Winter break is here!

By Sreevatsa Gottada
Entertainment Editor

For those who have been counting down on their calendars, the widely anticipated day is here! After countless hours of studying for tests, doing homework, and not resting well because of school, students now have the ability to be care-free for about two weeks.

While winter break can be very relaxing, it is a time that could be used for many beneficial things. For juniors or some seniors, it is a good time to study for your SATs as you'll have to take them next year. Not only that, but if you are behind any of your classes, it is a great time to catch up. Turn those C's into A's!

However, it is called a break for a reason. So, go ahead and have some fun! Enjoy the fact you are not required to do homework, and have the ability to get enough sleep on any given night.

There are many things to do over winter break, so be sure to utilize your opportunity. You could take up a sport if you did not have the time to do so when school was around or you could take a class on a hobby you would like to participate in. These are just the tip of the iceberg when considering all the activities over winter break, so take note of the fact this is a golden opportunity to do many things that you were not able to do during school days.

Anyway, the main thing to remember about winter break is to relax. Don't do nothing, but don't overwork yourself. Use this opportunity to rest, do activities you did not have the ability to do, etc. Have fun Falls Church. Enjoy the holidays, Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever you may celebrate. We'll be back next year, so happy new year in advance!

Source: http://barnardreslife.org/

Places you must see by Yancy Garcia

Life passes by and we see and visit the same places everyday and we have yet to see the other side of the world or even the other side of the town. There are many places that exist that are so surreal that you have to see and experience.  These places are carved by nature itself or made by man himself and are just breathtakingly beautiful that all we can do is just take it in and smile. One of those places that are just mind blowing is the Zhangye Danxia landform in Gansu, China. The landform has a rainbow formation which means that the whole landform is just covered in an array of colors. This was formed over 24 million years ago when minerals and sandstone were pressed together and then pushed together by tectonic plates. The swing at the “End of the world” in Banos, Ecuador is a sight which attracts people because a tree house over the edge of a nearby active volcano has a swing attached to it with no harness, and only the bravest risk takers will get on it to enjoy a swing or two. The sea of stars on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives is just another place where you feel alive because you can’t believe you are there. The sea of stars gets its name because it appears as a mirror of the sky above, the bioluminescence in the water is due to the phytoplankton. At night the effect they have on the shore is stunning which is why they bring many people and is known to be a romantic area. In interesting place is the Salar De Uyuni in the Potosi and Oruro departments of southwest Bolivia. It would be an interesting place to go to because it is the world’s largest salt flat and when the rainy season comes it becomes the world’s largest mirror. The haiku stairs of Oahu in Hawaii, United States also known as the “Stairway to Heaven” is a risky place but worth every second many people have claimed. It is 3,922 steps crawling up Oahu’s Koolau Mountain Range; it was closed down to the public in 1987, but many people still go up there because of the scenic voyage.  All these places are just marvels of the world and should be enjoyed right now because there is nothing like these places.

 

* These are just some of the places that i've mentioned*

Christmas Shopping Disaster By Sabrina Arauz

Christmas is finally coming up. Everyone is happy during this time knowing that they are able to spend Christmas time with their families. Christmas is packed with listening to classic Christmas music, admiring the gleaming bright lights on houses and the Christmas tree, kissing under the mistletoe, drinking sweet hot chocolate, and lastly, the gifts. Both receiving and giving gifts on Christmas is quite an important aspect to appreciate. Many people may say, “It’s not all about the presents,” but we all know how important it is to actually buy gifts for your coworkers, friends, and family.

Giving is very important on Christmas, so what do we stress ourselves with at this time? The answer is Christmas shopping. The first place to run to Is nonetheless, the mall. With malls closing at around 11:00pm during this time, people have a better chance to go out and shop for others. There are multiple great discounts at many different stores which makes this a great opportunity for everyone. Everything seems easy right? WRONG.

It’s very difficult to make a visit to the mall because on the way there, there is more traffic than there usually would be on the way there. That is only the first part. Another point is that the parking is impossible. With patrols all over the streets, it is much more challenging to just drive through the lot. Hundreds of cars fight for parking spaces which may also cause accidents.

Inside the mall, there is what seems like millions of people. Getting to one certain store may be a mission with all the people. In the stores, there are items running out of stock. When there is only one small sized shirt left and two girls need it, cat fights may go down.

Be careful everyone. Have a safe Christmas!

