Cool Kid Madison Pettis Is a Real Lady
How is Cale going to get into the pros? You will just have to go and see the movie to find out.
Jungle Jack is a TV show icon. He has two of his own shows, “Into the Wild” and “Animal Adventures,” and appears on mega talk shows like “Larry King Live” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” He’s also written several books. And people in Columbus, Ohio, consider him the greatest zookeeper alive. (He’s the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo).
If you think that Girl Scouts is just about cookies, think again. All Girl Scouts do so much more than sell cookies. They save lives and always go green. They get together to cheer people up and also cheer them on. And they work on and fun events.
Of course, the show staff wasn’t only showing and selling the reptiles. Visitors also could touch and even hold some reptiles! In case you’re wondering, visitors could go to the petting zoo around the middle and touch the alligator, a 4-foot long monitor lizard, a huge snake, a humongous tortoise and a medium- sized tortoise. 
The first step is to be aware of it. Simply knowing about a particular problem can prompt a person to help out more. You should learn to recognize animal cruelty. Remember to tell a parent about it and give as much information as possible.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died of brain cancer on Aug. 25, influenced me to become more active in my community. When I was 11, my mother took me to hear Kennedy speak at the UofA. He was an interesting speaker, even though today I can only remember pieces of the speech. He even allowed me to ask him a question following his speech. I remember my question was the last one that he took, and that it had to do with education because I had just gotten out of school. 
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YR Caught in Iran’s Election Turmoil
by Reporter Sarah SakhaRancho Solano Greenway
Demonstrations raged in Iran leading up to the June 12 presidential election that pitted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hard-line, conservative president, against his moderate opponent, Hossein Mousavi. “I want freedom. I want Mousavi,” was heard over and over as the government cracked down on news coverage. But I got a firsthand look at it all when I visited Tehran, the capital of Iran, this summer.
I was there in the days leading up to the swearing in ceremony for Ahmadinejad, the controversial winner of the disputed election, and its aftermath. At night, all over the capital audacious women and men unrelentingly filled the streets bellowing Allah-o-Akbar” (literally “God is great”). From about 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., I would listen to that phrase through the fog of a deep sleep! Sometimes, though, I could not fall asleep that easily because cars honked for hours on end outside my grandparents’ house. These “honking sessions” were planned as a as a sort of protest. The protesters yelled and beeped—what a nice combination for a jet-lagged teen!
One evening, my mom and I headed out to Villa Street, renowned for its hand-crafted and woven trinkets and souvenirs. (We snuck out, as my grandparents would have suffered a heart attack if they had known what we were about to do!) Much to our dismay, we couldn’t find a single taxi, or any car, out on the streets around our home. We had to walk a considerable distance until a young lady told us that the roads had been cut off in anticipation of a huge protest that night. Forty days had passed since the death of Neda—an innocent young woman brutally murdered while protesting. Her name became the rallying cry during many protests.
Finally we reached a street teeming with violent protesters and traffic. Everyone who took part in the demonstration wore black. It was sheer mayhem. A massive fire had been started in the middle of the street, blockading much of the street. The basij were beating a young man while his mother was yelling and sobbing that they should kill her, not her son. They battered both and hauled them away. (Basij refers to the volunteer militia who take orders from the Supreme Leader, or Ayatollah Khamenei.) Several “recycling bins” had fires burning bright within. It was the ideal moment for me to capture using my camera, but I knew better. If caught, not only would my camera be taken away, but so would I! I would risk a nice beating, too.
We finally hailed a cab, which was already full of people. But they permitted us to squeeze in because they knew that we would be stuck here for hours if they simply passed us by. We browsed for some time in Villa Street and then hastily made our way home, for it made our spine tingle to walk alone on a dim, seemingly deserted street.
One day after the swearing-in ceremony, my mother and I set out once again on a minor errand. This time, we were stuck in a taxi for around two hours. Rioters had surged into the streets, obstructing the natural flow of traffic and bringing forth the basij once more. These officers wore black suits and were armored from head to toe. They had darker skin than most of the population, looked callous and ruthless, and didn’t say a word to each other. According to hearsay from taxi drivers, these were supposedly hired from other countries much like Hessians, who were brutal foreign mercenaries. In the end, we ended up getting tear-gassed in the car, as the windows had been left wide open due to a lack of air conditioning. The driver charged us double and dropped us back home.
This trip was an unforgettable experience for me. I got to see firsthand a changing Iran, one led by a tenacious younger generation that perhaps is seeking real change...once again.
Hallow’s Eve a Night to Frighten Spirits
by Reporter Nadeen IssaNew Vistas Academy
Adviser: Stacey Trepanier
Halloween is a breathtaking, heart-stopping holiday that scares everyone to death!
A mysterious man walks by covered in black. Another has blood oozing down his face. There’s the big, bad wolf, ready to gobble up Little Red Riding Hood.
Halloween was made to scare people on purpose. During the fifth century B.C. in Celtic Ireland, people believed that summer ends on Oct. 31 and the new year begins the next day. Samhein (pronounced sow-en), which is the Celts’ New Year celebration, is still around and has many names. One is All Hallow’s Eve. Another is All Hallow’s Day or All Saints Day.
The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, the spirits of people who died the previous year would search for living bodies to take over. Then these bodies would be used in the next search. Of course, the living people did not want to be found by the dreadful, terrifying spirits. They shivered in fright, for what should they do?
