the gryphon times...of the three student-athletes and two coaches interviewed, all agreed that nfl...
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THE GRYPHON TIMES Friday, October 20, 2017 Volume 10 Issue 2
Unending Natural Disasters By Amaya Zweifel
Lately, there have been several natural disasters im-
pacting people across the world. Many of those incidents
have caused severe damage.
Within these past two months there has been Hurricane
Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Irma in Florida, two earth-
quakes in Mexico, Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas,
and wildfires in California.
Many loved ones, cherished items and homes have
been lost during all of these events.
University Academy senior Je’Nique Graham spent
this past summer in the streets of Mexico, where there is
now traumatic earthquake damage.
“It’s sad because I [just] walked those beautiful
streets,” said Graham.
She recently contacted her host mother, who she lived
with, and sadly found out that their house and school is
destroyed. Her mother taught at one of the only schools for
deaf kids in their city.
UA senior India Sorrells also visited Mexico this sum-
mer. Her host family was di-
rectly impacted by the earth-
quakes, too.
“They didn’t get hurt or
anything, but a lot of the
places around and their homes
are messed up pretty bad,” said
Sorrells.
Sorrells said that if she
could, she would donate water
and money to those who were
impacted by these recent natu-
ral disasters. Graham said that
she would send care packages.
“I hope that all of the people in these natural disasters
will be okay and that they will have a quick recovery,” said
Sorrells.
Everyone needs all of the help that they can get.
1
Thoughts on Athletic Protests By Lillian Scanlon
Imagine it. More than 60,000 people stand up, and
you—with two other men—don’t stand but rather, do the
opposite. On Oct. 2, 2016, three San Francisco ‘49er foot-
ball players (Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid, and Eli Harold)
were the first men to ever kneel during the playing of the
national anthem prior to a football game.
The original position that Kaepernick held was sitting
during the anthem, but he later switched it to kneeling in
respect for all the men and women in the military while still
protesting against all the injustices that minorities in the
United States dealt with in the past and present.
Recently, the fight for equality has turned into the fight
for the football players’ first
amendment rights, with President
Donald Trump saying players
who kneel at a football games
should be fired.
President Trump’s remark
caused huge backlash from the
NFL, which resulted in 25 out of
the 36 NFL teams showing signs
of protest during the national an-
them. The signs they used in-
cluded locking arms, kneeling,
sitting down, or just not showing
up on the field at all. The teams
who didn’t officially take the
field until after the anthem were
the Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans.
The president triggered more backlash on Sept. 22, at a
rally in Huntsville, Ala., when he called people who knelt
during the anthem a bunch of “S.O.B.s.”
It’s not unheard of for athletes to speak up about politi-
cal issues. Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey made a very
controversial pair in the late 1940’s when they first stepped
onto the Major League Baseball field, to the protest of
many white Americans of the time. Robinson was the first
African-American baseball player ever in the major
leagues, while Rickey was the Dodgers’ sports executive
who signed Robinson to the team.
Other famous athletes have used their influence to
make statements, too.
“Tommie Smith and Muhammad Ali famously dis-
cussed their beliefs and opinions not too long ago,” said Mr.
Andrew Blakemore, assistant football coach at UA. In
1968, Smith and John Carlos both raised their fists in sup-
port of the Black Power movement after winning first and
second place in the 200-meter sprint at the Mexico City
Olympics. Ali refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War
because violence was against his religious beliefs.
“With that said, athletes today have more of a social
platform with social media and television network cover-
age,” said Mr. Blakemore.
Byron Williams, a senior athlete, also believes that
athletes are important in politics.
“I feel like athletes have a political say because
they have an imagery and kids want to be like them, so
they’re going to try and think and
act how they act,” said Williams.
Anwar Smith, junior football
player, believes that it wasn’t
until now that athletes truly had a
big political influence.
“At first they were originally
seen as mainly a form of enter-
tainment, and now due to the
respect that athletes have gained
through their actions and through
the course of these years, they’re
able to use their reputations and
popularity to affect people’s
opinions in society,” said Smith.
Of the three student-athletes
and two coaches interviewed, all agreed that NFL football
players should be allowed to protest during the national
anthem.