Ed Cochrane

Sandy Hook, Never Forgotten

 

                        This upcoming Saturday is the one year anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is still hard to believe that twenty six innocent people were shot to death twenty of them children. This event seemed to shatter America’s false sense of security because of how simple it was for Adam Lanza to break into an elementary school and kill twenty six people. Now the only things we can do are protect ourselves and our loved ones from shootings and remember those that have passed. Recently I wrote article in the Falls Church High School newspaper about Americas growing insensitivity towards gun violence fortunately the shooting that occurred in Sandy Hook was an exception, the media and the majority of America is still memorializing this tragic event a year later but it takes more than just remembering those who have passed. I believe that we as Americans did not react correctly we stood there in shock when we should have been securing our schools or passing laws to prevent gun violence or finding ways to treat people like Adam Lanza who are mentally unstable.  The parents of the children that died during the shooting have done numerous ent gun things to prevent gun violence Allisa Parker started an anti gun violence blog called The Parker Five, Allisa Parker collaborated with Michelle Gay another parent of one of the victims to form Safe and Sound Schools a nonprofit organization that teaches schools and parents about safety during deadly situations, and Nicole Hockley who now leads the Sandy Hook Promise a website against gun violence. As we remember this tragedy we must also pledge to take action and prevent gun violence whether it be educating people on safety, treating mentally ill people like Adam Lanza , or passing laws that prevent gun violence.



The Death Of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918. He was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary (a resistor to the system of racial segregation that was enforced by government). He also served as the democratic President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and as the President of the African National Congress from 1991 to 1997. Mandela faced racism and discrimination throughout his whole entire life and he chose to devote his life to fighting against it. He led his government against racism, poverty, and inequality. He was the first to be elected in a multiracial election as the first black South African to hold office.

                At first, Nelson Mandela believed in not-violent protests, but later, he took part in founding a militant group used for violent protests in 1961. Nelson Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for short periods of time on many occasions. In 1962, he was sentenced to life in prison for leading a bombing conspiracy against the government, but he only served 27 years.

                Mandela spent much of his later life focusing on helping with charity work. He even has his own foundation, the Nelson Mandela Foundation. His foundation is dedicated to fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS. He received countless awards such as the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, but that is only one of more than 250 awards. In his home in South Africa, Nelson Mandela is known as the “father of the nation.”

On December 5^th, 2013, Nelson Mandela passed away at home after battling a long illness. He was 95 years old. It is a tragic loss that he has passed on, but now he is at peace. He was an extremely influential figure in the lives of many people. Nelson Mandela brought peace to the people of South Africa who now deeply mourn the loss of their father.

Paul Walker's Death

        Paul Walker and Roger Rodas passed away on November 30, 2013. Paul Walker died at the age of 40! Walker was attending a charity event in California, to help those in the Philippines. It was sad to see that he died after he was doing something kind. He died in a car accident, and the car burned into flames. Witnesses say that the car hit a tree, and then hit a light pole. Nothing could be done to get them out of the car, because it happened so fast. The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was the car that he was in. This car is extremely hard to drive. This car has no stability control, really fast, and it has a lot of horsepower.
Walker was an actor and was famous for his Fast and Furious movies. Fast and Furious 7 has been postponed, and they don’t know when it will release. The movie is not done yet and the producers don’t know what to do with Walker. Since Walker’s death they still haven’t filmed. After Fast 7 will they still continue the series? Walker is in a movie called Hours and it’s scheduled to release next week. An interesting story happened a couple of years ago. A couple that were in the jewelry store were looking at rings. They liked one ring but they couldn't’couldn't afford it, so Walker told the manager that he would pay for it. He told the manager to not tell them it was him. After Walker died, the manager told the couple it was Paul. The couple is grateful because of what he did. The manager said “To do something like that to a perfect stranger is unbelievable.” This describes the type of person Paul is.
What the Fast and Furious cast has to say about Walker:
Tyrese Gibson said “I will keep your energy with me forever.” Gibson couldn't believe that his friend died and he was crying when he arrived at the scene.
Vin Diesel said “Thank you for coming down here and showing that angel up there how much you appreciate him.” Diesel was really close to Walker and he was like a brother to him.
Dwayne Johnson said “All my strength, love and faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time. We find our strength is hi light. Love you brother.”
Sung Kang said “Missing my brother…”
Ludacris said “Your humble spirit was felt from the start, you blessed your presence you always left a mark.”
Paul walker will be truly missed by everyone.

By Christian Marcia

Exploring Foreign Lands But Forgetting Our Own

Virginia is a city filled with rich history, famous landmarks and greenery. This rich background has brought in an abundance of tourists from various sides of the globe. The state has generated twenty billion dollars in visitor spending, supported two hundred thousand jobs and produced almost two billion dollars in state and local taxes for the communities from tourism.

