Holding Steady at 39 Percent, LePage Keeps the Bar Low By Matthew Principe

Alas, the time has come to talk about politics on the Knight Writer. I would like to apologize for Governor Paul LePage’s extended absence from the KW website. Nevertheless, the governor now returns to Knight Nation, as strong and silly as ever!

Actually, the governor never left the spotlight. He’s still at center stage, making outrageous comments and bringing too much unwanted attention to Maine. As a public servant, LePage has a weird of way of representing Maine. As a member of the Tea Party movement, he is one of many angry state governors across the nation today. However, the rest don’t hold a candle to our chief executive  -- if the standards are upsetting his supporters and encouraging the rest of the country to  look down at his state.

Some of the memories LePage has created for us with include the removal of a mural from  the lobby of the state Labor Department that -- get this -- celebrated laborers.

According to salon.com, LePage claimed “it presented a one-sided view that bowed to organized labor and overlooked the contributions of job-creating entrepreneurs.”

 There was the time he told the NAACP they could “kiss my butt” on Martian Luther King Day. He’s so controversial that the switch from a Republican majority in the state Legislature to a Democratic majority is viewed as a rebuke of Paul LePage.

However, the newly elected Maine Senate President, Justin Alfond, D-Portland, knew that the people of Maine were expecting a fight between parties and expressed a desire to  “disappoint” skeptics. Didn’t work out that way. What is known as “celebrity day” for the newly elected lawmakers was upstaged by LePage, who lashed out at the winners for beating his Republican buddies by using a “tracker.”

(A tracker, in political terms, means someone who follows a government official around and videotapes him at live events, sort of a hybrid spy/paparazzi. Both parties have trackers set in place for the other side; it’s  a common practice for both sides.)

When the day came to swear in the newly elected lawmakers, LePage used that time to take a whack at Democrats. According to the Portland Press Herald,  LePage “thanked” Democratic lawmakers for providing him with paparazzi. LePage also talked about how he felt that the next two years would be quite interesting, adding that he objected to the use of a Massachusetts tracker, instead of the Democrats hiring someone from Maine.

Earlier this year, LePage publicly expressed his intense dislike for newspapers. According to the Huffington Post,  he told reporters that he didn’t like newspapers because  of their "lack of objectivity." Television and radio, he said, are better because they don't "spin" the news.” He also believes the reason people have stopped buying newspapers is that news consumers have realized that what we’ve been reading is all wrong.

Whew. Good thing Knight Writer is an online publication. 

In early February Lepage had a 39% approval rating. That sounds pretty low. Sounds like he’s not popular. But that is exactly the percentage of votes he earned to win the governorship in 2010. Ever wonder what those 61% bumper stickers mean?

TAX 101: Poland Students Ask Why Parents are so Grumpy in April

If You Pay Taxes, You Have an Opinion That Matters

By Kylie Martin

Children eventually reach the age at which they began to perceive, on a  deeper level, the world around them. As they progress through school and became more exposed to the media, they notice people’s views on various issues: education, the economy, politicians, religion.  Constantly, they hear debates regarding questions such as: Should gay marriage be legal? Is Obama’s health care program sufficient? Who can be blamed for the recession? Is abortion justified? What are the ethics of capital punishment?  These debates shape how the children live. They shape their development into adults who offer political, social, and religious opinions – which become policies and law.

A controversy kids hear about as they mature is the American taxation system. Internet websites, such as brighthub.com,  try to explain the complexity of taxes. There are income taxes (paid by anyone who earns an income), property taxes (paid by anyone who owns property such as land, a home, or commercial real estate), consumptive taxes (taxes on sales goods or items that are subjected to being used by either an individual or business), and others... corporate, payroll, capital gains, inheritance or estate. All of these taxes serve an overarching purpose. 

Stephen Gandal offers this explanation in his article What’s the Purpose of Taxes?:

“Taxes can do a lot of things. They can pay for services. They can make life easier for future generations by either reducing the nation’s debt burden, or by building bridges and tunnels that our children will use. Taxes can transfer wealth from future generations to today by increasing the deficit. They can change behavior like in the case of cigarette taxes, soda taxes and the mortgage interest rate tax deduction.”

Karolyn Buotte of Farmington,  a Dirigo High School teacher, explains the simplicity of a sales tax, and how she is more cognizant of its existence when she makes greater purchases. “I don't really think about it until I pay for something really expensive... like recently I bought a mountain bike.” Her husband, Jim Thurston, a self-employed carpenter of Farmington, (who also shares in the business of his family’s farm), explains a property tax he manages. “We have a camp on Concord Pond... because it’s waterfront property, the property tax is $800 or $900 every year. There’s no electricity or plumbing, but the town of Woodstock sends me a bill.” 

If simplified distinctions are to be made on taxes, two opposing sides become most prominent. On one, less governmental control is wanted (or fewer taxes and aid to the poverty-stricken). The other is acceptance of government control, and supporting welfare and other social programs on a higher level. Interviewees involved in this assignment portray the more liberal perspective. 

“Some tax dollars are being wasted, but from a general standpoint I think tax dollars are well spent. We’re pretty lucky the way we live,” says Craig Martin, a chemical engineer from Poland.

Thurston’s perspective is similar. “I think it needs to happen in order to provide services, whether its in education or military or wherever else. Although I don’t always like the decisions that they make...” 

How government spends our taxes is an endless source of debate. That's how it goes in a democracy.

Buotte would like her money to go toward preserving land for state and national parks, impoverished animal shelters, and new or innovative learning opportunities in education. Martin selected welfare and health oriented programs (such as the Food and Drug Administration.). Thurston remarked after some thinking, “I would go for helping the local businesses stay competitive with larger corporations, such as Walmart, to at least give them a competitive edge. Like little stores wouldn’t be going against the Great Satan.” 

These interviews revealed one obvious trend. Each person interviewed was generally supportive of taxes in America, even though he or she disagreed with how the money is used in some areas of the government. The general opinion between Buotte, Thurston, and Martin is that taxes are a necessary part of the American system. 

As grown men and women, they will be able to answer the overarching question using lessons they developed from their childhood, thus continually shaping the country’s political landscape: Are taxes vital to living a free, American life?

