The Liberty Ledger OCTOBER 2019 I S S U E 1 7

Nintendo Switch Lite By: Jayson McArdle I have been eagerly waiting for the Nintendo Switch Lite release since it was revealed during the summer. I have had it since September 20th now, and believe I have had enough time with it to write a review. I do NOT have a normal Switch, which is one of the main reasons I bought the Lite. To get it out of the way, yes, technically it has less function and could be considered a Design Flaws cheaper “downgrade”, but is it really? To not dive too far into the subject I simply believe the state- As much as I adore ment above is very counterintuitive. My opinions the color scheme of and the facts will be showcased throughout my the Lite, I also think honest and factual review of the Lite. it could become a problem. I am spe- Major Differences cifically worried The Lite has many differences from the normal about the buttons. Switch, some that go unappreciated, and some They are white, and that may be a deal breaker. Aesthetically, the as you may know, bezel is very nice, and the screen is top quality. white stains easily. Also, I can already see a dirt build up in the In fact, it has the same screen as the Switch V2, indentation of the letters. I really like the bezel, just smaller. Even though it is smaller, it has but it is way too large. The D-pad is very close denser pixels, making it visually the best way to play handheld. The actual material is very differ- to the bezel, so I find myself touching it when using the D-pad. The D-pad itself is also very ent from the normal Switch. It has a bit more of a “grab” to my hands, which helps contribute to the “loose”, and it doesn't really fit the indentation in the handheld. You can see it doesn't stay smaller, more crisp form factor. One change I find still, or really fit right into the indentation made, underappreciated are the buttons. The X,A,B, which can become very irritating, and the but- and Y buttons have had a very welcome refresh. The normal Switch buttons are very clicky, which tons can cause a buildup of dust and dirt. Of is something I hated, but the Lite buttons are course I couldn't forget about Joy Con drift. I more mushy, like the XBox controller buttons, or am truly sad to say that it seems “Joy Con drift” will affect the analog sticks of the Switch exactly like the pro controller buttons because Lite. The well known lawsuit against Nintendo they are internally the same. The BIG change for the drift has now branched out to include that the Switch Lite brings is the wonderful, glori- ous, magnificent, D-pad. Nintendo is well known the Switch Lite. to make great D-pad’s, and they definitely did this Should YOU buy it? time. I enjoyed playing NES games with it, and even some Mario Maker 2. It is more on the small I will make it clear, the Lite is for people who side, but it is very crisp and controllable. Most of want a better on the-go experience, a cheaper these changes are welcomed with open arms. solution, or want to make their normal Switch a The Liberty Ledger

Nintendo Switch Lite ...Continued By: Jayson McArdle home console only. To me the Lite is all around Conclusion just better for portable play, which it should be Overall, If the Lite has an appeal to you, GET considering it is not dockable. When you think IT! I truly believe it is the best iteration of the about the fact that it is the same as the Switch Switch for portable play, and it may even be the V2, just smaller, non dockable, and 1 player only, best portable hand held ever! All the changes it's a pretty good deal. I don't really care about to the Switch to make this iteration were all for playing on my TV, because the Lite is technically the bettering of the experience of portable play. my secondary console, and I don't really want to I still find myself playing it in bed because it is play with other people as weird as it sounds. truly enjoyable. If you are worried about the When I would see people with Switches, I would size, don't be. I was paranoid that it would be ask to play, but with a Lite, those “annoying” peo- too small for my hands, but I think it is fine. ple cant keep asking to play with you. The main There are already hundreds of unnecessary argument to diss the Switch Lite is from the peo- and useful accessories you can get online, or ple who say, “I already have a Switch, so why at GameStop. I have the yellow model, which I should I buy this downgrade?” You shouldn't is definitely think looks dazzling. The best way to what I would say to these people because it isn't describe it is that its a minion yellow. I have made for you. The only way I see someone with played Mario Maker 2 and Odyssey on my Lite, a normal Switch getting a Lite is that they use it which both look great, along with the NES and only on the go, or they just get rid of their Switch Super NES games that you get with the $20 (if you go to Game Stop you can get $200 for Nintendo Online subscription. So hear me out, your switch, exactly enough for a Lite). In the end if you think that the Lite might be good for you, it comes down to your preferences, what you get it! want and need.

