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.