Trouble with Trump

By Mackenna and Hali
Out of the seven candidates left running for president, Trump is ahead in the Republican Polls. This could be a serious problem for our country.

Donald Trump is a man who knows what he wants and what he wants is to build a wall and keep Hispanic and Islamic people from migrating into our country illegally. Trump claims, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists." However, he doesn’t seem to think about the fact that many Hispanic and Islamic people are born on American soil and that not all of those people have bad intentions. In fact, 17% of the United States population is made up of Hispanic people.

Besides making several racist remarks, Donald Trump has also called out voters in his audience. More specifically, he once had a man’s coat confiscated in freezing cold weather. Another time he said, “You know what I hate? There’s a guy totally disruptive, throwing punches, we’re not allowed to punch back anymore. I love the old days. You know what they used to do with guys like that when they were in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher, folks." Another comment that Trump has made was calling a man overweight. Trump said, “You know it’s crazy, I mention food stamps and that guys who is seriously overweight went crazy. He went crazy.” The man that was labeled overweight outraged then was lead out of Worcester by security guards. Most of the comments have gained lots of attention from so many people across America. These controversies have been mentioned in multiple newspapers and also on TV.

Donald Trump continues to win debates and votes although his plan to do so is hurtful and wrong. Throwing other candidates under the bus to win is what he’s been doing since the presidential race began. In the past, Trump has had numerous little battles with the other candidates but also with people who aren’t running, like the pope! Finally, Trump promises that once he is president he will build a wall at the US/Mexico border, everyone will be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again, and he might also eliminate the Department of Education.

In conclusion, Trump is not fit to be a United States president. Although he is winning so many debates, his plans for the future haven’t proved to be strong and elaborate. He spends a lot of time only talking about the wall and other people. It is very likely that Trump will be the the Republican nominee for the Presidential election but Donald Trump is not what this country needs. Many people would disagree because there is obviously something that he can bring. However, Trump’s constant bad attitude could be a problem for the future for our country if he takes office in 2017.

Sources -

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-claims-eight-syrian-refugees-could-be-isis-and-calls-for-big-beautiful-wall-to-be-built-a6740541.html

Saul, Heather. "Donald Trump Tells Crowd He Wants to 'punch Protester in the Face' at Nevada Rally." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 23 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

Have Selfies Gone Too Far?

Well already this year 12 people have died from Selfies, more people have died from Selfies than shark attacks this year, reporter say. The amount of people who died from shark attacks this year is 8, but shark research in florida say has been 6. People are risking their lives to get a Selfie. Over one million selfies are taken each day, some people may not believe selfies have gone to far because they think selfies are just picture with you and a friend but it gets way worse than that.

In Russia they have to have signs up to tell you that you cannot take a selfie in that area, if they have one of those up that obviously means that Selfies HAVE gone to far, especially how people are dying all over the world.

On Your Cell Phone the Whole Day? You Will Pay.

     On Your Cell Phone the Whole Day? You Will Pay.

In this generation, a lot of teens, including myself, love our cellphones. What’s not to love about them? You can check your social media, text your friends, watch funny videos, and even video chat with people. Your phone can be very fun! It’s also very useful when you are exercising and want to track your progress, distances, and time. But, you need to make sure that you are being responsible and safe with it.

One of the biggest problems with teens, is cell phone addiction or using it to the absolute limit. Where people cannot, by any means, put down their cell phone for a minute. These people typically bring it with them everywhere. Time.com says,”Teenagers will check their phone in the bathroom, in the movies and even having dinner.” I personally know some friends who sleep with their phones. Time says,”The blue light can mess with your sleep.”

”Some warning signs include withdrawl, feeling anxious, irritable, or uncomfortable when your phone isn’t in reach.” As well as, having a problem with being “distracted” and having “impulses” to check your phone.” As, this is a big cause of stress. Florida State University has scientific reasearch that using your phone obsessively has already, quote on quote, “weakened, and disrupted our ability to focus, and our attention spans are getting shorter.” It’s also messing with our brain’s reward pathway chemical. So when we check our phones, and see that you reached a new level on a game, or got an email from your significant other, your brain gets happy. Thus, causing more and more cell phone addiction.

I talked to a few students at Treasure Mountain Junior High School, and got their cell phone addiction information. A student named Chase Johansen, said he spends an hour and a half on his phone, usually on snapchat and he sometimes looks at it when doing homework. But, he sometimes feels he couldn’t live without it. There was another girl I asked who’s name was Isabelle Chevre, she admitted she was addicted. She spends around 3-4 hours on her phone usually on snapchat. As well as, she sometimes looks at her phone when doing homework, however, she doesn’t feel like she can’t live without it. Another girl named Jordan Crockett also admits she is addicted to her phone. She spends twelve hours a day looking at it, also, usually on snapchat and she always looks at it while doing her homework. She said she definitley couldn’t live without it. This shows, that not everyone is obsessed with their phone, but some are. It seems like students are more obsessed with “snapchat.”

To prevent cell phone addiction, Time.com suggests, getting an app on your phone that tracks how much time you spend on certain programs, as well as how much usage you are using. Preferably, you should only spend an hour and a half on social media at the max. They also suggest to buy an alarm clock instead of using your phone, because it is too tempting to be on it when it’s near you.

No more perfect Barbie?!

     Since the debut of Barbie in 1959, she has maintained her appearance as perky, blonde and most of all perfect. Though through the years Mattel has brought variety to the color of the dolls hair, eyes and skin, Barbie has always maintained her size two shape. Being a rolemodel for young girls, Barbie has been successful at jobs like lawyer, chef and astronaut proving that women can do any job a man can do. But she sends young girls unrealistic body images and goals.
     All that changed this year when Mattel released a new line of Barbies. It includes tall, petite and curvy dolls. Even though this may seem small, it is a huge step for female body images. Since there are many more body types than those just released this year, Mattel will continue to release new dolls.

     Just like Barbie, Sports Illustrated is showcasing more diverse body types in their swimsuit edition. Instead of solemly using models like Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, they are now showing more athletic body types. Lindsey Vonn, though not on their cover, is now prominently show in Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

The Amazing Race Really Is Amazing!

The Amazing Race is a TV show that appears on CBS every Friday in September and February, at 8/7 Central. The Amazing Race begins with eleven teams of two (sometimes, a season will have a theme - in the past, there have been blind dates, social media stars, and plenty of other unique concepts!), racing all around the world for one million dollars. The eleven teams racing around the world collect clues and complete challenges that are relevant to the country that they are in.

First, the teams begin in the U.S. They travel to several different continents, never including Antarctica. At the beginning of each leg of the race, each team is given a clue that tells them which country or city they’re going to visit next. After catching the soonest plane to the given destination, they are given more clues that lead them through that leg, and so on. The clues may tell them where they’re going next, or may tell them they must complete a challenge. Sometimes, there is a choice between more than one challenge, allowing competitors to choose the one with which they're more comfortable. The challenges are always specific to each country, and help the contestants get an understanding of its culture, while still being extremely varied: some are easier for more adventurous people or daredevils, like bungee jumping, while others are activities that most people would consider gross, such as mud swimming. The last team to complete the challenges of each leg is eliminated.

This show gives teams the opportunity to experience something very different and go on a crazy adventure. There are also limitless opportunities to learn about the whole world. It tests the mental and physical strength of the participants, and their relationships with their partners. The Amazing Race is also entertaining to the viewers; when they watch average people traveling all around the world completing these challenges, they themselves may feel motivated to get off their couches and take risks - and it also has a blend of drama when the teams get in arguments or when teams plot against each other, which can be very entertaining. Viewers can vote for their favorite teams, see their favorite cities, and experience the relationships between the groups and partners.

