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December 20, 2011
Amanda Kovac, Photo Editor
Picture your best friend. How would you describe them? How would you describe them after a hard day? Depressed? Sad? Angry? Many times I wonder why we let ourselves get upset over silly things. I admire the people who find the good in everything. Looking back on my life I want to be able to say that I spent 95% of it happy.
It puzzles me how we can have so many good things in our life, yet sit around and complain all day. If there is a problem the simple answer is do something about it. Say you have a fight with your friend, and you see her every day; I know what you’re thinking, awkward right? Well how do you fix that? You talk to that friend, and you try to make things right again. Otherwise you could spend a week trying to avoid someone you wish you didn’t have to.
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that upset us, such as a minor fight with our parents or friends. Afterwards we torture ourselves for hours wondering if what they said was true. We start to doubt ourselves. That’s not a good thing, because a positive attitude can help you get better grades in school, and more opportunities in the adult world.
My new year’s resolution for 2012 is to have a little bit better attitude about myself and others. I think that if everyone could be more positive in the new year we could solve a lot of problems in the world. Now who’s with me?
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December 20, 2011
Amanda Kovac, Photo Editor
Imagine a Saturday evening at home. The guy or girl you’ve been crushing on the whole year sends you a picture of himself with his shoe off. The text reads “Return the favor(; Take it off.” What would you do? All over the news there have been reports of a new, dangerous, game at Liberty Junior High and other Liberty schools. This game is called Rounds. ‘Rounds’ is a game where one person takes a picture of themselves with an item of clothing off, starting with a shoe or something small and meaningless. The game continues from there until one of the participants chickens out. Many times they don’t, leaving themselves nude for the other person to see.
What these kids don’t realize is that by sending and receiving these pictures they are distributing and possessing child pornography. This can put them on the registered sex offender list for life. Being put down as a registered sex offender could eliminate college, job, and service opportunities, limiting the opportunities of these students.
Sexting has been around for almost as long as picture messaging has. It’s only become a growing problem as younger kids get phones and the cyber world grows. I didn’t write this article for just my grade. Officer Massey shared “I think education is the key to prevent future cases. I think kids need to understand they can change their future by making a mistake as a kid.” I fully agree with what she has said. By educating yourself on the consequences, and also on how to make smart decisions, which is a skill learned through school education, you can prevent yourself from winding up in a rut.
This particular game consists of two players, two cell phones with cameras, and a whole lot of peer pressure. I asked Sierra Moore how much peer pressure she thought was involved in the game, and she had a different opinion. Sierra replied “I think there’s peer pressure, but I think it is really the person’s choice to play the game. Yes people will try to pressure you to do something, but if it is on a phone it is easier, I think, to say no.”
Eric Morales, a freshman, shares, “I think it’s just their hormones, and they want to see who is cooler by showing the other person their body parts… or they’re just really stupid,” when asked his thoughts on why teens play Rounds, even with the knowledge that they could get in big trouble. It’s a bit worrisome the number of sexting cases there are each year, but hopefully with improving education we will be able to counteract that.
Practice safe text and don’t sext. 15% of cell owning teens say they have received suggestive or nude pictures, let’s please not let that percent go up again.
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December 20, 2011
Isabelle Brown, Advertisement/News Editor
As the 2011 year is coming to a close, many people choose to take a look back, and remember just what occurred and took place during this past year.
Not all events were just peachy keen; including the spontaneous outbreaks of Charlie Sheen, or one of the largest tornados ever, and even the death of Steve Jobs. But we don’t want to recall the bad things of the year, how about the good things. The things that we accomplished, the goals that we met, the things that we strived so hard to achieve.
One positive thing of the year of 2011, was the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Their wedding was one of the most watched events on television and the web. It definitely cheered people up during a time of economic crisis, and depression. Many people who were present at the place of the wedding, filmed from cellphones, recording devices, and anything that they could get their hands on. This was definitely deserving of dynamic event in 2011.
Another important event of this past year was the sudden boost of job openings. “My dad spent a year and a half trying to find a job, and he finally found one this past year. He said that it looks like the economy could improve greatly!” said Amanda Kovac, a ninth grader at Liberty Junior High School. Although job opening have been increased, statistics show that 2011 may have been setting the stage for an economic collapse or “meltdown.” According to the United Nations, global food prices set a new all-time record during the month of January.
