First Day Jitters

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Were you

worried

about

coming to

hart?

Are you

feeling

more

relaxed

today?

Did you

get lost on

your first

day?

Did you

think the

WEB tour

is useful?

Yes or No

Yes

No

The Howler September 2008 Thomas Hart Middle School’s Official Newspaper Issue 1

Wanna Vote?

Contributed by Daniela Martin

Are you upset that you can’t participate in the election? Now you can! Mrs. Everton, one of the 8th grade history teachers, is in charge of the Mock Election! On October 30, all students will be able to vote in their history classes. Staff can vote as well! This Mock Election will not only include things about the next president. It will include propositions, other candidates, and state issues. Be ready for the Mock Election on October 30!

First Day Jitters Contributed by Jason Hsieh

Were you worried about coming to Hart? Are you feeling more relaxed today? Did you get lost on your first day? Did you think the WEB tour was useful? These were a few questions we asked 6th graders. On the first few days, about 27 % of the incoming students were lost. It’s happened to all of us, so don’t worry.

Don’t stress about school. Did you know that 94% of the sixth graders are feeling more relaxed compared to the first day? But, before the first day, were they worried about coming to Hart. About half of the sixth graders were worried about coming to Hart, but now as they get used to this school, they realize there is nothing to stress about. When I was a 6th grader, I remember walking through the gates of the great Thomas Hart Middle School, and feeling overwhelmed by what would be my middle school. Were you? If you’re interested in getting some tips on how to be successful at Hart read, Tips for Success in the

6th

Grade, an article in this issue of The Howler, contributed by Lauren Nester and Sayali Vilekar.

Getting To Know

Our Presidential

Candidates Contributed by Savannah Cordova

With the presidential election drawing ever nearer, we’re down to two candidates, almost as different as can be. John McCain was born in 1936 and spent time in the military before returning home to become a senator of Arizona. Married before being in the Navy, he met his second wife in April of 1979, and then divorced his previous spouse to marry her. He originally campaigned to be

president in the 2000 race, but lost the Republican voters to Bush, who was elected that year. Seven years later, he announced he would be running again. “I'm not running for President to be somebody, but to do something; to do the hard but necessary things not the easy and needless things.” He’s now the Republican nominee for president, and describes himself as being a straight-talker who enjoys hiking and has a sense of humor. McCain recently chose his vice presidential running mate, the female governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Barack Obama, who made history by being the first, part African-American in U.S. history to be one of the two final candidates for president, was born nearly thirty years after McCain, Obama graduated from Columbia and Harvard Law School, and was elected into the Senate. He married Michelle Robinson on October 3rd, 1992, and has two children, (Continued, next page)

(Presidential Candidates, cont’d) Malia and Sasha. Obama is described by some as being able to lump everyone together, symbolizing a major step away from racism. He said, when declaring his win as the Democratic candidate on June 3rd, 2008, “America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love.” Nobody can be completely sure who will be sitting in the White House come January, but one thing is certain, it will be an interesting battle to the finish.

The Democratic and Republican

Conventions Contributed by Kyle Wiest

Many of you probably turned on your television the last week of August and the first week of September expecting to find your favorite primetime show. Instead you found some political party holding its convention. The conventions were the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the Democratic National

Convention (DNC). These conventions are a historic tradition for the political parties. They are used for a number of reasons, but the main reason is to officially nominate the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees.

The convention is used for a number of reasons. The parties use the convention to propose their party’s platform. Their platform is a statement of their party’s principles, also known as what their party’s ideas are on each political issues. The convention is also used to set a series of rules and procedures that govern the party.

The Democratic National Convention was held at the Pepsi Center and INVESCO Field in Denver, Colorado, August 25-28. The conventions days were headlined by speeches by Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and finally on Thursday Sen. Barack Obama at INVESCO Field, stadium of the Denver Broncos. Between over two years of planning and over 43 miles of computer and television cables the convention was one of the most successful. Barack Obama made history on Thursday of the convention by being the first African American to ever be nominated for president by either party. Barack Obama and Joe Biden now continue their race for the White House. The Republican National Convention was held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, September 1-4. The events on Labor Day were cut short due to Hurricane Gustav’s arrival in New Orleans and the southern coast. However, the convention continued as planned for the remainder of the week. The convention was headlined by speakers such as Fred Thompson, Joe Lieberman, and Sen. John McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain. Approximately 45,000 delegates, journalists, volunteers, and guests were in attendance. The former hockey arena was converted using over 20

miles of cable, 4,500 data and analog lines, and over half of the luxury suites were converted into TV studios. Sen. John

McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also continue their journey

to Election Day on November 4.