Law-abiding Taxpayers and Unhappy Campers

By Everett Bertrand

“If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep. ”  – Will Rogers

Knowing that quite a few Americans agree with Will Rogers, I interviewed several local taxpayers to get some perspective.

Julie Bertrand, a resident of Minot, isn't convinced that the government uses our tax dollars wisely. She insisted that a lot of it went to welfare and “disability” systems for people who are not willing to hold up their end of the bargain and work like they’re supposed to. Being a probate clerk at the county office, she deals with situations that allow her to observe how people handle their financial affairs; she believes some people are “milking the system” all the time. In addition, she sees our tax dollars going to politicians who weren’t deserving. 

“It (the tax system) is necessary, but too much of it pays the politicians' unearned big salaries” Bertrand said. 

Skip Crosby, a teacher at Poland High School, lives in Poland. He also believes our  tax system doesn’t work very well, for slightly different reasons than Bertrand. Crosby says some people don’t pay their fair share. Tax loopholes are far too many, making it possible for the wealthy to avoid paying as much as they should. Our system is overcomplicated, according to Crosby, who is not a fan of income taxes but supports sales taxes.  One specific change that he would support would be the elimination of excise taxes.

 “It’s like buying a shirt, and every time you wear it, you have to pay taxes on it,” Crosby said. 

PRHS teacher Charlie Yancey of Hebron had some ideas that overlapped Crosby's and Bertrand's, as well as his own unique take. The system, according to Yancey, simply does not work. In fact, he says he hates our tax system. 

He argues for a graduated flat tax. He says the present system provides too much room for the wealthy to find loopholes and escape paying the amount that they should. As part of Yancey's proposed changes, we would have  a simpler system where there’s no room for such loopholes.

Warming up to the conversation, Yancey took his ideas one step further.  He says he wants no taxation whatsoever – no income or sales tax at all. 

“Charities are responsible for helping out the less fortunate, and there shouldn’t really be a government run welfare program,” Yancey insisted. He doesn’t see welfare as being a responsibility of the government, which he doesn't trust to spend our tax dollars wisely.

I actually found it a bit disturbing that all three people I interviewed believe our tax system is broken. Surely, if this was the trend in three people living in a small part of Maine, then there must be quite  a few others who see the same thing. Clearly, something needs to change. If our government is “by the people and for the people,” it needs to act that way. 

From Dave Barry to Thomas Paine: Taxes Stink

By Gabby Smith

Humorist Dave Barry had this to say about taxes:

“It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.” 

He's not alone. Hating taxes is part of being an American.

I asked my mom,  Sue Smith, an analyst at McKesson and a resident of Mechanic Falls, what she thought about the death tax, also known as the estate tax.  

“It’s double dipping,” she said. “My mom has already paid taxes on everything thing she owns, so why do it again when she’s dead?” 

I asked her who benefits  from her tax dollars and she responded that the poor are benefitting the most because they get all the help from the government. When I asked her whether taxes should be based on the ability to pay, she said:

“If two families pay the same taxes and income but one lives a higher lifestyle, it’s not fair for the family that lives a higher lifestyle to pay less taxes than the other family.” 

I asked why are taxes so complicated. She said the government doesn’t want people to understand taxes, it just want them to pay.

I also interviewed my dad, Bob Smith of Mechanic Falls. He is a manager of marketing sales at Maine Oxy. His take on who benefits from taxes: “Special interest groups because our representatives are influenced by money instead of being influenced by the people.” He prefers so-called sin taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, rather than excessive property taxes on homeowners.

Finally, I talked to my aunt, Joan Bergeron. Her take on sin taxes: “When you spend money on cigarettes, it’s like taking the money out of your wallet and burning it, so I think it’s great to tax cigarettes.”  She believes politicians benefit more from taxes than the people who are supposed to be receiving services.

My interview subjects seemed to agree on sin taxes but not much else, although each of them are skeptical about who benefits from our taxes. This attitude goes all the way back to Thomas Paine (1737-1809), who wrote:

“If, from the more wretched parts of the old world, we look at those which are in an advanced stage of improvement, we still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised, to furnish new pretenses for revenues and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without tribute.''

Take Time to Learn How Tax Dollars are Spent

By Katie Burgess

The IRS receives more than 140 million individual tax returns and collects over $950 billion in taxes, according to Forbes Magazine. 

Federal and state governments spend tax revenue on roads, health care, education and the military,  but taxes remain forever controversial.

My dad, Larry Burgess, a resident of Mechanic Falls and employee of TD Bank, said, “Taxes are important, but sometimes the government misuses tax dollars that could go to better uses.”

If he could change one aspect of how the government spends taxes, he would have tax cuts for certain demographics as well as “anything considered frivolous spending” to allow for increased spending on more important things. 

Burgess did not give specific examples of spending programs that could be cut. He's well informed, noting that taxes help businesses and provide funds for schools and projects, both local and statewide. When asked about education funding Burgess said,  “I would support more money spent on education, but I would also like to see improvement in how schools utilize the tax dollars they receive.” 

My mom, Julie Burgess, admitted not knowing much about taxes. 

She said, “I don’t like certain taxes, although taxes are good because they benefit the community, state and government.” She recognizes the benefits of taxes, but also realizes that there are certain taxes that aren’t a necessity and become a burden for many people. Although she doesn’t know very many specific details about taxes, her general knowledge is enough to realize that education doesn’t get enough funding. Julie believes that teachers aren’t paid enough money, but she also agreed with my dad when she said, “Tax money is not always spent wisely.” 

I interviewed my Roundtable advisor, Mss. Fryda, who teaches history and humanities. She knows a lot about taxes and has many opinions on the topic. In general, Ms. Fryda is satisfied with how tax dollars are spent, because she notices good roads, bridges and schools in my town. However, she wishes more state taxes were spent on public education.

When asked if she supports or opposes tax cuts she said, “I oppose tax cuts. What I would like is a re-prioritization of the tax money that is already being paid.” Similar to Larry Burgess, Ms. Fryda said taxes shouldn’t be used on insignificant things. Subsidies for industries that are doing just fine (such as oil and agriculture), Ms. Fryda argues, shouldn’t be receiving tax dollars or tax breaks. Ms. Fryda also believes that the current defense budget is way out of proportion and that tax revenue could be used elsewhere.

