Travel 2010- Japan

By: Leka G.

Travel Japan is the first in our 2010-2011 series on exciting travel destinations.

With winter break coming, you may be wondering where to go. In the first installment of our new Lime Green Giraffe travel series, we’ll be telling you all about Japan.

Japan is a great place to visit for everyone; from history to modern day, there’s something for everybody. If you go to Japan, your first stop should be Tokyo. Although it is the most populated city in the world, Tokyo is not as overwhelming as it seems. Tokyo is the heart of Japan, and it shows! Spending one day in Tokyo can show you the whole modern day Japan, from its clothes, technology, and food. There, you will see teenagers wearing ski jackets and shorts, sweaters and flip-flops, and maybe even a pirate costume. If you are the city type, definitely visit Tokyo.

If you are a history buff, then Kyoto is the place to be. The former capital of Japan, Kyoto, is rich in history and has nearly 11-million less people than Tokyo. Kyoto is big on temples and shrines that really show ancient Japanese culture. While there, also try some sushi and okonomiyaki, a noodle pancake. If you are really interested in history, see if you can attend a Japanese tea ceremony.

Japan also has a variety of vending machines. You can buy your usual sodas and water, but they also have Cup Noodles, school supplies, and even suits in vending machines!

Japan is a country for everyone, whether you’re a foodie, history buff or just like to party.

A Look at the United States Capitol Building

By Lizzie W.

I think everyone should visit Washington DC at some point in their life. I toured the city on a cold and rainy weekend in March. Despite the weather, it was an amazing trip! There is so much history in our nation’s capital that many people don’t realize exists until they go there themselves. The Capitol building is just one of the national landmarks found in Washington DC.

Every year, three-to-five-million people from all around the world come to see the history that’s preserved in the US Capitol building.

Its cornerstone was laid in 1793 by President George Washington, and since then, the building has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored many times and it is still under construction today! In 1861, construction was suspended so that the building could be used as military barracks and as a hospital for the Civil War. A year later, the construction resumed because President Lincoln believed that the Capitol must go on, just as the Union must go on. Today, the capitol contains about 540 rooms, covering a floor area of about 16.5 acres!

The Capitol stands on the east side of the National Mall, its dome rises above the trees and all other buildings. At the top of the dome, stands the Statue of Freedom, a statue of a woman whose right hand rests upon the hilt of a sheathed sword, the left hand holding a wreath of victory.

Inside the Capitol’s massive walls are offices for the members of Congress, who have met in the Capitol for two centuries. In fact, if Congress is in session while you’re visiting, you can get to watch some of their meeting. It’s a very fun way to learn about our government.

The space inside the dome, called the Rotunda, is big enough to fit the Statue of Liberty inside, excluding her base. The walls of the Rotunda are decorated with paintings depicting scenes from United States history, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

On the floor under the Rotunda is a room called the Crypt. It is called that because its original purpose was to hold President Washington’s tomb. There was supposed to be an opening in the floor of the Rotunda for people to view his tomb. However, Washington was buried on his plantation instead, leaving the Crypt empty. After he was assassinated, Lincoln’s wife considered burying her husband there, but eventually chose a cemetery in Illinois.

On the second floor of the Capitol is the Old Senate Chamber. It is the room where the very first Senate met. The roof and floor have been changed since that first meeting. Running along the back of the room, about halfway up the wall, is a walkway where citizens could sit and observe the Senate for the day, exactly like what we can do today!

On the floor are several plaques marking the location of famous Senators’ desks, one of them being John Quincy Adams. There is something unique about the location of his desk. Due to the arched ceiling and the way sound travels, if someone stands at the other side of the room and whispers something, it sounds as if they are standing right next to you! Unfortunately for our imaginations, the ceiling is not arched the way it is now, so we couldn't hear any secrets. Although, it is fun to imagine that Mr. Adams picked that spot for his desk so that he could eavesdrop or secretly communicate with someone! 