Even though things seem to not be looking up for the economy, people have been raving about some of the new technology of the Apple industries. From the ipad2 to the iPhone 4, Apple just doesn’t seem to stop, but everything changed when a beloved co-founder, Steve Jobs died. The whole world seemed to mourn the loss of a creative genius that had started a new revolution in the technological industries.
So whether you choose to remember the bad, or the good of this year, 2011, some students choose to look forward to the future and not the past.
When asked what she is looking forward to for the 2012 year, Lyndsay Smith, a 9th grader, said, “I am mostly looking forward to the summer and for the next school year too!” She was asked her favorite memory of the year 2011, she replied, “I really liked the school year so far, and the last school year too, and don’t forget about summer either.”
When asked his thoughts of what he is looking forward to, Jared Moris, an 8th grader, said, “I am mostly looking forward to getting online access for the PlayStation3, but the summer sounds good too.” He was asked his favorite memory of the past year, he said, “I really liked hanging out with my friends over the summer.”
Overall 2011 was a year of triumphs and defeats; it had dynamic breakthroughs, tragic deaths, memorable occasions, and fantastic opportunities. So it’s up to us LJHS, to make 2012 even better.
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December 20, 2011
Stephanie Boan, Opinion Editor
It’s expected to snow here in Liberty, MO, and it’s exciting the whole city. Forecasts were expecting snow on December 20th, but it’s also expected to snow on other occasions. Technically this would be the second snowfall of the year, but the previous snowfall was considered quite a disappointment, especially after hearing Justin Beiber sing about the snow and being “Under the Mistletoe”. The snow didn’t stick and barely covered the tips of the grass blades, almost immediately melting. Which is why the talk of snow is so exciting to everyone, it feels like forever since we got to play in the snow.
Mrs. Jacob’s, a Spanish teacher, one of the two at LJHS said, “I prefer to ski in the snow over anything else; I can’t wait to ski this year.” She also mentions how she loves the snow and is hoping for a white Christmas.
Although Liberty,Missouri doesn’t have any places to ski, other towns in Missouri do have places to ski. In Weston Missouri, Snow Creek resides, here you can ski, snowboard, tube, and more. There are also other options, lots of families visit the rest of their family in other states, and ski there. Mandy Bilbao said that she usually visits her grandparents, and skis out of state for Christmas, and her birthday.
Mr. Lowe said, “I like to find an empty parking lot in the snow,which shouldn’t be too hard,and drive around.” He enjoys doing donuts and just enjoying the new fallen snow, loving being on the edge.
Samantha Heston and Emmy Gregory said, “We always go sledding together at a nearby park; it’s so much fun.” This should be a fabulous idea for many that live near parks, go visit them with friends and/or family, and sled. It’s a great way to enjoy the snow, and have a merry Christmas with all your family and friends.
It looks like whether you’re a teacher or student, you’ll be enjoying the upcoming weather. But keep in mind, to play in the winter snow, you have to dress warm! Try to take breaks and sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate; it will definitely complete your Christmas experience.
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December 20, 2011
olivia brown, creative Corner Editor
Aaron Kelley, a freshman at LJHS, is more than a talented athlete; behind his muscular build, Aaron enjoys, more than anything, to draw.
“I draw landscapes, and animals, and really anything, ” said Aaron. “It’s my way to take whats on my mind and make it something real.”
Writing is a fantastic way to get your mind off things for some people. Aaron deals with the every day issues of most teenagers and these stresses can cloud is ability to do many things, but his drawing helps him to regain focus. Also, certain events in his personal life make Aaron able to get through tough situations.
“I love drawing because it helps me get through life,” said Aaron. “Sometimes things are tough, but drawing makes me think about other things.”
Aaron is fantastic at what he does and is hoping he will always do it, no matter how busy he gets with sports or any of his other past times. If you ever want inspiration or tips on drawing, Aaron is a fantastic teacher and is willing to spread the art of his drawing with everyone who needs help getting through tough situations or even just for fun.
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December 20, 2011
Jacob Taber, Sports Editor
College: An educational institution or establishment, in particular. 2. One providing higher education or specialized professional or vocational training. This is what college is, right? Not anymore. For high school athletes, college has turned from an educational opportunity to an athletic gateway to professional sports.
