Above, Story Scouts are on the run at our children's Outdoor Book Camp, a writers' and illustrators' workshop run by the 501(c)(3) non-profit, Minnesota Children's Press, (MCP) in Grand Marais, Minnesota for rural children in the elementary grades. Partnering with the Cook County YMCA, Story Scouts search for their next character, plot twist and happy ending.
Below, Story Scouts trap viruses and sample water for Rock Snot, an invasive species newly threatening the health of North Shore streams. Here's the cover of the book about it we will publish in February 2025!
Below, Story Scouts trap viruses and sample water for Rock Snot, an invasive species newly threatening the health of North Shore streams. Here's the cover of the book about it we will publish in February 2025!
Story Scouts' 12-Picture Guide to Safer Indoor Air
Our Motto: No Child Left Indoors with Coronavirus!
About Virus Traps: We make these to stay safe from COVID-19 virus indoors. Our DIY Virus Traps use box fans, MERV-13 furnace filters and duct tape, lots... of it. Orignally called a Corsi-Rosenthal Box, this proved to be too much of a mouthful, so our1st graders re-branded them as Virus Traps.
1. PLAN. Make a drawing so you know what you are doing and why. 2. CHECK. Make sure your filters face the right way. Arrow to the inside of the box you'll make. 3. BOX 'em. Set 4 Merv13 filters into a cube.4. TAPE corners. 5. TAPE cracks. 6.TAPE cardboard an adult cuts out for the bottom. 7. FIT the box fan on top so it sucks air OUT of the box. 8. TAPE the fan on top. 9. TAPE a shroud an adult cuts out 10. HAIR TEST the Virus Trap to see if the air is blowing OUT Of the box. Is it in the picture below? How can you tell? 11. SHARE by placing your Virus Trap in a public space so people can gather safely--still in masks, still standing apart, still with increased ventilation. We put Virus Trap #1 in the Cook County YMCA in Grand Marais, Minnesota. 12. SHOW what you know on the white board..
Updated 5:04 p.m. January 17, 2022
Story Scouts is a children's entrepreneurial publishing club of Minnesota Children's Press, based in Grand Marais, Minnesota, for rural Minnesota kids ages 5-15 aimed at mentoring 21st century digital communication skills in a creative, collaborative, fun environment. We harness all that good energy to build positive community and resourceful, resilient, healthy youth. Money the Story Scouts raise selling the books we publish funds civic betterment projects that children on our Youth In Publishing Philanthropy (YIPP) board select to improve childlife in our communithy.
Current Goals: Raise $800 for a new cover for our log-rolling team's practice log! Raise $2K to make 20 more Virus Trap air filter boxes to distribute free of charge to community gathering spaces to promote safe connection during the winter.
Current Goals: Raise $800 for a new cover for our log-rolling team's practice log! Raise $2K to make 20 more Virus Trap air filter boxes to distribute free of charge to community gathering spaces to promote safe connection during the winter.
WE WON!
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Click the photo above to read St. Paul Pioneer Press Book Critic Mary Ann Grossmann's November 6, 2021 review of our authors and books, including our recent publication prize-winner, Ice Cream and Fish!
Our child-authored local history was sponsored by a generous grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation of Duluth.
Our child-authored local history was sponsored by a generous grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation of Duluth.
Story Scouts in the Co-op Kitchen!
Summer 2017 - 2019| Teen Health: Protecting Youth from Vaping & Tobacco Products, Winning National Award
Updated 3:32 p.m. May 2, 2021 .
Above, our Story Scouts at our Grand Marais Fishermen's Picnic booth in 2017 promote lung health by discouraging vaping and tobacco-product use. Story Scouts began in 2016 as a youth digital newspaper called BorealCorps that has grown to be a digital media literacy and publishing club for young writers, editors, illustrators, oral history community historians ages 5-15 years old who live in rural Minnesota. From left: Sammie, Bryn, Grace, Grace B. Story Scouts is supported by Minnesota Children's Press.
Our tobacco-awareness campaign was so successful that by 2019, our LOVE YOUR LUNGS project of our Story Scouts Publishing Club for kids ages 5-15 won a national competition to display our health messaging project about the dangers posed by e-cigarettes and vaping. We shared their work Aug. 27-29 2019 at the Minneapolis Convention Center with leading researchers on tobacco and health from around the U.S. attending the National Conference on Tobacco or Health.
Above, our Story Scouts at our Grand Marais Fishermen's Picnic booth in 2017 promote lung health by discouraging vaping and tobacco-product use. Story Scouts began in 2016 as a youth digital newspaper called BorealCorps that has grown to be a digital media literacy and publishing club for young writers, editors, illustrators, oral history community historians ages 5-15 years old who live in rural Minnesota. From left: Sammie, Bryn, Grace, Grace B. Story Scouts is supported by Minnesota Children's Press.
Our tobacco-awareness campaign was so successful that by 2019, our LOVE YOUR LUNGS project of our Story Scouts Publishing Club for kids ages 5-15 won a national competition to display our health messaging project about the dangers posed by e-cigarettes and vaping. We shared their work Aug. 27-29 2019 at the Minneapolis Convention Center with leading researchers on tobacco and health from around the U.S. attending the National Conference on Tobacco or Health.
Above, left, Michael J. Parks, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, listens intently as Andrew Hallberg, grade 8 at Cook County ISD 166, explains Story Scouts' interactive "Candy or Vape?" exhibit station. Story Scouts created this to educate people on deceptive methods the vaping industry uses to appeal to kids. As a researcher specializing in applied health promotions that address health behaviors among youth populations, Dr. Parks was especially interested in our peer-messaging approach. In the top right photo, Andrew and his sister, Ella, explain our health messaging to other researchers and policy makers.
We took our exhibit around to North Shore parks and county fairs in 2017-2019. The goal was to show visitors how a dangerous, lung-damaging practice such as vaping is marketed to kids by being designed to be flavors kids associate with innocent fun–candy, ice cream, dessert. There are no flavors called "Do Your Chores" or "Homework."
We took our exhibit around to North Shore parks and county fairs in 2017-2019. The goal was to show visitors how a dangerous, lung-damaging practice such as vaping is marketed to kids by being designed to be flavors kids associate with innocent fun–candy, ice cream, dessert. There are no flavors called "Do Your Chores" or "Homework."
Fall 2018 | Global Service: Grand Marais Supports Africa Health Care Clinic
DAY 13, November 2 | Africa to America
DAY 13, Nov. 1, 2018 | Africa to America
By Livi Nesgoda, Grade 8, Great Expectations School
Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editorial Writer
THE GIFT
After raising about $100,000 to build a modern maternal-child health ward and operating theatre at the Nayakatsiro Health Clinic in Uganda--and traveling there for the grand opening on Oct. 26—Gordon Lindquist of Grand Marais was gifted a lantern from a member of parliament, Thomas Tayebwa.
ITS MEANING
It is clear to me that the lantern holds great significance—and that I cannot yet comprehend it fully. But I am intrigued.
Why?
Because we live in a society that is heavily commercialized and materialistic where the smallest gifts—like lanterns—usually go unappreciated and are often thrown somewhere we won’t notice. So how is this gift more significant than one from a cousin or a grandparent?
CULTURAL ROLE OF GIFTS
In Ugandan culture, it is a tradition for new mothers to be gifted presents if they attended formal maternal care during and after delivery. Gordon did help create a maternal-child health wing of the clinic. So could this be connected to him being gifted a lantern? Possibly. However, I think it is a more metaphorical gift: that the lantern signifies the beginning of a new time with modern health care to improve lives, and that Gordon’s fundraising helped “light” the way.
In a country with high child mortality rates (131 deaths for every 1,000 children 0-5 years of age, according to medical reports) a maternal-child health wing of the clinic is a step in the right direction to brighter, happier and longer lives. All thanks to Gordon’s help. We can safely say that the lantern will be on full display when he returns home to Grand Marais next week.
By Livi Nesgoda, Grade 8, Great Expectations School
Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editorial Writer
THE GIFT
After raising about $100,000 to build a modern maternal-child health ward and operating theatre at the Nayakatsiro Health Clinic in Uganda--and traveling there for the grand opening on Oct. 26—Gordon Lindquist of Grand Marais was gifted a lantern from a member of parliament, Thomas Tayebwa.
ITS MEANING
It is clear to me that the lantern holds great significance—and that I cannot yet comprehend it fully. But I am intrigued.
Why?
Because we live in a society that is heavily commercialized and materialistic where the smallest gifts—like lanterns—usually go unappreciated and are often thrown somewhere we won’t notice. So how is this gift more significant than one from a cousin or a grandparent?
CULTURAL ROLE OF GIFTS
In Ugandan culture, it is a tradition for new mothers to be gifted presents if they attended formal maternal care during and after delivery. Gordon did help create a maternal-child health wing of the clinic. So could this be connected to him being gifted a lantern? Possibly. However, I think it is a more metaphorical gift: that the lantern signifies the beginning of a new time with modern health care to improve lives, and that Gordon’s fundraising helped “light” the way.
In a country with high child mortality rates (131 deaths for every 1,000 children 0-5 years of age, according to medical reports) a maternal-child health wing of the clinic is a step in the right direction to brighter, happier and longer lives. All thanks to Gordon’s help. We can safely say that the lantern will be on full display when he returns home to Grand Marais next week.
DAY 12, November 1 | Africa to America
DAY 12, Nov. 1, 2018 | Africa to America
By Sammie Garrity, Grade 8, Great Expectations School
Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editor
LUNCH WITH A DIGNITARY
The last day in Uganda was very bittersweet for Gordon Lindquist, 89, of Grand Marais, Minnesota and his daughter, Julie. There were sad goodbyes and thankful words flying through the air. Gordon met with a Parliament member named Thomas Tayebwa. Thomas represented the district in which the new Nayakatsiro Health Center is located, which was made possible by Gordon’s fundraising of nearly $100,000. Many people in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout Minnesota and 30 other states contributed money to the dream.
GIVING AND RECEIVING THANKS
Thomas had Gordon over for a typical African lunch and for some one-on-one time with him. Thomas had sadly been unable to attend the Grand Opening of the health center Oct. 26, but nevertheless, he wanted to express his thanks and communicate how impressed he was. He spoke about how Gordon’s pure generosity was saving lives, especially through the improved maternity wing and addition of a fully equipped operating theatre. That is quite an honor. In the end, Gordon was given a Ugandan lantern as a token of Thomas’s and everyone in Nayakatsiro’s gratitude and appreciation.
A FINAL FAREWELL
After the delicious and beautiful lunch, Gordon and Julie headed to the airport but not after saying tearful goodbyes to Sr. Christine and Fr. Dennis. While their time in Uganda was sweet, it was now time to go home. Sadly, this will most likely be Gordon’s last trip to Africa, so this was also a final farewell.
By Sammie Garrity, Grade 8, Great Expectations School
Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editor
LUNCH WITH A DIGNITARY
The last day in Uganda was very bittersweet for Gordon Lindquist, 89, of Grand Marais, Minnesota and his daughter, Julie. There were sad goodbyes and thankful words flying through the air. Gordon met with a Parliament member named Thomas Tayebwa. Thomas represented the district in which the new Nayakatsiro Health Center is located, which was made possible by Gordon’s fundraising of nearly $100,000. Many people in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout Minnesota and 30 other states contributed money to the dream.
GIVING AND RECEIVING THANKS
Thomas had Gordon over for a typical African lunch and for some one-on-one time with him. Thomas had sadly been unable to attend the Grand Opening of the health center Oct. 26, but nevertheless, he wanted to express his thanks and communicate how impressed he was. He spoke about how Gordon’s pure generosity was saving lives, especially through the improved maternity wing and addition of a fully equipped operating theatre. That is quite an honor. In the end, Gordon was given a Ugandan lantern as a token of Thomas’s and everyone in Nayakatsiro’s gratitude and appreciation.
A FINAL FAREWELL
After the delicious and beautiful lunch, Gordon and Julie headed to the airport but not after saying tearful goodbyes to Sr. Christine and Fr. Dennis. While their time in Uganda was sweet, it was now time to go home. Sadly, this will most likely be Gordon’s last trip to Africa, so this was also a final farewell.
DAY 11, October 31 | Uganda Africa
DAY 11
October 31, 2018
Ishaka to Kampala, Uganda Africa for the trip home
Gordon Lindquist and his daughter Julie said their goodbyes at 8 a.m. to friends at the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic in southwest Uganda and went to the nearby town of Ishaka for their last leg of the journey. Father Dennis met them there. He is the Catholic priest who is one of the main organizers of the clinic, and who has since become a cherished friend of the Lindquists. He is driving them the 11-hour ride to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. There they are expected to lunch with a member of parliament Nov. 1. After that, they will board the flight back to the U.S.
ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
Father Dennis and his clinic manager colleague, Sister Christine, have both traveled to Minnesota several times since Gordon first met them in 2009. One summer they spent a month in Grand Marais. They still recall with fondness the friendliness of North Shore people and the majestic beauty of its lakes and forests.
“I’m sure there are still people in Grand Marais who remember meeting them,” Gordon’s wife Joyce, recalls. “Both Father Dennis and Sister Christine loved to walk around town, meet people and learn everything they could. They really enjoyed themselves, and we loved having them. We gave each of them one of our Russell’s Cottages to stay in—with extra blankets—and they came up to eat meals with us, but they were very self-sufficient and at home here.” Joyce recalls they especially liked exploring American technology — and vied for the thrill of pressing the button to start the Lindquist’s dishwasher, and the remote control to start the gas fireplace.
HOW IT BEGAN
Gordon retired from his insurance executive post in 1990 and spent “the best years of my working life” in his retirement serving various humanitarian and aid positions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the U.S. State Department. His trip to Africa in summer 2009 was especially memorable. It was then that he met Father Dennis and Sister Christine — after initially turning down the assignment — and realized he could, in fact, help: He could raise money to help them build the new clinic. By 2010, he and Joyce were hard at work holding fundraisers.
GRATITUDE ABOUNDS
Nearly 10 years later, and after raising about $100,000 from an esitimated 200 donors in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout Minnesota and the U.S., the dream became real. The new Nyakatsiro Health Center opened in 2018 with a grand celebration on October 26 honoring Gordon and Julie. With its improved, modernized and expanded facilities, the clinic can now serve an esimted 76,000 people — compared to the original clinic, which 10 years ago was overrun trying to serve 36,000 people a year.
In a text, Julie describes the widespread joy and appreciation they encounter. “We have become well known in the Nyakatsiro community, and received expressions of gratitude everywhere we went.”
October 31, 2018
Ishaka to Kampala, Uganda Africa for the trip home
Gordon Lindquist and his daughter Julie said their goodbyes at 8 a.m. to friends at the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic in southwest Uganda and went to the nearby town of Ishaka for their last leg of the journey. Father Dennis met them there. He is the Catholic priest who is one of the main organizers of the clinic, and who has since become a cherished friend of the Lindquists. He is driving them the 11-hour ride to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. There they are expected to lunch with a member of parliament Nov. 1. After that, they will board the flight back to the U.S.
ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
Father Dennis and his clinic manager colleague, Sister Christine, have both traveled to Minnesota several times since Gordon first met them in 2009. One summer they spent a month in Grand Marais. They still recall with fondness the friendliness of North Shore people and the majestic beauty of its lakes and forests.
“I’m sure there are still people in Grand Marais who remember meeting them,” Gordon’s wife Joyce, recalls. “Both Father Dennis and Sister Christine loved to walk around town, meet people and learn everything they could. They really enjoyed themselves, and we loved having them. We gave each of them one of our Russell’s Cottages to stay in—with extra blankets—and they came up to eat meals with us, but they were very self-sufficient and at home here.” Joyce recalls they especially liked exploring American technology — and vied for the thrill of pressing the button to start the Lindquist’s dishwasher, and the remote control to start the gas fireplace.
HOW IT BEGAN
Gordon retired from his insurance executive post in 1990 and spent “the best years of my working life” in his retirement serving various humanitarian and aid positions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the U.S. State Department. His trip to Africa in summer 2009 was especially memorable. It was then that he met Father Dennis and Sister Christine — after initially turning down the assignment — and realized he could, in fact, help: He could raise money to help them build the new clinic. By 2010, he and Joyce were hard at work holding fundraisers.
GRATITUDE ABOUNDS
Nearly 10 years later, and after raising about $100,000 from an esitimated 200 donors in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout Minnesota and the U.S., the dream became real. The new Nyakatsiro Health Center opened in 2018 with a grand celebration on October 26 honoring Gordon and Julie. With its improved, modernized and expanded facilities, the clinic can now serve an esimted 76,000 people — compared to the original clinic, which 10 years ago was overrun trying to serve 36,000 people a year.
In a text, Julie describes the widespread joy and appreciation they encounter. “We have become well known in the Nyakatsiro community, and received expressions of gratitude everywhere we went.”
DAY 10, October 30 | Uganda Africa
Day 10
The journey of 17,000 miles is coming to a close. It began for Gordon Lindquist , 89, on October 19. That was the day he left his Grand Marais, Minnesota home to meet his daughter, Julie, in Boston, and travel together to southwest Uganda in Africa to celebrate the grand opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic.
HOMEWARD BOUND
Since 2009, Gordon has led the fundraising of nearly $100,000 to modernize, equip and expand the clinic. After participating in the celebration Oct. 26 of dignitaries, dancing and joyous praise, he and Julie are now en route to the airport outside of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda to begin the return trip home this weekend.
AN EXPANSIVE SPIRIT
The trip reaffirmed for Gordon the deepest spiritual values that have inspired and guided him all these years.
Throughout the years of fundraising appeals and presentations he made with his wife Joyce—who remained in Grand Marais during this trip—the results surprised and delighted him: People in Christian denominations from Baptists to Catholics to Lutherans, Evangelicals and more readily pitched in with donations, as did those from other faith traditions, including Jewish, agnostic, Buddhist and others. The wide and enthusiastic embrace this project sparked never failed. Gordon always marveled at the ability of this cause and these people to bring out the best everyone.
LOVE AT WORK
And he never lost sight of what was making this project a success: Love.
As Gordon once wrote to donors: “You can be proud of what you have done for these people in a remote part of Africa…You have expressed your love in a very tangible way.”
His Ugandan friends feel that, too. Years ago they bestowed upon Gordon the honor of an African name: Natukunda.
It translates to: “He loves us.”
The journey of 17,000 miles is coming to a close. It began for Gordon Lindquist , 89, on October 19. That was the day he left his Grand Marais, Minnesota home to meet his daughter, Julie, in Boston, and travel together to southwest Uganda in Africa to celebrate the grand opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic.
HOMEWARD BOUND
Since 2009, Gordon has led the fundraising of nearly $100,000 to modernize, equip and expand the clinic. After participating in the celebration Oct. 26 of dignitaries, dancing and joyous praise, he and Julie are now en route to the airport outside of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda to begin the return trip home this weekend.
AN EXPANSIVE SPIRIT
The trip reaffirmed for Gordon the deepest spiritual values that have inspired and guided him all these years.
Throughout the years of fundraising appeals and presentations he made with his wife Joyce—who remained in Grand Marais during this trip—the results surprised and delighted him: People in Christian denominations from Baptists to Catholics to Lutherans, Evangelicals and more readily pitched in with donations, as did those from other faith traditions, including Jewish, agnostic, Buddhist and others. The wide and enthusiastic embrace this project sparked never failed. Gordon always marveled at the ability of this cause and these people to bring out the best everyone.
LOVE AT WORK
And he never lost sight of what was making this project a success: Love.
As Gordon once wrote to donors: “You can be proud of what you have done for these people in a remote part of Africa…You have expressed your love in a very tangible way.”
His Ugandan friends feel that, too. Years ago they bestowed upon Gordon the honor of an African name: Natukunda.
It translates to: “He loves us.”
DAY 9, October 29 | Uganda Africa
Photo credits: Gordon Lindquist. Top: Before improvements, the clinic was so overcrowded patients were cared for in the hallways, as Sister Christine is seen doing here. Bottom: After Gordon and Joyce LIndquist raised funds, modern clinic spaces were expanded to provide more capacity and privacy.
DAY 9
The joyous success of the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic on Oct. 26 now leads to the last leg of the Africa trip for Gordon Lindquist and his daughter Julie. They will return to Grand Marais, Marais on Sunday.
