As a model she has been to incredible locales such as Milan, London, Paris, New York City, Switzerland and Wales.

Many people will never go to one of these cities in their lifetime, but Keyser has already visited all of them—and she is only 17.

Although Keyser has had many amazing experiences and lived the high life, so to speak, she remains grounded and noticeably humble, even when she talks about the modeling world.

When asked of her life away from high school and Bend, her face lit up and she gushed over the experiences from her travels around the globe.

She mused over her other life; a life so drastically different from the one she leads in small town Bend.

Keyser spent six months in New York last year and attended summer school to make up her credits.  She said that Summit is “really flexible” with her situation, which makes it easier to balance her modeling and student life.

Her modeling career started in a comically unlikely place.  She was 12-years-old and attending a—shout out to all the nineties kids—Backstreet Boys concert when a modeling scout approached her.

“I thought it was a joke at first, but then they kept pursuing me,” she said.

At a casting call in Portland where 100 girls tried out, she was one of three chosen for agency representation.

She later signed with Pulse Management, a modeling agency that works closely with Elite Model Management based in New York City.

Elite represents supermodels such as Iman, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell and “America’s Next Top Model” winner CariDee English.

Keyser said that she would love to meet Tyra Banks.

“She was at the agency twice but I missed her,” Keyser said.  “Some of the girls have met her and said she is really down to earth.”

Although Pulse Management primarily represents Keyser, (she calls it her “mother agency”), she is also represented by five other agencies around the world.

The most frenzied and stressful time for models is during fashion week at Bryant Park in Manhattan.

“It’s crazy backstage,” she said.  “We have to show up at three o’clock even though the show starts at seven.  It takes a long time because all the girls have to do hair and make up and then we have to practice our walks on the runway.”

She laughed and said, “Sometimes the shoes don’t fit and they have to use shoe horns.”

Keyser has modeled for Nina Ricci, one of the bigger designers, and has been in Elle magazine as well as the English magazine Dealer.

Though Keyser lives an exciting life, she said it is not all play—it is hard work.

She said that all of the girls must develop a healthy routine of going to the grocery store after work, eating and making sure they get enough sleep.

About the modeling rumors of eating disorders she said, “All the models eat.”

“I’ve never met a girl that is anorexic or bulimic,” she said.  She did point out that the girls have trainers to trim of any weight, but that all the weight loss is done under healthy circumstances.

Still, models cannot eat whatever they like.  She said that once, a girl made brownies and the agency got mad.  Models must watch what they eat and be careful because of weight and skin issues.

“All the girls have to always wear high heels,” she said, “unless you’re 5’11” or taller.”

Of course, Keyser has met the rude girls who look her up and down.  But overall, she says that her experiences with other models are positive.

“I stayed in an apartment that had fifteen girls, four per room, and two bathrooms and there were no problems,” she said.

Natalie described the casting process as “exhausting.”  Sometimes she has to go to 20 castings, each of which usually takes an hour, in one day.  She does not always get to every single one.

“New York and Paris are really easy to get around,” Keyser said. “London is hard, some of the castings can be six miles away from each other.”

Her favorite part of modeling is traveling and being photographed.  “I really like being in front of the camera during an editorial,” she said.

One would assume she would be bored coming back to Bend, but she smiled and said that no, she enjoys it here.  She now focuses on school and friends instead of her hectic modeling schedule mixed in with stressful casting calls and homework.

If her modeling career continues she would like to move to New York.  If not, she said she would like to go to college and “just see what happens.”

            “You know the Muslim religion is essentially one of violence,” said Summit student Connor Price.  “I’m not saying all Muslim are like that, but isn’t violence essentially what the Qur’an teaches?”

            Price’s assertion was not mean-spirited or malicious; it reflects the relative ignorance of the American populace in general.

            Jewish photographer A.J. Markow backed out of a recent assignment to photograph Muslims because he felt “uncomfortable” in their presence.

            Like Price, who supports America’s involvement in the Middle East, the media, government, and people we talk to every day have largely shaped Markow’s perceptions about Islam, which rarely portrays Muslims in an accurate light.

            Even people who consider themselves tolerant of those with different faiths readily admit the societal prejudice present in America.

            “Before the terrorist attacks on September 11th, people still viewed Muslims differently,” said English teacher Mrs. McCormick.  “I think most people consider the Islamic faith to be somewhat misogynistic.”

            Senior student Shannon McGuire has also noticed the negative connotations people apply to Islam.  “When people think about Islam they usually think of terrorism in general,” said McGuire.

            These perceptions do not however represent the majority of people who call themselves Muslim, nor are they consistent with the teachings of the Muslims’ holy book— the Qur’an.

            Abdelkarim Aouri, an American immigrant from Morocco who now serves as the president of the Islamic Community of Central Oregon, works tirelessly to correct misperceptions about his faith.  “The word ‘Islam’ is an Arabic word which means submission, surrender, obedience, sincerity, and peace,” said Aouri.  “How can you see peace go with terrorism?  Peace/terrorism— they don’t go together.”

