Monthly Archives: December 2019

Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Lopez

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Kiara Garcia-Reyes

Jefferson Post staff writer Kiara Garcia-Reyes interviewed Ms. Lopez, 7th-grade math teacher for the Scholars team. 

Did you always want to be a teacher?
I always knew I wanted to be in a job that helped people, but I would say my 6th-grade teacher helped me solidify teaching for me. In her class, we were paired up with Kindergarten buddies and then able to read with them and complete projects together, which were my favorite part of the week. Then as I got to middle school and high school, I began assisting and teaching dance classes at my studio. I also took a similar class to “student teaching” during my senior year of high school and was able to teach in an elementary school. 

What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
I have two and I can’t choose between them, so I’m going to tell you both! My first favorite part of teaching is that no two days are the same. This is definitely a job you never get bored with because each day brings its own surprises and you learn something new every day. The second is seeing students excel in their extracurricular activities. As a teacher,  it is easy to see a student in only one light when they are in your classroom, however, I love seeing students at their sporting events/ band and strings concerts/ engaging in different clubs at school because it shows who they are at their best selves and they get to show off what they are passionate about. 

Did you always want to work with younger kids?
I originally thought I wanted to be a 4th/5th-grade teacher until I actually student taught at Jefferson Middle School. Middle school is definitely the place for me. 

Are there any interesting facts about you?
I really enjoy traveling. My goal is to reach 30 countries before I’m 30 years old, and I’m currently at country #23. So if anyone has recommendations, I’d love to hear them!  I was also at the University of Illinois’ Homecoming Court Class of 2016. It was a peer-nominated and faculty selected honor. I can say I’ve been on a jumbotron before! Ha!

What kind of student were you in middle school? Do you see yourself in students you teach now?
I definitely see parts of myself in many of the students here. I was an athlete (dance) and a mostly straight-A student (except for math! We’ll get to that later) I was on student council which was m favorite part of middle school. I loved planning school events and school dances.  

Did you always want to teach math? If so, why?
I NEVER thought I would be a math teacher. As soon as I got the job at Jefferson teaching 7th-grade math, I emailed MY 7th-grade math teacher and we had a good laugh about how the universe works in mysterious ways. I was the student who always struggled in math and would tell my teacher, “Yeah, I’m just not a math person,” and make every excuse to defend my poor grades. I was the one who went home and spent hours crying over math homework because I just couldn’t get it. When I got to college, I had a professor named Dr. Hoffmeister who truly changed the idea of math for me. She explained a lot of reasons why students K-12 struggle with math and how teachers can be people who help students get over that struggle. When she inspired me to get over that struggle, I knew I wanted to help students do the same, SPECIFICALLY for math.

Lastly, what do you think is the most important thing for students to learn in middle school?
The most important thing for students to learn is how to advocate for themselves and others around them. Continue to stand up for what you believe in because your voice matters. 

Thank you to Ms. Lopez for taking the time to answer all these questions. 

4Ocean Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Lizzy Good

A frequently discussed topic is how the earth’s oceans are polluted. Many are trying to find a way to prevent it, or to solve this problem. Two individuals who took action in cleaning up our oceans and beaches are named Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper, who are the founders of an organization called 4Ocean.

4Ocean was first thought of when Schulze and Cooper were on a surfing trip to Bali, Indonesia. While they were there, they noticed all of the trash coming in with each wave of the ocean. Schulze and Cooper realized just how awful the ocean plastic crisis was, so they decided to do something about it.  

4Ocean has been in operation since 2017. They originated in Bali, Indonesia, with a mission to clean up all of the coastlines that are littered with plastic pollution. Currently, they operate in Florida, U.S.A, in Haiti, and continuing their work in Bali, Indonesia. 4Ocean sells bracelets on their website. For every bracelet sold, a pound of plastic waste is removed from the ocean. The profit made off of the bracelets goes to furthering 4Ocean’s ocean and coastline clean-ups.

As of November 7th, 2019, 7,097,554 pounds of pollution have been collected by 4Ocean. In addition to the bracelets sold in their shop, they sell t-shirts, clean-up gear for picking up plastic, and one-use plastic alternatives. One-use plastic alternatives include reusable water bottles, metal straws, and reusable plastic grocery bags. One-use plastic can take a lot of the blame for plastic pollution. People can just toss it on the ground when they are done. 4Ocean sells clean-up gear so that way they can inspire others to continue their work.

The First All-Female Spacewalk

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Dayaneira Gomez and Eldana Nigussie

The first-ever all-female spacewalk took place two months ago, when NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir went outside the International Space Station at about 7:50 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 18, to replace equipment on the station’s exterior.  

Koch and Meir will replace a battery charge unit that failed to activate earlier on. This will be Koch’s fourth spacewalk and Meir’s first. Christina Koch and Jessica Meir became the first to take part in an all-female spacewalk. The walk lasted seven hours and 17 minutes. 

NASA said, “It was bound to happen eventually because of the increasing number of female astronauts.” The women could be heard talking to controllers, and helmet cameras showed the view as they worked outside of the space station. It was a successful spacewalk.

What is a Heart?

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Trace Jackson

What is a heart? I’m not talking about the shape of a heart. I’m referring to the organ. The organ that pumps blood through the body to keep you alive. If there was no heart there will be no life. There are four stages to the heartbeat cycle.

The stages of the heartbeat cycle are repeated, which is why it’s called a cycle. There is a node at the top of the heart which acts like a pacemaker (Walker, R). First, the blood fills the atria (Walker, R). Next, the blood fills the ventricles (Walker, R). Then, the ventricles contract to pump the blood (Walker, R). Last, the ventricles relax (Walker, R). 

In summary, the heart is a very important part of the body. It pumps blood through the body utilizing a cycle known as a circulatory system that keeps us alive. In the future, I hope to be a cardiothoracic surgeon (heart surgeon).

References: Walker, R. (1998). Under the microscope heart: how the blood gets around the body. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational

Winter Weather Haikus

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Annika Blackburn

Animals
The tough fox survives
Scared squirrel hides in thick snow
The smart goose flies South

The Winter Squirrel
Scramble, Scurry, Sniff
Hurry, hurry snow puffs in
The hardy squirrel leaves

The First Snow
Majestic Black Clouds
Flakes gale lightly in the wind
Crystals shatter down

The Holidays
Snug voices whispered
A mildly blazing fireplace
Flakes hug the window

Warm Up With Some Books For The Fall

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Matthew Ferrer

As fall rolls in, you’ll want to retreat inside and get cozy. Perhaps you’ll have a warm meal, or maybe a drink. If you’re feeling a bit gloomy about the current season, I’m sure a few books will spice up your mood.

To begin,  for a little action,  I’m sure mystery is a wonderful choice.  I’ve recently read a couple of books by Blue Balliett.  For example, Hold Fast is a wonderful example of the author’s unique literature.  View the perspective of a young girl named Early Pearl and her close-tied family.  Dashel Pearl mysteriously disappears on fateful January day in 2011. Early, Jubilation and Summer Pearl face violent criminals, poverty, and a mysterious diamond. Though set in winter, it’s a heartfelt, passionate story to read this time of year.

A book series that may interest you is called Goosebumps,  written by R. L. Stine.  Are you still feeling in spirit for Halloween?  Or maybe your just revving up for something spooky?  Well, this book is perfect for you. By delving into this series,  you’ll be open to a collection of books like Under the Magician’s Spell,  Welcome to the Wicked Wax Museum,  and many other titles.  No matter what, you’ll be assured with a story that’ll give you a delightful scare this season.

My senses tell me that dystopian is a great genre for this season,  as well. One book that I’ve read during a past autumn season is called The Giver by Lois Lowry.  See a world similar to ours,  but not quite the same. Follow a boy named Jonas who is at the age of 12.  Due to his age, he’s about to go to “the ceremony of twelve,” an event in which many children of the age of twelve will have their careers decided for the rest of their lives.  Jonas is chosen for the role of “Giver,” and is tasked to collect all the memories of the world. Although, with the teachings of the current Giver, he slowly begins to question the ways of his society.  Read about a world that’s strange compared to our own. Maybe you’ll realize there are worse things than the weather this season.

