Rejecting the rejection letter

By: Bella Dalba

     High school seniors across America are collectively holding their breath, waiting to receive that one life-changing piece of mail: a letter of acceptance from their dream college.
     For some, the coming weeks will be filled with joy upon being offered admittance to the school(s) of their choice. For others, this time will be spent reevaluating every decision they made in their life that led to them to receive numerous rejection letters. Regardless of where seniors fall on this spectrum, the stress put upon students is enormous.
     For Siobhan O'Dell, 17, her dream school was Duke University. On April 1, Siobahn received her letter from the Duke Admissions Office, and read that dreaded sentence: “I regret to inform you that [Duke] cannot offer you admission into the incoming freshman class.”
O'Dell didn't make a fuss or throw a tantrum. She sat down and calmly wrote a letter back to the school:

“Thank you for the rejection letter of March 26, 2015. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me admission into the fall 2015 freshman class at Duke.
This year I have been fortunate enough to receive rejection letters from the best and brightest universities in the country. With a pool of letters so diverse and accomplished I was unable to accept rejection letters I would have been able to only several years ago.
Therefore I will be attending Duke University's 2015 freshmen class. I look forward to seeing you then."

     O’Dell’s letter took the impersonal nature of university correspondence with prospective students and reversed the message to target Duke's student admissions department. It was an effective parody of what a college blog referred to as "Admissions Speak."
     “I just realized how much power these universities have over the lives of students, and what they have to say is pretty much the end all,” O’Dell told the Duke [University] Chronicle. “So I thought, ‘What if it wasn’t? What if students had the final decision?’”
     This year, Duke accepted 2,650 of the 28,000 applicants from its regular decision pool, resulting in an acceptance rate of just 9.4 percent. This is the third time in the school's history that the acceptance rate reached single digits, and the second consecutive year. “The rates of admission are insanely low,” says Keith Mayer, a guidance counselor at Seckman Senior High School. “Schools that weren’t previously considered selective are now falling into that category, and the odds of being admitted to one of the notoriously difficult schools -- the Ivies, Stanford, Wash U, etc. -- have become astronomically miniscule.”
     Cristoph Guttentag, Duke's Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, had no comment on O'Dell's application when he was contacted by ABC News. The university, however, wrote back to O'Dell: “I understand how disappointed you are that we were unable to offer you a space in our incoming class. I want to be honest with you and let you know that it’s very rare that we learn something that leads us to change our decision." The letter went onto say that for the last century, 500 rejected applications asked to be reviewed for a second look, and only four of those applicants were granted admission. “How does this letter not encourage [Duke] to review Siobhan’s application? She’s clearly too good for them,” Claire Kinkead, a senior at SHS, says while laughing.
     O'Dell apparently maintains a similar mindset, and refuses to dwell on her rejection from Duke. She recently posted on her Instagram account that she was accepted by the University of South Carolina, where she plans to major in biology and minor in mathematics.
     The idea of writing tongue-in-cheek college admission essays is not new. Many in college circles are familiar with a now-infamous college essay from a New York University applicant that makes outlandish claims, like the author being able to make 30-minute brownies in 20 minutes, as well as the ability to throw tennis rackets at small objects with "deadly" precision, among a litany of other claims. The piece was written by Hugh Gallagher, who was accepted to NYU and graduated in 1994, though it wasn't his actual application essay: he merely used the piece to apply to writing programs in college. Gallagher's essay was one of the most virally forwarded emails in the early days of the internet, according to an article on About.com.
     However, O'Dell's such outward rejection of rejection just may have landed her letter in a class of its own. She thought after sending the note to Duke Admissions that would be the end of the saga, but it was not to be. “My dad saw the letter on Facebook [on Wednesday] and texted me, ‘I see you’re trending today!’”