It is a tourist’s beehive and a place well worth exploring for residences of this state. Many people always want explore and experience different cultures but in the process we forget to experience our own. In the summer or the winter holidays people always make up travel plans for another states and countries. Why not experience what Virginia has to offer before trekking off to another places. 

Virginia is a beautiful state and you should shed some time to explore the depths of what it has to offer. We have museums like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Historical Society and much more. These museums help you learn about the rich history of Virginia. 

If you are not interested in history, then go explore the famous landmarks surrounding Virginia. We have the Tomb of the Unknowns, Colonial Williamsburg, and Marine Corps War Memorial. Colonial Williamsburg consists of many of the buildings that formed the original colonial capital of Williamsburg in James City County from 1699 to 1780. The Marine Corps War Memorial depicts one of the famous moments of World War II, this memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in the service of the United States since 1775. 

If you landmarks do not fulfill your wishes rather you would prefer to bask in serenity surrounded with greens then national parks is where you should visit. We have the Great Falls Park which is eight hundred acre park and has a wonderful view wrapped with various activities like hiking, rock climbing, bicycling etc. We also have the Manassas National Battlefield Park which is five thousand acre park with a story to tell as well as scenic vistas.  

Virginia has many things to offers, the only thing left to do is look for it and you are bound to find it. So give Virginia a chance before you start exploring other places, you might have a new appreciation for our state.

By Abhinav Mishra

Seeing the world from a different perspective
By Isabel Vargas

Jack Zyra, a disabled student, who attends Cosgrove Middle School, was diagnosed with a rare condition that put him in a wheelchair at the age of two.

Even though Jacks life was not always easy, he would always try to fit in and try to be the same as everyone else.

Jack was doing basketball in gym class.

 Many of Jack’s classmates were very supportive and did not discriminate Jack for being disabled. They would help Jack with his belongings and help him out in any way they could.

A few days ago, Jack’s friends wanted to be just like him.

The principal of Cosgrove Middle School decided to rent wheelchairs for gym class for wheelchair basketball.

Jack’s mother, Karen, was thrilled to hear that they rented wheelchairs for basketball but she was not surprised because she knew how supportive the school was and stated “This is just the way this school is.”

Even the gym teacher, Eileen Buck, stated “I think it teaches the students compassion and that there is plenty of differences in the world to get [from] point A to point B; and there’s no one right way and I think it’s teaching the students to try different things and accept other.”

After the wheelchair basketball got a lot of attention in this Middle School the gym teacher is offering it after school for anyone who is not in Jack’s class.

I really liked how Jack’s classmates were very supportive and helpful; most kids are immature and would have made fun of Jack. I also liked how the principal rented the wheelchairs in order for the Jacks classmates to experience how it feels to be someone who has some kind of disability. The students got a different perspective in this situation and knew how Jack felt over the years even if they just got to use the wheelchairs for a short period of time.

Barbara Park dies at the age 66

         When you guys were in kindergarten and first grade, you probably remember a series called Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park. For some of you, the Junie B. Jones books were the first few books that you remember reading as a beginner. Well, on November 15, 2013, after battling for a long time with ovarian cancer, Barbara Park died.

        Barbara Lynne Park was born on April 21, 1947; daughter of a merchant and a secretary, Doris and Brooke Tidswell. She was raised in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey. She attended Rider College in 1965 to 1967, later finishing her Bachelor of Science in 1969 at the University of Alabama. In 1969, she married Richard A. Park. She lived in Arizona for almost 30 years and had two sons, Steven and David. She was the author of the popular Junie B. Jones series, as mentioned before, and won seven Children’s Choice Awards and four Parents’ Choice Awards. Besides the Junie B. Jones books, she also wrote novels such as The Kid in the Red Jacket and Don’t Make Me Smile. She died at the age of 66 on November 15, 2013.

        The Junie B. Jones books, all 23 books, have sold more than 22.5 million copies in North America alone. This series was also published in Italy, Spain, and Indonesia. Six Junie B. titles surged onto the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list.

         In the first 17 chapter books, she attends kindergarten. Later on, for the rest of the books, she attends first grade. Her manner of speaking is a blend of awkward (runned, thinked and throwed) and elegant (she likes the word apparently). And while her grammar improved in first grade, she still says funnest and bestest— words, says Park, which should be real even though they are not in the dictionary. I recommend you read this series!

         So, let us all remember Barbara Park and how she made herself part of our childhood.

