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The Worthington ALC Insider
Volume 3, Issue 27 May 5, 2006
A Day without Immigrants By Steve Van Lo Immigrant protests and boycotts around the nation had a major impact on American life. Big areas like Los Angeles, San Antonio, New York and Chicago witnessed huge demonstrations. Throughout the nation, millions protested by missing work or school. Our very own town of Worthington was affected by this protest. Most Hispanic-owned businesses were closed, Swift & Co. closed, and high absence rates were seen in the schools. More than 400 kids stayed at home from Worthington schools – 17% of all students. The greatest absence rates were seen at ALC and Worthington Middle School. Many were angry over the boycotts and protest. “America – love it or leave it” was an attitude voiced by many. Others were more understanding remembering that America, after all, is a nation of immigrants. The real question is did it really affect Americas’ economy? “Yes, because missing a day of work is missing a day of life”, said ALC student Vithoune Thammavongsa. (Continued à)	Millions of immigrants demonstrated on May 1st From Mr. Knapp, Program Coordinator of the ALC: “I don’t know that it is possible to figure out the true impact of the boycott at this point, but I do believe the issues and concerns raised must be addressed and debated and solutions sought for the sake of the individuals most directly impacted and for our country. And I do believe that we are each a part of that solution, if not us, who?” So did the Day Without Immigrants really affect America? Some say yes and some say no. The debate continues… National News focuses on Worthington On March 22, 2006, Worthington was featured on the PBS Nightly News Hour. The segment dealt with how people here are dealing with the issue of immigration. Click the screen above to view this program.

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What is Cinco de Mayo all about? The Fifth 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. (Continued à)

Today is May 5^th or Cinco de Mayo 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 Fifth 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. 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.–From our archives

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May 5^th This Day in History 1821 Napoleon dies Napoleon Bonaparte, former French Emperor, died a prisoner of the British on the remote island of Saint Helena in the south Atlantic. 1877 Sitting Bull flees into Canada Nearly a year after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull and a band of followers crossed into Canada. They were hoping to find safe haven from U.S. Army troops who were pursuing them. Eventually, Sitting Bull was forced to ask the Canadian government for rations. They eventually agreed to return to the U.S. and become part of the Reservation system. 1941 Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returns to capital On this day in 1941, Emperor Haile Selassie re-entered the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa five years to the day after it was occupied by Italy in the years before World War II. (Continued à)

1945 Six killed in U.S. by Japanese bomb In Lakeview, Oregon, Mrs. Elsie Mitchell and five neighborhood children died after finding a Japanese balloon in the woods. The balloon carried a bomb which exploded killing the only known Americans to die of wounds inflicted by the enemy within the continental United States during World War II. 1955 Occupation of West Germany ends The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) became an independent country when the U.S., France, and Great Britain ended their military occupation begun at the end of World War II 1961 The first American flies in space Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut in space. 1990 Botched execution in Florida During an attempt to execute Jesse Tafero, Florida’s electric chair malfunctions three times, causing flames to leap from Tafero’s head. This botched electrocution caused several states to adopt lethal-injection as a more human method of execution.

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My Heritage By Ryan White I will tell you a brief summery about my heritage as a Native American. My tribes consist of both the Omaha and Winnebago tribes. I am both is because my grandfather is a pure blooded Omaha Indian and my grandmother is of pure Winnebago blood. The Winnebago heritage wasn’t always in Nebraska. In the 1600s the Winnebago people lived in northern Wisconsin. But the reason we are a Nebraskan Indian tribe is because when the French started to settle in America the Winnebago were the first to start to move westward. The French were trying to do the whole fur trading thing, and at the time the Winnebago were at war with the Chippewa Indians. With the treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825 and another treaty in 1832, the Winnebago ceded their lands south of Wisconsin and Fox rivers in return for a reservation on the Mississippi. One of their villages in 1832 was at La Crosse, Wis. Smallpox visited the tribe twice before 1836, and in that year more than one-fourth of the people died. (Continued à) Winnebago Tribe members in late 1800s

Omaha Tribe members in the year 1900 In 1837 they gave up title to their old country east of Mississippi river, and in 1840 they moved to neutral ground in the territory of Iowa. Part of the tribe had to be removed by soldiers. They lost many of their number by disease and were kept on the reservation only by force. In 1853 they were removed to Crow river, and in 1856 to Blue Earth, Mn. They were just getting settled when the Sioux Uprising of 1862 broke out, and the white people of Minnesota demanded their removal. They were taken to Crow Creek reservation, South Dakota, on Missouri river, but could not be kept there by the troops. There was much suffering from sickness and other causes. Of the 2,000 taken to Crow creek only 1,200 reached the Omaha Reservation, where they fled for protection. They were then assigned a new reservation on the Omaha lands in northeast Nebraska, where they have since remained.

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The NHRA By Chris Gardner The NHRA stand for the National Hot Rod Association. They hold their races on a quarter mile track. The NHRA also has a new thing called the Jr. Drag Racing. Jr. Dragster starts at the age of eight and go up to about eighteen years old. Dragster racers at that young age go up to ninety mile per hours! There are some high schools that own NHRA dragsters so the students can race them. The picture on the left is the Ender sisters. They were drag racing at the age of eight years old. They had a hard time getting a sponsor for their racing. The NHRA had about 35 different women racing and winning national races. If you can get a sponsor, you can go to school and learn how to work on the cars. Sponsors will also provide you with money that will help you fix your car and engine. Professional dragsters can go about 330 mph. They reach that speed on a quarter mile track in about 4.6 seconds! These cars are called funny cars and they do look like a funny. (Continued à)

Street dragsters and funny cars Building dragsters is expensive. You can’t even buy a suitable engine for less then $900.00. The more that you spend on your motor, the more horsepower you will get. You can use any type of car from any year year. The first cars used were from the 50’s. That’s when drag racing became big. If you build a dragster, you need a team with a crew chief. The crew chief handles all aspects of the car’s maintenance. The mechanic must be able to entirely rebuild a motor. The bigger the motor you have, the more horsepower you can push. The more horsepower you have, the faster you can go.

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By: Ed, Edd and Eddy*

ARIES (MARCH 21- APRIL 19) Your life is out of line. Get your act together, please!

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) Today will be great for you and your cool, fast, better-than-Idania’s car.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)

Run!! That’s all I got to say.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Today you will finally get Cancer. Get over it.

LEO (JULY 23- AUG 22) It is time to put something special you’ve been saving at stake. It will be fun – trust me, I’m Psychic.

PISCES (FEB 19- MARCH 20) Your life will be the worst it can be today! Too bad.

LIBRA (SEPT 23-OCT 22) Watch out – all the germs in the world are out to get you today.

*Better known as Danny, Daniel and Idania

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21) Beware, the person closest to your heart may be untrue to you today.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21) Stay away from water, and fire today and you will live.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22- JAN 19) Today you will crash your Lincoln!! Sorry, Idania

AQUARIUS (JAN 29-FEB 18) Today you will lose your keys so you better start walking.

PISCES (FEB 19- MARCH 20) Your life will be the worst it can be today! Too bad.

This week’s Separated at Birth

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