The Wildcat Roar
Volume 7
Number 1
Winter 2012
A Quarterly Publication of Rocky Hill Middle School
Math in Real Life Application
Annie Tran, Chief Editor
Parthiv Shah, Assistant Chief Editor
Going to school every day, doing science projects, math projects, social studies projects, and reading projects can have its toll on kids. Yet we
understand the value of a good education. Once in while we wonder what the
point of those projects are and how, if at
all, we will ever get to apply what we
learn in real life. “I think math will help
us later in our future,” says Yash
Kapoor. Mrs. Quinn answered that
question, or at least tried to make the
students see a clear path as to how math
can be ap-plied in real life. Not that we
don‟t already know how important it is
to calculate miles, pocket money, or
budget the very little money that some
of us happen to have.
The holiday season is a time
when budgeting is important. Just before Thanksgiving, Mrs. Quinn worked
closely with her students, using store
advertisements to help them budget and
plan a Thanksgiving meal. Who was
coming, how much food was needed,
the price of each item, the guest list, a
menu, the overall cost, AND a personalized invitation were required for this
project, and the creativity went off the
charts. Many students made fancy invitations and menus, and they had fun designing their project. Most kids tend not
to associate the word “fun” with “math”,
but the Thanksgiving Feast project definitely changed their minds. “The creativity part of this project is the invitations
and the menus,” says Mrs. Quinn.
There are no restrictions to what you
can do!
Even though there are fun parts
to this project, it‟s really serious when
you think about all of the varying factors that could affect the meal itself.
After all, Thanksgiving meals aren‟t all
about money and prices, they‟re also
about the satisfaction of polishing off
the plate of turkey and mashed potatoes.
The food not only depends on the fun-
Mrs. Quinn shows her students how to plan a perfect holiday dinner for a given number of
guests, using discounts and deals from a local grocery store advertisement.
damentals of planning a meal, but
also it depends on the preferences of
the people that you are inviting. For
example, if you‟re inviting your family and they do not like cranberry
sauce, then the dish of cranberry
sauce will not be present at your
feast.
Let‟s face it, a full turkey,
roasted with stuffing and side dishes
aren‟t exactly “cheap”. Money is
scarce nowadays and we can‟t afford
to waste it. So, in order to save money, we won‟t buy the bulk size of
cranberry sauce because it won‟t be
used. We‟ll save money by buying
only the essential dishes needed.
Most kids realize that the economy is
harsh right now, but some don‟t realize that money is very valuable at
these times. Some say, “Oh, if there‟s
a 75 cent box of mashed potatoes and
there‟s a 90 cent box of mashed potatoes, then I‟ll buy the 75 cent box.”
However, others say, “Oh, I‟ll buy
the 90 cent box because I‟m not paying anyways, my parents are.” As you
can see, the gravity of the situation in
the American economy has not fully
reached the children, but as we participate in math, and as we learn to
apply it in the real world, we will all
be able to say, “I know how to calculate money as well as anyone else, all
because of my math class!” Math is
needed in every single job. There
isn‟t a single job out in the real world
that doesn‟t include math. In sports,
Mrs. Quinn adopts a practical approach in her Math class as she shows her student how
to budget and plan a holiday meal by using math skills to figure the best possible deals
from a grocery store advertisement.
Hmmm..Go Figure
Table Of Contents
Indya Roberts
Staff Writer
Front Page:
Math Application
Go Figure
Editorial Page:
A Legacy Passes: Andy Rooney
It Doesn‟t Hurt To Know
Rocky Hill Page:
Geo Bee
SSL Hours
Media Nook
Writer’s Corner:
King of Mysteries
Benefits of Meditation
Writer’s Corner Cont.:
Book Reviews
The Hijack
7 Billion People On Earth
Life On The Hill:
An Inspiring Soul
Effective Study Habits
Did you know? …
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math is used to calculate salaries, the
score, and strategies. In grocery
shopping, you use math to calculate
prices. Lawyers need math for statistics that can help their case.
But it‟s not just about math;
it‟s about school as a whole. Students
sometimes don‟t realize that this
“useless information” actually helps
you in the long run. Teachers know
how to make sure that you understand the curriculum, “We give permission to the teachers to let them do
what they think is right. There is a
curriculum given to them, but it‟s
their choice to utilize it in the way
they want to,” says Mr. Whiting.
“Teaching has changed. Before, you
only came to get information. Now
you have new technology and you
learn how to use the information so
that it makes your life make sense. It
has changed.”
In the end, we have been
enlightened by this research. We now
are 100% sure that math is needed
for EVERYTHING! If one lesson
should be learned from this article
then it should be that you should pay
attention in school because who
knows, velocity might just save your
life.
Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa as a winter promotion.
The milk of a hippo is pink.
More Monopoly money is printed in a year than real money printed throughout the world
Your fingernails grow faster in the winter.
It‟s impossible to hum if you nose is plugged.
When you mouth the word colorful to someone, it sounds like you‟re saying
“I love you”
Caffeine boosts memory.
There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building.
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Sports Page:
Roles Models Bailing Out
Exotic Pets
Extra Bumble Gum
Special Feature:
Fear of Fear
Aggression is Today‟s Kids
Just for Laughs
Special Feature 2:
Questions on Everyone‟s Mind
Technology:
Technology Changes The World
Russian Space Station
A Commanding Lead
Technology:
May the Best Tablet Win
Terminator Coming True
The Xbox 720
Back Page:
Twisted
Making A Difference
Editorial Page
A True Legacy
By Annie Tran
Chief Editor
We got accustomed to sitting down at our television, getting
the TV remote nice and comfy in the
palm of our hand, and flipping
through the channels to see what
interests us. But what we failed to
realize is that as we‟re surfing
through the channels, we‟re missing
some of the most interesting and
mind-boggling programs because
they look uninteresting. 60 Minutes
takes the prize as one of the most
underrated TV programs out there.
Who is the face of 60 Minutes, you
ask? All successful TV shows
should have a person that defines
their show, making you immediately
think of the program once you see
their face. The face of 60 Minutes
was, and still is, Andy Rooney. Most
people who watch that show would
probably admit that they waited for
the very end to hear old journalist
Andy Rooney, most notable for his
signature bushy eye brows, staring
you right in the face and telling it as
it is.
Andy Rooney, 92 years old
at the time of his death, was a famous columnist, commentator, and
best-selling author. He was “a selfdescribed indifferent scholar before
rising to fame and fortune as a "60
Minutes" commentator”, as the San
Francisco Chronicle describes him,
and he was seen by many as an influential character who was not often
seen on the major TV channels. The
way he commentated on events was
interesting, not only because he
wasn‟t mild or considerate, but because he stated his opinions loudly,
even though it wasn‟t pleasing to the
public‟s ears. “I liked his wit and his
straightforwardness.” says Katie
Odey, one of the few who actually
tuned in to watch 60 Minutes every
once in a while. This legendary journalist preferred being referred to as a
Andy Rooney (Photo From Google Images)
writer. “A writer's job is to tell the
truth,” said Mr. Rooney.
What fascinated his readers
and viewers over the years was his
direct way of pointing out life's unspoken truths and sometimes pointing out some of the flaws of humanity in a subtle manner. This fact
about his personality was also a reason why people just seemed to dislike him. The San Francisco Chronicle states, “Mr. Rooney cultivated a
curmudgeon's image and achieved
celebrity status on TV with cranky
complaints about quotidian experience and observations of life's absurdities delivered in a band-saw
voice frequently lampooned.” Andy
Rooney was not quiet, that‟s for
sure. But what we lack today in society is people who are willing to
step out of their comfort zone to say
what is on their mind, and what can
happen to make things better. Sure,
Mr. Rooney made you feel a bit
uncomfortable by some of his hardhitting comments, yet we are fascinated by the incredible way he
could make everything sound like a
story that would capture the atten-
tion of all his viewers. He also understood and said, “People will generally accept facts as truth only if
the facts agree with what they already believe.” In spite of this, he
did not hold back his honest opinion
or interpretation of events the way
he saw them. For someone with his
age and experience, you would
probably, agree as Mr. Rooney says
it, “that the best classroom in the
world is at the feet of an elderly
person.”
The one thing about Andy
Rooney, where there was no controversy, was that he was truly a good,
loyal person. This man would stand
by his friends no matter how much
it hurt him, because he was dependable to everyone in his life. Rooney
knew what pain was, and even
though some of the comments he
provided seemed harsh with the
intention to cause pain, he understood. The way he spoke on TV,
behind that desk, was a serious side
of him that had to be provided on
TV to maintain the solemn role that
a reporter must undertake. What
It Doesn’t Hurt To Know
Ms. Katie Odey
Supervising Editor
Let's face it, a good number
of children in the United States know
a thing or two about technology. They
can identify some of the “coolest”
video games, gadgets, and the best
iPod or iphone in the market. What do
kids really know about the world
around them? They learn about past
and current events in social studies
classes. Mr. Stevenson recently engaged his students in discussions
about the Occupy Wall Street Movement. He had pulled up an article
about the Occupy Wall Street Movement in the Washington Post and displayed it on the Promethean board. It
got me thinking about how well our
kids are involved in political, social
and current issues.
Some students may get excited about celebrities and have their
favorite players on some national
sports teams, but when it comes to
real issues like high gas prices, the
economy, and how their families are
impacted, they know very little.
Some may argue that these
students have their homework assignments, projects and their extracurricular activities to worry about; therefore
much more energy, and we want and
acquire material things in abundance,
yet we are satisfied with knowing less.
Well, I‟d have to admit that
our students have made a great deal
of progress in the area of technology
since they know and can explain the
“cool” features of some of the latest
technology gadgets in the market. In
reality, students do not measure up to
kids in other industrialized countries.
A study by Miriam Wilde, Great
Schools‟ staff, shows that. “On average 16 other industrialized countries
scored above the United States in science, and 23 scored above the US in
math.” Maybe it‟s time for our kids to
put those cell phones and iPods down
and pay more attention to what is happening around them. More importantly, they need to get motivated to excel
in all areas.
Here at Rocky Hill, there is a
big emphasis on high expectations,
and they include excelling in academics as well as learning important life
skills to make us better people. Hopefully having a growth mindset would
motivate us to thirst for knowledge.
