To clarify: No, I did not get arrested, I watched others get arrested on a ride-along with the Lawrence Kansas Police Department.

My approach to this ride-along wasn’t the most journalistic, but it sure was fun. When asked by a police sergeant what part of Lawrence I would like to ride in, I responded by saying, “Wherever has the most action.”

Although I can’t go into very much detail, my experience felt like something straight out of the television show “COPS.” Ironically, one of the first things my officer said to me was, “This is Lawrence, KS, you know? This isn’t ‘COPS.’”

Prior to my ride-along, I was nervous about the officer I was going to be riding with. I did not want to spend four hours in a car with some super serious cop who never smiled. Surprisingly, the officer I rode with, Larry Lindsay, was pretty cool. Throughout the ride-along, I made sure to ask outrageous questions in an attempt to get him to loosen up. One example is when I asked him if he had ever killed a man. He hadn’t. Even though I caught him fighting back a smile, Lindsay’s answers were always proper and politically correct.

Lindsay started off the ride-along by giving me a tour of the car. Neither of us were too excited about this, but I did find out that somewhere in the car (he didn’t tell me where) there is a secret button that releases the almighty shotgun each car holds.

The first hour of my ride-along consisted of driving around downtown Lawrence and watching Lindsay fill out a report. Boring, I know. The worst part was having to listen to country music the entire time. But all it took to completely change my night was a short call on the radio.

My ride-along went from feeling like some lame school field trip, to a scene straight out of “COPS” in a very short period of time. We responded to a call at a North Lawrence trailer park. While there, I experienced something very intense. So intense that I am not currently able to talk about it. Let’s just say that after the fact, I was told that I was probably going to be subpoenaed because a routine arrest didn’t go as planned.

Once we left the trailer park, we spent about 45 minutes at the hospital. Now I know what you are all wondering, and the answer is no, I did not get hurt.

After things settled down, I decided to cut short my ride-along by about an hour. While I did overhear that there was a robbery in progress, the reality of being a police officer set in, as Lindsay told me he had about two hours of paperwork ahead of him.

Even though my ride-along was exciting, I don’t think I would ever consider becoming a police officer. While Lindsay did seem like a nice guy, I realize being a cop is very serious business. Something tells me my sarcastic personality would not be appreciated by the police department or the people of the community.

My first impression on the class didn’t go well as I was late to class by two minutes. While changing into my “teacher outfit” I couldn’t get my socks pulled up, my shirt was half tucked in and my collar was flipped inside my shirt. I didn’t realize all that until I got into class. I must have been a sight to see.

When I arrived in class, Renick told me I could start teaching after the students did their daily oral language, or DOL. A few students said things like, “Ryan!” or, “Mr. Liston!” I expected to have the students talking over me, not paying attention, and taking advantage of having a student as a teacher. The students actually weren’t that crazy, and were surprisingly cooperative. Probably because I knew a lot of them.

I started out my teaching by going over the most recent vocabulary quiz with the students. It was a little challenging because I made a few errors and was corrected not only by Renick, but also by a few students. I also was a little nervous to speak in front of my peers, and there were a few times when I was at a loss for words.
Next I had the class read Romeo and Juliet. This part went a little better than the last because there was not really a right or wrong way to do it. I felt like I did a good job explaining to the class the parts of the book that weren’t completely clear.

Standing in front of the class felt a little weird, and I could tell the class was getting a kick out of me being teacher. A couple of times when I asked a question, no one would say anything. The students just stared at me and waited for the answer, so I could feel a little bit of pressure.
Later in the day I saw a few of my students and they joked around with me by saying things such as: “You’re the worst teacher ever, Ryan!” or “That was awful teaching!” Despite the criticism, some actually complimented me and told me I did a good job teaching, Renick included.

Overall, I thought it was a fun experience even though I don’t plan on becoming a teacher. I considered being a teacher a few years ago, but I don’t have a subject that I would want to teach.
I tip my hat to Renick, and all other teachers. Their jobs aren’t easy, and they don’t get as much credit as they deserve.

Located at 1115 Massachusetts street, Fuzzy’s is a new addition to Lawrence’s dining scene. In order to get a good taste of the restaurant, we ordered the typical taco shop staples. We sampled the chips and salsa, queso, the “Special Beef Burrito,” shrimp taco, fish taco and shredded beef taco.

As we were waiting for our food, we soaked in the atmosphere. Fuzzy’s is not necessarily a place you should suggest for a family dinner. The restaurant’s slogan is “eat me,” which is shamelessly plastered all over the walls, along with phrases such as “We put the T and A in TACO.”

Mid taco-bite, I caught a glimpse of the back of the Fuzzy’s staff T-shirt. It read, “It looks like a taco, and smells like a fish, it’s got to be a tasty dish. Eat me!” Needless to say, their shirts did nothing to spur my appetite. However, some find it hilarious. Fuzzy’s is not for those who are easily offended.

