Plato's Atlantis by Marcus Henry

    Atlantis, the fabled lost kingdom of old. Many have dreamed of finding such a beautiful place, such as Plato, who was a philosopher. However, many more do not believe in the place, as it is written that the Greek god Poseidon cast the island into the sea. But, what if the island was naturally sunk? What if a tsunami struck, and, being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the island would be hit the most. What if the tsunami broke the foundations of the island, deep down in the ocean? Then, the island would sink down to the bottom, and there would be no escape.

    Plato writes in Critias that Atlantis was larger than Libya and Asia, and that it was sunk by an earthquake. He writes that Atlantis became an impassable barrier of mud after sinking! However, Critias is a dialogue between a few characters, (Critias, Hermocrates, Timaeus, and Socrates) and I’m not sure if they are real. Plato writes that Atlantis had excellent soil, and it captured the rainfall, which suggests that it was surrounded by mountains on the exterior.

Editorial: The Election by Catherine Wang

I was on team Hillary Clinton ever since she announced she began running. Sure, I am disappointed that she didn’t win the election, but the thing that I am most disappointed about is how this election has divided us. In human nature, we have to debate. Our founding fathers were honorable men, and they didn’t create the electoral college to divide us. What has turned into a topic of discussion has turned into a full on war between us, a fire spitting out poison, hitting everyone of us even if you try to avoid it. In the past, we only took a small sip of this poison, because it just gives you that little bit to make you hate the other party, but this year instead of taking a small sip, we all took a river of the poison.

In seventh grade english, we choose a topic that we would like to write about and how we approach it. I choose the topic on how ‘Should Democrats and Republicans Work Together?” back then, my answer would’ve been no, because democrats and republicans have too much hatred, but now I know it’s different, it’s not the hate in the two parties, it’s the fear between the two parties.

Looking at data collected from people of both parties, the majority of them are afraid of each other, saying that the other beliefs and viewpoints will destroy America. We have forgotten what has made us America, but we know what makes us ‘Democrat’ or ‘Republican, and ‘Independent’.

Me writing this to you wasn’t here to patronize you, because I am just as equally as in fault here as the rest of you- I have also gone to far over my limits, and I have said and done stuff I regret saying, I am not a composed person, and I still act recklessly and childishly. Even though maybe writing this was an act of maturity, depending on how you take it, I will still be that reckless, composed and childish person and will change only in my own time.

Conversely, as cliché as this sounds, you are also your own person and you are the only person that can decide, when and what to change.

So let’s forget Republican and Democrat, us and them.

Let’s take off our “I Voted” stickers, and wave the star spangled banner in the air instead of our “Make America Great Again” hats or “I’m with her” banners.

And focus on what we all have in common.

We are all American.

And this is still America, home of the brave, and land of the free.

-C

World War II Still Not Over? by Justin Lee

Here are some amazing facts about World War 2 (WW2):

1. WW2 Began on September 1st, 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland.

2. Nearly 40,000 Soviet citizens lost their lives at the battle of the Stalingrad.

3. The Swastika is a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and dates back to before the 2nd Century BC.  It is now interpreted as a symbol of hate.

4. Trenches were dug in the form of stairs so soldiers could use them for cover.

5. During WW2, The Japanese launched 9,000 “wind ship weapons” of paper and rubberized-silk balloons that carried incendiary and antipersonnel bombs to the U.S. More than 1,000 hit their targets and they reached as far as eastern Michigan.  The only deaths resulting from a balloon bomb were six americans, including five children and a pregnant woman, on a picnic in Oregon.

6. Many Historians believe that the Battle at Stalingrad (1942 -1943) is not only arguably the bloodiest battle in history (between 800,000-1,600,000 casualties), but also the turning point of WW2 in Europe.

7. The Enola Gay became well known for dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, but few people know the name of B-29's That bombed Nagasaki, It was Bock’s Car, named after the plane’s usual commander, Frederick Bock.

8, The most powerful artillery gun created by any nation and used in WW2 was named Karl by its designer, General Karl Becker. I was mostly used against the Russians.  The huge gun could shoot a 2.5-ton shell over three miles. The shells were 24 inches wide and could go through eight to nine feet of concrete.

9. Out of 40,000 German men who served on U-Boats during WW2, only 10,000 returned.

10. To this day, some people argue that Japan and Russia are still at war. Though you may not see the gunfire, explosions, etc., they are still talking and chattering over a group of islands. To the groups arguing about these islands, WW2 Is still going on to this very day.

