November/December 2015 - Vineland Middle School

Vineland
Middle
Nov./Dec
Vol. 39No. 2
School Reminders
To all students and Parents:
Dress Code– Undershirts have to be black or red. Pants have to be a solid color; black, khaki, or
jeans. The pants CAN NOT be grey in color and there are to be NO HOLES in the jeans.
Tardies– Too many students are showing up late to school in the morning. Students will not be excused unless parents come into the office to sign student in and have a valid reason for being late.
ACCESS Hour is just as important as all other class hours of the day.
In School Tardies– We will be conducting random hall sweeps. If students are in the halls without
passes, they will be given 2 days lunch detention.
Grades: Both parents and students should be checking Powerschool frequently to monitor student
grades. Students who have 3 or more F’s will be held out of recess until the number reduces to 2 or
less. Students will be required to bring homework to lunch. Starting Oct. 26th, Mon-Thurs, students
fro CSU-P will be offering tutoring afterschool. The sign-up sheet will be located in the office for
anyone who wants to participate in the tutoring sessions.
Holidays: Remember that there are two holiday breaks during 2nd Quarter. The days will go by
quickly so monitor your grades carefully.
Nov/Dec Important Dates
Front Page
1
Pirate Pages
2-7
The Inside Story
9-14
Vineland Viewpoint
15-17
Nov. 1
Daylight Savings Time Fall Back 1 Hour
Nov. 10-17
Fall Book Fair
Nov. 23-27
Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 16
Winter Dance
Dec. 17
Literacy Day– No School
Dec. 18
Teacher Workday– End of 2nd Q.
Pirate Pages
November Student of the Month
By: Abigail Schmidt
Who is Myia Gallegos? Myia Gallegos is the November student of the
month. Congratulations Myia! Here are some facts about Myia so you can get an
idea of what type of person she is. Myia is a 6th grader here at Vineland Middle
School. Myia’s favorite subject at Vineland is speech. Her favorite Vineland
teachers are Mr. Shornack and Mrs. Mandrich. Some of Myia’s friends at Vineland are Jolyssa, Mason, Sienna, and Neva.
During Myia’s free time she likes to draw and play tackle football with
her friends. Myia likes to listen to “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, but Myia
doesn’t just like music, she also likes books. Her favorite book is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney.
She also likes movies. Myia’s favorite movie is “The Looney Tunes”. Myia’s favorite cartoon characters
are Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzalez, and Road Runner. If Myia could have any super power, she would
have the ability to freeze people. Myia’s role-models are Elise Gallegos, Juanita Renteria, Polinio
Gallegos, and Anthony Gallegos. Some of Myia’s personal achievements are having a B in reading class.
Wow, Myia Gallegos is a very interesting person. She would be a cool person to have as a friend.
December Student of the Month
By: Kathleen Irvin
Congratulations to eighth grader, Ben Montgomery, December Student of the Month. His favorite teacher at Vineland Middle School is Mrs.
Bulman, and the subject he enjoys most is Art Class. Ben loves to jam out
to “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz. On his free-time, you can find him drawing,
playing paintball, shooting some hoops, or playing football. A proud moment for Ben was when he won his first football game at South Mesa.
Benito, James, Gennie, Monday, and Lily are Ben’s close friends.
His favorite book is “The Red Umbrella” by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, and his favorite movie
is “Equalizer”. If he had super powers ,he would be able to fly, have super human intelligence, and have super strength. Spider Man is Ben’s favorite cartoon character. The two
people that are role-models’ for Ben are his very own mom and dad.
WINTER SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
Thinking of great Christmas gift ideas?
Then come visit our fantastic Winter Scholastic Book Fair
that Vineland Middle School will host!
It will be the one of the largest Scholastic Book Fair
given to a Middle Level School in our area!
We will have great books, gift ideas, teacher resources, and a whole lot more!
The Winter Scholastic Book Fair will run from
November 10-18 from 8:00 am-3:25 pm.
Please join us on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
for our special Community Event Night. Please drop by if you have time!
