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Attention!

THE PINE VALLEY POST

For this edition of the Pine Valley Post's College Spotlight we will be looking at the University of Rochester. This private institution is located two miles south of downtown Rochester and is approximately one hour away from Buffalo. The University of Rochester offers a variety of over seventy different majors to choose from. The five majors most frequently pursued include: psychology, social science, engineering, biological and biomedical sciences and health professions. The student to faculty ratio is 10:1 and over seventy percent of the classes contain less than twenty students, which is similar to our current class sizes at Pine Valley. At the University of Rochester you will never have to worry about having something to do after class because they have over two hundred different student organizations for you to take part in. Tuition and fees for this highly ranked college comes in around 45,372 dollars and the school offers many different types of financial aid, in fact fifty-five percent of students currently enrolled receive some form of aid. So be sure to look into the University of Rochester when considering which college you would like to attend after graduation.

College Spotlight Article By: Danielle Bennett

Volume 2

The Pine Valley Post always welcomes article

submissions, suggestions, and new members. If you are interested in being a part of the student

newspaper or have any ideas simply send Mrs. Spacciapolli an email at aspacciapolli@pval.org.

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Leading scorers

1. Kevin Durant 31.3

2. Carmelo Anthony 27.2

3. LeBron James 26.2

4. Kevin Love 25

5. LaMarcus Aldridge 24.3

Rebound leaders

1. DeAndre Jordan 14

2. Kevin love 12.9

3.Andre Drummond 12.7

4. Dwight Howard 12.5

5. LaMarcus Aldridge 11.6

Assist leaders

1. Stephen Curry 9.1

2. 2.Ty Lawson 8.9

3. John Wall 8.5

4. Ricky Rubio 8.2

5. Brandon Jennings 8.2

Steals Leaders

1. Ricky Rubio 2.62

2. Michael Carter-Williams 2.37

3.Thaddeus Young 2.07

4. Jimmy Butler 2.03

5. John Wall 1.93

Block leaders

1.Anthony Davis 3.27

2. Roy Hibbert 2.53

3. Serge Ibaka 2.52

4. DeAndre Jordan 2.35

5. John Henson 2.16

3-pointers per game

1. Stephen Curry 3.3

2. Ryan Anderson 3.0

3. Klay Thompson 3.0

4. Damian Lillard 3.0

5. Kyle Korver 2.7

Sports Section By: Dylan Granger and Zach Sticek

The all star break was February 14-16th. Right now the eastern standings are India Pacers, Miami Heat,Toronto Raptors,Atlanta Hawks,Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Bobcats.The western standings are Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazers, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks.

NBA

STATISTICS

Fans of science fiction, if you haven't read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, you are missing out on a great experience. Set in the future after the events of an alien invasion, humanity's last hope stands with Ender Wiggin, a six-year-old genius with the potential to become Earth's greatest commander, or biggest failure. He is sent to Battle School, where he begins his vigorous training as a soldier and rises to the top as one of the greatest commanders the school has ever known. Apart from the interesting storyline, Ender's Game has a great interpretation of how science and technology might evolve in the future. For example, the Battle School is actually in space, orbiting Earth, and uses artificial gravity to keep everyone from floating around aimlessly. The students also participate in games, where they compete against one another on different teams. Orson Scott Card's description of these games really makes it feel like you're there, watching the battle take place. It's such an immersive and enjoyable book that you'll find yourself unable to put it down after you start, which is where we will begin.

Ender Wiggin is the youngest of three siblings, all of whom are geniuses. However, his older siblings, Peter and Valentine, did not get accepted into Battle School because they did not meet the requirements. Ender hates Peter and loves Valentine, the only person that is ever nice to him. She has a huge impact on the way he behaves at the Battle School, and the only person he misses from

Earth. When he gets to the school, he is put into the Salamander Army under command of Bonzo. Ender is not allowed to participate in any battles in the Battle Room until after a few minutes of battle have already passed, and even then he is not allowed to fire at the enemy. Ender figures out that if he freezes his legs, he can use them as a shield and fire from between his legs. He tests the effectiveness of his theory in one of the battles, and single-handedly prevents the other team from winning, because most of his teammates had been frozen early in the game. He is transferred out of the Salamander army and is moved into the Rat army, where he meets Petra, a sharpshooter who teaches him how to fire more effectively. He also makes friends with Shen and Alai, members of the same launch group. They hold extra practices and figure out new ways to defeat their enemy. When Ender is ten, now the best student at the Battle School, the administration of the school gives him a new challenge, lead the Dragon army. The Dragon army is composed of the newest and youngest cadets of the school, and Ender only has a few weeks to train them before their first battle. Ender meets Bean, another extremely smart child, and makes him his second in command, as well as other supporting characters. Eventually Ender is sent to Command School, and is forced to leave his comrades behind. He learns the reality of being a commander, previously a part of the fighting force, he now has to make executive decisions

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Pine Valley Post Book Review: Ender's Game

By: Christian Fadale

for the fighting force, which could cause success or failure. Eventually, he is reunited with his former comrades, who become the members and leaders of his squadron. After that, the plot gets very interesting and exciting.

