Beacon

Lansingburgh High School Issue 5

May 2011

This issue is dedicated to our lost friend, Tyler Jarosz. We all miss

you. It has had a huge impact on our community. It has tested the

immense communal strength of our school.

To All Lansingburgh Students:

I’ll never forget how silent the hallways were that Monday morning after Tyler passed. Hun-

dreds of young people attempting to process the impossible: that suddenly and unfairly one of

your own had been ripped away. Death isn’t often cinematic. It’s usually a freight train to the

heart, and there’s no harder thing to get up from in life. As the community moved through that

nightmarish week of wakes, and funerals, and final goodbyes, I saw the true character of every

LHS student. You came together to carry each other across this channel of sadness. The petty

bickering was replaced by long hugs for hurting classmates. In the eye of this calamity, LHS

students showed so many people what unity’s about. Your love for each other has left me hum-

bled and happy to be among you. I respect the strength each of you has shown. Although your

vision of Tyler ends so abruptly, I’m certain your memory of him will live forever. And as the

hallways begin to fill with the happy sounds again, you’ll know that life goes on, and together,

as one, you’ll rise from this sudden shot to the heart. I know the unshakable character inside

you, and I wouldn’t trade the LHS student body for any other in the world. Thank you for let-

ting me a part of your proud and loving family. And remember even in loss you can learn.

Respectfully,

Mr. Huba

Requiescat in Pace

Real Life Reels with Donovan Ryan

Saratoga Artsfest

Artsfest is back! Artsfest is when a

bunch of artists get to exhibit their

work on Broadway in Saratoga.

This year it is June 9th to June 12.

The grand opening is on Monday,

May 23. The director of Saratoga

Arts, Joel Reed will discuss his

projects like the infamous Paint A

Colt, where a group of students are

painting a ceramic horse.

Addressing the Matters which Matter

FEMA Deathcamps

With all of these theories of the end of the world, an interesting theory has

come to re-emerge. There is a thought of a FEMA (Federal Emergency Man-

agement Agency)-controlled deathcamp outbreak. Deathcamp theorists be-

lieve that in the not so distant future, the government will order a mass exter-

mination on most Americans.

So, how do you prevent yourself from becoming one of these deathcamp de-

tainees? According to one theorist's website, the only way you can prevent

this from happening to you is if you have some ties to the government. Ap-

parently, there are two lists, one is a "RED list" and another is the "BLUE

list." People on the red list are in danger of being detained and are being tar-

geted by the United States government. People on the blue list however, are

safe from the wrath of FEMA, which, if martial law is imposed, will have

total control over everyone.

Theorists say that their sources for this theory is that in 2009, a year before

the census, the government knew approximately how many people were in

the US. It is said that the US hired the mapping company ACORN GPS, that

has satellite pictures, to map out how many people and houses there were in

the US. They constantly had houses under surveillance, which, as we all

know, is an invasion of our privacy.

One FEMA deathcamp supporter say that this is not a conspiracy, he writes:

“It is a fact that the federal government has many facilities right now that can

be used to house large numbers of political dissidents if the need arises.”

It is true that there are places that the government could put us, but do you

believe they have the power? Google "FEMA deathcamps" for more info and

to either solidify your support or to see it's "lies." Will this happen? Only the

government knows...they're watching us....

The time has come. The last ten months accumulated

into two hours. Finals; are you ready?

Your first and major step should be studying. There are

several things which can help you understand the course

work more and help you pass your exams.

Be prepared. Start studying now. Start with the things

you know best and work your way from there. If you

have questions, look them up. If that does not work, talk

to your teacher; do not be afraid to ask questions, but

don’t rely on your teacher to tell you the answer. The

more you research and study, the more you will absorb.

By studying now, it prevents cramming. Studying in

chunks and in different locations can keep you mind

alert and fresh as you haphazardly shove as much infor-

mation you can retain in there.

Study groups can also help you. By having a group of

people with you, the group can help motivate each other.

It can also help you understand more difficult concepts

that you can’t quite grasp. The key is to not get distract-

ed, however; talking about Pokemon will not help you

pass your English exam, unless, of course, you have

been in a comprehensive Pikaspeak course this semes-

ter.

Listening to music, especially Mozart, has been proven

to help you retain information better. Drinking cocoa or

eating healthy foods while studying can help you as

well, so long as you do not get distracted by them. By

keeping your body healthy, you help keep your mind

clear. This includes still exercising when you would

prefer to just crash and getting proper sleep. The last

thing you want to be is drained on your exam.

Plan your time so you know what you are studying and

at what times. Try to get your assignments done before

hand so you have plenty of time to focus on studying.

