April PPOW - Ashley Jones

School Causing Kids Stress

School obviously has a really big impact on our lives. Without school we wouldn’t know as much as we do. The bad thing about school is that it can lead to a lot of stress. The definition of stress is: a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. The reason school causes so much stress is that teachers give us lots of homework that maybe someone doesn't know how to do. When they expect us to get all this homework done and to know it all the next day, it’s really hard on any kid.

Plus battling after school activities can create more stress. The Washington Post’s survey reported that forty percent of teens said that after school activities adds to the school stress. When you get home at 6:00-7:00 P.M., you have to eat, talk to your family, and then you end up stay up really late to do all this school work.

Teachers don’t realize how hard school can be on kids. Kids also gain stress by trying to fit in and be cool. One of the biggest causes of stress at school is bullying, and teachers can’t be around every kid for every second of the day. Let’s face it, school is terrible. You have to wake up early every weekday and sit in chairs all day learning 8 different subjects.

You never get any time to take a break and go outside. We are humans, and we need to relax for a little bit. They can’t expect us to get everything that they say. We have other classes that we need to focus on too. High-schoolers also have part time jobs, and it’s hard to focus on all of these things. I recommend that teachers need to take their lessons a little slower, so we have more time to understand what they’re saying.

It’s also really stressful when you have no time to go to your locker. You really need something, but you can’t be late to class. Trying to carry everything around on your back can really hurt it. It ruins your posture and might cause you back pain. See, school has many things causing us this unnecessary stress!

According to APA,(American Psychological Association) their survey showed that 13-17 year olds are experiencing unhealthy stress levels frequently. School was the number one source in stress, and second was pressure of getting into a good college. Since school is causing so much stress, it’s causing them to do poorly in school. That means failing tests, lower scores, and not a high enough GPA.

After researching about stress, I thought I should give some tips on how to reduce it. Number one: Take a nap and just relax, forget about the world for a little bit. When you wake up, you feel better and not so stressed. Tip number two: Visualizations, try to visualize in your head what you are going to do for a big project before you start. This helps you out so you don’t freak out about what you are going to do.

Third tip: Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. In the morning you could do yoga or after school go for a run. Fourth: Listening to your favorite songs can help you stay calm and maybe singing along will help you forget about how stressed you are. Number five: Think positive about your day and school work, so you can do better on assignments. Staying positive can also help you stay happy.

Tip number six: Everyday do something you enjoy to make you smile and be happy. Last but not, least tip number seven: Whatever you do, try not to procrastinate, so you stay on task and get your work done! Hopefully, you have listened and will see this as me helping you out. ‎"Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” -Hans Selye

You are probably thinking, “Why did she write about stress?” Well, I have your answer. I wrote about stress because it’s a big problem with many people. I thought I would do a little research and use my own background knowledge to write about it. Since stress has taken a big toll on me, I thought that researching about it has helped a ton. I stress out about many things like homework, should I do sports, and mostly what I want to be when I grow up.

Growing up scares me because I don’t know what I want to do for the rest of my life. Plus thinking about college can be really scary if you don’t know if you can handle it. After researching, I found out that I’m not the only one stressed out by school. All around the world there are kids suffering from stress because of school. So if you are struggling with school and getting stressed out, don’t freak out because now you know you aren’t alone.

Thinking about your future is unbelievably freaky, but you do have to face your fears sooner or later. Have that talk with someone, and maybe you both can bond over it. Stress is totally normal, but if you’re stressing too much, you might need to reach out to a doctor or your parent/guardian.

Knowing about stress can help you in the long run. Stress can hurt you mentally and physically. It also can cause heart disease, they still need more research to prove how. If you stress out too much, it can even lead to a stroke. Always be careful when you are stressed out, just remember to take deep breaths and try to remain calm.

The Lindbergh Case

          The Lindbergh Case

On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr. went missing from his room on the second floor. He was the son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Charles Jr. was only 20 months at the time. He was taken around 9:00 p.m. and discovered missing at 10:00 p.m. by his nurse, Betty Gow. After Charles and Anne found out they searched the premises, but only found a ransom note demanding 50,000 dollars. The ransom note was placed on Charles Jr.’s window sill.

