May 2011 - Jefferson County Public Schools

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Contributing Writers
Nurio Ahmed
Bryan Allen
Daryl Artis
Roxana Batista
Letitia Brown
Angel Cissell
Cha’kell Davis
Jasmine Devoe
Nikayla Edmonson
Brittany Felker
Arian Franklin
Brandon Grant
Eduardo Gutierrez
Mike Haines
Jalyn Hewitt
Kelsey Hinton
Courtney Holcomb
Jerry Johnson
Jermaine Jones
Kim Lam
DaEndre Lawson
Otis Leverette
Jamilya Miller
Quiyana Murphy
Rochelle Payne
Charlessa Richardson
Tevin Robinson
Greter Sierra
Waymon Slaughter Jr.
Danielle Spencer
Kristina Tilford
Le Terria Thomas
Sha’Raina Thompson
Randy Truong
Cierra Unseld
Anthony Wales
Jasmynn Weathers
Mayneisha Whitfield
Jorge Wilson
Yanitza Torres
Randy Troung
Tyler Woodson
Advisor
Anne Rodier
Submissions:
Anne.rodier@jefferson.kyschools.us
Have a Wonderful
Summer Vacation!
Inside this Issue
Success at Central
Presentation by Waymon Slaughter Jr.
Cheer-Fake
Thuggin: 101
It’s Not Fair
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Hoops
I Like
A Fresh Idea by a Young Face
Show Jamilya the Back Door!
Do Me a Favor Don’t Be a Player
Be Yourself
Dear Incoming Freshmen
JCPS Low Performing Schools: A Hot Issue
How to be a Bad Student
Listen to Your Heart
The Secret Garden
Bed Bugs
Brushing Your Teeth for Your Health
More Benefits than Usual
Obesity
Oral Piercings and the Dangers they Come With
International Adoption
The Winchester Mystery House
Golden Corral
Fat Ho Burgers
PizzaPastaWings
Ghost Stories
The Circus!!!!
Piercing Your Own Ears
Mixed Hair: Is it Really Better?
A Lesson Before Dying
Unwind
The River
Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
Perks of High School
Frankenstein
I Am the Messenger
Lord of the Flies
The Sky is Everywhere
Problems in Miami
The “Fab Five” Controversy
Polar Bear Plunge
Zumba
Most Outrageous Cases v. Important Cases
Summer Getaway
Great Cities to Visit
Ms. Andrea Miechelle Abma
Margaret Demaree
A Father’s Creation
Flashing Back
Seen at CHS
My Cuba
The Classroom
Sevens & Elevens
The Great United States of America

Success at Central
By Nikayla Edmondson
On April 22, 2011, an assembly was held to acknowledge students for their outstanding
academic success. The assembly opened with a solo by Mrs. Brown, followed by the chorus
singing, “We Are the World,” and a speech from the Class of 2011 Valedictorian, Waymon
Slaughter. Everyone was recognized; freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, for doing
their best and letting their hard work pay off on their first semester report cards. Many
other students came very close to being on the honor roll, but missed the cut by one grade.
“Central is full of smart children, some just don’t try as hard as others. We can all be honor
roll students if we put all of our efforts and hard work into school.” With everyone’s
attempt to achieve the goal of being honor roll students, the BEST high school in the world
can rocket to eve greater success!
The Central Newspaper would like to recognize all of the recent academic successes of our
students.
2011 Governor’s Scholars
Daryl Dijon Artis
Melody Simone Foree
Elaisy Gonzalez
Mersaydes LaChell Goodson
Breyia Denise Grate-Capers
Dwight O’Neal Haggard
RaVonya Icarus Hawkins
Khalisha Lashe’ Henderson
Nathaniel Trevize Lamar
Jeffrey Morrow Mitchell Jr.
Shannen Khadijah Patterson
Megan Nicole Robinson
Nikeya Janae’ Smith
All A Honor Roll Students
9TH GRADE
Jessica Ezell
Alvaro Ferrales
James Lee Goodman
Joseph Green
Allsion Harp
Acacia Leslie
Marisol Lopez-Amaya
Jasmine Marsh
Kelsey mccormick
Lania Roberts
Ashley Shofner
A’jee Sieka
Riana Simms
Isaiah Thompson
Alanis White
10TH GRADE
Evelin Couto-Sanchez
Steven Danzy
Fredy Encarnacion-Hernandez
Laith Khosho
Miguel Sangester
11TH GRADE
Doris Bachman
Elaisy Gonzalez
Domonique Newcomb
Megan Robinson
Javier Tapia Camejo
Robert Townsend
12TH GRADE
Roxana Batista Verdecia
Jamal Crutcher
Britteny Hill
Trevonte Meneese
Amberli Seay
Greter Sierra
Waymon Slaughter
Marcel Williams

1 st Semester AB Honor Roll
9 th Grade
Paw Wah
Ifeoluwa Akindele
Jessica Antonio
Alexus Armstrong
Aundranay Bailey
Donya Baker
Lilliannis Barbas-
Chamizo
Kaylee Bealmear
Jasmine Bell
Dominique Benberry
Breanna Bentley
Damon Boards
Phillip Bradley
Kayla Bryant
Ryan Caldwell
Kamaria Campbell
Cheyney Carney
Cristobal Castaneda
Priscillana Cawood
Mykel Crowe
Jocelyn Delgado
Monticia Dunn
Nakori Ellis
Micah Finley
Jasmine Ford
Domonique Foster
Jamitra Fulleord
Hannah Galeano
Diamond Gant
Asya Gholston
Courtney Gillespie
Ebonie Glenn
Beverly Granger
Nhi Ngog Ha
Alsoton Hammond
Dontesia Hampton
Amber Hardin
MKiyana Hinton
Treasure Hinton
Mia Hobbs
Kasandra Hodge
Corey Jarrett
Deion Johnson
Jessica Johnson
Brittany Jones
Keara Jones-Smith
Technisha Morrison
Dewayne Murray
Cierra Nolden
Moo Ra Paw
Chanell Pillow
Tanajia Reed
Angel Robertson
Jaela Ruedel
Darrius Sanders
Tiana Serio
Donald Simpson
Alexandria Smith
Brook Smith
Charity Smith
Christopher Wallace
Paul White
Aggie Williams
Jasmine Young
10 th Grade
Stefan Arsenovic
Angel Cissell
Sydney Clark
Miquel Crane
Nicolette Curtain
Sierra Davis
Paw Day
Amber Duvall
Tae Gibbs
Kyle Givens
Laura Gomez
Mako Haji
Jaz Hayes
Dominique Horton
Bryant Humphries
Jason Jewell
Temis Jimenez
Deiontre Knox
Aleasie Lauderdale
Christian Lopez
Sandra Martinez
Devictor McElroy
Nakia Morrow
Stephanie Murphy
Lanisha Porter
Somolia Pumphrey
Monica Ramirez-
Pantoja
Dajhanae Stewart
Erica Talbott
Malori Taylor
Tiffany Troung
Kaitlin Turner
Jasmine Watkins
Lakeshia Watts
11 th Grade
Nimo Abdi
Reniesha Adams
Nurio Ahmed
Daryl Artis
Brianna Baldon
Devon Ballenger
Tiffany Bass
Brooke Berger
Yurima Concepcion Hernandez
Quiara Cornel
Laura Cuellar
Laurent Cueller
Tyriesha Doyle
Mikella Fields
Yohamys Gonzalez Diaz
Mersaydes Goodson
Breyia Grate Capers
Ciara Hadley
Toni Hall
Ravonya Hawkins
Khalisha Henderson
Candace Hite
Phillip Horton
Jaquez Howard
Khadijah Hurt
Kurnisha Jackson
Tasheona Johnson
Nathaniel Lamar
Tony Trong Le
Dimend McClain
Zana Meaux
Jamilya Miller
Jasmine Miller
Timmetric Milliken
Jeffrey Mitchell
Quiyana Murphy
Lyndy Nguyen
Thanh Nguyen
Shannen Patterson
Destiny Pennerman
Briaunna Polk
Mia Simms
Donte’ Smith
Nikeya Smith
Shelby Washington
Jasmine Wilkins
12 th Grade
Bryan Allen
Kenneth Arachikavitz
Brianna Averette
Niveka Bailey
Demetrius Baines
Brandie Baker
Diamond Bell
Dana Bowman
Kierra Boyington
Darius Brown
Olivia Brown
Elario Castillo
Chania Coleman
Alexandria Cox
Jasmine Davis
Jasmine Devoe
Daniel Dix
Dana Durham
Chanequia Gore
Brandon Grant
Anel Hasanovic
Mashayla Hays
Chantel Henry
Jalyn Hewitt
Kaneisha Jones
Tajiana Jordan
Hau Le
Courtney McDonald
Derrick Neal
Vy Nguyen
Sarah Nofal
Silvia Placidos
Percell Petty
Kristina Pudlo
Tevin Roberts
Jose Salas
Cymari Stivers
Kentrell Thomas
Starnese Thomas
Breona Trice
Ciarra Trumbo
Shirley Troung
Crissa Washington
Mayneshia Whitfield
Jowanda Williams
Stephon Winburn

Presentation by Waymon Slaughter Jr, 2011 Class Valedictorian
Good morning, my name is Waymon Slaughter Jr. I am the valedictorian of the 2011 senior class.
Awards and certificates are the result of a lot of hard work, determination and persistence. Winners
never quit, and quitters never win. When I entered Central as a freshman, it was my goal to become the
valedictorian when I graduate. Throughout these last four years, I’ve maintained a 3.95 gpa, outstanding
attendance, and great overall behavior. Most people ask me, “How did you become valedictorian and
play football?” Well, I’ve had a great family support system, mostly by my mama encouraging and
challenging me to never settle for anything less than the best. She explained that playing sports in high
school requires me to be a student athlete. Student comes first, meaning my grades, attendance and
attitude had to be great in order to have the opportunity to play football. Athlete comes second,
meaning once I made the commitment to playing football, there was no quitting, and I had to work hard
and train hard in order to help my team succeed.
If you are failing, or know someone who is failing, or is on the verge of being exited out of
Central, look at yourselves in the mirror, because you’re the one to blame. You should never allow your
grades to fall below a 2.0. There are so many great teachers that put their heart and time into
preparation and giving lessons, and they never get the credit they deserve, but are always the one to
blame when a student is academically ineligible. Students, instead of feeling sorry for yourself and
complaining about teachers not liking you, do something about it. Start staying after for free tutoring
and get your grades up. If your grades are not up to par, then do whatever it takes to raise them. It’s one
thing to notice the problem, but it’s another to actually attempt to fix it.
To all the students that have even the slightest thought of going to college, you need to
start taking advantage of your time in school. Teachers distribute knowledge, and it’s up to you, the
students, to catch and use it. Get your grades up, so that when you start applying for various colleges
and scholarships, you will meet all of the qualifications. Start studying and reading your textbooks, so
that when you take your ACT, you will surpass the minimum college admission score of an 18. Stay off
the DO Not Admit list and out of ISAP because teachers keep record of your behavior, and those same
teachers that you try to “talk bad” to and cut their class, are going to be the same teachers that you are
begging to write you a positive recommendation. So watch your behavior.
In closing, Vincent Van Gogh, who was a famous artist, once said, “Great things are not done by
impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. That means it takes a lot of small goals to
reach your ultimate goal. Raising your grades, maintaining good attendance, and staying out of trouble
are all the small steps to eventually reach the ultimate prize of going to college. Students, remember
these three things:
1. Playing sports is a luxury, being a student athlete is important, grades come before play.
2. Your future lies in the hands of the beholder; take initiative for your own grades.
3. College requires decent grades, good test scores, and great recommendations.
Start now to prepare for your future. Once again, my name is Waymon Slaughter Jr. I hope you have a
blessed day.

Letters to the Editor
Cheer-Fake
Re: March 2011 YJT
Children often engage in fantasies that include make-believe ideas, but as teens and developing young
adults, we are expected to portray real ideas. A certain group of teens are unfortunately confused about the
difference between what is real and what is not, cheerleaders. They’d love to believe that cheerleading is a real
sport, but in reality it is just a fantasy.
In article, Cheer Safety, I noticed the young girl attempted to make cheerleading seem as if it is a tiring sport.
Yeah, it must be challenging to hop around making noise in a two-size too small skirt and a polyester belly shirt.
Sounds like such a work out; a work out plan for wimpy, out-of-control females that make an excuse about anything.
She started off her article by stating, “As you’ve probably experienced in your time at school, there is an
ongoing debate about whether cheerleading is a sport or not.” Basically she is implying that she is aware of the way
the real world sees cheerleading. I’m sure I can speak for majority of the population when I say CHEERLEADING IS
NOT A SPORT. Deep down in her mind she knows that too, but will not accept it, so she feels like she has to defend
herself.
In her defense she claims that without actually being a cheerleader yourself, you cannot understand the
challenges you face. I believe that appearance is everything. When basketball players work hard at practice, it reflects
in the game. When football players work hard at practice, it reflects in the game. When baseball players work hard at
practice, it reflects in the game. Those are all sports; what goes to show for cheerleading? Turning flips is an
incredible thing, but half the human population can do that. Smiling and waving at the crowd shows no hard work
and dedication.
Also, in her article, she gives techniques to use during cheerleading, such as drinking water, stretching, and
the one that shocked me the most, was using a knee brace and other types of braces. What could possibly go wrong
when you’re moving your arms up and down yelling, “Go team! Go!”? You may run out of breath, but I didn’t know
they made a brace for that!
Lastly, she sums up the article with a sentence that really grinds my gears, “I’d love to see the uprising of
cheerleaders, so keep fulfilling your dreams and never let your talent go to waste.” Cheerleading is a waste itself.
They cheer for teams that wouldn’t be any better or worse without them. Schools spend too much money on
equipment for an activity that does nothing to improve the ranking of the school or academics and ultimately should
not be considered as a sport.
Brad Peterson
Washington, DC
Steelers Football Manager
“Thuggin: 101
As I was in mid stride, walking downtown in gangster heaven, doing whatever the heck it was I had to do, I
came across a newsstand, and picked up a hell of an article. It was titled “Thuggin: 101.” I’ve come across quite a few
thugs in my bazillion years of living, and this DaEndre Lawson guy is quite the stand out. I’ve never thought of being a
thug without. It was quite the article. Those power puff girls have never seemed so cool to me until, like, now.
I’ve always considered myself a bit of a tough guy when it comes to other people and there belongings. I
used to take it forcefully, but that’s of the past. This Kanye West guy, he’s simply amazing. He didn’t the beat the crap
out of anyone, but yet I still saw the gangster blood running through his veins. As I remember, a young and innocent
white girl was receiving an award for her music, like a Grammy or whatever they call it. She was like in the middle of
the speech, and he just took the Mike out of her hand, like he was me or something. All I could do was applaud him
in silent gangster praise.
The Lawson guy then referenced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in his article. I don’t really understand the
reason why the turtles are so darn big, but that’s contrary to the article. I went to the store and decided to check out
these crime fighting reptiles and soon I understood what Mr. Lawson said when he was talking about how Raphael is
nothing less than a thug. The others celebrate and high five each other as they win their little street fights. That’s
cool. Raphael knocks them out, then returns to the turtle lair without breaking a single sweat. That’s even cooler. I
gave gangster praise to him, too.
Thugs nowadays are getting a bit more creative in their craft. You can be a 5 th grade pretty thug. You can be a
big green turtle thug. You can be a black rhyme sayer and be a thug. I realize that, and now wonder what things
would’ve been like for me if I would have applied these new thug tendencies to what I did back then. I give gangster
praise to Mr. Lawson on his excellent piece of text.
Viciously,
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone

It’s Not Fair
After reading Kim Lam’s article, “It’s Not Fair,” I can honestly say that it is a very relevant article.
This article is very helpful and inspiring in so many ways. It helped make things more clear, knowing that
other people feel the same way about having a strict parent during their teenage years. It was simple to
understand and not time-wasting what so ever. If you are a teen, then this article will most definitely be
very helpful.
Within every article there are good points and bad points. It just depends on the opinion of the
reader. Personally, one of the many reasons why I would classify this as a good article is because it gets
right to the heart of the issue and it provides you with useful information. Her justification for
understanding your parents makes you say to yourself, “Yeah, maybe they’re right.”
Another good point about this article is that it was simple to comprehend and very casual to read. It
was very positive. It was easy to grasp her ideas and that’s what makes a good article.
The only negative thing about the article is that maybe there could have been a few more helpful
tips and this article would have been fantastic. Other than that, everything was great.
Overall, this article is actually pretty decent. It was helpful, interesting, and very acknowledgeable.
I’m sure teens can use this article as a good guide to help with similar problems. What was said was very
applicable to many people.
CHS Junior
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Jorge Wilson’s article, “Learning the Ropes,” was a huge eye opener to me. His four guidelines helped me
through my freshman year. Here are some of my personal experiences of how his tips helped me.
When I was struggling with algebra, His tip, “Set short and long term goals,” helped me. I decided to
set some goals. My short term goal was to get a clear understanding of exponential function, and my long
term goal was to ace the big test at the end of the semester. I set the goals and accomplished them, and
got a 97%.
In middle school, I did not have finals or midterms, but now we have 4 of them. FOUR. After reading
Jorge’s article, I knew I had to prepare myself for these “obstacles.” So I studied, I got tutoring and I made
sure I knew the material..
Jorge was RIGHT! Peer pressure is at every corner. In high school, if someone isn’t offering you
drugs, they’re offering sex. If they’re not offering sex, they’re asking you to cut class. If they’re not offering
to cut class, they’re asking you to cheat. Etc…. Etc…. Etc. Luckily, I kept my distance from the negativity and
did not fall into peer pressure. I’m a SURVIVOR.
In middle school, I could usually get by without studying, but in high school, if you don’t study
…expect a bad grade. I couldn’t remember it by just reading out of a textbook or taking notes, so I started
using flashcards. It was actually kind of fun, and I began to study more.
I’m so thankful that Jorge took the time out to write this article. If I hadn’t read his article, my
freshman year would’ve been much harder. I learned that you have to put first things first, be proactive and
have a steady head.
Thank you Jorge,
Mister Anonymous

Hoops
In spite of your conclusion in “Short Guys” (February 8 th 2011), I would like to show my appreciation that
finally someone has written to a piece addressing this situation. Considering that many short people are cut
because of their height is ridiculous, it is about time someone stood up and took some action and said what many
short athletes, including myself, feel, but haven’t had the heart and time to tackle this situation.
Your idea that coaches shouldn’t overlook short people was excellent. I can relate to this. For example, I
remember when I was around the age of 16 and I would try out for basketball teams; many believed I was the best
overall basketball player on the court during try-outs. But for some reason, I could never make the team. However,
I noticed that everyone who made the team was tall, not talented.
Second, I love how you included how shorter people are overlooked. And the fact that they make up their
lack of height with talent and agility. Agility is a big key in basketball, those taller guys may have the height, but
they may not have the talent to perform on the court. Another key thing that I agree with you on is that most
shorter people have more heart, and work harder to get better, as well as being dedicated to the game that they
love. They do this even though they may be cut from a team several times.
Finally I applaud that you included those few short athletes that made it to the professional level of the
sports world. Such as 2-time dunk champion, Nate Robinson, of the Boston Celtics, and Running Back, Darren
Sproles, of the San Diego Chargers. These are two athletes that I feel are always overlooked and deserve credit for
what they do. I wish that more people would step up and have the same point of view as you and not cut shorter
people from teams because of their height. I support you and your dream of one day having a Professional
basketball league for shorter people.
Thank you Daryl,
Deshon Wilson
I Like
The article, “More Faith Less Frustration,” was so motivating that it inspired me to use it in my classroom. I
make all the kids in my classroom write letters to themselves about how they see themselves. I then let them read
it out loud. After every one shares, I pair the kids into two’s and let them write each other motivating letters. This
lets them see how others see them and how wonderful they appear to others. Because of the impact the article
had on me, the kids in my classroom have a higher self esteem and are doing well. “More Faith Less Frustrations” is
a beautiful article.
The article talks about how kids sometimes think they are not smart enough to do the work so they think
giving up is the way to go. I liked her advice to take a deep breath and believe in yourself. It’s true that if you
believe in yourself and say, “I can do anything,” then you will be able to do anything you set your mind to. I tell my
students to always have faith because they are capable of doing anything.
I always try to create an environment that all my kids can be comfortable in. The article motivates me more
in trying to keep that kind of environment. In the article “More Faith Less Frustration” it say’s that sometime the
besting the child can do to solve a problem is to talk to an adult that they trust. I want to be one of adults that my
kids can come and talk to trust.
Cause of the article “More Faith Less Frustration” I put up self motivating words on the wall and make the
kids say it out loud for them self and there peers. I think it will make them feel good about them self’s and give
them a good start to there day. I also encourage there parents on parent teacher conferences to put up motivating
words in the house and in the child’s room.
Jamilya Ahmed
Greenwood

A Fresh Idea by a Young Face
The article, “Bullies! Why Oh Why,” by Quiyana Murphy, a junior at Central High School, brought a new perspective to
solve bullying problems in schools. The fact that she is a junior in high school is probably why she has found a simple way to
lower bullying incidents in schools that many school board members have yet to solve themselves. She proposes that schools
give a seminar to the entering classes (6 th and 9 th graders) about bullying. The seminar will educate the students about what
bullying is, prevention, how to help someone who is being bullied, and the effects of bullying. It’s all about being educated!
She believes that once students have this knowledge, they will think twice about bullying. Her proposal is hands down a great
idea. After all, education is the best prevention. I support her idea for the following reasons:
Every day, thousands of children wake up, afraid to go to school, because they fear being picked on by some bully.
Bullying is a large problem, whether it is physically, through gossip, taunting or teasing, or even through the cyber world.
When problems are not solved, they often become worse than it was initially over time. This is the case with bullying. Because
bullying is such a big problem within schools, a new approach should be taken in order to help take care of this seemingly
unsolvable problem. Quiyana Murphy’s proposal does just that.
Have you ever experienced something, and as a result of that experience it helped you see the world through another
person’s eyes. This is what the seminar will do. On their first day of high school or middle school, there are some kids that are
scared out of their minds that they will get bullied. As well as children who don’t want to be bullied, and eventually become
the bully that they feared. Putting the incoming class in a seminar about bullying will give all students an outlook of what it
feels like to be bullied, along with the dramatic effects it can have on everyone involved, not just the victim. It will allow the
students to see what all the effects bullying can have, allowing them to experience the feeling a little bit. And allowing them to
experience this, somewhat, will change their perspectives about bullying. It will show students that bullying is harmful, and
that being bullied is something they would never want to experience themselves. This sympathy will encourage them to not
partake in bullying.
Finally, I support this seminar for the simple fact that administrators and faculty cannot be everywhere all of the time.
Although this statement is hard for some people to believe, it is true. There are parts of the day where there are no teachers
or faculty in sight. For a child being bullied, this is a scary thought, because when they are being bullied, they search for
teachers for help, not students. When a child has to enter a place where there are no adults, it can be scary, because that is
when the bully will most likely make his move. Because faculty cannot be everywhere all the time, there are bullying incidents
that happen without their knowledge and they are unable to help. This seminar will no longer allow it to be the teachers’
responsibility to stop bullying, but the students. This seminar will put the ball in the students’ court; it is time that the students
take it upon themselves to stop bullying. This seminar, a new idea thought of by a young student, can get the job done.
Student
Central High School
Show Jamilya the Back Door!
After reading, “No Back Door!,” by Jamilya Miller I am astounded by how this younger generation thinks they can get
away with doing things I would have never thought of doing back in my day. Teenagers believe they should have the free will
to do anything and everything they want whenever they want. I guess they don’t understand that parents try to teach them
and show them ways that will further their future. The author of this piece talks about having fun and doing things for a thrill.
It shows how ignorant she is of the real world.
The way she talks about sneaking someone in her house for an adventure is very dangerous. The parents may not
want to let that person in the house for reasons that may harm their child. That person may have a bad reputation around the
neighborhood for stealing people’s things, and to think everything in the house could be stolen because she wanted to have
an adventure.
The way Jamilya refers to her parents or other people’s parents as the enemies can nurture a form of hatred in
children and that isn’t healthy at all. Reading about how their parents are so evil and how they won’t let them do anything,
may cause them to start really resenting them and it won’t be a game or for fun anymore.
When she starts talking about how they may have traps, she is stepping over the line. The parents do those things to
ensure safety of their kids so they don’t try to do dangerous things, like sneaking someone into the house or sneaking out. If
everyone is taught all of the ways parents try to keep them safe, the “traps” will not be effective. If the traps are not effective,
then their safety won’t be protected.
After Jamilya went into teaching everyone about the traps, she talked to them about how to hide “visitors.” If you
hide someone, something else dangerous might happen. For example, if your company tries to hide in the ironing board closet
and your mom comes in and closes it, your friend might seriously get smashed, and it would have all happened for some fun.
I don’t believe you all should publish any more pieces by Jamilya because she obviously doesn’t know about all of the
hazardous effects of her games and pranks. If she wants to talk to teenagers about something, then she needs to make sure
it’s helpful and not hurtful.
Raymondria Price
A wise and cautious mother of three

Do Me a Favor Don’t Be a Player
In light of what you think about being a player, I’d like to suggest that you perhaps
forgot to include a list of how many people enjoy being a player. Considering being a player
is not something that looks good on you, but people do it anyway. With the title of Slaking
pic
on Yaw Pimping just because you do it and hurt other girls doesn’t mean it’s for everybody
else. While people think it’s so cool to be a pimp, trust me, it looks very ugly on your
resume when you try to find a mate. Being a player only reveals that you are insecure and
can’t trust other people.
Your belief in being a player is cool, but I still think you’re a dog. You do all this pimping, thinking you’re a man,
when really you’re just putting a bad name out there for yourself. Nobody is going to want someone who comes with a
past, and if they do, it’s going to be really tough.
People could also get hurt really badly by getting played. You should think about someone’s feelings before you
try to hurt them. Everything you do to someone that hurts them will eventually come back on you. Karma will take place
in your life and you will be that person who is upset and have your feelings hurt.
When you cheat on someone, you focus on the next sex so much that you don’t get done what needs to be
done. The reason I say this is because you’re worrying about who you mess with when you have homework due the next
day. It’s also really tough to get something for all your mates on special holidays to keep everybody happy. That’s why
having one is very helpful because it releases a lot more stress than when you have multiple friends.
Your defense about being a player had me hooked a little bit; you really had me rolling. You really had support
from a lot of low down and dirty shames. For all those people who don’t believe in cheating are well respected folks
unlike you. I’m telling you, not asking you that you shouldn’t be a player like real talk. Being faithful is something good
because you can share your feelings with just one person and not a handful of people. Being a player is something I try
to stay away from because I tend to treat others the way I want to be treated.
Trennisha Patterson
Westport Tapp Student
Editorials
Many people try so hard to fit in with the “In Crowd.” Instead of being
themselves, people act like something they’re not. Most people who do this,
start in middle and high school because that’s when stuff like that starts to
actually matter.
The main reason kids start to try and fit in, is because they are afraid of being
embarrassed, bullied, laughed at or harassed. Those who don’t fit in tend to get
picked on and laughed at. While the other people are having fun, the person
targeted is very embarrassed and starts to question themselves.
This can lead to a bigger issue because the person can become self conscious
and develop a low self esteem, and this can lead to some horrible issues. Those
with a low self esteem may begin drinking, taking drugs or even commit suicide
in an attempt to take the pain away.
Fitting in is a big issue for teens, but no one should worry so much that it affects
them. Everyone should just be themselves. That way if no one else accepts
them, they will at least accept themselves.

Dear Incoming Freshmen
Your freshman year of high school is right around the corner. While high school may seem scary at first, it is not as
bad as you may perceive it to be. Relieve yourselves of any negative thoughts that may have filled your minds before this
moment. There are lots of positive things that you, as a high school freshman, can look forward to. There are school related
activities: basketball games, football games, school dances and many other events. Furthermore, there is an abundance of
fun opportunities that you can partake in that will allow you to make new friends, spread you wings and find your identity
in high school. Adding to the fun things about high school, is the serious side, academics. Although your classes will be
harder, there are some tips that can better prepare you to succeed in high school and beyond, as well as some
extracurricular activities you might want to join, along with steps you can take to better prepare you for life after high
school.
How many of you have had one of your parents nag you about high school? They say things like, “You need to start
taking responsibility for yourself,” or “You’re going to have to be more organized.” You might not want to hear this, but
they are right. The percentage of failing high school students is higher their freshman year than any other year. Now, is it
correct for me to assume that everybody wants to be successful? I mean who wouldn’t want to grow up and not have to
worry about living paycheck to paycheck, or to be burdened by not finding a job. Succeeding in high school is the first step
to succeeding in college and eventually succeeding in the real world. To better prepare yourself to succeed in high school
and beyond is to become more responsible for your schoolwork and your own actions, while also being organized. A high
school teacher will not allow you to turn in assignments late. To avoid this situation, keep an organized list of your
assignments and their due dates in an agenda book, along with an organized folder for every class. Organize a time for each
assignment, take the responsibility upon yourself to complete the assignment and turn it in on time. Here’s a tip for big
assignments or projects, don’t procrastinate or wait until the last minute to do the project or assignment. I mean, think
about it, if you wait until the day before to start a big assignment, guess what you’re going to be doing all day. You’re going
to be vigorously and stressfully working on the assignment until you complete it. Depending on the assignment, you could
be up all night finishing it, and while you’re doing that, all you’re going to be thinking to yourself is, “I wish I hadn’t waited
until the last minute to do my assignment.” These are a few basic things that you should master before you go to college,
where classes are even harder. If you master these basic skills, you will never misplace or forget about an assignment, and
hopefully turn it in on time.
In addition to the classes you are required to take in high school, you should join an extracurricular activity. Joining
an extracurricular activity is something that you should consider greatly as you think about attending high school. Joining an
extracurricular activity can have a positive effect on your high school experience; it can show your peers a different side of
you that simply could not be shown in the classroom. One thing you should consider is joining a sports team, as well as an
academic team. For many people, being on sports teams brings them out of their shell, making them friendlier, more
outgoing, and more confident, and ultimately, a well-rounded person. As a result of this, it can allow them to make new
friends, which is something a lot of people struggle with as they enter high school. A bonus to joining an academic activity is
college related. Colleges love to see academic activities that you have participated in, as well as athletic teams. It shows
them that you are well rounded, and not just a one-trick pony.
If you are still in eighth grade, actually choosing your high school is one of the most important ways to prepare for
high school. You should have already begun your high school search, it’s never too early. It takes time to find the right
school and this is a decision that should not be rushed. Unfortunately not all high schools are filled with excellent teachers
and principals. You and your parents should take time to visit the schools and speak with the staff. The most important part
about picking a good high school revolves around academics. You and your parents should also look up the school’s
academic success rate, dropout rate, and percentage of graduates that attend college. And speaking of college, one day you
will be attending college, so you and your parents should also speak with the college services department to see how
helpful they can be. In addition, you should also look to see what type of extracurricular activities that the school you are
interested in has. Extracurricular activities, whether academic or athletic, look good on college applications. Maybe you
should look for a sport that you have been playing since you were little, or maybe an academic club that offers things that
interest you.
You may be a little nervous about going to high school, but a little bit of nerves is expected. You should relieve
yourself of all the negative thoughts you have towards high school. Picking a great high school is somewhat of a hard
decision, so the proper time should be allotted to making the right decision. considering the administration, extracurricular
activities, college help, and academic success of the school. High school is a place where you can socially develop like a
butterfly; you can spread your wings and grow as a person. High school offers you the opportunity to express your
personality outside of the classrooms, through extracurricular activities, which often leads to making new friends. And
although the work may get harder, the responsibility is now on you. I greatly encouraged you to become more responsible
and organized while you enjoy all the things high school has to offer.
Quiyana Murphy
CHS Junior

JCPS Low Performing Schools: A Hot Issue
By Eduardo Gutierrez
Edited by Mr. Arencibia
I am a senior at Central High School and I like to talk to some of my teachers about what is going
on in their lives, either in school or in their personal lives. Since last year almost all teachers seem really
concerned about the low performing schools in JCPS and what might happen to them if Central is
included in this “undesirable” group.
One of the English teachers told me that the school district is trying to do anything in reach to try
to solve the problem of low performing schools; they are even trying to hire someone from Maryland to
bring his experience to us, but in my humble opinion, this is a Kentucky problem and we have to solve it
ourselves. Not all school districts are similar in this country, and the causes of the low performance might
be very different as well.
I know this is a very difficult issue to solve and that the causes are varied and very different from
school to school. One thing is clear to me though, and it is that the low performance of some schools is not
limited to the role of the teachers and the administration; there are some other factors that need to be
taken into consideration. Administrators, teachers and staff are not to be blamed for the students’
failures. Education is a process that is comprised of many people and many factors, and when not
everyone pulls together, low performance is one of the consequences.
If we analyze the schools with lower academic achievement, we will see that the economic
background of the students enrolled in them is not very favorable, which has a direct impact on school
performance. In my opinion, the most important cause of the students’ low academic performance has to
do with the economic problems they have which affect their motivation and willingness to be in school.
Another problem that might be directly related with the one I mentioned above has to do with the
support the schools receive from the students’ family. Education is a multisided process and everyone has
to play the corresponding role. Many people think the teachers are the culprits of the downfall but, what
about the family support? Without the family involvement, the “education boat” may capsize any minute.
To conclude, I have to say that I admire all the teachers at Central because most of them are
mothers or fathers who have lots of problems to cope with, but when they come to school, they leave all
those problems behind and teach us good lessons and how to be good citizens. I would really hate to see
Central High School among the low performance schools in our district.
How to be a Bad Student
Eduardo Gutierrez
If you want to be a bad student, you have to do a lot of things. First, you have to be late to school at
least three out of five days a week, and do not do all those homework assignments that your teachers give
you at the end of each boring class. Never pay attention to the teachers, just take out your cell phone while
you are in class, wait until the teacher is not looking and start texting your friends in and out of school. If the
teacher happens to catch you while you are texting, just talk back louder or yell at her or him to let the
teacher know you are “the boss.” As soon as the teacher resumes his or her job at the front of the classroom,
keep on doing what you are doing and do not worry about anything.
You may also decide to sleep in class; just pretend you are reading a book or writing something and
sleep, but do not ever put your head down because the teacher may find out what you are doing. If you have
a test and do not know anything, just look at your neighbor’s answers; it is much easier to copy from a friend
than staying up late at nighttime to study. That is simply boring and useless!
If any of your teacher writes you up and sends you down to talk to the school principal, just impress
him or her. Talk loudly, talk back, do not look in his or her eyes, or simply do not listen to the principal;
promise you will behave properly from that day on and as soon as you leave the principal’s office, start
doing exactly the same thing you were doing when you were caught.
It might be a good idea to involve some of your closer friends and make them join the “Tough Boys
Brigade,” the more students who join, the more respect you will have from your classmates and teachers.
There will come a time when you will be the rulers of the whole school and will be considered heroes by the
rest of the students.