Liberty’s PTA Car Wash By: Dorinda Destine On Sat. 14, 2019, the PTA held a car wash at Liberty Middle School as a fundraiser. Students made signs and held them up to welcome in cars. We had lots of helpers come by to wash the cars. We washed about 25 cars and raised over $250. Thanks to all the people who donat- ed to the car wash. The Liberty Ledger Monday Horror—Amber Alert By: Olivia Camacho

It only takes one-day to While change lives. On Septem- this ber 16, 2019, the Alvarez news is family of Bridgeton, NJ, ex- terrify- perienced the terror that ing for would come from a movie. any- Five-year-old named Dulce one, Maria Alvarez, as of Octo- there is ber 28 is still missing. Offi- a way cials are releasing more in- you can stay safe during a horrible situation formation every few weeks. should you come across one:

It all started when Noema Alvarez, the moth- NEVER accept a ride from a stranger. No mat- er, was sitting in her car just a few feet away ter what! I know every kid has heard this be- from the swings where Dulce was. She was fore, but this information is imperative. It playing with her little brother when a man took doesn’t matter if the person claims to be your her and drove off. When her brother came guardian’s friend, you do not accept the ride back without his sister, that’s when the moth- until you check with your guardians to see if er started to get nervous, which slowly pro- what they are saying is true. If the driver gets gressed into panic and desperation. out of the car and looks as though they are go- ing to force you in their car without them show- ing you any proof that they are who they claim The man was described as to be, you run. Run as far as you can and if wearing a black shirt and you are nearby the school, head in that direc- red pants with orange tion. If not, try to find a different way. In both sneakers, along with a thin cases, while you run you should yell “Help!” or build, acne and no facial “Fire!”, whichever gets people’s attention first. hair. Authorities have re- You keep on running and yelling and try to pull leased a sketch of the man up your guardian’s phone number or a trusted and the FBI is promising a adult. If the person is chasing you and is pull- $5,000 reward ing out a weapon, call 911 immediately. just for information on where her whereabouts maybe and a $52,000 reward if she’s found. There have been many searches for her with All in all, though this is an unbearable tragedy helicopters, K-9’s, police, the FBI and even for the family and those who are involved, it’s undersea divers scouring a near-by pond for important to take this as a little lesson and to anything at all, but nothing came up. remind us that even though we are getting big- ger, outside and online safety is something that we still need to bear in mind.

Thursday, November 21st Wear Purple to show the world that we are in it together to make progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer. The Liberty Ledger

By: Nathaniel Thomas MINECON LIVE

you a 10 player realm with all of the skins, worlds, resource packs and mash-ups in Mar- ketplace. Realms Plus has a free 30 day trial for new players. It costs $7.99 a month, the same cost as a current 10 player realm with- out the Marketplace content.

There Are Dungeons in Minecraft? Minecraft Dungeons action fighting game set to release on June 2020. It will be released on Windows, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation Minecon Live Summary 4 and Nintendo Switch. It's a re-imagining Minecon Live is a live event run by Minecraft that of Minecraft as a different experience but it is tells players of the game’s new updates and games a brand new game. The combat mechanics coming in the future. Minecon 2019 aired on are taken from Minecraft and they’re turned Youtube, Minecraft.net and many other sites on into an adventure game. You fight monsters, September 28, 2019. If you missed it or just want a explore and find treasures. You can play summary of the awesome updates, then continue alone or team up with 3 other friends. There reading. will be new mobs exclusive to the game and new boss mobs. It seems like a fun game for New Mob That Is Un-bee-lievable anybody who likes battling mobs in Minecraft. Obviously we are talking about the bee mob. The You can find the teaser trailer by searching community heard that bees would be in Minecraft a up “Minecraft dungeons trailer” and the open- while before Minecon Live, but the event showed us ing cinematic by searching up “Minecraft dun- a lot more. The update will add bees, hives and a geons cinematic.” honey block. Bees can pollinate crops, which allows crops to grow faster. Hives are where the bees live A New Target and come out of. Honey blocks are sticky blocks that Mojang is adding a new block called the tar- make you walk slowly and unable to jump when you get block. Basically, you shoot arrows at the are on it. Also, if you fall and you're at the side of a target block and the block emits a Redstone honey block, you will fall slowly. These bees will be signal. The closer the arrow is too the bull- really helpful for farming and even parkour. seye, the bigger the signal will be. This could be used to work on aiming, be used in mini- An Earth Filled with Minecraft games and make new entrances to bases. If Minecraft Earth is a new augmented reality game for you don’t know how to use Redstone, watch a your phone. This means Minecraft is around you in Mumbo Jumbo video about this block when real life. The game places your builds and adven- it’s released. tures all around you in the real world. Adventures are life-sized pieces of Minecraft in the real world. I Nether Thought There You can bring Minecraft to life with this awesome Would Be An Update free game that already has a closed beta. The Nether will finally be a place you can live in. You can find food and set your spawn Plus Updated Realms point there. There are also going to be bi- Realms is a way to play with your friends. When you omes in the Nether. One is the soul sand val- subscribe, you get a personal server in the cloud. ley, which has soul sand, fossils, stalactites, It’s always online and accessible. Your friends will blue fog, and blue fire. There is also a nether play for absolutely free. You can get the 2 player wart forest, a place where nether warts grow. realm or the 10 player tier realm. Realms Plus com- There are new trees, red and blue and new bines all that and Marketplace content. This will give blocks and vegetations. There is a new hos- The Liberty Ledger

