Monster Molly

Attention, ALL Florida Residents!

Hurricane Molly is coming in HOT. Cities located on the coasts need to be prepared for wreckage in these open vulnerable locations. Densely populated cities should be prepared for extreme havoc. Windows may get blown out. Expect grocery stores to be flooded with people preparing for the bulk of this storm. Bread, milk, eggs, water will be scarce leading up to hurricane Molly. Electrical power and gas services will be interrupted and public transportation will be terribly delayed causing difficulties to get back from your house. In the worst case, evacuation may be the most probable solution. In order to prepare for Hurricane Molly, we must expect the worst so we can successfully conquer Molly statewide.

Below, we have provided multiple ways for you and your family to prepare for Molly, ensuring everyone stays safe and nothing is harmed:

1. Food: Buy sufficient food for a few days, including water. Consider canned food (beans, soup, fish) and a can opener as well as fresh food, in case of downed electricity lines.
2. Pets: Make a plan for your pets: sufficient water, exercise, sanitation.
3. Health, Meds & Drug Store Essentials : Make sure you have sufficient prescription meds if you are on an important daily regimen, and get an adequate supply of other essentials such as diapers or baby formula. Call your physician before the storm hits if something's urgent
4. Flashlights and candles: Buy or find several flashlights with batteries; candles and matches. But make sure you have someplace safe for the candles.
5. Evacuation Plan: If you think you might need to evacuate, make an evacuation plan and leave contact information with key family or friends.
6. Stay Informed: Keep track of the storm on TV, radio or online. Just in case you get cut off, get a battery-powered radio.
7. Make a "Go Bag" in case you have to leave suddenly.
8. Charge Up: Charge your battery powered essentials, such as mobile phones.
9. Protect Your Car: Park your car indoors if possible. If you are located in a flood zone, move it out of that area. (Alternate side of the street parking will be suspended during the storm; stay tuned to the news.)
10. Don't Let Things Fly: Indoors, move personal possessions to the center of your home, away from windows and doors. Outdoors, tie down or bring garden furniture, bikes, flower planters, bird feeders, portable BBQs and so on inside.
11. Garbage: Secure garbage pails if they are outside, or bring them inside.
12. Know Where Your Important Papers Are Don't leave papers such as insurance policies, bank and credit card statements lying around. Put them in a plastic container so they're dry and safe.
13. Be Ready to Mop Up Leaks, Deal with Flooding: Do you have a sump pump? Make sure it works. Have old towels ready in case of window leaks. If you already have a leak problem, clean out the drains, and put everything valuable on plastic boxes or up above where the basement flooding might occur. One insurance company suggests that you remove belongings out of basements and crawlspaces as much as possible in case water penetrates your home's foundation or pools on the floor around windows and doors.
14. Prepare Vulnerable Windows:If you're concerned about windows blowing in, get cardboard, strong tape and plastic to secure them. IF you have them, install storm shutters and secure your garage door.
15. Get Ready to be Bored: Clear some space where you can read, do situps, write Christmas cards, play cards.
16. Plan for the Kids: If you have children who may get cabin-fever, get prepared: Pull out some materials with which to paint or draw. Plan to play charades, tell stories, make music. And prepare for them to be a bit scared by the storm.
17. Have Rain Gear in Case: Find some rain boots or old shoes in case the streets are sloshy for a few days. In a pinch, large black garbage bags can make a decent raincoat (Cut a hole for your head and arms.)
18. Have some cash at the ready.
19. For the truly prepared:
20. Get Ice: Consider buying extra ice in case your electricity goes out so your refrigerated food doesn’t go bad. Alternatively, insurers suggest that you turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and keep them closed so they stay cold if the power goes out.
21. Check on Your Neighbors: Call any neighbors or friends who might be frail or elderly to see if they need assistance.

Closing Time

In the midst of the senior class’ chaos to turn in applications, apply to new schools, and polish up their resumes for the stressful college season, I thought a ‘leaving for college’ post would be an appropriate topic for this week’s blog. Whether you're trying to stay in the dome of Delaware, or venture out to a new state for a new experience away from the comfort of Mom and Dad, I live by the quote, “every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end’. Every year since third grade, the same students have been dressing in the same uniform, walking through the same doors, greeting the same teachers as the previous year. Our freshman year of college will be a first for everything. First time we get to roll out of bed and wear our pajamas to class. First time we won’t know anybody in any of our classes (depending on where one attends). First time not having Mommy or Daddy pack you a lunch. First time trying  the dining hall instead of our 5 star cuisine school lunches. First time there will be people older than us sitting in the same classroom as us, learning the same material. Frankly, I can’t wait for this change. Scary at first, definitely so, but I think everyone needs this change. Us Newark Charter kids have been living in the virtual reality of Newark Charter for too long now, it’s time to venture out, meet new kids from all over the nation with similar passions and aspirations in life. Newark Charter isn’t all that’s out there in life, and I can’t wait to encounter everything that will mark my 'first' off the checklist.

Bye, Bye, IG!

With all this talk about multitasking, ideas have been swarming about the negative influence social media can impact a person with, in terms of wasting time. Don’t get me wrong, I think social media is a great innovative way of contacting with your friends and relatives that live across the US that you cannot normally communicate with. However, in this day and age, I felt as if a lot of my daily routine was spent checking and wasting valuable time of my day on these networks, where I could be utilizing this time in a more efficient and effective way. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day and I feel as if we must capitalize on every single moment possible to get work done. In today’s society, the fake reality created on instagram can cause one to solely focus on the image of how others view them. Knowing this and after reading the article in class of the man who went phoneless for a week, I decided to take the step of deleting my social media. So far, it has not only been extremely relieving and stress-free, but it has left me with lots of time to talk to my family one on one, instead of always looking down at my phone refreshing my feed on Instagram. However, there have been some negative aspects. A lot of my friends rely on social media to communicate with one another about what our plans are, or even what the homework for the night is. Without being able to communicate with them, I feel out of the loop in some circumstances. Overall, however, it has been extremely freeing and I am pleased I made the decision to do so.

Who Knows?

Ever since we were little, we always had our “I want to be an astronaut when I grow up.” Or the classic, “I wanna be a vet when I grow up.” Our goals and aspirations in life outstretched out preschool selves, and at an early age we were chasing ambition. As everyone got older, these ambition dreams of ours got scaled down to a more practical and logical scale, as everyone realized not everyone would make it that far in life. With college soon approaching, the typical “what do you wanna major in?” gets tossed around more than asking how your summer went. As a current senior in highschool, I never exactly know what the correct answer is for me. I often wonder how I am supposed to know exactly what I want to spend the rest of my life dedicated to, when my interests are as broad as law and economics to anatomy to photography and graphic designing to psychology. How am does one expect a high school 17 or 18 year old young adult to completely decide what they will be attributing their hard work and studying to for the next four years?