First Snow of the Year!...Although Not Very Welcomed This Time Around

Everyone, whether they live on the west coast or the east coast, has heard of the horrendous aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey and other states along the east coast. The worst of this “Frankenstorm” hit the whole state of New Jersey. Power was restored and rebuilding for the aftermath of Sandy was underway. On Wednesday, November 7^th, Mother Nature decided to throw another obstacle at the already suffering state of NJ. A northeaster blustered through New York and New Jersey, causing more damage.

Those whose areas were affected by the Northeaster’s presence woke up the next morning with 6-14 inches of snow around their community. Along the coastline, more flooding occurred, with 40 mph winds (not as brutal as Sandy, but still terrifyingly strong considering the circumstances). Tens of thousands of homes were again left without power yet again, and hundreds fled their houses with fear of the ocean’s wrath. Some New Jersey towns in low-lying areas, such as Brick and Middletown, were evacuated.

The icy streets around the area have caused dozens of accidents. Tree limbs and electrical wires have again caused damage to homes, cars, and the power.

Gov. Chris Christie, who has been very supportive during this hardship, said, “We may take a setback in the next 24 hours. You need to be prepared for that. I’m prepared for that. I hate setbacks. I don’t tolerate them usually very well. But this one I can’t control. The weather is what it is, and we’re going to have to deal with it." 

By Emma Mueller

Biotech in the News: Finding the Cause of Schizophrenia

Researchers from laboratories at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied a rare genetic disorder and found that certain molecular changes that affected memory were also present in people with schizophrenia, which is often characterized by hallucinations, isolation, and learning problems. A strong risk factor of the disease is the 22q11 deletion syndrome, a disorder that about 30 percent of the people who have it develop schizophrenia. Studies have shown that the disorder caused changes in the nerve cells in the hippocampus. Changes were caused by the gene Dgcr8a, which keeps Serca 2, a calcium-regulating protein in nerve cells found more frequently when nerve cell communication dysfunction occurred, in check. Adding Serca2 back in reduced cellular deficits associated with the genetic defect that caused schizophrenia.

The impact of this discovery is beneficial because pinpointing the specific gene that causes a disease is the first step in developing therapies that could reverse the symptoms and development of schizophrenia. This could help many people to maintain a normal lifestyle and to remain mentally healthy.

Because the correlation has been confirmed to also exist in human brains, scientists can go to the next step: conduct research to develop genetic therapies that would reverse the development of schizophrenia in adolescents and young adults. However, second checks to confirm the discovery are necessary to ensure that therapies will be successful. All in all, the discovery has also allowed scientists to understand how genetics plays a part in developing the nervous system of different people, specifically those with schizophrenia.

References

Society for Neuroscience. (2012, October 10). Rare genetic disorder points to molecules that may play role in schizophrenia. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121009171456.htm

By NaYoung Yang

Feeling Stressed? Take out Your Ipod!

In keeping with Biotech’s goal to balance students’ lives, every once in a while it’s nice to go see a movie or just kick back and relax with some music.

Get your iPods ready with these hits:

1. Gangnam Style by PSY. We’ve all heard it. Danced it. There’s nothing like dancing to this song to relieve some stress.
2. Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars
3. Die Young by Ke$ha
4. One More Night by Maroon 5
5. Better Dig Two by The Band Perry
6. Diamonds by Rihanna
7. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
8. I Cry by Flo Rida
9.  Some Nights by Fun
10. Wanted by Hunter Hayes  

Top albums:

1. Red by Taylor Swift
2. Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill
3. Good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar
4. Night Train – Jason Aldean
5. Tailgates and Tanlines – Luke Bryan
6. Chief – Eric Church
7. 18 Months – Calvin Harris
8. Babel – Mumford and Sons
9. Rebel Soul – Kid Rock
10. Blown Away – Carrie Underwood

Get your friends together and head to the movie theater to see one of these new movie releases as of November 3: 

1. Wreck-It Ralph (PG)
2. Flight (R)
3. The Man With the Iron Fists (R)
4. Cloud Atlas (R)
5. Fun Size (PG-13)
6. Silent Hill: Revelation (R)
7. Chasing Mavericks (PG)

Some movies to wait for in the next two weeks:

1.  Skyfall (11/09/12) (PG-13)
2. Lincoln (11/09/12) (PG-13)
3. Citadel (11/09/12) (R)
4. Dangerous Liasons (11/09/12) (Not Yet Rated)
5. Coming Up Roses (11/09/12) (Not Rated)
6. ThanksKilling 3 (11/13/12) (Not Rated)
7. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (11/16/12) (PG-13)
8. Anna Karenina (11/16/12) (R)

Have some fun relieving stress and keeping that balance!

By Victoria Johnson

Hurricane Sandy-Devastating Losses

Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm that hit New Jersey on October 29^th, 2012, uprooted trees, knocked down power lines, and destroyed homes. Major flooding affected the tri- state area, along with many other areas along the coast. Billions of dollars will be spent to repair everything from schools to traffic lights, and fallen trees must be removed from the streets.

The most devastating damage, however, is the damage that cannot be repaired with money. The death toll from Hurricane Sandy continues to rise each day. As of November 3^rd, New Jersey reported 24 fatalities. Between the United States and Canada, the death toll has climbed to almost 100 people. Numerous individuals have died because of the extensive flooding. In some areas, the water completely covered homes. In one sad case, two children were swept away from their mother during the hurricane.

In addition to the major flooding, Hurricane Sandy also struck down power lines. Homes in the mid-Atlantic area have been without power for countless days, and the live wires have caused several electrocutions. It is important to avoid even the smallest puddle, for risk that an electrical current runs through the water.

People are slowly beginning to recover from Hurricane Sandy. Some of the power has been restored, and companies are in the process of repairing damage. Nevertheless, many individuals who lost their homes are currently in shelters with nowhere to go. Volunteers and donations of money, clothes, and food are needed. It is essential to help your friends, family, and even strangers heal from this catastrophic disaster. Please try your best to be supportive. If you were one of the lucky people who did not lose their home, do everything in your power to help others recover from Hurricane Sandy.  

Jenna Weingarten

Looking for a New Team...Calling All Writers!

As a new school year starts, not only do classes roll along, but clubs also start to pick up their feet and resume their activities once more.

The School News Organization is looking for new members to help write articles for this page and to expand the activites of the club.

To be qualified and to "apply":

1. You must be a junior, sophomore, or a freshman.
2. You love to write and would be serious about writing for the SNO (School News Organization). This club will take up some time to work for, so you need to be willing to put in a certain degree of effort.
3. This is the main part: Send me an email that explains why you wish to join. Underneath your proclamation, please write a 300-500 word blurb article about the most recent school event, the Club Fair. This is just to get a general idea of the kind of reporter/writer that you are.
   Emails must be sent by October 15! 

Don't take it as an assignment! Looking foward to hearing from you!

NaYoung Yang

Chief Editor