Going Down?
That’s when we decided to write to Gingrich and ask if he would visit us at our school, which is home to kindergarten through eighth-graders and a private preschool and pre-kindergarten. We were so excited when our teacher told us that he was going to come see us and tour our school as well! When he came to our school, he told us that he liked reading our letters. He said that he was proud of us, and he asked us about our school and our favorite subjects. 
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Going Down?
by Reporter Geoffrey SessionsArizona Connections Academy
Connections Academy is more than just a virtual school. It’s a real community. Our teachers plan activities to give us the opportunity to connect face-to-face and learn at the same time. Recently, a group of us from ACA took a field trip to the Queen Mine in Bisbee. 
Outfitted in hardhats, miner’s headlamps and yellow slickers, we headed underground and back in time. Our tour guide led us 1,500 feet into the mine and told us about mining days, techniques, dangers and drama. Our guide, Kelly, is an Apache who had worked in the mines for more than 30 years. The rubber jackets kept us warm as we all experienced what it was like to work below the surface. (It’s 47° F underground!) If you turned off your flashlight in there it would be pitch black. Kelly told us there were 2,500 miles of tunnel in the mountain—we were told that you’d have to walk across Arizona eight times to get through all those tunnels. That’s far!
When the miners made new tunnels, they had to use dynamite. They made holes in the rock wall a special way so the whole wall would blow up. They carried the dynamite in boxes that could move on the track (like a train track) in and out of the mine.
The Queen Mine was amazing! Although, I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to make it there, it was worth it.
Haunting Questions Abound at Copper Queen Hotel
by Reporter Lily FeraGreen Fields Country Day School
Adviser: Anne Davies
There have been strange happenings at the Copper Queen Hotel, located in Old Bisbee, ever since it opened in 1902. Guests and staff have reported ghost sightings and things believed to have been done by a ghost.
Apparently, the spirit of a young woman haunts the hotel. People saw doors opening and closing, and electrical appliances randomly operating. Then windows started opening and closing, and doors started locking themselves.
A stomping noise was heard and toothpaste shot across a room.
Southwest Ghost Hunters searched the hotel in 2001 but found no evidence of a ghost. This would be great mystery to investigate…as long as you’re not the ghost’s next target!
Cavern Ceiling Drips Beauty
by Reporter Kiana Anaya,Green Fields Country Day School
Adviser: Anne Davies
Imagine discovering a huge cave with million-year-old stalagmites (large formations made from the minerals in water dripping on a single spot over thousands of years.) Imagine the living wonders inside of the cave!
This type of discovery happened southeast of Tucson with two men a long time ago, in 1974. The two, Gary Tenen and Randy Tuffs, kept the cave secret for 14 years because they wanted to protect it! But in 1999, the cave was opened to the public as Kartchner Caverns. It just celebrated its 10th anniversary as an amazing Southern Arizona attraction in November.
The fifth-grade class at Green Fields Country Day School was lucky enough to take a field trip to Kartchner Caverns. When we entered the cave, it was extremely humid (98 percent humidity) and dark. For thousands of years, the cave was an underwater habitat to many water and cave creatures. Over the years, the water inside the cave evaporated and almost all of the animals died. It is said there are animal bones in some of the rocks found inside and around the cave. There were still many areas with water in 1985, when Tenen and Tuffs first told people about the cave.
There are many interesting looking mineral formations named after food, like bacon, soda straws, popcorn and fried eggs. There were areas that didn’t smell too great because of the many things living and dying inside the cave.
If you decide to go to this wonderful place, bring some comfortable walking shoes and be sure to use the restroom, because the tour is an hour and a half long. But it is definitely worth it.
Sometimes when you look at a stalagmite it is hard to believe that drops of water at a time could create a million-year-old piece of nature that is extremely beautiful. The cave is very sensitive. You have to make sure you do not touch the walls or growths as that could throw off the temperature that the cave needs to maintain.
When you are done with the tour, you go into a room where Kubla Khan—a formation more than 56 feet tall and named after a king—stands. In that “room,” there is a show with lights and music. One of the rooms our class did not get to see was the Big Room. It was closed because it was mating season for bats that use the cave.
To top it off, you can take a great 2-mile hike in the desert around the cave. There’s also a huge gift shop, displays of cave animals, a theater, a humming bird garden, a hiking trail and a deli.
Fly High in Eloy
by Reporter Hayley BensonNew Vistas Academy
Adviser: Stacey Trepanier
What kid would not like to get lifted off the ground by a gigantic fan? I’ve done it about nine times at a place called Indoor Skydiving.
This vertical wind tunnel is in Eloy, between Phoenix and Tucson. People, trust me on this one—it is wicked cool!
The first thing you do is walk into a very weirdly shaped building with four large tubes sticking out of the top. While you are waiting you can watch other people fly in the tunnel before you. When your group is called, you go into the classroom where you take off any watches or jewelry you are wearing. If you are a first-time flyer, you watch a 10-minute video to help you understand how to position yourself in the wind tunnel. Then you suit up with knee pads, elbow pads, ear plugs, goggles and a helmet. You even have to wear a flash jumpsuit and tennis shoes.
