CHATHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL CMS-7 Press

SC HOOL 2 0 1 1 - 2012, ISSUE 6 J U N E 2 0 1 2 DISTRICT Is This World War 3? Tensions in the Pacific OF By Parsa I. and Liam R. THE War: it all starts with simple tensions. These tensions can range from racism, to anger and in this case, a CHATHAMS territorial argument. Although war may still be far away, tensions have started to rise in the Pacific. The tensions have recently begun rising between China and the Philippines, and now the United States. The United States of America wants no war and China and the Philippines want to keep the peace, but it is only a matter CONTRIBUTORS: of time until the tensions explode into a devastating war. The result of a war will not only affect the coun- MEDIA LITERACY tries, but the lives of many including yourself. Even though there may not be a war or even one for a long time, with tensions rising in the Pacific, who may know what the results might be? CYCLES 6 & 7 Lately, the Philippines have accused China for being overly aggressive of staking its claims of the Spratlys STUDENTS Islands in the South Sea, which some countries including the Philippines, also claim parts of it. However, a FACULTY: showdown recently occurred between the Philippine and Chinese navies when a Filipino patrol cruiser found illegal Chinese fishermen in the highly contested South China Sea, also raising the tensions. The tensions rose J. FERREIRA again after the U.S. announced that it would yet again launch the joint U.S.-Philippine war games. The war games are an annually large-scale military exercises, which will be held in the South China Sea. It will consist of about 7000 U.S. and Philippine soldiers. No one wants to face a war, but as tensions start to rise in the INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Pacific, the more dangerous the consequences will become. Usually, when conflicts or tensions occur, there are two sides of the story. Besides the different sides of a Current Events 1-6 story, there is an accuser and the accused, and in many cases they vary. In one case, the accused was the crew of the illegal, Chinese fishing vessel, and the accuser is the state of The Philippines and her allies. The Weather 6-7 incident in question occurred on April 8th, when the flagship of the Philippine navy, an old U.S. coast guard cruiser, intercepted an illegal chinese fishing vessel. The conflict escalated when the Chinese navy sent two Technology 7-9 armed observation ships to the area, in order to seize the fishing vessel from the Filipino flagship. Tensions began to wind down when a Filipino diplomatic ship relieved the flagship and the fishing boat was released after a brief inspection, and deemed to not be a threat to shipping and trade in Philippine waters. The area Sports 9- in question is the South China Sea, which has been disputed between the Philippines and The People's Republic 16 of China, since after the second world war, when the Philippines became an independent country. This is not the first incident of conflict in the South China Sea, as China and the Philippines have been in the United School Matters 16- Nations courts several times to try to gain possession of the resourceful, rich area. These cases are mostly 19 indecisive, although in recent times the Philippines are making more progress with help from the United

States. Although China has picked fights with other Pacific nations, its conflicts with the Philippines have been Entertainment 19- the most long standing. 29 No man favors war. However, the big question is how far will the countries go, and what might the conse- quences of these actions be? Escalating the conflict, the U.S. announced that they would back the Philippines and move 10% more of its navy to the Pacific region. P A G E 2 fraught with uncertain political implications. He had been under pres- In addition, American leaders announced that they sure to lay a clear opinion on same sex marriage that week by en- would prepare several hundred ICBM (Intercontinental dorsement of Joe Biden and other top advisors. After some years of Ballistic Missiles) for armament and launch. Washington discussion between friends and family he now personally believes same sex marriage should be allowed in all 50 states. He is the first sitting also announced that they would invest over $50 billion US president to announce publicly the support of gay marriage. Al- over the next ten years to expand America's nuclear though he opposes the Federal Defense Marriage Law, suggesting a arsenal, right after, Russia announced that it would marriage is between a man and woman, he is not saying they must support China in the event of U.S. intervention in the change the law. He believes individual states should approve of it. conflict. Within days China has started accusing its own In 2008 Obama did not support same sex marriage, but did sup- citizens of spying for the U.S. and has already arrested port the civil unions. At the time he mentioned his opinions about it several government officers for treason. With the were „evolving‟, and not yet formed. Many people in the US took this as another way to imply he was moving towards an opinion. He has world mobilizing its arsenals, one should wonder if a explained that his opinion was influenced from members of the gay brutal war may erupt. Right now, China and the Phil- community in the military, and friends who had raised children in same ippines have rough tensions rising between them. They sex relationships.The recent change of opinion puts Obama square at have been in conflict for a while, and situations do not odds with Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president. Romney‟s seem to be easing between them, as Chinese leaders stance on this controversial topic is that he believes marriage is be- claimed they would. Recently, the United States of tween a man and woman. Recently Obama's stance on the matter has been positive regarding his possible re election for 2012. This may America has gotten involved in the rising conflicts in mean a turnaround for Obama. the Pacific. From announcing that they will participate In a Gallup poll, 50% of Americans believe that same-sex mar- in the joint U.S. and Philippine war games to the riages should be recognized by law as valid while 48% said this type expanding of their arsenal, tensions between the US. of marriage should not be legal. But a CNN poll taken in late March and China have increased a frightening amount. Even has shown the statistics to be tied. There was also another vote in worse, Russia has started to participate in the conflicts North Carolina, suggesting a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in and the rising tensions. It has only been a couple of that state. Obama was disappointed by this. He has described the matter as discrimination against gays and lesbians. decades since devastating war had affected many of President Barack Obama‟s support towards same sex marriage in the countries. With the tensions rapidly increasing, all 50 states has given him more chance of reelection in the year of other countries might get involved. If conditions con- 2012. Mitt Romney‟s stance on marriage is that a man and a woman tinue like this, there would be a frightening, high should be wed, while Obama supports both. Obama‟s opinion is helping chance of a war. It all depends on the actions that his chance at reelection. take place, and when the breaking point of peace is for some. Having a war will affect the lives of many Chinese Activist Escapes from House Arrest human beings. Hopefully, we can keep war in the past By Mimi K.

After a long 7 years under house arrest, Chen Guangcheng, a human rights activist, snuck out of his home with his family during the Obama Supports Gay Marriage in 50 States night and was driven to Beijing. The blind 40 year old has a faithful By Kelly A. and Judy L. wife and 2 children. In September of 2010, Chen was put on house arrest for speaking out against the Chinese 1-child policy and alleg- ing that Chinese Linyi officials were engaged in forced abortion and In recent news, President Barack Obama has given his sterilization. He did not think this was right because the current stance on the controversial topic of allowing gay mar- population of men is far greater than that of women, and people riage in all 50 states of the US. He‟s stated this just are upset that they can only have a single child. He considered this six months before the presidential election in Novem- very unjust. On the night of April 22, 2012, he and his family fled ber, their home to head to the U.S. Embassy.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 3 When he arrived, he asked for temporary protection and shelter so he could negotiate with China for his permanent freedom. They have now agreed to let him go free.

Many people did not agree with the United States‟ decision to protect him while he worked things out with his country. It was a risky move, because if it had not gone well, he would have severed the relationship with the US and China. Though, as it not do any damage, Chen might become an advocate for strengthening our connection with China. The subject has people debating whether or not he can help us and if the U.S. Embassy made the right choice. Coincidentally, he escaped only 2 days before Hillary Clinton left for meetings in Beijing. It was not meant to be this way, and it did not stop her from attending.

The big question now is how Chen is planning to accomplish his goals and keep working. His wife has been a huge help. From they began this quest together 7 years ago to today, she has stayed by his side the whole time. Since he is a self-taught lawyer, he doesn‟t have a formal degree, yet New York University has offered to take him as a law student. A friend, also co-director of the US-Asia Law Institute at NYU, Jerome Cohen, claims that Chen has all of the qualities that they want for a lawyer. The traits he possesses are being realistic, though only to a certain degree, captivating, yet modest, and determined. “Thousands of thoughts are surging through my mind,” Chen enthused as he thought about his future as a lawyer and being able to help fix China‟s problems. He took up NYU‟s offer quickly, and the university said they were delighted to host him. Hopefully, Chen can put the past behind him and focus on his vision.

Though Chen and his family have endured unthinkable things and isolation, this is a huge step forward in his mission to make China a better place. With tons of support from America, human rights activists, and Chinese people who agree, the sky is the limit. His brother, Chen Guangfu, was also able to escape his guarded village from house arrest. He wanted to help his currently detained son have justice. He was arrested because he attacked 2 undercover police officers who were searching his home to find his uncle, Guangcheng. The Chen family is grateful that people have been on their side and that his message is becoming known and very popular. Hopefully, in the future, everyone will be able to have as many children as they please and have whatever gender they want without being forced to have an abortion.

Flesh-Eating Disease Requires the Amputation of Woman‟s Limbs By Teresa C. and Margaret H. Tragic accidents happen daily, and when they do happen, they can be devastating. This is the case with a recent zipline accident, which occurred on May 1st in Georgia. A woman got cut and a disease came in through the wound. The disease contracted was a serious one, a flesh-eating disease. It is called “necrotizing fasciitis.” It is extremely rare, and there are not many known treatments for it. Because of this, the few cases that occur are oftentimes fatal. Hopefully, the most recent case will not end so.

In early May, a very serious case of this rare disease was discovered. A 24-year-old Georgian woman named Aimee Copeland received a gash wound in her left leg from falling off a homemade zipline that snapped over rocks on the Little Tallapoosa River in west Georgia. Unbeknownst to her, a malicious flesh eating disease entered her body through the wound. Even after the gash was stapled back together at the hospital, Copeland complained of chronic, severe pain in her leg. After the wound was inspected once more, the bacteria was discovered and she was quickly diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis. When Aimee was told that she was required to have her hands and remaining foot amputated, she spearheaded the operation by mouthing to her doctors, “Let‟s do this.” She is now off her ventilator and on breathing on her own. Copeland has sat up in a chair for five hours without aid. She has talked, but with a hoarse voice. Her first words were, “Hello. Whoa. Wow, my mind is blown.” She is on her way to recovery, but many others are diagnosed each year in the US and are not as lucky as her.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a potentially fatal disease that targets the fascia; the layer of tissue just below the skin. The bacteria enters the body and destroys this vital tissue layer. It can quickly spread to other locations of the body, as the fascia is located in most parts of the body, being a part of the skin. In 30-40% of cases, necrotizing fasciitis is fatal. This is a very rare disease as well, as it affects approximately 600 people in the US per year. Due to its rarity, treatments beside amputation of the affected limbs is unknown, and, because of this, treatment is very expensive. Some symptoms of this disease are flu-like side effects, redness and swelling. All in all, necrotizing fasciitis is a dangerous disease.

The dangerous flesh-eating disease called necrotizing fasciitis is very rare, but has recently been contracted by a young Georgian girl named Aimee Copeland. Copeland has lost several of her limbs to this malignant disease. Necrotizing fasciitis targets the layer of tissue just below the skin, called the fascia. It is fiercely aggressive and spreads very quickly to all regions of the body. Because treatment is very rare, her fate is unsure. We must hope for her to recover and get better, and keep her in our thoughts. P A G E 4

Four Hikers die on Everest by Tyler M.

On May, 21st, 2012, four hikers die after trying to descend from the great mountain. These four climbers were Song Won-Bin of South Korea, Eber- hard Schaaf of Germany, Shirya Shah of Canada, and Ha Wenyi of China. Statements from the Sherpas involved in this climb reported that the 4 climbers died from altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is a disease brought upon a human being from lack of oxygen. The first signs of this are vomiting, weak- ness, dizziness, and nosebleeds. More severe symptoms include fluid in the lungs and swelling of the brain. Although all of the climbers were as prepared as they could be, no one can entirely prepare for Mount Everest.

The climbers were old classmates from the same high school. A dozen members of the school flew to Everest at the end of March to mark the 50th anniversary of their school by climbing the menacing mountain. Song Won-Bin died on The Balcony, an area of the mountain near the 29,029 foot peak. Won-Bin apparently collapsed and fell off the cliff. Song was missing since that Saturday. Dr.Schaaf of Germany also died on the same moun- tain face as Won-Bin. He did not fall off the cliff though. He died from altitude sickness. Ha Wenyi was also found dead at 28,215 feet as reported by military official, Deependra Paudel. Shriya Shah was found dead on Sunday. All of the deaths add to Everest‟s already high amount of lives claimed on the mountain. Some statistics of Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay conquered the mountain in 1953 are:

187 people have died on their trip to the great summit since 1922. From 1922 to 2001 1691 people have reached Everest‟s summit. In 2004 the death rate fell from 37% in 1990 to 4.4%. These are just some indicators of how deadly Everest can be and how lucky all the people to make it back down are. The human race is always looking for another thrill, whether it be swimming with sharks, skydiving, going hang gliding, of base jumping. It was no surprise that when people found the mountain that they would now see it as a challenge to scale and concur Mt. Everest. Even though Everest is one of the greatest accomplishments in a human‟s lifetime, not everyone is suited for this task. There are many dangers such as, thousand foot casames, all the diseases that come with a lack of oxygen, and snowstorms that can block your view and lead you to stumble off a cliff. The four new deaths on Everest are grim reminders that when you‟re on top of the world, you can also as easily be taken down. Stand Your Ground or Pull Your Trigger? By Kate E.

“Justice for Trayvon!” has been echoing throughout the nation ever since the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin, 17, on February 26th, 2012. Due to the case‟s high publicity, nearly every American has heard some sort of news report or gossip on this major controversy. Questions are rising interminably: Is this injus- tice in relation to Martin‟s African American race? Or as the perpetrator claims, a misunderstanding with an unintentionally awful outcome? The most impor- tant question, however, does not focus on the nature of the crime, but rather the law that argues the shot that killed Trayvon Martin was justifiable. This has sparked a multitude of cries for justice throughout the country. Although, for one to fully understand the argument at hand, one must first understand the background of Trayvon Martin‟s case, and how the suddenly infamous “Stand Your Ground” law applies.

