Our Richest Saviors

Doctors are our saviors, literally. There are various types of doctors throughout the world such as: Cardiovascular Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Pediatricians, Rheumatologist, Anesthesiologist, and many more. Doctors can help you with things such as a minor headache or cancer in your heart. Everyone knows that doctors make a lot of money throughout their lives. Most doctors aren’t “rich” until they are older because they have to go to school for an extraordinarily long time. Once they finally get their career going and are moving ahead in their medical field they begin to make money.

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To begin with, the number one richest doctor in the world is Patrick Soon Shiong,62 (Net Worth: $13.1 billion). The second richest doctor is Thomas Frist, Jr. and family (Net worth: $7.9 billion). Coming in third is Phillip Frost (Net worth: $3.7 billion). Fourth place goes out to Wu Yiling and family (Net worth: $1.8 billion). Still in the billions is number five who is Gary Michelson (Net worth: $1.35 billion). Now, number six who is in the millions is Dr. Phil (Net worth: $280 million). Tied for seventh is Terry Dubrow and Dr. James Andrews (Net worth 30 million). With ten million less in ninth place is  Dr. Leonard Hochstein (Net worth: $20 million). Lastly, in tenth place is Robert Rey (Net worth: $15 million)

What I found ironic is that the number one richest doctor got his money from revolutionizing cancer treatments, while the number ten doctor gets his money from plastic surgery. I find it interesting as well because knowing that the richest doctor got his money from revolutionizing treatments to cancer rather than help people get fake body part.  In “Top 10 Richest Doctors in the World 2015”, “He’s the richest doctor in the world and also the richest Asian-American. He made his fortune by revolutionizing cancer treatment.” If you ever want to become a doctor this could help you lean towards a field that would pay more if that’s what you’re in it for. This tells how if you work hard enough you don’t have to be a star to be a rich person.

http://www.richestlifestyle.com/richest-doctors-in-the-world/5/

http://thrivinglifestylez.com/the-15-richest-doctors-in-the-world/2/

Sleeping to Running

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A sport where a bed is used other than sleeping.  Bed racing is a sport played mostly in the US, Germany, New Zealand, and elsewhere in the UK.  Bed racing isn't just a sport, but a pageant also.  Each bed racing tournament has a theme whether it’s sports themed to princess themed.  Before you may participate in this sport make sure your team and bed fit the criteria.

Although bed racing is known in the US, Germany, New Zealand, and elsewhere in the UK bed racing started in 1966, and was held in Yorkshire.  Every year there are up to 90 teams each made of 6 runners and a passenger.  This very competitive sport is made up of two parts the pageant where their bed is judged then a 2.4 mile run with a swim across the River Nidd.  To get across the river each bed has to have some kind of floating device made from maybe a type of floating material or a built in kayak.  I picked this sport because I love to run and this sport adds an interesting but complicated piece that makes this running course even more fun.  However, this sport isn't just about the runners and passengers this is a whole town effort.  Volunteers spend days on end making sure everything is reading and the run is as safe as possible.  “Whatever happens, it is never good enough and each vows to be back to do better next year!” states (“Knaresborough bed race”)  

Most importantly, sports don’t always have to be those average sports like football, basketball, etc.  Like bed racing there are many weird and interesting sports out there that many people love.  These type of weird sport are very important to be aware of because they show that many things that we use daily can be turned into different thing for our entertainment.  So next time you are bored try to think of things that we take granted for and turn them into something fun and creative like bed racing.

source- http://www.bedrace.co.uk/about

As Fast as Lightning

First of all, this world class athlete has his own Headphone line, restaurant, clothing line. He earns 23$ Million a year, ranked 45th highest paid athlete in the world, and he occasionally makes generous donations to organizations. He has his own app you can get. He’s got the coolest nickname the, Lightning Bolt. He has numerous firsts, olympic gold medals and other world records. Has the coolest victory pose. In the 2008, he won 3 olympic gold medals and he has broken world records in sprinting. He is born in Jamaica, and didn't originally start out running. He is the fastest Man alive! He is Usain Bolt.  

