Designer Babies?Endangered Species

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Equal Pay ForWomen

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Fruita NewscatIssue 1 Volume 1 Fruita Newscat Spring 2018

Do not Discriminate SkateboardersBy Trevor Allen

Skateboarding is not a crime, it is a lifestyle, you can meet new people, be outside

all the time instead of doing boring things at home all the time like homework. You can

learn new tricks every day, and you can get good sponsors and get clothes and boards.

A lot of people don't like skaters, they scream at you, steal your board, try and

fight you, call the cops, and other thing. People need to stop this, they are ruining the

fun of skating, all that skaters want is to get some good tricks and they will leave, but

some, not all but some people make it a big deal, yelling, screaming, calling us names,

and all that.

Endangered SpeciesMy Views on This Problem:I do not like this problem, I think theendangered species should be savedor at least protected frompredators and poachers. I believethat the animals/plants should not belead to extinction. Another problem isdeforestation, the animals are living inplaces where we kill their habitat,and they have nowhere to live, and Ithink every animal should have aplace to live.

Reasons Why They Are Endangered:One reason why species arebecoming extinct is because theenvironment is changing, so theycan’t adapt to their environment, sothey die from predators and otheroccurrences. Another reason ispoaching. The poachers go and huntfor animals not for the meat, butthe horns. The poachers collectover 23 metric tons of ivory. (that’s50706.3 pounds!) It is worth 1,500dollars for every pound in Asia.More than 80% of the elephantpopulation has been illegally killed forthe ivory. (Animal Right Action)

Consequences:Something that could happen is theother species could becomeendangered. If the endangeredspecies go extinct, then otherspecies could go endangered.Theendangered species were prey forother predators, then they won’thave much food because one oftheir sources of food will be lost,then other species will goendangered.

The food chain will get messed up, then oursource of food could go endangered. Thehumans are the dominant consumers, we killto many things by our actions, and if we killmost of the animal population, then it couldaffect our food resources. (Wignall,Prezi). There is also illegal trade amonganimals. (Parkinson, Prezi).

Ways to Protect the Animals: Don’t supportAnimals in Entertainment: Animals in thecircus, and zoos do not let the animals thenatural and important things they need. Theywill never be able to live with their families.They will never be able to roam freely, ordo what they want to do in the wild. Do notsupport zoos and circuses by not going tothem (Easy way to support) Never buyproducts from endangered species. Whenyou buy something made from somethingthat is endangered, it encourages thesellers to get more of those products, andit will kill more animals and it could eventuallymake that type of species become extinct.

One Type of Endangered Species:Black Rhino: In the 20th century, thepopulation declined dramatically towardsEuropean hunters and settlers. In 1960-1995,the population dropped by a surprising 98%,to where the population was only about2,500 rhinos. (wildlife) The reason why theyare endangered, is poachers kill the rhinosfor the horns, then sell the horns on theblack market. Status toward extinction:Critically endangered.

By Landon Philips

Equal Payment for WomanWomen are almost half of the workforce. They are the sole or co-breadwinner in half of American

families with children. They receive more college and graduate degrees than men. Yet, on average,women continue to earn considerably less than men. In 2015, female full-time, year-round workersmade only 80 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 20 percent. So women doget more education for but the problem is their money gap.

- Peter Gewont

MyLife as anAbused Child--Anonymous

So let’s get strait to the point so I won’t waste your time. It all startedwhen my mom married her second husband. They had the best wedding but to mesomething wasn’t right. But when they bought a house that was when it allstarted. I was about 7 or 8 at the time. When my mom’s husband first startedabusing me it was about 4 or 5 months into their relationship. He would takeme downstairs and leave me there for no apparent reason for sometimes a day. Iwouldn’t get fed while I was down there and it was like it was his place to putme and not my sister. And then we had to move because we couldn’t afford thehouse anymore. At the new house we had a cup of cooking utensils and in thatwe had a wooden spoon. The handle was about 6 or 7 inches and the spoon part3 inches. He would spank my but for not doing the dishes fast enough or notbeing able to get a bowl from the top shelf. Sometimes he would break the spoonpart on my butt so he would send my mom to the store to get a new one. Mymom never took place in the abusing because she was always at work. This iswhy I feel people should take in to account that child abuse does not just takeplace in that movie you watched as a child. That is my story as an abused andneglected child.

