The NOIZ March 22, 2013 Volume 2, Issue 4 Lazy Language By Travis Toth According to Benjamin Lee towards me.” text. And yes, I've had a few Whorf, “Language shapes the way “Fillers” aren't the only issue. students turn in papers with numbers we think, and determines what we Text message language is creeping instead of words and letters used can think about.” When our language its way into students’ papers. inappropriately. It's definitely the changes our mind changes. It is Students who are heavy texters are texting influence.” concerning to see the English more likely to struggle with the Bad language can also affect a language progressively deteriorate as differences between informal and student's future. Companies are it matures. It is becoming clogged formal writing. According to the beginning to use grammar as a way with mindless fillers such as “like” to weed out job applicants. CEO of or “ummm.” Rampant texting is iFixit, Kyle Wiens, said “The person beginning to have its effect. Nearly who has decided not to care about everyone is guilty, including myself. grammar is not the kind of person I Last year, Mrs. Edouard made me want to work with. I understand aware I was using these fillers to an missing a comma, but if you use 'to,' embarrassing extent. I hadn't even 'too' and 'two' incorrectly, it shows realized it! Nearly every sentence I me you have no idea what you're said was littered with “like.” I made talking about.” It's brash, but true. it a goal to stop. After months of How can workers be trusted to have taking the grueling challenge of the competence to complete jobs if thinking before speaking, I have they can't communicate properly? almost completely fixed my “like” Don Silver, who runs a marketing problem. Thankfully, I no longer and crisis communications company, have to think before I speak. charges a 25-cent fine each time an I decided to inquire what Zion's employee misuses the word “like,” “like” master, Serena Baker, had to according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. “…if you use ‘to,’ too’ So, be careful the next time you speak or write. It could cost your and ‘two’ incorrectly, it Serena Baker expressing intense emotion job. shows me you have no while conversing with her friends. idea what you’re talking Times Daily, high school language about.” teachers such as Dorlea Rikard find “They slip into the informal voice NOIZ Staff say. She replied, “It's a really really often, and that's really a tightrope Editor in Chief: Mrs. Grace Edouard good way to explain things because because you want them to find their like you can say it instead of saying own voice, but the writing must be Managing Editor: Travis Toth 'they said.' It has a positive appropriate,” she said. “I've realized Journalists: Olivia Baker, Andrew Deppe, connotation…ummmm…I have to they very often write the way they Jeremy Edouard, Maria Kraayeveld, Levi Pasma, like O.K…. this is demeaning speak and they speak the way they Travis Toth, and Lydia Tuinstra 1 Student Life Writing Contest Winners By Travis Toth On February 25, Mr. Dedert revealed the Short Story Contest results. High school and junior high entries were judged separately. Joanna Verduin won the junior high prize with her story “Standing on Thin Ice.” Jon Verduin and Josh DeJong tied for first place in the high school contest. Their winning stories were “The Right Place at the Wrong Time” and “Goodnight, My Little Star,” respectively. The grand prize was $25. However, the high school winners had to split their award. Jon Verduin and Josh DeJong were the sole participants in the high school contest. English teachers Mr. Dedert and Mrs. Edouard decided the winners. “The quality of the two high school stories were about the Jon Verduin and Josh DeJong same. A tie was necessary,” Edouard commented. Joanna Verduin asserted it was “just a coincidence” that her brother Jon competed as well. She said, “I will probably just spend the money on clothes.” Her story is about a girl who falls through ice and is rescued. Jon Verduin was “Disappointed it was a tie. Just two people participated.” He said it wasn’t hard work and that he “just wrote.” His short story is a Western about a shoot-out in a store. When asked about their motivation for competing, both Verduins agreed they did it “for the prize.” Josh DeJong said it felt “Awesome, I guess. I was just bored last summer when I wrote the story, plus I read the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , which motivated me to write it.” Edouard hopes more students participate next year. Joanna Verduin Fun Faculty Facts By Lydia Tuinstra Match the teacher with the correct fact: 1. Mrs. Halmi A. I was a nun. 2. Dr. Tjapkes B. I have played piano for 6,570 days. 3. Ms. VanderJagt C. I have para-sailed over the Mediterranean Sea. 4. Rev. Lubbers D. I snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. 