Summer Movies Preview

So many new movies are coming out this summer, but which ones are worth seeing? This dilemma is always plaguing us, but now we have recommendations. So when you are sitting there during summer vacation and do not know what to do with those boundless hours without homework, consider these. Movies are a great way to get together with friends and to catch up once out of school.

The Last Airbender

One movie that looks promising is The Last Airbender. This film is an adaptation from Avatar, not the James Cameron film, but the animated series on Nickelodeon. The movie is not animated like the TV show, but the story line is impressive. The nations of Air, Water, Earth and Fire are thrown out of balance when the Fire nation decides to launch a war against all the others causing destruction for over a century. A young boy named Aang discovers that he is the last avatar, which means that he is the only one left who can use all four of the elements. The movie follows Aang’s quest to save the nations from the devastation of war and to return everything to how it was before.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner are all coming back this summer with the third movie in the Twilight series: Eclipse. In this third movie, Bella is once again in danger as Victoria comes back to avenge her partner, James. Not only is she set on killing Bella, but it appears that she is hatching a dangerous plan as well. In addition to dealing with Victoria, Bella must also make the most important decision of her life: to stay human or turn into a vampire. She doesn’t have eternity to make her choice, as the Voulturi promised to pay a visit soon to see a newly transformed Bella. As a result, Bella is forced to choose between her vampire-boyfriend, Edward, and her werewolf-friend, Jacob. Go to your local theatre on June 30 to see two of the hottest actors in Hollywood in one movie!

Toy Story 3

After taking an 11-year break, Toy Story is finally coming back with its latest sequel, Toy Story 3. Of course, the movie makers are wise enough to let the long lag fall into place in the movie, as it fast forwards into Andy’s life when he is getting ready to go to college. Because Andy doesn’t play with his old toys anymore, he decides to put them in the attic. Through a misunderstanding, they end up in the trash. Thinking that Andy abandoned them, the toys try to escape. Despite their escape attempt, they are unable to reach the safety of Andy’s room and end up in a donation box headed to a daycare. At first, the toys are excited by their new life and new toy friends. However, things aren’t what they seem to be and the toys desperately try to return home – a decision they share with Andy, who realizes that his toys will always have a place in his heart, no matter how old he is. Join this fun 3-D adventure with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. Potato Head and many other of their toy friends on June 18!

　

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

For all you Disney fans out there, the conglomerate is releasing a new film this summer entitled The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Based off the segment in Fantasia where Mickey Mouse enchants the mop to clean the house, the movie takes its name from the music playing in the background of the scene, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas. The movie tells the story of sorcerer Balthazar Blake, played by Nicholas Cage (National Treasure), who enlists the aid of an apprentice in order to defeat his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Alfred Molina). Blake takes on Dave Stutler (portrayed by Jay Baruchel of How to Train Your Dragon) , a normal kid with a proclivity for magic, as his apprentice, and the two must work together in order to save the world.

This movie promises to have all the fun and enchantment of Fantasia, while adding an element of reality by making it a live-action movie. It expands upon Mickey’s character and situation in the movie, allowing us to have a moment of nostalgia, connecting with a character we knew in our childhood, while giving the movie a modern and interesting twist. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice promises to be fun for the whole family, as well as a successor to the Disney movie legacy. Go see this modern-day magic story on July 16!

The Karate Kid

Loosely based on the 1980’s movies we know and love, the newest version of The Karate Kid stars Dre Parker, (played by Jaden Smith) who is moving to Beijing China with his mother (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s Taraji P. Henson), a single mother struggling to make a living. When he arrives he discovers life is not all it’s cracked up to be in the great city. The young Dre struggles with his forbidden feelings for classmate Mei Ying and the bully Cheng. With nowhere to hide and no one else to turn to, Dre’s life starts to look pretty bleak. Then one day, he meets maintenance man Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan (Rush Hour). The mysterious figure offers to teach Dre the ancient art of kung fu, of which he is secretly a master. His slightly odd but nevertheless effective techniques prove to be just the thing Dre needs to finally feel welcome in his new home. Meanwhile, he is always keeping his final goal in mind: defeating Cheng the bully in a national martial arts competition. Will he succeed? Check it out when it hits theaters on June 11 to find out!

