5 Days Without role playing

Most people do not know what role-playing is. Role-playing can be done in many ways, such as through the Internet, in person, or even in your mind. I role-play through Facebook and a chat site. We act as characters from Harry Potter and Glee. We do what we want with the characters, and we connect to each other. We decide what will happen to our characters, and when it will happen. I role-play as characters from Harry Potter and Glee. The people who I role-play with are my friends. We talk about our problems and what has happened in our life. For one week, I did not role-play. It was one of the hardest things in my life.

Day 1: Monday- When I got on Facebook, I saw that there was a notice. It was my instinct to go and find out what is happening with my friends. My friend reminded me that I was not able to do this. It was hard to be on Facebook and not see what was happening with my friends. I went the whole day not going to the link, until I got home. The notice was too tempting and I clicked it and talked to my friends. I told them what was happening with my life and they told me about theirs. I role-played the night away.

Day 2: Tuesday- today was easy. My favorite show was on, and it distracted me all day. I didn’t get on Facebook, and I didn’t have a chance to see if any of my friends were online. I didn’t have to worry about anyone one getting online and wanting to talk to me.

Day 3: Wednesday- today was a very hard day to not get online. My school got out early, and no one was home. I got home and went online, and saw four notices. It was hard not to check them and talk to my friends. I went to the mall, and that got me away from the computer and from the role-playing. That night some major things happened, and my first thoughts were to tell my role-playing friends. I couldn’t do that, but I did see that there were ten notices and I was tempted to see what they were.

Day 4: Thursday- Today I was home alone and on Facebook. The role-playing site had twenty notices, and I “peeked” at them. I got on the Chatzy site and started talking and role-playing with my friends. I got to talk and didn’t stop until six at night. I had been role-playing for five hours straight. This was not the way to not role-playing. I told my friends I had to get off, and logged my self off. I got off my computer and didn’t allow myself to get on the computer all the rest of the day.

Day 5: Friday- the last day of this cruel project I had to do. I was out with my real life friends, and didn’t allow myself to get on the computer at all. It was a hard thing to do, since when I got home, I got on Facebook and saw that there were twenty-five notices. It took all my strength to not click on them, or to go onto Chatzy. I took myself off of the computer and went to bed, so I wouldn’t be tempted to talk to my friends.

These five days without role-playing was one of the hardest weeks that I had to face. I wouldn’t do this again, even if I were paid to.

Blood Drive (Oct 2011)

This Friday is the annual Blood Drive. This is done by Nurse Bailey, who has been doing the blood drive for twenty-five years. Nurse Bailey runs the Health Club, and the Health Club conducts the blood drive.

There are usually around two hundred students who participate in donating blood. To donate blood, there are some requirements. Students who are sixteen years old are allowed to donate with parental consent. When students are seventeen or older, they can donate without parental consent. There are also weight requirements for donating. The student cannot be less than one hundred and one pounds. Larger, more athletic students are able to give doubles; that counts for two units. After students give blood, they cannot give blood again for fifty-six days.

Last year, the blood drive collected over two hundred and fifty units of blood.

Nurse Bailey is hoping that the students will learn what a valuable thing donating blood can do and that the students who do donate will continue to donate during their adult life.

Giving one unit of blood can save three lives. Every two seconds a person in the United States needs blood. More than thirty-eight million blood donations are needed it. Sixteen million blood donations are collected each year. Only nine point five people donate blood in a year. The main two reasons people do not donate are because they have never thought about it, or they do not like needles. If a person started donating blood at the age of seventeen and donated every fifty-six days until the person reached seventy-six, they would have donated forty-eight gallons of blood, and potentially helped save more than one thousand lives.

Career Center (Oct 2011)

On Monday, October third, many students who go to Career Center were called down to the Student Affairs Office and received Saturday Detentions, for going to the Homecoming assembly on Thursday, September twenty-ninth. However, some of the students who skipped Career Center did not get Saturdays. In the Kankakee Career Center handbook says that students can miss days if their schools have school-sponsored events, such as field trips, school plays, sports events, musical events, and assemblies.

Students who were not going to Career Center were asked to sign a sheet, saying that they were not going to Career Center. The students who signed this paper were called down the to SAO, and received Saturday Detentions. Students, who did not sign this, were able to go to the assembly and not get in trouble for it. When asked to sign the paper, which most people did so; the students were not told that they were not able to attend the assembly. The students were not told that if they went to the assembly, that they would get in trouble for it. To get in trouble for something that the students were not warned about is a little unfair to the students who got in trouble.

