America has the unique position of being one of the world’s oldest surviving democracies. And as such, every four years we have the hectic process of choosing a new president. The American presidency is considered the leader of America, and acts as the representative and figure of American ideals. But who might become our next president? Who do Gunderson students want to become their next president?

Junior Kat Gover is doubtful of government, but she respects the Constitution. She supports Barack Obama for President, stating that she believes he is the least corrupt of the candidates and would be the most honest as President. Others support Obama because of his youth and his close relations to the common person. Lorita Boghospor, a freshman, prefers Hillary Clinton. She believes that Clinton is a strong, experienced candidate who would bring a fresh start to the Presidency. One student had the insight of “that it seems like with the Democrats it’s either you have to pick a woman or a black man. There’s more to them than who they are.” Not many Gunderson students have belief in the Republicans. They believe that after two terms of Bush in the White House, the Democratic party deserves a chance. And unfortunately, there are still a few who are apathetic to the Presidential race and have no interest in the elections.

One of the big issues being covered in the election this year is the economy. Some people consider the problems with the recession to be a temporary thing, that the economy will heal with time. There are others, however, who believe that the current recession was a construction of the rich. But even others want to have the government help directly stimulate the economy to improve the economy. But the consensus is the economy needs to improve.

Another hot button is gay marriage, which ironically none of the candidates have voiced support for. Gunderson has a significant gay community, so it is rare to find anyone who doesn’t have a say on the subject. One female student believes that “gays are fine, but they shouldn’t be allowed to marry. Marriage is between a man and a woman.” However, a good number of other people in school are for gay marriage, with one student putting it simply; “They’re human beings, they should have the same right to marry as anyone else.”

Where do people get these ideas? Many people have gotten at least some of their views from their parents in some extent or another. One student described the source of his own beliefs: “I looked into my own parent’s beliefs, and then I looked into what I wanted to believe, what I thought was best.” Others follow the old axiom that man’s laws must submit to God’s, and their political beliefs stem from religion. As the elections progress, the ensuing debates continue to remind us that Gunderson, like America, is a varied and different place.

America has the great unique position of being one of the world’s oldest democracies. And as such, every four years we have the hectic process of choosing a new president. The American presidency is considered the figurehead of America, and acts as the Chief of State to the American people. But who might become our next president? Who do Gunderson students want to become their next president?

Junior Kat Gover is doubtful of government, but she respects the Constitution. She supports Barack Obama for President, stating that she believes he is the least corrupt of the candidates and would be the most honest as President. Others support Obama because of his youth and his close relations to the common person. Lorita Boghospor, a freshman, prefers Hillary Clinton. She believes that Clinton is a strong, experienced candidate who would bring a fresh start to the Presidency. And unfortunately, there are still a few who are apathetic as to the Presidential race and have no interest in the elections.

One of the big issues being covered in the election this year is the economy. Some people consider the problems with the recession to be a temporary thing, that the economy will heal with time. There are others, however, who believe that the current recession was a construction of the rich. But even others want to have the government help directly stimulate the economy to improve the economy. But the consensus is the economy needs to improve.

Another hot button is gay marriage. Gunderson has a significant gay community, so it is rare to find anyone who doesn’t have a say on the subject. One female student believes that “gays are fine, but they shouldn’t be allowed to marry. Marriage is between a man and a woman.” However, a good number of other people in school are for gay marriage, with one student putting it simply; “They’re human beings, they should have the same right to marry as anyone else.”

So, as the election progresses, tensions are rising between those of differing ideals. But that is what makes our country truly supreme. The right to choose. We have the freedom to believe whatever we want to believe This author goes home today to relish the fact that there will always be someone who disagrees with him in this country.

What I have so far:
Kat’s interview, Ms. Anarchist-Conspiracy Theorist
Dalvinder, a middle-right Christian fundamentalist environmentalist.
Research into the platforms for the Big 4 Candidates: McCain, Romney, Chillary, and Obama
Research has been done into the two big political parties.
Over the course of the article, the article would go into the candidates, Super Tuesday’s results, people’s beliefs, etc.

