A Rocky Fall
Posted by Kay. R., on April 7, 2010

 It has been five years since the last victim was killed in the Huntington Gorge in Richmond, Vermont. The series of deaths started in 1950 when the first of the 22 victims was killed. Before the major drop-off into the gorge, there is a small area where the depths are perhaps six feet, which can be mistakenly identified as a pool for swimming. Many people suppose this and are carried by the strong currents down the first waterfall and are slashed against many rocks at the bottom as well as whirlpools. The victims that were claimed by the gorge drowned because of the strength of the current. The current is strong that it pins that person to the bottom of the gorge, making breathing impossible. 

There is a sign before the path that leads to the overlooking rocks, that lists all of the people that died at the Huntington Gorge. Another sign commemorates a police officer that drowned, while in the line of duty, attempting to rescue a deceased man from the gorge. Several signs line the road along the river, informing swimmers and people to be careful, but for the 18 victims it wasn’t enough. The path of water is like a serpentine, jagged rocks lining the shores and waterfalls spraying water from above. This rough course smoothes out after about 100 feet or more. Most of the victims are dead before that part, from being pushed below the surface, caught under rocks or dying of blunt force trauma from the rocks.

 The Huntington Gorge is also home to the memorial of Michelle Gardner Quinn. Michelle Gardner Quinn, the UVM student that was abducted, raped and murdered in October of 2006. She went missing on October 7, 2006 and her body was later found at the Huntington Gorge six days later on October 13, 2006. Where the sign that lists the people that were killed from the gorge, there is also a rock that is reserved for Michelle’s memory. A candle, mardigras beads, a rosary and several rocks are laid at the sight, as wells as a plaque that reads, “Michelle We Love You.”
 
There have been many controversies on how to make the gorge safer. Since then, a new owner purchased the gorge for $20,000. Nothing has been done to ensure the safety of passerby’s, except the signs that seem to have zero effect.

 The Huntington Gorge has been a sight for many years, since it was built but also a mourning place for the loved ones of the deceased. This Gorge will always be a huge part in Vermont history, but also the horror of loved ones, imagining what their family members or friends went through.

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Journey into the Mist (part 2)
Posted by Wayne B. on April 7, 2010

 Josh, Sam, Ron, two crewmen and myself survived the terrible tragedy. We had all sprinted to a life boat before the ship sank. Those that didn’t drown were picked off one by one by sharks. We then drifted into the mist. As we floated into Davie Jones’s locker sharks encircled the life raft.

“This is too much, it’s too much!” The deranged crewman shouted even though we were all sitting right next to him. Without warning the man jumped head first into the shark infested water. Apparently the crewman that jumped, was the brother of the other crewman on the raft.

“No, John!” the other crewman screamed with horror. He dived in with his brother.

“This place is making us crazy!” Josh said before he tried to take the plunge. Luckily we held him down. Then we saw it.

“Bloody hell!” The words slipped from the captain’s mouth. We all stared in awe. Ahead of us a jagged cliff face rose from the oceans depths. The cliff was as high as the Empire State Building. Dense seaweed hung from the crevasses on the spiny edges. Through the fog we searched for a place to land the raft. A small opening in the cliff near the water was just big enough to fit through.

“Thank god!” I shouted. Just as I said that a high pitched shriek echoed down from the top of the cliff.

“What is that?” the captain asked.

“I don’t know!” I whispered.

“You’re the scientist!” The captain replied arrogantly.

The shriek came again.

“I got to get outta here!” Josh yelled. We tried to hold him back again but he slipped away. He took off through the break in the cliff. The shriek got louder and louder. Through an opening ahead of Josh sprung a little bipedal creature the size of a large dog. Josh stopped dead in his tracks. The little creature moved its head back and fourth like a chicken.

“What are you?” Josh said. We all stared in horror as the creature jumped and ripped Josh apart.

“Josh!” Sam screamed. But it was too late. After Josh lay dead on the ground more of the creatures sprung from the cliff. Then they saw us.

“Oh no!” I whispered. Sam’s shout had alerted the creatures of our presence. The creatures bolted toward us. No one said a thing. As the animals got closer, the features on their body lead me to believe that they were dinosaurs. The first dinosaur jumped onto the raft and sliced and diced the Captain and Sam. Then the rest of them boarded the raft.  The weight of the dinosaurs held me under the lifeless bodies of my two friends. The creatures then jumped back to shore and dragged the bodies back into the gap that they came from.

I couldn’t help from crying, everyone within two hundred miles of me was brutally murdered. The people on the ship drown then my colleagues and the captain were ripped apart.  I drifted from the shore back to the abyss from which I came. Three days later I awoke on a ship on the coast of Maine. How I got there, I have no idea but I told the authorities what happened and about the dinosaurs and now ten months after I first told my story, I’m still here in the mad house.      

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Feet On!!!
Posted by Kay. R. and A & J on April 6 ,2010

 
 On March 29- 30, 2010 a very large Asia map was on display in the big gym. Mr. Mahoney, the seventh grade Social Studies teacher arranged this event. Many classes throughout all grades have scheduled their time to explore the wonders of Asia. 

We asked Mr. Mahoney, the one who organized the maps appearance at our school, seven questions about the map and the importance of it to teaching students about different continents. Our first question to him was, where did you first find out about the map? His answer, “From the Vermont Geographic Alliance, last summer.” The second question that was asked of him was, are there other maps like the Asia map? Mr. Mahoney answered, “There is another Asia map touring the country now, there also maps of Africa and the United States.” The next question was, who owns the map? Mr. Mahoney writes,  “I think the National Geographic Society.” The fourth, question was, what are the lengths of the map? He responded, “it is the largest of the big maps 31’x 41.’” One of the major questions that we had as, how was the map transported. Mr. Mahoney answers,  “In a big tube.” What is the importance of the map, we asked. Mr. Mahoney retorted, “It has provided hundreds of thousands of students around the country a chance to experience Asia and a map in a very hands on (feet on, too) learning experience.” Why a map of Asia, we inquired. He replies, “I assume they (National Geographic) chose to make this physical map because Asia has had a significant role in world history, and continues to be an important continent today.”

 This map has allowed students to experience the largeness of the world, but also remembering this is only a map; not actual size. Asia is much larger than the map illustrates, but gives students a good visual. The detail of the labeling also helps with geographical skills; maybe even giving kids a chance to get a head start on studying, to try out for the GeoBee with Mr. Mahoney!! 

