Problematic PowerSchool Follow Up

Andrew Frink, director of data services, has been working with PowerSchool bugs since last summer, when they "upgraded" PowerSchool to the 9.0 version, which wasn’t quite as positive a change as anticipated. There are so many bugs that Andrew and other technicians are working at the Park City School District schools every day, and have been since last summer. Why is it so buggy? According to Andrew, “[PowerSchool] is very complex software and the problems have been difficult to resolve.” They are unsure of why it’s so buggy and why it hasn't been fixed yet, but they will continue working to fix this complicated issue. Still, the bugs will most likely continue for a long time unless the company itself fixes it and actually improves it.

It’s been weeks, months, years since PowerSchool hasn’t been an issue for the Park City School District. PowerSchool is a program through which students can see their grades, to help keep them in the loop on how they are doing in school. Well, it should be that way, but one day, PowerSchool is shutting down for no reason, and the next, teachers can’t enter their grades, not to mention its absurdly long loading times - have fun watching three episodes of Modern Family while you wait for it!

Another thing that PowerSchool is supposed to be able to do is pair with Canvas. The grades students are given in Canvas are supposed to transfer right over to PowerSchool, but they simply don't, so it makes for a very long process. The teachers usually take a long time to put in grades, because they have to do it manually, so students can’t see their grades. When all of their grades get put in at the last minute, they don’t have time to make it up and try to raise their grades. When students submit something to Canvas, teachers fill out a rubric to quickly and automatically give you a grade. If those scores went straight to PowerSchool - like they’re already supposed to do - it would be extremely easy to receive grades, but it doesn’t do that, so teachers have to go to PowerGrade and manually insert the grades a second time. In the process, things get forgotten, scores are messed up (sometimes through typos, sometimes switched between students, and so on), and time is wasted just because the programs don’t work properly. It may be months, or even years until these problems are fully fixed.

Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye

On Saturday night at the Eccles Center in Park City, I went to a performance of spoken word, or poetry that is read out loud. The two performers of the night were Sarah Kay, a New Yorker, and Phil Kaye, a Californian. By the way, these two stellar poets are not related. They made sure that everyone knew that they were basically not related at all, they weren’t dating, and never were going to date each other. However, there are so many similarities between the two that they have learned not to freak out every time someone points out a new one. Here are just a few: Sarah has a brother named Philip, and Phil has a sister named Sarah. They went to the same lifeguard summer camp without either of them knowing the other was there. Both of their mothers were Japanese, and their fathers are Jewish. They went to the same freshmen talent show - where they met - and... Well, you get the idea.

Anyway, the performance was spectacular. The poems were clever, enjoyable, moving, and well-performed. Before most of the poems, they would give a little background information about themselves, mostly pertaining to what the poem was about. For example, prior to reciting a poem about his grandfather, Phil described his grandfather as a man with a long white beard, a head so bald you could eat sushi on it, and a very large stomach. "Like… boom."

One of the poems has even been turned into a book:

B by Sarah Kay

If I should have a daughter, instead of "Mom," she's going to call me "Point B," because that way she knows that no matter what happens, at least she can always find her way to me.

And I'm going to paint solar systems on the backs of her hands so she has to learn the entire universe before she can say, "Oh, I know that like the back of my hand."

And she's going to learn that this life will hit you hard in the face, wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by Band-Aids or poetry.

So the first time she realizes that Wonder Woman isn't coming, I'll make sure she knows she doesn't have to wear the cape all by herself, because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I've tried. "And, baby," I'll tell her, "don't keep your nose up in the air like that. I know that trick; I've done it a million times. You're just smelling for smoke so you can follow the trail back to a burning house, so you can find the boy who lost everything in the fire to see if you can save him. Or else find the boy who lit the fire in the first place, to see if you can change him." But I know she will anyway, so instead I'll always keep an extra supply of chocolate and rain boots nearby, because there is no heartbreak that chocolate can't fix. Okay, there's a few that chocolate can't fix.

But that's what the rain boots are for, because rain will wash away everything, if you let it. I want her to look at the world through the underside of a glass-bottom boat, to look through a microscope at the galaxies that exist on the pinpoint of a human mind, because that's the way my mom taught me. That there'll be days like this.

(Singing) There'll be days like this, my momma said. When you open your hands to catch and wind up with only blisters and bruises; when you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape; when your boots will fill with rain, and you'll be up to your knees in disappointment. And those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you.

Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away. You will put the wind in win some, lose some. You will put the star in starting over, and over. And no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute, be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life. And yes, on a scale from one to over-trusting, I am pretty damn naive. But I want her to know that this world is made out of sugar. It can crumble so easily, but don't be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.

"Baby," I'll tell her, "remember, your momma is a worrier, and your poppa is a warrior, and you are the girl with small hands and big eyes who never stops asking for more." Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things. Always apologize when you've done something wrong, but don't you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining. Your voice is small, but don't ever stop singing. And when they finally hand you heartache, when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on street-corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

Field Trip Fanatics

Remember being a kid and piling into the big yellow school bus to go to a museum with friends for a field trip? Well, those fun filled days are slowly disappearing. Across America, and in the Park City School District, there’s been a severe drop in the number of field trips. Field trips are an important part of a child’s learning and help kids to get excited about going to school and the things they get to do. All throughout America, schools are cutting these important, educational, enriching days due to budget cuts, school requirements, and scheduling issues.

Learning about something in real life is far more educational than sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher lecture. Even if videos are shown, it’s not the same - students don’t learn as much as actually being there. Schools are trying to be more focused on how things relate to the “real world,” like showing how math problems can help you in a future job, so why are they cutting a real world experience like field trips? Studies show that students remember things better when they actually go and and have a real life experience.

In one interview, Mrs. Julie Hooker, a teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High, said, “Students remember how they feel long after they remember what they learned." Students who were surveyed three weeks after a trip to a museum were able to remember more about what they learned than students who read about the same material in a book or watched videos.

In the words of Mrs. Duis, “We have too many students per grade level nowadays to take an entire grade on a field trip during the regular school day. It is too expensive and disruptive to the rest of the student's schedule for the day. Field trips only work well in small groups. In our core classes, that is not possible anymore.” The fact that schools don’t have the funding is a big problem, but so are the problems of large class sizes and low numbers of buses. Teachers should be encouraged to help students learn in a fun and interesting way.

The solution: provide more money for field trips! Allow students to miss classes to go on trips without having boatloads of work to make up. Stop making field trips such a hassle. It's so important to look at future careers and increase a kid’s knowledge about a topic. Students can also bring in a portion of money to help for the buses if it comes to that, so please, bring back field trips.

For the students! For the learning!

Article by Hali and Cami Burke

What The Amazing Race Should Be

Dear The Amazing Race producers,

The Amazing Race is an incredible concept and opportunity for anyone with a knack for traveling and adventures. It’s also exciting and motivating for viewers at home to get up and travel. This show doesn’t just attract people that are eligible to be in the race, however - it also attracts kids who are under 21 years old. The age limit restricts many people from joining The Amazing Race when they are very interested in the show. This is why we’re suggesting a parent-child race for the upcoming seasons.

