The Bunk Room By Kids For Kids
January February 2011 Volume 4 Issue 1
! g n i k a M e i v o M
W n n Rya
ers t t a
Jonathan 15, works behind the scenes of a big box office movie set.
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 1
, + % &* ) ( # &' % $ # # " !
!"#$%&'$"#()%$*&$+*("*$,&--#.#$!"#/$ Right now is a great time to start thinking about which college you’re going to attend. Plus, you can get a head start on college now by earning credits at no cost to you! If you’re a high school junior or senior, you have the opportunity to earn college credit through the Rasmussen College Early Start Program. The Early Start Program is a great way for you to experience college classes while being supported by high school staff and mentors. You can take a course that may not be offered at your high school or explore courses that pique your interest about a future career. Once you complete your courses, you’ll receive college credit toward a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree at Rasmussen College. If you decide to pursue your education at another college, these credits may be transferable at the complete discretion of the college you choose. For more information, please call
$%&&&%'()*+,**-./
to speak to a high school admissions representative.
1 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
!!!"!"#$%##&'"#$%
The Bunk Room By Kids For Kids
wHAt’s uP tHis moNTh? Features
Make Cakes. Sell Cakes!
11 Zoo Time Rebecca tells a story of the wilds of the Zoo. 15
Florida Virtual School
Madison ventures into new territory!
14 Homeless to Harvard Greatness comes from within.
16 Movies, Oh My! How fun would it be to be help in a movie? Jonathan, Jessica and Kevin tell all!
page 28
18 SnowAdventures Kids from all over share about their SnowAdventures!
Fun With Theater!
23 Super Bowl Match Up Erik sizes up the teams and spills his prediction.
24 Pop Survey Inspired by Christina, this survey gets to the bottom of some important Pop questions! The Bunk Room is a magazine written and produced By Kids For Kids and is published monthly, September through May, by Dimples Media, Inc, c/o The Bunk Room , PO Box 1124, Mount Dora, FL 32756 All submissions are assumed to be for publication and become property of Dimples Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission from the publisher. Editor in Chief Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL Publisher: Maria Slaby National Advertising advertising@thebunkroom.com
page 8
Departments 5 Contributors this issue 5 Margo’s Musings
ATV Fixer Upper
22 Road Trip!
page 21
352-383-1456
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 2
Log onto FeldEntertainment.com for show information and dates in your area.
3 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Contributors This Issue Samantha 6, Clermont, FL
Hannah 11, Galax, VA
Brian 13, Medford, OR
James 7, Cody, WY
Madison 12, Eustis, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Becca 8, Concord, NC
Levi 12, Tavares, FL
Jonathan 15, Eustis, FL
Cody 8, Clermont, FL
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Julia12, Louisville, KY
Sophia 16, Leesburg, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Victoria, 13, Leesburg, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
Michael 10, Place, FL
Jacob 13, Galax, VA
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Gail 17, Bridgewater, ME
Congratulations to all contributors to The Bunk Room
Margo’s Musings
Wow! What a couple of months! So much has happened! I helped cook Christmas dinner, went to the city of Mount Dora’s New Years Eve party, got my tonsils/adenoids out, (couldn’t get out of bed for over a week! Eeep!) auditioned and got accepted into FSYO’s Symphonic Orchestra and got a great part in our ballet school’s spring performance. Oh! I turned 17 too on February 1st! :)
Yes, so lots-o-stuff going on! And not only THAT, but lots-o-stuff happening in The Bunk Room as well in this issue! We’ve got kids all over telling us about their winter adventures... whether it’s on the ski slope or in the back yard.
PLUS we have a new pop survey inspired by Christina of Orlando, FL that is filled with answers from readers all over. You will see what super powers they want the most, their least favorite singer and many more funny things! Recently, in our town of Mount Dora, FL, film crews filled up the streets to make the movie Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword. Kids who assisted behind the scenes share their experience. Be sure to check it out... it’s really interesting and sure to be a great adventure movie. I can hardly wait to see it and pick out all the spots in our town!
The Bunk Room Needs You
Yes...this whole magazine is written entirely By Kids For Kids, so come on kids. Now’s your time to shine. See your name in lights. This is your launch pad to greatness!
Submission Guidelines All writing should be original work of the contributor and be considered wholesome and acceptable content for kids aged 8 to 18. All artwork must be original from the contributor. For photographs, please include names of persons in the photos.
Submit Online All work needs to be submitted via our Inbox. Remember, a parent or guardian electronic signature must accompany all submissions. All submissions are the property of The Bunk Room. The Bunk Room reserves the right to edit submission.
