The NOIZ November 2, 2012

Volume 2, Issue 1

Table of Contents

That Smoothie Guy

Student Life ………...…...pg. 2

By Travis Toth

Feature ……………..……pg. 3

Entertainment.……..….....pg. 4

Fun Facts…………..…… pg. 5

Religion…….………..…..pg. 6

Events……...….....……...pg. 7

You may have noticed I drink a nasty looking, green-colored drink almost every morning. That would be my green smoothie. People are constantly asking me what is inside it, whether I’m on a diet, or if it tastes disgusting. I think this would be a good opportunity to answer these questions, which honestly, I’m getting tired of! First of all, I am not on a diet. I don’t even know where this question comes from because I don’t consider myself to be overweight. People have this false perception that if someone is eating something healthy such as a salad, then he or she is counting calories! I suppose the American culture of fatty, grease-infused food is to blame. What is inside my smoothie changes every morning. However, lately I have been adding an entire bunch of spinach, orange juice, frozen bananas, and either frozen strawberries or mixed fruit. Sometimes, I add peanut butter for the protein. A few weeks ago I also included coconut milk, coconut water, and wheatgrass. However, I stopped adding those because of the cost. I barely taste the spinach! My smoothie is definitely sweeter than anything else. The sugars in

the fruit cover up the bitterness of the spinach. If you have ever drunk a bottle of V8-Fusion juice, that is a similar experience. The vegetable taste is ever so slightly there; but mostly, it is sweet. So, why don’t I just drink V8 or something else? One cannot compare the nutritional content of a pasteurized juice to a smoothie made of fresh ingredients. Vitamins are very sensitive to time and heat and are easily destroyed in the manufacturing and transport process. Really, I am just trying to eat more healthy food. I figure at least I am eating one super healthy meal a day, and it’s the most important one! Certain people, who will not be named, have criticized me for eating unhealthy food right after drinking my smoothie. Well, they don’t understand that it is a slow process of trying to eat healthier, and I’m simply not trying to eat healthy food all the time. If you would like to make a green smoothie for yourself, there are plenty of YouTube videos on it. Or, feel free to ask me for more specific instructions.

NOIZ Staff Editor in Chief:

Mrs. G. Edouard

Managing Editor: Travis Toth Journalists:

Olivia Baker Andrew Deppe Maria Kraayeveld Levi Pasma Travis Toth

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Student Life Hill-p

roof

Mention the word “sled” and only one image conjures up for ZCS students: “hill” — Zion’s hill. When NOIZ staff members discovered the new sled-based combo desks in the classrooms, we wondered if the drill-proof desks were also “hill-proof”. We decided to test our curiosity with junior Levi Pasma as our “deskdrive” tester. It turned out the desks are indeed “hill-proof”, sturdy enough to endure a smooth downward slide. All that remains is to discover if they are also “chill-proof”. On Tuesday, January 2, 2013, the NOIZ will sponsor ZCS’s first desk-sledding competition on Zion’s hill. Protective gear will be provided.

Student Council By Olivia Baker

The newly elected officers of student council are Pieter Kraayeveld as secretary, Travis Toth as treasurer, and Maria Kraayeveld as President.

Back Row: Mr.Post, Nick Vos, Travis Toth, Tom Kamps, Josh Kunnen, Pieter Kraayeveld, and Tom Ryskamp. Middle Row: Miss. VanderJagt, Marie Edouard, Michael Postma, Caleb Baker, Stephanie Kuiper, and Maria Kraayeveld. Front Row: Christina Ybema, Tessa Baker, Enrique Kamer, and Candice Baker.

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Feature Is College Worth It? By Olivia Baker There was a time when going to college was highly esteemed and an experience that many kids dreamed about. The recent economic decline, however, has gotten in the way of this dream and has turned the college experience into a black hole of debt. So, is college still worth the debt? Or can one acquire a stable, lucrative job without the expense of a college degree? A few years back, college was thought to be necessary to get a good job, but now we have examples of people who are smart, and very well off, but did not go to college. Even some of our grandparents have become very successful without a college education. So, is it possible for you? The controversy hardly seems controversial to some. To them, it seems almost ridiculous to go to college only to accumulate large debts that the degree cannot repay. However, if one skips college and finds a job right out of high school, one can start making money sooner, and be debt free. On the other hand, it may be hard for the non-college educated to obtain a lucrative job or come up with some new invention or advancement. In their case, college seems to be the better option. They can test out different things if they aren’t sure about what they want to do; and they can figure out what they like and pursue it. There is no right or wrong choice to this issue. If one is mindful to strive for a good career, then one should go to college. But if one simply chooses college for the experience and party life, then one should definitely reconsider. Also, if one prefers manual labor or wishes to start a business then one should maybe consider not going to college, since those choices do not require the education, debt, or credentials of college.

In sum, there are positives and negatives to both sides. Debt, vocational preference, and scholarly aspirations are deciding factors. No matter what one chooses, one should spend a lot of time thinking about it, and considering the ramifications of each option. One should by no means make a decision about one’s future flippantly, especially when it concerns career choices. Above all, no matter what one chooses, the world will always reward hard work and intelligence, irrespective of one’s alma mater or no alma mater.

