WELCOME to our online newspaper! It's a highly unusual kind of media: It was reported and written entirely by kid pedestrian power — we walked about 30 miles in 8 days to report on community life while enrolled in Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth's summer ExplorSchool program in St. Paul, Minnesota in June 2019.
Our Screen-free Summer Project!
Eight days and 30 miles of walking and writing
Highlights of Our Aerobic Newspaper Class' Moves:
Walk. Observe. Interview. Report. Research. Think. Write. Draw. Revise...Repeat!
We discovered a Fairy Garden, and took time to study it, and write letters to the Fairies that we mailed in their mail box. Jan, the neighbor we interviewed who maintains the garden, told us she created Fairy habitat to attract magical creatures -- Fairies, children, walkers and strollers and riders of all ages out to enjoy the neighborhood on summer days. Fairies leave Minnesota in October.
By Jade
Mattocks Park & A Fairy Garden
Near St. Paul's Mattocks Park there is a Fairy Garden located in a yard of a house near Palace and Macalester streets.
There is a note written by the “fairies” in the garden. The note explains what the garden is about and that kids are welcome to play there. The garden has little pretend fairy houses, campers, etc.
In addition to fairy merchandise, the garden also has nice flowers and plants that also impact the cute, fairy tale ambience.
We wrote letters to the Fairies--and I think they wrote back!
Treasure Island Playground and Nelson’s Ice Cream
Treasure Island is a large wooden playground for kids of all ages. The playground is located in the back of EXPO Elementary School. The summer and fall of 2008 is when the idea started in the neighborhood to build a wooden playground. Parents, teachers, and local businesses helped raise the money to build the structure. The condition of the playground is decent, although the equipment is dark wood and the ambiance is dreary in my opinion.
Nelson’s Ice cream Shop started in 1923. There is one location in St. Paul and Stillwater. There are forty two ice cream flavors. All of their employees are high school and college students. Nelson’s Ice Cream Shop has very big portions because they think it’s fun and has good value.
Macalester College’s Makers’ Space and Inukshuk Stones
On a quiet street as we walked to Macalester College campus, we saw stacks of rocks put out by the people living in the house. The rocks are intended for people to use by rearranging them. The process of rearranging the rocks is a meditative activity. In some cultures, they call a rock stack a “cairn” or “inukshuk” and they mark paths for travelers. This activity indeed impacts the community by giving entertainment and meditation to everyone who chooses to stop by.
At Macalester College Library, there is a place called the “Makers’ Space.” The “Makers’ Space” is a spot where people can work, talk, play, and relax to deal with the stress of college. This includes cozying up and doing homework, talking to friends, building Legos, 3D printing, and more. There is a great community in the “Makers’ Space.” The Makers’ Space impacts the campus by creating a warm, nice, and comforting feeling for students in a playful space.
Mattocks Park & A Fairy Garden
Near St. Paul's Mattocks Park there is a Fairy Garden located in a yard of a house near Palace and Macalester streets.
There is a note written by the “fairies” in the garden. The note explains what the garden is about and that kids are welcome to play there. The garden has little pretend fairy houses, campers, etc.
In addition to fairy merchandise, the garden also has nice flowers and plants that also impact the cute, fairy tale ambience.
We wrote letters to the Fairies--and I think they wrote back!
Treasure Island Playground and Nelson’s Ice Cream
Treasure Island is a large wooden playground for kids of all ages. The playground is located in the back of EXPO Elementary School. The summer and fall of 2008 is when the idea started in the neighborhood to build a wooden playground. Parents, teachers, and local businesses helped raise the money to build the structure. The condition of the playground is decent, although the equipment is dark wood and the ambiance is dreary in my opinion.
Nelson’s Ice cream Shop started in 1923. There is one location in St. Paul and Stillwater. There are forty two ice cream flavors. All of their employees are high school and college students. Nelson’s Ice Cream Shop has very big portions because they think it’s fun and has good value.
Macalester College’s Makers’ Space and Inukshuk Stones
On a quiet street as we walked to Macalester College campus, we saw stacks of rocks put out by the people living in the house. The rocks are intended for people to use by rearranging them. The process of rearranging the rocks is a meditative activity. In some cultures, they call a rock stack a “cairn” or “inukshuk” and they mark paths for travelers. This activity indeed impacts the community by giving entertainment and meditation to everyone who chooses to stop by.
