>>>Unwritten Law By Starla (contact her through her webpage, on our links page.)
For those of you who are unaware, a blood drive was held at Palmer High School on May 1, a few weeks previous to this one. Although its purpose is to benefit Erica McCabe, it also left a Palmer High School student feeling utterly discriminated against . . . which is kind of ironic (don't you think?).
I was appalled when I was informed that Jeremy Toelken, a senior at Palmer High, wasn't permitted to donate blood supposedly based on his sexual preference. Some people appear to have the common misconception that any male that engages in a sexual act with another male must have contracted the AIDS virus. However, this is an entirely false perception in that not even close to 100% of homosexual males who are sexually active contract the HIV virus. In addition, heterosexuals are fully capable of receiving the viral disease as well, which many people, it seems, have overlooked.
Anyway, when mentioning this issue to a friend he informed me that his guidance counselor notified him that there's a law in Massachusetts preventing the deferral of potential blood donors in regards to sexual preference. However, when I contacted Reed Hillman, our state representative, to confirm that there exists such a law, I was disappointed to discover that assumption was incorrect. Moreover, apparently there's a recommendation by the FDA to "exclude individuals at increased risk for transmitting HIV." It's disquieting that such a recommendation exists, pertaining to only homosexual males who are sexually active, and not heterosexual couples. Are they not at increased risk for contracting HIV? I doubt that very much...It's just somewhat ludicrous that despite the fact that someone is in a monogamous relationship, and certain he doesn't have AIDS isn't allowed to participate in a good cause...So, in my opinion, even though there currently is no law preventing discrimination pertaining to potential blood donors in relation to their sexual preference, there definitely should be one...
So it seems, in the case of Jeremy Toelken and the Student Council's unwillingness to permit him to donate blood, they were either following the recommendation made by the FDA, which I'm not sure they're even aware of, or discriminating against Jeremy due to his sexual orientation. The latter may in fact be the case, but no one, besides those who refused to allow him to donate blood, can be absolutely certain...
The truth of the matter is, there has been prejudices against minority groups all throughout history, and, obviously, they still exist today. People just should learn to deal with the fact that people are different, but that doesn't change the fact they�re people, and deserve respect. Instead of dwelling on the fact that people differ in various ways, and persecuting them for that reason, we should celebrate the uniqueness. In conclusion: No two people are exactly alike. People are different-get over it.
>>>The T.V. Project by Jan
The T.V. Project, as I liked to call it, is now over.
The T.V. started when my very old T.V., which was probably more than 30 years old blew up. It was going on a bit before the T.V. blew up. Basically the summer before I was never home to watch it. Anyway, the sound gradually got worse and the picture was blurry. The picture not only became blurry, it really just shrunk into a line in the middle of the screen and then after a moment all you hear is a loud, but short "boom." That meant really there was no more T.V. for me. My parents did have one in their bedroom but anything I had watched before the T.V. blew up I couldn't watch because my parents went to their bedroom at five and stayed there so I really couldn't be there. I'd get kicked out because it is not my room and they want to watch their precious shows. I never really did watch T.V. but still, I'd watch even less. If I was lucky about an hour a week, which is not a lot since the average person watches 6-8 hours a day and probably more on weekends. The point of the T.V. project was really just to find out better things to do than watch T.V.
I soon realized what my radio was really for. I'd always listened to it, but music was always there whether I was writing my book, talking on the telephone, drawing, cleaning. I'd spend parts of my time playing Play Station and hanging out with my boyfriend.
Like I said, the only point of this project was to expand my horizons on what to do, what kinds of music I liked, and really just to stop being like everyone else I knew and go out to do something. Even when I had the chance to watch some T.V., I didn't really want to. I really was sick of seeing the same boring things and wanted to go out and do something. Why sit in front of a brain-cell-killing box eating whatever you feel like when you could go to a show, read a book, or just hang out with some friends?
But all good things must come to an end. We got new cable and it included the channels MTVX, MTV2, The Sundance Film channel, and about 40 music choice channels. I got to go beyond MTV's rap and pop to see old grunge, punk and even techno. The film channel was great, as I'd see a few movies already so I got to see them again. Then we replaced the T.V. that had blown up, which doesn�t have the nifty new cable. I still don't watch too much T.V. But I watch enough to prove this project is over. I fear my summer will be full of talk shows, soap operas, music videos and The Osbournes. I guess I'm back to where I started again.