What I loved about this book was the science behind the technology and appliances, as well as Orson Scott Card's in-depth description of them. I could picture what the Battle rooms looked like and what it might have looked like to see people free floating in zero gravity. The actual battles were described in such detail, it felt as if you were Ender taking those actions and seeing the results. Also, humanity has discovered how to fully recycle water and oxygen. Ender describes it while he's taking a shower. He thinks about how he will be drinking his own sweat and breathing in the same air as it goes through a filtration system and comes back through to be used again. Humanity has also figured out how to travel at fast speeds so they can colonize new worlds. Ender learns, in great detail, the science of how the rest of the world will age much faster than travelers will, due to a break in time when they go into light speed. I also like how the story progresses, it lasts just long enough on a section of the book without becoming boring, and skips to a

more significant part if Ender's life. Card did a great job on how he progressed through the story and making you feel like a part of Ender's life, as if you were watching a biography on his life. He also does a great job on giving you relationships with all of the characters, meaning that he influences you to like or hate certain characters. All in all, Orson Scott Card did a great job and I couldn't find anything that displeased me and took away from the book.

Overall, I was very impressed with Orson Scott Card's world of Ender's Game and I am looking forward to reading the sequels and parallel novels of the story. Card did a great job on immersing the reader into his story, making every chapter interesting and enjoyable. In addition, the science of the novel makes it a possible prediction for human life in the future, where we might have artificial gravity, Battle rooms, and the ability to travel space at the speed of light.We may also find an alien race, who may force us to find new innovations to combat their genius. All of these factors make Ender's Game a must for anyone even slightly interested in reading a great science fiction novel. So go out there and get it today, and indulge yourself in a great book.

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What To Do With Your Do! Are you tired of your hair? Do you wish you had a new hairstyle for school everyday? Well keep reading and you may like what you see.

This week I will be telling how to do a simple braid. Many people do not know how to do it so that is why I'm telling how today.

Things you will need: brush and a hair tie.

First, brush your hair until there are no knots.

Second, split your hair into three sections.

Third, take the left strand and fold it over the middle.

Fourth, take the right strand and fold that over what was then the left strand is now the middle strand.

Fifth, keep repeating those two steps until you get to the bottom of your hair. Finally, secure your braid with a hair tie.

Now you know how to do it so use it:)!

Article by: Shelby Rowicki

For this edition of The Pine Valley Post, I'll be explaining how to make soda pop cupcakes- a fun, easy treat! Simply start with a box of white cake mix; any brand will do, but make sure you use white, or the colors won't turn out properly. Instead of the usual oil, eggs, and water, beat any soda flavor of your choice into a medium mixing bowl with the cake mix (I used a bottle of Shirley Temple). You'll only need 1 3/4 cups of the soda, so you can use some of the leftovers to flavor your frosting to match. If you're using a flavor of soda such as grape, orange, or cherry, you're going to want to add food dye to your batter. This produces fun colored cupcakes fit for a candy shop! The great thing about this recipe is that you can play around with color and flavor combinations to fit different holidays. Shirley Temple and pink is great for Valentine's Day, Mountain Dew and green could work for St. Patrick's Day...the possibilities are endless!

Simply Sweets Article By: Louise Zollinger

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Music

Rap music has many differences within the genre. Not every rapper raps about the same subject and not all agree with one another. Rap music is very confrontational and causes conflict. It also builds respect and family. Although it's confrontational and starts buzz, rap music isn't always meaningful music. Some rappers such as Lil Wayne, Tyga, and Wiz Khalifa rap about money, girls and drugs. This is not meant to degrade those rappers from having talent, they're all very talented individuals. However some rappers put meaning into their music. Eminem, Hopsin, and Tech N9ne have meaning behind their songs for the most part. At times Lil Wayne, Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and Tyga put meaning into the music they make but not for the most part. Rap music is not all the same, and if you're one of those people that say rap is just talking with a beat in the background, you obviously haven't listening to enough hip hop.

