Destination: Americas 2013

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CONTENTS

PROC/CONS PIECEs PG. 11

Must see Must do

pg. 15

pg. 16

timeline Art

pg. 32

PG 13

movies manners

pg. 17

PG. 6

Book Hooks 1

pg. 20

Lilly Rufty

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The World’s Number One skate Shoes 2

I N VE N T E D FOR KI D S

Lilly Rufty

APPROVE D bY MOMS

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PROS

/ 4

CONS

Obamacare Cares! more secure. Insurance agencies cannot deny coverage for patients with pre existing conditions.

This prevents Insurance companies from dropping patients’ coverage when they become sick or in need of medicare. Obamacare has not forgotten about the elders! Thanks to the FDA’s, or Food and Drug Association’s, approval of more generic drugs, seniors now have access to cheaper medicine. Another benefit of the health care laws is that people can stay on their parents’ health care plan until they reach the age of 26, after which they must resign from their parents’ plan and register for their own.

With previous health care laws, many women felt as if they were being discriminated against or treated differently than men.

Due to the additional cost of pregnancy medicare, women were paying more for health insurance than men.

Many women argued that this was unjust because women are inclined to carry the babies, and should not be the only ones paying for the expensive pregnancy costs because of this. Since then, Obamacare has made it that women pay the same amount for health insurance as men. These laws have also introduced many new methods to help prevent women from becoming pregnant. These methods have shown to be very controversial.

Obamacare has helped over 100 million Americans nationwide.

Even though some disagree, many believe that the new health care laws should remain in

Lilly Rufty

What is your health care doing for you?

The Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, are laws with a purpose of reforming the health care industry. Signed into law on March 23, 2010, these laws offer health care coverage to all Americans who did not have access to it before, usually due to the expenses medicare has to offer.

Obamacare benefits Americans of any age, anywhere from babies to elders. Billions of dollars have now been cut from medicare cost nationwide, creating a larger number of health care recipients.

Though some disagree, Obamacare should remain in effect because of its effective results and influence on the American people.

Obamacare makes health insurance more accessible to the lower class. By covering the cost for those who otherwise would not be able to afford it, the government is continuously giving health care to millions of Americans. Many states are taking a stand by setting up insurance exchanges. These exchanges have a purpose of making it easier to shop for private health insurance coverage, making the process of choosing the plan that is best for you a little bit easier.

Thanks to Obamacare, the health care coverage you receive will now be

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See “Obamacare” pg. 10

Repeal! Repeal!

Americans that can afford to pay for their own insurance? The 85-90% of insured Americans shouldn’t have the government making their decisions and impacting their health care choices. It makes much more sense for those of the lower class to need a little support, but surely not the upper class, who have paid plenty of money in order to secure their health care.

Small businesses have been affected greatly since Obamacare has kicked in. Working hours have been cut back and employees have been let go, all because of the government’s decision for businesses to cover a certain amount of the workers’ health care insurance.

Depending on a business’ number of workers, the employers’ insurance bill will vary. Obviously, this is incredibly difficult for the business owners and their families, since they are paying a ridiculous amount of money for all of their employees’ coverage.

Millions of American’s lives have been damaged due to these extreme decisions made since this act was passed.

To restore order in this country, Obamacare must come to an end, which will help millions of Americans get back on their feet, and escape their increasing debt. There needs to be a cut back from the government’s expenses, health care decisions should be left up to the insured Americans, and owners of small businesses shouldn’t be forced to cover their employees insurance.

What has Obamacare done to this country? All in

Charlotte Friend Is Obamacare fair? On March 23, 2010, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was put into effect, promising to provide coverage for those Americans who weren’t capable of paying for their health insurance. Known as Obamacare, this law has and continues to cause serious conflicts all throughout America. Extreme amounts of money have been spent by the government, businesses have been severely affected, and the majority of families have had to cut down on their expenses. Over 70% of Americans aren’t in favor of the continuation of these laws, which is a perfect reason as to why it should be repealed.

The Federal Government is choosing to ignore how much money is being spent to provide the health care that was guaranteed to Americans. Does the thought not occur to the government of how much greater the debt will be in just a few short years? The cost of the insurance is continuously increasing and it has been estimated that Obamacare will cost the government trillions of dollars. This money could and should be put to better use, but instead, all of it is being spent on purchasing health care for people who could be doing more to try and support themselves and their families.

Why is it that the government has so much control over the percentage of

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See “Repeal!” pg. 10

The Evolution of College Football

Alabama was still in the BCS final. With the new playoff system there will be two semi final games played, so it will be clear who deserves to be in the finals. There will never be any issues with who is going to be playing in the championship.

The new college football playoff system will give more teams a better chance to be in the championship. An example of this is Boise State. Usually Boise State is a great team deserving of a BCS championship but they are in a relatively easy conference, so if they lose one game their chances of being in the championship would be slim or even impossible. With the new playoff system if a team has a few unfortunate loses at the beginning of the season they can still make it to the semi finals, and if they are good enough go on to the finals. This system will make the season more fair for teams like Boise State, among many others.