MINECON LIVE ...Continued By: Nathaniel Thomas tile mob, the hoglin.

They’re also adding piglins, a hostile mob that attack hoglins and wither skele- tons. They won’t attack un- less you open Be a part of Drama Club and audition one of their chests. You can also trade items with for this year’s musical The Wizard of Oz. them. Auditions for the musical are on Biome Vote!!! Tuesday, November 12th and The biome vote is a vote that happens every Mine- Wednesday, November 13th. con Live to decide what biomes get updated. The Make sure to sign up for an audition three options for this year's biome vote were the badlands, the swamp, and the mountains. The date and time on Google classroom or badlands will have tumbleweeds, a new type of cac- you will not be able to audition. tus and vultures that steal loot from unlucky explor- ers. The swamp will have chests in boats, frogs and a new type of tree. The mountains will have goats, jagged cliffs, snowy peaks, dramatic views, and snowier snow. During the first vote, mountains and swamps beat the badlands, so it was between the mountains and swamps. In the final vote, one biome won by a tiny bit. The winner of the biome vote was the mountains! This will make the mountains a lot Bring 1 non-perishable food item and 50¢ cooler in the next update. per student to help provide a bountiful

Summary of the Summary Thanksgiving holiday for families in need If my summary was too long, then continue reading in our community. In addition, the Student for a summary of the summary. Minecraft is adding Council is sponsoring 2 contests associat- bees and target blocks and they are making two ed with the Food Drive. new games, Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Dun- geons. They are adding a new subscription called Box Decorating Contest: Up to 1,000 Realms Plus and they are updating the Nether and mountains. Pride Points per team for participation.

Participation Contest: 100% for each ad- visory. Bring in one food item and 50¢ from every student in the advisory.

500 bonus Pride Points for the 1 winning advisory in each grade.

CONTEST ENDS Wednesday, November 20th The Liberty Ledger BIGFOOT By: Katherine Andrade Calderon

