“The End of 8?”
On August 12th, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker overturned Proposition 8 after a suit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, was filed in a Federal District court in San Francisco. The battle for gay marriage has seen strong and passionate determination from both sides, and it is a war that is far from being over. For the past two years much has been said about Prop. 8, but many are unaware of what has been happening.
Beginning in 2010, things began to change for the gay community. With great questioning and backlash, Vaughn’s decision was to overturn the ban and permit these marriages, calling any restriction to gay couples “unconstitutional.” Recently the adjustment to California’s Constitution has been put on hold for an unknown period of time while cases are arranged and all legal work is sorted out.
Proposition 8 was a constitutional amendment passed in November 2008 during state elections. The new provision stated that marriage between a man and woman is the only recognized form in California. This action came as a direct hit to the gay community being five months after the passing of the “In re Marriage Cases”. This was a measure in which the California Supreme Court stipulated that "statutes that treat persons differently because of their sexual orientation should be subjected to strict scrutiny."
On July 16, 2008, a proposed petition to remove Prop. 8 from the November ballot was denied by the California Supreme Court. For the ballot to be qualified, Prop. 8 needed 694,354 valid signatures. MSNBC.Com reported it then received a submitted 1,120,801 signatures. This qualified the initiative for the November 4, 2008, election ballot.
Throughout the 2008 year, many groups, both for and against the proposition, fought
for the support of the state. In particular numerous religious organizations backed Prop. 8 and formed the Protect Marriage; Yes on 8 Campaign. These included the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, The Roman Catholic Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other supporting organizations included the American Family Association, Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage.
Those against the measure ranged from The Episcopal Church, The Board of Rabbis of Southern California, and Unitarian Universalists. There was also a backing from such figures as the San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and the formation of Equality for All being the lead organization opposed to Proposition 8, No On Prop 8 Campaign.
According to The L.A. Times, the end results came to a close split with 7,001,084 (52.24 %) in favor and 6,401,482 (47.76%), tallying 13,402,566 votes representing 97.52% of the state of California. Much speculation and questioning went into the final tally of the vote, but in fact, the majority was in favor of the proposition. This then encompassed the dissolving of any same sex marriages that had already been performed and prevented any new ones from forming.
By Ryan Darly
Park 51
From the beginning of our country, Americans have counted religious freedom as an undisputed right. Some would argue that America was built upon this very idea, but how many Americans respect this right?In New York City, plans have been made to build a Community Center by a private company.
The center will be built on a lot called Park 51. This Community Center will contain a swimming pool, basketball court, auditorium, library, restaurant, cooking school, day-care facility and a miniature Islamic mosque.
The most disputed aspect of the Community Center is the mosque. Sixty-one percent of the population feel that the “mosque” is being built so close to ground zero it would destroy the memory of the victims of the 9/11 attack while twenty-one percent are in favor of it (TIME TBUs poll).
A Logan High student, Bretton Ashcroft, remarked, “If we don’t build it, it will be like the Terrorist proving their point.”
Romesh Ratnesar, a Time Magazine reporter, pointed out that the location is two or three blocks away rather than across the street like other sources would have you know. Ratnesar wrote, “Merely posing the question is an act of deliberate distortion.” He continued to say, “Allowing a place of worship to be built in lower Manhattan will constitute neither an American triumph nor a defeat. It will simply tell the world that this nation, wisely, has decided to move on.”
Presently on the site of the planned center, there is an abandoned Burlington Coat Factory that hasn’t been used since the landing gear of one of the 9/11 planes fell through the ceiling. Twenty-nine out of 30 lower Manhattan community-board members voted to approve the Community Center, but protests have not gone away.
President Obama advocated support by saying, “[They have] the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan.”
Only time will tell whether the people of the United States of America will allow the Community Center to be built.
Rachel The Bully
By AJ Anderson, Staff Writer
There is a problematic student that is comparable to a wrecking ball of havoc in this school! Her name is Rachel Wootton, and she may or may not belong in an insane asylum. Though she doesn’t seem dangerous, Wootton is a dangerous girl indeed.
