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
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