Our Winter Scholastic Book Fair is also Online!
http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/vmssfb
and scroll down to “Shop Online”
Or you can just visit our Vineland Middle School Website
and Click on the “VMS Scholastic Book Fair” link!
SHIPPING IS FREE!
HELPING VINELAND STUDENTS
On behalf of the students at Vineland Middle School, I request your assistance in supporting our Scholastic Book Fair’s
promotion of literacy November 10-18, 2015.
You can help by making a small donation that will buy a book
for any one of our students at Vineland Middle School.
A donation of $5.00 will serve the needs of one student.
We currently have 314 students enrolled.
Larger donations will be accepted and greatly appreciated.
We are trying to raise $1,570.00 so that 100% of our students can purchase a book
In our promotion of literacy!
Please make checks or money orders out to Vineland Middle School
And make sure to tell the office it is for the Scholastic book fair
Or come by the library and I will take care of everything!
Thank you, Mrs. Mikasa
6th grade field trip fun
By: Sloan Garcia
This year the Vineland Middle School sixth graders went to the Nature Center, City Park, and the Pueblo Zoo. At the Nature Center, Mr.
Schornack taught the students how to write haikus. A haiku is a short
Japanese poem with only seventeen syllables, usually written with a
five-seven-five set up. Haikus are usually written about nature.
After the visit to the Nature Center, they walked to the park. At the park, they ate lunch and just enjoyed the scenery. The sixth graders then walked from the park to the Pueblo Zoo. At the zoo, the students observed the habitats and regions of many animals. The students were able to see the new exhibit of the African painted wild dogs. For those of you that don’t know what African Painted Wild Dogs
are, they are a dog with a very unique coat. These dogs are predators to smaller animals and, they ae
almost extinct. Pueblo getting an exhibit with these dogs is a huge accomplishment.
I asked some sixth grade students what their favorite parts were and if they enjoyed the field trip.
The majority of them responded with “We liked the field trip, it was
very fun.” Most of their favorite parts were either the zoo or the reservoir. The sixth grade teachers like to bring sixth
grade students on this field trip because they feel
it's important to experience nature and the outdoors. The sixth grade field trip was bunches of fun
and, all the sixth graders enjoyed it.
Seventh Grade Takes a Trip
By: Rocco Bottini
This year the 7th graders took their
beginning of the year field trip to Pueblo
Mtn. Park. They took this trip on October
8, 2015.
They learned about the evergreen ecosystem and what is needed for
the trees to survive. They explored the natural wildlife in the Pueblo Mtn. area
such as the Colorado Elk and the Abert squirrel. This is a completely black squirrel that is only located in that area of Pueblo. Fire prevention is a huge part of that area, so they learned
a lot about how to clean the forest.
There was a pond there and they learned how to clean out the harming insects and animals
such as leaches, damsel flies, and dead fish. The students learned how to test the PH levels and nitrogen
levels in the pond. Those kids must have had a great time because they were all smiles when they
walked off the bus.
Journey into Pueblo
By Jacob Tracy
On Thursday October 15th, the 8th
grade class took a field trip to Downtown Pueblo. The students divided into groups and visited the Heritage Center, the El Pueblo Trading Post,
the Center for American Values and took a walking tour
of Pueblo’s Historic District. The field trip will enhance
the learning of the expansion of the United States.
On the walking tour, Mrs. Stanley explained the immigrants that settled in
Pueblo, the Flood of 1921, and bricks that were brought in from Italy. She also
showed the students the location of The Hanging Tree.
At The Heritage Center, the guide explained the flood further, relating the
story of a horse named Lucky that somehow managed to survive the ordeal.
She also talked about the settlers to the Pueblo area, such as the famous
Goodnight family.
Historians say that the El Pueblo Trading post was a big stepping stone in
the expansion to the west. At the Trading Post students played a trading
game and made adobe bricks.
The Center for American Values is a valuable asset to the Pueblo community as it provides us with a glimpse into the life of military heroes that have
been bestowed the Medal of Honor.
Let’s give a big thanks to the 8th grade team that worked hard to put this
field trip together.
Vineland TSA
By Sam Reap
In TSA we’ve been working on some pretty important things. We have started to work
on our projects. Some of our projects are: Solar Cars, Underwater Robotics, CO2 Cars, Crash
Tests, Vex Robotics, and Bridge Building. We also went on a field trip. We went to the Southern Colorado Manufacturing Expo. We talked to exhibitors at the Expo. TSA is also going to
be in the Parade of Lights. The parade is on Saturday, November 28th. In TSA, we’ve started
a Go Fund Me to raise money to go the state competition in Denver. Go Fund Me is website
that helps people raise money for different causes. If you would like to donate go to: gofund.me/vmstsa. Our TSA advisor is Mr. Mandarich. Our president is Jacob Tracy.
Circle Of Friends
By: Kenny Xayavong
Have you ever wanted to be a part of a group that prevents bullying or a group that gives you
support? That’s what Circle of Friends is for! Circle of Friends is a group of people that find ways to
prevent bullying and support students in any way we can. The leading members are Delanie Glass,
Lorryn Glass, BreAnn Cesar, Aislynn Riddell, Hannah DeLaTorre, and Kenny Xayavong.
Delanie is the leader and founder of Circle of Friends.
Kenny: “ What made you create the club?”
Delaine: “My friend Aislynn had a disability. One day I saw her getting bullied. It upset me. So,
then that’s when I thought of Circle of Friends.”
Kenny: “Why is this important to you?”
Delaine: “I’m not a big fan of bullying. I’ve experienced it and I know how it feels. It’s hard to get through it.”
Kenny: “How do you feel Circle of Friends will help/benefit the school?”
Delaine: “ It’ll help put an end to bullying, help others make friends, and bring all the students together as friends.” Kenny:
“How will Circle of Friends prevent bullying in your opinion?”
Delaine: “ It’ll help students stand up for what’s right, instead of being a bystander.”
Circle of Friends meets every Thursday at 7:10am in room number 15, Mrs. Knecht’s room. If you or a close friend is
being bullied, tell a teacher or Administer you trust, or come down to Circle of Friends. Bullying is wrong ,no matter what the
reason is.
Vineland Middle School Boys Basketball
By Jordan Manzanares
Vineland Middle School`s boys basketball has begun! The team`s first practice was Monday, October
12, 2015. The first game was held on Monday, October 26, 2015. The team would like to thank everyone for
watching and supporting them. Coach Weimer will be coaching the varsity teams; and Coach Timmins will be
coaching the junior varsity teams.
I asked Coach Weimer what his teams will be doing different this year than last year, and he simply
replied, “We are going to be doing A LOT of things different.” Another question I asked him was, “On a scale
of one to ten, how excited are you for this year.” Coach laughed and said, “Well…. Eleven.” The final question I asked Coach Weimer was “Will this year be better than last year.” Coach replied with, “Well, I would
think that every year would be better than the last.” Coach Weimer and his teams are very excited for the basketball season.
In addition to that, I also asked Coach Timmins the same basic questions. The first question I asked
him was what his plan for his this year was. Coach said, “Well… my plan is simply to work hard and win
games, nothing less.” I also asked Coach Timmins how excited he was for the season. Coach laughed and
laughed and finally replied with, “I would have to say fifteen!” The last question I asked Coach was what he
was most excited for. He said, “The question you should be asking me is, what I am not excited for?” Both the
coaches and the teams are ready for the season!!
Student Council
By Dixie Stewart
For the month of
November student council
will be creating all the decorations for the December Winter Dance. The Winter Dance will be on
December 16. This dance takes place shortly before Winter Break. The Winter Dance is generally
the time that everyone celebrates the greatness of
each other at school. This is the last Stu Co event
before the end of the second quarter. Student
Council will be holding more events in the third
quarter.
As always, student council completes many service projects around the building and helps out frequently with concessions for the various sporting
events.
“I’M
SO GLAD
I DIDN’T
BUY A
YEARBOOK”
Said NO student ever!
Don’t be left out. Order your yearbook today.
$25 until October 31st…$30 until December.
Orders go to Mrs. Chavez or order online at:
yearbookforever.com
The Inside Story
Haute Topic
By Joshua Frank
When you are making a sandwich with that left-over turkey, how about a spicy bowl of soup to warm up a
late Fall day?
Spicy Pasta Fagioli
1/4 c. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casing removed
3 c. chopped Italian tomatoes
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 t. oregano
1&1/2 quart water
2-15 oz cans Northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 48 oz can chicken broth
2 c. small tube pasta
1/2 c. light cream
1/2 or 6 oz can of tomato paste
1/2 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, sautéing until golden. Remove from
skillet. Roll sausage into small balls, add to skillet and fry until brown.
2. In food processor or blender, puree onion mixture, tomatoes, basil, and oregano.
3. In large pot, combine pureed mixture, sausage balls, water, broth, and beans. Simmer for 1 hour. Add
pasta and continue cooking, stirring often for 30 minutes. Add extra water, if needed.
4. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Christmas morning is pretty hectic, especially with excited children in the household. Let’s
make breakfast or brunch a little easier with this yummy and easy casserole dish.
Christmas Morning Casserole
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 bag shredded hash browns
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
9 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with
cooking spray.
In a skillet, fry bacon pieces until crisp. Add onions and
sauté until onions are tender. Drain on a paper towel.
In large bowl beat eggs, milk, soup, sour cream, salt,
and pepper.
In another bowl, mis bacon, onions, cheese and hash
browns together. Spoon hash brown mixture into baking
dish. Pour eggs mixture over hash brown mixture.
Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until knife comes out
clean when inserted into center.
The Martian
By Darian Torres
The Martian is an actionpacked science fiction movie
starring Matt Damon. When
astronauts blast off from the
planet Mars, they leave behind
Mark Whitney (Matt Damon), presumed dead
after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount
of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his
wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the
hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while
his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring
rescue mission. Find out if Mark Whitney will
ever get home or will he be stranded on Mars
forever? Who will be the one to rescue him?
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children
By Hannah Marie Delatorre
This book will leave you wanting to read the
sequel right after. On the New York Times
best seller list for more then two years, millions of copies have been sold and its been
translated into 40 languages. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was
named one of “100 Young Adult Books to
Read in a Lifetime”. It will come to the movies in March of 2016. People say it’s the next
Harry Potter, so it’s likely Harry Potter fans
will enjoy this series.
Reading this book had me turning pages as
fast as I could read them, anxious to read
what happens next. The pictures in the book
made it even more interesting because
you’d be able to see the descriptions of the
people in the book. This book by Ransom
Riggs tells the story of a boy who follows the
clues to an abandoned orphanage after a
horrific family tragedy. As the main character Jacob, explores the abandoned orphanage it occurs to him that the children were
dangerous not just peculiar. They were
probably on a deserted island for a reason,
and impossible as it sounds they might still
be alive.
The Game Shooting Its Way Through
The Stars
By Colt Vigil
I hope you’re a war and strategists genre
type of person because if you are, recruit your
wookies, grab your laser guns, and wield your lightsabers for a journey through outer space! It is Star
Wars Battlefront: 1 (2004), 2 (2005), Renegade
Squadron (2007), Elite Squadron (2009), and finally
Part 5 which will release on November 17th, 2015.
The game’s genre is action and shooter and the
player modes are single-player and multiplayer. It
also has stunning realistic graphics with first person
and third person gameplay with many features; customizing your character with different guns or outfits
and the choice to switch to different characters during a battle and ride in vehicles. The game’s platform
releases are on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows and the playable characters are the
Rebel Alliance Soldier, Imperial Stormtrooper, Darth
Vader, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker and much more!
The cost for this action packed game is $60 but if you
want the deluxe version it costs $70 which includes
special costumes and a special cover.
Music Review
By: Kara Alexander
2015 has been a big year for music!
