5 places in the world that the public is prohibited from going

by Justin Mendoza

You’ve probably thought about a bunch of the places you want to go, for one reason or another. But have you ever thought about the places in this world you are prohibited from visiting? Well, you’re about to learn about a few in my list of the top five places in the world the public can’t visit.

5: IIha da Queimada Grande                          

IIha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is one of the most interesting places in this world you are not allowed to go and see. Snake Island is located off the coast of Brazil, and if you guessed that this island has snakes on it, you are correct. In fact, Snake Island is infested with snakes! Some estimate that the island has one snake per every square meter. This island is closed to the public, in order to protect its population of rare snakes such as the critically endangered and venomous Bothrops Insularis, which lives on a diet of birds. Some of the most deadliest snakes in the world live on Snake Island. Occasionally, some scientists are granted the opportunity to visit Snake Island..but unless you’re one of them, you probably won’t ever get to see it.

4. Mount Weather Emergency Operation Center

The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a place you probably wouldn’t want to go unless, as one Google reviewer states, “it’s the end of the world.” The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is controlled by the U.S Department of Homeland Security. It’s been in use since 1959. The facility is a major relocation site for the highest level of civilian and military officials in case of national disaster in the U.S. Still, this facility proves to be helpful in other ways. According to a letter to the editor of The Washington Post, on the day of the September 11th attacks most of the congressional leadership was evacuated to Mount Weather by helicopter.

3 RAF Menwith Hill

If you like giant golf balls, then you’re going to like this location. The Royal Air Force Menwith Hills is a Royal Air Force station near Harrogate, North Yorkshire in England. This facility was built in 1954, but it has been in use since 1958. The facility was also in use during the Cold War. The Cold War was a state of political and military tension after World War 2, between the powers in the so-called Western bloc and the powers in the so-called Eastern bloc.

2 Area 51

This list would not be complete without Area 51. “Ahh–Area 51! The aliens are coming!!!” No, this list is only including real facts and theories. I’m not trying to say whether I do or I don’t believe in aliens; I’m just saying that anything mentioned in this article is backed up with evidence. The United States Air Force facility commonly known as Area 51 was a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada test and training range. The Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] says that the facility’s correct name is Homey Airport and Groom Lake. The special-use airspace around the field is referred to as a restricted area. The base’s current primary purpose is unknown, but from its history it most likely supports the development and testing of experimental aircraft. The intense secrecy around the base is the main reason for conspiracy theories about aliens or UFOs (unidentified flying objects).

1 Moscow Metro-2

The Moscow Metro is the informal name for a purported secret underground metro system which parallels the public Moscow Metro. The system was built during the time of Joseph Stalin, and was codenamed D-6. It is supposedly still operational. The length of Metro-2 is rumored to exceed that of the public Metro. It is said to have four lines, and to lie 50–200 meters deep. It is also said to connect the Kremlin with the  Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters.The public is not allowed on it, because the controllers of the Moscow Metro are doing something in the facility.

The Moscow Metro-2, Area 51, RAF Menwith Hill, Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, and Snake Island are all places in the world you are prohibited as a civilian. These places are obviously not all the places in the world you are prohibited to go, to but these are a few of them. Hopefully you will take a hint from this post, and not attempt to go to any of these places.because that would be a bad idea.

Games that involve difficult decisions

by Jahiem McCoy

There are some video games where you make decisions that involve real life situations. Some of these are really hard situations, which will be discussed in this article.

One example is a game called One Chance, which is about a scientist who made the world think he cured cancer but he really created a deadly gas which destroys every living cell, including plant cells. You have the decision to try to fix the problem, even though it might not work, or spend time with your family. You can only choose one option, and you can’t undo it, so deciding is hard to do.

There are also decisions in video games that aren’t really about real life, but still involve hard decisions. For example, there is a game called Splatoon. Splatoon is a game where you fight for your turf and regularly the teams are random but with a thing called Splatfest, which is something that asks you a question which gives you two options. These options determine which team you’re going to be on, and which team you’re going to be fighting. The questions update frequently, and you only get to come across them once. One time, the options were love or money, which is a hard decision in real life.

There are also other games, like Bioshock, In Bioshock, the game starts when player-character Jack is a passenger on a plane that goes down in the Atlantic Ocean. As the only survivor, Jack makes his way to a nearby lighthouse that houses a bathysphere (a chamber for deep sea observations) terminal which takes him to Rapture. Jack is contacted via radio by a character named Atlas, and is guided to safety from the Splicers and the perils of the nearby city, which is rundown and dangerous. Atlas requests Jack’s help in stopping Ryan, who he claims has trapped his family in a docked bathysphere. When Jack encounters a wandering Little Sister and its fallen Big Daddy, Atlas urges Jack to kill the Little Sister to harvest her Adam for himself which makes you confronted with a serious choice: do you want to do the right thing and be less powerful? Or do you want to be evil and have an easier time at the game?

