It really shows not only the value, but the special bond that a team shares not only during the games, but long after when the Alumni have little left other than faded memories and pictures, reminiscent of the glory days.

It was a profound shock to see our turnout at the Mount Hebron Hockey programs Alumni game - Over 20 Hebron Alumni, talking about their days as the high schools hockey stars. They reminded each other of victorious seasons, and recollected over games where they had destroyed the other high schools with zeal. Me and my other Hebron teammates were particularly embarrassed with the level of skill they posses, but they showed no superiority over us and never spoke condescendingly, only encouraging us to have fun with they game that they all remember fondly. No flack was given over our less than impressive record this year, they merely wanted to talk about how much they loved the sport, not just winning.

What was more impressive than the turnout was the sportsmanship and the willingness that these men had to come back and support Hebron as alumni.
Even the worst of us was given equal play time, no critical comments were made excluding the harmless banter of 28 year old men getting out their aggression on the ice. Everyone seemed to enjoy playing with Hebron - many commented on how "we should do this more often." Indeed it was much more fun than your average practice, plus pizza at the end always serves as an added bonus.

It was a good feeling knowing that these people took time out of their busy schedules to come out and play with a bunch of high schoolers. Many college students, many with jobs, many high school students and coaches - nothing mattered for an hour on the ice as we shared the game.

I detected a sense of brotherhood in these alumni players, a bonding that was shared with us, the new Mount Hebron Hockey Team, in high hopes of us passing down the tradition years from now when the alumni hockey game call comes knocking at our doors. Visit the Vikings

Ever seen the movie 2012? I happened to stumble out of the theaters after watching 2012 in a daze, wondering when the drastic climate in the world would finally take its toll on us. Coincidentally, 5 days later we had the largest blizzard in 50 years for the month of December. It was a cruel paradox to what I've expected from the global warming terror that's going through everyone's heads as we carpool to school and recycle to conserve our dwindling resources.

On Saturday, at the height of the blizzard, I got to experience the pinnacle of post apocalyptic America that is so familiar to my shattered adolescent mind from years of exposure to video games and movies. First, I hiked with a friend 2.5 miles in the blizzard at the peak of the snow storm to another friend's house. It wasn't intense, or even dangerous, but in hindsight I can't help romanticizing the image in my head – my friend and I: two brave souls against the elements, reminiscent of The Day After Tomorrow.

After our snowy adventure we got the opportunity to drive in a four wheel drive monstrosity to another friend's house. As we guzzled gas and kicked our crying ozone in the shins we drove down route 29 in a hazy dusk, blinded by snowflakes sticking to our windshield, watching foolish pedestrians walking on the sides of the roads trying to push out their trapped sedans. We has the most surreal experience following a staggered line of 5 county snow plows as they tried to stay ahead of the snow fall on all 3 lanes of Route 29. It was as if the plowing was just for us, delivering our vehicle from the never ending snow.

The world of a blizzard in Howard County is not for the weak of heart. Most meek and terrified suburbanites locked themselves into their houses while periodically shoveling their driveways, hiding behind stockpiles of Costco non-perishables. But my friends and I were living the adventure of a lifetime. We got to experience the county in a way you never see it – roads empty, business shut down, and devoid of people.

Its not too often you see such drastic weather in Howard County. I reveled in the chance to experience something at least moderately new. I was in an unprepared world where school days and businesses literally froze in their tracks.

For anyone who chose to brave the storm – the shovelers, the drivers, and of course sledders and snowball fighters – we were adventurers of new and strange frontiers. Despite the numbing cold constantly reminding us to keep warm, the Saturday blizzard was like a video game. We adventured deep into the dark and cold abyss, pretending to be in peril or looking over our shoulders for an imaginary demise. But at the end of the day we knew we could just reset the game back to a warm, safe home.

This year I've decided to stray from my regular path of passively observing an activity, to actually joining in. I joined the Mount Hebron Ice Hockey Club.
I play defense, which is the only position lazy enough for me to handle. My skating has the eloquence of a rhinocerous, and my slapshots leave little to be desired. I have the stamina of a 70 year old emphesymic smoker and I can't block pucks, so I exceed almost all qualifications for an average defensive player.
I usually just have to focus on one thing, and that's what is nice about defense. While other players are chasing the opposite teammates around and taking shots, I just have to worry about returning the puck to our star offensive players. I'll occasionally have to stay on a particularly speedy skater, or make an attempt at a wrist-shot from the blue line, but for the majority of my ice-time I get to sit back mid-ice and look intimidating.
And look intimidating I do – I like to think I play the part of a colossal hockey player very well. It's like a costume. In my day to day routine I am Nick, an average sized anglo-saxon with the muscle tone of a man who only competes regularly in chess. But underneath the pounds of pads and my gold jersey, I am an ice-hockey player – my teeth are gapped, I use foul language, and my odor is the epitome of all things masculine.
Being a defensive player, and being one of the biggest players on the team, I have a good opportunity at terrifying my enemies just by staring at them. As long as they don't know my particular lack of skill, or my gentle, nurturing nature, I can remain covert, a threatening senior masquerading amongst other hockey players, ready to terrorize whoever looks easiest to check..

