Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3. (September 2009). Free Aung San Suu Kyi, Free Burma By sushi_error On August 11th, 2009 a Burmese court found pro-democracy activist, Aung San Suu Kyi guilty for allowing American citizen, John Yettaw, into her home after he swam there in early May. Suu Kyi is sentenced to an additional 18 months of house arrest (she has spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention). Yettaw will spend seven years in jail as well as four years of hard labor. ...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). School and College: Being Prepared By Jessie and Katrina Starting, or going back to, school! Whether you're starting upper level school or going back for your fourth and final year, school is all about what you make it to be. If you throw yourself into learning and making friends, you'll be prosperous in school. With that said, know that now is not the time to slack off! There are a few different things about going back...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). Urmuqi Erupts By Jamie One of the more important events of the month, possibly the year, are the riots in the capital of Xianjiang province, Urmuqi. Although the riots seem to have eluded the glare of the media recently and are nearly not as well known or protested over as Tibet, the riots between the ethnic Uighuirs—a Muslim community who has lived in the area under Chinese occupation for hundreds of years since the Qing...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). TeenHelp's Top Ten World Roller Coasters By Strider Do you like thrills? Then this list of some of the biggest, scariest, and best roller coasters in the world is for you! Behemoth Theme Park: Canada’s Wonderland

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). Neda: A Symbol of Freedom By sushi_error On July 20th, 2009, 26 year-old Neda Agha-Soltan was participating in a peaceful protest against the Iranian election when she was killed by a single bullet. Within hours of her murder, images and videos of her last moments spread across the internet. She instantly became a symbol for democracy and freedom in the eyes of millions of Iranians around the world. Dear Neda,

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009). Immunizations By Gidig (Maria) We’ve all heard of immunizations, vaccinations, or just plain old “shots” from the doctor. It’s almost every kid’s worst nightmare—going to the doctor to get a needle poked into your arm. That doesn’t sound all that fun, even for adults. However, vaccines are seen as the one of the most successful medical advancements in history. Why is this, and how do they work? Furthermore, should you have a...

Improving and Maintaining Good Grades By: MechanicGodCreation and Katrina There comes a time in every teenager's life when their grades begin to slip below what they would like. This is completely normal, so try not to let it be too discouraging when it happens to you! The cliché of school in general is that grades do slip as one hits puberty and could be a result of several different things. Becoming a teenager can be confusing and definitely stressful; the teenage years are when all the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009). Remembering McMahon, Jackson and Fawcett By Katrina and Gidig Many people believe that events—in this case sad events—happen in threes. This past week, the death of celebrities certainly did; Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcet, and Ed McMahon, three of the most admired celebrities of our time, passed away. Ed McMahon

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009). Sweet Summer Showstoppers By Katrina and Gidig The summer of '09 is one of quick romances, hot days and sunburns. It's a summer of digging our toes into the sand, of cruises, of huge clouds, and of relaxing in general. Even more, the summer of '09 is one of sweet summer showstoppers, and the meaning behind these magnificent melodies! "Second Chance" by Shinedown

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009). Summer Flicks By Nat (Strider) Summer is finally here! You’ve been outside all day biking, swimming, walking, and getting wicked sun burns, but what can you do when you just want to relax and chill out? This is a list of upcoming must sees, both at your cinema, and in the comfort of your living room. What’s on the big screen?

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009). A Sea of Green: Violence in Iran By Jessie A mix of democratic ideals and Islamic theocracy, the structure of the Iranian government is a complex and atypical network of elected and unelected bodies. The most powerful of political offices in the Islamic Republic of Iran is that of the Supreme Leader of Iran. Second to the Supreme Leader, as defined by the Constitution, is the President of Iran. Before a candidate may run,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 2, Issue 12 (June 2009). Thyroid and Mood Disorders By Gidig (Maria) You go and talk to your doctor about depression, and they do a blood test to check your thyroid function. This may sound off the wall, but evidence and research is beginning to show that your thyroid and mood may be linked. Many people who have a mood disorder, such as manic depression especially, seem to have thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid dysfunction could be caused by your...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 2, Issue 12 (June 2009). Anime North 2009 By Nat (Strider) It’s not every day you see Super Obama, blood-sucking vampires, and teenagers wielding ten foot long weapons roaming the streets, but it happens for a weekend every year in Toronto, Ontario at one of North America’s biggest anime conventions. Hosting over ten thousand people, Anime North stretches over two hotels and the Toronto Congress Center, no individual building able to support the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 2, Issue 12 (June 2009). Reexamining Swine Flu By sushi_error A few weeks ago, I woke up with a sore throat and runny nose. I found myself sneezing (yes, not snoozing) through all of my classes, going through tissue after tissue until I looked like Rudolph, and suddenly half of my hand sanitizer was gone. I had the works of a cold – sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat. It was awful. The next day, I was talking to a friend and mentioned I wasn’t...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 2, Issue 12 (June 2009). Communicating With Your Doctor By drowningangel The following article contains tips and answers on: