Category Archives: Press

By Rachel Reinke
Staff Writer ’06

As more and more is expected of students, many turn to the easiest way out – cheating

A trend at Lassiter is quickly on the rise, and I’m not talking about the hemlines of those fabulous spring skirts. Now more than ever, students are taking it upon themselves to receive their grades in the easiest way possible—and with the least amount of work possible—by cheating.
Whether it’s copying answers down like mad before a test in an unsuspecting spot on a desk, programming formulas into a calculator, or just copying someone’s homework, lack of academic integrity really doesn’t seem to bother most students these days. As long as the work gets done, the test gets aced, and the GPA stays where it needs to be, it doesn’t really matter how it happened.

Everywhere you turn, more and more is being asked of students today. They are more greatly challenged in higher-level classes and expectations to succeed from everyone from their parents to their peers are constantly thrown at them. So, it’s no wonder that students conveniently turn to the easiest possible method to make not only that highly sought-after A, but sometimes just to maintain a passing grade. According to junior Jessica Leterle, when the thought of receiving a better grade is as simple as glancing onto someone else’s paper, students “feel compelled to cheat,” and get a one-up in a “society that forces kids to excel and succeed.”
Time management is probably not very high on the list of many teenage students’ lists of talents, and with so many other things keeping them busy, it’s easy to let schoolwork become a low priority. When there is someone else to ask for homework answers, countless outlets online, or even a strategically placed test answer sheet, it seems inviting to take one of these routes. This way, the time that would have been spent on studying can go into something more important, like soccer practice or the latest episode of “The O.C.”

Another appeal of cheating is the rarity of getting caught. “It would be so much better if teachers realized when kids are cheating and actually punished them when they do,” sophomores Claire Richie and Kaylee Niemasik agreed. Every syllabus that is handed out and signed in every class is graced with Lassiter’s infamous “Academic Integrity Policy.” However this policy is taken less than seriously and is easily bypassed, especially when it is carelessly enforced.

On the whole, Lassiter students are learning to love the easy way out, cheating to get grades they don’t deserve in the face of a society that has come to expect it of them.

By Joey Kaufmann
Staff Writer ’06

The five young boys set out for their long adventure, knowing that the road ahead would be difficult. Sure, they had gone on small excursions close to home, but nothing could really compare to what they were about to encounter. Johnny, Howie, Wes, John, and Joey made sure they were prepared for the long trip by talking to others in their town about what they would experience.

You see, it had all started with the rumors of the monster in the East. He was a small but powerful guy, widely thought to hold the highest order of authority. This monster looked over vast oily fields and lived in a large white castle, a castle that no man could honorably enter without successfully overthrowing the monster. Luckily, many people had told the five boys that the monster was idiotic and needed to be defeated: “The things he does to the world are wrong.”

The boys traveled together in a pack, thinking that teamwork would be the only way to defeat the monster. They rode upon their saddled donkeys, entering town after town to accumulate support for their trek. Various strangers encouraged the boys and passionately cheered for their victory. These fools didn’t know where the boys were from, their strategy for victory, or even their whole names. They didn’t care—as long as the evil oil monster was crushed.

Along the way, the boys encountered fifty enormous roosters. With each fowl came a different outcome for each boy; on more than one occasion, a rooster would be knocked down by a boy, only to get back up again and peck him unconscious. Johnny prevailed over the Iowani rooster, but all five seemed to be losing their momentum. Were they really cut out for the adventure? It didn’t matter, they decided; giving up was not an option for these five.
Although the boys had originally hoped that their collective efforts would defeat the monster once they arrived at the castle, most of them now resorted to insulting each other. “You’re too much of a monster yourself, Wes. You don’t belong with us,” Howie said. Soon enough, one boy prevailed as the cream of the crop. Johnny, the sole survivor of the rooster fiasco, enjoyed his victory over the other boys thanks to two maneuvers. One trick involved throwing mud and dirt at the other boys to blind them. The other tactic called for using mirrors, smoke, and fire to distract and confuse the roosters and grant Johnny the kill.

