Tanning Beds: Friend or Foe?

by Madison Gates

A tanning bed is a device you lay down on with bulbs which emit ultraviolet radiation, to make you tan. Sun beds, solariums, whatever you want to call it, it seems as if a lot of people are tanning now a days. Close to 30 million people use indoor tanning in the U.S every year. 2.3 million Of those people happen to be teens.

With prom getting closer, lots of teens, mostly girls, start hitting the beds more than ever. Most generally people start tanning around the beginning of January and stop or slow down by June. They tan then to get ready for warmer weather. It’s so that they can jump start their tan for summer.

“Jersey Shore,” a reality show on MTV seems to have a big influence on teens and young adults about tanning. All of the cast on the show are very tan. Teens may think they need to be tan like them when that shouldn’t be the case.

Illinois lawmakers have been trying to pass a law banning minors from tanning beds. If that law passes it means that you won’t be able to tan unless you’re 18 or older, even with a parents’ permission.

“I believe that tanning is what people do to feel pretty, and if you do it you’re just putting yourself out there even more to get cancer,” said Sara Powers a freshman at PCHS.

While the main reason for most people to use a tanning bed is cosmetic, there are many other reasons why people use them. Some people tan simply because it makes them feel good. However, most tanning beds generate a large amount of heat, including infrared, which has deep penetrating action that can relieve minor muscle aches.

“I like to go tanning,” stated Kaytlyn Elledge a freshman here at PCHS. “It relieves your stress,” she also said.

8.7% of teens ages 14-17 use indoor tanning beds, tanning however has lots of negatives. When you use a tanning bed your risk of melanoma increases by 75%. Tanning beds can be addictive, and for some people the UV radiation can have a drug like effect. They can feel dependent on it, and can feel withdrawal symptoms.

Parkour: Anything You Can Do, We Can Do Better!

by Meredith Penczek

It’s normal to see girls in gymnastics. Doesn’t every little girl want to be a cheerleader or a ballerina when she’s little? Well, more and more guys are starting to be seen in gymnastics. Even some of the guys in Paris have started meeting at Talents Unlimited for their own sessions, and they say that anything a girl can do they can do better!

There is a difference in the way many guys practice though. They don’t call it “gymnastics.” They call it Parkour. Parkour is a little different than regular gymnastics. Parkour is less restricted and is more of a freestyle sport. It is made up of a lot of running, jumping, balancing, climbing, and vaulting; and being able to do some flips does not mean it’s Parkour. Guys in Parkour have disciplined themselves enough so they can accomplish things common gymnasts would never think of or attempt.

“It’s like the freedom of it. You can basically do whatever you want,” sophomore Drake Wisemen said when asked why he did Parkour, and Jayce Cunningham said, “It’s something for all of our extra energy to go into or to just blow off steam.”

Parkour participants always look for ways of intensifying their sport via new tricks and styles; however, they don’t go so far as to show off, use reckless behavior, or attempt overly dangerous stunts. This is because none of them want to be hurt and out of it from injury or otherwise. They also demonstrate respect for all people, places, and spaces used in the sport.

Parkour has become so popular in America, there are now shows based upon it and whole websites about it. Jump City: Seattle is a show about professional teams of Parkour participates going head to head in the streets and rooftops of Seattle. Americanparkour.com is a website filled with information about recent activity in the Parkour community and has stuff to help kids starting out. For Drake Wisemen, it’s something more than just a hobby. “It’s like the art of movement, and I just love it.”