Everywhere you look, women are being degraded and told to act and look a certain way. In music videos, women are portrayed as sex slaves for the leading male. Models do not just show off new fashion types, but stick thin bodies as well, looking as unhealthy as ever. On television, it is difficult to find a strong independent woman who is comfortable in her own skin without looking sickly. The pressure for young girls to look a certain way
starts at such a young age, and shows similar to “Toddlers in Tiaras” sure don’t help the cause. Kids just entering adolescence are caking on makeup and
end up looking like they are in college.  “I think its pre teens that girls start to feel pressured, because nowadays that’s when girl are exposed to magazines, fashion, gossip, texting, friends, etc. Those things can make them feel insecure and pressure them to act certain ways in my opinion,” says Bryant Larsen. “I feel like girls are pressured to look older than they really are. The reason why is because being pretty is what guys want,” says Nicole Davis. Society today tells us what is considered beautiful, and girls take to it too easily. “Movies and television shows make me want to
look a certain way,” says Davis.

Looking a certain way is not just a girl problem, but because of the way the media messes with a girl’s already confusing mind, it has more of an effect on them. “Girls are pressured more than guys are today,” says Larsen. Girls are pressured to be pretty, but how do guys feel in society
today? “I was never really pressured to feel a certain way as a teen because I mostly didn’t care enough what other people thought of me. But if I had to say anything, I’d say they’re pressured to act tough to impress their friends,” says Larsen.  It is not only girls, but both genders feel as though sometimes they need to change themselves to be accepted.

Confidence is key in society nowadays. If you can be confident and proud of yourself, you will not struggle with self identity. Some people struggle with the pressure of society, while others feel it is nothing to worry about. “If you don’t dress a certain way or do certain things, you are
considered weird. But I wouldn’t want to dress like anyone else. I’ve never felt pressured, I’m pretty comfortable in my own skin,” says an anonymous
student. Many can agree that it is difficult to be confident while people are telling you to look a certain way, but knowing how special you are and what
makes you unique is the key to happiness.  Being comfortable in your own skin will help you not only physically, but socially and mentally. The good and the bad sides of media are always going to influence society, but it is important to be happy for yourself. The only person who can make you feel bad about yourself is you, so do not listen to what the media tells you is beautiful; be what you think is
beautiful.

 This type of eating can lead to some long-term consequences such as obesity, emotional instability, guilt and shame. Mr. Liedtke,
states, “It’s okay to eat when you’re stressed, the question is what you choose to eat. You can always find a healthy alternative.”  Some different ways you can cope with your emotions or stressful situations are exercising or even eating a healthy snack.
Senior Rachel Larsen says, “I listen to music or I run away from everything and go to the beach.” Keeping your mind off of what you’re stressing about helps when you stay busy or pack yourself a healthy snack throughout the day. Below
you will find a couple healthy snacks that are easy to make in less than 15 minutes.

Three recipes:   

Recipe One: Pizza Bagel

 Ingredients :
1 standard-sized bagel, cut in half
tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings like diced green pepper, chopped onion, or chopped tomato
(whatever you like)
seasonings like oregano, basil, and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Spread tomato sauce on each bagel half.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the tomato sauce on each half.  Add your favorite toppings (I recommend Cheese and Pineapple).  Put a light sprinkling of seasonings on each
half.  Put your bagel halves on the baking sheet.  Bake in the oven on low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the cheese is bubbly.  Let cool for a minute, then enjoy your tiny pizzas!

Nutritional analysis (per serving):

210 calories, 9 g protein, 4 g fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 11 mg
cholesterol, 633 mg sodium, 144 mg calcium, 1.9 mg iron

A Little Bite of Something Nice; Sandwiches

What you need:
¾ cup light cream cheese, slightly softened
half a large cucumber, thinly sliced
8 slices of whole-wheat bread

What to do:

Spread each slice of bread with cream cheese (about 3 tablespoons per sandwich). Place about 4 cucumber slices on 4 of the
slices of bread and top with remaining bread slices. Cut into quarters and serve immediately or wrap sandwiches and save for later.

