“When we signed our contract at the beginning of the school year, we decided to order 700 copies of the yearbook,” said Editor-in-chief Molly Barrett.  “We set the deadline in January because we need to know whether or not we needed to order more books. The cost to order additional books after the deadline is substantially higher.”

If the cost of a book is too high, a down payment can be made to help those on a budget. Down payments can range from $20 to however much one can pay at the time. All payments must be paid in full by the deadline of May 1.

“The down payment is a great idea for those that want a yearbook but can’t afford to pay for one all at once,” stated Barrett.

The yearbook made by the Potpourri staff each year is set to be another great keepsake for the entire student body.

“We have worked really hard on the book this year and I believe that that work has payed off. This is a fantastic book,” commented Barrett. “Once we run out of books no more will be ordered unless you are willing to pay an extremely high cost.”

The yearbook itself is a very costly production for a high school staff to make.

“In past years the majority of books were purchased by students in May and because of the economy we cannot guess how many books we are going to order,” stated yearbook advisor Dan Wilson.

“You really don’t want to miss out on ordering this book, it is really one of a kind,” said Barrett.

To become an Eagle Scout you must rise through the ranks; Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life must be completed in order to start working on acquiring the rank of Eagle and earning twenty-one merit badges at the least.

To be a Boy Scout “It involves commitment and teamwork,” said Cody Handcock an Eagle Scout from Troop 287 and senior at Placer High. Scouts work together on outings, service project, and Eagle Scout project to accomplish goals and lean how to lead individually.

Many people think being a Boy Scout is easy. “It involves a lot of hard work and time,” commented Samuel Queen, a Boy Scout in Troop 277 and sophomore at Placer High. Queen continued, “Boy Scouts aren’t lazy; if you want to be a true Boy Scout it takes hard work and dedication. Hopefully it will be worth it for colleges and future jobs.”

Some benefits of being an Eagle Scout are appearances on college and job apps. It is also highly recognized by the military.

“When I found out I can get paid more in the military for having it,” announced Luke Cardelli, an Eagle Scout of Troop 277 and senior at Placer High, when asked when he decided he wanted to be an Eagle Scout.

Experiences in Scouts can be life changing. “Without being a Boy Scout I wouldn’t have been exposed to the outdoors,” added Handcock, whose Senior Project is backpacking fifteen miles round trip on a trail named The Lost Coast.

“The hardest part when you first start is the backpacking trips,” Queen stated.

“I just know a lot more and being an Eagle Scout helps me a lot in college and jobs,” Answered Cardelli when asked how his life was affected by Scouts.

“I will always have a greater love for the outdoors,” added Handcock.

Being in Boy Scout can also create great memories. “The trip when we went to the Moaning Caverns that was my favorite. We repealed down into a cave, it was one of my first outings, also dessert camp shooting guns. Got a lot of bad memories; like the time we went snow camping, we got very wet and very cold, and it didn’t work out too well. It was miserable,” tells Queen.

In the end the years of dedication, teamwork, and learning were well worth it to the now Eagle Scouts. “Let’s put it this way, I’m happy it’s over,” Cardelli ended.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) in short, gives the ability to Government and Corporations to shut down any websites that contain copyright infringement, not just in theU.S., but globally.

PIPA (Protect IP Act) in short, allows the Government and Corporations to take legal action against websites seen containing any copyright infringement. Also has the potential to be enforced globally.

Copyright infringement can be anything from the copy of a movie, using music in the background of a video, or posting a picture that is not yours.

Google and Wikipedia have shown displays of disagreement with the acts. Google exhibited such feelings by putting a censor bar over their menu and offering information by clicking on the logo. And Wikipedia shut down completely for a day to show what it would be like if the internet was censored.

“A lot of people don’t know,” said Emily Browning, a senior at Placer, when asked about her opinion on the subject.

“It’s against freedom of speech and expression,” added Stephen Briles, a Placer student whose hobby is computers. “A lot of people don’t even see piracy as steeling because it’s open to everyone and nothing is taken away.”

