Presidio Middle School

       Vol 13, Dec.  2006   PAW Prints   

 


Our school has spirit!

There is evidence of caring and giving everywhere you look at Presidio!   From canned goods, to a giving tree in the counseling office.  Teachers and staff chose names of children from the giving tree, and went out and bought that child what he wrote on his wish list. 

Now that’s a wonderful idea!   Next year, we’re thinking of opening it up to students, so that students can be a needy child’s secret “Santa” and make a little child smile on Christmas morning.    We’ll have further information on student participation in the giving tree next year, as it develops.   You are always welcome to contact this charity organization or drop a new toy off to your local neighborhood fire station.

 

And speaking of caring, have you seen the canned food bins outside of Ms. Clisham’s office?   They are full of generous donations from students, staff and families who care about people who might be hungry this holiday season.   Presidio’s heart is in the right place with our annual canned food drive!

Winter Dance

by Helen Totterdell

 

The winter dance was Tuesday, December 12th!!!  We had great dancing and cool jams from DJ Rex.   If you brought in 4 cans for the canned food drive, admission to the dance was free!  Thank you for all your contributions and kindness during this holiday season!   Go to fullsize image

 

 

 

 

PENNY MADNESS!

You must have heard by now that Presidio Middle School raised over $2,100 dollars in pennies for the “Every Penny Counts” annual penny drive this year, 2006.   That’s 1,159 pounds  (picture half the weight of an one-ton elephant!)   That’s the same weight as one dozen middle schoolers!  All that money coming from caring people like you!  The winning class this year was Mr. Kasnakjian, with 310 pounds of pennies!  Gee, how many jars is that?!   Second place goes to Ms. Webb with 98 lbs, and third place to Mr. Wong, with 88 lbs.!  Other classes contributed between 5 to 50 lbs of pennies, on the average.  Thank you so much for being so caring!

 

But wait, what’s this?   It’s penny madness!  Now we’re burning pennies in science class?

Mr. Gortney and Ms. Karsant are both conducting experiments with copper in Science class.  That adds a whole new meaning to “they’ve got money to burn”!

 

WELCOME, 2007!

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Well, it’s almost the new year, 2007!  Have you made any plans for ringing in the New Year?   Any new year’s resolutions?   

 

Text Box: What’s Inside!

Winter Holidays & Recipes   …………   3
Holiday Articles  ………………………  .4
Technology Page		        …..  .12
Horoscopes            ……………………  14
Dear Aphrodite…………………… …  .16
Mystery Teacher………………….… .  23
Winter Puzzles and Jokes                       25
Sports………………………………… .26

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

                           By Andy Chen

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            Thanksgiving, another name for the Harvest Festival, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks (Traditionally to God) at the close of the harvest season. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Pilgrims first celebrated in America after their first harvest, and several accounts in Massachusetts. George Washington, leader of the American Revolutionary War, declared Thanksgiving in December 1777 as a victory celebration honoring the defeat of the British Army at Saratoga and future presidents declared Thanksgiving, such as President John Adams and Madison.

            In the middle of the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated in the final Thursday of November. President Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the next-to-last Thursday of November rather than the last as Lincoln proclaimed, to give businessmen more time to sell goods and hopefully pull them out of the Great Depression.

            This shows that Thanksgiving is celebrated throughout history for giving thanks, as a victory celebration, and as a way to help America in coming out of the Great Depression.     

            Thanksgiving is mostly celebrated by a feast, and traditionally with a turkey and stuffing. The pilgrims had the feast with the Native Americans as thanks for teaching them farming techniques.

            Thanksgiving is a time thanks for the things you have and your parents for bringing you  into this world.

 

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History of Thanksgiving

by: Elisa Ho & Bonita Hugh

 

The history of Thanksgiving began when Pilgrims and Native Americans gathered together to celebrate a successful harvest. The first Thanksgiving was held in the fall of 1621, sometime between September 21 and November 11, and was a three-day feast. The Pilgrims were joined by approximately 90 of the local Wampanoag tribe, including Chief Massasoit, in celebration. They ate fowl and deer for certain and most likely also ate berries, fish, clams, plums, and boiled pumpkin.