Make sure that you study for each exam the way you

understand it best. Being prepared and keeping your

head cool for your exams will help you. Even if you

don’t know something on the exam, if you keep cool,

you can always make up a way to get through the an-

swer and make an educated guess. Take your time dur-

ing the exam and reread your work, even the multiple

choice questions. You have two, even three hours to

take your exam; utilize that time to its fullest extent and

pace yourself. It’s not a race. Don’t stress; you know the

stuff if you have worked in class the last few months.

The Final Countdown Jamie Abbt

A Special Thank You for the Members of National Honor Society and Better Burgh Club Who Participated in the Oakwood Cemetery Clean-up

Ingredients

5 strawberries, washed and hulled

1 medium banana

4 ice cubes

1 cup strawberry yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup fruit juice

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into

3 oz. paper cups, cover with plastic wrap, and insert

popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 5 hours. Makes 12.

Summer Smoothie Pops

Dear Members of the National Honor Society and Better Burgh Club,

The Lansingburgh Historical Society truly appreciates the time and effort which you gave to the spring cleanup of

the Lansingburgh Village Burying Ground and the Old Catholic Burying Ground on April 30, 2011. Literally doz-

ens of bags of leaves and debris and large mounds of brush were gathered for removal as a result of your work.

For about a year and a half our society has been attempting to make improvements in the appearance of these his-toric treasurers documenting Lansingburgh’s past. Much work has been done to identify graves and learn about

those buried there. It is a continuing task. Because of the efforts of all the people who have helped with this and

other cleanups the burial grounds are more attractive to visitors and they make the work of locating and working

with stones much easier.

Many thanks for your work. We look forward to having you help us in the future. Some of the cemetery work can

relate to opportunities to learn more about the history of Lansingburgh and the people who lived here in the eight-eenth and nineteenth centuries. If this interests you, get in touch with us. We can suggest some interesting topics

for you to investigate about this community’s past. You might also consider joining the society.

Sincerely yours,

Kathleen M. Tivnan/dm

With summer less than a month away, for some of us, this means the beginning of the tanning season. Now of

course there are people who go for the whole “spray on tan” which gives you a color closer to an oompah-loompah

than a tanned person, and for those people, go enjoy being part carrot. This article is not for you, since thankfully

spray on tans aren’t known to cause any more health hazards than coloring yourself with food dye. For the rest of

you who enjoy either indoor or outdoor tanning, I feel you should be remind-

ed with the risk that comes with that cocoa brown.

To start, maybe it would be good to inform you what exactly tanning is. Tan-

ning is a result of skin injury and damage. It is the response when your skin is

exposed to ultraviolet, or UV, radiation. The skin produces extra pigment to

protect itself against the UV radiation and this pigment makes the skin look

darker. It doesn’t sound as pleasant when put that way, does it? But it’s the

truth. So now of course you may be asking, “What’s the big deal about UV

radiation? If it comes from the sun it’s not bad right? And that means it’s not

from a tanning bed, right?” Wrong. UV radiation is a form of energy from

natural sunlight OR from a tanning device such as a sunlamp, tanning booth or tanning bed that is not visible to the

human eye. It is classified as carcinogenic to humans and can cause cancer. That’s right, tanning can cause cancer,

whether it’s indoor or outdoor tanning.

Besides skin cancer, there are several other risks that may come with tanning, including:

Burns and injury to the skin and eyes

Premature aging of the skin

Possible allergic reactions

Worsening of existing medical conditions

Immune suppression

Of course, some people are more susceptible to the ill ef-

fects of tanning than others, making the above risks even

more likely for them than they would be for others. These

factors include:

Lighter natural skin

Family or personal history of skin cancer

History of sunburn early in life

Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or is painful in the sun

Blue or green eyes and blond or red hair

Certain types and/or a large number of moles

So this summer, before going for that perfect tan you’ve most likely already planned on getting, make sure you

take into account the risks that come with it.

The Risks of Tanning Kaitlyn Curtin

The Critics’ Corner

Thor

Following the recent flood of movies based on Marvel heroes comes Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from

ancient Asgard to present day Earth. Considering some of the other comic-based movies, I was both intrigued and

skeptical about this new release when my brother dragged me and my grandfather into it, but let me tell you from

first hand experience this movie is a must see.

