You just have to work it out

by Margarita Forbes

You get out of school at 1:51 in the afternoon.  You have activities and sports, making you arrive at home at about 5.  After taking a shower and eating dinner, you are finally starting homework at 6 in the evening.  It’s stressful that your seven years of homework needs to be completed before bedtime, and when this happens almost every night, it becomes a problem.

            With all of the tests to be studied for and all of the essays and work due before the end of the week, all students are bound to complain, and will blame their demanding teachers for their heavy work load.  Sophomore Nam Nguyen shares her thoughts on the work load of her teachers. 

“Being one of many students who take difficult classes, it’s common to have hours of homework a night.  But sometimes it seems a little unfair and unreasonable.  Teachers seem to not understand that we high schoolers have lives outside of the classroom, always piling us with much time-consuming work,” said Nguyen. 

Like Nguyen stated, teachers ought to have a little more consideration for students, especially for the striving kids taking a number of honors and AP classes.  Giving a more decent amount of homework that provides students with enough knowledge would be preferred, rather than the usual, unreasonable quantity of work received.  But if the work load is getting to you, try a method of getting it done faster or better yet, drop down one class level to eliminate your stress.

            Others however, believe that teachers are not to blame at all, but rather the procrastination brought upon themselves.  Junior Cynthia Tnuinnu believes that her procrastination is one of the main causes of her stress level.

“Being a high school student for a while now, I have a better understanding of how homework, teachers, and time management goes.  I do admit, my teachers are strict and do give much homework, but a big reason of why it may take longer than usual to finish, is because of procrastination.  I’ve learned that if I discipline myself and do work wisely, I finish at a fair time and find myself to be less stressed,” stated Tnuinnu. 

As Cynthia said, sometimes it’s all about finding ways to handle and use your time more efficiently.  Putting off work or multitasking it with something else might be the cause of many people’s stress, and it may just be ways needed to be corrected in order to finish homework at a reasonable time each day.  When discussing this subject with history teacher Ben Bridgeo, he seemed to agree with what Tnuinnu had said.

“I feel that students do not want to take responsibility for their own actions and therefore condemn the teachers for their work-related stress. As a teacher for three of the four grades at Woburn High School, I see that the work load gets heavier each year for the kids.  I know that that in itself makes them all uneasy, but they should still take authority for the difficult work they agreed to put themselves under when settling on taking that specific class,” said Bridgeo. 

As Bridgeo stated, students shouldn’t complain about work they agreed to do for a class they wanted to take in the first place.  If peers are stressed out, then that stress shouldn’t be blamed on the teacher, but on their own time management or postponement of the endeavor.

Other Woburn High teachers, like special education teacher Rob Gibbs, were surprisingly supportive of what Bridgeo had to say about students’ work related anxiousness.

“I completely understand the fact that kids nowadays have so much going on once the school day is over.  It is so easy to be stressed when you’re busy with many things at once, but I do not see why students can’t just arrange to do work slightly different throughout the day if it causes so much trouble.  I think that a solution to people’s problems would be that if teachers give too much homework , which most do, then just try not to procrastinate and instead try doing it whenever the chance is given,” stated Gibbs.

Like fellow teacher Bridgeo, Gibbs believes that to alleviate the high levels of stress, simply find new methods of studying and working for a specific class, even if the teacher is demanding, which is common.  Even though almost every student does some sort of extra-curricular activity, teachers like Mr. Gibbs find that working little bits at a time will help even the slightest bit.

            Everyone in high school goes about their school stress, but it is up to you to figure out what to do about it.  Procrastination is never the answer, even if that psychotic teacher gives you excessive amounts of homework each night. Just try your best to work around your schedule for school, because you can do anything you set your mind to.    

Does Instagram brainwash teen girls to strive to be flawless?

by Delaney McDaniel

Instagram is a form of social media that allows teens girls to share photos with their friends and “follow” their most admired role models and celebrities. Teens can “like” photos, interact with millions of other users, and even edit photos to make themselves look picture perfect. But do some Instagram accounts take perfection too far?

Accounts like @befitphotos and @skinnygirls promote photos of stick thin girls and describe them as “perfect” or “flawless.” These accounts were created with the intention of motivating girls to become more fit and healthy, but in turn, they have taken a turn and are brainwashing teen girls to strive to become flawless. Junior Jackie Spolidoro believes Instagram accounts that are promoting skinny bodies are going against their initial mission.

