Juan and Kevin are doing this because they say they want to get experience for later on in life.

Juan says that he knew that he wanted to chose the military his junior year and Kevin wanted to join ever since he was a kid.

Many students leaving high school and moving on to college are worried about being away from home and having to do things like laundry or find food for themselves, but with Juan and Kevin a whole new set of worries exist. Juan and Kevin will move on from high school and almost immediately face basic training (also called boot camp) a period of intense training and getting used to military life that is sure to be a shock to the system that can’t really compare to the dorms. And it’s not just basic training these students worry about.

“I’m nervous about the possibility of going to war,” says Kevin. Even though the military can have some rough times it also has many good things, both Juan and Kevin are excited to meet new people while in the military.

Joining the military might seem like the easiest way to go after high school because they pay for your education, but it is not that easy. In order to join the military you have to meet physical and mental standards, take the ASVAB test, and go through boot camp. After going through this you get to pick a job that you want to do while in the military.

Our two seniors don’t plan on being in the military forever, Juan plans on pursuing a career that involves airplanes. Kevin plans on going to dental school or becoming a cop.

Since Juan and Kevin will be going through tough times after high school, lets wish them the best of luck.

Mr. Fox, our News Stuff teacher for example is going to Ghana this summer. He is there for the organization Global Routes. This organization gives students the possibility to travel abroad and discover new cultures. The program Mr. Fox supports works like an exchange program over the summer vacation. He will travel with 18 students to Ghana where each of them is going to live in their own host family for 6 weeks.

“I love to travel but I also like to share that with other people and experience new cultures. I’m also doing some community service while I’m there which is really fulfilling.” However, for Mr. Fox this isn’t pure vacation time. Though he lives in his own host family, too, he does a 24-hour job. Often the group will meet early in the morning to do activities together. In addition to that he has to be there whenever a student needs his help and take care of that problem.

Other teachers rather enjoy the vacation time alone with their family.

Mr. Mann, who teaches CAD/CAM, loves going camping in the Ochocos. “There are pretty trees and wild horses. And nobody goes there that’s why I go there!” There, he will mostly go hiking. In addition to that, he and his wife do dog agility competitions with Border Collies. Not only the time with his wife is important to him. He has a new Granddaughter and wants to spend a lot of the free time he has during the vacation with her.

Our Language Arts teacher, Miss. Werner usually does something exciting during the summer break. In the past she has to be to Guatemala and other places. But this year she does not have big travel plans because she’s pregnant.  “I’ll spend a lot of time doing a community garden and sitting in the sun”. But she will probably visit Michigan, San Francisco, Arizona and California to see family members and also to have some fun.

“I get two months a year to chose something different.” said Mr. Chroninger, PE and Health teacher. He likes variety and every summer vacation he does something different. This year he will travel to California with his wife and his two sons. “As my boys get older we’re going to travel more and more.”

However, last year he worked at the golf course.  “I have to stay busy. I hate the feeling of wasting time.” Not only that some extra money is always nice, people that work at the golf course also get the possibility to play golf for free.

Also Mr. Davis worked at the golf course to get some free golf, but also to stay busy. Though free golf is fun, this summer he’s going to have another job. The Business teacher is going to coach Mountain View’s Baseball team. “It is a fulltime job but I’ll only get little money for it.” He doesn’t do the job for the money though. “I’ll help to get the team trained, get them involved and it also helps to develop the High School program.” Also he likes to stay busy. Apparently a lot of teachers can’t just stay at home during the vacation time and be lazy. Mr. Mann actually has two jobs. He has manufacturing business that he runs on the side. “Some of the teachers do work because they need the extra money but most want to enjoy the extra time off and do what they like,” Davis thinks.

However, vacation time does not last forever. The new school year comes faster than most of us wish and teachers sometimes have to prepare their classes in advance just like Miss Werner. “I have to read all the books I’m going to teach and figure out my lessons.” Maybe she’ll even take some online College classes.

By David Gillespie

Attention, pop addicted citizens of Mountain View. I have a few steps for you to follow right now.