Overall, The Amazing Race is a wonderful opportunity for Americans to get out and experience cultures, landmarks, and once-in-a-lifetime activities. This show is also educational, inspirational, and entertaining for the viewers. This show earns five stars.

Stay tuned for season 28 of The Amazing Race, which airs on February 12th, 2016 at 8/7 central on CBS! This season, social media stars will be competing for the million dollar prize!

Interested in being on the show? Auditions for the next season are happening right now, and all you have to do is make a video about yourself and submit it to http://www.theamazingracecasting.com/!

Article by Mia Rapella and Mackenna Doilney

A Day in the Life of Collin

Collin Schofield is in my eighth grade journalism class. He decides to go on a trip and that trip is a twelve hour train ride. If Collin could only have three things with him, he would bring his rubik's cube, food, and water. Food and water comes to mind because it is necessary for survival. In the case of boredom, Collin wants to have a Rubik’s cube in hand to play with. In the drawer in his bathroom, Collin has hair spray, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and hair gel; stuff that any average teen would have. But there is more to Collin than what he would bring on a trip or what is in his bathroom drawer.

Collin has a loving mom and dad. His mom is blonde with green-blue eyes. Sometimes she is happy and sometimes she can be mad. Collin’s dad is known as a hard worker. He gets this impression because he works every day of the week except for sundays. The thing Collin loves the most about him is that he is always happy. Collin has a brother that he shares a room with.

If Collin had to be an ice cream flavor, he would chose to be birthday cake. Birthday cake ice cream is bright and sweet just like his personality. On Collin’s nightstand is a wallet, a toy, wrappers or school papers, and a picture of his family and friends. Him and his brother love to play and most of the stuff on his nightstand is a result of a game they were playing. In the year of 2020, Collin will be a senior in high school, a graduate, or a freshman in college. He wants to be with his friends inventing something awesome. Collin is a fun boy that loves his family and friends.

Top 5 cute, fun gift ideas for Valentine’s Day by Naomi and Caroline P.

Oh, no! It’s Saturday the 13th and you still don’t have a gift for your sweet heart. If Valentine’s Day is creeping up, and you have no idea of what to get, or what to do here are a couple of fun ideas to win over your valentine. From treats to cards your special someone will definitely be impressed!

1) Write a thoughtful poem, and show that special someone how much you care about them. This poem should be happy and cheerful. If you’re confused on what to write start off writing about the happy memories you had together. Write the poem on cute construction paper, you can decorate this poem in anyway you want. This gift is and simple and cute way to show someone how much you care about them.

2) Make them something sweet, such as brownies or cookies. Make fun and cute treats that you can enjoy together. These sweets can be simple and thoughtful. If you want to make these treats extra special decorate a cute container and put them in. Attach a sweet note or card to show your true appreciation.

3) A plan a fun, romantic date. This date can be low key, and simple, or it can be elegant and romantic. If you want to get to know the person better, a simple and low key date should be fine. Plan, on going to the movies or out to dinner, dress wear should casual, this date should be a fun way to get to know them, plan on having a good time. If you have known this person for a while, and you have the same interests, plan on going full out. Plan a very romantic and elegant date, get your hair done, get a dress and have an amazing time. This date should be planned ahead of time.

4) Plan a day at home! Although going out is nice, staying home will show them you are the perfect person to relax around. If you don’t want to spend all day inside you can take your sweetheart skiing in the morning, then you can spend the rest of the day lazing around, watching movies, or just eating some pizza.

5) Plan a fun day with friends. Valentine's Day can be stressful, finding the perfect thing to do, the perfect gift, etc. If you don’t want to be alone on Valentine's Day, plan a fun day with your friends, this is fun and easy way to be independent. You don’t have to worry about all the expectation and complications, have fun! Have a girls day, plan on shopping, getting your nails done and anything that interests you. Everyone wants to have fun a Valentine's Day.

Any of these ideas will ensure that you and your cutie/friend will have a great day. Valentine’s Day is all about showing someone how much you love them so make sure you do it in the perfect way. These are just a few ideas of what to do on Valentine’s Day, there are endless ways to show your special someone how much you appreciate them.

Expand Our Program!

In Park City, Utah, there is one tennis team and it only accepts tennis players from 9th-12th grade. Park City is a small town, but there should be another tennis team because there are kids younger than 9th grade that are playing tennis competitively and are serious about tennis. Another tennis team will integrate these types of kids.

Even though kids are able to sign up and participate in tournaments and have other tennis practices without being a part of a team, tennis teams are very important and beneficial to a player. Tennis teams are important because they bring many different kids together that share the same interest. Not only do they allow kids to practice with a lot of other people, it also allows a family bond to grow throughout the kids. The kids in the team will cheer each other on which makes the kids feel supported and gives them a sense of confidence. They are also great exposure because a lot of the time the tennis teams and their players appear in the local newspapers.

For these reasons, there should be another tennis team with younger players (players lower than 9th grade). There are many young, amazing, and passionate players in Park City that are very serious about tennis and will strive with the exposure and family bond that is created in a team. Brooklyn Thompson, an aspiring tennis player that is in eighth grade was asked about her opinion on how there is not a tennis team for players in middle school and/or elementary school, “Even though I only have one more year until I can go into the tennis team, I wish I could’ve gone into a tennis team years ago.” Thompson was asked why she wanted to go into a tennis team earlier and she responded with, “Because I can do more tournaments in different places since the team travels to Southern Utah and a few surrounding states. I can play with a lot of different people and I could possibly be in the newspaper which is cool.”

Heather Nicholas, the tennis coach of the High School Tennis Team was asked why there isn’t another team for younger tennis players, “I would love for there to be another tennis team for elementary and junior high. The biggest issue in Park City is court availability. Plus, it's a fairly expensive sport due to the fact that we have to play indoor tennis 60% of the year!"

We can’t build more courts because we don’t have the space, we are still able to use the public courts that are at City Park and Willow Creek. The only problem with this is that the courts are public, so it would be a gamble every time we had practice because if the courts aren’t empty, then we can’t just kick people off. This means that clinic could randomly be cancelled at any time so the kids wouldn’t get the full amount of practice. We need to figure out a good solution to this issue because tennis teams are very necessary to these upcoming tennis stars.

 

 

These are the courts at the PC Marc that the tennis team currently plays on.

Powerless by Matthew Cody Book Review

How would you feel if you had just moved to a new town, only to discover that every kid you knew had super powers? In the first book of the Powerless trilogy, this is exactly what happens. However, there is something more sinister going on. The protagonist, Daniel Corrigan, notices that there aren’t any adults, even though his friends say that the "supers" have been around for longer than they know. He discovers that when his friends reach the age of 13, their powers - all of their memories - disappear in the night. In Powerless, it is up to Daniel to figure out what is happening, and how he can stop it. This book, by Matthew Cody, tells the story in a unique way that opens up a completely new way to read books. This book really gives insight into what it is like for someone who isn’t even a sidekick. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, mystery, or anything out of the ordinary.

Rated: 4.5 horseshoes out of five 5 by Owen Nagel

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Book Review

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is an intriguing, mysterious, book, written in a completely unique style. The book is a story of a boy, Hugo, who lives in the train station. His uncle died in a fire that took place in a museum, so Hugo alone has been keeping all of the clocks clean and working in the station, and has developed a love of tinkering with all things mechanical. One day, however, after meeting a strange man, Hugo begins to uncover a web of mysteries about his uncle's death and how it relates to this man. The tale is spun with both words and black and white pictures, creating an amazing book, and one which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys mystery or adventure books.

