The Denver Post1

CK Reporter of the WeekBen Vanourek, Littleton

Fiery, forgotten artist at DAMThe Denver Art Museum has opened

a new exhibit featuring an old artist, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, who

was once renowned for his beautiful and truly unique style.

Born in Genoa, Italy in the early 17th centu-ry, the only education in art that Castiglione received was from local Genoese artists and then, years later, skilled Roman painters and sketchers.

In his early career, he travelled to Rome with hope that his art would become discov-ered and that wealth would be in store.

Once in Rome, violence broke out when “competing” artists teased him and doubted his art. Many quarrels ended with a fi ght and a frustrated Castiglione.

Castiglione used an intricate procedure now called monotyping to create some of his fi nest works.

Monotyping means that one had to pour ink on a copper plate and use the pointed wood-en end of a brush to etch out the ink resulting in the white fi gures on a print.

Once the artist had completed the etching, they would then place a damp piece of paper over the ink so that the illustration printed onto the paper.

“Castiglione was a brilliant artist who blurred the lines of artistic media through draftsmanship to achieve his own creative ends,” states Timothy Standring, co-curator of “Castiglione: Lost Genius.”

The art is truly exceptional and this forgot-ten artist had a thoroughly interesting life that involved several accusations of mur-der and strong violence towards those who doubted his artistic techniques.

Castiglione’s art can be described as a beau-tiful mixture of pen and paint that work to-gether to create somewhat colorless portraits,

landscapes, and animals conveying a seem-ingly intricate story portrayed through the masterful skill of making something abstract in a way that everything is clear.

“Castiglione: Lost Genius” will be show-cased at the DAM through November 8.

August 18, 2015

Youth face the challenge of water in the West

We want our past to be present in the future.

In the eyes of the Preserve America Youth Summit, we need the next generation of stewards to step up to understand, remem-ber, and share our history because of the role prior times play on us now.

PAYS hosts many youth summits through-out the summer in the hopes of fostering leadership skills and a sense of community awareness and involvement.

For students in 7th-12th grade, they get an

all-expense paid experience of being able to learn by way of observation.

This youth summit was centered around the Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area and the importance of water to Colorado.

The youth participated in a number of en-gaging activities throughout the week.

From museum visits and analyzing to pre-senters and teachers, and hands-on learning such as mock commissions and cleaning up the Cache la Poudre River, the students were constantly taking in new information.

“I really enjoyed seeing the people so passionate about the area. It made me want to care about it, since others did, too,” said Awbrey Moffett, an attendee.

There, kids could do more than just care, they could make a real difference.

City officials from Greeley and Fort Collins came to a PAYS Town Hall meeting to hear ideas for improvement to things such as tourism or the water dilemmas.

“(We) address the issues in new and cre-ative ways,” added Moffett.

PAYS is a one-of-a-kind experience that has the students give back just as the pro-gram gives to them.

“It’s a great way to get the youth involved in ways that they typically wouldn’t. It allows the younger generation to do things they don’t have the opportunity to do alone and it gives us a voice,” said Alex Hamner, another veteran of the summit.

The students’ voices and opinions can have an impact in preserving the past and build-ing improvement for the future.

By Brianna Wolle,14, a CK Reporter from Arvada

By Clarise Reichley,11, a CK Reporter from Denver

Youth-written stories that appear here also appear on

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HEY COLORADO KIDS!Visit YourHub.com/nextgen for more stories, movie reviews, school news, blogs and polls. Join the conversation today.

Caring about the environment involves more than talk, this clean-up crew discovered. Courtesy photo/Youth Summit

Photo/Denver Art Museum

The Denver Post

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” is a thrilling action-based film that I enjoyed very much.

It takes place around the middle of the Cold War, when America and the Soviet Union are still not really willing to work with one another.

But that is precisely what winds up happening. An international criminal organization has

advanced nuclear technology. An American spy, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavil), a Russian spy, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), and the daughter of “Hitler’s favorite rocket scientist” named Gabby (Alicia Vikander) are told to work together to infil-trate the organization.

Illya and Napoleon are clearly the best spies that both countries have to offer, even though their skill sets are very different.