Listen to your Heart Randy Truong
The things we do as young teenagers just to fit in are completely ridiculous. Such as wronging your closest friends just to be
accepted by others, or dressing in something that you aren’t absolutely comfortable in. You may be sitting there now thinking of the
things you have done, because I know everybody here has done something to fit in at least once in their lives. And most of the times,
the things you did to fit in aren’t a good thing. That is why it is best to listen to your heart.
So, let’s just say you’re at a party with several of your friends and everybody is drinking, and you don’t want to. Well the
answer is simple, don’t drink! Why attempt to be like everyone else when you’re comfortable with yourself? If you have your mind
made up, then don’t change it!
You have the choice of what you will be tomorrow, and you are the only person that has this decision. You can be told
countless number of times the right thing to do, but you are the only one that can take this information in and process it in the
correct manner. So at the end of the day, you are the only one that can define yourself.
Everyday, people’s lives are changed by the decisions they make just because of their friends. Don’t be one of those people.
Living in regret with the actions you made is one of the worst things to undergo. Making sure you are competent of the correct
decision making skills is imperative.
There are plenty of choices that one can make that can harm their lives, and that is why you must always keep this in mind.
It’s not just the drugs, alcohol, sex, or greed that can harm us mentally and physically, it’s the guilt in the decisions we made to end
up in the predicament that we have created.
I am not here to inform you how the use of drugs kills thousands of teens every year, or how many more thousand lives are
taken from drunk driving. But I am here to tell you that you should take preventive action before it comes down to it. Think of the
people you love and the people that you will affect when making the right decisions!
If the people you care about are affected in a bad way from the decisions you make, then you are doing the wrong thing.
You may sometimes believe that your friend really has your back, and wants the best for you, but this is not true if they are guiding
you in the wrong direction. For instance, an example of this is not only if they ask you to smoke some weed, but use it around you.
Weed is illegal in many states and can get you in lots of trouble with law enforcement. Just remember, your atmosphere will affect
you as a person, and will give others a reason to judge you. People may say that they will never evaluate the person you are inside
before getting to know you, but the world is not always clean and cut like that, so there will be situations where people will judge
you incorrectly. Try avoiding the types of friends that harm your reputation.
Let’s get back to drinking; it’s something so many young teens start at an early age. Most teens are highly uneducated when
it comes to drinking, believing that it doesn’t affect them as a person. Sure, you may see everyone else drinking alcohol, as a matter
of fact over 80% of teenagers have tried alcohol at least once in their life. You may want to give in too, but why should you? Simply
dare to be different and you won’t give in to the urges. But you may not quite know what drinking does to the teenage body, well let
me tell you!
Drinking can ruin a person in the long-run, because you can easily become dependent upon it. When you drink, it affects
the brain and its nervous system, which is completely horrible for a developing teen. Your brain is developing during your teenage
years and drinking prevents this process from building to the best of its abilities. So, if you are not drinking yet, then don’t plan on
doing it! Also drinking damages your liver, which is an organ you can’t live without. Your liver is the organ in your body that cleans
your blood of toxins, and also prevents you from getting sick; damaging it will give you more trips to the doctor.
driving. If you already chose the option not to drink, you have to make sure your friends aren’t drunk while driving you somewhere,
because this can get you both killed. Simply refuse to enter the car, or have a designated driver if you are planning on going to a
party. If you are in the situation where someone is about to drive drunk, and you care about them, just take their keys from them!
They may be mad at you, but will thank you in the long-run for being a good friend, because they won’t be able to even feel mad if
they’re six feet deep.
Each year in the United States alone, there are over 5,000 teens ages 16 to 20 killed by car accidents. It is the leading death
of people ages 15 – 20. An additional 400,000 are seriously injured from these accidents. It may seem like a low numbe,r but just
imagine everybody in school disappearing. The average teen is more likely to get into a car accident than any other age group.
Teenagers only account for 10 percent of the population, but are responsible for over 12 percent of crashes! Also, the typical teen is
four times more likely to get into a car accident.
Most teens that get into car accidents do not wear their seatbelts, up to 74% of them that are killed in a DUI did not wear
their seatbelt. Not only do teenage car accidents cost up to $34 billion dollars a year, but it costs young teens lives. Most of them are
young and not able to experience everything in life, it was all taken away as fast as it was given. So next time you enter a car, just
make sure the driver isn’t drunk, or you’ll just be another victim of the road.
This is just one example of all the things in our environment that can pressure us into doing the things our hearts tell us not
to. It can knock us off our feet unwillingly. So just keep in mind that doing what your heart tells you is always the best idea.
Sources:
President and Fellows of Harvard College. “Alcohol use among teens and young adults” Harvard Health
Publications. 2008.
Carlson K. Darren, Government and Politic Editor. “How Many Teens Say They’ve Driven Drunk?” The Gallup
Organization. 2005.
Blizzard, Rick. “One in Three U.S Teens admits Drinking Alcohol.” The Gallup Organization. 2003.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=no+drinking+and+driving+symbol&id=E45AB6746AF33AD87D589FF1D
39DCA4EF9696429&FORM=IGRE1

The Secret
Garden
By: Jalyn Hewitt
Did anyone know
of the secret
garden at Central
High School? Well
we have one
hidden in the back
of our school that
our very own Mr. Helvey helped to create.
The garden is filled with lots of veggies such
as radishes, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and
potatoes. I interviewed Mr. Helvey, asking
him questions about the “secret garden.”
First I started off by asking Mr.
Helvey what made him start the garden. “I
started the garden to help students to make
the connection to the food supply and
experience the fresh food supply. There’s
something sacred about growing vegetables
in the dirt.” I, too, have embraced Mr.
Helvey’s notion about there being
something sacred when vegetables grow out
of the dirt. Mr. Helvey and I continued
talking about his upkeep of the garden and
his opinion about gardening in general.
Me: How do you keep up with the garden?
Helvey: I go out in the morning during my
planning or after school to water the plants,
but I haven’t had to do that much because of
all the rain.
Me: Which vegetable is the hardest to
grow?
Helvey: Carrots seem to be the slowest at
the moment. The radishes are growing the
fastest.
Me: What do you enjoy most about
gardening?
Helvey: Seeing the growth. We start with a
tiny seed and there’s something magical
about it becoming a vegetable. It’s exciting
when the students see the gardening. I’m
looking forward to harvesting and picking
the vegetables.
Me: Who helps you with the gardening?
Helvey: Ms. Ballard’s class is in charge of
one of the beds. I am taking care of one. The
yearbook staff is taking care of one. And
one of Mr. McCutcheon’s classes are taking
care of one.
Me: What is something you want people to
know about gardening?
Helvey: People should know that you have
to continue watering. You have to thin some
of the seeds out to make them grow bigger.
Me: What do you suggest to a rookie about
gardening?
Helvey: Grow something easy. Now-a-days,
it doesn’t matter where you live or how
much space you have. This opens the door
for healthy eating and to save money.
Me: Is there anything that you would like to
say about the garden or gardening in
general?
Helvey: We have a $2,000 grant from the
Center for Disease Control. The whole idea
is to fight obesity. Hopefully we are able to
maintain the garden for years to come.
I hope that we can continue the
garden, too. Childhood obesity has become a
big problem for children in the United
States. It is found that children today may be
the heaviest that they have ever been. Many
schools in the country are starting gardening
programs in an attempt to possibly eliminate
small fractions of the obesity scale. Not only
will gardening help eliminate obesity, but it
will be a lot of fun to the participants. I
personally am one of the students that is
helping Mr. Helvey with the “secret
garden,” and it is a great experience. I hope
that this garden won’t be a secret any longer
and that other students will join in the fun.
Mr. Helvey has started something
great…Keep up the good work Mr. Helvey!
Pictures courtesy of Mr. Helvey

- Bed Bugs *
By : Le’Terria W. Thomas !
Bed bugs have been the latest gossip of the media, newspaper, and everyone. Bedbug infestations are up
5,000 percent, and that’s just the numbers that have actually been reported. You can get bedbugs from just about
anywhere, Hospitals, Homes, Apartments, Businesses, Buses, and Hotels. They say that bedbugs don’t transmit a
disease, but an engorged bedbug can burst at the slightest bit of pressure, exposing you to human blood. If that blood
is infected, then you are at risk of getting an infection, and of course, if you have an infection for too long without a
cure, then you could possibly die.
Finding Bedbugs, or having bedbugs, doesn’t mean that you’re dirty, or that you have an awful hygiene. It
takes nothing just for one bug to get into your clothes. Bedbugs are easy to catch, simply because they are very small,
and easy to miss. What people fail to realize about bedbugs is that, just about everything is manufactured like
overseas and can hide in a brand spanking new outfit: Coogi, Miskeen, Black Label, Dereon, Roca Wear, Enyce, Baby
Phat. It doesn’t matter what brand it is, because no brand is protected from Bedbugs. No matter what you wear,
there is a 7/10 that you could still catch them, just as if you where to get your clothes from the Goodwill.
Bedbugs have piercing mouth parts that most species use for feeding on plants. There are some species of
bugs with mouth parts that have been adapted to feed on the human blood, while inflicting very little pain, which
people usually don’t notice. Bedbug bites are basically the only way that you can really tell if you have Bedbugs,
unless you actually visually see the bugs crawling. Bedbugs are flat, brown, wingless and about ¼ of an inch long. They
have 6 legs, are shiny reddish- brown, and after a feeding of you blood, they appear dark brown and swollen.
Prevention
Try not to expose too many people to your home.
Make overnight stays at other people’s house limited.
Keep everything cleaned up and sanitized.
When you come from someone’s house, don’t mix
your clothes with the other clothes, clean them
immediately.
Those are just a couple of quick one’s to remember to
help you prevent the bugs from even coming your way.
I’ve never actually witnessed a case of bedbugs yet, but I
know that just from the looks of them, it’s nothing to play
with. Looking at different cases of Bed bugs just makes my
picture
skin curl up, because I could never imagine a bug feeding at
my skin without me knowing. I would advise for people to take more caution because its more than just bugs, it’s
your life that you’re playing with. Be more sanitized, and try to keep things clean around you.

By: Cierra Unseld
My name is Cierra Unseld and I’m in the Dental Magnet. I’m
picture 1
going to talk to you about the importance of brushing your teeth. I
know that some people think that not brushing their teeth doesn’t
affect them, but it can, because it can lead to serious problems, not
only with your smile, but your health.
I’m going to share four tips and effective ways for brushing
your teeth to prevent health problems. Please answer these questions
to yourself about the following 1. How many times do you brush
your teeth a day? 2. Do you use floss? 3. How many times a year do you visit a regular dentist? These are
serious questions that you must address. As you may know, keeping a healthy appearance tells a lot about
yourself in general. Like for instance, are you a very hygienic person, are you capable for a job, or are you
healthy enough? When brushing your teeth, you want to make sure you
do it right, in order to prevent any other serious types of bacteria.
Look at picture 1. It’s an example of the proper way to brush your
teeth. As you may know, incorrect brushing of the teeth can lead to
serious problems other then bad tarter build up. Tooth decay is one of the
many health concerns that people deal with, because they either don’t
brush their teeth at all, or simply because they don’t do it right. Tooth
decay is caused when acids sit on your teeth too long and tear away at the
enamel, causing your teeth to rot. To prevent this, it is very important to
brush your teeth daily.
Why is it important floss your teeth? Many people don’t do it
enough, but it is very important to floss your teeth. When we eat, we tend
to leave left over foods in the cracks and crevasses of our teeth, and when
this happens, tarter starts to build up. If it’s left for a long period of time,
picture 2
it starts to form very hard calcium around the teeth. Calcium build up
makes it harder for the dentist to clean your teeth, forcing the dentist to
use chemicals and scrapers materials just get rid of the calcium build up. To prevent this from happening, floss
the correct way. You should take about ten inches of floss to clean your teeth. Go up and against the sides of
your teeth. Picture 2 is a picture showing you how to do this.
A lot of people don’t see the significance of visiting a dentist regularly. Why? Because they are not
aware of the many different things that can go on in the mouth,
like oral cancers, cavities, and diseases. Some oral cancers and
diseases can be detected early and treated if you visit your
dentist regularly. For cavity prevention, you should have a
regularly scheduled appointment, and your dentist should send
you post cards or calls concerning your check-ups. All of these
are efficient ways to make sure you get to the dentist on time.
Your smile can really determine your future and make a
change in your life if you take care of it and treat it like any
other major part of your body. If you have any questions or
concerns, ask your dental health care professional.
picture 3

More Benefits than Usual
S
chool is more
important than
what we make it. In
the world today
you need more
than one degree to
have a good job.
This isn’t possible if
you don’t go to school, make
the grades and start on a good
career choice.
All around the world,
people are loosing jobs left
and right. As of today Detroit,
Michigan, has the highest
unemployment rate in
America. One of the top jobs
in the industry is the medical
field. It has been proven
numerous times that
healthcare/ medical field is a
great job opportunity, as one
of the largest industries in
2008. According to a survey
from the 2008-18 American
Medical Association, the
healthcare industry provided
14.3 million jobs for wage and
salary workers.
I want to be in the
medical field once I graduate
from high school and move on
to my secondary education.
The career that I have chosen
for my life is nursing. Since I
was in fifth grade I had my
mind set up on what I wanted
to be in life; and I sure
planned to achieve that goal.
The majority of my family is
currently in the medical
career, therefore, I have lots
of guidance from family
members.
At my high school in
Louisville, Kentucky, I am
currently enrolled in the prenursing
magnet. They teach
us all about working in this
profession. Before graduation,
we receive our CNA
certification, MNA and we will
be CPR certified. We do hands
on work and to top it off,
receive college credits. What
better way to start your
freshmen year in college, with
more credits than the other
incoming freshmen.
This is my junior year,
and my second year in this
program. During my freshmen
year each student had to take
a class explaining each
magnet that Central had to
offer. The two classes I was
most interested in were prenursing
and pre-medical.
Once getting to those classes I
was unsure of which one I
should choose, they were both
really good magnets. I finally
settled with the pre-nursing
magnet and the opportunities
they had to offer me.
Walking into the room I
was shocked at all of the
people who wanted to be in
that magnet. There were over
seventy people and ONLY
thirty – two could get in.
Facts:
It is predicted that
Healthcare will generate 3.2
By: Arian Franklin
million new wage and salary
jobs between 2008 and 2018,
more than any other industry,
largely in response to rapid
growth in the elderly
population. Nurses have a wide
variety of duties depending on
their specialty, but there are
some things common to all
nursing career choices.
All nurses deal with
patients in some way, and are
called upon to provide care to
them and support to other
medical professionals. That’s
why nurses have to be familiar
with many different symptoms
and diseases, drugs, treatment
programs,
medical
terminology and devices.
Opinion:
Everyone will need
hospitals or a medical clinic,
which means the medical field,
will always have money. I
guaranteed that if you choose
this profession and meet the
qualifications you will have a
job that will last you a life time.

