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Sticky Hands
By Miranda Vargas
1360_001.pdfLouis Armstrong
By Annabel Cheney
With February being Black History Month, I wanted to highlight a notable Black icon. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential people in the field of Jazz. He was a leading trumpeter and is considered one of the greatest musicians in the fine art of Jazz. He was born August 4th, 1901. He was born into a family that was deeply in poverty. His family tried to retain as much money as they could get, so often Armstrong caught himself working strange jobs. In 1912, Armstrong was sent to juvenile detention at “Colored Waifs Home for Boys” for firing a pistol on new years eve. In the detention center, he learned to play the cornet, thus starting his desire for music. He was released 2 years later. Although he continued to work weird jobs, he grew himself a name in the town!
A man named Joe King Oliver became a guide to young Armstrong and provided him with music advice. In 1918, Armstrong replaced a child named Oliver in an infamous band named Kid Ory’s band. Then he continued to work with some of the greatest bands in New Orleans. He quit doing the laborious jobs and focused full time on his musical career. In 1919, Louis decided that he would spend summers playing on a boat with Fate Marble. In the early 1920s, Armstrong received a call from Oliver to go to Chicago and play in his Creole band and he did. He did not continue with this band and ended up going solo. This led to his amazing musical career today with him making hits like, “What A Wonderful World.”
Works Cited
Piccotti, Tyler. “Louis Armstrong.” Biography.com, Biography.com Editors, 17th January 2024, https://www.biography.com/musicians/louis-armstrong. Accessed 20th December 2024.
History of Valentine's Day
By Carli McMillen
Valentine's Day was created to commemorate St. Valentine who some believe was killed for helping the Christians escape the Roman prisons. In the Roman prisons the Christians were usually beaten or tortured by the Romans. As legend has it, Valentine had sent the first Valentine's letter to a young girl with whom he had fallen in love. The young girl is said to be his jailor’s daughter and would often visit Valentine while imprisoned. Before he was killed, it was rumored that he signed the letter “From your Valentine,” which is a saying still used today. Even though the legends of Valentine himself are vague, legends state that he was heroic, sympathetic, and a romantic saint. When Saint Valentine's Day was first created, it was celebrated by having an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia to celebrate purification and fertility.
Now Valentine's Day is celebrated by giving loved ones flowers, cards, and chocolates, and spending the day with a significant other. I feel as if Valentine's Day became a way for companies to make more profit on Valentine’s Day gifts. Valentine’s Day used to be a day of commemoration, however it is still a day to show love to one another. Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, but I think it's sad that it used to be a day of remembrance or honor and it is now a day to prove love with gifts. I think the best gift anyone could give on Valentine's Day is love, true love, that comes straight from the heart. What do you think?
Works Cited
History.com editors. “History of Valentine's Day.” Valentine's Day 2024: Origins, Background & Traditions | HISTORY, History.com editors, 22 December
2009, https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2.
Benefits of Having a Pet
By Alayah Marable
Have you ever wondered how having a little animal running around and living inside your house could benefit your health? Well, there can be lots of benefits to having a critter roaming around one's house! Lots of pet owners agree that their pets have improved their health in many different ways.
The study of the interactions between humans and their pets is called anthrozoology. This science proves that owning a pet can cause benefits such as lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, social support, helping pet owners stay in shape, preventing certain illnesses, and reducing stress. In addition to that, studies have also shown that pets can benefit children. If the child has a good relationship with the pet, and takes good care of the pet, the child could possibly cause lower anxiety levels, boost the immune system, heighten understanding of others, teach responsibility, and improve behavior.
There are many studies that can prove even further that pets benefit humans. A study of 448 people, taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, showed that pet owners dealt with isolation better than non-pet owners. In a different investigation, robotic animals that resemble real pets were given to elders with dementia. After six weeks spent with the pets, the participants being studied showed lower levels of loneliness and depression.