National holiday in the United States commemorating the Pilgrims' celebration of the harvest gathered by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and privation. The celebration was probably held in October. The neighboring Wampanoags, who outnumbered the colonists, joined them for three days and contributed food to the celebration. The first proclaimed day of thanksgiving in the colony was not held until 1623 (probably at the end of July), following an improvement in prospects for the still struggling colony, and was a day of prayer, not feasting.

After the American Revolution the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by President George Washington, was Nov. 26, 1789, and the Episcopal Church began celebrating an annual day of Thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November. Some states established an annual Thanksgiving Day, but there was no annual national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln, urged by Sarah J. Hale, announced one in 1863, scheduling as the date the last Thursday of November. Although the only known history of the 1621 Plymouth harvest celebration had been rediscovered in 1841, the national Thanksgiving Day had nothing to do with it.

In 1939-1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced Thanksgiving the next-to-last Thursday in November. Conflicts arose between Roosevelt's proclamation and about half of those of state governors, and in 1941 Congress passed a resolution ordering that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November. The day is observed by church services and family reunions; the customary turkey dinner is a reminder of the wildfowl served at the Pilgrims' celebration. Canadians also celebrate a national Thanksgiving Day, on the second Monday in October; prior to 1957 it was on the last Monday of the month.

 

 

RECIPES

by Elisa and Bonita and Savannah

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Thanksgiving Pumpkin Patch Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
15-oz can pumpkin
9-inch graham cracker crust

Method:

1. Beat softened cream cheese until it is fluffy.

2. Slowly add sweetened condensed milk until mixture is smooth

3. Add beaten egg, mix well.

4. Add 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon, all of the nutmeg, and cloves; mix well.

5. Add pumpkin, mix well.

6. Pour batter into pie crust. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon on top of pie.

7. Bake at 300 degrees for 55-60 minutes or till set. Cool completely, and then chill before serving.

 

Christmas Berry Mocha Fudge

Ingredients:

1/4 pound butter
12 oz. can of evaporated milk
3 1/2 cups of sugar
1 heaping tablespoon of instant coffee
10 ounces Hershey's Raspberry chocolate chips
2 ounces (2 squares) bittersweet chocolate
7 ounces marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
1. In a heavy saucepan melt the butter.

2. Add evaporated milk, sugar, and
coffee.

3. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly until the
temperature reaches 235 degrees F.

4. Remove from heat and raspberry
chocolate chips and the bittersweet chocolate.

5. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are melted.

6. Add the marshmallow crème and stir until blended.

7. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into a lightly greased 9 X 13 inch pan. Cut in bite sized squares when cooled:  (Source:  foodnetwork.com).

Holiday Drink

Ingredients:

2-48 oz. (1.36 L) cans pineapple juice

1-40 oz. (1.14 L) bottle cranberry juice

2-750 ml bottles soda water

1 liter strawberry, raspberry or lime sherbet

Holiday Punch

 

Method:


1. In a punch bowl, mix both juices.

2. Pour in soda water.

3. Top with scoops of sherbet or top it with whipped cream.

Makes about 16/1-cup (250 ml) servings.

Source:  www.northpole.com

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What Is Christmas Really All About?

Savannah Kuang, Bonita Hugh, and Elisa Ho

 

            Every year at Christmas, you end up getting presents under your Christmas tree, you have a very nice dinner with lots of goodies and a wonderful assortment, and you are full of joy when you take pictures with your family, at a reunion sometimes, or are just happy to spend family time together to cherish the most wonderful memories of your life. For many families, Christmas is one of them.

