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Show AV CCDDIIADV 07 OPINION oaaa DIXIE SUN -- 9 Media fuels violence BY ELLIOTT BUELER Dixie Sun Staff Writer At the risk of pinning another prob- lem on the media scape- goat, the recent events at Northern Illinois University along with many others have raised questions about its effect on extreme violence. Since the late90s, dozens of school shootings and other similar ,cts of violence have gained the highest of media attention, and in so doing have become perpetual occurrences with copycat killers and scenarios. The unprecedented and horrific events of Columbine, the worst high school shooting in U.S. history, created a media bombardment so overwhelming that within a day of the tragic aftermath, details of the shooting were known nationwide. Media coverage nearly 247 included video footage, interviews of those involved, and Feb. 19 in an article titled Sparta: High profiles of the shootschool students earn college credits that ers and their motives. With administrators said the students will be help from documentaries ahead, financially and academically like Bowling for when they begin college. Columbine, Columbine If a child decides to take part in such a remains synonymous with program, Idon't see any drawbacks. school violence. Stress levels may raise and free time may While the media shouland thats essendecrease, but for the positive bigger picders the obligation to accu- tially what the media does ture in mind, those consequences are of each rately and fairly report the by little effect. school shooting. news, how much is too Some may argue that children who much? There are those Nearly all of those who feel strongly that focus too much on education at such a responsible for the some 50 school shootings since extensive, almost glamorizyoung age miss, out on the typical social 1996 shared somewhat media coverage only ing of the not is This younger years. aspects similar profiles. Most were fuels the already raging a valid argument because if children have made the decision to reach higher fire of youth violence. Its a outsiders; many had a history of extreme depresplausible argument when i educational goals, obviously their s of the kids like Alvaro Rafael sion; J responsibility and determination to saw what they attackers 19, show up at Castillo, 4 achieve it means a lot to them. did as an answer to being schools dressed in trench So if one has to consider what is bullied, threatened or per coats, with guns and pipe more important high' school dances and parties or college courses containing material relating to a future career I most definitely would go for anything BY MIKE PINGREE HE REALLY IS A GOOD relating to my career before a social MCT BOY gathering. Now social events and socializSeven men terrorized an ing itself is important for everybody, but HE WAS HERE A elderly couple by trying to going to college at a young age isn't going MINUTE AGO, OFFICER break down the door of to eliminate all socialization. their Terrell, Texas, home As long as it is up to the children to Despite the fact that his and threatening to kill drivers license was susattend college while still in high school, them. man a They dialed 911, and, pended, not life will and their social crumble, they as the door was coming drove from his home in will have a higher chance of success. to New down, their son grabbed a Getting a head start on the future will not PungarehuNew Zealand, to shotgun and fired through Plymouth, yield negative results. the bottom of the door hitanswer drug charges. After he was pulled over ting one of the thugs in the by police on the way there, foot.. After the perpetrators were arrested, the he slid over into the pasmother of the guy that was senger seat and told the wounded called to comcop that he was not the driver. plain that they shouldn't Rosa Junior College when he was only 6 have shot her son. HELLO, CAN YOU made the He old. 7 months years, OF COURSE IT'S MY GUESS WHO THIS IS? Guinness Book of World Records after A woman CAR, OFFICER, WHY DO South YOU ASK? graduating from the University of became enraged that her Alabama at age 10, earning a bachelor's A man in a stolen broke up with boyfriend Hummer with Michigan degree in anthropology. He followed that her and launched a camin with a master's degree biochemistry, license plates pulled into paign of harassment that the parking lot of the welincluded waiting outside graduating at age 14 from Middle Tennessee State University. fare office in Jonesville, his Torquay, England, There is no doubt that people that grad- home, following him and Term., to apply for benefits. This attracted the uate from college this young are very his new girlfriend and attention of someone who intelligent and have the right education sending him almost 11,000 text and phone messages to get a job; the problem that they face is thought it odd to see someone in an extremely expenin just over two months. having the social skills required. out-of- Instead of looking back and rememberRestraining order granted. sive vehicle with in or school