Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2008)
6 January Forum Follow-up figures find football funding fail u J on H elmkamp _____________ and the softball team has just started providing concessions for both basketball teams' games. For the football games, all of the concessions are provided by the parents of members of the tearr^ not by the school or by any sports organization. It was also m entioi^ pj in last month's issue that "it seems to be only right to allow every team anc 11111 every player, regardless of their sport, fair funding." Each team needs different levels of funding based on its basic needs. For instance, the football team needs more funding because they need expensive protective equipment, such as pads and helmets that other teams don't need. "The programs are given budgets that reflect program requirements with regards to numbers of athletes, and equipment needs," Holstom said. Both the football team and the Dance Team, the two top funded sports programs in the school, need approximately $30,000 per year for basic expenses. Everything else, including jerseys, they must raise funds for. "Many of our teams purchase new uniforms each and every year and usually have to do so through fund-raising. Our football team usually goes anywhere from 6-8 years before they purchase uniforms because of the cost issue of replacing them," Holstrom said. The football team's current uniforms are three years old. Sexism was an issue that was also mentioned in last issue's article about sports funding. After looking into the matter as to whether or not all boys' and girls' teams are funded equally, I learned that both teams of each sport are funded the same. (For instance, Baseball and Softball each receive 5.5% of district funding.) The boys' and the girls' teams rooms are not the same size. But the matter of members of the boys' teams displaying their names on their lockers is in reality, written on stickers or pieces What legacy will the Class of 2008 leave? u M arilyn B aker _____________ co-Editor-in-Chief Despite what some people may think, funding is distributed quite evenly amongst sports teams. Money from the football concession stands does not go directly to the football program, nor do the ticket sales. "The football team doesn't see a penny from either. All of that money goes back into the pot for all the sports programs," Ron Chappell, Varsity Football coach, said. According to Rob Holstrom, athletics director, any sports team has the option to use the concession stand, but only the football team decides to use it in the fall. Both lacrosse teams and track use it in the spring, u R achel S eigneur ___________ Contributing Writer Who can't wait to graduate? Who can't wait to be free from the routine that encompasses four years of our life? It's a big moment so we go out with a bang: senior pranks, senior gift and a very spendy graduation party. to parents who serve on the committee and who spend countless hours preparing for that one night, seniors are thrown an outstanding party. All of the money is raised through events such as the auction at the Fashion Show which brought in $13,037, and the Holiday Home Tour because we have taken it for granted with our half an hour hot showers, but it is a life source for everyone. A way to spend the money more wisely could be building a well in a small village in a country such as Liberia. This is a country where 68% of the people Graduates from the Class of 2007 grab for floating dollar bills in a wind filled "cash box” at Grad Nite. Not all the bills were real, but close to $30,000 was spent on last year's celebration. Photo courtesy of 2007 Yearbook Every year the Grad Party Committee spends literally tens of thousands of dollars on a one night party for the graduating class. Graduating is an amazing accomplishment and a very exciting time. But does that mean that we have to spend $30,000 to celebrate it? What could we possibly need that would justify spending that much money? Last year they gave away plasma big screen TV's as just one of the many prizes which cost a total of $19,974, the most spent in past years. That did not include the facility and entertainment which adds to a total $29,400 for the 2007 Grad Party. Raising money for this annual bash is the result of much hard work. Thanks which totaled $2,961 in 2007. How we celebrate our graduation is part of the legacy we leave behind, and not everyone thinks an expensive party is the way to do it. "We want to be known as the class that gives back," Michael Bemert, senior and ASB officer, said. There are, no doubt, better ways to spend some of the money raised for Grad Nite. In an effort to give back to society, we can look to those less fortunate. For instance, a child dies every 15 seconds due to unsanitary water and 1.1 billion people lack access to clean, safe water. Just $1 can provide decontaminated water to one person for a year. We often don't even think of water as something so essential rely on untreated water for drinking according to a 2006 U.N./Liberia Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey. Unclean water accounts for the deaths of 3,900 children, primarily from water born diseases. This is just one of many areas of the world in dire need of financial assistance. This makes one wonder how many lives could be saved with that frivolous excess of money we are going to spend on our one night of revelry. I'm not saying that we should not have a party. I'm just saying we may not need to spend $20,000 on prizes for generally well-off seniors. We could save 20,000 lives instead. Maybe that could be the legacy we leave the world. of athletic tape. Nothing there suggests to me that it is a privilege only available to the boys' teams. Last issue's article was written with the best of intentions. The facts that were presented were misunderstood and unintentionally skewed. We as a staff acknowledge that last issue's article came off sounding like a direct jab at the football program. We would like to clarify that we understand the hard work and effort put into the football program, and would like to formerly acknowledge that. High school struggles to accept student sexuality It is the role of the school to maintain an environment that is safe and supportive of every student, regardless of religion, race, background, or appearance, so why not sexuality? As a nation, we swell with pride in regard to our freedoms as a people; the freedom to speak as you wish, think as you wish, pray as you wish. So why this fear attached to sex and sexuality? Perhaps it is because, as how can schools truly support all students when sex-related curriculum is limited, restricted, or in many cases ban altogether? The fear is that schools will be held responsible for condoning sexuality that strays from the acceptable norm. We celebrate a constitution that demands equality for all, thus we must not compromise our ideals for an outdated view of human sexuality. How can we contradict ourselves so blatantly? a country, the United States cannot seem to address sexuality honestly. In the past, we have seen issues of race and religion to be most progressive when people and government collaborate on a national level. It is understandably difficult for a single school district to take this topic head on without upsetting the school board or parents. It may be the remainders of our puritanical forefathers that cause us to perceive sex as a sinful act. We thus find ourselves unknowingly demonizing the beauty of sex and of sexuality. But at the very least, students have the opportunity to create clubs supporting their cause or interest. Gay Straight Alliance is spreading awareness and gaining members. "They concentrate on eradicating homo phobic slurs. I really think they reach out to all people. It's about acceptance and understanding," Sara Meyre, senior, said. But the question remains: And yet, this issue receives little or no attention from most media. Perhaps people fear their own repressed sexuality and would prefer avoiding this uncomfortable subject. These non-confrontational methods result in a regression of American culture. Discussions about issues of sex and sexuality, even if potentially divisive, are necessary to deal with discrimination against gay and lesbian students, to show them compassion, and to practice the ideals of democracy, according to Cris Mayo, author of "Disputing the Subject of Sex: Sexuality and Public School Controversies." As a school that strives for progressive education, I should hope we will constantly seek to be sexually supportive and maintain well-educated opinions towards such social issues. A school that is more of a unified entity, is a school that will produce students of confidence, independent of societal pressures. Contributing Writer
