Playoff Predictions - Selah School District

Community and School News and Stories Written By Selah School District Students
Sentinel
Volume I, Issue XXXVI
May 24, 2011
Price: free!
Playoff Predictions
- Brodie Trapp
The playoffs this year will be very interesting because
of all of the high caliber picks in the draft and some amazing
offseason pickups.
The NFC North is quickly becoming one of the best
divisions in the NFL. For the last couple of years the Packers,
Bears and Vikings were very good but the Lions were
completely horrible. That is changing though with the Vikings
getting worse with a 3-13 record and the lions stepping up at
10-6 and they will be in the competition to win the division but
they would most likely have to sweep the division to get the
title over the Packers. The Bears chance of winning the
division is getting higher with the way Matt Forte has been playing and Jay Cutler plus the addition of Brandon
Marshall and Eric Weems. My division champion prediction and a first round bye are going to the Packers
because of an extremely high power offense that can make up for their defensive that was one of the worst in
the NFL. You will hear a lot this year of “Rodgers to Jennings‟s, TOUCHDOWN!”
The NFC East is home to some of the best pass rushing teams that always put up a lot of competition for
the playoffs. Last year the division champions came down to the last game when the Cowboys and Giants
played to see who won the division and the Giants came out on top. This year I am thinking that the giants will
fall down and not be able to make the playoffs while the Cowboys amazing pass rush will secure. There will not
be any wildcard teams from the NFC East because of the loss of Mario Manngingham, Brandon Jacobs, and the
possible departure of Osi Umenyiora. The Redskins will be more of a threat than they were this year because of
Robert Griffin III but they still need receivers so RGIII can target.
I believe that the NFC South is a no brainer because the Saints losing Sean Payton, Jonathan Vilma and
Will Smith because of the bounty program will have no
chance of the playoffs. The Falcons with Matt Ryan,
Selah SentInel
Roddy White, Michael Turner, and Julio Jones are an
Is written, edited, and designed by 13-16 year-olds at Selah Junior High
School (8th and 9th Grade) and guest student writers from around the
extreme threat to sweep the division but the Panthers who
globe!
To reach us by phone, call (509) 697-0500 ext. 592
are only getting better with their improved defense
Journalism Club Advisor: Mr. Bryan Dibble
because of the draft and the Rookie of the Year Cam
By mail at Years of War
Newton. The Falcons are going to take the division and a
411 N. First Street, Selah, WA 98942
first round bye but barley while the Panthers are going to
Or email: [email protected]
Have a copy emailed to you! Or go to our site:
take one of the wildcards slots.
http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JHS/index.cfm
The NFC West has been showing a lot of late
season comebacks because of the amount of games that
the Cardinals and the Seahawks have been winning half
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way through the season. The 49ers made a complete surprise
this season by going 13-3 and earning a first round bye. The
Cardinals will be a larger threat because of their new WR duo
of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. The Seahawks are
improving their defensive while they possible have the best
safety core because of Earl Thomas and Cam Chancellor. The
Seahawks could have secured their division if they would have
improved their WR core with Sidney Rice even though the
rookie Doug Baldwin and his impressive season for an
unsigned free-agent showed everyone. The 49ers are going to
take the division while the Seahawks are going to secure a wildcard.
The AFC North is the hardest division to play in because of the Ravens taking a first round bye with the
Bengals and the Steelers taking the wildcard spots. The Bengals finished 9-7, the Steelers 12-4 and the Ravens
12-4. The Steelers are quickly falling off the playoff hunt because of the old and aging defense plus with Mike
Wallace who is one of their best receivers is holding off on a contract extension which time does tell does lead
to lacking on how well they will play. The Ravens will still be able to clinch the division with there ever
improving pass rush of Terrel Suggs, Haloti Ngata and the new Courtney Upshaw. The ever young Bengals will
be a very tough competition to the Ravens but will fall short and only be able to take a wildcard with them.
There is not much to say about the AFC East because the Dolphins and Jets are still a long ways for
being competition for the Patriots and possibly the Bills. The Patriots for the last decade have dominated the
division by visiting the Super Bowl 5 times. The Bills have been starting to make a comeback by the way the
Fred Jackson has been playing. The patriots will take the division and a first round bye with them while the
Bills take a wildcard.
The AFC South is full of tough completion because of the Texans, Titans, and possibly the Colts now.
The Texans will be better this year by getting Matt Schaub coming back from his injury and Andre Johnson
with the whole offseason to get healed. The Colts drafting Andrew Luck will help them out but they still have
work to do with their defense and to get more offensive weapons for Luck to utilize. The division champions
will be the Texans and a first round bye while the second wildcard team is going to be the Titans.
The AFC West has been known to have a lot of violence but it is also home to a lot of great defenses and
great, young linebackers. The Broncos have Von Millers who is a supreme pass rusher while the Raiders have
Rolando Mcclain. With the Broncos signing Peyton Manning and Andre Caldwell will allow them to get an
accurate quarterback and decent receivers to utilize. The Raiders will be getting Darren McFadden back which
will allow the Raiders to fully control the field on offense and possibly on defense. The Chargers though have
fast and explosive running backs like Ryan Matthews which will allow them to run the ball but they also still
are able to bomb the ball down field. I believe that the Raiders will win the division but if will be a close call
between them the Broncos and the Chargers.
Tupac
By Samantha Stevens
Tupac Amaru Shakur is better known by his stage names
2Pac, Pac and Makaveli. His life began June 16, 1971 and
ended September 13, 1996. On September 7, 1996 he was shot
four times in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to the University
Medical Center, where he died six days later.
On the night of the shooting Shakur attended the Mike
Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las
Vegas. One of Suge‟s associates spotted Orlando “Baby Lane”
Anderson (A member of the Southside Crips gang) then
informed Tupac about it, then he had attacked Anderson. The fight was captured on the hotels video
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surveillance. At approximately 11:15 pm a white four door late model Cadillac with an unknown number of
occupants pulled up to the sedan‟s right side, rolled down one of the windows and rapidly fired a volley of
gunshots at Tupac. The bullets hit him in the chest pelvis, and right hand and thigh. One of the rounds
apparently ricocheted into Tupac‟s right lung. Suge was hit in the head by fragmentation, though there is a
rumor saying that a bullet grazed him. After arriving on the scene police took Suge and Shakur to the University
Medical Center. Due largely to lack of progress in the investigation by law enforcement many independent
investigations and theories emerged. Because of the trouble between Shakur and Biggie (who was murdered in
March 1997), there was speculation from the outset about the possibility of Biggie‟s involvement. Biggie, as
well as his family, relatives, associates, and close friends vehemently denied all such accusations.