“It can be proved unconstitutional simply because of freedom of speech.” said the Placer County Youth Commission Vice President and Coalition for Placer Youth Student Adviser, Brandon Barry.

Is there a fight between law and the constitution and Placer students don’t even know? What about the limiting of information in this day in age?

“A lot of infringed websites would be shutdown, like Wikipedia. I wouldn’t have as many resources to go to.” said Briles. “Their trying to stop piracy, but their going too far,”

There is a fear that these acts would make Google censor their searches and shutdown websites like Wikipedia, YouTube, Grooveshark, and even Facebook. Doing this would cut off allU.S.inhabitance from a mass amount of knowledge and social abilities.

Students’ feelings include, “Unfair, and it wouldn’t be supported by the people. The only people in support would be big businesses.” Barry. “I’d be sad.” added Browning.

Another act that no one seemingly knows about is ACTA. The Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which is an international agreement that has been in the making since 2007. It was built for physical items but caries over to the internet.

The information on these acts is constantly changing. For a better understanding just Google it, while you still can.

Q: What do you like most about tennis?

A: I like that your behavior on the court is similar to life situations; you have to fight through something that may be difficult. I also enjoy working on skills and getting better. Tennis has been a passion of mine since I was young. I also love the fight, and I love winning, of course. With tennis, you don’t win as a team, but as a single player.

Q: How long have you been playing tennis?

A: I started playing when I was seven, so about ten years.

Q: Are there any differences between playing here and playing in Germany?

A: Yes there is. There are a lot more people here my age, I like playing after school, and I love Placer team’s spirit. It is a lot more fun to play here.

Q: What do you like most about playing with Placer’s team so far?

A: I like the coaches and how everyone’s working their hardest and as hard as they can. It is always fun being out there after school each day.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about this season?

A: I’m definitely looking forward to the matches. I’m also looking forward to the time with the team and being together with them after school. I have fun playing tennis, because everyone wants to get better. It’s so great to be a part of this team.

Q: What do you like most about Placer/Auburn?

A: I likeAuburnbecause it’s not too big. It’s not that far to get to school everyday, andAuburnis such a cute town with the canyon nearby and everything.

Q: Do you miss being at home at all?
A: Not really, since this year has been so exciting. The football games in the fall at Placer are so exciting, and Christmas is huge inAmerica. New Year’s Eve was exciting as well, and so were the new schedule changes. I think that it will be hard going back, but my friends and family support me. I wouldn’t say I miss them, but they’re kind of here with me.

Q: What do you like most about Placer/Auburn?

A: I like Auburn because it’s not too big. It’s not that far to get to school, andAuburnis such a cute town with the canyon nearby and everything.

Q: Placer has been known for being a winning tennis team for years. How do you feel about being part of such a great program?

A: I’m so honored to be a part of it, I’m just so happy everyone accepts me. I’m excited to do my best to contribute to a championship and section winning program. I just want to thank Coach John and Coach Jen for supporting me and accepting me. They taught me a lot. I’m so happy to be here and be a part of this.

“It’s sad because our school and community took pride in the projects. It added to the culture on campus, and now there is nothing to replace it,” Mike Sabins, long time English teacher, said regarding the news.

After the district board canceled the projects over summer, the English department at Placer made a decision to keep the projects for one more year. They thought that it would be too difficult to cancel the projects so close to the beginning of the school year. Some current seniors had already started the projects, and there was not enough time to come up with new curriculum for the senior English classes. No other school in thePlacerUnionHighSchool Districtis currently doing the project besides Placer.

“We always make group decisions, and 100% of us decided to keep it for another year. We are very sad about the decision to cancel it for next year, because the papers the kids have to write and the speeches they have to give are such important life skills,” Brittany Haydon, a senior AP English teacher stated regarding the English department’s decision.

