HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-04-02, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1997
For Teens, By Teens
OFF THE UJHLL
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Peer pressure:
good and bad
Truth stranger than fiction
By Erin Roulston
In Twister Helen Hunt and Bill
Paxton speed through the gravel
roads of the central United States in
search of the powerful windstorms
that devastate the area known as
Tornado Alley. They are on a
mission to create a better weather
forecaster and come face-to-face
with four glorious tornados in two
days.
This movie glorifies the twister
and amazes the viewer with its
beauty. But what are they really
like? What is the life of a tornado
chaser like without the Hollywood
glorification?
On average, 850 tornados sweep
across the U.S. each year;
approximately 20 cause fatalities.
The states are hit by more tornados
than any other nation because of
cool air that comes from the north
and collides with warm moist air
from the southern Gulf of Mexico.
The highest tornado winds ever
are thought to be those of a twister
in Ohio and Pennsylvania on May
31, 1985 at an estimate 260 mph.
The worst tornado outbreak was
when 148 tornados descended on
13 states killing 315 people within
24 hours on April 3 and 4, 1974.
The single most disastrous
twister on record killed 689 people
on March 18, 1925 in three
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The National Severe Storms
Laboratory (NSSL) is located in the
heart of tornado alley. It employs
its own team of tornado chasers.
Every spring since 1972 the chasers
speed across the countryside in
their caravan of vehicles, equipped
with the latest in weather prediction
technology, just like in the movies.
Their goal is to drop a 400 lb.
barrel of instruments in the
tornado's path.
TOTO (Totable Tornado
Observatory) named after the dog
in the Wizard of Oz measures the
temperature, wind speed, direction
and atmospheric pressure from
inside the tornado.
In Twister, Bill Paxton's
character had invented a similar
tool named 'Dorothy'. In the
movie's most famous scene, and the
funniest, the strong winds carry a
live cow past the car. Real tornados
have been known to do some pretty
bizarre things too.
A man lost one of his three
kittens to a twister. It was found
dazed in the backseat of a
windowless car up a tree, one half
mile away. Tornados have
managed to leave live chickens
featherless, and drive plastic
drinking straws into telephone
poles.
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But never forget Mother Nature
has no hesitation at taking a life.
Sucking people from the car in
which they are fleeing, ripping the
roofs off homes, hurtling debris at
speeds of 150 mph, with little
warning and no way to prevent
tornados are fatal examples of the
power of nature.
There are ways to keep safe
though. Here in southwestern
Ontario, tornado actively peaks in
late June and early July. When you
see those big, dark clouds coming
off of Lake Ontario, listen to your
radio or TV for tornado watches
and warnings.
Hail is an early sign of a nearing
tornado; flying lawn furniture
means it's really close.
The best place to be is in your
basement. The next best is a small
room in the centre of your house on
the lowest floor. A closet or
bathroom is great. Put as many
walls as you can between you and
the outside.
Don't open any windows, as this
may actually cause harm, instead of
preventing your house from
exploding.
Even though it looks like fun in
the movies, heading towards the
killer tornado is not a good idea,
even if it will get you on the 6
o'clock news.
"Keep tfte (Doors to
the, ‘future,
Open
By Ashley Gropp
Peer pressure can be a great thing
or it can be a horrible thing.
Resisting is vital in fighting
negative peer pressure. The
difference between negative and
positive peer pressure may be as
simply defined as it being
something that you actually want to
do.
Teens who are afraid of trying
out for a sport they enjoy because
they might not make it, can be
pressured into trying out anyway,
because all their friends are.
Yet, on the down side, teens may
have sex when they aren't ready to,
just because that's what their
partner wants.
There are cases though, where
you want to do something but at the
same time have a reason not to. The
decision to smoke can be an
example of this. Some teens may
consider smoking to fit in. In these
cases they should "weigh their
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options". They need to decide for
themselves what is most important
to them, good health or fitting in. If
they decide health is more
important, they'll have to stand up
to pressure.
In order to resist peer pressure
you need confidence in yourself
and in your decisions. People will
not back off if they think you're
going to cave in. Only when you
BELIEVE what you're saying will
people really listen to you.
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