At Macalester College Library, there is a place called the “Makers’ Space.” The “Makers’ Space” is a spot where people can work, talk, play, and relax to deal with the stress of college. This includes cozying up and doing homework, talking to friends, building Legos, 3D printing, and more. There is a great community in the “Makers’ Space.” The Makers’ Space impacts the campus by creating a warm, nice, and comforting feeling for students in a playful space.
A frog perched on a stone reading a book is just one of the delights of the Fairy Garden.
OPINION: Mattocks Park Review
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Science writer, teacher and children's book publisher Anne Brataas designed the Aerobic Newspaper class 14 years ago to immerse children in motion-based writing and form a basis for life-long health through frequent gentle movement.
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By Harini, Parks and Playground Critic
Mattocks Park, with its charming name and location, seems like a great location to hang out and play, right? Unfortunately, Mattocks Park is actually a poorly maintained place, which is both unsanitary and unsafe. Upon entering the park, two broken, muddy, clogged water fountains come into view. All the puddles accumulating there attract mosquitoes and other creatures, which can harm little kids who don’t know any better than to play in dirty water. Many kids ride their bikes in park, and Mattocks is not an exception. Unfortunately, there are no proper and clean bike trails in or near the park, so these kids have got to settle for the gritty and messy side walk that runs in the middle of the park. This can be unsafe for the bikers and other people playing near the side walk because a biker could fall into the sand near the sidewalk and get hurt. The swings at the park were rusted and squeaked uncontrollably. Also, one of them feels like it will fall apart any second, which likely means that one day it will. I imagine that the kid on this swing would be hurt. But the community doesn’t appear to try to fix this. To make matters worse, the sand surrounding the swings appears to be infested with insects, vile creatures such as Japanese beetles or others. It’s possible some of these insects could carry diseases, so the sand should be cleaned. Altogether, Mattocks Park has some unsafe aspects and should be temporarily avoided until it is fixed. 
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What is an Aerobic Newspaper? Why is it?
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MITY Life: About MITY
By MITY Staff
MITY stands for Minnesota Intstitute for Talented Youth and it has been running for 52 years! The summer program has two levels: Kids who just finished grades 4,5,6 and kids who just finished grades 7-12. Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, sponsors MITY. In the beginning, it had a different name: Twin Cities Talented Youth. There are a variety of teachers. Some are regular school teachers. Others actually work in the field they are teaching, like writing or engineering. Interns help make MITY run smoothly, make field trips safe and rec hours fun. See our sidebar Meet the Interns to learn more.
The classes are really fun because they are creative, chill and interesting. We go on lots of field trips, make things, and in some of them — like the Aerobic Newspaper — move a lot while we explore the neighborhood and discover new ideas for what makes a nice community that is safe, welcoming to kids and good for them, beautiful, clean and fun to walk around.
MITY stands for Minnesota Intstitute for Talented Youth and it has been running for 52 years! The summer program has two levels: Kids who just finished grades 4,5,6 and kids who just finished grades 7-12. Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, sponsors MITY. In the beginning, it had a different name: Twin Cities Talented Youth. There are a variety of teachers. Some are regular school teachers. Others actually work in the field they are teaching, like writing or engineering. Interns help make MITY run smoothly, make field trips safe and rec hours fun. See our sidebar Meet the Interns to learn more.
The classes are really fun because they are creative, chill and interesting. We go on lots of field trips, make things, and in some of them — like the Aerobic Newspaper — move a lot while we explore the neighborhood and discover new ideas for what makes a nice community that is safe, welcoming to kids and good for them, beautiful, clean and fun to walk around.
Meet An Intern:
Lizzie is a current student at Barnard College. She is 19 and has 2 younger siblings, which she babysits during the summer. Her earliest memory is playing with her cousin at a beach.
Lizzie is a current student at Barnard College. She is 19 and has 2 younger siblings, which she babysits during the summer. Her earliest memory is playing with her cousin at a beach.
Interview Technique Basics I
by Sophia
If you ever want to interview anything (preferably a living, talking person) you should know some rules.
