The Eagle Gazette
May 2021
Fun Things to do During Summer Break
By Adrien Wood
Are you wondering what to do during summer break? Well, look no further because today I will share with you some fun ideas that you can do during summer break. Today I am going to tell you about places near you and about the national parks. Let's get to it!
First, let’s look at a place near home. In Arnold, there is a place called White Pines, a small lake. It is a great place to go kayaking and swimming. It is my personal favorite place to go during summer break. It has a sandy beach and the parking lot is like 100 feet from the water and you can even pull a wagon through the beach. If you like hiking there is a great place near White Pines called the Arnold Rim trail. There is a gentle slope to start but then it is pretty flat and easy. You can even take a bike on the trail! You can do a short loop or the entire 7.4 mile trail. I give white pines 5 stars! Also there hike called Natural Bridges Trail. It is an easy 2.1 trail and at the end it has a fun river with a cave! The river doesn’t have dangerous rapids and all you have to do to get there is, go to google maps and type, “ Natural Bridges Trailhead,” and it will take you right there!
Now, let's talk about the National parks! There are a total of nine national parks in California! There are Redwood, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Channel Islands, Kings Canyon, Pinnacles, Sequoia, Yosemite, and Lassen Volcanic. Something cool about the National Parks is that they make for a great day trip or you can camp and explore for a few days! There are many hikes, ranging from easy to hard, and there are visitor centers with fun, educational exhibits, and gift shops. National Parks also have a great program called Junior Rangers. How it works is you have to get a packet, ( just ask a Rager at a visitor center), fill out all the pages that are filled with scavenger hunts, and other activities about the park. When finished turn them into a Ranger at a visitor center and recite a pledge. Afterward, they will give you an awesome badge to collect.
Well, there you have it! You now have some great ideas for what to do for the summer. I really hope you try out some of my places and I hope you have a great summer break!
Frog Jump fair is “Back in the Saddle” Again!!!!
By: Cecilia O’Geen
Have you missed the county fair? Well now you can jump for joy because the Jumping Frog Jubilee is “Back in the Saddle” again! With new, entertaining activities!
2021’s frog jump county fair is called “Back in the Saddle '' and will be taking place in the Angels Camp fairgrounds on May 13-16. Sadly some of the traditional fair activities will not be taking place due to covid-19 the activities not taking place are the rodeo, demolition derby, and carnival. But there will be a frog jump contest, musical presentations, fair food, a parade, the junior livestock (that is still online), and competitions like saddle queen and the Miss Calaveras. Some mountain oak students will be entering art and showing animals at this year's fair. tickets to this amazing fair will cost $7 and $5 per car parking space. As always, Thursday is kids’ day so we get in for free!
If you would like to check out the events you can go to this link: https://www.frogtown.org/ . I hope to see you at the Calaveras County jumping Frog Jubilee.
Emotions Emotions Emotions
By: Lilly O’Geen
Emotions, some days they may be gentle drops of dew the morning after a rainy day. Some days they may hit you like a train, spiraling out of control wreaking havoc on everything in its path. Emotions control us, they boil down to the core of our being, because who are we without our feelings?
Before we get into the fun stuff we have to learn where our emotions come from in the first place. The exact number of emotions is a fuzzy topic. While some researchers believe humans have as many as twenty-seven, others believe we have just four. While our emotions might seem frustrating or irrational at times they are ultimately there to protect us. Early on, at the beginning of humanity, our fear responses were survival tactics. For example, we might feel afraid when we're around large animals or in the dark. Emotions such as disgust could protect us from ingesting harmful foods. Our other reactions are more social. Anger can be a response to social threats we may perceive. According to The Science of Emotions shame is meant to decrease social standing while pride is meant to increase it. Your limbic system is one of the oldest parts of the brain. It is filled with neural pathways that activate your emotions. I won't go so far in detail as to explain how these pathways work, because quite frankly it's confusing, but according to the article The Anatomy of Emotions there are three brain structures that link closely to emotions. The amygdala, the insula or insular cortex, and the periaqueductal gray which is located in the midbrain. The periaqueductal gray is responsible for pain perception, anxiety, maternal attachment, and defensive behaviors. The amygdala is responsible for integrating emotions, emotional behavior, and interprets fear. It is also important in distinguishing friends from enemies, and motivation. The insula is responsible for disgust. Studies have shown the insula lights up with activity when someone feels or anticipates pain.
Now that we know a bit of information on how the brain works with emotions let's look at it on a more psychological level. We can all experience emotions in different ways and even have different reactions. This is because social norms shape our experience, regulation, and emotional reactions. Our emotions are also shaped by the social climate. This is why you might act differently in a group versus a close relationship like a close friend or maybe a family member. Our emotional reactions can also be influenced by past experiences, genetic predispositions, and our brain chemistry. This is why one person might be able to watch a tremendously sad movie and not be phased at all, but another person might burst into tears. What past experiences have shaped your emotional reactions? According to the Editorial: The Social Nature of Emotions Cavanagh et al. demonstrated the effects of nostalgia depend on a person's social connectedness specifically attachment insecurity. People with low Insecurity benefited from nostalgia, while subjects with high insecurity did not. The benefits of nostalgia depend on the person's insecurity level. Insecurity was the predominant factor that played into the subject's emotional reactions to nostalgia. Emotions are highly social but some may be triggered by non-social events too. You might feel pride or happiness when getting a good grade on a test, and you may also feel pride or happiness when someone compliments you. Some emotions can be triggered by social and nonsocial events. Our emotions can even be influenced on a cultural level according to the Editorial: The Social Nature of Emotions “Individuals within a given culture tend to experience similar patterns of emotions when confronted with similar situations.” People within the same culture experienced similar emotions and reacted in similar ways.
Emotions can be frustrating at times but they are important to our livelihood as human beings. Our emotions aren't just there, they are influenced by many things social and not social. So pay attention to your emotions, you might just be able to find out why you're feeling that way.
Why is Technology Addictive for Teenagers?
By: Tammus Johnson-McCartney
There are a number of reasons that technology is addictive for teenagers. I would think that the number one reason that teenagers are addicted to screens is because of social media. With the pandemic, people are not seeing their friends as much, and social media and is sort of like a tool to help them with that. With social media, you can see things that real people have put up on the internet, and chat with real people on social media video games too. Another reason that social media is addictive is that teenagers are probably bored and play video games for entertainment. It would make sense because in video games something is always different and you can play online. One more reason people are spending a lot of time on screens is that people use them for school. Things that we can do to not be so addicted to screens is to do more hands-on things like building, reading, and playing board games and card games.