Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 4. (October 2009). Universal Health Care by Mai (sushi_error) Throughout the end of August and September, millions of Americans have packed local town halls across the United States to voice their opinions for and against President Barack Obama’s health care reform. The on-going health care debate has divided parties and created immense tension across the United States. In some ways, this issue has divided the United States as a whole. ...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2009). This Month in History: Going back to September 11 By Jessie September 11, 2001. I’m twelve years old and as I walk through my school I am stunned by the eerie stillness of our never-silent halls. You can’t get us this quiet with the promise of ice cream and pizza but today, a day many of us will not understand until years from now, you couldn’t force us to speak. It’s 8:46 a.m. EDT. The school day has just...

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). 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). 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 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). 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). 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 1, Issue 12 (May 2008). Choosing a Candidate by Vessol It's hard to write a news article for a monthly issue. Why, you may ask? It's hard mainly because the news changes faster than the weather. What's up-to-date one day is old news the next, and lets not even get into months. When I was thinking of writing an article, I turned on the TV to get a brief idea. As many of you know, the dominating thing in the media lately is the 2008 Elections. As...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 2, Issue 10 (April 2009). Model United Nations: impacting the world on a small scaleBy sushi_error Recently, I attended my first Model United Nations Conference at a local university in my town. Model United Nations is a simulation of the United Nations and draws over 400,000 middle school students, high school students, and college/university students worldwide. High school and college conferences are usually held at large universities/colleges....