2010 U.S. Census: 10 Questions, 10 Minutes

 This year’s magic number is 10. Not only is this the 10^th year of 2000, it is also the year that citizens must fill out the U.S. Census. The 2010 Census is one of the shortest census forms in history. Only 10 questions are asked and about 10 minutes are required to complete the form.

Although censuses have been around for 220 years, many are still unaware of what they are. A census is an official count of various types of information, taken ev­ery 10 years about a country’s population. The United States has been conducting censuses since 1790, after the American Revolution. The population was about 3,929,214 at that time.

Just as people are required to attend jury duty, get a driver’s license in order to drive, pay their taxes and report their in­come, participating in the census is essen­tial and also required by the law. Failure to fill out and send in a census form will result in a fine of up to $5000. Additionally, com­pleting and returning the census form is the most efficient way to participate. If citizens fail to turn in their forms, a home visit from a census employee will be in order.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves, this task can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. However, this task can also be seen in a positive light: the U.S Census Bureau may hire job­less people, who will be making money. “We know that there are a lot of people out there hurting for work right now,” said Clyde Kemp, census manager for the Canton office. “If we can get local citizens employed, that is really our goal.” Accord­ing to the Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio, the government started hiring 1.2 million temporary workers for the Census Bureau in March.

While some people complain about how the government mandates that they fill out the census, they must keep in mind that this year’s census is only 10 questions. In addition, they do not realize that those who count the tallies for the survey (The United States Census Bureau’s employees, which included 5,593 employees as of 2006) have a much harder time. Some data from censuses do not come out until three years after they have been taken.

Filling out the census is beneficial to everyone, as well as to the country. The Census spokeswoman of south Louisiana, Jenna Steormann, said “The Census is about two things: power and money. It’s your voice in Congress, and it’s how the federal government allo­cates over $300 billion annually in federal funds to communities.” Data that is col­lected from censuses can affect the House of Representatives (as the number of mem­bers per state is based on the population obtained from the census), state redistrict­ing, Electoral College representation, fed­eral program funding and state and com­munity planning.

For example, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments every year based on the information collected from censuses.

Conducting censuses helps the govern­ment with numerous tasks, such as decid­ing the location of new housing and public facilities, examining the demographics of communities, planning new transportation systems (buses, roads, etc.), determining how many pub­lic workers (police, firemen, etc.) are needed. The list goes on and on. In addition, the government is not the only organization that uses data collected from census­es. Businesses use censuses to predict which products will be in demand in the fu­ture, determine locations for new businesses or compa­nies, decide whether or not more caring facilities (nurs­ing homes, day care centers, hospitals, etc.) are needed and estimate how many new employees must be hired.

As the U.S.’s popula­tion continues to skyrocket, the census is as important as ever.

According to Tom G. Palmer, a se­nior member of the Cato Institute, “The first census in 1790 asked just six ques­tions: the name of the head of the house­hold, the number of free white males older than 16, the number of free white males younger than 16, the number of free white females, the number of other free persons, and the number of slaves.” As a population changes, so must the way in which it is ac­counted for. While the 2010 United States Census still counts the people by sending a questionnaire to every household, the questions themselves have changed nearly every year.

In years past, every sixth household would receive a long form to fill out. Ac­cording to the Population Reference Bu­reau, this form included 50 additional questions about socioeconomic and hous­ing statistics. In the 2010 Census, how­ever, it was decided that simply giving everyone the short form and adding two more questions was the best alternative to sending out different forms.

            All changes made to the census in various years have been made to increase the accuracy of the population count. 2010 is no exception. This year, two more questions were added to the test from 2000.

The first new question asks the household if there were “any additional people staying there April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1,” (in which households were asked how many people were living in the house). Some choices include newborn babies, cousins, adult children, roommates or live-in babysitters. According to census.gov, the government uses the information from this question to “ensure response accuracy and completeness.