We need to open our eyes and ears to
the world around us. This may sound
like a cliché, but life is really about
learning.
they do not have the luxury and time
to read a news article or listen to the
news. “I learned because my parent
made me watch The State of the Union Address, and we talked about
these issues at home,” says Dr.
Wirth.
Ignorance is too high a price
to pay, considering how quickly our
world is evolving. Over 80% of
some the sixth graders I surveyed did
not know the name of our vice president. Even though the 7th graders
seemed to have responded better,
only 50% of them knew the name of
our vice president. Only 2 out of 12
7th graders knew the name of our
county executive.
Considering our proximity
to Washington DC and our easy access to the numerous political events
that take place in our nation‟s capital, I was surprised to find out that
only 6 out 10 students could identify
the two major political parties in the
United States. We as a society use so
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everyone couldn‟t see, or rather, take
the time to look for, was that under
this mask was a true person, with
feelings and experiences he had to
cover up when his allotted time was
scheduled to him.
His life was all about writing. You couldn‟t deny the fact that
the passion he had about current
events was rare, and treasured
among those that craved a good
opinion to brood over. He is revered
throughout the nation as a person
who knew how to make his opinions
clear, and how to strongly express
what he thought was wrong in society. The fact that he had people who
disliked him only strengthens his
reputation, because that shows he
didn‟t care who he pleased. The San
Francisco Chronicle says, “He wrote
to live and lived to write.” A true
reporter‟s only intention is to express
their opinions, not to offend others
by what they mean, but to make the
truth known. Mr. Rooney‟s goal was
to report, to write, to expose the
truth. That is the true meaning of
being a reporter.
Andy Rooney clearly shared
some important lessons that he
learned. He said, “That no matter
how serious your life requires you to
be, everyone needs a friend to act
goofy with”, and, “Sometimes all a
person needs is a hand to hold, and a
heart to understand.”
These qualities are what we
try so desperately to find in today‟s
news reporters, but fail to actually
see shining through their serious façade. If there were more people like
Andy Rooney, who were passionate
about everything they believed in, it
would be much more interesting to
watch the news.
Supervising Editor
Ms. Katie Odey
Chief Editor
Annie Tran
Assistant Chief Editor
Parthiv Shah
Editors
Neil Agrawal
Sports Editor
Yash Kapoor
Staff Writers
Anita Tharmarajah
Indya Roberts
Kai Hu
Kene Okafor
Kristine Antanesian
Mae McDermott
Navyada Koshatwar
Nina Agrawal
Rahul Shah
Sike Dibonge
Sooah Sohn
Tanvi Shah
Rocky Hill Page
Rocky Hill Geo Bee
Liam Bourque, winner of the Geo Bee
Kristine Antanesian
Staff Writer
On January 26th, the 2012
Geo Bee took place. At the beginning
of the competition there were 35 students awaiting their fate as Geo Bee
winners, myself being amongst them.
The announcer was 8th grade World
Studies teacher Mr. Grimes, accompanied by Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Cook,
and Mr. Anderson.
The competition started out
a little uneasily having people eliminated each round. But it finally
boiled down to two final students,
6th grader Manav Mathur, and 8th
grader Liam Bourque. In the end,
having wowed the audience with his
quick and efficient answers, Liam
Bourque won the title of 2012 Geo
Bee winner.
After witnessing his victory,
a few questions were in order. We
asked him what he won and with a
smile he told us that he had won a
medal and a big atlas. With curiosity
eating away at us, we really wanted
SSL Hours
By: Anita Tharmarajah
Staff Writer
to know some strategies that other
students could use so that they
could win this contest. Liam told
the Wildcat Roar, “Looking at an
atlas is helpful because it helps
some people better visualize things
when the time comes.” Liam also
told us that he has what he called an
idyllic memory. An idyllic memory
is when your brain tends to learn
and pick up things rather quickly.
Some people also have photographical memories, which is when you
think and remember in pictures.
The 2012 Geo Bee was a
true success for me personally because even though I did not win, it
was an experience that provided me
and many others a lifetime of memories, photographic memories or
not. All of us at the Wildcat Roar
would like to congratulate all of the
contestants of the 2012 Geo Bee.
We would especially like to give a
big congrats to Liam Bourque.
Good luck in the future.
Many people in the school
are asking what SSL hours are. SSL
(or Student Service Learning) hours
are hours of community service that
you need to graduate from high
school. To graduate you need to earn
75 SSL hours. That may come as a
shock to you. The truth is, it‟s not
really hard to earn them. You can
earn SSL hours by volunteering at
your old elementary school, your
church, or collecting food for food
drives. In orchestra and band, you
may get SSL hours for your concerts.
You can even earn SSL hours by
participating in clubs such as Leo‟s
Club. In science, we can get hours
for going outside to pick up trash.
Mrs. Donati, the person in charge of
SSL hours here at Rocky Hill, says
“It gives young people an opportuni-
ty to get out in their communities
and make a difference.” She suggested some ideas to earn hours,
such as serving food at a soup kitchen, playing piano or singing at a
nursing home, gathering backpacks
and food for those that don‟t have
them, helping the PTA, collecting
canned goods for social studies, or
sorting clothing at collection sites.
That‟s a whole lot to do!
Once you‟ve done the service, you
have to fill out a form with the signature of a person that supervised
you and a brief reflection of what
you did. Then turn the forms in to
the school and the school will show
you your progress on your report
card. So if you try really hard you
can do it!
As a final note , a service
only counts as an SSL hour if it is
available to the entire community.
The Non-Tocking Watch
By Yaniv Gonyoe
Jarmaine Barnie
Sixth Graders
A boy had a watch. He had hoped that it would “tock” since others “ticked.”
The boy did all he could to make it “tock,” but nothing happened. One day he
took the watch into his room, closed the door, and switched on the light.
With the watch in his left hand, he got a flashlight and shone it at the watch.
With a stern look in his eyes, he said, “We have ways of making you “tock.”
Well, the watch changed its last number, but did not „tock.”
Liam poses with Mr. Grimes after
winning the 2012 Geo Bee
RH Media Center Nook
What‟s Going on in the Media Center?
Don’t Like to Read?
Research, Research and More Research!
“I don‟t like to read.” I must hear this at least once a day. Really...you
don‟t like to read? Maybe you just haven‟t found a book that appeals to you yet.
Both 6th grade World Studies and 8th grade English classes have been using
Noodletools (http://www.noodletools.com) to organize their research. Noodletools can be used by students for any class to write bibliographies, take notes, and
even research papers with just a click of a button! Teachers are able to give timely
feedback to students so that they are able to adjust their notes to better support their
final product-a written report, an oral presentation or a speech. But don‟t let that
stop you from coming in to the Media Center when we‟re open. Work on a puzzle,
enter a contest, design a bookmark or ceiling tile or just relax with your friends.
There‟s always plenty to do at the RHMS Media Center.
Not everyone likes to read the same thing, and you shouldn‟t have to.
There are so many different books and genres out there. Surely, you could find one
that interests you. Spend some time browsing in the media center. Look for titles
and covers that call to you. Read the first paragraph or chapter to see if it holds
your attention and hooks you in. There‟s no rule that says you have to read the entire book if you check it out and it doesn‟t interest you. If you have an author you
like, then read other books by him or her.
Select a book that highlights an interest of yours. If you like soccer, try a
book about soccer or one that includes soccer in the book as part of the story. Try a
book that is similar to your life-it may be more meaningful to you because you can
relate to it. Also, asking your friends for recommendations may help you find
something you might like as well (the media specialist would be happy to help you,
too).
Divergent by Veronica Roth
If you struggle to read, there are still some great books out there for you.
Don‟t judge a book by its reading level-judge it by the story. So, the next time you
find yourself saying, “I don‟t like to read‟” take some time to browse the stacks for
a book that is just right for you.
If you liked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you will like
Divergent by Veronica Roth. This futuristic book takes place in Chicago
where people are born into one of five factions-Abnegation, Candor,
Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity-and each faction believes the that other is
evil. At the age of 16, after a battery of aptitude tests used to identify which
faction best fits, a person can choose to change factions. Tris, the main
character, turns her back on Abnegation and her family to become part of
Dauntless.
Not Sure What to Read?
Then visit DogEared, a blog ALL about books-funny books, adventure
books, fantasy books-books about everything! Visit DogEared to read real reviews and recommendations written by real kids! Go to
http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/dogeared/
Much of this action packed story focuses on the brutal and dangerous initiations Tris must go through to become one of the Dauntless. If she
fails, she is condemned to the underclass, which has no future at all.
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Writers’ Corner
The King of Mysteries
Sooah Sohn
Staff Writer
“There‟s the scarlet thread of
murder running the colorless skein of
life, and our duty is to unravel it, and
isolate it, and expose every inch of it.”
Sound familiar? Well, whether it
sounds familiar or not, it‟s from The
Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. Conan Doyle wrote many
books, and now, Sherlock Holmes is
very well known. A mastermind at
mysteries, the great Holmes sprang
from the mind of Arthur Conan Doyle
and was born into this world by The
Study in Scarlet. Exciting as well as
mystifying, Doyle‟s novels are masterpieces. “His mysteries were so well
intertwined that it was able to take me
away from the real world for a while.
He was one of my favorite mystery
writers,” comments Ms. Quinn. You
see? Many people know the name of
Holmes when they hear it, and Conan
Doyle‟s name is famous, too.
“You see, but you do not observe.” That‟s a quote from Holmes in
A Scandal in Bohemia. This is true.
Most people do not notice small details until they are pointed out. They
see things, but they don‟t observe the
seemingly obvious things until they
are steered to pay attention to it. For
example, do you know how many
stairs are in our school? When you
come into our school, do you push or
pull the front doors? How many posters there are on our school‟s walls?
These things seem to be obvious, don‟t they? But if you try to answer many of these simple questions,
you will find that you will not be able
to answer them from the top of your
head- unless, of course, you investigate. But then, if you do investigate, it
will probably be because you read this
article, not because you counted the
stairs while you were climbing them.