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Because You Wanted To Know
Posted by Jenna T. and Brady W. On April 6, 2010 

Mr. Mahoney was the 2nd teacher we interviewed he is a 7th grade social studies teacher. He
has two sisters and six brothers. As a kid he played baseball, flag football, and competitive swimming. He attended U.V.M for 4 and Boston College for 3. Mr. Mahoney was inspired to be an educator by specific teachers who did their job very well and were memorable to him. He enjoys exercising, walking his three English setters Mac, Maeve, and cookie. Mr. Mahoney’s favorite thing to teach is current events. Mr. Mahoney started teaching in 1979, he also taught at two schools in Massachusetts for 2 years each and a school in Fairfield Connecticut for 2 year. He likes having a plan for everyday but his physical spaces are not exactly organized. His life long dream and major accomplishment was to cross the country on a bicycle from Boston to Seattle. Mr. Mahoney’s goals for the future are to stay in shape and supportive for his family and friends and enjoy his life.

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Ask Debra☻Advice Column
Posted on April 6, 2010 

Question: What would you do if you were talking to one of your friends, and something bad comes up about one of your other friends, do I tell that friend? Or what do I do?

Answer: Well I think that no matter what I would tell my friend that, that person was saying bad stuff about him/her. I would ask the person who was saying the bad things about my friend to knock it off, that I don’t like it when they talk about my friend like that. Although, my opinion isn’t the only one that matters, so I interviewed a few people and took a poll.

 Poll

 Would you tell your friend what your other friend was saying about them?
16 people would definitely tell there friend about what they heard.

 Would you not tell your friend what your other friend was saying about them?
10 people would not tell there friend what they heard.

 Would you maybe tell your friend what your other friend was saying about them?
5 people would possibly tell their friend what they heard depending on what it was that they heard.  

A few answers I got from the people I interviewed were “I would listen to them and then tell them that that person is my friend so stop talking about them like that.” Another person said “I would stay quiet and just listen to them” “If it was something really bad I would get mad at them and I would tell my friend.” “I would yell at them, and tell them that my friend is not like that” and the last person said “I would keep it to myself so that I wouldn’t hurt my friends feelings.”                -Debra;)

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Author Stereotypes
Posted by Marissa B. on April 6, 2010

I just finished reading Cast Two Shadows, a historical fiction book about the Revolutionary War by Ann Rinaldi. Ann Rinaldi has written several books about this time period. After I finished the book, I found I didn’t really enjoy the book, or the writing style. There wasn’t really anything wrong with it, and I know that some other people liked it. So I did a little investigation to see some reviews by other readers. I discovered that quite a few people said the book was very well written, and that they like the focus on characters and family. There were also some that said the book had too much of that, and they wanted to see more action and more of a plot. The book is basically about a teenage girl discovering ‘the true nature of war’ and she learns that she wants to be loyal to the Americans, because of what the British have done to the people around her. Some reviews have said that the Revolution was thrown in there as a subplot, and it all works around universal themes. As a reader of fantasy books, I’m used to the idea of the original plot being the ‘meat’ of the book, with subplots about romance, friendship, etc alongside it, to give the book more depth, and to connect to the readers. I don’t read as many historical fiction books, but I discovered that this author’s writing style wasn’t really like that. In quite a few of the reviews, regardless of their own opinion of the book, readers have said the book is like this because of the way that women stereotypically write books.

I’m not saying all women’s work is bad, not in any way. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, and Tamora Pierce and Vivian Van Veda are pretty great too. But think about some of the best young adult fantasy out there. Lord of the Rings. Chronicles of Narnia. His Dark Materials. Earthsea. Pendragon. Bartimaeus. Abhorsen. Inheritance. Most of them are written by men, and a lot of them are read by males, as well. A lot of girls (especially teens) go for the realistic fiction, often focused on romance. Or a fantasy book that includes a lot of character development. And the majority of these books are written by women. There are always the people that don’t follow this, and some women can write really awesome fantasy and sci-fi books. But these women are anomalies, rather than the standard. But it’s about the way that different genders view literature and the world. Neither way is wrong or bad, and there are different types of writing that appeal to different types of people. Gender is one of the things that may decide what type of books you like without you even knowing.

It’s been proven since the beginning of time that men and women think differently. This is very evident in their writing. Women have been known to be more interested in personal aspects of the story, like character relations. Men are more interested in action, and telling about the events. It’s the way they write, and also what interests them. A lot of women writers prefer to get the reader involved with the characters themselves, whereas most men (especially fiction writers) like to involve the reader in the world and events, rather than just the characters. It varies with authors, genre, and everything else, but there are a lot of patterns in writing. The readers are often interested in books by their gender, because it’s also what appeals to them. Not that many women like to read about books with a ton of fighting and gore (that are mostly written by men), and not that many guys like to read about the romance that women authors focus on.

I’ve mentioned this in an earlier article, and I’ll say it again: it’s all about the audience, and what people are expecting. People like Ann Rinaldi keep writing a whole bunch of their types of books, because the fans already know the writing style and they like it. If Ann Rinaldi was to write a science fiction book with lots of action, her fans would be disappointed because it’s not what they’re used to. Science fiction fans would see it’s by Ann Rinaldi and use the judgment they have gained from her other books. Almost nobody would read it. So, a lot of the time, it’s the work of both the author and the fans that gets the author pigeon-holed into a specific writing style. It’s always interesting to see the work of a fledgling novelist. They’re unknown in the world of literature. Their first couple of books define them as a writer. Not because of what they actually like to write, but because of how they’ve already been stereotyped.

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Because You Wanted to Know
Written By Jenna T. and Brady W. on April 6, 2010

Mr. Calano used to be a physical education teacher but now he is our principal. He enjoys baseball, hockey, and more recently golf. Mr. Calano follows the Giants, and the Yankees. As a child he played baseball, and soccer. Mr. Calano’s hobbies are jogging, and reading action books. His favorite subjects have always been science and math. He attended Champlain College for two years, Johnson State College for two years, and U.V.M for two years. He became an educator because school was always important to him and he wants to make a positive impact on his students. He started teaching in 1978. He taught at Fairfield center school for two years. He thinks being organized is very important because it makes life easier and orderly. His accomplishments are having the opportunity to work with so many dedicated teachers, a very supportive community, but most of all is to work with and get to know so many wonderful Georgia students. Hs goals for the future are to finish his time as an educator at Georgia Elementary Middle School.

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Journey Into The Mist
Posted by Wayne Billado on April 6, 2010

 A few years back, my colleagues and I were sipping our daily cup of black coffee. When we were all startled by the ring of a phone. “Hello,” I said. “Greetings, may I speak with Dr. Bond?” Demanded the strange voice. “This is him,” I said. “Hello, Dr. Bond. I would like to inform you that you are assigned to a ship heading east into the Atlantic, for scientific research.” I was confused.“What does that mean in simpler terms,” I inquired. “You are going to venture into the Bermuda Triangle,” the strange voice replied. A chill crawled up my spine like icy fingers.          
“What?” I screamed. Click. The woman on the other line abruptly hung up, as if the phone line was cut, leaving my colleagues staring at me in confusion.

