“Rumor” has it that the play “Harvey” was not the first choice that CHS was going to host. The original choice for the fall play was to be “Rumors” by Neil Simon. The reason for the new choice was due to the profanity of the “Rumors” play. When Bruce Bordner (English), one of the directors of the school play, decided to make the script more suitable for a school environment and for the community by simply removing the profanity, he was denied the use of the play. Concord would have been breaking the law if anything was edited out of the script. Simon wanted the play to be acted out as is, even though there are numerous curse words that he believes add to the emotion and effect of it.

“I thought that the play was just as good with out the curse words,” Bordner said. “I just wanted something that was school appropriate, whereas “Rumors” was filled with inappropriate language for a high school stage. It doesn’t need offensive language to put on a good show. I think all it does is detract from the acting. People can express themselves with out profanity. This play was marketed as a potential high school show. It really just makes me think, ‘what has high school come to?’”

Though a new and more school appropriate play has already been chosen, some of the cast members still have their opinions on the inconvenient situation.

“I honestly think that the changes are much better and that the audience will still get a great laugh,” Peyton Roberts (11) said.

“In the play ‘Rumors’ it seemed like everyone had more even parts than in the new one,” Melissa Farris (12) said.

“I think that in the play ‘Harvey,’ the cast members have much more of a chance to act because there is more feeling,” Fernando Gonzalez (12) said. “In “Rumors”, it was more of just punch-line, punch-line, punch-line. In ‘Harvey,’ the characters grow through out the show.”

The fall play this year is a classic comedy created by Mary Chase in 1996 called “Harvey” that consists of mystery, suspense, surprise and those ‘no way’ moments. In the play, a young man named Elwood believes there is a rabbit named Harvey that he has befriended. The strange thing about Harvey is that no one else has ever seen him. While Elwood’s parents and sister are fed up with his ‘imaginary friend,’ they decide it is best for him to be admitted into some type of home where he can overcome this obstacle in his life. It is not too long before people begin to believe that Harvey may actually be real. The play will draw in your attention with all of its twists.

The fall play will be presented on November 6-8 at 7 P.M. in the BPAC. Tickets will be sold $6 for adults, $5 for students, and $5 for senior citizens.

Kate Kilgore

Over this past summer, some vacationed; others worked or just sat around gaining weight. This summer Matthew Schrock (mathematics teacher) walked. After school days last year, Schrock would power walk with his posse through the school hallways. When teachers were packing up getting ready for their summer after the school year was over, Schrock continued his journey into weight loss on his own.

“I walked abut 700 miles this summer. I walked no more than five and no less than three miles a day.” Schrock said. “I also rode my bike about five miles a day, but I did that for not even half the summer because I had the same bike since I was ten years old. I went and bought a new one because I’m not the same as I was when I was ten.”

The power walking posse consists of Matthew Schrock, Jennifer Kunkle (mathematics), and Craig Shafer (mathematics), which has recently taken Layla Wirt’s (English) spot in the posse.

“It is really fun,” Kunkle said. “We motivate each other and just go at a good pace.”

Schrock has had a miraculous change in appearance. Not only did he walk his weight off; he has made some decisions to change his eating habits. While eating the same things that Schrock enjoys, he eats smaller portions to. He also eats more times in a day than he used to. This is what has helped Schrock in his goal to maintain weight loss. This is not the first time that Schrock has managed to lose weight by walking with power.

“I have done this before, but not with this degree of success,” Shrock said. “I am going to try to keep my weight the same now.”

Power walking is very convenient. It can be done at almost anytime at any place. Compared to running, power walking burns just about the same as running and it is easier on joints. The amount of calories one loses is not so much based on how quickly you achieve your work out process, it is all about how long and how far you do it for. In doing this type of work out, extra gear is not needed to be achieved; though gear could be added if desired. People walk every day. It’s also been shown in studies that taking a powered walk for around 45 minutes more than three times a week can boost memory, make it easier to sleep, sharpen judgment, relieve tension, reduce stress, and so much more. If everyone would just add a little ‘umph’ to it, weight loss would be happening all over the place.

Kate Kilgore

At last Friday’s game against Goshen, CHS experienced some vandalism. The official Concord rock was painted red and was posted with Goshen high school’s motto.

Last year, vandalism was not a problem at CHS. The lack of vandalism may have been due to the head football captains taking the liberty to talk on Concord Live. The captains explained to the student body that vandalism is unwanted and it is not what the game is about. Other schools acted similarly, informing their students of what was and was not appreciated for a game.

“I hope that it won’t continue to happen,” Dave Preheim (athletic director) said. “I’m hoping the kids will make good choices.”

In previous years, CHS has burned a large “C” into Jimtown’s field, and Jimtown has spray-painted Concord’s press box, among other things. There has been a rumor going around that if CHS and Jimtown have vandalism-related problems again this year they will no longer play against each other due to previous mishaps.

“I would say that is strictly a rumor,” Tim Dawson (dean of students) said. “There has been vandalism done, but we usually find that it isn’t anyone from either team and that it is a student not in the program.”

School spirit may be getting out of hand at many schools. Damaging property is a step that most do not want taken. A high school game is about entertainment for a community and for enjoyment of student participants.

Students that are responsible for the damage to school property have to pay for what they have vandalized and have to deal with not only school discipline, but with the law as well.

Kate Kilgore

The CHS “Go Green” campaign the lunchroom has caused some confusion of what the purposes really are. Students have to go to the silver window to dispose of their lunch remains rather than just placing it in the normal garbage cans. When some students heard that they needed to travel to the silver window to place their garbage they had no idea what it was or where it was; though it has been there since the school was built.

The school is conserving garbage bags and time by sorting the remains of student’s lunches. In previous years every lunch ended with around 15 to 20 bags of garbage. Now, each lunch ends with around 3. This saves the lunch ladies time and saves some money in garbage bags.

“The students are responding incredibly well,” Renee’ Cocanower (assistant principal) said. “To recycle the trays would just be gross. Even after they are dumped, there is still gunk on them. Yes, there is a smaller amount of trash bags being used but good effort in cooperation is what we are pleased with.”

Some CHS students have their own view of the new silver window policy.

“I like that they are doing it, I just think they should have some trash cans,” Laken Fordyce (12) said. “They should have trash cans for maybe the little things that way I don’t have to get up and go all the way over to the window just to throw away a chip bag or a gum wrapper.”

Right now the possibility of more lunchroom changes is being explored.

                                                                                                                                                                               Kate Kilgore

There have been some mistakes on the schedules this year. What had happened was the unfilled areas in the personal sections of the schedules were being filled with incorrect information. Some students began to notice the mistakes during the freshman orientation on the 19^th of this month. Parents were concerned and approached Cathy Conrad (data processor) complaining of the incorrect information. Conrad realized that there must be some sort of glitch after about the third complaint.

The cause of these problems may have been the change in software. There has recently been an update with the software that the schedules are produced with. It is probable that is the reason for the mishap.

The issue has now been fixed. It did not take long for the situation to be taken care of.

“It was a quick fix really,” Cathy Conrad (data processor) said. “What took a long time was reprinting the schedules.”

The new schedules were successfully distributed to all of the students and it is hoped that this will not be a reoccurring problem in the following years.

                                                                                                                                          Kate Kilgore

January is the first month of the year that smacks you across the face letting you realize what all happened the year before. January is the most depressing month of the year, according to U.K. psychologist Dr. Cliff Arnall. Maybe it is because people know that in the next month they will not have a valentine on Valentine’s Day. Maybe people are depressed because they spent New Year’s alone. Some realize that they have to go another year without someone they love or go on with the same issues being dealt with during the previous year. Some just do not think their trials and tribulations will ever diminish.

Not only is January the most depressing month of the year, but January 24 is known to be the most depressing day of the year, according to Arnall in an interview with MSNBC. He has done research and even made a formula to calculate why the 24th is the most depressing day. The formula is: [W+(D-d)]xTQ

                                                       MxNA

The variables represent: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed to quit something attempt, (M) low motivational levels, and (NA) the need to take action. Having a formula for the reason why everyone has depression can not be completely true. Everyone is different and has different reasons why they are depressed. Therefore, the formula must be flawed and can not refer to everyone.

