May 2009
Monthly Archive
John Massey
Amp writer
Because of America’s dependence on technology, many find it hard to imagine a world without computers, telephones or iPods.
But some people would revel in a pre-technology world, especially the participants in the annual Lewis and Clark Heritage Days festival.
The event drew hundreds of people May 16-17 at Frontier Park in St. Charles. Lewis and Clark Heritage Days is a celebration of colonial and early American culture. Many people donned bonnets and breeches to watch demonstrations, play colonial-era games and listen to storytellers as fiddles and drums set the mood.
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Tags: Cynthia Zhang, Lewis and Clark Heritage Days, St. Charles
When President Obama was running for office, he promised the American people many things: an end to the Iraq war, weaning the US off foreign oil, universal health care. And then there were the things that he didn’t promise, things expected from practically every presidential candidate and which are much more important: world peace, an end to global hunger, free chocolate chip cookies and two-liter sodas for all, and, of course, bipartisanship. If those are the promises that we expect President Obama to fulfill, well, then, maybe we really should have elected McCain. Our current president has been in office for over one hundred days already, yet in all that time he has yet to usher in an Idyllic New Era; in over three months, he has yet to stop one famine or ecological disaster… and heck, he doesn’t even pay for our Superbowl snacks!
And bipartisanship? Well, that’s a joke; Democrats and Republican representatives are still all too happy to rip out each others’ throats, while the Green Party and Libertarians watch on like hungry vultures, ready to go after the first downed carcass. Obama may be president, and, who knows, he might turn out to the Savior of the Free World, but politicians are still politicians.
However, all hope is not lost for Obama; while on the campaign, he undoubtedly planned for just this scenario, by way of another, seemingly innocent campaign promise - a promise that now reveals itself to be an extremely stealthy tactic that created an incredible weapon that will end a never-ending battle, reconcile two bitter enemies?
And its name is Bo Obama.
In the hostile state of the world, Bo may be the Barack Obama’s most effective weapon. His innocent slobbering over thousand-dollar carpets is as disarming as any political attack - and worse, it’s endearing; how can you argue for tax increases when such cute eyes are staring at you? Even the most criminal of hearts - which must belong to a politician - melts and turns to gold under a dog’s scrutiny.
Which is why, of course, Bo Obama should run in 2012. Perphaps he might not bring about world peace or stop global hunger, but at least he’ll get the Republicans and Democrats to stop tearing at each other. After all, who doesn’t agree that the first puppy is adorable?
Tags: Barack Obama, President 2012
Rob Lass
Amp writer
Homeschooled teens have been earning impressive scores on the ACT test, which is required by most colleges. It is a test that determines the taker’s aptitude in English, math, reading and science.
In 2008, the national average ACT score was 21. The highest possible score is 36, which was earned by about 1 in 3,300 of test-takers last year, according to the ACT website. I talked to a few homeschooled seniors from St. Charles who recently took the test and achieved high scores.
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Tags: act, Hannah Lawson
The following is part of a series of student theatrical reviews by members of the Cappies program. Cappies trains high school theater and journalism students to be theater critics. They attend school productions and write reviews under the guidance of teacher-mentors. The mentors select the top reviews for publication in the newspaper. The best reviewers are honored during an annual awards ceremony.
CAPPIES review of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ performed April 24 at St. Dominic High School
by Susan Sordo of Marquette High School
What’s a poor milkman to do? With five daughters, no sons, and a rising hostility from the neighboring gentiles, life in the small Jewish village of Anatevka can be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof! This unsteady situation sets the stage for “Fiddler on the Roof”, one of the longest running Broadway musicals of all time, recently staged by St. Dominic High School. The delightful brainchild of Jerry Bock (music), Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) and Joseph Stein (book) opened in 1964, reaped ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and sparked an extremely popular film adaptation in 1971.
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Tags: cappies
Tim Richarz, a St. Charles High School senior and member of FBLA and DECA, judges autos for the school's third annual car show.
Amp writer
Cool wheels and a warm day made St. Charles High School’s third annual car show fun for teens and adults.
Students from the school’s DECA and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) clubs organized the event on April 11. Teens took charge and ran the show with assistance from DECA adviser Diane Fine and FBLA adviser Bryan Doss.
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Tags: Bree Barton, car show, DECA, FBLA, St. charles high school
Abby Sung, 16, prepares to take the ACT college placement test.
By Hannah Ross
Amp writer
Summer is only a month away and Francis Howell High School students could not be more pleased.
The warm weather makes so many different activities possible. Students are already making plans. Sophomore Ben Hurteau, 16, has a lot of plans for this summer.
“I’m going to go to the Lake of the Ozarks,” he said. “I also want to be a camp counselor at the camp I went to when I was younger.”
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Tags: Francis Howell High School, Hannah Ross, people to people, summer
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