The tunnel is actually above ground. It is set for wind speeds of 120 miles per hour or faster, depending on your size. You cross your arms and fall into the wind. The instructor gives you hand signals to tell you how to adjust your position. The most fun part is when the instructor grabs you and takes you high into the tube. The good thing is there is mesh, both above and below you, so you do not get blown out of the tube or chopped up into little pieces by the fan underneath you. The whole process takes place in about 30 minutes.
There is nothing like the feeling you get when you fly. It’s like being sucked up by a swirling tornado and soaring through the air. Plus, if your mom or dad videotapes you while you are flying, you can see your cheeks flapping and doing the wave in the wind.
One piece of advice, keep your mouth closed during the flight. Otherwise, slobber might run up over your face and you will not even feel it. Also, if you get queasy easily, I do not recommend indoor skydiving.
River Rapidly Became a Favorite
by Reporter Thomas Rainer,Rancho Solano Missouri
Many people dream about exotic places, like a beautiful, spacious beach in Hawaii or in the Caribbean. But that’s not what I dream about.
I spent two weeks in Alaska. We stayed on Raspberry Island, with some of the largest bears in the world, for five days. After that, we stayed in Anchorage and Seward, and took long drives through these beautiful and diverse areas.
I’d like to tell you, though, about a chute canyon that holds a river dominated by rapids. This “crick,” as our raft guide called it, is named Six Mile River. I was allowed to do the first three hours of a rafting trip down the river, where we would encounter class 4 rapids. I was too young to do the last 30 minutes, which included class 5 rapids. (You have to be 16.)
We were required to wear full dry suits, as the water was around 48° F, as well as helmets and life vests. Our guide gave us a list of the rules: Don’t fall out of the raft; use your head; and take an active part in your own rescue. Then we had to swim across the river (and a class 2 current) to an eddy where our raft was waiting. Then the real stuff started.
As we entered the first rapid, the river narrowed into a slot canyon, and the water roared in our ears. I felt excitement and anxiety as we entered the series of rapids. This was the first time I had ever whitewater rafted! I paddled and back-paddled as hard as I could. Our guide was shouting over the water, directing us on how to navigate the current. In the middle, our raft entered a fast-flowing, scenic area.
Shortly after, we plunged into a second series. In the middle of those, we slammed into a cliff and came very close to flipping over! Near the end, my final thrill was sailing through the air off a 5-foot fall called Beaver Falls.
That was the highlight of my ride.
The rest of the group took the class 5’s all the way to the end. I am still unhappy that I missed it. However, I intend to return and finish what I started!
Devastated Haiti Needs Help
by Reporter Lauren Bukoskey,Cheyenne Traditional School
Frightening. Horrific. Shocking. These are all words that describe the terrible disaster that happened in Haiti.
On Jan. 12, a huge earthquake shook the island. Cars, schools and hospitals were all destroyed. People were found hurt with their limbs fractured. If that’s not enough to get you going, between 200,000 and 300,000 may be dead.
The earthquake was a rude awakening for anyone and everyone who was on the island at that time. People were found practically crushed under buildings. People must have been struggling just to breathe with all the dust.
Although this terrible natural disaster was tragic, it will hopefully bring awareness to the problems the Haitian people face. Hopefully, everyone will come forth and help this struggling island.
You’re Gonna Love ‘LOVE’
by Reporter Jonathan Trang,New Vistas Academy
Adviser: Stacey Trepanier
The auditorium vibrates as music bursts from speakers. Majestic figures perform acrobatics in the air. I watch the show, enjoying the experience.
As most people know, George Harrison was a member of The Beatles—a band that helped define rock ‘n’ roll—along with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. What some don’t know is that Harrison was a huge fan of motor racing. When he met Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque de Soleil and also a huge motor racing fan, they immediately formed a firm friendship. From their acquaintance, Laliberte had a notion to combine the fantastical land of Cirque de Soleil with the music of The Beatles. The result is “LOVE.”
“LOVE” first opened at the Mirage in Las Vegas in June 2006. The production featured costumed people performing acrobatics as wondrous Beatles music played. The soundtrack features classics like “Come Together,” “I Am The Walrus,” “Get Back” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” all mixed together to form very different songs. The musical’s soundtrack won two Grammy awards!
The music was astounding. Starr’s drumbeat to Harrison’s “Within You Without You” was hypnotic. The “Drive My Car/The Word/What You’re Doing” mix was one of the most effective and best sounding mixed tracks. And the “Hello Goodbye” coda at the end of “Strawberry Fields Forever” left me thinking how wonderful it all sounded. The show also features one of the most amazing examples of mash-up in the soundtrack—a guitar riff from “Hey Bulldog” mixed into “Lady Madonna.”
The people who executed the astounding acrobatics should be proud. As the sun rose during “Here Comes The Sun,” performers in astronaut suits flew through the auditorium while dancers below moved at a snail’s pace. Those who performed through “ A Day In The Life” drove around on stage in a real car, which surprised me. Puppeteers who handled an enormous figure during “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” made it look like it was truly a living, breathing thing. “Eleanor Rigby” made me experience a brief moment of depression as it’s all about loneliness.
During the finale, “All You Need Is Love,” people pranced merrily around golden arches as confetti fell from the ceiling and large pieces of cloth hung down depicting the four faces of the astounding group The Beatles.
