The+Gospel+According+to+7-3

=Wiki discussion! Due October 10/12=

Directions: Step 1--Post your sermon
 * 1) Go to "The Gospel According to 7-3" page
 * 2) Go into edit mode
 * 3) Cut and paste your sermon onto the page in the space provided

Step 2: --Comment on at least 2 sermons
 * 1) Read through some sermons.
 * 2) Choose two to comment on. If 2 other people have already commented on a sermon, choose another.
 * 3) Go into Discussion mode to post your comment.
 * 4) In 8-10 sentences, respond to the ideas in the sermon and to the writing style. //SUGGESTIONS: What do you agree/disagree with? What personal experience do you have with the topic? In what ways is the writing style of the sermon effective? How could it be more effective.//Note: If you are offering "cool feedback," you need to balance it out with equal amounts of positive feedback. Be respectful and kind!
 * 5) You will write 2 responses.
 * 6) Pay attention to your writing mechanics and paragraphing.

Post your sermons in the space provided for you

=1. Blair=

Blair Atkins 7-3 9-27-11 Sermon #46 Change the Dress Code! I Mean Seriously!!!! Have you ever gone to school out of dress code? Well if not, I have. WHY DOES IT MATTER? Dress code is just not very necessary. I don’t get it. Why can’t I wear a v-neck, or why do my shorts have to be four inches from my knees? How does dress code affect are school performance at all My family is very tall, so some of the clothes we buy look really short on us. My sister can only wear jeans or capri's. Skirts are too short because her legs are so long, and she doesn’t like the fact that she has to get the Bermuda shorts. In the morning it takes almost an hour to find out what I’m going to where to school. Also there is a dress code for shoes. I also cant have opened toes shoes. People say that’s a violation to dress code because you could get hurt wearing open toed shoes. I can wear flats that give me horrible blisters. Why aren't those a violation against dress code? I would also like to address the fact that boys don't have nearly as strict of a dress code as girls. The only thing they cant wear are gym shorts. If you are going to give the boys dress code why not make them wear collared shirts or nice pants. It’s not fair that because of your gender you have a stricter dress code. A lot of people in our school have a problem with dress code. I”m sorry i”m making such a big rant about this, but I really think its a not a good choice that the school made. What do you think, should schools have uniforms or a dress code? It doesn’t affect our school time learning. I think our school should let us wear v-necks and regular shorts. Well for the girls. I mean who cares one iota about what we were every day?

=2. Justin= Justin Beneck 7-3 Why Argue, We Have No Control

Have you ever noticed how someone else likes a sports team, and they get in fights for it. For example one person likes the Eagles and another person likes the Ravens, they get into an argument about which one is better. Not physical fights but arguments. This is stupid to argue over because you don’t have control over it, and why argue about something that will get no one any where. A big thing that causes this is sports like football and basketball, and when someone says “their” team is going to win and then another person says no they stink. Why does this matter about who likes what team and which one does better? Sure it’s fun trying to get into to sports and worry about your team and hope they do well. Having someone try to change your thoughts about something just to like the team “everyone” likes. Sure it’s fun to talk about how good “your” team is and how good “your” team going to be, and believe me I’ve done it. I’m sure a lot of people who love sports have. What’s the point? You’re not going to get any where except in an argument. It’s not going to make the team; better it’s just going to cause problems. Problems lead to arguments. Arguments lead to fights, and fights lead to lost friends. People are just asking to get into an argument for something people probably feel strongly about that you won’t change. Ask your self these few questions before you almost always get into an argument. “Why?” “Is it worth it?” “Is it affecting me?” “Can I control it?” This annoys me so much, and I’m looking to change it. We already disagree with each other so much, and add one more thing to disagree about.

