RRMR-21st Century Writing

NBA All-star game.

2012-03-02T13:51:00.002-06:00

The NBA all star game shows the actual talent the NBA has. The players get chosen to play at the game. The NBA league chooses the best fit players that could put on a show. They choose a certain amount of people from each side of the United States. They have two teams, a team from the West and a team from the East.

The 2012 All- Star game was a very exciting game to watch. Getting chosen to play in the All- star game is a very big achievement. They announce an MVP for the night, and the MVP award went to Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City. Kobe Bryant passes the hall of fame, Michael Jordan in all-star game points. Kobe later gets hurt from Dwayne Wade on a layup attempt. The game resulted in the West coming out with a win over the east. 152-149. Kevin Durant(West) and Lebron James(east) with 36 points.

Rockford Bridge

2012-03-02T13:46:00.002-06:00

The summer of 2012 will be hectic in the small town of Rockford. The city plans on taking out the only bridge that connects the East and West sides of town. This is a major problem to many people who have jobs on the other side of the bridge, and will have to take a different route to work. The major problems have already been taken care of such as how the West side will get fuel. Express Mart has opened pay-at-pump, pumps downtown and may turn it back into a full station selling tobacco, and many other necessities. Although it will be a mess it will only last a short time to rebuild, and everything will be back to normal.

Fundraiser to help Senior class project.

2012-03-01T13:56:00.002-06:00

By: Jocelyn Arends

Next week the senior comm. skills class will be sponsoring a Taco Day. Taco days have been quite popular over the years here at RRMR and have raised good amounts of money for many great causes. The proceeds will help out and benefit the comm. skills class to raise money for a good cause. In April the senior comm. skills class will be creating a fun day for the residents of Opportunity Village in Clear Lake, Iowa. The day will be filled with games, a dance, prizes, a photo area, and possibly a Tiki Bar since the theme will be Hawaiian. This will bring light into the residents lives and teach the students a little sense of community service and hard work as well. The class project will eventually be turned into scrap books that will have the residents remember the day and create memories that last a lifetime. On Tuesday March 6, 2012 will be the day of the Taco Day. So if you like tacos or just good food, bring money and give back! Be a part of our senior project!

2012-02-27T14:51:00.000-06:00

RRMR blogger, Jocelyn Arends (left), along with fellow pine-cone bird-feeder maker, Lauren Parcher pose with the finished product.

RRMR blogger, Nicole Brady (center), waits her turn at musical chairs with the 4th graders.

RRMR blogger, Wes Winters (second from right), is busy on Aaron Eilerts Service Day.

RRMR blogger, Darrin Kingery, prepares to bake the bread he made with the sixth graders.

RRMR get new students

2012-02-27T14:16:00.003-06:00

Rudd Rockford Marble Rock community school district gets two new students.

Dalton Stevens is a senior. Dalton enjoys sports, hunting, and cars. Dalton explains that RRMR has a lot more students than his other school. He enjoys hanging out with his new friends.

Samantha Stevens is a sophomore. Samantha enjoys basketball, softball, cheerleading, dance, hanging out with her friends, fishing, and coon and squirrel hunting. Samantha explains that RRMR has a lot more students and the students are nicer and they have more sports.

Dalton and Samantha moved to Iowa from Humphreys, Missouri. They moved because their dad got a chance to get a better job.

Facebook: pros and cons

2012-02-27T14:13:00.002-06:00

Pros:

*You connect with friends you might not see daily.

*Meet new people.

*Helps you pass time when you have nothing better to do.

*You can send private messages if you don't want others to see your conversation.

*You can update statuses and send messages quickly.

*You can make things private (if you don't know someone and you don't want them seeing everything you can change your settings so friends can only view ).

Cons:

*Once you put your picture up there's a chance it'll never be all the way deleted from the internet.

*May encounter cyber bullying.

*Inappropriate stuff might be said.

*Facebook might get boring.

*Friends you talk to may not get on Facebook a lot.

BAKE SALE TOMORROW!

2012-02-27T14:03:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow Tuesday, February 28, 2012 the Comm. Skills class will sponsor a bake sale to help profit their class senior project.

The bake sale will be during period 3 and 4.

Bring your money!

Eat tasty treats and give back!

Spencer Kelly

2012-02-24T13:46:00.002-06:00

Ever since he was a little kid Spencer, had a dream of winning a state wrestling title. Although he fell a little short, he was still overwhelmed with his 7th place finish. Spencer says, "this was just a way of showing off all of my hard work that has finally paid off." Spencer was ranked 8th in the state near all of the season, and to place above his rank was a goal of his to accomplish, proving he was not overrated, and he proved that he belonged on the podium. Placing at the state tournament isn't something that is an easy task, only 6 students have placed at the state tournament in school history.

