The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

Issue Number 18 http://somersschools.org/domain/995 Winter 2018 SMS Food Drive 2018 Update

By Juliana Spano Food Bank and that's why it's so important to Tusker Tribune Staff donate because we want to keep our reputa- Did you know that tion as a school that gives back. 200,000 people in Next week is the last week to donate, Westchester County go so keep bringing food! The Advisory class that hungry each day? Isn’t that donates the most food wins a celebratory a crazy statistic! breakfast from Dunkin’ Donuts for the stu- It’s sad that 200,000 people dents and coffee for the teacher. in our county are going hungry, The 6th grade classes in the lead are but the Somers Central School Mrs.Dulyk's class in first, Mrs. Bieber's class District is here to help all those in in second and Mrs. Schettino's class in third. need. For the past three weeks, The 7th grade classes in the lead are Mr. Pap- our Advisory classes at SMS have pas' class in first, Ms. Crispo's class in second been collecting food to donate to and Mrs. Foglia's class in third. Finally, the the Westchester Food Bank. The 8th grade classes in the lead are Mrs. Holt's other three schools in our district are also collect- class in first, Mrs. Valez in second and Mr. Peril- ing food donations. lo's class in third. This is the school's 26th Annual District- So please help by bringing non-perishable wide Food Drive. Over the years the Somers Cen- food items such as canned food, pasta, oatmeal, tral School District has collected over 1,000 peanut butter, etc. You can bring the items to your pounds of food and several thousand dollars' worth advisory teacher not just on Wednesday but any of food, all of which is donated to the Westchester day during the week. Important Lessons from Lockdown Drill By Ezra Weinstein you’re supposed to remain quiet and move quick- Tusker Tribune Staff ly, some students in my grade who were in the Somers Middle School is a cafeteria and auditorium when the drill was an- safe learning environment but, nounced did the opposite. unexpected scenarios can occur. Instead of staying quiet and moving quick- An example of an unex- ly, they were loud and pushed people around. pected scenario is a “lockdown”. A lock Weinstein’s Fortunately, a lot of the other students, kept calm down is when an intruder enters the Wisdom and followed directions of teachers and staff. The building who could possibly be a reason keeping quiet and moving quickly threat to us. Every once in a is a big deal is because if an intruder is while, the school holds drills to actually in the building and sees us or practice lock down procedure in hears us, we can be in huge danger. case this ever happens. Some students don't think this is On Monday, a schoolwide a big deal because there is a very slim lockdown drill was held in the chance it can happen. My tennis coach morning. During a drill, stu- always tells me "Always expect the dents should remain quiet and worst". The only reason we have lock- move quickly. Halls are cleared down drills is because there are people in and students shelter in class- the world that do crazy things or are rooms with the lights out and mentally ill and aren't even aware of the doors locked. what they are doing. It’s a different story if It might seem like there is more you’re in the cafeteria or audito- bad than good but, if you are positive you rium, however. Even though can bring out the good in the world. The Tusker Tribune Page 2 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School Aly Raisman’s Empowering Message

