Memorial day is of course May 31, and people should know that it’s more than just a day off from school (although, I’ll admit, I like having the day off). It’s a day to remember those who have served for our country. I decided to do some research on the day… There are a lot of claims for the start of Memorial Day, but the most common one is that lots of towns took time to honor dead soldiers back in the 1860′s, and all of these gatherings led to General John Logan’s official proclamation of the day back on May 5, 1868.

The first Memorial Day was observed May 30, when flowers were laid at the graves of Union and Confederate Soldiers at Arlington Cemetery of that same year. The first state to officially recognize the day was New York in 1873. By the 1890′s, all of the Northern states had officially recognized Memorial Day, but the Southern States refused to do so. They recognized their dead on separate days until after World War 1 (then everyone started not just honoring soldiers who died in the Civil War, to soldiers who died in any war) it became a National holiday (celebrated by all states on the last Monday in May) with the National Holiday Act of 1971.

“I like to remember my dad,” Sophomore Derrick Johnson said, on who he likes to remember on Memorial Day. “He served in the military but didn’t get in the war, he just stayed in South Korea.”

“My great grandfather fought in World War II,” Freshman Karidia Shelby said.

My dad loves to tell me about my grandfather. He served during World War II, and also fought in Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. So I feel very proud of him and something to hold on to.

So is it really that important?

“It gives us time to celebrate people in the military (serving our country),” Johnson said. “I feel that it is important because so much has changed (over the years), in good ways and if it wasn’t for those people who knows what it could be like so taking a day out to remember them is the least we can do.”

I agree. Soldiers have and still are giving their lives for this country. Without them, I guarantee you there is no U.S. There is probably no place for immigrants to go to get away from their hostile countries (if they come from hostile countries, anyway). We as citizens would not be protected, and not have as good a life as we have now.

So please take at least some of Memorial Day to honor those that have given their lives for our country, and are still serving our country.

This has been a wild year, especially for Freshman (like me!) still getting used to high school. From Homecoming, to the several times we had to evacuate the building, to all the sporting events that happen after school, it’s been a blast.

I’ll admit that before the year started, I was a little worried about getting around in only 4 minutes, and being told that the high school was huge, it was a little scary at first. Now, that’s laughable. I get around really easily. Most of the time, I get to my class with over a minute to spare. Sometimes I get to my class with 2-3 minutes to spare, and I have never gotten a tardy detention–yet. Hopefully never!

Another fear of mine were the hard classes, but that wasn’t nearly as big as my ‘getting to class in time and seeing my way around the school’ fear. The classes now seem really easier than I anticipated, but also let me know what classes I would like to move up to AP Prep next year as a sophomore.

Here are some experiences from other students:

“I was pretty scared of Final Exams,” Freshman Christa Lee said. “I was just thinking that Final Exams determined if you passed the class of not. If you got a bad grade, you don’t pass. Now, I think they are very helpful (if you do well on the test) to boost your grade up to pass,” she said.

I guess now that I think of it, I was pretty scared of final exams. The fact is, that’s basically what the WHOLE semester is for. To get you ready for the final exam for that class. If you listen, do the homework, and study, you should do well on the test.

When I first came to UHS, I had a little trouble getting around, but once I figured out that the first number of the room number indicated what floor I was on, it was much easier, and I pretty much memorized in my head the locations of my classes, it really wasn’t that hard after a couple weeks.

Let’s see other kid’s strategies for getting around.

“All I did was memorize the floor layout of the school because the layouts are very similar,” Prather said. “I actually laid the maps (that we got at the beginning of the school year of the school) over each other and they looked exactly the same,” he said.

“I really didn’t have a strategy,” Lee said. “I just tried to remember the room numbers and I remember what places they are by. Like Ms. Leighton’s room (2175) is by Ms. Hammond’s office,” she said.

My favorite event that happened this year would probably be the obvious choice: Homecoming, but I also liked the Winter music festival assembly. That was fun hearing the choir sing and the joyful mood around the assembly.