“These accounts are supposed to inspire girls to work out and get thin, but they don’t do it in the right way. They just make you feel insecure no matter what,” said Spolidoro.

Pictures of “perfect” girls are constantly advertised on the Instagram feeds of teen girls making girls feel like they need to look just like the models in the photos they view. Does society want all girls to be thin and tan with long hair and airbrushed makeup? The answer is no. It is impossible for all girls to look perfect in that way. Every girl has a unique appearance and body shapes vary but Instagram has displayed photos of flawless models and is therefore sending a message to teen girls that looking like a super model is how each and every girl should strive to look like. The reality is that being skinny is not necessarily the perfect appearance.

Junior Marissa Desimone confessed, “Personally, these accounts don’t make me feel good about myself. When I see these girls on my feed and I see how perfect their bodies are, I compare myself to them and it’s not very fun.”

To add to the distress of becoming flawless, the accounts featuring skinny girls have thousands of followers and receive thousands of likes on their photos. How does this make an average teen girl feel who has only a few hundred followers and receive less than thirty likes on their photos? Freshman Kenzie Dresner answers the question with an avid point.

“It’s almost like a popularity contest by how many likes you get,” answered Dresner. “If a girl does not have as many likes as another girl, she might not feel good enough and becomes pressured to look skinnier and prettier.”

The pressure of becoming skinnier and prettier can result in eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is an eating disorder that causes girls to obsess about their weight and the food they eat. To maintain and lose weight, victims of anorexia completely cut off eating and excessively exercise. Bulimia is another eating disorder where the victim takes part in food bingeing and uses laxatives and forces themselves to vomit to prevent weight gain. Both disorders are also considered mental disorders in which victims view themselves as overweight but in reality they are sickly thin. Viewing photos of flawless girls can certainly mess with one’s mind, especially those that cannot physically have a stereotypical super model body. Spolidoro seems to agree.

“Girls could think that the only option they have to be fit and lose weight in order to look like that, is to stop eating. Eating disorders are mental and all in your head. So these types of images that are promoted can sort of brainwash you to think it’s required to be that perfect or else you’re ugly or fat,” explained Spolidoro.

Innocent posts of beautiful girls turn can into a dangerous message to teen girls struggling to become ideally “flawless.”

Desimone agrees with Spolidoro.

 “These accounts can push some girls to extremes. They constantly compare themselves to what is supposedly perfection and that can really screw with their minds and cause girls to harm their bodies out of desperation,” said Disimone.

Junior Miranda Duffany goes against the idea that Instagram accounts are brainwashing girls to strive to be flawless. Duffany claims the accounts only motivate her to become more fit and healthier.

Duffany says, “The pictures personally give me a goal, not to lose weight but to take better care of myself and the way I eat and how much I exercise.”

There are many ways to lose weight and become more fit, the healthy way, without putting one’s life in jeopardy. For instance, always eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning; it will speed up your metabolism for your day and will keep your stomach full until lunch time. You can also workout at least thirty minutes a day which includes walking around your neighborhood or taking a light jog around the pond (no need to hit the gym!).

Being skinny is not always the healthiest choice. It is more beneficial to be fit and healthy. Being fit is different for each and every individual and it is all based upon how one’s body is built. Not everyone can look like the models they see on Instagram, but they can be their own model.

Whether or not Instagram accounts posting photos of skinny girls is a motivation or a goal setter, there is no denying that these photos can make many teens girls feel insecure and ugly. Being flawless is not possible. Flaws make each person an individual, so embrace them and be confident in the way you look because they define who you are and make you unique!

The first-born struggle

by Michaela Zelandi

Despite the cons of being the oldest, I do love getting to lead my own way.
photo by Penny Zelandi

All of the fellow DJ Tanners in the world would understand, being the firstborn in a family, like everything else in life, has its irritations and advantages. 

            I am the oldest of the family with one little sister, Grace, who is thirteen.  As an older sibling, I have always found that at times, I love being the oldest, and at others, I simply detest it. 

            One pro that comes with being the eldest is the fact that you are the one in charge, besides parents of course.  Being in charge comes with the ability to boss your little sibling(s) around, which I probably take advantage of way too much.  If I am just sitting on the couch and am too lazy to get myself a snack, I can always ask my little sister to get me one; the weird part is that most of the time she gets whatever I ask her for.   Maybe that is why older siblings tend to be bossy because they are so used to controlling their younger siblings.