First, don’t be too pushy for answers. If you are, they may not want to answer your questions and your interview will end. Another thing to keep in mind is to talk loudly. If you are asking a question, you need to make sure they hear it.
Interview Technique Basics II
by Ella
What good things make an interivew? This is a question many news reporters ask.
In my few experiences being a reporter I learned just a few tricks. You want to make the person you’re interviewing feel relaxed, because if you make him or her feel like you are interrogating them, they won’t open up to you. You want to make it a friendly, personal conversation and like you are not writing evetything they say down.
“Why?” you ask, “Is a good interview important to a story?”
An interview is a good way to get information you will write about in your story. If you can have a good interview the person will open up to you and feel more comfortable talking more in depth and provide details and give you new ideas.
My last tip is to ask open-ended qustions. These are questions that you can’t answer with “yes” or “no”. These are called productive questions because they produce useful information you can use to write about in your story.
by Sophia
If you ever want to interview anything (preferably a living, talking person) you should know some rules.
First, don’t be too pushy for answers. If you are, they may not want to answer your questions and your interview will end. Another thing to keep in mind is to talk loudly. If you are asking a question, you need to make sure they hear it.
Interview Technique Basics II
by Ella
What good things make an interivew? This is a question many news reporters ask.
In my few experiences being a reporter I learned just a few tricks. You want to make the person you’re interviewing feel relaxed, because if you make him or her feel like you are interrogating them, they won’t open up to you. You want to make it a friendly, personal conversation and like you are not writing evetything they say down.
“Why?” you ask, “Is a good interview important to a story?”
An interview is a good way to get information you will write about in your story. If you can have a good interview the person will open up to you and feel more comfortable talking more in depth and provide details and give you new ideas.
My last tip is to ask open-ended qustions. These are questions that you can’t answer with “yes” or “no”. These are called productive questions because they produce useful information you can use to write about in your story.
Q & A from the MITY Mighty Fine Camp
(Sophia)
Q: Pomsky or King cavalier dog?
A: King cavalier is my choice!
Q: Why do I keep getting hurt?
A: Maybe you keep getting hurt because you are brave and try new things
Q: Why doesn’t Keven respond to my texts?
A: If you see him, ask him!
Q: Should I waste my money on candy?
A: If you like candy, and aren’t saving for anything, then go for it!
Q: Labrador retriever or golden retriever?
A: Labrador Retriever is cuter!
Q: Do you like cake?
A: Yes, I do! But if you were to ask me what my fav. cake is, it would be a bundt cake!
(Sophia)
Q: Pomsky or King cavalier dog?
A: King cavalier is my choice!
Q: Why do I keep getting hurt?
A: Maybe you keep getting hurt because you are brave and try new things
Q: Why doesn’t Keven respond to my texts?
A: If you see him, ask him!
Q: Should I waste my money on candy?
A: If you like candy, and aren’t saving for anything, then go for it!
Q: Labrador retriever or golden retriever?
A: Labrador Retriever is cuter!
Q: Do you like cake?
A: Yes, I do! But if you were to ask me what my fav. cake is, it would be a bundt cake!
St. Catherine’s University
Walking across campus we met the dog Katya and her owner. We learned Katya is a rescue dog known as an Italian greyhound. Apparently this breed was a big hit in the Renaissance.
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Katya is super nice.
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A Katya cousin?
By Nova
We went to St. Kate’s University today. When we were there we interviewed a kind lady with a dog. The dog’s breed was an Italian Greyhound, which is not actually bred in Italy, it was just a very common animal in Italian Rennaissance paintings, she said.
Another reason the Italians liked this kind of dog is because they are very warm and because during the Renaissance they didn’t have heaters so they slept with the dogs.
When we were there we saw two girls running a group called Summer of Surprises (SoS). It’s a group that helps people who are taking summer college classes adjust to college life. To make it fun and feel welcoming, SoS holds a junk food day on Thursdays, which is pretty cool.
We went to St. Kate’s University today. When we were there we interviewed a kind lady with a dog. The dog’s breed was an Italian Greyhound, which is not actually bred in Italy, it was just a very common animal in Italian Rennaissance paintings, she said.
Another reason the Italians liked this kind of dog is because they are very warm and because during the Renaissance they didn’t have heaters so they slept with the dogs.