Writer fired for racist slur as Lin an the Knicks go up and down.

2012-02-22T13:46:00.002-06:00

By: Jocelyn Arends

Former ESPN writer Anthony Federico was fired last week when he called the young NBA sensation Jeremy Lin a “Chink in the Armor.” Federico was fired by ESPN and is saying that his comment was an “honest mistake” and he did not mean any harm. Although Federico may seem sincerely sorry for his actions, many people are not convinced that his statements were a mistake. Many are offended by Federico’s comment saying that it’s racist to all Asian Americans and not just rising NBA superstar Jeremy Lin. Lin meanwhile has still been on a constant tear on the basketball court scoring nearly 30 against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and 21 points against the New Jersey Nets. Even with Lin’s best efforts scoring those 21 points was not enough to beat Kris Humphries double-double along with the amazing 38 point performance by point guard Deron Williams. The Knicks lost to New Jersey and have some people wondering whether or not Lin can play along with Carmello Anthony since the New Jersey game was the first game that Anthony and Lin have played together in. Some are wondering whether the Knicks should trade Carmello Anthony since he does not mesh with the system that new York has to offer at the moment and with Anthony’s salary being extremely expensive, it may just be a logical idea. As of right now I would say that it is way too early to tell whether or not Lin and Anthony can play with each other but the verdict is still out there and it will be interesting to see where this New York Knicks train ends up.

The Delicious History of Cupcakes!

2012-02-21T11:36:00.001-06:00

In the 19th century was the time cupcakes made it’s way around to the United States, at first we called them “number cakes” alot of the time because of how easy it was remembering the mesurements of each ingredient it took to make each of them. Today the cupcakes have increased in the variety of ingrediants, measurements, shapes, and the creative decorations we make on the cupcakes. Cupcakes were revolutionary back in the 19th century because of the time it took and saved in the kitchen, they were very convenient because of how quick they took compared to original sized cakes. Since the making of cupcakes and with our more improved pans and utilities, cupcakes have become very popular to make. Now you can find them in local bakeries, and blogs, dessert magazines, cookbooks, and also homemade recipes from homes, and the decorations and diffrent types of cupcakes go on with no end. The cupcakes will always be popular because of how yummy and easy they are!

NBA Player: Jeremy Lin

2012-02-15T13:59:00.002-06:00

Jeremy Shu-How Lin was born on August 23rd, 1988. He is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks. He received no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being un-drafted out of college, the Harvard University graduate reached a partially guaranteed contract deal with his hometown Golden State Warriors. Lin is the first American player in the league to be chinese. Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks take on the Lakers at home on Friday February 10th, 2012. The Knicks come out with a chip on their shoulder stating that they are going to get the win. Jeremy Lin proved to his coach that he wanted to play, he ended the game with 38 points and 7 assists. Kobe Bryant had 35 points. Kobe was interviewed after the game and was asked what he thought about the rookie Jeremy Lin. Kobe explained that he believes that there a lot of other players that are in the league that don`t get the chance to show the spectators or coaches what they have or what they can do. Jeremy Lin came out with one goal, his goal was to win, and he wanted to achieve that goal on Friday night. Jeremy was point leader of the night and he didn`t stop, he kept improving every night they had a game. With the first three season starts he has had over 80 points. The Knicks next game is in Sacramento, where they will take on the Kings on the 15th of February at 7:30.

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards.

2012-02-15T13:57:00.001-06:00

By: Jocelyn Arends

On Sunday, February, 12 2012 the 54th Annual Grammy awards were held in Los Angeles. Among the acts of the night featuring Taylor Swift, to Katy Perry, to an scratch your head performance by Niki Minaj, the Grammy’s had all the sure fire entertainment for the evening. Among the big winners of the night was Adele, who swept all six of her Grammy nominations, including winning album of the year. She also had a unforgettable performance of her 2011 hit “Rolling in the Deep.” Adele had a comeback for the ages after being diagnosed with a rare throat disease in the fall and sitting out and resting her voice to better her health. One of the more strange events of the evening was the fact that Chris Brown had a few big appearances on the Grammy stage, claiming the title of the best R &B album and having two performances. Many are wondering why Brown is even being reconsidered in the music industry today after assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Brown’s arrogance was very evident not only on the Grammy stage but also on other appearances such as his 2011 Good Morning America appearance where Brown got so angry at host Robin Roberts for asking him questions about the 2009 assault that he began to say gay slurs and threw a chair at Good Morning America window. So many today are wondering whether or not Brown should even be respected in the music business.