This Wootton child is a walking, talking and bullying menace! An estimated 63 freshman and 42 sophomores have felt threatened and bullied by her actions. And what are the affects of her destructive attitude? Frequent tardies, physical and mental abuse, and an overall drop in self-confidence have been direct results of her bullying.
It is hard to track down students who have been petrified by her bullying, but eventually some were found. The students, who wish to remain anonymous for the sake of their lives, had some frightening information to share. “Every day on my way to lunch she slams me against the wall with her surprisingly strong arms and violently shakes me until I give her lunch money. The pizza isn’t even that good!”
Another said, “I’m tired of having my feet burned with a lighter. It melts my shoes and hurts my tender toes! I’m considering transferring to Sky View because of her.”
The scariest tale of all came from a tiny freshman boy, “She trips me everyday between my classes and attempts to curb stomp me. I just wish she would stop, I like how my face looks.”
These sad stories are only a glimpse of the chaos Wootton has caused. Though most of her targets have just been underclassmen so far, it won’t be long until juniors and even seniors become byproducts of her evil ways. If that happens, the whole school could be trapped under her dark and evil cloud. Academics and athletics would be hurt, and the use of Zoloft would go up dramatically.
Wootton must be stopped, if it isn’t too late already. The students of Logan High need to be treated with dignity and respect, not threats and fear. All students need to join together to stop the menace soon, before she successfully bullies us all.
Hospitals: What is the Problem?
By Mike Emery, Staff Writer
According to Fox News, a hospital in Philadelphia has been charged with allowing a 63-year-old man, Joaquin Rivera, to die while sitting in a hospital waiting room. A health department report alleged that a nurse paged him by name after 17 minutes had passed, but hospital staff did not check on him until an hour after he arrived. By this time Rivera had already died.
Patients said he had stopped moving minutes after arriving and that his watch had been stolen after he lost consciousness. Two hospital employees have been suspended for the incident and three people have been charged for stealing his watch. The hospital can avoid fines if it takes corrective actions by March 1. Officials at the hospital say they are taking corrective measurements to ensure that an incident like this never happens again.
The reason something like this could happen at a modern hospital in this day and age is that things have become too monotonous. The required procedures may not have been taken as seriously as they needed to be in this case.
The nurse in charge of calling the patient down, and the people in charge of checking on him, probably thought that it wouldn’t matter if they just let one patient slide for a while. Everything in the emergency room may have become so routine that the people working there started to loose their grasp of how important their work is.
There needs to be stricter rules in hospitals. Hospital workers need to be more accountable to their patients. Whether it’s a late night or in the middle of the day, everyone should be aware and alert. No hospital staff should ever feel comfortable with deviating from procedures laid out for them, even if they become bored of the day-to-day routine.
There should never be a level of comfort for neglecting duties in a hospital especially when lives could be at stake. Patients should also be able to raise their voices if they feel they are being neglected.
Halloween Howl Sparsely attended
By Alex Lundberg, Grizzly Staff Writer
The Halloween Howl, a ten-year tradition, is an informal dance where people simply show up to hang out and dance with friends in the lobby. In past years the Howl has had close to 200 people, but unfortunately there were only around 70 this year.
Geo Gonzalez, a junior, said he “was thinking about going because [he] has never been.”
Roger Rigby, the photography teacher at Logan High School, has been in charge of organizing the Howl for three years.
“The Halloween Howl is a fundraiser for the photo club,” Rigby said.
Rigby added that they use the proceeds to fund their yearly Christmas Party and various outings. Although not as many showed up the Photo Club was able to raise around $400 on October 30.
According to Rigby the Photo club members begin planning for the Howl almost two months in advance. They decide which decorations to use and which refreshments will be served during the dance. A good DJ must be found that the students would enjoy. The event is advertised hrough the school news.
Although the Halloween wasn’t as successful as it was in previous years, the Photo Club still brought in enough money to hold their yearly activities.
