the funnies page v o l u m e 1 , i s s u e 2 w i l l a d m ... · the funnies page jokes! by samuel...

By Keegan Wilson

The WMS Press Staff: Eva Agcaoili, Joey

Anderson, Katie Baird, Tye Bohrer, Bethany

Burks, Ryanne Burks, Jayce Burney, Meggan

Chavez, Xaviera Conley, Sam Cooper, Ethan

Gambriel, Taylor Gibbs, Hannah Goodman,

Evan Graham, Jordan Hamilton, Laney Ham-

mers, Dominic Hauck, Dayton Huntley, Jen-

na Kaufman, Levi Lindsey, Rachel Milburn,

Caleb Mires, Ella O’Conner, Kat Prier, Amber

Prike, Miranda Reed, Alexa Roberts, Jackson

Skaggs, Lily Sneed, Gavin Tatro, Kaliyah

Thompson, Kyle Tuter, Belle Warn, Mikayla

Westberg, Keegan Wilson, Courtney Wis-

dom

The Funnies Page

Jokes! by Samuel Cooper

What do you call a security guard at Samsung? A guardian of the Galaxy

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Why did the chicken cross the road? Why? To go lay her egg.

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Why did Timmy fall off his bike? Why? Because I threw a washing machine at him.

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Guess what. What? Your Mom OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! (Kyle T.)

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Logic of what does the fox say? Nothing it barks

By Keegan Wilson

If you could meet anyone in history, who

would it be, and why?

B U S I N E S S N A M E

WMS PRESS N O V E M B E R 1 4 T H

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2 W I L L A D M I D D L E S C H O O L

U P C O M I N G

W M S E V E N T S

Wed. Nov. 26th

- Thanksgiving

Break

Fall Theatre

Production-

Dec. 11th-13th

Nov. 24thGirls

Basketball

Home game vs.

Buffalo - 5:30

Dec. 1st- Mrs.

Parrish’s birth-

day

Dec. 8th: Boys

basketball vs.

Marshfield: 5:30

Dec. 11th: Girls

Basketball vs.

Republic @

Home

Dec. 19th: Half-

Day and Start

of Christmas

Break

Nurse Craft: “Elvis... Or Babe Ruth!.. Or may-

be Jackie Robinson!!! Ahhg! It’s too hard to

decide!”

Reed Schweighardt: “Abraham Lincoln, because he did a lot of cool things, and I would love to learn more in depth about him!”

Thaddeus Jackson: “Probably Barry Sand-ers, because he is a su-per good football play-er!”

Kaylee Blackwell: “I would like to meet President Kennedy, be-cause he died on my birthday.. And that’s pretty creepy!”

Milana Hainline: “JESUS! because he knows all about my future, and has great advice for me!”

Mrs. Witt: “Doris Day, because she was an amazing singer and actress. I love all of her musi-cals!”

Jaelyn Turner: “Mark Twain, because he is an awesome author.”

P A G E 2

W M S

By: Jenna Kaufman

A Little Princess Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the fall production A Little Princess!

Dates: December 5-7, at 7:00p.m

A Little Princess Story Line

A tale of a young girl named Sara Crewe. A young girl that spends her day imagining and pretending, she is generous and has a big heart. Almost everyone she meets falls in love with her, and starts to see her as a real princess. Everything suddenly changes when her father dies and loses her fortune and is left at the mercy of a calculating school mistress. Not all is lost, thanks to a good Samaritan and a little magic, even in Sara’s darkest days, she begins to realize that fairytales really do come true. Some questions and answers from Ms. Graves Q: Will this be the best middle school production? A: Every show every year gets better, and better. I get better as a director and the actors get better. So yes, I think this will be the best show yet. Q: Why did you pick the production A Little Princess? A: I read the script, and I fell in love with the compassion in the story. I love that the story is about kindness, even when things aren't going your way in life. I think it is a positive message and it’s a very good story to tell. Q: Do you think the cast will portray the roles in the story? A: We have a very talented cast and crew. With every rehearsal they get more excit-ed about telling the story. I think they are going to do any amazing job of re-creating the time period of the 1900’s and re-creating the story and it’s message. Q: Does the play relate to the book or movie? A: Yes, if you have seen the movie , the movie is very different from the original book that was written in 1905, and has been a classic ever since. Both of the movies are very different. The script is based completely off the original book, so it follows the storyline very well.

P A G E 2 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

A Stereotypical World by Xaviera E. Conley

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. A lot of times we don’t even mean to use a stereotypes. For example, my best friend might be Asian. I can’t assume that she uses chopsticks and likes fried rice. As ridiculous and excessive as that sounds, it is the same as when I think a football player taking ballet classes is strange. We all classify our peers by the way we see them. If they aren't our friend, we don’t know if they fit in with the behaviors of others around them. Among peers there is a lot of pressure to fit in with “a group, or clique”. But not everyone has to be a copy. Who says just because of your race, or gender, sport, or hair color you have to appear in a certain fashion. For example- All black people have to be mean and aggressive. Or that all white girls have iPhones and love Starbucks. In this article, you will read about teens in WMS who break the stereotypes. Student Interviews: What are some ways that you break the standard of a clique or group that you are placed in? Jordan Hamilton: “ I am white and blonde but I’m not stupid like people say blondes are. I have all A’s. I am white but I have had Starbucks like six times in my life, I don’t have it everyday. I don’t have an iPhone I have a Sam-sung Galaxy 4 S Mini.

Xaviera Conley “ People think that black people are aggressive and ghetto. I am neither of those. Most people have a mind set that all black people like fried chicken and watermelon. I hate chicken, and am not very fond of water-melon.’’ What is a stereotype to you? Sierra Akiona: “A stereotype to me is when somebody is “forced or peer pressured” to act a certain way based on their skin tone, what sport they play, or who their friends are and act. People expect you to act a certain way based on looks and others you associate with. Which, I find certainly unfair, because you should act based on how you really are as a

person. Not by what others want you to act, because of your race, gender, and sport you play. It’s better to be hated for who you are, rather than loved for someone you’re not.” Hunter Hemmerling “ A bunch of people who like the same things.”

