Liar, Liar

Liar, Liar

By Harmony Beck

Is honesty the best policy? Now a days the population has become accustomed to lying on a daily basis. Some how complementing because lying and this is causing an insecurity amongst he population. When it comes to dating it is a known fact that people do not act themselves in a relationship usually until they are engaged. It is true that cruelty is unnecessary, but constant lying can not be good for the society.

In high school the emotional status of the students is fragile, but this doesn’t mean they need to be lied to. People have crushes or boyfriends/girlfriends who may try to show affection by a complement. This may be misunderstood if they are in a situation where lying ma be the best option. For example if the girl says, “Do the jeans make my butt look big,” may make the boyfriend result to lying in the hopes to not hurt her feelings. If the boyfriend uses the least hurtful words then telling her the truth will not be a problem. In a relationship the key is honesty and if the relationship is base don lies then the door will be locked.

When a relationship becomes serious and marriage is mentioned it is best to completely know each other before the ceremony. A problem in today’s world is that dating has become lying. With the help of the internet people can be anyone they want and online dating is becoming on of the most popular ways to date. This is so rejection is easy and people don’t have to face the person to be rejected. People are pretending to be someone different to impress their date, which leads to a failed relationship. Honesty is becoming a thing of the past and people are becoming distant. Rejection is a popular fear and people think that there is a less chance of rejection if they pretend to be someone else.

If people today can not take criticism or the truth there needs to be a better solution then lying. Complements are never underrated, but if the complement is a lie try to fiend a different way to show appreciation. The process of dating is hard enough, pretending to be another person makes the process harder. When people are themselves they have a greater chance at finding someone who will like them for being themselves. There is a problem when people are too conscious about feelings and honesty suffers. Society needs to toughen up and role with the punches because honesty is here to stay.

We Need More Teenagers

We Need More Teenagers!

By: Dylan Rompf

Reading is cool, right? Why is it that the Park County Public Library almost never sees the younger residents of Park County enjoying a good book in one of the nice quiet secluded corners of our library? Maybe it is because reading is no longer a way to pass time, while video games are popular, movies are geared more towards teens, social networking websites are everywhere, and the ubiquitous Starbucks coffee shops are more accessible than ever. Or maybe it is because teens are unaware the library offers all of these things under one roof.

Video games are more prevalent than ever these days and it is true you can find a gaming system just about anywhere, but a library? It is true and although they currently have only a PlayStation Two, they have a smorgasbord of games and would like to know what you want to play there.

You may also remember the VRC cassette tape, ancient to the “hip” teenagers of today maybe, but nonetheless a reliable means of viewing a movie. With literally hundreds of movies to choose from in both VCR and DVD formats one of them is bound to catch your attention. Watch it in the library or rent it out for up to three weeks with no charge and watch in the comfort of your own home. With the selection here your family movie night could last days. Sure some of them are old, but most of them are classics.

With four internet ready desktop computers at your disposal, you can surf the web, send an E-mail, fly through a Word document, or anything you wish for the low, low price of, are you ready for this? Nothing! Even if you wish to print or copy, a 5 cent fee per sheet, you will never even approach the costs of owning your very own home computer.

The book store, across the parking lot from the main building, offers much selection of new and older books alike for just a dollar in most cases. From that murder mystery series you’ve been curious about to the instructional series on how to build that tree house you have always wanted but did not know where to start, find the books you’re interested in and buy them on the spot for a fraction of the cost of the larger book stores downtown.

What is the perfect way to enjoy that book you just purchased; how about curling up in your favorite spot with a nice cup of hot cocoa in one hand? The Library has recently acquired a brand new state of the art espresso machine, but don’t fret there is more than just espressos and hot chocolate. You can choose between many types and flavors of drinks like chai tea or cider along with afore mentioned espresso and hot cocoa all for only a dollar a cup (much cheaper than Starbucks).

The folks at the library would love to see when you do not know how to pass the time, need to use a computer, or even if you are just thirsty. In addition to all the books, movies, games, and workspace available all the time you will find many different activities organized through the library that are equally entertaining. The library is no longer a place for a quiet boring conversation, so wake up and smell the coffee, and while you are at it sit down with a good book!

What's a Scrum?

What’s a Scrum?