The starless night

By: Josh Leach

Where have the stars gone?  Most urbanized countries have practically no visible stars in their night skies.  Light pollution from cities extends into the atmosphere, where the light is diffracted and scattered over hundreds of miles.  The result is that the sky no longer gets dark, but rather takes on a grayish hue.  In fact, in London the full moon is completely invisible, bleached out by urban lights.
Light pollution seems insignificant compared to the destructive power of air or water pollution, but scientists have only just begun to discover its impact on the environment.  According to Globe at Night, a website devoted to promoting light pollution awareness, “Light pollution poses a serious threat in particular to nocturnal wildlife, having negative impacts on plant and animal physiology. It can confuse the migratory patterns of animals, alter competitive interactions of animals, change predator-prey relations, and cause physiological harm.”  Josh Kurosz, a senior at Seckman High School, commented by saying, “Yeah, you don’t expect something like light to have a significant effect on the environment, but apparently it can.”
Since the very beginning, life has experienced the change from day to night.  Organisms have evolved to rely on the transition from light to dark to direct their biological cycles.  Many plants, for example, use photosynthesis during the day, then resort to cellular respiration at night.  Disruptions in this natural process may have a severe effect on these plants.  The US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health reports, “Prolonged exposure to artificial light prevents many trees from adjusting to seasonal variations.  Research on insects, turtles, birds, fish, reptiles, and other wildlife species shows that light pollution can alter behaviors, foraging areas, and breeding cycles, and not just in urban centers but in rural areas as well.  Sea turtle hatchlings normally navigate toward the sea by orienting away from the elevated, dark silhouette of the landward horizon.  When there are artificial bright lights on the beach, newly hatched turtles become disoriented and navigate toward the artificial light source, never finding the sea.”
Scientists are also finding health effects due to light pollution.  Most people are skeptical that there is enough artificial light at night to impact health.  However, Verlyn Klinkenborg, a journalist for National Geographic, writes, “Now most of humanity lives under intersecting domes of reflected, refracted light, of scattering rays from overlit cities and suburbs, from light-flooded highways and factories. Nearly all of nighttime Europe is a nebula of light, as is most of the United States and all of Japan.”  To truly understand how much light pours out of urban areas every night, compare it to the most rural places on the globe.  Klinkenborg goes on to write, “In the south Atlantic the glow from single fishing fleet— squid fishermen luring their prey with metal halide lamps—can be seen from space.”  Believe it or not, there is enough artificial light to impact people’s health.  Globe at Night states, “Many species, especially humans, are dependent on natural body cycles called circadian rhythms and the production of melatonin, which are regulated by light and dark.  If humans are exposed to light while sleeping, melatonin production can be suppressed. This can lead to sleep disorders and other health problems such as increased headaches, worker fatigue, medically defined stress, some forms of obesity due to lack of sleep and increased anxiety. And ties are being found to a couple of types of cancer.”
Perhaps the greatest consequence to light pollution is how a starless sky impacts our humanity.  Humans have always looked up at the stars.  For thousands of years, nomads would hunt during the day, then gather around a fire and look up at the night sky.  They would discuss their place in the cosmos and question the origin of everything.  This was where philosophy was born.   Abby Aldridge, a senior, said, “We have lost our beautiful night sky and we will probably never get it back.”  Artists from throughout history have received their inspiration from the night sky.  The world may owe Van Gogh, Holst, and Shakespeare to the stars.  The last two generations of Americans, however, have grown up with a light polluted sky. According to US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, “When a 1994 earthquake knocked out the power in Los Angeles, many anxious residents called local emergency centers to report seeing a strange “giant, silvery cloud” in the dark sky. What they were really seeing—for the first time—was the Milky Way, long obliterated by the urban sky glow.”

A cell phone crisis?

