Only two girl’s events finished before the rain delay. In the 4X800 the relay team of Natalie Smith, Mary Mulkerin, Stephanie Bidle and Zoe Wolfe finished in fifth place.

In the discus throw Erin Doherty and Paige Bussard finished in second and third respectively.

The girls are heading into the weekend in first, after the discus scores boosted their overall score.

The boys had a rougher night, the 4X800 relay team of Alex Mekkelson, Brent Leber, Matt Glessner and Brandon Folio finished in eleventh.

Hank Smith finished eighth in the shot put throwing a 45 in the final round, and In the Pole Vault Andrew Pressley finished seventh with a 13.

The other events were delayed due to inclement weather.   

The boys are entering the weekend in eighteenth place and will look to move into the top 10 this weekend.

 GRAPEVINE, Texas _ In an emotionally charged vote Thursday, the Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban on gay youth starting in January next year, the latest sign of a shift in American attitudes toward gays and lesbians.

After months of debate in local districts, more than 61 percent of the Boy Scouts national council approved a resolution at its annual meeting overturning the long-standing prohibition on openly gay youth, while retaining a ban on gay adult leaders. Of 1,232 votes, 757 were in favor.

Gay advocates called the vote a step in the right direction for the 103-year-old group, among the nation’s largest youth organizations with more than 2.6 million youth members.

“Today’s vote ending discrimination of gay Scouts is truly a historic moment and demonstrates the Boy Scouts of America’s commitment to creating a more inclusive organization,” said Zach Wahls, 21, an Iowa Eagle Scout raised by lesbian mothers who founded Scouts for Equality, which advocates for gays in Scouting. He traveled to Texas for the vote.

Some Scout officials who participated in the vote said they wish the group could have gone further.

“We are disappointed that it doesn’t include everybody,” said Alan Snyder, chairman of the board of the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, who voted for the proposal. “Inclusive should be all-inclusive.”

Opponents vowed to fight the new policy, which they warned would damage flagging membership and funding.

Some of the protesters who opposed lifting the ban had gathered in Boy Scout uniforms on the road leading into the hotel. A few returned Thursday, looking crestfallen.

“It’s a disaster,” said William Tarbell, 68, a Boy Scout unit commissioner from Reno, Nev., taking off his 60-year-old broad-brimmed Scouting cap. “I will no longer wear it.”

Jonathan Saenz, president of the Austin-based conservative advocacy group Texas Values, which organized one of the protests outside the annual meeting, called the vote a ” tragic decision” that showed the Boy Scouts had “chosen to place sex and politics above its timeless principles.”

He blamed national leaders who called for the vote and “willingly opened the door to allow homosexual advocates to overrun an organization that stands for a code of morality that these intolerant advocates reject.” He predicted the vote could destroy the organization.

John Stemberger, president of the conservative Florida Family Policy Council, said opponents planned to meet in Louisville next month to discuss forming an alternate youth group “that does have timeless values.” While standing at a press conference in his Scout uniform, he announced, “This will be the last time I wear this uniform.”

After delaying a vote earlier this year, Boy Scout executives polled members on the issue this spring and devised the resolution as a compromise. The prohibition of gay Scout leaders remains unchanged, and in a statement issued after the vote, the Boy Scouts noted that the resolution reinforces the stipulation that any sexual conduct by youths in the program is “contrary to the virtues of Scouting.”

Wayne Brock, chief executive of Boy Scouts of America, called the debate “a challenging chapter in our history” and said the vote was “truly in the best interests of Scouting.”

“It allows us to better serve kids,” he said. “The decision has been made _ it’s time to stand together.”

Officials said that in coming days a national implementation team would begin working with local councils to prepare guidelines for implementing the resolution.

Media were not allowed inside the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, where the annual meeting began since Wednesday, and reporters were not allowed in when the vote was taken.

Scouting officials inside the hotel during the lead-up to the vote described an atmosphere of open dialogue.

Snyder, whose Boy Scout council covers two-thirds of Los Angeles County, including 14,000 boys and 5,000 volunteers, said organizers showed videos of Boy Scout youth and leaders discussing different sides of the issue.

During the meeting, some speakers spoke from the heart about religious beliefs, he said. Some worried gay youth might try to convert their peers. One woman talked about her son who delayed admitting he was gay because his father was involved in Scouting and he wanted to become an Eagle Scout. There were also informal discussions over drinks, Snyder said.

Overall, Snyder was impressed with what he called, “an incredible, open, frank discussion.”

It was not immediately clear whether the new policy would help or hurt Boy Scout membership and funding. About 70 percent of troops are sponsored by religious organizations, the largest among them the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mormon officials had supported the resolution, and on Thursday the church said it would work with the Boy Scouts “to harmonize what Scouting has to offer with the varying needs of our young men.”