Step 1: Put down the Rolling Stone Magazine

Step 2: Step away from the radio tuned to 94.1 FM

Step 3: Step out of your world of billboard charts, glam music videos, and solo artists

Step 4: Prepare to enter a world you are not familiar with. A world of dissonance, synthesizers, and lead singers who don’t thrive off of magazine covers.

In this world, there are no electric drums, no background dancers, no auto-tuned microphones, and there are no songs that end up getting covered on American Idol. These are bands that rise to the top of their genre with originality, talent, and a little bit of luck. So go to your bathroom and clean out your ears from all the bass that you’ve had pounding into your ears, and give these albums a listen.

Neon Trees Habits:

4/5

From Mercury Records, Neon Trees deliver a debut album reminiscent of the Killers debut, ”Hot Fuss”. The difference is, this ‘Brandon Flowers (Tyler Glenn of Provo, Utah) is a Mohawk stricken, bow-tie toting animal on stage. Far from holding back his physical actions, he moves about the stage in an imitation of the angst that he is belting out through the lyrics, commanding his keyboards all the while. Backed by the instrumental talents of Chris Allen on the guitar, Branden Campbell on bass, and Elaine Doty on the drums, this Utah band brings a killer vegas-rock feel in their debut album, “Habits”.

Say Anything Say Anything:

4/5

When a band has a lead vocalist tormented by schizophrenia, a bi-polar disorder, and other mental issues, you can expect the lyrics to be…interesting. And put simply, Say Anything does not disappoint. With painfully honest lyrics, and quirky synth/guitar leads, one finds Say Anything’s 4^th and self-titled album surprisingly enjoyable. Backed by Alex Kent, Jake and Jeff Turner, Parker Chase, and the bands only other original member Coby Linder, Max Bemis makes music that is honest to his own emotions and issues without any discrepancy, which is a rare find in today’s mainstream music business. Whether you are enjoying the religious humor of “Died a Jew”, or relating to the puppy love lyrics of “Crush’d”, there is something for anyone and everyone in the 2009 album, “Say Anything”.

The Decemberists The Hazards of Love:

3/5

You’re going to need to buckle up for this one. The Decemberists have always been a band in love with their own theatrics, shown clearly in Her Majesty, and Picaresque. But they may have gone too far on this one. Granted, the Portland based fans of this middle-finger-to-the-world band may love this new album, “The Hazards of Love”, but new listeners would leave this album thinking, “huh?”. Not to say that this album doesn’t leave the listener with some highlights. Oh no, the reprise of this makeshift rock opera “Hazards of Love”, highlights excellent acoustic guitar riffs, with banjo leads sneaking their way in here and there. And with guest vocalists Becky Stark, Shara Worden, and Jim James, no one can say that this album is a total bust. But heed this warning: “The Hazards of Love” is not for Decemberist beginners!

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest:

3/5

Even though bassist Chris Taylor acclaims “Veckatimest” as his bands most accessible album to date, this isn’t saying too much when you look back at the bands first two albums, which are laden with spacey synth chords, saxophone lines, clarinets, and the occasional accordion. This isn’t to say that the album doesn’t have a few tracks that would be quite accessible to the proto-typical pop rocker. The tracks “Two Weeks”, and “While You Wait for the Others” are something like you would expect to hear the soundtrack for “Where the Wild Things Are”. But nevertheless, they will leave you with your head bobbing to the catchy synth beats. Saturated with vocal harmonies, and a plethora of great reviews for their live performances, there is no doubting that this band is one with no shortage of musical talent, but “Veckatimest” may just not be your ‘cup of tea’.

Phoenix Wolfgang, Amadeus, Phoenix:

5/5

Having been together now for 10 years, Phoenix has risen from a garage band in Versailles, France, to an alternative band gaining global recognition, with their latest single “1901” hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot Alternative Songs list. On January 31^st, 2010, they won the Grammy for Best Alternative Rock album. Vocalist Thomas Mars, Bassist Deck D’Arcy, and guitarist Christian Mazzalai started as a simple garage band in the suburbs of Paris. Soon after, Mazzalai’s older brother, Laurent Brancowitz soon joined the fray, playing guitar. Since 2000, they have released 5 Albums, each with a truly unique alternative sound. Echoing guitar riffs, precise and complex drum rhythms, and keyboard melody lines bring Phoenix’s music to life. So, if you haven’t had the chance to give them a listen, do yourself a favor and give “Wolfgang, Amadeus, Phoenix” a listen.