On the fateful night of February 26th, 2012, Trayvon Martin was, for irrelevant reasons, walking in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. George Zimmer- man, 28, was coincidentally the neighborhood watch captain for the night. However, the two individuals‟ encounter was anything but coincidental, for soon after spotting Martin, Zimmerman started to follow the 17-year-old boy. He called 911 to report a “suspicious person” within the neighborhood, claiming his concern was due to Martin‟s wearing of a hoodie. When in contact with the dispatcher, Zimmerman was asked if he was following the alleged “suspicious person”. Once he replied yes, the dispatcher informed him that this was not necessary. Her exact response: “Ok, well we don‟t need you to do that.” Never- theless, Zimmerman continued to follow Martin. Meanwhile, Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend discussing the man, now identified as Zimmerman, who appeared to be following him. Still on the phone, Martin finally turned around and directly asked Zimmerman if he was intentionally following him. The two allegedly fought after this initial confrontation, and later Martin‟s girlfriend recalls that she heard the phone dropping to the ground. The events that followed are unclear, due to Zimmerman being the only witness still alive, for somehow this fight ended with a bullet in the middle of Martin‟s chest. Although Zim- merman claimed that killing Martin was not his intention, many are quick to question his genuity. This devastating incident sparked an almost immediate chain of events, including citizens sending massive donations to George Zimmerman. However, the largest event, and most recent, is the shining of a spotlight on Florida‟s “Stand Your Ground” law.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 5 The “Stand Your Ground” law in the state of Florida is not incredibly complicated on paper, but when it is applied to the brutal murders of human beings, it can be quite misleading. This law states that a use of force is justifiable if “a person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of immi- nent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force...” For instance, considering Trayvon Martin is dead, it is easy for George Zimmerman to claim his acts were in self-defense. However, most would agree that getting in a fight (which is also debatable in this case) is not reason to commit murder, and such acts should not be protected by the justice system. Americans throughout the country, therefore, await the court hearing of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder, but will almost indefinitely use the Florida “Stand Your Ground” law as evidence of self-defense. Similarly, this recent controversy has triggered yet another tragedy, this time in Laveen, Arizona. On April 3, Daniel Atkins Jr., a 29-year-old with the mental capacity of a 13-year-old, was shot. His shooter argues he shot in self-defense. Consequently, this murder marks yet another topic of debate under the umbrella of the “Stand Your Ground” law. Many Americans are asking: How much longer must this go on before justice is finally served? Will America wait for another misfortune to occur before this is put to rest? or will the 31 states with such a law rethink their reasoning? The case of Trayvon Martin has certainly lit a flame in the hearts of many people, but as of now, all one can do is hope for justice. As emotions and opinions continue to surface, the George Zimmerman trial date moves closer and closer to the present. Many have their fingers crossed that this tragic event will mark the beginning of a change in the Florida justice system, as well as that in many other states. As of now, all Trayvon Martin‟s family can do is wait in agony, along with all other Americans who have become emotionally involved. People are also reaching out to the family of Daniel Atkins Jr., and wish them luck. Currently, the country lies in a state of disagreement and anticipation when it comes to the Stand Your Ground law. An unknown verdict hangs in the air, while millions of people across America hold their breath, awaiting the pounding of a gavel, signaling justice.

Saving Innocent Souls by Marina T, Neerali V, and Olivia O We never seem to think about it but, it‟s everywhere around us. They were abused, eaten, and abandoned. Yes, they are housepets. Most people adopt dogs to love them, to care for them, and to welcome them as a part of their family. Some people, however, get pets to abuse them, and neglect to attend to their needs.This has been a problem for a long time all over the world. However, there is a way for people to help stop animal abuse. All around the world, dogs are being physically and mentally abused. In many places dogs are being beaten, hit, and deprived of food and water. In Korea they have their own special way of abusing dogs; Koreans eat them. Before they eat them, they abuse them by cramming them into tiny cages, depriving them of food and water, and kill them by beating, hanging, and burning them alive. For years now, all around the world people have been fighting to stop eating dogs. However, surveys still do show that 20 thousand dogs are being traded for their meat everyday in Korea. Koreans were planning on formally including dogs as livestock. Although it is a cultural matter in Korea, the government is trying to ban dog eating. For a long time now, people in Korean groups have been trying to educate people that dogs are supposed to be pets, not food.

In Berlin, an artist attempted to strangle two dogs with cable wires to be part of a stage production. The artist did that because the play was based on a true story in which one of the characters strangles two dogs. Another dog abuse case was on December 31, 2011, a 64 year old man, Anthony Dupree Jr., starved five dogs, killing two of them. According to the arrest records, it is unclear how long Dupree starved his dogs. There are thousands of other dogs being abused every year, and hundreds more that are unreported to the police.

Celebrity Lea Michele is an animal rights activist. She along with many other famous people are fighting to give animals the rights they deserve. Michele says, "I'm a really big animal lover. My mother always said, 'Stand for something, or [you'll] fall for everything.' I feel like [animals] don't have a voice." Michele has continued to speak out for animals and has always lent a hand to animals in need. Michele later tells PEOPLE that when shooting a scene for Glee at Long Beach, California , she saw a dog left tied to a fence at a school. She felt a need to help this dog, so Michele said, "I made the people at Glee send the dog to the vet, and we had him cleaned up," she says. Pink states, “I‟m making a difference, so it‟s worth it - and I‟ll keep doing it.” Hillary Clinton is also a big animal lover. She cosponsored Animal Fighting Prohibition enforcement Act. Which claimed to get rid of dog fighting, cockfighting, and any other type of animal fighting. Clinton says, “ We must craft policies that honor these bonds.” Many people are standing up for animal abuse and so should you.

What can we do to help? “When my friends tell me they're planning to get a puppy, I encourage them to adopt dogs from shelters,” Pink said. “Shelter dogs aren't scary — they're awesome and really appreciative.” We can spread the word to our friends on Facebook and Twitter about animal abuse, and let people be more informed about the topic. There are many shelters and programs to stop animal abuse such as theanimalrescuesite.com. If you see someone in your community abusing their pet you should immediately call an animal shelter so that they can take the animal away from its owner and save the animal. There is so much you can do to help save the animals. P A G E 6

Also, dogfighting is another issue that you can help stop.The Humane Society has promised to give $5,000 to anyone who reports such actions occurring. In addition, you can also help dogs by adopting them from an animal shelter. This is helpful because, it is providing dogs in need a home where they are loved. It is also helpful because, it is shown that about 4 million dogs and cats that live in shelters are put to sleep every year. Another way you can help is by volunteering at your local animal shelter to help walk a dog or to help educate yourself and your friends about the horrible conditions animals are subjected to every day in puppy mills.

All in all, everyday dogs are being abused and feeling unloved. People abuse their dogs and don‟t to feed them. Also, in other cultures or countries peo- ple even eat the dogs and beat them before they kill them. Dogs can‟t stand up for themselves and fight back, so it is up to us to save them. Little things that we do can change the life of a single dog. The question is: Are you willing to help stand up to the fight of animal abuse? WEATHER

Global Warming: Fact or Fake? By, Timothy R

Global warming is a very controversial subject that there are several different views on. Some say that it is the worst thing that ever happened to the earth. Some say that it is all a government concocted scam used to scare people. Either way, there are some very fanatical supporters on both sides. If you have looked on the internet recently, there are hundreds of websites that tell you that global warming is in progress. Even though many people say it is false, there is actually a lot of information to support it. According to National Geographic, the earth is showing signs of global warming being true. For exam- ple, Industrialization, destruction of forests, and pollution have greatly increased concentrations of water vapor in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, all greenhouse gases that help trap heat near Earth's surface. Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting. For example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later. There are many people who believe strongly in global warming and designate their lives to stopping global warming. It is very powerful topic that many people believe in.

On the other side of the argument, there is the other group of people who strongly disbelieve in global warming.They tend to have different theories on why it is false. Some think that is a government scam to get money. Others think that it is all a publicity stunt. Either way, they have some to believe them. Most of their reasons are actually claiming that the other people are lying. For example, there are claims that “glaciers in Greenland have recently been shown to be getting thicker, not thinner. Same with antarctic ice, which is never mentioned by warming alarmists”. The reason why no one can ever agree in my opin- ion is because everyone says the other is lying. If someone is trying to prove the other wrong then the other says he gave incorrect results. Therefore it creates a cycle of research, tests and false claims. Obviously there is no way for you to tell if you believe everyone. You have to have your own sides.

As you can tell, global warming is controversial and almost everyone has an opinion. Whether or not you have already taken sides or not, you should probably have information to back up your opinion. If you want to have an completely unbiased opinion you should probably do tests by yourself.

Global Warming In this article there is a lot of information about how one person can make a difference in their community and also what efforts have been successful in the past. By, Will R. and Jason Q.

One of the major problems of the globe today is Global Warming, and we took this time to research it. First of all we wanted to inform people about what they could do to help stop the problem. Many strategies are being used to help stop global warming in its tracks. We also researched what efforts have been successful. Global Warming is a worldwide concern that should be stopped in the near future for all the living organisms in danger of its conse- quences. Throughout America thousands of people have tried to help stop global warming in its tracks. Some efforts include reducing our use of fossils fuels, don‟t litter, volunteer for local organizations that help the cause, reduce, reuse, recycle, try to reduce our reliance on A.C. and heating, and buy more environ- mentally friendly products. In all, all of these strategies will eventually help stop this one problem.

CMS - 7 P R E S S For example, if we reduce our use of fossil fuels the whole in the ozone layer will stop it from growing bigger and letting more of the P A G E 7 sun's rays in. These harmful rays are melting the polar icecaps which put the animals of the arctic in danger. Also, it is important not to litter because when you do animals will try to eat it, and since they are not used to these things in their habitat they will get terribly sick. All together, there are many different ways that can stop this huge concern that is Global Warming. To continue, efforts that have helped stop this life threatening problem are being used today. One very effective solution that has been discovered in the past years are solar panels. Solar panels use the sun‟s energy to collect energy for electricity. Recycling is collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility. Recycling helps the earth because it takes a lot of the trash out of landfills, and it also keeps trash out of nature where it does not belong. The Coca Cola company has been trying to make special bottles to help recycling. Also, electric cars can be one of the most helpful efforts today, also, it does not produce fossil fuels which is what many people are trying to cut down on to stop the hole in the ozone layer from growing. This stops the energy emis- sion which is something that has been trying to do. To summarize, many efforts have been successful in the past, such as recycling efforts in companies, electric cars, and solar panels, so many people and companies have been trying to help the cause in many ways.

In all, there are many ways to help stop this global crisis. Global Warming has to be stopped in the next couple of years before it gets worse and wipes out mankind. The main ways that really have helped and can still be helping is recycling, solar panels, and electric cars. Recycling helps the world because it takes all the plastic and garbage to a specific facility were specific materials are able to be reusable. Electric cars can either use electricity from the battery or gasoline they get from a gas station, and solar panels collect energy from sunlight and gives it to anything that needs it and is connected to it. Plus, the many ways that one person can do to make a difference in their community. So if everyone does their part we can have this problem gone in the near future. TECHNOLOGY

The (Social) (Viral) Virus By Akeb C.

Do you have a Facebook account? How often do you use it? Do you check it once an hour? Once every 5 hours? Once every day, wee k, month? Some people check it once every 15 minutes. Facebook can take up hours off someone‟s day. The reason this article is called The (Social) (Viral) Virus, is that Facebook is a very viral and popular website that people check into very often. It can control someone's outlook on society, how drastic someone's life can be, while going on to their deep personal matters. Facebook can show where people live, who they are, where they work, where they are going, their family, their life, and more. It can change someone‟s life, socially and mentally. The reason Facebook is so “addicting” is that Facebook is an open notebook on your social life and what other people think of you.

Some people check Facebook every 5-15 minutes which is going overboard. Mostly teens and young adults are checking their accounts, mainly from mobile devices. The “addiction” of Facebook can beat the best of you. The reason Facebook is addicting is because it shows what's going on in other people‟s lives, including yours. It can usually cause drama that can be unnecessary and/or change your live. To put it in other words, Facebook is a “book” that can show your whole social life. It‟s the only book you read every day. Facebook provides the atmosphere where it‟s hard to walk away from.

Facebook is taking over the world, and that‟s no exaggeration. Everyone from eager-to-fit tweens, to educated business people, to intrigued grandparents have joined this phenomenon. Joining Facebook usually requires a ton of personal information. Including Date Of Birth, Name , Family, Relationships, Where you live , etc. And many people can access it. Even though Facebook has privacy settings, keeping information away from strang- ers can prove difficult. But many people don‟t know this or don‟t think it‟s a big deal. But it is a big deal; teenagers can give a enormous amount of information just by typing their family is going to New York. It hints that their house is empty and someone can easily break in their house because the address Facebook can give. Facebook is not all bad, but what Facebook has to offer is dangerous and addicting. Facebook can make you waste time and cause drama that is un- necessary. P A G E 8

Video Games- Symphony In 64 Bits By Aaron F.