Another player who has shown his opinions through
football is New York Giants’ receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
“When [Odell Beckham Jr.] scored his touchdown he
put up his fist for the Black Power movement ... I really
liked what he did,” said Ryan Wilson, senior. “That’s one
of the athletes that I like that took a stand.”
When it comes down to the very core of the situation,
examining the motives behind people’s actions seems to be
the key.
“Protesting is a part of the foundation of our country;
copying a celebrity idol or disrespecting our armed services
and veterans is not,” said Mr. Blakemore.
“There is a stark difference between purposeful protest
and blatant disrespect.”
Je’Nique Graham studied
abroad in Mexico.
Natural Disasters Timeline
New “Addition”
to Upper School
Math Department
Is Mr. Story Sandy fitting in as a new Upper School
teacher? Mr. Sandy, a new staff member in the math de-
partment at University Academy, took Ms. Katy Ken-
yon’s College Algebra courses and some Algebra II
courses, as well.
Ms. Kenyon has been teaching math at UA for five
years, and she “felt a lot of anxiety” about leaving her
teaching position.
She did-
n't know
whether
or not she
could
trust the
new
teacher
with “her
kids.”
As the
school
year has
pro-
gressed,
her opinion has shifted.
“I can say with utmost confidence that Mr. Sandy has
alleviated my stress because I absolutely trust him,” Ms.
Kenyon said. “He makes himself available for tutoring
above and beyond what's required, and he has a calming
demeanor which promotes students' abilities to focus.”
She added, “So because I know Mr. Sandy is going to
do right by my kids, I am happy that he has taken my spot
as the College Algebra teacher.”
Following the footsteps of his mother, aunt and uncle,
Mr. Sandy came into the teaching profession well-
prepared.
Mr. Sandy said he feels as though the school year so
far has been successful.
He is “constantly impressed by the number of activi-
ties that students participate in and organize.”
Mr. Sandy
also hopes to re-
main a UA staff
member long
term. He said he is
happy to step into
the UA building
and teach classes
all day.
“I feel very
lucky to work with
such great teach-
ers and adminis-
trators and a fabu-
lous math team,”
he said.
Mr. Sandy is
not the only one
who thinks the
school year is go-
ing well.
Senior Lauren
Warren said that
“with this being
his first year
teaching, he’s doing a good job.”
Warren had Ms. Kenyon for three years straight dur-
ing her first three years of high school, and with her last
year in high school she had to switch to an unfamiliar
teacher.
“I was very sad at first,” she said. “I was hoping I
had Ms. Kenyon all four years.”
But once the school year started, Warren’s mindset
drifted from bitterness to sweetness. She realized that Mr.
Sandy isn't so bad after all.
Although Mr. Sandy is not Ms. Kenyon, he is now an
essential part of the UA family.
By Eriana Townes
Fun Facts about Mr. Sandy:
Follows the news
“obsessively.”
Likes to cook—favorite
foods are black bean soup and
pumpkin bread.
Went to the University of
Wisconsin, while Ms. Kenyon
went to the University of Minne-
sota. Their schools are in a ri-
valry, but Wisconsin has beat
Minnesota for 13 years straight
in football.
Lived in Ecuador, also lived
in China for five weeks.
Is color blind.
Favorite movie is “Hot Fuzz.”
Likes to bike.
Likes to travel the world.
Dream vacation spot is
Thailand.
Mr. Sandy is new this year and teaches
math in the Upper School.
NFL players have been kneeling during the Na-
tional Anthem prior to games.
2
UA Flag Team Entertains the Crowds at Halftime By Markeiana Wilson
University Academy’s flag team helps to entertain the
crowd at halftime at football games. The flag team consist
of seven girls who are dedicated and patient.
The flags they twirl at halftime are blue and silver--the
colors that represent UA. The flag team adds entertainment
by performing with the band as they play their selection of
songs.
Ms. Amanda Adreani, the flag team coach and Middle
and Upper School choir teacher, has now been a coach for
two seasons. Being a coach has a lot of responsibilities, so it
can be stressful.
Team members have many responsibilities, too.
Ms. Adreani said, “Flag girls have to be committed to
attending practices, driven to adjust and perfect the routines
and be willing to work as a team player.”