There is another game that has many hard decisions; the game is called Telltale. In Telltale, almost every choice you make is one where there’s no ultimate right and wrong. They put a very short timer on each decision, so that you don’t have the time to look up what decision does what, making it almost impossible to cheat like most other video game decisions–thus making them have hard choices to make in that video game.

These are games that include hard decisions, and will make you think about consequences when you play them.

Are there other planets similar to planet Earth?

Kepler 22B.

by Miguel Garduno

We live in a world called Earth, and people think that we are not killing our world–but sadly, we are. We are killing our world by creating pollution, killing our plants, not throwing our garbage in bins, and many other ways. But many people don’t care to help save our world; if these people don’t stop and help our global community, pretty soon the world could end without us expecting it. But scientists are finding new worlds, light years away from us, that could be other types of Earths.

One example is Kepler-22B. Kepler-22B looks exactly like Earth, but it’s a few light years away from us. It was discovered in 2011, when NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was using the Kepler Telescope (after which Kepler 22B was named) to find other Earth-like planets as part of the Kepler mission. There’s also a Kepler spacecraft, which was launched in March of 2009. So far, NASA has discovered 4,706 potentially Earth-like planets (2,326 in the first 16 months of its search).

Once confirmed by follow-up studies, these potential discoveries could continue to increase the tally of exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) over its current count of 2,056 other planets similar to Earth. Kepler-22B was the first exoplanet found to orbit in a star’s habitable zone light years away from Earth. So this means that Kepler-22B may have liquid water on its surface, just like Earth, making it the closest possible sister planet. NASA wrote this about Kepler-22B: “the planet is 2.4 times the size of Earth, making it the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star like our sun.”

Some scientists think that Mars could be a solution, because they believe there could be water on Mars and it’a a similar distance from the sun as Earth.

Moving to another planet similar to Earth could give humans a second chance. It will also be a responsibility, because we will have to take care of the new planet so the same problems don’t happen again. In case anyone hasn’t noticed, our world is dying. Global warming is increasing, people are still polluting are world, and weather is getting more extreme. There are many planets that could help us find a solution. It’s just a matter of time until we find one.

The destruction we cause (natural disasters)

by Melvin Prudente

People harm the Earth, but they do not realize that when they harm the Earth, they also harm themselves. One of the main effects of us harming the Earth is the increase in natural disasters, such as tornadoes, blizzards, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. Natural disasters are natural events that take away human life or damage human property.

At least 80 people die from tornadoes each year, and at least 19 people die from hurricanes. According to ScienceLine.edu, “Over 1000 tornadoes occur each year mainly in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and eastern Colorado.” Scientists say that 200 more natural disasters can happen per year because of pollution, especially the appearance of warm or cold fronts in unexpected places.

Pollution is one of the causes of global warming. The increased pollutants in the atmosphere can   damage the ozone layer. This creates the unexpected cold & warm fronts, which creates floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. Scientists have collected data that the more polluted places in the USA are 20% more likely to have tornadoes, hurricanes and flash floods. How would you feel if these natural disasters were to take your family member’s life?

The government has agreed to create many factories in the US that cost many thousands of dollars each. They don’t realize that the effects of pollution can cause disasters that will waste a lot more money. EF5 tornadoes (otherwise known as a Category 5 tornado, which is the strongest kind) cost an average of about 2.8 billion dollars in damage per tornado.

Aftermath of a tornado in Oklahoma.

Natural disasters affect the development, economy and society of many places, such as Japan. Japan is the main site of the 10 worst natural disasters of the 21st century. It is where tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions are common. Asia is one of the most polluted continents, and it is where many terrible natural disasters in the 21st century occur. More than 1,100 natural disasters have occurred in japan in the past 10 years, and their rate is increasing.

We should stop littering and creating air pollution, because in return we could have more natural disasters. We are creating a problem that we can not control at all. This is why we should stop polluting, because of the aftereffects and the fact that we’re harming the place we live.

9/11: a tragic event

by Jeremy Martinez

Tragic.

September 11, 2001, also known as 9/11. It was a tragic day.

Many people were shocked by this event, where 2,996 people died, including 19 hijackers, 246 on the planes, and 2,606 in the World Trade Center, and 125 at the Pentagon.

The attack began when two large passenger planes hit the World Trade Center towers. The first plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m and the second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. At first, people thought that only two planes attacked the towers, but there were more than two planes–there were four.  One headed for the Pentagon, two headed for the Twin Towers, and the last one was headed for the White House but it was taken down in Pennsylvania by the civilians on the plane. The plane that hit the Pentagon struck at 9:37 am.