Sadie Willadsen “ Stereotype is labeling someone based upon the way a person looks or dresses.”

Jamie Nikodim “ If you're a tomboy it doesn't mean that you're a boy.”

Melodie Buckler “ That all white girls like Starbucks. But they don't because some people are lactose intoler-ant.” How do you deal with Stereotypes? Mrs. Witt “A lot of people stereotype me as nerdy, and honestly I’m okay with that. I am who I am, and people should just except that.”

P A G E 2 0

WMS Clubs by: Ella O’Connor

Get involved at WMS! We have lots of great clubs at our school. They are a great way to meet new friends, learn something new and be apart of the WMS community. Drama Club- Meets every Thursday from 2:30-3:30. Become a member and you can try out for both plays. For more information contact Ms. Graves in the Black Box theater.

Archery Club- Started Mid-November with your choice of going Tuesdays or Wednesdays until 4:15. You will become more familiar with shooting bow and arrows.

Speech and Debate- Meets September 9, October 14, November 11, December 9, January 6, 7, 20, and 21, February 3, 4, 17, and 18, March 3, 4, 17, 18, 24, and 25, April 1. For more information contact Mrs. Nelson-Gramm

FCS (Fellowship of Christian Students)- Meets every Thursday starting at 7:10am in Mrs. Wessley’sroom. Come and get closer to Christ and learn how to devote your life to him. Coding Club- Meets every Wednesday from 2:35-3:30. You will get to learn and explore different coding web sites and work with other students who love computers and gaming. Golf Club- Meets every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30. You have to have a signed permission form. For more information contact Coach Stone. Book Club- Meets once a month for more information contact Mrs. Wilcox. Bring your own book and beverages and snacks will be served. Science Club- Meets the 2nd and 3rd Thursday from 2:30-3:30. Come and learn cool science and do fun experiments. For more information contact Mrs. McDowell. Fermata Nowhere A-Capella- Meets Tuesdays from 2:45- 3:30 in the choir room. You will learn how to put different songs and make them into one. Beat Boxers are always needed! For more information contact Mrs. Witt. Industrial Tech- Meets every Thursday until 4:45. You will learn advanced engineering that is exceeds past Tech 1 and 2. For more information contact Mr. Greenhaw. OHHS (Operation Hometown Hero Supporters)- Meets Wednesdays in Mrs. Loveland's room until 3:15 pm for more information contact Mrs. Loveland. The mission of the day will be defined at the club meetings. Peer Ambassadors- Meets first Friday of each month. Is a group of students chosen in 6th grade is to help the student body resolve conflicts, also they show the new kids around the school. WATT (Willard Academic Team in Training)- Meets every Tuesday after school. You train with computers and buzzers, 7th and 8th grade students are welcome! For more information contact Mr. Biggers or Mrs. Barnicle.

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

Reviews of the College Field Trip by Belle Warn

On October 15th, all of the eighth grade went on a field trip to Drury University, OTC, and MSU. We got a tour of the different colleges and got a little sneak-peak of what the college life is like. Four teachers and four students were asked what they liked and disliked about the colleges, and what their favorite college was and why. Below are their responses.

Mrs. Wessley: “ I really liked seeing the students get interested in college. I liked OTC the best because they re-ally pointed out all the extra curricular classrooms and how they actually walked us through some of the classrooms.” Mr. Scott: “I liked that we got to visit three colleges which were all unique and different in their own ways. One private, one public, and one community college. My favorite college was MSU because that's where I went to school and I enjoy being on their campus. I also enjoyed seeing the hands on courses at OTC because I had never seen any of those things before.” Mrs. Maerke: “ The thing I liked best about the field trip were the auto mechanics at OTC. I also liked how at MSU we were able to see the inside of the dorms and how the students lived. I found it a little disappointing that we did-n’t get to see inside the buildings at Drury. My favorite college was OTC because all of the diversity.” Ms. Futrell: “ The things I liked best about the colleges were the variety; how the students were exposed to 3 different colleges: technical/community, public and private. The things I liked best about OTC were how they did a good job at showing us inner workings of their different programs and how they gave a good picture of what is available on their campus. I also liked how we got to see that anyone who earns A+ status at high school would have the opportunity to attend OTC for two years for FREE! At MSU, I liked all the activities that are available and how it showed students how they can plug in and really be involved in campus life during their higher education experience. The only thing I thought they could have done better at was giving more information on their academic programs. I thought Drury was a beautiful, historic campus. I thought it was interesting to hear about the different buildings and their history. I liked how the average professor to student ratio is 1:17, which lets the students have a more personal interaction with the instruc-tor rather than just being another face in a crowd. The only disadvantage to going to Drury would be the price; going to a private university can be much more expensive than going to a public university. Overall, I thought that each university offers a great fit for certain kinds of students and I hope that the trip was great exposure for all students and that it will help them in planning their future.” Wyatt Collins: “ Overall, I thought the field trip was really fun. The thing I liked most about the trip was being able to see the mechanic classes. The thing I didn’t like was that we didn’t get to see all of Drury. My favorite college was MSU because I like how it is more of a sports college.” Jackson Skaggs: “ I really liked being able to see inside the campuses. It was disappointing that we didn’t get to see everything. My favorite college was OTC because I liked how quiet it was.” Avery L.: “ I liked getting to walk around the campuses. I didn’t really like how Drury was really quiet. My favor-ite college was MSU because it was really cool.” Louren H.: “ I liked the library at MSU. I didn’t like that we didn’t get to see very much of Drury. My favorite col-lege was OTC because they gave us good information about their campus.”

P A G E 4

W M S P R E S S

WMS Fashion Trends

As the weather gets warmer, the halls of WMS have begun to fill with fall and

early winter fashions. Kaliyah T. and Courtney W. took a look at what seems to

be “on trend” at Willard Middle School.