People learn things differently, and it may take some
people longer to learn something new than others.
“Learning a new skill is tough! Many of the girls on the
team this year haven't done it
before, and it takes time,”
Ms. Adreani said. “This
group has been great about
adjusting and taking time to
learn new skills.”
Unfortunately flag sea-
son ends when football sea-
son ends, so there are no
more chances to see the team
perform this season.
“I think we have gotten
better with each perform-
ance. I think the Homecom-
ing game has been our best
so far,” said Ms. Adreani.
She said, “The flag girls rocked it at halftime.”
Ms. Kimberly White, a Lower School teacher, volun-
teered her time in the begin-
ning of the season to help the
group choreograph. She was a
flag girl in high school.
High school can be stress-
ful, especially when you add
extracurricular involvements
into the mix. But freshman
Kynnadi Pearson said the
benefits are worth it.
Pearson has been a flag
girl for one year. She enjoys
being a flag girl because “it’s
fun and worth my time.”
Pearson said, “It’s really
no pressure because I focus on
having fun rather than the possible pressure that could oc-
cur.”
Sneaker Game By Chris Lee
Air Jordan is a worldwide basketball footwear and
athletic clothing brand produced by Nike. The first ever
Air Jordan shoe was produced in 1984 and was released
to the public in 1985. This shoe was named the Air Jordan
Retro 1.
The shoes were originally designed for Nike, and still
to this day Nike owns all Jordan operations. The Jordan
brand grew tremendously and currently has 21 active
NBA players with their own models of the Jordan brand.
Today many kids go crazy for these particular shoes,
to the point where they need tickets to get these newly
released shoes and have to camp out night after night for
the sneakers when they are released.
Air Jordans have influence throughout the world--
even at University Academy. UA students have all the
flavor
and
in-
sight
when
it
comes
to this
brand
of
Jor-
dan
shoes.
UA
senior
Terry
Butler said, “What I like most about the shoes are their
unique color schemes. The color of someone's shoes can
tell you a lot about them.”
Butler doesn't really have many shoes, but he said his
favorite pair is his “UNC 11 Lows.”
“I only have about 15 pairs of shoes, not as much as
your everyday sneaker head, but they have much comfort
and look great,” Butler said.
Although Nike and Jordan are arguably the same,
Demetrius Scott, a UA senior, said he prefers the style of
Nike over Jordan.
“I like Nike's better because they feel better on my
feet,” Scott said. “My favorite sneaker is the ‘Nike Presto’
because they are great for walking.”
Unlike Butler, Scott is a shoe junky. Scott said he has
about 50 to
60 pairs of
shoes.
“I
started my
shoe col-
lection in
the eighth
grade.
There were
many shoes
I wanted at
the particu-
lar time,
and that's
when my
collection
took off.”
The
sneaker
game is continuously growing by day, get yours while
you can … The sneaker heads are taking over.
Scott wears his coke white Prestos.
Butler wears his UNC 11 Lows.
20/20 Helps Gryphon Students By Tiffany Benites
If you haven’t heard about the program 20/20 Leader-
ship, now is a good time to learn about it. Not only does the
program have special opportunities each year for the juniors
and seniors, but also it helps students stay motivated.
The 20/20 Leadership program helps students develop
better characteristics that they don’t usually learn in the
classroom by going
out on field trips,
making connections
and teaching students
about things they
don’t typically learn
in a classroom.
Upper School
guidance counselor
Ms. Katy Kenyon
said the program
offers “opportunities
for juniors and sen-
iors to have leader-
ship and community building experiences.”
To apply for this program, as a sophomore you need to
have a GPA of a 2.5 or higher. Then you will fill out an
application in the spring, but you may not get chosen since
the program only allows 15 students to enter each year.
As Ms. Kenyon said, “It is NOT first come, first
served.”
Those who are selected are presented with many new
and exciting opportunities.
Ms. Kenyon said, “This year UA 20/20 juniors will
have the chance to win $8,000 for their school!”
One UA student who has taken advantage of the pro-
gram is senior Arsema Berhane. Berhane said she enjoys
20/20 and that it gives her the chance to “learn about new
opportunities for colleges and scholarships.”