Rated 4.8 horseshoes out of 5 by Ian Van Leuven!

Red Rock: A Review

Red Rock is a very popular restaurant in the Redstone area in Park City. This certain venue is called Red Rock Junction, named after its location in Park City’s Kimball Junction. It’s located directly across the street from the Redstone movie theater, so it’s an ideal place to eat following a movie. Red Rock restaurants are a small group of dining locations found only in multiple places in Utah. There are also many locations in Salt Lake, in addition to Park City. The menu includes a variety of food items from different backgrounds.

One of Red Rock’s most popular food items is the Red Rock Burger. This item is a burger with swiss cheese on top. The burger is placed inside a flat bread bun and topped with tomatoes and lettuce. On the side, customers can choose between carrot chips or french fries. The carrot chips are another popular item. Instead of “normal” carrot chips, the carrots are sliced into very thin chips that look like the equivalent of Lay’s Ruffles chips. In addition, another customer favorite is the chicken parmesan. This item is a piece of chicken topped with red sauce and parmesan cheese. Spaghetti and garlic bread are served on the side. Although the food at Red Rock is not the same as food that would be served at a five-star, top-notch restaurant, it’s definitely worth trying.

An additional pro concerning this restaurant is the helpful staff. It is obvious that the staff wants to make each customer’s experience the very best. They are never rude and usually are very cheerful.

When asked about Red Rock’s food and staff, Park City teen, Skylar Jackenthal, said, “One of my favorite foods at Red Rock is definitely the Red Rock Burger. And, whenever I go to Red Rock, the people working there are always willing to help and fix any problems.”

Red Rock Junction, as well as other Red Rock restaurants, are definitely places that should be visited and/or tried. There is so much more food than named in this article. Although the restaurant is often busy, there is a reason. It’ll be worth the wait.
This restaurant receives 4.5 out of 5 stars from the Treasure Mountain Junior High Park City Post.

Snow Hazards in Park City

Snow is one of the many cherished features of Park City, but is it really as great as we think? Roof leaks, stuck cars, and injuries are only three of many hazards of the abundance of snow we seem to have in Park City. Snow is great, but there is a point where it becomes too overwhelming, causing many time-consuming chores. Lots of snow comes with a great bill that must be paid, but some people can’t pay it or don’t have the time to fix it themselves.

Roof leaks happen to everyone, there is no way to avoid them. If there is snow on your roof, when it melts the water has nowhere to go other than down, so it sits on your roof until it works its way into your house. When a leak starts to happen, that means the snow has caused damage to your roof, which means a big bill to fix it. First, you need to hire someone to shovel the roof, or if you’re really motivated you can do it yourself. It would save money to do it yourself, but it’s a lot of hard work. “it’s better to pay for a leak now, then paying for a whole roof repair later” said Kristen Haaijer. If a leak continues without being stopped, it can eventually cause the whole roof of your house to collapse. A snow covered roof is pretty and harmless until the water ends up in your house.

Cars are constantly stuck in driveways, roads, parking lots, and other snowy places. After a big snowstorm, the snow plows won’t be able to get everywhere right away and even when they do, there is still enough snow and ice to get stuck. Especially, if your car is not a four-wheel drive car, meaning all four wheels spin not just either the front or back two. When a car has four-wheel drive, it has a better time traveling through snowy roads. No matter how much the road is plowed and salted, there will still be some snow and ice on the road and if not, there will be some on the side of the road. When there is snow near the road, cars can easily slip into a ditch or a pile of snow that they will be stuck in for the next little while. We need to stay on top of the snow conditions so we aren’t constantly calling roadside assistance.

Injuries happen every day, but when it is something as silly as sipping on ice, you really start to feel down about your injury. Ice is a very dangerous thing because when not controlled, it can become very hazardous. If someone slips on ice, concussions, broken arms, spinal injuries, ankle or foot breaks, or knee contusions are very common consequences. When it snows a lot, ice forms at the bottom to create a very slick surface. When people don’t take care of the issue or aren’t careful, they will end up having a long rest of the winter.

So everyone is wishing and hoping for snow, until we actually get it. If people become more aware of these issues, maybe their winter won’t be so aggravating. The snow plowers and homeowners need to stay on top of the conditions and risks. Snow is something everyone looks forward to in Park City, but instead let's look forward to lots of hard work and heavy bills. All great things come with a consequence.

Ski Injuries

On average, one in every 500 skiers will sustain an injury every day. (This doesn’t include snowboarding - skiing is a very dangerous sport, but snowboarding frequently has the same number of injuries and more every day.) Today, both Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin, World Cup champions, are injured and out for the rest of their season. Being a world cup skier, one season can make or break your career. Lindsey Vonn has had eight major, often season-ending injuries, resulting in a lot of physical therapy and hard work to get back to where she is now. From ACL, other knee injuries, a cut tendon, a bruised hip, forearm microfractures, a bruised shin, broken fingers, and concussions, she has had quite the road to recovery. There is even a documentary about her career, looking at how hard it’s been for her to get back to where she is. Lindsay currently holds the record for most World Cup wins, but at the rate she's been getting injured, she may not be able to ski for much longer. What can people do to prevent injuries and why are skiers so injury prone?

One factor that often results in injury is having the wrong equipment or having the wrong settings in equipment (for example, having the wrong din for one's ski bindings). The din is a number, usually around 4 to 13, that determines how tight the binding is; this depends on your weight. If the din is off, your ski may not pop off, causing a knee injury, or it may pop off when it doesn’t have to, causing other injury risks. If the equipment is not set for the type of skier they are, that may just as easily cause a season-ending injury. Skiers can be more prone to injury if they go on runs they are not capable of doing, skiing recklessly, or if they're just not physically fit enough. Last year, there were around 115,000 ski injuries total. As the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons said, “A majority of these injuries can easily be prevented if [skiers] prepare by keeping in good physical condition and stopping when [they] are tired or in pain.” A lot of injuries can be prevented by just something as simple as being fit - skiers should be careful to be fit, or they may have to quit!

Overall, you shouldn’t risk your ski season or career because of a little mistake. If more people understand what causes ski injuries and how to prevent them, maybe the total number of ski injuries per year can be reduced: if everyone has the proper equipment, skis on runs that they are capable of doing, and stays fit, this will not be such an issue. However, not all ski injuries are the person's own fault; skier Hailey Hunt was recently hit by a snowboarder and had a double break in her leg, which ended her season. A ten-year-old girl, too, was hit by a snowboarder and killed, because one person wasn’t paying attention. If everyone on the mountain stays in control and careful when they ski, that will also prevent some injuries. If skiers are properly educated about the dangers and risks, then even if injuries can't go away completely, at least, perhaps, the 115,000 injuries per year can be cut down to 75,000.

A Flavor Everyone Likes

If Audrey McDonald could be an ice cream flavor, she would be cookies and cream. Her reasoning for this is “everyone likes oreos and with ice cream filling, what can be better than that?”

Audrey’s parents are both very loving. She describes her mom as “5’7 with blonde hair, blue/green eyes.” When talking about interacting with her mom, Audrey claims she “sounds soft and sweet, but when she gets mad, she gets really mad!” Audrey’s dad is very generous and hardworking. She admires his ability to work with difficult people he has to cook for and have the patience to help skiers who do not know how to ski.

Next to her bed, Audrey has a nightstand. The night stand has three levels. On the first shelf, there is her journal and a lamp. On the second shelf, there is her snow globe collection. The collection features forty-two snow globes; Audrey has collected these throughout her life. On the third shelf, there is all of her hats.