So many different artists have released several songs. Currently, it
looks like Pop, Rap and Country are the biggest music genres out there right now. Trending in Pop is Justin Bieber’s
new hit single “What do you Mean”. This song is a huge hit
among us kids, with its catchy beat that just makes you want
to sing along to. In Rap is the big hit is “Hotline Bling” by
Drake, with his simple common beat you focus more on his
voice than on the music in the background. This song isn’t
necessarily something you would dance to but it is catchy
and yet again, wants to make you sing along. “Break up with
him” by Old Dominion is trending in Country music. This
Country Pop song has the same ol’ Country beat that almost
every country song has, but I can see why this song is trending, it’s amazingly catchy.
36 Hours In…By: Nicole Huff
Have you ever wanted to go to Los Angeles, California? If so, you might want to stay in the Crowne
Plaza Los Angeles Harbor. It is among the best hotels with low prices. For a good breakfast ,you should
go to Huckleberry because their food is just divine. Some activities you should enjoy are the specialty
and gift shop, the walking tours, and the Santa Monica Bay. Each one cost around fifteen dollars. For
lunch, you should go to Bagel Broker. They serve bagels, sandwiches, tea and coffee. A free afternoon
activity that you can enjoy is a hike up to the Hollywood sign. Or, perhaps a walk down the Downtown
Art Walk would be nice. Even enjoying the grounds at the Greystone Mansion would be a good thing to
do. For dinner, you should go to Trois Mec because they have great
food. Going to Los Angeles, California is a great way to spend one of
your breaks.
Holidays around the World
By Dylan Smart
October through December are packed full of holidays. Ushering in the holiday season
was Columbus Day. The holiday celebrates Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the new world.
Most people have this day off, and all the banks are closed. The next holiday on the calendar
is a fan favorite… it’s Halloween. Halloween is a day that the streets are
flooded with children and the houses are giving out candy. The final holiday
in October is Canadian Thanksgiving Day. The holiday is just like our
Thanksgiving, but a month earlier. But, don’t forget our Thanksgiving, which
is always the last Thursday in November.
December is undeniably the most festive month of the
year. The three major holidays in December are Christmas, Hanukkah, and
Kwanzaa. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25th.
Hanukkah is in celebration of the rededication of the Holy Temple. Hanukkah
lasts 8 days and nights. The final holiday in December is Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a
non-religious holiday commemorating family values and African traditions. The holiday season
is a time for friendship and peace, so keep in mind that though people are different, we are
all truly the same.
When Weather Matters
BY Owen Galvez
Due to El Nino, Colorado could be expecting an intense blizzard! Are you prepared? In a blizzard, many things can happenmassive amounts of snow fall, zero visibility, power outages. You
should always be prepared. In your car, you may need: a small shovel, a bag of cat litter or sand
to provide traction, a sweater, jacket, or blanket, socks, and snow boots. Hats, trail mix, water, a
flashlight and reflectors or a distress flag, pocket warmers, and a portable cellphone charger
are important, too. These are very important because you can get stuck somewhere or get in a
crash because of the slick roads; these tools could very well save your life.
You also need things in your house to prepare for a blizzard. In your house, you should have
multiple lighting sources such as; Flash lights, candles, and make sure you have extra batteries
and matches. Also, you need plenty of water in case you get trapped in your house. You may
want to have a portable charger in case your phone is dying or you don’t have power. Lastly,
you definitely want to have some nonelectric tools like; board games, books or cards just in
case you have no power and you’re trapped. So, now you know what you need to prepare for
the blizzard that maybe knocking on our door…
How Does a Cell Phone Really Work?
By: Jada Potokar
Everywhere you look there are cell phones. We use them
every day and hardly think about how a simple device is able to
transfer your voice over thousands of miles. Home phones
aren’t much of a mystery; sound waves are passed along wires until they successfully reach
their destination. Whereas, cell phones are much more complicated than that, as they are not
connected to any wires and are mobile.
