Feature

Crazy Summer Holidays

By Kyla H.

May 2021 Issue

We all know the holidays in summer, like….

• Memorial day

• Independence day

• Labor day

But today we are going to look at the top five craziest summer holidays!

5 . National Grape Popsicle Day

4. National Water a Flower Day

3. National Stay Out of the Sun Day

2. Amazon Prime Day (why is this a holiday?)

1. Take your pants for a walk day (it’s real, look it up...)

Summer Bucket List

By Ellise M.

May 2021 Issue

With summer approaching soon, and COVID restrictions letting up, summer fun is finally returning! This year we are given once again the opportunity to safely leave our houses, and enjoy the exciting activities that summer brings, such as concerts, amusement parks, and much more. To complete your summer bucket list this year, I have compiled a list of summer activities in and around Ohio for your enjoyment during the sunny seasons:

Pinecrest, Ohio

• Shopping: Urban Outfitters, Vineyard Vines, Fabletics, Sephora, West Elm, Pottery Barn

• Food: Shake Shack, Duck Donuts, Graeter’s Ice Cream, BIBIBOP Asian Grill, Oak and Embers Tavern

• Activities: Silverspot Cinema

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

• Shopping: Boutiques, Antiques, Giftshops

• Food: Yours Truly, M Italian, Bell and Flower, Parkside Grille, Burntwood Tavern, Flour, The Popcorn Shop, Jenney’s

• Activities: Glass Asylum

Cleveland, Ohio

• Museums: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Museum of Art, The Museum of Natural History, and the Great Lakes Science Center

• Parks: Metroparks Zoo, Greater Cleveland Aquarium

• Entertainment: Playhouse Square

• Food/Shopping: West Side Market, Mitchell’s, Sweet Moses, Honey Hut, Kathy’s Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches

• Activities: Top Golf, Get Air Trampoline Park

Columbus, Ohio

• Museums: The Center of Science and Industry, The Art Museum, Otherworld Art Museum

• Parks: Columbus Zoo, Columbus Aquarium

• Entertainment: WonderBus Fest, Ohio State University, Ohio Stadium

• Food: Buca di Beppo

Mentor, Ohio

• Museums: James A. Garfield National Historic Site

• Parks: Penitentiary Glen, Wildwood Cultural Center, Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve

• Activities: Mentor Civic Center, Mentor Civic Amphitheater, Black Brook Golf Course, All Adventures Escape Rooms, Round 1

• Entertainment: Wonderstruck Fest

• Shopping: Great Lakes Mall, Record Den

• Food: Mentor Farmers Market, Fairport Harbor Creamery

Chardon, Ohio

• Entertainment: Chardon Square Art Festival, Town Square Friday Night Concerts, Drive-In Theater,

• Food/Shopping: Chardon Farmers Market, King Kone, Kirtland Creamery

Aurora, Ohio

• Shopping: Aurora Farms Premium Outlets

Sandusky, Ohio

• Entertainment: Cedar Point, Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge

Cincinnati, Ohio

• Entertainment: Kings Island

COVID-19 Safe Activities for Summer Break

By Olivia W.

May 2021 Issue

Summer break is so close! June 4th is the day everyone is waiting for. Warm weather, summer fun, and no more school work! Although, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 is still out there and proper precautions must be taken. Here are some activities that you can do safely this summer!

Go to the Park! At the park, you don’t need to be in close contact with anyone. You can walk around, jog, sit on a bench and relax, etc. Keep a mask handy, and you’ll be ready to go and get some fresh summer air!

Take a Walk/Jog! This goes along with going to the park, but you can do it anywhere! If you’re feeling cramped at home just walk or jog your neighborhood. Exercise is good for you.

Go Camping! Camping is a great activity to do with your family, and it doesn’t involve much interaction with others. It’s also nice to get out of the house for a couple of days.

Eat Out! Outdoor dining is a safer way to eat at your favorite restaurants. It’s also a great bonding time for you and your family. Of course, it never hurts to get some good food!

Go Swimming! This doesn’t require being that close to anyone, and it’s an awesome way to cool off from the summer sun! Whether you like lounging on a float or getting some crazy jumping action, it’s perfect for all!

Take a Boat Ride! If you own a boat, getting on the water is sure to be a blast. You can fish from the boat, swim around, or just ride. If you pick a day with a nice breeze and sunny skies, you’re sure to feel relaxed and calm.

Have a great summer break everyone! Don’t forget to stay safe!

The History of Spaceflight

By Alex S.

May 2021 Issue

Spaceflight has been a huge part of the world for over 50 years. But how did it all start? How did it evolve? Well, this is how. This is the history of spaceflight.

1942 --- The V2 Missile was a missile that could fly out of the earth’s atmosphere but didn’t. It was launched in Germany, 1942, on October 3 during WWII. It was created by Wernher von Bron and was launched to attack Paris, France. It eventually attacked other places such as Great Britain.

1957 --- Sputnik I was launched on October 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union. Sputnik, I was the first man-made satellite in history. It was about the size of a beach ball.

1957 --- Sputnik II One month later, on November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, which contained a female dog named Laika. Laika was the first animal ever put in space. Unfortunately, Laika did not survive the flight and died due to overheating.

1958 --- Explorer I was the first-ever US satellite launched into space. It failed many times, but on February 1, 1958, Explorer’s mission was successful.

1961 --- First man in space On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched the first man into space. His name was Yuri Gagarin. He was a Russian cosmonaut and spent 108 minutes in his rocket and orbit.

1961 --- First US man in space On May 5, 1961, the US launched their first Mercury rocket of the Mercury program into orbit, carrying Alan Shephard, the first US man in space in the Freedom 7 capsule.

1961 --- Announcement of Apollo program On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made the famous speech that he wanted to send a man to the Moon and safely bring him back to earth in just a decade.

1962 --- Friendship 7 mission carried US astronaut John Glenn to orbit on February 20, 1962. John Glenn became the first man to complete more than 1 orbit around Earth. John Glenn completed 3 orbits around Earth and safely splashed down in the ocean.

1963 --- First woman in space Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman ever in space. She is a Russian cosmonaut and was launched into orbit on June 16, 1963, on the Vostok 6 mission. She is currently 84 years old this year.

1967 --- Apollo 1 On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck when Apollo I astronauts Guss Grisson, Ed White, Roger Chaffee were burned beyond recognition when a fire sparked in the cockpit in a training session. You can find the Apollo I capsule in the National Air and Space Museum located in Washington, DC.

1968 --- Apollo 8 On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 became the first mission to orbit the Moon and come back to Earth. The astronauts aboard this mission were US astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. Apollo 8 splashed down on Earth on December 27, 1968.

1969 --- Apollo 11 On July 20, 1969, after a decade of work, Neil Armstrong became the first man to ever walk on the Moon in the history of mankind. Over 53 million households across the globe tuned in on their TV to watch Neil Armstrong say his infamous line, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” at around 3:17 p.m. EST. Buzz Aldrin became the second man on the Moon minutes later.

1970 --- Apollo 13 Disaster struck on April 13th, 1970 when the lunar landing was aborted due to an oxygen tank failing. It was very hard, but the three crew members circled the Moon and made it back to Earth safely. And if you were wondering, then yes, it’s where the infamous line, “Houston, we have a problem.” came from.

1972 --- Apollo 17 After 6 successful missions to the Moon and back, NASA couldn’t afford to make Apollo 18, 19, and 20, and the Apollo program ended with Apollo 17.

1977 --- Voyager 1 On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 was launched. Its purpose was to explore the solar system, but boy did it do much more. Right now, Voyager 1 is zooming through the universe at 35,000 mph, and is more than 14 billion miles away which is way out of the solar system! NASA, unfortunately, has lost contact with Voyager 1, but it is indeed still out exploring the universe!

1981 --- Space Shuttle Era On April 12, 1981, 20 years after Yuri Gargarin’s launch to space, the first Space Shuttle was launched. The Space Shuttle was named Enterprise. It was an early Space Shuttle and wasn’t used to build the ISS. There were 2 people on board. Those astronauts were astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. Their launch was successful

1986 & 2003 --- Space Shuttle Columbia & Challenger You may already be familiar with the Challenger or Columbia Space Shuttles because they both exploded. The Space Shuttle Challenger blew up first due to a mixture of gasses in the external fuel tank (or the big orange fuel tank on the Shuttle).

Columbia: The Columbia Space Shuttle blew up later in 2003, about 17 years after Challenger blew up. The Columbia Space Shuttle blew up in the atmosphere as it was on its way back to Earth when hot atmospheric pressure and destroyed the internal wing structure. The last recorded audio and video of the crew of Columbia in the cockpit was taken around 11 minutes before the disaster. Everybody died on both Challenger and Columbia.

2020 - Now: On June 1, 2020, SpaceX launched the first manned flight since 2011. The astronauts on board were Space Shuttle astronauts Doug Hurley, and Bob Behnken. Their mission was successful. Since then, SpaceX has been launching rockets like crazy and has figured out ways to launch and reuse rockets. NASA has launched the 5th rover on Mars along with a little helicopter, Perseverance, and Ingenuity. NASA is also working on going to the Moon and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.

Walking Trails and Park Recommendations

By Mia F.

