First Article, 2nd MP: To Be or Not to Be

*Still has a few kinks, but it's basically done.

When you ask a small child, about kindergarten age or so, what they want to do when they grow up, you’re likely to get the same four answers: Veterinarian, Astronaut, Firefighter, and, last but not least, Ice-cream Man.

To be a veterinarian. What little kid doesn’t want to play with a small, cute, furry puppy? When they picture coming into the job, they see themselves playing with dogs, cuddly cats, and long-eared bunny rabbits. They think they’d make a lot of money for simple games. It seems the job would be all fun and games and the only work involved would be a well-placed band-aid now and then. Just remember, not all is what it seems.

Not to be a veterinarian. After 11 years or so of hard school work, internships, and studying, the job really starts. You walk into your first day and encounter blood, needles, feces, urine, and some grumpy animal owners. They don’t want to be at the vet, and if you’ve got a weak stomach, neither do you. Have you ever even pondered having to put down animals? Many kids would say, “Oh, I’ll just work with the animals, not with the killing of them.” Newsflash: You don’t have much of a choice.

To be an astronaut. That’s when you get to fly at the speed of light, bounce around in moon shoes, hang on a star, discover aliens, and encounter the Star Ship Enterprise. If a cow can jump over the moon, why can’t they? Why wish upon a star when you can fly past one? You’d get all those perks, plus free astronaut ice-cream. Just remember, not all is what it seems.

Not to be an astronaut. Astronaut ice-cream is actually very unappetizing, and before you can fly at the speed of light, you need hours of training in a pressurized vessel that makes you light-headed and gives you the strong urge to “blow chunks”. One that is completed, you need to be chosen to be on a spaceship. Let’s just say that there are quite a lot of people in line for that.
Have you ever ridden the Gravitron ride? Multiply that feeling by 1000, and you’ll have the approximate feeling of a takeoff. Who needs a facelift after a trip to space?

To be a firefighter. Free rides on the cool red truck, sliding down a metal pole, happy Dalmatian dogs, and unlimited amounts of water hoses for those hot summer days. Those are the thoughts running through the minds of children when they say, “I want to be a firefighter when I grow up.” Just remember, not all is what it seems.

Not to be a firefighter. Have you ever tried picking up a full grown man and carrying him out of a burning building, all while he was screaming and thrashing about frantically? I can’t imagine it’d be very enjoyable. How about that large trampoline that they catch people with? Does that really work, and how long to you really bounce up and down? Not to mention that you’d be a very smelly person at the end of a hard work day.

To be an ice-cream man. You’d get to ride around in a highly-decorated, musical truck all day long, all summer long. You’d get all the Firerockets and Chipwiches that you wanted, and you wouldn’t have to work when winter came. Talk about an ideal set-up. Just remember, not all is what it seems.

Not to be an ice-cream man. With this job, maybe everything is as it seems. What’s wrong with being an ice-cream man? You’d get to ride around in a highly-decorated (gaudy), (annoyingly) musical truck all day long, all summer long. You’d get all the Firerockets and Chipwiches that you wanted (as long as they came out of your paycheck), and you wouldn’t have to work when winter came (so now you’re unemployed). Talk about an ideal set-up (with screaming children).

So, I ask you Cab students: What do you want to be when you grow up? If the job is a veterinarian, astronaut, firefighter, or an ice-cream man, you now have both the good and the bad side of the job. If your future occupation is none of the above, think carefully about your choice… very carefully.

2nd Article

"Because I Don't Want To."

From ages 13 to 17, teenagers go into “I don’t care” mode. It’s the phase between lovable kid and responsible adult, and it is definitely the worst. It’s when kids stop doing chores, slack in their grades, and go “anti-parent”. And, just like any other stage in the life, there is a way to recognize it. This stage’s stamp of identification is simply the phrase “Because I don’t want to.”
To parents, it’s commonly known as the “devil phrase”. To kids, it’s just what you say to get out of going to Grandma’s house for dinner. “Because I feel like it” is an out to any question, a perfect way to not answer. But, no matter how many questions it answers, the script is always the same:

“Will you stop by the store on your way home, honey?”
“No.”
“And why not?”
“Because I don't want to.”

“Go take out the trash."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to."

"Will you go fold some laundry?"
"Uh, no."
"How come?"
"Because I don't want to."

"Sweetie, go hug your Grandma."
"No."
"But why?"
"Because I don't want to."

Some parents would simply be stumped at their rebellious child, wondering why on Earth they wouldn’t do the simplest things. While it may seem that we don’t have reasons for our response, most times we do. I am here to help you understand a teenager’s “Because I don’t want to.”