Teachers aren’t happy about the exit of the senior projects. They say it teaches important life skills such as time management, communicating with adults outside of a school setting, and organizational skills that students will need in the future. The teachers also agree that students were uneasy about giving a speech, but were happy with the end result after working hard on something they care about.

“My students were nervous going into the speech part of the project, but once they got through doing it they were happy and proud of their accomplishments” continued Haydon.

Next year, senior English will be merely an extension of freshmen, sophomore, and junior English. The class will now be like every other senior English class in the country. There may be questions on if there will be a modified version of the project. There will still be a research paper and speech due to state requirements, but it won’t be as intense or in depth as the past projects that made Placer High so unique.

“The cool thing about senior projects is that everyone has to do it, no matter if they’re in AP or regular senior English. Even if it’s not the same quality, it’s the same project,” senior Abby Myrick, who completed her project last term, stated.

The loss of these projects is hard to ignore. Teachers agree it’s the closest thing that Placer has to a college level project.

“I would hope that senior projects could come back, and people will see the value that is in them.” Sabins said.

“I think it’s a bummer that the musical is gone.” said teacher Jason Long.

“What happened was that the people who directed last years spring musical, had and issue with the budget we gave them and we couldn’t find someone else to direct.” said Principal Peter Estathiu.

Former director Josh Brown moved to Los Angeles, and the school wanted to find someone to direct who was already involved in the school, such as a teacher.

The lack of musical is leaving students disappointed. Junior Hannah Kile said, “ Some kids at Placer are floating, just like I was before I found theater. They might not be part of a team, or popular but when they come to the theater, it’s a place where they can be themselves and have a sense of belonging.” Now, Kile has to go out of town to participate in acting with other students. “ Theater and the musical changed my life, and because there isn’t one this year, I’m extremely disappointed and sad.”

The plan for the 2012 musical was “The Pajama Game” But due to budget issues there isn’t one anymore.

“I know that everybody wants the musical. It’s the students ordeal, and I’m glad that soon we will be preparing fund-raisers for next years musical.” said ceramics teacher Toby Covich.

“Rather than have a bunch of 3 day weekends this year, we just took them all and made a weeklong break. Every single teacher voted “yes” to have this break.” said Mike Sabins, Placer High’s union rep.

Teacher Ron Hyatt agreed, saying, “It’s a nice break, because the year just keeps on going! It’s just a chance to let us catch our breath.” When Hyatt was asked if he had any plans for this break, he said, “No, because my wife teaches in a different district.”

The only schools in our area that have this break are Placer,Colfax,DelOro, Chana, Miadu, Whitney and Rocklin. There are many students that are very excited about these days off, but some students are not even aware of the change in schedule.

“We have a break in February?!,” freshman Johnny Capra asked.

Ashton Willick who, also a freshman, was unaware of the presidents’ break as well.

Although we are getting an entire week off in February there is a trade-off that needed to take place.  Students still need to attend school for 180 days,  meaning that students had to come to school on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving break and will have to come to school 2 days more this June.

“This break is awesome but totally random, I don’t see the point but I’m not complaining.” said freshman Christian Davis. He added that he was excited about the break but because of the later release, he has to go to school on his birthday.

Students all have different opinions about this break and the days that were added to other breaks.

Frosh Marissa Barth agreed with many other students and faculty and expressed that she also likes the break in the school year

Fellow freshman Gabi Haldeman added “I like that we hardly ever have school!”

Of course, grades are very important, because colleges want successful students on campus, but they mostly want well-rounded people. Most, if not all schools want people who are involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs on campus, clubs off campus, or other activities that show you are well rounded. Being in extracurriculars also shows schools that you have good time-management skills. Keep in mind however, that you should not just join a bunch of clubs to fill up your resume, pick a few things that you believe you will enjoy and can excel at.

