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Thursday, September 30, 2010 Entertainment 12 Irish Illustrations: ‘Can you hear me now?!’ Irish Eyes Written and illustrated by Anna Whitaker What do you do for fun: Then and Now The idea of socialization has changed over the years. Teens thirty years ago would say that you have to leave your house and have some sort of personal interaction to make friends and ultimately be social. However, most teens today feel it is possible to do that from the comfort of your couch. Staying home and finding a way to be entertained has become more prevalent in the past several years. Many teens who choose to stay home play video games. Online multiplayer games such as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” are popular among teens today. Senior Brice Carr finds video games to be a very good alternative to going out. “Playing with people from all over the world, along with my friends is awesome. I By Brittany Witcher Staff Writer By Jacob Ross Web Assistant Teachers reflect on their days of youth Today’s teens socialize from the home Back in the day all you had to do was walk outside and you were already having fun. No video games, no television, just good clean fun. “It was very cliché. We used to go to drive-in movies and sneak people in by putting them in the trunk,” English teacher Deirdre Finnegan said. Finnegan, is among several teachers and parents who grew up in the generation of drive-in diners, arcades and donkey basketball. Without distracting video games, teenagers spent the majority of their time outside. They often visited the Lakefront and its amusement park, Pontchartrain Beach. “There was no drama, no dates, just girls and boys having a good time,” Business Computer Applications (BCA) teacher Suzanne Tansey said. During the day, streetcars and buses brought girls dressed-up in dresses and fancy clothes into New Orleans. Teenagers spent their days taking in the city, escaping the heat in the Canal Place Theater and enjoying treats at Meal a Minute, where customers could purchase banana splits fit for three. The boundaries of New Orleans were smaller, with the cemeteries on the edge of town and a small amusement park across from City Park. The area we attend school has also changed drastically. Lakeside Shopping Mall was once a giant farm, and Veterans Boulevard was one-sided. “Lafreniere Park used to be a race track for horses and the East Bank Regional Library didn’t exist,” Finnegan recalled. “There was a big horse farm.” High school was different; fraternities and sororities existed on campus alongside the normal clubs you see today. School functions had a greater student turn-out and school spirit ran rampant. Members of student council would perform humorous dances during pep-rallies, while the cheerleaders and pep squad helped raise spirit. “We had a group of teachers who called themselves the ‘follies’. They would do ridiculous things at pep rallies. It made them look real,” Tansey said. “We could connect to them, I miss that.” Past generations taught us that fun is all around us, you just have to know where to look. Swimmers enjoy a day at Ponchartrain Beach located by Lake Ponchartrain circa 1945. Courtesy of Mandy Rodriguez Blanq Times Picayune Photo Arvhives Hey! *sigh* I TOLD you blasting music makes you deaf... WHAT?! can meet new people and make new friends all from my house,” Carr said. Many video games give players the ability to take on any persona, providing a temporary escape from the real world. Social networking has grown into one of the most popular internet activities. Senior Gaini Aguilera does not always stay home over going out, but when he does stay home, he always has something to do. “Going on Facebook lets me know what is happening with my friends. I never miss anyone’s birthday, and I always know important things that people who don’t have Facebook probably don’t know,”Aguilera said. Whether a teen choose to go out or stay at home, there are several forms of entertainment available. Each has its own benefits and all a teen needs to do is decide where and when to have a good time. The choices are all around, so choose wisely. Heather Hartdegen Senior Alvin Sauceda plays Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on his Playstation 3, his favorite form of entertainment.