An Amazing Race with parent-child teams may seem like it would be difficult to pull off, considering the liability risks of the challenges with under-age participants, but that's exactly why the parent should be with the child. The parent will have to approve and sign a waiver for themselves and their children. The parents will be able to fly with their children, and to navigate through foreign countries, supervising and protecting their children in the race. The speed bumps, detours, and road-blocks they have now might be too hard for teens to complete, so for the parent-child race, the challenges will have to reasonably adapt to the teens’ abilities in order to keep the parents from being in charge of absolutely everything; still, the challenges will be just as fun, exciting, and challenging as they are currently, even if a bit more age appropriate.

The age range for the kids in The Amazing Race should be 14 to 17 years-old. Fourteen year olds are mature enough that the challenges could still be reasonably difficult, and the age cutoff should be seventeen because it’s the last year teens qualify as minors.

Parent-child teams are currently on The Amazing Race, but the children on the teams are adults that are 21 years old or older. There should be a parent-child version of The Amazing Race with the children ranging only from 14 to 17 years of age because, in many families, when the child is old enough to be in The Amazing Race, the parent is too old, and not physically able to compete. Families may never get an opportunity together like this past this age range.

There should be parent-child seasons for The Amazing Race because teens may never get this extraordinary opportunity travel and bond with their parents. This would help to build familial relationships and to expose teens to other cultures. Not only will the parent and child have the chance to win one million dollars and compete in crazy obstacles, but the traveling will open teens’ eyes at a young age. They will be exposed to different cultures and appreciate how fortunate they are to live where they are. If a parent and child are on this race, they will create a bond that will never be broken, and teenagers will learn cultural lessons they’ll never forget.

A plethora of teens and their parents are interested and want to be on The Amazing Race, and they may never get this opportunity together again. Viewers would be impressed, as well, and would love to watch a parent-child version of The Amazing Race.

Thank you!

Mia Rapella

Wonder Woman: The Sex Symbol?

     Wonder Woman. A hero, role model and all around “good feminist.” But even though she represents the underrepresented gender in her universe, is she really helping girls image? Her most recent role in Batman vs. Superman didn't exactly speak highly for female attire. It seems as though our female representative has gone minimalist, because when fighting an semi-all powerful alien she was spotted wearing only a strapless leotard, knee-high boots and many golden bangles. Now, I’m by no means saying she didn't absolutely slay, but her co-heros, Batman and Superman, were dressed much more appropriately in full-body suits. Who's to say that her combat skills would be more effective if Wonder Woman would show less skin. Though maybe it's hopeless, comic history has shown that if you are a female superhero you're destined to save humanity in skin-tight leather or practically nothing at all.
   

     However, I know how the film industry operates and that Batman vs. Superman has aimed itself towards a certain demographic, men. That is a generalization, but let's be honest, this Blockbuster wasn't aimed towards empowered young women. So, since a "sexy" superhero is what these men wanted, thats what the costume designer gave them. Maybe it was just me, maybe I was just trying to find yet another thing wrong with this movie that was falling apart. But anyway, whether you're saving the world in a reliable costume or not just remember to wear something,

Inconsistent Park City Weather

The past few weeks have been blue skies and warmer weather in Park City, Utah. While there are usually still many inches of snow in the cold season of March, this year is dramatically different. Most of the snow melted away very early this year, leaving little to prove that Park City is still in the midst of winter. The ski resorts had a shorter “go-season,” leaving fewer people on the hill. There are many possible causes of the warmer weather, the most relevant simply being global warming. Although global warming is a controversial issue, there is no doubt that our Earth is becoming gradually warmer.

However, in middle of the odd warm weather, a snow storm recently came through town. The storm contained high winds, snow, rain, and even brief periods of hail. This common cold front was a surprise to most of Park City after people got used to the premature warmer weather.

The weather is expected to be in the high forties for the next week, with temperatures reaching up to sixty degrees this upcoming Sunday, March 20th. Although the cold, snowy weather is expected to be taken over by sun in the next few days, the weather forecast is showing possible rain and snow again as soon as next Tuesday, March 22nd.

The Park City weather forecast, as of March 16th, 2016

Hotel Hotness

Traveling to a new country to escape Park City’s frigid winter? Want to visit some of the most beautiful hotels in the world for a good price? Hotels tell a lot about a person’s personality. Here’s a list of the top 3 hotels in the world - which one fits you?

Le Royal Monceau - Paris, France, for the fashion-loving extrovert!

This hotel, located barely a block from the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, France, is one of the most gorgeous hotels in the city. With a range of rooms, from a modern one bedroom to a 3,000 square foot penthouse, this hotel has it all. Most bathrooms include a reflective closet and bathroom, which are covered in mirrors, even the floor and ceiling! Each room has an antique guitar signed by someone famous, and a goose down comforter with silk sheets. The breakfast kitchen is open until 11:30, and includes professional chefs. They can make anything you could ever want, have daily specials, and serve crepes every day. Eating locations vary as well, from the scenic, outdoor glass eating area to the indoor dining room. The hotel also offers over five other restaurants inside of it, 24-hour room service, and its own art gallery.

St. Regis - Park City, Utah, for the person who loves luxury comfort!

If you’re just wishing for a spa vacation during your stay-cation, then the St. Regis is a must for a girl’s (or boy’s) day off. Even though you’re not able to leave Park City, this warm, comforting hotel will definitely transport you to a different place. Directly on the Deer Valley slopes, with a breathtaking view of the mountain, this hotel has amazing rooms. All rooms include a full bath and deck, and some even have a full kitchen. Along with the spectacular rooms, the hotel offers a variety of activities: hiking, horseback riding, skiing (with valet service!), parasailing, fly fishing, and snowshoeing.

Casa Delfino - Crete, Greece, for the rustic, but elegant and simplistic lifestyle!

Hoping for more of a homey, bed and breakfast type for trip to really give you a sense of a home away from home? This hotel is the one for you. From the hotel's start in 1835, the German invasion during World War II, and, finally, the renovation from the fifth generation of the original owners, this hotel has history! Every room is unique and easily holds a family of four, and most have two stories. Combining the old world and ancient bricks with new modern fixtures, this hotel is like staying in a castle... and not just because it used to be one!

Speed Nazis

 

A new color has been added to the original blue and red ski uniforms of the Park City Mountain staff. The new member of the staff is “safety patrol”, and they monitor the “slow zones” (the yellow signs found at the bases of lifts). They were brought in by Ski Utah to reduce the number of accidents and out of control skiers and snowboarders. The safety patrol stays around the slow zones to catch people skiing “too fast”. If someone is caught they are pulled over given a scolding, and then scanned to be placed in the system of “out of control” skiers. Seems like a good idea. However, the new addiction has created quite an outrage among skiers and snowboarders.

