Category Archives: Grace Runkel

Features, Grace Runkel

Budget, proposed bills discussed during town hall meeting

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By Chelsey Carr and Grace Runkel

On Saturday, March 5, concerned citizens gathered at the Jeffersonville town hall to hear state senator Ron Grooms and state representative Steven Stemler answer questions concerning the two-year budget, redistricting, and proposed changes to the state’s educational system.

Breakdown of Budget Biennium Budget

As presented by Mitch Daniels: 13.8 billion in 2012 and 13.9 billion 2013
  • K-12 – flatlined at 6.2 billion each year due to hole left from where stimulus money had been. No extra money for vouchers or the expansion of charter schools, which means money for those programs will come from the public school funding
  • All day kindergarten- flatlined at $58 million
  • Medicaid/health – $500 million each year
  • Title 1 and 21st Century Scholars – $0
  • Indiana Dept of Transportation- $130 million 2012, $50 million 2013

Status of House Bills

  • House bill 2002 about Charter Schools has passed out of the House and is in the Senate now
  • House bill 1017 about unused medication in the jail/correctional facilities being sent back once it expires due to non-use is now in Committee in the second House
  • House bill 1018 about a smoking ban in public places, passed out of House and now in Senate
  • House bill 1102 about synthetic marijuana becoming illegal, passed House now in Senate
  • House bill 1270 about recieving unemployment benefits will be accompanied by drug testing, passed House, now in Senate
  • House bill 1334 about regulating mopeds and other similar motorized vehicles is now in Committee in the second House
  • House bill 1450  about paying off state deficit with 2/3 of funds coming from business communityhas been signed into law
Features, Grace Runkel

Dancers raise funds for hospital

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For four hours today FC students participated in its first ever dance marathon, a charity event for Riley’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis. The afternoon was filled with live performances from local bands including Big Acorns Make Fat Squirrels and Identity Crisis, games, crafts, stories from different Riley families, and dancing.

A total of $17,572.44 was raised, more than doubling the original goal of $7,000.

Columns, Forum, Grace Runkel, Uncategorized

Student battles phone fears

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By Grace Runkel
Features co-editor

I suffer from telephobia. I was not always like this; I used to love to talk on the phone when I was young. I was excited when my parents finally taught me phone etiquette. I also have many fond memories of myself playing office and constantly answering my imaginary phone.

However, somewhere along the line, probably in those terrible tween years, I developed my debilitating phobia of the phone; as well as mottephobia, but that is another story. So what is it that is so terrifying about the phone for me? It is a pretty long list, but I could probably sum it all up in three words: it is… awkward.

I am okay when I am talking with my mom during one of her many “I’m just checking up on you” calls. I can even handle when a friend calls about a homework assignment, but if the conversation goes over five minutes I start to freak out. What do I do if I run out of things to say?

This is the worst possible thing that could happen because either the callers make very lousy small talk about the weather or some other minute topic, or have a very awkward silence. I am not sure which of these situations are worse since both make it clear that no one has an actual desire to talk.

Even simply dialing the phone gives me goosebumps. I started dreading this part after my friend and I tried to call another friend, only the number we were given was not actually hers.

We dialed the number three times, and each time a man answered and we were too freaked out to say anything. Not long after, we received a very angry phone call.

Now whenever I dial a number I have to check it three to four times before I actually make the call. However, speed dial has become a very close friend to me.

However I am making an effort to overcome my fears. No, I have not taken therapy sessions, but I have started using the phone.

Instead of having a long, drawn-out conversation via texts, I try to call people when I need to tell them something. Rather than e-mailing someone to contact them, I will pick up the phone and leave them a message.

It is a slow healing process, but I believe if I stay on my path to recovery perhaps one day I will be normal. Well, more normal.