By Austin Greenley
Recently, the Gryffindor student, Austin Greenley started an interesting club. The "Bring Albus Dumbledore Club" sponsors the idea that Professor Albus Dumbledore return to PAD's, though not as Headmaster, but a teacher. The subject in which Dumbledore is to teach is still yet to be decided. If the club gains a wider fan-base, then the subject of the club could become a reality. The club acts as a sort of petition, encouraging its members to spread the word. If it becomes popular enough, it may move to the Bulletin Board to allow members school-wide. Perhaps one day Albus Dumbledore will return one day.
One of my friends is four years older than me and recently I have taken interest in her interests. I love the things she does and I think I could be great at them. I want to talk to her about joining her activities, but I fear she will think I am trying to be exactly like her. And she is the only one I want to talk to about these things, but I have that fear of her thinking that I am trying to copy her. What should I do?
-Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
Hello! It seems as if you are not following your heart the way you should be. If your friend is a good one then they'll accept the fact that you take interest in the things they do. Didn't you know that copying is by far the best compliment anyone can give! If this doesn't help, try settling in with a few words based on how you do take interest in what your friend does and then maybe you can say something inviting or fun like "How about we catch up sometime to do (whatever that person likes or you both like in this case)!
Hope I have helped you!
-Alba
By Avin Lucinda Holmes
�In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.�
That begins the history of America as we know it today.
America got a kick start in the 16th century when Europe started sending people to the area to settle. The first permanent settlement was Jamestown, in 1607. Jamestown was located in what is now the state of Virginia. In 1620, the Pilgrims fled Europe and settled in Plymouth. Many more settlements sprang up all along the Atlantic coast through out the 1600 and 1700�s.
England and France fought for control of North America in the French and Indian War from 1754 through 1763, where England won and got control of both Canada and the English colonies. These colonies were the original thirteen states; Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The American colonies lived under English rule and the citizens were considered Englishmen, therefore they paid taxes. However the colonists believed that they shouldn't have to pay so much in taxes to England, especially since they couldn't serve in the English government and have a say on how high or low those taxes were. Thus, the phrase �no taxation with out representation� was born.
England tried to isolate the colonies, going so far as to close the port of Boston. Boston�s port was one of the colonies largest, and closing it would mean that the colonists would have to pay more to have their essentials, such as food transported from other ports, such as New York. The colonists began to mobilize, creating The Sons of Liberty, a patriot group that started the colonies on their path to freedom. This group, after being frustrated at the lack of representation in England, and the many �acts� passed against the colonies such as the Stamp Act and finally the Tea Act, organized a coup and smashed crates of tea in Boston Harbor dressed as American Indians.
The Revolutionary War began in 1775, with the patriots fighting for their freedom. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress signed The Declaration of Independence, forcing England out of America. This declaration also deemed the new country the United States of America. The war continued until 1783.
Slowly after America gained its independence, states were added to the union. In 1953, the United States of America consisted of 48 continental states; Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, , Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky , Louisiana , Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Wyoming. In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii were added, for a total of 50.
Boys are aggravating....
Well there�s this guy, he�s in EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CLASSES! He�s really cute and I really like him, but here�s the problem, he likes one of my friends and me, he asked her out and she turned him down. He still likes her; actually he likes her more than he ever did. I�ve tried everything to get his attention! Occasionally he will flirt with me but then my friend (Darby) will walk by and he'll just get up and LEAVE! Its so aggravating! What can I do to either get over him or get him to notice me??
-Jill
Dear Jill,
I know it can be really frustrating to like someone who likes someone else more than they like you. Sounds to me like this guy is just to ga-ga for your friend so I'd forget about him & move on.
Of course, forgetting about someone is a hard thing to do so there are several ways you can attempt this:
1. Just remind yourself when you're near him that he doesn't like you the way you like him & you're just wasting your time. Eventually you'll stop thinking about it as often.
2. Picture him with a huge booger hanging out of his nose or something so that you will be turned off by the sight of him.
3. Look around your class for other boys who you would consider cute & just focus your attention on them instead.
Good luck to you!
By Kiley Blaire
In July, America celebrates Independence Day. Families get together and cook hot dogs and hamburgers on the barbecue, and by the end of the night everyone is tired of seeing the colors red, white and blue everywhere they turn. But the biggest part of the Fourth of July is, of course, the fireworks show. Lighting off fireworks on Independence Day has been a tradition in America since the very first celebration of the Declaration of Independence in 1777, but the history of fireworks extends much farther back than that.
Fireworks as we know them today originated in China during the 10th century. They produced a loud sound (known in Chinese as "Bian pao") that was intended to frighten evil spirits. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties (AD 420-581), the firecrackers were also used to pray for happiness and prosperity. Taoist monks experimented with the basic components of gunpowder to create fireworks in their spare time. Eventually, pyrotechnicians became well-respected for their knowledge and skill to mount dazzling displays of light and sound. China remains the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world: in 2005, 6 million cases (120,000 tons) of fireworks were exported to the US.