Paw Prints
Published by the Middle School Journalism Class at The Bear Creek School
March 19, 2008 • volume 03 • issue 03 • Redmond, WA 98053
FOOD FRENZY
what's on your plate?
Paw Prints
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
When the bell rings after fourth
period, everybody heads down
to the Commons for the best
part of the day – lunch! So
that is why the PawPrints staff
decided to devote this issue
to all things edible, whether a
sandwich or a deadly pufferfish.
Your tongue, the five-second
rule, and everything having to
do with culinary cuisine. . .
It's a food frenzy!
opinion
makeitmyway
What's on your plate?
P.S. We hope you like our new
full-color look. For this issue,
each and every staff member was
responsible for research, writing
and layout for their article.
Good job, staff!
What makes a perfect sandwich?
white 36%
wheat 21%
sourdough 19%
PawPrints Staff
Morgan Cadigan
Jake Casale
Blake Dixon
Elizabeth Fernandez
Jimmy Gorzalski
Neal Jatekar
Olivia Ochoa
Mollie Reams
Kiersten Sprick
Sam Stansell
Cameron Tillinghast
Joe Wilson
Sarah Witt
Jake Wyman
There are many different ways to make a sandwich,
and most people have an idea for the perfect sandwich. What is it? We can not speak for everyone,
but here is a peek at what the average Middle School
student had to say . . .
turkey 40%
bacon 39%
roast beef 29%
ham 25%
mayo 40%
mustard 35%
lettuce 37%
tomato 20%
cheddar 32%
american 17%
pepper jack 16%
none 17%
Mrs. Sanger, Adviser
Warm and Toasty?
most like their sandwiches toasted
79%
!
!
S
E
Y 69%
middle schoolers
upper schoolers
and faculty
swiss 21%
french fries 44%
cookie 28%
onion rings 24%
chips 20%
salad 17%
For the report, 75
middle school students
were surveyed (and
enjoyed part of a huge
sub sandwich).
For the toasty question,
42 upper school
students and faculty
were also surveyed.
by yearbook staff
feature
Baggin' It: what's in your bag?
Many people pack sack lunches because it is cheaper than buying food at
school. Some pack them because they are probably more nutritional than what
is served at school. Others bring sack lunches and also buy something from the
school cafeteria.
Eating healthy foods gives energy for the day, which is needed for school.
Some moms make their kids eat a sack lunch everyday and do not let their kids
order. Others moms pack lunches from dinner leftovers.
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
“I always bring a sandwich, and sometimes I buy a drink and candy,” said
Andrew Leadbeater.
Saving money is a big deal and a lot of money can be spent buying lunches.
For packed lunches, save money by making your own lunch and using a permanent
lunch box instead of buying brown bags and throwing them away.
Buying lunches and purchasing expensive things can add up over the
school year.
What to pack—
here are some ideas for a great lunch:
Bagels, oatmeal
raisin cookies,
organic pear,
juice box
Lasagna with
a salad and
bread,
water bottle,
carrots
English muffin
pizza,
granola bar,
grapes,
milk
Turkey or ham
sandwich on
whole-wheat
bread,
celery with ranch
dip,
apple
by Jimmy Gorzalski
Which sports drink is better: G2 or Powerade?
Powerade
Exercise Results
Cam- 20 times on incline
and 20 times on bench
Mark- 18 times on incline
and 16 times on bench
Cameron Tillinghast
"It is good tasting and a
lot more hydrating."
-Cameron
"Tasted good, but I didn't
feel like it worked for me."
-Mark
Mark Phillips
by Jake Wyman
Some people grab water, others grab sports drinks.
G2
One of the earliest sports drinks is Gatorade. It was invented
in 1965, and the business has grown ever since. Now, after 43
Exercise Results
years, Gatorade has finally come out with a second gatorade,
Cam- 20 times on incline
called G2. It's for hydration off the field. Although mainly
and 19 times on bench
for athletes, anyone can drink G2.
Mark- 30 times on incline
To make sure this drink really does work, we tested
and 20 times on bench
G2 and Powerade, Gatorade's leading competitor, on two
different athletes: Mark Phillips and Cameron Tillinghast,
who are pretty even in strength.
"It tasted really bad, and all
Both athletes drank Powerade and G2 in two trials,
it did was fill my stomach."
each time trying to see how many times they could lift a 45
- Cameron
pound bar in both a bench press and an incline press. The
results are shown to the right.