I've learned that  many people don’t understand the positive or negative impacts of taxes, but if they had a deeper knowledge they would be able to formulate an opinion regarding how their tax dollars are spent by government. Well informed citizens are becoming more scarce. Taxes will always be part of our society, so it's up to the taxpayers to educate themselves and speak up.

Remember that thing we did in February? That totally awesome, mega super fun thing we did? Winter Carnival? Man, that was a blast, wasn't it? In remembrance of that incredibly exciting day, Robert Emerson of the Senior Class has given us permission to post the videos of the Air Bands he taped. So, here they are!

Freshmen Class

Sophomore Class

Junior Class

Senior Class

Community Service Day - Food Banking

Our fellow PRHS students indulged in some good ole' Community Service recently and offered their help to a local food bank. 

All photos taken by Pam Rawson. 

Fanchtastic by Stephanie LaFreniere

In school we students come across moments that strike fear into our hearts and make our knees buckle. Perhaps we forgot about the sticky notes that were due today, or we “left our homework on the kitchen table.”

To celebrate Halloween, 2012, I took it upon myself to ask students who of our PRHS teachers struck them as scary from Day 1. The response was unanimous. She shouts at us down the hall, lurks behind us, casting a shadow during class, throws markers at us while we sleep. 

The Fanch. 

Mrs. Fancher has been teaching at PRHS since Miss Yindra was a student; she knows the twists and turns of our school, and has mastered the ups and downs of the students. She is known for her distaste towards freshmen--which was the first thing I ever heard about her, when I was a freshman, which can be terrifying.

"The Fanch"
Photo Taken by Sally Littlefield

Fortunately for me, I learned that her contempt for freshman is exceeded by her loathing for senior boys. 

“The only thing worse than Freshmen are Senior boys,” Fanch has said about 1,000 times; if she has an opinion, she isn’t afraid to share it.  

A pet peeve of Fancher is sneezing, and one student even described to me how she felt when she had hit her three-sneeze limit. A “heart stopping moment” was the phrase she used. I sure hope allergy season is over. 

Despite her tough disposition, and seemingly frightening aura, Fanch is also one of the most beloved teachers. She’s someone you have to “know to love” one student explains. “Fanch is tough, but she really wants her students to succeed.” In fact, it’s her frightening qualities that make her lovable, and attitude that keeps us going. 

After my brief, but undeniably accurate survey of frightening teachers, it was easy to conclude that Fanch is the Champion of Fear. Then I did a scary thing: I asked her how she felt about this title.“It makes my job easier,” she answered, nonchalantly. “I just have to look at someone and they’ll stop. They don’t know I’m going to do.”  

If I were a teacher, I’d aspire to be like Fanch. This year is her last year, and I’m glad I chose to overcome my fear and spend it with her, in stats.

CSL is Back! By Matthew Principe

Did you know our school has a club where you can go out and do community service for a sweet reward? Its called the Community Service Club (CSL). As a group we venture out into the surrounding communities and see what jobs there are to tackle. 

We meet once a month, usually on a Wednesday. The day can vary from scheduling purposes. In addition to the meetings, we schedule dates in the community to help people-- usually once or twice per month. Last year the club made numerous trips to the Norway Veterans Home which always welcomed us. We played games with the vets and listened to their war stories dating all the way back to World War II.

 Upcoming events this year will be the December toy drive and a possible trip to Poland Spring Campground to paint picnics tables. The campground trip could be rescheduled for next spring. We will be returning to the veterans home later in the winter. We are open for new ideas to help the communities we grew up in.

A Photo from the Boston Trip Last Year

The reward for doing at least 20 hours of community service is an all-expense paid trip to see the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in the spring. From experience, I can tell you the trip is amazing. As a group we travel on a Greyhound bus into Boston with other community service clubs from other schools.  We go on a tour of Fenway and learn all the cool stories about the 100-year-old ballpark. We also get to watch the Red Sox take batting practice, and we get coupons for our dinner. The trip makes for a long day and night, but it also means a day off from school for jobs well done.

Our most recent project was at the Gray Wildlife Park in Gray Maine. Last week was their annual Halloween Night, where you could trick or treat while experiencing the animal night life. The place was covered in Halloween decor as well as many activities for kids to do. One of these was a small obstacle course for the kids to run through. Our job was to clear out the space again and rake all of the straw and hay away from the nearby cages. The design was set up so that  the kids could run next to the little creatures in their cages. Our group received  a surprise visit by Ricky Raccoon, a lone raccoon left in his cage who watched over us as we worked around him.

When our group was finished we raked and swept the walkways from the gate to the cages. There were seven of us and in less than an hour we had about 100 feet of trailway free of leaves and pine needles. l It was a beautiful site. As we finished up our handiwork the head park ranger came and relieved us from out duties. He let us let us roam around the park for the remainder of our time there. It was a nice reward after a long day of hard work. The moose were out and about and put on quite a show for us.

 If you are interested in learning more about the community service club, or if you want to join,  please contact Ms. Carrera at ncarrera@rsu16.org.

How We Voted and What it Means by Derek York

Referendum Question #1

Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples? 

This would mean that gay couples  in Maine would be allowed to marry, with the same benefits that traditional marriages enjoy.

This means all assets would be shared through the bond of marriage including insurance for one another. 

Yes-192, No-86. PRHS students are in favor of legalizing same sex marriage.

Bond Issue #2

Do you favor an $11,300,00 bond issue to provide funds for capital to build a diagnostic facility for the University of Maine system; for capital improvements and equipment, including machine tool technology, for the Maine Community College system; and for capital improvements and equipment at the Maine Maritime Academy?

This bond is for some of the colleges in maine. It is to buy new things they need to keep the programs they have going. The schools are asking for a larger budget to afford repairs and new tools. 

Yes-133, No-158. PRHS students are not in favor of this bond.

Bond Issue #4

Do you favor a $51,500,000 bond issue for improvements to highways and bridges, local roads, airports and port facilities, as well as for funds for rail access, transit buses and the LifeFlight Foundation, which will make the State eligible for at least 105,600,000 in federal and other matching funds? 

This bond is to fix all the not so good roads around the U.S. and anything that involves traveling to be fixed. The LifeFlight Foundation will also be funded for people in need of medical care in hard to reach places. The federal government will also match us on this bond if it passed. 