Nutritional
Facts: (per serving)

180 calories, 1 g of fat and 10 g of protein

Ingredients:
Safari Dip

• ·1/2

8 ouncepackagereduced-fat cream
cheese (Neufchatel), softened

• ·1/2

cupcreamy peanut butter

• ·2 – 3

tablespoonsmilk

• ·2

teaspoonshoney

• ·Celery sticks, animal crackers, and/or assorted dippers such as peeled jicama sticks, carrot sticks, apple wedges, pear wedges, or graham cracker sticks

• 1/2

8 ouncepackagereduced-fat cream
cheese (Neufchatel), softened

• 1/2

cupcreamy peanut butter

• 2 – 3

tablespoonsmilk

• 2

teaspoonshoney

• Celery sticks, animal crackers, and/or assorted dippers such as peeled jicama sticks, carrot sticks, apple wedges, pear
  wedges, or graham cracker sticks
• 1/2

8 ouncepackagereduced-fat cream
cheese (Neufchatel), softened

• 1/2

cupcreamy peanut butter

• 2 – 3

tablespoonsmilk

• 2

teaspoonshoney

• Celery sticks, animal crackers, and/or assorted dippers such as peeled jicama sticks, carrot sticks, apple wedges, pear
  wedges, or graham cracker sticks
• 8 ouncepackagereduced-fat cream cheese
  (Neufchatel), softened

8 ouce package of reduced fat cream cheese, ½ creamy peanut butter, 2-3 tablespoons of 2% milk, 2 tablespoons honey and the
following: Celery stalks, animal crackers, carrot sticks, apple wedges, and pear wedges or even some good old graham cracker sticks.

What to
do:

For dip: in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium till smooth.  Then beat in peanut butter, milk, and honey until well combined and smooth.  Place in fridge if you prefer it to be a chilled snack.

To Serve: Spread dip into celery sticks and garnish with animal crackers and cut up fresh fruit or serve with assorted
wedges.  Makes 1-1 and ¼ cups.

Nutritional
Facts: (per serving)

65 calories, 3 grams of fat and 7 grams of
protein

Animal crackers, and/or assorted dippers such as peeled jicama sticks, carrot sticks, apple wedges, pear wedges, or graham
cracker sticks animal crackers, and/or assorted dippers such as peeled jicama sticks, carrot sticks, apple wedges, pear wedges, or graham cracker sticks

Enjoy!

“Caffeine is found in numerous plants, the most widely consumed being coffee, tea, cola nut, cocao pod, guarana, and maté. It is estimated that in North America between 80 and 90 percent of adults and children habitually consume caffeine. About 15% of the general population report having stopped caffeine use completely, citing concern about health andunpleasant side effects” said  Soumya Sringesh of Campanile Institute. Physiologists are reporting that some of the prime side effects of caffeine overdose are headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and irritability. Although those are common side effects, everybody reacts
different to caffeine. Leslie Coons, former Olympic participant, said “My mom did not have many side effects of caffeine as a child but now she is suffering many liver and kidney problems, is not allowed to drink any caffeine at all. She has developed many kidney stones which is another health problem that can be the result of drinking too much caffeine.” Many teenagers are aware of the dangers of consuming too much caffeine, but they still continue to drink it. Senior Kristina Millar said, “My mom is a doctor, I understand most the effects caffeine can have on a child’s body, but it doesn’t keep me from drinking it,
and I don’t think it ever will.  No one really thinks that they will be the one to get health issues from caffeine, so I am not too concerned.”Teenagers enjoy caffeine too much and the spark of energy it gives off, it will be hard to convince them to lower their amounts of caffeine intake.

Teenagers are losing track of how much caffeine they are consuming and they grow dependent on it so they do not feel the effect of withdrawals. Once addicted to caffeine, the human body will have withdrawals if it goes without caffeine for eighteens hour.  Recent studies have shown that caffeine is proven to cause a negative impact on teenager’s health.  Coons said “If children drink caffeine
throughout their childhood they are going to start developing health problems that will follow them through their adult life. For example soda has a high amount of high-fructose corn syrup which makes the human body hungry therefore us have the compulsion to eat when we do not need too; this is one of the main reasons why child obesity is causing problems in America, because of all the caffeinated sodas and drinks, and the food we provide our child to eat when they are hungry. Obesity is not the only major health effect caused by caffeinated and sugary drinks.   “Selective researchers have found that long-term consumption of low dose caffeine slowed hippocmpus-dependent learning and impaired long-term memory. Caffeine consumption for 4 weeks also
significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis compared to controls during the experiment “said Dr. Bellum, a family practitioner. The conclusion was that long-term consumption of caffeine could inhibit hippocampus-dependent learning and memory partially through inhibition of being able to allow the brain to expand growing neurons. It is hard to multitask, focus and learn when a human body is dependent on caffeine.