=3. Nick= Nick Brennan-Martin October 4, 2011 7-3 Sermon: 139,145 **“May The Force Be With You”**

Have you ever been forced to do something that you dislike? A lot of children and adults are forced to every single day. I know I have been. I bet you have been, too. Most people think that being forced to do something is a bad idea. At least that is what I tell my parents. Adults must go to work. Sometimes they are exhausted from working for hours or taking care of their families, but they still go to work. Also, adults have to pay bills and taxes. They usually pay their mortgages over several decades. Many parents have to drive their children long distances to and from school in rush hour traffic every day. Some parents may be forced to go to school conferences because their children get into trouble. Why do adults put themselves through this stress? Why do parents put themselves through this mental anguish? The answer is simple - they do it to support their families financially and emotionally because they love them. As for children, many things are forced upon them. Examples include eating vegetables, going to school, doing homework and chores, and going to bed early. Why should children be forced to do such “horrible” things? Since the dawn of time, children have been forced to follow directions because it is occasionally difficult for them to make the best decisions. Adults usually know what is right for children because they were once children themselves. There are many things in this universe that everyone is forced to do. Trust me, I have to write this sermon for an English assignment. This is by Nick (

=4. Zach= Zach Cutler 10/1/11 7-3  Concussions Stink Sermon #17 Concussions stink. You can’t run around, and you can’t do anything when you have a concussion. When your brain hits the front part of your skull it feels like you fell head first into a brick wall. You have a horrible headache. When you even go to move your head it really hurts. Also you have to sit around and do nothing all day long. When Michael Vick was playing quarter back for the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago, he had a severe concussion. He didn’t care. He just wanted to keep playing football. Which was the wrong thing to do, because when he was trying to rest he was throwing the football around and tackling other people. When I almost got a concussion from playing lacrosse this is exactly what I felt like. I wanted to go outside and just practice some lacrosse or play the guitar in my room. But I couldn’t, instead I watched T. V. and played video games. I also missed field day, which really stunk because all of my friends were having fun outside. Your brain doesn’t work like that because it needs to rest and not move around. Your brain is trying to get back normal. While you are watching T. V., playing your video game, eating a snack, and walking up the stairs your brain is only trying to do one thing. Get back into place and start to re-align with your skull. The point of this is that Michael Vick should of not have played when he got his concussion. If he were to get hit in the head again, he might have had severe brain damage or gone into a coma. He also might have had memory loss. He might be benched for the season or worse, never be able to play football ever again. You might want to take a break when your brain is trying to save you. If you have done something to your head lately you might want to check if you have a concussion because that would stink.

=5. Matt=

Matthew Denney 10/5/11 Justice is brought7-3 Sermon # 61,299 Ever thought that we should be able to decide the fate of our fellow students? That the fate of your peer was in your and others hands? You would like me to tell you more? Well, there is a way for all of that to happen, but you need to help me support it. The thing I would like your support for is called Middle School Oversight Committee abbreviated as MSOC. MSOC is basically a jury of middle schoolers. There are many pros to MSOC. One of the most important ones is democracy. If there was just a group of people discussing someone’s punishment and someone isn’t open to other ideas, they probably don’t like democracy. Democracy is where everyone’s opinion matters. MSOC goes to it’s best of ability to have a democracy. They try to get a democracy by telling the kids to be open to ideas. When the kids are discussing the punishment MSOC makes them work together to find the right punishment. That is one of many reasons MSOC is great. Now let me tell you some of the problems they talk about in MSOC. One of the topics presented in my advisory MSOC discussion was about kids stealing stuff out of lockers. I remember thinking, “Wow why would people go through someone’s locker just because they can’t accept the fact that they forgot their supplies?” I expected they would give them a detention and be done with it, but no. They made sure every kid knew how bad this could potentially be. Taking something out of someone’s locker can lead to you “borrowing” a soda or something else from a convenience store. They try to make MSOC as serious as they can. MSOC isn’t about the kids getting punished. It’s about you, me and everyone else. We can help other schools give MSOC a chance by volunteering for MSOC. The more schools that see kids want to go to it, the more chance they will make a MSOC. A very big benefit to MSOC is that kids feel like they actually have a say in something. While at most schools they really don’t. But what most schools don’t realize is that it makes kids not scared. Not scared to stand up, to never back down and to be bold. Another benefit to MSOC is that you won’t be let off with a warning. Usually teachers let kids off the hook if they don’t usually do bad stuff. But since the kids don’t know who the culprit might be, that doesn’t really apply. I think the fact that there won’t be a warning, might influence kids to have better intentions on their actions. Now do you see why I made this a sermon? Please ask your friends and family to request MSOC to be made at another school. Last but not least **talk** about MSOC. The more teachers hear you talking about how it is good to let kids decide, the more they talk about it at meetings. They will talk about how much kids will get power in MSOC which in my opinion is great. So please help me out.