According to Gordon’s son Reid, Gordon and Julie thoroughly enjoyed a comfortable stay during the Nyakatsiro celebration as guests of honor in the newly built residence for doctors. The residence was one of the clinic amenities built with funding from the nearly $100,000 Gordon raised through approximately 200 donors from Grand Marais, Cook County, Minnesota and 30 other states.
EXPANDING CARE
The funds now make possible expanded and modern onsite health care— including the ability to provide a surgeon within 30 minutes in the new operating theatre, instead of requiring 3 hours to travel to a neighboring hospital. More people can now receive care, too— up to 75,000, compared to its previous service area capacity of 36,000 people.
AFRICAN SAFARI
On their long trip back to the Ugandan airport outside of the capital city of Kampala, Gordon and Julie have stopped to go on an African safari at a national game reserve, led out the tour by their friends from the clinic, Father Dennis and Sister Christine. Gordon’s wife, Joyce, who stayed behind in Grand Marais, learned of the safari addition on Oct. 29, and was happy to hear that Gordon could share with their daughter his love for the wonders of African wildlife.
A LONG TRIP
As Joyce reflected on the nearly 10 years of fundraisers she and Gordon held at church and community gatherings—and the thousands of letters written to explain the project and provide updates to donors—she said one thing is certain: “You never know how long the trip will be when you start something like this. You just have to have a sense of humor. And you have to sit a lot to stuff all those envelopes!
DAY 9
The joyous success of the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic on Oct. 26 now leads to the last leg of the Africa trip for Gordon Lindquist and his daughter Julie. They will return to Grand Marais, Marais on Sunday.
According to Gordon’s son Reid, Gordon and Julie thoroughly enjoyed a comfortable stay during the Nyakatsiro celebration as guests of honor in the newly built residence for doctors. The residence was one of the clinic amenities built with funding from the nearly $100,000 Gordon raised through approximately 200 donors from Grand Marais, Cook County, Minnesota and 30 other states.
EXPANDING CARE
The funds now make possible expanded and modern onsite health care— including the ability to provide a surgeon within 30 minutes in the new operating theatre, instead of requiring 3 hours to travel to a neighboring hospital. More people can now receive care, too— up to 75,000, compared to its previous service area capacity of 36,000 people.
AFRICAN SAFARI
On their long trip back to the Ugandan airport outside of the capital city of Kampala, Gordon and Julie have stopped to go on an African safari at a national game reserve, led out the tour by their friends from the clinic, Father Dennis and Sister Christine. Gordon’s wife, Joyce, who stayed behind in Grand Marais, learned of the safari addition on Oct. 29, and was happy to hear that Gordon could share with their daughter his love for the wonders of African wildlife.
A LONG TRIP
As Joyce reflected on the nearly 10 years of fundraisers she and Gordon held at church and community gatherings—and the thousands of letters written to explain the project and provide updates to donors—she said one thing is certain: “You never know how long the trip will be when you start something like this. You just have to have a sense of humor. And you have to sit a lot to stuff all those envelopes!
DAY 6-8, October 26-28 | Uganda Africa
Days 6-8
For Gordon Lindquist of Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A., and his daughter, Julie, attending the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Center October 26, far exceeded expectations—even for a dream.
A DREAM OF LOVE
And a dream it once was. As Gordon often said, and told his African audience, it was a dream of love. And now it is a life-saving reality: a modern, functioning clinic that offers safe childbirth and brief care after the births for mothers and newborns; safe drinking water; a fully equipped operating theatre and residence for doctors and surgeons to live in. People in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout the Minnesota and 30 other states—about 200 donors—helped Gordon raise nearly $100,000 since 2010 to build the new Nyakatsiro Health Clinic.
A BEAUTIFUL DAY
Wrote Julie in a text: “Yesterday was a beautiful day full of celebration. It began with the unveiling of a plaque on the building with Gordon's name on it. This was followed by a mass conducted by the Archbishop. “After the mass, a program of entertainment by local dancers and singers was interspersed with countless speeches. The recognition of Gordon's achievement and generous donors was overwhelming. Gordon acknowledged their gratitude and informed them that this was an expression of love. He presented them with the plaques listing the names and addresses of all the donors to this project.”
A LASTING IMPACT
As Gordon wrote in a letter to many of you before leaving Grand Marais, “Collectively, you have contributed nearly $100,000 and have created a miracle for these people.“The impact has been significant. My daughter and I will be representing you at this celebration. We are bringing with us two plaques with your names on them. One will be placed in the operating theatre and the other in the doctor’s residence. They will serve as a reminder to the patients that these facilities were made possible by nearly 200 generous people from the United States. You have expressed your love in a very tangible way.”
And as Gordon ended many of his communications: “The King will reply, “ I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” Matthew 25:40.
For Gordon Lindquist of Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A., and his daughter, Julie, attending the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Center October 26, far exceeded expectations—even for a dream.
A DREAM OF LOVE
And a dream it once was. As Gordon often said, and told his African audience, it was a dream of love. And now it is a life-saving reality: a modern, functioning clinic that offers safe childbirth and brief care after the births for mothers and newborns; safe drinking water; a fully equipped operating theatre and residence for doctors and surgeons to live in. People in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout the Minnesota and 30 other states—about 200 donors—helped Gordon raise nearly $100,000 since 2010 to build the new Nyakatsiro Health Clinic.
A BEAUTIFUL DAY
Wrote Julie in a text: “Yesterday was a beautiful day full of celebration. It began with the unveiling of a plaque on the building with Gordon's name on it. This was followed by a mass conducted by the Archbishop. “After the mass, a program of entertainment by local dancers and singers was interspersed with countless speeches. The recognition of Gordon's achievement and generous donors was overwhelming. Gordon acknowledged their gratitude and informed them that this was an expression of love. He presented them with the plaques listing the names and addresses of all the donors to this project.”
A LASTING IMPACT
As Gordon wrote in a letter to many of you before leaving Grand Marais, “Collectively, you have contributed nearly $100,000 and have created a miracle for these people.“The impact has been significant. My daughter and I will be representing you at this celebration. We are bringing with us two plaques with your names on them. One will be placed in the operating theatre and the other in the doctor’s residence. They will serve as a reminder to the patients that these facilities were made possible by nearly 200 generous people from the United States. You have expressed your love in a very tangible way.”
And as Gordon ended many of his communications: “The King will reply, “ I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” Matthew 25:40.
DAY 5, October 25 | Uganda Africa
DAY 5
The Nyakatsiro Health Center is bustling, raising tents (photos above) and preparing for tomorrow's celebration!Gordon Lindquist and his daughter, Julie Lindquist Lehmann, arrived safely at their destination today, Oct. 25: the Nyakatsiro Health Center in southwestern Uganda, Africa.
8,000 MILES LATER
Since leaving his Grand Marais, Minnesota, home on Oct.19 to meet Julie in Boston, Gordon, 89, has traveled more than 8,000 miles for the purpose of attending the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Center on Oct. 26. Writes Julie in a text: “This is our first day at the clinic. It’s been busy with the normal patient load, as well as with the preparations for tomorrow's celebration.”
GUEST OF HONOR
A huge tent is being erected in case of rain — it’s the rainy season there— during the Grand Opening. Gordon will be honored at the event for leading fundraising in Grand Marais, Cook County, Minnesota and 30 other states that made the modern clinic possible. Run by a Catholic order, the project drew donations from all faiths. Over nine years, Gordon and his wife Joyce helped raise about $100,000 to upgrade and expand the clinic. The funds helped build and equip a new maternity ward, water tanks, operating theatre and residence for physicians.
BRING IN THE NUNS
Nyakatsiro planners are realizing the event is going to be larger than they expected, according to Julie. Many dignitaries are invited, including those from parliment in the country’s capital city of Kampala. “Already there are nuns here from nearby convents to help out,” texts Julie.
To those who know Gordon, his response to the hubbub is hardly a surprise. Ever the planner, Gordon is “resting up for an exciting day tomorrow,” Julie reports.
The Nyakatsiro Health Center is bustling, raising tents (photos above) and preparing for tomorrow's celebration!Gordon Lindquist and his daughter, Julie Lindquist Lehmann, arrived safely at their destination today, Oct. 25: the Nyakatsiro Health Center in southwestern Uganda, Africa.
8,000 MILES LATER
Since leaving his Grand Marais, Minnesota, home on Oct.19 to meet Julie in Boston, Gordon, 89, has traveled more than 8,000 miles for the purpose of attending the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Center on Oct. 26. Writes Julie in a text: “This is our first day at the clinic. It’s been busy with the normal patient load, as well as with the preparations for tomorrow's celebration.”
GUEST OF HONOR
A huge tent is being erected in case of rain — it’s the rainy season there— during the Grand Opening. Gordon will be honored at the event for leading fundraising in Grand Marais, Cook County, Minnesota and 30 other states that made the modern clinic possible. Run by a Catholic order, the project drew donations from all faiths. Over nine years, Gordon and his wife Joyce helped raise about $100,000 to upgrade and expand the clinic. The funds helped build and equip a new maternity ward, water tanks, operating theatre and residence for physicians.
BRING IN THE NUNS
Nyakatsiro planners are realizing the event is going to be larger than they expected, according to Julie. Many dignitaries are invited, including those from parliment in the country’s capital city of Kampala. “Already there are nuns here from nearby convents to help out,” texts Julie.
To those who know Gordon, his response to the hubbub is hardly a surprise. Ever the planner, Gordon is “resting up for an exciting day tomorrow,” Julie reports.
DAY 4, October 24 | Kampala, Uganda to Nyakatsiro Clinic
At age 89, Gordon Lindquist (pictured above, middle) just couldn’t resist making one more
trip to Africa from his home in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The prospect of a sunny outcome was just too appealing.
DAY 4
SUNNY SKIES
In an email Oct. 24, Gordon summarized the first leg of the Africa trip he is taking with his daughter Julie: “We arrived in Kampala 34 hours after departing from Boston. Fortunately, both Julie and I were able to get some sleep on the plane. We were warmly greeted by Father Dennis and Sister Christine at the airport in Entebbe (top photo). We stayed overnight in Kampala. Today we will make the long driving journey to the clinic. “
And wouldn’t you know it: “It is a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day,” Gordon wrote.
DREAMING OUT LOUD
With his wife, Joyce, Gordon made dozens of international trips during his long and distinguished career as an insurance executive and in retirement as a consultant for U.S. State Department international programs. But this Uganda trip is different. It’s the nine-year culmination of hundreds of people dreaming out loud —many from Grand Marais, Cook County, elsewhere in Minnesota and from 30 other states—to help people whom they have never met.
Their shared dream is the best of what it means to be human: to make life better for the most vulnerable: pregnant women, newborns and the very young.
Gordon and Joyce will be honored Friday Oct. 26 for helping to raise almost $100,000 to build and furnish the new Nyakatsiro Health Clinic. It replaces the basic brick building with limited services he first encountered in 2009, where it served 36,000 people in the surrounding rural area. Most walked dirt paths (bottom photo) —sometimes for days—to reach it.
CREATING A MIRACLE
Thanks to Gordon’s and Joyce’s fundraising, since then, a maternity wing has been completed; a 50,000-liter water tank constructed; an operating theatre finished and completely equipped and a residence house built for doctors.
Writes Gordon to his donors: “Everything has been paid for. Collectively, through your contributions, you have created a miracle for these people.”
Watch this space for daily updates from Gordon and Julie about their African trip and a dream being realized. To receive daily email inbox postcard updates on their trip, email [email protected].
trip to Africa from his home in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The prospect of a sunny outcome was just too appealing.
DAY 4
SUNNY SKIES
In an email Oct. 24, Gordon summarized the first leg of the Africa trip he is taking with his daughter Julie: “We arrived in Kampala 34 hours after departing from Boston. Fortunately, both Julie and I were able to get some sleep on the plane. We were warmly greeted by Father Dennis and Sister Christine at the airport in Entebbe (top photo). We stayed overnight in Kampala. Today we will make the long driving journey to the clinic. “
And wouldn’t you know it: “It is a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day,” Gordon wrote.
DREAMING OUT LOUD
With his wife, Joyce, Gordon made dozens of international trips during his long and distinguished career as an insurance executive and in retirement as a consultant for U.S. State Department international programs. But this Uganda trip is different. It’s the nine-year culmination of hundreds of people dreaming out loud —many from Grand Marais, Cook County, elsewhere in Minnesota and from 30 other states—to help people whom they have never met.
Their shared dream is the best of what it means to be human: to make life better for the most vulnerable: pregnant women, newborns and the very young.
Gordon and Joyce will be honored Friday Oct. 26 for helping to raise almost $100,000 to build and furnish the new Nyakatsiro Health Clinic. It replaces the basic brick building with limited services he first encountered in 2009, where it served 36,000 people in the surrounding rural area. Most walked dirt paths (bottom photo) —sometimes for days—to reach it.
CREATING A MIRACLE
Thanks to Gordon’s and Joyce’s fundraising, since then, a maternity wing has been completed; a 50,000-liter water tank constructed; an operating theatre finished and completely equipped and a residence house built for doctors.
Writes Gordon to his donors: “Everything has been paid for. Collectively, through your contributions, you have created a miracle for these people.”
Watch this space for daily updates from Gordon and Julie about their African trip and a dream being realized. To receive daily email inbox postcard updates on their trip, email [email protected].
DAY 3, October 23 | Amsterdam to Africa!
DAY 3
By Sammie Garrity, Grade 8, Great Expectations School, Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editor
It was a restful flight from Boston to Amsterdam, but when they got to Amsterdam, there was no time to enjoy the beautiful city of bicycles and sidewalk cafes. He and Julie boarded the flight to Entebee, outside of Kampala, the Ugandan capital city.
Around dinnertime in Grand Marais Oct. 23, Gordon and Julie landed in Africa. They were picked up at the airport by their long-time friend, the Catholic priest, Father Dennis, who took them to lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the African great lake, Lake Victoria.
Before he left Grand Marais, Gordon said that he felt “like the least likely person to go to Africa.” Then why did all this start in 2009?“ The people,’’ he said. “They’re just tremendous.”
In 2009, while in Kenya helping to evaluate clinics treating the health threat of AIDS, Gordon was asked to look at the conditions in southwestern Uganda. At first Gordon said “no”. Then he said he’d try it. Before he knew it, he was leading a project that eventually raised nearly $100,000 to build an operating theatre, doctors’ houses, water tanks, a maternity ward and more.
The efforts of Gordon and Joyce Lindquist will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 26 for the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic. To Gordon, raising money for this cause was helping people in need of healthcare, updated facilities, and a better life. “There were many times we didn’t know how we’d raise all the money they needed,” said Joyce.
By Sammie Garrity, Grade 8, Great Expectations School, Grand Marais, Minnesota U.S.A.
BorealCorps Global Issues Editor
It was a restful flight from Boston to Amsterdam, but when they got to Amsterdam, there was no time to enjoy the beautiful city of bicycles and sidewalk cafes. He and Julie boarded the flight to Entebee, outside of Kampala, the Ugandan capital city.
Around dinnertime in Grand Marais Oct. 23, Gordon and Julie landed in Africa. They were picked up at the airport by their long-time friend, the Catholic priest, Father Dennis, who took them to lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the African great lake, Lake Victoria.
Before he left Grand Marais, Gordon said that he felt “like the least likely person to go to Africa.” Then why did all this start in 2009?“ The people,’’ he said. “They’re just tremendous.”
In 2009, while in Kenya helping to evaluate clinics treating the health threat of AIDS, Gordon was asked to look at the conditions in southwestern Uganda. At first Gordon said “no”. Then he said he’d try it. Before he knew it, he was leading a project that eventually raised nearly $100,000 to build an operating theatre, doctors’ houses, water tanks, a maternity ward and more.
The efforts of Gordon and Joyce Lindquist will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 26 for the Grand Opening of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic. To Gordon, raising money for this cause was helping people in need of healthcare, updated facilities, and a better life. “There were many times we didn’t know how we’d raise all the money they needed,” said Joyce.
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DAY 1 
Gordon Lindquist of Grand Marais (right) with his wife, Joyce, and son, Reid, prepare for Gordon’s departure Oct. 19 on a mission trip to Africa he and Joyce began nine years ago. The trip closes the circle on a dream that astounded even them in the enthusiastic support it drew, funded by many friends and residents in Grand Marais, Cook County and throughout Minnesota — as well as those in 30 other states.
On Oct. 19, Gordon flew from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, to meet the Lindquist’s daughter, Julie Lehman, in Boston to rest at her New Hampshire home for several days. On Oct. 22, they boarded flights that began the 8,000 mile trip to Uganda together. All told, Gordon and Joyce helped raise over $100,000 in nine years to build and furnish the state-of-the-art Nyakatsiro Maternal and Child Health clinic in southwestern Uganda. The clinic will celebrate its Grand Opening Oct. 26 with Gordon and Julie as honored guests. After flying to Kampala, the Ugandan capitol, the two will take a 13-hour Jeep ride to the clinic, driven by a Catholic priest they befriended over the years. Watch this space for daily updates from Gordon and Julie and a dream being realized. To receive daily email inbox postcard updates on their trip, email [email protected] 
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DAY 2 Above, on Oct. 22, 2018 Gordon Lindquist and his daughter Julie Lindquist Lehmann left from Boston’s Logan Airport for Kampala, Uganda, Africa. Below, Gordon first arrived in southwestern Uganda in June 2010. He was greeted by the Catholic nun who manages health care there, Sister Christine, and flute players honoring him with music. 
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DAY 2, continued Oct. 22, 2018
Gordon Lindquist Africa ProjectThe Lindquist Way: Inspiring Giving
Would You Take $10? Fundraising for an African health clinic by lifelong Grand Marais residents Gordon and Joyce Lindquist began small and slow. Nine years ago, in the early days of the project, Gordon recalls speaking at a Methodist Church about the health needs of women and children in a rural, poor Ugandan village that is today the home of the Nyakatsiro Health Clinic. Since then, Gordon helped raise over $100,000 to build, furnish and equip it—much of it from donors in Grand Marais, Cook County, and Minnesotans all over the state as well as donors in 30 other states. He left Grand Marais October 19 to attend the clinic’s grand opening on October 26 with his daughter, Julie Lindquist Lehmann. It’s a 16,000 mile round trip.Even at age 89, Gordon says he wouldn’t miss it for anything. One woman’s response still stirs Gordon. She lived in a nursing home in New Brighton and phoned him after he had spoken about the mission project at a Methodist church. Says Gordon: “She called up and said, “I heard about the clinic in Uganda you want to help. I don’t have much money, but I’d like to help, too. Would you take $10?” It was the first of many times he teared up over this project and the goodness it calls forth in a wide range of people. Adds his wife Joyce, recalling the early days of continual fundraising presentations, endless stuffing of envelopes with appeals —and wonder of wonders, opening envelopes with donations. “We were really, really worried for a while that we weren’t going to make it,”Joyce says. “But every time Gordon sent a report out about what was needed, checks came in ….and checks came from people didn’t have much money. It brought tears to my eyes.” Gordon sums it up with a comment a friend made as he reached for his checkbook: “Gordon, if you don’t think the Lord has a sense of humor, look at it this way: Here you are a Baptist raising money for a clinic in Africa run by nuns, and here I am a Protestant priest writing out a check to a Catholic church.” |
Watch this space for daily updates from Gordon and Julie about their African trip and a dream being realized. To receive daily email inbox postcard updates on their trip, email [email protected].
Summer 2018 | Lung Health at the Fisherman's Picnic
Spring 2018 | State Capitol
Youth Learn Lobbying Techniques, Urge Lawmakers to Protect Lung Health by Supporting a T21 Law
NEWS
Out and About
Staff report
Last Update: 6:30 p.m. March 22, 2018
A group of 17 Grand Marais students and four parent chaperones traveled to St. Paul March 22 to learn how to change tobacco laws that protect kids from damaging their health and getting addicted to nicotine from tobacco, electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices.
Learning to Lobby
In a morning coaching session at the Minnesota History Center sponsored by the Minnesota Lung Association, students learned the basics of an effective lobbying pitch to engage interest and spark action. The goal of the coaching was to prepare them to tell Cook County lawmakers at the state legislature to change the legal age of purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21--which they did later in the afternoon, after walking to the Capitol from the History Center.