Debating Halloween Success
By: Kelton Mock, Grizzly Staff Writer
At the very first multi-level debate tournament of the year, the Logan High Debate team did exceptionally well. They debated at Highland High School in Salt Lake City on October 30 and 31. For members of the varsity team, it was the first chance this year to compete with Salt Lake schools such as Lone Peak, Highland and Bingham.
The tournament, which began on Friday afternoon, stretched late into the night as the last team members finished their rounds and received critiques from their judges. The next morning, the team headed back to Highland High for one last round before semi-finals. By the time all of the rounds had finished on Saturday, it was nearly 5:00 p.m. However, despite the exhaustion, members of the team placed in nearly every event.
In Policy, seniors Rachel Wootton and Robin Pendery got 3rd place in the open division, while sophomores Erica Evans and Amy Jackson-Smith came in 3rd in the novice division. In open Public Forum debate, senior Sage MacQueen and junior Peter Daniels came in 3rd.
In Lincoln Douglas debate, novice debaters did exceptionally well: freshman Ethan Frehner came in 3rd, Eric Heins took 4th, and sophomore April Wilson was a quarterfinalist. In the open LD division, senior Abby Stevens came in 3rd.
Stevens, who was 5-0 going into semifinals, was “pleasantly surprised” with her performance, especially since this is her first year debating in Lincoln-Douglas. She is proud of this year’s team, especially since so many of the top finishers were in the novice division. She is also confident that they will be able to take state this year.
“I think we’re really supportive of each other and learning to be more supportive of each other,” Stevens said.
Novice policy debater Liam McCarthy also thought that the team did pretty well. “We came home with a few trophies, and a lot of people broke,” he said, using “broke” to refer to the fact that many passed on to quarter and semifinals.
One of areas in which he thought the whole team could improve was in researching “more case-specific evidence.” In most events, debaters continually research evidence and write out “blocks” of arguments to answer specific opponent claims.
The next debate event for Logan High will be held at Davis High School on Saturday, November 7. Then, on November 13, the team will head to their next major tournament at Skyline High School.
Homecoming Schedule
By Katie Luecke, Staff Writer
Once again, homecoming week is upon us. September 20th through 26th will be filled with crimson, gold, and raging school spirit. The usual fun traditions are set to be celebrated including painting the street, movie on the lawn, and, of course, the dance.
Every year seniors gather to mark the beginning of homecoming week by making their own mark on Grizzly Boulevard. On Sunday, September 20th, seniors are invited to paint the street in front of the school at 5:00 pm. Bring a paint brush and clothes that can get messy and come help the class of 2010 make their mark.
On Monday the 21st there will be an assembly during school, and the following night is Movie on the Lawn. Tuesday night at 7:30 a movie will be projected onto a screen in the field behind the football stadium. Come and bring blankets and friends ready to enjoy a time honored tradition with your school.
Wednesday the 23rd is Logan High’s homecoming parade. If you are participating in the parade, floats will meet outside the Herald Journal Office at 5:30 pm and the parade will start at 6:00. A variety of LHS clubs and organizations will be a part of the parade so come and join the excitement! The homecoming parade will finish at LHS in time for the powderpuff football game at 6:30 pm.
Friday, September 25th is the big day. There will be a pep assembly to rally students in time for the LHS homecoming game. Come cheer on the Grizzlies as they take on the Sky View Bobcats at 7:00 pm on the Crimson Field.
Last, but certainly not least in the eyes of most Grizzlies, is the homecoming dance the night of the 26th. Primp and polish all Saturday and come dance the night away on the patio at 8:00 pm. The night will be filled with friends, food and fondness of our beloved school, so grab a date and don’t be late!
Whether you’re aspiring to become a true grizz, join the touchdown club, or finally learn the actual words to the school song, join your fellow Grizzlies in all the excitement of homecoming week.
Class Sizes Rising
By Nicholas Porath, Staff Writer
Students attending Logan High may have noticed that classes are a little larger this year. Teachers have larger rolls, more filled desks, and overall more students.