First and foremost. He hit the ground running. Usain St Leo Bolt was born August 21, 1986 in Sherwood content in the small town in of Trelawny Jamaica. Usain Bolt has two siblings, his brother Sadiki along with his sister Sherine. His parents owned a local grocery store and Usain spent most of his time playing sports with his siblings. When Bolt was a child he attended Waldensia Primary, where he first begun to show potential as a sprinter. By the time Bolt had reached the age of twelve he was the school's fastest runner in the 100 meter run. With his entry to William Knibb high school, his cricket coach noticed his speed on the pitch and suggest he try track and field. He did just that and tried track, and he was fast. His Track coaches where Pablo McNeil a former Olympic sprinter, and Dwayne Jarrett. As the years went on McNeil became his coach. Usain Bolt's first world appearance was at the 2001 International Association of Athletics Federation World youth championships, where his career would start. Unlike most people believe Bolt didn’t take sports too seriously, he like to play practical jokes and once got detained by the police for a practical Joke. Bolt grew, and by the time he was fifteen he had another chance to prove his credentials. “ The 2002 World Junior Championships, Before a home crowd in Kingston, Jamaica, gave Bolt another chance to prove his credentials on the world stage”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usain_Bolt). At this meet he won the 200m, which made him the youngest Junior champion medalist ever. Bolt continued running and so did the medals. In the 2003 Caribbean Free Trade Association, or CARIFTA games, he was awarded the Austin Sealy trophy for most outstanding athlete. At his final high school meet he broke the 200 and 400 records. After going through all of the world champion trails and on to the olympics he went on to become one of the most known athletes and is now known as the fastest Man alive!     

In the end no matter what Usain Bolt is amazing and very interesting person, but the most interesting thing I found was he wants to play for Manchester United soccer team. It is funny how he is the fastest man in the world, yet he wanted to play soccer. If I could take anything away from this research would be, seeing how many times he and other athletes have failed and persevered to succeed to great measures and become most of the well known athletes of the world.

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4,160 Miles of Wonder

           I am 4,160 miles long and 6,670 kilometers long. People started settling on my banks around 5200 BCE, I am the longest river in the world; I am the Nile river. From “Ancient History Encyclopedia-Nile” “The Nile Was held up to the ancient people as the source of all life in Egypt and an integral part of the lives of the gods.”

          Some people used to believe that the river was like royalty. They thought that it was the source of all life in Egypt, which it kind of is because it supplies them with water, irrigation and even transportation. People discovered that the Nile River provided many sources of food. Along the river were fruit trees, and fish swam in the Nile in great numbers. “Ancient Egypt, Life long the nile” Pg. 1) . The Nile river supplied all these things to nine different countries, Egypt, Zaire, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya. The Nile River is fed by Lake Victoria located in Uganda. Lake victoria is also the largest lake in Africa. The other source of the Nile river is Lake Tana which is located in Ethiopia which is the largest lake in Ethiopia.

          After researching about the Nile river I learned that it flows through 9 different countries, people thought that it was the source of life in Egypt, and it is the longest river in the world stretching 4,160 miles long. I think that the most fascinating thing is how it flows through Nine different countries. Most rivers are not even close to half the length of the Nile river. Someday I would like to travel to the Nile river not just to say that I've been there but also because it's a cool part of our history and it's actually pretty cool if you think about it.  

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Strange Drinks From Around The World

There are many strange foods and drinks all around the world but Snake Wine and Baby Mice Wine just might be the strangest. You hear the name Snake Wine and probably think of some fancy bottle with a colorful picture of a snake on the front. But when it comes to the real thing, Snake Wine is in fact made with a real snake. Baby Mice Wine is also named after what it’s made with, baby mice.  

Snake Wine is very popular in Vietnam because it's a traditional Vietnamese drink that is thought to help with arthritis, hair loss, excessive sweating, dry skin, flu, and much more.  According to “Natural History Mag”, ¨The more venomous the creature, the more beneficial the treatment, since it is believed that the venom will dissolve in the liquor and add more medicinal value.¨ Like Snake Wine, Baby Mice Wine is believed to have many health benefits, healing anything from asthma all the way to liver disease. Baby Mice Wine is a traditional drink from China and Korea and is made by taking baby mice from their mothers and are placed in rice wine. “Omg Facts” stated, ¨There they are left to drown and ferment. It isn’t just one mouse, but a slew of them floating at the bottom of the bottle.¨ To get even stranger, you supposedly have to eat the dead mice after finishing the drink to get the full health benefits.

