I was super excited to witness history in the making, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama taking the oath of office for the
second and last time.
My editor Dante and I met early in the morning to make our way to the
designated area where we had tickets. By the time we got there, tens of
thousands of people had already gathered on the National Mall and more were yet
to come. They had started pouring in since before sunrise, even though the
ceremony was scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Everywhere I looked I saw folks wearing inauguration
memorabilia: buttons, hats, scarves, flags, bagsand backpacks, and even jackets
with the presidential seal. People had come from all over the country to be
together for this momentous occasion. I spoke with members of a family who came
from Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas for a reunion on the National Mall on
Inauguration Day!
A crowd of great diversity was making its way slowly but
steadily towards the Capitol Building. Kids of all ages, parents, and
grandparents tried to find a spot in front of the giant screens placed
strategically on the Mall. The atmosphere was charged with boundless energy as
the crowd was anticipating the President’s oath and speech.
Everywhere you went was jam-packed with people. Dante and I had tickets for the South Standing area. Because no one seemed to be checking tickets once we were inside, we moved with the crowd to the West Standing area. It was mobbed by thousands of people. At one point we were even squashed between a massive crowd and the doors of a port-a-potty!
I was very excited when I first heard that my editor Dante
assigned me to cover the Inauguration Day. But when I arrived in Washington, D.C., on Saturday my weekend got even better.
Being at the inauguration is very important to me because it
completes the election cycle I have been writing about since the primaries. I’ve
learned a lot about the issues and the candidates in the process, and
witnessing the President taking the oath of office will be the final page in my
election book.
My excitement doubled when I heard that I would also be
covering the Kids’ Inaugural Concert, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The
concert took place on Saturday before the inauguration and it highlighted
support for the military spouses and children. Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Fun.,
Brad Paisley, and host Nick Cannon performed for a huge audience at the
Convention Center.
My dad and I arrived
two hours in advance to pick up our credentials, talk to some young spectators, and take in the atmosphere. I was so eager to hear the music and see all of the
entertainers, I could hardly contain myself! The venue was absolutely packed
with thousands of excited kids who felt just like me.
Just as the show was about to start, I received a message
from Dante that Wolf Blitzer wanted to interview me live on CNN’s The Situation
Room. Although I was sad that I didn’t get to see the concert, I was very much
looking forward to this new opportunity.
The 2012 presidential election cycle reaches its official conclusion on
Monday. That's when citizens and elected officials will gather in
Washington, D.C., to witness President Barack Obama be sworn in for his
second term in office.
According to the 20th Amendment of
Constitution, the current President's term ends at noon on January 20
after serving out a four-year term. The incoming or reelected President
is then sworn in by taking the Oath of Office, also established by the
Constitution. The Oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court.
"The inauguration acknowledges the change of
administration under the Constitution, in a peaceful transfer of power,"
explained William B. Allen, a retired dean and professor from James
Madison College at Michigan State University. "This Oath, taken by all
Presidents, is necessary before being allowed to execute the role of the
President and it is required by the Constitution. It is a reminder of
the source of their authority and the limitations on that authority."
"Young
people should learn early that such testimony is an affirmation of
their liberty and what it takes to sustain it," Allen added.
Photo: Barack Obama, joined by his wife Michelle, and daughters Sasha and
Malia, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to
become the 44th president of the United States, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
This morning was one of the biggest moments of the year for Hollywood. At 5:30 a.m., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 85th Annual Academy Awards. The Academy Awards — also known as the Oscars — are the most prestigious honor handed out to movies in America.
Oscars are awarded in 24 categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. These awards usually go to grown-up movies, but there's a category for movies kids have probably seen, too. This is the Best Animated Feature award. This year, the five nominees are Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph.
As it turns out, Kid Reporters have written about all five of these movies! Revisit their stories on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website, then let us know what movie you think should win the Best Animated Feature Oscar!
The Oscars will be awarded on February 24.
Photos: (from left to right) A still from Brave (Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.); a still from The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation); a still from ParaNorman (LAIKA, Inc.); a still from Wreck-It Ralph (Disney. All Rights Reserved.); a still from Frankenweenie (Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, hitting New York City, Long
Island, coastal New Jersey, and parts of New England very hard. In
early 2013, many communities are still struggling to recover from one of
the worst storms to ever hit the region.
But the residents in
the hardest-hit areas aren't alone. Kids and adults from all over the
country have sent aid, assistance, and relief to the victims of Sandy.
Schools have held fundraisers to help other schools, volunteers have
traveled to affected areas to help restore power, and clinics and
shelters have helped pets who were displaced by the storm.
Scholastic
News Kid Reporters have found stories of communities across the nation
standing with their east coast neighbors. Find out how kids are helping
the relief effort – and catch up with the Kid Reporters' on-the-ground
reporting during the storm – in the Hurricane Sandy Recovery Special
Report.
Photo: A young volunteer at Hoboken High School pushes a bin of clothing
donations intended for distribution to the public as surrounding
neighborhoods remain without power due to damage caused by Superstorm
Sandy, Sunday, November 4, 2012, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (AP Photo/ John
Minchillo)
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, there is a lot to be done.