Sam, one of my colleagues that I had worked with on many research projects, knew that I was not one to be easily disturbed. He got up from his chair walked over to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, “Its bad… isn’t it.” It wasn’t meant as a question. Then there was a loud knock on the wooden door. Josh Eisenhower rose from the couch located in the back of the room. The door flung open. A military man of forty or so, stood in the doorway. “Hello, I’m General James Hadd. Sorry about your door,” the man in the uniform stated in a firm voice.
“No problem, the janitors will fix it.” William said. “You will be joining me and other scientist’s on a journey of a lifetime.” The General’s loud voice boomed.

Half an hour later we were sitting in a large ship dubbed Old Iron Sides. Thirty minutes after a thorough inspection, my colleagues and I were on our way into the Bermuda Triangle. The trip into the dead center of the Triangle would take approximately three hours. For the first hour and a half the ship ride was peaceful. The wind in my hair, the sun on my face and Sam puking his guts out over the edge of the ship. Sam was never fond of boating but he loved the ocean.

Then everything suddenly changed, the wind started to pick up, the water started to get choppy, the sun faded away and a thick, eerie fog engulfed the ship. As we all scrambled inside. The captain of the ship, Ron Zimmermann, noticed that the compass was spinning wildly. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a strange object rushing toward the ship, Sam saw it too. Three seconds later we realized that the object was an oil tanker, five times larger than our ship.
“Oh my god, lets get inside!” Sam yelled. “Hurry!” Shouted Josh, as the bow of the tanker collided with the starboard side of our vessel.

Down in the boiler room an ear splitting sound ruptured the eardrums of the crew. “What the heck is that?” Screamed a random sailor. The hull on the right of the ship split in two and water rushed in. The crew drowned before they realized what was happening.   Old iron sides sank in ten minutes. The tanker had caused Old Iron Sides to shatter like glass. Yet it kept sailing at 20 knots. The captain Ron didn’t join his ship in its watery grave.

Josh, Sam, Ron, two crewmen and myself survived the terrible tragedy. We had all sprinted to a life boat before the ship sank. Those that didn’t drown were picked off one by one by sharks. We then drifted into the mist…

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Because You Wanted To Know
Posted by Jenna T. and Brady W. On April 5, 2010 

Mr. Hadd is an 8th grade social studies teacher at Georgia. He likes to cook, garden, build things, and go mountain biking. Mr. Hadd was inspired to become a teacher because he thought it would be rewarding and according to him it is. Mr. Hadd went to Keene State College for four years, and then University of New England for three. He started teaching in 1999, and his first teaching job was at Colchester for one year. His favorite thing to teach is the American Revolution. As a child his favorite subject was science, and throughout college it was history.  Mr. Hadd has one sister.  He also has one cat named Noah. Mr. Hadd likes to follow the Boston Red Sox, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and really any NBA team. Mr. Hadd’s favorite sport is Basketball, and he played it as a child. Along with Basketball he did track and field, and ran cross country. When it comes to being organized Mr. Hadd says that there is plenty of room for disorganization. His life long dream has always been is to travel to as many places as possible.  His goals for the future are to write a book, improve his teaching, travel to new places, and to stay healthy and happy.

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2010 Graduating Class
Posted by Jessica H. and Jillian B. on April 5, 2010

The 2010 8^th grade class will be graduating on the15^th of June. A grand total of 67 students will be stepping up to the podium to receive their graduating certificates. The young adults are now approaching an unknown future that GEMS has prepared them for.

 All eighth grade students will be missed for their unique and friendly personalities. The eighth graders have become very close with this year’s seventh graders. Sadly, the seventh graders will not be able to share the graduating experience, and will be left to follow the graduating classes’ footprints. The eighth graders will also miss their long run at GEMS. We asked four of this year’s graduating students a little about their eighth grade experience and memories. When we asked what they would miss most Carlton L. answered “My seventh grade friends, and the eighth graders going to different high schools.” Loudon G. replied with a quick response “all of my friends made my eighth grade experience all that much better.” Some of the teachers left great impressions on the graduating class. Meghan P. chose “Mrs. O’Brien because the way she interacted with the kids.” Throughout your years at GEMS, your peers can play an important role. Summer A. believes that her friends “are always there for me and they always make me feel better.” They have made her year easier. Having friends at her side 100% of the time helped her out a lot.

The teachers will also miss the graduating class of 2010. They have watched them grow as students and as young adults. Mrs. O’Brien said “the students are awesome, one of the best groups ever.” Teachers have different strategies of keeping their students engaged Ms. Bove decides to do “activities that allowed them to express the high energy and humor that they display already; like acting, giving speeches, sharing from their journals, and presenting projects.” Staff plays an important role on teachers as do the students. “Keeping things organized and moving forward. Success is always the goal.” Mr. King said.  Like we said before the 8^th grade class will be missed there is one thing Mr. Hadd will miss most and those are” the individuals and personalities.”  Our principal, Mr. Calano believes that “this group of students is very active in all areas of school; student council, band, sports, world of a difference, and after school programs. They have been a smiley engaging group of students.”

Good luck 8^th graders!

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Because You Wanted To Know
Posted by  Jenna T. and Brady W. on April 5, 2010

Mrs. O’Brien is an 8TH grade math teacher. As a child she played soccer, basketball, cross country, and softball. Mrs. O’Brien loves to bike. Her hobbies are biking, reading, playing with her granddaughter, Lillian, and hiking. She has four siblings. She also has one dog named Cody, and a cat named Simba. Her inspiration to become an educator came from her 11th grade guidance counselor who pushed her to go to college. She attended Johnson State College for two years, C.C.V for two years, Trinity for one and a half years, and U.V.M for three years earning her masters degree in education. She started teaching in 1997. She also taught at EnosburgMiddle School for three years. Her favorite subjects as a child were math and history   and she still enjoys them both now. Her favorite thing to teach is algebra. Her life long dream is to bike across America after she has retired. Her goals for the future are to finish her masters and take some “fun” classes.

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Posted by Will J. On April 5, 2010

This summer, your not going to be sitting around I guarantee It, after you read these last 4 things to do this summer.   