            As a convert to Islam, Aouri’s wife Laia is quick to defend her faith from allegations of misogyny.  “One hundred years ago in the United States women were not allowed to own property.  But fourteen hundred years ago Islam secured women the right to own property,” said Laia.  “Many rights that were denied to women before the advent of Islam are guaranteed in the Qur’an.  Islam also gives women the right to make marriage contracts and the right to work for her own money.”

            A woman’s head covering or hijab is worn as a sign of modesty around people outside her family, but such covering is never forced upon a woman.

            Despite Koranic stipulations that demand respect for women–especially mothers–the societal perception of misogyny continues.

            “If you are not trying to broaden your knowledge [about Islam] then you are confining yourself to a small box,” said Rashid Gelam, a Malaysian Muslim living in America.  “What will happen is you will start answering questions based on your limited knowledge, which can be offensive to many people.”

            Gelam suggested that much of the misperceptions about Islam have been due to people’s unwillingness to “go outside” the confines of their societal “box.”

            “People always focus on the differences between Islam and their faith,” said Aouri.  “But if people really learned about Islam they would find many similarities.

            “We believe in all the holy prophets— Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus— peace be upon them all,” said Aouri.  “The Qur’an confirms the Biblical account of Jesus’ miracle (virgin) birth, and his mother Mary is considered by us to the purest woman in all creation.”

            The reverence with which Muslims view the Abrahamic prophets is evidenced in their everyday references to them.  “Muslims never refer to Jesus simply as Jesus, but always with the phrase ‘peace be upon him’ out of respect,” said Aouri.

            As Aouri pointed out, Muslims believe Islam is an extension of the same religion practiced by Jews and Christians, not a new religion.  “We don’t worship Muhammad, peace be upon him; we believe that his teaching is the continuation of the same message that has been revealed to all the prophets.”

            Gelam quickly pointed out the benefits of tolerance espoused by his beliefs.  “In Malaysia only sixty percent of the population is Muslim— the rest are Christians, Buddhist, and Hindus.  And they live right next to each other without any problems.”

            Applying the same tolerance to America may be a challenge, but mutual understanding through education seems to be the right step.

            “When students study Islam they will learn Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, compassion, love, and the forgiveness of God,” said Aouri.  “They will realize that Islam has nothing to do with the extremely grave acts of violence that have been associated with the faith.”

            Aouri cited Chapter Five, verse thirty-two of the Qur’an to support his assertions.  “Chapter Five, verse thirty-two says that if any person kills another human being it is as if he killed all humanity.  But if a person saves another human being it is as if he saved all humanity.”

            Although many students insist on clinging to their misperceptions about people different from them, Aouri warns that prejudice threatens everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

            “Today prejudices might affect Muslims, but tomorrow it will affect another group,” said Aouri.  “In this community we need to get together and try to find where we agree [on matters of personal belief] instead of looking at differences,” said Aouri.

            Indeed it is this sense of unity that makes a society.

“There are those who drink and if you want to find a party you can, just like in high school. The difference is [alcohol is] more readily available because of the concentration of over-21 year old students and because they intermingle so much with those who are not legal,” said University of Oregon freshman Camille Grater.

During the process of entering the college atmosphere, Grater chose to enter the Greek system. 

Because many of Grater’s sisters at Alpha Chi Omega are 21 or older, alcohol is prevalent in her position. 

At age 18, United States citizens may vote, join the military, and even serve on a jury.  

Eighteen-year-olds are also allowed to purchase tobacco products such as cigarettes and chewing tobacco.  

However, an 18-year-old in the United States is not allowed to purchase or consume alcohol, despite being considered a legal adult citizen.

 In Oregon, approximately 20 percent of alcohol is sold to minors, according to House Bill 864, also known as the STOP Underage Drinking Act of December 2006. 

Oregon spends moe than 33 million dollars, in both federal and state funds, on underage drinking enforcement. 

University presidents M. Lee Pelton of Willamette University, Thomas J. Hochstettler of Lewis and Clark College and Dr. Philip Creighton of Pacific University recently joined the Amethyst Initiative to lower the legal drinking age to 18. 

Middlebury College professor and former president John McCardell agrees. He considers the current law to encourage immature behavior.

The Amethyst Initiative, made up of presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities across the United States, believes that binge-drinking rates on campuses have reached dangerously high numbers despite the legal drinking age being set at 21.

The Initiative, acknowledges that current legal restrictions on drinking have failed the American public and need to be revised. 

Launched in July, 2008, the Amethyst Initiative is made up of chancellors and presidents of many universities and colleges across the United States.  These administrators are working with legislators to take a closer look into the drinking age problem.  

Amethyst Initiative presidents and chancellors call upon elected officials to weigh all the consequences of current alcohol policies and to invite new ideas on how best to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol use.

These higher education leaders have signed their names to a public statement that the problem of irresponsible drinking by young people continues despite the minimum legal drinking age of 21, and there is a culture of dangerous binge drinking on many campuses.  The argument on the drinking age is gaining momentum as a more publicized issue.

Ruth C. Engs, a professor of applied health sciences at Indiana University, believes the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or 19.

“Right now, underage drinking takes place “underground”, with no one to supervise past the “designated driver”, if there even is one,” said Engs. 

“The 21-year old drinking age has not reduced drinking on (college) campuses; it has probably increased it,” said Middlebury college president John McCardell.

Approximately two of every five 18-24 year-old college students are binge drinkers.  More than two million 18-24 year-old college students also drive drunk every year. 

“I believe that the drinking age should stay where it is at 21.  I also believe that the driving age should be 21, as well, because there are a lot of teen driving accidents due to underage drinking,” said Spanish teacher Katherine Winning.

Many people would ask the question; why can countries such as England have a younger drinking age and the United States cannot?  

Children in England over five years old they are allowed to drink at home.  Children between the ages of five and 18 may also drink on licensed premises such as bars and restaurants before 9 p.m. if they are accompanied by an adult of 28 years or older.  

After an English citizen turns 18, he is allowed to drink as he pleases.

In the United States during 2004, 4,767 teens aged 16-19 died of motor vehicle crashes with many of these accidents related to alcohol.  

A year later in 2005, a National Traffic survey reported that 7,640 teens between the ages of 15 and 20 died in motor vehicle accidents, with many linked to alcohol; 2,873 more teen deaths in just one year. 

“When you are younger, the right decisions will be even harder to make,” said math teacher Kathie Quick. 

Doctors agree that the pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for reasoning and cognitive ability, takes the longest to mature, usually finishing development the mid-twenties 

”I feel that the drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18 because it would put less pressure on high school students to participate in binge drinking.  For example, in other countries there is less of a problem with underage drinking because it is socially acceptable in their culture,” said Josh Speidel, a 19-year-old former Summit student who now attends Brooks Institute of Photography says,

The United States is the only country in the world with a 21-year-old drinking age.

The U.S drinking age was not always at 21.  

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Purchase Age Act to encourage each state to enact a minimum legal purchase age of 21 by 1986.  

The result of this act was impressive; an estimated 1,071 lives were saved in 1987 alone.  

Between 1975 and 1996, there was a 63 percent decline in alcohol-related crash fatalities among young drivers.

“It seems logical to lower the legal drinking age to 18 when most other countries have [the minimum drinking age] as16 or 18. When people are living on their own, they should be able to make their own choices about alcohol consumption,” said English teacher Beth Sandefur.

“…At 18, citizens of the United States are considered adults in every other way. Consistency is important,” said librarian Eila Overcash. 

Consistency is not the only argument affirming lowering the minimum drinking age. Students consider lowering the drinking age to be affirming their rights. 

“I think it should be [lowered] because it should people when people are 18 they are adults,” said junior Amanda Mattei.

For many students, drinking is the privilege of an adult. A number of students and teachers ask why 18 year olds are considered adults in public and private life, but barred from consuming alcohol. 

”I think that it is a smart idea for the drinking age to be 21. People aren’t mature enough at age18 to take on the responsibility of drinking,” said senior Micah King.

“If you can get married at 18, you should be able to drink at your wedding,” said junior Sierra Sullivan. 

A study of New York college students documented that students who began to drink at younger ages were more likely to drink heavily in college.  They were also more likely to report alcohol-related problems such as trouble at work, trouble with friends, family, and police. 

”I can understand the motivation to keep the drinking age higher, because a lot of kids don’t understand the responsibility that comes along with alcohol use, but I still believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18.  If I am expected to take on the duties of an adult citizen, like voting and serving on a jury, I should also be considered mature enough to make decisions concerning alcohol,”  sais Meg Archer, a former Summit High School student who now attends Cal Poly.

On Sept. 6, 2007, newly elected Vice President Joe Biden was asked, “Would you as president remove the requirement that a state have a legal drinking age of 21 in order to receive federal highway funds, thereby returning the drinking age back to the states?”  

”Absolutely not.  The costs of alcoholism in America, the costs of accidents that flow from drunkenness, are astronomical,” said Biden. Barack Obama agreed with Biden on this issue during the same debate. 

The Associated Press recently analyzed federal records and determined 157 college age individuals drank themselves to death from 1999 to 2005. 

“Statistically, we need to keep [the minimum drinking age] the way it is. You cannot argue with the statistics that drunk driving went down,” said history teacher Patrick Kilty. 

MADD concurs, asserting that traffic fatalities in states with an open container law decrease by 5.1 percent. 

The National Traffic Highway Administration estimates that the 21 minimum age drinking laws have saved 900 lives per year. 

Choose Responsibility, an organization dedicated to giving legal adults freedom of choice thus allowing them to exhibit the skill of integrity and control that America expects from them, slightly disagrees.   

Saved lives results from “a series of changes that have combined to make driving under the influence the target of social disapproval in the United States,” said Choose Responsibility representatives. 

This is a very important decision.  The question on whether or not the drinking age should be lowered is gaining adequate momentum and is rapidly becoming a much larger issue in the United States.  Let the discussion begin.

The eldest child… always bossing people around, thinking they rule what others do. This is their nature. The eldest child is almost always the most assertive sibling in a family. 

They are determined to get their way and are incredibly ambitious. Studies on CareerBuilder.com have also shown that the eldest child is more likely to earn $100,000 more than their siblings. This is because they often choose the more competitive jobs in fields such as medicine, law and government.

Sophomore Courtney Beal is the second oldest of six siblings, and she does fall under the stereotype of being an older sibling.

