Not simply sporting events, they’re marvels, spectacle, absolute extravaganzas, and the month of February is jam packed! What might you ask? Why the Superbowl, and the quickly following Vancouver 2010 Olympics. We took a minute to ask UHS students which of the two sports splendors they prefer.

Mark Peterson (Sophomore): l prefer the Olympics, because my favorite team doesn’t always get to the Superbowl, so the Olympics are more consistently relevant, even if l can only see one every other year.

Will Andreson (Junior): Olympics, yes the Superbowl is great because it’s American, but the Olympics are so exciting, it’s worldwide not just nationwide.

Anna Mast (Junior): Definitely the Olympics. There’s more variety and there’s always someone that you can cheer for.

Jordan Harringer (Senior): Olympics because it has more teams and a variety of sports.

Noah Gehrmann (Sophomore): Neither because I don’t care for sports.

Rita Haber (Junior): I’ll go with the Winter Olympics as they give appreciation to lesser known sports

D’mario Turner (Sophomore): I prefer the Superbowl as it is every year unlike the Olympics is every two years. Although, the Olympics is composed of more than one sport, so it all depends on either the content or the variety. I like the Superbowl for its amazing catches and plays, and for the commercials, but I like the Olympics for the variety of sports it has.

Korrine Spears (Junior): I prefer the Olympics, although the commercials are not as good, there is more variety and prestige to the Olympic Games. There is something for everyone to get into, and it really beings the nations of the world together for a short period of time.

Taylor Hocutt (Junior): Neither; the Superbowl is a glutenous display of human brutality supported by major corporations in an attempt to sell good to the mass public, thrown by men who are payed excessively gargantuan sums of money. The Olympics which were once a form of athletic purity are now distorted by that same commercialism and public appeal, no longer a competition for self glory but for fame.

Carrie Cuno-Booth (Senior): Olympics! Because it’s more international and it’s more than one sport.

Andreas Ruiz (Freshman): I prefer the Superbowl because it’s more exciting. There are the parties, the commercials, and the game itself. The Olympics are exciting, but can be long and there isn’t as much excitement (or parties) as the Superbowl.

So readers, what’s your take?

In hopes of reducing the number of children who get fat during their school years, a federal effort has been made to push junk foods out of schools.  Foods like Pepsi, french fries and Snickers bars will be expelled from the nation’s schools.

The first lady, Michelle Obama said that she would lead an initiative to reduce childhood obesity in the country.  Obama says she will use all the power of her White House pulpit to promote a multifaceted campaign that will include more healthful food in schools, more accurate food labeling, better grocery stores in communities that don’t have them, public service announcements and efforts to get children to be more active.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 32 percent of children and adolescents today – 25 million kids – are obese or overweight.

“The first lady having a huge microphone and a spotlight is really helpful,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says. “It’s a big health crisis. We need to involve not only the kids but the families.”

The goal is to eliminate childhood obesity in a generation.The Obama administration will ban candy and sugary beverages to offer far more nutritious choices for students all over the country.

The legislation would require that all school offerings to agree with strict new nutritional guidelines.  The legislation would allow the reauthorization of the U.S. government’s school breakfast and lunch programs, which is designed to lead to healthy eating habits of children and teenagers across the nation.  But some schools offer fatty foods and sweets outside of these programs or have vending machines with sodas and candy, with the money often used to finance sports or other extracurricular programs.  Many schools have changed their offerings.

However, the bill would exempt bake sales, parties and other occasional offerings of sweets.

Five years ago, fewer than a third of the nation’s school districts put limits on students’ access to candy and sugary drinks.  But that share jumped to two-thirds in 2008.

There has been two sides of this conflict.  The other one would be that selling candy and other junk food is not a good examples for kids, and the other one is that kids should have their own choices when it comes to food in school grounds.

Source(s):  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/23/AR2008122302423.html

http://rebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/obama-on-obesity/

http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2010/02/12/obama-administration-pushes-junk-food-schools_201002123325.html

Four o’clock in the morning is early to wake up. Four o’clock in the morning to wake up for a 15 hour work day is way, way too early. On February 2 I dragged myself out of bed, quickly consumed my morning bowl of frosted mini wheats, and then headed over to my assigned precinct for my very first time election judging. I arrived at 4:55. Everyone was required to be there by 5. There were three other election judges already there. We set up voting boots, various sheets of paperwork required for voters, stacks of ballots, and finally set up the tabulator; a machine that counts ballots.

Each election judge was assigned to a particular station. The first was verifying the signature of the registered voter, the second station distributed ballots according to the voter’s indicated party, and the final station was to stand by the tabulator and explain to voters how to use it. Our very first voter came in at 6:05.

We weren’t expecting a lot of voters. It was a primary election. From 6:00 to about 9:30 there was a slow trickle of voters, and then it was pretty much dead. It picked back up again around 5:00 p.m., when people were starting to get off of work. Voting hours were from 6 a.m to 7 p.m. and there were a total 156 voters all day, an average 14.18 an hour. Other precincts were much busier, and had a steady stream of voters. The day was certainly long, but it really didn’t seem to drag on. The fifteen hours surprisingly flew by. We started packing up at 7:00 p.m. and we were out the door before 8:00 p.m.

“Election judging was sweet! Except for the whole getting up at four in the morning part,” said fellow election judge Annie Valocchi. “Feeling like I [was] helping people get their voices heard gave me such a good feeling and I definitely plan on doing it again in future elections.”

To be an election judge you need to be sixteen, and simply have to fill out a couple forms that you can get from Mr. Pollack. It’s $120 for the day, and there’s a training session you have to attend that takes about two hours. Check back during the next election to volunteer as a judge.

Attention to anyone who owns a pet or is looking for some side cash: have you ever thought about going out of town or staying at someone else’s house for a night without having to bring your noisy pet with you? Well, look no further thanks to the wonders of pet sitting. Pet sitting is when you pay someone else a reasonable price for a certain amount of time to watch your pet while you have fun. It’s really simple; the going rate today for pet sitting today is only about five to 10 dollars a night. Why worry about your pets when you can have someone watch them for next to nothing?

There is one thing you have to remember about pet sitting though. It requires a lot of responsibility. People are putting their pet’s lives in your hands, so it is really important that you do what they tell you. Remember to check on the pets a certain number of times during the day and be sure to feed them. Also, try to get along with the animal; the more it likes you, then the more the owner will call on you to pet sit. If you can do that then your job will not only be rewarding but entertaining, as well.

Badminton Club is a newcomer to Urabana High School’s long list of extracurricular, but its uniqueness sets it apart from the pack. Lucy Lu, a sophomore, got the idea for the club. After asking around, Carol Godoy and Shanda Goodrum volunteered to sponsor it.

“The club needed a sponsor and I thought it would be fun,” Godoy said of becoming a sponsor.

Everyone is welcome to join Badminton Club, which currently has 13 members, regardless of ability. However, they must have an orange proof of insurance card on file with Jenn Malik in order to play.

Each Badminton meeting is scheduled ahead of time, announcements are made before hand. At meetings, rackets and shuttle** will be available for use.For more information, contact Shanda Goodrum or Carol Godoy.

This spring marks the one hundredth edition of UHS’ yearbook, The Rosemary. The yearbook staff has been working tirelessly throughout the school year to create a signature issue that embraces the 2009-2010 school year, but also pays tribute to the previous century’s worth of UHS coverage.

To celebrate the anniversary, Editor in Chief Mariah Burgess and the other yearbook staffers added some changes to the publication’s contents. One big addition to The Rosemary is an expanded student life section. “This year we tried to cover more people who aren’t necessarily involved in a club or a sport so they appear in more than just their school picture,” Burgess said.

