January 22, 2013

Vol. 6 Issue 6

School ShootingS
What is so Different about this one?
By Ian Krueger
to humanity. A person can imagine losing their parents, siblings or close friends, but the thought of losing a child is unthinkable. Or it might just be that enough is enough. The American people are done watching their citizens be slaughtered like animals, and they want change, now. Change is coming, whether we like it or not. There has been a loud cry for higher gun control in congress, and many Americans are also calling for increased mental health facilities. Along with this, some say that the only real way to ever stop these killers will be for their families to take care of them before they burst out on a murderous rampage. America is reacting strongly to this Connecticut shooting, and change is coming because of it. For better or worse, we will soon be seeing many changes in laws, policies and security in an attempt to finally put an end to school shootings.

Student Council Corner

By Nathan Bonnema
Hi everybody, and welcome to the first Student Council Corner of 2013! *cheers and applause* Student Council has been busy lately working on multiple things, but most importantly the Prom coming up in May. We are working to find a location and be assured: it will be amazing. Additionally, spirit week is on the horizon, so you will want to keep that in mind, but there will be more information about that week soon. We are looking forward to great participation in the wacky themed days. Basketball season is also running at full force, and everyone is invited to the final games, and even more importantly the home playoff games that will be determined at a later date. Thank you to everyone for making the winter dance in December a success and we hope you have a great 2013!

Ever since the late 90s, school shootings have been a serious problem across America by the end of December last year, with the number of school shootings topping out at 31. Each shooting, there are more body counts, more broken families, and more questions. Recently, in a quiet Connecticut town, a man named Adam Lanza went on a killing spree that started in his family home, and ended on the bloody floor of an elementary school. This time, however, along with the typical tears and shock, there has been a much different, and dramatic, reaction to this shooting. Why is there such a different reaction, you ask? It might be the fact that this time, the target was children. It is horrifying when a killer targets a college, high school, or a shopping mall, but targeting children, who can barely run from the muzzle of a firing rifle, breaks a taboo as old as human history. It might also be the pure appeal

Editor: Lydia Marcus

Ian Krueger, Andrew Thomas, Nathan Bonnema, and Lydia Marcus

Staff

New Years , resolutioNs I a M M,M, ?

t Is all bout e e e Isn t It
By Andrew Thomas
Another year has come and gone, like they always do. We survived 2012, in more ways than one, and 2013 provides a whole new clean slate that motivates us to make this year the best. The New Year is a time when we are able to plan for the new things that we want to accomplish sometime over the course of the next year. May- be its developing better study habits, or more healthy foods, or perhaps less chocolate? (Yeah right). Lets be honest, we all make these resolutions but we dont always follow through with them. What happened to last year and those resolutions? Now dont get down on yourself just because these you caved in for chocolate, or didnt stick to an exercise schedule, when in fact only 8% out of the 45% of people in America who make resolutions actually stick with them. Every year we make these resolutions, and honestly, year after year, we either break them, or we dont fulfill them. And if that wasnt enough, most of these resolutions are not made to benefit others. Many of these resolutions we make are for focus on our individual self and how to make us feel better about ourselves, not on how we can benefit an entire community. We take time to make our lives better, but we dont consider anothers needs. Sure there are some things that each of us does need to work on individually, and that can really be done when we make the time. But serving someone is not to benefit ourselves; its for benefit of others, and can impact an entire community. This New Year, why dont we actually make Resolutions, but not make them selfishly? Make them for the good of one another. Find some time out of the tight schedule to benefit someone, or something, to make some elses day better, even if that does mean stepping out of our comfort zone.

Writers: Gabe Modder

Advisors: Miss Branderhorst Contact: thecougarstale@gmail.com The Cougars Tale is a publication of Calvin Christian High Schools journalism class. Students get the experience of interviewing people and writing articles for viewing by others. Questions, comments, or publications should be directed to Miss Branderhorst and will be relayed to the journalism class.

The Cougars Tale is now online. To find more news articles about events around CCHS, please check out our blog at: http://thecougarstale.blogspot.com/

Dont Forget!

