woodrow wilson middle school edison township public...

“And may the odds be ever in your favor.” Those were the words last uttered by Effie Trinket before the reaping in internationally known book Hunger Games, and also the words that everyone seemed to hope would come true in BOTC. The annual Battle of the Classes (BOTC), which is a competition held between sixth, seventh, eighth grade, and the teachers, was held on March 22nd and hosted by Daveon Shackleford and Roshan Shelly. Unlike last year, the whole event had the Hunger Games theme.

The Monday before BOTC was the start of the food competitions. Several food com-petitions occurred, including Boy with the Bread, which was in reference to Peeta from the book, and seeing who could catch the most berries (night-lock) in their mouth in one minute. To get the school rallied up for BOTC, Spirit Week began. Friday was Sports Jersey day, Mon-day was Hoodie day, Tuesday was Pajama day, Wednesday was Hat day, and Thursday was team color. This year, the team colors were blue for sixth grade, red for seventh grade, black for eight grade and green for teachers.

“C’mon, let me HEAR SOME NOICE!” and just by those few words, the whole gym was filled with cheers and screams, along with booming music in the background. Each bleacher had students dressed in their team color, noisily shouting as the teams sprinted in, waving their arms and carrying their banners. Soon enough, the opening act, which was the teacher’s dance, began. The team was split into two groups. They danced to Thriller by Michael Jackson as they pretended to be in the 1980s. Later, the music abruptly changed into modern music as they time traveled to present day. Time travel was a unique idea, ending them up in second place. Next, the teams joined for archery, seeing who had the most accurate shot. Teachers ranked first, along with eight, seventh, and then sixth.

And now the crazy, yet amusing antics began. A relay race began where the objective was to put on an accessory from their bag and travel to the next person on the team by the way a slip of paper tells them to. It was one of the highlights to see students and teachers desperately skipping to each other with flower wreaths dangling off their heads. Following was the sixth grade dance. The dance was well choreographed, accompanied with cartwheels, a solo perfor-mance, and most importantly, never ending enthusiasm, ending them in third place. Later, the teams struggle to catch a fish with a net by slingshot, and a few minutes later, the highly antici-pated tug-a-rope began. First, the seventh grade versed sixth, and seventh won by a landslide. Then, the teachers versed eighth grade, and after a few seconds, eighth grade defeated the teachers. Finally, the eighth grade versed sev-enth grade, and both sides put up a good fight. At first, eighth grade seemed to be win-ning, but after nearly a minute, the seventh grade began to pull harder, seeming to almost win. Everyone anxiously gripped to the edge of their seats. However, eight grade rolled up their sleeves again, and after a good tug, they came in first, followed by the seventh grade, teachers and then sixth grade.

2013: Battle of the Classes– May The Odds Be Ever

in Your Favor

By Courtney Zeng

The Woodrow Wilson

Challenger

Spring 2013 Woodrow Wilson Middle School

Edison Township Public Schools

Contributing Members of

Newspaper Club

Noor Amanullah

Anakha Anilkumar Nair

Pooja Bhate

Elizabeth Chiu

Stephanie Chiu

Ava Dul

Darlene Fung

Radhika Jois

Noopur Kotak

Peter Maynard

Aashna Mehta

Nathaniel Mumau

Amulya Mutnari

Nishant Nagalia

Alison Park

Pranavi Parsi

Nirali Patel

Siddhant Pathak

Sanjiv Prasad

Sujit Prasad

Adithya Rachakulla

Tharun Velishala

Tejas Venkatasubramanian

Peter Wu

Chloe Xiang

Jenna Yan

Melissa Yang

Eric Zeng

Daniel Zhan

Student Editor in Chief

Courtney Zeng

Faculty Advisor

Ms. Jaclyn Bartlett

8th Grade B.O.T.C. Team Members

The Woodrow Wilson

Challenger is a Member of the

National Scholastic Press

Association

http://kidblog.org/WWMSNewspaperClub/wp-admin/users.php?page=edit-user&user_id=2810846&wp_http_referer=%2FWWMSNewspaperClub%2Fwp-admin%2Fusers.php

2013: Battle of the Classes– May The Odds Be Ever in Your

Favor...CONTINUED

The Woodrow Wilson

The seventh grade dance followed up, and was synchronized for the most part as they danced to the rap Clique. However, towards the end, they seemed slightly confused and fell apart. They ended in last place. Nevertheless, the energy continued to flow, continuing on with a relay of the four teams to see who which two people from the team could make it to the finish line first as they raced back and forth on a scooter and then jump up and down on toy horse. Anguished cheers of “Hurry up!” and “Come on, just a little faster!” filled the gym as the team members struggled to both stay on the horse, and avoid being flipped over on the scooter. Teachers, who were originally third place, ended up being disqualified, leaving the placement as seventh, eighth, then sixth for this round. Another challenge followed, with four people trying to walk to the end of the finish line on a pair of skis. Eighth grade finished first, followed by seventh, sixth, and teachers.

Next, the stunning eighth grade dance occurred. They danced to the Hunger Games soundtrack, beginning and ending the dance by being still on the ground. Throughout the dance, flips and cartwheels filled the air as the audience cheered with delight and surprise. They snagged first place. Last but not least, another relay followed, where the teams had to hop back and forth in a potato sack and toy horses, and then look through coal to find the missing diamond, similar to coal miners in the Hunger Games series. Seventh grade found the diamond first. However, the final BOTC winner were the teachers, and then eighth, seventh and sixth grade. Even though there could only be one winner, BOTC was still enjoyable because everyone kept up their competitive spirit to make the two hours afterschool one of the annual highlights of the year.

The 7th Graders Cheering for their Team

The Stunning 8th Grade Dance

The 6th Grade Team Ready to Go

The Teachers’ Michael Jackson Moves

Who says teachers aren't fun?

“Yay!” “GO CATANHO’S CREW!!!!” The crowd cheered and screamed as the lights went out and the four dancers before them performed an amazing dance with neon

lights and glow sticks. This is what one of the six competing performances looked like. On January 31st, Woodrow Wilson Middle School held its first annual Dancing with the Staff.

The cafeteria had been transformed into a sold out concert. There were over two hundred screaming students, teachers, and family members. The first performance was by team Just Dance, including Ms. Rodgers, the school nurse and Mr. Bellina, who gave up his signature windbreaker for a night. Mr. Bellina showed off some pretty cool and surprising moves to the awestruck audience. He even danced to Greased Lightning sung by John Travolta from Grease. This group included: Khushi Handa, Meche Williams, Keche Williams, Calysta Tucker, Briana Rice, Anisha Patel, and Jia Patel. This performance brought many good remarks from the judges and showed off their inner dancer. They even rocked some cool shades and shiny beaded necklaces while dancing.

The Biebs were next. They looked like they had just come out of a professional dance academy. Katrina Wittenbaur, Terrisa Tran, Rui Fernandez, and Daveon Shackleford danced with the amazing Mrs. Capriglione. They danced to Somebody to Love and Rui portrayed Justin Bieber while Daveon portrayed Usher. Rui and Daveon showed some pretty professional break-dances and flips. We could easily tell that Terrisa and Katrina had their hearts out on the dance floor. They all wore matching black, and had some great coordination and choreography.

Catanho and the Dancing Queens surely illuminated and lit up the night. They were the shining stars of the night, quite literally. As they danced all synchronized, from their clothes, to their moves, the lights suddenly went out. They shook their arms around, creating a cool illusion for us viewers. They were the fierce four, all the same height and great dancers. They were very creative with the choreography and bright effects.

Hashtag Team Holzhauer was the name of the next team. It was the smallest group of the night, consisting of only two members, Natalie Franco and of course Mrs. Holzhauer. They wore a bright yellow and black ensemble and really rocked the house. It started off like a dance battle, Mrs. Holzhauer vs. Natalie. One part that really caught our attention was when Natalie hopped on Mrs. Holzhauer’s shoulders and performed their dance.

Warm up time! Mr. Papernik’s really got the moves, as many of us found out that night. Team Papernik really buffed up for this event. They did lunges, jumping jacks, and all the other good stuff, just like your typical gym class, to a remix of various pop songs. This was the largest group that night with nine students, and they were even able to spell out Team Pap at the end of their performance, with the letters on the back of their shirts. The crowd went especially wild when Mr. Pap flexed his triceps and biceps.

Last, but not least was Mrs. Dragona’s team called the Dancing Divas. They proved that Mrs. Dragona truly is a dancing diva. The group included all girls (hence the name divas) and were also very synchronized, despite the large group. The group wore some dazzling stud-ded fedoras to match their team name.

During this show, there were a few surprise performances. One of them was Mack the Knife, performed by Ms. DeZaio and Mr. Mayes, the previous student teacher of Mr. Thomas. Their dance was very classic, and the petite Ms. DeZaio contrasting the tall Mr. Mayes made quite a match. The next surprise was Tequila, performed by the custodian Mr. Capone and Mrs. Debrossy, a seventh and eighth grade math teacher. This was another sweet, classic ballroom dance.

These performances were out of this world and definitely surprised us all with an outstanding night. Although everyone performed at their best and each was unique, there was only one winner. The title of first place went to Mrs. Dragona and the Dancing Divas!! Second went to Team Papernik. The Biebs came in a close third. It was an amazing night and everyone had an amazing time. We can’t wait to see this become an annual tradition here at WWMS!