Fast Food Advertismennt Vs. Real Food (Nov 2011)

Everyone has seen McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and other favorite fast foods advertisement for their great looking food, but when the person gets the actual product, it is nothing like what is in the advertisement, and frankly it can look gross. This is false advertisement, and it is a horrible thing. It makes people hate eating out, and it should make one think more about what they are eating and seeing on television.

The side-by-side comparison of the advertisement and the real foods can be very miss leading. The burgers that are shown are not physically able to fit in the box. Dario writes, “I happily pitch the idea that lawmakers are committing a crime against us people by allowing us to be continually insulted by this advertising, and consequently this pursuit of technical correctness, in defiance of human perception." Lawmakers are not doing anything to change the false advertisement. The presentation of burger sizes changes with every place, but all fast food business are guilty of this crime.

The photographers are paid to make this food look better then it actually is. Mandie Parks, a senior, says, “It’s all false advertisement. They make food look great and well prepared I worked in fast food and like it’s called it's made fast not to look like they show it as. Domino’s has the right idea with having the customer order the pizza and send Domino’s a picture of what the pizza really looks like.” McDonald’s famous McRib sandwich is a popular sandwich that only comes out at certain times of the year. On the billboard a person sees a delicious sandwich with onions and pickles, and their stomach want the great looking sandwich that they see. When the customer receives the sandwich, all they can think is: “Where is that great sandwich I saw. Why is it not what I am eating?” Megan Wingo, a junior, says, ”It’s the same with all of the fast food businesses. The businesses pretend that the buyer is getting this great product, but when the buyer gets the product open, they are not getting what they thought they were buying.” Shannah Moisant, a senior, says, “I Think it is disgusting that what you get is so much different than what they show you... I personally get upset when I order one thing and when I get it looks like something a four year old threw in a bag shook it up then took it out and wrapped it in a nice package.” Arby’s is one of the worst businesses out there with false advertisement. The advertisement shows the Beef n’ Cheddar that is filled with cheese and meat, but when the customer gets the actual sandwich, they see a sad, smashed sandwich with not a lot of meat or cheese.

When the customer sees the one-dollar value meals, they look so filling and good, but when the customers gets the sandwich that they saved so much money on, they see a sandwich that could only fill a three year old. If this is the case, why does no one say anything about it? Why are we not boycotting the fast food business until they start making better food? Is it because it is easy to get the food and is cheap, no matter how much it looks like “something a four year old threw in a bag”? People should be angry at the actual product that they are getting. There are other businesses in town that will serve you food that actually looks like food, and not like garbage. The food might be more money, but at least it is what the customer saw, and will receive. Why do more people go to these fast food places then places that serve better food?

Girl's Football game (Sept 2011)

Last year, Mrs. Greene and Mrs. Fightmaster have a senior girls football game. This year is the second year that this has gone on, and it is a major thing for the senior girls. It is a great way for the girls of Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School to play the great sport of football. It is also a great event in homecoming week for the students to go to and foster school spirit. The game is Monday, September twenty-sixth, at seven o’clock. The cost to get in is free and it will be a blast to watch and cheer for your girls.

Last year, all the girls had a time, and we are hoping for another great year. It is just like a normal football game. It is on the turf and the teachers get to ref the games. Mr. Dorsam will do announcements and music. Each team has two boys coaching their teams. It is one of the major things for the seniors to do in the homecoming week.

There are thirty girls playing, four teams. Two teams have eight players and the other two have seven. Shannah Moisant, a senior at BBCHS, is playing on one of the girls on the team. “It is a fun time and all the girls love playing. It is very high energy.” She says about playing. Each game will be twenty-four minutes long, with two twelve halves, and will use the whole field. This is a one-touch game.

Mrs. Green and Mrs. Fightmaster had to fight for this for five years. The board of Education do not like this program and think it is a bad idea. They believe the girls are too emotional to play.

This is a fun event that many schools in the area and in our conference do during their own homecoming weeks. This event has had great positive reactions, and everyone is hoping for the same thing this year.

IMEA Oct 2011

IMEA stands for Illinois Music Educators Association, and Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School has been part of it for a while now. On Monday, October tenth, seventy students from BBCHS’s orchestra, and choir will be auditioning. The auditions are at Bloomington High School. IMEA District three includes schools a lot of schools. They reach as far as Bloomington-Normal and Danville.