By Julia Wilkinson by the gym. On the screen, I noticed Tusker Tribune Staff Aly Raisman performing a speech in There are so many a courtroom. Funny I thought. inappropriate things out in But the very next day, I dis- the world. One of them is covered what Aly was saying at the sexual abuse. I would never think courtroom, what the commentators that something that bad would be in had meant that the Championship, something so good. Like the sport of and more importantly, what had . been going on, for thirty years. My parents tried to keep me Fifty four-year-old Larry Nas- away from this. Every parent would. sar was the USA Gymnastics Na- It is just so harsh and cruel, and it Tusker Talker tional Team Doctor, Michigan State should never have been in the hu- Team Doctor, and the man race. But it is. Parents try to Olympic Team Doctor. The first re- keep those harsh inappropriate port of Nassar's abuse was 30 years things away from their kids as long ago, in 1998. His criminal acts con- as possible. Though sometimes, it just gets to a tinued for many years, manipulating gymnast af- point when it gets in the way. ter gymnast. Like when something they love Aly Raisman was at a gets involved with it. gymnastics competition in Aus- ` For me, gymnastics got tralia about a year before the involved. I am on the Dynamic 2012 when Nas- Gymnastics 2017-18 Level 7 US- sar was recommended to treat AG (USA gymnastics) team. So, her aches. Nassar took ad- gymnastics is a pretty big thing vantage of the mandatory treat- in my life. I follow events online, ments, and made Aly and count- in magazines, everywhere. But less others feel uncomfortable. some things I didn't understand, As uncomforting as it was, or really knew much about. Nassar told the girls that it was It started the year after neccesary to heal the pain. So the the Olympics at the Elite Gym- girls bit back their objections and nastic P&G Championships, let Nassar continue. No one when I was watching the Cham- spoke up about it, because he pionships on live TV. The Final was a doctor. Children have been Five (2016's USA Olympic Win- taught at a young age to trust ning Team) was watching in the doctors, so why won't they trust stands. an Olympic Team Doctor? The team consisted of Gabrielle The "survivors" of Nas- Douglas (2012 Olympic All sar's actions were heard discuss- Around Champion), Madison Ko- ing the issue by a coach in a cian (2016 Olympic Silver Medalist), training camp in Texas. That's when Aly realized (2016 Olympic what Nassar had been doing the entire time. Silver Medalist), (2016 Olympic Manipulating thousands of gymnasts. Gold Medalist, Balance Beam Bronze Med- Evidentially, Aly was destined to do great alist, Exercise Gold Medalist, All Around things. Go to the Olympics in . Go to the Champion), and Aly Raisman (2012 Olympic Bal- Olympics again in Rio. Speak up for the survivors ance Beam Bronze Medalist, Floor Exercise Gold of Nassar's abuse. The speech she presented in Medalist, 2016 Olympic Floor Exercise Silver the courtroom at Nassar’s trial was a victim im- Medalist, All Around Silver Medalist). pact statement against him. She delivered a pow- While the camera was fixed on them spec- erful speech, talking about how Nassar manipu- tating, the commentators mentioned an odd thing. lated gymnasts, and how gymnasts were still Aly Raisman is representing USAG gymnasts and strong, and thriving, and reaching for their stopping sexual abuse. dreams. Oh. I thought. What's that? I aimlessly ig- After Aly’s speech, and the speeches of nored it and continued on watching the event. hundreds of other gymnasts, Nassar was sen- More recently, last week I was training at Club tenced to a lifetime in prison. Fit Jefferson Valley's pool, and glanced at the TVs Continued on page 6 The Tusker Tribune Page 3 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School The World Ends Next Tuesday By Olivia Biolsi into dreams. That's what you feel as you slowly Tusker Tribune Staff drift off. But an alarmingly clear picture of the Imagine this: a total stranger man you saw earlier that day