In Loving Memory………?

Have you ever noticed the red bricks pushed into the ground of the “Senior Quad” (or for those unfamiliar, the land between Commons 1 and the Freshman wing of the Main Building)? Students, parents, alums, teachers and Lexingtonians several years ago purchased bricks to build a patio for the seniors. Names, sayings, dates, were engraved into the bricks, and two granite benches were placed on the patio.

Today, the patio is looking grim. Weeds grow in between the bricks. Cracks interrupt the flow of words pressed into the bricks. Not to mention, I rarely see students utilizing the area, except on that Freshman Barbecue day when no one knows each other and everyone sits on the grass and on the granite benches eating soggy, overcooked hot dogs. The quad became home to hazardous waste disposal areas after “The Great Flood of 2008″ when the boilers exploded–perhaps that has a bit to do with the unattractiveness the area is developing. But people paid for their bricks, so it is only just that these bricks are cared for. Which brings me to my next point…

I was walking out of school through the door near the Field house, facing Worthen St. I noticed a large lamp post to my right with long tendrils of grasses and weeds at its feet. Surprisingly, in this odd location, I saw more of these “memorial bricks”. There are only about fifteen bricks, some with writing, some without, forming a square beneath the lamp post. I am no designer or landscaper, but it sure seems like a pretty dumb idea to put a square of bricks at the base of a lamp post. And not just any old lamp post…a lamp post that is hidden from the road, hidden from any foot traffic, hidden from sight.

And the last point of our neglect for memorials and what have you, have you seen the giant wall memorial in the library, commemorating those who have served for our nation from the high school? While made of gorgeous wood and gold leafing, it is in a completely ironic and misfitting place. Surrounding this wall are bookshelves, blocking the list of names of those fallen. One part of the wall must share space with the metal detectors (because you shouldn’t dare steal a book). A metal detector next to a war memorial? Huh. And then there are the ridiculous amounts of signs telling you to shut up, throw out your gum, turn off your phone, stop breathing, etc. around this memorial as well. (More later on the upset caused my library rulings). Why can’t our memorials be proper memorials? Why must we either cover them up or allow weeds to grow between? I’m sure those who have fallen representing our country would be really pleased to see that their names are hidden by metal detectors alerting librarians when someone has been immoral for stealing a book. I’m sure…

Weekly Series: The Scene

In Lexington…

11/20- 11/22 Assassins
Who: The Lexington High School Department of Fine and Performing Arts
What: This musical from Broadway a la Lex High is described as a performance that “lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a one-act historical “revusical” that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish rollercoaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and in an intense final scene inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.”
When: Thursday, 11/20- Saturday, 11/22, from 8:00 pm- 11:00 pm
Where: The Auditorium
How Much: $10 dollars, tickets sold at the door& lunch

11/26 Powderpuff Football Game
Who: Senior Girls v. Junior Girls
What: “The undefeated senior girls will go head to head in a physical battle vs the junior girls in a game of flag football”
When: Wednesday, 11/26; 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Where: LHS Football Field
How Much: $5.00; Concessions will be sold as well

11/27 Thanksgiving Day Football Game
Who: LHS Football Team
What: Football Game, Lex v. Burlington
When: Thursday, 11/27; Starts at 10:15
Where: LHS Football Field
How Much: $6.00 for Adults and $4.00 for Students sold at LHS Athletics Office. On Game Day- $8.00.

In Boston…

11/22 Throwdown 08′
What: “2 Clubs, 4 Rooms, 2 DJ’s, 1000 People, 1 Party”; Their Take: ‘Come join us for the party of the year at Club Rumor and Club Venu and help us raise money to save Darfur! The party will feature TWO DJ’s from 93.7 MikeFM, top of the line club lighting, and nonstop rap, hip-hop and house music all night long’
When: Saturday, 11/22; 6:30pm – 10:00pm
Where:Club Rumor and Club Venu- 100 Warrenton St; Just off the Boylston T Stop!
How Much: $25 at the door. Get there early, only the first 1000 people get in. Food and other items will be sold.
More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34162921022&ref=ts

11/20-11/23 InsideOut: the Museum School Art Sale
What: Peruse through over 4000 pretty things by art school students and stars alike for as little as five dollars.
When: Thurs., noon-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., noon-6 p.m.
Where: School of the Museum of Fine Arts, 230 The Fenway
More Info: http://www.smfa.edu/News_Exhibitions/InsideOut/Index.asp

In Theaters…

11/21 Twilight
What: The most famous half adolescent half vampire fictional romance on big screen
When: In theaters Friday, 11/21
Where: Any movie theater.

