SalemAcademyGrassroots
November/DecemberIssue
2015
Sports:Fencing
ByCourtneyClawson&AriaWilliams
It’sNovember,andthatmeansthatSalem’sfallsportshavefinishedup
andwintersports(swimming,basketball,andfencing)arebeginningtogear
upfortheirupcomingseasons.
Thisweek,Grassrootshadachancetositdownwithseniorcaptainofthe
fencingteam,MaryAllen,tolearnmoreaboutthisuniquesportandgetsome
insideinformationabouttheupcomingseason.
Fencing101:InterviewwithMaryAllen
Q:Whatarethebasicrulesandetiquetteoffencing?
A:Thebasicrulesandetiquettearetojusthitacertainareaintheopponent’s
bodyandtobealertandready.
Q:Whatdoesatypicalpracticeconsistof?
A:Warmingup:stretches,skipping,andbasicstuff(laughs)butmainlyform
andbladework.
Cont.onnextpage…
Q:Whatarethecompetitionslikeandhowdoesthescoringwork?
A:Competitionshavefiveorsixschools,witharound80fencerstotalwho
compete.Itusuallytakesplaceinagymwithstripsonthefloorthatareeight
feetlong.Fencershaveacordhookeduptoascoringsystem.It’sbasically
likepractice:trytohittheotherperson!
Q:Whatdoyouthinkisthemostuniqueaspectoffencing?
A:Fencingisnotlikeothersports.Weareateam,butyougooutontothe
stripalone.Wearejustreallysupportiveofeachother.
Q:Anyothercomments?
A:Fencingisauniquesport!
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Thanksforreadingthisweekseditionofthesportscolumn,andasalways,GO
SABERS!
WorldIssues:Syria
ByRileyCullen
SwedeniscurrentlybeingimpactedbyaninfluxofrefugeesfromSyria.
ThedepartmentinSweden,Migrationsverket,whichhandlesrefugees,has
announcedthattherearetoomanyrefugeesintheirnation.Thisgroupis
usuallyinvolvedinhandlingnaturaldisastersandhumanitariancrises.
ThereiscurrentlynotenoughhousinginSwedenforrefugeesandmanyhave
tosleeponthefloorofreceptioncenters.In2013,Swedenpromisedtoholdall
refugees.Atleast800,000refugeeshavecomeintoEuropeandoneinseven
havegonetoSweden.120,000haveappliedforrefugeinSweden.10,000
peoplehavebeenarrivingeveryweekinSweden.Currently,theyhavefound
66,000morespotsforrefugees,iftheyboardtheminsportinghalls.Many
vandalshavebeensettingrefugeesitesonfire.Overall,thiscrisisisanintense
problemforSwedenandSyrianrefugeesalike.
SalemLife:StudyHabits
ByFavorIdika
Cont.onnextpage…
Myfavoritestudytoolisnon-procrastination!Whateveryoudo,treat
procrastinationlikedeath.Iusuallyworkonwhateverisgivenashomework
thedayIgetit,evenifit’sdueweeksahead.Papers,projects,orcurrent
events.Workonthemaheadoftime,andlifeisabreeze.Butwhatifyour
scheduleiscrowdedandbusy?AllthosehoursyouspendwatchingNetflix,
“takingabreak”(a.k.a.ignoring/stonewalling)isuselessiftakeninlarge
amounts.AssignadaylikeaFridayorSaturdaytodopapersandprojectsand
otherstuffdueaheadiftheweekdaysaretoocrowded.Think:ifyougetall
yourworkdoneonFriday,theweekendisfreetorelax.Waitingtodoallyour
homeworkonSundayissomethingonedoesinmiddleschool.We’reinhigh
school.Wecansuccessfullypracticetime-managementwithoutaparent
standingoverourshoulders.But…domakesuretolivealittle.Workinghard
won’tdoanygoodifyou’retoodeadtoenjoylife.Goout,havefun.Watch
Netflix.Justdoitinmoderation,andyou’llbefine.Also,makeuseof
conferenceperiodstotalktoteachersandmakeuptestsordoyour
homework.Rewriteteacher’snotesinyourownhandwritingortypethem,
whateverworksforyou.MakeflashcardsoruseQuizlet.Gettoknowyour
teachersbetter.Theyareawesome.Theyactuallywanttohelpyou.You,
whoeveryouare,willgofarinlifewiththeseteacher’sguidanceand
assistance.Life’shardenough,right?Don’tmakeitharder.Doyour
homework.Havefun.Vale!