Article By: Zach Sticek

For many people, music is one of the most influential and emotional aspects of our lives. Music can make us feel happy or sad; it can help us through the tougher time and adds zest to the better ones. A new website has started with the goal of using this basic human experience to help us help each other. EmotionalBaggageCheck.com, created by Robyn Overstreet, offers an anonymous venue for users to post, or "check" whatever's on their minds-whether it's a tough breakup they're going through, or something even more pressing, like someone wrestling with suicidal thoughts. Other users can then "carry" the bags by recommending a song they believe would be beneficial and relevant to the situation. For example, someone may send the song "Famous Last Words" by My Chemical Romance to a user expressing suicidal tendencies. The "carrier" can also leave a note of encouragement or advice. Again, Emotional Baggage Check is entirely anonymous, which makes it ideal for those who just need to vent, but aren't comfortable opening up to someone in person. Also offered are a list of important phone numbers and hotlines to call that can provide free and emergency counseling. Whether you need to get something off of your chest, or would like to help other people, this website is such a great resource.

Article By: Louise Zollinger

RAP

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By: Troy Hoage

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Comic By: Jasmine Scheffer

COMICS

Did you wake up this morning and start thinking about your dream? Why you

were falling endlessly? Why your teeth are falling out and you have no

control? What if you die in your dream? What's a recurring dream and what

does that mean? Your dreams are trying to tell you something important, so

listen to them!

The first rule to determining what your dreams mean is realizing that no one else has the same personal life as you, so although we can make a general assumption as to what your dreams mean we cannot tell you exactly what they mean.

Falling dreams: You are falling from some high place, it could be a cliff, or a bridge or you may not even remember but you are falling. Contrary to what you may think, if you die in your dream, you are not going to die in reality. Death in your dream does not signify death in real life. If you are falling this means that you have little control over your life and you are having trouble gaining control of events in your life.You may be feeling insecure about some situations or about yourself. You need to regain control and self-confidence!

Teeth Falling Out: When your teeth are falling out it could mean a variety of things. Again, you have to apply these different meanings in the context of your life. Teeth represent power and when they fall out you are losing power and thus losing control in your life. Believe in yourself is what this dream is telling you! Or maybe you feel embarrassed about presenting a paper in class and losing your teeth is like a form of public humiliation. By losing your teeth, a representation of

attractiveness, you lose a part of yourself and are embarrassed. Bring some confidence in your life, and again just have faith in who you are!

Being Chased: If you are being chased by a monster, an attacker, or even an animal can signify avoidance and fear. You are trying to avoid a problem and it just won't go away, but you are scared of it. You need to face your fears head on! Running away from your problems won't solve anything. Consider the distance between you and your chaser, are you close and he is gaining on you? Your problem isn't going to clear itself you have to face it. But if your attacker is slowly disappearing and you are outrunning him then you are making progress keep pushing forward.

Recurring dreams are dreams that continually happen over and over with little change to the story line and outcome. These dreams keep happening because you are constantly facing the same problem. You need to reassess yourself and consider what the dream is and face your problems.

LUCID DREAMING!!! Really cool, try it!

Lay down and go to sleep, this works best if you are extremely tired. Lay on your back with your arms at your side and eyes closed. Stay Perfectly Still. You must stay awake. Your brain will send signals to your body to see if you are ready to sleep. These signals include: getting an itch, changing your body position, wanting to blink or move your eyeballs (remember your eyes should be closed). You must ignore all of these impulses. After about 20-30 minutes you will feel a weight on your chest, you may even hear weird noises. You are now in sleep paralysis, if you open your eyes you will begin to hallucinate (dream with your eyes open) and you will not be able to move your body. Your body is now completely asleep. Now that you are aware you are dreaming, you can shut your eyes and begin to dream instantly. You will be fully aware you are dreaming and can now (with some practice) control your dreams.

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What Do Your Dreams Mean? Article By- Sabrina Johnston

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1. The US Army during WWII developed a grenade that was about the same size and shape as a regular baseball making it easy to use for the American soldiers who had grown up playing baseball.

2.MLB umpires are required by rule to wear only black underwear, in case they split their pants.

3.The Yankees, Cubs, Angels and Dodgers are the only four MLB teams that lack a mascot. The Yankees used to have one, but he quit after being beaten up by fans, who didn’t want a mascot.

4.Former MLB player, Jason Varitek is the only person to have played in the Little League World Series, the National Championship of the College World Series, the MLB World Series, Olympic Baseball, and the World Baseball Classic. He also caught a record 4 no-hitters during his career.

5.In 1963, Gaylord Perry’s MLB manager is said to have joked, “They’ll land a man on the moon before he hits a homerun.” Interestingly, one hour after Apollo 11 landed, he did in fact hit a home run.

6.Jim Abbott, who was born with just one hand, had 11-year career as a pitcher in MLB. The highlight of his career was when he pitched a ‘no hitter’ in 1993.