11/20-11/30 Boston Festival of Films from Iran
What: An ‘extensive showcase of contemporary Iranian cinema in the United States. This year’s fifteen-film program highlights documentaries, dramas, and comedies by both veteran and new directors’
When: From Today till Sunday, 11/30. Depends on film’s you’d like to see. Click link to find timings.
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Films that Interest Us: Seven Blind Women Filmmakers by Mohammad Shirvani, a compilation of short films made by blind women after a year long workshop in film; Sounds intriguing to see how those who can’t see view the world.
How Much: Members, seniors, and students $8; general admission $10.
More Info: http://www.mfa.org/calendar/event.asp?eventkey=36523&date=11/21/2008

In the words of Lady Gaga, “Just Dance”

Ah, school dances. Such a great way to spend a Friday evening. A cafeteria filled with sweaty adolescents dancing (although grinding doesn’t remotely suggest traditional dancing) to a world renowned DJ, i.e. an inexpensive DJ willing to play his iTunes list on big booming speakers for three hours. Teachers and sometimes parental chaperones surround the “dancing” children as if studying specimens. The windows drip with condensation formed from the perspiration of students. Tickets are sold at lunch, and at lunch only. All dances start at 7 P.M. and end at 10 P.M, per school Event Policy.

Sounds like a fun night, does it not?

The school cracked down last year on underage drinking and drug usage by establishing a stricter School Event Policy. However, it is unclear how or if the event policy is actually reducing the number of people drinking and using drugs before dances. Simply put: this policy doesn’t even begin to address adequately the underage drinking “problem”. Is it inevitable that some students will drink before a dance?

Because of the new policy, the numbers of attendees are dwindling, which leads to less money to our school in the end. The “Premiere” was postponed due to poor ticket sales, and in the end, still had a low attendance. The only dances where sales have continued to do well are Junior and Senior Proms, and formal dances for Sophomores and Freshmen. Prom is ingrained in many of our minds as a night of fairy-tale gorgeousness. So, quite obviously, sales are good. But when it comes to dances to simply…dance, sales are doing poorly. And when plain old dances are not well-attended, our formal events become less and less exciting and more and more of a pain to attend.

Gee. I wonder why? It can’t be because they end at 10 pm, when the night is still young. Oh, it can’t be that I have to buy my ticket at lunch, so I can’t spontaneously decide to go. And it isn’t awkward at all when an oppressive number of chaperones stare at me while I grind. Of course such reasons wouldn’t keep me away from going to a dance!

An astounding number of students from the area are attending dances at other schools. Last year, a group of students from a neighboring town hosted a “Dance for Darfur” and a “Highlighter Dance”, bringing in tons of money and people. Hosted at armories, school cafeterias, hotel banquet halls, such dances were popular because there were no constraints imposed by a school. The students hosting the dances certainly had the power to reject someone from attending based on unruly behavior, but for the most part, things ran smoothly. People danced, and danced, and danced. And they danced past 10pm. Usually until 11 or even later. Although there were no parent or teacher chaperones, instead the police were present. As daunting as that sounds, they were there to ensure order, not to ensure proper dancing technique. Students attend these non-school dances because they feel the freedom from the strict rules our school imposes. Students meet people from other schools in the area, and are therefore less inhibited to start dancing. Not to mention, such dances drive in a huge profit.

What our school needs to do (or at least think about):

-Make the dances longer, even if by half an hour. More dancing time, later night, the less likely people are to go out after the dance to drink, etc. Plus, ten o’clock is generally pretty early for an event to end.

-Fewer chaperones should be needed. And they do not need to stand on chairs looking out below on the “promiscuous” dancers.

-Sell tickets at the door! It would increase profit ten fold if people could decide to go the night of the dance. If tickets can only be sold at lunch, people wait around and have to ask their friends, “are youuuu going to the dance tonight? OMG I don’t know if I should buy a ticket or not? Whatttt am I going to do?? I don’t want to be the onllyyy person buying a ticket!”

