BUCK THE ROBOT SNAGS FIRST PLACE IN PRESEASON COMPETITION
Charger Robotic Team 5071 and Buck the Robot earned a first place finish in the FIRST Robotics Pre-Season Competition that took place at Cottonwood High School this last Saturday, December 11th.
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The Gryphon: What causes Brain Freeze?
What is a brain Freeze?
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By Emma Johnson
Science and Tech Editor Eating ice cream is delicious. You know what’s not delicious about eating ice cream? Brain freezes. We’ve all been there, just minding our own business when suddenly that one lick of ice cream is just too much. Now, most of us know our brain isn’t actually freezing when that happens. So what is happening when we get a “brain freeze?” The actual name for a brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is kind of a mouthful. A brain freeze is a headache that lasts for about 15-20 seconds, according to Penn State. So here’s how it happens: first, you eat something cold (like ice water or ice cream,) and it touches the roof of your mouth, causing the blood vessels in that area to constrict, and then dilate. Next, your anterior cerebral artery, which is one of the major supplies of oxygenated blood to your brain, and associated highly with other blood vessels nearby dilates. Harvard Medical School says, “Pain receptors near the blood vessels sense the discomfort and send the message along tiny nerve fibers to a larger nerve (the trigeminal nerve), which forwards it to the brain.” This causes more blood flow to the brain, which of course causes you to feel the pain. So now that you know what a brain freeze is, how do you prevent or get rid of it? The best way to prevent a brain freeze is to slow down when you’re eating something cold. Baylor College experts explain, “Eating or drinking cold foods too quickly can cause the dreaded brain freeze.” So don’t rush through your ice cream, even if it's melting. Now, getting a brain freeze is inevitable, but don’t panic. John Hopkins Medicine recommends either touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth or just getting a nice glass of warm water. A brain freeze is not the worst thing in the world; you’re going to live after experiencing one. Sure, they do hurt a lot but they’re easy to prevent and easy to get rid of. So don’t inhale your ice cream or your water. Savor every flavor. Posted 12/1/21 |
Ice Cream Flavors
The Today Show: National Ice Cream Day: Where to score discounts and freebies
Most popular ice cream flavors in the US:
Most popular ice cream flavors in the world:
Britannica
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Covid Shots for kids ages 5 to 11
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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By Janica Stocking
Editorials Editor Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the race to find cures and treatments for COVID has been constant to try and prevent a longer pandemic. After nearly 2 years of dealing with COVID, vaccines against the virus have been approved for anyone 5 years old and older. According to Stat, the Pfizer shot initially got emergency authorization back in December 2020 and the Moderna shot got approval shortly after. In February 2021, the J&J vaccine was approved. After almost a year after its initial release, the Pfizer vaccine has been recently approved for pediatric patients. The Moderna and J&J vaccines have not been approved for children below the age of 12 yet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients that are between the ages of 5 and 11 years of age will receive the same formula, but a different dosage. The dosage for those 12 and older is 30 mcg and comes in a vial with a purple cap. One vial contains 6 doses and can be stored in a ULT freezer for up to 9 months or a refrigerator for up to 1 month. The dosage for 5 to 11-year-olds is 10 mcg and comes in a vial with an orange cap. One vial contains 10 doses and can be stored in a ULT freezer for up to 6 months or a refrigerator for up to 10 weeks. |
Despite some hesitation from parents to vaccinate their children, many pediatricians have pushed parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID. Dr. Ibukunoluwa Kalu, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at Duke University, says that many parents are having doubts because COVID symptoms are most often very mild in children or because their 11-year-old is almost old enough to get the full dosage. However, the CDC does continue to recommend that children get vaccinated. COVID vaccine distribution has been smoother because distributors and providers have been able to finally manage the distribution better. Providers have been more easily able to obtain pediatric doses of the vaccines and allow more and more patients to get access. Many grocery stores, such as Walmart, along with local pharmacies and private pediatric clinics have been able to get access to vaccines and get more children vaccinated. The fears of many parents have also been calmed because they have been able to see the effects in adults and adolescents. Overall, the rollout of these vaccines has been highly anticipated and has been smoother than the initial rollout for adults. Posted 11/29 |
Vaccine helpDraper COVID 5-11 (and 12+) Vaccination Sites
*Booster shots are only given to those 12 years old or older. They can only be given once you have been considered fully vaccinated for 6 months.
Map of COVID 5-11 shot providers within 10 miles of Draper, UT. Source: vaccines.gov
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