Yes-159, No-114. PRHS students are in favor of the bond.

Summer vacation can be taxing if you work

(Advisor's note: Mr. Chutchian's Comparative Government and Economics classes interviewed working adults about taxes. If you work this summer, you will pay taxes. Good Americans thank you.)

It's easy to get taxpayers talking about taxes
By Susan Gary

Taxes are a touchy subject. The majority of the population believes they are paying touch much, taxes are too confusing, and they are unfair. That’s what I hear, but I decided to find out for myself by interviewing people who pay taxes.

     I interviewed Michele Gary from Mechanic Falls, employed at Home Depot, Matthew Gary from Mechanic Falls, co-owner of TwinConstruction, Charles Yancey, science teacher at Poland Regional High School, and Ian Truman, literature teacher at Poland Regional High School and lead singer of Dead Season.

     Michele Gary said,  “I think it should all be a flat rate for everybody because it would be way confusing if poor people paid a lower tax, middle class people paid a higher tax and rich people paid an even higher tax.”

     Interesting. But what are people willing to pay for a flat rate?

     Charles Yancey was very particular in how much he was willing to pay. “I think you should pay 8% of your income to the Town, 5% of your income to the State, and 2% of your income to the Federal Government. Fifteen percent total taxes taken from my income. . . Thus our local community would have a far greater amount to spend on things that support our community, instead of sending that money to the federal government, which spends it on needless wars, needless army bases, needless aid to other countries, and needless bailouts for private companies like GM.” 

While doing research I also found that there was a controversy over how debt affected taxes. When in debt on investments such as mortgages, college loans and a 401K retirement plan, you are able to get your taxes lowered in order to help pay off those debts.

      Some people search for investments that they can make to get those tax cuts for themselves. Others, like Charles Yancey, feel differently.  “It is the job of a responsible citizen to pay those debts back while still paying their share of the taxes,” he said.

 Ian Truman, on the other hand, said, “Mortgage and education should definitely get tax breaks. People should be rewarded for investing in themselves.” 

      Matthew Gary looked at the problem from a different angle: “It’s disturbing to keep pushing our debt onto our grandchildren. You should not be able to write off debt unless it’s a business expense.” If you have the ambition to start up your own business and risk your own money for the community, you should also get a break, Gary believes. He  went on to talk about how far in debt our nation is, which is another interesting topic. Currently the U.S. is about $8.5 trillion in debt and gaining $1.5 billion every day. That means it would cost each U.S. citizen about $30,000 to pay off the national debt.

     Everyone has an opinion on taxes. If citizens were more informed on the topic, how would their opinions change?

Taxes: Pay up and hope for the best
By Emma-Jane Turton

     The American taxpayer’s definition of taxes is not the same as the New Oxford American Dictionary definition of taxes.

    Douglas Turton, assistant manager at the Ninety-Nine Restaurant in Topsham, said taxes “are a fact of life but necessary to maintain education, human services and infrastructure.” 

     Christine Plourde-Rand a psychiatric nurse practitioner at St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, said that while she feels that they are not something she enjoys paying, she knows that they are needed to provide services and resources to those living in this country and community. 

     A man who has his salary paid by taxpayers, Trevor Tidd, a robotics and wood shop teacher at Poland Regional High School, says he’s willing to pay the taxes that are fair,  and of course he hopes that somebody pays their taxes so that he can keep his job. 

When asked how she thought her tax dollars should be spent, Christine Plourde-Rand said, “I feel we need to put more money in education, resources for kids to stay out of the streets and in school, rehabilitation for people to return to work.” 

     Doug Turton wishes that his tax dollars were not spent on people in welfare programs. He feels that too many hard-working Americans such as himself and his wife, who have had careers their whole lives, pay their bills and pay their taxes, carry an unfair burden for citizens who don’t work and don’t try to find work. 

Sales taxes hit us every day. A shirt that says $12.99 on the tag may end up becoming $14.03 by the time it hits the register. How do people feel about sales taxes? Tidd says he is okay with sales taxes, but he wishes that he paid them just one time on vehicles that he purchases.

    Douglas says, “I don’t know how New Hampshire does it (no sales tax), their property tax must be really high.” And he is correct. New Hampshire ranks third in the nation for median property taxes paid behind New Jersey and Connecticut. The New Hampshire  median price for a property tax bill is $4,636. Maine ranks at number twenty with $1,936, according to a group called The Tax Foundation). Now that extra $1.04 sales tax on your shirt doesn’t seem quite as bad, does it?

Income taxes truly affects Americans on a personal level. And that level is, “the more you get, the more you give.” When I saw my pay check every week last summer, I knew how much I had worked and how much money I should have essentially accumulated that week. But when I looked at my pay check, I was a few dollars short, thanks to this beautiful concept called the income tax. I didn’t make a lot, because I didn’t work a lot. I was lucky to get $95 a week for three days a week. My mom used to look at my pay check and say, “It must be nice to only lose (about) three bucks a week,” and I would just laugh and forget about it. Until I really thought about how much she lost per week.

Can sports save the world or your soul? By Elijah Breton

One early morning in mid-May, I couldnʼt help myself as I got wrapped up
watching the Barclays Premier League Season finale with a league title was on the line.
Crosstown rivals, Manchester United and Manchester City were sitting at the top of
the league standings, with Manchester City leading United in goals scored by eight. All
City needed to do was win against Queens Park Rangers (QPR), and they essentially
assured themselves the league championship.

The Rangers werenʼt just going to roll over and give them the game. They were in
danger of relegation (European footballʼs version of shipping a team to the minor
league) if they lost. United, on the other hand, needed City to tie, or lose -- but only if
they won against Sunderland. Yes, the season was riddled with crazy stories
throughout. But to score at least eight goals in a game was way out of the picture.
For Americans, the game was broadcast late morning. For any fan across the pond,
they had to scurry from Mass, say prayers for their respective team, and then watch an
afternoon spectacle. The stage was set. And those fans were ready.

I have become increasingly fascinated with the passion and obsession people have
with sports. Iʼll be honest in saying that I, too, am guilty of such obsession. Whatʼs
interesting however, is how different people and cultures express their obsession.
Bates College Professor Francesco Duina says that we, as humans, “share a certain
restlessness and uncertainty about our proper place in the world. We thus turn to
winning to find out if we are really worthy human beings. Winning serves as an
affirmation of our legitimacy.”