Video games have been considered by many to be practically an art form, and the fact that they have become a part of every day pop culture cannot be denied. Ever since simple, classic games like Pong and Space Invaders, to more modern hits like Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, video games are true, pixellated masterpieces that have lasting appeal. But the question is, why have people become so attached to these multi pixel creations? According to a class survey, the overall favorite video game genre are, with 14 likes and 0 dislikes, platformers. Platformers are a video game genre that involve jumping from platform to platform in order to reach the end of the level. Popular platforming franchises include the Super Mario franchise and Sonic the Hedgehog. The fact that platformers are our class‟ favorite genre is further stressed by the fact that the Mario franchise is the most sold video game franchise ever with 446 million games have been sold worldwide, and four Mario platformers are on the top ten most sold games of all time, (when you have only one per console and no console included games. Such as Wii Sports for the Nintendo Wii) with the original Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System selling the most copies. Trailing close behind platformers are First Person Shooters and RPGs, with popular fran- chises in these genres are Call of Duty and Pokemon, respectively. So, why do we anticipate, play and replay all our favourite games? No matter what, we always find ourselves drawn into the same franchise. Firstly, many people care about the graphics. They always give some sort of hint as to what kind of game it‟s going to be. They can be bright, colorful, and friendly, or dark, depressing, and evil to fit the atmosphere of the game. There is also gameplay and story. Players want the game to feel as real as possible, so the controls and story have to, in turn, feel as real and captivating as possible. If there is no synergy between the two, the experience feels broken and boring. Finally there is the music, usually the music plays to reflect the emotions you feel while playing the game, seem dark and scary, or just those iconic tunes to show the fun and exciting feel of the stage you are in, or the casual tunes you hear in a more relaxed part of the game you are playing. Video games are a popular part of pop culture and have captivated millions with their charm and excitement and many have left a lasting imprint on many. Surveys have shown the the most popular video game genre is platformers; a genre that involves jumping from platform to platform to reach the end of the level. I have also found out why people love video game.It really depends on a combonation of gameplay, graphics, and music. When there is excellent synergy between these three, many people believe you have created a perfect game. Video games have drawn millions into the fun they give us and they will certainly be a part of pop culture for many years to come.

Minecraft: An educational game? By Sean R. and Luis L.

Although Minecraft may just be a game, it is used by some teachers in their classes. Some teachers helped create a mod which can be used to help teach. “Why?” you may ask. Minecraft is educational in many ways. It can be used to improve reading, math, and social skills. Minecraft can also be used to teach Science, Social Studies, and Math (ratios, proportions, multiplying, adding). Not only will Minecraft be a fun game for kids, but they will also be able to learn at the same time.

Minecraft is used to improve many skills. This game is used by some teachers to help students improve math, reading, social, and logic skills. This helps improve social skills because it allows kids to talk to each other with in-game text chat. This also helps improve math skills because kids can practice multiplication and dividing when crafting different items. Some people may build a scene and use animation to create a video such as this. Kids can improve reading skills by reading the Minecraft Wiki to learn how to obtain or craft different blocks or items. It helps improve logic skills also because kids need to use logic to create complex songs with red stone blocks like this song. These skills can be improved with this game.

It is used to teach as it is used to improve skills. Minecraft is also used to teach Science, Social Studies, and Math. Teachers can show kids replicas of different buildings that have such as the Roman Colosseum. It may also be used to explain the Pauli Exclusion Principle. Ratios and pro- portions can be taught with Minecraft also. Kids can use proportions to create scale models of buildings. Minecraft could be used to replicate and teach lessons in this virtual world. Teachers can use Minecraft to teach different subjects.

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All in all, Minecraft is educational. Based on the 25 parent reviews 84% say it is educational. Many teachers use Minecraft as a teaching tool. While some believe it is not educational, many kids have found this to be fun way to learn. As mentioned this game is used to practice and improve many skills by some kids such as math, reading, social, and logic skills. More and more teachers are using Minecraft as it is being discov- ered to be a great way to teach. Minecraft is a gAll in all, Minecraft is educational. Based on the 25 parent reviews 84% say it is educational. Many teachers use Minecraft as a teaching tool. While some believe it is not educational, many kids have found this to be fun way to learn. As men- tioned this game is used to practice and improve many skills by some kids such as math, reading, social, and logic skills. More and more teachers are using Minecraft as it is being discovered to be a great way to teach. Minecraft is a great way to teach kids.

S P O R T S New Poll Shows Tebow is Unfavored By Fans By Van B. & A.J. N. Although stats show better chances for his new team, fans still do not want Tebow in New York.

As of March 21, 2012 Tim Tebow officially became a player for the New York Jets. He was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos but he was forced to play for a different team after the Broncos got Peyton Manning from the Indi- anapolis Colts. After he was forced to be off the Broncos, the Jets traded their fourth and sixth round picks in the NFL draft for him. Although the Jets got Tebow, the fans are not happy with their trade. Last year was Tim Tebow‟s first season in the NFL. He lead his team to the top of his division, AFC West, compared to Mark Sanchez‟s team which only came in second in his division, AFC East. Tebow also lead his team to the playoffs with a win. That is pretty impressive because it is only Tebow‟s first year as an NFL starter. Sanchez and the Jets didn‟t even make it to the playoffs.

Tim Tebow also had a more successful college career than Mark Sanchez. Tebow and the Gators one two national championships during his career. He helped lead the team for one and completely helped win another. Along with the BCS National Championships he helped win multiple SEC champion- ships. He also won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and was a finalist for it in 2009. Along with many other awards and wins Tebow had a very success- ful college career. Mark Sanchez had a very different career. The only major wins that he had was winning three rose bowls. No Heisman Trophies and no National Championships.

Tim Tebow‟s stats show that he is a better player than Mark Sanchez. Tebow definitely had a better college career. He also did far more starting in one NFL season than Sanchez did in three. Although the stats show that Tebow should be the starting quarterback, the fans still want

Maximum Shredding of the Gnar helpers: Terrain Parks by, Timmy A, Michael G, Reid S

Terrain parks have seriously increased in creativity in the past three years. New types of terrain parks are being created all over the world. These include The Streets and the Burton Stash. There is one Streets and are multiple Burton Stashes. Both of these terrain park are based on a certain theme such as all wood components. These parks are extremely unique and are mapped out ingeniously.

The Burton Stash is a truly unique terrain park. They can be found in Northstar-at-Tahoe, California-USA, The Remarkables-New Zealand, Killing- ton, Vermont- USA, and Flachauwinkl, oots. The Salzburg- Austria. Each and every Burton Stash‟s goal is to return snowboarding back to its roots. Stash is made out of all natural features including real wood and snow. Not only is the Stash a great unique terrain park but it is also environmentally friendly. P A G E 10 The Streets is another gnarly terrain park. The theme of The Streets is that all of the rails and jumps, and walls are made out of things you could find in the streets such as a concrete ledges. The only Streets is located in Seven Springs, Ski Resort, near Pittsburg. Some pros that come to The Streets say that it‟s what they would be riding in the west coast or in Canada in real streets. Urban snowboarding is supposed to be fun and accessible however, for riders on the east coast, it is very hard to find right features and enough snow. The Streets allows riders who are looking for urban features to have something to shred. These terrain parks are some of the most popular in the world. They are so popular because they are very different from most other parks. For example, the Stash is made out of all natural features. Also, the Streets is designed to look like a suburban street with many accessible snowboarding features. All in all, both of these terrain parks are unique and have increased in popularity over the past years.

Can London Top Beijing? By, Joe A. and Sam B

The Olympics this year: better than ever? Answer: yes. This year, the organizers of the ceremony will work hard to make it better and more exciting than the past Olympics. The games that will occur this year consist of Soccer, Archery, Swimming,Tennis, Handball, Water Polo, Volleyball, Diving, Badminton, and many more games. This year, the Olympics will be held in London, England. In addition to the Olympics, there will also be the Para- lympics. The Paralympics gives a chance for disabled people to participate in the same types of games, but with altered rules. Moreover, the Olympics in London 2012 will be more exciting, fun, and action packed than ever before! Furthermore, the previous summer Olympics in 2008 were held in the city of Beijing, China. The opening ceremony was amazing with all of the lights, action, and effects. This year in an attempt to top that, the people working on the ceremony in London this year, will try to make it even more memorable, and more exciting then in 2008. The eyes of the world will be in London on July 27th, 2012 for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. The Ceremony will mark the beginning of the 30th Olympiad. It will provide an opportunity for the world to view the ideas, and overall personality of Danny Boyle, his team and the culture of our host city and the UK. Having a disability is not a disadvantage because if you are disabled you will be able to participate in all of the same types of games for the same goal: a gold medal! The Paralympics are the Olympics for the disabled. The games in the Paralympics consist of many of the same rules that are altered for their disability. For example, in wheelchair basketball the players have to use wheelchairs. Some of these games are, Archery, Boccia, Judo, Powerlifting, Ping Pong, Wheelchair Tennis, and many more! Moreover, the Olympics in London, England this year will be better than ever for one reason...the opening ceremony. Many people around the world are counting down the days, waiting to visit and witness a new type of culture. In addition to the opening ceremony there will be both the Olympic Athletes participating, as well as the Paralympic Athletes. The atmosphere at the Olympics this year will definitely be very exciting because everybody watching across the globe, will be waiting to see how London can truly top Beijing! All in all, this year‟s Olympic games will be truly unforgettable.

Brodeur‟s Last Stand By, Brian L,Jimmy C, Chris B

Martin Brodeur fights to win the cup in his announced final season.

In 1995, Devils legend, Martin Brodeur won his first Stanley Cup; just four years into his career. Seventeen years later, Brodeur has high hopes to win it again. Brodeur has played for the New Jersey Devils throughout his whole life, winning a total of three Stanley Cups. During his final season Brodeur‟s fans will continue to encourage him to earn his final Cup. Most hockey fans think that the New Jersey Devils could go all the way.

1991 was arguably one of the best seasons in Devils history. The Devils had just recruited Brodeur, one of the best goalies in the NHL. Brodeur has successfully led the Devils into winning three Stanley Cups. In addition to playing with the Devils, Brodeur has won two gold medals with Team Canada in the 2002 and 2012 winter Olympics. Martin Brodeur is the only goalie in NHL history with eight 40-win seasons. After the Devils‟ third Stanley Cup win, against the Red Wings, Brodeur stated:

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“In the last game against Detroit, the time from ten minutes left to one minute left was probably the longest nine minutes of my life. But from one to zero was probably the greatest time I've ever had. I didn't want the clock to run out. It was such a great feeling: people crying in the stands, people jumping up and down, people cheering. Guys couldn't even sit up on the bench. It was probably the best minute of my life.” Throughout all of Brodeur‟s career in hockey he has created much pride for the New Jersey Devils. This year Brodeur has a chance for his fourth Stanley cup. With the help of Brodeur, the Devils have made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007. With a team leader like Brodeur, and all-star forwards Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils have a great chance of winning the cup this year. As usual, the Devils are the underdog being the 6th seed in the Eastern conference. What many people do not realize is that the Devils have made the playoffs 15 out of the last 16 years and have won the Stanley Cup 3 times in their 30 year history. That is much better than the Devils rival the New York Rangers, who have only won 4 Stanley Cups even though they were an original six team. Therefore, the Devils have one an average of 1 Stanley Cup every 10 years, where the Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cups in 80 years, averaging 1 Stanley Cup every 20 years. To conclude, Martin Brodeur has played for the Devils for 17 years, winning a total of 3 Stanley Cups. As well, Brodeur is one of the best goalies in the NHL. This year, Brodeur‟s final season, he has high hopes of winning another Cup. With Devil fans supporting him, the 2012 season could come with the Devils‟ fourth Stanley Cup.

College Basketball Stars of Tomorrow By Jack L, Pierson C and Petey D

Your High school basketball stars are heading off to college. Since September 2011, many highly recruited basketball stars coming out of high school have been visiting what could become their future colleges. These stars have already decided what college they are going to, while others are still thinking. Players such as Kyle Anderson, Nerlens Noel, and Shabazz Muhammad, are some of these stars commited. Other players such as Amile Jefferson, Devonta Pollard, and Anthony Bennett are players still are considering schools. Those schools are hoping that these players will attend their schools to become the stars of tomorrow. The schools will try to become the best recruiters for 2012 and years to come.

College sports teams that play divisions 1, 2, and 3 have recruiting classes for their sports such as basketball. This year UCLA has the best recruiting class in the nation including Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, Tony Parker, and Jordan Adams. They have not had a class like this since they got Kevin Love. These stars will start playing for Ben Howland and his UCLA team starting in the fall of 2012. Kentucky is still up there at the second best recruiting class with best recruit in America by ESPN Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress, and Will Cauley.

Noel considered the best defensive player going to enter college basketball since Greg Oden. Kyle Anderson who played for national high school basketball powerhouse St. Anthony`s in Jersey City, New Jersey, played point guard there and is 6 foot 7 but shall be playing shooting guard at UCLA. Anderson is known for his great shooting ability and Noel is known for his great shot blocking ability. Also another team with a good recruiting class but is not always a powerhouse is Arizona. The class they recruited is the third best in the nation which includes Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett, Gabe York, and Brandon Ashley. With all the new insane recruiting classes college basketball should have a great year for freshmen. Across the country there are still many players looking to commit to a college, such as Amile Jefferson and Anthony Bennett just to name a few. The players still considering are in the ESPNU 100 which is the top 100 basketball players in the country. Amile Jefferson is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is one of the top players left to commit to a school. Players like him do this because more colleges will try to recruit them if those colleges do not have many recruits this year. This strategy is very smart if their dream college does not have interest in him at first but if that college does not have many recruits will then try to recruit them. Anthony Bennett who is the best uncommitted player in the nation who played high school ball for national power Findlay Prep out of Nevada. Bennett who is actually Canadian is considering Florida, Kentucky, Oregon, and UNLV. Colleges all over the country are hoping that these kids and others will commit to their school.

To conclude, many players on the ESPNU 100 have either committed to your favorite college or others, or still have to decide where they will attend school next fall. Many stars such as Nerlens Noel have decided to go to the powerhouse Kentucky. While other commitments decided to got to lesser schools like UCLA. Still the recruits left still have to decide what schools they want to go to. Because many colleges recruit players for basketball, this allows all the players to live their dreams, and make it to the NBA.Hopefully they will decide by the end of the their high school year. To end with, many of the colleges hope to have the best players and recruits, and the recruits hope they picked the right school to win the NCAA tourna- ment. P A G E 12

13U Chatham Spring Travel Gets Close First Win of the Season Chatham Squeezes a win out of the South Bergen Blue Socks By: Connor W. and Carter T. The ball passes the catcher, and star first baseman, Matt D., takes advantage of the situation and runs home, beats the tag and slides in for the game winning run. Chatham Cougars have just won their first game of the season against the South Bergen Blue Socks. The final score was 10-9, a tight win which was led by Chatham‟s efficient pitching and monstrous hitting. The game started out slow but soon became exciting when both teams began to score several runs, which led to a high scoring game. The whole team worked very hard for the win. Every time the other team scored Chatham matched them. In total there were five lead changes and 18 hits between both teams. Additionally, each team scored 19 runs combined. However, the Blue Sox only scored nine runs which was not enough to stay in the game. In the end, Chatham pulled away with the win.