“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for

screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.”- Anonymous

Woodrow Wilson’s First “Dancing with the Staff” Competition By Noor Amanullah & Chloe Xiang

Woodrow Wilson Middle School

The Winning Team

Mrs. Dragona

and The Dancing Divas

Mr. Bellina as part of

Just Dance Hashtag Team Holzhauer

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/grease/greasedlightnin.htm

Dancing with the Staff Exclusive Judge Interview with Ms. Nilooban By Vishal Alampalli

The Woodrow Wilson

Did you enjoy being a judge? Yes, I love coming out to support students and staff and their amazing talents. Which team do you think put the most effort into their routine? All the teams were really prepared, but a larger group would obviously take more effort though. The most creative one I would have to say is Mrs. Holzhauer. What do you think was the deciding factor in the dances? I would say that the crowd was the deciding factor. Considering the judges only accounted for half the score. If there was one thing you could change in D.W.S. what would it be and why? More teachers and dances! Since the best thing about D.W.S. was seeing your teachers dance like fools and having fun! What are your future expectations for D.W.S.? I expect bigger crowds and bigger, bolder acts. How do you think the first D.W.S. went? A smashing success, I’m really impressed with it and I thank the organizers Was it hard deciding the winners? Extraordinary, we didn’t even know the winner until it was announced. Were you happy with the winner? Who did you want to win? All teams were great and other than that, I decline comment.

Dancing with the Staff Judges

(from left to right)

Ms. Beverly Harris, Mrs. Beth Caffiero,

and Ms. Rina Nilooban

Not only is Mr. Gesualdo a great teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, he is the amazing coach for the girls’ soccer and basketball teams. He has a reputation of being modest and fair, yet he pushes the girls to do their very best, to have respect for themselves and their teammates, and to suc-ceed. Mr. Gesualdo agreed to be interviewed and shared his love for what he does every year. What inspired you to coach Woodrow Wilson girls’ soccer and basketball teams? The school takes new teachers, so I volunteered. Over time, I loved doing it, the parents were awesome, and the kids enjoyed it too. How long have you been coaching the girls’ soccer and basketball teams? Fourteen years for soccer and eleven years for basketball. How do you manage coaching on top of teaching? By making every second count, not wasting time, planning, and believing in myself. How does your family support you with your coaching? My children sometimes come to practices and games. They also allow time away when I could be with them. How does it feel having a nearly perfect season with both teams? Wonderful. However, there was a ruff soccer tryout. Basketball was unbelievable. We were Edison champs! Was there a big improvement in the girls during both seasons? For soccer, there was a huge improvement for passing and defense. The other teams only scored about three or four goals all year. For basketball, the foul shots and layups improved with practice. Also, both teams showed a lot of confidence. What do you think makes the girls on both teams work so hard to win? Good families that encourage their children, the kids have pride in their school, they are tough-minded, and this just makes my job easier! What are your predictions for the teams next year? For soccer, I will have a great season with talented kids. However, all of the eighth graders were defense, so we are going to lose our whole defense line. For basketball, it will be as same as this year. We are going to have to rebuild with all of the new kids coming in. Do you have any final words? I still love it as much as the first day I coached. However, I am not a good coach. I work hard, and I walk out of every season with pride.

English Teacher Mr. Gesualdo as a Coach By Ava Dul

Mr. Marc Gesualdo


Penny Wars for Survival By Pranavi Parisi and Nirali Patel

In February, one of our favorite times of the year came back to make the year more interesting; the Penny Wars. All week, during lunch, the 6th graders, 7th graders, and 8th graders put money in their teachers’ jars or in Mr. Zeh’s case a bucket, to see them dress up as a bunny. The money in the jars / bucket would go towards cancer. The winning teacher ended up being the one and only, 6th grade English teacher, Mr. Wisniewski, also known as “Mr. W”. Though Mr. W had quite a few dollars and coins in his jar from the beginning, I have to admit that most of us, including Mr. W, had expected Mr. Papernik to win as he did last year. It was quite a surprise for all of us. We just had to interview Mr. W to get his thoughts and feelings on dressing up as a bunny. Why did you sign up? I was asked to do it and it was for a good cause. But I didn’t think I was going to win from the beginning. How do you feel about winning? It was nice to win for a good cause. I was also glad to see all the students gather to donate. How did you feel about wearing the bunny suit all day? I was feeling very warm and overall, it was not too bad. But the truth was that it was warm in the bunny suit while I went outside since it was really cold out there. Did you want to win in the first place? Not really. I didn’t think that the sixth graders could unite and make so much together. But in the end, it blew up in my face. Why do you think Mr. Papernick didn’t win? I am not really sure about that but for all I know, the sixth graders this year united to get me into a bunny suit this year. If you had the choice to pick any other teacher to wear the bunny suit who would it be? I would think it would be funny to see the principal wearing the suit and then have a meeting with all the staff and teachers. If you had the choice of dressing up as any other animal, what would it be? I would like to dress up as a dragon because it goes with the two clusters and they are extinct which makes them look cooler and tougher. Which grade do you think raised the most amount of money? I think that the sixth graders raised about $645, but I don’t think the seventh or eighth graders raised any money because they don’t have me. I also think that most of the seventh graders raised money for Mr. Papernick or Mr. Karatz. With that in mind, I think that the eighth graders also raised money for Mr.Papernick or Mr. Zeh. Will you sign up next year? I will sign up next year, but hopefully, I will come in a distance 2nd place. Do you have any last words? I think the school should have provided food. It would be nice to have carrots as a snack so that I could eat.

The following Thursday, all the Edison public school teachers gathered up in the J.P. Stevens gymna-sium and had a Volleyball tournament to raise money for cancer. Our team did pretty well coming in 2nd place! See the article about the tournament on the following page.

Last October, the student council brought us something new; The WWMS School Store! Our school store is located right across from Mrs. Montone’s room (room 105) and next to the library. It is open during homeroom and is run by the school president, vice president, secre-tary, and treasurer. They have great advertising strategies! While asking them a few questions, they made me want to buy half the items in the store myself. Also, they happen to be the ones who come up with those catchy announcements about the school store!

Over at the school store, they sell all sorts of interesting and useful things like post – its, erasers, pencils, led pencils, led, pens, chopsticks, and a lot more cool stuff. They come in all different colors and sizes. For example, I recently just bought a tiny led pencil! The prices range from about $0.75 to $1.50. However, if I were you, I would keep an extra dollar in your pocket because every time I go there, I am tempted to get an extra thing or two even if I don’t need it! Stop by at the school store and you’ll see what I mean! Remember, if you are in need of supplies; don’t fear, because the school store is here!!!

The Woodrow Wilson School Store By Nirali Patel

On Thursday, February 2st at J.P. Stevens High School the Woodrow Wilson teachers blew away the Volleyball For Survival Tournament with their passion, drive, and energy, but unfortunately, only took second place. Although they came in second place, they still managed to beat other district schools such as Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Menlo Park Elementary, Her-bert Hoover Middle School, Edison High School, John P. Stevens High School, James Madison Intermediate, and Lindeneau Elementary School. These games led up to the finals where Woodrow Wilson teachers competed against Edison High School teachers, sadly loosing with a final score of 19-21. Even though our Woodrow Wilson teachers did not win, they did a fantastic job working together and playing as a team for a good cause. Thank you to the following teachers who represented Woodrow Wilson so proudly: Mr. Nardino, Mr. Franciscus, Mr. Boikess, Mr. Zeh, Mrs. Catanho, Mrs. Magliulo Mr. Romeo, and Mrs. Holzhauer. Even though we did not win this year, we still raised a lot of money, and I know we will definitely win next year! Go CHALLENGERS!!


Miss Gregson’s Incentive Program

By: Aashna Mehta and Noopur Kotak

Persuasive essays? Free candy? NHL jerseys? Auctions? It’s true! These are all things happening at Woodrow Wilson Middle School! As many of us know, Ms. Crowley is on her maternity leave, and Miss Gregson, a first time teacher, took her place. When she came to WWMS, she brought many new ideas such as the incentive program. This is a program where the students in her classes write to companies trying to get them to send products from their company. Also, during class, stu-dents receive “Miss Gregson Gold” for good grades on test/quizzes, doing homework, and good deeds. During an auction Miss Gregson planned, students can use their money to bid on the items that they have received from companies. The auction will be held on April 26, which a few days before Ms. Gregson leaves. There will be a live auction, silent auction, and a Chinese auction going on all at the same time. Students and teachers are welcome to stop by and view the auctions! “Watching my students get excited after they receive gifts from the companies they wrote to, is my favorite part of the incentive program!” Miss Gregson stated. She was inspired to do this program by her former sixth grade teacher, Mr. Milkowski, who had a similar program. On the last of school of sixth grade, Miss Gregson came home with bags filled with candy, NFL jerseys, and many other exciting items. Miss Gregson loved the program so much in sixth grade that she decided to do it for her own sixth grade classes! Ms. Gregson’s students have been working hard by writing many per-suasive essays in order to receive many products. So far they have received hockey pucks, posters, towels, t-shirts, candy, cookies, and many other treats. Ms. Gregson believes that the incentive program has been going well so far, but let’s all hope that it turns out to be a huge success!

Miss Gregson’s Gold

Local Girl Scouts Give Back By Ava Dul

This year Girl Scout Troop 81254 combined with another Girl Scout troop from Menlo Park Elementary School. Together, they continued their tradition by visit-ing and cooking for the guests of the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House is a convenient place for families to stay when their children are in the hospital nearby. The house offers the comforts of a home for a discounted price and asking volunteers to do-nate and cook dinner. Otherwise, the families would have to travel back and forth a long distance to their own homes, and most likely, eat at restaurants or order pizza. The volunteers provide a wonderful home cooked meal. The girls enjoyed helping the families and cannot wait to do it again in May.

Volleyball for Survival Tournament By Shiv Soin


Regions (Chorus, Orchestra, and Band) By Melissa Yang

La~ Hm~ Doo~ What did you think of when you read that? A choir? An orchestra? A band? Well, you’re correct if you thought any of them. At the beginning of every year, students from all around central N.J. go to audition to get into regions. It’s quite an honor to get in, and many of our classmates have, so let’s congratulate them!