By: Brittany Mapes

Many students here at Platte Canyon High School have only heard about rugby, but don’t know exactly what it is. The sport originated at Rugby School in England by a man named Webb Ellis. There are many controversies of whether or not he actually came up with the sport. It’s said that he was in the middle of a soccer game and got tired of just kicking the ball around. So to solve his problem, he picked the ball up and started playing. A few other students caught on and Rugby evolved. It turned into a huge world wide sport. A lot of parents are concerned that Rugby is too violent because that is how it is portrayed in the United States . To many young athletes, Rugby isn’t about violence. It’s more about passion and the adrenaline rush the game gives you. In Conifer, Hugh Miller coaches a rugby team between Platte Canyon , Conifer, and some kids from Evergreen. It started back in 1999 and in 2003 they took the Club State Championships. Rugby isn’t a part of the actual school because it’s not a part of CHSAA and is under the Colorado Youth Rugby league. It is now called PAC Rugby, formally known as Bailey Youth Rugby. It started between Bailey and Conifer, who decided to put their school feuding in the past and join as one whole team. The rivalry was quickly over and done because the devotion of Rugby was more significant. Soon after Bailey and Conifer joined together, Evergreen kids were sent over. Just this year, PAC teamed up with the Denver Harlequins for the U-19 team. Terms like scrum, maul, ruck, line out, drop kick, and getting the boots are all used in rugby. A scrum is where the play restarts because a penalty is called and restarts the game. A ruck happens after the runner has come into contact with another player and the ball has been sent to the ground. If at least three players bound themselves a ruck has been set. The difference between a maul and a ruck is that a maul occurs when the ball hits the ground. A Rugby line out is when the ball goes out of bounds and they have to put it back into the game. A drop kick is almost self-explanatory except it helps make the goal. Overall, Rugby is a fun, contact sport that you need no experience in, just aggressiveness. For Girls, you can sign up for a Scrugby team in the fall in the main office.

Whats up in March

Nathan & Stephen

Nathan & Stephen
By: Kyle Grabowski

Many students thoroughly enjoyed the Nathan and Stephen concert in (inset month), but an unfortunate few showed up to support the band at a free show on February 21. Granted it was in downtown Denver , but that has never stopped students before. Also, the band changed its name to Hearts of Palm prior to the show but gave ample warning on their MySpace page. As far as the performance, it was as mind-blowing as the first. Nathan has gained greater control of his raspy voice so the words are more distinguishable. On top of that, the saxophone player Leanor was performing this time around. Her sultry brass tones added a new dimension to familiar songs and spiced up new ones. Unfortunately, the sound system at Illegal Pete’s is not up to par with the one in the auditorium, so feedback and an imbalance between music and vocals was apparent. The intimate atmosphere of the venue added a personal layer to an involving show. At one point, Nathan asked if anyone form Platte Canyon High School was there and the few of us that were standing in the front gave a resounding cheer. Those that were in attendance would agree that the show was outstanding and to those who missed it, maybe you’ll pay more attention next time.

Modification of Video Games Great or Horrible

Modification of Video Games Great or Horrible

By Evan Campbell

If you are sitting in front of your favorite PC game and find it boring, why not upgrade? Two games that I play with modifications, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Star Wars Empire at War, are a blast. If you have played any Call of Duty or Medal of Honor games, they are pretty fun too, but the same thing day after day gets boring. To make i tf more fun, you might try to upgrade to something new instead of that M-1 Rifle, or Thompson Machinegun. Some modifications can be found on the Internet to give you a SAW, Squad Automatic Weapon, or the M-16. Imagine if your GI had those weapons in World War II. If you are tired of the same levels, gamers out there have made new maps that give you a Tank instead of a Jeep or an army of Tanks instead of that one lousy Jeep. The downside is that not many people know about the modifications.

However, they are easy to get. Simply type in your favorite PC game title with “mod” at the end, and presto! You have a websites that have all the modifications available. One that is common is FileFront.com. Of course, then you need to know how to attach the mods to your game. It’s simple: download the mod, go to your game data file, and place the mod into it. But before you just simply start downloading the modifications, read what they offer and also read how much memory they take up. Also, make sure your parents agree first. However, some might ask, do these modifications ruin or increase the entertaining part of the game play? The only way to find out is to get them and play the new, improved game.

