Madison and Shelby's Eco Summit Article

Eco Summit (we still need a title)

On the beautiful, sunny morning of October 27th, some members of Stamford's Eco Freaks along with seven other schools had the privilege of visiting Niagara College to learn about their environmental initiatives.
The day began with an educational walk on the Wetland Ridge Trail lead by two Niagara College students. We then moved into the greenhouse for a unique insight of the environment in which plants are grown, followed by a delicious three-course meal served by Niagara College's own culinary students.
Once our minds were full of knowledge and bellies full of food, the eco schools journeyed to Woodend Conservation Area to share experiences and efforts to promote sustainable living. Mr. Serbina brought Stamford's own Hans and Fuut to display his creative ideas of bringing awareness to important environmental issues.
Everyone that attended the Eco Summit took something away from the experience. From sharing both our positive and negative impacts on the environment with other schools, we learned how to make changes to reduce our carbon footprints.
During our day spent at Niagara College, we observed all kinds of different research-intensive projects, such as using native plants for green roofs, and promoting the preservation of biodiversity. After sharing initiatives with other high schools, we realized that even though we don’t have the resources that Niagara College has, we can still make a significant impact on the environment.
The Eco Freaks realized that even the smallest actions, from eating litter-less lunches to turning off the lights when you leave a room, can make a difference.

Shelby's Marathon Article

Here's my marathon article - let me know what you guys think!
I was unsure about the title.

Stamford Spirit at its Best
By: Shelby Gahagan

On Sunday October 24^th, Stamford students took part in the annual tradition of cheering on Niagara Falls International Marathon participants and provided them with beverages and positive encouragement. Mile 20 of the Niagara Parkway was flooded with our infamous orange and black colours that day, along with plenty of proud, spirited volunteers.

Each year, people from all over the World travel to the exciting city of Niagara Falls to participate in the Niagara Falls International Marathon, from all ages and athletic backgrounds. This unique marathon is the only one that begins in one country and ends in another, as it starts out at Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo N.Y. and ends in Niagara Falls, Canada. It is an impressive achievement to be able to complete a marathon of any kind, from 5 km to a whopping 42.16 km, and you can never have too many spectators and volunteers trying to uplift the participants and give them the confidence to take those extra steps.

When the runners, walkers, and wheelchair-riders entered the Stamford water station territory, they were welcomed with cheers and high fives. The mile was brimming with Stamford Hornets wearing orange and black, cheerleaders, music to pump up the marathon participants, students sporting black and orange “morph suits”, balloons, and a variety of signs with inspirational messages such as “Stamford Loves You” and “Stamford Cares”. Even Stamford’s Hornet mascot did its part in motivating the marathon participants.

Volunteering at the marathon is a fun way for Hornets to get involved in the community and earn community service hours simultaneously. After spending half the day outdoors, all marathon volunteers were invited to Club Italia for a complementary buffet dinner with live music, raffles and prizes. At the end of the evening, the winners of the water station challenge were announced. For the sixth consecutive year, Stamford ranked first place out of all the schools that participated and won a prize of $500 which was awarded to Stamford’s own Student Council that organized our water station this year.

All schools and organizations with water stations succeeded in their common goal of providing positive support and encouragement to marathon participants and bringing the community together. The time and effort put forth by everyone that helped out on October 24^th is greatly appreciated, and that day was one of the many special events that demonstrate how much Stamford cares.

Football

By Kaye Puhakka

The Stamford Hornets Junior football team came out with a victory on

Friday, October 22. The team fought hard as the sun came and went.
Not long after game start, the Westlane Spartans scored a touchdown
and then a field goal. The crowd got really into the game as the
cheerleaders encouraged the fans to get loud. Near the mid way point,
our Stamford Hornets scored a touch down. The fans were a chorus of
shouts as the players celebrated on the field. Not long after,
Westlane ran in a touch down. The Hornets then tried to run it back,
accompanied by shouts from the crowd, but were unsuccessful. As the
game began to wrap up, the temperature dropped and the wind blew.
Spectators were cold and shivering but stuck it out to cheer on the
mighty Hornets. The final score was 13-6 (?) for Westlane but Stamford
won by default. The Westlane team had seniors in their lineup and as
this is not permitted, were forced to forfeit.

I talked to Mr Martin, senior coach, before the game start. When asked

what he expected of the game he replied with, "The juniors have been
playing well. We have an athletic and talented group of kids. We have
a nice group of grade tens and are looking forward to future years. I
think they're going to do well." I asked him about the ways that the
Hornets have been working to improve their game, to which he replied,
"Execution. Eliminating mental mistakes. Generally the team that makes
the least mistakes is the team that wins. [Our philosophy] is to control the play on offence and defence. To do what we do well, and eliminate what the other team does well."