It was brought it to your attention that
you pull the front doors, or counted
every single poster you passed while
you traveled through the whole
school. “I usually don‟t stop to think
about simple things like what side the
doorknob is on because I‟m so used to
doing certain things so many times
that I get used to them,” says Ms.
Odey. Whether a door‟s doorknob is
on the right or left side is yet another
item for the list of obvious things that
people don‟t know. Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle brings this to readers‟ attention
while unwinding the mysteries that
Holmes solves.
The Benefits of Meditation
Neil Agrawal
Tech Editor
Photo
from
Google
Images
When people think of yoga
and meditation, they usually want to
shy away from that sort of activity. I
am exactly like that kind of person.
But there are many benefits to meditation that might change your mind.
Meditation can actually help the
brain concentrate if you are unfocused or stressed out. In a CNN article by Elizabeth Landau, she writes,
“Scientists are finding that it may be
worth it to train your brain to focus
on something as simple as your
breath, which is part of a mindfulness meditation.” Just taking simple
deep breathes can help calm and relax somebody‟s mind. “I meditate
because I think it is important to stay
relaxed each day,” says Annie Tran,
8th grader.
Let‟s get a bit of background
information on meditation; there is
not much to tell due to the fact that
there are some religious theories involved. But it is alleged that Taoists
from China and Buddhists from India
had started meditation practices
some 5000 years ago. Did you know
that some experienced mediators find
that when they do meditation, they
find that their mind wanders less?
This is exactly why they tell you to
take deep breaths when taking big
tests, such as SAT‟s and MSA‟s. “I
would imagine that it helps with concentration and perhaps memory,”
says Ms. Odey, 6th grade teacher.
Meditation can also help with thinking good thoughts. An organization
called the Art of Living goes around
to many jails. “Jails, who would want
to go to jails?” you are probably
thinking. But, the reason they go to
these jails is to practice meditation
with the inmates. The goal is that the
inmates can clear their minds of all
bad thoughts and start fresh again as
a new person. “It‟s nice that people
want to do that, it can help them get
out of jail early,” says Parthiv Shah,
8th grader.
Another benefit of meditation is the fact that it can increase
your work production rate. If you do
meditation, then that can focus your
mind and you can get your work
done a lot faster. You might think
that meditation requires a lot of spe-
Sir Conan Doyle
The greatest reason for
Conan Doyle‟s fame is probably his
books, but he also did much more
than just little things to change the
world he knew and prevented much
of England‟s injustice in court. He
did this not only in his writing, but as
a lawyer he also took the wrong perspectives in his hands and turned it
around. In 1906, he investigated the
case of George Edalji and helped to
prove him innocent. The Court of
Criminal Appeal was created in 1907,
and this case was part of the reason
that this was established. An author
named Nicholas Meyer wrote a book
in 1976 called The West End Horror,
which “borrowed” Sherlock Holmes
and fictionalized George Edalji. Another author, Julian Barnes, wrote a
book titled Arthur and George that
was based on this case. This case
alone received much fame, but then,
in 1908, Doyle successfully managed
to release a wrongly accused Oscar
Slater from jail. Doyle helped by paying a large amount of the costs for
getting Slater out of prison and writing a book and titled it The Case of
Oscar Slater. Doyle was knighted in
1902 and made Deputy-Lieutenant of
Surrey, supposedly because of The
War in South Africa: Its Cause and
Conduct, a pamphlet that Conan
Doyle wrote after the Boer War in
South Africa. Doyle believed in this
pamphlet as the reason he was knighted.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was
a living hero, and he definitely went
above and beyond his part to direct
people‟s attention to things that the
most people would not have noticed,
or wouldn‟t have had the courage to
point out and explore. He was definitely a great figure in history, although people do not recognize him as
much as some other famous figures,
like George Washington. With his
great, logical point of view and intoxicating talent with a pen, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle is, without a doubt, The
King of Mysteries.
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
By Sike Dibonge
Staff Writer
Princess for Hire is a great
book for kids who like stories about
princesses and romance, but in the
21st-century. Princess is a unique
book because it tells of a normal
girl, Desi, who is recruited by the
Façade Agency because of her
“Magical Potential”, or MP. Her job
as a Level One in the agency is to
take the place of princess whenever
they need breaks, and live their
lives for them. And the best part is
that she gets to transform into them
and live their life anywhere from a
day to a week. But what will hap-
pen when Desi‟s do-good nature gets
the better of her and she makes some
giant mistakes? Like performing a
tribal African dance as an African
princess or trying to play the French
horn as an awkward princess-incoming? You‟ll have to read the first
book in the Princess for Hire series
to find out.
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cial equipment and a lot of spare
time. Well, it actually doesn‟t.
Taking 5 deep breaths is a simple
form of meditation. Meditation can
reduce stress too.
If you are feeling like you
have to much work on your hands.
You can sit down and take some
breathes. This can give you more
energy and therefore reduces stress.
If you are hyper, meditation can
calm you down. Meditation helps
you to relax. So if you think about
it, meditation has so many benefits,
it does not require any equipment,
and you can do it anytime anywhere. You should be asking yourself “Why don‟t I just start now?”
Writer’s Corner, Continued
Book Reviews
Pegasus by: Robin Mckinley
Crash by: Jerry Spinelli
Reviewed by: Tessa Job
Reviewed by: Molly Remondini
Almost everyone calls John Coogan “Crash”, because
when Uncle Herm and and his family came over for Christmas, John charged at them with his brand new helmet and
knocked them over before they had even taken off their coats!
The new kid, Penn Webb, wears big buttons, has a whitehaired father, and lives in the garage, and because of his
“oddities”. He is bullied ruthlessly by Crash. However, Crash soon learns that
friendship is always there even if it is in the form of a quirky boy who lives in
a garage walking down the street. This book is a great example of how someone can be friends with anyone, no matter how different their personalities are.
Sylvi is the fourth child of the King of Balsinland, and therefore princess of
Balsinland, and Ebon is son of Liarrany, King of Rhiandomeer. Slyvi is a human
but Ebon is a Pegasus, and she is bound to him because of his royal placement.
Unlike any other pair of human and Pegasus they have the ability to talk to each
other with thoughts instead of words, which is called mind-speak. However,
some of the magicians in Balsinland hate this bond between Sylvi and Ebon and
want to separate them to study their unique bond. This book is about true friendship between two very different beings, human and animal, and I would recommend this fantastical novel to be read.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Reviewed by: Kristine Antasian
Have you ever read a book that you just can‟t put down? Well if you
haven‟t, here‟s your chance. In the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O‟
Dell, Karana is a 13 year old Native American girl who lives with her tribe just
off the coast of California on an island called San Nicholas. Just as life couldn‟t
get any better for her and her people, tragedy strikes and Karana‟s people are
attacked by a troop from Russia called the Aleuts. They kill Karana‟s father, the
chief in the village, and escape, leaving Karana and her people in a great state of
sorrow. After this calamity, Karana‟s people are confronted by another fellow
Native American who offers them a boat ride that will guarantee safety from the
Aleuts. Karana‟s brother Ramo is left behind, so she has no choice other than to
abandon the ship and swim back to the island. This teenage girl goes through so
much, including having to watch her beloved brother die. This novel is actually
based on a true story about a girl who was left alone on an island for 18 years.
Her name was Juana Maria. Does Juana Maria survive the intense loneliness on
the island of San Nicholas? Or does the same fate of her brother lurk its way in to
her destiny? Not reading this book will not only leave you hanging but it won‟t
touch your heart in the deep way that it does. This will be one message that
you‟ll never learn.
The Ghost in The Takaido Inn
by: Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
Reviewed by: Kai Hu
In the novel, The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and
Thomas Hoobler, a genius tea merchant‟s son, Seikei, has a
dream to become Japan‟s greatest samurai. In an unexpected turn of events, an evil samurai ghost steals the emperor‟s favorite gift. But Seikei saw the ghost and is ordered to work with Japan‟s Sherlock Holmes to solve the
mystery. Will Seikei succeed? Will the emperor‟s gift be
recovered? This book is an awesome book that deserves 4
stars.
7 Billion People on Earth
The Hijack of Flight 822
Anita Tharmarajah
Staff Writer
Neil Agrawal
Tech Editor
It was around 10:00 AM
when we were cruising above 10,000
ft. I was in the economy class section
of British Airways Flight 822 to London. I was going to go see my cousins
after a long time. I hear the seat belt
sign sound and started to fasten my
seatbelt. I hear the captain over the
intercom saying, “We have a slight bit
of…” Then it stops. Next I hear a
scream. My heart shudders, “What‟s
happening?” I think to myself.
First, let‟s start from the beginning of the day, and let me introduce myself. My name is Matt, and I
decided to go to London to go see my
cousins, Jim and Daniel. So I booked
the 7:00 AM flight to London. The
day of my trip, I got out of the house
at 4:30, drove to the airport and got
there by 5:15. At the check-in line, I
saw someone who looked somewhat
suspicious, “Never mind,” I thought,
“It is going to be a safe flight and
everything will be great.” I boarded
the plane at 6:55 and we took off with
no problems. At 10,000 ft., we didn‟t
know it, but a problem arose.
I was sipping some coffee
when the pilot came on the intercom.
He told everyone that there was a little
bit of turbulence and how we should
all get to our seats, and then I heard a
big scream, “AAAAAHHHHH!!!!”
That scream gave me the shivers,
“What‟s happening?” I kept on thinking. Then I heard another voice on the
intercom. It sounded nothing like the
pilot. The voice said, “We have taken
On November 1st, our world
population reached 7 billion people.
That‟s a lot! Our world population
has grown by 1 billion over the last
decade. Countries all over the world
have been celebrating over this joyous event. The 7,000,000,000th baby,
Danica May Camacho, was born in
the Philippines at 11:58 pm October
31 but the doctors said it was close
enough to midnight to say the first of
November was her birthday.
Even though countries are
celebrating, some officials wonder
whether our world will have enough
resources to supply for everyone and
whether or not the world population
is even 7,000,000,000. Mrs. Odey,
supervising teacher of the newspaper
club, wonders how terrorist attacks,
wars, and many natural disasters
could impact the world‟s population.
“It makes sense to consider the birth
and death rate worldwide,” says Mrs.