Bigfoot is an interesting character. Doubting this which folklore “alien’s” existence is as hard as believing in it. A was created while ago, I created a google slides on this topic perceiving Big- for a school project. As the person writing for the foot as a reli- school's newspaper, I would want to dive deeper gious figure. into the existence of Bigfoot. However, the Native Americans weren’t the only people who Who/What is Bigfoot? told stories of Bigfoot, there were also natives Bigfoot is an American of the Himalayas who told such tales. But it sensation. The infor- wasn’t until the 20th century when Bigfoot be- mation we get about came a popular trend among Americans. Ac- Bigfoot come mostly cording to www.history.com, it was the year from human sightings, 1958 when a journalist by the name of Andrew documentations and Genzoli decided to write about a letter given to footprints such as the him about loggers in California who have well known pictures of stumbled upon large footprints. In the words of what appears to be Bigfoot’s feet. For those of the www.history.com “a legend was born.” you who believe in the existence of Bigfoot, you are fortunately provided with many written and Documentations of Bigfoot digital records. According to www.thesun.co.uk, Documentation regarding this cryptid can Bigfoot is a beast who can stand at a stature of 10 come from 200 years ago. According to big- feet, and can grow as low as 7 feet. It’s feet are footfinder.com, it was the year 1897 when Bra- measured to be 17 inches long, similar to the zil captured Bigfoot and fed it nuts and ber- length of a human baby. According to bigfootfind- ries. That Bigfoot that was captive escaped its er.com, Bigfoot seems to have black and brown- cage. Another documentation is in 1985 when ish fur and eyes that are a mixture of red and a boy in Oregon was born with hair completely brown. It’s head shape can covering him. Coming into the modern ages, be identified as a Sagittal throughout the internet and digital services, Crest with facial features stories of seeing Bigfoot are now easier to consisting of a flat nose and manage and see. lips similar to those of a hu- man adult. Something that is quite unpleasant of Bigfoot Is Bigfoot real? is it’s awful odor. Using the The question of whether Bigfoot is real has website science.howstuffworks.com, some of Big- been debated for such long periods of time. foot’s personal traits can be it’s bizarre animal There are always going to be both sides that noises such as it’s mixture of growling, grunting, contradict one another. Therefore, one major and howling. Though Bigfoot is seen as a horrify- reason that Bigfoot is real, according to ing creature, from human sightings, Bigfoot gives www.nationalgeographic.com, is because of off an essence of being shy and not capable of the stories. The stories that come from hun- harm. They are perceived as curious creatures, dreds of years ago. It can be confusing and wondering about our “strange” traditions. thought-provoking when wondering about Big- foot’s existence. Though we can contemplate How did Bigfoot originate? about folklore, there is also a question of ‘why According to bigfootfinder.com and sci- do we have so many witness stories of Bigfoot ence.howstuffworks.com, Bigfoot has been rec- in this day and age? Isn't it mind blowing that orded and documented for over many centuries. there are a bunch of witnesses and back-up Bigfoot’s story can go as far as the era where Na- for the existence of Bigfoot? It almost makes tive Americans inhabited the United States in you wonder if there is a humanoid out there in The Liberty Ledger

BIGFOOT … Continued By: Katherine Andrade Calderon the Earth that is great at hiding. Bigfoot that captivates peo- ple's minds. It Is Bigfoot fake? is the belief Ever since Bigfoot believers have emerged, there that maybe we has always been those who opposed those be- are not alone lievers. The evidence provided are as strong as on this Earth. the evidence given from the opposing side. Ac- That maybe cording to listverse.com, one major reason would there are other creatures like us. Though I can- be Bigfoot’s lack of physical evidence. For a crea- not express in deep detail as the podcast did, I ture who has supposedly lived on this planet for will leave it up to the conveying words of the many centuries, how can it be possible that not journalist to at least leave you thinking: one single piece of evidence can be found such www.hcn.org/articles/essays-even-if-bigfoot- as samples, DNA, or bones? This reasoning can isnt-real-we-still-need-him/. easily stump Bigfoot believers.

Conclusion Why do people want to believe in Bigfoot? Bigfoot is a creature that still lacks our under- I myself listened to a podcast about finding Bigfoot standing. Though it is strange how engrossed called “Wild Thing”, and one thing that struck me people can be on this topic; Bigfoot will always from the podcast was the question of ‘why people remain an animal of mystery, until we can find want to believe in Bigfoot? Using the pieces of in- a way to end this “puzzle”. formation from the podcast, I will convey my un- derstanding which is that there is something about

A Brief History on Lego By: Joseph Kalter How Legos get designed The first-ever Lego Figure only had removable head’s and hair and was built with Lego bricks. First Stage Second Stage Last Stage 1979-First Lego Video Game Lego Island 1999-Star Wars Lego set First Release 2000-New Star Wars set 2001-Harry Potter set 2002-Coca Cola Lego Figures 2006- DC Batman shows up 2006-Spongebob Figures 2007- 10,000 Limited Edition C-3P0 Were creat- ed

Some Rare Lego Figures: Iron Man Lego toy is a rare figure on- ly 125 ever made. In the first stage, the outline of the Lego figure Mr.Gold only 5,000 ever made gets sketched. In the second stage, the Lego fig- ure gets colored and gets the face and body cre- Gold C-3P0 Only 2 were ever made ated. In the last stage, the Lego figure is complete and created with a sketch and a model. The Liberty Ledger

Getting to Know Mr. Felici

By: Daniell Latouche Daley & David Tamay

What college did you graduate from and what was your major? I graduated from York College with a bache- lor's degree in accounting and a minor in Ital- ian.