Let’s here from some Freshman about their experiences in High School.

“I think Homecoming week was exciting,” said Freshman Hansen Cao. “I liked all the different dress up days and the assembly in the gym to show our pride,” Cao said. Cao also said the biggest differences in his mind between high school and middle school were that there are more of a variety of classes and the high school is larger than the middle school.

“I think I liked the Silent day, where a lot of people were quiet for the day,” Prather said on one of his favorite events.

High school also has provided athletic opportunities to Freshman to represent their school. Let’s get perspective from an athlete. “My favorite memory was scoring in a Varsity (football) game. It was nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time,” said Cameron Mammen on playing a Varsity football game this past Fall. Mammen also said starting a Varsity football game as a Freshman is another great memory of this year.

This year has been awesome, and I don’t know about you, but it has gone by so fast. Every year of high school is going to be more fun than the last, and also faster too. Also, good luck in-coming Freshman!

It’s the last part of the school year and you know what that means–Spring time! So how do you know when it’s Spring time?

“School is almost out and the flowers start blooming,” Freshman Adeeb Ahmad said on what he thinks of when Spring comes. We have been seeing a lot of flowers up and out blooming because of the sun shining, and school is about a month and a half or so away from being over.

Okay, so let’s get to the point: What are some signs of Spring?

“When you see no snow on the ground and the flowers blooming (that’s a common sign, obviously) and it’s getting warmer,” Senior Stephen Lenear said on the many signs of Spring.

“It’s finally the end of Winter.” Lenear said.

There are also things to do inside too.

“I like to watch the NBA (National Basketball Association) playoffs,” Sophomore Miranda Barnett said on what she likes about Spring, and a sign of Spring. “I like the warm weather and playing sports outside too.”

Here are my five signs of spring and favorite parts of Spring:

#5-From about the middle of February to mid-May, there are almost no off days scheduled, so do we need? A whole week off! Spring Break is so refreshing, and everyone–not just students–need a break in the middle of a couple of months without any days off.

#4-School is almost out! School is about a month and a half or so away from being over. I just can’t wait. Can you?

#3-Of course, I love the warm (emphasis: not hot!) weather and beautiful sunny days too.

#2-Spring is the time for Easter too, which is a very important holiday to me and a lot of other Christians around the world.

#1-The sports-I love that baseball starts up, and the NBA and NHL (National Hockey League) playoffs start. I enjoy watching the college basketball NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament. Spring sure is a time for sports.

Those are my top five signs/favorite things of Spring and some opinions from a few students at UHS. What is your “five”?

The Urbana Varsity baseball team played Moline Senior High School (Maroons) on Friday, hoping to go to 7-1 on the season. The Tigers started out 5-0, beating the likes of St. Thomas More, Georgetown-Ridgefarm, Oakwood, and a two-win sweep of Kankakee, before losing to Lake Forest. They then went on to beat Lanphier to make their record 6-1, where they were before the game on Friday.

“I would say timely hitting, our pitching doing well, and our defense playing well without making errors,” Assistant Coach Nick Stillwell said on the key to the team’s play to start the season.

The Tigers lost to Moline 9-2. Ben Thompson, Trey Russell, Laquan Grein, Nick Hoffman, Bryan Fink and Dylan Anderson each had one hit. It was 2-0 Moline, when the Maroons scored 4 runs in the sixth inning. The Tigers cut the lead to 6-2 after the sixth inning due to an RBI (Run Batted In) single by Laquan Grein, who also stole home during the same inning to get the Tigers their second run. Moline, though, got those two runs back, and one more in the top of the seventh inning to win 9-2.

“The pitcher was throwing a lot of strikes, and threw a bunch of pitches for strikes, so they had to fight a lot of pitches off,” Stillwell said on the offense not doing so well that afternoon.