Competition, says Professor Duina, “generates unnecessary tensions within
ourselves and with the world, and because ultimately it cannot give us the answers we
are looking for.”

I disagree with Professor Duina.

Itʼs not necessary to be focussed on the problems with the world at all times. On a
global standard, every two years, the world comes together to watch their prized
athletes compete for their respective countries in the Olympics. Each fanʼs passion and
obsession only enriches the atmosphere of the world. On a more parochial level,
consider that in 2001, in late October, the New York Yankees were playing in the World
Series. The sympathy for New York in the wake of the aftermath of 9/11 was converted
into an obsession with watching Americaʼs pastime. Sports can offer a distraction from
the world for fans. If we looked for answers to questions such as, “When will the world
end?” then why bother living? Itʼs much healthier to ponder the sustainability to the
Yankee dynasty.

Looking at sports obsession on a comparison level, most nations have their
different forms of expression. Superstitions abound in the world of sports across the
globe. No matter how crazy or foolish the superstition is, fans don't want to take the
slightest chance of jinxing their favorite team. Fans in the U.S., South America, Europe
and Africa will do whatever it takes to make sure that their favorite team is riding the
destiny-train to a victory. The intensity of the behavior only gets worse as the season
progresses and the hopes of a title increase.

And superstitions donʼt take into account rituals such as face painting, tattooing your
teamʼs logo on your chest, showing up to every game even if you are gainfully
employed, or blowing into a vuvuzela until you pop a blood vessel.
According to Professor Duina, Americans are fairly “unique in our constant inclination
to turn everything into a matter of winning and losing -- work, play, personal
possessions, even love.”

But when you compare and contrast our obsession with winning to European or
African countries, it equals out in the long run. There are a few exceptions to the rule.
Take for example, Denmark, where the Law of Jante rules. This law, according to
wikipedia, “Portrays and criticizes individual success and achievement as unworthy and
inappropriate.” Essentially, every sports fan residing in Denmark has been neutered
from any thoughts of excessive celebration and obsession.

Back to my own crazy obsession -- the world-not-quite-on-the-line football game on
the other side of the Atlantic.

The Queens Park Rangers PR were the first to strike with an early goal. Now, keep
in mind QPR was a 16-1 favorite to win this match. As soon as they scored, the
stadium, filled with rowdy City fans, became silent. City charged back, however, scoring
an equalizing goal just before halftime.

At almost the same time, United -- playing Sunderland on the field but battling
Manchester City for first place -- took an early lead in their game. It was like playing
three teams. Anxiety gripped the faces of Man City fans. At the drop of the second half,
QPR scored again, taking the lead. And this time, they held the lead for over thirty
minutes. The tension was almost unbearable. Cityʼs coach nearly ran onto the field
screaming at his players. Everyone knew what was at stake. Meanwhile, United
continued to hold on to its lead, and the excitement sucked in fans who were not
expecting to come away with a title.

City and QPR were getting close to stoppage time, and the fans were now at the
point of tears and denial. It was made even worse that United had claimed their victory
over Sunderland.

But just when the game entered stoppage time, the magic of sports -- the
inexplicable and unpredictable unfolding of events that comes with pure competition --
took center stage. In a span of three minutes, City scored two goals and clinched their
league title. Tears of sadness became tears of joy and disbelief. United fans looked like
each of them had taken a Muhammad Ali uppercut out of nowhere into the gut. City fans
rejoiced with laughing, singing, crying and celebration.

Three weeks later, they still could be celebrating, for all we know.
Itʼs a good thing to see from the other side of the globe. We are not alone with our
irrational attachment to sports.

Twitter and Facebook had a Baby and Called it Tumblr by Stephanie LaFreniere

Courtesy of wpmu.org

Anyone who frequents the Internet, or even just occasionally visits, knows about Tumblr, or has at least heard of it.

“All it is is a mass image search site where people post pictures that other people can ‘repost’ onto their ‘wall’ to say that it represents them,” says Corey Wallace, a PRHS junior. “It's as pointless as it can get. No discussions boards. Just images about 1% of the people in it made that 99% of the people used.”

Corey is pretty much right --  Tumblr is a blogging site where people can post, and repost, pictures, text, videos, links, quotes, audios, just about everything you can think of. Now, I use the term “blogging” very loosely when talking about Tumblr, because in fact, it’s not a blogging site, it’s a microblogging site. One word makes a whole lot of difference.

Microblogging is just an elaborate word for social networking; the only reason Tumblr is even called a microblogging site is to attract people who like to blog with the pretense that the site is for blogs, when in reality Tumblr is more picture-based than text.

Tumblr is really just a newer version of Twitter, and if Tumblr were spelled correctly it would even have the same number of letters!  At Twitter you can follow people (and their “tweets” appear on your page just like on Tumblr), you can repost peoples “tweets,” and you can post pictures. The exception is that on Tumblr you have no word limit on your posts (which is funny considering Tumblr is more picture-based while Twitter is more text-based), everything is the same. So, I suppose this is another Myspace vs. Facebook argument.
  

I try to keep an open mind, especially on the Internet with the millions of varying opinions that exist, but I could never get what was so special about Tumblr. Really, it just looks like founder David Karp saw Twitter had a word limit, and decided to make a website that didn’t, and -- seeing that one of the most popular websites around, Facebook, was mostly text based -- made Tumblr more image-based.

“The biggest argument I hear made in favor of Tumblr is that ‘it's a way to express yourself!’ But what does it say about you?” says Zoe Leino, a PRHS junior. “ You like to show off things that other people have created? How are you expressing yourself if the things you post come entirely from the minds/creativity of others?”

I agree with Zoe. As Corey said pertaining to images, “One percent of the people in it made that 99% of the people used,” and although this number is clearly dramatized, a single photo on Tumblr can go viral in less than an hour, appearing on thousands of different users pages.

“Nothing original EVER comes out of the useless cesspool of Tumblr,” says PRHS junior Ian Pickett.

My search for good quotes on Tumblr produced mostly unpublishable comments due to profanity. Hannah Labbe, a PRHS junior, said, “Everyone on Tumblr is more accepting of you than people on Facebook. On Facebook people are scrutinized for everything you post, with Tumblr you can reblog the posts you like or keep scrolling. You choose the people you follow and what fills your dashboard.”

