Water Sprays While Rockets Fly

When bottle rockets took off and flew to Stoller, questions also arose. "When is it due?' "How do we make them?" All answered by a teacher's words of intelligence. When the rockets were assigned, the teachers gave you a packet, so you could follow instructions correctly. You make the rockets with one or more 2 liter soda bottles, then you would add fins to  make it fly straight. You also need a nose cone to make it aerodinamic and a parachute to deploy afterwards to slow the fall, for there is an egg inside that cannot crack.

The project was built all by the students, their parents couldn't help, unless they were absolutely needed. Some students think the rockets are dumb, but Josh F. from Blue Hall says, "Building is a little frustrating, but launching is really fun. I asked questions such as, "What do think of the project?" "What do you like?" "What would you change?" A couple others followed those. Josh said it took him one week to build his, but Rachel H. from Red Hall, built hers in three weeks.  There is a big difference between the amounts of time it took to build rockets. Another boy from blue hall started the day it was assigned (March 17) and studied a long time to get a good rocket. I also asked Josh what he liked about rockets, and he answered with, "It's fun to see them launch, and even more fun to see them nosedive and stick in the ground!"

The launch crew controls the launches. They make sure the rockets are on the launch pad and aren't coming off when they are being pressurized. The final question was, "What would you change about all this?" After taking a little thought on this he finally said, "I would make every launch part of the grade, and also launch more often." When the final grade is due, you need to decorate it (paints, paper, stickers, and tapes). Kids get graded on how nice the rocket looks, how smooth the tapes are, and how long it is in the air, and if the egg inside gets cracked (sometimes smashed) or not. This assignment is tough to figure out, but once it's done it turns out to be great.


By, Hunter White

Is TOY STORY 3 Going To Be A Hit?

TOY STORY 1 and 2 were popular, what about number 3?

The famous friends- Woody and Buzz Lightyear

  
The Disney Pixar's Original movie, Toy Story, came out in theaters in 1995 and soon became a hit internationally. This movie was very popular among the younger children. Manufacturers began creating toys based on the characters of the movie. These items were so popular that 4 years later, Disney released the sequel, and also added a Toy Story ride in Disneyland. As years go on, Toy Story is being passed down for all children to watch.

    Just 10years later, on June 18th, Toy Story 3 will be released to theaters in 3-D. To find out what Stoller Student's think about the movie, we ask: What Do You Think About 'Toy Story 3'?

"It looks interesting" says Sierra and Ali, eighth graders from Red Hall.

"It looks childish" quotes Conner. "It looks cool, but I think they are overdoing it with too many Toy Stories." -Hayley P. "Yes! Because it is a funny movie" -Jackson W. Would you go see TS3? "I would go..if i wasn't paying." -Ali H. "With my family, yes." says Conner M. "Yeah, I would go for the 3-D." -Hayley P.

Toy Story Mania Ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios

   Toy Story seems to be too kiddish for Stoller Students, but many still enjoy the fun of being a kid.
Do you think it will be popular or not? Conner states, "I think it will be in the middle." "Yes, it will be because Alice In Wonderland was popular and it was in 3-D also", says Hayley.
   We predict that Toy Story 3 will become very popular in certain age groups.Though it cannot be said if this is going to be the best Toy Stoy movie yet. Catch the first show on June 18th!
  

By Melanie R.

Rich but none….

How come we are the beat and the riches middle school but yet we don’t have any lockers?

Will it’s because, when stoller was first made it was all ready going to be big but order for there to be lockers at stroller it would have to be bigger. Because stroller has a lot of kids and the people that made stroller have chose to have s-cubes because its easer to move around.. also easer to clean go throw  but are problem is that its easer to still things out of and also you have to share them with one other person and most people have like two other people. Why do we only got lockers in p.e? The teachers has said because p.e you are having to hold your clothes in there more then a day and with s-cubes all that’s inn there Is school work and that’s it. Students at stroller has said that we don’t have to have long/big lockers that they should at lest be like in p.e. With a lock so that they don’t have to share them. They can be in the hall was and add doors to the s-cubes so they can be like lockers. Stroller is the only middle school that does not have lockers. Students at stroller has been missing a lot of clothes and shoes and other be longings. Also is we get lockers then we can pit them in the s-cubes, the mane hall way. They don’t have to be big they can be any size as long as we get them. Some has said that they are looking at lockers and how much they would be so older for us to get lockers we would have to talk to are companies and the government and more. There lots so ways to pit lockers in this school stroller.

By:aranessa:

 

It's a Privilege to be Successful

Dreams of success for students in boarding schools are coming true even though in the past they were destined for failure. 15% percent of Americans at the age of 25 in 2010 did not graduate from High School. Many students in grades K-12 show signs of following the same path. This may be caused by poverty, boredom, or lack of motivation. A few of the students who are destined for collapse are admitted into boarding schools and their lives are changed and saved forever.

"The lives of students at these boarding schools were saved." -Jenny N.

Students who are admitted into boarding schools have a high likelihood of thriving later in life. Many students go from nearly failing all classes to graduating from a four year university with scholarships.

One school that is especially helpful to underprivileged students is the Girard College. It is for students in Kindergarten all the way through 12^th grade. Most students come from families with limited financial resources and possibly headed by a single parent. All students at this school in Philadelphian are admitted on full scholarship. Girard College also offers multiple athletic opportunities for their students. Nearly 100% of the Girard graduates attend college.

Boarding schools like this help children who would normally fall short in school become straight A students. The bond created by living among classmates is one that cannot be recreated in any way. Programs like this have saved many lives and helped hundreds of scholars become triumphant. Overall, this is a way to realize just how lucky most children are to have a public school that has suitable teachers, as well as parents that can support them.

