Owens grew up in the Children of God/Family International cult with his peripatetic and often unstrung mother—who carried Owens across Asia and Europe on mission trips and prostituted herself—before escaping, at the age of sixteen, to the streets of Amarillo, Texas, where he drank and drugged to excess for nine years, and was discovered and adopted by a local millionaire and founder of the Cadillac Ranch who helped to inspire his creativity, all before finally moving to San Francisco where he befriended Chet JR White, with whom Owens would later organize Girls and ultimately record Album.

Unlike many bands, Girls studiously avoids the mistake of taking themselves too seriously. Owens understands that lyrical simplicity is sometimes more substantial in its honesty than is contrived complexity. He does not get so wrapped up in crafting intricate labyrinthine sequences of words—either for the sake of emotional depth and poignancy or for his own obfuscation—but ends up being profound all the same: “Oh, I wish I had a suntan/I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine,” sings Owens on “Lust for Life.” He is able to deal with loneliness and longing, while simultaneously mocking them, without sounding maudlin or depressing.

Most of the songs on Album are about girls. Owens is alternately love-struck and reveling in torrents of despair, but he is careful not to drown. The album’s mood ranges from exuberant to melancholy, channeling Roy Orbison and sometimes even Morrissey. Owens has been compared to Kurt Cobain, which is plausible, but only in his public personality and appearance, not in his music. 

What is perhaps most compelling about Album is that it does not aim to be anything else. Too often bands attempt to rehash the work of earlier acts, the most mimicked musical era in recent memory being the 1980s, which was really a horrible decade for popular music—why anyone would consciously aspire to revive those years escapes me. The only unfortunate aspect of all this retreading of the past is that it can work as a deterrent to listeners’ discovering new talent. If audiences were to take more chances on music that’s being created now, and not what was happening thirty years ago, they could possibly prevent the atrocities of the past from becoming the future. Girls are in the present, making music that feels relevant.

“When people connect to it, it makes sense to me,” Owens says of his music in an interview for CityBeat. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

PepsiCo chose to focus on Pepsi and Mountain Dew for the corn-syrup-free variation of their most popular sodas.  The new packaging for Pepsi Throwback uses an exact replica of the 1973-1987 logos, while the Mountain Dew Throwback shows the original hillbilly theme from the 1970s.  The theme is in remembrance of “Willy the Hillbilly,” who decorated the original bottles of the 1960s with sayings like “It’ll tickle your innards!”

The idea for the return of real sugar in Pepsi products began in the late 2000s, when soft drink fans requested the change.   Fans of Classic Pepsi wanted to bring back the sweeter taste, and defended their choice by citing sugar’s now-lower prices. 

Soft drink recipes were changed in the 1970s and 1980s due to the rise in the cost of sugar.  Major soda manufacturers switched to high-fructose corn syrup as a cheap alternative to sugar.  By the mid 1980s, all major soft drink brands, including PepsiCo, had switched to corn syrup.

When asked if the removal of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was to appease those opposed to the use of HFCS as a sweeter, Pepsi replied that “…there is a lot of misinformation circulating about HFCS, but that truth is that it’s made from corn and contains no artificial or synthetic  ingredients or color additives.  HFCS is essentially the same as table sugar and is metabolized the same.”

PepsiCo stated that sugar is used in the Throwback brand because they “wanted to be true to the time these products represent.  In the ‘60s and ‘70s, sugar was the sweetener used…”

To keep up with the competition, Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, producer of Dr Pepper, started selling “Heritage Dr Pepper,” which is sugar sweetened.  Coca-Cola makes a coke with real sugar around Passover time, so it can be deemed kosher.

Throwback Pepsi and Mountain Dew will only be available until February 22, 2010.

Each speaker had two minutes to address the school board members, and participants were encouraged to talk only about year-round schools, not the highly controversial diversity policy or Del Burns’s resignation.

Three years ago, Leesville Elementary converted to the year-round schedule, much to the dismay of parents who chose Leesville for its traditional schedule.

One parent noted that “Sycamore creek is currently an under-enrolled elementary school” and argued that applicants who chose Leesville for its new schedule could apply there.

Many parents argued against the fundamental idea of year-round schools, noting that, in their words, “neighborhoods have deteriorated” and that families have been torn apart due to conflicting schedules.