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Designer BabiesDesigner babies are a term that refers to

children who develop from embryos that areselected or genetically modified in vitro (outside ofthe human body, usually in a laboratory setting) toensure that the resulting children possess certaindesired characteristics or traits. The parent(s) orscientist is the one that decides what designer babylooks like or what traits it acquires. This newtechnology is the subject of ethical debate. Theycould be “super humans” to replace modernhumans. Lee Silver has thought of a dystopia inwhich a race of superior humans look down onthose without genetic enhancements. Designerbabies were supposed to be for helping kids thatmight have genetic problems but now people see itas adding other traits. In many countries, editingembryos and germline modification for reproductiveuse is illegal. As of 2017, the United States ofAmerica restricts the use of germline modificationand the procedure is under heavy regulation by theFDA and NIH.

I imagine this world being some sortof dystopia. I think that in a world with alot of genetically modified embryos theycould be smart and demanding and thinkthey are better than regular humans. Thegenetically modified embryos could besmarter, better, faster, more pretty, etc. thannormal human. I think that the advancedhumans should not be a thing because thatcould turn our world into a dystopia.Designer babies could also go bad becauseif you were parents and you wanted anadvanced baby there are risks and thatcould ruin your baby or kill it.

How to fit in

BullyingBullying can cause lot and if you

don’t fit in your most likely to get bulliedrather than the other kids who do fit in.

TrendsThe trends that kids or teenagers have

today which is clothes, drugs, etc. Youdon’t have to do all of that to fit in justshow them your full personality and beyourself.

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-Triston Tate

How to do itHow to fit in is so easy they make it

sound harder than it really is, and it isjust about the people you choose tohang out with at school and out ofschool.

Just do itDon’t be afraid to talk to someone

just do it and then you’ll find out thatyou're braver than you thought and findsome lifetime friends.

Tips by Fred Clymer

Dirt Bikes Vs. HorsesWhich one is Worse for Local Trails?

You are on one of your favorite trails

and you come across a person riding a dirt

bike. Nine times out of ten you are going to

think, "They are going to ruin the trail!" I,

being a dirt biker have always wondered,

are we really that bad? But if we aren't the

worst, then who is? These thoughts

inspired this article, Dirt bikers or horses,

which are worse for the trails?

Through my research and

experiences, I have come to believe horses

are worse for the trails. I do not hate

horses. This article may display that but

that isn't true. I actually have 3 horses

myself and they are pretty great. So don't

come knocking on my door to beat me up

because I disagree with what you think.

Anyway continuing the essay. “Hiking, and

biking have similar impacts while horse use

has significantly higher impacts.” Writes

Woody Keen of AmericanTrails.org. A

common known fact is that when it rains,

dirt will turn to mud. When horses and

bikers go through this mud they will create

imprints in the dirt. These imprints will

eventually harden into permanent marks.

When a dirt bike does rides through

these muddy areas, it leaves a long rut in

the road. This also occurs when bikers

spin out on tracks. When a rider comes

across, one of theses tracks, the bike will

get caught in the groove which causes the

bike to follow that track--causing little

damage. Honestly it helps more than it

hinders.

However, when a horse goes

through a muddy area they leave a long

line of imprints. When a rider goes over

these imprints, it causes a series of

uncomfortable bumps that can cause

riders to lose control and crash. Woody

Keen of AmericanTrails.org says, “Horse

traffic also caused significant increases in

soil roughness compared with the other

2 users.” So not only do they leave large,

smelly piles of chewed grass gone

through the immune system in the middle

of the road, but they also cause injuries

and discomfort!

Now I know what you're thinking.

He has spent all this time talking about

how horses are terrible and nothing

about dirtbikers being bad! Sounds pretty

biased right? So now I am giving you

what you wanted, a paragraph hatin’ on

dirtbikes(and then why those arguments

are invalid). First off, dirt bikes have a

large potential to transport invasive

species through seeds that can attach

themselves to the bike, which can

drastically change ecosystems.

Second, increased dirt biking in

muddy areas cause large ruts which can

result in issues with water runoff. Happy

now? I gave you what you wanted.

Evidence that says dirt bikers are terrible

people. Just kidding, both of these things

can be easily prevented: most of the time

they are.

By Gage Atwood

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Dirt bikers can minimize these impacts by

keeping their bikes clean of plants and other

fungi. Also, dirt bikers can do their best to ride

when the dirt is dry which prevents unnatural

ruts and water pooling.

When I go riding I make sure that my all

the parts on my bike are functioning properly so

there are no spills or parts flying off. And I know

that most dirt bikers do the same thing. There is

only a remote percentage of those careless

idiots who even we dirt bikers don't like.

Now maybe I am looking at this wrong, but

it seems to me that there is a lot more evidence

that shows, compared to horses, us dirtbikers

are great; one might even call us angels.