Illya is an extremely strong martial artist with anger issues, while Napoleon is a charming thief who much resembles James Bond.

It’s very clever and very funny, but it is appropri-ately rated as PG13.

I enjoyed this movie so much! I can’t put my finger on anything that I didn’t really like about it.

It’s written by the same guy who wrote two Sher-lock Holmes movies (Guy Ritchie).

If you’ve seen some James Bond movies you’ll see that there are some bits that are quite similar.

The special effects were good though not abso-lutely fantastic, but the jokes were well thought up.

There are a lot of people speaking in Russian, so be prepared for subtitles.

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” is well executed as a film and is definitely worth your time and money; If you like good jokes, then you’re sure to love it.

My favorite parts were certainly all the comedy, but as I said, it’s definitely PG13. Still, I would rec-ommend this movie for pretty much anyone.

2

Cold war, hot action

By Avery Lankford12, a CK Reporter from Broomfield

Lucky discovery: A planet in a double-star system

When it comes to discoveries in science, there’s a lot more

preparation and knowledge than luck.

But luck certainly plays a role, and astronomers just happened to be looking in the right place at the right time to discover an interest-ing exoplanet.

Not just an exoplanet, mind you, but a circumbinary exoplanet!

In other words, a planet from outside our solar system -- an “ex-oplanet” -- that revolves around a double (binary) star, which makes it “circumbinary.”

Binary stars are double stars that

revolve around each other. In this case, the two stars take 27.3 days to go around each other, and the plan-et, Kepler 453b, takes 240.5 days to go around them.

Kepler 453b is the right distance from its two suns to have life, but it’s the wrong kind of planet: It is about six times the size of the Earth and is likely a gas giant like Jupiter rather than being rocky like Earth.

However, scientists said, it might have rocky moons, and they could have the right conditions for life.

The planet was spotted using NASA’s Kepler space telescope, which orbits the Sun so its instru-

ments are not affected by Earth’s interference.

Here’s where the luck part of this discovery comes in: Because Kepler 453b has two suns, its orbit gets some odd gravitation pulls, and it doesn’t go around in a neat ellipse like Earth does.

Exoplanets are discovered as they pass in front of their sun, making a sort of eclipse.

But because of Kepler 453b’s odd orbit, if the astronomers hadn’t had the Kepler focused on it right when they did, the planet wouldn’t have been visible from that angle again until 2066. photo/MarkGarlick.com

Being a secret agent is every kid’s dream, and in “The Glass Gauntlet,” by Carter Roy, Ronan, Greta, and Sammy get the

chance to do just that. In the first book in the series, “The Blood

Guard”, Ronan Truelove and his friends dis-covered that his father is the head of a sinister organization, known as the Bend Sinister.

While the trio escaped with their lives, they did not manage to capture Mr. Truelove.

Book two of the series begins when Ronan, Greta, and Sammy are invited to join the Blood Guard, a mysterious organization de-veloped to protect the Pure, of which Greta is one, and without whom the earth would perish.

Greta’s father and Ronan’s mom are a part of this organization, while Sammy is a young orphan whom Ronan’s family adopted.

While the three friends are excited at first, they quickly lose their enthusiasm when they realize they will be training in an abandoned town, and that the closest they will come to a mission is a series of boring tests held at the estate of the mysterious (and incredibly wealthy) Ms. Glass.

They soon discover that these tests are not what they are made out to be, when their chaperone disappears, leaving them strand-

ed among ruthless contestants ready to fight their way through a series of increasingly dangerous scenarios.

But are the contestants who they say they are?

And is Ms. Glass really ill, or is something more sinister going on?

The plot of this book is intriguing, but very simple in terms of vocabulary and central idea.

Although the book moves slowly at first, it quickly fills with action and mystery.

It was a simpler read, but at times it was graphic, so I would recommend it for kids ages 8-12 with an interest in adventure and mystery stories.

And although it is a sequel, it is easy enough to understand without having to have read the first book.

“The Glass Gauntlet” was an easy but in-teresting read and I would give it 7 out of 10 stars.