Obesity
Mayneshia Whitfield
I strongly believe that obesity should end. Do you always blame the dryer because your pants are shrinking? Did
your baby fat turn into belly rolls? Well, you need to put the donuts down and pay attention. Obesity is taking over the
nation like a plague and we need to stop it in its tracks. America has more obese people than any other nation. I used to
be a little chubby myself, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, but I realized the damage I was causing to my body and
decided to lose weight.
Look at this picture. Do you feel like you’ve gone through the same transition as the
picture you see on the slide or you are in the process of going through it?
OECD, or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, warns
that 75% of Americans will suffer from obesity by 2020
because of the lack of exercise and healthy diets. Currently
34% of Americans are obese. Obesity makes you vulnerable
to many diseases and health complications and can reduce
life expectancy. 80% of people with diabetes are obese,
which is a condition where the blood sugar is low or
becomes very high and it’s a constant struggle to maintain
a normal blood sugar level. With diabetes, there comes a
daily hassle with taking insulin, pricking your finger to test sugar levels, going blind, and even
developing coronary disease. Some have to get their fingers and toes amputated because of
their circulation being cut off for so long because of the sugar compacting in their
extremities. Diabetics suffer from hypertension, which is high blood pressure, and if their blood pressure gets too high, it
could be deadly. A normal blood pressure is the systolic of 120 and diastolic of 80. Those who are in stage 1 of
hypertension would have systolic 140-159 or diastolic 90-99, and stage 2 of hypertension would be a systolic greater
than, or equal to, 160, or diastolic greater than, or equal to 100. Both stage 1 and 2 are huge jumps from normal blood
pressure reading, but most adults suffer from stage 1.
According to Wikipedia, 60% of the world’s population gets insufficient exercise, and once you’ve become
overweight, it makes it even harder to get back into shape and healthy again, while it makes it easier for you become
obese. Look at the picture of an overweight adult exercising. Developing disgusting eating habits and deleting the word
exercise from your brain will do nothing but leave you in a big sloppy body
suit that you won’t be able to take off without some hard work. Regular
exercise includes benefits such as lowering the risk of dying from a heart
disease or stroke, lower the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes or
coronary disease, and it helps protect you against certain types of cancer.
If you care about your health you should commit yourself to a routine of
exercise and maintain a fulfilling diet.
I bet you didn’t know that exercise relieves stress. I know that
going to school and work can be troublesome, and can take you into a
world of distress, but it doesn’t mean you have to rely on cookies and
snicker bars for comfort. Stay out of the kitchen and go to the gym, or
start walking and running. This helps keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy, it reduces anxiety and depression,
and boosts your moods. Controlling your weight helps you sleep better, and makes your body look amazing just by
exercising a couple of times a week for 30 minutes.
Health should always be a main goal in your life. Being healthy makes things a lot
easier. You’ll want to be involved in more things, you’ll have a more energy, and you’ll know
that your life won’t come to an end because of any medical conditions. Obesity affects not
only you physical appearance and your state of mind as well. A lot of obese people suffer
from low self-esteem, and instead of finding someone to depend on, they choose food,
making them gain even more weight. Studies show that there is an increase in the rate of
mortality in those who are obese compared to those who are a normal weight. Being, or
becoming, obese does nothing but slow your life down and speed death up.
Is this what you want to look like? Of course you don’t. So call your doctor,
schedule an appointment for a check-up and find out how healthy you are as an adult. You
need a normal blood pressure reading of 120 over 80 and standard blood sugar levels, that
run between 110-120 milligrams per deciliter. If that’s not the case, than you should grab control of your life and
exercise at least three times a week for thirty minutes. Instead of getting food that is high in fats, buy some that are high
in fiber and calcium. You need to maintain a healthy diet, including eight glasses of water per day, fresh vegetables and
fruit, and food that has quality protein. Ensure that you stay away from the carbohydrates and avoid spending too much
time watching TV and being on the computer. Let’s take OECD’s warning seriously and instead of letting this prediction
come true, let’s take a stand and help the obesity rates drop. Have a healthy day. (Images from OECD)

Oral Piercings & The Dangers They Come
With.
By: Charlessa Richardson
Oral Piercings are a new trend that a lot of people are getting. Some of the reasons that people get them are sexual, visual
and people just hopping on the bandwagon. Oral piercings are most common in females, because sometimes a male with
oral piercings will be considered gay, bisexual or gothic.
Many types of piercings can cause a lot of damage to the mouth. Some can be severe. Oral piercings are very dangerous
and risky. These piercings can hit a nerve and mess you up for LIFE! There is no guarantee that the nerve wont be hit, so
who’s to know what will happen. You can also get diseases from oral piercings.
IT IS WAY TOO RISKY! If the decision is made to get an oral piercing, be very careful and know what you’re getting
yourself into, because they are very very very dangerous. Many dentists will try their best to prevent people from getting
them. Mostly teenagers get them, most often young girls between ages 13-18. It’s not too common in boys unless they are
going through a phase about their sexuality or boys who tend to go gothic. Some boys may do it for attention to impress the
girls, but that’s not too common. Mostly girls get them to try to impress the boys and
get sexual attention.
The different types are:
Some dangers of oral piercings are:
Gum recession
Swelling
Cracking/chipping teeth
Abscess
Discoloration
Infections
Tissue overgrowth
Bad breath
Excessive bleeding
Nerve damage
HIV
Endocartitis
Allergic reaction to metal
Jewelry aspiration
Difficulties in daily oral functions
Maybe even death.
Picture Sources
http://travelandsmile.wordpress.com
/category/health-dental-tourismworld-class-dentistry-in-limaperu/page/2/
flickr.com
http://bodypiercing.ygoy.com/2007/
07/17/labret-piercing/
https://www.metalmafia.com/themet
alshop/index.php?main_page=inde
x&cPath=58
Lip ring
Labret
Vertical labret
Side labret
Horizontal lip piercing
Snake bites
Angel bites
Monroe/Madonna piercing
Filtrum piercing
Tongue
Horizontal tongue
Venom bites
Tongue web
Spider bites
Madusa piercing
Cheek
Smiley
Frowny
Uvula

International Adoption by Jerry Johnson
About two years ago a little girl from Romania was adopted
and brought to America. Not a big deal right? Well if you ask Karen
(the adopter), she would say differently. Karen left America on a
mission trip eleven years ago and found an unexpected surprise.
When visiting a foster home, a young toddler sat on her lap, looked
into her eyes and said, “mom”. And it was over. After that moment,
she decided to adopt her. At the time, she thought adoption
couldn’t take all that long, a year at the most. But when the
pic
Romanian government refused to let her have the girl because of
many pointless rules, she had to move to Romania, and leave her comfortable life as a nurse. In the process,
she lost her husband. 9 years later, after countless confrontations with the Romanian government, and a lot
of help from loved ones back home, she got to bring her daughter home. “Beti was born in my heart that day.
From that day on, there was no way I could abandon her.” –Karen
What are the Complications?
Romania, and many other countries, have shut down international adoption. Romania also passed a
law where the children were to be reintegrated to their natural families, regardless of their financial and
emotional status. In order for a child to be put up for adoption, the parents must sign a paper to release the
child, which could delay, or completely end the adoption if they can’t find their parents. Another problem is
that a lot of people in these countries don’t have birth certificates and can’t be adopted because of that.
Problems Caused Due to International Adoption Being Closed
Aside from the plain and simple fact that people who want to adopt won’t be able to, the kids who
have to stay in an orphanage will suffer from emotional and physical damage because of a life without a
family, and the state of affairs the countries are in. This could lead them to a life of depression, violence,
and eventually death. Another problem that hits these kids are that once they hit eighteen years old, they
are forced to leave the orphanage and go on their own, leaving them with nowhere to go and no money.
Is It Just Romania?
No. Just about any country that you try to adopt from will have complications. For instance,
recently Russia has decided to close adoption to America. Previously, they were the country with the most
successful adoptions, 14,079, since 2005.
The closing of international adoption has caused damage in so many ways, to children and the
hopeful parents. If this doesn’t change, thousands of children in third world countries will lose their only
chance to leave and have a new life.
Top 10 Most Popular Countries for
International Adoption
Country Number of
Adoptions to the US
1. China 3,001
2. Ethiopia 2,277
3. Russia 1,586
4. South
1,080
Korea
5. Guatemala 756
6. Ukraine 601
7. Vietnam 481
8. Haiti 330
9. India 297
10.
Kazakhstan
295
Recently, Russia halted adoptions by American families
after an incident where a child was put on a trans-Atlantic
flight by his adoptive family after they decided they did not
wish to care for him anymore.
Other countries that have halted adoptions because of
civil unrest or flaws in the adoption process currently
include Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nepal, Guatemala, Swaziland
and Sierra Leone.
In more positive news, Haiti’s adoption authority has
informed the US government that they are now accepting
new adoption applications. Many US families offered to
adopt or provide foster care for Haitian children displaced
by the January 12 earthquake, but authorities worked for
months to match the displaced children with their family
members. Now applications are being accepted once
again, and normal visa processing has resumed.
Resource and more information

The Winchester Mystery House
By: Angel Cissell
The Winchester mystery house is located in California. It was built by the Winchester family. Yes this is
a familiar name. He was the same was the man who created the Winchester gun company. The house was under
construction for 38 years and it cost 5.5 million. It is now a tourist attraction.
Sara Winchester, born in 1839 and fluent in many languages, was also a musician who married the heir
to the Winchester Gun company. The construction on the house started in 1884 and stopped with her death on
September 5, 1922. The house was 7 stories high, but after the 1906 earthquake, there are only 4. When her
husband died, she was left 20 million dollars, and also received one thousand dollars a day from the gun
company. The reason for suck a large and mazelike house is because Sara thought she was being haunted by the
ghosts that were killed by Winchester guns. She sought advice from a medium who advised her to build a house
for the spirits that had fallen from Winchester rifles. The psychic told Winchester that "thousands of people
have died because of it and their spirits are now seeking deep vengeance."
The house is a maze; there are stairs that lead to nowhere, and doors that you can open fall to your death,
because they lead to the outside when you are not on the first floor. There are also dead ends, with twists and
turns. It is believed that they were built so the ghosts would get lost. There are a total of 160 rooms, 40 of these
rooms are bedrooms. There are two ballrooms, 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, and 10,000 windows. There are also
two basements and three elevators. The number 13 and spider web motifs are everywhere throughout the
house.
house.
One day I would love to visit this
The stairs to nowhere
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/winchestermystery-house-2.jpg
The Ballroom
http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/winchester/ind
ex.htm
Sara’s Bedroom
http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/wincheste
r/index.htm
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House
http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/winchester/ind
ex.htm
http://www.prairieghosts.com/winchester.html

Ghost Stories
By: Angel Cissell
There are so many stories throughout the world about ghosts. They range from the ones who haunt
houses to the ones who kill people. Then there are the touching stories about ghosts who are looking for
things and people. There are also the ones who had there lives tragically taken and they have unfinished
business. No one can truly come back, but they make really interesting stories.
There are many different versions of the story I am about to tell. I heard it the first time by my friend
up in Indiana.
There are three friends in a car on a disserted road. While they are
driving, they come across a female hitchhiker. They stop to pick her up to
be kind. She gets into the car and they ask her where she is going. She
says that she is going wherever they are going. They continue to drive and
they go around a corner. The silent girl then says, “This is where I died.”
They all glance at her and ask her what she said. She repeats herself and
then starts to scream. The car crashes, and when everyone comes to, she
is gone with no trace of ever being there.
Then there are the legends that everyone hears, like the legend of Bloody Mary. The story is usually told
at sleepovers, and it is a dare. What you do is go into a dark room, it doesn’t matter what kind of room. People
usually do this in a bathroom in the stories I hear. All of the lights are off and you stand there and say Bloody
Mary three times. She is then supposed to appear and murder you. I have never tried this, so I couldn’t say if it’s
true or not.
Another ghost story is called the bunny man. Yes I know it doesn’t sound very intimidating. It is about a
man who escaped from an insane asylum, and he was never caught. He would live off of raw bunnies, and that
is how he got his name. He would leave trails of half eaten dead bunnies. There was a bridge in the woods and
he went there. Every Halloween, whoever is on that bridge gets killed. There is never any evidence about who
killed them. Eventually people got smart and didn’t go to that bridge on Halloween.
Another story is about the goat man. There is an abandoned bridge that has train tracks on it. People
would get lured onto the bridge about half way by the goat man. When they got to the middle, a train would be
coming and they were too far to out to make it back without being hit by the train. They also couldn’t jump
because there were rocks underneath the bridge. So anyone who has participated in this never made it out alive.
I do believe in ghosts. I know there are people who don’t, but that is their opinion. There are so many
unexplained things in this world and I believe that ghost stories are one way of having an explanation of these
things. These are just a few stories that I can remember from over the years. Some are really popular and others
aren’t. There are thousands more for people to hear. They are entertaining teach us about things that can happen
to a person.
Here is a great site to find thousands of other ghost stories:
http://www.americanfolklore.net/spooky-stories.html

The Circus!!!
By: Angel Cissell
Most people in the world have been to the circus at least once.
There are some that love the animals, but then there are the ones that
are afraid of the clowns. They give you that creepy feeling when you
look at them. The circus has been around for a very long time.
According to Wikipedia: “The most ancient clowns have been
found in the Fifth dynasty of Egypt, around 2400 BCE. Contrary to
court jests, clowns have traditionally served a socio-religious and
psychological role, and traditionally the role of priest and clown have
been held by the same persons.”
The creator of the very first successful circus is Philip Astley, a
former cavalry Sergeant-Major. In 1768, he opened a school to teach
exhibition riding, and in the afternoon he performed shows. In 1770, he
hired other performers such as, acrobats, rope dancers, and jugglers. In
1782 he opened Paris’s first circus, the Amphitheater Angolis. The
circus has come a very long way from the 1760’s.
John Bill Ricketts is one of the first American clowns. He was
an Englishman who started his career with the Hughes Royal Circus,
and then came to America to establish a circus in Philadelphia. George
Washington even attended a few of his shows. The very first American
born circus clown was John Durang; the first American Born clown to
achieve stardom was Dan Rice. His first big break was in 1841 with a
pig named Sybil.
There are many people who have a good time at the circus, but
there are the ones who never go near the clowns. The circus has come
from being roadside shows to big productions. We all love the circus
because we all enjoy a good laugh and to be entertained.
Resources:
http://www.circopedia.org/index.php/Short_History_of_the_Circus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_clown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringling_Brothers_Circus
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-
8&rlz=1T4ADSA_enUS422US422&q=pics+of+clowns
http://photobucket.com/images/jester/

Piercing
Your Own Ears
By: Tyler Woodson
Many have done it! Many have wanted to try it! And many had even succeeded at it! I on
the other hand, have completed all three, and if you follow my steps, it’ll be easy as 1-2-
3!!!! You’ve got to be careful, though, and make sure you carefully sterilize all your
products being used during this process, because you don’t want to risk getting an
infection or an embedded piercing!
Step 1: Get a needle and sterilize it with an open flame (lighter), but be careful not to heat
it too long, or else you might burn yourself. After you complete this task, be sure to use
rubbing alcohol to clear the needle of bacteria. After that place your needle on a clean
towel or wash cloth (napkins).
Step 2: Make sure your hands are good and clean!!!!! You could wear latex gloves when
piercing your ear. To make yourself feel comfortable when completing this process, you should place an ice cube behind
your ear when piercing the needle through. If you really don’t want to feel much pain during the process, rub ice around your
lobe then hold it for 60 seconds.
Step 3: After using the ice, make sure you dab your ears with alcohol, this will also lower the risk of you getting a bacterial
infection. You need to make sure that you use a piece of fruit or an ice cube behind your ears so the piercing can go straight
through.
Step 4: You are now ready to pierce your ears on your own!
Step 5: Choose the spot where you want to pierce your ears and smoothly move the piercing needle through the earlobe
until the point hits the sturdy piece behind your ear. It's important that you are quick to ensure less pain. Leave the needle
inside your ear for at least 5 minutes, and also numb your ear with ice while doing so.
Step 6: Once your ear is numb, slowly remove your piercing needle; after that’s been done, you can put an earring into your
new hole; be sure to wipe away any blood.
REMEMBER: Clean your ears with sea salt solution or peroxide. Also
make sure to leave your earrings in for 6 weeks; after 6 weeks, be sure to
keep a pair of earrings in for 6 months so your hole will remain open.
picture
Sources: My own previous experience.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4501972_pierce-own-ears-safety-pin.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/pierce-your-own-ears/
picture