crops up in your walks up to you on the sidewalk and says, vast sea of thoughts, and he won’t go back under "Hey! How's yer day goin'? Well, guess the surface. "The world ends next Tuesday!" he what! It doesn’t matter anymore 'cause says. the world ends next Tuesday!" You hardly sleep that night. Tossing and What would your first thought be? Get out turning replaces the calm of an ordinary night. of my way, crackpot. Then the little 5-year-old in- When the sun climbs high enough into the sky, just side you would stop and consider the guy for a enough so that it peeks out shyly from behind a split second. Wait. What if he's telling the truth!? hill, you jump out of bed with a feeling you've nev- Mooommmy! er really had before (especially on a Monday morn- Your train of thought would then crash ing). What is it... strength? Not really. Bad breath? and burn with the simple solution that this guy Very likely, but far too common. Could it be... mo- escaped from a hospital for crazy psychopaths tivation? Yes! That's it! somewhere and that you should keep on walking You feel motivated in a way you never real- down the street as if nothing happened. ly have. If the world really was coming to an end, So just for a minute, assume the psycho- however unlikely, you weren't going sit in bed and path hospital didn't watch the sun rise! You're exist and that this going to get up and do the random guy was things you always say telling the truth. you'll do tomorrow. What would you do? First up: brush my If the world really teeth! Done. was about to end, Climb a mountain! would you book a Exhilarated, you barely flight to Disney stop to pack a bag and leap World or invent a into your car. As you drive, rocket to take you you think about what it far, far away? will feel like to have finally Would you visit eve- done the impossible and ryone you'd ever STOP being a procrastina- known and recite a tor. Wow! You say to your- well-planned fare- self, Today I'll finally climb well address? Or a mountain. would you curl up You arrive at the into a ball and suck your thumb? foot of Mount Tall. Tirelessly you fight your way to All good options, by the way. the top and triumph over the world. "I DID IT!!!" Stories aren't one thing. In fact, there are you scream miraculously. In awe of your own vic- so many kinds of them, I won't even try to list tory you stand and breathe in the feeling of com- them. But the most important thing to remember pletion. about a story is that it can always come true. As you near the bottom of the mountain, Even the ones with unicorn jellyhams. your elation in having done what you'd always put This story could never ever ever come true off until the next day is boundless. Now you are though, probably. Just for the heck of it, though, eager to move on to bigger, better things! Seeing as read it and see what this particular perfectly com- the world is ending, why should you wait to go pletely totally normal person does in the face of parachuting out of a jet? death and total obliteration. You book the next fight on a 747 and fasten One perfectly completely totally normal your parachute. Twenty minutes later, you're high day, you were out walking in the late afternoon in the air, plummeting to the ground at a million sunshine. This guy comes up to you and smiles a miles per hour! You pull your parachute and softly toothy smile. "Guess what!" he says, "the world land on the grass. ends next Tuesday!" Next up: become a gazjillionaire! All you You are at first a little taken aback by this have to do is be a good rapper. Soon you're living remark. Quickly recovering, though, you carefully in a mansion with an ice cream stand in your bed- step around him and continue about your day as room. usual. But that night, as you lie in bed, your mind Are you satisfied? Nope! wanders. Everyone has that odd sensation where they feel as if their brain is sucking up all the Continued on page 4 things that happened that day and putting them The Tusker Tribune Page 4 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School Scythe by Neal Shusterman

