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| Features May 2004, Volume 7, No. 5 |
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Compiled by Amy E., Jessica L., Rena W., Emily W.
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- Complete pictorial (PDF-353KB)
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NEDSRA does great things
By Amanda P.
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| Debbie P. and Sean Monahan volunteer their time to work with mentally disabled children at NEDRSA. | |
NEDSRA services children in Addison Township and I have been working there for more than two years.
My personal working experience has been great. I work with mentally disabled kids and adults.
NEDSRA is a great place for some people to get community service. It is not a place for people who don't like or are uncomfortable around the mentally disabled.
Some programs in NEDSRA are basketball, track, bowling and much more.
Some people I have worked with are my mom Debbie P., and her friends, Sharon Pearce, Mindy Jack, Bob Griffin and Jonathan.
Some people who are full time are Beth Corso, Matt Corso, Ann Shelton, Larry and much more.
I have made plenty of friends there like Sean and Tim Monahan, Sammy Long, Jonathan, Jeremy, Christina, Chrissie, Emma, Katrina, Kelly and Jeff.
My friend Jonathan is in a band called E-Motion. He is a very sweet talented guy.
If you want community service or just want to make friends, take it from me, this is my favorite thing to do and it will always be.
NEDSRA gets ideas for new programs from its volunteers.
Eighth grader Megan L. also works at NEDSRA. On Tuesdays, she is teaching poms to the children and has the best time and she loves to do it.
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My visit to the Coroner's office
By Steven J.
As part of my career exploration project, I visited the DuPage County Coroner's office on March 16, 2004.
Peter Siekmann, Chief Deputy Coroner of Dupage County, showed me around.
First he showed me the record room, then the histology lab. This is where they keep certain pieces of organs and tissue from deceased people.
The lab is filled with jars of small pieces of tissue and organs, so that if there are questions, the forensic pathologist doesn't have to exhume (dig up) the body, he or she can just test the sample in the jar.
Next, Mr. Siekmann took me to the X-Ray room, where they look for things beneath the skin that you cannot see with the naked eye. You can look for broken glass, knife blades, etc.
Then we went to the observation room where police officers, forensic pathologist, medical students, or anyone who helps work on the case can view the body.
Afterwards, Mr. Siekmann showed me the delivery garage where they receive corpses from hospitals, nursing homes, or anywhere there is a suspicious death like death under a doctor's care, residential death (with exceptions from a DNR-do not resuscitate), or homicides.
Next, we went to the autopsy suites where the pathologists perform the autopsies. An autopsy is when the forensic pathologist cuts open the body to look at the organs and other tissue to help determine the cause of death.
Finally we walked to the isolation autopsy suite, which is a room where the pathologists can do an autopsy away from the other bodies if necessary because of such things as an advanced state of decay or the threat of contagious diseases.
The isolation suite has its own X-ray equipment and direct access to its own personal freezer unit, which is kept at an amazing -30 degrees Fahrenheit!
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Eragon thrills
By Marisa G.
Eragon was written by teenage prodigy Chris Paolini. It is about a poor fifteen year old boy named Eragon who finds what he thinks is a polished blue stone.
This 'stone' brings forth a dragon hatchling, making him the first rider in ages.
After his uncle is killed by an explosion caused by the Raz'zoc (the king's evil helpers), Eragon ventures on an epic adventure to get revenge over his uncle's death with his dragon, Saphira, and an old storyteller who proves to be much more as the story progresses.
Along the way, Eragon gains new friends like Angela, a werecat named Solembum, Arya, and Murtagh, who accompanies Eragon on his final journeys.
Eragon is a very good read. Chris Paolini follows in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien. It causes one to use their imagination, and it is very hard to put the book down.
Paolini gives his characters a human-like persona, and you can relate to their feelings throughout the book. This book is for the young reader who loves reading about classic battles, magic, and mysterious beings.
Eragon is a remarkable novel coming from such a young author. I would rate it a five out of five stars for its excellent and accessible story.
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Pirates!
By Callie S.
Pirates (2003), by award winning novelist Celia Rees, is a romantic love story and a thrilling adventure that will grab the hearts of the readers.
I would recommend Pirates to anyone who loves a great adventure and a romantic story.
Its strengths were that it was thrilling and kept going and flowing smoothly. My only complaint about Rees style is that it was sometimes unclear who was speaking.
Pirates is about a girl, Nancy Kington, who has to find her true love, William, and escape her evil suitor, the Captain.
Nancy runs away with her friend, Minerva Sharpe, a black slave. They both become pirates to get treasure and to help Nancy find William.
Nancy is a young lady who will do anything to find her William. She's determined and a little spunky.
Minerva is brave and tenacious, and she will do anything to get her freedom.
William, a navel officer, is mysterious.
The Captain is an evil and mean man who is really creepy.
Pirates is fast moving and filled with treasure, battle, romance and adventure.
Pirates is a whole new world waiting to be explored. I would recommend it to both an adventure lover and a romantic story lover. Every book is a treasure but this book is the pearl.
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Sabriel is magical and exciting
By Melissa S.
For anyone who likes an interesting adventure filled with suspense and a different kind of magic, then Garth Nix's Sabriel (1995) is a must read. Sabriel is Garth Nix's first book written for young adults.
When Sabriel, a prefect at Wyverly College in Ancelstierre, discovers that her father, Abhorsen, is in grave danger, she must venture beyond the Wall into the Old Kingdom where great peril, evil, and Free Magic roams the lands.
Sabriel is to take up her father's duties as Abhorsen and banish the Dead beyond the Final Gate, but one of the Greater Dead has other plans for her and her new companions.
On her journey, Sabriel encounters a side of the magic she thought she knew so well in ways that belittle her own knowledge of it; she learns things about her family that she was never aware of before, and she also gets a taste of true loss.
Sabriel is a fantastic read and is written based on ideas rarely encountered. On a scale from 1-5, I'd give it a 4 because it truly is a gripping tale. I recommend Sabriel to adventure-seeking readers who enjoy magic.
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