"Real Madrid" By: Talia

Starting Line-Up:

Name                    Position       Age      Height       Weight

Iker Casillas           Goalie         29         6’ 1”           174 lbs

Marcelo                 Defender     22         5’6”            160 lbs

Ricardo Carvalho   Defender     32         6’0”            172 lbs

Angel Di Maria      Midfielder    23         5’9”            165 lbs

Mesut Ozil             Midfielder    22         5’9”            154 lbs

Sergio Ramos        Defender     25         6’0”            160 lbs

Xabi Alonso          Midfielder    29         6’0”            156  lbs

Pepe                      Defender     28         6’1”            178 lbs

Sami Khedira        Midfielder    24         6’2"             178 lbs

Alvaro Arbeloa      Defender     28         6’0”            174 lbs

Cristiano Ronaldo  Forward      26         6’11”          165 lbs

The Team:

This group of players is for the most part a very young group with the youngest starter only twenty two years old. The team has played together for less than a season, so all of the players are still getting used to each other. So far, this soccer club has been very successful on the field. They are currently second in their league, behind F.C. Barcelona. Their current record on April 30^th is 25-4-5. Only one team in the league is giving them trouble and that is the F.C. Barcelona. Of the two games these very talented teams have played against each other in the league, Real Madrid lost the first one and tied the second one. When the two best teams in the league face each other, the soccer displayed is incredible. You can see the technique put in by play makers on both teams such as Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid or Xavi from Barcelona. Real Madrid is a very good soccer team overall who will go on to win many trophies. 

"Anime Review- Hetalia: Axis Powers" - by Tori

    When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, by rule of thumb. So an educational and entertaining anime show? It’s not a sound source for information, but Hetalia: Axis Powers actually has true facts imbedded in the storyline, lots of them in fact, and is very entertaining to many people. Although the show is slammed by critics for sometimes being biased and often off-topic, the show’s point isn’t to provide information, but to entertain viewers, and in the process excite them about learning more on world history.

         Hetalia: Axis Powers is an anime show set in the World War II era, the first episode taking place just after WWI. The show also includes a plethora of facts from other points in time. To portray the show flawlessly, the characters are all anthropomorphic versions of countries. The main characters are the Allied Forces: England, America, France, Russia, and China, the Axis powers: Japan, Germany, and Italy, as well as Prussia (who represents East Germany), Austria, Hungary, Canada, Belarus, and many other minor characters who played small roles in the WWI-WWII era, or are  there just for comic relief or fun. The relationships between the characters represent those of the actual countries. Austria and Hungary are divorced, Prussia and Germany are brothers, China mentored Japan, Russia is the brother of Ukraine and Belarus, England raised America as an adopted younger brother, and there are two Italys, brothers, to represent the Northern and Southern parts of Italy being governed separately at that time. The characters in the English dub of the anime have accents for each character, and the manga gives names for them. The country’s appearances are based on the culture of said country, and also the size of the region (for example, Russia wears a scarf, coat, snow-boots, and gloves, and is very tall and muscular, while Sealand is small, the size of a child, and wears a sailor outfit).

         The show is adored by its large and rapidly growing fan-base, consisting mainly of the target audience:  15-25 year olds. And anyone who knows their history will chuckle at the factual jokes. Hetalia does however, as with any popular work of media, have its fair share of critics. Critics are often older than the target audience and believe the show intends to teach people, which it does not. The facts embedded in the show are actually true, but the majority of the show focuses on the comedy and entertaining aspects of the story, so critics stab at that point, saying you shouldn't learn from this show, oblivious to the fact that most sentient people don't brush up on history with Hetalia. Many fans do develop an interest in learning further about WWI, WWII, and other major world history events, helping spark an interest that other shows can't hold a candle to. And they sure can remember which sides the countries were on for WWII. Another point critics get at is that the characters portray untrue or derrogatory stereotypes of the countries. For instance, Russia sometimes totes a bottle of vodka, France is a romantic, and England has a bit of a sailor mouth. However, if the characters didn't portray actual stereotypes (non-racist ones that is), then they couldn't be distinguished as that country. If China and Germany had the same accent and looked the same, well that wouldn't be any fun now would it? And, our last major point, critics, often American critics, say the show sympathizes too much with the Axis Powers. Okay, let's plug our brains back in for a sec. This is an anime, meaning it was made in Japan. Let's remember that Japan was an Axis Power. They're not going to make themselves the bad guy here. So just keep in mind, this is a Japanese view on the world. It could be worse.

         Hetalia: Axis Powers is a fun and humorous show, and very creatively made. Although it was created with mature audiences in mind, it pulls off something many shows can't say they have: it makes you want to learn more about history while having fun.

References:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetalia:_Axis_Powers>

<http://www.funimation.com/hetalia/>

Picture Source:

<http://www.downloadost.com/Ost-2010-02-10-4046-hetalia-axis-powers-sound-world-ost.html>

"The Difference Between 7th Graders and 8th Graders" by Kelley

           The last two years of middle school are the hardest years of a kid’s life. Kids are starting to get a taste of more challenging work which they will experience in high school. At the same time, everyone is trying to fit in and have lots of friends. Kids get jealous and then they try to be the best socially by spreading rumors about each other, making fun of each other, excluding one another, and anything that makes them feel better about themselves. This puts a lot of pressure on everyone and makes these two years of life more difficult than they need to be.

8^th Graders tend to handle all of this better and act more mature. There is not nearly as much drama going on between eighth graders as there is between the seventh graders. Seventh grade girls tend to exaggerate everything and get jealous of each other over every little thing. 8^th graders just do not care what people say anymore. They don’t care because they know everything is going to change as soon as they walk through the high school doors. 8^th graders don’t care about middle school or its drama anymore. 

Movie Review: Rango, by Tori

     It’s a special occurrence when a well-made movie for kids hits the theaters. However, what’s good for the kids isn’t always good for the adults, so many parents dread sitting through an hour or so of childish jokes and slapstick stunts. One of the great things about Rango is that it can be enjoyed by both parents and children alike, which is a refreshing change from the norm. Kids will be able to enjoy the majority of the jokes, the interesting but not too complex plot, and the action. Adults and teenagers can enjoy the innuendos, jokes intended for all audiences, as well as countless references to popular works, such as the fight scene in the canyon, resembling that of the pod racer scene from Star Wars I. Parents and their children will leave this movie with very different thoughts of it, but nonetheless it has something for everyone to appreciate.

    Rango takes place in the animal-inhabited town of Dirt, a severely water-starved, Wild West type town smack dab in the middle of a desert. Rango is a melodramatic chameleon, who is kept as a pet until he crashes out of the cage and lands on the side of the road. He visits the town, and in an act of bravado and boasting at the Saloon, and with dumb luck as well, he is recognized as one of the toughest guys in the town, and is made the sheriff. Of course, his bark is far bigger than his bite, which is a classic recipe for an interesting turn of events. The voicing of the movie is great, and the cast of characters includes a wide variety of realistic desert creatures. The lead characters grow on you easily, so what more is there to say?

        As a cautionary note, although this movie will be a home run with the kids, its not for the littlest of tykes, as there is mild cussing (h-e-double hockey stick, and the d-word, nothing all that bad) and some very mild violence, so around 5-6 and older would be a suggested age. This is definitely a gem of a movie you won't want to miss out on.

"Kobe Bryant Refuses Tests on Ankle"- By James

April 26,2011

"EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has a sprained left ankle and is officially listed as day to day, a team spokesman told reporters on Monday."

Kobe Bryant injury occurred late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the New York Hornets while Bryant was defending Hornets guard Willie Green. He turned his ankle over and fell into Green, causing a foul.On Monday Bryant was on extensive treatment on his ankle. He says that he would not let the doctors check his ankle any further. He would play following Game 4. Bryant has experience many injuries throughout his career.

"I should play," Bryant said. "It's going to take a lot to stop me from playing. I'm concerned, as I am about any injury, but I've played through so many of them it kind of becomes old hat for me."

 Source

"The Truth of Communism"- By Zach

The Truth of Communism

Communism is a rare form of government. However it is the most aggressive government in a bad way. Communism is a radical left form of government and although it is its own type of government it is considered to be in the same category under socialism along with fascism. The most famous symbol of communism was the infamous Berlin Wall, this wall constructed by the soviets marked one of the first gaps between the eastern civilizations and the western civilizations. Also Communism seems to be a less successful government than democratic governments. Also you could say that that the China is successful. However China is not a pure communist society and now in days allows free market trade and a better since of capitalism than the used to. Capitalism is a very successful form of economy, capitalism is the form of the economy that the United States has. In a pure communist society, the government controls all means of trade including controlling the economic growth and owning all corporations and controls all means economic prosperity. Communism and by extension socialism is a very suppressive and violent type of government. However communist do not call them self’s communist and tined to keep there opinions to them self’s in till they are in power, normally the will or promise prosperity to the country, however during harsh economic times they tend to be able to get to power during the misery of the majority of the people. Like I said and will continue to say, Communism is a harsh and unsuccessful type of government.