In total we had eight hits with six RBIs and 25 at bats in all. Even though there were six strikeouts the win was not affected. What did affect the score though, was the 100% stealing percentage by Jack Ma., Carter T.,Connor W., and Jack D. The most important stat however, is the RBI. With an RBI by Jack Ma., Carter T., Donnie M., Matt D., Connor W., and Jack M. Chatham pulled ahead and stayed ahead. Pitching, equally important, was great as well. Connor W. had an amazing four innings on the mound with 13 outs pitched out of a total 76 pitches. Luckily, Matt D. came in and shut the Blue Sox down. With 24 out of 37 pitches strikes Matt D. was just on fire. He even had a one-two-three- inning. The final out was a fastball down the plate which was put in play and fielded by Connor W. at shortstop. He threw to first and nar- rowly beat the runner.This ended the game and gave the Cougars their first win. Chatham‟s coach, Bob Crescenzo, has been a great coach for his first year with the team. He has helped every teammate improve especially, Jack D. and Miles C. He has been a supportive coach. Coach has done his best to make us the “hunters and not the hunted”. Unfortunately we have a 1 and 4 record. We have lost a couple of games that we probably should have won, but everyday we are improving and we hope to turn our season around.

A WINNER OR A LOSER? By Owen C and Conor S

“It's never a relief when you miss a cut. I've missed two of them so far in my career, and neither of them feel very good, especially when you bogey the last hole on both of them. It's disappointing any time you miss the cut because you're here for four rounds to try to compete to [win] and now I don't get that opportunity to win.” Tiger Woods, through the many frustrations he has faced as of late, would like a new victory. Despite some of the mistakes he has made in his career, is he a WINNER or a LOSER? In Tiger Woods‟ recent years, he played very well and had no down thoughts. In Tiger Woods ‟ recent interview he addressed that everyone has a slump and this is what he is calling “his slump”. “It is just like I am starting over as an amateur golfer, and I will get back to my old playing soon.” Tiger Woods isn't going to succeed any more though. In the 2012 masters he had so many chances to get under par but he couldn‟t. His putting was the worst that I have ever seen. Here is a video recap of what happened to Tiger at the masters on hole 16. Ever since Tiger got divorced he hasn't won a major tournament, which shows that he hasn't been focusing on golf as much. Interview with David from Madison Golf Club Q: Did you like Tiger Woods A: Not really but before the whole incident Q: What do you think tiger does wrong A: When he is under pressure he goes back to his old swing that his old swing instructor taught him . So what he needs to do is stay with his new swing. Q: Can Tiger win the Players Championship A: Yes he has a chance like all of the other players do

CMS - 7 PRESS P A G E 13 Plus we have a poll from some Chatham Middle School Students. Tiger Woods can win: 12 votes Tiger Woods can‟t win:33 votes Our poll shows that people don't want Tiger Woods to win and they wouldn‟t forgive him.

All in all, Tiger Woods just needs more confidence while playing golf. “I'm addicted. I'm addicted to golf,” says Woods in a interview in 2006. He made a mistake and he needs a hot streak to ignite his winning streak We all know what Woods is capable of so we should not underestimate his power

Saints Bounty Scandal By, Jack M, Sam O, and Justin C. The New Orleans Saints are involved in a scandal, paying their players extra money to hurt other teams‟ players. This scandal is very dangerous be- cause the Saints are attempting to take out the other teams‟ best players just to finally win the Super Bowl two years in a row. What Sean Payton does not understand is that it‟s not always about cheating and competition, but it took him long enough to finally realize this. Unfortunately Sean Payton had to learn this lesson the hard way by being put behind bars. This illegal scandal has taken a toll on many players and on the 2012 NFL season. The coaches and play- ers involved in the scandal are being dealt with severely by NFL officials.Overall, punishment is being dealt to the players involved, and most of the players targeted have suffered minor or major injuries.

There were many players and coaches involved in this behavior, but there were only a few major offenders. One key coach who was involved in this situation was Sean Payton. Jonathan Vilma was equally as guilty in this plan. Sean Payton was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. He is also considered equally guilty as anyone else on the team who took the same bribe. Another linebacker involved in this issue was Scott Fujita. Fujita also aimed to injure a couple of the NFL‟s key quarterbacks which are Cam Newton, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers. Anthony Hargrove, who is another linebacker, was only aiming to hurt the most important quarterbacks in the league. They were being paid $10,000 cash after the game if the quarterback was taken out by either linebacker. The Saints really wanted to win the Super Bowl so they had to eliminate all of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL. There was punishment to those involved in the scandal. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season for trying to cover up an extra cash payout for those who deliberately harmed other teams‟ players. This makes him the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason. Also, general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the regular season. This is also the first time a general manager has been suspended. Joe Vitt, assistant coach, was also suspended for the first six games. Going further, according to ESPN Stats & Information the Saints became the fourth team since 1980 to give up either a first-round pick or multiple draft picks for a single violation. Some players that were punished for their involvement were Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith, and Scott Fujita. Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season. Anthony Hargrove was suspended for eight games. Will Smith was suspended for four games. Finally, Scott Fujita was suspended for three games. To conclude, all the players and coaches that were in- volved in this scandal were put to justice.

There was a motive behind the dangerous acts of the New Orleans Saints. There is a reason that players were injured from the attacks of the Saints. The reason is that the players were offered extra money to harm the opponent‟s players. This would force them to be removed from the game, which is a disad- vantage to the team that loses the good player. On the other hand, the Saints in this case, would have benefited because the opponent would be easier to beat. Thinking ahead, the Saints were aiming to take out all of the good players and win the Super Bowl. If officials had not realized that this scandal was in play, they might have succeeded. Overall, the Saints were attempting to lower the competitive level from the other teams, to make them rise above and win the Super Bowl.

Some of the Saints‟ coaches and players were involved in a bribery scandal. This scandal consisted of paying the players extra to hurt the opposing team's key players. After this goal was completed, they were to march proudly to the Super Bowl , where they would easily win, with all talented opposing team‟s players eliminated and injured. If officials had not recognised this scandal, the plan may have succeeded. There is punishment being given to those involved. In the future, bounty scandals won‟t occur often, because the Saints have showed that if you get caught you will pay. P A G E 14 Chatham Grad Qualifies for 2012 Olympic Trials

By, Caroline D and Kate P

On Thursday, February 23 at the Eastern College Athletic Conference‟s Long Course Meter Swimming Invitational, Chatham grad and Marist college athlete Greta Leberfinger qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials. She qualified in the 100 meter breaststroke, beating the time by more than .3 of a second. The trials will be held June 25th through July 2nd in Omaha, Nebraska. The race for which she qualified was held at the Naval Academy college pool in Annapolis, Maryland. It is really amazing that a Chatham graduate qualified for the Olympic trials, meaning that she is one of the top swimmers in the country, and even in the world. It is also really amazing to think that this girl is only one year out of high school and already making the Olympic trials. Leberfinger has been training for the trials since that race, and has made much progress.

After the race, Leberfinger said "The cut was like 1:12:19, and I was a 1:11.8.. .I swam in the morning and [my time] was 1:12.66, but I knew later my team would be there to cheer me on. ... When everyone else is doing well, you just get pumped and you want to perform well." Leber- finger is ranked at the top of the nation for her 100 and 200 breaststroke. At the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships held in Buf- falo, New York, Leberfinger won gold medals in 4 events, the 200 IM,200 breaststroke,200 medley relay, and the 400 medley relay. She also re- ceived a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke. Greta Leberfinger was the Captain of the Chatham High School swim team which won the B division state finals. Greta Leberfinger is a great swimmer and will achieve great things.

At the end of the school year, most college students go home to their families to enjoy the summer. Marist swimmer Leberfinger had other plans. "I get a little break now from swimming, but I'm staying here after school for two months. I'll live off campus, start weight training and [go] back to doing mornings and trainings." Leberfinger had a strong plan from the start to make sure that she could do her best at the trials. It included weight training, long distance swimming, sprints, and strength training such as pilates. Since then, she has changed her focus. Now that Greta is only three weeks away from her departure for Omaha, Nebraska, she has decided to change her method a little. Instead of doing mostly long distance, she has decided to focus on the technique of her stroke. This allows her to focus more on each individual aspect of the race. Also, it gives her muscles time to rebuild and strengthen. She is also focusing on her breathing and doing breathing exercises to avoid the anxiety of the Olympic trials. She has definitely come far since she has decided to put her mind to training for the trials, and she will be much more prepared for them.

For the first time, a Chatham graduate has qualified for the Olympic trials, and the entire town is very excited that someone we know has made it this far in swimming. Greta Leberfinger is one of the many great swimmers in Chatham and we are so proud to have someone represent our town and our country. She is very nervous for her trials but is excited as well. We all wish her the best of luck at her trials when she competes against the top swimmers in the country.

Lacrosse: The Fastest Growing Sport in America By Geoff O. Lacrosse‟s origins are traced back mainly to the Iroquoian version of the sport, which was played with a 3 foot long wooden stick with a wooden triangular head. Today, the game has evolved into a fast paced sport still similar to the version used by the Iroquois Indians many years ago. In addition, lacrosse has experienced a period of massive growth since 2001, increasing in participation by 218.1%. Also, the college and elite levels have experienced massive growth. Lacrosse‟s deep roots and evolution have led to a large increase in popularity across North America. Lacrosse was first documented in 1637 by a Jesuit missionary in early North America. The Native Americans called the game “The Little Brother of War”; it also played a very important role in Native American culture. Since then the sport of lacrosse has developed rapidly. First it was modern- ized by the Canadian settlers and it eventually spread to The United States of America where hotbeds were formed in Maryland and New York. Since then Lacrosse has taken off across America. It has seen its popularity increase places like, Colorado, California, Florida and Illinois. Lacrosse‟s proliferation has been mainly due to programs and grants given out by U.S. Lacrosse.

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The programs under US Lacrosse help towns start lacrosse programs by providing players with equipment and money to start a program.They help start youth programs as well as fund high school programs throughout the country. With help from these extremely beneficial programs, lacrosse could see even more of a rise in popularity over the next decade. The college and elite levels of lacrosse have experienced a period of expansion over the last few years. Colleges and universities in the United States have added men‟s and women‟s lacrosse to their school‟s sports offerings. Currently, there are 63 men‟s division 1 lacrosse teams and 93 women‟s divi- sion 1 teams. Perennial college powerhouses such as, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Princeton, and Virginia are starting to be eclipsed by newer programs such as Loyola, Duke, and Denver. College lacrosse has gained a lot of popularity over the years; games have gone from not being on T.V. almost at all, to being regular weekend programming on the ESPN family of networks. ESPN has helped lacrosse‟s popularity increase rapidly over the past decade. In addition, the NCAA championships has gone from being played at small college fields to large NFL stadiums with crowds upwards of 35,000 people. The MLL and the NLL have also experienced a jump in popularity. Their games are nationally televised on ESPN2 and CBS Sports respectively. Lacrosse‟s rise at the college and elite levels has been mainly due to the games being nationally broadcasted. Lacrosse has seen a rapid period of advancement over the past decade. Lacrosse players are no longer coming from Maryland and New York. They are now coming from all over the country. This has been due to the many programs and grants started by U.S. Lacrosse. Lacrosse‟s popularity has been increased by ESPN broadcasting games throughout the country. Lacrosse is no longer a sport enjoyed by the northeast part of the country. It is now being enjoyed by the whole country and beyond.

Saints take a big hit By Nick H and PJ J

Did you notice how hard the New Orleans Saints were hitting over the past couple of years? Well it turns out that the hard hits were for high amounts of money. Discovered by an NFL investigation, the New Orleans Saints were operating on a bounty system rewarding between 22 and 27 Saints players for hard hits and injuring opposing players. For those who don‟t know what a bounty system is, it is a system in which players are rewarded with sums of money for hard hits and injuring opposing players. The system was in place from 2009-- the year the Saints won the Super Bowl-- to 2011, this past season. To begin with, the Saints had to pay for running a bounty system. Defensive captain Jonathan Vilma was suspended without pay for the 2012 season. Coach Sean Payton knew the system existed. He was not involved, although he did nothing to stop it . The Saints franchise was fined half a million dollars and were docked to second round picks in the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts. Joe Vitt, the Saints assistant coach, was suspended for the first six games in the 2012 season. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for one year without pay. GM Mickey Loomis was suspended eight games. Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely. He was also said to be running similar bounty programs with the Titans, Bills, and the Redskins. As one can see, this bounty system is not only effecting the Saints franchise and publicity, it is affecting the Saints‟ staff as well. The Saints‟ bounties have sparked a controversy. Now, many retired players were saying that they were victims of bounties, such as Chris Carter saying that he was to be a victim of one. Also, the Saints have a problem with replacing the suspended players. Most of the suspended play- ers are very important to the saints defense. About 22 to 27 players participated in the bounty system and many of them have been fined or suspended, such as Johnathan Vilma, Will Smith,Scott Fujita, and Anthony Hargrove. Now that the Saints are faced with having to replace some of their coaching staff, they have to find out a way that they will retain or replace these coaches. The Saints‟ assistant coach, Joe Vitt, was named the interim coach after he has served his suspension. Throughout these past couple of NFL seasons the Saints have been running a bounty system. This was discovered shortly after their season ended against the the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL also discovered recordings of Greg Williams telling the players to hurt some of the 49ers key players. Also, during the 2009 season, the Saints defense kept hitting Brett Farve in the NFC Championship game. The Saints will have a tough season this year with all the replacements they have to make. In all, the Saints franchise is being hit harder than they ever hit. P A G E 16 Dress Code Drowns Students‟ Freedom By, Audrey W., Chloe C., and Elizabeth R.

It seems like today all that students at CMS hear is “no”, “inappropriate”, and “disgraceful”. The students are being constantly harassed

about the dress code when the adult authorities here don‟t even listen to them. In fact, adult authorities ignore some major problems that are happening. For example, the economy, fashion today, and that the dress code is biased towards some students. The adults at CMS ignore that some families are going through tough times due to the economy. This makes it hard for them to go out and buy a completely new wardrobe just to make the adults at Chatham Middle School happy. Also, maybe adults don‟t clearly understand that the fashion world is changing. In addition, the Chatham Middle School dress code is found to be biased towards girls. The dress code at Chatham Middle School seems to be biased towards girls. We believe this because only girls, from what we have seen, have been warned or violated. This is because the restrictions the dress code has mainly focuses on girls and has little requirements toward boys. For example, most boys that we interviewed said that it didn‟t really affect them. One male student said “It doesn‟t really affect me because we don‟t wear anything that‟s against the dress code,” which is a true statement. To tie up, we conclude that the dress code is biased towards girls because it mainly focuses on them.

We conducted a survey and asked the class, 16 students, if the dress code is a problem to them. Eleven students said yes, and five kids said no. After gathering this information we decided to get more information. We asked the students three questions pri- vately. These questions were: how does the dress code affect you? Have you gotten in trouble? Lastly, do you find that many adult authorities neglect to find a solution? Three out of eleven kids said that their current clothes were inappropriate. Two of them said they can‟t wear cool hats or lacrosse pinnies. One student said that she loses time to get ready in the morning by trying to find an appro- priate outfit. Six people said that they had to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. In addition, seven kids have not gotten in trou- SCHOOL MATTERS SCHOOL ble, however four kids have. The first time a kid gets in trouble they were asked to change and were warned. The second time they violate the student will change and receive a detention and a parent meeting will be scheduled. The third time is the same as the second time, the student will receive a detention and a parent meeting will be scheduled. The fourth time they violate the student will be removed immediately from school with additional consequences. In fact we are not the only people that feel frustrated about this end result, 10 students feel this way too. Adult authorities are blaming the kids even though its not their fault that the fashion world is changing. We personally believe that it is unfair that students at Chatham Middle School are getting in trouble for this. Adults are not working with the students to come up with a solution. This is a problem because the kids will never follow the rules. In fact, some students are furious about the fact that the adults ignore their request to talk about the dress code. We believe that the adults need to work better with the students in order to make this situation better. Students are not happy with the dress code at Chatham Middle School. The administrative staff says that a reason why we have the dress code is to be prepared for when we're older and we have to go to job interviews. However, by the time we are older, we are going to know how to dress for job interviews. The dress code is not going to help in any way with job interviews, or in ANY other way. Honestly, many think the dress code is completely ridiculous, and most students would agree. However, there is a way to make the dress code fair on the students.The solution to make everyone happy is a moderate dress code. The moderate dress code is a less strict dress code but it still supports appropriate dressing. It would have a lot less restrictions, and allow the students to still have their free- dom of wearing what they would like. With the moderate dress code, students can wear their normal shorts, however if it‟s at the point where the shorts are so short that they show anything but your legs, then that would be a violation. For the shirts, they can not show any part of your stomach and no strapless tops. Also, no low cut shirts. All of these listed would be counted as a dress code violation. For the boys, no hats are allowed while class is going on and no slogans that are not school appropriate. We believe that with this moderate dress code, the students will be happy and the CMS staff will agree. The dress code is making not only the students but also their parents upset. We believe that there is a solution to make everyone happy, including the Chatham Middle School teachers and the administration staff.

The dress code is not fair on Chatham Middle School students for many reasons. With the dress code, it changes a girl‟s wardrobe dras- tically. However, it hardly changes the boys‟ wardrobe. Also, most students agree that it does not affect their education and its not fixing any problems, and if anything it's making more problems. However, all these problems can be fixed with a simple solution. The simple solution is a moderate dress code. Overall, the dress code is seen as too strict towards us students at Chatham Middle School, and we would like to be see something done about it. CMS - 7 PRESS A Principal of Legend leaving CMS by Bennett Shepard

Before the end of next year our amazing principal, Mr. Accardi, will be leaving. This is a very sad moment for CMS because he has been such a great, hard working principal. Although we middle school students may have been in his office before (usually not good), we always felt that he was a fair and generous principal. He always put his students first and conquered the school problems one step at a time. We all appreciate his hard work. From climbing the paperwork mountain or helping unfortunate students, his policies and involvement have helped many students. His policies of no bullying and enforcing the rules of the school in fair ways will never be forgotten. I have interviewed him and a random student to find out what they thought about his time here. We wish he didn't have to leave but sadly it is not our choice. Mr. Accardi has been known for his hard work. He has been with Chatham for 20 years, first as an English teacher and now as a principal .He has cracked down on bullying and shown that schools don't need to have bullies to function. He has stopped most bullying using amazing effort and dedication by making announcements and laying down the law. He has had several assembly announcement programs and other successful activities that have made him the great principal we know today. He also has made new dress codes that have changed what people wear for the betterment of our school. The dress codes in- cluded not having short shorts or long chains. He is leaving in December, but that is some time away. He might even make more achievements to keep the school in line. I have interviewed students to find out what they think about Mr. Accardi. The students believe that Mr. Accardi has done a good job on bullying and has seen many other schools not able to get close to CMS‟ high standard for no bullying. Also, they said that people should thank him for being such a good principal. This shows how much people appreciate him. Most principals don‟t get good reviews from a student because the principal is always supposed to be “the bad guy.” Overall, students have been extremely happy having Mr. Accardi has their principal. Now I have interviewed Mr. Accardi and he has some very interesting information to tell us. When I asked him if he was upset about leaving he was sad but looking forward to a new challenge. Then I asked him if he thought he was successful at his job and he said there is still work to do. He said he would miss the students and staff and their tremendous effort. He also said that his greatest challenge was the increasing number of students. Mr Accardi is still going to stay in education but will not be a principal of CMS. He is also most looking forward to spending time with his family. Even though he is leaving CMS, he is staying in education and is doing what is best for his family. In conclusion we are all very sad that our principal is leaving us. We know he has had a great time here at CMS and will remember us. We, CMS, thank Mr. Accardi for all he has done. He has set a high standard for principals and no one can say he is bad. Although some don't like his new dress code, we all know there was good reasons. We wish him a nice journey through the rest of his life.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS! By: Morgan P., Maddie Z., and Rebecca N. Many people think that the dress code at CMS is unreasonable and think they will not be able to suit it because of today‟s fashions. While certain aspects of the dress code are unfavorable, with a little help from us, your wardrobe will be appropriate for the dress code, yet still in today‟s fashion. Most tops in today‟s fashion have straps too thin to be worn in school, but with our advice, you will be surprised on how you can still be fashionable and in line with the dress code. With the five inch inseam it might seem extremely long, but if you find the right stores you may find what suits your fashion and still applies to the dress code. Rubber soled flip-flops are not allowed in school, but there are many other fashionable flip-flops to choose from. Even though the dress code may stop you from wearing a certain type of clothing, we will give you advice to still dress fashionable.

The rules for the dress code applying to shirts are not very strict, but can still affect your clothing choices. There are many different patterns and colors that are currently in style; one of the colors being seafoam green. The color seafoam green is a very easy color to match with, and is in fashion any time of the year. Additionally, the new pattern in fashion is the Aztec graphic-print. The bright neon colors and detailed design really stand out. It is extremely easy to match with a solid colored pants or shorts. The store, American Eagle, sells many products using the color seafoam green, so you‟ll be sure to find something in style there. There is one top at American Eagle that is definitely dress code appropriate because the straps are more than two inches wide. It is a striped pocket tank with two inch shoulder straps. Along with the tank being appropriate it is also very cheap, and fashionable. With the right information you can be walking down the halls in style, but yet still appropriately dressed.

For shorts, the minimum inseam length is five inches, and it can be extremely hard to find stylish and appropriate shorts. Luckily, J.Crew has many different options in length, color, and size. Their shorts come in many different colors that are in-style. Some colors being neon peach, bright violet, and lemon zest. All are easily matched with the Aztec print or any colored top of your choice. This is good because these shorts from J.Crew are reasonably priced and fit in the budget. Shorts may be the most difficult thing to find but with our suggestions, it will make your shopping a lot easier.

P A G E 18

The only rule that has to do with shoes is not wearing rubber soled flip-flops. Finding non rubber soled flip-flops can be hard. However, the new popular brand of non rubber soled flip-flops is Rainbow. Rainbow flip-flops are extremely comfortable, have a non-slip sole, and come in various colors. They are even sold at a reasonable price. There are also very fashionable sandals for a good price at Hollister. Hollister has a great variety of sandals with many different colors and even applies to the dress code. They have ones with colored bows, and braided brown sandals that can match with your everyday outfit. All in all, there are many stores and different fashionable options to suit the rule for shoes.

Even though the dress code may be strict, there are many alternative clothing options to chose from that are appropriate, yet still fashionable. Tank tops that are less than two inches can be hard to find in some of your favorite clothing stores. For example at American Eagle there are various tank tops with larger straps; fashionable colors and patterns. Also, appropriate shorts can be purchased at J.Crew in vibrant colors and at the right length that suits you. Finding non rubber soled flip-flops is not a big deal, but determining which ones are trendy may be a problem. We hope by following our tips, you will be walking down the halls in fashion the right way.

What Have You Been Eating In Home Ec.? By: Jessica K & Connie H

From Crepes to Mac and Cheese Mrs. McHugh has it covered!

In Family and Consumer Science, students in 6th and 7th grade learn the importance of cooking and cleaning. To be more specific, students learn how to read food labels and food preparation techniques to correctly follow a recipe. To develop healthy food habits early in life, it will help students go forward. Many students have different opinions on the various recipes that are taught in this class. A survey was taken to determine the most popular recipe.

Family and Consumer Science ( also known as Home ec.) has provided many skills that students will use later on in life. Many students do not realize the importance of making healthy choices early in life. In Home ec. students learn how to maintain a healthy diet and choose food that is good for them. For example, in the sixth grade students do a project called “eat this, not that”. In this project you pick two of the same foods, but different brands, and research the food label. After, the students will pick which food brand is more healthy. One other issue that has taken place is that many students have been drink Snapple everyday at lunch. These people do not realize how unhealthy Snapple really is for you. In addition students can make a quick fix by just switching Snapple to water.

Many students have a strong opinion about the different recipes that we make in home ec. We took a survey to determine the most popular recipe in 6th and 7th grade. In the 6th grade the most popular was mac and cheese with eleven votes. On the other hand, pretzels were the least popular with zero votes. In the 7th grade, lava cakes were the most popular with twelve votes, but coffee cake and double baked potatoes were the least popular with zero votes.

Family and Consumer Science is a class where students learn life lessons about food, good choices and proper etiquette. This class is taught by Mrs. McHugh who loves to bake and cook food. Many people in her class have opinions about each recipe they make. Many people in the 6th grade liked Mac and cheese and in 7th grade, lava cakes. Also in this class, students do a project which teaches them to choose healthier brands of food. This encourages students to make better choices so they can maintain a healthy living.

CMS - 7 P R E S S Entertainment P A G E 19 Directioners Have a New Thing to Scream About by, Holly F. and Ariele D.

The new pop icon, One Direction, has blown the minds of thousands of girls around the world for the past year. One Direction consists of five talented guys, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan; one Irish and four British boys. The group has come a long way to be where they stand now; an international pop sensation. They‟ve recorded their first album Up All Night with their greatest single so far “What Makes You Beautiful”. Right now, they are in progress of recording the second half of their second album, which was produced in Sweden. Surprisingly, their first album, Up All Night, was re- corded in Sweden as well. The group has gained huge success through their first album, Up All Night, and they were able to express their true talent, which makes girls all over the world their “number one fan”.

Since the boys of One Direction auditioned and formed on The X Factor, they have made it a long way. In The X Factor, only the winner is supposed to get signed by a producer and One Direction only got third place, but since Simon Cowell was convinced that One Direction would be the next new boy band, they were signed by Syco records. One Direction‟s first album, Up All Night, has undergone great success. Their hit single, “What Makes you Beautiful” has reached #5 on the US top 40 Mediabase radio airplay charts. Also, another song, “One Thing” hit #29 on the charts on May 31st. Fans all around the globe know all the lyrics to their first album and they can‟t stop listening to it. Their album has reached #1 in multiple countries including the US and they have sold around 600,000 copies. They are currently on their tour in America and next year they will continue their world tour. The fans can‟t wait for the second album to release.

Niall Horan tweeted, “great day soo far in the studio!! Got some crackin tunes on the way!.. its been a while since we‟ve been in the studio.. great t be back,”. He tweeted this the first day One Direction started recording. The next day seemed to go well because Niall tweeted again, “Another amazing day in studio with rami,carl and @savan_kotecha , got some sick tunes for next album, and for you to hear worldwide on tour.” They believe that it is great to “think outside the box.” Niall Horan told Digital Spy, “„It would be weird if we did something with Eminem. You have to think outside the box! Can you imagine One Direction and Eminem? That would be hilarious.‟” After their ten day break, One Direction has booked a couple days to record their new album with several Swedish producers. The boys of One Direction hope to have the new album out later this year.