7th on the list of things to do on the list of places to go is the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory located in Waterbury Vermont. From the scoop shop to the actual factory ice cream is everywhere. You can see everything and get free samples. You will find a flavor graveyard, a huge ice cream shop and the largest selection of ice cream you’ll ever see, and it still keeps its hippie flare. For more information go to http://www.benjerry.com/

Rating:
Fun: A+
Exciting: C
Captivating: A
Athletic: C
Cost Wise: B-
Overall: B-

8th on the list, is the super underwater play ground of echo. This place is amazing with all sorts of exhibits even some hands on ones, this is by far the most extensive, well made, and intriguing place in Vermont. And it teaches you, not only about Vermont, but the world. Frogs, lizards, fish, turtles, and tons more beings live in this wonderland. This place is incredible, theirs so much to do its insane, for more information go to: http://www.echovermont.org/

Rating:
Fun: B-
Exciting: B-
Captivating: A+
Athletic: C
Cost wise: A-
Overall: B-

9th on the list of things to do this summer is the Shelburne museum. This place is just a big, mostly outdoor, museum. Its located in Shelburne (duh) and is made up of exhibits that are not just the things inside, but the buildings itself. Every building is historical in some way. The round barn, 50’s home, owl cottage, the Ticonderoga steam ship, the steam engine, and tons more, each building (or boat, or train) has a place in history. With exhibits like the tiny circus this place has something for everyone. For more information go to: http://www.shelburnemuseum.org/

Rating:
Fun: B-
Exciting: C+
Captivating: A+
Athletic: B-
Cost Wise: A
Overall: B-

10th on the list is the Church Street marketplace in Burlington. This street is in Burlington with more stores than the university mall. Church street as you can guess has a church at the end of it that you can see from any point on the street Church street has tons stores and small markets out side as well has a mall. For more info go to: http://www.churchstmarketplace.com/static/page/churchstreetmarketplace/shop.html

Rating:
Fun: B-
Exciting: B
Captivating: B
Athletic: C-
Cost Wise: B-
Overall: C+

That concludes the 10 things to do this summer. So get out there and go do something.

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Because You Wanted to Know
Posted by Jenna T. and Brady W. on April 2, 2010

Mr. Hardy is a 7th grade mathematics teacher. He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, photography, and biking. Mr. Hardy follows the Dallas Cowboys, and the Boston Red Sox. He is also interested in volleyball, golf, tennis, hunting, and fishing. As a child he played soccer, baseball, and basketball. He has two siblings. Mr. Hardy has a dog named Linus, and a cat named Lola. His high school science teacher inspired him to become an educator because he was a good story teller, a cool guy, and knew his stuff. He enjoys teaching math. In that subject he loves teaching probability, and algebra. Mr. Hardy has always loved science and math. He attended Johnson state college for four years and earned his Bachelors degree; he also went to U.V.M and earned his masters. He started teaching in 1995. He taught at Bakersfield for five years and Charlotte for seven before he came to Georgia. Mr. Hardy thinks it is important to be organized because it makes life easier when you know where to find things. His life long dream and accomplishment is to live a happy life, raise a family, and make the world a better place. Mr. Hardy’s goals for the future are to live that same dream.  

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Soda Tax
Posted by Marissa B. on April 2, 2010

There’s no way you can deny that Americans are getting fatter. We’re eating more unhealthy food than ever before, as well as way more of it. Recently, the proposition of a tax on sugary drinks has been debated, and people all over the nation are considering its benefits and consequences. What it really boils down to is: will the soda tax really make America a better and healthier place to live?

Since soda really starting becoming popular in the 1970’s, the obesity in kids ages 12-19 has tripled. Coincidence? I think not. The average consumption of soda is 600 12-ounce cans a year. That’s about 1.5 cans of soda a day, on average. And the scary thing is that there are a lot of people that don’t drink any at all, meaning a bunch of people are drinking three, four, five or more cans a day. If you look at it by the liters, the average for Americans is 216 liters a year. That means that, on average, an American consumes a 2-liter bottle of soda in 3-4 days. That’s usually how long it takes for my 5-person family to drink that much soda. Soda is the #1 drink in America, being 26% of all beverages consumed.

Now let’s take a look at the effects that this much soda has on people. If you look at the ingredients list of 12-oz can Classic Coke, there’s carbonated water (which is what makes up most of soft-drinks, it’s the liquid that makes it fizzy), sugar (usually high-fructose corn syrup, but sometimes sucrose), caffeine (from kola nuts; considered a drug, and can be addictive), caramel coloring (to give it the color, and some taste), and other natural flavorings (including vanilla, cinnamon, and glycerol). And the nutrition facts: 39 grams of sugar, 140 calories, and 39 carbs. That’s more than nine teaspoons of sugar, in 1 can of Coke that most people drink in 1 serving. Imagine if you had six cans a day. That would be over 54 teaspoons of sugar. That’s half a pound. If you continued this for 1 week, you would have over three and a half pounds of sugar in your body, which is really bad for you if you don’t use it, causing high blood pressure and obesity. The calories aren’t really so bad, but they can still add up. To work off those 140 calories from 1 can, you would have to walk at 5 mph for about 11 minutes. Doesn’t sound so bad, right? But think about the scenario with six cans. Then, you’re walking for over an hour to burn off those calories. You might think you normally walk about an hour a day, but it also depends on what other stuff that you’re eating. Normally, people need about 2,000 calories. Regular meals take up so many of those calories already, more than you can use. Americans consume 250-300 calories more than they did a couple decades ago, and they’re not even doing as much to work it off. I’m not saying you should start calorie-counting, but you do have to be mindful of what you’re eating and drinking.

Now that we know the health aspects of drinking soda, we can start talking about the tax itself. People have been talking about it since fall 2009, as well as throwing around ideas of a ‘junk food tax’ that have already been in Illinois, and considered in other states.  The idea of a soda tax is more popular because it’s easier to define. And it’s not only sodas that would be taxed. Sports drinks such as Gatorade that have a high sugar content would be too. 33 states already have their own taxes on soft drinks, but they’re smaller, like a 5% tax. The economic reason for the tax is this: the more expensive something is, the more discouraged people are from buying it. Many doctors and politicians are considering the soda tax the same way they do for cigarette and alcohol The caffeine is a drug, and could get you addicted. Soda is bad for your body. In these ways, it’s really no different than smoking or drinking alcohol.

The tax that is being proposed is a penny an ounce on sugary drinks. So how much of an effect does this have? The average price of a 2-liter bottle of soda is $1.35, according to Beverage Digest. At 67.6 oz, this tax would add 50% to the price, and make it about $2. The taxes are being considered going towards health care. The tax would generate $1 billion and reduce the consumption of the drinks by 15%.

One issue that has been opposing the soda tax is the American freedom. It’s the same thing about when the British were putting taxes on the Americans during the Revolution that made our country. The problem isn’t the tax itself, the problem is how much it’s reducing freedom. If they’re taxing soda, what’s next? So many things have already been taxed, but food and beverages bought from the grocery store aren’t. What’s to stop the government from taxing everything? Some also believe that the government will just take the money and use it for their own purposes, rather than putting it back into something that will help people, like health care or education.

The soda tax could be a good way to curb obesity if it is used in the right way, but many Americans are opposing it because it could be unaffordable, is taking away freedom, or may not work. As President Obama said last fall, it could be an idea to explore and may make America a healthier nation.