            The biggest con about being the oldest sibling is simply that you are not the “baby” of the family.  I have always been jealous of the youngest siblings because, more often than not, the youngest of a family gets special treatment.  Parents always baby the youngest and they are not expected to take on as much responsibility as the oldest sibling which can be really annoying at times to older siblings.  My sister is not only the youngest in my immediate family, but also the youngest grandchild on my dad’s side which makes it even more irritating.  My aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents all still call Grace the baby and treat her like one too, but she is a teenager!  I guess once you are the youngest of the family you are destined to be the baby forever.

            Since we are not the youngest, older siblings also tend to get blamed for more things than the younger siblings.  Younger siblings can also receive more things, like clothes, than older siblings.  I am always so jealous over the fact that Grace gets all these pretty hand-me-downs for free and if I want new clothes I have to buy them.

            Also, older siblings always have more responsibility than younger siblings, whether it is chores or even to watch their young siblings. 

            Another disadvantage of being the first-born is the fact that you’re the one that has to try everything out first.  You have to go to high-school first, get a job first and make mistakes first.  We are placed we the responsibility of “paving the road” for our younger siblings.  Sometimes, this can be a good thing if we actually really want to do something first, like driving.

            The best thing about being the eldest is that you’re a constant role model for your siblings.  It is nice to know that someone loves you so much that you are who that person looks up to and adores. 

            Being the oldest can be trying, but I would not change it because I do love getting to lead my own way without leaving in the shadow of an older sibling.

Best Buddies: WMHS students making new friendships

by Emily Crampton

Woburn High School offers many diverse and interesting clubs to its students, and one of the most popular is Best Buddies. Best Buddies is a non-profit organization that pairs students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships with students without these disabilities. Located world-wide, Best Buddies has chapters in all 50 states, as well as numerous countries around the world. There are chapters in middle schools, including Woburn’s own Joyce Middle School, high schools, and colleges. There are also Best Buddies programs that are not located in schools, such as Best Buddies Promoters, Best Buddies Jobs, Best Buddies Citizens, e-Buddies, and Best Buddies Ambassadors.

Freshman Erika Crampton, new member of Best Buddies at Woburn High but a past member of the Joyce Middle School Best Buddies chapter, shows her passion for Best Buddies and her excitement for the upcoming year.

            “I think it is important to treat everyone equally and be nice to people, and that is what Best Buddies does,” explains Crampton. “It is a really great club and it helps a lot of students with disabilities. I was in Best Buddies throughout middle school, and I am looking forward to joining in high school and having a lot of fun while helping others!”

            Sophomore Julie Doherty is planning on joining Best Buddies this year for the first time.

            “I wanted to join Best Buddies because I really like helping people and I think what Best Buddies does is great. Best Buddies members are true friends to students with disabilities, and everyone needs a friend. This club helps students with disabilities, which may have trouble making friends, form true friendships and they have a lot of fun!” exclaimed Doherty.

            Junior Pat O’Brien has a true passion for Best Buddies and has been a part of Best Buddies since his freshman year. He is now vice president of the Woburn Best Buddies chapter.

            “Best Buddies is different from most other clubs that Woburn High offers. It gives students with disabilities fun opportunities that they might not usually have and I really enjoy spending time with my buddy. We are really great friends,” said O’Brien. “My buddy, Pat, and I enjoy spending time together, going out to eat, and going to the movies. One of our favorite events that Best Buddies held last year was when the chapter went bowling!”

            The Woburn Best Buddies Chapter does activities outside of school once a month. These events include the annual Halloween Party, bowling, attending Best Buddies prom, the annual cookout, and going to movies or holding movie days. Buddy pairs are also encouraged to hang out outside of Best Buddies events. Some friends go out to dinner or to go see a movie, while others prefer to just watch TV at each other’s houses.

            Best Buddies means a lot to student Rahma Mutengu, who has disabilities.

“Best Buddies means so much to me. I get to meet new people, and members of the club are really understanding about my disability. They always stick up for me if I’m being bullied or help me if I need help.  Best Buddies helps me meet new people and make new friends, and it is a lot of fun! My favorite event is by far Best Buddies Prom, because we get to dress up and have a great time with other Best Buddies chapters in the area!” Mutengu stated.

            So far, Best Buddies has already had 116 students apply. Students will forever carry the memories and true friendships they made through Best Buddies with them throughout their lives. 