One Direction has come a long way from being contestants on the UK X factor in 2010. Now they are the most popular boy band in multiple international countries. Their second album makes fans so anxious they want to break into their recording studio. After great success from their album, Up All Night, the fans have been hooked to the newest boyband, One Direction. Hopefully, their new album will be finished before they start their world tour in 2013.

Direction Infection in the U.S. by Caroline H, Caroline V, and Emily L

On July 23, 2010, five hopeful boys became One Direction. After placing third on the popular British television show, The X-Factor, they quickly rose to fame all over the world. Selling out tours in Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and America, One Direction is currently performing in the U.S. for their Up All Night U.S. summer tour. One Direction is made up of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. The singers of One Direction started out as solo artists and were put together as a band in boot camp July 23, 2010 at 8:22 pm. The boys came in third on the X- Factor and Simon Cowell's record label signed them. After the X-Factor was over, the boys did an X-Factor tour that went through Ireland and England to their hometowns. Soon after their album Up All Night went to number 1 on the U.S. charts, the boys toured with Big Time Rush as the highlighted act. The boys also performed on The Today Show in New York City. Not only did the boys perform on the New York City Today Show they also got interviewed on the Australia Today Show. In all, the boys have been very, very successful. Some people have even described them as the next Beatlemania because they have become so wildly popular. Since the X-Factor, two years ago, One Direction has become very successful and have sold out their 2012 summer tour. The boys have even had to add dates to their 2012 and 2013 tours. Currently there are 31 concerts for the tour traveling to 22 cities. In the concert, each boy gets a solo of a song they choose. One Direction has been extremely successful with their album Up All Night releasing it in the U.S. on March 13, 2012 through Columbia Records. In its first week of sales, the album sold 176,000 copies in the US, it also went straight to number one on the Billboard 200. Their first single, “What Makes you Beautiful” won a BRIT Award for Best British Single at the 2012 Brit Awards. Their first hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” went number 1 on the US charts on September 11, and it is still in the top 10 on iTunes. As of June 5, the boys are almost done recording their second album. P A G E 20

The 2012 US tour started on May 22 in Uncasville, Connecticut and there is a long list of tour dates. One Direction's tour will stretch 166 days, ending on December 3. This will not be the end of American touring, as they will return in 2013 for another summer tour. With tickets selling out in minutes, One Direction has had one of the most successful bands to tour in history. They sold out Madison Square Garden, the third largest venue in the world, in one minute. The boys will be performing songs from their album, Up All Night, and several covers of other popular songs.

One Direction has become very popular all over the world. With sold out tickets in every venue, a space at one of their exciting concerts is nearly impossible to find. Thousands of fans are extremely excited and crazed by everything about One Direction. If you are as crazed over One Direction, as we are, then we are sure you want to go to their concert. But of course you need tickets to be able to see One Direction on their Up All Night tour. There is a way you can go. You can win tickets from your local radio station. For example, in New York and New Jersey there were many chances for people to win tickets on radio stations like 92.3 Now and Z100. People did win tickets of those stations to the IZOD center and Beacon Theater but those concerts have already passed. If by chance you don‟t get the privilege of seeing One Direction in concert, you‟re not completely out of ways to be a part of the experience. There is now a new One Direction concert DVD that allows you to be involved in the concert you missed. So if you have the One Direction infection and want to meet your 5 favorite boys, don't lose hope because One Direction is here to stay.

Ghost The Musical: paranormal love vs. real love By: Jacob F

The new musical Ghost is a paranormal love story for all ages. This new musical is based on the 1990 film. This musical has great special effects, music that gives goosebumps because it‟s so spectacular, fantastic talent , and amazing sets. This story follows Sam Wheat, a banker, and his girlfriend Molly Jenson, who is an aspiring artist. They live together in New York City and are madly in love. While walking one night, Molly and Sam get mugged. While defending Molly, Sam gets shot and dies. Now Sam is stuck in his body as a ghost. No one can see him and no one can hear him. That is until he comes across a faking physic, Oda Mae Brown, but she can hear Sam. Together they figure out who killed Sam and why. Brown also helps Sam to communicate with Molly.

First of all, this show is filled with remarkable talent. The cast is filled with Broadway greats, such as Caissie Levy as Molly Jenson. Levy has been in the Broadway scene in many shows. She made her mark on Broadway as Penny Pingletin in Hairspray. She was also in Rent and Wicked. Another actor in this show is Richard Fleeshman. Richard is from Britain and has Broadway passion in his heart. He was in Coronation Street, Legally Blonde the Musical and he originated the role of Sam Wheat in Ghost the Musical, which he now stars in on Broadway. The last and most memorable actress is Da‟Vine Joy Randolph, Oda Mae Brown. After graduating from Yale drama school she went to London to play Oda Mae Brown in the London Production of Ghost then she made her Broadway début in the Broadway production of Ghost the musical. This cast is fantastic and make the 1990 movie come back to life.

Additionally, the special effects and music is just as amazing as the acting. This show is a very cinematic show. For instance, when Oda Mae Brown is singing her song, it has a music video feel with the lights and a green screen is projecting backdrops such as music notes. Instead of sets they have the green screen projecting screens like city skylines and other screens that set the scene for musical numbers. The special effects are amazing. Like when Sam is a ghost, he walks right through a closed door. The music is also one of the prized possessions of this new and improved musical. Songs such as “Here and Now” are meaningful and very moving to the audience. If you watch the trailer you will see that the show‟s sets and music is spectacular.

This show is a must see. The cast is magnificent with amazing voices. The sets and music are also one of the highlights of this star dazzled production. All in all the audience has raved about it. Blurting comments out like “it‟s a must see” or “it feels like you are a part of the show” and “unbelievable”. The show is playing at the La Fontanne Theatre and the schedule is 8:00 p.m. on Monday, 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, 8:00 p.m. on Friday, and 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can be bought for $57. So it's time for you to get up hitch a train and go be a part of Ghost The Musical. Take your children, grandchildren, and anybody who loved the movie because this show is one for the books.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 21 Is it Really Just Fun in the Sun...? BY: Katie F., Lizzy D.& Liz F. The beach has a reputation of being all fun and games, but really, it could be a deathbed. There are many dangers lurking in the sea, the sand, and above. Sharks and jellyfish prowl along the coast stalking their prey. The ocean may look peaceful but can cause fatal injuries from shore breaks and rip cur- rents. The sun can cause serious damage to skin if not treated correctly. There are many unknown dangers lingering at the beaches of New Jersey. At the beach, many people have fun playing in the ocean. Little do they know, there is much more than sand and seashells under the murky waters. There are many creatures that linger through the ocean. For example, there are great white, thresher, blue, basking, shortfin mako, and porbeagle sharks swimming in the water. They are all predators that will eat anything that crosses their path. Humans taste terrible to all sharks, especially when they are wearing rubber suits and metal tanks. Despite the fact that they don‟t like the taste, they are still predators that we need to be cautious around. Divers are obligated to be ex- tremely cautious when roaming through the water because they may be accompanied by a vicious shark. To prevent a shark attack, there are many precautions to take. Do not wear bright colors, shiny jewelry, and do not swim very far from shore. Sharks do not have good eyesight, but they can see contrast very well. Also, the jewelry represents fish scales. Sharks eat fish, so looking like one would not be the best idea.

In addition to sharks, jellyfish are also dangerous monstrosities swimming under your feet. There are about 2,000 species of jellyfish in the world and all of them sting. However, only about 70 of these are poisonous and have fatal stings. In New Jersey, there are no deadly species in swimming range. There are only smaller jellies that wash up on the shore. Some feel that tourists believe that jellyfish with no tentacles cannot sting. Unfortunately, they can. If someone is stung, the best way to treat the wound is to put alcohol or baking soda paste on it to release the venom. Most victims are persuaded that if the wound is washed out with water it will heal. However, this is not true. Soaking it with water will slosh around the poison and put it directly into the body. Sharks and jellyfish are always in the ocean and beach goers should be extremely cautious when swimming at the Jersey Shore. Shore breaks and rip currents are very dangerous hazards at the beach. To begin, a rip current is a swift current of water which flows away from shore . They are often characterized by strong, choppy waters that flow out to sea. They account for more than 80% of the rescues performed by beach lifeguards. Rip cur- rents typically extend from the shoreline, through the surfline, and past the line of breaking waves. Depending on lateral currents, rip currents can be in just one spot on the beach or at more than one point at a time. If you get caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore until out of the current. Make sure to swim at beaches with lifeguards, and do not panic!

Like rip currents, shore breaks are extremely dangerous waves that you need to be aware of. A shore break is an ocean condition in which waves break directly on the shore. They are unpredictable and very dangerous. These waves can cause serious spinal and neck injuries to both inexperienced and ex- perienced swimmers and surfers. Small and high surf can be equally dangerous and cause severe injuries and death. Make sure not to body surf during shore- break conditions, and check with a lifeguard for wave conditions. Remember to watch for rip currents and shore breaks at the beach. They are fatal and harmful to people swimming at the beach.

Moreover, there are other ways the beach can be dangerous, that many people forget about. The ultraviolet sun rays sometimes can be life threaten- ing. They mostly cause sunburn, and sunburn then causes the life threatening damages to the body. It sometimes can take up to six hours before symptoms start to occur. When skin is exposed to too much sun, people can develop different sicknesses such as sun poisoning, heat-stroke, and may cause allergic reac- tions. Although the ultraviolet sun rays are very hazardous, there are ways to protect yourself from them. The best way to protect yourself from the sun is to wear sunscreen. Many doctors recommend at least a 15 SPF, to patients who reapply sunscreen often. Others who do not reapply sunscreen often are encour- aged to use SPF 30 or above. Doctors advise that it is very important to reapply sunscreen often, to prevent any damage to the skin. Sunburn can be much more dangerous than its reputation promotes it.

In New Jersey, the beach is a fun place to relax and have fun in the summer heat. However, there are hazards that come along with the fun in the sun. From vicious sharks to blazing ultraviolet rays, these dangers can deter people from visiting the beach. Sharks and jellyfish linger beneath swimmers‟ feet, waiting to attack. Additionally, rip currents and shore breaks can be lethal and can leave you with jeopardous injuries. Furthermore, sunburn is another hazard to be aware about at the beach since too much sun can cause ghastly problems to health. Going to the beach in the past may have been fun and worry free, but now visiting the beach will be even more fun know- ing the correct ways to be safe. P A G E 22

Take your Avengers Initiative Today By, Max H., Michael N., And Conor P.

The Avengers took home 80.5 million dollars opening night. It has been considered the movie of the year and a great family movie. This is true because of its characteristics. To start with, The Avengers is an intense action movie with jaw dropping special ef- fects. Also, it is hilarious, making many laugh out loud. Finally, The Avengers is very popular because it is based off the award winning Marvel Comics, which many people read when they were young. Though some think The Avengers is a normal action movie, it is actu- ally a spectacular movie that everyone should see. To begin with, the intense action of this movie makes it an edge-of- your- seat film, where you just can‟t stop watching it. The action from this movie is made by its special effects that immerses you in amazement. CNN's review states that it is “a complete breathtaking action thriller that will be remembered for a long time.” Its futuristic special effects make the action in this movie stand out against others. The action makes it one of a kind that can never be copied by anyone. When we saw this movie, we were dazzled by pure adrenaline, amazed that our world today can make such things like this look so in- credibly real. Everyone is looking for a good action thriller, so if you are like everyone, you should go see the action movie of the year, The Avengers. Furthermore, the comedy of this movie makes it a must see. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is a comical genius that can make you laugh out loud every time. After every scene I found myself trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard. Most of the comedy is said by Iron Man or “performed” by Hulk. These two characters make you die of laughter every scene. Finally, The Avengers should be seen by everyone because of its story. Many people read the marvel comics when they were kids. They always wished that they could see this in real life. The Avengers made this happen. IGN quoted “I've been waiting for this movie since I first read an Avengers comic book when I was 8-years old, and of course, that sort of feeling is shared by so many people, across multiple generations, given The Avengers' 49-year-old history. “ People dreamed that they would make a movie out of this marvelous comic. Finally Joss Whe- don answered the call and made it. The Avengers hilarious comedy and story line makes it a movie for all ages that should be seen by everyone. All in all, this is a must see movie that should be seen by everyone. It is a very funny comedy with many hilarious scenes. Also it has incredible special effects which gave it great action and thrill. Finally, it is a movie that people have been wanting to see for decades from its award winning comic books. The Avengers is a movie that will be remembered forever. Anyone with a desire to see action will see it, so we hope you do go and take your Avengers initiative.

Avengers v.s. Harry Potter By: Steven F. and Evan G.

The best movies of 2011 and 2012 collide and battle to see which movie was best: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 or The Avengers. On Fandango.com, fans say people must go and see The Avengers. People also on Fandango said people must see the Harry Potter movie. So which one should you go and see?

Well if you like fantasy then you should go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. In recent reviews, people voiced their opinions about the successes and failures of the film. These reviews are from critics in some major magazines and papers. Todd McCarthy who writes for the “Hollywood Reporter” gave it a 100 percent. He claimed that “Fully justifying the decision, once thought purely mercenary film”. Lou Lumenick who writes for “The New York Post” gave it a 100 percent also. He said “Everything a summer blockbuster should be but rarely is - a whip-smart movie” Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly gave it a 91 percent. “The thrilling conclusion to a phenomenal cinematic story 10 years in the making comes to a terrific ending.” This fantastic film earned $381,011,219. Although these two movies are a great thriller one must win. As you can see many people liked the Harry Potter movie but let‟s see what they think of The Avengers. The Avengers has gotten many critics loving the film from beginning to end. Many had the feeling of not wanting it to stop. The Avengers got many views throughout the whole world. In one weekend The Avengers got $207,438,708 and on the second weekend it got more than 1 billion dollars. The Avengers got many important reviews. For example, Roger Ebert gave it a seventy five percent. In addition,Rotten Tomatoes gave it a ninety three percent. “With a script that never forgets its heroes' humanity and no shortage of superpowered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype -- and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies.” Lastly, Cinema Blend said “At my screening of Marvel‟s The Avengers, the audience couldn‟t wait until the end of the film before erupt- ing in applause.” The Avengers movie overall was a real action-packed movie this year.

