The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

Volume 3, Issue 7 http://somersschools.org/domain/995 Winter 2017 It’s Frog Dissection Time!

By Allison Zattola With a partner, we will dissect the frogs and Skylher Reyes and look inside of them. We will observe the frogs Tusker Tribune and take further looks at them. Staff Writers We’ve also heard that the only bad part This week and next about frog dissection is the smell. The frogs often week, all the seventh grade smell like vinegar and might give you a headache. classes will be dissecting frogs. But overall the inside of the frogs are clean We dissect frogs because their . . . besides the smell. insides are the most identical to ours. Dissection—Pros and Cons By Ray Mandel-Mueller ence experiment. This helps when doing

Tusker Tribune Staff Writer labs later on. The Tusker Tribune Around now, the seventh Cons of Animal Dissection Staff

grade is fixated on the frog dissec- The first con of animal dissection is Sabrina Cheung Nick Cirillo tion part of the science curriculum. The that it is cruel to the animals. The animals Ray Mandel- th Mueller date of this dissection is on January 27 are often treated cruelly through their Allison Zattola Skylher Reyes this year. Many students have conflicting lives, then killed cruelly. There are almost Jesse Heller opinions on animal dissection. These are six million animals killed every year for the pros and cons of animal dissection. students to dissect! The second con is that the killing of Pros of Animal Dissection animals is not needed. There are many One of the pros of animal dissection online dissection websites that do not re- is that the hands-on experience may make quire an animal to be killed every time it easier to understand anatomy. The visu- someone uses them. There are also models al context helps some students understand that can be used to simulate the dissection. anatomy better. The models and websites do not require the The experience of touching the ani- mass killing of animals each year. mal makes it easier to remember lessons, Lastly, dissection is expensive. A The Tusker Trib- also. Lastly, it helps some students prepare dissection set, although only purchased une is published online and is for tests or exams on anatomy. once, costs about $1000. Then, a three year featured weekly on the Somers Another pro of animal dissection is supply of frogs costs about $1500, and a Middle School that it may encourage students to enter the three year supply of pig fetuses costs Website. It is entirely student- biology field or motivate students already $3000. Now, say a science teacher works written by 6th, interested in biology. A student thirty years, and does a frog dissection 7th and 8th grade students from may, after seeing how complex the ani- once per year. That is about $16,000 dol- Somers Middle mal's body is, want to learn more about an- lars spent on frog dissection during that School 250 Route 202 imals, and therefore biology. Lastly, a stu- teacher’s career! Somers, NY, USA. dent who is already interested in biology In conclusion, there are many pros Any SMS student may find more motivation by actually get- and cons of animal dissection. A benefit of is eligible to write stories. If inter- ting to experience the lesson. animal dissection is that it is educational, ested, please e- Lastly, the dissection helps imple- and a con of animal dissection is that the mail Advisor Dean Pappas at ment the scientific method and procedure. killings are cruel and unnecessary. These DPappas The fine details and precision teaches stu- are important things to consider before dis- @somersschools dents to be methodical when doing a sci- secting the frog. .org Page 2 The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School It’s Down to 4!