BorealCorps story scout club members on the trip are Grace Blomberg, MaTaya Fairbanks, Wren Ferry, Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Andrew Hallberg, Sammie Garrity, Livi Nesgoda, Grace Ritchey. Nine students from Cook County High are also participating, offering a video they made on the need for Tobacco 21 law passage.
Beautiful Lungs
Eight of the students, grades 5 to 7, are BorealCorps members who prepared a presentation board, “Beautiful Lungs: a Visual History Of One Woman’s Life and Death from Smoking.” It is told in primary source photos, an emphysema lung CT scan, and hand-felted diseased lung slices the students made and “accessorized” with tumors.
The bejeweled felted lung cross-sections are an artistic challenge to tobacco company advertising themes that market cigarettes and electronic-cigarettes as part of a beautiful, glamorous, carefree and alluring lifestyle. By using art and science in their presentation board, BorealCorps kids casts cancer as bling on handmade diseased felted lungs that provactively and creatively challenged Big Tobacco's marketing message.
Out and About
Staff report
Last Update: 6:30 p.m. March 22, 2018
A group of 17 Grand Marais students and four parent chaperones traveled to St. Paul March 22 to learn how to change tobacco laws that protect kids from damaging their health and getting addicted to nicotine from tobacco, electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices.
Learning to Lobby
In a morning coaching session at the Minnesota History Center sponsored by the Minnesota Lung Association, students learned the basics of an effective lobbying pitch to engage interest and spark action. The goal of the coaching was to prepare them to tell Cook County lawmakers at the state legislature to change the legal age of purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21--which they did later in the afternoon, after walking to the Capitol from the History Center.
BorealCorps story scout club members on the trip are Grace Blomberg, MaTaya Fairbanks, Wren Ferry, Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Andrew Hallberg, Sammie Garrity, Livi Nesgoda, Grace Ritchey. Nine students from Cook County High are also participating, offering a video they made on the need for Tobacco 21 law passage.
Beautiful Lungs
Eight of the students, grades 5 to 7, are BorealCorps members who prepared a presentation board, “Beautiful Lungs: a Visual History Of One Woman’s Life and Death from Smoking.” It is told in primary source photos, an emphysema lung CT scan, and hand-felted diseased lung slices the students made and “accessorized” with tumors.
The bejeweled felted lung cross-sections are an artistic challenge to tobacco company advertising themes that market cigarettes and electronic-cigarettes as part of a beautiful, glamorous, carefree and alluring lifestyle. By using art and science in their presentation board, BorealCorps kids casts cancer as bling on handmade diseased felted lungs that provactively and creatively challenged Big Tobacco's marketing message.
The Preparation of Display Boards, "Beautiful Lungs" and "Don't Be Fooled": Drawing, Writing, Wet Felting Lung Cross Sections
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...and the Presentation, Coaching and March to the Capitol !
Close-up of an artistic interpretation of lung disease created by hand through wet felting fleece into a cross section of lung "decorated" with a fanciful tumor in BorealCorps' "Beautiful Lung" project. The project is an exploration of marketing's use of "beauty messaging" to deliberately sell destructive tobacco and nicotine products to girls and women.
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BorealCorps parent Dave Mills used his Grand Marais City Council expertise in governance and communication to help coach kids as they drafted and rehearsed their appeals to legislators to pass the Tobacco 21 law.
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STUDENTS CARE, STUDENTS ACT
WHY STUDENTS and WOMEN MARCH .... A CALL FOR A NEW POLITICAL PARTY: THE YOUTH PARTY!
Grand Marais 7th graders joined students nationwide March 14, 2018 to honor slain students and teachers of the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting. They began with 17 minutes of silence, one for each life lost, followed with a solemn reading of the murdered victims' names, and a march through the streets of Grand Marais.
FORWARD MARCH! Students take to the streets in respectful protest of gun violence nationwide that endangers learning
OPINION
Editorial, MARCH 14, 2018
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
What we did today was not because we wanted to get out of school.
What we did today was stand, walk, and protest those 17 kids and adults that were taken from this world.
We stood up for the lives of the American people. Our motivation: hope, fear, wishing that our country will be fixed. What we gained from this experience was a new understanding for the world and what people believe in.
Some people did not agree with us and they voiced their opinions through words and hand motions, but the majority of the feedback that we faced from the community was support and thankfulness. They were thankful for kids standing up for the rights and lives of people. They were proud that it was us, from their own lives doing it for them. We gained insight of the importance of this and how, even if unexpected, this could happen to us.
Editorial, MARCH 14, 2018
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
What we did today was not because we wanted to get out of school.
What we did today was stand, walk, and protest those 17 kids and adults that were taken from this world.
We stood up for the lives of the American people. Our motivation: hope, fear, wishing that our country will be fixed. What we gained from this experience was a new understanding for the world and what people believe in.
Some people did not agree with us and they voiced their opinions through words and hand motions, but the majority of the feedback that we faced from the community was support and thankfulness. They were thankful for kids standing up for the rights and lives of people. They were proud that it was us, from their own lives doing it for them. We gained insight of the importance of this and how, even if unexpected, this could happen to us.
Cook County Supports Women and Girls! Photo Credits: Denny FitzPatrick.
EXPLANATIONS
Community Events & Social Justice MARCH 5, 2018
by Livi, Boreal Corps Q & A Community Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Q. I read that more than 200 people took part in the Cook County women’s March in January. Why?
A: I think more than 200 people took part in the march because they were unsatisfied with they way women are being treated in society. They came to the march because they wanted to protest how women are treated and fight for equality.
Q. What is most memorable about it in your mind?
A: What is most memorable about it for me was not when we were actually marching, but when we gathered in Harbor Park afterwards and people spoke out about inequality and why it is important to them to see a change in how society treats women.
Q. Why was the march important?
A: The march was important because it should our community that women and even men are ready to see a change in how females are treated in society. It also opened people up to the idea of addressing how women are belittled compared to men.
Q. What do these marches do for women and girls across the country?
A: These marches show women and young girls that they are worth just as much as their male counter parts. It also shows them that if something is bothering them and or they want to see a change they can stand up for themselves and people who may not have voice.
Community Events & Social Justice MARCH 5, 2018
by Livi, Boreal Corps Q & A Community Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Q. I read that more than 200 people took part in the Cook County women’s March in January. Why?
A: I think more than 200 people took part in the march because they were unsatisfied with they way women are being treated in society. They came to the march because they wanted to protest how women are treated and fight for equality.
Q. What is most memorable about it in your mind?
A: What is most memorable about it for me was not when we were actually marching, but when we gathered in Harbor Park afterwards and people spoke out about inequality and why it is important to them to see a change in how society treats women.
Q. Why was the march important?
A: The march was important because it should our community that women and even men are ready to see a change in how females are treated in society. It also opened people up to the idea of addressing how women are belittled compared to men.
Q. What do these marches do for women and girls across the country?
A: These marches show women and young girls that they are worth just as much as their male counter parts. It also shows them that if something is bothering them and or they want to see a change they can stand up for themselves and people who may not have voice.
BorealCorps Editor Sammie Garrity testified in 2017 before the Minnesota Legislature's Broadband Commission on the importance of fast, reliable internet service to rural Minnesota students and families.
OPINION
Editorial, MARCH 5, 2018
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Lately, children seem to be the only ones taking a stand for what we believe in.
Is that bad? Yes and no. We need more of young voices in the media and society but also, we need adults help us.
Lower the Age for Political Candidates to....16!
So, kids around the country have come up with various propositions.
One is: What if in Minnesota we lowered the age limit on the ability to run for office to 16 years old? Right now you have to be 21. At the vary least, the law of the land should be: if you can legally buy a gun, you should be able to run for political office. That would be the start for forming the Youth Party.
In other states, kids around the ages of 16 are attending government meetings, creating campaigns, and protesting for what they believe in. Adults could still run for office of course, but with responsible teenagers running for office, the American people would have a choice for young and fresh voices over the classic sugar-coating-politician who only cares about making money, and votes in whatever direction the money pile is located. At least, that's how the basic adult politician of any party strikes many kids.
Which would people choose?
Kids Step Up
Younger people are ignoring what many adults or politicians think about gun control--that the problem is too hard to solve! Instead, the kids are focusing on the biggest and most correct goal of all: saving students' lives. Whether it may be to enact sales or age limits on the AR-15 rifle to prevent further tragedies, such as the ones they've suffered in their friends death, or organizing marches for safe schools WITHOUT armed teachers, kids are out in the world making a difference.
For example, in Kansas, high school kids are running for political office now. Why not change laws everywhere so kids in all states can do that? In Florida, kids are amazing adults everyday with their powerful speeches and demonstrations for safe schools. Wanting to change the world for the better is spreading contagiously and the fight will go on until maybe one day, the world will be healed by kids.
For now, we are taking it one issue at a time. If kids in Kansas and Florida can do it, so can we Minnesotans. Some if not all of us are walking out of school on March 14th in respect for the seventeen lives that were taken, again some if not all are taking part in the March for Our Lives on March 24.
3 Advantages of Youth Party Candidates
These smaller things eventually add up to a large thing: changing the world. And leaders from the Youth Party would be ready and willing to lead this change for at least three reasons:
- We usually can out-maneuver most adults in technology, and face it, much of modern life and many elections' accurate results depend on technological skills.
- We have no money and no power. We are not as corruptible as adults because we have nothing to lose by doing the right thing. And hopefully, we have every thing to gain: a better, fairer, safer, more honest world.
- We actually care about doing the right thing--and to take action and fight for the right thing.
These three traits would help the world more than what is happening now.
Though adults and experienced politicians may see it differently, kids know the right things to fight for. The lives and rights of the American people are on the line and now kids are stepping up. If we can continue this and let kids help run our government with elected officials from the Youth Party, maybe the world will be fixed sooner.
Tech Time With Boreal: Students Help Community Members at Free Sessions
At a Tech Help session in the Senior Center Bob worked on devising a secure password with the help of Cook County High School student Noah. BorealCorps Staff photo.
Cook County High School computer whiz kids assist community members several times a month at no cost during public tech help sessions at the library and the senior center.
Boreal Corps listened into a session earlier in February as a senior, Bob, pictured at left, sought help for an issue everyone struggles with: remembering passwords and constructing secure passwords.
What's your method? Read on to learn ours!
Password Pointers
TECHNOLOGY
Community News, February 26, 2018
By Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School
& the Boreal Corps Tech Team
Having a secure password is a lot more important than you may think.
There are instances where someone might try to hack into an account, phone, computer, or any other device to get information. It might not sound likely, but it happens more than you would expect. A strong password that is hard to guess is good to have on a device. That way, if someone does have hold of your electronic, they most likely will not be able to access your personal information or anything else that is kept on it.
Many people will use important words, dates, or a combination of both for their passwords. This is generally a good idea, as it may be harder to guess. Some of the most common and easy to crack passwords include: password, 1234, and one number repeated over and over again, such as: 1111, 2222, or 3333.
The strongest passwords include: both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation. If you include all of these things in your password, there are a lot more possibilities of what it could be.
It is always important to have a passcode on your device. It may take a little more time to access whatever app or website you are using, but in the long run, it is a lot safer and you may be really thankful that you put one on your phone, computer or tablet.
Follow along in a password pointers session below as Cook County High School student Noah helps Grand Marais senior Bob. Bob was at the Senior Center recently for a free public tech help session sponsored jointly by ISD 166 and Boreal Community Media.
NOTE: Bob is identified below as asking the questions with a "Q".
Noah answers and is identified with an "A".
Q: How should I start?
A. With a special character — like a pound sign, or any of those symbols on the top keys.
Q. My first word in my pass phrase starts with g.
A. Instead of g, I’d use a special character and then a g because it would make it really hard for the hacker to start the attack—and they don’t want to waste time if they have trouble right from the beginning.
Q. Do I do that for all the words in this pass phrase?
A. Yes. Write out normal letters, and then insert special characters and underscores.
Q: What’s wrong with using a birthday or name?
A. It’s really common that people do that. Use a birthday, or name of a special someone.. but stuff like that is what the hacker will go to first... But if you put in special characters, that will slow things. They’ll jump off if the crack is too hard.
Q. OK. So I have a special character, an underscore or whatever, and another word broken up with special characters. Add some underscores for good measure?
A. Add some underscores for good measure. To really throw them off.
Q. (laughing) You’re not a nice guy are you?
A. No! Not when it comes to hackers and especially if they are after your money!
Oh, and about special characters. Don’t use @ or 3 for common letters—they can guess that too easily.
Q: And where do I find the special characters again? How do I get the typewriter back?
A: You mean the keyboard?
Q: Yah, I call it a typewriter.
A: I know what a typewriter is. I’ve used both kinds, electric and the other.
Q: How’s this?
A: Good — it looks like you have two underscores.
Q. Where?
A. Here, see how it’s longer. Do you want that, two underscores? It’s fine if you do, but will you remember that you repeated the underscore.
Q. Wow. That’s a good question…I have a lot to think about, don't I. Thank you!
A. Sure! Happy to help!
Tech Time at the Senior Center is held from 2-3 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Evening sessions are held at the Grand Marais Library, 6-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
Bring your device, your questions and your digital ambitions and let our ace staff of Cook County High School students and Boreal Community Media tech experts help you!
Community News, February 26, 2018
By Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School
& the Boreal Corps Tech Team
Having a secure password is a lot more important than you may think.
There are instances where someone might try to hack into an account, phone, computer, or any other device to get information. It might not sound likely, but it happens more than you would expect. A strong password that is hard to guess is good to have on a device. That way, if someone does have hold of your electronic, they most likely will not be able to access your personal information or anything else that is kept on it.
Many people will use important words, dates, or a combination of both for their passwords. This is generally a good idea, as it may be harder to guess. Some of the most common and easy to crack passwords include: password, 1234, and one number repeated over and over again, such as: 1111, 2222, or 3333.
The strongest passwords include: both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation. If you include all of these things in your password, there are a lot more possibilities of what it could be.
It is always important to have a passcode on your device. It may take a little more time to access whatever app or website you are using, but in the long run, it is a lot safer and you may be really thankful that you put one on your phone, computer or tablet.
Follow along in a password pointers session below as Cook County High School student Noah helps Grand Marais senior Bob. Bob was at the Senior Center recently for a free public tech help session sponsored jointly by ISD 166 and Boreal Community Media.
NOTE: Bob is identified below as asking the questions with a "Q".
Noah answers and is identified with an "A".
Q: How should I start?
A. With a special character — like a pound sign, or any of those symbols on the top keys.
Q. My first word in my pass phrase starts with g.
A. Instead of g, I’d use a special character and then a g because it would make it really hard for the hacker to start the attack—and they don’t want to waste time if they have trouble right from the beginning.
Q. Do I do that for all the words in this pass phrase?
A. Yes. Write out normal letters, and then insert special characters and underscores.
Q: What’s wrong with using a birthday or name?
A. It’s really common that people do that. Use a birthday, or name of a special someone.. but stuff like that is what the hacker will go to first... But if you put in special characters, that will slow things. They’ll jump off if the crack is too hard.
Q. OK. So I have a special character, an underscore or whatever, and another word broken up with special characters. Add some underscores for good measure?
A. Add some underscores for good measure. To really throw them off.
Q. (laughing) You’re not a nice guy are you?
A. No! Not when it comes to hackers and especially if they are after your money!
Oh, and about special characters. Don’t use @ or 3 for common letters—they can guess that too easily.
Q: And where do I find the special characters again? How do I get the typewriter back?
A: You mean the keyboard?
Q: Yah, I call it a typewriter.
A: I know what a typewriter is. I’ve used both kinds, electric and the other.
Q: How’s this?
A: Good — it looks like you have two underscores.
Q. Where?
A. Here, see how it’s longer. Do you want that, two underscores? It’s fine if you do, but will you remember that you repeated the underscore.
Q. Wow. That’s a good question…I have a lot to think about, don't I. Thank you!
A. Sure! Happy to help!
Tech Time at the Senior Center is held from 2-3 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Evening sessions are held at the Grand Marais Library, 6-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
Bring your device, your questions and your digital ambitions and let our ace staff of Cook County High School students and Boreal Community Media tech experts help you!
TOP PRIORITIES: Gun Safety & Children
OPINION
Editorial, February 23, 2018
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Editorial, February 23, 2018
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 7, Great Expectations Charter School, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Our nation celebrated President’s Day by hearing about death, guns, and innocent children.
I was in Florida during this time during the school break visiting my Grandma, so I got to experience it firsthand. When I went to a restaurant, I heard people afraid to stand up and walk out of school because they would get in trouble. I heard people scared to speak their minds about something as horrible as shootings. The people who died, and the people that killed them have families who in their own ways, are haunted by these occurrences.
GUN CONTROL and SCHOOLS: This makes us wonder: how protected are we really?
When people rely on guns and violence to express their emotions, I wonder, are we really free?
.....Are we really a great country?
People are scared to go to school because they are afraid that they are going to die.
Do Adults Care?
I don’t want that. And I certainly hope that the rest of the American people don’t want that either. In fact, I know some don’t because of the rallies. Kids are rallying for their friends lives. The ones that were so cruelly taken from them. They are fighting for stricter gun laws so more of innocent people’s lives don’t get taken away. They gathered at Florida’s Capitol and protested, met with lawmakers and got people’s attention. They certainly did mine.
I hope that our government realizes how important this is. To me, it just feels like this is another bump in the road for them and another item that they to smooth over or check off of their lists. They need to listen, and they need to take action. Otherwise, I don’t know how many more times this is going to happen.
There have been some ideas that, quite frankly, I don’t agree with. It has been suggested that the teachers bear weapons in order to protect schools and kids. If that were to happen, then the teachers would have to learn how to use them, there would be liability issues if an accident occurred, and there would be a higher risk of fear among children.
I know if I went to a school where the teachers carried guns around, I wouldn’t feel safe, I would feel like no one cared so they just gave some adults weapons in order to make this whole issue go away.
Imagine the Armed Classroom
How would you like it if you walked into school and along with a notebook and pencil, your teacher had a gun sitting next to them. Would you think, oh, I feel safe now! Or would you think, I don’t feel safe because my teachers have a need to carry weapons around?
The problem is that these school shootings, they have happened before. Actually, they have happened a lot. If teachers had guns, what difference would it make? If you had enough trained security guards on site, you wouldn’t need teachers with guns. I know that I would feel a lot safer with trained security guards around me then my math teacher teaching me how to do algebra using a gun as a ruler. What about students receiving access to guns? What if they found one and discharged it accidentally, or if it wasn’t an accident?
Improve Guard Training and Laws...Don't Arm Teachers
but It is hard to think about, but it is a possibility. Meanwhile, if schools received more money for security measures, security guards with professional training could protect the students in a dangerous situation. You know what would also help the situation? Stricter gun laws. If it weren’t so easy to buy an automatic weapon, then maybe this wouldn’t happen.
If it weren’t so easy for Nikolas Cruz to buy that AR-15 rifle, maybe 17 innocent people wouldn’t be dead.
Our 2018 FOCUS:
Cook County (CoCo) Kids' Health
Protect your health from tobacco, electronic cigarettes and vape damage
Happy New Year 2018!
We are excited to be working on a new BorealCorps' student project with the American Lung Association of Minnesota!
Our goal is to harness the power of online reporting and social media to help kids and families understand that their health is at risk when they use smokeless tobacco products like electronic cigarettes and vaping.
At Sawtooth Middle School in Grand Marais, we're designing or own anti-tobacco and anti-vape ads. At Great Expectations Charter School, we're writing essays and editorials about it and answering your questions with our Q & A's. Join us!
And check out our progress below, and follow BorealCorps BREATHES on Facebook!
Start off right.... in life and in 2018! As students in Cook County's Sawtooth Middle Schools and Great Expectations Charter School in Grand Marais, we're learning about ways tobacco and vaping products are marketed, how they impact health, and how much money they suck out of you. It's bad.
Martin Luther King Day, Women's March....and Vaping? Wha-a-a-a?
Sources, from left: Racial targeting ad from Tobacco Free kids website https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0208.pdf. Smoking Flapper ad from the Duke University archives of advertising. Used with permission for educational purposes.