Lastly, I find it most interesting how people actually come up with these unusual drinks. I've always wanted to travel to different countries but if all countries have as strange drinks as Snake Wine and Baby Mice Wine, I might just have to rethink that. Especially if the locals attempt to get me to try them.

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Cell Phones Hmmmmm

The first practical Cellphone wasn't very small it 9 inches long and weighed 2.5 pounds and it was designed by Motorola,It is funny because the cell phone was involved in such would refer to a prank call to their competitor.Cellphones are a great thing to have but most people do not know the history to how they came around and so you shall learn about the history of cellphones.

According to the article named history of mobile phones it says Mobile phones, particularly the

smartphones that have become our inseparable companions today, are relatively new.However, the origin of the mobile phone goes back to 1908 when a US Patent was issued in Kentucky for a wireless telephone.The story of the modern mobile phone really begins in the 1940s when engineers working at AT&T developed cells for mobile phone base stations.The very first mobile phones were not really mobile phones at all. They were two-way radios that allowed people like taxi drivers and the emergency services to communicate.Instead of relying on base stations with separate cells ,the first mobile phone networks involved one very powerful base station covering a much wider area.These early mobile phones are often referred to as 0G mobile phones, or Zero Generation mobile phones. Most phones today rely on 3G or third-generation mobile technology.A Motorola employee called Martin Cooper is widely considered to be a key player in the history of mobile phones, inventing the first mobile phone that was fit for practical use.Handsets that could be used in a vehicle had been developed prior to Martin Cooper’s phone, but his was the first usable truly portable mobile telephone.

Cooper made mobile phone history in April 1973 when he made the first ever call on a handheld mobile phone.

So I thought the most interesting thing about the history of cell phones is that the first cell phone was used for a prank call.something I did not know is that the first real cell phone was made in April 1973 and I think is important for other people to know that cellphones haven't been around for a long time and that we are lucky for how much technology has been advanced and approved for us to use.If you think about it I wouldn't know where cellphones will go next because i mean we have already done all most everything we have big 7 inch phones again and we already have watches as phones and it's only 2015 so I think that maybe cell phones will advance to implants and clothes and that's all i could see left that technology could fot

Lightning Speed

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Nicknamed “Lightning Bolt”, Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, has managed to win six Olympic gold medals and set three world records. Bolt was born on August 21st in 1986, and was a standout athlete early on, catching the eye of many coaches with his sprinting and cricket skills. In the 2008 Olympics, he became the first man to ever win the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 4 by 100 meter relay, also setting world records in each event. Again in 2012, Bolt completed another unheard of feat when he placed first in all of his events making him the first, and only, man to win three events in two consecutive Olympics.

Being the fastest man ever means that Usain Bolt must have a huge gift for running, but it also requires hard work. Many people believe that it was Usain Bolt’s immense amount of talent that caused him to complete so many goals, but most of his accomplishments are because of his exhausting, grueling, and sometimes painful training. Bolt trains with the help of coach Glenn Mills who pushes him to brink and encourages him to become the best sprinter he can be. Training is tough work and Usain Bolt is willing to run until he pukes to get the most out of it. He has been at it for a while too. In 2002, Bolt won a junior-world championship in the 200 meter dash making him the youngest man to earn the title. The article, “Usain Bolt Biography”, says , “At the age of 15, Bolt took his first shot at success on the world stage at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he won the 200-meter dash, making him the youngest world-junior gold medalist ever.” Bolt’s performance impressed many people around the world and he earned the International Association of Athletics Foundation’s Rising Star Award. Although the world junior championships were his first international gold medal, he won many high school races and competed at that level as well.

Overall, it is easy to pick out the fact Usain Bolt is a fantastic athlete and is considered to be the fastest man to ever live on planet Earth. “Is the Fastest Human Ever Already Alive?”, written by Chuck Klosterman, states, “He is, as far as we can tell, the fastest human who’s ever lived — in 2009, at a race in Berlin, he ran the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds.” Now that he is a world record holder, people expect great performances from him, but as he is coming to the end of his sprinting career, it is rumored he may end his legacy in the 2016 Brazilian Olympics. Of course this news is a tragedy for all of Bolt’s crazy fans, but he has already become the athlete kids idolize and try to be like. He has already had a long career for a sprinter and been very, very successful. Until the 2016 Olympics, fans can continue to enjoy Bolt’s races and when the time comes, hope for another gold medal.