Source: Wikipedia.com, USA Today Newspaper

Current Events Character Trait of the Month:

Responsibility Contributed by Lauren Nester

As some of you may know, responsibility is the character trait for September. Now, you’ve known this word since kindergarten, but what does it really mean to you? “Responsibility means

doing what you’re

supposed to even when nobody’s looking.”

–Megan Akacsos

“It means taking the blame for your actions and

following through with your promises.” –Georgia

Savage

“Responsibility means that you own up to your actions.”

–Sophia Thompson

“It means remembering your homework.” –Alec

Stamnes

“It means doing what you’re supposed to and turning

things in on time.” -Cassidy Hager

The Oxford American dictionary refers to responsibility as “the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.” But as you can see from the quotes above, it can mean many different things to many different people. So what other ways are there to practice responsibility? Well, for starters, you can do your chores at home. Parents love that. At school, you can always turn in your work and clean up after yourself at lunch. If you want to be a good friend, you always need to be responsible. If you never kept a promise with a friend, they’d never be sure if they could trust you

or not. Imagine if our teachers weren’t responsible enough to plan a lesson for us every day. We’d just sit around staring at each other and the clock. It might be kind of nice at first, yes, but after a while it would get old. Also, what if they never bothered to publish our grades online? We’d never know how we were doing or if we needed to improve. You don’t want that now, do you Huskies? Didn’t think so. Now, get out there and show everyone how responsible we are here at H.M.S.!

Seven with Evans Contributed by Savannah Cordova

Today, I was sent on a quest. Pen and paper in hand, I crept down the deserted hallway of Thomas Hart Middle School that would lead the way to my destiny. Okay, I’m exaggerating a little. The yellow tiles I tread on would not bring me to great fortune, painful death, or anything extreme. In fact, my journey was under quite ordinary, though pleasant, circumstances: I was about to interview Mrs. Evans, one of our newest teachers here at Hart. Below is a rough transcript of our conversation, of me asking and her answering seven questions designed to help all the rest of us get to know her a little better. Q: Where did you teach before Hart? A: Adams Middle School in Brentford. Q: What inspired you to become a science teacher? A: I love science and kids, so I think it’s a good combo. Originally, my degree [from San Diego State] was in geology, though. And I really like eighth grade, so I’m sticking here. Q: How long have you been teaching? A: This is my second year. I substituted a little before that. Q: What part of science are you most looking forward to teaching us?

A: Chemistry-chemical reactions are all super fun and exciting. Q: If you could give one piece of advice to all of your students, what would it be? A: Enjoy being a kid, and don’t try to grow up too fast. Q: You got married over the summer, huh? Tell us a little about your husband. Is he a teacher, too? A: He teaches geometry at Foothill, and AVID, which is a really good program. Q: This is a question that everyone likes to ask us, as kids: What is one of your goals for the future? A: One of my goals for this year is to get eighth graders excited about science. I exited classroom B102 at the end of this chat happy with my results and happy to be more familiar with Mrs. Evans. I will definitely be visiting her again-and not just because I see her every day for fourth period science. The next time you have a free moment, drop by to see Mrs. Evans or any one of the number of new teachers here at Hart. Welcome to all of you!

Join a Club! Contributed by Allison Wong and Georgia Sheppard

What clubs exist at Hart, and how do I join? Questions I am sure students have, but how are they learning about these clubs? Now, there is no question about clubs at school. Some have heard of the Ecology club and the Debate club but have you heard of the Robotics club, or the California Junior Scholarship Foundation? Wonder no more about clubs and organizations here at Hart, because we have lists and information about every one. For those who have a 3.5 GPA or higher, there is CJSF. This foundation allows excellent students to get involved in their community. Over the years they have held walk- a-thons to raise money for different charities. This organization not only benefits its members, but the students and the community at large. The

main goal of this organization is to connect students with the

community. If you desire to get more details or join this academic club, contact Mrs. Simon. Debate Club helps

students develop skills for debating and researching. If you have ever considered a future career in politics or

law, this is the club for you. Students are given an issue, and over the next week or so are to accumulate information and consider which side of the debate they are on. All huskies are welcome to join the club that meets one Wednesday a month in the library before school. For more information contact Mrs. Halliday. Ecology club meets on Wednesdays at lunch to discuss ways to make Hart an environmentally safe school. For instance, last year, the Ecology Club began a recycling program with accelerated math, so we wouldn’t waste so much paper, and the math department could save money. Open to all Hart students, you can contact Mrs. Montez or Mrs. Everton to learn more. Hart’s Robotics Club involves students building robots out of Legos. This club allows students to develop basic engineering skills, to learn more about robotics, and to make friends. Mrs. Jarmuz may be contacted to learn more if you are interested.

