Trends: Good or Bad

    The other day, as I was pulling up to Harmony Co-Op in downtown Bemidji, I heard a familiar song on the radio. The radio station was playing "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, an artist who for years has been fairly unknown in America. At first I didn't think much of it, but now I hear people around school, people who had disliked his music, singing his music. Those who criticized him before he became famous, are now singing and claiming they love Gotye. This is an example of how fast a new trend can set in and dominate the minds of many. These trends not only cause people to be just like others around them, but it can also damage musicians carreers.

    When artists such as Gotye become mainstream, they tend to take a turn for the worse. The pressure put on these artists by the media, and the ever growing fan base causes them to try harder and harder to make new music that was better than their previous tracks. The new music produced usually doesn't meet the high expectations put there by the new listeners, so they are pushed aside and replaced. People move on to another band and the cycle continues. This is the case with bands such as The Neon Trees, The Maccabees, and many other bands of the sort.

    Trends in music, although commonly accepted and sought after, are in my opinion, something that is destroying the diversity of society. A large number of people in this world strive to follow these trends and often lack individuality due to the fact that they try so hard to fit in with the majority.

    I see people who follow these trends as somewhat hypocritical as well. Before a certain band or style of clothing becomes popular, it is often made fun of by the same people who are so quick to jump on the band-wagon as soon as these styles become famous. People who enjoy certain things before they are well known are often mocked, in my opinion, because others are jealous and need to degrade them inorder to make themselves feel good.

    When artists such as Gotye become mainstream, they tend to take a turn for the worse. The pressure put on these artists by the media, and the ever growing fan base causes them to try harder and harder to make new music that was better than their previous tracks. The new music produced usually doesn't meet the high expectations put there by the new listeners, so they are pushed aside and replaced. People move on to another band and the cycle continues. This is the case with bands such as The Neon Trees, The Maccabees, and many other bands of the sort.

    So for these reasons, I believe that trends are something that should be viewed differentally than they are today. They shouldn't be seen as something that makes you cool just for liking them, they should instead be viewed as something that lacks character and individuaity. People should try to accept bands and their music for what it is and not push them aside as soon as they release one bad track. People need to be their own person and not let the majority influence them in such a way that they change who they are because something is popular.

school cliques...

 I think that school social cliques  are very harmful to all people. They put people in specific groups, and some people will not  participate with other groups. Some of the most popular groups  at Trek North are The Skiers, Skaters, Geeks, OAP kids, SLP kids, and Runners. The problem is that groups can cause  people to feel left out. 

I think away to avoid groups is just hanging out with all different type of people, and not care about the group thing. One of the things I like about Trek North is that there are groups, but you see people hanging out with people that you might not expect. You don't see people getting picked on here because of the group that they are in. At Trek, we have OAP and SLP trips that people go on and it brings people closer to each other.

Ben Rudnick

Visual Art...

Visual Art is an amazing way to express oneself through many different styles and techniques, such as, painting, drawing, and sculpting. Not only do I enjoy drawing, but I also enjoy learning how to improve my art skills. Drawing is not only my escape from reality, it is a wonderful stress reliever. When I’m drawing, I’m in a whole new and different world, nothing else seems to matter. Drawing is very calming and relaxing.

Some people are born with a natural talent for art, while others can easily develop skills necessary for a great artist. I think everyone has potential. There are many people who absolutely hate art. One of the reasons why people might hate art is simply because they don’t think they’re any good at it. I’m sure many great artists weren’t very good at art either, but they practiced, slowing but surely developing many skills along the way. I’m not trying to force anyone to like art, I’m simply saying to give art a try. Overall, I love visual arts and find it very joyful.

KB

What do you think about the effects of media?

Now, we all know that we can’t escape from media. It’s everywhere around us, surrounding us, dictating our lives. It also comes in many forms including billboards, magazines, and commercials. Media and society tells us, as human beings, what we should do, what we should look like, what products we should buy and how we should act. 

