Monday, March 17, 2008

Gas prices on the rise

By Sam Durbin

Gas prices these days are getting higher by the week, especially during holidays and weekends, and it really effects teens the most.
Teens that are in school and are involved in sports probably don’t work a lot don’t have the money to keep refilling their tanks. Gas these days ranges from $3.30 to $4 a gallon. A year ago gas prices was only $2.57. That is pretty much a dollar more. So if each year prices go up a couple of dollars then by 2011 gas should be close to $10.00 per gallon.
There’s a lot of confusion on why gas prices are high, but the main reason why is because the price of oil is high. (Although, conspiracy theorists continue to raise their collective eyebrows at the record earnings of gas companies.) Oil prices are high because world demand is up and world supply is not. So unless a new oil reserve is discovered, drivers are stuck with gas prices going up.
In the meantime, here are some ways to save money we on gas:
-car pool
-ride the bus
-take turns driving with friends
-walk to local places
-ride a bike
-fill up on Tuesdays (generally the cheapest gas day)
-avoid filling up on holiday weekends, if you can help it
-ask friends who mooch rides to chip in a few bucks

Friday, March 14, 2008

Cyber Bullying


The World Wide Web can be a very dangerous place. Cyber Bullying has been spreading around like wild fire. It has become very common among teens whether it is through Myspace, AIM, or text message.
According to research at Cyberbullying.us, over 33 percent of youth experienced online bullying at some point. Seventeen percent of that youth admitted to bullying another individual online.
Cyber Bullying is a very serious issue and it’s spreading throughout high schools all over America. There have even been cases of suicide attempts because of bullying. Megan Meier committed suicide as a result of a myspace hoax. An ex friend and her mother created a fake account and befriended Meier. Once they grew close, the "friend" on the fake account grew distant and spread rumors about Meier. Meier's parents discovered her dead in her room.
The majority of the student body at Norwood High School have Myspace accounts and few of their parents monitor whats going on. With a high number of incidents of online bullying it's important that parents stay aware and involved with their childrens online activites
Students should also be careful of what they post online. It's important to think about the things you say to someone online or over text message because you don’t know what kind of long term affects it will have on their life.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spring Break Just Around the Corner

By Ashleigh Stromski

In the United States, spring break may range from the end of February to later days in April, but many schools are out for at least one of the weeks in March. Some schools call this "March break" when it is a middle week in March. Many K-12 institutions in the United States coincide their spring break with Easter and Passover

Spring break is pretty much a break in March where kids get out of school. At Norwood High school we did a survey of what people look forward to the most during spring break an a high percentage said not going to school or sleeping in.

Many kids told us during spring break they like to travel and visit family. A lot of kids' families live in Florida so they said its always fun to go to Florida to see them. If they are visiting family they are sleeping in or hanging out with friends.

Need Some Advice?

We are starting a new advice column for those in need of help. If you're looking for advice in one of the areas below, please feel free to ask for it.

-relationships with boyfriend/girlfriend

-relationship with your parents

-friend drama

-school

Lebron to Lead Cavs to Another Title Shot?

By Ryan Cook

Lebron James, 23 years old, dropped 50 points and 10 assists in the game against the Ney York Knicks last night. The Cavs won 119- 105 with Lebron shooting 16 of 30 from the field including 7 of 13 from the three point range. This is Lebron's second 50 point game of the season, and he exited the arena with the fans standing and shouting "MVP!"

Lebron became the first player with at least 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Jan. 19, 1975. His 50-10 night put him in a group with two other players who, in the last 20 years, have recorded a 50-10 night. The other two players are Stephon Marbury who did it against the Lakers in 2001, Marbury finished with 52 points and 12 assists. The other is all-time legend Michael Jordan who did it in 1992 against the Bullets, he finished with 57 points and 10 assists.

David Pollack Nears Decision

By John Daniel

According to broadcast reports, David Pollack has met with his specialist in Los Angeles and has been cleared to play. But that doesn't mean he's going to. After returning from California, those close to Pollack say he's going to spend some time fasting and praying before he announces his decision at a Paul Brown Stadium news conference. The Bengals apparently staying in a 4-3 defense doesn't appear to be part of the process, although it does fit with Pollack's desire. Pollack, the Bengals No. 1 pick in 2005 as a defensive end, has told the club he would prefer to return as an end instead of a linebacker if he keeps playing to avoid the collisions like the one with Browns running back Reuben Droughns that broke his neck Sept. 17, 2006.

