Stop it. You're too old for this. (image via ehow.com)

I have determined that the most obnoxious people are those who feel entitled simply because they exist. They work for nothing, they expect everything, and rage when one has the audacity to not bend to their every will.

For example, there is this one guy I know who thinks he is God’s gift to everything and that he can do whatever he wants to whomever he wants whenever he wants. This kid is spoiled and entitled, and I honestly think he has never heard the word “no.” He gets mad when teachers ask him to do simple things like “homework,” or “stay awake in class,” or “be a useful member of society.” Instead of doing what he is supposed to do, he rails against them under the thin guise of “questioning authority” so people think he is deep and socially aware.    It’s really quite childish and annoying.

I know underclassmen who suffer from academic entitlement. They do nothing in their classes and expect a good grade simply for showing up (real talk: class participation is like…5 points every day. Miniscule).

In my work with underclassmen this year, I have heard many conversations that go something like this:

Student: “Why do I have an 8% in here? I show up to class!”

Teacher: “Well, you could turn in your work.”

Student: “Mmh, yeah, I don’t really want to do that…”

Teacher: “It looks like you haven’t turned in any of your projects. Even though they are late, that could bring up your grade.”

Student: “Yeah, well…I don’t like…want to do a project.”

I did a forensics piece this past year on “ego sheltering.” How parents and other adults never telling a kid “no” and letting them think that they are perfect and brilliant at everything proves detrimental later in life. I think these entitled kids are the result of parents trying to “be their kid’s best friend” and soccer teams that do not keep score. They are so used to getting their way that they do not know how to cope with the little “injustices” that life throws at them.

I’ve found that the world is full of people like this, I was just using these kids as examples. It feels as if society is crawling with little megalomaniacs who believe rules–both legal and social–do not apply to them. And when someone dares challenge this perception, they do not try to act kindly or even begin to consider others. They throw a tantrum.

How do we solve this problem? How do we end this epidemic of self centered, egotistical, entitled children? I don’t really know. It’s too late for my peers, but maybe we can save a generation.

Parents, please disappoint your children. Give them constructive criticism when it is warranted, don’t buy them everything they want, and teach them that they have to work to achieve their goals.

Seriously, the world does not need any more entitled children.

Two people in particular thought that being ignorant was fine, I’m not going to mention names but I will paraphrase what they said.

Person one said that to get terrorists off planes, airport security should throw bacon at people so that Muslims (who don’t eat pork) will not go to heaven and won’t commit terror acts.That doesn’t make any sense, but I guess that person wasn’t thinking logically anyway.

Person two said that maybe airplanes should have seats made out of pig leather so that Muslims just don’t get on airplanes.

Really now? I tried to say something, but we were about to start a test so I just kept quiet.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say though. First of all, Muslims don’t eat pork because we think it’s dirty and unhealthy. It’s not about smelling it or touching it or being near it. That’s just stupid. Point two is that who ever said that probably thought that all terrorists are Muslims which is not true. That’s giving in to stereotypes. I’ve been with these people for four years, yet they still think that most, or even all Muslims are terrorists. Which makes me feel a little confused.Was I supposed be a terrorist? Do people see me as one? Do people see all the Muslims in this school that way? I would hope not.

Also, you wouldn’t say that to a Jew, would you? The whole throwing pork at people thing. Jews are kosher too, so they don’t eat pork. So what if someone goes up to an Israeli Jew and says “Hey you know how we’ll get you guys to stop occupying Palestine? We’ll throw pork at you whenever you and your troops come to steal some land.” In no post Holocaust world would anyone say that to a Jewish person. But I guess saying it to a Muslim is ok because it makes some people feel more patriotic and American when they say stuff like that I guess.

So how about a rule to live by, huh. If you don’t know s*** , don’t say s***.

Griffin at a Bears scrimmage in 2009. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

With the second pick of the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III. Shocker right? The day has come where I like to believe that the Redskins are no longer the laughing stock of the NFC East.  First in our hearts and last in the division won’t be the saying this year as I’m calling a 10-6 season from the Skins.

As a fan looking back on last season, there is one gaping hole, the quarterback position.  Rex Grossman lived up to his name literally as I don’t believe I saw one promising moment with him last year along with his fellow backup John Beck.  RGIII is the answer to this problem with the Shanahan brothers, 40 percent of the playbook is for plays on the move.  At Baylor RGIII was a QB in the spread system as we all know.  A hurry up style that differs from any offense ran in the NFL, Griffin has to learn to make good choices.  He won’t have to make hard reads and go through his options like a typical offense set like most other teams have in the NFL.  Along with making the throws, the playbook also allows for Griffin to keep the ball and run the so called “option” off the weak-side tackle.

Teams are not going to know how to prepare for the Skins and RGIII.  Stack the box on the Skins and with the addition of Pierre Garcon, a speedy down field threat who caught nearly 60 passes last season for almost a 1,000 yards with a Peytonless Colts offense, Josh Morgan and Santana Moss, the Skins will burn you deep.  Match up on the outside and only bring five and the Skins will pound you with the running game of Roy Helu, a second year speed back out of Nebraska.

Lets not forget that last season the Skins were a Top 10 defensive team.  With arguably one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL with Fletcher, Riley, Orakpo and Kerrigan as the anchor of the D.  At times the Skins struggled defending the pass attack through the air and tackling as no one can forget Rob Gronkowski’s highlight reel on the Skins secondary, shedding tackler after tackler in route to the end zone.  To their defense though, they were very young.  Pro-Bowler DeAngelo Hall was the only Skin in that group to have had much playing time and experience at the NFL level.  I look for that to improve and if anything be the Skins weak point in a well rounded team.

The Heisman winner comes into D.C with the weight of an entire city on his back.  It has been ages since the people of Washington D.C have had any sports team to cheer for.  Griffin, in his rookie season, just needs to stay relaxed and can’t try and do too much. He just needs to let the game game to him as a rookie. The fans are looking to you to be the savior of a organization that has been in the dumps for years. The Skins have gone through quarterbacks like Greg Williams went through dollars in his bounty system  with the Saints.  The Skins gave up a lot for RGIII, but in the end I see it being worth it.  The RGIII to D.C train is rolling and it’s time for all the Skins fans to hop aboard.

But fear not friends, just because you’re not photogenic doesn’t mean you’re an unseemly, malformed troll-human who will inevitably die alone. In reality, there are so many factors that contribute to a person’s overall appearance (many of which have to do with personality and behavior) that a 2D image, sadly, cannot convey. For some of us, simply moving around or smiling naturally increases attractiveness by about a adslkfjillion percent.

All of this does not, however, change the fact that it sucks to be that one person who derps up the prom photo. If that’s you, I suggest that you write these down:

1. Always make weird faces in pictures. Always. People will assume you’re a natural jokester if you’re constantly sticking your tongue out and crossing your eyes. A great advantage of this funny-face maneuver is that nobody will have to know that your true picture persona has about five extra chins, ears that stick out like antennae, and facial blemishes that appear at the flash of a camera.

2. Stand next to the people that are even less photogenic than you are. Elbow your way past the beautiful picture people so you can stand next to the guy who always manages to have that really unfortunate pre-sneeze expression in photos, even when he isn’t sneezing, or the one who looks like a dinosaur. You’ll shine by comparison.

3. Sabotage the picture “by accident.” Sure, everyone groans when one person screws up the picture at the last minute by blinking or turning their head. However, if you pull this move twelve times in a row, eventually they’ll just crop you out.

4. Claim you can never be in any pictures, ever, because you’re a CIA operative hoping to one day occupy a covert position. This might not go over well when it comes time for yearbook photos or mug shots, but it’ll come in handy if you ever need to go into hiding and leave behind no evidence that you had ever existed. Better safe than sorry, as I always say. Plus, if you can pull it off, you’ll never have to feel the judging lens of a camera upon you ever again.

5. Suck it up and smile for the camera while secretly planning to either a) pickpocket the person’s camera and frantically delete the pictures, or b) untag yourself the minute those suckers pop up on Facebook.

Happy Prom season!

“The amount of money [raised] determines how much the scholarship is and how many we can give,”Jauan Brooks, an art teacher at HHS, said. Brooks with the National Art Honor Society and soup night have been able to hand out three scholarships so far. “

The scholarships go to a senior that has decided to include art in their future, not necessarily that they will major in art, but just that they decide art will always be a part of their lives,”Brooks explained.

that the majority of the soup bowls have been made by the National Art Honors Society members after school. Some bowls were donated from an alumni and the Rec Center. The National Art Honors Society had a lady donate over 100 bowls. Approximately 300 bowls of different shapes and sizes were available for the event.

Senior Bryan Chicas, who is president of the National Art Honors Society, was in charge of organizing soup night this year. Chicas found that organizing such a large event is hard work.

“I had to go around to businesses around town [to ask for donations.] We had been doing that since before spring break,” Chicas explained.

But the night was a success, with hundreds of people from through out the community in attendance. The National Art Honors Society plans to make next year even better.

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One of my favourite movies is The Lives of Others, which is about this couple in East Germany and the agent who was sent to spy on them by the Soviet government. It’s a really great, really tragic film. Somehow, this song reminds me of the film (despite the fact that Munich was West Germany, not East). I think it’s the bleak atmosphere, the high running emotions, and the powerful voice of the lead singer.