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CoCo KIDS' HEALTH | e-cigs & vaping
by Sammie Garrity Health Columnist Great Expectations Charter School MLK day is an important moment in our history. It reminds us of our culture and the troubles that we have all faced in the past and the present. The injustices that we all face not depending on our race, culture, or religion have one thing in common, it is all caused by pure hate. When we face discrimination it is not based on us. It is not our fault. It is the person-that-is-putting-us-down's fault. Health discrimination There is injustice everywhere, including improper advertisements of smoking equipment. Racial minorities are one of the many groups that are targeted by large smoking companies. Another group of people that are targeted are women. Since early in the 20th Century women have been subject to many unfair examples set upon stereotypes. It is recognized by the American Lung Association and many other health organizations that women, children, racial minorities, and many other people are unfair and very large targets for tobacco companies. Notice Tobacco Executives Do NOT Smoke...Why? A certain tobacco executive said, and I quote, "We don't smoke that s**t….We just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and stupid." You can find this on this website, https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0208.pdf. Here is a two minute video aggressively targeting African American people, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ7ZtFDOwTM. Labeled below is a fact from the U.S. government’s own study on smoking: "Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, African Americans bear the greatest health burden from preventable tobacco related diseases which kill approximately 45 000 African Americans yearly." Here is the link for it, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2791258/ All in all, I hope that we can remember the importance of standing up for our rights just like Martin Luther King Jr, did. Remember! “Those who accept evil without protesting against it, are really cooperating with it.” - Martin Luther King Jr. * The original quote uses the pronoun "he". I corrected it. |
ENCOUNTERING E-CIGARETTES....
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CoCo KIDS' HEALTH | e-cigs & vaping
Fast Facts by Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells Staff Writer Great Expectations Charter School The electronic cigarette — e-cig—is a new way of encouraging children, adults, and society in general to smoke by minimizing the health dangers. An e-cig is a mechanical device that delivers the addictive drug nicotine in a hazy vapor cloud, not smoke from burning tobacco. You don’t smoke an e-cig — you “vape” it. It’s not rare to see a kid attempting to buy or use one. Unfortunately, a lot of the time they are pressured into using them because they want to be considered ‘cool.’ How it starts This is just one way that a kid can encounter one of these cigarettes: Imagine you are a highschool kid who is hanging out with some friends near a drug store. Your friends decide to go inside to buy some cigarettes and convince you to go with them. Once you get inside, they tell you that you should try one. You feel pressured and cave in. You think that it might be alright if you try it and that it doesn’t sound that bad. You don’t realize how addictive they are, and use it. Bad for you Studies show vaping e-cigs only arrived on the scene in 2007, so all the dangers have not yet been scientifically discovered. But studies do show it’s bad for you: mouth sores that don’t heal and a depressed immune system are two bad health effects. But it’s not rare to see a kid attempting to buy or use one. Unfortunately, a lot of the time they are pressured into using them because they want to be considered ‘cool.’ Addiction After you start, you see how many e-cigarettes you have smoked and decide that you made the wrong choice. But when you want to stop, you can’t because of how serious your addiction has become. All types of cigarettes and cigars have addictive properties due to nicotine. The brands adds various amounts of nicotine to all their products because they want to make sure that you keep buying them. Lung damage Smoking constantly is really bad for your lungs. It can cause sickness and death. The only way of avoiding something that severe is to stop yourself before you light another cigarette—whether it’s a tobacco cigarette or an e-cigarette. The sooner that you can detach yourself from doing so, the better your health will be, whether or not you are an adult or child. |
CoCo KIDS' HEALTH | e-cigs & vaping
Editorial by Sammie Garrity Staff Editorial Writer Great Expectations Charter School Imagine a kid rushing down the sidewalk, not wanting to be late for his first day as a lifeguard. Shortcut Time is running out, so he decides to cut through the woods. In those woods are teenagers. They are smoking, vaping, and who knows what else. This particular kid, being around the age of 12, does not know them. When he reaches a clearing, almost to the pool, he stops. The clearing A group of older kids, all around the age of 17 stare at him. Before he could even think of what to do, they speak. “Hey, kid,” says one. “You ever smoke? You should try some,” another one speaks. The rest just look. “No thanks. I’m okay.” “I said, ‘You should try some.’” Peer pressure All of the teenagers are staring at him. Pressuring him into smoking, vaping. He really doesn’t know what is happening. “Really, I’m good.” Even though he said no, a pen-shaped item gets put into his hand. Everyone is looking at him. Peer pressuring him into a choice that he does want to commit. Choices Right now, the kid has two choices: To either smoke it and head down a path that could lead in sickness, addiction, and possibly death. Those drastic measures being the results of side effects of e-Cigs, Vaping, and regular smoking. Or firmly say no and just run. Run Run. Run away from bad choices, bad situations and bad people. Breathe, think Though it may not seem easy, you can do it, and when you can take a breath and think, you will feel good, too. |
CoCo Kid's Health: Make The Right Choice
By Wren Ferry
Staff Writer
Great Expectations Charter School
Before you read anymore of this, we need to get something straight:
It is your choice fully and completely to use cigarettes and vaping pens. You could argue that it was someone else’s fault for peer pressuring you to start using them, but in the end it was your choice to cave in and actually do it. You are not completely helpless; you have opinions, beliefs, rights as a person to decide what you are going to do and how to go about it. And you can change your mind! Put it down right now if you are experimenting!
As an asthmatic, I am familiar with how it feels to be short of breath, to have an inhaler, not to be able to do many sports, or to feel slow and clumsy while running or jogging. Smoking and using vapes would have that reaction, only way worse, and that wouldn’t be the only side effect.
It is true that 1 puff of a e-cigarette is not as bad for you as 1 puff on a conventional cigarette, but vaping is also addicting. When you vape, you are basically inhaling liquid nicotine, artificial flavoring, and chemicals. And it isn’t just you suffering from smoking, non-smokers who breathe it in are also in danger of health problems. And after you look at this list maybe you’ll get a better idea of how bad smoking is for your health and body.
By Wren Ferry
Staff Writer
Great Expectations Charter School
Before you read anymore of this, we need to get something straight:
It is your choice fully and completely to use cigarettes and vaping pens. You could argue that it was someone else’s fault for peer pressuring you to start using them, but in the end it was your choice to cave in and actually do it. You are not completely helpless; you have opinions, beliefs, rights as a person to decide what you are going to do and how to go about it. And you can change your mind! Put it down right now if you are experimenting!
As an asthmatic, I am familiar with how it feels to be short of breath, to have an inhaler, not to be able to do many sports, or to feel slow and clumsy while running or jogging. Smoking and using vapes would have that reaction, only way worse, and that wouldn’t be the only side effect.
It is true that 1 puff of a e-cigarette is not as bad for you as 1 puff on a conventional cigarette, but vaping is also addicting. When you vape, you are basically inhaling liquid nicotine, artificial flavoring, and chemicals. And it isn’t just you suffering from smoking, non-smokers who breathe it in are also in danger of health problems. And after you look at this list maybe you’ll get a better idea of how bad smoking is for your health and body.
Here are some side effects of vaping:
by Wren Ferry
1. It increases the possibility of heart disease for people who already have bad conditions.
2. Nicotine sometimes has an effect on the reproductive system. It can lead to babies being born with low birth weights if the mother has had exposure to it.
3. Smokers have an increase chance of heart attacks.
4. Kids who use e-cigarettes have more respiratory problems and take more days off of school which can lead to falling behind.
5. Cancer
6. Frequent colds or sicknesses
7. Stroke
8. It constricts blood vessels which leads to high blood pressure.
9. Emphysema
by Wren Ferry
1. It increases the possibility of heart disease for people who already have bad conditions.
2. Nicotine sometimes has an effect on the reproductive system. It can lead to babies being born with low birth weights if the mother has had exposure to it.
3. Smokers have an increase chance of heart attacks.
4. Kids who use e-cigarettes have more respiratory problems and take more days off of school which can lead to falling behind.
5. Cancer
6. Frequent colds or sicknesses
7. Stroke
8. It constricts blood vessels which leads to high blood pressure.
9. Emphysema
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
By Livi
STAFF Q&A Columnist
Great Expectations Charter School
Welcome! Here we answer your questions about health problems from cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping:
Q: How is smoking different from vaping?
A: Until the mid-1960s, smoking tobacco cigarettes skyrocketed in popularity as smokers were unaware of the possible health risks. Now people are more hesitant to begin the dangerous habit. But a new trend has been on the rise: Vaping is the act of using an electronic device (e-cigarette) to inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an e-cig or similar device.
Q: Who vapes, and how do they do it?
A. This fad, as harmless as it may seem, is targeted to teens and is actually quite dangerous. Vaping is on an upward soar, entrapping teens through youth marketed ads, leading to addiction and addictive behaviors, and has the potential to cause serious medical problems. Vape products are now the most common tobacco products amongst teens. E-cigarettes that dispense the vapor are actually designed to target teens. They offer colorful candy flavors, discreet vape pens that look like pens, and are often endorsed by celebrities in highly-read teen magazines.
Q: What is a vape pen, or rig?
A. Vape pens are designed specifically to look like the common household tool, a pen. It is made this way to be as unnoticeable as possible. This is probably to make hiding the fact someone is vaping easier. But who are they hiding from? Could it be parents or teachers? Possibly. Whoever it is, it most likely helps teens get away with the dangerous habit. To add to their danger, vape pens are easily purchasable online.
Q: What or who are replacement smokers?
A: Tobacco companies market towards kids to gain replacement smokers so they can continue making money after their current users die from natural causes or from any of the many side effects of smoking. In fact almost 90% of smokers start before the age of 18. A growing amount of evidence shows that teens who don’t use conventional tobacco products but vape are more likely to use them in the future than non-vapers.
Q: Why do people vape?
A: Most kids try e-cigarettes because the vaping liquid is designed to have pleasant, candy-like flavors. There is also a common thought that flavored products are healthier than tobacco flavored products. It is said that by simply removing flavored vaping products the number of youth users would plummet.
Q: Does vaping deliver nicotine?
A: E-cigarettes and vape pens contain the same enslaving chemical as traditional cigarettes, nicotine.
Q: What’s so bad about nicotine?
A: Nicotine is highly addictive and can wreak havoc in adolescent brains. The human brain is not finished developing until the age 25, so when a growing brain is exposed to nicotine it can lead to addiction and disrupt learning and attention. This is horrifying to think about, since most vapers are still in high school, and because of the use of nicotine they may not be able to focus in school and get the most out of it. This can seriously affect students’ chances of going to a good college and having a good career.
Q: Can vaping cause bleeding mouths?
A: Vaping is commonly thought to be a good alternative to smoking or that it can even help people quit smoking. Both of these thoughts are incorrect. Vaping is actually very dangerous and can lead to many health problems. Many vapers complain of throat sores and bleeding mouths; this is because the vapor in e-cigarettes inflames the mouth and throat causing infections and leading to gum disease.
Q: What are other bad health effects of vaping?
A: According to Science News for Students; vaping actually slows the healing process in the mouth and throat. There are even some toxic metals found in vape products. Some of these are nickel, chromium and magnesium. Both nickel and chromium are cancer causing toxins. Another toxic chemical found in e-cigarettes is benzene. This is yet another cancer risk.
Q: Overall, what’s the verdict on e-cigs and vaping?
A: In conclusion, it is safe to say that vaping is a serious health risk. But like the popularity of tobacco up until the 1960s, people are unaware of the dangers. Vaping is thought to be a healthy alternative, or a way to quit smoking, but this is misleading and often causes teens to take up smoking later in their life. Vaping is not only detrimental to users’ physical health, but to mental health as well: it can cause addictive behaviors and take away from students’ abilities to focus in class.
Q: Why do teens fall for something that wastes their money and takes their health?
A: Vaping has an image of being cool and seduces teens to take it up by being advertised by celebrities, leading to dependence on the nicotine fix and obsessive behavior, ultimately causing medical problems further down the road.
STAFF Q&A Columnist
Great Expectations Charter School
Welcome! Here we answer your questions about health problems from cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping:
Q: How is smoking different from vaping?
A: Until the mid-1960s, smoking tobacco cigarettes skyrocketed in popularity as smokers were unaware of the possible health risks. Now people are more hesitant to begin the dangerous habit. But a new trend has been on the rise: Vaping is the act of using an electronic device (e-cigarette) to inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an e-cig or similar device.
Q: Who vapes, and how do they do it?
A. This fad, as harmless as it may seem, is targeted to teens and is actually quite dangerous. Vaping is on an upward soar, entrapping teens through youth marketed ads, leading to addiction and addictive behaviors, and has the potential to cause serious medical problems. Vape products are now the most common tobacco products amongst teens. E-cigarettes that dispense the vapor are actually designed to target teens. They offer colorful candy flavors, discreet vape pens that look like pens, and are often endorsed by celebrities in highly-read teen magazines.
Q: What is a vape pen, or rig?
A. Vape pens are designed specifically to look like the common household tool, a pen. It is made this way to be as unnoticeable as possible. This is probably to make hiding the fact someone is vaping easier. But who are they hiding from? Could it be parents or teachers? Possibly. Whoever it is, it most likely helps teens get away with the dangerous habit. To add to their danger, vape pens are easily purchasable online.
Q: What or who are replacement smokers?
A: Tobacco companies market towards kids to gain replacement smokers so they can continue making money after their current users die from natural causes or from any of the many side effects of smoking. In fact almost 90% of smokers start before the age of 18. A growing amount of evidence shows that teens who don’t use conventional tobacco products but vape are more likely to use them in the future than non-vapers.
Q: Why do people vape?
A: Most kids try e-cigarettes because the vaping liquid is designed to have pleasant, candy-like flavors. There is also a common thought that flavored products are healthier than tobacco flavored products. It is said that by simply removing flavored vaping products the number of youth users would plummet.
Q: Does vaping deliver nicotine?
A: E-cigarettes and vape pens contain the same enslaving chemical as traditional cigarettes, nicotine.
Q: What’s so bad about nicotine?
A: Nicotine is highly addictive and can wreak havoc in adolescent brains. The human brain is not finished developing until the age 25, so when a growing brain is exposed to nicotine it can lead to addiction and disrupt learning and attention. This is horrifying to think about, since most vapers are still in high school, and because of the use of nicotine they may not be able to focus in school and get the most out of it. This can seriously affect students’ chances of going to a good college and having a good career.
Q: Can vaping cause bleeding mouths?
A: Vaping is commonly thought to be a good alternative to smoking or that it can even help people quit smoking. Both of these thoughts are incorrect. Vaping is actually very dangerous and can lead to many health problems. Many vapers complain of throat sores and bleeding mouths; this is because the vapor in e-cigarettes inflames the mouth and throat causing infections and leading to gum disease.
Q: What are other bad health effects of vaping?
A: According to Science News for Students; vaping actually slows the healing process in the mouth and throat. There are even some toxic metals found in vape products. Some of these are nickel, chromium and magnesium. Both nickel and chromium are cancer causing toxins. Another toxic chemical found in e-cigarettes is benzene. This is yet another cancer risk.
Q: Overall, what’s the verdict on e-cigs and vaping?
A: In conclusion, it is safe to say that vaping is a serious health risk. But like the popularity of tobacco up until the 1960s, people are unaware of the dangers. Vaping is thought to be a healthy alternative, or a way to quit smoking, but this is misleading and often causes teens to take up smoking later in their life. Vaping is not only detrimental to users’ physical health, but to mental health as well: it can cause addictive behaviors and take away from students’ abilities to focus in class.
Q: Why do teens fall for something that wastes their money and takes their health?
A: Vaping has an image of being cool and seduces teens to take it up by being advertised by celebrities, leading to dependence on the nicotine fix and obsessive behavior, ultimately causing medical problems further down the road.
DECEMBER 2017
Our Posters Say It All: Bullying is Wrong!
Positivity is Right!
"Judges looked for positivity"
Credit: Amanda Barras. 2017. All Rights Reserved.
SCHOOL LIFE
ANTI-BULLYING POSTER CONTEST
By Reuben and Illya
Staff Writers
Hi! This is Iylla and Reuben from Sawtooth Elementary Student Council!
The school held the first Anti-Bullying Poster Contest for Unity Day on October 25th. A bunch of students worked together
and created their posters and displayed them on the wall by the Eagle Doors. The main qualifications judges were looking for were positivity and creativity in addressing bullying.
The winners for Sawtooth Elementary are Aubrey Williams, Ty Mielke, and Jack Radloff. They won for Most Positivity. Their prize was glow in the dark necklaces.
The middle school winners are Kylie Viren, Kole Anderson, Brody Lacina, and Cayden Zimmer. They won zipper earbuds. Another group of middle schoolers won for most creativity. They are J Shannon, Ben Obinger, John Piere, Paul Dorr, and Ryan Christiansen. Their prize was zipper earbuds as well.
All participants for the Anti-Bullying Poster contest will receive one Vikings Voucher. We also took a school wide picture in the high school gym for all the students who were wearing orange. Last but not least, we did a raffle for the elementary, middle school and high school students.
We do all of these things to show that Cook County schools are kind and respectful places to learn! See some of our posters below!
ANTI-BULLYING POSTER CONTEST
By Reuben and Illya
Staff Writers
Hi! This is Iylla and Reuben from Sawtooth Elementary Student Council!
The school held the first Anti-Bullying Poster Contest for Unity Day on October 25th. A bunch of students worked together
and created their posters and displayed them on the wall by the Eagle Doors. The main qualifications judges were looking for were positivity and creativity in addressing bullying.
The winners for Sawtooth Elementary are Aubrey Williams, Ty Mielke, and Jack Radloff. They won for Most Positivity. Their prize was glow in the dark necklaces.
The middle school winners are Kylie Viren, Kole Anderson, Brody Lacina, and Cayden Zimmer. They won zipper earbuds. Another group of middle schoolers won for most creativity. They are J Shannon, Ben Obinger, John Piere, Paul Dorr, and Ryan Christiansen. Their prize was zipper earbuds as well.
All participants for the Anti-Bullying Poster contest will receive one Vikings Voucher. We also took a school wide picture in the high school gym for all the students who were wearing orange. Last but not least, we did a raffle for the elementary, middle school and high school students.
We do all of these things to show that Cook County schools are kind and respectful places to learn! See some of our posters below!
COME TO THE Y'S COMMUNITY HALLOWEEN PARTY TUESDAY!
NEWS
Story
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor, Grade 7, Great Expectations School
Illustrations in gallery (above and below) and at left
by Tanner, Staff Illustrator, Grade 6, Sawtooth Elementary School
Party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday
As you all know, Halloween is just around the corner, and that means that it is time for scary stories and spooky costumes. What better place to spend it then at the YMCA Halloween party?!
From 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31st, at the Cook County Community YMCA you can enjoy various activities including the spider hop, obstacle course and much more.
Fun for All Ages
There will be activities for 1-2 year olds in the daycare room. There will be a costume parade and contest at 6:45 p.m., and you can enjoy refreshments before that—even take a spooky selfie with your friends in the photo booth!
The Y has this event annually, and this is the third year that they have hosted it. Last year more than 200 people participated, so join them this year and make the Y a part of your Halloween celebration! The event is free for everyone, and open to all ages.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed, too, to help set up from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and to run the activities and contests from 4:45 to 7 p.m., give out prizes and encourage participants. There will be snacks and punch and many spooky memories. Prizes, drinks and games for all ages. To learn about volunteering or to sign up, call: 218-387-3386 x 501
Stop by and make the Y one of your Halloween stops. It is going to be so much fun, and I hope that you don’t miss out!
Story
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor, Grade 7, Great Expectations School
Illustrations in gallery (above and below) and at left
by Tanner, Staff Illustrator, Grade 6, Sawtooth Elementary School
Party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday
As you all know, Halloween is just around the corner, and that means that it is time for scary stories and spooky costumes. What better place to spend it then at the YMCA Halloween party?!
From 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31st, at the Cook County Community YMCA you can enjoy various activities including the spider hop, obstacle course and much more.
Fun for All Ages
There will be activities for 1-2 year olds in the daycare room. There will be a costume parade and contest at 6:45 p.m., and you can enjoy refreshments before that—even take a spooky selfie with your friends in the photo booth!