The students will be trying out for the District band, choir, orchestra, jazz band and jazz choir. For the students who get into the District three Jazz Festival, this event is on Saturday, November twelve at Illinois Wesleyan University. The other festival the students can get into to is the District three Music Festival. This event is on Saturday, November nineteenth at Illinois State University. The students will be playing with many of the other top music students from the other schools in the District three schools.

If the student places high in their section in their audition in October, may be selected to participate in the All State Music Convention at the end of January, in Peoria. The students of BBCHS music departments are well represented in the festival and at the convention. An average of twenty to twenty-five students participate in the festivals and an average of eleven students go to the All State Convention.

Kankakee Comm College Dec 2011

Kankakee Community College is a local college in the Kankakee area. Many are students start their college education there. There are many pros and cons to this community college, as there are with most schools.

Community colleges are cheaper. It is easier to pay for the college and is a great way to start saving for a bigger One. Community colleges are also closer to home. This is a good thing for some students who are not ready to leave home, or need a place to live. It is a great way to help student’s transition into the college life. Some students are not ready for the college experience, and a community college is a great way to start the college life. In community college, the classes are smaller, which means more time with the professor and a good way for students who have problems. The student would have more time to receive help. If you aren’t the best student in high school, Community college is a great way to get a second chance. The student can get another chance to get better grades, and better transcripts.

Community college isn’t for everyone, though. Some people want to be away from the people they have seen for four years, and want the freedom that colleges away from home give. With the community college, there are no dorms. This can be both positive and a negative thing. Some people don’t want to deal with roommates or having to see people in a building. Some people love the idea of this, they want to meet new people and experience a roommate they don’t know. Having to find a house to stay in, living with friends, or living with family are the only options in going to community college. In community college there are not as many classes to choose from. Most students who just graduated high school go to community to take the core classes. Going to a community college, students will lose out on some college life. There are no college sororities or clubs. There is no campus life, either. There are not a lot of things to do on the campus, and since students don’t live in a building together, they don’t get to know other people as much.

The tuition for community college is cheaper then university’s tuition. Kankakee’s tuition is one hundred and seven dollars: ten for the basic fees and the ninety-seven for the actual class. That is for one class. This is a small fee, compared to the twenty-eight thousand for six classes. That is four thousand for each class. At Kankakee Community College, they also have a gym and many other things for the students to use.

There are many positive reasons to go to the Community College, but there are also a number of negative reasons. Chose of where to go to college is up to the person who is going, and where the person can afford and where they feel comfortable.

Music going to Disney Dec 2011

On March ninetieth through the twenty- second, the BBCHS music department is going to Disney over spring break. They are going down there for a clinic coordinated by the Disney Music Staff. BBCHS students go every four years to Disney, and they always have a good time. Two hundred to two hundred and fifty students will be going on this trip. The clinic entails working with Disney Staff on Musical selections. Also recording session and creating soundtrack to a Disney animated clip. The orchestra, band and choir will be getting there by Charter Buses. It takes twenty-three hours to get there, which is a great time for the students to socialize and get ready to perform. The students perform, attend the clinics and then get to enjoy their time at Disney. Schools all over the country perform at this clinic.

The band will be performing a Latin piece called, “Santana”. They are hoping to get into the Magic Kingdom Parade. The Magic Kingdom parades are parades that go around the park two times a day. Mr. Dyche, who runs the band, does not know what other pieces they are playing or what days they are playing. Last time the band was there they performed in the Magic Kingdom Parade. The band does four fundraisers this year and will be using the profits from two of the ones from last year.

The orchestra will be playing a beautiful piece called Millennium. They will be playing at the Downtown Disney Stage. Mr. White, who runs the Orchestra and helps with the band, does not know what other pieces they are playing or what days they are playing. Last time the orchestra went to the Disney they played at Epcot on the Future World West Stage. The orchestra performed “Bacchanale” from the opera “Samson and Delila” by Camille Saint-Saens, “Millennium” by Richard Meyer, and “Overture to the Barber” of Seville by Gioachino Rossini. The orchestra does a number of fundraisers through the year; such as selling candles, nuts, butterbraids, and poinsettias.

The choir will also be playing at the Downtown Disney Stage. Mrs. King, who runs Choir along with Mrs. Lord, also does not know what pieces they are playing at the moment or what days they are playing. The last time the choir went to Disney, they played at the Epcot Center on the Future World West Stage.

Snow person Dec 2011

During the Christmas break, there are so many fun things to do. One of the great things to do is to make a snowperson. Some people think that they understand and know how to make a snowperson, but they do not know how to do this. So grab your siblings, your mother and father, and your friends and go make an amazing snowperson.