A few minutes after we sat down, our order number was called. Miranda and Allison walked up to retrieve our stacked trays of food, while I waited in anticipation. Were the tacos really going to be fuzzy?

The tacos did not appear fuzzy. Instead, the fish, shrimp and beef tacos were covered in heaping amounts of cilantro and feta cheese. On the first bite, I noticed the “garlic sauce” was probably ranch dressing with a bit of extra garlic. However, like any good taco, all the elements (lettuce, tomatoes, garlic sauce, meat) combined to create a fairly delicious taco experience.

The flavor of the shredded beef was perfect. The shrimp was tender and well seasoned but the taco was not bursting with plump shrimp pieces. Although Lawrence is incredibly far from any substantial body of water, we agreed that the seafood at Fuzzy’s was, by far, its best quality. The tacos are also kind of small, so for a substantial meal, order two or three.

At Fuzzy’s, an order of chips means unlimited refills. However, more chips may not be necessary because their “salsa” is not salsa. The chunky, dark red goop tasted like a cross between chili and jarred pasta sauce. On the other hand, Fuzzy’s queso, arriving in a steaming Styrofoam bowl, tasted every bit as good as melted white cheese should taste.

Besides the suggestive phrases, Fuzzy’s also has a few big screen televisions mounted on the walls, for those who can’t go to a restaurant unless they can catch the big game. The atmosphere is pretty chill; and with substantial dinners checking in at under $10, Fuzzy’s is frequented by college students.

Fuzzy’s is definitely Tex-Mex, as evidenced by the questionable salsa. However, the garlic sauce, cilantro and feta and quality meat and seafood make for a really delicious, affirmatively non-fuzzy taco.

A zine: a small, xeroxed, do-it-yourself magazine, containing a compilation of unconventional subject matter sometimes based on a theme.

Ruby Love, the online-schooled creator of Mojo Hand Zine, shows students that they can get involved with self expression through writing, even while chained to high school English classes.

“I bought a printing press this summer and made a joke about doing a zine on it,” Love said. “Things just went from there.”

Seniors Kainen Spooner, Alden Slote and Jon Fitzgerald write regularly for the zine.

“We’ve had a lot of these ideas in our group where we get a big lofty goal like, ‘Let’s make a zine,’ ‘Let’s start a record label,’ ‘Let’s start a band,’ and it all tends to just not happen,” Spooner said. “I was a little bit hesitant, but … very supportive.”

“It was a mild surprise when it actually worked out,” Fitzgerald agreed. “It’s pretty cool that we can get this out and make a physical something of our efforts.”

Love writes, illustrates and assembles the submissions to create Mojo Hand Zine, which is published every two months. Mojo Hand Zine is currently being sold for a couple dollars depending on the size of the zine at Astro Kitty, Hobbs, and Love Garden, as well as online.

“Ruby, who doesn’t go to public school, has a lot more time on her hands to really put something together like [a zine],” Slote said.

Especially with the pressures of school, having a creative outlet is crucial for many contributors of the zine.

“[Teens] don’t really have an opportunity to get published or express themselves in a public way that is a little more respected than Facebook,” Love said.

“I think [self expression] is totally important,” Slote said. “People don’t get as much self expression as they should, especially in public school which…crush[es] you into a statistic.”

Being able to write for the zine is not only an intellectual outlet, but also a way to sort out unspoken thoughts.

“Under an alias I write poetry for the Zine,” Spooner said. “I write poetry when I feel like it. Sometimes it kills time, sometimes I see something and I really like the image, … sometimes I write [poetry] because there is no other way to deal with it.”

“I can write whatever I want [for the zine],” Fitzgerald said. “But so far [I write] album suggestions. [I] think harder about what I’m listening to. It’s like, okay, these are the things I’m liking right now but why do I like them?”

Love’s goal was that zine contributors would be able to be a part of something while having their voices heard through their writing. According to Mojo Hand writers, Love’s goal has been reached.

“It’s nice to be part of a group of some sort…I’m glad to help out … and contribute to something cool that a bunch of kids are basically doing independently,” Spooner said. “It’s just another form of expression. I enjoy [writing for the zine], so it’s kind of important to me.”

“I think I get to express myself but I think I also do it for fun,” Slote said. “I think [writing] is pretty fun. Throw in your ideas out there for everyone to read and get some feedback.”

Love is happy with the outcome, since Mojo Hand Zine has gotten a fair amount of publicity with the two issues.

“I tried not to have any particular expectations,” Love said. “I just did it because I thought it’d be fun. It’s exciting, definitely encouraging, and I really think I’ll keep doing it.”

“The main thing is really enjoying yourself and not taking on too much [in] the beginning…want[ing] to publish a novel right off the bat,” Love said. “That’s a lot of work. I remember our first issue, we planned it to be 50 pages.”

As Love continues to organize the zine and add people who are interested in writing to the list of writers, teenagers will continue to have their voices heard and words read.

