College: In-state vs Out

Obviously, college is extremely expensive and stressful. Going to college in Utah is a good solution to those problems - however, missed opportunities are inevitable. When it comes to choosing a college, the question arises whether or not to stay in state.

5 Reasons to Stay In-State:
1. In-State Tuition: This poses a big advantage, especially since Utah has the program “Utah Scholars” (which helps out students who wish to stay in state).

2. Family and friends: Planning to go to college in-state is smart for people who get homesick easily. There are multiple cases where students have dropped their school because it is too far away. This is also easy on the family members of the students.

3. Save money on travel expenses: This one is pretty obvious. If a student stays in states the traveling expenses of seeing their family are pretty low. That means that they can visit more often. With Mom and Dad only an hour away, it makes it pretty easy to visit on holidays and long weekends.

4. Student acceptance: Often times students who have lived in the same place where they are going to school have an easier time getting accepted by other students. Plus, everyone likes a free tour guide.

5. Living Expenses: Students can live at home! Although this may not be ideal for most students, it is definitely a choice worth considering. Students who live at home can save an average of $10,000.






5 Reasons to Leave:
1. Independence: Students who go to school out-of-state tend to be much more independent. Going to school out-of-state forces the student to explore their new home and meet all of the new people around them. Independence is a super important part of growing up.

2. Meeting new people: Obviously, high school friends and family may not be around anymore. Going to college outside of state is a great way to create new life-long friends that might be considered a second family. Also, summer and breaks still allow the student to go home and visit their old friends and family.

3. A new environment: Sometimes, students choose to attend schools that are at a completely different elevation and have a completely different climate. It may take a little while to adjust, but there are many benefits that come with the change. Learning to do a variety of sports and school activities is a good way to explore and adapt to a new place.

4. Opportunities: A student is bound to be exposed to great things after they leave behind their home. Depending on whatever path they choose to take, there could potentially be a life-changing opportunity for the student to take.

5. Choice: Leaving the state is great because there are so many more colleges to choose from. Rather than choosing from only a couple, (Utah) the student can choose from colleges all over the country. Depending on whether they want to go to a top college or a private school, the choice is theirs.






In conclusion, the choice where to go to college is up to the student, however, some benefits might persuade a student one way or another. Hopefully these tips gave some insight. There are benefits to staying in state or going out but mostly depends on the student and what they want.



By: Mackenna Doilney and Murphy Georger

Hora De Español

Have you ever had a hard time with your Spanish in any kind of way? There is no need to worry about failing that challenging Spanish test anymore, Hora De Español can help you! Hora De Español is a free Spanish help lab from 2:30 to 4:00 every Wednesday after school. The location of this amazing tutoring program varies based on the teacher who is hosting the lab on the day you would like to attend. It switches off between Ms. Smith’s room, number 11, Ms. Bechdel’s room, number 13, Ms. Aplanalp’s room, number 7, and Mr. Ortiz’s room, number 14. As you can see, there are many classrooms you can rely on for Spanish help. It not only allows you to get an A+ in your class, it also gives you the advantage of extra education on becoming an advanced Spanish speaker. Ms. Bechdel is no longer working at this school for the remainder of the year, but there is no need to worry! There is an excellent, intelligent sub replacing her spot. He would be happy to help you with anything you need, as well as all of the other teachers. When asking Negin Smith, a Spanish teacher here at TMJH, about what kind of things kids could get help on, she stated, “Students can get help on makeup work, re-do work, re-quizing on formative assessments, encouragement, and small group attention.” Hora De Español is ending very promptly. It will be closing on May 25th of this year, so make sure you check out this amazing program before it is too late!

Dance Moms Departure

In the newest Dance Moms episode, which aired on April 12, the Zieglers finally announced they will not be returning to Dance Moms after season six. Maddie Ziegler, her younger sister Mackenzie Ziegler, and their mom Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni have been on the TV show since the debut in 2011. The Zieglers made many memories at the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC), so it was very hard for Abby Lee Miller, the other moms, the Zieglers’ teammates, and their fans to say goodbye.

The Zieglers have consistently been Abby Lee Miller’s favorites since season one. So, when Melissa told Abby they were leaving her dance company, Abby was heartbroken. She started crying and gave a small speech about how proud she is of Maddie and Mackenzie. The other moms were very sad about the Zieglers leaving too, because they’re all very good friends with Melissa and care about her kids.