dates laughs those high ing class, they will be thinking about how they stayed home and studied for a O', test, alone. BY CRAIG BLAKE ding around. Wow! Dixie Sun Opinion Editor Six year olds do not know what they Voting is way cool! want in life. If anything, they aren't -making their life decisions; their People Who Don't Lock the Tricky Shower Controls will damage their I I visit a hotel I This are. time Restrooms Public at Door Every parents - Aah! Aah! - This is the consider drowning myself L,;y Rife and cause regret in their future. in the tub after a few minSome genius kids want to go to cosound of two minds being broaden and I of trying to decode utes a have to challenge damaged. irreparably llege how the controls function. think it is the duty of every their education instead of learning I Luckily I can't figure out something they already know, which responsible adult who is how the controls function. not wearing pants to barr think is great... if its their choice. Its Can't we just choose a syswhen parents pressureforce their kids to the entrance of any room that prestem here? he or she is in. get homeschooled to get ahead ents a huge problem. You'll get your whole life to be a grown Enzyte commercials - Wow, Projectile Toothpaste - I to work every male enhancement never of drill the recently flipped a speck of going do and up 15 you When that so and looked you're the toothpaste in my eye. It creepy... morning. day in was a horrible experience. is saying a lot. Warning should be going out with your friends, I had no idea that toothout who you truly on Label: Taking this prodand fun finding having uct may result in a huge paste had that kind of want to be in life. , , thomsGlvos m nign will smile that know power. We need to don't creepy People scare the crap out of weaponize it and shoot it school It's not until you spread your on your own everyone. Wipe that smile in the eyes of terrorists as do to things learn and wings soon as possible. And in that you truly grow and find out what you off your face, you big perthe off chance it gets in vert. their mouths, weve killed WWhat needs to happen for those kids two birds with one stone. Edgy Voting Slogans - I who enter into college early is something well. Take this in your eye! P. Diddy to his as am socially them holding grow will help that this will protect you Also, to about murder gaineveryjust isnt school promise just Going to from cavities and gingivialso about gain- one who didnt vote in its but education, the ing tis! 2004. A promise is a promsocial development to ing the tools like to for needs Sean. There later. ise, career Something help in your successMr. Combs to consider for SpElLiNg LiKe This - This be the right tools for them to befind Vote isn't cute. It is however or to a 2008 the skills job election, social ful at having the this year I will seriously very hard to read. Just when they are out of college. what exactly are you trycome to your house and murder you. Im not kid ing to accomplish here? GX," Pros vs, coins entering college early worth the cost? Is Headstart valuable BY BRITTANY LISH Dixie Sun Staff Writer Instead of focusing on the social aspects of high school life and being a teenager, some make the choice to graduate from college before turning 18. To take advantage of the educational system at such a young age presents nothing but opportunity. There so much success that can stem from focusing on higher learning at a young age. When a child has the choice to go above and beyond high school way before his or her peers may, it shows a is commitment to knowledge. ' According to a report published by ( the U.S. Department of Education on www.ed.gov, 98 percent of public colleges enroll high school students in college courses, and 71 percent of public U.S. high schools offer courses. Majority of benefits obviously rules when looking at the availability of these programs. A major reason it is so advantageous is because it is free of charge. This enables students who may have not had the chance to attend college because of financial reasons their opportunity. A high school in Grand Rapids, Mich., offers students to attend college free of charge if they receive at least a 3.0 GPA in courses they are taking. Journalist Ron Cammel for the Grand Rapids Press reported on dual-cred- it Let There is a lot of variety in the people who go to college, but when is too young for college? of now the youngest attending Dixie State is 15 years old and a already a junior. There is col-! problem with young kids going to lege because they dont have the same soc'al development as someone who goes though at the normal speed, There are fun times in high school and to think that someone could miss such a vital piece of his or her experience just to Set ahead in a career is sad. It's a shame parents have to push their kids to Srw up so fast when those experi-ence-s shape their future, not just for t a career, but also socially. f There are V.' kids learn in things school that dont have anything to do with academics. There are times they have to work as a team, learn what