The movie centers around Thor, a mighty ancient warrior from Norse mythology also known as the god of thunder,

played by Chris Hemsworth in his first major role. Thor is a powerful but arrogant warrior set to take the crown as

king of Asgard, following in his father Odin’s footsteps, when an attempt to reclaim an ancient treasure from a

long past war causes Thor to recklessly reignite the feud. Due to his endangerment of Asgard by starting this war

once again, Odin banishes Thor to Earth as punishment and strips him of his powers until he has proved himself

worthy. As he is sent down, he is run into, literally, by Jane Foster, a scientist played by Natalie Portman who has

been investigating the connections between our realm and possible others by studying the phenomenon caused by

the “rainbow bridge”, Asgard's way of traveling between all the different worlds. As Thor struggles to reclaim his

powers on Earth, in Asgard his brother Loki is scheming to take the throne after Odin’s collapse, using the oncom-

ing conflict as a catalyst. However, when he finds out Thor is close to reclaiming his rightful place, he sends a

huge metallic monster called “the Destroyer” to stop him for good. It is up to Thor to save himself and his new

human friends from this new threat.

Although the ending was a bit out of my taste, the movie is fantastic, and keeps you on the edge of your seat the

entire time. The characters fit the roles perfectly and there is little to no lag in the plot, and of course a shirtless

scene by Thor’s character by no means dampens the attention of any girls who are interested in seeing this movie.

Aside from Ironman, Thor is one of the best Marvel based movies I’ve seen, although I’d recommend seeing it in

IMAX for the full effect. It’s definitely worth the $17.25 for the ticket.

Kaitlyn Curtin

Portal 2

Back in the October of 2007, Vavle released The Orange Box. Nestled amongst the more veteran games of Half-

Life 2: Episode Two and Team Fortress 2 was a shy newcomer. Just a little one-shot game, Portal began with a

humble little idea. Oh, what a clever little game it was, packed with four hours of interesting puzzles and engaging

characters. This little brain child soon blossomed into an

instant classic in the gaming communities. Even now you

may still hear “The cake is a lie!” as you wander through

our game savvy halls.

Last month, we were given combustible lemons. Valve

released the long awaited Portal 2. They have not failed

us. This sequel is just as, or even more incredible than its

predecessor. The plot thickens and you are back as Chell.

GLaDOS is back as well. With your dimwitted compan-

ion, Wheatly the core, you must conquer your nemesis yet

again. As you do so, the game takes a surprising turn, in-

volving potatoes and the history of Aperture Science. In

this solid twelve hours of gameplay, almost everything in

the plot is explained or inferred.

The gameplay is just as engaging as the first game, with

physic concepts that might even pass Mrs. Mancuso’s

inspection. This witty game delivers new puzzles and in-

troduces fascinating gels, each with their own unique use.

The characters are hilarious, yet one still gets a thrill in the more climatic parts. Even the multiplayer, usually a

downfall in a game’s plot, is seamlessly put into this sequel with the introduction of testing robots, Atlas and P-

Body. They even make an appearance in the main campaign and are a legitimate part of the plot.

Rated E for Everybody, the game even claims to be “educational” due to its physics puzzles and problem solving.

Unlike certain other games, this sequel earns its critical acclaim by reinventing the wheel yet again.

Jamie Abbt

The Ultimate Wish By: Kaitlyn Curtin

The year started, full of

promises and of hope, the

first piece of the ultimate wish.

People sang and celebrated the coming of the blessed

year with kisses and laughter. Then November came, and

though the unknowing did not celebrate, those who

knew of November's hidden promise

welcomed it as if it were Christmas. The eleventh day of that month was

full of hopeful, excited whispers and

nervous glances at the clock, fearful to miss

the magical time in which

their wish would be made. Under their breath children, adults, and even the

old counted the seconds until, finally, the final seconds

had come. 5...4...3... 2...1! All over the world, people

shut their eyes tight and made their wish.

A boy

whose birthday

happened to fall on the blessed

day, wished with all his heart

for a dragon like he'd

dreamed of for years, and opened his eyes

to find

a freshly

hatched one

in his clenched

fists.

A

little girl, spoiled and

pampered, wished for a pony

and suddenly heard the

unmistakable clip-clop

of horse hooves in

her very bedroom.

A

man, rich

and greedy, wished for his secretary

and found her in

his lap, her eyes

sparkling as if her own

wish

had

been

the same

thing

But not all wishes

were so

trivial

An

orphaned girl wished for her parents,

and as if they'd never left

she found herself safe in their arms

once more

Two

lovers closed

their eyes and wished to

be together, and when

they opened their eyes their

lips were pressed

against one another instead of just

whispering

softly, "I wish"

A

childless couple wished for a

miracle and suddenly the

mother to be felt her belly flutter

with life

Somewhere,

one small child

wished for peace and

happiness and the hearts of all the people wishing

around the world were

filled with tranquility

and joy

And

one lone man

wished that all the

changes he and all of mankind

had made to harm their world would

be undone, and suddenly animals

long dead and forgotten

breathed fresh air once more, and the

Earth was green and beautiful and full of life

I

Wish....