Where's the Halloween spirit?

Remember running through the streets on Halloween night when you were a kid? The excitement as October began and you started to consider what you were going to dress up as at the end of the month. The rush you got as you rang the doorbell and uttered some of the sweetest words in the world:
"Trick or Treat."



What ever happened to this memory? Is it packed away in the box with all of your costumes and fake blood? It seems as if we've outgrown what was one of our favorite holidays.


As the years go by, less houses decorate, less people dress up, and less parents taking their children out for their first trick or treating. More and more houses are refusing to answer their doors every year. But Why?



With so many children and adults getting out of the Halloween spirit, it's going to take all of us that still eagerly await this event to keep it alive. Those of us that don't just plan parties and social events to boost our social status and popularity must work to keep the real fun of this holiday.



For me, the fun of Halloween is not just getting the candy, or the parties, or even the traditional jack-o-lantern. The fun on Halloween is dressing up as something you aren't, and could possibly never be.


And you have to admit, even as a teenager or adult it's fun to be someone or something that you've never been before. But fewer and fewer people are taking part in this activity anymore. And as the tradition begins to die, so does the memory. As well as the hope of it ever making a comeback.

So everyone that still holds their childhood Halloween memories near and dear, and still continues to relive them with a stick of eyeliner and white face paint should keep this memory alive. Don't let this holiday collect dust on a shelf. Don't let Halloween die.

Adrianna Owens: Instincts

Have you ever gotten one of those what-the-heck-is-that-chick-wearing stares? Well, if you haven't then I'm here to tell you, it's not so fun. In fact, anyone staring at you is never really fun.

But, walking around campus, I received a couple of those stares, and yes, even a few laughs. I turned hesitantly, as I heard the various whispers and chuckles. As I looked around with a nervous expression, my friend noticed and said, "take off that hat and maybe people wouldn't say anything."

Even though I heard the humor in her voice, it still hurt. But, it was true. Because, I was sporting a unicorn hat. Yes, a knit unicorn hat, with a fluff of rainbow hair and everything.

But I couldn’t get past the fact that I was being targeted. And my mind couldn't keep the reoccurring questions away. They just kept coming. All I could think was... why?

Why were people so caught up in what I had on my head?
Why did it matter to them?
Why?

I left my questions rhetorical, because I was unsure of the answers. Now, I have come to a conclusion.

They're human. It's just instinct. People like to stare.

They like to see different things, things that they don't see everyday. They might not like these unordinary items, nor consider making them a part of their life. But, there will be more "unicorn hats" in their future. And I will be in possession of uniqueness all of my life. With that being said, this isn’t the last time I will be laughed at or whispered about.

It's nothing I should have been ashamed of, or mad at. It was a time for me to show the real me. The me that isn't afraid of what people think. The me that is willing to put on the unicorn, and walk around, knowing that people will act on their instincts. The me that doesn't care.

Alyssa Marie: Growing Pains

High school.Freshman year = "WHOA THAT'S NEW". Sophomore year = "THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT". Junior year = *IN THE PROCESS OF FALLING APART* . Why is it in the process of falling apart? Talk about two AP's, a school newspaper to write for, endless piles of homework and books to read, SATS prep, afterschool responsiblities, driver's ed, and possibly a job in a few months? What. Am. I. Doing. Urgh. I wish I could go back to the days when a golden star sticker made me feel proud of myself. I wish I could back to the days when people expected less out of you. The days when you didn't expect a gold star on your drawing but got one anyways.

I'm pretty sure many students out there can relate to what I'm saying. You go from everything is easy-peasy, to everything feels like it's falling apart. When I say falling apart I don't mean in the sense that it's ruining your life..(well maybe), but in the sense that you "feel" that things around are crumbling down on you because suddenly everyone is depending on you to achieve something. As if you're no longer that little kid that had it easy. You're now this grown up human being trying to juggle everything in their life. With all these responsibilities, it's like you dont feel like a teenager anymore because everyone expects you to act like a grown up. They want you to leave behind your childish ways and grow up. They wont settle for less because they expect you can do better. Whether or not we want to, there's always going to be that one thing that's going to remind you to grow up: yourself. You let yourself do whatever people tell you to do because you not only want to please them but also yourself. YOU want to give yourself a gold star sticker. YOU want to feel good about yourself. It's not the outer forces, but its the inner forces challenging you. No one can stress you out but yourself. No one can tell you to grow up, but yourself.