The Zieglers leaving Dance Moms will have a huge impact on the show. Many fans are very upset about this news and say that they will stop watching the show because the Zieglers are gone. Other fans are supporting Maddie and Mackenzie, whether they’re on the show or not.

The rumors of the Zieglers leaving surfaced when many gossip blogs/magazines wrote articles about it even before Melissa announced the news. In the episodes leading up to Melissa’s announcement, the other dance moms constantly asked Melissa questions about the rumor, but she never answered the questions and only said, “My daughters are never leaving the ALDC.” Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni lied to Abby Lee, the other moms, and her fans.

The Zieglers are leaving the ALDC because over the years, Maddie Ziegler has been getting many dance and acting opportunities for music videos and TV shows on Disney channel. Now, Maddie Ziegler was offered a job to do a movie produced by Sia, a famous pop singer, because she starred in multiple Sia music videos. The Zieglers accepted this job offer because they think it’s more important than going to a dance competition every week. Melissa also thinks that it’s a better idea to leave the ALDC because she’d, “rather be on a job than on a bench with negative mothers”. Although Maddie’s younger sister, Mackenzie, hasn’t gotten any job offers that have been publicized yet, she must leave the TV show too because her Dance Moms contract states that she can’t be on the show without her mom.

Maddie, Mackenzie, and Melissa Ziegler have had their ups and downs at the Abby Lee Dance Company, but their time has finally come to an end. The memories and the friends that they have made on the show will always stay with them no matter what. The Zieglers will be missed and they will go on to great careers in their future.

It’s Raining Kittens

Animals all around the world, lovable dogs and cats are either lost or abandoned and found in shelters. Shelters are overcrowded, which then leads euthanasia (putting the animal down). Many animals are abandoned, and are put down because of lack of room. Paws for Life gives animals a second chance for a better life, and gives them a great home with a loving family.

Paws for Life started when Ginny Suarez, a member of Board of Directors at the S.P.C.A. became fond of dog named Fouga, whom she was about to be put down, so Ginny took charge and brought Fouga to the Vet. She got the dog spayed, vaccinated and gave her a loving home. Since then hundreds of placements have been made, and animals have been given nice homes. All cats and dogs are spayed/neutered and are current on their shots, so they are ready to go. Paws for Life does not have a set adoption fee, but they request a donation of $150 to $200 to help pay for veterinary and kennel expenses.

“Kitten season” is the time of year when cats give birth, overflowing shelters with homeless cats. On Sunday, April 17th, Kittens were available for adoption at Barking Cat. The kitten shower gave cats a second chance for a good life, asking that for scoopable litter, wet food, kitten milk replacement formula, baby bottles, baby blankets, paper towels, Purina kitten chow, cat toys and monetary donations.

Even beyond the donations that were given on the 17th, however, Paws for Life needs caring families to help foster kittens and give them loving homes until they are old enough for adoption. Paws for Life is a great company that gives animals good homes and loving families, and everyone is encouraged to join, help donate and give love to these kittens.

RSL Plans To Build New Complex

Real Salt Lake (RSL) is the professional soccer team of Salt Lake City. At the moment, RSL has an academy located in Arizona for young players striving to one day play professional soccer. However, the organization recently released their plans for a new training complex and high school that will be located in Herriman, Utah. The complex will include eight soccer fields in addition to the high school. Three of the eight fields will be turf, with two of them located indoors. The released plan will cost at least fifty million dollars.

The RSL owner has a very clear vision for the new development. He hopes to build a program that will give talented youth soccer players as much opportunity for a successful athletic career as they would have in Europe. In addition, the idea is that both RSL and the Real Monarchs (RSL’s minor league team) will be able to utilize the fields for their training sessions. The owner also stated that the organization hopes to develop a professional women’s soccer team in the future, as well as continue to expand their youth program.

In addition to the many fields, there will be a STEM charter high school on the property. The high school will only be open to 250 students. Although details have not been released about who will be invited to attend the school, qualified people are imagining the school will house talented soccer players who will be enrolled via tryout.

According to KSL, the complex is scheduled to open in July 2017.