“I blow past the safety patrol every day. They don't care. Some yell, but beyond that, nothing happens.” says a Park City student on epicski.com. The staff have gotten the reputation of being careless, lazy and that they only work for the free Epic pass they are given. On the contrary, the Park City Ski Patrol center has received many complaints about how the staff is too strict and reprimand anyone who is going fast even if they are in control. There is one case where a safety patroller chased someone into the parking lot for going “too fast”. The safety patrollers have been called speed nazis. “They just wait by the slow zones in hopes to find anyone going fast. You could be the best skier in the world or safest snowboarder.” says Dave Georger, a skier at Park City Mountain Resort.

Needless to say, many people are frustrated with new Safety Patrol that has been added. Nevertheless, it’s important to stay safe and not to get your pass taken away So, next time you're planning on flying through a merge zone keep your eyes open for yellow jackets.


Citation:
"Park City "safety Patrol"" EpicSki. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

The Ultimate Brownie

These brownies are seriously the bomb.com! This delicious, moist, and sweet dessert is a show-stopper. Plus, don’t forget about their adorable appearance! They are perfect to share with friends and family, everyone will be amazed at your baking skills! The combination of cookie dough and brownies is genius and most likely the best creation of all time. This is an easy recipe that you can make from scratch and be proud of.

Makes: 3 dozen mini-cupcake brownies



For The Brownies: 

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt

For The Edible Cookie Dough:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons milk of choice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
mini chocolate chips

Directions

For the brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Put mini cupcake liners into a mini cupcake/muffin pan. 

Combine the melted butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

After blended, mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

Spoon the batter into each of the cupcake liners

Bake in preheated oven until the cupcakes bounce back when touched. They make take ten to thirty minutes. Take the warm little cupcakes out of the pan to let them cool.


For the cookie dough layer:

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and milk. Mix in the flour until well blended.

Take small amounts of cookie dough from the bowl and place on each of the brownie cupcakes. You may have to use your fingers to press it down if it isn’t sticking very well. 

Take a mini chocolate chip and stick it in the middle of the cupcake. If you’d like you can take mini rainbow sprinkles and sprinkle them over the top for an extra pop.

Store the cupcakes in the fridge or freezer.

Why Don't Sports Count for PE Credit?

Most students attending Treasure Mountain Junior High or Park City High School do a sport outside of school, but at the same time still attend a P.E. class. If kids are spending up to six days a weeks - multiple hours a day doing their sport, why doesn’t it count for PE credit? If students can prove that they do a sport many days a week and they get the fitness as well as nutrition component, they shouldn't have to take a PE class. If students can skip PE, they can either do an extra class and get the extra credits, or they can get early release to be able to practice their sport. Physical Education should not be a required class for kids that already spend time outside of school doing the same thing.

Students that take PE at school usually spend eighty minutes doing the activity during each class period. Students that are absent are required to do either an eighty minute PE make-up rubric or a forty minute rubric if there is a health section that interferes. The rubric is a smart idea that encourages kids to get outside and do something if they haven’t been. Although some kids really need the exercise, the others that do sports outside of school shouldn’t have to complete the rubric. The reason is because the rubric says that anything that the student does with a team or a group doesn’t count as time that goes into the make-up. If a student plays a sport like soccer or football, and they miss school for a game, they can’t count it as outside-of-school exercise. They must go and do something else for the amount of time they need for the make-up. This rule is unnecessary and shouldn’t exist. How come running on your own is okay but running in a game for an hour isn’t? Why can’t swimming or skiing be accepted? What’s the difference between the exercise in class and the exercise you get playing or doing a sport with your team?

Most outside of school sports educate kids the same exact way that physical education does. From the exercise portion, to health, they learn all they need to know about a healthy and physical lifestyle that is necessary. In every sport kids are always doing physical activities, usually more than you would do in an actual PE class. So, why would they discount all of the activities you do outside of school when it is usually more than a physical education class? For the health and nutrition portion of the credit, most sports teach you about those things. If there is a sport that doesn’t include that, students could just take a health class to make up for it. In the end, if students do rigorous sports, multiple days a week, outside of school, they should get that part of the credit for PE.

Students have the opportunity to participate in a high school sport for part of their PE credit. First of all, you only get the credits if you participate in it as a junior or senior, and you only get .5 credit for every year you do it. Freshmen and sophomores are doing the same thing as the juniors and seniors and deserve the same credit. Second, if high school sports count for PE credit, why wouldn’t a sport outside of school count? Kids probably benefit more from a sport outside of school, so why is it fair that some kids get credit and some don’t? It’s not. Overall, sports outside of school should count for PE credit like high school sports. Also, freshmen and sophomores should get their credit too. Don’t make the students lives harder, just make it fair.

By Mackenna and Caroline H.

Canvas Catastrophe

Canvas is an online website that the Park City School District uses to help kids keep up with their class assignments. It shows the students’ classes, what the agenda is for the week, upcoming or late assignments, and you can also turn in an assignment through Canvas. Canvas is how students become aware of their assignments. Sounds like a great luxury, right? Canvas might sound like a great website for school purposes, but there are some issues that make Canvas more unhelpful than helpful.

Canvas is a website, meaning it’s only accessible online on a phone, computer, or tablet. The Park City School District gives every student enrolled in the school district a MacBook Air, so it’s not an issue finding a device to access Canvas on. The problem is that computers and technology is not always reliable. For example, if a student is working on an assignment online and they have to turn it in on Canvas, what if there’s a power outage? What if the internet crashes or there’s a problem with the internet service the student uses? Power outages are pretty common in Park City, Utah, and when this happens students usually go down to a Starbucks or library to get connection. But, a lot of the times, students don’t get back from their extracurricular activities until it’s pretty late, so most parents don’t want to drive their kids down to Starbucks at 10 o’clock at night. Sometimes, phone companies’ cell phone towers can go out, cutting out connection from everybody who uses that phone company. When this happens, there’s nothing a student can do about it, they just have to wait until the problem is fixed which can take hours. This results in the student being unable to complete their work for reasons that are out of their control.

When students tell their teachers that they were unable to complete their assignments because of internet or power issues, the teachers usually respond by saying the students should have been more responsible and printed out their assignments before the internet went out... but how can students know when their internet is going to crash? Also, not everyone has a printer, so how can students all expected to print it? When the internet goes out, students with printers still can’t print their assignments because they’d have to go on Canvas to print their assignments which is obviously inaccessible in this situation. Even though power outages and internet crashes don’t occur every week, when they do happen, they can put students behind in their schoolwork and affect their grades.

The idea of Canvas is to be updated about the upcoming agenda in your classes. This sounds great, but teachers don’t always get around to updating their Canvas page. When this happens, students are unaware of their assignments and the activities they are doing in class. Some teachers don’t get around to updating their Canvas page until the last minute on Sunday night. There’s no point of Canvas if it’s not used consistently and it’s just confusing students.

In conclusion, Canvas can be very helpful at times, but it also has a lot of flaws. Some of the flaws with Canvas include unreliable internet and inconsistent updates, which make it harder for students to keep up. If Canvas was used appropriately and wasn’t affected so easily, then it would be a great website; as it is, though, it is more unhelpful than helpful.