By: Diana Gudiel-Benitez

Typhoon hits The Philippines

        Recently, a typhoon struck the Philippines killing hundreds and leaving thousands dead or missing. A typhoon is a tropical storm; this storm that struck the Philippines has been named Haiyan. The city of Tacloban was hit severely as well as the surrounding areas.During a typhoon, there are fast winds moving over 200 miles per hour, which is fast enough to knock down a tree and lift cars off the road. Also, it causes water to rise and begin to flood areas affected by the wind due to it's force.  The wind has enough power to tear up roofs of houses and buildings leaving inhabitants in danger, and in flooded areas, there is debris such as cars and large vessels from the ocean headed toward buildings where people could be temporarily staying
 Even after the catastrophe, how do you remove all the debris? Where do you put the debris once you collect it? how do you rebuild? These all come to mind when a natural disaster occurs and could cost the nation of the Philippines, millions for all the damage and for the recovery.

 This was once home to over 218,000 people, now they must restart their lives . This shows an example of the destructive nature of a typhoon. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images AsiaPa

As of today, November 12, Victims have requested and are in desperate need of food and supplies. 29 countries including the U.S. have started to send aid to the Philippines. The damage is over 600 million dollars which will take a long amount of time for victims to recover. More than 1,000 people have lost their lives and more than 2,000 are injured, the toll is likely to grow in the coming days.

Update: November 22, Death toll reaches 5,200


By:Tyler Sibal 

The History of the Bell Game

For all who don’t know what the Bell Game is, it’s the USA today game of the week that will held at Falls Church High School this Friday at 7:30pm verses Jeb Stuart High School. This game is one none should miss; it’s the one game in the whole season that means the most to the football players and the community. This “bell game” has been around a long time, and each year it lives onto its rivalry between Jeb Stuart and Falls Church High School. All the students, teachers, community come around to support their team as we all say “Stomp Stuart”, hoping our team will come back with the legendary bell. There is a lot of history behind the “Bell Game”, it all started in 1960 by Jeb Stuart High School’s first principal, Mr. Mason. Before being the first principal at Stuart Mr. Mason was an assistant principal at Falls Church High School. Then when Jeb Stuart opened some teachers from Falls Church transferred to Stuart, that’s when Mr. Mason became the principal at Stuart. As a new high school opened, Mr. Mason saw that many students who had to go to Stuart were former Falls Church students. Mr. Mason then wanted to come up with a friendly rivalry between the two schools. The “Bell Game” got its name by a Stuart faculty member, who was also a former Navy Captain. The former Navy Captain obtained a bell from the U.S.S JEB Stuart ship and brought it to Jeb Stuart High School. The tradition then began when Mr. Mason got the bell and created the friendly rivalry between Stuart and Falls Church, as he said that whoever wins the game then receives the bell. As years went on the bell was soon made into a trophy, a shop teacher at Stuart made the wood frame and then attached a metal plate. The metal plates have the school that won each Bell Game with each year next to it. This trophy is given to the varsity team at the end of the game, and then the trophy/bell is displayed in the school. This “Bell Game” has been around for many years, as this year it is the 49th year, and will live on to many more years.

2013 MLB Season Wrap-Up

       Ryan Haynes
       Sports


As the 2013 MLB season comes to an end lets look back on how the season panned out. Late, last season the MLB announced that the Houston Astros would be moving from the National League Central to the American League West. Because of this change there was an equal amount of fifteen teams in both leagues, thus inter-league games were played throughout the entire season for the first time in MLB history.
       On the first game of the season Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish was throwing a perfect game until in the bottom of the 9th with two outs Houston's Marwin Gonzalez hit a hard grounder up the middle for a single. Other milestones for the season include Homer Bailey, Tim Lincecum, and Henderson Alvarez all threw no-hitters. Other achievements include Ichiro Suzuki collected his 4,000 career hit, and Albert Pujols got his 1,000 career extra base hit.
       Max Scherzer, pitcher for the Detriot Tigers, got off to a ridiculous start being 14-0 before surrendering his first loss. Also Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles became one of only eight players ever to have thirty home runs by the end of June. Arizona Diamondback's Paul Goldschmidt had a break out year batting .302, 36 HR, and 125 RBI rewarded him with his first all-star game. Michael Cuddyer had a surprise season batting .331 leading the national league. Clayton Kershaw has another fantastic season with an ERA of 1.83 by far the best in the major leagues this year. Craig Kimbrel has another dominant year with the Atlanta Braves, starting the season off with 37 consecutive saves without blowing one.
       This year out of the ten teams to go to the play-offs half of them had not made it the year prior. Those teams include the Red Sox, Rays, Indians, Pirates, and the Dodgers. There was a 163rd game that was played this year to decide the second American league Wild Card winner between the Rays and the Rangers. The Rays won and then beat the Indians in the Wild Card game but then lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS. The A's and the Tigers faced off in the ALDS for the second year in a row and once again the Tigers came out victorious. In the National league the Pirates won the Wild Card game against the Reds but lost in game 5 to the Cardinals in the NLDS. Also the Dodgers beat the Braves in four games to move on the NLCS. Then in the NLCS the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in six games. In the American league ALCS the Boston Red Sox beat the Tigers also in six games. Now the World Series was between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. The first to games were in Boston at Fenway Park where the series was split 1-1. Then the series went to St. Louis in Busch Stadium where the Red Sox despite being in St. Louis took two of three games. Now the series moves back to Fenway and the St. Louis Cardinals are down to their last chance to win another World Series.