Sources:

Cardenas, Xoel. "Real Salt Lake Announce Plans to Build $50 Million Training Complex in Herriman." KSL. KSL, 9 Apr. 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Zootopia Movie Review

Zootopia is a film directed toward children, but can appeal to any age group. Even though the movie is animated and/or seems corny to some viewers, it will have you at the edge of your seat, laughing hysterically, and adoring the characters throughout the entire movie. It has a bit of every genre; romance, humor, and action altogether.

Zootopia is a new Disney movie about a bunny named Judy Hopps who wants to become a police officer, but she soon realizes how hard it is to enforce the law. She is underestimated, and wants to prove she is meant to be a police officer she is given the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. During her mission she runs into a sly fox named Nick Wilde, who gives her a lead on her case. At first, Nick and Judy have a rocky friendship, but as the movie builds, so does their relationship. While solving the mystery they encounter many scary and funny situations that will keep you entertained trough the entire film.

The movie has many lessons that are important for kids to learn at a young age. Zootopia deals with, segregation, racism, empowerment, and bullying. Racism is involved because the animals in Zootopia are separated between predators and prey. Empowerment is hugely involved since the movie is about how the other animals bully and look down upon Judy because she’s a prey. But, Judy is persistent and proves everyone wrong. She shows that no matter what gender or how small you are, you can do anything you want to. It’s valuable for kids to learn about these issues because they will carry these morals with them throughout their entire lives. The morals are somewhat complex for kids, but are displayed simply.

I personally enjoyed the movie, each character had their own qualities and likable personalities. The story had morals that relate to society today and stereotyping people, so all types of people can relate to the story. The movie got a 8.4 out of 10 stars but in my opinion I would rate it a 10 out of 10. The story had a fun, empowering, exciting, airy spirit that was very enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this movie to all different age groups.


By: Mia Rapella and Naomi Baltzan

Why Sage?

By Caroline H. and Mackenna

There are two end-of-year tests that students take: Galileo and Sage. Galileo is a district test, and Sage is a state test. Students are allowed to opt out of taking the Sage test, but Galileo isn’t an option, because while Sage scores are used to reflect on the teachers, the Galileo scores are more for the students (and parents) to see how they are learning. Even though Sage is optional, almost all the kids take it anyway just 'for the heck of it'. Galileo could easily be used for everything, so we don’t have to spend six weeks straight testing. So, why do we need to do Sage in the first place? Can’t Galileo scores just reflect on the teachers?

Galileo is a test that is used throughout the school year to make sure students are learning. There is a test at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year. Galileo is important, however, the amount of testing toward the end of the year can be really stressful. With Sage beginning the week after Galileo ends, the end of the school year isn’t as fun as it should be. Typically schools only take one EOY (end-of-year) test for each core subject, but the Park City School District requires two to four EOY tests for each subject unless you opt out. Galileo doesn’t need to be taken three times a year, and on top of it, we don’t need a whole other test to deal with. It is understandable why Galileo is taken, but since Sage is just to reflect on the teachers, Galileo is perfectly capable of being used for that.

Students are allowed to opt out of Sage because it is “completely pointless”, as some kids would say. Sage is not really helpful for the students in any way, it just helps the state see how well the teachers are doing their jobs. Unlike Galileo, Sage is only once a year, at the end of the year, but it is still just as torturous. When students know that the test won’t benefit them in any way, and that it’s just used for the teachers, they are less motivated to do well. If kids are allowed to opt out, why does anyone have to do it in the first place? The only reason kids take Sage is because their parents don’t want to teach them that you can just quit something because you don’t want to do it. The purpose of Sage is to see how good the teacher is, but can’t Galileo tell them the same thing?

Maybe you’ve heard your teachers say, “Oh, don’t worry, this won’t count on your grade.” or, “This test won’t affect anything, it only helps the teachers get better.” This may or may not be a lie. In the past, even after teachers have said stuff like that, Galileo and Sage testing have affected class placement for the following year. For example, this year, the MOY (middle-of-year) Galileo test affected whether you got into 9th grade Honors English or not. Also, Sage scores have affected whether you get a letter that allows you to take a test to get into an advanced math class. Sure, test scores are important to determine how much you’ve learned throughout the year, but it shouldn’t be used to determine whether or not a student should be in a certain class. If there is going to be a test to get into a class, there should be a separate test that must be take specific to that class. Also, students should know how their test scores will be used.