The most somber moment of the evening was Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “I will always love” by Dolly Parton which was made famous by the late Whitney Houston. Houston died Saturday night after being found submerged under bath water and unresponsive. The music world was shocked and shaken by the sudden and tragic event of Houston’s death that the Grammy’s had a tribute that was simple, yet unforgettable by one of the greatest voices today, Jennifer Hudson. Host L.L. Cool J also gave his respect to Houston by starting off the show with a prayer. Questions are still surrounding Houston’s death but more details will be coming out in later weeks.

Other winners of the night were Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Otis”, Bon Iver, Lady Antebellum, and many others. This year’s Grammy’s had many acts, unforgettable moments, and a great audience. Here’s hoping that next year’s Grammy’s can do the same.

China's future leader visits Iowa

2012-02-15T13:50:00.002-06:00

27 years ago a Chinese man visited the state of Iowa to learn more, of how we grow and raise our livestock and crops, while here he was taken care of by Sarah, Dick Lande. Now over 2 decades later Xi Jinping the Vice President of China wants to come back and make a follow up visit of his old friends. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is very excited to have such a high ranking official from another country visiting his state, on his personal decision. Many Iowan officials believe this will be good for state economy, because China is a major buyer of crops and livestock we grow. Sarah and Dick plan on building a bridge on friendship with Xi, and hope to stay in touch with the world leader.

Valentine Statistics

2012-02-10T13:51:00.003-06:00

1. 180,000,000 Valentine cards have been given to others yearly.

2. If men were not to buy there girlfriends something on Valentines day 53% of women would break up with them.

3. 50% of Valentine cards are bought 6 days before the actual day.

4. 15% of women that get flowers for Valentines day send them to themselves.

5. Over 9,000,000 pet owners will buy Valentine gifts for there pets on Valentines day.

6. Men spend twice as much as women do on Valentines day.

7. 1/3 of men prefer not getting gifts from others, while only 20% of women feel the same.

8. Men buy flowers for valentines day 73% of time, while women only buy them 23% of the time.

9. Over 36,000,000 heart shaped chocolates are bought on valentines day.

10. Valentines day and mothers day is the most popular times to buy flowers.

Sources:
http://www.squidoo.com/valentines-day-statistics

http://itthing.com/10-interesting-and-weird-facts-about-valentines-day

http://www.wisebread.com/weird-things-you-didnt-know-about-valentines-day

http://festivals.iloveindia.com/valentines-day/valentine-day-fact.html

http://candy.about.com/od/thecandyindustry/a/vday_trivia.htm

http://hicards.com/valentine/vfacts.html

BIg Deals

2012-02-09T13:46:00.002-06:00

Coming soon this month, a new bar will be opening in the place of the old "Zax Bar and grill".

"Big Deals" will be the name, and Dennis and Lori Paulus will be the owners. Lori's menu will

consist of many regular bar food items, such as hamburgers, salads, breakfast, etc. and daily

specials. Stop in and have a bite to eat!

Recap of the UNI Panthers and (12)Creighton

2012-02-08T14:31:00.002-06:00

The Uni Panthers host (12) Creighton February 4th at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls at 5:00 P.M. The Panthers have been working hard and have been working together as a team. The top performers of the Game were Doug McDermott from Creighton with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Seth Tuttle from UNI with 13 points, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block. Northern Iowa opened up a 51-45 lead with 5:21 left. The Panthers reeled off an 11-2 run capped by a Deon Mitchell layup and a 3 from Chip Rank, and McDermott picked up his fourth foul on a charge near the basket. Young stopped the UNI surge with a three-point play, pulling the Bluejays within a possession with 3:55 left, but Jake Koch's 3 with 1:11 left gave the Panthers a 58-54 lead. James buried a huge 3 from the corner with 23 seconds left to put Northern Iowa ahead 61-56. Creighton's Jahenns Manigat made it 61-59 on a 3 with 15 seconds left. Anthony James gets fouled and misses the first but makes the second. It is now a 62-59 ball game with the UNI panthers out in front. Creighton takes a full timeout, after the timeout it is Creightons ball, Antoine Young shoots a three ball and makes it, the game is all tied up at 62-62. The UNI panthers inbound the ball to Anthony James with 2 seconds left on the clock, James works the defense down the court and puts up a three and made the game winning shot for the UNI panthers. The Panthers record is now (16-9). The Panthers travel to Wichita State Wednesday February 8th.

Do you know what you want for Graduation?