It's here!

By Sreevatsa Gottada
Entertainment Editor

          After months of waiting, it has finally arrived. The NBA season starts on Tuesday. Last June, we had an amazing finals series with the Miami Heat, and the San Antonio Spurs, in which the Miami Heat took home the championship. After taking a 3-2 lead in the series, and a five point lead with only seconds remaining, the Spurs surprisingly lost the game. LeBron James made a three, Kawhi Leonard missed a free throw, Chris Bosh rebounds a missed shot, and Ray Allen ties the game up. In 30 seconds, the San Antonio Spurs went from winning their fifth NBA title, to hoping they could finish the deal in overtime. Unfortunately for them, that did not happen. The Heat won in overtime, forced a game seven, and then won their second championship in a row. Now, it's the time to start anew...

          After an exciting off-season, newly constructed teams aspire to dethrone the Miami Heat. The Indiana Pacers proved a valiant threat to the Heat last post-season, with a stronger bench, can this team be the one to knock off the Heat? Or, how about the rockets? After leaving Los Angeles to play for Houston, is Dwight Howard the missing key to push the rockets into contenders? Maybe the team that everyone isn't considering can be the one to prove everyone wrong. The Knicks quietly improved themselves in the off-season, after finishing in second last season, they should still be a threat to finish in a high playoff spot come April.

          Not only is the race for the championship interesting, but so are the storylines. Derrick Rose will be coming back. How will the former MVP fare after a serious knee injury? Kobe Bryant will be returning. Considering his age, can he still play at a high level? Rivalries are brewing, especially the Knicks and the Nets. After an intense playoff series the Knicks had with the Celtics, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded to Brooklyn intensifying the tension between these two teams.

In any sense, this season will be extremely interesting and fun to watch! Don't miss out!

Protest at Bestway

Recently there was a protest going on at Bestway, a grocery store in Falls Church. They were angry because they were fired when they tried to ask for better working conditions, to not be paid under minimum wage, not be overworked, and to be allowed to form a union. When the owner of the store found out that the employees were forming a union he did not like it and he wanted them to sign a paper saying they weren’t going to do that, but when they didn’t 32 workers were fired. When they showed up for the next day they were locked out and weren’t allowed to come in, and then they got the help from the UFCW. The UFCW was there protesting with them for two weeks until the government opened because they couldn’t do anything legally with the government being shut down. They protested to let it be known to not shop at Bestway so the owner would change his ways and so that every can know what happened at Bestway. They stood there from ten in the morning until eight at night protesting. They were standing there in the rain, cold, and sunny weather not leaving until they got their jobs back or until they believe justice was done. After two weeks of protesting the owner amazingly recognizes them forming a union and allows them to come back to work all 32 workers. They of course had to come to an agreement with many other things which the UFCW helped them with too.  It was a very happy day for all of them because many of them have been working there for years and that was their only income. By this happening it made all the other bestway’s unionize and make it better for the workers.

                     By: Yancy Garcia

Disabled Girl Bullied By Threatening Text Messages

By Alissa Grisler

     

      According to a 2005 study, 1 out of every 5 Americans is classified as having a disability.  Another study shows that out of children aged six through fourteen, eleven percent of them will be born with a disability. With such a high ratio of disabled persons in America, you’d have thought that by now we would have realized that disabled people aren’t abnormal, or weird, and should be treated with respect, just as you would be expected to treat anyone else. However, some people still don’t seem to understand this. Shea Shawhan is a perfect example.

     For 8 months, eighteen-year-old High School Junior Shea Shawhan was sent violent text messages, harassing her and bullying her over her condition. Even though Shea is eighteen, due to a brain injury suffered at birth she now has the mental capacity of an eight year old. The threats were sent anonymously, telling Shea that she should kill herself and people wished she would have another seizure and die. There were also messages threatening to rape her. One message said, “I’m pretty sure ur going to hell. God doesn’t like sluts. U need to be cleaned.” Because of this torment Keri Riddell, Shea’s mother, has been coming to Shea’s school to sit with her at lunch.