Cell phones have become a booming industry since the early 2000’s. This is when mobile phone companies began to make their phones shrink in size and become more convenient. Cell phones are built with tiny microphones inside of them; this allows the phone to turn
your words into patterns of up and down pitches. A microchip within the phone then turns
these patterns into a set of numbers. These numbers are packed into radio waves that are
beamed out of a small antenna to the nearest mast. The mast then sends the radio waves to a
base station that effectively routes them to their desired destination. The receiving phone uses
their own microchip to turn the sound waves into actual words. Although it seems as if this
process should take ages, in reality your voice travels at the speed of light, only taking a millisecond to get to their destination.
Photos That Matter
By, Ian Habich
On November 9th, 1963 President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated
in downtown Dallas, Texas. This picture
shows President Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis riding in a motorcade in a 1961 Lincoln Continental shortly
before his assassination. John F Kennedy
was the 35th president of the United States
and served from 1961 to 1963. His assassination happened shortly after noon while
driving down Dealey Plaza. Lee Harvey
Oswald was the one who assassinated
President Kennedy. President Kennedy’s
assassination was one of the most memorable times in our country’s history.
After President Kennedy’s assassination
many things changed to keep our presidents safe. For one, no more riding in open
top transportation. The presidential cars
today are bulletproof and very strong. Another is, there has been much more security with the presidents since Kennedy’s
death. There have been no more presidential strolls, or at least they’re very rare. Although, in 2012, President Obama took a
presidential stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Past presidents also have security with
them still, including both Bushes and Clinton. Before President Kennedy’s wife’s
death, she had security for her and her two
children.
Though the secret service has been a
club since 1898, this event brought the secret service into the spotlight. The picture
before President Kennedy’s assassination is
one photo that really matters.
Memory Lane: 40’s and 50’s
By Bella Montoya
The 1940’s and 50’s was around
the same time as World War II.
Although this was a trying time for
adults everywhere, children were
oblivious to the world around them.
In this time period, there were many
inexpensive products compared to
current day expenses.
One of the most expensive toys
was a 10 dollar erecter set. An
erecter set is metal building parts
that are magnetic. If this item was
bought in today’s economy,
the set would
cost 167 dollars.
This is about 15
times larger of an amount in a span
of 75 years. Other toys that were
popular were ceramic dolls, wagons,
and a war doctoring kit.
Fashion for boys around this
time was still relatively dressy and
consisted of suits, ties, and hats. For
women, it was much more conservative, not even being able to wear
pants. This was a very big
deal then. Furs were popular, as well as gloves with a
skirt or dress.
How TV Works
By Carson Dodds
How does TV work? Over the years, television has changed a lot. The graphics have gotten
better; televisions themselves have gotten wider, flatter and even smarter.
Back when TVs first came out, people were amazed, but even before that, there was a
device that started the idea of TV. That invention is what caused the TV to have moving motion. Filo Farnsworth made the idea of TV itself in his head. Farnsworth realized that electrons could scan images onto a
screen one at a time, the same way he plowed across a potato field.
There are many kind of TVs today. There’s LED, plasma, and LCD. Now you might be asking, how
do LED, LCD and plasma work in a TV? Well, plasma has little cells, and the cells are a bit like tiny CFLs,
but covered in phosphors that are the three basic colors, which are red, blue and green. Those cells take the
invisible ultra violet produced by produced by certain gases, which are neon and xenon, in the cell and turn it
into red, blue or green light that we can see.
LCD TVs are another story. An LCD screen is composed of two parts, an actual liquid crystal display
and a backlight. The LCD cells are black, and they are either on or off. LCD is those old black and white
screens.
There are finally LED screens. An LED screen is actually a LCD screen, but instead of just black and
white, the cells have the basic red, blue and green colors. Like the LCD cells, they turn on and off, but instead of on and off; they also turn red, blue, or green.
So those are how the three main types of TV work today. So may your knowledge grow about television.