7th Graders: Regions chorus: Sanjeevani Joshi (Soprano II) and Juliana Martino (Alto) Regions band: Jason Luo (1st chair saxophone), Varun Das (percussion), and Andrew Jin (clarinet) Regions symphonic orchestra: Kelly Chen (violin) and Daniel Seo (cello)

8th Graders: Regions chorus: Akshat Gokhale (Cambiata/Baritone- recognized for 3 years of participation), Aabha Joshi (Alto), Shoba-na Sridhar (Alto- soloist for “A Garden of My Own”), Devina Lohani (Soprano I), Brianna Tang (Soprano II), Aditi Singh (Soprano I) Sam Kim (Cambiata/Baritone) and Nitin Verma (Cambiata/Baritone) Regions band: Kelly Yu (clarinet), Aaron Wang (clarinet), and Rachel Zi (1st chair flute) Regions string orchestra: Courtney Zeng (1st violin) and Perry Huang (1st violin) The following songs are the ones that the students practiced for their concert: Regions choir: “Bonse Aba,” “Agnus Dei,” “All of Me,” “A Garden of My Own,” “The Cuckoo,” “Sound of Silence,” and “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Regions band: “Sound Innovations Fanfare,” “Military Escort,” “Horkstow Grange part of Linconshire Posy,” “Impact,” and “The Incredibles” Regions string orchestra: “Allegro Giocoso,” “American Reel,” “Allegro from Divertimento, K. 138,″ “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?,” and “Plink Plank Plunk” Thank you Kelly Chen, Andrew Jin, Sanjeevani Joshi, and Courtney Zeng for contributing information for this article!

CONGRATULATIONS

to the

WOODROW WILSON GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

for

WINNING EDISON MIDDLE SCHOOL’S BASKETBALL

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS!


Who Terminated the Twinkie? By: Darlene Fung

As some of you may know, the Hostess brand is closing down. Hostess, founded in 1930 as the Interstate Bakeries Corporation, is the brand that makes many delicious treats that we all enjoy, such as Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and my personal favorite, Twink-ies. Despite all the “junk food” that Hostess made, they also supplied us with staple foods such as the all famous Wonder Bread.

Hostess has decided to close their doors to the snack-making business due to the fact that Americans are leaning towards more healthy eating habits. The irony in this is that obesity rates steadily increase now. Instead of wolfing down a Twinkie or a few slices of Won-der Bread, people are now choosing nutritious, low calorie snacks, such as fruit, yogurt and whole grain bread. As a result of fewer people purchasing Hostess brand items, there isn’t enough money to keep the company going, forcing them to discontinue thousands of jobs and shut down. Although many people (including me!) are disappointed that Hostess is closing down, resulting in the end of many sugary treats, we will all be healthier as a country. The obesity levels in America have skyrocketed, so the absence of Hostess brand products will lower the number of available junk food products on the market. Hopefully, people will switch to eating the healthy, yet delicious, fruits and vegetables available at local grocery stores. But, even though this world is getting healthier, we will still miss our Twinkies dearly.

Got Milk? By Daniel Zhan Cow milk is a popular beverage all around the world. There are many benefits to drinking milk, and many detriments as well. This article will include most of those advantages and disadvantages. Two words: lactose intolerance. Lactose is a sugar found in milk that can be broken down into galactose and glucose, both of which are used for energy. The problem is that as you grow, the production of lactase (enzyme that cleaves lactose) is significantly reduced if you don’t regularly drink milk. By regularly drinking milk, the tiny cartons you purchase in school isn’t enough. After lactose intolerance sets in, there is no reliable way to reverse it. By drinking the small-est possible amounts (of milk), a sensitive person may experi-ence diarrhea, intestinal gas, cramps, and bloating. 30-50 mil-lion Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance, and one of them could be you, even if you don’t know it. Lactose intolerance is one of the few problems that could cause you harm when drinking milk. There are many more… Drinking milk leads to an increased risk of develop-ing Parkinson’s disease (an inner ear problem that removes a sense of balance), Crohn’s syndrome (inflammatory disease affecting anywhere in your body where food is digested), and Hirschsprung’s disease (malfunction of large intestine). On to the advantages of drinking milk. Primarily, milk provides 66 Kilocalories of energy, and has the follow-ing nutrients: calcium, protein, iodine, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and vitamins A, D, K, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B5, B7 (biotin), and B12. Also, some helpful acids in that liquid prevent several types of cancer, improve the immune system, and reduce the risks of getting diabetes type 2. Finally, it builds muscle and supports recovery of the muscles after exercise. I would suggest that you drink not too much but not too little milk, unless you are lactose intolerant. The dis-eases you get from drinking milk have a very slim chance of getting to your body, and the healthy things milk put into you far outweigh the detriments. But the choice is yours! So when it comes to milk: to drink or not to drink?

CURRENT EVENTS

Snow Storm Nemo By Courtney Zeng

Tiny Q-Tip snowflakes gently padded the ground as families eagerly crammed around their TV or radio, trying to get the latest news on the upcoming winter blizzard. This wild snowstorm, known as Nemo, hit the entire Northeast of the country on the night of February 8th, and con-tinued through the day of February 9th. A few days before the snowstorm hit, panic was in the air as people all over tried to get the supplies they needed. Many people were afraid that it would be like Hurricane Sandy again, with no electricity and heat for days. As a result, the lines at gas stations were overcrowded, and candles disappeared from the shelves of the stores in a blink of an eye. Everyone was in a hurry to brace for the storm. Outside of the comfort of people’s homes, the government was getting ready too. In New York and Massachusetts, sanitation department workers were ready to work around the clock to plow roads, so that people would be able to commute easily. Also, the Path and other train lines had trains stop by about every ten minutes in order to get passengers back to their homes. The train lines worked all throughout the morning of February tenth. Life was not any easier for those who planned to fly. Over 3,000 flights were canceled that Friday, and about 1,000 cancellations on Saturday. The hardest-hit airports were in the New York City area, Boston and Toronto. For New Jersey, especially Edison, we did not receive that much snow in comparison to other regions. In Boston and the area close by, they received a stunning total of eighteen to twenty four inches of snow! New York received twelve to eighteen inches of snow, while the snow in New Jersey and Pennsylvania ranged from one inch to twelve inches! Nemo was ranked a three on a scale of five. Three is "major." Four and five storms are "crippling" and "extreme.” The snowstorm was not con-sidered to be one of the biggest in history, but it was still ranked in 16th to 25th place. At the blizzard’s highest peak, winds gusted to about 65 mph. Over 137,000 people were affected by power outages. The governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut declared states of emergen-cy and issued bans on driving by early Friday afternoon. Being the first snowstorm of the year, children eagerly rushed outside after the blizzard stopped to build snowmen, have snowball fights, or just enjoy the peaceful scenery. However, to the many adult’s relief, even though Nemo did bring a lot of snow to the region, within the next few day, the snow quickly cleared. The temperatures drastically rose over the next few days, and soon enough, New Jersey was back to its original weather.


The Asiatic lion: a majestic animal that used to roam around the entire planet has now been nearly reduced to extinction. Over the last few centuries, the Asiatic lion’s habitat has been reduced from being killed or run off from that specific area. From being a spe-cies that had over 1,000,000 lions, it now has reduced to about 200-300 and these lion live in only one place: India. The country of India, immediately realizing that this species was nearly about to go extinct, has captured these few remaining lions and released them into the Gir Forest in the Indian state of Gujarat . Over the last few years the Asiatic lion population has begun to slightly increase due to the fact that they are able to receive an ample amount of prey to kill and devour as well as reproduce without any problems occurring. Even though this project has slowly brought back the Asiatic lion subspecies, there are many problems that are constantly occurring. In the Gir Forest, there are many prob-lems: Epidemics, and natural disasters. Also, some people in India protest the idea of bringing back the Asiatic lion in India due to the huge population of Bengal Tigers. Tigers, or big cats, that are naturally larger and stronger than lions have been known to rip Asiatic lions into shreds and devour them as if they’re lightweight deer. In response to these predicaments, the Reintroduction Project is funding a plan to open a habitat for these lions in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. All in all, I am hopeful that the Asiatic lion Reintroduction Project that is underway in India will bring the Asiatic lion back to their fullest strength. As an animal that has piqued my interest over the years, I hope that this animal will one day expand its habitat all the way around the world as it had used to. On that hopeful note, I sign off.

Following a recent, horrific attack at Newtown Elementary school in Connecticut, the grip on gun control has been tightened so much that they now require background checks and other forms of verification before you can even get a gun. According to a study in Time magazine, the United State's amount of guns that are owned accounts for one gun for every person in the United States. That makes us one of the most violent countries in the world. Other gun related atrocities include a violent shoot-out in a university in Texas and the shooting of forming congress- woman Gabrielle Giffords. Some steps that have been taken to ensure that guns are only given to responsible and mature people wield fire arms. Some of these extra safety measures include limiting the amount of bullets in a magazine, and background checks on private gun sales. Ever since the Columbine High School shooting massacre in 1999, the tsunami of bills have started to jolt the senate into action on tougher gun laws. While some states are wholly for the banning of guns, other states raucously argue that the ban-ning of guns is completely unnecessary and henceforth any activity to do with the war on firearms be discontinued. Want to know New Jersey’s stance on gun control? While most of us believe that banning guns altogether is simply ludicrous, our GOP( a.k.a Grand Old Party a.k.a The Republican party) reported that they believe that there should be universal background checks. Quite astounding, considering that these are the same people in the state senate saying that they want a compromise on bills banning guns. As for your position… where do you stand on the war on guns?

CURRENT EVENTS

The Asiatic Lion Project By Tejas Venkatasubramanian

Gun Control By Peter Wu

Blazing heat and threatening cold has been the weather on Earth lately!! Not only that: terrible hurricanes, destructive tornadoes, and other forms of weather affect our daily life and the environment. A forest fire and other disasters could leave our homes and the area a big mess. A raging hurricane could leave us homeless by ripping our homes apart. Millions and millions of dollars are needed to clean up the mess left after the hurricanes. Heat waves are another big problem that the world is facing today. When the temperatures rise in the summer time, the idea of playing outside and enjoying ourselves is not possible. The heat that the sun is giving off will damage you, even if you don’t realize it. The results show up later as skin cancer and other sorts of disease. The extreme heat is not only creating a problem for us, but it is also affecting the animals and the biomes of the world. Biomes: There are eight known biomes in the world, and the biome that covers the north and south poles are facing a common problem. The permafrost, or so called, “permafrost” (the permanent layer of ice that covers the ground of the two poles of the world) is melting now. There are many animals that are suffering due to this. One of the animals that are suffering is the one and only, polar bear!

ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Global Weather 2013 By Anakha Anilkumar Nair


Nuclear weapons. Many people argue that the Americans were the first to build a nuclear weapon; others may argue that they were built before in the ancient times as well. Both of these sides are right in some manner, Americans were the first to build a nuclear BOMB. However, historical evi-dence shows that there may have been an ancient nuclear war. Some, but strong evidence shows there was nuclear weaponry usage in the war. Nuclear weapons have been, frightening the world, because of their devastating damage caused, wherever it is instilled. The interesting fact is that, these ancient people didn’t use bombs. Surprisingly, they used nu-clear infested weapons. In the Hindu religion it shows that gods/goddess have their own weapon. It is

their name and then ashtra. One point of evidence we have is that, the Indus valley, now the Thar Desert, has nuclear radiation nearby. Recent investigations show us that there has been a high rate of birth defects and cancer in Jodhpur, the country later was ostracized from India. Another piece of evidence is, Mohenjo-Daro. This ancient city uncovered in 1922, shows extreme signs of radia-tion, but there’s another interesting fact. After it was discovered, the archeologists found dead bodies lying on the ground, still not decayed. This fact left the archeologists hanging since these bodies have been there for more than a thousand years. “Why have they not decayed?” they wondered. Another fact they observed was that the bodies were positioned like it was a sudden death, and they were holding hands. Lastly, they observed that animals avoiding the areas where these bodies are. Radiation can cause many effects, but the archeologists articulated that rock can only be vitrified by intense heat. “Well, doesn’t radiation cause intense heat?” you may ask. Vitrification is the transformation of a substance into glass. Other cities have been found in northern India that show indications of explosions of great degree. One city, found be-tween the Ganga River and the mountains of Rajmahal seems to have been basked to intense heat. Huge walls and details of the ancient city are fused together, literally vitrified! This substance was normal rock, and the process is very rare to occur. Other than intense heat, he only other thing that can make a substance vitrified is radiation. In Alamogordo, they tested the nuke in the desert fearing that it would harm many organisms. This time it wasn’t rock that was vitrified, but it was the sand. Many people know that putting normal sand in lava could result in mirrors or glass. So when the scientist stepped out of the bunker, they detected that glass was swarmed over the desert. With all this evidence, I have so many maybes. Maybe, there was nuclear war in the ancient times; maybe Mohenjo -Daro was demol-ished because of nuclear war. Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the nuclear bomb, read the Mahabharata, an ancient epic portraying a story of a kingdom and war against two sides of one family. In the end, they described the exact repercussion of contact with a nuclear blast. Hair fell out, nails fell out! They could not have had time travelers travel into the future to see what hap-pens right after a nuclear blast. Right? Well, they were right. That is what happened at Hiroshima, Nagasaki. What a coincidence?!?

History

Ancient Nuclear War

By Adithya Rachakulla

Global Weather 2013...CONTINUED

The polar bear is designed to live in the cold, frozen poles of the world. Their fur and body is built to withstand the cold weather in the north and south poles. So, as a result, the polar bear won’t be able to survive if it is really warm. What is now happening in the Arctic is that all the wildlife living on the poles are being extinct. This is because of all the ice melting causing the water level to rise. The permafrost is melting because of the extreme temperatures that the world is facing now. This can also be called, Global Warming! The temperatures are increasing because there is less and less rain in the world. There isn’t enough rainfall and that can be the main reason why there is raging temperatures, nowadays. Rainforests: If we try to find the cause of the flooding of the poles, we have to talk about a biome that is totally different from the tundra. A biome which has lots of rainfall and lots of lush, green plants– the rainforest, of course! The rainforest is famous for the large amounts of rainfall each year, but according to the past few years, the rainfall is decreasing. Additionally, “deforestation” is occurring in the world. “Deforestation” means to remove the trees from an area of land. Deforestation is occurring because mankind is cutting down the trees for the lumber and paper and this can be very effective to the world. Mankind may be the reason to all this chaos in the world, but I know that mankind can stop the problem!


President Inauguration Day 2013 By: Sanjiv Prasad

On January 21, 2013 President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term in office. The week of festivi-ties (January 17th to 24th) included the swearing-in cere-mony, Inaugural Parade and address, numerous balls, and ceremonies honoring the

elected president. Obama’s team motto was “Faith in Ameri-ca’s future.” The main Inauguration day also marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the placement of the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol Dome in 1863. President Barrack Obama performed the swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the U.S. capitol. Music was per-formed by the U.S. Marine Band, James Taylor, Brooklyn Tabernacle choir, Kelly Clarkson, and Beyonce. Myrlie Evers-Williams had led the Invocation (prayer). A poem about America was written and sung by Richard Blanco. The asso-ciate justice led Joe Biden’s oath. The U.S. Chief Justice led the oath for Barrack Obama. Right after the oath, the presi-dent gave his inaugural address about his vision for America. The inaugural parade included eight official inaugu-ral floats. There were sixty groups in the parade which in-cluded the marching bands, the mounted units, cultural or-ganizations, and members from all the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (Part of the tradition since 1789). Musical units, marching bands, guards, and salute batteries supported the event, too. More than 8000 people and 200 animals walked along the parade which traveled down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Due to the U.S. economy situation, the Inaugural celebrations were cut back to two official parties and a con-cert honoring military families. It was free for the invited guests who were on active duty or reserve military, Medal of Honor recipients, Wounded Warriors, and all of their spous-es. To simplify security, both of them were held at the Wash-ington Convention Center. They bought together some members of the public, volunteers, local community leaders, various organizations, and local or state elected leaders. Two of the singers who performed music that night were Stevie Wonder and Katie Perry. Many more unofficial balls were held throughout Washington D.C. In fact, Joe Biden and Barrack Obama had danced separately on stages at one point. We all hope that President Obama’s second term will be a successful one. There was a follow-up State of the

Union Speech that outlined the agenda he was to complete this year. Overall, I would rate the celebration 5 stars out of five.

FOUR MORE YEARS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

What to Expect in President

Obama’s Second Term By Siddhant Pathak

Over the course of months and years, there has been much discussion and debate about President Obama’s capabilities. Some argue that he is exceptionally qualified and deserving to lead America through its times of crisis, but others say that he is unfit to govern our country and should be replaced by a worthier candidate.

If we look at his first term, we can see that he made a significant amount of progress. He managed to somewhat pull America out of the recession. One of his milestone achievements was the assassination of the ter-rorist leader, Osama Bin Laden.

His wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, also made significant improvements in America’s culture. She was the common face on the popular Disney Channel who used to encourage exercising and eating proper diets to lower the rate of obesity. The results were not drastic, but her effort is making an impact. Slowly but surely, the obesity rates in various cities are inching downwards. Based on this, what can we expect from Presi-dent Obama in his second term? After the Newtown shooting, gun control is another burden thrust on him. I earnestly hope that he will be able to usher America into a new era of prosperity and fix the major issues of our nation.

The first lady during a

Let’s Move rally, a

program designed to

help kids exercise.

Semi automatic rifles like the one

shown are the kinds of guns that

President Obama hopes to get off

the streets.


HOLIDAYS

Chinese New Year

By Courtney Zang

Xing nian kuai le! (新年快乐!) This means happy New Year in Chinese. Many people said this on February tenth to each other because

it was the beginning of a new year, based on the lunar calendar. Even though this year it took place in February, the date changes from year to year, sometimes starting in the beginning of March. This is because every year, the lunar calendar changes. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. The festival is a total of fifteen days. Even though it is called Chinese New Year, China is not the only country that celebrates it. Many Asian countries, including Taiwan, Philippine, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia celebrate it.

There are many different types of traditions that take place on Chinese New Year. The most common is having a family reunion. Another tradition is put red couplets on the sides of the door, and hang up Chinese calligraphy posters. Finally, one of the most know customs is the giving of the red envelope. It is traditional to exchange red enveloped with money inside them. They symbolize luck and good fortune. Also, another custom is to sweep the house in order to sweep out any bad luck from the previous year, in order to allow incoming luck to come in. Another common activity in Chinese New Year is the dance of the dragon and lion. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. This festival can be seen on many main streets, especially those of New York. To add on, fire crackers and fireworks are normally lit that day. These are lit every year because of a precedent that a famous legend set. According to the legend, a monster called Nian (which means year in Chinese) attacked a small village in China. Every day, the monster ate one person from the village. As time passed, they realized the monster was scared of the color red. As a result, people put out red lanterns and wore the color red. Also, they set firecrackers to scare away the monster. People continued to do this year after year, and it soon became a tradition.

There are also many different types of cuisines to eat in Chinese New Year. Most dinners tend to have many dishes of meat, like pork and chicken, and also fish. Fish is traditionally an important part of the dinner because it is a homophone for the word surplus in Chinese. To add on, many people use hotpots because it signifies the family coming together for a meal. Other traditional foods include dumplings, Chi-nese New Year Cake, also called Niangao, and noodles, which symbolize longevity, and turnip cakes.

Every Chinese New Year, the zodiac animal changes. This year is the year of the snake. The twelve zodiac animals go in the cycle: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. May the year of the snake be a lucky and prosperous one!