April 2021 Issue

What are some good ways to get outside during the summer? Well, there is always just a plain old go outside and ride your bike, draw with chalk, go on a walk, the list goes on and on. But here is a way to have tons more fun during summer. You can go to parks, no, I don’t mean playground parks. I mean like actual parks, where you walk on trails. Here is a list of some of my favorite parks to go to:

Girdled Road Reservation

Girdled Road Reservation is a great walking park that has a ton of trails covering this nearly 1, 000 acre land. I would recommend the South and North entrance. The park resides in Lake County, Ohio. The park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

Penitentiary Glenn

Penitentiary Glenn is a great nature park that has trails and a nature center. In the nature center, you can find and look at many different animals. They have uncommon animals and some common animals in Ohio. This park resides in Kirtland, Ohio. This park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

Hogback Ridge

Hogback Ridge is one of my favorite parks to go to. Once you climb down from the place you start you can go in the water and start walking through the water to go to a waterfall. You can bring tubes to go down the waterfall. This park resides in Lake County, Ohio. This park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

Holden Arboretum

Holden Arboretum is a great place to go with friends or family. The park has tree trails which will allow you to walk amongst the trees on all different bridges. You can also climb up a tower and get a great view of the park. The only downside to this park is that you have to pay to get in, but it’s worth it. This park resides in Kirtland, Ohio. The park opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. on, Sunday. The park is not open on Monday. The park opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Chapin Forest Reservation

The Chapin Forest Reservation is a trail park where each park loops back to the start. When you get there you can just walk down the trails which are dog-friendly. The trail resides in Kirtland, Ohio. The park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

Yes, these are just few of the many parks you can go to. If you want to see more then look up “Trail parks in Ohio.” Hopefully, you check them out because they are absolutely amazing!

Interview with Abby W. , Organizer of the Easter Basket Drive at Memorial

By Elizabeth P.

March 2021 Issue

Question: Hello! To start things off, can you please tell us your name?

Answer: Abby W.

Q: Who is part of this Easter drive? Who is in charge?

A: Mrs. Thomas & Mrs. Mangus (teachers and student council advisors), Lila Willis (6th grader) and myself (6th grader)

Q: What gave you the idea for the Easter basket drive?

A: I am working with Lake County to make sure that everybody feels that they belong and people don’t feel left out. We are trying to spread kindness and encourage others to be kind to other people as well. We thought that this would be a good way to do it.

Q: What kind of items did you collect for the drive?

A: Books, toys, toiletries, and essentials.

Q: What charity is this drive for? Why did you choose them?

A: This drive is for the Zelma George Shelter. We chose it because it is large and has a lot of people in it. We are also familiar with them because we have worked together before.

Q: How many baskets are you expecting to make?

A: We are grateful for as many as we can get. We have 150 baskets for the drive. We are hoping for at least 50.

Q: Anything else you want to tell us about the drive?

A: We have a lot of books. We are encouraging people to give them to the NJHS book drive.

Q: To wrap things up, how did it feel to be interviewed?

A: Pretty nice and kind of fun.

Additional information: In our interview, Abby mentioned how this book drive was bringing her two worlds together. Her social world (home life and activities), and her school world. Abby is part of several organizations outside of school to help people. She started a drive with the student council at school for donations so that more people can have a happy Easter. This is a continuation of an English project Abby did in English class.

This interview took place on 3/8/2. Student council filled the baskets on 3/11/21. They filled a total of 100 baskets! Thank you Abby for organizing this, and thank you Memorial Middle School for the donations!!

February Holidays To Celebrate

By Sabine M.

January 2021 Issue

The month of February is quickly approaching, which brings well-known celebrations like Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and Mardi Gras. Although these are great holidays, there are many others worth recognizing in February.

Women and Girls In Science Day

Women and Girls in Science Day is used to highlight the accomplishments of women and girls in science-related fields. It falls on February 11th.

Rare Disease Day

The objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness of uncommon diseases that are often unrecognized. Rare Disease Day occurs on February 28th and is the perfect time to remind the public and people in power of this issue.

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day was created to inform and educate the world about cancer, along with pressuring people in power to take action against the disease. Many people have been and will be impacted by cancer in some form. On February 4th, it's essential to acknowledge those who have battled the disease and spread more information to inform and empower.

Time To Talk Day

Time To Talk Day shows the importance of checking up on others and focusing attention on mental health. This day also highlights how important it is for people to be able to open up and talk about their thoughts and emotions. On February 6th, make sure to help destigmatize mental health.

International Polar Bear Day

The irresponsible development that exploits the environment puts polar bear families in harm's way and endangers denning habitat. International Polar Bear Day highlights this and how polar bear families need to be protected as more industry makes its way into the Arctic. This holiday is on February 27th.

Random Act Of Kindness Day

Random Act Of Kindness Day recognizes the importance of spreading kindness and happiness to others. This is an amazing way to celebrate the upcoming February 17th.

These are just a few of the holidays that are celebrated in February. Make sure to find some way to celebrate the upcoming month.

Teacher Interview: Miss Landers

Interview by Michael H.E.

November 2020 Issue

Question by Michael: How are you enjoying your time with Mrs. Parker’s classes?

Answer from Miss Landers: “I am loving it; I am so happy to get to know all of the kids!”

Q: Have you had any difficulties with ELA?

A: Some little bumps in the road, but overall, I have been okay.

Q: How do you feel about your Advisory?

A: I love my advisory.

Q: What do you think of Memorial? Do you feel welcome?

A: Memorial is very welcoming - both students and staff.

Q: Is there a period that you enjoy teaching/attending the most, (advisory included?)

A: I like each and every one of them. They all have different energies and their own uniqueness.

Q: How did you feel about your and Mr. Beck’s advisory winning the turkey bowl?

A: AMAZING! I was so proud of everyone.

Q: Are you sad to leave with Mrs. Parker’s return?

A: Yeah, I am sad. I’ll go on to meet new kids at Shore.

Q: What are your interests?

A: I love hiking with my dog, and being outside, and being with family.

Q: If you had a second career path what would it be?

A: Math/science teacher

Q: What inspired you to become a substitute/teacher?

A: I was tutoring 4th grade math and It just “CLICKED”.

Q: Are you going to miss the silly antics of your classes?

A: Yeah, it's nice to see kids interacting with each other.

Q: What is your inspiration for the question of the day?

A: There is no inspiration, I just think of it when my students walk in.

Q: Is there anything you are going to miss from Memorial?

A: The teachers and students that I have gotten to know.

Additional comments from Miss Landers: “I’m glad I got to become a ELA sub and to meet so many of the 6th graders. “

How the U.S. Differs From Other Countries Around the World

By Ayesha F.

November 2020 Issue

To us, it may seem perfectly normal to say slangs like “yeet” or spell “gray” with an “a.” But to someone with an outside eye, it may feel too complicated and different. The USA likes to be a rebel when it comes to many things...

English

Have you seen the word “colour”? How about “counsellor”? Say you have a penpal from Europe. You two exchange conversations as regularly as you can-- but you notice that when you ask to know their “favorite,” they ask for your “favourite” in exchange. And when you see the letter “Z,” you’d probably pronounce it like “zee.” But in their head, the letter “Z” would be pronounced as “zed.” British English and American English, while they’re the variation of the same language, have very distinguishable differences in spelling, grammar, and slangs.

Systems of Units

Only three countries worldwide-- including the U.S.-- officially use the imperial and U.S. customary measurement systems. They consist of inches, feet, yards, miles, gallons, ounces, and many more units-- all things students are familiar with, yet the name “imperial” usually never touches our tongues. The International System of Units seem to be the go-to for the rest of the world, but not for this country.

Writing Dates

When you look at the corner of your screen, you see the date formatted like this: month/date/year. But when you’re somewhere else in the world, you see it in one of these formats: year/month/date or date/month/year.

Driving

“Stay on the right,”-- a simple rule that probably rings a bell. Drivers in the U.S. and some other countries drive their vehicles on the right side of the road and have their steering wheel on the left side of the car. But in other countries, including previous British colonies, vehicles are driven on the left lane and the steering wheel is on the right side instead of the left.

Meal Portions

Imagine your dinner plate-- then imagine it reduced into ⅓ of what it used to be. Yes, we really eat more than we need to; or at least more than others. If you look at an American entree served at a restaurant, you can actually share it among three people. By the way, an “entree” is known as the appetizer for other countries, not the main dish.

Prices

When you’re in a store, you see the price tags on the shelves. Then, you go to the checkout to find the actual price, with tax. But in most other countries, prices are printed out on the item’s packaging, and prices of the same item don’t vary wherever you go.

Free Refills

It’s completely normal to see that large “Free Refills” sign above the beverage dispensers at restaurants, right? Well, free refills for drinks are not available around the globe. They are even banned in the country of France!

Fly Fishing Dream

By Michael H.-E.

November 2020 Issue

The steelhead have sprung! It’s time to fly fish. The steelhead and brown trout have made their migrations from Lake Erie to Ohio’s rivers. The inland ponds are known as Hidden Lake and Veterans Park have stocked their steelheads. You can catch 1.5 pounders to a 3 pounder. Now the rivers you can catch anything from .25 pounds to 5 or 6 pounds. Some baits I recommend conclude of Berkley’s Trout Paste Power Bait and good old Live Red Worms. Some bait fishing trout rods I recommend are Shakespeare’s Wild Series Rod; Medium Action $69.99, Pfluger President Rod; Medium Action $79.99. Now if you want to fly fish for these beautiful creatures then I would recommend going to Orvis and/or L.L Bean. Some Fly rods I recommend are L.L Bean’s Double L Fly Rod ⅚ weight, Orvis’s Clearwater ⅚ weight. Some flies I recommend are Orvis’s Trout Hammer, L.L Bean Black, and Purple Leach. The trout are popping and you should too.

