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THE MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY THE COUGAR CALL Est. 2008 Bringing the MKA Middle School news, sports, reviews, information, events and everything Cougars... A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER Vol. 1, Issue No. 4 - February/March 2009 New! Upcoming Events Winter Wonderland Dress code got you Students vs. Faculty Letters to the Editor Plan ahead with Look back at the chilly down? Basketball Game Recap Members of the Maggie Dancy’s guide season that is finally You’re not alone! See community respond to for a very busy April. giving way to spring. the survey. Aaron Stagoff-Belfort past Cougar Call Page 4 Photos by Megan Ross Page 11 gives a play-by-play issues. and Aaron Sterling. Need Advice? that will make you relive the game all over Page 2 Page 7 Staffers “Carl & Carla” again! offer thoughtful answers to your Page 12 questions. Page 9 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR the word “juice.” At first, Jude thought he Jude Stephen has been around for five short Harvey Juice had said “Jude,” but once he realized what years. For his entire life, George W. Bush has was happening, he retrieved food from the been president, ruling and reigning. For his A St. Petersburg five-year-old, Jude Stephen, kitchen; Jude poured juice and honey into entire life, people have been losing health recently saved his father’s life by cramming his Danny Stephen’s mouth, stuffed him with insurance and jobs to the government. dad’s mouth full of icing. cupcakes. Barack Obama has been around for 48 years. Danny Stephen, 43 years old, is a full-blown Stephen, who was diagnosed with diabetes 26 For his entire presidency—all of almost two diabetic. He lost his construction job in years ago and came out of his episode thanks months—there have been doubters and October. He says that the blood-sugar testing to his son’s awareness, says the five-year-old planners. strips he needs cost about a dollar each, and “knows [his] expressions when [his] sugar’s he has to check his blood four or five times a The United States of America, however, has low.” day every day because of his type of diabetes been around for 233 years. For her entire —so it costs approximately $400 per month to existence, the people have looked to the keep himself in shape. government to set themselves and their current predicaments, whatever they may be, Stephen was making an effort to cut down of right. the amount of test strips he uses in an effort to save money when he collapsed on a couch, But now, as President Obama so hopefully unconscious for ten hours, a few weeks ago. preached back on the campaign trail, is the time for change. Now, Obama needs you. Young Jude was the only person at home at When America cries out for juice, the people the time, and he tried to wake his father up at —and Obama—must reach out and make an dinnertime. But Danny Stephen was effort to pour in that honey. completely passed out. He couldn’t move or speak coherently. When his son attempted to ~Zoe Ferguson, Editor-in-Chief wake his dad up, Stephen said he mumbled News Channel 8 photo by Wally Patanow Big Cool Words About LOVE by Michelle Custode 1.! Affectionate- (adj.) readily feeling or showing tenderness 2.! Devotion- (n.) love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause 3.! Fidelity- (n.) faithfulness demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support 4.! Fondness- (adj.) having an affection or liking for sciencia, somniantas, integritas 1 THE MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR “'No homo'... But really, it's a coded way of around in the cafeteria. Even some people who to leave early to make sure kids don’t miss their saying, "I think being gay is bad," that you were enjoying the movie left. A while later I bus. may not even realize you’re sending. If you decided to go to the cafeteria. I wish I hadn’t, it Douglas Gertner haven’t heard this popular expression, well was complete chaos, like WW3. I got out of there irst of all, you’re probably a faculty member as fast as I could, and boy was I glad when it was I would like to address your article entitled or administrator...” all over. I asked some people what they said about “Chanukah, Chanukah let the fun begin – or not?.” Why hasn't anyone reported this to a faculty movie night, and most of them said they only went The irst point I would like to make [is] about your member or administrator? to see their friends, so I guess we could have gone comment, “We Jews don’t care all too much about anywhere and they would all still come. To me, the Festival of Lights, how it last for eight days, or I have to say I have never read this that really doesn’t sound like a success. really any other aspects of this particular ‘special’ publication before‐‐not really sure why I did week besides the fact that it’s yet another excuse tonight‐‐but I found it terribly disturbing. I Miki Peiffer during this holiday season to receive chocolate.” thought the word tolerance was rather I disagree with Molly Peek on how much you need Zoe Ferguson, if all that you can think about when passe. Aren't we all about inclusion? No one a laptop in school. Ms. Zagariello (from the you think of Chanukah is getting chocolate, I may should just be tolerated‐‐implying we have computer department) and Nandita Shankar disagree with you, but I have to grant you your to put up with someone of different beliefs‐‐ (seventh grader) both think everyone should have personal opinion. However, when you claim that having no choice but to do so. Shouldn't we a laptop. Most middle schoolers type slower than “we Jews” all feel this way, I feel misrepresented rather be reaching out to include everyone of they can write by hand, so that the argument for and offended. Holidays can have different different beliefs, customs or sexual using a laptop for taking notes does not make any meanings to different Jews. For some, Chanukah orientation in our community to make all sense to me. may be about the miracle of the oil. For others, it feel welcome and validated? I have an eighth grade brother and I know for a might be just simply lighting a light in the We have families in our community‐‐children fact that he didn’t use a laptop in school until this darkness. For many, it’s about the pleasures of from same sex marriages, faculty with family year in eighth grade. I am in sixth grade and coming together with family. What’s clear is that of same sex partners. Being gay is a part of haven’t needed a laptop in school at all this year. holidays like Chanukah and Christmas and life and all the members of our community There have only been a couple of times where I Kwanzaa survive because people attach meaning should be included and treated with equal have had to bring home my pen drive to work on to them. If Chanukah were only about the respect. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes an assignment at home that I have started in chocolate, it would have died out long ago. open. Glad you wrote about it. school. Bringing in the pen drive back and forth The second point of yours that I would like to Kristen Weaver from home is much easier than bringing a laptop. address is how you describe the Maccabees. In Dance Brookside For me, especially with playing sports after your article, you state, “I’m dead serious. The Montclair Kimberley Academy school, I would worry about keeping track of and Maccabees mean nothing. For all we care, they’re [email protected] not losing an expensive laptop. no more real than the Tooth Fairy.” I am shocked with the audacity of many of I know eventually I will need a laptop, but I don’t’ First of all, the Maccabees were a small band of your articles. In the January issue there think that until we start working on bigger and warriors who defeated the massive Greek army. were two articles where I saw you downing longer term projects, like the eighth grade science These are cold, hard facts. There is no speculation students that go to MKA. You generally project, that I will really need a laptop in school. about this. We know that they existed and we accused kids going to MKA of saying “no Dan Yanes know their great accomplishments. How can we homo.” Now I’m not saying I haven’t heard it compare them to the Tooth Fairy? Not only were said, but it’s deinitely a very small I am writing to comment on the article written by they real people, they also stood for something percentage of the school making these types Aaron about the middle school basketball teams. I larger than themselves. These brave warriors of remarks. You also said “If Hiroshima, with agree with Aaron, about using the same offense teach us that no matter what the odds, if you are whom we have fought terrible battles, can from the B team to the varsity team at the Upper righteous and you believe in your cause, you can respect racial diversity and honor human School was a great idea. By the time you go to the overcome any evil.