In 2021, five years from now, Audrey can be found resting after many years of strenuous training for the 2020 Olympics, which she attended. At this time, academically, she will be a freshman at the University of San Diego. After completing her olympic career, Audrey will be transferring to Berkley, where she plans to graduate from. After graduating, Audrey would like to continue with her passion for swimming by becoming a coach.

Audrey McDonald is a nice, caring, driven person.

The boy wonder

The Boy Wonder

My friend is a 12 year old man named Ian Van Leuven , He is aspiring to go to MIT and just from hearing from him it won't be a challenge. Ian loves to ski and mountain bike,. He lives in a good home with his mom and dad. His father is a very hard worker, and his mother a very kind loving mom who supports him not matter what.

Ian is currently getting very good and riding his dad's old skateboard but wanted something more his own so he got a brand new longboard and has been waiting the days till it is sunny and warm to break out his new board.

My friend Ian is a genius, the boy skipped 7th grade and wants to go to MIT. I believe just from hearing him talk about school if he keeps up his hard work and dedication i bet this kid will go on to great things.

Ian loves to read, In fact if he could only have three things for a twelve hour train ride he just wants food, books, sleeping bag. Speaking personally i can not stand to read for more than 20 minutes. This kid can read all day and night, that is something amazing.

     My friends skills in school and athletics make him a very brave and hard worker which in life beyond school this kid will go on to do amazing things.

No Leggings, No Fair!

As many students at Treasure Mountain know, in P.E. you are not allowed to wear leggings unless you have shorts on over them. Many people disagree with this rule or dislike having to wear their shorts over their leggings. Although, some people aren’t even sure what the rule is or why it was implemented.

Ms. Graves, the eighth-grade physical education teacher, was interviewed, 

“The main reason we have this rule is because we don’t want girls who have see-through leggings to bend over, stretch the fabric thinner than it is used to and show some inappropriate parts.” 

Understandably, this rule is for a good reason and works to prevent a girl from being embarrassed. The P.E teachers just decided that rather than having to check the leggings, it seemed better to just ban them altogether. Even though this sounds like a good idea, many people disagree. 

“I think it should be the girl’s responsibility. It’s her body she should be able to do what she wants with it.” says student Carley Rogers, “It’s her problem if her leggings are see-through and her responsibility to choose to whether to wear them or not.”

Wearing leggings over pants has also caused a lot of problems and stress for girls. First off, it’s a lot hotter wearing two layers, and having to put pants on over leggings makes moving more restrictive. The uncomfortable layers decrease movement and make it harder to participate in P.E comfortably and efficiently. Also, since it takes so much more time, if the teachers are going to make students change, then they should give students more than the allotted three minutes after the bell to change. A more embarrassing problem is wedgies. The pants are not helpful in physical activities and, as Carley Rogers says, “They ride up a bunch and are really hot. It looks weird to fix it, and it’s super uncomfortable”

If it wasn’t apparent, there aren’t any rules about boys and their clothing choices. Boys are constantly pulling up their shirts, pulling up their pants, changing out in the open and just blatantly not appropriately wearing the clothing the way it’s supposed to be worn. There are no rules against boys and they are never reprimanded.

Since most students protest to having leggings, there should be a compromise. The idea that is most in favor is this; students will be able to wear leggings, but only if they are athletic brand leggings. By students wearing athletic brand leggings they won’t be see-through because they are made to work out in. The majority of girls who disagree with the rule are the ones who own athletic leggings because they feel that their leggings are appropriate and should be able to be worn in P.E. Also, Nike, Lulu Lemon, Ivivva, and other sporty legging brands, are extremely expensive- girls should be able to get some use out of them! The athletic leggings are probably better suited for the activities happening in P.E than the cheap shorts provided. In conclusion, maybe one day this rule can be changed and girls can wear their leggings again.

By Hali Weaver and Cami Burke

Trump Wins Again: A Personal Opinion

On Tuesday, February 9th, Donald Trump (Republican) won the New Hampshire primary, along with Bernie Sanders (Democrat). The New Hampshire primary is a voting process where people from New Hampshire vote on who they believe should be the candidates for the upcoming presidential election.

I believe that Donald Trump should not be a top candidate for president. Although some of his ideas do make sense, some are also immoral. For example, his concept about illegal immigrants. He stated that "a wall needs to be put in place surrounding the country.” This idea mainly attacks the Muslim culture. Just because of one awful terrorist group, he is labeling an entire category of people in the same way. I don’t believe that this idea is politically correct.

Another important idea to him would result in large cuts in money put towards education. He would discard the Common Core, which is what most public schools use as a guideline today. He claims that he would also cut the Department of Education.

After interviewing a Park City High School student about her opinion on Donald Trump, she stated, “I think that he is insane and so are his ideas. I would want to move to a different country if he became president.” Although this student’s thoughts about Trump are on the extreme side, there are many others that feel the same way. 

I fear what would happen to our country if Donald Trump became president. The ideas listed above are merely a small glimpse of how he wants to change the United States. I believe that he would cause more problems than he would fix. In all honesty, I’m questioning how safe I would feel with him in control.



Sources
"Donald Trump on the Issues." Donald Trump on the Issues. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.

The Park Record Spelling Bee

THE PARK RECORD SPELLING BEE

Coming up on March first is the annual Park Record Spelling Bee. There is one bee for the fourth through eigth graders, and one for the second and third graders. Students who are participating, have a chance at winning the bee and getting a free trip to Washington for the National Scripp’s Spelling Bee. This is a big opportunity, and is also a fun way to get good at spelling.

The Park Record Spelling Bee started in 2006. In the last 10 years, it has gone from seperate spelling bees for different grade/age groups, to all together. Tania Kanuer founded the spelling bee. According to parkcityspellingbee.com, it says,” Tania discovered that her daughter, and several other 3rd grades, not only liked to explore new worlds and stories through reading books, but also enjoyed spelling mainly new encountered words.” Also, in the article, it said that after she witnessed this, she talked with a woman named “Mrs. Dugins,” who was  a region rife with spelling bees, and together they came up with a 3rd grade spelling bee. Somehow, the word got around about the spelling bee, and after a few years, it was an annual thing for many age/grade groups.

Sandra Van Leuven, the director of the spelling bee, told me her opinion on the bee. She said that she thinks that it is a great and fun educational way to get good at spelling, as well as very fun for the kids participating. Sandra also said that she’s glad that we have a spelling bee because Park City is known for it’s sports like skiing. Also, that it is good to have Park City not only be a place of sports, but also education. Sandra has been a member of the bee for seven years, ever since her son liked to spell. Her main focus when beginning the spelling bee, was she wanted to get kids going to the Scripp’s Bee because you never hear about anyone from Park City going, and we are a great place.

In order to be in the spelling bee, you have to take a qualification test. It consists of many different words you have to spell. There are usually about fifty words, and some vocabulary definition questions. After the test, the volunteers grade them, and they pick the people who do the best. It also depends on how many people they have wanting to be in it. After they are done grading, they send the qualifiers an email, with the link to the words, so they can print them out and study.

At the spelling bee, they give you a word and you have to spell it correctly, and if you don’t, they ring a bell, and it means you are out. Everyone claps for that person, and then you proceed with the bee. Some of the rules include, you can restart spelling a word but you can’t change any of the letters you had previously said, you can ask for the definition, origin, or to use it in a sentence, you can ask them to repeat the word twice, as well as, you can’t re-say a letter when you mess up. Overall, it is fun and educational, and will get Park City known at the Scripp’s Bee.  

