Personal Essay/Letter to the Editor by AA

I have been a figure skater for a little over a year now. As I started my classes, I noticed how I got frequently cold and experimented with different outfits that might help. I did eventually get some warmer pants designed specifically for figure skaters that helped. They are basically just fleece lined leggings that go down far enough to go over the boots of my skates. They work well because they keep me warm, are flexible enough that I can move in them, and are comfortable to wear over longer periods of time. I also found some long sleeve shirts and zip up sweatshirts that could be warm enough.

These worked well enough for typical practices, but after a little while I signed up to be in an ice show. After I got my costume, a short dress with short sleeves, I started to worry about being cold again. As our practices went on, I realized that not only did I get cold, but if I fell I could get cut or bleed. Right before our dress rehearsal, I tripped during warm ups and got blood right on the knees of my tights. It didn’t stain and I got it out, but the point is that our outfits were pretty, but impractical. I felt bad for some of the younger kids I saw shivering before we went out to perform.
This got me and some of my friends thinking about ways we could improve the problem. One of my friends brought up the interesting point that we could design something similar to a wetsuit for skaters. Wetsuits work by trapping heat and stopping it from escaping by using insulation. When you put on a wetsuit to go swimming, you trap the heat within and it will stay closer to your normal body temperature. If we were to create something similar to this for skaters, they would be able to wear it under performance/competition outfits. We could design them to be in different shades and skin tones, so it would blend in. If they were made with stretchy materials like our practice leggings and shirts, they would be flexible enough to spin and jump in. The extra layer would also provide some protection from the ice when skaters trip or fall.

In conclusion, I plan on trying to find a solution to the problems skaters face with staying warm when I have time outside of school. If anybody else has any ideas on how to help solve this problem, the skating community would be glad to bring them to the table.

J by AA

I got the chance to interview J, a student in my class who likes to play basketball and softball. She also likes to spend time playing pickleball with her family. When asked about her history with WSSS, she said that she hasn't taken any classes so far, but plans to take Really Awesome Game Class later this summer.

In addition to playing sports, J likes to hang out with her dog, cat, and family in her free time. She has a 14 year old brother she likes to play with. While he sometimes teases and annoys her, he also sticks up for her.

Because we are in a writing class, I asked J about her history with writing. She doesn't usually have time to write with her busy life, but she once started writing a book to get published. When she started to get stuck, she decided to take this class, Writing To Get Published, so when she finishes the book she will know where to go with getting it published. She told me that she likes writing fictional stories. “Poetry is sometimes hard, but I like when I get back in the groove of it”, J said. I also asked J if she likes to read as well. Her favorite to read is realistic fiction, but she will also sometimes read fantasy.

J currently goes to MR Elementary in Wayzata, Minnesota. Some of her closest friends are M and L. She lives with her family, including her brother, mom, dad, dad’s girlfriend, her cat, and her dog. 

NASA Space Mission Finds Human Colony On Distant Planet! Will They Come To Earth? by AA

On NASA’s most recent space mission, a colony of former NASA astronauts was found on a previously undiscovered planet in a new solar system. They were stranded 20 years ago after a failed mission when they were launched into deep space, thinking they would never be seen again. After many repeated attempts to come home, they were found by an exploration mission. Head of NASA Bill Nelson says, “We never knew what happened to this team after they were lost. People figured they were launched into deep space and dead!” 

NASA released a top secret mission 2 months ago to explore a recently discovered solar system approximately 30000 miles from Earth. It was on the planet Efida239 that the group of former astronauts was discovered. According to claims, it was kept secret to avoid other countries and groups from learning about it. The leader of the exploration team, Hazel Laira says, “When we saw the planet from a distance, we could see SOS carved into the soil, but we didn't know what else to expect. When we landed and found a group of people like us, we were shocked!” 

After further research on Efida239, it was discovered that not only was it home to a group of humans, but is capable of supporting human life. The human colony on Efida239 claims to have survived on plants and animals previously existing on the planet before their arrival. After air quality and water tests, it appears that the air is breathable and the water is clean for human and animal consumption. 

There have been talks of what the human colony will do now. Some want them brought home to be medically tested and studied. Others believe they should continue the life they started 20 years ago when they were stranded. It is unclear yet whether the colony wishes to return or stay on Efida239. The exploration team is temporarily camping on Efida239 until further notice. NASA is also talking about sending human groups to live on Efida239 for scientific research. In a recently published article they claim, “If Efida239 is capable of sustaining human life, why shouldn’t it?” NASA also claims that the planet is nearly twice the size of Earth and approximately 62% of the surface area is water. It is also known that Efida239 has 4 moons and green skies. 

After a wild few weeks with stories that sound like something out of science fiction stories, we don't know what other crazy news we will get from NASA and Efida239, but we are sure they will be breaking headlines.