MY LIFE - MARCH

March 26, 1999

In the near future my world literature class will begin the color wars with another world class. What's the color war you ask? Take two classes, assign them colors and then set up simulations of war time activities such as bombings, kidnappings, betrayal, rescue, and other activities and you have the color war, which has been done by Mrs. Pinzone for around 14 years now. She usually does it with her own world literature classes, but she only has one this year so she's being assisted by another world lit class that has class at the same time.

Some of you may think that this is silly and really can't work. There's a reason why she's done it for 14 years. Once you get into it, which doesn't take long, it's almost like you're in a war and you hate the enemy to death. Everything's set up though by Mrs. Pinzone and Mrs. Schmidt, the other teacher. We've been told if we someone in a class before third period (when both classes occur) and we don't see them in our class, chances are they've been kidnapped by the other class and a rescue mission has to be set up.

The whole thing goes on for about 4 weeks or so with the final part being a simulation of an emergency room where injured civilians, chosen at random out of other senior classes, are to be treated by our classes. This is supposedly the most intense part of the whole thing, the time when students really feel a sense of comradory. I know, I saw the senior class last year really get into this thing and have a lot of fun while learning about war literature, which is really the whole point of the color war. To learn about war literature and the like.

Knowing my luck, my street will be the first area to be "bombed" and I'll wind up either dead or injured in the simulation.

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Along those same lines, Mrs. Pinzone eerily noted that the color is coming up at the same time that we've begun the bombing of the Serbians in Kosovo along with NATO. The strikes have been going on for two days now and there are no indications that they will be ending soon. To me, it's a mixed issue. Yes, the ethnic Albanians do not deserve to be blown to bits because they want to be an independent country. But I also know that the area originally belonged to the Serbs and is considered the central location for religious rites. But at the same time, the way they lost that land and how they've tried to get it back has been downright despicable.

So is bombing the Serbs the answer? I really can't say right now. I'm kind of at a crossroad in my opinion because I'm not really sure who has more right to be in the area. It's one of those ethical questions without a solid answer. Do the Albanians deserve it because they've been there for a while and want to be an independent nation? Or do the Serbs, despite their aggressive massacring of the Albanians, deserve the area because of religious rites? That in itself raises more questions. Why is it so often that religions preach non-violence, yet people kill for those religions? It's been something that's happened for thousands of years, and it just doesn't make sense.

People kill and treat others maliciously even though it states in several religious texts that violence is not a good thing. Okay, not exactly like that but you get my message. Especially Christians. Remember the Holy Crusades? They killed hundreds upon hundreds in the name of Christ, who was against violence and murder. It's also always about religion too. That's what the problem's been between the Irish Catholic and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Nobody has any reason to be killing each other there except for things that happened in the past. It's ridiculous, but we do it.

It's just another way that human civilization baffles me.

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Spring break begins for Brunswick next Thursday, the day after the dance marathon sponsored by V.O.F.T., which stands for something but I forget what. Anyway, the dance marathon is just what it sounds like. From 5 am to 2 pm, people who raised at least $50 get to dance their little hearts out while the rest of have to go to school and learn because the superintendent doesn't want to waste one day. Students who miss the day for reasons other than the dance marathon won't be allowed to make up the work given that day because the school doesn't want people just skipping out on the event.

It's an understandable fear, but still is a ridiculous idea. What if someone is terribly ill? They won't be able to make up work even though they had a damn good excuse. For added measure, several teachers have decided to assign projects or quizzes that are worth mega-points, which would screw anyone who misses the day. In other words, the school is continuing to try and crack down on people who purposely miss days just like the dance marathon.

Oh, and what ever happened to us having a lock-down this year? Seems to me that the school was so sure of it. Maybe they're just waiting to surprise the hell out of people by making it on an unlikely day. Why bother? They should know half the kids in the school either have drugs on them or in their locker or car. Then again, they also like finding aspirin and suspending kids for 10 days for that.

10 days for aspirin. I'd hate to see what they'd do if they found Percocet in a kid's locker.

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Just a couple of side notes. Tomorrow is the day when I hopefully get to meet and do something with my sweetheart Jennifer. I just have one thing to say: "Watch your step, okay?" Actually, I'll probably do something to myself now....Spring break begins next Thursday. In short, my extended work period begins next Thursday. Jenny, my back-up tech is going to Spain for a couple weeks which means they will be without a tech one night during the week, or I'll have to work six days during spring break. That's a contradiction if I ever saw one.

Just wait. I have 33.7 hours of vacation time this year. Jenny will get really acclimated to the pharmacy then. Paybacks can be a bitch, you know?