The new playoff system is going to be immensely helpful towards the economy. Each year the semi final games and the final game will be played in a different city. By rotating the stadium each season the games will help many cities, because they will be huge tourist attractions. Not to mention all of the ticket sales that will be made will be helpful for the NCAA. The entire system is estimated to produce about 600 million to 1.1 billion dollars. The previous system was beneficial to a few cities, but the new system is going to be economically

Thomas Stall It is unfortunate that the NCAA did not create the new and improved college football playoff system earlier. The previous system of college football included 34 bowl games and five BCS bowls. Teams would be placed in each bowl game based on their record, competition, and success, and this was always a terrible system. If there was a team in an easy conference that had a bad game in the beginning of the season, that team’s chances at a BCS championship would be diminished. The new system that will be used in the 2014-2015 season involves 30 bowl games and instead of having the top 10 teams play in BCS bowls there will be a selection committee to choose the top four teams and they will play two semi final games and the two winners advance. The NCAA should continue to enforce the college football playoff system.

Almost every year there is controversy regarding which teams deserve to be in the BCS final, but this new system eliminates that factor completely. A perfect example of the controversy would be the 2012 BCS championship between LSU and Alabama.

LSU had a 13-0 record and won the SEC championship and were obviously going to the BCS championship. Alabama, on the other hand, had a 12-1 record and lost to LSU in the regular season and didn’t even make it to the SEC championship.

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See “Evolution” pg. 19

College Football Changing a Tradition?

for the student athletes. They will start out with a four team playoff with two semi-finals and a championship game. Some fans such as president Obama want an eight team playoff.

The Washington State coach Mike Leach has said he wantes a 64 team playoff. Some fans had made it clear they would like 120 team playoff, including every team in division 1 college football. If the postseason would continue to expand, would they shorten the regular season? If they did cut the regular season due to a longer postseason the colleges would be losing the revenue they would have earned during their regular season games. Would they cut into the NFL’s postseason? This is another reason why we should not have left the BCS system.

Currently there are 34 bowl games. Starting next year there will no longer be BCS bowls including the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the BCS National Championship. If the playoffs were to expand what would happen to the other non BCS bowls? If they were still to be played after the expanded playoffs they would have much less viewers because the people would rather watch the playoff games. Also the the bowls would be less competitive because the higher ranked team will be playing in the playoff games, not the bowls.

College football should just continue with the BCS Bowl system and not the new playoffs.

Where would all these playoff games be played? At NFL stadiums, sites

Kirk Groome Why change a system that has worked for fifteen years? There has been a great debate going on in the college football world: should we have college football playoffs? The answer is no. The division 1 college football has decided they will change to a college football playoffs instead of the Bowl Championship Series, known as the BCS. College football should not continue with the new playoff system, they should return to the BCS system.

Unlike the pros, the college football players do not get paid for extra games, practices, meetings, and hours of studying the play books. They already have less time to study and do academic work. With the new college football playoffs the teams will have more than one postseason game, which they previously had. Only about 20 players from each team make an NFL camp.

Since more of their studying time will be taken away all the other players will be missing time to study in attempt a degree.

They will not have the benefit of the other students to study for their jobs in the future because they will not make it to the NFL. Once the college playoffs begin, how do we know it will not keep expanding and start taking up more time

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See “College Football” pg. 19

Military Involvement with the Mexican Drug War

The police are ineffective because they are untrained and sloppy. Mexico does not have the time and money to put in extra training for officers. Most of the men who join the police force are not interested in helping out Mexico, but they just want to be paid. The worst part of the situation is the police officers don’t even get paid very much, so there have many accounts of desertion.

The third reason the government should leave in the military is because Mexico is not involved in any major conflicts, so that means they can use the military for their own country’s problems. The Mexican military training is not as good as the United States’ training, but their training is much better than the local police force. The job will be done quicker if they use the military in the right way.

The Mexican government should leave in the military to take care of the drug war problem. The police force in Mexico is very corrupt and are very easily persuaded by drug lords for money. The military is the best that Mexico has to offer and they can quickly exterminate the problem. The police force is not lazy and undedicated. Mexico is not capable of giving extra training to incapable officers.

Is the drug problem over? No, but with the best Mexico has to offer, it will be soon.

Mitchell Moore Lately, the Mexican government has been highly concerned with the drug war. Drugs are a big problem in Mexico.

About 48,000 people have died over the past five years. The drug war has become such a terrible situation that the Mexican government has deployed military personnel. The problem is that many people, including presidential candidates, want to remove the military. The government should leave the military personnel in to help with the situation.

The Mexican government should leave in the military because the police force is very corrupt. Around 1,000 have been caught working with the cartels in the past two years. Since 2008, over 150,000 officers had deserted the chase.

The authorities even completely shut down a city because three quarters of the city’s police department was corrupt.