And since she's been in it since her junior year, she has
taken part in many
trips and events.
For example,
she went to the
capital of Missouri,
Jefferson City, to
learn about state
government and
how it influences
city government.
20/20 students
have also organized
and planned a fit-
ness dance, which Berhane helped with, and a students vs.
staff basketball game.
Berhane also said, “I’ve gotten to meet new people at
different schools and learn about colleges that I could be
interested in. I've improved my networking skills, and it's
helped me mature as a high school student.”
This program makes students more experienced, gives
them the chance to see what college will be like and helps
to keep them motivated throughout their years in high
school.
Seniors Arsema Berhane and
Amaya Zweifel look on at a 20/20
event.
The Fashionable Fall Season By Jasmin McDonald
The crunchy, multicolored
leaves, the chilly weather and
Thanksgiving dinner cravings.
Yep, you guessed it, fall is upon
us, and now that fall is here,
things are changed—house de-
cor, food options and even peo-
ple’s clothing styles.
Styles can change with
weather-appropriate clothing or
fall color-coordinated boots and
shawls. Fall trends can be seen
on celebrities, on fashion web-
sites or magazines, and even on
University Academy students
and teachers.
One teacher who is widely
known for her distinctive style
is Upper School English teacher
Mr. Andrew Blakemore.
Mr. Blakemore said his
style is inspired by Jay Gatsby,
a wealthy man who lived a
luxurious life in the famous
“Great Gatsby” novel.
So, for the fall season Mr.
Blakemore said he searches for “quarter zips, sweaters,
cardigans, pea coats and scarves.”
For those who are interested in the Jay Gatsby trend,
visit Mr. Blakemore’s favorite store Banana Republic.
“They have nice clothes that fit the style of a classy
man,” he said.
Upper
and Middle
school
choir
teacher Ms.
Amanda
Adreani
described
her style as
that of a “hip librar-
ian grandpa,” even
throughout the fall
season.
Ms. Adreani
will wear pants
throughout the year,
especially colorful
pants! During the
fall season she
wears sweaters, tall
leather boots and
scarves. One of her
favorite scarves she
purchased from a
store in New York
from the eighth
grade, and she still
rocks it today.
These two teachers are just a couple examples of relat-
able fashionable styles here at UA, but there are many dif-
ferent ways to express the fall seasons.
Above: Ms. Adreani
sports a trendy fall
scarf. Top right: Blaz-
ers are popular during
fall. Bottom right: Tan
is a popular color in
the fall season.
Flag girls perform at halftime of a UA football game
earlier this fall.
Ms. Kenyon Takes a New Role By Doriann Morris
Ms. Katy Kenyon has
started her new role in Univer-
sity Academy’s Upper School
as the guidance counselor.
Ms. Kenyon has worked at
University Academy for five
years as a math teacher, and
now she has decided to make
this big change for herself.
Ms. Kenyon said, “The
flow of work is different from
when I was a teacher. I only
really focused on the lesson,
and now as a counselor there’s
more on my plate.” Ms. Ken-
yon is also still teaching a cou-
ple hours of Pre-Calc and Algebra 1 throughout the day.
The Upper School hasn't had a stable counselor in the
past few years. Students and staff say it’s really great
knowing that Upper School finally has a counselor for the
whole entire high school, and it's good knowing that there’s
someone available to talk to students privately when neces-
sary.
“I chose this job opportunity because I believe that
students deserve a counselor and someone that is full time
committed to every kid in
high school and is able to
build a relationship with
them,” Ms. Kenyon said.
Dr. Clem Ukaoma, the
Upper School principal,
said, “I chose Ms. Kenyon
because she was someone
that I thought would be sta-
ble because she’s been at
University Academy for
such a long time. She under-
stands the students, school
and what it is about.”
Ms. Kenyon also men-
tioned that she has to take
night classes at UCM two nights a week for awhile in order
to become a certified counselor. Ms. Kenyon is really try-
ing to motivate herself just like she motivates her students.
Dr. Ukaoma explained that he expects Ms. Kenyon to
get better and feels that she's doing well by going to lunch
and communicating with all the students.