Girls’s Winter Trends -Beanies

- Scarves -Boots -Over sized Sweaters

-Fuzzy Socks & Hats -Boot socks -Wool Clothing

-Sweats

Girl’s Fall Trends - Converse

-Leggings

-Skinny jeans

-Flannel shirts

-Sweaters

-Scarfs

Guy’s Winter Trend

-Long Socks

-Sweat Shirts -Huge Boots

-Denim Jeans

-Leather Jackets

Guy’s Fall Trends

-Cargo shorts

-Muscle Tees -Tennis shoes

-Basketball Shorts -Under Armor

Would You Rather? By: Ryanne S. Burks

Ahh, yes. The sleepover game. I’ve asked you these questions because you could see the answers of your peers and what they think about them. If you really look, they kind of describe the person. Like whether they like sunsets or sunrises. For those who participated, thank you!

Name: 1. Me (Ryanne Burks)

2. Elizabeth Bein

3. Madi Jones

4. Harmony Hulin

5. Chandler Paige

6. Patience Peppard

7. Grace Hendrickson

Sunset or Sunrise: 1. Sunrise; it shows that the Lord does care for us because He gave us another day.

2. Sunset (I don't want to wake up early).

3. Sunset because I personally hate mornings!

4. Sunset.

5. Sunrise I love the daylight.

6. Sunset because you get to go to bed.

7. Sunsets because you don't have to wake up early to see them.

Honest or Trustworthy:

1.Both. They are both good traits to have.

2. In my book you have to be Honest to be Trustworthy!

3. Both, if you’re honest you’re usually trustworthy, and vise versa.

4. Honest.

5. Honest and trustworthy.

6. Trustworthy because if you’re trustworthy then you’re honest.

7. Both because those are good qualities.

Divergent or The Hunger Games:

1. DIVERGENT! THERE'S MORE ACTION!

2. *Jumps off building* I AM A DIVERGENT! WAHAHAHAHA!

3. Divergent for sure because I love the books and the movie a lot.

4. Divergent.

5. Divergent.

6. I love both of them!

7.The Hunger Games; Divergent … (edited for spoiler).

Text or Face-to-Face Communication:

1. Face-to-face. So you can see their facial expressions when you say something.

2. Text or face-to-face.

3. I prefer call or like facetime; you get a feel of the emotions.

4. Face-to-Face; unless it's your mad parents .

5. Text it’s easier.

7. Face to face; you can tell when someone is being sarcastic.

Behind the Scenes or Center Stage:

1. Center stage, so I could recognize those behind the scenes.

2. Behind the Scenes.

3. Center Stage because I love to be where all the action is.

4. Behind the Scenes.

5. Center Stage.

7. Behind the scenes; if you fall behind the scenes not as many people notice.

Win the Nobel Peace Prize or have the $1.2 Million that comes with the prize:

1. Nobel Prize because it gives me pride, and money can’t buy pride.

3. $1.2 Million that comes with it.

6. Nobel Peace Prize.

7. Win the Nobel peace prize.

Maturity by Taylor Gibbs

What is maturity? Maturity is the ability to respond to the environment

in an appropriate manner (according to Wikipedia) Maturity also being

aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act,

according to the circumstances and the culture of the society one lives

in. But apparently our generation thinks maturity is acting as ones peer is

behaving or following the “mainstream” behavior, and what they don’t

realize is that they’re just making it clear to people that they don’t know

how to act around others.

Are there levels of maturity? Honestly I think no, there are not levels of

maturity. Either you know how to act, or you simply don’t. Some of our

peers have shown that sometimes when they think they’re being ma-

ture there’re really not.

I realize that some people don’t understand or care if they are acting

mature or not, but they should because when you graduate who’s going

to want some immature young adult working for them? Who’s going to

put up a sign in there shop window that reads, ‘ hiring immature young

adults.’? You want to know who? Well NO one thats who, nobody wants

someone immature representing their company, and I don’t think any of

you want to be known as the immature irresponsible person.

Here are some students I interviewed and if they think there are levels of

maturity.

I asked Mikala and Bailey, “ Do you think there are levels of maturity?”

They answered, “ Yes and No, because people think differently, It de-

pends on their personality and if they care about what they are saying or

doing.” I also asked them, “ How do you feel about maturity in our

school?” They replied, “ I feel that it can be crossed, depending on what

we are doing. Say the school was at an assembly, it’s appropriate to get

rowdy and have fun, but on the college field trip we wouldn’t act like we

were at an assembly. When the trip did come around we all pulled to-

gether and acted appropriately to the situation and got many compli-

ments on our behavior .”

I asked Nathaniel Gudde these same questions and he answers, “ Yes,

Some people are more mature than others, it depends on their age.” and

here is what he thinks about maturity in our school, “ I feel that most

people are immature because we’re here to learn what we need to

know. I think people act immature just for the attention, I don’t think it’s

fair that the people being immature are taking learning time away from

the students trying to get there work done.”

Taylor Blake disagrees with these statements and here’s what she has to

say, “No, I don’t think there are levels of maturity because when people

are the same age some can be mature and other can’t so they are imma-

ture.” Taylor B. agrees with these next statements about maturity in our

school, “ I feel maturity is low in our school, because some people aren’t

as mature as others. Some people actually care to get there work down

while others lack off and don’t care.”

As you can see everybody has a different opinion on this topic, you may

possibly disagree with everyone I interview because you could easily

argue about this for hours on end. Who even knows if maturity is even

what we think it is? Because so many people explain it in so many ways,

who said that you're not mature who said that you are? Maturity comes

in many different forms, who knows maybe maturity isn’t that bad in our

school, maybe it’s just that we don’t understand?

Stalking: For the Inexperienced By: Katheryn Prier. [WARNING: STALKING IS ILLEGAL. DO NOT DO IT! THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PUR-POSES ONLY.] Lets face it, most people nowadays are on almost every social media out there: Instagram, Face-book, Snapchat, Vine, Twitter, or whatever. But that just makes it easier for you to stalk people. Now, I know you’re thinking… Stalking? What? Let me explain, stalking “solves everything”! Want to know where all your friends are at when they aren’t hanging out with you? Snapchat! Want to know where your favorite band is so you can get that piece of their hair that you have always wanted? Twitter!