=6. Maya= Maya Dewson-Tipping <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7-3 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9-29-11 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 32px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lone Vacation <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sermon #13

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Friends School, CHANGE OUR VACATION SCHEDULE!!! I mean really! I LOVE having two weeks out of school for spring break and all, but a lot of the fun of spring break is sucked out because Friends is practically the only school in Delaware that has off the last two weeks or March! <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">During breaks, we want to spend time with people we maybe haven’t seen in a while, or go on a trip with a family from St. Elizabeth’s or Cab Calloway, BUT WE CAN’T! WHY?! Because we to go to school when they get off! AND when WE finally get off, THEY have to go back to school! So, instead of seeing people we haven’t seen since summer we can see people we would see on a daily basis anyways! YAYYY! Don’t get me wrong, I like spending free time with my friends from school, but I want to spend time with people that I DON’T get to see that often! Also, what if a family is trying to meet up with their family with three kids in Florida, or at a ski resort? What then? Pull their kid out of school for a week to go skiing, or have the weeks be the normal vacation week(s) like every other school in America?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another thing, teachers might not have opinion on this, but they probably find it a pain to try and plan something with family from out of the country and be on different schedules too. And what if their kids get invited to go to a birthday party or sleep over with their friend? Or go on a weekend long trip to the beach with a cousin, do they really want to worry about how tired their child is at school? NO! Does the kid want to sleep-in the next day? WHO WOULDN’T?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sure, there are fewer lines to wait in at the movies, and amusement park entry lines are shorter. What fun is that if you can’t hear anyone screaming from the top of a roller coaster, or you’re the only one screaming at a horror movie? IT’S JUST NOT FUN! IT’S JUST THE TRUTH! Vacations just aren’t as fun with no one around, like a party with no people or a concert with no music. Just. Dull.

=7. Ted=

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ted Ganter <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7-3 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sermon #104 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Down with books

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why read a book? Books cause 32 million trees to get cut down a year. In the United states alone. Imagine how many are cut down for the other 196 countries. Books pollute the environment in more ways than that though. There’s the cost it takes to ship 1000’s of copies of books around the world. There’s also the waste of gas by driving from bookstore to bookstore looking for the book you want. Wake-up people books are killing the environment. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I know what you’re thinking what else is there to read besides books? It’s a manuscript; it’s a scroll; no it’s a kindle. No paper required for the kindle. Just go onto your kindle and order the latest books. No more waiting out your library for the book you want to come in. With the kindle it’s all at your fingertips. By reading a kindle you’re saving the environment and enjoying a good read at the same time. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Books may have originality, but look at all their negatives. Imagine you are just about to finish a book and you’re carrying your next one with you. Takes up a lot of space doesn’t it. While with a kindle just bring up the next one right away. Kindles also have automatic page saving, small print enlarging for the visually challenged, and no paper cuts. All pros for the kindle and negatives for books. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All in all there are many reasons why should buy a kindle. It’s eco-friendly, space friendly, poor vision friendly, and many more. So why don’t you go on ebay sell your books, then head to amazon buy yourself a kindle. And with the money you’ve saved, buy yourself a gift for being so eco-friendly. I’m thinking some hershey dark chocolate with milk while I read a new ‘book’ on my kindle. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(\_/) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(-_-) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #414141; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><=( 0 )=> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[ ]

=8. Jayna=

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right;">Jayna Jones <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right;">7-3 10/1/11