The Bunk Room is published bimonthly by Dimples Media. All rights reserved. No portion of this We’ve got a jam-packed issue this month. All of us at The Bunk publication may be reprinted Room hope you enjoy it! without permission from the Smiles!~Margo publisher. January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 4
My Proudest Moment By Christina 11, Orlando, FL My proudest moment was when I got my 3 year trophy at A Dancer's Place. My whole class cheered and I felt really cool. I had to quit dance since I moved but I will never forget the wonderful memories I made there!
Sylvan Learning: More Than Just Tutoring
SylvanLearning.com 5 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
For less than the cost of a pizza dinner, you can feed a child for a month. The Bunk Room is proudly partnered with an international corporation in an awardwinning effort to end world hunger. Since 2003, over 200 million meals have been provided to children throughout the world, including the United States.
Help us help feed the children. For less than the cost of dinner out with your family, you’ll not only feed a child for a month, you will be helping contribute to the growth of young writers and readers of The Bunk Room nationwide. Learn More Help others. Help yourself. Learn how helping feed children wordwide can help your family and your community as well. Call Maria Slaby, Publisher of The Bunk Room, at 352-50-6521.
Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 6
Costumes, Auditions, Oh My! with 4 or 5 other kids, wait for my turn, read some lines, and that was it. I didn’t have to sing because the Cheshire Cat 1 (the character I was auditioning for) didn’t sing a solo song in the play. After the auditions were over and everyone had a role, (I did end up getting the part of Cheshire Cat 1!) we all got to start learning the scenes that we would be in.
By Victoria 13, Orlando, FL This school year I joined a new theater company, the Central Florida Performing Arts Company. (Or CFPA for short!) They were going to be performing Alice in Wonderland Jr. as their next play. The directors of the play were Miss Delisa and Miss Skye. Miss Skye also handled the lighting and sound and Miss Delisa made most of the costumes along with a couple other mothers. Miss Gianna and Celeste choreographed all of the dances. Mark, the new intern, set up a lot of the scenes, managed props, and kept reasonable order backstage during the shows. During the first few classes, all we did was learn the choreography to Zipa-dee-do-da and Dogsenland, two of the musical numbers in the play. But after the first 4 weeks of classes, it came time for auditions! I had never liked auditions before, but standing up and singing in front of strangers just totally freaked me out!
7 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
When audition week came, it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. All I did was go into another room
As it got nearer to show week, we had to raise the rehearsals up from 2 hours to 3 hours because we were SOOO not ready to do the play! But when show week arrived, we really stepped it up and gave it all we had. And it looks like all the hard work really paid off.
The set was amazing, everyone had super cool costumes, and the dances really tied everything together. I think my favorite scenes were the Tweedles scene and the Queen of Hearts’ court scene. My favorite dance numbers were Zip-a-dee-do-da, and Caucus race. In between shows, Miss Delisa threw the cast a pizza party. It was so much fun. I love acting with CFPA and I made tons of new friends! A special thanks to Miss Delisa, Miss Skye, Miss Gianna, Celeste, and Mark for helping the Star Kids deliver a totally amazing show!
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 8
9 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Zoo Time! Again, you see at least four baby elephants, exactly like the monkeys. All of There are plenty of reasons on why you should visit the zoo. For one reason, when the elephants walk fast to their pool filled you walk in there is a ginormous map that with water and take up a trunkful! After that, you brace yourself for cold water, directs you to each of the animals and you get drenched! habitats. You decide where you want to go, and then, follow the big signs to You next decide to go to the tiger where you want to go. cage, where you can see it from either on the ground, or, if you prefer, in a Your first habitat is the monkeys. gargantuan skybox with a bottom made of Luckily, it was feeding time for the monkeys. You then see them swing upside glass over the entire cage with massive supporters! You decide the skybox. It was down and all around their gigantic obstacle course of a home to get to where your luck. The tiger determined to put on a show. the employee is feeding the screeching By Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
monkeys. Next, all of a sudden, you see a monkey that was camouflaged, carefully go down the vines to eat, after that, you see why. She was holding a little baby monkey only half a month old! Then, you gasp as you see the wonderful employee feed both the monkeys, the baby out of a baby bottle, and the mother out of a banana. The monkeys all screech with delight and swoop back up the vines, the mother goes very warily up the vines. After that, you see the magnificent monkeys peel their own bananas, and eat it. Your next stop, you decide, will be the elephant cage. At that time, it was the time where the elephants spray each other and the people! You knew it was that time, and ran full speed to the elephant cage.