“Will you stop by the store on your way home?”
“I don’t want to go because the neighbors practically live there. I’d run into them, and Mr. Stevens will spit while he talks, and Mrs. Stevens will pinch my cheeks and tell me how much I’ve grown.”

“Take out the trash.”
“I put a stink bomb in there, and it’ll erupt when someone takes it out. I was hoping Jerry would get it….”

“Will you go fold some laundry?”
“I am not touching Mom’s underwear.”

“Go hug your Grandma.”
“No thanks, she smells like moth balls and has that horrible whiskery mustache.”

So you see, while our answers behind our “Because I don’t want to”’s might not be the most selfless, ideal answers, you have to admit that they make sense. Now you know what this generic response from a teenager can mean, and next time you get this answer, remember that adults have their own vague replies, such as the famous “Because I said so.”

1st Article

LA-LA Land

There is a world, inside your head, in which you experience a visual dream. Some people refer to it as “La-La Land”, but most simply call the act “daydreaming”. For quite a while, daydreaming has been seen as an excuse to think of other, more appealing things, during class time. What is not known by many, though, is that daydreaming is the mind’s default state. Scientists have mentioned that daydreaming is also an essential part of the mind. Imagine what your teacher would say when you told her that by daydreaming, you were simply thinking in the most normal way that you could. You could even mention that daydreaming was the brain pondering important issues, however relevant they were.

Diving into your La-La Land, or daydreaming, is a crucial part of the creative process. How, I ask you, would you get inspired if you were thinking logically non-stop? Let’s face it. You can’t come up with an award-winning art piece thinking about 2+2=4. You need those wacky, out-there dreams, to think of new ideas.

William Shakespeare didn’t come up with his popular plays by thinking about gravity. No, he used the daydreaming, default part of his brain to become inspired. Do you think Van Gough was doing algebra when he painted his masterpieces? No, he was probably being creative. Being in an art school, daydreaming is a very important part of our everyday lives. We just wouldn’t be ourselves without it. In fact, no one would be the same with their own La-La Land. So the next time a teacher jerks you out of a daydream, chastising you for not paying attention, simply say, “I was only thinking normally!” and see what they say.

TO ALL EDITORS: Just a reminder

When making the layout for your spread, make sure to follow these guidlines:

· All By-lines must be the same: By Name Name

· All ‘body’ font must be Calibri

· Except for features, all headers (article titles) must be the same per section. For instance: The opinion editor decides that she likes Arial, so all of her headers would be Arial. If News liked Times New Roman, all of their headers would be TNR.

· All font colors must be the same and black.

· The layout should be the consistant throughout your spread.

New Year!

Welcome every new writer and to the whole 7th grade staff! Hopefully, we'll have a great year with some great articles.

:)
Reilly

2nd Article DONE

How Times Have Changed

Today, our world is completely high-tech. Travel, computers, and cell phones color our streets. Many things can change in a week, a day, a night. 50 years may not seem like a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but many things can change in just one year. Imagine that times 50.

50 years ago the world was different. People didn’t have to be in constant communication with parents. A.K.A. A call on the cell phone every other second. They trusted their neighbors and the people around them to not harm their children. Today, parents are wary of everyone.

50 years ago you could ride your bike anywhere you wanted, and your parents just knew you were “out”. Now, you are confined to your cul-de-sac, with a “Be back in 20 minutes, kids!”

50 years ago kids went outside on hot summer days to play and catch dragonflies. It was the norm, but now, we have our faces glued to computer screens.

50 years ago there were no computers.

50 years ago there was a six foot long cord for your phone to “freely maneuver”. Now, the cord is nonexistent.

50 years ago microwaves were an amazing discovery. “Look, Mom, magic!” Now it’s just a common household item.

50 years ago there was no cherry coke. Enough said.

50 years ago we were just desegregating schools. Now kids of all different cultures learn together.

50 years ago Cab Calloway School of the Arts was not formed. Meaning… no getting out of school for random asbestos scares.

50 years ago our world was a lot different. To travel back there now would be like going to an alternate universe. The people would be the same, but the places, the things, the concepts all would be different. It’s neither bad nor good, these changes. Just a sign that our world is constantly moving forward. Would we be able to live without these advancements? Would we remember how to?

"Because I said so..."

Mr. Mayo-- Here's my article for the 3rd paper!