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Because You Wanted to Know
Posted by Jenna T. and Brady W. on April 1, 2010

 Mr. Coleman is our Physical Education Teacher here at GEMS. Skiing, Golf, Softball, Hockey, hiking, biking, and traveling, are Mr. Coleman’s favorite hobbies. He was inspired to become a teacher by his mother and step-mother, they are both teachers. Mr. Coleman also knew at a young age that he wanted to teach Physical Education. Playing golf in the summer is one of Mr. Coleman’s favorite sports. He also plays men’s hockey and ski’s all winter long. In high school Mr. Coleman played baseball and hockey, and in college he played baseball. Mr. Coleman attended Plymouth State University for three years, and East Carolina University for one. Since Mr. Coleman in so interested in sports, he likes to follow some professional teams. They are the New York Yankees, the New York Giants, the Boston Bruins and Celtics. He also follows UVM and all of North Carolina’s sport teams. Mr. Coleman has two brothers and one sister, but no pets. His favorite subject to teach in physical education is golf in the spring time. Mr. Coleman’s favorite subjects all the way up through have always been physical education and math. He has been teaching ever since 2002, one year at Grand Isle, another year at H.O. Wheeler in Burlington, and now he is teaching here at Georgia and has been for 5 years.   Mr. Coleman enjoys being organized because he says it helps him prepare for his daily classes, and makes a big difference with school and sports. Mr. Coleman’s life long dream or accomplishment is to teach and have a fun and successful life. He also one day wants to become a high school athletic director. 

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Grammy Awards 2010 Dresses
Posted by Kay. R. on April 1, 2010

One of the most important award shows in the Hollywood world is the Grammys. The 2010 Grammys were held on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles. Many of the world’s most famous celebrities strut their stuff on the Red Carpet before the award ceremony. This Red Carpet event is a celebrity’s way to show off their strut but also their designer outfit. I will judge a few of the celebrities’ wardrobe, in five categories; style, color, embellishments, length and the overall look. I will decide if they were fab or failed.

Fergie, a member of the pop group The Black Eyed Peas, arrives dressed in a dress by Emilio Pucci and accessorized with Jessica Robinson jewelry and Le Silla strappy sandals.

Style- The style fits her body very well, shows off her curves. I love how the dress is strapless, making the look a bit edgier.
Color- The color looks amazing with her tan skin and dark brown hair, it contrasts very well.
Embellishments- The only embellishment on Fergie’s dress is the silver piece of fabric that slithers in the front of the dress and turns into a thin strap. It adds sparkle, making the dress stand out more.
Length- The length is kind of short, but the shortness is Fergie’s personality. It could be a few inches longer.
Overall Look- The overall look is very well put together, and is Red Carpet worthy

Carrie Underwood, a legendary country singer, arrives on the Red Carpet wearing a dress by Georges Chakra and a Swarovski crystal clutch.

Style- The style of the dress looks a bit too much like a Greek goddess/ bridal dress.
Color- The color, white, adds to the Greek goddess/ bridal look, it could have had a more cream or ivory tint. The color does compliment her fair hair and skin, but it would better if it were worn to a costume party not the Grammys.
Embellishments- The embellishments at the top of the dress look very high fashion and beautiful but the dress is not right.
Length- The length is great; it would look weird if it were any shorter than floor length.
Overall Look- The overall look, as I said before, looks too bridal. It could pass for a wedding dress.

Taylor Swift, the new 20 year old rising country star, wore a dress by Kaufman Franco, jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz and Christian Louboutin shoes.

Style- The trumpet/ mermaid style is a very vogue, but she is too thin to wear this style. The rectangle neck line makes the dress look like a puzzle and that particular spot is just missing a piece.
Color- The color is ok, nothing fabulous. Taylor Swift has an extremely light complexion, making the dress clash with her skin and hair.
Embellishments- The sparkles on the dress do add pizzazz, but the dress looks like a costume or prom dress gone wrong.
Length- The length is great, considering the style of the dress is always long.
Overall Look- The overall look does not flatter Taylor Swift’s body or look, the outfit is a disappointment.

Miley Cyrus, the slowly sinking pop singer walked the carpet wearing a mini dress by Herve Leger and black gladiator heels

Style- The long sleeve does not work with the rest of the dress, it should be strapless.
Color- The color is too dark, and does not match her hair. Dark brown and a dark slate color do not match.
Embellishments- The shine on the dress’s fabric catches the light and does blind you, but not in a good way.
Length- The length is too short for her age.
Overall Look- The overall look is much too old for Cyrus, she is only 17 not 25.

Jennifer Nettles, part of the country singing group Sugarland. Struts her stuff on the Red Carpet wearing a dress form Victoria Beckam’s collection.

Style- The style is very flattering, on Jennifer Nettles petite body.
Color- The color at first glance looks red but really is a pinkish- red. I hate the color.
Embellishments- The criss- cross design on the back is very stylish.
Length- The length is too long, Some scissors should shorten the dress by about 6 inches.
Overall Look- The overall dress is not impressive, but does not completely fail. It has a prom appearance.

Some celebrities pass with a high grade and others fail miserably. But its not entirely their fault, the designer of the dress is blamed partially for making that celebrity look horrible. Celebrities are humans too, so making a bad choice on an outfit to wear to one of the most influential awards shows won’t ruin them, just earn a nomination for “Worst Dressed.”

 Mr. King is a teacher here at Georgia. He teaches 8th grade science. Mr. King is a great fisherman. He loves to get out on the lake and fish for hours. He has been on countless fishing trips. Woodworking is also one of Mr. King’s hobbies. He runs the Tech classes here at Georgia as choice classes. As a child Mr. King played football, baseball, soccer, and wrestling. When he got older he played college football for four years. Mr. King was inspired to become a teacher because he didn’t want to do research, but he ended up doing it anyway. His favorite thing to teach is physics because it has a lot of hands on components. As a kid he enjoyed history, in high school his favorite subject was science, in college he liked biology, and now Mr. King loves problem solving. He started teaching in 1987 at Westford for two years, and began at Georgia in 1989. He believes that being organized makes it easier to function everyday. Mr. King has two siblings, one older sister and a younger brother. He also has 4 dogs and 2 cats. The dogs’ names are Chelsey, Gwinn, Gracie, and Daisy. The cats’ names are George and Moe. Mr. King’s goals for the future are to stay healthy and fish more. 

Because You Wanted to Know
Posted by Jenna T and Brady Won March 31, 2010

Mrs. Driver is a 7th grade language arts teacher here in Georgia. She has four siblings. She also has a yellow lab. As a kid her favorite subject was history. Mrs. Driver played Field hockey, Tennis, and participated in Gymnastics. She is interested in hockey, running, triathlons and marathons. She follows many athletic teams including the Middlebury college hockey team, U.V.M hockey team, the New England Patriots, and the Georgia Chargers. Her hobbies are running, biking, swimming, reading, cooking, and antique. Her grandfather, Bob White was her main inspiration. He enjoyed lessons students could learn on the playing field. Mrs. Driver’s favorite thing to teach is reading because she likes watching students get excited and interested in books. Mrs. Driver attended U.V.M for nine years total four years for her undergraduate, 2 years for her masters, and another three for her doctoral. She started teaching in 1986. Her first teaching job was in Winooski for summer school. She likes to be organized because it saves time. Her life long dream is to become an artist and her goals for the future are to finish an Ironman triathlon.