"It tasted horrible, but I felt
In this test, it was discovered, that G2 worked better
like it did more for me."
on the athletes than its competitor. All together, the two
-Mark
athletes did 89 reps using the 45 pound bar when they
drank G2. On the other hand, the total reps after drinking
Powerade was 74. So, in the end, G2 came out on top as the
most effective sports drink.
feature
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
C
hocohealth
by Joe Wilson
the truth behind the myth
According to many parents, chocolate is just
another unhealthy sugary candy. Scientists have
found, however, it can lower your blood pressure
(preventing heart attacks) and can even prevent
cancer!
Antioxidants in chocolate, called “flavonoids,"
are responsible for these benefits. This comes with
a catch though. Only dark chocolate contains these
cancer reducing chemicals.
But does this newly discovered fact overpower
the fact that a box of chocolates has an unhealthy
amount of calories and sugar?
If chocolate eaters are not fond of the idea of
eating dark chocolate every day, a new study shows
that hot cocoa is now thought to be healthier for you
than green tea or red wine (in terms of the lowering
of blood pressure). Antioxidants are in tea and red
wine too, but hot cocoa contains more.
So, is it worth it–risking all those calories and the
amount of sugar in chocolate just so you can get those
antioxidant benefits? Unfortunately, no. The amount
of good things in the chocolate will never make up
for all those calories, but do not let that get in your
way. Eating moderate amounts of chocolate can get
you those flavonoids without as many calories.
So go ahead, eat chocolate knowing that not
only are you lowering the risk of cancer and heart
attacks, but you are also slowing down the cavity
process.
Question: Is chocolate good for you? Answer:
For now, we can say yes; but, like many things, only
in moderation.
True or False
Eating
Chocolate
is high in caffeine
sugary foods
causes tooth decay
False
False
In fact, there is less caffeine
in chocolate than there is
coffee, tea, or soft drinks.
Cavities are usually caused by
plaque and foods containing
fermentable carbohydrates sitting
on the teeth for too long. Believe
it or not, there are ingredients in
chocolate that can actually slow
the process of tooth decay.
Fast
F
oods: A New Look
how fast food is changing
In America today, 15% of all teens are obese. One
of the main contributors to this problem is unhealthy fast
food full of calories and fat. However, recent changes in
menu options may suggest that fast food restaurants no
longer want to contribute to obesity.
The new menu includes additions like low fat milk
and applesauce, as well as salads and low carb sandwich
wraps. Also, Burger King has apple slices that look like
french fries. Fast food chains have also been introducing
new products like healthy sandwiches and more fresh
vegetables and fruit.
As well as different menu items, most fast food
joints have improved the atmosphere by cleaning off
tables as soon as customer leave and playing soft music.
Quiznos is also following the example of Subway
by introducing the new Sammies, 200 calorie sandwiches
for $2.00 each. Also, a Taco Bell in southern California
has a customer appreciation day complete with freebees
and a guest book to sign.
Some kids at TBCS, however, do not like the
changes happening at fast food restaurants.
"I do not like the changes because you lose the
flavor of the food," said Ricky Olsen. Some people, like
Ricky do not think the changes are good or helpful. Their
view is that you go to a burger place to get a burger, not
a salad.
Many professional researchers and health
researchers believe that fast food might finally change for
the better. Even McDonalds is changing their philosophy
to be more healthy.
"McDonald's is proud to work with world-class
consultants who help with daily lifestyle and fitness
information. It is part of our shared philosophy of living
a more balanced, active lifestyle," said McDonalds'
wellness experts.
This may be, but most kids at our school do not
care what happens at McDonalds because, as Blake
Emery said, "I don't eat the healthy stuff."
by Sam Stansell
Fast Food
Fast Facts
•Fast food started in the
streets of ancient Greece.
•The largest KFC is in
Beijing, China.
•There are three McDonalds
franchises in Israel that do
not serve burgers; they only
serve kosher food.
• The original KFC recipe
had 11 herbs and spices.
feature
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
Foods You Love To Hate!
The Good and Bad Sides of All Food Green
by Jake Casale
Lettuce. Green beans. Peas. Broccoli. Celery. The brussel
sprout. What do all these foods have in common? The answer is that
they are all green, and all vegetables. To kids all over the world, from
toddlers to even some college aged students, they are avoided at all
costs. Many would rather skip lunch or dinner than eat that gross,
yucky green glop Mom had the audacity to put on the table. But why
do so many people have an aversion to vegetables and other green
foods? Is it simply a child’s picky eating habits that will eventually be
outgrown? Or is there actually a scientific explanation as to why the
green food hate strikes almost every kid at one point or another?