By Jesse Heller set the pace of the game. Dak Prescott also proved Tusker Tribune Staff Writer that he is not just any lucky rookie The first game on Saturday be- that somehow got his team the one seed, but he is tween the Falcons and Seahawks was a a quarterback who knows how to fight. great game in the first half until the Fal- The Steelers/Chiefs matchup was also a cons pulled through in the second half. Seahawks great game. The Steelers dominated offensively kick/punt returner Devin Hester had some amaz- for the most part but they just couldn’t get into ing returns that would have brought Seattle into the end zone. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was 6 great field position if they had not been called for 6 scoring all 18 points for the Steelers. The back by penalties. P Chiefs meanwhile didn’t have as good of an offense Penalties were a big reason why the Hawks as the Steelers but the defense didn’t let them get lost but as I said last week, the Falcons offense is into the end zone, allowing the Chiefs to stay in amazing and they proved just that by the game. The Chiefs scored a scoring 36 points as well with Matt with a little under 3 minutes left and need- Ryan throwing for 338 yards to 8 dif- ed to get the two-point conversion to tie the ferent receivers and 3 . game. The Chiefs got it at first, but due to Saturday night’s game be- a holding penaltythat had nothing to do tween the Patriots and Texans wasn’t with the play, they had to try again and as bad as most people thought it failed. The Steelers went on to hold the would be although the Patriots still won by a com- ball and win the game. manding 18 points. Patriots quarterback Tom Overall, it was a great weekend of exciting Brady had thrown only two intercep- football and Jesse’s Pick went three for tions all year but threw two more in four getting the Packers and Cowboys just one game. Dion Lewis was really matchup wrong. the star of the game though having a Conference Championships 98 yard kick return, a 13 yard touch- The Conference Championships are down catch, and a 1 yard touchdown this Sunday and three of the four quarter- rush. He is the only player in NFL backs competing have a ring. All four postseason history to get a kick re- teams have amazing offenses and it all is turn, receiving, and rushing touchdown in one going to come down to whose defense can come game. through and make stops when needed . I predict Since the Steelers and Chiefs game got both games will be high scoring. moved to Sunday night because of an ice storm, The NFC conference championship game the Cowboys and Packers were the first game on takes place on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 which Sunday. These were two great offenses against features the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta each other and it was a high scoring game just like Falcons. The Packers are coming off a tough victo- I thought it would be. This was definitely a very ry whereas the Falcons had a little bit of an easier exciting game. game. and Matt Ryan are argua- The Packers were up 15 points going into bly the two best in the league this the fourth quarter but then Dak Prescott and the year and I think it will be a quarterback duel. Cowboys said came back to tie up the game with Packers receiver Jordy Nelson is not ruled out for about 4 minutes left. The Packers answered back the game yet and that would be a huge addition if with a field goal followed by a Cowboys field goal, he is available. and Aaron Rodgers had 35 seconds to do his thing. The Falcons have a better running game With 12 seconds left, he made an extremely than the Packers and if they watch film from the athletic play by running to his left and throwing a Cowboys and Packers last week, they might be bullet with his right hand to tight end Jared Cook wise enough to control the clock. I think this will who caught it while keeping in bounds, leaving be a VERY good game of football but even though just three seconds on the clock. Packers kicker the Falcons are home in the end, I really believe Mason Crosby then went on to kick a 51 yard field that Aaron Rodgers will come through just like he goal that started wide left but then sailed enough did against the Cowboys and win again on the to the right to split the goal posts to win the game. road. Jesse’s Pick: Packers. I think that the Cowboys needed to feed Ezekiel Elliot the ball more in the first quarter to Continued on page 3 Page 3 The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School The Eyes of Fire By Nick Cirillo JEREMY!!!! - and as soon as I am outside, into Tusker Tribune Staff Writer the yard (or rather, the new and improved for- I wake, realizing what I est of doom trees with giant spikes instead of failed to remember, the most im- branches and knife-sharp sheets of silver for portant thing since the beginning of leaves) and immediately hear a howl like a pack time itself… Today was Saturday! of wolves. Which, ironically, is exactly what sur- Struggling out of bed, I walk to- rounds me, stopping me from completing my ward my doorway on the right, like any heroic escapade of getting out of this living Ar- other day, and - Ouch! I slam into the mageddon and finding the FBI. wall, my head throbbing like a dement- The wolves, with their porcupine-like ed alien egg about to hatch. I must be out of it to- quills replacing fur and their flaming eyes like the day, I think, and walk towards the sliver of light demons before them, growl and pant, watching, on the left. I open the door quickly, without a the collective stare like a million gods ready to noise, so I can live in peace for ten minutes or so smite me from above. And I do the only thing I without my parents nagging me to make breakfast know how to: I burst into flames, stomping, tear- (What is this, Chopped!? I'm only 14 and I'm ing, throwing, blasting molten lava from my hands forced to do all the cooking around here) and walk and eyes, destroying the wolves, as I realize the into the strange, crooked hallway. I shamble down truth. the drastically tilted steps and walk into the de- I am one of them. molished family room. Wait. WHAT THE I jolt up in my bed, a cold sweat on my face. I BLOOD!? My house is not at all this way. calm my heartbeat and remind myself that it was "MOM! MOOOOOOM!" I scream, confused and a nightmare - See? The door is on the right. My afraid of this new place. I see my parents' room's clock reads 2:07, and my phone lies on the desk door open, and my parents walk out. Same with with a million notifications, everything from Snap- my brother's room. Except for the fact the my par- chat to Trivia Crack to iMessages. Kids never ents aren't demons with huge wings, ethereal pur- sleep, huh, I think. I glance in the mirror in front ple mist floating around them, with fiery satanic of my room, and to my half-awake mind's horror, eyes scary enough to make most adults hide in the leathery, bat-like wings unfurl behind me, I feel a closet and cry. (Maybe my brother is, though, but I pressure lift off my shoulder blades, and I see my digress, as I'm kind of about to die here.) I run, fate. outside, and the demons scream my name— I see my eyes of fire.

Playoff Update last week. He got knocked down ‘I Love You’ a couple times and wasn’t very From page 2 happy. I think the Patriots will The AFC conference go heavy on Dion Lewis and Jul- By Sabrina Cheung championship take place after ian Edelman and the Steelers Tusker Tribune Staff the NFC at 6:40. The Pittsburgh will be in trouble if they can’t Writer Steelers and the New England find a way to stop them. Howev- Patriots battle for the AFC title. er, I don’t think the Pats will be “I won’t” able to stop the Steelers offense “No” The Steelers are made up like the Chiefs did in the red “I can’t” of the three B’s (Ben, Bell, and zone especially running back “Stop!” Brown) who have carried this Le’Veon Bell. “Go away” team to where they are now. When Patriots coach Bill “I hate you” The Steelers know how to drive Belichick was asked about how “I don’t the ball down the field but they much home field advantage want to” have to work on getting into the would help, he replied “I don’t “Please?” end zone. I’m sure coach Tomlin know. Go ask Dallas and Kan- “I’m sorry” is working on converting this sas City.” Belichick was obvious- “I love you... week because if they don’t, the ly trying to be modest but I real- ” game will be out of hand for the ly think the Steelers offense is “I love you too” Steelers. The Patriots mean- going to get in the end zone this “Wait so that’s a yes?” while are the favorite to win but week and pull off a victory on the “No. Clean your room.” had a rough week road. Jesse’s Pick: Steelers.