    Many would fall apart over this kind of bullying, but not Shea. Instead, Shea’s mother set up a Facebook page called I’m With Shea. Here, people can show their support for Shea by posting on her wall. Other victims of bullying are telling Shea that she is an inspiration to them. This page currently has 70, 129 likes. What is, sadly, a fairly common occurrence has turned into a National story.

     

To show their support for Shea, at their Homecoming football game, many students came out sporting green, I’m With Shea T-Shirts. Even some students from the opposing school wore them to show Shea they had her back. She herself had on a shirt saying, I’m Shea, although she clearly needed no introduction. This display of kindness goes a long way. Shea has received a lot of support from Plano West Senior High School, and strangers whose lives she never even knew her story could affect.

7.2 Earthquake Devastates the Philippines
by Giselle Namata

            This past Tuesday, October 15th, an earthquake reaching 7.2-magnitude struck the Philippines near a major tourist city of Cebu at 8:12 am. Cebu is the most visited cities in the Philippines. Such magnitude caused buildings to collapse, bridges to fall, and roads to be destroyed mainly in areas of the city Bohol. Many churches in the surrounding area caused them to have significant damage, while a church built in the 17th century collapsed. Some deaths were caused by the roof of a market area to collapse, after reaching the densely populated area of Cebu city. The earthquake was deeper below the surface, compared to last years earthquake of 6.9-magnitude. The country of the Philippines is known to have often have quakes and volcanic eruptions, similar to it's neighboring countries in the "Pacific Ring of Fire". An earthquake on this great scale caused the death of nearly 100 people; while also leaving just as many people injured. 

            Have you heard about it? Did you know that this devastation took place? Currently in the US, the government has been working to get the system up and running again as of today. This event in the Philippines may have been overshadowed by the constant coverage on the government's latest actions.

            This video was taken by a security camera, showing footage of a pool in the area during the time the earthquake hit. It is visible to see the steady water levels of the pool to rapidly change and overflow onto the pavement with such force. 

           

The Government is Back

By Sabrina Arauz

October 1st of 2013, the government was shut down due to a disagreement between the two political parties, democrats and republicans. Today, October 17, 2013 the government finally came back and it’s up and running. For almost 20 days people did not go to work because of the government shutdown. People are back to work and are finally getting paid. Federal agencies, monuments, parks, museums, and zoos are now open again.

The government being shut down gave people quite an impact. All the tourists who wanted to visit museums, monuments, and parks were unable to visit these places at the time. They are now free to come back, but what about those who can’t? All the people who worked for the government were sent home and could not work. Some people got paid for the time they were out, but it wasn’t the same amount since they were not actually doing any work. People have bills to pay and their payments may come short. High School students wanted to apply for scholarships, but the scholarship acceptance was also delayed due to the government shutdown. Basically, this shutdown affected everyone somehow.

Today, our government is up and running. Everyone can keep calm and depend on the government. The government’s return has brought a feeling of relief within the people of the United States. We are all protected and we FEEL protected by the government. It is our main system to live in this country safely and securely. It was just about the right time for our government to fix its issues and continue guiding our country towards the right path. They finally said, “Enough of the disagreements, it’s time we got back to work.”

SUV Runs Over Motorcyclists in Manhattan

By: Edward Cochrane
     Nearly two weeks ago in Manhattan Alex Lien was pulled out of his black SUV and beaten by a group of motorcyclists in front of his wife and daughter. This news spread like wildfire because of a video posted by one of the motorcyclists who had a camera attached to his helmet on YouTube a video sharing website and went viral almost instantly . The video begins with what seems like a large group of motorcyclists surrounding an SUV on a freeway, causing the driver to hit one of the motorcyclists with very little force.  The group to completely stopped, after about ten seconds of being consumed in a mob of agitated motorcyclists the SUV plows through the group running over two motorcyclist,the rest of the group attempts to catch the driver for about five minutes until finally they have the driver trapped in New York City traffic the video comes to an end as one of the motorcyclists approaches the car with his helmet in hand and smashes the driver seat window. The whole video and information released with the video seems vague, and biased towards the group of of motorcyclists.

    The New York City Police Department released an official statement, and information about the event after investigation saying that one of the rear view mirrors  of the SUV was broken by the motorcyclists before the incident, Lien was arrested with charges of reckless endangerment one of the victims of the incident Edwin Meises suffered injuries to his spine and it is likely he will be paralyzed for the rest of his life,One of the bikers James Kuehne was arrested on charges of assault for beating Lien with his helmet while he was on the ground,and another biker Wojciech Braszczok testified untruthfully claiming he did not witness the beating but the video evidence shows him breaking a window.In  Liens own defense he said he panicked because the bikers threatening actions posed an imminent threat to himself his wife and his daughter.

Here is a link to the video it is not the original, the original is hard to find with so many re-posts:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvJW8Up65og

The Return of Rose

By Christian Marcia

Guess whose back? Derrick Rose has made a return to the NBA after suffering and ACL tear. Derrick Rose got injured on April, 2012. The injury caused him to miss all of the 2012-2013 season. If Rose didn’t get injured the Bulls would have had a shot at the championship. In my opinion they would have took the trophy to Chicago. The 2011-2012 season the Bulls were one of the best teams in the Eastern conference. In the 2012-2013 season the Bulls were an ok team. If they would have had Rose they would have probably advanced in the first round. One player really makes a difference to a team. 

   He went to rehab for a year because of the ACL tear.  He worked hard to come back this season, and he said he expects a championship this season.  Also his vertical increased by five inches after coming out of rehab. On October 5th, 2013 Rose played his first game since getting injured. Rose scored 13 points against the Pacers in 20 minutes. That’s a good start for someone who hasn’t played for a year. I think that Derrick Rose is back and he will have an impressing season this year. I think that the Bulls will the number 1 seed because of Rose. Also I think that he would be in the mix for league MVP. This is how good Rose is. Many people are going to expect a lot from him this year. If he doesn’t perform well people are going to think he’s just an average player. Before suffering the tear Rose was considered one of the best in the NBA. He was an explosive player, and he was the league MVP 2010-2011 season. Can he still be that explosive player this season?

The Steps Towards College

By Juliana Clifford

As most seniors know, college is approaching quickly. College applications are approaching even faster. The first thing that should be done in applying to colleges are knowing what colleges to apply to. The second step is finding out the deadlines and picking which deadline to use. The third step is filling out the college application, and doing the essay. The fourth and final step is sending in the applications and pray to get accepted. 

While picking colleges find at least five colleges to apply to. Apply to one or two safety, two match, and one or two reach schools. A safety school has a lower GPA and/or SAT score than what you have. A match school is a school that has an equal GPA and/or SAT score. A reach school has a higher GPA and/or SAT score that is close to your scores but still above. Make sure while applying you keep in mind each schools tuition fees because some schools have higher tuition rates than others. Don’t be afraid to look out of state because some states have lower tuition fees.
Each school has a different deadline schedule. Most schools have Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular. Early Decision is when applying, if accepted, you are agreeing to go there, even if you are excepted into other schools. So don’t apply to more than one school in Early Decision. Early Action is just being accepted before the regular admittance students. It shows that you are dedicated to college and ready for it, it usually has a higher acceptance rate as well. Regular is just applying in February or march and finding out with a larger pool of students. Look out for Rolling Admission, this is when you find out if accepted within four to six weeks of sending in your application, so get it in earlier!
Filling out College Applications is a tedious process that will test the limits of any sane persons patience. Don’t freak out just yet though, the essay is what will have you pulling your hair out. The essay is supposed to tell the admissions officer who you are, so essentially you are defining who you are in less than 650 words. Some good ideas is to tell a story of a choice or a person that either changed your life or showed who you are as a person. It is definitely hard to pick just one moment in time for that, but it helps looking at example. All you need to do is google “great college personal statements” make sure you don’t plagiarize though, it won’t start college off on a good foot. 
After all of this is done, all that needs to be done is submit the applications and pray to any thing you believe in that you get accepted. I wish you all good luck on the insane college application process. 

Would it affect you if the Government shut down?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) otherwise known as Obamacare has been causing tremendous amounts of controversy in the United States Government. The Affordable Care Act is an Act that will aim to increase the quality and affordability of healthcare. The Republican-controlled House approved a one year delay on parts of the healthcare law. If the Senate rejects this bill, the government will shut down starting Tuesday. This debate in Congress may not concern you as a student, but the results of the debate and the vote may.

What do you think would happen if the Government just shut down? The Government provides multiple services that are available to us every day. If the Government shut down, these services would no longer be available for our convenience. Police, Fire Rescue, all emergency personnel, and other necessary services would continue to run, but things such as the National Zoo, museums, and libraries would all be closed.

A Government shutdown can happen when the President, the House, and the Senate cannot perform their jobs and cannot agree on a budget to finance government programs. As a result of a shutdown, many people are on temporary unpaid leave. If the services are not in use, the employees are without pay, with the exception of the military and congress. Because museums and the National Zoo would be shut down, tourists will be turned away. This is a huge loss for tourism. It is unlikely, however, that you would feel the effects of a shutdown if it did not last for a long period of time.

            The Senate is due to vote on Tuesday. If they pass the one year delay bill, there is no shutdown, but if they do not agree with the one year delay of the healthcare law, a shutdown will begin. How greatly would that affect you? 