“I’m very bossy, but in a secretive way,” she said. “I say something like ‘if you do this, then mom and dad won’t get mad at you’ or ‘if you love me, will you go get me a soda?’ I think it comes with the territory of being an older child.”

Middle child syndrome is a complaint often used to describe the neglect middle children experience. As it happens, this “syndrome” shapes the kids into the shy, calm and easy-going people that they are found to be. 

Research done on CareerBuilder.com has found that middle children are good negotiators and peacemakers. This makes them prime candidates for careers like being a nurse, a police officer or fire-fighter. 

The youngest child of the family… their personality characteristics are similar to those who are the first born: more aggressive and ambitious. They also love getting attention, and when they do not, they like to bring the attention to themselves. 

They are often charming, funny and creative. 

Another quality they have can be used, for good or bad. They are often manipulative and use this to their advantage.

 This study also applies to twins and how they act. Parents usually treat twins the same, so that they feel equal. But being raised so close to one another, they often grow to have different personalities and interests. One might be into sports, the other into science. It really all depends on what their lives are like.

Of course, these characteristics do no apply to everyone. No one can be placed into one stereotype, no matter how hard they try. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. It is impossible to know what people will end up like, or why. 

You may be the oldest child but possess the traits of a middle child. You may have a twin, and have several things in common in addition to your birth date. 

Nothing in this world is certain, and no one should expect to know why people like what they like, or do what he or she does.

 Being an individual is what makes the world such a diverse community. 

No research can exactly pinpoint what makes certain people act different ways but it can show if someone is more prone to be one way rather than another.

The eldest child… always bossing people around, thinking they rule what others do. This is their nature. The eldest child is almost always the most assertive sibling in a family. 

They are determined to get their way and are incredibly ambitious. Studies on CareerBuilder.com have also shown that the eldest child is more likely to earn $100,000 more than their siblings. This is because they often choose the more competitive jobs in fields such as medicine, law and government.

Sophomore Courtney Beal is the second oldest of six siblings, and she does fall under the stereotype of being an older sibling.

“I’m very bossy, but in a secretive way,” she said. “I say something like ‘if you do this, then mom and dad won’t get mad at you’ or ‘if you love me, will you go get me a soda?’ I think it comes with the territory of being an older child.”

Middle child syndrome is a complaint often used to describe the neglect middle children experience. As it happens, this “syndrome” shapes the kids into the shy, calm and easy-going people that they are found to be. 

Research done on CareerBuilder.com has found that middle children are good negotiators and peacemakers. This makes them prime candidates for careers like being a nurse, a police officer or fire-fighter. 

The youngest child of the family… their personality characteristics are similar to those who are the first born: more aggressive and ambitious. They also love getting attention, and when they do not, they like to bring the attention to themselves. 

They are often charming, funny and creative. 

Another quality they have can be used, for good or bad. They are often manipulative and use this to their advantage.

 This study also applies to twins and how they act. Parents usually treat twins the same, so that they feel equal. But being raised so close to one another, they often grow to have different personalities and interests. One might be into sports, the other into science. It really all depends on what their lives are like.

Of course, these characteristics do no apply to everyone. No one can be placed into one stereotype, no matter how hard they try. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. It is impossible to know what people will end up like, or why. 

You may be the oldest child but possess the traits of a middle child. You may have a twin, and have several things in common in addition to your birth date. 

Nothing in this world is certain, and no one should expect to know why people like what they like, or do what he or she does.

 Being an individual is what makes the world such a diverse community. 

No research can exactly pinpoint what makes certain people act different ways but it can show if someone is more prone to be one way rather than another.

Even though it has been serving the High Desert as an informational hub and wildlife rehabilitation center since 1982, the content and importance of the museum is still commonly overlooked. 

Of the museum’s 130,000 visitors a year, many do not realize that the High Desert consists of an eight state region and a province of Canada, all of which the High Desert Museum strives to represent. Also, the museum is not classified as a zoo, but as a wildlife park. The High Desert Museum rescues animals that can no longer care for themselves, and they live out the rest of their lives there.

Besides the wildlife, the museum’s living history also grabs attention. You have the opportunity to get up close and learn about the lives of Native Americans and settlers in the High Desert region. Common encounters include a conversation with one of the many volunteers reenacting the lives of someone on the Oregon Trail.

After going through a period with little new introductions and improvements, the museum looks forward to a time of growth. The museum owns 140 acres of land and currently only uses half of the space. As the museum looks to add more exhibits, they hope to expand and make use of more of that land.

The Museum has instituted a new cycle of exhibits where they hope to change and switch out past exhibits every 3-6 months. Some of the newest exhibits at the High Desert Museum include “Bugs,” ”Strong Medicine” and “The Healing Power of Plants.”

“Bugs” focuses on different insect species from around the High desert region. It also compares the bugs that are indigenous to the High Desert and ones that were brought here by settlers.  This exhibit may not be for the faint-hearted.

 “I thought that all the exhibits on bugs were interesting, and some I had never heard of before,” said freshman Jake Sullivan.