Tuning Out Teens
Posted by Kay. R. on March 31, 2010

I asked 20 students and some teachers what they had on their iPod, what model of an iPod they have (Touch, Nano etc.) and when they listen to their iPod the most. 18 out of the people that I surveyed had an iPod and 2 out of the 20 had an MP3. Out of the 20 people I surveyed, 17 said that they had more music on their iPod, 2 out of 20 said that they had more Apps and 1 out of the 20 said that they have more photos. 7 out of the 20, listen to their iPod or MP3 player when they are bored,  5 out of the 20 listen to their iPod on the bus and 8 out of the 20 listen to their iPod whenever they can. As explained before, Apple has made many models of the iPod that enhances the previous iPod. For example; the newest iPod Nano is the 5^th Generation that has video camera and also is longer and thinner than the previous Nanos. 8 out of the 20 said that they owned the iPod Touch, 10 out of the 20 said that they own a Nano and 2 out of the 20 own an MP3 player.

Technology has taken over the world; with internet, cells phones and iPods. Soon somebody will invent a machine that brushes your teeth for you. But tuning out to your iPod or watching the latest video, isn’t bad thing, just an ordinary teen thing.

Newspapers. Television. Internet. Movies. Games. Radio. Magazines. These are all part of the mass media. Mass media is designed specifically to reach a large audience. Media in general plays a crucial role in forming public opinion, and actually creating society. Media is infamous for saying stuff that’s not true to make you believe a certain thing, and also for blowing things up to gigantic proportions. The former is what I’ll be focusing on in this article.

By now, you’ve definitely heard of the Twilight phenomenon. If you haven’t, you’re probably living under a rock. Where you don’t have internet anyway, so you couldn’t be reading this. Anyway, the first book in the “saga”, Twilight, was published in 2005. The book was a huge commercial success, becoming the best-selling book in 2008, spending 91 weeks on the New York Times Best-seller list, and selling 17 million copies worldwide. So, now that we know these basic statistics, we can figure out why this happened. For the first few months after it was released, and the time around the release of the movie, every blog, newspaper, and magazine was talking about it. By talking about it, I mean huge, front-page stuff. Soon, everyone knew what Twilight was. Controversy grew, and critics of the series started publishing their opinions. But this drew even more fans of the phenomenon. So, the question now is: why did this series become so popular? Why didn’t other series become this popular? The reason is the target audience. Which are the screaming teenage fangirls. The truth is, almost anybody that is knowledgeable about writing and literature will agree that the writing itself is not top-notch. Kirkus Reviews gave the novel a mixed review, noting several times the writing quality of the book: "[Twilight] is far from perfect: Edward's portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella's appeal is based on magic rather than character.” Reviews such as this have appeared from dozens of magazines, book critics, and official reviews. If you look at it simply as a work of literature, it really is sloppy writing. But who are the people that don’t? The fans. If you hear someone talking about how much they love Twilight, chances are they’re saying how hot Edward or Jacob is, or how they love the romance between the characters. How often do you hear fans noting the writing quality, or the plot development? Almost never. So, how did this series get the fame that many believe it doesn’t deserve? First is the target audience. The media knows exactly who the book was written for, and they figure out how to make it even more appealing to the fans. A lot of the fans read magazines such as People, Seventeen, etc. So, the media knows to publish the most coverage on Twilight in these magazines, because they know a large percentage of fans will see it. This is where they do their most of blowing-stuff-way-out-of-proportion junk. Whole stories speculating if Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson are getting back together (even though they were only doing it for the publicity in the first place) and other stories like this. And, since the magazines are right there in the checkout at stores, everyone sees them anyway. And whether they like Twilight or not, they still know about it from these types of things, as well as other stuff such as posters, clothes, and, of course, we can’t forget the fans. Even if you try to avoid it, you still hear about it one way or another. If it wasn’t for the hype, and all the fans acting like it was so great, would Twilight be one of the most well-known ‘phenomenons’ of the decade? Probably not. But due to the fans over-rating it, and the hype from the media, it is now known worldwide, by fans and haters.

            Another thing that has to do with hype and being well-known (that probably isn’t well-known to most of you, but was huge on the ‘interwebz’) was the internet meme BoxxyBabee. (Or, any internet meme, for that matter) Boxxy was a camgirl on Gaia Online and Youtube that returned from a long hiatus in January 2008. On a request from a Gaia friend, she made two webcam videos, of her just talking hyperactively about random topics. So what? She was just another camgirl. There are thousands of them on Youtube, and they don’t get that much fame. Then, about a year later, one of the videos was posted on the site i-am-bored.com. This was spotted by a user from 7-chan (a popular internet forum) and posted on the random /b/ board. Other users on /b/ found Boxxy oddly mesmerizing and captivating. They started posting her videos on other sites, and soon Boxxy spread all over the internet. Soon, two groups were created: Operation Valkyrie, the fans that were trying to find out everything about her, and the Center for Boxxy Control and Restriction (CBCR) that was trying to lay false trails, delete information, and make things harder in general for the fans. Both sides were posting images either for or against Boxxy on 4-chan, and turned the site into a battle ground. It was, essentially, a civil war that was never won. Boxxy died down, and although she sometimes resurfaces in reference to other posts.

So, why did she become so famous, and why was she different from thousands of other of camgirls? The answer lies in the mystery of it all. What made her so strange and hyperactive? Why did she randomly have strange accents? What was up with her strange mannerisms and habits? Did she have ADHD? Tourettes? Was she a troll? And most importantly, who was she and why did she leave Gaia and Youtube? Some of these questions have been answered officially, but most people now think she’s just another troll, which pretty much answers everything. The biggest part of why she became so famous was because of the two sides that were having a war over her, and the controversy that grew.

The Potato Famine
Posted by A & J on March 29, 2010 

Starting in 1845 and lasting for six years a fungus called “blight” spread through Ireland. The fungus turned all the potatoes into black mush, making them uneatable for people. Since the potato was the main Irish source of food, about 1 million Irish people died of starvation. Then about another million left Ireland to places like America, Britain, and Australia, and another half of million were evicted from their tiny one roomed homes. There were other foods that could be found on the land or from the ocean, like fish and dulse but that was cleared out very soon after the famine started. Even grass was striped from the lands and eaten. People even went to dangerous measures to get a small amount of food. They would tie a rope around their waist and climb down a steep windy cliff to get a few wild birds eggs, most ended up dying by attempting this. There was nothing to eat except foods you had to pay for like bread and few had any money. Most had sold all their belongings for a little bit of money to by a small amount of food. The next few springs the Irish replanted potato but once again the fungus spread through them and left the people starved. In 1850 the fungus stopped rotting the potatoes and the famine was gone soon after. None of this would have had such a big effect if the Irish didn’t rely on one food. All the fields were potato fields and nothing else they should have had a Varity of crops planted, so that way when the blight had spread through Ireland then there would have been other foods for the Irish to eat and they would have had not starved to death. Neither would they have had to flee the country, so many of us would not be here. Those of you who are Irish would probably be living in Ireland if the Irish would have planted more than just potatoes.

The Importance of Sports
Published By: Jessica H and Jillian B on March 29, 2010

            Sports are considered very important on many levels to many people. Sports have good effects on everyone’s lifestyles. Playing youth sports can create positive self- esteem. Feelings can lead to a success, at home, and in the classroom. You can create friendships with teammates, and develop strong bonds with those around you. Instead tending to do harmful choices, sports can help avoid being tempted to do troublesome acts. Participating in sports can help provide a healthy lifestyle, and maintain a healthy weight.

            Some activities have more of a result on you then others. Our physical education teacher, Mr. Coleman believes that aerobic activity involving your heart and lungs is very effective. Our active social studies teacher Mr. Mahoney believes that swimming and cross- country are great because they use all your muscles and get you outdoors. Certain sports are more capable of burning calories.  For example while participating in basketball for about an hour, assuming it is a non game scenario, you are expected to burn an approximate 408 calories. Playing toss with a football or baseball you are capable of burning up to 107 calories in an hour. Most people overlook jumping rope, it is actually one of the best cardio workouts one could do for a greater effect.  In fact, if you are going at a moderate speed while jumping rope you can burn up to 680 calories. When playing a singles game in tennis you can burn 540 calories in an hour. All of these can be done in as little as an hour.

            Athletic role models are an important aspect on a youth athlete. They look up to these role models throughout their life.  Mr. Coleman has looked up to Derek Jeter for a long time. He believes Derek Jeter has an unbelievable work ethic and natural talent. He is also inspired by Derek’s respect for the game. According to him Derek Jeter is fun to watch. Derek Jeter is also a great role model because of his charity work in NYC. Mr. Mahoney believes that anyone who consistently stays fit and active has the right to be a role model.

            Different people have different ways of staying physically fit. Mr. Mahoney prefers to walk a few times a week while he is accompanied by his three dogs. He also enjoys swimming. Mr. Coleman takes pleasure in skiing, golfing, playing hockey, playing softball, biking, hiking, and swimming.

Posted by Marissa B. on March 26, 2010

This is the continuation of my first journalism article, Weekly Websites. If you don’t get what’s going on here or need a recap, you can scroll down and find the first installment.

This week I will be reviewing Snopes, Quizlet, Miniclip, and Newgrounds.

Entertainment
Snopes.com

Snopes is the master site of FAQ and urban legends: researching them, then either debunking or proving them. It has categories on tons of stuff, everything from luck to legality. If you hear something that may not be true and want to know more about it, Snopes is the place to go. According to viewpoints.com, 99% of people would recommend it to others. Snopes has a search box, so if you just need to find something out really quickly, just type it in the search box, and look for the colored dot or the true/false indicator that declares it fact or fiction. You can use it for researching something you were unsure about, quick reference, or learning something new. If you have the time to spare, you can also read about how the myths originated, and why they’re believed.

 A lot of the users say they wish it had more publicity, and you also can’t copy the text, making sharing in emails difficult. Speaking of emails, everyone hates forwards and chain letters. Unless you think they’re true, of course. Well, Snopes has the actual answers to most of the chain letters that are circulating. So before you send off a forward, check Snopes to see if it’s actually true, and save your friends’ inboxes from being plagued by yet another chain letter.

Educational: √+
Entertainment: √+
Kid-Friendly: √
Minimal ads/popups: √- / √
Variety/Quantity: √+
Good Design: √

Compete.com February 2010 number of site visits: 8,646,571
Alexa.com Traffic Rating: 2,042
My Rating: 8.5/10

Education
Quizlet.com

Quizlet allows you to create your own flashcards, and then you can test, learn, or familiarize. It works great for vocab and virtually any other subject that includes semi-short answers. You can also take other user’s quizzes, but a lot of them are pretty specific, as people make them for their own classes. Some of the most popular are U.S. Presidents, capitals, and other general groups that have one answer. This is a great site to use if you don’t have someone to quiz you, or you just prefer a different approach. Quizlet has categories in Languages, Math & Science, Social Studies, Arts & Literature, and Professional & Careers, as well as standardized testing preparation. Quizlet also has an iPhone app, which is currently the #1 educational app in the iTunes store. The reason it’s so popular for iPhones is probably because it’s really easy to do on-the-go and by yourself, and is a great way to study for a quiz last-minute on the way to school.

If you’re just starting a set of flashcards, you can just choose the ‘familiarize’ option and you can go through all the flashcards, and it will show you the other side when you click ‘show term’ or ‘show definition.’ After you’ve finished this, you can go onto the ‘learn’ option. This format asks you the terms, and you have to see if you can remember the definitions. It will show if you’re correct or not, and count your scores at the end. The ‘test’ option sets it up like a real test might, with some multiple choice, matching, true/false, and written questions. While it’s set at a default, you can change the type and number of questions. At the end, you’ll see the correct answers and get a letter grade and percentage. There are also 2 other activities: Scatter and Space Race. Scatter is basically a game of matching. You have to drag and drop the terms onto their correct definitions, while being timed. Space Race is a game to test how quickly you can provide the definition for the term. You can also share and discuss results with your classmates easily. It’s great for any school age, since it has flashcards on all sorts of topics.

Educational: √+
Entertainment: √-
Kid-Friendly: √+
Minimal ads/popups: √+
Variety/Quantity: √+
Good Design: √+

Compete.com February 2010 number of site visits: 472,668
Alexa.com Traffic Rating: 35,222
My Rating: 9/10

Games
Miniclip.com

As with a lot of gaming sites, Miniclip has games for different age categories, but the main users are middle school kids. It has a higher maturity level than the last gaming site I reviewed (Candystand) because there’s more violence-related games. Miniclip has action, shoot-em-up, sports, puzzle, and motorsports categories, plus more specific ones when you click on ‘more.’ Miniclip has also recently added some aspects of social networking, including adding friends, playing against them in games, and sending them messages. You can also play in multiplayer PvP games. Most of the games are flash and browser-based, but there are a few where you have to either download or pay for a full version. If you scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and category pages, it also has an alphabetical list of all the games, which is great for looking for games if you can’t search for them. There’s also a section called ‘Sketch Star’ where users can make pictures, cartoons, and animations and submit them. All of the games feature high-score lists. And if you need help with anything, you can get it a lot quicker than a lot of other websites via the FAQ, forum, and help section. The forum is also a great place for users to share game tips. The quality of the games is excellent, which also makes it the most popular gaming site.