On the other side of the aisle, however, strong supporters of year-round schools noted better behavior at Leesville Middle school since its change to year-round. According to one parent’s statistics, the school’s rate of suspensions had dropped an average of 20 per month since the change.

Even parents who faced similar hardships at home disagreed. For example, Ms. Killian, a mother of two special-needs children argued the psychological benefits of year-round schools for autistic students. “After testing, my psychologist told me that my children would be best-served by year-round schools.”

Other special-needs parents argued that their children learned best and functioned best when they had a “predictable, traditional schedule.”

Overall, the proponents of traditional schedules controlled the auditorium’s atmosphere. With custom-made signs promoting “1 Campus, 1 Calendar, 4 Leesville” they rose to applause each time a traditional parent spoke and scowled each time year-round proponents, especially applicants, spoke.

I can make only one clear conclusion after the hearing: Leesville parents, and especially Leesville Middle school parents, are especially divided over this issue. Although their apparent love for the school’s faculty and environment united them, few people left the high school confident that a decision would be made that would make everyone happy.

Since the hearing, board members voted and upheld their campaign promises of a return to traditional schools, at least for four area schools.

The memo established a ninety day preparation, starting a task-force to provide “optimal coordination” between the various organizations involved in addressing the issue of childhood obesity.

The national task force is the first of its kind, deriving ammunition from the departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Education, Health and Human services, as well as back up of up to $1 billion a year in federal funds for 10 years.

In addition, several major corporations have already committed their support to Obama’s initiative, most notably CMT ONE COUNTRY, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Burger King, Verizon, PepsiCo, Sodexo, and ARAMARK. Each venue will be able to offer various roles in the “Let’s Move” crusade, some even going so far as to serve dual or multiple purposes.

Working full speed ahead, CMT has enlisted the aid of country superstar Darius Rucker to act as spokesperson for targeted public service broadcasts. Likewise, Verizon offers promotional support of the “Let’s Move” campaign.

Furthermore, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Pepsico have each committed themselves to more prominently and concisely displaying the nutrition information on product labels.

And as national providers of food and nutrition services for public schools, Sodexo and ARAMARK have a projected potential to enhance the healthy eating habits of over 5.8 million students annually.

Burger King, however, is unique in that the franchise’s support will merely be a heightened continuation of Burger King’s already existing Positive Steps program, aimed at encouraging balanced diets and active lifestyle choices.

Furthermore, the initiative enjoys bipartisan support, as demonstrated by the attendance of both Republicans and Democrats at a noontime event in the State Dining Room following the signing of the Presidential Memorandum.

Unfortunately, public opinion has not been as unanimously favorable. Michelle Obama faced mixed reviews when she introduced the issue of obesity by offering her daughters, Sasha and Malia, as examples for her concerns.

“We’ve confused health and weight in a way that’s very confusing for children and very confusing for parents,” said Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh, an eating disorder activist and executive director of Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Disorder, in an interview with ABC News. “When we speak publicly about putting our children on a diet, we start to get into weight stigma and confusing the message to families.

However, childhood obesity impacts nearly one-third of the children in the United States, with one in three children becoming either overweight or obese, statistics which have prompted several nutrition and medical experts to commend the first lady’s approach.

“The fact that she made this public, about her own … modest changes she made was exactly that – that this is a public conversation about what we’re all doing,” said Dr. Judith Palfrey, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics during a similar interview. “It’s like a neighborhood conversation except that it’s national, about how we live.”
Obama’s campaign is divided into four components: increased physical activity, helping parents make better food choices, easier access to healthy foods, and, ultimately, personal accountability.

Overall, while the potential success of Obama’s crusade is still up in the air, both critics and fans agree that one thing is for sure—by challenging childhood obesity, the Obamas have signed on for rocky road ahead.

With what Diane Covington, choral director, predicted to be the “the best PA Café yet,” tickets were sold out and the cafeteria was packed.

At 2:45 p.m., volunteers transformed the school cafeteria into a circus themed setting.

Decorations included red, yellow and blue balloons and streamers as well as giant stuffed animals and buckets of popcorn.

At 7 p.m., the audience watched over twenty acts while enjoying desert and coffee served by members of the choral department. Servers wore tiger and elephant hats to complete the circus theme as they warmly greeted the audience.

The Emcees of the evening were Cameron Steagall, senior, who came dressed as a ringmaster, and Brooke Walsh, senior, who was dressed as a tight rope walker.