“Strong Medicine” concentrates on the medical practices of the High Desert during the 1800’s, while “The Healing Power of Plants” shows what plants were used by Native Americans to heal different ailments. Doctors back then lacked the technology and  medicine available today, so almost any bite, cut or wound on a limb ended in an amputation.

 “I was amazed by how painful the old medical practices were and how different they were from modern day practices,” said Sullivan.

 To launch off “The Healing Power of Plants” exhibit (which has recently been replaced by “Bugs”), the museum had a Native American named Wilson Wewa come and talk to the employees about the plants with medicinal properties growing on their land. All of these new exhibits contain hands on activities and visuals to help enhance the learning experience.

“As an educational organization, it is our job at the High Desert Museum to bring new ideas and concepts about the region to the community,” said Janeanne Upp, the president of the High Desert Museum. “We have so much knowledge about the High Desert, changing exhibits nine times a year allows us to keep things fresh and updated. That way every time people from the community come here they see and learn something new.”

As the museum continues to grow, they look to make improvements that will attract new and curious guests. Through their growth the museum continues to be a place for the young and old to come and learn something new while exploring the history of the High Desert region.

It’s always been said to be careful what you wish for. Shannon wanted to be a twin. Instead, she ended up married to a twin and eventually gave birth to a set of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl.

“Having twins made parenthood easier and harder,” said Shannon. “It was easier because they were never alone and they kept each other entertained. The harder part was having double the diapers and food and double the work. But it also made parenthood great.”

Eighteen sets of twins attend our school. Eleven are fraternal twins, four sets of mirror twins, and two sets of regular identical twins.

Identical or monozygotic twins are formed from one fertilized egg (one ovum and one sperm) which splits after conception into two identical halves which develop separately. 

Each identical child (always the same sex) will have the same chromosomes and many of the same physical attributes. Identical twins will also share the same blood type, eye and hair color. 

According to research completed by the National Organization of the Mothers of Twins Clubs (NOMTC), slightly more than half of all twins born are male and approximately one in four pairs of identical twins are mirror-image twins. About one third of all twin births are identical.

Freshman Megan and Sara Fristoe are identical twins.

“Megan and I talk in sync a lot,” said Sara Fristoe. “We also share our friends.”

“Exactly the same friends,” said Megan Fristoe, laughing.

The two provide proof that twins can communicate without using words, facial expressions, or body language doesn’t exist. 

Although it would seem impossible, most twins have a very strong intuition into the other’s mind suggests NOMTC.

Fraternal or dizygotic twins are formed from two fertilized eggs (two ovums and two sperms) and can result in two siblings of the same or opposite sexes. 

“Tadd and I are fraternal twins,” said senior Morgan Phillips. “We share a car and both do Cross Country, but he’s a lot smarter. Tadd’s first in our class and I’m eighth. I’m also more outgoing.”

The likelihood of having fraternal twins is dependent upon the woman carrying a fraternal twin gene and can also be affected by heredity, race, marital age and number of children previously borne. 

One-third of all twin births result in same sex fraternal twins and one-third are different sex fraternal twins.

“My sister Ashley and I are fraternal mirror twins,” said sophomore Stuart Poindexter. “We mirror each other in every way. She’s a blonde. I’m a brunette. I have a birthmark and she doesn’t. I write with my right hand, she writes with her left. And of course, I’m a guy and she’s a girl.”

“It’s weird having someone the exact opposite from you,” said Ashley Poindexter. “Seeing Stuart is like looking through the other side of a mirror. I see me and then there’s him. It’s weird.”

And despite there being just the two types of twins, there is a growing scientific belief of a possible third type of twinning, polar-body twinning. This type (although not fully accepted as an “official” type of twins by scientists yet) theorizes that twins aren’t exactly identical and aren’t exactly fraternal, but half identical/half fraternal.

 Polar-body twinning, according to NOMTC, can happen when the oocyte (primary egg cell) divides twice on its way to maturity, yielding egg cells and polar bodies at different stages along the way. Usually these smaller polar bodies don’t play a meaningful role in reproduction. But now scientists believe that some twins could be the result of two of these egg cells and larger polar bodies being pregnated by two sperm. The twins would most likely share all of their mother’s genes but only half of their father’s genes.

“Dating Cody’s friends are off limits,” said senior fraternal mirror twin Savannah Knighten. “That’s one of our rules.”

“But it’s okay to cover for each other whenever there is a problem,” said brother Cody Knighten. “I keep an eye on Savannah so I know what she’s doing most of the time. I’m really pretty protective.”

Freshmen Tommy and Tara Skarbek, born May 10, 1993 are also fraternal mirror twins.

“She’ll probably kill me for saying this,” said Tommy Skarbek. “but my favorite thing about Tara is her smile.”

“Tommy is a very unique brother,” said Tara Skarbek. “We’re mirror twins so our tastes are really different. I listen to only alternative music and he goes from Sinatra to Black Eyed Peas. Its interesting.”

Rates of twins vary by society but according to the latest CDC National Vital Statistics Report (2002), the approximate twin birth rate (number of twin births to total live births) in the U.S. is about 31.1 per 1,000 live births. 