Ancient Egypt....A New Lie? by Melica Kemanian-Leites

What do we really know about Ancient Egypt? Could it all be a lie? New studies show that a famous bust (a type statue, in this case of a head) of Nefertiti, or for us Ancient Egypt lovers you probably know her as “The younger Lady,” Tutankhamun’s mother, and husband of Akhenaten. This famous bust could be a fake.

When Ludwig Borchardt discovered the statue during his expedition, it was particularly well kept and had very little to no cracks, scratches, or paint chips on her face-the most important part of the statue. The bust was also missing part of one of her eyes.  They searched the workshop of the so-called maker of the bust, Thutmose, and found no sign of the piece. New studies show that the bust could very well be a fake planted there to be found by Ludwig himself to “make a discovery,” or to be found by someone else entirely. If the bust is proven to be a fake, it wouldn’t be a first; in fact, many ancient artifacts from Egypt have been found to be fakes. So think, what do we really know about ancient Egypt?

Golden Retrievers by Shreya Srinivasan

The Golden Retriever

Golden retrievers originated in Scotland in the mid-19th century. Did you know that the first  golden retriever’s parents were a yellow-colored  male retriever named “Nous”  and a female Tweed Water Spaniel named “Belle”?

Golden Retrievers were developed by Dudley Marjoribanks,  First Baron of Tweedmouth, because there was a need for a specialist retriever to bring back dead fowl from a great distance as well as from land and water.

Personality

Obedient, playful, and well-mannered, Golden Retrievers are a breeze to train. Therefore they are a number one choice for service and therapy dogs. Of late, they have been a favorite among police, who utilize them for drug and bomb sniffing, as well as for search and rescue teams.

Golden retrievers are athletic and smart dogs. But what makes them great pets is their kindly face and tolerant attitude. Golden retrievers are friendly, confident, and kind.  Golden retrievers are helpful for blind people. They are easily trained and are extremely kid-friendly dogs.   

Negatives

Golden Retrievers are not good watch dogs.  Also, they don’t like to be left alone for a long time because they are so active.  They also shed lot of hair and chew on stuff.

Celebrity Golden Retrievers

Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford had Golden Retrievers as pets.

Movies starring Golden Retrievers

Golden Retrievers were featured prominently in the Air Bud film series, Full House, The Incredible Journey,  and the film Up.

About Golden Retriever dogs

Golden Retrievers live about 10-12 years. Golden Retrievers come in many different colors (brown, light golden, cream, and also dark yellow. Whatever color they may come in, Golden Retrievers make wonderful pets.

Halloween....where did it start? by Audrey Shu

Have you wondered why we celebrate Halloween? I have. Why do we dress up as monsters and princesses? Why do we beg for candy from door to door? Why is Halloween so scary? That can all be explained, but there isn’t only one explanation!

Our first explanation begins long ago during the pre-Christian time period. Celts celebrated their Samhain festival on October, 31st. The Celts lived 2000 years ago, in the area that is now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and part of France. The Celts believed that their Samhain festival could bring back the dead, and make them return to earth. People would make bonfires, chant, and pay their respect towards the dead. This is probably why Halloween is very scary.

During the Samhain festival, people dressed themselves with animal skin, in order to try to scare the unwelcomed evil spirits away. This may be why we dress up in costumes today. They would also give out food for the dead, and try to bargain with the evil spirits with food. This custom is called mumming, and people started mumming since the Middle Ages. That means people started honoring the dead long ago!

Our second explanation is in the 9th century, when Christianity spread to the Celtic. Then they gradually created a new holiday. It was called All Souls’ Day, and it was also to honor the dead. Some poor people would beg for cakes, called Soul Cakes from rich people, in return that they pray for the rich person’s dead relatives. This was known as Souling, and soon, children began to go door to door, begging for money, food, and ale. Meanwhile in Scotland and Ireland, they began to do something called guising. This is where, instead of praying, the ‘beggars’ performed a trick, or recited a poem. In return, they would get nuts, fruits, or coins.

Finally, the last available explanation is the Guy Fawkes Night celebration. This night is also known as Bonfire Night, and probably comes from the Celtics. Supposedly, a man named Fawkes was plotting the King's removal, meaning make him resign from being king. He was found out, and executed, so, children went around collecting pennies, saying, “a penny for the Guy!

Today, America makes 6 billion dollars on Halloween merchandise. Cards, candy, costumes, and decorations, they all came from long long ago. Celebrate the day where we honor the dead!

Donald Trump Threatens to Sue by Kueyoung Kim

Donald Trump threatened to sue NBC for releasing the controversial Access Hollywood tape, calling it “illegal”.

The tape caused an uproar in our country, showing Donald Trump making inappropriate comments about how he treated women. Donald Trump had called the talk “locker room talk”.

He told Fox News that the microphone was not even supposed to be on, and that the act of releasing the tape was “certainly illegal, no question about it”. He did not rule out taking legal action in the court against NBC.

This follows Trump’s claims that the voting system is rigged against him and that the media is working against him. With just over a week until the election, Trump is still behind in the polls by 4 points.

U.S.S. Zumalt by John Cobes

Ever wonder what warships will look like 15 years from now? Well, thanks to the U.S Navy´s $4.4 billion project, we now have an idea.

The U.S.S Zumwalt was launched on September 22, 2016 and has officially joined the U.S Navy. This 610 foot, 15,000 ton, highly-automated destroyer is the biggest of its kind. The U.S.S Zumwalt  is the beginning of the Navy’s new fleet. Two  other similar destroyers will be tentatively launched next September.  The captain of this amazing ship is James A. Kirk, although he has it pretty easy on the Zumwalt because it only requires a crew of 147 people. The U.S.S Zumwalt has many special features, such as it appears as a fishing boat on enemy radar.

Although the U.S Navy although does not plan on using this secret weapon yet,

For now they are just planning on keeping it in good condition, while the U.S constructs the rest of the Zumwalt fleet. Another amazing thing is that the Zumwalt can carry two helicopters and a few tanks in its storage hall.

The U.S.S Zumwalt also is armed with two railguns and a advanced targeting system, capable of firing a missile onto land bases, and auto-targeting submarines.

No doubt his new battleship is the one of the Navy's most prized ships because of advanced capabilities. For now, though, all we can do is wait till the Zumwalt gets its chance to prove itself.

Quid Pro Quo Deal by Kueyoung Kim

A State Department official offered a “Quid pro quo” deal. A State Department official allegedly offered to send more FBI agents to foreign countries in exchange for the FBI changing the classifications of an email sent by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Patrick Kennedy, an undersecretary in the State Department, had made a deal to change the classification of an email sent by Clinton. Both the FBI and the State department deny that the deal happened.

This follows an ongoing scandal concerning Clinton’s emails, in which she used a private email server to send and handle several government emails. It was not reported that the emails contained classified information, but they stated that the email may have contained sensitive information.

With only a few weeks to go to presidential election day, this is definitely an attacking point for Republican nominee Donald Trump, and it will probably lower Clinton’s now significant lead in the polls.

Clowns Around Town by Amithi Tadigadapa

You walk into a carnival and you see a clown blowing up balloon animals and giving them out to children. But, that is not how we see clowns these days. Around the country people have been agitated by clown sightings. These have been hoaxes to actual events. Schools have had warnings sent out and some clowns have been arrested for these eerie events. Even the master of creepy, Stephen King, wanted to calm people down.

“Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria--most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.”

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 3, 2016

In the past, there have been reports of people who saw “phantom” clowns. Most of them were pranks and hoaxes. Some clowns have been arrested for making threats, and one for chasing a child with a baseball bat! However, these clown sightings might just be for viral marketing. One extremely scary clown video was exposed for marketing for a local haunted house.

Psychology is also a factor in why clowns scare us. Clowns have been known for being creepy and weird. Clowns can also be a fear factor for us. Think about all of those creepy and weird nightmares or fears you have had. There have also been many recent events that have been terrorizing and life taking. These events could make these clown sightings even scarier.

These clown encounters could also be a social media trend. When you scroll through your Instagram and look up clowns, you might find the hashtag #IfISeeAClown. Some pictures and videos are completely unbelievable and hilarious, while others are creepy and scary.

Though the rational part of our brain might think this is just absurdity, when someone actually gets arrested for this, we might actually start to believe it.  So if you see a clown, remember there is a person underneath all of that face paint and tacky clothing.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/health/creepy-clowns-rumors-trnd/index.html