            Christmas is a wonderful time to give presents, have feasts, spend quality time with family and friends, and mainly to light up your holiday spirit. It’s not always about giving presents; it’s all about having the love of winter again.  The origins of Christmas have to do with the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the gifts the 3 wise men brought to the baby king.  But this once pagan holiday was combined with the Christian birthday story, and is now an indelible part of history for much of the world.  

            Years later, the story of St. Nicholas was introduced.  The real St. Nicholas was said to bring toys to children who had none.  After years of children leaving their stockings out drying on the fireplace in the hopes of having them magically filled, the retail market took off with this idea and now it has grown to be a season of gift buying, decorating trees, hanging stockings and mailing Christmas cards.

            Even if we don’t celebrate Christianity or the Jewish religion, we do know that it takes a greeting to show your holiday spirit and to know how much joy this season brings.  Remember, December 25th is the day, and remember to wear the colors green, white, and red!   Merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays!

 

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Chanukah

By Chris Hernandez-Lara

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Hanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays because it’s around the time of Christmas. This holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights or Festival of Rededication, is very important for the Jewish community. For those of you of you that don’t know, this is an eight day holiday (that means 8 days of no school! )

Each night for eight nights, a candle on a menorah is lit.  An extra light called a shasmash, meaning guard is also lit each night, and is given a special location, usually higher or lower than the others.  There are many different and distinct designs for menorahs.  Some of the more new ones are made of lead came and copperfoil glasswork, giving it a modern look.  But no matter how a menorah looks it is used for the same cause and is very important in this great holiday.

This Festival is started by the kindling of lights on each of the eight nights.  Hanukkah will start at sundown on the evening before December 16 and end after sundown on December 23.

 

Ramadan

by Helen Totterdell

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Ramadan is a month-long Islamic holiday in which their religion is extremely stressed. There are many things that are not allowed during the day during Ramadan, such as eating, drinking and smoking and are to refrain from anger, envy, etc. The purity of thought and action are very important. Fasting is believed to cleanse the inner soul and keep it free from harm. It also gives Muslims the opportunity to learn self-discipline, sacrifice and sympathy for those who are less fortunate. There are a few exemptions for fasting, like kids before they hit puberty, pregnant women and people with an illness. These people are encouraged to feed more needy people instead.

 

How Stressed Out Are You?

Helen T. and Indra E.

 

 

How often do you get headaches?

a.       Almost never.

b.      At least once a week.

    1. At least once a day.
  1. How many hours of sleep do you get every school night?
    1. 9 or more hours.
    2. 5-8 hours.
    3. Less than 5 hours.
  2. How are you feeling about your relationship status?
    1. Super Happy!
    2. It’s whatever.
    3. Completely Miserable.
  3. How is your relationship with your parents?
    1. We’re best friends!
    2. We talk, and fight every now and then.
    3. When are we not fighting?!?
  4. How do you feel during the day?
    1. Full of energy.
    2. Sometimes a little grumpy, but usually happy.
    3. Let me sleep!
  5. How are you getting along with people at school?
    1. I’m friends with everybody.
    2. I’m cool with most people, but dislike some people.
    3. I don’t hang out with a lot of people.
  6. How stressed out do you think you are?
    1. Not stressed out at all.
    2. Stressed out every now and then.
    3. Super Stressed.

     If your answers were mostly A’s. . .

You’re completely at ease, and people like that about you which helps you stay in a better mood. Keep up the good work!

 

If your answers were mostly B’s. . .

You’re normally stressed out, like every middle school student. But don’t worry, everybody has their cloudy days.

 

If your answers were mostly C’s. . .

You are way too stressed out.  Try to get some fresh air, and more sleep. Find your happy place, and you will feel much better, and hopefully you’ll have energy to do your normal middle school activities.

 

MEDITATION GROUP

at Presidio

 

Do you have stress in your life?   Do you ever feel like you have just too much to think about?  Too much to do?   Do tests make you anxious?   Are you frazzled?  Sleepless?  Did you know that you can learn a technique to calm down, and de-stress, right here at Presidio?  

 

Ms. Fairchild is leading a morning meditation club on Wednesdays.  The first five weeks were November 15, 22, 29, and December 3 and 10.  The next 5 weeks will be January 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.  Meetings are limited to 20 students, due to the size of the room.  It’s from 8:10 to 8:55 a.m.   It’s a great (and calming) way to start your school day.

 

An introduction to each type of meditation begins each program, with a check in of intentions.   We then begin the relaxation with simple stretches, followed by sitting on mats, listening to the sounds of life, checking in with our own breath, the sensations we are experiencing, and then move into the meditation.  Afterward, we have a brief share or “check in” and then we prepare for homeroom and return the mats to the P.E. department.

 

Over the eight weeks topics are introduced, such as:  simple stretches for upper and lower body, deep breathing techniques and focus on the breath, posture and four yoga exercises, tensing and releasing muscle groups along the hands and arms, feet and legs;  quiet meditation to music, and guided imagery.  

An Easy One Minute Meditation

 

Why use Meditation?   

Meditation is widely known to reduce stress and anxiety, but now science has proven that it may even help prevent illnesses, and produce lasting, positive changes in both the brain and the immune system.   Benefits include increased focus, less stress and anxiety, a feeling of calm or well being.   Students are introduced to different types and styles of meditation:  concentration meditation, progressive relaxation, deep breathing, repeating a mantra or phrase, exercising the imagination (guided imagery and visualization of a goal or state of being) and meditation in motion (yoga).   

Bullying at School

by Gaby and Silvia

 

Diversity and Bully-busting: 4 Tips To Stop Bullying and Bias Before It Happens

Experts agree that bullying not only exists in every school and community in our country, but it is also escalating at a frightening pace. Bullying, defined as strong preying on the weak has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. as nearly one out of three American children have experienced bullying, either as the victim, perpetrator, or both with few victims letting on they are, in fact, victims. A Google search on "bullying," returns more than three million sites. Meanwhile, millions of research dollars are being poured into studying child and adolescent violence and the National Institute of Mental Health considers bullying one of the anti-social behaviors to watch for.

 

School Bullying

By Gabriella Ramirez and Silvia Hernandez

 

       School bullying is a real problem with teenagers and it needs to be stopped because the there are effects that can be damaging for life. There are all different kinds of bullying:   physical abuse, verbal abuse, and even cyber bullying! That’s through cyberspace, like text messaging, AOL instant messenger, and even on MySpace. Even though cussing someone out on the computer doesn’t seem like bullying, it is, and it carries a very heavy penalty.  We took a survey on how many kids have been bullied and more than 60% say that they have been bullied but haven’t done anything about it. The reason is that they think the person that is bullying them will come back and do something worse to them if they tell their counselor, teacher, or even their own parents!

 

The other kind of bullying is called “extortion”.  That’s when someone demands that you give them money and/or they threaten you.  This is also a criminal offense.  You have rights.  If this has ever happened to you or you hear about it happening, report it at school immediately. 

   Our advice to you is that if you have been bullied, we’re not telling you to be a “snitch” or anything but if you don’t want to be bullied by the same person the whole entire year, you should talk to your counselor about because they can help you. If you talk about it most ,the person probably won’t do anything to you because they don’t want to get in trouble.

Anyone can be bullied on the internet it can be the most popular girl in school and that doesn’t stop anyone from calling anyone a mean name. Rumors can be started on the internet and that’s bullying. Some tips on being safe on the internet is to not give out your information like where you live or your phone number.

 

Bullies are generally people who feel like victims themselves.  They have to make other people feel bad, so that they can feel good about themselves.   They have very small sense of self, very little self esteem.  Take away the bullying, and they are nothing inside.  Anyone who acts bigger than they need to be is hiding something inside. 

 

The bottom line is, bullies in school grow up to be bullies in adult life. Bullies in adult life are usually arrested.  It is against the law to bully a grown up.  It’s called aggression, and adult victims usually call the police.  You are actually doing the bully a favor when you talk to a counselor.  It’s better to learn how to stop bullying at this age, than in adulthood, when the consequences are so much harsher.

 

HUMMER LIMO CRUISE

On November 17th, winners of the school Magazine Sale were treated to a tour of San Francisco in a Hummer limousine and lunch at “In and Out Burger”  Approximately 50 students, in 4 limo trips cruised around the city.

 

 

 

SCIENCE PAGE

 

Purple Tomato

by Joann Kuang

 

The Oregon State university researchers developed a purple tomato.  The purple tomato is a great combination of colors and nutrients.  The color of the skin is purple, and is as dark as an eggplant.   The novel pigment found in the purple tomato contains phytochemicals that can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.  Phytochemicals can also be found in blueberries.  There were histories about the research on purple tomatoes, but the research stopped for a while until Oregon State graduate student Carl Jones, resumed the project in 2000 about the tomato’s nutritional value.  Jones discovered the two kinds of antioxidants that the tomatoes contain.  Unlike its red cousin, the purple tomato contains high levels of anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are chemicals found in dark fruit pigments that can act as an antioxidant.  The purple tomato also contains lycopene, which is found in the red skin at the base of the tomato. Lycopene is the other antioxidant.  The hybrid for the purple tomato won’t be ready for several years.

 

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Source:  USAtoday.com

 

Hypoallergenic Cats??

 

If you or someone you know  is allergic to cats, there might just be a bargain for you! Allerca Inc. is a company that says it has managed to breed the world's first hypoallergenic cats and it is selling them for $3,950 each! People who are allergic to cats and buy one of these will not experience sneezing, red and itchy eyes or asthma -- except in very acute cases. The company says that as soon as the news got out people rushed to place orders and now there is a waiting list. According to the BBC, the company tested thousands of cats, looking for those tiny few that do not have glycoprotein Fel d1. Glycoprotein Fel d1 is what triggers allergic reactions in humans -- it can be found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat.. The kittens of these selectively chosen cats do not produce human allergic reactions. They are hypo-allergenic cats! The company says the cats are friendly, playful and affectionate, and are available in several coat colors and patterns.
But really, $3,950 for a cat!!!!  The fact the company has a waiting list for the cats suggested that the old saying about suckers being born every minute remains valid.

Source:   www.aol.com/news

 

 

 

TEEN HELP SITES

by Helen Totterdell and Gabby Ramirez

 

There are many teenagers with many problems. Most of these teenagers are too shy to ask someone for advice, or what they should do. There are many websites to help you out with your predicament. TeenGrowth.com is one of those websites. Your name remains anonymous and you really get the answers you need. You can also read about other kids problems, and see if you can relate. There are many other teen sites you can go to, but be sure you get help with your problems. They  get much easier if you do.

 

HelpingTeens.org

AdviceForAllAges.org

TeenHelp.org

 

There are other sites out there, but you should not have to give out any personal information. There are online predators and scams. Be careful!

 

And the Winner is….

by: Joann Kuang

                And the winner is ….. You have probably heard of this phrase many times before. Every time you hear this phrase, you feel excited. There are many awards in the world, each  based on different criteria. The award that I want to tell you about is the famous Nobel Prize.

Text Box:                  For those who don’t know much about the Nobel Prize,  here is the place to find out. The Nobel Prize is awarded annually to people who have completed outstanding research, invented ground-breaking techniques or equipment, or made an outstanding contribution to society.

 

The Nobel Prize was established by the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel through his will. He made a last will on November 27, 1895. He organized the whole idea about the Nobel Prize, and left 94% of his wealth (which is 31 million kronor or $4,223,500.00) for the establishment of the five prizes that he mentioned. The following is the will of Alfred Nobel:

‘The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way:

The capital shall be invested by my executors in safe securities and shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the hold and promotion of peace congresses.