Even though twins and other multiples are more common today than they once were, you’re still pretty unique if you are born as a twin–only about one out of every 32.1 live babies born is a twin. These odds used to be much higher, when the twin authors of this essay were born in 1964, there were 41,259 sets of twins born in the United States, with 10.4 per 1,000 births meaning about one of every 96 babies in 1964 was a twin.

“It’s nice to have someone around the house, who’s the same age that I can do things with,” said freshman Nick St. Clair who has a fraternal twin named Ryan. 

“My brother Ryan and I don’t really ever get along. When we do though, it’s nice.”

“One of the reason’s we don’t get along is we make fun of each other and sometimes we take it too seriously,” said Ryan St. Clair. “It usually results in a fight.”

In a London Medical Association study completed in 2003, a set of twins were separated. One twin was put in a soundproof room with a box and bucket full of ice water. The other twin was out of sight and earshot. The second twin was hooked up to a machine and his respiration, muscle movements, pulse rate, and galvanic skin response (sweating hands) were monitored. Every time the first twin did something the other twin had the same unconscious reactions.

“There have been moments when Douglas and I have finished each other’s sentences,” said senior Garret Smith, who is an identical twin. “Sometimes we’ll be sitting silently or watching TV or something and we’ll say the same thing.  And sometimes we tell the same jokes. But, we usually don’t talk in sync.”

The book Twin Connections: Stories That Celebrate the Mysterious Bond of Twins, twins, and friends and family of twins, tell the spooky and magical stories of twins thinking alike and feeling alike.

“Connor lives with our dad on the coast now,” said freshman fraternal twin Colleen McCowan. “We’re really close so it’s really hard to be away from him. I miss him a lot.”

In one story a twin feels her sisters pain, as her sister gets ready to give birth. In another, one twin could sense the moment when his brother died. 

“I can sense when Hannah is sad,” said freshman Sophie Cashman. “We’re mirror twins so its not as strong, but I can still feel it.”

“Sophie and I talk in sync a lot,” said Hannah Cashman. “We do that more than finishing sentences.”

“My twin brother and I always hated dressing the same back in high school,” said Mark Stamper, the                                                                                                                                           data and curriculum secretary. “Everyone said we looked ‘so cute’, but really it was just embarrassing.”

Twins are miraculous. Every day twins are born. Every day they breathe and laugh. Most every day, they look at or think about their twin and think, “hey, that looks like me,” and naturally, this causes both to smile.

“I’ve been here for five, six years,” Robinson said matter-of-factly.

There is usually work for the 62 clients here, but today is a slow day and Robinson and his friends watch a children’s show and color workbook pages as they talk with me. 

“I like arts and crafts, class and my politics. I went to see Barack Obama in person at your school. I’m enjoying myself.” Robinson smiled, folding his hands neatly. He worked on the now-President’s campaign and is very excited to see Obama’s economic plan.

The room is full of people who get work from CORIL, but this center stands out; the clients, including Robinson, are all mentally handicapped.

discovery

I discovered CORIL around this time last year in the midst of rehearsals for “The Boys Next Door,” a show focusing on the lives of mentally handicapped people. We came as a cast for character research and all nine of us fell in love. 

“I was in a movie called ‘The Postman’ and I was waving to Kevin Costner in the beginning of it,” Robinson said proudly when I mentioned that I was an actress, pushing up his glasses again.  He is absolutely infectious. 

I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to come here and spend a little bit of time with these awesome people. 

After the visit, we all worked hard to portray characters that were true to life and realistic. Rehearsals for the show became something a little more serious. 

We all realized that this was the only time some audience members would get to spend time with the mentally challenged, and I know I spent hours on my character, trying to make her heartfelt and innocent.

I vividly remember being backstage at intermission during one of the matinee shows, rushing around and finding costume pieces. 

Then I saw someone who was not involved in the show– a life skills teacher with one hand on the arm of a mentally handicapped boy. Something caught in my throat as I realized the implications of who was watching me. 

The life skills teacher smiled at the few of us who were backstage and I thought I saw a tear in her eye. 

I have no idea who she is or what school she works with, but I do remember her saying  that she and her students were enjoying the show, and thank you to us for the light we are shedding on how human these people are – and that is the important thing.

I can say that those who do not think and talk like us are like us just the same. They fall in love, they have problems with family members, rely on people, have incredible talent, passions and annoyances and deal with the challenges life hands them in their own ways. 

They are perhaps more alive then most of us will ever be.

In the show, there is a character who has the mental capacity of a five year old. In a monologue that had many of us backstage in tears every night, Lucien P. Smith speaks straight to the audience eloquently and intelligently in a dream. 

“I am retarded. I am damaged. I am sick inside from so many years of confusion… utter and profound confusion,” he said. 

“…But I will not wither because the cage is  too small. Societies are judged by the way they treat their most helpless of citizens. I am that citizen. And if you turn away from me, you extinguish your own light, deny your own warmth. I am Lucien Percival Smith: a simple man, but simply a man.” 

A magical thing would happen in the audience just then, something that every actor wants to have happen while they perform. 

The teenagers dragged to the show would look up from texting, audience members would stop whispering about the show to each other. For a second before a thunderous round of applause, you could hear a pin drop.   

Since the show, some of us have pushed these lessons we hope we taught others to the backs of our minds. 