Spring Sports

The ski season is over, so it’s time to find a new sport for the spring. There are many options such as golf, and mountain biking. If you’re on a team, soccer, lacrosse, and football are other great options to chose from. Even if you’re really committed to that one winter sport, condition for it while you can’t do it. Don’t stay cooped up in your bedroom just because ski season is over, try a new spring sport! This will keep you active and give you something to do while you’re waiting for ski season to start again in the fall.

Since the weather is getting warmer and the snow is melting fast, the green grass of the golf course is being revealed. Not only are golf courses opening, bike trails/running trails are dry enough to use. Golfing and mountain biking are great things to do in your free time, especially when you live in Park City, Utah. Almost every trail or course you go to will have exquisite views of the mountains surrounding it. So, while the climate is perfect in the spring, not too hot, not too cold, get outside and try something new.

If you enjoy a team sport, many seasons begin right when the resorts close so try it out because most teams could use more players; experienced, or not. Soccer, lacrosse, and football are all sports that can be picked up in no time. All the teams have flexible practicing schedules and are a very fun way to stay active. An extra sport isn’t a huge commitment because you can go when you want and it is not super expensive. There are so many options when it comes to a spring sport, There's sure to be something you’ll like.

You might be super committed to your winter sport and you don’t want to join another team. One thing you can do is conditioning. Rather than trying to play and focus on another sport, you can continue to focus on the one you’ve already been doing. During the spring and summer there are lots of places you can go to train, like the park, any athletic fields, or the Center of Excellence. You can also sign up for classes to keep you fit, like a cycling class or boot camp. Additionally, there are many camps outside of town that will be in a place where there is still snow and you can train there.

So whether you want to make good use of the dry trails opening up, pick up a new sport to play, or just condition for the winter sport you’re really committed to, spring is a great time to do that. Any of those would keep you ready and fit for the new upcoming ski season. Stick with it, and your performance can greatly increase because of the athleticism you have that your teammates don’t. Find a trail, sign up for a sport, or go to a park this spring while you’re still mourning over the fact that ski season is over. Just because you can’t do your winter sport anymore, doesn’t mean you should just forget about it and stop training. You don’t always need snow to train.

By Mackenna Doilney and Caroline Haaijer

What You Need To Know About Weed

In today's society marijuana is becoming a very easy to get and a common drug among teens and adults. Many states have legalized cannabis for medical and some states have legalized it for recreational use. For some adults, weed is common thing that just comes with growing up, but what does it actually do to your brain as it is developing? A study from Muir Wood, a teen treatment center, says that abuse of this drug can lead to reduced cognitive function and quality of white matter. Later in the study they state that lost of use of marijuana in your teen years can lead to anxiety and depression in later years. Weed can lead to more dangerous drugs later in life because teens think, "if this drug isn't harmful, then I will try harder drugs".

Cannabis for adults is less harmful but can still have negative effects like more risk of colds and depression. There is no proven data that states weed leads to death or cancer.

While some people think weed is a bad drug, others say that there are many benefits of smoking weed. Weed is legal in four states for recreational use. These states include Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington. Twenty-Three states have legalized it for medical use.

There is such a negative background with weed, but in reality it is not the worst drug in the world. Unlike most other drugs, no one has ever died from it. There have been negative effects with the drug as listed above, but none that are fatal.

3 Extra Days to Pay Taxes This Year

Taxes. April 18th. Gidder dun. There. Done. ‘Nuff said. Alright, not many of you might know or care that taxes are almost always on April 15th. However, this year, that isn’t true. This is because April 15th 2016 lands on a holiday in Washington D.C. Emancipation Day. Emancipation Day is when Washington D.C. celebrates the freeing of all slaves. ‘Tax Day’ also lands on a Friday, and according to logic, you can’t schedule the due date for taxes on a weekend. In Massachusetts and Maine, they get another day to procrastinate because April 18th is Patriot’s Day. This is a day to mark the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Many of you might be thinking, “Okay, this nerdy 13 year old just wasted my time with pointless information about taxes. Taxes of all things! So what.” Well, think again! Anyone who has a job has to pay taxes! This actually accounts for 1 in 4 high school students! A fellow journalist had to fill out paperwork for taxes, and he will be paying taxes next year. Whether or not you just wasted your time reading this, or are frantically scrambling around to get your taxes all filed together, have a good tax season!