"Red & White" newspaper - Opinion

Can't Wait for Summer

5/5/2015

By Geena Weber

School is almost out and everyone is excited for summer. Students are ready for no school, long summer nights, and having fun. Having free time to make memories and enjoy activities is something everyone is looking forward to.

Junior Ravyn Kitt said that she can’t wait for summer and is looking forward to having freedom and hanging out with her friends and family. Kitt, also said that she’s excited for her dance recital in June.

Seniors have a lot to be excited and nervous about. They’re finally going to be done with high school and are going to have a lot more freedom; and are also going off to college more adult responsibility. Senior Daniel Schneider has mixed feelings about summer because “after this summer I'm going to start college and going into the big world,” which can be frightening. But he’s also happy that the stress of high school will be over and that there will be more time to try new things. Some things Schneider is looking forward to as a use of the new spare time is web designing and programming.

Summer is always an exciting time of the year for teenagers. Students can’t wait to get out of school and are ready to have the time of their lives.

prom, prom, and more prom

4/15/2015

By Maddi Lawson

For a lot of juniors and seniors here at Audubon High School, prom is a really stressful time. Scratch that, for a lot of junior and senior GIRLS it is a really stressful time. The most stressful part? Finding a date.

"It's a lot easier to find a date if you have a boyfriend, obviously, but sometimes the best dances are when you go with a close friend," said junior Emily Haubrich.

After you have the luck of landing yourself a date for the night, next comes dress shopping, shoe shopping, looking at hairstyles, makeup looks, nail designs, and different ways of getting tan.

"I prefer to do my own hair and makeup for prom because we only have two hours to get ready and with all the girls in town and limited places to go, there wouldn't be enough time to look your best. Things would go a lot smoother if prom was on a Saturday," said junior Ravyn Kitt. Students have to be at school the whole day or they can't attend prom. Which gives students only two hours to get ready! For guys, this is not a problem.

"All they have to do is put on a tux. I hope they shower, too. It takes me two hours to get ready, which is all the time we're allowed basically," says Kitt.

It's clearly a stressful night for the girls, but none the less, a super fun one!

Tanning for enjoyment or an occasion

3/17/2015

By Jorja Weitl

Different types of suntan lotions with SPF for tanning this summer.

Audubon High School’s prom is coming up soon and many girls are getting ready by tanning. Tanning: is it good for the skin to an extent? Tanning to some people may be harmful, but some say it can be beneficial and relaxing. The first word that comes to junior Kelsi Lange’s mind would be a “stress reliever or something that is nice and warm.” She said, “I love tanning. It’s very relaxing to me.”

Tanning proves to be a stress reliever in certain cases for some people. However, it can be misused sometimes. Lange said, “It has a purpose as long as people don’t abuse it. I tan because I want my dress to look good with my skin and not look pale.”

Madison Hagedorn, also a junior, said, “I tan because I want to be a little darker for prom but not too dark. I don’t tan excessively it is just a few times for a special occasion like prom. I also think it’s up to the person for prom if they want to tan, but they don’t have to if they don’t want to.”

People that misuse tanning are often spotted because they are burnt and you can easily tell because it can be a bit strange seeing a red-faced person in the middle of winter. Lange said, “It doesn’t bother me seeing people burnt I just think that they should maybe not lay out in the sun or in a tanning bed as long. They should work their way up to 20 minutes slowly so you don’t get really burnt.”

Hagedorn said, “It doesn’t bother me seeing burnt people, but I think that some people, who tan all the time, need to be more concerned about what they are doing to their skin. If they’re burnt and they keep tanning before the burn heals it’s not good for their skin. I think that tanning is okay for short periods of time, but if someone is tanning constantly, they just need to calm down.” Tanning can be okay in moderation, but it all depends on the person and if they can handle it. Safe alternatives to tanning include spray-tanning and self-tanners.

Attitude Makes a Difference

3/4/2015

By Geena Weber

Madison Lawson shows her school spirit for Audubon by participating at District Individual Speech contest and by wearing an Audubon FFA sweatshirt.