Some of us, however, used the play as a stepping off point to make a difference in the community. 

Jake Thompson, a fellow cast member who attends Bend Senior High School, is actively involved with the life skills program at his school and I have become interested in a career as a social worker. 

another visit

I went back eagerly to CORIL to find that magic again. Social worker Martha works with the more severely disabled men and women that come here for educational enrichment, and I admire her deeply. 

Many of them cannot talk and they do not work, but their personalities shine. “Joey likes to hum,” she explained as Joey rocked back and forth slowly, flipped through a phone book and would not meet anyone’s eye. 

“He’s come a long way,” she said. “We take trips to Healing Reins and he walks around with some of the horses there.” 

I leaned forward, interested. “Joey, do you like horses?” 

He still said nothing, but he stopped rocking and humming for a minute to give me a huge, lopsided smile. 

“That’s cool!” I gave him a thumbs up and he turned his attention back to the phone book. 

A childlike gleam lights their eyes when they describe work or their friends and they vie for attention.

Martha, the social worker, introduced me to a nonverbal man named TJ. “He has the most wonderful smile. He encourages us to show up every day.” She said. 

Many of the clientele went to high school in Bend; Robinson graduated from Bend High in 1994.  

And special education programs have come a long way since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed in 1990. IDEA provides free, appropriate public education to children ages two to 21 with disabilities, regardless of handicap that affects mental performance. 

The Bend LaPine Schools are very involved with providing care to those with mental challenges, and CORIL is there to help people after graduation become productive citizens in the community. 

The center provides mentally challenged people with minimum wage work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Work is integrated with numerous activities and opportunities such as skills training and counseling. 

On this particular day, several of the clients attended a class on basketball and we played a rousing game of hangman to review the game’s vocabulary.

The center has several partnerships in the community. Many clients are especially enthusiastic about swimming at Juniper Swim and Fitness Center twice a week. The Bend Park  and Recreation District takes them on hikes; Healing Reins, a therapeutic horse ranch, often hosts field trips; the Opportunity Foundation thrift store employs chiefly people with some kind of mental disability. 

reaching out

“It’s all about integrating these guys into society,” said work center manager Mike Smith. In addition to these activities, weekly pot lucks and picnics offer an opportunity to meet new people, and, as the company’s website says, “every day there is growth.” 

“I  meet a lot of friends,” said Robinson of the pot lucks. 

Sometimes, though, all of this is not enough. Sometimes, we need to step in and show a little bit of love. 

Maura, a young  woman with a bright smile as well as an affinity for showing anyone her tricks (army crawl and crab walking among them), confided in me while I interviewed her. “I felt kind of dumb in my science class, because I was the only one who needed a lot of help,” she said. 

I would like to think that, would I have been there, I would have helped her as much as I could and encouraged her to keep going. 

It is a very personal experience to be at CORIL; just talking to the people makes them feel important. 

After I was done talking to Cathy, which she took very seriously (at one point we were obliged to go outside so that she could talk without being distracted, at her wishes), she said, “Thank you, I’m very happy.”

I am not looking to change the world. It is the little things, like a smile or a kind word, that can make all the difference. 

Just remember that when you say something is retarded, you are saying that it is just like Richard Robinson or Maura or Lucien P. Smith. Should their way of life be used as an insult?

That day at CORIL opened my eyes to what is really out there. Tolerance is not just about race, gender or sexual orientation, although that is what gets the (still deserved) attention.

Not only does MTV provide such a beauty ranking service, hotness rankings flood social networking sites like Facebook. 

Of course, some sites say everyone has an equal chance of being considered attractive. The phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” which backs up such sites, has become a cliché saying.  The irony of the adage’s over use is that it is false. 

In nature, humans rely on similar points of attraction to decide on a mate. Based on the five senses, we can tell that beauty is not truly in the eye of the beholder.

Sight: The average human uses sight to define level of attraction in three main areas, symmetry, height, and shape. A symmetrical female or male shows signs of good health. Symmetry in nature shows signs of good development, parasite resistance, survival and fertility.

In males, height is an important factor in attraction and overall success. 

For this attraction point, let us go into the wild. In the animal world, larger animals tend to be more dominant. 

Females gravitate toward the more dominant male for means of survival. This trend continues in the human species, as most attraction studies have found that women prefer men taller than five foot nine. 

Studies have also found that this survival technique links to the business world. According to a University of Pittsburgh study, “The average height of a man in the United States is five foot nine, whereas more than half of the CEO’s in the American Fortune 500 are over six feet tall and only 3 percent are less than five foot seven.”

Shape attraction has differed throughout the years. Men in medieval times were attracted to women considered fat by modern standards. 

Meanwhile, now men are generally looking toward fit women, while trends in shape change with fashion. 

If someone is looking for fertility, standards remain the same. Men with broad shoulders and trim tummies tend to produce more sperm and thus are more attractive in mating circles. 

Women with hourglass shapes have similar qualities.

Sound: In nature, birds and moose use mating calls to attract potential partners. 

Humans similarly use their voice. According to Psychology Today, low voices are “the peacock’s tail of attraction,” designed solely for attraction purposes. 

A low voice shows increased testosterone levels and helps signify authority. Again, given the natural instinct of a human, people are attracted to the sound of the voice for safety and reproductive reasons.