Did The Rise of the Planet of the Apes happen in real life?

By Isabel Vargas Claros

Nothing too similar to the movie The Rise of the Planet of Apes happened in this zoo.

Yesterday around 8:00 in the morning at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Port of Spain Sudi, a chimpanzee who is in between 40 and 45 years old escaped her cage. Just as Sudi was about to take a walk around the zoo, the zookeepers noticed something strange walking around the zoo. As soon as Sudi’s escape was discovered the manager, Nirmal Biptah initiated procedures in order to capture Sudi.

             The zoo opening at 10 in the morning meant that there would be no visitors at the zoo when Sudi was out of her cage. Sudi, being hand-raised since birth in Canada, was already accustomed with human presence. While Sudi was still out of her cage, she was able to keep calm while exploring her surroundings. While she was exploring her surroundings, Sudi’s keepers were keeping an eye out for her and they were trying to persuade her into enclosure.

Manager, Nirmal Biptah was also keeping an eye out for Sudi just in case he needed to sedate her. After a while Sudi climbed a tree near the zoo and as soon as Biptah noticed she was up there he sedated her and Sudi went back to enclosure without any injuries.

Around 4 p.m Sudi was awakening from her seduction.

Biptah was surprised Sudi escaped from her cage because it was her first time escaping and although the zoo does not know how she escaped they are still investigating to see what went wrong with the cages that that has been secure for almost 30 years.

            Although chimpanzees do not live for a very long time in the wild, they are very intelligent creatures who are the closest species related to humans.

Take a Stand during Child Cancer Month

 by: Anna Ziegler, Sports Editor

Think about this, every year thousands of children across the United States are diagnosed with cancer. Kids all under the age of fifteen have to go through a life threatening illness that causes them to go through a lot of pain. Not only is pain on the child who is going through cancer but also their families and community. Watching a child who has cancer is one of the most heartbreaking things to see, to not know what will happen next to this child but all you can do is hope and pray that they will be okay.

Our country stands together on this month for those young children who have lost their lives due to cancer or facing cancer today. As taking part in standing together has a country for the children who are diagnosed with cancer and for their families who have to struggle with them. As Congressman Sestak said “Of the 12,500 children diagnosed with cancer each year, more than 2,000 of these young lives are unnecessarily lost.” This month take a cause for those 12,500 children and make a change for those children who are fighting against this horrible illness.

I highly encourage you this month to look into Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, it’s an organization to raise money and awareness of childhood cancer causes. This organization helps get new research into cures and treatments. Getting involved in this organization could be a huge difference for a child with cancer. Think about what you were doing when you were a child, and think now about what a child who is diagnosed with cancer has to go through. Make a change, and donate to Alex Lemonade Stand because without us what will those ill children do because the government doesn’t fund for the research needed to save their young lives.

To donate text “Alex” to 895944 or call (866)333-1213, any amount will make a huge difference.

 

Nature Tourism has destroyed nature

During my summer vacation, I had went to Niagara Falls and naturally I was excited to see the giant waterfall in action. However, when I saw the giant waves of water crashing on the rocks, the steam swirling in the air, dozens of birds flying; these sights failed to elicit any kind of awe rather I was disappointed. For some time, I was unable to pinpoint as to why such disappointment crept as I had expected to be soaking in the scenery rather than sulking. So, I stood there staring at Niagara Falls for thirty minutes then I did a panoramic view of the place from where I was watching and I knew instantly the source of my disappointment. 

It was the commercialization of Niagara Falls that had tarnished the beauty which it once carried. Wherever my eyes gazed, I saw people crowding the place with their cameras, the noisy chit chat, fried foods and the garbage piling on the ground.  It was also the pollution and vehicular noises traveling to and fro from US to Canada. I always viewed nature as a package with trees surrounding the land, birds chirping and serenity filling the air. The experience I got from Niagara Falls was a total contrast of such expectations rather the inorganic noises of machines, the chit chat of people and the destruction of everything surrounding the falls made me remorseful. Once upon a time Niagara Falls was a beauty to behold but now it’s just a simple point on the map for the tourists to visit. 

For Niagara Falls to regain the beauty it once possessed; we must destroy all the man-made structure surrounding it and allow nature to grow back again. A huge patch of land should surround the falls with no shred of a single man made structure from at least a distance of 5 miles in every direction. Then we can create bus tours, merchandises shops, restaurants outside the area for commercialization and at the same time preserve the beauty of the falls. Alas, this is a dream for the idealist and the chances of such an initiative occurring is only possible in an alternate reality. So, the only thought that crosses my mind when I think of Niagara Falls is nature’s beauty lost forever.  

By Abhinav Mishra