Odey. She does have a point. We
have the war in Afghanistan, where
we have the citizens of the country
dying as well as our troops. There are
other small wars between smaller,
less known countries.
Natural disasters cause a
large change in population. A couple
months ago, Hurricane Irene came up
the east coast and took lives. On October 23rd, Turkey had a devastating
earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2.
One thousand people are feared to be
dead. And we have the 1.2 billion
people who live in poverty, without
food or shelter or anyone to comfort
those who are dying.
over the plane, we are going to return back to the airport, if you try to
move or call anyone, we will shoot
you!” I looked out onto the aisle, he
was not kidding. Remember I told
you about that guy at the airport who
looked suspicious. Well, he was
standing there ready to shoot us if
we disobeyed the hijacker at the
wheel of the plane. I looked out; I
could see fear in everyone. The hijacker flying the plane said over the
PA, “We have run out of fuel.”
The plane took a sharp turn,
and made an immediate descent. The
plane was going down, down, down.
Read Part 2 in the next issue
of The Wildcat Roar.
5
Danica, 7 Billionth baby, and her
mother (from MSN)
Dr. Eric Tayag, of the Philippines' Department of Health, says
“7 billion is a number that we should
think about deeply.” It is a large
number and we should give it some
thought. Our school alone has students that make up only
0.0000159742857142857 % of the
population of the world. You see for
yourself how many kids roam the
halls and study in the classroom every day. The world must be huge. Our
school is not even close to 1%!
The world population has
changed a lot over the past few decades and centuries. In 1804, the
world population was 1 billion. In
1975, it was 4 billion. In 1999, the
world population was 6 billion. We
grew by a billion people in 12 years!
Experts believe that by 2046 we will
have 9 billion people roaming the
earth. Can you believe it!
Some countries prevent
women from having 2 or more children to control population rates and
save resources and space. Over 75
countries have this rule. Mother
Earth has a lot in store for the world
and all we can do is to wait for it.
The next time you go out into a public place, think about all the people
around you in your community, state,
and world.
Life on The Hill
An Inspiring Soul
Effective Studying Habits
Navyada Koshatwar
Staff Writer
Flash cards? Repetition? Or
just skimming through your notes?
There are just SO many different
ways to memorize that certain definition in World Studies, or exactly
what J’aime dormir means in French.
There are numerous ways to remember these things, and you may not
have tried some of them. Some say
that determination is the key to effective studying. Some say organization
works best. So which one works for
you?
There are certain questions
to ask yourself when you try finding
the best way you study. A big question to ask yourself is where you
study best. Meaning, are you more
effective in a certain environment,
and if so, where? Some people can‟t
study if there is even one other person in the room. Others can concentrate perfectly well while watching
the Ravens game and listening to music on their iPod. You should also try
to find a specific setting where you
can think clearly. Ask yourself: if you
are going to be tempted to open a
pack of chips from the pantry if you
do your homework in the kitchen. Or
will you fall asleep while reading
your math book in bed? Can you
stand sitting upright at your desk? If
you haven‟t found a position that
suits you yet, try a few different sites,
and you will probably find one that
works for you.
Procrastination: to postpone
doing something, especially as a regular practice. Everyone postpones
something once in a while, but done
regularly, you will regret it later on.
Most students procrastinate while
trying to accomplish a project because they don‟t know where to
begin. Make sure you know everything you are going to have to do in
order to complete the assignment.
Ask questions about the project if you
have any. This will give you a start,
making it easier to resist the temptation of giving in to procrastination.
After previewing the project,
plan and schedule. Make a brief to-do
list and schedule for the task. Plan-
Mr. Heinemann
Kristine Antanesian and
Navyada Koshatwar
Staff Writers
This year, one of Rocky
Hill‟s finest won the Montgomery
County Favorite Teacher Award.
That lovely soul is none other than
our chorus teacher, Mr. Heinemann.
We had the pleasure of interviewing
him and asked him some questions
that would let people who are not as
familiar with him get to know him a
little bit better. We also wanted to let
students and others get an inside
look at how he felt when he found
out that he had won.
When asked about how he
felt when he found out that he had
won the Favorite Teacher Award, he
mentioned the fact that he had been
nominated before, but he did not get
enough votes to win, however this
time was different because he won.
He said, “When I found out that I
had won I was surprised and excited.” During the interview we asked
Mr. Heinemann if he had always
enjoyed singing. He replied saying,
“Yes, I enjoy singing, but for me it‟s
more about making music. I also
play trumpet and piano.”
The next question we asked
was something I‟m sure a lot of people were wondering. We asked him
who told him, how, where, and
when. To our surprise he said, “Well,
I was actually reading the Gazette in
my classroom on November 16.”
Knowing how awesome of a teacher
he is, we were bound to wonder if he
was always in chorus. We weren‟t
too shocked when he said, “Yes I
was in chorus ever since 3rd grade
and I continued it all through college.”
The next question was one of
the more obvious ones. We asked if
he enjoyed working with kids, and he
responded saying, “I absolutely love
working with students at Rocky Hill.
I have actually gotten other job offers
but I always choose to stay here.”
Since this award is more
prestigious than other awards, we
assumed that Mr. Heinemann was
influenced enough to have some sort
of a different view on teaching. We
voiced our assumptions with him and
he replied, “It makes me appreciate
my students more, given that they
voted for me. Just that makes me
know that they care for me.” Touched
by his heartfelt answer we wondered
what made him stand out from others.
“I get to teach the same kids for 3
years. The way I set up the classroom
lets my kids be themselves. I also
have a strong connection with my
students.” His goals as a teacher continue to be to try to make every student feel comfortable and special in
his class.
Mr. Heinemann shared with
us that his most infuriating experience is when he cannot “reach” a
student and when he can‟t motivate
them to do their best and work harder. At the end of the interview Mr.
Heinemann said, “Thank you hugely!” when he was asked if he wanted
to say anything to the voters who
supported him.
We congratulated him and,
as you can see Mr. Heinemann clearly deserved this award. He‟s true to
his students and really lets them express themselves. We wanted to wish
him and all the RHMS staff members
good luck in next year‟s contest!
Ah-Mazing Teacher
Forgetting
Kristine Antanesian
Staff Writer
Mr. Molley: I was in Loiderman…helping
that school get going when it started and I
was at Baker for 4 years.
Have you ever thought of
something that‟s just so brilliant that
you have to tell someone right away?
Well if you have, then you‟ve probably witnessed what happens most often right after. You FORGET! Forgetting is so awful especially with something that‟s on the tip of your tongue.
Indya Roberts, 6th grade, says, “Yea, I
think that forgetting your ideas could
be a big loss when it comes to your
grades.” Another 6th grader says,
“Well, I feel really sad but then I
wrack my brain to find the idea all
over again. But then I can‟t remember
it and I get really frustrated, and then I
think of random words that might remind me of that idea.”
Based on the comments of
some students, it looks like forgetting
TWR: What‟s the best thing about being a
teacher?
Mr Molley 7th grade science teacher
Nina Agrawal
Staff Writer
TWR: How do you feel about being nominated teacher of the month?
Mr. Molley: It‟s an honor and I feel lucky
to be at Rocky Hill.
TWR: How long have you been teaching?
Mr. Molley: About a quarter century, 25
years. 11 years at MCPS. This is my 5th
year at the Hill.
TWR: What other schools or grades have
you taught?
ning will make the seeminglyimpossible mission a little less daunting. A schedule will help you stop
the procrastination. And make sure
you add a little time for yourself in
your schedule.
There‟s no point in studying
if you can‟t remember what you
spent hours reviewing a week after
your test. Staying up until 3 a.m.
may help you on the exam but not
later on. So resist the urge to cram.
Take the project nice and slow, and,
like I said before, make a schedule to
make the most out of the time you
spend studying. Try spreading out
your lessons, depending on how
much time you have until the exam,
so that you spend an equal amount of
time each session.
Just about the most important factor in studying is to prioritize. Prioritizing will help you get
what you need to do on time. Try
making a to-do list and write the
highest priority task first. Or, try
making an a-b-c chart. Make three
columns labeled a, b and c. under the
“a” column, write down whatever
you need to get done by the end of
that day. Under the “b” column,
write what you need to get done that
week, and under column “c”, write
down what you want to accomplish
by the end of that month.
There are hundreds of different ways to drill information into
your head, and these are only a couple. You can always look up even
more methods to study effectively on
the internet if these don‟t quite work
for you. Try the different techniques
you find and you are bound to find
one that you like best! Good luck!
Mr. Molley: Getting to work with the students. They teach me as much as I can possibly teach them.
TWR: What‟s your favorite animal?
Mr. Molley: I‟ve got a couple cats, (Mike
and Sam) that are brothers that do their best
to boss me around.
TWR: What made you want to become a
teacher?
Mr. Molley: I was a lifeguard and swim
coach for many years. One of the most fun
things I saw was a kid swim across the pool
who couldn‟t swim before because of something I did. Plus I liked the idea of summer
6
something is mostly a nerve-wracking
experience that makes you retrace your
steps back to anything that you can
remember that related to the topic.
Even if you forget things once in a
while, or if you are a frequent victim of
forgetting, you don‟t need to sweat it.
Think about it like this, if you never
remember what it was, you will probably forget that you even forgot about it
in the first place. If that doesn‟t happen, then you‟ll probably just remember it, which is always a good thing.
A renowned psychologist, Kendra
Cherri, reminds us that, “Forgetting is
so common that we typically rely on
numerous methods to help us remember important information, such as
jotting down notes in a daily planner or
scheduling important events in your
Blackberry calendar.
Sports Page
Yash Kapoor, Sports Editor
Neil Agrawal, Tech Editor
People often look at athletes and sports stars as role
models. We also would like to
trust them and hope that they
don‟t do something extremely
crazy. Sadly, for some people,
their trust is wearing thin with
some sports players. “It‟s disgusting what these people have
done. As Americans we should
stand by our beliefs on the rule
of law, yet, these people in
sports have done these horrendous acts and have gone off
without any punishment,” anonymous person. That is quite true.
Let‟s take Fred Davis.