By: Mia Rapella and Hali Weaver

Henna Hazard

During summertime in Park City, the Park City Market has a very popular Henna booth that is filled to the brim with children getting their hands and bodies dyed with Henna. Henna is a temporary dye that dyes skin, hair, fingernails and fabrics. While 100% traditional henna is safe, some “black henna”, or medically called Para-phenylenediamine tattoo dye can cause more harm than good. According to the FDA, this dangerous black henna - which is illegal in the United States but frequently used as a cheap substitute - can cause chemical burns, allergic reactions, and worse. With Park City’s farmers market and spring break on the way, make sure that the Henna you’re using is safe.

Black Henna is frequently used because it’s faster and stains darker, but while dark henna may look more appealing, it has some serious consequences. Not only can it cause an irritating rash, the henna can cause blistering, burning, and corrosion to the skin. It takes weeks for the burns to heal. After two weeks there will only be white scars left outlining the henna that you have. This makes the skin extremely itchy, can scar for life, and often causes infection due to the fact that it’s easier to get bacteria in the cuts. It’s typically used in tropical tourist destinations and at shady shops, although some giant henna stores sell it too.

Scarring from Henna

Permanent results of Black Henna

To find out if a shop is using Black Henna, simply mix it with water and if black dye drains out in ten minutes, it’s Black Henna. So when using Henna, either in Park City or anywhere, be safe about what you’re putting going on your skin.


By: Hali Weaver and Cami Burke

Spring Season Changes

March 20th was the first day of spring. However, the weather has been very unpredictable. On March 22nd it was snowing! The spring season has not been the way it’s supposed to be.

In the spring season, the weather is supposed to get warmer. Also, the days get longer. In the winter, it gets dark around 6:00 pm. During the spring it gets dark around 8:00 pm. This happens because the Northern Hemisphere, including our country tilts more toward the sun around this time of year. (Topmarks.co.uk)

Here in Park City, the temperature gets around the 50’s and 60’s in the spring. Unfortunately, on March 22nd, it was snowing, and it was 26º. In Park City, the temperature is very unpredictable, but as the days go on, things get more regulated. Hopefully, we will end up with nice spring weather.

Heidi Matthews, your favorite librarian... And maybe new UEA President?

     Heidi Matthews has been in the education field for 26 years. Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH) has been blessed with her presence as a librarian since 2000 and grade after grade, students still love her.
     When we asked her what her ideas were for encouraging and pushing students to read, her answer was, “When students have choice in what they read and find books that that they care about and the books are the appropriate reading level, that should be enough to encourage them.” This shows how much Mrs.Matthews relies on students love for reading, she wants everyone to read. She decided to become a librarian based of the fact that she loves books, and teaching students. She loves to have the opportunity to work with the other teachers. Her favorite thing, she says, is that she has a focal point in the school coordinating around literacy. She used to be an english teacher, but changed to a librarian because she wanted something different and more time to herself.
     It makes Mrs.Matthews sad that a lot of the kids at Treasure don’t go into the library unless it is
People are at different stages a lot of times students start getting busier and students don't have time to read, she hopes students see the value of the library and how they can use it to their advantage. She has worked here for 16 years has made the purchases , the books, in her opinion, are “rocking”. There isn’t as much of a non-fiction section, but she says she is working on it. She is happy that she has healthy library budget. Plus, you can check out digital books.
     If you hadn't heard, Heidi Matthews is running for UEA President and she's a shoo-in. (P.S that is the correct spelling, not “shoe-in.”) She says that she is running to give a larger voice to teachers. In her words “So many decisions are made by people in power who have no experience. The people who aren't getting what they need to learn or teach need a voice. There is so much research out there that correlates a strong teacher union for students. The teachers are a big part in how we educate in Park City.” There are 20,000 people with a vote in this election, to those people Mrs. Matthews says “I’ve never known a teacher without an opinion, your vote in this election is your voice and we need an association leader with a proven record of asking tough questions, leadership and doing tough work for education. Time to speak up.”  Find Heidi at her campaign website Electheidi4uea.com

Should There Be No School On Fridays?

If there was a 4-day weekend would the students improve? Would the students be more awake at school? Or will there be a lack of focus, and no improvement? There is a school in Preston Idaho, and they have no school on Fridays. They have been doing this for a couple of years. The teachers there have noticed the students are more awake and they are improving, so the school has kept it with a 4-day week.

The good thing about this is that it gives the students an extra day to do homework. It also gives them a chance to be their families, and sports. A study by Tulane University showed that under a four-day week, teachers were absent less often. Also the kids were less tary/late to class.

This may hurt the students when they grow up because when they take a job they may need to work the whole week, and they’ll be use to having a day off on fridays. But that won’t happen to every single students. The schools that tried having a 4-day week, they have stuck with it because test scores and everything improved.

St. Patrick's Day

Coming up on March seventeenth is the vibrant holiday of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s day is the one of the most celebrated holidays in America.

St. Patrick’s Day was based on the irish saint named St. Patrick. According to wilstar.com, St. Patrick was originally involved in the “Pagan religion.” He was captured in Wales, Scotland and was enslaved in Ireland. He eventually escaped a few years later. He went home to his family, living in Britain. His family went on a mission to Ireland, becoming a cleric, and then being a bishop for the chistian religion. Thus, he was originally known as the patron saint of Ireland.

The typical St. Patrick’s day is celebrated in many ways. It usually consists of wearing green due to the idea of getting pinched. People also celebrate this holiday by making Irish food like corned beef and cabbage, and dying different drinks green. In some cities they even have huge parades for this event. With this said, everyone should enjoy St. Patrick’s day.

Sources:

Wilstar.com

By: Julianna Foltynowicz

“Spring Forward, Fall Back!” Daylight Savings Time: Yes or No?

Daylight savings began on Sunday, March 13th, 2016, at 2:00 AM in the morning. In Utah, a bill has been proposed year after year to either stop or continue daylight savings. Year after year, the bill has not been passed, yet they continue to give us the option.

Daylight savings in the spring - during the school year - is hard for the students. This is pretty much making students wake up and go to school an hour earlier. It is even more difficult for students in the junior high and the high school in Park City, Utah, because we all have to get up for school at about 6:30 to 7:00 AM. Having to wake up even earlier than that causes a lot of stress to us, because we may have an important class for which we won't even be fully awake.

The bill should be passed, or they should at least let the public have more of a voice and let us decide whether it should stay or go. The bill has been proposed many times, and we just want to know the decision. It would be great if the bill was passed, but just let us know so we can prepare for the harsh, early spring mornings.

The Most Dramatic Season Yet

On Monday night, Ben made the biggest decision of his life on the Bachelor. After ten weeks, he finally made his decision and chose his wife. Not only did viewers get to see Ben propose on the show, but they got to see him propose again, live, in front of their family and friends on the after show. According to Chris Harrison, “This has been the most dramatic season yet.” Although that may be an exaggeration, Ben has been one of the most popular and lovable bachelors on the show.