>>>Movie Shoot Experience by Jan
Jay Hougard recently filmed a high budget (though I don�t think it was) movie partially at Converse Middle School in Palmer, Ma. He wanted extras for a 70�s dance scene. It seems the only people really interested were from Palmer High and people who had already graduated or those who wanted to be on-camera. There were approximately 40 extras and the people making the movie were really hoping for a much bigger turn out.
The set was decorated with much red and white, with balloons and trash everywhere. The extras were told not to clean anything up. This scene was supposed to be the aftermath of a Sadie Hopkins dance. The set also had streamers, and big banners of red cloth. I showed up at the set many hours before most people. I got to help with the set. Since I�m very tall, I hung up streamers above the door and also blew up balloons. Many of them popped.
When more extras came, I began to notice all those clothes that were laid out and like the clothes-loving girl that hides very deep inside me, I looked at all of them for the perfect outfit to wear. If I somehow made it on camera and people saw me, I would at least like to wear something pretty nifty. I first picked out a flowered dress, which Cera ended up wearing because according to the Converse Middle School librarian my boobs did not fit into well. I then picked out and orphan Annie dress, which just look pretty bad. I finally settles on a red dress with white polka dots with plaid shoes and a blue jacket. I helped a few of my friends with their wardrobe and then it was time for taping. Most other girls either picked out their own dressed or wore bell bottoms and a short top. Boys commonly wore straight legged pants, a jacket, and basic clothes, except the hippies who dressed in the stereotypical hippie get up. On set, hippies would have bongos and pretty girls in hippie dresses.
I�ll tell you one thing: The movie business is not all its cracked up to be. I�m sure many have heard this before, but it�s really tiring. And being an extra is really no different. Being an extra means that you have to remember where you were roughly for taping, you have to cooperate and realize you are not the star, and of course, withstand very cold temperatures. When I think back I laugh. I was in a short 1975 style thin dress in very cold weather. There was a sight of snow, which we were told was false. But I think they were just saying that so we wouldn�t chicken out and not go outside. I believe it was real snow. When taping started, people were sent out in small groups. My scene involved very little effort. I got very cold, waited much of the time because they weren�t ready to shoot, and kissed my boyfriend. This is how my part in the movie went. Many others were to stand and talk, run and drop a ticket, play bongos, or hang out near their cars. The shoot would end up lasting until the early hours in the morning. I stayed until 10 or so, as I had been there nearly 6 hours and froze my butt off. But I�ll tell you, the time I didn�t spend being cold was pretty cool. I think everyone should experience this for themselves.
And that was my personal experience. The movie name we do not currently know, because the interview we planned with Jay did not come through. When we find this out, well definitely post it up on our website, and probably in the next issue. We do know the general plot, and it isn�t a happy one. A boy travels back in time to a dance where his mother ends up getting raped. However, he misses the dance. But he is the result of the rape. If he goes back into the past to prevent this, would he had ever been born?
>>> the old store @ the shed by cera
By now, shows and events at the shed have become a fixture, if not a trademark, of Palmer music. Local bands and touring acts alike play here, literally in a shed, in John Boilard's backyard.
The shed opened to fill the gap the closing of The Old Store left. They've seen witness to many memorable bands from xbxrx (now-defunct screamo from Alabama) to the Crypt Kickers (blues/bluegrass with a morbid twist) to local stand-by's like Honkey Dorey, The Grand Prixx, and Skarmy of Darkness.
Since these shows are held in a backyard shed, they came to a temporary stop for the winter and are susceptible to the elements. Last year's shows were as memorable for the apocalyptic weather as the antics of the crowds between sets. Anyone who was at the final show of the year remembers the tarp collapsing in the pouring rain. This year, we can assume the same.
The crowds are generally small but tend to be more lively and active than some of the other, larger venues (ahem, Monson Teen Center), and the bands are loud and good. Something about the shed gives all the performances an impromptu feel, where mistakes are to be laughed about, and never a big deal. Shows are usually about every 2 weeks and are cheap, especially when it's usually three bucks to see 4 or 5 good bands.
This year's festivities began on March 30 with waffle waffle, The Crypt Kickers, and a screening of Fugazi's Instruments, with another show April 20 that included a monkey pi�ata (from waffle waffle) and a set by the very young but very talented Another Lecture. Also, on may 4th, the shed played host to an informal and informative screen-printing class that was, unfortunately, poorly attended.
At every event, the times in between bands seem to hold Kodak moments as much as the actual performances. To put it lightly, you never know what to expect.
Shows are already scheduled through August, go to the shed's site for info on when, who, and how to get there. [The site also has an extensive picture gallery, we have some pictures as well... Check them out here.