How to Not Celebrate Valentine's Day

Feeling the love this Valentine's Day? If you are, keep scrolling - this article is for the people currently referring to the holiday as "Singles Awareness Day." Maybe you're depressed about being single, or maybe you're just not looking for love this year - either way, you're probably dreading those gross sugary hearts and the chocolates you might or might not get from your "Secret Admirer" (who's probably you, or worse, your own parents trying to make you feel better!) - but whatever your situation, here's a list of things to do this Valentine's Day - singles' style.

Hang out with your friends. Being around other single people will always boost your spirits, especially if they're your buddies. You can laugh and make fun of the Valentines that never were, or reminisce in old memories, or just laugh the night and day away - before you know it, Valentine's will be over!
Destroy something. This article just took a sharp turn, true... but it works! Burn a love note from an ex, or scratch his or her face out of pictures. If you're really extravagant (or really heartbroken), shoot up a few clay pigeons at a shooting range.
Make snarky Valentine's cards, and exchange them with your friends. Write something silly like "Cupid is Stupid." If you're not too creative, buy the generic cards from Hallmark and feed them to a paper shredder - or to your dog!
Camp inside. Snuggle in some blankets, make some hot cocoa or coffee, and watch a few of your favorite movies. You could even invite your friends over and watch that cheesy sci-fi show that you've secretly been watching without them!
Hold an angry poetry slam. This is a great activity if you've got some creative - or angry - friends. Call them over, and have everyone read their favorite angry poems. It's a great way to vent and have fun at the same time.
Go on a date with yourself. There's no rule saying you can't be your own Valentine this year! Go to the spa, get a dinner for one, play your favorite games... Even send yourself flowers and chocolate if you're really desperate and just dying to show off to your friends!
Celebrate! Chances are that you're not the only one against the holiday, and lucky for you, the Park City Library is holding an Anti-Valentine's Un-Celebration, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM on Friday, the 12th. If you're feeling more bitter than sweet, join for sarcastic, broken-heart crafts, and snacks if you're feeling "hangry."
Netflix. If all else fails, there is always Netflix. Netflix will always be there for you.

The World Cup: A Wide Variety of Skiers from Around the World

The world’s best aerial and mogul skiers come from all over the world to compete in the World Cup at the Deer Valley Resort. The World Cup is held from Thursday, February 4th until Saturday, February 6th. International competitions have been held at Deer Valley Resort for seventeen consecutive years, including the 2002 Winter Olympic games, fourteen World Cups, and two World Championships.

The World Cup brings a wide variety of skiers from all over the world, and it allows locals to come and enjoy watching those great competitors fly into the air and race their way to the podiums. About eight to ten thousand people come to support and attend the World Cup, many of which are locals, and the competitors - both male and female - show a vast variety of different tricks and skills throughout the competition.

About one week before the World Cup, volunteers prepare both the aerial hill and the mogul jumps. Their job is to build the mogul jumps, and keep them nice and intact; this is very important job, because throughout the day, the jumps do deteriorate. About fifteen volunteers create the jumps for the moguls. The procedure of making each of these jumps is simple but is very time consuming. They start with wooden box that is filled with snow and water from snow guns, and the snow freezes and is turned into ice, creating a hard, compressed jump for the skiers that is about three feet tall. There is a similar process to making the aerial jumps, although the volunteers instead blow snow and water onto concrete concrete walls made of plywood and steel.

The first place winner for male aerials was Qi Guangpu, who competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics, won a silver medal in the 2011 FIS Freestyle World Ski championships, and later won a gold medal in the 2013 and 2015 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships, in Voss, Norway and Kreischberg, Austria. The first place winner in the Female aerialist was Yu Yang, representing China.

Above is the dual mogul course
from the competition.

For the male dual moguls, the winner was Anthony Benna, who competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, representing France. The winner for the female dual moguls was Justine Dufour-Lapointe, the reigning Olympic champion in the moguls and the youngest freestyle Olympic champion at the age of 19.

All of the competitors work very hard, but the support from the fans makes it all worth it in the end. The volunteers work hard as well, and contributed so much to help make the World Cup possible. The World Cup allows competitors from all over the world to show their skills and abilities, and grants so many possibilities to those skiers. A fun and interesting competition, it shows a variety of skiing, and hard working skiers.

The Jaffle Crisis

If you are a someone who lives in the Park City area, then skiing at the Canyons isn’t really about the skiing; it’s about the Belgian Waffle House. This delicious, Park City favorite, has been located at the top of the Red Pine Gondola for as long as some residents can remember - until now. As of last year, the famous Bruges Waffles have been replaced with something called a “Jafflz” hut.

These disgusting, overpriced, stale sandwiches are the new attraction at the top of the Gondola. The local skiers are outraged after this switch, and a few were interviewed for their stories. On Saturday, after skiing for two hours, two teens who have been regularly skiing at the Canyons for their whole lives, stopped into this hut for a snack. For the absurd price of eight dollars, Caroline Powell and Bianca Festavan received a burnt sandwich about the size of the average five-year old’s fist. Bianca says, “We were starving, so we bought them, even if they were expensive.” so they sat down in the broken down, metal chairs outside of the “restaurant” (more like a shack...) and ate their jaffles.

After one or two bites, Caroline noticed that hers was really chewy and had way too much apple in it (she had ordered the apple pie jaffle). Bianca, who had gotten the S’mores jaffle, couldn’t take the massive amounts of artificial marshmallow flavoring clogging up the inside of hers. Bianca said, “I thought, 'Maybe I just got a bad jaffle.' So I switched with Caroline, and she ate some of mine while I ate some of hers.” After a few more grueling and excessively chewy bites of each other's jaffles, she concluded, “Nope. They were just disgusting.”

“Even the restaurant was worn down,” says local skier, Douglas. “I was almost afraid of the food that came out of it - it seemed unsafe.” The poorly heated jaffles were being kept in a small, shabby oven in an attempt to heat them. “I wanted to get the breakfast jaffle, but there were eggs in it, and I was honestly scared of getting food poisoning.”

Even though most locals and tourists disliked the Jafflz, there are people who disagree, like Paxton Juhlin, who says, “They’re great, because they’re portable.” But is having the advantage of not using a fork worth the risk of probable food poisoning?

Overall, the horrible Jafflz hut can be described perfectly with a quote from Bianca: “It was so hard I could throw it at a wall. I wanted to throw it at a wall. It was like eating a squishy, burnt rock.” Her statement was concluded with this sentence: “When ranking it out of ten, I would give it a negative six.”

By Cami Burke and Caroline Powell

Sleep Hacks- By Murph and Sydney L.

Oftentimes, getting to sleep on time is incredibly difficult for students with so many things going on in their lives. Sleep is incredibly important, however, and with sufficient sleep comes good health. Turning off your phone (which can be pretty impossible) isn’t the only thing that will help get you to sleep, so here are a few sleep secrets that will get you fast asleep in no time. 

1. Take a hot bath or shower before bed!

When in hot water, your body temperature will rise, so, when you get out, your body begins rapidly cooling by contrast. When your body temperature drops, you often become more relaxed and drowsy - anything that causes a drop in body temperature is likely to make you feel sleepier.

