Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2008)
^ '008 7 Features Fun is noT done Experience new adventures T amra S chelot Staff Reporter Eight square miles, population 24,180—a typical suburbia. For many, West Linn is home and many teens also find it a place of incredible boredom. This is the community where kids hang out at Safeway and 7-11 parking lots—there isn't much else to do. "There's nothing in West Linn that is fun to do," Jenelle Barzola, senior, said. There is also a problem of money. "A lot of things in West Linn require money, but not a lot of people our age have money so it makes it difficult to find interesting thing to do for not a lot of money," Madison Eden, junior, said. Tired of parking lots and ready to change things up and have a good clean time? Here are some suggestions for those who are boredom- struck: Glowing Greens Blacklight Adventure Miniature Golf What: Mini golf can lose it's excitement sometimes, but when you add black lights, a pirate theme and glow-in-the- dark you'll be entertained for hours. Where: 509 SW Taylor treet, Portland. How much: Adult, over 12—$9, Youth 7-12—$8 When: Sunday-Thursday: 12 p.m.-lO p.m., Friday- Saturday: noon- midnight Eddie May Mysteries What: You've heard of dinner and a movie but what about dinner and a murder mystery? It is described as a HILARIOUS audience- participation game of Clue, according to audiences. You are literally in the mystery and at the end you can find out who done it. Where: 221 SW Pine Street, Portland. How much: $55, remember it is for a four course meal and audience interaction. When: Reservations call 503-524-4366 Wunderland What: Short on cash? This place has a nickel arcade and a movie theater! There are hundreds of games and you can see a movie for only $2.50. Where: 1011 SE Main Street, Milwaukie. How much: $2.50 for admission to arcade, $2.50 for a movie. Dinner Dates What: Have a dinner with your friends. Instead of Mom or Dad whipping you up something, head to a friend's house and prepare a meal together. There are so many possibilities; you can make it formal, casual or try it with a theme. Invite new friends or old ones, find new recipes and have a blast. Where: A friend's house. How much: Depends on the meal but splitting between people makes it even cheaper. When: Whenever, make it a weekly or monthly get together. Get Cultured! What: Remember the performing arts—band, choir and drama. WLHS has one of the best Thespian troupes in the nation and award winning musical programs. Support our actors, who knows, they could be famous Staff, students go green to save on fossil fuels continued from page 4 Although some people are now making changes in their life, some have been carpooling to reduce their carbon footprint and expenses. "I ride my bike to school with my husband, Shawn McDevitt or I carpool with him when I don't ride my bike. We are a one car family," Julie McDevitt, science teacher, said. "I ride my bike and carpool as much as I can, but not because of the gas prices — I do these things because it is the right thing to do. For me it is akin to the difference between working hard at school because you want to get a good grade versus because you want to learn," Monica Emerick, social studies teacher, said. "Gas '»rices in the U.S. are still Ridiculously low compared to the rest of the world and we are blinded to the real costs involved with our dependency on this resource because being dependent has often been made into the easiest choice for us." Another really easy way to help with the pain of the pump for students is carpooling with friends that live nearby. Decide who drives on what day and have everyone chip in for gas. That way it reduces the price by however many people are in the carpool. "I drive to school with my friend and little brother. We switch off days for driving. Whoever is driving pays for gas," Jake Jetton, junior, said. Like Jetton and others, make decisions that save you from making a trip to the pump. Some of the alternatives are simple and they'll save you money too. wmrnm someday. Choir and band always rock the house at concerts. Don’t miss out! Where: West Linn auditorium. How much: Prices vary, but cheap! When: Check online at www.wlhs.wlwv.kl2.or.us/ WLHS_arts.html. Get spirited! What: We all know we love football games, but what about our soccer, volleyball, cross-country teams? They deserve fans as well. The games will be awesome. Bring friends, face paint and wear those great tie-dye shirts. Where: West Linn HS and our rival schools! How much: Free with ASB STICKER on student body cards. Prices vary at other school's events. When: Check online at www.wlhs.wlwv.kl2.or.us/ WLHS_athletics.html. A simple suggestion: be willing to experience new adventures. You will always have as much fun as you are willing to have. Good attitudes can make the difference between having a good time and an awful one. Make your high school experience all that it can be. Roses brings traditional tasty treats to town continued from page 1 "It is difficult to estimate, but it will definitely add a lot of jobs to the neighborhood... Maybe several hundred," Ernie Knodel, Senior