A warm orange basked the land

As the light of the sun

Passed through her purple feathers,

Reflecting an image across the world,

On everyone.

Up she went

Higher she sang.

Beyond the clouds

Her melody rang.

*Audrey Knipp was a 6th grader at Memorial Middle School who passed away on February 5, 2020. She was kind, generous, friendly and a fighter.

An Exclusive Interview with Student Council President - Theron C.

By Olivia W.

October 2020 Issue

Olivia: What is a leader to you?

Theron: “I personally believe that a leader is someone who includes the following traits: advocacy, bravery, leadership, and quality listening skills.”

O: What do you believe to be the best way to resolve conflicts with others?

T: “I believe that the best way to resolve any type of conflict is to put all our emotions out there, talk it out, and just take a breather.”

O: What does having initiative mean to you?

T: “I believe that having initiative is having the ability to take charge when you believe that others can’t and trying until you succeed.”

O: Do you work well in fast-thinking situations?

T: “I believe that in most situations I can work well under pressure, but I do believe that it really depends on the situation.”

O: What has been your biggest achievement throughout your lifetime?

T: “Completing an entire school year/two semesters with all A’s.”

O: What are your interests?

T: “I enjoy hanging out with friends, shopping, and watching debates.”

O: Do you have a career path/future goal in mind?

T: “My first choice would be to complete my med school at Stanford University and become a cardiothoracic surgeon. My second career path choice would be to complete eight years at Princeton and become a software design engineer.”

O: How would your peers describe you?

T: “My peers would describe me as a funny hardworking individual."

O: Have you set any goals for yourself for the next 5 years?

T: “As of right now, just completing high school.”

O: Do you value creativity or efficiency more?

T: “I personally believe that although creativity is a very important skill to have, I believe that efficiency is a more needed trait to possess and/or use. For example, if you are a cashier at a store, although creativity is important, being more efficient at your job gives you a higher chance of a raise or bonus.”

O: What inspired you to run for Student Council President?

T: “One of the many things that inspired me to run for Student Council President is that I would like to be a role model for the younger students at Memorial, and a good leader for the older ones.”

O: Any ideas for what Student Council might do this year?

T: “Some of the ideas that we have included decorating the atrium for Halloween, a Halloween costume contest, and an Advisory Door Decorating Contest.”

O: Is there anything in particular that you would like to accomplish as Student Council President this year?

T: “I would like to succeed in many different forms as Student Council President, but mostly at being a good role model for the students at Memorial.”

O: Do you have any past experience with the Student Council?

T: “Yes, in third grade I was the Historian at Hopkins Elementary.”

O: What other extracurricular activities are you doing this year?

T: “I’m doing Science Olympiad this year.”

A good place if your a fly-fisherman to go is the Grand and Chagrin River. Pick your flies wisely so you can catch Steelhead Trout (Rainbow Trout), Smallmouth Bass, and other assorted fish. The Grand and Chagrin River are both Lake Erie water-sheds the same rules apply to catch and cook.

If you want to take your family with you, a good place to go to might be the Lake Metropark Hidden Lake. This pond is located on 7024 Kniffen Rd., Painesville, OH 44077. Here, you can catch Yellow Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, Bass, Catfish, Grass Carp, and Steelhead Trout. You have to catch and release except for trout, limit 5 per person.

If you own a boat the lake is a great place for you. You can catch anything that’s freshwater, some more famous include, Walleye, Bass, Perch, and More. If you are a fish connoisseur then you might enjoy catching and cooking fish. A good place to participate in this is on Lake Erie, going out on the water and then eating your catch, YUM!

Fall and fishing are a perfect combo. So for all you anglers out there, good luck, and go catch a big one.!

It is of such importance we understand our dog’s communication signals, so we can tend to their needs, and further understand our companions, strengthening our bond with our beloved friends.

Dog’s emotions or intentions are communicated mainly through their actions, or body language, making it hard for owners to understand what our canines are trying to tell us.

One of the most common dog communication misconceptions is with their tails. Many dog owners are led to believe that a wagging tail means a dog is happy, or joyful. This is wrong. All though a wagging tail can be a dog’s way of expressing excitement or happiness, it could also mean various other messages the dog is trying to convey:

• When a dog’s tail quickly rises from a neutral position to become pointed vertically, or to a tail that arches over his back, this indicates that the dog is aggressive, and a threat. It is also a way for a dog to express frustration, or irritation.

• When a dog’s tail is pointed straight out, or in a horizontal position, the dog might feel curious.

• If your dog’s tail is lowered, but still wagging, the dog is excited, and playful. Dogs often do this tail position when you come home after a long day.

• When a dog is happy, he or she will hold their tail slightly higher than normal, and add a little wag.

• One of the most-well known dog tail positions and meaning is when a dog tucks their tail in between their legs. This position is a sign of discomfort in the dog, or anxiety, and fear.

• When a dog is submissive, they will lower their tail and body. They are trying to indicate they are not a threat.

Another very important way to help understand your dog’s emotions and intentions through their body language is with their eyes, ears, and facial expressions. Although these expressions may be harder to understand than tail positions, they are a key factor in communicating with your dog, and understanding them.

• When a dog’s eyes are soft, or in other words, have puppy dog eyes, the dog is relaxed, and is trying to convey their love and trust in you!

• If you can see the whites in a dog's eyes when he or she stares intensely, they might feel stressed, or defensive.

• When a dog squints, blinks, or winks at you, they are playful. However, constant blinking or squinting could be a major red flag for an eye issue, or discomfort.

• When a dog’s eyes are open wide, they are alert to the situation, or attempting to get your attention.

• If your dog’s ears are forward, put pointed out, they are relaxed and happy.

• When a dog feels alert to their situation, their ears will point directly forward.

• If a dog’s ear relaxes while interacting with a person, that is their way of expecting you, or becoming friends with you.

• When a dog’s ears are pinned to their head, or held tightly forward, they are in a defensive mode, and preparing to react.

• When your dog yawns, you think that he or she is tired, or preparing to sleep, correct? Although when a dog yawns he may be tired, it is oftentimes a sign of nervousness, or discomfort. A dog might also lick their lips to convey this feeling, or even stress.

• When a dog shows his teeth, but does not growl or snarl, this is a sign of he or she protecting their territory. This action may occur when you come near a dog’s feeding bowl. One way to help end this emotion is by putting your hand in the dog’s bowl from a very young age to help bring trust between you and your dog.

One of the easiest ways to understand your dog’s emotions or intentions through their body language is with their body, or body stances. However, these positions are still of great importance in understanding our dogs.

• When your dog exposes their stomach to you, or rolls on his or her back, this is a dog’s way of communicating trust in you. A dog might also communicate trust by turning their back on you and sitting.

• When your dog rests their head on you, this is their way of granting your attention, and showing you that they need you.

• When a dog sits on you, this is their way of showing their love for you, and companionship.

Understanding our furry friends can help us communicate with our dogs, and understand their emotions and intentions through their body language. When we understand our dogs communication signals, we can tend to their needs, and strengthen our bond with them; understanding our dogs.

The Origin Of Halloween

By Sabine M.

October 2020 Issue

Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday across the globe. So, how exactly did this famous celebration come to be? Well, the way Halloween is celebrated has significantly changed over time. The origin of Halloween isn’t what might be expected.

The first people that shaped the holiday of Halloween were the Celts. The Celts were around two thousand years ago in modern day Ireland and were remarkably spiritual people. For instance, they believed that on October Thirty-First, the dead would rise and their spirits would return to the Earth. This helped create the idea of Halloween.

Interestingly, ‘Halloween’ was not the term the Celts would call this event. The Celts actually referred to this festival as ‘Samhain’. This term means ‘Summer’s End’, which is appropriate, considering part of this festival was meant to acknowledge the beginning of colder times.

The Celts also believed that by performing this celebration, they were honoring the spirits and keeping themselves safe.

“On the sacred night, people gathered to light bonfires, offer sacrifices and pay homage to the dead" (History Channel: Halloween Tradition).

These sacrifices would consist of animals and crops that would represent the Celt’s respect towards the deceased.

The Celts also believed the limit between the human and spiritual world was at its least on this day. Many predictions were made by Celtic priests because of this. These predictions were made about the future, specifically concerning the colder months ahead. Winter was quickly approaching and the Celts hoped to have a conclusion as to what would happen during that period of time. Many people died during these times and the Celts depended on these readings to ease their fears.

Surprisingly, the Celts also performed this festival out of fear of being attacked by aggravated spirits.

“It was expected that ancestors might cross over during this time as well, and Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them" (History Channel: Samhai).

They would dress in costumes, often consisting of animal furs, believing the spirits wouldn’t want to be near them. This is probably where the idea of dressing up in interesting costumes for Halloween began.

The concept and culture of Halloween greatly changed over the course of time and eventually appeared in America. Halloween hadn’t been very commonly celebrated in the beginning of the colonization of America. Despite that, over time the holiday became more popular, especially in the southern areas.

“The first celebrations included ‘play parties,’ which were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing" (History Channel: Halloween 2020).