The Founders Hall at Girard College.

Schools like these help American students move on to bigger and better things. Success rates in children are rising, which means the competition for employment is even tougher. Dreams are important, and help many people become victorious.

By: Debi L.

Denim Diapers

Winnie the Pooh and Nemo are out. New denim diapers have hit the stores for a new fashion for babies. I ask students if denim diapers make any difference. "Economincally wise yes, because you just wash them and you don't have to constantly pay for new diapers." says Jackson Green hall 8th grader. "Adventually it will be better once it catches on, because you have to buy a few at a time and you have to wash them every night. Maybe wearing denim diapers while your out and just regualr diapers when the baby is asleep." says annonymous.
"How much do you think this will cost?" I ask Jackson. " I think it has to cost more because the fabric and its limited." says Jackson "It should cost about ten, fifteen dollars maybe." Do you think denim diapers are effective? "Adventually yeah, but parents probably have to consider the cost." Jackson says.
Would you want this for a baby brother, sister or someone you babysit for? "Yes and no. No because I dont want to do the laundry and it is costy but yes because it looks cute and when you have enough to do it constantly instead of buying diapers all the time." says annonymous

How fast do you think this will catch on? "It depends on if the company wants to put a lot of advertisement towards this or wing it, see how people take to it. I think some people will buy them but the cost could change there minds, usually you get thirty diapers for twenty bucks and if one denim diaper is around ten-fifteen bucks people would only have a few, but I'm sure parents want their child also wearing other clothes." says annonymous

This small debate goes about the price vs economics, the price for these denim diapers are between eleven at Sheplers, tweleve dollars for Huggies, and eighteen at Gap. We'll just have to see if denim diapers catch on....

Christine S

What's More Important-- Education VS. Health

If you were given a large amount of money, would you donate it to help third world countries build schools, or hospitals?

A "school" in Sudan

        “Give a child a fish and you feed her for a day; give her a fishing rod and you feed her for life.” Many argue that building schools is more crucial than building hospitals. 
         My church is visiting a poor Middle Eastern country to build a school there. It is going to be very costly, and it made me wonder whether that would be the wisest descision. Perhaps health is a bigger problem, and building a hospital would be more mandatory. If we build hospitals, we can save the lives of countless people. We need hospitals to cure the sick, help the weak, and care for the hurt. Without health, we are nothing. However, that does not make it more important than education. If you look past yourself, building schools is beneficial for the future generations. They will be able to learn to build buildings, cure unhealthy people, and find better lifestyles to live. However, uncertain, I decided to take a poll.

A donated hospital to help Africans. 

         Out of a class of 23 students full of eigth graders in all four halls, I asked them: What do you think is more important? Education (building schools) or Health (building hospitals). To my surprise, only seven students chose education, compared to the 17 that chose health. "Education can't kill you!" claimed Kacie R. "If there's no hospitals, they're going to die. They can build schools later." stated Anonymous. "Health and then education," agreed Debi L. Looking at a different aspect, Josh Y. said, "If you are healthy you can't do anything, if you are smart you can get healthy." It ended with Daniel M. stating, "It depends where you are."

          According to 'Free the Children', a program where children help children with education, studies show that girls who are more educated earn more income, have fewer and healthier children, delay marriage, and are more productive at work. They state, 'Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ending exploitation of children.'

          I believe that one's health determine's a life; one's education determines a generation. So which one wins? Many mission trips, celebrities, and donators, aim to build better hospitals and schools for third world countries. In undeveloped areas, not everyone has all the resources they need. Education obviously eventually leads to success, and a brighter future for you country. The more educated you are, the more guarantee. With better schools, kids can have the opportunity and ability to grow up and bring and become exposed to new and better changes. Though being academically strived does not always mean you will become rich, it's surely the first step. That's when health then kicks in. Once you are educated, people can be provided jobs, and later build more hospitals ands schools to bring forth an improved society. 

Interested? Here are some ways to help:
BUILDING SCHOOLS: http://www.gsbi.org/building-schools.html
CHARITY (INCLUDES HOSPITALS): http://www.worldvision.org
SCHOOLS AND/OR HOSPITALS (IN AFRICA): http://www.africaguide.com/charity.htm 

By: Jenny N. 

A Journey Through Summit

A Journey Throught Summit

Stoller's Youth Summit group helps Stoller students overcome gossip, bullies, rumors and negative peer pressure.



Youth Summit, that group of 16 J.A.G Leaders who signed up to take on a huge, school wide project. The group of 16 divided into two groups, Peer Pressure and Bully Police. Peer Pressure has been focusing on peer pressure, rumor spreading and gossip. Bully Police has been working on bullying.
The two groups began their journey October 21st when the group, along with Mrs. Baas, went to the Washington County Youth Summit meeting. There, the group heard from multiple speakers who taught them about both, physical and mental health. The group then started brainstorming on what they could do to help their very own, Stoller Middle School. They returned to school later that day, their minds filled with endless ideas. The two groups began meeting two times a week to start narrowing down all of their ideas.

Peer Pressure named them selves as they did because peer pressure is their main target. Bully Police's name came from their main target as well, bullying. Peer Pressure began designing "Telephone Posters" to put up in the halls to teach the students of Stoller how rumors are spread. Peer Pressure also began making "Tip of the Week" videos that contained helpful tips and hints on how to handle peer pressure, gossip and rumor spreading situations. The videos aired weekly over JNN. The groups joined together to start setting up meetings about starting to plan their cumulative assembly. Mrs. Richey, one of Youth Summit's biggest supporters, was so pleased with all of their ideas and approved them all. The group and Mrs. Baas began writing down assembly ideas.

While planning the assembly, Peer Pressure members were asking questions over the "Telephone Posters". It was in the form of a call-in contest. The winning class won Frankie, the Youth Summit stuffed animal dog mascot and candy.

With all of the previous activities such a success all around, it put a smile on the group's face to know that people were participating. The group continued planning for the assembly. The two groups took a few days off from all of their classes to continue planning the assembly, thanks to Mrs. Baas and Mrs. Richey!

Before the group knew it, there were two days before the assembly. The group finished the assembly schedule and most of the details. With the stress building, a few wise words from Mrs. Baas helped ease their minds, "Don't rush. It will all pull together." The group sat down for a brief meeting to see how they could get more time. The alternative, come in at eight o' clock the next morning. Summit members walked into the school, some cheerful, other not fully awake and relying on their Starbucks. They set up their obstacle course and some students volunteered to help them practice. They spent the last bit of time setting up signs, bleachers, technology and everything else thy needed.

Then, the time came. It was time to start the sixth grade assembly. Kids led by their teachers began to come into the gym. The kids sat down on the bleachers, according to their hall. The kids settled down, the emcee introduced the two groups.

During the assembly, Bully Police preformed two skits, showed some statistics and talked a little about their topics. Peer Pressure played a game of Telephone to show how rumors change when they are spread, they did three raffles and talked a little about their topics as well. The groups then joined together toward the end for the obstacle course. The obstacle course was when the groups picked volunteers from the audience to participate. The obstacle course had oral questions at each station asked by Summit members that had to be answered in order to move to the next station and complete the activity. If the question was answered incorrectly, they received a "mark", a five second penalty that would be added to their team's time, on their tags. Each group was being timed and that was how the winner was found. The obstacle course was obviously a huge success.

The groups had the kids all stand up and recite the Youth Summit Pledge. Next, the groups joined together for their closing. They all lined up and said their closing line and kept passing the microphone down the line. Staff and students were all thanked, especially Mrs. Baas. The Summit members all pitched in a few dollars and bought Mrs. Baas a bouquet of flowers and they all signed a homemade card. As all of the students were leaving, they were all asked to sign a banner. The banners are going to get hung up in the school. While the kids were signing the banner, some members sang "We Are the World" to keep the positive ideas in their minds. When all the students left the gym, the group cheered at their success.

They had a few hours before their next assembly. The group got a Subway lunch donation. After they ate, some relaxed, others listened to music through the speakers and sang along in the microphones. Some played with the gym equipments.

Before the group knew it, it was time for the next assembly. This time, they knew exactly what to do. When the assembly ended, the group was in a mad rush to clean up. They only had a few minutes before the final bell was going to ring. Bus riders headed upstairs. Whether it was walking through the halls or to their bus, Summit members were showered in hugs and compliments from students. More compliments came from teachers and staff.

During the next Summit meeting, the group got the idea to perform a version of their assembly for the fifth graders of Jacob Wismer. The group then contacted the principal of Jacob Wismer to ask if she like the idea. She did and gave the group permission. The group began planning a shorter, more age appropriate version of their assembly. They were given half an hour to do the whole assembly.

The group also had to get their documentary together to show at the Washington County Cumulative Event. Katelyn showed the documentary to the group and they all enjoyed watching it. A few days later, it was time to go to the cumulative event at the Beaverton Four Square Church. The group even brought Frankie along, the mascot. The group listened and watched the other schools present their documentaries and their speeches. Every school got a certificate to show their achievement. Ms. Nader even surprised the group and came for a little while.

The group returned to school and continued planning for Jacob Wismer. They also had a little ice cream party. Mrs. Richey came in and she talked to the group about a display case for Frankie, their certificate and two Youth Summit shirts the group had designed. Frankie is now located in the display case in the upper forum on the Red Hall side for all to enjoy. The group had a difficult time getting Frankie to fit in the case but in the end it all worked out.

The group had a great experience and Mrs. Baas and Mrs. Richey even invited them back next year to help next year's Youth Summit group.

By: Mikayla E.

The Oil Spill: Criminal or Just a Freak Accident?

Ms. Baas, the red hall 8th grade math teacher.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was perhaps one of the worst things to happen to America in the last few decades. The result of it will stay with us for many many years to come. Some may think that the oil spill was really just an accident. Now BP, the company that owned the oil that spilled, now might be faced with criminal charges. Would our country really face this company with criminal charges if this "accidental oil spill" couldn't have been helped? This is what I wanted to know more about. I interviewed a few teachers in my school about this and here is what they said: Mr. Gross, the 8th grade science teacher in green hall said, "Since I'm not really an expert on oil spills, I can't really tell you what I think they should do but I think they should be faced with criminal charges because this oil spill was their fault.". Ms. Baas, the 8th grade math teacher in red hall said, "I think they should just continue doing the little things they are doing to help but also sit down and formulate some big ideas on how to stop this problem." Finally Mr. Badyrka, the 8th grade science teacher in red hall said, "These people are responsible for this problem. They are adults and they need to take responsibility for their actions." Using the information we gathered and the opinions of the teachers, we formed our opinions of whether or not we thought BP, the company that owned the oil that leaked, should be faced with criminal charges. I think that since there were many precautions they could have taken that they didn't, then it really is there fault and like Mr. Badyrka said, they should take responsibility for that. What's your opinion?
- Taylor T.

Facebook Wants To Be Your Friend

With almost 500 million users, what is so addictive about it, and how safe is it?

This is an example of a person's Facebook profile.

Students have been sued. Elders have been robbed. Children have been kidnapped. Teenagers have been cyber bullied. This is Facebook. However, the majority does not look at it in this way. It might go something like this: let yourself be known; express your own interests and hobbies; display fun pictures and upload videos, and hold memories; keep you and others updated by changing your status; hit up a friend and chat with them; take quizzes and games, even have your own farm; go one-on-one or fifty on fifty and start a thread of endless messaging; get up to date by checking News Feed; and so much more. Facebook's safety, like MySpace, was always questioned. Only recently though, did Facebook revamp their safety to reach our expectations. If you go to Account Settings, you can always change your privacy settings. To cautious people, you can even hide your default picture, and only let confirmed 'Friends' view it. Same goes with photos, videos, person information, and the rest of the things. On average, Students are Stoller Middle School spend 1-2 hours a night, on average, on Facebook. What makes this site so addicting, is simple. It allows you to face the people you would never face in reality. It allows you to make friends, and what's even more extraordinary, is that it allows you to make friends across the globe. Countries all over the world are becoming increasingly fond of Facebook.

           On average, students at Stoller Middle School claimed they spend one to two hours on Facebook per night. Facebook is a social networking site on the internet, and recently has hit 500 million users. There is no completely accurate way to see the most applauded benefactors of Facebook, so after a poll, chat, games and quizzes, and status updates seemed to be the top reasons why this website is so interesting. However, many are questioning Facebook's privacy. I then wanted to know what teens had to think, one of the most prized victims. I asked, Facebook is linked to many burglaries, suicides, etc. What do you have to say to that? "It's sad how people use Facebook for bad, but it's really fun and shouldn't be used for evil," said Jade P. How open are you to Facebook? How much information do you release, and how much do you trust it? "I actually laugh at the people who reveal their cell phone numbers because there's always codes you can crack, and ways to see your stuff. It's like, 'Here's my phone number, here's where I live; come and get me.'", said Taylor T. As Facebook safety becomes a bigger problem, they are making several new additions to make this a safe way to communicate and simply have fun. 

To start your own free Facebook account, visit: http://www.facebook.com! 






By: Jenny N. 

China's factory employees worked to Death?

China’s Factory employees worked to Death?

Foxconns’ workers begin committing suicide due to the harsh lifestyle

BY KACIE R.

At a factory called Foxconn in Shenzhen, China, thirteen people in the past year have tried to commit suicide, ten succeeding. What’s the problem? They don’t know. Foxconn makes many products, including the Apple iPhone, and Dell and Sony computers. With over 300,000 employees that both work and live there, it is similar to a city inside a city.

It has its own restaurants, library’s, fire stations, super markets, and

Foxconn logo

three hospitals. It also has dormitories, where the employees live with seven other roommates. Some people think it is the dehumanizing lifestyle that drives some to do something drastic to themselves. At Foxconn, employees get up, eat breakfast, go to work where they spend long shifts that earn them about three hundred American dollars a month, and then go back to their dormitories to sleep.

At work, they are little more that machines, while in their dormitories, most don’t even know their roommates names.

Foxconn employee

"…if you have to support your family, than you have to do whatever it takes…" says Jenny N., answering my question: why do you think people still work here even though they know about the suicides. What leads them to suicide? "I think they are put into harsh circumstances and they don't know how to cope with it." she replied.

So what now? What should Foxconn do? They should take action. They should learn everything about the lifestyle's of the employees, and make sure that their living conditions are suited for a human being, not a machine.

Tension Between North and South Korea Rise

After a South Korean ship sinks, evidence points to North Korea, who has denied this accusation and have threatened to wage war if any action is taken against them

By Katherine Lu

This is a piece of the torpedo found by investigators.

On this map you can see the Northern Limit Line and the Cheonan sinking site.

                 South Korea has warned that North Korea will face serious consequences for the sinking of a South Korean ship in late March, torpedo parts matching North Korean torpedoes were discovered in mid-May, as well as further evidence pointing to North Korea, though North Korea denies this accusation and claims that the evidence was fabricated and threatens to wage war if punished.
                  On March 26, the Cheonan, a South Korean patrol ship carrying 104 people on it, was attacked and began to sink near Baengnyeong Island, South Korea. A mysterious explosion had destroyed the hull of this 1,200-ton corvette, killing 46 of the 104 sailors aboard, though the 58 other sailors were rescued. With forty dead bodies that have been located, and six still missing, this has been the worst military disaster for South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953. Furthermore, no one could figure out what had happened, though new evidence uncovered on May 15^th points to North Korea.
                  After an international investigation, a report was released by investigators recently containing striking evidence on the 15^th of May. Torpedo parts were discovered that completely matched the size and the shape of North Korean torpedoes. There were also markings that were discovered on the inside of the end of the propulsion section, which reads ‘1번.’ This marking matches the markings on a North Korean torpedo previously obtained by South Korea. Plus, the damage to the ship also supports this theory. The damage on the Cheonan was caused by a strong shockwave and the bubble effect, which caused the sinking of the ship, and both strong shockwaves and the bubble effect are caused by torpedoes. Bubble jets, or the bubble effect, are caused by a change in water pressure due to an underwater explosion. Moreover, the stern and bow were bent upward at the bottom, which is proof of an underwater explosion, and also supporting South Korea’s theory that the ship sank due to a North Korean torpedo. Deceased sailors also have supporting evidence, as they have lacerations, as well as fractures, though they don’t have any burns or fragmentations. These injuries are consistent with the effects torpedoes have, as well as the large shockwave and bubble effect that is thought to have caused the sinking of the patrol ship. All of the evidence so far has been pointing to North Korea, but North Korea has a different story.
                  According to North Korea, they had nothing to do with the sinking of the Cheonan, and also claim that the evidence that has been discovered was actually forged by the South Korean government. Meanwhile, South Korea’s President, Lee Myung-Bak, has stated that this attack was “a military provocation” and that they would take “stern action” against North Korea. Also, if this attack was caused by North Korea, it would be a violation of the Northern Limit Line, which is a maritime boundary line. This boundary was set by the US-led United Nations after North and South Korea couldn’t reach an agreement, but it was unilaterally set and North Korea doesn’t recognize it. Because of North Korea refusing to recognize the Northern Limit Line, violence occasionally occurs between North and South Korea’s naval forces along the NLL. Such incidents have been happening recently, and have become more frequent, as there have been three incidents in 2009 relating to the NLL, and two already this year in 2010, including this particular episode. However, technically, the two Koreas are still at war since South Korea never signed the 1953 armistice, which is an agreement between two countries at war to stop fighting.  With tension rising between North and South Korea, the situation may escalate into war.
                  A few years ago, North Korea and South Korea were close to reconciling, but their relationship has taken a huge hit from this incident. In fact North Korea has cut all ties with South Korea because of this. The Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s state news agency, announced on the 25^th of May that North Korea would be severing all ties to South Korea. One of the ways they have cut ties is at the two Koreas’ joint factory on the border between them, North Korea has expelled all South Korean workers. This factory had both North and South workers, but now all the South Koreans are gone. Also, North Korea has cut communication with South Korea, as well as banning the South’s ships and planes from their airspace and waters. Furthermore, after South Korea accused North Korea and said that there will be consequences, North Korea threatens to retaliate.
                  Responding to South Korea’s statement that there will be consequences for North Korea, North Korea has claimed they will wage war. A North Korean Defense Spokesman said that North Korea would “respond to reckless countermeasure with an all-out war of justice.” If the Koreas wage war, then South Korea will probably have backing from the United States of America, along with other countries. North Korea’s previous ally was China, but China’s Wen Jiabao, who is the current Premier of the State Council of China, has said that “China objects to and condemns any act that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.” Wen Jiabao has also China “will not protect” those who destroyed the Cheonan in a conference in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. However, with the threat of war, would it still be a good idea for South Korea to punish North Korea?
                  “I think that South Korea should wait it out and make sure that it is definitely North Korea,” said Teresa Shaw. That could be one solution to this problem, but another student pointed out “If North Korea isn’t punished, then they could do something like this again, and I don’t think that they would actually wage war.” This may also be true, as South Korea has the backing of the USA, as well as other countries, and China, North Korea’s only ally, will not back them up if they really are the perpetrators of the sinking. Without any allies, North Korea probably wouldn’t start a war. Kacie Roman stated that the relationship between North and South Korea is “really sad,” and that “they are right next to each other so they should have a better relationship.” Hopefully, in time, North and South Korea’s relationship will improve.

Summer Time, Fun Time!

Lewis C. a sixth grader in blue hall.

What are Stoller kids doing this summer?

It is nearing the end of the summer. Kids are day dreaming, dreading about their finals that are coming up, and thinking about their summer plans. Of course there are also the NBA finals and the question is Lakers or Boston? Some kids are going to watch the FIFA World Cup 2010 that occurs in Africa. But in summer what to do? Some kids (like me) are going to lie down on the couch and watch T.V. The dream of sleeping in late will finally come true. Other kids will be busy with sports and tournaments. Hanging out with friends is another option kids would love to do. And pity the kids who have to take tutor or have summer school.

School ends on June 17th for students. The people who are watching the NBA Finals and FIFA World Cup 2010 will be in for a surprise. For the NBA Finals, it is the long time rivals Celtics and Lakers. Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce or Pau Gasol vs. Kevin Garnet. For the World Cup it is any teams chance to win the cup. Right now Spain is hot coming off the win from the UEFA European Football Championship. Both events happen in the summer, and we will see who will come out on top.

People have been groaning and moaning when they are forced to go to school on Monday. The annoying sound of the alarm clock going off will make anyways day start off wrong. In the summer everyday seems like a weekend, no more alarm clocks, no more Mondays, and no more school! New movies are coming out too, like: The A Team, Karate Kid, And Toy Story 3. Students can hang out with friends without the nagging feeling of procrastinating. No more projects or long annoying finals.
Summer is not like winter, or spring; its sunshine all day. Perfect weather with the sun out no clouds but always HOT! Without rain and wind people like to go and play sports, there is basketball, football, soccer, swimming, lacrosse, baseball, and etc. Tournaments will be out and kids will be more active and having fun outside.

As we know this is Stollers 10th "birthday". People want to remember this year because it is so special. Some eight graders got no field trips (which is quite sad), but there is a graduation party at the end of the year. An important transition is going from eight grade to freshmen in high school. There is gonna be a lot more home work than middle school and grades are important. So that is why some people are going to go and take a tutor during the summer or have summer school. It may be a pain but they are getting ahead. Some other people are going to a learning camp or a camp for fun. Legos robotics, math, reading, or writing camps almost like summer school. Also people are going to camps to have fun, despite their parents tears.

We interviewed some kids who gave us an idea about what they are doing for their summer. One sixth grader Lewis C. says he is going on vacation, going to Spain. He is also going to plan in soccer tournaments also during the summer. We asked if he could do anything during the summer, he would go on vacation with his family, what a sweet boy. We also interviewed Nathan P. and he said if he could go anywhere he would go to Hawaii or Mexico; anywhere to enjoy the summer sun. He said he would hang out with people even though he is planing to have fun. We hope you will have fun too during the summer time.

By Joshua Yi and Jackson Wahl

Fitness and You

Fitness could become a matter of Life or Death      

  

          P.E can help people gain strength in running abilities and other sports. Playing sports can help build endurance and skills in that sport. Sports can also keep you fit so you don’t get overweight. Sports can also give you something to do and you also can make a goal for yourself. Also sports give you money, for example, people in the NFL are signed contracts for doing well in a game, they play and get money, how easy is that? Not really, mainly because they have to work their muscles and build endurance. That’s why fitness is so important. We asked Josh K what he felt about how important fitness was to him, he said that: "I think fitness is an important part of a persons normal lifestyle." Fitness can also get you on magazines; therefore getting you paid even more money. There are many ways to build muscle, one way is working out and eating lots and lots of protein, meat and peanut butter give you a lot of protein. This muscle helps shape your body to the body you want. Muscles also give you the power to lift heavy objects for example, weights, computers, TV’s, table, furniture, and cardboard boxes, haha just kidding those aren’t hard to lift unless they’re filled. There are other ways to get muscle, one way is break dancing. Break dancing helps build strength when holding your own body weight in the air and it helps you get flexible. Eating healthy helps get you towards your goal of becoming fit because when you eat healthy foods like vegetables and fruits it gives you vitamins and iron which is good for your body. You should eat healthy to make your body healthy. If you’re a smoker or someone you know is a smoker then you should tell them or tell yourself to stop. Smoking is bad for the lungs and can cause you to get cancer which leads to death.

Being fit can get you away from those insane killers

            Every time you inhale smoke from a cigarette you lose 7 seconds of your life. Your body is the most important thing to take care of. It needs to be fit and always cared for. When you exercise you feel good about what you can do and want to continue doing well in that exercise. If you sit around eating junk food and candy then you will eventually get fat or overweight. You don't want to get fat, you want to get fit and in shape. When you are fat it is very hard to lose weight. When you work out you burn calories. There are many ways to lose weight, Sports is one of the few solutions to weight problems. Don't take the wrong decisions and gain weight or become unhealthy. Unhealthy people have lots of problems when they get older. It is very hard to live with such problems. Advertisements on TV show people that lost weight with the brand and make it look like it can actually make you lose weight. Ads can deceive you and make you want to buy it, some are fake and some are real. Another solution to weight problems is to work on what you eat, but that doesn’t really matter right now because we’re talking about being fit. But weight is a very important part of exercise, many people always feel over weight because of lack of exercise, but remember, muscle weighs more than fat. Being fit is very important in your daily routines due to the fact that if you ever get into something serious like a wolf attacking you, or like a dinosaur chasing you, actually, let’s be more realistic, some killer is on the loose and he’s chasing you, well you’re fit right? Well then run as fast as you can go! This way he’ll never catch you! Unless that killer is a zombie, then you’re screwed so mind as well grab a Power bar while you’re running so your stomach is full and your energy levels are at its max so you can get away. Overall, fitness is very important, even if you’re being chased by some insane killer or running a marathon, fitness will always apply to what you’re doing, heck you could be actually be getting chased by some zombie right now and reading off your iPhone while you’re at it or something. But you’ll get away because all that work you did paid off in the end.

By, 

Brennan Lim

Kevin Huang

Pictures From

Fandango.com

Wierd Schedules

Why are our schedules so mixed up?

By Josh Falkenstein

Schedules are different every year. They change normally, major changes once over summer, minor changes 3 times a school year to change specialties. The schedules change a lot. Last year, the lunch was hall based. This year, it’s based on grade levels. Why does the schedule have to change repeatedly? “It’s getting annoying”, said an anonymous red 8^th grader. Several people have said they want the schedules in the halls to be grade based and identical to all others, therefore giving each hall the same time for classes. This would make several things possible in halls that weren’t previously possible. Most 8^th graders agree that grade level schedules that are identical would be preferable, as homerooms in grade levels could schedule grade-wide events and parties. I have asked several questions: 1. What would you prefer for a schedule? 2. What do you dislike, if anything, about this current schedule? 3. How do you think your schedule would be better? “I would prefer a grade based schedule. Specialties after lunch and Core 1 and 2 before lunch, Core 3 and homeroom last for all 8^th graders.” “I hate that the 8^th graders all have different schedules in each hall.” “My schedule would be better because all the homerooms could hang out together, like on Fridays.” An anonymous green 8^th grader’s opinion. “Specialties at the end of the day, because it’s harder to function at the beginning of the day.” This brings up the issue of people getting a lack of sleep, though I won’t go into details. People have several opinions, though most would prefer grade-based schedules. “One of our classes is split in half by lunch.” Stated Hunter W, a blue 8 student. “My schedule idea would be better because none of our classes would be split by lunch.” The interference of lunch in a class and it splitting the class is also a common complaint. This brings us to another issue: lunch times. People dislike the fact that there has to be three separate lunches, and that they are categorized by either grade or hall. This year, the schedules were soted out by grade level. “Grade sorting sucks because I can’t see my 8^th grader friends or my 6^th grader friends,” said a 7^th grader. But others complain of hall sorting due to the loss of seeing friends from other halls at lunch. “ I hate hall  based lunches because you don’t see friends from other halls,” said another 6th grader. I guess it’s a good thing the teachers control the schedules, because no matter what, somebody’s going to dislike the plan.

Welcoming the Finals

Students and Teachers reveal their thoughts about the Finals

By: Teresa Shaw

It is the start of June. To Students and teachers, June means the fresh start of summer. To eighth graders to seniors in High School, June was not only the warm welcoming of Summer, but the start of finals. For the eighth graders this year in Stoller Middle School, the finals are held three days before the 17th, the last day of school. In surprise, the eighth graders this year do not look at the finals as anything important, but as another test to study for. "I think the finals are useless." Katherine Lu exclaims. "They'r

e basically a waste of time for the students to do. Why not do reviews instead?" Hannah Lyons also agrees to this fact. "It's counts way too much into our grade. If we bomb this, even if we had straight A's previously, we would fail the class!." The teachers though, disagree strongly with this fact. "Finals are a way for students to get ready for not only High School, but College as well. Students need to learn that once they learn a lesson, they can't just learn it at one moment, and throw that knowledge away. They should learn that they should keep all of that knowledge, as use it constantly. The only way to review their knowledge is to do a final." Ms. Hauth explains. "In my class, we have been learning roots throughout the year. In Blue hall, we'll just be testing on all 450 roots we learned. There is no way it's hard or easy, it all just depends on how much you know." Ms. Owens explains. The teachers then, continually tried to explain that the finals are in no way to made unfair. In both the math and science finals, all of the 8th grades teachers are meeting up and making the test itself together. Not only that, some teachers are even providing reviews a week

before the finals itself in order to prepare the students for the test they're taking, "I think it's a good idea that the teachers are working together on the finals" Kacie Roman claims. "This makes it more fair since one hall wouldn't have an easier test as another." Ms. Hauth agrees with this fact as well. "Compared to the other years, this year, all of the math teachers are making the test together. This really made us touch base and learn whether or not we're teaching the same stuff or not."

Now, the only debating problem is whether or not eighth graders should even have finals in the first place. With the majority of the

An example of a student taking a test.

students believing that finals are just a waste of time, most agree that they should have started in High School. But is that true? Without the help and aid in Middle School, would students be able to do fine in High School? "I actually think we should have started finals earlier, like in 7th grade." Kacie Roman states. "Then, we would actually be prepared for them." Teachers though, state that eighth grade is the best time to start the finals, saying that there is nothing to review over during seventh grade, but, since the eighth graders are preparing for High School, there are a lot to go over in eighth grade. "I think you (eight graders) might as well be called "Little Ninth Graders" instead." Ms. Owens said.

While preparing to go to High School as the "Little Ninth Graders" we are, many eighth graders wonder about the needs of finals. To many, finals are just a bother and a waste of time. To others though, they're a great experience to move on in High School. But what matters the most to them, is to step up and graduate with passing colors, with nothing holding them back.

He's Duff and They Call Him the Ace of Cakes

And it sure would suck if he wasn't

Duff and his team of decorators of CCC

 What would be your dream cake? Your favorite toy in chocolate? Movie character in bananna foster? Or something funny in red velvet? There are cake decorating companies that go big on a cake their customers ask for. One cake business is called Charm City Cakes. Charm City is woned by pastry chef/ decorator Duff Goldman. Most people recognize him from his Food Network show Ace of Cakes. Duff and his team of workers can make any kind of cake you can think of. From a classic wedding cake to a gian monster. Duff started his cake company in his apartment after graduating pastry school. The first cake Duff ever made was for his co-manager Mary Alice who needed a cake for her brother's wedding.

In Duff's world cake is like clay. He can shape it into anything from and Iphone to the Notre Dame in France. Charm City Cakes make their creations one of their forty-nine flavors of cake. They have flavors that are original (chocolate, yellow, white) to crazy concoctions (Dulce de leche, egg nog, peanut butter and jelly).

Duff has a creative bunch of co-workers. One of them is his friend Geof who has worked by his side since the beginning. Geof's specialties are cars, guitars and pretty much anything that isn't totally fancy piping designs. Geof has gone to many events with Duff like the Kung Fu Panda Premiere and the opening of the new Yankee stadium. A tip that Geof would give to anyone who wants to go into the cake department is "If you have the time, think through the process of decorating the cake. Your cake will be cleaner and fresher if well planned."

Duff's bakery is like no other. The cakes they make usually put a smile on the face of the the person who bus one. And if they don't Duff has a quote fro that "They may say 'Wow that sucks!!' but at least they'll say 'Wow.'' Duff has been on Food Network and has had cake failures before. but when possible Duff Goldman will go out BIG. Whether it's fireworks or moving contraptions Duff will put them in. Duff puts contraptions and fireworks in cakes for clients as well. One example of a crazy firework display was the 50th anniversary of Macys in New York where Duff placed a lot of fireworks that were shooting off the top of the cake.

Tips from other crew members can help out a lot too. Ben Turner says"Think outside the box (Please- I am very serious about this.)" Kathrine Hill gives the tip "If you're really excited about having some sparkly elements to your wedding cake, then go ahead and do it- but only a little. Pick one thing to shimmer (such as a light golden fondant) but keep everything else matte(piping, flowers, ribbon.) Too much can be completely overbearing." Cake decorator Sherri Chambers Fisher says to "Always make a sketch. Doing this first helps simplify and translate complex forms and ideas into the basic shapes you will need to construct. It also allows you to address structural questions before it's too late."

But if you want to be the baker not the cake decorator Adam Goldstein has a few tips."To avoid catastrophe, store eggs and butter at 38 degrees to avoid a caketastrophe allow them to come to room temperature before mixing."; "The toothpick test is still the best way to determine if a cake is done- give it a poke in the center, and if it comes out clean, you're good to go."; and "If your cake turns out a little dry, try eliminating an egg white or two next time."

One of Duffs most happy things is when Charm City Cakes get repeated clients. they have one customer who has had a cake made for everyone of his birthdays so far. Another thing is he just enjoys being able to work with an awesome group of decorators and baker. Check out Duff's show on Food Network nighttime every week to see more of his awesome creations.

By Corinne G.