The cheerleaders jumped, leapt and cheered the Hornets to victory. Coach, Mrs. Martin, said that the cheerleaders have been working hard to raise school spirit at football games. I took some time to speak with grade nine cheerleader, Tristyn Clark.
What is the most fun thing about cheering at a game?

"I like it when we cheer them on and they win and how excited we get. It's fun to show off our stunts. I love doing basket tosses.”

The students of Stamford are looking forward to seeing more of the cheerleaders’ and football players’ hard work as the season continues through the cool weather.

Shelby and Madison's Box Wars Article

Box Wars 2.0

On October 28, for the second time in Stamford Collegiate history, the epic event we all know as "Box Wars" took place in Gym A B. It was an energetic and positive atmosphere. Before the event even began, you could see the excitement on every spectator's face, not to mention the participants.
There were a total of thirteen box warriors, each suited up in their own unique, handmade cardboard armour. Brandished by each warrior was a one of a kind cardboard weapon, ready to be used in battle. The students worked in teams to create their gear.
Seven epic face-offs took place, where each contestant displayed their courage, perseverance, and good sportsmanship. Included in these battles was the intense Inter-Gender Championship Match between Emily the Destroyer and William. Both were determined, worthy warriors, but in the end, William reigned victorious. However, no matter who won each match, both students conducted themselves with respect and appreciation for their sparring partner.
The work and creativity put in by the staff involved with this event is greatly appreciated by participants and spectators alike.

Zombie Dance Article - Madison

It was a "Thriller" of a night on October 27 in Stamford's cafeteria. This year's first dance was a big success, with between one hundred and one hundred and fifty people in attendance. The theme was "Zombie", which may have explained the appearance of several "undead" students on the dance floor. From start to finish, the cafeteria was filled with pirates, bunnies, cowgirls, and an array of other uniquely costumed students, all dancing to the music djed by Corey Motley (z101.1).

As always, student council did a great job putting this event together. They created a Halloween atmosphere, with cobwebs, plastic eyeballs, and other decorations. Members of student council sold glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark fangs, snacks, and drinks, which satisfied all of the attendees' needs.


Hopefully this is enough information, I wasn't sure what else to write about!
Also, I'm not sure what word to replace "djed" with, but I am aware it is not a word haha :). Any suggestions?

Assignments Up For Grabs...

I can't remember who volunteered to cover Psycho but I'm not sure that anything is happening on that front. We really should try to get an ad in the next issue. Phil (the director) might have some images he's like used or a copy of the ad he prepared. I'd still like to have an interview with him though. Anyone interested?

Who's on the Remembrance Day assembly?

Is anyone interested in doing some investigative journalism...? I have a theory that a lot of students under perform in school because they spend so much time on Facebook or playing MMORPG's. It might be interesting to have someone write a good article about the phenomenon. Any takers?

Shelby's going to update her Casino Marathon article...

Are there other events I'm overlooking?

EDITED- Madison's Re-useable Coffee Mug Article

As the days when sweaters are optional attire become fewer and farther between, so do the days when the majority of us don’t start off our morning with a cup of our favourite hot beverage. Just think, soon enough you’ll be dreading the moment when you have to step out of the warmth of your house and face the freezing cold abyss that is Drummond Hill in order to get to school each morning. As you trudge your way towards Stamford, you’re probably day dreaming about how great that cup of coffee will taste when you finally make your way to Tim Hortons. Not only will you be warmed up, but you’ll also be alert for that two page biology note you have to copy down during period one.

When we associate these positive attributes with buying a large double double from Timmies every morning, it’s probably hard for most of us to see anything wrong with this morning ritual. However, one thing stands out in the mind of those who have a deep concern for the state of our environment: the cup that carries it. This is one of the instances in life where what your mother taught you just isn’t right. “It’s what’s on the inside that counts”. In this situation, the outside makes all the difference.

Think about your visits to Tim Hortons. How many other people are in line with you everyday, waiting for the same caffeinated salvation? Even if it’s just two other people, that’s three disposable cups and lids put out into the world in the span of just a few minutes. Multiply that (as a bare minimum) as many times as there are coffee shops in the entire world, and think about how much waste is produced on a daily basis.

Now, I know that Mrs. McBurney has taught us all that the lids are recyclable, (blue bin), and the cups are organic, (green bin), but wouldn’t it be great if there were no cups to be disposed of at all? A great way to eliminate this problem is to use a travel mug. It may sound like a hassle, but have you ever really considered it?