“We just saw a lot of good pitches, and he’s their ace, and he threw pretty hard, and he’s one of the [great] pitchers we’ll see this season,” Second Baseman Trey Russell also said on the offense struggling.

The Tiger’s next games are vs. Rantoul and Westville on Saturday (which were canceled) and Charleston on Thursday, and Mahomet-Seymour on Friday, April 8 and 9, respectively.

The last third of the year is coming, and you know what that means…spring! Along with spring comes new sports, like boys tennis, girls soccer, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls track. Here is a preview of every sport and what to look forward to this spring in Urbana sports.

Boys’ Tennis

Coach Nathaniel Chattic and the Urbana boys’ tennis team are coming off a year where they had talent, but couldn’t turn it into consistency.

“I felt we had the talent, but bringing that talent out on the courts on a consistent basis to our meets was a different thing altogether,” Chattic said. “As a result of our inconsistency, we fell short in several matches that I think we should have had greater successes in.”

He also talked about how the team can contend for a Big Twelve title this year, and what he expects overall of his team this year.

“We need to maintain a solid work ethic throughout our practices with the expectation that what we are capable of doing in practice we will produce in our match play,” said Chattic. “I am looking for those that have been through our practices and know the rigors of practice and match play to set an example of leadership for those that are ‘newer’ to the team. I expect these young men to blossom with their talents and their attitudes on the court, and also excel as ambassadors for their homes and their school off the court.”
The team’s biggest competition will come from the Danville, Normal, and the Champaign schools.

Girl’s Soccer

The girls’ soccer team has had a lot of success in the last decade or so, and after coming off a regional title from last year it is looking to add some more titles this year under head Coach Huff.

“We had a good team last year and we’re looking forward to this year,” Huff said. “We like the enthusiasm, and we are looking to build team spirit and fundamentals too.”

Coach Huff also talked about threats to compete this year and how to win the Big 12.

“I’m not really sure how the other teams line up, but under the right circumstances, we should line up well against them. I know the Champaign schools are good this year.”

So what’s the key to win the Big Twelve this year?

“Practice the fundamentals, play injury free, and winning the Big Twelve is never easy, but we like to set our sights on the future,” Huff said. “We’re just gonna have to be consistent and approach every game with enthusiasm and heart, and do all the little things right.” The Tiger’s biggest competition this year will be the Bloomington-Normal and Champaign schools.

Boys’ Track

Coach Beyers is the new Boy’s Track coach this season, as he tries to keep the track team competitive.

Before we talk though, let’s see how you compete in track, and what has happened in the past with the program.

“There are no playoffs in track and field and their really isn’t a team record in the sport,’ said Beyers. “However, the team sent one state qualifier to participate in the State Track Meet as Coach Jones (former UHS coach) has done for a number of consecutive years.”

There are still expectations this year, Beyers says.

“The team has a great deal of high hopes and expectations for the 2010 season. Right now we lack the depth to win a Big Twelve title, but we remain focused on ‘bigger’ things in individual successes at the state level of competition. We are beginning a new era and change can be difficult, though the guys are adapting as well as can be expected.”

Girls’ Track

Coach Boscolo has also had some success with her girls’ track team last season.

“We had a lot of success last year both as a team and individually. We finished fifth out of ten at outdoor Big Twelve and fourth out of thirteen at Sectionals,” Boscolo said. “When we went to state, our 4X2 team (Camille Parsons, Hannah Morris, Alyssa Wood, Lateshia Dove) finished ninth. Shelby Stevenson finished ninth in the Poll Vault and McKenzie White ninth in the 300 M Hurdles and twelfth in the 100 M Hurdles. Finally Alyssa Wood finished eighteenth in the 100 M Dash. McKenzie White broke the school record in the 100 and 300 M Hurdles, Shelby Stevenson in the Pole Vault, and in the 4 X 2 relay team.” (listed above).

There is some improvement to be made of course.