The Mysterious History Behind Valentines Day By Pranavi Parisi & Nirali Patel

Valentine’s Day (February 14th) is a holiday where love is at its point. But the truth is that the official Valentine’s Day was never determined before in history. Although the entire world celebrates Valentine’s Day, many people don’t know the hidden truth behind it. There are many theories as to how Valentine’s Day actually started. It all comes back to three people known as St. Valentine. One was a priest in a Roman church whereas the other was a bishop in Terni. The third was never completely found in history but historians uncovered that he met his end Africa. But what’s shocking is that all three of those saints were said to be martyred on February 14th… Another valentine gentleman you may be familiar with is Cupid. In Rome, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. His alternative in Greece is Eros, superior god of love. He used to run around causing gods, goddesses, and humans to fall in love using his bow and arrows of love. We may never know, but there are many legends as to the true secret and identity of Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine’s. But one thing is for sure, February has always been the month to celebrate a festival of love for a very long time and dates back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentine’s Day is next to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent and received. The history of Valentine’s Day isn’t the only mystery about Valentine’s Day that seems to remain unsolved. There are many more as well. In fact, its history seems to have so many myths and stories involved that we will probably never really know how it really began; what really happened. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter what was the real story because all have one purpose which is to never ignore your love and show love to your close ones. After all, that’s why more than 12,000 weddings occur on that day itself. Here are some fun facts about Valentine’s Day:

Teachers receive the most Valentines. [Now I know my future career!!!]

Women buy 85% of the valentines while men buy 73% of the flowers.

In the late 1800 Richard Cadbury made the first Valentine’s Day chocolate box.

Ever think about who you will marry when you grow up? Well, as awkward as it may seem, girls did that every year on Valentine ’s Day a long time ago. In the olden times, girls ate unusual and unique foods on Valentine’s Day because they believed that if they did that they would get a dream of their future husband. I wonder if they really did see someone in their dreams and get married to them later on. If they did, that would be really scary? As you see, there are many amazing facts about Valentine’s Day, like its origin and how some people spend it; getting married or dreaming about their future husbands. It all adds up to one thing; Valentine’s Day is a day to love. It’s a day to spend with you loved ones, appreciating their love and spreading love to them. There’s nothing better than spending Valentine’s Day with your family or close friends!


HOLIDAYS

What is St. Patrick’s Day? By Jenna Yan

St. Patrick’s Day is here! On March 17th we celebrate this day in remembrance of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate this day? Well, here’s how it goes. St. Patrick originally was born in 373 A.D. in the British Isles near the modern city Dumbarton in Scotland. His homeland was Roman Britain. During his childhood, the Roman Empire was too weak to defend its distant lands; one of them was Britain. Britain became wide-open for raiders. As a sixteen-year-old, St. Patrick was kidnapped as a slave and taken to Ireland by raiders. St. Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat. When he first began his priesthood, he took the name Patrick also known as Patricius, which meant “well-born” in Latin.

After St. Patrick was captured, he was sold to a chieftain in North Ireland. Most of the time, Patrick was alone tending the chieftain’s sheep on Slemish Mountain. He felt comforted when he prayed to God. Six years passed by. One day, in a dream Patrick heard a voice saying, "Thy ship is ready for thee.” He felt that this was God's way of telling him to run away and escape Ireland. The night of his dream, he ran away. Patrick was sure that God was leading him. So, he went through bogs, scaled mountains, and escaped Ireland by boat. Patrick had made it and escaped imprisonment.

Years later, as a man, Patrick felt God calling to him to return to Ireland to tell them about Christianity. So, Patrick packed his bags and began his journey back to Ireland to deliver God’s message. Patrick began his mission about 430 A.D. As a missionary to Ire-land, Patrick faced many dangers. He was put in jail twice for his teachings, but he didn’t give up. For 30 years, St. Patrick converted the pagan Irish into Christianity. Before St. Patrick went to Ireland, the Irish were worshiping idols. After St. Patrick came, hundreds of churches had been built and tens of thousands people have been baptized by him.

Within a century, Ireland’s main religion was Christianity. Soon, the Irish sent missionaries to Belgium, England, Germany, and Scotland, to spread the message about God. St. Patrick died on March 17th 460 A.D. in Ireland, the land he loved so much. March 17th is the day we remember the great works of this saint that converted the Irish to Christianity.

So, where did the clover and shamrocks come from? Well, a popular legend says that St. Patrick used shamrocks and clover to help with his teachings. He used the three leaves of the shamrock to symbolize the Trinity. The Trinity was God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit- they were all separate “leaves in the shamrock”, but they are joined as one. Shamrocks are believed to have luck nowadays. This came from the Irish when they used shamrocks as good luck symbols in the earlier times.

The leprechaun from St. Patrick’s Day is actually an Irish fantasy. The Irish word “luchorpan” means little body. The lepre-chaun is said to be a 2-foot tall man fairy with a crooked hat and a leather apron. He is dressed like a shoemaker and is unfriendly, makes shoes, and has a hidden pot of gold. Many treasure hunters try to find a leprechaun by listening to its shoemaking hammer.

The color green came from Ireland’s lush plants and the rain it gets all year round. Ireland is nicknamed the Emerald Isle. The original color of St. Patrick’s Day was blue! It was switched to green in the 19th century. Wearing green is considered an act of tribute in Ireland, especially during St. Patrick’s Day where green is said to bring good luck.

In conclusion, Ireland still celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in remembrance of the great saint who dedicated his life to teach them about the God he loved most. In his 30 years in Ireland, St. Patrick made a great impact on Ireland that still lives today. Many of the traditions and celebrations remain the same, but the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day is hidden. Not many people know about this great saint’s work towards Ireland. St. Patrick was Ireland’s missionary!

More Than Bunnies and Eggs By: Stephanie Chiu

Happy Easter!! Now go and find those eggs that the Easter bunny hid! Easter bunny? Eggs? Who came up with those things? Easter is traditionally known as a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to the Christian faith, Jesus Christ, who is the son of God, was nailed to a cross, died on Good Friday and rose three days later on Easter Sunday. This was God’s plan to free people from their sins and give them new life as a Christian. The egg represents the beginning of new life/birth. So that’s how the egg is related to Easter.

But what about the bunny? That tradition comes from pre-Christian times. Many people don’t know this, but Easter was origi-nally a pagan holiday where people worshiped a goddess named Eastre. She was the goddess of fertility and springtime. Her symbol was a bunny because bunnies are famous for being very fertile animals. That’s how the Easter bunny came along. So now you know Easter isn’t just about eggs and bunnies, it’s about new life. When you open up that beautiful egg, it’s not just

finding candy, it’s a new beginning.

Black History Month

By Alison Park

Black History Month is the month where we dedicate to African-Americans who suffered under the discrimi-nation and all the brutal treatment before the Emancipation Proclamation. Black History Month is celebrated in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom during February as a remembrance of all the important people and events of the African-Americans troubles. It all started when Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of

Negro Life and History decided to make the second week of February “Negro History Week” because it was the week of Abraham Lincoln’s and Fredrick Douglas’s birthday. Later on, the government changed “Negro History Week” into “Black History Month”. From Rosa Parks to Martin Luther King Jr. I think we can all agree that there are many people whom we should celebrate Black History Month for. It’s no longer February, but it’s never too late to show some respect to the African-Americans that were either slaves or had to go through discrimination.


March 2013...In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lion

By Pooja Bhate

March was a month full of exciting events! You might have been peeved about March, which was full of NJ ASK prep and other insipid stuff, but here are some days that made March a brighter month. March was full of historical events and crazy days that you were bound to enjoy!

Also, there were many historical events that happened eons ago, all in March! They are most important to our history, and our world just wouldn’t be the same without them. They are crucial to our modern lives, no matter how many years ago they happened.

On March 5th, 1770, a widely known massacre known as the Boston Massacre took place. This dramatic shooting is described as the spark of the revolutionary war, which made America its own country. Five civilians died as a result of the incident.

On March 12th, 1912, the Girl Scouts of America was founded. Yes, the same ones that all of us buy delicious cookies from. Juliette Gor-don Low founded Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia. Today, there are more than 3.2 million girl scouts, including girl and adult members.

On March 13th, 1781, Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. Sir William Herschel was a German born British Astronomer, most famous for his discovery of two of the moons of Saturn, the planet Uranus, and two of Uranus’s major moons. He died in 1822 and was bur-ied in St. Laurence’s Church, Slough, England.

On March 27th, 1513, Juan Ponce De Leon sighted Florida. Without this, you probably wouldn’t have a Disney World He was a Spanish explorer and soldier who was the first European to set foot in Florida. He died in July 1521 and is buried in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In the end, March wasn’t that bad, was it? With spring break and all of these amazing daily celebrations, nobody could have been bored!

Month by Month

Name Of Day Date

National Pig Day March 1st

Peanut Butter Lovers Day March 1st

Old Stuff Day March 2nd

Multiple Personality Day March 5th

Panic Day March 9th

Middle Name Pride Day March 10th

Plant A Flower Day March 12th

Ear Muff Day March 13th

National Potato Chip Day March 14th

Everything You Think Is Wrong Day March 15th

Dumbstruck Day Also March 15th

Everything You Do Is Right Day March 16th

St. Patrick’s Day March 17th

Fragrance Day March 21st

National Goof Off Day March 22nd

National Chip And Dip Day March 23rd

National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day March 24th

Pecan Day, Waffle Day March 25th

Make Up Your Own Holiday Day March 26th

I Am In Control day March 30th


April 2013...

By Pooja Bhate

April is a month, full of amazing events! You may be vexed about April, which is full of NJ ASK and other “blah” stuff, espe-cially the rain not letting you go outside, but there are many other things you can do. Check out this month’s odd days below !

Also, there are many historical events that happened centuries if not eons ago, all in April! They are quite important to our history, as I assure you our world just wouldn’t be the same without them. They are crucial to our modern lives, no matter how unimportant they may seem. On April 14th, 1865, President Lincoln was shot in the head by the bullets of John Wilkes Booth, at Fords Theatre, Washington D.C, while watching a performance of Our American Cousin. He died the very next day, at 7:22 AM, in Washington D.C. On April 15th, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. While the Titanic sank, the orchestra played: "Closer, my God, to Thee..." Many sang along knowing of the terrible fate lying ahead, some prayed, others cursed. The Titanic was thought of as an invincible ship.