Bibliography: Ace of Cakes by Duff and Willie Goldman copywrite 2009

By : Matt Rion Dunaway

            In the world there are many athelets. But most are just not single sport players. For instance some Westview freshman football players play two sports on top of school and home work. Most of the multitaskers go to school then work out at football then after that they hurry to get to the gym to play basketball then go home and finish all of their homework. Some coaches find this to be a good idea, but other coaches think that it is getting in the way of their sport that they are coaching because the schedules sometimes get in the way of eachother. Also some coaches look beyond sports and say that we don’t have enough time to do their homework from their school. This reason can be the most enphazised and important. Infact so important that if we don’t have good grades you don’t get to play either one of your sports until your grade gets back up to a passing grade. “If kids aren’t getting above a C in all their classes they won’t practice or play in games” says one of the football coaches. “These kids are students first athletes second” says another one of the football coaches. Also these kids require a lot of energy to do all these things every day. So most have to take a shower and get started right on their homework leaving almost no time for them and right after their homework they have to get in bed so they can aquire that tremendous amount of energy. So as you can tell these are extremly dedicated athletes and students. The amazing thing is that most of them are doing good in school and in their two sports they are playing. This Westview program is doing a great job teaching their atheletes that school is just as important as sports.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

-Parkour Running, Hassansins, and a Magic Dagger-

By Mason Mayer

            Okay, I know exactly what you're thinking. Oh great, a video game movie, this is gonna fail so bad…. You may want to eat those words after you see the movie. Set in the sixth century B.C., young Dastan (William Foster), a street boy, is adopted by King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup). Fifteen years later, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) has grown up to be the Prince of Persia. At this time, his royal brothers Garsiv and Tus plan to attack the Holy City of Alamut, who they suspect has been supplying the enemies of Persia. After receiving news from a spy that verified the suspicions of Tus, Tus and Garsiv attacked Alamut, with Dastan.

            At the city, Garsiv and Tus are taking heavy casualties, while Dastan and his battalion is told to wait behind. Instead, Dastan attacks the city through a side entrance, which prevents further casualties. Dastan then attacks the main castle, and fights his way to the room of the princess of Alamut. Once inside, he is set upon by the guards, one of whom is wielding the legendary Dagger of Time, which allows the wielder to turn back time a full minute to correct any mistakes they just made. The princess of Alamut, Tamina is captured as a wife for Tus, which would make Alamut a part of Persia.

            Back in Persia, Dastan is tricked into giving a captured gown, coated in acid, to his adopted father, King Sharaman. Dastan is framed by Tus, and he and princess Tamina escape Persia, while the prince, unwittingly is wielding the weapon that Tamina was supposed to keep safe, the Dagger of Time. On the first night, Tamina tries to kill Dastan to get the Dagger back. The Prince discovers the time turning power, and prevents Tamina from attacking him. After discovering this, Dastan hypothesis that Tus knew about the Dagger of Time, and wanted Dastan out of the way, so he could be the most powerful ruler of Persia. Shortly after, Dastan and Tamina return to Persia for the King's funeral. While there, Dastan attempts to convince his uncle, Nizam, that he didn't kill Sharaman, but before he could, the Dagger of Time was stolen by Tamina. However, Dastan notices the burn marks on the hands of Nizam, and flees the city once again, this time in search of Tamina and the Dagger.

            Nizam realizes that Dastan knows that the truth: Nizam killed the king, and sends the Hassansins (assassins) after him. Having joined forces, Dastan and Tamina depart to reveal the truth to Tus, but they still have many obstacles in their path…..

            For a video game movie, I found this rather impressive. The writers retained many of the elements of The Sands of Time video game, and incorporated elements from the other games in the trilogy as well. Among students at this school, it rated 8.5 out of 10, while nationally, it scored an average of 7.2 out of 10.One of the most exiting elements of the game was parkour running, while it was almost nonexistent in the movie. However, the fight scenes were well choreographed, my favorite being between a Hassansins and one of Princess Tamina's guards. 

Stoller Eighth Grader Takes Over the Court

A 6'2 high school basketball star with colleges already looking at her, eighth grader Jaime Nared is an idol to many.

Everyone who knows Jaime bared knows she crushes on the basketball court but how does she do it? She works out "usually everyday". She works out for two hours if she's lifting weights or one hour if she's not. Jaime says her mom and dad are supportive all the time. Her dad, "Isn't the kind of person to make you do anything". She also thinks that her mom, "has been very supportive" in everything she does.

Jaime says she is very excited to leave Stoller but she won't think about college just quite yet proclaiming, "Jesus can take your life away like that." She has not decided on a certain college she wants to attend, not even a high school. Her dad, Greg Nared, a Maryland University graduate moved to Seattle to be the assistant coach for girls' basketball at UCONN. So Jaime's options are between Seattle Prep and Westview.

            Seems like so much for such a young girl has to deal with but Jaime catches on fast. She's been playing basketball since she was four, and has already appeared on Good Morning America. Growing up, Jaime was always extremely taller than everyone in her class and she was made fun of for it. Some kids called her "Shrek" and "Godzilla". Even with the teasing Jaime wants to be taller than she is. She is hoping to be an astounding 6'4-6'7 when she finally stops growing.

            Her height gives her a slight advantage on the court but when she loses she is not a happy child. Jaime is very competitive and when she doesn't pull out a win she says "It makes me angry and makes me want to play that person again and I think of all the things I should've, could've and would've done." When she wins she is like a blazing star and many younger kids already think of her as an idol. Jaime feels "great. It's inspiring and sweet," when these kids want to be like her.
            Well it's sweet to be an amazing athlete. Not only does Jaime fight hard on the basketball court, she loves to play a couple other sports too. Jaime really likes to play golf and according to Magen M. "She's great at golf too." Another sport Jaime might consider playing professionally is tennis but only because they make more money than WNBA players.
            Which ever way Jaime Nared decides to lead her life, the world will watch her name go down in history for something extraordinary, we just don't know for what, yet.

You can see other articles about Jaime Nared HERE or HERE

By Dana B