Smell: Most Americans believe that body odor is a nuisance. We shower daily, wear perfume and cologne and promote deodorant products. 

While Americans seem to avoid the stench of bad body odor, in the past humans have embraced it.  

According to SkinBiology.com, in the Middle Ages, a man would wipe his brow after dancing and present it to his lady as a love token. Why share such a sweaty smell? 

According to Psychology Today, the reason is human pheromones. A pheromone is a chemical found in body odor that triggers response from the brain. 

Each person’s pheromone level is different due to differences in DNA. 

A 1996 study by Sarah Richardson shows that females prefer men whose genes are the least similar to their own. 

In an experiment, men were given an unscented T-shirt and were asked to wear it for two nights in a row. During this time they  didn’t use deodorants or scented soaps. 

After, women were presented with six shirts– three from men with similar genes, and three from men with different genes from their own. 

The results showed that the women preferred the scents of men whose genes were different from their own. The scent of men with similar genes often remind the women of a relative’s odor, such as a brother or father, while the smells of dissimilar men would often remind them of a past or current boyfriend. 

This suggests that body odor might have influenced past and current decisions on who to date.

Taste:  Pheromones also impact attraction in taste, especially when we kiss. Kissing is a way of “tasting” the other person’s pheromones to determine if they are sexually compatible, according to A.G. Singer’s study, A Chemistry of Mammalian Pheromones.

In addition, similar food taste has been linked to attraction. 

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that after people were given a sample of ice cream and compared likes and dislikes, the tasters who enjoyed the sample were more likely to say they could trust the people that shared their tastes.

Touch: touching someone is primarily used in flirtacious settings to determine attraction. Whether it be playing “footsie” or brushing up against a person, these social cues help people determine attraction. 

Psychologist Monica Moore, of Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, found that flirtatious women would “accidentally” brush up against a man they were interested in or gently tap his forearm. These were taken as signs that they were “interested.”

After all the college applications have been mailed in, the caps have been thrown and the gowns stuffed in the backs of closets, the class of 2009 will face a grim welcome to the adult world.

The high school seniors that graduate this June will be the first class of college freshman to see the price tag of their education affected by the 2008 financial crisis. The stock market crash and credit crisis could translate to increased college tuition, a diminished financial aid pool and fewer private student loans.

College tuition has been on the rise for years, adjusting for inflation. But the 2009-2010 school year may usher in much more substantial tuition hikes than those seen in the past few years.

“I am concerned that we are entering a period—as we did following the recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s—when we will see a sharp spike in tuition prices at both public and private institutions,” said American Council on Education President Molly Broad in an October press statement.

Public universities in particular will need to raise tuition. Facing strained budgets, state governments will likely decrease subsidies to universities, and the extra cost will shift to students and their families.

To a lesser extent, private universities may also raise tuition. A portion of private colleges’ budgets comes from endowments and alumni donations, and in a hurting economy income from private donations tends to decrease.

The average tuition for in-state, public colleges has increased 35% since the 2001-2002 school year, according to a March 2008 poll by education group GreatSchools.

When the class of 2009 starts college, they will be expected to contribute significantly more money toward their education than college students in the past. Meanwhile, families who have over invested in stocks or real estate may not be able to give their student as much financial help as they had planned.

The economy is the primary culprit, but not the only one. The class of 2009 will likely attend college in record-breaking numbers.

            The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projects that 3.31 million students are expected to graduate high school this year. The class of 2008 was the largest group of graduating seniors in American history. The class of 2009 will be only slightly smaller, and a higher percentage of them will enroll in college.

            More college students mean that scholarship and grant money- both from private donors and the colleges themselves- will be spread thinly compared to past years.

            President Obama has promised a $4000 tax credit for college students in exchange for a minimum of 100 hours of community service per year. It would be fully refundable, meaning students whose families make under $4000 a year would still be eligible to receive the money.

The four thousand dollars, formally named the American Opportunity Tax Credit, is enough to cover up to two-thirds of tuition at a public university or a full year at a community college.

College tuition, however, was hardly a hot-button issue during the presidential campaign, and the specifics of this plan remain nebulous. The AOTC is designed for families putting their kids through college. Would it still apply to self-supporting students, or those who must finance their own education without help from their parents?

In fall 2008 18.4 million students enrolled in college, according to a U.S. Census Bureau press release. Giving each of them $4000 would constitute a spending increase of roughly 73.6 billion dollars. Would this tax credit be need based, merit based, or given to every college student?

The most important question is “When will this plan actually take effect?” Even if Congress promptly drafts and approves a tax-credit-for-service plan, it may not take effect instantly.

“I wouldn’t count on anything until it becomes law,” said Scholarship Counselor Norma Dean.

“Everyone should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),” said Dean. “I’d suggest that students apply for every scholarship they are qualified for. There’s no limit to the number of scholarships you can receive.”

Despite the elevated cost, an economic recession can actually be a good time to pursue higher education. In a poor economy, jobs are scarce anyways; even some older adults return to school during hard times. When the high school seniors of 2009 graduate college in 2013, the economy will likely be off life support and the job market will be expanding once again.