In recent years, the popularity of satirical shows such as “The Colbert Report”, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”, and “Saturday Night Live” have led to questions regarding the potential effects these shows have on the political process. Many seem to feel that by injecting humor into political debate, politics loses its inherent seriousness, while others like Mr. John McCabe feel otherwise. “It adds more color to political debate. They [comedians] are drawing an audience and raising awareness.”

The popularity of these political satire shows has been tied to the loss of viewership in most serious news outlets. Other suspected factors are the sharply divided political environment coupled with a sensationalized media, two factors that Mr. McCabe himself pointed out. However, another reason why McCabe believes this method of news delivery is so popular is simply that “it’s entertaining”. Senior Emily Arrowsmith believes that the comedians themselves are endearing because they “present the information in a relatable, charismatic, and entertaining way”.

For years, there has been a general discomfort felt by journalists that even the most somber news has essentially become entertainment. The fear here is that news will become so belittled and satirized that people will simply not care anymore, effectively creating a mass state of apathy. Another major fear, shared by McCabe and Senior Arrowsmith, is that these comedians are becoming the only source of news information, especially among young people, a sentiment shared by several studies as reported by www.voanews.com. These studies also reported the material from these outlets was very influential in how individuals approach politics. Whether this influence is positive or negative, however, remains to be seen.

Though it appears as though the adoration of these comedians is no longer in danger of dying out, their strong presence in the political field does raise some questions. Will Rogers summarized it best when he said, “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.” What does it say about American politics when this observation has become more relevant than ever? One can only hope people do what they can to become knowledgeable regarding politics, even it means exchanging a grimace for a laugh.

Last year, Jordon Abegg was chosen to create the house that was built during this school year. This year, Senior Joey Belcher was picked by both Mr. Sanders and Mr. Shepard. Mr. Shepard said, “I chose Joey because I know he is involved in construction and my drafting classes. Also, he is very good in this field of work.” Belcher gets to design every aspect of the house with some discretion by Mr. Sanders since he is the one who has the final say in the house.

Belcher gets to create the floor plan to the elevation for the house, and he does all this in a few days with the help from the program AutoCAD. AutoCAD is a program that allows the person using it to design virtually anything from houses to cars. Also, AutoCAD is much more precise than making floor plans by hand on paper. Belcher stated, “I am very excited to be a part of this project because the idea of having my name on floor plans that are actually being built is awesome.”

However, Belcher cannot do anything he pleases with the house, even though he is the designer. He must follow city code and the requests made by Mr. Sanders or Mr. Shepard. The house must have a 6/12 roof pitch for student safety and must not exceed 2,000 square feet.

Mr. Sanders has been a part of this big project for 10 years and hopes it continues. The house is roughly 1,800 square feet and is a one-story ranch style with a basement. For the past couple of years, the house has been built in Deerfield Estates on South 5th Street. When the house is finished, it gets appraised and is put on the market. The house is not just sold, though. The school auctions it off and the starting bid on this year’s house is $205,000. The house is appraised at $225,000. Last year’s house was auctioned off at around $215,000. The money raised from the auction of this house is used to buy materials for next year, so they can keep this tradition of building a house.

Shaffer, who was a 2007 graduate of PCHS, joined the U.S. Army straight out of high school. Shaffer’s life goal and one of the main things that he talked about was joining the military. Laura Hoover, a friend of Shaffer, said that he was a fun-loving person who always had a smile.Hooveralso said, “He was the type of guy who would really give his shirt off of his back. He would give to people he didn’t even know if it was for a good cause.”

Shaffer was also a member of the Pekin JROTC for all four years of his high school career. He ended his JROTC experience as the Operation Sergeant Major. He was also a member of the drill team, and he was involved in anything he could be with the program, Master Sergeant Joseph Fabish remembered. Fabish is the JROTC Army instructor at the high school, and he recalled that Shaffer would do anything that involved community service in the program.

Shaffer was laid to rest inPekinat thePrairieHavenCemeteryon April 30. Before Shaffer was even brought toPekin, the community came together to place flags for him as his body came into town fromPeoria. The flags were brought by Larry “Flag Man” Eckhardt, who travels all over the state for members of the military who have fallen. The community came out in support and they planted over 2000 flags throughout the city ofPekin. The city also had a candlelight vigil for him around the lagoon atPekin’sMineralSpringsPark.

The funeral procession went from the Preston Hanley Funeral Home to the gravesite, and all along the procession route, Shaffer was told farewell by the city ofPekin. As the procession drove through the town, people lined the streets, even though it was raining, the weather denoting the somber tone of the day.

PCHS students were released from their fourth hour classes to honor Shaffer along the route. Some students were hit hard by this event. Junior Justine Hoehn knew Shaffer, and she said that it was just a sad time for all students.

Sergeant Dean Shaffer was a man, a great friend, a fun-loving guy who cared for others, and a hero to everyone in this country, and he will always be remembered as such.

Students spend anywhere from $50 to $1,000 on this event each year. Senior Leah Jo Shelton spent $230 all together for this one night. However, the amount of money spent on prom each year is not the only element that can be overwhelming. The amount of time it takes to get ready for prom can range anywhere from 20 minutes to seven hours, especially for girls. Ms. Lynn Brown, dean, spent approximately one hour, showing that even our faculty members take the extra steps to be prepared for prom. Shelton spent three hours all together getting ready.

Students anticipate prom for a long time each year, and that anticipation builds on the day of the event. Most students go out before the dance for photos with their family and friends and then go out to eat. When finally arriving to the dance, it was a bit different this year since a lot of students bought their tickets at the door.

The wait is all worth it in the end. When entering the room, students were greeted with the amazement of the decorations and atmosphere. To the left of the door, students were taking photos that they would have to remember the night. To the right of the door, students were enjoying refreshments. Straight ahead were tables, and just past the tables was the dance floor.

The dance floor is, of course, the center of attention for the night. It is also where the prom court gathers after being announced. Usually, this annoucement starts with the presentation of the king and queen from the prom court of 2011. They are the ones who then announce the new prom court. This year, Junior Josh Skocaj was named king, and Junior Hayley Milburn was named queen. After the king and queen were announced, the dance floor was opened to dancers. The fun lasted until 11 p.m. when the prom dance was over, and students finally left the most anticipated and fun-filled night of their lives.

Citizens and students from around the Pekin area filled Dawdy Hawkins Gymnasium with excitement and laughter while looking at the amazing pieces of work the PCHS students have made. According to Pricilla Delaere, a member of the Dragon Pride committee and science teacher, this is the sixth year of Dragon Pride. She also said the purpose of Dragon Pride is “to academically show achievements of students and display their great work”.

At Mrs. Delaere’s booth, one of her physics students, Deven Ries, stood nearby with his Rube Goldberg project and displayed it to the public. Ries said, “My favorite part about Dragon Pride is showing people how our Rube Goldberg projects work.” His project consisted of many little gadgets and levers all working together to perform the simple task of popping a balloon.

At another booth in the gymnasium, Junior Daniel Mansfield showed people his elevator made of legos that he built in Mr. Clements’ electronics class. Mansfield said that this was his second year participating in Dragon Pride. He said, “The most entertaining part about being here is that I get to show people from the community how projects work and are constructed and the helpful knowledge our teachers have to offer our students.”

There were many other booths at Dragon Pride, and this is one event that is sure to continue, so be on the lookout for it next year.

Senior Chis Frazier has been influenced by Mr. Mike Czajowski, research writing teacher. Frazier said that he was inspired by Mr. Czajowski because “he helped [Frazier] discover [his] potential as a writer. He also helped [Frazier] have a better work ethic and helped [him] become a better writer”. Frazier also added that his most inspiring teacher also has “awesome clothing style”.

Mr. Czajowski, in reponose, was thrilled. He said, “I feel happy, and I feel I did a good job.” He feels that inspiring students sometimes can be the “hardest part” of the job. Teaching is something that Czajowski always wanted to do, and the privilege of inspiring students was one reason why.

Senior Mario Labanca found inspiration from Mr. John McCabe, world issues and government teacher. McCabe has inspired Labanca to be “more active in the community”. Also, since being in his class, LaBanca has begun paying more attention to the news. LaBanca said, “I want to become  a social studies teacher, and Mr. McCabe has helped me decide that because  I was kind of not sure what I wanted to do.”