Another thing that colleges look for is a challenging schedule in high school. “In a scenario where a college has to pick between a person who took generally easy classes and got perfect grades, and a person who took advanced classes but got okay grades, they are more likely to pick the student with the average grades. Colleges like to see a student who’s willing to take on a challenge rather than play it safe.” Says Placer High Counselor Carol Koons.

An obvious factor in being accepted, are solid test scores. Colleges will obviously want students who do well on tests, since they provide an overall summary of how a student is doing in school. “Schools mostly look at the most important tests like the SAT and the ACT.” Koons says.

Colleges like students who show commitment outside of school. Volunteering at an animal shelter or homeless shelter will show that you care about your community and about the greater good. A steady job outside of school shows that you accept responsibility in your young adult life which shows that you will most likely be successful in future jobs after college.

Colleges can go on just your resume, but for extra safety, well written application essays will really help your chances of being accepted. Colleges like to hear directly from the student themselves than just from a resume. It shows a personal side of you that will make the colleges get to know you and therefore, want you at their school.

Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselors show that other people see your potential and skills and are willing to vouch for your abilities. Getting a second opinion of you from another source is a good way to show that important people (i.e. teachers and counselors) recognize the reasons of why you should go to that school.

Most likely the most important thing that colleges see is that you STAND OUT. If a student excels in art or music, they are more likely to be accepted to a school that focuses on art and music. “Standing out mostly matters at the more competitive schools.” Says Koons. “Since bigger schools get more applicants, the competition is tougher than it would be at a smaller school.” Being exceptional makes you stand out from the other applicants, therefore giving you an edge on the competition and upping your chances of getting accepted.

Facebook has become a vital piece of the lives of millions worldwide. So has Google, arguably more so; for example how did you get to the Facebook web page? Probably Googled it.

Facebook

Facebook is a great service. Maybe the greatest communication tool since email. The site employs a unique design. It employs great features. And most importantly: it has lots of users, 800 million to approximate.

The site design is not exactly professional or sleek, but instead unique in its own right not looking like any other web page available. Much can be said about the design implemented. It is not the most visually appealing but it is very easy to navigate.

Being able to see what your friends and family are doing is arguably the most powerful tool of the site. Technology has allowed for many around the world to reconnect no matter where they are, as long as they have an Internet connection. In time of crisis or a major event Facebook is a great tool to send out media in all forms (text, videos, photos) to friends and loved ones. When a major milestone comes up in someones life, Facebook is there to share it with those they know best. Even the simple birthday when a Wall is bombarded with happy wishes.

Tagging. Posting. Commenting. Polling. Eventing. Blocking. Designing. Updating. The most used and greatest features of the site. These features are made well with the ability to get the message across to all your friends and family, if they have an account that is. The fact that most of someones contacts will have a Facebook account is vital to the service. “Its where everyone is,” is a common quote by those that use Facebook. By posting information once to one site that becomes accessible to all your friends is much nicer than sending out mass text messages to 200 or more contacts.

Google+
The counterpart to Facebook in this article, Google+, is new to the game and looking to grow.
Google+ was introduced to users last June and is not quite at the level of Facebook in terms of those on the service but with an interesting look at social, they have potential.
The service brought forth some very clever and unique features. First off, Circles. Circles is what Google calls the groups of your friends. The main idea behind circles is to only allow certain people to see certain items posted. For example: A user wants to post a photo of himself for his friends to see from a social outing the other night, with Circles he dictates who can see the post and in this case he would post it for only his friends to see. Users create Circles and can put whomever they feel in to a Circle.
One of the big fundamental ideas of Google Plus is to have interaction with only those who you wish to interact with, when you want to. Facebook becomes a melting pot of all the different friends and family that one has and is an open forum for anyone to comment on your posts.

Verdict

If I had to choose one it would be Google+, something that is fresh and new without the stigma that comes with Facebook. In four years, it may be an entirely different social site that is new to the scene that becomes all that jazz about social. Twitter, Instagram and others are showing it is possible to make social out of very specific types of content so the world of social is always going to have a little fun for all.