However, these ways are not always healthy ones that are being promoted. The best interests of the people at hand are more of the money being made than the benefit of the users. Media can make people feel like they have to act or look a certain way to be accepted. Because it surrounds us, we become accustomed to it and comply with it in order to fit in with those around us. Another thing to keep in mind when faced with advertising, is that the majority of people tend to believe and remember what they read or see. For example, if someone sees a commercial advertising a product that will make you ‘feel better than ever before’ or whatever the company claims, they will think that they need that and go out and purchase it. 

Now, because media is unavoidable, we have to learn to differentiate between the true and the fake. Some advertisements can convey reliable, helpful information to the public whereas others not so much. If you are unsure about something you see or hear, research it and broaden your mind with the facts, not just the selling tactics. 

Remember, don’t believe everything you read. 

-FB

What do I think?

When someone asks me what I think of something, I immediately think of memories from my childhood. I remember that the few times every couple of years that we came to various places in America, I was recurrently asked, “What do you think of…?” Whether it was an attempt to document out family vacations or to preserve the funny sayings of our childhood, my mother would sometimes ask what my sister and I thought of things- American things. Then, she would scribble down any memorable thing we said. After living overseas my entire life, I was quite oblivious to everyday aspects about living in the United States. Not general things, like better infrastructure or road signs being in the English language, but just little things. For instance, the average American would walk in to Wal-Mart being completely unexcited, but when we even had the chance to visit any superstore, we would rush in and stare at all the colors commenting on the decidedly exceptional amount of products. 

So, when moving back to the States, if our plan was to try to avoid culture shock, then staying in Los Angeles for the first few weeks was probably not the best choice. Because of Disneyland’s extreme plastic production and entertainment methods, and the city’s inconspicuous consumerism, we were slightly overwhelmed by everything.  I mean it was a very exciting visit, but it was like an extraordinary crash course in acculturation. Landing in the airport I recall wondering out loud when Diet Sprite came out and my sister running up to a vending machine and saying, “People sell electronics in here now?” However, not just products are different in the States, water is different. People don’t drink the sink water in Mongolia; they don’t want to get sick.

Consequently, I was looking forward to being able to drink sink water. And my sister, who at the time forgot it was okay to do so, gasped and said something along the lines of “Kalli! What are you doing? You can’t drink that, remember?”

Now, in hindsight, I can see how comical our situation would have been to an onlooker. I’ll admit, I still enjoy pressing the button in a functional elevator or using the common, developed-country conveniences like a water fountain. 

-KW

Trends: Good or Bad

    The other day, as I was pulling up to Harmony Co-Op in downtown Bemidji, I heard a familiar song on the radio. The radio station was playing "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, an artist who for years has been fairly unknown in America. At first I didn't think much of it, but now I hear people around school, people who had disliked his music, singing his music. Those who criticized him before he became famous, are now singing and claiming they love Gotye. This is an example of how fast a new trend can set in and dominate the minds of many. These trends not only cause people to be just like others around them, but it can also damage musicians careers.

    When artists such as Gotye become mainstream, they tend to take a turn for the worse. The pressure put on these artists by the media, and the ever growing fan base causes them to try harder and harder to make new music that was better than their previous tracks. The new music produced usually doesn't meet the high expectations put there by the new listeners, so they are pushed aside and replaced. People move on to another band and the cycle continues. This is the case with bands such as The Neon Trees, The Maccabees, and many other bands of the sort.

    Trends in music, although commonly accepted and sought after, are in my opinion, something that is destroying the diversity of society. A large number of people in this world strive to follow these trends and often lack individuality due to the fact that they try so hard to fit in with the majority.

    I see people who follow these trends as somewhat hypocritical as well. Before a certain band or style of clothing becomes popular, it is often made fun of by the same people who are so quick to jump on the band-wagon as soon as these styles become famous. People who enjoy certain things before they are well known are often mocked, in my opinion, because others are jealous and need to degrade them inorder to make themselves feel good.

