Recall Crisis!By: Brendalys Medina
Imagine a company you collaborated with purposely falsified results in a part that was defective. Would you continue to work with the company? Would your reputation be hurt as well? Takata, a company for automotive parts based in Japan, has been criticized for its defective airbags and the cover-up of these defects. It started with a few recalls for the airbags they manufactured and has turned into a nationwide recall crisis. Takata’s airbags had a defect. When an airbag was deployed, the bag shoots out but sometimes it shoots out with mechanical pieces and metal fragments. Takata knew of this defect for years and is being sued for the many injuries and ten fatal deaths caused by the defective airbags. Takata is also going under investigation for this cover-up. They released a statement declaring, “We are cooperation and participating fully with the government investigation now underway.” It’s been two years since the airbag recalls began. Now if Takata is found liable, they are looking at a recall bill estimating at about $3 billion. So far Honda has already broke ties with Takata and more may follow. Takata is looking at a big fine and some serious penalties but some are still asking if more players are actually to blame for this mess. Another Year of the Demolition DerbyBy: Brendalys Medina
Vroom! You start your engine. Bang! You hear the gunshot and shoot forward with your car! Then you are t-boned and the crowd roars. That’s what you’ll get in the demolition derby. The Wayne auto students are working diligently for another traditional derby event Believe it or not, a demolition derby has rules. You might think – what’s kind of rules can you have when all the cars are crashing into one another! Well, these rules are very specific and are meant for safety and equality. It would be grossly unfair for a monster truck to go up against a Honda Civic! That is not how this game goes! So for these rules, students have to modify the car for the hit and impacts it will take. This year’s chosen vehicle is a 1998 Buick Century with a 3.1 v6 engine. So far, its transmission was removed and rebuilt. They still need to upgrade the suspension and strengthen the frame and bumpers. The glass and interior needs to be stripped for safety reasons. Also the gas tank needs to be moved inside the car to the back seat while the battery goes in the front seat. After all that is done, the students get to decorate the car. The car is still a work in progress but the students are enjoying the work! They love doing it! This event will take place this summer at the Sussex County fairgrounds during the Sussex County Fair. All of the auto students are encouraged to participate! If you would like to attend this event and support our students, press the button below for the Nationwide Demolition Derby website to check the times and locations. Exploring Careers Paths in ClassesMrs. Nazarko’s Journalism Class had the opportunity to Skype with the award winning director of the documentary Deep South and journalist for the LA Times, Lisa Biagiotti. They discussed her documentary and her video series on homelessness. They were able to ask questions on her career path and her techniques. You can see her latest work on the LA Times website.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-biagiotti-onthestreets-20151118-htmlstory.html
By: Jordan Falcone
Deck the halls with some beautiful music, Fa la la la la, la la la la! That’s exactly what our music department here at Wayne Valley did. This past Wednesday, December 16th, the vocal and instrumental groups, put on a wonderful winter concert. Chorus and Chamber choir, under the direction of Mrs. Sabatino, performed upbeat songs such as Sleigh Ride and In Bethlehem. They also sang beautiful ballads such as Light a Candle and Hodie. Percussion Ensemble played some classic Christmas pieces with a twist to them, under the direction of Mr. Warfield. The songs included Up on the House Top and Little Drummer Boy. Under the direction of Mr. Batiz, the Symphonic band played all types of songs, from beautiful melodies to James Bond like scores in Undertow. The band and the choruses even performed a combined piece called Bells of Joy. It was an amazing night! Our music department really showed their Valley pride. Some important dates to keep in mind for future events in the music department are February 10th, the symphonic band pop’s concert, February 23rd, the choral pops concert, and March 10t-12th, the spring musical. Come and support our music programs, because they are always in tune! |
Valley Cares!Stop Hunger NowBy: Carrington Park
On Sunday, December 6th, the Wayne community gathered at the local YM-YWHA to work together for a great cause. Students and adults alike assembled to package meals that are distributed to those in need. Matt Goetz, a senior at Wayne Valley, organized this group for his Eagle Award project. The organization, Stop Hunger Now, came to the Y and set up stations equipped with materials and food to package the meals. With music playing, and people united for a common cause, the positive energy radiated from the room. In the end, 12,000 meals were packaged for the hungry--an effort that truly shows dedication. In just over 2 hours, such a huge difference can be made, and it is important to remember that! Your effort can help make a difference. Congrats to Matt Goetz on a very successful project, and a big thanks to all who came out to help! Cards for SafyreBy: Staff Writer "After I heard this story on the radio of this little girl Safyre who is 8 years old and the sole survivor of an arson fire that killed her family members and left her with 75% of her body being burned, I knew I had to get our school involved," explains Ms. Miller, a guidance counselor here at Wayne Valley. After listening to the story, she put a call out to the Wayne Valley community. She explains, "The fact that all she was asking for were cards was just unbelievable. Through the efforts of our staff and students we collected and sent her over 250 cards including many gift cards and toys to make her holiday just a little bit brighter! It was so nice to see our staff and students come together to help such a beautiful little girl that has went through so much pain and tragedy." Peer Leaders Provide WarmthBy: Anisha Shin and Fallon Clark
