Posts filed under ‘Harbor’
Fight Against Internet Censorship!
Phillip Nguyen
Warning! The Internet as you know it may be at risk due to the United States Government’s interference of the Internet! Even if you don’t regularly use the Internet, this change may affect you in ways you couldn’t imagine! US Congress is threatening to pass a bill infamously known as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) that could permanently damage the future of our lives. The US government has no right to affect our freedom of speech or take away our free knowledge, creativity, and our entertainment.
Protect IP will not stop illegal downloads. You can enter a blocked site by entering it’s IP address instead of it’s name. Therefore, the bill could just turn everyone into creepy hackers. In China they use Tor (The Onion Router) to bypass “The Great Firewall of China”. It’s actually very simple: in onion routing, data is repeatedly encrypted and sent to other onion routers. Each router removes a layer of encryption to uncover routing directions to be sent to another router for the process to be repeated. These processes make your web activity completely anonymous and impossible to intercept. That shows that censorship in other countries cannot hold a tight grip on the Internet, so why should America? If downloaders cannot be fully stopped by the government, why ruin the Internet?
What if other countries follow in our path and make their own laws? Everyone in the world will have different Internets. Protect IP will probably mess with the inner workings of the Internet, making it less secure and less reliable. Experts believe that if we mess with the registry of domain names, the result would be less security and less stability. “It contains provisions that will chill innovation. It contains provisions that will tinker with the fundamental fabric of the internet. It gives private corporations the power to censor. And best of all, it bypasses due legal process to do much of it,” says James Allworth from Harvard Business School. In short, Protect IP won’t stop piracy but will hinder the Internet and our creative ideas.
Online piracy is bad, but SOPA and PIPA are not needed. The government wants to stop piracy by killing the Internet, but honestly it’s just several steps too far. Online sites such as YouTube already have the power to take down pirated content and gain the same power to users to report illegitimate content. Private corporations already have the power to sue software companies out of existence. Under current DCMA laws, users that post copyrighted content are responsible, so in this case the user and content are mainly focused on. As opposed to SOPA and PIPA, they focus on links to violating sites. Sites such as YouTube that contain lots of movie clips, copyrighted music, and stolen content also include lots of protests, art, creative content, and free expression are at risk of being shut down. Some may argue current laws aren’t good enough, but what about what’s too much?
SOPA and PIPA also affect the lives of Americans. The Internet is a vibrant medium that many people use to express themselves, post ideas, art, protests, as well as run businesses. According to US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton: “When ideas are blocked, information deleted, conversations stifled and people constrained in their choices, the Internet is diminished for all of us.. There isn’t an economic Internet and a social Internet and a political Internet. There’s just the Internet.” I believe that this is a violation of freedom of speech. What’s even more is that The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that PIPA alone would cost $47 Million in tax money over five years! I believe that money can go to much better causes. There has been history of corporations stretching and abusing their power. They tried to take a video of a baby off YouTube just for the music playing in the background. This “solution” to commercial piracy will target families and children. Ordinary people can be sued and/or sent to jail for up to five years for posting copyrighted work, even singing to a pop song. So how far could the government really take this?
The government is trying to pass an ineffective bill that would ruin the Internet for US citizens.* Protect IP will not stop illegal downloaders and it would only make it slightly harder for them to access their content. The world may follow our example and we will all have very different Internets. SOPA and PIPA will affect the lives of US citizens. We can stop this, we can fight this! The government will only go as far as we’ll let them.
* Currently, the bill has been withdrawn in response to popular demand.
How to Survive School: A Harbor House Production
Becca DeCamp
The time has come again for the second of the five house plays that will make their debut on the Williston Central School stage this school year. The casts of the Harbor 7th and 8th graders are preparing their lines and learning their cues las they do in any house play.
In a nutshell, the play is about the stereotypical cliques that we see in school every day. Some of them are nice, and some of them… not so much. Another big component of the play is what happens when a football jock falls head-over-heels in “like” with one of the matheletes. This may seem like any typical play that you might see in the Williston Central theater, however this play is a bit different.
The play that Harbor is putting on is a student-written and a student-directed play, which has become a new tradition for the house. The writer and head director is Shea Savage, a local Harbor 8th grader who, in addition to directing this year, had a lead role in the last Harbor play, which was also a student-written play by Seamus Nolan, now a 9th grader at CVU. She also had other roles in 5th and 6th grade in the Meeting House plays, before the house was disbanded.
As a lead director, Shea holds a main leadership position in this play, along with fellow 8th graders Emily Pierson, Aliza Anderson and Michael Chirgwin, the other co-directors. These are the kids who have the responsibilities of making sure actors learn their lines and reminding them that the whole cast has only about 14 practices to prepare for performance day.
The actors are not the only hard workers. This year, Harbor has a great stage crew that has been busy at work painting sets and building props for about as long as the actors have been rehearsing. The three stage managers, Zack Davis, Jeremy Fuller and I, have been leading the crew in the building and painting of sets, working on cues with lights and sound and even helping the directors block and reminding the cast about important things such as bringing in costumes and props.
As part of the article, I conducted an interview with the young writer Shea Savage.
Q: The main theme of the play this year is stereotypical middle/high school cliques. Why did you decide to write a play that depicts this side of school that sooner or later, we all see?
Shea: “For one thing, I couldn’t think of anything better (chuckles). And for another thing, I thought that making fun of the stereotypes in this play might be funny, since we don’t really see these things in our school. I don’t actually know any of the people like the people in my play.”
Q: You’re in charge of a lot of kids in this play, who, as I have observed, have been a little unruly. What is it like to work with the young actors/actresses that you cast?
Shea: “Well, it gives you a great perspective on how teachers feel every day, but it’s also good to see them grow and learn as actors and actresses. So I guess that makes it worth it.”
Q: Another part of the job is praising the good actors. Are there any potential actors that we might see in the upcoming school production Honk?
Shea: “Kaity McSalis, definitely. She’s got a great love for acting, and she’s been in lots of school plays in the past. Plus she’s good. (chuckles) Lots of other people I know have definitely expressed interest in doing the school play as well. So I guess this is good practice for them.”
Q: I noticed in the play that you have a Lady Gaga fan club, led in their passion of theatricality by their president, Stephanie. What made you decide to write the role for these “Mother Monster” lovers? Was it perhaps your love of the singer?
Shea: “Well, in truth, Lady Gaga kind of scares me. But we wanted to have an opportunity for kids who like singing more than acting so they can shine. So what better person to have a fan club for than someone who’s creative and colorful and weird like Lady Gaga?”
Q: A big process of the play is blocking. How did that go for you, considering it was your first time attempting to do something like that?
Shea: “Well I can say that I was lucky to have Emily as my co-director for that experience. I would have had no idea about how to go about doing that. I mean, I’ve been in plays in the past, but I’ve never actually had to come up with the blocking myself.”
Q: Another big part of the play production process is the stage crew. What do you think about the stage crew this year? Were they helpful?
Shea: “Oh, well, stage crew is a really difficult job because they have to create a set out of my imagination. I worked with them quite a bit this year, and I think they’re really good. “
Q: My final question for you today is about the other directors. Did you find that they were able to re-create your vision for this play as accurately as possible?
Shea: “I was lucky enough to have directors that were friends with me, so they kind of share my sense of humor, especially Michael (Chirgwin). So I think they all did a really great job bringing it to life. (I say ‘so’ a lot, don’t I?)”
When you’re a middle school kid, seeing a house play is kind of a second-nature thing to you. In Williston, we see about five of these a year. But what really makes ours special is that the kids just didn’t take part in performing and setting up for it. They also played a big role in running, directing and even writing it. With our opening night being tomorrow, everyone is working especially hard to make this happen, but no one is working harder than the directors, who are in charge of making writer Shea Savage’s vision come to the stage.