Some troops affiliated with conservative churches have said they could not accept the new policy.

Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said, “Our sadness for the Scouting organization as a whole cannot be overstated.” Southern Baptist leaders have been gearing up to absorb boys who leave Scouting into their own youth group, the Royal Ambassadors.

___

(c)2013 Los Angeles Times
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services

 This year marks the second year in a row that the team has won the county competition. The academic team usually stays after school once to twice a week, practicing topics like History, English, Math, and other subjects.

 The three people that are chosen to go to the competitions are usually chosen by whoever scores the most points in the practices after school. “They all work really hard”.  “But the hardest part is pushing the buzzer fast enough” said Thomas.

After this year they are losing many seniors on the team, but Thomas hopes for the best for the oncoming years.

Reminder for all students signing up for Partial On-Line Summer School: you must attend the first class which is the orientation.

Seniors who had Mrs. Nicklas for AP Language and Composition in the fall may pick up their portfolios in room 210.

Attention all Seniors: You are responsible for clearing lockers of all personal possessions prior to leaving school on Tuesday May twenty-eighth.  Waste containers will be available after school to dispose of unwanted items. 

Seniors who are interns, SSL tutors and interns need to turn in May timesheets to Mr. Zimmer and Mrs. Gibson today.  Juniors need to submit May timesheets on Friday, May 31.

New Scholarship and Guidance Bulletins are available in the Counseling Center.

There are still students, including several seniors, who have yet to pick up their yearbook. You may do so before school, during third period, or after school in room 429.

FFA Members attending State Convention: Your $100 deposit is due to Ms. Bowman today.

Seniors!  One more day to show your class spirit.  On Tuesday, your last official day, be sure to Dress to Impress or wear your college colors.

The MHS Chapter of National Honor Society is happy to announce the names of students elected as new officers for the 2013-2014 school year:  President:  Philip Evich; Vice President:  Megan Harne; Secretary:  Jessica Racz; Treasurer: Karlye Pick. Congratulations to these students!

The thirteenth annual Strong Person competition finished this week in all strength training classes.  The winners are Brittany George for the ladies competition, Frank Meighan for the light weight boys and Bradley Rinehart for the heavy weight boys.  Congratulations to these champions and thanks to all those who participated.  Final results, as well as the top five for each category, are posted in the weight room.

The Girls Track and Field State Championships were held at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Middletown holds the early lead in the Two-A Girls team standings, but that’s with only two events officially scored. Doherty’s second place finish in the discus combined with teammate Paige Bussard’s third place finish in the event as well as the fourth-place finish of the thirty-two hundred relay team of Natalie Smith, Stephanie Bidle, Mary Mulkerin and Zoe Wolfe gave the Knights eighteen points. Largo is second with fifteen. Everything that didn’t get finished was pushed to Saturday at ten AM at Hughes Stadium when athletes from all four classifications are scheduled to compete.

 Students love coming to see the show every year.

 Julia Burdette Middletown High School sophomore said, “I like going because it is the most attended event in the school, it pays for yearbook, it’s funny, and you get to see boys act crazy.”

 Paul Aniugo, Matt Capobianco, Josh Greene, Ian Grife, Albert Mattheis, Brian Schumm, Sean Tooley, and Zach Welch were all the contestants for the Mr. Middletown competition this year.

 The show is around two hours long and it has the audience laughing the entire time. There is an opening dance, the introduction of the contestants, the contestant’s talents, impersonations, question and answer, and the announcing of Mr. Middletown. 

 Formal wear, talent, impressions, and question and answer are what the judges use to pick the winner.

 The judges were Lisa Boyll, Noah Kady, Paula Langley, Denise Fargo Devine, Kevin Faulk, and Matt Crutchfield.

 There were also two hosts that announced the upcoming acts. The hosts were John Miller and Debby Leonard.

 After the question and answer the 3 finalists are chosen in the spots were Paul Aniugo, Josh Greene, and Sean Tooley. They had to answer a question onstage alone.  The question the hosts asked was, “What does graduating Middletown mean to you?”

 After the contestants answered the question and deliberation from the judges the second runner up and the winner of Mr. Middletown were announced. Paul Aniugo took second runner up, first runner up went to Josh Greene, and Sean Tooley took over the position of Mr. Middletown for this year.

 Students love coming to see the show every year.

 Julia Burdette Middletown High School sophomore said, “I like going because it is the most attended event in the school, it pays for yearbook, it’s funny, and you get to see boys act crazy.”

 Paul Aniugo, Matt Capobianco, Josh Greene, Ian Grife, Albert Mattheis, Brian Schumm, Sean Tooley, and Zach Welch were all the contestants for the Mr. Middletown competition this year.

 The show is around two hours long and it has the audience laughing the entire time. There is an opening dance, the introduction of the contestants, the contestant’s talents, impersonations, question and answer, and the announcing of Mr. Middletown. 

 Formal wear, talent, impressions, and question and answer are what the judges use to pick the winner.

 The judges were Lisa Boyll, Noah Kady, Paula Langley, Denise Fargo Devine, Kevin Faulk, and Matt Crutchfield.

 There were also two hosts that announced the upcoming acts. The hosts were John Miller and Debby Leonard.

 After the question and answer the 3 finalists are chosen in the spots were Paul Aniugo, Josh Greene, and Sean Tooley. They had to answer a question onstage alone.  The question the hosts asked was, “What does graduating Middletown mean to you?”

 After the contestants answered the question and deliberation from the judges the second runner up and the winner of Mr. Middletown were announced. Paul Aniugo took second runner up, first runner up went to Josh Greene, and Sean Tooley took over the position of Mr. Middletown for this year.

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ A University of Kansas freshman took a break from shooting hoops with friends outside his dormitory to talk about what some students call “study pills.”

As final exams approached last semester, he took a couple doses of a prescribed stimulant called Adderall. “But all they did was make me feel nervous,” said the chemical engineering major. “I’m off of it now.”

He still has a vial of leftover pills he used for his attention issues in high school. And that’s why he asked that his name not appear in this article: He didn’t want to be pressed by dormmates to supply them with an illegal focus boost for upcoming finals.

The controlled stimulants that many college students seek, if only for a momentary edge, carry familiar brand names such as Adderall, Vyvanse, Focalin and Ritalin. They’re all standard drugs for treating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, often successfully.

Their misuse, however, is thought to be on the rise at campuses nationwide _ creating a potentially serious health hazard and trips to the emergency room for students not diagnosed for ADHD.

The extent of the problem is anyone’s guess. Because of what experts consider a lack of reliable research, illicit dealing of ADHD drugs either is infrequent on campus or something so commonplace as to be the college crowd’s best-kept secret.

“The only people who don’t know about it are the parents,” said University of Kentucky communications professor Alan D. DeSantis. “I’m sure the majority of my students will be using Adderall at some time during finals week. It’s really built into the climate and culture of today’s college life.”

DeSantis has analyzed several years’ worth of surveys of Kentucky undergraduates to conclude that at least one-third of the student body has taken ADHD medication without prescriptions. Another 8 percent use the drugs legally under a doctor’s supervision, he said, and half of them provide pills to other students.

The incidence of use appears to be higher among Kentucky seniors and juniors than for younger students, DeSantis added.

Assessing a variety of surveys, a 2008 study published in the Journal of American Child Adolescent Psychiatry offered a not-so-precise range of 5 percent to 35 percent of college-aged people taking attention-deficit stimulants not prescribed for them.

A University of Missouri survey found a usage rate in between.

About 12 percent in a sample of Mizzou students admitted to using controlled stimulants or painkillers, prescribed or illegally, said Kim Dude, director of the University of Missouri’s Wellness Resource Center. “Eighty-five percent of the students don’t use any of that.”

But she does agree with the KU freshman _ don’t let on if you’ve got attention-deficit pills.

“We urge students and their parents from the start: Don’t tell anybody,” Dude said. “They’ll run into peer pressure to sell it or give it away” to other students.

This month, data-miners at Brigham Young University issued a study that tracked Twitter references to study pills.

Searching keywords such as “Adderall,” “college” and “cramming” over a six-month period, lead researcher Carl Hanson allowed, “We don’t have all the answers” on the frequency of legal use or abuse. But the study did conclude that tweets about the drug were heaviest among students in the U.S. Northeast and South, and lightest among students in the Plains and Southwestern states (including California).

Also, the report summary stated, “Tweets about Adderall peak sharply during final exam periods.”

Said Hanson: “I’m concerned about the social norm-ing thing. If students perceive (taking stimulant medication) as normal because it’s talked about and tweeted a lot, they’ll take the risk.”

Millions of Americans have taken prescribed ADHD medication _ often intermittently _ without experiencing negative side effects. But an under-30 generation raised on the practice might not be aware of the dangers of taking even modest dosages without a thorough diagnosis, said psychiatrist Tahir Rahman of the MU School of Medicine.

“If you’re depressive or have bipolar disorder, taking a drug such as Adderall could be throwing gasoline on a fire,” Rahman said.