When the devastating superstorm hit the northeastern United States three weeks ago, it left behind massive and catastrophic damage. New York and New Jersey got the worst of Sandy. More than 40 people died, millions were without power, thousands of homes were damages or destroyed, and it will cost tens of billions of dollars to rebuild and recover.
Since the storm, many different organizations have stepped in to help in the recovery effort. One of the most visible is the American Red Cross.
Guillermo
del Toro is one of the most imaginative directors working in movies today. His
movies, like Hellboy and Hellboy II, are full of creative creatures and unique
stories. When you watch a movie directed by del Toro, you immediately know it.
But
del Toro is also a producer. He has produced numerous movies, including Megamind, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2, as well asthe soon-to-be-released The Hobbit: An
Unexpected Journey. Like the movies he directs, most of del Toro’s projects are
infused with his love for comic books and the comic book imagination.
His
latest producing credit is Rise of the Guardians, which hits theaters on
November 21. At a recent press event for the movie in New York, I had the
opportunity to interview del Toro about Rise of the Guardians, making movies,
and what comic books he recommends for kids like me!
Kid Reporter: What was
it that interested you about Rise of the
Guardians?
Guillermo
del Toro: It was the fact that it was a movie that looked like an illustrated
book. It was very beautiful to look at, but also that it felt like a timeless
tale. It didn’t feel hip, super-modern. It felt classic, and I felt it was
important to make it. When you watch the classic movies, like Pinocchio or Sleeping Beauty, you get a nostalgia for a movie that is actually
earnest and romantic about what it’s doing, and this movie has that spirit.
You’ve become more
involved as a producer of family films, films more aimed at children. How is
working on these films different from the films you direct?
First
of all, it’s a different part of my brain that works. I really like working on
these films because they can tell beautiful stories in a beautiful way.
Visually, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, [Rise of the] Guardians, Megamind – they’re very beautiful
movies, but you can create crazy creatures, crazy adventures, crazy action
moments. They give you a lot of freedom.
How is this movie
different from the all the other animated films you have worked on?
What
is similar between Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, and this one is the three
of them were not ironic, they were not post-modern. Puss in Boots really wanted to be a spaghetti western. Kung Fu Panda wanted to be a great
martial arts movie. And this one wanted to be a classic tale of timeless appeal.
So that is what is similar. What is very different is the visual style and the
quiet moments. This movie has quiet moments that are very beautiful, like the
kid talking to his stuffed rabbit, Jack emerging from the frozen waters, Jack
in Antarctica. Moments that are a lot more dark, but a lot more beautiful, too.
Hockey is a fast, intense sport. And yesterday the New York Islanders showed it also has a heart.
The National Hockey League (NHL) team held the Hockey with a Heart Hurricane Sandy fundraiser on Monday at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. From 2-8 p.m., the Islanders opened up their home ice to the public and collected donations of money, clothing, and non-perishable food items.
But there was more to the fundraiser than just the skate. The Islanders Ice girls and team mascot Sparky were there showing their spirit. They were had interactive games set up around the rink for the children who came to the Coliseum. Food and drinks were also available.
All proceeds went to the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief fund, and Island Harvest collected the many items the fans donated.
Photo: More than 2,000 Long Islanders, New Yorkers, and other residents of the tri-state take part in an open-skate fundraiser in Long Island hosted by the New York Islanders. (Courtesy New York Islanders)
Those are just a few of the words that can describe the horrors Hurricane Sandy
brought to the residents of Woodbridge, New Jersey, and citizens all across the
Northeast coast of the United States.
New Jersey was one of the hardest-hit states, and its beloved shore area was
devastated by Sandy’s high winds and flooding.
One flood prone area in central New Jersey is the Woodbridge River
Basin. Although the area has not received much attention that some other
devastated places in New York and New Jersey, it is a spot that has been devastated
by major flooding over the past two years from Hurricanes Irene (in 2011) and
Sandy. The area has suffered mightily from storms over the years, yet nothing
major has been done to fix or slow down the flooding that occurs.
Along with a state-of-the-art community center and the oldest library in
Woodbridge, the town features the Woodbridge River, which begins in the central
Woodbridge area and snakes its way down to Arthur Kill, which is the body of
water that separates New Jersey from New York. The river began causing trouble
when an extension of the New Jersey Turnpike was built in 1951. Because the Woodbridge
River ran in the path of the turnpike extension and caused major flooding
problems on a marquee roadway, a man-made creek was built to channel waters
away from the turnpike and into swamp lands that neighbor a small community.
What does that mean? It means that every time a major rainstorm occurs, the turnpike
will not flood, but the small neighborhood will be prone to flooding.
Last week, communities in New York and New Jersey were hit
hard by Hurricane Sandy. Many people were left homeless after the storm, while
others are still without power and heat.
But on Wednesday, another storm took aim at the east coast.
Winter Storm Athena moved into the same parts of New York
and Jersey still recovering from Sandy. Athena brought with it very cold
temperatures, heavy rains, lots of snow, and strong winds. The National Weather
Service predicts Athena will also cause a 2-4-foot storm surge. This will cause
moderate flooding in areas who have yet to dry out from the last storm.
Photo: Snow covers debris piles as flood waters start to return to neighborhoods in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, on Wednesday November 7, 2012, as a nor'easter hits. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Blog are strictly those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Scholastic, Inc.