The two girls with whom Ben claimed to be in love were Lauren Bushnell, a 25-year-old flight attendant from Marina Del Rey, CA; and Jojo, a 24-year-old real estate developer from Dallas, Texas. Before the proposal, Ben spent three months getting to know the girls, including a trip to the girls' hometowns, where he got to meet their families. Jojo’s hometown was a bit dramatic - she received flowers and a love letter from her ex, and her protective brothers gave Ben a hard time. At Lauren’s, her sister questioned whether or not Ben was good enough for Lauren. Ben developed strong feelings for both the girls and really struggled when it came to deciding who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Throughout a season of goodbyes and “blindsides,” Ben claims that there was something special from the very beginning of his relationship with Lauren - something so special that Ben had to say goodbye to Jojo in order to propose to the love of his life, Lauren. However, not to fear! Jojo is now the bachelorette, and America is in for another dramatic season of The Bachelor.

PCHS Girls’ Lacrosse

The Park City High School (PCHS) girls’ lacrosse team has always been a big-time team. Multi-year state champions, the team never fails to impress when they step on the lacrosse field. The varsity team started their season off with two big wins last week, beating West 22-1 in their first home game and then beating Woods Cross 20-3 in their first away game.

The team also took a trip to California this past weekend. They looked at it as a chance to match up with “tough West Coast squads.” Although the program has not posted any results yet, the team played Foothill High School and Canyon Crest High School in the mini tournament.

Coach Kassandra Lemons said she is very proud of what the girls have been able to accomplish in the past couple years. She says that when they play, they all make each other look good, which is a sign of good teamwork. She also says that the program is full of very committed players and she is very happy about that. Lemons is excited to see what the rest of the season brings for this team who has made winning a habit.

The team’s next home game is Wednesday, March 23 against Jordan High School at Dozier Field.

Sources:

Spencer, Adam. "PCHS Girls' LAX Wins Big Again." The Park Record. The Park Record, 11 Mar. 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

Johnny and Justin's Justification

Sorry to crush your dreams, ladies and gentlemen, but we have to set the rumor straight - Justin Bieber and Johnny Depp are not moving to Park City, Utah. You may have read the rumor online, claiming that Johnny Depp and Justin Bieber bought summer homes in Park City, but the websites on which you read this were all fake.

There were only two websites that exposed this fake celebrity news: Headline Brief and The McKenzie Post, which are websites that are now unaccessible. This was one of the clues that helped us come to the conclusion that this rumor is untrue. If this rumor was true, then it would be in multiple articles, in the news, or on the radio. These websites most likely used prank generators, where anybody is allowed to submit an article about celebrities whether the stories are accurate or not.

The real deal-breaker that made us officially decide the story was phony was that Johnny Depp and Justin Bieber apparently said the exact same things when describing why they wanted to move to Park City.

Bieber’s assistant said, “Justin immediately fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle of the Park City area and the tranquil beauty of the mountains and was telling everyone that he was going to move there.” Meanwhile, Depp’s assistant said the same thing about Johnny. In addition, both Bieber's page and Depp's page featured this exact quote: “I just want to move to a place that feels so different than what I’ve been used to for most of my life and I think this will be a great place to spend the summer.” Does it really seem likely or even possible that they would both say that in the exact same words? It certainly doesn't seem that way to us.

The reason why this fake article was posted and who posted it is still unknown. Luckily, this rumor didn’t actually do much harm - it just got the internet buzzing, fans excited, and false stories spread.

Sources:

Means, Sean P. "No, Johnny Depp and Justin Bieber Aren't Moving to Park City." The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., 8 Mar. 2016. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.

"Johnny Depp, Justin Bieber To Buy Park City Homes? Probably Not." Gephardt Daily. Gephardt Daily Staff, 07 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. 

By: Mia Rapella and Mackenna Doilney

New Proposed Start Time: Beneficial or Not?

Lately, the Park City School District has been discussing pushing back the start time for Treasure Mountain and the Park City High School - specifically, instead of starting at 7:30 every morning and going to 1:45 on Mondays and 2:25 on other days, the schools would start and end an hour later, from 8:30 to 2:45 (Mondays) or 3:25 (any other days). There are two sides to this, however. Most kids love to sleep in and get as much rest as they can so they can be performing at their best all day, but there are many others who do not favor this idea of starting later because of the consequence of getting out later. Most of the people against a later start time are kids with early release - they would have to miss too much class if the school day extended a full hour longer than it does now, especially when they already need to leave early. This could prevent them from receiving the amount of credit that they need from their classes. Many other students simply don't want to stay in school until 4:00. Everyone in favor is of a different mindset: they either don’t care, or they really need their beauty rest.

Many teens and parents in Park City already complain about the 7:30 start. At this age, a lot of kids stay awake until late at night and then have to wake up seven hours later. There are so many people that don’t get the eight hours of sleep that they need to continue developing. It has also been scientifically proven that a student’s brain isn’t fully awake until ten o’clock, which, on the current schedule, is halfway through second period, meaning students aren't fully awake for any part of their first period classes. When there is important testing at the end of the year, especially in high school, a later start time is extremely beneficial. Teens will be able to get the most out of their school day because they will most likely be more focused on their work later in the day.

On the other hand, parent release is a program which allows kids that do sports outside of school to leave early and practice. Many sports - like skiing and snowboarding - simply cannot be done after certain hours, as most ski resorts close at a certain time that happens to be early enough in the day that most students can never practice during the school week. To get the most out of their training time, many kids leave school early and start practicing right away. For the kids getting out early, an early start time is very helpful to accommodate their training schedule; when you graduate, you need a certain number of credits, and when you get early release, it can be tricky to make that work. The sooner students already get out, the fewer classes they have to miss. Missing as few classes as possible is crucial for graduating; if a later start time was placed, the early release kids would most likely have to quit their sport, or find a way to get as much training as they can, which won’t be much. If school ended at 3:25 on every day except Mondays, and the mountain closed at four, those students would have an issue. A later start time would be taking the opportunity away from early release kids to do a sport they love as much as they can.

By Caroline and Mackenna

No F's In Fashion

Can wearing a certain type of clothing help someone perform better on a test? According to recent studies done by California State University, the answer is yes. In many cases, students prefer to wear clothing that they feel comfortable in like a sweatshirt on test day. However, that may be one of the causes of students getting low test scores.

The study compared the test scores of sixty undergraduate students and the formality of their outfits. The students were asked to complete a ten question test that looked for whether students answered questions abstractly or concretely. The conclusion was that students wearing fancier and more formal clothes chose answers that were more abstract. Basically, this means that it is better to dress up for a test that is less formulaic and more abstract. Also, wearing “fancier” clothes tends to give people a confident vibe, resulting in better test scores as well. So, next time you have a test in English try swapping out sweats for a dress. A smaller study by Nautilus suggests dressing down when you have a test on something more detail-oriented. Next time you have a detailed test in history, don’t be afraid to throw on a sweatshirt.

While dressing up might not be the best strategy for math tests, this may help out students in more “abstract” classes and on more open-ended type question tests. For a math or engineering test it is found that students who dress down and more comfortable tend to perform better. An outfit can’t guarantee you an A, though, so it’s still good to do at least some studying. Sometimes little changes can result in big, positive things. Overall, there is no harm in changing up outfits especially if it can help a test grade.

