The Locker The Wellesley Middle School Newspaper Fall 2010

Chilean Miners Rescued By AJ

The Chilean miners were finally rescued Tuesday October 12th. They had spent 65 days underground due to a massive collapse in the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile. The mine cave center was at a depth of 1000 feet. The collapse sent down 700,000 tons of rock. This is a description of their entrapment and their survival. The Chilean miners had some food from emergency supplies. Every 48 hours the miners would eat 2 spoonfuls of tuna, half a cookie, and half a glass of milk. All the miners starved for 17 days straight before the rescue team found them. Later when the rescue team was able to drill to their cave, a diet of meat and rice to eat, and medical supplies was sent to them through small holes. Later games and electronics were also sent down into the mine. The miners got a movie projector and were able to watch the Chilean football games. They were also sent music players with speakers. Bibles. and rosaries. Surprisingly the miners made part of their refuge into a casino where they played dice games, dominoes, and cards. The doctors had the miners exercise so that they were strong and fit enough to ride in the rescue capsule. It was important to keep both their minds and bodies active while in captivity. Continued on page 2...

Gulf Oil Disaster By Alex

Can you imagine Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill times eighteen? That would be the size of the Gulf oil spill. It all started out when a bubble of highly explosive methane gas was dislodged and blew up right beneath the drilling platform. Then, the platform sank, and the pipe that brought oil to the platform broke. Eleven people died in the blast. Oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico for months. How could this happen? British Petroleum (BP), the drilling company in charge of Deepwater Horizon, the name of the well, rushed through things and cut corners. The cement they used as an extra wall between the pipe and water was not mixed with the other materials correctly, and that is what let the gas bubble get in. Also, BP failed to test whether or not the cement casing had bonded together correctly. That is another precaution they could have taken to reduce chances of a blowout or failure to keep the gasses under the sand. Unfortunately, these precautions were not taken and we now have an environmental catastrophe on our hands. The spill may seem bad, but it could have been a lot worse if BP had not done anything. They tried multiple strategies to reduce the amount of oil entering the Gulf. Right when the spill began, BP sent in boats to set the oil on fire and burn it off. Also, chemicals called dispersants, which are used to break up the oil, making it easier to Continued on page 2...

NEWS EDITORIALS

COMICS ACTIVITIES

STORIES SPORTS

ART

Editors: Bill Noor

Melanie Stephanie

Assistant Editors:

Molly Athenee

Matt Abby

Faculty Advisor: Lynne Johnson

Chilean Miner Rescue cont. from front page… The rescue of the miners was the toughest rescue in history. On the first attempt to drill down to the miners, the rescue team drilled a hole that veered off just missing the trapped miners tunnel. On the 22nd of August the rescue team received a sign of life when miners left a note on the drilling equipment. After first sending food and medical supplies to the trapped miners, the rescue team began to make an escape shaft so that the miners could be brought up in a two-foot diameter capsule. Finally on October 12th the miners were pulled out of the mine alive, one by one. This was both an impressive engineering feat as well as an emotional, miraculous rescue. The miners received support and encouragement from all over the world. The miners survived and are now celebrities, but they will continue on with life like the rest of us. After being trapped for sixty-five days, the miners are reunited with their families. They are receiving monetary gifts and offers from around the world, as this true story could eventually become an inspiring book or movie. In Chile, they will be heroes for the rest of their lives. But most have said they will not return to working in the mine. Some may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The miners had lost an estimated twenty-two pounds each while underground. They used will- power and positive thinking to force themselves not to give up hope. From what the miners did, to what they learned, they have taught the world an amazing story of human survival and community.

www.perthnow.com http://in.reuters.com http://news.yahoo.com www.mirror.co. www.denverpost.com http://english.ntdtv.com http://buzz.yahoo.com http://news.yahoo.com Gulf Oil Spill cont. from front page… clean up. Farther out, helicopter teams flew around the Gulf, looking for oil that escaped. Once notified, skimmers, boats that filter oil out of water, would go and clean it up. The spill killed many animals. It killed crabs, fish, pelicans, and many other sea-faring creatures. It killed coral reefs as well. Corals house many fish and invertebrates, so many fish also lost their homes. The spill completely messed up the food chain. The oil that washed up in the bayous, or marshes, of the Gulf smothered plants. This made it harder for herbivores to find food, starting a chain reaction. In the water, it started by killing microfauna, like eggs and plankton. Also, it bred oil-eating microbes, which depleted oxygen. These two factors worked against the fish, starting another chain reaction. The spill hurt the economy of the south. Tourism dropped, due to the oil. This meant hotel and motel owners were not getting many customers. Also, restaurants’ businesses were ruined. No one wants to eat seafood from a place where the seas are full of oil, even if the food is clean! Fishing was destroyed with all the fish, crustaceans, and shellfish dead. There was nothing for the fisherman to catch. With tourism, dining, and fishing halted, the economy was taking a beating. The Gulf area spill will be remembered as an historic disaster. The economy is down, and wildlife is dead. However, there is a sense of hope. In the Louisiana wetlands, life is coming back. Grass is growing again. It may not be much but it is an important first step. Hopefully, this will spread across the gulf—not only in wildlife, but in businesses too. Then, the Gulf of Mexico, whether it happens in six months or six years, will be able to return to its unique bayou culture, and its unique way of American life. National Goegraphic, October 2010 Issue. http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/People-and-Places/Ranger-Rick-on-the-Big-Oil-Spill.aspx

Mosque Field Trip Controversy

By Matthew & Keenan Publishers of The Green Pufferfish

Organization Claims WMS Students “Prayed to

Allah” on Class Field Trip On Tuesday, May 25th, 2010, sixth grade students from the Wellesley Middle School (WMS) took a field trip to the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center® (ISBCC) as part of an Enduring Beliefs and the World Today social studies curriculum. As most students watched the prayer, five joined the Islamic men in the movements of the prayer. A mother chaperoning shot a video of the students moving with and imitating the Muslim men. Four months later, the video was released by the Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), an association that has been critical of the ISBCC. The video was published on their website. According to press sources, the Americans for Peace and Tolerance® waited until school was in session to release the mother’s video in order to get a response from the school system and parents. The APT then posted it on their website for the public to view. The press attempted to organize an interview with the mother who shot the video, but was not successful. However, ABC News received a memo from her attorney, Rob Meltzer, stating, “The apology alone, without some concrete steps to ascertain the truth and guarantee that this won’t happen again, is not likely to resolve the matter.” He also stated that she plans to file a lawsuit against the Wellesley Public School system, for violation of civil rights. The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center® regularly hosts school field trips to teach about their religion. ISBCC president, Bilal Kareem, is worried that this is anti-Muslim sentiment, saying to NECN reporters, “We get about 15 groups a month that reach out to us…I think that’s the larger story – I mean what I’m concerned about is that this fringe group, anti-Islamic, Islamaphobic group [APT], which has made its mission to kind of attack mosques, and this kind of association and others in general...You’ve got the whole mosque issue being hot in the news across the country, my guess is that this is when they’re

finally able to get traction. This group here is locally trying to foment the same type of sentiment, which is really bad.” Kareem claims that the five students joined the prayer on their own, and that this issue is a school matter to ABC-TV, “It just seems sort of a sensational kind of publicity seeking kind of thing…I’ve double- and triple-checked with our tour guides and she certainly didn’t invite them to participate in the prayer.” Americans for Peace and Tolerance® is an organization that has been against the mosque. Charles Jacobs, head of the APT claims to WHDH-TV Boston, “People who have ties to the mosque [ISBCC] have ties to people connected with terrorism.” Jacobs claims that the woman came to him in advance, saying, “There was this woman who kind of serendipitously met our staff at another occasion and told us that this trip was planned and that she was quite concerned about it. We suggested that if she was going to go she bring a camera to see what was going on.” Jacobs posted the video on his website Thursday, September 16. That same night, his group left flyers on people’s cars at Wellesley Middle School, the same night as back-to-school night, during which parents of WMS students go to the school and learn about their children’s classes. Jacobs also claims that the mosque chosen for the field trip was too “radical,” and a more “moderate” mosque should have been chosen. He says that the ISBCC was teaching about the glories of Islamic history, hinting that this was related to attempted conversion to Islam. He also believes that the mosque taught false lessons on jihad, the act of defending Islam, and the false information from these lessons has not been corrected by the school. In the conclusion of the video on the APT’s website, it states, “In fact, all across the country there are reports of radical Islamic groups, engaging in Dawa, which literally means proselytizing for Islam, taking advantage of poorly conceived social studies class…planting seeds of Islam inside non-Muslim students. If your local school is taking field trips to a mosque, contact us.” “There’s that prayer area where you see them praying, with men and if you wanted to pray as a female, you can go over to the female area, but the rest of us just stayed right there, they didn’t ask us – no one had to leave, and no one was asked to pray. I think, you know, if someone wanted to they weren’t going to stop you, but no one was encouraged, no one was asked, there was – no…She [producer of video] manipulated what actually occurred,” says Dahri Myers, a chaperone on the mosque field trip to WHDH-TV Boston.

Not all people think so positively. “It was totally inappropriate, to be sure…they’ll fix it, and they’ll go forward. The kids will learn all about each other’s religions and they’ll probably be a lot better for it,” said a passerby at WMS to NECN. A teacher at the middle school, Ms. Learner, agrees, saying that, “[The students] should be complimented for it. It was very sweet of them. I happen to greatly admire the program [Enduring Beliefs and the World Today].” “My husband and I thought it was opening their eyes to a different type of practice,” explains Lisa Sheeler to WHDH-TV Boston. Some people however, have strong feelings going past the original video. “Here’s a group that says “Peace and Tolerance” and what they’re preaching, appears to me, to be hate.” Wellesley Public Schools superintendent Bella Wong apologized to WMS parents in a letter sent out on Friday, September 16, stating that the involvement of the students was a mistake, and that she is sorry for the offense it may have caused. However she also states that the school system will visit a mosque this year. According to recent polls by WHDH-TV Boston, 41% of people say that the mosque field trip was appropriate, however 59% disagree. This article is an excerpt of a longer, more comprehensive article. For more information and the full article, contact: Matthew Keenan

The Middle School Mosque Controversy

By Cameron In late September, camera crews pulled up to the edge of Wellesley Middle School, interviewing people, getting shots of the school. Why? The reason is back in the spring, during the 6th grade World Religion unit. When learning about Islam, the students took an innocent field trip to a mosque, the Islamic place of worship. Parents were invited to be chaperones, and the kids had a fun time. But a parent was video taping the whole trip. Four months later, after the Americans Peace and Tolerance made the video, it was released onto YouTube.com. The video now had edits. When the people teaching us about Islam said good things about Islam, the video made it sound like they were trying to convert the kids to Islam. The climax of the video was during the prayer ceremony, when some boys who weren’t of the Islamic religion began to pray with the people who had come to the mosque to pray. Students on the trip and parents, including one

mother who was interviewed for the cameras said that it was made clear that the women were only saying what would be said when prayers started, that she was translating. “It didn’t seem like anyone asked the boys to pray.” The Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) said it was against radical Muslim teachings, and that the Mosque had already been linked to Muslim Extremists. Some people, however, have wondered why the video took so long to come out- the field trip was months ago. While the APT says that’s how long it took to make the video, with captions, but most don’t think it takes that long. “Look at CNN,” one mother said. “They do that in a few hours. Sure they don’t have that kind of technology, but four months?” People like her think it was released to make people vote for a specific person in the upcoming November elections. Search middle school mosque on YouTube.com to see the video.

Bus Trouble By Christina

Have you ever been forced to sit on the floor on the bus? Well many students have. I have seen and experienced many people come up to a teacher and tell them about some of the things wrong with the middle school buses, but the complaint I’ve heard most is that students are being forced sit on the ground. This is neither safe nor fun for most students. Some people say that they are terrified to sit near 8th graders. Others say people are taking up separate benches for themselves or reserving them for friends. This is a serious issue that bus drivers can’t do enough about. To better understand the issue I interviewed a classmate. From this interview I have realized that students may feel pressured to sit on the floor. One reason this might happen is because there are no official rules and that people sit by grade. I am aware that the 8th graders take up the back of the buses, the 7th take the middle, and the 6th get 2 or 3 rows. So may of the 6th graders are forced to sit on the floor. I do agree that the buses should be divided by grade but that it should be equally divided. I also interviewed a policeman, and to my surprise there are no laws about wearing seatbelts, standing, sitting on the floor, or any other safety issues. I suggest making a list of rules for the middle school buses. It could say things like, 6th graders get the first 4 rows, 7th graders get the middle 4 rows, and the 8th grade gets the back 4 rows. It could also simply state that students must have a seat to sit on.

Why Announcements Don’t Work

By Cameron You know the scene: its homeroom, everyone’s talking, your teacher is telling them to quiet down, but no one can wait to tell what they did last night. Then the bell rings, you head off to first period, and realize you didn’t hear if soccer practice is cancelled over the PA. It’s a

common fact that when even one person is talking, the quiet, muffled voice from the speakers is almost impossible to hear. It’s also known that the events Mr. Frank says are important. You hear about bake sales, clubs, sports, and the occasional reminder not to be very rowdy on half days. Yet for over thirty years we still use PA speakers. They just don’t work! We need a new way to do announcements in the mornings. I say Mr. Frank should email the teachers the list of announcements. The teachers project up on the Smartboards, and every one can see it without stopping their conversation. People with special needs can be told the announcements separately. Maybe my way isn’t the best solution, but one thing is sure: what we are doing now isn’t working.

Leaf Blowers – Not Very Green

By Matthew There are lots of people in Wellesley working on "green" projects to help the Earth. These projects includechanging to more eco-friendly light bulbs, switching to hybrid cars, and doing more to recycle. But there is one major cause of pollution in Wellesley that seems to be ignored: the harm caused by gas powered leaf blowers. Gas leaf blowers are everywhere in Wellesley, especially in the Falll. And they are very harmful for the environment. They create poisonous emissions, blow harmful dust and particles into the air that we all breathe, and cause such loud noise that people's health is made worse. In fact, they are so bad that over 400 communities in the United States have voted to ban the use of gas powered leaf blowers. Here are three reasons why gas powered leaf blowers are so bad: 1. Pollution: gas powered leaf blowers burn a dirty mixture of gas and oil that often does not get cleaned up by any clean filter such as the catalytic converter filter in most cars. The result is a very poisonous exhaust. Emissions from using a gas leaf blower for 30 minutes equals driving 7700 miles in a car at 30 mph. Some of the exhaust emissions from these leaf blowers contain chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde that scientists know cause cancer. 2. Dust and particles: leaf blowers blow dust, fecal matter (pet & animal poop), pesticides, spores, pollen, and other substances into the air the cause allergic diseases. Leaf blowers are estimated to emit 2.6 pounds of this "dirty dust" into the air for each hour they are used. This causes young children more sickness because they can't defend against asthma. Senior citizens can get lung and breathing problems. Scientists have identified at least 20 different biological substances in this "dirty air" from leaf blowers that can cause health problems for humans.

3. Noise: Leaf blowers, especially gas powered ones, are very noisy. When your neighbor turns on his leaf blower or hires a landscaper with leaf blowers, there is no escape from this nerve-racking noise except to leaveyour house. People who have to hear that much noise suffer from hearing loss, sleep problems, anxiety, hostility, depression, and hypertension. The noise 50 feet away from a leaf blower is the same as the noise from a garbage disposal (70-80 decibels). The World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health, (NIH), the United Nations, and many scientific and medical publications have recognized noise pollution as harmful to humans. The town of Wellesley limits the hours leaf blowers can be used. But these hours ignore the need for quiet during the day required by babies, workers on the night shift, the ill and retired, and the growing number of home workers. All of the harmful problems of leaf blowers described above often cause the most harm to the leaf blower operators themselves. These are usually less fortunate members of our society who would have trouble getting other jobs. It may be more work to rake a yard by hand, but it is much healthier! References: a) www.noiseoff.org b) "Health and Environmental Impact of Leaf Blowers", California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Feb. 2000) c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf_blower

Jack in the Box By Amanda

Day 1 in The Box:

My world is dark, My world is a black box,

That doesn’t mean I’m alone, I hear murmuring voices,

shuffling feet, creaks of doors

I don’t think I’m suppose to hear that,

but They, Those robots, don’t know,

how much I can see.

I see that, They will die eventually,

and I will rule. They’re scared of that.

Too bad, there’s nothing you can do about it.

hamiltons

Rectangle

hamiltons

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ANAGRAMS 1: Enemy __________ 2: Chain ___________ 3: Regalia _________ 4: Van Item ________ CHALLENGE! 5: Near Gym ________ 6: What is the theme? ______________

A Fun Little Crossword Submitted by Christina

Across: 2. Educators 4. Place of learning 5. Classmates you enjoy being with 7. Subject using numbers Down: 1. Transportation 3. Room to learn in 6. Learner

Peace By Anna

Peace is a person helping another Peace is a butterfly Peace is a dream Yet to come Peace is a pretty white dove Peace is respect forever Peace is a sparrow in flight Peace is God’s warm hands upon us And peace will bid us good-night Now peace is only to visit Here tomorrow and gone the next day But when respect is forever Then peace will be here to stay

Anagram Answers: 1: Yemen 2: China 3: Algeria 4: Vietnam 5: Germany 6: Countries is the theme

Hit it (Part 1)

By Melanie “No.” “Why not?!” I protested. “Because you’re a girl. This is a boy’s only volleyball team,” the coach crossed his arms. “But I can play better than some of the boys on the team!” I shouted pointing to the four scrawny kids sitting on the side lines. The rest of the boys’ volleyball team were practicing while Craig, Jordan, Aaron, and I fought with Coach Ned. “Just let her play, Coach. It can’t hurt anybody, only the other team,” Craig said backing me up. “Yeah, we need skills like hers. It’s like a volleyball star in a girl’s body!” Jordan exclaimed. There was a long and awkward silence. I gave him a look. “Jordan, you’re such an idiot,” Aaron said bluntly. Jordan glared at him. “If you want to play, go join the girls’ team over on that side!” Coach pointed to the other side of the gym where the girls were just standing by the net chatting and laughing. The girls’ team’s coach was painting her nails. “They’re not even practicing! The girls’ team don’t have the same persistence as the guys do! Look at them, they’re just standing there talking about their nails!” All of us looked at him expectantly. Coach’s eyes almost softened for a moment. Then they reverted back to their cold glare state. “I said no and that’s final! If you protest anymore than you already have, you won’t even be allowed to watch our games!” Coach stormed away and screamed at the boys to pick up their practice. I bit my lip and began to walk towards the bathrooms to change out of the uniform Craig had lent me. “Hey,” Craig grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. “Don’t worry about it, Star. I’m sure he’ll come around.” “I don’t think so, he seemed pretty serious. Thanks for trying anyway, but if I can’t play along side you guys, I don’t want to play at all.” “The girls team isn’t that bad. They just need a tougher coach than that lazy old bag over there. You could volunteer and whip them into shape!” Aaron suggested. “Nah, I’m not even old enough to be a coach. I’m younger than all of those girls so I highly doubt they’d listen. I have some studying to do at home, I might as well get on that. See you guys in school,” I gave them a wave and walked

towards the empty changing rooms. I snuck into the boys’ changing room and stuffed Craig’s old uniform into his bag before heading home. I took the bus back to my school and walked from there. As I walked through the center of town, past all the little shops and stores, I passed by a Halloween shop. Everything was on sale starting at 50% off. Including wigs. I pushed open the door. “Hi there. Just to let you know, all wigs are on sale starting 50% off. Do you need any help? Or are you just browsing?” The counter lady asked. I could tell she really didn’t care. She was slouching in her chair looking into her laptop. She wore a name tag with the name Bridget on it. “Um… I’m looking for a wig,” I mumbled lamely. “Hm. What color?” Bridget looked up at me. She took in my tied-back chestnut-colored hair and weird electric blue eyes. She looked at my high cheekbones and ears that were set too far back. “You need blond. That’s what you need. To match those perfect electric eyes. Come on, I’ll show you what you need,” she smiled. At first, she showed me a lot of long haired girl wigs. I told her I needed a guy’s wig. Bridget raised her eyebrows but led me over to some wicked hairstyles. “If you’re going to cosplay as a guy, you definitely want golden brown spikes. It’ll match your cheekbones better. Here, I’ll help you put it on.” I let her pull into the changing room. The store was empty except for her and I, but I wasn’t surprised due to the low range of costumes. She wrapped my hair into a bun and snapped a hair net onto my head. She took the pins and clipped the wig into place. “How does it look?” She asked me. I nodded in approval. The pins hurt a little, but I wasn’t expecting a dozen sharp pins not to. “Will it stay in if I’m doing a lot of rigorous activity?” I asked her. “Hun, there‘s only one way to take this wig off and it‘s this clip under the elastic.” I was grinning from ear to ear as I left the shop with a plastic bag in hand. To be continued...

HAUNTED? By Margaret

Maggie walked home slowly, scuffing her boots in the piles of leaves. The air was blowing cold gusts at her , swirling the leaves up and up, a tiny tornado of red, orange ,and yellow. Maggie had just started middle school, and it was already autumn. She liked all her teachers, but something kept

worrying her. Something was strange; something was different. Something was not right. For example, whenever her class walked into a classroom, the teachers stopped talking, and looked guilty. Her Art teacher was even chanting something when they crept in the room silently. "What could be happening?" Maggie asked her friend, Polly, in the cafeteria later that week. "Well…" Polly said (Polly had an overactive imagination, sometimes), "it's almost Halloween… and you never know, before Halloween. " "What are you getting at, Polly? " Maggie said impatiently. "I think maybe our teachers are witches!" Maggie's first reaction was to laugh, but she stopped after considering it for a minute. Witches aren't real, right? But when she thought about it…the signs were sort of pointing in that direction… "Maybe" she said, "just maybe…you could be right." After school that day, Polly and Maggie gathered some friends and met in the library. The girls shared their information, and smiled knowingly when they saw the idea dawn on the other girls. "What do we do? Do we have a plan?" said Emma. (Emma loved to have a definite plan, and was good at making them, too.) "Well…that's what we need you for." Maggie said. Polly nodded. A day later, the girls met before school. Each girl had a notebook, pencil, and a card. They nodded to each other, exchanged a few mumbled words, then left to go to their classes. And the things got even stranger. Maggie saw a pot–a cauldron?–on her teachers desk, and a funny black cloak thing in her closet. She quickly wrote these things down, and checked off her teacher's name on the card. Meanwhile, Polly made some discoveries, too. When she slipped into her math class a bit early, she saw her teacher guiltily shoving a broom under her desk! As it turned out, all the girls had seen similar things. So after school, they went to the principal to tell him all about it. When they told their problem he smiled and said "Really? Is that so?" several times. But they could tell that something was wrong here. It was then that Maggie saw his guilty look, and his hand inching forward to hide the tiny black kitten under his desk... To be continued...

At Hollis Mansion By Noor

Prologue

The red Jeep wound its way through the maze of twisting roads. A huge, stone mansion loomed ahead. The roads were empty. The clouds pushed against gray mist but were ignored. Beyond the Jeep lay a meandering road that led to the mansion. A forest, with dark peering leaves surrounded the back wall of the mansion. Part 1: The Dream Vacation The Jeep pulled up in the long driveway next to the mansion. A boy and a girl sl ipped out and onto the winding, gravelly drive. Daisy, blonde-haired with a huge imagination, rubbed her shoulders and stretched out her legs. Nathan, the younger boy yawned and murmured, “I’m so tired…” Mrs. Brick, mother of Daisy and Nathan, hopped out of the car and grabbed her purse. She told hold of two suitcases and stared up at the ta l l, towering mansion. “Well,” she excla imed, brightly. “This wil l be your home for the next two months! Don’t you think it’l l be a lovely summer vacation?” Daisy loved adventure and she had looked forward to this trip wholeheartedly. Secretly, she thought it was great fun to l ive in a house no one else had been in for fif teen years. Mr. Brick waved a key in the a ir and strode up the stone steps. With a f lourish, he unlocked the front door and thrust it open. Nathan looked at Daisy with a sl ightly uncertain expression. “You go first, Daisy.” Nathan was not as thri l led as Daisy to explore a three-hundred-year-old mansion. Daisy marched up the stone steps. The mansion looked at least a thousand years old, about to crumble on her head. Mounted on the front door was a small plaque that had a picture of an angry vulture. The wind whistled in Daisy’s ear. Perfect, she thought. Mr. Brick held open the door and beckoned to Daisy and Nathan. Finally, Daisy took hold of Nathan’s red shirt and dragged him inside. The first thing they saw was a portrait of a ta l l, dignified man. His face looked pleasant but his eyes were glaring. Mrs. Brick was a t their heals. She became deathly silent as if a change had overcome her. Daisy’s arms began to get goose bumps but from the chil l, not from spookiness. When she turned around, she swept her gaze through the rooms. The floor was thick with dust. Daisy leaned down and brushed her finger on

the marble floor. Her finger was covered with a brown fi lm. When Daisy took a closer look she saw faint footsteps on the floor. As if someone had just treaded on these floors. Except… the travel agency had mentioned that no one had been here for fifteen years. Daisy looked up. The chandelier above her was fi l l ed with candles nearly burned to the bottom. Mrs. Brick floated through the house, mentally noting any broken or torn objects that needed replacing. Daisy followed her mother. “Hey, Daisy, c’mere!” Nathan called, tugging his sister’s sleeve. Daisy stepped gingerly over a suitcase. Nathan was at the windows. The curtains, once a dreamy li lac were now a faded, grimy gray. The curtains’ fringe looked as if a dog had chewed it away. Moths had gotten to the curtain before Daisy and Nathan. They looked as if they had had a feast. One corner of the curtain, however, looked as if it were hasti ly ripped off. “Maybe someone got hurt and needed a bandage,” Nathan piped up, earnestly. “Maybe a soldier l ived here!” “I doubt it,” Daisy answered, dryly. She inspected the curtain. It looked l ike a prehistoric artifact. Even better. Maybe some prehistoric ghost lived here too. Mr. Brick entered the home, carrying four more suitcases. He panted sl ightly, dropped the suitcases with a thud and said, “Why don’t I start a fire in tha t fireplace and we’ll have some s’mores?” Mrs. Brick rummaged through a large plastic bag tha t held some groceries. “Here’s a can of juice… Some bread… Aha ! We’l l have sandwiches and s’mores for dinner… Not much of a nutritious dinner but what can I say?…” Daisy followed her mother into the large kitchen. A huge black stove took up one corner of the kitchen. It , too, looked ancient. Another great item that would look l ike fun to explore. Ker-plunk! Daisy looked around the kitchen, trying to place where the noise was coming from. She loved solving mysteries. A small, round table was placed in the exact center of the room. It had only three legs. The fourth one was shattered on the ground. Gray curtains shrouded the windows as if trying to conceal some secrets within. A thick coat of dust l ined nearly everything in the house and dark shadows seem to lurk around every corner. This summer vacation was really looking up. ~ Half an hour later, the Bricks sat cross-legged on the floor of the l iving room. White sheets covered al l the couches and chairs. The room was dark except for the