Here are some special mentions:

MGMT Congratulations 4/5

Gorillaz Plastic Beach 4/5

Broken Bells Broken Bells 3/5

Dr. Dog Shame Shame 3/5

Spoon Transference 4/5

OK Go Of the Blue Colour of the Sky 5/5

The Bravery Stir the Blood 4/5

Blacrok Blacrok 2/5

The XX XX 3/5

Passion Pit Manners 3/5

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion 1/5

St. Vincent Actor 3/5

The Antlers Hospice 2/5

We all know and love Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and all the other sites in between. Right now these socially networking sites are in a tough race to be the new “thing”.

According to Experian Hitwise, a site that provides insight on how many users use each and every site, each and everyday. As of now, Facebook and Twitter are “IN”, and sadly, Myspace is out.

According to companies that monitor Internet traffic Facebook is the Number One social network in the U.S. with a whooping total of more than 300 million users on Facebook. 50% of those users log in everyday, that’s 150 million people on Facebook. The average facebook user has 130 friends, more than 600 million minutes are spent on Facebook world wide, more than 40 million status updates each day, and more than 2 billion photos are uploaded each month.

Right now Twitter’s hotness isn’t so hot. It now ranks at a low 4^th place on the top list. Twitter is the newest site to join the social network. It lets users send and receive messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters and much like facebook, is displayed on the user’s profile. But those tweets aren’t just posted, they are sent to all your friends, which are called “followers”. Since it’s creation in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has become noticeably popular worldwide. In February 2009 Twitter has a monthly growth of 1,382 percent.  Twitter has not given out any direct information about how many users they currently have so it’s hard to know. But it’s averaged any where between 4 to 10 million users.

Myspace is doing all it can to keep itself  “cool” in they eyes of the media. They in a rush to develop more compelling music and video services. They need something to catch people’s attention, something good and something quick.

It’s still managing to hang on to its spot at Number Two on the list. Myspace used to be the biggest thing in social networking. According to Hitwise, Myspace still has a hold on 30% of the social networking market. But that is still less than the 60% it held at this time last year. Myspace had 106 million users in November of 2006 and has been growing by about 230,000 users a day.  Currently Myspace has about 257 million users.

Most people who are active on social networking sites have a profile on both Myspace and Facebook, maybe even more. Despite being on both sites, each user almost always has a preference for one site over the other.  “I prefer Myspace because of the music” says Junior Josie Smith Hudson. While others think differently, “I like Facebook more, it just seems more, clean, I guess. The atmospheres are just so different.” Says Ellie Sullivan, a junior here at Mountain View. And some people could truly care less, “they’re close enough to the same thing that it doesn’t really matter to me,” says Sophmore Miryssa Espinoza. Then fellow SophmoreTori McGee pitched in “yeah, they’re pretty much the same, I don’t see the big deal”.

They are some significant differences between these two sites, and that’s mainly why people choose one over another.

There are the basic differences between these rivals, Myspace has music while Facebook does not, at least not yet. But Facebook has more Applications, which to some are too confusing. Facebook isn’t unique; you can’t design your own profile like you can on Myspace. The way you like to have your profile set up and the applications you’d want to use, all play a major part in what sites attracts certain users. Then there are some differences us users don’t really see much. Many people don’t know but there’s been an interesting shift in who uses what site. Myspace began as a place for teenagers to hang out and chat. And Facebook was originally created for college students (when it first started, you actually needed a college email to sign up). As the two sites have grown, their users have changed. These days teens and college students can be found on both sites.

According to Nation Public Radio or NPR, overall social networking in the U.S increased 62% from Sept. 2008 to Sept. 2009. If you talk to any student at any school and you’ll probably find that many kids used to use Myspace, but Facebook is where it’s at now. Facebook is taking over more and more of the social networking space in the U.S. it had an estimated 95.5 million U.S visitors in September alone. Keep in mind that is only the U.S. Myspace is still right behind them with 65.7 million U.S visits in September. However, numbers don’t explain it all, the story becomes more complicated when you hear different teens point of views.