People have mixed reviews of
Fred Davis‟s performance in the
games. Now Fred Davis has hit
rock bottom on the list of NFL
players. Why? Fred Davis was
abusing drugs. He had a drug test
taken shortly after the NFL and
NFLPA agreed to a new CBA.
Fred Davis is being suspended
for 4 games. To some people this
might be a bit unfair. If any other
regular person was caught taking
drugs, it would be an automatic
jail sentence. So why it is that he
is just suspended when we have
to go to jail? To some people it
is just plain unfair. “If people
can get out of punishment be-
Role Models Bailing Out
cause of their money, then I think
we have lost the entire sense of
equality in our community,” says
Annie Tran, 8th grader. It is also
heartbreaking to think that some
sports players have hurt some civilians. Police reports have stated
that two men that were affiliated
with LeGarrette Blount assaulted a
man (under Blount‟s commands)
after he crashed into their car. We
don‟t even know if the man
crashed by accident. Did Blount
go jail? No, instead he got a suspension.
Sam Hurd, wide receiver
number 81 of the Chicago Bears,
was caught selling huge quantities
of marijuana to people including
an undercover police officer. Sam
was arrested and as a result, he is
cut from the Chicago Bears. “He
is despicable, “says 6th grader
Mae McDermott. Kids look up to
these athletes and hope to be like
them. But when they start selling
drugs, who would want to follow
in their footsteps?”
In short, role models can
win everyone‟s hearts, but after a
while, they can do some bad
things. “Kids need to realize that
role models do not have to be celebrities or super star athletes,”
says Ms. Odey. Who would forget
“Agent Zero,” Gilbert Arenas,
who considered it a joke to bring
guns into his Wizards‟ team lock-
Extra Bubble Gum
Exotic Pets
Kene Okafor
Staff Writer
People like keeping pets,
especially exotic pets, but people
don‟t realize the danger and responsibility that is involved with
keeping an exotic pet. Exotic pets
are dangerous and unusual pets
that should be kept in a safe environment to keep them away from
humans. Unlike cats and dogs, exotic animals have not been domesticated and remain wild. Some examples of exotic pets are arachnids
such as spiders and scorpions, wild
felines such as lion, tigers, bobcats,
and lynxes.
The Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
(CITIES) moderates the trade of
some exotic pets around the world
to prevent any threats to their survival and ecological damage. Specific animals may be strictly regulated or restricted outright due to
both their conservation status, as
well as the possibility of the animal becoming an invasive species
Some animals are known
to carry disease such as salmonellosis and rabies. Human diseases
can also be dangerous to specific
animals such as strep throat. Exotic
pets also sometimes carry diseases
classified as zoonosis, which is
transmitted from non-human animals to humans or from humans to
non-human animals. Not only do
exotic pets carry zoonotic diseases,
but domesticated pets as well.
er room? Did he go to jail? Of
course not! He received a two-year
supervised probation. He also had
to serve 30 years in a halfway
house, serve 400 hours of community service and pay a fine of
$5,000 to help victims of violence.
Sports figures need to realize that
kids enjoy watching them play and
compete in various sporting events,
and they have good reasons to look
up to them. When they misbehave,
they not only put their reputation
on the line, but they also crush the
hopes and dreams of kids who look
up to them.
Indya Roberts
Staff Writer
Have you ever thought ahead
of this era? Well Extra gum has! Extra has come up with Dessert Delights. They have recently put out the
new flavor, Rainbow Sherbet. Mmm!
Dessert Delights is an extraordinary
way to chew your desserts. Have you
ever thought ahead of this idea, Dessert Delights? How about we brainstorm…maybe some breakfast, lunch,
and dinner chewing gum? For breakfast, maybe some bacon, and pancakes with maple syrup. Lunch and
dinner? How about some tomato soup
with grilled cheese?
With only 5 calories, this
flavored pack gum is no longer a
trend setter, but it is popular. It‟s fun
to talk about it while chewing. Extra
has made this flavored pack gum
without any sugar! This flavored gum
has the following flavors in the Dessert Delights section; Rainbow Sherbet, Apple Pie, Orange Crème Pop,
Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry
Shortcake, and Key Lime Pie.
Now that we have a reference of what Extra gum is, let‟s get
into their history. Extra was established in 1984 by Wrigley and was
the first to promote sugar free gum in
the U.S. This extraordinary brand is
well known for its mouth bursting,
and long lasting flavors. One cool
fact revealed about Extra is that this
brand has gone global, including the
following, Australia, Canada, China,
Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand,
Hamsters are known to carry zoonotic diseases and so do dogs, cats, and
birds. In any case, it makes sense to
keep exotic pets at a zoo or leave
them in the wild since we don‟t really
know what types of diseases they
may carry.
Last October, a man by the
name of Terry Thompson owned a
zoo in Ohio. He was found dead and
his animals were released. The Ohio
sheriff led a hunt to find and capture
the animals and kill them if necessary. Authorities in Ohio said they
successfully killed 49 of the 56 animals that were released from a wildanimal preserve, ranging from brown
bears to Bengal tigers, before any
reported injuries occurred in the area.
“They slowly lower our population and slowly increase theirs,”
says 6th grader Brian Lewis. “I think
they`re best if they don`t harm people,” says 6th Anita Tharmarajah.
“Exotic animals are cool, but they
should stay in the wild so that people
can enjoy them,” says a 7th grader.
Exotic pets belong in the
wild or at the zoo where people at the
zoo could treat and take care of them
properly and everyone can enjoy
them.
7
and Taiwan. The first flavors included in this brand‟s portfolio are
Spearmint, and Peppermint. Within
five years, Extra became the number 1 brand to promote sugar-free
gum! As the years progressed, the
portfolio for Extra grew larger and
larger. In 1988, Wrigley has come
up with Cinnamon and Winterfresh.
Over time, Extra has received
awards.
With this brand, as well as
Orbit and Eclipse, and nearly 20
years of research, these brands have
received the “American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance” because of their launch for fighting
cavities and strengthening of teeth.
Overall, we can all come to an
agreement that Wrigley‟s Extra
gum has a perpetual consistency to
make you keep buying their gum.
Who knows what they will come up
with next!
Special Features Page
By Mae McDermott
Staff Writer
You can try to hide it, but it
will never stay a secret; EVERYONE
has a fear. Fears come in all different
shapes and sizes. They can be heartattack inducing or harmless, terrible or
pointless, gargantuan or pocket-sized.
No matter what, fears lurk in the deep,
dark depths of every individual, and
some haunt us forever. It seems as
though fear is everywhere we go,
whether it is the monster that you just
KNOW is in your closet, or the constant fear of the sky falling. So many
things seem to strike fear in us now
that it is almost impossible to escape.
But how in the world can we
be afraid of so much? Why do our
fears keep building? Do other people‟s
fears take a toll on us? Now is the time
to answer the questions that have been
dwelling in our minds. With everything to fear, what do we have to lose?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a remark that is as meaningful today as it was then: "The only
thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Even when there seems to be good
reason to fear, it is important to know
the demoralizing effects of fear.
Never would you hear anyone
say, “I‟d rather be on a dark and
dreary street at night with a couple of
friendly muggers than safe in my
warm living room with my family
there to protect me.” It‟s just not natural for us to want to be unsafe. We as a
society crave safety like a child craves
fun with their toys. We want safety to
be everlasting, we want it to be perpetual. Of course this is unrealistic thinking. We can‟t always be safe. There
are terrible people in the world and
danger at every turn in life. Most of us
learn as children not to cross the street
alone and not to talk to strangers.
However, many of us think we can
Fear of Fear
anticipate what‟s ahead. That kind of
thinking can get us in trouble. This is
where fear comes in.
Our imaginations often fuel
our fear. Every student here has
heard a teacher of theirs say, “I don‟t
feel like playing the „What If‟ game
today.” Naturally, our imaginations
can take over. It is very normal for
our minds to wander and explore the
possibilities of a scenario, no matter
how unlikely it may be.
With a fear, “what ifs” can
take over completely, making you
dread even the possibility of encountering anything dangerous. Sometimes we will catch ourselves later on
and think, “I thought I was going to
get struck by lightning. That was
pretty dumb of me.” Some of us
aren‟t as fortunate, being stuck to the
fear or notion for most or all of our
lives, not being able to rid ourselves
of our greatest fears no matter how
hard we try .
Our mindset is important as
well. Depending on what kind of
mindset you have and how determined you are to overcome your
fear, you can decide a lot of things. If
you are positive and have a growth
mindset, you will always look on the
brighter side of things. “I think that
by knowing that you can grow by
challenging yourself to face your
fears and using those fears to make
positive changes is key,” says Mr.
Whiting. “I have a very positive outlook on most things. I know that I
can change things if I work hard and
put the effort into facing my fears.”
People with growth mindsets tend to
go easier on themselves if they can‟t
do something perfectly which is helpful when facing your fears. They are
the ones who get up after falling
down and the ones who tend to grow
stronger. A growth mindset allows
you to be open to ways to vanquish
your fear. Know your limits and take
the process step by step. “I used to
teach climbing and rappelling. In that
type of situation you can see the
mindset in people‟s eyes. Some people doubt their own abilities, they fail
to see what they‟re capable of and
give in to fear. Others have a positive
mindset, more open to challenging
themselves,” says Mr. Anderson, 6th
Grade World Studies teacher.
Even when a fear is conquered, it is never completely gone.
The notions you once clung to will
always be lurking in your head, a
constant reminder of how fear can
take hold of us and make our lives
Aggression in Today’s Kids
Just for Laughs
Kai Hu
Nina Agrawal
Staff Writers
“Back in my day kids respected their parents” “The language kids
use these days is horrible” You may
have heard phrases like these from your
parents and after a while they get annoying. But why are kids so aggressive? Most people know that kids in
this generation are becoming more and
more addicted to games that their parents didn‟t have. People might think
that violent games that involve people
shooting at each other and games that
involve assassins are normal games,
when in reality these types of games
are actually very inappropriate and
mind washing to many varieties of kids.
“There‟s some evidence that seeing
violent images can make people immune to violence, so violence becomes
normal” Mr. Marvel says.