Another entirely new question has been added to the 2010 census questionnaire: “Does this person sometimes live or stay somewhere else?” America is notoriously the “land of the free,” the land where anything is possible. This is brought about by the fact that the “economy continues to promote upward absolute mobility” (economicmobility.org). Unlike the denizens of any other country, Americans move often from house-to-house and maybe even to another state. This phenomenon is represented through Question 10, in which for the first time, the government is recognizing the reality of American life – it is not as simple as a single home. Some reasons for other places of abode include: in college housing, at a seasonal or second residence, for child custody, in the military, in a nursing home and in jail or prison. The census taker is told to mark all that apply.

There was one final change made to the 2010 census compared to years past. However, this change was not made to a question, but rather an answer. In Question 2, which is about additional people in the home, the household is asked how this person is related to Person 1. Previously, one choice was “foster child.” As of 2010, this is no longer the case.

While there is much anger over this by some involved in the foster care system, such as Miriam Krinsky at the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles, the reason for its removal has nothing to do with the accuracy of the test itself. According to the John Burton Foundation, “Census officials explain that the reason that foster children will be eliminated from the Census is that the extra line for respondents to report on foster children would have extended into the page fold and tripped up scanners that read the answers!”

Proponents of keeping foster children in the census count argue that the Census is the only “data source on the economic status of children in foster care, the race and ethnicity of foster parents, and the overall living arrangements for foster children.” All this data, they argue, is necessary for lawmakers to make critical funding decisions, which they fear will be cut out or inadequate due to the change in the Census.

The 2010 Census has seen many changes. There are no longer two tests, but one that, with the enhancement of two questions, is able to more accurately portray the United States population. While there is no conflict over the two additional questions, foster care advocates vehemently oppose the change to Question 2 brought about by a lack of room on the questionnaire.

The 2010 Census questions have little in common with those in the first census in 1790. People are no longer counted as free males and slaves. As the population has changed, so has the way in which the people are counted. Now every person is counted for being a person, not their social status, just being; and the questions have changed to reflect this.

Famous Irish Americans

St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday celebrated in not only Ireland, but many other countries as well. It is a feast day in which Saint Patrick, the most well known patron saint of Ireland, is honored. Some may wonder why our country celebrates an Irish holiday, even though there aren’t many Irish-Americans in the U.S. If you think that there is a small Irish population in the U.S., think again. Did you know that there are 34.5 million U.S. residents who claim to be of Irish ancestry? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Irish is the United States’ second most frequently reported ancestry (German is the leading ancestry). In addition, 12% of the nation comes from Irish ancestry. There are many famous people in our society that you wouldn’t have guessed are Irish. Here is a list of only a few of the thousands of famous Irish-Americans:

Entertainment Industry

George Clooney

Mel Gibson

Mariah Carey

Walt Disney

Conan O’Brien

Christina Aguilera

Political Figures

John F. Kennedy

Joseph Biden

Ronald Reagan

Business

Henry Ford (founder of Ford Motor Company)

Money Makes the World Go ‘Round

 

According to USA Weekend.com, the teens of the 21^st century are by far the rich­est teenagers in history. In a survey done by Reuter News Agency, teenagers in the United States have an annual spending power of $176 billion. And teens are not known for their frugality. Adolescents have al­ways been stereo­typed as impulse buyers and wasteful spenders.

Since the eco­nomic downturn, however, there has been a shift in attitude. Teens have been sav­ing more. In a survey done by Seventeen Magazine and Bank of America, 65 per cent of teens reported changing their spending habits because of the economy. The survey also showed that 85 per cent of the girls were worried about the current state of the economy compared to 75 per cent of teen boys who showed concern.

Teen girls are still more likely to spend than save. In the same survey, 55 per cent of teen girls said they would spend a $100 birthday check while 45% would save the money for college. Only about one-third of the teens felt that they were in control of their finances.