5. Mrs. Pasma E. I am named after both of my grandfathers and my mother. 6. Mr. Bont F. I hated elementary school and high school. 7. Mrs. Edouard G. My dad called me Baby Bumpy. 8. Mrs. Veeneman H. I have been 200 feet under sea level. 9. Mrs. VanBeek I. I was a synchronized swimmer. 10. Mrs. Wierenga J. I stole baseball cards from a store. 11. Mr. Dedert K. I didn’t learn to ride my bike until I was 12. 12. Mr. Post L. I have confessed to the police that I stole a purse, even though I didn’t. *Last issue’s mystery person was Faith Lubbers. 2 Reflection Weapons of Mass Destruction By Olivia Baker Instruments are on the table in the apart slowly. The second instrument arriving at the facility. Once there, corner. Nervous breathing is heard on the table is a set of Embryotomy she must undergo a counseling, throughout the room. The scissors, used to cut off the head, verification and testing process that anticipation is overwhelming when a arms, and legs of the child. The third lasts up to five hours. If she is a small scream pierces the silence. one is a syringe with a spinal needle minor, she must notify her parents; Then the blood comes. Suddenly, that performs the same task two get permission from one or both, Brent sits up in a cold sweat, different ways. First, it injects depending on who has custody or get panting. He breathes in deeply poisonous saltwater for the child to approval from a judge. Like several times breathe in and Medicaid programs in some 30 other reassuring swallow. This causes states, North Dakota’s does not himself that it hemorrhage and cover abortion services except in was only a shock, leading to the instances of rape or incest or to dream. Brent is child’s death. The protect the life of the mother.” Even an abortion mother then goes more recent, the state of Arkansas doctor. The into premature labor passed the most aggressive anti- next morning, about a day later and abortion law in the country. Dubbed Dr. Brent makes delivers a dead child. “The Human Heartbeat Protection his way to work This instrument can Act,” the law makes it a crime to along with also be used to inject abort a child after 12 weeks, when millions of people around the world. chemicals into the child’s heart. Both the heartbeat can be heard. The most But no matter how much Dr. Brent of these harsh, chemical injections interesting aspect was that the law appears to be an average Joe, he is a soften the baby’s corpse, making it overrode the veto of the democratic murderer. He soon walks swiftly into easier to rip apart and remove. And governor and drew the support of his office while the TV broadcasts finally, there is the Tire-tete. This both parties. animal lovers protesting the killing pole-like structure pushes its spike Despite the encouraging new of animals for research. He takes off into the child’s head. Once inside, a developments, we still need to his coat and heads down the hall to button is pushed and the spike remain vigilant. After over 55 the surgical room where his first flattens allowing the child to be million abortions in this country, the patient of the day awaits him. He pulled out. drums of judgment can almost be glances briefly at the mother but Dr. Brent makes his choice and heard. You may not be able to make doesn’t seek eye contact. No smiles conducts the procedure without a your own commercial to spread the or greetings are exchanged; there is second thought. news about society’s hypocrisy, but only a depressing silence that you can continue to pray that God confirms the gravity of the situation. would bring America back to Him. Dr. Brent busies himself with the In addition to prayer, you can first step of the procedure. On a table donate time and money to pro-life before him are four familiar organizations; voice your opposition instruments. However, these are not to the evil of abortion to the civil typical doctoring instruments: they authorities at all levels and in all are murder weapons. branches of government; encourage Dr. Brent surveys the table, trying The fight against abortion is far adoption whenever and wherever to decide. The first choice is the from over.