Sources: http://www.biography.com/people/usain-bolt-20702091

   http://grantland.com/features/is-fastest-human-ever-already-alive/

Amur Leopards

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There are many rare animals on the earth, struggling to survive, like the Jamaican Iguana, Javan Rhino, and the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. But the most rare species on the planet are the Amur Leopards. Amur Leopards are descendents of panthers, and are a species that adapted to life in temperate forests. They have light, blue eyes, and can run the speed of up to 37 miles per hour. They are known for being critically endangered.

The Amur leopard has some very distinguishing features. The hairs of its summer fur are 2.5 cm long but in winter they are replaced by 7 cm long ones. Apart from its long winter coat, which is a light color in the winter, and more reddish-yellow in the summer, the Amur leopard is easily told apart from other leopard species by its widely spaced rosettes with thick borders. It also has longer legs, an adaptation for walking through snow. Adult males weigh around 70-108 lbs, and exceptionally large males weigh up to 165 lbs. Females typically weigh 55-97 lbs. Russian Far East and North East China and there are fewer than 40 individuals left in the wild. They are nimble-footed, and strong, it carries and hides unfinished kills so they are not taken by other predators. Some males fight over females, and stay with them after mating, and may help with rearing the young. They live up to 10-15 years, and are known as the Far East Leopard, the Manchurian leopard or the Korean leopard. Although these special leopards are very rare and special, they are also facing a problem of becoming extinct. Due to extensive habitat loss and human conflict, the situation with Amur Leopards has gotten worse. There are less than 50 individuals left in this world, and are facing a lot of threats like poaching, forest fires, inbreeding, development, and lack of political commitment. “Amur leopards are teetering on the brink of extinction. With the establishment of the Land of the Leopard National Park, in conjunction with other conservation efforts, we can now start to focus on how to begin bringing them back”, says the article World Wide Fund for Nature.

Although these leopards are unique and very interesting, the Amur Leopards need to be keep safe at all costs. WWF are working hard to keep these leopards safe, and be kept in a healthy, good environment. They are supporting anti-poaching activities, and trying to stop traffic in Amur Leopard habitat and population. I think this is very important to know, and good for people to be aware of so we can protect the Amur Leopards. We also need to be aware of the other species that are becoming close to being endangered, and work to protect them. WWF has groups working together to protect the animal habitat by reducing illegal and unsustainable logging practices, and facilitating trade between companies committed to responsible forestry practices. Ways we could help stop wildlife crime is recycle, keeping the environment clean, report any harassment or or shooting of threatened endangered species, make your home wildlife friendly, and maybe even adopting a couple! Either way, if we work together, we can protect the Amur Leopards and other animals that need help.

Without Him We'd Be Dylan O'Cyrin

It almost seems like the beloved Dylan O’brien was born for the spotlight. However, to most of our surprise, Dylan wasn’t always the way he is now. In fact, acting was a career he didn’t particularly think of until his late teens. Dylan O’Brien may seem like just a pretty face on the outside, but his history is more than what meets the eye.

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In school, Dylan was less charismatic than you would expect. In fact, Dylan said himself, “I didn't have that many friends in my first few years of high school. It was very cliquey and I'm super shy, so it was hard to make friends.” (Internet Movie Database, Dylan O’Brien). But despite his shyness, Dylan found an interest in film when he was 18. Due to his desire to stay in L.A. taking classes and auditioning for roles, he took GE classes at a local community college instead of going to a university to study film. In 2011, he auditioned four times for the role of “Stiles” in the American television series “Teen Wolf.” From then on, Dylan’s name was made. He was being shown on television sets internationally. From then on you would expect directors to be begging him to be in their films, but, Dylan says, “I’m never offered any sorts of roles. I need to audition in a typically lengthy process to receive roles.” (Internet Movie Database, Dylan O’Brien). In 2014, Dylan starred as Thomas in the film adaption of The Maze Runner. The film was very successful, as said by Paul Asay, “This movie, like the monster-mad maze it pulls us into, is full of lots of twists, turns and surprises (some of them stomach-churning, others heart-enriching).” After The Maze Runner, Dylan had an assortment of movie genres completed, comedy, action, supernatural, romance, and indie, a great accomplishment for someone who’s only been doing acting for five years.