Here are the steps that work best for me (when stalking friends): First Step- Check Instagram. Scroll through all your friends’ Instagram to make sure they are just as bored as you on Friday night, you don’t want them doing something fun without you. Second Step- Check Facebook. See if their statuses lead you to believe that they are hanging out. Third (and final) Step- IF they are hanging out without you, you can do one of two things: one eat ice cream, cry to your cat, and be lonely or you could always ask them if you could hangout with them. (The first choice is usually the one I go with.) Earlier in this passage I mentioned something about bands. (This section can apply to Youtubers or pretty much anyone semi- famous to famous.)

I personally am obsessed with a certain few bands and an outrageous amount of Youtubers. Here are the steps I usually use to keep up with all of those people/ band members. Step One- Google it. Usually all the drama you can find on some website, even though it might not all be exactly true sounds believable, right? Step Two- Go to Twitter. If the drama is true sometimes you can even find it trending. You may also go to Twitter to see when and where your famous person of choice will be and if it’s close to you.

Step Three- If you are really devoted (like me) you like all the famous people that you keep tabs on, on Facebook. That is really convenient though because, say your favorite band is going on tour. You know when and where the tour will be and you plan around it.

Step Four- Cry. Cry all the time about the bands you will never get to meet or the Youtubers and famous people you will never be able to get a piece of hair from. But now since you’re so good at stalking you can see all the drama and changes about that specific person/ band. (That will proba-bly make you love them more and make you want to meet them more. Oh, well. Just go get some ice cream and cry a lot.)


New Noodle Dictionary

By: AR These are some words that I decided to make up for the good of nothing.

You're welcome. Read please…

Gerdablur- (grr-da-bler) A way of saying stop or wait Dudu- (du-doo) Mikayla Westberg’s way of facing life issues Menyawnyah- (men-yawn-ah) A pest or an annoying person Zoiyer- (zoy-yer) A person with a GLORIOUS absence of sophistication Potato- (poe-tay-toe) Life Stanker- (stank-er) someone who has upset your inner soul or heart Wanderer- (wawn-der-er) a human being that is lost or needs serious medical help Bigall- (big⬥all) Not too big but not too small (medium… nobody’s got time for that word)

WHAT’S UP WITH THE WILLARD WRESTLING TEAM? by Evan Graham

THE WILLARD WRESTLING TEAM: The Willard Wrestling team is a group of young men and women that are respected from other people in the Willard community. People might fun of the team because we wear those singlets, but that doesn't matter; all that matters is how hard we work on winning medals for our school.

WHERE THEY GO TO WRESTLE: The wrestlers go to places like Bolivar, Nixa, and Branson. The wrestlers go to many different districts. Coming from experience since I'm on the team myself.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE PRACTICES: At the practices they do lots of running and exercises, you will also learn new things about this sport every day. For example we do things like monster laps, front rolls, back-ward rolls, you’ll even wrestle with a partner

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE MATCHES: When you go to a meet, first you can't eat at all that day if you want to stay in your weight class. Then once you get to the meet you have to weigh in, if you weigh your weight or one pound over your fine because you get a one pound pass, but if you weigh two pounds over or more you can’t wrestle. once you weigh in you can go eat, but you don’t want to eat too much because if you do you might get sick in the middle of a match.

IN CONCLUSION: The wrestling team is great, you meet new people, and it builds your strength,

but if you don't want to join that's fine. But you should go to the meets and support the Willard wrestlers.

W M S P R E S S

Random Answers to Random Questions by Bethany Burks

We asked students to take a survey filled with random questions, and we are reporting the

most interesting answers. This survey consist-ed of some questions that were totally random. So I wasn't surprised by some of our more ran-

dom responses.

What has been your weirdest dream?

“I once had a dream where my sister and I were trapped in Siberia. The only way to es-cape was to win a rap battle against the Queen of England. She won by the way, because ac-cording to her (in the dream) she’s not only the Queen of England, my dear… I’m the queen of rap.” - Katie Baird

“I’m not even going to go there… Lets just say corndogs and Oprah don't mix” - Ethan Gam-briel “I was shipped off to Mars for being too Fergali-cious and on the way I was eaten by a whale that was the size of a pinky nail. It started with my toes and ended with my nose.”- Mikayla Westberg

What would you want on your gravestone?

“Call me when Leonardo DiCaprio wins an Os-car.”-Jenna Kaufman

“Jackson Skaggs- The most interesting man in the world.”-Jackson Skaggs

If you had one question to ask President Obama, what would it be? “Have you had your daily dose of recommend-ed fiber intake?”- Kat Prier

Where in the world would you want to get lost? “Locked in Golden Corral.”-Gavin Tatro “No where. I hate being lost.”- Ethan Gambriel

“South Korea- I love me my Korean boy bands- Meggan Chavez

If you were able to time travel where would you go and why?” “I would visit my birth. I’d love to see a legend being born.”-Ethan Gambriel “70’s to dance the disco”-Gavin Tatro

What would make you end a relationship on the spot?

“Wearing plaid with stripes.”-Katie Baird

“Pooping in my car.”- Ethan Gambriel

What's your weirdest fetish?

“TWERK!!!”- Ethan Gambriel

“Being awesome.”- Evan Graham

What is something that you have lost but wish you still had?

“Cash.”-Kyle Tuter

“A necklace that my sister gave me.”-Laney Hammers

Story, Poetry and Art Turn-In! How many of you like to write? How many of you like to read what people write? Writing’s a fun way to express yourself and it's fun for other people to read. If you like to write, turn in your stories and poems to Mrs. Maerke’s classroom. Everyone will get to see what you write. If this interests you, feel free to turn in stories or poems. Only school appro-priate stories, poems and art pieces will be cho-sen. Submissions will appear in the Dec. edition of the WMS Press.


Writing an Article for WMS Press by Xaviera Conley.

I have always liked to write, but have always been too shy to show my work. Through this eTime, I have learned to branch out. I am a lot

more secure with my writing. This eTime has taught me that it is possible to have fun and also work hard. In this eTime, we have had a lot of

disagreements, everywhere from writing horoscopes with 10 sticky notes, to racial disagreements. We all have different points of views.

Through doing interviews and writing for the newspaper, I have learned to be more accepting of other opinions.

Student Interviews:

What has the WMS Press eTime been like for you?

Jordan Hamilton “Fun, Enjoyable, knowledgeable.”

Jayce Burney “It has definitely brought connections.”

What have you learned from this eTime?

Dayton Huntley “I learned how to be friendly.”’

Sam Cooper “People can be rude and annoying sometimes.”

*Not based off a real human being* A Short Story by Hannah N. Goodman

Hi, my name is Melanie R. Taylor, and I am going to tell you the short story of my life. My life has always been

terrible; my best friend or should I say my mom passed away three years ago because of the evil man named Lung Can-

cer. My father (too drunk and depressed to take care of me) placed me in the nearest orphanage. I got adopted by my

new-parents, which are named Penny Mary-Anne Francos, and Dylan George Francos. They are horrid, must I say; it is

like I’m acting the role of Cinderella, but I have no Prince Charming, fairy godmother, or magical pumpkin carriage.

Must I also add that I have to do ALL of the chores in the house. My new family decided after two years that of being with them in our boring, old, and depressing town. We

should move to a new, free, “more country like” of place. It took three in a half weeks to pack up the boxes, sell the old

house, and rent out a moving truck. My new parents decided a town called Willard in the state of Missouri was the per-

fect place, before my new-parents and I moved there, I mean I was a straight a student and I knew all the states, coun-

ties, towns, and continents, but I have never in my whole life have heard of Willard. We were finally there after being in the moving vehicle for three hours and 30 minutes, new-dad followed the

truck in our small, and pitiful AMC Eagle, yeah it’s such a stupid car… as I was saying, the big, and muscular men, and

new-dad carried the boxes, and the furniture inside the house. “The carrying in stuff” process took about 2 hours, when

we were done, new-mom paid the men for the drive, carrying the boxes, gas money, and also gave them a 500 dollar tip

for a meal for their ride home, gas money, and for dealing with a painful, 13 almost 14 teenage girl, by the way I was

quiet the whole car ride, they thanked my new-mom and new-dad, said bye to me, and then they were gone. Just like

that, I mean I think they were secretly genies, and their secret identity is two men that work a moving truck service. I went to the middle school’s 8th grade. The principal, vice principal, and everyone else were very nice. But the

one teacher who struck out to me was Mrs. R. Maylee, she was really sweet, creative, honest, and the first best friend I

had at the school. She treated me kindly and helped me when I needed. I mean the students here were kind also, but she

was the most truthful. I mean if you wrote something bad, or used the wrong grammar, or were confused she would help

you and help make you know it better or learn it better. Even though she is one simple, ELAS Honors Teacher, she is

one that no other female teacher, interested in that type and level of subject, could beat. Willard in general, Willard

Schools, or Willard Middle School has been the best experience of my life, even though I have been here for such a

short period, I have been treated wonderfully, whether it be from the teachers, people in the offices, the lunch ladies, or

the students who are taught from the magnificent people of Willard, I know it is the place to be.

Rachel Milburn and Belle Warn collaborate on an article.

P A G E 1 6

How to Prevent Getting Sick By: Laney Hammers

Flu season is upon us. So the question of how to prevent sickness is hanging in the air. There are very

simple steps that you can take to prevent getting sick. First, make sure you are constantly washing your

hands. Bringing hand sanitizer helps complete this task. Second of all, know when the people around

you are or are getting sick. Knowing when someone around you is coming down with something can

give you an advantage to stay away from them and keep yourself healthy and happy. Thirdly, never

touch your mouth, nose, or eyes without washing your hands before. These areas are much more likely

to pass the illness on. Lastly, encourage yourself and the people around you to sneeze and cough into

their arms. Doing these simple steps can keep you healthy and happy.

Koalas

Behind the Scenes: Milo and Willow the Koalas

By: Rachel Milburn

You may have known that koalas live in Australia and you may even known their lifestyle and what they eat. But have you ever gotten to actually meet a koala in Australia or known how they live each and every day? Meet Milo and Willow koalas!! Milo: Milo is a male koala who enjoys investigating and snooping. He will get up in other koala’s businesses (including other creatures such as bugs on leaves) and will put his heart and soul into everything he does. Others koalas might get cross with him for a little while but not for very long. Milo’s curiosity and playfulness is hard to be mad at. Although with all of this action, Milo works up quite an appetite. Eating is his favorite thing to do, besides going on an adventure. When it is time for Milo to eat, he immediately finds the first new leaf growing on the tree. Doing so, young Milo

does some pretty interesting stunts and maneuvers to be the first at dinner and to always get the best leaf. Willow: Willow is a 4 year old koala who is one of Austral-ia’s sweetest female koalas. She is just like her mom and dad who all love to cuddle. She loves cuddling so much that she will end up annoying other koalas. Everyone needs their per-sonal space, but you can’t blame her for wanting to sit close to others and wanting to snuggle up, especially on cold winter nights. Snuggling isn’t Willows only specialty though. She is also very nosey and mischievous. With her always getting in other koala’s business, neighbors aren’t too thrilled. Especially when she literally takes food out of their mouths!!! Fun Facts: Koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day and adult koalas eat between 200 and 500 grams of leaves each day. They mainly live in leafy forests and woodlands in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia which are the only states that koalas are found. The average koala is 27-36 inch-

es in length and weigh anywhere from 9-29 pounds. Females are usually smaller and lighter than males and southern koalas are much larger than ones that are found farther north. Koalas are unique and special creatures that are only found in Australia. They have distinct personalities and endless curiosities. These hilarious creatures are adorable and creative and without them, the world would just not be the same.

P A G E 7

Poems and Quotes

Written and Collected by: Amber Prike

Love-The end of anxiety My thoughts spinning round and round Thump thump echoing all around Focus gone hazy Heart going crazy Anxiety enclosed around me I can’t calm down Vision becoming clear Finally feeling free That’s the end of anxiety Quotes The first step to going somewhere is deciding that you’re not going to stay where you are –Anonymous

One day you’re going to find someone who doesn’t care about your past because they want to be with you in your future-Anonymous

If she’s amazing she won’t be easy. If she’s easy she won’t be amazing. If she’s worth it you won’t give up. If you give up you’re not worthy… Truth is everybody is going to hurt you; you just got to find the ones worth suffering for. – Bob Marley

If you really LOVE the first one you wouldn’t have fallen for the second - Amber Prike

I’m not perfect but I’m always me. – Amber Prike

All great achievements require time. – Anonymous

A simple hello could lead to a million things- Anonymous

Don’t wait for a perfect moment; take a moment and make it perfect- Anonymous

I’m in love with you and all your little things- Anonymous

I am a sensitive being. Your words hurt, your looks kill. But never in my life have I ever let those things get to me. I am my own person. -Miranda Reed

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see? - Mad hatter

People who don't think shouldn't talk-Lewis Carroll

Super Smash Bros for 3DS Review by Kyle Tuter

The latest installment of the Smash Bros series, Super Smash Bros of 3DS is a wel-come addition to the 3DS

library. For the people that don’t know, Super Smash Bros is a fighting game with all your favorite Nintendo charac-ters like Link, Mario, and more than 40 other fighters. You can even have yourself in the game with the Mii Fighters. There is a new mode in the game called Smash Run, where you fight enemies for 5 minutes and gaining stats, then you fight other fighters with their stat boost. Its a very fun mode. A new thing that has been added is character cus-tomization. You can now customize the specials of fight-ers, adding a lot more unpredictability to a battle.

I really enjoyed this game and I give it 9 stars of out 10.

One Day

By: Amber Prike

One day I will stop shaking

I’ll stop hating my voice

I’ll stop doubting myself

One day I’ll be successful

and one day you’ll stop looking down on me

and realize you were wrong

I am strong and I made it.

I struggled and fought my way here

through fire and pain

and I made it this far

and where are you now?

In the crowd screaming my name

and cheering me on.

who knew this was me?

Oh yeah-- I did.

P A G E 8

W M S P R E S S

Hipster

Too mainstream to be hipster?

By: Eva Agcaoili

What is a hipster? In our school people seem to think that hipsters are people that don’t follow the latest trends. Katheryn (Kat) Prier defines being hipster as “ A person who defy all descriptions of mainstream.” While Ethan Gambriel defines it as “ A hipster is somebody that who does something before it’s cool.” All the definitions of a hipster is a person that is NOT mainstream. Let me repeat, being hipster is supposed to be NOT mainstream, but in today’s world, everyone dresses like theyare supposed to be a hipster. Hipster used to be a lifestyle, now its just a fashion. Being hipster has really lost its meaning, to be hipster now means to dress like everyone else. For example, three years ago only hipsters would have worn skinny jeans, today stores really only sell skinny jeans. The typical hipster 3 years ago would only have their group of friends. They would ignore everyone and defy the main-stream definition of teenager or adult. So the real question is, should hipster be called mainstream now since everyone dresses like they are a hipster? Or is there still a few hip-sters out there that defy the definition of mainstream?

Mason Skaggs ( High School Senior)

Ethan Gambriel Why?

Mrs. Maerke (7th and 8th honors English

teacher) Ariana Collins Why? Floral headband and

Hair style and color

Milana Hainline and Anna Bird

Danielle Pelak and Emma Balmian


Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and the Oklahoma City Thunder

By Dominic Hauck

Oklahoma City Thunder is a NBA Basketball team that is one of the best teams, some people say.

Which I think is true due to them having some of the greatest players. Two of these players are Russell West-

brook and Kevin Durant. These players are what I think are the core of what makes this team great. Then you

have your guys that help the team with things like rebounds, blocks, etc… but Kevin and Russell are the ones

that get everything going in the games. The reason I am telling you all this is to have you think that OKC

(Oklahoma City )Thunder is the best team in the NBA, and that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the

best players that worked together great in the NBA. The reasons I think Kevin and Russell are the best on the

team is because of their stats. (Their stats are listed below)

Kevin Durant Stats ↓

Russell Westbrook Stats↓

Those are some stats that show that they are some of the best players in the NBA. That is also why they

make the Oklahoma City Thunder the best team.

Other reasons that make the Oklahoma City Thunder the best team in the NBA, is that they have some

great teamwork that goes on in the games. Their team is ranked 5th overall in points per game, 7th overall in

rebounds per game, 13th overall in assists per game, 12th overall in points allowed pre game. That is very

good compared to other teams in the NBA. There team makes it hard for their opponents to score and move the

ball around. Their starting five are one of the best group of people that put points on the board and play hard

defense. Also that they do very good when they play against other teams. Those are some reasons why I think

that you should like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook.

Now like every great team there is some drawbacks to them. Like they haven’t made it to the NBA

Championship for a while. Then they do lose to some teams that aren't very good in stats. And they do lose to

other teams here and there. Some players get injured and end up making the team not as good as they could be.

Also there is some players that don’t help them out much. There is players that leave the team and go on to

play for others. Those are some of the drawbacks for the OKC (Oklahoma City) Thunder. Those are the rea-

sons that I think that you should like the OKC Thunder, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant.

PPG APG RPG PER

32.0 5.5 7.4 29.90

PPG APG RPG PER

21.8 6.9 5.7 24.74

P A G E 1 4

W M S P R E S S

Music spotlight

Meggan Chavez

Its almost the end of 2014 and I think its time to shed some light on some singers who really made it big this year.

5sos - Is a four member band from Australia. Luke, Ashton, Calum and Mi-chael are included in the band who each play an instrument. They hit it off with their EP song “She Looks so Perfect” which has a rock and pop twist. Sam Smith- Sam Smith is a singer from England who has a old soul voice that captures the listeners. His voice takes you back in time and is great to listen to in all situations when you’re sad, mad, and happy. He’s a great singer that you should definitely listen to.

Meghan Trainor- Meghan Trainor hit it big with her song “All About That Bass” that was released in June of 2014. She recently released her new song “Title”. Meghan’s songs have a catchy beat that gets you hooked from the be-ginning.

Student Art Spotlight


Tiger Stories Heart Written in Pen by: Miranda A.T. Reed

My face may say one thing. The bright smile tells you I’m happy. The sparkling eyes tell you I’m fasci-nated with life. My clean appearance may tell you that everything is in order. But all of these signs are a lie.

The pen in my pocket and the colors on my arms tell you differently. If you don’t stop to read you’ll never know the real me. Marks and designs color up and down my arms, explaining my feelings and life. A word here, a swirl there, a removable tattoo.

Of course there are others like me. We have a special connection. Even if we don’t really hang out. We see the marks on the others arms, and we nod in respect. We understand each other. I guess what I mean to say is this… not everyone has soul crushing secrets. But sometimes the ones that do show it in their art.

Winter Guard is a Sport by: Jordan Hamilton Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

As you can tell, anything that takes physical exertion and skill is a sport. When you have seen what the guard girls do you would know that you have to have skill to make sure not to hit yourself in head. Is Winter Guard a sport or not? People can have their own opinions on if Winter Guard is a sport. They can go by their own opinions.

Courtney Wisdom- I have done guard before, it is an amazing and

fun experience, also because I am curious about the topic I have looked at the definition of a sport and I do believe that winter guard does fit in with that. Kaliyah Thompson- I have done winter guard and plan on doing it this year. But people should not judge something they know nothing about. Look up the definition of sport. In Winter Guard we compete against other schools. That is what I have seen every sports team do so ya. Eva Agcaoili- I have never done winter guard before but I do believe that it is a real sport. The exercise hard and even though it may not be the same exercise of basketball or football or soccer, I think that they work their bodies and muscles in a different way. Sam Cooper- It is a sport of the arts. Evan Graham- No Winter Guard is not a sport because there is no direct one-on-one competition. They are just judged. It does take a lot of skill though to not hit yourself in the face with the flags though.

P A G E 1 0

Meet the Secretary by J.H. Burney I recently asked the secretary, Cheryl Burney a few questions about Willard.

What is different from Willard to where you used to live?

Bigger city surrounding, and more small town feel.

What do you like about Willard?

The small town feel.

What do you like about the Willard schools?

Even though it is a bigger school, the students get very individual attention.

How long do you expect to stay?

As long as they will keep me.

What do you do as a secretary?

Help the parents and principals with what they need.

What is your favorite thing of the day?

Working with the wonderful teachers and getting to talk to the students.

Most stressful part of the day?

Attendance.

What is the difference from your old job to this one?

I used to work with high schoolers.

How many regular calls do you get a day?

Almost nonstop.

What is the toughest situation that you have had you do?

Trying to keep kids stay in school, at her old job.

What do you think about the 8th grade students?

I think they are fabulous.

What about bullying? Thoughts?

I think it has gotten worse because of social media.

Do you enjoy working as a secretary?

I love it.

Why did you come to Willard?

Moved to Springfield because I like living in a larger city.

Horoscope Frenzy Predicting your fate, based on your date!

By: Ethan Gambriel

According to Wikipedia a horoscope is forecast of a person's future, typically including a connection of character and circumstances, based on the relative positions of the stars and planets at the time of that person's birth.

Horoscopes are based on the alignment of planets. They originated in ancient Babylon.

Disclaimer: It seems as if some ‘NON-BELIEVERS” have requested that I print a disclaimer. Well, I suppose that horoscopes are “Just for fun” as I would think was implied. Have a nice day! Continued on the following page...

WMS Boy’s Basketball Schedules: collected by Caleb Mires


A Short Interview with Coach Cox

By: Jackson Skaggs

Coach Cox is a math teacher and basketball coach at our school. I recently had him fill out an interview for

our school’s newspaper.

How many years have you taught here at WMS?

I have taught here for two years.

How do you motivate the team before a game?

I make sure they are ready and comfortable with the game plan. This helps them be able to concentrate on

just playing ball. I encourage them to play for each other and play as a team.

What do you think is the best thing about coaching at willard?

I like having the opportunity to get to know the kids at WMS. It has been a lot of fun seeing the guys in-

crease their basketball skill and seeing them develop as a team.

Nov. 17-21 2014 8th Grade Branson Tournament Nov. 25 2014 Game @ Nixa 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 2014 Game @ Bolivar 5:00 p.m. Dec. 5 2014 Game @ Willard vs. Reed Springs 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8 2014 Game @ Willard vs. Marshfield 5:30 p.m. Dec. 11 2014 Game @ Republic 5:30 p.m. Dec. 12 2014 Game @ Willard vs. Ozark 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8 2014 Game @ Branson 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10 2014 Game @ Rogersville 9:00 a.m. Jan. 12 2014 Game @ Carthage 5:30 p.m. Jan. 13 2014 Game @ Lebanon 5:00 Jan. 19-23 2014 7th Grade Tournament @ Ozark Jan. 26-30 2014 7th Grade COC Tournament Jan. 26-30 2014 8th Grade COC Tournament Don’t miss out on a chance to show your Tiger Pride and support your Willard basketball team!

P A G E 1 2

W M S

T-I-

G-E

-R-S

! Dear Martin Dear Martin, I don’t really like school. I don’t have any friends, and all my classes are hard. Any tips that might help? -Bored @ WMS Dear Bored @ WMS, Sorry, but listen-- you will not find friends by asking a stranger. Here's what you need to do: 1-Go out and talk to people, make those strangers people you know. 2-Make sure you get there names, it will be awkward later on if you don’t. 3-Find some common ground and learn to like what they like, so you can have stuff to talk about and do together, and that’s how you make friends. Now, about your school problem. To make class easier, try actually asking the teachers for help often -- it works for me. Not many kids like school, either you do or don’t. If you can actu-ally try to make friends and work real hard, you can’t go wrong. Sincerely, Martin

THE NEWBIES by: Katie Baird

I interviewed several students that are new to Willard Middle School, whether they are from another city, or from out of state. I asked them a few questions about WMS, and here are their anonymous answers.

