I spent New Year’s Eve as I have for the many times, hanging out with friends. Once we counted down to the ball dropping and rang in the new year, someone said, “Guys, we graduate in five months.” That’s when it hit me: I’m leaving high school.

I had watched older friends graduate, and two years ago I watched my brother do it again, and every time someone graduated I thought, “Someday, that will be me.” I never realized that my “someday” would be sooner than I ever imagined. In about five months I will leave this building for the last time as a student.

I’m sure every senior has that moment of realization, just like mine, but it all seems too soon. I never thought I would actually survive until graduation and now time is flying by.

I have no doubt that for most of the graduating class, the next chapter in our lives will only be better. Our college applications are in, we have (for the most part) chosen a path for next year, but for the next five months, our lives will consist of attempting to care about school, forcing ourselves out of bed, planning graduation parties and going through the motions.

I hope that everyone in the senior class chooses to enjoy this the way I plan to. I had always heard from the older classes that the senior class really comes together; something I haven’t yet seen this year. I have heard it described as everyone “just getting along and being happy.” I still have hope for this magical phenomenon.

I have spent a lot of time trying to grow up. I always want people to perceive me as mature. Now, while we spend our last minutes on the verge of actual adulthood, I am attempting to cling to my childhood. I don’t want to seem even a little too old for the “childish” things of my past and present at high school. It has dawned on me that all of the things I have been “too mature” for are actually part of the high school experience.

The world I will enter at college is sort of a test bubble of the real world. Our generation is not being handed a great job market or a perfect world, but there are grand possibilities out there. While we sit in our classes, daydreaming of the future, I am going to make a change. Instead of living my very numbered days in our little Free State community thinking out the next step in my life, I am going to attempt to follow some very overused advice: live in the present.

I am going to live up every last cheesy, school-administrator-approved moment while I’m a Firebird. We might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Dr. Dog Feb. 2 @ The Granada

Whimsical folk-poppers Dr. Dog are a sight to be seen. Lucky for all of us, Pennsylvania’s best animal-named band is stopping by the Granada to charm concert-goers with their take on ‘60s psychedelic rock, transfused with indie instrumentation including playful pianos and serenading strings.

On their newest album, “Be the Void” — to be released on Feb. 7 — Dr. Dog returns with a shinier sound, different from their previous records like “We All Belong” and “Easy Beat.” Emulating John Lennon-esque melodies and instrumentation on earlier records, Dr. Dog transforms into a tighter-sounding, upbeat band on “Be the Void,” even sounding like ABBA and Talking Heads in some respects. However, despite resembling a Swedish pop group from the ‘70s in the song “Control Yourself,” Dr. Dog remains unique with a certain poppy, bubbly, psychedelic sound, inducing listeners into a rock-and-roll trance.

If this raving review hasn’t convinced you of Dr. Dog’s supreme awesomeness, then go see their energetic, boisterous and engaging live show. Their songs are perfect to sing along to and their wild performances and light show will stun any veteran concert-goer. If that’s not enough, tickets are only $15 and it will more than likely be filled with cool people who like cool music. The show is all ages and doors open at 8:30.

Zola Jesus Feb. 24 @ Granada

Because Zola Jesus acquired her name from a popular French naturalist writer of the 19th century, it’s not too much of a stretch to deem her music, well, abstract. Its abstraction originates from avant-garde, synth-driven, atmospheric instrumentation as it compliments haunting-yet-delicate lyrics about lost loves and self-alienation. However, Zola Jesus’ music reaches millions of listeners because of its spacey, danceable qualities and its sombering, enlightening effect on listeners.

Hailing from Wisconsin, Zola Jesus makes music that seems as though it were from outer space, yet blends it with elements of synth-pop, as her voice hints at Blondie and Florence Welch, although it holds its own to the other two female vocalists. Her newest album, “Conatus,” is a continuation of her past musical ventures, still containing soaring vocals and orchestral synths, but adds more-syncopated rhythms and experimental tonalities and soundscapes.