FaithHarris: Eating Disorders

For the first issue of the Stagg Line, I took on the topic of eating disorders. Not a light topic at all, but since it was focusing on a program, I found it rather intriguing. As you can imagine, though, i had a lot to say. There just wasn't enough room in my spot for everything I had to throw at ya!
I did a lot of research on these disorders, and though I didn't really use many stats in my actual article, I really want to share them with you guys. I managed to narrow it down, so here are some interesting findings:

anad.org (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
*50% of those with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression
*only 1 in 10 men or women with disorders seek specialized help
*Men are less likely to seek help because of the perception that it is a "womans disease"

ehow.com
How To cope with a disorder:
1. Recognize the problem
2.Seek help
3. Stick to the treatment
4. Create a supportive enviornment

There's many more interesting sites, so do your own research sometime!
If you know anyone with an eating disorder, Alexandra Caspero is eager to meet students.
Go to Healthy Start and make an appointment for yourself or a friend.

Fanatical Faith: JUST DANCE[=

So for Stagg Line's next issue, I have taken on the task of co-writing! Me and the fantabulous Xe Xiong are writing an entertainment story on the dance showcase. The showcase isn't until May 5th and 6th, but you won't believe the info we have for you! We've got the rehearsals, backstage work, and the behind the scenes stuff you don't ever see. It was amazing to see how much of them talked about teamwork, so we made that our angle for the story. It's great that they can take something so fun and light and make it so passionate and intriguing. I really love to dance myself, and will hopefully be in the advanced level class next year. Be sure to go to the showcase and be sure to grab the Stagg Line's next issue on April 15th.

That Religious Guy: A Belated Goodbye

..... Today is definitely a day of mourning. Last Monday, our generation lost another one of its barely blooming individuals, Jera Machuca, a person taken before her time. As a journalist, she helped make The Stagg Line a great publication. As a student, she donated her time to various extracurricular activities. As a friend, she was always there with a kind word. It's never an easy reality to overcome when someone disappears forever, gone through the thin line between life and death, between this world and the next. But as time passes, wounds heal and circumstances change. We all must continue the race of existence and must inevitably lose some companions along the way.

..... Now I'm not going to compose an eloquent elucidation about the mysteries of life and why people die. Though I'm a devout Roman Catholic, I am as clueless as the most ardent atheist. I know not what lies beyond, what is waiting on the other side. As a religious person, I may have an inkling, but I certainly do not have all the answers.

..... I must admit that Jera and I were never close friends, a fact that can sadly never change. We were merely acquaintances both on staff and in our casual lives. Yet, the most vivid memory I have of her is something mundane, something personal. I simply remember a time when we were both in charge of cleaning the counter tops in the journalism room. We made small talk and we helped each other out. Of course, this memory may not seem so great to anyone else, but it's something that will stay with me. I will always remember that Jera was always open to others and was always eager to assist in any way.

..... Today at 5 pm, Jera's friends and family will be praying the rosary at Frisbee-Warren & Carroll Mortuary. It didn't hit me until today that she was really gone, spirited away from this earth. Hopefully I'll be able to attend the rosary and pray for Jera's soul and for the consolation of her family. Maybe then I can make my belated goodbye complete, my overdue farewell to a friend I hardly knew. But I'm careful not to use the phrase "final goodbye" because as long as someone's memory remains with you, they live on. It's a cliche that should comfort all of us when we come face to face with our own mortality. Ultimately, Jera will continue to be in my prayers for years to come.


May God bless her and her family,
- Jeremy Dela Cruz

Clear and Present Damon: Doctor Who-a Celebration:Part 3- the 80's

Above; The Sixth Doctor and Per in "Revelation Of the Daleks"

At the start of the decade, Tom Baker was still the Doctor. But he was not the same Doctor as he was when he first regenerated. Bakers storylines grew increasingly darker and more melancholy, as the series was taken over by producer John Nathan-Turner who would govern the series throughout the 80's. After parting ways with Time Lady and companion Romana, The Fourth Doctor was joined by Adric, a genius mathematician, and an arguably unlikable companion. Baker was aging in the role, and in 1981 left the series. The Fourth Doctor gave his life to save a planet from the newly regenerated, (well actually he stole the body), Master played by Anthony Ainley. In a regeneration aided by the ghostlike Watcher, the Doctor became a younger man, the Fifth Doctor.

