The Insider is an ALC student publication.  The articles reflect the opinions of students and

do not necessarily reflect the views of either the ALC or of Independent School District 518.

                    Click here to read the ALC Insider publication guidelines

 

The Worthington ALC

 Insider

Volume 4, Issue 7                   November 6, 2006

 

The ALC Insider turns three years old!

 

By Manuel Garcia

 

     Here’s a little history of the student newspaper we like to call The Insider.  The paper was started about three years ago at the beginning of the second quarter of the ‘03-‘04 school year.  It was begun by two teachers, former English teacher Peter Zotalis and Ray Lowry.

 

     Mr. Zotalis, or Mr. Z as everyone called him, wanted to start teaching a journalism/ creative writing class during the second quarter.  Mr. Lowry, meanwhile, had just taken over the responsibilities of maintaining the ALC website. The two decided to work together and create an online newspaper. Students in Mr. Z’s class were to write stories every week to fill up that weeks’ issue, and Mr. Lowry would put it all together on the computer and post it on the ALC homepage.

 

     So here we are, three years later and you’re reading the ninety-second issue of The ALC Insider.  All issues are available on line, and it comes to about 600 pages of student-written articles and other material.

 

(Continued à)

 

The ALC Insider turns three years old this week.

 

     The Insider is one of only eight online newspapers in Minnesota.  It is the only one that more or less publishes weekly. Click here to see the others and you will agree – The ALC Insider is the best.

 

     The Insider has been the subject of two front-page stories in the Worthington Daily Globe, and was nominated for the “Best New ALC Program” by the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs in ’04.

 

      Today The Insider turns three and is currently run by Mr. Lowry and the present English teacher Ron Hyvari.

 

Who also has a birthday on November 6th?  Click here to find out…

 


 

The ALC Insider                         November 6, 2006                              page 2

 

      

On the left is the front page of the very first issue of The ALC Insider from November 20, 2003.

In the middle is a page one article in the Worthington Daily Globe about The ALC Insider.

On the right is an article about The Insider staff as they toured the Daily Globe offices.

 

 

November Trivia

 

By Manuel Garcia

 

Did you know that:

 

·         November’s birthstone color is topaz (yellow) and the name of it is citrine.

·         November is tobacco awareness month, so smokers beware!

·         November is also diabetes awareness month. Test your blood people.

·         November begins on the same day of the week as the month of March.

·         November 1st is considered the first day of winter in Ireland.  Who cares, they’re all drinking anyways.

·         Veterans’ day is celebrated on November 11, which is the same day World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.  It’s a conspiracy man!

·         Elections in U.S. are in November on the first Tuesday after the first Monday.  Time to get all of the child molesters out and put good people in.

·         We celebrate Thanksgiving Day on 4th Thursday of November, also people get lazy and use that Friday as an unofficial day off.

·         And finally Mexico celebrates Dia de Revolución  (revolution day) on November 20.  ¡ARIBA!  

 

 


 

The ALC Insider                          November 6, 2006                              page 3

 

From our archives….

What is Veteran’s Day all about?

 

By Shanna Dehning

 

     Weapons and hearts ablaze, blood and sweat dripping down soldiers’ faces, shouts of pain and military orders permeate the air. Welcome to World War I. 

 

     It is the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year (November) of 1918. The Great War, so they call it, is finalized in a temporary cease fire (Armistice), between the Allies and Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany.

 

     Although this didn’t officially end the war, it did stop the fighting and dying. The formal completion to the war was after the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919.

 

     President Wilson was the first to initiate the idea of a celebration for this Armistice. The President’s request for this day was to take time off from work, school, business and the like, for exactly two minutes of silence at 11 A.M, November 11.

 

     The government later decided that we needed something more to help honor those who served us well in WWI. So in 1921 a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was constructed in Arlington National Cemetery. Congress approved this institution, and as tradition, November 11 was to be the date of the ceremony.

 

    Congress also made November 11 a legal Federal Holiday to acknowledge and give our gratitude to those who served in WWI.

 

(Continued à)

 

Armistice Day, now known as Veteran’s Day, commemorates the cease-fire endingWorld War I

 

     When the Second World War and the Korean War were over, it only added to the growing number of cherished war veterans in America. And on June 1, legislation was signed by President Eisenhower that amended the name of this very special holiday from “Armistice Day” to “Veteran’s Day”.  This day is meant to honor those who served in our nation’s military and to remember that “Freedom isn’t Free”.

 

     In conclusion, I would like to say this:  If you have a loved one or someone who served in the military or fought in any war, make sure you take the time to tell them just how much you appreciate their effort to keep your country free and alive.

********

 

 EXTRA!!  Shortly before posting this issue on-line, The ALC Insider received photos of the very first Armistice Day celebration held in Nobles County.    These photos were provided by Ray Crippen of the Worthington Daily Globe.  Click here to view them…

 

Click here for an on-line

Veteran’s Day Quiz

 


 

The Insider                              November 6, 2006                              Page 4

Vince Young – Superstar

 

By Raul Avila

 

     Vince Young was born on May18, 1983 in Houston, Texas. He is the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He used to play for the Texas Longhorns in College. In 2006 he was in the first round of the NFL draft and third picked.