First of all, the price itself is certainly worth the benefits your mug will provide. Some can be found for the low cost of six dollars, and that is a one time only expense. I recently found out that Tim Hortons offers a ten cent discount on any travel mug refill. Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re already planning on spending the money for a cup of coffee, why not save a few easy cents? Plus, money adds up. After buying fourteen medium cups of coffee, you’ll have saved enough to buy your fifteenth. Not to mention the benefits of the mug itself, your coffee will stay warmer longer, and there is much less chance of spillage when your beverage is protected by a tightly screwed on lid.

The biggest difference of all is easily the impact you will have on the environment. We have over 1000 students in our school. If even one fourth of us opted to bring a re-usable mug on our next trip to Timmies, we would save two hundred and fifty paper cups and plastic lids from circulating our planet.

On behalf of Stamford's Eco Freaks, I would like to invite everyone to consider purchasing a re-useable mug. When it comes to reducing our impact on the environment, every effort we make, no matter how small it may seem to us, to "go green" truly helps. We have the power to make a positive change for our planet, our country, our community, and even ourselves as individuals. So please, consider going paperless. Next time you're craving that cup of Tim Hortons coffee, bring along a travel mug, save ten cents, and help save our planet too.

New to iSting

Hi everyone!

I'd love to be a part of iSting, and since I won't be able to attend meetings on Thursdays because of Student Council, a blog is very useful. I'd be happy to write about basically anything you need me to write about! :)

For instance, if you'd like an article about the Niagara Falls Marathon that is taking place this Sunday, I could definitely write about it since I’ll be there. Mr. Pierce, I know that you have an article I wrote in grade 9 about the marathon that I could possibly take information from or alter, or I could just start fresh. I could write about any events that Student Council is planning or that have already happened. Anything is fine with me!

:)

Ok, Shelby, just to show you I am paying attention...here is a certain Marathon Article, fresh from the archives:


Written by: Shelby Gahagan


On Sunday, October 28th, the Niagara Falls International Marathon took place and attracted many spectators. It was an exciting and inspirational day for the residents of Niagara Falls, and of course for the marathon participants themselves. There were four different marathon categories. There was a 5K race, 10K race, half-marathon race, and full marathon race. The full marathon began at the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo N.Y. and ended in Niagara Falls. It is the only marathon that begins in one country and ends in the other. Its total distance is approximately 42.16 km (26.2 miles). On the way, water, Gatorade, washrooms and medical units were available to all participants. Throughout the journey, marathon runners traveled through the beautiful parkways of Buffalo before crossing the Peace Bridge into the historic town of Fort Erie. The route then follows the magnificent Niagara River Parkway up to the mighty and alluring Niagara Falls itself. Upon crossing the finishing line, every runner that took part in the Marathon received a T-shirt, goody bag, a Mylar blanket, food and Gatorade, and a finisher’s medal. Of course, each runner also received their glory for crossing that captivating finish line.



The winner of the full marathon was Thomas Omwenga from Burlington, ON, with a time of 2 h, 33 min. and 13 sec. In 2nd place came Louise Voghel from St-Armand, QC with a time of 3 h, 2 min. and 37 sec. The half-marathon winner was Pius Korir from Kenya with a time of 1 h, 5 min. and 30 sec., and in 2nd place came Nadezda Trilinskaya from Russia with a time of 1 h, 17 min. and 14 sec. The 10K race winner was Stephane Hetherington from Etobicoke, ON with a time of 33 min., and in 2nd place came Joelle Mann from Amherst, ON with a time of 41 min. and 21sec. The 5K race winner was Richard Ayotte from Niagara Falls, ON with a time of 17 h and 5 min., and Joanne Mittelholtz from Kitchener, ON came in 2nd with a time of 20 min. and 48 sec. Congratulations to the above winners and to all people who participated in the Niagara Falls International Marathon events. It is a great accomplishment to be able to train for such an important event and to have the endurance to run/walk such large distances by pushing yourself to achieve your goals.



Students from two elementary schools and three high schools also attended to cheer on the runners and take part in a “spirit” competition, which included our proud Stamford Hornets, Westlane, A.N, Myer, James Morden and put school here. All of the Stamford students wore orange and black to support our high school and its colours. Music played and faces were painted. Everyone had a great time inspiring the runners to keep on going. The grand prize of $500 for the most spirit was awarded to… who other than… Stamford! About 50 Stamford students attended while the other schools had about 100-200 students, but Stamford still won the spirit contest. The other schools that participated also did an excellent job, and throughout all of the student efforts the day was a very successful one. This was an exciting volunteering opportunity and all of the volunteers got to spend five hours offering refreshments and cheering on the runners while boosting up our city’s spirit.



Hope to see you at next year’s marathon! The Stamford Hornets will always be here to support our city.