It’s no surprise Dylan O’Brien is incredibly well-known so early in his life. Beside good looks, Dylan has perseverance and talent to offer to the world. If you ever need someone to look up to for following their dreams, look to Dylan O’Brien. Hopefully we will be seeing him again in upcoming films, because without him we’d be Dylan O’Cyrin’.

Witty Actress

Style, Beauty, Interviews and pictures is just the little things about being an actress for Emma..Did you ever wonder who does the voice of Eap on the movie “The Croods”, well Emma Stone does the voice of that character.”Not with a fizzle but with a bang” is one of Stone's most popular phrases that she says. She is English,German, and Irish that explains her fiery red hair. Winning a lego Oscar is everything as Emma jokes around.

To illustrate Emma was born in  Scottsdale, Arizona on November 6th 1988 she is 26 years old. Emma Stone is best known for her acting roles in films like “The Help,” “Crazy Stupid Love” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.” She’s also received an Oscar nomination for her performance in “Birdman.”Stone is best known for her witty and charming roles in several popular comedies.The first time Emma discovered she wanted to become an actress was when she was 11 with her first stage role in a youth theater production of The Wind in the Willows. Then in middle school she appeared in 16 productions with the theater.Emma dropped out of high school to pursue her acting career.To convince her parents to let her move to Los Angeles, the witty actress put together a PowerPoint presentation aptly titled "Project Hollywood," set to Madonna's song, "Hollywood." Her tactic proved successful, and in January 2004, at the age of 15, Stone moved with her mother to a Los Angeles apartment.

In fact “She had her TV breakthrough when she won the part of Laurie Partridge in the VH1 talent/reality show in search of the Partridge Family (2004)”  ( “IMDB Emma Stone biography page 1”) Emma Stone and actor off of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Andrew Garfield started dating when they were filming this movie while they were both the lead roles in it. Emma Stone is an amazing actress and I idolize her for being so good at what she does and knowing what she wanted to do for the rest of her life at such a young age.

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Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Gray walls, two chairs and a table, and a large mirror/window you know they’re watching you through. A tall man enters the room with what you know to be a polygraph. This moment has been on your head for days and you were studying all night on the functions of a lie detector. You know how polygraphs measure your pulse, blood pressure, and even breathing rate. Polygraphs are used for hard evidence in criminal cases or even for job interviews to see the honesty of an employee. But only, how can you cheat one?

Although there are many different methods that supposedly work, only a couple actually stuck. The first method is pain. Although it may hurt, your heart rate will stay the same throughout the test. When you lie, you don’t inflict pain upon yourself. When you tell the truth, you prick yourself with a pin (perhaps in your shoe) and your heart rate should stay the same. Also, another way to cheat a polygraph is to think of a frightening incident. According to ¨How to Cheat A Polygraph Test¨ it says, “If you can artificially worry yourself when answering a control question, you can modify the results of your test so that your "normal" responses appear the same as the responses that actually worry you. For instance, you might try doing mental arithmetic when a control question is asked. Count backwards by 7s in your head as quickly as possible or do some quick long division. This will help change your blood pressure and heart rate to a level that's similar to that which occurs during actual stressful situations - like answering a revealing question.” These ways are just a couple of the few ways to fake out a polygraph.

Ultimately, I found that lie detectors aren't as perfect as we humans may think. ¨How does a lie detector (polygraph) work?¨ says, “When a well-trained examiner uses a polygraph, he or she can detect lying with high accuracy. However, because the examiner's interpretation is subjective and because different people react differently to lying, a polygraph test is not perfect and can be fooled.” This subject may not be very important to know unless you’re a criminal or you’re going into the field but, it’s always good to have a few tricks up your sleeve.

The History of The Milky Way

First there are many types of candy but their are some that stand out to everyone. The Milky Way is one of them.  The Milky Way is a chocolate bar that will melt in your mouth, it has caramel and fudge on the inside and chocolate on the out side  

Know there are many types of Milky way candy bars, such as  original, simply caramel, midnight dark, Dark, Milky Way light and more where that came from. The Milky Way was first made in the fall of 1930.The founder of the Milky Way is Franklin Clarence Mars he was born september 24, 1882. The founder kept selling them and got them to reach 2,805. The Milky Way farm end up having 35 miles of fencing and 30 bars and 70 cottages. The Milky Way is not the top selling candy bar but is is in the top 10 it is number 8. In first is a Snickers, than in second is Toblerone, in third is than its Cadbury Chocolate bars, Hershey's is forth, Butterfinger is fifth, Baby Ruth is sixth, Mars is seventh, than the Milky way at number eight. Even though it is number 8 on top 10 most selling chocolate bar it is still my favorite.