“Because I Said So…”

In life, there are so many questions without answers. That’s just the way it is. In fact, life is choc full of rhetorical questions. There’s the classic, “Are you stupid, or something?” or the over-used, “Why me?”

However, in reality, most questions do have answers. It is our parents that would like us to believe otherwise. What I mean by this is, parents don’t have the answer, or even more likely, their answer is no with no good reason to back it up. It’s called the “Because I said so.”

You know you’ve all heard it, the end-all-be-all response to your simple questions, the ones that should always have a straight answer. The script goes like this:

“Can so-and-so- sleep over tonight?”
“No.”
“How come?”
“Because I said so.”

“Can I have that last piece of pizza instead of the fish?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so.”

“Can I go to the party with you?”
“No.”
“Why not, I never get to come!”
“Because I said so.”

These are all coded messages in which lay a secret, and very truthful answer. It is one that they are either to unconventional or one that they are just too ashamed to admit. Fear not, I have broken the code.

What your parents really mean when they say “Because I said so,” is simply as follows:

“No, because I don’t feel like cooking them breakfast, and they eat me out of house and home.”

“No, I don’t care about your balanced diet, I’m saving the last piece of pizza for myself.”

“No, it's an adult party, there will be drinking, smoking, and bad language. We will be having way too much fun to babysit you.”

What parents don’t realize is that kids have a lot of respect for the honest answer… because our answers are the same. It would save whining, stomping, screaming, complaining, crying, and the ultimate door-slamming. If you ask me, telling your children that you are hoarding the last piece of pizza for yourself is better. They understand this, because they just took the last Reese’s Cup while you weren’t looking.

I have seen this happen on numerous occasions. Friends, family members, and classmates have all gotten the “Because I said so.” But, I can honestly say that my parents must be aliens, because I’ve never heard this, not once. I always get the truth. If I ask if so-and-so can spend the night, they’ll say, “No, they wake us all up at six in the morning!” If I ask for pizza, they’ll say “I already ate it.” And if I ask to go to an adult-only party, they’ll say, “Okay, but you’re sitting next to Mr. Stevens.” That gets me every time. Then, when they ask me why I’m staying home, I say, “Because I feel like it.”

Layouts

· All By-lines must be the same: By Name Name
· All ‘body’ font must be Calibri
· Except for features, all headers (article titles) must be the same per section. For instance: The opinion editor decides that she likes Arial, so all of her headers would be Arial. If News liked Times New Roman, all of their headers would be TNR.
· All font colors must be the same and black.
· The layout should be the same

New 7th Grade Staff

Welcome to the new News editors! Nelson and Phillip, our previous editors, decided to resign after a successful first semester. Once there was an opening, Rachel and Jess decided to co-edit the News section of Calloway Confidential. good luck to them!

"When I Grow Up...." article

When kids are little, they all shoot high for their future career. They say, “When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut firefighter and change the world!” It’s the ongoing fad of kindergarteners. But, most kids don’t end up doing those jobs. They go on to be accountants, or taxi-drivers, or even stay-at-home moms. Still, they change the world anyway, in some shape or form. Because those same kids are a powerful force or developers. By watching TV alone, they get new ideas and then they work to make those ideas reality. That is how new technology comes around… just kids saying, “When I grow up, I want to change the world.”
Almost daily, there are theories published about what is to come, about what lay ahead of us. There are predictions about transportation, – bubbles and flying cars – about clothes, – tin foil – and so much more. Sure, half of these are logical predictions factoring in the progress of the past. But, if you think about it, the other half is fed by Hollywood.Our picture of the future is very clear: robots, flying cars, tin foil, metal, and things appearing out of thin air. It’s always been the same; never changing, even as time passed by and so many futures were gone. Our predictions should be getting more complex and our visions should change as time goes by, right? They don’t, though.Hollywood, even as the future is destined to change, keeps refueling that image we all have. Hollywood movies from the 1940’s have portrayed tin foil, too. Except their future was the new millennium… year 2000. Now that it has gone, do we really have a world like the Jetsons? Have we come close?The Jetsons had roving sidewalks and teleports that magically gave you food. When the show came out, everything all looked so new, shiny, and impossible. It was like we could never have that. While we may not be ‘shiny’, we have developed devices close to the complexity of the times of the Jetsons. What about the moving walkways in airports? Are those any different from the 1960’s hit TV show? And we may not have fancy teleportation/food makers, but I think that microwaves come pretty close. All these comparisons really make you wonder if our predictions haven’t already come true….In Back to the Future Part II, one of the most popular items was the car with doors that opened up. You may not see many of those cars on the road now, but believe it or not, they have already had their hay-day. The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, was actually made before the movie. Our parents know that, but not many middle school students do. Also, in this movie, Doc and Marty travel to 2015, and the world already looks like a tinfoil bomb has gone off. Will we have all of that technology in 6 years?With all of the space movies combined, like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lost in Space, there are a lot of ‘future’ items. In Star Trek, which took place in 2151, they had computers and communicators before we had cell phones or desktops. But, in a different sense, we are ahead of their predictions. About 110 years ahead. However, we have yet to create a space ship that can travel that far away from Earth. The same goes for Star Wars. Also, I’m pretty sure that deadly beams of light (a.k.a. light sabers) haven’t been invented yet.So, if you really think about all of the past future guesses, you’ll ask yourself: Are we there yet? Yes, Hollywood has made up a lot of it, but that has helped us to grow and accomplish (most of the time) so many new things.It doesn’t even take a calculator or dictionary to predict the future. It just takes kids with a dream, just kids that say “When I grow up, I’m going to make a lightsabor just like that!”. Kids are our future, the people who make the future happen. We are the ones making the new clothes, and the ones developing new modes of transportation. It’s always been that way. Maybe you can tell your parents that, and ask if you can stay home from school one day to watch past future movies. After all, it could help you develop the upcoming world and exceed the expectations of your peers and elders, right?