Students with school spirit perform better academically and tend to be more involved in activities, according to a survey conducted by "High School Today" publication. Having a good attitude and being enthusiastic about school makes a difference, and having a sense of belonging somewhere, such as an activity, event, group of people, or class, makes a gigantic impact for students. Which gives reason to worry when some Audubon students lack in school spirit.

Mrs. Ballou said, “The sense of belonging is important to a student's success.” Students knowing they belong somewhere and caring about school will make a difference in their behavior and success. Supporting involvement and encouraging others to do well in school and activities impacts how much students enjoy themselves and what they achieve. Ballou said, “the kids here at Audubon do a great job supporting school spirit and each other and their activities and sports.”

A survey by Varsity Brands in the "High School Today" February 15 publication shows that students with school spirit tend to have better grades and are more active in school activities and events. Ballou said, “School spirit adds life to a school. It’s an avenue for fun and a source of pride.” Pride and enjoying where one goes to school will heighten a student's experience and show that attitude can make a big difference.

Valentine's day...ugh

2/4/2015

By Geena Weber

Love is in the air, and it stinks. Valentine’s Day is a holiday created by companies to guilt couples into buying products to prove their feelings. Any day of the year a person can buy his or her loved one flowers and other gifts to make them feel special, but Valentine’s Day still exists for some reason.

Men seem to get a lot of pressure in particular. Jason Hines, a sophomore, said he doesn’t like Valentine’s Day and agrees that men get all the pressure on this day; “What guy asks his girl to take him out on a date to a fancy dinner or movie,” said Hines. Although it’s nice for a guy to be a gentleman, since when does that mean a girl can’t do anything for him? It’s estimated that 64% of men buy flowers on Valentine’s Day while only 36% of women do.

Junior Hannah Lange said it’s pretty selfish for some girls to be hard on guys or expect them to buy them really expensive gifts. According to CNN, the average amount of money a person spends on the day is about $130 and the total amount of money spent on Valentine’s Day is $18.6 billion.

Lange said, “Some people make it so overrated compared to what it should be, to me people treat is as an excuse to do something nice that you could do any other day.” Even though Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love, a lot of people hate it.

High school prom dresses (some too sexy?)

1/27/2015

By Maddi Lawson

A dress many think is too sexy for high school proms.

Times are changing, which means so are clothing styles. Prom dresses used to be long, conservative, and flowy and now there are many different styles, some which are considered too sexy for teens.

"I like more of a modest style," junior Hannah Lange said. "The two pieces and slits are too much for a high school prom." That is a matter of opinion, however, but some styles may be taking it a bit too far.

"I think the sexy styles are the mermaid or the see through mid-drift," senior Morgan Gust said.

When picking out a prom dress, just keep in mind that it's still a high school prom and not the Golden Globes.

Are Animals shirts The new ugg?

1/21/2015

By James Thoelke

One of the trendy new animal t-shirts.

A new trend has snuck into Audubon High School, namely animal shirts. The t-shirts depict the face of an animal and take up the much of the real estate of the shirt. Students walk the halls with the faces of wolves, gorillas, tigers, cats, and dogs decorating their shirts. Junior Brianna Goecke said, “I don’t wear them, but others do. I think it gives people a sense of individuality. Also, the boys think it’s cool, too.”

Sophomore Micky Williamson and freshman Tyler Riebhoff used the words “awesome” and “adorable” to describe the shirts. As to the animal shirts origins, Riebhoff said, “I think people are becoming more obsessed with cats, and [Wal-Mart] is where the first cat animal shirt came from.” The speech team has even hopped on this trend by putting a cat on this year's team t-shirt.

A question to ask though is how long will this new fad last? Are animal shirts the new Ugg boot? Or just another Harlem Shake? Goecke thinks it is just another phase.

Williamson said, “It’ll last a little longer, maybe a few months.” Only time will tell if these new found animal shirts are just more dust in the wind, or are here for the long run.

Bringing in the new year

1/5/2015

By Geena Weber

Countdown to the New Year.

