Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2007)
2007 Forum Performance hits home with audience u J on H elmkamp __________ _ co-Sports Editor Five bullets, five killed, and thousands wounded. It's the story of one of our society's most troubling problems: school shootings. The recent production by Acting/Directing Seminar students of "Bang, Bang You're Dead" on April 7 and 8, with a special school performance on April 11 during fourth period was phenomenal. The actors reminded us that this type of violence is a very real possibility. Their performances were heartfelt, personal and very powerful. It was fourth period, and it seemed like an opportunity to get out of class. Students took their seats, laughing, talking and joking. But that laughter didn't last long. The auditorium went dark, and a white screen dropped. With "Nine Crimes" by Damien Rice playing in the background, the audience was pin dropping quiet. Slide after slide, school shootings were shown. As the Powerpoint came to an end, every three seconds a school name, a shooting, how many were killed and how many were injured appeared. With every box, with every individual gone, * ,~v,as easy to feel the weight u mis frightening, and overwhelmingly American, problem. Seeing these stories, knowing that these teenagers that had been killed were just ordinary students like me, I was deeply moved. It was with horrible realization that this could happen anywhere—even here. Five students played the roles of those who had been would miss trying to find killed, haunting the shooter, shoes to fit her big feet. Josh, who was played by Five bullets, five people. William Fambach, senior. The Josh didn't think twice about victims ask for answers. Why killing five teenagers, each me? with their own lives, their Michael, victim one: own stories and their own played by Charlie Steele, dreams. junior, he was a football star Those five teenagers were who was looking at a full ride just like us. We all have scholarship to play college our own lives, our own ball. He dated the shooter's dreams, our own passions. ex-girlfriend, earning him And, as recent events show, one of Josh's five bullets. He a shooting rampage can would miss being the best put an immediate end to man at his brother's wedding. our lives, our dreams, our Matt, victim two: played passions. Sometimes it by Avik Bandyopadhyay, happens on a smaller scale, junior, he didn't even know like the shooting at Gresham's the boy who took his life. He Springwater Trail High was simply a student with a School on April 10, where kind heart who happened to the only injuries sustained be in the wrong place at the were from broken glass. But ^vrong timelH^vot|ld never sometimes, as on April 16 at again get to tell his mother, "I r Virginia Tech where 32 (the love you." killer later committed suicide Emily, victi|nthr^;playqdf" bringing the total death count by Alison McDonald, junior, to 33) college students were she grew up just down the shot and killed and 21 others were injured, the results are street from the boy who took catastrophic. her life. They used to go to each other's birthday parties I applaud the student and play together. Josh knew actors, who also include Amy Brumbaugh, Christina Becker, her his entire life, yet didn't Jordan Grelewicz, Connor hesitate to kill her when he had a gun in his hand. She McGuire and Margaret Lewis involved in "Bang, would miss calculus class. Jessie, victim four: played Bang You're Dead" and their teacher, Jessica Murray. Their by Madelynn Marcotte, senior, found herself caught message was clear—they in Josh's path while she was wanted to bring this issue to eating lunch. Josh decided she the forefront and get people was a fun target. She would to think, to talk, to feel. never be able to forgive her This message is one that father. needs to be shared with Katie, victim five: played everyone. Not all students by Tess Tillman, senior. Katie had the chance to see the was a very sweet girl who had play that has sparked so a good head on her shoulders. many conversations and has Katie used to hold a special touched so many people. It place in the heart of her killer; would be a great thing to offer they had been a couple. But an encore presentation and even that wouldn't stop Josh share this powerful message from taking her life. She with everyone. Athletes' salaries too high for their role in society a M ax H ays ____________ Page Editor When thinking about the most important jobs in today's society, doctors, lawyers, politicians and teachers come to mind. Now think about the highest paying jobs: lawyers, doctors and politicians, as they rightfully should be, but also actors and athletes. Teaching is nowhere to be found on the list. This is outrageous. Teachers, who have one of the most important jobs, teaching the future of tomorrow to read and write and know about history, science and math, only make an estimated $30-60,000 annually. Athletes and actors, whose role in society is to entertain us, they make millions of dollars per year. Even though sporting events and movies are a big part of society and keep people entertained, giving s* ients great extra curricular a^ Cities and a way to stay out of trouble, these roles are not as important as showing the ropes to students who will someday become doctors, lawyers, politicians, business leaders, and, of course, teachers. It seems that entertaining people is much more important than teaching them to read, write and do math. An example of this imbalance is a 1995 boxing match between Mike Tyson and Peter McNeely. Tyson made more money in one second ($281,000) than some teachers make in almost a decade. I believe that there is something seriously wrong with the way our society works. Salaries for jobs should be based on how important that job is. For most jobs this holds true but in some cases it doesn't. A prime example is teaching and athletics. I do not think that this is solely the fault of athletes. They get paid loads of money to do something they love. I don't think that many people would turn down an opportunity such as that. I think that the problem is that people support this by buying high priced tickets, concessions and souvenirs. We support, consciously or not, these high salaries for athletes and actors. There is a fairly uncomplicated solution to this problem: simply stop paying such outrageous prices for these items and spend more money and time helping schools with funding for new books, computers and other necessities to provide a proper learning environment. If this is too much to ask, then at least match the amount of money you spend on tickets and souvenirs, and give money to local schools, charity and local non-profit organizations. So next time before you buy an expensive ticket for a concert or a pricey souvenir at a baseball game, really think about the cause that you are supporting. "I p e r s o n a l l y thought that it was really well done, and the responses that I've heard from it were all really good. I think the thing that stuck out the most is th at they w ere tool h e sita n t to see it because I thought it was going to be ’too fake’ but as the play progressed, it became heart touching because it really hit home and it m ade you stop and think about how that could really happen." Jordan Scott, junior Tyler Whitcomb, freshman "It h e lp e d m e realize how easily it could happen." thought that it sent a very powerful message and helped me to be more aware. I think that it took a lot of courage for the actors to perform it and they did a good job. It did a good job of sympathizing with the killer but not justifying it. It helped me realize that it could happen anywhere." ill llitSI