American Heart Association Spirit Week

Treasure Mountain Jr. High will be raising the awareness for The American Heart Association, AHA, during the week March 28-April 1. The AHA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Their mission statements says: "To build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke."

On Monday, students are encouraged to wear a full smile. The campaign posters state: “Go the extra mile and put on a big smile.” On Tuesday, students have the option to wear sport uniforms or school spirit. On Wednesday, students are told to wear PJs or comfy clothes. On Thursday, students are encouraged to “show your smarts and learn more about hearts (wear glasses, suspenders, and other “nerdy attire”). Lastly, on Friday students are told to wear red. Please participate in AHA spirit week.

Andy to Lilly: A directors transition

     “I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.” - Neo from The Matrix.
Co-Director of the Blockbuster icon, formerly known as Andy, is now Lilly Wachowski. “You know, when you’re living as an out transgender person, it’s … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted – needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable. But apparently I don’t get to decide this.” Wachowski says. The last part of this statement is regarding a Daily Mail reported who pushed her into coming out, but whether Lilly came out by choice or not she just made huge progress in the film community.
     The Daily Mail seems to think it is a conspiracy due to the fact that Lilly’s sister, Lana Wachowski, did the same thing four years ago. It may seem odd, but it was simply their decisions.
     Though a recent Oscar nominee, The Danish Girl, highlighted a transgender love story, the filmmakers themselves are not as diverse. So, the fact that a director of such high esteem voiced her change is a really big step. She has seemed to follow words from her biggest production, “Don't think you are, know you are.” - Morpheus The Matrix

Grupo Corpo Is Coming To Park City

March 19th, Grupo Corpo is coming to Park City’s Eccles Center. Grupo Corpo is a Brazilian modern dance company choreographed by Rodrigo Pederneiras. The native New Yorker says that this show is “spectacular”. If you are interested in seeing the show, it is on March 19th at the Eccles Center. Just like any other show, there will be student tickets for $5.00. For non-students tickets are priced as following-

Platinum Section – $75*

Gold Section – $65

Silver Section – $55

Bronze Section – $45

Copper Section – $25

If you want to purchase tickets you can call this number: 435-655-3114, or go to the box office in the front of the Eccles Center. Thanks! Hope you enjoy!

Mary Kay Becker's Teacher Feature

Mary Kay Becker is a special needs teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High School. She has been working at the school for 32 years. Mary decided to work here because she has had previous experience working with people in social skills, and she enjoyed it. Mrs. Becker is such a nice lady, and teacher, who has such an amazing amount of kindness, even though she has been through some tough times.

Mary Kay grew up in Michigan. She moved to Park City in 1984. Growing up, she had a couple siblings who she describes as christian, her best friends, encouraging, supportive, likes similar activities as her, enjoys the outdoors, helpful and they share great experiences with her. Mary Kay’s parents were described as very religious christians, smart, loving, supportive, hardworking, and family was the number one priority to them. Her mother, was creative and very loving. She worked as an RN. Mary Kay’s dad was very patient, and mathematical, as he was an accountant. Her family, had a lot of fun together. She said that in the summer they would sit on the patio and eat watermelon. So, if there was a fruit that described her, that was what she would be. However in her daily life, she couldn’t live without turkey, milk, coffee creamer, and condiments in her fridge.

When talking to her about her life at home, she said she has a cute dog named Angel. Angel is a Pomeranian Chihuahua mix. Mary Kay said her favorite thing about her is her sweetness. However, Angel is described as cute, smart, likes to cuddle, full of energy, loves the snow and outdoors, unconditional lover, enjoys playing fetch, protecting, inquisitive, and doesn’t like airplane rides. Mary Kay loves her dog, and Angel is her best friend.

Mary Kay’s best experience was when she and her friends played basketball together. She said she was fortunate to have an incredible group of friends throughout her schooling, and basketball was her most enjoyable, competitive sport. Mary Kay was very into sports. She also told me she had done some track too. However, basketball was her favorite.

If Mary Kay was moving to a foreign country and could only bring a couple things, she would bring her bible, and her computer. Her computer would be for communication purposes, with family through email. Her bible, would be so she could read it to make her happy. After all, family means a lot to her, as well as religion.

Overall, It was great talking with Mary Kay Becker. She is an amazing lady, and teacher, with such a great amount of positivity and appreciation. I think everyone should get to know her.

Is the 2016 US Presidential Election Desensitizing America?

Trump, Trump, Trump! This seems to be the only thing people are hearing about when it comes to politics, and more specifically and more importantly, electing a new President for our country!! However, the things that students are hearing about Mr. Trump are not things like where federal taxes are set, but rather, that he wants to punch obese men and, generally, his offensive statements.

A survey conducted recently by yours truly asked two questions.

The first was a multiple choice question:

“Do you think that the 2016 US Election is causing people to become desensitized or, put bluntly, mean?”

Next, participants were asked to respond with text to "If so, why and/or how?"

These are a few of the responses collected, unedited:

“Since Donald Trump has turned the elections into more of a reality TV show, he has created an environment in which people are turning serious political discussions into a roasting session.”

“I think that all elections make people mean. People want their opinion to be right and they don't really think about what they are saying to other people. In addition, I think Donald Trump is getting everyone riled up and he is just stirring the pot.”

“People are turning against each other when we should be coming together. People are also taking offense to who everyone wants to vote for.”

“First of all I believe that it is causing an outrage in my honest opinion I will be blunt most of the people running for president straight up SUCK yes I mean Donald Trump excuse my french but the world is going to become a living hell if he is elected, he is trying to move all mexicans out EXCUSE ME he's telling me as a hispanic that all my friends are going to have to go back to mexico hell to the no that is not going to happen does he have a brain who does he think makes all the buildings and helps garden in park city or utah as a matter a fact. Hispanics simply do the things that americans are too lazy to do so in this 2016 election if I could choose someone to win it would be Bernie Sanders or Rubio.”

“I don't know whether it is causing people to become desensitized or not because I have not been paying much attention to the 2016 election.”

“I think that the 2016 elections have been influenced by candidates attacking their opponents on a personal level. There have also been many racial and prejudice remarks from candidates. Many of the candidates have been extremely unprofessional and certainly un-presidential. I think that the 2016 elections have turned the race for president into a reality TV show.”

“People think that they can say whatever they want and not have any consequences. This is regarding racist remarks on television. We have come so far to get rid of negativity towards different ethnicities, cultures, religions, sexes. And this election is bringing up subjects that we have already overcome. We are beginning to repeat history.”

“I think it can go either ways. Every person over 18 has the right to vote, and a lot of people have different candidates they want to vote for. This can cause fights for many reasons. For example, some people want to vote for Trump, but some people hate Trump. So this could cause a fight between them and maybe ruin their relationship. However, everyone can vote for anyone they want and other people should respect their decision.”

“I haven't heard anyone being mean over it. Everything I've heard are lighthearted comments - I haven't seen anyone react to them with offense, nor do I think anyone would keep making them if they WERE offensive (and anyone spoke up).”

“I think kids who can't even vote yet begin to argue constantly about their opinions without consideration.”