2012-02-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

Graduation is almost here! And for much of the class of 2012, it’s time to start thinking about what gifts that they might need to become successful in the future.
There are many gifts out there. From futons and bed sheets to lap tops and towels but what are the most wanted Graduation gifts? And what are the most needed Graduation gifts? That is a question all of us Senior class members need to start asking ourselves.
So what are the top ten most wanted Graduation gifts? Number 10: A simple high quality ink pen. You never know when you’ll need one to write notes with. Number 9: A college spirit gift. Wherever you’re going to college, you will want to support that college in any way possible so getting a gift that will commemorate your school is just what you want. Number 8: A digital camera. You will have some of your best memories while at college. And there is nothing better to have memories saved on your digital camera. Number 7: A hope chest. I know what you’re are thinking “That is only for girls!” but no it can be a great use to put anything in, you can put supplies and even clothes in your hope chest and it’s a great use of space. Number 6: Commemorative coins. Commemorative coins are a great way to remember your high school career and graduation. Just like class rings, it is something that you can hold on to forever. Number 5: A lap top computer. This is probably the one gift I would want personally on my Graduation. It is extremely vital to your college life, especially this day in age where technology rules in the class room. Number 4: An I-Pad. Just like a lap top, an I-Pad is something that can get things done in the classroom. Although lap tops are extremely portable, I-Pads are even more portable and are easy to carry around on campus from class to class. Number 3: An I-Pod. Although college life is fun and full of memories, it can also be stressful. Music brings a calmness to your life and can also get you through walking long distances to class. Number 2: “Oh the Places You’ll Go” the book by Dr. Suess. This gift may seem strange to come in at number 2 on the most wanted Graduation gifts but “Oh the Places You’ll Go” is sweet and a perfect book to commemorate your achievements and your future. Number 1: Money! The obvious number one is money, it’s simple, not much thought goes into it, and it is extremely versatile to use. You can use money for anything! Books, car payments, school tuition, whatever you want! That is something worth considering when you are thinking about what you want as a Graduation gift this May. So Graduation is near and though we want a lot of gifts, we need to think about what we need and not want to become successful. That is what you should be thinking about when you’re purchasing a Graduation gift.

Sources: www.About.com

Wrestlers

2012-02-03T11:37:00.000-06:00

Wyatt Portis

Wyatt is a Sophomore wrestler, who has wrestled since he was in elementary. His favorite memory is beating Coleman Waters. The best thing about being a wrestler in Wyatt's opinion is "the feeling when practice is over, and winning. Wyatt's goals are to qualify for the state tournament in Des Monies.

Dan Guthart

Dan is a Senior wrestler, who has wrestled for only 5 years. Despite only 5 years of experience Dan was a state qualifier in 2011, which also is his biggest accomplishment. Dan's favorite thing about wrestling is the feeling when you win.

Spencer Kelly

Spencer is a Senior, who has wrestled ever since he was 4. Wrestling for that long pays off in a big way, and Spencer is a prime example of hard work paying off, after qualifying for districts twice and 100+ career wins, plus being currently ranked 8th in the state. Although his career goal is to win state, Spencer has yet to make it through districts, and on to state.

Rugby Sliger

Rugby a Sophomore, has had long wrestling career, starting when he was in Kindergarden. Rugby started wrestling because of his family tradition in wrestling. For being a young wrestler, Rugby has shown his stripes as a varsity wrestler, placing 3rd in the corn bowl conference.

Issac Schwantes

As a Sophomore Issac decided to go out for wrestling to make himself a better football player. (Better tackler) He only has three years of experience in the wrestling world. With such little time from Sophomore years to his Senior year, Issac has improved immensely in those three years beating the 6th ranked wrestler in the state at his weight class. Issac’s favorite part of being a wrestler is the feeling of winning, and goals are to make it through Sectionals and to Districts.

Matt Fullerton

Matt has been wrestling since he was in grade school, and as he grew up he liked it more, and more and decided to dedicate himself to it. As a Senior Matt has 100+ wins, and has beaten the school pins in a season record. The feeling of personal achievement is matts favorite part of being a wrestler.

Rockford Boys Basketball Team

2012-02-02T13:51:00.005-06:00

The Rockford Varsity Boys basketball team have been having troubles showing their talent in the recent games. They traveled to Manly, Iowa last week, to take on the Central Springs Panthers and had a very good game but could not come out on top; they lost 34-49. They had another tough match up against Saint Ansgar on Friday, January 27th, 2012. The boys were already defeated by the Saints on December 16th, 2012 by the score of 26-57. After team discussion, they badly wanted to take back the first time they met, and defeat the Saints on their own court. And as they went through the tough practices, getting ready to go out and show the crowd and their coaches the talent they actually have, they pulled out with a victory by three points, 44-41.