To athletes in football and basketball, a college education is less important these days. Athletes totally take advantage of colleges. Do they even want an education? Or do they just want to be able to be prepared for a professional push? I’m not saying that any college athlete should be ashamed; it is the fact that people like Josh Selby (Kansas) left after one year of school. One year! He wasn’t even available the whole year, played in only 26 games. When he was at Kansas, he didn’t prove that much. For the final nail in the coffin, he got drafted in the 2nd round of the NBA draft. Did he get anything out of college? Probably not.
Now why does college basketball have to be the way it is? Why can they not change the rules to college football? Make the players stay another year or two, and every college basketball player will at least have an associate’s degree, and college will be a more meaningful experience for education. When they only make people stay one year, they tend to not really learn, and instead, try to make it through, thinking of it as more of a hassle than anything else.
You can also look at LeBron James. Everyone has heard of him. He is a superstar, and who knows how much money he makes. And guess what? He didn’t even go to college. Not for one minute did he sit in a college class. But the NBA and LeBron James don’t care about his future outside of pro ball. All LeBron and the NBA care about is basketball.
So I believe I have relieved the point that lots of college athletes take advantage of college, and not for the education, but for the professional opportunity in basketball. An education for these athletes is simply a problem. The NBA could put down its foot and set up rules making players have to go and stay in college. But that is not the way it is, and that is a problem.
An example of this problem is that most professional athletes that you see in interviews can’t even talk! They have zero speaking skills and it is embarrassing to see that these “successful” athletes can’t put a sentence together. And that my friends, is what college is for. College, to be able to be successful in the workforce, and also including sports, needs to be necessary for these people. When people like these athletes don’t take college seriously, it is disappointing that they will set themselves up for failure after pro ball.
The solution is not that easy. You can’t change every person’s view, but you can lay down some ground rules that encourage athletes to stay in college. There are a million possibilities of things that you can do to encourage people to stay in college, because college is a rewarding experience for everyone. If athletes do it, since they are greatly seen as role models to so many young people today, it could greatly benefit the younger generation. The players, NBA, and the NCAA need to set things right because this is a problem that needs to be fixed.
Photo Credit: Google Images
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December 20, 2011
Sydney Perkins, Da Bomb Dot Com Editor
As the first semester of our freshman year comes to a close we are starting to think about enrolling in high school classes. There are so many options and it can get pretty overwhelming. One thing different about the high school, however, is that once you sign up for a class it is very rare that you can switch out of that class, so choose wisely! If you are having trouble on deciding which classes to take, any of the teachers or counselors at LJHS would be glad to help.
Going from LJHS to the LHS or LNS is a big step for some. The school has many more people, many of whom you may not know. Also classes are more mixed. Instead of being with just your age group, you might have people older than you in your classes, which could be intimidating. On the brightside, at LHS and LNH you get to have late start Tuesday and there are many more clubs you can join. Some options are peer helpers, A+, China skype and many more.
When asked what her thoughts were on going to the high school next year, Trisha Elliot, a freshman at LJHS said, “I’m kind of nervous and excited. We will actually be treated like high school students, but I’m nervous about how much homework we are going to have.”
Desiree Johnson added by saying, “I’m very excited to get to see my friends who are in older grades!”
Students in almost all other school districts go to high school their freshman year so we are lucky Liberty gives us the ability to be in junior high until we are sophomores. Next year, will be a year of big changes, but with good planning and a positive outlook, we will be ready!
Photo Credit: Google Images
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December 20, 2011
Madi Hayter, Photo Editor
The coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, for what would be his third year, has been fired. Todd Haley’s termination has been controversial for many Chief’s fans. Many believe it would be best for the future of the Chiefs association, while others believe his being fired will not change many of the Chief’s current handicaps. Now Coach Romeo Crennel is standing in temporarily as the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. It is undetermined if he will hold the position permanently.
Haley sealed his fate with the brutal loss to the New York Jets on December 11th. The Chiefs were pummeled with a score of 37-10.against the New York Jets on 12/11/10, scoring 37-10. With this loss, the Chiefs were just one game away from being disqualified for the playoffs. During the game Chiefs had 11 penalties, 128 yards in the dismissal, as well as, what Yahoo! Sports describes, “a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.”