Many scientists have an interesting argument as to why nearly all
young children will not eat green foods. An aversion to green foods is
actually a genetic condition called neophobia. The decision to avoid
green foods is all in children’s genes. It seems that neophobia causes
kids to unconsciously believe green foods are poisonous to them,
resulting in the reluctance to eat them. People have (according to the
scientists) evolved this way, to be wary of potentially harmful foods.
However, many parents find ways to work around their children’s
neophobia, and by the teenage years, it is rare to find a kid that does
not like at least one type of green food.
There are plenty of reasons why vegetables are a very good food
choice. Among the vegetable group are some very healthy foods,
including lettuce, celery, and even the feared and hated brussel sprout.
Seventh grader Andrei Nikkonen says, “I like all of them (vegetables),
except celery! They’re not the best thing ever, but I can stomach them
much better than some other foods.”
However, there are some that still suffer from a touch of neophobia.
“I don’t like the color green!” said Katherine Whiteman. “The only
green stuff [I like] is salad. So that would be lettuce.”
It seems that the issue with some is the texture. “Celery is too
stringy,” said eighth grader Luke Cody.
But the most common gripe is the flavor. Whiteman professed,
“Everything else—it doesn’t have any flavor!”
Nikkonen provided an interesting opinion: “[The flavor] is pretty
much an acquired taste.”
Scientists recommend that if kids are exposed to a variety of green
foods as young children, neophobia can be overcome well before the
kids reach double digits.
Almost all kids are affected by neophobia at some point in their
lives. But that natural skittishness around green food can rob many
people, kids and adults alike, of some great foods that are very healthy
for your immune and nervous systems. Ultimately, even though those
green foods look gross, don’t shrug them off immediately. Give them
a try. Who knows? You might become one of those rare people that
actually like Brussel sprouts.
Brussel (or Brussels) sprouts
actually originated in the
Belgium town of Brussels, so
some add an "S" on the end of
the name.
VEGETABLES: the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY
PEAS
GREEN BEANS
LETTUCE
CELERY
The
Good:
Peas
have
The
Good: Certain
The Good: It has great The Good: Chopped
amounts of potassium, up celery and peanut 67% of the daily value brands are bred for
of Vitamin C.
exceptional freshness
vitamins, and tastes butter? An pretty good
and flavor.
good in a salad.
snack.
The Bad: Some people
The Bad: The least
The Bad: The stringy are allergic to them. The Bad: They're very
tender, so leftovers
healthy brand, Iceberg, texture may turn off
The Ugly: Bad peas
generally rot fast.
is the one most bought.
some people.
carry over 20 diseases,
but don't worry, they
The Ugly: They are
The Ugly: It can rot
The Ugly: It's very
only
affect
plants.
actually fruits!
pretty quickly. Eat fast! tasteless without dip.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
The Good: They
protect against cancer!
Seriously!
The Bad: It is probably
the most despised
vegetable.
The Ugly: So many
people will never know
the taste...
feature
T h e Staii r way To
o
H ealth
h
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
Grains
8 ounces per day
Eating is a part of everyday life, but
knowing what is healthy to eat is a
different story. Here is a guide to help.
Eat these amounts from each food
group daily. This plan is a 2,400
calorie food pattern based on
average needs for someone like
you (a 13 year old child, 5 feet
2 inches tall, 105 pounds,
physically active 30 to 60
minutes a day). Food
needs also depend on
rate of growth and other
factors. See a health
care provider who
can track height
and weight over
time to identify
your specific
needs.
W hat To Eat & W h en to ea
at it!*
*
Breakfast
Wheat Toast with butter
Eggs and Bacon
Orange Juice
*
Lunch
Caesar Salad and Apple
Half a turkey sandwich
Milk
Dinner
Salmon Fillet
Chocolate Milk
Green Beans, Potatoes
Wheat Bread and Butter
based on 2,400 calorie diet for "normal" teenager
As the young people of the U.S., we need to help
keep our country healthy. One way to do that
is to eat right; another is to exercise everyday.