First, he paced around, as if looking for some prey, after all, it was the tiger’s feeding time. In the skybox’s middle, facing down, there was a locked door. The employee came with the key for the door, opened it up, and dropped the tiger’s food. The tiger gobbled it up greedily, then looked up, and paced again. The employee, again dropped the food for the tiger, and the tiger gobbled it up greedily. He licked his chops, and stood up, gave a colossal roar, then lay down, and slept. The show, the tiger decided, was over for now. The reason why you should visit the zoo is because, you are able to see alot of fun animals, and you learn about the animals at the same time! I love going to the zoo, and I hope you do too!
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 10
CHOOSE FROM OVER 100 SKI RESORTS NATIONWIDE. 11 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Homeless to Harvard: A Turned Around Life
started fending for herself. She slept in subways, Most of us will remember our childhoods as carefree, underneath bridges and in streets. In other words, she was homeless. fun and innocent. Lives with kisses, smiles and undying love and attention. After remembering her mothers words “one day life is going to get better,” Liz realized that she Liz Murray did not have that childhood life. needed to do something about her life and get it No, Liz Murray had a much different childhood life than most little girls and boys have. Growing up, back on track. She completed her high school education in two years, and excelled as a straight A she lived in an atmosphere that puts most people on student. Soon her classmates started getting college edge: An atmosphere of drugs and alcohol. applications. Throughout Liz’s life, up until she was around 15, The New York Times then had a writing contest she was in the care of drug and alcohol addicted and in short, Liz wrote an essay parents. Almost every night when they had the money, her parents would go out and get drunk and about her story and won! She was accepted into Harvard University high, spending all of the money along the way. She and graduated last summer. and her older sister, Lisa would often live off of She has written a New York measly amounts of food, no showers and a minimal Times bestseller, Breaking Night: supply of clothes. A Memoir of Forgiveness, In her book titled Breaking Night, Liz states that Survival and My Journey from although she and her sister were often forgotten Homeless and Harvard. Her about, she always felt as though her parents still loved them, regardless of their many destructive turns story also played out in the Lifetime movie. Liz is now a motivational taken in the girls’ lives. speaker for her organization Manifest Living. Liz was in her mid-teens when her mother died. Her father moved into a homeless shelter and Liz By Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 12
A different kind of homeschool. By Madison 12, Eustis, FL I have been home schooled by my mom my whole life but this year my brother and I are each taking a couple virtual school classes on Florida Virtual School. The most different part about Florida Virtual School, compared to what I am used to, is probably having a teacher that’s not my Mom. At the beginning of the school year the classes that I had online were Science 2 and Art 2D. My art class was only 1 semester so I have already finished that class and now I am starting career education.
I have had really good teachers. The main way that I communicate with my teachers is through e-mail but every month I have a monthly call and at the end of each module there is usually an oral exam which is done over the phone. There is a little more pressure having to turn something in to a teacher that is not my Mom because I haven’t done that before, but my teachers are really nice and if you mess up on something they usually let you try again for a better grade.
Some of my friends are also doing classes on Florida virtual school this year and one of them is
13 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
in the same science class with me and we even ended up with the same teacher. There was a lesson in the second module of our science class where you are assigned a partner and usually you and your partner would work together over e-mail but my teacher had asked me if I knew anyone in this class and I told her that I did and so we got to be partners. It was a lot easier because my friend got to come over to my house so that we could work on our project and we didn’t have to do it through e-mail or phone or anything. Occasionally I e-mail one girl that is in my science class that I didn’t know before this. In my art class you would turn your work in by either scanning it (if you had a scanner) or by taking a digital picture of it. My art class had a lot about comics and I got to do a comic self portrait and then in a different lesson I got to do a comic villain that was against my comic self portrait. It was a lot of fun. I even got to make up my own comic strip. I really like Florida virtual school!!
Be the next Cover Kid
The Bunk Room By Kids For Kids
How to become The Cover Kid: We love all of our contributors... and when some of those contributors submit more articles, they are put on our “Hopeful Cover Kid” list.
Wow! I want to be on the cover of The Bunk Room!
When we get an article with cool pictures from a contributor on our “Hopeful Cover Kid” list, we put them on our cover! So here’s what you gotta do: Submit a lot of articles with pictures for upcoming issues... once you do you might get on the cover! Include a really great head and shoulder shot and you might find yourself on our next cover. Hello, that is so cOoL!
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 14
! g n i k a M e i v o M
t he rest in L te F in , is y t s be a 15, Eu ew of m at han like to who kn , ld e u o in By Jon w m n d of me if I to be ll a frie going , asked e s tr a a w This fa e t h he ft t ha urse! T movie l side o o c a a f ic r o n o , h f s tec sistant said ye g's tion as rida. I he Kin lo F , a produc r s an d t r o n Mt. e D t t t. a wntow nW in M o n d g a y in in R t m e fil ovie is nture s f t he m d adve e s a. a a -b name o li Ae n aith nts and called It is a f . d d n r assista o la s ’ y r Sw s to ta c n e mbers the dir nd a f a ew me on e of r Dora a c t e e h m t I f duced y g. All o as intro Monda in w n m I il O . f ts e e wer of only headse sday w consist ies and lk to t ta u on Tue o ie d rs and alk h turne directo iven w ic g d h n e w r o , e c w w se ctors era cre st and . t he a m . ir . f a ll c e a h e f t h et to to t ne I also m nd bes Ever yo ! ator, a ople! I tr e ld s p o lu h o il in tw ts, the Eric Re ssistan books, e h t their a f ro e autho ing a and th like film ice. s n a y w ll a it ere e at sr to me w see wh n met wa e to iv g g in z re s with as ama that we r y card w o s t b m I e jo m e f th cueing ing the Some o s, bring rs', and ie te r lk movie. a ta u few ie dq g walk tra in a to 'hea x in k e n c n ig a s a b s a tage t to be e d f oo ven go e I . s the film e tak ea during nd mad a actors y a d . scenes s ever y nds of t he lso frie e actor a h t m h a it I h hw eek te lunc of whic hole w t w s o e h m t Ia nds, ughout come ew frie w. Thro o n lot of n k ected to o p o x b e e c is Fa it to movie with on ait for un. The w f f 't g! n o a t c lo .I t filmin I had a is year to star h t e f n o o r me second out Sum f or t h e d n a t u come o
15 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Jonathan and his sister, Madison with the cast & crew.
Cast & Crew
Behind the Scenes Adventure By Kevin 13, Sorrento, FL
I really loved helping out on the set of Ryann Watters and the Kings Sword. The actors are fun to be around; they are very nice people. Not only was I a PA (Production Assistant) but I was also an extra (people you see in the background of a movie) I was in 4 scenes. I was also transportation for a day or two bringing people to and from Head Quarters.
This is a scene we were in.
Behind the Scenes Appreciation By Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL It’s an amazing experience to be a production assistant on the set of a movie. Helping out with the Ryann Watters movie gave me a whole new perspective on the film and production arts. You could never imagine how much hard work and dedication goes in to the making of a movie until you actually are a part of it all!
I’ve read the book and recommend it a lot. I loved it and I am working on second book: Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith.
Lots of waiting on a movie set!
Benj 13 Mount Dora, FL
Jonathan 15 Eustis, FL
However, it’s all worth it to know that you are helping out together to create something great. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of the movie-makingmayhem, I’ve learned to truly appreciate every single type of media production out there!
Erik 15 Mount Dora, FL
Kevin 13 Sorrento, FL
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 16
Remember Alex Brown We lost our daughter, Alex Brown, in a single car accident as she drove to what seemed like just another ordinary day of her senior year in high school. Although no other vehicles were involved, Alex was not alone. The cell phone on which she had sent and receive over 10,000 text messages in the weeks preceding her accident was with her. Alex lost her life to texting while driving. To honor Alex's memory we formed The Remember Alex Brown Foundation (RAB). The foundation's website is a place to tell your story, to learn from others and to make a difference. As you drive today, please put your cell phone away and drive safely. Your messages will be there when you arrive at your destination. Make sure that you arrive safely, too. Learn more about Alex here.
A smarter way to enjoy soda.
17 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Bubble Up!
By Brian 13, Medford, OR
Homemade Soda! Sweet!
Santa was clever this year when he decided to give me a gift I never even knew existed. I love Coca-Cola. I get it at school, and I have a cool Coca-Cola t-shirt. I guess I’m just like any other American teenager.
Well, Santa gave me the Soda Stream. It’s a machine that literally makes homemade soda in a matter of minutes. First, you fill the reusable bottle with regular tap water. Then, you attach it to the machine and hit the CO2 pump about 3 times quickly. The water is suddenly filled with carbonation. Then, you add the syrup of your choice to make any flavor you want. Mom is happy about these syrups because they do not have high-fructose corn syrup, which is very unhealthy. The flavors are great and they taste just like the brand name flavors. We have tried cola, root beer, lemonlime, orange and cream soda. There are many other flavors available.