But Zoe Leino responds with this:  “On Facebook you can also choose who you are friends with and what posts you see.” She adds that you don’t HAVE to look at everyone’s statuses. All in all, it’s the same, and if you feel “scrutinized” it’s your own fault for”friending” those people.

“I don't think Tumblr is necessarily all about ‘expressing yourself’ or doing it differently than other people,” said PRHS junior Taylor Wood, who offers a different perspective of a frequent Tumblr user. “I use it because I can find stuff that makes me laugh, reblog it and hope other people find it just as amusing. When major events happen, Tumblr users are pretty quick with spreading important information.

“Granted it may not be anymore creative than other sites, and people may use the same layout, or reblog the same content, but it's still just a fun site to use,” Taylor said. “It's nice to see that other people have some of the same views as you, you're not the only one with certain conspiracy thoughts, and everyone finds a gif of a cat's head stuck in a jar hilarious.”

Most people do use the argument of Tumblr being a means of “expressing oneself,” which is why I found Zoe’s earlier quote quite amusing. But it seems to me that Taylor is saying it should be more for fun than a personal diary.

I feel like that holds true for any social media website, bringing me back to point that Tumblr is just Twitter and Facebook combined. Though, I will admit, it is much more convenient to have Twitter and Facebook together, rather than apart.

This article was not meant to offend anyone in any way, and I apologize if it did, or if it seemed too biased. I’m not going to hate someone for using Tumblr, nor do I wish to encourage disdain toward Tumblr users. I only hope that this would help people to develop their own, slightly more educated, views on Tumblr; it’s really up to you to decide how you feel about our ever growing Internet’s contents, and eventually up to you to decide how it’s used.

For the Love of Money and the Game: A New Baseball Season Begins by Elijah Breton

Courtesy of sportsforecasters.com

Money. Baseball. The two words are so linked that “Moneyball” became a best-selling book and a Hollywood film.

The O’Jays had this to say about money:  “Some people got to have it, some people really need it. Listen to me y'all, do things, do things, do bad things with it. You wanna do things, do things, do things, good things with it.”

Major League Baseball owners have a lot of money and don’t need it. Eight out of ten MLB team owners probably do bad things with their money. Bad, in baseball terms, means sitting on a pile of dough and not spending it on your baseball team.

Teams and team owners are worth more than their payroll suggests. Many fans scoff at how much teams “overpay” athletes. In reality, proportional to what team owners are worth, they probably could be spending even more!

In 2009, the Steinbrenner family, owner of the New York Yankees, was worth approximately $1.3 billion, according to www.e-sports.com.  They are worth more than two-thirds of the other team owners in the league. However, there are  nine baseball team owners worth more than the Steinbrenner family. According to ESPN, only four of the nine are in the top half of team payroll rankings.

E-Sports recently reported that as of 2009, the Seattle Mariners’ owner, Nintendo Corporation, was worth $257 billion. Their team payroll was $98 million, which ranks 14th in the majors. The Yankees spent  20.67 percent of the Steinbrenner family’s net worth on 25 major league baseball players. If a team like the Mariners spent 20.67 percent of their owners’ net worth, their player payroll would have been at $53 billion. Do you think they could compete with the Yankees at that affordable price?

Looking at this from a different perspective, ESPN also reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007-2008 made a profit of $29.4 million after taxes, while competing with the 27th highest payroll in the major leagues (there’s only 30 teams) The New York Yankees in 2005 lost $50 million as a company but still managed to have the highest payroll in baseball.

Now, if you’re an owner who wants to make a dollar or two, you could certainly follow the blueprint the Pirates set out. However, the owners who pocket their money without re-investing in their team fail to realize that  fans who pay as much as $75 for a distant bleacher seat are essentially paying the owners pocket change. Whatever happened to taking an entire family to a game for $50-75? Fans of all professional sports  expect their team to compete at the highest level. If the money is not distributed in way that encourages competition, what’s the sense of watching that team?

Courtesy of www.preserveramapo.org

Ironically, it is the same owners with the “collect and run” mentality who who continuously lobby for a salary cap in Major League Baseball. Their dream is not winning. Their dream is that by diminishing high-spending teams such as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels, high profile stars and free agents would be less inclined to cash in on the biggest paychecks. Therefore, any team could, in theory, put as much money into their team as they would get out.

Different team owners have varying personal agendas. Some of those agendas do not include Major League Baseball. Consequently, there is no purpose in applying a salary cap to aid teams that don’t necessarily need the help. Rather, they prefer to not compete in money wars. Think of the competitive incentives involved in capitalism versus socialism, and you get the general idea.

It’s always a good idea for a sports journalist to talk to fans, so I did. When asked if teams such as the Pirates or Mariners were competing on a level playing field, Bruce M. Whittier assistant principal Shawn Vincent said:

 “I think the Pirates and the Royals have the potential to compete.  I look to the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays as examples of teams that have hired the right baseball people, made good choices and built up strong systems.  It is possible to be highly successful on a short budget.”  The Rays have made the playoffs in three of the past four seasons despite a small budget.

Corey McFadden, a PRHS guidance counselor, disagrees with Vincent. He said:

 “I don’t think they can compete, obviously not. Pittsburgh hasn’t made playoffs since ’92. Pittsburgh  and Seattle are perfect examples of places with a strong fan base but they just don’t take the extra step and follow a model like Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay has a great team and can’t even get 8,000 seats filled.”

Do teams get a bang for the bucks that they pay their players? Let’s consider the numbers.

Journalist Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times noted that the Cincinnati Reds signed Ryan Madson to a one-year, $8.25 million contract. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year $50  million dollar contract.

Courtesy of www.sportsagentblog.com

Papelbon, “Has six years of closing experience, but his 2011 season (4-1, 2.94 ERA, 31 saves, 0.933 WHIP, 87 strikeouts, 10 walks, three homers in 641/3 innings) was only slightly better than Madson's. And Papelbon, 31, is one year removed from a career-worst 5-7 record, 3.90 ERA and 1.269 WHIP” DiGiovanna writes.