In the seemingly endless stretch that is summer vacation I came to the realization that me, and many other students that escaped the stress and turmoil of their junior year of high school are now seniors.

Seniors! Can you believe it? The concept seemed too difficult to grasp at first-- After 3 years of climbing the food chain through the awkwardness of freshman year, bumbling through the madness of sophomore year, and surviving the crushing workload of Junior year-- I am finally there! A senior, I have reached the promised land.

Of course there is some academic significance of any students Senior year, along with college apps and hounding teachers for recommendation letters. But that minuscule amount of work is nothing compared to the beauty of being able to push around underclassmen.

The way I see senior year is that you're the head honcho, the tycoon of all the other students. Aside from the administration you pretty much have the opportunity to write the laws of the land. Seniors have a lot of power, partly because when we were underclassmen we gave the seniors that power, as I'm sure thousands of students before us did the same. There's something about going into school as a 14 year old, and having a class with an 18 year old. It's a whole different world for the freshman, and all they can do is sit back and try to remain unnoticed and respectful.

Not just the maniacal, power-hungry side of me is excited for senior year. A good friend of mine once told me that in senior year “everyone just starts falling into place.” I feel like once we all get through 3 messed up years of high school, senior year is when we finally learn who we really are. It's the end of the line for some people, a beginning for others, but I feel like your attitude senior year will reflect on you in the long run.

The best part about senior year, in my opinion, is the classes. With so much free time, and basically all my credits fulfilled, I can take classes that have looked interesting but I never had the time to take. I no longer have to take core subjects like math, science, or even foreign languages. I can take almost all classes that strongly reflect my interests.

Driving to school, senior week, the classes, the attitude. I feel like there are so many parts of my senior year that will be so spontaneous and so beautiful that I couldn't possibly put it into words. It's gonna be a wild year, but one things for sure, I'm gonna make the best out of it while I can.

The increasing use of speeding cameras on highways and main roads in Howard County seems to be a controversial issue right now, and there is more potential legislation pending on this issue. I know I wouldn't want a speeding ticket for something I did that wasn't even caught by a live police officer. When it comes to speed cameras, the typical high school euphemism that we have all heard a million times by our peers comes to mind, “It's not illegal, if you don't get caught.” While I don't subscribe to that thinking, the problem I have with speeding cameras is simple: they could be in any area, lurking around any corner or on any street. This is going to give motorists a far more difficult time driving in general, because now they have to not only watch out for police officers, but they have to keep an eye out for a indiscreet, tiny speeding camera in order to prevent their demise.

Speeding laws are in place for a reason, and a recklessly pedal heavy motorist can be a dangerous thing, but there is no reason for the speeding cameras. The presence of a police officer is enough reason for any driver to ease up on the gas, whether or not they are doing anything wrong. People who responsibly push the speed limit already have to watch the road and look for police, why should we put more on their plates when adding cameras into the equation? A motorist looking around in every nook and cranny could be more dangerous than his violation of the speed limit itself. Taking your eyes off the wheel to watch out for cameras could be more deadly than the misfortune that can come from speeding.

Speed cameras can come in all shapes and sizes. Cars fly by a hidden speeding camera in Switzerland

I have a real quarrel with speeding cameras, because there intent isn't to catch speeders and make this state a safer place to live, but to target those who are unfamiliar with the locations of the cameras in order to make a quick dollar. Now I understand how bad our economy is, but don't see the point in legislation allowing speeding cameras rather than just taxing resident in a more direct way. It’s one thing to make Howard County a safer place to live, but it’s an entirely different issue when it’s just a money making scheme targeting motorists.

I have heard of only a minority of motorists who are actually in favor of pending legislation to allow speeding cameras in Howard County. The griping assemblage of people who actually support this bill make the claim that “If you aren't doing anything wrong, than why should you care?” But that's only the tip of the iceberg. Not only are these cameras going to be casting a toll on the actual dangerous motorists, but it will also have a crippling affect on the single mothers jugging three different events, using their experienced judgment to occasionally speed when necessary in order to stay on schedule. It's also going to come as an enormous detriment to people rushing to work without a second to spare, along with the high schoolers and college kids who are so busy they can barely catch a glimpse at the speedometer. This bill isn't going to slow down Howard County, which is already so used to the accelerated lifestyle that we have created, but is only going to provide a hindrance in the form of a $40 ticket in the mail. Most everyone speeds, whether they choose to admit it or not. Most don't even notice their speedometer slowly passing the speed limit, while others choose to embrace it. While I don't advocate dangerous driving, I feel that this preposterous bill is misguided. It's just a ploy to get our revenue up, masked as a plan to make our state a safer place to live in. I've come to terms with getting ripped off so our government get itself out of this deficit, I just wish they would stop beating around the bush and admit that that's all these speeding cameras are really for.