When we were there we saw two girls running a group called Summer of Surprises (SoS). It’s a group that helps people who are taking summer college classes adjust to college life. To make it fun and feel welcoming, SoS holds a junk food day on Thursdays, which is pretty cool.
A Day in the Life of Treasure Island
Treasure Island Playground
By Harini
Treasure Island is a 25-year-old park behind Harriet Bishop Expo elementary. This well-loved park was later renovated with the help of the nearby communities, as a wish that it would stand for many years to come.
However, time has cost it many things. Now, graffiti and other carved messages are etched into the board-like material makes up most of the playground. Metal chains and rubber structures squeak and groan. The brick red fenced that is rolled up slightly—so people can get in—is broken and rusted. On top of all that, 3 out of the 4 adult swings also squeak, groan, and are unstable.
So…why is this playground so popular?
The answer—the creativity and fun! The towers that are built from the ground are accessible to kids who have wheelchairs, so even handicapped people can interact and play with other kids. Instead of being made just of one material, this park is made of rubber, metal, and plastic. This, combined with the many different varieties of entrances and exits, makes this park a good place to play outdoor and active games, like “Sandman.”
Trees grow near the playground, and on the play ground as well, meaning kids can practice climbing natural things and artificial. Also, there are benches and tables for parents to be able to watch their kids without constantly hovering over them. Another good thing about Treasure Island is the cleanliness, and safety. Even though there are many nooks and crannies in the structure, there are no cobwebs or accumulation of dust. The walls are high enough to provide a nice view, but make sure no one falls over.
All together, even though this playground has a few faults, it is great for young and older kids to have fun.
Treasure Island is a 25-year-old park behind Harriet Bishop Expo elementary. This well-loved park was later renovated with the help of the nearby communities, as a wish that it would stand for many years to come.
However, time has cost it many things. Now, graffiti and other carved messages are etched into the board-like material makes up most of the playground. Metal chains and rubber structures squeak and groan. The brick red fenced that is rolled up slightly—so people can get in—is broken and rusted. On top of all that, 3 out of the 4 adult swings also squeak, groan, and are unstable.
So…why is this playground so popular?
The answer—the creativity and fun! The towers that are built from the ground are accessible to kids who have wheelchairs, so even handicapped people can interact and play with other kids. Instead of being made just of one material, this park is made of rubber, metal, and plastic. This, combined with the many different varieties of entrances and exits, makes this park a good place to play outdoor and active games, like “Sandman.”
Trees grow near the playground, and on the play ground as well, meaning kids can practice climbing natural things and artificial. Also, there are benches and tables for parents to be able to watch their kids without constantly hovering over them. Another good thing about Treasure Island is the cleanliness, and safety. Even though there are many nooks and crannies in the structure, there are no cobwebs or accumulation of dust. The walls are high enough to provide a nice view, but make sure no one falls over.
All together, even though this playground has a few faults, it is great for young and older kids to have fun.
Riddles By Rowan
Truth & Lies
There are three men. Two men only lie. One always tells the truth.
Man #1 says: “I tell the truth.”
Man #2 says, “Man #1 tells the truth.”
Man #3 says “I can’t lie.”
Who is telling the truth?
There are three men. Two men only lie. One always tells the truth.
Man #1 says: “I tell the truth.”
Man #2 says, “Man #1 tells the truth.”
Man #3 says “I can’t lie.”
Who is telling the truth?
Alternate Math Dimension
You wake up in an alternate dimension where the math is different.
You learn 10 x 2 = 6 and 3 x 2 = 10.
The game master will let you to this earth if you answer a question correctly. What is
4 x 2?
Hint: Look at the spelling of the number 8.
(See bottom of page for answers)
You wake up in an alternate dimension where the math is different.
You learn 10 x 2 = 6 and 3 x 2 = 10.
The game master will let you to this earth if you answer a question correctly. What is
4 x 2?
Hint: Look at the spelling of the number 8.
(See bottom of page for answers)
Poem by Julia
If I Were a Fairy
By Julia
I’d live in a beautiful garden set up for me by a lovely woman.
This garden would have everything I wanted:
A butterfly house, a lemonade stand, and a hotel for bunnies.
This would be my dream home, because someone would always be there to protect me.