The evening began with Merritt Murray, freshman, who performed the song “Broadway Baby” from the musical Follies.

Lela Johnston, senior, concluded the evening with a soothing rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.”

“I was so proud of my daughter, and it is always exciting to see all the talent that comes from people on stage. Parents always see choral students together on a stage during concerts, so it’s interesting to see what people sound like on their own,” said Trish Boone, parent of McKenzie Boone, sophomore.

A highlight of the evening was the duet of Brooks Jordan, sophomore, and Bob Nelson , sophomore, who performed Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.”

“The PA Café this year was by far one of the best I have ever been to, and maybe one of the best this school has probably ever had,” said Steagall.

“Sure there were some performances that the audience responded to more than others, but overall everyone sounded okay.”

Every year, the forum addresses state legislatures about a theme that impacts the future, and ends with a luncheon.

This year, the forum was focused around “enhancing creative thinking and embracing new ideas.”

Governor James B. Hunt began the luncheon with a glowing introduction of Leesville’s top choral ensemble. “These young people represent the school they come from. All Leesville students are good looking and smart,” he said.

Before Capital Pride sang, Diane Covington, Choral Director, described the benefits of supporting the arts to legislatures seated in the audience. “The most beautiful thing is to watch these students create music. We start with a piece of paper with little dots on it, and we end up with a new creation every time they open their mouths.”

Capital Pride was selected to perform three musical selections that showed the ensemble’s vocal versatility and creativity.

The first piece performed was a lively up-tempo piece entitled “Fire, Fire My Heart” by Thomas Morely which was sung in five parts.

Their second piece, “Oh Danny Boy” by Frederick Weatherly, was a familiar ballad that grabbed the audience’s attention, as their silverware began to quiet down.

By the end of the piece, all of the silverware stopped, as all eyes were upon the sea of purple dresses that arched the ballroom.

Capital Pride concluded with a contemporary piece, “As I Went Down in the River to Pray” by Allan Hall, that ended with a standing ovation from the audience.

“We’ve had many performances during the forum, but you were the most outstanding group and by far the most beautiful high school choir I have ever heard in my life,” said Molly Rushing, Forum Arts Coordinator.

“One member of the audience even asked me which college you all came from,” she said.

Capital Pride members were pleased with their performance. “It was great! It was so beautiful, and I felt like there was this whole mood in there, like a glow that spread throughout the room after we sang our last song,” said Georgia Lee, junior.

“I’m so proud of Capital Pride and how they represent Leesville, the arts, and themselves,” said Coving ton. “I think they gave the audience a good glimpse of what we can do in this program.”

However, as many students ponder future relationships, the initial “head over heels” feeling of romance is disregarded, and money is slowly integrated into the equation.

According to Smart Girls Marry Money: How Women Have Been Duped Into the American Dream, by Daniela Drake and Elizabeth Ford, the “butterflies” feeling of “love” evaporates within 18 to 24 months, leaving some with broken hearts–and broken banks.

Drake and Ford propose that “marrying for money” is not materialistic or shallow, but a smart financial decision.

An anonymous Leesville Student agrees, “If I reached a certain age and met someone that I wasn’t romantically interested in but who was a friend that could provide financial security, I might [marry him]. A marriage based on friendship and security may last longer than one that’s precarious at best and based on attraction.”

Bilo Hoese, junior, agrees with the principle of “marrying for money.” “It’s an efficient and effective way of living a comfortable life if you have no choices.  Love has no relevance what-so-ever when the situation concerns sustaining yourself.”

Jared Dix, senior, disagrees. “It’s [marrying for money] an inhuman, desperate act. Materialism is not love, by any means.”

For Drake and Ford, marrying for “love” resulted in divorce, propelling them to consider money as the most important factor in a relationship.

Morgan Burke, junior, understands Drake and Ford’s logic.

“I think that love needs to be the biggest impetus to get married, but I also think that the other person having at least enough money to independently support themselves is important. They don’t have to be mega-wealthy, but you don’t want a dead weight person that you have to financially support. Money is something that you have to rationally think about before marriage. People want to think that life will just be all happily ever after and you’ll fall hopelessly in love and nothing will go wrong or get in the way.”

Despite the reasoning behind Burke’s statement, many Drake and Ford sympathizers are accused of being “gold diggers.”