Ellicott City seems like a quiet, indiscreet little area not very far from Baltimore city. As you drive past the chain store littered main streets, past the stampeding soccer mom SUV's with “choose civility” bumper stickers plastered on that back, and the collective rows of similar $500,000 houses with ½ acre lawns, brick walls, and complimentary quaint little windows, some kids my age will say that this is a boring town. The real heart and soul of Ellicott City isn't our low crime rate, or our astonishing median income per household. Our heart and soul is really how stimulating Howard County cab be. There is quite a bit you can do in a town where some say there is nothing to do. Harsh critics of the area would say that 'nothing to do' comes from living in such a wealthy, straight laced white collar suburban area code, and reflects spoiled kids . But, investigating deep into the depths of Ellicott City one will find that the inhabitants are engaged in a amazing number of different forms of entertainment. In many cases it is not obvious, or even typical, but fresh and innovative.

At times I have felt that living in the area is a blessing and a curse. From elementary to middle school you have absolutely no where to go, you have to stay content with your fantasies of life outside your cul-de-sac. Than when you can drive in high school, you get out there and explore the greater community. At first you feel disappointment that all the neighborhoods are alike, but then when you explore in more depth, you do find pockets of freshness, diversity and opportunities for fun.

Now this may sound overly critical, but in reality I have come to love my surroundings. Take a slow ride through the neighborhoods of Mount Hebron and Valley Meade, passing through duplicate blocks of the consistent two story dwellings created by the same architect as the home down the street. Some say it reflects blandness, but I see it differently. There are always opportunities to find uniqueness in the commonality of our town. Look closely at what is going on as you pass each house and there are endless different activities underway. Some kids are skating, some of playing wiffle ball, some are playing musical instruments, and some are just enjoying a walk. In the fall, spring, summer, even winter, the weather is always decent enough to do some activity outside. Although our weather is fickle, it never usually exceeds 90 degrees on the hottest summer day, and never drops below 0, even in a snowstorm.
This much criticized continual sameness of life in Howard County I hear about actually creates an environment where creativity flourishes. Kids work hard for a good time, and they can be very innovative in finding new ways to enjoy themselves. And, just as importantly, there is tremendous diversity in activities around town. Some kids have jobs, some go to libraries, some camp out in the woods, where others toil away practicing for the intensity of a lacrosse season in Maryland. Some kids in my school say this town is boring, but I am so familiar with the same, box shaped mansions on every street separated by the fields and farms outside the county, that I wouldn't have it any other way. We have a fabulous state park, swimming in the spring and summer, and sledding in the winter. We are a quick drive from Ocean City, Baltimore, or numerous ski resorts and amusements parks, not to mention the nation's capital. Even a quick drive up the street to Catonsville can mean a conversation with a variety of musicians in “The Music Capital of Maryland.” I hear some people say that we have such a large number of inattentive youths with money, time, and resources but not putting it to good use. While I don't fully agree with this, I do agree not everyone takes advantage of where we live. People need to step back and look at the possibilities of Howard County. For those who are bored, the dullness of the suburbs is no excuse for apathy, only a reason to rise above it.

This is a little different…Nicks try at fiction. Let me know what you think. 

About 1 ½ years ago there were a number of news reports about rats running around Mt Hebron High School. There were differing opinions of whether the stories were true, blown out of proportion, or just false. Either way, it generated a lot of buzz among the students. Imaginations ran rampant with stories about those rodents. I wrote this piece of fiction with that background in mind, turning Mount Hebron into a mythical kingdom with a major rodent problem.