Now, in order to establish his domain over the world and reside in the towering white castle, there was only one more foe to beat—the oil monster of the East.

Johnny knocked on the massive white doors of the castle and demanded that the dreaded monster come out. The boy yelled and screamed, declaring that the oil monster was not right for the job and that anyone could do better. The door slowly opened, and Johnny prepared his mirrors and mud and waited, sweating with anticipation.

When his opponent became visible, Johnny nearly fell to the floor. A small elephant carrying an even smaller shrub approached him. Instinctively, Johnny tried to throw his mud at the shrub, but to no avail. He tried his fire-and-smoke-and-shiny-objects tactic, but that failed as well.
Finally, after realizing his petty strategy was only humiliating him, Johnny lowered his head in defeat and slowly walked away. After fooling so many into believing in his ambitious campaign, he had not actually come up with a plan to defeat his opponent. None of Johnny’s tactics, it turned out, had helped him claim victory over the elephant with the ominous shrub.

The boys had now all been defeated, and the shrub presided over the entire world and maintained peace for yet another term. As it turns out, it had all been just pretense about the “evil monster” from the start. The elephant, despite cynicism from some of the townspeople, had actually been a decent ruler and kept the people safe from cruel and powerful tyrants in distant lands. People who had not been riding on the monster’s bandwagon had actually been enjoying the shrub’s policies over the last several years.

And so, it would take another four years before others would attempt to overthrow the leader of the world. Would it be another complaining, insignificant boy, or perhaps a girl, that would try next? That is another story for another time.

By Michael Mayer
Sports Editor ’04

High school has been quite an experience. So many people I’ve met and labeled. So many people I’m probably wrong about. An example is a girl I liked. She turned out to be a guy. No, not really, but you get the idea. Students are too quick to judge and care too much about their judgment by others.

Looks are the first thing anyone judges. It’s the first thing we notice. You don’t see a greasy-haired fat guy with acne all over his face and run up to get his autograph. I judge people by their appearance all the time. See a girl wearing too much make-up, label her trashy. See someone with an Auburn hat; label them slightly dumber than the average rock. Digging deeper, the girl might just have self-esteem issues, and the Auburn fan might be smart but just has illiterate Auburn-educated parents or something. A lot can be learned about someone from their looks, and I’ll judge women this way until I die. However, looks can be deceiving. Just consider Kellie Gerbers. Looking at her today, you would never imagine that just two years ago she ballooned to 300 pounds.

Reputation also has a lot to do with how you are judged. For instance, I’ve got the reputation of being a jerk based on what I have written (among other things). That reputation is pretty dead on, but reputations are still unfair to judge by. I’ve met supposedly cool people who are cool people. I’ve met supposedly cool people who are as cool as Martha Stewart. So just keep in mind where the reputation is coming from, and give everyone a chance, unless they have red hair.
It seems that in response to all this judgment several factions of students have developed here at Lassiter. There are kids who act extremely fake and nice, obsessed with being liked and everyone’s friend. These people are depressing and can often be found in skylight. There are EMO kids who just want to be unique and get attention. Their identity centers on making and listening to terrible music. These people are amusing. The major faction consists of kids who just want to fit in. They often have to screw up their state of mind with drinking and drugs in order to have fun and feel good. At the risk of sounding like your Mom, that’s pretty lame. There are elitists who patronize others based on politics or religion. There are shy kids who keep their mouths shut afraid of judgment. Then there are jerks like me who make fun of it all.

The people I respect are those who are comfortable enough to not care, and just let it slide. When someone laughs at you, just laugh with them. Then, in the middle of all this laughing, you smack them in the face with a golf club. Hey, I said the people I respect let things slide, not that I

By Kevin Ewalt
Senior Page Editor ’04

The Democratic nomination for president is all but official now, and it looks like John Kerry will be the nominee. And with many political scientists and pollsters claiming this fall’s election to be the election for “NASCAR Dads,” John Kerry is tirelessly wondering what “it is Republicans who didn’t serve in Vietnam have against those of us who did.”