Article for music club

Have you ever heard the sound of music throughout the forum during lunch on Mondays? If you have, you’ve probably been listening to Gunderson’s own Band Club, an endeavor of Ms. Hillman’s to expose the student community of Gunderson to the world of music. The Band Club, meeting on Mondays during lunch and Tuesdays after school, seeks to teach interested students to play instruments. The Band Club is open to all students, with several different instrument sections. The “electric area”, found in Miss Hillman’s room, will host the amplified instruments, such as guitar, bass, and drums. Then the “acoustic area” in Miss Buttrill’s room will be where you can find the other instruments, such as violin, flutes, and acoustic guitars. Finally, the Band Club also has quiet practice rooms for people who want to practice a piece on their own. Miss Hillman, the music teacher, acts as a supervisor and instructor during the Band Club’s meetings, though the Club often takes a freeform approach.
To take a look into the musical community of Gunderson, the Paw Print interviewed Kyle Marquez, an 11th-grader participant in the Club. Kyle is a blossoming multi-instrumentalist, a student of the guitar, violin, and piano. His first introduction into music was in the 4th grade, when he began playing the violin. With Carlos Santana and Slash as idols, Kyle is interested in solo work as he learns how to play the guitar. Despite this, he feels strongest on the piano currently, even stating that if he were to play onstage he would give a piano piece rather than guitar.
The Band Club is a donation-supported group, as they were only allowed one fundraiser this year. However, they were able to use that money to buy equipment, allowing people without instruments of their own to be able to participate in the club.
The Gunderson music department unfortunately only has one choir class this year (the usual is two), so Miss Hillman decided to open the Winter Concert up to the Band Club and the rest of the school. With auditions taking place this past Monday, the Winter Concert will showcase the best Gunderson has. The Winter Concert will hold the choir and several of the winners of the auditions, and will take placed after the school returns from its Christmas vacation.

Thanksgiving: Well?
Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday, and the first to be started here. The traditional story of the first Thanksgiving is that the friendly Wampanoag Indians shared with the Puritan colonists in Plymouth (now called pilgrims) the bounties of their feast in an act of charity. Since then, Thanksgiving has slowly become an American tradition. In 1680, Thanksgiving celebrations became a state holiday in Massachusetts, and in Connecticut in 1647. The first truly “American” Thanksgiving, however, was celebrated in December 1777, with General George Washington declaring a “day of thanksgiving” in the Continental Army to celebrate their victory at the Battle of Saratoga. In 1789, the first national Thanksgiving was celebrated. It would not be until 1863, during the Civil War, that President Lincoln would make Thanksgiving a national annual holiday, to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.

But Thanksgiving today has several traditions that have been added over the years. The Thanksgiving Classic, football games played on Turkey Day, is one of the greatest pastimes for Americans. Also, parades are held across America every Thanksgiving, the most famous being the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”, an entertaining presentation for the entire family. But the food, the food is what makes Thanksgiving the day it is. Families gathering together, eating and sharing times with their loved ones. We polled the Gunderson audience about what their favorites parts of Thanksgiving were. Their favorite foods, their favorite traditions, and of course; what their favorite pies were. All traditional items of Thanksgiving are actually native to America originally. Turkies, corn, potatoes, and pumpkins, the traditional “noble foods” of Thanksgiving, were introduced to Europe only after Thanksgiving.

First draft(Well, not really)

Want some help through college? Let’s admit it, that we’d all like to get some help through the labors of universities that are to come when we leave our humble high school.
Well, on the financial side, there is help. Scholarships are grants that foundations give to students for them to spend on college. For those who simply cannot afford the full price of college, scholarships can help send them through the hallowed halls of learning by paying for classes, books(college textbooks have to be purchased by students; books can cost anywhere from fifty to three hundred dollars), or room and board(If a student lives on campus, it can almost double his/her expanses).
There are countless scholarships offered by innumerable foundations and organizations, tailored to each person and profession. For example, the United States Armed Forces offers scholarships in exchange for service. “They pay for everything, college-wise,” says Private First Class Crysta Ramzidon, 20, currently serving overseas in Camp Humphrey’s, South Korea as a morse code operator on a one year tour of duty.
Scholarships are out there, waiting for students to apply for them. The Internet is an excellent place to start, with many websites dedicated to scholarships.

email to Minjares

Miss Minjares,

My name is Justen Hunter. I am a reporter with the Gunderson Paw Print, and I am writing a piece on scholarship programs for our latest issue. I was referred to you by my adviser as a possible source for this material. If at all possible, I would like to arrange an appointment to you to discuss both profitable and irregular
scholarships that people can look for when getting into colleges. If you have a time that is open, please contact me at your convenience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this request,
Justen Hunter