Is social media ruining your social game?

by Meghan Quinn

I cannot tell you how many times a fellow classmate has favored or retweeted one of my tweets, or liked one of my posts on the ever so famous social networking picture site, Instagram. Likes, retweets, and favors feel good, but what doesn’t feel so good is when the person that does this liking, retweeting, and favoring online, ignores you in person. I can’t tell you that I am not guilty of it, because I  subconsciously like pictures on Instagram, and favor tweets on Twitter without actually talking to that person, but lately I’ve been thinking about how this is ruining our face to face social game. There is nothing more awkward than passing by your fellow twitter follower in the hall and looking over at them for a hello, but only making awkward eye contact. This begs the question; if you can follow me on social media, and favor, or retweet me, why can’t you say a simple hello?

While these social media sites are great for networking, and chatting with your friends, there isn’t really a real connection. What ever happened to picking up the phone and calling your friend to hangout? Now a days, that’s deemed “uncomfortable” and “awkward” to do. In all honesty if someone calls me that isn’t above the age of 30 I get a little weirded out. I don’t really know why, but maybe it just isn’t in our culture to pick up the phone and chat.

What is in our culture is our ever so infamous misinterpretations of basically everything from last night’s math homework, to this morning’s Twitter feed. Social media leads to all kinds of misinterpretations. These misinterpretations of tweets lead fellow followers, and even friends, to believe that they are being “subtweeted,” a term meaning you have indirectly tweeted about another person without tagging their name. Weird right? This leads to all other kinds of subtweeting, and Twitter fights on display for the whole Twitter universe to see and gawk at. I know, it’s really easy to pull up a chair and some popcorn and watch the action unfold, maybe even giggle with your friends; but really, is it doing anything for you?

Another thing that doesn’t help you is not being 100% in the moment all the time. By using social media we are neglecting to live in the moment. Put down that phone and enjoy where you are and who you’re with. Social media almost makes it easy to show boat how much of a super awesome time you are having. We all know those people. Yes, if you don’t, then it is in fact you my friend; so put down your phone and live in the present. On the other hand, social media is a way for you to feel more comfortable with your surroundings; if you’re feeling awkward whip out that phone and check out a few tweets, or pictures.  Yet, this gives you an excuse to not talk to the people around you; hence, bettering my point, you’re losing your social game my friends.

Who can have social game without some good old self esteem? Social media can either make or break your confidence. To single out one site, Instagram; I believe this is the more common site to do this on. Daily on my Instagram feed I see about a handful of “selfies”; a photo taken by that person, of that person; why post a picture if you don’t want it to get likes? Getting likes on Instagram and even Facebook is a good thing. Why? Because it means people either A, like you, or B, like how you look. This leaves us seeking out the approval of others, and we might not even realize that is what we are doing. Imagine what a blow to your ego it would be if you posted a selfie and nobody liked it? So, if nobody likes your selfie, does that mean nobody likes you? Of course not, but hey, it can set your social confidence back a bit. Although, Instagram is a site to express your individuality or even your artistic side, so don’t swear it off just yet. But, are you really getting your pictures out there, after all they’re just stuck on some social site in cyberspace, not real life.

 I hate to break it to you but, yes, people still do talk face to face, and yes eye contact is indeed involved.   Scary, huh? Just imagine when you’re all in college and need to talk to your professor; how on earth will you do that? I bet some of you are going, “what, I have to talk to them…why….” oh you do, and that time is coming soon. Now, take a step back, reevaluate everything you have ever thought social media was, and now answer the question; is it ruining your face to face, human interaction? Is social media ruining your social game?

Did anyone like my photo? How many retweets do I have? photo by Meghan Quinn

Quotidian words create rapacious effect; boring words leave no impact

by Alex Paladino

Writing is how we share our ideas, yet ideas can only travel so far on their own.  One thing often forgotten or overlooked when writing is how wording can greatly affect how people view others, and especially how teachers view students.  Far too common is the occurrence amongst writers to have rampantly incorrect grammar usage, stale vocabulary words that eliminate originality and offset tone, and an absence of flow.  No matter how great the substance, if there are no means of conveying thoughts and ideas through writing, the information is nearly useless.

