NEWS YOU
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By Cynthia Garcia
I enjoy reading and consistently want to gain knowledge from various sources; in this column I can share what I love with the school community! Want me to mention something that you really find awesome? Email me!
About the columnist: Cindy has been in Co-Op Voices since the Fall of 2012.
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In the mean time, feel free
to read my previous weekly news! |
Week of November 11th through November 15th, 2013
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LOCAL: Teacher Evaluations
The training is part of a larger effort underway in New Haven to “calibrate” its teacher evaluation system, so that teachers receive consistent quality of feedback, and consistent scores, no matter who is grading them. It’s also part of an effort to include more teachers in the evaluation process.
Teachers are now graded on a 5 point scale based on two factors: goals teachers set for how their kids will improve on tests; and professional values, as measured by classroom observations. Hmm, what if students can do this too? Related Content: |
INSPIRATIONAL:
Google Reunites 
When I first came across this new Google India advertisement, we watched it without English subtitles. But it didn't matter -- because In the end, I was still moved to tears. With nearly a million YouTube views over two days, it tells the story of two old friends reuniting after six decades of separation following the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947 has touched a deep nerve for many South Asians – and has them reaching for the nearest tissue box. And that reunion--no matter the language--is beautiful.
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WEIRD:
Cannibal Sticks 
Care for some knitted meat? Or perhaps meat powder is more to your liking? The researchers behind the first lab-grown hamburger are now developing a new product: an in vitro meat cookbook. The team is raising money for the project on the crowd-funding site indiegogo. The goal, they say, is to provide food-for-thought on how to solve the world's protein crisis. "While it's possible everyone might switch to insects or tofu, there's a brand new player on the horizon: lab-grown meat.
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RANDOM:
Word Reformation 
A 15-year-old student from Sudbury, Massachusetts has sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook asking the company to remove a pejorative definition of the word "gay" from its popular dictionary widget. While working on a research project for school, Becca Gorman discovered that the third of three definitions of the word "gay" in her MacBook Pro widget was listed as "foolish; stupid" and used in the sentence "making students wait for the light is kind of a gay rule." Apple said they would look into fixing it.
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Week of November 4th through November 8th, 2013
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LOCAL: Why Read? Panel Discussion
I don't really like to openly speak about my accomplishment, but the one I am about to provide a highlight of my senior year fall. On Oct. 23, the Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven and the New Haven Free Public Library convened an afternoon forum at the public library’s main branch. Panelists considered the question “Why read?” and how to engage young readers, in school and beyond.(The Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven is all-volunteer organization with a mission to promote, support, and advance literacy for people of all ages.)
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INSPIRATIONAL:
Toni Harp 
Tuesday’s mayoral election has made historic significance. I believe we have the opportunity at hand to see a true evolution in New Haven, one of a real, healthy change for the benefit of every New Haven resident. In my best judgment, with a woman who, after graduating from Yale, made New Haven her home for more than 40 years and has the personal relationships and experience in our state Senate for 21 of these years to offer New Haven a great leader. The turnout Tuesday was an estimated 29% with Harp getting 10,346 votes.
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WEIRD: Glow in the Dark Ice Cream!
Lick Me I'm Delicious, a company that invented something called a portable nitro ice cream parlor in Britain, has come up with a way to make glow-in-the-dark ice cream. Charlie Harry Francis, an award-winning food inventor behind the company, came up with the idea. "But what on earth is it?" writes Francis on the company blog. "It's glow-in-the-dark jellyfish ice cream using calcium activated proteins that react when they are agitated, or to put it in a nonscience-y way, it glows when you lick it." Sadly, a scoop costs $225. Take about a rich dessert.
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RANDOM: A Trans Fat Ban Proposal
Heart-damaging trans fat may soon vanish from supermarket products such as microwave popcorn, pie crusts, frosting, and biscuit dough after the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed banning artificially manufactured fat in foods. Under the proposed regulation, partially hydrogenated oils, a type of trans fat, would be dropped from the agency’s list of safe ingredients — meaning they could no longer be added to foods. The FDA has taken such action only a few times; remove some artificial sweeteners in the 1970s.
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Week of October 28th through November 1, 2013
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LOCAL:Cancer Survivors Raise 15k
Fundraising and donation has been a popular event that has been happening in New Haven during these past few weeks. Remember that donation that Ikea made to New Haven reads about a couple of weeks ago? Society does have a heart. This time is was raising money for cancer, from cancer survivors themselves with a whooping fifteen thousand dollars! The money is specifically helps fund the gynecologic cancer research unit at the Yale School of Medicine.
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INSPIRATIONAL:
Progeria Life 
The picture above is seventeen year old Sam. He currently lives a conditions called progeria. It a genetic disease in which a child causes accelerated aging, such as wrinkly skin, bald heads, and more. Luckily, this obstacle doesn't stop this boy from continuing school and achieving goals; beat the medical odds of living beyond the death rate age of thirteen. His dream is to become involved in the field of genetics and spread awareness of this rare genetic condition.
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WEIRD: Historical Events on 10/31
Halloween. What are the connotations that you associate with it? A time to shut off all your lights and be a cheapskate by not giving kids candy? Have you ever thought about other things that have occurred within this notorious holiday? If you didn't know, 10/31 is the death of Houdini, and the first protest from Martin Luther, the (in)famous reformer of the protestant religion. Always keep that in mind. Holidays can bury some events that you weren't aware about.
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RANDOM:One Year after Sandy
On October 28th, 2013, New Haven and a thousands of others along the coastline were rushing to prepare and face this horrendous natural disaster. Although there are some who have not received federal aid or mourning their lost property, and maybe loved ones. Whether NY or NJ were hit the hardest by this storm, it still is something to commemorate about. Watch this documentary to see how these U.S. cities has progressed since Hurricane Sandy.