    When artists such as Gotye become mainstream, they tend to take a turn for the worse. The pressure put on these artists by the media, and the ever growing fan base causes them to try harder and harder to make new music that was better than their previous tracks. The new music produced usually doesn't meet the high expectations put there by the new listeners, so they are pushed aside and replaced. People move on to another band and the cycle continues. This is the case with bands such as The Neon Trees, The Maccabees, and many other bands of the sort.

    So for these reasons, I believe that trends are something that should be viewed differentally than they are today. They shouldn't be seen as something that makes you cool just for liking them, they should instead be viewed as something that lacks character and individuaity. People should try to accept bands and their music for what it is and not push them aside as soon as they release one bad track. People need to be their own person and not let the majority influence them in such a way that they change who they are because something is popular.

-HB

If the Timberwolves want to be a force in the NBA...

Ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics before the 2007-08 regular season, they have been a disappointment in the NBA.  The main reason for this is because this team is filled with young, inexperienced players who couldn’t lead their team to success.  This season they  won over half of their 44 games with their dazzling passes and newly found athleticism;  hope is starting to join the Wolves’ path.  But, there is always room to improve.  There are three main solutions:  move Derrick Williams to small forward, find a way to win without Rubio, and trade some players.

Derrick Williams, a former Arizona Wildcat, is 6’8’’, 240 pound power forward.  This is a generally big size for the small forward and small for the power forward.  The problem with his current position is mainly this:  he plays the same position as star Kevin Love, who the powerhouse for the Timberwolves.  With his crazy athleticism, he definitely could play small forward and have a size advantage over most small forwards in the NBA.  The only disadvantage is that he would be defending superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.  But if Derrick Williams works on his outer jump shot and defense, he could be a star in the future.

Ricky Rubio has had a sensational rookie season average 10.6 points per game and 8.2 assists per game.  Unfortunately, the young Spaniard tore his ACL screening Kobe Bryant against the Los Angeles Lakers.  His dazzling style of play was key in the TImberwolves’ offense.  If Luke Ridnour works on his mid-range jump shot and Jose Barrea works on his passing, the Timberwolves can definitely make the Playoffs.

There are two players whose style of play don’t do the TImberwolves’ much good:  Michael Beasley and Darko Milicic.  Beasley isn’t mature enough to improve his mid-range jumper (which he seems to shoot EVERY possession he has the ball). Milicic has not lived up to the #2 Pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by fouling too much and missing several close shots.  If we trade these two players for a viable player, such as Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard, the Timberwolves would be a much better team.  They could also sign free agent Gilbert Arenas by trading Luke Ridnour, adding a good shooter to the back-court.

The Timberwolves’ definitely are not a perfect team, but they could if they took my advice.  This young team could easily win over 50 percent of their games with my suggestions, possibly making a huge impact in the NBA.

~Chamalmy

Snowskate?

You’re carving down a hill at 20 mph when you nail a ramp and catch massive air. Oh snap!!! You’ve landed sideways and the back of your head gets whiplashed to the ground against the icy surface! I want my mommy! is probably what you’re thinking at this moment. 

           Have you ever compared the advantages of snowskating to snowboarding? If not, let me tell you that there are lots of things that you can do on a snowskate that you can’t do on a snowboard.

There are many problems when it comes to snowboarding. (And, I snowboard too, so I am not dissing on boarding.) For one,if you bail on a rail (teehee that rhymes), you are probably going to end up with a split lip that will bleed all over the freshly groomed snow and you will most likely be thinking, “I just want to quit snowboarding.”