When the first plane hit, there was a big hole in the tower. Parts of the plane fell into the street and many people from other buildings and places in the city were looking at people jumping out of the building. Many were crying at the situation. When the second plane hit, people did not believe what they just saw. People in both buildings started to jump out, because they really knew that they where not going to make it and they did not want to burn to death slowly. Later, the towers started to fall and people still couldn’t believe it. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 and at 10:28 the North Tower fell.

That day was one of the most tragic days of our American history. We still remember it today, and they even have a memorial for the people that died.

Kindness is a strength

Kindness is actually strength because violence is way too easy to show. So when you’re kind to someone who is being mean to you, you are showing more strength than them. –Torrae Swindell

The way kindness is strength is that kindness can affect other people if you are kind to each other. Kindness can help you achieve your goals. If you help other people with kindness, then it will help people to be kind to each other and there will be no violence. A final way kindness is strength is that kindness will help other people in their lives. The reason I say this is because this could stop bullying and it could support people if they are sick and make them feel better. –Miguel Garduno

Kindness is powerful because it takes you places and you can be a friend magnet. Kindness is happiness. Don’t mistake me, people can take advantage of you. But kindness is one of your strongest weapons. –Triston Swindell

I believe that kindness should be a strength because you get more respect. I believe that we should be kind because you are supposed to be a good person. –Tylik McCullum

 

Golden Doors

by Amadou Koulibaly

When immigrants come to the U.S.A, they must adapt to a culture they never experienced. Undocumented immigrants face compounds of problems. They must adapt without revealing that they haven’t come to the country legally. This means that undocumented immigrants are excluded from opportunities that help orient themselves in the United States.

Many undocumented immigrants today live in fear. There are numerous occasions were immigrants have been have been deported when they had done nothing wrong. This causes families to be broken apart. Just put yourself in their situation: you think America is a place where everyone has equal rights, so you come to this country for a better life but end up deported back to where you came from.

An amnesty could provide a way to address these problems. Some people want the government to give undocumented immigrants amnesty so that they can be legal. After all, the United States is supposed to be welcoming to any kind of people. Under the Statue of Liberty are the words “I lift my lamp beside the golden door,” meaning that America is the land of opportunity. Then why should we have to keep our doors closed to immigrants? Some people say that everyone should be given the right to achieve the American Dream. Thus by giving undocumented immigrants amnesty, we are bettering the world by giving more people better opportunities. The only ones that are truly Americans are native Americans. This is why undocumented immigrants should have amnesty, and a chance to be able to become something in America.

 

 

Police brutality

by Kesean Cooper

Police brutality is bad because people are dying for no reason, for example Mike Brown died for no reason and he was unarmed. Also that police brutality has been starting riots in Baltimore because somebody got killed in police custody and the police wont tell how. Also that police brutality causes people to fight. It is also bad because people are killing cops that didn’t have anything to do with the young black men killings, for example some guy left baltimore and murdered two NYPD officers. This issue could effect our community because if police kill young black men then people will react out of frustration and that will cause chaos around us.

Police non-protection

The police are making brutality legal for themselves.

by Tylik McCullum

I believe that police brutality matters because people, mostly black and Latino, are losing their lives in situations that can be simply avoided. Police should protect not neglect us. Last time I thought, I thought they were here to protect and serve. This gets in the way of addressing many of the world’s other problems.

Furthermore, I would say that when someone dies other people are affected, such as families. If my relative was in one of those incidents, I would be heartbroken. Also our society is affected, for example what’s happening in Baltimore. People are looting and abusing cops, and all cops will be affected and criticized for other cops’ actions. For example, two cops were killed in New York because of the actions of other cops.

One time, someone found a gun clip in the gym where I play basketball. The police found it and started to arrest everyone in and around the gym. I felt very startled, and realized the police physically arrest people when they get the chance before doing actual police work. No child or young man or woman should experience that.

People should not make assumptions about each other and cops should not make assumptions about people.

That is the reason why I care, and why you should care.

Eagle Varsity Basketball: Season Debut

Jaione Ford & Kesean Cooper, reporting from the sidelines.

by Jaione Ford & Kesean Cooper

In the first game of the season, Eagle Academy played Lehman high school and they blew them out 95-46.

Eagles defense was good, and our offense was spectacular. Lehman’s offense was really bad, because they had a lot of turnovers. Eagle’s lead scorer was #35, Junior Tashaun Beckles, with 26 points. Their second lead scorer had 16 points. Number 10, the point guard for Lehman, was nice. He had a sick crossover and a good left hand shot.

Eagle Academy’s transition offense was amazing, their defense led to easy scoring. I think the Eagles will be successful down the road, and maybe win the championship.