Another change for 2010 is a collection of Urbana High School significant moments scattered through out the yearbook. The Rosemary’s Advisor, Michael Lehr, said, “This is a special time for UHS, and we’re trying to look back and include some of the history that has been so important to shaping the school.”

While working on the yearbook can be stressful at times, the staff finds it an overall satisfying experience. “My favorite part of working on The Rosemary is when the yearbooks come in… it’s like Christmas morning getting to open the first box and seeing it all bound together,” Burgess said.

UHS students who want to be a part of The Rosemary should sign up for the Yearbook class during course registration. “Students in Yearbook learn marketable life skills, like how to use Photoshop and write articles that appeal to a real-life audience while working on part of an authentic task,” Lehr said. Rosemary staffers are also expected to attend extra-curricular activities to take photos, interview students and write articles.

Students who take the class also have the opportunity to help chronicle their era at UHS for future generations. “It’s important for us to record our school’s history as it happens so people can look back and remember it through pictures and text,” Lehr said.

Students who haven’t pre-ordered the hundredth edition of The Rosemary yet can do so in Mr. Lehr’s room for forty dollars until Spring Break. After the break, the price will rise to fifty dollars.

The last decade has been an important one for UHS students, seeing as it has contained the majority of our lives , and, therefore, our memories. The Echo has covered a ton of issues within the last ten years, including some of the biggest moments for not only UHS students, but the world alike. Here is a compilation of the biggest moments, stories and news from 2000-2009, as covered by The Echo.

Urbana Graduate Reigns as Miss America 2003, Vol. 91 Issue 1, 09/27/2002

Erica Harold, who attended UHS, as well as Uni High, was crowned Miss America in 2002. The sign that recognizes her achievement in the awards ceremony is posted for all to see as they enter Urbana’s city limits.

New Pool Almost Complete, Vol. 91 Issue 3, 11/15/2002

The new pool has allowed the Boy and Girls swim teams to have a place to practice and, for some UHS students, has even been a part of PE curriculum.

Laura Taylor to be principal of UHS, Vol. 94 Issue 5, 03/09/2006

Dr. Taylor is now in her fourth year of being principal, so she has always been principal for those who are currently in attendance. It’s difficult to imagine UHS without her.

New health center open to serve Urbana students, Vol. 93 Issue 1, 10/01/2004

It’s strange to think that less than a decade ago that health center was not there for students. Today, however, many UHS students utilize this center for everything from dental to psychiatric exams.

George W. Bush or John Kerry, Vol. 93 Issue 1, 10/01/2004

For the majority of the decade, George Bush was president. The election was a controversial.

U.S. launches war against Iraq, Vol. 91 Issue 5, 03/21/2003

The war in Iraq that still continues today has been yet another controversial happening in the last decade.

Breaking down the election results, Vol. 97 Issue 3, 12/12/2008

Barack Obama’s election was definitely the biggest moment of the last year. It has been a big inspiration to many UHS student ans high school students across the country, as well.

UHS Mourns Tragic Day, Vol. 90 Issue 1, 09/28/2001

Nine-eleven is a memory that resonates across the country. It will be remembered for decades to come and those who were lost on the tragic day will always me remembered.

Although the last decade has been a great one, The Echo Staff expects the next ten years to be even better. So what’s to be expected? Many more stories and a big anniversary for the paper!

Wondering why your peers are missing part of the school day and then coming back with false beards and devil eyes? They’re part of the children’s show: Gold in the Bones.

Every year Urbana High School’s Drama Club puts on a children’s show with five public performances in the evening, but also special matinees for elementary school classes. This year, there were four scheduled matinee performances, but with the snow day on Tuesday one of them had to be cancelled.

Things run a little differently during shows when you’re working with kids. First off, it’s during a school day. Actors are required to begin getting in costume at 7:45 am for a morning performance that starts at 9:30, or 11:30 am for an afternoon performance starting at 1:00 pm.