According to an article in Gengage Learning, “When children spend
hours in front of a screen playing some
of these games that are inherently violent, they will tend to look at people as
they look at these little blips on the
screen that must be zapped--that must
be killed before they are killed” Why
would video game designers sell something that causes kids to kill people?
even more difficult. Fear is unavoidable and will strike when you least
expect it.
All of us, no matter how
wise, are vulnerable. When faced by
a certain idea, we start to contemplate
whether the idea is really true or false
or if it could harm us in any way. We
are gullible and are afraid of being
harmed. But think; how do other people‟s fears take a toll on us? After all,
such weak beings, roaming in such a
treacherous world! Say you had a
friend who is deathly afraid of spiders. What if they are on a rant on
why they are afraid? They list the
reasons why they are petrified; some
spiders are venomous, they have
long, creepy legs, and some of them
can kill you. Your mind can start to
tumble; should I be afraid of spiders
too? Then and there, the fear has
spread beyond its original home, going from being planted in one individual‟s mind to another‟s.
Fear is a part of nature, and
many people forget their limits; we
believe that we can defeat nature, that
we are unstoppable, invincible if you
will. But these are qualities that reckless man may never have the peace of
mind to obtain. Fear is like air; we
breathe it and attain more of it every
day. But no matter how distraught
fear makes us, we must always remember that we have this life and this
life only. If we let fear get the better
of us, how can we experience all the
wondrous opportunities this world
has to offer? After all, how can one
take flight if they are afraid of the
sounds of wings beating?
By Rahul Shah
Comic Editor
What did the dad buffalo say to the little buffalo when he was leaving? Bison!
A midget walked into the doctor‟s office and said “I have been waiting for my
appointment for 3 hours! I demand to see you!” The doctor replied, “You‟ll just
have to be a little patient.”
Simple. For money, money, money.
It‟s not just videogames that make
kids aggressive. It‟s violent movies,
TV shows, basically, the media. You
don‟t have to give up playing violent
videogames and movies completely.
Just try to limit the days you play
and the time.
Another reason kids are so
violent is because they live in areas
that are poor. “In areas where there‟s
more poverty and unemployment,
people tend to be more frustrated
and can become violent.” Mr. Marvel says. With our bad economy,
violence and death will probably
increase.
Sometimes kids may live in
areas with violent adults so they
learn to become violent. It‟s sad isn‟t
it. Kids used to be nicer and more
fun to hang out with. Now some are
becoming mean and insensitive.
Procrastination is like a credit card, fun now, pay later.
Dear Algebra, stop asking me to find your X. She‟s not coming back.
A student walks up to a teacher and says, “You can‟t punish me for not doing
anything, right?” “Uh, no, I guess not.” She says. “Well then I didn‟t do my
homework.”
Teacher: Why did you miss school yesterday? Student: I didn‟t miss it at all.
Teacher: Why were you late for school yesterday? Student: I saw a sign that
said „School ahead, go slow‟
A Chihuahua, and Labrador, and a Bulldog are in a pub. A beautiful girl poodle
walks in. All the dogs immediately fall in love with her. The Poodle says that
the dog that makes the best sentence with the words liver and cheese gets to date
her. The Labrador says, “I like liver and cheese.” He gets turned down. The
Bulldog says, “I like cheese and liver.” He gets turned down. The Chihuahua
says, “Liver alone, cheese mine.”
The early bird gets the worm, so the moral is to be the late worm.
8
Special Feature Cont.
How Do You Do?
By Mae McDermott
Staff Writer
Everybody has communicated
with people they don‟t know. “How do
you do?” people might say, or “What‟s
up?” Small talk is no small matter. It is
how those who are not acquainted with
each other make an effort to be polite
or courteous, and without it, we speak
to no one and keep ourselves, sheltered
from the outside world like there‟s a
perpetual social maelstrom to avoid.
These questions are typical
and usually don‟t mean anything. They
are things that we say in order to make
a situation with stranger a little more
comfortable and a little friendlier. But
does it really mean as little as we give
it credit for?
When we say “How are you?”
to someone, do we really listen to their
answer? Years from now, will we be
able to say, “Hey, I remember that person I met. I asked her how she was
doing and she answered „Fine.‟ Hope
she‟s still doing well.” We tend to just
forget their answer right away and we
don‟t think about them anymore after
they reply. You really have no relationship with them; they just happened
to be a tiny stroke of the paintbrush in
the painting that day.
But think about it; are we really putting any thought into our conversation? When an insignificant conversation happens between you and a
stranger, what does the way we speak
say about us? What questions do we
ask and what information, exactly, are
we looking for?
We can never be completely
sure. But here is a chance to take a
walk in the depths of your subconscious and think about it… is small
talk really unimportant?
A simple “Hello” can be
translated into countless different languages. Initially, they are all meant to
be a simple greeting, a positive approach to a new person. It boils down
to just five letters – H, E, L, L and O,
only four if you don‟t count double Ls.
But “Hello” (such a small word) adds
up to so much when you sit down and
really think about it. When you are at
the grocery store and the bored, monotone cashier utters, “Have a nice day,”
do you really think that they have
thought about their answer and really
care about your well–being and good
will usually respond with a friendly
(or somewhat friendly) “Oh, I‟m fine.” You probably won‟t sit there and
think about what you should say as
an answer, much less consider how
the inquirer will feel about your reply. Who cares if you‟re harsh? Who
cares if you‟re using a snappy tone?
It‟s not like you‟ll ever cross paths
with this nobody again; it‟s not like
they will ever confront you in the
future to say, “Hey, punk, you were
not very nice to me that fifty–some
years ago!” The chances are one in a
million.
But what does your response
say about you? The way you come
across is everything, even if it is directed towards a stranger you will
never cross paths with again. First
impressions are how you choose to
define yourself at the moment you
meet someone, whether it be with
quite a few words or simply a brief
“Hello.”
Sometimes, though, you present yourself in a certain way by accident. If you happen to have a bad
day and someone flings a greeting
your way, you could reply bluntly,
with a sharp or edgy tone. This takes
the stranger aback. No one wants to
communicate with someone who
seems upset or is exerting negative
energy, because they don‟t know you
well enough to be able to say, “Aw,
he‟s just having a bad day. They‟ll
get over it.” The stranger will consider your blunt answer and chilly tone
as a notice, a sign, if you will, that
you are not one for socializing and
you are simply a dark individual.
Your first impression often
shows exactly who you are, whether
it be friendly and talkative or dark
and antisocial. But it could also twist
your words and label you as someone
you are not. It is your decision how
you present yourself, but if a vulnera-
fortune? No, they are just painting a
pretty picture (that‟s maybe not even
all that pretty). It has no meaning,
just an empty, hollow gesture that
isn‟t real or true. Other cultures tend
to care much more about a simple
“Good Morning” than Americans do.
Ms. Odey, a sixth grade teacher here
at Rocky Hill, feels very strongly
about this matter as well. In some
African cultures, regular greetings
mean more than just the simple
“hello.” Ms. Odey explains, “When
translated into the English language,
some African greetings include well
wishes, prayers and genuine concern
for the well-being of others.” Now a
days, greetings tend to be short and
brief, perhaps even curt. That is much
different from society‟s past types of
greetings, whether it be from fifty
years ago or just two years ago. The
meaning of the word “greeting” is
constantly evolving to fit into modern
culture, current fads and ever–
changing trends that mankind decides
is the “in” item or style at the current
time. Unfortunately, our greetings are
continuously becoming more and
more meaningless. No longer do we
care about how others are doing. No
longer do we have the time, it seems,
to put a bit of thought and consideration into our so–called “warm welcomes.” No longer do many of us
attain the dainty, fragile care that‟s
meant to be in our words. It seems
that the truth lies in the hands of society. True, we live in a fast–paced
world right now, almost a “dog-eatdog” world, if you will. But does that
really mean we can‟t stop and ask
how someone‟s doing with kindness
and consideration? Here, in modern
times, a genuine, caring “Hello” is
hard to come by.
When someone says, “How
do you do?” as a greeting to you, you
Peer Tutors, Roland and Hung, work with Alex on his homework. Great job!
9
ble stranger comes along, it should
never be thought of as an opportunity to let the bad events of your day
fly out of your mouth and sting
whatever victim lies in your path.
Already it is plain to see that small
talk is more important than we think
it is. But why do we ask the questions that we ask? What information
are we looking for?
Your words could be words
that this person pulls out of the files
of their memory and reflects on for
years to come, even if they aren‟t
words that you consider for more
than a minute after saying them.
Every word out of your mouth has
the chance to lift someone up a bit
when they are down, or be the perfect ingredient needed to make their
day the best it can possibly be. Your
words are your responsibility and
how you use them can affect EVERYONE around you.
Words have a toll on everyone and everything, whether they are
good or bad. Words have the power
to cause people to cry, laugh, or just
smile. And sometimes the best
times, when you brighten someone‟s
day, are when you don‟t know the
person at all.
So, as it turns out, “small
talk” really is extremely important.
How you say it, what you say afterwards, your approach, your presentation, they are all factors of speaking to others. Oddly enough, all these factors that can be contemplated
for hours and hours are each disregarded the moment something flies
out of our mouths. We tend to be
careless with what we say. Consider
your words before they come bursting out. Because, believe it or not,
what you intend to be a simple
“Hello” runs deeper than you think.
Today’s Technology
Technology Changes the World, One Kid at a Time
Tanvi Shah
Staff Writer
How many kids have a phone,
iPod, or laptop in today‟s society?
More than 80% of kids today and the
other 20% or so who don‟t have any
techy gadgets beg for one or more of
these technology cravings in today‟s
society. Many children also have a
Facebook or an email from a young
age and are attached to these social
networks by the hip. These gadgets
and gizmos are useful, however, in
uncovering the lives and souls of severely autistic kids.
Autism is a disorder in the
brain stem that appears by age three
and is recognized and diagnosed by
the inability to communicate and form
social relationships and by certain behavior patterns, especially a preoccupation with repetitive activities of limited focus rather than flexible and imaginative activities like people without
autism. Some people with severe autism cannot even speak! They have to
poke out words on a piece of paper,
one letter at a time. Some younger
children in school cannot show their
intelligence because of their inability
to speak and are uninterested in the
dull and uninteresting methods used to
teach them. On the iPad however, kids
are engrossed in their learning and
some older people can tap on words to
create sentences! One 27-year old man
with autism, named Joshua, was an
amazing young man and no one knew
who he really was until the iPad was
put into his hands. His life came pour-
ing out and now Joshua can order his
own breakfast at the local diner with
the iPad.