I enjoy making countless sodas for my family, friends and I. My little sister’s favorite flavor is root beer. My mom and dad like to make seltzer water’s with essential oils instead of the soda syrups. I like these too. I really like that Santa knows me so well, and chose to give me such a fun and useful present for Christmas.
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 18
by Cody 8 and Samantha 6, Clermont, FL “We had a great time snowboarding. It was so fun, I could not believe it! I was so low to the ground when I went down hill to keep my balance.” said Samantha.
Cody describes, “And I was really good and that hill was really big, and I went on that hill and went straight down there!
Samantha said, “We weren’t skiing, we only snowboarded because mom snowboarded once and we never did so she wanted us to. I was really good at it too!
“The ski lift was so fun I was afraid of heights but I didn’t care and didn’t look down at all.
Cody 8
Cody explained, “I’m not afraid of heights! We also had a hotel and we loved that too. We were on the big mountain in the hotel and had the biggest, best view! Then we stopped to see Nana on the way home. We had the best time ever!”
SnowAdventures Jacob 13, Galax, VA
Jacob 13
I think snow is pretty cool so I'm going to tell you some of the upsides and downsides of it. Some of the biggest upsides of snow in my opinion are sledding, building snowmen, and snowball fights (but only when everybody is participating). I can only think of a few downsides, like how cold it is and how when it snows, it ices over the roads and makes transportation harder. I have to be honest, before I moved to Virginia (from Florida) I didn't give much thought except for on those days when it was really hot and I wondered if snow might cool me down. Now I wonder what it would feel like to be in Florida again! If you're planning on coming to VA anytime soon then I would advise you to pack a whole lot of warm clothes. And I would also advise a few good car games for the ride up. And if you do come you'd better hope that there's snow because it is a lot of fun.
19 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
by Hannah 11, Galax VA Coming from Florida I didn’t know what to think about snow. I expected it to be pretty much like it is in the movies- fluffy, cottony, light and sparkly. What I expected was completely different than what it really is. Now that I’ve lived in Virginia for three winters, this is what I think about it… Our first snow day was pretty much what I thought it would be, but when winter really kicked in, things changed… a lot! It went from just a couple flakes, to several inches, from sweatshirts to BIG fluffy jackets, from tennis shoes to snow boots! And all of that can be a big hassle!
But there are some up sides too. My favorite thing to do in the snow is to build snowmen! Decorating it is fun, but the best part is trying to get it were you want it without making a mudman! And then there are snow forts, and snowball fights, which my brothers probably enjoy more than I do. And I have to give it to her, mom is great! She lets us take a break from school and make snow cream! Snow cream is one of our family’s favorite winter treats. Speaking of snow cream, here is our recipe:
Hannah 11
Fresh, fluffy snow (there is no substitute!) Milk, Sugar Vanilla extract Mix it all together in a big bowl until it looks & tastes like a vanilla slushy! YUM!!!
Isabella 11 Isabella 11, Winslow, ME Winter is always a fun time up here. We always get plenty of snow. At our house, we have a big hill out back that we use for sledding. Sledding AWESOME and it is even more AWESOME when it's icy and you go realllllllyyyy fast. My Dad will build ramps and little starting blocks so we go faster. And when the guy comes to plow the driveway, he builds up a BIG pile of snow and we build tunnels through it, make sledding ramps off of it, and even build snow forts with it. Since we live in Maine, we get plenty of snow, and the rest of the family has snowmobiles. Winter is probably one of my favorite times because I have sooo much fun. I hope all of you can enjoy that fun too! (:
Samantha 6
/ February 2011 | Abeles TheBunkRoom.com | 20 Samantha and Cody’s photo January courtesy of Stephanie Photography
SnowAdventures continue
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
My family just went on a skiing trip to our cabin in Mentone, Alabama. I usually ski but this time I also snow boarded. I watched some kids on YouTube just to get the basics. Snow boarding is a lot harder than it looks. It took a long time to get used to the whole balance thing but I did get the hang of it. I crashed a lot though! When I finally figured it out, I started to do tricks like jumps, spins and riding with opposite feet. Overall I think snow boarding is awesome!
