Each morning outside FC, the car rider line grows longer the closer time draws to first period. Due to recent congested traffic spilling onto Vincennes Road in the mornings, students and parents arriving in cars will have a new drop-off and pick-up point beginning next Tuesday.
“It will make things much easier before and after school for everyone involved,” said principal Janie Whaley.
Currently, car-riders line up in front of the school and the buses stop on the Galena side of the school. The day after Labor Day, this will be switched around. Car-riders will turn onto Edwardsville-Galena Road and use the entrance near the football field. This will take them to the side of the building across from Galena.
“I expect there will be some people on the first day wondering where to go, but that will all be cleared up,” said Whaley.
The buses will then line up in the front of the school. This way, traffic will not build up along Old Vincennes Road each morning and afternoon.
“I had to speak with the transportation director to get it approved, and then the supervisor of facilities after that. Everyone agreed that this was the right thing to do,” said Whaley, “Now everyone will be more relaxed.”
It is a little after the end of the school day. Biology teacher Lisa Lee’s classroom buzzes with students chit-chatting and munching on cookies. SSA President senior Elaine Colomb asks for everyone’s attention and proceeds to ask about their beliefs. There are 12 atheists, a few agnostics, a Christian, and one devout Pastafarian attending the meeting.
The Secular Student Alliance, or (SSA), is a nationwide organization that has been around since 2001; FC students have recently started a chapter here.
“We didn’t have our first meeting until January,” said Lee.
The meetings last about a half-hour to an hour, where the students move the desks into a misshapen circle and proceed to discuss everything from politics, to religion, to personal stories.
Of course, one might ask what the purpose of the group is.
“It’s to create a place where like-minded people can get together and talk about different issues without fear of persecution,” said senior Alex Queen.
The first meeting was more of an introduction for the members. The junior and senior members told stories about their lives as nonreligious people.
“I’d like to spread awareness for what an atheist is,” said Colomb.
“[They’re] really open and accepting,” added senior Sarah Henry, the vice president of the SSA.
In addition to being vice president of the SSA, Henry is also president of the National Art Honor Society, a member of the National Honor Society and has taken part in Dance Marathon.
Out of the group, each and every member has his own hobbies, including Queen, who said he is into “everything band.”
Past that, the group also expressed interest in doing volunteer work and relief efforts for organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
“It’s a great thing to do whether you’re religious or nonreligious,” said Queen.
Members are occasionally questioned about their beliefs, one of the main reasons why some choose rather to stay quiet.
“I get told I’m going to hell constantly,” said Henry.
During the meeting, Colomb also mentioned how she’s had objects thrown at her.
Lee said, “Some people have experienced verbal abuse.”
Even still, some people, like Colomb see the importance of participating in the group.
“It upset me at first, but I’ve learned to deal with being different,” said Colomb.
Over a decade has passed since the founding of the SSA nationwide, and FC members hope that will go even farther in the future.
“I’d like to be a leader in the secular movement,” said Henry.
Senior Ben Denison eats a cookie at an after-school meeting for the Secular Student Alliance while seniors Sarah Henry and Elaine Colomb joke around him. Photo by Will Huston.
If you read my column from last week, you saw that for my top pics for a first car in three categories for under $5,000. The Toyota Camry came in as the eco-car choice for its dead-solid reliability and ease of repair and maintenance costs. The Volvo S70 placed itself on my list in the luxury because of its track record of safety. Finally, the Mazda Miata landed in the sports car slot because there really isn’t a better cheap sports car.
This week the choices are a bit more exotic with a price range raised to $10,000. $10,000 can buy you some really nice cars when you think outside the box.
1. Ford Fusion- Any Ford Fusion up to 2008 is affordable in this budget with about 90,000-100,000 miles. Going with a Ford Fusion is a great way to get a nice late model vehicle in this price range. The Fusion is a solid car that will continue to look good and will always get the job done. Having driven a base model Fusion, I can say that it is a great car for the money. With a nice quality interior, and great ratings for safety and reliability, it has to take the spot as the “point-A to point-B” car in this price range.
2. Saab 9-5- Maybe I’m a bit bias, because I own a Saab 9-5, but these could be the most affordable luxury cars out there. If you want something luxurious, and relatively rare, the 9-5 is perfect. Not to mention all of the safety features that gave the 9-5 the title as one of the safest cars in the world of its time. Look at years between 2004 and 2008. The model got some updated looks in 2006, but remained mostly the same underneath, so parts are plentiful for all years. Yes, the company is out of business, but their parts suppliers are still very much is business. 2004-2008 Saab 9-5’s range from about $5,000 to $10,000 depending on year, options, and mileage. Contrary to popular belief, these are actually very reliable cars. Edmunds.com rated 9-5 at 4 or 5 out of 5 stars for reliability for each year listed. Like most luxury cars, parts can get expensive; however, there are many shops in the Kentuckiana area that are willing and able to work on these rare Swedish machines.
3. Porsche Boxter- Ever think you could own a German roadster like a Porsche for your first car? Well, if you’ve got around $9000, you can. For just under $9,000 at $8,980 you can buy a pristine example from 1999 with 95,000 miles on eBay right now, but I would have to haggle down that price since it has nearing 100,000 miles. However, the Boxster is considered one of the best roadsters of its time by many different leading car reviewers, having been mentioned on Car and Drivers 10 Best list in 2000. It is said to be a very reliable car, receiving 5 out of 5 stars from Edmunds.com. Weighing in at 2,800 pounds with 201 horsepower, the base model Boxster is not only quick, but it handles well, thanks to its mid mounted flat six engine for better weight distribution. However, the mid mounted engine is its biggest problem, being that it is very difficult to work on. Not every shop will work on a Boxster, so beware of this when shopping for one.
By Bryce Romig and Peter Hyle