1. What is your favorite part about WMS? “Probably the people, everyone is nice and helpful.” “The teachers are more interactive with the students.” “A la carte, man!” “The people and the teachers here are great.”

2. Is WMS similar or different to your school before? “Very different.” “It is very, very different.” “In a lot of ways it is similar, but there are a few small differences.” “A lot different. The teachers here actually care about what they’re doing, and it is a very positive environment.”

3. If you could change one thing about WMS, what would it be? “The organization in the hallways isn’t the best.” “The food could use some improvement.” “The food choices.” “Here, in some of my classes, you’re only graded on your i-assignments and tests,which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a big change from my old school.”


Horoscope Frenzy (continued)

Aries– Mar. 21 - Apr. 20 Born leaders, Lively Energetic and daring, Free spirited Bad Traits Impulsive, but sometimes brilliant Aries Horoscope: This month should be your resting month. Slow down, and have uber patience with everyone, and everything. Just keep moving cautiously, and your month may be pretty good. Also, this month you may want to wear a lot of purple.. You will get all the attention you want by wearing it.

Taurus– Apr 21-May 21 Patient, Reliable, Warmhearted Bad Traits Jealous, Resentful, Greedy Taurus Horoscope: Having a cold, flu, or muscle cramps? The planets tell me that your life this month will be interesting.... And not in a good way. You should use extra caution when lifting heavy objects. (Or heavy people.) You may hurt your back, or cramp your foot. (Which hurts like cray-cray.) ROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Gemini– May 22-June 21 Adaptable, Commutative, Intellectual Bad Traits Nervous Superficial Cunning Gemini Horoscope: JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! Your energy levels this month should be pretty high, and you should be full of happiness. The planetary system in-formed me that you may be able to pull off the “Near-impossible” this month! Maybe in sports, or another school activity where your “skillz “will shine!

Cancer- June 22-July 22 Emotional, Intuitive, Protective Bad Traits Moody Overemotional Clingy Cancer Horoscope: Fight for what is right. This month you may have to fight for what you believe in, and don't let your extra baggage hold you down. It may take days or weeks to prove you're right, but in the end, you always are right... So. #BURN

Leo- July 23- Aug 21 Generous, Creative Faithful Loving Bad Traits Pompous Bossy Intolerant Leo Horoscope: You're month, similar to the Gemini, should be full of energy. Get out there and make things happen! Your AWESOME SAUCE energy levels should help you become a star contributor to interesting conversations with your friends. Everyone may seem to love you this month., and its because they do.

Virgo- Aug 22- Sep 23 Modest, Reliable, Practical, Intelligent Bad Traits Fussy, Harsh, Perfectionist Virgo Horoscope: Need a new boyfriend/girlfriend? Well, the planets tell me you will need one soon. Your flirtatious side may shine, and your eyelashes should be batting like cray. You're new partner may leave you soon after the relationship starts, but oh well. At least you had temporary affection and love, and you felt a loving hand hold yours, and for like, one week in the hall-way you had someone who sacrificed a tardy to walk you to your class. But #whatev

Libra- Sep 24- Oct 23 Diplomatic, Romantic, Easy-Going, Sociable Bad Traits Indecisive, Gullible, Flirtatious Libra Horoscope: Once more, you are #perf.. The planets have this amazing outlook on libras like you, be-cause you are just so darn awesome. You're gonna be like, model status all month, and this is your time to try new fashions, cause every-one will love them on you. Maybe even dye your hair a nice color. Cause it'll be #perf on you. #2Cool4School #CoolestKidOnTheBlock #ModelStatus

Scorpio- Oct 24- Nov 22 Determined, Emotional, Powerful Bad Traits Jealous, Compulsive, Secretive Scorpio Horoscope: Do you feel like everything you're learning in class is just flying over your head? The planets have spoken about you, and tell me you're feeling a little passive-aggressive. You might get mad at someone that is close to you, but keep them close, for they will help you when you're overwhelmed.

Sagittarius- Nov 23- Dec 22 Optimistic, Good Sense of humor, Honest Bad Traits Careless, Irresponsible, Restless Sagittarius Horoscope: You're laughing at all of life's little irritations this month, which could make you the life of the party. Suddenly you may feel like you're about to pee your pants with excite-ment, so get to a bathroom. And bring that excitement to any projects you're doing soon.

Capricorn- Dec 23- Jan 20 Practical, Ambitious Patient Bad Traits Grudging Pessimistic Capricorn Horoscope: It seems as if authority will be hard for you this month.. But, you will move on, and you’ll for-get about it sooner than later. Try to not ex-pect too much of those with power, cause it will just disappoint you. But other than that, you may be purchasing new property soon, whether its a toy or something else that super cool..

Aquarius- Jan 21- Feb 19 Friendly, Honest, Original, Independent Bad Traits Detached, Unemotional, Contrary Aquarius Horoscope: Take a good look at yourself. Then make like Tyra Banks and be super duper confident this month. You're lookin fineeeee, and people will appreciate your efforts. Although the planets warn that you may come upon some personal issues that won't be resolved quickly, and will bring you great pain and misery if you aren't careful.. Happy Days.

Pisces- Feb 20- Mar 20 Imaginative, Selfless, Intuitive Bad Traits Idealistic Vague Dishonest/Secretive Pisces Horoscope: Man, sorry in advance. You're gonna face some terrible problems this month, whether your hot date dumps you, or you lose you quar-ter for ala carte. Your luck probably won’t be that good this month, so be careful while you walk on those eggshells. Its gonna be a #cray month for you.

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