Many people with autism
sometimes have to depend on someone else to order their breakfast and
help them with just about everything!
The fact that kids with Autism are
able to do things by themselves with
the iPad is a huge accomplishment. A
few teachers in a Toronto school for
kids with autism say that the iPad has
made a huge difference for both the
kids and themselves. The kids now
have a way to communicate their intelligence and feelings to their peers.
When one of the teachers tried to get a
child to learn numbers using the old
paper method, the child did not pay
attention and would not listen. However, with the iPad, this same child
was completely engrossed with learning numbers. Another teacher said
that when he gave one of his students
an IQ test for autistic children, he was
Russian Space Station
A Commanding Lead
Indya Roberts
Staff Writer
Parthiv Shah
Assistant Chief Editor
Tired of the regular boring old
vacation? Want to experience something new? Something new is coming
up sooner than you think that will
change space travel forever. Russia‟s
Orbital Technologies announced that
they are releasing a Commercial Space
Station by 2016, more simply a hotel
in space.
There are many problems that
were ingeniously solved to make the
exotic trip more luxurious. One of the
main problems of going into space is
the food. The space food was disgusting, but no longer. Because, the space
hotel food will be prepared on Earth
and sent up to the space hotel dehydrated and then microwaved for a
tasty meal. Menus can be chosen before leaving for the trip. Some fancy
menu choices are braised veal cheeks
with wild mushrooms, white bean puree, potato soup, and plum compote.
Some drink options are iced tea, water,
and fruit juice. Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
It actually doesn‟t sound that
bad. The downside is that there is no
shower. You would have to clean
yourself with wet wipes. The actual
hotel has four cabins and can hold up
to seven guests total. The guest gets to
choose whether they will have a vertical bed or a horizontal bed. Binoculars
amazed at the vast knowledge that
was in this child‟s head. This child
had a love of opera and could match
words to pictures, even big words
like “saxophone”, and all of this
knowledge had been hidden away so
deep that no one ever knew the brilliance of this child. However, some
of these autistic children will not
listen to the teachers when they try
to teach them things and will do
what they want to on the iPad. This
problem may be solved, but until it
is, autistic children will still be distracted when learning, iPad or not.
Many children become
hooked on their electronics and cannot dream of being without a phone
or an iPod or laptop because this
technology has become such an ingrained and huge part of the American culture that kids today are at a
loss without electronics. One sixth
grader says, “I think that the attachment to electronics depends on a
person‟s life and personality. My sister would be at a loss without her
phone because of her crazy life. I
would be fine without my phone.”
Many kids have the latest new technologies and many also are on social
networking sites. What many kids
don‟t realize is that what you write
online can come back to haunt you.
People have been fired and rejected
from jobs because of what they have
written online. What you do online is
preserved forever in cyberspace for
the world to see. In job interviews
people check your online file and see
what you do Even your phones “stalk”
you in a way. In The Washington Post
there was an article all about how one
phone service saved every single
thing you did on your phone in a database. The phone company said they
just recorded the data and no one ever
touched it, but with no proof, they
were met with skepticism and disbelief.
Some kids have phones and
iPods with them in class and use
them. This is not only harmful to their
learning, but to others learning as
well. Kids get distracted and when
someone is playing on their phone
next to you, it draws your attention.
Then you too can‟t pay attention and
you miss out on valuable knowledge.
Plus, kids are hooked on electronics
and don‟t spend as much time on
homework, studying, or just being
outside and enjoying the weather.
Even though technology can be used
for good, it should be used in moderation so that we can live life outside the
screen of technology.
Why is it that I have to have Apple,
not Dell? After doing a poll in school
I found that 72% of students and staff
at Rocky Hill Middle School prefer
Apple over other technology. Have
you ever wondered why everyone
needs to have Apple? Maybe because
Apple has been setting a trend for
over 30 years. Apple has made an
endless number of devices; the iPod,
iPhone, iPad, and many more . Each
day you see more and more people
with an Apple device. Maybe that‟s
why you need an Apple device. Steve Jobs was the innovator of Apple
and he always had a commanding
lead! Apple products are a one stop
shop for technology, making them
more convenient and easier to use.
Not only is it convenient, but the
style has its own significance. In the
late 1980‟s and the early 1990‟s, a
former marketing executive from
Pepsi, John Sculley, created the marketing strategy for Apple. The $11
billion dollars invested into Apple‟s
marketing strategy is why Apple
stands out from all the rest today.
Apple started out from
scratch, while other companies like
IBM PC‟s were established by Microsoft. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Dean, the innovator of IBM PCs. Mark Dean has
recently traded his PC for a tablet.
Russian Space Station (Google Image)
will be fitted into to the cabins so
that visitors can experience the
view. Sergey Kostenko, the CEO of
Orbital Technologies, hopes that
trips to the far side of the moon and
back are an option. One of the coolest things about the hotel is that
there is internet and TV connection!! So while you are in space you
could update your Facebook or
check your emails. Who knows,
maybe the future is coming up
sooner then we might think.
In the end if you are a risk
taker looking for a change, then the
space station is a perfect opportunity. Although, it may not be as comfy as a 5 star hotel, nothing can beat
the out of this world experience.
10
Apple created the iPad to not only
multitask on the device, but to multitask the device. You can easily turn
your iPad into a laptop. Before Apple
became a mainstream company, it was
an innovative company, a trend setter.
Steve Jobs will be well remembered
for his mark made on Apple; “I,”
iPod, iPad, and iMac.
Fans of Apple hope that the
company will keep creating more advanced devices. Steve Jobs definitely
changed the lives of millions. “I think
that Apple is constantly improving
and by far exceeding other companies
in their pieces of technology,” says
7th grader Neil Agrawal. Steve Jobs
was a visionary whose creativity has
resulted in some of the most innovative devices in technology. “I think
that Apple is going too fast and is going to run out of ideas. Steve Jobs has
basically invented the universe!” says
Raul Shah. If you think of it, Apple
seems to be getting into every aspect
of our lives, including e-books. Tanvi
Shah supports the idea that all of Jobs‟
ideas made a great impact all over the
world. Overall, when you compare
Apple to other companies, you can see
clearly that Apple has a commanding
lead.
Today’s Technology, Cont.
May The Best Tablet Win
By Neil Agrawal
Tech Editor
For a couple of months now,
Apple‟s iPad and Samsung‟s Galaxy
Tab have been in a heated competition on which is the best tablet. But
during the summer, a new tablet has
come in, the HP Touchpad. The HP
Touchpad is a recent product by
Hewlett- Packard (HP), which came
out on July 11th 2011. The iPad, on
the other hand, has been around for
some time, being sold in April 2010.
Both have extraordinary features,
so... may the best tablet win.
If anybody has ever seen a
Palm Pixi, or a Palm Pre phone, they
will notice that the Touchpad and the
two phones look similar, the HP
Touchpad just being on a bigger
scale. The Touchpad stands about 9.7
inches tall and has a 1024x 768 LCD
screen. When HP released the Touchpad, they said it was supposed to
have a supposed 9 hours of battery
life. But Engadget (an electronics
company) conducted an experiment
and the battery life lasts 8½ hours.
When you switch on the menu page
of the Touchpad, you will find some
more apps pre downloaded that the
iPad doesn‟t have. One example
would be the HP Print Management.
This cool feature allows you to print
off a document from your iPad, right
to your home computer. Another app
is the Amazon Kindle, which comes
with the Touchpad, but when you
open it up, you have to download it
for free. It really is not that big of a
deal! When people open up a tablet,
some people‟s reaction is to go see
the app store. The Touchpads app
store is very odd. Most things that
would come up on the iPad would not
come out on the Touchpad. There is
one thing that stands out. The full
version of the world‟s most addictive
game, which is Angry Birds, comes
From Google Images
out for free! I‟m not lying; the full
version of Angry Birds comes for
free on the Touchpad! WEBos 3 is a
great edition for the Touchpad. This
is the latest software for the Touchpad. With the Touchpad, you can
open many applications at a time.
This is because the apps are like
cards; you can add more and flick
them up as you please. The Touchpad is truly an amazing device.
The iPad is one the most
popular tablets in the world. The iPad
started being manufactured in April
2010. Everybody knows a lot about
the iPad, so I only want to talk about
the important features. “It‟s pretty
convenient and fast.” says Rahul
Shah, 7th grader. The iPad has the
same dimensions as a Touchpad.
There are a couple of things similar
to the Touchpad, and there are also
many differences. For starters, it is
the way the iPad home screen is
modeled. You may flick to different
pages full of apps, which also brings
me to my next point. The app store is
much different from the Touchpad.
The store features many of the greatest apps, although Angry Birds is not
free in the app store. “It has amazing
apps”, says Kai Hu, 6th grader. The
iPad comes with an amazing HD
screen. Many of the games show
up with a great picture quality because of the awesome graphics and
screen. iTunes is also popular addition to the iPad. The only bad thing
is, many of the docks are built for
the smaller iPods. “Its constantly
improves as apple customers expect it to,” says Kene Okafor, 6th
grader.
There are definitely some
cons about these two tablets despite the many great things about
the Touchpad. The CEO of
Hewlett- Packard, Leo Apotheker,
believes that the Touchpad cannot
compete with Apple. He believes
the iPad is somewhat more superior that the Touchpad. Due to this,
the Touchpad‟s price has been reduced from $600 to a whopping
$99. You might be thinking how
that‟s great because of the lowered
price. But, here is the catch, the
Touchpad is extremely rare and
hard to find. You will have to go
through about 100 stores to find
one. And usually when you find
the website that does sell one; they
cancel the order if you choose to
buy it. I was only lucky to get one.
When you do get it though,” It‟s
pretty useless,” says Prajwal
Choudry, 8th grader. The iPad has a
couple of drawbacks too. On the
iPad, you can only open up one
app. If you are in the middle of a
game and all of a sudden you decide to check the Ravens game
scores, you have to close the app
you are on, and open the next app.