Grammar is for the most part rather good for the vast majority of people; however, there are areas in which very few people know what to do correctly.  Below are a two very common niduses for errors and what should be done in their respective scenarios:

• When a clause such as “if..” or “I wish that…” occurs, the verb “to be” is not in its usual past tense of “was” for the first and third person.  “If it was different” is actually grammatically incorrect.  The conditional “if requires “was” to be changed to “were.”  Similarly, this would occur if someone were to say “I wish he was happier”; the correct form is “I wish he were happier.”
• Far more dreaded is the constantly debated who and whom.  Who is used when the person in question is doing an action.  Whom is used when the person in question is receiving an action.  Who can be replaced with he or she; whom can be replaced with him or her.  With this in mind, “He stole the wallet.” “He” works here, meaning that so can who.  “I gave it to her” “her” and not “she” fits in the sentence, so the correct usage is whom.  There are of course many finite exceptions to this rule, but this basic understanding can be far more helpful than guessing whether to use who or whom solely based on if it sounds right.

            Grammar is very important to keeping coherency and appearance, as is vocabulary.  There are over 2 million English words, yet the average person in everyday conversations and writings only uses about 3500.  Repetitious words used by everyone are bland and overstated, especially when something you’re writing may have the same points as the other 20 essays your teacher is grading, making it difficult to stand on its own.

             Words such as “interesting, good, bad, annoying, and a lot/many” are common lost opportunities to add words that help sentences come alive.  Here are some helpful words to use in their place:

                        interesting-engrossing, compelling

                        good-benign, benevolent

                        bad-malefic, baleful

                        annoying-pestersome, infuriating

                        a lot/many- an aggregate, a passel

              Additionally, there are some ‘vocab words’ that have become overused and not as effective.  words such as plethora (meaning a lot) should be avoided and replaced with another word such as aggregate or passel.  Pious (meaning very religious) could be replaced with ascetic or zealously devout.  A general rule of thumb is if you’ve seen a vocabulary word used by several people your age in a paper, you should probably find a less common synonym.

                    Grammar and vocabulary can bring a topic up from its ashes quite greatly; however, even when these skills are applied, one’s writing can still appear choppy and bland.  This may be on account of sentence structure and smoothness.  Variety and transition are crucial to many essays and stories.  

• Several long and drawn out sentences that tend to be very lengthy and not accomplish much with this added space do not help readers.  If every sentence in someone’s writing has a tendency to drift and become airy the reader will most certainly become drifty and nebulous towards the subject as reflected in the author’s presentation of words.  Short sentences can be bad as well.  They can omit facts.  Several points can be lost.  Flow is nonexistent.  Yet, a mix of the two can compliment things well.  People like diversity, even in writing.  
• Changing sentence structure to help move a point along very well.  Along with this,  transitional words hold the same degree of importance in writing.  Transitions help bring sentences together to create a uniform idea.  With this, a writer can string along facts, support, and development to aid in creating a bigger picture.
• Some lesser used transitions: in a related manner…, on the other hand…, per contra… (on the opposite side), in abridgment… (in conclusion)
• Another key thing to remember in writing, especially so in essays, is to support your topic in your introductory paragraph  by explaining how supporting facts do, in fact, support your main idea.  i.e. do not simply have a sentence after a statistic explaining how it relates to the individual body paragraph, remember to bring it back also to the thesis statement to better unify the piece as a whole.

                  While all this is true about creating more distinct and effective writing, perfection is not attainable.  imperfect grammar and the use of  “ordinary” words are bound to occur and are not necessarily a bad thing.  Even the highly reputable Harvard University makes grammar mistakes:

Notice outside a Harvard University dorm. Photo by Alex Paladino

(The correct usage is “Who are you letting into your home?” as the verb “to be” (in this case “are”) calls for “who” when the person in question is the initial subject of a sentence)

                 In short, the pursuit here is not one of perfection but one attempting to help people separate themselves, in a positive manner, from their peers when it comes to writing.

No progress being made in Congress

by Devin Cloherty and Theo Lichoulas

At midnight on October 1, 2013, the federal government officially shut down for the first time since 1996.  Since a deal could not be reached regarding the universal healthcare law, all “unnecessary” federal government agencies will be postponed until further notice.  This will leave an estimated 800,000 Americans out of work until this issue is resolved.  So why exactly is this happening?

Each year, the fiscal year begins on October 1 and runs until September 30 of the next year.  It is illegal for the government to spend money without a budget being agreed upon by the start of the fiscal year.  Since a budget could not be agreed upon by the two houses, the government ceased all unnecessary federal operations.

