Getting ready is long process for girls

Story by Elliot Hughes
Uuuuh, huh. Suuuuure. One minute? Okay.  All you have to do is find the right shoes that match? Riiiiight… I’ll just go ahead and make myself comfortable while I slowly die of old age. read more

Erdmann explains girls need for time

Story by Sarah Erdmann
We both dread the sound of an alarm in the morning and are expected in homeroom promptly at 7:40, but for boys and girls the similarities stop there.  To show you the difference between the male and female procedure of getting ready in the morning, I will take you through the steps. read more

Staff Editorial

As PHS students drive merrily to school in the morning, they are eagerly looking forward to a day of learning.  The sun is shining and there are smiling faces in every car until they turn into the school parking lot.
  
Single rows of cars, triple rows of cars, cars parked in a zigzag line, cars parked in between invisible lines, cars parked sideways and cars upside down!  Ok, maybe not upside down, but you get our point.  It is complete and utter chaos in that rectangular concrete field.  The simple task of parking your car has become quite the problem at PHS this past year. 
  
While there is three inches of solid ice and snow preventing the lines from being seen, it isn’t that hard to guess where one must stop.  Maybe it is the lack of driving experience the students possess, but why is it so difficult?  There are three main ideas to follow when parking in the lot.
  
Number one, do not park someone in.  The rows are made for two cars and it is a terrible feeling to know that you are stuck at school until the idiot who parked you in leaves.  Along with this rule, even if you believe you are in your own row, make sure there is enough space for you to back up or pull forward out of that space.  There is nothing more frustrating than backing up, going forward, backing up and going forward for twenty minutes until you are able to weasel your way out. 
  
Number two, NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE PARK SIDEWAYS!  It is a waste of car space and when it is negative degrees outside, the closer to the school, the less time in the cold, the happier everyone is.  Pathetic as it may seem to mention this, there has been many occasions where this has happened.     
  
Finally, do not make your own parking spot right next to the walkway.  It is inconsiderate to those who are made to walk through the three feet of snow.  This also blocks other cars from being able to drive through, which poses a problem because how else will people exit the lot? (Not to mention even ENTER the lot.) No matter how late you are or are going to be, don’t make up your own “special spot.”

Important for teens to Rock the Vote

Story by Kristin Sippel   
Tuesday Nov. 4, 2008.  Mark this date on your calendar.  This is the day you get to decide who will be the next president of the United States.  This is the date when everyone needs to get up, get out and Rock the Vote! read more

Senior release preferable over study halls

Story by Richard Merz
Everyday at two o’clock, I run out the doors to my car.  How do I do that?  I have senior release for mods 16 and 17. read more

Self-evaluations: good idea

Story by Ty Schneider
The general idea of school is students perform an educational task such as homework or tests and the teacher will give the students a grade.  These days, things are different. read more

Connor relates to the political viewpoints of the Democrats

Story by Emily Connor
As the 2008 election draws near, citizens who cast a ballot for any candidate find themselves siding with a certain party.  Although I would never say that a vote for a certain party is correct for every election, I have found my own values and opinions are very close to that of the Democratic viewpoints. read more

Merz says Republicans' ideas are best fit for the Oval Office

Story by Richard Merz
In my opinion a Republican is the best choice for political office.  With this story I am not endorsing any candidate in the 2008 election.  I am speaking with regard to traditional Republicans and Conservatives. read more

Reality TV is garbage; doomed to be a failure

Story by Martin Crownover
Reality TV: I hate it.  It is a virus, slowly killing out “real” television shows.  I am no expert on TV and I have not regularly watched it in a couple years, so I decided to research and interview some professional television watchers.  read more

Mainstream movies do not have enough quality to be Oscar winners

Story by Casey Mourlam
The Oscars, a night full of glitz and glamour, has honored some of the greatest films of all time.  Recently, the Oscars have been under scrutiny because many people believe the awards are not rewarding the mainstream movies. read more

Voices in the Hall read more

Letter to the Editor

The article in the last issue of Hi-Lights by Richard Merz on the separation of church and state was, to me, quite well written, but there are a couple of things I think should be clarified.
  
First, the religious freedom each of us has as Americans cuts two ways.  We’re free to practice whatever religion we choose and we’re also free to not practice any religion at all.  In that sense we are, in effect, “free from religion.”
  
Second, the law of our land isn’t simply “majority rule.”  The majority has more power, without a doubt, but the individual rights of each person moderate its powers.  If, for example there was a majority of people who believed that the official religion of the United States should be Buddhism, majority status does not trump the Constitution.  By the same token, for example, if a majority of people believed men who wear pink shirts should be imprisoned, their majority status does not trump the individual right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Constitutions can be amended and laws can be changed through varying degrees of majority, but care was given by the founding fathers to make Constitutional amendments require very strong majorities (three-fourths of the states) out of concern for, among other things, moderating the power the majority can wield.  They wisely realized that what’s right isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always right.
  
Personally, I am not religious, but it also does not bother me that the religion of others is present in the public places of everyday life.  I do not feel the need to see my lack of religious belief expressed or codified in public places and the fact that I’m in the minority because I’m non-religious doesn’t worry me the slightest.  The validation of my beliefs by others on this matter is not something I seek.  While I would prefer that more people wear their religious beliefs or lack thereof in their pocket (as I do) as opposed to on their sleeves, it remains merely my preference, not something I expect or want to see written into law or anything more permanent.