Michael woke up early in the morning. He stared into the blaring sun and wondered what task he had to complete today. His master, Godric yelled from upstairs, telling him to get up. Michael grunted and got out of bed. This was going to be a long day.
Every day for the past two years Michael had worked as an apprentice for Godric, learning nothing in particular. Godric was a knight, teaching those he chose as his apprentice. Michael never knew why he was chosen, being an average child of his village. Michael always longed for a life of adventure. Michael always wanted to walk off the next day, and achieve the acts of heroism that he imaged his master performing. “Well”, Michael sighed, “That day is never going to come.”
Godric was supposed to be teaching Michael the way of the knight, but he was just teaching him trivial tasks, like carrying water and starting fires. This morning Michael was instructed to visit the blacksmith on the other side of his village, Hollyland. He was charged with the task of picking up his master's repaired armor.
Michael traveled down the main path, a dusty dirt road that ran the length of his village. One hour later he arrived to the blacksmith to witness a stage of disarray. There were villagers everywhere, babbling about some monster. It was pandemonium.
Michael walked into the blacksmith, and saw the owner Wayne hunched over a piece of parchment. “Um, sir, I have came to pick up my masters armor.”
Wayne looked at Michael with a confused look, and than rubbed his temple. “Oh, Godric's armor, excuse me but I require more time. My blacksmith has been befallen with troubling times.”
“What has happened?” Michael inquired.
“There have been these monsters, giant tainted rats. They come down from the Mountain of Hebron, An ancient castle atop a craggy peak. Heed word of these, these abominations! Go and tell your master, he will surely help our village.”
Michael walked off, confused at the whole thing. He had led such a sheltered life that he couldn't even conceive something laying harm upon his village. He finally reached his home, and as he grasped the handle Godric swung open the door, grabbed him, and rushed Michael inside. Godric sat him to the floor and pointed at Michael.
“You!” Godric exclaimed. “You are going to the Mountain of Hebron as my apprentice. I am old and you must take on the name as Hollyland's champion.”
Godric sat there, astonished. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How would he fight off monsters that frightened the Blacksmith, when he was a mere 14 year old child? “Wait,” Michael uttered, “How am I going to fight on the Mountain of Hebron, the place that strikes fear into the hearts of our village, when you have never told me anything past the completion of daily chores.?”
Godric sighed, “You fool, I hope you realize that all those chores were building your strength, yet they protected you from the knowledge that our village was in danger, until you were ready to accept it.”
Michael was aghast, he couldn't conceive the idea that he was anything more than a child, born to ensure the completion of his masters chores. “Well”, Michael laughed, “I guess my life of adventure is going to happen sooner than I thought. “

Michael was oddly saddened to spend his last hours with his master the next day. The air was solemn, Michael or Godric not speaking a word. Than when Michael was about to depart on his journey, his master lifted his head, showing a single tear in his eye. “I was always waiting for the day you would depart on a journey. I chose you because I saw a young knight in you. I saw your passion, and you willingness to achieve. So please Michael, take my sword. It is not only sharp, but it will never break. Also it will lead you on the right path in times of strife.”
Michael was astonished, his master had just parted with his prized possession, his sword given to him by his father before he died.
Michael held back the tears in his eyes and saluted Godric. “I will not fail you master!” Michael than opened the door and walked out, never turning around, for fear that he will show emotions of departure, something a knight never does.
Michael walked for weeks, sometimes fearing that he would go the wrong way. But whenever he was ready to give up, Godric's sword went alight, filling him with confidence.
One particularly cold morning, Michael trekked up an extremely steep cliff. When we reached the top, he saw a small figure, probably a child, covered in snow, dressed in bright green. Michael walked up to the figure and felt his pulse. The child was nearly dead. Michael began to feed the child the remainder of his warm ford. He poured hot water down the child's throat. The child awoke, screaming in agony. He looked up at Michael and jumped into the air.
“Hello friend!” I am Mathew, the leprechaun. “You have saved me, and in turn I am in eternal gratitude. You are a hero!”
Michael blushed, he had never been considered a hero. After hearing Michael's quest, Mathew insisted on guiding him to Hebron Mountain. Michael was grateful, but also felt responsible for the leprechaun. After that the pair was inseparable.
One afternoon Mathew was awfully cheery, but he wouldn't tell Michael why. Then, when the day was almost at its end, Mathew scampered up a boulder and pointed in the horizon. Michael looked and saw an enormous castle, towering over the skyline. He was finally at Hebron Mountain.
The Arrival
When Michael daydreamed about entering Hebron Mountain he envisioned a hero's welcome. He thought there would be hundreds chanting his name. What he saw couldn't have been farther from his idea.
He arrived in a rundown village that bordered an enormous, gray castle. He witnesses hundreds of sad-eyed villagers that scurried into their homes as he and Mathew passed by.
“Why do they look so depressed?” Michael inquired to Mathew. “It's because they are oppressed by the giant rats. They seem stupid, but they have an uncanny human intelligence.”
Michael shivered. He had always despised rats, why did his destiny always lead to things he hated?
As Michael and Mathew trekked up the hill to the castle, the giant gates of its entrance swung open. Out strode 11 knights clad in gray. There was a much grander knight wearing shiny black armor at the lead of their party.
“Who dares approach the Grey Knight's castle? May god have mercy if you invoke the wrath of Sir Brown, our king.” Shouted the Knight in Black.
Michael was stunned, never would he have thought he would be greeted with such hostile words. “I am Michael”, he stammered. “I was sent here by Godric the knight, to slay the vile creatures that run rampart in your fortress. “
The Knight in Black seemed confused at first, than he began to chuckle. “You!” He rumbled, “You are nothing but a boy. You aren't even fit to scrub my armor, let alone kill the monsters of our castle's labyrinth.”
Michael's face began to grow red, but before he could yell a challenge he heard a familiar voice. “Michael is the greatest knight that ever lived!” Mathew squeaked, “He saved my life and he will surely save you cretins from your rodent problem.”
The Knight in Black began to laugh, “We shall see, but I doubt someone could face the tasks of our castle alone or even with a companion of your size. But for now, let us bring you to our King.”
As the Knights escorted the pair inside, Michael began to take in the scene. All of the walls were covered in pictures of men and women, all marked with dates, probably of their deaths.
Finally the Knights swung a pair of huge doors, and inside sat a intimidating throne, carrying a menacing looking King, with a stare that could frighten even the most hardened warrior.
“What has brought you to my castle, traveler?” The King bellowed.
Mathew stood up and grasped his sword, “I am here, brave King, to defeat the rats that infest your humble castle walls. Please sir, allow me to undertake this task, to bring honor to my name.”
The King laughed, “Well lad, I will make your desires come true, but know that once you undertake this task, you must complete it or be destroyed.”
“I accept,” Mathew grinned.

