The Best In Us

Meghan Vogel, a high school student in the state track meet at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus Ohio, was accompanied by another finisher when she crossed the finish line for the 3200 meter run. Alongside Meghan was Arden McMath, a sophomore from Arlington High School. With about 20 meters to go until the finish of this race, Meghan saw Arden collapsing in front of her and instead of just running in front of her, Meghan quickly ran to help her up. “When she picked me up I was pretty amazed, and I didn’t expect that at all,” Adren recalls after finishing the race. This wonderful act of kindness quickly spread across the nation and was broadcasted on national news. “It was just something that I knew was right,” Meghan said to reporters a few days later.

I think that this race really shows the true power of sportsmanship that a person can have. Meghan is truly a great runner and definitely a great team player. It must have felt a whole lot better for Meghan and Arden when they crossed the finish line together than if Meghan had just run by and let Adren lay there collapsed on the track. I don’t know how much courage it must have taken for Meghan to help Arden, but she absolutely showed a wonderful example of sportsmanship and what it means to be a team player. I think Meghan should be an example for all of us to be kind and helpful and not just caught up in the win.

~Karl Bishop

All Aboard the Tebow Train!

How did the Denver Broncos win their first playoff game since 2005 last year. The answer: First round 2010 NFL draft pick Tim Tebow. Tebow has been dominating the NFL with his skill and prowess. Tim Tebow became Denver’s starting quarterback in the sixth game of the 2011 season. With a 1-4 record upon his promotion, Tebow led the Broncos all the way to an AFC West title and a playoff game, their first since 2005. During the offseason he was traded to the New York Jets. It is still unknown what his permanent position will be.

My question is: Why is there so much negativity towards Tebow? Is it the fact that he is the only sophomore to win a Heisman trophy? Is it because he openly shares his Evangelical Christian faith? This remains a mystery. After all, he has thrown many touchdown passes and he led his team to the playoffs. That is his job as QB. Is it not? In my opinion, Tim Tebow is one of the best players in the league. Why? Well, he is like a jack-of-all-trades. Early in the season we saw him placed at wide-receiver. When he became a starter, he dumped short passes to get first downs. Tebow has showed his great running ability by rushing as a QB. We have also seen him blocking for a running back after making a handoff! He can catch, throw, run and block. He is also one of the most humble players on the field. What more could you ask for?

~Arman Cabral

Final Exams

As the year is ending, you may notice how stressed out and worried some kids may seem. This behavior certainly isn’t because summer is almost here and school is almost out. No, this behavior is because of the final exams. Final Exams are large tests that have concepts from the entire year on them. Usually students have to study more for these exams because it’s a large test. Since there are four basic subjects (Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts) that’s four final exams that students have to take. Plus they also have to take their world language and music exams. If you’re thinking, “wow that’s a lot of things to study for” than you’re all caught up and you probably now realize why so many kids are stressing out.

In my opinion, I don’t think we should have final exams. Since it’s the end of the year, most of us students don’t want to be bothered with homework or classwork. If there’s only a week or so left of school, why should we have to do homework? Also, the exams are a lot of pressure because its the last grade that you get all year. These tests are worth a ton of points and if you do poorly on them then it affects your whole grade. No one wants to end the school year with bad grades because it takes away the fun from summer. Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have any tests at all at the end of the school year. I understand that the teachers have to test us somehow. But I think its better if they gave us a test on what we recently learned instead of a test on everything we learned from the whole year. That way it’s less studying and better grades for us. What do you think about final exams?

~Alexandra Vazquez

You Are Not Special

On June 1, a high school English teacher in Wellesley, Massachusetts, told the graduating seniors in his commencement speech the unthinkable. Nobody could have guessed what he said that day. It sparked a controversial wildfire across the nation, as some were aghast while others applauded. What he said was: “You are not special”. David McCullough Jr. told the students that they weren’t special, that there were a plethora of people on par with them regarding their skill sets, grades, and other aspects. He stated that in a country of 36 million people, there are thousands just like you. Great tasks were lessened and there are 7,000 people just like you were some facts also stated. In his speech, he touched upon many things referring to how we were being coddled by our parents and told we were special, how participation trophies cheapen worthy endeavors, and how we should get prepared for the real world. Whether you agree with what he said or not, it was a very controversial and influential speech.