-The cafeteria, while the cottage-cheese ceilings really are elegant, gets a bit boring after every single dance is hosted there. Allow clubs and school council to host dances outside of school as long as there is police presence like the “Dance for Darfur” and “Highlighter Dance” did.

-Invest a little more in dances. The outcome could be incredible.

-Let us just dance.

The Finest Moments in History: LHS Senate

Winner of Seriously?!. Really LHS? Just When I Thought We’d Hit Rock Bottom… :

4-97 Lavatory Bill- Passed 1997-1998
Soap, toilet paper, and paper towels will be available in all lavatories at Lexington High School.
Rationale: People should be able to wash their hands after using the lavatories. Lack of soap, toilet paper, and paper towels poses significant hygiene and health problems.

Common sense, really, you know? Though, I would say LHS has been excelling in these areas of the late. Not only did we get new paper towel dispensers installed in every single bathroom last year… we get new ones again this year! We even got new shiny toilet paper dispensers as well! And, surprisingly, they work?!  My my, how we have raised the standards. Because, this was really the area that taxpayers’ money was best allocated towards, instead of, you know overflowing classes or the lack of teachers, or supplies, or anything in general.  More on that later though.

Winner of Cooool This Bill Actually Exists?:

5-94 Referendum Bill- Passed 1994- 1995
I. Every year, students and certified staff members will be allowed to put referenda questions on the ballot during the spring elections. Any Lexington High School student or certified staff member may request the placing of a referendum question on the ballot once the author has obtained the signed endorsement of 15% of the entire student body and one (1) certified staff member for every ten (10) student signatures.

Anyone up for overriding this new library policy? I’m sure we’d have more than enough signatures.

Winner of Bill of Lexington Past:

4-91 Public Opinion Bill- Passed 1991- 1992
The School Climate Committee of the Senate will create a system that will allow for the general opinion of the student body to be expressed to the Senate. This system will consist of random polling of homerooms representing all four grades in the high school. Polling will take place when the Senate requests information on a given topic. School Climate Committee members will run the polling, and results will be given at the following week’s meeting.

It’d be cool if this came back. The last time any deciding body in the school was concerned about public opinion was at least…. Actually, I have no idea when the last time was. I don’t know about you, but it would be nice if more than 50 or so voices were taken into consideration in the passage of bills.

Winner of The Bill That Makes Most Logical Sense Yet The School Doesn’t Follow It:

10-94 Junior Substitute Bill
In the event a teacher is absent, classes consisting of exclusively seniors and juniors may be cancelled by the teacher provided that: 1. the teacher feels that the students’ time would be more productively employed elsewhere, and 2. an assignment is left for the students. If the absence extends beyond two days, substitute coverage and plans should be provided.
Rationale: “It is believed that this bill will save significant money for the Lexington school system, and avoid the unproductive use of time that substitutes can cause.”

Yeah. Agreed. I thought we needed money too? Not to worry, LHS is probably suffering from a very prolonged case of amnesia.

Winner of The Most Inactive Year of Senate:
That’d be from 2005-2008. So multiple years really. Apparently, we haven’t passed any bills since 2005. If we have, way to inform us, oh continually updated website! You can tell us who the latest senators are but not what the hell Senate has been doing for the past three years. Cool.

Winner of Most Awkward Senate Committee Ever Formed in the History of LHS:

3-93 Condom Availability Program Committee Bill- Passed 1993-1994
The Senate will form and oversee a committee open to both Senators and non-Senators to coordinate the condom availability program at LHS. Responsibilities for this committee will include:

1. Stuffing packets and/or finding students to stuff packets.
2. Monitoring and replenishing the supply of condoms at the various areas of   availability.
3. Periodically evaluating the use/abuse of the program as a whole and of each area individually.
4. Ordering condoms, brochures, envelopes, school committee notices, and fact sheets to fill the condom packets.

Does this count as community service? Description of Service: I stuffed packages (that’s what she said!) I gave back the community by ensuring that overly hormonal teenagers are safe and overly hormonal. To sum it up, not the best word choices LHS Senate.