Also, some of the authorities are corrupt, but they are not associated with cartels. There have been several cases of rape, torture, and deaths of cartel operatives by the authorities.

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Continued from Pg. 5

effect because of their succsessful results.

These laws have been very effective in helping create a vast, secure, and unbiased medicare system.

Although the effects of the laws can be controversial, Obamacare has shown to be positive not only in it’s goal, but in it’s results and how it has changed the lives of many.

Continued from Pg. 6

all, America has never been so unstable and in this much debt, and in attempt to

escape it, our country must end this controversial act.

Grab an ice cold Coke,

happiness.

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Mitchell Moore

and open

MUST Easter Island Easter Island is also known as Rapa Nui. The mysterious heads make it one of the most sacred spots on earth but it is still a mystery because no one knows how they got there.

Maui If you are looking for exotic, beautiful beaches, come visit Maui. It is great surfer bros and has some of the nicest beach resorts and hotels in the world. You should also visit the Iao state park, which is known for it’s towering mountains filled with life.

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is located in the mountains of Peru. It was ruins of the ancient Incan empire it is South America’s best known archeological site.

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see

Kirk Groome

GalApAGOS ISLANDS The Galapagos islands are known for there wide variety of animals thanks to Charles Darwin. The islands are one of the only places on Earth where man respects the animals boundaries and the animals will play with the humans

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil They have some of the most beautiful beaches in all of the world. When you go you should visit the Ipenema and the Copacabana beach.

French Quarter If you go to southern United State you must visit the French Quarter. You should watch some of the Mardi Gras parades from the balcony.

After you eat beignets you should go and see Jackson Square and the Saint Louis Cathedral.

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MUST Zip lining Spend the day zip lining in Costa Rica.

Experiencing life on the edge while discovering new wildlife, this is a great activity for all ages.

surfing Grab your surf board, bathing suit, and will power and jump into Hawaii’s beautiful oceans. Whether you’re an expert or taking lessons, surfing in Hawaii is a very popular pastime for tourists.

Time Square Between the amazing shopping, cuisine, and the famous broadway musicals, there is something for everyone in New York City. So while you are in New York, make sure to visti the illuminated city!

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DO

Lilly RUfty

Mt. Rushmore In South Dokota and looking for somethng to do? Visit the historical mountains of Mount Rusmore to catch a glimpse of some of NorthAmericas’ greates and most influencial men.

Beaches Enjoy a nice, long, and relaxing day at the beach in the Galapagos Islands. Swim with the exotic sea life the island has to offer and get that perfect tan.

Andes Mts. While in Peru, schedule a visit to the Andes Mountains. Whether hiking or visiting the Alpacas, get a sense of this important, beautiful, and inspiring place.

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MOVIES Thomas stall

The Great Gatsby is a romantic drama based on a 1925 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This 2013 film is available in 3-D.

Rio is a 3-D computer animated adventure comedy and it is a musical.

The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, the setting of the film.

Trailer Park Boys The Movie, also known as “Big Dirty� is a comedy based on a T.V. series set in Nova Scotia, Canada called Trailer Park Boys.

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PERU

Charlotte Friend

When visiting Peru, don’t be alarmed if someone is standing way too close to you! Peruvians don’t value personal space as much as NorthAmericans do, so be sure not to offend anyone by stepping back suddenly while speaking with them.

Also, when you are invited out somewhere, either to dinner or someone’s home, make sure not to arrive early.

In Peru, it comes off as very rude, so most people show up 20 to 30 minutes after the planned time.

Mexico

In Mexico, many people greet each other by gently touching the person’s forearm. This may seem strange, but this is a Mexican custom, so you shouldn’t be surprised if a few people approach you and begin feeling your arm!

canada

Flowers are given to represent many different feelings or emotions. Be sure never to offer white flowers or marigolds, which symbolize uprisings and death.

Canadians are generally very serious and private people. Remember to always firmly shake hands when greeting someone, and make eye contact with everyone, providing the person with a feeling of respect.

Depending on which area of Canada you are in, the ettiquite will vary. For example, in Quebec, people find it incredibly rude to speak while having your hands in your pockets, so always have your hands visible while carrying on a conversation!

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of current bowls or where the BCS bowls were? How many fans would travel to see their team play in a game where they know they should win and advance to the next round. In the SEC championship game in 2011 at the Georgia Dome, it was mostly Georgia red because the LSU fans did not want to pay for the travel, tickets and hotels.

They were the heavy favorite and they would prefer to save their money for BCS championship in their home state of Louisiana. Also since their will be no BCS there will still be controversy over the rankings and the seeding for the playoffs and the teams that would be

selected for the playoffs. In the end we will still have the same problem of selecting teams to be in the playoffs. The college football should not continue with the new playoffs, they should return to the BCS. They should return to the traditional BCS system to not extend the already long college football season and to not get rid of the traditional bowls they have been playing for years. The playoffs will lead to the same amount of controversy if not more. So do you still think college football playoffs is a good idea? I say forget it.