The Grey Knights escorted Michael through a new route, but this time, instead of lively and cocky, the Knights were all solemn. They reached the mouth of a ancient looking doorway, and turned to Michael.
“I apologize young Knight, but we cannot accompany you any longer. Behind that door leads to the lair of the rats”. With that, all the Knights saluted Michael and departed.
“Don't worry sir Knight”, Mathew started, “ I will stay with you until the end.” Michael smiled, he had never seen this kind of loyalty, and it brought pride to his heart.
About one hour later, the pair began to hear noises, eventually they arrived at the end of a stone wall, and they stared with shock at the scene before them.
There was a colossal rat, of maybe 13 feet in height, and 7 feet wide. It rumbled back and forth, Michael feared that it would fall over and cause the walls to collapse. “This is the mother rat,” Mathew muttered with fear in his voice.
The rat spotted them at once, and it lead out a shriek, than it charged at Michael. For its size, this thing could move fast, it hit Michael in the shoulder and he rolled over, swimming out of the way of a fatal blow. The battle lasted for more than 30 minutes, the two contenders throwing blows at each other left and right. Than, when Michael was distracted with the Queen Rats disgusting breath, she threw a fatal blow at Michael's neck. Quickly, Mathew dove in the way and shielded Michael from certain death. The blow instantly decapitated Mathew, sending gore splattering against the wall.
Michael bellowed in anger, and gained a new strength. His sword began to glow and he stabbed at the Queen's heart. The queen blocked the blow, but it stabbed straight through her paw and cleaved her heart in half.

Michael returned to the castle, carrying Mathew's body on his shoulder. The villagers were so happy to see Michaels' survival that the King Brown threw a feast, and a funeral in honor of Michael and Mathew.
After that, Michael returned home to a cheering village. Godric waited patiently as Michael told him about the great news. After a whole day of praises and gifts Michael was about to go to sleep. Godric walked up to Michael and put his shoulder on the boys shoulder, “So the story of rats threatening Mount Hebron really wasn't a rumor? Was it?”
And so, for thousands of years Mount Hebron sang of the bravery of Michael, the one who rid them of their rat problem forever. In fact, the rats were so afraid of Michael that no rat ever went to Mount Hebron again, or did they?

I went to watch the Mount Hebron Ice Hockey play a game on the 28th. It was a lousy, iced over day with slush and rain and the freezing cold pounding on our windows as we drove down to the Columbia Ice Rink. The team has struggle in the past, and I was hoping the weather wasn't an indicator of how well they would do. When we arrived I watched the warm up session begin with the Mount Hebron team, suffering from several injuries and missing team members, field 7 players plus goalies, not even enough for 2 full hockey lines. They were facing a inter-league team clad in red jerseys of about 20 or so kids, all clogging the other side of the rink. But, I was not disappointed. Although Mount Hebron was greatly outnumbered they played well throughout the game. Their goalie Kasper Nilsson letting in one goal at the beginning, but fending off the opposing onslaught for the rest of his time in goal. . He's a stout little freshman, and a kid that his teammates mess with constantly. The Senior and Juniors on the opposing teams may tower over him, but he's an absolutely terrific goalie well beyond his freshman status. Nilsson defended the goal for the first two periods while only letting in a single goal. Sophomore Jeremy Fowler took over the goal by the third quarter and accomplished a couple of amazing saves, along with only letting in one goal as well.