2. Sleep on your left!

Sleeping on your left side is very healthy for your body in general, affecting spleen function, lymphatic drainage, and digestion. Not only that, however, but it can also help you to fall asleep more quickly. The left side is more dominant in controlling heart rate, so by sleeping on your left, you are able to make it easier for your heart rate to settle down and increase circulation to the heart, making your entire body feel more relaxed and balanced when in bed. (http://lifespa.com/)

3. Stay away from caffeine in the afternoon!

Coffee is a great way to get you up and moving in the morning; however, caffeine can stay in your system for about ten hours after consumption. This may be contributing to your sleep troubles, because it is a stimulant. Next time you're reaching for that 4 o’clock coffee, think about the impact it can have on your bedtime.

4. Wear socks!

Even though keeping your socks on all night can be difficult, it might actually help you fall asleep. Research has found that, right before you go to sleep, your body redirects blood flow to your hands and feet to redistribute heat from your core to your extremities, triggering sleep. However, if your feet are cold, they will inhibit blood flow. By wearing socks, you can ensure that your feet will warm and the blood cells will widen, increasing blood flow. An increase in blood flow will help you fall asleep. Alternatively, if falling asleep with socks on is just too hard, then you can try placing a warm water bottle at the end of your bed. (seventeenmagazine.com)

5. Drink tea!

It's not a good idea to drink caffeinated tea, of course, as explained above. Still, drinking chamomile tea might help a lot. Tea made from herbs and flowers have not only been used as effective remedies for centuries, but they are extremely reliable when trying to relax. According to the American Chemical Society, a cup of chamomile tea will increase your body's production of a chemical that relaxes nerves and is effectively a gentle tranquilizer.

6. Just breathe!

Dr. Michelle Gordon, founder of Northern Westchester Surgical Associates in Putnam Valley, New York, has a trick for stressful situations and falling asleep can be quite stressful. It’s called the 4-7-8 technique and it is thought to help you clear your mind. Touch your tongue behind your top front teeth and: 1. Breathe through your nose for four seconds, 2. Hold your breath for seven seconds, 3. Blow air out of your mouth while making a “whoosh” sound for eight seconds. Repeating this process as few as three times may quickly cause you to fall asleep!

Top 5 Superbowl Commercials

Over 100 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl 50 this past Sunday. Even though some people tune in to watch the game, many people tune in for the commercials. Here are the top five Super Bowl commercials from the 2016 Super Bowl.

1. Heinz- The Heinz commercial was the most liked Super Bowl commercial. In this commercial there are little weiner dogs dressed up as hot dogs running in a field. The dogs are running towards a family dressed up as condiments made by Heinz and jumping into their arms. Heinz has been around since 1869, which makes them 147 years old.

2. Avocados from Mexico- This commercial takes place in the future and in space. A group of aliens are traveling through a museum of Earth's bounty. Some of Earth's the things that were included were the Rubik's cube, the torture device (an airplane cabin), and “the dress”. At the end of the tour they come across the a bowl of guacamole made from Avocados from Mexico.

3. Prius - In the Prius commercial four guys rob a bank, but their getaway car gets towed so they steal someone's Prius. There is then a long car chase to try and stop them but the prius is too fast and they get away. News choppers and news channels document that a Prius is being used as a getaway car and it’s not a joke. Late at night the driver almost falls asleep but the car keeps them on track so they don’t go off the road.

4. Apartments.com - This commercial starts by Jeff Goldblum sitting down and starting to play the piano and singing. As he is playing he was being lifted off of the ground and going past different apartments while a choir is walking through the building singing. In one of the apartments Lil' Wayne is grilling burgers and trying to grill beans for George Washington. The commercial ends by someone kicking a field goal off of the penthouse roof.

5. Doritos - In the Doritos commercial a woman and her husband were at an ultrasound for their baby. During the ultrasound the baby’s dad was eating Doritos when he noticed that the baby was trying to grab the Doritos. The dad thinking that he is funny then starts to move the Doritos around to mess with the baby. The mother of the baby, annoyed, grabbed the Doritos and threw it across the room the baby then followed and came flying out of the womb.


Cites
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-super-bowl-commercials-review-2016-20160207-column.html

San Francisco's Gay Men's Choir

San Francisco's Gay Men's Choir is coming to visit Park City's Eccles Center. It's their FIRST time preforming outside of California. If anyone is interested, it is this Saturday, February 13th at 7:30. You can purchase five dollar student tickets, but if you aren't a student, the tickets are prices based on the section you are in:

Platinum Section- $75
Gold Section- $65
Silver Section- $5
Bronze Section- $45
Copper Section- $25

When you purchase a ticket, two dollars will be donated to their charity, so make sure to attend the concert this weekend!

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus
By Ellie Fischer

The buses here in Park City, Utah, have revolutionized the way transportation works. There are many reasons the transit here is amazing. The three that stand out the most are listed below.

1.) Saves the Environment

The Park City transit system uses biodiesel to operate the buses in a healthy and clean way. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases.” This means that it is a safe way to power machinery while keeping pollutants out of the air. Another reason buses protect the environment is because buses can hold a numerous amount of people, while cars can only hold a certain handful. This is relevant information because decreasing the amount of cars driven, can clear up the air and keep the environment healthy.

2.) Decreases risks of car accidents
There are many reasons this is a common factor that contributes to people's lives. Taking the bus is the best solution for fatigue driving, drunk driving, distraction, and road rage. One person is killed every half hour due to drunk driving according to the website, 'Lifetips'. Taking the transit system in Park City, and any other city, will help these numbers decrease dramatically. Traffic can often create chaos among the roads which causes people to lash out. Often times this road rage can lead to disasters, such as car wrecks. As you may know, this is very bad for a person’s health condition and money standards, so why not take the bus to prevent all this stress in your life?

3.) Saves money

Referring back to the last paragraph, taking the Park City buses can save money in various ways. It contributes to not having to pay for car insurance, gas, or a way of transportation. This is a substantial plan for anyone’s life because when getting in a car accident, the costs are breathtakingly high. Not to mention, the monthly check ups you have to go through to keep your car operating. Gas prices are rising enormously as years go by, which makes it harder and harder to come up with the money to provide the gas someone needs. Mark Fischer stated that, “Gas prices have historically risen over the years, which leaves less money for for groceries and other optional expenses.” Taking the bus would help eliminate of all of these hassles.


In conclusion, the Park City transit system provides great service, saves money and it keeps the roads and environment safe. People need to start thinking about what the greater good is for the city. Taking the bus is one of these aspects of life and the city has done a great job providing it.





Citations:
"Free Park City Transit System." Park City Utah Transportation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"How Free-fare Transit Works in Cache County and Park City." The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Park City Transit." Park City, UT : Transit Bus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Park City Water - Healthy or Harmful?

It's well-known that mining was the original industry of Park City, and has made the city a lot of money. However, it has created a lot of problems for us now. One of the biggest problems is the water: mining has left large deposits of minerals in our water, making it unsafe.
Some reports have shown that the water in Park City has quantities of toxic materials above the legal limit. These materials are toxic heavy metals like thallium that can damage the human body if consumed for a long period of time, including causing hair loss, damaged eyesight, headaches, and more. There is as much as 0.0035 mg/L of arsenic in the water, which can be very harmful to living creatures.
This needs to be addressed; some possible ways of solving the issue include better filtration, finding a new water source, or even installing new pipes. When the water flows through pipes, it leaves behind mineral deposits, but when the city brings water up to the ski resorts, it comes from a source with a lower pH, which loosens the minerals in the pipes. When the regular water is put back into the pipes, the minerals are picked up, creating dangerous water, and that's the water that people end up drinking. If new pipes are put in place and water is flowing constantly, there will be less mineral buildup, creating safer water.
It's also important for awareness about these dangers to be raised. Some ways of accomplishing this would include assemblies at schools to teach children and their parents about this, or through news programs - on television, in newspapers, or on internet blogs. For now, it's important for word to be spread by any means, so it would even help for people to personally tell their friends and family, and it's advisable for everyone to install filters in their own homes.