Personally, I agree with him. There are thousands of other people just like us. In the real world, you’ll meet dozens of other people on par with you, and some even better. Some people think it is an atrociously pessimistic way to end your high school career, yet believe it was just setting them up for what it would be like as they left. Once you’re an adult, suddenly trying your best isn’t good enough. People more capable than you will fill your position and it will be gone. The world doesn’t revolve around you. But I also think that people are special. They’re special to their parents, friends, sibling, and family. They’re special to their loved ones and the people who really matter in life. So even though it might be a rude awakening for some people, it enlightens people on the fact that they aren’t the only one going out into the world and that things aren’t handed out to you. It reminds you that even though you might not be special to your boss at Target, or wherever, you are special to the people who matter.

~Dan Fisher

Mexico City Madness

Imagine this: standing in a shopping plaza, looking around and seeing a bunch of 10-14 year olds in purple screaming as loud as they can. This is what you would have seen if you were in Mexico City’s main plaza earlier this week. Justin Bieber was performing a free concert that thousands of people would be attending. There was an estimated number of about 5,000 police going to be on duty at this event. Their job was to keep Justin safe and all of the bystanders in a calm matter. They knew this would not be the case. Fernanda Gutierrez Aparicio was one of Bieber’s crazy fans that attended his concert. She and her mother had been camping out for a week to get to the front of the performance, only returning home to use the bathroom and check up on the family. She was in the front of the pack waiting to get in and was sickened because “ people were crushing you, not letting you breathe. They were jostling each other and it got to the point that you couldn’t move.” Fernanda said.

This would be amazing. Imagine Justin Bieber having a free concert and being close enough to go? Imagine him making a video talking about the concert you are at! Imagine seeing Justin Bieber’s face in person. I would die. I would be camping out for a month if my parents would allow. I think that the police of the managers should have made free but you had to get a ticket. This would have been a lot less crazy and you wouldn’t have to wait for a week in a tent. They could control the crowd and keep everyone safe. I believe that Justin Bieber should have a concert in every state and you are only allowed to go if you live in that state. This would regulate the crowds and everyone is happy! Justin, please come to Connecticut soon!

~Vivian Bronson

To Infinity and Beyond

On May 22, 2012, SpaceX successfully launched the first commercial (non government) spacecraft into space. SpaceX’s launch vehicle, Falcon 9 carried the spacecraft, Dragon, into the atmosphere. After reaching space Dragon approached the International Space Station (ISS). Upon arriving, the station’s robotic arm moved Dragon into place to attach to the station. The spacecraft returned to Earth on May 31 splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, 450 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. This difficult feat was a success, making Dragon the first commercial spacecraft to visit and berth to the ISS.

I know you are wondering, why is this such an accomplishment? For starters, any space travel you’d be driving for hours trying to find your vacation destination, asking your parents the same old question, “Are we there yet?” Secondly, only four governments have made it to the ISS. If a business makes it to space before other governments, that has to be HUGE. I am impressed with the SpaceX mission and am proud to say that I was alive when this feat in history was made.

~Arman Cabral

Longboarding

Longboarding has been spreading throughout our country and is becoming a passion for many skaters. Longboarding consists of many different styles. There’s free style, free riding and downhill. Freestyle is more like skate boarding. Usually people that do freestyle can do kickflips ollies and even tre flips. Free riding consists of slides. A slide is when you rotate your board around. Your wheels slide. If you want to see some slides and some freestyle click here. Downhill is pretty much in the name. You bomb down hills at great speed . When I say bomb I mean tucking and going straight down hills.

Longboarding is a very fun hobby. This is mainly why I do it. But, there is a closely wound community behind it. We tend to hate on each other’s styles but at the end of the day we are all longboarders and we support each other. It’s a great feeling when you know you have a huge international group behind you and your hobby. For many longboarding is a type of transportation. For others it is a sport. And to others it is their life. I hope that I don’t fall into the life category because its a hard life. In longboarding, there is always going to be someone better than you and faster than you, but it’s the heart thats make millions.

~James Marinaccio

Summer: So Close Yet So Far Away

Wait for it. You’re about to read the most obvious statement ever said, ever. This year has been pretty hectic for all of us. We middle schoolers were simply expected to push aside what we really wanted to do in order to juggle school, sports, social lives, or anything else thrown on to our already full plates. And now, finally, it’s here. That light at the end of the tunnel, a dimmed and distant fantasy in September, is now blinding us because it is just so close. Don’t you just feel like you’re some kind of obese, old man who has been stranded in the woods for a week or so, and finally found civilization??? Okay, maybe that simile was a bit much, but I think you get what I’m trying to say.