            The problem arose due to staunch partisanship between the Democratic and Republican parties.  As long as neither of the parties can agree on a resolution on the budget, the federal government will remain unable to operate.

            Many Americans believe Republicans to be at fault since they are not budging on their decision to not support the Affordable Health Care act signed into law on March 23, 2010.  Even though the bill had been previously passed and signed into law, it is still being met by very strong opposition by Republicans in the Senate and the House.  In order for the budget to go into effect, both houses of Congress must approve the budget for this fiscal year.  Once the budget is approved, the order to cease “unnecessary government operation” will be lifted and work will return to normal. 

            Many congressmen, as well as President Barack Obama, believe that it is unjust and unfair that the government effectively shut down, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work.

            On October 1, during a speech at the White House, the President displayed his displeasure with the government shutdown and the evident lack of effective communication and problem solving that Congress displayed when he stated, “one fraction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, shut down major parts of the government, all because they didn't like one law.” 

            He later stated, “this Republican shutdown did not have to happen.”

            In his speech, the President appeared unpleased that one party would willingly shut down the federal government knowing that it will temporarily put an estimated 800,000 Americans out of work as well as ceasing to provide life saving benefits to veterans and others who receive them.  The shutdown will also have many unknown negative repercussions on our barely stable economy.  The President also insists that a federal government shutdown will have no positive outcome other than a solution to the issue which should have never arose.

            To many, the government shutdown seems quite childish and irresponsible.  Woburn Memorial High School teacher, Roseanne Glaser, shares her thoughts.

 “I think the government shutdown is immature.  The President and the houses of Congress have to work it out like adults to end this situation.” said Glaser.

On October 1 Woburn Memorial High School sophomore Joe Risser was shocked to hear that the government was actually shut down. 

“A federal government should not be able to just shut down! This is not a city or state government; this is the whole federal government for the United States of America.  This is unacceptable,” said Risser.

            Bentley University freshman, Jenny Gaffey, whose father is out of a job for the time being, believes that the government needs to reach a decision. 

“I think it’s sad that the leaders of the government cannot figure out a more practical way to handle the problem.  They are acting like children,” said Gaffey.

            Most Democrats believe that the only way for order to be restored is for the Republicans in the House of Representatives to stop their bickering and simply accept the fact that this bill has already been passed and signed into law.  Even many Republicans believe that they are being represented improperly in Congress and wish for the situation to be promptly resolved. 

            This is not the first time a government shut down in the United States has occurred, nor is it the first time the Legislative Branch has been to blame.  In 1995, a similar situation occurred because of the two political parties and their agendas in Congress.  Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, made a “Deal with America” promising lower taxes as well as lower government spending.  This was not possible due to Democrat President Bill Clinton’s missions to improve education, protect the environment, and better the American Medicare and Medicaid systems.

The Legislative Branch was unable to reach a resolution by October 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.  Therefore, it was illegal for the federal government to continue to spend tax money on all nonessential federal services and agencies.  A very brief shutdown occurred in November, followed by a month-long shutdown beginning in December.  President Bill Clinton would later criticize House Republicans who he said made more money during the month-long shutdown than a minimum wage worker makes in a year.  Despite this, these congressmen continued to refuse social programs to help the lower class.  Speaker Newt Gingrich disagreed that these provisions were necessary and wasted American taxpayer money.  In the end, the situation was resolved and a budget was passed.

            Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of fierce partisanship for years to come.  Luckily for Americans in the 1990s, the Clinton administration along with the two houses of Congress engineered a successful economy.  With the help of the dotcom boom and raised tax rates, Clinton left office with a surplus of money for the United States.

            Today, however, the stakes are higher.  While this government shutdown may not directly affect our everyday lives, it is certainly a bad omen.  Americans, especially those elected to public servant positions whose job it is to ensure American prosperity, must remember to put their country first, not their political views.

            However, other politicians, such as Speaker John Boehner, continue to stick by their guns.  Remarking on this shutdown, as well as the one of the 1990’s, former House Speaker Gingrich said that this shutdown was, “not a crisis”. 

            Hopefully Congress is able to reach a deal agreeing upon budget.  It is tragic to see such a sharp divide between the two major political parties.  Such a rift is venomous to the fluidity of the Legislative Branch and the federal government as a whole.  Only time will tell if these congressmen can reach a bipartisan agreement and end this nonsense.