In the next two years, Middletown High School is expecting to have a total of 12 to14 diabetic students, an increase of two diabetic students from this year.

With all the diabetics already in the school and with more to come, it became clear to MHS nurse Sandra Hoffman that more space was necessary in the health room.

Unfortunately, expanding the infirmary takes space away from the classroom of MHS social studies teacher Michael Desimone. Though the sacrifice of about five feet is negligible, the class has been forced to spend over a week outside of their normal learning environment while construction is going on.

“I requested [an expansion] last year, after Christmas, but it wasn’t really worked on until this fall,” said Hoffman.

Diabetics require a considerable amount of space, for their supplies and for room to test. Sometimes three to four diabetic students are in the infirmary testing at once. Ample storage is needed for each student to store their juices, water, extra needles, and for some, pumps.

“I have to follow protocol,” said Hoffman, “You can’t store [the needles and food] together because they could contaminate other supplies.  And you don’t want to attract critters.”

Space for storage in the old infirmary was minimal, and with a computer, cabinets and cots the room was unquestionably cramped.  Hoffman said that she had supplies “shoved up under the cots, to keep them from being stolen.”

Items have been stolen from the health room in the past, Hoffman said, but the larger health room will allow for better security.

Even with the many pros that come from a bigger infirmary, more space for Hoffman means less space for her neighbor.

 Desimone said that even though he had a “sense of pride in [his] classroom,” he did not have an issue with the expansion taking away a bit of his classroom.

It was not the change in size that posed the most trouble, but the time spent away from the classroom that disturbed teachers and students the most.

Students are used to a set routine and they generally do not like change. Generally, they like to come in sit in the same seat everyday and proceed with class.

During the renovation Desimone held his classes in English teacher, Debbie Leonard’s room 2^nd period and room 209 for the remaining periods. This also posed difficulties for the teachers when dealing with technology they weren’t used to.

When Leonard returned to her room after it had been used by Desimone she had trouble turning the overhead on.

“I didn’t know what cords they disconnected and connected.”

Hoffman also faced challenges because during the renovation she shared a small space in Deputy Smother’s office. So, she was not able to bring everything with her.

“I only took 1 cot, computer desk, mobile abbreviated diabetic cart, fridge with insulin, supply box with band-aids, tape, gauze, medication books, and treatment books.”

Even though Hoffman felt that Smothers was “very accommodating. Sharing the space,” the space she needed just wasn’t there.

It was difficult because her office contains a bathroom but in the temporary setup “if someone [needed] to vomit they [had] to go into the hall bathroom,” said Hoffman.

Regardless of the difficulties that occurred during the renovation, Hoffman and Desimone are back to their normal routine and everyone is content.

To compensate for the decrease in space, Desimone said changing his seating arrangement is all that he will have to do, “I’ll just put them in rows.”

 Now the infirmary is better equipped for the health need of all students. “We’ll have four more feet added onto the width [of the room], and we added an office to the front (about 75 feet), give or take.”

 In the next two years, with all the diabetics, the space will now be there to provide for them and each of their very unique needs.

Lately, the world has seemed to be in disarray. A tsunami has rocked the Hawaiian islands of Honolulu and Oahu, storms have raged across Europe, and icebergs are breaking off of the coast of Antarctica.

The world has been ravaged with natural disasters in the first three months of 2010 alone. But, while the earth may be breaking apart, the people of the world are coming together.

Countless charities, businesses, and organizations have teamed together, hoping to raise money to donate to countries affected by natural disasters. UNICEF has announced a plan to raise $3.5 million to aid Chilean children affected by the destructive earthquake that recently occurred in February. Yéle Haiti, a charity created by Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean, has also assisted in the plight by distributing over 400,000 gallons of water throughout the small island.

These actions may seem intimidating and perhaps impossible when looked at through the eyes of the average teenager. Many students worldwide wish to make a difference in the world by assisting in areas of devastation, but feel that such monumental contributions cannot be achieved by mere adolescents alone.

But the students at Middletown High School are no average teenagers. Together, the students raised an astounding $955.37 for Pennies for Patients, a charity that donates money to cancer patients, and several hundred dollars for the victims of the Haitian earthquake.

The students collected money for Haiti over a few weeks in two large buckets at lunch time, and have been donating money for cancer patients during their third block classes. The students usually donate small amounts at a time, but they have quickly raised large sums for the causes.

MHS students have really shown that they care about the causes. Other people might have used their extra five dollars to buy candy bars and gum, but the students at MHS willingly donated their cash to the victims of the Haiti earthquake and cancer victims instead.

The adolescents have shown care that not many in the world possess by their outreach to victims from around the world. The money raised will dramatically improve the lives of those affected by disasters after they receive the cash.

Middletown students have recognized that it is almost impossible for one lone individual to raise hundreds of dollars to influence a cause. But, together, they have the willpower and strength to change the lives of the devastated forever.

Many Middletown High School students and faculty were sporting red bracelets on March 3 in support of the movement to “spread the word to end the word.” The motion to end causal use of the word “retarded” found its way into the MHS cafeteria where it gained considerable support from students and staff alike. Though the list of names on the pledge list numbered over 100, there is still a question as to how potent the movement will actually be.

The controversy over the use of the “r-word” lies mainly in its derogatory nature. There are people who wouldn’t have a care if someone dropped the r-bomb in during a conversation, but for those who do have a mental illness (and even for their families and friends) use of the word is considered not only offensive, but hurtful.

Be it a joking slip of the tongue of a deliberate insult, the “r-word” is believed to be rude whenever it is used in friendly exchanges. Now the rise of the “end the word” movement had made it virtually forbidden. But it is always the forbidden things that tempt people the most.

The goal of the “r-word” movement is to make the average person think twice about how they refer to each other, or to their mentally (or physically) challenged peers. The Special Olympics organization is pushing to get at least 100,000 people to pledge to refrain from using the “r-word,” and while the objective is definitely admirable, the result may be only a few steps above insignificant.

That is not to say that using the “r-word” is acceptable, but even in places like Middletown where kind-hearted people are numerous; there will always be the few who intentionally break the barriers of proper speech.

Words like the one the movement is fighting are like weapons; they can hurt or wound, but only when they are taken in a hand. An idle sword will not injure anyone, but if an adversary were to physically attack someone with that same blade, only then does it become dangerous.

Words, and even weapons, don’t hurt people; people hurt people. It is impossible to simply ban a word and have an entire world full of people resign to the decision.

In fact, outlawing the “r-word” will probably drive those child-like few to apply it even more. A word that is officially considered hurtful is the perfect material for someone who intends to cause offense.

The ban can be difficult even for well-meaning folks. All it takes is an emphasis on the right syllable, and a word that would normally mean “to be delayed” becomes a stinging insult meaning stupid, embarrassing, or other more offensive definitions.

The campaign is simply adding to the many social moirés that govern polite interaction, and defining a new rule in what is acceptable behavior.

The “r-word” movement will at best begin to cast shame on anyone who uses the word, but it is shame that will vary in intensity depending on who is around to hear. It has already achieved a level of success, but the test will be in how many people will uphold the ban and for how long.