Halloween became a time to bond with others and participate in interesting activities. The holiday turned into more of an entertainment attempt rather than recognizing and respecting the spirits.

Many immigrants migrating to America helped popularize the holiday, which helped cause the representation of Halloween in American media and society to quickly grow.

Halloween has become a way of bringing people together, having an exciting night of receiving candy, and dressing up. Although, it’s very important to recognize the origin of this celebration. The Celts sacrificed crops and animals, honored spirits, dressed in costume, and made predictions about the upcoming winter. These specific things helped shape the concept of Halloween. Without the Celts celebrating Samhain, Halloween and it’s culture would have never existed.

Halloween Traditions all Over the World

By Kara C.

October 2020 Issue

Halloween is just around the corner, and here in America, most people dress up and trick or treat. This is normal for us, but in some places across the globe, very different things happen on this spooky night. Today, we’ll be exploring different traditions for this holiday in a few different cultures.

In Latin America, Mexico, and Spain a version of Halloween known as Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated. All Souls’ Day takes place on November 2nd, but the celebration starts on the evening of October 1st. The celebration honors the dead ancestors of the people, who supposedly return to their home on this holiday. Many families set up a table with candy, flowers, foods, pictures, drinks, and water known as an altar for the spirits. This is thought to help nourish the souls after their journey into the world of the living. Candles are burned to guide the deceased, and gravestones are tended to. On November 2nd, parties often occur at the gravestone of a relative. Skulls and skeletons are a huge theme for this holiday, being prominent in treats, costumes, decorations, and even more!

Ireland is often credited with the creation of modern Halloween. The holiday originated from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, which happened thousands of years ago. Now, both Ireland and Scotland celebrate the holiday with large fires, games, and activities, as well as a lot of traditional foods. For example, one thing that you could find is barmbrack, which is a fruitcake that contains small trinkets that “determine your future.”

In Romania, Halloween can also be called “Day of Dracula” because of the huge amount of people that visit for that reason. Many people visit Bran Castle in Transylvania to celebrate this holiday, even though he never lived there and may have never even visited the site. Additionally, many parties and tours happen at the castle for this special holiday.

Hungry Ghosts? In China, a festival known as Yu Lan (Hungry Ghost festival) is celebrated. It is believed that during the seventh month of the linear calendar, spirits roam the world again. Many people make fires and burn fake money and even more offerings for their ancestors. They also leave out food for the ghosts, and many performances take place around town.

These are just a few of the traditions people have to celebrate Halloween across the globe. It’s very interesting to see the way different cultures do things. Have a spooky Halloween, everyone!

How has the technology and special effects changed over the 130 years of horror film and what was popular to fit the trends and styles of the decade? This is the evolution of horror movies and how they’ve changed.

The Beginning

The first horror movies appeared as early as the 1890s. They were filmed very simply and didn’t feature much structure, as films were black/white and silent, and clearly did not have the technology of later horror films. Horror films of this time featured simple street scenes, or moving vehicles pulling into stations, in an attempt to create a feeling of horror in audiences. At the time of these films, styles created a gloomy version of society. A lot of the movies of the time depicted movements of shadows and were centered more around ghosts and spirits. These early horror films featured a lot of visual aesthetics like paintings or puppets to create ghosts or skeletons. Early horror films slowly evolved into monsters and hauntings right before talking pictures were created leading into some of the most iconic monster movies of all time. A lot of these early monster movies set a foundation of actors being the monsters instead of visual props. Movies like these included Nosferatu (1922), Haxan (1922), Frankenstein (1920) and The Golem: How He Came Into The World (1920). All of these movies featured monsters played by real actors for the first time . The silent horror period started around 1895 and ended in the early 1920s. Some of the most influential horror movies of this time period include: The Phantom of the Opera(1925), The Lost World (1925), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), and the movie that created horror itself - The House of the Devil (1895).

Universal Monster Movies

This era began following the silent film, starting around the late 1920s. These films left behind the “dark version of society”and created alternative worlds and creatures to terrify audiences. These films were mainly associated with the production company Universal Studios and created movie icons that we still watch today. Universal Monster movies used exclusively visual effects but did develop makeup effects like silicone, paint and latex. Some of the most popular movies of this time are Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Wolf Man (1941), Creature from The Black Lagoon (1954), Dracula (1931), The Invisible Man (1933) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). A lot of these films had the same actors playing the monsters including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Edward Van Sloan. Universal monster movies still didn’t completely jump into the films of today, as monster movies were less striking and graphic as the decades that followed. This period of film faded out in the 1950s and still show in theaters now and again.

The Swinging 60s

The 60s really were a swinging time for horror films. They started to have a wider variety of horror genres from monster movies to Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movies that changed film forever. In the 1960s, there’s a sort of bridge of horror because a lot of films stuck to the haunting monster films of the years before, while other films took a chance with new ideas and new concepts of horror. The rubber suited monsters of the previous decade give audiences an out of this world fear. The 60s, however, began making films that set foundations for the decades following and did something different than monsters and hauntings, by creating some of our very first slashers and murder horror movies. Alfred Hitchcock‘s career in film and horror arguably influenced the movies of this decade. Alford Hitchcock movies were different and had unique concepts that no one else was doing during this time. Some of Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic horror movies include Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963). Both these films featured more realistic and graphic deaths than any of the movies before them. These two movies featured killer movies that featured deaths that shocked audiences while doing something different than a thriller. So I guess you could say that the 60s was the decade of horror that branched out and set a new standard for film.

Possession Horror Movies

After the 60s invented new standards for horror films, the 70s and early 80s jumped on this idea. In the 70s, they took this new idea of scarier, more realistic horror, and turned it darker and on the more spiritual side with possession and Exorcism films. It’s also important to note that the 70s brought in Alfred Hitchcock movies and updated them for the time. The 70s also created movies about serial killers and murderers that lurk in the shadows of our nightmares. Halloween (1978) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) were movies where characters wore masks and went around killing people. That was the style of the 70s, however it evolved into possession movies that were more commonly associated with the 1970s. Possession movies or Exorcism movies were invented to create a spiritual haunting going back to the earlier films from the other decades. Movies like this follow the basic storyline: a character either becomes possessed or possesses dangerous power that causes them to lash out in disturbing ways. Movies like this included: The Exorcist (1973), Beyond The Door (1974) and Carrie (1976). A lot of these possession movies were based off of real stories which terrified audiences even more. Possession movies are a very common genre of horror today and can even be associated with haunting horror movies.

Slashers

The most iconic horror movies of all time are slashers. Every slasher horror film has a killer, mostly commonly a male and typically has his identity covered by a mask which creates a whole new level of fright for audiences. In every slasher movie there are victims, usually teenagers featuring a lot of stereotypical characters, like the jock, the pretty girl, the nerdy kid, the hopelessly romantic one and the innocent girl. All the characters that end up being killed off in the slasher films end up having the most shallow personality or the most unlikable kind. The term "the final girl" is established by how slasher films usually end. Slasher films usually end by a girl character that either kills or defeats the murderer and stops his slashing spree. A lot of slasher films become whole established franchises which usually ruin the reputation of the movie. Series with a more contained number of movies seem to do better because the series isn’t drawn out. Some of the most iconic slasher films include: The Halloween Franchise, which started in 1978; Friday the 13th, which started in 1980 and has had no add-ons to the franchise since 2009; and Nightmare on Elm Street, which began in 1984 and added its last installment in 1994. A lot of these movies are still favorites to most and have been re-done multiple times. Slasher films also include “killer music” which is still played and terrifies audiences today.

Our horror today

Today the way horror is depicted hasn’t really changed that much. No new genres have been created on the big screens. However, there’s definitely a huge variety of horror genres out there than in previous decades. The technology of today really makes up for the lack of new ideas for film. We don’t use a lot of visual facts anymore and turn to CGI, which is a lot easier. It makes more possibilities to show on the screens. All of the same rules still apply in today’s horror movies: stereotypical characters, a killer, a final girl and iconic characters. In the world of horror today really it’s mostly remakes of original iconic films. There’s been remakes of very popular franchises like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and many more franchises. It’s very repetitive era of horror that we live in, however there are a couple of very inventive movies that include: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), Ready or Not (2019), The Witch (2015), The Babysitter (2017) and the New Mutants (2020). Today’s horror world features more diverse characters that have a deeper personality, incredible special effects for terrifying audiences and bright new ideas that lift up this well loved genre.

A Look at Starbuck Island

By Ayesha F.

April 2020 Issue

Starbuck Island, Kiribati. Have you ever heard of it? It’s not Starbucks, as in the famous cafe chain, and sorry to say, it doesn’t have people, much vegetation, and freshwater, let alone a Starbucks cafe. I was exploring Google Earth and came upon a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

I started exploring around and found four rectangular structures and one large structure that looked like a ship to me. These structures definitely looked man-made. The island was deserted in the middle of the ocean, and had no sign of inhabitation. I was shocked to find manmade items on a small, barren island in the middle of the ocean. So, naturally, I searched it up. I plotted the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates and searched it up, and found that it was Starbuck Island, and I stumbled upon much information on it and evidence things on the island might not be human-made. The island, also called “Barren Island',' “Starve Island,” and “Low Island,” has no resources to survive whatsoever, thus its many names. As I previously stated, it has no human living there, vegetation, and freshwater, making it very difficult to survive in. Then how was someone able to create four large structures? These handmade stone structures weren’t made recently, and the island definitely didn’t have people when it was first spotted in 1823 by Valentine Starbuck.

