June 5 , 2008

Pirate Press

Got Senioritis?

By Josh Drake and April Hall

For many of us, it seems as if these last few weeks have felt like an eternity. Seniors are starting to realize they are fixing to step into the real world. It does not seem real. We decided to make a survey for seniors only, to find out what their thoughts were. Their answers were very surprising.
One question that was asked was: Would you consider your first three years in high school to be years that you took seriously? Of those who answered, 83 percent said they actually took those years seriously. Then, the remaining 17 percent said they did not take it seriously. The importance of the first three years in high school is often underestimated. It is not until the senior year that students begin realizing how important those years were.
The second question the survey asked was: Have you noticed a decline in your attention span throughout the years? Once again a high number, 80 percent said their attention span in high school has declined. The remaining 20percent said that their attention span has stayed the same.
The third question asked was: Have your grades recently dropped? Right at 51 percent say their grades have had a major change and 49 percent said there was not much of a change. It is important to keep your grades up to have a good GPA (grade point average). Having a good GPA determines the amount of KEES money that students will receive if they plan to attend college.
The fourth question asked was: Has your attendance dropped? A majority, 52 percent of seniors, said there was a major change in their attendance level and the remaining 48 percent said that it had increased or stayed the same. Maintaining good attendance is very important because it helps students maintain their grades. Missing class is a big contributor to failing grades.
The fifth question asked was: Have you taken less time to groom yourself in the morning? Thankfully, 54 percent answered no, they continue to groom themselves just the same and 46 percent answered they have taken less time. Students really need to groom themselves in the morning because it makes them have a more positive projection among their peers and it will make them feel more motivated to work.
The last question asked was: What are your plans after high school? An impressive 60 percent said they were going to attend college, 14 percent said they were undecided, 18 percent said they were going to work, and nine percent said they were going to the military. (Editor’s note: We do not have the data, but that makes it 101 percent. Senioritis may be affected math skills. Just joking, thanks for the article - JC)
Students who have a good idea of what they are going to do after high school can really put them ahead and make them better prepared for entering the real world. We anticipated that the survey results would be more drastic and that there would be a more horrific level of senioritis among the seniors. The results tell a different story. While the majority of students have shown a slight decline in attendance and grades, it is not a vast majority. Bottom line: the outbreak hasn’t affected the entire senior class!

Life and times of the average kid

By Catherine Smith

So it’s not the seventies anymore. Believe it or not teenagers have more stress than ever. As a student, an employee and a band member I have reached my stress limits many times. According to stressfocus.com, it is estimated that teens form 20 percent of stressed Americans (2). The average teen these days has at least one hour of homework a day, eight hours of work and four hours of practice. Many adults believe that we are just lazy, but truly we are exhausted.
I’ve heard my parents talk about how hard they had it when they were young but they don’t even realize how hard it is to be a teen now. Even though some extracurricular activity and work experience is optional, sometimes they are crucial for a college application. They are also important experiences to prepare us for the future.
The Biggest
Causes of Stress
• School work (78%)
• Parents (78%)
•Romantic relationships (64%)
• Problems with friends (64%)
• Siblings (64%)(3)
As an example of a stressful teenage schedule, I will provide my own.
This is my daily routine:
•Wake up- 6:30 a.m.
•Get ready-
6:30 – 7:00 a.m.
•School -
7:15 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.
•Work – 4:00 p.m. – close (10:30 p.m. or 11:00 p.m., on weekdays)
•Home- 11:15 p.m.
•Shower, etc. –
11:15 – 11:35 p.m.
•Homework-
11:35 p.m.-12:05 a.m.
•Bed- 12:15 a.m.
"One third of US teens say they feel stressed-out on a daily basis," reports Reuters Health. According to Reuters, researchers suspect US teenagers to be feeling such stress as a result of overwhelming expectations by parents and society. The study, conducted at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, also found nearly two thirds of teens to be stressed “at least once a week.”
As you can see teens now have it a lot harder than teens from the past. With all of our priorities that we must adhere to there isn’t much room for recess: a time which was much simpler and easier. So next time you see a teen, don’t underestimate the amount of stress they are enduring, and take it a little easier on them!