7. The Hanshin Tigers baseball team of Japan is believed to be cursed by KFC founder Colonel Sanders for throwing his storefront statue into the river by Hanshin fans while celebrating their team’s victory in 1985.

8. There is a version of baseball for the blind called “Beep Baseball.” It has its own World Series, Hall of Fame, and 27 teams.

9. In 1957, Richie Ashburn fouled off a ball and hit a spectator, breaking her nose. A few minutes later, he fouled off another ball and hit the same spectator while she was being carried off in a stretcher.

10.Former Minor League Pitcher, John C. Odom was traded for 10 maple baseball bats. Odom was heckled and called “Bat Man” by fans. This drove him away

Ten Random Facts About Baseball

Article By: Johnethen Spicer

From after school

activities, to homework, to

hanging out with friends,

adolescents in high school

are are having trouble

finding time to receive the

bare minimum of sleep they

need to function properly the

next day. The average

teenager requires 8 1/2 to 9

hours of sleep for it to be

considered healthy, which is

not usually the case.

Personally, I get very little

sleep during the course of

the week and my sleep

schedule is practically

nonexistent. I stay up until 3

in the morning some nights

completing homework that I

have admittedly put off until

the last minute, and will take

long naps to recover the next

day. I think the most sleep I

have acquired all year is

about 7 hours, and this still is

not enough. But with the

pressure to get into a good

college, kids feel like they

have to take the most

difficult classes to get by, as

well as participate in

extracurricular activities to

appeal to people as the model

"well rounded" student.

Believe it or not, sleep

plays a critical role in

learning and thinking,

which most kids in school

are doing every single day.

Lack of sleep impairs

attention, concentration,

reasoning, and even problem

solving. It is vital that kids

get the proper amount of

sleep since this is what a

majority of their day is

dedicated to.

However, there are ways to

ensure that you receive the

amount of sleep

recommended. For instance,

studies have proven that

looking at electronic devices

before sleeping will affect

your ability to fall asleep. So

try not to watch television or

check your Facebook page

before bedtime. Also,

napping throughout the

course of the day impairs

your ability to sleep soundly,

so resist the urge to fall

asleep until nighttime. I hope

this helps shed some light on

a very common situation

faced by many teens today.

Sleep Deprivation in Kids Today Article By: Hannah Linenfelser

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Counselor's Corner It's For Your Own Good: I Promise

Article By: Mrs. Smith

I think many of you feel the same way when it comes to adults in general: that we all just like to nag and hear the sound of our own voice. Well, this is completely true (at least for me). However, I promise you there is a method to the madness and when we tell you things over and over again it is also because it’s important. Once again you are probably thinking, “this woman is crazy and feeding us a line of horse poo just to get us to conform to what “the man” thinks we should be doing”. Well if “the man” hands out college acceptance letters and paychecks, then yes I am in complete support of “the man’s” agenda. First order of business; be on time. This is probably one of the most important lessons you can take away from your time at school. The consequences for tardiness at school can get annoying and inconvenient: I mean who really enjoys serving detention? However, when you have a job, the stakes dramatically increase. Research consistently shows that being on time is one of the top things employers look for in an employee, therefore it follows, tardiness is one of the top reasons

people get fired. Today’s job market is extremely competitive, an employer won’t put up on someone who can’t show up on time or meet deadlines. Equally important to being punctual is being respectful. From the moment we can remember being thrust into social situations; we can probably remember not liking everyone we were around. Think back to preschool: I’m sure there was at least one little kid who sat and picked his nose that just got under your skin. Well, you are probably learning that where ever there are people, there is a possibility of personality clashes. This is something that will follow you until you are ninety and playing bingo next to a lady whose lentils aren’t agreeing with her. What we would like you to learn now is that you don’t have to like everyone, but you do have to respect everyone. Being able to work with a large variety of people is not only important for your health project, it is imperative to being able to keep a job. Another top reason people are fired is due to their inability to get along with their coworkers. Now you may all be thinking, “Big deal, I’ll just find another

job. Nine in the morning is too early anyways and Sally slurps her coffee funny and has a weird obsession with cats.” Well, the problem with not making a solid impression with work is that they won’t vouch for you when you are applying for other jobs. It doesn’t look good to employers to see on an application that you were “let go”. It also doesn’t look good if you can’t put down any professional recommendations. What does all this really mean? To me, this should be very good news to everyone. We all have the ability to be on time and we all can make the choice to be respectful. Put these tasks to practice now, and you will find that when the time comes to look for a job, you’ll already be well on your way to making a great impression and setting yourself up for a promising future. It’s for you own good: I promise.

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More Comics By: Troy Hoage

Did it hurt when you fell from

heaven? Because you're an angel.

Yes, it hurt a lot, I broke my wing.

Oh

She's so beautiful!