Out of Paradise and Into the Pot: A Post-Communism Parable. EBSCO Host    

   

"Five Things You Must See in Rome" by Kelley

Rome, Italy is such a beautiful place to see and visit. There are so many things to see there, but here are the top five.

 #1: The Coliseum. Most everyone sees pictures of the Coliseum, but once you see it in person it changes your whole perspective about it. The Coliseum is enormous. It is beautiful looking from the outside, but even more amazing from the inside. It’s really cool to know that you are standing where many events in history took place.

                  

            #2: The Vatican. The Vatican is its own country (Vatican City) and is beautiful, despite how small it is. There is a big square out in front of the basilica and it is filled with pigeons. The Vatican looks a lot like the pictures, but like the Coliseum, it changes your perspective.

           

#3: The Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is connected to the Vatican, but separate tours are available. All of the long hallways and different rooms (on the tour) leading up to Sistine Chapel itself are beautifully decorated with paintings and sculptures. The tile and ceilings of these rooms and hallways are magnificent. They have such beautiful designs. The Sistine Chapel itself is very dark to preserve the paintings all over the room. The wall behind the altar is a giant painting of The Last Judgment. The detail is astonishing throughout every single painting in the Sistine Chapel, especially The Last Judgment.

The Last Judgement

           

#4: The Trevi Fountain. Have you ever heard of the song “Three Coins in a Fountain”? Well it’s about throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain has beautiful statues and on a sunny day you’re guaranteed to have wonderful pictures.

               

#5: The Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are not only a tourist attraction, but also a local meeting spot. There is also a small fountain in front of the Spanish Steps. Many tourists like to climb to the top, even though it isn’t very high.

             

            In addition to seeing and visiting all these places, there is one thing you must eat. GELATO!!! Gelato is the best thing in the world! If you ever go to Rome, make sure you visit these places and eat some Gelato!

Tornado Closes Lambert-St Louis Airport- By James

April 23, 2011

The Lambert-St. Louis Airport has been closed because the tornado destroyed its main terminal. The storm tore off the terminal's roof, shattered glass and sent debris flying. The storm also flatten homes, felled trees, and downed power lines in Missouri. Lambert-St. Louis Airport said that all flights are cancelled and clean up is underway. No people were reported injuried.

"About the time we came into the building, the doors blew off. Literally 10 seconds later, it was over. It's amazing to me more people weren't hurt," said St Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch, who was at the airport as the storm approached.

Picture

Source: BBC News



"Smuggler's Notch Resort" by Kelley

Smuggler’s Notch is a great resort for families that is open during both the winter and summer. According to their records, their summer season is just as, if not more popular than their winter season. During their winter season they have lots of tourists and locals who come to ski and snowboard. Smuggler’s Notch (Smuggs) also offers half and whole day ski lessons for ages three and up. They require that you must be at least four years old to snowboard. They have three different mountains to ski on. Morse Mountain, the beginner slopes, Madonna Mountain and Sterling Mountain which are more advanced and expert slopes.

            During their summer season, Smuggs offers day camps for kids 18 years and younger. They provide multiple fun counselors for all and half day camps. For teenagers there are low ropes courses, high ropes courses, field games, and long and short hikes. Every camp goes or has the option to go swimming everyday. They have three different pools, one of which has a 300 foot waterslide which is a lot of fun, and they also have swimming holes. Bootlegger’s is a big lake that has a small dock and a water pad. The water pad is like a flexible dock that is hard to balance on. The younger kids also have field games, long and short hikes, swimming, and they are also allowed to play in the creek that flows through the entire resort. The summer season is so much more fun because I see the same people every year for 8 years.

Key Club Visits Clean the World Headquarters

A few months ago, the Academy at the Lakes Key Club discovered an organization called Clean the World. Clean the World’s Mission is to “Collect and recycle soap and shampoo products discarded by the hospitality industry every day, and through the distribution of these and other donated hygiene products to impoverished people, prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day.” (http://www.cleantheworld.org) Every year more than five million children die from diseases such as diarrhea and acute respiratory disease that could otherwise be prevented if they had something as simple as bar of soap. Clean the World collects soap from participating hotels that would otherwise be thrown away. Our Key Club got involved and we have been collecting soap from our Academy community. Last Saturday a few of the officers, Senora Febles, and Mrs. Crowley went to their headquarters in downtown Orlando to deliver the soap that we had collected. While we were there, we were informed about their brand new recycling techniques and facility. We worked for a few hours helping with the initial cleaning process of the soap which they received from various hotels around the country. Clean the World is a fairly new organization but Key Club is very excited for the future of our projects with Clean the World and we hope to excel in future soap collections. For more information please visit http://www.cleantheworld.org

"Cheetah Hunt" by Kelley

            Busch Gardens is one of everyone’s favorite theme parks, and it is about to get even better. They already have so many roller coasters like Montu, Kumba, and Sheikra. Busch Gardens is almost done building their new rollercoaster, Cheetah Hunt. Cheetah Hunt is located towards the front of the park, near Montu. From a distance, the rollercoaster looks like it has a giant figure eight at the top, and right after that there is a 130 foot drop.