“Elections are always 'desensitized', and always will be.”

“Any election does, it doesn't matter if it's the 2016 election!!!!!!!!”

Article by Owen Nagel

Top 5 Ways To Stay Healthy At School.

Schools are full of germs. Sick kids come to school, and sickness germs are everywhere. Especially, the door knobs, the sinks, the lockers, and lots of other things. However, it’s important to stay healthy, with everything going on. You might have something really important happening and you definitely do not want to be sick. With that said, here are the top five ways to stay healthy at school.

One of the most important ways to stay healthy at school, is to wash your hands. You should always wash your hands before and after you eat, after you go to the bathroom, if you cough or sneeze into your hands, or touching someone else’s technology. According to rainbowlight.com, “You should also avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. These places are the easiest to get germs into.”

The second thing, is to cover your sneeze or cough. Preferably, cough into your arm, because then it won’t be spread anywhere else. If you cough into the air all the germs travel. If you cough into your hand and shake someone’s hand then you are spreading germs to that person. When you sneeze, make sure you aim it in your arm too. Or use a tissue and throw it away.

The third thing, is to make sure you don’t share food or water bottles with anyone sick. If someone has a really bad cold, the last thing you want to do is spread the germs to yourself. You can share food with them, but don’t eat anything that has been in their hands, or their mouth.

The fourth thing to make sure you stay healthy, is eat healthy foods, and exercise. Eating healthy foods, will benefit your health and make your immune system stronger. Yogurt is really good because it contains probiotics that are really good for your digestive health. If you are sick with a cold, try eating lots of vitamin C which is found in oranges. Also, drink a lot of water, and sleep appropriate hours.

The fifth thing, is to stay away from kids that are sick. I am not saying to avoid everyone, I am just saying the people that have a really bad sickness. If they keep coughing and sneezing, keep your distance, and always wash your hands.

If you follow all these steps, you will have a better chance of not being sick. Not being sick has many benefits too. It will help your growth, you will be able to go to places, hang out with your friends, and be at school so you don’t have to miss work.


Sources:
rainbowlight.com

By: Julianna Foltynowicz

Battery Life and Blocked Programs

My school computer doesn't have a very good battery life. I have looked it up to try to figure out why and troubleshoot it, and I've found many good solutions. For example, you can check what is causing problems with your battery through the program Activity Monitor. Actually, no, you can't. Activity Monitor is blocked on our school computers. This resulted in one burning question: why is it blocked?

To find my answer, I interviewed Sam Thompson, the GenYes teacher and technology specialist at Treasure Mountain. Mr. Thompson said, “There are only so many programs that they can maintain at a successful level [...].” However, there is literally no way that Activity Monitor can be used in a harmful or inappropriate way, so why is it blocked?

I made a second interview in hopes of a more helpful answer, and according to Joe Stout, “As for Activity Monitor and Chess, we are asked to keep apps that are not needed in any of your classes blocked as it takes kids off task.” How would Activity Monitor take people off task? It doesn’t make sense, as all you can use it for is to check what programs are using the most battery.

His quote also brings up the second issue: the Chess application, which is also blocked. Why is Chess blocked if the website “chess.com” isn't? Chess.com does exactly the same thing as the chess program, but with the added issue that you're able to play and chat with people across the world. This adds more potential for harmful and distracting use than the Chess app! Even now, this doesn't make any sense.

Treasure Mountain needs to change their policy on computers in some ways. If they are going to unblock things like “chess.com,” which is far more distracting than the application Chess... but still not unblock Chess, the system obviously needs amendment.

Problems With Newsela

Teachers at Treasure Mountain have been using a new way to test reading comprehension - a website called Newsela. It uses four-question tests on different lexile levels to evaluate a student’s comprehension of an article they read. Teachers seem to think the tests show an accurate description of students reading skills, but it really doesn’t.

The main problem with Newsela is that all of the answers on the quizzes are similar. For example, they ask a lot of questions about the main idea of articles, and several of the answers are identical. For example, one answer choice might say the main idea is to be nice to others, and the other may simply paraphrase the same thing and say the main idea is to have kindness! The worst part is that, if a student misses one question, it's automatically a 75% or a C on their grade. Honestly, tests on comprehension should be more about what the reader thinks. In the past, questions about the main idea of an article have been open-ended, and that approach is far more effective at judging comprehension than a poorly-made multiple-choice test, which often boils down to just guessing. Of course, there's an issue if the article is about a dog and a student says it’s about a cat, but if the student tells teacher, "Hey, I think it should be this answer, not that one," and is able to logically explain why, that should be enough regardless of what Newsela's grade says. Everyone’s interpretation of the test is different, and students should have the opportunity to show why they think they’re right instead of just being automatically graded.

Top 5 Outfits in The Halls of Treasure Mountian

In the halls of Treasure Mountain, you’ll find that the students are very trendy; but, there are more outfits that are more popular than others. So here are the top 5 outfits that the students are wearing.

1. The most popular outfit for girls this year seems to be the Lululemon leggings, a sweatshirt and Converse or Vans. This outfit is my favorite, because it really is the most comfortable outfit someone could ever wear. Though Lulus' are a little expensive, you can find almost every girl wearing them almost everyday.
2. The students at Treasure Mountain are all about athletics, so you can find that a lot of the students here wear their sports gear whether it’s game day or not. The boys' varsity soccer team can be found wearing their Park City Soccer, black-and-white zip-ups. The girls' lacrosse team (Varsity and JV) all wear their team sweats and sometimes their red (or black) windbreakers. You can also see that the baseball players have their grey jackets and the lacrosse team with a similar look. Next to Lululemons, athletic wear seems to be the most popular look of the year; since this trend does include the boys.

3. Joggers seem to be a huge trend whether you are into them or not. Both boys and girls wear joggers. Joggers are basically sweatpants that get tighter at the ankle, but are looser everywhere else. Most of the guys at our school wear Khaki Joggers. The girls here wear Adidas joggers, which are a little looser at the ends, but are still moderately skinny. This trend was started by the soccer team. This has to be one of my favorite trends of the year.


4. When guys aren’t wearing the athletic soccer joggers you can see them wearing khakis or jeans. Some guys wear skinny jeans, and others wear loose fit jeans. The most popular article of clothes that guys wear are khakis, they could be either normal khakis or joggers.


5. Almost everyone here at Treasure loves an old pair of Converse or some Vans. Even the guys are hopping on the trend. Though Nike Free Runs or just Nike shoes in general are among the most popular shoes; some guys are switching over to the Vans side. You can also find that the girls love to wear Nikes with their Lululemon leggings or shorts. The three most popular shoe brands this year are of course the Converse, Vans, and Nikes.

Top Ten Easter Candy

1. Cadbury Eggs

These sweet, chocolate eggs are cute and yummy. Milk chocolate coated in a thin layer of sugar makes for a delicious treat. If you’re a lover of white chocolate, you can also try the white chocolate variant! These treats are even better if you try them cold, so make sure to put them in your refrigerator!