The Best Hour Of The Week: CY Mentoring At Williston Central School
The Best Hour Of The Week: CY Mentoring At Williston Central School
Ben Press
Connecting Youth of Chittenden South (CY), Created CY mentoring in 1990, in the Chittenden South School District. In the past years, many kids have had and currently have mentors. What is the commitment? Who is in charge? What can you do at the mentoring room? How do people get involved? Let’s find out.
The name mentor comes from Greece, meaning “steadfast and enduring”. Kids 5-8th grade are children who need more adult attention. With the mentoring program, people have been proven with mentoring to navigate through adolescence, with healthy, outstanding lives. With this also causes more self confidence, improved attention in classes, and increased choices in doing good.
What this means to me
The commitment to be a mentor/men-tee is very special. Think of it as two places, that use a bridge. The bridge is that connects the two places together. My mentor John and I, are the best of friends. Nobody in mentoring does not like their mentors. Again, the commitment of everyone in the program, is more of bonding, like a brother hood. At my school, Williston Central School, Nancy Carlson, the mentoring coordinator, is a very close friend to everyone in the program. She runs the whole thing! The amount of crafts, snacks, toys, ingredient’s for cooking, everything! I personally don’t know how she keeps up.
For my 8th grade challenge, I will help Nancy with the program, at the mentoring kick off, the mid year Edge day, and the closing BBQ, this will help her out a lot and will give me many hours of service for my 8th grade challenge.
Expectations for the program
With adults that want to apply to be a mentor, they have to go to a FBI background check, to make sure that everything is O.K. They also need a complete written application, three complete references, complete personal interview, and to attend CY mentoring training.
The Expectations of the program include: “participating in a careful screening and matching process, attending mentor training from Connecting Youth and school staff, making a commitment of at least one school year, developing an understanding of expectations with the student men-tee respecting the men-tee’s confidentiality”. The expectations for the mentees are to have fun!
The benefits for mentors, mentees and parents
The benefits of mentoring for the children are having a caring adult in their lives, students look forward to the favorite time of the week, spending time with their mentor. Within that time, student can explore interests, or practice what they’re good at. This also teaches students to have good, wholesome relationships with not only students, but adults as well. Parents benefit by having more support for their child.
Adult mentors benefit by “…how much the mentoring process enriches their own lives. The satisfaction of being an important presence in a child’s life is a significant reward. Working with a young person is a creative process, and a fun one. Learning how best to be no more and no less than a supportive, caring friend can be a great challenge, and a great gift”.
Picture from http://www.wsdvt.org/domain/228
Occupy Vermont
Occupy Vermont
Jacob Parker
We Are The 99%
On September 17th, the Occupation began. A group of angry Americans set up camp in Zucotti Park, on Wall Street, and haven’t left since. This is a protest of multiple things-but they all center around the same subject- America’s economy, and what we’re doing to destroy it. “We are the 99%” is their motto, and they represent the other people in the country not benefiting from the bureaucrats in the government and in all the large businesses. They believe that all human beings deserve the same basic rights- #clean living necessities, food, and protection and help from their government.
Occupy Vermont
Their idea has attracted many followers worldwide- over 600 – including one right here in Vermont. Occupy Vermont met at the beginning of this week and decided to Occupy City Hall Park in Burlington. This will be a very peaceful protest; they have already planned to officially register their organization as to avoid police contact- they will leave room for the farmers market on Saturday- and anyone found to have any sort of weapon or drugs and alcohol will be thrown out. As unorganized as a group of people camping in a park may seem, they are not leaving anything unplanned. They have a “General Assembly” which takes suggestions from anyone who asks; and they supply food, water, and other supplies for members.