The Titanic was a sturdy ship, but according to sources, a ship had warned Titanic of the iceberg before they hit it, but the captains paid little attention. This dreadful sinking of the world’s strongest ship (at the time) frightened many people all over the world. On April 23rd, 1564, a widely known poet and writer known as Shakespeare was born. He inspired one of the wacky days on the April Calendar/Table, April 23rd! He died, strangely, on the same exact day, 52 years later, in 1616. On April 27th, 1981, the computer mouse was first introduced to the world. The name “mouse” comes from its rounded rodent like shape, and the tail-like cord that extends from it. Today, many variants are available, from wireless mice, to no mouse at all-just a touch screen laptop.

As you can see, April is full of wacky days! It is quite an exciting month, so check out the current date and see what the day is all about!

Month by Month

Name Of Day Date April Fools Day April 1st

National Fun Day Also April 1st

World Autism Day April 2nd

National Deep Dish Pizza Day *pizza hut will be very busy today

April 5th

National D.A.R.E. Day April 8th

National Cherish an Antique Day April 9th

National Sibling Day April 10th

Walk on Your Wild Side Day April 12th

Licorice Day Also April 12th

International Moment of Laughter Day April 14th

McDonald's Day April 15th

National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day April 16th

Blah! Blah! Blah! Day *go annoy someone with blahing!J

Blah, Blah, Blah…April 17th

Kindergarten Day *feel like a kid again

April 21st

National Jelly Bean Day April 22nd

Talk Like Shakespeare Day April 23rd

International Marconi Day Also April 23rd

Hairstylists Appreciation Day April 25th

Zipper Day April 29th

International Jazz Day April 30th


THE TECHNOLOGY SECTION

Imagine a future in which a device connected to a computer can print a solid object like pencils, jewelry, or even a car. Such a future may sound like it is being taken from Star Trek. However, 3D printers are able to print out such objects. 3D printers might be able to process and store information used to create objects at home without buying the products. 3D printing is also called “additive manufacturing.” This process creates three dimensional objects from a digital model on the computer digital model. 3D printing is made using an additive process. This process creates objects by laying down successive layers of material, which in this case is powder. 3D printing is considered different from traditional machining technique, which is the subtractive process. The subtractive process is a process where materials are made by removing the material used by drilling or cutting. 3D printing is usually performed by a material printer using digital technology. This high-tech technology is used in the fields of footwear, jewelry, in-dustrial design, aerospace, architecture, automotive, education, dental and medical industries, and many other fields. To print a desired object, the 3-D printer reads the design from the blueprint and lays down successive layers of powder to build the model. These layers are joined together to create the final product. An advantage of this technique is its ability to create almost any shape or geometric feature. The typical layer thickness of the powder layers is around one hundred micrometers or one tenth of a millimeter; however, several machines can print layers as thin as sixteen micrometers. Construction of a model can take anywhere from several hours to several days. The construction depends on the complexity and size of the desired model. Additive systems can reduce this time to a few hours, but it varies depending on the type of machine used and the size and number of models being produced at he same time. There are several advantages of 3D printing. With this piece of technology, anyone at home can create their own iPhone cases or fashion show dresses. In the James Bond movies, many of the cars used were printed from 3-D printers. James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 was put through a series of huge explosions and stunts during the filming of Skyfall, including one scene in which the vehicle ex-ploded in flames. However, producers of this amazing film have revealed the secret behind the stunts. If the producers lost one copy of the car, they could just PRINT OUT another copy of the car. Three replica cars, which were less than a third of the size of the real two million dollar car, were created using a large scale 3-D printer. However, there are disadvantages of 3-D printers. With a 3-D printer at home, anyone can print a fully functional plastic gun. Even worse, the plastic gun printing law expires in December 2013. Another negative aspect is that there was a 20 year ban on printable guns when 3-D printers weren’t invented; however, the ban will expire when 3-D printing is real.

3D Printing: The New Revolution By Sujit Prasad

The BlackBerry Z10 is the new innovation by BlackBerry. The iPhone 5 by Apple has advanced the lives of many and has made our jobs easier. Even though they seem to be the same kind of phone, they have a few differences. The iPhone 5 by Apple has a 4-inch retina display. The new iPhone is like the iPhone 4S, but with different features. It includes new features like Passbook, a new version of Maps, and of course a larger screen. Passbook can access gift cards, coupons, plane tickets, and many other things to make our lives more convenient. By holding all these items in one place, life becomes much more organized. The new maps feature can act as a navigation system, as it will go step by step with you in your car. It also includes 3D models of buildings! On the other hand, the BlackBerry Z10, has a 4.2 inch display. The BlackBerry does not have Passbook, instead they have a BlackBerry Hub, which acts as a news feed for the Z10. The BlackBerry does not have a app like Maps, but you can download a map app from the App Store for Blackberry. In conclusion, the BlackBerry Z10 and the iPhone 5 are both advanced pieces of machinery. They both are different in their own ways, but they are both popular to the human market. Go out, do the research and pick the phone that most suits your lifestyle.

The Blackberry Z10 or The iPhone 5...The Choice is Yours By Shiv Soin

The Blackberry Z10 The iPhone 5


SPORTS

I bet everyone out there thought Super Bowl XLVII was truly a very interesting game with Jim and John Harbaugh playing against each other in the Super Bowl and that this was the legendary Ray Lewis’s last game in the NFL. To start off, I was very satisfied this year with the Super Bowl because for the first time in many years the team I was rooting for won the Super Bowl (Baltimore Ravens) and that I was able to host a suc-cessful Super Bowl party. Now, let me start explaining the game. The Baltimore Ravens drew first blood against San Francisco when Joe Flacco threw a bullet to Anquan Boldin in the end zone to claim a 7-0 lead. The 49ers immediately

answered back when David Akers kicked a field goal through the uprights to cut the Ravens lead to 7-3. In the second quarter the 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, gave the ball off to RB LaMichael James who promptly fumbled the ball back to Baltimore. On the next possession Joe Flacco threw a touchdown to TE Dennis Pitta to extend the lead to 14-3. After a few possessions, Baltimore struck again when Joe Flacco threw a touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones to extend the lead to 21-3. To finish the quarter, David Akers kicked a field goal to cut the lead down to 21-6. During halftime, Beyoncé performed a crowd rousing performance that had the fans out of their seats the entire time. In the third quarter the 49ers offense broke out of its shell exploding for 17 points, and only allowing the Ravens 7 points. The most peculiar thing though occurred when a power outage began just as the quarter began; the power outage interrupted the game for 34 minutes. In the 4th quarter, the game went down to the wire as San Francisco pulled within 5 points and on 4 th down and 10, Colin Kaepernick, nearly threw a touchdown pass but was pressured by many Ravens defenders and chucked the ball out of bounds turning the ball over. The Ravens ran down the clock and finally had a huge celebration as soon as the clock hit 0:00. Even though the Super Bowl was very favorable for the Baltimore Ravens, they have had some major degrades with Ray Lewis retiring and Anquan Boldin being traded to San Francisco for prospects. Even though, the Ravens are constantly losing key players I feel that they can do very well next years and many more years to come. On that hopeful note I sign off.

The Superbowl: Through the Eyes of a Baltimore Ravens Fan By: Tejas Venkatasubramanian

Like many 49ers and Ravens fans, or just any-one who likes football, on Super Bowl Sunday, my family and I sat down to watch the Super Bowl. As many 49ers fans probably were, we weren’t exactly thrilled with the first half of the game. The “Quest for Six” wasn’t so realistic to many after seeing the score of the first half, 21-6. But, as the 49ers made such an amazing comeback during the 3rd quarter. The song that Beyonce sang, or maybe the short blackout, had given the 49ers enough energy to bring their game up. In the last quarter, all that mattered was who won. At their last chance, they couldn’t make it, and that last touchdown cost them the whole game. And even though, regardless of the first quarter, they were this close (about .00000000000000001 inches) to winning their sixth super bowl. But as they say, “There’s always next year.”

The Superbowl: Through the

Eyes of a San Francisco Fan By: Noor Amanullah

N.F.L Rookie Quarterbacks are Making a

Splash! By: Siddhant Pathak

Over the 2012 football season, the NFL has seen a host of new rookie quarterbacks straight from college that have caused some stirring in the media over their surprising skill. Here are a few:

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Colin Kaepernick was raised by a foster family and in high school, was a star in baseball, football, and basketball. He was accepted in the University of Ne-vada as a quarterback on the Wolf Pack, and was later drafted into the NFL by the San Francisco 49’ers. From then, it has been only a rising journey. Born as a military child, Robert Griffin III or as he is popularly known as, RG3, was, like Colin Kaepernick, was a gifted sports player in three sports. He was extremely skilled in football and track, but also played basketball very well. He was recruited by the Washington Redskins in 2012 as the second pick and contin-ues to astound America with his skill.