John Kerry went as far as writing an open letter to President Bush stating, “Over the last week, you and your campaign have initiated a widespread attack on my service in Vietnam, my decision to speak out to end that war, and my commitment to the defense of this nation.” He later wrote, “Just today Saxby Chambliss was carrying out this attack for you.”
Did anyone know John Kerry served in Vietnam?

Yes, apparently the haughty, French looking, Massachusetts Democrat was responding to remarks made by Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss who said “[Kerry’s] 32-year voting record to cut defense programs and defense systems” is what the people of Georgia would look at when deciding who to vote for.

Chambliss did exaggerate a little, as Kerry was first sent to Congress in 1985. But since he was discharged from service in 1969, Kerry has made it a point to speak out, when he can, to all things involving the military. Since Vietnam, Kerry, on principle, has gone against the United States military with such passion that he even has supported communists in Nicaragua. In regard to Reagan’s foreign policy regarding communist rebels and communist dictators in South America, the Democratic frontrunner said, “I see an enormous haughtiness in the United States trying to tell them what to do.” Nicaragua held its first free election in 1990, despite Kerry’s best efforts to stop it.

What voting record was Chambliss talking about? According to the Washington Post, Kerry has opposed spending and development on the latest weapons that would help keep America’s servicemen safe, which include: the B-1 bomber, the B-2, the F-15, the F-14A, the F-14D, the AH-64 Apache helicopter, the AV-8B Harrier jet, the Patriot missile, the Aegis air-defense cruiser as well as Bradley Fighting vehicles and a whole other assortment of conventional weapons.
Kerry’s biggest weakness is his 19 year Senate career, which has left him with a long voting record. However, if Republicans cite the numerous occasions Kerry has voted to gut defense spending as proof of him being weak on national security, Kerry’s camp, as well as other prominent Democrats, lash out in outrage and wonder how people could question Kerry’s patriotism. The only problem is that Republicans are not questioning this man’s patriotism; they are rather questioning his voting record. Although Republicans could question his patriotism since Kerry has spoken out against the troops who fought in Vietnam, he “threw away his medals” he received in service (but miraculously trumps around his three Purple Hearts), and has admitted to committing war crimes.

Kerry also sought to disrupt many Vietnam homecomings during the war with Hanoi Jane (Fonda) whose patriotism everyone knows is non-existent. (According to the Wall Street Journal, he lobbied many prominent New York politicians to cancel any sort of government sposored rendez-vous.) Be that as it may, Republicans are more interested in Kerry’s voting record, and that is one of the campaign strategies they will use in the next few months.

Kerry has so far dodged questions about his voting record during the Democratic primary, which comes to no surprise, since partisan Democrats who vote in primaries usually agree with the voting record of an establishment Democrat. But come this November, the general population of voters is going to be a lot less forgiving when it comes to changing the subject.

By Shea Schulman
Staff Writer ’06

Nothing is quite as frustrating as getting lectured on your behavior by your “superiors”; who wants to hear that their habits need reforming? The worst aspect of this scenario is when those lecturing you base their lectures on their own opinions. Just the other day, I endured a long speech on how the younger generation is deteriorating. This may be true, but the reasoning behind the statement is the fact that children these days avoid challenges and instead seek the easy way out.

When given a project rubric, I look at the requirements. By meeting all the requirements, I should get a 100 or at least a high A grade. However, these days, meeting the requirements often earns the student a low A or even a B grade. It is expected of students in many classes to embellish their project and go beyond the specific requirements. Just meeting requirements and not exceeding them is considered mediocre and not an example of good performance. Even though you completed all that was asked of you, the project is not perfect. This example, found commonly in almost all classrooms, is a deep injustice.

Finding the “easy way out” should be something practiced in every class. The American way itself is all about facilitating everyday practices. A great invention is one that makes life easier. Maybe we should go back to the time before the Industrial Revolution and before machines were made to weave and make fabric and textiles. Maybe weaving and picking by hand will help build character.

The fact of the matter is that life revolves around taking the easy way out. Those who find this quicker route most often succeed. This better route is not always easy to find. In fact, many times, it is more trouble than it’s worth. Yet finding the route shows motivation and a keen sense of intelligence.

If all this is true about the so-called “easy way out,” then how come teachers and others discourage the use of it? This would probably have something to do with the belief that goes in direct contrast to my own. It is the belief of many that hard work and stress are the best ways to produce high quality work. That sounds quite similar to the combination of things used to produce a heart attack…

Though the American way, in truth, does revolve around finding the easiest and most to-the-point method for accomplishment, there is little hope for change in the classroom. Teachers will continue to look for work that goes beyond what is required, and students will keep producing this work. However, let it be known that the easy way is not the bad way. The younger generation may be deteriorating in our country, but as long as kids keep thinking of new ways to find the infamous “easy route,” things will always turn out for the better.

By Amanda Mull
Staff Writer ’04

You guys are all a bunch of babies. You heard me right. You’re babies. Whiners. Lightweights. Let’s face it: the thing that most of the people at this school do best is get bent out of shape about stuff that doesn’t really matter in the broad scheme of things. Seniors, remember the “walkout” over the administration enforcing dress code our freshman year? What about a friend of mine, who shall remain unnamed, who was upset over the fact that I may or may not have called him slightly “odd” in a previous article? Or on the announcement a few weeks ago when the girls’ soccer players got all huffy about a personal opinion (on girls’ soccer) that one of my, also unnamed, fellow staffers happens to hold and express? Anyone remember last year when the emokids nearly broke down in tears (yes, I thought of that one almost all on my own) over the article by the guy who just didn’t understand their artistic choices or inner pain?
So, to all of those folks, I say: why don’t you cry about it, huh? HUH?

Honestly, do you guys not have enough to occupy yourselves? Do you need hobbies? Or more homework (you can have mine)? Maybe take up a sport? Read a book? Learn to knit? Whatever it is you do with you time, please include one thing: STOP COMPLAINING. And stop being so sensitive. In the long run, what does the school dress code or something that you don’t like in the school newspaper matter? Nothing. That’s right, it doesn’t matter at all. Not in the least. Not a bit.

Why do we get it in our heads that things like those matter? Because we’ve all convinced ourselves that we’re living in The O.C. Everything is high-drama, everything matters, we all look absolutely gorgeous when we worry, and we’ll all have a pretty boy that listens to Death Cab for Cutie (or a pretty girl wearing a Marc Jacobs dress and Manolos) to run to when a big mean bully hurts our precious feelings.

Obviously, this is not reality. We’re a bunch of regular high school kids that take ourselves far too seriously for our own good. The argument can be made that all of the babies out there are just getting a head start on being responsible adults who stand up for themselves and their interests. To put it nicely (and so it can go in the newspaper), I think that’s a load of junk. If you guys don’t put an end to this silliness now, you’re going to be the ones harassing your kids’ teachers because they’re being “unfairly punished with detention” for their 28 tardies in a row.

There’s something to be said for going with the flow. Keep your blood pressure low, keep yourself low-stress, and keep the rest of the people you interact with sane and just let the little stuff roll off your back. So what if someone insulted the sport you play in the paper? Those comments aren’t going to hurt attendance at games or sully the reputation of the team. They’re just off-the-cuff comments that no one should take to seriously; ultimately, they lack impact, except as momentary entertainment. And if someone insults your favorite band? Or the kind of shoes you prefer? Or makes a general negative comment about the eyebrow-plucking method that you tend to use? Please don’t run crying to mommy. We’re all more mature, more adult, and stronger than that. Give yourself the credit you deserve and don’t make yourself look like a baby.
Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you.

By Kelly Zoeckler
Editor-in-Chief ’04

This is not an editorial about abortion, Christianity, conservatism, or Bush. No, friends, I mean to draw your attention to something that, in a perfect world, would be relatively frivolous and about as harmless as William Hung’s record deal. The Don Miller Morning Show appears to be a freshly baked audible treat for loyal listeners of 99x, a radio station-turned-empire that has graced the Atlanta area for over a decade. Along with the induction of the new, ambiguously named morning show (who is Don Miller?), the station has largely revamped itself into a Mecca for “new rock and nineties alternative”- rock adulation in its purest form, right?

Sadly, no. Although I do appreciate that warm, tingly, wow-I-haven’t-heard-this-song-in-forever sensation, 99x’s newest recipe for success calls for a few non-musical ingredients that leave a sour taste in this loyal listener’s mouth. Specifically, Atlanta needs to spit out Fred Toucher, the undisputed star of the morning show, along with his deceptive, agenda-pushing abuse of air waves.

My problem with the show has nothing to do with the “daring” bits (like Fat Kid the intern harassing some anti-abortion protesters); I am not one of those bitter, wrinkle-browed critics who call in to Stern-esque radio shows to complain of inappropriate conduct. Instead, my problem lies entirely in the way our beloved Fred Toucher, made famous for his uncanny ability to make fun of homeless people without letting them realize it, handles the criticism for his show by lashing out at his own listeners.

In response to Toucher’s on-air rantings about “psycho” anti-abortion activists, one particular listener had emailed the show. The letter preached considerably about morality issues associated with abortion and the show’s flagrantly insolent attitude toward it; the author was clearly pro-life, something Toucher is not. Although the text seemed coherent and evident of a decently intelligent author, Toucher proceeded to read the e-mail in the deepest Southern accent imaginable, emphasizing the poorly-worded passages and making it clear to all 99x subscribers that the author of this letter was not only stupid but a stereotypical Southern redneck as well. Then, at one point in the reading, Toucher broke out of his mocking accent, so inspired by the obvious stupidity of this anonymous pro-life advocate, to remind his listeners to please, for goodness sake, “join the ANA” (apparently to join forces against people like the author). What is the ANA? Don’t get me started…

Fine, fine. The ANA (Anti-Neck Army) is 99x’s newest club of sorts. The station’s website (www.99x.com) explains the listener-appreciation attempt better than I can:
…[It’s] clear to us that you, the good people of Atlanta, are sick and tired of backwoods, mouth-breathing, inbred rednecks. Whether they are yelling at you in the Dairy Queen parking lot or talking on 96 Rock they are a definite plague on society. The Don Miller Morning Show wants to put an end to this Camaro-drivin’, Lynyrd Skynyrd-lovin’, cousin-marrying culture and in the process reward our loyal listeners.

Actually, it’s a fine idea. A vast majority of Atlanta’s mentally-stable population would probably agree that stereotypical rednecks are a social problem the South needs desperately to mend. But here’s my question: why would Toucher purposefully hype this anti-redneck organization in the middle of reading an e-mail from a listener whose pro-life agenda opposed Fred Toucher’s? Why, quite obviously because all pro-life advocates are rednecks! They all have thick accents, webbed toes, and Lynyrd-Skynyrd tattoos! I think Toucher’s really onto something…
Give me a break. What I’ve been alluding to here is the fact that the most popular personality on 99x’s morning show has a poisonous tendency to characterize anyone who disagrees with his politics as the type of social miscreants set to be eradicated by his Anti-Neck Army. Directly or indirectly, he consistently classifies people with pro-life, pro-Christianity, or pro-Bush agendas as morons. If this is so, then a lot of 99x’s listeners are morons.

In another showcase of his eagerness to condemn his own listeners, Toucher made fun of listeners who called in to the show in response to his uninformed bashing of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (he assured us that he doesn’t need to see the movie to know it’s complete trash- debatably true). A listener called in to point out Toucher’s affinity for raising his voice to annoyingly ear-unfriendly levels whenever the topic of Christianity comes up. Predictably, callers like this are met with ridicule; Toucher’s response usually sounds something like, “<in mockingly aghast tone> How dare you call me blasphemous! I am a man of the Lord! It is you who is the sinner! Pray for forgiveness or be condemned!”