Their only choice was to somehow scare the spirits. They put out their fires to seem cold and undesirable, put on monstrous costumes and noisily marched around. This way, the spirits would not want them. If the spirits were frightened away, the Celts could live in peace for another year.
Now scientists have discovered the laws of space and know that spirits cannot be in the same world as the living. But we still wear costumes. Instead of only wearing scary costumes, we wear funny, weird, crazy or nice costumes, too. Halloween is now just a break for families, friends and neighbors to hang out. So, happy Halloween!
Bidding Bye-Bye to Big Surf
by Reporter Caitlin Chavez,North Ranch Elementary
On Sept. 7, Big Surf in Tempe unfortunately closed for good. How sad is that? Ever since the ’70s, tourists and even people who live in Arizona have been attracted to this awesome water park. Big Surf also had concerts, including Elton John and Stevie Wonder. The 12.5-acre park opened in 1969 and had a 2.5-million-gallon wave pool. That’s huge!
Golfland Entertainment has operated Big Surf since 1991, but decided it did not want to invest in the park anymore. Kids will hope that another company will buy Big Surf and keep it open, but so far that hasn’t happened.
I went to Big Surf in late July and had a great time! I know I will remember Big Surf.
Star Loses His Shine
by Reporter Lauren BukoskeyCheyenne Traditional School
You might think Tom Cruise is an amazing heartthrob, and he is. But celebrities aren’t always as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. 
I was in Hollywood waiting outside a ceremony in which Cameron Diaz got her star on the Walk of Fame. Everyone behind me was screaming, practically making me deaf. I looked forward, and there was Cruise! The crowd chanted his name, waiting for him to sign autographs and dash his handsome smile. What a big letdown! He got straight into his blacked-out car with his wife, Katie Holmes. Not a wave, not a smile, not even a blink. We all were silent until we saw the next car.
Who could it be? Then we saw her… Cameron Diaz! She came strutting down to the car but then made a sharp turn to us! She waved and struck a pose to the crowd saying, “Thank you! Thank you!” Her beautiful, white dress glimmered in the sun while her blond hair swirled around her face.
When you see that, you know one thing: Diaz knows how to work a crowd!
‘Jack’ Twists Its Way Up Beanstalk
by Reporter Linzey Leinart,Homeschool
“FEE! FI! FO! FUM!” You may recognize those famous words bellowed by a giant in a fairy tale. But at Hale Theatre, “Jack and the Beanstalk” is not the typical children’s story you may have read. There’s a twist to it. There are new characters, including a wizard, a cow and a princess, which make for a new and exciting ending. It’s a dramatic, interactive, adventurous play the whole family will want to see!
Magic beans give Jack experiences of a lifetime—fighting a giant and saving a princess. Well, I probably shouldn’t spoil it for you! The characters all played their parts as if it were a real story! My favorite characters were Jack and his cow, Lassie. The props looked so real that even the beanstalk fooled me. I felt like I was right there, experiencing the adventure.
Watching “Jack” kept me on the edge of my seat! Younger kids would especially appreciate this play. I was so delighted with the performance that
I would buy another ticket to see it again!
“Jack” is playing at the Hale Theatre in Gilbert every Saturday at 11 a.m. until Nov. 21. For more info, check out www.haletheatrearizona.com.
‘Jack’ Actor Hooked on Theater
by Reporter Will Leinart,Homeschool
Skyler Bean has been acting since he was 12. Now he is studying law at Arizona State University and performing at Hale Theatre in Gilbert as Jack in “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
“I love the feeling of being on stage,” Bean says. He saw his older sister perform and thought he’d give it a shot. He played the role of a pirate in his junior high school play, “Coconut Capers.” That got Bean hooked!
“I like performing in front of a live audience because they give you the energy to perform well,” he says. “They can react with you.”
If you’re interested in acting, Bean says to make sure you’re having fun.
“Never give up,” he says. “You can always get better.” And, he adds, there are many other ways besides acting—such as set design, costumes, lighting and directing—to be involved with theater.
Millions Celebrate Eid al-Fitr
by Reporter Mariam Alum,New Vistas Academy
Adviser: Stacey Trepanier
Every fall, more than 6 million Muslims across the United States celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the joyous occasion that marks the end of Ramadan. This year, Eid fell on Sept. 20. 
Eid brings every Muslim together, regardless of caste, creed and social status. They greet each other with open hearts and enjoy the company of friends and family over a scrumptious meal.
Muslims practice the religion of Islam, which was brought to people by the prophet Muhammed. The angel Gabriel revealed the Quran, Islam’s holy book, to Muhammed in A.D. 632 in the land of Mecca, which is in Saudi Arabia. Ramadan celebrates the month that Muhammed received the first verse of the Quran.
For Ramadan, Muslims fast for the entire month from dawn to dusk. Not only do they refrain from eating and drinking, they also offer daily congregate prayers. They make spiritual connection with God through their prayers and recitation of the Quran. They practice and enforce good deeds—for example, by giving out charity to the poor, staying clean inside and out, or purifying their heart and soul by reaching out to people who need assistance. They turn to God for forgiveness and strength. They believe that all their prayers are going to be answered during Ramadan, so they try to take advantage of every second of it.