Each day I could wake to birds around me and flowers surrounding a perfect world from dawn to dusk.
Well, I’m seeing you real soon, there cause it exists!
I’d live in a beautiful garden set up for me by a lovely woman.
This garden would have everything I wanted:
A butterfly house, a lemonade stand, and a hotel for bunnies.
This would be my dream home, because someone would always be there to protect me.
Each day I could wake to birds around me and flowers surrounding a perfect world from dawn to dusk.
Well, I’m seeing you real soon, there cause it exists!
Comic by Katherine
MITY AEROBIC NEWSPAPER MANIFESTO
KIDS who produce Aerobic Newspapers stay active and creatively connected ~ with
ideas, community, each other and themselves.
MOVING in an era of passive consumption, Aerobic Newspaper kids buck the global screen-bound trend of inactivity and isolation from direct experience of the world, neighbors, peers and community--indeed, isolation from wonder, curiosity and their inborn, natural imaginations.
COLLABORATIVE, ACTIVE REPORTING AND STORYTELLING kinetically creates positive community engagement.
— Anne Brataas, award-winning teacher, science writer, publisher
Teacher: The Aerobic Newspaper, www.aerobicnewspaper.com
Science Writer: The Story Laboratory, www.thestorylaboratory.com
Publisher, Founder, Chief Curiosity Officer, Minnesota Children’s Press, www.minnchildpress.org
For information on workshops to publish child-authored and -illustrated books
contact AnneATminnChildPressDOTorg.
Illustration by Gloria
Regina's Candy Store
By Gloria
Regina’s Candy Shop is a homemade candy store. Frank and Regina, the original owers, were from Greece. The name of the cady stores was not always Regina’s Candy Store. Before the name Regina’s, it was Central Candy Company and located in downtown St. Paul.
There is a huge variety of candies at the store. They make most of them, but not all of them. The rest are store-bought or in other words, sold to them by other candy companies.
Regina’s Candy Store sells a huge variety of candies from 16 kinds of chocolate eggs to fruity taffies and hard candies. My favorite was the peppermint candies. One thing you might not like is the jellybeans.
But people have different tastes, so if you are ever wondering about where to get a gift, just stop by Regina’s candy store located on St. Claire and Cleveland.
A member of the staff likes working there because she says there is always something new on the shelves, and she likes to see the smile on people’s faces when they walk into the store and smell the candies.
They mold chocolates in fun shapes. Some of them are: Minnesota, Guitar, Violin, Fish, iPhone, Ladybug, Soccer ball, and Tool kit.
Regina’s Candy Shop is a homemade candy store. Frank and Regina, the original owers, were from Greece. The name of the cady stores was not always Regina’s Candy Store. Before the name Regina’s, it was Central Candy Company and located in downtown St. Paul.
There is a huge variety of candies at the store. They make most of them, but not all of them. The rest are store-bought or in other words, sold to them by other candy companies.
Regina’s Candy Store sells a huge variety of candies from 16 kinds of chocolate eggs to fruity taffies and hard candies. My favorite was the peppermint candies. One thing you might not like is the jellybeans.
But people have different tastes, so if you are ever wondering about where to get a gift, just stop by Regina’s candy store located on St. Claire and Cleveland.
A member of the staff likes working there because she says there is always something new on the shelves, and she likes to see the smile on people’s faces when they walk into the store and smell the candies.
They mold chocolates in fun shapes. Some of them are: Minnesota, Guitar, Violin, Fish, iPhone, Ladybug, Soccer ball, and Tool kit.
Regina's Candy Store
Carbone's Pizza
By Nova, with Staff Contributions
Carbone’s was opened in 1962 by Jack Newman. The Carbone’s we visited is the original Carbone’s, but it is a family-owned chain restaurant and has other locations in Minnesota. How I know that is my mom’s old boyfriend’s family owned four or five of them. We tried a cheese pizza and it was good. We heard the slow day for customers is Monday.
THE MITY TRIBUNE Pizza Pros Review Carbone’s Pizza
- It’s cut in squares, not in triangular slices
- Friday and Saturday are the busiest days
- The Parmesan cheese they use is delicious, and is a mix of Parmesan and Romano
- Their homemade recipes come from italy, from their grandmother.