            Cheetah Hunt is also said to be the longest rollercoaster in Florida. In addition to the figure eight and 130 foot drop, it will also have large bank turns. Busch Gardens also says that Cheetah Hunt track will soar right over the park’s sky ride. The rollercoaster is 4,429 feet long and will go at a max speed of sixty miles per hour. Busch Gardens also says that the rollercoaster will be able to accommodate 1,400 riders per hour.

            To keep the all of the cheetahs at Busch Gardens happy comfortable, Busch Gardens is also opening Cheetah Run. The cheetahs will be able to be viewed at Cheetah Run when it opens Memorial Day weekend. It is said that fourteen cheetahs will live in the Cheetah Run area.

Josh Hamilton Injuried Early- By James

Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton left a game during the first inning with a strained right shoulder. Hamilton hit a triple and the Tiger's third baseman fell on him. Hamilton then tried to score on a pop fly, but he got tagged out. It is unknown when Hamilton sustained the injury. He is currently being evaluated by the team's doctor. Hamilton had suffered injuries throughout his career. Once he hit a wall in Target Field in Minnesota and cracked a few ribs. The Rangers does not know when Hamilton would be healthy to play again.

  Picture

Source ESPN

“On Freedom of Speech,” by Zachary Butterworth.

The Supreme Court has decided that Freedom of Speech is protected in all circumstances. With the exception of the Patriot Act which governs terrorists. Eight of the nine justices voted in favor of protecting freedom of speech on an unlimited basis. As they have said before and will continue to say about the topic of public affairs Freedom of Speech is, “…the essence of self government, warranting special protection” ^1. The reason freedom of speech needs to be unlimited is because people have different thought processes as to what hurtful speech is. However there are some groups who disagree with this statement, saying” hurtful speech should come with a punishment”^2. People in general believe that freedom of speech should be unlimited. 

Over the years hurtful speech has evolved from nasty writing on the walls and desk to websites online. I agree and most people do, that freedom of speech needs to become unlimited. We as the American society need to understand the importance of unlimited speech. People have different opinions about offense language where as others to do not have the same opinions. However we also must know that there are restrictions to unlimited speech so typically it is not unlimited. 

Sources: 

New York Times. “Even Hurtful Speech.” EBSCOhost. EBSCOhost

6 FEB. 2004.

Daily Mail “What Ever Happened to Freedom of Speech? Of Speech?” EBSCO host. EBSCO host.

11/27/2010.

Advance Titan “Diverse Opinions Oust Speech” EBSCOhost. EBSCOhost

11/18/2010.

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Royal Navy Crewmen Killed in HMS Astute Sub Shooting - By James

A Royal Navy crewmen was shoot dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting on board a nuclear submarine. Another crew member shot the other crew members, but officials don't know the reason why. Police and investigators are still looking into the situation. Officials say that the attack are not linked to terrorism and are still interviewing witnesses. Another crew member was also arrested and is now in custody. The Astute is the Royal Navy's biggest attack submarine. It runs a nuclear reactor and it doesn't need to surface to re-fuel.

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Source

"The History of April Fool's Day" by Kelley

The History of April Fool’s Day

            April Fool’s Day is a day filled with practical jokes and pranks to have fun and make your victim look like “a fool”. The exact history of April Fool’s Day is unknown, but it is thought that Pope Gregory XIII requested a new calendar caused a this day to become a tradition. This new calendar moved New Year’s Day from April first to January first. Soon after, France decided to switch calendars, meaning they would celebrate New Year’s Day on January first as well.

            Some people did not start using the new calendar immediately. They did this for a few possible reasons. Since the forms of communication and transportation were not very advanced back in those days, some people never even heard about the new calendar. Therefore, they continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April first. Another possible reason was that they totally refused to switch to the new calendar. Those who did not start using the new calendar had pranks pulled on them for amusement. This started to become a tradition that was celebrated every April first. After many years, the new calendar as well as the new tradition had spread all over Europe, and around the world. We now know it as April Fool’s Day because people were originally tricked into looking like “fools”.

Sources:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html

http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm