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The Insider
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Volume 1, Issue 21
April 30, 2004 |
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Sunday is the March of
Dimes Walk America By Alesha Siefert Today, one in every eight babies is born prematurely. That’s about 470,000 babies every year. Many preemie babies die, but there is a chance for everyone to help them live. This is why the March of Dimes or (Walk America) program was started. This program is designed to raise money for babies who are born prematurely. The money is helping researchers figure out more information on babies born prematurely and how to prevent it from happening. What the walkers do is walk a certain distance to specific checkpoints. At the checkpoints there are usually drinks and food, and people stop for a rest or to talk to friends. Sponsors donate a certain amount of money to participants, and the money ends up with the March of Dimes. Here in
Worthington we are starting the walk at Chautauqua Park this Sunday, May 2nd
at 1:00. About 200 people are expected
to attend. |
Minnesota Premature Birth
Facts Ø In an average week in Minnesota, 1295 children are born. Ø 127 of those babies are born preterm (33 to 37 weeks). Ø 19 of those babies are born very preterm (32 weeks or less). Ø 82 of those babies are born with low birthweights (less than 5 ½ pounds). Ø
16 of those babies are born with very
low birthweights (less than 3 1/3 pounds). Source: March of Dimes |
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The Insider
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Science Class fieldtrip By Angel Spillman On Wednesday April 28th Mrs. Schrieber’s Environmental Science and Wildlife classes went on a field trip to Spirit Lake, Iowa, to check out the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery, Matuska Taxidermy, and Ferguson’s. The reason why we went to visit these places is we are studying fish and plants in our classes. First we went to the fish hatchery. There we learned about how they reproduce fish in order to keep certain fish populations high among lakes in the Spirit Lake region. This year they told us that they didn’t have a very good year with the production of walleye because the ice didn’t melt fast enough so the water wasn’t the right temperature. We viewed a short film on the process that the workers go through to make new baby fish. It was very interesting information that I didn’t know before. We also got to view their little ponds around the area were they let the new fish grow.
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Matuska Taxidermy’s
showroom The second place we went was Matuska Taxidermy. The lady at the front desk showed us the processes that they use to make dead animals look real again. We got to view all the animals that they had already stuffed. The best part of going there was definitely the part were we got to feed the deer they had in the back. The last place that we visited was Ferguson’s. If you didn’t know Ferguson’s, it is a plant shop. We got to tour the gardens and the lady showed us how they plant seeds and where the new seeds have to be placed in order to grow. All things considered, a good time was had by all.
Ferguson’s Lawn and Garden
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What is Cinco
de Mayo all about?
By
Jairo Banegas and Adrian Gonzalez
The 5th of May is not Mexican
Independence Day, and Cinco de Mayo is not an American
holiday. So, why do people here and in
Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
4,000 Mexican soldiers led by Benito Juarez smashed an invading French
army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, on the morning of May 5, 1862. What was the French Army doing in Mexico
you might ask? They came to collect debts Mexico supposedly owed France. The French Army had not been defeated in 50
years, and it invaded Mexico with complete confidence. They were not afraid of anyone, especially
the United Sates because we were busy fighting our own Civil War at the time. But on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans won a
surprise victory. Although fighting
between the Mexicans and the French continued for another five years, the May
5th victory was the most important battle.
It made Mexicans realize that France could eventually be driven out
once and for all. It also kept France
from carrying out its plan to re-supply the Confederate Army through Mexico
during the U.S. Civil War.
Benito Juarez, hero of Cinco
de Mayo, is pictured on Mexico’s 20 peso note. |
When the Union forces defeated the South
three years later, Union General Phil Sheridan repaid the debt by making sure
Mexico got all the weapons and ammunition it needed to fight the remaining
French. In fact, he encouraged newly discharged American soldiers to keep
their uniforms and rifles, cross the border, and join the Mexican Army! Many did and they helped Mexico crush the
French in 1867. So Mexico helped the Union forces win
the U.S. Civil War – even though that was never their intention – and
Americans helped the Mexicans kick out the French invaders. Cinco de Mayo is the day to remember
all of this.