And,  finally,  you may be looking for something vibrant to pass your time.  Well, Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell is a lovely option for you.  This comic includes a story with two high school seniors named Josiah and Deja.  Every Halloween, they’d work at a pumpkin patch in Omaha, Nebraska. But, they’re going off to college soon,  making Josiah very gloomy about his situation. But, Deja wants this last time working at the patch to be exciting for them both.

If what I’ve said tickles your fancy, stop on by the Champaign Public Library, or even stop by our school’s library,  and check out some books for the fall season.

Historic “Newsies Strike” Changed Child Labor Laws

Posted on by Standard Respond

In the month of July, in 1899, an organized group of children stopped the city. Hundreds of boys and girls who sold newspapers on the streets of New York marched onto the Brooklyn Bridge and other places around the city in order to put a halt to traffic and other businesses. They were fed up and wanted people to know it! These kids were called “newsies.”

Can you imagine stopping traffic in New York City? Well, you probably don’t have the same reasons the newsies did in 1899. These working kids would purchase a pile of 100 newspapers for 65 cents. Then they would spend very long days shouting out newspaper headlines to the public in order to persuade them to buy the paper for one penny. If they sold all the papers, they would make 35 cents, which was a lot of money for them. Most of these kids were orphans and living on the streets or in special boarding houses. This little bit of money helped them survive.

In 1898, the price of the papers was increased to 85 cents by the publishers because of the Spanish-American War. (The headlines were so dramatic that it was easier to sell papers.) But after the war, when life went back to normal, two newspaper publishers did not bring their prices back down. 

These men were Joseph Pulitzer (New York Evening World) and William Randolph Hearst (New York Evening Journal). At this high rate, newsies could not make enough money to pay for their lodging and their food.

A few of the kids got together and decided to boycott (that means to not buy or participate in something) the two newspapers. They held large meetings to convince more of the newsies and they quickly were able to organize hundreds of others. In addition to not buying the two newspapers, they tried to stop businesses from making any money at all by staging a massive strike. Hundreds of kids participated in these demonstrations, which were highlighted by angry speeches by some of the more colorful newsies. Over several hot summer days, they marched onto the Brooklyn Bridge, halting traffic for hours, making it very difficult for deliveries of papers to occur. It surely was an inconvenience to the city and attracted the attention of a lot of people.

It also succeeded in making it hard for those two papers to continue. Eventually, Pulitzer and Hearst made a decision that persuaded the newsies to stop their strike. The publishers would keep the price of the bundle of papers at 85 cents, but they would buy back any papers that went unsold. This allowed the kids to continue to earn enough money for themselves.

Newspapers aren’t sold by children anymore. In fact, it’s not legal for children to work at all today, which is a very good thing!

Sonia Day Celebrates Women in Mathematics

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Annika Blackburn

Recently, on November 9, Sonia Day at the University of Illinois took place. Sonia Day is a special math event hosted at the U of I for girls in grades eight through twelve. It is a day that is meant to celebrate women in mathematics and to encourage young girls to enter math-based fields. I attended the event and I would describe it as an amazing day filled with new math that I had never learned before. Sonia day is also free of charge and welcomes all girls who would like to attend. 

Sonia Day takes place every spring and fall. Graduate students who study mathematics graciously volunteer to run the event each year. The theme for this autumn Sonia Day was Proof and Consequence. We studied different types of mathematical logic and worked with truth tables, devices that train your brain to think in a new way. We also solved fun logic puzzles and found new ways of proving Euclid’s Pythagorean Theorem. 

Sonia Day is actually named after a famous female mathematician from the nineteenth century. She was the first woman to ever earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Despite all of the people in her life that did not approve of women learning math, Sonia pushed on and pursued her dreams of becoming a mathematician. She greatly contributed to the math community through papers that she wrote concerning the make-up of Saturn’s rings and partial differential equations. 

She also strongly believed in the importance of poetry and literature. “It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul,” said Sonia Kovalevsky. She was awarded a Ph.D. from a nearby college for her work. Later she was allowed to be a math professor. Unfortunately, she died two years later from influenza at the age of forty-one in Stockholm, Sweden. 

In conclusion, events like Sonia Day should be hosted everywhere, not just in University towns. Young girls can often be unsure of their futures and need guidance in the world of mathematics, a traditionally male-dominated field. Sonia Day is also an educational event that teaches girls math that they may not be learning in school. It is also very good for events like these to be of little to no cost in order to accommodate girls with all economical situations. Honoring ground-breakers like Sonia is also very important, she was one of the first to open up mathematics to women and girls. Finally, I would like to thank all of the amazing students who volunteered their free time to help with this event. They understand the importance of including girls in mathematics and the importance of math in general. 

A Few Words on VSCO Girls

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Paressa Thomas and Austin Carter

In my opinion, VSCO Girls are the most annoying people in the world because they say “and I oop” when they drop their Hydro Flasks. They also say “Sksksksksk”. I think that is their way of laughing. I personally do not understand why, but ok. Some of the things VSCO Girls think they have to have are Scrunchies, Hydro Flasks, Vans, etc. 

I don’t get why they say “sksksksksk” and “and I oop”. When I hear it I just think to myself, “This is so annoying.”  I don’t get why I have to deal with it. I didn’t do anything bad to deserve this. I also think that the Paw Patrol is VSCO because it was on TV and they were saving turtles. Is this a coincidence? I think not. 

I think everyone can agree with me here because VSCO Girls like to save the turtles because they use reusable straws. Also, when VSCO Girls throw away their straws, where do they think they go? I’ll tell you where . . . they go in the ocean where the turtles are! If they are so concerned about turtles, USE plastic straws. I don’t get why VSCO Girls hate plastic straws. All you have to do is cycle/reuse them, and if you recycle them there not going to walk off to the ocean.

VSCO Girls or Boys probably don’t even know that VSCO is an app. I know you probably think that to become a VSCO Girl it will be cheap and it would be easy to become one because all they have to do is wear oversized t-shirts and say “and I oop” and “sksksksk’’ and care about the turtles. But really, VSCO Girls are just making their parents bank account broke. To be a  VSCO Girl, it’ll actually cost you $1,200 to get what you need. I believe you’re just wasting your parents’ money (a hydro flask is almost $60 plus tax included, for what . . . to keep your water hot or cold? I can get a water bottle for 3 times less than that amount at Target and works just the same.)

 

Jen Wang’s Stargazing is a Graphic Novel Worth Reading

Posted on by Standard Respond

By: Kaylee Kirkland

Stargazing is a book by Jen Wang. If that name sounds familiar, that may be because she wrote In Real Life and The Prince And The Dressmaker. Stargazing stays true to the pattern of beautiful graphic novels that are both hilarious and serious at the same time. 

This book is about a girl named Christine who plays the violin and like American pop music, and Moon, who likes to draw and listen to K-Pop.   The story is about how the two girls meet and what happens to their friendship through a course of events. Moon and Christine meet because YuWen, Moon’s mother’s husband just died. As an effect of this, they’re having money issues. 

The next day Christine finds out that their small home that their grandpa used to live in is now where Moon is going to live. Normally this would not be a problem, but the church kids had speculation of who they were. The biggest one was that Moon had to leave her old school because she beat someone up. Knowing that information, you can see why she was a bit hesitant about having a possible bully living in her backyard.

Despite being afraid at first, Moon and Christine become good friends. She quickly learns Moon is a great artist who likes to learn and listen to K-Pop. She also finds out that Moon sees visions that she believes are her real family, and that she is not supposed to be on Earth but was placed there by accident and someday soon they would come and bring her back to the stars (hence the title, Stargazing).

As the two become friends, they find out that they both like a type of pop music. Moon is watching a new video, and she brings up the idea of the dancing and singing her favorite song in the talent show at their school. They decide that their act will be called the “Chara’s Angels” which is soon to be changed.

When they are at one of there friend’s birthday parties, Moon has a seizure causing her to faint.  They find out there was a visual cortex of her brain that was damaged, causing her to see dreams and it had been going on for a while.

Will Moon survive? Will they ever got to finish their dance routine. If you want to know, then read Stargazing.