Everywhere in the Capitol are statues. When the Capitol was first built, each state donated two statues to the collection. The statues were of people from that state who had made a significant contribution to our country. Each state is only allowed two statues, so over the years, statues have been replaced as more people make contributions. Some statues at the Capitol today have been there since the 1870’s, such as Samuel Adams and John Winthrop from Massachusetts and some have been added recently, like Helen Keller from Alabama, and Sacagawea from North Dakota. Georgia is also included. Statues of Crawford Long and Alexander Hamilton Stephens represent our state.

The whole building is beautiful, but I think that seeing the Capitol from the outside, standing next to it, and putting your hand against its walls is when you feel all that its been through, and think, “If these walls could talk, what would the say?”

Woodward Academy & the Terranova School

By: Pooja D.

Have you ever thought of a school being built in another part of the world?  Woodward Academy, a metro Atlanta school, did and now has a sister school in Zambia called the Terranova school.  We, students at Woodward Academy, helped build a school for children so they would not have to walk for miles to get to class.

Woodward Academy Middle School’s vice principal Mr. Dietz has made an effort to help the Terranova school and help make it better.

These children have never seen glow sticks in their life.  They are very excited!		Mr. Dietz helping the Terranova students.

Two-years-ago, Mr. Dietz built a library for the students so that they could enjoy literature.  The children were very excited to see the collection of books.  He also installed computers so that they could communicate with people in the United States or anywhere else.

The kids in Zambia are always excited to go to school because they did not have the opportunity before and now they have something to do in the mornings.  They run to school every day to see who can get to their classrooms first. 

In Zambia there are not very many doctors’ offices. Woodward Academy put in a nurse’s office so that the kids would not have to walk to the nearest city to see a doctor.  Now, they can walk less than a mile and do not have to be in pain for a long time.

We also donated our old uniforms to them because no one was using them and the children had little to wear.  They loved the new shirts so much; their smiles were priceless! 

So if you ever feel like not getting up in the morning because you do not like school, think of these kids who are the same as age you, running to school just to be there first and enjoying the opportunity to learn.

Conceive, Believe, Achieve

By: Stephanie G.

Have you ever met someone and said to yourself, “Wow, they could really be successful one day.” I thought it would be cool to ask people who have already achieved success or who are on the right path to success how they got started.  I want to know more about the icons that have been a role model to many teens. I thought it would be awesome to have the privilege to interview them, so I had asked everyone on my list five questions relating to their occupation or hobby. I sent out an e-mail to many prestigious people.  I e-mailed Raven Symones, Kyle Massy, famous Girl Scouts, magazine editors, TV Show owners and the list could go on.

I was very fortunate to be able to interview Mr. Mark Levy, a book author and Miss Hosanna Kabakoro, Miss Teen Idaho 2010.   They have some awesome and inspirational comments. I have talked to them both many times and they are both great people and so true to themselves. Learn more about them by reading our interviews below.

Mr. Mark Levy is from Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara majoring in Sociology and Psychology.  He currently lives in Denver, Colorado.

Mr. Levy’s interview:

Lime Green Giraffe: When did you start getting in the writing business?
Mark Levy: “I have always been writing. Ever since I was young I have written diaries. My diaries have included my travels and life in general.  Although I have been writing for awhile my first book was published in 2009.”

LGG: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
ML: “Yes, I have, but I didn’t get serious about it until one day I had a good idea.  It came to me when I was traveling. What I had seen and how different the world is in different areas is what had inspired me to write Overland.”

LGG: What do you like to do on you free time?
ML: “I like to write! Currently, I am writing a sequel to Overland. When I was writing the sequel, I had written parts and realized that I wouldn’t be able to write that because it wouldn’t go along with the story line of the first book. So, I am going to re-publish the first book.”

LGG: Where can we buy your books?
ML:“You are able to buy my books at Barns and Nobles and even on Amazon.”