Now, a snowskate is just like a skateboard that you use in the snow,except you don’t really even need a hill like a snowboard. All you need is a parking lot (or any spot you like) after a good snowfall.  I think you have a lot more freedom on a snowskate than a snowboard like fliptricks and grabs you wouldn’t  have even imagined doing on a snowboard. And, you have that skateboarding feeling, with no bindings you can just wear skate shoes.                                                                                  

Now, if you had bailed on that same rail with a snowskate, you could have moved your legs freely and landed soundly on your tootsies without that split lip.  What do you think?

ELASH

Kony 2012

     In Africa, there is currently a very large army known as the LRA led by Joseph Kony. This army consists mainly of abducted children. Kony takes children from their homes and makes them mutilate faces, and even kill their own parents and siblings. His army covers most of Uganda, and is now spreading to the borders of neighboring countries. Kony has shown up for multiple “peace talks” in Juba, Sudan, and has disappeared five times before he could sign a peace treaty. He's still out there, now one of the top criminals in the world, and is still harming the children he captures.

     There is a group in the United States that seeks to stop this madness. They're known as Kony 2012. Their goal is to stop Joseph Kony by the end of the year. They've talked to the United States government multiple times, only to have soldiers sent out and then called back before Kony could be caught.

     The government won't send more people over to help because they believe the people of the United States don't know what's going on. This made Kony 2012 even more determined to get their message out to the rest of the country. One of the founders of the group, Jason Russell, has made a video about the group and the children in Africa, known as the Invisible Children, who are suffering. This video has gone viral and is still spreading fast. The video informs people of the injustice happening in Africa. It also asks for people to help, and shares how you can help.

     There are many ways one can help. One of which is to visit the Invisible Children website and send messages to the specific celebrities and politicians listed there. Another way to help is to go online and print off posters to participate in Kony 2012's next event, Light Up The Night. This project will be on April 20th, all night. The goal is to cover cities with Kony 2012 posters and get the message out.

     Kony 2012 is an amazing cause, and more people should become involved. I believe that children shouldn't have to be afraid of the night. If we get enough people involved, I think think it is possible to stop Kony by the end of the year.

-LiSo

My opinion on homework.

  I think that homework is very pointless and takes up time that us teenagers need for more important things, such as tuning up their gaming skills. I mean seriously, if you want to give us students extra work just make the school day longer! Its not impossible to do that, seriously Obama wanted to. . . . Not  that it would pass at any time.  .  .  . 

    Another reason to stop assigning homework is because it mentally drains kids, especially teenagers. I’m gonna actually start a petition against homework! My main reason to do this is because homework stinks! That is my opinion. 

DJ Pierce

Women's Rights

I do not think that women should have to be restricted on whether or not they should have a child. Not all women are prepared to have a child, mentally or physically. No matter what case, a woman should be able to have the choice to abort or not. It's no one's choice, but the woman's and her doctor. Yes, abortion is very ''cruel", but not all women try to get pregnant, and no one should have to go through labor or surgery if they do not want to. There are a lot of risks when it comes to birth. Some women may get pregnant, but their body's can not handle it. If their life is on the line, then the option of abortion should be acceptable. There are MANY pros and cons to abortion but when it comes down to it no MAN should have the right to tell a WOMAN she can't have an abortion.

HK

what do you think about same-sex marriage?

Marriage: The social institution under which a man and [a] woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies,... (Defined by Dictionary.com)

What do you consider marriage? Is it the love between a man and woman? Or can it be the love between any two people? Do you think that any two people in the world can love one another whether it be two men, two women, a man and a women or,a white woman and a black man? Should marriage be offered to anyone and everyone?

 It doesn’t matter if a white man marries a African-American woman, nor does it matter if a 27 year-old man marries a 45 year-old woman. So, why should it matter if two men or two women are married together? The unoffical right to marry whom one chooses should be reserved and offered to everyone. People all deserve to be loved and shown affection with whom the person they love. In the Declaration of Independence, it states that “...all men are created equal.” I think that statement contradicts peoples view of this statement. If we ALL are EQUAL don’t we all have the right to marry?

-The Tru-th see-ker