The

TALONStaley High School

Friday, September 19, 2008 Volume 1, Issue 1

On the INSIDE

Driving: Scarier Than Staley Driving SeminarWritten by Hilary Griffith

Performing at Rock the Vote, The WOMBATS lead singer Matthew Murphy performs in between the brief political speeches Sept. 7.

Sports - page 2Fall Sports Update•Upcoming Sporting •Events

Lifestyles - page 3OP Closet•Recycling•Falcon Club•

Features - pages 4 & 5Homecoming•

Opinion - page 6We Are Staley•

Entertainment - page 7•Book&Movie Reviews

News - page 8•StaleyStereotypes

Staley Opening Creates New TraditionsWritten by Hilary GriffithPhoto by Kathy Koerperich

Every 45 minutes, a Missouri 15- to 16 -year -old driver kills or injures another person, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. This quickly adds up to 32 deaths or injuries an hour. In an attempt to raise awareness, Staley requires a driving seminar in order for student drivers to receive a parking pass. A vehicle is “a 3,000-pound bullet that can kill or miss you,” said Assistant Principal Mark Mundell, who also directs the driving seminar. During the video, “kids were thinking it was boring,” said junior Andrea Keller. The month with the most crashes is October. Not icy December or steamy July, a normal cool month. MoDOT said that the day of the week with the most crashes is Friday. The majority of crashes happen between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.,

but wrecks can occur on any day any time. The No. 1 cause for wrecks among teens is speeding. More drivers are convicted of speeding than any other offense noted by MoDot. This means that when the driver gets convicted it will affect his or her ability to apply to earn the full license at 18, and will affect insurance rates. About 87 percent of wrecks happen in dry weather, with no rain, snow, sleet or hail. Most wrecks occur on a straight road, not around a sharp curve. When thinking about the possibility of crashing, Keller said she usually pictures “the middle of the night, rainy and young drivers.” Studies report a young driver as anyone younger than 21 years old. The average age of drivers who wreck is 17 years old, or a junior in high school. Wrecks don’t even discriminate among genders.

People joke that women are bad drivers, but about 54 percent of young driver who crash are male. Males also have the highest the fatal crash rate, which is about 68 percent. This should not scare drivers into worrying constantly about wrecking. There are simple ways to prevent it. Don’t have any distractions such as: loud music, friends, food, drinks and phones. “Singing along with the radio and dancing,” said Keller, are her main distractions. Concentrate every second behind the wheel. “Distance is your friend,” said Mundell. Seatbelts save lives. In about 64 percent of fatal crashes, drivers were not wearing their seatbelts. Buckle up to arrive alive. The driving seminar may seem long or pointless now, but its purpose is to protect Staley student drivers. So put down that phone and listen carefully.

K.C. Ready To Rock the VoteWritten and photographed by Clarice Boone

About 100 people showed up to Rock the Vote at the Power and Light District. On Sunday, Sept. 7, radio station 96.5 the Buzz hosted an all-day concert trying to get the younger generation to register to vote.

Voting is a privilege, so why are people not taking advantage of it? Rock the Vote has been going on yearly since 1992, and it has made a difference. The first year, Rock the Vote inspired a 20 percent increase in youth voting, than in previous elections. “I think it’s smart to vote because it decides your future,” said junior, Lindsey Carpenter. “If you didn’t vote, and the candidate you didn’t want to win, does, you cannot complain.” Local lawmakers tried to convince the Rock the Vote crowd to vote. Kansas Sen. Pete Roman said that if our generation voted, it would make a difference. Chris Ruggles is a disabled veteran running for Missouri representative for the 56th district. He said he wants to provide healthcare for all children and help solve the housing crisis.

“Like Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world,’” said Lance Weber, who is running for the 39th district for the State Assembly. Others attended and tried to push the crowd to

vote for them. Shirts supporting Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain were seen left and right at this event. The candidate’s plans are the most essential part of the reason Americans vote. According to his Web site, McCain’s plans for the economy are to: •build jobs from nuclear energy for the unemployed •balance the government’s budget and the way it spends its money •bring affordable healthcare to the people •lower taxes

“I would vote for McCain because he knows what it’s like more than Obama does,” said sophomore Chris Witcig.

On the other hand, Obama said he plans to:

•cut taxes on gas•double funding for

after school-activities•raise minimum wage

•fight for fair trade and end tax breaks for companies sending American jobs overseas

“I would choose Obama because he wants to raise minimum wage and try to make life better for the middle class,” said sophomore Jade Jones.

Citizens are still pondering which candidate has the best qualities for president. Opinions about the

candidates and election were texted to a screen above the stage. It gave people a chance to express themselves and have the rest of the viewers read what they have to say.

“I like the idea of having healthcare for the whole country, because there are people out there who can’t afford to bring their kids to the doctors. Also, the fact they are outsourcing jobs and not taxing the businesses,” said FACS teacher Sybil Schweighauser.

Bands from Kansas City to Liverpool performed to bring a crowd to encourage political participation. The first band to take the stage was The Belated, a local alternative group. Waiting for Signal was a local band that came out next. When The Wombats started performing on the stage, their British pop rock/alternative band got the crowd to start dancing and sing the lyrics together. More fans headed towards the stage when Carolina Liar started setting up their instruments. Ludo arrived on the stage for the finale, and most of the crowd was gathering to the front to get as close as they could.

Rock the Vote was intended to teach the public about upcoming elections and hear political voices share their views.

After years of preparation, Staley High School finally opened. On Aug. 18, media, parents, school board members, staff and future students rose early and scrambled to Staley for the opening ceremony. The students gathered with others in their grade levels to witness the festivities. As the Falcon Brigade Band played, the Emerald dance squad and the cheerleaders fired up the crowd. Principal Clark Mershon spoke about the history and opening. Students heard a loud low rumble and looked up to see the Falcon skydivers jump out of a plane carrying the Staley crest and U.S. flag. The crowd cheered as each one landed. After the ribbon cutting, students scattered into their new school. “[The ceremony was] something I will remember forever,” said Mershon. He also said Staley SOARed as a school that day. Since then, students have been adjusting to the school and the new policies. One policy is that cell phones are allowed during passing time and lunch. Freshman Kelsey Dufoe likes the cell phone policy and wants the tradition to “keep on keeping on.” Another new policy is the 4.0 grading scale. Many mixed feelings were born with this policy. Junior Tori Taylor said, “I don’t like the grading scale because it’s confusing and doesn’t make sense.” Freshmen Landon Feigly disagreed. “I like the grading scale because you can retake the test.”

Communication Arts teacher Jesse Hoffecker supports the 4.0 grading scale. “It will be fine once I’m used to it, and it provides more of an opportunity to learn and is the true reflection of learning.” Traditions at Staley will begin this year and remain throughout time. “Long- lasting and meaningful for the students, staff and community,” said Mershon on tradition. Hoffecker said, “I would love to see sporting events with everyone involved in something, and everyone supporting them.” Feigly agreed with crowded sporting events being a tradition, and wants “sports to win…a lot.” Taylor’s tradition is to have a big student section cheering on every sporting event every game. This year traditions are being created and will be remembered forever.