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">**Friends School is Finally Cool** <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">Air-conditioning at Wilmington Friends has been an issue for me as a student, and I know it has been on the minds of other students as well. My question is one that students who attend this school have been wondering about for a while. What took so long for air conditioning!? <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">To start off, let me tell you about last year. When I think about how hot it was in my 6th grade year, I think of social studies and math class. Mr. Silver, the math teacher, had a room that was unbearably hot. It would keep people focused on the heat, and not on their work. We were always trying to circulate air and open the windows. On top of that, we would come from gym all sweaty and hot. The lack of air didn’t help. Mr. Burston, our social studies teacher, had a room that was so hot that he usually had to have a huge fan on full blast. Even with the fan, his room was still far from being cool. <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">My classmates agree with my point of view from last year. Kalyn said, “Last year, Mr. Burston’s room was like walking into a sauna, and Mr. Silver’s room was like walking into a boiling pot of rice….. Without the rice.” Maya stated, “I almost died of heat-stroke.” Rachel agreed by saying “ The 6th grade level was like walking in a mini-desert.” -Rachel <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">You could tell that we felt strongly about wanting air-conditioning, and you can also get a better sense of just how bad it was for us last year. <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">But that’s behind us, because thankfully, we did get air conditioning this year and it’s just been SUCH a pleasure. I think everyone that’s experienced the building without it really appreciates it. I’ve talked to several students about what they think of having air-conditioning this year, and everyone agrees. You can even hear a sense of pride sneak through a teacher’s voice when they say, “Is it hot in here? Well let me turn the air conditioning up.” <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">Although we are very thankful for the air-conditioning, we still want to know why did it take so long? Well I talked to Mr. Neff and he said a lot about air-conditioning. He told me that it wasn’t needed in our building because since the 1930’s, the air would naturally cross ventilate through the building. So about four or five years ago, they decided that they should have air-conditioning In our school because some fall and springs were beginning to be hotter than usual. The board knew it was needed but the main thing that delayed them was how expensive it was. But now they have raised that money And over the summer they only installed half of the units. By next year, the radiators in the classrooms will be gone, and the a/c units will be in their place. Not only do they air-condition, they heat as well! <span style="font-family: Arial,serif; font-size: 14px;">It will all be okay now. No more walking into boiling pots of rice, or wandering in mini deserts. Classrooms can be cool and comfortable ;a better learning environment. Because finally, we have air- conditioning!

=9. Alex=

The Whole Grain Blues Alex Musi 7-3 10/1/11

Mmmm do you smell that homemade chocolate cake? You are wrong! Everyone misses the nachos with real chips, and the homemade cakes. It all started one day when Mr. Neff and some people’s parents discussed healthy foods. If the head of school wants something to happen you know it’s going to happen. Therefore the school went healthy in the early fall of 2010. The real problem I have with the food in the cafeteria is their grain choice.

Let’s talk about whole grain. One day I went downstairs to eat my snack. French toast sticks are delicious. As soon as I took a bite out of it, I knew something was wrong. My French toast stick had brown seeds, and so the whole grain frenzy began.

You see whole grain is the cafeteria’s thing now. I can name from the top of my head, the items of food that are whole grain served at the school. There is whole grain buns, pasta, French toast sticks, and biscuits. One of their latest whole grain foods is pizza. Pizza is delicious in every single way. I heard the comments about the school’s pizza, and I know the school had definitely gone too far. Kalyn and Matt T said,“ I think that they go into a dumpster, find cardboard, sprinkle cheese, and sauce, then bake it. That’s what this pizza tastes like.” Another person said, “ Whole grain and flatbread don’t mix, and definitely don’t make pizza. Well, if they did it would look like this whole grain plus flatbread = cardboard.” Everything is whole grain, and I mean everything. Who do you know besides adults who like whole grain? Whole grain is one of those foods, along with Brussels sprouts, that you feed the dog from under the table. Well I am here to tell you that no kid is going to buy pasta that’s not yellow. No kid is going to buy a bun that’s not white. No kid is going to buy pizza that tastes, looks and feels like cardboard. Certainly no kid is going to buy French toast sticks that aren’t made with French bread. So don’t even go there. You want more business in the cafeteria? Well END THE WHOLE GRAIN BLUES.

=10. Kalyn= =Same Old Same Old= Imagine having a locker for the first time in 5th grade. You’re next to two people, and you think, whatever, I hardly see them. The next year they are next to you again and are in some of your classes. But still you think nothing of it. By the next year you’re completely tired of these people, and you are hoping there will be new students in between you and these people with a last name starting with an N, in my case. There aren’t. You are realizing you’re going to be next to these people until 12th grade! It’s not just lockers; in your classes most teachers do their seating charts by last name order. In **__all__** the classes they have with you, you’re next to them. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it can be fun if they are smart or nicer than other people in your class, but sitting with them all the time can get //annoying//. It gets worse; you get split into groups of two or three. Guess who your partner is? Like I said being with them has its benefits but it also has a lot of disadvantages. Like if your partner doesn’t like to do the work or if he/she forgets to do his/her share. It is especially hard to do a good project if your partner gets joy out of bothering you, then completing the project is NOT going to be fun. Once again; on the bus and during field trips you get sorted by last name. Half on this bus half on the other. I hate that! If your friends have last names on the first half of the alphabet and you don’t then you don’t get to see your friends the whole trip because of your last name. For example; they might say everyone on bus 1 does the Egyptian section of the museum and everyone on bus 2 does the roman section. Then you switch and don’t get to do anything with your friends. If you are with the same people all the time you don’t get the chance to do things with other people in your class or do things with your friends. Being with the same people your whole life definitely does not help your social skills. You don’t get the chance to interact with other people. After the same old people you start thinking AAAH get me away from these people. I’m only in the 7th grade and I want to try things with different people. Being with the same people for everything can really make you dislike certain aspects of school. “It makes me want to change schools or last names,” says anonymous student. In my experience I have been with the same person since 5th grade. His name is John. He is in all my classes and is next to me in all the assigned seating classes. He is also next to me at the lockers along with sally, who is in ½ of my classes. Not to mention that John is my partner in everything you could possibly need partners for. The thing is, we don’t get along. We get the projects done but they aren’t fun and makes me not like that class.

I think that we should change the way we “sort” people. Maybe we could try first names or if it is a whole grade activity then certain birth day months together together. If the teachers mix it up and group people randomly in class, then you have the possibility to be with your friends and with a variety of people, not just the same old same old.

=11. Jake=

**Double Periods, Who Needs Them?** Jake Nolen 10/7/11 7-3  Having double periods are a crisis for W.F.S. Teachers may think the students are working hard, and listening attentively but let's face it. The second part of class the kids start talking, and the teacher may often gets really frustrated and wonders why this is going on. I will tell you why. Kids cant learn about one subject for too much time. It is not possible for 12 and 13 year old young adults to have their full attention on one subject with no goofing off for one hour and thirty minutes. Our grade enjoys learning, and we don't hate school like people on T.V shows do. But we don't like learning about one subject for too much time how would school be fun if we just did math every day you would miss out on other subjects you like to learn about. It is good to balance things out and learn about new things, but you cant do this with double periods because you're learning about the same thing the whole 2 periods off class by doing this you're missing out on classes like: music, art and computer instead of having these 4 times a 7 day week we have math, english, science, and social science 5 times including a double period which makes it 6 classes. If we would only just have one period for each class we could give art, music, and computers one more class period. Double periods make students dislike subjects. I mean who would want to have the same class 6 out of 7 days. Kids would eventually get tired of learning the same subject for 6 days. Teachers may think it is a great thing for getting stuff done. It's not because you don't have the kids full attention which is very important to the teachers and the student cause the teacher may teach something new but no one is listening so those kids don't comprehend the new subject, and then on the next quiz when that problem is on you're quiz you're in trouble. I hope by telling you this, teachers will realize by having double periods it hurts their class, and they don't want to use this time to introduce new subjects during a double period.