glowing fire. Mr. Brick poked the logs with a stick and a shower of glittering ashes flew up. “There’s a forest out back where you might f ind some interesting bird and insect species,” Mrs. Brick piped up as she took a big bite of a cheese-and-tomato sandwich. “And also some interesting species of ghosts,” Nathan muttered under his breath. “And, not too far away is a beach!” Mr. Brick added as he munched on an apple. “It sounds pretty … fun, Dad,” Nathan replied, uncerta inly. “But, how long will it take for the house to be… fixed up?” “Where wil l we sleep?” asked Daisy, l icking some chocolate off her fingers. She hoped they could sleep in sleeping bags to make the whole “spooky” effect even spookier. “Tomorrow we’ll clean this whole house floor to ceil ing,” Mrs. Brick promised. “Don’t worry, dear. I t looks a l i ttle dusty, but nothing we can’t fix.” “Where wil l we sleep?” repeated Daisy. Mr. Brick pointed a finger upstairs. “You’ll have your own rooms.” Shuffle, shuffle… Shuffle… Cre-e-e-eeak. Upstairs came a noise of a baseball bat trying to force a window open. Mr. Brick yawned and stretched. “It’s been a long day, kids. I say we hit the sack.” “I’m not too tired,” Nathan replied as he finished off h is sandwich. “I want to explore.” “Oh, me too!” Daisy grinned at her brother. “Mom, can’t we—?” “Nathan, Daisy, I think we should al l sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll have plenty of time to explore.” Mrs. Brick began to pile up paper plates, cups, and napkins. “But, Mom, I’m not tired or scared or—” she was interrupted. A scream pierced through the darkness, bouncing off the walls and ceil ings. It wasn’t Nathan, Daisy, or Mr. and Mrs. Brick. Which meant— There was someone else in the house…with them. Daisy hopped up and darted up the sta irs, leaving her family beside the fire. (To be continued in the winter edition of “The Locker)

Please recycle this newspaper :0

Boston Sports Teams By Shahen

Number 86 Semih Erden just came to the Celtics. In 2008, he was chosen as the 30th pick in the second round. He is 6 foot 11 inches being tall is one of his strengths as a Basketball player. He’s from Turkey and is 24 years old. Smih is supposed to be a very affective rookie this year for the Celtics. His stats were impressive in the preseason. 2010 Preseason Stats PPG 5.8

RPG 4.40

APG 1.3

EFF + 8.12

The Patriots drafted Devin McCourtny in the first round, with the 27th pick. He’s a tough 22-year-old cornerback (defensive backfield) and great at special teams He has the number 32 and he is 5 foot 11” and for his university he went to Rogers State University. In his senior college year he had 74 tackles and 1 interception. He was rated 4 out of 167 CB’s in college.

Kickoff Returns G Ret. Yards Avg. TD 13 14 356 25.43 1

For the second overall from the Plymouth Whalers the Bruins got center Tyler Seguin. He has the number 19 and is 6 foot 1”. He shoots right and is from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He’s 18 and just got his first goal against the Coyotes a few weeks ago. Regular Season Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM 2008-09 Plymouth Whalers OHL 61 21 46 67 28 2009-10 Plymouth Whalers OHL 63 48 58 106 54 The Red Sox are in a very tough situation right now. They need to stop the Yankees from getting Cliff Lee or else the Yankees will be unstoppable. They need to get him or prevent him from going to the Yankees. I think next season the Red Sox need to get better shortstops, hitters and good relievers. If they can do that, they will be a very good team the next year.