Multiple peer leaders, including Hayley D’Alessandro, Scott Bandler, Cole Parker, Samantha Vorcheimer, and Madison Phillips are running a coat drive. They are teaming up with the Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community (CUMAC). CUMAC is a non-profit organization that has been serving the community for over 30 years. Their mission is to feed people and change lives. CUMAC works to alleviate hunger and its root causes; for those in need in Paterson, Passaic County, and Northern New Jersey. In addition, their thrift shop provides high quality, low cost items to a community that might not otherwise be able to afford clothing and household items. The purpose of the coat drive is to supply those in need with necessary winter gear. They are looking for new or gently-used winter coats and any other cold weather essentials, such as hats, gloves, and scarves. The coat drive kicks off on Monday, December 7, 2015 and finishes on Monday, December 21, 2015. You can drop off your coats in collection boxes, located in various spots throughout the school. Kindness for ChristopherBy: Staff Writer
There was a young boy named Christopher that was killed in a boating accident this summer. His family wanted to honor his memory. They asked people to spread kindness in the name of their son. Since its launch on July 20, the "Kindness for Christopher" Facebook page has attracted more than 9,100 followers who are asked to perform random acts of kindness for strangers on the 24th of every month. As a tribute to Christopher, three students helped the Wayne Valley community wrap their holiday gifts as an act of kindness. They wrapped the gifts during period 1 and 2 this month. All the clients had to do was provide is the gift and wrapping paper. English teacher, Mrs. Smith, exclaims, "The students did a beautiful job with wrapping my Christmas gifts this season. It was a tremendous help to me-- the holiday season gets so busy and this was one less thing I needed to worry about this year. Thank you, thank you!" Mrs. Kindler, our 12th Grade Option Coordinator, helped our students organize this act of kindness! |
Editorial: Op./Ed.
WHO says WHAT?!
By: Lauren Valledor
Bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, beef jerky, ham. As you are reading this list, your mouth may be watering. You might be thinking about a nice Sunday brunch you had with some of these foods. You definitely will not, however, think that these foods cause cancer…
Earlier this fall, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization) released a report evaluating the carcinogenicity of processed and red meats. After reviewing scientific studies, a group of scientists from ten countries classified processed meats (bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, beef jerky, ham) as a Group 1 carcinogen, and red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat) as a Group 2A carcinogen.
Now what do these classifications mean? A Group 1 classification labels items as carcinogenic to humans. Alongside processed meats, other carcinogenic agents in the Group 1 classification include, but are not limited to: neutron radiation, tobacco smoking, and asbestos. Group 2A agents are considered most likely carcinogenic to humans, which include: DDT, biomass fuel, and inorganic lead compounds. In the press release, the IARC states, “Experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.”
So what can we conclude about this report? Many news outlets conclude that the moderation of consuming meat is the solution. However, would we say the same thing about smoking cigarettes? The truesolution is adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Large prospective observational studies show that vegetarian diets are “modestly cancer protective (10%–12% reduction in overall cancer risk).” Although this change may seem difficult at first, there are many resources to make the transition from meat-eating to meat-free seamless. The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), for example, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and veganism, by providing recipes and nutritional information on their website (http://www.vrg.org/). Additionally, many chain restaurants, like Chipotle and Panera, provide vegetarian, and even vegan, options due to popular demand. The IARC’s study shows that vegetarianism not only saves animals--it saves our health.
Bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, beef jerky, ham. As you are reading this list, your mouth may be watering. You might be thinking about a nice Sunday brunch you had with some of these foods. You definitely will not, however, think that these foods cause cancer…
Earlier this fall, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization) released a report evaluating the carcinogenicity of processed and red meats. After reviewing scientific studies, a group of scientists from ten countries classified processed meats (bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, beef jerky, ham) as a Group 1 carcinogen, and red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat) as a Group 2A carcinogen.
Now what do these classifications mean? A Group 1 classification labels items as carcinogenic to humans. Alongside processed meats, other carcinogenic agents in the Group 1 classification include, but are not limited to: neutron radiation, tobacco smoking, and asbestos. Group 2A agents are considered most likely carcinogenic to humans, which include: DDT, biomass fuel, and inorganic lead compounds. In the press release, the IARC states, “Experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.”
So what can we conclude about this report? Many news outlets conclude that the moderation of consuming meat is the solution. However, would we say the same thing about smoking cigarettes? The truesolution is adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Large prospective observational studies show that vegetarian diets are “modestly cancer protective (10%–12% reduction in overall cancer risk).” Although this change may seem difficult at first, there are many resources to make the transition from meat-eating to meat-free seamless. The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), for example, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and veganism, by providing recipes and nutritional information on their website (http://www.vrg.org/). Additionally, many chain restaurants, like Chipotle and Panera, provide vegetarian, and even vegan, options due to popular demand. The IARC’s study shows that vegetarianism not only saves animals--it saves our health.