Bryce Cullen Staff Writer More than one hundred years ago, a massive asteroid impacted Russia. This was called the Tunguska event, the largest asteroid event to be witnessed. It occurred in 1908 when the asteroid made contact on the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in a remote Siberian forest in Russia. This collision was so massive people from more than forty miles away were thrown from their porches and chairs by the tremendous force created from the impact. The force of the impact leveled around 1,000 square miles of forest. To put that number into perspective, it is the equivalent of wiping almost the entire state of Rhode Island. Respected scientists including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins have supported this past event. They are using this event in an attempt to educate the public of the dangers of possible deadly asteroids that could strike Earth. Andrea Tyson Staff Writer Everything that we learn and see, the people who surround us, and the toys we played with as children have shaped our identities. You could take one look into a child's toy box and see what his or her interests are. Imagine this: as the little girl or boy you once were, you are walking into the toy store and Mom or Dad tells you that you can pick out one toy, and your face lights up. You make your way to the doll section, and your face falls flat. In 2016 retail stores saw the debut of several new types of dolls, specifically Barbie dolls. For years parents looked at the typical doll and saw a problem with body image for their young children. Barbie was tall, blonde, and perfectly proportioned, but the reality is-- ninety-nine percent of women don’t have a body like this. With a new demographic, constant criticism, and a need for change, Barbie got a makeover. There are now tall, short, and curvy Barbie dolls. New hair and skin colors were also introduced. Now all the problems are fixed, right? Wrong. There are still young girls and boys who walk into the toy shop and have to ask “Why don’t any of these dolls look like me?” Carlee Lewis Staff Writer Thomas Moore, a ten year old boy, was with his mom one day when they stumbled upon a Facebook video. In that video they saw a young girl named Kyssi Andrews who was fighting pediatric cancer. Kyssi was battling cancer, and because of this she lost her hair. Thomas was confused as to why Kyssi did not have any hair. His mom, Angie Polussat, sat him down and explained to him how some cancer treatments cause you to lose your hair. His mom stated, “Once I explained that she had cancer, and what cancer was, and how chemo affected the body he immediately decided he wanted to grow his hair long again and give it to Kyssi” Ashton Baysden A&E Editor While North Carolina had a fairly warm Christmas, it would appear that the start of 2017 will be the antithesis of preceding months in terms of weather. Cold air has made its way into Wake County, lowering temperatures by over thirty degrees within the past couple of weeks, and now meteorologists are predicting that Raleigh could see four to six inches of snow on Saturday. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for nearly three dozen North Carolinian counties. While the idea of receiving that much snow is appealing, many are fearing for the impact it will have on the school year. If Raleigh does indeed receive as much snow as predicted, schools could be closed for at least two days going into next week which would eliminate any days off until spring break in April. With the semester quickly approaching its end, the timing is just too poor for many Wake County residents to feel excitement about the winter weather. In addition to the school year, the weather is also going to affect the inauguration of NC Gov. Roy Cooper. The inaugural ceremony initially planned for the new leader has been cancelled, as well as the inaugural parade. Amber Hancock-Burns Staff Writer When Anias and Jadon McDonald were born, they were joined at the head. Their parents and the doctors around them knew that they would need to be separated before the age of two in order to have a chance at survival. Their survival was made possible on Oct. 13, by Dr. James Goodrich, Dr. Oren Trepper, and their team of over thirty other nurses and doctors at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Jadon was able to leave the surgery room first around four hours before Anias, due to it taking longer to reconstruct his skull. His skull cap eventually had to be removed in order to stop infections, and he will now wear a protective helmet until the age of seven, when bone can be placed there to restore the skull cap. Jadon experienced paralysis on his left side after the surgery but has since gained full mobility back. Meanwhile, Anias experienced seizures, but they were corrected with medication. Rhea Sodem Staff Writer While everybody was celebrating the start of 2017, there was a terrorist attack at the Reina Nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey. A total of thirty-nine people were killed, and dozens of others were injured. Sixteen people have already been arrested who have connections to the massacre, and the list seems to keep on growing. Authorities are still searching for the primary gunman. Officers have found fingerprints and a photo of the suspect but unfortunately cannot detect when or where the photo was taken. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks through Twitter saying, “In continuation of the blessed operations which ISIS carries out against Turkey, a soldier of the brave caliphate attacked one of the most popular nightclubs while Christians were celebrating their holiday”. The United States and Turkish officials have officially claimed this an act or terrorism. "We were having fun. At first we thought it was a fight; then there was a lot of gunfire. After the gunfire everyone started to run toward the terrace. We ran as well. There was someone next to me who was shot and fell on the floor. We ran away and hid under the sofas." said witness Yunus Turk. Not only Turkish people were killed in the massacre; there were people from fourteen different countries such as India, Morocco, Jordan, Canada, Russia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Leanne Nasser, who was a teenager going abroad for the very first time and had never left Israel before, was killed in the shooting. Her father was quite unhappy with the situation but was eventually persuaded into letting her go. She was with three other friends and they decided to go to the Reina Nightclub to celebrate the New Year. A couple hours before midnight, she posted a Snapchat selfie, but the following morning she was declared dead. That is only one story of the thirty-nine other that were killed. Officials are still in the process of investigating the missing shooter and other suspects. Amanda Dybal Staff Writer Many everyday chemicals and household items can be are harmful when they are near or are combined with other chemicals, gases, or water. Some examples of these are batteries, laundry detergent, paint, air fresheners, insect repellents, etc. In Amarillo, Texas, four children died due to a toxic gas reaction. This reaction occurred when a previously applied pesticide, aluminum phosphide, was mixed with water that made a toxic phosphine gas. “There were 10 people inside the mobile home at the time. Crews arrived at the scene just after 5 a.m. after receiving a call that something was wrong and that people at the address were sick,” John Newsome and Shawn Nottingham say. The four children that passed away were between seven and seventeen years old. The substance aluminum phosphide is used to kill insects and rodents and is listed in the Toxicity Category 1 by the EPA; Toxicity Category 1 is the most toxic category. Aluminum Phosphide is only one of the chemicals found around houses that can harm humans. McKenzie Feldman Staff Writer Mariah Carey’s iconic hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has made her a holiday superstar, but the singer hit a bit of a rough patch during her performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Moments before the East Coast New Year’s countdown, Carey performed her set in Times Square. However, no one could have predicted what was about to go down. Three awkward performances followed, closing out 2016 on a bit of a sour note. What started as a lip-syncing mishap soon transformed into a technical catastrophe that would be unforgettable for all those who tuned in. Andrea Tyson Staff Writer If you would include yourself in the makeup-obsessed population of teenage girls and boys (that includes me), then I am sure you have heard of the Beauty Blender. The iconic pink sponge that is loved by celebrity makeup artists and the average users alike. The sponge is widely known to be the best in the business for flawlessly blending liquid, cream, and even powder products. In recent history however, the sponge we know and love has been under fire after some consumers have found bugs and mold living in their sponges. The Beauty Blender may have met its match. Some are calling this new blending tool “the next Beauty Blender” Who is the Beauty Blender up against in this round? The Silisponge. |
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