So now you might be thinking, "Ok, so

he’s proved that horses are worse for the

trails. But how do we fix this and prevent the

injuries and discomfort the horses cause?”

Well I am glad you asked. The best possible

solution I have found is, to create separate

trails for horses to use. This way horses can

make all the marks they want and nobody will

get hurt because the horses impact will no

longer be on the trails. Through all the

evidence and proof shown, I feel like the world

should quit hating on us dirtbikers. Maybe

even thank us for the guidance we give(see

paragraph 3). I know that if we help fix these

conflicts we have between ourselves, then

maybe we can make the world a better and

more caring place.

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How Thanksgiving is celebratedin Different Places

By Scout ComptonThanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of

November in the united states. It originated as a harvest festival; the event that Americanscommonly call the “First Thanksgiving”. It was was celebrated by the pilgrims after their firstharvest in the NewWorld in October 1621. There are only a few places that celebrate thanksgivingCanada, the United States, Korea, The Netherlands, Germany and Grenada.

In Canada they celebrateThanksgiving on the secondMonday of October. In Canadatheir first thanksgiving was in1578 when an explorer fromEngland in search of thenorthwest passage. TheNorthwest Passage is, from theEuropean and northern Atlanticpoint of view, the sea route to thePacific Ocean through the ArcticOcean, along the northern coastof North America via waterwaysthrough the Canadian ArcticArchipelago.

In a little country in theCaribbean called Grenada they alsocall this holiday Thanksgivingalthough it has nothing to do with theharvest fest it is celebrated onOctober 25th. Rather it celebrates thewhen in 1983 when American troopsarrived to restore order during anattempted communist coup. Thesetroops introduced the concept ofthanksgiving and suggested that theGrenadians celebrate the restorationwith a democracy with a grand feastthe suggestion of thanksgiving thenturned into a national holiday.

In Korea they call what we callthanksgiving chuseok. This nametranslates as (Autumn Eve) thisholiday is celebrated for three daysnear the autumn equinox this iswhenever the harvest moonappears each year. In Korea forChuseok the foods that theytypically eat are rice balls flavoredwith seamsame seeds and pineneedles and Korean pancakes(which are basically deep friedmeat and vegetables) which are allwashed down with a bit of riceliquor.

More Thanksgiving in other

countries

For the holiday thanksgiving in The

Netherlands many historians have argued that

thanksgiving may have been inspired by Drie

Oktober, this is a holiday on the 3rd of October it

celebrates a military victory in the city of Leiden,

where many pilgrims lived before immigrating to

England. Thanksgiving is now celebrated in a

Leiden church that the pilgrims freguented, in

honor of these hardy, idealist settlers.

In Germany they call

thanksgiving (Erntedank).

Thanksgiving usually

takes place on the first

Sunday in October, they

have been doing this

since 1972. They will

typically celebrate it in a

church.

So next time you are

eating food for thanksgiving

you could think about how

people in other countries

are celebrating it!

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What It's Like Having Divorced

Parents

-Aaliyah Favorite

Having divorced parents can be both good and bad. There are also many reasons why having divorced

parents can be better.

Some positive effects from divorce can be the arguing stops, the family is not as tense as it used to be,

and if your “mature” according to the judge you get to pick which parent you would prefer to be with more,

yes you usually do get 2 holidays but more the least you split holidays between parents.

There are also negative effects… Most of the negatives would be family traditions end, if you seem to

immature in the judges eyes you don’t get a choice on who you would rather live with.

Main reasons divorce happens is your parents just don’t love each other anymore, they just argue to

much, or in more times than most affairs.

The divorce rate for first marriages is around 40% and for second marriages its around 60%. Also if

your parents got divorced you have a higher rate of getting divorced as well.

For me my parents have been divorced for 6-7 years. For a majority of this time my mom wasn’t even

in my life because of choices she made, I completely lost contact with her and lived with just my dad. Just a

year ago my mom finally was able to step back into my life I remember refusing to speak with her for 3

months until I got forced to go a supervised visit now I have a new relationship with her.

On the other hand, I have a friend and her parents are recently going through divorce.

She has been a friend of mine since my parents got divorced actually. Her mom has already gone

through a divorce once and she never really knew her real dad. When I met her I only knew her step dad.

Every night she will keep me up to date on how she is doing compared to me it is not so good. Having

parents going through the first stage of divorce is super tense and upsetting because you see one parent

slowly moving out while the other is changing the way the house is.

In her case her step dad just went to a friend’s house and has not come home for a few days.

What Makes

People Happy?By Matthew

Lastine

A study out of 22,000 kids has shown that about

75% of them are bored and depressed with many of

their daily chores like school (Watson1). I can say from

the bottom of my heart that I don’t like waking up at 6

am every morning to crawl out of that early mist and

fog. It’s even a plus for me if I say goodmorning to my

teachers. Thinking about my bed and just about

everywhere else I could be instead of school is an easy

trap to get tangled in--but doing some simple things

daily can change how you view your situation and your

life.

Happiness comes and goes for a ton of people

because it is not exercised. Exercise is a way to retain

something like muscle or in this case happiness.

“Research (and common sense) suggests that one aspect

of the Thanksgiving season can actually lift the spirits,

and it’s built right into the holiday- expressing

gratitude.” writes one member of Harvard Health

Publishing. This shows one of the key aspects of being

happy, gratitude. Gratitude allows you to think of the

small things in your life that really make a difference

like food on your table or a roof over your head. Jason

Breslow of PBS.org writes, “...in a new experimental

formula the number of children living in poverty falls

to 13.4 million.” I live a good lifestyle with resources to

meet my needs but take these for granted, not

understanding how lucky I am and making more

excuses for why I’m unhappy--but a lot of kids don’t

have those resources and are even happier than I am

regardless of what they own or have even if they live

below the poverty line. We complain about where we

live what we have and where we go to school because

it’s easy;It’s always easier to complain but makes you

even more miserable so choose to be thankful.

Harvard Health publishing also writes that some things

you can do to exercise your gratitude are, write a thank

you note, keep a gratitude journal, pray, and count your

blessings. Doing these things weekly can help you stay

satisfied and content with your life regardless the

situation you are in.

If you just took 30 seconds out of your day to count

your blessings I’m sure you would feel lightened and

look for the hidden opportunities that may be buried

under the stress and complaints that seem

everywhere--even if you were going to a new school

or on call for everyone at the office, there is always

something to be thankful for.

Taking a break from your routine activities and

relaxing can help as well. “In another study,

researchers in Finland found that urban dwellers who

strolled for as little as 20 minutes through an urban

park or woodland had significantly more stress relief

than those who strolled in a city center.” says Jill Suite,

a psychologist from Greater Good Magazine by

Berkeley. Getting out into real nature can really, really

destress your thoughts and create a mental stillness in

your mind. Studying at the end of the year for tests is a

severely large pain to deal with and I can say this from

experience. I waste gobs of time just sitting there

trying to think but I am usually roasted after school.

After sitting for an hour or so I end up finally going

outside and running around which gives my brain the

break it needs to continue working. Once you are

refreshed and ready, the task at hand seems much

easier and I tend to fly through it. And remember,

your life doesn’t revolve around school, so take a

hike.

Being happy may not be the easiest thing to do daily. I

often feel swamped with school just drowning every

day into a pit of work--where happiness does not

reside nor exist. Even though these feelings may seep

into my thinking habits I have the option to open my

door and accept them in their ignorance or reject the

inevitable doom they offer. Detesting your life's duties

won’t make anything better so choose to have an

attitude of gratitude and better your situation, instead

of whining about it. Life throws curveballs at you all

the time and they may get you down but don’t get in a

slump, take some time, talk with your family, pray,

and be grateful for what you have and your world will

change in every way for the better.

My Grandfather, the Rocket Boy

By, Nicholas Johnson

I have always been fascinated by space and

the concept of spaceflight. I am a “Star Trek” fan; I

have always enjoyed learning about the cosmos.

As many of my fellow 9th graders know we have

been reading “The Rocket Boys” about Homer

Hickam Jr. While I never knew any of the boys in

this book, but it has inspired me to talk with the

"rocket boy" in our family.

My grandfather, John Anderson, has always

shared with me many of his adventures involving

air and space, and I enjoy listening. He actually

worked with a company that contracted with

NASA on many of their projects. We share many of

the same interests which has created a special

bond between us. In November I had the pleasure

of interviewing him on many of his opinions on the

space program within the United States. Having

worked on the external tank and space shuttle

thruster units himself he has a great deal of

knowledge and experience involving the actual

vehicle itself. I asked him about what pushed him

or inspired him to become associated with the

space program and he told me that he had just

always had an interest in propulsion, jet engines,

and the engineering aspect of it all. Engineer from

birth it’s no wonder he went on to work for Martin

(soon to become Martin Marietta) after serving in

the military for a short period. While he worked

for this company he was involved on many other

missiles and spacecraft other than just the space

shuttle. It has always fascinated me the extensive

knowledge he has on some of the spacecraft we

have used to explore the world that lies outside of

our atmosphere. I view the space program as

highly beneficial to the United States.

Many of us in my family, and I’m sure there

were more than a few people in the country, were

saddened to learn of the decommissioning of the

shuttle on July 21, 2011.

I remember watching the last launch on

television and understanding that a big change

was happening , even though at the time I was

only eight years old. During my interview I

asked my grandpa what his opinions on

developing a new manned spacecraft to

replace the shuttle and his immediate

response was “they should never have shut

down the space shuttle” He explained to me

multiple things that a manned space flight is

good for and emphasized that NASA could put

forth their efforts to create a more efficient

spacecraft in place of the shuttle. As a space

enthusiast myself I believe that the space

program is very valuable to help us learn more

about the unknown vastness surrounding our

world. “I think it’s worthwhile because there

are a lot of uncertainties in space and is a

means of keeping track of that stuff” was what

he replied when I asked about his opinion on

the continuation of space exploration here in

the United States.

I believe we must continue studying and

learning more about the vastness of space that

surrounds our planet and discover what lies

beyond our world. My grandpa told me that

what we do know will help determine what

happens in terms of space travel in the future.

He told me that if lengthy space voyages ever

came around, it would be useful to know what

planets sustain life. I think we will eventually

reach these travels, maybe not in my lifetime

but it will happen. We must always continue to

stare up at the sky and wonder about what

goes on up their and learn all we can.

“Telescopes can help us understand farther

and farther out from our planet”, my grandpa

concluded. No one I know is as true a rocket

boy than my grandfather, and I was lucky to be

able to get to know him better with this

interview. “Space. The final frontier” -Captain

Jame

NFL Players taking aknee

Why are NFL players taking a knee?Players are protesting the injustices

people of color still face in America today.“Colin Kaepernick said “I am not going tostand up to show pride in a flag for a countrythat oppresses black people, and people ofcolor. To me, this is bigger than football.

What does the government think about NFLplayers taking a knee?

Donald Trump himself had something tosay about Colin Kaepernick protesting theNational Anthem. Trump said “Get that son ofa b**** off the field right now, he’s fired.”Trump also said “If a player wants theprivilege of making millions of dollars in theNFL, or other leagues, he or she should not beallowed to disrespect our Great AmericanFlag and should stand for the NationalAnthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED.”

What are the consequencesPeople all over the United States have

been protesting the National Anthem andhave had people suspended. NFL playershave even influenced high school kids whichgot them kicked off the team in front of theirteammates right before a high school game.

This has also influence more and morepeople through each sport to kneel for thenational anthem. It’s really childish and issetting a bad example, there are otherways to protest.

Will they keep taking a knee?The league tried to tell NFL players to

stop kneeling but that didn’t work so theirnext move was to bribe them with 100million dollars and even that failed. Butnow the coaches have threatened theplayers that they will not play if theykneel for the National Anthem. Now lessand less people have been kneeling forthe National Anthem.

My opinionI think that kneeling for the NationalAnthem is extremely stupid and childishand that it shouldn’t be allowed. Iunderstand that the people have the rightto speak and have their opinion butdisrespecting the flag shouldn’t beallowed.

-Armony Trujillo

ReadingEpidemic

By,Emily Staton

Hey, you! Yeah you! Do you read? No, I mean so you pick up a book, read it, from cover to cover, andunderstand it? I would bet that you don’t. A study done by Statistic Brain Research Institute shows that only56% of young people have read more than 10 books last year. 46% of college graduates never picked up abook after they graduated. From all the books any person has started, 57% of them are never finished.

I, Emily Staton, am an avid reader. I finish about 50 books each year. That’s probably over the top andcompletely bibliophilic of me; I don’t expect you to read that many books. When there are people whodon’t even read 10 books a year, I thinks it’s safe to claim that this is a reading epidemic. That 44% of youthat can’t pick up a book, like some of my friends, we have to talk. I will tell you all the ways reading willimprove your life, of course, once you start reading, like smarts, fame, and kindness.

For starters, reading is proven to make you smarter. The article 8 Benefits of Reading (or WaysReading Makes You Better at Life) written by Glen Stansberry on LifeDev said, “Those that read havehigher GPA’s, higher intelligence, and general knowledge than those that don’t.” Also, teachers do happento give books out, and not just in ELA. Why? Because they are educational. I’m sure you’ve noticed that,but hopefully not dreaded it. Andrew Perrin with the Pew Research Center wrote, “Less educated adults areleast likely to own smartphones or tablets” which have been useful for reading e-books, especially since2011. If anyone has access to all types of books, then they are more likely to read those books and learnsomething from them. If someone is less educated, than they have probably read less books. I happen to belucky enough to have access to most books, and though I mostly read paper ones, I’d say that they havedefinitely helped me learn something.

For those of you that don’t know (like me), Mark Cuban is a billionaire, an American businessman,investor, author, television personality, and philanthropist. You may have seen him on some popular showslike Shark Tank. Of course, Bill Gates is the co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation. Elon Musk, amongother things, is the co-founder, CEO and Product Architect at Tesla, working to make cars and other formsof transportation cleaner for the environment. He also was a cofounder of PayPal. He also launchedSpaceX, a private company focused on rebooting the space industry-this could probably go on forever. Mr.Musk is a guy with a lot of money and a big imagination. Now, before you get to confused as to why I amtelling you about three famous men that everyone (except me) knew about, I’m trying to say that reading isalso approved by well-educated famous people. The article, 2 science-backed ways reading fiction makesyou smarter by Marguerite Ward published by CNBC, saying that, “Mark Cuban credits "TheFountainhead" with his strong work ethic,” Bill Gates will often include a novel in his semi-annual bookrecommendations, showing the captivating characters or beautiful prose, and “Elon Musk says readingnovels like "Lord of the Flies" and the science fiction book "Foundation" helped shape his worldview”(Ward 1). It isn’t proven that if you read you are more likely to become famous but as said before, if youread you are most likely smarter and if you're smarter than you can probably become famous easier.

Lastly, but definitely not least, is that if someone is kind, or thoughtful, it might mean that they read. Anew study, done by Kingston University in London, reported by Sarah Young with The Independent, saysthat “reading regularly could make you kinder and more empathetic..” First, 123 people were asked theirpreferences for books, TV and plays, then tested one interpersonal skills, which are how well a personrelates, communicates, how much they care for other people’s feelings, and whether they act to help

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relates, communicates, how much they care for other people’s feelings, and whether they act to help others.The study shows that while “readers were more likely to act in a socially acceptable manner” (Young 1)“TV lovers came across as less friendly and less understanding of others’ views” (Young 1). The study didnot prove cause-and-effect because it could have just been that more thoughtful people prefer reading.Though perhaps if you found and read a book you might like, you might find yourself thinking a bit more. Ifyou are a thoughtful person, and do read, then I am proud of you. Your life will most likely be bettered bythat.Since this is an essay about reading, I figured that I better give some guidance about what to read. I readmostly fiction or fantasy, which have helped me escape to a different reality. The Twilight series was one ofmy favorites from fiction. The magic in the Harry Potter series as well as the mythology in the PercyJackson series entrapped me, willingly, in a different universe. I also enjoy some sci-fi, which really got myimagination rolling on what could happen in the future. The Gone series and Maximum Ride series weretwo of my favorites. I have recently started reading memoirs. They are true, enthralling stories. The GlassCastle blew me away while Med Head expanded my view of people with mental disorders. If you do want tolearn something, I’d definitely recommend non-fiction. If you're more visual based, I’d recommend graphicnovels. If you’re unsure, then just read a whole lot of books from different genres to help you find yourstyle.

Now, although this report could have been a bit long, I hope I have portrayed, without offending youtoo much, that reading is important and will better your life. Because it is and will. I truly am a devotedreader. I think it would be safe to say that I can make stupid mistakes, I don’t always and usually learn fromthem. Also, while I might not be famous, I definitely approve reading. I do fancy myself to be kindsometimes too. Whether or not you were a true reader before this report, I hope it will convince you thatreading isn’t too bad and that you should read because it will change your life for the better.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Should video games be sports?By, Ryan Davis

As videogames become more and more popular, tournaments and

professional gamers rapidly expanding, it raises the question that a lot of

people are for, and against. Should video games be sports? What exactly

defines a sport, and should it be redefined? According to Oxford’s

Dictionary, a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill

where an individual or team competes against another or others for

entertainment. This doesn’t exactly fit the bill, but let’s see what other

non-physical sports have to say about that.

That’s right, I said non-physical, sports. Chess, Shogi, other competitive

board games are considered sports simply because of the amount of

brainpower it requires and people play it for sport. Even if you argue that

Chess shouldn’t be a sport either, it still has extremely competitive

leagues that are held bi-annually, which also adds to our new definition

of sports. An activity need simply be done for sport to be considered one.

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Along with using your brain to win at gaming, you also need to think quickly instead of elaborately

planning your next move. Thinking quickly and staying on your toes is an added effect that video games add

that both board games and even sports don’t take to the extreme, as reaction time is one of the only things

keeping you from losing in most fighting and shooter games. This means we can definitely keep the skill

part of Oxford’s definition, because of the excessive hand eye coordination and practice it requires to

become even slightly adequate.

