NESPA syndicated
article archive, page 2
The Long
Trip South
by Matthew Nikirk, 5th Grade,
Stinesville Elementary School, Stinesville, IN
April 1st, 1998. Thomson Consumer Electronics (originally RCA) officially
closed one of its 5 nationwide plants in Bloomington, Indiana and some of the
Indianapolis, Indiana plant. Countless workers will be affected by the company
moving to Mexico, and they haven't been too thrilled about it either. Somebody
took a sledgehammer to Chipper the dog.
"The main reason that they are going to Mexico is money. Thomson
employees make from $11.00 to $20.00 an hour in wages and benefits. Mexican
employees make from $.50 to $2.00 an hour," says worker Randall Nikirk (my
Dad) who has worked there for about 26 years. At one time, Thomson had around
7,000 employees just in one plant in the late '60's and early '70's. Back then,
it had started to move to Mexico its chassis and small 13 inch TVs. Some of the
businesses near the Thomson plants will also take a loss.
The company has been a major consumer from businesses like Bud's Sandwich
Shop to PCI ENERGY. In fact, the whole Bloomington Community will be affected.
Workers and government people are working to help cushion the blow.
Representative Kruzan has sponsored a bill in the Indiana Legislature to help
cities like Bloomington deal with plant closings.
Throughout the country other communities are facing the same problem, major
employers that leave to save the company money. It can happen anywhere, no
matter the history or tradition of the industry or the community need. Thomson
had deep ties to Bloomington. It originated from Radio Company of America that
started in 1948.
Although it may put people in the hole, the closing has opened up new doors
for the employees. Some are going back to school, and perhaps getting better
jobs. Workers have even claimed they should've left years ago. But, somehow one
has to ask, "Why does this have to happen? And, could this happen to your
city?"
This article completed by Matthew Nikirk Credit should be as
stated: Matthew Nikirk, 5th Grade, Stinesville Elementary School, Stinesville,
IN
Big People With Big
Attitudes
by Andrew Dodd, 5th Grade,
Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC
Tweet! Technical foul! How many times do the refs have to say that before it
gets through the players' thick heads? 100? I think the players set a bad
example when they just shoot their mouths off and physically threaten the refs.
They get suspended and fined, plus look like a bunch of idiots.
Don't these guys ever learn not to kick, shove, or make any other contact
with the refs? I kind of doubt it. These bad boys have done some of the worst
stuff.
Dennis Rodman is a ref's worst nightmare. Dennis has probably been thrown out
of the game more than anyone else, and he has been suspended a lot, too. When
the play or situation looks questionable, and Dennis is involved, they cut him
no slack. I think the reason Dennis dyes his hair is to intimidate people.
Dennis got suspended at least twice last year, once for kicking a cameraman and
once for head-butting a ref. In the cameraman issue, he got fined by the
cameraman and the NBA, plus suspended for around 20 games. I think Dennis gets
in trouble too much.
Nick Van Exel pushed a ref into the scorer's table. He got suspended for a
few games, and was well-remembered for that one. He usually is not a hothead,
but he was then. People don't forget stuff like that!
Latrell Sprewell got the longest suspension ever: one year. He tried to
strangle his coach, P.J. Carlesimo. Sprewell got his 32-million-dollar contract
TERMINATED! I don't think he will do that again! But still the league is
thinking about whether or not the punishment was too severe. Even when he gets
off of suspension, no matter how good he is, not too many teams will want to
sign him.
Mr. "Hothead" Barkley needs to control his mouth. For instance, in
a Houston home game Charles got mad at a call so he went up to the ref, took the
ball out of his hands, walked to half court, turned around, and threw the
basketball back at the ref's feet! He got hammered with a technical foul. If I
were the ref, I would have ejected him from the game.
But not everybody's a Dennis R.
Not long ago during a Lakers home game, Rick Fox of the Lakers went diving
out of bounds for the ball. He missed the ball, but he was still in motion. He
was heading toward a chair and tried to stop himself by grabbing it. But he
accidentally tipped a little kid's chair over. The kid was scared, but O.K.
After the buzzer of the fourth quarter, Rick grabbed the ball and ran to where
the kid was sitting, and gave him the game ball as an apology.