LGG: What is something you want teens to know about you that most do not know?
ML: “When you are done with college and school, you should go traveling. I went to Europe.  It was a great experience. It opened my mind up to new things. It also let me know what is going on in the world around me. I learned a lot.”

Miss Hosanna Kabakoro is from Historic Olde Twin Falls, Twin Falls, ID.  She is one of the ten Girl Scout National Young Women of Distinction and the winner of the Girl Scout R.E.A.L. Girl Justin magazine contest.

Miss Hosanna Kabakoro’s interview:

Lime Green Giraffe: When did you start doing pageants?
Miss Hosanna Kabakoro: “The Miss Idaho Teen USA pageant was my very first pageant experience. I hadn’t ever considered doing one because I had so many false ideas about what pageants were all about. Since I won Miss Idaho Teen USA, I am proud to say that I have met and befriended some of the brightest, most compassionate women I have met anywhere. I realized I had my own prejudices toward beautiful women, and that my preconceptions were as hurtful to them.”

LGG: Why do you do them (pageants)?
HK: “As I stated earlier, I dont, “Do THEM.” I entered the Miss Idaho USA Pageant for a number of reasons, with the foremost being that the Miss Universe Organization and its state pageants offer tremendous scholarship opportunities to participants. I earned a $45,000 scholarship at the state level! Secondly, a friend advised me that with my Senate Page experience, Jefferson Award, Prudential Medal and Congressional Gold Medal experiences listed, I may come across as not knowing how to relax and have fun. I spoke with my parents and when the opportunity to compete in the pageant came up, we all agreed it would be a fun, challenging way to gain interview experience and meet people outside my comfort zone.”

LGG: What do you like to do on your free time?
HK: “Free time? What’s that? As one of ten Girl Scout National Young Women of Distinction, I’m privileged to serve on three different committees, where I advise and help formulate strategies to address the many challenges confronting young women today. In addition to my regular schoolwork, I work as an On-Air announcer for Fox-Radio KLIX and intern at Southern Idaho’s CBS affiliate, KMVT, where I work in the News Department and train as a reporter. If that doesn’t keep me busy, I am still very active in my foundation, 2-Way Street, which addresses the needs of relocated and at-risk immigrant youth by enabling and empowering them to acclimate through education, public service and youth organizations. Any time I have left after all that, is spent SLEEPING!”

LGG: What has been the hardest thing that you have done getting ready for Miss Teen USA (nationals)?
HK: “I haven’t really done anything different, except cut almost all fat out of my diet. NO MORE TATER TOTS and FRY SAUCE for this girl!”

LGG: What is something that you want teens to know about you that most do not know?
HK: “Wow! I want teens to know that every choice we make matters! Success and solutions don’t just happen. They are the result of careful planning and precise decision making. I think a lot of young people tend to think that we have plenty of time to prepare for the future, but the reality is that our futures are NOW! The choices we make are all setting the standard for the rest of our lives. I hope more teens will step back and make choices for themselves rather than allowing the media, celebrities or their peers to do it for them.”

The two inspiring individuals above have conceived a goal. They have believed in their goal and they achieved their goal. Now, it’s your turn to reach for the stars, make great plans and get ready for the next big chapter of your life.

A Profile: Joan of Arc

By Pooja D.

Joan of Arc is a heroine for France.  She was born on January 6, 1412 in Domremy, France during the series of armed conflicts known now as the Hundred Years’ War. 

She led the French Army at the age of 12 to become victorious in the battle.  She was amazing at war because she could lead troops into battle. 

She had predicted that she would be taken captive by the other side, the English, by June 24, 1430..  Her prediction came true on May 23 when she was captured by the Burgundians, an English ally and sold to the English. 

The English held her captive and put her on trial. They found her guilty of heresy and wichcraft. 

Joan of Arc died on May 30, 1431. She was 19-years-old.

The Science of Eye Color

By Rachel B.