~Ian Van Leuven

Citations:
"Water Quality." Park City, UT :. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
"Public Health Statement for Thallium." ATSDR. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.

Mr. and Ms. Mustang - Helping You

“Most of the problems in life are because of two reasons: we act without thinking or we keep thinking without acting.”- Unknown

Do you have problems? Do you need help? We know that life can be a little precarious, sketchy, dicey. So we are here for you and your problem. We, ourselves have many problems and we think that it’s best to confide in trustworthy people. Can’t find any trustworthy people? Here we are! Send us anything and everything that may be affecting your life in a negative way. No problem or worry is to too big or too small for us. Bring it on Treasure!

Send your issues to mustangproblemz@gmail.com

Be sure to put "Mr. or Mrs. Mustang" in the subject line.

Bye, it’s been real!

Sheriff Martinez's Opinion On Copters For Less Dollars.

Sheriff Martinez's Opinion On Copters For Less Dollars.

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival has caused quite a problem for the police and the local government. The problem is that many tourists decided to take helicopters in and out of Park City. Apparently, taking an Uber driver costs more than taking a helicopter. Sheriff Martinez, a police officer at the Park City Police Station, gave his opinion on the matter.

Martinez said, “I’m sure the County Council is going to enact new laws specific towards helicopter operations in and out of Summit County.” He is in full support of anyone or any company who desires to conduct a business flying helicopters around town as long as they have all of the regulations, as well as knowing all of the rules.

“Rules and regulations are meant for everyone and anyone who chooses not to obey,” says Martinez, “The rules and regulations can and will be subject to enforcement action taken against them.” Martinez also stated, “When the new laws are put into place, it will become my responsibility to make sure any helicopter company follows the rules.”

Sheriff Martinez prefers to look at solutions before taking action. Not only as part of the helicopter issue, but any other law enforcement conflict. He needs to ensure that everyone is obeying the laws. When the new laws pass, it will be his responsibility to enforce those rules.

By: Julianna Foltynowicz, and Brianna Miller.

7 Reasons Why Valentine's Day absolutely SUCKS

There are many reasons why nearly everyone loves Valentine's Day. All of the happy couples are out there loving each other... and then there are those of us who are single. There are so many different reasons why we hate the day of love, but Paxton and I didn't want to over do it, so we came up with our top seven.

1. No one out there will get you chocolate. The best part of Valentine's Day is the chocolate that comes with it, but you're single - no chocolates will be secretly placed in some romantic area of your house. Even if you do get something on Valentine's Day, it's most likely going to be from your dad in an attempt to make you feel better...
2. It's bad enough to be single on any other day, but on Valentine's Day, we are reminded about how single we really are - constantly. Let's face it: Valentine's Day may be a day of love for the other couples, but it only makes you "celebrate" how forever alone you are.
3. Keeping the previous in mind, when thinking about how alone they are, most people would go out and get ice cream to cheer them up... but if you try that, after you finish one pint of ice cream, you have to go out and buy more, and more, and more. After eating so much ice cream, you start to evaluate yourself and the bad decisions you've made. Realizing how many calories you have gained, you have to go to the gym. NO ONE wants to go to the gym.
4. If you do decide to go to the gym anyway, you have to leave your house. Once you leave your house, you see that EVERYONE but you is in love. It's so awkward. You just kind of... sit there, and you see everyone holding hands, kissing, and hugging, all while you just think, Well, crap. I'm all alone again. Seeing all those happy loving people just makes you a little bit more sad.
5. The Notebook makes you even sadder than normal. Instead of doing something productive, you spend the day wasting your time crying over romantic movies. To make things worse, you get tears in your ice cream, but you still eat it anyway.
6. When chocolates do show up, you'll get extremely excited and think there's someone out there that has been crushing on you, but let's face it: you're you. Is someone really crushing on you? Probably not. You open the card, only to find that they are from your dad, and there was absolutely no reason to get all excited about the chocolates.
7. The worst thing about Valentine's Day is the fact that it makes you feel so lonely that nothing else seems to matter. Valentine's Day crushes our single hearts year after year, so have fun eating your dad's chocolates, crying into a pint of ice cream and watching Nicholas Sparks movies.

Image source: https://coub.com/view/pf93

Top 5 Dirt Bike Brands

These top 5 dirt bikes come from the internet, they may not be in the right order because, yes it came from the internet. The internet isn’t always true but this should mostly be true so here are the Top 5 Dirt Bikes.

At number 5 we have the Husqvarna, this bike is very smooth and it has excellent style. At number 4 we have the KTM, this bike is great but the parts are really expensive. It is one of the best looking bikes, it has a four stroke engine and it’s good for the new learners. Number 3 we have the Suzuki, the Suzuki is a Japanese company. This bike is probably the best bike for the beginers. riding on a Suzuki bike is more exciting and cruising on the big roads.

These bikes so far have are great bikes, these last two bikes are also made from a Japanese company and these two are the best dirt bikes you could ever get, in second place is the Honda CRF, the Honda is a famous dirt bike that has been producing all over the world! Most of the experts use this bike. This bike is very good for the people who know how to ride. It is a very smooth, stylish and a great bike.

Now for the last bike we have the Yamaha, this bike is a trail bike, for people who like to go in the mountains. This bike is not good for doing stunts and tricks or races. It has a great style and good for new learners. The suspension is good and the parts aren’t to expensive. This bike has a 4 stroke engine, it doesn’t have a lot of power but it can still get up really steep hills.

Testing: Helpful or Harmful?

Standardized testing was once a thing of respect. Students studied and gave their best efforts; getting ready for the SAT or ACT was a coming of age passage. Now, standardized testing has become a national phenomenon. Schools are cramming tests into every curriculum and causing an outrage from students, parents and teachers around the nation.

Scientists and researchers looked into the new phenomenon, and have found more negatives than positives. Physical, mental, and physiological effects on students are now associated with standardized testing has.

The Facts

All around the U.S standardized testing it being talked about. According to the Washington Post, there are many negative effects of standardized testing, including but not limited to, loss of learning time, narrowed curriculum, and school closure.

Students and teachers both experience loss of learning time. An unnamed Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH) teacher, states they lose 10% of their overall class time per year for testing.

The curriculum can become narrowed due to “teaching to the test.” Teaching to the test is an educational method whose curriculum is heavily focused on preparing students for a standardized test. This can result in reduced content knowledge. Students struggle to show knowledge of mastery outside of the testing format.

The stigma around standardized testing is poor within the TMJH community. I often hear that students will not try because they do not care, or do not wish to be placed in honors classes. Kids have no respect for the tests, even the smartest students do not put in 110% into the tests. Students have admitted to purposefully doing poorly because they do not like the teacher who teaches the subject. All results are skewed and not an accurate representation of student intelligence.

When test results are skewed on mid-year tests, teachers often take this as a sign of students not understanding the curriculum concepts. Thus, leading to the following few weeks of classes being massive review. Teachers assume students do not understand basic concepts because students decided to engage in mindless chatter and childlike behavior during designated test time. This “review” time is unproductive and takes away from actual learning. This leads to more class time wasted on standardized testing.

In TMJH, test results are skewed because of lack of student interest. Luckily, Park City parents value education and has the money to disregard standardized test scores. For other districts, they are not so lucky.

Closing Schools, because of Testing?

Schools close around the country for many reasons; the first being low graduation rates and the second, surprisingly, was low scores on standardized testing.