He was an American rapper and actor. Tupac was born on the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New
York City. His mother, Afeni Shakur, and his father, Billy Garland, were active members of the Black Panther
Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Tupac made reference to the organization in the song
“Changes.” Unconfirmed by the Shakur family, but from several sources, his birth name is Lesane Parish
Crooks. Afeni listed this on his birth certificate because she was afraid her enemies would attack her son. So she
disguised his true identity using a different last name. Tupac was involved in a West-Coast, East-Coast rivalry
after a major feud with East-Coast rappers, producers and record label members of staff.
He was a voracious reader. He was inspired by a wide variety of writers, one especially is William
Shakespeare. His music and philosophy is rooted in many American, African American, and World entities.
Including the Black Panther Part, Black Nationalism, egalitarianism, and liberty. In addition to rapping and hip
hop music, Tupac also acted in films.
BETTY WHITE
Betty White was born on
January 17, 1922 in Oak Park,
Illinois. Her family moved to Los
Angeles, California during the
Great Depression. Betty starred
on the television series of Life
with Elizabeth, Date with the Angels, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Betty White Show, The Golden Girls ( Betty is the
only living Golden Girl), The Golden Palace, Hot in Cleveland, and is currently starring on Betty White's Off Their Rockers.
In 1945, she married Dick Barker a U.S. Army Air Corps Pilot. Their Marriage was short lived. In 1947, she
married Lane Allen a Hollywood agent. They were divorced in 1949. On June 14, 1963 she married Allen Ludden whom
she met on his game show Password as a celebrity guest in 1961. They were married for 18 years.
Betty works with a number of animal organizations including the Los Angeles Zoo. In October 2011, White was
awarded an honorary degree and a white doctors coat by Washington State University at the Washington State
Veterinary Medical Association's centennial gala in Yakima, Washington.
She has won 7 Emmy Awards and has received 20 nominations. The movies Betty
White has done are Advice and Consent, Hard Rain, Holy Man, Lake Placid, The Story of Us,
Bringing Down the House, The Proposal, You Again, and The Lorax.
At 90 years old, Betty White is a truly remarkable actor.
The Book Report
By Samuel Skelton
The Rangers Apprentice book 7 Erak’s Ransom is exactly what I wanted. If
you had read my last review you would have know that I wanted to know what had
happened during the time that Will was about to graduate and become a ranger, well
this is exactly that! The story takes place a few months before Will is about to
graduate and he has all these doubts in his mind about if he is good enough to
become a ranger and he does not think Halt wants him to become a ranger. I don‟t
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know why he would think this but I‟m not him. The book starts off with Erak, now the Oberjarl of Skandia and
he has become tired of all the paperwork he is doing. He makes up his mind to go on one last raid in Arrida.
Arrida is a dessert-like place and every year they transfer their money to a different location. Erak plans to
intercept this money and take it. He gathers his crew and sets out to Arrida. He finally arrives there in the dead
of night and silently makes his way into the city. When he gets there he finds no one on guard and nobody in
sight. He assumes that they are lazy people and continues. He finally finds the storage house where they are
keeping the money. He starts to break down the door when someone yells “stop!” Erak spins around to find an
army waiting for him. The leader allows everyone except for Erak to leave so the crew can deliver ransom
money. Back at Araluen Halt and lady Pauline are getting married. During the celebrations Svengal bursts in
and tells them Erak has been kidnapped. Halt, Will Horace, Svengal, Gilan, Evanlyn as well as thirty of Eraks
men set out to deliver the Ransom. This is a great book and I‟m very glad John Flanagan decided to make this
book. I give the book a 4 and a half out of 5.
Character Word of the Month
by Ciarrah Bogart
The character word of the month for May is Courtesy. What is courtesy? What does it look like? Well,
there are many definitions, and many diagrams, or ways to use it in your life. Here are some examples.
At dictionary.com, the definition is:
1. excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.
2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.
3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence: a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.
4. favor, help, or generosity: The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.
5. a curtsy.
People say that courtesy looks like sitting up strait, talking with upper vocabulary, opening the doors for
others, and using manners. You‟ll get far in life with courtesy. I hope everyone tries to practice courtesy.
Ed’s Story
Brianna Gonnering
It was a bright and sunny day in the year of
1987 when the couple Mark and Jane Smith had a
baby girl. They were so happy, and decided to name
her Julie Ann Smith. About a year after the birth
tragedy struck the new family as Jane, the mother
died of cancer; and Mark, the father died of a heart
attack shortly after the death of Jane. When the
Government was informed of this terrible news, they
knew they had to give Julie to a family member, but
as they searched on and on…this story for poor Julie
just got worse. Her whole family had died years
before she was even born, she has nobody left but
herself. Such a sad story for such a small child.
The government had no choice but to put her
into an orphanage, this specific orphanage was
located in the city of Kiel, Wisconsin. Julie was
adopted a total of 24 times in her life, but the families
always tended to bring her back due to reasons
unknown. The orphanage has been home schooling
Julie for years, and she loved school, and loved her
teachers very much. As soon as Julie turned 18, she
was informed that she would need to find another
Selah Sentinel
place to live due to the expenses they were paying for
her. So off she went looking for places to live, she
looked at homeless shelters, apartments, and she
finally came across a lovely one story house, with one
bedroom, one bathroom, a living room, kitchen, and a
garage. She knew that the only way she would be able
to afford this house was to get a job of her own. She
eventually convinced the orphanage to give her a job
there working in the kitchen as a cook and a janitor.
And this worked out perfectly because she already
loved the kids as her own, and they loved her very
much. She was able to get the house that she wanted
just a few weeks later.
As many years past, Julie was in her kitchen
baking Apple pie for the children at the orphanage
when all of a sudden she notices something very
unusual. She sees some rustling in the bushes by her
garden outside her kitchen window, so she goes to put
on her bonnet, grabs her broom (because she has no
idea what it could be) and heads outside to
investigate. As she got closer she saw that it was
nowhere near the size a bunny, squirrel, cat, dog, and
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it definitely was not one of the neighbor kids. She
pauses for a moment….and suddenly….a large threetoed, clawed, brown haired foot stomped on her
Petunias! Her favorite flowers, NO WAY!! She was
not going to stand for that! She took that broom and
started swinging to where she thought the animal was,
she swung like her life depended on it! And away it
scattered back into the forest which was about five
yards from her house. Once she caught her breath, she
headed inside to do some research about what she had
just encountered. After searching for what seemed
like hours, she came across only one animal with a
foot like what she had seen and described. But it was
completely impossible for it to be this
animal…because the only search result that showed
up was called a Giant Ground Sloth and they have
been extinct for 30 million years so there was
absolutely no way that this particular animal could be
a Giant Ground Sloth!