Annika 10
21 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
1. Do you Ski or Snowboard? For how long? Cross country ski for 3 or 4 hours at a time 2. What is your most memorable skiing or snowboarding experience? Seeing elk and moose. And skiing FAST! 3. Where are the places you have skied or snowboarded at? Pahaska (near Yellowstone) 4. What is harder: Skiing or Snowboarding? Why? I haven't had a chance to try snowboarding James 7, Cody, WY
Erik 15 Benj 13
Prediction: Best Super Bowl Ever by Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Titletown vs. Steel City. Cheeseheads vs. Terrible Towels. A-Rod vs. Big Ben. On February 6, 2011 at 6:00 pm, the Green Bay Packers will play the Pittsburg Steelers for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the Super Bowl. Both teams have historic pasts and both teams have overcome adversity this season. The Steelers were without their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games of the season and for many key games were without some key players. Over the last month and a half the Steelers have gotten healthy and in two playoff games their defense has dominated. The Packers have faced similar, if not worse issues this season. Before the season began the Packers were tabbed as Super Bowl favorites but as the season began the Packers were hit with injuries to their starting running back Ryan Grant and Linebacker Brad Jones.
As the season continued the Packers lost many players to injuries and even Aaron Rodgers, their star quarterback, had to miss a game and a half with a concussion. In these playoffs, the Packers are looking more and more like the team that was a favorite to go to the Super Bowl. I believe that this Super Bowl will be one of the best ever. Both the Steelers and the Packers have fantastic defenses, rich histories and good offenses and average special teams. The game will come down to these two things: Can the Steelers defense stop the red-hot Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense? And can the Packer defense stop Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense? I am rooting for the Green Bay Packers because they are my favorite team and I believe they can beat the Steelers so, Go Pack Go!
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 22
Pop Survey! FLY!
Inspired by Christina 10, Orlando, FL
So
rr
y, J
If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?
us tin
Martha Washington
Eminem
Logan Lerman
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Emma Watson
Robert Downey Jr.
Demi Lovato
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Daniel Tosh
Miley Cyrus
Robert E. Lee
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Taylor Swift
Margot Fontaine
Tate Olsen (Skillet's Cellist)
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
!
If you were deserted on an island and could have one thing with you, what would it be? A book
Water
A boat
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
A computer with WiFi
A cruise ship
A boat to get back home :)
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
A helicopter full of fuel
My family
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
A large book because I would probably get bored on the island.
Flare Gun
My family
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
A working boat
Who is your LEAST Favorite singer?
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
Justin Bieber
I do not know
Justin Bieber
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
The Black Eyed Peas
Ke$ha
Justin Bieber
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Ke$ha (live)
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Elvis
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
If you had one super power what would it be? To fly Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
The ability to breathe/talk underwater Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
23 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Fly Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
If you had one super power what would it be? Be able to fly
Turning invisible
If I could fly
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Speed
Flying
Able to control time
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
The power to fly
Invisibility
The ability to fly
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
What was your favorite gift?
A nutcracker snow globe that my Grandma sent me for Christmas
Wii
My troling moter
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
My iPod
Laughter
A new Alpine Stereo System for my car
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
A computer
My Webkinz hound dog
A Kindle that I got for Christmas this year.
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Note from my younger brother
My American Girl Doll
A week at YMCA Camp Wewa
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
Julia 12, Louisville, KY
Want to meet: Tom Cruise, Tony Hawk, Oprah or Katy Perry?
Tom Cruise
Katy Perry
Tom Cruise
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
Katy Perry
Tom Cruise
Tony Hawk
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Julia12, Louisville, KY
Tony Hawk
Tom Cruise
Tony Hawk
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Tony Hawk
Katy Perry
Tony Hawk
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
What do you want more than anything?
My birthday to come
Fame
A Ford F-150 Rapter
Rebecca 8, Concord, NC
Michael 10, Pace, FL
Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL
A happy life
The ability to fly
A big giant library in my house
Margo 17, Mount Dora, FL
Jessica 15, Sorrento, FL
Julia12, Louisville, KY
Love (and a lot of money)
A cellphone
Kevin 12, Sorrento, FL
Christina 10, Orlando, FL
Season tickets to all of the Green Bay Packers home games.
For everyone to know Jesus
To be a famous ballet dancer
Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL
Isabella 11, Winslow, ME
Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
The Grace of God Eddie 16, Orlando, FL
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 24
Vrooom! By Benjamin 13, Mount Dora, FL I bought an ATV when we were at our cabin in Alabama for $100.00. It needed a lot of work but I got it anyway. It needed the carburetor re-worked. The electrical system needed work and the third gear in the transmission was out. The first thing I did was the carburetor work. I needed to clean it out and replace two of the jets. The next thing I did was to charge the battery. I rigged up a jumper to make a temporary fix to make the engine crank. To do this, I took out the solenoid and made a jumper wire from the battery to the starter. I later discovered the problem after I bought a new solenoid on ebay.