The Y has this event annually, and this is the third year that they have hosted it. Last year more than 200 people participated, so join them this year and make the Y a part of your Halloween celebration! The event is free for everyone, and open to all ages.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed, too, to help set up from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and to run the activities and contests from 4:45 to 7 p.m., give out prizes and encourage participants. There will be snacks and punch and many spooky memories. Prizes, drinks and games for all ages. To learn about volunteering or to sign up, call: 218-387-3386 x 501
Stop by and make the Y one of your Halloween stops. It is going to be so much fun, and I hope that you don’t miss out!
Sawtooth Elementary School Election Newspaper Introduces Candidates
ELECTION NEWS BY STUDENTS AT ISD 166
The Boreal Corps' digital media skills club of elementary school children in ISD 166's Sawtooth Elementary School took to the polls on October 17, 2017 to participate in student government as a way to continue to make a great school.
To get the most out of the experience, the 4th and 5th graders created a special edition of Boreal Corps' children's newspaper, The Grand Marais Gleam School Election Issue. You can also click on the image of the newspaper cover to open and download the PDF.
FISHERMAN'S PICNIC NEWS BY STUDENTS AT GREAT EXPECTATIONS SCHOOL
Students at Great Expectations School rallied over the summer to write, edit and illustrate a special Fisherman's Picnic Edition The Grand Marais Gleam. You can also click on the image of the Gleam's cover to open the PDF.
The Boreal Corps' digital media skills club of elementary school children in ISD 166's Sawtooth Elementary School took to the polls on October 17, 2017 to participate in student government as a way to continue to make a great school.
To get the most out of the experience, the 4th and 5th graders created a special edition of Boreal Corps' children's newspaper, The Grand Marais Gleam School Election Issue. You can also click on the image of the newspaper cover to open and download the PDF.
FISHERMAN'S PICNIC NEWS BY STUDENTS AT GREAT EXPECTATIONS SCHOOL
Students at Great Expectations School rallied over the summer to write, edit and illustrate a special Fisherman's Picnic Edition The Grand Marais Gleam. You can also click on the image of the Gleam's cover to open the PDF.
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Thoughts on Kids, Cook County and Racial Discrimination
OPINION
Editorial and Photos
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Racial discrimination is a problem that our country has faced for decades. I have never really understood the point in it, and was glad that it had not come to Cook County.
Racism is Real
Unfortunately, I recently found out that it has been here in Cook County for years. Two young girls were being bullied by a group of boys. The girls were called names that are absolutely unacceptable and horrifying. I feel horrible for them because I honestly thought that our community was a safe place for everyone to be in.
But for those girls, sadly, it is not. This bullying caused them to leave our town and move somewhere that I hope they feel safe in. I personally knew the girls so I am very sad to see them leave.
Rally: 150 People Strong
Denny FitzPatrick and Pat Campanaro are part of a Cook County organization called Arrowhead Indivisible, which is fighting against racism and bullying in our county and everywhere. They helped organize a community rally October 1 against racism at Grand Marais Harbor Park, and about 150 people attended.
People at the park pledged to do whatever they can to help stop bully, and support kids in general. They said they will continue to do so until everyone in this community feels safe. A smaller group of about 25 people met Oct. 8 in a “huddle” to keep their commitment to kids and a safe and fair community strong. They brainstormed ways to make a positive difference through mentoring and other interactions with kids.
Attend School Board Meetings
Some speakers at the Oct. 1 rally encouraged community members to show up to the school board meetings to protest what they felt was a lack of communication with the general community. Some felt the school board seems to discount the views of one or two people, but argued they cannot discount one hundred-plus people who show up at a meeting.
Meeting dates will be posted around town and online, so please show up and support these girls and the other victims of discrimination and bullying in our town.
Sharing Stories and Pain
Some people shared their own stories about being bullied or bullying others. There were people who have been called “Apples” repeated times and did not know what it meant. When they found out they were sad to find that an “apple” is an insulting and factually incorrect way to describe a biracial person, suggesting they are “white” on the inside in their actions and “red” on the outside in their skin color.
People Are Like Trees
There was a four year old girl who said that people are like trees. They can be tall, short, wide, thin, and that the leaves represent our colors: All different, some similar, but all different in the end.
I don’t understand why we can’t all be like this four year old. Stop looking at people and judging them for their skin color, but judge them for their character and morals; how they act. What they do or do not do. In a way, we all are the same. We may have different racical backgrounds, interests or values, but we are all human and we all live and breath the same air.
Changing Stereotypes
There were people at the rally that even spoke about times when they were racist. One person had their three-year-old grandson and was going to church. Her kids lived in a stereotypical “the hood type of neighborhood,” she said. And when she exited a church building and turned the corner, she saw three young AfricanAmerican men standing there. Her first thought was “Oh S***t.” On the basis of her stereotypical thinking alone, she was afraid of them. She was trying to hurry, and at the same time trying to get a hat on the baby.
One of the young men walked over to her. He said, “You know, I think that the baby would be a lot warmer with the hat on...” She responded by saying “I know, but I cannot get it on.” He said, “Here, let me help.” And he put the hat on Henry (which was the baby's name). Right before the man left, he put a hand on Henry’s cheek and just blessed him with his touch.
My point in telling you this is just because someone lives in a stereotyped neighborhood and is a different color, does not mean that they are dangerous or bad people. It just means that they have a different skin color and live somewhere that you don’t. For me, it is as simple as that.
Bullying for Being Transgendered
There was boy named Isaiah who told his story. He was bullied from 9th grade into 11th grade. People would bully him for his race, sexuality, and gender. In tenth grade he was sexually assaulted by a 19- year-old man, and then was bullied some more for that when word got out. After that, he distanced himself away from people and tried to commit suicide eight times.
He had a scar on his stomach and was bullied for that. He had to get a scar revision surgery because the bullying was so bad. In 11th grade he came out as transgender, and switched his name and identity from Isabel to Isaiah. He was bullied for that, too, because he said he was the first person in Cook County High School to come out as transgender.
The Need for Understanding
Isaiah recalled that one day in school he wrote his preferred name down on an assignment and the teacher told him to erase it, and instead write his birth name down.
There was also a specific boy that bullied him 24/7. It got so bad that Isaih took a week off of school because he could not face his racist and sexist comments about how he would never amount to anything and that he would never really be a man. Isaiah told everyone at the rally that they were doing a good thing to protest bullying. He wished he’d had this kind of community support when he was the one being picked on, and he is glad that people are doing something about it, finally, he said.
Speak Out
It’s important to say what is really happening—to not keep secrets because secrets isolate you. But when Isaiah was in school, secrets ruled. He said that when anyone would go to the principal about racism they were told that they had to keep it to themselves, and that you could not tell anyone. It had to stay in school and absolutely no one could know. Now, he has gone on to college and got a 4.0 grade point average!
There were also people at the rally from ISD 166. Specifically, teacher Mila Horak spoke about how the teachers are the people that the students go to first and the people to hear the story.
Awareness Can Create Change
A lot of people that spoke did not understand the point in racism. They talked about their kids and how some do not encounter racism because they are in sports and if they experienced bullying they would pull back and stop. One kid was in school and their class was watching a movie. A couple of white boys were laughing, and so this kid laughed too. The teacher only called him out on laughing, and said to stop. He replied: “I thought we were supposed to be stopping this racism in our school and yet you are only calling me out because I have a different skin color then these boys over here.”
I personally think that it is true, that the teacher only told the boy with the different color skin to stop and not the white boys. Like I have said before, I don’t understand it.
People at the rally also hoped the widespread awareness around this bully event would help the bullies get the right kind of help so they can change. One woman questioned what their path was going to be like going forward. “They have a choice,” she said. “They can either go down the path with hatred and bullying or the path with acceptance in love. They will decide who they will be and what they want to be.”
See People as People
Those are very wise words. See people as they are: Fathers, Mothers, Daughters, Brothers, Uncles and Aunts, Friends. Stop seeing them for what their skin color is. Look at who they are as people.
Please help stop this racism, bullying and hate speech, and support the people that are and have been bullied.
Help us stop this.
Editorial and Photos
by Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Racial discrimination is a problem that our country has faced for decades. I have never really understood the point in it, and was glad that it had not come to Cook County.
Racism is Real
Unfortunately, I recently found out that it has been here in Cook County for years. Two young girls were being bullied by a group of boys. The girls were called names that are absolutely unacceptable and horrifying. I feel horrible for them because I honestly thought that our community was a safe place for everyone to be in.
But for those girls, sadly, it is not. This bullying caused them to leave our town and move somewhere that I hope they feel safe in. I personally knew the girls so I am very sad to see them leave.
Rally: 150 People Strong
Denny FitzPatrick and Pat Campanaro are part of a Cook County organization called Arrowhead Indivisible, which is fighting against racism and bullying in our county and everywhere. They helped organize a community rally October 1 against racism at Grand Marais Harbor Park, and about 150 people attended.
People at the park pledged to do whatever they can to help stop bully, and support kids in general. They said they will continue to do so until everyone in this community feels safe. A smaller group of about 25 people met Oct. 8 in a “huddle” to keep their commitment to kids and a safe and fair community strong. They brainstormed ways to make a positive difference through mentoring and other interactions with kids.
Attend School Board Meetings
Some speakers at the Oct. 1 rally encouraged community members to show up to the school board meetings to protest what they felt was a lack of communication with the general community. Some felt the school board seems to discount the views of one or two people, but argued they cannot discount one hundred-plus people who show up at a meeting.
Meeting dates will be posted around town and online, so please show up and support these girls and the other victims of discrimination and bullying in our town.
Sharing Stories and Pain
Some people shared their own stories about being bullied or bullying others. There were people who have been called “Apples” repeated times and did not know what it meant. When they found out they were sad to find that an “apple” is an insulting and factually incorrect way to describe a biracial person, suggesting they are “white” on the inside in their actions and “red” on the outside in their skin color.
People Are Like Trees
There was a four year old girl who said that people are like trees. They can be tall, short, wide, thin, and that the leaves represent our colors: All different, some similar, but all different in the end.
I don’t understand why we can’t all be like this four year old. Stop looking at people and judging them for their skin color, but judge them for their character and morals; how they act. What they do or do not do. In a way, we all are the same. We may have different racical backgrounds, interests or values, but we are all human and we all live and breath the same air.
Changing Stereotypes
There were people at the rally that even spoke about times when they were racist. One person had their three-year-old grandson and was going to church. Her kids lived in a stereotypical “the hood type of neighborhood,” she said. And when she exited a church building and turned the corner, she saw three young AfricanAmerican men standing there. Her first thought was “Oh S***t.” On the basis of her stereotypical thinking alone, she was afraid of them. She was trying to hurry, and at the same time trying to get a hat on the baby.
One of the young men walked over to her. He said, “You know, I think that the baby would be a lot warmer with the hat on...” She responded by saying “I know, but I cannot get it on.” He said, “Here, let me help.” And he put the hat on Henry (which was the baby's name). Right before the man left, he put a hand on Henry’s cheek and just blessed him with his touch.
My point in telling you this is just because someone lives in a stereotyped neighborhood and is a different color, does not mean that they are dangerous or bad people. It just means that they have a different skin color and live somewhere that you don’t. For me, it is as simple as that.
Bullying for Being Transgendered
There was boy named Isaiah who told his story. He was bullied from 9th grade into 11th grade. People would bully him for his race, sexuality, and gender. In tenth grade he was sexually assaulted by a 19- year-old man, and then was bullied some more for that when word got out. After that, he distanced himself away from people and tried to commit suicide eight times.
He had a scar on his stomach and was bullied for that. He had to get a scar revision surgery because the bullying was so bad. In 11th grade he came out as transgender, and switched his name and identity from Isabel to Isaiah. He was bullied for that, too, because he said he was the first person in Cook County High School to come out as transgender.
The Need for Understanding
Isaiah recalled that one day in school he wrote his preferred name down on an assignment and the teacher told him to erase it, and instead write his birth name down.
There was also a specific boy that bullied him 24/7. It got so bad that Isaih took a week off of school because he could not face his racist and sexist comments about how he would never amount to anything and that he would never really be a man. Isaiah told everyone at the rally that they were doing a good thing to protest bullying. He wished he’d had this kind of community support when he was the one being picked on, and he is glad that people are doing something about it, finally, he said.
Speak Out
It’s important to say what is really happening—to not keep secrets because secrets isolate you. But when Isaiah was in school, secrets ruled. He said that when anyone would go to the principal about racism they were told that they had to keep it to themselves, and that you could not tell anyone. It had to stay in school and absolutely no one could know. Now, he has gone on to college and got a 4.0 grade point average!
There were also people at the rally from ISD 166. Specifically, teacher Mila Horak spoke about how the teachers are the people that the students go to first and the people to hear the story.
Awareness Can Create Change
A lot of people that spoke did not understand the point in racism. They talked about their kids and how some do not encounter racism because they are in sports and if they experienced bullying they would pull back and stop. One kid was in school and their class was watching a movie. A couple of white boys were laughing, and so this kid laughed too. The teacher only called him out on laughing, and said to stop. He replied: “I thought we were supposed to be stopping this racism in our school and yet you are only calling me out because I have a different skin color then these boys over here.”
I personally think that it is true, that the teacher only told the boy with the different color skin to stop and not the white boys. Like I have said before, I don’t understand it.
People at the rally also hoped the widespread awareness around this bully event would help the bullies get the right kind of help so they can change. One woman questioned what their path was going to be like going forward. “They have a choice,” she said. “They can either go down the path with hatred and bullying or the path with acceptance in love. They will decide who they will be and what they want to be.”
See People as People
Those are very wise words. See people as they are: Fathers, Mothers, Daughters, Brothers, Uncles and Aunts, Friends. Stop seeing them for what their skin color is. Look at who they are as people.
Please help stop this racism, bullying and hate speech, and support the people that are and have been bullied.
Help us stop this.
Boreal Corps at the Fisherman's Picnic: A Gallery of Community Pride, Aug. 2017
Boreal Corps Table at the Fisherman's Picnic, Aug. 4, 2017.
Introducing The Seven Clans Art Project at Oshki Ogimaag Charter School
Kids Create
Inside Cook County
by Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Staff Writer and Sammie Garrity, BorealCorps Editor
Kids at the Oshki Ogimaag Charter School in Grand Portage completed an awesome art project and had an art show of their paintings in May of The Seven Clans teachings of Anishinaabe culture. The artists’ are in fifth and sixth grades, and their intent is clear in the images they painted: they want readers to reflect and feel values of their culture. The paintings are painted on circular canvases to represent the medicine wheel.
Feelings
When you look at the Bear Clan, you can see art is to inspire feeling happiness and learning new things.
The Loon Clan wants to to know the cultural importance of the loon as chief.
For painters of the Bird Clan, the egg is important because it is the baby. And the heart is vibrant and true.
For the Crane Clan, the image says to all: follow your dreams. The bright colors and vibrant hearts encourage
viewers to feel love. Marten Clan artists want you to feel respect, and the Fish Clan is the learning clan, encouraging growth and curiosity.
Visually
The images communicate their messages clearly. The bear has a turtle near the heart, the loon has a flower and bright red eye and moon illuminating water with a nice deep blue background
In the bird portrait, there is the egg and heart that is sort of electrifying everything else to show the importance or raising young. It looks kind. Crane is very bright, vibrant and looks very warm, with flowers all around it and on the wings.
In the Hoof Clan there is a skull, and a heart that looks vibrant and meaningful but still portrays a dark sense to it.
Marten is climbing a birch tree at night, surrounded by trees. The birch tree looks very welcoming, but still
mischievous. Fish looks large and respected, with many others following it. It is very bright green and looks like a powerful and wise creature.
By creating these powerful vibrant images, the Oshki kids have opened a world we did not know, and we appreciate that.
The Seven Clans paintings were created by students with art therapist and facilitator, Belle Janicek, who has worked with students at Oshki Ogimaag for the past five years to create works that allow student to explore, interpret and create their own images of their cultural teachings.
Inside Cook County
by Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Staff Writer and Sammie Garrity, BorealCorps Editor
Kids at the Oshki Ogimaag Charter School in Grand Portage completed an awesome art project and had an art show of their paintings in May of The Seven Clans teachings of Anishinaabe culture. The artists’ are in fifth and sixth grades, and their intent is clear in the images they painted: they want readers to reflect and feel values of their culture. The paintings are painted on circular canvases to represent the medicine wheel.
Feelings
When you look at the Bear Clan, you can see art is to inspire feeling happiness and learning new things.
The Loon Clan wants to to know the cultural importance of the loon as chief.
For painters of the Bird Clan, the egg is important because it is the baby. And the heart is vibrant and true.
For the Crane Clan, the image says to all: follow your dreams. The bright colors and vibrant hearts encourage
viewers to feel love. Marten Clan artists want you to feel respect, and the Fish Clan is the learning clan, encouraging growth and curiosity.
Visually
The images communicate their messages clearly. The bear has a turtle near the heart, the loon has a flower and bright red eye and moon illuminating water with a nice deep blue background
In the bird portrait, there is the egg and heart that is sort of electrifying everything else to show the importance or raising young. It looks kind. Crane is very bright, vibrant and looks very warm, with flowers all around it and on the wings.
In the Hoof Clan there is a skull, and a heart that looks vibrant and meaningful but still portrays a dark sense to it.
Marten is climbing a birch tree at night, surrounded by trees. The birch tree looks very welcoming, but still
mischievous. Fish looks large and respected, with many others following it. It is very bright green and looks like a powerful and wise creature.
By creating these powerful vibrant images, the Oshki kids have opened a world we did not know, and we appreciate that.
The Seven Clans paintings were created by students with art therapist and facilitator, Belle Janicek, who has worked with students at Oshki Ogimaag for the past five years to create works that allow student to explore, interpret and create their own images of their cultural teachings.
WHAT'S TRENDING?!..
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DID YOU KNOW!?
LOCAL MAKERS: Inside Cook County The Crafting Scene by Siena Woerheide, Staff Writer |
Pre-mudded jeans. Photo courtesy of CBSnews.com
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Inlaid polished stone table. Staff photo.
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Hello, my name is Grace, and I am here to inform you about the hottest trends and gossip. First in the news is pre-mudded jeans. Don’t understand? Yeah neither do I. Nordstrom has been drawing a lot of attention to the media lately for selling a pair of jeans and a denim jacket from the label PRPS. Here's the twist, they’re covered in a mud-like material. The over-priced items are supposed to be a fashion statement but they look more like a used gardening outfit or a Canadian tuxedo that has seen better days. The real controversy about these mud covered items are that Nordstrom is selling them for $425. The store's website copy says the jeans “embody rugged, Americana workwear that’s seen some hard-working action.” The description then falls into a time warp when it claims the stains on the jacket “give you permission to get down and dirty from rodeo to grungy rock show.” Ok Nordstrom I think I’ll stick to regular clean jeans, thanks. Mike Rowe, the former host of Discovery Channel’s television show “Dirty Jobs” posted this to his Facebook page, which has more than 4.7 million followers: “The Barracuda Straight Leg Jeans aren’t pants. “They’re not even fashion. They’re a costume for wealthy people who see work as ironic - not iconic.” More than 14,000 followers agreed with him, sharing his post. Even I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Rowe. Twitter users quickly took to their accounts to fire off more taunts. Some of their tweets include things like: “For when you need a pair of jeans as fake as you are.” “It seems Nordstrom was short on workers so they hired 5 year olds.” It seems Nordstrom is ignoring all the controversy about them, because for now the muddied jeans and jacket remain available online. |
Did you know that my dad works at Border Design Signs? His name is Dave Woerheide. His workshop is right by his house. He makes all sorts of signs, agate tables, big signs, small signs, light switch plates, benches, and all sorts of furniture. He uses acrylic paint sometimes and mostly oil base enamels. He also uses paint thinner to clean his paint brushes. My dad uses tape to make lines straighter or to make it look better. He uses sign foam and vinyl, too. He uses the vinyl for lettering and other small stuff. That's what goes on at our sign shop! 
