May Issue 3: Shelter-In-Place: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Read it here.
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Written by the Fletcher Newspaper Club
Friday, June 5, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
TedEd: Gerrymandering: How drawing jagged lines can impact an election
A TedEd by Christina Greer
Gerrymandering is a word that comes up often during election cycles. But what exactly is it? The term first appeared in Massachusetts in 1812. Then-governor Elbridge Gerry wanted to supported a bill that would allow redrawing of district lines so that his part, the Democratic-Republicans, would have an advantage. People said that his newly drawn districts looked like a salamander. A newspaper took that and added his surname to get the word gerrymander. The process of dividing up and redrawing districts to give your political party an advantage. There are two types. Packing and cracking a district. Packing is redrawing the lines so that the supporters of the opposition are crammed into just a few districts. Cracking is splitting the supporters into your districts so that they are immersed. And so, Elbridge Gerry’s salamander has completed changed political redistricting.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
TedEd: How do virus tests actually work?
A TedEd by Cella Wright
In order to stop a new virus from spreading, two tests are critical. PCR and Immunoassay testing. PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction testing, and it can identify whether a person is currently carrying a disease. First, a sample is taken from a person, and tested to identify genetic material from the virus. However, this material is often very faint. Here, PCR can amplify this by copying the enzymes of DNA. Of only RNA is present in the sample, the PCR first creates cDNA by reverse transcribing. A machine can now use a fluorescent eye to find any existing viruses. Immunoassay testing is antibody testing. It scans the body’s immune system memory to find proteins that help fight the virus. There may be two different types. IgM antibodies are created at the outset of a sickness and indicate recent infection. IgG enzymes, on the other hand, circulate the body for weeks after it is gone, and suggests that one was infection a while back. These are especially important because the blood plasma from people who have antibodies can be used to help current patients fight the virus.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
The Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze
By Rick Riordan
Read in 8th Grade
*Read previous Rick Riordan Greek myth books for context
Book 3 in series
Apollo has saved Indianapolis from Emperor Commodus, and extracted a prophecy from the Dark Oracle. Being told to find a "cloven guide" to lead him through the maze to the next Oracle. Meg manages to summon Grover Underwood, satyr, the Lord of the Wild. They travel through the maze to his current shelter, where he is trying to solve the mysterious fires plaguing Southern California. The place is also Meg's former home. Her father came from a line of people trying to recreate the ancient Meliai, supposedly superpowerful dryads created from the blood of the Earth. Because of this Caligula, the next emperor they will face, destroyed his home. He wants to be the new Apollo, and he is trying to capture Apollo.
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