Six wonderful and interesting facts about the “Big Blue”
By: Carl Winkler
The oceans are the abundant salt waters that reside on Earth; the
ocean is a whirlwind of mystery and fascination. One fact about the
ocean is, more than seventy percent of the Earth is Water (most is salt
water). Another interesting fact involving the ocean is that ninety-five
percent of the oceans remain unexplored. One marvelous deep ocean animal is the Blue whale, the largest
animal ever discovered, measuring in at one hundred feet in length! Yet, one more “fish fact” is sharks have
to continue to move in order to obtain oxygen through their gills to breathe. Around ninety-five percent of
all life on Earth is aquatic (lives in water). For the final amazing fact, did you know that roughly fifty percent of the United States rests under sea level?
As undiscovered as the oceans are, we do know some about them. Like, the oceans are salt water. Not all
water on Earth is salt water, some is fresh water. The two types of fresh water are still and moving water. A
large mystery concerning the ocean is what might lurk within it. Nobody really knows all of the species and
life in these deep waters. Many theories have surfaced, though most are untested. The ocean is still a large
mystery- what other forms of life are there? when will we know all there is to know about the depths? what
lurks beyond eyes view? With continuous research, technological advancement, and determination, it is
only a matter of time until the search for answers ends.
Pueblo Chiles
By John Owens
Every autumn, a big deal in Pueblo is the chilies. Millions of
dollars are made every year in total chili sales profits. These chilies are such a big deal that they have their own festival and 5k run. Every year there’s an estimated 50,000 lbs. sold just at the Pueblo Chile Festival, that’s not including the rest that are
sold before and after the festival begins. In 2014, the estimated total amount of income at the
chili festival was over 3 million dollars. These chilies have a very positive impact of the local
economy and the state-wide economy also. Over the past decade Pueblo Chiles have gotten
so popular nation-wide that they’ve been featured multiple times on the Travel Channel, New
York Times, and Discover America channel.
The national recognition of Pueblo Chiles has caused Colorado’s and Pueblo’s tourism and
population to grow. Whole Foods Market, a nation wide organic food chain, has been going
through a debate for the past two years with the New Mexico Farm Bureau trying to get Pueblo
Chiles in their stores instead of Hatch chilies. Last year was the end of the debate and now
Whole Foods Market sells Pueblo Chiles in all their stores around the country.
How the Finger Print Scanner Works on the IPhone
By: Makayla Martellaro
The world’s technology today has grown so much over just 20 years. In today’s
technology, we even have a phone that can scan your fingerprint to unlock your
phone. So, do you ever wonder how this works? Well, say goodbye to "slide to
unlock." and hello to fingerprint scanning. The home button is the scanner which
consists of two conductor plates separated by an insulating layer. The conductive
plates have tiny cells on them. The cells are less than the width of one of the
ridges on your finger print. The plates generate this kind of image that tells the
phone what the fingerprint is supposed to look like each time. These technologies work better than others because it requires a finger print shape, not just a
light dark pattern which makes it ultimately harder
to break into. Isn’t it cool all that goes into something
that takes like two seconds to unlock your phone?
Vineland Viewpoint
(The following articles are opinion in nature and should be read as such. No one person, group
or idea is being targeted.)
Moments That Matter
Are Cell Phones Safe?
By: Michelle Wells
By: Risa Myers
One triumph, one achievement, one mistake could be completely life changing. One strikeout could determine
the game. So what moments really matter? Well to
me it’s the small moment of hope where you think
you could do anything.
Have you ever felt just unstoppable, like
nothing could ruin this? Maybe you just hit the game
winning homerun. Well, that’s what really matters,
knowing you have worked to get somewhere and it
paid off big time. I remember on October 7, 2015 I
was playing for the Mesa softball team at Runyon
Field. It was last bats and we were in the field. The
ball was pitched; the girl swung and got nothing but
air. Butterflies filled my stomach as we had known
we had won. In that very moment I felt so alive.
Perhaps you’ve had that feeling. Where
you’re on top of the world and there’s no coming
down. This moment doesn’t just have to be winning
a championship. It can just be you acing a test or
winning an election. The list is endless for meaningful moments. How about that first time you ever
learned to throw a football? Now, you’re the starting
quarterback for your football team. That meant
something because at that minute you were just a
rookie who didn’t even know what a quarterback
was.
