2011
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Ark Music Factory
A path to fame or misery?
D anny M c G a
r r y
____________
From Justin Bieber to
Willow Smith, teen pop stars
have surged in popularity,
and Ark Music Factory (AMF)
is desperately trying to
produce the next teen
sensation. The problem
with this is that they're
putting talent to the
side in order to make
a buck.
On Feb. 10, AMF
posted a music video
featuring 13-year-
old Rebecca Black
singing,"Friday." After
being featured on the
Tosh.O blog, Black's name
and song exploded into an
internet sensation. By April
25, "Friday," had amassed
119,083,153 views on YouTube
in a little over 2 months.
In an interview on "Good
Morning America," Black
explained how the AMF
process works. She heard
about AMF through a friend
and later researched the
company. Fler parents emailed
the company to gain more
information. She skipped the
audition process and met
directly with two producers.
Black was given a choice
between two songs to sing,
one of them being "Friday."
Her parents paid $4,000 for
the rights of the song, then
AMF produced the music
video and posted it on
YouTube.
Black has talent, regardless
of what anyone else says.
AMF takes mediocre talent,
adds auto-tune, and directs
a catchy music video that
is targeted to children. But
really what this company
does is take kids and help
them leapfrog into celebrity
life, teaching that you can buy
success.
Many musicians attempt to
go into the music industry the
standard way by playing
their song to anyone who
will listen and working
their way to the top.
AMF creates a fast and
easy way in, but with
a disregard to any real
talent.
Teen musicians
need to connect with
their audience and put
themselves out there,
before they try and jump
in head first into an industry
they have little experience in.
They could play at a local cafe,
start a Facebook page or post
music on YouTube. They need
to make sure it's what they
want and that they're going
into the music industry for the
right reasons— not just for the
fame and fortune.
As much as I hate to say
it, Black made me appreciate
artists like Katy Perry a little
more.
Teacher talks trash
,
Todd Jones social studies - Why are you doing this?
teacher, submitted this edito
I wonder, too, about the
rial in response to the excessive vast majority of students not
trash left around the school making these messes - Are
recently.
you aware this is happen
We have a great facil ing? Do you think it's okay?
ity. If you've
W hat do
attended
y o u do
or v is ite d
when you
other h ig h
see some
schools, you
on e d e
know what
liberately
Fm talking
, , ,
,
t rash the
Photo by Laurel Massaro , .,
~
about. It is
building?
designed with students in Would you act differently if
mind. That's why officials your teacher or parent was
from all over the nation standing beside you?
visit every year to study
If you're not cool with
our design. Unfortunately, the trash, and I'm guessing
some don't appreciate what most of you aren't, try this:
we have.
When you see trash on the
Have you noticed the floor, or a bench, or a desk,
trash all over our building grab it and toss it in a can.
after breaks and lunches? No need to say anything to
I have, and yeah, I'm con anyone; you don't need to
cerned. Not because I'm a act like the trash police and
neat freak, but because I come down on someone.
believe trash impacts the Just act. You might just find
perception of our surround that others will follow your
ings, and we're not going to lead.
learn well if we don't respect
Teachers, parents and
our learning environment.
adm inistrators can't ad
I wonder about the few equately fix this problem.
kids making these messes Only you can.
West Linn streetcars may not benefit;
low am ount of public transportation
A lex S isca
Is spending over half a
billion dollars on a streetcar
that won't even benefit our
city worth it? Right now
West Linn riders using
TriMet currently ride one
bus to reach downtown
Portland. If a streetcar
is built, then West Linn
riders would have to make
two transfers to reach the
same destination. If the
streetcar to Lake Oswego
is approved, West Linn
citizens would have to
pay higher taxes and
service would not really be
improved.
"Currently our
citizens can ride bus 35
uninterrupted all the way
W 'W SSS
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West Linn High School, 5464 West A Street, West Linn, OR 97068
(503) 673-7843 «fax: (503)657-8710 •
wlhs-amplifier@wlhs.wlwv.kl2.or.us
through Lake Oswego
to North Portland," Teri
Cummings, City Council
member, said. "With the
streetcar option, West Linn
residents would need to
make up to two transfers in
order to arrive at the same
destination. The increased
travel time and reduced
convenience will adversely
affect mass transit use for
West Linn citizens."
fPillfe lliiipiflillii
continued on page 4
Editors-in-Chief:
A lison Field house,
Jen nifer Sitton
C arolyn C ruze, A u stin C u m
m ins, P atrick D ouglas, Jack
L am m ers, D anny M cGarry,
E m ily Reed
Business Manager:
Jack Lam m ers
Section Editors:
News: A lison Field hou se,
Jen n ifer Sitton
Forum: E m ily M cD onald
Features: M ary Earp
Sports: Ty C larke, Sean P ebler
Entertainment: C h risan n K im
Photo Editor: A lex H ouston
Photo Essay: C lara A ltem us
Staff Reporters:
C lara A ltem u s, C h arlie Craft,
Photographers:
A lex H ouston , Laurel M as
saro, E m ily M cN abb
Adviser: A nn Breyne
We in vite you r letters to the
editor. Please e-m ail to:
w lhs-am plifier@ w lw v.kl2.or.us
P lease lim it letters to 150 w ords
and inclu de your full n am e and
p h on e num ber, for v erification
only. L etters m ay b e ed ited for
length and clarity.
Member of the National Scholastic Press Association
TriMet number 35 bus picks up southbound at McKillican, the nearest
stop to the school. A proposed streetcar line from Portland to Lake
Oswego would result in higher TriMet taxes and a more complicated
commute.
Vocational training proves necessary for life skills
J ean P ebler
The Amplifier is published approximately every four weeks by the West
Linn High School Advanced Journalism class. Opinions expressed in
commentaries and editorials represent only those of the writer, and are
not necessarily the opinions of West Linn High School, its administration,
faculty, staff, or student body.
Photo by Laurel Massaro
The next step. The
ultimate goal of high school
is to prepare students for
the gigantic leap to college
and eventually, to a self-
sustaining lifestyle. But is
high school truly providing
us with the fundamental
skills we need to live
and thrive in our future
individualism?
West Linn High School is
widely-viewed as having a
very advanced curriculum,
offering many Advanced
Placement and Honors
classes woven into the
schedule. The downside to
having such an accelerated
curriculum is that many
students feel these classes
don't pertain to their needs.
"We're a liberal arts
college-prep high school,
with 85-90 percent of
kids going to a four year
college," Lou Bailey,
principal, said. "If kids
do all they can in their
classrooms, they can
usually go to any college
they want to. But it's that
other 10-15 percent that
may need these (vocational)
classes."
As a junior beginning to
prepare for life after high
school, I feel that hands-on
training, like woodshop or
mechanics classes, would
be extremely beneficial to
life outside the classroom.
"A cooking class or
woodshop would be a class
I would actually want to go
to," Alyssa Mackin, senior,
said. " I think those would
be fun classes! We don't
have many fun electives at
WLHS."
WLHS has attempted
to include a variation of
the traditional cooking
class with Culinary Arts,
which is an online study
comprised of all seniors.
"Culinary Arts is sort of
a 21st century alternative
for vocational classes, and
Stacy Erickson, teacher
librarian, di& a great job
incorporating that into
the curriculum," Bailey
said. "We are trying to
find outside resources for
the kids that want these
experiences."
This type of class is
befitting to necessary life
skills, but it fails to provide
the "hands on" quality that
is valuable to the learning
process of many.
According to Bailey, the
biggest obstacle that stands
in the way of these classes
is space and money.
l i a i « as «asstis
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