The first thing is to make sure that the snow is able to pack together. If the snow is not able to pack then the snowperson will not be able to withstand the wintery season. The snow must be able to stay together without falling apart and must not be too hard.

The next thing is to start building the bottom of the snowperson. This is the foundation of the snowperson and has to be amazing. Take a handful of the white snow and form a ball. Continue adding snow to your ball, until you cannot hold it anymore. Make sure you keep the ball round or the snowperson will look lopsided. Put the snowball on the ground and roll it around the yard, making sure it stays tight. When you have a decent size ball, roll it out of the way and that is the bottom.

Next are the midsection and the head. This is the same thing as the bottom, but they are not as big. When putting these parts on, sprinkle some fresh snow on the top of the bottom layer, so the snow has something to grab onto. Be careful when putting on the layer, this is the hardest part. Make sure that the layer is on perfect or it will be lopsided and will fall over. To help the snowperson stay standing up, add snow in-between the layers. Place the snow in the center, where the layers meet.

The last and funniest part is decorating the snow person. You can dress your snowperson in the like of a friend, a famous person, or just dress it up like a regular snowperson. You need to decide the gender of the snowperson before you continue. To dress it up like yourself or a friend, then you will need stuff that will make the snowperson look like the certain person. If your friend has glasses or a Mohawk, then you need to get these things. If you are dressing the snowperson as a famous person, then find out what this person wears or a character that the person plays, and get the supplies that will make the snowperson look like the famous person. For example, if dressing it put as Edward from Twilight then get brown hair, a pair of sunglasses, and make it sparkle. If dressing it up as Harry Potter, then get a pair of glasses, a wizard hat, a clock, a wand, and clock. Adding a snow owl, will give you extra points.

If dressing the snowperson as a regular snowperson, then you will need a carrot, coal, licorice, and any other available food. For the eyes, you can use coal, black olives, or any black, small food. If you want a color eyes then get the color of eyes you want and use that instead. For the nose, use a carrot. For the mouth, you a stick or licorice. Anything long, thin and able to bend will work.

Pottermore

On July fifteenth, a lifestyle for a lot of students at BBCHS has ended Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two came out, and a lot of students, fans or not, think the Harry Potter series and lifestyle is over. Well it is not ending. The fans would, for one, never let that happen. J. K. Rowling also knows this, so she has added a new character to the Harry Potter lifestyle with “Pottermore”, which this is a new way to experience the world of Harry Potter.

Pottermore is a new website where Harry Potter fans, or as the fans like to be called, “potterheads”, can see the book in a unique ways. A few hundred Potterheads got to get onto the Pottermore site early. Over a seven-day period, the main page of Pottermore.com had a question posted on it, and when the questions answered, they got a link. Once the potterhead went to the link, they catch the magical quill and then got to make their account. The site started to let people in after a month, and the experience changed Potterheads lives forever.

Once a Potterhead gets into Pottermore, they sign in and get to explore the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Visitors go through all seventeen chapters. In certain chapters, visitors have to complete certain tasks before they can continue. In chapter five, Diagon Alley, they have to shop and get all their required school supplies. The Potterhead gets to visit all of the different shops, such as Potage’s Cauldron Shop, the Apothecary, and Eeylops Owl Emporium and Magical Menagerie. They even get to go to Ollivander’s. This is where they get their wand. There is a quiz they can take that J. K Rowling has made herself. In Chapter Seven, they will be sorted. When going through all of the chapters, visitors get to read information on characters, places, objects, and creatures. This is a great treat for all Potterheads, since Potterheads love to get more information on the books.

When the Potterheads are finished with the first book, they will have access to most of the extras on the site, such as going to the Great Hall, the Common Room, Diagon Alley, and Gringotts. While they wait for the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, they can make potions or cast spells. This will help them earn House points.

Pottermore is a great way to relive all of the Harry Potter books. Potterheads can remember the first time they read these books and relive the adventures. They can also relive their childhoods and the way Harry Potter has made their lives better.

Drama Club

The drama club had their first meeting of the year on last Wednesday, September 7th, 2011. Mr. Benoit held the meet after school, where the students involved in the club got more information. The club picked their club officials: Meganna Miller was elected President. Corey Campball was elected Vice President, Bridget Smith was elected Secretary, Gage Patterson was elected Treasurer and Cody Gindy was elected Publicist. If you could not make it to the meeting on Wednesday, then be sure to talk to Mr. Benoit in S202 or E201.

The drama club goes to see a play every year and this year they are going to see Mary Poppins, the musical.  They will be seeing this play at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago.