By Thandi Glick,11, a CK Reporter from Denver

Easy but interesting tale of secret agents

The Denver Post3

With all the news in recent years about how soft drinks and sugary foods are

causing obesity and diabetes, it was sur-prising to see a health group say it’s okay to drink soda and eat sugary snacks as long as you get plenty of exercise.

It was so surprising that reporters from the New York Times decided to fi nd out more about the Global Energy Balance Network.

What they found was that a lot of the money to run the Global Energy Balance Network comes from the Coca Cola Compa-ny, and that Coke also gave large amounts of

money to sponsor research by some of the group’s scientists.

Does that make everything the Global En-ergy Balance Network says phony?

No. It’s certainly true, as the group says, that, if you exercise enough to burn more calories than you eat, you’ll lose weight.

But most dieticians say there is a lot more to healthy eating and weight control than that, and they wonder if, when a company pays for a research project, the researchers feel free to say whatever they want about whatever facts they fi nd.

Coca-Cola sponsored science raises ethical questions

The problems of the Middle East and in many parts of northern Africa have made for upsetting

news here in the United States.Of course, they’re much more up-

setting for the people who live in those troubled areas.

Some are in danger from war itself. Others are in areas where the war means there is no food or medical care available.

And others fi nd themselves in plac-es where there are no jobs because of all the trouble, so they can’t feed their families.

For many of these people, the only way they feel they can survive is to move to Europe and hope that they can fi nd jobs and peace there.

They gather as much money as they can and pay to cross the Mediterra-nean Sea in crowded boats, to come to countries that weren’t expecting them and are not able to provide the kind of help they were hoping for.

But, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees, the ones who wind up in crowded camps in It-aly and Greece are luckier than those

who do not make it that far. In 2o14, 218,000 refugees fl ed to Eu-

rope across the sea, but 3,500 died in the attempt.

So far this year, The Internation-al Organization for Migration says, there have already been more ref-ugees than in all of 2014, and 2,300 have drowned in the sea.

The nations of the European Union are seeing the same sort of disagree-ments about refugees that have been seen in the United States.

Some people take pity on those who fl ee violence and poverty and want to help them, others say that they feel sorry for them but that they must not be permitted to stay.

Authorities on one Greek island said they didn’t want to improve the situation in the refugee camps, be-cause that would only make more refugees want to come.

But Brice de le Vingne, Director of Operations for Doctors Without Borders said, “The truth is that peo-ple fl eeing war will keep on coming whether or not the authorities are trying to stop them from doing so.”

Trouble sends refugees on dangerous journeys

“The Girl in the Torch,” by Rob-ert Sharenow, is an exciting and emotional, realistic novel about

Sarah, a young girl immigrating to America in hopes of a new start and brighter future.

I’ll admit, the synopsis of the book left me expecting little from the story, but once I started it, I couldn’t stop and read the entire novel in hours.

It’s a book that will make you smile, make you cry, and stay with you for the rest of your life.

When the ship on which Sarah and her mother are aboard fi nally docks in America, the pair must go through Ellis Island, where they run into trouble.

Sarah’s mother doesn’t pass the health inspection and is taken away for care.

She doesn’t survive. On top of that, no relatives were found, so

Sarah must go back to her country. Alone.Outraged, Sarah jumps overboard and

swims to Liberty Island, hoping for refuge. She fi nds the island deserted but for the

scary night guard, whom Sarah evades.

She spends the night in the statue, but with no way to get on the ferry, Sarah’s stuck on the island with only her toy bear and her grief.

With the help of an unlikely friend, she makes her way to New York.

Overwhelmed and alone, Sarah must try to make a life for herself.

Follow Sarah’s miraculous journey in “The Girl in the Torch” and experience true hard-ship, loss, friendship, and courage.

The author did a wonderful job playing on your emotions and I defi nitely recommend reading this book.

It may be too complex for younger read-ers, but tells an astounding story that every-one should hear.

If you are looking for a quick, easy read that packs a lot of heart, this novel is for you!