PopCulture:JustinBieberis#SorryNotSorryAboutHis
AmazingComeback
by:JadeBarnett
“WhatDoYouMean”?Youdidn’tknow
aboutJustinBieber’scomeup?“Sorry”,
Butifyoudidn’tknow,“I’llShowYou”.
Afteralonghiatus,Bieber
steppedbackintothegameinfullforce.
Hegottheopportunitytocollaborate
withDJsSkrillexandDiploonthe
heartfeltelectronicpopsingle,“Where
AreUNow”,whichpropelledhimback
intothemusicindustry.Hisfirst
performanceaftertwoyears,atthe
2015VMAs,wasdefinitelyan
emotionaloneforhim.Hewasintears
Cont.onnextpage…
ashisdedicatedfanscheeredhimon.Afterthatsuccessfulperformance,Justin
hasonlybeenontheupandup.Withinthepast10months,Justinhas
releasedthreehitsinglesandannouncedthereleaseofhisalbum,Purpose.
InJustin’sinterviewwithComplexMagazinehesays“IfIwould’vecame
intotheindustryatayoungageandneverhadanyfailures,peoplewould’ve
beenlike,Whoisthiskid?He’snotrelatable.Now,Iwentthroughmy(stuff),I
cameoutontheotherside,andI’mgoingtoshowyouitgetsbetter.”Wecan’t
waitforJustintoshowushowitgetsbettersincethereleaseofhisfourth
studioalbumand,hopefully,anannouncementfora2016tour.
Image:http://www.celebup.com
SalemLife:MagicintheEnchantedForest
By:SophieDavis
OnOctober29th,theschoolheldtheirannualHalloweenPartyforthe
Children’sHomerighthereintown.TheTheatreDepartmentchosethetheme
ofEnchantedForesttodecoratetheDayStudentLounge.Inanhour,thewhole
roomandpartofthesunporchhadbeentransformedtolooklikeaforest.
Studentsenjoyeddressingupasmagicalcharacterslikefairies,flowers,and
animals.Therewerestationsforgames,coloring,pinthewingsonthefairy,
andevenfacepainting.Thegameswerehopscotch,aringtoss,andabeanbag
toss.Itwasalsofuntoseewhatpicturesthekidspickedouttohavepaintedon
theirfaces,andhowtheycoloredtheirflowersorswords.Thekidsarrivedat
aroundfive,andtheirreactionswerepriceless.Theyweresoenergeticand
excitedtoparticipateinallthatwasinstoreforthem.Fromthere,theyhad
otherchancestoparticipateinwhatFellowshipCouncilhadprepared,dinner,
andtrick-or-treatingintheboarderhalls.ItwasanothersuccessfulHalloween
intheSalemAcademyfamily!
SalemLife:HumansofSalem
By:BlytheHudson
Writtenabout:MalayahCannon
Cont.onnextpage…
“IswitchedtoSalembecauseIwantedsomethingdifferentandmore
challenging.Iwantedtomeetnewpeopleandinteractwithdifferentkindsof
people.Thisismyfirstyearhere;ItransferredfromCarverHighschoolthis
year.Carverwasn’tagreatfitforme.Ithaspositivelyaffectedmebeinghere,I
havemadeseveralnewfriendsandeveryonehasbeenreallywarmand
welcoming,especiallyHannahBodsford.IwasextremelyexcitedwhenIwas
accepted,eventhoughIwasworriedbecauseIdidn’tknowanyone.”
Photo by Blythe Hudson
SalemLife:WhyJuniorYearIsn'tActuallyThatBad.
By:HannahGoldfarb
Junioryear[joon-yeryeer]:Noun.Theworstyearofyourlife.
Synonyms:themonster,death.Antonyms:Bliss,fun,everythinggoodinthe
world.
Cominginasfreshmen,wewereconditionedtodreadthebig“junioryear.”
Cont.onnextpage…
“It’stoohard.”“Theteachersaremean.”“It'stoomuchwork.”