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Entertainment Priceless Artprize By Maria Kraayeveld Have you ever wanted a playoff for artwork? Well, Grand Rapids, here you go! This event was in the news, you heard about it from your friends, and you might have even gone downtown to check it out yourself. Artprize is an annual art competition open to anybody, and the public decides the winner. This wonderful event makes ‘bland’ Rapids ‘GRAND’ Rapids! While the gist of Artprize is understood, many do not know what takes place. For example, it is the largest art competition in the entire world! Now that’s a playoff. There were 1,517 artists and $560,000 in prize money. A key fact, in my opinion, is that two of the top ten artists were born in the Netherlands. Artprize is more than just pretty paintings and drawings. It also has sculptures, mosaic murals, taxidermy, and even a one-time show. This event is not only for people who like to visit art museums. Because of the immensity, variety, and availability of Artprize anyone can see it. One joy of Artprize is the ability to wander– no map, no plan, no direction. One can see a lot in a short amount of time. For example, the BOB alone had over 100 pieces. Because venues are both inside and out, one can visit rain or shine. Whatever floats your boat will work! There is more. When checking out the art in the Amway, be sure to take the elevator up to the 27th floor and check out the view of the city. Another event is the free concert, hosted by the VanAndels on the last Friday of Artprize. Artprize can also be one’s claim to fame. Wood TV8 broadcasts from downtown during Artprize, so you can go on the weather forecast with Bill Stephen.

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Artprize is also a prime time to hang out with friends and visit downtown. There are bound to be controversial subjects with all of the art allowed and space to share it. A popular topic of discussion this past year was the lanterns, which was Travis’ favorite piece because of its similarity with the scene in Tangled. Was that even art? What is art? You can have a lively discussion on controversial topics as well as what you thought was cool (penguins) and what you thought was boring (a random painting nobody noticed). There were also plenty of weird things, including our beloved Ronald McDonald sucking the blood of an overweight child. We all love our conspiracies! While you are downtown, stop by one of the numerous restaurants . Many of these places exist elsewhere, but they are here in one convenient location along with Artprize. You can stop at Bigbys or Starbucks for a warm drink, Subway for a quick bite to eat, or Hopcat for a sit-down dinner. Downtown has whatever suits your taste, and Artprize is the time to revisit favorites or try out a new place. Mark Carpenter and Dan Johnson, the men responsible for the releasing of the lanterns, sum it up pretty well: “Grand Rapids is a lot of fun. We knew it was a lot of fun, but now we know it a whole new way.” This is exactly what Artprize is about. Learning about and experiencing your city in many fun, new ways. Take advantage of the entertainment, sights, and food of downtown next year… and check out the art while you are there!

Fun Facts ⇒

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

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Elephants are the only mammals that can’t jump.

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The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 ft. away.

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A skunk’s smell can be detected by a human a mile away. ⇒

The most money ever paid for a cow was 1.3 million dollars.

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The average person spends about two years on the phone in a lifetime.

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U.S. currency paper is 75% cotton.

Mystery Person 1. The mystery person’s favorite color is orange. 2. The mystery person hates pumpkins. 3. The mystery person’s favorite team is the Chicago Blackhawks. 4. The mystery person’s favorite class is history. 5. The mystery person’s least favorite animal is the camel. 5

Religion Are You Ready? By Andrew Deppe Life on this earth is short. If a person lives a healthy life with no complications, he’s only expected to live an average of 67 years. But at any time a person’s life could be interrupted by a car crash, shooting, or drowning, just to name a few. Unexpected tragedies happen every day. We must be prepared for those unexpected tragedies that may take our lives. On July 20, 2012, many “normal” human beings were sitting in a Colorado movie theatre. Little did they know their lives would soon be changed forever. James Holmes en t ered th e movie theatre fatally shot 12 people and injured many more. He was later arrested and will spend the rest of his life in jail. Americans and people around James Holmes the world will never forget his senseless shooting. The people in the movie theatre had no way of knowing that a random guy would just walk into their movie and start shooting at them. The 12 people did not know their lives would end that night. We need to prepare ourselves because at any time Christ could come back to earth, or our lives could end by a tragedy like the one in Colorado. All we have to do is look back to the Columbine shooting, in 1999, for an example of being ready. Cassie Bernall was living a 6

“normal” life until she was asked one question. “Do you believe in God?” She said “yes” and was shot. Cassie was ready. She believed in God and wasn’t scared of dying. She trusted God and knew she would go to heaven. Even though the perpetrators in these killings may have had mental problems or emotional instability, they still have no excuse. God says in Exodus 20:13, “Thou shall not kill.” These killers know what they are doing is wrong yet they still do it. James was a college student who had no criminal past. Now, I know he had planned this for a while, but before that he had no criminal record. There is no way to predict such tragedies as these, but we need to be ready for them. Like Cassie Bernall, we need to trust in our Lord and Savior and know that He will lead us through tragic events like these if they ever happen to us. Now, I’m not trying to say you should live your life always waiting for a tragic event to happen, but we need to be prepared for an event like that. We need to have our heart focused on God, and know that if we die, we will go to heaven because we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Cassie Bernall

As a younger person, I don’t always realize that my life could end at any moment. I think that I might just live forever; old age seems years away. Tragic events happen all the time all over the world. Are you ready?

Events

Mix It Up! By Levi Pasma

On September 14th, the high school and middle school split up for the annual mixer. This was a day of team-building games and activities as well as hanging out with friends and socializing. The goal of the mixer was to forge friendships not only with the people in your class, but also with the rest of the student body. After students finished four hours of class in the morning, they gathered outside of school to listen to Mr. Post’s instructions. Then, the high school students joined their classmates on

the soccer field for class bonding games. The juniors won most of the games. Preceding these activities the students enjoyed pizza and refreshments. After everyone cooled down and relaxed, we played volleyball, basketball, or ping pong. Those who decided not to participate in these activities either talked with their classmates and friends or were spectators to the games. The mixer concluded at 3:15 P.M. and students were given the choice of leaving or sticking around to help set up the hamburger-fry hosted by the senior class. The high school mixer is always an enjoyable day, not only for talking with good friends, but also for meeting and getting to know new students. 7

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