How to Shake the Caffeine Jitters
November 25, 2008
Caffeine, this chemical may in fact be the most useful tool for Neuqua’s students, as well as the most addictive. Some consider it a drug, others a life-force, but one thing is certain, many students rely on caffeine to get them through the day. There are numerous reasons why student rely on this “drug”; whether students did not get enough sleep the night before, enjoy the taste, or simply need caffeine, regardless of the amount of sleep they get. Read more
Keeping Rock and Roll Alive
November 25, 2008
In an age where pop, hip hop, and alternative music rule the radio airwaves, there does not seem room for good, old fashioned rock and roll. However, this has not stopped numerous hard rock bands from going on tours and coming out with new tunes. Aging rock band Van Halen, reunited with former singer David Lee Roth, and toured North America this past summer. Stopping in Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, and a number of other cities, it was the first time the original Van Halen lineup had been together since 1985.Among other bands coming out with new material, or are at least rumored to be, are AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. AC/DC, an Australian blues style band, has not put out a new album since 2000. However, they have recently put out a new record entitled Black Ice that was released October 20 of this year. “Rock n Roll Train,” a single off of the Black Ice album had already been released and was commonly played on radio weeks before the album came out. AC/DC is currently on their North American tour and has already played in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Boston.
Led Zeppelin, on the other hand, has already toured the UK, and is rumored to be recording new material, although without lead singer Robert Plante. A North American tour would likely gross huge amounts of money. The Rolling Stones also have rumors of a new album. Rumors started while the Stones were finishing up their concert album Shine A Light, which was released in April of 2008. Lead guitarist Keith Richards stated, “I think we might make another album. Once we get over doing promotion on this.”
Although many bands from the 70’s and 80’s eras are coming out with new material, that does not necessarily mean it is as successful as it was back then. For example, AC/DC’s 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip has sold around 1,000,000 units worldwide. While this might seem like a large number, Back in Black, AC/DC’s 1980 album sold over 42 million copies worldwide.
Although still popular, it is not hard to see that although these bands might not want to go away, there popularity is slowly decreasing.
By Kevin Maras, sports editor
Recycle for Money
November 25, 2008
With an enormous amount of publicity for “going green,” it is amazing the amount of people who do not. According to Earth911.com, only 23% of Americans recycle their old electronics. Read more
Speaking Up with a Ballot
November 25, 2008
This month will be remembered for multitude of events, but far more important than any is the 2008 presidential election. Undoubtedly, this election was one of the most pivotal elections in all of United States history. Both campaigns, McCain and Obama, fought hard for the presidency, but in the end Barack Obama took the victory. In addition to electing the first African American president, this election had a record voter turnout. Of these voters, many were first time voting high school students.Voting, being one of the major advantages of becoming a legal adult, is long looked forward to by younger citizens. Many students, however, may not know what it feels like to truly vote. Neuqua Valley Senior Brittany Grosch described her voting experience as “Surreal and incredible.” Although that opinion probably speaks for many first time voters, Senior Emerson Lee said, “It was surprisingly unfulfilling. Everyone knows that Illinois is a blue state, so it felt like my vote didn’t count.” Read more
Rise of Mario and Master Chief
November 25, 2008
Movies and Music have always been in the forefront of popular culture. People make referacnces to movies all the time, whether your friend compares a movie to whats going on in his life or a certain song describes how one feels. These because all these things are well known, and once somebody refers to it, everyone can either relate or easily remember it. But up until now, Video Games have not had this. They have been set aside as something for ‘geeks’ or a very selective group. Today, many games are very well known and even game consoles are everyday household items. Read more
You Are Beautiful
November 25, 2008
Keira Knightley steps out of a limo, flips her hair, and struts down the red carpet while cameras flash all around her. The paparazzi yell, “You’re beautiful! You’re beautiful!” And she knows she is beautiful, and so do all who lay eyes on her. But then, the question is raised- What is beautiful? The campaign “You are Beautiful” answers this question by stating that beauty is not something exterior, but rather, it is the perception of self that determines true beauty. Read more
American Obsession with Fame
November 25, 2008
Society has the tendency to greatly inspire people to become famous. In recent years, this fact of life has reached monumental heights. Starting at a young age, children are told that they can be whatever they want to be and aspire to do whatever they want to do with their lives. For a large number of people, that desire is to achieve fame. With the obsession about fame on the continual rise, it is in question how far this highly unlikely dream will go. Read more
Fashion Trends of the Past Make a Drastic Comeback
November 25, 2008
It is commonly said that fashion repeats itself. One of the most obvious fashion comebacks are leggings from the 1980’s. But the style of the leggings differs of course. It is more common to see girls at Neuqua wearing browns and grays, which contrast greatly with the original look of brightly colored neon leggings that we have grown to associate with the 80’s. Read more
Prime Porcelain: New Sinks in Neuqua’s Bathrooms
November 25, 2008
Although many students may not have noticed, there are some new sinks in the bathrooms around Neuqua. These are automatic and are guaranteed to function so students are not faced with the dilemma of not being able to wash their hands. Read more
Foreign Language in Context
November 25, 2008
Taking a foreign language class may be appealing to many students because it gives information of not only an unfamiliar language, but of a place that is far removed from what we, as students in the United States, are acquainted with. Though the classroom setting has full potential to engage students in what they are learning about their given language, removing yourself from a classroom and actually visiting the country of the language that you learn so much about can broaden horizons in ways which may not be reached from a desk. Read more