Who lived there? Who created the structures? There wasn’t enough technology and resources around 200 years ago to gather a large amount of food that didn’t perish and drinkable water to last the long time period in which it took to build the structures. There was evidence of mining based on these so-called “dwellings” and ditches. The largest of these structures is around 50-60 feet long.*

This is not the only strange thing on this island, however. There is another object on the island that looks like a ship, to me. It is around 127 feet long.* The object has two straight lines that look like notches that run from the bottom to around the center and one that runs from the side to around the center. Others think it looks like the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, but most agree that it is an unidentified flying object (UFO). If you look closer at the 6 mile island, you can see skid marks running through the island. The skid marks, where they first appear, turn slightly and then run for around 5,064 feet* until they rest at the final landing place at the tip of the island where the rectangular structures are, ending in the UFO. Around 900 feet* away from the UFO, you can see another pair of skid marks that separate from the original skid marks and end in the ocean, showing that a piece might have broken off into the ocean, or another possible UFO crash could have taken place.

The first time these crashes were sighted was in 2016 on Google Earth, and National Geographic had been there in 2009 and had mentioned nothing of the large object, so the object could have crashed there anytime between 2009 and 2016. I believe I have found a third pair of skid marks running parallel to the original one. These marks look older than the others and are much less distinct, however, I don’t think they run very far. There are a couple of other strange formations that look like clusters of vegetation in weird patterns, but those prove to be coconut trees planted in an attempt to bring vegetation into the island. Starbuck Island is a mysterious and very interesting island that we don’t know much of except it’s lack of resources to survive. What are those structures there? We may never know. For more visuals, search ‘Starbuck Island, Kiribati’ in Google Earth.

*Measurements taken by the Google Earth measurement tool. Not necessarily 100% accurate.

What is Science Olympiad?

By Ayesha F.

February 2020 Issue

What is Science Olympiad? You’ve probably heard it over the announcements a few times or one of your friends or siblings may have mentioned it. But do you know what it is? Science Olympiad is a competitive science program for students from sixth through ninth grade (Division B) and students from tenth to twelfth grade (Division C). Memorial has its own Science Olympiad team that consists of around 45 students. Science Olympiad is almost like a travel team for science (similar to sports travel teams, except we compete in science). Our advisors are Ms. Driscoll and Mrs. Malik. We compete with other schools in our region in competitions called "invitationals" hosted by different schools. Then, we compete in the regional competition, and if we qualify, we compete in the state competition and maybe even the national competition. Mentor Schools has done really well in previous competitions. Since 2013, Memorial won second place twice at the state competition. Mentor High School won first place in 2017 in the state competition, and second place three times since 2007.

Students have to compete in multiple science topics called events. This year, the events students could choose to compete in are: Anatomy and Physiology, Boomilever, Circuit Lab, Crime Busters, Density Lab, Disease Detective, Dynamic Planet, Elastic Launch Gliders, Experimental Design, Food Science, Fossils, Game On, Heredity, Machines, Meteorology, Mission Possible, Mousetrap Vehicle, Ornithology, Ping Pong Parachute, Reach for the Stars, Road Scholar, Water Quality, and Write It Do It. In competitions, some of theses events are test events (where you complete a pencil-and-paper test and students are ranked on their scores), some build events (where you have a machine of some type that you have previously created, and you get a criteria on what it has to do), and some other types of events that you aren’t taking a test, nor testing a build, but are still doing something hands-on.

As of January, our Science Olympiad has competed in two invitationals: the Northview Invitational and the Westlake Invitational. Two teams went to Northview and three to Westlake. Each team consists of 15 students. In Northview, the Memorial teams were placed ninth and fifteenth out of thirty-five teams, and placed in the top five in the following: Circuit Lab (second), Disease Detectives (first), Food Science (fourth), Fossils (third), Ornithology (fourth), and Meteorology (first). In Westlake, our three teams were paced third, fifth, and eleventh place out of thirty-three teams and placed in the top eight in Anatomy and Physiology (first), Circuit Lab (third), Crime Busters (fourth), Density Lab (first), Disease Detectives (fifth), Dynamic Planet (eighth and fourth), Experimental Design (seventh), Food Science (seventh), Fossils (second and eighth), Game On (second and third), Heredity (third and sixth), Machines (eighth and sixth), Meteorology (fourth, first, and fifth), Mission Possible (seventh and sixth), Mousetrap Vehicle (third, first, and sixth), Ornithology (second), Ping Pong Parachute (eighth, seventh, and second), Reach for the Stars (fifth and eighth), Road Scholar (third), Water Quality (fourth), Write It Do It (second), Codebusters (tested event, but not a long term event this year; teams got second and sixth), and Picture This (tested event, but not a long term event this year; team got second). The Mentor High School won first place in Westlake in the C Division!

Our next invitational is at Solon (February 1), where we will face some of our fiercest competitors. Wish us luck for our competitions that are yet to come!

Get to Know Ms. Driscoll

By Ayesha F.

February 2020 Issue

Every month, I will be interviewing a teacher/staff member and sharing things about them that you may not have known. This month, I will be featuring Ms. Driscoll. She is the Orchestra Director and orchestra teacher for students grades 5-7 at Memorial, Shore, Bellflower, Hopkins, Orchard Hollow, and Ridge. She is also a Memorial Science Olympiad co-advisor.

Q. What is your favorite food?

• A. “I love Indian food, especially any dish with paneer.”

Q. How long have you been with Memorial or Mentor Schools?

• A. “This is my 7th year teaching in Mentor (though I grew up here and went to Memorial when I was a student).”

Q. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you since you started teaching?

• A. “I once had a class that was notorious for breaking instruments. One day a kid popped his bridge off and managed to get it stuck inside his violin. I had never seen that happen in my whole life. I didn’t think it was possible to get it out, but somehow I managed to fix it. Then a week later his friend did the exact same thing. The class was shocked and I was so mad. I thought I just got lucky the first time and I’d never get this one out. I flipped the violin over and the bridge came right out and the whole class cheered because they thought I was an instrument-fixing wizard.”

Q. What is the weirdest thing that you confiscated from a student?

• A. “I haven’t officially confiscated anything too weird but I have found a bunch of stuff inside a string bass... pencils, pens, homework, candy wrappers.”

Q. What was your favorite subject in middle school?

• A. “Science and Orchestra.”

Q. What did you want to be your occupation when you were in middle school?

• A. “Geologist for NASA helping to explore Mars.”

Q. What is the most mischievous thing that you did when you were in middle school?

• A. “I totally faked my way through a book report by only reading the first and last chapters.”

Q. What was your favorite book when you were in middle school?

• A. “'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.”

Q. If all the middle schoolers have to read one book, what would you want it to be?

• A. “That’s hard to say since everyone has really different tastes in books. I’d just want every kid to find the perfect introduction into whatever their favorite genre is so they’re motivated to keep reading.”

Q. What instrument(s) do you play?

• A. “Violin and viola primarily - occasionally cello and bass.”

Q. How long have you been playing the instrument you are most experienced at?

• A. “I’ve been playing violin for 25 years.”

Q. Which instrument is your favorite to play?

• A. “Definitely violin (sorry violas).”

Q. What is the funniest thing a student has ever done to their instrument that you have seen?

• A. “A certain student (who will remain nameless) hanging his violin upside down on a music stand and an entire class getting up to take a picture with it.”

Q. What, where, and when was your favorite concert that you have performed at?

• A. “I got to play in the orchestra for Dave Brubeck when he came to Miami University when I was in college.”

Q. Who is your dream musician that you would like to perform with?

• A. “Itzhak Perlman.”

Q. What is your favorite orchestra song?

• A. “Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 or Dvorak’s American Quartet.”

Q. If you had a superpower, what would you want it to be and why?

• A. “To be able to instantly find anything I’m looking for, like my car keys or my students’ binders because I would save so much time.”

Q. If you had the power to be invisible for one hour and one hour only, what would you do in that time?

• A. “I would sit in the back of the violins at a Cleveland Orchestra rehearsal and play along.”

Q. If you became the principal of a school, what would you add or change?

• A. “More time in the schedule for students’ interests (like music!)”

Q. If you could go back in time to relive your middle school years, what would you do?

• A. “I would stop stressing out about what other people thought of me and stop comparing myself to other people. Also, I would practice my violin a little more.”

Q. Pick one option from each line of the following:

1. LeBron James or Stephen Curry?

• A. LeBron James

2. "Holes" by Louis Sachar or "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen?

• A. "Holes"

3. The wilderness or technology?

• A. Wilderness

4. The Cleveland Cavaliers or the Golden State Warriors?

• A. Cavs

5. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson?

• A. Harry Potter

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for another interview next month!

Get To Know Your Assistant Principal - Mr. Dwyer

Q: What is the most mischievous thing that you did when you were in middle school?

• • A: “Nice try…”

Q: What did you want to be your occupation when you were in middle school?

• • A: “Animal Trainer at SeaWorld”

Q: If you could go back in time to relive your middle school years, what would you change?

• • A: “I would play the city championship soccer game over. We lost 1-0.”

Q: What were some of your previous jobs before you joined Mentor Schools?

• • A: “Golf Caddy, Lifeguard, Day Camp Counselor.”

Q: What was your favorite thing a student has ever done?

• • A: “Make a Difference Day!!!”