In January, it is gloomy outside, the sun is not out all that much and the sky is a dull grayish color. It is slushy cold, and there is not a whole lot to be happy about weather-wise. The weather is a damper on happiness. It may have a negative effect because if it rains, one may not get to go sledding as planned. If the roads are too bad one might not be able to go where one had planned because the weather is holding them back from having fun or getting things done. Depressing weather can equal sad people. There seems to be less daytime in January. It appears to stay dark longer and grow dark earlier. If it is a bright and sunny day, it is much more difficult to be depressed. On a dark and somewhat lifeless day, it is much easier to be sad or upset.

            January is also known for the month that most people go tanning. People tan because they are not satisfied with their current skin tone. Being satisfied with one’s outward appearance is very rare. One always seems to find something wrong with them or something that they would like to change about the way they look. Tanning may happen so often in the most depressing month because it is a stress reliever. A very special friend of mine likes to go tanning to relieve her stress. She thinks it is a magnificent way to get happier. A tanning bed is like a coffin where you can place your problems and just leave them there. When someone goes tanning, that person is isolated in a lit box of sunshine. As said before, it is harder for someone to be upset when things are bright. They have time to think and relax. Having time to think things over is great for a person that needs to sort things out and think things through. When they are done tanning, they come out refreshed and feeling better about themselves now that they have a tan.

            January is known to be the time for most people committing suicide and going tanning. The two seem to be very different subjects. Knowing that the most they both happen is around the same time of the year shows that they are related in a way. This way is that people tan due to their depression of their unsatisfactory of their outward appearance and that January’s weather and smack in the face is depressing.                         

                                                            Kate Kilgore

The game of chess is a game that needs concentration. Getting into the position of check or checkmate has to be a plan. Every move has to be thought out appropriately. The object of the game is to conquer the opponents’ king by getting a checkmate. It can be a difficult task. Some may have a sort of game strategy, and others may just be clueless.

            Saturday, there was a chess tournament. The tournament is a time consuming event. It consists of distributing and observing. It is not a simple game. Some of the students here at CHS have achieved trophies for their skills at playing chess. Ken Bauer (10) received a second place trophy for his chess playing abilities.

            “It was shiny,” Bauer said. “I have been playing since the seventh grade. When I joined, I didn’t even know how to play.”

            The tournament lasted around several hours. There are five rounds. That means that each game lasted around one hour and twenty-four minutes. That shows just how much thinking is involved in this game.

            The CHS students meet up with the CJHS students to go to tournaments and such. The reason for that is because the whole chess team originated at the junior high. There is a chess club for students to sign up at CJHS. They have competitions and tournaments. It is an experience.

 Kate Kilgore

            The German classes are making videotapes of themselves speaking German. The students had to create a skit including a doctor and a patient. K8 smells like butt.The main studies in Marlies Leszczynskis’ (German teacher) class are in the medical area. Marlies wanted the students to put their knowledge of German vocabulary into their skit. Not only that, but she wanted the students to act out their skit as a type of kinesthetic learning.

            “Right now, we are ‘playing doctor’,” Leszczynski said. “They are putting what they have learned into citations. I had them videotape it because for some reason everyone likes to see themselves on camera.”

            The students in Leszczynskis’ class are learning more about how to converse in the German language. She puts them in situations that they will have to know what they are saying and how they will have to change articles and conjunctions. For instance, asking, “Where do you live?” in German would be “Wo wohnst du?” which means “Where lives you?”

            “We are taping ourselves to see how we are with fluency,” Danielle Lane (11) said.

            Videotaping a skit and observing one’s mistakes for themselves is a very interesting way to learn. It is not just a teacher telling someone what they did wrong. It is someone seeing their own mistakes and figuring out what they did incorrectly.

            “The way Frau (Marlies) teaches is she puts us in situations,” Daniel Eichorst (10) said. “It is unlike any other class.”

Kate Kilgore