In addition to the mental health perks, having a pet can also establish physical health bonuses. Research found that daily exercise suggestions are being met by more than 60% of dog owners. If a pet owner gives their pet attention meaning taking it on walks, giving it food, playing with it, and so on, it can cause both the pet and the owner to get a lot of exercise, meaning that both the owner and the animal can stay physically healthy. Walking and playing with your pet can help with keeping a healthy weight. Taking care of your pet can diminish the danger of lung, breast, kidney, colon, and prostate cancers. Walking pets won’t only keep the pet physically healthy, but it can keep the owner in good shape too. Having a pet can also boost heart health! Just having animals around is able to improve blood pressure by having a calming effect on its owner, lessening stress. Pet owners typically have lower blood pressure than non-pet owners.
It is important to remember that every pet also should be given love and taken care of correctly. Not treating a pet well can cause them to be uncomfortable or they could even become hostile! Overall, pets have many, many benefits, so getting one could be a very good idea!
Works Cited
Bowman, A., & Millstine, D. (2024, March 18). Boost your health: The benefits of having a pet. Mayo Clinic Press. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/boost-your-health-the-benefits-of-having-a-pet/
Corliss, J., & Bhatt, D. L. (2022, December 1). The heartfelt benefits of pet ownership. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-heartfelt-benefits-of-pet-ownership
Health benefits of pets: How your furry friend improves your mental and physical health. (2024, April 11). UC Davis Health. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/health-benefits-of-pets-how-your-furry-friend-improves-your-mental-and-physical-health/2024/04
The Power of Pets. (n.d.). NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets
History of the Town of Merrillville
By Imani Royal
Merrillville is a town located in Lake County, Indiana. The Potawatomi Indians were the first people to live here. Merrillville was established in 1971. The latest data from 2022 shows that the population of Merrillville was 36,214 (97% urban, 3% rural). However, currently the 2024 census is 36,310. The land size of Merrillville is 33.2 sq miles. Merrillville sits on top of a glacial moraine, which means that there are a multitude of hills and ridges throughout the area. This can sometimes make driving a little difficult to do, but it adds character to Merrillville.
Some important dates for Merrillville are the Tree Lighting Holiday Event and the Cookies and Canvas event which are annual and happen at the Dean and Barbara White Center. One famous person that lived near Merrillville and went to MHS (Merrillville High School) is Ryan Neal who is a football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think that Merrillville has many attractions for tourists such as the Albanese Candy Store and the Southlake Mall. Carli McMillen, a resident, says that she did not know that Merrillville had been around for only 54 years. Overall, I think Merrillville is a nice city for people to visit.
Works Cited
City-Data.com. “Merrillville, Indiana.” City-Data.com, 2023-2024, https://www.city-data.com/city/Merrillville-Indiana.html. Accessed 11 December 2024.
CityTownInfo. “Merrillville, Indiana.” CityTownInfo, 2024, https://www.citytowninfo.com/places/indiana/merrillville. Accessed 4 December 2024.
DATAUSA. “Merrillville, IN.” datausa.io, 2024, https://datausa.io/profile/geo/merrillville-in. Accessed 18 December 2024.
McShane, Stephen G. “Merrillville, IN.” Encyclopedia of Chicago, The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago © 2005 Chicago Historical Society., 2005, http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/815.html. Accessed 3 December 2024.
merrillvillefamilydentist.com. “Things To Know Before Moving To Merrillville, In.” merrillvillefamilydentist, Merrillville Family Dentist, 2024, https://www.merrillvillefamilydentist.com/locations/things-to-know-before-moving-to-merrillville-in#:~:text=Location%20%26%20Geography&text=In%20addition%20to%20its%20location,adds%20character%20to%20the%20landscape. Accessed 11 December 2024.
Merrillville High School. “Hall of Fame.” merrillvillepirates, 2023, https://merrillvillepirates.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ryan-neal/27. Accessed 18 December 2024.
Town of Merrillville. “The Heart of the Region.” Town of Merrillville, https://www.merrillville.in.gov/visitors/history_of_town.php. Accessed 3 December 2024.
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