By Max Harkins Scythes to Honorable Scythe Faraday. They Tusker Tribune Staff need to keep up with the everyday tasks as I have finished reading the Scythes and learn all the necessary things book Scythe by Neal Shusterman. to become Scythes. But just when they get It is an odd book; it is in the fu- used to the routine of things, Scythe Fara- ture, science fiction, and about when the day mysteriously gets gleaned. humans conquer death. There is no pain, Rowan and Citra now have to train sickness, or suffering. with different Scythes in a contest against The way we keep the population one another. Whoever gets the best “record’’ limited is the reason there are Scythes. Scythes or is the best trainee is appointed has to glean the are average people selected based on showing other. But as both Citra and Rowan decide to un- courage, justice and integrity in their everyday ravel the mystery of the gleaning of Scythe Fara- lives. Scythe’s jobs are to glean (kill) the people day, unexpected twists occur, preventing them whom they randomly select, but Scythes can only from disentangling the truth from the lies. be killed by suicide or by other Scythes. This book is an overall great book that I Cirta and Rowan are selected to become recommend you read as soon as possible. Too Many Tests?!?!

By Grace Stoner a test so why do you also need tests Tusker Tribune Staff on top of all that? I don’t know about you Also, if you do badly on one but studying for tests and test, it can bring your grade down quizzes really stresses me out. by a lot because they weigh more Do you ever think that maybe even though they are the same teachers give too many tests? thing that you do in class every day. I think they are not needed at Studying causes kids a lot of all. If you think about it, they are not stress. I know personally when I get really needed. If they teacher spends home at 8:30 from other activates, I days or even weeks on a topic and throughout have no interest in studying and worrying about a those days or week, you do multiple worksheets test that I have the next day. and assignments on that topic, why do you then In my opinion tests are unnecessary and need to take a test? your grade should just be based off of everyday When you think about it, each of those work like worksheets and mini lessons, instead of worksheets that you do is like a mini-test because having to get a good grade on one test. it is the same thing that would be on a regular Also, some days you just have an off day test. Those worksheets are often even graded like and I don’t want that to affect me for the rest of the quarter.

The Tusker The Tusker Tribune is pub- Tribune Staff lished online and is featured weekly on the Somers Middle Max Harkins School Website. It is entirely Juliana Spano student-written by 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from Grace Stoner Somers Middle School Ezra Weinstein 250 Route 202 Olivia Biolsi Somers, NY, USA. Julia Wilkinson Any SMS student is eligible Nick Herzegovitch to write stories. If interested, Anthony Moschides please e-mail Advisor Dean Sasha Reyes Pappas at DPappas @somersschools.org The Tusker Tribune Page 5 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

Some Quick Observations of Super Bowl LII

By Sasha Reyes points in the fourth quarter Tusker Tribune but were still losing 41-33. Staff The Patriots played their Super hardest, which did work Bowl LII (52) just out in the end. The Eagles, passed. The Phil- on the other hand, played adelphia Eagles and The their hardest, which paid New England Patriots off in a 41-33 final victory. played in U.S. Bank Sta- It’s the first Super Bowl dium in Minneapolis, Championship for the Ea- MN last Sunday. gles. In the first quar- Eagles fans, of ter, the Eagles were win- course, went wild, and even ning 9-3. The Patriots needed a recovery. The overdid it a bit by overturning some cars and Patriots were losing badly with a score of 21-12 climbing on the canopy of the Ritz Carlton Ho- at the end of the second quarter. tel, causing it to collapse. The third quarter, I guess, was their The official parade today was more tame, booster with the score of 29-26, but still, the Ea- even if Anheuser Busch gave a free can of Bud gles were winning. Light beer to everyone who was lining the pa- The Patriots tried so hard with 7 more rade route!

The World think, then all my last-minute scram- Continued Continued from page 3 bling to cram so many desires into such a small amount of time has been For the next few days, you for nothing. live completely in the moment. "I guess life just isn't meant to Wilder and wilder stunts pop into be lived in a week," you tell your but- your head by the minute, and in ler. "Since I've done it all, there's noth- your eagerness to do them all, you ing left. I don't want to die; I want to forget that there's only so many drink my orange juice and keep living. things to do in this life anyway. But besides the drinking of orange And within the next three juice, I have no purpose." days, you have done everything So you drink your orange juice, rub there is to do. Everything. Moun- your eyes, and go back to sleep. tains have been climbed, books have been written, and rainbows * * * have served as sidewalks. Tests have been taken, soup has been made, and songs have been sung. As far as I know, this perfectly completely Nothing is left to do, but you don't feel the way you totally normal person is still lying there in bed. I thought you would. doubt they will ever wake up again. When the Living like this for days was not really world ends, it won't mean a thing to them. But I what I expected it to be, you think. The satisfac- think it's safe to say that we can all learn a lesson tion in completing all these crazy stunts isn't from this person. there. It's more of a hunger to dream up some- Life really isn't meant to be crammed into thing crazy and go bungie jumping off a cliff or a week, especially when the world ends next something. Tuesday. So live life in the moment! Let it flow. And the world ends tomorrow. Do what you desire, but keep in mind that it The next day when you wake up, the sun is won't be everything you thought it'd be if you feel shining brightly through your elephant-sized win- so pressured to get it over with. dow, and the birdies are singing, and your butler Take this lesson and use it. Don't ever feel is holding a tray of hand-squeezed orange juice that orange juice is the only thing you have to live and a million other breakfast items (the orange for. This person's life wasn't really wasted, yet it juice being the most important). The world is still is important to recognize that it shouldn't be re- here. lived. You never know when the world will end; For a moment, you simply stare out the much less your level of satisfaction when it does. window. But all you really see is questions and Just in case, though, make sure there's doubts popping up in your mind like daisies. If enough satisfaction to live off of forever. Good the world really isn't going to end today, you luck! The Tusker Tribune Page 6 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School Michael Jordan Continues to Set the Standard