It is a fact of life that everyone with eyes has an eye color. Where does this color come from? Your parents, of course, but it is not as simple as people like to believe. Your basic Punnett square is unfit for determining eye color. The complexity of the genes involved to create eye color has made it so that virtually any parent-child eye color combination is feasible.

The genetics involved are complicated. Eye color is determined by the amount of pigment in the eyes, and the type of pigment. Typically, melanin is the cause of eye color. The amount of melanin affects the color of the eyes, as well as protects the eyes from ultraviolet light. Generally, the darker the eyes, the more melanin present. This is why people with grey, blue, or green eyes have a higher risk of getting sun-related eye problems, less melanin, less protection. When the melanin levels fluctuate (e.g.: during early childhood, during puberty, during pregnancy, and sometimes after trauma), changes in eye color often occur, usually effecting the tint of the color rather than the color itself. Infants are often born with blue or grey eyes that later develop into an entirely different color.

Blue eyes in particular are determined via several different genes; unlike popular belief, blue eye color is not a simple recessive trait. Its inheritance pattern is similar to that of a recessive trait, but it is not quite the same. Low amounts of a type of melanin called "eumelanin" are found in the iris stroma (i.e.: fragile collections of fibrous tissue) of blue eyes. This is because long ago a genetic mutation arose that affected the gene adjacent to the OCA2 gene. This mutation limited the amount of melanin produced. It is theorized that we all had brown eyes until the blue mutation came around. 

Brown eyes are the most common eye color. Over half of Earth's population possesses brown eyes. Brown eyes have lots of melanin in the iris stroma, which is ideal for absorbing light. There are varying shades of brown, from so dark it's almost black (which we will discuss in further detail later) to "honey-colored" eyes.

Hazel eyes are often mistaken as brown eyes. This is because hazel is usually a mix of brown and green. However the dominate color isn't always brown; sometimes there is more green than brown in a hazel iris. Hazel eyes often appear multicolored, or that they change color in different lights. There is a middling amount of melanin in the anterior border layer of a hazel iris. This is coupled with Rayleigh scattering, which gives the final hazel color. Hazel is different from heterochromia, which will be discussed in greater detail later.

Green is the least common of the well known eye colors, only being seen in around two-percent of the world's population, though it can be prevalent in certain areas of the world (i.e.: Northern Europe, Nordic countries, Central Europe, South Asia, West Asia, and North Africa). In America, European Americans from Celtic and/or Germanic heritages have a greater tendency to have green eyes than those coming from a different background. One study of Icelandic and Dutch peoples stated that green eyes are more common in women than in men. The green color is achieved through low to mediocre levels of melanin in the iris. It is suspected that green is the product of the interaction of several deviations in the OCA2 gene, as well as other genes.

One eye color that most people seem to know of, but rarely consider, is grey. The inclination to forget about grey eyes might be due to its tendency to appear as different colors. Grey eyes are extremely light, so clothing, makeup, and other accessories may affect how someone else perceives the grey; it may appear blue, green, or grey, but it does not actually change color. Grey is grey, no matter what it looks like in your bright blue sweater. Grey comes from two major determining factors: the melanin levels and the protein density within the stroma. Grey eyes have even less melanin than blue eyes, and possessors of both colors have an increased chance of contracting uveal melanoma, a certain cancer of the eye. Grey eyes are most prevalent in Russia, the Baltic Nations (i.e.: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Sweden, and Finland.

Most would think the list of eye colors was over and done with, that blue, brown, hazel, green, and grey were the only eye colors. Not so. There are a few more rare colors remaining, one of which being amber. Amber is mostly prevalent in animals, but every now and then it shows up in humans. Hazel eyes are sometimes confused with amber eyes due to the flecks of gold sometimes found in hazel, but the two are not the same. Amber is a solid eye color, not a mixed one. Amber eyes exist through a deposition of lipochrome in the eye. Lipochrome is a form of pigment in the eye that is also found in green eyes as well as amber. In amber eyes, the lipochrome has become dominate over the melanin.

Red eyes are considered the most rare of all colors. No, I do not mean the iridescent, horror movie, I'm-the-bad-guy red eyes. Red eyes are usually only seen in those with albinism. Albinism is characterized either by partial or complete absence of pigment in skin, hair, and/or eyes. However, albinism does not guarantee red eyes. Some albinos simply have low levels of melanin in the eyes, giving them blue or grey eyes, and sometimes the albinism doesn't affect the eyes one bit. Then there is the opposite side of the coin where the eyes are the only part of the body effected. The individual may have standard levels of melanin in the hair and skin, but the eyes are red (of course, sometimes the eyes may also appear customary as well, despite the albinism); this is known as ocular albinism. The red color is not a pigment, but the blood vessels showing through the colorless iris. It can shine through because the back layer of melanin is nonexistent. Technically the color is more of a pink, but it is referred to as red. There is one other possible reason for red eyes, other than albinism; there could be a leakage of blood in the iris, giving a red effect.

Related to red eyes is another rare eye color: violet. Violet in its purest form is typically found in albinos, were there is an inadequate coating of blue melanin in the eyes that allows the red blood vessels to shine through, mixing the two colors and creating violet. At times, blue or grey eyes appear violet, but this is nothing more than an illusion. Sometimes, though, violet is found in those without albinism. There is a 'genetic disorder' that causes violet eyes. This 'disorder' is called "Alexandria's Genesis", and there is much debate on whether or not it actually exists. Quite frankly, this 'disorder' sounds too good to be true.  Alexandria's Genesis's symptoms include purple eyes, glistening pale skin that does not easily tan or burn, a slowed down aging process, longevity, no facial or body hair apart from what they are born with (hair on the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes grow normally), 20-20 vision, and no monthly cycle, yet are still fertile. The 'disorder' is genetic, and women are the primary carriers. Remember, there is debate on whether or not it exists or is a fabrication. There have been cases of Alexandria's Genesis in the past, however. It was supposedly discovered in 1968. The first person to have it was a woman named Alexandria Augustine (April 25, CE 1329, London, England). As the story goes, her eyes changed to purple when she was just a baby, concerning her parents, so they took her to the priest. The priest told her parents that Alexandria resembled an ancient race from Egypt known as the "Spirit People", and that they should take good care of her because she was special. Alexandria grew up to be a beautiful woman, married, and had three little girls, all of whom had the same disorder as Alexandria. Alexandria died at the age of 150. That's the story, at least. Some say it exists, others say it does not. I'm still wondering why it's called a 'disorder.” It sounds pretty good to me.

Just like the debate over Alexandria's Genesis, there is debate over the existence of black eyes. Some say there are no 'black eyes', just extremely dark brown eyes. Others argue that black eyes do exist but they are just exceedingly rare. If black eyes do exist, it would probably be caused by an insanely high amount of melanin.

The last eye color we will discuss is actually not one specific color, but two. Ever wondered why Fluffy has one blue eye and one brown eye? This is known as heterochromia, and is just as prevalent in humans as it is in our adorable pets. It is an ocular condition where either the two eyes are different colors, or part of one eye is a different color from the rest of the eye. This typically occurs via uneven melanin levels, which can be brought about by many things. Chimerism, Horners Syndrome, Waardenburg syndrome, early viral infection in a fetus, or even injury can cause heterochromia. In girls, X-inactivation (the inactivation of a single X chromosome in females) can cause heterocromia.

Now that you know a little more about eye color, you might want to take a closer look at your own eyes. Did you assume your amber eyes were really light brown? Maybe those pretty blue eyes are actually grey. Whatever color they are, your eyes belong to you alone. Irises are like fingerprints; never the same pattern twice. In any event, I am happy to say that my obsession with eyes has taught you something new. Now you can wow your friends with random facts concerning their eye color.