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Week of October 21st through 25th, 2013
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LOCAL: Art Space's Upcoming Event
I occasionally hear comment of others who complain about nothing interesting happening in New Haven. To prove them wrong, I found one organization who is contributing into making New Haven a spunkier place, and incorporate a variety of people. There are even some things that are occurring right now that you might not have been aware of, such as the mini golf course right by the corner of Chapel and Orange. Don't forget to send pics of your experiences at Art Space!
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INSPIRATIONAL:
An eight-year-old hero 
Ah, Kids. Nothing is more adorable than their bubbly personalities, such as drawing adorable pictures for their mother, or making funny faces. Beside these normal actions, they can also do remarkable things. Take example of this eight-year-old hero from LA who was willing to confront a burglar who attempted to steal his mother's purse.His motive for doing it? He didn't want to see his mother stress about not having money to make his little sister's birthday party.
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WEIRD: New and Improved Underwear
Tired of the smell of flatulence? Tired of being embarrassed when you toot by accident? Well, don't worry anymore! A team of biologists and fashion designers have created the perfect underwear for both men and women in which would help individuals avoid the odor and embarrassment. Pardon for not showing the actual underwear, because all I could search is people in them, and I'm not sure if that is school appropriate--you can investigate that on your own.
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RANDOM: How to make Giraffe Swiss Rolls
I've been having a sweet tooth lately and I figured why not find some interesting goodies on the internet. What I encountered was pretty spiffy, Giraffe Swiss Rolls! Not to mention that it only made my hunger worse, especially when I didn't eat lunch today. In my opinion, this baked good is not the most creative things that I have ever seen, it does deserves the award for the most versatile treat that I've witness in less than 10 steps, minus the hassle of buying all of the ingredients.
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Week of October 14th through 18th, 2013
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LOCAL: Tire
Disappearance 
Now this is something that you don't see everyday. Imagine someone who has the time to steal your car's tires and be nice enough to leave a slab of concrete to balance your car. Smart. But unfortunately, it's $500 worth of stolen property and it occurred to one of the school teacher's, Ms. Englart. Hopefully she gets here Honda back soon.
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INSPIRATIONAL:
Parking Karma 
Parking meters are annoying, especially when you have to look for loose change and worry about how much time is left to refill it. But don't worry, perhaps one day a person would be willing to halt the cop from giving you a ticket and then pay for additional time. The added bonus: leave a note of thank you. Pass the karma on. Or else...you will have to pay for your next parking ticket.
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WEIRD: Loo
Themed Eatery 
Eating belongs anywhere except in bathrooms. Well, that is not the case for Magic Restroom Cafe. Don't worry the toilets are actual seats, no a place where you devour your favorite meal and then clear your bowels at the same time. The down part of this cafe, the bathrooms are not unique, except with cute stickers that tell you to keep clean.
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RANDOM: "Viral College Essay"
We live in a world where we are judge from almost anything. From the clothes we wear to the institutions that we attend. But a female senior took a stance for her financial status: don't hate me because I am rich. Sounds ignorant, right? Surprisingly, there are some people who actually applaud for an original topic for a college essay.
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Week of October 7th through 11th, 2013
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LOCAL: A super-duper 45k Renovation
New Haven Reads mission is to "share the joy and power of reading.” But in this context IKEA, a Swedish furnishing store, gave the donation of a lifetime. Forty five thousand dollars was given in honor of revitalization and getting rid of the "dungeon" setting, since it had limited light and mismatch bookcases. What an awesome way to treat this organization.
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INSPIRATIONAL: The Chemo-Buddies
What is the definition of a true best friend? Is the amount of love one spreads; trustworthy; always there for you? In this story, two friends joined together to fight off breast cancer, and prove to people that bond is perhaps the cure to warding off this disease. Imagine if that was the perfect method to use to treat other mortal diseases in humanity.
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WEIRD: Insect diet of the future
How do you react when you encounter insects? Run away and tell someone to kill it; or let nature take its way and ignore it? One thing is that you should expect them in your local restaurant in a couple of years, if not decades. Why? According to experts, in a growing population, it'll be soon difficult to feed everyone with custom foods.
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RANDOM:Very Nifty and useful Life Hacks
Everyone has their own method of simplifying life complications, whether it's using an old CD spindle to as a bagel tote or use a walnut to rub away furniture things. (Maybe use haven't heard of the methods at all.) But during some procrastination, there are people who take these nifty life hacks to the next level. Become inspired and click away!
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Week of September 29th, 2013 through October 4th, 2013
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LOCAL: Community Precautions
New Haven is filled with diverse cultures and great leisure places, but it's not always perfect when it comes to targeting the dilemmas of gun violence. But not so fast, this Whalley Avenue community, finally became aided through the support of the New Haven Police Department in reducing this issue. Keep this in mind, how would you change your community?
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INSPIRATIONAL: Animal Love
We've heard many stories in which an animal, especially service dogs, are therapeutic for humans in distress or simply need comfort. How about a labradoodle that befriended a toddler with down syndrome? See animals can make use for better causes, not just bark and keep you up all night. Unless that is not the case for you; keep strolling.
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WEIRD: Phobias
What is your phobia? Heights (acrophobia); germs (mysophia); meeting new people (anthropophobia)? These types of fears is more common and actually accepted into society. But frankly enough, there are the queer types. The ones who are actually ridiculed or rare, such as the fear of laughing. Click the link to investigate more of them!
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