website directory article

When kids are little, they all shoot high for their future career. They say, “When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut firefighter and change the world!” It’s the ongoing fad of kindergarteners. But, most kids don’t end up doing those jobs. They go on to be accountants, or taxi-drivers, or even stay-at-home moms. Still, they change the world anyway, in some shape or form. Because those same kids are a powerful force or developers. By watching TV alone, they get new ideas and then they work to make those ideas reality. That is how new technology comes around… just kids saying, “When I grow up, I want to change the world.”
Almost daily, there are theories published about what is to come, about what lay ahead of us. There are predictions about transportation, – bubbles and flying cars – about clothes, – tin foil – and so much more. Sure, half of these are logical predictions factoring in the progress of the past. But, if you think about it, the other half is fed by Hollywood.Our picture of the future is very clear: robots, flying cars, tin foil, metal, and things appearing out of thin air. It’s always been the same; never changing, even as time passed by and so many futures were gone. Our predictions should be getting more complex and our visions should change as time goes by, right? They don’t, though.Hollywood, even as the future is destined to change, keeps refueling that image we all have. Hollywood movies from the 1940’s have portrayed tin foil, too. Except their future was the new millennium… year 2000. Now that it has gone, do we really have a world like the Jetsons? Have we come close?The Jetsons had roving sidewalks and teleports that magically gave you food. When the show came out, everything all looked so new, shiny, and impossible. It was like we could never have that. While we may not be ‘shiny’, we have developed devices close to the complexity of the times of the Jetsons. What about the moving walkways in airports? Are those any different from the 1960’s hit TV show? And we may not have fancy teleportation/food makers, but I think that microwaves come pretty close. All these comparisons really make you wonder if our predictions haven’t already come true….In Back to the Future Part II, one of the most popular items was the car with doors that opened up. You may not see many of those cars on the road now, but believe it or not, they have already had their hay-day. The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, was actually made before the movie. Our parents know that, but not many middle school students do. Also, in this movie, Doc and Marty travel to 2015, and the world already looks like a tinfoil bomb has gone off. Will we have all of that technology in 6 years?With all of the space movies combined, like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lost in Space, there are a lot of ‘future’ items. In Star Trek, which took place in 2151, they had computers and communicators before we had cell phones or desktops. But, in a different sense, we are ahead of their predictions. About 110 years ahead. However, we have yet to create a space ship that can travel that far away from Earth. The same goes for Star Wars. Also, I’m pretty sure that deadly beams of light (a.k.a. light sabers) haven’t been invented yet.So, if you really think about all of the past future guesses, you’ll ask yourself: Are we there yet? Yes, Hollywood has made up a lot of it, but that has helped us to grow and accomplish (most of the time) so many new things.It doesn’t even take a calculator or dictionary to predict the future. It just takes kids with a dream, just kids that say “When I grow up, I’m going to make a lightsabor just like that!”. Kids are our future, the people who make the future happen. We are the ones making the new clothes, and the ones developing new modes of transportation. It’s always been that way. Maybe you can tell your parents that, and ask if you can stay home from school one day to watch past future movies. After all, it could help you develop the upcoming world and exceed the expectations of your peers and elders., right?