 Meanwhile, in Madson’s “First season as a closer, the 31-year-old had a 4-2 record with a 2.37 ERA and 32 saves in 602/3 innings. He struck out 62, walked 16, gave up two homers and had a 1.154 WHIP,” according to DiGiovanna.

What makes Madson’s contract intriguing is that he is signed to a one-year deal. Historically, closers have a small window during which they are successful. Closers are usually fighting for their jobs from year to year, with good reason. Baseball history is full of pitching flameouts: Keith Foulke, Eddie Guardado, Joe Boeowski, Jason Isringhausen, and Eric Gagne in recent years, and several hundred others in the last 50 years.

At a more athletic position, shortstop, the Phillies chose to spend $18 million over three years for Jimmy Rollins, who is clearly on the downside of a great career. Conversely, the Marlins paid $106 million spread out over six years for Jose Reyes, who plays a lot like the young Jimmy Rollins once played. But Reyes has had calf, ankle and ribcage injuries in the past three years -- problems that Jimmy Rollins didn’t face until he was into his thirties. Who is investing their money wisely, the Phillies or the Marlins?

Vincent had this to say about the Reyes contract:

“The team must believe this is a guy that their fans will identify with and support. Maybe they feel the demographic they will entertain can connect with Reyes. I believe it is about more than baseball; I think it is about trying to put a face on their franchise. (Pitching ace) Josh Johnson is great, but he may not match the demographic they anticipate serving.”

McFadden had a different take. “Contracts have gotten so out of hand. When the Red Sox gave contracts to Julio Lugo  and J.D. Drew, I just didn’t care anymore,” he said. “I don’t care what they do with their money. In 2000, I could show up on street of Fenway Park and sit for $23 or stand for $12. I haven’t been to a Sox game for 3 years because it’s hard to get a seat less for than $58. No one is worth $106 million, no matter what you do. Doctors or teachers are worth more money.”

Looking at how a team’s spending translates into wins in a cost-per-win ratio, the Yankees spent a little over $2 million per win, ending up with 99 wins. The Pirates spent a paltry $625,653 per win, ending the season with 72 wins. Clearly, the more money a team spends on the payroll, the more likely it is for the team to rack up wins. One could argue that not every team has a big city for fan support. However, each team is placed in a prime American city with large amounts of people residing in the greater metro area.  There simply is no reason a team cannot spend to win.

The next time your favorite team has a sub-.500 season, and you still care, look at the owners making executive decisions. Are they pinching pennies? As a famous football guy, Bill Parcells, would say, “The players are what they are.” And so are the owners.

Something to Think About for the Next Easter Sunday By Stephanie Lafreniere

I remember running through the house as a child searching for tiny colorful eggs
that held special, mostly chocolate, treats inside. It was always a day I looked forward to
and always lived up to the hype. My parents played their parts perfectly, and I, an eager
young child, searched restlessly for each and every egg, which eventually led to
discovering a basket the bunny himself had left behind, just for me. Those were the
golden days of Easter. So, when did Easter suddenly become a second Christmas?

My 10-year-old nephew received a bike for Easter. A $100 bike, rather than $20
worth of little pieces of candy and a small basket full of fake grass. Iʼm sure either way
he would have received a new bike eventually, but thatʼs not the point. Easter used to
be a small holiday where families would get together for an egg hunt, eat some
chocolate, and have a nice dinner. Even if you werenʼt religious, you probably enjoyed
the fun of the holiday. Somehow, in the last 10 or so years, itʼs become almost like a
second Christmas, where children receive gifts that are much more expensive than the
old basket of eggs, and are usually barely, or not at all, related to Easter in any way.

Iʼm not saying itʼs a bad thing to give your child a gift, but I just donʼt understand
why Easter has become the day to do so. Isnʼt Christmas stressful enough? And then
there are birthdays too! Itʼs not like kids need another gift-giving holiday.

“If you look at it from a commercial view, itʼs a lot of fun when youʼre a kid
because you get to go on Easter hunts and get gifts, which racks in money for
businesses. From a religious view, itʼs lost a lot of what it means, or what it used to
mean,” commented Jackie Joncas, a PRHS junior. “And if you look at it from a parentʼs
point of view, itʼs a big waste of money!”

Jackie comes from a quasi-religious family that still attends an evening mass
after her Easter dinner. Sheʼs from my age level and understands in the the same way I
do that Easter has changed. Though, truthfully, Iʼd have to say everythingʼs changing
nowadays, be it technology, schooling, or yes, even holidays.

But, donʼt let this keep you from enjoying your Easter and all your Easterʼs after.
Go ahead, eat a delicious dinner, and enjoy that new game that cost your folks a
fortune! Eventually it'll all get back to you.

Doing Our Part By Matthew Principe

The Norway Veterans home is home to some of the nicest people you will ever met. I’m talking about both the veterans and the people who work there. Our school’s CSL (or Community Service Learning) has taken may trips to this place, each time coming back with smiles on our faces. Even though it has rained every time we have gone up to the home, inside you could never tell. Everyone there is happy. 

The home is a wonderful place. The staff is very friendly. There are always activities for the elderly to enjoy taking part of. For the last couple of visits the CSL has been the main attraction. We have played games and painted with the veterans that come to see us. We also listen to all of their remarkable tales.

I remember one veteran who talked about his secret mission while in the service. He was stationed out in a ship in the middle of an ocean and there was talk that he and other members of his crew would be sent out to do something, but no one knew what that something was. That something turned out to be flying planes to places that need them. He never had to fight in battle or risk his life. The army sent him to all the beautiful places in the world such as Jamaica and Hawaii. At the end of his service he was scar free. 

Another person I personally talked to was a remarkable man. He has lived in Maine for a long time now. He told me and the other members of the CSL about how he has been going skiing at Sunday River for as long as they’ve been open. Every weekend he went skiing, even if he was injured. Lately, however, he hasn’t been able to go much because of his age, but he is still able to get at least one run done when he does make the trip. At that age you have to keep moving. Its inspiring to see someone over the age of 80 able to still ski down the mountain he basically grew up on.

The last man that I’m going to talk about is a man known to everybody as Gramps, who is 101 years old. He is the oldest man in the home. Not only is he as charming as he is funny, but he is also very artistic. He has come to see the CSL every time the group makes the trip. Gramps is a very talented water color painter. He always shows us something out of his many works. If you wish to see his art, go see Ms. Carrera in her room. She has one piece that Gramps did a long time ago. He also filmed some of his stay in WW2. He tried to show the group but the DVD, unfortunately, did not work. When you live 100 years, minor technological glitches don’t bother you. 