crowd they fit into, and the social skills to work well with those of their own age. there are things a child learns through experience rather than sitting in a math class. tAs a newsline article from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine posted on Dec. 5, 2006, on the According to he site http:www.siumed.edunews, children who do not interact with others are likely to develop a pattern of social isolation according and inactivity, 0 a study reported in the Journal of the life-lon- g uerican Medical Association. Over ie social isolation can lead to various problems, said Glenn Aylward, phprofessor of pediatrics at SIU ,, t1001 Tus Medicine in Springfield. social isolation will not only cause em Problems later in life, but they will So always have that dependency bn m and dad when they try to do things n their own. According to the Web site Paskville. amazon.comyoungest-per, ation's lchael v sub-cultu- ever-changin-g want-attent- over-coverin-g two-third- - the youngest college student is Kearney, who enrolled at Santa secuted; and nearly all had been affected by violent media. A series of overlying similarities between the Columbine killings and those in subsequent years, which is being called the copycat effect, reveal a number of comparisons. Jeffrey Weise, 16, who killed nine people at and near his Red Lake, Minn., school before killing himself, left a trail of Internet aniactivity: hand-drawmation and blog postings that all pointed to the boys obsession with the events of Columbine. Weise, together with many others, is perpetuating the school killings as shown in news nearly nonstop. Violent media is one of the only consistent threads woven through a complex array of shooters, the characteristics of which seem to fit no other profiling. Violent and suggestive themes in music, movies and video games pale in comparison to the real thing, and the real thing is what we see on nearly every news station for days after a tragic school shooting. n Concerned and bewildered citizens are not the only ones who watch the news. There are some who find the shocking and horrific appropriate, even inspiring. School shooters feed off exposure, and the media holds the spoon. Why give would-b- e killers' what they want? We should remember Columbine, and Red Lake, and Blacksburg, but they should be remembered as tragic and unfortunate, isolated events, not just dominoes in a row, felled as a result of uncontrolled news exposure. Through the looking glass kids be kids first BY ASHLEY BLAKE Dixie Sun Staff Writer yeb popular bombs. According to an AP article by Estes Thompson on Aug. 31, 2006, police asked Castillo why he went to Orange High School, a shooting that resulted in one death and multiple injuries in Hillsborough, N.C. Columbine, he said. Remember Columbine. While violent video games, music and Internet material certainly play a role in shaping the thought processes of some already troubled youth, extensive news coverage of school shootings must be limited. Details about the assailants methods, targets and motives may send other frustrated teens the message, You know, Im angry too I think I could do the same thing. As unpredictable as most teenagers are, there are a few common rules that seem to hold true. One is that fads are perhaps the one constant in a dominated by demands for acceptance. Stemming from the first, the second is the innate human need for attention. Aggression has become the fad for misunderstood youth and sometimes the best thing to do when children throw fits is ignore them, not give ion them what they Things that are lame J state plates in need of welfare. Police were informed. NO, WAIT, STOP, I WAS KIDDING As a man boarded a plane from New Zealand to Australia, a flight attendant asked him what was in the trumpet case he was carrying. "A machine gun," he jokingly replied. He was immediately removed from the flight and banned from flying on the airline for five years. DIXIE SUN Casie McNaughton, Editor in chief Rachel Tanner, News Editor Craig Blake, Opinion Editor Jared Burton, Sports Editor Jackie Fletcher, A & E Editor Bonnie Coleman, Lifestyles Editor Amanda Anderson, Photo Editor Josh Black, Ad Manager Ashley Blake Elliott Bucler Brock Bybee Melissa Contreras Karen Curl Brittany Lish Kevin McArthur Carly McClellan Whitney Phillips ' Brett Pruitt Tyler Roberts Whitney Roberts Brad Thomas Brent Wilson Kristen Shimomiya Rhiannon Bent, Adviser DIXIE SUN HOW TO REACH US Dixie State College CareerFinancial Aid Bldg. 225 South 700 East St. George, UT 84770 Phone: (435) Fax: (435) diriesun(2jdixie.edu- http:sun.dixie.edu The DIXIT. SI N is distributed each ttednesdas dur as a publication of ing Fall and Spring semesters Dixie Slate College, Arts. Letters and Sciences, and Dixie State College Student Activities The unsigned editorial on the opinion page represents the position ol DIXIQ SLN as determined bs its editorial board Othertaise, the viesis and opinions expressed in DIXIE St N ate those of the individual tamers and do not necessanlt reflect the opinions of DIXIE SL N or anv emits of the college |