2010
Forum
5
Students and gambling; symbiotic or destructive?
T y C larke
With March Madness and
the Super Bowl in the past,
students had many gambling
opportunities right in front
gamble at least once a year.
It's these kinds of
statistics that worry experts.
Compulsive or pathological
gambling is defined as being
unable to resist impulses
from drugs or alcohol," as
defined by rjhresearch.com.
Gambling addiction does
not appear in the headlines
the way drug or alcohol
addiction does, but it is just •
as dangerous. In recent years,
however, the public has
become more aware through
celebrities falling to this
addiction. Former NBAer
Antoine Walker was arrested
for a debt to a casino. Charles
Barkley, TNT analyst and
former NBA great, spoke of
losing upwards of a million
dollars due to gambling.
Gilbert Arenas was suspended
for the rest of the season by
the NBA after he brought
guns into the locker room
after a dispute between him
and a teammate about unpaid
gambling debts.
However, many students
do not worry about
compulsive gambling. One
anonymous freshman, who
admitted that he gambled
and called it a "way to make
money," said that he did not
think compulsive gambling
was an issue for himself or
others.
"I don't really think
about it," he said. But some
number of students think that
gambling will take its toll on
students if they go overboard
with it.
"If we lose all of our money,
whose fault is that?" an
anonymous sophomore said.
Michael Glane, science teacher,
agreed with this sentiment.
"I think there is a natural
consequence for everything
we do," Glane said.
iijirtiiiaj______________
continued on page 6
Students direct one act plays in Shorts XI
continued from page 2
Photo by Marissa Ness
Rolling dice and other activities involving gambling are among popular
free time activities for teens. A recent study estim ated that over 80
percent of students have gam bled w ithin the past year according to
the Harvard School of Public Health.
of them. Whether it be a $100
pool, or a five dollar buy-
in for a bracket, students
gambling on sports is now
to gamble. Ed Looney, the
executive director for The
Council on Compulsive
Gambling of New Jersey, Inc.,
ju st as co m m on as w atch in g
told T een agers Tod ay th at 12
percent of teen ag ers stru g g le
the game. How harmful
can small bets like these be?
Very, if the wrong student
participates in them. These
kinds of small bets can lead
to bigger problems, such as
gambling addiction. Research
by the Harvard School of
Public Health, published on
FamilyFirstAid.org, indicates
that over 15 percent of
students in 2005 gambled each
week, and 80 percent of teens
with compulsive gambling.
This is what makes minor
gambling an issue.
If a student prone to
compulsive gambling begins
to gamble, even in a minor
way, it often leads to more
serious problems. Pathological
gamblers are pushed by "the
need to be 'in action' - to feel
the arousal and euphoria from
betting that other addicts gain
"He told me his story,
and I thought, 'I have to
w rite som ething for him ',"
D udley said. She hopes a
lot of people w ill see her
play and it w ill open their
eyes to child abuse and
w hat a problem it is.
M ink's play "Lost at Sea"
is about a 17 year-old girl
w ho is faced w ith many
decisions and has to chose
w hat path is right for her.
Her decisions change her
w orld, and she has to
decide w hether to go to
college or save the whales.
The choice of w aiting, or
not.
"I know it sounds
cliche," M ink said, "But it's
som ething a lot of people
have had to go through."
"Four for Amore" is a
selection from Com m edia
Dell' Arte, w hich is a
type of theater that
was traced back to
15th century Italy.
Com m edia uses
When do you think that student
gambling crosses the line?
ä
■
"Gambling is hard to ex
plain.
My
brother who is 13
r
j
was gambling and he lost
almost $15 and I think that
if he is gambling then high
school students are too and
ip with higher stakes."
— Austin Parish,
freshman
m asks, w hich forces the
actors to em phasize voice
and m ovem ents. Com m edia
breaks the fourth wall and
the characters interact w ith
the audience often.
The Shorts cast of 32
actors has dedicated its
time to rehearsals from 3:30
to 5:00 p.m. every day after
school. The m iddle school
m usical, "Beauty and the
Beast", rehearses in the
auditorium , so the Shorts
cast has to rehearse on
Porch 2D.
"We're gratetful to Adam
Betzelberger, Anastasia
Conlin and M onica Em erick
featuring all locally w ritten
plays.
"I think the one-acts are
more accessible and the
rehearsal schedule is not as
dem anding," M urray said.
No experience is
needed to participate in
the perform ing aspect
Shorts, but M urray said
that "acting class helps."
All directors need to have
taken or be taking an
A cting/D irecting Seminar.
All designers should have
taken Technical Theater.
Shorts will be show ing
M ay 13 ,1 4 , and 15 at 7:00
p.m. in the Auditorium .
for lettin g us u se their
Tickets can b e p u rch ased
classroom s." M urray said.
Shorts features one-act
plays, ranging from 15-40
m inutes m axim um . Every
play in print can be chosen
for Shorts, but this year it is
starting the w eek of April
25 through the Theater web
site.
"Shorts is really fun
every year. There are
always new people, new
shows and new parts.
It's really cool
and unique,"
Dudley
said.
STUDENTS
speak ou t
■I
«
I 111
"When it goes past $5
and gets into big num
bers."
— Elaine
Schrader,
sophomore
Ail photos by Aiex Houston
"I don't think it's too
much of a problem. It
is a private affair that is
only the business of the
wagers."
— Robert Austin
Meyer, junior
«
"When you bet a large
amount of money more
money than you have,
the sharks with laser
beams coming out of
their heads will come
after you and then you
have a problem."
—Kaylyn Schaber,
senior