Classes are bigger due to the increase in students, alongside with fewer teachers. Logan High has lost some good teachers for various reasons and, due to budget cuts, and not all of the teachers last year who left, have had their seats filled this year.
A stuffed classroom means more work for the teacher. Keeping students attentive or even grading students’ work after class can be more stressful for a teacher due to bigger class sizes.
Psychology teacher Gordon Geddes stated that, “Bigger classes allow a wider variety of opinions to be shared, but the bigger strain comes after class, when it comes to grading the students’ work.”
More students can also affect teaching methods. Science teacher Andrew Semadeni has stated that he has had to change his teaching methods slightly this year by making his assignments more of the student’s responsibility. He has also said that he has to assign more quizzes on the computer, for easier grading. The more students a teacher has, the less time they can spend helping each student.
Class sizes are definitely bigger this year, leaving both pro’s and cons to classes. There are more students’ opinions to be shared, but more students can leave teachers straining to get students attention. Intimidating roles and filled seats are a common sight this year in classrooms. Will classes get any bigger in the following semesters? Students will just have to wait and see.
Teachers reevaluate after AP scores drop
By Elise Johnson, Staff Writer
Last year 285 people took the AP tests, 79 more people than the year before. However, there was a 17 % drop in the passing rate. Though AP teachers are trying to look on the positive side, a feeling of frustration and disappointment is still prevalent.
Bigger class sizes and less time to prepare were attributed to the percentage drop. As a result, AP classes all over the school are buckling down. On the trimester schedule, teachers had 65 minutes per day to teach the material. Now, there are only 50 minutes. This means, 45 hours of teaching time is lost over the year.
Many AP teachers feel that they didn’t have adequate time to prepare students for the AP exams. Mrs. Stallings even said, “I feel like I don’t even have time to collect anything.”
Many teachers feel that they no longer have enough time to interact with their students. Instead, they feel they have to constantly force material on students.
Despite the fact that the percentage dropped because of the trimester-to-semester switch, the Administration still feels good about the decision. They feel that this change has benefitted students, because students that might not have taken the class otherwise now can.
Principal Hansen said, “Everyone has the opportunity [to take AP classes] now.”
She continued to say how students will have the opportunity to have excellent teachers, and they will be more prepared for college because of the rigorous coursework. The administration also feels that teachers just need to adjust to the new time schedule.
Despite the positive view of the administration, numerous AP teachers remain disappointed and frustrated. Nevertheless, they are trying to look on the positive side.
How this year is going to be different, many teachers don’t know. Some feel they can’t do anything differently. However, several are taking a proactive approach, working together to try to change this year’s outcome. They are looking into other schools that have done well with the semester schedule and trying to figure out how. Though many are disappointed in last year’s pass rate, they are still looking forward to a new year to try to improve scores.
Make the Change
By T.C. Speth, Staff Writer
LHS has been a 3A school for four years. During this time they have won several state titles in all sports. Now for the 2009-2010 school year they have made the jump back up to 4A.
According to Clair Anderson, the reason for this change is that the UHSAA Changed the number cut off to students for the 4A from 1,200 to 1,000.
Patricia Hansen said, “We are excited about going from 3A to 4A. There will be more rivals with kids around the valley because they have played with them before when younger.”
Hansen said, LHS is also hoping it will increase the revenue since they play schools closer to home which makes for better attendance for the home games. It should also give parents and players less travel time as well as less time out of class, and less make up work.
Coaches seem excited about the change. Dan Cox, coach of the wrestling team said he is excited that and it will bring “more rigorous competition.” Clair Anderson, athletic director, said those teams who will see the biggest change are those who have bigger numbers. The reasoning for this is when a school has a larger number of students playing, the chance for more talented athletes is greater.
This may prove to be difficult For Logan because they will now play schools that have been in the 4A for several years now, have larger numbers of students, and have more athletes to pick from in all sports. Can LHS do it this year? Time will tell.