Wise Monkey News is here to provide young people an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect their lives. We hope that, through your participation, this website serves as a forum for the development, exchange, and expression of ideas that will prepare us to assume our positions as the leaders of tomorrow's world. Have something to say?
Their flesh is the playbill
by: Isaac Vanderburg - printed on 02-20-2002
In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are their own force of nature.
They exist in cycles, like seasons.
They affect change, like hurricanes.
The cycle of an individual, for example, begins at birth when the wriggling infant is swept tail-first toward the ocean. It ends 2-5 years later when the salmon returns?strengthened by ocean fodder and force?to slice through rapids and impossible distances, and eventually to spawn and die.
Siesta Lessons
by: Brooke Anderson - printed on 02-28-2001
Siesta. A time to think, to reflect, to slow down, to relax . . . moreover, a time to simply breathe. When I first arrived in Spain, I wasn’t aware how deeply ingrained siestas were in the Spanish culture. I had heard the term before, but never considered it a practiced tradition in any country. I quickly learned that in the south of Spain, a siesta was not only a tradition, but a daily ritual. At exactly 2:00 every day, the stores pulled down their chain-link barriers, offering a sign that the siesta was approaching.
Recognize the beauty that surrounds you
by: Meghan Molenda - printed on 11-07-2001
We are all Oregonians at the moment. I realize that this may not seem to be the case for many of us, myself included, because many University of Portland students are from out of the state, or out of the country. Right now, however, we all have something in common, no matter where we are from or where we might be heading: we are here on the west coast in one of the most beautiful cities in the country, Portland, Oregon.
Research, diversity and prospects for herpetological survival in Costa Rica and the rest of the world
by: Eron Osterhaus - printed on 04-24-2002
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the number of species of amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica that have been identified has increased significantly. Although new species are occasionally added to the list of Costa Rican herpetofauna, the rate of discovery has slowed considerably. One might, therefore, expect that contemporary research efforts would be directed towards studying the biology and natural history of the already-identified species, particularly since current understanding is far from complete and, in many cases, has been derived solely from the examination of preserved museum specimens.
Studying abroad in Spain proves to be an adventure
by: Sally Starker - printed on 02-28-2001
I couldn’t believe I was actually going to Spain. I was so excited, yet so scared. I arrived in Granada and my roommate and I met our host mother. We knew everything would be wonderful because she greeted us with a huge smile on her face.
I soon realized I had lots to learn about the Spanish culture. Once, I went into a grocery store to buy an onion. I went right over and picked it up, but when I turned around, I noticed everyone was looking at me.
Nagasaki to Portland: the Hanford nuclear reservation connection
by: Isaac Vanderburg - printed on 03-28-2001
When I was young, I would make parachutes by connecting the four ends of a bandanna to a fishing weight using four pieces of red yarn. Somehow the unfolding corners and the perfect billow and the gravity of it all produced a phantasmagoria of wonder, so much so that I would bunch the whole thing together and dart it back into mid-air, just to see if it all happened again.
Today I imagine that if I had looked up as a boy and saw the parachute that Katsuji Yoshida saw, with its impeccable aerodynamics and noble descent, I would have been excited just as he was.