If you wish to join the Community Service Club, contact Ms. Carrera, the group’s co-curricular advisor. Let me take this opportunity to say how much fun I personally have serving in the club. It’s hard work, but we have fun -- lots of it. What a better way to get a credit than having fun and helping out your community (not to mention the Red Sox game at the end of the year)? If you have ideas for community service learning or places where we can go to make a difference in people’s lives, stop on by. We meet on Wednesdays after school at the bell, 2:05 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Drop on by.

Girls and boys’ hoop teams keep PRHS sports on the rise By Elijah Breton

With the conclusion of the 2011-2012 Maine high school basketball season just a couple of weeks behind us, it’s a good time to review and savor the success earned by  Poland Regional High School’s girls’ and boys’ teams.

After a rocky start, going 0-6 in the team’s first six games, the Lady Knights fought their way back into the competitive arena by winning four of their next five games. Their quick success was sparked by freshman Michaella Arsenault, along with sophomore, Emily Bolduc. Together, the underclassmen lead the Lady Knights to a 6-12 record overall for the season, breaking the school’s previous record of most wins (five). Arsenault lead the team in points with 10.2 and 10.6 rebounds per game. Bolduc lead the team with 4.3 assists and 4.4 steals per game. Contributions were also made by seniors Danielle Miville and Katrina Seeley. The Lady Knights’ six wins were good enough to squeak into the playoffs for the first time in the school’s history as the lowest seed in the Class B Western Conference. Unfortunately, the team’s record breaking season ended with a loss in a preliminary game to Spruce Mountain. Nevertheless, it was a record-breaking season.

The Poland Regional High School Knights appeared to be very strong right out of the gate, winning the first two games of their season. Their early success was lead by seniors Jacob Littlefield, Logan Nichols Ricky Bryant, Andrew Peterson, Nate Rybeck, Jed Quint, and Trevor Morin. The Knights went on to win three of their next five games before a series of injuries plagued the team. Through midseason, the Knights lost both Littlefield and Peterson to injuries that would keep them out for nearly the rest of the regular season. Despite losing two of their leaders, seniors Ricky Bryant, Logan Nichols, and Jed Quint each stepped up their games to guide their team to a 5-6 record over the last eleven games. Bryant lead the charge with 16.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while Nichols added 5.2 steals. Sophomore C.J. Martin contributed with 1.7 steals per game. Peterson was able to return to the team before the regular season ended as the Knights finished with a 10-8 record, clinching the 9th seed in the playoffs. 

The Knights were able to get Littlefield back into the lineup just in time to beat Mountain Valley in a preliminary game, sending them to the Portland Expo. The team was faced with the challenge of facing the No. 1 seed, Falmouth, whom they would eventually lose to in a hard-fought, and well-played game. The Knights certainly have no reason to hang their heads. They created a positive culture and atmosphere and represented PRHS to the best of their talents.

Both teams have promising outlooks in the seasons to come. There is no reason to think that each team won’t be able to build off of the success they recently had. PRHS sports in undoubtedly on the upswing as the school’s second decade unfolds.

Opinion: This Article is Not Yet Rated by Ryan Szantyr

There’s a new documentary film set to be released fairly soon called “Bully.” The film, as one could predict, deals with bullying. Lee Hirsch, the film’s director, was himself bullied as a child and wanted to present a film which dealt openly with the effects of bullying, both from the standpoint of the victim and the bully himself. 

Hirsch has said his goal with the film was to “[inspire] advocacy, engagement, and empowerment not just in people who are being bullied and in their families, but by those of us who all too often stand by and do nothing.”

The documentary’s main audience are children––children who bully, who are bullied, and who do nothing while their peers are bullied. However, one thing might prevent the film’s most important audience from seeing it: its rating. 

We all know the ratings: G means anyone can see a movie, PG means anyone can see it, though parental guidance is advised for younger children, PG-13 means parental guidance is strongly advised for children under 13, R means no person under 17 can see the film without an accompanying adult, and NC-17 means no person under 17 can see the film at all. 

The organization responsible for these ratings? The Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA. They’re also responsible for the green screen you see at the beginning of the previews which says “This preview has been APPROVED FOR ALL AUDIENCES.” The MPAA also decides the ratings for the films you see (or, if you’re under 17, might not see). 

“Bully” has received an R-rating, due to language. The kids in the film speak how kids speak––they swear. Now, the MPAA has pretty clear rules about swearing: if a movie uses a bad word (like the f-word) one to four times, then it can get a PG-13 rating, depending, of course, on the context. “Bully” uses such words more than four times, so one can assume that it should get an R-rating. 

But the rule has an exception: a documentary called “Gunner Palace,” about the War in Iraq. That film has 42 uses of the f-word in it, yet it got a PG-13 rating. How? The reason given by the MPAA is that the documentary “shows real life in the army overseas and the importance of the younger audiences to connect and understand what soldiers have to go through.” The MPAA also said “considering the combat conditions facing the human subjects of a war documentary, the language, while strong, did not constitute gratuitous profanity.”

The filmmakers of “Bully” have now presented the film in front of the MPAA twice, hoping for them to accommodate the strong language in light of the film’s important message, and that message’s importance to children. The MPAA, however, has upheld its R-rating. 

In reaction to the film’s R-rating, Harvey Weinstein, one of the film’s distributors, has decided to release the film unrated. While some may believe this solves the problem, the MPAA works in league with the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), and unrated films are rarely shown at NATO-backed theaters, which mean just about every mainstream theater a kid would have access to. 

The fact that “Gunner Palace” can get a PG-13 rating despite its strong language yet “Bully” cannot is, in my opinion, appalling. Why can’t the MPAA acknowledge that the film shows the importance of the younger audiences to connect with and understand each other in order to try to stop bullying, just as they acknowledged the importance of “Gunner Palace” in showing the importance of younger audiences in connecting with and understanding what soldiers have to go through? 

Ultimately, “Bully” is being bullied. It is a film which should be seen by every kid, yet because of flimsy and crude rules, most of its audience will not be able to see it.