Although I have never taped the show to keep a record of Toucher’s outcries (Why should I? I’m a high school kid with nothing to gain from any of this…), I have heard him mock outwardly-Christian listeners enough for me to know that, darn it, this is Toucher’s show, not the listeners’; if you don’t agree with what Toucher says on the show, just bite your tongue while he yells some more. The coolest part is that any callers who annoy Toucher too much can simply be disconnected. On second thought, none of this is too cool, considering Toucher went on national television to defend freedom of speech on the radio. Granted, it is his radio show; however, 99x is a rock station, not a politically-geared AM station. If you’re going to plug your own political values a dozen times during a four-hour period, at least let your attentive listeners contribute a different opinion without being humiliated.

As you might have guessed, Toucher is among the multitude of Americans who can’t stand President Bush. Apparently, this means that we listeners are subject to hear his predictably negative opinion every time the once-reigning Leslie Fram utters the name “Bush” during the news briefs. I don’t really care how Toucher feels about the Bush administration, I just want to be able to get a quick news update on my way to school without having to turn down the volume so that Toucher can rant about how Bush will turn the US into a police state. In addition to the physically annoying way Toucher shrieks out those high-decibel “angry sounds” when he’s beating a topic to death, it must also be said that his Dubya impersonation is totally weak.
All Bush-mocking aside, Toucher often breaks into that thick Southern accent of his when making fun of anyone who disagree with him, even when there is no evidence of his target having an accent at all. Some ultra-Christian lady in Australia thinks she has a statue of the Virgin Mary that weeps blood? Yup, he impersonated her with the accent. The powers that be want to place zero-tolerance policies on explicit radio shows? Oh yeah, they got the accent too.

If, according to Toucher, every moronic person on Earth possesses the classic redneck accent he assigns them, then they all must indeed be enemies of the Anti-Neck Army. Effectively, then, the term “‘Neck” isn’t limited to the stereotypical, web-toed, socially-demented redneck; instead, the ‘Necks include anyone whom Toucher disagrees with, impersonates with a redneck accent, and classifies as a moron.

The ANA (by the way, one exciting perk of membership is a bi-weekly e-mail from Toucher himself), is therefore nothing but a way for Toucher and his cronies to organize listeners into a group that’s more defined by the show’s anti-conservative politics than the solely anti-redneck ideals it claims. This isn’t listener appreciation- it’s listener manipulation, and it sounds a little like bribery.
There is good news, though. Aside from falling victim to Toucher’s own personal breed of political agenda-pushing and becoming one of the thousands of loyal 99x listeners deceived by the ANA’s flimsy message, you’ll also be invited to events like the ANA Barbeque. So it’s not all bad.
The bottom line for non-liberal 99x listeners? You’re more than welcome to listen to the show, but don’t dare submit any response that goes against Toucher’s politics. That is, unless you’re willing to be publicly characterized as a Southern-talkin’ redneck, just like all those darn pro-life and Christian activists. As far as I can see, Toucher’s influence on The Don Miller Morning Show and the implications made about the Anti-Neck Army equate to one disappointing conclusion: 99x’s morning show has become an elitist force that would sooner condemn its own listeners than accept any passionate advocates of a different political orientation.

By Joseph Zollo
<GEEK> Editor ’04

The media center imposes serious restrictions on computer usage

Every day when I walk in to school, I like to avoid the unpleasant social atmosphere of the cafeteria and spend my 20 minutes before first period in the media center doing work and/or studying. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one with that idea. Many students can be found in the media center in the morning, performing a number of tasks, whether it be studying, reading, or doing homework. One would think that a library, or to be more politically correct, Media Center, is a pleasant and resourceful place to go when work needs to be completed. If you’re talking about Lassiter’s Media Center, that thought could not be farther from the truth.