Random Person of the Week

Name: Janie Danielle Vogelsong

Favorites:

Food- watermelon

Restaurant- Beni-Hanas

Kind of food (Chinese, Mexican ect.) Japanese

Class you have- Gym

Subject- History

Movie- Forest Gump

Actor- Vince Vaughn

Actress- Jennifer Aniston

Store- Micheal's

What's your most embarrassing moment?

When I tripped and fell in the cafeteria.

If you had to choose any where to live in the whole world where would it be?

L.A California

You had to go to an island what would you take with you 5 things/people?

Sadoku, Cell phone, Sara Martin, my computer, and a rubix cube.

The best thing that has happened to you?

My friends!

Do you remember any childhood memories?

Yes, all of them I miss them a lot.

How many kids do you want?

Two; one boy and one girl

What would you name them?

Vieda Chantel

James Odel

What kind of car do you want?

Impalla MARKED OUT HA!

Where you want to live when you get older?

Tabasco, Mexico

By Larissa Craddock

Monday, March 10, 2008

I Am The Messenger

By S. Hof

In the mood for a good story? Try I Am The Messenger by Markus Kusak. Humor, romance, suspense, action, a coffee-drinking canine: this story has it all.

Meet Ed Kennedy, an underage cab driver whose ordinary life becomes a lot more complicated when he happens to stop a robbery. That's when he recieves the first card in the mail. For some reason or another, Ed has been chosen to travel around his city helping, and hurting when necessary, designated people.

I truly enjoyed this book. It's probably one of my favorite stories now. I couldn't get through a page without smiling at the very least, sometimes downright laughing out loud and earning myself strange looks from people around me. Probably my favorite thing about the book was the different people Ed meets. Some of them, an old woman named Milla for example, just warm your heart while others left you disgusted. But all of them cause you to look at strangers in a whole new way. They have lives, problems, memories, and sadness just like you and me, and sometimes it only takes a warm smile from a stranger to help them through another day.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Geekisms- Because Geek Is Chic

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To the rest of you: go educate yourselves on what the heck the rest of the world’s saying!

Translate this article and everything else with this link or annoy your friends! http://www.brenz.net/l337Maker.asp

Farve Decides To Call It Quits

After 17 seasons, all of which were played with the Green Bay Packers, Brett Farve decided Tuesday to end his career. For the last three years, Farve flirted with retiring but could never pull the string. Now he is done for good. He is going to call it a career, and some career it was.

Farve is a super bowl champion, having been a part of the team when they won Super Bowl XXXI. He also is the record holder for most touch down passes with 442, as well as passing yards with 61,655 and wins as a starter with 160.

In his career Farve has completed 5,377 of his 8,758 passes. He has won three MVP awards. The Falcons selected him 31st overall in the 1991 draft, but then traded him to the Packers. Farve started his career against the Cincinnati Bengals, a game which he won. His final game was in the NFC Championship game, a loss against the New York Giants.

Eragon: Just another LOTR Wannabe or Welcome Addition to the Genre?

The Inheritance Cycle

K. S. Jent

Eragon is one of the best books I' ve read in my fifteen years of life. The characters are awesome, the action is incredible, and the plot is spine tingling. It starts off showing how a fifteen year farmboy named Eragon finds an amazingly polished stone. The stone which is actually an egg, which hatches not too long afterwards, and out popped a dragon. Eragon, fearful of having to get rid of it, raises the dragon in secret. Just when Saphira (the dragon) learns to fly, fearful creatures called the Ra 'zac, summoned by the king, come to the town. Saphira, frightened of these ghastly creatures kidnaps Eragon and takes him to a remote location. After much begging and pleading, Eragon convinces Saphira to go back only to find that his house is burned and his Uncle is dead. With rage in his eyes Eragon sets off on a quest to find the Ra 'zac accompined by a knowledgable storyteller named Brom. In the middle Eragon travels throught Alagesia finally landing in the secret base of a rebel group called the Varden. There a vicious battle occurs between the Varden and the King's Forces. Eragon is horribly wounded and while lying in a state of unconscieness, a mysterious voice announces himself and tells Eragon to visit him in the elves' kingdom.

. Eldest is also a excellent book. Paolini describes a lot more in this one and we get to know more characters. Eldest is a little better than Eragon because Eldest has one of the best war scences ever created. Eldest sets off with Eragon walking through the bloodied battlefield and a suprise attack kills one of the Varden's leader and takes Eragon's friend Murtagh, who he met while traveling through Alagesia, prisoner. Eragon then goes to Ellesmera, the elves' kingdom and trains with the last remaining dragon rider Vrail. Eragon, during one of the elves holiday undegoes a massive transformation blending human and elf. The rest of the book is him preparing for a battle that has a surprise ending.

These are the first two books and I defiantly recommend reading them.