Lastly the thing I found most interesting about the Milky Way was that their was a farm for it and it had 35 miles of fencing 30 bars and 70 cottages. I had never know that there  was a farm personal just for Milky Way . There are other facts that you could know and knew about the Milky Way but the other most interesting about the Milky Way is that Franklin died April 8, 1934 because of kidney failure at Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. This is important because without him we would have never know how good the Milky Way is. I choose the Milky Way because it is my favorite candy bar.

The facts I got were on the site http://milkywayfarm.org/about/history/

Hip hop

Did you know the popular music genre today, hip hop was invented in the 70s in southern New York. The creator was Clive Campbell or DJ Kool Herc who was born in Jamaica but moved to the United States at a young age.

Firstly, hip hop does not have lyrics otherwise it changes genres to rap. Part of hip hop history involves break dancing which was invented all by the same guy, DJ Kool Herc.

“DJ Kool Herc, is a Jamaican-born American DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music in the early 1970s” from wikipedia, shows that Kool Herc was the clear inventor.

Finally, I found that the popular music genre today hip hop isn't that old. Hip hop isn't super important to me but music will change over time and one day it might. If you enjoy the music genres rap and hip hop i think if you like the music genre hip hop you might not of known some of this.  

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These Lights Will Inspire You

There are plenty of places like Italy, China, Africa, and plenty more in the world that people like to visit, but there is only one that catches my eye. This is the big apple state, New York. Some people think that the crowded streets of New York are too much for them but that is right up my comfort zone. This is a great place to go because there is a lot of wonderful attractions to see. There is the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, The American Museum of Natural History, and plenty more. New York is where I want to be. 

Next, New York dates back all the way to 1624 and has grown bigger ever since. New York is one of the original 13 colonies, which played a really big role in the American Revolution. New York was the first official state to have a capital in 1788. New York City, a city of New York, has become a major international economic center, which made its economy thrive.  This state has become famous by the attractions and the musical theater departments they have around New York. “There are 39 theaters in operation on Broadway today, most packed in a small area called the “Great White Way.” Any visit to the city should contain at  least one show, whether it’s seeing an edgy new work or a classic piece,” says the article GoToWorld. $1.36 billion worth of tickets were bought in 2014 and many more in 2015. New York’s history has thrived and made it what it is today.

Lastly, New York has lots of interesting facts that most people have never heard about. For example, New York is 2976357136 miles big,  722 miles of subway track is weaved throughout the state, it is the first official state that required people to have license plates on cars, and it has over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams. This state is a big part in the United States and has become one of the most diverse places you could be. “New York is the third most populous state after California and Texas. That makes it the most populous state in the Northeast,” the article Sheppard Software explains. The more people there is, the more diverse it will be. Learning about New York has taught me what I should look forward when I want to visit there. Going and seeing a broadway show would be a great experience. New York is a great place to be, a great place to go on vacation, see many attractions, go shopping, and make more memories.  That's why they say these lights will inspire you.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usaweb/snapshot/New_York.htm

http://www.50states.com/facts/new-york.htm Link to Photo

So Many Problems, So Much Hurt

There are so many problems that students face here at Sunridge Middle School, whether

it’s the food not being good enough, students arguing with teachers, kids not paying attention during class, air conditioning, bullying or much more. But it always comes to one of the biggest problems that was mentioned by a few students during my interviews. Students all over our school are being bullied, but some bullies are too scared to attack in school of the fear of getting in trouble, or suspended. Bullies at Sunridge have been attacking their victim through the internet to avoid these things, and today I see more kids being cyberbullied than actually being bullied face to face at school. But through the internet it is much harder to stop the victim from being attacked due to the variety of social media that the bully can attack through. But limiting cyberbullying may or may not be hard. It mostly depends on the victim. A few students suggested that just staying off of their phones, watching phone uses, and to talk to your principal or counselor if you are being cyberbullied could help prevent this problem.