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MUSIC TRENDS
BILLBOARD TOP 5
Music Review
by Grace Ritchey, Staff Writer
1- Dj Khaled ~ I’m The One, featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne
I have to say listening to this, the beginning is very repetitive and the background music is a little stupid...The rest of the song is either rap or the same as the beginning. The rap parts of it are very cliche pop song about sex, The beat isn’t that great and a lot of the song is just Justin Bieber singing “I’m The One.” Maybe not this time Biebs. Overall my rating is 4/10. It isn’t even that catchy.
2- Bruno Mars ~ That’s What I Like
Now this is a song I can get into. I must say it is very cliche but I suppose what pop song isn’t? I do like it because the meaning of the song isn’t about drugs or sex, just spoiling a girl. The beat is pleasing and it’s overall just a catchy song. Everything about this song is perfectly placed, nice tempo, cute lyrics and his singing is amazing. Love this song 10/10. Keep it up Bruno :D
3- Luis Fonsi ~ Despacito featuring Daddy Yankee
Interesting to say the least. I literally have no idea what they’re saying because the entire song is in Spanish. Good for them getting a Spanish song on Billboard's Hot 100. The beat is very catchy and even if I can’t understand what they’re saying, this is a song I could see myself listening to a lot. This song is definitely one of those songs you hear on the radio that you become obsessed with that you just can’t seem to find what the name of the song is. It’s a good song, not perfect though. My rating is 8/10.
4- Kendrick Lamar ~ Humble
Not what I expected when I first pressed the video. Honestly, I expected a calm non-rap song, It is not. I should have expected it from Kendrick, though. I don’t think that I am a big fan of it. It is basically a rap song packed with sex, drugs, and acting like the top dog. The beat is super catchy, but props to you if you can learn that entire rap. If you’re into rap go for it but if you are not, you can still listen to it, just don't expect much. I give it 7/10.
5- Ed Sheeran ~ Shape of You
Any Ed Sheeran song is set up for success, and this is one of my favorite songs. It’s amazingly sun, and the beat is very on point. It’s a very good song. And if you like pop music this is definitely the song for you. I give this one 10/10.
Music Review
by Grace Ritchey, Staff Writer
1- Dj Khaled ~ I’m The One, featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne
I have to say listening to this, the beginning is very repetitive and the background music is a little stupid...The rest of the song is either rap or the same as the beginning. The rap parts of it are very cliche pop song about sex, The beat isn’t that great and a lot of the song is just Justin Bieber singing “I’m The One.” Maybe not this time Biebs. Overall my rating is 4/10. It isn’t even that catchy.
2- Bruno Mars ~ That’s What I Like
Now this is a song I can get into. I must say it is very cliche but I suppose what pop song isn’t? I do like it because the meaning of the song isn’t about drugs or sex, just spoiling a girl. The beat is pleasing and it’s overall just a catchy song. Everything about this song is perfectly placed, nice tempo, cute lyrics and his singing is amazing. Love this song 10/10. Keep it up Bruno :D
3- Luis Fonsi ~ Despacito featuring Daddy Yankee
Interesting to say the least. I literally have no idea what they’re saying because the entire song is in Spanish. Good for them getting a Spanish song on Billboard's Hot 100. The beat is very catchy and even if I can’t understand what they’re saying, this is a song I could see myself listening to a lot. This song is definitely one of those songs you hear on the radio that you become obsessed with that you just can’t seem to find what the name of the song is. It’s a good song, not perfect though. My rating is 8/10.
4- Kendrick Lamar ~ Humble
Not what I expected when I first pressed the video. Honestly, I expected a calm non-rap song, It is not. I should have expected it from Kendrick, though. I don’t think that I am a big fan of it. It is basically a rap song packed with sex, drugs, and acting like the top dog. The beat is super catchy, but props to you if you can learn that entire rap. If you’re into rap go for it but if you are not, you can still listen to it, just don't expect much. I give it 7/10.
5- Ed Sheeran ~ Shape of You
Any Ed Sheeran song is set up for success, and this is one of my favorite songs. It’s amazingly sun, and the beat is very on point. It’s a very good song. And if you like pop music this is definitely the song for you. I give this one 10/10.
DIG IN! ....FOOD REVIEWS
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The Crooked Spoon Cafe
17 W. Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604 218-387-2779 | www.crookedspooncafe.com Restaurant Review by Sammie Garrity, Editor In a small town like Grand Marais you would be surprised how many culinary treasures you can find. The Crooked Spoon Cafe, is one of them. When you walk in it is normally pretty busy but not intolerable. They make that easy by having a rooftop, indoor dining area for appetizers and drinks. It has a nice and comfortable atmosphere. For appetizers I recommend the French Onion Soup, the Braised Pork Belly and the Mussels. For dinner I would suggest the Seared Sea Scallops or whatever steak they have. They bring out the flavors in everything that they make and I always leave needing a wheelbarrow! The last time that I have been there I wanted more quantity of what I was getting which is good and bad. It is a pricey place but yet, well worth it. I think that I would probably give The Crooked Spoon Cafe a 5 star rating. I hope that you check it out and try their delicious food. When you go I would recommend getting there around 5-5:30 p.m. |
Angry Trout Cafe
Restaurant Review by Sammie Garrity, Editor When you go to Angry Trout Cafe they usually have a wait. STAY. You will not be disappointed. When you sit down and get food I recommend the fritters and eggplant for appetizers. When you get to the actual meal I recommend the grilled bison tenderloin, pasta and salad or the daily fish. They blend the salads to perfection and in the meat and fish are always flavorful and juicy. When you get there I recommend arriving around 5 p.m. and make sure to go inside first. Ignore the beach. Someone always comes right after and then they fill scarily fast. Typically I would give the Angry Trout a 4 or 5 star rating. Jump in Lake Superior while you’re at it. Have fun! I almost forgot the most important part: get the Mocha Cheesecake to top it all off. |
CELEBRATING INDEPENDENT BOOK STORE DAY APRIL 29 WITH A...
BOOK REVIEW!
Source: Fair use, Wikipedia.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Book Review
by Sammie Garrity, Editor
Introduction
I chose this book because it looked interesting, and I had heard about it by word of mouth and because the synopsis made me feel deeply intrigued and emotional. The cover and name are definitely a key factor in my decision-making progress. It was so free looking, and it definitely caught my eye because of that. It connects you with the characters and then swooshes in and gives you a heartbreak. I guarantee that you will cry at the end. I loved the book and recommend it for children over 10 yrs old. There are some confusing words.
The Setting
The story happens in Indiana when Hazel is 16 and Augustus is 17. It is set in the literal heart of Jesus, a church that holds Hazel’s support group, Amsterdam where Hazel’s favorite author lives; An Imperial Affliction and different hospitals where different friends are. They are a group of literal miracles who all survived cancer and live to tell about it. The Moms and Dads meddle and the kids turn friendships and other relationships into treasures as they take an incredible journey through misfortune and hardship. A heartbreaking ending left me crying. The characters are amazing and they make you feel like you are someone.
The Characters
Hazel Grace Lancaster is the main character of The Fault in our Stars. She has thyroid cancer so she has to quit school early. She takes college courses and is alive and breathing but doesn’t live life to its fullest. Her mother thinks she is a homebody because she mostly just watches "America’s Next Top Model" and reads An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. She meets Augustus Waters at her support group and takes a liking to him. The weird thing is, he keeps staring at her. After the meeting is over he comes over and asks her to watch a movie with him after saying that she looked like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. He is there because Isaac, who is another kid at the support group, needed extra support to announce he was going blind. Augustus had osteosarcoma and survived. Lost a leg in the process, though. Isaac is Augustus’s friend who had eye cancer. He becomes blind and dumped by his girlfriend who “could not handle it.” They believed in PDA* all too much.
*= Public Display of Affection
The Plot
It all starts when Hazel’s mom forces her to go to the support group that Hazel despises. It is held in a church that is shaped like a cross so they sit in the literal heart of Jesus. After the group’s meeting ends, Augustus Waters comes over and strikes up a conversation with Hazel. It ends up with them watching V for Vendetta because he had said that she was Natalie Portman; V for Vendetta beautiful.
The relationship turns into calling, into dates and finally into secrets. They go through a journey of love and disappointment. When they talk about favorite books she says that hers is, An Imperial Affliction. He says that his is, The Price Of Dawn series. They both read the opposites books and find that they love them. She reads the whole series and he reads An Imperial Affliction. He has this whole love of metaphors and when he puts a cigarette out of his pocket, she is disgusted. It turns out the whole thing is a metaphor. A couple of days later Augustus calls her with wailing at the other line. Isaac is over at Augustus’s house. His girlfriend Monica had dumped him claiming that, “It is just too stressful for her.” It ends with Isaac smashing all of Augustus’s basketball trophies which is a sport he hates. He has always been looking for an excuse to tell his dad that he hates basketball since his other leg does not work that well, granted, it is a prosthetic.
Next, Augustus decides that he loves An Imperial Affliction so much that he tries to contact Peter Van Houten. No one has ever been able to reach him although some know he lives in Amsterdam. Augustus stumbles across his assistants email which turns out to be how you get in contact with him. He never answers his fan mail so it is pretty difficult. When they get in contact, they get an invitation to go to Amsterdam. When they go he totally blows him off and is really mean. It ends up with his assistant quitting and him being lonely.
They go to the Anne Frank museum and look there with the jobless assistant. That whole trip they have been dreaming about the night that the had before when they went to the fanciest restaurant in Amsterdam. It was called Oranjee and had champagne that felt like the stars when it hit your tongue. When they return home August gets the news that his cancer is back so they go through the motions of keeping him comfortable and happy.
All of the family comes to visit and see Augustus along with all of their kids. It was pretty maddening since there were so many of them. Hazel’s parents wanted her to stop taking care of him so much and spend more time with them while her boyfriend slowly died. She got really mad and went over. Augustus had escaped and tried to get gas and cigarettes by himself and was tangled and couldn’t breath. They rushed him to the hospital and after a while, he died.
Laying there with him, Hazel was the one who couldn’t breath. She was sad, angry and worst of all, depressed. She remembers when she got through with August and went to the church on his request. He was there with Isaac at his own personal funeral knowing that he was going to die soon. They read eulogies of the tops of their heads and made Augustus laugh. The actual funeral took place in the same place and was much more lively with people but not souls. There was no laughter, no stupid eulogies and no joy whatsoever. When it came time to sit Hazel noticed Peter van Houten sitting behind her. He rode to the burial with them and on the way back down. He was selfish the whole entire time and only talking about himself. Hazel got really mad and told him to get out of the car. Later, though, she found him in her backseat trying to talk to her and she told him to not be a drunk and get his life together.
She will be sad for the rest of her life but has some comfort in knowing the Augustus knew he was dying and gave her precious moments to hang onto.
Book Review
by Sammie Garrity, Editor
Introduction
I chose this book because it looked interesting, and I had heard about it by word of mouth and because the synopsis made me feel deeply intrigued and emotional. The cover and name are definitely a key factor in my decision-making progress. It was so free looking, and it definitely caught my eye because of that. It connects you with the characters and then swooshes in and gives you a heartbreak. I guarantee that you will cry at the end. I loved the book and recommend it for children over 10 yrs old. There are some confusing words.
The Setting
The story happens in Indiana when Hazel is 16 and Augustus is 17. It is set in the literal heart of Jesus, a church that holds Hazel’s support group, Amsterdam where Hazel’s favorite author lives; An Imperial Affliction and different hospitals where different friends are. They are a group of literal miracles who all survived cancer and live to tell about it. The Moms and Dads meddle and the kids turn friendships and other relationships into treasures as they take an incredible journey through misfortune and hardship. A heartbreaking ending left me crying. The characters are amazing and they make you feel like you are someone.
The Characters
Hazel Grace Lancaster is the main character of The Fault in our Stars. She has thyroid cancer so she has to quit school early. She takes college courses and is alive and breathing but doesn’t live life to its fullest. Her mother thinks she is a homebody because she mostly just watches "America’s Next Top Model" and reads An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. She meets Augustus Waters at her support group and takes a liking to him. The weird thing is, he keeps staring at her. After the meeting is over he comes over and asks her to watch a movie with him after saying that she looked like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. He is there because Isaac, who is another kid at the support group, needed extra support to announce he was going blind. Augustus had osteosarcoma and survived. Lost a leg in the process, though. Isaac is Augustus’s friend who had eye cancer. He becomes blind and dumped by his girlfriend who “could not handle it.” They believed in PDA* all too much.
*= Public Display of Affection
The Plot
It all starts when Hazel’s mom forces her to go to the support group that Hazel despises. It is held in a church that is shaped like a cross so they sit in the literal heart of Jesus. After the group’s meeting ends, Augustus Waters comes over and strikes up a conversation with Hazel. It ends up with them watching V for Vendetta because he had said that she was Natalie Portman; V for Vendetta beautiful.
The relationship turns into calling, into dates and finally into secrets. They go through a journey of love and disappointment. When they talk about favorite books she says that hers is, An Imperial Affliction. He says that his is, The Price Of Dawn series. They both read the opposites books and find that they love them. She reads the whole series and he reads An Imperial Affliction. He has this whole love of metaphors and when he puts a cigarette out of his pocket, she is disgusted. It turns out the whole thing is a metaphor. A couple of days later Augustus calls her with wailing at the other line. Isaac is over at Augustus’s house. His girlfriend Monica had dumped him claiming that, “It is just too stressful for her.” It ends with Isaac smashing all of Augustus’s basketball trophies which is a sport he hates. He has always been looking for an excuse to tell his dad that he hates basketball since his other leg does not work that well, granted, it is a prosthetic.
Next, Augustus decides that he loves An Imperial Affliction so much that he tries to contact Peter Van Houten. No one has ever been able to reach him although some know he lives in Amsterdam. Augustus stumbles across his assistants email which turns out to be how you get in contact with him. He never answers his fan mail so it is pretty difficult. When they get in contact, they get an invitation to go to Amsterdam. When they go he totally blows him off and is really mean. It ends up with his assistant quitting and him being lonely.
They go to the Anne Frank museum and look there with the jobless assistant. That whole trip they have been dreaming about the night that the had before when they went to the fanciest restaurant in Amsterdam. It was called Oranjee and had champagne that felt like the stars when it hit your tongue. When they return home August gets the news that his cancer is back so they go through the motions of keeping him comfortable and happy.
All of the family comes to visit and see Augustus along with all of their kids. It was pretty maddening since there were so many of them. Hazel’s parents wanted her to stop taking care of him so much and spend more time with them while her boyfriend slowly died. She got really mad and went over. Augustus had escaped and tried to get gas and cigarettes by himself and was tangled and couldn’t breath. They rushed him to the hospital and after a while, he died.
Laying there with him, Hazel was the one who couldn’t breath. She was sad, angry and worst of all, depressed. She remembers when she got through with August and went to the church on his request. He was there with Isaac at his own personal funeral knowing that he was going to die soon. They read eulogies of the tops of their heads and made Augustus laugh. The actual funeral took place in the same place and was much more lively with people but not souls. There was no laughter, no stupid eulogies and no joy whatsoever. When it came time to sit Hazel noticed Peter van Houten sitting behind her. He rode to the burial with them and on the way back down. He was selfish the whole entire time and only talking about himself. Hazel got really mad and told him to get out of the car. Later, though, she found him in her backseat trying to talk to her and she told him to not be a drunk and get his life together.
She will be sad for the rest of her life but has some comfort in knowing the Augustus knew he was dying and gave her precious moments to hang onto.
MARCH FOR SCIENCE SUPPORTS NATURE, KIDS, HEALTHY PLANET
Arrowhead Indivisible's Saturday morning March for Science was a success in raising awareness for the need to use scientific methods and results in making decisions about healthy lifestyles and the future of the planet.
Families and friends throughout Cook County celebrated Earth Day Saturday at Harbor Park to support the importance of scientific research in all aspects of American life to ensure a healthy future.
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To join BOREAL CORPS contact [email protected].
In Spring, Cook County kids in grades 4-8 cover Boreal Corps news.
In Fall, Cook County students in grades 9-12 take over. But we're flexible. If you want to write, cartoon, map, illustrate or solve digital technology problems now with us, join us!
Boreal Corps In the World
March 15-April 22, 2017 !
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Spring Musical Lion King Jr. Opened Friday April 21 in 6-performance Series
The Grand Marais Playhouse brings six performances of this beloved Disney musical adapted for school-age theater troupes. For a first-person insight about what it's like to be part of this fantastic creation, scroll down to read Grace's essay below.
Run Dates It began Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. A second evening performance will be held Saturday April 22, and a Sunday April 23 matinee begins at 2 p.m. The three-show sequence repeats the following weekend, ending with the 2 p.m. Sunday April 30 matinee.
Tickets are $10 adults and $5 under 18.
For information (218) 387-1248, or Email: [email protected]
Website: http://grandmaraisplayhouse.com and https://arrowheadcenterforthearts.tix.com/Event.aspx?EventCode=961230
Run Dates It began Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. A second evening performance will be held Saturday April 22, and a Sunday April 23 matinee begins at 2 p.m. The three-show sequence repeats the following weekend, ending with the 2 p.m. Sunday April 30 matinee.
Tickets are $10 adults and $5 under 18.
For information (218) 387-1248, or Email: [email protected]
Website: http://grandmaraisplayhouse.com and https://arrowheadcenterforthearts.tix.com/Event.aspx?EventCode=961230
Spring Road Trips!
Minnesota History Center
Museum Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
When I went to St. Paul in March and visited the Minnesota History Center we saw everything from the oldest book owned by Minnesota History Center, written in 1492, to maps that have made-up islands in Lake Superior on them. Explorers and map makers did this in the 1600s and 1700s when they were trying to impress their sponsors in "New France"--that's what French colonies in North America were once called.
Our tour guide was Patrick Coleman, curator of Antiquarian Books for the Minnesota Historical Society. He started out by taking us to the storage room in the basement of the History Center. It had 100,000 square feet of every mark that people in Minnesota history had made on paper.
For me, as an avid reader with a love for literature, it was pure amazement.
Inventive Mapmaking
We learned that a French mapmaker took a map and claimed that there was a clear way across the continent! It turns out that where he had put a river, the Rocky Mountains were in the way. He didn’t actually go that far in real life, so he did not know that there were mountains there. He was trying to make it look easy.
Imagine if people called him up and were just like, “Hey dude, where you said that there was a river, there is actually a mountain range. Can you clear this up?” I laughed when I imagined this.
Another French mapmaker in 1755 invented three islands in Lake Superior, which he named after his boss, to get on the good side of his boss. Benjamin Franklin discovered his lie, and when he was negotiating boundaries of the U.S., said that he would take Isle Royale and New France could have the other three islands--which didn't exist. When people found out they were very angry. They stopped using that map entirely, but not before the mistakes showed up on so many different maps that are now preserved perfectly now at the Historical Center.
Civil War Newspapers
At the Minnesota History Center there was even a newspaper that was printed in Missouri during the Civil War. Because it was in the middle of The Civil War people had no food and had taken to eating rats. There was almost no resources to make a newspaper, so they printed the paper on wallpaper. You can see the wallpaper patterns still. The enemy would print jabs at the southerners and claim the General Grant is going to take over. They got so mad that their life was pretty much being taken away. As most can imagine, that must be pretty frustrating.
History Told By A House
Another cool thing we did was take a tour of an old model home recreated inside the History Center. It had speakers on some exhibits, and printed articles to read and fun things to do, touch and see everywhere. A section on children's games had hopscotch and pin drop, but also had a recorded narrative by a speaker telling about her experience in a fire.
Hands-on Enrichment
We did all sorts of fun activities that are very hands-on. It was an amazing experience and I hope to do it again soon. I believe that everybody should do something like this at least once in their lives as to enrich their knowledge. I know it did mine!
Museum Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
When I went to St. Paul in March and visited the Minnesota History Center we saw everything from the oldest book owned by Minnesota History Center, written in 1492, to maps that have made-up islands in Lake Superior on them. Explorers and map makers did this in the 1600s and 1700s when they were trying to impress their sponsors in "New France"--that's what French colonies in North America were once called.
Our tour guide was Patrick Coleman, curator of Antiquarian Books for the Minnesota Historical Society. He started out by taking us to the storage room in the basement of the History Center. It had 100,000 square feet of every mark that people in Minnesota history had made on paper.
For me, as an avid reader with a love for literature, it was pure amazement.