Jasmine Devoe
Mixed hair is considered “good hair” because it waves or has more defined curls than African American hair, but if you
have it, you know the real story. We spend hours trying to comb out our locks without losing the curl. Due to the nature
of our bi- or multiracial hair, it’s hard to find products to maintain it and keep it healthy. I’ve found
some solutions to help with all your hair trouble
What type of hair do I have?
There are many type and grades of hair, but in order to find products right for you, you have to know
what your hair type is. 3A, 3B and 3C are the most common types of hair. “Type 3A, hair that is very
loosely curled like Julia Robert's or Susan Sarandon's is usually very shiny with big curls. Type 3B, on
the other hand, is hair with a medium amount of curl, and bouncy ringlets. Type 3C, is hair with tight
Type 3A
curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed
together.” Pics and info: http://www.rocasalon.com/hair_types.htm.
How to keep your hair HEALTHY
Shampoos that are hydrating and have natural oils are best for mixed hair. Since the hair follicles on
curly hair don’t lie flat, the natural oils have a harder time moisturizing the rest of your hair. Don’t
over shampoo, because it will dehydrate your already dry hair; wash your hair once a week.
Condition hair every time you wash your hair. It’s imperative that you do because your hair is very
fragile and will break easily. Make sure you deep condition at least once a month.
Comb out your hair while it’s wet with a wide toothed comb. Never comb your curls while your hair is
dry. This will break off your hair. Brushing is strictly prohibited unless it’s straightened, as it strains
your hair and will create split ends. Make sure you comb from the ends to scalp to prevent damage.
How to grow long natural hair
Type 3B
Hair is mostly composed of Keratin, which is protein, so having a healthy diet that is rich in protein, and hair products
with protein in them will allow your hair to grow faster and healthy. Grilled chicken and fish will lower your fat intake.
Another tip that is very useful is drinking plenty of water. Your hair gets hydrated by drinking water,
just like the rest of your body. Exercising, quality hair products and vitamins will help your hair grow
longer and healthier because your body is healthier. http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa012.shtml
What products are bad for your hair?
Rule #1: Avoid Bad Hair Product Ingredients
Rule #2: Avoid Hair Coloring, Rinses, and Dyes
Rule #3: Avoid Hair Products with Synthetic Fragrances
Rule # 4: Avoid Products with Chemical Preservatives
Rule # 5: Abandon your typical beauty supply store or drugstore.
Rule #6 Only purchase all natural hair care products tailored for your hair type.
For a more extensive list please visit:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2059484_biracial-ethnic-hair-things-avoid.html#ixzz1Hc4heC6o
Type 3C

logo
By: Le’Terria W. Thomas
I’ve always wondered why people decide to go to
this place. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate this place about a
5 for many different reasons. I like the fancy restaurants.
Restaurants that are neat and clean from the time you walk
in, until the time you leave. Golden Corral just doesn’t fit that
description. As many people know, Golden Corral has many
different locations, and I’ve been to about 3 of those, and they’ve all appeared to be the same. Not even 1 out of 3 has shown me
anything different.
I would rate the food a low 6, simply because I’m a very picky eater. The food that I do eat from Golden Corral, always
has something wrong with it. I also eat the same thing: macaroni, steak, chicken, pizza, mashed potatoes & gravy, steak fries,
nachos & cheese, ham. It seems like when you ask them to do one thing, they do the complete opposite. They might not even do
it at all.
Macaroni – It’s always watery, so I ask for some fresh macaroni that’s not too watery, yet they come out with the same type of
macaroni that I didn’t want.
Steak – I ask for it well, well done, or almost burnt. They give it to me half way done, still red in the middle.
Chicken – I’ve never really had a problem with the chicken, but they could serve it hot instead of warm.
Pizza – It taste like pizza dough with no toppings. They need to find a new recipe, point blank period.
Steak fries – They taste like they don’t even drain the grease out of the fries. They look like a shiny piece of gold.
Nachos & Cheese – Either the cheese is cold, or the chips are hard and stale.
Ham – Sometimes it’s salty, but overall it’s good.
I really don’t think that they are sanitary, for the simple fact, they use silver wear instead of using plastic wear. I believe
that it is very unsanitary to do that. Many germs are getting passed around these days. Probably 2.5 million people have eaten off
of just one fork, spoon, or knife. They should put a stop to that. Just because you wash the stuff, doesn’t meant that it always
gets clean. There have been plenty of times that I went to grab a plate, and leftovers are still on the plate, yet it’s sitting there
with the clean dishes. (That goes for a lot of restaurants really.)
Speaking of not being sanitary, their bathrooms aren’t that clean, either. I’ve never been able to go to the restroom
without smelling a nasty smell (air freshener), or finding pee on the toilet seats, and toilet paper all on the flood, or should I say,
used toilet paper. Also, female products are always all over the floor. I know that people should know not to do stuff like that,
but aren’t employess getting paid to make sure that, if stuff like this does happen, it gets cleaned up? Why have a job, and not do
the job? There is no way that the
bathrooms should be looking like
that. It’s disgusting and it’s making
Golden Corral look very bad. The
workers are very well mannered.
They greet you on your way in, and
also on your way out.
Overall, if I had to refer a
restaurant to someone, it wouldn’t
be Golden Corral because they just
have too many things that they
need to work on.
picture

Fat Ho Burgers
By: Rochelle Payne
Hey! I know the title drew you into reading this
document. Why? Because one, you’ve never heard of it,
and two, you probably want to try some, also. Yeah, I
was thinking the same thing when I first heard about
Fat Ho Burgers on the radio (101.3 Tom Joyner in the
morning). For everyone reading this, please prepare
yourself for the most humorous laugh of a lifetime. Fat
Ho Burgers is no joke. The name explains it all.
Fat Ho Burgers is a recently opened restaurant
in Wako, Texas, owned by 23 year old, Lakita Evans.
Obviously, with a name like Fat Ho Burgers, there will
be tons of issues, concerns, and controversy throughout
the big state. Lots of people are fighting against the
name, saying it discriminate against women. It was
definitely not named for the negative, but in the
owner’s words, ‘More to put a smile on their face.’ I
thought a little negatively myself, wondering who would want to eat at a place relating to a fat hoe?’ No, I’ll
just pass.’ That’s probably what every other woman or man man or woman would say hearing about this
restaurant for the very first time.
But reading more abour Lakita, I started to see what she saw. "Look at what's going on over there in
Japan. I mean, it's quite clear to us that this world's not going to get any better...somebody's got to keep their
sense of humor around here." Yes, Lakita, that is indeed true.
Now you can’t tell me the thought doesn’t even make you laugh. I was extremely moved by the menu. And
now I can really see how she planned on bringing in the laughter.
Supa Fly Ho w/ chz
Supa Dupa Fly Ho w/ chz
Supa Dupa Fly Ho w/ Bacon
Fat Chicken Ho
Bad Mamajama
Sloppy Ho Brisket
Toasty Ho
Juicy Steak Ho
Ahh, don’t you just to love it! Who could stay
upset after reading that? I mean seriously, it’s not that
bad, and I do believe this was created to see happier
faces, because life is too short and you really don’t
when it’s your time. So, go have fun! Live a little, and
don’t let what the thoughts of everyone else
determine your thoughts and feelings on getting a Fat
Ho Burger!
Info & pics
More info & pics

PizzaPastaWings
By Cha’kell Davis
I know that everyone has heard about and or has eaten
pic
at Pizza Hut. But if you haven’t, I suggest that you try it.
Pizza Hut is known for their pizza, pasta, wings, and dessert. They always have a special deal going on or
you can always find coupons in the local newspaper. Everyone likes pizza; I have never met anyone who
doesn’t. Even vegetarians eat at Pizza Hut because they have all types of pizza: Pepperoni, Sausage,
Cheese, Meat Lovers, Veggie Lovers, Supreme, Super Supreme, Chicken, Hawaiian Luau, Triple Meat,
Italian Trio, and Spicy Sicilian. Pizza alternatives include Buffalo wings: Burnin’ Hot, Medium, Mild, Spicy
Asian. BBQ, Honey BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Naked and Dripping. The pasta they have is
amazing; they have Tuscani Creamy Chicken Alfredo and Tuscani Meaty Marinara. For desert, they have
Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers and Cinnamon Sticks.
pic
Pizza Hut is always having a sale, whether it is just for a day or for a month. Every Tuesday is Tuscani
Tuesday; Wednesday is Wing Wednesday,; and lately they have had large pizzas with any toppings for
$10. I definitely recommend their Pizza Hut to all pizza lovers. That’s how good it is!
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gains. Vintage Books, New York.
1993.256 pps. Tevin Robinson
Grant is a 19 year old young man living in the heart of the dirty south of Alabama.
He is a young, poor, black male who has to support his family of seven, including his mother
and his six brothers and sisters. Grant is a smart, young man looking for an opportunity to
make something out of his life. He wanted to be one of the first people in his family to go to
college.
Grant soon has a big problem; he gets fired from his job at the super market, and
finds out that he doesn’t have money to support his family and pay the bills. Times get hard
for Grant and his family; he doesn’t know what to do next. “Man I need some money, I do
anything to make some money” (pg.23). Eventually, Grant and his two friends, Bobby and
picture
Ricky, come up with a quick money scam. They have the idea of robbing the local liquor
store. When Grant and his friends go to the liquor store they plan on robbing, something
goes wrong, and one of his friends ends up killing the store manager and a police officer. Grant gets caught by the
police, and both of his friends get away. Grant is put on trial for a murder he didn’t commit and faces life in prison.
The author uses a lot of dialogue to get his message across to the reader. He also uses a lot of snapshots to give
the reader a picture. He also uses thought shots to tell the reader what the characters are thinking and why they are
thinking it. “I can’t believe this has happened to me. I’m never going to see my family again” (pg34).
The book, A Lesson Before Dying is similar to Getting Away with Murder, the story of Emmitt Till and how three
men took him from his home and murdered him. These two books teach you how you can learn from your mistakes, and
decide between right and wrong.
The important message in A Lesson Before Dying is that life isn’t always good, and sometimes it’s hard to the
point where you just want to give up, but just because you are poor and don’t have money, it doesn’t mean that you
should make a bigger mistake that is going to affect you for the rest of your life.

Unwind By: Neal Shusterman.
Letitia Brown
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Simon & Schuster New York 335 pps.
Beep...Beep...Beep…fills
his ears, along with people in scrubs,
masks, and gloves surrounding
him. All of a sudden, a bright light from
a distance gets closer and closer
towards him. Roland looks over to see
many wires attached to his
body, and before he knows it… he
blacks out.
The story, Unwind, by Neal
Shusterman, is truly one of a kind. No
other book that I have read can
compare to this. The author of this story
Neal Shusterman is very unique
in his own special way. He is very
popular and has other books, as
well; EverWild, EverLost, Bruiser, Red
Rider’s Hood, What Daddy Did. As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and
“Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Pixel Perfect”. He is a very
inspirational author and is sure to be guaranteed to have more eye catching books/novels.
Of course, in every story there conflicts involved. One conflict in this story would have to be the
argument that occurred between Roland and Connor. Connor became convinced that Roland was trying
to kill him because of how Roland was trying to replace Connor’s spot on the airplane. What makes this
such a big deal is that Connor had originally planned to be in that position on the plane since there was a
plan between him and the pilot to kill all the unwinds. Roland trying to take his spot made it a big deal
for the both of them, which eventually led to a fight.
The book was set in the future and tells about how parents can not abort their newborn, but they
can do so they choose to unwind their children once they reach the ages of 13-18. What makes the story
more suspenseful is that 3 teenagers work together to try to escape and avoid being unwound. Their
journey had a few twists and kinks. But lets’ not spoil it. You can read and find out yourself. There’s
drama, drama, and more drama between characters. The book lets you see everyone’s thoughts, so you
get a look at their perspective on what’s happening. It shows the difficulties they have to face in order to
survive. Once they reach the end, there’s no where else to run.
One strength of the book would have to be the good imagery the author provided for the reader.
There was a moment in the book where one of the surgeons in the camp took a scalpel and sliced it right
into Roland’s leg. You see half of a male teenager’s body laying down on a metal platform with nothing
else at the end. The intense description of this scene was very easy to imagine in the reader’s mind. Not
all authors provide that use of imagery.
Another strength of this book would have to be the remarkable use of dialogue. Usually, dialogue
would be not as exciting, but, in this case, dialogue played a very important role in the story. One
conversation led to another, and it became more and more dramatic as the story continued. It’s not the
common typical dialogue that you would normally expect in most fiction stories. The dialogue also
helped the reader understand more about the situations that were happening.
Another strength is most definitely the foreshadowing of the story. The foreshadowing led you on as
you flipped page by page. The dialogue also assisted in the building of suspense as well. I believe that
the purpose of the suspense was to mainly reach out to the readers and keep them more interested in
finishing the story, instead of, like most books, being boring and causing teen readers to give up and put
the book down.
One final strength that I came across while reading was that the author uses descriptive detailing.
Every sentence he writes is so in depth and he pulls in the reader with intriguing action. It was easy to
comprehend and simple to grasp. Every bit of detail followed up with a great image in my mind, and
that’s what I like to see in books.