The next day Julie wakes up and does her
daily routine to get ready for work, and then grabs the
apple pies she made for the kids at the orphanage. She
goes to work and gives the children the pies for lunch,
of course they loved it. She finished her day at work,
and headed home. As she arrived back at home, she
noticed some peculiar footprints in the mud outside
the fence of her garden…she follows the prints which
lead her into her backyard. Then she saw it. .. . . . . . .
IT WAS A GIANT GROUND SLOTH! WOW!!
She couldn‟t believe her eyes! But it looks
like the sloth is there for a reason…he shuffles over to
her and hands her a big bushel of Petunias! “Wow,
he‟s trying to apologize for ruining my flowers.” She
thought. He then immediately took off into the forest.
She put the petunias into a vase in her kitchen on the
table assuming she will never see the sloth again. But
to her surprise the sloth came back the very next day,
and the next, and the following week to come. Then a
day came where she told the sloth “well, seeming
how you are pretty accustomed to my house, and
garden, I would like to give you a name. How about
Ed? Do you like that name?” she asked the sloth. Ed
nodded in agreement and approval, and rushed past
her to go into her house! “Go ahead and invite
yourself in. Sure why not? The more the merrier.”
She laughed jokingly. She shut the door, turned
around…and Ed was nowhere to be found. Then she
heard a loud THUD! “Oh Boy” she thought. She
rushed down the hallway to find Ed jumping on her
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bed wearing her orange and white striped dress, pink
jacket, red lipstick, blue eye shadow, and her purple
running shoes! What a sight! She could not control
herself any longer, she laughed and laughed until she
turned blue in the face, she was starting to look like
Ed with the eye shadow.
She has never laughed that hard in her entire
life, that is when she decided that Ed had to stay,
there was no question about it. She immediately went
to the garage to make a little room for him. He had a
bed, blankets, pillows, and his own dress up area
filled with old clothes of Julies she didn‟t wear
anymore. He fell in love with it. She enjoyed taking
Ed to town with her to go to the park, even though
people stared at them, they both knew that their
friendship could never be broken. Julie has never
loved someone or something this much in her entire
life. Ed always knew how to make Julie laugh when
she was feeling down, and she knew where all his
tickle spots were too…so I suppose they were just
about even. Ed liked to scare people who would walk
by the house, he would hide in the bushes….and catch
you off guard and jump over the fence so he was two
feet in front of you and RRROOOOAARRRR! Then
disappear as if nothing happened. You didn‟t know
what hit you, he was quite the little prankster. Ed
hated it when Julie would go to work every day
because he was left at home all alone by himself, he
would wait in the living room on his big comfy chair
looking out the window with a picture of him and
Julie in his hands waiting for her to come home. Once
Julie realized that Ed didn‟t like staying at home
alone, she decided to bring him to work with her and
introduce him to all of the kids at the orphanage, and
to her surprise…..THEY LOVED HIM!! They would
climb all over him like a little jungle-gym, this was
going on all day every day. When it came time to go
home and have supper, Ed was more than anxious to
eat! Julie would eat her Fish, Peas, and Potatoes while
Ed ate his leaves, and berries (from Julie‟s garden)
and for desert Julie would have cake and Ed loved his
moss covered bark. Yummm! Ed always ended up
sneaking a piece of cake here and there too though.
After supper, Ed would get on his PJ‟S and Julie
would tuck him in for bed, but of course he would not
even close his eyes until she read him a bedtime story.
And not just any bedtime story, it had to be Beauty
and the Beast, that was his favorite and he wouldn‟t
settle for anything less.
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Years passed and eventually Julie died of old
age completely abandoning Ed the Extinct Giant
Ground Sloth. Since he is extinct, and his species died
off 30 million years ago he will never die. So Legend
has it that in the city of Kiel, Wisconsin, Ed still lurks
the streets searching for Julie waiting for her to come
home.
Dear Ashley,
What do you do when
someone is bullying you non-stop?
What I think you should do is let
an adult know whether that is a
teacher,
counselor,
principal,
parent/guardian or a trusted adult. They
can then stop whatever the bully is doing. Your parent/guardian or adult can contact the school and let them
know of your situation. I'm not sure if there is a person or group of people bullying you or another person you
know. We want to stop the bullying around us before it's too late. I'm not sure if you were at the "Empathy"
assembly but it showed clips of news reports of students committing suicide because of bullying. We don't
want our school to be on the news because of bullying. Make sure you don't become a bully yourself because
of what others did to you. Be the bigger person. We should all treat each other with respect and kindness. The
golden rule states, "Treat others the way you want to be treated.". We can all make a difference in the world
whether its big or small. We need to reach out to others and learn along the way. We aren't perfect but we can
all be better people, we all have room for improvement. Remember to not dwell on the past but look towards
the future. Be the beautiful and successful person that you are.
"To go against the dominant thinking of your friends,
of most of the people you see every day,
is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform."
~ Theodore H. White
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."
~ Judy Garland
Families usually go to King's Row to get a
burger, especially after a baseball game. They also
have a really good chicken strip basket. That comes
with toast and french-fries and you have to have fry
sauce or my mom really likes tartar sauce. You can sit
inside or outside if it's a nice cool day. Bring your
kids because there is a game system. You can play
music from a juke box. My family and I are also a big fan for their creamy ice cream. If you are new to the
community you should go to King's row with you and your family. The customer service
is excellent. If you are extra hungry they cook fast. "Home of the Garbage Burger."
What place sells a five dollar foot-long in Selah?
A. Subway
B. Magic's
C. Taco Bell
Look in next week's issue to see if you were correct. Please send in your answer to
[email protected].
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The Day the Earth Stood Still
by Meghan Lunning
The day the earth stood still…
The day the earth stood still the hearts stopped
breaking
The pain stopped hurting
And no love was withheld
The day the earth stood still…
The day the earth stood still all
the evil was abolished
All good was restored
And all lies were retained
The day the earth stood
still…
The day the earth stood
still all ideas were soon
accompanied by a story
My Best Friend Next Door
All fairy tales weren’t just myths and unrealistic
And you didn’t princes in books
The day the earth stood still…
The day the earth stood still good girls did
not soon turn bad
But bad girls turned good
The day the earth stood still…
The day the earth stood still there was
no jealousy
Anger
Hate
Or bad
A perfect day
Yet unreal
And never to come true
Nathan Luke
I think it was just before Easter of 2002. We have lived in our new home in Selah for about three or four months.
My older brothers, Travis and Brandon, were shooting hoops in our new basketball hoop in our driveway. Next door in a
pinkish red house lived a family of one child, Justin. While the baskets were being made, he walked on down the
sidewalk to our place. We introduced our selves at the edge of the driveway. I remember he couldn‟t speak a hundred
percent well, so I thought he said his name was Dustin for a day or two. He got annoyed and corrected me in his best
pronunciation.
