Spring springs into action

By Kyle O'Kane

livingajoyfullifenow.com

With winter disappearing in the mist, a new season is rising.  That would be the season of the rainy and flowery spring.

Spring is a very interesting season.  It’s when the flowers start to bloom and the sun starts to shine. 

Some Ridley High School students and teachers were interviewed with the question, “What is your favorite part about spring?”  Ascar .T. Ogogo, a sophomore in the Emerald Academy, said spring because it means the school year is almost over.” The spring season is closer to summer; therefore, it makes sense to look forward to the end of the year.

Kevin DeLacy, also a sophomore in the Emerald Academy, said he liked spring because it meant he could stop freezing.  During spring, the weather changes from cold and windy to warm and sunny.  Many people look forward to spring for this reason.

Ms. Plummer, an English teacher in the Emerald Academy, said she likes spring because her birthday is in it.  This year, it is coincidentally the same as Easter.

Alicia Dawdani, an Emerald Academy sophomore, does not like spring as much.  She said she dislikes spring because it brings out her allergies.  The pollen in spring irritates the nose during spring, resulting in allergies.

There are many other ways that makes spring unique.  The season is mostly associated with plants and nature.  It is when some animals come out of hibernation and join the world. 

Some holidays and events happen in spring.  Easter, a religious holiday in Christianity, takes place usually in April.  Christians celebrate when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  Other ways of celebrating Easter include Easter bunnies and egg hunts.  There are more holidays in spring including Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are in May.

Spring Break is a big event where schools close for a week.  It’s a time for some rest and vacation.  Mr. Seymore, a teacher at Ridley High School, takes trips with some students to faraway places like Costa Rica during Spring Break.

Spring also means it is time for spring sports.  Athletes look forward to this time of year because they are finally able to play their favorite sport.  Some sports include baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track.

Spring is about a myriad of events.  From gardening and animals, to Spring Break and spring sports, spring is a season that springs right into our lives.

7 million pounds of pink slime found in school lunches

By Ascar Ogogo

technorati.com

McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other fast food chains have stopped using what’s been called “pink slime” in hamburgers and other products.

“According to TheDaily.com, the term “pink slime” was coined by microbiologist Gerald Zirnstein, formerly of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service” (Yahoo). Zirnstein first saw it being mixed into meats used in burgers when he visited a Beef Products Inc (BPI) facility back in 2002 after an epidemic of salmonella.

“Lean Beef Trimmings” is the official name of pink slime and is banned for human consumption in UK. It is generally used in chicken and dog food. McDonald’s stopped using these fillers in beef patties after celebrity chef and safe food advocate Jamie Oliver featured the substance in his show “Jamie Oliver Food Revolution” and called for its ban on April 12, 2011.

Ammonium Hydroxide is used to wash the beef trimmings in order to kill pathogens like E.coli. The FDA considered this safe for humans to eat but a “2009 expose by the New York Times questioned its safety and efficiency”. Many food advocates required for meat to be labeled if they contain “pink slime.” The USDA allows companies not to put Ammonium Hydroxide on labels because they say that ammonia is a process not part of the ingredients.

“Pink slime” is used in about 70% of ground beef in the U.S and is allowed in any school in America by the USDA. “We don’t know which districts are receiving what meat, and this meat isn’t labeled to show pink slime. They don’t have to under federal law,” Bettina Siegal, a writer and a mother of two who created TheLunchTray.com told NBC. 

Four Catholic Schools saved, for now

By Alayna Mendoza

aroundphilly.com

After weeks of campaigning to help save the four Catholic schools, West Catholic, St. Hubert’s, Conwell-Egan and Bonner-Prendergast, announced on February 24 that they would not be shutting down. Students anxiously waited for weeks to find out the fate of their beloved schools’ futures.
In Bonner-Prendergast, about an hour before the announcement was made, Principal William Brannick had used the school’s Public-access system to say the news conference would be live-streamed into the Bonner auditorium at 3 p.m.

At that point, with the school’s fate still unknown, a pin drop could be heard a in the hallways. The schools did everything possible to try to save them from shutting down.

The campaign to save the Bonner-Prendergast alone included email blasts to 7,000 supporters, and postcards emblazoned “Every dollar counts” sent to 32,000 alumni.

Fifty volunteers made fundraising calls from home and from phone banks. In less than two months, the effort reportedly netted $5 million. Currently, the high school has about 550 boys assigned to Bonner and 490 girls to Prendergast.

Meanwhile, on February 24 at West Catholic, Archbishop Chaput’s press conference, watched via live stream, was drowned out within seconds after the words “West Catholic” were uttered among those of the saved schools. Students cried, clapped, hugged, and jumped up and down.

At Conwell Egan, about 220 students hushed for the announcement, leaped to their feet in the gym, cheering and hugging. The streaming video of the announcement quickly switched to the soundtrack of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Then, the students streamed out of the gym to ring the bell in the friary.

The Archdiocese also granted the appeals of 18 elementary schools that have been stated to close.