The next major change is intermission. Instead of the regular fifteen minute intermission where attendants are allowed to pretty much roam free, the actors lead a “stand and stretch,” which was pirate themed for this show. They also play a few quick games to get out any elementary jitters before starting back up, and there’s always a book giveaway.

The final difference comes after bows. Before exiting the stage, actors tell which elementary school they went to. In addition, instead of exiting to the stage wings, actors walk down the aisles of the auditorium and stand outside the double doors to greet and exchange high fives with the visiting children before they make the return journey on the yellow Laidlaw buses waiting for them outside.

“I love doing the children’s show” says crew member Carson Lewis, “seeing the looks on the kids’ faces when they leave is when I realize that all the long hours were worth it.”

There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether or not baseball players, or even athletes in general, should be able to get into the hall of fame if they have taken steroids. First, let’s look at the history of anabolic steroids.

Testosterone (which helps strengthen bones and muscles in both men and women) was first synthesized in the 1930s, and was introduced into the sporting arena in the 1940s and 50s. By 1958, a U.S. pharmaceutical firm had developed anabolic steroids. Physicians soon learned its unwanted side effects, but it was too late, because it still spread into the sports world. Early users were mainly body builders, weight lifters, football players, discus, shot put, or javelin throwers. Other athletes wanted the steroid by the 1970s and even non athletes were wanting the drug.

There are obviously a lot of people who don’t want people who have used steroids to get into the hall of fame.

“Whether it made you just a little bit stronger or faster, you still cheated.” Athletic Director Gregory Hall said on the topic.

“It’s not fair, and you don’t deserve the Hall of Fame.”

There is a side that thinks that players should be able to get into the Hall of Fame, actually. In fact, Hank Aaron spoke to ESPN about it.

“It’s hard to say the reason you hit a home run is because you’re on steroids. I don’t believe that. I believe your body can recuperate quickly to come on the field. But I certainly don’t think you can stand up there and hit a Nolan Ryan 100 mph fastball just because you put something in your arm or took a pill,” Hank Aaron said.

I don’t think people who use steroids should get into the Hall of Fame. Even if you had it in you a long time before you became an athlete it still might be in your system.

“If you’re an average person and you’re injured, and you take a steroid to heal or rehab, that’s okay, but once you use it to help you, you are cheating,” Hall said.

So why do stars use steroids?

“I think with some guys like Barry Bonds were greedy and selfish. With guys like (Mark) McGwire, it was pressure to do well, and impress fans, maybe make more money, too.”

Although steroids are proved to strengthen your muscles, Mark McGwire says he could have hit home runs without them.

‘”I truly believe so,” McGwire said. “I believe I was given the gift. The only reason I took steroids was for health purposes.”‘

In conclusion, I really think people who use steroids should not be admitted in the Hall of Fame, period. They should still be in the stats book though, with an asterisk by their name.

For more on steroids, check out: http://dwb.unl.edu/Teacher/NSF/C10/C10Links/www.tcada.state.tx.us/research/facts/steroids.html

It was a historic day for Louisiana, a short four and a half years after Katrina the saints won the Superbowl. The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts in the 44th annual Superbowl 31-17. It was the Saints first appearance in the Superbowl.

The first quarter was slow for the Saints. The Colts were leading and seem like they would keep the lead up and win the game. The second half was much better; the Saints took their first lead, when Pierre Thomas scored a 16-yard touchdown.

The Saints played really hard and scored 15 fourth quarter points. Jeremy Shockey scored a 2-yard touchdown, making the score 25-17 Saints. Tracy Porter intercepted Colts, Payton Manning passed and raced to the end-zone and scored the Saints last touch down 31-17.

Drew Brees was awarded the MVP with a Superbowl record of 32 complete passes. “We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,” Brees told ABC. “What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time, and it’s better than expected.” Brees scored two touchdowns and had 288 yards.”

This game was the ultimate upset. The Saints were supposed to lose by 5 points according to New York Daily News. But the Saints overcame the odds to find their first Superbowl. Way to go New Orleans!