- You could describe their pizza as New York style — thin slices and greasy (in a good way)
Carbone’s was opened in 1962 by Jack Newman. The Carbone’s we visited is the original Carbone’s, but it is a family-owned chain restaurant and has other locations in Minnesota. How I know that is my mom’s old boyfriend’s family owned four or five of them. We tried a cheese pizza and it was good. We heard the slow day for customers is Monday.
THE MITY TRIBUNE Pizza Pros Review Carbone’s Pizza
- It’s cut in squares, not in triangular slices
- Friday and Saturday are the busiest days
- The Parmesan cheese they use is delicious, and is a mix of Parmesan and Romano
- Their homemade recipes come from italy, from their grandmother.
- You could describe their pizza as New York style — thin slices and greasy (in a good way)
Business Advice
By Rowan
When I was five years old, I wanted to make money to buy something. In the middle of winter, my friend and I made different paintings and drawings to sell. First of all, the middle of winter was not a good time to sell paintings! Second of all, my drawings were very overpriced (I was asking $3,000 for one of them…)
If any kids would like to make money selling things, based on my experience, I would recommend selling a product with an appropriate price tag, and on a nice day…in the summer!
When I was five years old, I wanted to make money to buy something. In the middle of winter, my friend and I made different paintings and drawings to sell. First of all, the middle of winter was not a good time to sell paintings! Second of all, my drawings were very overpriced (I was asking $3,000 for one of them…)
If any kids would like to make money selling things, based on my experience, I would recommend selling a product with an appropriate price tag, and on a nice day…in the summer!
Illustration by Gloria. At the St. Paul Corner Drug, Jared served us all samples of their bargain ice cream cones (under $2 gets you a BIG cone) at an old-fashioned soda counter. He said people still come in for old-fashioned soda drinks. But it's older people, mainly, (over 50?), who like those drinks. Irish Creme Soda is one of them. It's a mixture of vanilla ice cream, flavored syrup they make there, and fizzy water. It's super sweet!
Entrepreneurship
By Rowan
When I was 5 or 6 I wanted to be a business man. I wanted to be an ENTREPRENEUR!!
I started by making and selling lemonade on the bend of our driveway. Not many customers stopped by, but to my businessman’s eyes, it was a resounding success.
Later, after we moved to Minnesota and I was a bit more mature, about 8-9, I decided I needed to save up more money, so I pooled together my money and put it in an account. It had a total of about 50 dollars in it. I worked jobs like cleaning ceiling fans and windows, washing the car and selling lemonade to bring up my account to $100 (my account only has gone up 1 cent since then :)
I was determined to make the best lemonade and become a full-fledged business man. I didn’t want any help from my parents, so I invested my own money to buy lemons, sugar, and a secret ingredient and made it my self (except for the mixer) and that’s what I have been doing ever since.
When I was 5 or 6 I wanted to be a business man. I wanted to be an ENTREPRENEUR!!
I started by making and selling lemonade on the bend of our driveway. Not many customers stopped by, but to my businessman’s eyes, it was a resounding success.
Later, after we moved to Minnesota and I was a bit more mature, about 8-9, I decided I needed to save up more money, so I pooled together my money and put it in an account. It had a total of about 50 dollars in it. I worked jobs like cleaning ceiling fans and windows, washing the car and selling lemonade to bring up my account to $100 (my account only has gone up 1 cent since then :)
I was determined to make the best lemonade and become a full-fledged business man. I didn’t want any help from my parents, so I invested my own money to buy lemons, sugar, and a secret ingredient and made it my self (except for the mixer) and that’s what I have been doing ever since.
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We interviewed owners of lemonade stands, as seen with Rowan above. There we learned about the pink cowboy boot cash register (below). MITY Tribune staff also explored the mysteries of the blue--true, blue!--ice tea at Tea Source in Highland Park. (left). Staff there were most welcoming.! They explained the tea is blue due to a natural reaction of the plant's pH with water!
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TOP LEFT: Illustration by Gloria. Bottom left: Class talking to tea salesperson Mercy at Tea Source. Right, top: lemonade stand interview in action. Bottom, the pink cowboy boot bank and price list.
ROWAN'S RIDDLE ANSWERS:
1. Man #3
2. 5
1. Man #3
2. 5