Since then, we would play all day everyday it seemed. He would come to my door and I would knock on his. We
had the most fun in his basement which was filled with cars you could ride in, toy sets that would blink lights and make
noise, and a collection of RC cars that we used for races. My favorite thing down there was the swing. It was attached to
the ceiling by ropes and hooks. It swung a great distance and at a good speed.
At my house we played my Nintendo 64. I usually won so easily that I made him look like a toddler was playing.
He was a good sport about it but wasn‟t really happy either.
During the summer we often rode bikes and played in my
sand box or swung on my swing set. One day however, we decided
to chase a black cat that appeared out of nowhere. Now don‟t judge
me; it seemed like a good idea at the time. We waited by the side of
the fence for it to walk by. It eventually did and we broke into a dead
run. That cat turned away as Justin dove and ate a hearty serving of
mud pie while I quickly turned to continue the chase. We ran across
the street to the neighbor‟s yard. The cat out ran me by a lot. It
jumped the fence and was out of sight. Justin came up behind me
panting, still spiting mud from his mouth. I climbed the fence with
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great difficulty but made it falling hard on the ground. I didn‟t see the cat anywhere. I saw it coming to late. The cat was
behind me and freaked out when I hit the ground. It jumped on me and tried to run but I sprang up, sending it soaring to
the neighbor‟s house. Of course, all cats are ninja and it lands on its feet and ran. For some reason, Justin found the show
quite hilarious. He was laughing so hard, that mud continued to fly into the fence he was looking through, leaving stains
of muck on the surface. I was so grossed out by how much Justin had in his mouth that I almost ran, but he went to his
house and cleaned himself up.
Every Selah Days we spent hours at the carnival. Every birthday we partied together. We were best friends and
everybody knew it.
Now not every day was a good day. On some days, we would argue about something and Justin would say,
“Fine! I‟m going home!”
“You‟re already home,” I said when we were in his basement.
“Then I‟m going up stairs!” He would then tromp up
the stairs. I didn‟t care. He would be back down eventually.
During his absence I would race and RC around the room,
503 E Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima, WA 98901
setting up obstacles and jumps.
Phone: (509) 494-MIKE {6453}
Our arguments usually started with police. His dad was
Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8AM - 5:30PM
a cop, so Justin thought that he knew everything. I would say
Sat: Maybe Sun: Closed
police do this and he would say police do that. It was a war that
Absolute Auto was voted BEST PLACE for Auto Repair,
Service & Maintenance in the Yakima Valley
went nowhere. We eventually forgot after awhile and went
again about our daily business.
www.absoluteautoyakima.com
On Sundays, I went to church with my family and had a
family night when we came home so I never played with Justin on those
days. He didn‟t like this. He asked why I couldn‟t play on Sunday. I
explained why and he asked when church got out.
“What?”
“You know how school gets out for the summer?” he began.
“When does church get out?”
“Never,” I replied. “We go every week.”
“Darn it! Now we‟ll never play on Sundays!”
After that I began letting his parents know when ever I saw one
of them upon returning from church. I saw his dad out on the bench in
front of his house one week and hollered from our driveway, “I can‟t
play today, its Sunday!”
“Good! I didn‟t want to play with you anyway!” he replied.
Everyone laughed at his response but I just didn‟t get it. My brothers and sisters took advantage of my lack of
ability to understand jokes by annoying me with, “What did you say?”
“I said I can‟t hear you,” I would say. That made it worse for me.
“What?” they asked.
“I said I can‟t hear you.”
What?” This time they were laughing.
I slowly shouted, “I said I CAN‟T HEAR YOU!” Their tricks worked every time.
At some point in time, Justin‟s little sister was born. Her name was Brooke. My last memory of her was when
she was two, and I accidentally smacked her in the head with a light saber toy when fighting Justin. Brooke would have
been just fine with less drama on her part. The mother wasn‟t thrilled about incident. Talk about a dump truck full of
guilt.
I think it was 2005 that the “SOLD” sign appeared in their front yard. Uh-oh. The plan was that Justin would
visit his Grandma in Portland, Oregon while his dad when to California to check out the new home. His mom stayed
home with Brooke.
Something interfered with the overall plan. The moving truck was on the street one summer morning and to my
panic received news that Justin was to be transported directly to California. It was all so sudden that the last time we saw
each other was just another day of play. Brooke and her mom left a day or two after and I was left in the dust to rot for
time and all eternity.
Absolute Auto
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That summer was quite depressing. I was bored. Most of my time went to wandering the street and staring at the
silent house that was once inhabited with a family of four. Since then we wrote letters. I read that Justin lived not just
four hours from Disney Land. Luck Duck.
Time went on and letters haven‟t been sent for months at a time due to life‟s busy schedule. About a year ago I
received word from his family that they have moved once again. This time to Vancouver, Washington. Now the chances
of seeing each other went up a great elevation, but no visits have been made. The last time I saw him was almost seven
years ago. What if I saw him now? Would I recognize him?
Current World Description By Kairat Rumble
At the current date the plates have separated the landmass Pangaea into seven continents and many
islands. The plates are still shifting as we speak, at a rate of 5 cm. a year. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is part of the
worldwide system of mid-ocean ridges. It is interesting to note the striking similarity that exists between the
shape of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the shape of the coastlines on both sides. Indeed, if one were to push the
continents bordering the Atlantic together (reversing the drift that is going on at present), the continents would
meet at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and close up on the ocean that now separates them. This interesting detail of the
current world gives supporting evidence to the continental drift theory.
The Battlefeild
“All is fair in the game of love and warfare.”
Unknown
“In death we find life.” Unknown
“Love is war and war is love.” By me
I let the walls down to let her in.
She is only there for a little bit.
And yet she has caused the most damage.
She enters all nice and pretty,
But she is the most dangerous one.
She went in and found the most venerable spot,
by Thearon Bartel
And did as much damage as possible.
It is almost as if she set of 1 ton of TNT.
And yet,
She expects everything to be fine.
NO.
Everything is not fine.
And the worst part is,
She wasn’t even there to see the damage done.
She only waited to see the aftermath.
Note Card Story
By Kyle Youngblood
Well… where to begin? I‟ll start with the fact that I‟ve dealt with bullying ever since I started school
due to the scars I have. It progressively got worse until around eighth grade. That‟s when things became out of
hand. The really harsh words and actions people started to say and do as an act of “looking cool” and being “a
boss” really started to take its toll. It didn‟t help much that I had to deal with a stressful event that year as well.