Freshmanyear,Ihadcloseto3studyhallsaday,anhourforlunch,andno
homework.Allofthisfreetimesoundsgreat,anditwas!...forthefirsttwo
months.
Isatinclassroomsdyingfromboredomduetotheslowpaceandrepetitive
material.Iwastedsixhoursadaylearningwhatfeltlikenothingimportant.
Junioryearclearlyistheopposite.Everydaywetalkaboutsomethingnew.
You’reexpectedtorecallthesmallestdetailsmentionedonceonthetests.
There’spapersalmostweekly.
Despitetheworkload,junioryearisthebestyearyet.Itstretchesyour
mentality.Insteadofdiscussingthemeaningof“personification”orwhat“red”
representsinastory,we’vemergedintodeep,philosophicaltopicsaboutthe
absurdityoflife;topicsthatforceyoutorecognizeyoucan’tandwon’tever
knoweverything,butyoucansurelytry.Itenlightensyouandallowsyouto
seethemillionsofdifferentbeliefs,opinions,andmindsetsthatexistwithin
suchasmallcommunity.Canyouevenbegintofathomtherealworld?
Alongthejourneyofenlightenmentyoureceivesomenotsogreatgrades,but
chancesaresomeoneelsedidjustaspoorlyasyoudid.Ifthat’snotbonding,I
don’tknowwhatis.
Themisleadingpropagandaabout“JuniorYear:TheMonster”needstostop.It
setsyouupforayearofanxiety,fear,andfailurebeforeitevenbegins.
Here'swhatI'velearnedthreemonthsintojunioryear:
1. InEnglish,youcanmanipulateeveryquotationtomeanalmostanything
youwantaslongasyoufindsomesupportfromthebook.
2. ThosethatspendalltheirtimeworkingtowardsstraightA’sare
miserable(especiallywhentheyrealizetheyphysicallycan’tgetstraight
A’s).Normally,they’retheoneswithnofriendsandnohighschool
memories.
Cont.onnextpage…
3. Teachersdon’tactuallywanttofailyou.Chancesare,ifyoutalktothem,
yourgradeswillimprove.(It’smagic)
4. Failingatest(LikeanactualF,notaC,youperfectionistsyou)doesnot
happenunlessyouputinnoeffort(ordon’tseetheteacher!).Ifyoufail,
useitasalearningexperienceandstrivetodobetter.Don’tdwellonone
grade.
5. Whetheryougotoanivyleagueoracommunitycollege,itdoesn’treally
matterinthegrandschemeofthings.Youwillgraduatewiththesame
degree.Dowhatbringsyouhappiness,notwhatlooksgood.
Goodluck,everyone,andembracetherealitythatisjunioryear.
FashionColumn:ConfidencefromClothes…InaComfyWay
By:AlexisHubbard
Althoughnoonewantstohear,see,orthinkaboutexams,theyareright
aroundthecorner.Weallknowhoweasyitistothrowonsweatpantsand
sweatshirtsandbereallycomfortableforexamweek.Yet,thereareotherways
tolookgoodforexamsandbecomfortable.Gointoyourwardrobeandfind
somethingsupersoft.Takeonlythatpieceoutandthenlookforaknitdress,
pantsorsomethingyoulikethatisnotdressy,butniceandpresentable.Then
gobacktothatsoftgarmentandfigureouthowyoucouldmeshthosetwo
piecestogether.Yes,thatseemshardandtimeconsumingbutthereare
benefits!Forexamplewhenyoulooknice,yougenerallyfeelnice.Keepin
mindthatlookingniceforpeopleisdifferent,Imaylikeabuttondownshirt
andadresswhileyoumaypulloutjeansandasweatertowear.Eitherway,
whenyoufeelgoodyouhavehigherself-esteem;itiscommonsense.Sothis
winter,embraceyourdreadfulexamswithconfidencethroughyourclothing!
Cont. on next page…
Photos:
http://cdn2.picvpicimg.com/
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/
Fashion Quote of the Month:
“Self confidence is the best outfit, rock it and own it.”
-Found on: http://becauseimaddicted.net/2014/08/33-quotes-will-help-set-weeks-intentions.html?
utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=33-quotes-will-help-set-weeksintentions&crlt.pid=camp.Ioc46ppu1WaR
XOXO Alexis