“We had very few distance runners last season and that part of our team has grown this season,” Boscolo said. “We are looking forward to having some depth and strength in the distance crew this year. We need to stay healthy and run, jump, and throw the best we can. It comes down to who runs faster, who jumps longer or higher, and throws farther. I expect to be in the top four in the conference this season.”

The Tiger’s biggest meet will be on March 20th at the U of I Armory. “This is a 64 team invite that is Co-Ed (both boys and girls). It is a wonderful competition with only one athlete per event per school per gender.” She said.

Boys Baseball

Coach Steve Waller’s baseball team underachieved last year, but are coming this year with a strong cast of Seniors four of which lettered (an honor given to an outstanding player) since their Sophomore year, and 1 lettering since his Freshman year.
“The rest of the team will provide a steady base of support throughout our tough schedule.’ Waller said.

Waller also explained what they needed to do to have success this season.

“In order to reach our goals, we will need to develop a strong bond of team chemistry. In addition, strong pitching efforts, coupled by a solid defense and timely hitting will prove beneficial for our success this season.” Waller said.

He also said they will be traveling to a lot of interesting places, among them were competing in an 8-team tournament at O’ Fallon High School where they will face teams from Illinois and Missouri (they will face Normal West to start off the tournament). They will also play Bloomington High School at O’Brien Field in Peoria (where the Peoria Chiefs, a Minor League Baseball team plays).

So what about the rest of the schedule?

“The whole Big 12 conference will be a tough test for us as well as many non-conference opponents.”

The Tigers’ boys basketball team had their Senior Night on Friday evening vs. Normal Community in which the Ironmen (Normal) won 49-39. “It’s very disappointing,” said Senior Kyle Clevenger on the loss on Senior Night. “We fought in the first half, but the third quarter killed us.”

In the third quarter, after being tied up 23-23 at the half, Normal went on a 13-0 run to start the second half, and ended up having a 16-4 half.
“They started pounding it down low, and their size took over in the second half. I thought about it [doubling on # 32], but he [# 32] is a great shooter too,” said Head Coach Vashoune Russell after the game. “I don’t think they affected us much defensively. We were getting good looks, but we just couldn’t hit. In fact, I think all of the shots in the second half were good.”

Oscar’s Army sure had a lot to do with cheering and keeping the Tigers awake.”I believe it [Senior Night] made us cheer louder, since we are seniors and this is our last game, and we wanted to make it special for our players,” said Scott Johnson, of Oscar’s Army.

As side notes, Deonta Jones made Senior Night pretty memorable with a big game with 15 points (10 of 11 in free throws) and 5 rebounds, along with Brandon Glass, who had 10 points.

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

Javarius Gay had 14 points, Larry Green had 11 points, Laquan Grein chipped in with 10 points and Kyle Clevenger had 7 rebounds to lead Urbana (6-11, 2-5 in conference) past non-conference opponent Charleston High School 58-47 Tuesday night.

“I thought we executed well. The last three games including tonight we have executed well,” Head Coach Vashoune Russell said. “I think Charleston did a lot of good things, and had me second guessing a lot, but once we figured out what they were doing, we were able to come back.”

Charleston was leading 24-10 at one point in the second quarter but the Tigers’ defense heated up and Urbana went on a 20-2 run to lead at half time 30-26.

“The momentum started to change when we started knocking down shots and getting steals,” Russell said. “Javarius Gay had the first steal, Laquan Grein had the second steal and Lance Brown had the third steal, two of them converting for points.”

“It is a big win. We have two in a row with a very good chance to win against Danville. I think the team is playing with great confidence right now. Obviously Danville, and we turn around and play Mattoon, and comeback at home to play Centennial,” Russell said.