Q: What are some things you enjoy doing with your family?

• • A: “Going on bike rides and fishing.”

Q: How long have you been at Memorial Middle School or with Mentor Schools?

• • A: “This is my 14th year with Mentor Schools. I taught 7th and 8th grade math for 9 years at Ridge and traveled to Memorial for one year. This is my 5th as assistant principal.”

Q: Can you share a funny incident that happened at Memorial?

• • A: “Halloween 2018 Ms Blackburn and I rode motorcycles around the school.”

Q: What is the weirdest thing that you confiscated from a student?

• • A: “Slime.”

Q: If you could have a superpower, what would you want it to be and why?

• • A: “Teleport, so I could stop in at Hawaii for a few hours each day during the winter.”

Q: Pick one option from each of the following:

LeBron James or Stephen Curry?

• • A: LeBron

Holes by Louis Sachar or Hatchet by Gary Paulsen?

• • A: Hatchet

The wilderness or technology?

• • A: Wilderness

The Cavs or the Golden State Warriors?

• • A: Cavs

Harry Potter or Percy Jackson

• • A: Harry Potter

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for an interview with Ms. Driscoll next month and let me know what questions you would like answered below!

Get To Know Your Principal - Ms. Blackburn

Fun Places to Go to Prepare You for Christmas!

By Carolina H.

November 2019 Issue

It’s that time of year again! The holiday season is rolling around. And I’m going to tell you some wonderful places to go during the holiday. Christmas is only celebrated once every year, so why not go to some fun places to pep you up for Christmas?

The first place is the toy soldier show in downtown Cleveland. It is in Tower City Center, 230 W Huron Rd. It is a toy soldier that comes to life and interacts with you! The duration is 30 minutes long. It is a fun family experience to get out of the house and spend time together. Meanwhile after the show right outside of the building they have a very large Christmas tree, decked out with Christmas lights. Right next to the tree is an outdoor skating rink.

The second place is Pinecrest. It is located, Park Ave, Orange, OH 44122. Pinecrest is an enjoyable location for your whole family. It has things such as, a movie theater, a candy shop, an outdoor skating rink, a donut shop called Duck Donuts, and restaurant with indoor bowling. It’s a fun location to just go down to for a day and skate and eat. It’s not just a fun location for Christmas, you can go whenever! Me and my family have great memories going there, and I bet you can make great ones too.

The third location is the Christmas Ranch. This attraction has a bunch of dancing Christmas lights synchronized with holiday music in the background. They have Christmas shops to buy anything ranging with, ornaments and stockings to Christmas gifts! You can get pictures with Santa, and they even have wagon and train rides around the park. It has hot food and drinks and I highly recommended to dress warmly. It is located at: 3205 S Waynesville Rd. Morrow OH 45152.

And finally the fourth and final location is the Bringman House. The address is 9357 Bringman Ct, Mentor Ohio, 44060. It is a really fun house to go to with your family. It is a crazy fun house with lights synchronized with recent pop music. It’s house is covered with lights and one of the windows is a green screen with elves and Santa walking past it. It has an enormous tree with even more lights attached to it. It’s a fun place to bring some candy, popcorn and a blanket and enjoy the show. I would advise to get there early, only because it’s always packed down the neighborhood road.

Different December Holidays

By Andrew G.

November 2019 Issue

Christmas isn’t the only December holiday that is celebrated by people. There are lots more that are celebrated and mostly done only by a specific religion.

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated by 160 countries around the world and is one of the most known December holidays. Christmas originated in the time the Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, on the 25th day of December in 336 and is still celebrated on that day today. Christmas represents the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Christian God, giving the holiday its name.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of life lasting from December 26th to January 1st. The holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenha in 1966 with a festival as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home.

Hanukkah

The celebration of Hanukkah, lasting from December 22nd to December 30th, is a Jewish celebration created by Judas Maccabeusin 165 B.C.E. to celebrate his victory over Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Boxing Day

In the UK, Boxing Day is known as a shopping holiday, much like Black Friday in the United States. On this day, people donate blood to the local blood bank, go hiking or play sports, and throw Boxing Day parties.

New Year

New Year is the holiday in which a new calendar year begins. The New York Time Square Ball Drop is a celebration where at 12:00 AM, a ball on a pole is dropped to mark the new year.

Thanksgiving Foods Around the U.S.

By Eva R.

November 2019 Issue

Thanksgiving. That wonderful time of the year when you get to eat, eat, and eat some more. Here is a collection of the most popular Thanksgiving foods around the U.S.

Around the U.S., roasted turkey is a big hit. About 77% of U.S citizens have roasted turkey at Thanksgiving dinner. The U.S. has about 327.2 million people. 77% is a really big amount, when you think about it that way.

Even with turkey being the most popular, some people will serve ham at their Thanksgiving dinners. Approximately 34% of U.S. citizens enjoy ham at their dinner. Again, looking at the U.S. population, which is about 320 million people, that’s a lot of people.

Even with all the popular foods, what about the unpopular dishes? We have corn on the cob at around 16% of U.S. citizens. That’s still a large amount of people, but compared to roasted turkey with about 77%, 16% seems very small.

Now you may be thinking, what about all the other Thanksgiving foods? I’ve got you covered. If you would like to see a full list of food and their population, Click Here. What’s your favorite thanksgiving food?

A History of Thanksgiving

“In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers,” writes authors at History.com.

These passengers were mostly leaving for religious freedom, which could be found in the New World. People also came to own larger amounts of land, which was another promising factor in pilgrimaging. And, after 66 days, they reached an area at the tip of Cape Cod, near the Hudson River.

According to the article”Thanksgiving 2019,” “Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease."

An astonishing fact is that only about half of the original crew of the Mayflower lived to see spring in New England. And, as the pilgrims began to move ashore, they met a tribe of Native Americans. These Native Americans played a huge part in the pilgrims’ survival, particularly an individual named Squanto. Squanto spoke English, as he had been captured and enslaved in London before escaping to his homeland.

“Squanto taught the Pilgrims,” explained the article, “weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants.”

In November of 1621, after a successful corn harvest, William Bradford, a governor organized a feast to celebrate with their Native American allies. This celebration lasted for three days.

“Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest,” describes the article.

After this Thanksgiving, there was no “official” holiday for hundreds of years. However, some presidents did designate certain days to giving thanks. Starting in 1817, some states adopted the holiday. But it wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving became a national holiday.

So, now you know the story of this U.S.A. holiday. Its origins with the pilgrims' harsh lives will hopefully make you a little bit more grateful and help you realize you have a lot to give thanks for.

The Poisonous Minerals in Table Salt

By Lorelai M.

October 2019 Issue

How many times have you added table salt to your meals? Table salt, throughout history, has been a part of everyday meals and always in high demand. Salt is needed for many human functions, such as maintaining blood cells, carrying impulses from the brain, helping the heart beat properly, and so much more. But have you ever wondered what goes into your table salt?

Both sodium and chlorine create pure salt. As you may know, both of those minerals are very dangerous and deadly when they are apart. Too much sodium can cause comas, seizures, and even death. It is also an explosive. Even though chlorine has been used to sanitize swimming pools, clean our drinking water, and so much more, chlorine is a very dangerous chemical and too much could severely harm a person. Chlorine as a gas is very deadly.

So why is salt safe to eat? When sodium and chlorine combine they create sodium chloride - a non- poisonous chemical known as salt. Scientists have found that adding a small flake of sodium into chlorine creates a powdery white substance - table salt. The reason for this is the electrons in each element. As the mineral chlorine meets sodium, the sodium gives on electron away. The atoms in the sodium becomes positively charged. When the chlorine gains a single electron, the chlorine becomes unstable. Since the two minerals combine like so, with opposites attracting, the effects are offset. This is why our table salt is not poisonous like logic says it should be.

According to Erin Blakemore from National Geographic, it was “the worst nuclear accident in history unfolded in what is now northern Ukraine as a reactor at a nuclear power plant exploded and burned.”

That would be really catastrophic! Imagine that you grow up next to a nuclear power plant, and one day it explodes! And this was a whole city that was next to it! How many people had to evacuate?

The article from Erin Blakemore later says, “And the Soviet Union eventually evacuated 335,000 people.”

We have a lot to owe to our everyday heroes if they had to evacuate that many people while constantly being exposed to radioactivity! If you are exposed to radiation for too long, it is fatal! But what happened to the machine inside?

Kyle Hill from Because Science has some answers for us. He says, “After another explosion, the rush of air coming into the failed reactor set the graphite on fire, which is almost impossible to extinguish.”

If the graphite, which was in the machine, kept burning, that would most likely lead to lava! And what with the nuclear still being there, they merged together to make… radioactive lava!

About four years after the incident, somebody went down into the basement where said lava was supposed to be. With a camera he brought down, he took the picture above. This picture later cost this man his life from the radiation poisoning. This event has definitely taken its place in history, and lots of lives with it.

But it wasn’t just humans that were affected by the disaster! According to Kyle Hill, “Five square kilometers immediately surrounding the reactor were blasted with dozens of gray’s (100 rads) worth of radiation and the first sign that something was killing the trees were the blood-red needles and leaves.”

So it wasn’t just the worst nuclear accident to mankind, but it was probably the trees’ worst nuclear accident, too!

NJHS Takes on the Haunted Hayrides

By Sidney K.