Some students, like myself, often need to use the computer to finish an assignment, gather information, or print something out. With the media center always so full in the morning, it’s hard to find an unoccupied computer. Actually, let me rephrase that, it’s quite easy to find an unoccupied computer, but it is hard to find one that doesn’t have a sign saying “this computer is reserved”. There are roughly THIRTY computers in the media center that bear this sign. I once tried to use a computer that had one of those signs on them; it didn’t take long for me to be scolded by media center personnel. They claim that the computers are reserved for class, which makes absolutely no sense at all. How can computers be reserved for class if school has yet to begin? Is there a magical 0 period that I’m not aware of? I understand that the computers may be reserved later in the day, but how can they be reserved before first period begins. I just can’t think of a logical reason to keep students off those computers in the morning. They’re just sitting there! Forgive me for being so blunt, but I believe that we should be able to make use of the technology that the school provides much less that our parents pay for. Not utilizing those computers is a complete waste of resources, and not only that, it contributes to overall media center congestion. Thirty more people could be on the computers, freeing twenty spaces for students who do not require them.

Students are allowed access to the media center during his or her lunch period, but only on Tuesday and Thursday, that’s only two days out of five, which in my opinion is totally unacceptable. I cannot even say how many times I’ve walked past the media center during my lunch period on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, only to find it totally empty and totally inaccessible to students. Once again, this seems like a total and complete waste of the media center’s resources. It’s things like this that have earned the media center a “look, but do not touch” reputation. Don’t believe me? Look for yourself, the media center is empty most of the time (except on Tuesday and Thursday). We are privleged with top of the line, Pentium 4 computers which remain untouched and useless. The only way for a student to gain access to the media center during their lunch period on a day other than Tuesday or Thursday is to have a note, signed by their teacher, specifically noting what work they plan on doing and if they need internet access, what websites they plan on visiting. Want to do a Google search? Sorry Charlie, because unless a website is specifically noted on your pass, you aren’t allowed there, even if it’s found during a search. Get this: according to the media center personnel, you may only do work for the teacher that writes you the pass to the media center. So let’s say my math teacher writes me a pass to the media center during my lunch period to do some homework, but I finish early and want to do some history work…SORRY, you can’t do that! You’d need a pass from your history teacher authorizing you to work on that. Where is the logic in that rule? The whole idea behind having a media center is to allow students access to its resources, is it not? I fail to see the point of all these restrictions they are imposing upon us. Are we criminals? Are we trying to go to pornographic websites? Are we trying to check our email? No. In the case that a student does try to go to a forbidden site, Cobb County has special software in place that block it out. At this point we should just close off the media center totally, form a barricade around it and setup laser guns to fire at anyone trying to gain entrance.

Many seniors with minimum day are involved with extracurricular activities that involve computer use after school. However, restrictions placed on seniors with minimum day do not allow them to log in to the network during minimum day periods. Logging in during these times will result in an error message saying “User has attempted to login during a restricted login time.” Lassiter is lucky enough to have numerous after school clubs that utilize computer use. Any senior with minimum day is totally shut out. In order to overcome this restriction, a teacher must make a special request and have the media center change the student’s allowable access times. The overall frustration level with this policy is through the roof. Even teachers (although they would never admit to it) must become aggravated. Why restrict the login times for minimum day students when normal students can stay on until 4:30? What sets them apart from students without minimum day? The system that logs students out when they aren’t supposed to be on is far from perfect, it does NOT take into account the many varying schedules we have. There have been many situations where students have been logged off at the end of 5th or 6th period due to this error. This is the absolute worst time to get kicked off, as it is more than likely when you are saving your work. Aside from being logged off the computers, minimum day students can’t access the media center at all. Senior Bobby Beeler is 1st period minimum day, meaning his first class is 2nd period. He once came into the media center during 1st period to do some work. It was completely empty, yet he was still kicked out. No, he wasn’t violating any of the rules, he was simply working on school work – which is what the media center is for, is it not?

Let’s get one thing clear: this has nothing to do with Cobb County’s policies. I am not certain that the current media center personal made these rules, but I am certain that they have the power to change them. After checking with some friends from Pope, Roswell, Sprayberry, Walton, Kell and Kennesaw Mountain High Schools, I was shocked to discover all six offer five day media center access as well as the ability to login whenever they want (no minimum day restrictions). What makes Lassiter so special? Would it be a violation of Cobb County Policy if our media center gave us the freedoms that many other schools have? No.