Haley was a former football player as well as a coach to other teams. He played wide receiver for New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys. He was also the previous offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
Noah Aziere thinks that Todd Haley is not a good coach, regardless of his previous experiences, and that they should have waited to fire him until the end of the season. Noah’s opinion on Crennel is that he is a good defensive coordinator, but not a good head coach.
Jason Waters, in reply to Noah, states that he agrees with Noah. When asked what he thinks the team should do Jason’s response was, “I they should rely on their manager since they don’t have a head coach; it’s going to change since Todd Haley wasn’t that good of a coach.”
Those opposing the removal of Coach Haley, some such as Darcy Loomis, think that it is unfair that Coach Haley was fired due to what he was dealing with. Several of his first string players had been injured. Her words were, “It wasn’t his fault his first string players got injured; he only can control them so far. He can tell them what plays to run, but he can’t be like you’re going to throw the ball and this person is going to catch it. It’s not his fault.”
The stand in coach, Romeo Crennel, has already shown some success with a mediocre, at best, team, bringing home a victory against the undefeated Green Bay Packers this past Sunday. Many believe this to be the first sign of proof that Haley’s termination was the right decision for this football program. However, Coach Todd Haley doesn’t seem to mind too much. He was able to have a 5 and 8 record with a terrible, badly injured team, and he his still guarantee his salary. He is also currently holding a position as a commentator with ESPN. It seems that Coach Haley is really not missing out on much.
Photo Credit: Google Images
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December 20, 2011
Madi Hayter, Photo Editor
The ball in New York Time’s Square is going to drop soon, you know what that means 2012 is coming up! With a new year comes new goals for 40-45% of adults, and only 46% of them stay committed past six months, according to ProactiveChange.Com. Keeping resolutions can be difficult, so here’s some tips on how to keep them.
All of this started 153 B.C., when “The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune” (GoalsGuys.Com).
Mackenzie Herrman’s resolution for 2012 is to be nicer, and she plans to keep it 1 out of the 525 948.766 minutes in the year. Good luck Mackenzie.
First part to making a resolution is to figure out what you really want to accomplish, such as adjust your life style to be healthier, get a tan, or be a better gardner. Don’t get crazy with your goal; make sure it’s something that can be done within a year. Second, get excited about it. Write your goal down, and tape it to your mirror or fridge to remind you of what you’re working hard for. There are always mile stones to goals, therefore reward yourself when you reach them. For example if your resolution is to not bite your nails, if you go a month without biting your nails, treat yourself to a manicure to help keep yourself motivated. Eyes on the prize. With those two suggestions, a new year’s resolution can be easily accomplished.
While some goals are reached, some commonly broken resolutions told by Time.Com are to lose weight or get fit, quit smoking, learn new things, eat a healthier diet, get out of debt/ save money, travel, stress less, volunteer, and drink less. The overall common reason for quitting or ditching their resolution is simply due to laziness.
Goals are a healthy part of life, so get yourself excited and motivated for a new beginning, and new experiences to come with the new year.
Photo Credit: Google Images
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December 19, 2011
Sydney Perkins, Da Bomb Dot Com Editor
New Year’s Eve will be here before you know it. You know what that means, time for New Year’s Resolutions! Every New Year’s Eve millions of people make their new year’s resolutions at midnight. It could be things as small as exercising more or as big as saving up for a new car. The easy part, however, is coming up with the resolution, and the hard part is keeping it.
Nobody’s really sure as to how making new year’s resolutions came about, but what we do know is that people have been making them for thousands of years. Most people make their resolutions based on what changes they would like to make in their lives. Some of the more popular New Year’s resolutions are to spend more time with family and to get fit, but they are also the most often broken resolutions.
When asked what her New Year resolution of 2010-2011 was Rebecca Blair said, “My resolution was to keep my room clean and I definitely did not keep it!”
Making resolutions, however, isn’t the only New Year’s Eve tradition. Many people travel to New York City or watch on TV to see the famous ball drop, which declares the New Year. Some other popular traditions are to kiss your loved one at midnight or to eat black eyed peas.
Not everyone celebrates this holiday exactly the same and thats what makes it so special. Everyone has their own traditions and different ways to spend this special holiday. Start thinking about how you would like to improve in the next year and make plans to turn your resolution into a 2012 reality!
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