I strongly encourage you to see Zola Jesus at the Granada on Feb. 24. The atmosphere and will be an experience in itself, not to mention the incredible music. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. The show is all ages and Talk Normal will be opening for the critically-accalimed Russian vocalist.

Rick Steves’ Europe
Going somewhere? There’s a Rick Steves’ book for that.
While this only applies to European travellers, Steves’ books really are a fantastic resource.
Steves is an American author and TV personality who focuses on travelling in Europe.
He writes books for regions, countries and specific cities. For example, he wrote a book about travelling in Italy. And Rome. And Venice. And Florence and Tuscany.
What sets Steves’ books apart from other travel books is the detail. He’s not just going to tell to go look at the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. He’s going to tell you what time, on what day, depending on the time of year so you can avoid horrendous lines.
VRBO
Make yourself at home.
VRBO is an acronym for Vaction Rentals by Owner. This rather ingenious website gives travellers an alternative to a hotel.
The website has houses owners have put up for rent, usually at a weekly rate, in every state in the United States.
VRBO is especially handy for people with large families or people staying somewhere for a long period of time. Using VRBO provides for a quieter, more authentic vacation experience. In many cases, it can also save money for the quality delivered.   ]]> http://www.fsfreepressonline.com/uncategorized/2012/01/26/getting-there-and-back-again/feed/ 0 http://www.fsfreepressonline.com/health-and-lifestyle/2012/01/24/dont-let-the-winter-blues-get-to-you/ http://www.fsfreepressonline.com/health-and-lifestyle/2012/01/24/dont-let-the-winter-blues-get-to-you/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:31:36 +0000 SarahW http://www.fsfreepressonline.com/?p=3093

As the days get shorter and snow begins to fall from the sky, some students will embrace the season by going outside. Many may hate the winter, but will wear ten layers of sweaters to school even if it is uncomfortable.

And a few might choose to hibernate, staying indoors and avoiding the meager hours of sunlight and frigid temperatures, feeling depressed about what’s going on outside.

While this may be a common lifestyle for most students regardless of the season, the winter season can strengthen these feelings, and in a sometimes a serious or harmful way.

But many don’t know that this feeling can actually be a form of depression that has treatment.

2011:

Top 10 Albums:

1. Father, Son, Holy Ghost- Girls

’60s rock’n'roll, San Franciscan style; earnest, melodic and beautiful. Girls brings the sun and the shade on their amazing second full-length record.

2. Portamento- The Drums

New-new wave pop, inspired by heartbreak, ’80s goth synths and the art of making catchy melodies. Its honesty is exposed through melancholy lyrics and vivid imagery.

3. Yuck- Yuck

If Sonic Youth decided not to suck and make pure noise, they would sound like Yuck. Grungy, angsty, pretty. Yuck does not suck, and they’re far from it.

4. The Year of Hibernation- Youth Lagoon (note: will be at The Jackpot on March 12)

Echoic, climactic, Boise’s Youth Lagoon seems to approach songs as if each one were a three-minute composition, and the results is sheer beauty; echoic, climactic, awesome.

5.What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?- The Vaccines

Loud, boisterous, surf-tinged, reverb-drenched indie rock from Britain’s most popular new rock act since the Arctic Monkeys. The Vaccines uses punk rock simplicity with soaring vocals to produce a marvelous result.

6. Suck It And See- Arctic Monkeys

Britain’s golden boys follow up ’09′s dark, drudging, romantic LP with their sunniest, rocking album yet, sticking the landing.  From their provocative album title to their beautifully distorted Fenders, the Arctics craft their best record since their debut.

7. Cults- Cults (note: will be at Granada on April 14)

World, meet Cults. Immaculately modernizing ’60s girl-group doo-wop, their debut album is flawless in its ability to make listeners dance, bop, jump around and sing along to. “Cults” is the best sparkling, shimmering doo-wop-sounding record since, well, the ’60s.