With a younger more polished look, a Cricket outfit, and a lucky stick of celery, The Fifth Doctor, played by Peter Davison was joined by Adric and two other companions he had met before his regeneration. The princess from the planet Traken, Nyssa, and Australian air stewardess Tegan Jovanka. In the episode "Earthshock", the Doctor and his friends come face to face with old enemies the Cybermen. In order to stop them, Adric stays behind to pilot the Cybermens ship into a prehistoric earth, wiping out the dinosaurs and killing him in the process. It was the first time that a companion was ever killed off on the show and it was a controversial descision despite Adric ranked low on many lists of favorite companions.

The Fifth Doctor traveled with Nyssa and Tegan and met his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge- Stewart in "Mawdryn Undead". In the same storyline he was also joined by another male companion Vislor Turlough. Towards the end of Peter Davisons run as the Doctor, his core companions had all left and he was joined in his final two storylines with American student Peripugillium Brown (or Peri for short). The Fifth Doctors final story "The Caves of Androzani" is arguably the best episode ever boasting its best regeneration scene as the Fifth Doctor gave his life to save Peri from being poisoned by giving her the cure and sacrificing himself who had been poisoned as well.

The Sixth Doctor could not have been more polar opposites with his previous incarnations. The producers wanted to introduce a Doctor that would not be immediatley likable and it shows. Colin Bakers Doctor can be big headed, annoying, and showed a relative distaste for Peri in his debut season. He also wore a blinding multicolored coat. His premeire episode "The Twin Dillemma" is considered the worst episode in the shows history, with the newly regenerated Doctor fighting Giant Slugs. The series was nearly canceled after C. Bakers first season, but came back after a long hiatus with the 14 part series "Trial of a Time Lord".

The Doctor is put on Trial back on Gallifrey for interferance in outside worlds and genocide. The trial is overseen by the mysterious Valeyard, and Peri is seemingly killed in the process. At the end, it takes the Doctors arch-nemesis the Master to prove the Doctors innocence. The Valeyard is actually a dark side of the Doctor, somewhere between his 12th and final inacrnations. The Doctor is cleared of all charges and Peri is not dead after all, but married Warrior king Ycranos instead. The Sixth Doctor continues traveling with red haired companion Mel Bush.

Colin Baker was let go from the role and opted not to shoot a regeneration scene. This meant Sylvesyer McCoy, his successor would have to wear his costume and a blonde curly wig to shoot his regeneration for him. McCoy's first story "Time and the Rani" is a disapointment, and his whole first season has him rolling his R's and making metaphors ("Tide and time melt the snowman"). His companion Mel is also a bad match for McCoys Doctor, and she leaves the show by his first seasons end. McCoy's next companion, Ace, is more of a match for his Doctor and the show took a darker turn in the next two seasons.

The Seventh Doctor and Ace had some was one of the best partnerships of a companion and Doctor perhaps sinsce the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan. McCoys stories took a darker attitude as the question of who the Doctor was became more prevelant. These darker storylines made up for McCoy's campy first season. Unfortunately ratings were dismal as ever. The show was put up against popular soap opera's and McCoy's final season was one of the lowest viewing figure's in years. "Battlefield" where MCoy's Doctor met the Brigadier again is still the lowest watched Doctor Who story ever. BBC one decided to cancel the show in 1989. After the Seventh Doctor and Ace defeated their enemy the Master in the shows final episode "Survival", a final line of dialouge was added that wrapped up the calssice series.

"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke nad citie's made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere theres injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on Ace, we've got work to do." -The Seventh Doctor

And with that, the original run of Doctor Who was over. It would be a while before we ever saw him again.

In Memory of Nicholas Courtney, the actor best known for playing Brigadier Aleister Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. 1929-2011