I also conducted a small
experiment. I wanted to see how
fast the web browser was, so I
timed how long it took to open up
Yahoo.com on the Touchpad, and
how long it would take to open up
the page on the iPad. It turns out,
that the Touchpad‟s web browser is
a bit slow. On the Touchpad, there
are also a lot of pages. By pages I
mean, a Settings page, a Downloads
page, and so on. It can get a bit confusing to some people. A drawback
for both tablets is that many of the
apps are overpriced, some costing
up to $10.00. Talking about apps,
“The iPad downloads apps from the
app store a bit quickly,” says Navyada Koshtawar, 6th grader. In all,
I believe that both tablets are extraordinary. They all have their
good stuff and bad stuff, but it all
balances out. For technology lovers,
all these should be on your list.
From Google Images
The Xbox 720
Terminator… Coming true
Parthiv Shah
Assistant Chief Editor
Parthiv Shah
Assistant Chief Editor
If you have ever watched
Terminator then you would know
that the machines got lots of their
information from images displayed
in their eye lenses, and now scientists at the University of Washington and Aalto University in Finland have created contact lenses
that do just that. The technology
uses an antenna that uses the power that is given by an external device. The power is then transferred
to a sapphire disk that displays
Rumors have been spreading about a new Xbox for some
time. Gaming author Mike Stenger
posted this statement in The Inquisitor on January 30, 2012. “The Xbox
720 is expected to be out in 2013
and new details emerge as to what
we can see from the next generation
console from Microsoft.” And now
there has been some information
reported about the new Xbox.
It will probably be called
the Xbox 720 but, this is not for
sure. Some reports are that the new
Xbox will have 6 times the power
of the current consoles. “The Xbox
720 may come equipped with a BluRay player and the next generation
of Microsoft's motion-detecting
Kinect system,” says Stephen Totilo
of Kotaku gaming site.The new
Xbox will play Blu-Ray disks. BluRay disks store up to five times the
data of regular disks. Also, along
with the new Xbox there will be a
new kinect as well.
only one pixel.
Although the idea for hundreds of pixels is not that far off. If
they manage to fit more pixels on
then simple text messages, emails,
and possibly games. But, before
this is released they must find a
way for the lens to keep power.
Currently the lens can only receive
power from 2cm away. Who
knows, with all of the new creations we are making, we might just
become robots ourselves.
11
From Google Images
Microsoft is also planning to
add a 3D function and a new, even better graphics to the console. The first
game for the Xbox 720 is Samatarion,
a new generation of games that the
companies want to see. Overall, the
Xbox 720 will change the way we
game.
Creative Imagination-Fiction
Twisted
Annie Tran
Chief Editor
Through the curved branches of the trees, she could see the light
filtering through the foliage. The
leaves were almost translucent, with
a slight green hue. She slightly pried
the leaves away from her sight, and
peeked through the open space. Lucy
was blinded by the sun-lit garden she
had just encountered. Slowly, but
daintily, she placed her foot on the
soft grass, and ventured into the unknown.
As soon as she passed the
gateway of trees, she could hear the
soft trickling of a waterfall, as well
as the hum of the bees. The flowers
seemed to straighten their stems and
develop their petals as she tiptoed
past. Finally, she reached the very
center of the garden, where if at a
bird‟s view, you could see all the
wonder withheld in the wall of green.
It was the secret garden, a garden full
of wonderful things such as daffodils, lilacs, marigolds, irises, hibiscuses, and much more queer yet oddly beautiful items. It was a world that
defied anything she had ever hoped
for. This was a fantasy she did not
want to leave. This was a dream she
did not want to wake up from.
Suddenly, she heard shuffling on the grass. Her hearing was
considerably improved after being
surrounded by the tranquil sounds.
Lucy looked up, to see a little girl
standing before her, with hair an onyx shade, eyes an unusual green,
covered in a refined dress, with bows
and ribbons covering every inch of
her body. Lucy gazed at the dress
yearningly. The little girl seemed to
notice her want and revealed a tiny
smile.
“My name‟s Andrea,” the
unknown girl said. Her voice was
like a wisp of a cloud, drifting from
one place but never staying for too
long.
“Lucy,” Lucy choked out. She
mentally scolded herself for not seeming
more graceful.
“How did you find this place?”
Andrea asked, gesturing to the garden
around her.
“I just…found it,” replied Lucy.
‘What an unintelligible response. Really,
is that the best you can do?‟
“You can stay here if you want,”
Andrea said, almost soothingly. Lucy
regarded her with eyes wide open. She
seemed to be gasping for air at the mere
thought of remaining in the garden. Andrea let out a chuckle that seemed to
sound like a soft tinkling noise. “I get
quite lonely here. I‟ve no one to talk to
but the trees and the flowers.” In her
eyes, there was a small glimmer of sadness, but the mysterious girl caught herself and covered her feelings once more.
“Come, let‟s go look at the petunias.
They‟re in full bloom at this time of year,
and it really is the most beautiful sight,”
Andrea said, pulling Lucy‟s hand toward
a farther, but darker section of the garden.
Lucy was almost excited to venture further, but her conscience suddenly prompted her to stop.
“No… I can‟t. Dinner‟s always
served at 7 and if I‟m late I‟ll have to skip
it,” whimpered Lucy.
“So skip it. This adventure is
worth the sacrifice of a little food.”
“No…I really shouldn‟t stay,”
Lucy said determined to go. Suddenly, a
small voice penetrated her mind. Come
on, this is a once-in-a-life chance, Lucy. Do you really want to give it up?
Lucy winced at the sudden sound.
What was this voice? Where was this
voice coming from? She turned toward
Andrea, expecting her face to be full of
concern. However, the expression that
occupied Andrea‟s face was not sympathy, but rather an evil smirk that said
otherwise. Her face was contorted, between a mixture of pain and anger. Lucy slowly backed away, horrified at the
sudden change in her new friend‟s behavior. Andrea started towards her,
raising her hand in a fluid motion, and
Lucy could feel herself being pulled
into the little girl‟s grasp. She struggled
to keep control of her own body, and
for a split second she could feel herself
being freed. Taking advantage of the
opportunity, Lucy turned and ran, her
feet slipping once or twice on the moist
grass. The trees seemed to bend over
not to welcome her anymore, but to
snatch her up and deposit her in the
leafy branches where no one would be
able to find her again. She could hear
Andrea‟s footsteps, so calm and graceful upon the garden floor. But Lucy
knew better than to look back. She was
too afraid of what would come if she
even took the chance to glance behind
her. She was out of breath, as she could
feel adrenaline coursing through her
veins. Frantically, she looked forward,
hoping to find her escape route. The
flowers seemed less bright.
The grass seemed to poke
out of the earth like knives. Finally,
she could see the worn, gray stone
arch that led to the outside of the
garden. Encouraged by the light, she
seemed to almost glide across the
ground, so relieved that she had finally reached her destination. At the
last minute, when her foot touched
the gravel that lay outside, she knew
she was safe. As she turned back to
look at the garden she once loved,
she saw Andrea at the edge of the
garden, lying on the ground, her
neck twisted at an odd angle, her
limbs hanging lifelessly at her sides.
Relieved she had escaped
alive; Lucy limped home, thinking
she could make dinner for herself,
knowing that all of her family, including the butlers and maids, would
be asleep in their beds. But when
she entered her house, she could
smell roast turkey wafting from the
kitchen. She peeked around the pillar that separated her living room
and dining room to find that the table was lavishly set with an extravagant tablecloth hanging off the sides.
Surprised, Lucy went to the dining
table to sit down, just like a normal
feast at her manor. Then, she
thought, Wait. Why did Andrea stop
running after me? Was there something that I couldn’t see? The garden floor was clear. There were no
rocks or stones. What really happened?
As Lucy was contemplating
the different scenarios, she continued to place her napkin daintily on
her lap, as she got ready for dinner.
Hesitantly, Lucy slightly raised her
head, recognizing the faint smell of
wet grass along with the roast turkey
that she was expecting. There she
saw Andrea, sitting across from her
at the dinner table, her head still
tilted at an odd angle, her dress covered in grass stains and blood.
“Dinner is served.”
Making a Difference
Canned goods collected by Leo‟s Club
for families in our community
By Katie Odey
Supervising Editor
It may take a kind gesture, a
smile, or perhaps the most insignificant act of kindness to make a difference. It may sound simple, however,
according former NBC anchor, Mr.
Tom Brokaw, “It‟s easy to make a
buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” Considering our tendency
to focus more on what we want, it
would be tough to think about reach-
ing out to someone else. What is the
incentive any way? Why do I have to
spend my precious time or share my
priced possessions with someone
else? To say that kids can make a
difference is an understatement.
The Leo‟s Club at Rocky
Hill has been collecting household
items, canned foods, and clothing to
help people in our community. Rocky
Hill is preparing for its annual charity
basketball event. For over a decade,
Ms. Tippet has organized this event
to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Foundation. It is important to
realize that when we do things that
change the lives of other people, our
lives become more meaningful.
Mother Teresa once said, “I have
found the paradox that if I love until
it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only
more love.” Making a difference is
significant part of our school community.
I came across some stories of
kids who make a difference in an
online parenting magazine. Abigail
Lupi, from Stockholm, New Jersey,
invites her friend to perform for some
elderly residents at an assisted living
facility. “I like to brighten up people‟s days and help them have a fun
time,” says Abigail. “If I do my best,
they‟ll have a smile on their faces by
the end.” What a concept!
In Grand Rapids, MI, 13year old Blare Gooch, with the support of his school, friends and family,
collects toys and school supplies for
children affected by the devastating
earthquake in Haiti in January of
2010. “It doesn‟t really matter how
small or old you are,” says Blare, “If
you‟re young and think you can‟t
make a big difference in the world,
well, you actually can.” If you look
around you, read the newspaper or
watch the news once in a while, you
will come across people, children and
adults, who make a difference. We
may never be able to change the
world, but our small acts of kindness
12
would be a monumental difference in
the life of someone you may least expect.
To read more about these extraordinary kids making a difference,
visit the parenting website http://
www.parenting.com/gallery/kids-whomake-difference. Hopefully you will be
motivated to make a difference.