They knew that they got the job done but they had plenty more games ahead of them to conquer. They hosted the Nashua-Plainfield Huskies on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012. They played hard and showed their talent but it just wasn`t enough to get the win. They got defeated 53-62. The Rockford Warriors travel to Greene, Iowa on Friday, Feb. 3, to take on the North Butler Bearcats. The Bearcats defeated the Warriors in the past and the Warriors are really wanting the game back so they can get the win. The Rockford Boys appreciate the support from their spectators and their coaches for cheering and helping them when they need it. The Warriors will have one more conference game after the Bearcats. They will be hosting the West Fork Warhawks at the Rockford Community School on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012.

The Rockford Boys Basketball team will be traveling to Riceville to play their first district game on Monday, February 13th, 2012.

Buying Under The Influence.

2012-02-02T13:50:00.001-06:00

By: Jocelyn Arends

As I was driving my car home from school, I was listening to the radio and heard a very interesting statistic about people buying under the influence or otherwise known as “BUI.” I have heard of sleep shopping but I have never heard of shopping while intoxicated. When people are buying under the influence they tend to buy products that they would not buy while they were sober. The statistics of such a thing as buying while intoxicated is alarmingly and on the rise. Most women are affected by this, since women are susceptible to buying products on-line than men. Most people who buy under the influence end up buying products that are ridiculous and humiliating. Usually the most purchased items are tattoos but some items can get as ridiculous as a hot dog toaster. I mean who really needs a hot dog toaster? This has affected many people and though most people buy stuff on-line while they had a few drinks, many also stumble in to shops, buy something ridiculous and hand the cashier their credit card with out thinking properly. This has cost many people tons of money and that is one thing many experts are saying is a bad habit to produce. What experts believe is that the consumer should not drink during the day when most stores are open, avoid late-night infomercials, restrict on-line usage after you drink, and the biggest component is to have a support system, or someone who can tell you what’s wrong and what’s right to buy. Another thing you can do to prevent buying under the influence is to unplug the computer keyboard before you uncork a bottle. This can at times be serious and eventually lead to something more than money problems, it can be a habit, a habit of serious consequences. So the next time you decide to consume alcohol (which you should not be anyway if you’re underaged) think of the consequences when you are shopping for ridiculous products.

Sources:

www.Fashionista.com

www.Shine.yahoo.com

www.latimesblog.latimes.com

Horror History

2012-02-02T13:49:00.005-06:00

Scary movies have been around from 1910 to present day, they were just starting to make the films. Back then the movies were older; they were in black in white, a lot shorter than movies today. The movies today have improved immensely they tend to be longer and the graphics, visuals, sounds are 10x better since the early 1900's. You all could tell the differences of older movies compared to movies now just from watching an older horror film to a current horror film.

Frankenstein (1910): As you can see in this trailer the picture isn't very clear and the sound wasn't as good. The movie itself isn't as scary and chilling as a horror film is today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kjCAJRrsVA&feature=related

The Devil Inside (2012): As you can see this The Devil Inside trailer is more creepy compared to the Frankenstein trailer because they make the movie seem more real because of the images they use, better technology, the contrast between quietness compared to the sudden increase in the noise and actions of the scene. Watching older films now to most of us is humorous thinking about how back then we might have found it quite scary because it's the only thing we had back then compared to now. Scary movies now have the thrills of the moment, the volume, quality, sound, the make up, and how it all seems to look a lot more real since the early 1900s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUDFKhe2iuQ

Prom Information

2012-01-27T14:01:00.003-06:00

Date: April 14th

Prom pictures: 4-6 p.m.

Doors open to public: 6:00 p.m.

Grand March: 7:00 p.m. (takes place in the main gym)

Grand March ends: 8:00 p.m.

Prom starts: 7:00 p.m.

Prom ends: 11:00 p.m.

After prom follows.

RRMR prom statistics:

Days to decorate: Sunday-Thursday

Hours to decorate: 16 hours

Parents that help decorate: 15 is the average number

Food and drinks: Donated by parents

There will be 8 chaperones at prom (teachers and administrators)

RRMR After Prom statistics:

*Junior and senior parents set up the after prom

Food donations: local businesses and parents

Parents:

*pick gift cards up

*help decorate

*get food ready

*set up

Meet the Basketball Cheerleaders

2012-01-27T13:53:00.004-06:00

There are five basketball cheerleaders, I would like you to meet them; so I asked each of them a few questions to let you get to know them.

I will start with Sarah Heft, She is 17 years old and a senior, she has been cheerleading for four years. Her parents are Nancy and Shane Heft. Sarah enjoys getting the crowd involved and cheering on her friends.

Angie Staudt is a senior and she has been cheering at Rockford for four years. Her parents are Kelly and Gerald Staudt. Angie enjoys being a cheerleader because she likes to have the "Spirit".