Lydias Soapbox

Editorials

Something new
A Few experiential Learning highlights
By Gabe Modder

There are two reasons this school week starts on a Tuesday. The first is that Monday was used as Records Day. The second, is that the life and work of Martin Luther King Junior was celebrated on that day. Knowing the tendencies of high school students, I assume most of us did not spend a great deal of time on Monday reflecting on Mr. King jr. However, I would like to use this editorial to study something he proved through his work with the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King jr. and many of his peers advocated for peaceful protests. Instead of using violence to communicate their point, they encouraged people to picket peacefully. Although this practice drew the attention of many people, I think that Mr. King jr. is most remembered for his use of words. He used his words to communicate his message and hopes for the future. His use of words was quite powerful; his I Have a Dream speech is still widely remembered today. Words are powerful and potentially dangerous things. Words must be used with caution. They can do as much harm as they can good. Although words have the ability to cause great harm to a person, their power can also be utilized to benefit others. Martin Luther King jr. used his words to address the inequality between ethnicities. I am aware that it is not always possible to mend a rift with words alone. In certain situations, however, words correctly used can be quite effective indeed. Perhaps you will never become the leader of a huge movement against discrimination, but that does not mean you will not have an opportunity to use your words to create a change. The United States has a policy of free speech; we can make use of that freedom. Consider the great change Martin Luther King jr. helped bring about through peaceful protests and his words. Even if you never help make a change as dramatic as the one Mr. King jr. advocated for, it is good to remember that words can be very powerful tools against injustice.

Many of the upper classmen here at Calvin have chosen to do an Experiential Learning project this semester. Maddie Vande Kamp, a junior, summarized the purpose of Experiential Learning like this, First I think that we do it so that students know what it is to serve and that we can understand Gods calling for us to serve. Second, I think its a good opportunity for us to learn about professionalism. Experiential Learning is both challenging and enjoyable. Nathan Mulder, a junior, is volunteering at Unity Hospital. I work in the emergency department and clean patients rooms, says Nathan. Once they have left, I put new sheets on the bed and pick up around the room. Nathan chose Unity because, I like the medical field and I would like to familiarize myself with it. Though he said that overall it was a good project, he would have liked to have more interaction with the patients. Juniors Rachel Anderson and Abby Petersen chose to do their Experiential Learning at Springbrook Nature Center. They choose this because, as Rachel says, It was one of the few things that interested both of us. They enjoyed taking care of the animals at the nature center. One of the challenges was Being by ourselves because there were no adults around to help, we were just in the back with the animals. Abby commented, It was fun because we got to hold snakes. Maddie Vande Kamp and Lydia Marcus, both juniors, chose Unity Hospital as well. Maddie said, Lydia and I are volunteering in the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute (VPCI) and the experiences we had there were awesome. At VPCI they have a wig room where cancer patients can get a free wig, hats, scarves and other things that are a comfort to have when dealing with cancer. One of the things I enjoyed most was helping a woman fit and choose a wig. Maddie adds, Im not a very talkative person, so interacting with patients was somewhat hard. It was hard to know what to say sometimes... Although Experiential Learning can be challenging at times, as maddie and other juniors learned, it is a way to learn through serving opportunities.

Austin Bartz

Senior Highlights

Nathan Bonnema

Favorite Movie: The Bourne Series Favorite memory at CCHS: The advisory trip as a sophomore Worst injury or accident: Breaking four fingers If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you? A knife, a second person and matches What super power would you like to have and why? To be invisible because you can go anywhere without being seen. If there was a movie about you, what genre would it be? A survival movie What plans do you have for after you graduate? Possibly to go into business at Northwestern Favorite Quote: Jeremiah 29: 11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Favorite Movie: The Dark Knight Favorite memory at CCHS: Canoeing down the Buffalo River in Arkansas for a week and partying in the canoe with Ben S. Worst injury or accident: A sprained ankle at a basketball tournament. If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you? Wi-Fi, a computer and my dog. What superpower would you like to have and why? The ability to fly, because everyone likes flying. If there was a movie about you, what genre would it be? Why? It would be a comedy because I dont take things seriously. What plans do you have for after you graduate? I likely plan to enroll at Bethel University to major in business. Advice for underclassmen: Dont be afraid to put yourself out there and be friends with a wide range of people. Also enjoy your time because it goes by fast.