While the goalies were generally unscathed, the offensive and defensive players on the Mount Hebron team, being outnumbered more than 2 to 1, had to hustle their rear ends off. Junior Matt Jensen playing offense in his first year on the team, managed to score a goal relatively early the first period. Although he had stitches on his leg from a incident in an earlier practice, and he was breathless the entire game, he managed to find the goal when it counted and score. This was a big boost morale boost to the team. In the end, the game ended up being a tie at 2/2. But that really wasn't the real story. I was very impressed with the way Hebron played. Their defense and offense worked well together and it was a pleasure to watch. The team is going through a rebuilding phase, and I was impressed with what I saw. They did amazingly well since they were missing two core players, Corey Salemi and Dominic DiMattia.

All season long the Mount Hebron Hockey Team has battled though losses and and a shortage of players. But despite all that they seem to be working hard and drastically improving game by game. Just the week before, Hebron got it's first league win in the last 2 years with a game against Oakland Mills. While the defense only gave up 3 goals, Hebron scored an impressive 10. Significantly, 7 of those goals where scored by Brent Jury, DiMattia and Jensen, two sophomores and a junior. That's a great sign for the future. I think our schools' hockey team made good use of their ice time and they really showed some promise for next year. I'm no sports expert but I think things are really looking up for the team and it's fans.

Most people would say that we don't have many interesting areas in Howard County. But, I've actually 'rediscovered' a number of places which are really interesting in their own quirky way. The stereotypical suburb has nothing going on in it. Here in Howard County, we're nestled tightly in the middle of the suburbs, close to Baltimore and Washington.
But despite the closeness to these two major cities most kids in Howard County are continually bored and looking for something to do to kill their time. We don't really have beaches, or interesting cities or clubs or really popular local community sports teams, but in Howard County we do have some odd places to visit. There is a wide variety of obscure places and hidden areas that everyone in Howard County seems to know about. These spots are not necessarily easy to get to or popular tourist attractions. Many are far into the woods, behind houses, or down back roads. But, there are several favorite spots in Howard County that I always take out of town visitors to see.

The gates to the Enchanted Forest Theme Park

The Enchanted Forest: A classic. A shut down amusement park that now serves as the basis for rumors and legends for the kids in the area. The abandoned park was converted into a strip mall with a variety of stores and an enormous parking lot, but in the woods behind the Petco and the Bagel Bin lies still intact remnants to the old amusement park. The remains of gingerbread houses, elfin figures, and other magical scenery, fairy tale themes creatures can be spotted from the fences, but the real excitement comes from slipping past the buildings and taking a closer look. The closed off area hosts an interesting gingerbread house the size of a building, towers, and a dragons head. I heard that generations of families in Maryland used to visit the Enchanted Forest Park, but I just found out about it a few years ago. Since then, it has always been a place that I felt helped define what is unique about Howard County.
Today, because concern over the deterioration of the theme park's artifacts the current owner of the land, Kimco Realty Group, has graciously agreed to allow some of the buildings and statues to be moved to the nearby Clark's Farm in an attempt at preservation. Many of the items have already been moved and restored.

The gates to the Enchanted Forest theme park
The Patapsco Female Institute: This is supposed to be a haunted building in Ellicott City. It is a semi ruin of an institute of education for females in the 19th century. People have reported hearing screams and feeling a cold sensation in their spine when they descend an enormous staircase in the park. It sits right above old Ellicott City, and is a fun place for a nighttime walk. Go with a group of friends, and surely someone will report something ghostly going on.

Daniels Dam: Just plain awesome. Daniels Dam, on the Patapsco River, is the place to go in the summer or spring. Anytime its warm out, Daniels Dam is perfect for swimming or just chilling with your friends. I have found that not many people outside of Ellicott City even know about the dam. This makes it uncrowded and a perfect place to hang around. There are trails to hike and rocks to climb but the real attraction is the dam, a concrete barrier running the length of the river, with water gently spilling over year around. . It is easily accessible for swimmers or hikers from above or below the dam. It is also a great place to do some people watching. Some of the braver kids in the area will occasionally jump off of dam into the water below. I have watched these kids take enormous leaps and back flips off of the 9 or 10 foot high Dam and it looks like a blast, but its illegal and dangerous.

Daniels Dam
The last attraction I want to mention is one that may not even exist.
I've heard stories about the alleged Harriet Tubman Cave in Laurel Maryland from a number of people. But my friends and I have searched and searched to no avail. According to what I have heard, it's a cave somewhere along Harriet Tubman road in Laurel Maryland. Allegedly, this is where Harriet Tubman once hid runaway slaves in the Maryland area. I have seen what my friends tell me are pictures of the cavern, and it is along a river in Laurel. Personally, I have never seen it, and I'm not sure it even exists. But, I would still encourage anyone to to go look for it. It is part of our local folklore, and definitely worth investigation.