By: Dori Jenkins

Many students carry around their own cell phones with them. You see them everywhere and people are sometimes more focused on their phones than anything else. In fact, 95% of teens, ages 12-17, have a phone available to them, and 81% of them use some kind of social media. The amount of students who own cell phones just keeps on increasing as they become more popular.
A cell phone has become such a reliable source of communication that people use every day. Some people have become so attached to their device that they don't pay attention to what is going on around them. Smart phones fall below only the Internet and hygiene when ranked by level of importance to peoples’ daily lives, according to the survey done by Bank of America Fund. Almost 91% said their phone is as important as their car and deodorant! A freshman at Seckman High School, Sydney Penrod, says, “I don’t think that my phone is more important than deodorant or actual necessities, however I do think about my phone way more than I think of other necessities.”
If a student was asked to go a full day without using his or her cell phone, chances are they could not successfully complete that task. Not that it is impossible because there are people in this world who survive without a phone, but the majority of American children don't know a world without technology and would not know what to do with themselves when they become bored. Most people can say that they even sleep with their phone right by them every night. A sophomore at Seckman High School, Lexie Leiweke, says, “Looking at my phone is last thing I do before I go to bed and the first thing I do whenever I wake up.”
According to a study done by students at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism, for most students the problem of going a full day without their phone was not having music. Today’s students have a soundtrack to their lives; they are always plugged in and they listen to music throughout the day. Not having music when they walked to class, when they exercised, or when they studied dramatically disconcerted many students. There was an up-side, however, that several students noted:  their lack of music actually forced them to have conversations with people they did not know. Although not having a cell phone for a full 24 hours may sound horrible, you may get to meet people or see something you've never noticed because you were too busy just staring into your phone. A senior at Seckman High School, Tenecia Clemmons, says, “One day I left my phone at home and I had a day full of less drama and I had more conversations with people I don’t often have a chance to talk to.”
Overall, most of the people in this world have become way too attached to the technology we have and don't realize the important things they are missing in life. As a young adult, a phone should not already be taking over your life, but sadly this happens. People don't realize how addicting phones can be and should limit their usage of them.

What about...Baccalaureate?

By: Bella Dalba

     The seniors' last day - an event that is well understood. Baccalaureate? Not so much.

Baccalaureate is a centuries-old religious graduation tradition that started in England; in the United States, however, the term generally refers to a ceremony held a few days before high school or college graduation. Such events usually celebrate completion of higher education, and, in most cases, the service consists of a series of speeches given to the graduating class, often by key students, faculty, or other important figures. “I spoke at the baccalaureate ceremony for the class of 2014. It’s a wonderful way to honor the students whom you have watched grow: both as people and academics,” says Clarry Hubbard, an AP English teacher at Seckman Senior High School. 

     At religious private schools, this ceremony typically includes a benediction and sermon. But what about public schools? It is a fundamental principle of Establishment Clause jurisprudence that a public school may not advance, prefer or promote religion. Because it is generally understood that a baccalaureate service is a religious event, a public school may not be involved in the organization or execution of a baccalaureate in any way that would make an objective observer believe that the school is endorsing the event. 

     As such, a public school baccalaureate has become a non-denominational service that typically features student and faculty speakers. Some schools have renamed the event a "Day of Reflection," to avoid any religious connotations. Sarah Dempsey, a senior at Seckman High School, really appreciates this consideration: “I really appreciate that they take all religious and spiritual beliefs into account. The worst feeling is knowing that you’re at an event where there’s only a certain group being honored.”

     Families usually dress up for this event, which typically runs an hour or more, and hold their graduation parties later the same day. Graduation day itself tends to be too full, and many schools begin their Grad Night festivities immediately after the diplomas have been distributed. “Who could handle hosting a graduation party on the same day as graduation? This is so convenient!” says Danielle Fleming, another senior at SHS.

     Unlike the massive commencement exercises held in stadiums or arenas, baccalaureate ceremonies offer a quieter, more intimate opportunity to pause and reflect on this rite of passage, hear faculty members offer advice to the graduating class, and enjoy students' musical talents. 

Extinct no more

By: Josh Leach

     Extinction may no longer be a permanent condition.  Technological advances in the field of genetic cloning could make resurrecting extinct species possible.  All scientists need is enough DNA sample material to reconstruct the species’ genome and a viable surrogate to carry the offspring to term.

     Not only is resurrecting an extinct species possible, but it has actually been done before.  According to the Mother Nature Network, a conservationist website, “The Pyrenean ibex recently became the first extinct animal to ever become un-extinct — at least, for seven minutes. The cloned fetus, which contained reanimated DNA from the last known living Pyrenean ibex, was successfully brought to term after being implanted in the womb of a living domestic goat. Although the ibex died of lung difficulty seven minutes after birth, the breakthrough ensures the inevitability of resurrecting extinct species.”  The extremely brief resurrection of the Pyrenean ibex proves that cloning can create a living specimen of an extinct species. Abby Aldridge, a senior, says, “I think bringing back the animals we’ve caused to go extinct is the best way we can make up for the destruction we’ve caused.”   However, resurrecting an entire species by this method is still likely far beyond the resources of the scientific community.