Yay!
Paint Time
The problem was in the hand control. I ran some tests to make sure. I ordered the new hand control but in the mean time I worked on getting it running. After adjustments I got it to run. I drove it around in first and second gear because third gear was out. It ran all right but it still needed some fine tuning. I ended up having to take apart the hold body to take out the handle bar control. While I had the body pieces off, I decided to go ahead and paint it. Before I painted it, it was a worn down camouflage with some black trim. I painted all of the black trim but I still have to paint the rest dark green. I ran all new gas lines and filters. I have to put a new valve stem on one of the tires because it leaks. Once I finish the ATV, I am going to bring it back up to our cabin in Alabama and use it up there. And Mom will be happy to get the van in the garage again! This has been an awesome project!
25 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Gettin’ Better Watch Benjamin take his this thing for a spin!
By Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL Want to read a hilarious and disgusting (in a good way) book? If you do, then this is the right book for you. Even if you don’t, this is still a good read for anybody. Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms is a kid’s classic that definitely appeals to the average kid.
Book Review
In the book, the main character Billy makes a bet with his two friends Joe and Alan that if he ate 15 worms in 15 days, he would get $50. After the first three days, Alan and Joe realize that Billy is not going to give up so they try to trick Billy into stop eating the worms. Billy and his other friend Tom work hard to avoid their tricks so that Billy can win the bet.
I really enjoyed reading it and I encourage other people to read this book. Once you start reading it, you won’t be able to put it down.
By Erik 15, Mount Dora, FL Ready for a hilarious and exciting movie? If you are, this is the right movie for you. This movie is based on the book How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell. This movie was a little bit different from the book but not much. There were certain scenes, lines and a few other things that I thought that might’ve been nice to have in the movie but there were also certain things that got added to the movie that I enjoyed.
A major thing that I did not like about the movie is that they changed the main plot line around a bit. In the book, if the main character Billy ate 15 worms in 15 days he would win $50. If he didn’t, then his friend Joe would win $50. In the movie, if Billy ate 10 worms in one day then Joe would have to go to school with worms in his pants. Same for if Billy didn’t eat the worms all in one day.
Movie Review
A major thing that I liked about the movie was the amount of comedy that was in it. The book had a lot of things that made me laugh too, but it seemed funnier watching the movie because of all of the extra comedy that was added by the scriptwriters. This was an awesome movie and it’s great for all ages including adults. My mom was even creeped out by this movie! (In a good way.)
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 26
Road Trip: Alaska By Gail 17, Bridgewater, ME My name is Gail, and this past summer I went on a mission trip to Alaska. We were going there to help a church put on a Vacation Bible School. It was really fun; the theme was Egypt, and the story of Joseph from Prison to Palace. So how did I get to Alaska? Well, I live in Massachusetts, the team I went with we all raised money to pay for out trips. Then on June 24th we went to the airport and got on a huge plane. To be honest I called myself crazy, here I was getting on a plane with a team of people I had never met up until that morning, and now I was flying all the way to Alaska with them. The flight was long and we had a layover in Montana where we changed planes. By the time we got to Alaska it was eleven o’ clock our time, and only seven o’ clock their time. We were exhausted, but the people there were so kind, they had already set up the apartment for us and made us all dinner. Here we were coming to serve them and they had already blessed us. The next day after a good sleep, we set off to explore. Friday was the day we had off so we used it to go hiking in Denali National Park. We enjoyed hiking up a gorge, and the guys did a little rock climbing. The mountains are so beautiful, they took our breath away. After our spectacular day of hiking it was time to put on the Vacation Bible School. We put our creative skills to work transforming a church into an Egyptian palace, and market place. The children were amazed and inspired. They had such fun playing the games, and learning the story of Joseph. We made many friends and then made many memories with them. I was so blessed and touched. There’s something about sharing the Love of Christ with people. The last night we were there we had a party. We didn’t go to bed until sometime in the morning. During that night, a moose and her calf trotted through the parking lot. Talk about nature in your own back yard! I did not want to leave but at five a.m. the next morning we left for the airport and the long flight home. I will never forget Alaska and someday I hope to return.
27 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Joy Ride!