Celtics Extinguish Heat in Season Opener

By Daniel

The Celtics pounded the Miami Heat in the first game of the season, the score 80-88. They were ahead by as much as 19 points, but in the end, it was a close game. Ray Allen had a great game, scoring 20 points. Paul Pierce scored 19 points and Kevin Garnett scored 10 points. O’Neal scored a neat ally-hoop and played nice defense, while the Heat’s Big 3 struggled to coordinate and work well together. So far, it looks like a promising season for the Celtics. What was once the “Big Three” is now the “Big Four”. The members of the big three are Paul Pierce, the Boston small forward, Ray Allen shooting guard and Kevin Garnett power forward contributed to the Celtics 17th world title in the 2008 season. Pierce was a Celtic for 12 years since being drafted by Boston in 1998. Allen and Garnett were both drafted by Minnesota in ’95 and ’96 and were drafted by Boston in 2007. With Boston center Kendrick Perkins out until at least February with preseason ACL surgery, the Celtics will have to rely on the oldest player in the NBA. 38 year-old Shaquille O’Neal drafted in 1992 has joined the Celtics to fill in for Perkins with newcomer Jermaine O’Neal. Outlook For The Season: Ray Allen is coming back from his worst season since his rookie year in 1996. Allen is expected to still be able to score 15-16 points a game but his age is catching up to him at 35. Pierce is coming back from a solid season in 2009. However Pierce is also getting on in years at 33 and is getting slightly slower but is still expected to be a big player. He just signed a 4-year $61,000,000 contract and will finish his career as a Celtic.

Kevin Garnett is also coming back from a good season but his numbers are slowly getting worse since he joined the team in ’07. Shaquille O’Neal will mainly be playing center for the Celtics this season but when Perkins comes back Shaq will likely only play for short periods of time. At 38 his age and physical condition are catching up to him and he is at the end of his career. I hope this year we play more games like this one. GO CELTICS!!!

Hockey Sticks and Helmets By Christian At the start of the season, you’d like to have new equipment, right? This is my equipment that I would recommend. So for helmets, I recently had a Bauer 1500. It’s a basic starter helmet that most people find comfortable but don’t buy again. But if you’re starting hockey, I would recommend it. I have a Reebok 4K with a CCM (Tacks?) cage. The 4K is OK, because it’s an out of the box fit with a adjustable head size. It lets out sweat and keeps you cooler than the Bauer 1500, but isn’t as protective as any of the higher priced Bauer, CCM, Reebok, Easton, and so on helmets. For sticks, I have a NikeBauer Vapor V2 with a Patty Kane curve, the original Bauer Vapor (before NikeBauer) shaft, with a Bauer Vapor X blade with a Kane curve, a Reebok 4K with a Datsyuk curve, and a Reebok 9K O-tech stick with a Hamrlik curve. I’m getting a Bauer One95 in the mail soon. I would not recommend any of the sticks I have, except for the 9K and the original Bauer. If you want them, it’s too bad. (Out of stock.) The V2 has the most flex you’ll ever find and is easy to break. The 4K is too heavy. I would recommend a Bauer TotalOne stick, it looks really good in performance but costs a lot. Another choice is the Easton ST, as it’s great for anything and it’s very durable. It’s cheaper than most sticks. Another great stick is the Easton SE16. It has incredible feel, but the blade wears out too quickly. Even though the Easton S19 looks really good, don’t buy that. It’s as expensive as a TotalOne and breaks really easily. The new CCM U+CL 2011 version is great, and is used by many NHLers. But, you have to wait a little longer because it’s not on the market. And now, Warrior has come out with their last Dolomite, which is less than a TotalOne and more expensive than a ST. It’s great stick but I prefer it with the Spyne blade. Also, don’t get a Reebok 8.0.8, it’s only good for slapshots. I recommend it for defensemen who only take slapshots. If you get a really good deal on a Easton S17 2009 version, don’t buy it. The blade is

so flexible, and I can’t get any snap off of it. In my opinion, if you have a soft blade, the impact is absorbed by the blade And comes out weaker. Hope you guys and girls out there take my opinion, and I’ll write a new review next time. Oh yeah, and the Bauer One80 and One60 are OK to get along with last year’s One95.

The Celtics big 3, left to right Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen Right picture, Shaquille O’Neal

The Easton SE16 stick.

HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE AT WMS

Next issue of The Locker in 2011!

WMS ARTIST PAGE Digital Art by Rachel (above) Digital Art by Kevin (right) Zentangle Mandala by Josephina (below)