=12. Sadie= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sermon #25 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Working for Walmart <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Imagine you’re in your early twenties. Life’s good. Your father just handed the family business down to you. You’ve worked there your entire life - restocking items, working the cash register, driving the delivery truck. Now it’s all yours. You have the power to do something you really love. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a few years later. The business has been thriving under your leadership. You are hiring more people and know each and every one of your customers. A couple years later, you’re married with perfect twins. You’re starting to settle down. The business produces a steady income, and you can provide more than enough for your growing family. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then it happens. A Walmart buys the lot right next to you. “It’s okay,” you think. “I’ll just have to work harder.” You’re working later nights. Times are getting tough, but you’re hanging in. The cheaper prices and larger selection at Walmart are nearly impossible to compete with. But you personally knew and assisted every single one of your customers. That has to count for something, right? Apparently not. They’re leaving in droves, choosing cheap prices over personalized service. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You’re being forced to lay off more and more of your workers because you can’t afford to pay them. Then you’re out of business. Everything you ever worked for wiped away. All of your workers are now jobless. You have enough money to last you, but only just enough. You need to get another job. But where? Then you find yourself working at Walmart. The same place that ruined everything you had. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is the story of many small businesses in America. Some call it the “Walmart Effect.” A 2003 report on big-box retailers published by the city of Los Angeles states that businesses such as Walmart “result in the reduction of consumer choice due to their tendency to cannibalize competing retail business.” Everyone suffers - small businesses are destroyed, manufacturing jobs are sent overseas, quality and service are replaced by high quantities of mass-produced merchandise. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Big companies are like bullies on a playground. They manipulate the system so they stay on top, obliterating anything in their way. They strategically place themselves near the smaller kids, sensing easy prey. The smaller kid’s friends slowly back away, feeling that danger is near. Then the kid is all alone with no defense, providing the perfect opportunity for the bullies swoop in. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can someone please explain to me why bullies get the power? They aren’t any better than the other kids; they’re just tougher and meaner. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We need to stand up to the big companies, just as we are urged to take a stand against bullies. Say no to Walmart. Choose small businesses. Know your shopkeeper. By doing so, you’ll save American jobs and bring back quality and service. People say they want to make a difference, but some of the biggest problems are right in front of our eyes. We are the only defense that shops have nowadays. As consumers, we have the power. Stand up and make a difference that matters.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Citation__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart/walmart_4.cfm

=13. Ryann=

Are you a Junk Punk?

Did you know that approximately 80% of people in America are Junk Punks? A Junk Punk is a person who eats junk food every day. Every time he/she picks up a delicious spoonful of “food” they don’t realize that they are actually consuming multiple different chemicals and heaps of salt, sugar, and saturated fat. These three short words describe our cafeteria perfectly. Where are the greens? Where is the steamed broccoli? Where is the salad bar? Not at Wilmington Friends School. Instead, we have sugar, gallons of sugar, and way too much sugar. Sugar suppresses the immune system, can cause allergies, hyperactivity, and even heart disease, among other problems*. If junk food is placed in front of children’s greedy eyes they will eat it. If a salad bar with a variety of different veggies is placed in front of children, they will eat it. When food is accessible people will eat it. Vegetables actually protect you from disease rather than make you prone to them as junk foods do. Chocolate muffins in bags, Nutter Butters, Cinnabons, Oreos, and Crustables are just an iota of the un-healthy items in our cafeteria. Approximately 7 out of the 10 snack foods have a saturated fat content higher than 1 gram. Saturated fat can lead to clogged arteries. On contrast, vegetables do not have saturated fat but can have healthy, unsaturated fats. Do kids at Wilmington Friends School want to be Junk Punks or a Veggie Heads? The Board and the Administration are responsible for the health of the students. If the quality of the food in the cafeteria does not change, Wilmington Friend’s will be contributing to children’s health later on.