Inventive Mapmaking
We learned that a French mapmaker took a map and claimed that there was a clear way across the continent! It turns out that where he had put a river, the Rocky Mountains were in the way. He didn’t actually go that far in real life, so he did not know that there were mountains there. He was trying to make it look easy.
Imagine if people called him up and were just like, “Hey dude, where you said that there was a river, there is actually a mountain range. Can you clear this up?” I laughed when I imagined this.
Another French mapmaker in 1755 invented three islands in Lake Superior, which he named after his boss, to get on the good side of his boss. Benjamin Franklin discovered his lie, and when he was negotiating boundaries of the U.S., said that he would take Isle Royale and New France could have the other three islands--which didn't exist. When people found out they were very angry. They stopped using that map entirely, but not before the mistakes showed up on so many different maps that are now preserved perfectly now at the Historical Center.
Civil War Newspapers
At the Minnesota History Center there was even a newspaper that was printed in Missouri during the Civil War. Because it was in the middle of The Civil War people had no food and had taken to eating rats. There was almost no resources to make a newspaper, so they printed the paper on wallpaper. You can see the wallpaper patterns still. The enemy would print jabs at the southerners and claim the General Grant is going to take over. They got so mad that their life was pretty much being taken away. As most can imagine, that must be pretty frustrating.
History Told By A House
Another cool thing we did was take a tour of an old model home recreated inside the History Center. It had speakers on some exhibits, and printed articles to read and fun things to do, touch and see everywhere. A section on children's games had hopscotch and pin drop, but also had a recorded narrative by a speaker telling about her experience in a fire.
Hands-on Enrichment
We did all sorts of fun activities that are very hands-on. It was an amazing experience and I hope to do it again soon. I believe that everybody should do something like this at least once in their lives as to enrich their knowledge. I know it did mine!
Making Maple SYrup
Photo Credit: Beth Ferry
NORTHWOODS LIFE: MAKING MAPLE SYRUP
Family Activity
By Wren Ferry, Staff Writer
Tapping Trees
Every year around mid-March my family goes out to tap trees on the Old Ski Hill Road. While my brother and I are climbing trees, my mom and dad are drilling small holes into some of the bigger trees. The trees that we tap have to be at least 12 inches in diameter.
After they’re done drilling, mom and dad stick taps in the holes they made. (A tap is like a small spout that comes out of the tree.) Then they hang buckets from the end to catch the sap. When we come back a couple days later the buckets are either full, or they might only have 5 inches in them.
My and Basil’s favorite thing about collecting sap is eating ice or snow that‘s dunked in sap.
Here’s how the flow of sap works: if the weather goes above freezing in the day and falls below freezing at night, the sap runs.
Boiling & Sap Tea
We have a stove that we put together each year made out of bricks and metal trays. My mom and dad usually do the boiling because it takes all day and you have to check on the fire every 5-10 minutes in case it dies down too much.
For fire wood my dad gets junky lumber from the hardware store for free because it’s crooked and flaky. Sometimes Basil and I jump on it to break it in half so it can actually fit in the fire, but sometimes we just feed it in. As the sap boils, foam surfaces, and we have to skim the top with a strainer. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make about 1 gallon of syrup, so most of it ends up being steam.
With our set up, it takes us all day to boil 1 gallon of syrup. The whole family’s favorite part about boiling is drinking sap tea, which is steaming hot sap. I like to make red chai with it. After the syrup is completely done, Basil and I get to clean the pan with spoons.
Label Making
Then for the labels, mom and I cut out small circles of birch bark and write 100 percent MAPLE SYRUP , First Boil, 2017, Ferry/Mills Family, Old Ski Hill RD.
Bye!
NORTHWOODS LIFE: MAKING MAPLE SYRUP
Family Activity
By Wren Ferry, Staff Writer
Tapping Trees
Every year around mid-March my family goes out to tap trees on the Old Ski Hill Road. While my brother and I are climbing trees, my mom and dad are drilling small holes into some of the bigger trees. The trees that we tap have to be at least 12 inches in diameter.
After they’re done drilling, mom and dad stick taps in the holes they made. (A tap is like a small spout that comes out of the tree.) Then they hang buckets from the end to catch the sap. When we come back a couple days later the buckets are either full, or they might only have 5 inches in them.
My and Basil’s favorite thing about collecting sap is eating ice or snow that‘s dunked in sap.
Here’s how the flow of sap works: if the weather goes above freezing in the day and falls below freezing at night, the sap runs.
Boiling & Sap Tea
We have a stove that we put together each year made out of bricks and metal trays. My mom and dad usually do the boiling because it takes all day and you have to check on the fire every 5-10 minutes in case it dies down too much.
For fire wood my dad gets junky lumber from the hardware store for free because it’s crooked and flaky. Sometimes Basil and I jump on it to break it in half so it can actually fit in the fire, but sometimes we just feed it in. As the sap boils, foam surfaces, and we have to skim the top with a strainer. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make about 1 gallon of syrup, so most of it ends up being steam.
With our set up, it takes us all day to boil 1 gallon of syrup. The whole family’s favorite part about boiling is drinking sap tea, which is steaming hot sap. I like to make red chai with it. After the syrup is completely done, Basil and I get to clean the pan with spoons.
Label Making
Then for the labels, mom and I cut out small circles of birch bark and write 100 percent MAPLE SYRUP , First Boil, 2017, Ferry/Mills Family, Old Ski Hill RD.
Bye!
The Play Lion King Jr., movies, museums...and more!
DISNEY'S THE LION KING, Jr.
Play Preview
By Grace Blomberg, Staff Writer
The Lion King is a Disney production that was turned into a famous Broadway play. It was shown around the world and now it is coming to our local playhouse, the Grand Marais Playhouse, and around 50 kids are performing in The Lion King Jr.
I am very excited because I am in it. There are 14 songs in the play and about 50 kids in the play. Which is a lot compared to last years kid play. There are a lot of new kids this year. The grades performing are 3rd grade to 11th grade. Karina Roth comes in and helps us learn the songs and the notes. She is very helpful and we all appreciate her.
Opening night is April 20, which is a Friday. It goes two weekends: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We hope you come see us at the Lion King Jr.!
Play Preview
By Grace Blomberg, Staff Writer
The Lion King is a Disney production that was turned into a famous Broadway play. It was shown around the world and now it is coming to our local playhouse, the Grand Marais Playhouse, and around 50 kids are performing in The Lion King Jr.
I am very excited because I am in it. There are 14 songs in the play and about 50 kids in the play. Which is a lot compared to last years kid play. There are a lot of new kids this year. The grades performing are 3rd grade to 11th grade. Karina Roth comes in and helps us learn the songs and the notes. She is very helpful and we all appreciate her.
Opening night is April 20, which is a Friday. It goes two weekends: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We hope you come see us at the Lion King Jr.!
Source: Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50759197
MOANA
Movie Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
Most of you probably have heard of the new movie Moana. It is starring Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson as Maui and Auli’i Cravalho as Moana. When I saw the cover and the characters what I guiltily admit drew me in was the fact that The Rock was in it.
Then when I actually watched it I loved it. I admit I would change some parts to be less cheesy, but every movie has a cheesy part. The characters were very funny and their voices when singing were beautiful. The characters were perfect for whoever they played. I think that the movie should turn into a book, play and live-action movie. It is really cute and tells a tale of friendship, betrayal and love.
A Moral For All Ages
Maui is a bit selfish at some parts and Moana is a very self-conscious girl when nobody believes in her. The chicken is really funny, the pig is cute and the grandma is crazy! I would definitely recommend it for all ages and everyone.
The story has a moral that everyone should have and has been told before to have: be yourself and try your best. Anything is possible if you try.
4.5 Out of 5 Stars ****
I personally thought that it was going to be less interesting, but I was totally wrong. It really surprised me and I think that it will surprise you. Have fun watching Moana.
In conclusion, I give Moana 4.5 out of 5.
Movie Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
Most of you probably have heard of the new movie Moana. It is starring Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson as Maui and Auli’i Cravalho as Moana. When I saw the cover and the characters what I guiltily admit drew me in was the fact that The Rock was in it.
Then when I actually watched it I loved it. I admit I would change some parts to be less cheesy, but every movie has a cheesy part. The characters were very funny and their voices when singing were beautiful. The characters were perfect for whoever they played. I think that the movie should turn into a book, play and live-action movie. It is really cute and tells a tale of friendship, betrayal and love.
A Moral For All Ages
Maui is a bit selfish at some parts and Moana is a very self-conscious girl when nobody believes in her. The chicken is really funny, the pig is cute and the grandma is crazy! I would definitely recommend it for all ages and everyone.
The story has a moral that everyone should have and has been told before to have: be yourself and try your best. Anything is possible if you try.
4.5 Out of 5 Stars ****
I personally thought that it was going to be less interesting, but I was totally wrong. It really surprised me and I think that it will surprise you. Have fun watching Moana.
In conclusion, I give Moana 4.5 out of 5.
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tenn. Photo By DavGreg (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
National Civil Rights Museum
Museum Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
Have you ever found yourself truly giving thought to African-American history? Why don’t I know much about it?
Well, if you are thinking that, then the Memphis, Tennessee; The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., is the best place for you. It memorializes where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. The Lorraine Motel has many interesting exhibits on African American history and symbolizes the importance of learning about our culture. As some say, “There would be no American culture without African-American Culture.”
Raising Awareness
I don’t think that we realize how much of a positive impact the African-American community has put into our country. We brought Africans here like livestock, cramming them into disgusting and dangerous areas on ships and beating them almost to death to brainwash them. Some died of the conditions, some died by killing themselves and very few remained. If they made it alive, they were beaten even more, given no clothes, and told to complete grueling tasks. When I was at the Civil Rights Museum/The Lorraine Motel I learned what a struggle it has been for African-Americans.
Struggle Continues
I am sad to say that the struggle continues to this day. The Civil Rights Museum focuses on the plight of African-Americans spanning from the days of slavery to current times. If you turn on today's news, you will most likely see either a black being wrongly accused of a crime that they didn’t commit or being beaten or shot to death in the middle of the street. While some people might not see it, we are in the middle of our own Civil Rights Movement. While black freedom has been granted, black equality is not always there. People still question the rights that blacks have in this country. America the free is not so true for blacks. At the bottom of this story you will see a timeline that shows only a few of the Freedom Riders that paved blacks way to freedom in America.
While some may be gone, they all will be remembered.
Dr. Martin Luther King
I haven’t even gotten to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His killer, James Earl Ray, was an escapee from the Missouri State Penitary. No one knows why James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King and also who got him to do it. It is a lingering question between everybody.
Did James Earl Ray have help?
Some suspect the government wanted to kill Dr. King because he was in Memphis speaking out against fair pay to sanitation workers. James Earl Ray died in at Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1998. He had liver disease so the police said that he died because of that and kidney failure.
What Do You Think?
What do you think about all of this? Would you want to live back then? When beating and racism were encouraged, when separations of race were put into people’s heads as the right thing to do. Would you try to stop it? Would you join the Freedom Riders on that bus that lead the KKK into their sense of victory?
So many questions that hold your opinions in the answers. Do you want to answer any questions, email me at [email protected]. And don’t forget the inspirations!
FREEDOM RIDERS: Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, Nina Simone, Mary McLeod Bethune, Lena Horne, Marva Collins, Rosa Parks, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Janet Collins — and the list could go on and on!
Museum Review
By Sammie Garrity, Editor
Have you ever found yourself truly giving thought to African-American history? Why don’t I know much about it?
Well, if you are thinking that, then the Memphis, Tennessee; The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., is the best place for you. It memorializes where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. The Lorraine Motel has many interesting exhibits on African American history and symbolizes the importance of learning about our culture. As some say, “There would be no American culture without African-American Culture.”
Raising Awareness
I don’t think that we realize how much of a positive impact the African-American community has put into our country. We brought Africans here like livestock, cramming them into disgusting and dangerous areas on ships and beating them almost to death to brainwash them. Some died of the conditions, some died by killing themselves and very few remained. If they made it alive, they were beaten even more, given no clothes, and told to complete grueling tasks. When I was at the Civil Rights Museum/The Lorraine Motel I learned what a struggle it has been for African-Americans.
Struggle Continues
I am sad to say that the struggle continues to this day. The Civil Rights Museum focuses on the plight of African-Americans spanning from the days of slavery to current times. If you turn on today's news, you will most likely see either a black being wrongly accused of a crime that they didn’t commit or being beaten or shot to death in the middle of the street. While some people might not see it, we are in the middle of our own Civil Rights Movement. While black freedom has been granted, black equality is not always there. People still question the rights that blacks have in this country. America the free is not so true for blacks. At the bottom of this story you will see a timeline that shows only a few of the Freedom Riders that paved blacks way to freedom in America.
While some may be gone, they all will be remembered.
Dr. Martin Luther King
I haven’t even gotten to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His killer, James Earl Ray, was an escapee from the Missouri State Penitary. No one knows why James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King and also who got him to do it. It is a lingering question between everybody.
Did James Earl Ray have help?
Some suspect the government wanted to kill Dr. King because he was in Memphis speaking out against fair pay to sanitation workers. James Earl Ray died in at Columbia Nashville Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1998. He had liver disease so the police said that he died because of that and kidney failure.
What Do You Think?
What do you think about all of this? Would you want to live back then? When beating and racism were encouraged, when separations of race were put into people’s heads as the right thing to do. Would you try to stop it? Would you join the Freedom Riders on that bus that lead the KKK into their sense of victory?
So many questions that hold your opinions in the answers. Do you want to answer any questions, email me at [email protected]. And don’t forget the inspirations!
FREEDOM RIDERS: Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, Nina Simone, Mary McLeod Bethune, Lena Horne, Marva Collins, Rosa Parks, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Janet Collins — and the list could go on and on!
SOURCE: Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51018270.
Live-Action Beauty and The Beast
Movie Review
By Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Staff Writer Last update 8:16 a.m. April 10, 2017
You have probably heard that the Live Action movie, Beauty and The Beast has recently come out. This is just a review based on my opinion of the new film.
The original Beauty and The Beast is a fabulous movie, which came out in 1991. I personally thought that the new Live Action movie would seem less exciting. However I was very blown away by the whole thing. The movie was very touching and felt to have more of a backstory and connection between the characters, giving it more depth and emotion. Having recently been in the play Beauty and The Beast at the Grand Marais Playhouse, seeing this version was especially amazing for me.
Really Brought to Life
The casting in this movie is, in my opinion, extremely perfect. The characters have really been brought to life with the actors who portrayed the people in the small town and the people/objects who have been living under the spell in the prince’s castle. These characters seem like they could truly be a person with more emotion than an animated character, even if they seem very life like.
The detail in the enchanted objects and the floors, walls, and ceilings add so much more personality to the characters. The costumes are as well so intricate and so perfect for the person wearing the clothing. It is almost so that I could tell the personalities of the people before they even spoke.
5 Out of 5 Stars *****
Overall, I would give the new Beauty and The Beast five out of five stars. It was a great experience for me to watch this film, and I will definitely be seeing it again.
Movie Review
By Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Staff Writer Last update 8:16 a.m. April 10, 2017
You have probably heard that the Live Action movie, Beauty and The Beast has recently come out. This is just a review based on my opinion of the new film.
The original Beauty and The Beast is a fabulous movie, which came out in 1991. I personally thought that the new Live Action movie would seem less exciting. However I was very blown away by the whole thing. The movie was very touching and felt to have more of a backstory and connection between the characters, giving it more depth and emotion. Having recently been in the play Beauty and The Beast at the Grand Marais Playhouse, seeing this version was especially amazing for me.
Really Brought to Life
The casting in this movie is, in my opinion, extremely perfect. The characters have really been brought to life with the actors who portrayed the people in the small town and the people/objects who have been living under the spell in the prince’s castle. These characters seem like they could truly be a person with more emotion than an animated character, even if they seem very life like.
The detail in the enchanted objects and the floors, walls, and ceilings add so much more personality to the characters. The costumes are as well so intricate and so perfect for the person wearing the clothing. It is almost so that I could tell the personalities of the people before they even spoke.
5 Out of 5 Stars *****
Overall, I would give the new Beauty and The Beast five out of five stars. It was a great experience for me to watch this film, and I will definitely be seeing it again.
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Click the button at right to listen to WTIP's behind-the-scenes coverage of Grand Marais' version of Beauty and the Beast performance in January 2017!
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Animal Skulls
Science Snapshot from March 21, 2017
Figure 1. CREDIT: Lexi Ames for
The Story Laboratory, LLC, ©2017.
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
The Story Laboratory, LLC, ©2017.
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
By Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells, Staff Writer, 25 March, 2017. Last update: 7:48 a.m.
Animal Skulls
Skulls all are all very different. But some are not as easily distinguished. The human skull is very easy to guess as it has that unique shape and familiar look. With other skulls, it’s harder to assume which animal it came from. But there are clues that you can look for to narrow down your choices.
What Does It Eat?
The picture above is an example of a mystery skull. The ways that you can find out what animal this was starts with seeing if it was an Herbivore or a Carnivore/Omnivore. The best way to know is to look at the teeth. If there are canines and sharper molars, it’s safe to say that it was a Carnivore/Omnivore, if there are not canines, and the molars are more flat, it was a Herbivore. Sometimes the canines will fall out of the skull before you find it. If this happens you can still determine what the animal ate. There should be two holes where the canines would be if it was a meat eater. The animal in the picture did not have canines so it was an Herbivore.
How Does It Get Around?
The next step to finding out the animal is to look at the eyes and nose. If the eye sockets are larger, the animal depended on it’s eyesight, if the eye sockets are of smaller size, it probably didn’t have very good sight. The nose determines whether the animal depended on its sense of smell or not. Like for the eyes, you would look at the size of the nose for this, an animal with a larger nose would have been more accustomed to using its sense of smell, but a smaller, pushed in nose would not use its smell that often. In the picture, the animal has medium to larger sized eyes, so it probably had pretty good eyesight. The nose is longer in the picture so it probably had a good sense of smell too.
Does It Have A Ridge?
If the animal had a very strong jaw, it probably has a ridge. The ridge is located on the top of the head straight down the middle. All ridges come in different sizes. Some are very large and others are barely noticeable. The animal in the picture did not have a ridge, so the jaw probably wasn’t extremely strong.
What Animal Is It?
The information that we gathered from the example picture is that the animal was an Herbivore, it had good eyesight, a good sense of smell, and it’s jaw was not extremely strong. All these clues can lead you to find out what animal you are looking at. So next time you see a skull in the woods, you can identify it!
Skulls all are all very different. But some are not as easily distinguished. The human skull is very easy to guess as it has that unique shape and familiar look. With other skulls, it’s harder to assume which animal it came from. But there are clues that you can look for to narrow down your choices.
What Does It Eat?
The picture above is an example of a mystery skull. The ways that you can find out what animal this was starts with seeing if it was an Herbivore or a Carnivore/Omnivore. The best way to know is to look at the teeth. If there are canines and sharper molars, it’s safe to say that it was a Carnivore/Omnivore, if there are not canines, and the molars are more flat, it was a Herbivore. Sometimes the canines will fall out of the skull before you find it. If this happens you can still determine what the animal ate. There should be two holes where the canines would be if it was a meat eater. The animal in the picture did not have canines so it was an Herbivore.
How Does It Get Around?
The next step to finding out the animal is to look at the eyes and nose. If the eye sockets are larger, the animal depended on it’s eyesight, if the eye sockets are of smaller size, it probably didn’t have very good sight. The nose determines whether the animal depended on its sense of smell or not. Like for the eyes, you would look at the size of the nose for this, an animal with a larger nose would have been more accustomed to using its sense of smell, but a smaller, pushed in nose would not use its smell that often. In the picture, the animal has medium to larger sized eyes, so it probably had pretty good eyesight. The nose is longer in the picture so it probably had a good sense of smell too.
Does It Have A Ridge?
If the animal had a very strong jaw, it probably has a ridge. The ridge is located on the top of the head straight down the middle. All ridges come in different sizes. Some are very large and others are barely noticeable. The animal in the picture did not have a ridge, so the jaw probably wasn’t extremely strong.
What Animal Is It?
The information that we gathered from the example picture is that the animal was an Herbivore, it had good eyesight, a good sense of smell, and it’s jaw was not extremely strong. All these clues can lead you to find out what animal you are looking at. So next time you see a skull in the woods, you can identify it!