I began feeling tired and out of hope and by the end of the year I couldn‟t go a day without thinking
about ending it all. That summer ended up having another painful event and didn‟t help much when I started a
new school year with a new relationship (that didn‟t end well either). This year has been so tormenting and
overwhelmingly painful to deal with its insane… every day I hear tormenting words and hateful, backstabbing
words being thrown at others and at me. I want to do something about it but there‟s so little support around me
from anybody so I feel as if it‟s a lost cause. The lack of support is from the fear of being bullied themselves so
they try to stay as well out of their way to avoid it as possible, even if it means watching one of their friends get
bullied.
I‟m sick of my friends joking about me and calling me names even if their “just kidding” or “joking
around”. It still puts people down; it‟s because the others that actually say it mean it. All this year I feel as if I‟m
as hollow as can be and nobody can understand exactly what goes on with me. I know there are others out there,
even friends. But it still doesn‟t do diddly-squat. I‟m physically and emotionally in pain. I feel numb. I feel
dead. I hate it. I think about suicide and horrible things EVERY day and EVERY night. It‟s a never ending
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battle inside my head. Almost all my smiles are faked. I can‟t live out my life normally. I lose sleep every night
over the overwhelming amount of horrible, painful, most of the times suicidal thoughts I‟ve grown used to...I‟ll
probably end up tormented for writing this, but who cares? I don‟t like the attention anyways.
Friends or Bullies?
Meghan Lunning
Friend or bully? Which is it? Who has those friends who tease you make fun of you and hurt your
feelings quite often but you let it go, because they are your friends? The definition of friend is someone who
supports, sympathizes, are able to be trusted, whom has mutual feelings of you and respects you. Now think of
friends who actually fit those categories.
Who don‟t make fun of you, tease you,
hurt you, support you, don‟t put you
down. I bet you are finding you may
have few who do that. If a friend makes
you feel like dirt under their feet or just
tells you all your flaws as if you don‟t
see them, are they really being your
friend? Or have they turned into the
bully? Have you ever noticed that our
friends make fun of us most? They point
out every flaw as if we don‟t see them
already. It just makes us more aware of
our flaws and want to change them. Are
our friends supportive of us or
unsupportive? I mean since they put us
down so much. Maybe our friends are
the ones holding us back. Are our
friend‟s bullies? They may be just
playing around but it doesn‟t mean it doesn‟t hurt. Even if you say no offense doesn‟t make it okay. There may
be others (not friends) bullying us but our friends make it worse. They know more about us than the bullies so
they have more to make fun of. We may have suicidal thoughts before but our friends don‟t help by doing the
same thing as the bully. But something the bully and friend has in common is they don‟t know the burden of the
secret we are hiding. Are they friends or enemies?
Samuel Skelton
Memory
It was white, pink and chunky. I was trying to tell my teacher but
she just wouldn‟t listen. I was feeling terrible and nobody would
acknowledge me. I wanted to go home, I wanted to yell but I was feeling
too sick to do anything. I could only think of one thing to do, I ran up to my teacher while she was still teaching
and punched her in the stomach. She yelled at me and told me I was going to get a referral but I didn‟t care, I
just needed her to listen to me but by that time it was too late.
I unloaded all my chips, my skittles, my ham sandwich and my mini pizza. It was all coming out like a
waterfall of food. Once I was finished throwing up in front of the whole class I was an embarrassment. I went
home that day and told my mom that I didn‟t want to go to school anymore but of course I had to go back the
next day. The next day nobody would come within 10 feet of me. It was the worst day of my life. I had no
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friends, and I think they over-exaggerated it because it was something I couldn‟t stop and something I didn‟t
want to do but I couldn‟t stop them from hating me.
Bullying
Created by Ciarrah Bogart
What causes someone to bully others? Why do people
bully others? These are the questions that people ask kids. As
well as, “What is considered being bullied?” Do you know the
answers? Not many do. It’s not always the correct answer, and it
doesn’t always apply to a large group of people, however, it
applies to many.
Sometimes, people bully others because they have a
rough time at home, school, and life in general. Others, they ‘bully’ has low-self esteem. They’ll say mean things about
others, just to make themselves feel like they’re better than the certain people/person that they’re bullying. Another
reason that they may bully is that they want to feel powerful, because when those around them feel scared, threatened,
then the bully feels accomplished.
What IS considered bullying? Is it only when the ‘bully’ hurts others physically? However, bullying also includes
saying mean things; such how others look isn’t good enough. It also includes talking behind another’s back. Whatever
the case, if the person makes you feel bad, and that you aren’t good at anything, then THAT’S bullying. Bullying can be in
different ways, like cyber bullying, verbally bullying, and physically bullying.
Cyber bullying is when someone texts, face books, emails, or tells you something rude, cruel, and mean using
technology. Many feel that this method is cowardly. The cyber bullied say, “If they’re so brave, why don’t they say it to
my face?” Which, I personally feel that’s a statement that all should think. People feel that they can say whatever they
want, to however, whenever they want. That gives people the confidence to cyber bully.
Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that an act is defined as bullying when:
The behavior hurts or harms another person physically or emotionally. Bullying can be very overt, such as
fighting, hitting or name calling, or it can be covert, such as gossiping or leaving someone out on purpose.
It is intentional, meaning the act is done willfully, knowingly and with deliberation.
The targets have difficulty stopping the behavior directed at them and struggle to defend themselves.
In the Selah School District, many people don’t bully since adults say not to, and we’re told repeatedly that it’s wrong.
However, people who are bullied don’t tell adults and others about it, when they should so it ends. I hope those that are
bullied tell the teachers, parents, or school staff about any bullying. Please stop bullying.
A New World
[Continued From Issue 28] by Ciarrah Bogart
Last time: The Aspins moved in town and were shunned by the rest of the town except for Saphira
(narrator). Saphira woke up at midnight to the bell on the strong, white rope was ringing out an abnormal
amount. When she looks out her window, there are colors beaming in. The light contains all other colors;
however, the strongest color was an eerie, dark light that has no name. “And to my horror…”
Joe was floating out of his window, in a beam of eerie green. Not thinking logically at all, I decide to jump out of
my window, trying to weigh Joe down onto a wood door floating on the water below. Not very shockingly, that method
of getting him down was futile. We both were floating up to a blinding light. The only thing that I could think of was how
deep of a sleeper Joe was.
Not long after we got into the U.F.O., Joe FINALLY woke up. A table was neatly decorated with a bright
tablecloth and a platter of finger sandwiches I assumed that there were going to be some aliens getting some tea and
sandwiches soon, so Joe and I hid underneath the table. One foot, two feet. This creature had two feet, with tennis
shoes. They come closer, and closer. Then, all of a sudden, gone. “Am I in a dream?” Joe asks. “Don’t answer. I know that
this must be a dream. If it wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be under a table, in a strange place because I’m asleep in my bed.” Of
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course, I just have to burst his bubble and pinch him. “OUCH!” Joe’s cry made the mysterious being come back and look
under the table.