Exercise is simply just the movement of the
body in a way that uses energy. There are
many ways to exercise. A few ways to
incorporate exercise into your life is to
walk the dog, play on a sports team, swim
for recreation in the summer or on a
sports team, or walk to the neighbor's
house instead of driving. It can be
fun. Hannah Postings said, "I like
to dance because it is random
and fun." A healthy amount of
exercise is about 30 minutes a
day. Make sure your exercise is
actual energy burning activities so
it really counts as exercise!
Bread
Pasta
Oatmeal
Cereal
Make half your grains whole
Vegetables
3 cups per day
Broccoli
Celery
Asparagus
Carrots
Vary your veggies
Fruits
2 cups per day
Apples
Grapes
Orange Juice
Bananas
Focus on fruits
Oils
2 tablespoons per day
Fish
Nuts
Liquid Oils
Milk and Dairy
3 cups per day
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Eggs
Get your calcium- rich foods
by Sarah Witt and Mollie Reams
Meat and Beans
6.5 per day
Steak
Chicken
Peanut Butter
Tuna
Go lean with protein
feature
World's Fare
What's
for
Dinner Around
Soup made out of bird saliva?
Pie made out of seal flippers?
Many people probably think, “Ew! Gross!” when
confronted with these foods.
But from Vietnam to Scotland, people have
created foods from the world around them that have
become revered and loved by people in their country.
Enjoy this safari of food from around
the world!
Fugu – Japan
•Deadly puffer fish; the kanji
(characters) used to write “fugu”
indicates “river pig.”
•Fugu’s poison (tetrodotoxin) can lead
to instantaneous deaths of diners, so
chefs cooking fugu must have a special
license
•Winter is the best season to eat fugu
Deep-fried Mars Bars
– Scotland
•An ordinary Mars Bar deep
fried in a batter also used for
fish, black and white pudding,
and haggis
•Long believed to be a Scottish
myth, like the Loch Ness
Monster
•400 calories per serving
Bird’s Nest Soup
– China
•Made using the nest of
the swiftlet, a tiny bird found
throughout caves of Southeast Asia
•The swiftlet makes this nest from
strands of its own gummy saliva
•Generations of families have collected
these nests without any modern
technology; it is a very dangerous job
that often involves climbing trees several
stories high
the
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
World
Durian –
Vietnam and Thailand
•Literally means “thorny fruit” in
Vietnamese
•Revered in Southeast Asia as the
King of Fruits
•Thailand produces about 927,190
pounds of durian per year
Seal Flipper Pie –
Newfoundland, Canada
•Eaten typically at Easter
•Served like a chicken pot pie,
with pork in the mix as well
Suströmming – Nordic
Countries
•Fermented (an organic
substance broken down into
simpler substances) Baltic
herring
•Immersed for a day in brine and
then left in the sun to ferment
•An inch or two of space is left at
the top of the barrels/cans they
are sold in so that gas formed during
fermentation can accumulate without
causing an explosion
Frog Legs – France
•Also eaten in China,
Caribbean, Southern USA with
some variations in recipes
•In French cuisine, it is served
with a butter, garlic and parsley
sauce on salad or rice
•In China, the meat is eaten off
the bone like we eat chicken
drumsticks in the USA
by Olivia Ochoa
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
feature
Tasty Tidbits
a bit of information about your tongue
by Morgan Cadigan
Back
The tongue is made up of a group of muscles that run in a variety of
directions to carry out all the tongue’s jobs.
The muscles on a tongue move and push small bits of food along with the
saliva into your esophagus, which is a food pipe that leads from your throat to
your stomach. The saliva on a tongue also is very important to eating.
There are
different
sections in
the tongue for
certain tastes.
Taste buds
Taste buds are sensory organs that allow the average human to experience
tastes that include sour, sweet, salty and bitter. They let people taste the sourness
of lemon, the sweetness of candy, the bitterness of cooking chocolate and the
saltiness of popcorn. (For more information on popcorn see the article, “Get
your Popcorn Here!”). People are born with about 10,000 taste buds. While a
person ages, their taste buds die out. An older person might have only 5,000
taste buds!
The bumps on a tongue are called papillae (puh-pih-lee) and most of
the papillae contain taste buds. On taste buds are little microscopic hairs called
microvilli (mye-kro-vih-lye). These send messages to the brain about how
something tastes.
Little Helpers
Under the weather? When a person has a stuffed up nose, they usually
notice foods don’t taste as strong as they used to. The nose actually helps a
person taste by smelling them before they go in the mouth and as a person chews
them and swallows them. Olfactory receptors inside the upper part of the nose
have special cells that send messages to the brain to help you smell. So, when the
nose is all stuffed up, it can’t smell the foods, resulting in a weak tasting food.