Daniels Dam

The places I mention above are fun to visit. But, my experience has been that as great as some of these locations are, the search for local attractions is actually far more interesting. Whether it is taking a swim by a secluded dam, or looking for a cave that might be part of history, you always come away learning something new about the area. It is much more fun to discover your own special attractions than just visit the 'official” sites around town and be told what to think about them. Great local attractions don't have to be famous, they just have to give you a unique experience.

I got the chance recently to go to a local concert. My friends from Mt Hebron High School play in a band named Just Plain Ridiculous. They were performing at Penguins Down in the Igloo in Arbutus, Maryland. So, I got together several other friends and we decided to go check it out.

As I climbed out of my friend's car when we arrived, I was instantly shocked at the scene of where they the band was going to play. Almost right at the cusp of Baltimore City there lays this tiny lit up sign that says “Penguins fine food and spirits”. It is surrounded entirely by grocery stores, a poorly lit road and some apartments. It struck me as a great place to have local bands connect with a local audience. We looked around, taking in the atmosphere, but then quickly went into the building to escape the frigid air, our concert tickets in hand to show we belonged here. We descended worn out steps into a dark hallway, with one man standing by a door asking for tickets. After we gave him our tickets he motioned for us to step through into the next room. As we entered this room my eyes were instantly transfixed, it was an shocking change of scenery. Right through a dark hallway, eerily lit, a bright scene awaited us. An open bar (for those with an ID) and a mass of tables surrounding a relatively well maintained stage. I turned my attention to the band up on the stage. They were fine, but they weren't the band I have come here to see. I would have to wait another 2 hours to see the highlight of the evening play, Just Plain Ridiculous.

Just Plain Ridiculous. From the first time you see this band perform live you will understand how truly well the band's performance fits the title. Delivering a catchy beat, intense punk rock riffs and some reggae thrown in on the side Just Plain Ridiculous is a band you definitely have to see. As you step into a room when this pop punk three piece plays you can see the raw energy and passion exploding from the stage. With Cameron Smith on guitar and vocals, Sam Waller on bass and vocals, and Jeff Reichert on drums and percussion they emanate a passion for their music that makes you want to jump up and dance. All three are extremely talented musicians with a showmanship that adds to their stellar performance. You can gage a good band by the reaction of the audience. With staggering old men and teenager alike dancing around in a frenzy to their music, the band's boisterous attitude can only be explained by three words, these guys are just plain ridiculous!

After the band's performance I would always take time to meander around the room and ask the people what they thought of the band, and quickly I would be enticed join in the conversations of 40 and 50 year old men saying how much fun they had. I heard regular customers by the bar saying how “they felt so young again,” and how “these guys have such a great sound and attitude, its just contagious!” .

For more information on this band, their song lists and the venues that they have played in the Elliott City area visit their face book and my space pages at:

plight://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Just-Plain-Ridiculous/26365523402?ref=ts

http://www.myspace.com/knowhowmd

As the holiday's approach, I have been noticing all the shopping going on around town. All this money changing hands raises a question about the one cent coin. Today, the penny seems more like a useless collectible than an actual form of currency. Our pennies just line the bottoms of our purses and pockets. People throw out their pennies at a passing glance.

The one thing that astounds me in our age of financial woes and shortcomings are the mistakes that we as a country continue to make in minting new coins. Our financial security might lie in each persons' ability to make safe and reasonable decisions when it comes to spending. But, when I look at how the government, it seems like they don't share the same sense of responsibility when it comes to managing our currency. One of our most frivolous spending shortcomings I think in America today is our continuation of making the penny. A number of different sources on-line report that the exact amount it costs to make a penny ranges from 1.2 cents to 2 cents per penny. In other words, it cost more to make a penny that what it is worth. A form of currency that costs a large percentage more to produce that it's face value, and is manufactured in millions every day, seems ridiculous. To me a currency of any type shouldn't be manufactured if its sole purpose is to cast our nation even farther into insurmountable debt, something that is increasing at an exponential rate day by day.

The whole reasoning behind continuing the penny, its historical significance and it being an easy change system, in our day doesn't really make much cents. Pardon the pun.

The notion that a penny is still valuable and important to our economy in our day is a pretty silly idea. The circulation of millions of pennies would still continue if we stopped producing them, and maybe some people would even treat the copper runt with some more respect. The penny is literally a symbol of America's frivolous wasteful lifestyle and our lack of appreciation for lesser currencies. By discontinuing the manufacturing of the penny we would not only be helping our crippling nation debt, but we would be encouraging Americans to save the pennies that they currently have. If there are less pennies, people will appreciate their value, and think of them as real currency.