October 2019 Issue

NJHS (National Junior Honors Society) is a group within the school available to 7th and 8th graders. Students who are accepted to join for the whole year have the ability to sign up for many different volunteer opportunities. One of these opportunities is the Haunted Hayrides. It takes place at the Farm Parks in October, and during the event students dress up and “haunt” various themed locations along the trail. I joined in on the event this year and I decided to interview some other students at the event with me:

Q: Did you do this last year? Why or why not?

A: (Oliva Szaibel - Memorial 8th) I did! I just wanted the experience.

A: (Abby Horvath - Shore 8th) Yes, it seemed like a lot of fun.

A: (Sydney Stark - Memorial 8th) No, but I volunteered here earlier this year for pumpkin and corn festival.

Q: What was your favorite part about the Hayrides?

A: (Kenna Hamilton - Memorial 8th) Dancing and entertaining the kids.

A: (Lacey Luketic - Willoughby 8th) Definitely scaring the riders.

A: (Sydney Stark - Memorial 8th) I got to express my crazy side and have fun with my friends!

Q: What was your least favorite part about the Hayrides?

A: (Anthony Tabone - Shore 8th) The cold!

A: (Keira Leland - Memorial 8th) Running out of hot chocolate.

A: (Sydney Stark - Memorial 8th) Our music stopped working halfway through.

How to Stay Organized in Middle School

Opinion by Avellina K.

October 2019 Issue

Have you ever forgotten to turn in your homework on time? Were you ever late to class because of locker problems? 6th grade is a very complicated transition for many students, including me. Some students have a hard time remembering homework, while others have locker troubles.

“I was very stressed the first weeks,” claimed Michael Ruffing, new to 6th grade at Memorial Middle school. He explained how middle school was stressful in the beginning and how it gets hard with homework when associated with after school activities.

“It was kinda hard to know my schedule at first,” stated Olivia Rush, also new to 6th grade at Memorial Middle School. “I felt very rushed when the bell rang.” Many students struggle with these same problems. This article will explain how to get over the tough conflicts of middle school life.

On the first day of middle school, it was very difficult and “nerve racking” for some students. Simone LaManna, a friend of mine and 6th grade newspaper writer, explained her troubles with half lockers. “It’s hard to get around everyone,” she explained. “When you have a half locker you can only fit so much like your bag and your folders.” She suggested to use a smaller coat in the winter time. I totally agree!

Sometimes students easily forget to do homework after school. An easy way for remembering to do your homework is to create your own planner. Study hall is a great way to take care of the homework, so when you get home, you don’t have to worry about it too much. This also allows you to be available for after school activities. Also, write your locker combination down on your iPad or somewhere you can find it if you forget your locker combination. One last tip to share is to create your own personal binder including a homework planner, a calendar, and a chart showing what materials you need for each class. With the pockets on the side, you could use that for extra papers that need to be taken home.

In conclusion, use a smaller coat in winter, use a planner, do your homework in study hall, keep your locker combination written down in a secret place, and create your own personal binder to help keep your middle school experience more organized!

Top 7 Favorite Spots in Mentor

Opinion by Alleyna R.

May 2019 Issue

Mentor, Ohio is a wonderful city with a variety of spots that satisfies every individual’s needs. These are seven personally selected locations in the city that I enjoy going to or have very fond memories at. Scroll through to take a look!

20 Things to Do This Summer

Opinion by Sophie V.

May 2019 Issue

Are you looking forward for summer vacation, but you just don’t know how to spend your three months off from school? Here are 20 fun suggestions and ideas that you can do to help you have the best summer yet:

1. Have a lemonade stand.

2. Volunteer for a cause you are passionate about.

3. Read a book.

4. Write in a journal.

5. Make your own blog.

6. Make popsicles.

7. Have a sleepover with your friends.

8. Visit the pool.

9. Help clean up the beach.

10. Go on a bike ride around your neighborhood.

11. Do DIYs with your friends.

12. Visit cool tourist attractions in your hometown.

13. Go camping or hiking with your family.

14. Audition for a play or a musical.

15. Start a YouTube channel about something you love.

16. Play on a sports team that you would like to try out.

17. Host a cookout with your family and friends.

18. Have an outdoor movie night with lots of snacks.

19. Make your own movie with some friends.

20. Learn a new skill that you have been interested in.

"42nd Street" Cast Interview

By Alleyna R.

April 2019 Issue

Q: What caused you to want to be in the play?

Alison S.: It was one of my sister’s and best friend’s passions and they thought I would like it.

Savannah S.: Well, I enjoy becoming someone else and working with other people to express emotions.

Alexander B.: I’m enthusiastic, but I have been wanting to try something new to get out of my shell a bit. I felt that it was right.

Q: What was the play’s hardest challenge?

Alison S.: Remembering my cues to go on stage.

Savannah S.: The most difficult thing was doing the last show because we worked with each other for months and then it was like poof they’re gone.

Alexander B.: The hardest challenge was that I had to be Abner Dillon, not me. He was old, rich, and a forceful guy, when I’m not, but I managed to become him.

Q: What was the most rewarding thing about being the play?

Alison S.: Meeting all these amazing people.

Savannah S.: Meeting new people and seeing the audience enjoy the work we did.

Alexander B.: I made so many friends and relationships that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t sign up.

Q: What would be one thing you’d change in your audition?

Alison S.: I would change the song and I would show more confidence.

Savannah S.: I probably would change the way I played my character and spoke louder.

Alexander B.: I would change the fact I was sharp in the audition but I wouldn’t change anything else.

Featuring Franz Liszt

By Andy H.

April 2019 Issue

One of the greatest classical composers of the Romantic period, Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is most known for creating one of the hardest piano pieces, “La Campanella,” along with Niccolò Paganini.

Liszt was born on the 22nd of October, 1811, and died on the 31st of July, 1886. The cause of his death was pneumonia. In his days, the pianos weren’t as sturdy as they are now, so Liszt often times broke piano strings during performances. This happened so often that the audience was actually disappointed if he didn’t break a string! Although he may be gone, his music is still played every day.

Favorite Foods Survey Results

By Olivia S.

April 2019 Issue

Memorial students, including you, have many tastes! Recently, I conducted a survey and came to conclusions based on multiple responses. Students from all grades took the survey, and the results varied greatly. Some students had new opinions and unique tastes.

An Interview with Mrs. Sines

Interview by Lorelai M.

January 2019 Issue

Q: How long have you been teaching? How long were you working at the Mentor Public Schools?

• A: I started my career subbing for the district, including a position as Memorial’s building sub. Then, I got hired and taught at Ridge for 7 years. After Ridge transitioned into an elementary building, I was transferred back to Memorial. This is my eighth year of teaching.

Q: How do you feel on the first day of school? What are your typical worries?

• A: Even after 8 years of teaching, I still experience back-to-school jitters. I worry about the dynamic of my classes, my new schedule, and getting back into a routine of waking up early. Usually after the first week, I get back into a groove.

Q: What would you say is the most exciting moment of your teaching career? Why?

• A: I don’t have one specific moment that stands out- more like a collection of smaller moments. Specifically, I am always excited when students come back and share their successes with me; whether it involves job success, academic pursuits, etc. I love seeing how previous students have grown and molded into young adults.

Q: What would be your funniest moment in your teaching career?

• A: Probably when I participated in the staff vs. student volleyball game, a few years ago, and I attempted to serve the ball. Let’s just say I am anything but athletic. Another recent funny moment was when one of my students told me I looked like a soccer mom...My students always keep me entertained.

Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching? Why?

• A: I love building connections, maintaining relationships, and watching students grow. As a teacher, it is also fulfilling to see students that “eureka moment” when a student finally understands a new concept.

Q: What is your most challenging moment and why?

• A: Realizing I may not immediately reach every student. As a teacher, my goal is to help every one of my students experience some level of success. When I see a student not living up to their potential, it is disheartening.

Q: What type of book would you recommend to a student that is not accustomed to reading? Why?

• A: It would depend on the interest of the kid. I always encourage newer readers to get hooked on series, so if they enjoy one book they can “continue the journey” with subsequent novels. Some of my favorite YA series include The Hunger Games, Twilight, Matched, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or the Divergent series.

Q: What is your favorite hobby to do with your family? Why?

• A: Anything that involves playing and spending quality time together- going to the beach, park, running around in the backyard, or taking my son on “dates” to Target. I feel like kids do not have enough time to just play anymore, so making time for these activities with my family brings me the most joy.

Q: If you had to write a one pages summary of the most exciting moments of your life, what would it be? Why?

• A: Some of the most exciting moments of my life include being nominated Student Council President in middle school, snorkeling (technically it was skuba diving) and exploring an abandoned, sunken ship in the waters of Aruba, and giving birth to my two beautiful children (particularly, when we learned the gender of our daughter in the delivery room).

Q: If you had any advice to give the eighth graders going into high school what would it be and why?

• A: I would encourage eighth graders to make mistakes. Put yourself out there, try new things, and branch out of your comfort zone. Middle School is the time to begin figuring out the person you are and who you want to become. Also, take the time to get to know you teachers. Believe it or not, we were young once too! ; )

Christmas Lights Galore!

By Morgan W.