2. Peeps

Peeps practically scream Easter. They’re sticky, gooey deliciousness. Coated in sugar, these colorful birds are sure to satisfy your Easter cravings!

3. Starburst Jelly Beans

Jelly beans are always an Easter classic, and these new Starburst beans are not to disappoint. These jelly beans have the chewy, gummy texture and the yummy flavors of Starburst. Treat yourself to some Starburst goodness!

4. Cadbury Chocolate Bunny

Chocolate bunnies are an original Easter treat, but it can be hard to find a bunny with nice quality chocolate. If you're struggling, let it be known that Cadbury is a safe bet to fulfill your chocolatey desire!

5. Jelly Belly Spring Mix

Jelly Belly is the original brand and started it all. Their spring mix is filled with delicious flavors such as berry blue, cotton candy and pink grapefruit. However, with Easter nearing, they lack large packaging.

6. Cadbury Cream-Filled Eggs

Cadbury has proven to be "the Easter brand," and these cream-filled eggs are totally a crowd pleaser - they are not to be missed!

7. Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Eggs

Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate? If you love Reese's peanut butter cups or Reese's Pieces, you’ll love the Easter version. Like the Cadbury Eggs on top, these taste extra delicious after being chilled in the fridge.

8. Hershey's Kisses Easter Edition

Let’s be real: Hershey’s Kisses Easter are the original chocolate in colorful wrapping. That said, they may seem dated, but they're also not to be overlooked! Why miss out on an excuse to stuff your face with chocolate?

9. Jolly Rancher Gummi Bunny Food

These sweet, chewy gummis are perfect for your taste buds. They come in a variety of flavors: green apple, lemon, orange, and cherry. They’re also shaped like vegetables, a bunny’s favorite meal, so you can pretend that you're eating something healthy! (... Hey, at least it looks like you are.)

10. Whoppers Robin Eggs

Whoppers have already proven to be a popular treat year round, so it’s no surprise that these Robin Eggs are flying off the shelves! They’re covered in chocolate with a yummy, crunchy inside.

Top 3 Online Resources For Shakespeare

Shakespeare is one of most famous known authors in history, but one of the hardest to understand. As time goes on, the Elizabethan language becomes more difficult for students to understand. Below are some of the three best websites to use while reading or writing about Shakespeare. 

1. Sparknotes (sparknotes.com): Sparknotes slogan is “When your books and teachers don't make sense, we do.” For many students, this is the case for Shakespeare. According to UTSA.EDU, high school students will read one play a year At TMJH, the 9th graders read Romeo and Juliet. During this process, Sparknotes is a life saver. For Shakespeare, the website has an entire section dedicated to Shakespeare’s works. The database has over twenty works, including famous plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Each play on the website includes major character analysis, in depth summaries of individual acts, important quotations explained, and major themes, motifs, and symbols. Additionally, an extension of the website, No Fear Shakespeare, includes direct text from all acts on the left and the Elizabethan language translated into modern english on the right. As a honors english student, I highly recommend using Sparknotes and No Fear Shakespeare to help comprehend his plays and use as an assistance to write and essay.

2. Shakespeare, Complete Works (shakespeare.mit.edu): One of the worst parts of writing an essay, is having to type of quotes. While reading Shakespeare, one will gather an immense amount of quotes for their essay, and a strong feeling of dread of having to type them all up. Shakespeare, Complete Works has all of Shakespeare’s plays divided by genre in web based form. Once one clicks on the play of their choice, the website will take them to another page with all of the scenes and acts in clickable link forms. The links will take you to a readable form of that play. This website also saves students the hassle of bringing textbooks home. The only issue with this site, is the fact the lines aren’t numbered.

3. Shakespeare’s Words (shakespeareswords.com/Glossary): Shakespeare’s Words is a great glossery of words used in all of his plays. The glossary is organized alphabetically; it has a tab for each letter at the top of the page. It is very easy to use. The website will allow you to click on a word and then on the right it’s definition and part of speech will appear. The site also has a search function. It is very convenient. One can type a word in and then the site will pull up the glossary result, including a definition on the page, and the plays the word it is in, along with a sentence from the play including the word on the page.

Rock, Paper, Sisters: The Pros and Cons of Having a Younger Sibling

Siblings can be a driving force in one's life. They can create life-long alliances that outlast many other friends and relationships. You can go to them for anything; advice, help, backup...

But sometimes, you just want to throw a blanket over their head and pretend they're not there.

Since I'm technically an only child, you may think I'm not too qualified to be talking about siblings; you would be right, if you weren't so wrong. I do indeed have a sister. She's a year younger than me, an inch and a half taller than me, and only slightly less annoying. Summer and I have known each other for five and a half years, and we're so close we could have grown up together. For almost six years, we've lived two doors from each other, within shouting distance of each other's windows. She walks me home from school, I help her with her homework, I annoy her, she teases me... If you didn't know better, you would totally believe it was biological!

Pro: Siblings are built-in best friends.

Since the day we've met, Summer and I have been thick as thieves. Our first big adventure started when I accidentally broke a tree branch off of an aspen by our apartment complex's playground - the two of us proceeded to hide it behind a fence like it was a dead body. More recently, we've pursued a project of taking multiple recordings of Summer's incredibly annoying but hilarious laugh, and putting it into an iMovie. I'm considering saving it to play at her wedding.

Con: They're not required to be nice.

Like all relationships in life, things between Summer and I aren't always fine and dandy. Although we haven't fought for years, it's been for a good reason - when we do fight, it gets bad. Well, not "screaming matches and knife-throwing" bad, but bad for us. We've sat in brooding, angry silence, each irritated with the other, but silent until the annoyance finally boils over and one of us snaps, says something nasty, then storms out. These instances always leave us upset, so we try our best to avoid them.

Pro: You always have someone with whom to hang out.

When I'm ready to rant about an obnoxious kid at school, Summer's waiting. When she needs a shoulder to cry on, I have a shoulder, tissues, and a Netflix comedy ready to play... Oh, and one of us is going somewhere fun? The other is already waiting in the car.

Con: They always want to hang out.

While the above statement can be taken either way, it's true that one of us can become too much for the other to handle. If I'm home and Summer's too lazy to ring the doorbell, but has already called me a few times, she'll start to throw pinecones at my window until I wake up from my nap or take out my earbuds!

Pro: Siblings have your back.

I doubt there's anyone else in the world I trust as much as Summer. We're partners in crime, through thick and thin. If it was zombie apocalypse right now, she would be my in my A-team, along with John Cena (and this one kid we met in a game of dodgeball - that kid could throw with such amazing accuracy that he needs to be recruited for the Avengers!).

Con: That means they always have the perfect opportunity to push you!

Does anything else have to be said? If they see an opening, chances are that they'll nudge you just enough for you to lose your balance and fall into mud. Or grass. Or a pool.

Overall, siblings are irreplaceable. No one can make me laugh harder or argue longer than Summer, and I know that she can put her full faith in me at any time (even if I do mess with her often). I would yell at anyone making fun of her, and, if the situation was reversed, she would hit them. I'm grateful to have my little sister for every Netflix binge, writing session and laugh attack to come.