I don't think the penny or it's equivalent makes much sense at all in most countries. When I went over to Germany this summer I noticed that the Euro cent has about as little value as our penny. The only difference is that the European cent is cheaper to produce and is worth more than our penny considering the exchange rate. The only real value I see in a single cent currencies is using them as for very minor, almost non-monetary, transactions of change. For example, when giving donations people are inclined to give away their left over pennies, probably a meaningless gesture from the person doing the donating. But I will admit that to some those pennies will eventually add up.

I don't want the cent to be completely abolished in our country. But, I do believe the manufacturing should cease until we can find a reasonable material alternative to the debt increasing copper used in today's cent. If we halted production of the penny, surely they would still remain in circulation for quite a few years, giving our country ample time to figure out another more financially savvy alternative.

As I am writing this, its the election day. It's finally here, and the anticipation in the air is palpable, built up so high that it almost feels like Christmas. Hordes of voters sporting McCain and Obama shirts barrage the schools, fighting their way in make their vote. I can't help but feel kind of left out, being under 18 I'm forced to sit on the sidelines. But I'm never content to watch my opinion go by as if it is completely meaningless.
This election will no doubt be a milestone, a historical event that I will remember for the rest of my life. I know the implications that this election might have for not only the future of my family, but for the future of my country as well. It's merely a shame that I can't even participate in such a big event. Despite how almost none of the students in my school are even old enough to vote, everyone has still taken a noticeable and public stance for their chosen presidential candidate. More students are voting for Obama than McCain in my school, as expected. Although the Obama supporters outweigh the McCain supporters in high school, the Republicans still remain loyal.
The amount of supporters for candidates is astounding to me. The stereo-typical picture of a teenager in Howard County is a slack jawed spoiled brat with no sense of politics at all. But that's far from the actual truth. The students in my school all seem to be well read about their candidate, and aside from the few sheep, most people seem to have their own reasons for why they support an individual candidate, usually based on the candidate's stance on certain issues.
Most of the issues that teenagers I know are concerned with are pretty obvious. The main issue that high schoolers are concerned with are age restrictions. From the drinking age, the voting age, to the age you can get your driver's license. Age restrictions have an enormous impact on high schoolers because it impacts all of us as a group. We are all people under 18, and there are no students that have reached 21. This makes a high school a battle zone for heated debates about why our next president should lower the drinking age, or why 16 year olds should be able to get a full driver's license with no restrictions. However ridiculous some people may interpret these issues compared to that of our faltering economy and the war in Iraq, these issues have a resounding effect on most high schoolers.
Another big issue is national security. I was surprised when I learned about how many kids are concerned with our safety and protection as Americans. Concern about our safety from terrorists is surprisingly a heated issue among high school students. I almost thought that high schoolers had an inferior grasp on political issues compared to the rest of America, but I was definitely wrong. Most of my classmates have very controversial, yet well supported beliefs about stuff that our grandparents would cringe at the mere thought of.
The most controversial subjects that are disputed at my high school would definitely have to be abortions and the war on drugs. No matter how hard you try, at my school you can't escape the endless raging debate over these two unrelated topics. These debates get so agitated that I'm sometimes afraid that they will end in a hospital visit. I think these two issues are so concentrated among high school students because of a strong religious faith among most high schoolers, with varying moral codes and opinions of the morality on these subjects of debate. Fortunately, high schoolers, unlike many other groups of Americans, are not really stuck in their ways and they are willing to listen to other points of view, compromise, and potentially change their position.
I believe that debating controversial topics is popular amongst teenagers because we are growing up in an era of information overload, and we aren't shocked by every little thing that we read or hear. Most teenagers surf the web for a majority of their day, and because of this they have a broad exposure to a considerable portion of controversial topics. This is a luxury of being a teenager. Our elders don't have nearly the amount of free time that we have. The adults of our world are living their own lives, with their own obligations, and they don't have the time even consider challenging their own points of view between juggling work, paying the mortgage, and raising their family. The only elders with as much time as teenagers are senior citizens, and they are occupied by their endless worries of why young people wear their pants so low.
Presidential elections cause controversy. And, high schoolers have a fairly high tolerance for controversy because of our generation's exposure and tolerance to so many disputed topics. Most 16 year olds I know would love to take the next step and also vote based on their beliefs and own feelings of the issues. I'm sure that the youth of any generation probably felt this way, and believe that they have a fairly unbiased view of the issues, not bogged down by their parent's prejudices. But, I think that today's high schoolers are better informed, more exposed to information, and more aware of issues than in the past. Maybe it is time to consider lowering that voting age?

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