Brittany Laraia, junior, said, “Girls can get a bad rep for marrying rich, but what if they actually love the guy? Are they still considered a gold digger?”

Neither Drake nor Ford though, proposes marrying a multi-million dollar athlete, a CEO or digging for gold. They simply present the realities that many seem to forget: life does require money and a marriage is a partnership.

In order for a relationship to function successfully both parts must contribute. The issue then is not simply money, but stability—it is not dollar amount that is important to people, but the feeling of regularity and assurance.

Overall though, Leesville students attribute more significance to love than money.

Jessie Halpern, senior, said, “Love is number one. As far as my beliefs are concerned, it seems to me that if you have love, you can stick together until you have money.”

We are now seeing a wider variety of addicts. For those who can’t stop eating there is Overeaters Anonymous. For compulsive shoppers there is Debtors Anonymous. For those like Tiger Woods, who seem to enjoy sex too much and with alarming alacrity, there is sex rehab. Yes, there seems to be no place like rehab and no philosophy like 12-step.

It is not news that for celebrities rehab has become a status symbol of sorts. But in recent years rehab has also become the preferred method of apology exchange for stars who can never seem to find their way home.

And regardless of how ridiculous something like sex addiction may seem, the public bully pulpit goes along with it anyway because compliance with some sort of treatment program is the last reasonable act of contrition made on the part of any wayward celebrity. Rehab is the final shot at forgiveness for even the foulest faux pas, it is the deciding juncture, it is, in a sense, the beginning as well as the end.

The VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab features a full cast of semi-relevant celebrities who are down-and-out, and who have been eighty-sixed from the straight world. The patients are counseled by Dr. Drew Pinsky, who covers television’s mental health field while Dr. Phil handles therapy and Oprah’s newly appointed Dr. Oz assumes physical health. Some of the show’s participants are ordered by the court system to get their act together, to clean up and move on, while others have voluntarily committed themselves not only to a residential facility in Pasadena, but to an order of ten episodes of total discord for VH1’s reality audience.

Throughout the show, we see famous musicians and actors struggle to wash themselves of one of the most pernicious antagonists of human life—addiction, as well as its consequent insanity. The masses of people who comprise television’s viewer population watch intently as people like Tom Sizemore and Mackenzie Phillips and Mike Starr vie desperately and relentlessly, although sometimes intermittently, to fall back into the public’s good graces. This effort is not without reward. Upon completing a 28-day inpatient program, facilities release these celebrities back into society, where all is forgiven.

So if you are Mackenzie Phillips concealing contraband in your underwear while making your way through LAX, if you’re Steven Tyler falling off stage at a concert and threatening to leave Aerosmith, or if you’re Tiger Woods sending lascivious text messages to, and hooking up with, various women while married to Elin Nordegren, rehab remains the only way to say you’re sorry.

Students either participated in the AMC 10 or the AMC 12 contest, depending on their level of math.  Algebra II or lower students took the AMC 10 test and Pre-Calculus and higher students took the AMC 12 test.

Duane Barksdale, a freshman who took Honors Geometry in the past semester, participated in the AMC 10.

“It was easy at first, but then it got harder at the end.  I’ll probably take it again to challenge myself.”

Other students had different opinions of the test.  Daniel Cheng, senior, took the AMC 12 exam.

“It was really, really easy.  This was really fun.  I didn’t know some of the vocabulary, though, like cyclic quadrilaterals and palindromes.”

The Mathematical Association of America, who writes these tests every year, designs the tests to test talented students around the world.  Approximately 5% of the nation’s students taking the exam qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), the next round in the contest series.

Last year, no student from Leesville qualified for the AIME.

“This is my last chance to qualify for the AIME,” said Cheng.  “Hopefully I did better than I did last year so that I can feel good about myself.”

The AIME will be administered on Tuesday, March 16, 2010.

Students from Leesville can attend the fair from 1-3 p.m, and at 2 p.m., Dave Meredith, Assistant Dean of Admissions for UNC Chapel Hill, will give a special presentation on admission tips.

A list of schools attending the fair and directions can be found at Leesville.org.

Alexa McMahon, junior, plans to attend the fair.

“I’m going because I want to learn more about each college.  That way I’ll know which one will be right for me.”

For students interested in North Carolina colleges and universities, the fair will be sure to provide an informational experience.