As you can see, you should look at what all
matters in your life. Such as all the choices you can
make before you react to a situation. There will always be that moment; one that could change the way
you look at things forever.
Millions of people across America use a
phone almost every day, if not every day.
Many of them are beginning to wonder if
phones are causing health issues. Scientists
are starting research to see if the radiation is
causing cancer, memory loss, and other serious diseases. Phones are really entertaining, but bad things can
possibly come from
phones.
Phones definitely
have their positives. You
can use cell phones to
keep in touch with family and friends. Phones
also keep you busy with
social media and games.
Another pro is that they are used to inform
us on new things we didn’t know. Using
phones is quickly becoming something we
do every day, and technology is advancing
quickly.
On the other hand, phones have been
known to cause memory loss and tumors in
areas where you usually keep your phone.
They also take time away from your family.
Teenagers and even young children spend
most of their time on today’s technology.
Smaller children are beginning to get in the
habit of using phones and tablets all the
time. This can cause bad things to happen to
the brain. People can develop the bad habit
to choose phones over family. Choose
wisely on how you use your free time.
The Ever Shifting Sand Dunes
By:Josiah Montoya
Who Is to
Blame For
the Berlin
Wall?
By: Wyatt Schwartz
|
Have you ever been to theSan Luis Valley and
visited The Great Sand Dunes? If you have, then
surely you have heard the crying wind. The winds
must be mourning the supposedly many travelers
and in some cases, even whole wagon trains who
have disappeared in the sand dunes,
“disappeared” with no trace to ever be found. But
what’s taking them? Is it the shifting sands or
something else?
Native Navahos tell the sinister tales of webbed
feet horses that run amongst the dunes at early
morning and on a night with a bright full moon,
luring travelers to never be seen again.
However, there is some truth in this urban legend as wild horses have been known to run
amongst the edges of the great sand dunes. This
truth doesn’t make up for the fact that one hundred years ago many people claim a whole pack
train and one thousand sheep disappeared in the
dunes ever shifting sands.
A strange mystery- as people have found a polished skull hidden inside the sands. Questions
arise- how many have been taken? Was it the
shifting sands? Or aliens? We may never know
how many people have been taken. We may
never know the full truth of the sand dunes ever
shifting sands.
One of the most famous walls in history;
it stands 11 feet 10 inches and has graffiti all
over it. Have you ever wondered “Why?”
something is? The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 by the German Democratic
Republic {GDR} to keep East and West Germany separated. The leading GDR member
was Walter Ubricht. Once the news of a wall
separating the people got around; people
started to cross over. Its estimated that 3.5
million people got over before they even
started construction. That’s about 2/5 of the
population in East Germany.
The wall was practically thrown up overnight. Once the wall had been built, people
still tried to get over. The first person to
make it over the wall was Gunter Litfin. So
in response the GDR put razor wire, electric
fences, guard dogs, and guard checkpoints on
the wall. One of the most famous checkpoints
is “Checkpoint Charlie”. This checkpoint is
still around to this very day.
Adding all this security made the people
angry; civil unrest was everywhere. This
made people of all ages motivated.
On November 9th, 1989 the East and West
Germans got together and took down the
Berlin Wall. And to think that it all started
with Walter Ubricht. So, now you know who
is to blame for the Berlin Wall.
By
Nathan
Sheldon
Holiday Jokes
Q: Why do pilgrims’ pants always fall down?
A: Because they wear their belt buckle on their hat!
Q: What did the turkey say to the computer?
A: Google! Google! Google!
Q: Why did the farmer have to separate the turkey and the chicken?
A: He suspected fowl play!
Q: What kind of music did the Pilgrims listen to at the 1st Thanksgiving dinner?
A: Plymouth rock!
Q:Where do snowmen keep their money?
A: In a snow bank!
Q: What do you get when you cross an iPad with a Christmas tree?
A: A pine-Apple!
Q: What do elves do after school?
A: Their gnome work!
Q: What did the reindeer say to the football player?
A: Your Blitzen days are over!