The police were called after they found the ransom note. While they were searching, they happen to find footprints inside the Charles Jr.’s room. They also found out how the kidnapper got up to the two-story room.  He had used a ladder that broke into two pieces. They also saw that the ladder had broken, when the kidnapper had come down with the baby, but they didn’t find any blood, so they hoped the Charles Jr. was okay. No fingerprints were found in the bedroom or on the ladder.

Everybody that worked for Charles and Anne were questioned and investigated. Charles and Anne asked everybody to look for their son, and if they had any information turn it in. Many previous kidnappers were questioned and investigated. The news of Charles Jr.’s kidnapping was spread around the world. Many people around the United States tried to help find the kidnapper by putting up fliers and telling more people about it. On March 6^th another ransom note came. The ransom has increased to 70,000 dollars. The ransom was called from Trenton, New Jersey. Every cop, government official, and prosecuting officer were told to be there. Private investigators were also called at this time.

Two days later, on March 8^th, there was another ransom note received by Colonel Lindbergh’s attorney. The same day, Dr. John F. Condon, an old school principal, offered to be a go-between and pay 1,000 dollars of the ransom. The next day, the kidnapper sent another ransom note that said Dr. Condon could be the go-between. On March 10^th, Dr. Condon received the 70,000 dollars and started to negotiate with the kidnapper in the newspaper using the name “Jafsie.”

On March 12^th, a taxi driver named, Joseph Perrone, found another ransom note. A random stranger gave him the note, he didn’t recognize who he was. The ransom note stated that another note would be found under a stone at a vacant stand. That note said to meet a guy named “John” at Woodlawn Cemetery. They talked about the payment of ransom money. Dr. Condon still commutated with the kidnapper through the newspaper after “John” and Dr. Condon met.

The seventh ransom note was found with a baby’s sleeping suit. On March 29^th, the nurse, Betty Gow, found Charles Jr.’s thumb guard. Many ransom notes came after that demanding higher ransom. Dr. Condon met with “John” and reduced the ransom to 50,000 dollars. The body of Charles Jr. was found, half buried, and decomposed. It was found close to Mount. Rose. Charles Jr. was dead for two months before they found him. They were told he died from a blow to the head.

The FBI was brought in after they found the body of Charles. The President then said that all government investigation agencies were to help with the case. Violet Sharpe committed suicide by poison on June 10^th.  She was a waitress at Anne Lindbergh mom’s home and she committed suicide when she was asked for requestioning. On May 2^nd, a bank in New York discovered 296 ten-dollar gold certificates and 20-dollar gold certificates, which were discovered to be Lindbergh ransom money.

They found the bank account name and address, which was J.J. Fulkner, 537 West 149^th Street, but he was never found. They later found more gold certificates in New York and gave a description of the man. The man was also found at a gas station. The man was later found to be Bruno Richard Hauptmann from Bronx, New York. Bruno was taken into custody on September 19, 1934. Bruno was a German carpenter who was in the country for eleven years.

He was identified by both Dr. Condon and the taxi driver as the person who gave them the ransom notes. He admitted to buying things from the gold certificates. Later his signature was taken from the ransom notes and tested against his know signature and found them very similar. His early life said that he had spent time in prison for robbery. He failed two times at getting into the United States because of his record.

He married his wife, Anna Schoeffler, a waitress and had a kid, Manfried, in 1933.  Bruno was taken to Supreme Court for extortion and murder. The trail lasted for five weeks. The used evidence like tools he used to build the ladder, wood used in the ladder from Bruno’s attic, Dr. Condon’s number and address in the closet, and handwriting on the ransom notes.

February 13, 1935, Bruno was convicted and sentenced to death. The defense appealed, but it was denied and at 8:47 p.m. on April 3, 1936, Bruno was electrocuted.

Evel Knieve

Robert Craig Knievel. He was born on October 17, 1938. Evel was raised by his grandparents in Butte, Montana. Evel did not have a career for a long time. He eventually did several different jobs.  Evel did professional hockey, joined the army, and even was a criminal doing small things like safecracking and robbing stores. He finally settled down and formed a stunt group called the Evel Knievel Motorcycle Devils. Evel married his high school sweetheart Linda Joan Bork and together they had four children.  They divorced, and he married his partner Krystal Kennedy. His son, Robbie, ended up doing motorcycle stunts like him.

Evel Knievel was famous for his motorcycle stunts. During his long career he broke 37 bones in his body while jumping over all his daredevil stunts.  Evel Knievel started his career in 1965 and ended his career in 1980. He mastered 75 jumps in his career. Most of his jumps were on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 motorcycle. Evel ended up with Hepatitis C which he got from a blood transfusion from an accident. He did get a liver transplant that saved his life. In 2005 Evel Knievel was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease. Evel died in November of 2007 at the age of 69.   

One of his most famous stunts was jumping over the fountains in front of the famous Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Evel made the jump but did not make the landing. He almost died from the jump. His injuries included a crushed pelvis, a broken leg, wrist, and a concussion that left him in a coma for a month. This jump made him famous overnight because it was a stupid stunt. Evel had planned to record this jump and later have Sports Illustrated air it on TV.

Evel Knievel had many successful jumps that made him famous. The Box of Rattlesnakes, Moss Lake, Washington was one of his first jumps that made him famous. Knievel promoted an rented the area where he was going to preform. He sold his own tickets and was the speaker for his pre-jump. He jumped over 20 foot long box of rattlesnakes. He ended up landing short because his back wheel hit the box. Knievel did not get hurt and also jumping over two mountain lions that day. This was the first step of Evel Knievel becoming famous.

Evel Knievel needed a sponsor to pay for advertising for his shows. Bob Blair from Norton Motorcycles was his first sponsor. ABC Sports refused to sponsor him for the Snake River Canyon jump. Bob Arum’s company, Top Rank tried to air the event on television and to movie theaters. They lost a lot of money because it did not work out. Knievel hired an aeronautical engineer to build a rocket powered cycle to jump the Snake River. The steam powered engine cycle with a parachute helped him land the north rim jump. The parachute released early along with the northwest winds and caused the cycle to slow down. He only had minor injuries with this jump.

He jumped two pick-ups in Indio California. He rode a Norton Atlas motorcycle jumping 45 feet. The sponsorship helped knievel get more people to the jump to support him and make his name stand out.

He went to Wembley Stadium in London for his next big jump. Ninety-thousand people came to watch him jump over ten buses. Knievel did not clear the final bus, and crashed a Harley Davidson Motorcycle. He broke his pelvis and one hand.

Five months later he went to Kings Island Theme Park in Ohio. He jumped Fourteen Greyhound buses which was a distance of 133 feet. This was his longest victorious jump. He had no injuries and it was supposed to be his last jump. Knievel jumping record with the Harley Davison record stood for twenty-four years. Bubba Blackwell broke knievel record in 1999.

Knievel started many rumors about him jumping the Grand Canyon. He never jumped it because of it was too dangerous. He told reporters that he was a performer because he loved to fly. Evel loved the thrill, money, and being a macho man. He also admitted that he was scared while doing the stunts.

Evel Knievel died on November 30, 2007. He was 69 years old. Robert Greg Knievel was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Butte, Montana. Actor Matthew McConaughey gave the tribute.  They had fireworks while they carried the casket to the Butte Civic Center.

 

 

Anime~ March P.P.O.W

I think this happened in fifth grade when I was ten. I just got home from school and I did my homework. I decided to get on Netflix. I was looking through a category called anime. I didn’t know what anime was at the time, but one particular show caught my eye. It was called WitchBlade. The show turned out to be about a woman and her six year old daughter going to Tokyo after a huge earthquake that demolished the city. The earthquake happened six years prior to the woman going to Tokyo.

The woman’s name is Masane. She woke up in the epicenter after the earthquake and a search and rescue team found her. She woke up with no memories of before, she had a baby in her arms and a strange tattoo on her wrist. She eventually finds out that the thing on her wrist is called a witchblade. It allows her to turn into something of mass destruction. A man finds her and makes her work for his company because he was searching for the witchblade. It turns out people are trying to kill her and they would even destroy the whole city to do that.

In the end Mesane finds out that after she dies the witchblade will pass on to her daughter and she doesn’t want her daughter to go through what she did so Mesane sacrificed herself and used her power to kill herself and take the witchblade with her so it can’t get her daughter. The ending was sad but really happy at the same time.

This particular anime is what made me obsessed with anime. After that anime I watched so many more my favorite ones I have watched are called: Angel Beats, Clannad, Clannad After Story, Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail ,Chobits, Sword Art Online, Kaichou wa Maid-sama, and Black Butler. There is a lot more than that in my list of favorites, but this P.P.O.W wouldn’t of been done in time if I put them all.

Anyway let me explain anime to you. Anime is a Japanese animated show that features hand-drawn or computer animation. The term anime is an abbreviation for the word animation. The earliest commercial animation was made in 1917, the drawing style emerged in the 1960’s thanks to man named Osamu Tezuka. It spread internationally in the late twentieth century. It gained a large domestic and international audience.

Anime is distributed by television broadcasts, directly to home media, and by the internet. Which includes Netflix, and Crunchyroll, which is a site from a computer or an app on your phone and/or tablet. There’s a lot more sites and stuff that you can watch it on though.

The anime industry consists of over 430 production studios. Some of those studios are really popular, for example, Studio Ghibli. So yes, if you have ever seen Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro, or even Spirited away, you have in fact, watched anime before and if you haven’t seen Spirited away I highly recommend it.

My favorite anime production studio is called Funimation. It licenced a lot of my favorite animes. They licenced: FMA, which stands for Fullmetal Alchemist, Heaven's Lost Property, Fairy Tail, Kaze no Stigma, Soul Eater, Fruits Baskets, Hetalia, Black Butler, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Deadman Wonderland, Eden of the East, The legend of the Legendary Heroes, Noragami, OHSHC, which stands for Ouran High School Host Club, The Sacred Blacksmith, Rosario + Vampire, Sekirei, Spice and Wolf, Tokyo Ghoul, WitchBlade, and Wolf Children. Those are just the ones that I have watched that they licenced.

Anime got even more popular when they released dubs of the show. There are different genres of anime including Kodomo, Shōjo, and Shounen. Kodomo is more for kids and probably an easier to understand plot, but Shōjo and Shounan most likely have a better plot but are still for teens and such. I prefer the more grown up ones that have a great plot with a lot of character development that children would probably find boring and they wouldn’t be entertained by it.

There are many different styles to anime too. Some may have horrible character art, but has the best scenery, or there both really good. To me it doesn’t matter because all I care about is the plot, but having pretty things to look at isn’t so bad. I think out of all the animes I have watched the one with the best art would be SAO (Sword Art Online).

The plot is a bit fast and stuff like that, but it kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s like an action adventure with some romance in it. When I first started to watch it I didn’t expect  there to be any romance in it, but there was. I’m not complaining, the romance in the story is actually quite cute, but I didn’t think this awesome anime would turn into a romance.

There is also something called an Otaku, which I am classified as one. An Otaku is a Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, they are usually obsessed with anime and manga. The term came into use in 1983.

In the Western Countries, which includes us, anime had a lot of influence. The movie Astro Boy, yep, Western anime. So, if you have seen Astro boy, you have technically seen an anime. Fun fact right here, Avatar: The Last Airbender, was made in America, yes, but it was made with “Anime-Style”.  Anime has an influence all around the world, whether  you like it or not.

January PPOW

Daniel Middleton

Daniel Middleton was born on November 8, 1991, in England. His dad was in the army, so his family moved a lot. Since they moved so much, he did not make many long lasting friends. That made him and his brother like best friends, but wherever they went the videogames always followed.

His first gaming console was a Snez. He played Mario, Zelda, and Bomber Man the most when he was young. He made sure that any other games he got were played from beginning to end.

His parents got divorced after a while and it was very hard on him. He went from seeing his dad every day to only seeing him once a week. It wasn’t all that bad because he finally got to stay in a permanent home with his mother.

Once they stopped moving, the got to stay at a new school. He was very shy and wanted to see his dad. Eventually, he made some new lifelong friends. During school, he learned a lot about himself. He found a love for drawing, gaming, music, and he was very creative.

In college he decided to study art, but he quickly decided against that once he started the classes. He decided to pursue something more creative than art, so he settled on a music degree instead.

By this time Dan and his brother decided to start a band. He learned the guitar. He also wrote and sung the songs. His brother played the drums and his two other friends played bass and guitar. The played a lot and it helped him get over his some of his shyness.

He discovered that he wasn’t the school type. He was good at the more creative things. He could not preform well when it came to tests, even though he would study. Things were looking pretty bad for him, but then a girl named Jemma decided to help him do better. After that, they started dating and they moved into an apartment together.

After that he discovered the Pokemon trading card game. He learned the game and the strategies. The game made him feel smarter because he was very good at solving these strategies. The game also had a tournament that you could participate in. This led to him traveling around Europe and making good friends. He decided to start a YouTube channel around this game. He learned how to produce, edit, and post the videos; he loved it. This was his hobby for a long time and the popularity of this channel grew more and more.

Jemma and Dan decided to move into a bigger house. It cost more, but it was better than their last. It was very cold in the house, so they were always bundled up in blankets to stay warm. They were done with the cold so they saved up money for a vacation to the beach. At the beach, Dan proposed to Jemma and she said yes. When they got home they started to save up money for their wedding. During this time, his brother introduced him to Minecraft. Both Dan and Jemma loved it and they began to play it themselves. He decided to make another YouTube channel just for Minecraft.

A few months later, Jemma was taken to the hospital. He was terrified. Originally the doctor told him that it was appendicitis, but it turned out to be Crohn’s Disease which can fortunately be treated. She continued to get better throughout the months before their wedding. They got to go to Orlando, Florida for their honeymoon.

When they got home he decided that the job he currently had wasn’t for him. Jemma convinced him to quit and he decided to work on his YouTube channel. He loved to work for himself and people loved to watch his videos. The Minecraft channel had grown more than he thought it would.  He even hit one million subscribers. They moved again to a fairly large house and they got a puppy named Ellie. Their YouTube channels are still growing and they are enjoying every bit of it.

Stacy Hinojosa

Stacy was born on the 23^rd of March in 1983. She is a video creator from YouTube. In her videos she is a very positive person. She appreciates her fans and is very creative in how she shows this appreciation.

She shows a lot of amazing fan art on her series Dogcraft. Her YouTube channel is stacyplays. She plays a lot of Minecraft, but she also plays adventure games. She recently played a series set with iHascupquake called Diversity and Diversity Two.

She also has a video log aka a vlog channel called stacyvlogs. She usually posts special Monday videos. In these short videos she talks about things that she likes and recent interests. She also has a GoodReads YouTube channel.

Some of her other interests include writing, gaming, and producing. She also enjoys photography. Every year she goes on vacation to Utah. After Utah she moves on to Idaho and Washington.

Dance Moms

Dance Moms

They started with eight.  Now only five remain.  Out there lives a world where it’s one against many, and everybody fights for themselves.  They fight for their life and career.  You can’t care about anyone else, or you won’t survive.  This world lives in one reality tv show.  This world is Dance Moms.

If you have ever watched this show you would know that Abby Miller is the ruler of the dance studio.  The dancers must attend several hours a day.  Sometimes from early morning hours until late into the evening.  There is no time for public school.  Most of them must be homeschooled.  At this studio hundreds of young girls and boys someday hope to perform on Broadway.  I’m going to introduce you to the girls that the show is all about.  They are also known as “The Originals.”  

Some of you may know Maddie Ziegler from Sia’s famous music videos.  She is the dancer in the song “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart.”  Maddie is currently 12 years old.  Although, she began dancing at age two.  She is definitely Abby’s favorite at the studio.  She gets the most solos because she is, in my opinion, the best dancer.  Her mom, Melissa, is on the show just as much as Maddie.  Melissa causes all kinds of drama with the other moms.

Maddie has also made guest appearances on Drop Dead Diva, Austin and Ally, Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Dancing with the Stars, and Good Morning America.  She has her own fashion line, and she models when she isn’t dancing.

Maddie also has a younger sister, Mackenzie Ziegler.  Mackenzie is ten years old.  Outside the show, Mackenzie doesn’t dance with the Elite Competition Team.  Her mom wanted Mackenzie to be seen on the same team as Maddie on the show.  Mackenzie’s song “It’s a Girl Party” hit number one on the iTunes pops chart in 2014.  Mackenzie barely gets any of the praise from her mom or Abby.  She is compared to Maddie all the time.

Nia Frazier is 13 years old.  She has been dancing at Abby’s studio since she was three years old.  Holly is Nia’s mother.  Holly isn’t in a lot of the drama.  I think she is the nicest of all the moms.  Abby barely gives Nia any attention, but she doesn’t give up.  She is hardly ever at the top of the pyramid.  The weekly pyramid is how Abby rates the girls.  They have a competition every week, so if they don’t do well, they get ranked at the bottom of the pyramid.  Only one girl gets to be at the top.  

Before I move on to the next dancer, you need some background information on Candy Apples.  Candy Apples Dance Center is the rival of Abby Lee Dance Studio.  Candy Apples is in Ohio, and ALDC is in Pennsylvania.  Cathy Stein is the dance teacher.  Her daughter Vivi-Anne used to be a former dancer at Abby’s studio.  All of the moms hated Cathy.  She was extremely rude.  Cathy then took Vivi-Anne back to her own studio in Ohio.  Since then, they have competed against ALDC in several competitions, but they lose almost every time.  

Kendall Vertes is the next dancer.  She is 12 years old.  She began dancing at 18 months.  Kendall danced at ALDC.  Her mom, Jill, claimed that she wasn’t getting the respect she deserved.  Soon after, they left and went to Candy Apples.  Cathy used Abby’s choreography and costume to get Kendall first place.  Cathy then lost interest in Kendall, and they went back to ALDC.  It took awhile before Abby gained her trust back.

Kalani Hilliker is the last of the five dancers still at ALDC.  She is 14 years old.  She met Abby on AUDC.  Abby fell in love with her dancing.  She started at ALDC in season four.  She was asked back for season five because they only had four girls on the Elite Competition Team.

Brooke and Paige Hyland are no longer part of ALDC.  Paige is 14 years old.  Brooke is 16 years old.  They are former ALDC dancers.  They left right after their mom, Kelly, and Abby got in a fight after a performance.  Kelly pulled Abby’s hair, and Abby scratched Kelly across the face.  Brooke was Abby’s favorite until she got older and decided dancing wasn’t her thing.  Paige now goes to therapy.  Abby traumatized her with all of the yelling.  She will not return back to the show.  They went to court and later sued Abby for emotional damage.

Chloe Lukasiak, like the Hylands, is no longer a part of ALDC.  She is 13 years old.  She was Maddie’s main competitor.  She was normally right in the middle of the pyramid.  She went to Studio 19 soon after Brooke and Paige left.  She will never return to ALDC.  Her mother, Christi, was very good friends with Kelly.  Christi often got in fights with Abby because Chloe was always compared to Maddie.

Other dancers such as Payton and Asia were often on the show, but were not part of the Elite Competition Team.  Payton Ackerman is 17 years old and has been at ALDC since a very young age.  She appeared in the show when she auditioned to fill Vivi-Anne’s spot, but Kendall got it.  Her mom, Leslie, got very upset and yelled at Abby, but that happens a lot.  

Asia Monet Ray is not part of the Elite Competition team.  She is nine years old.  She began being a part of ALDC after she got third on AUDC.  She now has her own reality tv show called Raising Asia.  She is very sassy.  She isn’t the best dancer, but she is quite the little performer.

As you can see, these people come from a totally different world than us, or so we think.  We fight just like they do.  We want the best for our future.  We aren’t much different than them.  This is Dance Moms.