     Scientists are quite hopeful that they can triumph over extinction.  The Mother Nature Network says, “Early in 2011, Japanese scientists announced that they planned to clone a woolly mammoth within five years. The clock is ticking, but with a little luck these ice age behemoths may soon become the first inhabitants of the world's first zoo for extinct animals.”  Josh Kurosz, a senior at Seckman High School, responded by saying, “That is awesome!”  Steward Brand, a journalist for National Geographic, writes, “Many extinct species—from the passenger pigeon to the woolly mammoth—might now be reclassified as bodily, but not genetically, extinct.  They're dead, but their DNA is recoverable from museum specimens and fossils, even those up to 200,000 years old.”          National Geographic believes the prime candidates for resurrection include the Tasmanian tiger, saber tooth cats, moa, dodo, ground sloth, Carolina parakeet, woolly rhinoceros, passenger pigeon, Irish elke, Baiji River dolphin, huia, and controversially the Neanderthal.  

Reviving long lost species offers scientists a way to study living specimens and better understand the natural world.  This technology could also be used to combat modern extinction, which has been due to climate change and habitat destruction.  Conservationists are hopeful that the human race will be able to reverse its destructive influence on the environment.

Senior schedule

By: Janese Watson

Many seniors are overwhelmed by the upcoming events to end their senior year. There are so many things to keep track of and many things to accomplish before the year is officially over.

● If you are a senior and planning on joining everyone for lunch at the senior luncheon, then you want to buy your ticket in the cafeteria for thirty dollars on April 27! Any time after May 8, the tickets will be forty five dollars. These will be sold during lunch or in Mrs. Kinkaid’s or Mrs. Schmidt’s rooms.
● By May 1, all correspondence courses must be completed.
● On May 8, all seniors must pick up their cap and gown during their own lunch time. Don’t be late, no gown means no walking at graduation!
● Seniors favorite time of the year, finals, are May 8 until May 11. Good luck to everyone testing. It’s your very last high school test, so make it a good one.
● May 12 through May 15 is the time to pick up your graduation tickets in the main office. Those times range from twelve thirty until three o’clock.
● On May 11 at six forty five P.M. there is a Baccalaureate being held at Rickman.
● The moment we’ve all been waiting for is the last day of school! It is May 11 and all debts need to be paid with cash or money order, no checks.
● Senior Awards Night is in gym two on May 12 at seven P.M.
● The senior luncheon is being held at the City Museum at eleven A.M. until four P.M. The dress code is semi-formal.
● May 15 is the graduation practice. It is required so you must be there! It will be from eleven until two thirty, and lunch will be held at twelve fifteen.
● May 17 is, in fact, the 2015 graduation! Be there at eleven thirty at the Chaifetz Arena and the graduation is at twelve thirty.
● Last, but not least, is the Senior Splash on May 17 from nine until two A.M.! It is thirty dollars to get in. To buy a ticket, see Mrs. Price or Mrs. Sexton.

There is a lot to take in, but keep in mind that all of this information is very important. Write it all in your calendars and good luck!

Breathing better air

By: Dori Jenkins

        The efforts to reduce the air pollution in the area of Los Angeles, California, are beginning to pay off. Many kids who are growing up there today have better lung function then those raised in the area almost 20 years ago, according to a new University of Southern California study of exactly 2,000 children. A sophomore at Seckman High School, Gabby Blanchard, says, “If these facts are true for California, then they should be the same for other areas similar to Los Angles in the United States because we have similar lifestyles as those children that live in California.”
Researchers compared the respiratory health of the kids tested between the years 2007 and 2011 to a group that was examined between 1994 and 1998. When they were tested, all of the children in the study were between the ages of 11 and 15, which is when your lungs grow the most, and all came from the same neighborhoods. The later group had better lung capacity, especially among those kids with asthma. Surprisingly, poor lung function dropped from nearly 8% to 3.6% among the 15 year olds.
California has been working to get rid of the car and truck engines and fuels that generate the most pollution. A freshman at Seckman High School, Mikayla Hirschman, says, “People from all over should be working to make the air less polluted and help each other out with our health, not just the people in California!” Cleaning up oil refineries, manufacturing plants, and polluting products like paints and solvents has helped too. The efforts have resulted in major gains for kids’ respiratory health and a far less smoggy LA compared with two decades ago. Scientists say there’s still more work to be done to reduce harmful ozone damage and fine particles in the air. The area still has a way to go before it meets federal health standards for these air quality factors.