Wow! It was so amazing... By Annika 10, Mount Dora, FL
Our family has a rental house so we were over there cleaning one weekend. We took a break and took a Joy Ride!!
My brother Benjamin has a riding lawn mower and we have a pretty big yard. Our friend Lucca came over and he got a great idea to have Benjamin pull us behind his lawn mower on an old tire. We went tubing in our own yard! Benj drove the lawn mower and Luca and I took turns. It was terrific having the sun shine and wind blowing through your hair! One thing I didn’t like was the grass in your mouth! Ick!
WOW it was so amazing flying around that the pond! At first you felt like you would fall in because there is a really steep bank. After awhile Benj got the idea to connect two tires so we could both ride at the same time. It was a lot slower with two people, and then the rope broke. What a bummer! By then it was time to go. I had a great day. What a thrilling Joy Ride!
Right next to our house is great big retention pond so we all decided to go there next.
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 28
The proud owner, Sophia
“The first cake I made for my bakery.”
So much work, but so much FUN! priced out everything very carefully, to the very hundredth of a cent for each item.
By Sophia 16, Leesburg, FL I love to bake… ever since, well as long as I can remember. I remember baking with Mom and always trying to make desserts on my own. I occasionally baked for company but usually for relatives. Pretty soon those same people were asking for my brownies, cookies, and especially my cakes. They would beg me to make that one special thing they loved. Then my friends and family started saying I should sell my desserts. My mom liked the idea and Dad thought it would be fun to have another young entrepreneur in the house. My dad, who owns Husebo Advertising and Public Relations, helped put together a general look and logo, which we then used to print business cards and also a pricing list to hand out to existing or future clients. Coming up with the pricing itself was not very easy! I had to stay up very late each night after homework and do several math equations on each ingredient to make sure I wouldn't lose money. I
29 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011
Of course all of this was rather challenging with balancing school, and baking, and extracurricular activities. But through it all, I have an up and running home-based business. I just love it. It is so satisfying to see the smile on my costumer's face when they come to pick up their order. There is nothing like it. Orders started out with just friends and family, but now I get business from people who have heard from other people about my desserts. Advice to other future business owners? Well, you have to absolutely love it to do it, because if you don't like doing it all the time, baking the same thing over and over, sifting that flour again or buttering that pan for the fiftieth time will get rather annoying. Do it because you love it and not because you 'think it would be kinda fun." Don't be afraid to ask anyone for help. I always ask my mom or sister to help me do something I haven't quite perfected yet.
Day-To-Day
By Becca 8, Concord, NC
poEM pOE
m
When I wake up in the morning, I go and get ready for the day. I walk downstairs and say hello to my dog, Abby. Wagging her tail against me, she always has something in her mouth, whether it is a dirty sock or a puppet moose with its head torn.
Smiling, I walk past her, and say hello to my Mom. As being a Mom is a hard job, along with doing laundry, dishes, or sweeping, my Mom tries to be cheerful all the time.
What you do on a regular day.
I jog to the kitchen to eat breakfast, before doing my chore, which is laundry this week. When I am all done with the laundry, I walk straight upstairs, focusing on the long school day that is ahead. I do my math learning multiplication, and also learning a bit of fractions, too. I hop to my folder, seeing what subjects are left, then dash to my cursive and independent reading. In cursive I learn capital letters today, with it lots of lines. In my independent reading, my favorite subject, I learn about germs, mammals, and bats. I grab my piano bag and skip downstairs, knowing what is ahead of me. I play my songs, then head to the computer, so I can do my online writing, no more or less. Now it is time for lunch, Yum, we are having cheese bagels! I complete my milk with a satisfactory smile; I only have writing to do today! I finish my assignments in a flash, then save it and send it to my teacher fast. I watch a movie, play Dominoes, and even watch my brother play Sly Cooper! Hooray, we are having tacos; I finish them fast and head to bed. My day is all done, and I fall asleep.
Walk with Words By Levi 12, Tavares, FL
The eight parts of speech were walking along when they saw a man taking some money from an old lady. "Look," said verb. "Where," asked adverb. "Over," said preposition. "...there," finished pronoun. "Oh, no," exclaimed interjection. "Vile, " said adjective. "But," said conjunction. "...handsome," said adjective. "Man," said noun. "Nice," said adjective. "Huh," asked interjection. "Man," repeated noun. "Nice," repeated adjective. "Oh," said interjection. Then they all realized the old lady was giving the man the money.
January / February 2011 | TheBunkRoom.com | 30
31 TheBunkRoom.com | January / February 2011