def read_messages(message_file):
    """(file open for reading) -> list of str

    Read and return the message_file, with each line separated into a different
    item in a list and the newline character removed.
    """

    returned_message = []
    contents = message_file.readlines()
    for item in contents:
        returned_message.append(item.strip('\n'))
        # Takes out the newline character
    return returned_message