Colin Kaepernick

Robert Griffin III


SPORTS

The NBA All Star weekend was a huge accomplishment. It was held February 15th through 17th in Houston, Texas. It was a special night to see different NBA challenges. In the Celebrity Game, it was the west verses the east. The west ousted the east 58-38. The MVP went to comedian, Kevin Hart. It was a fun time to see players (not in the NBA) play in a game. The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge was also and exciting event. The teams were Team Chuck and Team Shaq. The final score was 163-135. Kenneth Faried was claimed MVP. It was a tough, tiring challenge for every player. Then, the real fun began. On Saturday, it was the Dunk Contest, 3-point contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, NBA d league all-star game, and much more. It was a long night, but it was worth it. The Slam Dunk and 3-point contest was the most popular and anticipated events of them all. The Sprite Slam Dunk contest was very spectacular. The judges included

Yao Ming and Hakeem Olajuwon (Two Very Popular NBA players that used play for the Houston Rockets). The players gave it their all to win the trophy that classified them as a slam dunk hero. But in the end, it was Terrence Ross from the Toronto Raptors who won. In the 3-point contest, it was exciting to see who would be the king of making in 3 balls. Round one was a very im-portant match for every player. The players that were participating were Steve Novak, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Ryan Anderson, Matt Bonner, and Stephan Curry. The winner of this competition was Kyrie Irving. On to what you’ve all been waiting for...the All-Star game. As usual, it was the west verses the east. This is where the best players in the NBA play against each other. It was a test to see how each player will play with their friends. The final score was 143-138. The winner was the west. It was an extraordinary event, and the fans loved it. The MVP award went to Chris Paul from the LA Clippers. It was an intense game, but the west managed to win for the second consecutive year. To conclude, I really enjoyed all the NBA events that happened on that weekend. It was a grand time for NBA players to hang around, and just talk to each other. I am sure a lot of other people also liked it. I also hope next years events will be just as good. This was a fantastic time for the NBA fans around the world!

The 2013 NBA All Star Weekend

By: Eric Zeng

Lance Armstrong: A Lesson Learned

By: Darlene Fung

Lance Armstrong; Just about everybody knows that name. He was the greatest biker in the world, with seven consecutive Tour de France titles – until now. Just recently, Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his titles, records, and accomplishments.

In June of 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officially (USADA) charged him against illegal drug usage to give him extra energy during his races. The drugs gave him an unfair advantage over his other competitors. After several denials, Lance Armstrong stated that he didn’t want to fight against the USADA’s charged anymore. The next day, the USA-DA promptly took away all of his victories and achievements, erasing his awe-inspiring past and replacing it with a career full of dishonest actions.

Despite the negative view of Lance Armstrong’s story, we can take something posi-tive out of his experience. It proves that lying and cheating your way through life will backfire badly and can ruin your whole career. Lance Armstrong didn’t think that what he was doing was bad, and at one point, he didn’t think it was wrong at all! However, he eventually paid the price. Now, whenever we hear the name “Lance Armstrong”, we think of a cheater that we don’t want to be instead of the great sportsman everyone used to admire.

Lance Armstrong before he

was stripped of all titles and

accomplishments.

Book Review By Radhika Jois

Theodore Boone: The Abduction By: John Grisham

Theodore Boone comes from a family of lawyers. His parents own the Boone and Boone firm. His uncle Ike is a former lawyer. Theo wants to become a lawyer, and everyone in Strattenburg knows that. He goes to hang out at the court daily, and hangs out at The Boone and Boone law firm, where he has his own study. He helps kids who need information about how the law works, and he is always there for them. One night, his best friend April Finnemore goes missing without warning. No one knows where she is, who took her, or when she left. All that information is missing. There was no force of entry and the poor girl was alone in the house, frightened out of her wits. One suspect is a criminal, by the name of Jack Leeper. Everyone thinks that he is the abductor, but sadly, there is no proof. This leaves everyone frantic and freaking out. April Finnemore has a family that is messed up, and everyone is aware of it. Her brother and sister escaped out of the family as soon as possible. Her father is out constantly playing with his band, and her mother uses drugs. Theo met her in school a long time ago. She acted so odd, so one could figure her out. But deep down, Theo liked her. Soon they became the best of friends and their friendship was that of talking and texting late into the night. Theo and his friends set out to find her. But where to start? With all the incidents, the as-sumption that April may be dead, and Jack Leeper, everyone is now scared to find the truth. There-fore, Theo has to find out on his own… But can he? And if he can, will it be too late? To find out more, read Theodore Boone, The Abduction, by John Grisham. This book is available in our school library as well.

REVIEWS Books, Music, Movies, & Television


Music Reviews By Nathaniel Mumau

Little Talks

By Of Monsters and Men

Lyrics: This is one of those back and forth songs, where one person sings and then a second person sings back, as if they are in conversation. But this conversation in particular is a confusing one. Both the people are singing about how they have to leave each other, but they really don’t want to. The two of them go through this cycle for the whole song, and their problem is never actually resolved. Despite the fact of being confusing and hard to follow, there is no inappropriate material in the song. Music Video: This video uses a type of animation that makes the people and creatures in it appear as puppets. This is a creative tactic, because if some of the scenes were done with real life actors and realistic-looking beast props, it could be scary for younger viewers. The video itself shows five of the six members of Of Monsters and Men going on an expedition, finding their sixth member who resembles a peacock in a mete-or, and blowing up a variety of monsters. It is very interesting, as this video doesn't illustrate what is being sung in the song. This was a good move on the band’s part, because the video was very entertaining.

Hall of Fame

By Script Lyrics: These are very motivational lyrics. While most songs acknowledge the rather bad parts of life, this song is telling one that if one works hard, one will achieve high success. Even though the song refers to the Hall of Fame the most, it also talks about other areas, such as being an astronaut or teacher. This song is very enjoyable, and a much needed break from all the negative songs we hear all the time. Music Video: In the video, we follow the two success stories of a teenage boy and a deaf teenage girl. The boy wants to become a boxer, and the girl a ballerina. They both struggle through bullying and other such obstacles, but both finally achieve their goals. The video was very mov-ing, and there was barely any questionable material. The only moment that is inappropriate is when a group of bullies beat up the boy, but the whole situation is obscured by a dumpster.

Movie Review By: Shiv Soin

“Les Miserables”

From the book by Victor Hugo, to the Broadway show that stunned audiences around the globe, and now to the big screen, “Les Miserables” has captured the hearts of the young and the old. I have re-cently had the pleasure to watch “Les Miserables,” and I enjoyed it! The movie starred many familiar faces such as Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. This movie takes place in 19th-century France. It’s mainly about Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, who has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert for decades after he breaks parole. There is also a factory worker, Fantine ( played by Anne Hathaway) who got fired because she had a child. She was poverty stricken and had no way of getting money, so to get the money that she needed for her family, she gave people her hair and her teeth. During this, she delivered a fantastic performance of “I Dreamed a Dream,” which shocked the audience and myself included. She dies later on, and her daughter, Cosette, is worried and sad by what had happened, but, Jean Valjean takes her in as his own. The fateful decision changes both Cosette and Jean Valjean’s lives forever. I highly recommend watching this movie, and I hope you enjoy it as much as many others have.



Movie Review By: Elizabeth Chiu

“The Hobbit”

“The Hobbit” is the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and his unexpected adventure with a group of thirteen dwarves. The tale takes place before the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, explaining how Frodo came into the possession of the ring (precious), which caused so much trouble. These dwarves appear at Bilbo’s house one evening as Gandalf, a wizard who is helping the dwarfs, has cho-sen him as their fourteenth member. Bilbo must make the decision of whether or not to join the crew as they embark in this dangerous journey to claim back their home, which was lost so many years ago. The dwarves, along with Gandalf and Bilbo encounter many obstacles, as they face one of their worst enemies, previously thought to be dead, the white hawk. Along the way, Bilbo struggles to stay with the rest and is split between giving up and heading back home, and continuing to help the dwarves. This amazing tale is packed with tons of excitement, beautiful scenery, and well-developed scenes that enhance the plot. One particularly remarkable scene was where the dwarves were at Bilbo’s house and they are throwing plates, cups, and other dishes around the house, making music with the utensils. They used

their elbows to juggle the plate, threw the plate like frisbees, bounced plates off one another, punted bowls to each other, and caught every sin-gle one. This definitely required a lot of coordination and work, and they pulled it off perfectly.

Join this group and watch to see how Bilbo overcomes his fear and wins the trust of Thorin, the leader of the group, by saving him from being beheaded. In the meantime, can the group convince the Elks (a kingdom of old acquaintances) to help them along the way? What happens when Bilbo is separated from the group, and the rest of the members have been captured by hundreds of thousands of trolls? What happens when he is trapped in an underground cave with an unknown creature, unsure of how to escape?

For an even more exciting adventure, watch “The Hobbit” in 3D at the theatres. With flying boulders thrown by rock giants, a huge fire breathing dragon, and a clan of trolls lead by the white hawk who is hungry for revenge and will do anything to hunt them down, this movie will keep you at the edge of your chair.

TV Show Review By: Peter Maynard

“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”’ After 3 years, the heroes in a half shell have returned on Nickelodeon. The Turtles combine action with comedy which blends into one of the best shows Nickelodeon has ever seen! The turtles each have unique personalities, but it comes together for an epic team! There’s Leonardo, the leader in blue, with two Ninjaken swords. There’s Raphael, the short-tempered sai-wielding warrior. There’s Donatello, the nerdy inventor, and Michelangelo, the goof of the four, who names all of the mutants that they come across. Now, with all of the protagonists, there are also antagonists. The primary antagonists are the Kraang, but you’ll find out who they are soon enough. In the series, a human named Hamato Yoshi (aka Splinter) bought four baby turtles from a pet store in New York, after a painful past in Japan. He finds strange men that talk in a redundant manner, exchanging a weird “ooze” substance. A rat gives away Hamato’s position. A fight ensues, and the ooze is dropped onto the four baby turtles and Hamato. Hamato transforms into a rat/human blend of creature, while the turtles become more humanoid. Fearing how the surface world would treat them Splinter retreats underground, with his four “sons” in tow. There, he teaches them the art of Ninjitsu. CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