What do you like about your job? I love teaching language and being able to make a difference in his student’s life.

What do you least like about your job? I do not like lesson planning.

If you had to pick another profession, other than teaching, what would it be? If I had a choice, I would be playing baseball.

What do you like to do outside of school? What are your favorite cities? I like to spend time with my family and My favorite cities are in Italy, Verona and friends Venice. They are very unique and beautiful with lovely architecture. Do you have a hobby? Yes, my hobbies are carpentry, baking and What is your favorite holiday? building things. Christmas is my favorite holiday because it is a time of giving. In the Italian culture, Do you speak another language? Christmas is about family, food and giving I speak some Spanish and full Italian. back to the community.

What is your favorite movie? Who is your role model? “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “For Love of My dad is my role model because I always the Game.” wanted to be the man that he is. He worked very hard and tried to give me everything I What is your favorite season? wanted but most importantly he gave us his I favorite season is spring because every- love. thing is coming back to life. 7th Grade Field Trip - Sterling Mines

By: Sabrina Lewis, Nicole Ng, Nathaniel Thomas & Jayson McArdle The Liberty Ledger

7th Grade Field Trip - Sterling Mines ...Continued pictures by: Sabrina Lewis, Nicole Ng, Nathaniel Thomas & Jayson McArdle The Liberty Ledger raspberry Pi … Is it Worth it?

By: Ayden Varkey The Raspberry Pi is a small single board com- puter that was developed to promote teach- ing of basic computer science at schools. However, people use Raspberry Pi for robotics.

Raspberry Pi plugs into a computer monitor and uses a keyboard and mouse. According to raspberrypi.org, this device helps people learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing eve- will be hard to get because it is not in pro- rything you’d expect a desktop computer to duction anymore. Yes, you can still buy it do, like browsing the internet, playing HD vid- on eBay or other sites but you run the risk eo, word-processing, and playing games. of the seller sending you a fake copy of game or a broken game. Cartridge Raspberry Pi 4 games have an internal battery that is With the Raspberry Pi 4 model B having a sale., used for the memory card when saving a I think it is time to make a review. Raspberry Pi game like Pokemon Ruby. These batteries can run 4k output on two displays which is can die. If it does die, you cannot save pretty impressive. It also has a gigabit Ethernet your game and all you progress will be connecter for internet. You can choose from a lost. The battery can be replaced but it is 1,2 or 4 gigabyte ram. Now for the actual not just a regular battery. You need to specs, take a look at this link https:// www.raspb453errypi.org/products/raspberry-pi know what you are doing. With Raspberry -4-model-b/specifications/. The Raspberry Pi Pi, you can play older games without hav- specs will vary depending which model you ing to worry about the console or the inter- choose. It comes with Quad core Cortex-A72 nal battery. It is just easier to play older (ARM v8) which is pretty nice. It also has 2.4 games without spending a lot of money. Ghz (Gigahertz) and a MicroSD slot. So the question here is, is it worth it? Yes and No. Since the Raspberry Pi has 4 gigabits of

RAM (random access memory), it allows to Raspberry Pi can run two monitors with 4k and get a good amount of Roms. A controller the good thing about it is the emulation. Emu- is recommended since using the keyboard lation is the act of reproducing an action or can be a bit harder to control. You can function of a computer, software, etc. Most use a controller like an Xbox 360. If you people use this to emulate old games. You do want to go old school, you can get a repli- have to be careful on copyright infringement ca SNES controller. laws when looking for games to emulate. Old video games are lost through time depending With the Raspberry Pi you can build an ar- on how old the game console is. Older games cade system by building the outside of an The Liberty Ledger

raspberry P+i … Is it Worth it? Continued By: Ayden Varkey

arcade machine, getting a small screen to fit on YouTube that can help you build your inside it and the internal components. This will own arcade machine. require some skills but you can find tutorials