Reviews: Film & Literature Contributed by Sophie Wan

Twilight By Stephanie Meyer The Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer is a dark, thrilling romance about love

between a human and one of the inhuman-a vampire. The thickness of this novel is not something to be frightened of. Instead, anticipate action that’ll keep you flipping the pages. Meyer concocts a plot flooded with the danger and risks of romance, but humor as well. It is definitely an educational and entertaining read for all teenagers, and the next Harry Potter.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

The Journey to the Center of the Earth is a spectacular, 3D book-based movie of a man, Professor Trevor Anderson, who desperately wants to prove his deceased brother’s theory of another world in the center of the earth. In his attempt to find the truth, he also pulls along his nephew, Sean, and a pretty mountain guide named Hannah on this fantastic adventure. It’s a great summer movie complete with dinosaurs and large fanged fish, and a dash of romantic humor.

Tips for Success in the

6th Grade Contributed by Lauren Nester and Sayali Vilekar

Hey 6th Graders! Before the school year started, did you have any fears or

excitements like these other 6th grade students?

“I was excited about changing classes and meeting new friends.”

- Vimay Cham

“I was scared I wouldn’t get to my classes on time.” - Carly Muller

“[I was] excited about school and to see friends again.” - Andrew Bonila

“I was scared about getting lost.” - Alison Dai

Well, if you did have worries, we're here to help! Here are some great tips to help you get through middle school as smoothly as possible. � Don't try to be someone you're not just to get into

the popular crowd, because doing so will most likely not result in them being your friends.

� Another helpful hint is that it's a good idea to get

your homework done ASAP over the weekend. You'll be glad you have it done and you'll be free to have fun. This will also help you avoid the late Sunday night scramble to finish.

� You may have learned by now that organization is

the key to success. This is very true in middle school. Try to keep everything together by tidying your binder up once a week.

� Also, you may not think that taking notes is fun,

but it definitely helps. Keep a notebook with important info like how to do tonight's homework, when the big test is, etc.

� Here's a biggie: Do NOT wait until the last minute

to do a project. Procrastination is NOT worth it. � Here comes another important one: get plenty of

sleep every night; you need it. Yes, we're going to include the one your parents really stress: don't

cheat, do drugs, smoke, bully anyone or any of that.

� Also, join in on some sports teams! It's a great

way to make new friends, get active, and it'll give you something to do other than watching TV. If you’re not a sports person, join an after school or lunchtime club!

� Another big thing: Schoolwork is important, and

you always need to do your best, but don't get too carried away and get too stressed over it. You need some fun in your life, too.

� Now, let's talk about Mr. Maher. He is your friend

unless you do bad stuff. You can always go to him for anything. Mr. Maher rocks!!

� Here's another important one: always ask

questions! Who knows, the answer might give you a homework clue!

� And here's possibly the most important rule:

HAVE FUN AND LAUGH A LOT! Make new friends, get involved, and be the best you can be!

Calling All

Runners! Contributed by Daniela Martin Have you been looking for fun and effective ways to exercise? Why not join the Cross Country team?

You will find this group running up hills and many other places in Pleasanton, including Jamba Juice! Mrs. Maker, the coach of Hart Middle School’s Cross Country team, holds practices Monday-Thrusday from 3:20-4:30 pm. Anyone interested in participating needs a completed sports packet on file. Now, what are the benefits of running in Cross Country? First of all, you can make more friends if you join a team because you share interests. Besides making you feel good, running keeps your heart pumping. Regular exercise also helps you stay healthy, and Cross Country is a wonderful way to keep in shape. So if you love running, join the team! The first practice is Monday, September 22. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Maker for more details.

World & Sports Our Olympic Gymnasts Contributed by Georgia Sheppard

Who’s that girl on the back of the Minute Made orange juice carton? It’s Shawn Johnson, born January 19, 1992. She recently won three medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. At the age of 16, she brought home the gold for the Women’s Balance Beam, a silver medal for the Women’s All-Around, and another gold medal for the Women’s Floor.

This Valley High School junior in Des Moines, Iowa, started her gymnastics career at the age of six. She became one of the first students of Liang How, an international gymnast, when her gymnastics school opened in Johnson’s hometown.

What you might find interesting about this 4’9” medalist is that she only trained 20-25 hours a week, compared to the average Olympian, who trains 40-45 hours a week. Being an “A” AP student, she made sure that her training was scheduled around her schoolwork. Nastia Liukin (pronounced, loo-kin) who lives in Parker, Texas, was born October 30, 1989. She joined Johnson on the American Women’s gymnastics team at the summer Olympics. She was talented enough to bring home the gold, in the Women’s All-around. Both of Liukin’s parents were gymnasts, who later on in life became coaches. In 1993, she began her training when she was just four years old; and soon after, her lesser gymnast mother became her coach. Together, they reached victory in Beijing. When she isn’t training, winning gold medals, or attending Southern Methodist University, Liukin has other priorities. At these times, she becomes just another young adult like you and me who likes to swim, shop, and listen to music.

Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympian

Ever? Contributed by Kyle Wiest

Phelps! Phelps! Phelps! This chant was probably all you heard if you watched the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps is an American swimmer who made history. While in China, Phelps won eight gold medals in swimming, beating out Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals during a single Olympics. He accomplished this inside Beijing’s National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube, which was built especially for the Beijing Olympics. Michael Phelps seems to be the human equivalent of a transformer. He has a long, thin torso which results in less drag in the water and a 6’ 7” long arm span which acts as paddles in the water. His relatively short legs also have less drag and his size 14 feet act as flippers. But perhaps his best attribute for swimming is his hypermobile ankles. Having hypermobile ankles means that his ankles can extend past the point of a ballet dancer’s, letting him thrust through the water. Not only does he have the physical attributes of a great swimmer, but he also eats around 12,000 calories a day in order to maintain top physical shape. For those of you who don’t know the significance of a 12,000 calorie diet let’s see what Michael Phelps eats diet consists of. For breakfast he eats three fried-egg

sandwiches, a five egg omelet, a bowl of grits, porridge of coarsely ground corn, three slices of French

toast, and three chocolate chip pancakes. For lunch he consumes half a kilogram of pasta, two ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo, and a 1,000 calorie energy drink. Finally for dinner he has

another half kilogram of pasta, an entire pizza, and another 1,000 calorie energy drink.

Sounds like a teenager’s paradise right?

Well, if you train for five hours a day six days a week then you too can eat like this.

Michael Phelps currently has 16 total Olympic medals, eight of which he earned in 2004 in Athens and the other eight this year in Beijing. Of his 16 Olympic medals he has two bronze and fourteen gold medals which is a record number. Michael Phelps also makes around $5 million a year in endorsements and received a $1 million bonus from Speedo for winning his eight gold medals. Being an Olympic athlete doesn’t mean that all you get is a medal. You get the respect and admiration of the people of your country. Congratulations, Michael Phelps! Sources: Wikipedia.com

Are You

Famished,

or Just

Hungry? Contributed by Arany Uthayakumar, freelance writer

Two minutes until the bell rings. A low rumble is emitted from the pit of your stomach. “I’m starving,” you grumble, pondering how administrators can be so cruel, having created a schedule such that students must survive four to five periods, before escaping to lunchtime. Another word you use to describe this type of hunger? Famished. However, deprivation of food for a matter of hours is not famine. The torture and pain that a group of over one billion people here on Earth must suffer and bear without consolation, the throbbing emptiness and eternal need fo r food that they cannot quench… THAT is famine. Each one of THEM has a right to say, “I’m famished”. But when they do, who hears them?

World hunger. The raging war on hunger is fought daily by the thousands, having defeated in the last two years alone more soldiers than the number killed during both World Wars.

Famine, chronic malnutrition, and hunger are cruel battles that kill slowly, but none can be compared to the most malicious of beasts; utter emptiness. Forty percent of those who constantly brave through this agony are children—just like you and I. The other percentage is largely comprised of women. Rural indigents, such as peasants dwelling in México, Africa, and Southeast Asia, are the soldiers who fight in this involuntary war, being the poorest among the poor. In European countries, areas struck by floods or disasters, resulting in famine, can be financially supported by society in their hour of need. But for the silent sufferers, the truly famished, there is no aid. Their only option is starvation. Seasonal hunger precedes a harvest, when the previous food supply begins to diminish. As this pattern continues, hunger becomes an ordinary occurrence. In Africa, May is known as “the month in which children wait for food,” describing how illness strikes children who are weakened by food scarcity. Chronic malnutrition is a more recognized, yet still widely invisible villain. While it may not kill, symptoms of vitamin deficiency are extremely hazardous. Lack of vitamin A, for instance, may lead to blindness. Approximately 250,000 children go blind yearly, for this very reason. Most will read this and feel remorse, yet forget it in a matter of moments, wondering how they can ease such a hopeless situation. Kindly do not do the same for this article, since there IS something you can do. Our technological resources are improving as we speak, and organizations have already found ways to rectify this global crisis. You don’t have to be a philanthropist like Angelina Jolie to help; there are ways WE can take part.

The majority of us spend a great deal of time on the computer. This leads me to believe that you wouldn’t mind sparing a few minutes on the computer in order to donate some rice; donate, that is, WHILE

playing on the computer. The game Free Rice donates 20 grains of rice to a hungry soul in the world for each correct answer you receive. To help, go to this link: http://www.freerice.com/, and start your pursuit of philanthropy today! Every bit helps. Together, we can abolish the monster of world hunger once and for all.

Ask Bark TwainDo you ever have a personal question, but you are too

embarrassed to ask anybody? How about asking

Bark Twain? Bark Twain is an anonymous journalist

on this semester’s journalism staff who will answer

questions you email in the monthly edition of The

Husky Howler. Just email your questions to

askbarktwain@yahoo.com, and you will receive a

response in either the next issue or by email. Keep in

mind that no one, not even the journalism staff, will

know your identity. _____________________________________________ Dear Bark Twain: I am a 7th grader this year and just moved to Pleasanton this summer. Even though it is still the beginning of the year, I feel like just the ‘new kid’. Everyone has friends and groups, but I am naturally a shy person and have trouble making friends. I don’t like eating my lunch alone but I am too scared to approach anyone and ask them if I can sit with them. What do I do? ~Shy and Alone Dear Shy and Alone:

Honestly, I believe that at one point everyone feels

alone and like the ‘new kid’. Although you may fear

asking if you can sit next to someone at lunch, try

talking to people in some of your classes. This will

hopefully, help you meet new people. As, I said

several people probably feel the same way you do, so

do not feel alone in this situation. Even though going

up to someone at lunch maybe scary, not everyone is

mean or judgmental so make the jump and try

asking.

Sincerely,

Bark Twain _____________________________________________

Dear Bark Twain: I like to dance, but when I attend school dances I feel like everyone is looking at me. I don’t feel comfortable and I do not have fun. I guess I am self conscious. How can I have fun when I am always worried about how I look? Signed,

Scared to Dance

Dear Scared to Dance:

What you need to remember is that at dances,

everyone is consumed by themselves, thinking about

how to dance. It is hard sometimes to feel good about

who we are, but you need to remember feeling

confident about yourself goes further than looks.

Your confidence comes from your thoughts about

your personality. You seem like such a nice person so

if you allow your kind personality to shine through,

you should hopefully never feel self conscious about

your appearance. You just need to always remind

yourself that your self esteem cannot be knocked

down by anyone but you. Be confident about who

you are and you should never fear what others think

of you.

~Bark Twain _____________________________________________ Dear Bark Twain: When I was in 6th grade, I was doing really badly at school. For instance, I failed about half of the homework assignments, even though I tried to do them with effort. I thought it was the teachers. When I told my friends, they said I needed to work harder. This still happens to me sometimes, I don’t really know how to make this work. Sincerely, Someone Dear Someone:

Completing school tasks is never easy, but

commitment to studies is necessary. No one can make

you do your homework, it is something you have to

do yourself. You said you have been doing this since

6th

grade, now that you have made the mistakes, you

need to learn from them and apply them to the

present. Homework is easy to dismiss, but what you

need to remember is that even though it at times can

be irksome, homework will help you in later life. So

don’t dismiss the homework, commit to academic

excellence and you are sure to succeed.

Sincerely,

Bark Twain