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Although staying off of phones could be a pretty hard way to solve cyberbullying, it’s not quite impossible. Avoiding cyberbullying is very important, and you might just have to give your phone a little break if you are being cyberbullied to risk the chances of being hurt. Zoe, a seventh grader at Sunridge says “watching phone uses could help solve cyberbullying.” A lot of students all over our school may be getting cyberbullied, and you probably don’t even know or notice. Some students don’t tell anyone if they are being bullied online, and are could be hurting from it. It causes hurt feelings, depression, and even suicide, and we definitely don’t want any students around our school or at any other schools to have these problems. But if you are one of those students being cyberbullied, and are hiding, I suggest to tell an adult, and reduce being on your phones or electronic devices, so that you can avoid the bully before it gets too out of hand.

As a students you can help yourself to avoid cyber bullies, but so can principals, counselors, your parents, or any responsible adult. After being asked what could be a solution to this problem Joycelene, a 6th grader at Sunridge replies “talking to the principal, a counselor, or teachers and having them talk to the bully.” There are problems like this that happen all of the time and sometimes students can’t face the bully on their own, who most likely need a responsible adult to help them stop the bully. Telling the principle could be a huge step in to helping with this problem. They can talk to the bully and have them stop what they are doing and even talk to their parent. Also, talking to your parents or guardian can help a lot. Although they may reduce the amount of time you use on your phone, they are doing it for the better. Talking to any adult will definitely help you defeat the bully, and will prevent the large amount of cyberbullying happening anywhere.  

This is such a huge problem at our school because so many of our students are being bullied over the internet and through social media which causes a lot of depression and bad thoughts of our students. But I think that if more adults step in, and if students themselves step up to the problem, ignore the bully, and watch their phone uses then cyberbullying would not be as big of a deal.

So You Think You Can Learn

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At age four, my mother decided that I was ready for kindergarten. However, to her dismay, I was not old enough to attend a public school. My mom was a stay-at-home-mom at the time, so she started to put me through kindergarten by homeschooling me. I enjoyed the one-on-one lessons and learning how to write in cursive and do arithmetic, as well as going on science field trips. Then everything changed when my mother decided that she wanted to go to college to become a nurse, therefore I would have to go to public school. By then I was in first grade, a grade ahead of my peers, so my mother gave me the options of either being in kindergarten with my peers or in first grade. I decided to study with the kids my age in kindergarten. Since I had already learned everything we were studying in class, I was ahead of everyone. I stayed on the advanced learning track, and am still on that track. When I was little, I wondered why most students weren’t as advanced as some students. When I reached middle school, I came up with the idea that Quinn Doherty, a student in the graduating class of 2019, later told me that he also had, maybe the school needed to be equipped with, as Quinn said, “teachers better trained to explain.” I kept that notion for a while, until one day as I was at school, I really started to pay attention to the way that the teachers were getting frustrated with the students. I realized that maybe it wasn't the teachers that didn’t know how to explain things well, but rather the students weren't paying attention. If there was a better classroom environment and different learning options, students would be able to pay attention better and learn more.

I've noticed, that my classmates who don’t pay attention that well are more apt to fail than exceed. All students learn a different way. There are three different ways to learn in a class; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. If you are a visual learner, you learn new materials by seeing and reading. If you are an auditory learner, you can learn more fluently by hearing and listening. If you are a kinesthetic learner, a better way of teaching you would be through a more hands-on approach. If schools offered classes with teaching techniques based off the most suitable way for a group of students to learn, then students will pay attention more and absorb more education during school.

In addition to different teaching techniques, a better classroom environment is important to a student’s daily life. The environment can affect a student mood and motivation to learn. Classrooms that feel harsh and cold can make a student feel threatened by their environment, therefore they will not be as willing to learn and participate with the class. When the classroom is calming and more friendly, the student will feel more secure and willing to learn. Color studies have shown that colors affect your mood. Yellow brightens your mood and gives you energy, blue is the most productive color, green promotes tranquility and good health, pink is calming and warm, and lavender calms the nerves and allows relaxation. If schools painted the walls of classrooms colors that will improve the environment, grades will go up as well as the motivation of students to learn in class.