The job of the drama club is to get tickets sold for the plays. This year anyone buys a ticket to a play; they will be entered to win a prize, signed by the cast of the play. The play that is in production on now is You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. The play will be performed on October twenty-seventh through October twenty-ninth. On the twenty-ninth, which is a Saturday, there will be two shows. One at 2 PM, and then another at the regular time 7 PM.

The last order of business that was addressed was Off the Cuff. There are auditions on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and are after school in the South Cafeteria.

The drama club is a great way to socialize with friends, be part of the schools plays without being on stage, and meeting new people. If you would like to join and could not make it to the meeting on last Wednesday, should talk to Mr. Benoit to get more information.

Too Many Electronics

These days, teens these days are obsessed with the Internet and texting. Most of the their day consists of texting or talking to people over the Internet. Some people don’t even know whom they are talking to. Internet and texting are ways teens can procrastinate and not do their homework and other important things.

In this point in time, internet has everything. Teens can blog on Tumblr, talk with friends on facebook or myyearbook, or even talking with a computer on cleverbot. Teens can even talk to strangers on Omegle. Teens are on the computer an average of twenty hours a day, and seven days a week. For teens, Facebook was ranked third in the one hundred searches. Teens say that they will stay on for a couple minutes and then spend hours on Facebook. According to Traci Campbell, “ teens between the ages of 15-17 spend approximately 19.9 hours online every week.” That being said, most teens spend more time on the Internet then with their parents or with their friends. This is making teens less social, and this is influencing with what they see and whom they talk to on Facebook. According to Amanda Lenhart, “ seventy-three teens have profiles on social networking sites.” It’s not bad to have a profile on these sites, but it starts to be when teens don’t do their homework or become anti-social”.

Teens don’t go any where without their phones these days. Teens send over one hundred text messages a day and over three thousand a month. Amanda Lenhart says, “seventy-five percent of teens own their own cell phone and eighty-seven percent of teens use text messaging at least occasionally.” Girls text more then guys. Girls receive around eighty text messages a day, while guys receive thirty. Teens text all the time, even while driving. They think if they don’t get caught, it is okay and nothing bad will happen. Texting is making teens have a different language. They do not spell words out completely, and teens use this language while doing school work. Using the language is fine while teens are texting, but when in school, teens should use the language that they were taught. Texting also makes teens anti-social. Teens text each other while sitting right next to the person, or the person across the room. Many teens do not pay attention to were they are going because they are too focused on texting. Kids are getting cell phones younger and younger. Most kids get their first cell phone at the age of eight.

Internet and texting teen usage is making teens anti-social and have lower grades. It is fine to get on your computer or text your friends, but when it takes over the teen’s life it is too much. Having limits on these things would be a great thing these days.

Yom Kippur Oct 2011

Yom Kippur is the major Jewish holiday. Yom Kippur takes place on Friday, October seventh. The Jewish community believes it to be the day that God will judge them. It is the Day of Atonement for most Jewish people. It falls in the month of Tirshrei, which is in September or October. This holiday mark the ten days of Awe, which is a period of introspection and repentance. This follows the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah.

Yom Kippur is also called Yom HaDin. This day is starts a twenty-five hour fast. This starts before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur, and ends after night fall on Yom Kippur. A person cannot eat or drinking, not even water. The Jewish community does this to become more like spirits, and less like animals. Jews believe that eating and drinking make people more like animals. They believe that people can focus more on God if they do not worry about their needs for the day. Children under the age of nine are not allowed to fast, along with pregnant women, women who just gave birth, and people who are suffering from a life-threatening illness. Children under the age of twelve are allowed to take part in it, but are encouraged to eat less.

This day is the day that Jewish People believe ask for forgiveness from God and people that they have hurt. The ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are the Ten Days of Repentance. This is the time to seek out the people they have offended and ask for their forgiveness sincerely. A very important part of the repentance part of Yom Kippur is called teshvah. This is where a person asks God for forgiveness. Jewish people believe that a person can only be forgiven from God on Yom Kippur. This is the day that the Jews believe God will judge everyone.

The last major part of Yom Kippur is prayer. The Yom Kippur is the longest synagogue service in the Jewish year. This service starts in the morning and ends at nightfall. Many prayers are said through the service but one is the major one that is said is Al Khet. It is a prayer asking for forgiveness for the sins that the person has committed in the year. Jewish people have different conception on their sins. They believe that the everyday offences, such as hurting people we love, lying to our self and using foul language, is what is truly sinful. While reciting the pray, people beat their sins against their chest as each sin is mentioned. Every sin is plural because Jewish traditions teach that every Jewish person should have the same responsibility for the actions of other Jews. When the Jewish person comes back for the afternoon service, they read a portion on the Book of Jonah. This is read to remember God’s willingness to forgive people who are truly sorry. The end of the service is called Ne’ilah or Shutting. The name is from the imagery of the Ne’ilah prayers. They talk about the gates being shut against the Jewish people. The Jewish people pray intensely during this, hoping to be able to get into God’s presence before these gates have been shut.

Blood Drive Feb 2012

Every year, BBCHS has two blood drives: one in October, and one in February. Students have to be sixteen to donate, with a parental permission form. Students who are seventeen or older do not need parental permission. In October, BBCHS donated one hundred units of blood. Our goal for this blood drive is to donate more than the October blood drive.

Before the student gives blood, they should sleep for at least eight hours, eat a healthy breakfast and/or lunch, and drink a few glasses of water. If student drinks water ten to thirty minutes before donating, then they will be less likely to become dizzy or faint after the donation. After donating, students sit and relax in a refreshment area for fifteen minutes or so. There the students will be given water and a snack. If the student still feels lightheaded or is dizzy, then they will stay for longer until they feel better.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, according to Red Cross. More than thirty-eight thousand donations are needed every day. The most common blood type needed is Type O. Forty-five percent of people have O type blood, positive and negative. Type O-negative blood can be used with all types of blood, is always in demand and is often in short supply. Fifteen million units of blood are donated each year in the U.S., eight million people donate, and four point nine million people receive blood. Only three percent of people have AB-positive blood, which is the universal blood and is most often used in emergencies, newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.

The donating process is a safe process and the actual blood donation only takes ten to twelve minutes. After checking in, students then get a mini-physical, where the nurses check temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin, to make sure the donor is healthy. Roughly one pint of blood is taken, while a human usually has ten. Donors can donate every fifty-six days, or one hundred and twelve if the donor gives double blood. The blood is tested afterwards for HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, and other infectious diseases. The donated blood must be used within forty-two days. Less than thirty-eight people in the U.S. are able to give blood. In 2006, sixteen million blood donations were collected, nine-point-five million people donated, and five million patients received donated blood.

The main two reasons people don’t donate are that they have never thought about it and that they don’t like needles. One donation can help save up to three people lives. If all students donated from the age of seventeen and donated every fifty-six days till they were seventy-six, the student would have donated forty-eight gallons of blood, which could possibly save more than one thousand lives. Nineteen percent of donors donate occasionally, thirty-one percent are first-time donors, and fifty percent are regular donors. Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only be obtained from people who donate.

It is a great feeling to give blood and is a good way to give a lending hand. Giving blood is one of the only ways students can help the country while at school, and the students get out of a class.

60's Cartoons vs Todays

Wikipedia says that a cartoon show is an animated cartoon that is short, hand drawn film for television, featuring some kind of story or plot. Cartoons are something everyone can remember watching as a baby and child, and we are to believe that they have devolved and made to be better trough the years. Today’s cartoons are becoming atrocious, dreadful, abominable, irritating and the list could go on. These “cartoons” are making kid get lower test scores. Compare the “cartoons” of today to the ones of the 60’s and you will have a great difference.

In 1960 cartoons were funny and fun to watch. They also didn’t make kids get lower test scores. These cartoons actually had plot to them and had good characters. Some of the classic 60 cartoons are Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Felix the Cat and the original Scooby Doo. These cartoons were magical and could make a kid laugh. 60’s cartoons have great jokes and make the audience laugh and the cartoon companies need to bring them back onto television. Scooby Doo has been around since 1969 and the show is still on today. The voices are changed, but the show is still great. The show has had eleven series, twenty-three seasons, and two hundred and ninety-eight episodes. Scooby Doo is one of the show that will be around for a long time and will stay great. The Jetsons was not on television for long but it was still a great show. The show was about a family in the twenty-first century. Most of the top cartoons from the 60’s were not on the air for long, but had greater plots, characters and jokes then most of he cartoons on today.