This role seems to be something that Ms Kenyon really
enjoys at UA and will enjoy for years to come.
UA and the Blue Ribbon Award By Aniah Kemp
Popular Video Game Releases By Michael Daniel
There are a lot of new game releases coming up in late
2017-18, but not all of them are worth your time and
money.
A game that has received of lot of buzz is “The Evil
Within 2,” which was
just released on Oct.
13. Sophomore Dale-
sean Tatum said he
believes this is a defi-
nite pick up and that
anyone who likes a
good story should pick
it up.
Game rating web-
sites like Steam and
IGN gave “The Evil
Within 1” scores of
7/10 and 8.7/10, and the sequel is likely to improve on
those numbers.
“Call of Duty WW2,” which is going to be re-
leased on Nov. 3, is another game that gamers are hearing
lots about. Some are even calling it the savior of “Call of
Duty.”
Sophomores Vincent Tetuan and Tatum gave thoughts
on whether or not this game would save the franchise.
Tetuan said, “I don't know because from playing the
beta, some of the mechanics are unfair.”
Tatum said, “Yes but no because now they're taking
out all the future stuff, but it depends on how they do it.”
“Assassin’s Creed: Origins,” which comes out Oct. 27,
is another big game that's coming out this month. This is a
very important addition to the series because, just like
“COD: WW2,” it is supposed to be the game that keeps the
series from
dying.
Unlike
all the other
AC games,
this game
took two
years to be
made instead
of the usual
one year for the reason that publisher Ubisoft felt the series
dying and they needed more time to improve.
“Red Dead Redemption” is probably going to be the
biggest release coming up in 2018. Many people have been
asking for this game since the first one came out.
Although the main character died at the end of the first
game, the new one is a prequel rather than the typical se-
quel. This fact has caused a bit of worry because prequels
can limit creativity, but don't let this stop you from buying
the game because Rockstar is a great company and this
shouldn’t be much of a problem for them.
Tatum said, “[‘Red Dead Redemption 2’] looks like it
will have
even more to
offer than the
first game. It
takes advan-
tage of the
new and im-
proved
graphics of
the Playstation regular and Pro console.”
If you like video games, you have a lot to look for-
Teens Turning
into Social
Mediaholics By Aliyah Kwizera
Over the
decades,
technology
has been
transforming
people’s
lives.
According to
the Huffing-
ton Post, 92
percent of
teens report
going online
at least once
a day, and 56
percent of
those teens
admit they go
online
“several
times” a day.
This means
only 8 per-
cent of teens
are able to
resist going
online every
day.
University
Academy sophomore student Allyssa Dixon said she has
seen differences in her friends as social media has become
more popular.
“For my friends I see the changes,” said Dixon.
“They started to blend in with everyone else. No one is
sticking out anymore because they’re trying to fit in.”
Despite seeing the changes in her friends, Dixon
doesn’t let it affect her in a negative way.
She said social media actually makes her think out-
side the box more
because social media
will give her one
thing and expect her
to run with it.
Dixon believes
social sites have af-
fected her close
friends by trying to
make them something
they’re not, UA
sophomore Tessa
Blythe said, “I think it
destroys the confi-
dence in themselves. I
think their self esteem
is destroyed just by
looking at social me-
dia.”
Despite the fact
that social media can
have dismissive im-
pacts on teens, there
are some positive
activities that happen
on there, too. Social
media provides a way
to reconnect with
friends or family
members who are
thousands of miles
away. It’s also a way
to come across news
that might be other-
wise unfamiliar to
you.
“You could be
scrolling down your news feed and come across some-
thing that interests you, which would push you into re-
searching upon it,” Blythe said.
Both Dixon and Blythe agreed that a way for teens to
start improving social media is by focusing on positivity.
“Start focusing on what you have vs. focusing on
what others lack,” said Blythe. “Also focus on being your-
self.”
Dixon said, “As a whole, teens can start off by doing
positive challenges. Start with something that we can have
fun with but that would have a big impact on our commu-
nity, and also just uplift each other.”
3
Dixon spends time on social media.
“... And the 2017 National Ribbon Award goes to Uni-
versity Academy!”