By Nick Herzegovitch Just to name the important ones. Tusker Tribune Staff Did you know that Michael Jor- He is arguably the dan was picked three in the 1984 NBA greatest basketball player of all draft? Crazy, right? The number one pick time! He has so many awards was Hakeem Olajuwon, also in the NBA under his belt. He has won six Hall of Fame with Jordan. The closest championship rings, six final MVP's, one to MJ's level is Lebron James. He is five regular season MVP's, made 14 all- on the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has won star games, got three all-star MVP's, three NBA championships and five made 10 all-NBA first teams, won a MVP's. Did you know that he wore three Defensive Player of the Year award, numbers? Numbers 23, 45, and 12! Just won two Slam Dunk contests, holds 10 remember that Michael Jordan is the NBA scoring titles, and has retired his number best player of all time and that he will never be on three teams. forgotten. Raisman Commercials Make Continued Continued from page 2 Super Bowl Memorable Aly mentioned all the count- less lives that were abused, and it was all the jury needed to hear. By Anthony spend on average between $5 Nevertheless, the damage Moschides million and $15million. The had been done. So many gymnasts Tusker Tribune cost of each commercial is dif- were manipulated, because they Staff ferent based on the order it is wouldn't speak up for themselves. As we all know, shown during the game. My So this is what I am here to tell you. the Super Bowl was played on personal favorite this year I understand Sunday, February 4th. We was by Amazon. It was hilar- that during your saw the underdogs, the Phila- ious to see ordinary people entire childhood, delphia Eagles, win their first asking Alexa questions, with- you may have ever champi- out Alexa been taught to onship in responding trust an adult franchise as usual, but such as a doctor. history over by alterna- But if anything the favored tive people feels wrong, don't New Eng- with snappy be afraid to land Patri- comebacks. speak up. You ots. That one need to find your The made me voice, even when Eagles, from laugh a LOT. a tricky situation the begin- Com- is at hand. Horri- ning, played more aggressive- panies like Budweiser and ble events occur when someone is ly and were leading into the Doritos have been advertising afraid to express a concern, so don't final minutes. Tom Brady got during the Super Bowl for the Patriots very close in the many years, and it's exciting make this mistake. th Aly Raisman showed in her 4 quarter, but a great defen- to see what creative ideas speech that the USA gymnasts were sive play caused him to fum- they come up with. Some ads strong and wouldn't be foiled by ble and the Eagles recovered are funny while others are people such as . the football. That was pretty informative and serious. Though it isn't just USA gymnasts, much the game winning play, There is no doubt that but everyone. We are stronger to- and the final score was 41-33 because of the major money gether. There is a Mexican saying Eagles. being spent, companies do a from Quiet Power by Susan Cain While the game was ton of research to decide that states Together we are more. It competitive, let's cut to the whether to participate. This is true. Every time someone reaches chase and look at another year over 103 million people out to others for support, the world thing that kept viewers inter- watched the game, and that becomes a better place. ested – the commercials! For meant a lot of great advertis- So think about this moving on with some, commercials are the ing and viewership. All I your day: You've been given a voice, best part of the game. know is, I'm glad these com- so use it. Companies that adver- mercials are part of the Super tise during the Super Bowl Bowl experience!