The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medical works by the Caroline Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm; and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given the nationality of the candidates, so that the

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most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be a Scandinavian or not.”

-Alfred Nobel

 

                The Nobel Prize consists of six categories:  physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics. The economics award is actually a Nobel Memorial Prize. It is not a Nobel Prize because it was not part of the will of Alfred Nobel.  The prize was only made as a memory for Alfred Nobel.  As of October 2006, 781 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 734 individuals and 18 organizations.  The prize was first awarded in 1901, five years after Nobel’s death.  No prizes were awarded in any category between 1940 and 1942. 

                Finally, the moment that you’ve been waiting for.  And the current winners are . . .

 

Medicine: Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C.

For: their discovery of RNA interference - gene silencing by double-stranded RNA, which is a mechanism for controlling the flow of genetic information.

 

Chemistry: Roger D. Kornberg

For: his studies of the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription, which resolves the machinery that gives voice to DNA.

 

Literature: Orhan Pamuk (1st Turkish writer to be awarded with the Nobel Prize)

For: discovering new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures from the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city Physics: John C. Mather and George F. Smoot

For: their discoveries of the blackbody form and anisotrophy of the cosmic microwavebackground radiation, which supports the Big Bang Theory

 

Economics: Edmund S. Phelps

For: his analysis of intertemporal tradeoffs in macroeconomic policy, and changing our perceptions of the tradeoffs between economic objectives

 

Peace: Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank

For: developing micro-credit as an instrument in the struggle against poverty

 

                Those were 2006 Nobel Laureates.  The award ceremony was held in  Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10.  They will be receiving the Nobel Prize Medal, Nobel Prize Diploma and document confirming the Nobel Prize amount from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.  The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates will receive their Nobel Peace Prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Harold V of Norway in Oslo.  In Stockholm, the lectures of the Nobel Laureates will be presented days before the ceremony.  In Oslo, the Nobel Laureates present their lecture during the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony.  Congratulations to the 2006 Nobel Prize Laureates!

 

 

Sitting up straight is bad for your back

by Alex Kozakiewicz

 

            Sitting up straight is now thought to be bad for the back. Researchers have found out that sitting in a laid back posture is better than sitting up straight. The reason is that sitting up straight puts strain on the spine and can cause trapped nerves or slipped discs. The best angle to sit in now is to be at a 135-degree angle.

 

Researchers did some tests on 22 healthy volunteers who had no history of back pain or surgery. The researchers put the volunteers in 3 different positions. First, they told the volunteers to slump forward as if leaning over a desk. The second position they told the volunteers to sit at a 90-degree angle. The final position was to sit at 135-degree angle. The researchers then checked their spine and found that if you sit at a 90-angle that there was disc movement. They also found out if you slump that you have a high rate of wear and tear on the lowest two spinal levels.

 

 

 

 

HEALTH PAGE

 

          Food Survey

by:  Julian Tomescu, Gabriella Ramirez a.k.a. Chips and Salsa, and Silvia Hernandez a.k.a. Fat Burger

 

            We are making a food survey, and are going to ask the teachers and the students what they like to eat from our list of foods. When the results are in, we will compare the results of the teachers and the students. What types of foods do you think are the most popular and what foods are not popular? Please talk to us if you want us to give your opinion on what foods you enjoy! Enjoy the survey!

 

1)      Coca-Cola or Pepsi

2)      Burritos or Tacos

3)      Pizza or Hot Pockets

4)      Hot Dogs or Burgers

5)      In n Out or Fuddruckers

6)      Popeye’s or KFC

7)      Round Table or Dominos

8)      McDonalds or Burger King

9)      Jamba Juice or Starbucks

10)  Gordos or Taco Bell

11)  Panda Express or Mr. Chow’s

12)  Cold Stone or Ben and Jerry’s

13)  Mels Drive-In or Johnny Rockets

14)  Krispy Kreme or Donut World

15)  Subway or Carl’s Jr

 

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And the results are in!

 

The most preferred places to snack are as follows:

 

Students                                   Teachers

 

Panda Express                          Pepsi

McDonalds                              Starbucks

In and Out Burger                     Subway

Jamba Juice                              Starbucks

KFC                                        KFC

Burritos                                    Taco Bell

 

KFC Stops Using Trans Fat

By : Judy Tang

 

What’s “trans fat”?          Invented in the early 1900s, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil was initially believed to be a healthy substitute for natural fats like butter or lard.  It was also cheaper, performed better under high heat and a longer shelf life.  Today, the oil is used as a shortening in baked goods like cookies, crackers, and doughnuts, as well as in deep frying.  Ironically,  many big fast food companies only became dependent on hydrogenated oil because they were pressured by health groups to do something about saturated fat. 

 

In New York, KFC is phasing out trans fat in cooking it’s Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items, but hasn’t found a good alternative yet for its biscuits.  Health experts say trans fats raise levels of artery-clogging cholesterol and contribute to heart disease.  The restaurant chain said it will start using zero trans fat soybean oil system wide in the United States with the rollout expected to be completed by April 2007.  KFC said many of its approximately 5,500 restaurants have already switched. 

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        KFC President Gregg Derrick there wouldn’t be no change in the taste in the chicken and other food items.  “There is no compromise,” he said at a Manhattan news conference.  “Nothing is more important to us than the quality of our food and preserving the terrific taste of our product.”

     Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Buffalo, Crispy Snacker Sandwiches,  Popcorn Chicken, and Twisters are also part of the menu change.  But Derrick said some products including biscuits will still be made with trans fat while KFC still looks for alternatives.  The announcement came just ahead of a New York City Board of Health public hearing on a plan to make New York the first U.S. city to ban restaurants from serving food containing artificial trans fat.  If approved, New York’s ban would only affect restaurants, not grocery stores, and wouldn’t extend beyond city limits.  But experts said the city’s food service industry, with 24,000 establishments, is so large that any rule change is likely to ripple nationwide. 

            The change at KFC applies only to U.S. restaurants for now, Derrick said.  He said the company was trying to find replacement oils for its overseas restaurants.  He added that KFC outlets in some countries already use trans fat-free oils.  Artificial trans fat is so common that the average Americans eat 4.7 pounds of it a year, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Trans fat increases the low-density lipoprotein, or the so called bad cholesterol, consent of food, clogging arteries and causing heart disease.  Researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health estimated that trans fat contribute to 30,000 U.S. deaths per year.  KFC isn’t the only business preparing for trans-fat-free future.  Wendy’s International Inc., the burger restaurant chain company, has already switched to a zero-trans fat oil. 

 

Source:  David Caruso, AP

 

New Quake Plan

By: Joann Kuang

 

            A new and comprehensive plan for earthquake response was made by the San Francisco officials.  Lessons from the quakes of Loma Prieta in 1989, Northridge in 1994, and Kobe in 1995 were used to make the new plan.  Predictions on what areas, buildings and key services that will be affected by an earthquake, and by how much are included in the plan.  The plan also assigns responsibility to city agencies for vital services in the first days after an earthquake. 

 

            The Board of Supervisors’ budget analyst criticized San Francisco’s Office of Emergency Services for not finishing the quake document.  There was no deadline set for completing the new plan.  According to the plan, there are supposed to be predictions about the area and etc.  The plan predicts that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the Hayward Fault would kill from 41 to 140 people in the city, while a 7.9 temblors on the San Andrea Fault would result in the deaths of 658 to 1,489 people in the city.  If you would like to see the plan, you can call the Office of Emergency Services at (415) 558-2700, or check out the website: sfgov.org/oes.

 

  A new plan for earthquake response was made.  Lessons from previous earthquakes helped make a better plan.

 

  Local Police Officers

by Chris Hernandes- Lara</