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Central Times Volume 4 No. 3 Central Times Staff Red Ribbon Week Charlie A. Josh B. By: Rebecca R. Will C. Central School has a Red Ribbon Week every year to Matt C. teach kids that drugs are bad for your mind and your Bob H. body. Central has students dress up in different ways Kelvin H. that represent why you shouldn’t do drugs. On Monday students dressed in Shelby J. sweats (being drug free is no sweat!), on Tuesday students wore a hat (put a Jonathan K. cap on drugs!), on Wednesday students wore their favorite team shirt (team Dylan K. up against drugs), on Thursday students dressed in blue (drugs give you the Matthew K. blues) and on Friday students wore mismatched clothes (drugs and I don’t Eric K. mix). The advisory with the most participation wins a party. The snowflake Alex L. members also made posters. Ben L. But how did Red Ribbon week start? It all started with a man named Emma M. Spencer M. Enrique Camarena. He grew up in a dirt floored house and dreamed to one Will N. day make a difference. Camarena worked hard to go through college and then Erik P. served in the Marines. He decided to become a police officer and then joined Celeste P. the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. His mom didn’t want him to go. Rebecca R. He told her he went to make a difference. He was sent undercover to Emma R. Mexico to investigate a major drug cartel that Brian R. involved Mexican army officers, police and the Tyler S. government. On Feb. 7, 1985 five men shoved Becki S. him into a car and drove away. He was later Jeremy S. found dead and had been tortured by drug Charlie S. criminals. In his honor a California Jessica S. Congressman and Camarena’s friends Allison S. and family members wore red ribbons. Then Ilanah T. more community groups decided that the Jonathan T. last week of October they would wear red William T. Hayden W. ribbons as a symbol of a drug-free Christian V. K. pledge. The first national campaign was in Margot Y. 1988. Red Ribbon week is now the oldest Faculty Advisor: and largest drug prevention program in the Ms. Melamed United States. Single Gender Schools? By: Emma R. and Charlie S. The Statistics: boys in coed classes: 37% scored proficient girls in coed classes: 59% scored proficient girls in single-sex classes: 75% scored proficient boys in single-sex classes: 86% scored proficient” Information provided by: Dr. Leonard Sax, executive director of NASSPE PROS: CONS: -Studies have shown that girls and -It costs a lot of money to go to a boys receive better grades when they single sex (private) school are in a single sex class -It does not prepare students for the -Many teachers believe that their real world because in the world it is children focus more when they are in not separated by sex a single sex class Overall, many teachers at Central think that having single gender classes is not a good idea. They believe that going to a single gender school does not prepare you for the real world, where gender is not separated and girls and boys must learn to cooperate, and compete. Some Central Opinions Mr. Young-There is not enough information to determine whether it is better to have a single gender class. I think that it is better for boys to go to a single gender school because boys usually tend to have more ADD. Ms. Bailey-In Junior High having single gender classes is a good idea. Otherwise, as you get older being separated is not a good idea. Mrs. Geier-No, but being separated in advisory is a good idea. Mrs. Alsberg-It is not a good idea because it is not realistic in the real world. Ms. Melamed-It took girls a long time to get an equal education. Now I think school can help boys and girls learn how to work together. Emma and Charlie-It isn’t a good idea because gender is never going to be separated in real life. Opinion By: Tyler S. and Ben L. A Moment of Silence According to Illinois state law, a moment of silence at the opening of every day in the public schools used to be optional. However, last week the Illinois legislature modified the law from “may” to “shall observe a brief period of silence.” Legislators voted to override Governor Rod Blagojevich’s veto to pass the law. Controversy struck when complaints were expressed stating that the real purpose of forcing silence throughout schools is to encourage children to pray. I [Ben] believe that this is unnecessary. There is a reason that church is separated from state. They should not be mixed. If kids want to pray, they can pray in many other places, but not in public school. People have different beliefs on religion, and being forced to pray can be uncomfortable for some. On the other hand, some people think that it is important to reflect on everything that they have. It is a time to take a break and relax. It is a very debatable issue. What do you think? Interview with Mr. Couturier: By: Margot Y. and Jessy S. We interviewed Mr. C. because he is involved in helping Central School students to become more ecologically aware and the school to be more “green.” Q: What do you wish to accomplish for the environment at Central School? A: Mr. C would like the school to become “far more green.” Some ways that Mr.C finds that we could accomplish this is by recycling, using less energy, and by composting. Finally he thinks that we should recognize that “it is ok to be inconvenienced,” so that we can make our environment healthier. Q: How are you planning to make these changes? A: We should start by better educating the students about the problems of global warming and the solutions and getting the students involved. Q: What do you do everyday for the environment? Q: What do you feel our world needs to A: He uses Blackboard (an online homework change to make our environment system) to save paper, saving at least 100 healthier? sheets of paper for each assignment. Also he A: He believes that we should accept that uses scantron tests, so he can save paper by we need alternative fuel and “to stop reusing the test book throughout the day. At caving into car companies.” the moment, he is working on banning water Q: Do you feel the students are doing their bottles at Central School and selling Spartan part in helping our environment? reusable water bottles, so the amount of A: He feels many of the students “are disposable bottles bought is reduced. He is also buying into its problems” and starting to trying to get a composter for our school and recycle and compost. He noticed “the solar panels on the roof. tipping point last year” when most of his students believed in global warming Q: Is there any extra information you would like because of how much evidence there is. the school to know? In years past the beliefs were usually A: He feels the school “should be a model for “split down the middle.” the entire community,” which will eventually lead to home. The school needs to act Q: What do you want the system of responsibly by doing their part for the recycling to be at Central School? environment in order for the children to act the A: He feels Central School should same way. One important fact to know is that continue recycling as much as possible: 23% of the polar ice cap that is melting is the water bottles and paper, use reusable size of Texas. It acts as the worlds air lunch bags, use less paper and reduce our conditioner. When the ice caps melt, the world use of energy! will become much warmer. Q: What do you suggest the students do at home? Q: What is your major goal? A: He suggests students recycle, reuse, A: Mr. C’s major goal is to turn our school into switch light bulbs, be less wasteful. a place that is completely carbon neutral, which Also, reusing towels and lunch bags means not adding any new carbon into the makes a significant difference. atmosphere. Halloween 07 By: Will N. and Alex L. This year, at Central, there is the Halloween Hoopla, sponsored by the Glencoe Junior High Project and a Costume Contest sponsored by the 8th grade executive cabinet. You can compete for the scariest, funniest, most creative, best group, and best overall costumes. Remember, students can only enter in one category and costumes must follow school rules. The contest will be judged in Misner on Halloween, by the teachers. Beyond Glencoe, there are many You can also visit the haunted houses in the Chicago Statesville Haunted Prison area. You can find ideas at (www.statesville.org/). HauntedHouseChicago.com But beware, these scary places One place to check out is the are not recommended for kids Skokie Scream Scene Haunted younger than the age of 10. And House (www.screamscene.com/) you definitely will be scared. Also, for the first time the Daley Plaza in Chicago will become the Haunted Village at Pumpkin Plaza with Ghostly Games 2007. You can see the Midnight Circus , including a Human Pyramid, tightwire, acrobatic juggling,aerial acrobatics and other events Thursday through Sunday. Harold the milk man at Central By Matt K.