Lindsay Ott is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering for the Varsity Basketball team for two years, she also cheered for the JV basketball team for a year and she enjoyed cheering for the Varsity Football team for three years. Her parents are Todd and Donna Ott. Lindsay enjoys cheering with all the other cheerleaders, they are alot of fun to cheer with. She also likes to watch basketball. "Its fun to watch and support our team and players".

Skylar Woodruff is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering at Rockford for three years. Her parents are Linda Woodruff and the late Scott Woodruff. Skylar enjoys cheerleading because she gets to go to all of the basketball games and cheer on her friends who are playing in the game.

Mandy Demaray is 17 and a junior, she has been cheering at Rockford for three years. Her parents are Melody and Mike Demaray. Mandy enjoys cheering at all the basketball games and supporting her friends. She likes the bus rides to the games, because she talks to the coaches.

Iowa State Dance Marathon.

2012-01-26T13:54:00.001-06:00

By: Jocelyn Arends

Last weekend (Saturday, January, 21) the annual Iowa State Dance Marathon was held. What is Dance Marathon? Dance Marathon is a year long fundraising effort that benefits children and their families at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. One day a year everyone from dancers and committee members to children and their families, come together for a once a year event that showcases several different acts and dances to celebrate the fundraising efforts throughout the year for 15 hours straight. This year, Dance Marathon raised $380,742.15 for it’s 15 year anniversary. Compared to last years 264,290.14, that’s an amazing 44 percent increase. There was nearly 900 dancers this year, which bested last years 810 dancers. All the dancers that participated were there for one reason, because they were simply “Kickin it for the kids” as they say. One of the new additions to this years Dance Marathon was the “Why We Dance” room. This showcased several letters from children, family members and dancers who shared their own thoughts on why they dance. As well as the games and entertainment throughout the night, Dance Marathon had plenty of activities to keep the children and dancers busy. Nobody was ever hungry either, Panda Express and Pancheros donated lots of food to keep everyone full. At the end of the long evening it was revealed that this year’s Dance Marathon made the staggering number of $380,742.15. This left many families and committee members in tears. Joy rang through the place, because their year long efforts had finally paid off. So many kids and their families will be affected positively and to everyone that was involved, it was enough. I was honored and fortunate to attend the Sunday brunch that honored committee members for their efforts. The room was filled with family and Dance Marathon executives from not only Iowa State but also The University of Iowa and Zach Johnson, who is the National Dance Marathon Director for Children’s Miracle Network. Johnson had kind words for everyone involved with Iowa State Dance Marathon and noted that this year’s goal for every Dance Marathon held in 2012 has to have at least 20 percent higher increase than last year’s Dance Marathon event. Iowa State set the bar high by being the first Dance Marathon held in 2012 and posting a 44 percent increase which is over half of what the actual goal that was set. It was also noted that UNI would now be starting up their own Dance Marathon, making all state schools in Iowa involved with Dance Marathon.
No matter what events that went on during Dance Marathon, everyone always had the kids on their mind. 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the children and families of the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. For that reason and that reason alone is why “Kickin It For The Kids” is so important. So if you ever want to get involved, help children who are ill, and have fun while doing all those things, just be a dancer at a Dance Marathon event. Your time, money, and effort will surely change someones life.

Interesting Facts

2012-01-19T14:15:00.002-06:00

1.It is impossible to hum if your nose is plugged.

2.If you mouth the word "colorful" to someone, it looks like you are saying "I love you".

3.SONY was originally called 'Totsuken'.

4.Play Doh was originally used to clean wallpaper.

5.Butterflies taste with their feet.

6.80% of the flowers in the Australian rainforests are not found anywhere else in the world.

7.40 percent of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

8.ELEPHANT teeth can weigh as much as 9 pounds.

9.A jellyfish is 95 percent water.

10.A hummingbird weighs less than a penny

Sources:

http://www.tealdragon.net/humor/facts/facts.htm

http://www.allrandomfacts.com/

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/facts.html

Election 2012 By: Jocelyn Arends

2012-01-19T13:46:00.005-06:00

Election 2012 is fast approaching and though the Democratic party has their nominee set in President Barack Obama, the Republican party have a few candidates vying to be the Republican presidential nomination to face President Obama in the November election. But before the two parties duke it out with their nominees this November, we must find out who will be the representative for the Republican party.