Given these numbers, it is perhaps not surprising that there has also been an in­crease in teens’ interest to learn about fi­nance management. “While their parents still largely support them, teens are inter­ested in learning how to become more fi­nancially independent and make smarter decisions about money,” says Beverly Lad­ley, Customer Strategy Executive for Bank of America.

Presentation is responding to this trend with a number of courses, such as Economics, AP Macroeconomics and Women and Money. Econom­ics focuses on the basic principles of the economy with emphasis on the study of the American economy. This course also ties in the govern­ment’s role in the economy and pertinent socio-econom­ic issues that affect many peo­ple in the US. “This course defi­nitely has af­fected the way in which I will invest my mon­ey,” said junior Meghan Merwin. At one point dur­ing the class, Pres teachers came in and talked to the class about mistakes they have made fi­nancially. “It was a really great learning experi­ence,” said Merwin.

AP Macroeconomics gives an even more in-depth understanding of the econ­omy. This course focuses on economies around the world and how they are all interlinked. There is also an emphasis on the issues of inflation and unemployment. “This course definitely teaches you how to be careful with money,” said junior Teresa Mathew. “It gives you a really good under­standing about how the economy works.” Both Economics and AP Macro are useful for students interested in business or just wish to be able to have a better understand­ing of the world around them.

Women & Money is a semester-long class where girls learn all about those green slips of paper that kids think grow on trees. It covers all aspects of money and the important role it plays in our lives: from birth, school, jobs, mar­riage and divorce to death.

“With the state of the economy today, I’m thank­ful to be learn­ing skills that will help me later on in my life. I’m look­ing forward to learning how to balance my checkbook and set a budget that will allow me to get what I want and also what I need,” said senior Jaclyn Gioiosa.

In only one semester, Pres girls will learn how to open their first credit card ac­count, buy a car, register and buy insurance for that car, apply for a college loan, plan a college budget, buy or rent a home and many more essential life skills.

“I’m really enjoying this class,” junior Andrea Boales said. “I never realized how much money I spent! We totaled up our weekly expenses, and mine was a lot, and I don’t even have a job yet.”

Taking this course helps students to prepare for handling their future financial encounters and also helps them to save money.

Although it may seem like a tough class that requires one to have a knack for numbers and computers, this is not the case. In fact, it doesn’t matter what math class you’re in or if you didn’t do well in your Computer Applications class, because there are no prerequisites for enrolling in Women & Money. In addition, this class will fulfill your requirement for an extra semester of technology or art.

If you have any other questions about the class, talk to Ms. Newton.

 

 

 Having trouble saving up? Here are some helpful tips about keeping that pocket money in your pocket:

1. If you’re 16 or older, apply for a part-time job. Why not get a job at one of your favorite stores? You will always know when and where the sales are; also, some stores offer their employees “employee discounts.” If you love coffee and healthy fruit beverages, try asking the nearest Star­bucks or Jamba Juice if they’re hiring!

2. Understand the difference between “needs” and “wants.” There’s a huge dif­ference between the two: a need is some­thing you must have in order to survive, and a want is something you would like to have. Having a sudden urge for a vanilla latte from Starbucks is not a need; it’s a want. You will still be able to survive if you don’t have your daily afternoon latte.

3. Make your own lunch. It’s okay to buy Apollo’s tasty food from time to time, but you should also consider making your own lunch every now and then. You can buy bread, salad, meat, chips, and everything else you need to make a lunch for under $3 each! All those groceries will provide you with at least seven lunches.

4. Save your change. How? Here’s a good start: every time you spend money on something, keep the change and put it in a jar. That way, you’ll still be saving money, even if it’s just a little. If you already have some money, try opening a savings ac­count and depositing your money in there. That way, when you have a sudden urge to spend, you will have to take an extra step to get to your savings.

5. Think before you spend. If you pass by a store and see a cute purse on display, don’t buy it yet. Wait a week or so, and then come back. This will help you determine whether or not to spend your money. Maybe next week, you’ll see a better purchase or the price of the purse might have gone down.

6. Look around for money. You’ll be sur­prised how much change you have lying around in your car or in your jean pockets.