December 2018 Issue

Christmas is right around the corner, and lights are everywhere. Therefore, you might want to see the best light shows around. If you do want the best, you should go to Berkeley Hills, for their first ever, Bethlehem Hills light show! Ride in your family’s car and enjoy the light show as you ride through the North Pole and a candy cane forest. There is an entrance fee of $19, however, that does pay off in the end. Since after you have completed the drive through the lights, there is still more inside! As you walk inside there are more beautiful lights, and multiple places for even the littlest ones to walk and enjoy. Not only are there more lights, but Santa is stationed at the at the end, with hot chocolate straight from the start of the walk. The Bethlehem Hills light show is about half an hour away from the Mentor Public Library, Main Branch, on Lauren J Dr. Plus on the way to Bethlehem hills, you can experience all the beautiful homes that Mentor’s residents decorated for the holiday season. Finally, as Santa Clause once said, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!”

Math Counts Club Offered to Students

By Andy H.

December 2018 Issue

“Some students love math. Other students fear math. MATHCOUNTS is the place for both.” Mathcounts is a nonprofit organization that reaches over 250,000 students from grades 6-8 each year. They challenge students with 3 different extracurricular math programs: The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series, National Math Club, and Math Video Challenge.

The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is an annual competition consisting of 4 levels: school, chapter, state, and national. Each level is comprised of 4 different rounds: Sprint, Target, Team, and Countdown. In total, the competition should take about 3 hours to complete. The Sprint Round challenges students to complete 30 no-calculator math problems in 40 minutes. This round focuses on the speed and accuracy of the competitors. The Target around focuses on problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. Competitors will be given 4 pairs of problems (8 total), with 6 minutes to complete each pair (24 minutes total). This round allows the use of a calculator. The next round, the Team Round, only (officially) allows the 4 students on each team. These 4 students are allowed to work together, along with the help of a calculator, to complete 10 problems in 20 minutes. The final round, the Countdown (Lightning) Round focuses on speed and accuracy. This round is not mandatory at the school, chapter, and state levels. Students are given a maximum of 45 seconds to solve each problem.

The National Math Club is a free-to-participate-in extracurricular. The “Club in a Binder” is the primary resource given to all registered educators for this program. The binder consists of many different math games, each lasting around 30-90 minutes. Each game includes a mini math lesson (optional), which explores the aspects of math used in the game. These games are designed to be flexible, meaning that they are completable by groups of all sizes. Each and every game has an adjustable difficulty, meaning that anyone can play them.

The Math Video Challenge challenges students to use their math, communication, and technology skills through a collaborative video. This free program is open to all 6-8th grade students. Students will work in groups of 4 to create a video based on a math problem given to them. They must solve a problem, taken from the year’s playbook, and demonstrate that they can apply the problem to a real-world situation. The maximum length of a video is 5 minutes. After submissions close, anyone is allowed to vote on the videos that students have created. The 100 videos with the most votes proceed to the judging round, where a panel of judges review and select 20 semi-finalists from the videos given. After that, 4 finalists are selected to advance to the final round of the competition. The 16 students who created these 4 videos, as well as each team’s advisor, receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2019 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Orlando, FL, where they present their videos to the 224 Competition Series national competitors. At the National Competition, the 224 Mathletes® vote on the videos to determine the winner. Each of the 4 students who created the winning video receive a $1,000 scholarship.

All 3 of these programs are organized by MATHCOUNTS. From an annual math competition, to a national math club, to a math video challenge, MATHCOUNTS has something for everyone.

What's Art Club All About?

By Emily M.

December 2018 Issue

Do you thrive in creative environments? Enjoy making pieces of art? Then join art club! Art club is a great extracurricular activity that allows you to be as creative as you‘d like. They take in all skill levels, whether you can barely color with crayons or paint daily. They also take grades 6 through 8, and you don’t need to be taking the art elective to participate. Some activities they do include drawing as well as painting on canvases, ceramics, and wood. Everything you make there, you can take home with you, with no added fees. Joining this club is very simple as you don’t need to attend each meeting. Whenever your schedule allows you can come into these once a month meetings. For more information, you can see Mrs. Lang, the 7th and 8th grade fine art teacher in room 122. Check the daily announcements for the next meeting date.

Speech and Debate Club Comes to Memorial Middle School

By Alleyna R.

November 2018 Issue

The speech and debate club is a club where students get the opportunity to practice the different types of speech and debate. They meet after school and compete in competitions. However, that description doesn’t really go in depth to what kind of club speech and debate is. Though it’s true, speech and debate club is so much more than that. Students who participate get to learn skills, and take advantage of other benefits and advantages that speech and debate club has to offer.

“I would describe it as a club that is really great helping you get out of your comfort zone and help you build up on skills that will go on to help you. For debate, you get to look on both sides of the argument and for me personally, when I’m looking at a situation I know the other side before I make my conclusion. It also helped me become a better speaker and make me more confident in my speaking abilities,” said Maggie Chen, one of the captains on the speech and debate team. “Like I said before, it really builds your public speaking skills. You really learn to project, put a lot of emotion in your work and overall, it makes you more confident.”

Maggie was describing speech and debate club in her own words and the benefits and advantages that speech and debate club have to offer. What Maggie spoke about shows how speech and debate has helped her.

“Well, we meet every other Tuesday at Memorial in the choir room and on Saturdays we go to different places and compete,” said Caden Coleman, one of the other captains of the speech and debate team. “Speech and debate really helped me with my communication skills, I think, because you’re talking to judges, and you’re talking in front of a lot of people.”

Like Maggie, Caden talks about how speech and debate helped him.

In speech and debate club, students get to practice multiple types of debate events such as, big questions debate, public forum debate, congressional debate, and multiple types of speech events such as oratory, declamation, and interpretation.

Although, speech and debate club does involve speech and debate, it is so much more than that. The students interviewed represent what the club is from an involved participant’s perspective. The captains perfectly explain how speech and debate is a club where students can represent themselves through their voice and how rewarding and beneficial it is.

Helping the Environment, Specifically the Mentor Marsh Nature Preserve

By Anna P.

November 2018 Issue

Have you ever seen a deer, a fox, a tree, or even, a squirrel? Then, you’ve seen nature. Nature is all around us, and it influences every step we make as a society. However, the environment has been harmed in many ways, by many different sources. This includes one ecosystem, that hits close to home: the Mentor Marsh Nature Preserve.

The Mentor Marsh is a natural landmark that has persevered through times of suffering and difficulty. The Marsh, today, includes the Wake Robin Trail Boardwalk, a nature center, and contains 646 acres of wetlands teeming with lush foliage and vegetation. This ecosystem also houses rich wildlife including muskrats, beavers, and waterfowl, and 23 species of native plants. However, it was not always this pure and restored.

By the 1970s to 1980s, reed grass (phragmites australis) had taken over the Marsh after salt-mine tailings had been deposited into Blackbrook Creek. This event killed most plants and trees in the Marsh, leaving the adaptive reeds to fill in the area, spacing only two inches apart from each other. In April 2003, a marsh fire singed the Wake Robin Boardwalk and plants surrounding it. Thankfully conservation efforts have helped restore the delicate marsh. Many species of plants native to Ohio were replanted, and the extermination of the reeds was successful. Now, we as a unit must work to conserve and protect this delicate environment of Northeast Ohio.

Mentor Marsh naturalist, Becky Donaldson, said, “If I can help teach people about wanting to protect the environment, then I can arm them with the information that they can turn around and make changes in their lives whether it’s feeding the birds or planting native plants. That helps me help the environment through education.”

Becky Donaldson, has been in her post for almost ten years, and thoroughly enjoys her job. She thinks that education is the key to protecting the environment for years to come.

Donaldson said, while discussing changes to the wildlife as the environment changes, “Whether it’s air pollution or water pollution it’s everywhere. Whether it’s motor fluids."

Donaldson explains, “it happens everywhere, draining into the lake.” And considering that the marsh is connected to Lake Erie and that oil spills are so severe that the lake has caught fire on some occasions in the past, solutions are being found for this pollution problem.

Many issues in the Northeast Ohio ecosystems have occurred, but luckily the resilient ecosystem has bounced back, to almost full health, housing native plants and animals. The marsh can be seen from the Headlands on the Wake Robin Boardwalk or from the Marsh Nature Center. To learn more about how you can help protect the marsh, visit http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/mentormarsh.

What is Space?

By Lilly V.

November 2018 Issue

Space… astronomy… aliens… we’ve all talked or heard about it at one point or another. We, as a society, have made large amounts of progress throughout history by discovering more about it. We have sent machines, animals, and people up into the vast unknown that is space. But, what is space?

In an actual definition from dictionary.com, space is “the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur.” Great definition, but what does it mean? Well, take for instance, a planet. Space is described as a realm in which all material objects are located, and a planet is a material object. Events occur now, but what kind of events? The Big Bang theory, dying stars (which is a lot more exciting than it sounds), and much more. To put it simply, when a star dies, it explodes. That sure is an event! Now, “The Unlimited Piece,” an article on “Medium” states, “It’s true that we don’t know whether it’s finite or infinite, but we know a lot more than what we see within the part that’s observable to us.” This proves that we do not know, and may never know the real size of the universe. But there are many theories that the universe is in fact, infinite. “The Sky and Telescope” website states, “We know that the universe is expanding because, with some nearby exceptions, almost every galaxy in the universe is moving away from us and from one another. Not only that, but very distant galaxies appear to be receding even more quickly, evidence that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate.”

This article, of course, does not cover all the details of space. It simply gives a quick definition. Though it was short, hopefully this article gave you some quick information about space.