Continued from Pg. 7

beneficial to many more cites in the future. It’s favorable that the NCAA is creating the new college football playoff system. There will be no more controversy in college football playoffs. More teams

will have a chance at winning the final. The new college football playoff system will benefit many cities economically. Fans should be prepared for a revolution in college football.

Lilly Rufty

NEW LIMITED EDITION TINTED SHADES!

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Home Sweet Home Lilly Rufty

As I was traveling to the Joffrey Dance School, where I would be dancing for the next year, so many thoughts rushed through my head. So many thoughts, both good and bad.

The bad for how I would miss my family and the little friends I had. At the same time, I was excited for what was to come, for the opportunities that lay ahead for me.

I come from a poor but happy family. Living in Cusco, a small town in southeast Peru, it was always a challenge to make enough money to support our family.

Although my parents worked double shifts, they have a hard time making ends meet.

Ever since I was a small child, I have always loved dancing. Somehow, my parents managed to gather enough money together for my dance lessons.

My dream is to be a professional ballet dancer. Last summer, I entered an international dance competition in Lima. Although I didn’t win, I placed high, and to my amazement, I was invited to attend the famous Joffrey Dance School in New York!

After months of waiting, the big day finally arrived. So, here I am, in the “Big Apple” as I had over heard it called in the airport. Catching a

glimpse of the city through the small taxi cab window, I was reminded of how far away I was from home. The hussle and bussle, high buildings, traffic, and lights of this new city had been so different from what I was accustomed to. Cusco was much more quiet and relaxed with much fewer people.

As I arrived at my final destination, 434th Avenue of the Americas, the cab driver muttered “This is it,” and my heart stopped. I slowly stepped out of the polished taxi cab and dragged my feet along the cemented streets of New York City.

Not until that moment had it dawned on me where I actually was. I was in America, “the country of opportunity,” as my father had called it. Not only that, but I was in New York City, where dreams come true.

Hopefully that expression would prove true for me soon. I finally brought myself to pick up my luggage before tipping the taxi cab driver more than I could probably afford out of excitement for what lay ahead for me in this unknown, incredible, and slightly intimidating city.

I had been worried about where I would stay and the price that came along with it. I had little to no money,

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and most options I found in newspapers were way out of my price range.

The school recommended browsing the bulletin board in the lobby for offers.

They also recommended picking options that had people who wanted roommates. With a roommate, the price of my rent would split in two, which was definitely a plus. I went straight from the airport to Joffrey in hopes of arriving to class early. This would give me extra time to browse and read into different advertisements and what each had to offer. I made sure to jot down any important contact information before heading into class.

Later on that night, I counted up every offer I had considered and taken note of, which was around 10. Because I had spent money staying in a hotel my first night, my options reduced greatly to around three. I immediately called and set up times for tours of the remaining apartments.

Tomorrow would be a long day.

I woke up bright and early the next morning, due to the loud noises of cars honking and revving their engines.

I quickly got dressed and walked to pick up coffee at a close by cafe, needing caffeine from the little sleep I was able to catch. The weather was very different from back home, where it was hot, humid, and never rained.

Here it was anywhere from 4 to 15 degrees Celsius, or more like 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so drinking the hot coffee instantly warmed me up. I took a taxi to my first interview, which was

in a part of New York called Brooklyn.

At first I thought I had the wrong address, comparing how different this building looked in person to the picture on the ad.

The street where the apartment was located reminded me of a part of town I was forbidden to go in as a child. From the graffiti on the walls to the people walking by, everything about this street was sketchy. Regardless, I would keep an open mind since I was down to so few options. After just five minutes of talking to who would be my future roommate, I said I wasn’t feeling well and would call back. I never did.

Next, I went to an area called Queens.

The apartment here was worse than the one back in Brooklyn, which I didn’t think was possible.

Almost all of the windows had been busted out completely. Even though back home we never had glass in our windows, I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. I called up the owner and told him I was moving states. I never did.

Finally, I visited Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan. I knew it was the right one when I layed eyes on it, and after touring it my feeling for it only grew stronger. The owner and I had much in common and got to know each other quickly. It all happened so quickly and by later that day I was all moved in. I was so excited to finally have a place of my own and continue on following my dreams, dancing ballet.

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Haiti Takes a Hit Charlotte FrieNd Ever since I was a young girl, I have always wanted to help give back.

The feeling you get after helping someone in need is one of the best feelings possible, and I was determined to experience it. Following my senior year of college, I decided to venture to the Caribbean country, Haiti, where a massive earth quake had recently hit on January 12, 2010.

Living in Los Angeles was great, but I was ready to be exposed to something new. My decision to go to Haiti was a bold one, but my parents were incredibly pleased that I would be helping the many victims of the disaster. I didn’t know much about the earthquake, but I was certain that the people of Haiti needed as much help as possible.