Gas prices up again

Gas prices up again
By: Tyler Graves

As of yesterday, gas prices have jumped up another 10 cents. Does fuel have an economical impact on consumer goods and products? Apparently President Bush claims that the high gas prices have nothing to do with our so called “economic slowdown”. Fuel prices are making it harder and harder for consumers to buy wants and needs. Just the other day I talked to a lady at work that said she was moving back to Denver just because she can’t afford to pay for gas to commute forward and backward to work. She claimed to have a high mileage economy car with 30 plus miles to the gallon and it still wasn’t enough. With inflation not being able to keep up with gas prices, consumers are buying less and less and practically working just to put fuel in their vehicles and pay for necessities. The other day, I heard that President Bush went to OPEC asking them to produce more oil, and OPEC turned around and said ‘all of the other countries are doing just fine with there oil consumption procedures, why is America having such a problem?” Either way, come to find out, Bush took 30 million barrels of oil out of the oil reserves and said he would replenish them and guess what, he never did! Ironically, American auto makers are now freaking out because the Japanese auto makers are making all of the fuel efficient and non oil consuming vehicles. Supposedly by 2009 Honda is sending over 250,000 hydrogen fuel cars that run off of solid nitrogen and give off nothing but 100 percent pure water. So apparently, the U.S. isn’t already in a recession and obviously we aren’t going to change our ways till it’s too late.

Do we really need all this money?

Do we really need all this money?
By: Kyle Grabowski

Does anyone remember who won the Stanley Cup in 2005 season? No one did because the season was locked out due to a player’s strike. The NHL and NHLPA (NHL Player’s Association) could not come to an agreement over a salary cap (total amount of money teams are allowed to spend on players’ salary) and how to deal with that salary cap. The league wanted a fixed cap that could not be exceeded no matter what while the PA wanted something similar to the NBA and MLB where the cap can be exceeded, but the team must pay some sort of luxury tax to the league for spending too much money. In a nutshell, the players wanted more money and the league didn’t want to give it to them. Eventually the league and players agreed on a $39 million cap after cancelling the first entire season in North American professional sports history. The biggest question is: why? Are hockey players really that selfish to deny an entire season to legions of endearing fans? Apparently they are. The 2004-05 NHL lockout represents a disturbing trend in American sport: the want for more money. Every year stories come out about top-tier draft picks holding out for more cash. The average amount of guaranteed money for a top ten pick in the 2007 draft was $18.2 million. Is it really that impossible to live off of $18.2 million? Do you need the extra million or two for your Lamborghini, or for bail money just in case? There are people in the world who live off of pennies a day and have to do back-breaking physical labor to get their little part. In Sierra Leone , people work from before dawn to after dusk searching for the diamonds that will make their earrings and pendants. Unfortunately that’s just part of American society. We always have to have the biggest house and fastest car. Debt is no problem because there are companies out there that can save you like InCharge or Ameriprise Financial. The drive for financial success dominates American life to the point that our most grandiose figures have been relegated to gracing bills, so the next time you pull out your buddy Lincoln to buy something consider whether or not you actually need it or if it’s just the American in you.

3983 and counting

3,983 and Counting
By Evan Campbell

The number of U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq during the last five years is less then Vietnam War had in the first five years of U.S. full involvement. The mentality of most Americans i.e. liberals is that Iraq is no longer our priority. Well Al-Qaeda is in Iraq influencing the insurgents. That is why the casualties are still rising, but how come the Democratic Senators say that this war is becoming guerrilla warfare? We are fighting terrorist who fight a style of guerrilla warfare, so no wonder why they are saying that. Also an enemy who doesn’t play by the rules is an enemy that is hard to defeat. The United States Military is trying its best to play a chess game against a cheater to say. Now if you ask a soldier over there serving right now, most will answer with let me finish the job or dead terrorists is a mission complete. Tell me an enemy that hardly ever comes out to fight face to face is an enemy that we should retreat from. The kill to death ratio is higher then our armed forces have in total casualties. Some 19,000 insurgents have been killed while U.S. forces and coalition forces have less then 4,500 total, the bulk being U.S. forces. Still why the up roar that the war is not what it should be. What does it take to be a so called ok war, a big fat zero in the soldier killed in action column? Wars are never going to be like that and they never will be. After 9/11 America was in the mood of kill Osama bin laden and his minions, after Pearl Harbor , America was in the same idea against Japan . So why can’t America keep the same mentality for this war? Is it because we have fallen in love with the news agencies that report the war in away that we don’t see the success coming from it? This coming up election will decide if America will keep its status as a world power, and that is all is a retreat shows the terrorist win, stay there and fight says to the terrorists hey you still are going to be decimated. Stop the nonsense that this is Vietnam . It will never be a Vietnam style war because right now it is just a peacekeeping operation. The war has been over since after we took control of Baghdad . Plus there has never been a declared war since 1941. All have been helping hands or best for the world actions.