All of a sudden, I’m awake. Confused, I look for Joe. BOOM! “EEEK!!!!” I drop down to the ground, assuming the
position that one would assume when they’re being shot at in the movies. Then, I hear, “Die Zombies! DIE!” From the
other room. While rolling my eyes, I head towards the room. To my astonishment, the ‘mysterious being’ is, well,
human. BOOM! There’s that noise again. I avert my eyes from the unknown human and Joe to the large, 150 foot HD
television. Next to the television, I find a HUGE amplifier, then another, and another, a total of twelve HUMUNGUS
amplifiers, and one small one. I look around the dome room, and then I find Fender Telecaster, brand new, and
AMAZING! Seeing my large eyes, the unknown human says that I can play a song if I wish. I then gingerly pick up this
beautiful, black electric guitar, head to the largest amplifier.
Having to get on a ladder, I plugged in the guitar, made a small little noise, and then fell off the ladder, due to
the force of the sound waves. So I get back up on the ladder, then somehow get on top of the amp, and started playing
my new song, singing slightly. Once I’m finished, Joe screamed, hooted, hollered, and basically freaked- out.
“Hey, dude, the one I don’t know, who are you?” I ask.
“My name is unimportant now.” He answered.
“Ya… Hmmm, well, let me put it this way. Tell me your name, or I’ll scream.”
I never thought that it wouldn’t work, and I noticed that the amp was projecting my voice already, so I had to. I
took a deep, deep breathe, and then the most irritating sound came from my mouth. I wanted to stop just to not here it
any more. I closed my eyes and kept screaming. One minute passed, I was still screaming. Then I feel a hand on my
mouth, and that obviously made me stop.
“Fine. I didn’t think that you were going to scream like that, let alone scream at all. My name… Has not been
given to me yet. I’m still trying to earn one.” Confused, I try thinking about a name. I thought of Jonathon, Alec, Sterling,
Samuel, and so many other names. After an hour passed of hearing, “Die zombies! DIE!” I finally thought of the right
name. The name, well, was Alec. In Greek, it means protector of men, and I felt he was protecting Joe and I from the
intense monsoon. “Alec.” Everyone looks at me, as if I said a curse word or something. Joe asked, “Was that one of your
ex boyfriends?” I roll my eyes and say, “No! I just thought of a name for him. Alec. It means protector of men; I also
thought that it was perfect since you’re protecting Joe and I from the monsoon, back at home.
“Who are these people? Oh! Honey! Honey! Come in here!” A woman came in, “Honey! He has a girl over! Bring
the camera! He brought his first girlfriend in the ship!” I looked at Alec, and look at Joe, they look at confused as I do. A
man comes in, and introduces himself as Buddy. The woman introduced herself, following the man, as Clarisse. I tell
them, “Back down at home, I’m known as Saphira, and my next door neighbor, a platonic friend, is known as Joe. I hope
you guys don’t mind that I gave him a new name,” We all look at Alec. “Being that he didn’t have a name, I named him
Alec. In Greek it means protector of men, I feel that he’s protecting Joe and I from the monsoon at home. Is that okay?”
With a twinkle in their eyes, they start calling him Alec, “Alec, son, how did you find this, lovely young lady?” He starts to
answer, saying that he doesn’t know, however, I butted into the conversation. “Oh! I saw your ship next to my house,
and then I looked at my friend. He and I both were trying to save his life. So he beamed us both up. I asked him if Joe
could stay up here until he caught consciousness. Now, he’s conscious. It’s all up to you guys if he stays or goes.” The
two adults seemed to have accepted this as the reason why Joe and I were here. “What’s a platonic friend?” Buddy
asked. “It’s a friend who is, well, of opposite gender, and you or them have feelings for.” Everyone looks at me as I walk
down the ladder, and gingerly put the guitar back on its stand.
“So. Where are we going?” I ask the strange family. [To Be Continued…]
WA St. History Conversation
By Gator Newell
Stationed in Fort Vancouver, Ulysses Grant went wandering into a store thinking of his family back East.
“May I help you,” the clerk behind the counter asked.
“In just a minute…” replied Ulysses trying to grasp of what he was about to say. “I seemed to have forgotten
what I needed to get.”
At just that moment another man by the name of Isaac Stevens entered the store, with a swagger and a puffed
chest. “Good day to you,” he said to Ulysses. Glancing at his uniform he continued “In the military I see?”
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“Yes, in fact I‟m just stationed at Fort Vancouver.”
Isaac stuck out his hand to shake Grant‟s. “Sorry for the improper introduction. I‟m Isaac Stevens.”
Grasping his hand Ulysses replied “I‟m Ulysses Grant. Nice to meet you. Now, you‟re not the Governor Isaac
Stevens, are you?”
“Well actually I am.”
“Really? Well once again nice to meet you.”
“And you as well.”
“Is this your first time in the military?,” asked Stevens as they walked outside.
“No,” replied Grant. “I‟ve actually served in the Mexican American War.”
“Really?” said Stevens as they began to walk outside. “Well that‟s a coincidence „cause I served in it too.”
“Quite some battles we had back there.”
“Indeed,” Isaac said nodding his head in agreement. “Remember the Alamo!”
“Ah yes, remember the Alamo!”
As they were walking they happened to pass a Native American simply standing there, looking at something off
in the distance.
“I‟m surprised he‟s not in his reservation,” Isaac whispered to Grant.
Yet the Indian, happening to have the ears of an elephant turned abruptly and said, “Huh?”
“Oh nothing,” replied Isaac, as he waved his hand like it was no big deal.
Seeing the uniforms the Native responded “Well if it weren‟t for you infantry, we‟d of won that little war and I‟d
might still be back with the Yakama.”
“Oh that war? Lead by Kamiakin? You guys never stood a chance. That was nothing more than a little skirmish.
And besides…If you‟ll been a little more accepting of that treaty of mine, no blood would‟ve been shed in the first place.”
“I would never simply give up-“
“You mean sell,” Isaac interrupted.
“Our home land,” finished the Native.
“You sure sound a lot like Chief Kamiakin. But even he was pressured into signing the treaty.”
“Well for your information I am Kamiakin.”
“Really?” said Isaac as he glanced around with his eyes and put his hand on his gun ready to draw. “Do you have
any of your friends with you?” he said slowly.
Eying the gun Kamiakin said, “Pull that trigger and you‟ll find out,” as he was backing away, until he slowly
disappeared behind the corner of a building.
“Well let‟s change the subject,” Isaac said to Grant. “What do you think about all that tension in the East?”
