The Insider is an ALC student publication. The articles reflect the

opinions and views of ALC students and do not necessarily reflect

the views of either the ALC or of Independent School District 518.

The Worthington ALC Insider
Volume 2, Issue 15 January 24, 2005
That Grand Worthington Tradition In the news last week, two public announcements continued a grand Worthington tradition. The first was that the old Central Elementary School building would probably be demolished. The second was that the old Campbell Soup Plant might be made into a new community center. Worthington has a long tradition of demolishing hideous old buildings that have no historical or social significance, while preserving those architectural gems of the past that ought to be preserved. It’s nice to know the city fathers haven’t forgotten this. Take, for example, the old Nobles County Court House. Some folks actually wanted to refurbished and preserve this dinosaur! But cooler heads prevailed, and this brontosaurus (Continued à) The hideous old Nobles County Court House	The lovely replacement court house was razed in 1976 to make way for another Court House. The replacement Court House is so beloved by the community that when it became outmoded a few years back, a separate building was built three miles out of town rather than destroy it. The awful high school building Or who could forget the old Worthington High School building or the old Carnegie Library. Some wanted these awful buildings to be preserved! But thankfully, both buildings were demolished to make way for scenic parking lots. (Continued on page two)

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The monstrous Carnegie Library (Story continued from page 1) Some folks in this community feared that the Worthington tradition had been forgotten in recent years. Such misguided efforts as the Dayton House restoration and efforts to actually preserve Central Elementary, rather than demolish it, left many wondering whether folks in this town had any sense. Thankfully, the Central Elementary preservation effort failed. Although the Dayton House restoration has succeeded, at least it is in a part of town many of us never have to visit. Thank goodness that the powers-that-be didn’t fall for sentimental nonsense about preserving old schools and such. Let’s rip all these building down. And if we have to preserve something, let it be something culturally significant like the old Campbell’s Soup Plant or Swift. What’s the deal with the Dayton House restoration, anyway?

Excuses not to work Have you ever had one of those days when you just did not want to go to work. Perhaps you were just too tired. Maybe you were just too lazy. According to msn.com and careerbuilder.com, crazy people have tried to use the following excuses to call in sick to work. · I was sprayed by a skunk. · I tripped over my dog and was knocked unconscious. · My bus broke down and was held up by robbers. · I was arrested as a result of mistaken identity. · I forgot to come back to work after lunch. · I couldn't find my shoes. · I hurt myself bowling. · I was spit on by a venomous snake. · I totaled my wife's jeep in a collision with a cow. · I eloped. · My brain went to sleep and I couldn't wake it up. · My cat unplugged my alarm clock. . · I had to ship my grandmother's bones to India. · I forgot what day of the week it was. · Someone slipped drugs in my drink last night. · My monkey died.

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Black is Just a Color,

Goth is Just a Word

By Alie Paine

What do you think of when you see people who wear black nail polish, black clothes, fishnets, spikes, and chains? “Goth” right? But what is Goth really?

When people say the word gothic, they are usually referring to a type of person. In terms of people there is no such thing unless you’re talking about the gothic warriors who fought the Romans in an uprising because they were being persecuted.

There certainly are a lot of stereotypes about present day “Goths”, like that they are all Satanists, suicidal, violent, wannabe vampires, or are mixed up in crazy animal sacrificing cults. In truth these things are not true, maybe for a very few people who are into the “Goth” thing, but not all of them. Even “normal” people are into all those things.

People think “Goths” think weird but who doesn’t? “Goths” just aren’t afraid to speak their minds and they like to talk about all sorts of different things with each other no matter how weird it may be. They are open minded and less judgmental than the majority of people and don’t care what everyone else thinks about them.

Enough about that, I must get back to the point. The whole “Goth” thing isn’t about people. The word gothic actually refers to literature. (Continued à)

Grant Woods’ famous painting is entitled American Gothic. What’s up with that?

Dark literature yes, but literature none the less. Edgar Allen Poe and other such people were authors of gothic literature.

In the dictionary there are many ways the word gothic is defined. The dictionary says gothic refers to the Goths or their language, the Middle Ages, an architectural style derived from medieval Gothic art forms… I don’t recall seeing any real definition that refers to a style of clothing or type of personality.

This whole thing of calling people gothic started in the 80s and it should have ended there. It started as part of the punk subculture. The word was first used in terms of people by the band manager of Joy Davision, Anthony H. Wilson, who described the band as “Gothic compared with the pop mainstream.” The word just stuck. Anyways, after punk eventually died out, Goth survived and became it’s own subculture.

So there you have it… a whole mess of words all put together to get my point across. Did you get it? I sure hope so because that was hard!!

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Time Passes… By Jookie X. When time passes by, many people die. A few people are brought into a whole new life. When one door closes, a new door is open. The time rewinds and inside of me it has swollen. Till then you wouldn’t know what precious gifts of mine had been broken. With love and care the truth of me was stolen. A little stream runs through its own canal, Until it had been too late for it to find which direction it should run and died out. A glimpse of a slow motion face, gazed back at me. A type of potion had taken over me. Something made me feel wrong, but then it felt so right. This is the one way pass I’ve longed to retrieve. I wished sooner or later I’m able to see it in the night. Sunshine shining right through me is what I have received.

Life? By: Cody Phrommany Life? What is life? A lot of it is has to do with how you live. Some people live a wild life and some live a calm life. In life, most people endure heartache and joyful moments. Some of the heartache you may encounter comes from the loss of a loved one, or not being able to have what you always wanted – desire for things that could never yours. Joyful moments might be reuniting with lost family member, or the day you found that person you would spend the rest of your life with. As Forrest Gump once said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never what your gunna get. So to end my article I want you the reader to end all quarrels with your enemy. Life is too short and you don’t need to be holding a grudge in your mind. In the end you’ll regret it. “Love each other and love just to know your still here.”

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Charles Schultz’s Philosophy… You don't actually have to write down your answers for the following two quizzes. Just read them straight through and you'll get the awesome point they are trying to make. Here's the first quiz… 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman Trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 4. Name five people who have won the Nobel Prize or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half five Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last three World Series winners. How did you do? The truth is that none of us really remember the headliners of yesterday. These people are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements are forgotten, accolades and certificates are buried with their owners, and we forget them… Now, read the second quiz at the top of the page on the next column and see how you do… (Continued à)

Here’s Quiz #2… 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 6. Name six heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care. "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today ...... It's already tomorrow in Australia." --Charles Schultz

ALC Insider January 24, 2004 Page 6

My Rant

By Jookie X.

Is it wrong to oppose our feelings towards “anything”? I thought America had freedom of speech, and everyone has the right to say or ask anything they feel! I don’t understand why “some” don’t like the opinion of others, and don’t care what the others want to say.

Life isn’t that “Easy”. Neither you nor anyone else likes it, but I am not one to keep my mouth shut to anyone. I will reveal my thoughts and feelings and I will be heard because I have the right! This is not only for the ALC -- it’s for the whole environment

It’s a great thing to know where our children are at nowdays. It’s good to know what kind of group involvement they are in, and what type of activities they do.

I mean come on, “let’s get real here”! Catching teens’ attention by getting them involved with something helps to keep them out of trouble!

(Continuedà)

Now, when I want people to hear the things I’ve been holding in, I let ‘em hear ‘em! And why are they getting offended? It’s just wrong that someone always dislikes my ideas. I’m not going to let it get to me. I will keep on doing on what I have to do and I will express things my way!

Can you solve this riddle from commentator Paul Harvey? Believe it or not, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.

What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?

Click here to receive clues…

This Week’s Separated at Birth…

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