Today’s “cartoons” are one of the worst things to watch. They have horrible characters, no plots, and they look like a five year old colored them. Shows like Adventure Time, SpongeBob Squarepants, The Amazing World of Gumball, Regular Show, The Fairly Odd Parents and Fanboy and Chum Chum are a few of the atrocious shows. These shows are pointless and can’t make a funny joke. In Adventure Time, you have a twelve year old boy, Finn, and his dog, Jake. They try and have adventures and learn something, but the only thing that happens is an awful show. Fanboy and Chum Chum are just two little kids that do not do anything except try and be superheroes. These cartoons are atrocious and need to be removed from the brains of every child, teen and adult that has seen them. They need to be in cartoon jail and stay there until the world ends.

60’s cartoons will never fade and will always be around in some way. They are the better cartoons and the producers of today’s cartoons need to fired. Today’s cartoons will make children and teen get lower test scored and make them lose their brain cells.

Haunted Houses (Oct 2011)

October is the time to dress up like a character from your favorite television show, or a scary creature. One of the great things about Halloween is Haunted Houses. There are five great Haunted Houses in the Chicago area that no one would want to miss.

The closest two are the ABYSS Haunted House and the Statesville Haunted Prison. They are both about an hour drive from Bradley. The ABYSS Haunted House is described, as “darkness, long forgotten, unleashed deep within the bowels of the earth an unspeakable portal to horror so deep and black, it is known only as the ABYSS.” The ABYSS is open on Thursday- Sunday. Fridays and Saturdays seven until eleven pm, and Thursday and Sundays seven until ten PM. The cost is seventeen dollars to get in, and tickets can be purchased at the door. The Statesville Haunted Prison is known for their prisoners taking visitors to go see the underbelly of the house of Evil. There costumers will encounter over two hundred of the most dangerous monsters ever imprisoned. The Statesville Haunted Prison has been rated/voted number one by Haunted House Chicago. The cost is thirty dollars for general admission, and forty for VIP; tickets can be purchased at the door. They are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays seven until ten. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open from seven till eleven. The prison will be open all October and the fifth and sixth of November.

The next closest is the Haunted Mansion and Asylum 13. It is one hour and ten minutes away, in Bolingbrook. The Asylum has thirteen rooms to hold the souls of thirteen of histories most demented people. The Mansion will make prisoners feel right at home. You will never know what or who is around the corner or in the next room. There is also The Vortex and the Cage Maze. The Haunted Mansion and Asylum 13 is open all of October. Admission is twenty dollars for general admission, twenty-five for VIP online, and thirty-five for VIP at the door. The Mansion and Asylum is open from six to ten on Thursday and Sunday, and from six until eleven on Friday and Saturday.

The MASSACRE Haunted House is one hour and twenty-two minutes away. The Massacre Haunted House is over fifteen thousand square feet of nightmares. It has over thirty-five rooms, where forty ghastly clad actors are waiting to scare and delight visitors. It is open on Thursdays through Sundays, and on Monday, October thirty-first. It costs twenty for the Massacre only, twenty-three for the Massacre and the Fear Factory 3-D, thirty-five for VIP for both. When you are done with the haunting, the Massacre Haunted House is contacted to the Odyssey Fun World, where there is over two hundred arcade game.

Presidential Candidates 2012

The voting for the 2012 President is on November 6th and, for most seniors it will be, the first election they will be able to vote in. For this reason, the seniors and teachers who can vote should know who they will vote for to be the next president. There are four main Republican candidates that people need to keep their eye on. They are in the race to become the next Republican candidate for the presidential election.

Mitt Romney is the man presently in lead and is the one who will not back down. Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts. According to 2012.presidential-candidates.org he is Mormon, sixty-four, and has a background in politics and business. Romney wants to ban same-sex marriages, doesn’t support immigrant amnesty, is against stem cell research, wants to outlaw medical marijuana, and will allow death penalty sentence. He wants to bring the troops home as soon as possible. He is pro-life, but would allow states to make their own laws on abortion. He feels that there needs to be a revamp of the education system. He feels that parents, the federal, government, the state, and teachers, should be involved in the education process. Romney doesn’t want prayer or religion in school; he wants schools to teach the importance of the economy and family value. For the economy, Romney wants to make ten major actions on the first day if he is elected. Some of these actions would consist of five bills and five executive orders. The five bills would be about reducing the corporate income tax rate, making free trade with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, merging federal retraining programs, and making cuts non-security discretionary. Some of the executive orders would make the Secretary of Health and Human Services return to the authority of the states, and all agencies eliminating the regulations that made problems to the economy and to job creation.