Seckman's Student Summit

By: Janese Watson

           At Seckman High School, students were recently called to the multipurpose room for a meeting about making a change. Seckman called this meeting ‘The Student Summit.’ It was a random selection of students from each advisory.
           Once everyone was settled, they were split into groups of ten or more, where they discussed what good things we have going on at Seckman, as well as what things could change for the better. There were a lot of great ideas tossed around and expressed from each student, and everyone hoped that these ideas could actually make a change. Each student was told to take the information back to their own advisory to share what they learned from other people.
           One of the main things discussed was bullying and how some people dealing with bullies have no way to talk to another person to try and help the situation. “I know a lot of people that want to reach out, but can’t,” says senior Juliahna Ramiraz. It’s hard for a person that’s getting bullied to turn to someone. To them, it matters, but they are often too afraid to see if it matters to anyone else. They are too afraid to stand up for themselves and let out their problems. Students came up with one solution to this issue, an idea called the “happy place.” This is a place where students who feel like talking, but just don’t have the urge to talk to their friends or family, go to share what they have to say to a stranger. It may seem like something someone would never do, but having someone listen to you who cares can have a huge positive impact.
            Another thing students came up with is a box made for keeping people’s secrets. If you have a secret, about anything, you can write it down and put it in this secret box. This could be anonymous or named. If you put your name on the paper, this gives the counselors permission to look more into your situation or problem. Being anonymous, however, is just a way for people to let out things they are keeping in. This is a great wait for people to release stress or issues without saying it out loud.
Something everyone at the summit clearly noticed is that, unfortunately, some students feel unsafe at Seckman High School. Everyone should feel at home at school, because school is practically your second home, believe it or not. There were kids raising their hands saying they feel hallways aren't always well supervised. This is a huge problem for kids who are afraid. “Teachers and staff that are supposes to monitor the hallways should (always be there),” says Larkyn Hendrickson, a senior at Seckman.
            At one point during the summit, some students expressed that some teachers just “don't care.” “Being a teacher is hard work, we have bad days too, but we still care,” says teacher Ms. Torrini. Teachers do have a hard job, and for them not to care would make it pointless even to come to work. All of our teachers care, but they are human beings, after all, and can get frustrated with students. Sometimes taking the initiative to ask questions or open the line of communication with a teacher will show you just how much they really do care!
          It is important to make a change at Seckman, and all of these ideas were wonderful ones.  Everyone who attended the summit looks forward to seeing if we can improve the future of Seckman High School.

American blockbusters abroad

By: Bella Dalba

         Have you ever wondered why American made movies don’t actually premiere in America? Marvel's The Avengers opened a week earlier in foreign markets before its U.S. premiere, as did Battleship, Thor, Iron Man 3, and Star Trek: Into Darkness. Not long ago, homegrown Hollywood blockbusters like these would have opened in America first, or opened everywhere in the world on the same day (a measure that not only created worldwide hype for the films, but also thwarted pirates who might have taken advantage of the release-date gap to flood other countries with bootleg DVDs). This trend has become increasingly common, but why does Hollywood now make America wait to see its own movies?
           If we disregard the rare example of trying to avoid a scheduling conflict in another continent, such as a major sporting event that might keep audiences away during a certain time period, there is an obvious, deliberate business decision at play here.  The trend is growing, and there are a number of reasons why.
            More than anything else, the shift reflects how the international market has eclipsed the domestic market as the main source of revenue for mainstream theatrical releases. Studio films are often making more than half their box-office income from the overseas marketplace: as big as last year's Avengers was at home ($623.4 million), it was even bigger abroad ($888.4 million). Of that foreign total, $185.1 million came in on the film's overseas opening weekend, which took place a week before the movie premiered in the U.S.
"We've reached the point now where a blockbuster film can make as much as 80 percent of its overall box office gross outside of the United States," says Dave Karger, Chief Correspondent for Fandango.com. "So it makes sense that the studios are catering to the overseas markets by releasing many of their biggest tent-pole movies internationally first and even adding special footage in the most important markets."
             "I understand that the international market is a crucial part of the movie's revenue, but how does it make sense to make Germany a priority over America?" argues Dominic Dalba, a junior at Seckman High School.
              Choosing to release internationally before domestically is an opportunity to build buzz before the movie opens stateside. Americans who tend to line up to catch a film during opening weekend are already starting to feel left behind, and companies realize that viewers will flock to the theaters as soon as the film becomes available, and those who typically wait a few weeks might change their minds and buy a ticket sooner.
            “The day after a big movie or video game is released, I can’t get online. Countries like Japan get them first, and the Japanese are really, really big on social media. The spoilers end up everywhere," says Orion Zmashenski, another SHS junior.
            In addition to garnering the right kind of early attention for these blockbusters, releasing ahead of time helps decrease the piracy market. By letting other countries legally see blockbuster American motion pictures first, the way they were meant to be seen in theaters, the demand for illicit copies of the content will hopefully be quelled.
           "The piracy issues are alleviated by making the film available internationally first and circumventing the pirates and their potential for profits since they are not in possession of a commodity that is not otherwise available to the audience,” says Paul Dergarbedian, Box Office Analyst for Hollywood.com.
              We will likely see more and more movies premiering elsewhere before coming to the shores where they originated.  As long as the wait isn't too long, it's just another part of the game of moviemaking that we'll have to get used to experiencing.

Primed for perfection

By: Josh Leach


     What is so special about prime numbers?  Why have so many mathematicians sought to find a pattern in prime numbers?  Well, primes have some applications in upper mathematics, but their use in programming and cryptography has made them extremely important.
     One way people protect the security of personal or secret information is by encrypting it.  Programmers often use prime numbers in the encrypting process.  The unique way they convert data into primes is called a key.  When the data is transferred across the internet, only someone with the same key can reverse the encryption.  However, if someone cracked the prime number pattern, these security measures would be rendered void.  Any data encrypted with prime numbers would be left completely unprotected.  Abby Aldridge, a senior at Seckman High School, said, “I’m surprised that our entire digital world could come crashing down by some clever mathematician. ”Prime numbers have a variety of other applications involving programming.  For example, primes can be used for pseudo random generators.  According to MathOverflow.com, primes can also be used for “hard disks interleaving, error correction codes, and the lengths of hash functions.”
     A complete prime number pattern has not been found, but some minor patterns have been observed.  Euclid, a famous mathematician, did a lot of work with primes and was the first to prove that an infinite number of primes exist.  Later, prime number spirals were discovered.  They found that primes tend to be solutions to certain quadratic equations, such as x2 + x + 17 and 4x2 + 2x + 17.  Quite recently, according to Lisa Zyga from Phys.org, “They found that the distribution of the leading digit in the prime number sequence can be described by a generalization of Benford’s law.”  However, Logan Smith, a senior, said, “Mathematicians have devoted a lot of effort to figuring out primes.  If they have done so by now, they probably never will.”
     Prime numbers have always fascinated curious mathematicians.  People even found many applications for prime numbers in programming and upper math.  However, a complete pattern for primes continues to elude mathematicians.  Perhaps primes are fundamental random.  Many people hope this is true, because otherwise a dramatic change in cryptographic techniques may be necessary.

DIY: hanging flower pots

By: Sadie Raddatz

Hanging Flower Pots

Spring is upon us and people are planting flowers, cleaning, and tidying up for the warm weather. Spring is often thought of as a rebirth, so planting goes well with this idea. Hanging flower pots are something modern and new.

Materials needed:
- A piece of wood, large enough to fit the jars and thick enough to mount
- Mason jar(s)
- Pipe clamp, large enough to fit around your mason jar
- 1 screw
- 2 long nails
- 1 strong fat nail
- Screwdriver/drill
- Pebbles
- Soil
- A plant

Instructions:

1. First thing you will have to do is decide how you want to hang the piece. Thicker pieces of wood tend to work best.
2. Next, decide how many jars you want on the board.
3. Drill two holes (or more if you have a larger piece of wood) into the back of the wood.
4. You will need to open the clamps and lay it flat on the piece of wood.
5. Screw a hole into the wood. Then use a nail about the same size and hammer it into the slits on the clamp onto the piece of wood.
6. Take the nail out. The nail causes the slit to open.
7. Replace the nail with a screw and make sure it's screwed on tight.
8. Insert your mason jar into the clamp.
9. Tighten the clamp around the jar. Make sure it's tight.
10. Add your pebbles at the bottom of the jar for good drainage.
11. Add the dirt.
12. Plant the items you have chosen.