Development Vice President, said. Out of the new businesses, Rose's will serve as one of the anchors since it has been around since 1956 and is famous for their colossal cakes and giant Reuben sandwiches. "You'll never leave hungry," Brad Wiley, Manager, said about the New York deli styled restaurant. The menu features foods such as apple & almond salads, New York style steak, handmade hamburgers and matzaball soup. "It's comfort food with a twist," he said. Rose's also offers a wide selection of salads and a turkey burger, but is best well known for their pastries which are baked fresh daily. They make cakes, cinnamon rolls and other gourmet baked goods. Rose's will not be officially open until Sept. 23, but will hold invitationals on the Sept. 18,19 and 20. Each invitational will dedicate a portion of the profit to Willamette Young Life, Boys & Girls Aid and Special Olympics, respectively Another newcomer is Fitness Together. They offer one-on-one time with a personal trainer to focus solely on the individual client during that time. The trainers not only offer exercise advice, but also recommend diet alternatives that would best fit the client's needs. "We base the diets off of the individual's goal: weight loss, muscle gain, etc." Derek Cooper, owner and trainer, said. Fitness Together is open 6 a.m.- 9 p.m., Mondays- Fridays and on Saturdays 6 a.m.-3 p.m. "It's a nice place and it fits into West Linn, but we need more places to hang out. The only bad thing is Safeway is where the 'cool kids' hang out, and it gets swarmed by middle schoolers," Cory Box, senior, said. "They should make like, a Disneyland here!" New laws would drastically change preset regulations for all teenagers mw tens fir tains continued from page 2 A teenager's brain is constantly developing up until, and often past, the age of 21. Experts say that binge-drinking during the adolescent years can cause permanent brain damage, as it will impair the brain's ability to develop and function at the level that is needed during one's teenage years and beyond. This may be true, however, whether or not a person will become a heavy drinker or not depends on factors such as genetics, character and susceptibility to addiction, not whether or not alcohol is available. Alcohol is everywhere. It is very unrealistic for lawmakers, and even parents, to believe that because teens are under 21 that they cannot obtain alcohol. The right to vote is an issue that has been brought into the mainstream many times over the last decade, as women, African-Americans and other minorities have fought to do what is now the norm. The law says that 18 years is the age of consent and the age when a person can enter into a legal contract (which is supposedly necessary to be eligible to vote). I am 16-years-old, and feel I am plenty qualified to vote in an election in which the outcome will impact my life greatly. The only issue with under-18 voting would be that parents may influence their child's vote, undermining the entire point of the vote! Driving, what can be said? Everybody waits anxiously for the day they receive that shiny little card with a terrible picture and take to the roads as a free man or woman! In a 2004 survey conducted by USA Today, 53% of adults believe that a drivers license should not be available to people under the age of 18. It has been said by experts that teens are less able to drive under high pressure and may not be able to handle the large responsibility that driving is. I can't truly state my position on the issue because I have a license already. Those opposed in the student population would most likely include any who has not received that blessed privilege yet, and the over- 16's with licenses might not care one way or the other because the government won't take them away if the age is raised. Vehicle crashes are the lead cause of death for teenagers, and, on average, 12 teens die every day due to car accidents. The highest occurrence is among teens who have had a license for less than a year. We have maturing to do past 16 years old, so maybe if there were just a few extra years, better decisions would be made and lives would be saved. However, just like drinking and voting, the level of responsibility will always vary person to person. These are three issues that matter A LOT in students' lives, and lawmakers need to start reconsidering the present laws. Times change, people change, and these laws of the past are not going to suffice in the changing world we live in. Want to get involved and have your opinion on these issues to be heard? Writing or e-mail local representatives can make a big impact, because they DO read letters and that is often why the public voice is heard when deciding issues. This is how you can contact Oregon's representatives in Congress and the House: Senator Ron Wyden (D) Site: http://wyden.senate. gov/contact/ Senator Gordon Smith (R) Site: http://gsm ith. senate, gov / public / index. cfm?FuseAction=Contact. Home Representative David Wu (D - 01) Site: http://www. house, gov / wu / email. shtml Representative Greg Walden ( R - 02) Site: h ttp :// walden.house.gov/index. cfm?FuseAction=ContactGreg. Home
