NESPA syndicated
article archive, page 1
How
Murderous Can Mitch Be?
by Joe Riter, Grade 5
Susquenita Middle School, Duncannon, PA
From Oct. 26-Nov. 5, 1998, Hurricane Mitch destroyed crops, houses, bridges,
and roads throughout Central America. Mitch tore through Nicaragua, Honduras,
Belize, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. With winds of 180 mph it is the fourth
largest hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. An eyewitness said, "It sounded
like a freight train or a jumbo jet taking off." In all there are about
9,500 people dead and more than 13,000 missing, with more than 970,000 homeless.
There have also been a few deaths in Florida.
Americans sent supplies and 5,700 troops to aid the victims of Mitch.
President Arnoldo Aleman (a well known critic of Fidel Castro) of Nicaragua
rejected Fidel Castro's (Cuba's dictator) offer to send medical supplies, but
many people disagreed with Aleman's decision. There have been countless cases of
deadly illnesses, such as leptospirosis (a flu-like disease that can give no
symptoms or result in death) which is carried by animals, such as dogs and rats.
The recent hurricane has uprooted land mines (bombs that explode on impact) from
recent wars and one death has occurred from them.
So the question is, "How can I helpl?" You can call International
Aid Inc., 1-800-968-7400, or Salvation Army, 1-703-684-5528. You can also check
out these websites on the internet: American Red Cross at www.redcross.org, or
U.N. World Food Program at www.wfp.org. Maybe you can make someone smile.
This article by:
Joe Riter, 5th grade, Susquenita Middle School, Duncannon, PA
Teen Pregnancy
by Tara Melhorn, Grade 7
Susquenita Middle School, Duncannon, PA
Teen pregnancy has increased dramatically in the past couple of years. More
teens each year get pregnant. 10 years ago nearly half of those teens wouldn't
get pregnant. I have recently completed an interview with a 16 year old girl,
and her reply on what it is like being pregnant was, "It's really tough
with all the concerns I have about my baby."
Being pregnant has its problems. "Being scared of what your family will
do and think is a really big problem," my source said. "No matter how
nice or mean your parents are, you can't help but be scared of what they will
do."
She had some good advice about being pregnant, "First of all, make sure
you're responsible enough to take responsibilities that come along with it...
because taking care of a baby is a lot of hard work. Make sure that you are
ready to take responsibilities for the decisions you make."
This article completed by Tara Melhorn Credit should be as
stated: Tara Melhorn, 7th Grade, Susquenita Mddle School, Duncannon, PA
John Glenn Returns to
Space
Jon Chappell, 4th grade,
Adamsville Elementary School, Adamsville, AL
"We're at nine minutes and holding."
That's what I heard when Mrs. Willis turned on the T.V. to watch the space
shuttle launch on October 29, 1998. We tuned in at 1:00 and 20 minutes later it
happen.
Everyone was talking as the clock ticked. Mrs. Willis, our substitute, kept
saying we didn't know this is a big part of history. I did!
Finally the clock started counting down the minutes until the space shuttle
'Discovery' was launched. The cause for the delay was a problem in the emergency
department.
When the clock ticked down to about five minutes there was another hold. This
was caused by a small aircraft in the area. When NASA got that cleared up, the
clock started again.
Good news came! There were no more holds. When the cap of the liquid tank
came off, all systems were GO. We got excited.
The voice of University of Alabama-Birmingham graduate Lisa Malone could be
heard when Discovery took off. She said, "And lift-off of space shuttle
Discovery with a crew of six astronaut heroes and one American legend." A
round of applause came from enthusiastic young students in our class.
The compartment door containing the landing parachute blew off when the
shuttle launched. But the rocket boosters came off perfectly which was a relief
considering this was the point many years ago when the shuttle Challenger
exploded.
Mrs. Knight came in and said that she had seen many launches at Cape
Canavaral. She also said she was there when the Challenger exploded. She was
hoping nothing happened this time.
Nine days passed and the Discovery landed just about on time.
This was my first time to see a shuttle launch. I didn't know what to expect.
Some kids at a local school went to Florida to see it. Over 250,000 people were
watching at the launch site. The minimum distance to watch the launch is two
miles.
The reason NASA sent John Glenn into space was to see how weightlessness
affects older men. Over 25 experiements were done in space.
John Glenn holds the record for the first person to orbit the earth alone and
the oldest person to go into space. If you want to become an astronaut, follow
your dreams.
This article completed by Jon Chappell Credit should be as
stated: Jon Chappell, 4th grade, Adamsville Elementary School, Adamsville, AL
The Funeral
Lauren Thatcher, 6th Grade,
Smalley School, Bround Brook, NJ
One Saturday morning
an incident took place.
I was getting ready for soccer
when I saw my mom's face.
She had a tear in her eye
and so did my dad.
When I heard the news
I felt so sad.
The terrible thing
was my grandfather died.
When I heard the news
I cried and I cried.
I went to the funeral
everyone sobbed.
I felt so empty
'cause my whole heart was robbed.
The casket was open
I saw his pale face.
Now what I know
is no one takes his place.
This article completed by Lauren Thatcher Credit should be as
stated: Lauren Thatcher, 6th Grade, Smalley School, Bround Brook, NJ
A Bad Habit
by Samantha Robinson, Grade 7
Magsig Middle School, Centerville, OH
Did you know that out of all the young people in the United States, five
million will die from a smoking-related disease? It's true. Starting to smoke at
a young age heightens the risk of lung and many other cancers. Smoking can also
affect your future. Teens who smoke are three times as likely to use alcohol,
eight times as likely to use marijuana, and 22 times as likely to use cocaine in
the future. If you do those things, you will most likely have problems getting a
job. Cigarettes are not only bad for you; they are also costly. You would
probably spend around $400 for cigarettes in one year. With that money you could
buy a TV and a VCR. Please consider these things before you start smoking.
Editor's Note: With Samantha's editorial, we used anti-smoking materials
supplied by the Office on Smoking and Health of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Other school newspapers probably received this information also.
This article completed by Samantha Robinson. Credit should be as
stated: Samantha Robinson, 7th Grade, Magsig Middle School, Centerville, OH