Grace Chen’s article, Why Public Schools Across the Country are Closing Their Campuses, she reports that in New York City, nineteen public schools were closed because of poor academic performance. The New York Times reported that 91 schools have closed since 2002 in New York City. The Chicago Tribune reported fourteen public schools closing in Chicago. Cleveland, Ohio and Providence, Rhode Island have also had major public schools shut down.

Shutting down schools is not a solution to poor testing. Especially if, like the Park City School District, results are skewed because of lack of seriousness around testing. When a school closes, the district can do one of two things: transfer teachers and students to another district or reopen the facility under different staff and leadership.

The White House On Testing

President Obama and Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, side with a nation of stressed students as they limit testing times. Obama states “testing shouldn't crowd out teaching and learning and should just be one of many tools to measure how students and schools are performing.” Arne Duncan says, despite benefits, testing has become too time consuming and show redundancy.

The Washington-based Council of Great City Schools reported that "there is no correlation between mandated testing time and reading math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress."

President Obama posted a short video on The White House’s facebook page, summing up the issue quite well with a simple quote. “If our kids had more free time at school, what would you want them to do with it? A) Learn to play a musical instrument B) Study a new language C) Learn how to code HTML D) Take more standardized testing.”

The answer was not D.

Personal Experience

In the past month, I took the English, Math, and Science Galileo testing. The Galileo test is a mid-year standardized test. For many reasons, I was frustrated with not only the structure surrounding the test, but also the test itself.

Last year, as an eighth grader, I took the SAT and ACT because of qualifications from the ERB standardized testing from the year before, seventh grade. I like to think of myself as a good student, and by extension, tester. For the SAT, I scored above the Utah average and received an eight on the essay. For the ACT, I received a 22. This year, I am enrolled in all AP and Honors classes.

This is my first year in the Utah public school system, and I had to take the Galileo tests. They were horrible. That statement could very well stem from my frustration of a changed bell schedule, resulting in me missing or leaving early from many of my advanced classes, which take place in another building. But, as I reflect once having completed the tests, the tests itself had many problems.

To start, the questions were worded and structured nothing like the SAT or ACT. This had me doubting the student benefit of taking these tests. I understand many students struggle with test taking anxiety: one of the reasons my parents had me take the tests early, and I know practice is really the only cure to this anxiety. The Galileo testing is not practice. As an honors student, the tests were below my ability and comprehension level. I tried my best and checked my answers, but beyond that, these tests mean nothing to me. My parents also do not care how I perform on these tests.

Additionally, the content is outdated to the current curriculum. In all three Galileo tests, I experienced a wide range of complete comprehension to questioning when the content was taught. Specifically, the biology test.

The test did not feel stressful, but I am unsure about my performance. Much of the content on the test has not been taught yet in my Honors Biology class yet. Approximately fifteen questions had content I recognized from class this year. Many of the questions, specifically the DNA and genotype questions (which were a vast majority of the questions), I recognized from previous science classes and have a basic familiarity with. A basic familiarity does not make me feel comfortable in my results and knowledge on a midyear test.

I also experienced this in the English and Math tests, but not to the extreme I did in the biology exam.

As an honors student, I do not feel Galileo is worth my time. There are many, more efficient ways to collect student information, which is why we are taking the test according to some teachers.

To add to this already terrible situation, Treasure Mountain Junior High and and Park City High School are on different bell periods during testing weeks. This is because the high school elected to not administer the Galileo test. Because of this, I missed an entire week of math; my parents were very upset. I am also leaving classes early and arriving late because of the bell schedule. The Galileo testing affects other aspects of our school day.

Technology With Testing

Technology has become integrated into every aspect of the modern world, why should testing be any different? Standardized testing is becoming more and more computerized as of late. The Galileo tests are completely electronic, from the questions to the data.

According to unnamed source, the data is organized solely by the internet. Teachers are able to view and use the information, often called benchmark data, but even school’s tech centers are unable to manipulate or reorganize the data.

The most common issue with online testing origins in the computer. To access the test, most students have to update their java or flash player; but we are not told that until it is time to log into the tests.

This causes elevated stress levels, which makes it very difficult for students to focus and test their best. Additionally, students start their test late, resulting in them having to make it up. To make it up, they miss their next class, resulting in more learning time handed over to standardized testing.

Is There A Positive Outcome?

While many students, teachers, and parents believe that standardized testing has a negative effect on students, it is not a universal opinion. An anonymous teacher has given their input on the issue. According to the source, Galileo data is “intended to show teachers and students how much growth towards mastery of standards occurs from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”

In the teacher's opinion, Galileo “is a great use of data and provides comprehensive information to teachers that wouldn't occur otherwise.” When asked the question if there were any cons to testing, the teacher stated “Testing does take time, but I think this is time well spent for the information it provides.”

Additionally, the teacher disagrees that the stigma around testing is poor. She goes as far to state “Some students are enthusiastic about the growth they demonstrated. Also, some students are proud of their proficiency scores. Also, there's some apathy regarding testing in general, and that is just human nature. You can't please everyone all the time.”

Conclusion

I do not feel like Galileo is helping Park City students in any way. To put it bluntly, it is a waste of time, money, and effort. Standardized testing has a negative effect on the physical, mental, and overall physiological state of students.

Sources

Strauss, Valerie. "13 Ways High-stakes Standardized Tests Hurt Students." The Washington

Post. The Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.

"Standardized Tests." ProConorg Headlines. ProCon.org, 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Chen, Grace. "Why Public Schools Across the Country Are Closing Their Campuses." Public

School Review. Publicschoolreview.com, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Sellors, Alyssa. "Should Failing Schools Be Closed?" Should Failing Schools Be Closed?

Demand Media, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Liptak, Kevin, and Laurie Ure. "Obama Administration Announces New Testing Guidelines."

CNN. Cable News Network, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Swimming; A personal narative

     Because swimming is highly competitive, to continue being ranked 12th in the nation for my age, I have to practice daily. My hardest days are Tuesdays and Thursdays. I go to morning practice from 5:00- 6:30 am. Then, I have to be in my first-period class by 7:35. After school, I go to practice. Swimming, that it is a very competitive sport. For example, my teammates and I swim at most seven days a week, we swim 50 miles and that’s without meets on the weekend and morning practice. We all compete to be the best. Our world is revolved around swimming, and it sometimes gets in the way of more important things. It effects things such as school and hanging out with friends. When I get home at 7:10, I take a shower, eat dinner and I go to bed. After this, there is no time to get a good amount of sleep and take time to do our homework. I am usually so tired I'm just not able to get things done and getting up at 5 in the morning to go to practice doesn’t help that much either.

     I am ranked twelve in the nation. 1st in the mile. Swimming got intense around when I was eleven. I won state at 10, 11 and 12 and I got 2nd when I was and 13. I am going to sectionals, in March 2016. My team, Park City Swimming, are second in the state. Swimming is a very big part of my life. Swimming and school are a double life. Swimming would be first, but according to my parents school has to be. Swimming is a very big sport and I hope to pursue my big dreams in the future relating to my swimming. Swimming has given me so many skills that I can use in the future. Winning is not everything, it might seem like it is to many people, but it isn’t. Take time and do it right. Don’t waste your time doing it wrong because if you do it wrong in practice you do it wrong in a meet. The summer Olympics are this year in 2016. This year for swimming, there will be new world records, and much more. The summer Olympics are in Rio. In 2020, the year I will hope to be going to the Olympics, that are in Tokyo Japan. 

     My conclusion is that swimming is a very difficult sport, if you're good at it, you have a gift. It's just you and the pool.