Video games also are becoming sources of income for some professional gamers as Robert Morris

University announced that they would be granting scholarships to League of Legends players because top

players get pretty hefty paychecks if you know what I mean. According to League of Legends Smurfs, the

average amount a LOL player makes is 75,000 dollars a year! Professional Call of Duty players get hundreds

of thousands of dollars per month and according to Keshav of Charlie Intel, in the 2016 Call of Duty

championships the prize pool was 1.6 million dollars. Fighting games like Street Fighter and Super Smash

Bros. have many tournaments and professionals that win lots of money as well. Although these are

considered poor man’s sports, professional Smash Four player ZeRo states “I’d say right now, I’m in the forty

k range a year.” This is roughly what the average American makes, so it isn’t half bad.

I also believe that another reason why people don’t consider video games to be sports is that video

games simply didn’t exist when sports were what they were. People figured sports had to be physical

because that was the only thing there was to do. Now however, video games are on the rise and it’s time to

give them the acknowledgement they deserve.

I, and many others, believe video games should be recognized as sports because of their competitive

leagues, the income pro gamers receive, how Chess and other board games are already sports, and because

video games exist now and sports had already been defined before their existence. So I declare a new

definition for sports; to set things right within the world of competitive games. A sport need only be

competitive and played for sport to be considered, a sport. Stay righteous broskis.

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A picture from "Super Smash

Bros 4", reacting to your

opponent's moves is essential

to victory!

Food, Stress, and

Professionals

Gardening, swimming, writing,

reading- fun activities right? Well they

can also help relieve stress, anything

that you enjoy can relieve stress and you

might need that more than you think.

Health is an important part of everyone

basic life. Physical health is common

thing to worry about. Diet, and exercise

are important; we as a society tend to

overlook our mental health. Positive

mental health allows people to; realize

their full potential, cope with the

stresses of life, work productively, and

make meaningful contributions to their

communities.

Ways to maintain positive mental health

include: Getting professional help if you

need it, connecting with others, Staying

positive, Getting physically active,

Helping others, Getting enough sleep,

Developing coping skills. Here are a few

steps in the right direction to a happier,

healthier life.

The 1st step for a better mental

health is to talk about your emotions and

keep all lines of communication open:

humans thrive on face to face interaction

or any interaction at all, talking about

your feeling or keeping a journal can also

help you, “Gain a different perspective

that can help you look at things in a

different way or find solutions.”

(yourmentalhealth.ie) Talking about you

feelings can be difficult and cheesy but

“Confide in someone you trust such as your

partner, a family member, a friend or

neighbor. People will listen and give you

support if you let them know how you’re

feeling.It might also help the people you

care about – if you open up about your

feelings, they might do the same. Even

being in other people’s company can

help.”(yourmentalhealth.ie).

That’s right! Caring for others can

boost your mental health, putting you

and the receiver in a better mood.

“Research has shown that giving a

gift to someone else has been linked

to an increased self-esteem, self-

worth, and feelings of social

connection with the recipient. Even

among animals, caretaking behaviors,

such as grooming, can be linked to

lower stress levels and fewer

anxiety-related behaviors.”

(Association for Psychological

Science,).

Another step is to have good

physical health, and I’m am not

saying try to be skinny, I’m saying

you should take care of yourself.

Eating healthy, good proportions, and

exercise often to keep your body

balanced and your mind at ease.

Exercising regularly can boost your

self-esteem and help you sleep

better. Exercising can also help you

focus, look, and feel better. Eat

good, energizing foods like, beans,

cantaloupe, strawberries, mango,

spinach, salmon, nuts, tea, tomatoes,

soy, low fat dairy products, oatmeal,

whole grains, citrus fruit, peppers,

and sweet potatoes.(google) You will

feel better mentally when you’re

physically healthy.

The 3rd step in bettering your

mental health is to take a break. I

know it sounds strange but, say you

are studying for hours or cleaning,

or even at work. If and when possible

take a few minutes to go on a walk,

“Taking a break can easy stress,

boost productivity and creativity."

(Selig).

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The 4th step is to take time and do

something you’re good at or something

you love-gardening, swimming, writing,

reading, the list goes on! “Doing

activities you enjoy... and achieving

something will boost your self-

esteem.”(yourmentalhealth.ie) Also

found on, Psychology Today, by Neel

Burton M.D, “Thinking better of

yourself and paying special attention

to yourself and surroundings- hygiene

and cleanness, not to mention you’re

eating habits- will boost your self-

esteem.”

The 5th step is to both accept who

are and above all ask for help.

Although easier said than done

accepting who you are is a given; I

suggest visiting the website below to

start accepting yourself.