This is a great project for spring. You can add plants or make it an organizer in your bathroom, kitchen, or even bedroom. This project you can get creative and custom with. You could paint the jar, add a picture on the wood, or even some rhinestones. Make this project your own!

Penguin taste test

By: Dori Jenkins

     These waddling birds love to chow down on fish; however, they can’t fully savor their favorite meal. The reason is, according to a new study, that penguins can’t taste bitter, sweet, or meaty flavors. Although, they may be able to taste two of the other five flavors that vertebrates can sense: salty and sour.                                                               

     Scientists from China and the U.S. discovered penguins’ lack of taste by looking at their genes. These units of hereditary material control what traits an organism will have. Different genes provide directions for making structures, called receptors, found on animals’ tongues. A sophomore at Seckman High School, Natalie Strieker, says, “I bet that if the researchers are discovering new things about the penguins traits, that they will be able to discover new traits about other similar animals as well.”                                                                                              

     Receptors work by sensing specific chemicals in food. They’re specially shaped so certain food molecules can fit into them like puzzle pieces. When the chemicals are detected, the receptors send a message to the brain telling it what flavors they taste. A junior at Seckman High School, Erica Lutker, says, “I think that if this is true with the penguin, then it will also be true for other animals like penguins.”  After scientists examined the genes of emperor penguins and found only working genes for salty and sour receptors, they started probing the genes of three other penguin species, Chinstraps, rockhoppers, and king penguins. They had the same missing genes. “The findings seem to indicate that a common ancestor to all penguins lost the genes for tasting bitter, sweet, and meaty flavors,” Jianzhi Zhang, a geneticist at the University of Michigan and lead researcher for the study says. The way taste receptors for these flavors send signals to the brain may not work in cold climates where the ancient birds lived.                          

     There’s another reason penguins may not have a very developed taste: they don’t chew their food. “Their behavior of swallowing food whole, and their tongue structure and function, suggest that penguins need no taste perception,” says Zhang.

The blind shall see

By: Josh Leach

     Incredible advances in prosthesis have occurred within the last decade, but an electronic eye has always been far from obtainable.  The eye is simply too complex to copy exactly.  The challenge is more difficult than building a camera, because the image must be converted into electrochemical impulses which can be processed by the brain.  However, a radical new invention can bypass the retina and relay the image to the optic nerve.

     A tiny electronic chip inserted into the eye could bring vision to a group blinded by faulty retinas.  According to Times magazine, “The chip, which is encased in titanium to prevent water damage, will be implanted onto a patient's eyeball. The patient will then wear a pair of eyeglasses equipped with a tiny camera that transmits images directly to the chip, which in turn sends them to the brain.”  MediLexicon International, an online news website, has a lot of faith in this device.  They declared, “Promising results have shown that blind patients have regained their sight with a sub-retinal microchip, according to the first part of the second clinical trial for the device taking place in Germany.  The patients involved in the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, were blinded by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and used the implant in and outside of their homes.”  Josh Kurosz, a senior at Seckman High School, said, “This is terrific news for a lot people.  Blindness can make personal independence very difficult.”

     How effective is the chip?  Well, MediLexicon International goes on to say, “The participants documented having the ability to read letters uninhibited, decipher different objects such as telephones, recognize faces, and read signs on doors.  The electronic eye was manufactured by Retina Implant AG and is a 3 mm x 3 mm microchip that has around 1,500 electrodes. It is implanted under the retina creating artificial vision.”  

     Abby Aldridge, a senior, asked, “When will this be available on the market?”  Well, the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, has approved the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System.  The device should be on the market soon but will likely be very expensive.  Unfortunately, the device is only effect for people with dysfunctional retinas.  The optic nerve and other parts of the eye must be functional.  Nonetheless, this incredible invention has already transformed people’s lives.