We need summer just so badly, and there’s only one more hurdle in our way. That’s right. Finals. Today is the last test, and then you’ll be done. DONE! I It’s probably the best feeling to put down your pencil after bubbling in the last letter of the exam. To finally take it all in: school is basically over. Monday and Tuesday are just “party days”– all we do is bask in our success and absorb what we’ve accomplished. But only after finals. I keep reminding myself that this is that last sprint to the finish line. This is it. And then we’re done. So keeping the image of me by the side of the pool with my Seventeen magazine, I dove into textbooks and review guides; summer was just taunting me. But I know summer is more than just around the corner. It’s right in front of me. All I can do is study really hard, and of course wait.

To prep for your last final, here are a few tips that might help boost that A to an A+.

~Durga Rathi

Its Not Just Chess

For many people not familiar with it, observing those circular pawns, the game is a mere variety of draughts or checkers. Of course, they are quite wrong; this is a real Chess game in which its complexity is comparable to the one of European Chess. Generally, pieces are in form of token with the name written on the upper face, with a Chinese sinogram. Both sides have different colors.

SHORT DESCRIPTION:
Xiangqi is played on the intersections of a board. Opposite sides are separated by a central “river”. Each camp has a “palace” which is constituted by an intersection at the center of South and North sides.
Armies are formed by 16 men each. Red plays at South and (generally) starts the game. Black (or Blue) plays at North. In Xiangqi, not all the pieces have the same name for both sides:

The “royal” piece is a Governor (Shuai) for Red and a General (Jiang) for Black.
The “pawn” is always a Soldier but two different synonyms are used to distinguish them. Red has Bing and Black has Zu.
The Elephant (Xiang) – that gives its name to the game – is only for Red. Black has also a Xiang but it is written differently as it is a homonym which stands for Minister.

Cultural Identities Distinguished

Chess is popular around the world, while Chinese chess is mainly popular in China; almost half of its population knows the rules. I had began to play Chinese Chess myself as a pretty small child, and fell in love with it after a few games, I felt excited to move pieces to fight, for the game is the epitome of a real war; from this point of view, chess is the same with Chinese chess, however, the differences between them reflects the different culture between China and the western world.

In Chinese chess Game: 1.There is no queen on the board; this is because the contribution of women was not emphasized in ancient China.
2. The pawn, or soldier in Chinese Chess, can not be promoted: In ancient China, everyone’s destiny is pre-determined.

3. There are four cannons on the board: because at the time when Chinese chess was invented, cannons were also invented, so the powerful cannon was integrated on the board.

4. The king is fastened in a fort. You see, in ancient China, the emperor would never go to battle. Also, the emperor has 2 triggermen (shi in Chinese) and 2 prime ministers (similar to bishop in chess).The king is well-protected, however, sometimes, the lack of freedom killed the king. In the game, the limited movement usually leads to a more rapid defeat than the traditional, international version of chess. There are clear historical example of this especially during the Manchu invasion of Han controlled China. Interestingly enough, the King is housed in a fort of sorts, so the classic move, castling, is not possible in Chinese Chess.

5. There is a boundary called the Chu River (or also the Han boundary) on the board. The boundary can be traced to the time of the Han dynasty, when Liu Bang and Xiangyu shared central plains for over 2000 years ago.

~Jake Rinaldi

One Direction Infection

The very popular boyband, One Direction has been topping charts and making girls all over the world go crazy for them. You may ask who this new sensation is? It is a group of 5 boys, Niall, Liam, Zyan, Lious, and Harry. Niall Horan was born on September 13 in 1993 making him 18 years old, Zyan Malik was born on January 12, in 1993 and he is 19 years old, Liam Payne was born on August 29, 1993 and he is also 18, Harry Styles is the youngest born on February 1, 1994 which means he is 18 as well, and the oldest Louis Tomlinson was born on December 24, 1991 and he is 20 years old. The boys all come from England except for Niall who is from Ireland. The boys all started out solo on The X Factor and were chosen to become a group by Simon Cowell. All of these boys are unique in their own ways and that is why they stand out from the rest.

Many people say that this band is no different from any other boy band that quickly comes and goes away. But I feel strongly that they are here to stay. In November 2011, One Direction released their debut album Up All Night which became the fastest-selling debut album in the UK of 2011. And for those of you who thought they were going to fade away, look it is already 2012 and “Up All Night” is still topping charts and has become famous world wide. Also fans have been planning dates to see One Direction live during the 2013 tour. Over $15.7 million worth of tickets have already been sold and this is over a year away. True fans or better known as “Directioners” see something in One Direction and know that they will never “get old” and that is why so many have planned in advance to buy these tickets. For those of you who are not fans of this successful boy band I am sorry to say but they are here to stay.

~Katelyn Morley

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Monthly Archives: June 2012