Super Hero Analysis: Spider-man By: Nathaniel Thomas

“We all know about Spider-Man, he does whatever a spider can. He can spin a web any size and catches crime just like flies. Look out! Here comes the Spider- Man.” However, why does he stop criminals? What are his morals and motives? Would he be useful in the real world? We answer these questions today. The origin story from Amazing Fantasy #15, the first all. Spider-Man will try to help everybody he comic Spider-Man appeared in, shows that after Pe- can. ter Parker got bitten by a radioactive spider he ran I definitely think that Spider-man would help into a criminal. He didn’t feel the need to stop the make the world a better place. He definitely criminal and let him run away. The criminal eventually would keep many people safe, as his sense shoots his Uncle Ben and he realized that with great of responsibility would prevent him from be- power comes great responsibility. His Uncle Ben's ing as reckless as other superheroes. Peo- death is what motivated him to become a crime fight- ple could also use Spider-man as an exam- er. ple and do good deeds like him. However, Spider-Man is a superhero opposed to killing. This is many people would be opposed to him. Still, why all his villains come back to attack him. Even the love for a hero like Spider-man will over- when he becomes a zombie in Spider-Who Part 185, shadow the negative opinions about him. he regrets eating Mary Jane. Spider-Man knows that Spider-Man's good deeds and heroic model life isn’t fair to most people, but he has to help them would definitely make the world a better place.

Villain Analysis: Mysterio By: Olivia Camacho When Quentin Beck’s widowed father gave him a camera, Mysterio he fell in love with filming and production. Even though only fights he got teased for liking it, he continued and pursued being for him- a Hollywood stunt man. He soon grew envious of the ac- self and tors who got their names recognized at the end of the mov- doesn’t ie credits. He decided to work with “Tinkerer” to steal in- care about dustrial and military equipment. Long story short, he meets others’ SpiderMan, tries to kill him and ultimately gets defeated. needs and wants. To him, the world is out to get Mysterio ends up forming the Sinister Six, a group of bad him and he is fighting back. guys dead set on killing SpiderMan. Mysterio has no real powers, but he uses technology to warp the minds of oth- ers by creating illusions. His motivations in the movie, “Far From Home,” Tony Stark stole Quentin’s idea and proceeded to die in his fight against Thanos, which left everyone Mysterio was first introduced in the summer of 1964 in else in mourning. Their world truly needed some- “The Amazing SpiderMan” issue number 13 and he con- one to believe in, the next Tony Stark. Peter Parker tinued to make some appearances. Quentin Beck is does not deserve to have to carry the weight of the fighting for recognition, to be known among the world. world on his shoulders. Imagine this: you’re in high The Liberty Ledger

Villain Analysis: Mysterio ...Continued By: Olivia Camacho school, the most important years of your life and the but you can’t. All you want to do is just have a driving force of what your future may turn out like. break from the emotional and mental exhaustion. You’re this kid from Queens, a kid who already lost his After that kind of trauma, you need some time. All mom and dad at a young age and lives with his aunt, of a sudden, a man who seems like he can do it all, not having a father figure in your life. Until millionaire, someone who appears to be a valiant and noble hero Tony Stark swoops in and gives you a proper job. After and who almost reminds you of Tony, would take time, you really look up to him almost in a maternal care of your greatest problem- living up to such a way, and he becomes like the father you never had. high expectation. Though twisted, Mysterio genu- inely seems like he wants to help others, albeit, for the fame and recognition. He wants to help rebuild a A snap of a finger and you are gone for 4 years. All of broken country and he knows the quickest way to your friends are still aging and growing older than you. do that is to give people a sense of hope and some- That’s already bad enough. To make matters worse, one to believe in, even if that’s false hope. The per- you also lost your greatest idol, a person who you loved son they believe in is a fraud. That’s Mysterio. and cared about for years now, and Tony Stark. Now everyone expects you to be the next “Iron Man,” the CHARACTER DAY Pictures by: Daniell Latouche Daley, Janiyah Conaway and Dorinda Destine The Liberty Ledger

CHARACTER DAY … Continued Pictures by: Daniell Latouche Daley, Janiyah Conaway and Dorinda Destine