“Spocking”

By: Bella Dalba

Believe it or not, Canadians are actually doing something awesome: in honor of the late acting legend Leonard Nimoy, they are reviving the practice of immortalizing him through “Spocking” Canadian five dollar bills, or drawing features on top of the image of Canada's seventh Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, to transform him into the likeness of Mr. Spock. However, turning the Frenchman into the half-Vulcan, half-human Star Trek character is nothing new: After the death of the much respected Leonard Nimoy, Spocking has become an international trend.
“This ingenious idea really reflects the impact that Leonard Nimoy had on the world. He was the crusader of the nerds: he made it possible for geek to become mainstream,” says Dominic Dalba, a junior at Seckman High School. “Most actors who land an iconic role spend the rest of their life avoiding everything associated with that character. Nimoy was different. He relished in the role, and never tried to avoid being connected with his Vulcan counterpart. He was just as much a fan as the rest of us.”
        Canada’s central bank, however, is not as enamoured as the rest of the world. “There are important reasons why it should not be done,” says bank spokeswoman Josianne Menard. “The Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride; it’s completely illogical, as Spock would say.”
“Completely illogical? I completely disagree,” argued Ryan Bettlach, an SHS senior. “It’s not like this is exclusive to Canada. People draw all kinds of things on their money: that’s just something that they do.”
Menard estimates that defaced bills will not remain in circulation for as long as they were intended, and banks fear that retail establishments may stop accepting them entirely: "Writing on a bank note may interfere with the security features and reduces its lifespan. Markings on a note may also prevent it from being accepted in a transaction."
As such, the government has asked citizens to merely respect their request, although it is not currently illegal to deface or even mutilate banknotes. Some Canadians agree, saying that defacing the face of Laurier is disrespectful to the memory of the former Prime Minister, who ranks among the most popular PMs in history.
        On the other hand, there are several groups promoting the Spocking of Canadian five spots, encouraging the growing movement on Twitter to draw on the Canadian currency and then post a photo of it to social media. Honestly, the practice is highly creative, and, given the unfortunate passing of Leonard Nimoy, it seems like a fitting way to remember one of pop culture's most memorable icons.

Graduation, then goodbye!

By: Janese Watson

     Graduation is getting closer and closer for the seniors. Some students are stressing out because it is coming up so quickly. Other students are happy to leave, while some definitely could stay longer.
     Why do seniors want to stay in high school longer? They have been going to school for twelve years, so what makes them want to go for more? “It’s not about the school, it’s more about growing up,” says senior Makenzie Hunt.  Most students in twelfth grade don’t actually want to stay for the learning or the high school experience. Most seniors are scared to go into the real world, where everything changes. It’s completely different than high school. In high school, there are a lot of things that you can get away with and in college things get more serious. After graduating, students have to work on getting their lives together. “When I was in high school I felt like nothing actually mattered,” says graduated senior Jordan Watson. Everything matters in high school, but some people don’t see that. High school is the baby step to college, then real life, after all.
     Why are some people so excited to graduate? Some people actually can’t wait to start a life without high school being in it. Waking up at five thirty in the morning every day is over. Going to school for seven hours a day, plus the hours people spend at their sports, is over. The countless drama you hear in the hallway no longer matters and all the people you hate to see each day aren’t necessarily around anymore. “The thought of going back to high school makes me sick,” says graduated Ashley Dexter. Many graduates say they felt like high school was holding them back. This could be true, but it also prepared you for what big things could happen in your life. Everyone will miss high school eventually, whether they wanted to get out of there or not.

How to: moss terrarium

By: Sadie Raddatz

An unusual and unique project: a moss terrarium. A moss terrarium is easy to make and low maintenance to take care of once complete.

Materials:
- Glass container
- Stones or pebbles
- Potting soil
- Moss
- Plants
- Accessories/decorations

1. You need to select your container before you start your moss project. The container can be practically anything, such as a fish bowl, old bird bath, a bowl, etc.

2. Stones or pebbles are your next requirement. You will need to add them to the bottom of your container. The stones or pebbles will be your base. They will allow for drainage of water to the bottom.

3. Next thing you will need is your potting soil. Fill your container half full with the potting soil. Then decide on the plants you are wanting. You can have just moss, or add some decorative plants to the mix. You will have to decide on the placement also. Adding moss prevents the soil from settling into your rock base like a filter beneath the soil.

4. Lastly, add some small decorations of your own. Little stones or some small figurines, like a bird. Depending on your container, you can also decorate it, such as tying a ribbon around it or adding a bow.

The terrarium is an easy thing to make and take care of. It has a low maintenance after care. It looks great as a spring centerpiece for your family table or a nice decoration in the living room, a bedroom, or even in the hallway.