Normally when you chew, the food releases chemicals that travel up
into the nose and triggers the olfactory receptors. Together with taste buds, the
olfactory receptors creates the great (or gross) tastes of food.
Front
Keeping Your Tongue Healthy
"As you are growing up you can help stay healthy by not starting to
smoke. Smoking upsets taste buds and your nose – smokers do not have a good
sense of taste. It can also cause other problems, like ulcers in your mouth.” said
Dr. Kate from www.cyh.com.
The tongue is a very important sensory organ in the average human’s
body. The tongue helps us register the great tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.
Without your tongue you couldn’t taste cookies, candy, or even some juicy steak.
It is amazing how God designed the human body and how every part of the body
has a significant part in a human’s function.
Experiment with your tongue
If you really want to test how the nose helps with
taste, try holding an onion under your nose while
eating some thing sweet like candy or an apple!
Dr. Tongue
The tongue also helps prevent sickness. The section in the back of the
tongue contains the lingual tonsil. Tonsils are small masses of tissue that contains
cells that help filter out harmful germs that could cause an infection in the body.
The medical word, lingual, means relating to or similar to the tongue
Students and their favorite tastes
"I definitely like the taste of sour better. My favorite sour tasting
food would probably be Sour Patch Kids."
-- Andrew Leadbeater
"I love the sweet taste of chocolate, even though I'm lactoseintolerant."
-- Kaley French
No Sleeping!!!
The tongue never rests! You’d think it has to because of all the work the
tongue does! But no, the tongue is kept busy by pushing saliva into the throat to
be swallowed. If tongues did sleep, pillows would be soaked with drool (ugh!).
Pictures from library.thinkquest.org
feature
the pros and cons of gum
According to parents and some dentists, gum is a sugary, cavitygiving problem and should only be chewed once in a while. Some gums
are bad. But, with recent studies, gum can actually be a good thing.
Gum can be good for a couple reasons. Some (sugar free) gums
have the artificial sweetener Xylithol (i.e., Xylifresh gum) which has
shown that it can actually prevent cavities. The reasons why it does is
unknown, but scientists have an idea. They think that Xylithol increases
the amount of a certain type of bacteria that attacks cavities. Also gum
is known to help people focus and do better in tests.
Gum can also be bad though. A lot of gums have a lot of sugar
and can be bad for your health. Sugar builds plaque, which leads to
cavities. Also, if you have braces, it can get stuck in the wires and
brackets which can be an annoyance.
Overall, gum is a good thing. As long as it is sugar free, it is fine
for your health and teeth. But if the gum is sugary, scientists recommend
you chew it for only 15-20 minutes, so your saliva can wash away extra
sugar.
aJ
Ba
Morgan Petesch
oe
FAVORITE GUM
"They make me feel more energized and keep
me happy, but you sometimes get a headache
if you haven't eaten."
rs
ok
Energy drinks are the new things that kids love to have. But are
they really good for you?
Doctors worry about the huge amount of caffeine that these
drinks hold. Caffeine makes the heart work harder and it can make
you breath faster. Studies also show that caffeine can cause people
to become more hyper and make it difficult to concentrate in school.
According to Canada's guidelines, it is not healthy for kids to get more
than 85 milligrams of caffeine per day. A 22 ounce of caffeinated soda
contains about this much of caffeine.
Energy drinks contain a lot of ingredients besides caffeine. They
contain antioxidants which prevent cellular damage and, guarana
a drug that has the same effects as caffeine. It also can be known to
increase weight loss. Another ingredient is ginkgo which increases
metabolism, enhances circulation and increases immunity. Energy
drinks also contain vitamin B, which breaks down carbohydrates into
glucose which provides us with energy. Sugar known as glucose also
is important in some drinks.
At Bear Creek, energy drinks are very popular among the students.
Some, like Joey Button, drink one almost every day. Most students
here do not recognize the negative effects of caffeine. Students don't
realize that by drinking energy drinks they are making it harder for
them to concentrate in school because of all the caffeine and sugar
they carry.
Energy drinks are not all bad for you. Some of the other ingredients
can heave good effect on your body but they are overpowered by the
caffeine content. Drinking one or two probably won't hurt, but in the
end they can have a really bad effect on you. Most students love the
boost and don't care about the side effects. It is important to know that
energy drinks are not as perfect as they may seem.
Cavity giver or killer?
zo
Are energy drinks really good for you?
Trident
Eclipse
Hubba
Bubba
Den
tine
get a jolt
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
e
Ic
e
ak
e
Br
ide
Str
Brandon Matson
"They help me stay up later."
Five
Bubblicious
Orbit
ts
"They make me feel happy inside. They give
me an inside boost and are perfect at dance
conventions to keep the energy up. Blue Jolt is
the best."
d
ye
ve
r
su
Christine Kindel
"They give you a boost, but afterwards you get
tired."
by Elizabeth Fernandez
60
m
i
d
dle
sch
o
o
ls
tu
de
n
Jake Wyman
by Neal Jatekar
10
feature
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
Get Your Popcorn Here!
the Salty-Sweet Snack
America has slowly fallen in love with the popped vegetable known
as popcorn.
First introduced to Europeans in 1519, Hernando Cortes saw that popcorn
was used in many Aztec Indian ceremonies. For the Aztecs, it was an important
food source, and they also decorated their religious artifacts with strings and
necklaces of popcorn. Bernardino de Sahagun, a 14th century Franciscan
missionary to the Aztecs, said, “A number of young women danced, having
so vowed, a popcorn dance. As thick as tassels of maize were their popcorn
garlands. And these they placed upon (the girls’) heads.”
In the Bible, the Egyptians are often referred to as having corn stored in
their pyramids, but that “corn” is most likely to be barley. Many other countries
use the name of corn for their own plants. In England, so-called corn was
really wheat. Scotland and Ireland referred to oats as corn. America even
called maize as their own species of corn.
Popcorn also has nutritional value. The fiber that makes up the snack
helps stomachs with digestion.
The National Cancer Institute says that adding fiber to the diet can
help prevent certain types of cancer. The National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research also says that popcorn is great as a low calorie and
sugarless snack.
Popcorn has stolen America’s stomachs and hearts with its buttery
goodness, and it will stay there for as long time.
What is your Favorite
Movie Snack?
Chandler Nelson
"I really like
popcorn."
Colin Malaska
"I either like
popcorn or Sour
Patch Kids."
Fun Recipe to Try!
Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 T. butter or margarine
3 T. peanut butter
8 c. popped popcorn
1 c. candy-coated peanut candy (Reese’s Pieces)
1. Line a baking sheet or work surface with waxed
paper; set aside.
2. Stir sugar, corn syrup, butter and peanut butter
together in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil over
medium heat. Stir in popcorn until well coated.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir candy pieces gently
into mixture. Allow mixture to cool just enough to
allow handling. Using an ice cream scoop or buttered
hands, shape mixture into two inch balls and place on
waxed paper to cool.
4. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and store in an airtight
container.
Kristin Wallis
"I usually get
popcorn or
M&Ms."
by Kiersten Sprick
around school
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
Sick of School
11
Why do sick kids come to school?
Are Bear Creek students real trying to skip school? Or is there a
bigger problem that is not immediately seen? School is an easy place to
get bacteria and spread germs. We can’t control people being together
in classrooms. Fortunately there are ways to stay healthy and catch up
on overwhelming school work.
The first thing to do at school if
you are sick is to sneeze or cough into
your sleeve. If you incautiously cough
into the air, you spread germs to all
of your classmates.
Wherever you are, try to
wash your hands before you
eat because it decreases the
amount of germs on our hands. If
you think about it, we touch many things
with our hands during the day. When you
don’t wash your hands, you spread germs to
the food you eat. If possible, wash your hands
whenever you can.
Even if you already do, try not to share
drinks with your friends. It is not smart to share
because we never know what sicknesses other
people have. In some cases, you might feel healthy, but
really there might be a rising infection in your body.
According to the TBCS school handbook, students must stay
home if they are sick with a higher than normal temperature. However,
it is okay to come to school if a student has a minor cold or recovering
from sickness (no temperature).
If a student is sick and misses school for more than eleven days
they must meet with the division head. Depending on the situation the
person missing school may not be given credit for the semester.
The first thing to do after missing school because of sickness
is e-mail teachers and ask for assignments or projects missed. Most
teachers are understanding about making up work and will either give
you time to turn in work or help you with subjects you don’t understand
when you return to school.
Mr. Benson said, “I give my students time to catch up on the work
and I try to be as available as I can for them to
catch up on the material.”
Teachers give
time during breaks
and after school
to catch up, but
remember to take
responsibility and
plan with teachers for
any make-up work.
It
seems
sometimes that
bugs and germs are
everywhere. However,
this is a normal part of
school (and everywhere
else). It can become troublesome to
try to do school work missed while sick.
If students try to live a healthier lifestyle,
they will not have to worry about making up
missed work.
12%
41%
12%
Sick for
1-4 days
Sick for more
than a week
A b ou t 7
5%
35%
of
the
T
BC
Sick for about
a week
S
M
id
d le
Sc
ho o
l we
re sur veyed.
How many
Middle School
students were
sick this year?
Have not
been sick
by Blake Dixon
12
PawPrints
March 19, 2008
the five-
around school
second rule To Ski Or Not To Ski?
how safe is safe?
by Morgan Cadigan and Sarah Witt
Ever wondered about the myth that if you drop food on the floor for five
seconds, it remains germ free? Well, according to Snopes.com, it is false.
Often you hear about break outs of E. coli or occasionally Mad Cow.
Jillian Clarke performed an experiment while at University of Illinois. She spread
E. coli on the floor and dropped gummi bears on the infested floor. After five
seconds, the gummi bears had picked up Ecoli. Bacteria doesn't just stay on food.
It can easily attract other types of bacteria like Salmonella. These bacterium can
stay on surfaces like wood, tile and carpet. After eight hours of these types of
surfaces being infested, pieces of bologna and bread were placed on them for
five seconds. When picked up, from 150 to 8,000 bacteria cells were on found
on the food items.
Yes, the food will have less bacteria when a person picks up faster, but it
doesn't mean that food is safe to eat. Who knows what kind of dangerous bacteria
can lurk on it? Even a one-second rule is too long!
E. Coli
Bacterium that is most often found
in warmblooded animals' lower
intestine.
Can cause food poisoning in
humans and is the common cause
of product recalls.
Can help or hinder humans.
Escherichia colia (E. Coli) Picture from wikipedia.org
find the sandwich
That is the question as The ski season unfolded
Every year TBCS gives Middle School and Upper School the option
of going up to Steven’s Pass for four Fridays to ski or snowboard. There are
many different opinions on how it has gone this year as too much snow caused
problems getting to the slopes.
The first time was on Jan. 26 and they made it up and back down
smoothly and ahead of schedule. The weather was sunny most of the day
and the snow was in good condition. Halle Coleman said, “It was nice, but it
would have been more fun if I was a better snowboarder.” The only casualty
that day was Halle and her sprained arm. Overall, the day was a perfect start
to the season. The second trip up on Feb. 2 resulted in a disaster according to most
people. Everything went as planned in the morning with everybody on the bus
and anxious until a rumor was spread that Steven’s was closed. A few hours
later it was confirmed: the road to the pass was closed. Teachers and students
decided to press on in hope that the road would be cleared in time. Once the
busses drove deeper into the snow they had to stop for traffic. They were
stopped on the road for around three hours chaining up and waiting for the
road to get cleared after a car crash. After they got going again it was estimated
there would be one to two hours to ski. They decided to turn around and head
home. Brandon Matson said, “Even though we were stuck on the bus for eight
hours my friends ended up having fun. I would have liked it more if they had
fed us more than one bag of chips every eight hours.” They ended up getting
home safely but not so happy.
The third trip up was to be on Feb. 9 and was rated the worst of all.
The pass had been on high avalanche warning a day before, so they canceled
the trip entirely. The pass received 66 inches of snow in three days and had
completely buried the lifts. High winds caused damage to the lift lines. The
worst part of the entire mess was that school was put in place of the ski bus.
This caused much anger and confusion for those people that do not take the
ski bus and had other plans for the day.
Feb. 16 was a good break from the five day week. They made it up on
schedule and were excited for their first run in three weeks. All agreed that is
was a great day for skiing or snowboarding. Blake Emery said, "I like going
up on Fridays because there are not as many people."
To make up for the missed day, March 14 was added to the schedule.
Although not as many students went up, the snow was great, the weather was
warm and it brought a good ending to a snowy season.
snowdepth
depth (in inches)
snow
(in inches)
180
160
100
80
snow d
60
40
4
March 14
3
Feb. 16
2
Feb. 9
1
Feb. 2
20
0
by Cameron Tillinghast
120
Jan. 26
start
140
5