2.Immigraniada (We commin’ rougher) by Gogel Bordello

I looked the song up later and really listened to the lyrics. Somehow, they spoke to me. My dad is an immigrant, my friends have immigrant parents (or are immigrants themselves), I have family members who are immigrants. It really bothers me when people are so anti-immigrant, especially towards people who worked really hard to come to this country. I think this is a really powerful song and I love that Gogol Bordello is able to address something so important and political with such intelligence and finesse…and that you can still dance to it.

1. Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains)

The lyrics really apply to any young person, especially the typical discontent indie kid who can’t help but feel that there is more to life and is trying to find him/her self. “They heard me singing and they told me to stop. Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock.” “Can we ever get away from the sprawl?” “Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains.”

Whenever I feel bummed out or apathetic and no one else is around, I play this song really loud and immediately feel better.

This past year, it feels as though this song has been my background music for my life. End of the school year last year, leaving a worthless relationship, exiting after my scholarship interviews, after my last musical. It’s my exit music and plan on blasting it in my car on my last day of high school.

Honourable mentions to “Neighborhood number 2 (Laika)”, “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors,” “Black Coffee,” “Objects of my Affection”  and “Helplessness Blues.” They are all great songs and I love them.

ALSO: I will be graduating soon and no longer blogging on newsstreak.com. Expect a few more posts before the end of the year, though. I will still be blogging though at http://mydumbthoughtsblog.blogspot.com/ so feel free to follow me there. It will be even dumber than this one, I promise.

Storied, for those who missed it, detailed the story of three teenagers, lost in the simple act of wandering into a bathroom. The three leads, played by sophomores Daelynn McCleve and Tyler Edwards and junior Merrill Harmison, are embedded into a land in which any character ever written in a story and shared is given a living avatar. Good ideas become characters which are morally sound, and bad ideas become evil. Thus begins the plot: a battle of the creative versus the literarily unsound.

“I was looking for some kind of structure or dynamic that would allow me to play with as many toys from the toy box as possible. Going with a world populated by pre-existing characters… that allowed me to do that,” Walton said.

This “dynamic” even allowed for Walton to give Javert from HHS’s performance of Les Miserables a short reappearance. Alex Hunter-Nickels, who played the part, reprised for only a short minute, but enjoyed being part of the production.

“At first, I wasn’t sure about the play, but when I saw the second half, it totally tangled my mind. I thought it was very well put together and pretty funny too. It was really a cool production to be part of,” Hunter-Nickels said.

The play was produced successfully, as its actors and its audience will tell you. Several actors and its writer are already prepared for next year, and its next play.

“Everything went as planned on stage, which made me happy. I really want to do this again next year,” said Harmison.

Audience members shared similar appreciation for the play.

“It was a good play, I wish Paul Hairston had made his way into it, but it really was a quality production,” sophomore Bailey Swayne said.

The above appraised commented on the value of the play himself, especially noting the memetic quality with which Walton has used toilets in most of his plays, including this one, in which a toilet played the unlikely villain.

“The repeated toilet theme… It’s very Hitchcockian. Hitchcock had his cameos, and Walton has his toilets. I like it,” Hairston said.

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Fill out your will and the Newsstreak will put it in its last issue!

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DiNapoli sticks to the truest American ideals.

Junior Ben DiNapoli received good news last Friday, April 20th. He was elected SCA president for the 2012-2013 school year. The news came after a day of voting, where underclassmen would go vote during their lunch periods for those they thought were suitable candidates.

“I was very excited when I first heard the news,” DiNapoli said. “I couldn’t really celebrate because all the other candidates were also in the room and I didn’t want to be rude.”

DiNapoli says that being elected means a lot to him and that being an SCA president means having responsibility.

“Now I have to represent the school. I have to act that way out of school and inside,” DiNapoli explained.

DiNapoli wanted to be president so that he could rally students and make them involved in school activities.

“I want to reach out to people and make them more involved in activities. That’s why I want to have class wars. The idea started two years ago with another SCA president, but it didn’t follow through. That’s my promise,” DiNapoli said.

Having a campaign promise wasn’t the only strategy DiNapoli used to win the SCA election. DiNapoli woke up early every morning so that he arrived before the buses did and gave out cookies to possible voters and underclassmen.

“I wanted to meet as many people as possible. I hit the bus crowd and the underclassmen, who are very important,” DiNapoli said.

DiNapoli is getting ready for next year’s responsibility by talking to current SCA president William Imeson.

“William’s teaching me his ways,” DiNapoli said. “He’s passing along his wisdom.”

DiNapoli is very happy that the student body showed faith in his abilities and hopes that he can fulfill his promise for a spectacular upcoming school year.