Green in Greensburg

By: Adam Smyth and Jessey Morris

If you go to Kansas, you might expect to see several different things. You might think that you see barns, storm cellars, and maybe even some fields for grain. You might even be afraid you would see a tornado. However, most people wouldn’t expect to see lots and lots of “green”. However, in Greensburg, a week after the May 4, 2007 tornado, that all changed.
The tornado nearly destroyed the entire town, and a week later, the mayor had an idea. His idea was that since they had to rebuild anyway, the town should make the extra effort to make Greensburg friendlier to the environment. The town government and the townspeople all pitched in to help make the name of the town a little truer. The government buildings have been built according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, and buildings are being remade with recycled materials, extra insulated, CFL lights, and double paned windows, all to save energy.
Looking towards the future, we’ll begin seeing people take advantage of catastrophes like this to make a better world for all of us to live in. These people are looking at the silver lining in what were some violent storm clouds, and making the most of it, which is something everyone should do. After the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, everything was in color; after the one in Greensburg, we are only seeing green.

Who let the dogs out?

By: Alex Pelfrey

There is nothing more depressing than seeing the sad faces of homeless animals. Our county is rapidly becoming overrun with stray cats and dogs due to the negligence of some pet owners. Some local community members have decided that they are going to donate their time to help remedy this problem.
There is no staff at the Powell County Pound. The pound depends solely on the ACO (animal control officers) to manage these animals. The only other help is provided by a small group known as “Friends of Powell County Pets”, and the inmates at the Powell County Jail.
The Powell County Pound currently holds between 75-85 cats and dogs. Volunteers are greatly appreciated to help improve the conditions, adoptions, and the health of these homeless pets. Volunteering can come in many different forms. Some being transporting animals to the vet, working fundraisers, working spay/neuter clinics, taking pictures of the animals to post on petfinder.com, making flyers, or simply walking the dogs.
A new shelter, in a new location is a current goal for the pound, but with lack of funds this is not likely. As of now, the main focus is to reduce the number of animals coming to the pound. You can help contribute to the achievement of this in many ways. One way is to take appropriate care of your own animals. It is important for pet owners to know that not altering your pets, and letting them roam, greatly impacts the over population and abuse of the animals.
The most beneficial way to help increase the number of animals taken out of the pound is by adopting an animal to a loving home. Just because the animals are kept in the pound doesn’t mean that makes them less qualified to be a loving pet. A Friend of Powell County Pets member, Teresa Stidham, states “People don’t realize how many purebreds come to the pound.  In addition to the neglected, abandoned and abused animals coming to the pound, often sweet, beautiful animals also come to the pound every week and you would be amazed at how beautiful and healthy they sometimes arrive.  People assume all are sick and ugly.  This is so not so!”
So please, take into consideration how many helpless lives you could save by becoming a volunteer, or simply adopting a pet. The websites below will allow you to search for your future, cuddly partner.http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/KY248.html or http://fopcp.com

No more school seniors, now what do you do?

By: Cyle Sparkman

To all those seniors out there that believe that college is not for them please reconsider. College may be expensive but it is worth the money because an education lasts longer than any job will. The colleges closest to Powell County offer many scholarships and they offer campus jobs that allow you to pay for college and food.
A high school education will allow a person to secure a good job at a number of places but should a person be laid off, and have no other way to appropriate funds of living, they will find themselves on the streets. A college education decreases the chances of being laid off because not many people who have degrees are expendable. A college education will help make life more successful and easier than working a 40 to 50 hour week for minimum wage. Salary pay has exceptional benefits over wage working.
The military is another option. In a recent survey eight out of eighty-eight said that their future plans are to attend military boot camp and venture into various fields of defense and offensive warfare technology. The branches of the military will provide coverage for you and your family. You should always further your education whenever possible because there are only positive consequences from learning.
A college degree gives one the chance to be promoted over others and help lead a new generation into an era of prosperity. College graduates are the people who receive work quicker than those without one.
That is why everyone after high school should try to further his or her education. You can’t live on minimum wage any longer. With the price of living ever increasing the toll will be starvation for those who don’t see the need in a post secondary education/ military life.