We kids admire and imitate these athletes. I think we need more well-behaved
heroes like Rick Fox and Michael Jordan to look up to.
This interview completed by Andrew Dodd Credit should be as
stated: Andrew Dodd, 5th Grade, Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC
You walk into a regular store. You look around like any person would.You see,
from wall to wall, furs. Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! Stripes, and
spots, and solids, and such appear before your eyes. Do you ever wonder where
they came from? Do you ever think they'll run out? Millions of animals die every
day, and why? It's right in front of you.
You walk into a regular store. You look around like any person would. You
see, from wall to wall, instruments. Musical instruments.Violins, and pianos,
and guitars. They all make such beautiful sounds, but where did they come from?
Trees, obviously. But where did the trees come from? Do you ever think they'll
run out? Millions of trees die every day, and why? It's right in front of you.
Animals. Everybody likes them . . . right? No! Why do we wear their fur? It's
theirs! Why do we eat their meat? It's theirs! We love them, but we don't help
them! Are we too shy? Do we think we can't help, or do we not care? Sure, we
have to live, but so do they! Animals have rights, too! Do we care? You don't!
Look at you! What are you thinking about now? What were you thinking about
before you picked up this newspaper? Not about animals and how they are dying.
Do you ever think about animals dying in the middle of the day for no reason?
No, but I do! I live in the country. Every day I see cows and sheep. Every day I
see a deer slaughtered in my back yard, out of season. I don't like to think
about anything getting killed. Every day I count the cows and the next day I
find less than the day before. To me it is gruesome. To me it is slaughter. To
me it is against the law.
Trees. Everybody likes them . . . right? No! Why do we use their pulp? It's
theirs! Why do we use their wood? It's theirs! We love them, but don't help
them. Why? They could become extinct, too! We don't care. Thanks to a tree some-
where, I am able to write this. Thank you Mr. Tree! Don't worry! I am trying to
help you! If you don't care about trees, but care about animals, you have a lot
to learn. Trees give animals life. All animals. From armadillos in the hot sun,
to zebras in the tall grass. They let us live. They give us shade and air. What
would life be like with no trees? It would be miserable. We all would die!
Now you can think about the animals and trees. Think and help. Help the
animals and trees, and help yourself and the next generation. Help the world to
become a better place. Period.
How to help: Don't buy disposable diapers, fur coats, leather, or fur rugs.
Recycle everything you can, and you will be a helper!
This interview completed by Taylor Reynolds Credit should be
as stated: Taylor Reynolds, 5th Grade, Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC
Emeril Lagasse returned to his hometown in Fall River, MA on December 11,
1997. People stood in line for hours to meet Fall River's favorite chef at the
International Institute of Culinary Arts. He also appeared on WSAR's "Let's
Talk Food" program during his visit. Chef Lagasse owns two restaurants in
New Orleans, Emeril's and NOLA, and just opened a third one there, Delmonico's.
The new MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas is the home of Emeril's New Orleans' Fish
House. Author of numerous cookbooks, his most recent, "A Cajun
Christmas" is a big success. Emeril's TV career is also a big success. He
has two shows - "Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live." He
won a Cable Ace Award, the first time one was ever given for a cooking show.
Emeril Lagasse has been seen on "Good Morning America" and "The
Late Show." Emeril Lagasse is a graduate of Brayton Avenue School in Fall
River, MA.
This interview completed by Sarah Furtado, 5th grade, 97-98,
Brayton Avenue School, Fall River, MA Credit should be as stated: Please credit
Sarah Furtado, Brayton Avenue School, and NESPA Syndication Service
The Saint, the
Princess, and the Media
by Max Rosen, 7th Grader, 97-98 School Year,
Richmond Middle School, Hanover, NH
Hanover, NH - How many people in your school knew about Mother Teresa's
death? How many even knew about the wonderful things this saint did for society?
How many cared?
I know that I did, and a lot of other kids did, but big-time magazines devoted
more than double the space to Di's death as they did to Teresa's.
"People" magazine (9/22/97) devoted pages 49-115 ‹ nine articles ‹
to Princess Diana. They gave pages 158-161 to Mother Teresa.