“I only use Myspace so I guess I prefer that one.” Said Stephen Langberg, Senior at MVHS. Another Senior, Chelsea Gibson says “ I don’t have a facebook and I barley ever check my Myspace, so I could really care less about what one is cool-er”

Ultimately, which social networking site your prefer really depends on what your actually looking for in a site. In addition to Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter, there are numerous other sites. It is important to remember that the popularity of these kind of sites will wax and wane over time. If you’re just looking for the latest trend, then you might as well just jump from site to site, but if you’re looking for a place where you can really connect to, then just find one you like and stick to it.

Ben was born September 15^th, 1991. When he was born he had noticeable spots called café au lait spots. These spots are linked with Neurofibromatosis, which is a genetically inherited disease in which nerve tissue grows tumors that may be harmless or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues.

In Ben’s case, he has tumors encompassing his abdominal area and his entire spinal cord causing extensive spinal damage. He also has Scoliosis.

Because of all this, Ben was our Sparrow here at Mountain View last year. Sparrow Clubs provide financial and emotional support for ill children and their families. Our Sparrow Club raised $2,600.00, which paid for most of his surgery. Students did community service hours to also raise money.

Mountain View held an assembly for Ben last year. His family was there, and they showed a slideshow with pictures of him, and talked about his illness. Ben claimed that it made him feel special.

“When everyone watched the slideshow it was like everyone got to see who I really am.” Said Ben.

He has overcome since being our Sparrow last year though, he had surgery over the summer in August, and is doing better now.

“I wish I was still the Sparrow. It was awesome.” Said Ben. “I could use it as an excuse for everything.” As he laughs.

Ben still suffers with back pain, headaches, not being able to bend over, doing any contact sports, and also being extremely tired. His disease takes a lot out of him.

And yet even with everything he goes through, he always has a smile on his face and is in a great mood.

“Ben is a super cool kid. He’s a good friend, and he’s really funny.” Said Senior Tyler Dufresne.

Ben is a very nice guy, and students here at Mountain View should take the time to get to know him. Next time you see him walking in the halls, take a second and say hello.

By: Kassi Walker

For those of you who just slide by with a passing grade of D, you might just want to re-think your ways, no more slacking off.

Our English department has a new grading policy for the 2009/2010 school year. The D policy means that in any English classes at Mountain View for 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th graders, you must pass with a C or higher. Anyone with a grade below a C will receive an F for the class on your transcript and have to re-take the class to receive credits for graduation. With this new policy, teachers are looking to bring down the number of failing students and bring them up with better grades.

“I think this policy is fair. I’m smart enough to pass with more than a D.” Says Freshman Finn Leahy. But what about the students who do have trouble in school?

“ I am stressed about this new policy because for other kids, these classes are simple, but for me it’s hard. Maybe it will give me the motivation to work harder though.” Said Junior Michael Richard.

The English department has put fail safes into place. Teachers will be available to help the student if their grade does start slipping to keep them on track. Students can receive help on early release Wednesday’s, and students will have resources to make lists of missing assignments .

The department has been discussing the issue for several months and they even tested the policy in several classes. In tests, teachers found that the number of failing students actually decreased rather than increased in most classes. This policy should be paid attention to if you are an athlete at MVHS. A failing grade could lead to not being able to participate or play for a sports team. Parents should be aware of the change and help their child when needed.

If you have no problems passing classes then there is no need to worry. Although, this policy is a good way to keep your grade above the radar, so don’t let your grade slip and get your work turned in.

The Who, What, Why and When of the H1N1 Vaccine. Essential information you may need.

According to http://www.newsweek.com, Federal Officials are planning for a H1N1 pandemic that could effect 30% to 50% of the population this flu season. With the first cases possibly starting these next few months . A vaccine will be crucial for protecting people. But will it be too late? Who should get the shot? How safe and effective will it be?

Fortunately, the new H1N1 virus has been mild so far. It has affected a million Americans so far and only 556 deaths have been recorded. This compared to the 36,000 a year for the normal flu. But it also arrived very late in the last flu season and didn’t spread through the whole country. This year the vulnerable population will be much larger.