Randy Truong
The River
Gary Paulsen
1991
Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
New York
0-440-22750-X
125 Pages
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Being caught all alone in the wilderness for 54 days, surviving without
anything but a hatchet, can you imagine that? Well that isn’t quite what happened in
the story, but it is what this young boy went through and then he happens to get
caught in the same predicament once more. Set in the Canadian Wilderness, The
River, by Gary Paulsen, is about a young teen boy who happens to get caught in the same situation twice.
After recovering from his incident, he isn’t given enough of a break to withstand the second one. Derrick is a
man who works for the government and trains people for survival situations. He asks Brian to help him make a
book for these type of circumstances, and the only way to do it is to see Brian in action. Both parties agree to
not take anything along with them but a means of communication, which was a radio, and a notepad. When
catastrophe strikes, Brian has to use the best of his abilities to make things right again.
Overall, The River is an audacious story that takes you through how to react when every move you
make is crucial to saving another’s life. Gary Paulsen demonstrated that it is not always about yourself and that
helping another will also assist you in the long-run. Throughout the story, you see Brian attempting to help
others, especially Derrick, who keeps making decisions that’ll will slow him down and cause him to go through
much trouble. Brian makes the choice that will be more beneficial for Derrick.
What makes The River such a good story is how every single scene seems to sink you in details of
each surrounding vividly. Another good thing about The River is how it tells you some tips on how to survive in
the wilderness which may affect you in real-life. There is nothing better that you can learn from a book then to
transform it into something that you can use in real life. The River is not over exaggerated; it is kept very
realistic. It puts you in the mindset of young Brian Robeson, really giving you the feel of what happens when
you are forced into such a situation.
The River is one of those stories that shift from scene to scene very fast and keeps you on the edge, so
if you’re one of those readers who love constant action, then this book is for you. But you know when things
move fast, some parts can be very unclear and leave you full of questions. That was one of the problems for
me. I wanted to learn more about main characters, but they didn’t describe much about his background, which
left a lot of questions.
What you will learn exactly from The River is that it is not always about yourself but about helping
someone else in need and that will benefit you in the long-run. Every book you read should it helping you learn
and build as a person in which The River did a good job of having a good moral behind it. This is shown by
Brian simply helping out Derrick, and you will learn the reason for him doing so if you choose to pick up this
book.
This book itself is worth reading, especially if you are a fan of adventure books. Also you should pass
this on to a friend because it is not too long. It remains consistent, filled with action, so you really won’t fall
asleep reading it. So if you ever feel like hopping out a plane and getting dropped in middle of nowhere, you
should pick up The River before even attempting to do so.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Kelsey Hinton
The experience of reading Catcher in the Rye by: J. D. Salinger is like reading 16 year old, Holden
Caulfield’s, journal. Or like a blog where he vented all his angst towards the world and life. The book is written in
first person so it feels as though he is the author. Holden’s life is monotonous. He is depressed, and sick and tired
of it. He hates attending schools full of kids and teachers who are all “fake” and “phony”.
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Holden has been kicked out of the most prestigious schools. At the beginning of the book he has been
kicked out of yet another and is about to head home. The book is spread across 3 or 4 days in New York where he
had grown up. The entire book is all the thoughts he had within this short time.
The language in the book is very laid back and casual, just like an American teenager would speak.
Reading this book is a different kind of reading experience. The way it is written is not in the form you are used to
for such an important piece of literature. Phrases like, “anyways, as I was saying”… “If you wanna know the
truth”… and “man that kills me” appears a lot throughout the book. But soon, you get used to the language, and it even grows on you.
After reading about ten chapters, I even started to use some of the phrases from the book. There is a lot of humor in the book. The
humor comes from looking through Holden’s world view. For example, when one of his teachers gives him a very serious lecture
about life, all he can think about is the way his sickly old man of a teacher is showing his hairy chest, looks horrible, and smells of
vapor rub. And all he understands of the speech is that the teacher is telling him he has a big brain. Everything that the adults seem to
see as very serious, Holden sees as funny or phony.
In the book, Holden talks about his favorite authors and his favorite book. He says the books he likes the most are books
where he feels connected to the author. He can call the author up and have a conversation about the book. The funny thing is, is that
this book is that kind of book. As I read the book I felt as though I could have been talking directly to Holden. I felt like I could lean in
and tell Holden, “Buck up kid, life isn’t that bad; don’t look at everything in shades of gray.” The thing I believe that has made this
book a classic is the ability to connect so well to Holden.
Holden has a wide range of opinions, and he has one for everyone and everything in the world. Most of the time his opinion
of things is that he is not impressed or is very sarcastic. But deep down, there are things he really enjoys and likes. He loves his sister;
he enjoys the nuns at the station, and the ducks in the lagoon. Sometimes I wonder what his opinion would be of me, and how I could
connect with this character.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Courtney Holcomb
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To Kill a Mockingbird is brilliant. This book is based in the south between the 1940’s and 1950’s.
During this time, the Jim Crow laws were still active. This book looks racism right in the face.
The main character in the book is Jean Louise “Scout” Finch; she is a young lady just entering
elementary school. Jean Louise lives with her father Atticus (Her mother died when she was just a toddler), her
older brother Jem, who she adores, and the family friend/helper, Calpurnia. The characters all seem so realistic;
the author, Harper Lee, does an amazing job of putting the reader in each character’s shoes, as well as
transitioning from character to character. Jean Louise is the main character, and the story is told from her point
of view throughout the entire book. It is amazing the way the accurately creates the voice of a child; Jean
Louise is so young and lost in the world, that she learns something new everyday throughout the book. Not
only did she master a child, but she also mastered Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer and father of Jean Louis and her brother; he is very
intelligent and levelheaded. To be able to transition so quickly from a confused child to a man like Atticus with so much on his plate
as a father and a lawyer is outstanding!
The author definitely captures the language of the Deep South; the story takes place in Maycomb County, a fairly small town.
She uses such proper language with, with some country twang for the white characters, but she totally changes her style of language
when the children attend Calpurnia’s church. The children even asked her why she talked like that at her church when she’s educated.
Calpurnia, being wise and levelheaded, simply told them that she was required to speak differently in front of certain people. The Jim
Crow laws required that African Americans didn’t speak intelligently in front of white people. (Calpurnia was an exceptation to this
rule within the Finch household).
To Kill a Mockingbird vaguely reminds me of a book I read named Marked. Both books capture the hearts of young readers
through the main characters. In each book, the main character is young; this makes it easier for young readers to relate to their
problems and understand their inner thoughts.
Mockingbird reaches out to all audiences, but it reaches out most to female teenage readers because it is from a young lady’s
perspective. The older generations will enjoy the it as well, because this book came out when they were young. To Kill a Mockingbird
is a mind blowing book that I wouldn’t mind reading again. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Perks of High School
By: Nikayla Edmondson
Perks of Being a Wallflower, by
Stephen Chbosky, is a story about a boy name Charlie. Charlie is a confused boy entering his
freshman year of high school, not knowing anything; he has many questions about everything. He
is trying to find himself through influences of his surroundings peers.
All of the main characters played an important role in Charlie’s life; they all influenced
him differently. The characters with the most influence on Charlie were his family: Sam, Patrick,
Mary Elizabeth, his deceased Aunt, Helen, and his deceased best friend, Michael. Each character’s
traits had different effects on Charlie’s life. Charlie’s brother was his distant role model who knew
what he wanted to do with his life, and that was play professional football. Charlie looked up to
him because he was a physically fit guy, and Charlie imagined how much easier he’d fit in if he
was more like him. Going into high school, that was Charlie’s main objective, he wondered where
he would fit in.
Recently losing his best friend, Charlie felt like a loner. He tried to become more socially involved; although a
family interest Charlie became more personally fascinated with football, so he started going to his high school games
again, which he hadn’t done since his best friend Michael committed suicide in 8 th grade. Charlie often thinks about his
deceased Aunt Helen, who he thought of as the only person who truly understood him. Charlie began to befriend
Patrick, a guy in Charlie’s wood shop class, and sat with him at a football games. Through Patrick, Charlie met his secret
crush, Sam, Patrick’s step sister. They influenced Charlie, because they were older kids in his school, he looked as them
as people who where in the cool crowd. He hangs with them and begins to adapt their weekend lifestyle. Hanging with
Patrick and Sam, is how Charlie meets Mary Elizabeth, his first girlfriend and the very reason he doesn’t understands
girls. His relationship with Mary Elizabeth is stressful to him and leads him to become closer with his older sister, who is
a senior at his high school. Through his complications with his relationships with friends and family, Charlie begins to
find himself. Charlie goes through several different traumas, and even a hospital treatment, before he truly “discovers
himself.”
Each character reveals more interests of Charlie’s. New discoveries in Charlie’s life lead him to more obstacles.
Charlie has a wide curiosity in every situation that he encounters as he questions its motive.
I recommend that book to students between the grade levels of 8-12; the author Stephen Chbosky does a great
job in keeping his reader’s interest. I applaud the author on his writing techniques; the book written directly to the
audience in letter format. He writes letters consisting of his private thoughts, questions, and interest in life. It’s like
you’re living second hand through Charlie.
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by Mary Shelley New York, New York 2003
Daryl Artis
Dr. Frankenstein is the wise, mysterious
scientist who was un-loyal to the work of art he
created. Frankenstein dropped out of college
after two years, and began to study the human body. Being curious, he learned how the human
body and organs work together. He was very skilled and talented with his hands, and eventually
brought human scraps to life. The beast that was created was quickly drawn to evil events.
Because the creature was lonely, Frankenstein promised he would create the creature a mate.
The story takes place in a small town of Geneva. Before the monster went on a rampage,
Geneva was a peaceful, lovely city. Soon the city turns into a place you wouldn’t want to step foot
in. Geneva, the quiet place, was now the backyard of a furious beast.
Frankenstein’s work of art was very upset with him. First the monster wanted a mate. Second, he was angry
because his creator promised him a mate. The monster was highly upset, but seemed mostly jealous because his creator
had loved ones. To seek revenge, the monster would murder Frankenstein’s loved ones. This creature would make fun
of Frankenstein after the murders and would run off into the woods.
The story becomes very hectic and crazy. Through the creature’s actions, you can tell that he wants one to love
like everyone else. Frankenstein’s monster expressed many feelings. He expresses jealously, angrer, and realized,
eventually, the wrong doing he had committed. Mary Shelley’s creative ways with words allows you to understands the
many messages, one was that everyone needs love.
Frankenstein isn’t a typical book that teens today would read. The story takes place in a very small quiet city
back in the day. Frankenstein is a young intelligent adult. In most teen books they usually can relate to today’s teens.
However this great book deals with science fiction.
Shelley keeps the reader entertained, wondering about what’s going to happen next. She clearly brings the
reader to the conclusion that everyone has feelings through the monster’s actions. No matter who you are or what you
look like, you have feelings and need love. The creature was attacked and could have torn the attacker limb from limb.
However, his heart sank with bitter sickness and he didn’t react. “CURSED, CURSED, CREATOR! Why did I live?....my
feelings were those of rage and revenge” (p 87). The creature felt betrayed because Frankenstein promised that he
would create a mate. Frankenstein chose not to, because two creatures like this would create so much trouble in
Geneva. Unfortunately the beast had enough. “Be gone! I will not hear you!”
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By: Angel Cissell
In a novel, there are many different types of characters; there are the ones you like and the ones that
you don’t get along with. Then there are the ones that you fall in love with and want to help them through
their conflict. That is one of the things that an author tries to capture in a novel. They want you to have some
connection with the characters that are in the story. When you have a connection, then you will keep reading
the book.
The main character is Ed Kennedy, a man who stopped a bank robber. He is a person who has the
type of friends who are outcasts. He is in love with his friend Aubrey. He just goes through life and whatever
happens, happens. “I’d been taking stock of my life.” (15) He is just taking what he gets and he isn’t trying
to make the best of his life. After he stops the bank robber, he mysteriously gets playing cards – one of each pic
suit. There are addresses on them and he has to help the people connected to each one. He goes through
many hardships and the last card is a shocker. At the end of the story, he sees that there is more than he can
do to improve his life; he gets to learn stuff about himself and help the people he loves.
His friend is Marv. He has an old junky car and saves every penny of his money. He also lives with
his parents and he is in his twenties. He is the type of person who is trying to achieve something and wants to
show it off. He is always telling people about how much money he has, and that he can buy a new car if he
wanted to. In the end of the book, you find the true reason he is putting all of his money into a savings account. Someone asks, “What
does Marv need to do with the money?” (308) No one knows exactly what Marv wants to do with the money, and when you do find
out, it is one of the most selfless things in the world.
Aubrey is the one who is afraid to love. Ed is helplessly in love with her and she knows it, but is afraid to hurt him. She is
afraid of giving her heart to someone, because everyone she has loved has left her, but she still loves them. She has had many
boyfriends and just won’t accept the love that Ed has for her.
The mysterious character is Ritchie. You don’t learn that much about Ritchie until the end of the book. He is a very keep to
yourself person. Ritchie is one of the people that Ed has to help and he has no clue as to how. He is his friend, but Ritchie doesn’t tell
his problems to the world, because then he would have to admit something to himself
There are different personalities, and that is one reason why they work so well. No one in the book is the same. They all have
a connection, and that is Ed. He helps them all in ways that they couldn’t help themselves. What he does helps him solve his problem
of who he is; at the end of the book he knows who he is.
DaEndre Lawson
Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of British boys whose plane crashes on a
deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. There aren’t any adults, and the boys are stranded and have to
take care of themselves. The ages range from six to twelve, and Ralph, one of the older boys,
becomes “chief.” However, Ralph is plagued and has to go through a bunch of unfortunate things
in order to survive on the island until help arrives.
First, the fights are epic in this book. One guy, named Jack, is the leader of the bad group,
and Jack and Ralph fight a few times. When Jack and Ralph first fought it was a big deal. Not
because of the violent blows and punches that they each suffered, but because that fight resembled a battle of good vs.
evil. It was like Batman fighting against the Joker. It set the stage of the protagonist and the antagonist in the book.
The younger kids in this book cause an automatic emotional connection and make you want to keep reading to
find out if they survive. They littluns – or the younger children in the group of the stranded boys – talked of a “beasty”
that ravaged through the jungle at night. However, in reality, the “beasty” was a parachutist landing on the island. It was a
sad event because if they wouldn’t have freaked out when they saw the guy, they could have been all saved and back to
wherever it is that they came from.
There are some terrible events in this book. I won’t give all of them away, but the main one is a pretty sad one.
The great event is when Piggy died. That doesn’t sound right, but it was also a significant event that represented the
savage side of humans. It was the climax of the book really. It was the last straw, as you would say, and that’s when Ralph
went on his final rampage to put things back in order.
The theme in this book is the nature of mankind. People normally have the tendency to do bad things when they
gain some sort of power. As seen in this book, when Jack gets a little control, things go down from there. Humans, in
general, follow who seems powerful. When you’re the head honcho on an island full of little kids, they cling to you. Soon,
you’re some sort of island Hitler.
The Lord of the Flies is a book of massive events that happen not so consecutively. The events happen randomly,
but William Golding, the author, does an excellent job of keeping you hooked to read on to the very end.
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Sha’Raina Thompson
Book: The Sky is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
March 18, 2011
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The Sky is Everywhere is a wonderfully written novel that has a
fine balance between love, life, and death. When I first came upon the
book, it was hard to get into, but as soon as I got past the first couple of
chapters, it really captured my heart. Jandy Nelson expertly mad the
story realistic and basically made the characters life-like, and you could
see the roller coaster emotions that follow a tragedy, including Lennie’s
fight to box up her sister’s belongings and her guilt over her sudden
happiness. Lennie is a complicated individual, reaching adulthood and is
desperately trying to figure out her jumbled feelings and emotions. She
doesn’t know how to deal with her grief at Bailey’s death, and reaches
out to Toby because he understands what she’d going through.
The portrayal of Lennie’s state of mind is believable, and so are the emotions of her absent
mother and the brief scenes of underage drinking and sexual exploration. I admired the way that she
tried to live life her own way, yet every once in awhile would get slammed with the realization that she
wouldn’t be able to spend her day with Bailey. She also felt guilty when she would forget that Bailey
had died. However, when Lennie learned how to live her own life in this book, it was an amazing
characteristic to develop as a human being. I love how Lennie finds courage that she didn’t have
before.. This is a heartfelt and appealing tale.
Nelson’s writings about grief are beautiful in this novel; they really made the book easy for me
to understand and relate to. There are a lot of amazing passages and writings in the book that could
leave you completely speechless because of how much you could relate to it. In a way, when I was
reading the little notes that had conversations with her sister, it kind of brought up old grief that I had
felt at a time because of the way she wrote in the novel. I had many favorite passages, but this one
particularly touched me the most:
“Grief is a house where the chairs have forgotten how to hold us, the mirrors how to
reflect us, the walls how to contain us. Grief is a house that disappears each time
someone knocks at the door or rings the bell where the doors no longer let you in or out.”
Page 73
Overall, Nelson’s plot for the story made complete sense and gave you a clear sense of where
the story was going. It shows Lennie’s different sides of how she deals with grief and love in very
breathtaking moments. One minute she forgets about her sister’s death and then comes back into a
painful realization about it; She began to bond with her sister’s boyfriend even though he’s around
only because Lennie reminds him of Bailey. The theme of grief, love and sex is a powerful
combination, it makes the story easy to catch on to and hard to let go of. It shows the different types
of grief and love that helped her overcome it all. By the end of the story, she came to the realization
that her sister wasn’t physically there for her anymore, but that she would be everywhere.
A story that reminds me of The Sky is Everywhere is a book that also has a teenage audience
in mind and has almost the same storyline about death and self observance. The book is called,
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver. The story isn’t exactly the same, but it has deeper twists and turns
that make you really appreciate life and to not take advantage of the people that are around. Both
stories will give you the impression that death is the only thing that will make you appreciate life more
and influence how you choose to live your life. In the future, I hope I come across more books that will
touch my heart just as much as this novel did and I recommend the story for any teenager because it
is helpful in showing how you should really learn to appreciate life through the tragic death within the
story.