From the students side, the teachers need to work harder to teach us. But on the side of the teacher, Jodie Harnden provides the fact that, “It’s not that the teachers are bad at explaining, it’s that the students aren't listening.” Students are not listening! If the environment of classrooms was better and different learning options were offered, students would pay attention and listen more to what the teachers are saying. Maybe if we used these new techniques, we could revolutionize the modern classroom. It’s hard to imagine that such a small town could accomplish so much, but if everyone gave their best effort and worked together, then maybe we could be known as the generation most academically accomplished.

Bullying

Influencing someone into doing into what you want, also known as bullying. Nearly 20 percent of students are bullied. I believe that the biggest problem at sunridge is bullying. There are some simple solutions such as stand up for yourself and don't let someone control your actions. And being nice and respectful when you confront the bully.

Firstly, standing up for yourself could do a lot for stopping the bullying. Bullying is a big problem because it can cause students to skip school and even drop out of school. Its easy to let someone continue pushing you around but then the tormenting while continue. So tell a trusted adult and if the harassment continues you might need to get the police involved. 6th grader Rook Russel said that from experience that standing up for yourself could end the tormenting.

Then, confronting the bully with respect and kindness might help them understand their are other ways to treat people. Bullies are not cool they just bring down their own reputation and they bring down everybody around them. Jeremiah Brandon says that bullying is a big problem at Sunridge and being respectful when confronting the bully could help stop this problem.

Bullying is a big deal because it causes kids to skip school, get therapy and in worst cases commit suicide. SMS would be a better place because everyone could have the ability to express themselves in their own way.And if everybody who witness bullying stood up we could be the generation who ended bullying.

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Trying to Beat the Heat

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In schools across America, and even throughout the world, kids can not wait for summer break. They begin to get anxious when the vacation time comes peeking around the corner and cannot wait to participate in the fun activities during summer. One main upside to the three months between switching grades is the warm weather. All kids enjoy wearing shorts and tank tops and going swimming in the warm months, but never see a downside to all the fun. For most kids in most schools, the temperature increasing is a sign of summer they love and look forward to. However, this is not the the case for the staff and students of Sunridge Middle School. Here at SMS, we have a heating system, but no air conditioning. With metal siding, and single pane aluminum windows on top of no form of cooling system, the occupants of the school often find themselves dreading May and June before the end of the year. Being an eighth grade student at Sunridge, I have experienced two, soon to be three, years of the heat. I don’t think working through ninety to one hundred degree weather is fair to the students who are still expected to go on with their classes. Although our school has many of the standard issues, like bullying, and kids not participating or working to meet their potential, I believe that the biggest problem facing our school today is the fact that every student must fight heat stroke while still trudging on through the year to pass classes and move on to the next grade.

Having to sit in a classroom in such hot working conditions is not a good way to learn. My mom is a new sixth grade teacher at the school this year and in September told me, "It's not a good sign when I get to work at six thirty in the morning and the temperature in my class is over 80 degrees." Some may argue it is inhumane to put kids through the temperature extremes and still expect them to keep up with the rough and challenging curriculum of common core. When interviewing seventh grader, Nicole Lee, she told me, “The biggest issue, by far, is the lack of air conditioning. It is torture to try and learn in June, especially with the new standards and pressure of Smarter Balance.” It is not healthy and productive to sit in a hot classroom and try to learn, so it is crucial the problem is fixed. With the new bond that was passed in Pendleton, there should be an air conditioning system put in place soon. Hopefully the city will make it a priority so the students and workers won't have to suffer too much long.

However, until the city can actually start the project and install the system, Sunridge will have to find different ways to cope with the heat. As of now, everyone will have to stick it out for one more year and just do what they can. Fans, water, and light clothes will be mandatory at the end of the year and beginning of the next if no cooling system is installed during the summer. All students who will be at SMS next year are praying and hoping for a major construction project to happen during the summer. As for the students leaving, they are just excited to be done with the problem. Most parents of students are antsy for an air conditioning system as well for more reasons than just unfair working conditions. During the hot months, all of the doors in the school are wide open and unmonitored. Without security, it would be easy for an intruder to enter with no trouble.

There is no short term solution rather than hydration and air flow using fans, so students are out of luck this year. They will have to buckle down and power through the rest of the year. Hopefully an air conditioning system will be installed soon, but right now SMS staff and students can only hope that the unreasonably warm temperatures will be taken care of for years to come.