The H1N1 virus is even affecting Mountain View “Not many people are out of school sick yet, but I’m sure in the next month we will defiantly see an increase. Right now there are a few students out sick, but we are still not sure whether its H1N1 or the normal flu.” Said Sandy Young, Attendance Secretary here at Mountain View.

Federal Officials  do not want to discourage  anyone from getting the shot. But The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as The CDC, is only recommending the vaccination for people in the high risk groups, these include Health Care and Emergency workers, Children and young adults (6 months to 24 years old), Parents and care takers of babies under the age of 6 months (since infants under 6 months have a poor vaccine response, the best defense is having parents who are flu-free), and last but not least, adults ages 25-64 with other underlying health conditions including diabetes, asthma, and chromic lung disease and heart disease.

The government has ordered 195 million doses of vaccine, 45 million of which will be delivered by mid to late October. The vaccination will take 5 weeks to fully develop immunity. Some people are worried about that. Even if they get it now, they won’t be immune until late November and the flu season is supposed to peak in mid- October. The CDC has no idea how the H1N1 virus will behave this year. Officials suspect that flu season will strike early this year because in contrast to the seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus continued to circulate throughout the summer. The fact that school is now back in session will likely fuel the spreading.

If you get the H1N1 shot, you still need to get the normal flu shot. The Swine flu shot will not protect you from both. The H1N1 vaccine is suspected to be very accurate unlike the normal flu shot which is just the best guess at what will vaccinate you. The H1N1 virus is very stable, unlike the seasonal flu which mutates and makes it hard to protect against.  The H1N1 vaccine should match the strain, therefore be highly effective.

Many people are wondering how to best avoid the virus if they aren’t getting the vaccine. To protect yourself wash your hands frequently and well; 20 seconds with soap and warm water will do. Avoid touching your eyes and nose. Alcohol based hand gels are also effective. Second, avoid spreading germs by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably using a tissue or your sleeve. And third, if you’re sick or your children are sick, stay home until the fever has gone away for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

For those interested in getting vaccinated the H1N1 vaccine will be available at MVHS on October 29^th, throughout the day. It will be the nasal mist version. It is still unsure where the vaccination will be located, so stay tuned, talk to your teachers, counselors, or the staff in the main office to find more information.

Marvel, the people who brought us Spiderman, The Punisher, The Incredible Hulk, X-men, and many other super hero classics, but is now actually Disney.
A question that super hero fanatics like myself must ask, why did Disney buy Marvel? We all know Disney as the proud owner of Cinderella, The Lion King and Bambi. Don’t get me wrong, all three of those movies are true cartoon classics, but I don’t quite view the Incredible Hulk as being a cute and cuddly fawn, or a rags to riches love story. I can’t help but fear that there will never be another Punisher again.
In late August, the Walt Disney Company bought Marvel for four billion dollars. According to CNNmoney.com, the deal will allow Disney to sell Marvel’s vast array of characters and properties across different media platforms and in many more markets. Marvel offered over 5,000 characters to Disney to do whatever they please.

Last year, Iron Man made over $100 million dollars. If a movie came out for every one of the Marvel characters that were sold to Disney, and each movie made about the same amount as Iron Man, the profit would be well over 4 billion dollars. In 2004, a very extraordinary Marvel character, The Punisher (Frank Castle) became the main character in a movie, The Punisher starring Thomas Jane. The Punisher included a great deal of violence, language, and other explicit content, which is why it was rated “R”. Not many Marvel movies have an “R” rating, but some, like The Punisher, are directed for mature audiences. Now that Disney owns Marvel, one can hardly imagine another Punisher movie due to the fact that Disney doesn’t typically make “R” rated movies. Plus, The Punisher is not The Punisher without the extreme level of violence and action. With all the money that has been brought in from movies such as, Spiderman, Iron man, Fantastic Four, and many others, I’d say that Marvel was doing fairly well without Disney.

Marvel is definitely worth way more than 4 billion.  Disney should stick to cute and cuddly, and leave the real action to the professionals.