Problems in Miami
By Bryan Allen
After completing the 2009-2010 NBA season, one
of the biggest signings in NBA history was made.
The Miami Heat had announced that former
Toronto Raptor star forward, Chris Bosh, and
former Cleveland Cavilers star, and to most people,
the best player in the league, LeBron James, were
joining Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat for the
2010-2011 NBA season.
The Heat had the biggest hype coming into this
season in all of sports. Some even thought that
they would be able to beat the all time regular
season best record set by the 1992 Chicago Bulls,
which is 72-10. On the opening night of the regular
season, the Heat went up against the 2009-2010
Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics.
Many thought that Heat could come right into the
season unstoppable, but that did not happen; they
lost to the Celtics 88-80.
The season got worse from there; many believe
that the players were having difficulties working
with head coach, Erik Spoelstra. Their offense
wasn’t running right, and commentators believed
that it wasn’t the players; it was time for a new
coach. Rumors began that Coach Spoelstra was
about to be fired.
After the All-Star break, the Heat were 2-5, 5-13 in
games which came down to five or fewer points, and
14-18 against the elite teams in the NBA. After taking a
tough loss to the Chicago Bulls, the word got out that
players in the Miami Heat locker room were crying.
Players began getting fed up with their performance
and knew they could do better than they were. On
March 10, Miami had the defending NBA champions
coming to town, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat
defeated them 94-88, which ended their five game
losing -streak, and ended the Lakers eight game winning
streak.
The Heat now has a record of 46-22, the 3 rd best in the
Eastern Conference. Even though the Heat are not
doing badly, they know how good they are and what
they are capable of. People expect better from them,
and so does their entire organization. TIME TO TURN
ON THE HEAT!
Sources &
pictures:
www.wikipe
dia.com and
www.google
.com

The “Fab Five” Controversy
By Bryan Allen
For the 1991-1992 college basketball
season, Michigan Wolverines and Coach James
Fisher had recruited maybe the best class in college
basketball history. With Chris Webber, Jalen Rose,
Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson,
people knew that they were in for a treat.
that he made were very ignorant. A lot of people
were very upset with Jalen and the Fab Five’s harsh
comments.
Bringing a hip-hop flavor to the game of
basketball with their trash talking, baggy shorts,
black shoes, and black socks, they were often
criticized of being thugs, getting a lot of attention
from the media. Their story was made into a
documentary on ESPN. The Fab Five was the
highest rated ESPN film ever made, and included
two of the highest rated teams in their NCAA
championship games. Even losing in both
championship games in 1992 and 1993, this team
will always be remembered for having five
freshmen dominating college basketball. All five
players were drafted to the NBA, four of them first
round top ten picks.
In the documentary, the players expressed
their feelings about the Duke Blue Devils players
and program. The comment that was made by
Jalen Rose caused a lot of commotion, “I hated
Duke. I felt like they only recruited black players
that were Uncle Tom’s.” Former Duke Forward,
NBA star
Grant Hill and
Duke’s head
coach, Coach
K, feels that
the
comments
Jalen knew that people were going to keep
bringing this situation up, so he appeared on ESPN
show, 30 for 30, to clarify what he was saying.
“Well, certain schools recruit a typical kind of
player whether the world admits it or not. And
Duke is one of those schools. They recruit black
players from polished families, accomplished
families. And that’s fine. That’s okay. But when
you’re an inner city kid playing in a public school
league, you know that certain schools aren’t going
to recruit you. That’s one. And I’m okay with it.
That’s how I felt as an 18 year old kid.”
For a while now, this conflict has died
down. There are still many people that disagree
with Rose, but there are some people that
understand what he is saying. Keep tuning in to
ESPN and espn.com for updates on this story.
Sources:
Info: www.sportsgrid.com,
Pics: www.google.com

Polar Bear Plunge
BY: Nikayla Edmondson
Even with the
freezing temperatures,
over a thousand brave
hearts participated in
the Polar Bear Plunge
fundraiser for Special
Olympics Kentucky,
raising $330,000 on
Saturday, February 26,
2011, at the
Tumbleweed restaurant
on River Road.
Because the Ohio River
was above the usual
river level, two Pools
were set up for
participants to jump
into.
There were several different participants, like the Ice Socks, Black Swan, and Jump for John. Each group
created a different unique effect on me.
The Ice Socks not only had a wowing 80 crew member jumping team, but they also had the top fundraiser in
their group. Russell Miller, of Louisville, raised
$10,368.80. The 80 member Ice Socks team
raised an amazing $63,437 in total.
The Black Swan group raised almost $2,000
with their 6 member team. I remember this
group specifically because they were the
winners of the Costume contest!
his love and honor to help others.
Jump for John’s story had the most impact on
me. It was a heart warming tale that they shared
before they sprinted into the water. These
young teens of Indiana, jumped for there
deceased friend, John. John was a high school
junior who always wanted to raise money and
jump to help the cause of the Special Olympics.
3 weeks prior to the event, John got into a car
crash and passed away. His 8 friends jumped in
I’m sure each jumper had a story behind their leap. I
enjoyed watching the Polar bear Plunge, and I’m
considering being a participant for next year’s event. Get
involved and join in the fun!!

Zumba
By: Danielle Spencer
Zumba is the name of a dance fitness program,
created by dancer and choreographer Alberto
(Beto) Perez in Colombia during the 1990’s.
Zumba is combined with Latin and international
music in dance to make exercise a lot more fun.
Zumba is for everyone – youngsters to teenagers to
adults. Zumba isn’t just a regular exercise. It is also
fun and interesting, and it is a good workout.
Zumba helps out with a lot of body toning. It has
with specific beats and tempo changes, transitions,
equal to the workout from toning, strengthening or
cardio moves. It also targets every major muscle
group in the body. Zumba is limited to just one style of dance. It
includes: Cumbia, Salsa, Meringue, Mambo, Flamenco, Cha-Cha-Cha, Reggaeton, Samba, Belly
dancing, B-hangar, Hip-hop, and Tango. Zumba is fitness, but fun. Zumba can be played on:
Wii, Playstation3 (with move), and Xbox 360 (with kinect). You just have to have the DVD to
learn Zumba.
The Allied Health classes do exercises that include Zumba, and soon, my mother and I will begin
our own Zumba workouts. Zumba is a really good exercise because it keeps you relaxed and
calm while it gives you energy. That makes you want to do it even more. You will feel more like
a brand new you. Zumba isn’t just for some people, it’s for everybody. It is really fun and
interesting and you’ll enjoy yourself so much. So everyone get up, get out, go have fun with
exercising. You will enjoy the workout, so let’s get in and join the party.
References:
www. Zumba .com
www.msn / zumba .com
www.google.com

Most Outrageous Cases v. Important Cases
By: Brandon Grant
Some very important cases have been ruled upon in the past few years, as well as some outrageous ones. I’ve
collected a few of them for you to see that law can be very important, but also hilarious at times. Remember as you read
that these cases, some of them have changed the history of law, so enjoy. Taken from: Top 5 Most Outrageous Cases and
Supreme Court History: The First 100 Years.
MAJORLY MINOR IRRITANT
Some of us may remember Ed McMahon as the once lovable sidekick on
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but he's largely shed that image
with a string of lawsuits that has reaped big rewards for the financiallychallenged
entertainer. In addition to being sued for not paying his divorce
attorney, McMahon has been known for his hobby of dishing out lawsuits
himself, the most frivolous of which was against his home insurer over
some mold that he blamed for contributing to the death of his beloved dog.
At the time of the lawsuit, a serious hysteria had swept the delicate
residents of Beverly Hills over the concern that a once minorily-irritating
mold had mutated into something toxic. And despite the fact that the
Center for Disease Control dispelled this myth, McMahon walked away
with an astronomical $7 million dollar payout.
1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford
In Dred Scott v. Sandford (argued 1856 --
decided 1857), the Supreme Court ruled
that Americans of African descent,
whether free or slave, were not American
citizens and could not sue in federal court.
The Court also ruled that Congress lacked
power to ban slavery in the U.S.
territories. Finally, the Court declared that
the rights of slave owners were
constitutionally protected by the Fifth
Amendment because slaves were
categorized as property.
IT''S OVER 9000 CENTS!
While most of us associate lawsuits with roundabout ways at nabbing enormous quantities of money? Some are all in it for
the principle of the thing. This is the case with Canadian border guard Yves Julien who in December of 2003 filed a lawsuit
against the border patrol for not reimbursing him on a $9 sandwich he paid for while working overtime. Though he was
receiving the standard one-and-a-half pay for working overtime, Julien argued that the lack of money for meals was unfair.
So he did the thing any normal person suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder would do. He decided to take his battle
to the courts. The lawsuit spanned the course of five years and included numerous rulings, counter-rulings, counter-counter
rulings and etc and infinitum before he was finally awarded his $9. Julien then proceeded to celebrate the victorious
outcome of his 5-year-long battle by using the money to buy a six-pack of Labatt Bleu to drink alone and friendless in his
darkened apartment.
HOT COFFEE, COLD HARD CASH
Perhaps one of the most famous cases of frivolous litigation was
the 1994 lawsuit against McDonalds for brewing their java at
dangerously hot temperatures which resulted in the injury of 84-
year old woman Stella Liebeck. This led to a $640,000 payout to
Liebeck and the case later became a "hot" topic for the debate
about the rise of petty lawsuits in the early 90''s, and the ruling
was so unexpected that McDonalds had previously denied multiple
attempts to settle out of court, claiming they never expected to get
in trouble for serving coffee "the way the customers like it."
But at least one customer certainly didn't like it, though after the
victorious lawsuit you might imagine her saying "I'm loving it."
1896 Plessy v. Ferguson
In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme
Court considered the constitutionality of a
Louisiana law passed in 1890 "providing for
separate railway carriages for the white and
colored races." The law, which required that all
passenger railways provide separate cars for
blacks and whites, stipulated that the cars be
equal in facilities, banned whites from sitting in
black cars and blacks in white cars (with
exception to "nurses attending children of the
other race"), and penalized passengers or
railway employees for violating its terms.

1925 Gitlow v. New York
Though upholding the defendant's conviction for distributing his call to overthrow the government, the Court held, for
the first time, that the Fourteenth Amendment "incorporates" the free speech clause of the First Amendment and is,
therefore, applicable to the states.
Beer Commercial Promises Women, Doesn't Deliver
It would take a lot of beer to believe this guy's story. In 1991 Richard Overton actually tried to sue Anheuser-Busch for
$10,000 because upon drinking copious amounts of Bud Light, beautiful women didn't come to life in a tropical setting,
as shown in the commercials.
Do Beautiful Women Really Come to Life When You Drink Bud Light?
1991, Richard Overton sued Anheuser-Busch for false and misleading advertising under Michigan State law. The
complaint specifically referenced ads involving, among other things, fantasies of beautiful women in tropical settings that
came to life for two men driving a Bud Light truck. In addition to two claims of false advertising, Mr. Overton included a
third claim in his complaint in which he claimed to have suffered emotional distress, mental injury, and financial loss in
excess of $10,0000 due to the misleading Bud Light ads.
1971 United States v. Vuitch
The ACLU's general counsel, Norman Dorsen, argued this case -- the first about abortion to reach the Supreme Court. In
United States v. Vuitch, a doctor challenged the constitutionality of a District of Columbia law permitting abortion only to
preserve a woman's life or health. The Court rejected the claim that the statute was unconstitutionally vague, concluding
that "health" should be understood to include considerations of psychological as well as physical well-being. The Court
also held that the burden of proof should be on the prosecutor who brought charges, not on the doctor.
If You Can’t Sue the System, Sue Yourself
1995, Robert Lee Brock sued himself for $5 million. He claimed that he had violated his own civil rights and religious
beliefs by allowing himself to get drunk and commit crimes which landed him in the Indian Creek Correctional Center in
Virginia, serving a 23 year sentence for grand larceny and breaking and entering. What could he possibly have to gain by
suing himself you may ask? Since being in prison prevented him from having an income, he expected the state to pay.
This case was thrown out.
Criminals Can’t Blame Hollywood
1996, the family of Patsy Ann Byers sued Oliver Stone, Warner Brother, and others involved in the making and
distribution of the movie Natural Born Killers for an unspecified amount. They claimed that the movie caused Sarah
Edmondson and Benjamin Darrus to go on a crime spree which resulted in Edmonson shooting Byers during a robbery,
leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. The lawsuit was originally filed in 1995, against Edmonson and Darrus, the
actual perpetrators of the crime spree. Stone and the others involved with the film were added in 1996. The portion of the
case aimed at Stone and his associates was dismissed in 2001.
1992 Lee v. Weisman
The Court ruled that any officially-sanctioned prayer at public school graduation ceremonies violates the Establishment
Clause

1973 Roe v. Wade
The ACLU's general counsel, Norman Dorsen, was a member
of the team of lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the
landmark abortion rights case, Roe v. Wade. This case
challenged a Texas law prohibiting all but lifesaving abortions.
The Supreme Court invalidated the law on the ground that the
constitutional right to privacy by the First Amendment
encompasses a woman's decision whether or not to terminate
her pregnancy. Characterizing this right as "fundamental" to a
woman's "life and future," the Court held that the state could
not interfere with the abortion decision unless it had a
compelling reason for regulation. A compelling interest in
protecting the potential life of the fetus could be asserted only
once it became "viable" (usually at the beginning of the last
trimester of pregnancy), and even then a woman had to have
access to an abortion if it were necessary to preserve her life or
health.
When Kids Commit Heinous Crimes,
Who is Responsible?
The makers of every video game they’ve ever
played, of course. In 2001 Linda Sanders and other
family members of Columbine High School shooting
victims sued 25 movie and video game companies
for $5 billion, in a class action lawsuit. They claimed
that were it not for movies such as The Basketball
Diaries and videos games including Doom, Duke
Nukem, Quake, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Mech
Warrior, Wolfenstein, Redneck Rampage, Final
Fantasy, and Nightmare Creatures, the massacre
would not have occurred, and that the makers and
distributors of the movies and games were partly to
blame for their loved ones’ deaths. The case was
thrown out and the plaintiffs were ordered to
compensate the video game and movie companies
for their legal fees.
Negligent Security is A Legitimate Claim – When you’re the Victim, Not the Perpetrator!
2002, Edward Brewer sued Providence Hospital for $2 million. He claimed that the hospital was negligent because it had
not prevented him from raping one of its patients. The judge ruled that any damage Brewer suffered due to his crime was
his responsibility for choosing to commit the crime, and that the hospital had no legal duty to protect him from that choice.
Kiyemba v. Obama
Twenty-two members of a Chinese ethnic minority called Uighars were captured by U.S. forces at a terrorist training camp
shortly after the beginning of the Afghanistan War. They were imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp despite
the fact that they were not designated enemy combatants. U.S. law prevents them from being released back to China
because, as terrorists, they would be tortured or executed. The Uighars challenged their detention on the basis of habeas
corpus, demanding their freedom even if it meant releasing them into the U.S. Meanwhile, the detainees have received at
least one offer of resettlement in another country. All but five have accepted those offers. The remaining five have in fact
rejected two such offers.
What do you think?
Were the courts right to rule in these ways?

Summer Getaway
By Mike Haines
Looking for some good places
to go on vacation? Well I’ve got some
places that can satisfy your desire to
get away. Below are two getaway
cities for young and old people.
pic
ATLANTA
Atlanta, Georgia, has many
things that would make you want to
spend time there on a vacation away
from home. Two things are that they
have a professional basketball team
called, the Atlanta Hawks, and a
professional football team called, “the Atlanta Falcons.” It is also a very warm climate with lots
of outlet shopping malls and beaches to go to and have fun.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas,
pic
Nevada, or Sin City, is
one of the biggest
tourist attractions in
the U.S. Reasons for
this might be the
many shows and
casinos the cities offer.
Lots of tourists try to
win their luck on the
casino slots, or to
enjoy the desert. Also
Las Vegas is full of
many 4 and 5 star
hotels
and
restaurants. All of the
casinos have many shows and displays that teens can enjoy since they are too young to gamble.