Nationwide, the number of emergency room visits related to abuse of ADHD drugs rose to 31,224 in 2010 –– more than double the number recorded five years earlier, according to a federal report released in January.

Such ER visits by people ages 18 to 25 nearly quadrupled in that time, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Association reported.

It is not known how many of those patients were college students.

“I hear students talk about it all the time,” said Kate Baxendale, a junior studying journalism at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She and another student wrote about the problem in the university newspaper after agreeing to not identify stimulant users by name.

Baxendale has never taken Adderall, she said, but others in her dorm have sold it. “At a time like this (finals week), they can sell for $20 a pill,” she said. The sellers ration their prescribed medication because they need some for themselves.

The university’s health services do not have medical doctors to prescribe controlled stimulants, so students taking them must get the drugs elsewhere.

Colleges around the country are tightening their procedures to limit student access to stimulant medicine.

“Some campuses have outright stopped prescribing stimulants,” said Stacy Andes of the American College Health Association. Others, including KU, require students to present copies of at least two diagnostic tests given by doctors or mental-health professionals.

The drugs easily can be obtained off campus in most college towns, said DeSantis of the University of Kentucky. A clinic or family practitioner may ask patients to fill out a questionnaire that asks if they have trouble focusing or completing assignments.

“For the most part, students (seeking medication) know how to answer those questions,” DeSantis said.

Downing Adderall to perform better on tests raises questions beyond medical ones: Is it the educational equivalent of using steroids to cheat in sports? Are students who choose not to use stimulants, or those who can’t afford them, chasing degrees at an unfair disadvantage?

Psychiatrists debate whether the drugs do much at all to help people not diagnosed with ADHD, other than to keep them awake so they can cram for tests.

Girding up for finals in a library study room at UMKC, Govinda Koirala wrinkled his nose when asked if he would ever consider a pharmaceutical boost.

“I drink coffee,” said the junior studying mechanical engineering. “And the latest I stay up studying is 11:30″ p.m.

His secret to academic success? “Just relax. Sleep well. Do what’s good for your mind.”

Must work. Koirala is pulling a 3.91 grade-point average.

___

(c)2013 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)
Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services

HSA testing starts on Monday, May 20.  Please check the bulletin board in the cafeteria during your lunch shift for your room locations. 

The jewelry class would like to thank everyone that purchased Jewelry for St. Jude’s. The proceeds were $801. We were very pleased that the three day sale was able to raise so much for such a great cause. If anyone is still interested in purchasing a piece of jewelry, you can stop by Mrs. Mattingly’s room after school. Thank you again for supporting our cause!

Students may pick up their yearbooks in Mr. Mattingly’s room before school, during lunch shifts and after school.

Attention Junior Members of National Honor Society: Today is voting day for NHS.  Please stop at the table during lunch to vote for your NHS officers for the 2013-2014 school year.  Your vote counts so make good decisions and fill out your ballot.

Students who are attending the New York Broadway trip this Saturday should see Mrs. Nicklas briefly today after school.

The Senior Art Show will be held on Tuesday, May 21 in the cafeteria from six until eight p.m. Any senior interested in participating in the Senior Art Show should see their art teacher as soon as possible to prepare their work for the show. Seniors need to be present to set up the show right after school on the twenty-first and help take down the show at eight p.m.

MHS isn’t scheduled for full renovations until the year 2018, but as Frederick county Public School budget allows, MHS can start making some more desperately needed changes this summer.

Some of the more important changes occurring are changing the old boilers, so that the heating and cooling systems are consistent, and allowing handicap seating in the stadium.

For these changes to be possible, there is a system the county has to follow to make these improvements available.

According to the FCPS website, the system required, manages the design of the school and budget, and manages records for the renovation process.

Some administrators are requesting for renovations that have been continuously put aside because of a tight budget and lack of urgency.

Mike Watson, MHS administrator, said, “I would like to see that bathrooms for the school stadium be updated, more computer labs, and for some of the carpets in the older parts of the school be removed permanently.”

Unfortunately the FCPS system thinks that these revisions are wanted more than needed.

MHS students don’t seem to agree.  MHS sophomore, Ashley Catania said, “Lockers in the school are dented, scratched, and they are weak and always getting stuck.” 

Bathrooms in the stadium are far from the best.  On big game nights, they are overflowing with long lines and people miss a lot of the game.

Carpets in the school are all torn apart and students are tripping over the enormous tears.

Some rooms don’t even have any permanent walls for teaching, and you can sometimes overhear the conversations of other classes. 

MHS needs these revisions to take place soon, because the school is not only outdated, but when the process officially takes place, the learning environment will improve for the better.

The year 2018 is a long way to go before MHS can have better quality conditions and most of the students here now, won’t be here when the renovations occur.