If you need help or are struggling

and don’t have person to go to

please text the Crisis Text line

number found at the site below. Of

course this is only necessary if you

do need help there are always ways

to deal with issues without a doctor

or specialist.

All in all, these are a few

helpful steps to help your mental

health, these may not work for

everyone but it is a good try for a

good cause, what bad ever came out

of trying.

-Cadence Fickett

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Webtoon!

Chapter books or Comic books? The Wedtoon app is an online collection of comicbooks. Wedtoon allows people from all over the world to read and publish comic books.On Wedtoon there is a variety of genres advancer, fantasy, comedy, action, and more.Some advantages for reading Wedtoon comics is YOU chose what you want to read, mostcomics are still being made so you have new episode every week (depending on when theauthor uploads).

Another advantage of reading the Wedtoon app is you can read it on your phone so itis much easier to read because you don’t have to go to a library to get the next episode it’sjust in your pocket, and there is no restriction on how many sires you can subscribe to. Ifyou want to be a creator you don’t even have to draw as well as the 4 above. Like theadvancers of god (comedy).

By Ryan Gardner

Whats It's Like to be

LGBTQSBy Name Needed

Info: Gifts is abbreviated or short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight.The “LGB” in this term refers to sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is defined as an

often enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions of men to women or

women to men (heterosexual), of women to women or men to men (homosexual), or by men or

women to both sexes (bisexual).

It also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those

attractions, related behaviors and membership in a community of others who share those

attractions and behaviors.

Some people who have same-sex attractions or relationships may identify as “queer,” or,

for a range of personal, social or political reasons, may choose not to self-identify with these or

any labels.

I In my life I feel outlasted by most of my family I came out about 8 months ago and ever

since then I felt ashamed to be gay, like I’m not meant to be alive but every day I come to

school and see my friends and they're what help me get through my life everyday but somedays

it's stressful and I build up so much anxiety, since then I’ve tried to change my personality and

be more friendly and positive not caring what people say about me or think and only carrying

what my friends say and think it helps a lot but one of my biggest struggles is being asked why

why am I gay they ask if I had a choice and I tell them I didn't choose to be this way I didn't

choose to be different. In the hallways it's rough for me I get strange looks from people and

sometimes random people slap places I feel feel like shouldn't be touched and it makes me feel

bad and uncomfortable like I shouldn't be here and some people may say I’m suffering from

depression and that may be the case but I try to be happy every day and forget about the bad

things in life and most days I do but another thing that helps me is music and for some people

music is a way to express themselves without being judged and sometimes I like to do that to

help with my stress.

In my opinion I think and feel that people think it's easy to be gay everyone accepts you

and that life's good but for most people that's not the case. Life is not always easy for gays they

have trouble feeling accepted by family friends and the world and it's hard for gays because a

lot of people, religions and families don't accept gays in school it's not as hard but it can be

with bullies and others sometimes you'll have friends who don't really accept you and might

make fun of you for being gay it's a hard life and most the time you won't be happy.

My Life

It's not Always Easy

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Coming Out

Coming out is for some people is hard they think that their families might disown them and

some do that's why it's scary but the more they stay in the closet the more sad and hard there life

is before I came out I felt depressed and I even for a little shut out my friends I felt alone like

nobody knew what I was going through and that I might never be happy I even got in fights with

my family about the topic making it harder for me to bring it up and come out but the day I did

come out I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and like I was finally normal I had

friends who supported me the last thing I need to do was come out to my family and when I did

it was hard adapting to the awkward standard most of my family didn't accept me besides my

mom who told me no matter what she'd love me.

Some people fall into depression after coming out and feel like nobody knows or

understands you I know that because it happened to me I felt like I’d never understand what I’d

be like to be normal until I found out that there was no normal and just to be who you are don't

care about what people think and only care about what you think and what your friends think

that’s how I got over my depression and I’ve never felt better being with my friends but

sometimes it gets hard for me and I feel depressed but my friends are always there to cheer me

up.

Relationships; Can be hard to find and confusing not knowing if someone is straight gay or

bi it's an even bigger struggle in school for kids and it can be difficult I should know because it's

been difficult for me so I try to ignore relationships and continue life as it is but some people

can't and feel like they need someone in their life because they feel something missing in their

life and try most succeed and others fail.

In some school’s kids are bullied for being gay or lesbian or trans making them feel like the

one safe place they have is not safe after all at home they could be getting disowned or not

accepted and bullies make that worse that's why I wanted to share this project with all of you to

help my cause to make Friuta 8,9 a safer place for everyone.

Depression

Relationships

Bullying