It’s out with the old and in with the new for the New Year and people are making resolutions and saying “New Year, new me.” Even though the date on the calendar doesn’t make a difference about who you are as a person, it doesn’t stop people from trying.

Many people think of the New Year as a fresh start and a way to begin again. Junior Matracea Wager looks forward to new memories this year and is excited to go to Puerto Rico over the summer, be a bridesmaid in her brothers wedding, and starting her senior year this coming fall. Ashley Bechtold, sophomore, enjoys New Year because “It will be a new year and you can let go of all the things that happened in the past.” Junior Kiara Brannan-Sporrer says that she looks at is as just a new day and doesn’t see it as anything special.

People make resolutions like kicking bad habits or starting good ones. Bechtold doesn’t have any resolutions and Wagner says she doesn’t make any because she can never follow though with them. Brannan-Sporrer wants to become a better shooter in basketball because she thinks she can improve on it and it’s a good goal to set for herself.

Overall, the New Year or any new day is what you make of it. Not everyone, but many people participate in the traditions of making resolutions and counting down the clock. Goals and new outlooks on life can be made at anytime, but the change of date definitely boosts encouragement for it.

Lake Rates The 'Lakes'

12/10/2014

By James Thoelke

Getting water from the drinking fountain is a pretty simple task. Press button, lean down, drink water. Simple. Not so according to junior Lake Hacker. Hacker led a discussion in Comp I class about the rating system he developed for the different water fountains throughout the school. Three things are put into consideration when rating a fountain: taste, coldness, and flow.

“I was bored during study hall one day and decided to test out all the water fountains,” Hacker said. “Josh Lange went with me, and we tested every one in the school.”

Drinking fountains often come in pairs but most of the time the two are not equal. Hacker said, “The fountain in the south gym is one of the best in the high school.” The water is cold and refreshing and it flows nicely he said. Of the paired fountains, the shorter one by the cafeteria is one of the best, with the shorter one by the activity center being a close second. “Both have good flow and are cold,” said Hacker. While the fountain in the gym is one of the best in the high school according to Hacker, the middle school fountains are very near to passing it by. The middle school fountains have good flow, are cold, and taste amazing.

On the flip side, the worst water fountain in the whole school, according to Hacker, is the tall one by the cafeteria and the tall one by the library. “They taste nasty,” said Hacker.

Do you agree or disagree with Hacker's findings? Click here to voice your opinion in our poll.

'Tis the season

11/24/2014

By Geena Weber

Pumpkin spice flavored and scented everything is to now be replaced by peppermint. Christmas decorations fill the aisles of department stores, and everyone is packing on layers of clothes. Winter is upon us, and people are either filled with joy or saying “bah humbug.”

Something that’s definitely annoying about winter is shoes with no traction on them. Shoes that look warm and cozy to wear on cold days end up being a nightmare when walking across a slippery parking lot or sidewalk. Why would manufacturers make shoes without traction for winter? It doesn't make sense, but many companies do just that. Slipping and falling on your butt as if you just stepped on a banana peel is a common occurrence this season and the slippery shoes aren’t much help. Tess Albright, a senior, said that she doesn’t like slipping and falling and “it’s worse when someone sees it happen,” but she won’t be wearing any snow boots to school “unless it goes with [my] outfit…”

There’s also plenty of fun things to do during winter, such as sledding, snowball fights, building a snowman, or staying indoors with a cup of hot chocolate and watching movies. Albright said getting outside and “getting dressed in gear and starting up the snowmobile is one of the best feelings [and] grazing the surface of deep snow feels like you’re floating on clouds.”

Winter enthusiast Mr. Dammel said he loves “everything about winter” and that people that don’t like winter should “get over it” and states that “it’s not going anywhere, it’s here.” Dammel’s advice is to enjoy winter and the cold, and to “see it as an opportunity.” Winter isn’t leaving and it’s here to stay for the time being so go out and “find the joy in the little things.”

Trees are starting to get covered in snow and ice.