Problems
Even to people who oppose this protest, they bring up a great point. The way our country works is, frankly, stupid. The lower and middle class struggle throughout their whole lives while the rich keep getting richer. We give healthcare and welfare to illegal immigrants, while our own people are sick and poor. Tax cuts and bailouts for companies “too big to die”. Trickle-down economics? It may look nice on paper, but it definitely doesn’t work out to well for the people on the lower end of the spectrum. It sometimes seems that the Corporations run the government.
Backyard Farming
Backyard Farming
Silas Skiff
Imagine waking up to the loud moo of a cow at 6:40 in the morning. That is what it is like for me. Imagine living with 10 layer chickens, 2 beef cows, and 2 pigs. It would seem like a full time job/farm but it is really what my family keeps in the backyard. It would also seem like a lot of work but a lot of animals are really maintenance free, like pigs and chickens. With pigs you just buy an automatic feeder which you fill with pig feed and they can open whenever they are hungry. With chickens you fill a feeder and a water tank and they drink and eat whenever they please, but you do have to collect the eggs every day.
Time
One of the animals that takes up the most time is probably cows. Cows take up the most time because in the winter you have to give them grain and hay everyday because the grass is buried under the snow. They also take up a lot of time because it is hard to get them to the butcher because you need a livestock trailer and a powerful car to transport them. Chickens are not that hard because all you have to do is collect the eggs everyday and fill a feeder and water jug and they are all set for about 2 weeks. With pigs you just have to fill an automatic feeder with grain and they have enough food for maybe a week and a half. You have to give them water everyday because they get hot and drink a lot.
Land
It doesn’t take a lot of land depending on what animals you want. Cows take up the most land because they need 2 pastures. They need 2 pastures because they will eat all the grass in the first pasture and then you switch them to the the second one to let the grass grow back. Pigs take up the least amount of space because all they need is a shack to be protected from the weather and maybe a 10 by 10 pen to root around and that is it. Chickens need a pen to eat and a house with nests to lay there eggs and a bar to roost on.
What They Need
The pigs are kind of my job. The house we built for them used be a chicken shed. We need lots of hay to put on the floor so they can stay warm when it gets cold. We have an automatic feeder that we fill with 50 pounds of pig feed. The feeder has 2 flip up lids so they can get grain whenever they want. It takes them a few days to figure out how to use it. They go through 50 pounds of grain about every week. Then we put an electric fence around their pen so that they cant get out. The pen doesn’t have to be to to big because they will be happy just rooting around in the dirt. Whenever we have scraps of food we cant eat we just throw it into the pen for them to have. We always turn the used pig pens into a garden where we plant berries or vegetables because the dirt is so fertile.
Cows need 2 pastures. They need 2 pastures because once they have eaten all the grass in the first pasture you switch them to the second pasture so they have enough grass. In the winter we roll a round bail into the center of the pasture and that will last them for about a month. You also have to put a water heater in there giant water bin so it doesn’t freeze over. You have to make sure it doesn’t freeze over because even though there is snow they still need water. You also have to give them a little bit of grain in the mornings so that if they get out they will come back to the pen.
With chickens you need a shed so they will be protected from the weather. You need a light bulb in the shed so they will still lay eggs. Chickens need a certain amount of light every day so that they will be able to lay eggs. You only need a light in the winter because in the summer there is enough daylight in the year so they will be able to get enough naturally. You need to buy a heated water tank because just like cows they still need water. You also have to have a feeder so they will be able to get food because the grass is covered with snow
The pigs are my favorite animals because when you walk down they will race out of there shed and run back and forth in their pen while snorting. The pigs are also the kindest animals. The cows are my second favorite animal because they have big round ears and are fat and they don’t run they just lope. When my dad brings us to the bottom of our driveway the run over towards our car because he gives them grain in the morning and to them it is so much better than the grass and hay they usually eat. The chickens are one of my least favorite animal because they smell really bad and aren’t that good looking.
In the end farming is fun in different ways and not as much work as some people think. Sometimes it is fun to wake up to the loud moo of a beef cow. It is like an automatic alarm clock.
