Spirit Week either,”

“We did all the same stuff at half-time that they do now… Back then you nominated the princess's, and the princess's picked the princes. The oth-er thing is the only people who could vote for the princesses/queen were the members of the football team and the cross country team.”

But what about the people who don’t go? Not everyone attends Home-coming,

“I think the types of people that go to Homecoming the most are the peo-ple that go to football games and have more school spirit,” said Fiona Brooks (10), “…I think everyone should go at least once and have the experience of Homecoming.”

Homecoming offers a chance for fun and, in the elegant way that Rosie Warchol puts it, “To bring people to-gether.”

Reflections on

HOMECOMINGBy eVIana hernandez-hIll

3Designed By Brittany Odegaard pErSpEctivES

Ice is considered a mineral. 60% of the Earth’s fresh water is stored in the polar ice caps. Chionophobia is the fear of

Christmas is just around the corner. It’s the time of year to get your stockings out and wish upon the star. I got the opportunity to ask some people around Pleasant Hill High School about what they want in their stockings this year for Christmas and why. I was surprised by what I heard .

“I want a 12 gauge, Smith and Wesson switchblade, a new camo sweatshirt, new camo hunting pants, camo floor mats for his vehicle”

- Hunter Bell (11)“ I want a platypus, one (just one) black sock, a pair of purple head

phones.” - Joey Lemmons (11)“ I want a big horse and even bigger truck.” - Hannah Saylor (11)“I want Oculus Rift because they are awesome, a pet octopus be-

cause thats why, a giant cheese ball because cheese is awesome and a kitty cat.”

- Christian Harris (10)“Skyrim because I love Skyrim and that’s what I’m actually get-

ting.” - Dalton Dodson (10)“I want a gun and a knife.”- Luke Guill (10)“White gold necklace with a Fleur-de-lis pendant because I have

always been in love with the Fleur-de-lis.” ( a French Flower)- Samantha Lynchard (12)“ I want candy and 02 ivm because I can, Ozium- air freshener (

Febreze only better)”- Jon Cowger (12) “I want some candy, like sour patch kids because those are my

favorite.”- Ally Heffron (9)“I want lots of candy and Kit Kats because those are my favorite.”- Tabitha Adams (9) There are a lot of different people here at Pleasant Hill and they

all want different things for Christmas. But they all have one thing in common and that’s to have a fun and enjoy Christmas.

What DID you want in your

Christmas stocking?By Trea roGersPleasant Hill has company!

Across the US, there are many oth-er Pleasant Hill communities. But there are fewer Pleasant Hill High Schools. We found three, one in Illinois, one in Louisiana and one in in Missouri

Pleasant Hill, Missouri is home to the Pleasant Hill ROOSTERS— yet another barnyard animal!

The Pleasant Hill Roosters are represented by the colors purple and gold. As part of the 3A Missouri River Conference, Pleasant Hill High School offers sports such as varsity football, wrestling, volleyball and baseball. Alumni include former MLB player Steve Shifflett, Kansas City Royals, MLB player Lee Stoppleman (Saint Louis Cardinals) and MLB player Josh Smith (Pittsburgh Pirates).

Gavin Dooly, a student from Pleas-ant Hill High was asked certain ques-tions about daily life at school. Gavin answered bluntly. When Gavin was asked about after school activities, Gavin answered, “We hang out at fast food joints, play video games, do homework and other extracurricular ac-tivities.”

Gavin was also asked about his peers in school. His answer?

“We are all close knit. There’s lots of gossip and it’s very crowded. It can sometimes get very annoying and weird.”

The school, just 40 miles south-east of Kansas City, is a comprehen-sive high school. They have a rela-tively new school built in 1999 which offers “a state-of-the-art structure, two computer labs, four science labs, a broadcasting studio, two home eco-nomics labs, a gymnasium and physi-cal education workout area, a 600-seat auditorium, vocal and instrumental music classrooms, three shops and in-dustrial technology classrooms, and a vocational agriculture classroom and shop.”-from PHHS website. PHHS, whose female athletes are known as “Chicks” also has a Grandparents Day in December and has the sup-port of the community which in 2005 approved another bond to build addi-tional buildings.

Like us, this largely rural school has a long tradition, dating back to 1830 and crows about pride in their school.

Meet the Pleasant Hill High School

Roosters!By mcKenzIe PrIVaT

Every year on New Year’s Eve, single people go to parties or stand in the middle of Times Square in New York, hoping that when the clock strikes twelve they will get that romantic midnight kiss. And everyone has a different version of that kiss in mind. Some want a kiss right as the clock strikes twelve while others want a more extravagant kiss, surrounded by the downfall of snow and fireworks.

That’s the idea of Emily Banks (9) New Year’s Eve kiss,“I think you should be outside watching fireworks, and should be kissed right

as the clock strikes twelve. And of course I would wish for it to be snowing!”

But she added, “Everyone should be prepared to wait. I mean I’ve waited this long to meet the guy of my dreams, and I’m pretty sure I could wait for a kiss.”

Truly, that is what most girls want, as far as I’m concerned, but the kiss is up to the guys. Athen Plummer (9) gave me a differ-ent scenario, when I asked how he would get a kiss on New Year’s Eve.

“I think that I’d take her out to dinner, bring her some flowers, and then take her back to my house, and bring her to my pond. I would talk to her with the moon high up, while hugging her closely and just go in for the kiss.”

That takes guts.

“But not everyone will be prepared for a kiss,” Hannah Alvis (9) told me, “I guess if it came down to it, it would be the best if you didn’t expect it to come.”

Most of these seem staged and traditional, but each kiss can be unique and special. However, Garrett Olson’s (9) plan on how to get a kiss on New Year’s Eve was very creative and thoughtful.

“What I would do, is have some fire-crackers on the ground spelling out her name. Then after it’s lit, see if she’ll just plant one on me.”

“That or tell her to meet me outside at ex-actly midnight with flowers and say ‘Happy New Year’ to her, then maybe that would do the trick!”

Wouldn’t we all love to be as hopeful as Garrett?

My perfect New Year’s Eve kiss would be being kissed the second after the ball is dropped, when thousands of people scream “Happy New Year!” right as the clock strikes twelve. That would be a dream come true for me, because I would feel like a Cinderella, who had finally found her prince.

New Year’s Eve is approaching quickly, so keep your heart open for that special someone, because they may just be about to lean in for that romantic, New Year’s Eve smooch.

How to get a smooch on New YearsBy ashley QuImBy