November 6, 2009

Page 1

November 6, 2009

Volume 50, No. 3

1515 Greenbriar Blvd. Boulder, CO 80305

Royal Banner Inside

Economy Updates

What Mae Be Annoying Right Now... Not a fan of Gossip Girl? Look no further for venting See page

4

How our generation will be impacted by the current crunch Turn to page 2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009

Turkey truth:

What Really

happens before it ends up on the dinner table Musical Madness Get ready for this year’s first major production from the theatre department, 42nd Street! For details, See 6,7

Turkey day What are Fairview students and staff thankful for? See 4

Senior

How the Thanksgiving holiday has changed since its creation See 5

Count Down

110

Greg Wahl Staff Reporter

If you’re like most Americans, you probably want to eat your Thanksgiving turkey this season without thinking about what kind of life it had or what it went through. But looking at the truth behind the turkey industry and what really happens to your turkey might shock you. Undercover video footage of turkey hatcheries and turkey farms conducted by organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), COK (Compassion Over Killing), and Mercy For Animals reveals the horrible conditions turkeys encounter from birth to death. This footage shows evidence of sorting machines crushing turkeys and tearing of their limbs, as well as workers cramming the turkeys into cages and sheds and physically abusing them by throwing them and hitting them for fun.

Turkeys that are bred to be slaughtered never get to live a normal life. Just moments after they are born, turkeys are stored in small cages and treated just like any product manufactured and processed in a factory. Workers toss them into crates and boxes, and force them through all kinds of metal machinery where the turkeys are often injured or killed before even reaching the slaughterhouse. Workers also may remove the feet, beaks, or other body parts of many birds while they are fully conscious. When they are old enough to be slaughtered (nine to 21 weeks old), the company ships the turkeys to the slaughterhouse where they will spend their last moments hanging upside-down with their feet shackled on a conveyor belt. It is here that workers were seen physically abusing turkeys by punching,

grabbing, tossing them around, and even strangling them. In order to preserve their freshness, the birds are not killed until they finally have their throat slit by a machine. This means that if machinery and/or workers abuse, mutilate, or badly injure turkeys, no one removes the turkeys from the conveyor belt as long as they are still breathing. If any of this makes you uneasy about eating turkey this Thanksgiving, PETA recommends trying another main dish like “Tofurky” or “Unturky” which are soy and wheat-based. But, if you’re dead set on having a turkey this Thanksgiving, at the very least buy a “free range” turkey, where turkeys endure slightly better conditions.

Days till Graduation

Thanksgiving FastFacts

Assistant Principal Sarah Digiacomo chills with her 1994 Dodge Dakota in the staff lot. “I’ll never get stuck in the snow again,” Digiacomo comments on her trusty Dodge (Photo: Cerny).

By the fall after their voyage, only half of the pilgrims who had sailed on the Mayflower were still alive. Beer was the most plentiful drink that the Puritans brought with them on the Mayflower. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. Turkeys have heart attacks when exposed to loud noises. When the Air Force was conducting test runs to break the sound barrier fields of turkeys would drop dead. Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey because it was a symbol of strength. A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. Turkeys can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds. The male turkey is called a tom and a female turkey is called a hen. Only male turkeys gobble, while females make clicking sounds. Caroline Kruger and Rachel Joyce

NaNoWriMo begins What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an opportunity for students to showcase their literary talents. It is essentially an event where students write a 175-page novel (50,000 words) about anything they want. There is no specific theme or format one has to follow. However, they can’t use previous work; everything has to be done from scratch.

START Nov

1

END Nov

30

When is it? The month of November -Nov. 1 till midnight of Nov. 30.

You can sign up at http://www.nanowrimo.org/user/ register. It’s free!

What do previous “Wrimos” have to say? “It’s crazy, but it’s a lot of fun.” –Brittany Hughes, 12 “It’s quite the accomplishment. You feel fulfilled when you’re done. It’s a positive experience.” –Hannah Robinson, 12 “It’s fun. Normally I just start writing and see where it takes me.” -Sophie Saouma, 12 Dize Hacioglu


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