Opinion

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) recently introduced then rescinded a new rule that requires all players to pass an oral English language test or face a suspension of their membership.

By the time students get to their senior year at Saratoga High School, they are worn out from the multitude of homework, SATs, and AP tests. These hardworking students are, as seniors, expecting some relaxation that comes with the perks of entering the final year of their high school career. One of the most fundamental things they expect out of their senior year is a prime parking spot—one of the coveted ones in the front of the school.

This year’s juniors, however, seem to have missed the memo and insist on taking spots designated for the weary senior class. This disregard for rules is forcing seniors to get to school earlier than ever before, not because they have last-minute theses to write or questions to ask, but because that is the only way to ensure getting their rightful parking space.

The Celebrate Saratoga Street Dance, a popular and well-received event by all of Saratoga, has been changed this fall to appeal more to an older population.

Celebrate Saratoga has been going on for 19 years, and last year entertained 30,000 people. It now will be called “Taste of Saratoga,” and will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sept. 20, a change in timing dictated by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce.

LPGA English-rule Controversy
By: Theresa Yeh
Word Count: 285

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) recently introduced then rescinded a new rule that requires all players to pass an oral English language test or face a suspension of their membership.

10. It ends conveniently at 6.
So you can still make Bingo at the community center.

9. Good opportunity to meet other people.
Be careful, though, old people are fragile.

8. The really good food stalls.
Who doesn’t like overpriced prune whip and Gerber’s mashed potatoes?

A student rushes to class after lunch and looks up at the sky to see a flock of seagulls circling the quad, waiting for a chance to fly down and devour the leftovers that are strewn across the concrete. Lowering his glance to ground level, the student slows his pace and looks around at the multiple lunch tables. There are recycling bins and trash cans beside every few tables, yet none of them are teeming with garbage. Instead, the garbage lies on the ground and on the tables, creating a tedious job for the custodians.

This daily occurrence is not inevitable or acceptable; the custodians, who already do enough service for the school, should not have to sort out garbage from the trash cans and the surrounding areas into recycling bins due to the carelessness of a student. Saratoga High should be kept in pristine condition to make for a healthier environment not just on campus, but also in the entire community.

Payment for academic success is nothing new. Countless students receive scholarships every year for their outstanding performance, and many Saratoga High students are rewarded with extra spending money for good grades. It would only be reasonable to extend these practices for students at traditionally low-scoring high schools to be rewarded with cash prizes for passing the Advanced Placement exams.

157 deaths for people ages 18-23 in six years. This statistic, as reported by the New York Times, shows the grim reality of binge drinking in America. College students here often find that while alcohol is a part of school culture and surrounds them from their freshman year on, national laws prevent them from drinking until they are 21. This often results in teens drinking far more to excess, leading to problems from drunken driving to alcohol poisoning.

In contrast, teenagers in Europe are allowed to experience their first taste of alcohol alongside their parents, either at family dinners or restaurants as drinking ages in Europe are usually 16 or 18 and are rarely enforced within the family. This more relaxed approach appears to be working: The concept of teens secretly drinking or binge drinking to get drunk is foreign to most European youth.

The lunch bell rings and the serenity of the campus is broken. Underclassmen rush to the cafeteria, hoping to grab a spot at the front of the lunch line to buy cookies before they run out. Most upperclassmen, who have the privilege to go off campus at lunch, drive themselves to local restaurants for their meals.

Or at least this is the way it used to be. A rise in gas prices seems to have encouraged more juniors and seniors to stay on campus, which causes frustratingly long lines and fewer eating areas. These crowded conditions have made lunchtime less enjoyable for many students.

As more upperclassmen remain on campus, many areas have become uncomfortably crowded. The lines leading to the cafeteria now extend farther into the quad, causing many students to waste their lunchtime waiting to buy food. These long lines tempt students to cut with their friends, thus making conditions even worse.

Six months ago, the name “Hillary Clinton” spurred cheers and tears of joy among crowds of hopeful Americans, as many citizens rooted for the first female president of the United States, and her nomination seemed inevitable. Fast-forward to May and the tide has turned; hope for the candidate has died to a couple of crossed fingers.

Rival democratic candidate Barack Obama is destined to become the nominee to face Republican candidate John McCain in November, bringing up the question whether Clinton played her cards right during this election.