“It’s fun,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a way to show responsibility even if it’s the tiniest responsibility. It’s a way as a group to get our thoughts together and straightened out and published.”

“The reason why I [started Abstinence Club] was because I heard so many pre-teens talking about sex and it was just immoral to me,” senior Karrera Radford said.

Abstinence Club was created this year and it’s a topic that many people are finding interesting.

“So far we’re talking about what it really means to us to stay abstinent, and other ways we can share it with the school, and basically just to get our feet in the door,” Radford said.

The mission statement for Abstinence Club is to prevent teen pregnancy, educate people about teen pregnancy and provide a safe environment to talk whenever needed. They meet every Monday right after school.

“We normally talk about what it means to everyone,” Radford said, “and why they decided to join the club, and if they are abstinent, why are they.”

It’s no secret that some controversy is stirring in the hallways as the club becomes known. Some may feel abstinence club is a good addition to the school.

“I like it because I guess it’s good for people to want to stay abstinent and have support for that so that they don’t feel like they’re alone,” freshman Kiara Clark said.

Others may feel it’s too personal to have a club about it.

“Abstinence is a personal choice and there doesn’t need to be a club promoting it,” senior Nik Schmidt said.

The club also said in the announcements that last year 70 10-year-olds gave birth, which got many people asking questions.

“I know people thought it was inappropriate, and people were saying that they got raped, and I thought that was irrelevant because they are 10-years-old which probably means they were sexually active,” Radford said.

This brought up opinions from the club members.

“It was kind of shocking because you wouldn’t really think that would be happening right now, since they are so young, senior Abishai Guenther said.

It’s a shocker for many people to think of kids at such a young age having sex and not getting taught to prevent teenage pregnancy. According to Guenther a young boy who attended a junior high knew of seven girls in his school who were pregnant.

“I’m very appalled that young kids are sexually active,” Radford said. “It’s not so important that you have to have sex young, it’s okay to wait.”

Peggy Nelson is involved in many different things. She’s the sponsor of five different clubs and she also administers the Mandarin Chinese class. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Nelson.

“I’m just twirling my way through the country,” Nelson said.

Nelson is part of a dance and baton twirling group called the Diamond Dazzlers. They are based out of Florida and those who are involved get to tour the country performing for many different cities. However, the audition process is tough.

“I had to prepare a routine with the baton and the music and then I had to video tape it,” Nelson said. “Once I video taped it I sent it into the dance director.”

Baton twirling has been a major part of Nelson’s life since she was a little girl.

“My mother had always wanted to do tap dancing or twirling,” Nelson said. “I tried tap dancing but my feet got tangled together. I twirled from the time I was about seven until I was about nineteen.”

Now, therapy from a recent injury has turned her back onto the idea of baton twirling. Twirling helps relax her shoulders and it makes her feel better. Plus there are some added benefits.

“It makes me feel young!” Nelson said with a laugh.

Other than not quite having the energy she had when she was seven, Nelson says that she doesn’t really have a least favorite part of baton twirling. She practices all the time and she’s looking forward to her first competition on November 19.

“On Saturday and Sunday afternoons I come [to the school] and practice in the hallways.” Nelson said smiling.

But all of this pre-holiday mayhem has been the cause of consumer controversy.

In the spirit of Charlie Brown, many people believe Christmas is too commercialized and are protesting the early holiday spirit that stores and radio stations jollily ram down their throats. Stores such as Macy’s and J.C. Penny’s have already begun their holiday preparations with lavish decorations and promises of pre-holiday sales.

“I think it has its perks,” junior Leah Gruber said. “I like seeing all the Christmas things out early but I don’t like all the insane shopping on Black Friday,”

The criticism surrounding the consumer driven holiday Black Friday is justifiable.  Americans spent about $45 billion on Black Friday sales according to the National Retail Association and spent about $76 billion throughout the2010 holiday season making it one of the highest grossing November and December on record.

Stores aren’t the only places to jump the gun on the holiday frenzy. Many radio stations and advertising agencies start jingling the Christmas bells in October ensuring that Christmas turns into a season-long event that dwarfs both Halloween and Thanksgiving.

A Topeka station, KMAJ 107.7 has already begun to play Christmas tunes for evening listeners and will be playing Christmas music around the clock beginning Thanksgiving Day.

Many see this Christmas extravaganza as a reflection on the greed and materialism of American society and the effects commercialism has had on our holiday traditions. But for as much time Americans spend complaining about the commotion Christmas creates, some see the positive rewards in early preparation.

“It’s really frustrating because it is really early but then again it also gets you really excited for winter break,” Senior Kelly Kristiansen said.

Early holiday celebrations also allow people to have something to look forward to, knowing that the end of a fiscal year will soon be over and that people will have a short but well deserved break with their families.

While the criticism of impatience and commercialism that surrounds the holiday season will continue, most will take the commotion in their stride and come December 25, many will realize the true meanings of what the holidays are all about; love, friendship and family.