8. Days- Real Estate

Leading listeners on a journey through shady lanes, lush meadows and childhood memories, Real Estate creates music gold, striking a vein rich with nostalgic lyrics, swooping guitars, smooth-sailing rhythms and lovely melodies.

9. Go With Me- Seapony

Jangly, arpeggiated guitars blanketed over soft, crooning vocals creates Seapony’s dreamy, wavy debut album, dishing out song after song of pure, Morrissey-influenced joy.

10. Idle Labor- Craft Spells

’80s goth/new wave revivalists Craft Spells channel their inner Cure on their lavishly dark and angsty record, complete with Smiths guitar twang and haunting drums and synths.

Favorite Video:

Montana-Youth Lagoon

Best Up-and-Comng Artists of 2011:

The Apache Relay- “American Nomad”

King Krule- “King Krule EP”

French Films- “Imaginary Future”

S.C.U.M.- “Again Into Eyes”

Top 20 Songs:

1. Santa Fe- Beirut (pictured)

2. Weekend- Smith Westerns

3. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.- Noah and the Whale

4. Money- The Drums

5. M83- Midnight City (note: will be at Granada on May 1; pictured)

6. You Know What I Mean- Cults

7. The Wall- Yuck

8. After the Moment- Craft Spells

9. Honey Bunny- Girls

10. It’s Real- Real Estate

11. If You Wanna- The Vaccines (pictured)

12. I’m Not Ready- Surfer Blood

13. The Wilhelm Scream- James Blake

14. Lonely Boy- The Black Keys

15. Shuffle- Bombay Bicycle Club

16. Bigger Than Us- White Lies

17. Me And You- The Strange Boys (pictured)

18. Taken For A Fool- The Strokes

19. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes

20. Time Spent In Los Angeles- Dawes

Top 10 Radio Songs:

1. Rolling in the Deep- Adele (Surprisingly, this song is very hard to find and link due to copyright issues)

2. F**k You- Cee-Lo Green

3. Pumped Up Kicks- Foster The People (pictured)

4. Party Rock Anthem- LMFAO

5. Yonkers- Tyler, the Creator

6. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)- Katy Perry

7. N****s in Paris- Jay-z and Kanye (pictured)

8. Super Bass- Nikki Minaj

9. Countdown- Beyonce

10. Headlines- Drake (will be at the Sprint Center on March 1)

Best Concert:

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ The Wonder Fair; Lawrence, KS Nov. 29

2012:

Artists to Look Out For:

Dog Is Dead (single “Hands Down” out now)

Supporting acts like OK Go, Cajun Dance Party and Bombay Bicycle Club, this jangly indie-pop five-piece has developed ample buzz and created a dedicated fan base, even earning them a musical appearance on the highly-popular British television “Skins.” The fun, danceable, teen-angsty English band makes high-quality pop music that sonically soothes the ears, creating a groovy dance party inside listeners’ heads — which is actually what causes people to bop their heads around. Their sound resembles the likes of The Wombats, Bombay Bicycle Club, and The Maccabees, yet hints at ska and jazz with syncopated beats and saxophone serenades. Dog Is Dead stands on the brink of becoming big in the indie-music world; picture them as the next Wombats or Arctic Monkeys.

Howler (debut album “American Give Up” is due on Jan. 17)

Ambitious, taunting, daring and ever-so cool, Howler’s debut album is one for the record books — that is, if record books measured how awesomely wicked indie guitar bands sound. For all intensive purposes, let’s assume that’s how record books work: Howler would own every single page in said book. The Minneapolis natives have garnished incredibly high praise from British music sources like BBC, NME, and The Guardian, and the acclaim is bound to keep coming. With every song being three minutes or less, Howler holds a healthy musical prowess for loud, lovely, well-crafted pop/racket. (Or maybe it should be called ROCKet). Bands of the early ‘00s such as The Strokes and The Libertines would be proud to see the torch of dirty garage-rock still burning strong and being passed on, especially since Howler sounds so similar to the aforementioned groups. “America Give Up” is gritty, fuzzy, vintage and everything one looks for in a rocking indie album.

Dry the River (debut album “Shallow Bed” out on Feb. 27)

After Mumford and Sons took America (and the entire world) by storm, it was clear that similar folky, down-to-earth, Americana roots bands would rise above the fog of the indie underground.  Although Dry the River is still ranked at a hipster-level indie, expect them to become much bigger, especially in Britain. Dry the River’s tunes carry themselves with a delicate grace–apparent in the fragile lyrics– but also with a gritty, no-holds-barred, powerful instrumentation–presented with tightly-distorted guitars and unabashed drumming. Although they have obvious influences– Fleet Foxes being one– Dry the River stands on their own with their more percussive sound and broader, louder choruses.  Dry the River is the next big folk group.

Albums to Look Out For:

Port of Morrow- The Shins (March 20)

Be the Void- Dr. Dog (Feb. 7) (note: will be at Granada on Feb. 2)

Given to the Wild- The Maccabees (released on Jan. 6)

Visions- Grimes (Feb. 21)

From rompers to Sperrys to feathers on earrings and fringe boots, 2011 was a year of change and experimentation in fashion. Students have mixed opinions as far as to what they specifically liked and disliked.

“Sperrys were overpriced and everywhere,” senior Holly Johnston said. “They are ugly and look like safari shoes.”

Sperrys are usually tan, sturdy shoes, popularly worn by college and high school students, despite being pricey-usually around $70.

“I didn’t dig the girls who wore leggings as pants,” sophomore Eva Upman said.

“Either the lace or the feather [trends] were the best,” senior Evelyn Mandell said. “Maxi dresses were in too. Rompers don’t work on everybody.”

As “Vogue Magazine” puts it, minimalism and the vintage look were especially popular this year.

“Vintage sweaters and light cardigans were popular [among guys] this year,” junior Liam Inbody said. “I love flannels. They’re very comfortable and warm. I can wear them with whatever. There isn’t just one pair of jeans you have to wear them with.”

Minimalism in fashion means plain colored dresses and tops; sleek clothing, but simple. Pair a simple outfit with a long necklace or a belt, and this was considered “in.” For others, bright neon colors, animal prints, floral patterns and lace were more their 2011 style.

“As long as you don’t overdo [the lace], I really like it,” Johnston said.

A simple plaid or flannel shirt was the safe way to be fashionably “in” this year. But with experimenting through fashion comes self-expression. Dyed hair, and the edgy “punk” look of studs on accessories, clothing and combat boots raged.

“It is really exciting that the shorts, tights and boots combo that was popular in the ‘80s is coming back into fashion,” senior Hannah Stevens said. “If you go on Look Book, at least one girl will have a picture like that.”

“[Overall], I felt a rejection of pants this year,” Johnston said. “I started wearing more dresses and rompers.”

With a new year will come new fashion and trends. What will become of the patterned tights, feathers and lace will only be able to be told in time.

Even without great expectations, the boys swim team managed to claim first overall at all three of their home meets. This is largely due to their rigorous practice schedule, mental strength and team camaraderie.

The boys swim team has never contained members under the age of 15. Fortunately, along with the addition of many freshmen, plenty of juniors and seniors brought their leadership to the pool this year.

“It’s a young team, we have a lot of new freshmen who are inexperienced, but we have a lot of experienced juniors. We’re mostly leaning on the juniors,” senior team captain Andrew Roman said.

The way to win: Practice, practice, practice.

Even through winter break, the boys practiced for three hours almost every day. Except, of course, for the days when the school was completely shut down. During these five days, the team was encouraged to swim elsewhere.

During the typical school week, practices are just as strenuous.“We start stretching around 3:30,” Sophomore Evan Barnes said. “We normally do squat jumps, volleyball jumps, push-ups and sit-ups. After we do dry lands, we get in and do a warm up which has progressively gotten harder as the season’s gone on.”

“We get ready to go into the pool, put our cap and goggles on, and brace for the cold water,” Roman said.

After the warm up, the swimmers are assigned a “main set” which is designed to be physically and mentally challenging, and requires about half an hour to complete.

“It’s like any other sport, but in water it’s hard to stop yourself. If you’re playing another sport you can take a break, but in swimming you’re out in the open,” Barnes said. “Ignoring your mind telling you to breathe is pretty difficult.”

On average, each member of the team ends up swimming roughly 2 miles per practice.

Saturday practices are a bit different.

“Saturday mornings…basically, we sit in the locker room until she [Coach McDonald] gets mad at us,” an anonymous swimmer shared.

To be a successful swimmer, proper attire is necessary.

“Speed suits are called jammers. They’re like compression shorts, except for swimming. We wear them for meets–they’re pretty comfortable,” Barnes said.

Attire for practice is a bit different. “A lot of guys wear jammers and a drag suit which is a bulky, small Speedo, but a lot of guys just wear the dragsuit so it’s kind of like a small baggy diaper.”

This year, a new fashion trend of wearing just a drag suit to practice has emerged.
“They’re super comfortable because there’s microscopic holes in it.They’re not gross or disgusting or anything,” Barnes said. “However, shaving our legs…yeah. That went down.”

Outside of typical practices, the swimmers make sure to eat correctly, get plenty of rest, and visualize. Normal practices are so rigorous that extra training is unnecessary. “You don’t really have time to do anything else,” Barnes said.

The visualization pays off at meets.

First, Free State plays the intimidation factor. “We get there early and we want to be warming up before other teams warm up to show we’re ready to go,” Barnes said.
Next come the pre-meet rituals, which include a speech, a cheer, and the placing of Lawnie the Land Gnome. “Lawnie the Land Gnome is our swim team mascot. He sits on the high dive at every home meet and brings us good luck. He’s our guardian,” Roman said.

Finally, the actual swimming begins. Swim meets resemble track meets in that there’s a set schedule of events, different heats, and points earned for each swimmer who places in each race.
“Another reason it’s a team sport is you swim what the team needs you to swim. I swim endurance, so the 500 free, 200 individual medley. For my relays, I do the 200 medley relay,” Roman said.

Practice pays off.

“Winning is satisfying because we swim six days a week for a couple hours, and for people who don’t win first places, it’s very satisfying to win as a team. Every point counts and every swimmer counts,” Roman said.

“Winning a heat feels really good–to touch the wall and look around and see no one else there yet,” Barnes said.

After a highly successful season, the Firebird swimmers are gearing up for State. Meets throughout the season seldom match the intensity of State.

“At State, that’s the final culmination of all your training. You may be super nervous because it’s really loud, really high energy, it definitely adds fuel to the fire that you have to do well in your events and hopefully get top eight and get a medal,” Campbell said.

As for placing at State, the outlook’s pretty good.

“I think Ben Sloan could win some events at state. Conner Munk and Kyle Yoder could get top 8–I really think we can because we put in the work and we’re just really loaded,” Campbell said.

“As for myself, the two time defender of the 500 broke his hand, so I’m like ‘YES! I have a chance to get top 3 at state!’”

A flight attendant begins her march to the front of the airplane, and frequent fliers feverishly plug away at their iPads and smartphones to send one more Angry Bird flying into the clouds before she can make the dreaded announcement.

“Please turn off and stow all portable electronic devices at this time.”

The passengers grimace. It’s possible that many of them think this regulation is about as sensible as the rumored Lawrence, KS, law that forbids townspeople to wear bees in their hats.

“One time I left [my phone] on, and my sister left hers on for the entire flight, and [the flight crew] didn’t tell us anything,” freshman Thomas Paige said.

Paige flew to California last December, just a few weeks after actor Alec Baldwin failed to turn off his cell phone on a flight departing from California for New York and was summarily dismissed from the plane.

December is far from the busiest month for airplane traffic — seventh according to OAG for the Traveler — but it is a busy month for airwave traffic. In December 2010, actor Josh Duhamel was forced to exit an airplane after sending a text on the runway. One year and three days later, American Airlines escorted Baldwin off a plane when he “took his phone into the plane’s lavatory” to avoid turning it off, according to the airline.

“It might have been a little ridiculous to lock himself into the bathroom,” junior Aleva Ivanov said. Ivanov has flown overseas several times. “It might have been a hazard, but he didn’t necessarily deserve to be kicked off the plane. Unless he was volatile about it — unless he was like, ‘No, I will not stop playing.’”

Perhaps passengers would be more motivated to follow airplane regulations if they knew why those regulations are in place.

“I’m not sure what the cell phones do to the plane,” Ivanov said. “I might be nervous that it would break some tie and make us fall out of the sky … but I don’t have enough knowledge to be scared.”

No plane crash has ever been officially attributed to a passenger’s use of an electronic device, but the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration would rather passengers be safe than sorry.

“There are still unknowns about the radio signals that portable electronic devices (PEDs) and cell phones give off,” the FFA says on its website. “These signals, especially in large quantities and emitted over a long time, may unintentionally affect aircraft communications, navigation, flight control and electronic equipment.”

The heading of the FFA’s section on cell phones is “Cell Phones: A Different Animal.”

“Cell phones (and other intentional transmitters) differ from most PEDs in that they send out signals strong enough to be received at distances far away from the user,” the organization says.

If Baldwin had been playing a game on, say, an iPod, which does not necessarily transmit electromagnetic signals — signals usually associated with communication — he could have continued playing once the plane reached a height of 10,000 feet. This height marks the end of what Boeing’s magazine, “Aero,” calls the “critical” periods: takeoff and landing.

According to “Aero,” wireless devices have been known to cause “autopilot disconnects, erratic flight deck indications, airplanes turning off course, and uncommanded turns” during flights. The magazine specifically warns aircraft against cell phones, as electromagnetic interference (EMI) is reputedly, but not absolutely, responsible for many of these unintentional episodes.

Technology companies’ solution to their products’ quarrel with air safety is airplane mode, which Apple says “disables the wireless features of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to comply with airline regulations.”

The FFA implies that while airlines “may” allow their passengers to use phones set on airplane mode, which it says allows users only to “play games, check an address or look at the phone’s calendar,” some airlines will not accept this alternative.

Such skepticism often works both ways, though, as some passengers remain unconvinced that cell phones pose a threat to aircraft.

“I think they probably don’t want people getting distracted during an emergency,” Paige said, “so they just tell people it interferes with [the plane].”

The new year has made its entrance, and the fashion reports are in.  Neon colors and animal prints have been booted away, replaced by hats, neutral colors and flower prints.

According to the January 2012 issue of “Real Simple,” slippers are destined to be in this year. They aren’t the old house slippers that people wear around the house and the occasional trip to the grocery store, but more of a leather slipper that resembles some kind of dress shoe.

Accessories might be the highlight to a neutral-colored outfit, and there are many different options to decide between. One of these might be a decorated hair elastic, to replace the plain black elastic on girls’ wrists used for occasional hair emergencies.

Hair salons might be busy this year giving haircuts because short fringe hair and bangs are making a comeback. According to the 2012 hairstyles on fashionising.com, there are plenty of different styles for those with short hair.

But if short hair is not an option for some, then the style for those long locks is curls. Not necessarily the perfect, symmetrical curls that one might spend hours creating. These curls would be more like the soft, bouncy curls that are more laid-back.

This year, the guys will be experimenting with a new color. Rust is predicted to be a popular color: rust-colored shoes and jeans according to “Esquire.”

Along with rust, guys will also have the same earthy, neutral tones in their clothing that girls will be incorporating this year. The average pair of jeans will still be in, but there will be more colors to choose from.

The new year has begun and these new fashions will come and go. Only time will show what becomes of them.