On Sept. 29, University Academy’s entire Upper
School, the
Dean of Edu-
cation for
UMKC and
UA co-
founders Mr.
and Mrs.
Helzberg
gathered in
the Mayer-
berg Room to
hear the an-
nouncement.
Superinten-
dent Mr.
Tony Kline
and Upper
School principal Dr. Clem Ukaoma helped to share the big
news.
UA is the first charter school in Missouri to be picked
for this huge achievement. The National Blue Ribbon
Award was founded in 1982, and this award is only given
an elite group of schools each year.
In his remarks, Mr. Kline said less than 1 percent of
one third of schools nationwide receive the award annually.
Just 342
schools
across the
country
were hon-
ored this
year.
In order to
be selected,
schools
must show
exemplary
student
performant
for five
years in a
row.
So on Nov. 6, Dr. Ukaoma will travel to Washington
D.C. to receive the award. This award has brought high
status to University Academy and will continue to do so as
years pass.
Left: All Upper School students gathered to listen to the announcement of UA being
named a National Blue Ribbon winner. Right: School founders Mr. and Mrs. Helzberg
attended the announcement with the UMKC Dean of the School of Education and Dr.
Ukaoma and UA superintendent Mr. Kline.
Ms. Kenyon is now the Upper School counselor.
Halloween: Dress to Impress! By Paulina Garcia
Still don't know what to wear for Halloween? There are
many interesting and impressive costumes to wear for this
unique holiday coming up on Oct. 31.
On Halloween you can scare people, get free candy,
hang out with friends and family, and most importantly,
have fun.
To scare people you can dress up as a clown, a witch, a
zombie or as Michael Myers to name a few options.
UA students like to dress up.
Sophomore Tessa Blythe said
her best costume was a vampire.
She painted her face white, she
put mascara around her eyes and
she drenched herself in fake
blood.
Sophomore Le’Onia White
said her best costume was being
a stabbed victim. She used fake
blood that looked very scary.
White said she thinks the
most popular costume for Hal-
loween this year will be the
clown It because It is a character
in a popular movie, and the
clown is very terrifying.
Blythe said, “I think the most popular costume is
Harley Quinn because of ‘Suicide Squad.’”
This Halloween, White will dress up as Numbuh 5
from “KND Code Module” because it is easy to dress up as
and people say she already looks like her. Numbuh 5 wears
a long blue and white sweater, white shoes and a red hat.
Costumes often represent something or someone you
like or want to
be. White said,
“Costumes rep-
resent creativity
and freedom to
showcase your
inner you.”
Blythe said,
“I think they
represent some-
one you either
idolize, envy or
subconsciously
want to be.”
Dressing up
as something or
someone other than yourself can be appealing since you can
have fun without any judgment from others.
“Dressing up is fun because I can be something I like
for a day without being thought of as weird,” said White.
Still don't know where to buy your costume? Check out
Halloween Express at 8600 Ward Parkway. They have cos-
tumes that are scary, funny, cute and more. There are cos-
tumes for everyone—adults, teenagers, kids and even for
dogs.
For more information, go to their website at halloween-
expresskc.com.
Get Out Your Movie Popcorn By India Sorrells
Halloween is right
around the corner. Can you
believe it?
This time of year most
people enjoy going trick or
treating, checking out
haunted houses, eating
candy and dressing up.
But there is one thing
in particular that a lot of
people look forward to, and
that is SCARY MOVIES!!!
October is the month
when theatres get loaded
with scary/horror films.
This is the time when the best of the best scary movies
come out because people are in the Halloween spirit.
Some moviegoers who are students at UA said they
like to watch scary movies around this time of year.
“I enjoy the suspense and how you never know what’s
going to happen,” said senior David Howard. “ My favorite
scary movie of all time is ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.’”
Howard enjoys going to movies with friends and see-
ing scary movies that involve killer plots and chainsaws.
Another fellow student, senior Torrei Ealy, enjoys
watching scary movies also.
Ealy said she
likes scary
movies because
she ends up
being “on the
end of my seat
waiting to see
what’s going to
happen next.”
Ealy’s favorite
scary movies of
all time are
“‘Dark Skies’
and ‘Freddy vs.