After exchanging multiple hugs and kisses with my parents, I headed toward the LAX airport to await the plane which I would be on for the next six hours. Finally, I arrived at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Immediately after my arrival, I dropped off my bags at my hotel and went straight to a shelter. Everywhere I looked, there were people. People crying, people dying, people bleeding, and people helping. There were over 3 million victims, and I had no clue as of where to begin.

One woman approached me, bleeding, crying, and holding a young child in her arms. “What is your name?” I asked.

She struggled to push out the words, but she quietly whimpered “Helena.” As I sat with her, she tried to retell the horrendous event she had experienced just a few days ago. She explained to me that when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit, she was alone in her bedroom, completely unprepared for what was about to happen. “The ground started to move,” she said. “Then, it stopped, then came again, and again, and again.” I fought back my tears as she continued to tell her story.

I understood the majority of what Helena was saying, but some words were in French, which is the language most Haitians speak. Besides English, Spanish was the only other language I was ever exposed to, so the words Helena spoke in French were completely foreign to me.

The emotions she expressed basically told her entire story. I learned that Helena’s entire family had been killed, except for her baby brother, who she had saved. “After the first shake, I heard crying, so I searched and searched, but I found nothing,” she said. Helena began crying as she explained how she

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found her brother. He was trapped under the debris, and when Helena found him, they went to where she thought would be safe. She explained that there had been numerous aftershocks, all very powerful.

I finished listening to Helena, and moved on to the next person. I discovered a young boy, who was burying his head into his knees. I walked up to him and asked what I could do to help him, but there was no response. I gently tapped his shoulder, and he looked up at me with a face full of fear. “Es’ke ou ka ede’m?” he whispered. I asked someone near me what he had said, and they responded, saying that the young boy had asked for my help. The young boy spoke little English, but I soon found out that his name was Sylvio.

An old man noticed that I was struggling to comprehend what Sylvio was saying, so he offered to translate his words to English for me. Sylvio had been with his older brother when the earthquake began, but he was separated from him soon after.

I explained how difficult it would be to find his brother, and then Sylvio broke down into tears. “I want my brother!” he cried. I searched for his brother for at least an hour, but there was no use.

He could be anywhere from somewhere in the shelter, or under a pile of rubble somewhere far away.

There was nothing I could do, and I couldn’t bear watching this innocent boy suffer any longer. I began to

realize how tragic this disaster had been for these people.

I had to take a few minutes to collect myself, and as I sat there, balling my eyes out, a Haitian man came and sat next to me. “Es’ke ou bien?” he said. I explained to him that I wasn’t familiar with Creole French, and he responded, now in English, “Are you okay?” I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to speak English as well as his native language.

“Yes, I am okay,” I said.

I t o l d h i m t h a t I w a s n ’t expecting this place to affect me as much as it did, and he looked at me and said, “You are helping to rebuild my beloved country, and I thank you for that.”

After speaking with that man, I compared Haiti to my own home in Los Angeles.

Never before had I considered how fortunate I was, and how many opportunities I had that other people didn’t.

The innocent victims of this terrible natural disaster had lost everything. Over 200,000 were killed, and more than 1,000,000 were left without a place to call home.

Schools, hospitals, and important landmarks were destroyed, and the Haitians had to deal with he fact that their country would never again be the same.

When I returned to where I had helped Helena and Sylvio, I looked around and saw people helping one another. Even some of the victims who were injured were trying to help ease other people’s pain. At that point, I

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could tell that the feeling I had longed to experience on this trip was now inside of me. I knew at that moment, that I wanted to help people for the rest of my life. I was told two stories, two stories from two completely

different people, whose lives were dramatically changed after this tragedy.

Neither my country, nor my home were destroyed, but I felt the pain that these poor people had felt.

Learning Lessons in Brazil Mitchell Moore smile. I walked up to him, shook his hand and said hello Mitchell.

He grabbed me gave me a large hug and called me neto, which is Portuguese for grandson. I was surprised, yet happy.

We walked together to the parking lot and that was when I saw his car. He drove a Ford F-250 super duty truck.

He had named the truck Confiavel, which in Portuguese is “reliable.”

Compared to my Mercedes it looked like an elephant. I climbed into the monster of a car and we drove off. We did not talk during the car ride, not because I did not want to, but because I was too busy staring at the beautiful Brazilian countryside. When we arrived at his ranch he showed me to my room. I laid down and tried to take a nap. Five minutes later my grandfather walked in the room and asked what I was doing. “I am tired, I need to rest.” My Papi (the nickname I

As I walked off my airplane and into the airport, all I could think about was what I’d be having for dinner that night. Of course, I had much more important things to worry about, like the fact I was meeting my grandfather for the first time, in about two minutes.

I was never really good at focusing on what is really important. So, as I walked to baggage claim to meet my grandfather, I thought, what kind of person could he be. The only things I knew about him was that he lives on a ranch in the countryside about 40 miles away from Rio, he is my father’s father, he loves to hunt, and we have the same name, Mitchell Patrick Moore. Other than that, I was clueless.