TV Show Review: “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”’ CONTINUED… Fifteen years later, the turtles persuade Splinter to let them go up to the surface. Although hesitant, he agrees. While up there, they find pizza, which they instantly love, and April O’ Neil, a sixteen year old girl who Donatello instantly falls in love with. However, April and her father are captured by strange men. The turtles find out that those “men” were not only weird squid brain things in robotic bodies called the Kraang, but were also the same men who handled the “ooze” fifteen years ago. With a combined effort and lots of quick thinking, the turtles were able to rescue April, but failed to save her father. Little known to them, Splinter’s old enemy Shredder learned of ninjas in New York, and ordered his foot clan to move there. Now, I love every version Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I thought this incarnation of the foot was just O.K. Rather than in previous series, where they were serious threats, the foot were more like annoying thorns in the turtle’s sides, while the turtles and the Kraang fought. I thought that Shredder’s new henchman Xever and Chris Brad-ford were actually really cool. They were skilled fighters, and Xever’s “comments” about Bradford were really obnox-ious, but also hilarious. I also thought that their mutations were a twist of events, with Chris getting a powerful canine body and a cool nickname “Dogpound”, while Xever got a useless fish body, so that he needed a breathing suit, and had a stupid nickname, “Fishface”. They are led by who else, the Shredder, a master of martial arts, who obsesses over “revenge”, on Splinter, after Shredder burned Splinter’s house down while he was human and also killed his wife. Yeah, he is not a nice guy. But the character who ruined the series for me is Shredder’s adopted daughter Karai. She really does things more for her own entertainment than for a legit reason, and Leonardo developed a crush on her, and kept on seeing good in her, while she tried to kill him multiple times! Of course, Raphael didn’t trust her, but nobody else in their family even knew she existed. The real problem I had with her is that she became involved with the Kraang, which turned them into the lousiest secondary villains ever, because it completley ruined the flow of the show! The old Karai respected honor, and was an adult. This new teenage Karai is the saddest excuse for a ninja I’ve ever seen, who disrespects everyone, and never has a reason to do anything! Overall, I’d give this show a score of 9 out of 10. I gave it this because while I loved every aspect of the action, the comedy, the turtles return-ing, Shredder’s new henchmen, and fantastic teamwork, I think my huge rant about Karai made it clear I wouldn’t give this show a ten. I still think that a 9/10 is a good show, and I recommend it. New episodes are on Saturdays at 11:00 AM on Nickelodeon.



TV Show Review By: Amuyla Mutnari

“The X Factor”’ The popular British reality singing competition show came back to the United States in 2012 to have some amazingly talented contestants thrown at it! The X Factor, which was started by Simon Cowell in 2004, has rapidly spread across the world, and had finished its second season in America last year. People could audition for The X Factor in a few ways: sending an online audition (they would then call you to a live audition) and open auditions, where you could just walk in. Open auditions were held from March to May in five different locations across the States with Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, and Britney Spears on the judging panel this year.

All of the contestants have to go through 4 major rounds: the auditions, bootcamp, the judges’ houses, and the live shows. The contestants can be eliminated in any round. The live shows are a series of shows, and if you get into the last one, you are guaranteed at least third place. There were many memorable auditions; some of which were Carly Rose’s rendition of “Feeling Good”, Emblem3’s original, “Sunset Boule-vard”, and Jillian Jensen’s heart touching version of “Who You Are” by Jessie J. In bootcamp, there was a lot of tension as Paige Thomas and CeCe Frey fought it off while singing “Secrets” and Tate Stevens and Willie Jones sang “Nobody Knows”, which resulted with Willie in tears. For Judges’ Houses, each of the judges was assigned a group. Simon Cowell was given the groups category, Britney was assigned with the teens, Demi got the young adults, and L.A. Reid received the Over 25’s. Six people from each categories were chosen to advanced to this round of the competition. The teens who were selected were Diamond White, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Arin Ray, James Tanner, Beatrice Miller, and Reed Deming. The young adults who made it in were Paige Thomas, Jillian Jensen, Willie Jones, Jennel Garcia, Nick Youngerman, and CeCe Frey. Tate Stevens, Tara Si-mon, David Correy, Jason Brock, Daryl Black, and Vino Alan were the Over 25’s who were chosen to proceed, and the groups turned out to be Dope Crisis, Emblem3, and Sister C. Deciding there was too much talent to lose. The judges made three more groups out of eliminated contestants: LYLAS (afterwards called 1432 and finally Fifth Harmony), Lyric145, and Playback. After a pressuring time at the judges houses, the mentors finally decided who they would put through to the final shows. Going through to the live shows were Diamond White, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Beatrice Miller, Arin Ray, Jennel Garcia, Paige Thomas, CeCe Frey, Willie Jones, Tate Ste-vens, David Correy, Jason Brock, Vino Alan, Emblem3, Fifth Harmony, Lyric145, and Sister C. Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez were hired to be the hosts for the live shows. In six amazing weeks filled with breathtaking performances, there were four acts left: Emblem3, Fifth Harmony, Carly Rose Sonenclar, and Tate Stevens. Emblem3, however, were eliminated in the semi-finals, leaving the other three acts to fight it out in the finals. Fifth Har-mony, the girl group consisting of Camila Cabello, Lauren Jauregui, Normani Hamilton, Ally Brooke, and Dinah Jane Hansen, finished in third, and Carly Rose Sonenclar took second place, which resulted in Tate Stevens being named the winner. Season 3’s online auditions are open to submit. The judges are still undecided (L.A. Reid left for sure and Britney supposedly did, too), but people should keep their eyes out for the show to return soon. Tate Stevens recently released his debut single, “Holler if You’re With Me,” Fifth Harmony has gotten signed, and Emblem3 is performing shows in California. And of course, all of the contestants have gotten national attention. This is how one simple audition has the potential to change your life.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted is a real world RACING game!!! This is the 19th game in the Need For Speed fran-chise. This game is full of intense action where your main objective is to achieve the rank of “Most Wanted” in Fairhaven City. In this powerful world, only one thing is certain; there can only be one “Most Wanted”. In this game there is relentless police division wanting to gun you down. Your job is to beat your friends, outsmart your rivals, and to outrun the cops. You can endlessly play multiplayer because of the absence of the lobby. Your friends are the core of your experience; you should challenge them to every corner of the city. Make sure to get a benefit by taking advantage of their extensive car collection and to stay one step ahead of the game. Key Game Features Open World Action - Lose the cops. Hit jumps and shortcuts, and shake the cops in surroundings that play to your car's unique

strengths. Freedom is everything. Drive anywhere with your friends, discover hidden gameplay. Nonstop Multiplayer - Pick a car, hook up with friends and jump into nonstop happenings consisting of tight, competitive events. No

lobby screens means the action never stops. Score big, rank up and earn endless rewards and upgrades. Keep the fierce rivalries going between events with endless opportunities to race, battle and explore in a huge open world.

Beat Your Friends - Autolog 2 ratchets up the intense competition with personalized race recommendations and it feeds broadcasting all of your most newsworthy scores, speeds and times to your friends. Earn Need for Speed points at all times on any system as you try to out drive your friends and become the Most Wanted.

Racing Without Rules - It's survival of the fastest as Need for Speed: Most Wanted fuses the franchise's, authentic "real car" feel with the intense speed and aggression of Burnout. Power down, slide out, and battle your way past cops and rivals using pure driving skill, and heavy doses of nitrous.

The Best Performance Cars - Need for Speed: Most Wanted features the most high-profile performance vehicles around. A sampling of these include: Porsche 911 Carrera S, BMW M3 Coupe, Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, Ford Mustang Boss 302, and Subaru Cosworth Impreza STI CS400.”

VIDEO GAME REVIEWS


On September 29, 2012, EA sports released the all new video game, FIFA 13. I have the XBOX version and I can say that it is awesome. The game is different from the past few FIFA games from EA. There are many cool features for this game such as the following: Online Mode- You can play against anyone in the world as long as you have XBOX Live or Playstation Network for Playstation 3. You can also chat with them using the Kinect microphone if they’re your friends. Graphics- There are new, updated graphics in the game that make you feel like you are actually in the game and are playing in it. Updated Teams/ Current Scores- The rosters for all the teams are updated with all the teams. You can also access the latest scores from around the globe on the bottom of your screen. You can also play live fixtures that are happening at the current time. There are also many new leagues added and new national teams that were added to the whole game. Create a Player/ Manager Mode- For the Create a Player mode, you can feel like the player and be in the game. You can change the camera angles so you can look around through the eyes of the player. I like the past versions of the game, you could only be three posi-tions: offense, mid-field, and defense but they just added the goalkeeper mode where you can dive, save, run, and do anything a normal goalkeeper can do. You also get a salary, a manager, and control over your player’s game. In the manager mode, you can buy/se ll/trade players to and from other teams. It makes you feel like a normal manager during a normal game. You can also play the games and control your squad. Exhibition Mode- You can play matches by choosing two teams from anywhere in the world to challenge each other in a 6-10 minute game. There are cool features such as instant replay, saving a play (you can upload it to the FIFA 13 website and every week, they pick five winners to get a special surprise.), etc. There are many other cool features to this game such as Ultimate Team, Tournament, and many more but you’ll have to buy the game to find out. FIFA 13 is a must-buy game that is very reasonably priced game for the value you get.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

By Nishant Nagalia and Tharun Velishala

FIFA 13 By Nishant Nagalia and Tharun Velishala

The Joke Page By The Newspaper Club


Thirteen jokes that will certainly make you laugh out loud!

(Taken from a variety of sources)

1. Why did the music teacher need a ladder?

2. How do you get straight A’s?

3. Why did the kid study in the plane?

4. What did the pencil sharpener say to the pencil?

5. What is the world’s tallest building?

6. What did one toilet say to the other?

7. Why do bicycles fall over?

8. Why do dragons sleep during the day?

9. Why wouldn’t the pirate play cards?

10. What did one elevator say to the other?

11. Why was everyone so tired on April 1st?

12. What makes the calendar so popular?

13. Why did the robber take a bath before he stole from the

bank? Answers

1. To reach the high notes

2. You use a ruler

3. He wanted a higher education

4. Stop going in circles and get

to the point

5. The library because it has the

most stories

6. You look a bit flushed

7. Because they are two-tired

8. So they can fight “nights”

9. He was sitting on the deck

10. I think I am coming down with

something

11. They had just finished a

March of 31 days

12. It has a lot if dates

13. He wanted a clean getaway

woodrow wilson middle school edison township public...

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