Great Cities to Visit
City: New York, New York
What to do there: Shop, tour
Weather: Hot in summer, cold in
winter
People: In a hurry, rude
Food: Tons of restaurants
Outdoor activities: Central Park,
Coney Island, Chinatown
Landscape: Tall buildings
Reviewer: Zana Meaux
City: Indianapolis, Indiana
What to do there: Outlet malls,
museums
Weather: Hot in summer, cold in
winter
People: Just like us
Food: Kontry Kitchen
Outdoor activities: Parks
Landscape: Tall buildings
Reviewer: Jasamin Johnson
City: Chicago, Illinois
What to do there: Zoo and malls
Weather: Cold in winter
People: Somewhat friendly
Food: Gyros
Outdoor activities: Ice skating,
snowmen
Landscape: Snow
Reviewer: Rashell Singer
City: Saigon, Vietnam
What to do there: Water parks,
Temples, ocean
Weather: Very hot and humid
People: Nice
Food: Home made
Outdoor activities: Swimming,
shopping
Landscape: Beautiful, green
Reviewer: Lyndy Nguyen
City: Atlanta, Georgia
What to do there: Shop, party
Weather: Perfect in summer
People: Black and active
Food: Diners
Outdoor activities: Shopping
Landscape: Green, buildings
Reviewer: Robyn Thompson
City: Dresden, Germany
What to do there: Bike riding,
kite flying
Weather: Great in summer
People: Friendly, active and
cultural
Food: Bratwurst
Outdoor activities: Picnics
Landscape: WWII setting
Reviewer: Jorges Rodriguez
City: San Diego. California
What to do there: Shopping,
Beach, people watch
Weather: Hot in the summer
People: Nice
Food: Everything you can
imagine
Outdoor activities: Sand
volleyball
Landscape: Pretty palm trees
Reviewer: Breyia Capers
City: Water Color, Florida
What to do there: Beaches,
Shopping
Weather: Sunny
People: Friendly and welcoming
Food: Great discounts
Outdoor activities: Water skiing,
canoeing
Landscape: Dunes, lakes, trees
Reviewer: Jared Lynum
City: Hollywood, California
What to do there: Watch movie
stars
Weather: Great summers
People: Nice and friendly
Food: California cuisine
Outdoor activities: Parks and
amusement parks
Landscape: Very bright
Reviewer: Harold Ferrell
City: Murray, Kentucky
What to do there: Walk in a very
clean city
Weather: Clear skies
People: Friendly
Food: Mary’s Kitchen, Triple B-
pass Burger
Outdoor activities: Lots of
sports
Landscape: Green and lush
Reviewer: Charles Risinger
City: Panama City, Florida
What to do there: Go-karts,
beach
Weather: Perfect
People: Sociable and fun
Food: Same fast food as we have
Outdoor activities: Swimming
and parks
Landscape: Palm trees, sand,
ocean, fresh air
Reviewer: Sarah’s kid
City: Paducah, Kentucky
What to do there: Shopping and
parties
Weather: Same as here
People: Kind
Food: Red’s donuts
Outdoor activities: BBQ’s
Landscape: Like here but smaller
Reviewer: Jamila Johnson

City: Orlando, Florida
What to do there: Universal
Studios, Disney World
Weather: Warm and muggy
People: In a hurry, but kind
Food: Pirate Dinner Theatre
Outdoor activities: Swimming
Landscape: Beautiful, green
Reviewer: Kelsey Hinton
City: Orlando, Florida
What to do there: Upside down
building
Weather: HOT
People: Easy going, Latino,
Creole
Food: World’s Biggest
McDonalds, all day breakfast
Outdoor activities: Dune
buggies, bicycles
Landscape: Palm Trees,
flamingos, big dragon flies,
lizards
Reviewer: DaEndre Lawson
City: Virginia Beach, Virginia
What to do there: Board Walk
Weather: Hot in summer
People: Funny, nice
Food: Same as here
Outdoor activities: Beach
Landscape: Beach
Reviewer: Dazha Berry
City: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
What to do there: Museums
Weather: Cold in winter, warm
in summer
People: Tourists
Food: Same as here
Outdoor activities: Sky lift,
hiking, go carting
Landscape: Trees and mountains
Reviewer: Jermaine Jones, Jr.
City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What to do there: Concerts,
Festivals, Afro-Latino Parade
Weather: Cold in winter, warm
in summer
People: Interesting, diverse in
culture and Ideology
Food: Authentic ingredients,
Philly Cheese Steak
Outdoor activities: Biking and
sports
Landscape: Buildings and
greenery
Reviewer: Jasmine Devoe
City: Miami, Florida
What to do there: Shopping,
beach
Weather: Hot
People: Hispanics
Food: Cuban
Outdoor activities: Parades and
Festivals, Beach
Landscape: Palm trees
Reviewer: Raineris Fernandez
City: Flagstaff, Arizona
What to do there: Grand
Canyon
Weather: Really hot in the
summer
People: Not a lot of drama
Food: In-and-Out Burgers
Outdoor activities: Swim, hike
Landscape: Desert, cactus,
pretty skies
Reviewer: Tyler Woodson
What is
your
favorite
city?
City: Mexico City, Mexico
What to do there: Shop
Weather: Hot all year
People: Spanish speaking,
friendly
Food: Mexico Tipico
Outdoor activities: Beach, sights
Landscape: Sunny, tropical
Reviewer: Jordan Weathers
City: Detroit, Michigan
What to do there: Malls
Weather: Cold in winter, warm
in summer
People: Ghetto, Homeless, Perky
Food: Coney Island
Outdoor activities: Fishing
Landscape: Lights and buildings
Reviewer: Kimia Fuqua
City: West Palm Beach, Florida
What to do there: Parks, Beach
Weather: Warm
People: Cool
Food: Seafood
Outdoor activities: Fish, swim
Landscape: Palm trees, sea
animals
Reviewer: Hector Amaya
City: Sarajevo, Bosnia
What to do there: Ski, rock
climb, soccer
Weather: Cold in winter, hot in
summer
People: Variety, nice, mostly
Muslims
Food: Zjelo
Outdoor activities: Festivals,
pyramids
Landscape: hills & rivers
Reviewer: Anel Hasanovic,
Mustafa Lenjinac

Ms Andrea Miechelle Abma
By Jasmynn Weathers
Ms.Abma, who goes by Miechelle, is a Nursing and Sports Medicine teacher
here at Central High School. She says she loves it! By the looks of it, it seems like she
loves her life and the people in it, too!
She has had a lot of teaching experience in her life time. She taught at Ivy
Tech and Brown Mackie College a long time ago, and now Central High School. These
are good choices of schools, especially Central High School! She chose to teach
Nursing because it’s her profession and she enjoys it. Teaching lets her learn so
many new things and she likes helping people. She wants to share her experience in
the field of Nursing.
“As a teacher, I want to become the best I can be. I want for the Nursing
students of Central High School to be able to leave here with credits for college, with
field experience in Nursing, and with a certification in Nurse Assisting so they can
start to work in the field and get a step ahead.”
Michelle Abma grew up in a little city called Tell City with a population of 8,000 people. She is adopted and was
the only child. She has always loved music, reading and being outdoors. She has played the piano since she was 5 years
old. She also enjoys helping with her son’s choir at his elementary school, camping, boating, reading, and spending time
with family and friends. Mrs. Abma attended St Paul Elementary, Tell City High and Tell City High School. She said about
Mr. Carver, her World History in high school, ‘‘He taught me the love of learning, the importance of respect, the ability
to gain information and the understanding that if I apply myself, I will achieve.”
She also attended WKU. “I loved the whole atmosphere of WKU, how friendly the campus was I also loved going
to the football games and hanging with my friends! She has also attended Galen College of Nursing, Excelsior College,
Indiana Wesleyan College, and now EKU.
Mrs. Abma is happily married to Shawn Abma who works with Metro Government as an Arson Investigator.
They have 3 young boys name Trevor, Parker and Spencer.
Margaret Demaree: An Inspiring and Admirable Lady Who Believes in Everyone’s Potential
By Nikayla Edmondson
Margaret Demaree is an inspiring woman at Central High School. She has
more than one success story; she has accomplishments one after another! She
believes in all of her students and she becomes a mentor to everyone she meets.
Born as Margaret Dunbar, in Prospect, Kentucky, Mrs. Demaree had a busy
childhood. She was involved in track, cheerleading, choir and church activities. “My
mother didn’t give me and my brother much time to get into trouble,” she said. He
attended Wilder and Norton Elementary Schools, and Ballard Junior and Senior High
Schools. It was there that Susan Fetter, her PE teacher and track coach became her
inspiration. She attended EKU, UK and UofL. It was in college that she learned about
the real world.
Mrs. Demaree chose to teach Functional Mentally Disable students because
she had a great aunt who was severely disabled. In her 29 year career, she’s taught at
Bullitt Lick Middle School, Bullitt East High School and Central High School. Mrs.
Demaree loves helping students with their education. At Central, she most admires Steven Serotte, the magnet
coordinator, for his dedication to helping the students. When asked how teaching has changed over her career, she said
that both student-teacher respect and technology are different than when she first started.
Mrs. Demaree’s biggest accomplishments in life are her children – daughter, Devyn, and son, George – twins!
Second is 1+1=U. She hopes to help build the organization to a national level. To learn more, http://1plus1equalsu.com/.
In her spare time, she loves singing, watching romance movies, and, of course, helping others.
She wants all CHS students to know, “What is HARD to endure, is sweet to Remember. Hard work brings
success.”

A Father’s Creation
Roxanna Batista
I never paid much attention to my parents’ feelings. I was a greedy little person living in my own world.
I thought that I deserved everything, and that they had to give me anything that I asked for, only because I
received good grades in school, and was never in trouble. I took my parents for granted, and didn’t realize the
importance of loving the ones that brought me to this world until some things happened, events that changed my
mind and my heart. My father, the person who made me, who gave me life, whose heart belongs to me, and has
dedicated his entire life to me, saved me. He showed me how important it is not to ignore the feelings for those
who are able to give their life for mine.
The sun rose in the clear, blue sky like a newborn child. I woke up and ran to my father’s arms to hear
the big surprise. “Guess what? We are going to the beach,” he said. He always took me to the beach on
Saturdays, but it was a very special day because it was my birthday. I was turning five that day, the same day I
came back from death. As always, my mom prepared breakfast and we all sat together. I packed some things
and went to the backyard to take our dog with us. I always liked taking her to the beach to hear the sound of her
paws splashing in the water. I put on my favorite bikini, which was black with yellow stripes; I looked like a
bee, which is why I liked it so much. My mother wasn’t going with us that day, she had to visit town to buy
some food. My father grabbed my small backpack and we started our way.
The beach wasn’t so far away. We could take the bus, or take my uncle’s motorcycle. But we enjoyed
walking, to admire nature in such a beautiful morning in a healthy way. The weather channel had announced
some rain for the day, but we didn’t care, especially because the sky looked so clear, you could almost predict
that nothing was going to ruin our special day. The sand, as white as snow, was shining like little pieces of
crystal all together. The water was as transparent as a piece of glass, inviting us to take a splash. It was the
perfect day, and the perfect time to follow a little golden fish coming through my path.
All of a sudden, the sky turned black as if the clouds were mad. I couldn’t see the golden fish anymore. I
felt the danger, but my feet weren’t reaching the sand; I was gasping for air while I heard father desperately call
me, but I could not answer back. Every time I tried to scream, my mouth got filled with water. I closed my eyes
for a while, and then I opened them and saw a light. I could barely see. I felt confused and disorientated. My
little body became tired, and I got carried away by the waves. Then I felt something that grabbed me, and pulled
me back to the surface. I was half unconscious, but somehow I knew it was my father. I was able to open my
eyes for a moment, and as I saw his face; I knew I was no longer in danger.
Such events strengthened ties between me and my father. That day I learned to give my father the value
he deserved, and that I should never underestimate the people that love me. He made me feel protected by his
side, and that nothing bad will happen to me as long as he is there to protect me.
My father has also taught me over the course of my life, that he has other goals and visions besides me.
He has his purposes well defined, which makes me feel proud of him because, not only has he taught me to be a
mature person, but he has his own personal goals he wants to achieve. He is the kind of person who achieves
everything he wants to; he never leaves anything for later because, as he taught me, it’s better not to leave for
tomorrow what you can do today. I also don’t feel selfish by letting my father work on his personal life rather
than paying attention to me all the time. Everyone needs their own space to work on their problems, just as I do
when I need to solve anything.
As a grown young adult, I look back and I thank my father for always being by my side. He has always
been a faithful man; he never left us, even in bad times. I realize I acted wrong as a little girl, but I’ve changed
and followed my father’s steps, which has made me a better person. I am his creation; he turned me into the
responsible and respectful person that I am today. I am always going to follow and continue to learn his
lessons.

Flashing Back
Greter Sierra
Learning a new language is like a baby learning how to talk. Imagine this baby being
twelve years old. Not understanding anyone made me feel frustrated. It was not easy hearing
voices and not being able to interpret what each word meant. Life became even worse when I
got to Middle School. As I flash back, I see myself sitting in my English class. To me it felt like
being in prison. I remember hearing words that sounded alike, but had different meanings. How
could I possibly learn that? Many times, giving up felt like the best option. I was so
disappointed, to the point that I regretted coming to the United States. Fortunately, my life made
a 180 degree turn when I met my greatest influence.
She was Mrs. McGrath, my ESL teacher in middle school. Her words of encouragement
made me feel confident and secure. I felt a strong connection with her as she told me her story
which was similar to mine. She could understand the struggle of not understanding anyone. She
showed me the path of accomplishment by helping me improve my reading and writing. She
said that it was the most important thing in the English language. It was her way of teaching
that caught my attention.
I loved the way she broke lessons down to make them seem easier. Never in the world
had I imagined having to write portfolios. I learned onomatopoeia, personification, simile,
metaphors, and other important writing techniques. Then I realized that I was not only learning
English, but I was learning the right way of writing. She told us to live life in a snapshot when
writing, if you describe in details what you’re writing, then your piece will be successful. She
was surprised with my improvement and the way I applied my knowledge to every story. I
wasn’t the best writer, but I finally understood the importance of grammar and punctuation.
Thinking in Spanish and writing in English, she believed, was the best method for producing a
better writing piece.
One of the most important things that I learned in her class was to always try to push
myself a little harder when it came to reading. I was very embarrassed when we had to read out
laud. When it was almost my time, I would make any excuse to get out of class. Mrs. McGrath
introduced me to books about Junnie B. Jones. She told me that it was going to be challenging
for me, but that I would enjoy the story of a girl who also struggled in some way. I could have
never imagined the wonderful words used to describe a moment in a story. At first I read just to
get a grade, but she showed me that if I picture myself in the story, I would enjoy reading
forever.
The more I read, I noticed that my writing improved. Learning new words from difficult
books can really help a writer improve writing. As I travel back in time to see myself in middle
school, I can really say that I have improved tremendously. Thanks to the help of just one
person, I was able to improve my reading and writing. I will never forget the person that pushed
me to success. Now that I’m a senior in High School, I believe that I have knowledge enough to
complete any reading or writing task, but I know that there is still more to learn.

Seen around CHS
Top left: Oxymoron.
Top right: Travesty.
Center left: Oddities.
Center right: Another
Oddity.
Bottom: A trio of Oddities.

My Cuba
by Yanitza Torres
Cuba, like a shiny precious pearl,
All that you have, I love it,
Your beautiful light blue beaches
Like a sunny sky.
Yours are the most beautiful beaches
But you turn your waves into hungry lions
Eating people trying for a better life
They die in the darkness of the ocean.
The children innocently drown,
Parents lie
And their souls fall down
Like sand thrown into the water
But they vanish forever.
Cuba beaches, destroyed families
People in pain
Lifetime dreams killed
They die with a broken dream.
Cuba, the most beautiful island
With her transparent water
Swallowing dreamers
Taking away lives yet,
As clear as crystal
As appealing as a spring day.

SEVENS & ELEVENS
Mike Haines
Shake em to the left, shake em to the right
I need a seven before the end of the night
Money on the table, money on the flo
Boom boom boom?? Somebody watch that do’
White dice blue dice don’t got a red dice
Pocket full of money man it’s real nice
Shake em shake em shake em damn I just crapped out
Losing too much money yaw bout to get out
Gamblin’ all I know ima do it till I die
Bra u just crapped out again mannnn u a lie
Bra u can’t play like well then bye

The Great United States of America by Jermaine Jones
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EclipseCrossword.com
Across
1. Home to Grand Mesa
5. First powered flight by man took place here
7. The nation's first dental school opened here
8. The car capital of the world
9. First Atomic Bomb was detonated here
10. A kind of punch
11. The Hersey capital of the world
14. First to declare independence from England
15. Hang On Sloopy is it's official rock song
17. First state to give women the right to vote
19. Where Elvis Presley was born
21. The only state name that starts with two vowels
23. Home to Mall of America
26. Best known for peaches
28. Milk is the official state beverage
31. Home of the Sioux Nation
32. The first professional baseball game was held here
33. The palmetto state
37. Receives the first morning sun in the nation
38. Native American slang for" almost square"
40. First state admitted to the Union after the ratification of the Constitution
42. You can find Oz here
44. The Troll capital of the world
45. Produces the most handmade dulcimers
47. Famous witch trials were held here
48. Home to the nation's first department store
49. Home to Mardi Gras
Down
2. The Lady Bug is the official bug
3. A beaver graces its state flag
4. Home to the first revolving restaurant
6. Hollywood is here
12. The best potatoes come from here
13. Home to the first hamburger, polaroid camera,
helicopter and color television
16. The last of the original thirteen colonies to
become a state
18. The world's first parking meter was installed
here
20. Home to the first McDonalds
22. The southern-most northern and the northernmost
southern state
24. Everything is bigger here
25. A really sweet home
27. The southernmost state
29. This is a really cold place
30. Car theft capital of the world
34. Birth place of Davey Crockett
35. Hannah
36. Leading state in copper production
39. Once known as "The Great American Desert"
41. Home of the first of the Original Colonies
42. Famous for Blue Grass