As you can see, both of these films were adored by the critics and viewers. Harry Potter got $381,011,219 in total. Avengers got more than one billion dollars out of all of the viewers. Both of the movies got a lot of money collected. So which one do you think is better? You choose.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 23 One Direction‟s Harry styles and Liam Payne: Before the Fame by, Jessica G, Flissy F, and Alexa P

One Direction‟s Harry and Liam may be very popular, but do you know their whole story? They were born and raised in different areas of England. These boys met at the famous tv competition, The X Factor. Simon Cowell placed them (and Niall, Zayn, and Louis) together for a round, and they never wanted to leave each other. Harry and Liam, along with the other three members have been a band since 2010 and are currently on their “Up All Night” world tour. There is so much to learn about these British boys.

Harry, the youngest of the group, is currently 18 and auditioned for the X Factor when he was only 16 years old. However, Harry had a very nor- mal life before all of this sudden fame. He went to a nursery called Happy Days and loved the staff. According to Harry he was pretty well behaved because he was “more interested in playing than being naughty.” Harry was always in the school plays from a very young age. Once he played Buzz Lightyear in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (He was a toy in the toy shop.) The first song that Harry knew all of the words to is “Girl of My Best Friend” by Elvis Presley. As a child Harry loved Elvis and his music. He also loved math from a very young age. He loved being able to use bricks and cubes, but as he got older he took more of an interest in English because math became harder for him and he discovered that he was a good writer. When Harry was seven his parents got divorced. He was confused at why his parents were not together anymore. Harry Styles hasn‟t lost his roots and plans to keep it this way. He always remem- bers where he came from, and looks up to his family members, Liam auditioned twice for the X Factor, making it through both times. The first time, he made it to the judges‟ house, but then he got the bad news. The judges told him to come back in two years, which he did, as a stronger singer. Before all of his fame, he lived in Wolverhampton, as a normal teen- ager. Most singers always say they are still normal guys, but One Direction really proved it, they aren‟t all about the cameras, they still like to have fun. Liam is referred to as the “mature” one of the group. He is very responsible because when he was a child he had an operation to remove one kidney. As a result of this Liam doesn‟t drink just to be safe. When Liam was younger he could never make any of the school sports teams until he tried cross country. At twelve years old Liam was put into the school‟s under 18 team and kept up easily. When Liam was fourteen he was on the “waiting list” for the 2012 summer olym- pics for track, however he then auditioned for the X Factor instead. It was a tough decision for Liam, but it was well worth it. In the long run, chasing his dream was better than running around a track. One Direction‟s Harry and Liam always remember to never forget where they came from. They always keep in touch with their friends that they had before the fame, and their family which keeps them grounded. The X Factor was a very large part of their lives that they will never forget. They will cherish the memories forever. Now they are like brothers, and will always be there for each other. They are still normal boys who share a dream together.

One Direction Infection By,Julia C. & Kristye D.

Millions of fans worldwide are lining up days in advance to buy tickets for their sold out tours; One Direction infection has taken over. Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik make up One Direction. Each one signed up individually on the United Kingdom X- factor in 2010, but were put together as a group by Simon Cowell. They won third place and got a record deal from Cowell. Soon after they released their first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” it hit number #1 on the iTunes charts. Their debut album, Up All Night, consists of the song “What Makes You Beautiful,” and fourteen other catchy hits including three bonus tracks.These five boys have won the hearts of girls all over the world because of their charm and immense talent.

One Direction has a sold out American tour from May 22nd to July 1st, which includes a performance at Madison Square Garden later in the year.They broke the record for selling out Madison Square Garden, selling over 10,000 tickets in less than forty seconds. It was said that fans were cued up four hours before they went on sale to make sure they were the first to get them. In addition, they have a sold out World Tour throughout 2013. They are bouncing from continent to continent, going to Australia, North America, Asia and all through Europe. Although “Directioners” are excited for the upcoming tours, many were unable to get tickets because of scalpers. The seats that were once $100 are now being put up for $10,000 on StubHub. Fans anticipate that the 2013 tour will be as amaz- ing or even better than the first tour.

P A G E 24

One Direction has stolen the hearts of teenage girls all around the world. Their accents, charm, personality and style along to young girls. The “hardcore” fans are called “Directioners”. Directioners know everything and anything about 1D. They usually have Twitter accounts and Tumblr blogs dedicated to the boys of One Direction. Also, these fans have loads of merchandise including shirts, bracelets, hats, and anything that could have One Direction written on it! In addi- tion, in a poll taken by 100 students, 80% said they like One Direction. Justin Bieber even stated “I expect One Direction to be one of the biggest boy bands in history.” One Direction fans gave the group its enormous fame and know that the fame will grow even bigger.

One Direction is the hottest group across the globe with thousands of fans on every continent. hey have the strongest fandom in the world. Directioners are most dedicated fans.One Direction brought back the “boy band” image with their accents, charm,and talent. Also, their songs are summer anthems around the world. They are very successful and will continue to rise in fame.

SNOOKI ENGAGED- WITH A BABY “MEATBALL” ON THE WAY! By Nicole S., Avery P., and Grace E.

The soon-to-wed reality star, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, has been guzzling down alcohol with a baby on the way. Is she really ready to be a mother? Co-star Vinny Guadagnino thinks that, “In a party way, she can drink more than anyone [he‟s] ever met.” Most people seem to think that she is most certainly not ready for motherhood. "It's not something she was really ready for. She‟s having a hard time adjusting to being sober 24/7. She‟s freaking out about that and the weight gain.”

According to a poll answered by a selection of students, approximately 90% say she is unfit for the job of motherhood. This is due to the fact that Snooki is a horrible role model for girls of the modern day. She parties every night, drinks until she cannot even stand, and has been arrested multiple times. Also, she is showcased on television (MTV) modeling these bad habits for the viewers. Although Jionni (husband- to- be) supports Snooki and makes sure she takes all of her pills, he cannot be the only parent doing the job. The upside for Snooks is that her J-Shore pals will help her out. Pauly D says, “We will take care of this baby with her.” Unfortunately, these pals party as well, so this child will grow up in a drunk environment.

Soak-up-the-sun Snooki is trying to become a better mom and a better person. She has been cutting back on drinking and is tanning less often. Snooki is now trying to practice being a mom by taking a baby doll in a stroller and walking around Jersey City. "If it's a girl, animal print everywhere and blinged out everything. If it's a boy, I would dress him like Pauly," says Polizzi. She‟s attempting to prep for being a mom, but she is running out of time. The baby is due later this year! The sad thing is that the only person who may suffer from her unhealthy habit would be the baby. The damage has already been done. Snooki drank on New Year‟s Eve when she found out she she was pregnant. She even said herself, “ [Explicit] I‟ve been drinking.” She explained how this was her first reaction to the pregnancy. The baby could be born with serious birth defects such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or other Fetal Alcohol Spec- trum Disorders. The only person at fault is the drinking mother, Snooki. Overall, Snooki has been trying to become a better mom, but is losing time and the baby may even suffer from birth defects caused by Snooki‟s drinking problem.

The 24 year old reality star, now over 15 weeks pregnant, is trying to become a mommy. She was drinking in December when she found out she had a baby on the way and tans very often. 90% of students selected for a survey say that this party star should not be Snooki-Mama. Although she has laid off the tanning and drinking for now, the damage she had from the beginning is left for the baby to suffer with. Also, Polizzi may even go back to her party lifestyle after the baby is born. Many worry for the baby‟s future. Even though some say that snooki is not going to be mature enough, Jionni seems like a wonderful husband and father, and can put some sense into Snooki‟s head. Snooki is trying to grow up with the baby coming soon, so hopefully the child will be fine with the care of two loving parents and the J-Shore‟s cast helping out.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 25 HUNGER GAMES MANIA! By Karen I, Amanda P and Isabelle D

Many girls want to be in the shoes of Katniss Everdeen. Not because she is forced to kill other kids, but because she has the attention of both Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne. Because of this, Hunger Games fans have started a controversy over who their favorite is. Well, which character is favored more? Sorry Gale fans, but it looks like Peeta is the winner. Furthermore, to the big fans of the book, there were many differences in the movie. Some of these changes took away from the plot, but others added information and entertainment. This may have disappointed many big readers of the book.

GALE Vs. PEETA As we researched, we learned more about the controversy between Gale and Peeta. Many people have mixed opinions, and no one person has the same thought on why they like one over the other. From our class of 21 students, we took a survey of which character they liked more. To the dismay of some, Peeta was the winner. It was 16 to 5. When we asked a student, Jessica, about why she liked Peeta more, she replied, “Peeta is really courageous and cute and has saved Katniss‟s life many times.” When we asked Isabelle why she likes Gale she said, “Gale is not a wimp like Peeta. He knows how to hunt, while Peeta constantly has to be saved by Katniss.” We have to say though, we think The Hunger Games controversy between two people has been inspired by the Twilight series. Edward Cullen Vs. Jacob Black. Like Katniss, they both have the attention of Bella Swan. However, many Hunger Games fans are not in team Peeta or Gale. Many are in team Cato, an aggressive tribute from district two, and many are in team Buttercup, the cat whom Katniss dislikes. We guess it really depends on what the fan likes. Some fans may like manly characters such as Gale, and some fans may not. Fans that don‟t like manly characters will like characters like Peeta, a sweet and kind character. Who do you think you will choose, Gale the manly man, or Peeta the sweet one? May the choice be ever in your favor.

Peeta Vs. GaleThe Hunger Games Differences: Good Changes or Bad Ones? Do you think that you are a big fan of the Hunger Games? If so, then you might have been able to tell the differ- ences between the book and movie. There were 10 noticeable differences and more between the best selling book and the movie that topped the box offices.

1. In the book, the reader is introduced to many more characters in District 12, such as Mrs. Hawthorne, Gale‟s mother. In the movie, there is no connection to any of these characters, making this change very negative. 2. Katniss is given the mockingjay pin by Madge, the governor's daugh- ter, in the book. Madge is not even mentioned in the movie, and the pin was given to Katniss by Prim, her sister. This change can be seen as either negative or positive: the movie version shows how close Prim and Katniss are. 3. During the film During the film, Seneca Crane (the Gamemaker) and President Snow have screen time. Because the book is written in first person, the reader never personally meets them. While watching the movie, President Snow seems downright evil, as intended, making the change very positive.

4. Instead of District 11 giving bread in thanks to for Rue, they give her a rebellion. (reaction to Rue‟s death) 5. The end of The Hunger Games competition comes very dramatically: mutant dogs attack the three remaining trib- utes (Katniss, Peeta and Cato). In the book, there is an interesting twist to these dogs, as they contain personality traits from deceased tributes. In the movie, however, these dogs don‟t have special characteristics, they are just over sized, vicious beasts. 6. Thresh is a tribute from District 11, the same district Katniss‟ ally Rue is in. However, both Thresh and Rue are killed, Rue by a spear in both the book and the movie. In the book, Thresh is inferred to have been killed by Cato, a career tribute from District 2. In the movie, he is thought to have been killed by the dogs. Although this difference seems very small, it has a big impact on viewers‟ opinions of Cato. If he had killed Thresh in the movie, his character would seem more more P A G E 26

ruthless, making the final showdown more intense.

7. Career tribute Cato is the obvious villain of the actual games. He‟s cocky and ruthless, and he shows no mercy in killing other tributes, or trying to kill Katniss. Towards the end of the movie, in the final showdown between Cato and and the now-allies Katniss and Peeta, Cato realizes that all he has lived for is worthless and unimportant, he rambles on in a last chance at humanity. This makes it much more difficult to root for his death, and when the time comes for him to actually die, it is a bit of a sad moment for the audience. In the novel, there is no remorse, and the reader feels almost happy to see him dead. 8. One of the shocking differences between the book and the movie was that in the movie there was no Avox girl. This has disappointed many fans because it was one of the main parts in the book. Also it presents a lot about Katniss past so without it there's a hole with a missing gap. 9. In the book Peeta‟s father brings a gift of cookies to the new tribute Katniss. Though in the movie they neglect to present this, so you are left not knowing that Peeta‟s dad cares for Katniss, and has hope that she might reign champion. 10. In the novel Haymitch teaches Peeta and Katniss a lot about how to survive, and what they should do at the training. In the movie they do not show this and are given little information on how Haymitch was key to the pair‟s survival. 11. In the movie, right as Katniss enters the Arena she finds water almost immediately. This is the total opposite to what happened in the book. In the book it takes Katniss three days after she enters the Arena to find a water source, so it does not show her suffering while she was without water. Both The Hunger Games book and movie were a big hit for the young, the middle aged, and the old. As said before, the side to whom you pick (Gale vs. Peeta) depends on which characteristics you enjoy more. We‟ll just have to see which friend Katniss ends up with. It may be Gale, Peeta, or someone else even! Well then again, Katniss may not end up with anybody due to the fact that she doesn‟t want to have any kids. Let‟s just hope that Katniss end up with somebody; whether it‟s Peeta or Gale.

Britain has a Case of the Blues By Kathleen, Marisa, and Hallie:

Britain fashion has gone through many trends and styles but, only one will stay true...the blue.

Britain has always been big in their fashion lines. Never have they thought that blue would be the next big thing. In Britain, their new fashion is the color blue. People have been incorporating the color blue in their homes and now in their fashion. However, this blue is not just any shade of blue. It is a dark, royal blue such as the shade of blue found on the British flag. There is only one question: will it come over to America and influence our fashion lines?