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Strange Coincidences Naythen Gross Many of you have seen the movie The Wizard of Oz. It is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, and I personally agree. Many of you have also heard of Pink Floyd (The dude who sang “We don’t need no education”), and he is considered to be the greatest influence on modern rock. Again I would definitely agree. But, do Pink Floyd and Wizard of Oz have ANYTHING in common? Well, I recently heard rumors that said if you were to play Dark Side of the Moon as soon as the MGM lion roars the third time on the opening of The Wizard of Oz, it is PERFECTLY in sync with the movie? How, you ask? Well, first of all, it starts out with Pink saying “Look around”(When the movie actually starts), and Dorothy looks around. I know – strange coincidence – but there is more. The drumbeats are (Continued à)
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PERFECTLY in sync with the peoples’ steps, the song Money is perfectly in tune with the munchkins as they dance, and the first time the CD ends, it ends with a heartbeat. This happens as Dorothy knocks on the tin-man, looking to see if he has a heart. I thought this
was impossible, so I decided “What the heck, I’ll try it.” And, believe it or not, it worked better
then I expected it. I also discovered
that if you were to repeat the CD, it also syncs into the next half. The really weird thing is that the CD plays
through approximately 3 ½ times, and syncs the ENTIRE MOVIE!!! If you don’t believe me, buy Dark Side of the Moon, and The Wizard of Oz, and try it for yourself. I leave you with a quote from the song Money that I think is really messed up. Money, get away Go ahead, and get a job, and everything’s OK Money, it’s a gas… |
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Student Accused of Threatening
Teacher with Cookie! By
Desiree Briski
A 12-year-old sixth-grader got suspended in New Jersey for assaulting a teacher with a pack of Nutter Butter Cookies!!!! The child’s name is Jules Gabriel. The boy has been kept out of school since April 2nd. He has a hearing later this month.
So how could someone be assaulted with a cookie? Here’s the deal: The Teacher happened to be highly allergic to peanuts. In some cases some people are so allergic to peanuts that ingesting even a small piece of peanut can cause some people to suffer reactions, even death! The teacher alleges that the boy tossed a peanut butter cookie at her, though the boy claims no “cookie contact” occurred. Do you think
the boy should be given another chance? After all he is only 12. For now, at
least, he should stay away from the Nutter Butters! |
By Sara Schirmacher Remember Worthington High School’s dress code last year and how many people thought it was “overkill”? It’s lucky they don’t live in Louisiana. Louisiana Rep. Derrick Shepherd has proposed a law banning low-slung pants. The bill would punish wearers of low-riders with a $500 fine, six months in jail, or both. Shepherd said he was tired of being able to see boxer shorts and g-strings over the belts lines of low-slung pants. “The community’s outraged,” Shepherd told the Associated Press. “If parents can’t regulate what their children wear, then there should be a law.” Joe Cook of the Louisiana Civil Liberties Union suggested that the proposed law is probably unconstitutional. He noted that bathing suits are perfectly acceptable. Why are they worse when they peak out from under other garments? “I can think of a lot of workers,” said Cook, “who are working and expose their buttocks.” He singled out plumbers as an example. In my opinion, a bit of boxer shorts showing over the belt line is no big deal. But when a guy’s whole butt is hanging out, that’s something different. But the last thing we need is a new ridiculous law and the pants police. |
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Crazy News Story By Jairo Banegas Ø In Wichita, Kansas a 22 year-old man was arrested by a police officer when he tried to buy something with two counterfeit $16 dollar bills. Ø A man led the Los Angeles police department on a 5 mph chase on a stolen steamroller. The alleged streamroller thief said he was “tired of walking.” The chase came to an end when an officer stepped aboard and brought the vehicle to a stop. Ø A 45 year-old man was riding in a car that was blown into a river in Italy, by a fierce gust of wind. He broke out a window, and swam to shore, where a tree blew over and instantly killed him. Ø
Chino, California, enacted a ban on nuclear
weapons, by setting a $500 fine for anyone detonating one within city limits.
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Ø A man in Pisa, Italy, told police officers that he was going to commit suicide. His wife pleaded not to do it, and after an hour he burst into tears and threw the gun to the floor. It went off and killed his wife. Ø In South Africa a man shot his 49 year-old friend in the face, seriously injuring him. They both were practicing shooting beer cans off each other’s head. Ø A St.Louis bus carrying only five people was hit by a car. By the time police arrived, fourteen additional passengers had boarded the bus and were complaining of whiplash and back pains. |
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