“My family is back East,” replied Grant as they walked into the horizon.
Brown vs. Board of Education
Sean Harrington
The Judicial and Legislative branch of the government both agreed that what the board of education in
Topeka Kansas was doing was wrong. The Supreme Court ruled that the laws established by the state were
unconstitutional and a violation of the 14th Amendment (Time toast Timelines). So the change in segregation in
schools started to turn. And more and more schools across America became available to African Americans. until
the law came to fruition, many black families like the Brown family filed lawsuits on school districts and brought
different schools to court for all the same reason. They all wanted African Americans and whites to be equal and to
be able to be put in the same facilities for education purposes.
By the fall of 1957, of some 3,000 biracial school districts were segregated in the south, in one case, a
school filed a complaint on nine black students at a 2,000-pupil high school but the school was a “white” high
school.(London Lady) Of the five cases that were accumulated and brought to court, the Plessey vs. Ferguson case
is one that stood out to the public the most. In this important case, the 14 th amendment was brought up. The
fourteenth amendment states give, “equal protection of laws”. During the trial, the court granted that southern
states might move gradually toward desegregation. It allowed segregation for schools in a “separate but equal
doctrine”. This trial effectively eliminated federal government checks and balances by limiting the federal
government’s ability to intervene in state affairs.
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The Brown vs. Board of Education case was a class action suit representing the rights of thirteen parents
and their twenty-one children in the school district of Topeka Kansas. Brown vs. Board by itself was not a case on
its own, but instead a group of five lawsuits against different school districts in Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware,
Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In the early 1950’s racial segregation in public schools was the norm. All
though the schools were suppose to be equal, according to Plessey vs. Ferguson, a Supreme Court decision in the
case law of the United States, stating the equal ability of state laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities.
Most black schools were far inferior to the white schools. About that time, a black third grader named Linda Brown
who lived in Topeka Kansas had to walk one mile through a railroad switch yard just to get to her black elementary
school even though a white school was only 7 blocks away. Her father Oliver Brown tried to enroll her into the
white elementary school but the principle refused to take her in. Oliver then went to the NAACP, which is the
nation's oldest, biggest and most vastly recognized civil rights organization, agreed to help him file a law suit
against the board of education of Topeka Kansas to challenge segregation in public schools. The suit called for the
school district to reverse its policy of racial segregation. The NAACP was eager to help the brown family because
their group has wanted to challenge this case in public schools for a long time. (K.V.O) when it started, many other
black families joined the browns. The case ended in favor of Linda brown and other blacks around her in the year
1954, The Supreme Court finds that segregation in public schools is "inherently unequal" and violates the
Fourteenth Amendment.
In defense, the board of education’s of Topeka Kansas was, segregation in Topeka and elsewhere prevailed
in many other aspects of life, segregated schools simply prepared black children for the segregation they would
face during adulthood! The board also argued that segregated schools were not necessarily harmful to black
children. But segregated schools put African Americans at risk of harassment, violence and increased stress which
made the ability for them to learn and achieve academically in school, difficult. (Think Quest) but many great
African Americans had overcome more than just segregated schools to achieve what they achieved. Thurgood
Marshall for example, who was to become the first black Supreme Court justice ever, He served as a justice in the
United States Supreme Court for 24 years and won his first case when we was 32 years old. Before becoming a part
of the Supreme Court, he was a lawyer who won the majority of his cases and was heavily recognized by it.
By all this happening in the 50’s 60’s and even into the 70’s, it put a major impact on how we live our lives
today. People like Rosa parks and martin Luther king Jr. are past role models to people today. It pushed equal
voting rights, equal educational rights and equal housing rights. It abolished public acts of discrimination against
African American citizens but also against other disadvantaged groups. Because of the acts that happened in the
mid to late 1900’s African Americans and whites live happier more equal lives today.
Indian Removal Act
Bailey Treat
In the early 1830s, checks and balances didn’t work for the U.S. Government. In 1830 Congress passed
the Indian Removal Act into law. During the Fall and Winter of 1838 and 1839 the Cherokees were forcibly
moved west by the U.S. Government. President Andrew Jackson enforced the Indian Removal Act because he
wanted possession of the land for white settlers. Missionaries were not allowed to go into Indian Territory
without a license because they didn’t want them to help the Indians (The New Nation). It is clear that the
checks and balances didn’t work.
Andrew Jackson was born in Tennessee in 1767. He was elected president in 1828, the same year the
Indian Removal Act was proposed. On May 29 of that same year, Andrew Jackson signed the bill into law
(pbs.org). Andrew Jackson wanted the Indian’s land because it was worth a lot of money and he wanted that
money for the U.S. Government. Once the law was passed, Andrew Jackson made the Indians move west to a
reservation. The route they took is called the Trails of Tears because about four thousand Cherokee people
died on that journey.
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He told the missionaries that they had to have a license to go work with the Indians. He did this because the
missionaries were trying to help the Indians keep their land.
One of the reasons Missionaries were required to obtain a license to enter Indian Territory was
because President Jackson feared they would aid Native Americans at deciphering unfair treaty language. The
government wanted the Indians gone so that they could have their land. The Legislative branch presented a
law to gain the Indian’s land. The judicial branch of the government didn’t review the treaties thoroughly so it
passed without a check. When the Indian’s signed the treaty they didn’t really understand what they were
signing. They also didn’t really know how to write. Some Indians signed it for their family members. Some
signed who didn’t represent the larger tribe. The U.S. Government forced the Indians to hand over more than
one hundred million acres. In return, they only received thirty million acres of reservation land. The move to
the reservation resulted in the death of many Cherokees because they didn’t have food and water (The Indian
Removal Act).
A missionary named Samuel Worcester was a very good man. When President Jackson passed the law
requiring missionaries to have a license, Worcester never applied for one and he knew he’d be denied anyway.
That was his own mistake. He got arrested for going into Indian Territory. A while later he was arrested a
second time for the same reason. Even though he was trying to do the right thing, it was illegal. That was
unfortunate for Worcester.
Andrew Jackson cared more about owning the land than he did about the Indians. He was not fair to
them when he pushed Congress to pass the Indian Removal Act. (iweb.tntech.edu).
Today we can look back and see Andrew Jackson made a poor decision. The Indians should have been
able to stay on their land. They were there before America was discovered by Europeans. There was no point
in creating the Indian Removal Act except for the selfish gain of the U.S. government.
Computer Ethics
By Thearon Bartel
Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the
behavior of a group or individual. Therefore,
computer ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers. Some common issues of
computer ethics include intellectual property rights, privacy concerns, and how computers affect society.
For example, while it is easy to duplicate copyrighted electronic, or digital, content, computer ethics would
suggest that it is wrong to do so without the author's approval. And while it may be possible to access
someone's personal information on a computer system, computer ethics would advise that such an action is
unethical.
As technology advances, computers continue to have a greater impact on society. Therefore, computer ethics
promotes the discussion of how much influence computers should have in areas such as artificial intelligence
and human communication. As the world of computers evolves, computer ethics continues to create ethical
standards that address new issues raised. This information is from this website. From;
http://www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics
From http://cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei/
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
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Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or
proper compensation.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or
the system you are designing.
Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect
for your fellow humans.
Miranda Rights
by Destini Maher
We all should know about the “Miranda Rights.” But do we know why we have the “Miranda Rights”?
The Miranda Rights are the rights the police have to read you so you know that you have the right against self
incrimination and the right to a legal counsel .A man named Ernesto Miranda was never read his rights and was
arrested and sent to prison. That‟s why we have a law (the Miranda Rights) where the police have to read you
your rights before they arrest you.
Ernesto Miranda was an eighth grade dropout. Before he was arrested on March 13, 1963, he had a long
criminal record that included burglary, armed robbery, assault, and attempted rape. Ernesto was also
pronounced with sexual fantasies. He was arrested for kidnap and rape of a mildly retarded eighteen-year-oldgirl. Her name was Lois Ann Jameson. (ericroperlaw.com).
Miranda committed the crime of kidnapping an eighteen-year-old-girl. She was on her way home from
the movies when she was dragged into a car, tied up, and raped. Miranda was not read his rights. After a two
hour interrogation, he confessed to the rape and kidnapping. His confession was obtained without warning .He
was then identified by his victim. Miranda‟s Fifth Amendment, no required self-incrimination, and Sixth
Amendment, right to a legal counsel, were violated because his rights were not read to him.
At his trial, Miranda‟s lawyer‟s objections against the use of Miranda‟s signed confession were
overruled. He was convicted and received a twenty year sentence. The court voted to overturn Miranda‟s
conviction. Since Miranda had no warning his statements were not able to be used. Chief Justice Warren said “
The burden is upon the State to secure the privilege against self-incrimination, Miranda was not told in any way
that he could have an attorney present during interrogation, or that his right not to incriminate himself could be
protected.”
One case like Miranda v. Arizona is Harris v. New York. Harris made two sales of heroin to an
undercover cop. He was arrested, but was never read his rights. His statement that he made both sales at the
request of the cop was not told in the trial. So neither Miranda nor Harris was read their rights (oyze.org).
Another case like Miranda v. Arizona is Missouri v.
Seibert. Seiberts mobile home was set on fire by two of her
sons when her son with cerebral palsy died in his sleep. A
mentally ill eighteen year old named Donald, who was
living with the family, was left to die in the house to make it
look like her son was not left unattended. Five days later,
she was arrested and taken to the police station. After a forty
minute interrogation, she confessed to the plan being for
Donald to be left in the fire. She was not read her Miranda
rights. The police later came back, read her the Miranda
Rights, and asked her to tell them her confession again
(law.cornell.edu).
The Executive branch did not do their job. They
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abused their power and did not read Miranda his rights. The Judicial branch checked what the Executive branch
did and said it was unconstitutional because the police did not read Miranda his Fifth or Sixth amendment
rights. The Legislative branch sat back, watched, and did nothing.
After the case, Miranda was tried again without the use of his confession. He was convicted and served
eleven years before he was paroled in 1972. In 1976 he was stabbed to death. Miranda was only thirty-four
years old when he was killed. The suspect used his right to remain silent; no one was ever charged with
Miranda‟s murder. The creation of the Miranda Warning is to make sure that the police inform the citizens of
their rights before they are arrested (infoplease.com).
Lucas Mahugh
Historical Fiction ~ If They Met
It was in the heat of the 1800’s. A young man named Henry Yesler was traveling
from Maryland to begin a lumber company in Seattle when a rock was thrown at him.
“Who’s there?!” Henry exclaimed.
Then Henry blacked out after a loud thud and woke up in a strange room tied to a
pole. Slowly he started to flutter his eyes and regain his conscious. He was questioned
about his identity.
“Who are you?” Said a mysterious man.
“I said, who are you?”
Erskine Wood
“My name is Henry Yesler and I’m from Maryland.”
“Well Henry. My name is Erskine Wood and this is my
friend Chief Joseph.”
All I remember from that room is seeing a weird pile kept in
the corner with tons of stick which I later found out was Chief
Henry Yestler
Joseph’s version of a calendar. Other than that there were a
couple mats and a table in the center. The room was fairly small. Not sure if this was my
last day or the beginning of a new friendship I asked how life had been for the two lately.
“So… How’s life been lately?”
“It’s been rough for the both of us. We have been practically non-stop traveling
from U.S. troops that have been trying to make us surrender in which I am tempted,”
remarked Wood.
“I’m assuming you are referring to Chief Joseph’s tribe?”
“Yes. My tribe is in grave danger. I am contemplating in starting my speech now.
We were wanting to retreat to be with the Crow Nation but they would not let us,” said
Chief Joseph.
“Wow. That’s very unfortunate. So the US soldiers are forcing you out?”
“Pretty much.”
I didn’t know what to say from their! It was such an awkward moment and rather
depressing if you ask me! Since Chief Joseph went on his own business I started asking Erskine some questions to
abolish the awkwardness that was present.
“So why are you with Chief Joseph, Erskine?”
“I can’t quite remember how we met but I was staying with him on Colville Reservation when it all started. Now
were fleeing almost daily!”
“Bummer. So why am I tied up again?!”
“Oh! I apologize! When we were out hiking we saw you as a surprise threat from the soldiers so we knocked
you out and turns out you weren’t!” stated Erskine.
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“Well I would like to head to Seattle if you don’t mind. I would
like to start a lumber business there!”
“Sounds dandy! We’ll let you go but I want you to take this
book with you as my apologize. I wrote it while studying Native
American children,”
“Well what’s it about?”
“Since I was studying Native American Children I figured I’d
write about them! So it’s just about games they were playing. It was
very fun and intriguing to write!”
So he untied me thankfully and I started on my way. It was a
quirky yet fun experience to meet such great people and on my way out
Chief Joseph said something to that I will NEVER forget. As I was
walking out I told him good luck in his war and he said:
“From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
I don’t know why that stuck to me but it just did. After that
Erskine mentioned that his statement would be a wonderful way to end
a speech. Interesting way to leave, but very memorable.”
Chief Joseph
Don’t forget to write an email to your favorite writer…
… do it before the summer…
… so they will think about it during the break…
…and write even more next year!
The SENTINEL. Of the Students
By the Students
For the Students, and the World!
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