The color blue has always been portrayed as a “fearless”, bold fashion statement. It has become more popular because of the bold famous icons of Britain such as Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Kate. Queen Elizabeth II has been found wearing a royal blue coat and hat while visiting Goodenough College to celebrate its 80th anniversary. Also, Princess Kate, Duchess Camilla, and Queen Elizabeth made an appearance at Fortnum and Mason department store wear- ing blue dresses. These famous icons made the blue fashion more popular among the British population.

Although blue is dominating the fashion world, it is also becoming popular in the home. Blue has become so popular that the May issue of Living Etc has published a guide to incorporating blue in the home. "We first picked up on [blue] last September, when it seemed to dominate the catwalks," says Neil Mclennan, Living Etc 's deputy editor, "and now it's coming through strongly in paints and wallpapers. The time-lag between what's on the catwalk and interiors is getting shorter all the time. It's probably less than six months now. Milan Furniture Fair is on this week and we're expecting to see lots of blue.” As one can see, blue is a popular fashion trend found in clothing and the home.

Some people may find it hard to make a bold statement with the basic color blue, but there are many ways to make this simple color stand out. This royal blue can go with almost any color and is easy to accessorize. Kayre Ure, of Red Leopard color and image consultants says "Cobalt [blue] mixes well with navy and white for a fresh and classic nautical look.” It equally works with deeper shades such as purple and indigo. Aqua, turquoise and yellow will add warmth." Neutral accessories go great with blue. A black skinny belt or a grosgrain ribbon over a dress with beige heels would make the blue pop! Also, to add interest, use textures and decorative flourishes such as Tibi's chic chiffon blouse with sheer, ruffled sleeves that compliments the blue nicely. All in all, blue is a basic color that can be easily matched with other colors and simple accessories to make it stand out.

CMS - 7 P R E S S P A G E 27

The color blue has become very popular in England. With famous icons wearing this blue such as Princess Kate and Queen Elizabeth II, who wouldn‟t want to be following this new trend? They have influenced the British population by displaying this color in their fashion. Also, people have found several great ways to accessorize this blue and make the color stand out. Many people have taken part in this new trend, so how will you incorporate blue into your fashion and lifestyle?

The Best Day Ever The History of Spongebob Squarepants By Sarah V and Laura M

“It‟s the best day ever! Mr. Sun came up and he smiled at me...” because this is the day Spongebob Squarepants first aired.

“May I take your order?” were the first words SpongeBob SquarePants ever spoke. SpongeBob‟s first episode ever aired was "Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome", right after the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 1999. Nickelodeon then ordered a second season. Many people thought it to be better writing and better animation. The show skyrocketed into stardom during the second season. Thus, a third season began in 2001, and ended in 2003. During the airing of the third season, the production of the Spongebob Squarepants Movie began in 2002. Having already aired the first half of season three, Nickelodeon decided to spread the rest of the season over the course of two years. The show lowered in popularity as false rumors of the shows cancellation spread. After three years, "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" was the last episode of season three, and first aired on television in September 2003. It was released on DVD at the end of 2004.

How It All Began

SpongeBob SquarePants was thought of in 1984, while Stephen Hillenburg was teaching and studying marine biology at Orange County Ocean Institute. He de- cided to write a comic book called “The Intertidal Zone”, that evolved into SpongeBob SquarePants characters including "Bob the Sponge", who was the co-host of the comic and resembled an actual sea sponge, only slightly different than SpongeBob. “In 1987, Hillenburg left to become an animator.” In 1993, he gradu- ated from the institute with a Master of Fine Arts. In 1996, Hillenburg started working on SpongeBob SquarePants with several Nickelodeon and Rocko crew members. “When pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, it went successfully.”

Movie era (2003) and Post-Movie Era (2003-present)

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie earned over $85,000,000 in revenue in the United States. It was announced late in 2003 that SpongeBob SquarePants would be continuing with a new season due in late 2003. After the movie, TV advertisements for SpongeBob's fourth season first aired publicly during the 2005 Nick- elodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The new episodes began airing in 2003. The first new episode of Season 4 was "Fear of a Krabby Patty"/"Shell of a Man". After airing three new episodes on Fridays from May 6th to May 20th Nickelodeon showed no new episodes until March 2004. For the first time in the series' run, Nickelodeon began airing 11 minute segments of new episodes separately, spread over two weeks. This new showing style began with the airing of the episode "Selling Out" on September 23; its companion episode, "Funny Pants," premiered the following week. Nickelodeon then ordered 20 more episodes, bringing the show‟s total to 100 episodes. Decrease in Popularity

He may be one of the longest-running, best-loved cartoons in Nickelodeon history, but SpongeBob SquarePants is declining in popularity. The more recent Sponge- Bob SquarePants episodes have been critiqued for not living up to the standards of the older episodes. Many viewers believe the decline in quality started right after the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Fans also have started to turn away from the show, and many fan sites have become deserted. A critic's review on the more recent episodes states that, “ I've been a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants for a long time, I also have to confess that the cheerful sponge and I parted company some time ago...but there was definitely something off-putting about them, and not long afterward I stopped seeking out new episodes...it's a disappointment to watch as the show becomes something it once wasn't: just another kid-pandering attention-waster.” Many critics believe the decline in quality began after the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, yet Spongebob Squarepants will forever stay in our hearts as the best cartoon ever! P A G E 28

Crocodiles eating people by the thousands! By Nick B and Henry C

The saltwater crocodile has a history of eating anything in its path. If you're not careful it could be you. Next time you go on a vacation to Australia or Florida you need to read about crocodile safety. Over 3,000 people a year are killed by crocodiles and we want to inform people so that we can lower that number.

We will tell you about crocodile safety now. One way to protect yourself during vacation is to look for crocodiles warning signs. Another way is not to provoke them. Don‟t poke them with a stick or throw rocks at them. They are most aggressive during the breeding season. The breeding season starts around late August. The last way to prevent crocodile attacks is to know how to wrestle them. Many people may think that crocodiles are hard to wrestle but if you know how, it can be easy. Do not try this unless you absolutely have to. When a crocodile attacks it has a very strong bite force downwards. It has a very weak bite force when it opens its mouth. You can take advantage of this by sitting on it when its mouth is shut. This will force its mouth closed and make it so he can not open it. People need to take these precau- tions because it could be fatal if they do not. In reading or hearing about crocodile attacks, usually the human is at fault for not taking precautions. Many of the times it is as simple as swimming in a crocodile pond. We suggest that you must take some of these safety tips to stay safe!

We have some stories of actual crocodile attacks. One example is on March 2009. An eleven year old girl was taken by a large saltwater crocodile while swim- ming at Black Jungle Billabong near Darwin. She was with friends and she did not provoke the crocodile. She was attacked because she was swimming in a pond where crocodiles were. Her remains were found later on the river bank. Another instance is on Feburary 2009 when a five year old boy was taken by a large saltwater crocodile in the Daintree River, in front of his brother. He provoked the croc with a stick.

In conclusion, crocodiles are very dangerous. You can protect yourself with some easy tips. Many of these tips are as simple as not provoking it. Some other ways are by looking at crocodile warning signs. Some are as complicated as the fine art of wrestling a crocodile. Many crocodiles do not attack or eat people but one that eats the most is the saltwater crocodile. Next time you go to Florida or Australia make sure you use some of the safety tips.

New Epidemic: One Direction Infection By Zoe K, Kate M, and Emilie H

“Fans are pretty obsessed,” states one reporter. ”Dedicated is the word,” they respond. Fans everywhere are obsessed with this new sensation. The infection has spread throughout the world, and many have already bought tickets for One Direction‟s 2013 tour. They were the underdogs that started on the X-Factor UK. Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik were all eliminated during bootcamp. However, Simon Cowell thought that they could be a living sensation if they would join forces. The judges allowed them to stay on the show, but only if they would be a band. This worked out very well for these five boys. They accepted the offer to be a band; now the whole world loves them!

One Direction has swept through America just as quickly as they took over the UK. Their hit song, “What Makes You Beautiful” topped the charts while breaking records. They were the first UK group to have their album debut at number one in America. Also, the Brit Awards named “What Makes You Beautiful” the Best British Single. After rising to fame from The X-Factor, their charming personalities and good looks took control of the United Kingdom. American girls began obsessing over them immediately after the North American release of Up All Night. Their recent fame did not happen overnight, but gradually.

On July 23, 2010, One Direction officially became a band. They had previously been eliminated from the X Factor and were brought back, but only if they agreed to be a band. Harry Styles, the youngest member of the band, came up with the name, and the other members agreed that it fit their musical stylings. Each member is a strong individual: their individuality is shown throughout the group, with the vast variety of their cultural backgrounds. For example, Zayn is Pakistani, and Niall is Irish. They all come from different places in England and even Ireland. Zayn is from the town of Bradford, Harry is from Cheshire, Liam is from Wolver- hampton, Louis is from Doncaster, and Niall is from Mullingar, Ireland. They all came together to form a marvelous band.

The five members of One Direction all started as solo acts. They got the chance to stay on the X-Factor if they would become a band. Clearly, they took the opportunity and became the wonderful band they are today. Although they did not rise to fame immediately after the X Factor, they are now swarming the country with their catchy tunes. Their diverse backgrounds and friendly personality make them an easy favorite. Overall, One Direction has become America‟s favorite boy band, but they still remain the five individuals they were when auditioning.

CMS - 7 P R E S S Idol WHAT??? CHANGE THE CHANNEL! P A G E 29 By Brigid H, Jessica Z and Sarah S.

Why watch American Idol when there‟s the X-Factor UK? Lately, everybody has been talking about the shows American Idol and The X-Factor UK. But which one is better? Well on some websites people have been saying that X-Factor UK is better. Blogs comments, opinions, and reviews point to X-Factor. Also, during class interviews, most students stated that they liked X-Factor UK better. Don‟t believe it American Idol fans? Well, some surveys of people's opinions might change your minds. Clearly, the X-Factor UK is the favorite singing competition show compared to American Idol.

As found in many fan reviews of American Idol posted on TV.com, American Idol is highly disliked by most Americans. Some of the titles of these reviews include: “When Simon left he killed it!”, “Down with J-Lo. Get her off the show!”, “American Idol blows!”, and “A „talent‟ show, that like all reality TV, is cheaper for the network to produce, they don't have to pay real actors, and they still get you sheep to watch it somehow.” It is simple to tell by reading only a small selection of the many reviews that say close to the same thing. People dislike the judges, which is evident especially in this title: “Randy is too wimpy” Others expressing a similar view are: “What happened after Simon and Paula left?” , “I miss Simon and Paula on the show”. Out of all of the reviews, many people had their rating of the show be either “Poor” or “Abysmal”. America seems to be turning against the show that is named after it. Some reviews that we have found of the X Factor, however, are much more appreciative to the show. Some include: “Amazing Talent” , “I LOVE THIS Show, more than American Idol, and Simon is always>SIMON!”. We have found a few reviews against the X Factor, but not nearly as many reviews as are against American Idol. Most reviews say that when Simon left, he ruined American Idol, as some of the earlier reviews tell us. When Simon began judging the X Factor, the show got many more fans. This begs the question of what is more important to viewers? A good judge, or talented contestants? Different people may answer this question in many different ways, based on the reviews that have been written about these shows. In conclusion, the X Factor is preferred by many reviewers, over American Idol.

Continuing, we interviewed four separate students in our class. We first interviewed Laura. This is what we found out: Jessica: Do you prefer The X-Factor UK or American Idol? Laura: The X-Factor. J: How long have you watched the X-Factor? L: Since last year. J: How long did you watch American Idol for? L: Two to Three years. J: Why do you prefer X-Factor? L: Because American Idol does the same thing every week, all they do is sing and eliminate. It causes American Idol to become a boring and repetitive show. X- Factor mixes it up to make it more entertaining and interesting for the viewers. Simon is also another factor to the show‟s success. He makes the show interesting and he makes people cry and happy at some rare moments. He makes the show more entertaining and that he is better since the other judges don‟t make the contestants show the emotions that are deep down inside. Not only did Laura state this as her reason as to why The X-Factor UK is better, so did four other students that we interviewed. In a separate interview with Amanda and Sarah, we learned that: Brigid: Which do you like better? Amanda: X-Factor. Sarah: X-Factor. B: Is there something that you don‟t like about American Idol? S: They choose the wrong winners and Kelly Clarkson is the only one who has done anything. The others didn‟t do much with their life. I never really did like American Idol. A: I don‟t like how they continue to change the judges. B: Why do you like the X-Factor better? A and S: The X-Factor is much more entertaining and Simon Cowell is an amazing judge.

As one can see, the X-Factor has an impact on the viewers, due to its interesting variety of techniques and mostly their judge, Simon Cowell. Even though the X- Factor gained a lot more interest from the viewers, some people do enjoy to watch American Idol. In summary, however, the X-Factor obviously has more people supporting it as to American Idol. In addition, when surveyed, X-Factor was favored in our class and online. In comments online, 7 out of 10 people have said that the X-Factor is better while in a separate survey, only 2 out 10 people said that American Idol is good. Also, during a class interview out of 4 people, 3 stated that the X-Factor UK is better. On a website, listed under entertainment X-Factor got 71% of the votes while American Idol only got 14%. When we surveyed the whole class, out of 20 it was a close race, but 11 to 9, X-Factor won by two votes. More than 50% like X-Factor. Again on IMDb.com, on the overall ratings, American Idol scored once again, lower than The X-Factor. Clearly, the X-Factor UK is the favorite in comparison to American Idol.

In conclusion, after further research, it is summarized that the X-Factor UK has gained more support from viewers. Apparently, American Idol has lost its strength as it loses the viewers‟ support. Ever since, the X-Factor has been gaining the strength and viewers as it begins to escalate. The facts of this are shown in the ratings and com- ments that are found on blogs across the internet. Interviews also show and give the reasons as to why the X-Factor has been rising to fame. American Idol used to seem like the ultimate singing competition, but, as so many different Americans have realized, the X Factor has taken over the talent search.