Educational: √-
Entertainment: √+
Kid-Friendly: √+
Minimal ads/popups: √
Variety/Quantity: √+
Good Design: √+

Compete.com February 2010 number of site visits: 10,259,687
Alexa.com Traffic Rating: 358
My Rating: 9.5/10

General
Newgrounds.com

Newgrounds is a site that declares it has ‘Everything, by Everyone.’ And it does have a lot of different stuff. Games, animations, music, gadgets, art, movies, forums, and they’re all user submitted. A lot of them are really cool, but you still need to be wary of some of the more inappropriate stuff on this site. A fair number of the games and animations have some violence in them, as well as stuff that may only be appropriate for a 13+ audience. The worst stuff is contained in the ‘Mature’ section, but there is some stuff around the site that may not be ok for kids, as well as the forum.

The site is popular for its rating ability; you can rate and have suggestions for any user’s submissions.

The front page has the ‘featured’ stuff in all the categories, as well as links to some of other popular sites, like Gaia Online and downloadable games.

Educational: √-
Entertainment: √+
Kid-Friendly: √-
Minimal ads/popups: √
Variety/Quantity: √+
Good Design: √+

Compete.com February 2010 number of site visits: 6,093,824
Alexa.com Traffic Rating: 784
My Rating: 8/10

Because You Wanted to Know 
Posted by Jenna T. and Brady W. on March 25, 2010

10 Places to Go and Things to Do in Northern Vermont this Summer
Posted by Will J on March 24, 2010

RATING:
Fun: A
Exciting: B+
Captivating: C
Athletic: A+
Cost wise: B-
Overall: A-

Second is got to be sandbar beach by far the warmest cleanest beach in north of Vermont. It’s a wonderful place to do just drive your boat, swim, fish, whatever. It’s simply a clean fresh sparkling utopia of water in the middle of nowhere, Lake Champlain. For more information go to; http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/sandbar.htm

RATING:
Fun: A-
Exciting: B
Captivating: A
Athletic: C+
Cost wise: B+
Overall: B+

to go and a fun thing to do. When you get to the top it’s a whole other world.  For more inThird must be the one thing we have a lot of in a small state, mountains, hiking more so. Hiking is awesome you really get to see the great outdoors. Mount Mansfield, Camels Hump, and a bunch of big hills with little trails. Vermont’s mountains aren’t tall, but we have so many it’s a great place formation on Mt. Mansfield state parks go to http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/smugglers.htm

Fun: B+
Exciting: B-
Captivating: A+         
Athletic: B
Cost wise: B-
Overall: B

These are the first 3 look on next week for the second set of places to go this summer in northern Vermont, and have fun!

Game Review
Need For Speed Shift
Posted by Wayne B. on March 24, 2010

Need For Speed Shift developed by BLACKBOX studios is a simulation racing game that has a feel of arcade racing. Released in September of 2009 Shift can make you shake as you battle tough competitors while you fight to not slide off the track as your engine peaks at eight thousand rpm.

The career and quick race modes are pretty intense. With racing styles from drifting to endurance races, Shift really tests your driving skills. (Incredible graphics like around one hundred mph your vision of the interior of the car starts to blur and you focus on the track). Real world tracks make you think twice about when to hit the brakes.

Game reviews range from bad to so-so to great, but the intensity and graphics say a lot. I have played this game and enjoy it very much but that’s for you to decide. You may choose cars from BMW, Nissan, Ford, Lamborghini, Dodge and Porsche to name a few. For names of all cars check out this web site: http://www.nfscars.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24538

In most of Need For Speed games there are three tiers but in Shift there’s includes an additional tier (tier four). A tier is a group of cars that have similar performance stats horsepower, handling, braking etc. Tier one cars is every day cars with low performance, tier two cars have higher performance stats cars that you don’t see going down I-89. Tier three cars are high –end performance cars. Tier four cars are straight up supercars. A tier can also be a group of races specifically for a certain tier of cars (1-4). The ultimate goal in the game is to win the NFS world tour (tier five).

The customization in NFS Shift is pretty advanced. You can create your own vinyl styles or pick a pre-made livery. Livery is a group of vinyl’s. The pre-made livery makes cars look like racecars. Three tiers of performance parts, high-end racing parts, interior upgrades and body kits make cars fly off the finish line!

Need For Speed Shift is a contender with Forza Motorsport 3 and Grand Tourismo 5 two other top racing games. Shift is available on XBOX 360, PS3, PSP, PC,

Ask Debra☻ Advice Column
Submitted on March 22, 2010

Question: Some of my friends on Facebook are bullying/ harassing me. What do I do to prevent this?

Answer: To prevent your friends from bullying or harassing you online, you could delete them as a friend and or block them. You also could “report abuse” on the site. Also you should go to an adult, if it’s at school go to Mrs. Getty or Mrs. Little, you could even go to one of the teachers. If it’s out of school you could go to your parents or older siblings, you could also go to the bully’s parents to help you. I interviewed a few teachers about it, the questions I asked them were “What would you do if you were bullied online?” and “What advice would you give to a person who was being bullied?” I also asked “what advice would you give to a person who was being bullied by one person online but was friends with that person at school?” “Do you think online bullying is happening a lot?” One teacher said “I would put them on ignore. If I was a child I would talk to my friends about it.” Another teacher said they “would talk to that person at school and tell them that it hurts my feeling.” That same teacher said they think online bullying is happening more because “kids are using technology more.” Another adult said “Stop, block, and tell, stop meaning don’t respond, block meaning block the person, and tell meaning tell an adult.” “Ask the friend why they’re talking like that, they don’t like it.” And ask yourself “are they a true friend?”      Hope this helps                                      

We will be interviewing teachers on a weekly basis at Georgia Elementary Middle School to find
out what they do on their free time. We want to find out what interests them, their hobbies, and their goals for the future.

Our first interview was Ms. Bove who teaches 8th grade language arts. Recently we learned a little more about Ms. Bove as a person and not just a teacher. Ms. Bove as a kid played basketball and softball. Growing up her favorite subject was English. She has 1 sibling. Ms. Bove was inspired to be an educator by her 10th grade English teacher who taught her way more than the 10th grade curriculum. Ms. Bove is interested in sports including basketball, hockey, and baseball. Some professional sports teams she follows are the New England Patriots, and The Boston Red Sox. Ms. Bove attended U.V.M for 4 years. While in college her favorite subject was political science. She enjoys teaching writing. Ms. Bove also taught at Burlington, South Burlington, and Colchester high school as a para-educator. She believes that being organized is important so it is easier to find what she needs when she needs it. Her life long dream is to write a book someday. Her goals for the future are to work towards a graduate degree and eventually a doctorate degree in English or Education.