Novel of hardship, loss, friendship, courage

By Kaitlyn Pierce,13, a CK Reporter from Arvada

photo/Surya Prakash

Rules: Every row across, every column down and each of the six smaller boxes must contain numerals 1,2,3,4,5 and 6, one time and one time only.

The solution to this week’s puzzle is on Page 4.

On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratifi ed, giving women the right to vote, so our answers this week will each begin with “W.”

1. Greeley is the seat of, and largest city entirely in, this county

2. The cowboy in charge of the horses, or maybe his brand of blue jeans.

3. Author of “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web.”

4. Fossilized bones of this huge prehistoric mammal were found near Snowmass.

5. The United States Military Academy is also known by this name.

6. Viruses, not toads, cause these rough growths on your skin.

7. Type of gripping tool, some types include crescent, open-ended, lug, monkey and Allen.

8. The oldest tennis championship is held in this English London suburb.

9. Piglet’s best friend is named for this Canadian city.

10. This Western state was the fi rst to let women vote and serve on juries.

(answers on Page Four)

Above, refugees wait to be rescued from a crowded wooden boat in the Mediterranean. (AP/

Doctors Without Borders)

At right, it’s not hard to see why many refugees sail from Tunisia and Libya to Italy and Greece.

The Denver Post 4

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1. Weld 2. Wrangler 3. (E.B.) White 4. woolly mammoth 5. West Point 6. warts

7. wrench 8. Wimbledon 9. Winnepeg 10. Wyoming

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Jumping at the Juniors

I recently participated in the AAU Junior Olympics in Hampton, Virginia.

The Junior Olympics is a competi-tion for thousands of athletes up to age 22.

There are over 15 events in the Junior Olympics including sport (cup) stacking, gymnastics, wrestling, weight lifting, and my favorite (be-cause it is my sport) jump roping.

In jump rope, over 200 kids repre-sented teams from the United States and Canada, including three teams

from Colorado: The Claim Jumpers (Littleton), the Jumping Eagles (also from Littleton, and the team I was on!), and the Mad Hops (Louisville). “L” cities seem to be jump rope cities!

Jump ropers compete in many events including speed and freestyle for single, pairs, and double-dutch teams.

Speed is how many jumps you can do in a minute and freestyle is a one-minute routine to music that you put a lot of jump tricks into.

Some jumpers broke jump rope records. For example, Tori Boggs (Jump Company USA, WV) and Becky Nelson (Jumping Eagles) tied, setting a new Junior Olympic Jump Rope record for female 1 minute, single-rope power, age 18-22, with 212 jumps. The previous record was 204 jumps.

A power jump is when you jump once and swing the rope under yourself twice.

My favorite event to watch is the double-dutch. It is a team interaction and I enjoy watching teams jump together. There are three to five people on a double-dutch team.

I interviewed Jim McCleary, the AAU Jump Rope Chairman. He has been involved in jump roping for 32 years!

He is the coach for Kangaroo Kids, a team from Maryland. His told me his favorite part about jump rope is all of the kids and that his favorite memories are of his own kids competing.

When not jumping, the athletes trade pins with each other. The goal is to try and get one pin from each team.

You can also trade to collect rare pins such as older pins from teams that no longer exist or from past events. A fun part about trading the pins is getting to meet other kids.

This was an experience I’ll always remember!

When it’s time for a little on-line reading, the most popu-

lar tech tool combines a good-sized screen with a reasonable level of portability.

At least, that’s the strong message from CK readers who answered our latest question: Nearly half chose a laptop over a desktop computer, tablet or smartphone.

Here’s what we asked you, and what you told us:

When you read on-line, what is your tech preference? A. Full-sized flat-screen -- 13%

B. Laptop -- 47%C. Tablet -- 24%D. Phone -- 16%

Now here’s our next question:

The new school year is here. How are you feeling about it?A. I’m ready to get back into it!

B. I don’t care about classes, but I’ve missed my friends.C. I’m trying to make some improvements this year.

D. I’m going to stay out of sight and hope for the best.

To answer this question, go to http://nextgen.yourhub.com

By Jack Vanourek,10, a CK Reporter from Littleton

We asked you, you told us:

For on-line reading, laptops rule!