BY Austin Hill
LifeAtStart.com Reporter

When it comes to signing yearbooks, a lot of people find themselves in an uncertain situation. They often draw a blank and have no idea what to say, as they feel pressured by writing what will be their only legacy in the yearbook owner’s mind. And for those people, I have prepared this handy-dandy guide to writing the perfect yearbook memos.

I have signed countless yearbooks (easily 5+) this year alone, and with such experience I will share my expertise so that overpriced scrapbook might become worth what you’ve paid from these newly crafted, quality signatures.

First, you must decipher how well you know this person you are signing for. For this purpose, you must rate your friendship on a scale of 1-4, with 1 being occasional eye contact and 4 being a person who defined your high school experience. With that done, follow the corresponding procedures.

Level 1:

Sign your name. Cursive is optional.

Level 2:

Have a canned phrase or two prepared for all level two friends you come across. Classic lines include “Have a great summer” or “Good luck, it’s been great knowing you.” If you are feeling frisky, you can have other lines in your arsenal such as “I’m so glad you got to meet me this year.”

Level 3:

Start by writing their name. This is important as it adds a sense of personalness from being presented like a handwritten letter. Now that that’s out of the away, insert a canned line from level 2.

Level 4:

This is where it gets interesting and you should take a more thoughtful approach. Like a level three signature, start off with the owner’s name. Then, open up with the words “I love you.” That is not an option or a joke, it is mandatory. These first few words are the intro song to the timeless album you are about to create, so you must start off with the most hard-hitting verse to reel them in before they regret ever handing you the yearbook. After the essentials, be sure to include an inside joke or a shared memory to craft an essay that will really resonate with that person. Then, judge them as a human being by describing any qualities about them that have brought them into the level 4 friendship. Finally, address the future by sharing where your relationships will be later in life or simply telling them you will miss them.

BY Meghan Vogt
LifeAtStart.com Reporter

Start’s marching band is one of the largest student organizations in the school. This year we had over sixty members, including twelve color guard members. The musician side of the band always stays relatively large. But in just the last five years, the number of color guard members has fluctuated between four and thirteen.

The majority of marching musicians have been in band for years, which may be intimidating for students who do not play an instrument. If one wishes to be involved in marching band, but does not play an instrument, the color guard is a wonderful option because the majority of Start color guard members actually do not have experience, so they all learn together.

This year, there are seven color guard seniors graduating, so recruitment for new members is a top priority.

The color guard spins flag and marches at football games and also marches in two or three parades every year. Being a marching band member is a great way to show school spirit and get involved in the community all while having fun with band friends.

If you or someone you know is interested in trying out for color guard, he or she need only show up in the auxiliary gym Thursday, May 19^th after school in comfortable clothing ready to learn. During try outs, students will learn flag basics and some basic moves, and then they will learn a routine and perform it in small groups.

You will be assessed partly on how well you follow the newly-taught flag technique, but mostly on your attitude, focus, determination and potential. There is no limit to the number of color guard members that can be on the team, so if you are good, you will get a spot.

I hope to see you there.

BY Austin Hill
LifeAtStart.com Reporter

Why the long face? It can most likely be attributed to the development of bad habits, especially that of chronic mouth-breathing causing the abnormal growth of facial muscles and bones, leading to long face syndrome.

More prevalent today than in any other time in history, facial deformities are often attributed to recent change of diet for most of the population. As people adapted from nasal to mouth breathing, many problems arose, from the altered face growth to issues such as sleep apnea, sinus and respiratory infections, and a lack of energy from the reduced intake of oxygen.

What the uninformed consider a harmless act is actually causing much internal destruction. As the responsibility of taking in air is transferred from the nose, the tongue retracts downwards to allow for greater air intake, and without the support of the tongue on the upper arch, the buccinator muscles cause it to collapse inward, resulting in a long, thin face.

There is plenty of research that points toward mouth breathing as the direct contributor to these defects. In 1981, Egil P. Harvold conducted a study with monkeys by obstructing their nasal passages with nose plugs. The monkeys were found to have developed dental malocclusions while their control group counterparts remained unaltered. In a human trial, Dr. Mike Mew had two patients who were sisters that were habitual mouth breathers and were developing the associated side-effects. One of the sisters followed Mew’s advice and techniques and the other was complacent and ignored them. After seeing them again in a few years, the malformations of the disobedient sister were obvious while her sister developed a healthy countenance.

How can this be useful to you? Well, by the age of 12, 90% of facial growth has occurred, but the lower jaw continues to develop until the age of 18. So, while you can change your breathing habits in your mid teens and alleviate some of the detrimental growth, most of the damage has been done. However, no matter your age, you can still benefit from the reduced chance of infection, snoring, and fatigue.