Panthers Attend National FFA Convention
Last Monday, October 23rd 6 of our Panthers took a 6 hour flight from Los Angeles to Louisville, Kentucky for the week long 88th National FFA Convention. This is the largest student gathering in North America with over 70,000 members in attendance at Freedom Hall this year. The students experienced various sessions filled with motivational speakers, leadership workshops, national level competitions, as well as the installation of the 2015-2016 National Officer Team.
(From left to right) Luisa Chavarria (11), Yadira Barrera (10), Daniel Segura (11), Nelly Guerra (c/o '14), Judith Zavala (11), and Natalya Speer (11).
Daniel Segura (11), Yadira Barrera (10), and Michael Dulay (11). 3 of our students admiring the Ohio River.
The Louisville Slugger.
(From left to right) Luisa Chavarria (11), Yadira Barrera (10), Daniel Segura (11), Nelly Guerra (c/o '14), Judith Zavala (11), and Natalya Speer (11).
In addition, Pioneer Valley Class of 2014 alumni, Nelly Guerra, received the American degree, the highest award attainable in the organization. "It really makes you realize just how big this organization is and how much you can achieve from it. It truly is a unique experience," says Daniel Segura (11), "We learned a lot of things that we can bring back to incorporate in our own chapter here at home. "Other places that the students were able to visit included Nashville, Tennessee, the Louisville Slugger, the National Corvette Museum, and the Nashville Nightmare Haunted House.
-Yadira Barrera
PV Eyes
Janet Gutierrez (10)
1) Your eye color is controlled by the level of melanin in your iris.
2)Your eyes contain about 107 million cells that are all sensitive to light.
3) If you have blue eyes, then you may share a common ancestor with every other blue-eyed person in the world.
4) It is impossible for eye transplants.The optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain is too sensitive to reconstruct successfully.
5) Your retinas actually perceive the outside world as upside down but your brain flips the image for you.
Melia Patterson (11)
6) On average, you blink 17 times a minute. 14,280 times in a 24 hour day. And 5.2 million times a year.
7) They say "In the blink of an eye" because that's the fastest moving muscle in the body.
8) Your eyeballs stay the same size from birth to death.
9) The human eye can distinguish 10 million different colors.
10) Night vision goggles are green because the human eye can differentiate more shades of green than any other color.
Jordan Gonzales (11)
11) Eyes are able to process 36,000 pieces of information in a single hour.
12) About half of the human brain is dedicated to vision and sight.
13) The eye is the 2nd most complex organ in our body. The brain comes in as 1st.
14) Your pupil dilates about 45% when you see someone you love.
15) Every person has a blind spot, but your eyes work together to fill it in.
Craig Lodes (11)
16) You are always looking at your nose, but your brain ignores it.
17) Brown eyes have more melanin in their iris.
18) On an average day, the focusing muscle of the eyes moves about 100,000 times.
19) Every 1 in 10 men are color blind. The colors they can/cannot see depends on the person.
This is equivalent to walking 50 miles every day for your leg muscles.
20) The human eye is so sensitive that, if the world was flat, you are capable of spotting
a candle flickering at night from up to 30 miles away.
Julissa Gutierrez (11)
Sources:
http://eyecare.lenstore.co.uk/
http://www.factslides.com/s-Eyes
-Emilia Martinez
PV Passions
A passion is a necessity in life, just like how everyone needs food or oxygen to live. You know you've found your passion the minute you do it. When you get that indescribable feeling that makes your heart pound with adrenaline, makes you lose your breath, and might even make you a little dizzy. However, you still do it because that's what gets you up in the morning. A passion is something you can't simply walk away from; it's a part of you that has no intention of leaving.
- Alexis Dagar
Kayla Alarcon (10) Her passion is music and has been playing piano since the 3rd grade. "I love it because it's a way I can express myself and put my emotions into it. To me, music is something I can use to escape from the real world. When I play, I have my own little world I live in."
Klever Paxtor (9) "I like working out. It really helps me think and concentrate. It also helps me clear my head or just relieve stress. Overall, it just makes me feel good to workout. Sometimes I work out in the weight room at school."
Juan Jaracuaro (12) "I like music. Listening to the lyrics and the beat is what's most meaningful to me. I also really like to spend time with my family. Playing around with my brothers is really fun too."
Kayla Alarcon (10) Her passion is music and has been playing piano since the 3rd grade. "I love it because it's a way I can express myself and put my emotions into it. To me, music is something I can use to escape from the real world. When I play, I have my own little world I live in."