"Newsweek" (9/15/97 and 9/22/97) gave a "Special Report" of
pages 24-68 to Di, and as part of the "Weekly News" pages 70-75 to
Teresa (though to give some credit to "Newsweek," they did print an
article on her in a later issue.) "U.S. News" (9/15/97) gave pages
20-30 to Di and pages 12-14 to Mother Teresa. "Time" magazine
(9/15/97) devoted pages 30-76 to Di and pages 78-84 to Mother Teresa. How does
that make you feel about how the media operates?
Princess Diana has been covered by every tabloid since she married Prince
Charles. She is thought to be the most photographed and written about person in
history. Now that she's dead, no 'news magazine' is any different. They take
complete advantage of her death and treat her like a story, not like a human
being.
Mother Teresa was truly an amazing woman. Not only did she live in poverty
tending the dying, but she raised millions of dollars for poor people by
bringing celebrities to Calcutta and getting them to donate money and to inspire
others to do so. Considered an angel of God and a wonderful person, her memory
lives in the hearts of millions around the world. After months of illness, the
body of the 'Saint of the Gutters' was recently carried in the same military gun
carriage as were Mahatma Gandhi and India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Will Pope Jean-Paul II make her a saint? After devoting her life to others, many
think as I do that she deserves it. She did so much for the poor of the world
that she is a truly saintly woman.
In a sense, Mother Teresa is lucky. She wasn't idolized by the tabloids. Her
life wasn't exploited and neither was her death.
The tragedy of Diana isn't just that she died. but that even in death, the media
will give her no rest.
This interview completed by by Max Rosen, 7th Grader, 97-98
School Year, Richmond Middle School, Hanover, NH. Credit should be as stated: by
Max Rosen
These Shoes Weren't
Made for Walking
An Interview with Jeff MacNelly
Asheville,NC - Do you lose your shoes every morning? Jeff MacNelly can't. He
has to put them in the paper every day. We're not talking about the shoes you
put on your feet. We mean the cartoon Shoe that is syndicated in over 1,100
papers every day.
Jeff MacNelly was born in New York City, but he escaped as he explains it. Mr.
MacNelly wanted to be a painter when he was growing up, but he never imagined
being a cartoonist. His favorite cartoon as a kid was Pogo by Walt Kelly. He
grew up drawing, even when he was not supposed to be. When he was a kid in
school he drew a lot. He would draw in the middle of the page and take notes in
the margins when most kids were doing the opposite.
Mr. MacNelly attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and first worked for the college newspaper, The Daily Tarheel. He started as a
sports editor, and he's the first to admit he wasn't very good at it. But when
he got paid $15 for drawing his first cartoon, he was hooked. He knew this is
what he wanted to do for a living. And drawing he does! Being a syndicated
cartoonist takes a lot of work, time, and talent. Mr. MacNelly creates and draws
his creation, Shoe, for both daily newspapers and the Sunday comics. In
addition, he draws three political cartoons a week which are also nationally
syndicated. Mr. MacNelly has won three Pulitzer prizes for his political
cartoons and two Reubens. The Reuben is given each year as the highest honor
bestowed by the National Cartoonist Society.
He loves his job which he thinks of mostly as fun and not work. Then there are
some days when he would rather be doing something else like being outside doing
manual labor or living as a ranch hand. Ideas have to come from somewhere, in
addition to your head, so Mr. MacNelly gets them from his experiences. In fact,
the title character of his comic strip, a newspaper reporter named Shoe, was
named for an editor he once worked for. He likes to use birds as characters
because they get to do all the human characteristics as well as animal things.
Mr. MacNelly lives on a farm in Virginia where he likes to work on a barn he has
been building for years. He usually draws at night which gives him his days to
spend working around the farm. Mr. MacNelly's advice to kids who want to draw or
be some sort of cartoonist is, If you want to draw, just draw, and that's all.
This interview completed by staff members of Carolina Kids' News
staff of Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC after they hosted Jeff MacNelly in
an exclusive press conference held in Asheville, NC in May, 1997. Additional
questions supplied via Internet by other NESPA schools.. Credit should be as
stated: by NESPA Member Students