There have been many recent controversial studies, proving that some caffeinated drinks such as coffee can benefit adults. “The vast majority of those studies have shown a benefit of coffee on the prevention of diabetes and depression. And now there is also evidence that decaffeinated coffee may have the same benefit as regular coffee.” Said Frank Hu PhD, nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. So now many studies are proving that a cup of coffee a day can keep the doctors away. Coons said, “While children are still developing, caffeine can have harsh effects on them until their adulthood. But once an adult it can help prevent osteoporosis and build up calcium levels especially in woman. Coffee has many key antioxidants which assist our immune systems. “

Caffeine is very well adapted into our society’s lifestyle. When consuming an abundant amount of caffeine the only benefit someone can gain is a short burst of energy that will contribute to causing health problems. So the next time you go to drown your system in caffeine you may want to think twice.

To relive all this weight on our shoulders, deadlines need to be met.  Applications, recommendation letters, essays, and transcripts need to be signed, sealed and mailed off to the colleges of choice.  Naviance (connection.naviance.com/lejardin) helps seniors to search and compare colleges.  It helps to narrow down decisions and set goals with the timeline shown on the home page.  Because seniors are applying to multiple colleges that all have different applications and requirements, the Common App was created to shorten this process.  The Common App is one application that over 400 colleges accept at one time.  This application has questions about future plans, demographics, family, education and extracurricular activities, ect.  This Common App makes the college application more bearable for seniors.

With so many separate forms colleges require from seniors, things can get confusing.  Liedtke said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  Focus on the application as a whole, making sure just to turn in everything on time, giving the colleges what they want.

In the end, all seniors want to be able to say what senior Mahealani Schuman can, “I’m not stressed about deadlines anymore, it’s more anticipation, waiting for their responses.”

First: Hollywood. This fabulous place, center of many studios and the biggest movie industry on the planet, has a great impact on the way that cinema is perceived in America and, thereby, in the entire world. It is impossible to find a place like Hollywood in Europe, which marks the biggest difference between the two situations. Hollywood is like an automatic gun: shooting out quick-fire movies and European movie industries simply cannot compete. With all the people working in the studios or in the areas connected to them, Hollywood can be considered a world apart, concentrated on film production. It is for this reason that the Americans have a different perception of the “cinema” itself. As Barry Norman, famous English cinematic critic, said “the main issue is that Hollywood regards the cinema as a business, while European film companies tend to consider “the film” as a real piece of art”. Interviewed on the same question, Science teacher Mike Morrison said that “American cinema is more aimed toward entertainment, like the Transformers saga, for example. European cinema, on the other hand, is more artistic and dramatic”.

American film corporations invest millions of dollars in a movie to earn even more money, while Europeans generally have a much lower budget. As a result, American films are full of amazing visual effects and high-definition images while European films will generally aim to a more intense plot and a deeper message. “I don’t like American movies too much” said junior Romane Mossa, exchange student from France. “They tend to exaggerate the reality. It’s just not natural”.

In Italian cinema, for example, the actual dissimilarity can be found in the environment where the cinema was developed. Theatre, dramas and most of all the Neo-Realistic current have affected the way of making cinema in Italy: the main features are fewer mediums, less money, but more significance in the message of the movie.

However, it should be said that the globalization has now brought together the two worlds and mitigated the differences. It’s for this reason that we can now find tons of these new movies, called generally “pop corn movies” in America and “cinepanettoni” in Italy: less complex (often superficial) films produced just to attract a lot of people in the cinemas and to earn more money.

Leah never felt pretty enough. She did not have many friends and was not a part of the “popular” group in school. So, she searched for love in hopes of finding that security that all girls are looking for. However, it did not happen for her. “Leah didn’t find the security she was looking for from the short-lived relationship, but instead a sense that she had been invaded, a deflated self-image, bewilderment and depression.” It has been proven that girls that are sexually active in high school are three-times more likely to be depressed. This started a whole new cycle for Leah that lasted her throughout her college years.

She never did give up on finding love, she kept looking, but something else happened to her. She was chosen as one of the 14 girls to be on the show “America’s Next Top Model”. Of course that is a life changing experience. To be competing for a huge dream and being so close to getting it, while being on television is something unthinkable to many young girls. However, for Leah, it is not as fun and thrilling as the television shows. “There’s nothing ‘real’ about ‘reality TV,’” she said. “They edit the reality out of reality TV and present viewers with a fantasy. It was a constant stream of anxiety, wondering: when’s the shoot? When will I be eliminated? Always thinking: my lips aren’t big enough. I’m not thin enough. I’m not good just the way I am. No one will love me the way I am.” This changed Leah and her view on modeling. After being eliminated from the show, Leah moved to Manhattan and continued modeling. On one of her photo shoots, she remembers extremely small clothing, lots of spray tan, and her body being shown in ways that she was not okay with. That same photo shoot, Leah’s perfectly golden-tan face turned pale white and lost all expression. Leah had a vision.

“I was in this white space in the outfit that I was wearing. I had a knowledge that I had died. I knew that I was in front of God. I lifted up my hands toward him and I saw the shadow of his head slowly bow as if in disappointment. I looked at my hands and I realized that they’re empty. I was offering God my entire life and all I had done to love and serve him, and it was empty because I had wasted it all on me.” Right after this vision, Leah told the modeling people that she couldn’t do this anymore and she ripped up her $16,000 check. “I thought: Well, Satan, that’s what you think I’m worth. That’s your paycheck to me, and if I cash it, I’m your employee.”

Leah turned a new leaf. She wanted to change herself and because of her vision, she knew God could help her. She is now speaking around the country about chastity, modesty, and women issues.

These very small animals can be found in the sub-Saharan African forests and grow up to be about four-six inches with large eyes and ears with very long legs and tails.  Their soft fur is a gray/reddish-yellow fur which is also quite awesome for cuddling!  Bush baby’s diets consist of fruits, seeds and insects.  Their hobby consists of being night time hunters for these little bugs.

Slow Loris:

Here is yet another adorable animal called the Slow Loris.  These slow moving animals live in the Malayan forests of Southern Asia.  When they are full grown they are sized at about 10-15 inches with similar fur to that of the bushy baby.

Komodo Dragon:

The Komodo Dragon…one that is feared by hundreds of animals can be found on small islands like Rinca, Flores and Montang.  This fierce and ferocious animal is the world’s largest animal and because of their size their food and prey consists of deer, mice, and pigs and that’s just as a snack!  Just to give an idea of how large these animals just are is that they can weigh up to 10 feet long and weigh just about 200 pounds.

Baboon:

This animal may look quite familiar and that’s because he is! It’s a baboon like Mufasa from The Lion King.  They can be searched for in South and East Africa savannahs and woodlands.  They are fairly small and are just over 2 feet tall.  Socially, they travel from here to there in groups of 50 for safety.  They enjoy nibbling on berries, grass, seeds, blossoms, roots and barks and their source of protein comes from small insects.  Besides being known for their loud screams and grunts, baboons like to lip smack, yawn and shoulder shrug.

Anteaters

The anteater is known for well of course…eating ants! They also like to eat termites to switch their diet up a bit.  Anteaters can grow to 8 feet long.  They live in Central and South American and has a long thin head with a big bushy tail.

Komondor Dog

As you can see this dog looks like the mop that’s sitting on your kitchen floor!  In fact this dog is famous for its thick white corded coat.  It is a Hungarian breed of livestock guardian dog and has been declared one of Hungarians national treasures.

Angora Rabbit

As hard as it is to believe, this animal is a rabbit.  This very small rabbit only weighs about 2-4 pounds and is obviously known for its incredibly soft wool fur.  In the 1800^th century, these rabbits were used as royalty’s pets and only royalty’s because of the much needed attention for its fur to not matt or felt on the rabbit.

Tapir

This tapir is found in South and Central American as well as Southeast Asia.  Its similar in shape to a pig and can measure in at 7 ft. long and weigh in at about 150 pounds.  The interesting thing is that they have four toes on the front feet and three toes in the hind feet.

Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin can be found in Southwest Amazing Basin in east Peru.  They have a very small height of only 25 centimeters and weigh just under one pound.  The great thing about these animals is the female are the ones to lead the way in the rain forest.  Because of their small size and diet, they can live up to 20 years!

Star-nosed Mole

If you are ever looking for a new pet..I wouldn’t recommend this animal, I mean LOOK at the thing! You can’t even point out its head!  Anyways, this very interesting and odd creature can be found in eastern Canada and Northern United States.  They are very well known for their oddness of having 22 pinkish fingers that ring their snout which allows them to have a sense of touch and smell.  Along with these fingers, they also have 44 teeth.

The prizes that were provided as part of the raffle were wide and varied included gift certificates, sports equipment, bags, kayak, windsurfing, and stand up paddle rentals. There were many different food prizes such as coupons for free ice cream, free pizza certificates provided by Round table, Papa John’s, Bob’s Pizza, and Boston’s Pizza, free frozen yogurt, and even free meals at local restaurants.

To keep over three hundred people fed, watered and happy, a whole variety of different fare was offered free of charge for participants. GoGurts, fruit, scones, coffee, tea and all sorts of other food was given away all through the day. Beautiful but hot weather through the day provided the runners and organizers with a great event.

Juliana Foundes, a first year organizer for the fun run and mother to Sari, a new sophomore, commented on the Fun Run. “Most everybody ran, even the little kids. There were even some parents running with strollers, it was great to see so many people, everybody had a blast,” she said.  Overall the Run was an overwhelming success, and without a doubt the Le Jardin Community can look forward to years of good times, because something this fun is bound to continue.

Researchers say that they have found dangerous formaldehyde in the hair-straightening treatment. The hair companies say it contains only a trace amount and is safe. The company behind the Brazilian Blowout claims that first that the formula contains no formaldehyde, but later conducted a series of tests the company concluded that the formula does indeed contain the chemical but in small trace amounts that are “considered safe and allows for use of the term formaldehyde-free.” According to Dr. Abcarian a radiologist at Kapiolani hospital “there are a lot of huge law suits against these companies for millions of dollars. We also have seen a lot of patients come in complaining of serious head aches and burning of the scalp.” According to many stories and people that have received this treatment they have experienced burning of the scalp, severe headaches, chest pains and respiratory problems. Many tests and issues reported are by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

Kailey Pasco, a junior at Le Jardin Academy, received the Brazilian Blowout treatment recently. She claims that no side effects happened to her and she loves the outcome she experienced saying, “My hair is straight and soft just like I wanted it. I know what everyone is saying about it but it did not happen to me so I would get it again.” The Brazilian Blowout was created to make dry, curly, or frizzy hair look long and straight, feeling silky smooth. Is it really worth the health risks? In the end, it’s up to you to decide.

After becoming a privately owned company in 1999, “craigslist” as it was now known, exploded and jumped into twenty one more states in the next four years.  Craigslist is operated by twenty eight people from a small town house in San Francisco and the main source of revenue is paid add space. What started as a small creative idea had erupted into a mainstream online organization competing with companies like Ebay and Amazon.

Although craigslist is mainly for-sale want adds, they also provide areas on their website for things like forums, dating services, jobs, events, and housing. Currently craigslist is in all fifty states and in every state there are sections created by counties and towns in order to specify where a certain item or event is being held. The website may not be the prettiest site on the World Wide Web, but that did not seem to bother over twenty million viewers a month.

Overall craigslist is a widely used source for everyone. “Craigslist is really fun, and I have bought my car and my boats from there. It’s a good idea and I think everyone should use it,” said Taylor Hopkins when asked about craigslist. So if anyone is looking to sell something, find a date, buy a house, or find a cool concert for the night, craigslist is the site to use.