Jason.’” These
movies involve lots of killing and horror.
“I prefer watching scary movies with friends,” senior
Duwan Whitmire said. “I also enjoy the scary movie ‘Texas
Chainsaw Massacre.’”
Among the three of these students, they seemed to
agree that they all really enjoy movies that involve killing
and chainsaws.
These features are popular when it comes to scary
movies, as most of the top scary movies include killer plots.
So this year on Halloween, go eat candy, dress up and
watch a scary movie or two.
Fun Fall Crafts to do With Family and Friends By DheVaune’ Mays
The time of year for creativity, spookiness, and your
wildest ideas is here! No matter if you just want to scare
your friends and family, spice things up, or even just add a
little fun to your plates and home...this is the place for you.
Halloween isn’t the only thing to celebrate in October.
According to National Day Calendar, the month of Oc-
tober has many unofficial titles. They include:
-National Apple Month
-National Book Month
-National Cookie Month
-National Dessert Month
-Family History Month
-National Pizza Month
-National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
Considering there are so many different things going on
in the month of October that you can celebrate, let’s look at
a few fun ideas for each different category.
National Apple Month
Give a teacher an apple to show your appreciation for
National Apple Month
National Book Month
Try to check out at least one book this month and also
while you’re at it recommend one as well!
National Cookie Month
See the cookie recipe on the right for Ooey Gooey
Monster Eye Cookies. Have some fun, and give it a try!
National Dessert Month
Make your favorite dessert with one of your friends or
family members or share your favorite baking recipe.
Family History Month
Start a family cookbook! This way your favorite family
recipes will be kept all in one place for the entire fam-
ily.
National Pizza Month
Make your very own pizza. Want to know how? Check
some recipes online, or just buy some pita bread or
English muffins to use as crust. Then add pizza sauce
and your choice of toppings.
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
Make a string of popcorn for a fun activity!
As you can see October is not only for the ghouls and
goblins but there are also some fun and simple things you
can do even if the spooky things are not for you.
4
10 Scary Movies to Watch
This Halloween
1. Scary Movie
2. The Exorcist
3. Halloween
4. The Shining
5. Psycho
6. Saw
7. The Nightmare on Elm Street
8. The Conjuring
9. Scream
10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Le’Onia White, Germany Lee-Pound,
and Blythe posing for a creepy picture.
Blythe dressed up as a
vampire.
Halloween
Haunt is at
Worlds of Fun By Simone Cooper
Halloween is getting closer and closer, and Worlds of
Fun has already started getting ready.
This year
from Sept. 16 all
the way through
the end of Octo-
ber, Worlds of
Fun has had a
“Halloween
Haunt.” The fes-
tivities are from
7 p.m. until mid-
night on Friday
and Saturday
nights. The park
brings out all of
its monsters to
give people a
scare.
University
Academy sopho-
more Damion
Tripp said, “I
have been to
Worlds of Fun
on Halloween
and it was fun.”
But on the other hand, sophomore Tessa Blythe said
she hasn't been on Halloween.
“But it might be worth trying if I didn't have to go
alone,” Blythe said.
Every year, Worlds of Fun tries to make the theme
park as scary as possible, and it seems that it gets scarier
each year. They bring out a lot of monsters, and the work-
ers take their jobs very seriously by scaring as many peo-
ple as they can. Some monsters work in haunted houses,
and other monsters walk around scaring people.
Some students feel different ways when it comes to
how scary Worlds of Fun is around this time.
“I think it is not going to be scary because the last
time I went it was not,” said Tripp. That opinion is from
one person's perspective, but Blythe said she thought it
would be scary.
Worlds of Fun has some new things this year. They
have an all-new skeleton crew that does acrobatics. They
also have more than 400 monsters that haunt people as the
smoke from the smoke machine comes out. In addition,
there are special Halloween attractions such as the Blood-
shed or the Carnevil, which are haunted houses.
If you plan on going, you can get tickets as low as
$37. Worlds of Fun also has other deals which can be
found on their website. The last day of the haunt is Oct
28. So if you're planning on going, get your tickets early
and get a great deal.
Evil cowboys like this one scrape the
ground in the dark as you walk past.