For more information on the 2007 Niagara Falls International Marathon results, visit this website: http://www.niagarafallsmarathon.com

Impaired Driving Article (Kaye P) - Any Headline Ideas?

When people mention "impaired driving", what do you think of? For most people, drunk driving is the topic that comes to mind. This is not the only the form of impairment and it is important that people know of the dangers out there. In fact, more students admitted to driving within one hour after smoking marijuana than drinking alcohol.

Types of impairment include alcohol, drugs, texting, phone calls, passengers, loud music, maps, doing make up, eating, distraction by GPS and other electronic devices as well as being emotionally impaired. One person is killed every day due to an impaired driver. Is this a serious problem? Read on to find out more.

What is a safe driver?

A safe driver should be alert and have clear vision, good physical coordination and the ability to properly react to sudden events. Being impaired means that the driver cannot act in a way to ensure safety of themselves and others.

How do drugs impair a driver?

Using marijuana can cause drowsiness, altered perception, impaired coordination, relaxation and loss on inhibition. Marijuana is the most common substance in bodies of those killed in vehicle crashes. Cocaine can cause exhilaration as well as anxiety and panic. In addition to causing poor concentration and judgement, the use of cocaine causes unpredictable and possibly violent behavior. Effects of heroin on a driver include drowsiness, reduced reaction speed, blurred vision, altered perception, nausea and vomiting. Is this the kind if person you would want driving?

What does alcohol really do to a person?

Alcohol causes drowsiness, slower reaction time and problems with vision, coordination and concentration. In Ontario, drunk driving causes nearly 25% of all automobile crashes. If alcohol is mixed with any other drug, affects of both are increased, making it very dangerous.

Passengers can be both a physical and mental distraction to one so be sure that if you are driving a friend, that they are cooperative. Texting, receiving phones, and navigating with a map or GPS will take your eyes off the road. A person is twenty three times more likely to crash if they are texting while driving. Even if it is only for a minute and they are being careful, it only takes a second for a car to suddenly stop or for a child to run into the street. This is also true to doing make up or eating while in motion or at a stop light. In a moment the light can change, and if you are in motion while looking at your turkey sandwich, yourself and others could be at risk. Listening to loud music can limit hearing and one may not hear a car horn or a siren. These are very important things, even the car horn, as it may be signaling danger.

Emotional impairment is one of the least talked about ways of impairment. As a person is sad or upset, their emotions grow stronger. They may be impatient and take an unsafe turn or run a red light. If a person is sad they may cry which impairs vision and makes it difficult to drive. The person may be thinking about things and not be paying attention to the road which can cause accidents. This also ties in to talking on the phone. If a person receives a call with devastating news they may forget about the road or react in a way that causes them to run into another car.

Rates of impaired drivers are highest on weekends and early in the morning and Ontario is one of the lowest. It is the highest among teens ages nineteen through twenty four- let's stop it before it happens. Do not put yourself and others at risk. Call a cab, friend or parent when you need a lift. Be the smart one and say "no", for every person makes a difference.

For Stamford students who feel they would like to help others become aware of the dangers of impaired driving and would like to help prevent it, there is a SOSAID (Stamford Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving) club at the school. Meetings are Wednesdays after school in room twenty seven.

For more information please visit the following links

www.osaid.org

www.madd.ca

www.thinkanddrive.net

Nov. 1st Issue

SO far we have: Kaye getting iSting website up and running

Madison doing an environmental article.

We need Box Wars Coverage: We'd like up to 3 dif people on this so that we can get 3 diff points of view. 1) The teacher's view (the purpose of the event) 2) The participants' view 3) The spectator's view, a review of the event once it's finished.

Students from the anime club were invited to submit material

Kaye is willing to do a football article

Other suggestions?

Welcome Everyone

Hi,

I promised Kaye that I would start this blog so that we all had a space to ask questions and communicate over the course of the week. I am really sorry about not being able to come out today, but I don't plan to cancel often and we can all still be active iStingers just by checking in on the blog, which I will.

My goal is to publish something this week. Please send in anything you want published to stamfordstinger@hotmail.com or post it here. If you post it here, you'll be able to give each other feedback.

Right now, you should all be able to comment on this blog as long as you have a GoogleID. If you don't have a GoogleID, I'd recommend you get one. They are very valuable! One more piece of advice: when you sign up for your Google account, try using the same password as you use for your regular email. This will make you far less likely to forget it.

Please email stamfordstinger@hotmail.com and ask to be added as an author. You will then get a return email in a day or so inviting you to be an author on the blog. It is very important that you click on the proper link in the invitation email in order.

Anyhow, be sure to thank Ms. Devitt for supervising. I will definitely look forward to checking in with you on the blog or through email over the next couple of days and I'll look forward to seeing you next week.

CP