My first impression of him from about thirty yards away was that he was slightly tan and a little shorter than me. He had large calves and a broad

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was supposed to use when I talked to him) was annoyed, “When you are in my house, we are active. Get out of those city clothes and put on something tough, we are going on a tour.” After I was ready, I walked outside. He had prepared two ATV’s for us. I was astonished, I’d never done anything like that, I was just a city boy from Chicago. We rode away on the two metal death traps and through the terrain. We went through a couple miles of fields and then into the forest. He kept on going on about the wildlife and the trees and things I did not want to hear about, when finally I said we should go get a snack.

When we got back he pulled out some chips and salsa and started to suggest other things we should do. My mind started to wander and I stopped paying attention. He could tell I had not been paying attention, so he banged on the table. I was startled and I fell out of my chair. He asked me if I was having fun. I said of course, but he raised his eyebrow, like my father does and I confessed that the things we were doing didn’t suit me.

“What do you want to do,” he asked. I told him I wanted to go to Rio and spend some time in the city. He said that sort of thing was not for him because Rio would be crowded that night.

“Why would it be crowded?” I asked. He realized I did not know that the biggest festival in the world happened to be going in one of the two weeks I would be here: Carnaval. He

said I could go out tonight trying to play a little trick on me, but I had to be home by one o’clock. I was 22 years old, so I thought I’ll stay out a little later. I took Confiavel and drove to Rio. “Be careful with her,” Papi said, but the last thing I was thinking of was some stupid old truck. When I arrived in Rio, it was a madhouse. People were everywhere, walking on the streets and getting in everybody’s way.

I thought, “What is going on?”

I parked and followed everybody walking on the streets, and then I started to hear the sound of music and laughing and little children playing.

When I stopped I could not believe what I saw. There were huge floats driving down the street, and in between them there were beautiful women dancing. There were street vendors and sales people and young children.

It was a sight like nothing I had ever seen. I enjoyed the parade, there were people riding on the floats throwing toys.

The streets were filled with samba music. The colors of the floats were vibrant and amazing. It was one of the best and interesting nights of my life. After the parade was over, I went back to where I had parked the truck, but when I got to my spot, there was no car.

Someone had stolen my grandfather’s truck, the one he brought three deer in on when he had a good day of hunting. It was twelve thirty in the morning, I was an hour away from the ranch, and I had no truck. I caught a cab and went home pondering my

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problems. I woke up the next morning shaking and with sweaty palms. My grandfather was reading and I started to eat breakfast, toast and oatmeal. He went outside and my fears were realized. “Where is my truck?” he asked. “Papi, last night, I left the keys in the car and someone stole Confiavel.” I was surprised at the look on his face, not angry, not sad, but neutral.

“Do you know what my father used to tell me? He used to tell me that responsibility comes with a combination of age and when you perform a major act of responsibility.

You are of age, but I don’t know if you have performed that act. What I do know is yesterday you made a mistake.

The good part is today is a new day, and we must be thankful it was a truck

that was stolen and not you, the grandson I am so eager to get to know.

So, let us put this behind us and start fresh.” The only thing I thought was that my grandfather was a man to be respected, and then he said something else, “But I hope you are working hard in that new job, because your savings account is going to take a major hit tomorrow.” I guess he was quite the comedian too.

Those next two weeks I spent with my Papi were really enlightening.

He taught me how skin a deer, properly clean a gun, and make a mean batch of Brazilian black bean stew, but the most important thing he taught me was to live and let live, no matter where you are, who you’re with, or whatever happens.

Journeying in the Amazon Kirk Groome I entered the tour boat.

My guides were a mestizo, just like most of the native people I had seen in this big rainforest. Most of the people in Brazil where either mestizo, which is a race created in Brazil when the Portuguese settlers married the native dark skin people. If they were not mestizos, they would be mulattoes.

Occasionally I would see a few white people like myself, who I thought were foreigners.

The tour started and before I left for my trip I was told not to trust the tour guides or the facts they were telling because most of them were not accurate. It was not long until we

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encountered our first animals. We saw a giant anaconda slithering along the bank of the river. The animal I most wanted to see was the panther.

I was not alone on the tour. I was with two tour guides, Leandro and Gabriela, who I think had no idea what they were talking about, a french couple who would only talk to each other and a family who looked like they were Brazilian. The guides said that the river was about 3,500 miles long when on my research before the tour it said it was at least 500 miles longer than what they have said. I did start to think to myself about how many undiscovered small villages their are in this large rainforest that takes over two-million square miles and passes through nine different counties.

We stopped at a small town to get some lunch. We went to a small food shack of the side of a dirt path they call a road, in what looked to be the villages main street. As I was in line, I was talking to my tour guide and asking, “Do you think they have feijoada?,” the national dish of Brazil.