 * http://rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

=14. Alicia= Alicia Thompson 9/28/117-3 Cutting More Than the Team How would you feel if you worked so hard to make a sports team and then, without warning, you were cut? That is what happens to kids almost every season at my school. At Wilmington Friends School, you are required to do at least one sport every season, even if you aren’t athletic. You might love a sport, but if you’re not good enough and the team has to make cuts, it is likely you won’t make the team. Sports cuts are terrible and include building up kids’ hopes and then tearing their hearts to shreds. Schooling children should not be un-Quakerly and hurt their feelings. Is it Quakerly to have sports cuts? If Quakers believe in equality, peace, and community, why then does the school treat the kids who are good at certain sports better than the others? Quakers also believe in the peaceful resolution of conflict, and sports cuts are just a conflict starter. Also, cutting kids from teams is like breaking apart a community or not accepting someone into your community. This is against many of the Quaker testimonies and is uncalled for. People are excluded, which is considered to be bullying. The teachers are, unknowingly, bullying the kids until they are emotionally scarred for life. That is all very un-Quakerly. Teachers are also put into a bad position because they want to help the students, but must make the cuts, causing conflicts between the teachers and students. Sports cuts don’t just hurt the kids who get cut; they hurt the adults who cut the kids. It may hurt the adults unknowingly, but the children who are cut certainly know. Those kids may go on to hate those teachers/coaches for a long time. They may even remember them when they are 80 years old as the mean teachers who destroyed them in middle school. The teacher’s helpfulness with schoolwork won’t make up for the crushing pain that being cut from a sports team can give you. Many teachers try to help their students out and build their confidence, but can you just imagine getting cut from a team? That is a huge confidence crusher. If you don’t make the team, you may feel as if you aren’t good at anything. You may not understand why you even bother anymore. Confidence is very important for your self-esteem and children don’t have as much confidence as adults. Their confidence is like an ant, very vulnerable, very tiny, and if you step on it in the wrong spot, BANG, their confidence is crushed to pieces. Children are children. They are not adults. Maybe school is supposed to be preparing us for later life, but we aren’t in college or even in high school. We are in middle school. We are kids who already have pressure with homework and popularity at school. There is no need for another thing for us to stress about. Stress will just make us prone to be unhappy when we grow up. Sports cuts may not only affect kids while they are in middle school. The sports cuts may teach them to get discouraged easily later in life and not take risks. It’s too bad. Those kids could have grown up to be scientists, doctors, or the next presidents of the United States. They may be great kids, but without confidence their future may go down the drain.

=15. Matt T.= Bench Concussions

Have you ever noticed how some NFL fans and coaches do not care about the player’s health? They just want him to play with an injury. This happens in the NFL more because winning matters more and a key player will be needed for a win. I’m specifically talking about head injuries or concussions. I’ve experienced having a concussion and it is not fun. It happened in 4th grade. It was the last game in the season, Late May. I was running to the goal with 10 seconds left. I cocked back and I was just about to shoot when, BOOM. I fell then everything went black. I woke up a few seconds later and I felt funny. The next day, at the doctor’s office I was diagnosed with a concussion. I couldn’t do anything for a week and it really stunk. But at the doctor’s office I learned a lot about what concussions are and how to prevent them, which inspired me to make people aware of how dangerous head injuries are. The worst part is I have to be extra careful when playing contact sports like football and lacrosse. Concussions are extremely dangerous and it’s very bad to participate in physical activities until the brain is healed. So all of the fans or coaches who think it is okay to play with a concussion you’re wrong. If someone plays with a concussion then gets hit in the head they could have serious brain damage or they could be paralyzed. By putting an injured player in the field to make sure they don’t miss a game they might miss a whole season or it will end their career. The good news is that football from middle school to the pros is making progress. They are putting in testing to make sure players are okay before they go back on the field. It is called ImPACT (immediate post concussion assessment and cognitive testing.) This is how it works: players take a baseline test for how quick their reactions are on the computer. You must memorize things and see how quickly you can press a button when it appears on the screen, and other things like that. Then if a player might have a concussion the coaches make the player retake the test so the doctors can rank how bad their concussions are so they can give an accurate time for how long the players will be out. It is helpful so coaches don’t mistakenly put a player in too early. This test is so widely used that people from the NFL to the football teams at Friends use it. I hope my sermon filled you with knowledge and it changes your perspective on things. My goal is to make clear how bad concussions really are.