Mr. McCabe was flattered that LaBanca was inspired by him. He said, “It was a very humbling expirence to be called ‘inspiring’.” McCabe  also said, “It’s a very important part of a teacher’s job to inspire students in any way possible.”

Mr. Kirk Edwards is the teacher who Tessa Schroeder chose as inspirational. Mr. Edwards is one of many English teachers at PCHS. Schroeder said, “He is extremely energetic and incredibly involved with his students. That’s why he was so inspirational to me. Also, he was an approachable person and someone I could talk to about life.”

Mr. Edwards felt that Schroeder’s saying he was inspirational was a “nice surprise”. He said that it has a positive effect on his teaching, because sometimes you’re not sure if you’re affecting the students or not. Edwards thinks that it makes it easier for students to enjoy a subject when he can inspire them.

These are just some of the inspirational teachers who work here at PCHS, and all teachers will be missed by the senior class. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication in guiding us to be all that we can be.

Next spring, the Pekin Park District will be opening up their new park off of 5th Street in Pekin. The new park will have 12 new ball diamonds, two new playgrounds, four football fields, and 10 acres for soccer with a two mile walking path around the whole park. This may mean more jobs available next summer as well.

There are always family activities, such as biking, hiking, swimming, and even family trips that can provide some safe summer fun. Mr. Krik Edwards, English teacher, said that his summer consists of small trips and trips to the St. Louis Zoo with his daughters. He also just loves to enjoy the outdoors with his daughters and wife as much as possible.

Mrs. Dee Merriman, counselor, said that her summer will be “fifth-wheel camping and [having] more time for family and friends”. She also said, “Fun things to do over the summer are always reading, walking, biking and swimming”.

Illinois offers many activities as well, such as a trip to Six Flags, state parks to hike or bike in, bike trails throughout the state, and also a trip to a museum or zoo. No matter what the activity is, stay safe Pekin!

Anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of students in the manufaturing field at PCHS can land a job at one of these five workplaces. Teacher Troy Deiss works with human resources to help employ these students. PCHS offers many classes that prepare students for jobs in the manufacturing field. Recently, there have been more machinests getting jobs rather than welders.

Senior and Excel Foundry employee Josh Cox said, “I love going to work at Excel. The people are really nice, and they make the workplace better.” Cox has been in manufacturing classes here and is currently a CNC machinist during second shift at the foundry.

PCHS has sent numerous students to work in the manufacturing industry. The programs are specifically designed to help put students into the workplace. Classes offered in the fielf are: CNC operating, welding, drafting, woodworking, GSP metals, and construction.

The manufacturing class welds for a semester and then goes and works on the lathes and mills for a semester. It’s an equal balance of welding and machining. The PCHS administration tries very hard to prepare students the very best they can in order to land jobs, which is not easy in this hard economy.

Senior and Excel Foundry employee Trevor Reese said, “It’s a really fun job, and I really look forward to going to work everyday.” Reese has also participated in numerous welding competitions.

All of the local industry workplaces need workers, and PCHS plays an important role in training students to perform better than other schools in the area and has a significantly higher number of vocational classes than any other school in the conference.

The Women’s Pregnancy Center offers several services, such as pregnancy testing, confidential services, and deliveries. Not a lot of people know about the center and the fact that they offer services free of charge to those who need it. They also have parenting classes for first-time parents, so these parents can understand choices they have to make and the responsibilities of being a parent. After all, parenting is a 24/7 job!

Teri Williams was the first speaker from the Women’s Pregnancy Center. Williams spoke to the relationships classes in previous years as well. Ms. Patricia Meyer, the relationships teacher, had Williams come back this year because the students liked her, and she provides up-to-date information. Meyer said, “The students learn all the risks that go along with having sex and the misconceptions they have.”

It’s not just fun and games. Senior Sam Szadkowski said, “I learned that when teens have sex, girls and guys are on a way different emotional level.” She really enjoyed listening to Williams speak because she was very open about what the class wanted to know and talk about.

The second speaker is a  nurse at the Women’s Pregnancy Center. Szadkowski thought it was interesting that there are so many different STD’s that people can get that they are not aware of. Senior Skyler Reay learned that Oxytocin is a bonding hormone and that past relationships have an effect on future relationships. Reay said, “I recommend the speakers to come back to future relationship classes because they were nice, understanding, and had a lot of good information to share.”