Predator or Prey? Look at the...
By Sammie Garrity, Editor Last updated 8:19 a.m. April10,2017
Skulls
In science class at Great Expectations School, we learned about skulls. We found ways to identify them, to find how they ate and if they were predator or prey. First off, there are a couple things to look for like the eyes. Imagine this: A hungry fox is creeping up on a little rabbit. The rabbit sees the fox because the rabbit’s eyes are on the side of its head. The fox zones in on the rabbit, its eyes straight ahead because it does not have to worry as much as the rabbit about becoming somebody's next meal. The fox and rabbit suddenly engage in an exciting chase. The fox, being smarter and quicker, wins the race and eats the rabbit. As a classmate and fellow Boreal Corps member said, “Eyes on the front: hunt. Eyes on the side: hide.”
3 Types of Teeth
However, all that is left is a skull that the bugs come and dine off of. After a while, a human may enter those woods searching for a skull. They find it, pick it up and walk away. When they get home they start to try to identify it. The first step is to look at the teeth. The three types are: Incisors, Molars and Canines. Some teeth may fall out so if you see the holes where they would have been, then you know they used to have them. If they have:
How Did It Die?
The woman that came into our classroom to teach us told us about a time when she was at the Slate Islands. She was walking around and she found a perfectly preserved caribou skull at the bottom of a cliff.
Our class came up with theories on how it died. Here are a few examples: It was reaching for grass or lichen on a small ledge and lost its footing, it was kicking snow around trying to find grass and it fell, it was chased or pushed off of the cliff by another animal or human for food.
You do have to remember that the skull is smaller than the skull size of the living animal. There are layers made up of skin and fat, muscles, and fur. Another way to help identify skulls si to measure the eye socket and nasal cavities. Put your thumb up against the eye socket and if it is smaller than your thumb, it had poor eyesight and if it is larger than it had decent or good eyesight. The nose is a measure of its nasal cavity. If it reaches up to the forehead than it had a good sense of smell. If it has a small and pushed in nose, it probably didn’t have a good sense of smell.
While the skulls remain a mystery, What Do YOU Think? Send your thoughts to [email protected].
Skulls
In science class at Great Expectations School, we learned about skulls. We found ways to identify them, to find how they ate and if they were predator or prey. First off, there are a couple things to look for like the eyes. Imagine this: A hungry fox is creeping up on a little rabbit. The rabbit sees the fox because the rabbit’s eyes are on the side of its head. The fox zones in on the rabbit, its eyes straight ahead because it does not have to worry as much as the rabbit about becoming somebody's next meal. The fox and rabbit suddenly engage in an exciting chase. The fox, being smarter and quicker, wins the race and eats the rabbit. As a classmate and fellow Boreal Corps member said, “Eyes on the front: hunt. Eyes on the side: hide.”
3 Types of Teeth
However, all that is left is a skull that the bugs come and dine off of. After a while, a human may enter those woods searching for a skull. They find it, pick it up and walk away. When they get home they start to try to identify it. The first step is to look at the teeth. The three types are: Incisors, Molars and Canines. Some teeth may fall out so if you see the holes where they would have been, then you know they used to have them. If they have:
- Canines they are Carnivores
- Incisors they are Herbivores
- canines, incisors and molars they are Omnivores. All three have molars, though. "They" is a species of we. What I mean by that is, we are omnivores! Another thing to look for is the ridge. The ridge is a long, narrow crest at the top of its head that can be big or small. Some animals have ones that look like fins on the top of their heads and others have ones that are barely noticeable. They are always there, however.
How Did It Die?
The woman that came into our classroom to teach us told us about a time when she was at the Slate Islands. She was walking around and she found a perfectly preserved caribou skull at the bottom of a cliff.
Our class came up with theories on how it died. Here are a few examples: It was reaching for grass or lichen on a small ledge and lost its footing, it was kicking snow around trying to find grass and it fell, it was chased or pushed off of the cliff by another animal or human for food.
You do have to remember that the skull is smaller than the skull size of the living animal. There are layers made up of skin and fat, muscles, and fur. Another way to help identify skulls si to measure the eye socket and nasal cavities. Put your thumb up against the eye socket and if it is smaller than your thumb, it had poor eyesight and if it is larger than it had decent or good eyesight. The nose is a measure of its nasal cavity. If it reaches up to the forehead than it had a good sense of smell. If it has a small and pushed in nose, it probably didn’t have a good sense of smell.
While the skulls remain a mystery, What Do YOU Think? Send your thoughts to [email protected].
And! Check out our Field Trip page to see another skull -- it's in the rotating gallery of images with the map, on top. Now test your new-found knowledge to identify it!
Boreal Corps Goes to the Minnesota State Capitol!
Civics Snapshot from March 15, 2017
The Progress of the State
Broadband Day on the Hill. The freshly gilded 4-horse quadriga sculpture entitled “The Progress of the State” proclaims the front entryway of the majestic Minnesota State Capitol. The Capitol was the site March 15 of a Boreal Corps civic engagement field trip. Boreal Corps editor and Lutsen resident Sammie Garrity traveled with her mother, Linda Garrity, to take part in the state's first ever "Broadband Day on the Hill," sponsored by the state Broadband Coalition and the Blandin Foundation. Sammie testified and spoke with legislators about the importance of broadband internet to rural areas, emphasizing that having reliable highspeed service such as that available in Cook County makes creating this Boreal Corps online newspaper possible! The Boreal Corps field trip also included a field trip for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Minnesota History Center where we saw, among other things, an early map of Minnesota that didn't have Lake Superior.
Slides show the Minnesota Broadband Coalition's panels on Wednesday March 15 in the State Capitol, St. Paul, including pictures of Director of the Office of Broadband Development, Danna McKenzie of Grand Marais, Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) and Boreal Corps Editor Sammie Garrity.
Boreal Corps At the Capitol's Broadband Day On The Hill
By Sammie Garrity, Boreal Corps Editor
Grade 6, Great Expectations School, Grand Marais
Last updated: Saturday March 18, 6:59 a.m.
ST. PAUL, March 15, 2017 – Fast wireless connections and highspeed internet are modern services many people take for granted—we do in Cook County because we have broadband installed. But we’re unusual. Actually, most people in Minnesota do not have broadband (see slide show map above) or internet service they consider fast or reliable.
That was the point made over and over Wednesday at the Minnesota State Capitol during the state’s first-ever workshop focused on finding solutions to providing world-class internet service to everyone in Minnesota, no matter where they live, big city or "middle of nowhere," as several panelists gave as an address. It was called “Broadband Day on the Hill,” sponsored by the Minnesota Broadband Coalition. It is a partnership of the Blandin Foundation of Grand Rapids, MN and the state’s Office of Broadband Development, which Grand Marais resident Danna McKenzie leads as the executive director, (below left, walking through the Senate tunnels to the hearing room with Boreal Corps Editor Sammie Garrity.
Grade 6, Great Expectations School, Grand Marais
Last updated: Saturday March 18, 6:59 a.m.
ST. PAUL, March 15, 2017 – Fast wireless connections and highspeed internet are modern services many people take for granted—we do in Cook County because we have broadband installed. But we’re unusual. Actually, most people in Minnesota do not have broadband (see slide show map above) or internet service they consider fast or reliable.
That was the point made over and over Wednesday at the Minnesota State Capitol during the state’s first-ever workshop focused on finding solutions to providing world-class internet service to everyone in Minnesota, no matter where they live, big city or "middle of nowhere," as several panelists gave as an address. It was called “Broadband Day on the Hill,” sponsored by the Minnesota Broadband Coalition. It is a partnership of the Blandin Foundation of Grand Rapids, MN and the state’s Office of Broadband Development, which Grand Marais resident Danna McKenzie leads as the executive director, (below left, walking through the Senate tunnels to the hearing room with Boreal Corps Editor Sammie Garrity.
At right: Cook County residents at the Capitol in St. Paul. Danna McKenzie of Grand Marais, executive director of the Office of Broadband Development, walks through the Senate tunnels to the March 15 broadband hearing room with Boreal Corps Editor Sammie Garrity of Lutsen.
PRICING INTERNET SERVICE
Minnesotans are divided on the answer. But some at the March 15 workshop thought a simple 50-50-50 formula is best:
PRICING INTERNET SERVICE
Minnesotans are divided on the answer. But some at the March 15 workshop thought a simple 50-50-50 formula is best:
- 50mb download
- 50mb upload
- For $50 a month
- No data caps
Not Just Nice, Necessary
The problem of access to good internet service is especially bad in rural Minnesota. As State Senator Thomas Bakk (DFL-Cook) put it: “These metro kids have such an advantage over rural kids with the internet resources they have.” Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith agreed. In the opening meeting she said, “It’s a matter of fundamental fairness. Highspeed, reliable internet is not just nice to have, it’s necessary.”
All sorts of people are affected by slow data speeds and limited bandwidth, according to panelists. There is a:
Why Boreal Corps?
As editor of Boreal Corps, (the new kids’ digital media team of Boreal.org), I was invited to talk on a panel to explain how Cook County kids in grades 4-12 are using a new Blandin Broadband Innovation Grant that Boreal.org just received to actually create a newspaper: we use broadband to be creative and to connect our community.
This is a new message for legislators to hear – how kids really can do important work with the internet. We’re not just all about social media, playing games or listening to music. In the language of Wednesday’s Broadband on the Hill, we’re about “uploads.” Boreal Corps kids make stories and art that we upload to the internet. The internet serves our stories and art back in “downloads” to readers. We do this by using our imaginations, education, curiosity and digital media skills we are learning at Boreal.org. We are not just “downloaders” playing games or watching videos and Snapchats that other people make.
When I visited The Capitol, mostly everybody had the same thing to say: “We need internet and broadband for our work, and ourselves and for our kids’ education.” Some noticed a regular dip in service at around 3 p.m. when kids got home from school and everyone jumped on the internet and there wasn’t enough bandwidth to support all that use.
Fixing the Problem
Legislators in Minnesota are trying to fix this problem. One bill was introduced asking for $100 MILLION to make sure every community has the fiber optic cable and other systems needed to support highspeed internet connections like ours in Cook County. But legislators said it’s a hard problem because there are so many competing needs in the state for money. Sen. Bakk put it this way: “There is not a very good solution to the problem— there is a huge fight about how to meet the needs of the un-served and the underserved.” Rep. Rob Ecklund agreed, and said many people are working on a solution.
"No Bar" Lake
The realistic dollar amount of what broadband projects are probably going to get is, $30 MILLION in each of two years, 2018 and 2019 (total of $60 MILLION). That’s what Danna Mackenzie wanted, so a total of $60 MILLION in two years. To that, I say, “YOU GO GIRL!!!” And same to everyone else helping. All of them want “border to border” broadband internet in Minnesota as a way of giving everyone a fair chance to be connected.
At the meetings, wireless and fiber optics and copper cable were all debatable subjects. Some people said wireless won’t ever work well in northern Minnesota communities like Cook County where all the things we love are in the way of reliable wireless signals-- hills, trees, lakes, rivers, rock cliffs, snow.
One woman who lives on Bar Lake said they call it “No Bar Lake” because their internet service is so weak. “Clear line of sight is everything,” she said.
One question came up that really struck me as interesting: “How can we encourage private investment in rural communities?” A panelist answered this question with a statement he had made before in the conference: “In 30 days something incredible in going to be available with Minnesota internet.” He also said lawmakers should give higher priority to businesses that use broadband to demonstrate and promote economic development.
Kids Should Visit the Capitol
When I met with Sen. Bakk (District 03) and Rep. Ecklund (District 3A), Mr. Bakk told a story of the time when 125 sixth graders came to the Capitol and sat in on some sessions. At the time, lawmakers were passing a bill to make fourth of July sparklers legal. Mr. Bakk was standing in the middle of the Rotunda when he asked the kids, “How many of you have held a sparkler before?”
He said that every hand went up.
He then proceeded to tell them, “Then you all broke the law! Until now, lighting sparklers were illegal in Minnesota.”
He recalled that a little girl raised her hand and asked, “Have you ever broken the law?”
Learn more! More to come soon at www.borealcorps.org! Also, we just got a shout out from an organization called Growth & Justice. Thanks G&J! They are working on fairness in internet access at the legislature by urging improving broadband service for all Minnesotans--you can read download their priorities at the Capitol below.
The problem of access to good internet service is especially bad in rural Minnesota. As State Senator Thomas Bakk (DFL-Cook) put it: “These metro kids have such an advantage over rural kids with the internet resources they have.” Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith agreed. In the opening meeting she said, “It’s a matter of fundamental fairness. Highspeed, reliable internet is not just nice to have, it’s necessary.”
All sorts of people are affected by slow data speeds and limited bandwidth, according to panelists. There is a:
- graphic designer in Ely whose job suffered because she couldn’t upload large design files to clients
- a resident of Chisholm who considered moving because it was too frustrating to do her hobby of online gaming with slow internet connections
- a doctor who had to sit in his car outside of a McDonald’s to connect to the restaurant's internet to read medical journals
- kids near Warroad who Lt. Gov. Smith said stayed on the school bus even after it reached their bus stop because it had wireless, which they needed to finish their homework because their homes didn’t have internet. “Imagine if kids in Edina or Eden Prairie had to stay on a bus to finish their homework…It’s just not fair,” she said.
Why Boreal Corps?
As editor of Boreal Corps, (the new kids’ digital media team of Boreal.org), I was invited to talk on a panel to explain how Cook County kids in grades 4-12 are using a new Blandin Broadband Innovation Grant that Boreal.org just received to actually create a newspaper: we use broadband to be creative and to connect our community.
This is a new message for legislators to hear – how kids really can do important work with the internet. We’re not just all about social media, playing games or listening to music. In the language of Wednesday’s Broadband on the Hill, we’re about “uploads.” Boreal Corps kids make stories and art that we upload to the internet. The internet serves our stories and art back in “downloads” to readers. We do this by using our imaginations, education, curiosity and digital media skills we are learning at Boreal.org. We are not just “downloaders” playing games or watching videos and Snapchats that other people make.
When I visited The Capitol, mostly everybody had the same thing to say: “We need internet and broadband for our work, and ourselves and for our kids’ education.” Some noticed a regular dip in service at around 3 p.m. when kids got home from school and everyone jumped on the internet and there wasn’t enough bandwidth to support all that use.
Fixing the Problem
Legislators in Minnesota are trying to fix this problem. One bill was introduced asking for $100 MILLION to make sure every community has the fiber optic cable and other systems needed to support highspeed internet connections like ours in Cook County. But legislators said it’s a hard problem because there are so many competing needs in the state for money. Sen. Bakk put it this way: “There is not a very good solution to the problem— there is a huge fight about how to meet the needs of the un-served and the underserved.” Rep. Rob Ecklund agreed, and said many people are working on a solution.
"No Bar" Lake
The realistic dollar amount of what broadband projects are probably going to get is, $30 MILLION in each of two years, 2018 and 2019 (total of $60 MILLION). That’s what Danna Mackenzie wanted, so a total of $60 MILLION in two years. To that, I say, “YOU GO GIRL!!!” And same to everyone else helping. All of them want “border to border” broadband internet in Minnesota as a way of giving everyone a fair chance to be connected.
At the meetings, wireless and fiber optics and copper cable were all debatable subjects. Some people said wireless won’t ever work well in northern Minnesota communities like Cook County where all the things we love are in the way of reliable wireless signals-- hills, trees, lakes, rivers, rock cliffs, snow.
One woman who lives on Bar Lake said they call it “No Bar Lake” because their internet service is so weak. “Clear line of sight is everything,” she said.
One question came up that really struck me as interesting: “How can we encourage private investment in rural communities?” A panelist answered this question with a statement he had made before in the conference: “In 30 days something incredible in going to be available with Minnesota internet.” He also said lawmakers should give higher priority to businesses that use broadband to demonstrate and promote economic development.
Kids Should Visit the Capitol
When I met with Sen. Bakk (District 03) and Rep. Ecklund (District 3A), Mr. Bakk told a story of the time when 125 sixth graders came to the Capitol and sat in on some sessions. At the time, lawmakers were passing a bill to make fourth of July sparklers legal. Mr. Bakk was standing in the middle of the Rotunda when he asked the kids, “How many of you have held a sparkler before?”
He said that every hand went up.
He then proceeded to tell them, “Then you all broke the law! Until now, lighting sparklers were illegal in Minnesota.”
He recalled that a little girl raised her hand and asked, “Have you ever broken the law?”
Learn more! More to come soon at www.borealcorps.org! Also, we just got a shout out from an organization called Growth & Justice. Thanks G&J! They are working on fairness in internet access at the legislature by urging improving broadband service for all Minnesotans--you can read download their priorities at the Capitol below.
What Is Boreal Corps? |
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The new Boreal.org is now kid-powered — we have a new reporting team for kids called Boreal Corps, and we'll run their stories on the new webiste, at boreal.org, when it launches later this month.
WHEN By March 31, 2017, www.boreal.org will launch on a new platform that is more secure and modern than the current website platform. That's right, the owl and the birch will retire. Among the improvements are weekly reports of Cook County community that are written, illustrated and digitally produced by Boreal Corps students from schools throughout the county. Kids in grades 4-8 are producing the spring Boreal Corps columns. In the fall, kids in grades 9-12 will staff Boreal Corps. A sandbox web site is where Boreal Corps' kids practice digital reporting skills...and it's ready! You're reading it now! Look for our March 15th live coverage from the St. Paul State Capitol when our 6th grade editor, Sammie Garrity, attends "Broadband Day on the Hill". It is a connection made possible by the Blandin Foundation, the rocking Grand Rapids, Minn., foundation that is funding Boreal Corps in an effort to enrich Cook County rural life through kids' digital storytelling mastery. Thanks Blandin! (Click here to see the Blandin press release, or download the PDF file from the right-hand column.) WHAT We call our new youth reporting group Boreal Corps—and we want you to join us! Send a note to our publisher at Boreal Community Media, [email protected] if you are interested. HOW Coached by Boreal Community Media's (BCM) Development Director, Anne Brataas, an award-winning science writer and digital media teacher, Boreal Corps' students meet weekly at flexible times and spaces within Grand Marais to learn and master digital communication skills needed for 21st century life, learning, success and connection. Boreal Corps work will be published weekly in Boreal.org along side of Boreal.org's standard favorites such as news from Cook County Herald and WTIP, classifieds, blogs and more. WHY Developing digital media skills empowers Boreal Corps students to:
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Photo Credits: ©2017 Boreal Corps, all rights reserved, with free use in the Commons for educational and non-profit projects, providing photo source credit is given to Boreal Corps, Grand Marais MN.
MORE WHY
Boreal Community Media explained the need for Boreal Corps to the Blandin folk this way: From their earliest learning experiences, Boreal Corps' kids come to view—and accept—their role and responsibility in North Shore rural life as a call to:
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Proudly Proclaim Your Boreal Identity
GET OUR NEW WINDOW DECAL!
It's yours for becoming an official sponsor of Boreal Community Media (BCM), the parent 501 (c) (3) non-profit company of www.boreal.org and of Boreal Corps. Learn about sponsoring us here!
BCM Board Member Eric Block of Hovland collaborated on the decal design as part of our new branding and visual identity with his phenomenally talented friends and colleagues at the Studio Minneapolis design firm.
See more of their fine work in our merit Badge icons and the new Sawtooth Range banner imagery.
~ Thanks Eric, Dan and Studio Minneapolis!
It's yours for becoming an official sponsor of Boreal Community Media (BCM), the parent 501 (c) (3) non-profit company of www.boreal.org and of Boreal Corps. Learn about sponsoring us here!
BCM Board Member Eric Block of Hovland collaborated on the decal design as part of our new branding and visual identity with his phenomenally talented friends and colleagues at the Studio Minneapolis design firm.
See more of their fine work in our merit Badge icons and the new Sawtooth Range banner imagery.
~ Thanks Eric, Dan and Studio Minneapolis!
What are the Big Questions we are exploring with Boreal Corps?
We Are Boreal Corps: Writers, Reporters, Drawers,
Doodlers, Mappers, Editors, Cartoonists, Critics and more!
Doodlers, Mappers, Editors, Cartoonists, Critics and more!
BIG QUESTION #2