Newt Gingrich was a speaker of the House Chairman for 3 years, is a Christian, is sixty-eight and studied politics. Gingrich wants to ban same-sex marriage, allow death penalty sentence, outlaw medical marijuana, and is against stem cell research. Gingrich believes that schools focus on patriotic education instead of multiculturalism. He wants to bring back school prayer and wants to reward high school girls who graduate as virgins. As for the national budget, Gringrich says that he would be able to balance the national budget in five years after taking office. Gringrich will help the economy with a five-point plan. Some of the aspects would be taking out the National Labor Relations Board, replacing the Environmental Protection Agency, and limiting unemployment benefits to maximum of four weeks. He to wants to remove regulations on corporations to create jobs.

Rick Santorum was a U.S. Pennsylvania senator and the eightieth District Representative. He is a Roman Catholic, fifty-three, and studied politics and law. Santorum wants to ban same-sex marriage, will allow the death penalty sentence, outlaw medical marijuana, and is against stem cell research. He wants to have an abstinence only education and wants pray in school. As for the economy, Santorum wants to reduce the size of the government by retuning it to 18 %, cap future spending and pass a balanced budget amendment. Santorum wants to cut the corporate tax rate in half, and take away the death tax.

Valentine's Day 2012

Valentine’s Day is a day when couples go out and celebrate their love. It is the time for flowers, candy, and red and pink hearts over the city, but it is only a great holiday if you have someone to share it with. Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year where the all the single people feel bad that they are single. For single people, Valentine’s Day is actually Single Awareness Day, or SAD for short. If you are single, get a group of your closest friends, go out to dinner and have a girl’s night out. Don’t let anyone talk about boys, boyfriends, or complain that they are single. If you don’t want to go out, have a girl’s night in. Have ice cream, cookies and other comfort food.

Instead of going out and watching Valentine’s Day movie, plan an anti-Valentine’s Day party. Get a bunch of black shirts, fabric paint and fabric markers and have the guests decorate the shirts with slogans that encourage independence, make a mixed CD with songs about being alone and independent, and serve broken heart shaped cookies. Some good songs are “I Will Survive” and “Love Stinks.” Guests can also make “voodoo dolls” of their ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends and then have some fun with them, such as throwing them in the air or out the window.

People who love the idea of Valentine’s Day go completely out and wear all pink, draw hearts and day dream about what their dates are planning. While on the other side, people who can’t stand Valentine’s Day don’t talk about anything dealing with the “holiday.” What people need to realize is that Valentine’s Day was created by the card and candy companies so they would increase their profits.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be there to make couples feel happy and single people sad. Make plans with a group of friends and have a great day that isn’t just about love.

Winter Ball 2012

Dances are an event in the school year when students can get dressed up and not think about school, work or family. It is a great time to spend with friends and that special someone. Winter Ball is the dance when the girls can ask the guys to the dance; so girls: do not be afraid to ask that special guy to the dance. Winter Ball is a great dance to forget about last semester and think about what colors the girls should wear. Guys, this is the time to make sure your date will not make you wear a color you hate.

Winter Ball is the year’s second dance at BBCHS. The dance theme this year is “Someone Like You,” based on the popular Adele song.

For freshmen and sophomores, this is the last dance of the year, and for juniors and seniors, this is the dance leading to prom. The BBCHS student council helps pick the theme and helps run this dance along with their supervisors, Mrs. Fightmaster and Ms. Greene.

Winter Ball will be on February eleventh at seven PM until ten PM. The dance will be at the Quality Inn in Bradley. While the dance is at a hotel, like every year, no student will be allowed to rent a hotel room before or after the dance. Ticket sales go on sale on January thirtieth to February fourth. The tickets are twenty-five dollars each and are cash only. The date request forms are located in SAO office and can be picked up at any time.

Senior boys are able to petition to be on the Winter Ball court. The court petitions are available on January twenty-third and are due on February third by three o’clock. The senior vote for Winter Ball court is on February sixth at ten till two. Voting will be done during all study halls and will be at the library. Senior boys will need to get signatures for their petitions.

Winter Ball is a great way to get into long dresses and natural colors. Great colors for girls to wear are cool and clear, and can be dark or light. Purple, grey and neutral colors are great for winter. Dresses for Winter Ball should be long and a calm color. Girls, make sure your date won’t hate the color you are going in and make sure it goes good with your skin tone and hair color. Guys make sure to get your dress clothes early, and not at the last minute. Last minute dress clothes are sloppy and can make the prettiest dress look bad. Make sure to get a corsage that matches the girls dress.

Winter Ball can be a great time for everyone, so make sure to have a great time at the dance and do not get in to trouble. Make the dance a fun and safe time for everyone. Dances are a great way to make memoires with your friends and spend time with them.