When you hear ‘9/11’, what do you think of? Where were you when it happened? That date has definitely left an indelible mark on all of us. Since the attack of September 11, 2001, we have been fighting a war to dismantle a terrorist group called Al-Quada (the people who organized the 9/11 attacks).  Here’s an overview of what happened there: the U.S. invaded Afghanistan (yes, they invaded Afghanistan before Iraq, to all the people who thought otherwise) to overthrow the Taliban and destroy the Al-Quada terrorist network it supported in response to attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 and other terrorist attacks in London, Bali, North Africa, Isalamabad and Kabul. These all built up and after the U.S. was attacked, they finally took action. Since then, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), under NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) leadership has worked to stabilize economic, political, and security conditions, for the growth of an effective, democratic national government in Afghanistan. Along with that, the U.S. and it’s allies continue to pursue Al-Quada.

“So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to dismantle, disrupt, and defeat Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future,” said President Obama, about the overall goal of the war. He then said that, as part of the first part of his new strategy, the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will meet regularly in a trilateral “dialog”, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary Gates leading their effort. “Together,” he said, “we must enhance intelligence sharing and military cooperation along the border, while addressing issues of common concern like trade, energy, and military development …To succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban’s gains, and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.”

The second part of Obama’s strategy is to train and increase the Afghan security force. That is when, Obama said, the Afghan people can take responsibility for securing their own country and the troops can come home. The U.S. is also looking to deploy 4,000 troops (of those 30,000) to train Afghan police forces, their army, and security forces later this spring.
“Every American unit in Afghanistan will be partnered with an Afghan unit, and we will seek additional trainers from our NATO allies to ensure that every one of their units has a coalition partner,” said Obama, detailing the second part of his plan for Afghanistan.

The third part of his plan he says is to increase the number of soldiers on ground to help the Afghan government serve its people. Those soldiers will probably be agricultural specialists and educators; engineers, and lawyers, to train the Afghan people.
“That is why we must seek civilian support from our partners and allies, from the United Nations, and international organizations–an effort Secretary Clinton will carry forward next week in the Hague.” President Obama said.

Finally, the last two parts of Obama’s strategic plan for Afghanistan are to increase budget for Inspector Generals in the State Department, USAID, and a Special Inspector General for Afghan reconstruction; he will set a new compact with the Afghan government that cracks down on corrupt behavior, and sets clear benchmarks for international assistance so that it is used to provide for the needs of the Afghan people. He also said that he wants the U.S. to work with local leaders, the Afghan government, and international partners to have a “reconciliation” process in every province, because of some Afghanistan people being coerced to take up arms.

So clearly, the President has a set plan; but can he stick to it and not doubt it? According to an OP- ED New York Times columnist Frank Rich he is not sending the amount of soldiers General Stanley McChrystal requested (up to 80,000 troops). Instead, he’s sending 30,000 American soldiers. So far, in my book, he is not sticking to it already. It’s hard to understand what he was thinking, I guess he either didn’t want to endanger that many lives, or he did not think he needed that many soldiers. President Obama also said that this is a just (meaningful) war, so if he thinks so, why is he not sending the maximum amount of soldiers the General asked for?

“Obama is in a tough spot; If he pulls the troops out, the Taliban will take over and they could launch another attack on the U.S. If they don’t send those troops in, we may lose the war,” said Mr. Pollock on the war. “I do not approve of his decision. I don’t think this war is winnable. #1 the Afghan government is not capable of governing and is corrupt, and #2 it’s really not worth the American lives being lost.”

I have decided against his decision of sending those troops in. Here’s why. The Afghanistan government, as Mr.Pollock and President Obama said, is corrupt. Obama said that they will complete a compact with the Afghan government to crack down on corrupt behavior. My challenge is, if it’s corrupt, how can you reason with that government? Also, to answer one of President Obama’s earlier remarks about Al-Quada attacking us, didn’t we improve our security after 9/11 drastically? Yes, there were those two idiots breaking into the White House, and that mini-war down in Fort Hood, Texas, courtesy of the so called “psychologist”. But we could easily improve our security again. And yes, Al-Quada could strike in other countries, but I’m leaving that one up to him.