He looked at me and laughed and said “No you will only find that in the cities, in the small villages off the amazon it is mostly seafood.” It was my turn to order, I went up to the table to order and the man looked excited to see me, like he has never seen a white man before. He offered me the shrimp so not knowing what else to get I ordered it. When I got my shrimp It did not look very good I took two bites and I knew that was enough.

We got back on our tour boat and I fell asleep due to a stomach ache.

I was awakened harshly by the boat taking a sharp turn and I stuck my head up and I saw fisherman, the native men of the amazon. We stopped and talked to them, their boat was nothing more than just a few pieces of wood. When I looked inside their tiny boat I saw they had fish. They asked me “Do you want a fish?”

I said “Sure why not.” I took the fish and the men on the boat and my tour guides just started to stare. I began to sweat and my face was red because I was holding a strange fish while thees foreigners who just gave me the fish were just looking at me smiling. It was squirming, when I noticed its big teeth and dropped it, the men began to laugh.

It was getting really dark now and it was nice. I could hear the noises of all the creatures in the rainforest. I was told that they were panthers that came out in the rainforest at night but I was not expecting to see one. Our plan was to have dinner and sleep in a small village where the guides have stopped often on their tours. The boat stopped suddenly and we were asked to exit onto a dock that looked like it was about to fall in the water. As I was walking on the dock I froze of fear, I was staring in the water at what looked to be the same piranha that the fisherman gave me. I froze there for about a minute when my tour guide yelled, “Jarnold, come on.”

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I puled myself together and came, but as we where walking to the families house we were staying at I saw some beautiful purple flowers that I picked to give to the family as a gift.

We entered the house and I was amazed at how many people could fit into this tiny house. Unlike in the United States the whole family lived together in the house including grandparents, a father, mother and two boys, one who looked like he was in his teens and one who looked like he was around seven years old. I gave the father of the house the flowers I have picked and right as he received them he frowned but still accepted them.

As we were waiting for the food I started a conversation with the seven year old who told me he helped his father fish, which was their family business, like most of these small village amazon families. I asked him if he was scared of the piranhas, he laughed and said he enjoyed catching them the. Then I asked him if he had ever seen a panther he said that there was a panther who always come and was pain to the tribe. He said that when people were sleeping the panther would walk through the village looking

for living things on the forest floor to eat. The food was ready we all sat down to eat and I was mad to find out we were having the shrimp they caught today. I really did not want to eat because I felt sick from just the two bites of poorly cooked shrimp earlier in the day but I ate some to be polite and It was actually the best food I have had on my trip in Brazil.

It was late I was sent to the guest room that had what they would call a bed but was just a long pillow with a uncomfortable blanket. I was worried of my stuff being stolen like I have heard from stories so I just was holding on to my bag with all of my belongings underneath the blanket. It was pitch black and again I could hear all the creature in the forest just outside the house. I tried to stay up to see the panther butI was too tired. Suddenly I was awaken by the little kid. He took me outside about thirty yards away I could see an outline of a large dark animal with big white eyes. It was a panther I thought I would be excited but instead I was scared.

After watching it for about ten minutes I went back to my bed and went to sleep.

It Is More Than Just a Game Thomas Stall

It is the third day in Santiago and I have finally adjusted to the time change. Today I want to try something different, yesterday the Casablanca valley was cool, but I had a hard time enjoying myself because I was so jetlagged. Everyone around here seems to be interested in soccer, and I heard that there is a big game today, so I told my concierge to buy me a ticket. Chile is playing at home against Brazil today at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos. I don’t know anything about either of these teams, or soccer for that matter, but this is supposed to be a good experience anyway, so why not try it?

I arrived at the stadium in awe. I have been to many stadiums in the United States, but I can honestly say that I have never seen such a sight.

There were people wearing costumes, there was yelling, there were chants being sung, and I noticed there were many people wearing red clothes. I don’t have any Chilean soccer apparel, so I just wore a yellow T-shirt. I handed my ticket to the usher and as I walked to down the tunnel to find my seat, I noticed many people giving me a strange look. People would shout out phrases in Spanish. I figured this was just protocol for a soccer match, so I discarded the thought and went on about my business. I arrived at my seat just minutes before kick off and waited for the players to take the field. As I was looking around the stadium I realized that I was in the fan section for Chile, which was great until the players

arrived on the pitch. Brazil is wearing their home jersey, which is yellow. As soon as I noticed the dilemma I finally figured out why I was being pushed around and shouted at.

The first half is over, Brazil is leading one nil, and the situation at hand had gotten exponentially worse.

The team that I was apparently cheering for was winning and that meant that the fans from Chile would not be happy. The loud chants and flair guns being set off were truly overwhelming. I began to question whether or not there was any security at this match at all. I had officially decided that I will leave this match as quickly and as discreetly as possible. I needed a plan, or maybe I could stay and paint myself red? There are plenty of options right now, but I need to make a decision soon.

