The Middle School Messenger Valentine Edition A Newspaper by and for Independence Middle School students of the Bethel Park School District Volume 1: Issue 3 February2014 The Truth About Cupid, A Mythological Background Most people probably have heard of Cupid. When you hear his name, you might think of a winged baby with a bow and arrow that you see on Valentine’s Day. But you even if you think you know who he is, you may not know where the idea of Cupid actually originated. You see, in Roman mythology, Cupid was the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection. In Greek mythology, he was known as Eros. Sometimes the god is depicted as a chubby boy or baby, as we best recognize him, and sometimes he is portrayed as a slender, youthful man. Cupid was the son of Venus, goddess of love and beauty (Greek form Aphrodite). Although he was often a minor character throughout mythology, he was known for causing many dramatic romances in various stories. Cupid carried two kinds of arrows: one with a sharp golden point and one with a blunt tip of lead. Any person or deity shot with one of the golden arrows would be filled with uncontrollable desire. Anyone shot with one of the lead arrows would feel aversion and desire only to flee. One of the biggest myths revolving around Cupid is the story of Cupid and Psyche. Psyche was a mortal whom Cupid fell in love with. He would visit her by night, warning her not to look upon him. However, Psyche became worried that her lover was a hideous monster. So one night, she looked at his face. She was startled by how handsome he was. However, disappointed and heart-broken by Psyche’s lack of faith in him, Cupid left her. Psyche searched the earth for her lost love, but she never found him. She finally submitted to the service of Venus, who punished her. Cupid eventually came back to Psyche, and had the god Jupiter make her immortal so that they could be married and be together forever. It’s hard to believe that the character from these stories is the same holiday icon we know. So, maybe this Valentine’s Day, you’ll see Cupid not as a winged infant, but as the god of love. Unpredictable Thing By: Danika Moody My 5 favorite love Oh, no. Here it comes. songs That feeling, that feeling that makes me want to die. by Mia Adams It squeezes my lungs and locks my heart. Hi guys so as you can tell by It’s that feeling of dread I get when I see their eyes and think; the title I am going to be talking “I’m hopeless,” about my 5 favorite love songs of It’s this thing that makes our minds flip and turn upside-down. all time. Hope you like it. It’s this wonderful thing that changes our minds about how we view ourselves: 5. LOVE STORY by Taylor Swift “My neck is too skinny,” “My hips are too fat,” 4.WE FOUND LOVE by Rhianna “My eyes are too small,” “My lips are too thin,” 3.MY KIND OF LOVE by Emeli “That girl is way prettier,” Sande “They’ll never like me!” “She’s much more taller,” 2.LET HER GO by Passenger “My eyes are too green,” On, and on, and on the thoughts drone, 1.LOVE SONG by Sara Bareilles And this thing keeps pulling my heart down low! This unbelievable, thing, this magnificent, thing. That has been my 5 favorite love This horrible, adorable, individually out of controllable thing, songs of all time. I hope you That crawls under my skin and flows through my blood. enjoyed these songs and have a It possess my mind and starts erasing my boundary lines. And this, this thing doesn’t belong here, it wasn’t here before! And this untrustworthy thing is changing me, it’s making me Valentine’s Day Do’s and unsure. My brain is being warped, I can’t think straight anymore! Don’ts And this thing that’s in my toes and my fingers, By Alyssa Iampietro That falls in my tears and is twisted with my laughter, -DO be sure to have a special someone to share Can’t possibly be bad, if it’s making me so bright. Valentine’s day with So how come I’m thinking these thoughts that just, aren’t right? Because this thing that’s crazy, -DON’T sit round all day being lazy eating ice This thing that’s amazing, cream and crying because you're single This thing that started way up above is so unpredictable, -DO share Valentine’s day candies with cute you never know what’s going to come. And this dreaded, messages on them with your love Unbelievably, -DON’T be a candy hog Magnificently, -DO simply share the love Horrible, Adorable, -DON’T be a hater Individually out of controllable, -DO spread the Valentine’s day spirit with your Untrustworthy, sweetie Crazy, -DON’T pretend Valentine’s day doesn’t exist Amazing thing that started way up above, …………………….. is Love……………………… because you think its sappy and overrated… IT NOT… Happy Valentine’s Day! Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 By Alyssa Iampietro So, I am sure everyone has heard of Sochi olympics. They began on February 6, 2014. The closing ceremony is on February 23, 2014. You may find it interesting that 9 people with Pittsburgh connections will be in Sochi and 7 of those people are members of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby & Chris Kunitz will play for Team Canada. Evgeni Malkin will play in front of his countrymen in Russia. Jussi Jokinen and Olli Maatta will play for Team Finland. Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin will play for Team USA, which is led by Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Byslma. Brianne McLaughlin used to attend RMU. She is a goaltender for the US Women’s Hockey Team. They won the silver medal in 2010 and are now going for the gold. Lauryn Williams is trying to make Olympic history. She medaled in the summer games in track and field. If she medals, she will be 1 of just 5 athletes to ever get a medal in the winter & the summer games. If she gets a gold medal, she will be just the 2nd person to get a gold medal in both games. There are a few new sports making their olympic debut. 12 new competitions are: biathlon mixed relay, women's ski jumping, figure skating mixed team, luge mixed team, ski half-pipe (men’s and women’s), ski slopestyle (men’s and women’s), snowboard slopestyle (men’s and women’s) and snowboard parallel slalom (men’s and women’s).[5] There are 15 sports involved, with 98 events in total. That makes 294 medals waiting to be won. All of the sports, including the number of events in parenthesis, they are: 1. Alpine skiing (10) 2. Biathlon (11) 3. Bobsleigh (3) 4. Cross-country skiing (12) 5. Curling (2) 6. Figure skating (5) 7. Freestyle skiing (10) 8. Ice hockey (2) 9. Luge (4) 10. Nordic combined [biathlon] (3) 11. Short track speed skating (8) 12. Skeleton (2) 13. Ski jumping (4) 14. Snowboarding (10) 15. Speed skating (12) Be sure to tune into any of the NBC networks following: NBC (wpxi), NBC sports, or U.S.A. network. What Happened on Groundhog Day By Anna Wynne According to Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous furry forecaster, there are six more weeks of winter ahead this year. Phil saw his shadow at around 7:25 a.m. Sunday, February 2, in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pa., amidst mostly overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-30s. Thousands of revelers showed up for the folksy celebration. According to legend, if it's cloudy when the groundhog emerges, Phil will leave his burrow, signifying that winter will end soon. If it's sunny out, the groundhog will supposedly see his shadow and, frightened, retreat back into his burrow while winter drags on for six more weeks. The tradition is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last six more weeks. Before the event, organizers said the odds of Phil seeing his shadow were good. The groundhog had seen his shadow 100 times, and hasn't seen it just 17 times, according to the Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, the top-hatted gents who handle the animal and translate his forecast. There are no records from many of the early years. Interestingly, the event also marked the first time Groundhog Day and the Super Bowl fell on the same day. The closest the game previously came to coinciding with Groundhog Day was in 2009, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in the Super Bowl, the night before Phil's forecast. Sunday night's game featuring the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., was the Super Bowl's 48th installment, while Phil has been predicting the weather since 1886. Divergent, The Next Hunger Games? Calling all Hunger Games fans! Get ready for a dystopian thriller that could be as big of a worldwide phenomenon as The Hunger Games. Divergent, based off the bestselling book of the same name, is the first in a new saga. In a futuristic Chicago, society is divided into five distinct factions based on personalities.