The point I’m trying to make is clear and simple: the media center imposes too many limitations on students when it comes to computer use. We should be allowed to access the media center’s resources more frequently, as current restrictions allow the bare minimum amount of access time. Two days a week is simply not enough; students should be allowed to access the media center any day of the week during their lunch period (at least when there are no classes in there at the time). Minimum day students should not have to worry about getting logged off at the very end of their last period. Everyone agrees that these policies desperately need to change- soon.

By Matt Speer
Staff Writer ’05

So you think Atlanta is boring? Think again. Beneath all the traffic, smog, and bustle of everyday life lays a vast amount of cultural activity, something from which even high school students shouldn’t exempt themselves.

First there are the museums. If you are in the mood for some new and exciting artwork created by fellow Georgians, you can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, or MOCA. This museum is one of the first to specifically feature the work of Georgia natives. When there are little children that need to be taken care of, the hands-on children’s museum called Imagine It! is absolutely fantastic. Here, kids have the chance not only to learn but to have fun. Imagine It! strives to “make the line between learning and fun invisible.” And who can forget the High Museum of Art? The leading art museum in the southeastern United States offers African, American, decorative, European, folk, modern and contemporary arts, as well as photography to suit all tastes.

Next there are the musical aspects of downtown Atlanta. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is always a treat, and if you want to hear soon-to-be-famous musicians before they hit it big, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra will be a delight to your ears. The choirs that can be heard in downtown Atlanta include the Gay Men’s Choir and the Robert Shaw Choir. Spivey Hall often houses such choirs in addition to the appropriately dubbed Spivey Hall Children’s Choir. In addition to music for the classically inclined, Atlanta offers a selection of venues that present jazz and rock acts. Blind Willy’s offers live blues/jazz concerts while Dark Horse allows patrons to hear the songs and styles of new bands in the area.

Theatres cover the Atlanta area. From the Alliance to the Horizon, one can find many styles of theatre in the big ATL. The Alliance offers one of the highest artistic standards and is on a mission to create a powerful “experience of shared theatre for diverse people.” The Seven Stages Theatre seeks to offer intellectual plays to all who wish to come. Its international collaboration helps characterize it as one of Atlanta’s most unique theatres. Many more theatres inhabit Atlanta, such as Dad’s Garage and the Fox Theatre, so there are plenty of places to choose from when deciding on a night out on the town.

While visiting all these exciting places, you’re sure to work up an appetite. Don’t worry; Atlanta is filled with a variety of ethnic foods. You can enjoy French food at the Bistro at Andrew’s Square or Thai delights at the Baitong-Thai Restaurant. When you’re in downtown Atlanta, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to try new and exciting foods.

So if you thought that downtown Atlanta was just a typical crowded metropolitan area, I dare you to step outside the box this weekend, and change your mind. Go make a day of it, and enjoy all the rich cultural aspects of Atlanta.

By Kellie Gerbers
Graphics Editor ’04

If you didn’t catch this year’s Academy Awards presentation, let me sum it up for you: “The Return of the King.” “The Return of the King.” “The Return of the King.” While many viewers seem to grumble over the film’s clean sweep of the gold statues (tying the record at 11 wins in one evening [“Ben Hur,” “Titanic”]), I find it hard to complain. Director Peter Jackson’s final installment in the trilogy based on the popular Tolkien books represents a lifetime achievement for cast and crew members alike. The films themselves took over three years in the making (all three parts of “The Lord of the Rings” were filmed at the same time) and production costs totaled over $180 million dollars. The special effects used to create the films are not only groundbreaking but also visually phenomenal (for example, John Rhys-Davies, who played the dwarf Gimli, was in fact the tallest actor in the film…go figure). The film’s original score (composed by Howard Shore), makeup, film editing, and costumes were just a few other aspects that earned an Oscar, and after watching a behind-the-scenes featurette on the application of hobbit feet, I think the costume department deserved more than just a statue for its efforts. If you have an opportunity to watch any of the special features included on “The Lord of the Rings” DVD’s, I strongly recommend it; the features will give you an enormous appreciation for the work behind the trilogy and show you with several hours of documentation just why “The Return of the King” earned so many prestigious awards.