 

     Vince young was raised by his mother and grandmother. His father is serving time in prison for burglary, but his mother and grandmother kept him away from gangs and the streets.  Vince attended school in Houston where he started to play football. He also played other sports like basketball, baseball, and track & field. He made the Texas all-state team for football and track.

 

     In 2002 young, had signed with Texas and red shirted for a full year. This gives him time to learn the playbook and to develop his skills so when they need him he is there ready to play and be victorious. Young played seven games in those games he started and led those 6-1. In 2004 young led the Texas longhorns with a record of 11-1 and headed to the rose bowl and won that game against University of Michigan.

 

     In 2005 Vince led the Texas Longhorns to an 11-0 record in the regular season. They held their record through the preseason and were ranked #2 except one week they were ranked #1 for the Bowl Championship Series. People were also saying that this team was the best in college history with a game winning streak of 34 wins.

 

(Continued à)

 

 

     In the Rose Bowl game Vince put up a good performance against the Trojans with 467 yards total on offense. After the game former USC and NFL safety Ronnie Lott said that Vince was the best quarterback in college history. The head coach of the Trojans also said it was the best performance he’d seen coming from one guy. Vince young concluded the 2005 regular season as the #1 rated quarterback in the nation.

 

     After the 2005 season Young said he would probably return to the University of Texas for his senior year. But on January 8, 2006, Young announced that he was going to enter the 2006 NFL draft. The NFL draft was held on April 29-30, 2006. The Titans drafted Vince Young with their first round pick. On July 27, 2006 Young signed a 5-6 year contract with the Titans.

 

     On September 17, Vince Young debuted against the San Diego Chargers and threw his first career touchdown. Young made his first career start against the Dallas Cowboys on October 1, 2006.  IN that game he completed 14 of 29 passes for 155 yards.  These included one touchdown and two interceptions.

 

Click here to see Raul’s Powerpoint presentation on Vince Young

 

 


 

The ALC Insider                          November 6, 2006                              page 5

 

Focus on Staff:

Mr. Lowry

 

By Audrey Spurgeon

 

    Mr. Lowry was born in Worthington. In his spare time he likes to go jogging, work with his computer video program, play with his daughters, and take them to the park with them. His favorite color is blue because it reminds him of the ocean and the sky. His favorite food is Mexican because he likes spicy stuff.

 

     Mr. Lowry has done about ten different types of work in his life, and here are a few: He’s had several teaching jobs, he’s worked in property management, and as a journalist. He also was a paramedic in the Army, and worked as a security guard while going to school.

 

     He has two daughters, 6 year old Stephanie and 2 year old Sophia. He has two brothers, Todd who is 51, and Chris who is 47. What brought Mr. Lowry to the ALC was this:  He had been teaching school in foreign countries for a number of years, but was going to get married and therefore needed a job here in the states.

 

(Continued à)

 

 

Drawing by Danny Colin

 

     His favorite part of working here is the freedom to do things differently than in a regular school.    He says he never would have been able to do the special things he’s done at the ALC, such as starting an online newspaper, at a regular school.

 

     On the weekends, Mr. Lowry likes to relax, take the kids to Sioux Falls, and to the park things of that sort. He went to school in Worthington and later attended college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

 

Drawing by Manel Garcia

 


 

The ALC Insider                          November 6, 2006                              page 6

 

HOROSCOPES

 

By Jimmy Dinh

 

Aries (March 21-April 19) YOUR GONNA GET HIT BY A TRUCK.

 

Taurus (April 20-May 20) BE AWARE… SOMETHING WICKED IS COMING YOUR WAY. 

 

Gemini (May 21-June 20) SOMEONE IS GONNA SHOOT YOU WITH AN ARROW. IT’S NOT A LOVE ARROW, IT’S  BECAUSE YOU’RE SO UGLY.

 

Cancer (June 21-July 22) YOU’RE SO UGLY, EVEN YOUR MOMMY THINK SO, TOO.    P.S. DON’T GO NEAR THE WATER.

 

Leo (July 23-Aug 22) YOUR FRIENDS ARE GOING TO BLACKMAIL YOU WITH YOUR BABY PICTURES ON THE INTERNET!

 

Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22) DON’T EAT TOO FASTR OR YOU ARE GONNA CHOKE AND DIE.

 

 

Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22) YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL GOING OUT ON FRIDAY, AND YOU’RE STUCK AT HOME ALL ALONE.  WHAT A SHAME!

 

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21) THE SCORPION IS A POWERFUL, EXTREMELY GOOD LOOKING LITTLE ANIMAL. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU’RE JUST A SCORPIO, NOT A SCORPION.

 

Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21) YOU’RE EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY. DANG I’M A GOOD LIER!!

 

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19) TERRIBLE THNINGS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU AS PAYBACK FOR THE BAD THINGS YOU’VE DONE.  IT’S KARMA!

 

Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18)  YOU’RE GONNA ASKED OUT ON A DATE BY SOMEONE EVEN UGLIER THAN MR. HYVARI, IF THAT IS EVEN POSSIBLE!  

 

Pisces (Feb 19-March 20) YOU’RE FISHY IS GOING TO DIE. HE JUST COULDN’T STAND YOUR UGLINESS. 

 

 

 

 

This Week’s Separated-at-Birth

 

 

 


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