I had changed my mind. I will stay at the game until it is over. It is just a game anyway, nobody in their right mind would harm me because of the pigment of the cotton that is covering my torso. I may as well just enjoy myself and take in a little culture. Although, it would probably be in my best interest to get out of the fan section. I walked down the tunnels to find an open seat and maybe sit by some brazil fans so I won’t be harassed. I scanned the stadium and there were absolutely no yellow shirts around. Whatever, I will just deal with my section because not only are there no seats by yellow fans, but there are no open seats of any kind. I got to my

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“Cállate!”

I’m not doing this right now, I’m leaving. As I made my way out of the stadium, the game was just about over anyway. Brazil was winning 3-1 in the 85th minute, and frankly I’m glad that Brazil was winning, after the way I was treated. I finally got into a taxi and left. The nightmare was finally over.

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Charlotte Friend

seat and brought a drink back as well.

As soon as I sat down I heard the words ahora las minas, which I later found out means mine now, and before I knew it the soda was out of my hands and in the hands of another man. This was probably the most heart breaking moment I have experienced in quite a while so I decided that I will win back the beverage.

“Hey! thats mine give it back”

`

BOOK HOOKs Ana’s Story a JOURNEY OF HOPE: Jenna Bush Charlotte Friend As if living with Aids isn’t enough to deal with, Ana, a teenage girl living in Latin America, must try her hardest to keep her many secrets from the people she trusts the most. Even though she has been abused, both physically and sexually, passed around to relatives, and even thrown into a reform center, Ana remains a brave and strong woman throughout her life.

After losing her mother, father, and newborn baby sister to Aids, Ana learns to handle her own condition very seriously and responsibly. When her abuela’s nasty boyfriend, Ernesto starts taking advantage of Ana and her younger sister Isabelle, Ana learns to take matters into her own hands. Ana then lives in a home for HIV infected patients, known as the hogar, where she meets Berto. Strong feelings develop between Ana and Berto, and after a while, they have a child together, Beatriz.

When Ana and Berto’s relationship begins to crumble, Ana must decide what is best for her and Beatriz. By this book’s end, readers won’t believe how unbelievably grown up Ana has become, and what a great mother she turns into.

Ciao America!: BEppe Severgnini Thomas Stall

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Ciao America! Is a non-fiction story about a man named Beppe Severgnini who spends an entire year in a groaning house in Georgetown, Washington with his wife.

In a country where there is much to explore, Americans seem to be more interested in ice cubes and recliner chairs than anything else. In this hysterical story Severgnini points out ambiguous aspects of America commonly overlooked

by Americans and gives his faultless takes on them. This witty composition will change the way Americans view an abundance of everyday actions.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: Jamie Ford Lilly Rufty Growing up Chinese during WWII, teenager Henry Lee lives a life very different from your average teenager. Henry must learn to chose between friends or family, leaving the other behind and never looking back.

Between his traditional Chinese parents and Caucasian school mates, Henry has trouble fitting in at his all white school in Seattle. When Henry befriends Keiko, a new Japanese student, a problem is posed to his father, an extreme Chinese Nationalist who opposed him having any Japanese friends.

Though in secret, the friendship soon becomes stronger, blossoming into an unbreakable compassion for one another.

The couple gets through unexpected twists and turns of life together, until they lose communication and Henry meets his wife Ethel.

Now older and wiser, Henry seeks to fix the broken pieces of the unforseen and objectionable relationship that had existed so long ago, yet had always remained in his heart. Author Jamie Ford allows the reader to embark on a journey through such an important part of history that had been left behind. Join Henry and Keiko on their miraculous adventure with one another, where they risk their lives and well being for their forbidden love.

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Keeper: Mal Peet Kirk Groome

The Keeper is a story for both soccer and ghost story lovers. The story is takes place when El Gato, the world’s best goal keeper explains to Paul Faustino how he became such a good keeper.

El Gato lived in a small town right near the jungle and one day he finds himself wandering through the jungle to find something no one else has found, a ghost figure, the keeper. He is trained by this mysterious man and becomes one of the best goal keepers in the world. He finds out he must win the World Cup, something this strange forest man could never do. Will he win the cup? Will he find out who this strange man is?

on a hoof and a prayer: polly evans MItchell MOore Traveler, writer, and cowgirl at heart, Polly Evans is ready to ride. In 2005 Polly decided that she wanted to ride a horse. So, she packed her bags and headed off to the plains and mountains of the quiet and rowdy, Argentina.

Polly Evans is eager to ride horses and she figures, “What is a better place to go than luscious Argentina?” Through long and grueling bus rides, she travels to fast moving cities like Buenos Aires or to quiet little towns like Cafayete. Polly has the experience of riding bucking broncos and calm mares. Polly always stayed in local run inns and hotels, so she really experienced how Argentine locals behave. This book is a combination of humor, history, and horses. In the month and a half she stays in Argentina, Polly experiences the epitome of Argentine culture. Although, one particular Argentinian, Evita Peron, takes Polly not necessarily where she wants to go. Will Polly solve the mystery of Evita Peron? Find out in On a Hoof and a Prayer.

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