There are quite a few characters trying to win the hearts of Republican voters. Though Michelle Bachman, John Huntsman, and Herman Cain have dropped out do to bad showings in the polls or in Cain’s case sexual scandal, there are still a few candidates going for the nomination that are still in the hunt. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry are still out there for the Republican voters to choose from. First there is the front runner Mitt Romney, who has won both the crucial Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primaries going into the South Carolina primaries. Romney has been in politics for years but this election seems to be the one that has him breaking away from the pack. Mr. Shultz, the high school government teacher believes that at this point nobody can beat Romney for the nomination, saying, “We are pretty close to the point that nobody will be able to give Romney a run for his money, although Santorum can give him a run in the South Carolina primaries.” Mr. Shultz also added that Romney has a bit of an advantage by having his organizations in other states, money and is running ads in places where voters have not decided on what their vote is going to be. This strategy will probably get Romney the nomination at this point, that’s not to say that the race is over.

Rick Santorum, who some say has been the underdog through out this election is making a huge case for his campaign to become president. Romney versus Santorum is the true “David versus Goliath” matchup, where Santorum, who doesn’t have as much money or popularity as Romney, but is rather focusing on the people face to face, which has proved to be a great strategy this far in the election. Here at RRMR, we actually have ties to Mr. Santorum. I was fortunate to talk to Emily Laudner, who’s dad Chuck Laudner is a campaign strategist and advisor for the Rick Santorum campaign. I asked Emily what Rick Santorum is like as a person, she says “ He’s nice! He’s a big family and faith kind of guy, he likes to make sure that he can meet people face to face.” I also asked Emily what it was like to see her dad’s famous “Chuck truck” all over the news. Laudner says, “It’s awesome! The truck will be headed to Florida right after the South Carolina primaries.” It sounds like the “Chuck Truck” has a lot of miles on it!

Other candidates that are still in the race include Ron Paul. Paul, a doctor from Texas is still going strong through out the election. Many say Ron Paul is a big hit with the young voters. With good poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ron Paul won the Republican nomination going forward. The next candidate that is still in the race as of now is the Texas Governor Rick Perry. Right now Perry is hanging by a thread. After showing bad numbers at the Iowa caucus, Perry went back home to Texas to reassess his entire campaign. After much consideration, Perry decided to stay in the race and is hoping to have a good showing in the upcoming South Carolina primaries.

The last candidate, who has had many ups and downs through out his campaign is Newt Gingrich. A couple months before the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich looked to be in the driver seat to win the pivotal Iowa caucus. His popularity among Iowa voters decreased in that time and Gingrich ended up finishing 4th, which was not what he had his sights set on.

At this point the only candidates that have a legitimate chance of winning the Republican nomination is Romney, Paul, and Santorum. But after the Republican party has their man, they must begin the more important campaign for the November election.

In the 2008 election, the number of young voter participation was at an all time high. I asked Mrs. Arickx, a high school history teacher, her thoughts on whether or not the percentage of young voters will show up or replicate as well as they did in 2008. “I certainly hope so! I think the issues are important to young constituents, I also think that as a person who studies history that it is really important to use your right to vote” says, Arickx.

As of today, (Thursday, January, 19) CNN is reporting that Rick Perry has indeed dropped out of the race. There are also rumors swirling that Rick Santorum had actually won the Iowa caucus and beat Mitt Romney in a vote recount. The fight for the Republican presidential nomination is nothing short of interesting and everyday there can be changes in who’s on top and who’s dropping out.

So who are you voting for this election season? What are the issues that you want to be resolved? Which candidate shares your beliefs or values? These are questions that every voter must ask themselves when they are choosing who they want to represent our country. So go to the polls this November! Your vote counts.

2011-2012 Winter

2012-01-19T13:45:00.002-06:00

The weather outside has not been very frightful, it has been rather delightful. With temperatures outside consistently above freezing, we have been very fortunate for such nice weather. But as everyone knows, all good things come to an end, and this week has been the end. Forecasts this week have all been under 15 degrees, and are expected to get worse with 5-6 inches of snow on Friday, and another chance of snow on Sunday. I guess you could say we deserve some bad weather, because we've been spoiled all winter.

Rockford Lady Warriors Against Northwood-Kensett

2012-01-18T14:13:00.003-06:00

The Rockford Lady Warriors are a younger team that have been showing their talent. They have one Senior, two Juniors, five Sophomores, and four Freshman. They took on the Northwood- Kensett Vikings, Tuesday January 17th, 2012 at Northwood, Iowa and had an exciting battle; they walked away with a 52-49 win.

Here are some highlighted stats from the game:

-Sadie Wyborny led the Lady Warriors with 9 rebounds and 21 points.

-Emily Carroll with 11 rebounds and 13 points.

-Madison Wood with 1 rebound, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points.

-Emily Laudner with 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 5 points.

-Madison Thieman with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 points.

-Alison O`Connor with 1 steal and 3 points.

With the win on Tuesday their record is now 5-8-0. The Lady Warriors have 7 more regular season games left.

GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)

2012-01-18T13:53:00.005-06:00

I talked with group member Tristan Paulus about GSA, because I was interested to know more about it. GSA stands for Gay-Straight Alliance group. They focus on advocacy (standing up support). It is a group that responds to gay bullying with support and nonviolent counter measures and that promotes equality no matter who or what you are. GSA's goal is to create a place where you can feel safe no matter what.

Paulus said that he started this group at RRMR because there is bullying happening at schools everywhere whether its face to face or cyber bullying. One of the group's objectives is to show and to prove that our school is a place where kids can feel safe regardless of what they believe in and who they are, just like other Gay-Straight Alliance groups in other countries across the United States.

They meet and have speakers come in to educate them on anti-bulling and just to be able to have the general feeling of safety, as well as having group discussions on the topics of bullying and what they can do to stop it.

What they want to improve in the group is connections with larger groups, trust with one another, knowing that everyone is there for one another, and the safety realization of knowing that they can happily go on with their lives, just like other students should be able to do without being bullied in any way.

If you have any questions about GSA or are interested in joining, talk to group member Tristan Paulus.

Rockford Golf Team

2012-01-12T13:57:00.004-06:00

I had a chance to sit down and talk with RRMR's golf coach Andy Klemesrud. Coach Klemesrud is very excited for the upcoming 2012 golf season, and the changes that they face. The biggest change for the team will be moving from the Rockford Golf & Country Club, to West Hills Golf & Country Club in Nora Springs. Coach Klemesrud believes that the new home course will be viewed as an opportunity to improve in certain areas that weren't possible last year. With 4 of the team's top 6 golfers returning, Klemesrud has a lot of confidence in the team's ability to bring Rockford its 5th straight conference title, he also believes his team has the ability to make it to the state tournament for the first time since 2000, when they brought home the state championship.

FFA Chili Heat

2012-01-12T13:53:00.002-06:00

I interviewed Mr. Hansen, the Rockford FFA Director and the Rockford Ag teacher about the Chili Heat that was Held on Friday January 6th in the High school cafeteria during the Varsity Basketball games.

-What are your thoughts about the Chili Heat you put on?

Lots of students showed up to help and it went well. It will help many families with their heat this winter.

-Do you believe that you are succeeding?

We raised $475 this year. That was the second highest we have raised. We could have actually sold another roaster of sweet chili this year.

-What do you think you could do to help you in the future years?

We will have more chili next year so we raise more money. 100% of the proceeds go to heat assistance.

-The Chili Heat Proceeds go to the families that need heat during the winter months.

Did you know?

2012-01-12T13:48:00.000-06:00

1. Weird Al Yankovic was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class.

2. More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines.

3. Ice cream is Chinese food.

4. Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender.

5. The filming of the movie ‘Titanic’ cost more than the Titanic itself.

6. One in every 4 Americans have appeared on television.

7. If you eat lots of carrots, you will start to turn orange.

8. When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

9. If you mouth the word “colorful” to someone, it looks like you are saying “I love you.”

10. One human hair can support 3 ounces.

11. Kilts are not native to Scotland. They originated in France.

12. If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

Source: www.funfactz.com

Hello, My name is Wesley Winters.

2012-01-06T13:56:00.004-06:00

Hello, I`m Wesley Winters. I am a Senior at RRMR High School. I enjoy playing basketball. I am a FFA Member. I have a younger sibling that goes to RRMR, Dalton Winters (brother); he is 14 and in 8th grade. I have lived in Rockford for my whole life. I was born to Tracy and Heather Winters on July 14th, 1994 in Mason City, Iowa.

Hello my name is Nicole Brady

2012-01-06T13:55:00.008-06:00

My name is Nicole Jane Brady. I'm a senior at Rockford High school.

Darrin Kingery

2012-01-06T13:55:00.007-06:00

Hi, I'm Darrin Kingery. I am a senior at RRMR high school, I am active in sports, also a member of the FFA. I live in Marble Rock, with my Mom and Dad, (Dan and Lynn Kingery) and have 2 sisters Megan 22, and Abbie, 20.

Hello my name is Jocelyn Arends.

2012-01-06T13:54:00.003-06:00

Hey everybody! My name is Jocelyn Arends and I am a senior at Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock high school. I am 18 years old and have been involved in activities such as Softball, Cross Country, and Model UN as well as other activities though out my high school career. I have a identical twin sister and have three older brothers. I love to listen to music and helping animals. I plan on eventually going to Iowa State University and my major is undecided for now. I hope that this blog will excite you and fill you in on what activities are going on at RRMR.

Welcome!

2012-01-03T15:06:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the RRMR-21st Century Writing blog! Our class hopes that you will check out what we have to say about what is happening at RRMR High School.

Mrs. Jana Huebsch, Teacher