Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 1 (July 2010). Sun, Sand, Oil? by Casey. We've all heard of the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil are pouring into the Gulf daily, which is frightening to many. This is the largest offshore oil spill that has been recorded in the U.S. history, and it's taking a huge toll on the environment. Threatening the endangered coral reefs, it is also upsetting many local fishermen. What really happened,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). Adopting a Pet by Cheyenne (Desert) Pet adoption can have many benefits. Not only can it allow you to give a home to an animal in need, but adopting a pet may also improve your own mood and give you the chance to care for something that will love you in return. If you’re considering adopting a pet and need a few tips, you’ve come to the right place! Choosing a pet can be a challenge. Some people choose to adopt dogs or...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). Which School is Right for You? by Brittany (.Brittany.) and Sabrina (Sabrina.) As we approach the end of the year, many of us face a new, and huge, decision: how to choose a college or university to attend in the upcoming year. Choosing a university to attend is not going to be easy, but if you go about things in a healthy way, it also doesn't have to be as stressful as many people make it out to be! Even if you're not...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). Faceless International by Katrina No matter who you are, you are blessed with talents that you sometimes don't even know about. This month, I challenge you to look past who you are, on the outside. I challenge you to look within, even if it's just a little bit. Try to find your own talents and your own callings, and think creatively about how you can make a difference! One of my favorite organizations, Faceless International,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). National HIV Testing Day by Marie (Rie) June 27th 2010 is National HIV Testing Day, or NHTD. NHTD aims to increase awareness of HIV and AIDS and to encourage early testing. It is estimated that one in five people in the US are unaware of whether or not they have HIV. Lack of care and the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS can make it difficult for those in need to get appropriate health care and may discourage others from...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). News that Affects You: May 2010 in Review by Emily (bringontherain), Jessie (Asylum), Stephanie (Konstantine) If you’re digging the warming weather (and we know you are) you may have gotten behind on breaking news from this past May. If you missed the headlines, this is what people were talking about in May 2010! Health

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). World Leaders by Casey. Recently, during a class discussion, I was shocked to realize how many of my classmates did not know who the current world leaders were. Right now, there are 181 nations listed on the CIA's website, although not all of them are recognized as nations by the United States. Can you name a third (sixty nations) of them? I can name eighty-seven. Of those I cannot name, , some I have never heard of and...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). Doughnut Madness By Cheyenne (Desert) With Doughnut Week coming up in May, you may be wondering where this delicious, sweet food came from. The exact origins of the doughnut are shadowy, but there are many different theories and stories as to where it might have come from. In prehistoric Native American settlements, archaeologists have unearthed bits of what look like donuts!. Donuts first arrived in Manhattan, then known...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). Special Olympics By Katrina Many of us see Special Olympics related programs at our schools or places of employment. In theory, it's great, but in practice, it's far more inspiring than even describable! Think about it, the Special Olympics is giving athletic opportunities to individuals who would not have the same opportunities with any other organization. What's more important than the athletic opportunities given to these...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). LGBT Mental Health By Maria (Gidig) Mental health is brought up in many topics we talk about in this era. A huge part of living in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is hearing about our own mental health. There is unfortunately a large difference between the mental health of LGBT people and that of ‘straight’ (heterosexual) people. We have finally reached a point in our culture that identifying as...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). The Truth about Eating Disorders By Jessie (Asylum) Eating disorders are characterized by abnormal eating habits resulting in insufficient or excessive food intake. There are many types of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Like many other psychiatric disorders, there are misconceptions surrounding eating disorders and those living...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). UK Elections Casey (Cas*) General elections in the UK will be held on 6 May 2010. Whether you're registered or not (and we hope you or your parents are!) it is important to know what is going on in the government. Do you know who is running and what they stand for? First, let's have a quick lesson on the basics of political parties in the UK. There are many parties in the UK, including minor ones like the Green Party or the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). News that Affects You: April 2010 in Review By Jessie (Asylum) Absent in April? Would you rather spend your spring outside than indoors reading the news? In case you missed the headlines, here’s a glimpse of what people were talking about, or should have been, in April 2010! Mental Health

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010). Oscar Overview By Brittany (.Brittany.) The 82nd annual Oscar Awards were held Sunday March 7th, 2010. Whether it was for the gorgeous red carpet dresses, or just to find out who won the Oscar's, an estimated 41.62 million people watched as hosts Alex Baldwin and Steven Martin ran the show. Here are some of the night's big winners! The Hurt Locker is an American war movie about elite soldiers in Iraq that have the most...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010). Choosing A Short Haircut By Cheyenne (Desert) It’s a big decision, one that takes a lot of time and planning. It’s also something that’s right next to irreversible. If you go through with it and change your mind when it’s over, you have months and possibly years to rectify your mistake. What decision am I talking about, you ask? Cutting your hair! How many times have you had a friend with beautiful, long locks which they...